cards for sketch challenges...

Hey there!!  The weekend is here... looks like we are going to have a wet and windy one here in my neck of the woods.   I'm popping in with a couple of cards for two sketch challenges:  Viva La Verve and Sketch for You to Try.  The Sketch for You to Try card is also for the current Color Throwdown.  First up is the Sketch for You to Try and Color Throwdown challenges.   I used the Reverse Confetti Love Blooms and Easter Blessings stamp sets (and matching dies) and the RC Cross die.  I stamped all the flowers in Stampin Up! Cameo Coral using second generation stamping and then added the outlines using the same ink without stamping it off.  The little leaves were stamped with a light green ink from Hero Arts.   The sentiment was stamped in black and then die cut with a circle die.  A mat was die cut from some matching coral cardstock.  Simple strips of black and coral cardstock were also cut.   Everything was then layered up on an white cardstock panel and the panel adhered to a light gray cardstock base.  Super simple!!

The second card is for the current Viva la Verve sketch.  Every month I vow to myself I will play along with VLV and then the month goes by and I don't get around to it.  This month I was determined and I finally made it happen!!  I used a sentiment from the Verve Brighter Blooms stamp set that I stamped in Catherine Pooler Rose Petal ink.  I die cut it with an AJVD circle die.  I matted it with some paper from the Bella Blvd Make Your Mark paper pad that I die cut with an AJVD Stitched Scallop Circle die.  I used additional papers for the main panel and strip elements in the sketch.  I adhered the strip to the panel and then wrapped the panel with white baker's twine that I tied in a bow.  I added some pink sequin trim and the little flower embellishment from the Bella Blvd Make Your Mark line.   Another super simple design!  Adding this to the Simon Says Stamp Wednesday challenge of floral frenzy.

Hope you have a wonderful day!

Supplies:  Cardstock:  white, SSS Fog, SU! Cameo Coral, PTI black; Patterned paper: Bella Blvd; Stamps:  Reverse Confetti and Verve; Dies:  Reverse Confetti and A Jillian Vance Design; Inks:  Stampin Up!, VersaFine CLAIR Nocturne, Stampin Up! Cameo Coral, Catherine Pooler Rose Petal, Hero Arts light green; Stampin Up! white baker's twine; Pink sequin trim; Bella Blvd Make Your Mark flower embellishment

cards to share...

Hey there!!  Wow... the Patriots did not win the Super Bowl!  I did not watch the Super Bowl, but found out what happened when I went on line, but given just how well the Patriots play I was surprised that they lost.  Anyway... during the time I was not watching the Super Bowl I made a couple of cards and took my antique loving child to the antique store!  First up is a card for the soon to be closing Color Throwdown and this month's Reverse Confetti Sketch for You to Try.  I  created a little swag of flowers and leaves using the Reverse Confetti Whole Lotta Thanks stamp and die set.  I can honestly say that this is the first time I have used these stamps and dies even though I have had this set for over a year!  The light blue squares were die cut using the Reverse Confetti Shakers 'n Frames die set.   The flowers and leaves in the set have an outline image and a solid image.  I stamped the line image using the lime green, yellow and dark pink inks and then did second generation stamping to stamp the solid images.  I finished off the flowers by stamping the center of the flowers with the same ink.   This was a pretty labor intensive card to make with all the die cutting that happened, as well as getting everything arranged, but I think it was worth it.

The second card is for the current Essentials by Ellen Mix it Up challenge (combine EE products with Hero Arts) and the current CAS(E) this Sketch challenge.   I recently made a trip up to Issaquah, WA where Ellen Hutson LLC is located to pick up a few things I had purchased.  One of those items was the fun EE set Snailed It.  I combined that set with a Hero Arts set I got last year called You're A Fungi.  The mushroom images are from the Snailed It set.  The sentiment and the little grass images are from the You're a Fungi set.  I stamped all the images with VersaMagic inks and then colored in the grass with a couple of green Prisma color pencils.  A little bit of ground was added using a couple of brown Prisma color pencils.  The sentiment was embossed in white on vellum, trimmed down and adhered with rolled up glue dots.  I finished with a little bit of twine.   Think I will add this to the Simon Says Stamp Wednesday challenge of anything goes.

Hope you have a wonderful day...

Supplies:  Card 1:  Cardstock:  MFT white; RC light blue; Stamps:  Reverse Confetti; Dies:  Reverse Confetti and A Jillian Vance Design; Inks:  VersaFine Onyx Black, SU! Melon Mambo, Lemon Lime Twist, Memento Dandelion

Card 2:  Cardstock:  PTI rustic white, kraft, vellum; Stamps:  Essentials Ellen and Hero Arts; Ink:  VersaMagic, VersaMark; Embossing powder:  Hero Arts white; Recollections twine

birthday tweetings...

Hello!!!  I have one more card for the current Reverse Confetti Sketch for You to Try, as well as another entry for the Simon Says Stamp Wednesday challenge of layering.   I don't have a lot of critter stamp sets, but when I saw the RC Toucan of Friendship set I just had to have it.  Love those fun little toucans.  I looked up images of toucans online and colored mine in a way similar to one of those images using Derwent watercolor pencils on Canson watercolor paper.  I still have a way to go with my coloring, but I think I'm making small improvements as I go along.  After coloring up the birds and foliage and letting them dry I die cut everything with their matching dies.  A piece of Canson watercolor paper was scribbled with a light blue ZIG marker and then blended out with water.  Once that was dry I die cut it with an AJVD circle die.  Black cardstock was die cut with the RC Tall Stripe Panel die and adhered to a white cardstock base.  Then I layered on the die cut circle, the birds and the foliage.  Finished up by embossing the sentiment in black on a piece of vellum that I trimmed down and adhered with glue dots.

Have a wonderful day!! 

Supplies:  Cardstock:  MFT white, PTI black; Stamps and dies:  Reverse Confetti; Inks:  VersaFine Onyx Black; Watercolor Medium:  Derwent watercolor pencils

cards for sketches...

Hey there!!  I have a couple of cards to share with you today.  First up is a card for the current Verve Viva la Verve sketch challenge, as well as the current Simon Says Stamp Wednesday challenge to use patterned paper.   Over Christmas I was finally able to pick up some new Verve to add to my collection.  The stamp and die set I purchased is one I have wanted for a long time... Potter's Clay.  There are so many beautiful sentiments and verses in this set it was hard to chose which one to use, but in the end it was determined by how it would fit into the sketch.   The papers I used are from the gorgeous Zella Teal line by Prima.  There is a pattern in the pad that was perfect for die cutting the jars from.  I layered the jars on a circle die cut from another paper from the pad.  After layering the pieces as you see I wrapped the panel with jute twine and tied it in a bow.  The panel was adhered and then I added the circle with the jars on it.

The second card is for the current Reverse Confetti Sketch for You to Try.  This stamp and die set was also purchased over the Christmas holidays.  This isn't a set I would normally buy, but I need to step outside my comfort zone every once in a while and the set is pretty darn cute, too!  I stamped all the images on Canson watercolor paper and then colored them with Derwent and Faber-Castell watercolor pencils and clean water.   One of my goals this year is to get better at coloring with a few different coloring mediums.  I was pretty darn pleased with how my coloring turned out and I'm looking forward to coloring more images with my pencils!!  After all the coloring was done and the pieces die cut I had to find some colors that would work well with the colors in my snow cones.  I used some patterned paper from the Reverse Confetti Very Merry paper pad (which I guess they don't have any more) along with some Reverse Confetti Mist cardstock.  After adhering the patterned paper strip I positioned the sentiment using my mini MISTI and stamped it in black ink.   The banner was die cut with the banner from the Tag Me die set then cut into two pieces so it would work with the sketch and adhered to the panel.  I put my sno cones together and then adhered them to the circle that was die cut from the Mist cardstock.   The circle was adhered and then I added some white enamel dots to finish things off.

Have a wonderful day!

Supplies:  Card #1:  Cardstock:  PTI Rustic White; Patterned paper:  Prima Zella Teal; Stamps:  Verve; Dies:  Verve and AJVD; Inks:  VerseFine Smoky Gray, VersaMagic Oasis Green; Recollections Jute twine

Card #2:  Cardstock:  PTI white, RC Mist; Patterned paper:  Reverse Confetti; Stamps:  Reverse Confetti; Dies:  Reverse Confetti and AJVD; Ink:  VersaFine Smoky Gray, Vintage Sepia, Onyx Black; enamel dots; Watercolor medium:  Derwent watercolor pencils, Faber-Castell watercolor pencils 

two wreaths...

Hey there!!  I have two cards to share today and both have wreaths on them.  First up is a card for the November Where Creativity Meets C9 challenge of Christmas.  I have had the beautiful C9 Magnolia Wreath stamp and die set for about a month and have been dying to make something with it and the new challenge was perfect chance.  Since this was my first time using the set I kept things pretty simple to get a feel for how the images work together.  I used Memento Pistachio and Stampin Up! Always Artichoke inks for the wreath and then added in the berries with SU!'s Real Red.  The banner was also stamped in Real Red and then trimmed out.  The wreath was die cut with the matching die.  I stamped the pine border from the C9 Seasonal Borders stamp set in kraft on the bottom of my kraft cardstock base for a subtle tone on tone look.  The red cardstock panel was partially embossed with SU!'s Decorative Dots embossing folder and then I added the wreath and banner.   Can't wait to use this stamp set again!

Card number two is for the current Inspired by All the Little Things, as well as the November Sketch for You to Try.  I got seriously sparkly with this card, lol!!  I'm also going to add this to the current Simon Says Stamp Wednesday challenge of snow white.  Lots of RC die cuts used on this one.  I managed to incorporate the tree portions of the Inspired by All the Little Things inspiration photo by using a piece of patterned paper from the RC Very Merry paper pad.   I die cut the RC wreath from silver glitter cardstock and then used two of the little dies that come with the wreath to die cut the little white pine branches.  Once those were adhered I added "berries" using the Pretty Pink Posh Sparkling Clear Confetti mix.  I layered up the glitter cardstock, vellum strip and the white tag then added the wreath.  The sentiment from the RC Tinsel 'n Trim stamp set was embossed in white on a banner that was die cut with the banner from the RC Tag Me die set.  Finished by adding a bit of white twine.

Hope you have a wonderful day!!  We are having some crazy wild weather today... super strong winds... not my favorite!

Supplies:  Card #1:  Cardstock:  PTI kraft, SU! Real Red; white; Stamps and dies:  Concord & 9th; Inks:  SU! Crumb Cake, Real Red, Always Artichoke, Memento Pistachio; SU! embossing folder

Card #2:  Cardstock: MFT white, MFT silver glitter, PTI vellum; Patterned paper:  Reverse Confetti; Stamps and dies:  Reverse Confetti; Ink:  VersaMark; Embossing powder: Hero Arts; Pretty Pink Posh Sparkling Clear Confetti mix

three ornaments...

Hello!!!  Popping in with a card for the current Merry Monday Christmas challenge, as well as for the  Reverse Confetti October Sketch for You to Try.  The Merry Monday challenge is to use ornaments on your card.   I decided to go with a traditional red and green color scheme with a little silver sparkle thrown in for good measure.  The stamps and dies are from Reverse Confetti... Vintage Ornaments set.  Originally I only had two ornaments... one is red and one in green, but as I put the card together things just didn't look right so I stamped and cut another red ornament.  I used Stampin Up!'s Emerald Envy and Cherry Cobbler inks along with the matching cardstock.  I embossed both pieces with a SU! birch tree embossing folder.  The RC Pretty Panels garland die was cut from white cardstock three times and adhered together.  The little banner is also from Reverse Confetti and cut from silver glitter cardstock as well as the ornament tops.

Have a wonderful day!!

Supplies:  Cardstock:  PTI white, SU!; Stamps and dies:  Reverse Confetti; Inks:  Stampin Up!; Glitter paper:  MFT; Embossing folder:  Stampin Up!

guesting at color throwdown!!!

Hello!!! So happy to stop in to let you know that I'm guesting today at Color Throwdown... YAY!!  Love Color Throwdown and pumpkins!!  This week's colors are inspired by a photo of a basket full of beautiful pumpkins!!!   I used the October Reverse Confetti Sketch for You to Try to put my card together.  I pulled patterned papers from a couple of different places (Stampin Up! and My Favorite Things).  I was going to use a pumpkin on my card, but then I saw my never been used Reverse Confetti Thankful Pretty Panels die and decided to use that instead.  I die cut it twice from the orange gingham paper and the black cardstock and then inlaid the patterned paper into the black die cut.  Love the contrast I created!!  Cut some patterned paper and a panel of white cardstock and adhered to a taupe cardstock base.  I layered the orange paper and the black cardstock together, adhered and then added the pretty panel.  Super simple, but I really like it!  Going to add this to Simon Says Stamp's world card making day gallery, too.

Have a wonderful day... hope you play along with Color Throwdown!!

Supplies:  Cardstock:  Stampin Up! (taupe), black (PTI); Patterned paper:  taupe (Stampin Up!), orange gingham (MFT); Dies:  Reverse Confetti

cards to share...

Hello!!   Stopping in with a couple of cards for several challenges two which close very soon.  First up is a card for the current Altenew challenge.  I have never played along with their challenges, but  recently decided that I needed to so that my little collection of Altenew stamps and dies gets used.  When I saw the challenge inspiration photo I had an idea that I wanted to give a try and I am pleased to say that my card turned out almost exactly as I thought it would.  It was also nice that my idea dovetailed rather nicely with the current sketch from Freshly Made Sketches.  Since the current Simon Says Stamp Wednesday challenge is anything goes I will post it there, as well.   After I finished my card I realized that I mostly pulled out the blues from the inspiration photo so hopefully that is okay.  I stamped the roses and butterfly from the Bamboo Roses stamp set on watercolor paper with watermark ink and then heat embossed with white embossing powder.  Once that was done I watercolored everything with Kuretake Gansai Tambi watercolors.  When they were dry I trimmed them out (I don't own the dies).  I used the large half-tone hello image to sort of mimic the background.  Once all the bits and pieces were done I watercolored a panel with a light blue and let it dry.   The panel was then trimmed down and then everything layered up.  I finished with the birthday girl sentiment embossed in white on vellum.

The second card is for the current Reverse Confetti Sketch for You to Try, as well as the current Color Throwdown.  I pulled out two Reverse Confetti set (My Heart Trusts and Whole Lotta Thanks) to create my card.  I stamped the flowers and leaves from Whole Lotta Thanks and die cut with the matching dies.  The sentiment was stamped on aqua cardstock and die cut with an AJVD circle die.  The tag and layer are from Reverse Confetti.  The tag was die cut from woodgrain cardstock and the layer from orange.  I found some green patterned paper that matched the mossy green ink I used and cut a piece to fit my cardstock based.  After layering up everything on the tag I adhered it to my card base and then added a little bit of rust colored ribbon.

Hope you have a wonderful day...

Supplies:  Card 1:  Cardstock:  SSS fog, Ranger watercolor paper, PTI vellum; Stamps and dies:  Altenew; Ink:  Watermark, Embossing powder:  Hero Arts; Watercolor medium:  Kuretake Gansai Tambi

Card 2:  Cardstock:  PTI white; Patterned paper:  Stampin Up!; Stamps: Reverse Confetti; Dies:  Reverse Confetti, AJVD; Inks:  SU! Real Rust, Pumpkin Pie, Always Artichoke, Coastal Cabana, VersaFine Onyx Black; Ribbon:  Ellen Hutson 

grateful... thankful...blessed...

Hey!!  Have a fall inspired card to share today that is another entry for the current Reverse Confetti Sketch for You to Try challenge.  This time I used the RC Pumpkin Patch stamp set and the matching dies.  The patterned paper is more of the Webster's Pages pack that I have been trying to use up.  I also used the RC Topped Off Tag die set.  I decided to cover the card front with some of the paper and then added the strip of polka dot paper.  After die cutting the tag from the woodgrain paper and the topper portion from some dark brown woodgrain paper.  The images were stamped, die cut and then adhered to the tag as shown.  Adhered the tag and then added the bow tied from some white baker's twine.  I'm also going to add this to the current Time Out challenge of Autumn with a twist.  The twist being making the card in 10 minutes or less.  I can tell you for certain that it took a lot longer than 10 minutes to make this card!!

Hope you have a wonderful day!

Supplies:  Cardstock:  white; Stamps and dies:  Reverse Confetti; Inks:  Stampin Up! and VersaFine; SU! baker's twine; Patterned paper:  Webster's Pages

two cards... two sketches...

Hey there!!  Stopping in with two cards for two sketch challenges.  Recently Julee started the Viva la Verve challenges back up and I could not be happier!!  I have missed playing along as often as I could using my yummy Verve stamps!!  My first card is for that challenge.   I'm still on a mission to use up my patterned paper and today I made a little dent in the collection... YAY!  I used lots of paper on this card and I love how it turned out!!  The stamp set I used is the Verve Kindness Matters set.  The matching dies were used to die cut the flowers after I had stamped them on the patterned paper using dark blue ink.  The same ink was used for the sentiment.   The background panel was created by layering all the paper together and then die cutting them.  Because the bottom portion was rather thick I did have to die cut that a second time.  I layered on the sentiment panel and then added the flower.  To give the flower a bit more dimension I cut into the petal of the top flower, shaped the a little and then adhered it with a foam dimensional.  After the flower was adhered I die cut the little sprigs and adhered them.  I added a large drop of Nuvo Glitter Drops to the center of the flower.  Everything was adhered to a teal cardstock base.   Since there is still lots of time to play along at Viva La Verve I think I'm going to be making another card!

The second card is for the current Reverse Confetti Sketch for You to Try.  This is the first time in a very long time that I have actually gotten my card for the challenge done this early... YAY!!  I may even find the time to make another card!  I used and oldie, but goodie Reverse Confetti set called Fresh 'n Fruity.  I kept this one simple and used just one piece of patterned paper from a pack of papers from Webster's Pages.  I stamped the oranges in two shades of orange ink using both orange stamps from the set.   Stamped the leaves and then die cut everything with the matching dies.  The sentiment was stamped on the banner that was cut using the banner die from the RC Tag Me die set.  After adhering the patterned paper I arranged how I wanted everything to be and then stamped the bottom sentiment.   Adhered everything, added the orange enamel dots and I was done.  Love the clean look of this one!   And since I got my card done so early in the month just like with Viva La Verve I may make another one!!

Have a wonderful day...
Supplies:  Cardstock:  PTI white, MFT Tropical Teal; Patterned Paper:  My Mind's Eye Kate & Co, Webster's Pages Family Traditions; Stamps:  Reverse Confetti, Verve; Dies:  Reverse Confetti, Verve and A Jillian Vance Design; Ink:  Stampin Up! Night of Navy, Pumpkin Pie, Memento Tangelo, MFT Green Apple; Enamel Dots:  My Mind's Eye; Nuvo Glitter Drops

cards to share...

Hello!!  Stopping in with two cards to share.  First up is a card for the soon to be closing July Reverse Confetti Sketch for You to Try and Color Throwdown.   Every month I think I will get my card for the RC sketch challenge done early and then every month the same thing happens... I get it done days before the challenge closes!  Maybe one of these days I will get it done early, lol.  I used the super sweet RC Love Blooms stamp set and the matching dies along with the RC Topped Off Tag Confetti Cuts.  I stamped the outline flowers with the yellow and raspberry pink inks and then did second generation stamping for the solid portions.  Once that was done I stamped the leaves and die cut everything.  Strips of cardstock in the same colors were cut, adhered to a white cardstock panel and the die cut with a rectangle die.  Die cut the tag from white, the top part from yellow cardstock and then adhered together.  I stamped the sentiment and then adhered the flowers and leaves.  Layered everything up and I was done.

Next is a card for the current Freshly Made Sketches challenge and the Simon Says Stamp Wednesday challenge of anything goes.  I used some of my favorite A Jillian Vance Design dies to create the diagonal portion of the sketch.  The dies I used are the Leafy Vine die, the Daisy die and the Wildflowers die.  Trying to use up more of the patterned paper I have so I used some older papers from My Mind's Eye.  I used the two smallest flowers in each die set to create my flowers.  The vine was die cut twice from different papers, the bottom one cut into two pieces and then adhered to the panel that was die cut from more of the patterned paper.  I layered over the intact vine and then added the flowers.  I really like how the two different flowers look layered together and played on top of the vines.  The sentiment is from the AJVD Darkest Night stamp set and was stamped in dark blue ink.

Have a wonderful day!

Supplies:  Cardstock:  PTI white, MFT yellow, green and dark pink, SSS fog; Patterned paper:  My Mind's Eye; Stamps:  Reverse Confetti and A Jillian Vance Design; Dies:  Reverse Confetti and A Jillian Vance Design; Ink:  Stampin Up! Night of Navy, Gumball Green, MFT Ripe Raspberry, Daffodil, Memento Dandelion, VersaFine Onyx Black

you're swell...

Hey!!  Summer is here, the boys are out of school and that means spending time with them is a priority, but  I did get a bit of crafty time and made a card for a couple of challenges.   Recently got some happy mail from Reverse Confetti and used my new things to create my card for their June Sketch for You to Try.  I'm going to add this to the current Simon Says Stamp Wednesday challenge to use patterned paper, as well.  I cut the Reverse Confetti quick card panel into three pieces and adhered to a white cardstock panel.  The tag (from Reverse Confetti) was die cut from white cardstock and the overlay (another RC die) was cut from another RC quick card then the two where adhered together.  I used another quick card to die cut the circle.  The whale was stamped and die cut with the matching die.  Finished up by stamping the sentiment, die cutting with the matching die and then layering everything up.  A twine bow finished everything off.

Have a wonderful day!!

Supplies:  Cardstock:  white and aqua; Stamps:  Reverse Confetti; Dies:  Reverse Confetti and A Jillian Vance Design; Inks:  Hero Arts and VersaFine; Twine:  Stampin Up!

for a special teacher

Hello everyone!!  Popping in with a card for the current Reverse Confetti Sketch For You To Try as well as the current Essentials by Ellen Mix It Up challenge because this month's challenge is to mix Reverse Confetti with Essentials by Ellen.  This week has been teacher appreciation and so I used the RC sketch to create a card for my son's teacher.  I used the RC stamp set All Apples as well as the matching dies.   Two apples were die cut from a RC quick card panel as were the leaves and stems.  The apple with the sentiment "for a special teacher" was stamped with a matching red ink and then die cut with the apple die.  Another quick card panel was trimmed down for the bottom of the card and then I added the red/white baker's twine.  I added the apples and I was finished with the front of the card.  For the inside I stamped a trimmed down piece of white cardstock with "thank you" from the Essentials by Ellen Fancy Thanks stamp set and the little heart.  A strip of the same black gingham paper was added to the bottom and then the piece was adhered to finish off the card.  I hope my son's teacher likes it!  I think I will also add this to the current Simon Says Stamp Monday challenge of the great outdoors.

Have a wonderful day...

Supplies:  Cardstock:  white, Reverse Confetti quick card panels; Stamps:  Reverse Confetti and Essentials by Ellen; Dies:  Reverse Confetti; Ink:  Stampin Up! Real Red; red/white baker's twine