You Make my Heart Smile

Happy Tuesday!  New at Try Stampin' On Tuesday is sketch #592 with an option of ink blending.

It was such fun to use three Distress Oxide inks on this heart stencil from Folk Art. The inks were Abandoned Coral, Saltwater Taffy and Scattered Straw. Because I wanted the base to match, I inked around the edge of a piece of card with the darkest color. The sentiment and die are from Gina K's mini Smile set and some clear sequins finished with sparkle.  A quick CAS card.  

Sure hope you will join the challenge at TSOT!

Wishing you...

 

My design team inspiration for the new sketch #510 at Atlantic Hearts Sketch Challenge.

This was a new piece of patterned paper from The Paper Studio. I fell in love with the water color vibe and it has my favorite colors. (This card has the colors and foliage quite similar to another card posted earlier this month.)  For the center element of the sketch I used a strip of SSS Fog card stock edged with CTMH Slate. 

I took a piece of water color paper and loosely pained all over with Gina K inks - light and medium Spruce, Applemint,  and Sea Glass. Once it was dry I used Gina K Foliage Filler dies to cut some leaves and also cut some from Slate card. The sentiment was stamped in Slate and is part of the So Many Sentiments set by Gina K. It's a busy card with lots of layers, but I wanted a little sparkle and added some clear sequins.

I hope you will check out the sketch and play along at AHSC.  The design team cards will post on the blog on Wednesday.

Sketch Saturday #718

 

New at Sketch Saturday!  The sketch for this challenge has an option twist: Celebrate Love.

My card used a technique by Therese I saw on her blog and YouTube channel Lost In Paper - she has so many clever ideas for how to use those lovely scraps we all have.  If you've never seen her work, please check it out. She a brilliant crafter and an excellent teacher.

I followed her steps for selecting an opening and then paper piecing scraps around the area, then cutting it. I used stitched dies from Pretty Pink Posh and the hexagon from My Favorite Things. Then I heat embossed a sentiment from a retired CTMH set on the back panel, popped up my patchwork design. and added some hearts as embellishments. 

Please check out the inspiration from the rest of the Design Team and join us. We so enjoy seeing what you create with the sketch.

Masculine Birthday

 Ellie's theme at Allsorts for this week's challenge #713 is 'Boys & Men' so I've made a birthday card that I think might be great for a guy. Graphic and bright colors.

I've used Distress Oxide inks ( Fossilized Amber, Salvaged Patina, Pine Needles) with Altenew's Modern Circles stencil. I inked once and rotated the stencil for a fuller background.  When the ink was dry, I hand-doodled the lines and circles with a black pen.  The sentiment was cut with Altenew Fine Alphabet die and the sub sentiment is from Simon Says Stamp Stop Drop Party set.

Prizes for the next four challenges from 

WOWVOW, Craft Stash, AALL & Create, and Ruth Hamilton Designs!

Check out the brilliant inspiration from the rest of the design team at Allsorts and craft along!

You Shine

 I made this card for my little granddaughter who will be traveling to participate in a gymnastics competition. She has competed in several local events, but this is her first big trip to an out of state meet. She's so excited!  I wanted to encourage her since I can't be there.  

I used the Starburst embossing folder on a soft shimmer champagne paper and cut it down to a smaller panel before mounting on a gold dotted acetate panel.  The sentiment was cut with a SSS die of the same name from the champagne card, gold and teal matt card from Simon Says Stamp. I finished by adhering tiny fold stars and a single gold heart.

                          This second photo shows the shine a bit better. Tough to capture in a photo.

I'm linking to Can You Handle the Pressure - I did use the embossing folder, though not with the dots option.

Spots and/or Stripes

 Good Morning!  It is my week to host the challenge at Allsorts and the theme I have chosen is

                                .....Spots and/or Stripes ////

This month’s prizes come from Oakwood, Stamp Addicts, Sizzix and AALL and Create, these links take you to their individual websites.

My card used striped paper from my stash and a sentiment die cut from Simon Says Stamp. I used the shadow layer to cut the opening in the front panel, and the sentiment was cut with gold matt mirror card stock.  I cut a few extra hearts to use as embellishments. 

Please check out the fantastic inspiration from the rest of the design team HERE and we hope you will join the challenge!

Birthday Wishes

Sketch #590 at Try Stampin' On Tuesday was just fun to put together! 

 As part of my 2023 'Intentions," I am using pretty scraps. I go through my papers and clip together card stocks that coordinate.  Then I have lots of these little sets I can select when a sketch seems just right for them.  This has been so helpful and fun for me! 

I stamped the flowers and leaf with Altenew's Dark Night ink and then colored with Zig Clean Color Light Pink and Light Gray. The stamp and die set is Altenew Focus On You. I stamped the inside with another floral spray. The circles were cut with Spellbinders Nestabilities. The sentiment is a preprinted strip.  

Please check out the fantastic inspiration from the rest of the Design Team and join us in this sketch challenge!

Tuesday Morning Sketch

 Inspired by sketch #690 at Tuesday Morning to use some florals that were on my desk - left from a card made last night. The stamp/die is from Altenew's Focus On You bundle. I've loved using this set, and it is on sale right now.

For this beautiful sketch by Andrea Whisman I used a scrap of gray card stock and embossed it with the Twill Stripe folder, cut a circle out of it and popped it with foam tape, tucking the flower inside. The sentiment was cut from Altenew's Essential Sentiment Strips.

Watercolor Birthday

Welcome to the new year of challenges at Sketch Saturday!                                    Sketch #717 with an optional twist: Use a new stamp

Our challenges run for two weeks and the Linky will close on Friday the night before the new challenge begins.  Each sketch also has an optional twist.  We love seeing what you create with the sketch!  There are some new designers on the team providing LOTS of inspiration. 

For my DT card I have rotated the sketch to a horizontal orientation, and did not use the option this time. I painted some leaves then highlighted them with metallic gold water color. The gold embellishment is a piece of ric-rac that I rubbed with Guilding Wax and then sprayed with gold shimmer.  The sentiment was cut using a Poppy die. 

Winter Blues

 Newest challenge at Allsorts!   #711 theme from Lorraine is

                               *** A/G or Winter Blues ***

This month’s prizes come from Oakwood, Stamp Addicts, Sizzix and AALL and Create, these links take you to their individual websites and you can read more about each on our Patrons’ page here.

My Design Team inspiration for you uses a Hero Arts rubber die "Snowy Nights" from 2013. There are some stamps that are just so pretty they must be saved forever.  This is one of those for me, and I pull it out often in winter when I need a CAS card-  in grey it is a peaceful sympathy card. It's just timeless. Here it is in Navy. I will make a set as a gift of notecards.

You're Sweet

Try Stampin' On Tuesday has a new sketch #589 with an Option of monochromatic.

My inspiration card for the sketch is pretty simple. I used the Brutus Monroe Chunky Hearts stencil and blended with Altenew Fuschia ink. I embossed the card stock with a Close To My Heart Small Hearts folder. The sentiments are from a long ago wood CTMH set. It isn't entirely monochromatic, I suppose, because of the black and white. 

A quick and easy Valentine.

Linking to TIME OUT card challenge #229, Celebrate Love

Something New

 A new year and some new crafty items?  Allsorts challenge #710 encourages you to enjoy trying them out with this week's theme:

                                                  ****  SOMETHING NEW ****

In 2023 the Allsorts blog will have a new method for awarding prizes from our wonderful patrons. 

This month’s prizes come from Oakwood, Stamp Addicts, Sizzix and AALL and Create, these links take you to their individual websites and you can read more about each on our Patron's Page.

My card inspiration for you uses a new to me die set from Concord & 9th, Geometric Quilt Top. In the past I have loved using quilt patterns and paper piecing them onto card. This die set debosses stitch lines and cuts out various pieces. It's a marvelous way to use little pieces of your favorite papers, and provides some gluing therapy, too! I did trim the quilted panel down a bit to allow for a black border, and popped it up with foam tape. The sentiment is from Altenew's Inked Lotus set, heated embossed and also popped with foam tape.

The Design team at Allsorts has some beautiful projects to share - have a look and play with something new in your crafty space or try a new technique.   Happy 2023.

Skating Into 2023

 

Happy New Year!  For the first challenge of 2023 at

Try Stampin' On Tuesday, sketch #588 has an option of 'winter activities'.

My card used some fun Echo Park papers and stamp and sentiment from an older CTMH set. I colored the image with Copics and heat embossed the sentiment.

                                   Lots of beautiful inspiration at TSOT! Hope you will join us!

Fabulous Birthday

 

A new year and a new sketch at 

Atlantic Hearts Sketch Challenge.

My resolution has been to declutter and reorganize a bit in the craft room. Which means you find all kinds of pretty things that haven't been used.  I have begun paperclipping scraps of patterned papers and colored card stock that coordinate. When my Mojo is missing I pull these little bundles out and it really helps as the color palette is done and all that I need is a sketch. AHSC is a marvelous resource!

My design team card for your inspiration this week used one of these self-created paper bundles. I think the papers were once part of a past Simon Says Stamp kit. After embossing a back panel with Altenew's Angled Mosaic folder, I used Gina K Designs Foliage Fillers and Botanical Duo dies, a circle die and Spellbinders label die with a Gina K sentiment.

               Hoping you will play along with  sketch#506!  I look forward to seeing your creations.

                                                                 Happy New Year!