Just Chicken in

Feels like forever since I was able to get to the craft room....over a week!  School has been very busy. It's that time of year.  The AP students are in the last two weeks of preparation for their big exam.  Then, as advisor to the Model UN group, I took seven students overnight to a Model United Nations conference this past weekend.  Lots of preparation and paperwork for that as well.  And not much sleep!  We had a blast.  It is inspiring to see 300 high school students deeply engaged in trying to resolve major world issues. 
So I am just briefly "chicken in" with a darling image. It's the April challenge at From the Heart Stamps...and I'm just barely making the time line. I have also used their current sketch challenge 016.

The paper is Sycamore Street, and Pacific ribbon from Stampin'Up!  The card stock is Grey Flannel, Sunset, Pacifica and White Daisy, and a Sunset button from Close To My Heart.
 

Want a rainbow?

 

The Clean and Simple sketch this week was intriguing...not simple to execute, however.  I had this idea...and after many attempts, I am just calling it in. lol  The card looks better in person. I really wanted the 'watery' look for the rainbow, but probably should have gone to card stock strips.  It is a marvelous sentiment though from a favorite performer.

Challenge: Clean & Simple FTL 237
Stamp: Scrapbook Sentiments- Women, Close To My Heart
Inks: Smoky Plum, Crystal Blue, Sky, Sweet Leaf, Buttercup, Honey, Cotton Candy, Black
                                                                                    Tools: Paper piercer, Fiskars cloud punches

Friends Forever

Just love the Freshly Made Sketches challenge this week!  I used a digital image from A Day for Daisies, coloring it and cutting carefully to have one border of the flower free. Three tiny drops of Liquid Pearls in the centers, and some tiny dot paper that has been in the stash so long that it's source is forgotten. 

Challenge:  Freshly Made Sketches, FMS 82
Image: Poppies, A Day for Daisies
Inks: Cranberry, Ruby, Sweet Leaf alcohol markers, Close to My Heart
Sentiment: Fabulous You set, Close To My Heart
Paper: White Daisy card base, Close to My Heart
Embellishment: Liquid Pearls

More Angel Trumpets

Once again using this digital image from Tiffany Doodles.  Colored yellow this time, and have used colors for JUGS 185  challenge and the Sweet Sketch Wednesday #202.  The papers are from Close To My Heart Chantilly collection. The circles were cut with Spellbinder dies, and the little flourish is a Sizzlit die.  The ribbon and bling are from my stash of goodies.  It is hard to see in the photograph, but the white background was embossed with a new plate from StampinUp! run through my Cuttlebug. Quite a mix of products!  I so love all my toys :-)

 

Angel Trumpets OLW 136 'A' OK

My son and I saw these lovely flowers in Thailand at the royal palace in Chiang Mai.  The Angel Trumpets are yellow, or pink and are gigantic and spectacular!  This digital image comes from Tiffany Doodles.  It has been colored with water brush using Close To My Heart inks. The sentiment was computer generated.  The OLW challenge is to use elements that begin with 'A' - so Angel trumpets and 'always' sentiment are fitting for that.
It has been a while since I played along with One Layer Wednesday challenges.  But the designers there were the first to introduce me to the joys of attempting clean and simple cards, and they remain the gold standard for such creations. 

 

CASology Week 40 WORD

Loved reading books to my three boys as they were growing, and now have the pleasure of reading with my grandsons.  'Books' was my very first thought when I saw the challenge for this week.  This  sweet digital image from Vintage Digi Stamps was colored with water brush and CTMH inks. I wanted to keep the colors soft for the vintage feel. It was sponged around the edges also. 
Another wonderful challenge from CASology. You really should check out the submissions- some spectacular inspiration!

Sleepless In Seattle

 

 

 

 

Less Is More has a challenge this week: One Layer card that represents a favorite film. 

ONE LAYER

A FILM

Lots of wonderful films raced through my head...but this gave me a chance to use my Space Needle stamp from Impress!  I did some masking and sponging to create the clouds, and the hint of Mt. Rainier in the background.  Several retired Close To My Heart sets provided the city and the background 'rain.' The sentiment was from the $1 bin at the hobby store. 
 

Daffodils i {heart} sketches No. 13

Yesterday was the Daffodil Parade - a iconic event for our area.  There used to be many fields of daffodils in the Puyallup Valley, and now, sadly, only one remains.  They are such a cheerful reminder that spring has arrived...this year the parade braved cold, wind, and rain! 

Bowl of Daffodils is a digital image - From the Heart Stamps, and I used their sketch challenge. I water brushed the image. The papers are Close To My Heart, Chantilly and Buttercup, Twilight, and White Daisy card stocks.  Sentiment and clear button also CTMH. The punches are Stampin'Up!

Bon Voyage!

Close To My Heart Tommy paper collection, Verve pennant die, Outdoor Denim ink, Keyboard Upper Case alphabet set.

Hey, Dude! Stella Says Sketch! SSS134

Fun again with the Catch the Bug Blog challenge.  These really are such delightfully fun digital images.  This was was chosen by my grandson who adores all things skate board. He has little finger boards and a real one just his four year old size, too! I'm glad to say he also has pads and a helmet.
 I have paired the Bugaboo image with CTMH Later Skat8r papers, Pear, Lagoon, White Daisy, and Outdoor Denim card stock, and the sentiments from two other CTMH sets. 

Lao Tzu - Cards in Envy Sketch #3

The Cards in Envy blog presents the challenge to create cards that can fit inside a standard envelope without any extra postage -no bumps from buttons/bows/bling.   It's a worthy goal when you can't hand deliver a card.  It also makes perfect cards to donate to Operation Write Home. 

For this card I used stamps from a Wordsworth Remembering set called Life Affirmation.  It's a set I purchased a few years ago, and am finally playing with it!  I used Topiary, Black, and White Daisy card stock and inks from Close To My Heart, and water brushed the lotus bud.

Travel

I just LOVE to travel!!  It's been a marvelous way to combine training classes or seminars with exploration.  I have been fortunate to visit Boston, San Francisco, New Orleans, Denver, Santa Barbara, New York City, and Washington, D.C. for professional development.  I always add some time on after the class to see the area.  In the past two years, I have been able to go to Japan and Thailand with my oldest son as traveling companion just for fun.  We travel well together, and he has asked where we should go next....this sentiment says it all for me.  Let's just pack!

http://casology.blogspot.ca/

This card is for the CASology challenge Week 39.  The stamp is from Wordsworth Remembering, a set called Life Affirming.  I sponged with CTMH Twilight and Pear inks, and added tiny black sparkles.

Good Times- Colour Challenge Week 114

LIME & BLACK     Less is More Colour Challenge this week.  I love these two together, and had just started a card for my son using them when I read their post. 

There is a story to the card...Son and I met up in Bangkok for a spectacular trip over winter break.  We had spent a long and very exciting day going up river to a small island known for pottery.  Later that evening we searched out a restaurant along the river. Aquatini was one that the guide book recommended and we encountered a street fair with performers along the way.  Once there, we sat on a rooftop patio right next to the river - it was lovely!  The place was known for being near the water and serving martinis as their signature drink. Not my drink- but son likes them.  It came as just warm Vermouth in the glass...and was one of the very few places we encountered servers who did not speak English!  The charades that ensued to get the martini to a drinkable state were hilarious.  We had a lot of fun that night - and the whole trip.  This son lives in Japan, so remembering these good times helps when I get lonesome.

Claire

The Close To My Heart paper I am focusing on this month for my card group is Claire.  I love the stripes and anything with outdoor denim is a fav for me.  Both cards we will make tomorrow are based on sketches - the first one is from the Deconstructed Sketch used here (which won the Cards in Envy challenge that week). The bow was cut from Outdoor Denim card stock using Cricut Artiste @ 3/4" fastened with a Sunset brad.  The sentiment piece and Hollyhock matt were cut with Nestabilities. There are many CTMH sentiments that fit this piece, so the gals tomorrow can choose one that meets their card needs. I used A Blossom set for the flowers behind the sentiment.

This card uses a Verve Sketch, and I made it on a 4.25" square White Daisy base.  The sentiment is from a new CTMH set Scrapbook Sentiments-Poets. I just love this set!  The little flower was cut from Blush card stock at 1 3/4" Cricut Artiste, and brushed with Hollyhock ink; the circle is 4" and ovals #2 both cut on Cricut using the Art & Philosophy cartridge. I added an Opaque to the flower center and three tiny pearls scattered on the sentiment.

I hope the gals like these as much as I do. This paper is super easy to work with- just LOVE it!!

i {heart} sketch 012

Used some CTMH Flirty papers for this sketch challenge at Delightful Inspirations.  The image is a digital from their store called Pail of Flowers.  I paper pieced the blanket and cut out some of the blooms, and used the watercolor brush on the main image.   

Much Happiness Retro Sketch #57

Love the simplicity of this Retro Sketch design!  I am always looking for the opportunity to use the beautiful papers my son brought me from Japan.  I used some gold Jewelry thread, a happiness charm, and the sentiment from CTMH Kangi Phrases (retired). The White Daisy panel was embossed with a Fiskars plate.

Fabulous You

I loved this stamp right away...but have had a very tough time making something with it that I like.  It is delicate. First, I overpowered it with a 'shabby chic' style. Now I fear it is too simple.  But that's how things go some days.  It's part of a lovely Close To My Heart set called Fabulous You.  I stamped in Chocolate,  colored with Sunset and Pear markers, backed with Pear card stock and tied a thread pulled from a burlap strip.  The embossing folder is Cuttlebug, Bird Call, on Colonial White card stock.
 

Week 38: UP!

 

http://casology.blogspot.ca/

 

 

 

 

                                                                                                                                                                        

 I was thrilled to have this card selected as the winner for CASology week 36: Song.  It got even        more fun when I was asked to be guest designer for this week.  That was a challenge!  CASology is dedicated to learning how to create clean and simple cards.  The design team is amazing.  About five years ago when I got a bit more serious about card making, I discovered several blogs with this CAS focus, and I became entranced.  Trying to create a CAS design is like doing comedy in theatre. MUCH more difficult than it looks!  CAS cards take away most of our paper, ribbon, brads, embellishments...Not an easy thing for me.  But I am learning - about using color, dimension, 'sweet spots' on the paper - and sometimes I can make it work.  I love trying and playing along with CASology whenever I can. 

Wheee!

http://www.freshlymadesketches.blogspot.com/

Loved this image from Bugaboo Stamps!  I am afraid of roller coaster rides, but I could just see the fun these little people were having and smile.  The papers, sentiment stamp, twine and mini-brads are all Close To My Heart. The clouds cut with Fiskars punches.
I have used the Freshly Made Sketch #79

Friday Mash UP - FM 103

This week's Friday Mash Up challenge: use lined paper and distressing.  Getting those taxes prepared can be stressful - fortunately, this year mine were not also distressing.  Much more fun to distress paper than myself!
All products used are Close To My Heart.