SC499 -- May You Be Blessed

I have finished my card for today's sketch challenge at Splitcoast Stampers. It was a simple sketch and challenging. I had so many ideas running around in my head that it was hard to focus in on just one.

Here's the sketch--

and this is my card

I used Marina Mist for the base card. On white card stock I stamped the verse which was from the stamp set called "Happy Birthday" from Our Daily Bread Designs. The floral image was from Stampin' Up's set called "Thoughts and Prayers". I colored the stamp with markers -- SU's Marina Mist and Old Olive. Before putting the card together, I stamped the card base with a stamp from Impression Obsession and clear embossed it. For the final touch, I added three little punched flowers with tiny accent pearls in the center of each one.

CAS283 -- Little Ribbon Scraps

Today's CAS challenge was to use little ribbon scraps on our card. I am afraid that my piece was a little too large, but it was a scrap that I found on my desk. I am not sure where it came from, but there it was. I think it is a Stampin' Up seam binding piece of Daffodil Delight. The daisy was also on my desk -- I was experimenting last week with an idea. The daisy was the result. The lattice was also a leftover piece I saw laying in a box with other discarded items. I did have to punch out the leaves. I started to put a sentiment on the card but then decided against the idea. I like the simplicity of the card.

For the flower, I punched three pieces out of white card stock using a Fiskars punch that was given to me some time ago. I added a little shaping to each petal by running the end of my paper-piercing tool down it. For the center, I punched a 1/2 inch circle, covered it with glue and dipped it into crystal glitter.

This is the punch that I used.

Inks, Stencil and Dies

I had been doing some research on different ways to use stencils. I came across a blog with wonderful videos regarding stencils and different ways to use Distress Inks. I have a few of the ink pads but have not used them all that much. Here is the link to the blog titled Jennifer McGuire Ink.

 This is a photo of the full piece of paper that I colored. I used three different colors of the Distress Ink -- worn lipstick, tumbled glass and spiced marmalade. I laid a stencil over the paper and sponged over the stencil with water. Before I finished sponging, I sprayed some water on my craft mat, added a pinch of Perfect Pearls powder and sponged that over the stencil.

I took my "Bashful" die and cut the image out in the center of the paper. I cut the same die out of black card stock. I inlaid the cut dies in the opposite pieces of paper.

It this point I began to assemble both cards. For this one I used SU strawberry slush card stock for the base. The next two pictures show the card from different angles.

This card features the die cut from the sponged piece of paper on black card stock accented with a white oval.

This is my cards using inks, a stencil and die cuts.

SNSS Challenge -- Christmas Ornaments

The Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps challenge was to create a Christmas ornament or include an ornament on your card. I chose to add an ornament to my card.

The Always Artichoke card base is from Stampin' Up. I used a stamp from the Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps's set called "Season of Love". I stamped and embossed the image with gold embossing powder on Stampin' Up Real Red card stock. It was cut out using a 2012 Spellbinder's die called "Heirloom Ornament Die". The green fir branch is a die from Impression Obsession. The background paper is called "crystal icing" from sei's collection "Holiday Traditions". It is embossed and really sparkles -- I am sorry that it barely shows in the photograph.

SC498 -- Summer Flowers

Another fun sketch for today at Splitcoast Stampers. Here is the sketch --

I did a horizontal flip of the sketch and used the focal stamp from Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps's set called "Sunshine & Flowers". It is a new set that I just got a couple of weeks ago and this is my first card with it. I colored the flowers with Primsa colored pencils  and Gamsol. I could not find a background paper to coordinate with the pink and blue. I decided to try making a background using one of my Impression Obsession cover-a-card stamps. I stamped it twice using Memento Summer Sky and SU Pretty in Pink.

CAS282 -- A Day at the Beach

The theme of today's CAS challenge, "A Day At The Beach," brought back so many memories. For seventeen years our family lived on the island of Bonaire in the southern Caribbean. We were missionaries with Trans World Radio. My husband was involved in the technical part of the radio ministry.

One of the kids favorite things to do was to spend the afternoon at the beach. I immediately thought of the retired stamp set from Stampin' Up called "Summer by The Sea". I chose  to use the stamp of the little boy playing in the sand. Looks just like my little boy who loved to play in the sand many, many years ago.

I did some masking and sponging to create the background. I then used my colored pencils and gamsol to color the image. The sentiment is from a clear set that I got some time ago. I no longer have the package and the company name was not on the plastic anywhere. I probably got the set from either Michael's or JoAnn's.

SC498 -- Praying For You

I thought today's sketch was going to be really easy to follow. Boy, was I wrong. This one did not turn out at all like I had wanted. I guess sometimes that is good because it gives you a chance to sit back and evaluate your work. I guess the card is not really bad; it's just not one of my favorites that I have done.

The sketch was --

Pretty simple. Right??? Yes, it looks very simple! Here is the card that I made.

I think the third layer is too heavy for the rest of the card. I used five inks to do the sponging -- Memento Sky Blue, Cantaloupe, Angel Pink, Bahama Blue and SU Night of Navy to sponge over a stencil. I used SU Midnight Muse to stamp the images. The flowers came from SU's "Best of Flowers" and the sentiment was from The Stamps of Life set "Tiny Titles 2 Stamp". I used SU's Night of Navy card stock for the card base and some light yellow that I found in my paper collection.

CAS281 Spring Bloom Colors

Today's challenge is color. I love color!  We were given a picture of a color combination called "Spring Bloom". The colors are gorgeous.

The challenge was to use three of  these color with dessert being flowers. The colors I chose were Stampin' Up's colors Calypso Coral, So Saffron and Old Olive inks. I also used Core'dinations card stock that I had purchased at Jo-Ann's. The colors were very close to the SU colors Crisp Cantaloupe and Pistachio Pudding. Because of an ink smudge, I had to add rhinestones in the lower left corner. There is a third stone that got covered up by Mr. Mouse's ear. To make this card I used four SU stamp sets--Gorgeous Grunge, Flower Shop, Petite Petals and Sassy Salutations.

This card was a CASE of one of my own cards that I had made some time ago. This first card was a CASE of a card that I had found on Pinterest. Here is a link to the original card. I love all the inspiration I receive from all the talented people who post their creations on their blogs, galleries and Pinterest boards. This card was made using the SU color Raspberry Ripple.

SC496 --Grow in Love

Today's sketch challenge--

Here is my card. I used my new stamp set from Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps called "Bloom and Grow". The flower was to wide for the fourth panel so I stamped it onto another piece of paper and cut it out. I didn't want to make the panel wider nor did I want to cut parts of the flower off.

CAS280

I worked on several projects this weekend. Before I get to them, I had to stop and work on the CAS challenge at SCS. I always look forward to seeing what the new challenge is. This week, it was to CASE one of Karen Dunbrook's cards from her gallery. This is the card I chose. It is titled "IC277,Happiness".

And this is my card.

I used the SU stamp set "Mixed Bunch". The colors I chose to use are SU Pool Party, Bermuda Bay and Island Indigo. I wanted to keep it very simply with lots of white space. Enamel dots were used as embellishments on three flowers.

May your day be filled with "joy".

Sponging With A Stencil

This is my first try at using a stencil to create my background. This was a Tim Holtz stencil and I sponged SU Wisteria Wonder ink over it. Then I used the SU stamp set "Summer Silhouettes" to create the image. I cut the top layer using a Spellbinders rectangle die and layered it with Wisteria Wonder card stock. I was playing around with the scrap from the first cut and I discovered that I could actually use it to create the next layer which was also backed with a layer of Wisteria Wonder card stock.

SC495

Sketch challenge Wednesday. I had fun working on this sketch.

 I started by finding some designer paper that went with my card base made with Wisteria Wonder card stock. I used both sides of  the designer paper. The butterfly was left over from another project. I stamped the butterfly on So Saffron card stock with Memento Tuxedo Black ink. I then added a little color near the center using an orange Prisma colored pencil and Gamsol. I covered the whole butterfly with glue and then dipped it into some Martha Stewart clear glitter.

Two July Brithdays

July 2 Stephen will be 15. 

This is a picture of his card. Sometimes I struggle to come up with an original design. This was one of those times. This card was CASE'd from a card that I found on Pinterest. I used one of my Cricut cartridges to cut the squares and an embossing folder for the background.

Maddie celebrates her 9th birthday on July 4. I got her card mailed today. She told us that she had recently gotten a bunny rabbit. I found this frame in my Cricut cartridge Elegant Edges. It turned out to be perfect. The flower stamp is from Stampin' Up's set, Serene Silhouettes. I colored it with markers and then did some sponging to soften the white card stock.