Trio of Patriotic Cards

For my first card I used this fun sketch from The Deconstructed Sketch #49:

Go here to see what others have done with this sketch: http://deconstructingjen.com/archives/5846

Here is how I used the sketch:

 I used the star embossing folder and misted it with Gold Perfect Pearls instead of the Pearl Perfect Pearls. I've had this corrugated cardboard forever and thought it would add some fun texture. After trimming the ends of the cardboard I inked it with Fired Brick distress ink then layered the rest of the shapes on top. The top mat is die cut from a Spellbinders die and added the gold pearls. The stars are leftover from a project I did a long time ago and were the perfect size.

 For the sentiment I used the light blue cardstock and used Watermark VersaMark ink with white embossing powder.

Up next is a card I made from sketch#FTL188 found at Clean and Simple Stamping: http://cleanandsimplestamping.blogspot.com/2012/04/188.html Visit them to see many inspiring projects using this cute sketch.

Here is the sketch:

Cute isn't it?

Now here is the card I created with the sketch:

 I am pleased with how this card turned out. It might have to do with the fact it has a bit of glitter. I again used the star embossing folder and gold Perfect Pearls. Stamped the image with Memento Tuxedo ink then I colored it with Red and Clear Glaze Pens.

 Can you see how the glaze pens add shine in the photo? They also add just a hint of dimension without the bulk. So fun and easy to use.

 Again I used Watermark VersaMark ink to stamp the sentiment then used white embossing powder.

For my third and final card of the day I used this simple sketch #263 from CPS:

 See how the sketch was used by visiting here: 

http://cardpositioningsystems.blogspot.com/  This week CPS is being sponsored by Skipping Stones.

Here is what I created using the sketch:

 Once again I embossed the white cardstock with the Cuttlebug star embossing folder but this time I wanted a distressed look so I used the blending tool with Fired Brick distress ink and lightly ran it across the top of the embossed paper. Then I did the same thing with Vintage Photo. I used a distress tool on the edges and then inked the edges with Vintage Photo.

 I stamped the image on white cardstock and colored it with Glaze pens. I inked it with Fired Brick and Vintage Photo Distress ink to age it. Then I was in a dilemma. I needed to do something with the two end pieces. They were just sitting there blank. I couldn't think of a thing to do that would look right. I wanted to emboss them but I thought they would look out of place with out the middle block embossed too but I had already adhered the stamped image to the navy cardstock. Finally I decided just to go ahead and emboss all three pieces and hope that the ink from the Glaze pen would not crack when it was embossed.

 The ink held up and the image looks really cool embossed. Problem solved! I just rounded the outside corners and was done. I left off any sentiment that way it can be used just as a note card or even for someone whose birthday falls on July 4th.

I am only about two cards short of having 20 patriotic cards to send to From Our Hearts for our troops overseas. I can't believe I have made so many different using pretty much the same supplies and the same colors of cardstock. Although I must admit I am getting a little tired of red, white and blue ;). Thanks to all the great sketches I have used each card is unique and kept my mojo going.

Have a great week!

Teresa

Butterflies and Stars

This first card is inspired from this sketch FTL187 from Clean and Simple Stamping:

Here is the link if you would like to join in the fun and see what others have created: http://cleanandsimplestamping.blogspot.com/2012/04/ftl187-just-note.html

 I am disappointed in how the card turned out. I worked hard and long on it and thought about scrapping it altogether but after all the time I had put into it I felt I needed to keep the card.  After all just because I don't like it someone else might really like it. I think it is the gingham paper that just isn't working. And the stars I made didn't turn out quite like I thought they would. I had to turn the sketch so I could fit in the stars. I added a white star gemstone to the center of the big star. That seemed to help a bit.

And instead of a straight end of the gingham paper I cut it into a ribbon on the bottom and I embossed the sentiment with white embossing powder. The stars are die cut and embossed with Spellbinder dies out of watercolor paper and I used three different blue distress inks and three different red distress inks. I used the direct to paper method of inking them then spritzed them with Perfect Pearls to blend the colors. I had enough stars left to make two more cards.

For my second card I used this color blocked sketch from I Spy Sketch Challenge:

And oh boy you should see the cute cards the Secret Agents created! Here is the link: http://ispysketches.blogspot.com/2012/04/issc13-with-dawn-mercedes.html

Now for my card:

 This is my favorite of the three cards! There for a while I thought I had lost my mojo and almost gave up after the first card. I am also entering this card in the Tuesday Trigger Challenge over at the Moxie Fab World where every Tuesday Cath puts up an image to inspire us. This was a two weeker thank goodness as I didn't get around to making something for it last week. Here is the image:

Look at all those beautiful water color butterflies! Check out the Tuesday Trigger yourself here: http://www.moxiefabworld.com/2012/04/tueday-trigger-watercolor-butterflies.html 

Instead of butterflies I went with stars since I have been working on Patriotic cards. I used a different embossed cardstock for each of the color blocks. The white cardstock was already embossed and is from DCWV. The other two are embossed with Cuttlebug embossing folders.



This time I layered the three stars together and put a clear gemstone star on the top. It took me a while to figure out where to put the star. I finally decided to turn the sketch on its side and add the two rows of scalloped borders and wrapped a ribbon around the the whole thing.







I stamped the sentiment with Memento Tuxedo Black ink on red cs and matted that with a scrap leftover from the white embossed paper. I decided the layered star looked better on the border instead of in one of the blocks and put the sentiment under the star in the navy block.

For my third and final card for this week I used sketch #48 from The Deconstructed Sketch:

I thought this was a unique sketch and here is my take on it:

 I had one lonely blue star left to use! I stayed pretty true to the sketch. I just added a punched star border and after I was done with the card I kept thinking it just didn't look quite right so I got out my trusty corner rounder that seems to be just the thing to fix things like this. And once again it did the trick.

 I used  three rows of Michael's Craft Tape and after I stamped the word happy I thought it needed a little bit more of a punch so I got out a black Glaze pen and went over it. You can see how it now

has a shine to it as well as just a bit of dimension. Those Glaze pens are my new found must have craft item. I think I need more colors now that I have used them a bit.

Hope you play along with some of these sketches and challenges.

Have a wonderful weekend everyone!

 

More Sketches, More Cards

This will be a quick post so up first is the sketch from Skipping Stones Design that is from Dina Kowal.:

I followed the sketch pretty much the way it was.

 Stamps are dollar stamps and I used white embossing powder on the ribbon image. I used Memento ink for the sentiment and three gold gemstone stars. I also did pen stitching with a gold pen.

I inked the edges of the card with Faded Jeans distress ink. All cardstock is Creative Memories as well as the star punch I used on the border.

Next is the sketch from Freshly Made:

It is an easy sketch to use and here is what I came up with:

 Again I used the Star embossing folder from Cuttlebug and sprayed it with Perfect Pearls. I matted it with a light blue and added three small pearls to the center of the stars. (I originally had four and didn't like how it looked so I removed one after I took the photo.)

 I die cut two stars and layered them together and stamped the sentiment with Watermark VersaMark ink and used white embossing powder.

I tried to show the shimmer of the Perfect Pearls but it is so hard to catch with the camera.

Next and final sketch I used is from Unscripted Sketches which is a new blog that I ran across this week:

Another easy and fun sketch. Here is my card:

 Loved this sketch and how card turned out. I used Hero Art stamps. To get the glitter strips I used double sided tape in varying widths and rubbed Martha Stewart glitter over it.

 Love the look of the glitter but hate the mess it makes :) The rest  was simple. Just die cut the white star and stamped the flag and sentiment.

I had stamped the 4th of July on the star but messed up. So instead of cutting and stamping another star I just found a scrap of red cs and stamped the sentiment on that and put it over the mistake. Sometimes mistakes are good.

Gotta run. Have a great day!



Three Sketches, Three Cards

I hope everyone isn't getting bored by all the patriotic cards. I think I have about exhausted all of my patriotic stamps but they either have never been used or it has been a long time since they were last used so it feels good to bring them out and use them on cards for a good cause.
In case this is your first visit to  my blog I  am making 4th of July cards for a nonprofit organization called From Our Hearts. They send cards to our troops overseas that they get from card makers all over the US.
So onto my first card. I used a sketch from I Spy Sketch Challenge #12 which was taken from a cute card by Melyssa Connoly. Here is where you can find her card: http://ispysketches.blogspot.com/2012/04/issc12-with-melyssa-connolly.html and here is the sketch:

Here is how I used the sketch:

 I made a few changes to the sketch. First I turned it. I  also trimmed the end of the three strips of paper into banners instead of leaving them straight. I also ran a piece of Craft tape down the middle of each strip.
I embossed the background with the star embossing folder which I seem to have used on almost all of  my patriotic cards. I love how gorgeous it turns out every time. I also inked the edges of the card with Fired Brick Distress ink.
Another change was instead of a circle I used a white star embossed shape and layered another star made out of pp on top.

I also flipped the rectangle shape which I embossed and inked the edges with Fired Brick Distress ink. For the sentiment I used Creative Memories stickers and added a row of gold pearls. I also added smaller gold pearls to the center of three of the embossed stars in the background.

Moving onto the next card:

I used the sketch from CPS#262 and here is the sketch:

Go to their blog for inspiration from their design team:

http://cardpositioningsystems.blogspot.com/2012/04/cps-262-part-1.html Oh and by the way this week is being sponsored by My Favorite Things.

Here is what I came up using their sketch:

I stayed true to the sketch except I added the sentiment on a banner. I used an eagle stamp as my image which I stamped on kraft cs inked with black ink. I inked the edge of the embossed circle as well as the banner with Fired Brick distress ink. I thought the an eagle was the perfect image to represent America and freedom.

I again added gold pearls to the center of three of the embossed stars.

And now for my third and final card of the day I used the sketch from Sweet Sunday Sketch Challenge #157:

You should visit Karen's blog and see the cute card she made with this sketch and while your there you should browse her blog as she makes many wonderful cards.

Now here is my last card for this blog post:

 I had fun with this sketch. I used the same start embossing folder for the background and some red gingham pp and navy cs for the banners.  I stamped the fireworks image onto more of the navy cs with watermark ink and heat embossed it with white embossing powder then used a CM circle punch. The white paper is Neenah White Solar and I stamped it with three different stamps for my sentiment in black ink and adhered it to my card base.

 I used an adhesive star gemstone for the big star, colored in the open star with a red Glaze pen and used a clear Glaze pen on the black star.

I have been having so much fun using sketches for my cards. I hope you join in too!

Have a great week.