During the past month I have participated in three craft shows. I did not sell as much as I had expected, but I had fun doing it. I learned a lot. Here are a couple of pictures.

This is my table. I made the green table skirt and the black topper from material that I found in a box that had come from my Mom's years ago.

This is a picture of the risers that I made with a little help from my husband. I used foam poster board that I purchased at the Dollar Store. It took three sheets. They were perfect for what I needed.

Mug Rugs

I have taken a little break from cards to do some sewing. Over the week end I spent some time making "mug rugs". They are so much fun. You ask, "What is a mug rug?" It is a small mat, a little larger than a coaster but smaller than a placemat. It is just large enough for a cup of your favorite drink, a spoon and a sweet treat. Mine are about 6 inches by 9 inches.

This Week's Cards

I have been busy making cards for a November Craft Show and not posting very much. I would like to share three cards from this week's work. This card was my first with Stampin' Up's Flower Shop stamp set. I got the stamp set and punch with some birthday money I was given in September.

 

On Thursday night I had a class on "fancy fold" cards, and, in preparation for the class, I made this calendar triangle easel card. It was a big hit.

SC458-Bashful Blue Christmas

Yesterday I was working on Christmas cards. I had pinned a card sometime ago and as I was looking through my pins, I came across a card that I really liked. I liked the layout and it just seemed to say "Christmas". This is the card I made. Here is a link to the card that I case'd--similar and yet different.

 

I inked the embossing folder using a brayer and Memento Sky Blue ink. That worked perfectly with SU Bashful Blue card stock. I was really happy with the results.

This morning I looked at the sketch challenge layout for this week. WOW!  So close to what I did the night before. Here is my card for today's challenge using the same techniques, same basic colors and a very similar layout.

World Card Making Day

I am posting this card, made with Our Daily Bread Designs stamps, for World Card Making Day. This is one of my favorite scripture verses and the stamp is from their "Happy Birthday" stamp set. I think that this was one of the first ODBD stamp sets that I purchased. I always love using it.

 

Here are two more cards made with ODBD Stamps. We stampers are blessed to have a company like Our Daily Bread Designs.

 

 

SC455

Sketch challenge day is here again and I have my card made before I go to bed tonight. It seems that does not happen very often these days.

 

For the card base I used SU Smoky Slate card stock stamped with an Impression Obsession background stamp in Smoky Slate ink.The designer paper  is DCWV's "Linen Closet". The "Faith" stamp is from Sweet 'n Sassy and stamped on watercolor paper that I did a color wash on. It is layered with SU Pool Party card stock. I found the cord at Hobby Lobby. It is a metallic plastic canvas cord by Darice and is aqua and silver in color. It is soft and ties so easily. It was the perfact color to go with these papers.

SC454

A week late but I finally got a card made for last week's sketch challenge. I used two designs of paper from the Heidi Grace Designs pad called "Daydream". It was on clearance and I immediatelly fell in love with it. I also used the "Chloe" Memory Box die. For the card base I used SU Certainly Celery which is now retired. A big mistake on their part (I think).

SC453

Before today is over I want to post my card for today's sketch challenge. I really liked this sketch and would like to use it again. I used designer paper from My Mind's Eye called "Breeze". The card base is SU Basic Gray and I also used SU So Saffron. The sentiment is from a set by Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps. I made the flower using Cheery Lyn Design's Shasta Daisy.

"Chloe"

I had fun using a new die from Memory Box called "Chloe". I think that the die is special because I have a granddaughter named Chloe. Each card becomes unique from color, sentiment, or quantity.

CAS237 "Tool Time"

Today, for the CAS challenge, we were to use an edge punch (no dies). As I began to think about doing a card, this layout and design came to my mind. I used this layout first in January of 2012. I case'd the design and layout from a card that I had seen on Splitcoast Stampers, but I could not find the original this morning.

The card for today turned out to have a Christmas theme. I used some card stock that I had purchased from our local scrapbooking store. The ornament (from SU's Delightful Decorations) was stamped with SU Raspberry Ripple ink and punched with the coordinating punch. I used an Impression Obsession die for the greenery and some serger thread for the bow and hanger. The sentiment is from a Hero Arts clear stamp set.

 

I have also posted two other cards I made using this same layout. These were made in January of 2012.

SC451 and SC452

It always amazes me how fast I can get behind. I had so much to do on Wednesday, August 28, that I had no time to get a card made for the sketch challenge that day. Things just kept happening and before I knew it, it was Wednesday, September 4, and there was a new sketch. I had still not completed the last sketch. Then on Friday, September 6, my husband took me to Saugatuck, Michigan, for my birthday. We got home late Saturday afternoon. Today I have been trying to get caught up on a few things. One of the things I got done was my cards for the past two sketch challenges at Splitcoast Stampers.

 

The strips of designer paper were from the go to "scrap" box. No matter how many times, I use paper from the scrap box, it just gets fuller and fuller. The Merry Christmas stamp is from a clear set from Hero Arts.

 

This was a very simple design and I tried to keep my card very simple. The only stamp I used was for the sentiment and that one is from "Express Yourself" by Stampin' Up. The card base is SU Island Indigo card stock and the designer paper is layered with SU Pool Party.

Watercolor Wash

Here are more cards that I made using the color wash background that I made for the CAS challenge on Monday, August 19. Each one turned out so differently. Love this background technique. I made a total of four different bacgrounds.

SSS224

There was a sketch challenge at Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps challenge blog, "The Sweet Stop," that I wanted to participate in. The challenge also had a spin to it and that was "sunflowers". I thought about the challenge for several days and this is what I came up with.

 

A friend was clearing out some of her stamps a few months ago and gave me this stamp. I was also watching a video on how to color images with water based markers on kraft paper; so, I thought that I would give it a try. I embossed the image with white embossing powder and colored the image with water based markers. I was pleased with  how easy it is to do that. All the different pieces of card stock were laying around in my craft room -- just had to resize them. I also had to rotate the sketch to make a better fit for my stamped image.

SC 450

Another really cool sketch challenge at Splitcoast Stampers.

Card base -- SU Pool Party card stock stamped with a background stamp from Impression Obsessions. Designer Papers are also from SU. White card stock and Rich Razzleberry CS was used  for layering.

Inks -- SU Pool Party and Rich Razzleberry

Stamp Sets -- SU Wetlands and Fresh Vintage

Ribbon -- SU Pool Party



CAS 234

The CAS challenge at Splitcoast Stampers today was to use paint or watercolors instead of ink. Ink could only be used for the sentiment. Where to start? Well, there were several techniques that I have always wanted to try but just never did them. I guess today is the time to start.

FIRST—I got out some watercolor paper and taped it down to a craft mat. Got out my husband's watercolor paints that he purchased some time ago. (That’s another story.) Wet the paper with water in a small spray bottle and worked at applying color to my paper. It created a color wash background that I love.

Second—I found a sentiment that I wanted to use. It was from Our Daily Bread Designs “Faith” set. I used black VersaFine ink to stamp the message.  For the leaves, I used a stamp from “Rubbernecker” colored with a green and blue watercolor crayons. (Never tried that before.)

Third—I finished the focal image by layering it on black card stock and using SU Pool Party CS for the card base. Finally, I added three black pearls to finish the card.

This was truly a challenge that encouraged me to try techniques that I had never done before.

 

SC449

This morning when I went down to my craft room, I had every intention of making a masculine birthday card for this sketch challenge. I need one in a few days. Well — this card is far from being a masculine card, but this was what evolved. I guess I go back later today and work on the masculine card that I need.

 

 

 

This is a list of the supplies that I used --

SU Pale Plum CS for the card base and SU Designer Paper.

SU Rich Razzleberry CS for the accents.

The flower (Perfect Plum CS) was created with my new Cheery Lynn die, and for the leaves I used a Martha Stewart punch.
The greeting is from SU's hostess set Express Yourself.

SSS223

I made this card for the sketch challenge at Sweet 'n Sassy's blog "The Sweet Stop".

 

For the background I used Our Daily Bread Design's "Stitch Background" stamp and Impression Obession's "Roses" background stamp. Both were stamped with SU Primrose Petals ink. Then I stamped over each piece with Impression Obsession's "Scratches" background stamp inked with Memento Desert Sand. You don't really see it that much, but it did tone down the white a little. The sentiment is from Sweet 'n Sassy's ""Faith" stamp set. The flower and little leaves were cut with Cheery Lynn Dies. All the pieces were layersed with SU Primrose Petals card stock.

CAS233 at Splitcoast Stampers

Today for the CAS challenge, we were to use the gallery of "kshelly" as inspiration. Harriet has such beautiful cards in her gallery. This is the one I chose--

 

And here is my card--

 

 

The image is a Rubbernecker Stamp colored with SU markers--Marina Mist, So Saffron and Old Olive. I used SU Marina Mist card stock for the accent color.

SC448

I am having trouble posting to my blog from the desk top computer. My laptop has been down for almost two weeks. I got a virsus and the computer experts are having trouble getting rid of it. Here is my card for this week's sketch challenge at Splitcoast Stampers.

SSS222

This is my card for the sketch challenge at "The Sweet Stop"--Sweet 'n Sassy's sketch challenge blog. This past Saturday I purchased several stamp sets from Sweet 'n Sassy at the Heirloom Rubber Stamp Show in Novi, Michigan. This image is from the set called "Poppies and Greetings". I used copic markers to color the image. I really love the images created with these stamps.