retrosketch

 

 

Cleaning the craft room has been fun - finding wonderful papers I had neglected. These are from a retired Close To My Heart set, Tommy.  The stamp imaged also an older rubber/wood stamp from CTMH inked with Outdoor Denim.  The 'stripe' is navy twill from my stash. 
 
Linking this to retrosketches #190

Feeling Groovy!

The Friday Mashup challenge to create a card with 60s-70s-80s theme and use color blocks instantly inspired me to reach for a fun, and long ago retired, Close To My Heart set called Be Yourself.  My memory of the seventies includes an unfortunate lime green bell bottom pantsuit, and a hot pink mini shirt...the inspiration for the color blocks. The sentiment is from a brand new set from My Creative Time, Friendships are Forever, and the die cut is also.  I cut it twice in black and offset a green cut.

Gratitude

The new Cards in Envy challenge is "Gratitude" and I just today completed forty cards of that specific theme.  A friend ordered them as invitations for an Open House for all the friends who helped her through two hip replacements and recovery.

After random stamping on four large sheets of watercolor paper, I clear embossed the leaf image (a cherished wood stamp that may have been one of the first I bought more than 15 years ago). Then used Ranger Distress inks ( Mustard Seed, Spiced Marmalade, Fired Brick, Aged Mahogany) to watercolor the inside of each leaf.  I painted between the leaves with a wash made from water and black re-inker, then splattered with Chocolate (Close to My Heart) re-inker at full strength.  These pieces were cut and layered on Terra Cotta card stock that had been random stamped with Champagne ink using the same leaf image. The card base is Kraft.

The sentiment is a digital from Stamplorations.  Finished off with a some Barn Red card stock, a wrap of super thin twine, and some sequins.

I LOVED doing the watercolor!  But I must be honest and say that after assembling 40 of anything a crafter is grateful to be finished!!

 

Atlantic Hearts #132

Atlantic Hearts Sketch #132.  I used CTMH Sparkle and Shine for papers, a White Daisy card base, and Slate and Ruby card stock.  The ornament is formed from Cricut cuts, with the center stamped in second generation Juniper ink and the smaller snowflake embossed in silver. The snowflakes are from the Frosted set. Sentiment stamped in Ruby is from A Holiday.  I took some liberty with the sketch, and added several glitter tape banners to the sentiment.

Thanks

Do you hoard your favorite paper?  (or maybe all paper!)  I forgot how much I loved this Dreamin' paper collection from CTMH. I am really making an attempt to clear out things I don't use or love....but I just keep finding great things I've stashed away.  Just enough of this left for a few cards. 

Starting with a sketch is my salvation when I am working so much - I am supposed to be retired, but have been part-timing 3 days a week and volunteering at the grandson's school as well.

But I count on a good sketch every week at Atlantic Hearts to keep me going. This card used sketch #131 created by Michelle Stewart.   The image and sentiment come in the Happy Autumn set, inked with Honey and Chocolate. I fussy cut the sentiment and also traced over it with Liquid Glass, and wrapped the small square panel with some Chocolate twill.

Whatever the Weather OLS 21

I am a Massachusetts girl living in Washington state....and I miss snow. We get a little here in Puget Sound, but I would love a bit more. Enough for snowmen ♥

This one layer card was made with a sweet little stamp from Pebbles that I picked up last weekend. I stamped him on a post-it first and created some curvy lines also on post-its for a mask.  Then sponged with some Sky blue ink. Colored in the scarf and added some falling 'snow flakes' with a sparkly Gelly Roll pen.  The sentiment is from a long ago Close To My Heart set, Captured Moments. I liked the size and clean font with this simple snowman.

Linked to One-Layer Simplicity challenge.

Trick or Treat

Cards in Envy Challenge for some Halloween fun. I used some 'imaginisce' paper for the back panel. Cut two circles and used a stamp from Close To My Heart ( Spook Alley) for the sentiment. Love how you can bend acrylic stamps to fit a curve! I added some messy faux stitches. The fun pumpkin with frog is a dimensional from my stash of Halloween stuff popped with thin foam tape.
 

Good Job!

 

Atlantic Hearts Sketch challenge #130

 

I used CTMH Chalk It Up papers, some Flaxen, Glacier and Sorbet card stock and Glacier thick twine. The images are two of those sweet minis from CTMH. The sentiment and back panels are popped with some foam tape, and I added a few shiny stars from the sparkle stash.

 

 Just the thing to send to my grandson for his great test scores!

 

 

Spooky Halloween

Having some fun making Halloween cards this year. The color challenge at Just Us Girls this week was, of course, just the thing.  The purple patterned paper is CTMH, Laughing Lola. The center panel I sponged with orange and shimmer purple ink.  The top is much more purple in person...I wanted to get the cat eyes to glow, and that seemed to bleach out the sparkly purple pigment ink.  sigh. Photography challenge!  The cat and sentiment were cut on the Cricut, and sequins from stash.  I used some craft scissors (yup! I still have a drawer full) to edge the center panel.

Linking also to Heart 2 Heart Challenge: Cricut Capers.

Hope you are getting treats this week.


 

Harvest Time

 

This card had several inspirations: a recent video tutorial by Kristina Werner showing watercolor on clear embossed image random stamped on the page, and the Atlantic Hearts Sketch #129.

 I used some patterned paper from Close To My Heart (Zoe) to cover the front of the card base.  The stamp image is an old wood stamp that might even have been from the days when CTMH was Dots!  I stamped the image randomly on an 8x10 piece of watercolor paper and clear embossed. After painting the leaves, I used my water brush and Slate ink to paint in the background around the leaves. I used Kristina's trick of putting ink directly on the acrylic block and brushing it off to splatter.   The sentiment is from the Fall Harvest set, embossed in white on Whisper card stock. I cut one of the leaves out and popped it with foam tape. It was difficult to cut into this water color piece! (I have more, so there will be another card soon using the rest.)

The leaf image is rather large and so the card ended up being 4.5x6.25" I backed each of the watercolor panels with Whisper and did a bit of ink distressing on the sentiment banner. Embellishments are 'Durables' from CTMH.

Also linking to My Time to Craft #306 'Autumnal Colors' and
Addicted to Stamps + More #166 'Anything Goes'

Sending Smiles

 

 

Broke out an embossing folder and tried a diffuser for the first time.  This one layer card is linked to CAS(E) This Sketch #144.

Image: Stampin' Up! Pocket Full of Posies
Sentiment: Verve Thoughtful Florals
Accessories: Darice Folder Wire Fence; Close To My Heart Diffuser + Bitty Pearls
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black; CTMH markers Autumn Terracotta, Goldrush

Autumn Muse

Joan Bardee:  Muse Challenge #139

 

 

The beautiful card at Muse this week had a watercolor background.  This is one of my favorite new techniques to try.  I also like the image on the top that allows the watercolor to show through. I created my background using Ranger Distress inks, cut the panel down with a die from Simon Says Stamp, and ran the edges along the Chocolate dye ink pad from Close To My Heart.  The image and sentiment are from the CTMH Fall Harvest set. I embossed the sentiment with Hero Arts white and wrapped it around the panel.

 

 

 

So Grateful

It's been a while since I have been in the craft room....just returned from a 22-day dream trip to China, Mongolia and Russia.  It was a marvelous adventure!  As I go over the pictures and read my travel journal, I am filled with gratitude for the chance to see some of the places I've taught about for years. And now enjoying my green and wet Pacific Northwest home.  Life is good.

So I pulled out fall papers and made a card using the Atlantic Hearts sketch #128.

Products used:
          Paper: Pathfinding; Autumn Terracotta, Champagne, Lagoon
          Stamps: Blossom (workshop set); November word puzzle (long retired favorite)
          Inks: Lagoon, Cocoa, Olive
          Liquid Glass

Silver Star Wishes

After watching a very fun Jennifer McGuire video, I tried the watercolor/salt technique using pieces of Canson cold press watercolor paper.  I made three pieces on watercolor paper - a yellow/lime green, pink/red, and this blue.  I added Perfect Pearls to the salt for some shimmer which is not very visible on this blue piece, but shows up much more on the yellow.
I trimmed down the piece, rounded the corners and embossed using a sentiment from Close to my Heart "Blossom" workshop.  The stars and silver thread were in my stash. The stars come with a tiny center hole and the tiny circles make great additional sparkles in the sky.  Tricky to adhere, but worth it.  The card base was made with CTMH Pacifica card stock.
I had a lot of fun using this technique!

Poppy Birthday

My take on CAS(E) This Sketch #134.  I have been making these poppies in several colors, and used a cheerful yellow one today.  I shaded the edges of the petals and popped them with foam tape.  It is wonderful to be able to manipulate acrylic stamps!  The doodled sketch stamp is a small circle that I cut (yes! scary but ok) and opened larger to stamp circles in the corner of the panel. I did the same thing with the sentiment circle. 

Stamps: Circle Sayings (Simon Says); Doodled Designs (CTMH)
Inks: Buttercup, Canary (CTMH); Versafine Onyx Black
Paper: Neenah Solar White; Buttercup (CTMH)
Dies: Bundle of Stitched Shapes (Simon Says); Large Iceland Poppy (Memory Keepers)
Tools: Copic Sketch markers; foam tape; adhesive

Confetti Wishes

This is a very straightforward take on Atlantic Hearts #118 sketch this week.  It is one that lets the paper colors and patterns take focus.  Easy to do with this colorful, bright paper collection.  I added Pretty Pink Posh sequins for some sparkle.  The sentiment is from You Mean the World to Me, and was stamped with Pacifica ink.

Waterworld

AAA Cards Game 44: Waterworld and Dies

For this challenge I began with a piece of watercolor paper. I used a combination of re-inker and distress inks to create the water world background.  The die cuts are from Savvy Dies, Summer Set, colored with Copic sketch markers.  The air bubbles and sentiment are from Avery Elle, with sentiment embossed with Hero Arts white.  I used three lengths of hemp twine that I braided together and tied for the anchor. 

Butterflies

CAS(E)this Sketch #133 immediately suggested this technique.  I used masking fluid to coat several sizes of butterflies punched in vellum. When the fluid was dry, I misted the paper and applied color with Holtz Distress inks ( squeezed lemonade, mustard seed, and spiced marmalade).  I dried it with my heat gun, removed the vellum and rubbed off any remaining mask gum. When I was sure it was thoroughly dry, I stamped the sentiment with Versafine Onyx Black. I trimmed the piece and backed it with a piece of foam on a watercolor paper card base.  One of the vellum butterflies had retained a bit of color, and I decided to color in its body and add a black sparkle. 

Linked to CAS(E) This Sketch and Just Add Ink #272: Butterflies.

Looking for Myself

Some days life just has you chasing around. I loved this sentiment stamp the moment I saw it! It says it all. 

This is for CAS-ology, Week 156: Line  It's a rather odd take, but sums up today's feelings!  I stamped on a post-it note in Ruby ink, and hand drew my 'line', and added a tiny silver brad to tack my note.

Get Well

Seems like I have been in need of get well cards this summer!  Third friend with a surgery...so I chose peaceful colors for the small hexagonal.  The panel was embossed with a Stampin' Up! folder, but most other products are Close To My Heart.  The inks I used are Pear, Glacier and Twilight to stamp the back of the embossed piece. Sentiment from the Sincere Expressions set was stamped in Versafine Onyx Black. I used the chevron punch on each corner piece and backed it with some glitter tape for a bit of sparkle.  The card base was made with Twilight card stock...though it looks more lie Crystal Blue in this photo. Greens are not as washed out in real life either.

Yesterday my desktop computer (which is 10 years old) asked me to update a program...and somehow that installation affected my Microsoft photo import/edit.  I could not figure out how to import from my camera, and after several hours with some frustration language, I gave up and tried my newer (2 year old) laptop.  I can import and crop.  That's it for now!  No savvy about color...I'll figure it out eventually or my grandson will visit and show me.  He's nine and very smart!!♥

Linked to Michelle Stewart's Atlantic Hearts Sketch #117 
(yea!  I am finally not posting at the last minute - even before Wednesday!)

Fabulous

Three challenges in one today.  I used CTMH Glacier ink and sponged in a mask for the pale blue, used CTMH Smoothie paper for the die cut - Memory Box Icelandic Poppy- and Pear ink for the chevron stamped in the circle mask. The sentiment comes from a CTMH Operation Smile set, and sequins from Pretty Posh Pink.
Linked to
Freshly Made #195Color Me #80

and Addicted to CAS # 68

Sharing

Second post today.  I loved this sketch at Friday Mash-Up #217. I decided to take the full challenge: pet theme + sketch. The cats are from Simon Says Baby Party Animals, the ice cream used a Martha Stewart punch, and the sentiment is from an older CTMH set called You Are My Happy.  Colored with Copics, and I used the coordinating die to cut the animals.  I did a free-hand draw for the speech bubble.  Added some grass grounding with a tiny stamp from my new Avery Elle set.  Now all I need is a friend and lots of ice cream :-)

Here Comes the Sun

 

Sunshine here in full swing!  Whoa...it's hot for the Pacific Northwest.  Over at Frosted Designs the theme challenge is "Here Comes the Sun/Son"....I considered doing a Christmas card, but just visited Impress yesterday and have lots of new things to play with on the table.  This card uses a sheet of the Judi Kins Window Plastic I purchased.  I used the Paper Smooches jar die cut, stamped with Squeezed Lemonade distress ink, then did another cut on the acetate. It looks like a shiny glass jar...which didn't photograph well.  The image and sentiment are from long retired and favorite CTMH sets.  Also used my new Versafine onyx black ink pad for the sentiment.  I free cut the piece for a straw. The jar and straw were outlined with Copic C1.

Make a wish...

The image and sentiment are from Close To My Heart sets (retired).  The dandelion puff was embossed with Hero Arts white on a piece of CTMH Sky card stock mounted on the panel with foam tape. I hand cut the curved tag shape, and sponged the edges with Holtz Distress Ink (salty ocean).  The sentiment was stamped using a Kaleidacolor Blue Breeze inkpad.  The white panel  was cut from Neenah Solar White (80 #) using three Puffy Cloud Border dies from Lawn Fawn and then put back together - an idea I got from a Jennifer McGuire video. 

I am linking this to both CAS(E)this Sketch #132  and  CAS-UAL Fridays #141