Freshly Made Sketches

A quick card and post before heading out to a dentist appointment for routine cleaning and checkup.  I really love this new layout for the Freshly Made Sketches Challenge...it was perfect for this leftover leaf I had watercolored while experimenting with the Color Throwdown Challenge colors for this week.  I used 4 distress color markers (Wilted Violet, Festive Berries, Carved Pumpkin, Squeezed Lemonade) and spritzed lightly with water and blended slightly with a brush.  I also splattered some Wilted Violet ink diluted with water.  Reverse Confetti's new Grape Soda CS was a perfect match!  The sentiment was die cut 3 times and adhered together for a chipboard-like feel.  The Lace Leaf stamp and matching dies that include the grateful sentiment (from Concord and 9th) are my fall favorite go-to items right now!  

Thanks for stopping by and happy fall y'all!

Color Throwdown #411

It's Wednesday and since we're embracing the first day of fall tomorrow, I had to go with a fall leaf as my focal point for the new Color Throwdown Challenge.  Amy has a really fabulous color combo for us and I was pleasantly surprised at the beauty of adding a touch of purple to the other "typical" fall colors!  Today is also World Gratitude Day, so I knew I wanted to use a thanks theme.

I have to give credit to Concord and 9th's web page where they have a sample card that I CASEd (I was unable to find a direct link to the creator of that card).  I'm loving this new C9 Lace Leaf stamp set (I was a C9 birthday blog hop winner of a $20 GC - yay!) where I white embossed the image then scribbled in 4 distress color markers (Wilted Violet, Festive Berries, Carved Pumpkin, Squeezed Lemonade) and spritzed lightly with water and blended gently with a brush.  I gold embossed the sentiment on cardstock weight vellum (SU).  Jute twine and dark purple enamel dots finished it off!  Patterned paper is from Lawn Fawn's Perfectly Plaid Fall 6x6 pad.

Welcome to Tina Magnusson - our guest star stamper this week!

For more details on how to play along, head on over to the Color Throwdown Blog and you'll find the information on the right sidebar!  You can also visit the rest of the design team's creations for more inspiration...see links below:

Amy Rohl 
Amy Rysavy
Barbara Anders  
Broni Holcombe   
Jodi Collins 
Lisa Henke
Lori Tecler
Lynn Put  
Vickie Zimmer 
Wanda Cullen (you are here)   
Karren Johnson - September Guest Designer    

Hope to see you in the gallery! 

Mojo Monday #466

Good Monday everyone! I went "earthy" with my card for the new Mojo Monday Challenge!  I stamped the clay pots in Dusty Durango, More Mustard and Crushed Curry then die cut them with Verve's coordinating dies to the Potter's Clay stamp set.  I used an exacto knife to cut slits in the jar tops then inserted the greenery stamped in Garden Green, Old Olive and Always Artichoke. 

If you'd like more inspiration for this sketch, click on the mojomakers' blog links below...or...you can go to the Mojo Monday blog and click on the first seven thumbnails.
Julee Tilman (Owner)
Justin Krieger
Lori Tecler
Marisa Ritzen 
Sarah Bigelow
Teresa Kline
Wanda Cullen (you are here)

Another SFYTT Card

I couldn't resist another card using stamps from Reverse Confetti's Best Witches set. I'm using the September Sketch For You To Try layout again...pairing it with new papers from RC's Fright Night 6x6 pad.  I struggled with placing the sentiment and finally went with this option.  The subtle background stenciling was done with Tim Holtz' Dot Fade stencil and Grape Soda ink - one of four new ink colors released by RC.  Clear Wink of Stella marker was added to the witch's brew and to her hat band for some added sparkle.  

It's been a fabulous weather day...perfect for a family reunion at Glen Maury Park in Buena Vista...a small quaint town nestled between the Blue Ridge Mountains and the Maury River.  This was our view from the pavilion...

  On the way home, we drove through their small town and spotted this fun sign on the side of one of the buildings...

Came home to some great football games!  VT had a win...Cornhuskers had an exciting nailbiter to the last minute game against Oregon and our daughter's flights connected so she could be at the game with friends...and now I'm rooting for Ohio State to win over Oklahoma!  Go Buckeyes!  Yes, I love football. :-)

Inspired By...

I'm thrilled to announce that I'm now part of the design team for the Inspired By...All the Little Things challenge!  Look for a new challenge every Saturday...we'd love to see you play along with us!  I love taking a photo and seeing how it inspires me in cardmaking and this one had so many of my favorite things.  I used a script stamp as a take off of the newsprint, the color palette (aqua/kraft/white) and the woodgrain elements for this coffee-themed card.  

I white embossed the French Script BG, paper pieced the one cup, sponged the sentiment with Crumb Cake ink and tore the "woodgrain" panel to give it a more rustic feel.  This could be used with a housewarming gift basket filled with treats or a coffee shop gift card could be tucked inside...so many possibilities!  

STAMPS: Delightful and Delicious (Verve), Holiday Treats (Verve), French Script Background (SU - retired).
PAPER:  ColorWays by Paper House, White, Kraft.
INK: Versamark, Early Espresso, Cool Caribbean, Crumb Cake.
ACCESSORIES: Rounded Scallop Frame die by Verve, Jute twine. 

Allison Kustiuk is the guest designer today, so be sure and stop by her blog and check out her fabulous card!

For more inspiration from the other designers and for details on how to play along, be sure to visit the challenge blog HERE.    Hope to see you in the gallery!

Vintage Flowers

Good Friday everyone! After tackling an upstairs guest room closet that was packed with OLD things from forever years ago, I decided to cool down in my stamp room! Having my daughter visiting was an even greater bonus because she emptied out a lot from her old room and we made a major haul to a local Goodwill store.  It feels so good to purge clutter and free up more storage space!

I created this card for Altenew's September Inspiration Challenge and also used the new CAS(E)

This Sketch Challenge layout. May has this fabulous photo from some of her craft room supplies to inspire us, so I went with the colors and the stripes for my biggest inspiration.  I triple stamped the florals from Altenew's Vintage Flowers set.  I used two sentiment stamps - one from Label Love and the other from Super Script - both by Altenew.  I used the Tim Holtz' Dot Fade stencil with Tumbled Glass distress ink. The stripe is a background stamp by MFT using SU's retired Cool Caribbean ink and matching cardstock border.  I like using this sentiment to keep on hand as it works for both birthdays and/or anniversaries. 

That's all for today...Time to hit the shower and think about where we'll eat out for supper.  This chick is too tired to cook a meal!

My Mummy

Yesterday was a day with happy mail! I got my new goodies from Reverse Confetti's September release and couldn't wait to get inky! 
The Best Witches stamp set with coordinating dies has so many adorable Halloween images and punny sentiments (and you know I'm a pun lover!).  Now that I have 3 grandchildren, you'll be seeing more child friendly cards.  

I'm playing along with the Freshly Made Sketches Challenge and loved this layout!  I wanted some texture in the background and went with this Bricked embossing folder by Sizzix.  The patterned papers are from Reverse Confetti's new Fright Night 6x6 pad and the purple is one of their new ink/paper colors called Grape Soda. The brushed silver web is from RC's Web Tag Layer...so fun!  I colored with Copics after stamping on X-Press It Blending Card with Memento Tuxedo Black ink.

I'm also entering this into Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge where the theme is Clean and Simple.

That's all for now...thanks for stopping by!