Sympathy for a Friend

Welcome back!  I have a card to share tonight that I made using the sketch for this week's challenge at Paper Players.

http://thepaperplayers.blogspot.com/

Sadly, I had need of a sympathy card this week for a friend whose elderly mother passed away last week.  I took a bit of liberty with the sketch by using ribbon across the whole center piece rather than banners.

I wanted to make something a bit formal but on the spare side to keep in more fitting for a male recipient.  I have a very large stash of textured card stock, so I chose some Marina Mist to add to an elegant feel.  I also dusted off a retired stamp set for the stamp used to create the background on Very Vanilla.  

The shaped image from Chalk Talk was stamped in Versamark, then Early Espresso, and heat embossed with clear embossing powder.  I cut the piece out with Paper Snips then mounted it on Early Espresso card stock run through the Big Shot with a Chalk Talk framelit.  

Thanks for the visit and, as always, I would love to hear from you if you have time to leave a comment!  Take care and enjoy the rest of your week!

Hugs,

Stef

Product details:

Stamps:  Chalk Talk, Friends 24-7, Simply Sketched

Paper:  Very Vanilla, Early Espresso, Textured Marina Mist

Ink:  Crumb Cake, Marina Mist, Early Espresso, Versamark

Other:  Stampin' Emboss Clear embossing powder, Marina Mist Satin Ribbon, Early Espresso 1/8" Grosgrain ribbon, Large and Wide Oval punches, Chalk Talk framelit.

Bella Toile Birthday

Hi there!  The card I'm sharing today was made for the challenge at Friday Mashup.  This week included using the sketch below and also using the Delft Tile technique.  If you've never used the technique , be sure to follow this link for the Delft Tile Tutorial at Splitcoast Stampers.

Here's the sketch and the link to Friday Mashup:

http://www.fridaymashup.com/

And here's my attempt (and not the first one either ;-):

After scoring the white card stock as instructed in the tutorial, I laid it on the Bella Toile background stamp that had been inked in Rose Red and placed rubber side up on my work table.  I rubbed gently but thoroughly with my fingers on the back of the card stock so as not to press the scored (or "grout") sections onto the rubber stamp. That gives the "tile" effect.

My first attempts (yes, more than one!) utilized floral stamps that were not background stamps, and I had a difficult time keeping the ink out of the scored area, no matter how careful I thought I was.  So I bowed to the wise tutorial recommendation and found an appropriate background stamp.  I think if I had more patience and fewer time restrictions, I probably could have used the other stamps effectively, but sometimes when you know you're running out of time, it's just best to use the tried and true LOL!!

Each square was sponged on all four sides with Pink Pirouette ink, which really enhanced the "tile" effect.  That required careful placement of the sponge to avoid inking the scored areas.  I discovered in my first attempts that the lighter the sponged color, the better the effect.

Even though I had a couple early misses in my first attempts, I really love the end result and hope to use the technique again soon.  That's the great part about trying new things!

As always, thanks for visiting and taking the time to leave a comment!  My week long "stay-cation" is over and tomorrow it is back to the frenzy at work.  ; - )

Take care and enjoy your week!

Hugs,

Stef


Product details:
Stamps:  Bella Toile, Express Yourself
Paper:  Whisper White, Pink Pirouette, Rose Red
Ink:  Pink Pirouette, Rose Red
Other:  Rose Red Seam Binding ribbon, Pink Pirouette Taffeta ribbon, White Baker's Twine, Rose Red button, Scallop Circle punch, Perfect Pennants Big Z die

So Many Smiles

Welcome back!  I have a bright and cheery, clean and simple card to share with you that was made for the sketch challenge at Pals Paper Arts this week.  I had a large scrap remaining of Gingham Garden dsp and I used it as the color inspiration for my card. While CAS is not normally my top style choice, it seemed perfect for this layout.

The paper design and the colors are so bright and colorful, I wanted to use a sentiment that was equally cheerful, which I found in the Petite Pairs stamp set.

Using most yellows as a primary design color, let alone Daffodil Delight, is normally not in my crafting wheelhouse, but this dsp worked its magic on me and so I used that bright yellow for the scalloped circles and for stamping the butterfly under the sentiment.

The rhinestones in the middle of the two Island Indigo butterflies were also colored in Daffodil Delight, using the middle marker of the Blendabilities set.

Below is this week's sketch.  Be sure to use the link to visit Pals Paper Arts and also play along if you have a chance, as there is still plenty of time left.

http://www.palspaperarts.com/

Thanks for dropping by and as always I would love to hear from you if you have time to leave a comment.  Take care and enjoy your Sunday!

Hugs,

Stef


Product details:
Stamps:  Petite Pairs, Papillon Potpourri
Paper:  Whisper White, Daffodil Delight, Island Indigo, Gingham Garden dsp
Ink:  Daffodil Delight, Island Indigo
Other:  Scallop Circle, 1 3/4" Circle and Elegant Butterfly punches, Circles Collection framelit, Rhinestone Basic Jewels, Daffodil Delight Blendabilities, Island Indigo Baker's Twine

Christmas Cobbler

Yup, a second post today!  (Gotta love stay-cation!)  A friend at work had ordered some Christmas cards, so this afternoon I put these together:

I started with the new Kraft card stock, stamping the beautiful poinsettia from Joyful Christmas in Versamark, then embossing with white embossing powder.  A blender pen and Cherry Cobbler ink were used to color the petals.  The Kraft paper colored beautifully and I had no trouble with pilling.

It's hard to tell in the photos, but the berries were colored with Gold Encore ink, also with a blender pen.  I would have liked to add some pearls (colored with Cherry Cobbler Blendabilities!) but the cards are to be mails, so I kept them very flat.  I did add retired Cherry Cobbler Quilted ribbon and Gold Elastic cord on the two different styles of cards.

So glad you dropped by, I'd love to hear from you if you have a moment to leave a comment.  Have a great evening!

Hugs,

Stef


Product details:
Stamps:  Joyful Christmas
Paper:  Kraft, Cherry Cobbler, Brushed Gold
Ink:  Cherry Cobbler, Gold Encore, Versamark, Whisper White Craft
Other:  Stampin' Emboss White Embossing Powder, Blender Pen, Gold Elastic Cord, Cherry Cobbler Quilted Satin ribbon

Happy Birthday, Cutie

Hi there and welcome back!  Today I'm sharing a card made for a little girl that's having her first birthday this coming Saturday.  I used one of the images and sentiments from Little Buddy Birthday to create this fun card:

I found a photo of a Toucan through an Internet search with a beautiful beak in colors similar to those I used in the image above, and this also resulted in the decision to use the bright colors of Pumpkin Pie and Tempting Turquoise for the card.

After stamping the images in Stazon on watercolor paper, I colored everything with a fairly dry Aquapainter, but I couldn't get the black to really pop.  I solved that by using a Basic Black marker to color in the body, but then the little eyes didn't show!  So I again took a cue from the photo and used a Tempting Turquoise Candy Dot to give him a bright blue eye.  The pupil was created with a fine point Sharpie.

The design layout came from this week's Sweet Sunday Sketch Challenge, which is super versatile.  Click on the link below to check out the DT samples.

http://kgiron.blogspot.com/

As always, your visit and comments are so appreciated!! I hope you have a great remainder of the week!

Hugs,

Stef


Product details:
Stamps:  Little Buddy Birthday
Paper:  Watercolor, Whisper White, Tempting Turquoise, Daffodil Delight, Pumpkin Pie, Polka Dot Parade dsp
Ink:  Tempting Turquoise, Pistachio Pudding, So Saffron, Pumpkin Pie, Cherry Cobbler, Basic Black (marker), Jet Black Stazon, Whisper White Craft
Other:  Large Polka Dot embossing folder, Circles Collection and Word Bubble framelits, 2 1/2" Circle Punch, Delicate Details Lace Tape, Brights Candy Dot, Aquapainter, Pumpkin Pie Cotton ribbon.

Little Things

Happy Monday!  This week I'm on "stay-cation", just relaxing at home away from work. Kev and I went and wandered around a wet lands area today, observing an amazing number of herons and snowy white egrets.  Few people, low temps and beautiful birds to gaze at...pretty nice way to get a bit of exercise and fresh air.  I wish I had some photos to share but we were far enough away that one would need a better camera than we had on hand to get pictures where the birds were identifiable LOL!

But I do have a card to share that has a bit of fauna...

The image is from Serene Spring, a retired hostess set I no longer own.  However, before I sold it I stamped a couple images on watercolor paper.  As I was contemplating what I was going to make for this week's Deconstructed Sketch, I found this piece and decided it was finally time to use it.

I used an Aquapainter to color this image.  Cajun Craze was used for the clay pot, and the only green I used was Mossy Meadow, dark ink for the leaves in the pot, and much more diluted for the "grass", and then letting the brush almost dry out to get some of the back and side areas, which added some texture.  The sky was appropriately colored with Soft Sky ink.  The bird was not colored to represent any specific breed, however, it somewhat looks like a lot of the sparrows that flow through our back yard during the spring and early summer.



The sketch this week is a fun and interesting design.  I started with a Blackberry Bliss base that was then topped with a smaller piece of Hello Honey, which had been embossed with the Distress Dots embossing folder.  A piece of scrap Moonlight dsp was used for the next layer.

Be sure to head over to the Deconstructed Sketch challenge, there's still time to join and there is lots of great inspiration to see as well.

http://deconstructingjen.com/ds160/

As always, your visit is so appreciated and I'd love to hear from you if you have a moment to leave a comment!  Take care and I hope your week goes well.  I hope to be back a bit more this week with other cards to share.

Hugs,

Stef


Product details:
Stamps:  You're a Gem, Serene Spring
Paper:  Watercolor, Whisper White, Hello Honey, Blackberry Bliss, Tangelo Twist, Mossy Meadow, Soft Sky, Moonlight dsp
Ink:  Soft Sky, Mossy Meadow, Real Red, Cajun Craze, Crumb Cake, Baked Brown Sugar, Hello Honey, Crushed Curry, Tangelo Twist, Blackberry Bliss, Jet Black Stazon
Other:  Blackberry Bliss Stitched Satin ribbon, Beautiful Wings embosslit, 1 1/4" Scallop Circle, 1" Circle and 7/8" Scallop Circle punches, Aquapainter, Distress Dots embossing folder

Hedgie Christmas

A while back I bought the Best of Snow stamp set and had not yet used it.  July is a bit early to be making Christmas cards, at least on my card making schedule, but it worked great with this week's Mojo Monday sketch, so I decided to ahead and get started on the 2014 Perry Christmas card making extravaganza!!

I kept the card pretty simple, devoid of much embellishment, so that it would be easy to mail.  The Baker's Twine will lay flat without getting all mushed up like regular ribbon.

I started by stamping the images with Early Espresso ink and then used a heat tool to make sure it was dry before coloring with a blender pen.  The snowman was lightly colored with Crumb Cake to give him a bit of shape.  A Calypso Coral marker worked its magic on his nose, and finally a blender pen with Baja Breeze colored the scarf stripes. The hedge hog, sporting a traditional holiday red and green scarf, was colored with a heavier application of Crumb Cake.

Below is the sketch from Mojo Monday.  As you can see I flipped it 45 degrees.  Be sure to head over and check out the lovely gallery!  And there is still time to play along if you so chose.

http://mojomonday.blogspot.com/2014/07/mojo-monday-354.html

Thanks for dropping by!  I always appreciate your visits and comments!  I hope the remainder of your weekend is marvelous!

Hugs,

Stef


Product details:
Stamps:  Best of Snow, Petite Pairs
Paper:  Whisper White, Cherry Cobbler, Garden Green, Baja Breeze, Frostwood Lodge dsp
Ink:  Early Espresso, Cherry Cobbler, Baja Breeze, Garden Green, Crumb Cake
Other:  Stampamajig, Snowburst embossing folder, Cherry Cobbler Baker's Twine, Circles Collection framelits, Blender Pen

Heartfelt Thanks

Welcome back!  Tonight my card uses the cute, cute, cute For the Birds and one of the new Chalk Lines photopolymer stamps.  I used this weeks sketch from the Sweet Sunday Sketch Challenge.

http://kgiron.blogspot.com/

Rather than use designer paper, which I would normally do in a heartbeat, I decided to let the hearts design from Chalk Lines represent the diagonal pieces in the sketch.

The main image was stamped with Memento Tuxedo Black ink and colored with a blender pen in various Stampin' Up! Classic Ink colors.  I was curious to see if it would work equally as well as Stazon and in my experience it did, plus it did not stain my stamps. (Disclaimer:  I'm not totally bothered by staining, but if I can avoid it, it is a plus to me).

This is such a sweet little image, but then I think the birds are adorable, and I am partial to hearts so all of this is right up my alley!  I teamed Strawberry Slush with a little bit of the new, totally fabulous In Color, Tangelo Twist, for a totally vibrant color duo.

Thanks for dropping by!  I'd love to hear from you if you have a moment to leave a comment.  Take care and I hope you have a great Friday!

Hugs,

Stef


Product details:
Stamps:  For the Birds, Chalk Lines
Paper:  Whisper White, Strawberry Slush, Tangelo Twist
Ink:  Strawberry Slush, So Saffron, Tangelo Twist, Gumball Green, Soft Sky, Memento Tuxedo Black
Other:  Strawberry Slush Ruffle Trim, Linen Thread, Blender Pen, Decorative Label Punch, Bitty Button, Envelope Punch Board

Just For You

Hello and welcome back!  Tonight I have a quick post for the challenges at Paper Players and the Deconstructed Sketch.

http://thepaperplayers.blogspot.com/

http://deconstructingjen.com/deconstructed-sketch-159/

Love that color combination, and the Stippled Blossom stamp set immediately came to mind, which worked perfectly with Jen Shults' great sketch.

The lighter color portion of the flower was stamped in Wisteria Wonder, and then topped with the darker Blackberry Bliss.  I wasn't certain how they would look together but love the result.  The solid part of the leaf stamp was stamped in Mossy Meadow and then stamped off once or twice, with the outlining stamp used in full color.

I had fun with all the different designs between the embossing and the designer paper. Pearls added a bit of bling.

That's it for tonight!  As always, I appreciate your visit and the nice comments!  Take care and I hope you have a great rest of the week!

Hugs,

Stef

Product details:

Stamps:  Teeny Tiny Wishes, Stipple Blossoms

Paper:  Whisper White, Lost Lagoon, Mossy Meadow, Moonlight dsp

Ink:  Mossy Meadow, Lost Lagoon, Wisteria Wonder, Blackberry Bliss

Other:  Large Polka Dot embossing folder, Lost Lagoon Stitched Statin ribbon, Scallop Border Punch, Pearl Basic Jewels, Rich Razzleberry Blendability marker, Paper Snips

Hang In There

Hi there again!  I'm squeaking in just under the cut off for Mojo Monday with my card tonight.

I had a great time playing with this new Hostess stamp set, Nuts About You.  The tree is spectacular and all the cute critters and sentiments are just plain fun!  I stamped the tree twice, first in Garden Green, then in Soft Suede, which was cut out without the leaves and adhered to the green image.  The opossum was stamped in Crumb Cake and also snipped out so he could "hang" from the tree.

When I got finished the card seemed rather plain so I added the Soft Sky Candy Dots to match the ribbon.  Definitely will be playing with this set more!

The sketch and the link are below.  Be sure to pop over there to see all the beautiful creations!

http://mojomonday.blogspot.com/

Thanks for dropping by and, as always, I'd love to hear from you if you have time to leave a comment. I hope you have a great week ahead!

Hugs,

Stef


Product details:
Stamps:  Nuts About You
Paper:  Very Vanilla, Soft Sky, Soft Suede, Garden Green, Elegant Soiree dsp (retired)
Ink:  Garden Green, Soft Sky, Crumb Cake
Other:  Soft Sky Seam Binding ribbon, Banner Punch, Paper Snips, Subtles Candy Dots

Sweet Birthday Wishes

Hello there!  It's a hot evening here in Sherwood, as the Willamette Valley experiences unseasonably high temperatures in the high 80's and low 90's.  I am truly grateful we installed air conditioning years ago...at least I can sleep at night and function at work the next day!  Yup, I'm a total weenie when it comes to heat LOL!!

I made a summer-y type card yesterday, again using my new favorite stamp set, I Like You.  This time the images were stamped on Whisper White card stock and then colored with reinkers and a blender pen.

The colors used were mainly taken from the Sweet Sorbet dsp, although I included some Calypso Coral, and Hello Honey was used in lieu of Summer Starfruit.

The strip of Pool Party Core'dinations paper was embossed with one of the Delicate Details embossing folders, then sanded to let the lighter interior show through a bit.  The sentiment was embellished with a pearl placed atop one of the new Pistachio Pudding sequins.

I used this week's Sweet Sunday Sketch (http://kgiron.blogspot.com/) for my design inspiration.

I am also entering this in the fun 100th challenge at the SUO Challenge blog (http://suochallenges.com/). Participants get to chose from any of the previous 99 challenges to make their entry.  My card is for challenges #25 (Favorite New Stamp Set) and #77 (Happy Birthday).  Be sure to click on both links and check out the great inspiration.

Thank you so much for visiting! I hope the remainder of your week goes smoothly and brings lots of moments of happiness!

Hugs,

Stef


Product details:
Stamps:  I Like You, Petite Pairs
Paper:  Whisper White, Basic Black, Pool Party Core'dinations, Crisp Cantaloupe, Sweet Sorbet designer paper
Ink:  Jet Black Stazon, Crisp Cantaloupe, Calypso Coral, Hello Honey, Pistachio Pudding, Pool Party
Other:  Delicate Details embossing folder, Black Baker's Twine, Small and Large Oval punches, In Color sequins, Pearl Basic Jewels.

So Thankful

Welcome back!  I found some time this afternoon to make a fun and easy card.  I wanted to use the technique of coloring on Kraft card stock.  And now that Stampin' Up! has introduced its new version (and it is simply fabulous, in my humble opinion), I had to give it a go!

I started by stamping the new hostess set, I Like You, in Versamark and then heat embossing with white embossing powder.  I absolutely love this set; there's just something about it that makes me so happy!  A blender pen dipped in various inks brought the images to life.  While they are not super dark IRL, they appear a bit more subdued in the photos.

I cut the card base to a narrow 4" so the flag could hand off the end and still fit into a normal A2 envelope.  The stamped piece was cut to a short 4 1/2" in length so the two layers of scalloped designer paper could be added.

I was inspired to use this technique by the lovely Naomi Witzke at One Happy Stamper. Her stunning peacock is amazing, so please go check it out and let her know how beautiful it is.  Here's the link (http://one-happy-stamper.blogspot.com/2014/07/three-more.html).

I'm entering this in the challenge to Keep It Simple at Stampin' Royalty.  Be sure to check out the great inspiration (http://stampinroyalty.blogspot.com/).

Thanks so much for dropping by! As always, I'd love to hear from you if you have time to leave a comment.  Have a great week!

Hugs,

Stef


Product details:
Stamps:  I Like You
Paper:  Kraft, Whisper White, 2011-2013 In Color Pattern Paper Stack
Ink:  Versamark, Calypso Coral, Pink Pirouette, Pretty in Pink, Blushing Bride, Pear Pizazz, Daffodil Delight, Crushed Curry
Other:  White Stampin' Emboss powder, Scallop Border Punch, Calypso Coral Baker's Twine, Blender Pen

How Old???

July is a big month for birthdays for us.  All three grandchildren, my daughter, Kevin's niece and great niece, a brother-in-law and my oldest grandson's girl friend.  The card I'm sharing with you today is for my oldest grandson, mainly because I can't believe he is turning 20 on Tuesday.  What?  If he's twenty, that makes me...uh, well, never mind that, but I am periodically astounded when I consider how, in some respects, time seems to have passed so quickly.

The color challenge at Pals Paper Arts, to use Lost Lagoon, Basic Gray and Pool Party, was perfect for a masculine card.  I had to strategically cut and use embellishments to hide the Hello Honey triangles on the bottom sheet of designer paper.  Both the grid piece and the triangle decorated piece are from the new Moonlight paper stack.

My grandson always used to say "Oh, snap", so it was fun when Hip Notes included it in the stamp set.  I knew I would find a way to use it on a card for him someday.

I used the sketch from Retrosketches...it's actually from last week's challenge but Arielle gave everyone an extra day to play along due to the holiday yesterday, so I am squeaking this one in just a few hours before the challenge ends.

http://retrosketches.blogspot.com/2014/06/retrosketches-121.html

Be sure to pop over to the Pals Paper Arts blog as well; there's still plenty of time to join in!

http://www.palspaperarts.com/

Thanks for taking a peek!  I hope the remainder of your weekend is fun and relaxing!

Hugs,

Stef



Product details:
Stamps:  Hip Notes, Just Sayin'
Paper:  Lost Lagoon, Basic Gray, Pool Party, Whisper White, Moonlight designer paper
Ink:  Basic Gray, Lost Lagoon, Versamark
Other:  Word Bubble and Circles Collection framelits, Itty Bitty Accents Punch Pack, 1 3/4" Circle punch, Pool Party Stampin' Emboss powder, Pool Party twine, Neutrals Candy Dots, Stampin' Trimmer and Tiny Wave Rotary Cutting Blade, Paper Snips.

Watercolor Wash

Hello!  It's 4th of July and that means BBQ and fireworks with the neighbors later, but right now I have a card to share with you that I found time to make this afternoon.  It incorporates the fabulous sketch from Freshly Made Sketches and this week's challenge at Friday Mashup to use the Watercolor Wash technique.

http://freshlymadesketches.blogspot.com/

http://www.fridaymashup.com/

I thought I knew how to execute the Watercolor Wash technique but decided to follow the link to a tutorial on Splitcoast Stampers provided by Friday Mashup and found that was a good idea!

I started with a 4" x 5 1/4" piece of watercolor paper, wetting it with my Stampin' Spritzer, then using a paint brush to apply diluted Baja Breeze ink.  Using my heat tool, I dried this piece before applying the stamped images.  I thought about using various stamps but realized a silhouette stamp was really necessary to get the proper effect.  The retired Inspired by Nature worked perfectly.  It was inked up with markers then spritzed with water and stamped on the dried piece of watercolor paper. 

Lots of retired products on this card.  I was really pleased with how well Baja Breeze went with the new In Colors Blackberry Bliss and Hello Honey.  I love Baja and while I know we have lovely, soft new blues like Pool Party and Coastal Cabana, and Soft Sky has returned, I hold out hope maybe someday Baja will be allowed to rejoin the color families.  Plus I have lots of ink and card stock that I would like to utilize more.  ; - )

I appreciate your visit and hope those in the US have a great holiday weekend.  Be sure to use the links above to check out respective challenges (lots of fab inspiration to see!).  

Hugs,

Stef

Product details:

Stamps:  Inspired by Nature, Watercolor Trio

Paper:  Old Olive, Blackberry Bliss, Hello Honey, Watercolor, Parisian Breeze designer paper

Ink:  Baja Breeze, Blackberry Bliss, Hello Honey, Old Olive

Other:  Rhinestone Basic Jewels, Rich Razzleberry Blendabilities, 1 3/8" Circle and Scallop Circle punches, Blackberry Bliss Stitched Satin ribbon, Stampin' Spritzer, Beautiful Wings Embosslit

Petite Baby

Hi all!  I have a card to share today that was made using this week's sketch from Mojo Monday.  It's also for the current challenge at The Card Concept to make a baby themed card in one of the defined styles.  I would definitely call my card clean and layered.

http://mojomonday.blogspot.com/

http://thecardconcept.blogspot.com.au/

One of my co-workers just found out she is having a baby girl, so I decided to make this card for her upcoming baby shower, using lots of pinks (with a wee shot of blue in there as well!).

The baby buggy was first stamped in Smoky Slate and cut out with the matching framelit. It was stamped a second time in Primrose Petals, hand cut and popped up on dimensionals.  The flower is from the new Itty Bitty Accents Punch Pack, punched three times from Pink Pirouette card stock and topped with a pearl.

I wanted a bit of contrast to all the pink and both pieces of designer paper included some Pool Party, so I decided to use a strip of Pool Party Core'dinations card stock, which was punched with the retired Lace Border punch.

Well, that's it for today.  Thanks so much for visiting!  As always, I'd love to hear from you if you have a moment to leave a comment.  I wish everyone in the US a very fun and safe Independence Day tomorrow!

Hugs,

Stef

Product details:

Stamps:  Something for Baby, Petite Pairs

Paper:  Very Vanilla, Pink Pirouette, Smoky Slate, Pool Party, More Amore and Tea Time Simply Scrappin' designer papers

Ink:  Smoky Slate, Primrose Petals

Other:  Pink Pirouette Taffeta Ribbon; Lace Ribbon Border, 2 1/2" Circle, 1 1/4" Scallop Circle and 7/8" Scallop Circle punches, Itty Bitty Accents Punch Pack, Pearl Basic Jewels, Baby First and Circles Collection framelits