you're sweet...

Hey friends!!   Popping in with a quick share of a card that I made for several challenges:  ColourQ and Less is More (fruit).  Today was a super foggy/soggy day here in the lower Puget Sound.  Perfect day to stay inside and do some crafting.  I haven't played along with ColourQ  or Less is More in ages and so I wanted to try to make something for both challenges.  When I saw that the new Less is More challenge was fruit I decided to combine the two.   Pulled out one of the only fruit stamp sets I own my Concord & 9th Pop Art Pineapples.   I die cut the pineapples with the matching dies and stamped the pieces using Hello, Honey and Crumb Cake.  I don't think Hello, Honey is a very nice yellow (still not sure why I bought it!), but used with the pineapple image that I chose I think it looks okay. The sentiment was stamped in Early Espresso on the center pineapple.  I had originally watercolored a panel using Really Rust, but didn't like how it turned out and since I'm running out of time to join up with ColourQ decided to use the brushstroke image from the Concord & 9th Painted Thank You.  Stamped that three times and then layered the pineapples on top.  Added some Diamond Stickles randomly to the pineapples, but it doesn't show up that well.   Do like how it turned out, though... guess that is what counts, right?

Thanks for stopping by today...

Supplies:  Cardstock:  PTI kraft, rustic white, Recollections white; Stamps:  Concord & 9th; Dies:  Concord & 9th, A Jillian Vance Design; Inks:  Stampin Up!; Diamond Stickles

merry...

Hey friends!!!   Did any of you venture out on "black Friday" to pick up some good deals???  Not me!!  But hubby did go and a picked us up a swell new computer.  However, I'm still using the old one because said swell new computer doesn't have all the things on it I need to blog and such.  So until that happens I'm happy to use the old one.  Anyway... I have a card to share for a few challenges.  I started it yesterday (in between taking the boys to my in-laws and setting up my new Christmas tree!) and finished it this morning.  I'm posting it to Freshly Made Sketches, Color Throwdown, the new Time Out challenge, Simon Says Stamp Wednesday challenge of anything goes and AAA Card challenges:  anything goes.  The Time Out challenge is based on the phrase Snowflakes are Winter's Butterflies and for a short time I thought I would actually put some butterflies on the card, but in the end decided not to add them.  A bit tricky figuring out how to use the brown, blue and orange color combo from Color Throwdown, but I really think I was able to make it work.  Watercolored the background with some SU! Pumpkin Pie ink and then let it dry.  The snowflake was die cut from polka dot vellum and silver mirror cardstock using a Penny Black snowflake die.  After adhering them all together I added a brown sequin to the center.  The banner was die cut  from brown cardstock using a Reverse Confetti die and the merry (die cut from blue cardstock) comes from the Simon Says Stamp Merry & Bright die set.   The panel was die cut and then everything adhered in place.  A few sequins in brown, blue and orange were added and I was done. 

Thanks for stopping by today....

Supplies:  Cardstock:  SSS fog, Ranger watercolor paper, PTI spring rain, Bazzill brown; Dies:  Simon Says Stamp, Penny Black, Reverse Confetti and A Jillian Vance Design; Sequins:  Pretty Pink Posh and Verve; Ink:  Stampin Up!

November PTI Blog Hop!

Hey friends!!  Wow... time for another PTI blog hop!! That means that November is almost over and Christmas will soon be here... YIKES!!   Nichole gave us a beautiful inspiration photo to work with for this hop.  I had to do a bit of "outside the box" thinking for this one.  I don't own many PTI Christmas stamps and the ones that I do are all rather old and not well suited for the current challenge.  I had thought about using the Twig Wreath set, but when I started to figure out a design the other day it just wasn't working.  Then I had a stroke of inspiration last night... use my never been used Brushed Off stamp set!  So, this morning I got out Brushed Off and came up with this little card.  I used the second generation stamping technique to create my ornaments.  I stamped the smaller circle image and then turned the stamp around and then stamped again.  I like that the second stamping is very light and just gives the hint of a round ornament.  After all the ornaments were stamped I then overstamped them with VersaMark watermark ink, applied Judikins Iridescent Sparkle embossing powder.   To finish things off I added the ornament strings and the bows using DMC silver metallic and little silver sequins.  The sentiment is from the PTI set Winterberry.  I am so very pleased with how this turned out and may just have to make a few more in different color schemes to send out this year!   I also going to add this to the new to me challenge Can You Case It.  This week it is a sketch challenge and I think this card fits the sketch fairly well.  Adding this to the new Simon Says Stamp Wednesday challenge of anything goes.

Thanks for stopping by today...
 

Wednesday with A Jillian Vance Design...

Hey friends... popping to let you now that I have a card up on the A Jillian Vance Design blog today.  Here is a little peek of my card:

 

Thanks for stopping by today... I hope you will take the time to head over to the AJVD blog, check out my card and leave some love!

 

Guest Designing for Merry Monday!!

Hey friends!!  I'm so excited to be the guest designer for Merry Monday Christmas challenge!!  The challenge hostess this week is Lesley and her theme is blue and white with texture.  I used the current sketch from Freshly Made Sketches and so I will be squeaking this one in just under the wire.  I started by stamping the smaller poinsettia image from the Essentials by Ellen Mondo Poinsettia set in VersaMark watermark ink on some Ranger watercolor paper.  I had to stamp each flower, apply the white embossing powder and then stamp the next flower to make sure that I didn't overlap any of the flowers.  Once I had heat set the piece I taped it to my little cutting board, spritzed it with water and then watercolored it using Stampin Up! Midnight Muse ink.  I love how the variation in depth of color that you get from watercoloring an image.  Once the piece was dry I die cut it using an AJVD Polka Dot Rectangle Backdrop die.  The large white panel was also die cut using a Polka Dot Rectangle Backdrop die.  The word is from the Essentials by Ellen Brushstroke Christmas set and was stamped in Midnight Muse.  I added some Stardust Stickles to the center of the flowers.   There is some textured to be found in the watercolored piece, but I added a bit more by embossing the strip of Midnight Muse cardstock that is layered behind my watercolored panel.   I'm also adding this to the current Essentials By Ellen Pin-sights challenge.  My focus is obviously on the dark blue color in the palette.

 

 

Thanks for stopping by today and thanks to the Merry Monday gals for having me as the guest designer today...make sure you check out their fabulous samples!

 

Supplies:  Cardstock:  Stampin Up! Midnight Muse; white; Ranger watercolor; Stamps:   Essentials by Ellen; Dies:  A Jillian Vance Design; Ink:  Stampin Up! Midnight Muse, VersaMark watermark ink; Embossing powder:  Filigree white; Stardust Stickles

 

 

two cards... two sketches...

{if you want to check out my 25 Days of Christmas Tags post, scroll down or click here.}

Hey friends... dropping in with my second post today.  Have a couple of cards to share that I made for two different sketch challenges:  Reverse Confetti November Sketch for You to Try and Viva La Verve November sketch week 3.  I'm also going to post the Reverse Confetti card to the current Addicted to CAS challenge of dimension and the current AAA Cards challenge of anything goes. For the Reverse Confetti card I watercolored a background using some Stampin Up! Baja Breeze ink.  Once it was dry I die cut the panel and then started adding my elements.  The sentiment is from the RC set Seasonal Sentiments and the snowflake was cut using the Let It Snow Confetti Cuts set.  The little banner was cut using the Tag Me Confetti Cuts set and the other little pieces come from the Class Act Confetti Cuts set.  The snowflake and banner were cut from Heidi Swapp glitter cardstock and the other pieces from Lawn Fawn's Let's Bokeh in the Snow 6x6 pad.  I added some embossing to the sentiment panel before adhering all the pieces.  A little light blue button was tied up with the silver metallic thread and adhered to the snowflake.  I pretty please with how this one turned out.

 

The second card is for the Viva La Verve sketch challenge.  I pulled out my Teresa Collins Hello My Name is 6x6 pad and pulled some paper from it using a red, kraft and grey color combo.  The little latte cup is from the Verve set Holiday Treats.  I stamped it randomly on the paper using red, grey and kraft inks the die cut it using with a rectangle die.  The red/kraft polka dot paper and the kraft cardstock were also die cut and then layered together.  A strip of grey chevron paper was added and then some red and kraft bakers twine were tied around the piece.  I cut a small piece of kraft cardstock, stamped it with the sentiment and then adhered it to the card.  I thought about die cutting a couple of little latte cups to add to the card, but decided to keep things simple and I must say that I 'm glad that I did because, again, I'm pretty darn pleased with how it turned out.

 



Thanks for stopping by today and thank you to those who take the time to leave me a comment... I really appreciate it!

Supplies:  Cardstock:  Simon Says Stamp sea glass; SU! smoky slate; PTI kraft; Ranger Water color; Heidi Swapp glitter cardstock; Stamps:  Verve, Reverse Confetti; Dies;  Reverse Confetti, A Jillian Vance Design; Inks: Stampin Up! red, grey, kraft and blue; Memento Tuxedo Black; Baker's Twine; DMC silver metallic thread; PTI button; Patterned paper:  Teresa Collins, Lawn Fawn