Tuesday Morning Sketches #317

I needed a birthday card for a good guy friend and Tuesday Morning Sketches to the rescue!  I really liked this sketch and it was a great jumping off point to use a "new to me" stamp!

 

My friend is a chocoholic so, of course, I had to have chocolate frosting :-).  The Tim Holtz cupcake image was stamped on Ranger watercolor paper with StazOn Spiced Chai ink.  I used Distress inks to watercolor the image, Glossy Accents for a glowing candle, and a white Irresistible Pico Embellisher to add some sprinkles.  I layered the Crate Paper DSP on a MFT Kraft cardstock base, then added a gold paperclip star and a snippet of twine.  I hope he likes it and the best news is that this one will be mailed on time!  Thanks so much for stopping - I hope you have a wonderful weekend!



Up, Up & Away

Hi friends!  I only had time for one challenge card this week so I went with The Paper Players Challenge #259 which is a sketch challenge:

I thought I'd use this fun sketch to get a jump on my Halloween cards, so here you go!

 

I inked up the background with Distress inks and used a white gel pen for tiny stars.  The moon is a die cut circle from the I can't throw anything away box.  I distressed the edges and added shimmer spray.  I wish it photographed better - it's really shimmery!  The banner element is actually the punched out pieces of a border die.  I used the negative to glue them on the card so the spacing wasn't all over the place.  The witch silhouette is popped up with foam adhesive.  I finished it off with a sentiment from a hot air balloon stamp set.  Here's the stuff I used:

 

Cardstock:  Neenah Solar White, DCWV black glitter, TSOL Licorice

Inks:  Distress (Hickory Smoke, Chipped Sapphire, Festive Berries, Squeezed Lemonade, VersaFine Onyx Black

Stamp(s):  The Stamps of Life "hot4balloons"

Die(s):  Sizzix/Tim Holtz "Courtyard" border, Lifestyle Crafts "Witches"

Other:  MFT Shimmer Spray, Signo white gel pen, Heidi Grace rhinestones

 

Thanks so much for stopping by!  I hope you have a terrific weekend ~ rain forecasted here...finally!

 

Annie



Happy Fall....already?!?

It was 90 degrees while I was making this card for the Tuesday Morning Sketch Challenge #314.  But, they were talking about Pumpkin Spice Lattes (yum) on the news last night so I thought why not start the fall cards :-)

I love the Pumpkin set over at Doodle Pantry and used the images a lot last year.  I printed it twice so I could fussy cut the leaves and flower.  The digi background paper is from Doodle Pantry's Pumpkin Carving Ants set.  I die cut two circles out of corrugated cardboard and added some vines to mimic the image.  The sentiment is from The Stamps of Life.  The little clip and ribbon are from my stash.

Thanks so much for stopping by!  Now that I've put my paper away, I can turn the fan back on!

Oh, Shoot!

Oh, Shoot!  I missed mailing another birthday card on time so I came up with this one (because he's a camera nut :)

The challenge over at Shopping our Stash #215 is "Layer It On Me" and there are a bunch on this card.  I also used The Crooked Stamper's latest sketch challenge, CSSC #7, because I really liked it!  Seriously...I am not sucking up, Leslie!  LOL!

 

It all started with the black filmstrip die cut that was laying on my desk.  I can't toss anything!  I stamped and embossed the background layer.  The next layer is DSP from "I wish I hadn't cut off the company name."  I added photo corners, then the filmstrip die cut, and finally popped up bits from an epherma package and die cut arrows with an embossed sentiment. 

 

Thanks so much for stopping by!  Here's the stuff I used:

 

Cardstock:  Bazill Chocolate

DSP:  MME...me thinks!

Dies:  The Stamps of Life (filmstrip), My Favorite Things (arrow, photo corners)

Ink:  VersaFine Onyx Black, VersaFine Sepia

Stamp(s):  The Stamps of Life "photoframe2stamp," My Favorite Things Striped Diagonal Background

Other:  DCWV Vintage Collection die cuts (camera & heart)

 



The Paper Players #255: Sketch Challenge

Whew...it's going to be 95 degrees today so why not a little Christmas card to cool off?  I used The Paper Players #255 Sandy's Sketch Challenge which was a great chance to play with tags.  I love them but hardly ever add them to a card!

I used washi tape down the left side and a Cuttlebug embossing folder on the red cardstock layer.  Instead of one tag, I went with 3 small ones using DSP from Recollections 6x6 pad called City Sidewalks.  The image is from Doodle Pantry's "Nutcracker" set.  I used an enamel button to tie the 3 tags together with May Arts red/green/white twine and layered it over a felt doily.  I finished it off with a chipboard tag from MME and I'm happy with how the little tag "cluster" came out!  That makes a total of two Christmas cards done in July with many more to go :-)

Thanks for stopping by!  Have a terrific weekend!

Hog Wild for You!

Hi All!  Just a quick and easy card today before it gets too warm in the Girl Cave!  I used the last OWH sketch (#259) for inspiration and would also like to enter this card in The Male Room Challenge #15 to use Spots and Stripes.

The Sketch:

The Theme:

The Card:

 

 

Of course I had to do the card in Harley colors!  It's a one layer card that I rarely attempt to do.  I stamped the bottom striped border (My Favorite Things) and sentiment (The Stamps of Life) in VersaFine Onyx Black Ink and then used Bokeh spot stamps in Colorbox Tangerine Ink (first & second generation stamping) from My Favorite Things.  The bike is an old stamp from Viva Las Vegastamps, also stamped in VersaFine Onyx Black.  The card base is Neenah Solar White cardstock.  Now...I think this is where I tell you that this is the third attempt - whew!

 

It's a great day for a ride ~ going to grab the pink flame helmet now!  Thanks for stopping by :-)  

CAS(E) This Sketch #133

Hi All,

This card was put together for CAS(E) This Sketch #133:

I really liked this sketch and wanted to try a couple of new products (new to me, that is :)  I'd also like to enter this card in the Operation Write Home Mid-Month Throwdown which is to create a Love card without hearts.  It was h-a-r-d to do but not a heart anywhere!  This is also the last card to go into the OWH box which makes it a bittersweet project. 

 

 

The card was masked off with painters tape.  Note to self...do not buy the cheapest painters tape!  The middle section was sponged with Evergreen Bough Distress Ink.  When I pulled up the tape...eek, it tore the paper a bit.  So...I sponged two borders with Delicata Gold Ink and heat embossed.  Covered that little rip right up!  The leaf is stamped in Stazon Chai Tea, as is the die cut and sentiment.  The "You" die cut was inked up and heat embossed three times for a real enamel look.  Lastly, I used this gold colored texture spray by Imagine Crafts to drop gold splatters.  The cool thing is they look like enamel dots.  Gotta love those sale bin items!

 

Thanks so much for stopping by!  I did want to end with a little note about card donations.  With OWH closing August 1st, I made contact with a local Assisted Living Facility.  Come to find out they would LOVE to have handmade cards for their residents' use.  Most are on a very limited budget and cannot afford greeting cards.  They are of the letter-writing generation and are very excited to soon be receiving donated cards to send off to loved ones.  I'm happy and they're happy!  Have a great weekend!

CSSC #6

Hi All!  When I went on vacation, I took a few crafting supplies but limited myself to one small tote and you know how hard that is!  I took two stamps, distress inks, watercolor paper, aqua brush, and a handful of scraps.

I worked on this card for the Crooked Stamper Sketch Challenge #6 and the SOS challenge using gingham.  The gingham challenge closed by the time I got home but thank goodness CSSC is still open!

 

 

The pen & ink dahlia stamp (Impress) was inked up with Mustard Seed Distress Ink and stamped on watercolor paper.  I used an aqua brush to move the color around a bit and added a brown center in Walnut Stain.  I fussy cut the bottom half of the flower and used yellow gingham DSP for the bottom half.  I should fess up...there was a big splat on the bottom of the watercolor paper so fussy cutting seemed appropriate!  The sentiment is from the Stamps of Life and a strip of washi tape was added to the left side. 

 

Thanks so much for stopping by!   





CSSC #5

I missed out on last month's challenge over at Crooked Stamper so wanted to make sure I made it to this party - CSSC #5.

Now, where do I start?  Well, I flipped it first so my sentiment would fit.  I don't have 3 elements but I do have 3 lines - hope that counts!  If nothing else, it's a little crooked so appropriate for the blog?  Anyway, this is a fun sketch and gave me a chance to use MFT's "Spotlight Sentiments" which I love, MFT's Heart Balloons which I love, and finally, Hero Arts Pink Ombre Ink which I'm not sure about.  I think that ink pad will take some practice!  Finally, this is one layer and I'm super excited about that!

Thanks for stopping by!  Hope you're having a great week!

The Paper Players Challenge #246

Hi All!  This short week has put me behind with challenges and everything else!  I was able to put together a card for The Paper Players Challenge #246 which is a sketch challenge:

 

 

And...I didn't change a thing...no flipping, rotating, etc.  I thought this sketch was perfect for this birthday stamp that has been sitting on my desk for a long time!  Now that I've used it, I have to say I love it!  It's a sketchy stamp (I mean that in a good way) and is pretty forgiving when it comes to trying to color it while a fur kid is poking me in the elbow to go for a walk. 

 



All of the cardstock and DP was from my scrap basket.  The sentiment (PrintWorks) was colored with Copics and outlined with a black Spica pen.  The result is a glittery outline...you'll have to trust me here.  The Double Dot Border Die is from MFT and the enamel dots are Recollections. 

Thanks for stopping by ~ I hope you're having a great week!

TMS #300: This little piggy...

I'm playing along with Tuesday Morning Sketches today for their 300th sketch!  Congratulations TMS! 

I flipped the sketch upside down and used this little piggy stamp & die set from The Stamps of Life.  I love the sentiment that comes with it.  I think a great guy card would be this sentiment on a motorcycle image! 

 

Thanks for stopping by today and I hope you have a wonderful weekend!

OWH Sketch #254

It's only been about a week since I've posted anything but it feels like a lot longer!  Life is getting in the way of craft time but I was able to put together a simple card today for Operation Write Home Sketch Challenge #254:

I had picked up a new Lawn Fawn stamp set called "Stuck On You" at my LSS and decided to ink that up.  It has cute cacti images and a couple of sweet sentiments.  The DP is from the scrap bin (DCWV, I think) and I added a little faux stitching with a Signo white pen. 

Thanks for stopping by!  Hope you're having a great week!

A Couple of Cards

Happy Friday!  Today I'm posting a couple of cards for Operation Write Home.  The first one is for the Our Daily Bread Designs April Challenge to create a masculine card.  ODBD sponsors OWH card shipments based on the number of entries.  I'm also entering it into the Crooked Stamper Sketch Challenge #3:

 

The anchor die from Spellbinders Inspired collection had never been used (what a surprise :-).  I used silver metallic paper for the anchor and the sentiment (Lawn Fawn) was anchored with tiny staples.

 

The second card is using OWH Sketch #251:

 

I went with a generic love card, using yummy DP scraps.  The cardbase is TSOL Bubblegum and the die cut flower is from Sizzix' Flower Triplets. 

 

That's all for today!  If you get a chance, please check out the kids card challenge at Cards in Envy and the Earth Has Music Challenge with Words 2 Scrap By!  They are collaborating with Shopping our Stash this week...it's a two-fer!  Have a wonderful weekend :-)

 

Hoppy Easter!

Things are hopping in the Girl Cave this morning!  Here's another Easter card using Tuesday Morning Sketches #293:

I used all the elements but did a little tilting...hopefully not too much!  The bunny image, DP and sentiment are from Doodle Pantry's "Quirky Bunny" digi that I layered on MFT's stitched circle die cuts.  He's so darn cute!  I touched up a bit with Copics and Glossy Accents and added some Prima flowers with multi-colored rhinestones. 

Thanks for taking the time to stop by!  Now back to more "hoppiness...!"

Look Who's Turning 12!

It was a great cardmaking day today and for my last post, I have a boy's birthday card that I'd like to enter in the latest Shopping Our Stash Challenge #192 - Making it Count (use numbers) and Tuesday Morning Sketches #291:

 

 

 

The number 12 (Tim Holtz) is stamped in Colorbox Banana Ink.  The Impress sentiment was then stamped over the top in VersaFine Onyx Black Ink and die cut with MFT's stitched circle.  The sentiment is popped up on top of two starburst die cuts (Lifestyle Crafts) and layered on the navy star embossed strip (The Paper Studio).  The DP is from the Cosmic Whammy paper pad (The Paper Studio).  This card went together very quickly...I hope he likes it!

 

Thanks so much for stopping by!  There's still time to play in the latest Cards in Envy Challenge: Anything Goes with a Bow.  I hope you'll join in!  

Crooked Stamper Sketch Challenge #2

The March Crooked Stamper Sketch Challenge #2 is off and running! 

I did a little flip again and came up with the notecard below.

I spent the past weekend at the beach so I was in a "Stay Calm, Beach On" mood.  The kraft cardstock was stamped with the Cheesecloth background stamp (MFT) inked up with VersaMark.  It was the closest thing I had for fishnet.  (My pink fishnet stockings from Jr. High are long gone :-)

The shell stamp (Inkadinkado) was stamped in MFT Kraft Ink and heat embossed on an oval die cut.  I did a little watercoloring on the image with Distress Markers and fussy cut out the starfish.  I was going for a very soft and neutral look.  The sentiment was stamped in Colorbox Chocolate Ink.  Lastly, I added some May Arts natural twine.  I just felt like it needed something else - but now I'm not sure...LOL!

Anyway, thanks so much for stopping by!  If you get a chance, check out the latest Words 2 Scrap By Challenge.  I'm the guest hostess this month and there's a birthday present involved!  Take care :-)

OWH Sketch 249: Doodle Pantry Sponsorship

Hi All!  I'm excited that Doodle Pantry is sponsoring the Sketch Challenge over at Operation Write Home today.  Doodle Pantry has images that are designated as OWH fundraisers and Laurie generously donates a portion of those sales to help support OWH.  One of those fundraising image sets is Funky Sock Monkey and today I'm using the cute monkey faces to help me with the sketch. 

Here's the sketch which I flipped and took some liberties to use a film strip rather than banners or squares.  Sketches are supposed to inspire, right?  :-)

I hope you'll play along over at OWH and check out the Doodle Pantry OWH fundraising sets - there are some cute ones!  Have a great weekend!

The Paper Players Sketch Challenge #233

I just realized I made this card a couple days ago and never posted for the latest Paper Players Sketch Challenge...geez!  Anyway, I had fun with it and really liked Sketch #233.  I know I have a few more minutes to link it up, so here it goes!

The kraft layer was embossed with woodgrain, then I brayered it with Distress Walnut Stain.  I tucked the little die cut owl (Memory Box) in the die cut circle (MFT) and added the sentiment (The Stamps of Life) banner and a little twine.  This will make a cute kid's card for Operation Write Home so I'm adding it to the Operation Write Home Mid-Month Challenge:  Cards for Kids.

Thanks for stopping by...have a great weekend!

TMS #287: Happy Bird-Day!

Well, I think I'm caught up on the Challenges I usually play this week.  I'm so envious of those bloggers that can pull all the challenges out there together, do one card, and enter it multiple times.  I, on the other hand, seem to do one card at a time.  Maybe it's a retirement thing?  After years of having to be soooo organized, I refuse to do so?

Anyway, here's this week's fun sketch from Tuesday Morning:

And my card:

 

 

That darling chubby little pelican is from Laurie's latest new releases over at Doodle Pantry called Feathery Friends.  I'm a beach bum at heart, so I just had to use him!  The background is a Heidi Swapp Polka Dot Stencil and some VersaMark Ink.  The blue strip of Bazzill swiss dot cardstock was embossed with a wave EF from Darice, and I added a little wave action under my feathery friend (EK Success border punch).  I fussy cut the starfish, coated him with Glossy Accents and popped him up on the pilings.  The stitched oval diecut is from My Favorite Things. 

 

Thanks so much for visiting today ~ Happy Valentines Day!

CSSC #1: Happy Valentines Day

There's a new sketch challenge out in blogland called The Crooked Stamper Sketch Challenge hosted by the very talented Leslie Hanna.  I think her projects are wonderful and I really can relate to the Crooked Stamper title, because I am :-)  The Challenge runs for 3 weeks which works for me...plenty of time to NOT miss a deadline, because I do!

Here's the sketch:

I'm linking up my last Valentines card.  I've already made more than I can ever use but I <3 making them and can't seem to stop! 

This card features a digi from Stitchy Bear Digi Outlet by Kaz Kraftz called Beary Happy.  I just love this little bear!  I added the V-Day sentiment from Doodle Pantry, and a couple of small hearts with Glossy Accents.  The diecuts are all from My Favorite Things.  As my DGS would say, "easy peasey, lemon squeezy!"  Thanks for stopping by and I hope you have a delicious Valentines Day!