Tuesday, April 6, 2010

CAS61 Meets Big Gems

This week's CAS61 Challenge is to use only a sentiment stamp to make a card...no other stamps allowed. Yesterday's card fit the challenge by coincidence. Today's card uses big bling like yesterday's and a sentiment stamp from Hero Arts.




Simplicity Tip: Use a ruler to get precise placement of items on a line. On this card, I used a pen and quilting ruler to draw the line. Then after scooting the ruler over a bit, I was able to place the bling precisely, with even spacing. I started with the large bling, then filled in the smaller bling.

Unfortunately, the colors are a bit off in the photo. The gems are purple and teal, and they are lighter in real life.

FYI: Several people have asked lately about gemstone brands. I use Hero Arts' gems a lot, but they don't have the really small ones. Michael's carries a brand (Recollections, I think) that has three different sizes of gemstone on one sheet, including the really small ones. These are much better quality than the Hobby Lobby brand (those look sort of cloudy to me, while the Michael's ones look very clear). Some of my giant gems come from packs that have an assortment of sizes and even tiny little flowers I haven't used much of yet; these came from Target. I haven't tried the A Muse twinkles yet but plan on ordering some soon. Basically, I buy whatever gems I can find. Hope this helps.

Sue Berker chastized me for my unkind reference to orchid opulence as fairy vomit. She challenged me to use that color on a card. Hmmm. Maybe I'll hold my nose and do it. We shall see. Frankly, I'm thrilled to put my children on the bus again this morning after over a week of spring break. I'm hoping to spend a large chunk of my day in the craft room, and another large chunk finishing up the de-molding of the antique furniture. Whatever I do today, at least the noise of bickering boys will not annoy me...until 4:00, when big boy realizes he has to go to rehab while little boy gets speech therapy. Oh, the long-suffering boredom of waiting!

DUKE WON THE NCAA CHAMPIONSHIP!!!!!!!!! WAY TO GO, BLUE DEVILS!!!!!!! COACH K ROCKS!!!!!!!!!!!!! And to Butler...YOU ARE AWESOME, TOO!!!!!!

Thanks for listening.

27 comments:

  1. Wow! I just love what you do with gemstones!! I have a huge stash of various sizes and colours and different shapes. You have inspired me to dig them out and use them in different ways. Wonderful card!:)

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  2. very cool card, as usual :)

    my daughter is on spring break this week and i'm already looking forward to her return to school

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  3. Exciting game, I do have to say! Of course, love the simplicity of your card as well!

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  4. That looks so cool! Love your card!

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  5. Well frankly, I'm disappointed! Not even so much as a teeny tiny tidbit of OO. :0) I'm sure this card would be just as beautiful in OO. Just for that, I may make one of my own! Hmph! (Gorgeous card, though.)

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  6. Looks great to me - I need to use up some of my gems, as well.
    Thanks for the inspiration!

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  7. Ditto what Lynette said!!! Good grief you are SUCH a genius. I can't wait to TRY to copy it and see if there's ANY possibility of me producing such precision.

    Our daughter and I were florists for 13 years. She produced the symmetrical arrangements that had to copy the FTD photos while I did the wildflower-type that didn't require precision. We could no way substitute for the other person's style, try as we might.

    Enjoy your return-to-school day, which will no doubt fly by while you are still figuring how you will spend such bliss.

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  8. By the way, impressrubberstamps.com has really pretty teensy jewels in 7 colors. I especially like that I can buy all one color and all one size in each package.

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  9. It never occurred to me to draw a line (and not erase it) for the bling. Thanks for yet another lovely card and simple idea.

    Now I'm afraid I have to say this. While we seem to be of like minds on so very many things, I knew you'd be cheering for Duke, but I was not. My parents met as students at Butler - during WWII - and I might not be here if it weren't for Butler! So, I understand your giant blue letters and exclamation points, but little Butler gets some blue letters, too, for making those Duke boys really work for it!

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  10. P.S. Thank you for listening.

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  11. This card is absolutely stunning. You've now given me enough ideas that I can no longer avoid the big gems. Hope you are enjoying the same glorious weather in Ohio as we are in NJ. It would make the de-molding a bit easier I imagine.

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  12. Susan O,

    What a great story about your parents meeting at Butler. On my other blog (Questioning my Intelligence), I actually did comment on Butler, and I've come back and edited my big bold Duke Blue letters to include them, too. Honestyly, if Duke had lost, I wouldn't have been too sad. What a wonderful game between two teams with a lot of heart!

    Blessings,
    Susan

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  13. Awww, thanks for the shout-out to Butler! You are such a good sport. I had not yet read Questioning my Intelligence (but I'm a regular there too) - once I finished laughing, I made a note to share that one with my hubby. He also enjoys the ones about Hoover.
    Susan O

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  14. Oh Susan this is above gorgous ... I just love, love it.
    I wanna be you when I grow up ... pretty please :)

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  15. Gorgeous Susan, how do you come up with these ideas?!

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  16. Just gorgeous. I don't know how you do it. To keep coming up with new and fresh ideas is truly amazing. We have so come to count on you for a nice surprise every morning. Please don't ever get tired of stamping!

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  17. You cheer for DUKE? Whoa, for a moment there, my hero worship almost slipped. :P (Okay, I'm kidding. Besides, I'm Canadian. MY favourite team is the UConn Huskies, entirely because of the pun. Oh, and my 2nd fave, the Manhatten Jaspers, since that was the name of a former, much-loved cat...)
    This is a seriously fine card. But wait! Would those purple gemstones, lighter IRL than in the photo, possibly coordinate with fairy vomit cs? :P

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  18. Nice job using a color you don't especially like or that makes you sick! I have the same nausea toward pastel pinks, so much so that all my friends know about it and wouldn't even think of giving me anything pink. I might try using it someday...nah...

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  19. Seriously Susan, this is so cool! How do you come up with this stuff?

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  20. Love the creative use of bling! Great design!!

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  21. Stunning! I'll have to find just the right sentiment to try this with.

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  22. Cool use of the gems. I like the contrast of the different sizes in a line.

    I feel about Glorious Green (which I call "gag me green") the way you do about orchid opulence. No matter how hard I try, I cannot use that color. I still have the origial 3 sheets of cardstock that came in the multi-pack I bought in 2004. And the ink spot and marker are unopened. I don't know why I hold on to them. I keep thinking I will change my mind about the color and want to use it. Nope. I guess now that they are going to retire I can feel ok about letting them go.

    Here's a reciprocal challenge for you. If you use fairy vomit on one of your cards, I will use gag me green on one of mine!

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Thank you so much for taking time to comment!