Sketch Girl #4

I just love these sketch challenges. At first I looked at the sketch and then let it ruminate for a little while. I needed a card for my boyfriend's sister and brother-in-law who are expecting their first grandchild, and it all came together very quickly. I knew I wanted to use 3 birdies in 3 fun, different colors. Add raised them with dimensionals and attached them to right side of the kraft cardstock. On the left side of the kraft I stamped the text background in versamark and stamped over that in white using the retro backgrounds set. I added the sentiment on the right and divide the focal point in two using a tucked/ruffled ribbon technique. I used glue dots to adhere them down, mostly since I am too lazy to pull out the sewing machine. I created the background using lemon tart and my SU! retired polka dot background set.

Here is this week's sketch:

Enjoy and hop on over to the other gals work and stop by the Sketch Girl blog to play along and check out the twist on this weeks challenge!

Alyssa
Bonnie
Chris
Eve
Harriet
Jennie
Jessica
Julie
Katie
Leigh Ann
Randee
Sara

Supplies:
Paper: Not Quite Navy and Kraft Cardstock (SU!); Watercolor paper (Archiver's)
Ink: Lemon Tart, Berry Sorbet and Snow White (PTI); Basic Black Marker and Bermuda Bay (SU!)
Stamps: Bird Watching Additions, Text Background and Retro Background (PTI); Quick Thinking and Polka Dot Background (SU!)
Extras: Ribbon (PTI); Filigree Brad (SU!); Heart Bling (Hero Arts); Corner Rounder (Cromper Chomper)

And I'm Off

I am out the door on my way to Seattle to visit family and enjoy a little work reprieve. Man, it has been busy. I can't think of a busier time at work than preparing to go on vacation. It will definitely be worth it! I have set up a few posts while I am out. One will be Monday and is the new Sketch Girl challenge with a surprise so check back on Monday. Here is a little teaser to wet your whistle. If you are in the mood to see a lot of stampage make sure you come back. I think I used 5 stamp sets! There will be a few scrapbook pages and card or two.

Have a great week! I will miss all my blogger friends and will probably go through blog withdrawl. I love to see what people come up with and usually check daily (a little obsessive about that).

Tonight is the Night....

of edits! I revamped my Dawn McVey color challenge card HERE so make sure you check that out. I also created the card labeled below last night and brought it into work, because it seemed off. Randee looked at it and said "it would be cute with some ribbon here". So, what did I do? I went home used my last bit of my cool Caribbean-esque Target ribbon and made the After photo. Love it! It is amazing what a little ribbon can do.

Before

And After

This was the first card I made coloring with Copics on Kraft and it will definitely not be the last. I loved how it turned out. At first it looks a little muddy, but then the color pops once the ink dries. I also need to note that adore this new stamp set I purchased this past week end...love it!

Have a great night! I am off to schedule some post while I am on vaca ~whooo hooo~. I leave for Seattle on Friday and I can't wait. I haven't been their in a few years, and since I was last there my cousin and her hubby had a baby girl...well, I guess not so much a bab since she is 1 1/2 now! Time flies. Last time we went out we stayed in the San Juans on Fourth of July and had a Sunset Cruise. Here are a few pics from the last trip. I know a wordy post tonight, but my enthusiasm got the best of me! Sorry.

Supplies:
Paper: Kraft (SU!); Patterned Paper (K&Co)
Ink: Tuxedo Black (Momento); Black marker (SU!)
Stamps: Hodgepodge stamp set (Unity); Sentiment (SU!)
Extras: Ribbon (Target Club Wedd); Copics

Raspberry Suite Color Challenge #15

It is time for another color challenge from Dawn McVey and I decided to try a new technique. I used the ruffled ribbon technique HERE on Lisa Johnson's blog. I took the ribbon and turned it into a rose or a peony...a pretty flower of some kind and then sewed a button in the middle. I love how this turned out and I can't wait to try it some more! I finished off the flower with a little button in the center. The background adds elegance to the card and a little visual interest.

Edit: This posts original content has been edited. ha! I kept looking at the card I made last night and could not get over the fact that I loved the flower, but I hated the rest of it. So I revamped the background. I stamped the circles in glitter, and then used more of the melon berry patterned paper, rounded the corners, and got rid of the melon berry card base. I also changed the card orientation and the location of the scalloped edge. Now I love my card!

Let me know what you think.

Flower Close-Up

Supplies:
Paper: Spring Moss and Hibiscus Burst cardstock (PTI); Cream cardstock (Neenah); Bitty Square and Floral Patterned Paper (PTI)
Ink: Hibiscus Burst (PTI)
Stamps: Polka Dot II Backgrounds (PTI); Sentiment (SU!)
Extras: Hibiscus Burst Ribbon (PTI); Leaves die (Sizzix for SU!); Apron Lace Punch (Fiskars); Glitter (SU!)

With Sympathy

I had a fabulous weekend with the girls (Marisa and Janie) and I got quite a bit of scrapbooking done. So, expect to see a few pages this week. I also got a lot of shopping in as this was the Scrapbook expo. We took two classes from Basic Grey, one scrapbooking and one card making class. The Scrapbooking class was oh so fabulous with a lot of fussy cutting, and Layle was a phenomenal teacher. In the card class we made 5 cards using the Lemonade paper collection and received a 6 x 6 Lemonade paper pack. I will be challenging myself to use some more of that paper. To end the weekend I thought I would post a sympathy card. I wanted to keep this card simple so I created a tone on tone background with the focus on a gussied-up sentiment.

Hope you had a great weekend!

Supplies:
Paper: Spring Moss cardstock (PTI); Cream cardstock (Neenah)
Ink: Tuxedo Black (Momento) and Versamark
Stamps: Damask, Flourishes and Child Sympathy (PTI)
Extras: Spring Moss Ribbon (PTI)

Soaring by to Say Hi

I made this card while the gals (Janie and Marisa) were over. I borrowed the Everyday Button Bits from Janie and made this super quick, easy, and cute card...if I do say so myself. I loved this color combo and I think I will have to use it again. For this card I stamped the image in black and added a fun assortment of buttons. The rest is history. BTW, note I had to use the Polka Dot Background II. As I have said before I cannot resist using this set on every card I make.

Let me know what you think! Have a good night or day (depends on when you look at my little bloggy, blog)

Don't forget to stop by HERE for enter to win $150 gift certificate (your choice). Now that is some blog candy!

Supplies:
Paper: Soft Sky, Tangerine Tango cardstock (SU!); Solar White (Neenah)
Ink: Tuxedo Black (Momento); Versamark Dazzle - Champaign
Stamps: Everyday Button Basics and Polka Dot Backgrounds II (PTI)
Extras: Buttons (Creative Cafe and Autumn Leaves); Ribbon (May Arts); Border Punch (Martha Stewart)

Sketch Girls Challenge #3

It is time again for the next Sketch Girl Challenge! I created this card using Annie B's sketch below. I just love square cards and of course THICKERS! I might have mentioned that once or twice *wink*. I started my card with the patterned paper, I found the patterned paper adhered together in a square in my unfinished projects bin. I started it and then decided I wanted to change the proportions. I distressed my patterned paper reminant and added a little ribbon. I distressed a journaling tag, added a little circle of cardstock, adhered this to the patterned paper, and then added the letters on top of everything.

This was quick and easy, plus I always need masculine cards. I never have them around when I need them; I can't help it I love to make girly cards. Click HERE to play along!

Sketch #3

Don't forget to stop by and see what the rest of the DT created:
Alyssa
Bonnie
Chris
Eve
Harriet
Jennie
Jessica
Julie
Katie
Leigh Ann
Randee
Sara

Supplies:
Paper: Kraft and Not Quite Navy cardstock (SU!); Spring Moss cardstock (PTI); Patterned Paper (DCWV)
Ink: Tea Dye Ink Duo
Stamps: None
Extras: Thickers (American Crafts); Ribbon (Autumn Leaves); Tag (K&Co); Circle Punch (SU!)

Raspberry Suite Color Challenge #14

I wasn't sure I was going to have time to participate in this week's challenge, but since they are not my usual colors I wanted to be outside of my comfort zone. I created the center of the card by cutting vanilla cardstock with the middle size of my Quickutz label die, clear embossed Polka Dot II, and then used my slot punch to make it a jumbo ribbon slide. I cannot get enough of that die or the polka dot background; and firmly believe that every project needs to use at least one of these. HA! I also finally inked up my birdie set. I love it and I need to break that set in a bit more. I am seeing a family of birds to celebrate some prego news in the future....oh not me...my boyfriend's sister let us know she is expecting and I need to send a congrats card. Just wanted to clarify.

Now that I have officially rambled....here is my creation for this weeks color challenge. Mostly pink and cream with splashes of purple and scarlet. I really liked how this turned out and included a close-up so you can see the embossed dot.

The Close-Up

Supplies:
Paper: Raspberry Fizz cardstock (PTI); Very Vanilla and Elegant Eggplant (SU!)
Ink: Elegant Eggplant (SU!); Versamark
Stamps: Bird Watching Additions, Retro Background, Friends Til the End, Polka Dot II Background (PTI)
Extras: Label Die (Quickutz); Slot Punch (SU!); Ribbon (PTI); Large Embossed Scallop Border (EK Success); Clear Embossing Powder (Ranger)

Feelin' Owly

The girls (Marisa and Janie) came over this weekend for a little stamping; it was my turn to be the hostess with the mostest. I wanted to get more done, but alas the hostess always gets the least done creatively. I did get my cards done for the card exchange at work and about 5 more cards. Needless to say I had fun and have quite a few posts for this week.

I created two cards using an owl set from October Afternoon. I used Copics to color on one of the owls and hand wrote the "hoot hoot hooray". On the other I stamped the owls on different colors and cut them out, hand drew a rounded box, and mounted the main images on a embossed kraft cardstock.

That is about all I have to say...oooh except that I found this wonderful patterned paper from Amuse (it is the woodgrain one) and I might have to pick up a few more sheets : )

Owl Card #1

Owl Card #2

Close-Up (You Can See the Embossed Background)

Supplies:
Paper: White cardstock (Neenah); Marigold Morning, Cool Caribbean, Kiwi Kiss, Kraft cardstock (SU!); Woodgrain PP (Amuse)
Ink: Brown and Black (Momento); Versamark
Stamps: Owl Stamp Set (October Afternoon); Polka Dot Basics II (PTI)
Extras: Label Die (Quickutz); Buttons (Creative Cafe); Copics; Twine (PTI); Black and Brown markers (Zig); Ribbon (American Crafts); Embossing Powder (Ranger Ink); Rub-On (SU!)

Have a SWEET birthday!

I won a fun set from Purple Onion Designs and it took me a bit to figure out how to use the rubber sheet. I was a bit perplexed since it was etched rubber, but was not in anyway adhesive. I used google and found that double sided super sticky tape does the trick for outline images. It worked really great and didn't produce any bumps or lumps (I was surprised). I used the popsicle from the set and a marker to only ink up the "SWEET" from one of the sentiments. The rest of the sentiment is my handwriting. I pulled out a dusty Simple Scrapbooking kit and last weeks CPS sketch, CPS 127, colored up the popsicle with some copics, and added some spica glitter...you can kinda see that on the close-up below.

The Close-up

Supplies:
Paper: So Saffron, Chocolate Chip cardstock (SU!); Solar White cardstock (Neenah) Simply Scrappin' Kit (SU!);
Ink: Brown (Momento)
Stamps: What's the Scoop(Purple Onion Designs)
Extras: Brown Marker (Zig); Copic Markers and Spica Glitter pen (Copic); Button (Autumn Leaves)

American Crafts Goodness

In June I created some American Crafts goodness and submitted my creations for the AC Design Team. I didn't make the team this year, but I had a great time and loved the scrapbook motivation. Congrats to all the ladies who made it this year; a list is posted HERE on the AC Studio blog. They will be seeing me again next year : )

Without further ado here are my submissions!

My Neice Ruby is so Cute



She is so Cute I had to Scrapbook her Again


Hanging Outside my Scrapbook Room



A House Card

Supplies:
All products are American Crafts, except the cardstock. The white is textured cardstock from Archiver's. I also used the Crushed Curry and Bermuda Bay from SU!. I also used punches from EK Success, Fiskars, and SU!

Raspberry Suite Color Challenge #13

I just squeaked this on in, but I saw this weeks color challenge by Dawn McVey and knew I had to participate. The soap box was so cool and bright vintage, so I decided to go little more elegant and layery than usual. I stamped the flower from Friends Til the End on Berry cardstock and then colored it in with red copics. After I finished up the flower I added some pearls to the center and left some of the berry cardstock showing. I also stamped the leaves on Moss cardstock and outlined them with a yellow green copic. I popped up the flower with leaves and added swirled pearls form Prima on Bitty dot paper that I stamped with white text to make it a little more elegant. The frame was created using the apron lace punch (I am so addicted to border punches especially of the scallop variety.

Enjoy!

The Close-Up

Supplies:
Paper: Berry Sorbet and Spring Moss cardstock (PTI); Whisper White cardstock (SU!); Bitty Dot Patterned Paper (PTI)
Ink: Tuxedo Black (Momento); Snow White (PTI)
Stamps: Friends Til the End and Backgroun Basics: Text (PTI)
Extras: Apron Lace Punch (Fiskars); Pearls (Prima, Hero Arts, Mark Richards)