Tag You're It 14

Today I'm so excited to share with you the first tag I have made as a new member of the Tag You're It Design Team!  Yay me!   This week the totally amazing Debby Hughes is our guest designer and I'll confess to being incredibly nervous to try and follow her!

I was inspired by so many details on Debby's tag.  Her embossed rays inspired me to stamp some in yellow, her deer and snowflake turn into a girly-superhero and some lightning bolts on my tag and the horizontal layer on the bottom was the perfect place to stamp a big sentiment.

I found some old SU embossing powder in my stash that was the perfect color yellow.  Well, I think the stuff was so old that it lost some of its melting power.  It's kind of splotchy and I thought about scrapping it and starting over so I put it aside.  But the more I looked at it the more I thought that it had a grungy, comic book look to it so I took a leap and decided to use it.  I think it looks kind of cool!

Thanks for stopping by and please be sure to check out the amazing tags from my teamies at Tag You're It.   They are amazing and I'm thrilled to pieces that I get to join such an amazing, talented team!

Thanks for stopping by!

Supplies:

Stamp:  You're Super (My Favorite Things); Bright Days (Avery Elle)

Paper:  Classic White (Flourishes); Midnight Muse, Hello Honey (SU); X-Press It Blending Card

Ink:  Hello Honey (SU), Distress Embossing Ink; Black Licorice (My Favorite Things); Pure Poppy (Papertrey Ink); Copics

Accessories:  Basic  Bookmark 2 die (Papertrey Ink); baker's twine

Freshly Made Sketches 171

It occurred to me that January was nearly over and that I hadn't made a Christmas card yet.  Well, Freshly Made Sketches to the rescue!  Rita is our hostess this week and that big ol' circle made me think of a poinsettia die that I had.

The challenge at Sunday Stamps provided the colors and at the Christmas Card Challenge anything goes so I thought I'd link up over there as well.

Well I survived the #blizzardof2015 #juno in one piece!  It snowed where I live for nearly 24 hours and left me with a couple of feet of snow.  I can just barely see the top of the bird bath and sundial in my yard so I'm pretty sure there is at least a couple of feet out there.  The snow was light and fluffy (better to shovel) and drifted quite a bit.  When I first went out to shovel I had a drift in my driveway that was almost to top of my car! Fortunately, I didn't lose power which was a real concern with the gusty winds.  But today it's back to business as usual.   Thanks to everyone who sent a prayer and kind word my way!

The Freshly Made Sketches design team have made some amazing cards for you to see so be sure to check them out.  I hope to see you in the gallery this week!

Supplies:

Stamps:  Think Big Favorites #8 (Papertrey Ink); Java Spills (Stamping Bella)

Paper:  Kraft, Vellum (Papertrey Ink); Cherry Cobbler, Red Glimmer (SU)

Ink:  Crumb Cake (SU)

Accessories:  Blooming Poinsettia die (Memory Box); Pierced Fishtail Flags STAX (My Favorite Things)

colourQ 277

It's actually Sunday night as I sit typing this post.  There's a nasty storm (known locally as a nor'easter) heading my way and it's looking likely that I'll end up with a couple of feet of snow and that I'll lose power.  So I figured that I better get my Tuesday post together, just in case.

Tuesday, of course, is the day we reveal a new palette at colourQ.  I was a little afraid of these colors when I first got a look see at them but once I studied them I realized a very awesome butterfly stamp set that I had would be perfect for them.

This is the sort of uber CAS card that makes me smile.  Nothing but butterflies and some bold colors to get the point across. 

We'd love to see you in the colourQ gallery this week.  The design team has created some beauties for you to see so be sure to check them out!

Thanks for stopping by!

Supplies:

Stamps:  Painted Butterflies (Altenew); Thank You Kindly (SU); DIY (Precious Remembrance)

Paper:  Classic White (Flourishes)

Accessories:  Enamel Dots (Freckled Fawn)

Be Happy

The weather was so weird yesterday first with snow, then rain, then back to snow.  We only got a couple of inches of wet, sloppy snow when all was said and done but the lousy weather was the perfect excuse to stay inside and get crafty.

I took the colors from Color Throwdown and the sketch from CAS(E) This Sketch and did a little ombre effect plus a little camouflaging die cut technique.  I was undecided about what blue to use based on the color challenge.  At first I thought it looked like it was turquoise but somewhere along the line I decided to use Lost Lagoon and I think it's just a shade too dark.  But I sponged it along with some Lucky Limeade and die cut the Be sentiment to capture both colors.  I also added some Wink of Stella to the flowers, which looks so pretty in real life, but doesn't show up so well in the photo.

Well that's it for me.  Apparently there's a big snow storm headed my way.  We haven't really had any snow this season and I was cautiously optimistic that I'd escape the winter snow-free.  I should have known better.  Winter is far from over.  Stay safe if you are in the path of the storm.

Thanks for stopping by!

Supplies:

Stamps:  Be (Simon Says Stamp)

Paper:  Ultra Smooth Pure White (Avery Elle)

Ink:  Pretty in Pink, Melon Mambo, Lucky Limeade, Lost Lagoon (SU)

Accessories:  Petal Party die (Memory Box); Be die (Simon Says Stamp); Wink of Stella pen

Hashtag Happy

I love to play along with the sketch challenges at Cardabilities.  The design team make such beautiful cards full of layers and embellishments enough to make me swoon.  And here I come with my CAS designs, I'm sure they don't know what to make of me!  I love the challenge of taking their sketches and adapting it to my style.

For this card I incorporated the colors from Hand Stamped Sentiments along with the Oh Feathers challenge at City Crafters.  I love a challenge where the colors are black, white and a pop of something bright and cheery.

I made a slightly grungy background then added the feathers.  One embossed in white on vellum and the other stamped in hot pink-ish with a smattering of embossed black dots.  I think there are dies to go along with this stamp set, but honestly sometimes I think it's easier to fussy cut them out than to try and line up the stamp and die perfectly.

Well that's it for me today.  Thanks so much for stopping by!

Supplies:

Stamps:  Feather Finery (Papetrey Ink); Textures 1, Textures 2 (Florileges Design); Hashtag (Tim Holtz)

Paper:  Classic White (Flourishes); Basic Black (SU); Vellum (Papertrey Ink)

Accessories:  Blueprints 13 (My Favorite Things); black embossing powder, white embossing powder

Freshly Made Sketches 170

I am tickled pink to be the hostess at Freshly Made Sketches this week!  I always get such a thrill about seeing how you all interpret the sketches and when I actually made the sketch it's even more thrilling!  Wheee, lets get to work!

Usually when I'm dreaming up a sketch I don't have a particular card idea in my head.  I guess I like to be surprised by what I'll come up with when I actually sit down to make my card.  For this sketch I spent a lot of time going over designs in my head.  I was going to use patterned paper, I was going to stamp a big image and split it over the top and bottom layer, but when I got down to business I decided to go with a color combo that I think is so pretty and to separate my "top and bottom layers" with some baker's twine.

It had been a while since I used this pretty flower and since I was using yellow I inked it up and fussy cut it out.  The black leaves are a nod to my friend and teamie Narelle who is never afraid to make leaves out of unusual colors!

I hope you find the sketch inspiring and that you'll join us in the gallery!  The Freshly Made Sketches design team has created some outstanding cards for your viewing pleasure so make sure you check them out!

Thanks for stopping by!

Supplies:

Stamps:  Dream Big, Sweet Scallop Tag (Verve); Hennah Elements (Altenew)

Paper:  Soft Sky, Basic Black, So Saffron, Whisper White (SU)

Ink:  So Saffron (SU); Onyx Black (Versafine)

Accessories:  Sweet Scallop Tag die (Verve); Leaves die (Penny Black); So Saffron button (SU); black seam binding ribbon, baker's twine

colourQ 276

Happy Tuesday!  It's time for a new palette from your friends at colourQ!  The colors are bold and for my card I decided to combine them with the sketch from Pals Paper Arts.

There are some tiny vellum flags that hang from under the thanks sentiment but they are barely visible.  Heck, they are barely visible in real life!  I thought they would be a nice touch for the sketch but after I had them stuck down I realized they didn't look so good.  But I took the picture, uploaded it and proceeded to have second thoughts.  So I grabbed a tiny little chevron stamp and made three flags stamped in dark brown, carefully cut the vellum flags off and stuck the chevron flags down.  And how do you suppose it looked?  Horrible!  The card is now relegated to the recycle bin!  I should have known better than to mess with the original!

The colourQ design team have some beautiful cards to show you so I hope you check them out and then join us in the gallery!

Thanks for stopping by!

Supplies:

Paper:  Kraft (Papertrey Ink); Chocolate Chip, Coastal Cabana, Strawberry Slush, Coastal Cabana DSP (SU)

Accessories:  Thanks on a Line die (Simon Says Stamp); Banner Trio die (WPlus9); Small Stitched Rectangle die (Lawn Fawn)

It's Okay To Be Different!

I've been enjoying my long weekend so much I forgot to post a card that I made yesterday!  I used the colors at Cupcake Inspirations and the sketch from CAS(E) This Sketch to make a simple one layer card.

I was a little intimidated by the sketch but I had been thinking about it for a few days when I got the idea to create Xs using a paintbrush stamp.  So I created the Xs in pink and gray then layered the sentiment over one of the pink Xs in some brown.

I recently bought some pigment inks from Avery Elle and I used them exclusively on this card.   I really like how they give a good, crisp image.  The gray that I used is called Fog and it's sort of a taupe-gray but a very pretty color.

Well that's it for me.  I'm off to make the Olive Garden minestrone soup.  Yum!

Thanks for stopping by!

Supplies:

Stamps:  New Day (Precious Remembrance)

Paper:  Ultra Smooth Pure White (Avery Elle)

Ink:  Pixie, Fog, Truffle (Avery Elle)

Thank You, Fusion, SRC262

I had hoped to be a little more crafty this weekend, but I needed get some housework done before football playoffs start today.  The house is clean, craft room organized and all that's left to do is run to the supermarket before the games start.  But I did manage to get inky last night.

My card today features the beautiful colors of the inspiration photo at Stampin' Royalty and the fun sketch from Fusion.

The very old, but still pretty, Marigold Morning was a good match for the flower in the inspiration photo.  The light blue on my card is quite light, but I think you can still see it and it looks nice in real life.

You'll probably see quite a few thank you cards on my blog, since my supply of them after the holidays tends to deplete quickly.  I like to have those on hand because you'll never know when you'll need one!

Thanks for stopping by!

Supplies:

Stamps:  Dot Spot (Papertrey Ink); Oh Happy Day (Avery Elle)

Paper:  Kraft (Papertrey Ink); Sea Glass (Avery Elle); Whisper White (SU)

Ink:  Marigold Morning (SU); Sea Glass (Avery Elle); Onyx Black (Versafine)

Accessories:  Stitched Rectangle STAX (My Favorite Things)

Freshly Made Sketches 169

Are you ready for a new sketch from Freshly Made Sketches?  I know I am!  This week our challenge is hosted by the amazing Jen Timko and I just know you are going to love her sketch.  It's got loads of room for your creative interpretation!

Despite my love of earthy colors I have a not-so-secret fascination with bright colors too - especially green when it's something closer to chartreuse.  So when I saw the latest color challenge at ShowCASe Your Style I just knew that I wanted to play along.  At first I tried doing a watercolor background using the lime and turquoise colors but, predictably, when they got too close together they made a green that was definitely not part of the color challenge.  Then I remembered that I had some patterned paper that had some gradient shading in these colors so I used that as the background layer.  The flower and leaves are colored with Copics and I really love how this turned out!

You probably imagine that the Freshly Made Sketches design team has got some fabulous cards to show you this week and you wouldn't be wrong.  Do stop by and check them out.  And I hope you have time to join us in the gallery!

Thanks for stopping by!

Supplies:

Stamps:  Esther's Garden (Art Gone Wild); Label Love (Altenew)

Paper:  Soft Stone (Papertrey Ink); Tempting Turquoise (SU); X-Press It Blending Card; Adorbs (My Mind's Eye)

Ink:  Tempting Turquoise (SU); Black Licorice (My Favorite Things); Onyx Black (Versafine); Copics

Accessories:  Enamel dots (Studio Calico, My Mind's Eye)

colourQ 275

I don't know about you, but I find it hard to believe that it is January 13th already.  It's so cliche but time really does fly!  And speaking of time flying, it's now time for a brand new color palette over at colourQ.  This week the colors are inspired by this beautiful tapestry.

I had a grandiose idea that I could make a card that echoed the patterns and colors of the tapestry, but then I woke up from that dream and realized I'd never be able to pull that off!  LOL!

Instead I focused on the colors and combined them in a way that is familiar to me.  A few splatters, some card stock in the colors of the challenge and a big ol' flower.  Of course, I got some help from the layout at retro sketches.

We're off to a crafty good start this year at colourQ so I hope you'll join us!  The design team has, as usual, outdone themselves this week so there's lots of inspiration to be had there!  See you in the gallery!

And thanks so much for stopping by.

Supplies:

Stamps:  Gorgeous Grunge (SU); Funky Flowers (Waltzingmouse Stamps); Strictly Sentiments 5 (WPlus9)

Paper:  Classic White (Flourishes); Marina Mist, Night of Navy, Wisteria Wonder, Whisper White (SU)

Ink:  Wisteria Wonder (SU); Enchanted Evening (Papertrey Ink)

Accessories:  Blueprints 13 die, Pierced Rectangle STAX (My Favorite Things); enamel dots (My Mind's Eye)

Hashtag THX

This weekend I discovered that it really hard to try and be crafty while also watching football.  Mostly this is because I need my glasses to see the TV but not to see anything on my desk.  So I'm constantly tilting my head up so that I can see through my glasses and what's happening on the TV and then down and under the frames to see my desk!  And no way am I breaking down to get bi-focals!

But anyway on to my card.  This one uses the monochromatic color palette at Pals Paper Arts and the sketch from CAS(E) This Sketch.  It's not very artsy but it's today's Mona Lisa* so I'm going with it!

The hashtag is a very cool die and on my card it takes the place of the little floral image on the sketch.  I was having some trouble deciding what image to use when I remembered that I recently got that die.  It was like a light bulb moment for me.  It's modern, fresh and a little bit fun!

*The whole Mona Lisa thing is advice I got from my friend Linda who got it from her friend Mary Fish.  I'm paraphrasing but the advice is basically no matter whether you like what you've created or not post it anyway as if it was the Mona Lisa and move on to the next card.  That's good advice, don't you think?

Thanks so much for stopping by!  And for all you football fans out there GO PATS!

Supplies:

Stamps:  Bokeh Dots (Essentials by Ellen); Big Words (Mama Elephant)

Paper:  Soft  Sky, Island Indigo, Whisper White (SU)

Ink:  Soft Sky, Pool Party, Island Indigo (SU)

Accessories:  Social Media die (My Creative Time); Pierced Rectangle STAX (My Favorite Things)

Thank You

Today I'm playing along with three challenges that are new for me.  The Challenge had a nifty sketch with some layers that are askew (and who can resist an askew layer), City Crafter is looking for burlap and Retro Rubber is looking for the crimping tool that I'm sure hasn't seen the light of day in a long time.  So I put all this together and this is what I came up with.

I love to use burlap and since the color is so close to kraft I used that as my card base and then accented it with some bright yellow and black.  I stamped a simple zig zag pattern on white which I hoped wouldn't detract from the die cut sentiment that I layered over it.  All this is layered over a crimped layer and as I was busy crimping my card stock I remembered why I don't use that tool:  it's really difficult to get that card stock to stay straight as it's passing through.  The longer the paper is the worse the effect gets.  It's a cool tool, but better equipped for small pieces I think.

It's very cold here.  And I mean really cold.  There's no snow, which is a good thing in my book, and I'll take a cold day over a snowy day any time.  But I'm dreaming of spring.  I keep telling myself that it will be here soon!  Stay safe if you live in a cold place too!

Thanks for stopping by!

Supplies:

Stamps:  Borders and Backgrounds 4 (WPlus9)

Paper:  Kraft (Papertrey Ink); Basic Black, Daffodil Delight, Whisper White (SU)

Ink:  Daffodil Delight (SU)

Accessories:  Pierced Square STAX (My Favorite Things); Thanks Script die (Mama Elephant); Small Circle Burst die (Simon Says Stamp); enamel dots (My Mind's Eye); burlap