OWH Sunday Sketch

This weeks Sunday Sketch is a really nice one.  I wish I would have had time to play earlier in the week but I did have a stampy data with my stamping buddy Tara last night so I got to make this little birthday card using the sketch

I used the new PTI sets Lace Bouquet (which was a total impulse buy on release night -  but I do love it) and Celebrations.

I love this sentiment from Celebrations.  I usually write this exact phrase inside most cards I send ... now I can stamp it on the outside instead (although i think that means I need to come up with a new signature line for the insides :)

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A little vintage

When PTI did their new release this month they had a set called Simply Jane ... inspired by the era and writings of Jane Austen,  Now I'm not a huge Jane Austen fan, but I love this set and its companion patterned paper titled Dearest Jane.

This weeks CPS sketch just screamed (figuratively not literally ... that would just be weird) "use the Simply Jane set on me!"  So I did ....

I used my ticket corner punch [SU!] on just the outer panels to create a more unified backdrop for my silhouette.  The paper is from Chapter 1 of the Dearest Jane collection ... its vintage handwriting script of some of Jane Austen's works.  This one happens to be from Pride and Prejudice which is the only Austen work I've seen as a movie (and I haven't read any books although I am now reading Pride And Prejudice because I did sort of like the movie).  I also aged the paper a little using the Chai Tea from Tea Dye Duo

The frame die cuts the scroll part as well as the cuts the oval out of the center (brilliant).  The card stock is dark chocolate but the ink is Early Espresso to give an added contrast.

I also die cut the silhouette , but opted not to stamp the matching stamp on it.  Instead I added the  necklace and flower, again in early espresso.  (by the way I actually die cut the silhouette from the oval center piece so no wasted scraps on this project either).  The ribbon is Dark Chocolate satin.

For the sentiment I selectively inked just the Happy Birthday part of one of the sentiments in the set and created the banner .

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CPS 251 and Make It Monday: Ghost Mask

I had an idea for the CPS this week.  An awesome idea, then I saw the MIM video while I was waiting for my daughter at the dentist (LOVE my smart phone) and my awesome idea got awesomer ... combine the 2 challenges this week into 1 utterly amazing pile of paper awesome-ness.

That didn't work out.  I tried 5 times to make it a reality.  My biggest problem was that the dies I have with matching sets cut the dies bigger than the stamp and so the masking overflowed the stamped frame and that just sort of blew the effect in my mind.

Then this morning - bright and early - I realized I didn't have to use a die ... I just drew lines in and cut the vellum mask to fit it ... a dream of argyle later and voila ....

I must confess it took me a couple of attempts to get the argyle right ... I ended up printing a picture off and using that as a guide.  It seemed beyond me this morning without the help.

I used a harlequin impression plate for the card base to carry the pattern over subtly to the rest of the card.

Stamps are all PTI: A Little Argyle and Flower Fusion 6 (sentiment).
Colors are Smokey Shadow, True Black and Raspberry Fizz (also PTI)
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OWH Sunday Sketch

For this weeks OWH Sunday Sketch I decided to go with bright happy colors to offset the cold and snow we got over the last few days here in Iowa.  Up til now winter has been FABULOUS - sunny and temps in the 50s.  Not "Midwest winter" at all.  Now winter has arrived, but I am fighting back with some bright flowers...

I used my Book Print  Impression plate that I actually had forgotten about.  I love the randomness to the letter placement.  I also used my Take Three die.  It perfectly cut those squares (I was very happy when I measured them and they were exactly what the sketch called for.  And lastly I used my Background Basics: Newsprint.  The column stamp fit perfectly within the cut squares.  Easy peasy!

The flowers, leaves and sentiment are from Flower Fusion 6 & 7.  I did a little selective inking to turn the single line sentiment that was too long into a 2 line sentiment that fit perfectly.

Colors are [SU!] Calypso Coral and Lucky Limeade - both from the In Colors 2012
I also used Basic Gray and Black ink on the text.

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SFYTT - 2012 kickoff

The first Saturday of the month has come and gone.  That means I'm late on teh Sketch For You To Try ... not really I have all month, but I usually crank it out the first day.  Not so this month,  feels like I've been in a bit of a slump. But here is my entry for this months sketch

I used my bloom builders die and created the flower from Lemon Tart card stock.  The rest is just layers.
I tried to add a little interest by embossing with the Leafy Branch folder.  I like how it ties the patterned paper and the flower focal piece together.

Colors are Soft Suede, Chocolate Chip, Spring Moss, and Lemon Tart

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OWH Sunday Sketch #103

This week's OWH Sunday Sketch had lots of embellishments on it.  I started with a floral cascade in my head, but when I was assembling sup[plies I saw my manly wood grain and flannel plaid DSP from the SU! Holiday mini  I changed my mind and decided to make a masculine card. But what to do in place of those flowers.  Buttons would be good but I didn't have any that were the right size/color for my project.  ... so I made my own

I used pieces of the patterned paper for the bulk of the card, only stamping the sentiment (from TCP).  I also punch 10-12 circles in each size (1.25", .75", and .5").  I slathered adhesive over all but one and stacked them up to build the thickness I wanted.  I then used my crop-a-dile to punch the holes and tied them with twine from my garage.

Pretty cool huh!?!.  I've also embossed them with clear EP before but didn't this time around.

Colors are Cherry Cobbler and Early Espresso (SU!)

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MIM: A La Carte

This week's Make It Monday is a recap of 2011 - pick your poison so to speak .... Choose a MIM from 2011 that you did't get to try or maybe your fave from the year.

I opted for #12 - Making your own frames.  I default to my Framed set far too often.  I know its not difficult doing the frame but it always seemed to take too long - until Nichole Heady showed a few simple tricks to making frames quick and easy

I started by doing all the stamping.  I could have drawn the frame around the medallions as well but I like the depth it gives have the line be over the medallions, but cut off by the sentiment.

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Hello Card Supplies:
Ink: So Saffron, Tangerine Tango, Cherry Cobbler [SU!]; True Black [PTI]
Paper: White [PTI]
Stamps: Mehndi Medallion , Think Big Favorites 3 [PTI]
Other: Black art marker

Its Your Day

A simple card today in Cherry Cobbler and White

I die cut Mat Stack 5 and the Fillable Frames #8 - they are just about the same shape.  I stamped the frame and sentiment using Fresh Snow ink.

Inside I stamped another sentiment from Birthday Basics and added a strip of the patterned paper which was from the SU! Holiday mini.

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Winding down on the birthday blitz ...

... of course another birthday card for my dad ... only 1 more left :)

I decided to make a clear card this time, just to be different.  Harder to photograph but pretty awesome just the same

I cut out 4 Mat Stack 4 Layerz (larger layer) 2 in black and 2 in white.  The white ones are on the inside of the card.  The black ones are on the outside of the card ot mask the tape and such of the inside layers.

I also cut the regular Mat Stack 4 die and stamped using the Lock and Key set (keys are sentiment)

Inside I stamped a happy birthday sentiment form Birthday Basics and another key, to carry on the theme .

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Birthday Blitz countdown - only 2 more to go

So I have just 2 more cards to go after this one for my dad's 80th birthday.

I used the CPS sketch this week (#249) for the basic layout.

I don't know why but I felt like making a tufted pillow card today.  I don't know if that's really what its called, but I saw something like this a month or so ago on the 'net (I think Moxie Fab World, but I can't remember right off the top of my head)

To increase the elegance I did all white.  I scored the background layer on my Scor-Pal (see Tara I do use it :) at 1" intervals going in both directions.   At each intersection I placed a half pearl from SU!

I added a plain white strip and the sentiment from Birthday Basics [PTI] to complete this weeks CPS sketch.

OWH Sunday Sketch - something besides a birthday card

So I know I've been on a birthday card kick (and I still have one more for my dad :), but I thought I'd give you a break from the birthdays to do an unconventional valentines card.

Unconventional you ask ... and how is that.  Well for starters its blue ... Pool Party and Island Indigo to be exact.  These are 2 of the 2012 In Colors form SU! that didn't inspire me when they were introduces, and now all of a sudden - LOVE

I also used the Sale-a-bration set Sprinkled Expressions for the heart and sentiment.    I used the heart border punch on the focal layer

To make the banner edges I used a trick I learned for doing the same cut on ribbon,  I wasn't sure it would work (thought it might crease the paper too much) but I think it looks just fine.  I folded the 2 edges together and just snipped to the corner.  Pretty simple and also pretty even (my usually problem is uneven cuts so the banner end looks "off")

Oh and for any of my worker peeps looking ... this is one of the camp cards we'll make next week.

Thanks for stopping!!