Freshly Made Sketches 71

Happy Wednesday everyone!  Today over at Freshly Made Sketches, we've got a great sketch created by the oh-so talented Linda Callahan!  I decided to do a valentine.

I pretty much followed the sketch to a "T" but added a few little embellishments along the way.  I stitched some Crumb Cake cardstock onto a layer of Pool Party, then crimped the Cherry Cobbler tag with the Chevron embossing folder.  I finished that off with a big eyelet, some seam binding ribbon and a little baker's twine.  The big heart is from an old set called Love You Much and the sentiment is from P.S. I Love You.

I made this card thinking that I was following a particular color challenge only to find out that I was supposed to use Very Vanilla instead of Whisper White.  Rats!  But I still think it looks pretty cute!

So pop on over to Freshly Made Sketches and check out this fab sketch and the cards from the DT.  Rita and I must have been on a subconscious link because our cards are eerily similar!

Thanks for stopping by!

colourQ 174

I spent some time on Saturday and the better part of Sunday agonizing over my colourQ card for this week. I had a card all made and ready to go but the more I looked at it the more I realized that I didn't like it at all.  I tried changing some of the elements a few times, but nothing seemed to work, so I scrapped it and made something completely different.  Has that ever happened to you?

For my layout, I got some much needed help from the challenge at CAS(E) This Sketch.  And although the colors and the pretty wreath said "valentine" I went in a different direction.  I paired these fun graphic circles with my favorite splotchy flower.  I just wish the Pink Pirouette flower showed up better in the picture.  I'm in the process of replacing all my felt SU pads with the new foam ones because the new ones ink up stamps so much better.  Alas, this particular pink is still the old style pad and it just doesn't have any oomph!

Oops, almost forgot to show you the inspiration sketch.

I hope you have time to join us over at colourQ because we love to see you in the gallery!  The DT has got some great cards to show you, so hop on over and check them out!

Thanks, PP130 and CCMC236

I had planned to be a lot more productive in my stamp room yesterday, but I've discovered that watching "How It's Made" on the Science Channel is extremely distracting to the creative process!  I mean seriously, how am I supposed to concentrate on making a card when I'm learning how bowling balls are made?  I did, however, manage to squeeze out a couple of cards one of which uses the sketch from The Paper Players and the colors from Create With Connie and Mary.

I can see that Secret Garden is fast becoming my new favorite stamp set from the mini, especially since it has those handy dies to match the images.  These flowers and leaves were inked up in the requisite colors along with the sentiment from So Many Thanks.  I meant to add some stitching to this card, but completely forgot in my haste to get it done, photographed, and posted.  So the mini sewing machine will wait a little longer before it's used again.

Thanks so much for stopping by!

Less is More 104 and Dynamic Duos 37

It's sketch week over at Less is More and this week Jen has designed a real CAS beauty.  The monochromatic color challenge at Dynamic Duos was a perfect complement to it, I think.

I made a mask about an inch wide them stamped French Script in the space in Crumb Cake.  I waffled for a bit about whether I wanted a flower or something else as my focal point and as you can see settled on this pretty butterfly stamped in Soft Suede.  I put a row of pearls down her back to pretty her up a bit, then just fixed her on the card with some glue dots.  I pulled her wings away from the card so it looks like she just landed there.

Well I'm off to the grocery store (yuck) then into the craft cave to get a head start on this week's DT cards.  Oh, the life of a stamper!

Thanks for stopping by!

retro sketches 48

I can hardly believe that it's the end of January already.  I know it sounds so cliche, but where does the time go?  Saturday, of course, is the challenge reveal at retro sketches and this challenge marks the end of my time with the amazing design team over there.  

I'm so grateful that Arielle asked me to join her and the retro sketches team for the month of January.  So as a little celebration to myself I inked up a brand-new stamp set to create my card this week.

The challenge from Nacho Average Challenge provided these cool colors, which is shaping up to be a favorite of mine.

These colors are perfect for a valentine, but I went in a different directions partly because I wanted to use my cool Big Bang Theory washi tape.  And no, the washi tape has nothing to do with The Big Bang Theory, its just cool tape with complicated, impossible to decipher equations on it!  But since I'm a huge fan of that show, I've decided to rename my tape in its honor.

Thanks for stopping by and don't forget to head on over to retro sketches.  You'll be inspired for sure!

Freshly Made Sketches 70

Welcome to Wednesday and another fantastic sketch from your friends at Freshly Made Sketches!  This week Rita has designed the sketch and it's a classic with so many possibilities!

Now, you may think that I stamped this cute image and sentiment for a special occasion.  But you would be wrong.  Unless you count making a card as a special occasion!  I stamped the image to use on another project then ended up changing my mind about that project.  So this poor girl was languishing on my table in the craft cave when I suddenly realized that it would look awfully cute as the focal point on a card made with this sketch.

I paper pieced her dress from a piece of Real Red DSP from a Christmas set called Christmas Cocoa.  Nothing makes me happier than to use up some of my DSP and there are extra points if I use holiday paper for something that has nothing to do with that holiday!

And in a shocking display of my psychic abilities I made this card on Saturday, well before the "drink" challenge was revealed at CASology.  But since this party-girl is holding a glass of bubbly, I'm going to enter my card over there!

There are some wonderful cards for you to see from the design team over at Freshly Made Sketches.  So be sure to head on over there to check them out.  Then get busy with those stamps and join us in the gallery!

colourQ 173

This week Arielle's colors at colourQ had me digging deep into my stash of old SU goodies that I've been meaning to sell on eBay!  

I have kept all my old markers for coloring, but thought I had disposed of sold all the retired ink pads and cardstock that I really didn't like and thought I'd never use again.  So when I sat down to make my card for this week I figured it wouldn't hurt to take a look in that big box o'stuff.  Just. In. Case.  Well, what to my wondering eyes did appear but some actual pieces of Apricot Appeal and Blush Blossom cardstock!  Sadly, there was no Dusty Durango so I had to substitute Cajun Craze instead.

And I finally opened my package of Twill Tape that contains various sizes and used the biggest one here as a banner.  The flower (that happens to look sort of like an atom) is a Memory Box die and is cut from the aforementioned Blush Blossom and Cajun Craze.  I finished it with a wee button and some baker's twine.  I searched high and low in the craft cave for a sentiment to put on this card, but nothing tickled my fancy.  It's better that way, because I can always add something appropriate when I actually use this card.  And, in case you're wondering, I didn't invent this cool layout.  It's from the latest Deconstructed Sketch.

Be sure and head on over to colourQ and check out the cards the design team has put together for your enjoyment.  I hope you can join us this week!

Poppies!

The red and black color challenge at Dynamic Duos got me thinking about poppies (despite the valentine dessert option).  There's something very exciting about a red and black card especially if you throw in a lot of white space.  To that end, the CAS sketch at The Paper Players was perfect!

The beautiful poppy image is from Pleasant Poppies.  I stamped part of the image on a small white square then hand-drew a frame around it.  I wanted it to be a little wobbly, and I figured the best way to do that was have a cup of coffee then sit down with a marker!  My hand was steadier than I wanted but it's wobbly enough!

Thanks for stopping by!

Color Throwdown 225 and CAS(E) This Sketch 11

The colors this week at Color Throwdown are really pretty, so last night I sat down with an idea and the sketch from CAS(E) This Sketch.  By the time I was done I wasn't really happy with my card so I figured I'd sleep on it and see if I liked it any better in the morning.

But I woke up with an idea for a better card.  I had plans to carefully pry certain bits of this card apart and replace it with my new and improved bits but then I remembered that I sewed the important parts of this card together and there was no way I was taking that apart.  So the card stays.  I used the new Bloomin' Marvelous stamp set from the Sale-A-Bration catalog which I accidentally ordered in wood.  So all in all I've got a card I don't love made with a stamp set that is aggravatingly on a wooden base, which I also don't love.  I hope the rest of my day gets better.

I'm going to think positive thoughts for the rest of the day, because this afternoon the Patriots are playing the Baltimore Ravens for a spot in the Superbowl and I don't want to jinx it.  I'm nervous about the game and being somewhat superstitious I've been wearing either a Patriots sweatshirt or a Patriots t-shirt every day for two weeks.  Hey, don't judge me.  Like they say in the commercial, it's only weird if it doesn't work!

Thanks for stopping by!

retro sketches 47

I was slightly shocked and amazed when I discovered that the sketch this week at retro sketches was based on a card that I made.  I mean, really, how cool is that?  Here's the sketch:

I pretty much followed the sketch except that I changed the placement of the sentiment and decided to add something a bit more interesting that I didn't have on my original card - a popped up flower.  The floral images are from the brand new Secret Garden stamp set.  I stamped a few flowers around the bordered sentiment and one flower on a separate piece of cardstock so that I could use the companion die to cut it out.  I added that flower on a dimenstional with a large rhinestone and I've got to say it looks a lot better in person than it looks here!

I had been looking for a good excuse to join the "Blue" challenge at CASology this week and this sketch seemed to fit the bill perfectly, so if  you were wondering why this card is all in blue and white, wonder no more!

Thanks so much for stopping by.  And don't forget to pop on over to retro sketches to check out the design team cards. They are fantastic, as usual!

Freshly Made Sketches 69

Today I'm so excited to show you our sketch this week at Freshly Made Sketches because it comes from Linda Suarez and it's her very first sketch design! 

Three of anything is a win-win in my book and as I pondered how I wanted to do justice to those three focal shapes on my card I spied some Styled Vanilla Hodgepodge Hardware in my stash and selected two small ribbon slides to use.  I threaded some black seam binding ribbon through it and used some glue dots to attach it to my triangular layers that I created from some First Edition DSP and Very Vanilla cardstock that I embossed with the Honeycomb embossing folder.  I finished it off with some layered butterflies that I created with my Beautiful Butterflies Bigz  and Beautiful Wings Embosslit dies.  

I added the sentiment from Made For You "just before I went to press with this card" and at the same time decided the butterflies looked a little forlorn so I put a wee row of Basic Pearls down the center.  Those pearls really make everything look special don't they?

Our amazing Freshly Made Sketches design team has got some fantastic cards this week to get your creative juices flowing so head on over to the FMS blog to check them out.  We love to see all the amazing creativity in the gallery each week, so I hope you'll join us!

colourQ 172

If you love a good challenge I highly recommend that you high-tail it over to colourQ and check out the colors this week.  The combo is, in the plainest language I can think of, a doozie.

See what I mean?  These colors make a wonderful tank top.  But when I sat down to try and make a card I ran into a bit of trouble.  (Translation:  I had no idea what to do)!  The challenge at Deconstructed Sketch gave me some inspiration, but this was hard for me!

I think it was the Poppy Parade that was giving me so much trouble.  I ended up using a small square of Everyday Enchantment DSP to take care of that.  Tucked behind the main image layer, it's sort of hoping that no one notices it back there wondering what in the world it's doing.  The rest is ok.  I used up some more of my Urban Oasis DSP and tried out my new Lorelai Leaf and Lorelai Outline Leaf dies.  The flowers are, of course, from one of my favorite new-ish stamp sets, Summer Silhouettes.  

Judging by the colourQ design team, they didn't have nearly as much trouble with these colors as I did, because their project are all amazing!  Head on over to check them out, then I suggest you hunker down in your crafting space and create along with us!

Unscripted Sketches 193

It should be no surprise to anyone that the sketch this week at Unscripted Sketches made me think of washi tape.  But I didn't want to just throw some decorative tape on my card and call it a day.  I wanted to make something that was a little bit interesting.

I started by stamping the splotch from Extreme Elements in Soft Suede.  Then I added some washi tape strips that have a sort of old-world appeal.  They are a little bit newsprint and a little bit mathematical numbering.  The sentiment is from a set called Favorite Thoughts and it's a favorite of mine.  It's got some great sentiments that are particularly empowering for women.

On a side note, I've come to the realization that blogging is dangerous business, indeed.  The other day I saw a post over at the blog of the very talented Kim who mentioned that she had seen a button treatment that she liked.  This lead to me checking another blog, which led me to Etsy and something called "flair buttons." References to the movie Office Space notwithstanding, I sincerely hope that "flair" is not some new paper-crafting necessity that I'll be unable to resist in the not-too-distant future.  But I fear those chevron designs are calling to me.  {Sigh}.

Thanks so much for stopping by!

CAS(E) This Sketch 10

The challenge this week at CAS(E) This Sketch got me thinking about a stamp set that I bought a long time ago specifically because I liked the "thank you" sentiment that was in it.  Part of the set also included an image of a branch with leaves and flowers and, to my surprise, I have used this particular image quite a bit since I bought it.  And to my eye, this image was perfect for the sketch.

I stamped the image from Artfully Asian first in Chocolate Chip then colored the leaves in Pear Pizzazz with some Always Artichoke highlights.  The flowers were colored in Regal Rose and I added some Primrose Petal accents.  The colors are very pretty in real life, but I'm not sure it comes across in the photo.

Thanks for stopping by!