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Apr 102015

OK, I have to admit this isn’t one of my most favorite cards I’ve ever made. It’s one that came together very quickly for me, combining OWH Stars & Stamps sketch #251 with the current Less is More challenge to use black as a dominant color. One of the Less is More co-creators, Chrissie, has been a frequent supporter of the CAS Colours & Sketches challenge blog and I’d like to reciprocate the favor. Hopefully in the coming weeks I’ll be able to do that!

I’ve used washi tape to create the vertical stripes. Here’s the sketch diagram:

As luck would have it, this happened when I was trying to photograph the card:

I guess he felt he needed to be in the photo too since the LIM challenge was “predominantly black”. Silly kitty.

Thanks for stopping by today! Comments are always read and appreciated. 🙂

Supplies:
Stamps: Incredible (Technique Tuesday)
Cardstock: Basic Black, Whisper White (Stampin’ Up)
Ink: Tuxedo Black (Memento)
Other: washi tape (We R Memory Keepers)

CAS Colours & Sketches #119

12 Responses »

Apr 092015

Hello! It’s time for another sketch challenge at CAS – Colours and Sketches! As always, the sketch can be rotated or flipped – so long as we can see the basic elements of the original sketch, it’s all good!

I’ve stretched the sketch out to a portrait-oriented rectangle for this card. After a lot of thinking of various things I could use for the circular elements, I finally decided on these cute little birdies. I stamped them onto scraps of designer paper, colored in their beaks, and fussy cut them. I positioned them in place on the sky blue background, drew in the birds’ legs and the rightmost bird’s right eye, and then used dimensional adhesive to pop the birds up over the background. Admittedly, it’s not the most imaginative use of dimension, but it’s enough to qualify this card for the current Lawnscaping challenge. The code word for the current challenge at Addicted to CAS is “cute”, and it’s “Clean and Simple” week at Addicted to Stamps, so I’m going to enter into those challenges, too. And it’s a good card to add to my stash for Operation Write Home!

Thanks for stopping by today! I hope you’ll join us over at CAS – Colours and Sketches with your own take on this sketch! You have until 7:00 p.m. Eastern time Wednesday, April 15 to link your card at the challenge website.

Supplies:
Stamps: Feathered Friends [for Simon Says Stamp]; Sophie’s Sentiments (Lawn Fawn)
Cardstock: Pink Pirouette, Early Espresso (Stampin’ Up); designer papers from Two Scoops 6″ x 6″ paper pad and Blitzen collection (Basic Grey)
Ink: Early Espresso (SU)
Other: dimensionals (SU); marker (Copic)

Cards in Envy - Child's Play

10 Responses »

Apr 062015

Hi there! It’s Cards in Envy challenge introduction day! For the next two weeks we have a theme challenge of “Child’s Play”. Show us your A2 sized cards that are suitable to be given to a child. Remember to keep your cards flat enough to fit in an envelope and be mailed at the first class postage rate.

Since I don’t have any young children in my life, my card is going to be sent to Operation Write Home. I wanted to keep it gender neutral, so I chose a gray and bright yellow color scheme with pops of some other colors. The cute jumping smiley face is appropriate for either a boy or a girl. Although the smiley face stamp and the sentiment stamp might seem like they were made for each other, they are from different companies. I bought them several years apart from two different stores. The layout I used for this card is the sketch from the current Retro Rubber challenge. Well, actually it’s the mirror image of the sketch. I did it that way so the smiley face would seem to be looking toward the middle of the card rather than off the edge of it.

RRCB11

Be sure to check out what the rest of the Cards in Envy design team has done for this challenge, and then go make a card to brighten a child’s day! We’d love to see your creativity! Share your card using the linky tool at the Cards in Envy site by 7:00 p.m. Eastern time Sunday, April 19. Thanks for stopping by today!

Edited on April 12, 2015: Thank you to the Retro Rubber Design Team for naming my card as one of their Fab Five for their sketch challenge! I’m delighted and honored!

Supplies:
Stamps: Jump – Smileys (Uptown Design Company); sentiment stamp (Studio G)
Cardstock: Crushed Curry, Smoky Slate, Watercolor Wonder designer series paper (Stampin’ Up); Pure Luxury White (Gina K. Designs)
Ink: Tuxedo Black (Memento)
Other: markers (Copic); Stitched Scalloped Borders die (Lawn Fawn); candy dots (SU)

CAS Colours & Sketches #118

4 Responses »

Apr 022015

Hello! Can you believe it’s April already? Even though we’re still having some chilly nights with near-freezing low temperatures here in Virginia, the afternoons this week have been warmer and more spring-like. The grass is turning green again and my daffodils are starting to bloom.

Louise is our CC&S challenge hostess for the month of April, and the colors she has chosen for this week’s challenge are certainly appropriate for this time of year. She’s asking us to create a card with monochromatic shades of green. I’ve used the CAS(E) this Sketch! layout for my card. I knew I wanted to make my card suitable for Operation Write Home, so I opted for a cute crocodile image that had a neutral sentiment that isn’t particular to any occasion. After I colored and fussy cut the crocodile, I nestled him in some die-cut grass. The “sky” behind him is a scrap of designer paper with a green print.

Be sure to go see what the rest of the CC&S Design Team has made – and check out the new look of our challenge blog! Then create your own CAS styled card using this week’s color scheme and link it at the CC&S site. We’d love to see what you can do!

Edited on April 6, 2015: Thank you to the CAS(E) this Sketch! Design Team for naming my card as an Honorable Mention for their challenge! This is a first for me, and I’m very honored!

Supplies:
Stamps: Critters Down Under (Lawn Fawn)
Cardstock: Wild Wasabi, Certainly Celery, Garden Green, Certainly Celery Patterns designer paper (Stampin’ Up); Pure Luxury White (Gina K. Designs)
Ink: Tuxedo Black (Memento)
Other: markers (Copic); Grassy Border die (Lawn Fawn)

52 {Christmas} Card Throwdown - March technique challenge

7 Responses »

Mar 282015

Hello there! It’s Saturday, which means it’s time for a new challenge at 52 {Christmas} Card Throwdown. This week we have a technique challenge for you – using punch art to create the main focal point of your Christmas or wintry card. You’re also welcome to use dies to create your artwork.

I will readily admit that punch art has always been challenging for me, and this time was no exception. After a lot of browsing online, I finally found the directions to make a Santa head. It looked easy enough, and I had the same punches that were called for in the instructions… well, almost. Although I had the same shapes of punches, I did not have the same sizes as used in the online example. So I had to modify a bit, especially with figuring the size I needed to make the hat. Thankfully it ended up still being small enough to fit on a card. I found some wiggly eyes in my craft stash and decided to use a couple of them instead of drawing in Santa’s eyes. I guess it turned out all right even though I didn’t take the time to add shadowing to the punched pieces. I did raise Santa up from the card front with some scrap cardstock shims.

So, now it’s time for you to check out the other design team members’ creations, and then make a card with your own punch art to link to the challenge site! We’d love to see what you can do! Thanks for stopping by today.

Supplies:
Stamps: none
Cardstock: Real Red, Whisper White textured, Blush Blossom (Stampin’ Up); designer paper from Arctic Frost 6″ x 6″ paper pad (Basic Grey)
Ink: none
Other: scalloped circle punch, circle punches, corner rounder punch (EK Success); wiggly eyes (source unknown)

CAS Colours & Sketches #117

2 Responses »

Mar 262015

Hello! At CAS Colours & Sketches this week, we’re closing out the month of March with a sketch challenge. I’ve gone patriotic with it to create a card that I’ll write a message of support in and then send to Operation Write Home to be used as an “AnyHero” note that can be given to one of our military men or women stationed overseas. I took a tiny bit of liberty with the sketch, stretching it out to a rectangle. It’s really a quite straightforward card so I’ll just go ahead and share it:

Be sure to see what the rest of the design team has done with the sketch! Then create your own card and share it with us at the CC&S blog. You have until 1:00 p.m. Eastern time Wednesday, April 1 to enter the challenge. Thanks for stopping by today!

Supplies:
Stamp: Thank You for your Sacrifice and Service (Unity)
Cardstock: Brilliant Blue, Whisper White, Real Red (Stampin’ Up)
Ink: Real Red (SU)
Other: Stars dies (Sweet ‘n Sassy Stamps); Stars embossing folder (ProvoCraft)

52 {Christmas} Card Throwdown - March theme challenge

13 Responses »

Mar 212015

Hello! Once again, it’s time for a new challenge at 52 {Christmas} Card Throwdown. This week’s theme is “Silent Night”. There are lots of ways to interpret that, so feel free to check out the 52{C}CT site to see what the rest of the design team has made.

I decided to go with what I think is a peaceful winter scene. I stamped the trees onto glossy cardstock with white pigment ink and then heat embossed them with clear embossing powder. Then I masked off the ground, to keep it white and looking like it’s snow-covered, so I could sponge some deep blue inks above it to create a nighttime sky. After I removed the mask, I added in a tiny bit of light grey ink to the ground to create a few shadows. The current challenge at Retro Rubber is to use embossing powder, and I’ve used the sketch from The Crooked Stamper Sketch Challenge (but turned it on its side) so yay – that’s three challenges in one card.

RRCB10

What will you do with our theme? Please show us by linking your own Christmas or wintry card at the 52{C}CT site by 1:00 p.m. Eastern time Friday, March 27. We’d love to see your artwork! Thanks for stopping by today.

Supplies:
Stamps: Lovely As A Tree (Stampin’ Up); Holiday Script (Lizzie Anne Designs)
Cardstock: Not Quite Navy, Smoky Slate, Whisper White, Glossy White (Stampin’ Up)
Ink: Not Quite Navy, Midnight Muse, Smoky Slate, Whisper White (SU)
Other: clear detail embossing powder (SU); Snowflakes embossing folder (Darice); oval Nestabilities dies (Spellbinders); corner rounder punch (EK Success); sponge

Cards in Envy - Spring is in the Air

2 Responses »

Mar 162015

Hello! Since it’s the third Monday of the month, it’s time for another challenge at Cards in Envy. Our theme for the next few weeks is “Spring is in the Air”. Let anything related to the season of Spring inspire your creativity when you make a card for this challenge – flowers, colors, animals, whatever seems like Spring to you! Remember that for our challenges, all cards must be A2 sized and cannot have lumpy, bumpy embellishments more than 1/4″ thick.

One of my favorite things about Spring is that flowers start blooming. Even though we’ve had a lot of cold, snowy weather over the last month, the daffodils in my flower border are starting to put out foliage. In anticipation of them showing their sunshiny-yellow blossoms, I’ve used a daffodil stamp for my card and colored it in representation of the daffodils that grew in my family’s yard when I was growing up. The layout is OWH Stars & Stamps sketch #B-17 – a bonus sketch from a 2012 blog hop. I’ve turned the sketch on its side and stamped the sentiment directly onto the main panel of the card rather than making a small panel especially for it. The vertical strip of designer paper is some pretty old stuff, and the green cardstock is a retired Stampin’ Up color, so I’m continuing on my personal goal of actually using up some of my older stamping supplies.

Be sure to check out what the rest of the Cards in Envy design team has made! How will the changing season inspire you? We’d love to see your creativity! Share your card using the linky tool at the Cards in Envy site by 7:00 p.m. Eastern time Sunday, April 5.

Supplies:
Stamps: Three Daffodils (Hero Arts); Always in My Thoughts (Stampin’ Up)
Cardstock: Certainly Celery, So Saffron, Petals & Paisleys designer series paper (SU); Pure Luxury White (Gina K. Designs)
Ink: Tuxedo Black (Memento)
Other: markers (Copics)

clearing some stash with a sketch

4 Responses »

Mar 152015

Hello! I know, I don’t often post on Sundays, but I wanted to share a card I made last night, combining several online challenges and using some of my older products.

The current Shopping Our Stash challenge theme calls for using numbers in some way, and at Clear It Out they want us to use products that are orange. I remembered that in one of my older Basic Grey paper collections there was a print with numbers all over it, so I got that out, and by good chance, some of the numbers were an orangey color! The current sketch at Freshly Made Sketches has a nice large panel that seemed like a good way to showcase the number print. Another paper in the same Basic Grey collection had a orangey-yellow block pattern, and there was a coordinating more-or-less solid paper (from a distance it looks solid, but up close you can see streaks and color variations in it). The sketch pulled the three papers together nicely. I felt the numbers would work well for a birthday theme, so I stamped a party hat from one of my older Lawn Fawn stamp sets onto a scrap, colored it to coordinate with the papers, fussy cut it, and attached it in the place of the round element on the sketch. I positioned the hat and the banner a bit lower than the way it’s drawn on the sketch to allow that sideways orange 8 to show. (Or maybe it’s supposed to be infinity?) It all came together like this:

FMS177

So there ya have it. I figure it will be a good any age card to send to Operation Write Home. Although the colors do suggest a boyish or masculine vibe, I think it’s pretty gender neutral. And it felt good to finally cut into that number paper!

Thanks for stopping by today! All comments are read and greatly appreciated. Have a great day!

Supplies:
Stamps: Hats Off to You (Lawn Fawn)
Cardstock: Naturals White (Stampin’ Up); “Brigham”, “Zachary”, and “Marigold” papers from Oh Baby! Boy collection (Basic Grey)
Ink: Tuxedo Black (Memento)
Other: markers (Copic)

Cards in Envy - Anything Goes with a Bow!

2 Responses »

Mar 022015

Hello again! It’s time for another challenge at Cards in Envy. For the next two weeks, we have a pretty easy theme for you to follow: Anything Goes with a Bow. That’s right – all you need to do for this challenge is to make an A2 sized card (4.25″ x 5.5″) with no embellishments more than 1/4″ thick so that it could be mailed at the standard postage rate – but it must include a bow of some sort. You may use a bow made of ribbon, twine, or paper so long as it’s less than 1/4″ thick. You could also choose to use an image of a bow.

I’ve combined our bow challenge with the current Freshly Made Sketches layout, which conveniently included a bow element. I’ve taken the liberty of scooting the bow to the left of the main image panel. I’ve paper pieced my scene using cardstock and Basic Grey papers. I used a die to cut the basic cloud shape and then trimmed it down with my scissors so it would better fit in the space.

This card was included in the package I sent to Operation Write Home last week. I hope one of our heroes will enjoy sending it home to his or her child.

If you need additional inspiration, please go check out the Cards in Envy site and see what the rest of the design team has made. Then create a card with a bow following our challenge guidelines and share it with us using the linky tool on the Cards in Envy site by 7:00 p.m. Eastern time Sunday, March 15. We’d love to have you play along with us! Thanks for stopping by today.

Supplies:
Stamps: Thoughtful Rhubarb (Sweet ‘n Sassy Stamps)
Cardstock: Pure Luxury White (Gina K. Designs); Bashful Blue, Early Espresso (Stampin’ Up); designer papers from Blush and Oxford 6″ x 6″ paper pads (Basic Grey)
Ink: Tuxedo Black
Other: cloud die (SNSS); stitched landscape die (Mama Elephant); Lemon twine (Really Reasonable Ribbon)

52 {Christmas} Card Throwdown - February stash challenge

7 Responses »

Feb 282015

Hello! Once again, it’s stash challenge week at 52 {Christmas} Card Throwdown, where we invite our challenge participants to use particular items from their crafting stash to create a Christmas or wintry card. This time the chosen item is markers. Most everyone has markers, and there are so many different ways to use them, so we’re hoping to see a lot of great cards this week!

I’ve chosen one of the more obvious ways to use markers – I’ve colored an outline image with my Copics. Although I’ve had this stamp set for a few years, this wreath image has always intimidated me a bit, so I’m pretty sure this is the first time I’ve actually used it for a card. The layout for this card is OWH Stars & Stamps Sketch #219, which I hadn’t used before. When I was fitting the pieces of the card together, I realized that the “Merry Christmas” sentiment in the stamp set was too large to fit in the available space, and the “Happy Holidays” stamp seemed too small. So I opted to just leave well enough alone and not use a sentiment. I figure the colors and the wreath image still lead to this being a Christmasy card, but it could be used throughout the season as a “thinking of you” card or a thank you card or really anything the sender chooses. (This card will be donated to Operation Write Home, so I’m not going to be using it myself.)

How will you use your markers? We’d love to see! Link your card at the 52{C}CT site by 7:00 p.m. Eastern time Friday, March 6. Be sure to check out the rest of the design team members’ cards for more inspiration. Thanks for stopping by today!

Supplies:
Stamps: Bows and Holly (Lawn Fawn)
Cardstock: Pure Luxury White (Gina K. Designs); Old Olive, Cherry Cobbler, Kraft, Season of Style designer series paper (Stampin’ Up)
Ink: Tuxedo Black (Memento)
Other: markers (Copic); enamel dots, grosgrain ribbon, dimensionals (SU); standard circle Nestabilities dies (Spellbinders)

sketchy flashback

2 Responses »

Feb 252015

Hello! I recently discovered a new-to-me cardmaking challenge called Flashback Friday. The main idea of this challenge is to use products that you’ve had for at least a year. Goodness knows I have LOTS of items that fall under that description, LOL! So I thought I’d give this week’s challenge a shot and try to remember to check into it each week.

This week Flashback Friday has a theme of “Geometrical”. That played nicely into the current sketch at CAS(E) this Sketch! with its large oval. I’m trying to finish up a box of cards to send to Operation Write Home and wanted to get one more Easter card in there before their Easter deadline. So I saw the oval as an Easter egg shape and cut one from designer paper. When I used to dye Easter eggs, I’d always do at least one each year where I’d dip one end of the egg in one color dye and the other end in a different color. That’s the effect I was going for with this designer paper. For the vertical band element of the sketch (a rectangle – another geometric shape!) I used a coordinating designer paper from the same package, and matted it with two solid colors of cardstock. I stamped the bunny on a scrap of white cardstock, colored him, fussy cut him, and attached him with dimensional adhesive to take the place of the heart element of the sketch. It makes for a rather simple looking card, but I think it turned out pretty cute.

The designer papers and the white card base are my newest items used here; I’ve had them for about 13 months.

That’s it for today. Thanks for stopping by! I’ll be back tomorrow to introduce a new challenge at CAS Colours and Sketches.

Supplies:
Stamps: Happy Easter (Lawn Fawn)
Cardstock: Pure Luxury White (Gina K. Designs); Crisp Cantaloupe, Daffodil Delight, Watercolor Wonder designer series paper (Stampin’ Up)
Ink: Tuxedo Black (Memento)
Other: markers (Copic); Pierced Oval Stax die (My Favorite Things); dimensionals (SU)

Cards in Envy - Puppy Love

3 Responses »

Feb 162015

Hi there! It’s Cards in Envy challenge introduction day! For the next two weeks we have a theme challenge of Puppy Love. Show us your A2 sized cards featuring at least one dog. Remember to keep your cards flat enough to fit in an envelope and be mailed at the first class postage rate.

I don’t have a lot of dog stamps or digital images, so choosing which one to use wasn’t too difficult. I decided to make a little scene with him. Instead of stamping him on white cardstock and coloring him, I opted to stamp him on some off-white designer paper that has some subtle color variation in it. I did add in some color to his nose, collar, and tag. Fussy cutting him wasn’t too difficult. I added a scrap of designer paper behind his head as a shim, since his rear was raised up from the blue panel by the grassy strip behind him. That helped give him a little more separation from the blue sky. This week’s sketch from Freshly Made Sketches provided the layout for my card. For the smallest rectangular element of the sketch, I decided to use a quote balloon stamp that resembles a cloud.

The puppy also ties into the February ODBD challenge at the Operation Write Home Stars & Stamps blog.

If you need additional inspiration, please go check out the Cards in Envy site and see what the rest of the design team has made. What kind of puppy card will you create? Share your work with us on the Cards in Envy site by 7:00 p.m. Eastern time Sunday, March 1. We’d love to have you play along with us!

Supplies:
Stamps: Critters in the ‘Burbs, Chit Chat (Lawn Fawn)
Cardstock: Bashful Blue, Basic Black (Stampin’ Up); designer papers from Ambrosia and Oxford 6″ x 6″ paper pads (Basic Grey)
Ink: Tuxedo Black (Memento); Whisper White craft (SU)
Other: Grassy Border die (Lawn Fawn); white embossing powder (Stampendous); markers (Copic)

52 {Christmas} Card Throwdown - February sketch challenge

5 Responses »

Feb 072015

Hello there, and happy Saturday to you! It’s sketch challenge week at 52 Christmas Card Throwdown. As with all of our sketches, you’re welcome to use the sketch as it’s drawn, flip it mirror image, or turn it on its side. You may also change the white area to whatever shape you please. So long as we can see the “skeleton” of the sketch, it’s all good!

I stayed pretty close to how the sketch was drawn. I’ve combined images from several different stamp sets for my card. I decided to use a wreath for the focal panel part of the sketch, and this is my first time using this wreath stamp. (It’s from a cool set that could be used all throughout the year, not just for Christmas!) I stamped the wreath on white cardstock and used the coordinating dies to cut it out. The white background looked harsh against the wood-looking background, so I sponged some green ink all over the wreath it to soften the look. I made a little bow from ribbon to embellish the wreath, rather than stamping the bow image from the set. I guess one could imagine that the wreath is hanging on either a door or a fence. The sentiment comes from an older Stampin’ Up set. I could have stamped the holly berries, but instead I decided to use half pearls. The pearls started out white, but I colored them with a Copic marker. If I wanted to mass produce this card, I’d buy red pearls. But for just one card to include in my stash for Operation Write Home, coloring them is easy enough.

Go see what the rest of the 52CCT design team has done with this sketch, and then show us your own take on it! We’d love to have you link your card at the 52CCT site. The challenge deadline is 7:00 p.m. Eastern time Friday, February 13. Please join in the fun and creativity!

Supplies:
Stamps: Wondrous Wreath, Hardwood, Madonna and Child (Stampin’ Up)
Cardstock: Wild Wasabi, Soft Suede, Whisper White (SU)
Ink: Wild Wasabi, Garden Green, Soft Suede (SU)
Other: Wonderful Wreath framelits dies (SU); Dimensional Banners die (My Favorite Things); half pearls (KaiserCraft); sponge, satin ribbon (source unknown)

CAS - Colours and Sketches #110

3 Responses »

Feb 052015

Hello! I’m excited to be the challenge hostess at CAS Colours and Sketches during the month of February! I hope you’ll join in the fun and creativity of our color and sketch challenges.

The first Thursday of the month means it’s color challenge time, and I’ve picked out a trio of soft colors. I thought they would look pretty for either Valentines or springtime cards. I usually don’t think of Easter as a card-giving holiday, but I do like to make a few Easter cards for Operation Write Home, so that’s what I’ve done for today’s card. This week’s sketch from Freshly Made Sketches provided the layout for my card, using the bunny in place of the large heart-shaped element of the sketch. I’ve flipped the sketch mirror-image so my little bunny wouldn’t be looking off the edge of the card. The bunny and butterfly are both fussy cut and adhered to the card front. I raised the bunny a bit with a few scrap cardstock shims, and one side of the butterfly is attached with dimensional adhesive, to give the card a little more visual interest.

Be sure to check out what the rest of the CC&S Design Team has made! Then create your own clean and simple styled card with these colors and link it to the CC&S site by 1:00 p.m. Wednesday, February 11. We’d love to see what you make!

Supplies:
Stamps: Happy Easter, Happy Everything, Critters in the ‘Burbs (Lawn Fawn)
Cardstock: Pink Pirouette, Sahara Sand (Stampin’ Up); Pure Luxury Ivory (Gina K. Designs)
Ink: Tuxedo Black (Memento)
Other: markers (Copic); dimensionals (SU)

Older Entries Newer Entries

totally awesome... ?

CAS Colours & Sketches #119

Cards in Envy - Child's Play

CAS Colours & Sketches #118

52 {Christmas} Card Throwdown - March technique challenge

CAS Colours & Sketches #117

52 {Christmas} Card Throwdown - March theme challenge

Cards in Envy - Spring is in the Air

clearing some stash with a sketch

Cards in Envy - Anything Goes with a Bow!

52 {Christmas} Card Throwdown - February stash challenge

sketchy flashback

Cards in Envy - Puppy Love

52 {Christmas} Card Throwdown - February sketch challenge

CAS - Colours and Sketches #110

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Really great links

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