Hi There!

For my card today I used a sketch from I Spy Sketch Challenge:

Here is Brenda Orso's card from which the sketch was taken from:

What I love about this sketch is how everything centers around the stamped image and has lots of white space, which is the makings of a simple card that has big impact.
Here is what I created with the sketch:

The card base from DCWV, The Linen Closet. I used Neeah Solar White paper to stamp the image on with Versamark WaterMark ink and heat embossed using black sparkle embossing powder. The solid CS is also from The Linen Closet Matstack and is die cut and embossed with a rectangle die from Spellbinders. The image with colored watercolor pencils.

 After I adhered the stamped image to the CS I then wrapped the tan fuzzy thread around the bottom of the image and tied on a button with brown floss.

 The three glitter strips are made from rows of double sided tape and sprinkled with turquoise and Brownstone Martha Stewart glitter after removing the backing from the tape.

The sentiment "Hi There!" Was stamped in black Memento ink. And that is my card for today!

So glad to have you drop by, leaving sweet comments and/or become a follower.
Have a great day!
Teresa

Gingham and a Sketch

I'm taking on the Gingham Challenge over at Moxie Fab World: http://www.moxiefabworld.com/2012/05/card-creations-week-gingham-challenge.html and used this sketch at Skipping Stones Design:

The sketch is from Heidi Van Laar and really makes a sweet card. Now for the Gingham Challenge we are to use gingham in an innovative way. Now I don't know if I used gingham in an innovative way but here is my card:

 I wanted to use a color scheme that I have never used before and decided to go with dark gray, light blue and yellow. The gray cardstock is embossed with Swiss Dots EF. The gingham is ribbon that I've had forever. The white heart scalloped border is a punch from Martha Stewart. I layered a narrow strip of light yellow cardstock on top of the ribbon and trimmed the one end into a v shape. I thought it needed a little something more so I took a silver pen and did pen stitching around it.

 The flower and leaf stamp is from Papertrey Ink and I used Faded Jeans and Peeled Paint Distress inks. I layered the flowers by using 1/4" foam adhesive and used a light yellow pearl in the flower's center.

 The sentiment I stamped on yellow cs with silver ink and embossed with silver embossing powder which I haven't used in such a long time.

I really like using gray instead of black or brown for a neutral color. I think it helped to soften the card.

Thanks for stopping by. It's hump day so the weekend isn't far away.

Teresa

Aged To Perfection

Just a quick post today. I just made this card this morning and I need to get it in the mail soon.

The sketch challenge I used on this card is from Skipping Stones Designs http://skippingstonesdesign.com/may-designers-and-a-new-sketch-challenge-126

And here is the fun card I came up with:

 The corner punch is from Creative Memories. I was looking for something masculine as the card is for a man and thought the squares were just the right touch. I wasn't going to use a border but it just didn't look right without a border punch so I used the scallop which to me isn't manly but I had to go with it.

 Paper pieced the wine bottle and stamped the wine glasses on vellum with black Staz On ink.

I love how the bottle and glasses turned out. On the inside of the card it says "Aged to Perfection"
On the front of the envelope I stamped a bunch of grapes that also came with the stamp set.
Well Gotta  run and get this and my Mother's Day cards in the mail.
Have a great day!
Teresa

Thanks

For today's card I used a this sketch challenge from Clean and Simple:

Here is my card:

This is my second try at this card. The first attempt didn't go quite the way I wanted it to go so I started over and was happy with the outcome. I started with the yellow CM pattern paper and embossed it with a Cuttlebug folder. After I embossed it I took an inking tool and inked it with Vintage Photo distress ink. Then lightly rubbed it over the embossed paper and inked the edges to.

 The stamped image is another dollar stamp and stamped it with Memento Tuxedo ink onto Neenah Solar White and used Watercolor pencils to color the image. I also inked the white paper with Antique Linen distress ink to age it and I also inked the edges with Vintage Photo ink.

For the finishing touches I stamped the PTI sentiment "Thanks "onto kraft cardstock with VersaMark ink and embossed with gold embossing powder and used an EK Success punch then inked the edges with Vintage Photo distress ink.

I also embossed the flap of the envelope and stamped the front of envelope with part of the image I used on the card.

Well that's it for now . I hope you all enjoyed your weekend.
Teresa

You Are A Special Friend

For today's card I used a sketch from Unscripted Sketches:

http://unscriptedsketches.com/2012/04/unscripted-sketches-156/  They just posted a new sketch so go on over and check it out and play along.

Here is how I interpeted Sketch #156:

 There is a sad little story about the stamp I used but it has a happy ending. I believe it was my Aunt who gave me this sweet little boy stamp years ago and I really loved him but I couldn't think of a single way to use him. Of course I had not been stamping long and had few stamps which could have been part of the reason for my lack of inspiration. I even almost purged him a few months ago but just didn't have the heart because he was just too cute and I felt guilty not even inking him up once. So I held onto him. A few days ago I was putting stamps away after finishing some cards and I ran across the little guy and it just hit me that he would be perfect to use with this sketch. And now I have thought of a few other ways to use him so I think he will be sticking around for a while longer.

 The papers are all from the Matstack Linen Closet from DCWV and it's one of my favorite Matstacks. The flowers and the sentiment are from Hero Arts Heart Flowers and I believe this is the first time I have used this set too. I inked the flowers with Broken China distress ink and stamped them onto Neenah Solar White paper. I then spritzed them lightly with Perfect Pearls so they the look of watercolor. I added some blue gemstones to the centers of the flowers.

For the boy I stamped him with VersaMark ink then used black sparkle embossing powder to heat emboss him. Next I used watercolor pencils to color him and I apologize for the bad coloring. That is one area I need a whole lot more practice in. Also I have a just a handful of colors. (Not that it would help me much to have a wider variety to pick from.) I cut him out and adhered him to the white paper and lightly spritzed with Perfect Pearls then I backed all the rectangles with a tan mats. I wrapped blue thread around the little boy rectangle and I had enough thread leftover to make a bow which I put in the upper left corner. I arranged all the finished rectangles onto a shiny blue mat that I had trimmed on two edges with a scalloped border punch from Fiskars. I left the two short ends straight. I stamped the sentiment with VersaMark ink and embossed with white embossing powder. Then I adhered the finished blue mat onto the front of  my card.
I tried to show how shimmery the blue paper and the white rectangles are. The shimmer is so hard to capture in photos.

Enjoy your weekend!

Teresa

Beauty in All Things

Here is the second card I made from sketch #33 from: http://freshlymadesketches.blogspot.com/2012/05/freshly-made-sketches-33-sketch-from.html

My inspiration not only came from the sketch but also from the Tuesday Trigger at Moxie Fab World http://www.moxiefabworld.com/2012/05/tuesday-trigger-vintage-vogue.html

Vintage Vogue

Cath is the best at finding such beauties as this picture each week for us to use as inspiration for our projects.



As you can see from the sketch I rotated my card as well as the sketch for this card just as I did for my first card which you can see if you scroll down to the next post. I used the colors from the dresses kraft, gold and white.

The stamp is from Unity Company and I stamped it using WaterMark ink and embossed it with gold embossing powder and same with the Thanks sentiment in the upper right corner. The touch of gold really adds elegance to the kraft paper. The white striped embossed paper is from DCWV the rest of the white cardstock I embossed with Cuttlebug embossing folders. I wrapped the tulle around the bottom strip of paper and tied another piece in a knot and put a stick pin through. I took some wire cutters and trimmed off the end of the pin so it's not sharp.

Happy Friday to you all!

Teressa



Take Wing

I think I might need a graduation card or two in June so I made this card with that in mind. I started with this sketch from http://freshlymadesketches.blogspot.com/2012/05/freshly-made-sketches-33-sketch-from.html The sketch was made by Jen Mitchell.

Here is what I made:

 I first stamped the butterfly image with Memento Tuxedo Black ink onto Neenah Soloar White paper. Before cutting the butterfly out I inked it using Tumbled Glass and Dusty Concord distress inks. Then I misted the inked butterfly with a couple of spritzes of Perfect Pearls. Using the same white paper I die cut it using Lacey Circles from Spellbinders and stamped the sentiment in black. I stamped the butterfly again under the sentiment. I adhered the distressed inked butterfly on top of the stamped butterfly. After I was finished with the circle I realized it was a bit too big to fit the sketch so I changed the cards orientation and rotated the sketch. Problem solved!

Next I picked papers that matched the butterfly and threw the green in there as a third color. This isn't a color scheme I usually would go with but I felt the papers I had were too matchy and I needed something a little unexpected. Any way unexpected for me. I even mixed and matched the pattern papers from two different paper packs. I also backed the purple and leaf strips with black to make them stand out more from the background. Lastly I added two aqua gemstones to the butterfly and called it quits.

This is a really fun sketch to work with. I even have another idea rolling around in my head with this sketch. Don't know if it will work but I'm going to try it.

Have a fabulous day!

Teresa



Spring Beauties

I have been enjoying the spring flowers in my gardens and wanter to share a few of them with you all so I hope you enjoy!

Have a glorious day!
Teresa

Last of the Patriotic Cards

I now have twenty two 4th of July/Patriotic cards to send to our troops overseas! Here are the last two cards I made:
First card is from sketch #155 from Unscripted Sketches:

This is really a fun and easy sketch to use. Click here and check out how their design team used the sketch: http://unscriptedsketches.com/2012/04/unscripted-sketches-155/

Here is my card:

 The background is embossed with the star and dotted swiss Cuttlebug embossing folders. I stamped the star image over Hero Arts Envelope Pattern. Both were inked with Fired Brick distress ink.

 I wrapped the gold thread under the stamped star and tied it. I used a gold star gemstone on the small blue square.

The sentiment was stamped with Watermark VersaMark ink and embossed with white embossing powder.

And here is the last of my patriotic cards:

 The red cardstock is embossed with the star embossing folder and the blue cardstock is embossed with the swiss dot folder. The three small stars were punched out of leftover white cardstock that had been stamped with the Envelope Pattern from the card above. I inked the edges with Fired Brick distress ink.

 I wrapped the cardstock with red and white bakers twine and tied a bow. I stamped the two sentiments on white cardstock with Memento Tuxedo Black ink. I used a gold star gemstone on the 4th of July sentiment.
Taking a break from cards for a day or two and will have something else to share with you all tomorrow.
Teresa