Tuesday Morning Sketches #137

Good Morning!  Happy Tuesday!  I am so thrilled about this week's Tuesday Morning Sketches challenge is the Judged Challenge so it has some added twists and turns and extra fun.  And we're sponsored by There She Goes stamps, so then to top it all off, we have some fun stamps to play with, too.

So we have a sketch designed by me.  The added twist is Monochromatic.  Now I know we all played with this same type of challenge last week with Love to Create, but I had already scheduled this part of the challenge quite some time ago.  Too late to change - so we'll just play with it again.

Do not let sketch intimidate you, it's a challenge and that's why we play.  Here's my card....

I also have a little something up my sleeves, too.  Theresa is hosting the week at TSG, so the challenge for TSG is What are you Hiding?  Add a hidden element to your card.  So I set to work last night to make my card to incorporate their challenge, too.  Here's what I am hiding....

I love this swivel card.  Behind the bow is a brass brad from the office supplies store.  And behind that front panel is the greeting.

Now another fun thing about my card - I actually dug into my stash and old techiques.  The paper is vintage Stampin' Up! and the coloring technique - well, let's just say I was pleasantly pleased that my blender pens still work.  I haven't colored with a blender pen and inks in years.

So join us, and heck, while your add it - really push yourself and play along with TSG, too.

Supplies:
Stamps:  Bloom
Ink:  Not Quite Navy, Old Olive
Card stock:  Neenah Milled Ivory, Not Quite Navy
Paper:  Porcelain Prints
Tools:  Oval cutters (CM), Lacey Borders dies (SNSS), Cuttlebug, blender pens. brad
Embellishments:  Blue-green satin ribbon (Offray)

Sunday Bliss

Good Morning!  It's a lovely Sunday morning.  The sun is shining, I have a big mug of my favorite coffee and I am playing at my craft table - this is one of the ways I define bliss.

I have a card to share with you that I made for 4 different challenges.  I won a challenge over at All That Scraps, so of course, I have to play along with this challenge with my new stamps.  So ATS' challenge is an Anything Goes challenge.  I am also entering this card in the CMC Copic Challenge (Hot Pink, Black & White).  And the iCopic Lover challenge is smooth and shiny hair.  And finally, the card design is from this week's Just Us Girls sketch challenge.  I usually don't combine more than 2 challenges, but this one worked so well.  I have technique, sketch, color combo and the chance to play with new stamps from one of my favorite stamp companies.  Another way to define bliss perhaps?

Supplies:
Stamps:  Coffee Birgitta (CC Designs), Mixed Messages (AmyR Stamps), Polka Dot Blooms (TSG)
 Ink: Tuxedo Black, Lilac Posies, Angel Pink (Memento)
Card stock:  Neenah Classic Crest, Black (Recollections), Pink Passion (SU!)
Paper:  Unknown - found in my stash
Copics:  C5, C7, C8, C10, E00, E000, E02, E30, E34, RV02, RV02, RV13, W-0, W-2
Tools:  Square punches (CM), Spring Bouquet punch (SU!), sm Oval punch (SU!)

I really don't like taking pictures during the day.  If this makes any sense, my room has lots of sunshine but its so full of shadows, it's impossible get good pictures.  This one I ended of having to take it with the card laying down on my bed and I shot above it.  Crazy!  Now you can see a bit of my cozy blanket (nope, the bed isn't made yet).  And I'm still losing a little of the element in my card.  Sorry.

Sunday Bliss

Good Morning!  I hope you're all enjoying your weekend.  I spent a wonderful day yesterday with a friend and his children and my children.  We did a small cookout and then they played in the pool.  And today my children are with their Dad all day, so I have some stamping time.

My sister is a Trendie at There She Goes stamps, her favorite stamp company in the whole wide world.  If you've not seen what she's shared over the past several days, you simply must go check out her blog, My Sassy Cards.  She has got the greatest scrapbook page of her and our other sister when they were babies that is so precious and her dollar find project is the COOLest!!  She also did a sketch, which I'm getting in under the wire...

To play along with the sketch, you are not required to use TSG stamps, Jessica and the team would love it if you did, but I also had this too cute pig sitting on my table for weeks waiting to be used, so she went on my card.  Not that I don't love my TSG stamps, but this sweetie has been begging to be on a card.  This is Mud Piggy from Doodle Pantry (one of my favorite digi stores) and I'm also entering their challenge which is a theme to use any of Laurie's images.

Supplies:
Card stock:  National Paper (65# & 80#), Close to Cocoa (SU!)
Paper:  Mud Piggy digi paper (Doodle Pantry)
Copics:  B05, C8, C10, E27, E57, RV000, RV10
Tools:  Perfect Mats rulers, sponge, Broken China (Ranger Distress Ink), pop dots
Embellishments:  Chocolate brown grosgrain ribbon (Offray)

I do hope you enjoy my card.  I'm off to go play somemore.  Enjoy your day!

Stamps Only Sunday

Good Morning!  I hope you are enjoying your weekend.  I have had some fun being back in my crafting corner.  I have another card to share with you today that is for my monthly card traders group.  Now I am all caught up with that!  My group ladies will be so proud of me.

The challenge for my group was to add paper piercing to the card.  I am thankful for an easy challenge this go-around.  I also drew inspiration from a new blog (new to me anyway), Um Wow Studio.  There is a fabulous sketch on this blog that I just had to try!  Cute Card Thursday's challenge is called What's Buggin' You and Charisma Cardz Challenge is to use more than one fold.

So here's what I did....

Just so we're clear on the colors - the base is Chocolate Chip.  I can't really tell what this card looks like.  I am posting this in the morning and I have the morning sun blaring in my room so there's a bit of glare.  Anyway, here's the front of the card and I was a bit hestitant to put bees with these colors, but in the end, I think the card came out really cute.

I created a gate fold card but since the base is brown, I decided the inside better be decorated with something easier to write on.  So I added a white panel and decorated it up a bit with more stamping and more paper piercing.

Supplies:
Card stock:  Neenah Classic Crest, Chocolate Chip, Apricot Appeal, Dusty Durango (SU)
Paper:  Open stock at Michaels
Stamps/Ink:  Bee Happy (TSG), Tuxedo Black (Memento), Always Artichoke, So Saffron, Apricot Appeal (SU)
Copics:  B00, B000, Y06, Y15, YR20
Tools:  Piercer and mat
Embellishments:  green satin ribbon (Offray)

I hope you enjoy my card and that it inspires you to come visit me!  LOL  Have a great day, enjoy the rest of your weekend.

Owlways There For You

Good Morning!  Happy Saturday!  Have you all missed me?  I've missed you and I've missed stamping.  I started a new job on Wednesday so the creative mojo was drained right out of me.  I am behind on my monthly card traders group challenges, so it was time to catch up.  Here's what's sad, this was the challenge I issued!

But after having my coffee this morning I found some creative juices (and hope they continue to flow) and made this card.  This is a slider card - I found the tutorial on SCS and then Deb found another video by Dawn Griffith.  Ultimately, that video is the one I followed.  You can find it here.

I also made this for the There She Goes challenge which is a recipe:  Kraft card base, black white and a splash of color, dry embossing.  This was so much fun.  I won a $50 gift certificate from TSG so I snagged the You're a Hoot stamp set.  I love this set!

As I said, this is a double slider card....

So you pull the top white ribbon and the inside panels slide out.  This is so cool!  It took a little time to get how to do this, but I think once you've tried one - to make more will be easy.

Close up of the top panel.  I really love all the images that came in this set.

And here's the bottom panel.  Aren't those flowers adorable?

Supplies:
Card stock:  Neenah Classic Crest, Black (Recollections), Kraft, Dusty Durango (SU)
Stamps/Ink:  You're a Hoot (TSG), Tuxedo Black, Rich Cocoa, Rhubarb Stalk, Potters Clay, Desert Sand (Memento)
Tools:  3/4" circle punch, Scallop circle nesties (Spellbinder), circle cutters (CM), Cuttlebug, Perfectly Paisley embossing folder
Embellishments:  white grosgrain, rust satin ribbons (Offray)

I hope you like my card - it feels good to stamp again.  I think I better just do it the whole day while I'm on a roll, don't you?  LOL  I wish I could but unfortunately there's floors to vacuum, toilets to scrub and groceries to buy.  Enjoy your Saturday!

Hey there sweet pea!

Good Afternoon everyone.  I know I am really late posting today.  The card I have to share with you today I made for a couple of challenges - The Sweet Stop always has such a great sketch to work and in celebration of WCMD they are offering a fantastic prize, so of course I want a chance to win.  I am also entering my card in Stampin' Sisters in Christ where their inspiration comes from Genesis 1:1 - the very first glimpse into all the beauty of what God created.  So add a touch of nature.

I just got this mini TSG set.  I got it from someone who was selling it on SCS for just a few dollars!  I am so excited!  I also used a favorite color combo of my sister Theresa's and I think it turned out very pretty.

Supplies:
Card stock:  Neenah Classic Crest, Old Olive (SU), black (Recollections)
Paper:  Sugared Collection (Basic Grey)
Stamps/Ink:  Sweet Pea (TSG), Tuxedo Black (Memento)
Copics:  RV000, RV02, RV10, YG63
Tools:  Border punch (Martha Stewart), Labels One, Scallop Oval (Spellbinders), Oval cutters (CM)
Embellishments:  pink satin ribbon (Offray), white pearls (Recollections)

I hope you like my card.  Thank you for sharing a moment of your time with me by visiting me today.

Just playing around...

Good afternoon.  I hope you're having a good day.  I got to playing around with some challenges, so I thought I'd better get this posted since the rest of the week blog days are reserved for other things.  If you're here for my Tuesday Morning Sketches post, yay! but please scroll down.

I made this card for a couple of challenges.  First of all, the challenge over at There She Goes Stamps is to mix and match stamp sets.  And the other challenge is The Sweet Stop who has another great sketch!  This was a really fun card to make.  Having recently perused the virtual pages of the Stampin' Up! catalog I felt like I'd gone back to my stamping roots when I made this card.  I didn't use Copics.  I used a blender pen and ink.  For the mix and match part, I used What's Up Buttercup! but colored them to look more like poppies.  And I used Garden of Friends to create the border.  Now the The Sweet Stop always has a great sketch to use, but it's the 3rd Saturday of the month, so there's a twist.  The twist is a color challenge, mustard and deep red.  What a lovely combination.

Supplies:
Card stock:  Kraft, Very Vanilla, More Mustard, Always Artichoke (SU!), Dark Red (Bazzil Basics)
Paper:  Classic K Bailey (K&Co)
Stamps/Ink:  What's Up Buttercup!, Garden of Friends (TSG), Poppies & Greetings (SNSS), Tuxedo Black (Memento), Always Artichoke and Bravo Burgundy (SU)
Tools:  1 1/4, 1 3/8 circle punches, Lace border punch (Martha Stewart), Scallop punch (SU!), Circle cutters (CM), blender pen
Embellishments:  dark mustard grosgrain ribbon (Offray), brads (Basic Grey)

I really enjoyed making this card - I hope you enjoy it, too.  Thanks for stopping by!

Sweet Buttercup

Hello everyone!  Good afternoon!  I am rather late posting today but I didn't have much crafting mojo yesterday. 

After spending this morning trying to make some employment contacts, it was time for a break, so I made this card.  The yellow is so happy!!  I made it for the There She Goes challenge and for Friday challenge over at Two Peas.

TSG has this awesome sketch to work with and Two Peas' challenge is either a Halloween card or a card with brad/bow on it.  I really love the simplicity of my card.  I was easy to put together and I finally inked up my What's Up Buttercup set.  I did "change up" one of the stamps a little.  The circle greeting stamp actually say "wonderful you" on it, but TSG's twist is to make a birthday card.  So I inked up the stamp avoiding the words and then stamping on my card stock.  Then I inserted "celebrate" using stamps from Mini-Messages by PTI.

Supplies:
Card stock:  Neenah Milled Ivory, Old Olive (SU), Tulip (Core'dinations)
Stamps/Ink:  What's Up Buttercup (TSG), Mini-Messages (PTI), Tuxedo Black (Memento), Old Olive (SU)
Copics:  YG03, YG63, YG67, Y15, Y17
Tools:  Cuttlebug, Textile Texture embossing folder, 1 1/4" & 1 3/8" circle punches, Oval cutter (CM), sanding block
Embellishments:  moss satin ribbon (Offray), brad (Basic Grey)

I hope you enjoy my card.  Have a great day and thank you so much for stopping by!

Stamps Only Sunday

Good Morning!  I hope your weekend is going well.  I just wanted to get this posted since it's nearly midnight Saturday night, I'm going to go to sleep and then wake up to a mountain of laundry to get through.  That's usually how my Sunday rolls.

Anyway, quick post - I made this card gaining inspiration from The Sweet Stop (sketch) and There She Goes (kraft, black & teal) challenges.  This was such a fun card to make.  Every element that I added to my card made me smile.  I hope you like it, too.

I don't often use Kraft card stock when I make cards and then when I do I always wonder to myself why I don't use it more often because it looks great and gives a wonderful earthy feel and it goes with everything!  I also chose lighter shades of teal. These papers came from a new mat stack that I treated myself to even though I shouldn't have.  It's DCWV Linen Closet and it is one GORGEOUS paper pack.  If you don't have this in your collection....you need it!!

Supplies:
Card stock:  Kraft, Whisper White (SU), Black (Recollections)
Paper:  DCWV Linen Closet mat stack
Stamps/Ink:  Bloom (TSG), Poppies & Greetings (SNSS), Tuxedo Black (Memento)
Copics:  BG01, BG05, YG03, YG63, YG67
Tools:  Cricut/SCAL, SVG cut by Penny Duncan, 1", 1 1/4", 1 3/8" circle punches
Embellishments:  black satin ribbon (Offray)

I discovered that coloring with Copics on Whisper White card stock is really different from coloring on Neenah Classic Crest.  I think I prefer Neenah, but the colors still look beautiful.

Thank you so much for stopping by and sharing a bit of your Sunday with me.  Have a great rest of your day.

Sweet Baby

Good Morning Everyone!  I have a quick post for you today - I'm still playing with my stamps.  Actually, I decided that I needed to play with my new There She Goes Stamps even though I'm behind a couple of releases.

I just couldn't get my lighting correct with card, no matter what I tried.  The base is white, but the next color is Chocolate Chip and it still looks black to me.  Anyway, I made this card for the TSG Monday challenge which is a 1, 2, 3 challenge: 1 decorative paper, 2 card stock colors and 3 embellishments.  I also used a sweet and simple sketch from Unscripted Sketches.

I created my own digi stamp for this card.  I made the little platform train that the animals are in.  It was really very easy to draw in a drawing program with some basic shapes.  Then I masked it off so that I could stamp the little animals so it appears they are in the wagon-type platforms.

Supplies:
Stamps/Ink:  Polka Dot Pals (TSG), Mini-Messages sentiment (PTI), Tuxedo Black, Rich Cocoa (Memento), Pretty in Pink, Apricot Appeal (SU!)
Card Stock:  Neenah Classic Crest, Chocolate Chip, Bashful Blue, Whisper White (SU!)
Paper:  Me & My Big Ideas
Copics:  B00, B02, B05, C8, E53, E57, RV10, W-3, Y11, Y15, Y17
Tools:  white gel pen
Embellishments:  buttons (Michaels)

I hope you like my card.  Thanks for stopping by and I hope your Monday is good to you.

Fabulous Friday

Good Morning!  I am off to a rough start this morning.  My head hurts and I am tired!  But who really wants to hear me whine?  Let's talk about technique and cards.

For my monthly card traders group the challenge was to try a technique for Faux Suede.  It doesn't require a whole lot of supplies and it's pretty easy.  You need Liquid Applique, a re-inker, a brayer and some card stock.  You mix the liquid applique with the ink color and then brayer it onto your card stock and then heat it with your embossing gun.  I'm sorry, I don't remember what the You Tube video is where this technique was picked up.

Here's my card...

Now, I didn't have any Liquid Applique but I got to thinking that my Puffy paint is pretty much the same thing, so I figured this work.  I mixed white paint with Creamy Caramel ink.  Does this look brown to you?  Me either.  But it did work!

In this view you can see all my layers and a bit of the texture.  This is really hard to share via pictures.  I thought the feel of the card stock was more like suede than the look.

In this picture you can really see the texture.  It's pretty cool - but definitely not the color I thought I'd get with this.  Fun technique.  You should give it a try!

Supplies:
Card stock:  Neenah Milled Ivory, Chocolate Chip
Stamps/Ink:  The Journey by Chris Dark (TSG), Tuxedo Black (Memento), Creamy Caramel (SU)
Copics:  E33, E37, YG03, YG63, YR23
Tools:  Puffy paint (white) (Tulip), brayer, ticket punch (SU)

Let me know what you think of this and if you try out the technique.  I think it would really cool to do both sides of the paper and then punch it out to create hand-made flowers.  I'll be back with another variation of faux suede later.  Have a great day and happy Friday!

Happy Thursday

Good Morning!  I hope you're all enjoying a great week.  I know I usually have a Thursdays with Lindsay post on Thursdays, but she gave us the week off after the 3 day blog hop last week!

So, I decided I was going to play along with a challenge that I rarely get to join in on.  This card is for the There She Goes challenge, which was to create a card featuring a tag.  I also finally got to ink up a favorite TSG set that my sister sent me months ago.

I created a very clean and simple card and I just love how this turned out.  The stamp set I used is called Polka Dot Blooms.  The sentiment is from All That Scraps.  I even found this cool button in a package of buttons I got out the $1 rack at Michaels.  It's a rectangle button that I sewed on the card and ribbon.

Supplies:
Card Stock:  Neenah Classic Crest Solar White, Perfect Plum
Ink:  Perfect Plum, Pale Plum, Certainly Celery
Tools:  Corner rounders, Oval (sm & large) punches
Embellishments:  Ribbon, button, embroidery floss

I hope you like my card! Thanks for stopping by.