Introducing...

She's my partner.

She's my friend.

She keeps me on the straight and narrow

and I make her laugh...often!

We have yet to meet in real life, but that's just something to look forward to!

It is my great pleasure to introduce my CAS-ual Fridays Co-Creator...

Julie Ranae

Julie's Open Window

I am from The Forest City of Rockford, Illinois. I've been married to my husband Paul for 20 years
but it took me two additional years to 'import' him from the UK.  I have 2 wonderful children and 3 amazing grandsons.

Having spent my career as a marketing consultant in retail, I eventually found myself the owner of Northern Illinois' largest rubber stamp store. 
These days I no longer work in retail, but continue to teach workshops and organize paper-crafting events.

I am the owner of three blogs...Julie's Open Window, The Play Date Cafe Challenge and CAS-ual Fridays,
 the Design Team Coordinator for The Twinery, and a Creative Consultant for A Muse Studios.

I recently became acquainted with Skype and can now be seen in front of the mirror, checking my makeup on an hourly basis...just in case someone calls!

Julie Ranae is a fantastic designer who knows no style boundaries.
She will be coordinating our fabulous Girl Fridays and
she plans to pop in for some CAS-ual fun by designing with us from time to time!

And here is a little taste of her CAS side...

Be sure to treat yourself to a visit to her blog.

There is only one introduction left to be made!

We're getting closer and closer to the big day!!

Have you joined our CAS-ual Fridays Fan Club yet?

Introducing...

Fun, fresh and utterly delightful!

The same could be said for her designs!
We're thrilled for you to meet our final Girl Friday!!

Here is little more about

Karolyn

Paper Therapy

Hiya!!  I’m a retired legal assistant, married to my sweet hubby, Garry, since 1980, mom to Ashley (27), who’s married to Blake and is mom to my darling grandson, Brecken (almost 1!); and Amy (22), who just graduated from college and is currently substitute teaching Middle School English.  We are “snowbirds” – we spend the fall and winter in Chandler, Arizona and the spring and summer in Mill Creek, Washington.

 I started stamping in 2002, when my oldest daughter “left” me to go to college.  I had an “empty nest” meltdown, even though she was only 25 miles away from home.  LOL  Stamping helped me focus on something other than the fact that I was broken-hearted, and opened up a world of creativity that I didn’t even know I had in me.  Stamping and paper crafting is what makes my heart go pitter patter  . . . it’s what I dream about at night, it’s what gets my motor running every day (besides my Starbucks!  LOL), and it’s what makes me happy.   I’ve had a bit of success with the publication game, and was most recently chosen as one of the 2011 Stamping Royalty for Paper Crafts Magazine.  Crazy, right?!!

I am ever so grateful to Michele and Julie for including me in this amazing group of creative women, and can hardly wait for you all to come play with us – we’re going to have so much fun!!

Here are a couple of Karolyn's designs that made our hearts go 

pitter patter

who wouldn't love a phone like this?

Polka dot bunnies with gingham tails!

down right smoochable!

Please welcome Karolyn and be sure to treat yourself to a visit to her blog.

We'll be back tomorrow with more fun!

In fact, you'll want to check back every day from now until our challenge begins on 

*** May 6th! ***
until then, please join our Fan Club on the sidebar.
We'll be back tomorrow...same time, same place!

Introducing...

Julie has such a wonderful CAS style-sometimes elegant, sometimes playful and anywhere in between.
She has an amazing eye for color and loves to try new techniques.
She's also a  member of royalty--Stamping Royalty 2007 that is!

Here is a little more about
Julie
J.Day Designs

I was first introduced to stamping in 1998 when my boyfriend (now husband) took me to an arts and crafts store and bought me a stamp set of my choosing. After that first inking I was hooked!

I’ve dabbled in other areas such as sketching, painting, scrapbooking, and jewelry, but my true love has always been card making. When I started working full time, I quickly discovered that most of my crafting hobbies didn’t jive with my work schedule and one of the best rewards of any creative process is the end result. Not only does card making fit my time requirements, but the creative process is a stress reliever and I get a finished project within a short time frame, not to mention it's just plain FUN!  I'm so excited to be a "Girl Friday" for the CAS-ual Fridays challenge and I can't wait to see everyone's CAS creations!

A small sample of her work...
She knows how to let the colors tell the story

So much detail! She actually made snow on the line!

Please help us welcome Julie and be sure to stop by her blog!

We'll be back soon with one more Girl Friday!
Clean up your crafty space and get ready!
Our very first CAS-ual Fridays Challenge begins on May 6th!

Introducing...

She is no stranger to the challenge world,
many of you miss playing with her inspiring sketches at
2 Sketches 4 You.
She is an amazing designer and
we are thrilled to have her with us to delight you with her stunning style.

Here is more about
Laura
A Day in the Life of the Paper Poppy

Hi my name is Laura Davis I am a wife and mother to a teenage daughter. I love to cook, run, and inspire. Most of all I love to be inspired. Creating is my passion. ~ Laura Davis

She has an amazing eye for color and patterns

She can capture the essence of folly and fun!

and this one she created special for her Girl Friday debut

Leave some love for Laura and then hop over to her blog for more of her delightful inspirations!

We're not done yet!
We'll be back soon to introduce another Girl Friday!

We just love seeing our Player's Badge as we visit blogs!
Its free and its yours for the taking!

Introducing...

Dana can design in a range of styles and do it all really well.

When she goes CAS, it is truly something special!
Enthusiastic and fun...we just know you'll love her!

Here is a little more about 

Dana

Kismet, Art, and Life

I am delighted to be joining the CAS-ual Fridays Design Team! I can't wait to be a Girl Friday and am honored to be part of such an amazingly talented group of crafters.

As a left-handed art and craft freak, I have been making cards for friends and family since I was a little girl. My love of paper-crafting led me to the stamping world in 2000, when I purchased my first one from a yard sale! My card making style is pretty eclectic and I like to dabble in just about everything from vintage/shabby to clean and simple. My creations can be seen on my blog, Kismet, Art, and Life. Along with stamping I enjoy altered art, cooking, knitting, gardening and music. I live in beautiful upstate NY with my husband, our two adopted children, two cats, and a dog. I am a PPQ Officer with the USDA by day and crafter extraordinaire by night (or early morning as the case may be).


We've got a small sampling of her work for you.
So fresh and fun!

Drama...Elegance...Mad Texture-this card has it all!

Please leave Dana some love and then give her blog a visit.
You'll find lots of drool-worthy creations!

You won't want to miss our next Girl Friday introduction!
We Loooove our new CAS-ual Fridays Fan Club members!  Please join them!

Introducing...

You may also know her as Jax!
Clean, Fun, Fresh are just a few words to describe her awesome CAS style.
Spunky, Bold and Funny are just a few words to describe her!

Here is a little more about
Jaclyn
Designs by Jax

Most people call me Jax and yes, I will admit, I have an addiction to stamping (and all other crazy awesome craftiness)!  Paper crafting caught my eye about eight years ago when I was introduced to my first rubber stamp.  My mom has been my biggest fan and has pushed me over the years to make this hobby into something more.  Although I love having some creative recognition under my belt, the bottom line is I do it because it is healing, relaxing, and in the end makes another human being feel special.  I spend most days dividing my time between my three rugrats (ages 8, 7, and 4), my hobby, and serving in my Church.  If there's time left, I like to exercise, hang out with my girlfriends (and their rugrats), read books about spiritual growth, and utilize the word "awesome" in as many ways as I possibly can.  I am BEYOND thrilled to be a part of such a new and exciting challenge.  With a degree in graphic design, CAS design has really taken center stage for me.  CAS-ual Fridays is a perfect fit and I hope to inspire all of you with my work!

Just to wet your appetite a bit, we have a small taste of Jax's work...
Colorful and fun!

Delightfully charming!

Show Jax some love and then hop over to her blog, to see more of her CAS-tastical creations!

We're not done yet!
Another incredible Girl Friday will be introduced soon!

We love our CAS-ual Fridays Fan Club and hope you'll join!
Did you know we have an email subscription link?
Its located directly under our CAS-ual Fridays Fan Club.

Introducing...

We just fell in love with Kryssi's cute and fun design style,
as well as her casual, friendly writing style.
Don't let her fool you though, she can do elegant at the drop of a hat!
We are positive she will delight and inspire you each week!

Here is a little more about
Kryssi
{sugar buffet}

Hi, my name is Kryssi and I live in NYC with my husband and 2 little girls. I've been involved with and studied fine arts my whole life, but it wasn't until late 2008 that I discovered the world of papercrafting -- and haven't looked back since! It's been such a great creative outlet for me since I don't have the time or space for the traditional arts media anymore. Currently, I make cards, scrapbook, and dabble a bit in graphic designs, and photography! Yup, I'm one of those try-to-do-it-all people! I'm happy to be on this team, I love CAS cards!

Here is taste of her delightful work...
Just adore all the little details she worked into this one!

Stunningly elegant!

Leave some love for Kryssi and be sure to treat yourself with a visit to her blog, where you'll see scads of darling cards and some amazing CAS layouts too!

Our next Girl Friday, who is dying to spill her beans, will be introduced any time now!

Introducing...

Laurie is an amazing CAS designer.
Her fresh, elegant style often takes our breath away, and she can rock the fun and cute just as well!

Here is more about
Laurie
Soapbox Creations

A little bit about me...I am a SAHM mom to 2 little ones! Rylee is 6 and Brody is 2! They keep me super busy but Rylee is in school and when Brody is sleeping, that is when I break out the inks! I live in Kansas with my husband Lynn...who does a really good job of pretending he doesn't see my stamping stash getting bigger and bigger! ;) I am also an RN and I work 2 short days a week!   Card making is a huge stress reliever for me and I can say for sure I am addicted to this hobby...and Dt Dr Pepper!  :)  I am over the moon excited to be joining this team as a newly announced Paper Crafts Magazine Stamping Royalty winner!

Here is a small sample of her work...
How fabulous is this??!!

Love this combination of elegant and whimsical.

Please give Laurie a warm welcome and be sure to see more of her gorgeous designs at her blog.

But wait!  There's more!
We'll introduce another fabulous Girl Friday before you know it!

Be sure to add yourself to our CAS Loving Followers and
grab our player's badge for your blog!

Introducing...

Sweet and fun and one heck of a designer!
She has a delightful energy that shows in her creations.
We fell in love with her CAS style and know you'll find inspiration in her work.

Here is more about
Virginia
Yes, Virginia...

Hi, my name is Virginia and I am a stamp-aholic. I'm so excited to be part of the DT in the brand new CAS-usual Fridays! Originally from Taiwan, I have now lived in southern Ontario, Canada for over 25  years now.  When not working (office manager at hubby's medical office), I devote all my free time to card-making. I have two wonderful kids who are thriving in their studies in university and high school. I started stamping when my son was a baby and have been loving it ever since.  I started stamping actively through Hero Arts Flicker group in 2008. I have enjoy every minute of it. Through this hobby, I also get to meet many wonderful card-makers from Michigan, USA to London, England.

I don't have any particular style, but I consider that my style tends to be clean and simple. CAS, to me, is all about cool and linear designs. CAS style truly enhances a card designer's sense, regardless of the levels and styles that we are in/have. I also like to add that CAS also means creative and sophisticated. I hope you can try out the new challenges to stretch your creativity or even to get yourself outside of your comfort zone. Card-making, to me, is all about having fun and experimenting. I am very much looking forward to fun time that we are going to have!


Here are a couple of our favorites...
Love her use of embellishments 

Talk about CAS elegance...

Please give a warm welcome to Virginia and be sure to stop by her blog to see more of her fabulous creations!

Our next amazing Girl Friday will be introduced very soon!!
To pass the time, we'd love for you to grab our player's badge for your blog
and become a CAS loving follower.
The more the merrier!!

Introducing...

Karen is not only an amazing designer but she's also a wonderful story teller!

She begins nearly every blog post with an anecdote that delights her readers.
We love her beautiful graphic style and know you will too!

Here is a little more about
Karen
The Bald Dragonfly

I'm a graphic designer by trade, wife, mama to two energetic, young boys and always a crafter at heart. I like to expand my boundaries by experimenting and showcasing the capabilities of each stamp set that I pick up. I'm passionate about composition and color and am an advocate of clean design in my creations. Friday in general was a great day to begin with and now it has become even better that I have the title of being a "Girl Friday" at Cas-ual Fridays Challenge doing what I love...making clean and simple cards to inspire lots of crafters!

Here is just a small sample of Karen's work.
I love how she incorporated all these wonderful layers and still kept it CAS!

And this is just pure textural delight!

Please leave some love here for Karen and be sure to visit her blog to see more of her fabulous work.

We'll be back soon to introduce our next Girl Friday!

Design Team Announcement

A Sincere Thank You to all who applied for our Design Team!

We were blown away at receiving 90 fabulous applications.  

With only 8 spots to fill, it was a daunting but enlightening task to be sure.

It is our absolute delight to announce that we have an amazing Design Team!!

We can't wait to introduce you to our Girl Fridays, 

and they are just dying to spill their beans!!

So you can get to know them, we will showcase our Girl Fridays one by one 

beginning April 12th!

Design Team Call Closed

Wow!

We received 90 DT applications!

We are beyond thrilled at the amazing talent and so appreciative to everyone who applied.

We know you are anxious to meet the Girl Fridays,

and so are we!

Its going to take a bit of time to pour over 90 blogs! 

In the meantime, be sure to add our players badge to your blog

and we'd love it if you'd add yourself to our followers!

We'll be back on April 8th with an announcement!