Just Us Girls #840 -- WORD Week

Join us! It is WORD week at Just Us Girls.  Ina is challenging us to be inspired by the word BOLD. Although I think my card is bold, I actually used Spellbinders BE BOLD florals. I die-cut the greenery from various scrap greens, and the florals from any warm scraps in my bin.  I assembled 10 floral arrangements on black card bases with the sentiment embossed in white. The final touch was a trio of clear drops. Duplicates are for donation. 

Check out our fabulous guest designer for September, Julia Aston. Please welcome her and check out her fabulous work over at Create with Julia! 

Also check out the design team.  These ladies work hard to inspire you each week.  Drop by their blogs and leave them a little love.

Enjoy!  I am looking forward to your inspired creations in the gallery. 

Elizabeth

Project Details
Stamps/Dies/Stencils/Other	Spellbinders Be Bold Florals Papertrey Ink Keep It Simple: Thinking of You stamps
Cardstock	110lb. Neenah Solar Crest Various Bazzill solid color cardstock scraps, and black
Ink	Versamark Hero Arts white embossing powder
Embellishments	Papertrey Ink clear drops
Desk Staples	Dahle 550 Rotary Cutter Scor Pal Mini Score Board Sizzix Big Shot Die Cutting Ranger Stamp Platform Bearly Art Precision Glue 3M ATG 714 Tape Adhesive 3M foam tape

Just Us Girls #839 -- DIE Week

Join us! It is DIE week at Just Us Girls. Sue is challenging us to use the word die THANKS.   Again, another Pinkfresh product. I love this embellished Thanks die.  I used the negative space from the die cuts to line up the letters. I also layered each letter 3x. I made 14 duplicates for donation.  These cards were all about using "leftovers".  I had bunches of Pinkfresh washi ephemera die cuts from previous projects, as well as embossed leaf backgrounds and diamond Greetery trellises. Using all these pieces, I mixed and matched them to assemble a variety of cards; no two were alike.  For me, THANKS was a very motivating word. 

Check out our fabulous guest designer for September, Julia Aston. Please welcome her and check out her fabulous work over at Create with Julia! 

Also check out the design team.  These ladies work hard to inspire you each week.  Drop by their blogs and leave them a little love.

Enjoy!  I am looking forward to your inspired creations in the gallery. 

Elizabeth

Project Details
Stamps/Dies/Stencils/Other	Pinkfresh Bloom of Thanks die Memory Box Pinpoint Leaf Plate The Greetery Diamond Foliage Die Pinkfresh Fuschias Washi and Die Pinkfresh Chrysanthemums Washi and Die Pinkfresh Hydrangea and Roses Washi and Die
Cardstock	110lb. Neenah Solar Crest Bazzill solid color cardstock Stardream dark pink metallic Concord & 9th gold matte cardstock
Ink
Embellishments
Desk Staples	Dahle 550 Rotary Cutter Scor Pal Mini Score Board Sizzix Big Shot Die Cutting Ranger Stamp Platform Bearly Art Precision Glue 3M ATG 714 Tape Adhesive 3M foam tape

Just Us Girls #838 -- Anything Goes STENCIL Week

Join us! It is Anything Goes STENCIL week at Just Us Girls.  Carol Mc is challenging us to use a stencil in our cards.  I decided to go old school this week.  I used a simple, one-layer stencil to quickly and easily make two dozen cards for donation. In the featured card, I used an adorable ducky from Rabbit Hole to create baby cards; in the second card, I used a ribbon stencil from Brutus Monroe to create breast cancer encouragement cards.  On the ducky card, I added a beak and eyes with Copic markers. I trimmed the panel and added a scallop border and line sentiment. I mounted the panel on a yellow card base and finished with gems. The edges of the second cancer card are embossed, and a layered, vellum-backed sentiment and gems were added to finish it off. So easy and very effective.

Check out our fabulous guest designer for August, Betty Keefe. Please welcome her and check out her fabulous work over at created by bjk! 

Also check out the design team.  These ladies work hard to inspire you each week.  Drop by their blogs and leave them a little love.

Enjoy!  I am looking forward to your inspired creations in the gallery. 

Elizabeth

Project Details
Stamps/Dies/Stencils/Other	Papertrey Ink Line It Up Baby dies My Favorite Things Stitched Scalloped Rectangle frame dies Rabbit Hole Designs Oh Duck! stencil Simon Says Stamp Love Your Guts die Brutus Monroe Ribbons stencil Pinkfresh Blanket Stitched Rectangle frame dies
Cardstock	110lb. Neenah Solar Crest Bazzill solid yellow and pink cardstock Amuse Art Studio gingham cardstock Vellum
Ink	Various Simon Says Stamp dye inks Copic markers (duck beak and eyes)
Embellishments	Little Things by Lucy's Cards gems
Desk Staples	Dahle 550 Rotary Cutter Scor Pal Mini Score Board Sizzix Big Shot Die Cutting Ranger Stamp Platform Bearly Art Precision Glue 3M ATG 714 Tape Adhesive 3M foam tape

Just Us Girls #837 -- MOODBOARD Week

Join us! It is MOODBOARD week at Just Us Girls.  Lisa is challenging us to be inspired by the modboard above this week.  Sunflowers and butterflies! I actually used a new Hero Arts Daisy cover plate. I die-cut the plate four times from forest green (discarding the daisy bits), and four times from yellow cardstock (saving everything). When die-cutting the forest green cardstock, I put waxed paper between the plate and the paper; this allows the pieces to drop out easily. When die-cutting the yellow cardstock, I place a dryer sheet behind the paper to keep the pieces together in the background for easy inlaying. I covered the forest-green backs with scortape, mounted them on a card base, and inlaid all the yellow petals (four times yielded four duplicates for donation).  

After the inlay, the only open spaces were the flower centers, which were covered in scortape. I rubbed bronze glitter into each "hole", brushing any excess from the card front. To seal the glitter, I added a BIG drop of Glossy Accents.  The dried drops look like glitter dots (e.g., Pinkfresh, Simon Says, etc) on overdrive sparkle.

Following the inspiration, I added a vellum butterfly and a layered sentiment to finalize the card.

Check out our fabulous guest designer for August, Betty Keefe. Please welcome her and check out her fabulous work over at created by bjk! 

Also check out the design team.  These ladies work hard to inspire you each week.  Drop by their blogs and leave them a little love.

Enjoy!  I am looking forward to your inspired creations in the gallery. 

Elizabeth

Project Details
Stamps/Dies/Stencils/Other	Simon Says Stamp Small Hello die The Stamp Market Basic Butterfly die Hero Arts Daisy Cover Plate die
Cardstock	110lb. Neenah Solar Crest Bazzill solid dark green and yellow cardstock Vellum
Ink	Copic markers (antennae)
Embellishments	Bronze glitter (stash) Glossy Accents
Desk Staples	Dahle 550 Rotary Cutter Scor Pal Mini Score Board Sizzix Big Shot Die Cutting Ranger Stamp Platform Bearly Art Precision Glue 3M ATG 714 Tape Adhesive 3M foam tape

Just Us Girls #836 -- WORD Week

Join us! It is WORD week at Just Us Girls. Bobby is challenging us to be inspired by the word "WATER" on our cards this week.   I used this gorgeous set from Pinkfresh, Tranquil Water Lilies. This card is highly layered and will require a padded envelope and extra postage. All of the elements are stenciled.  The water is stenciled on blue for ease. The dies for this set are Pinkfresh's new no-border dies, which I love.  I did line all the piece edges with a colored marker for a seamless look. The flowers were finished with crystal Stickles and gold dots. The die-cut sentiment is white-embossed on teal, matching the embossed background. I made six duplicates for donation; the card appears involved but is really quite easy given the layered stencils.

Check out our fabulous guest designer for August, Betty Keefe. Please welcome her and check out her fabulous work over at created by bjk! 

Also check out the design team.  These ladies work hard to inspire you each week.  Drop by their blogs and leave them a little love.

Enjoy!  I am looking forward to your inspired creations in the gallery. 

Elizabeth

Project Details
Stamps/Dies/Stencils/Other	Pinkfresh On My Mind sentiment stamp Pinkfresh Tranquil Water Lilies stencil and dies Waffle Flower postage frame dies Pinkfresh Blanket Stitched Rectangle dies
Cardstock	110lb. Neenah Solar Crest Bazzill solid color blue and teal cardstock
Ink	Various Simon Says Stamp dye inks Versamark Hero Arts white embossing powder
Embellishments	Little Things by Lucy's Cards dots Crystal Stickles
Desk Staples	Dahle 550 Rotary Cutter Scor Pal Mini Score Board Sizzix Big Shot Die Cutting Ranger Stamp Platform Bearly Art Precision Glue 3M ATG 714 Tape Adhesive 3M foam tape

Just Us Girls #835 -- DIE Week

Join us! It is DIE week at Just Us Girls.  Vicki is challenging us with ANYTHING GOES dies this week! Sometimes anything goes is the best way to use something new.  I pulled out this new "faces" press plate from Spellbinders. I was just drawn to it, and it foiled beautifully in gold on Stardream metallic pink cardstock.  So much shimmer! I added red lips with a Sharpie pen (a Copic will not adhere to the metallic cardstock).  The final touches were a vellum-backed sentiment, new from Cathy Z at Simon Says, and red pearls.  Isn't that sentiment just perfect for these profiles of women?  I made six duplicates for donation.

Check out our fabulous guest designer for August, Betty Keefe. Please welcome her and check out her fabulous work over at created by bjk! 

Also check out the design team.  These ladies work hard to inspire you each week.  Drop by their blogs and leave them a little love.

Enjoy!  I am looking forward to your inspired creations in the gallery. 

Elizabeth

Project Details
Stamps/Dies/Stencils/Other	Simon Says Stamp Just Sayin' Spellbinders Perceptual Profiles Press & Foil Plate
Cardstock	110lb. Neenah Solar Crest Bazzill solid red cardstock Stardream pink metallic cardstock Vellum
Ink	Sharpie red marker
Embellishments	Little Things by Lucy's Cards gems Spellbinders gold foil
Desk Staples	Dahle 550 Rotary Cutter Scor Pal Mini Score Board Sizzix Big Shot Die Cutting Ranger Stamp Platform Bearly Art Precision Glue 3M ATG 714 Tape Adhesive 3M foam tape

Just Us Girls #834 -- CASE A DT Week

Join us! It is CASE A DT week at Just Us Girls.  Carol is challenging us to choose one of the DT members' cards and CASE it.   CASE a Design Team [DT] member means you may CASE any DT member's card in the JUGS post. [CASE = copy & share everything].  In a nutshell, use what inspires you from the card you choose, and create your own. There is a wide selection from what the Team has created, using anything goes for their creations. 

If you need help in learning how to CASE a card, please check out Ardyth's post on her LIMES method.  CASEing others' work is a powerful learning tool that helps you solidify your own style.

For my card, I returned to my favorite technique... inlay dies.  I used a gorgeous peacock background and selected deep, cool colors. The small bright blue piece in the center of each "feather" is actually layered, not inlaid, giving the card a bit of dimension. The sentiment is die-cut from a new alphabet set and lined up using an alignment tool from the Greetery.  The final touch was a few gold glitter dots.  I love this type of inlay card because there is no waste. I used four colored A2 panels, yielding 4 duplicate cards in alternating colors. The final panels were trimmed to gain clean edges and mounted on a black card base.

Also, check out the design team.  These ladies work hard to inspire you each week.  Drop by their blogs and leave them a little love.

Enjoy!  I am looking forward to your inspired creations in the gallery. 

Elizabeth

Project Details
Stamps/Dies/Stencils/Other	Concord & 9th Patterned Peacock dies A Pocketful of Happiness The Perfect Fit Alpha
Cardstock	110lb. Neenah Solar Crest Various Bazzill solid color cardstocks, and black Stardream gold cardstock
Ink
Embellishments	Pinkfresh glitter gold dots
Desk Staples	Dahle 550 Rotary Cutter Scor Pal Mini Score Board Sizzix Big Shot Die Cutting Ranger Stamp Platform Bearly Art Precision Glue 3M ATG 714 Tape Adhesive 3M foam tape