Freshly Made Sketches 43

A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away I used to love learning new techniques and trying them out on my cards.  The ones that were overly complicated were usually relegated to my "nice, but...." pile never to be attempted again.  The easier ones I filed away for future use and unfortunately sometimes I forget about them.  But for my card today for Freshly Made Sketches I dusted off an easy technique that I think might be called something like "faux suede."

As I sat down to make my card, I realized that I had been completely ignoring the pretty new In Colors for this year so I used some Primrose Petals cardstock and DSP.  I added in some Lucky Limeade cardstock and Everyday Enchantment DSP, then set about making my faux suede flowers.  If you're not familiar with the technique, it basically involves breaking down the fibers of your cardstock so that you can separate the layers and what you're left with is a soft, suede-like bit of cardstock.  First, I cut out my flower shape, then I ran my cardstock through the crimper, then I smoothed it with a bone folder.  I do this a couple of times until I see the cardstock begin to separate.  Once I see this I carefully peel the layers apart. What you're left with is some very cool cardstock that looks like soft suede.

As I was deciding on what I wanted to do with the big rectangle shape of the sketch I realized that the challenge at CAS-ual Fridays to add text was the perfect excuse to ink up this cool Gina K stamp that matches the Labels Four Nestie.  I added my suede flower (with an Antique Brad in the center) and a couple of leaves from the Island Floral Bigz Die.  I actually think that the leaves are a tad too big for the flower, but as luck would have it I didn't realize this until the card was done, the picture taken and the blog post ready to go!

This was an awfully long post and if you've stuck with me this far, your only job now is to check out the sketch at Freshly Made Sketches and be totally amazed and enthralled by the design team creations that are intended to inspire you to join our sketch challenge this week.

Here are links to the design team in case you get lost on the way!

Cindy Hall

Tui Nathan

Jennifer Timko

Allisa Chilton

Jen Sannes

Ann Schach

Linda Suarez

Jennifer Brum 

colourQ 145

I'm on vacation this week and I think my mojo has gone on vacation as well.  I've spent the last several evenings in my stamp room struggling to put some cards together.  I don't know why I'm having such a hard time but hopefully I'll snap out of it soon.  Today I've got a card to show you for the latest color challenge at colourQ.  The colors are totally awesome and right up my alley, as you will see:

I had visions of a card that was a bit more springy but this is what emerged from my desk instead!  And before you begin wondering, I have no idea what that stemless flower is doing on this card.  There was some white space that needed something and a button wasn't cutting it (I think because of the three smaller buttons at the top) and I couldn't find anything else in my stash that looked ok, so I stuck another flower in the space.  Sometimes improvisation is the key!

Thank goodness for the gals at retro sketches, whose sketch I used for my card.  I would have been completely lost without them!

Now, head on over to colourQ and check out the completely awesome inspiration from the design team.  Then link up your own completely awesome creation for us to check out!

Deconstructed Sketch 59 and Stampin' Royalty 131

I'm on vacation this week (yay!) and to celebrate I took the day off from housework and yardwork yesterday and went to the beach!  The weather forecast was predicting temperatures in the 90s so I thought being at the ocean would be a good idea.  It was very crowded and quite hazy, but it was nice to get away and relax for a while.

When I got home I decided to relax some more in my stamp room and join in the fun at Deconstructed Sketch and Stampin' Royalty.

I got to use all kinds of fun stuff on this card.  My new Daffodil Delight seam binding ribbon, some DSP from Beyond the Garden, some Pewter Jumbo Eyelets, the Scribbles Swirls Sizzlet and a new stamp from PTI that's just seeing ink for the first time.  For some reason the swirl didn't cut cleanly through the Baja Breeze cardstock so the edges are a bit fuzzy, but I think I covered up most of the bad stuff with the flower. As I like to say "there are no mistakes in stamping" because you can almost always find a way to fix anything that didn't come out just the way you like it!

I'm not sure what's on my agenda for the rest of the day, but I hope to make my way back to my stamp room at some point.  But first I have to take care of the housework and yardwork that I ignored yesterday!  Thanks for stopping by!

The Paper Players 102 and MOJO248

It's Christmas in July over at The Paper Players and I had a hankering to participate.  And since I think it's been ages since I've done a MOJO sketch I added that in too.

The awesome DSP you see is from the ancient Holiday Thyme.  This is one of the classic collections of DSP that I own and almost never cut into because it's just too pretty.  I know it's ridiculous but there you have it.  But as you can see I used some of it here along with some equally ancient Cranberry Crisp cardstock and ribbon (which was from the first-ever collection of In Colors).

Now what I really want to talk about is the snowflake.  What I wanted was a glittery snowflake cut from the Silver Glimmer Paper, but the paper proved too thick for my snowflake punch.  I even tried putting the punch on the floor so that I could press on it with my foot, but I couldn't get the snowflake out of the punch without ripping it.  I tried punching a snowflake with some super-sticky paper and adhering glass glitter to it, but that glitter is too chunky and it made my snowflake a big unrecognizable mess.  So what I ended up doing was punching the snowflake, rubbing some 2 way glue on it, and adhering Dazzling Diamonds to it.  It's not as glittery as I wanted but the real problem is the MESS!  I've got shiny glitter everywhere.  Surely there's a better solution when I want to add some shimmery goodness to a card!  Any suggestions?

Thanks for stopping by and sticking through my glitter rant!

Create With Connie and Mary 209

I hope everyone had a wonderful 4th of July celebration (if you were celebrating it, that is)!  My day started out raining but luckily by late morning the rain had cleared, the sun came out and the temperatures became downright steamy!  There were some strong thunderstorms in the evening that threatened the annual tradition of the Boston Pops playing on the Esplanade against a backdrop of fireworks, but the storms moved through and the music and fireworks continued as usual.  I'm not sure the 4th of July would be complete without the fireworks and the Pops playing the 1812 Overture!

Now on to my card today.  This week you will find a very original sketch challenge at Create With Connie and Mary.  It's got cool layers, interesting shapes and is open to lots of interpretation, I think.

I started out trying to incorporate the Dynamic Duos color challenge along with this sketch, but it soon became apparent that I needed more colors!  So I scrapped that idea and just plugged along with my card base of Crumb Cake accented with Marina Mist and Early Espresso.

The flowers are from Stippled Blossoms and originally those flowers were the only focal point of this card.  I took a picture of it and it was ready to go, but the more I looked at it the more I realized it was missing something.  So I added the button from Designer Naturals Buttons, a sentiment from Fabulous Phrases, and a line of Basic Pearls down the skinny Early Espresso layer.  MUCH better!

I hope you have time to join us and create a little something for this challenge at Create With Connie and Mary.  Hop on over and check out the inspiration from the design team.  Then link up your creation.  I can't wait to see what you do!

Freshly Made Sketches 42

Happy Independence Day to all my American friends!  July 4th is one of my favorite holidays.  There are parades and fireworks, hot summer weather, cookouts with family and friends, and hot dogs and hamburgers on the grill!  I can't wait for all the festivities to start!

But first things first.  Today is also the start of a new sketch challenge at Freshly Made Sketches.  I decided to go a little patriotic with my card to celebrate this special day.

My red, white, and blue colors were a no-brainer but I added a bit of Daffodil Delight to symbolize some of the color of fireworks.  In fact that's what that little flourish is supposed to represent!  (That's what you thought it was, right)?  I added some wide Real Red grosgrain ribbon tied with some red baker's twine (that I got for a real bargain at TJ Maxx.  You never know what you're going to find at that store)!  A cute little Real Red button balances the whole thing off nicely!  The stars are from Seeing Stars (both SU! and Verve).

Our super-amazing Freshly Made Sketches design team has created some fantastic cards to spur your imagination so be sure to stop on by.  Then link up your own fantastic card so we can all see!

And have a safe and happy 4th of July celebration!

Cindy Hall

Tui Nathan

Jennifer Timko

Allisa Chilton

Jen Sannes

Ann Schach

Linda Suarez

Jennifer Brum 

colourQ 144

Are you ready for some smart colors from the best color challenge site?  Of course, I'm talking about colourQ and the totally awesome colors that Arielle has unearthed for us.

As I was poking around my stash I stumbled on some Brocade Blue designer paper left over from a paper stack called Patterns Pack II.  This got me thinking, so I went to investigate my box of stuff that I need to sell on eBay but never get around to doing it box.  And guess what I found in there:  half a package of Brocade Blue cardstock!  To celebrate this happy find, I used a big piece of it and the DSP on this card.  I followed that up with the requisite colors of the challenge done with a sentiment from Word Play, a flower from Raining Flowers (stamped in both Calypso Coral and Poppy Parade - hard to tell the difference, I know), a little baker's twine and a Designer Vintage Facet Button.  This very cool layout is courtesy of the latest sketch challenge at Deconstructed Sketch.

I hope that you have time to hop on over to colourQ and create a little something with these colors.  Then use the linky tool to show us your creation.

And to all my American friends, I wish you a happy and safe Independence Day celebration tomorrow!  I'll be heading out to my town's parade then on to my sister's for a cookout (that would be a barbecue to those not from from New England)!

Thanks for stopping by!

Color Throwdown 198 and Unscripted Sketches 165

Well, after many months of seeing cards made with the adorable bunny designed by Zlatoena and sold by The Cat's Pajamas I broke down and bought some of the stamp sets.  They were in my mailbox on Saturday so I was anxious to ink one up.  I decided on the color challenge at The Color Throwdown and the sketch at Unscripted Sketches for this adorable image.

Don't you just love those big ears!!  I cheated a bit by coloring the grass with Pool Party (who has blue grass)?  But I really thought the sketch and colors went well together so I gave myself a little poetic license!  I hope the gals at The Color Throwdown will forgive me!

And while I'm confessing, I may as well admit that the baker's twine is actually Calypso Coral (which is really close to Cameo Coral, I swear)!

Thanks for stopping by.  And I hope you have time to check back tomorrow for a card made with some swanky new colors from the ever-popular colourQ!