CASE Study challenge #3 & Curtain Call Act 45

Hi folks! I'm back with my submission for two challenges. The first is CASE Study challenge #3, which uses another gorgeous card by Makiko Jones as inspiration. The second is the latest Curtain Call Color Challenge which is absolutely lovely! Check it out:

I was completely taken by those beautiful 3D flowers on Makiko's card. She kept the rest of the card fairly simple to let those blooms take center stage, so I wanted to do the same on my card. I turned the sketch on its side to better fit my sentiment. The flowers were cut out with the Beautiful Blooms dies from PTI, then I de-bossed them with the Polka Dot impression plate. I sponged them with some white ink to draw out the polka dot texture a bit.

The leaves are from PTI's Turning a New Leaf, stamped in Versamark onto Pear Pizzazz cardstock and cut out by hand. I finished the card with pearls and punched corners like Makiko's card, plus I added some stitching around the kraft mat.

Cardstock: Stampin' Up! (Concord Crush, Pear Pizzazz), Papertrey Ink (white), Bazzill (kraft)

Stamps: Papertrey Ink (Turning a New Leaf, Beautiful Blooms II), Fiskars (Make a Wish Quotes)

Ink: Ranger (Eggplant), Jo-Ann (white), Studio G (green), Versamark

Tools: Spellbinders (Labels 4 die), Papertrey Ink (flower dies), Martha Stewart Crafts (corner punch)

Accessories: Queen & Co. (pearls), thread

Here's a peek at the inside, too. I stamped the Beautiful Blooms and leaves and punched the corners to match the outside.

My daughter is off to her first day of Kindergarten tomorrow, so it will be a busy day keeping my son occupied. But I promise to be back soon! Thanks so much for your lovely comments, and for stopping by today!

FTL #105 & Tiffany Doodles flower challenge

Hello, friends! I am just in love with my new Prismacolor pencils lately, and I decided to put them to work on a card for a (new to me) challenge. I've been curious to try out some digital stamps, and I just love the photo sketches on the Tiffany Doodles blog. They have a challenge for the month of August to use flowers, so I picked this gorgeous Lenten rose image from Tiffany's site. I also loosely based the card on FTL #105 at clean & simple, but I turned the sketch on its side to better fit the image.

I printed out the image onto PTI's Rustic White cardstock and colored it with Prismacolor pencils and OMS. I even added a light blue "halo" around the image to make it stand out a bit more, something I've seen a lot with Copics. It's hard to see in the photo, but in real life it looks so pretty! I had a difficult time photographing this one for some reason.

Cardstock: Stampin' Up! (Bravo Burgundy, Garden Green), Papertrey Ink (Rustic White)

Stamps: Tiffany Doodles (Lenten rose), Papertrey Ink (Signature Greetings)

Ink: Inkadinkadoo (Black)

Tools: Papertrey Ink (scallop border die, Linen & Canvas impression plate)

Accessories: Michaels (pearls), thread

Coloring medium: Prismacolor Premier, odorless mineral spirits

The sentiment is from PTI's Signature Greetings. I added a green scalloped border that I sent through my Big Shot with the Linen & Canvas impression plate, then threw in a few pearls for the finishing touch.

I am certainly not an expert on digital stamps, but this one is so beautiful and highly detailed. I love Lenten roses and colored these to match the ones in my garden!

Thanks for stopping by tonight!

Mojo Monday 153 & Embellish Color Challenge

Hey there, and happy Sunday! Just a quick post tonight for the latest Embellish Magazine Color Challenge using squares. What better way to use squares than the sketch at Mojo Monday?

Oh my goodness, did I have fun with this one! Have I mentioned how much I love Halloween? Well these colors just said Halloween to me, and so I made a cute and creepy little card with spiderwebs. I stamped 3 of the chartreuse squares with part of a spider web image, then heat embossed with clear glitter embossing powder. Ooh, I love how they sparkle!

For the 4th square, I stamped the circle image with the little spider hanging down, heat embossed it, then cut it out. I added some Glossy Accents for extra shine, and to make the spider string a little more sturdy.

Cardstock: Bazzill (black), Stampin' Up! (Elegant Eggplant), Papertrey Ink (Simply Chartreuse)

Stamps: Inkadinkadoo (spider web), Studio G (spider)

Ink: Clearsnap (Black, Charcoal)

Tools: Marvy Uchida (square punch), Provocraft (embossing folder), Jo-Ann stores (embossing powder), Ranger (Glossy Accents)

Accessories: Papertrey Ink (Simply Chartreuse ribbon), Michaels (black ribbon, rhinestones), thread

Isn't that embossed purple background gorgeous? That's my new Cuttlebug folder, which is a really elegant brocade that can also serve as a creepy backdrop when sponged with charcoal ink and stitched with black thread.

I finished things off with a strip of black ribbon layered over Simply Chartreuse, and a few black rhinestones in the corner.

Hmm, I may have to use this as a Halloween decoration this year because I like it so much! I hope you enjoy it too! Thanks for stopping by, and have a great start to your week!

Colour Cue #7 & CPS 181

I'm back! Please scroll down if you missed my other two posts today, and if you're back for the 3rd time today, thanks so much for stopping by! I have one more card to share for Dawn's Color Cue challenge. I just LOVE this color combo and have been dying to try it out with my latest purchase from WPlus9, the gorgeous Guiding Light stamp set. I paired it up with the sketch at CPS, #181.

First let me say how stunning this lighthouse image is in person, as are all of the images in this set. Dawn is an incredible illustrator, and I was beyond excited to see this set, which will be perfect for making cards for the men in my family who love the ocean.

I stamped the large lighthouse image in Dark Chocolate onto Rustic Cream cardstock, then the stripes in red. Next I colored the base of the lighthouse with a brown Prismacolor pencil and OMS. For the light, I used a couple of yellow pencils and OMS to make a beam of light. I LOVE how this turned out! It is so soft, and the colors taper perfectly from bright to subtle.

I added three squares at the bottom stamped with one of the starfish from the set. The sentiment is from PTI's Signature Greetings.

Cardstock: Papertrey Ink (Rustic Cream, Pure Poppy, Aqua Mist)

Stamps: WPlus9 Design Studio (Guiding Light), Papertrey Ink (Signature Greetings)

Ink: Papertrey Ink (Dark Chocolate), Clearsnap (Cranberry)

Tools: Spellbinders (Labels 1 die), EK Success (corner rounder)

Accessories: thread

Coloring medium: Prismacolor Premier pencils, OMS

Goodness, I love this card! There is nothing particularly fancy about it, but it is just a combination of great colors, fabulous images, and a simple design that makes me happy. Don't you love it when that happens?

Thanks again for visiting today! I hope to see you back here soon!

2 Sketches 4 You #60

Hi again! If you didn't see my earlier post, be sure to scroll down to see what fabulous Design Team I will be joining next month!

This week, Laura posted a simple but versatile sketch at 2 Sketches 4 You which I finally found time to play with.

I had a killer headache this morning, so I decided to keep things fairly uncomplicated by choosing several papers from the same line and giving them a quilted look. I added a sentiment on a label and tucked it behind a strip of looped Aqua Mist ribbon and a button. I added three more buttons to one corner to balance it out.

Cardstock: Bazzill (kraft)

Patterned paper: DCWV (The Linen Closet stack)

Stamp: unknown

Ink: Papertrey Ink (Dark Chocolate)

Tools: Spellbinders (Labels 1 die)

Accessories: Papertrey Ink (ribbon, buttons), DMC floss, thread

Those ribbon loops are so lovely, I could stare at them all day! I really love this technique, and it always looks much nicer than my bows! In hindsight, I wish I had rounded the corners of the card, but I always think of that after it's too late.

I have one more card to post tonight, so I hope you'll stop by again later! See you soon!

Exciting Announcement!

Hi everyone! I hope you're enjoying your weekend so far.

I just wanted to pop in and share the wonderful news that starting in September, I will be on the new Curtain Call Design Team! I am so thrilled to be joining the other talented ladies on the crew to work with Stacey's awesome color combos every week. To meet the rest of the crew, head on over to Stacey's Stamping Stage for the official announcement.

I hope you'll plan to play along with us each week! See you there!

ColourQ #47 & CardPatterns 78

Hi again! This is my second post today, so be sure to scroll down for my Curtain Call submission!

This card is for the colourQ challenge and also uses the sketch at CardPatterns. This was a tough color combo for me. Love the scarf in the inspiration photo, but I can't say that I love what I created with the same colors!

I hadn't made a masculine card for a while, and I wanted to use more of the stamps in this set from Stampers Anonymous. I decided to attempt a collage of sorts, and the result is, well, eclectic. It doesn't really work for me, but sometimes that's the way it goes! It just reinforces for me why I prefer linear designs!

Cardstock: Stampin' Up! (More Mustard, Poppy Parade), Papertrey Ink (Hawaiian Shores, white)

Stamps: Stampers Anonymous (The Journey), Papertrey Ink (A Little Argyle), Hero Arts (Ledger)

Ink: Inkadinkadoo (Black), Clearsnap (Charcoal, Creamy Brown)

Tools: EK Success (circle punch), Papertrey Ink (Linen & Canvas impression plate)

Accessories: Tim Holtz (gears)

I will keep the commentary to a minimum, because I have some other work to finish up tonight. Thanks for stopping by! Enjoy your weekend!

Curtain Call Act 44 & Sweet Sunday Sketch 82

Happy Friday! This is our last weekend before school starts. Where did the summer go? I am looking forward to fall, though, with the cooler weather, changing colors, and autumn holidays (including birthdays!).

But before we leave summer behind, how about another bright and summery combo from the Curtain Call Color Challenge? I paired up these fun colors with the Sweet Sunday Sketch to make a back to school card for my daughter's new teacher.

I had some scraps from Cosmo Cricket that worked perfectly for the Poppy Parade and Daffodil Delight and fit the school theme. I used a $1 apple stamp from Studio G, stamping it in black, once on the Poppy cardstock and once onto white. I cut out the red apple, then just the inside portion of the white apple and layered them together. I covered the whole thing with some Glossy Accents for shine. The white cardstock in the background is debossed with the Book Plate impression plate from PTI. Finally, I thought the top was looking a little plain so I stuck a paper clip behind the patterned paper and tied it with some baker's twine.

Cardstock: Stampin' Up! (Poppy Parade, Tempting Turquoise), Papertrey Ink (white)

Patterned paper: Cosmo Cricket (The Boyfriend collection)

Stamp: Studio G (apple)

Ink: Clearsnap (Black)

Tools: Spellbinders (circle die), Marvy Uchida (circle punch), EK Success (corner rounder), Papertrey Ink (Book Plate impression plate)

Accessories: Making Memories (letter stickers), Ranger (Glossy Accents), paper clip, baker's twine

That's all for now! I'll have one more post later tonight, so be sure to stop by!

New crochet flowers in stock!

As promised, I finally had a chance to take pictures of some new crochet flower sets and just posted them in my Etsy shop. There are a total of 5 new sets, some in PTI colors and some in SU colors. I don't think I can use the companies' actual color names, but I think I've made it fairly obvious what they are! If you have any questions about the colors, let me know!

If there are particular colors on your wish list, I'm happy to do custom orders, including different combinations of colors. Just send me an email or convo me on Etsy!

Thanks for stopping by!

EBTKS #21 & CTD #107

Hello there! Do you ever wonder whether I just fell asleep on my keyboard when coming up with my post titles? *heehee* Sorry for all of the acronyms, but I just find it much more efficient to list the challenges represented in each post so that I can find them easily later on. I try to remember to spell them out for you in the body of each post, but if I forget you can always ask!

Today's card is for the sketch challenge at Everything but the Kitchen Sink, which is ending today. I also used the newest color combo from the Color Throwdown.

I used a paper doily from Martha Stewart layered with a patterned paper scalloped circle and one of my crochet flowers. I added a third layer of "petals" to this one in Spring Moss. The Spring Moss cardstock at the bottom is actually stamped in white with Background Basics: Text Style and impressed with the Linen & Canvas impression plate. I thought I was all done but it looked a bit too symmetrical, so I stuck three pearls on the bottom corner.

If you're looking for the Saffron, I substituted a Lemon Tart button from PTI in the center of the flower. I also thought the orangey stripes in the patterned paper were yellow, so that goes to show you how rainy and gray it is here today! Also, the lighting at my craft table is terrible, but I'm not sure what type of light I should get. I'm curious about the Ott-Lites I've seen at Jo-Ann, so if any of you have experience with them or any other light you can recommend, please let me know!

Cardstock: Papertrey Ink (Spring Moss, white)

Patterned paper: DCWV (Nana's Kitchen stack)

Stamps: Papertrey Ink (Background Basics: Text Style)

Ink: Papertrey Ink (Tea Dye Duo), Jo-Ann (white)

Tools: Spellbinders (scallop circle die), Fiskars (scallop edge scissors)

Accessories: Martha Stewart crafts (die-cut lace tag), Papertrey Ink (ribbon, button), Queen & Co. (pearls), DMC floss, thread

Thanks for stopping by today!

CASE Study challenge #2 & Wee Memories #19

Hi everyone! Just a quick post to share my entry in this week's CASE Study challenge. I missed out on the first week of this new challenge blog last week, so I'm glad to submit this time. If you haven't heard of this challenge yet, it was started by the fabulously talented Iwona Palamountain (aka Chupa). Each week features an inspiration card by the month's "muse", and this month it's Makiko Jones. Edited to add: This card also qualifies for the Scrappy Saturday Challenge at Wee Memories, which calls for sweet treats and ribbon!

For my card, I decided to use the same basic design, just on a square card. I stamped, colored, and layered two cupcakes, then added some glossy accents to the cherry and heart and used a Spica glitter pen on the sprinkles and icing swirls (which doesn't really show up in the photos). I also love the green gingham bow on Makiko's card, so I used a chartreuse saddle-stitched ribbon on mine. Finally, instead of rhinestones in the corners I added two chartreuse buttons to one of the top corners to balance out the bow.

Cardstock: Papertrey Ink (Vintage Cream, Hawaiian Shores)

Patterned paper: Cosmo Cricket (Garden Variety)

Stamps: The Paper Company Studio (Cupcakes), Fiskars (Make a Wish Quotes)

Ink: Papertrey Ink (Dark Chocolate, Hawaiian Shores, Chai Tea Dye), Clearsnap (Scarlet)

Tools: Spellbinders (Labels 1 die)

Accessories: Papertrey Ink (ribbon, buttons), DMC floss, Glossy Accents

Coloring medium: Prismacolor Premier pencils, OMS, Spica glitter pen

This was definitely more of a challenge for me having no specific directions, such as a color combo or sketch, so I look forward to more of these in the coming weeks to see where inspiration leads me! If you'd like to play along, hurry over to the CASE Study blog before this week's challenge ends tonight!

By the way, I have several more crochet flowers to put up in my Etsy shop just as soon as I can get some decent pictures. It's finally raining here, which is a blessing for the plants but isn't so great for lighting! I'll let you know when they're posted!

Thanks for stopping by!

ColourQ #46 & FTL #103

Hi folks! Just barely squeezing this one in on time (as usual)! Today's card is for the challenge over at colourQ. I've been turning this one over in my mind all week and finally had a chance to do something with it. I paired it up with the Fall-to-Layout #103 at clean&simple.

I used my colored pencils again to color the dahlia image, so it leaves the flower looking more pink than Cherry Cobbler. The leaves are as close to Wild Wasabi as I could get. I'm happy with the way the flower turned out, but the leaves not so much. I still have a lot of practicing to do, but I really enjoy coloring again!

Cardstock: Stampin' Up (Cherry Cobbler, Baja Breeze), Papertrey Ink (Rustic White)

Stamps: Papertrey Ink (Delightful Dahlia, Signature Greetings)

Ink: Clearsnap (Chianti), Martha Stewart (Bamboo)

Tools: Papertrey Ink (Linen & Canvas impression plate)

Accessories: ribbon, button, thread

Color medium: Prismacolor Premier pencils, odorless mineral spirits

I must rush over to submit my link before the deadline! Thanks for stopping by today, and for all your kind words of encouragement. Have a great day!

2 Sketches 4 You #59

Hey there! I'm just popping in with a quick post for this week's 2 Sketches 4 You, just barely in time as usual! The mojo was seriously absent today, which is what always seems to happen when I've been too busy to craft for several days and then finally find some time to sit down and stamp! So I abandoned my plan to pair the sketch up with a color challenge and just decided to do a Halloween card. I LOVE all things fall and Halloween, so this was fun! Here's the fab sketch by Kazan:

I first pulled my colors from some Heidi Grace patterned paper I bought at the end of last season. I wanted to use this super cute $1 stamp from Studio G that I picked up at A.C. Moore a couple of weeks ago, and I realized that it would fit nicely into the Mat Stack #2 die from PTI. How fun is that?

I stamped the image with black dye ink, then added some black glitter glue to the bats and spread it around with a tiny paintbrush. It gave them a nice bit of dimension and sparkle. I then used Glossy Accents to fill in the cloud to give it some shine. The outside of the die was shaded with a black colored pencil and odorless mineral spirits.

Cardstock: Papertrey Ink (Summer Sunrise, white), Bazzill (black)

Patterned Paper: (Heidi Grace)

Stamps: Studio G (bats), Papertrey Ink (Distressed Stripes)

Ink: Inkadinkadoo (Black), Martha Stewart (Curry)

Tools: Papertrey Ink (Mat Stack 2 die), Spellbinders (scallop circle die), EK Success (border punch)

Accessories: Queen & Co. (rhinestones), Studio G (black glitter glue), Glossy Accents

Coloring medium: Prismacolor Premier colored pencils, odorless mineral spirits

I made some striped patterned paper with PTI's Distressed Stripes. I totally love this set! It makes it so easy to pull together all of the colors from the rest of the card. I would probably use it more if I had more colors of ink!

Okay friends, that's all for tonight! I hope I'll have a bit more inspiration tomorrow to play with a couple more challenges before they expire. Enjoy the rest of your weekend, and thanks for stopping by!

Curtain Call Act 43, CardPatterns 77, & Wee Memories 18

Hello friends! I'm back from NH and a fabulous couple of days at Story Land. This was our kids' first trip to an amusement park, so they were a bit overwhelmed but had a fantastic time! I highly recommend this park to anyone with younger kids, as the rides were just the right speed and size for my 5 and (almost) 3 year olds. The gorgeous views of the White Mountains alone make it worth the trip! We will definitely be going back for a longer stretch of hiking and exploring in the future.

And not a minute too soon, I have a card today for three challenges ending tonight. Sorry my photos are a little fuzzy, but the lighting wasn't the greatest. I paired up a very challenging color combo from Stacey's Stamping Stage with the sketch at CardPatterns. The buttons qualify it for Jenny's Scrappy Saturday challenge, though I admit they are not the most creative use of buttons, brads, or bling!

Disclaimer: several large pieces of cardstock were harmed during the creation of this card. Despite repeated attempts to revive them and produce something presentable, regrettably they had to be placed in the recycling bin.

All joking aside, I had serious problems with this bold color combo! Stacey, you are not the only one whose first attempt ended up in the trash! I finally decided to make a smallish sized note card using a set I have neglected for a while from Autumn Leaves and a sentiment from Stampin' Up's Just Believe set. I did wind up using brown to stamp the sentiment, since it was all I had that worked. I'm actually pretty happy with the way it turned out. I don't think this will become a go-to color combo for me anytime soon, but I enjoyed the challenge!

Cardstock: Papertrey Ink (Simply Chartreuse, white), Stampin' Up (Pacific Point)

Stamps: Autumn Leaves (Mindy's Flowers), Stampin' Up (Just Believe)

Ink: Martha Stewart Crafts (Fennel, Pumpkin), Papertrey Ink (Dark Chocolate)

Tools: EK Success (border punch, corner rounder)

Accessories: Papertrey Ink (buttons), DMC floss, thread

Thanks so much for stopping by today! I appreciate all of your best wishes for my daughter's birthday, and your comments here on the blog, as always. Have a great weekend!