Sweet Sunday Sketch Challenge

Just had to play in Karen Giron's SSSC...a super sketch which I decided to flip. I love the new Tim Coffey DP by K&Co! I cut three 1 3/4 inch squares & matted them on vanilla CS. It's hard to see the subtle pattern in the brown layer. Some quick punches for the tags, bird & leaves and this came together quickly. Can't believe my w/e off is coming to a close but it's been a good one! Thanks for stopping by...

STAMPS: Tiny Tags (SU)
PAPER: Designer Mat Pad by K&Co, Old Olive, So Saffron, Very Vanilla
INK: Memento Rich Cocoa
ACCESSORIES: Two-step bird punch (SU), Tiny tag punch (SU), Olive satin ribbon (SU), Kaiser chocolate pearl (eye), Sponge, Dimensionals

Casing Angella

Angella Crockett is the talented stamper featured this week on SCS...check out her awesome gallery HERE. Angella's gallery was FULL of wonderful cards...but I finally decided on this one to CASE and used different papers, changed the ribbon treatment and added a flower to the corner instead of a flourish. I associate Angella with ODBD (where she is on the DT), so knew I wanted to use one of the 2 sets I own from that company. I can't seem to stop using the Origins DP from BasicGrey with the matching bloomers! TFL!
STAMPS: He is Risen (ODBD)
PAPER: Origins DP by BasicGrey, Chocolate Chip
INK: Memento Rich Cocoa
ACCESSORIES: Ribbon (SU), Twine, Brads, Bloomer embellishment (BasicGrey), Dimensionals

Our Creative Corner

OCC has a sketch challenge for us this week...check it out! This is a great way to use up some scrap DP that accumulates. Love this new bird punch from SU - so many different combinations can be made! It's been an enjoyable day with visits from our daughter from college and our drummer/pizza making son who lives an hour and 15 minutes away. Enjoy your w/e!




STAMPS: PTI Blooming Button Bits
PAPER: Bashful Blue, White, Berry Sweet DP by K&Co, Yellow textured CS (?)
INK: Old Olive
ACCESSORIES: Vintage buttons by PTI, Lg. bird punch (SU), Grosgrain ribbon, Brad

Hats Off to You!

Our Daily Bread Designs Shining Light Challenge #4 was to think outside the box with our cards. I searched for a hat template and found this card in the SCS gallery. I then sketched a template (approximately 5 1/2 x 3 1/2 inches) and first cut out a folded piece of white CS, then cut the shape out of DP, added ribbon, flower & tag sentiment. Quick and easy (once you have the template drawn :-).

Stamps: Terrific Tags Punch Box (SU)
Paper: GP white, Origins DP by BasicGrey
Ink: Memento Rich Cocoa
Accessories: Bloomers by BasicGrey, Ribbon (?), Tag punch (SU), Sponge

Inspired by Yu-Na Kim's Uniform...

The new SCS Friday challenge will be a 'Free For All' & our first time requirements were to use textures (I used bling, dry embossing, pearls, ribbon, punched border), one color we don't normally use (I used Pacific Point) & patterned paper was optional (my bird is punched from DCWV Blossoms & Butterflies stack). I combined this with Stef's challenge to be inspired by Olympic ice skaters' uniforms. I chose the gold medalist from South Korea (Yu-Na Kim) with the vivid blue and the bling embellishments. The sentiment is from the adorable tiny tags set in the SU Occasions mini catalog.
STAMPS: Tiny Tags (SU)
PAPER: Pacific Point, Wild Wasabi, White, DP by DCWV
INK: Pink Passion (sentiment)
ACCESSORIES: Scallop border punch (SU), CB, EF, Kaiser opaline pearls, Recollections rhinestones, Lg. bird punch (SU), Grosgrain ribbon (SU)

Friends

My card combines 3 different challenges: Color Throwdown Challenge (to use brown/pink/white/olive), SCS sketch challenge from yesterday, & today's challenge by Julia to use lace. I immediately thought of the sultry DP by BasicGrey for the colors. My lace element is using the Doily Lace punch by Martha Stewart. The flower was stamped using Pink Passion, cut out & popped w/dimensionals. The leaves are punched using SU's large bird punch. I ziz-zag stitched using my Janome sewsing machine. I missed my stamping fix yesterday due to working out frustrations with changing my blog background and header. It's still not exactly what I was aiming for but it will do for now. :-) Thanks for stopping by...I really enjoy your comments!

STAMPS: Vintage Vogue by SU

Honoring the Olympics

Betty's color challenge on SCS was to use any or all of the colors in the Olympic logo along with a neutral(s). I used 4 colors with one neutral (white) so that makes this an Event 4 card. The 'dessert' was to include a metallic (either gold, silver or bronze) so I chose silver pearls as an accent. The layout is Mercy Kerin's Tuesday sketch and it was a great one to ink up one of my all-time fave SU stamps! This was a quick and easy card to create...it's past my bedtime, so will say good night!

STAMPS: Upsy Daisy (SU), Inspired by Nature (SU), Thankful Accents (Verve)
PAPER: Enchanted Evening (PTI), Summer Sun (SU), White, DP (?)
INK: Not Quite Navy, Summer Sun, Certainly Celery
ACCESSORIES: CB, Nestabilities, Satin ribbon (PTI), Kaiser silver pearls

MOJO MONDAY

Julee has another great Mojo Monday sketch for us with the option of going round or square. I adore round cards, but find the square ones are so much easier for me to work with. I cut a 2 3/4 inch square and punched the scallop edge punch around the sides to create this medallion. The flower was created using the large & small pop up waterlily punches that are new from Martha Stewart - a quick and easy way to create dimensional flowers! The leaves are punched from SU's new large bird punch. Thanks for stopping by...

STAMPS: Verve Psalm 37:4
PAPER: DP by My Mind's Eye Home photo mat pink stack, Terracotta Tile (PTI)
INK: Memento Rich Cocoa
ACCESSORIES: SU Scallop edge punch, MS pop up waterlily punches, Ribbon & vintage button (PTI)

It's in the Pieces

Holly's new technique challenge on SCS was to use punched pieces to create a scene/image, so I combined that with Karen Giron's Sweet Sunday Sketch Challenge to create this card. I wanted to make a brown version of this punched owl (see a previous post for the black/gray version). I'll add a punny sentiment to the inside...not sure yet what the occasion will be. :-) I used 5 different punches & because I don't have a 1 3/4 inch circle punch, I had to use my Creative Memories circle cutter. I just now realized I used 6 punches if you include the branch that the owl is sitting on! Off to do some cleaning and rearranging of furniture...

PAPER: Chocolate Chip, Close to Cocoa, Yoyo yellow, 12 x 12 Roam 2-sided paper pad by K&Co
ACCESSORIES: Punches (see attached pic), MS twill ribbon, Brads, Lg. bird punch (branch w/leaves)

Casing Judi

Exciting news! My cyber friend, Judi Rose, is the featured stamper on SCS this week! Check out her blog (Paper Rose Petals) link on my blog list. I loved her white on white layering on this card and it inspired me to make a CAS card after getting home from work. The base card is from a box of pre-embossed cards I bought at Michael's...works well when you need a really quick card. Time for some shut eye...

STAMPS: PTI Blooming Button Bits, Verve Accent Notes (sentiment)
PAPER: PTI New Leaf, Neenah Solar white
INK: Green Galore, Memento Tuxedo Black
ACCESSORIES: PTI vintage buttons, PTI ribbon, Embossed cards by DCWV, Dimensionals

Recognizing Silke!

This was a quick card for 2 different challenges. ODBD asked that we acknowledge & CASE a crafter we admire and change only 2 elements. Silke Ledlow is one of my fave stampers of all time! She's a master at using white spaces, balancing all elements, does fantastic coloring...I love everything she creates! I didn't do her card justice (that's what happens when you do something in a hurry)...should have added a white layer in the center of the square. :-( I combined this with Our Creative Corner's challenge to try a new technique. I had done a scallop medallion a LONG time ago, but thought I'd try a newer punch and see what happens. I started with a larger square (3 1/4 inches) then punched the fleur de lis design on all 4 sides. I just had to play with my new Martha Stewart punches (Pop Up Water Lily) to create the dimensional flower. Leaves are also punched. I want to try this again on a solid color...the pattern got lost in the DP design. I'll add a sentiment as the occasion arises. Gotta run to work...hope you're enjoying your Saturday!

PAPER: Urban Prairie DP by BasicGrey, Neenah Solar white
ACCESSORIES: Brad by BasicGrey, Lg. & Sm. pop up water lily punches by MS, Lg. bird punch by SU (leaves), Fleur de lis border punch (EK Success), Piercing tool/template

Teapot Arrangement

In addition to papercrafting, I also enjoy floral arranging. I've never had formal training (unless you count belonging to a junior garden club in middle school), but somehow I've picked up tips through books, magazines, etc. A friend asked me to arrange some silks for her mother who is in a nursing home. She got this adorable teapot with fresh flowers and kept it with the dead flowers for so long that finally her daughter asked if I would arrange something she could permanently enjoy. So this is the result. Hope she will enjoy it!

Viva la Verve

Amber's Viva la Verve challenge on the Verve forum included more dining room pics for our inspiration as well as this sketch. I chose the eggplant & kraft colored place setting for my card colors. White gel pen dots were added to the flowers for added dimension. Thanks for stopping by...

STAMPS: Verve Thankful Accents (sentiment), Tim Holtz Nature's Moments
PAPER: Elegant Eggplant, Kraft, White, Manchester DP (SU)
INK: Elegant Eggplant
ACCESSORIES: Satin ribbon, Kaiser silver pearls, 1 1/4 inch & scallop oval punches, CB, Nesties, Dotted Swiss EF, Dimensionals

Flamingo Love

My parents are snowbirds who go south for the winter and spend it in sunny Florida. One of my favorite memories of visiting them was a visit to Jungle Gardens where I was fascinated by the prissy, tame flamingos who happened to be enjoying their mating season at that time! They were quite entertaining (and noisy!). Ahh...but I'm digressing. This card combines the OCC challenge to use something we bought eons ago and never used (the wide saffron ribbon) with the Limited Supplies Challenge on SCS which was to use ribbon and a border punch (trim) on a card. I finally inked up this new image from Taylored Expressions and colored with Copics, then sponged the circle with Yoyo Yellow & Only Orange. I then cut it out & popped it with dimensionals. I added the tiny love tag and will most likely give this to my parents for their anniversary in May. TFL!

STAMPS: Whimsical Wishes (Taylored Expressions), Tiny Tags (SU)
PAPER: Urban Prairie DP (BasicGrey), Neenah Solar White
INK: Memento Tuxedo Black, Yoyo Yellow, Only Orange
ACCESSORIES: Scallop border punch & Saffron ribbon (SU), Corner punch (SU), Copics, Sponge, Button brads, Tiny Tag punch (SU)

'Orange' you glad you stopped by?

Julia's challenge on SCS was to focus on the color orange. It's a color I tend to avoid, yet when I do use it, I'm often surprised at the beauty of it! I colored the waterlily & leaves with Copics. I need to learn how to sponge sunsets as I'm never happy with my results, but this is my beginner's attempt with using sponge daubers and masking with a circle punch (Hint, hint...need a tutorial on creating sunsets). I like to keep a stash of cards without sentiments, so I can add them later - either to the outside or the inside. Thanks for stopping by...

STAMPS: Waterlily (Flourishes)
PAPER: DP by SU, Neenah Solar White
INK: Memento Tuxedo Black
ACCESSORIES: Labels Two Nestabilities, 1 1/4 inch circle punch, Copics, Sheer ribbon (Michael's), Sponge daubers, Dimensionals

Color Throw Down #80

It's Wednesday, so that means it's Color Throwdown time! This time we were to use burgundy, rust & a light green. No matter how hard I tried to come up with a springtime card, my mind always went to 'fall'. No problem...now I'm way ahead of the game with an autumn appreciation card (maybe pastor appreciation in October?). I love Waltzingmouse stamps that match Nestabilities, so I first cut the Labels Four shape, then stamped in Mellow Moss. The tag and popped leaves were sponged & popped with dimensionals. Some score lines at the top and some large scallop punches & pearls at the bottom finished it off. A sink full of dirty dishes is calling my name...TFL!

STAMPS: Fantastic Foliage (SU), Waltzingmouse Labels Four, Verve Thankful Hearts (sentiment)
PAPER: Very Vanilla, Really Rust, Mellow Moss
INK: Really Rust, Bravo Burgundy, Mellow Moss
ACCESSORIES: EK Success large scallop punch, Kaiser gold pearls, CB, Labels Four Nestabilities, Grosgrain ribbon (SU), ScorPal, Sponge, Dimensionals