Sketch Girls Challenge #2

It is time again for another Sketch Girl sketch challenge. I just love this sketch and decided to go simple. I busted out the On My Couch from PTI; I just love the sentiments that go along with the couch set. I decided to use a different color combo, which seemed a little bright so I decided to pop-up the main image on kraft. Head on over to the Sketch Girl Blog and play along! Do you want to win prizes? Check out the details HERE.

Checkout the other Sketch Girls Creations:
Alyssa
Bonnie
Chris
Eve
Harriet
Jennie
Jessica
Julie
Katie
Leigh Ann
Randee
Sara

Supplies:
Paper: Kraft, Chocolate Chip, Rich Razzleberry, Cool Carribean, Crushed Curry cardstock (SU!); Spring Moss cardstock (PTI); Solar White cardstock (Neenah)
Ink: Rich Razzleberry, Close to Cocoa (SU!); Tuxedo Black (Momento)
Stamps: On My couch (PTI)
Extras: clear baubly bling (Mark Richards); dimensionals (SU!)

Vacation Photo and a Sketch Girl Sneaky Peak

To open my first blog post from my hiatus I wanted to share this super cool photo from the North Woods of Wisconsin. As Mike and I were heading out to drive home, we saw 2 fawns and 2 does 10 feet from the car. They posed for this super-cute photo before we drove off. So glad they decided to strike a pose!

I am back from vacation and wow work was rough. The only bonus was that I got in my craft room tonight and made my card for the Sketch Girl sketch challenge. I have included a little teaser below. Make sure you stop on by the Sketch Girl blog and add yourself as a follower. Once Annie reaches 100 follower she will give away 3 stamp sets to randomly chosen followers!

Happy 40th!!!

Randee is 40! Her B-day was on Tuesday, stop on over to her blog and wish her a happy belated b-day. You only turn 40 at least another 10 times *wink* (that is my plan anyway). For her b-day I busted out my new Polka Dot II stamp from PTI and stamped the larges circles in red on berry sorbet. Then I layered Me & My Big Ideas flourish puffy stickers over the stamped background and trimmed the overhang. I loved how this card turned out and I love the color combo!

I am off to finish packing. I leave for the cabin tomorrow (early in the morning) and I have to finish packing and all that good stuff. I will be absent for a few days, but I will post something on Wed and get back into the creative swing of things! I have been a little mojo-less!

Supplies:
Paper: Berry Sorbet cardstock (PTI); Basic Gray and texture Whisper White cardstock (SU!); Black Glitter Cardstock (Doodlebug)
Ink: Tuxedo Black (Momento); Real Red (SU!)
Stamps: Sentiment (Hero Arts); Polka Dot backgrounds II (PTI)
Extras: Puffy stickers (Me and My Big Ideas); Thickers (American Crafts); Circle Punches (SU! and Fiskars); Border punch (EK Success): Ribbon (Target Club Wedd)

Photoshop Fun 2

This is the second installment of photos that have adjusted, stamped, masked...all of the fun stuff that I have been in learning the Jessica Sprague Class. I must say this is addicting. I find myself playing with the hues and layers to see how differnt each effect has on my photo.

This photo I used a mask to create the edge around the flowers. I originally had it in white, but I wanted to scrap this photo so I made the background of the mask the same color as the bright center of the crocus.

This next photo I gave a vintage look by desaturating the photo and then laying over a sepia tone. I then added a Fake TTV texture and blended it all together. Fun photo at the lake that looks old...love it! I also added little swirl to the bottom corner.

I decided to give the Fake TTV another shot and took a photo from Christmas made it vintage, added red tone over it then added a different texture that had a ting of yellow. I added a flourish and text in the corner. I might add this to my Christmas card with a little basic grey and blink!

Let me know what you think. I know it is not a card or a scrapbook page, but it is something artsy that I am loving right now.

Supply Notes: All photos were taken with my Sony DSC N2 (10 MP Point and Shoot camera)and used Photoshop Elements. The flourish stamps are from House of 3 and the textures are off of flicker from various sources.

Sketch Girls Challenge #1

Today is the offical start of Sketch Girl! Sketch Girl is a bi-weekly sketch challenge created by Annie B (Leigh Ann). The Sketch Girl blog will be home to all the sketches in one place, so run on over and add yourself a follower so you can get an update as soon as a new sketch is added. In the future there will be a contest or two with prizes! If you make the sketch and upload to a forum, please use keyword SG1.

I am so addicted to American Crafts lately and their thickers that I just had to use them again. I mixed in some of their Craft Fair patterned paper and the fun sewing machine (go figure a thicker that I had to have) paired with this sketch how could you go wrong! If you click on the photo you should be able to see a close-up the stitched rub-ons on the pink background behind the sewing machine.

Check out the Other Sketch Girls Creations:
Eve
Harriet
Leigh Ann
Jennie
Sara
Alyssa

Also, don't forget to check out my late night scrapbook page posting.

Supplies:
Paper: Patterned Paper (American Crafts); Textured White Cardstock (Archiver's); Pink Pirouette Cardstock (SU!); Raspberry Fizz Cardstock (PTI)
Ink: None
Stamps: None
Extras: Thickers and Flair (American Crafts); Rub-ons (Martha Stewart); Corner Rounder (SU!)

Princess

I completed another scrapbook page tonight (Thanks for the inspiration Janie). I am going with the Janie mantra; one scrapbook page a week. I can do this and by the end of the year I will have 52. I had my American Crafts stuff out and went to town. This was quick layout...maybe 30 -45 minutes, which is super quick for me. I love this layout and am sure part of it is that I love this photo of my niece. The way the light made her glow made her seem all sweet and innocent. Truth is she is sassy...love her!!!!

This was a super simple layout. I used the patterned paper to focus on the photo by cutting out the clouds from my patterned paper and popped a few up to add a little dimension. I also added the thicker directly to the photo. No scrapbook page is complete without Thickers!!!

The Close-Up

Stay tuned, tomorrow is the first Sketch Girls Sketch Challenge. Stop by tomorrow to see the what me and the other designers come up with!

Supplies:
Paper: Patterned Paper (American Crafts); Cardstock (Bazzil)
Ink: None
Stamps: None
Extras: Scallop punch (SU!); Thickers (American Crafts)

A Little Photoshop Fun

I am taking a two week photo class taught by Jessica Sprague. I signed up for the free class and downloaded the trial version of PE7 with the hope of learning how to enhance my photos and maybe add cool frames and learn how to use brushes. I was a little behind, so I have been playing catch-up. Tonight I learned how to create a vintage photo and tint (this is the photo of Ruby dressed up in her princess attire). I also learned how to add texture. I used a self portrait, added texture, change the opacity and what ever tool allows you to choose soft light, multiply, or overlay to the textured layers. I love how this turned out. After that I added a frame (I even rotated it to better fit my photo). Doesn't take much but I am so proud of myself.

I will definitely be buying PE7 and taking a photo editing class (probably a basic class to learn way to make my photos really pop).

Cutie Pie

I love the American Craft's Craft Fair collection. It is super cute...the colors and the sewing and foody themes are so fabulous. This weekend I got to spend some time with Marisa and Janie. You know what that means: lots of chatting, laughter, and scrapbooking (a little card making, too). This is just one of the things I made this weekend. I will have more to post throughout the week, including some scrapbook pages featuring my cutie niece, Ruby.

Ta, Ta!

Supplies:
Paper: Riding Hood Red Textured Cardstock and Bermuda Bay cardstock (SU!): Patterened Paper (American Crafts); White Textured Cardstock (Archiver's)
Ink: None
Stamps: None
Extras: Ribbon and Rubons (American Crafts); Dies (Quickutz and Spellbinders)

Just Chillin'

Father's Day (Belated)

Happy Birthday

I love the Making Memories just chillin' paper. I used a sheet of the patchwork paper from the Boy collection to make a masculine Father's day and B-day card. I love the fact that all of the fun patterns are all on one sheet.


For the Father's day card all I did was cut a strip from the patchwork paper and it looks like a mixed several patterns all on my own (I love easy). I added some PTI buttons and a sentiment to finish it off. -- I know I am a procrastinator and finished my Father's day card the day we visited and didn't mail it on father's day. What can I say...I need the pressure. ha!

I still had the paper out on my desk, so I cut out the pattern squares and created a patterned paper background. I stamped and punched out stars, added a button, and that was it. Quick and easy, but it looks more time consuming. I am sure you will see this fun paper again!


Supplies:
Paper: Patterned Paper (Making Memories); Chocolate Chip, Whisper White, and Sahara Sand cardstock (SU!); Textured White Cardstock (Archiver's)
Ink: Chocolate Chip and Pumpkin Pie (SU!); Ripe Avocado and Spring Moss (PTI)
Stamps: Happy Father's Day (SU!); Stars and Sentiment (PTI)
Extras: Buttons (PTI); Star Punches (SU!);

Little Helper

My niece Ruby loves to help, especially when it comes to cooking. I made this layout using the May kit from Studio Calico. It is stuffed full of Cosmo Cricket goodness. The American Craft thickers were from my stash and matched perfectly!

The Close-Up

Supplies:

Paper: Patterned Paper (Cosmo Cricket); Sahara Sand cardstock (SU!); Butter (Studio Calico kit); Aquamist cardstock (PTI)
Ink: None
Stamps: None
Extras: large scallop border punch (EK Success); Circle and Scallop Circle punches (SU!); Thickers and Ribbon (American Crafts); Marker (Zig)

Wish Big

I picked up this super cute, star stamp set from PTI more than a month ago and have yet to play with it! I just love this set. It can be masculine (like this card), feminine, for a baby, for a grad...on a house with a mouse. I guess what I am saying is it is super-versatile. I used a sketch from the CPS blog (CPS122) for the layout. I just move the inside box to the left because I wanted to use the swirl stamp on top of the patterned paper, and the swirl looked better in that direction.

Supplies:
Paper: Patterned Paper (We R Memory Keepers); Tangerine Tango and Kraft (SU!); Solar White (Neenah)
Ink: Tangerine Tango and Basic Gray (SU!); Ocean Tides (PTI)
Stamps: Star Prints (PTI)
Extras: Ribbon (Basic Grey); Star Punches (SU!); Label Die (Quickutz)