My First Bokeh Background

This is the first bokeh background that I have made. Love the soft look. I wanted to keep the design very simple so the bokeh effect would pop.

SC533 -- Basket of Flowers

Here is the sketch for today's sketch challenge at Splitcoast Stampers.

 

After a busy morning I finally got to work on my card late this afternoon. I was playing with stencils last night. With a small stencil and SU Soft Sky ink, I ended up with a pretty soft background. I thought that it might work well for layer # 3. Then I began looking for paper that would go with my stenciled piece. I found a really pretty design in a 6 x 6-in pad from My Mind's Eye called ""Cowboy". The edges were slightly distressed so after cutting the piece down to a 5 1/4 inch square, I use antique linen and tea dye distress ink to make all the edges match. I used the same inks on the stenciled piece. For the flower basket I used stamps from Stamps by Judith. The sentiment was from a new set that I just received today called "New Creature" by Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps.

 

 

 

CAS317 and PP237 -- Field of Tulips

My card today ended up being for two challenges. First I printed off a copy of the sketch challenge for this week at The Paper Players. As I was looking at it and thinking about the CAS challenge to use "flowers from bulbs", this idea came to me. I have always loved seeing pictures of the fields of tulips in Holland. About sixteen years ago when I really got into flower gardening, I planted lots of bulbs. After all these years many are still coming up every spring. I wanted to try an create an image that looked like a field of tulips. I then used the sketch challenge as a guide to finishing my card.

 

The flowers were created using the Stampin' Up set called "Painted Petals".  The stems were stamped using three inks -- Memento New Sprout and Bamboo Leaves and Stampin' Up's Pear Pizzazz. For the flowers, I used SU Primrose Petals and So Saffron. I tried to stamp two or three times before reinking. I sponged a little tumbled glass distress ink at the top and a little Memento Bamboo Leaves over the stems. The sentiment is from SU's Petite Pairs stamped in Primrose Petals, layered with Primrose Petals and Certainly Celery card stock. The banners were made from bits of paper I found in my scrap box.

 

March 29, 2015 -- This card was in the weekly favorites at Splitcoast Stampers and "A Cut Above" at The paper Players.

 

SC532 -- Pretty Hydrangera

My card for today's challenge is not what I started out to do. I guess each part built on the previous part. It took me a while to decide what I was going to use for the focal image. Once the stamp was chosen, I experimented with different colors. The final image was colored with Distress Markers -- tumbled glass, stormy sky, bundled sage and forest moss. I spritzed the stamp with water before stamping. The other panel was created using a background stamp for Impression Obsession. I stamped it twice using SU Always Artichoke and Island Indigo (stamped off once) ink. Then I sponged tumbled glass distress ink lightly over the whole piece. After embossing the white background piece, I lightly sponged tumbled glass ink it as well.

CAS316 Challenge

"No Patterned Paper"! That is the theme of the CAS challenge today at Splitcoast Stampers. I thought it was going to be easy. But--- Everywhere I looked, I saw bits and pieces of all kinds of patterned paper. It was so hard not to pick one up. Here is my card; it's very simple. Guess that is what clean and simple is all about.

The stamps are from Our Daily Bread Designs. The flower is the Dahlia single stamp and the sentiment is from Mini Tags 3 (one of my go to stamp sets). I used SU Primrose Petal ink and card stock along with my white.

 

 

PP236 -- Florals

This afternoon I made a card for this week's challenge at The Paper Players. I love their CAS challenges and I love seeing everyone's pretty cards.

 

First, this is a card that I made last night. It was a card that I case'd from a card that I had seen on Pinterest. When I first saw the card, I immediately fell in love with it. Here is a link to the cards. I used four colors of pink/red to made the flowers -- Blushing Bride, Pretty in Pink, Primrose Petals and Cherry Cobbler. I used two different flower punches, did a little shaping and added a pearl to the center.

 

After the card was completed, I kept making flowers with the scraps that I had out. I love to see them take shape. So when I saw this week's challenge, they were there just waiting to be used. I added a sentiment from Stampin' Up's set called "Thoughts and Prayers".

The Paper Players Color Challenge

I also wanted in make a card to enter into this week's color challenge on The Paper Players Blog.

 

Here is my card--

I used SU crumb cake card stock for the base, wild wasabi for the leaves and crisp cantaloupe and so saffron for the flowers. The black frame and white insert were cut on my Cricut. I am not sure which way I like the card best -- portrait  or landscape. Right now it could be used either way.

March 14, 2015-- My card made "A Cut Above".

SC531

Every Wednesday, I look forward to seeing what the sketch is at Splitcoast Stampers. Then my mind starts working. How can I use this sketch? What paper and what color will work? What stamp am I going to use? Questions! Questions! Questions!

Here is today's sketch --

and my card --

 

I used paper from a 6x6-inch pad by We R Memory Keepers called "Chalkboard". Not sure why I chose strips; they show all your little mistakes. SU Smoky Slate card stock was used for the base and SU Blushing Bride was my accent color. I found the sketch easy and challenging at the same time. Measurements and cutting are critical in getting perfect angles. I see that I was a little off with my top piece. Can't do anything about it now; the card is on it's way to Chicago for my daughter's birthday.

 

 

Just For Fun

I have been working on some projects "just for fun" the past few days. These pieces were made a few months ago. I got them out and made a couple sheets of "Card Candy". There were a few pieces left over so I decided to see how they might work on a card. Below you can see the result.

A sheet of "Card Candy"--



The card made using the leftover pieces--



 

Here is the second sheet of "Card Candy" in SU Primrose Petal card  stock--

CAS315 -- Ribbon

"Ribbon" was the theme of today's CAS challenge at Splitcoast Stampers. I expect I am like everyone else and have tons of ribbon. I love the pretty "colors" you can purchase.

This is not a new design for me; I have used it in the past. It is one I love. I purchased the 1 1/2-inch wide grosgrain ribbon to use on the back of my cross-stitched book marks a long time ago. Still had some left.

The focal image was created using the Cricut Craft Room. I made lots at Christmas time, in many different colors with different sentiments. I then used them to make "card candy". This one was just waiting to be used.

 

Here are other cards that that use the 1 1/2-wide grosgrain ribbon --

 

 

SC530 -- Pink Tulips

Love today's sketch. I have made cards in the past with a similar layout. I also wanted to make a card for this week's challenge at The Paper Players blog. Their challenge was "spring". Sooooo -- here is my card. When I think of spring, I think of all the pretty flowers that are soon to bloom. I am always amazed at the early spring blubs. After weeks of being covered with snow, they always seem to know when it is time to start growing. I have been tempted to go outside and dig in the snow. I bet that under that layer of white, the crocuses, early tulips and daffodils are already poking their heads up through the frozen ground.

Today's sketch --

 

*March 8, 2015 -- This card was one of many "CAS Favorites" for the week.

 

 

Trying Something New

Today, my card is for a combination of two challenges at Splitcoast Stampers. The first one is for the "Clean and Simple" challenge which was to use a bird on our card. The second challenge is for the "Technique Lovers Challenge". This challenge was to create a card with a "Scene in a Circle". I found it fun putting these two challenges. Now, here is my card.

 

I used the Stampin' Up set called Serene Silhouettes stamped in VersaFine Onyx Black ink. Two tiny cardinals, which were cut out using a die from Impression Obsession, were added. Cherry Cobbler was my accent color with black being the accent color for the sentiment, which is from Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps set "Be Encouraged".