A Sketch Challenge

I went to a baby shower yesterday morning---one I had known about for at least three weeks, but I had just gone to get the gift the day before and I still needed a card to put with it at 7:30 in the morning----WHAT IS THAT ABOUT? I think I should cultivate a change in my life in this area---remember, cultivate is my word for the year---this would be a GREAT change for me to make....I must do this.....pardon me while I use my blog as a personal therapist!!

OK---to the card! I used Jen DelMuro's Sketch for You to Try from last Saturday. I always love her sketches, and since I was in a hurry (but you already know more about that than you want to) I thought it would be a quick start for me. I started out with Spring Rain cardstock---I'm a bit frustrated with my Spring Rain ink pad---it's not blue. I've done everything to it that I'm supposed to for it to "work" and it still isn't the right color.....anyway, I couldn't use any blue ink, so I pulled in a piece of patterned paper with colors that I knew weren't a problem.I stamped the little boat from Men of Life and added a button detail---it really was pretty fast and was just the theme I wanted. The details are below! Have a great day~

SFYTT baby:
Stamps: Men of Life, Scattered Showers (PTI)
Paper: Spring Rain, Ripe Avocado, SS White, Men of Life patterned paper (PTI)
Ink: Ripe Avocado, Pure Poppy, Dark Chocolate
Accessories/Tools: Cuttlebug, Swiss Dots Embossing folder (Provocraft), Double Ended tags (Spellbinders), Foof-a-la button, Hemp Twine, dimensionals (SU!), Fresh Snow grosgrain ribbon (PTI)

{Sketch Card}

Jen Del Muro does a sketch every Saturday and encourages us to play along. It's been a long time since I have been able to play, but I decided to play along this weekend.

Here's what I came up with. I stamped that little branch I was telling you about from Beyond Basic Borders in Spring Moss on White cardstock. I used some Taylor's Tiny Twinkles from Taylored Expressions. I thought they looked cute with the polka dots. I wanted to use some actual punched out polka dots, but I wasn't crazy about it when I put them on there, so I used these instead---and who doesn't love a little bling, right? The details are below---I have hurt my back, so all that stamp time I was going to have probably just won't happen---I can't sit for very long. I'm so mad---but I'll just have to get over it! I went to the doctor today and I just hope the medicine she gave me works it out!

This is what we woke up to this morning---I actually took it in the afternoon, so it had already begun to melt, but this is what it looked like out my back door. The snow was really wet, so it stuck to all the trees---it was so pretty---and it meant a snow day for us...which is great today, but won't be so great on the day I have to make it up!!! Thanks for stopping by today! I hope you have a great week~


Sketch for You to Try Birthday:
Stamps: Beyond Basics Borders, Mixed Messages
Paper: Spring Moss, Plum Pudding, Stamper's Select White, 2008 Bitty Dot Paper, Polka Dot Parade (PTI)
Ink: Spring Moss, Plum Pudding
Accessories/Tools: Cuttlebug, Tag die (Provocraft), Plum Pudding Satin Ribbon, Vintage Button New Leaf (PTI), Linen Thread (SU!), Threading Water Punch (Fiskars), Taylor's Tiny Twinkles (Taylored Expressions

{SFYTT Snowman}

Hello all---

YIKES! Another week has gone by without a post---I can't believe it! I'm working on a lot of Christmas presents, so I haven't gotten much done that I can post yet!

I did decide to do Jen's Sketch for You to Try this week. I always like her sketches, but I hadn't done one in awhile.

I LOVE this little snowman and I had been itching to use this new Papertrey Ink Patterned Paper Polka Dot Parade. I thought the pattern with Ripe Avocado, Ocean Tides and Aqua Mist were perfect for this little guy.

I need to run an errand before I pick up Joshua, so this will be short (OK, as short as I can do!) I used Jen's sketch and the patterned paper, so I already had a layout and a color scheme---what else did I need?



I stamped the snowman and then paper pieced his hat and his gloves. I glued his gloves onto linen thread and stuck them to the dimensional glue dot on the back of the snowman. I used buttons as my accents and I didn't use ribbon---it's a miracle! I decided that linen thread could pass as a ribbon---of sorts---yeah, that's my story! So, there it is--a quick card---just for fun!















Snowman stuff:
Stamps: Made of Snow Paper: Ocean Tides, Ripe Avocado, Aqua Mist, Polka dot Parade Ink: Palette Noir, Ripe Acocado, Ocean Tides Accessories: Foof-a-la buttons, Corner Rounder, Linen thread (SU!), 3-D glue dots (Zots), Swiss Dot CB embossing folder, Cuttlebug

If you are still here---I have to show these two pictures---the first one is honestly just minutes after Joshua woke up on Monday morning--remember he had been to church the day before, so he had the leftover "gel" in his hair. I knew it was time for a haircut---but WOW---nothing tells the truth like a picture. SO, what do you think? Should I have left it?Or, should I have done this? It's really too late to ask, but I just thought I'd get your thoughts!! Ahhh, much better!
Have a great day~
Kathleen

Sympathy Sketch

Sadly, I have a Sympathy card to share today. I have needed more of these lately. I never really know how to make one---I don't want it to be "cute"---I'm never really satisfied with my sympathy cards, but I don't think people in mourning are paying as much attention to the card as they are the words you write---or even just that you THOUGHT of them.

I used Jen's Sketch For You to Try from last Saturday, September 6. You can find the sketch here. And I also used the First Fruits set for the embellisment and the sentiment is from Out on a Limb Sentiments ; both from Papertrey Ink.

I stamped the sentiment and embellishment with Dark Chocolate and then with Versamark. Then I heat embossed them with clear embossing powder.



I used patterened paper from the First Fruits collection. It coordinates beautifully with the stamp set. I love the colors of fall and this paper is scrumptious~(can paper BE scrumptious?)

I tied a piece of dark chocolate satin around the piece of Summer Sunrise cardstock and used the slot punch to bring the ribbon through the patterned paper and tied a knot. This sketch was fun---Jen's having a blog candy offer---might I say, a REALLY COOL blog candy offer on that sketch post I sent you to until this Saturday. Check it out and maybe play along on the sketch! (If you win you have to thank me! ;} )

I cut a piece of white cardstock and stamped it and placed it inside the card for my words. I don't do this often, but on dark cardstock, I try to just because it's easier than getting my white pen to actually write like I want it to!

On another note---my classroom at school is almost ready---YEA!!! , well, I should say, it's almost ready for me to get into it and GET it ready!! (I've been teaching room to room off of a rolling cart while we waited for our new modular unit to be ready to occupy.) I'm supposed to have students in there for the first day on Monday---so, I'll be busy for the next few days trying to get my room ready! YIPPEE!

Enjoy your day~
Kathleen

Stuff I used:
Stamps: First Fruits, Out on a Limb Sentiments (PTI)
Paper: Dark Chocolate, Summer Sunrise, Stamper's Select White cardstock, First Fruits PP, (PTI), Pumpkin Pie, Old Olive cardstock (SU!)
Ink: Dark Chocolate, Summer Sunrise (PTI), Pumpkin Pie (SU!) Versamark
Accessories: corner rounder punch, slot punch, dimensionals, (SU!), nestabilities (Spellbinders), embossing powder (Ranger) Heat tool (Marvy)

{ A Quick Post}

Here's my take on Jen DelMuro's Sketch for You to Try that was posted on 7/12. I finished it before the "sketch week" was up, but I couldn't get it posted~it's a LOUD one, huh?

Here's Jen's original post with the sketch. I really like this sketch, but I wasn't sure where to go with it. I finally used my circle nestabilities successfully---I'm really not an idiot, but I am having a hard time using them with stamped images and getting them just right. I didn't have much stamping on this card, so they were great...

I hadn't used my Tart and Tangy from SU! yet, so I decided to go with it for this card. I got it free when I had my party in June. I used to hear about people who had stamps and didn't ink them up right away and I just couldn't figure out why....now I realize it's because they have so many to choose from....is this a good thing?

OK---to the card. Obviously I was thinking "BOLD & BRIGHT"---I thought about stamping images on my cardstock with the same color or Versamark, but I really liked the clean look of the solid color up against the patterned paper. I started with a 5.25" square card, and found cardstock that matched the paper. I love the colors in this paper. I just kept layering and layering. You can see that in this picture.
I popped lots of the layers up on dimensionals, too. I wanted to sew the two pieces of patterned paper together, so I just made large stitches. I pierced the paper first and that made the sewing a breeze. It brought back images of my cross stitching days. Years ago I used to cross stitch EVERY day. I loved the things I created. It was really my first true craft...OK, I'm back! I'll put the details below.
Remember I'm making extra cards to give as gifts...but I don't always make them exactly the same. Here's a picture of my take on another card---same paper and stamp set, but a little bit different. For the image on this card, I used my markers and "huffed" on it and then stamped it on paper--voila! Two colors on one image---the easy way! I used clear Bella Baubles for the "dots" in the corners, but I glued a circle punched from a hole punch with Pumpkin Pie cardstock---the "original" hole punch, like you can buy at a grocery store or Wal-Mart---not a crafty one--on the back of the bauble!


















Recipe:
Stamps: Tart & Tangy (SU!), Mixed Messages, (PTI)
Paper: Pumpkin Pie, Real Red, Old Olive, Bliss Blue cardstock (SU!), Stamper's Select White (PTI), Tart & Tangy patterned paper
Ink: Pumpkin Pie, Jet Black Stazon
Accessories: Circle & Scalloped Circle Nestabilities, Cuttlebug, Hole Punch, Bella Baubles (Stamping Bella), 1 3/8" & 1 1/2" circle punches, Scallop Punch (SU!), Old Olive Brads (SU!), Pumpkin Pie, Old Olive Grosgrain Ribbon, Ticket Corner Punch (SU!) DMC thread #321, dimensionals

{PTI Swap Card #1}

Here's a card I made for my first swap--now for my dear friends who aren't stampers---a swap is just like it sounds---you send in a designated number of the same card using designated stamps or sketches or whatever and then you get that number back from other stampers---well, that's basically what it is....there are always little rules to every swap, but that's the jist of it. Anyway, I have never done one. I decided since it was summer and I had extra time I should try one. This is for the PTI Swap # 7 on Splitcoaststampers.

I went to my parents house this weekend to start on some Christmas gifts and I did my swap cards while I was there. I used Jen's Sketch for You to Try. I really loved this sketch---that's the main reason I decided that I needed to use it for these cards. Since this is a Papertrey Ink (PTI) swap, all the images have to be PTI --I used Bitty Baby Blessings. I REALLY love that set! There are several images that I haven't even used yet---I also decided to use all PTI paper---I love this new Plum Pudding Cardstock. This picture really doesn't do it justice. I'm not a purple girl, but this is really yummy! I paper pieced the onesie.....LOVE that onesie..... with Bitty Baby Blessings Patterned Paper.

I had originally done this card for the sketch, but really didn't like the end product, so I simplified it and I think it's much better----what do you think?

Anyway, I decided the easiest way to do 6 cards that were all the same was to just do it in steps, so I prepared everything ahead of time and then did each step one at a time---it actually went pretty fast---especially since I had no one interrupting me for a meal, or to find something! It's amazing how much you can get done when you can work without interruptions!

Here's a picture before the assembly---doing 6 cards isn't bad---but, when I have to do 80 Christmas cards---I begin to hate them after awhile!!

Well, I hope your Wednesday is a fun one. I need to go to my school for awhile----I can't get on my e-mail from home, so I think I need to change my password from there----I hope it's something this easy!!!

Thanks so much for looking~
Kathleen

Recipe:
Stamps: Bitty Baby Blessings (PTI), Favor It Baby (PTI)
Paper: Plum Pudding, Stamper's Select White, Summer Sunrise, Spring Moss, Bitty Baby Blessings Patterned Paper (PTI)
Ink: Jet Black Stazon
Accessories: Square Punch (2 in one Creative Memories), Large & Small Star Punch (SU!), Dimensionals, White Brad (making memories), 5/8" grosgrain ribbon in Summer Sunrise

{MWAH!}

MWAH! I recently sent this in a text message to my sister and she texted me back saying, "what's mwah?" She was thinking it was an acronym, and I was thinking "MWAH!"---it's a kiss---go ahead, say it aloud, MWAH!---Do you hear the kissing sound? Think DIVA giving a big FAKE kiss to her girlfriend---do you hear it now? See, it's kinda fun, huh? Now, I HAVE been called a diva a few (hundred) times in my life, so perhaps that's why I knew immediately what this was when I first saw it written on a note that my daughter had from a girlfriend in 7th grade---Anyway, I sign my kids stuff with this occasionally--

I made this card for my oldest, Caitlin who is coming home from 5 weeks in Turkey on Monday. I am SOOOO glad she's going to be home soon! I'm going to give her a gift certificate for a manicure and pedicure and thought this was the perfect image to use for the card. She has a wedding to attend the weekend after she arrives and I know after roughing it in Turkey for 5 weeks, her feet will likely be a mess. AND, I just wanted to pamper her a little.

I used the mwahbella for Jen's Sketch for You to Try (SFYTT). I really didn't know how to color this image, so I found some of my favorite paper from the Basic Grey Romani line and went from there. The green here looks like Green Galore, but it's actually Certainly Celery---I just layered it a few times and it turned out darker---I used my aquapainter some, but still added some marker as well. By the time I finished coloring, the celery ribbon just wouldn't do, so I used green galore. I had a close up of the image, but when I uploaded it it just looked AWFUL, so just the one picture today! This sketch was a lot of fun--I hope to try it again soon. Well, I'm off the mow the lawn! Yeah, I hate that, but it's about 60 degrees out there this morning, so I can't really complain!!

Thanks for looking~have a wonderful day--
MWAH!
Kathleen

Recipe:
Stamps: mwahbella with words (Stamping Bella) Borders & Corners Monogram Edition (PTI)
Ink: Jet Black Stazon, Certainly Celery, Brocade Blue, Blush Blossom (SU!)
Paper: Brocade Blue, Basic Black, Blush Blossom (SU!) Stampers Select White (PTI), Romani line
(Basic Grey)
Accessories: Brocade Blue, Certainly Celery, Close to Cocoa, Real Red, Creamy Caramel Markers, (SU!), Aquapainter (SU!) Glue dots, String of pearls baubles (Stamping Bella), Dimensionals, Crystal Effects (on the heart--you just can't see it in the pictures), Fiskars Paper Cutter/Scoring tool, Cuttlebug, Embossing folder, Circle Punch, Yellow Marvy Scalloped Circle Punch

{SFYTT}

Hello~as I've mentioned before, I have been trying to use people's sketch challenges because I'm not very good with the layout of a card. So, here's a card using Jen Del Muro's Sketch For You to Try. She does one every Saturday---and usually I have a little time on the weekend to try it.

I always need birthday cards---even though, any family that is reading knows I rarely send them---and if on the rare occasion a card appears in the mailbox it's always late.....what is that? I used to be so good at it---I think it's kids---yes, that's what I'm going to say---Having children makes me send cards late----sounds....uh......reasonable. ANYWAY, here's a birthday card that I could send to a party for one of Joshua's friends.

I used the set Crab & Company----I think it works for kid's cards---and, I already have it, so I don't have to spend anymore money! I remember thinking when I first started stamping how much money I would save if I made my own cards.....yeah, well, how's that going? NOT SO GREAT! But, it's fun and keeps me occupied when I should be cleaning or cooking, so that's a good thing....in a twisted sort of way! BACK TO THE CARD---

I used Prismacolor pencils and baby oil---I don't have any Odorless Mineral Spirits and I have seen that some people use baby oil instead, so that's what I did. I think it turned out OK for my first try---I definitely need to keep working on it--At the last minute I decided to add the hat to the card---it makes it look more like a birthday card---I was too lazy to photograph the whole thing again, so I just took another closeup---truly lazy!!!

The recipe is below--have a great day~
Kathleen

Recipe: Stamps: Crab & Co.
Ink: Jet Black Stazon, Creamy Caramel
Paper: Black, Ruby Red, Cameo Coral, Pumpkin Pie, Creamy Caramel CS, Watercolor Paper- SU!
Accessories: Spots and Dots CB Folder, Dimensionals, Prismacolor Pencils, Baby Oil, River Rock, Double-Stitched Ribbon

{Jen's "Sketch For You To Try"}

Again, I have stalked Jen DelMuro's blog for awhile now and finally decided to try my hand at one of her Saturday Sketches. I did it on Monday----that's OK, right?! I am posting tonight because I don't want to have a repeat of this morning's fiasco with my computer in the morning. As soon as I saw this sketch, I knew I wanted to use this paper. This entire paper pack was at the bottom of my stack and had NEVER BEEN OPENED......how does that happen? Does Basic Grey even carry "Scarlet's Letter" anymore? Anyway, as I was layering all this beautiful paper I realized........I really don't have a stamp that will go with this paper---somehow frogs and crabs and cutesy flowers just didn't fit the paper. I pulled out one of the first sets that I got and put it to work---Garden Collage. It was a Sell-A-Bration set in 2005---I can't believe it's been that long! Again....I'm not a great colorer....I think I have just decided that I MUST have some Copic markers, because it couldn't be that my skills are that bad---I just don't have the right tools, right? But, I used my blender pen again---still can't make that silly aquapainter work, but I'll keep working at it--I sponged the whole focal point with Creamy Caramel ink.....this also helps with the less than perfect coloring! I lined the envelope, but I'm not sure if you can really tell from the picture. It's over on the left. The picture is still a little dark, but I'm working on it!

Here's the card--Enjoy~

I hope your Tuesday is a blessed one~but really, isn't everyday a blessed day if we are still in it? Perhaps I should rethink that "signature"---I think I've been married to my "thinking" husband so long that he's rubbing off on me!
Hugs~
Kathleen



Recipe:
Stamps:Garden Collage
Paper: Whisper White, Basic Grey's Scarlet's Letter: Rapture, Among the Ruins, Night, Recognition
Ink: Stazon Timber Brown (my black is missing in action---I must find it, or purchase another one! I have SU! Basic Black, but I didn't think it would work well with the blender pens. Ruby Red, Real Red, More Mustard, Close to Cocoa, Going Grey, Sage Shadow, Creamy Caramel, River Rock
Accessories:Blender Pens, Vintage Brads-black, 5'8" red ribbon, paper piercer and Mat Pack to punch holes for brads