The Challenge 10-Celebrate Big

It’s time for a new challenge at The Challenge! This time, Lesley’s switching things up. You can take your pick of challenges—a sketch challenge, a color challenge, or both. I chose to combine the sketch and the colors for this clean, colorful design.

When I saw that one of the challenge colors was coral, I was thrilled because it gave me the opportunity to try out one of the brand new Radiant Neon inks I received from Tsukineko/Imagine Crafts. I have a nice assortment of the inks (thanks, Imagine Crafts!), but the fabulous Electric Coral might be my favorite. Let’s just say you’ll be seeing it again this week . . .

Anyway, I used the coral ink to stamp the bold “celebrate” sentiment from the My Favorite Things Celebrate Big set on a pale pink panel. I adhered the sentiment panel near the bottom of a kraft card base, then added a strip of green dotted patterned paper along the left edge of the card. To bring in a bit more coral, I wrapped the cardfront with a piece of pretty coral seam binding, securing it with a simple knot. A trio of green enamel dots finished the design.

For more inspiration using the sketch and/or the colors, check out what the rest of the team has created. Here’s where to find them:

Lesley Croghan, challenge owner/creator
Jeanne Jachna
Kimberly Wiener

Materials Used:
from i {heart} papers: My Favorite Things Celebrate Big stamp set; Pebbles Family Ties 6x6 paper pad; Studio Calico green enamel dots

other: Desert Storm cardstock (Neenah); Pixie cardstock (Avery Elle); Electric Coral Radiant Neon ink (Tsukineko); seam binding (Martha Stewart)

Mr. and Mrs.

Here’s my card for this week’s sketch at Freshly Made Sketches. I used stamps from My Favorite Things to make a card that’s perfect for a wedding or engagement.

I stamped the “Mr.” and “Mrs.” sentiments from the Always and Forever set in gray pigment ink on a light gray panel, then went back and stamped one of the set’s ampersand images in contrasting red ink. After curving one of the panel’s top corners with my corner rounder, I matted it on red cardstock and adhered it to a darker gray card base. I ran a strip of sparkly silver cardstock across the cardfront along the bottom of the stamped panel. To go with the card's love theme, I accented the silver strip with a pair of layered die cut hearts.

Materials Used:
Always and Forever stamp set, Electric Red, Steel Grey, and Grout Gray cardstock, Die-namics Ampersand and Staggered Heart Border dies (My Favorite Things); Memento Luxe Gray Flannel and Rhubarb Stalk dies (Tsukineko); silver paper (Target); corner rounder; foam tape

Paper Smooches SPARKS-Hope Your Day Rocks

*** Scroll down to the post below or click HERE to see my card for this week's Sweet Sunday Sketch Challenge. *** 

This week’s Paper Smooches SPARKS challenge is an Anything Goes challenge. I used PS’s Stars dies and the Beboppin stamp set for this simple musical themed design.

I crafted an old-school style vinyl record from a pair of circle die cuts. It’s hard to see in the photo, but I tried to make grooves in the record by using different sized circle dies and an embossing tool. You can see the lines pretty well IRL, just not in my poor photo! After attaching it to a white card base, I topped the album with a bunch of different sized silver stars, adhered with foam tape. The “hope your day rocks” sentiment was stamped at the bottom of the cardfront in bold red ink.

Don’t miss what the rest of the SPARKS team has created this week. Here’s where to find them:

Alice

Erin

Jenny

Katie

Larissa

Lori--you're here!

Lynn

Savannah

Materials Used:
Beboppin stamp set and Stars dies (Paper Smooches); Memento Luxe Love Letter ink (Tsukineko); Basic Black and Real Red cardstock (Papertrey Ink); silver paper (Target); circle dies (Spellbinders); foam tape

Sweet Sunday Sketch Challenge 225-Anniversary Wishes

It’s time for another Sweet Sunday Sketch Challenge! I used this week’s sketch to make an elegant anniversary card with stamps and dies from Papertrey Ink.

I wanted to use a classic and elegant color scheme, so I went with black, gray, and gold. I covered the top of a white card base with a piece of gray striped patterned paper, then added a solid black cardstock panel along the bottom of the cardfront.

The black panel was topped with three cardstock panels—a white panel in the center, flanked by gold panels on either side. I die cut and stamped two champagne flutes using the Propose a Toast set and matching die and adhered them to the white panel, using foam tape to adhere one of the glasses to give it dimension. The “anniversary wishes” sentiment from the Everyday Classics set was stamped in gold ink on a white strip and tucked underneath the top of the black panel. I added a pair of sparkly gold enamel dots at the top left side of the card for a bit more festive sparkle.

To play along, just create a card based on the sketch and link it up on Karen’s blog. For lots of inspiration be sure to check out what the other Sweet Sunday Sketch stampers have created for you this week. Here’s where to find them:

Barbara Anders
Dana White
Jackie Pedro
Jenny Peterson
Jodi Collins
Karen Giron
Karen Motz--taking the week off
Lisa Henke--taking the week off
Lynn Put
Sarah-Jane Kalé--taking the week off
Tracy Clemente--taking the week off
Vicki Burdick

Materials Used:
Propose a Toast stamp set, Smokey Shadow patterned paper, Propose a Toast dies (Papertrey Ink); Memento Tuxedo Black and Cantaloupe inks and Delicata Golden Glitz ink (Tsukineko); Basic Black cardstock (Stampin’ Up!); gold paper (Target); gold enamel dots (Eyelet Outlet); foam tape

You Make Me Happy

Here’s my card for this week’s Muse challenge. I loved Beverley’s beautiful detailed butterfly images against the kraft background, but didn’t have any similar images in my collection. Instead, I used her layout and a different, solid butterfly image along with some watercolors for this simple design.

I stamped the butterfly image from the Clear and Simple Stamps Butterfly Garden 1 set three times on a white watercolor paper panel, then heat embossed the images in white embossing powder. After the powder cooled I used a wide paintbrush and several shades of pink watercolors to do a watercolor wash over the images, starting with darker color at the bottom and moving to lighter shades as I moved up towards the top of the panel.

I let the panel dry—and flattened it out—then adhered it to a pink card base and stamped the “you make me happy” sentiment on it in matching pink ink. A few sequins added a tiny bit of sparkle to the simple layout.

Materials Used:
Butterfly Garden 1 stamp set, Paint the Town Pink ink, Paint the Town Pink cardstock (Clear and Simple Stamps); Memento Luxe Wedding Dress ink (Tsukineko); white embossing powder (Michaels); sequins (Pretty Pink Posh)

Thanks

Here’s my card for this week’s My Favorite Things Wednesday Stamp Club sketch challenge. I used one of my Pure Innocence sets to make a thank you card to give to my colleagues for the generous going-away gift they gave me yesterday.

I colored the girl image from the It’s a Sign set using Copic markers, then used white embossing powder to heat emboss the word “thanks” on the chalkboard part of the image. I accented the panel with a piece of a fishtail flag strip dotted with a single shiny silver brad.

I’m still working on using up some older patterned papers, so I paired two different patterns from a Simple Stories paper pad on the cardfront. I used a pretty floral pattern to cover most of the aqua card base, then added an aqua gingham strip on top. Before adhering the image panel, I attached a long fishtail flag strip to the edge of the gingham paper for a final pop of color.

Materials Used:
Pure Innocence It’s a Sign stamp set, Whip Cream ink, Die-namics Fishtail Flag Stax dies (My Favorite Things); Memento Tuxedo Black ink (Tsukineko); markers (Copic); white cardstock (Taylored Expressions); Melon Mambo cardstock (Stampin’ Up!); Lakeshore cardstock (WPlus9); Fabulous 6x6 paper pad (Simple Stories); white embossing powder (Michaels); silver brad (Joann); foam tape

Hello Friend

This week’s blogger challenge theme is friendship. I used one of the new releases from The Cat’s Pajamas along with the current sketch at Retro Sketches to put together this friendship themed design.

My focal image is from the new Nature’s Hello set. The big, bright sunflower in the image is perfect for a card for a friend! I colored the image with Copic markers and used foam tape to adhere it to a yellow dotted panel. I used some cloud patterned paper to make a backdrop for the image. The patterned paper is backed with a longer panel of coordinating teal cardstock. It’s adhered to a golden yellow card base over a strip of green striped patterned paper. Once all the panels were in place, I stamped the “hello friend” sentiment from the Reel Experts set in black ink just next to the bear image.

Don’t miss out on the TCP Summer Blog Hop. Be sure to link up your creations using products from the June TCP release for a chance to win a $50 gift certificate to the TCP store. Check out all of the details here.

Materials Used:
Nature’s Hello and Reel Experts stamp sets (The Cat’s Pajamas); Memento Tuxedo Black and Memento Luxe Tuxedo Black inks (Tsukineko); markers (Copic); Tropical Teal, Simply Chartreuse, and Harvest Gold cardstock (Papertrey Ink); Collecting Moments 6x6 paper pad (Fancy Pants); Love Me Do “Head in the Clouds” designer paper (My Mind’s Eye); Coconut Lime Soup-Straw Mushrooms designer paper (Jillibean Soup); corner rounder; foam tape

Celebrate Your Day

I’m catching up with last week's Viva la Verve sketch just as a new one is posted today! I used last week’s sketch to make a pretty birthday card incorporating the colors and gold accents from the inspiration photo, too.

It’s been a while since I used Verve’s Poppy Birthday set, so I inked it up here for the trio of round elements on the cardfront. I used the three different sized poppies, stamping them in pigment ink and cutting them with the dies from the matching Build-a-Poppy dies.

I covered the bottom of a black card base with a piece of green dotted patterned paper, then layered a piece of black patterned paper with a curved edge at the top. The edge of the black patterned paper is matted in gold to set it off nicely from the green panel. I arranged the flowers along the curved edge, using foam tape to adhere the two smaller flowers for dimension. The “celebrate your day” sentiment was stamped on a banner strip and heat embossed in gold embossing powder for a nice, bold pop against the black background. I wanted to add a few gold sequins, but I resisted! Instead, I tucked a pair of leaves in among the flower trio.

Materials Used:
Poppy Birthday stamp set and Build-a-Poppy dies (Verve Stamps); Memento Luxe Rose Bud and Tuxedo Black inks and Delicata Golden Glitz ink (Tsukineko); Basic Black cardstock (Stampin’ Up!); Simply Chartreuse cardstock (Papertrey Ink); Lola and Luca mat stack (The Paper Studio); gold paper (Target); Die-namics Fishtail Flag Stax die (My Favorite Things); Zing Gold embossing powder (American Crafts); foam tape

Hugs and Kisses

Here’s my card for this week’s Mojo Monday sketch. I used the layout to make a super feminine birthday card with stamps and dies from Clear and Simple Stamps.

I started out by using coordinating pink papers—one solid cardstock panel and one diagonally striped panel—to cover most of a white cardfront. I topped the panels with a pretty white paper doily. The sentiment from the Cake Decorating Extras set was a perfect fit for the sketch’s rectangular panel. I stamped the text block image in pink pigment ink, then matted it on pink cardstock and layered it over the doily.

The sentiment was accented with a heart cut with one of CSS’s Hearts Plus dies. I cut a white strip with one of the Favor Flag dies, then cut it apart at the center and tucked the straight, cut ends underneath the sentiment panel to make one long double ended banner strip. A trio of very pale pink enamel dots scattered around the cardfront finished the design.

Materials Used: 
Cake Decorating Extras stamp set, I’m a Princess Pink and A Blanc Check cardstock, Hearts Plus and Favor Flags dies (Clear and Simple Stamps); Memento Luxe Angel Pink ink (Tsukineko); Love Note 6x6 paper pad (Fancy Pants); pink enamel dots (Prima); white paper doily; foam tape

With Deepest Thanks

Here’s my card for this month’s Reverse Confetti color challenge. I paired the colors with the current sketch from The Paper Players for this fun thank you card.

My focal image is the submarine from the Here We Go set. It was stamped in red pigment ink on a white panel and die cut with the matching die. I used foam tape to adhere it to an aqua gingham panel. A trio of aqua enamel dots was arranged above the sub as bubbles. The “with deepest thanks” sentiment was stamped at the bottom of the panel.

After matting the gingham paper with contrasting red cardstock, I adhered it to an aqua panel, then set the panel on a golden yellow card base. A pair of banner strips, cut with a die from Reverse Confetti’s Tag Me die set and layered at the top of the cardfront, added a final pop of color to the design.

Materials Used: 
Here We Go stamp set and Confetti Cuts Here We Go and Tag Me dies (Reverse Confetti); Cherry ink (Avery Elle); Harvest Gold and Aqua Mist cardstock, Aqua Mist patterned paper (Papertrey Ink); Real Red cardstock (Stampin’ Up!); enamel dots (Eyelet Outlet); foam tape

Color Throwdown 298-Hello There

It’s time for another Color Throwdown! Monika is our hostess this week and she’s chosen this lovely color palette inspired by a floral centerpiece—Crumb Cake, Pink Pirouette, and Wisteria Wonder. I used the colors along with the current Deconstructed Sketch to make a feminine card with a nod to the florals in the inspiration photo.

I built my design on a kraft panel, starting with a piece of kraft striped patterned paper adhered to it on a diagonal. I topped it with a strip of purple cardstock, then added a cream die cut circle on top. Once that was in place, I adhered a pale pink banner strip on top.

My flowers came from the WPlus9 Fresh Cut Florals set. I stamped them in pigment inks on matching die cut pieces, then played around with the arrangement until I came up with something I liked. The smallest flower is adhered with a dimensional dot to add interest. The “hello there” sentiment from the Strictly Sentiments 2 set was stamped next to the flowers in kraft pigment ink. I added a touch of sparkle with a trio of pink sequins, then adhered the finished panel to a cream card base.

To play along, just create a paper crafted project using these colors as a starting point and add a direct link to your finished project using the linky tool found at the end of this week's CTD post. As always, if you don’t have exact color matches, something close works just fine. Just be sure that the challenge colors are the dominant ones in your project. And, if you upload your project to an online gallery, use the keyword CTD298.

Before you get started, here’s some inspiration from the talented Color Throwdown team, our June guestie, Susie Moore, and this week’s guest star stamper, Colleen Foelker.

** Barbara ** Broni ** Cindy ** Joan **

** Monika ** Tammy ** Vickie ** Wanda **

** June guestie Susie Moore **

** Guest Star Stamper Colleen Foelker **

Materials Used:from i {heart} papers:  WPlus 9 Fresh Cut Florals and Strictly Sentiments 2 stamp sets, Fresh Cuts dies; Tsukineko Memento Sweet Plum ink and Memento Luxe Angel Pink, Pistachio, and Toffee Crunch inks; Fancy Pants Collecting Moments 6x6 paper pad; Sticky Thumb dimensional dots

other:  Pink Pirouette cardstock (Stampin' Up!); Winter Wisteria cardstock (Papertrey Ink); Desert Storm cardstock (Neenah); cream cardstock (Michaels); circle die (Spellbinders)

Papertrey Ink June Blog Hop

It’s been a while since I’ve joined in on a Papertrey Ink blog hop, but I recently placed an order for some new goodies and decided to play along. It’s funny that I ended up not using any of my new stamps or dies on this card!

I was inspired by one of the sketches provided for the blog hop, along with colors and the heart motif in the inspiration photo. I made a super simple card using a trio of die cut frames that I made with some pierced square and rectangle dies. After arranging the frames on a white card base, I stamped the heart from the Bubble Talk set inside each frame, matching the color of each heart to the color of the frame around it.

The “I love you” sentiment from the Tremendous Treats: Valentine set was stamped in gray ink beneath the horizontally oriented frame. I added a bit of sparkle to the simple design with a single silver sequin placed on each of the stamped hearts.

Materials Used:
Bubble Talk and Tremendous Treats: Valentine stamp sets, Harvest Gold, Raspberry Fizz, and Tropical Teal cardstock, Harvest Gold ink (Papertrey Ink); Memento Rose Bud and Memento Luxe Gray Flannel inks (Tsukineko); Peacock Feathers distress ink (Ranger); Die-namics Pierced Square Stax and Pierced Rectangle Stax dies (My Favorite Things); square punch (EK Success); silver sequins (Michaels)

Seize the Sketch 23-I Heart You Beyond Measure

***  Scroll down to the post below or click HERE to see my card for this week's TCP Tuesday challenge.  ***

It's time for a new sketch at Seize the Sketch!  This one's courtesy of Lee Ann.  I used it to create a love themed card in a somewhat non traditional color scheme.

I picked the colors based on the fabulous ruler patterned paper from a pad of Fancy Pants designer paper that I used for the card's large oval panel.  After matting the panel with pale gray cardstock, I adhered it to a golden yellow cardstock panel embossed with an "XOXO" pattern. A strip of turquoise stitched grosgrain ribbon broke up the yellow a bit with a pop of contrasting color.

The "I heart you beyond measure" sentiment from Mama Elephant's Hello set was stamped on a gray pierced rectangle panel using aqua ink.  I ran a strip of yellow washi tape with a measuring tape pattern beneath it, then accented the panel with a pair of felt hearts.  I set the sentiment panel on top of the oval, then added a trio of gray enamel dots around the panel.

Be sure to check out what the rest of the STS team created using the sketch. Here’s where to find them:

Cathy Santie
Jen Mitchell
Jessi Fogan
Katie Melhus
Lee Ann Barrett
Lesley Croghan (Creator)
Lori Turner
Lori Tecler--you're here!
Marybeth Lopez
Mona Pendleton
Rose Miller
Sandy Mathis
Sherry Eckblad
Vicki Dutcher

Materials Used:
Hello stamp set (Mama Elephant); Aquamarine ink (Avery Elle); Aqua Mist and Harvest Gold cardstock, Aqua Mist felt (Papertrey Ink); Grout Gray cardstock, Die-namics Pierced Rectangle Stax and Staggered Heart Border dies (My Favorite Things); Park Bench 6x6 paper pad (Fancy Pants); oval dies (Spellbinders); Hugs and Kisses embossing folder (Cuttlebug); blue stitched grosgrain ribbon, gray felt (Michaels); ruler washi tape

TCP Tuesday 269-What a Blast

This week's TCP Tuesday challenge is an inspiration challenge based on the fabulous photo collage seen above.  There are so many possibilities here, but I chose to focus on the pinwheel centerpiece.

The What a Blast set was perfect for including a pinwheel element on my design.  I colored most of the image with Copic markers, then paper pieced some of the pinwheel using striped paper that featured the color seen in the inspiration photo.  The center of the pinwheel was filled in with a silver brad for a little shine and dimension.  After cutting out the image, I set it on a background panel along with a strip of green cardstock cut with the CutUps Grass die.  The "what a blast" sentiment was stamped in the upper right corner of the panel.

I set the panel on a kraft card base over a piece of star patterned paper.  The dark blue patterned piece is broken up a bit with a red strip cut with the banner die from the CutUps Framed Up 2 set.  I wanted to incorporate some more star elements into my design, so I used the CutUps Star Rosette die to cut a star-filled white panel.  It's tucked underneath the patterned paper and image panel.

I hope you'll join us for this week's challenge. Link up your finished project on the TCP blog for a chance to win this week's Cat Cash prize--and to be in the running to be our next Swanky Stamper. The Swanky Stamper is selected from among all of the month's challenge entries and gets a selection of stamps from an upcoming release and joins the Cat Pack for our Pajama Party and Blog Hop. You can find all the details on the TCP blog.

And, I hope you'll join us for the TCP Summer Blog Hop.  All you need to do to play along is to share a creation made with something from the latest TCP release.  You have until July 23 link your project up on TCP blog for a chance to win a $50 gift certificate.  Again, you can find all the details on the TCP blog. Hope you'll play along!

Materials Used:
What a Blast stamp set, CutUps Grass, Framed Up 2, and Star Rosette dies (The Cat's Pajamas); Memento Tuxedo Black ink, Memento Luxe Nautical Blue ink (Tsukineko); Real Red, Soft Sky, and Kiwi Kiss cardstock (Stampin' Up!); Desert Storm cardstock (Neenah); Americana 6x6 paper pad (Pebbles); silver brad (Joann); foam tape

Poppy Sketches 7-Hello Deer

It’s time for a new sketch at Poppy Sketches! This time our sketch comes with a pop of pattern—polka dots. We’re being sponsored by Pretty Pink Posh, so you’ll see lots of sparkly sequin goodness on everyone’s cards. If you haven’t yet stopped by or shopped at Pretty Pink Posh, be sure to check out Paulina’s fabulous selection of sequins and other embellishments.

My card features the Woodlands Mix sequins and the 4 mm Sparkling Clear sequins. Since the sequins were a woodland mix featuring flat green sequins along with a few sparkly gold leaves, I created a card featuring a woodland animal—the sweet deer from Lawn Fawn’s Into the Woods stamp set. I colored the deer with Copic markers and die cut it with the matching die, then added a bit of white flock to its tail for a fluffy look.

The deer was set on a simple background made from blue dotted paper with a strip of green cardstock grass at the bottom and some die cut felt clouds at the top. After the deer was in place, I went to town with the sequins! I added a bunch of the Woodlands Mix sequins to the grass. This was the first time I’ve used flat sequins. I really like how they look! I adhered some of the clear sequin to the space beneath the clouds as if they were raindrops.  It's super sparkly IRL!

For more inspiration, check out what the rest of the Poppy Sketches team has created using the sketch.  Here's where to find them:

Laura Davis, challenge owner
Lee Murphy, design team coordinator
Amy Crockett,
Amy Tsuruta,
Lisa Petrella,
Lori Tecler--you're here!
Renee' Dezember

Materials Used:
Into the Woods and Hello Baby stamp sets, Let’s Polka patterned paper, Into the Woods and Spring Showers dies (Lawn fawn); Tropical Teal cardstock (Papertrey Ink); Kiwi Kiss cardstock (Stampin’ Up!); gold paper (Target); Woodlands Mix and 4 mm Sparkling Clear sequins (Pretty Pink Posh); grass border punch (Fiskars); white felt; foam tape

Woohooo!

Here’s my card for this week’s Paper Smooches SPARKS Designer Drafts challenge. I used sketch along with the Hooties stamp set and matching dies to put this one together.

I made the long panel that runs across the card into a simple nighttime scene built on a blue patterned paper background. The set’s medium sized owl was stamped on white cardstock and colored with Copic markers, then die cut with the matching die. I used one of the dies from the Trees 1 set to make a branch for the own to perch on. To fill in the panel I added a round yellow moon and a few white sequin “stars.”

I adhered the finished scene to a light green panel over a piece of dotted green patterned paper. I edged the panel with a narrow strip of kraft cardstock before adding it to a green card base. The “woohooo!” sentiment from the Chubby Chums set was a perfect fit for space beneath the little scene. I stamped it in navy pigment ink for a nice bold contrast.

Materials Used: 
from i {heart} papers: Paper Smooches Hooties and Chubby Chums stamp sets and Trees 1 dies; Crafter’s Companion ultrasmooth white cardstock; Tsukineko Memento Tuxedo Black ink and Memento Luxe Nautical Blue ink; Carta Bella It’s a Celebration 6x6 paper pad; white sequins; Sticky Thumb dimensional dots 

other: Spring Moss cardstock (Papertrey Ink); So Saffron cardstock (Stampin’ Up!); Green Acres cardstock (WPlus9); Desert Storm cardstock (Neenah); circle punch

Sweet Sunday Sketch Challenge 224-Play Ball

It’s time for another Sweet Sunday Sketch Challenge! I’m still having fun with the new release from The Cat’s Pajamas, so I inked up the Play Ball stamp set for this week's sketch.

I stamped the bat-swinging big eared bunny on a white panel cut using the set’s matching cut files. and colored him with Copic markers.  He was adhered to a pale blue panel over a strip of green cardstock die cut with the CutUps Grass die. The set’s “play ball” sentiment was stamped in the panel’s upper left corner in blue ink.

To go with the baseball image, I found some fun striped patterned paper in my stash. I adhered the striped paper to the bottom of a blue cardfront, then ran a strip of cream twill across it before adhering the image panel on top. I used the banner die from the CutUps Framed Up 2 die set to make the trio of banner strips that I tucked underneath the image panel. A little baseball, made from a circle punched from cream cardstock with hand-drawn stitching, was attached to the image panel to complete the design.

To play along, just create a card based on the sketch and link it up on Karen’s blog. For lots of inspiration be sure to check out what the other Sweet Sunday Sketch stampers have created for you this week. Here’s where to find them:

Barbara Anders
Dana White
Jackie Pedro
Jenny Peterson
Jodi Collins
Karen Giron
Karen Motz
Lisa Henke
Lynn Put
Sarah-Jane Kalé
Tracy Clemente
Vicki Burdick

Materials Used:
Play Ball stamp set, CutUps Grass and Framed Up 2 dies (The Cat’s Pajamas); Memento Tuxedo Black and Versafine Deep Lagoon inks (Tsukineko); markers (Copic); Pacific Point , Soft Sky, Kiwi Kiss, and Riding Hood Red cardstock (Stampin’ Up!); Sasparilla-Rustler designer paper (October Afternoon); cream twill (Michaels); circle punch (EK Success); foam tape

You Are Loved

Here's my card for the current combined CAS(E) this Sketch and Fusion challenges. I combined the sketch with elements of the elegant white and gold color scheme in the inspiration photo to create this card.

It's hard to see in the photo, but the white embossed panel is actually a piece of embossed vellum I used as an overlay on top of the white card base.  The long white fishtail flag die cut panel along the left edge of the cardfront hides the adhesive I used on the vellum panel.

I added some gold elements to the fishtail flag strip.  A die cut heart was set at the top of the strip and stitched along the center with my sewing machine. That allowed the sides of the heart to be folded up slightly to give the panel more dimension.  It resembles the butterfly in the inspiration photo without actually being a butterfly, right?  The die cut "you" is also dimensional.  I die cut the word several times and layered the die cut pieces before placing the word on the panel.  I stamped the "are loved" from the Simon Says Stamp Expressions for You set underneath the die cut word using gold ink.  A few gold sequins add a final shimmery touch.

Materials Used:
Expressions for You stamp and die set (Simon Says Stamp); Delicata Golden Glitz ink (Tsukineko); gold paper (Target); Modern Wallpaper embossing folder (Cuttlebug); Die-namics Fishtail Flag Stax die (My Favorite Things); gold sequins (Michaels); sewing machine

Make a Wish

Here's my card for the current Lawnscaping stars and stripes themed challenge. I got both stars and stripes in on this sweet design using Lawn Fawn's new Hello Baby set.

The set's smaller bunny image looks like he (or she?) is looking right up at the sky, so I thought the image would be perfect paired with a starry nighttime sky.  I stamped the bunny on white cardstock and colored it with Copic markers, then used the matching die to cut it out.  The tail's filled in with a bit of white flock--I can't resist adding that little detail to the bunny tail!  I made the sky with a star stencil and silver embossing paste along with a watercolor wash.  After everything dried, I added a panel of green striped patterned paper at the bottom as grass, then set the bunny on the scene using dimensional dots.

I matted the image on green cardstock, then adhered the image panel on an angle to a blue cardfront.  The "make a wish" sentiment from the Starry Backdrops set was stamped in black ink on a darker green banner strip and adhered to the cardfront so that it overlapped the bottom of the image panel.

Don't forget about the big moving sale at i {heart} papers--there's still lots of Lawn Fawn in stock.  Use the code moving 2014 to get 30% off of your order.  Happy shopping!

Materials Used:
from i {heart} papers:  Lawn Fawn Hello Baby and Starry Backdrops stamp sets and Hello Baby dies; Crafter's Companion ultrasmooth white cardstock; Tsukineko Memento Tuxedo Black ink and Memento Luxe Tuxedo Black ink; Simple Stories Hello Baby 6x6 paper pad; Sticky Thumb dimensional dots

other:  Pacific Point cardstock (Stampin' Up!); Spring Moss and Simply Chartreuse cardstock (Papertrey Ink); star stencil (Memory Box); metallic silver embossing paste (Dreamweaver); white flock (Stampendous); watercolors

You Color my World

Here’s my card for this week’s My Favorite Things Wednesday Stamp Club sketch challenge. I used one of my Pure Innocence sets for this cheery, colorful design.

I colored the girl image from the You Color My World set using Copic markers, then cut her out. I used foam tape to adhere her to a white pierced circle die cut. The die cut circle is adhered to a rainbow striped panel with a strip of yellow  cardstock across it. I adhered the striped panel to a light gray card base, then topped the patterned paper panel with a "frame" cut from pink cardstock. The set’s “you color my world” sentiment was stamped directly on the striped paper in black pigment ink. Using a pigment ink really helps the words to stand out against the busy background.

Materials Used:
Pure Innocence You Color My World stamp set, Bubblegum, Lemon Drop, and Grout Gray cardstock, Die-namics Pierced Circle Stax dies (My Favorite Things); Memento Tuxedo Black ink and Memento Luxe Tuxedo Black ink (Tsukineko); markers (Copic); foam tape

Best Fishes

This week’s blogger challenge theme is summer. I used a sketch from The Paper Players and stamps from Clear and Simple Stamps to put together this water-themed design.

The sketch’s large panel was perfect as a watery background for the fish from the Beach Bum stamp set. I stamped the fish in black ink on orange cardstock, then used foam tape to adhere it to a panel of wave patterned paper. For a whimsical touch, I added a trio of sequin “bubbles” over the fish.

After matting the patterned paper on a contrasting piece of teal cardstock, I adhered it to a blue cardstock panel over a strip of orange patterned paper. The orange paper was edged with a teal strip cut with CSS’s Eyelet Border die. I stamped the “best fishes” sentiment on an orange Favor Flag strip and adhered it to the left side of the card, overlapping the image panel. The finished panel was adhered to a teal card base.

Materials Used:
Beach Bum stamp set, Perfect Little Black Dress ink, Creamsicle Cardigan, My Style Blueprint, and Party Teal Dawn cardstock, Eyelet Border and Favor Flags dies (Clear and Simple Stamps); Scoot and Splash 6x6 paper pads (Echo Park); blue sequins (Treehouse Studios); foam tape

You Float my Boat

The current challenge at The Card Concept is to use a nautical theme, so I put together this clean and layered design for the challenge. The image I used is part of a stamp set intended for Valentine’s Day, but it was a perfect fit for the challenge!

I used the sailboat from Papertrey Ink’s Tremendous Treats: Valentine stamp set as my focal image. The boat shape was die cut from white cardstock, then stamped with the matching image and colored with Copic markers. I adhered the boat to a panel of light blue dotted patterned paper. After edging the patterned paper with a strip of red cardstock, I adhered it to a kraft card base. I added a blue die cut strip of wavy water beneath it, anchoring it with some grid patterned washi tape.

 To go with the card’s love theme, I attached a red die cut heart above the sailboat. The “you float my boat” sentiment from the companion Tiny Treats: Valentine stamp set was stamped on a red fishtail flag strip. I wrapped the end of the strip with some twine and added a tiny bow before adhering it to the cardfront.

Materials Used:
Tremendous Treats: Valentine and Tiny Treats: Valentine stamp sets, Spring Rain patterned paper, Eyelet Lace and Tremendous Treats: Valentine dies (Papertrey Ink); Memento Tuxedo Black ink (Tsukineko); markers (Copic); Real Red and Pacific Point cardstock (Stampin’ Up!); Desert Storm cardstock (Neenah); Die-namics Staggered Heart Border die (My Favorite Things); grid washi tape (Love My Tapes)

Thinking of You

Here’s my card for the current AEI♥U challenge to make your own stamped designer paper. Avery Elle’s Modern Leaves set is just perfect for stamping a pretty pattern, so I picked a few stamps from the set along a few coordinating colors of pigment inks and went to town!

I made my patterned paper on a kraft panel for a masculine, earthy look. I stamped the largest image in the lightest shade of ink, then used a slightly darker shade of green for the smaller leaf. The brown dot image filled in the empty spaces. Once I had completed the panel, I brushed the edges with my white pigment ink pad to soften the edges a bit.

I edged the finished panel with a strip of dark brown cardstock, then adhered it to an avocado green card base. I stamped the “thinking of you” sentiment on a fishtail flag strip cut from the same color green cardstock, then added it over the patterned panel. It’s accented with a trio of green enamel dots, my go-to embellishment for masculine cards.

Materials Used:
from i {heart} papers: Avery Elle Modern Leaves stamp set; Tsukineko Memento Luxe Pear Tart, Pistachio, Toffee Crunch, Rich Cocoa, and Wedding Dress inks; Studio Calico green enamel dots 

other: Dark Chocolate cardstock (Stampin’ Up!); Ripe Avocado cardstock (Papertrey Ink); Desert Storm cardstock (Neenah)

You and Me

Here’s my card for this week’s Mojo Monday sketch. I made a love themed design in a classic color scheme using new stamps and dies from My Favorite Things.

I stamped the words “you” and “me” from the Always and Forever set in gray pigment ink on a white pierced circle panel, then added a contrasting red ampersand die cut with one of the new Ampersands dies. The sentiment panel is placed at the middle of a light gray panel with pieces of elegant gray scalloped patterned papers at each side.

I ran a narrow strip of dark gray cardstock across the sentiment panel just underneath the stamped text, then added a pair of hearts cut with the Staggered Heart Border die. The gray heart on top is adhered with foam tape for a little dimension. It should still be easy enough to mail, though. The finished panel was adhered to a contrasting dark gray card base.

Materials Used:
Always and Forever stamp set, Grout Gray and Steel Grey cardstock, Die-namics Ampersand and Pierced Circle Stax dies (My Favorite Things); Memento Luxe Gray Flannel ink (Tsukineko); Riding Hood Red cardstock (Stampin’ Up!); Head over Heels Tiny Tablet (Lily Bee Design); foam tape

Color Throwdown 297-World's Greatest Dad

It’s time for another Color Throwdown! Cindy is our hostess this week and she’s chosen this fun color palette—Bermuda Bay, Daffodil Delight, Smoky Slate, and White. I used the colors along with the current Deconstructed Sketch to make a masculine card.

I built my design on a panel of yellow striped paper. The trio of solid cardstock rectangles in the challenge colors is a nice contrast against the busy stripes. I wrapped the panels with some cream twine before securing them to the striped paper. A strategically placed yellow cardstock star hides the spot where the twine overlaps at the center. The “world’s greatest” sentiment from the WPlus9 Epic Dad stamp set was stamped on the Bermuda Bay panel in gray pigment ink. I die cut the word “dad” three times from gray cardstock using a die from the Epic Dad die set, then adhered the three die cut pieces together to get a nice dimensional look before attaching them beneath the stamped sentiment.

To bring in a bit more pattern, I tucked a short fishtail flag strip cut from blue dotted patterned paper underneath the layered rectangles. A few gray enamel dots finished the design.

To play along, just create a paper crafted project using these colors as a starting point and add a direct link to your finished project using the linky tool found at the end of this week's CTD post. As always, if you don’t have exact color matches, something close works just fine. Just be sure that the challenge colors are the dominant ones in your project. And, if you upload your project to an online gallery, use the keyword CTD297.

Before you get started, here’s some inspiration from the talented Color Throwdown team, our June guestie, Susie Moore, and this week’s guest star stamper, Pat Knowlton.

** Barbara ** Broni ** Cindy ** Joan **

** Monika ** Tammy ** Vickie ** Wanda **

** June guestie Susie Moore **

** Guest Star Stamper Pat Knowlton **

And, if you're in the mood to do some shopping, be sure to stop by i {heart} papers.  IHP is having a big moving sale.  Use the code moving2014 to get 30% off of your order.  The code is good through early July.  Happy shopping!

Materials Used:
from i {heart} papers: WPlus9 Epic Dad stamp set and Epic Dad dies; Tsukineko Memento Luxe Gray Flannel ink; Echo Park Splendid Sunshine 6x6 paper pad; Simple Stories Vintage Bliss 6x6 paper pad; Studio Calico gray enamel dots; Hemptique twine; Sticky Thumb dimensional dots

other: Bermuda Bay and Daffodil Delight cardstock, star punch (Stampin’ Up!); Steel Grey cardstock, Die-namics Fishtail Flag Layers Stax die (My Favorite Things)

Birthday Wishes

Here’s my card for this week’s Muse challenge. I took my inspiration from Marion’s card’s birthday theme and color scheme as well as the placement of the image extending out from the edge of a white panel.

I used two different streamer images from Papertrey Ink’s Birthday Wishes set on my card. They’re stamped at the upper edge of a white panel in mint and aqua pigment inks. The “birthday wishes” sentiment was stamped at the bottom of the panel. I filled in the white space with some mint and clear sequins from Pretty Pink Posh. After edging the panel with narrow strips of mint cardstock, I adhered it to a teal card base.

Materials Used:
Birthday Wishes stamp set, Tropical Teal cardstock (Papertrey Ink); Mint to Be and Aquamarine inks (Avery Elle); Spearmint cardstock (My Favorite Things); Fresh Mint and Sparkling Clear sequins (Pretty Pink Posh)

The Cat's Pajamas June Release Blog Hop

Welcome to the release blog hop for The Cat’s Pajamas! Eight new stamp sets, 3 new CutUps dies, and 2 new Cutables shaped card files are now available for purchase at TCP. The Cat Pack and our Swanky Stamper guests are sharing tons of inspiration today using the new releases. You should be arriving here from Kelli’s blog.  If not, head over to Lisa's blog to start at the beginning so you don't miss a thing.

I have two projects to share today. First up is a fun design made with the new Aye, Eye, I set and coordinating CutUps Under my Hat dies. The Mustache Set and matching CutUps dies are among my favorites from TCP, so I’m excited about this new set that will work so well with them.

After punching a round “face” from a piece of peachy pink cardstock, I used the Under my Hat dies to fill in the details, starting with stamping a pair of eyes in black ink, then adding the die cut pieces around them. The mustache was cut from brown felt to give it a fluffy texture. I used a scrap of silver cardstock to cut the monocle to give it a metal-like appearance. And, I accented the hat with a red flower with a matching enamel dot at the center.

I attached the finished face to a panel of dotted paper. The paper was adhered over a piece of plaid paper. I stamped the “you r the best” sentiment on the plaid paper using teal pigment ink. After topping the panels with a narrow strip of blue cardstock and wrapping the cardstock with some of TCP’s linen thread, I finished the design with a few more pops of red, courtesy of a trio of enamel dots.

My second project uses the new Simple Blooms set. I showcased the pretty floral silhouette image against a sunset-like background. To make the background I cut a circle from a piece of copy paper and set it over the cream cardstock panel, securing it with some repositionable adhesive. Once it was in place, I used an ink blending tool to apply several different distress inks to the cardstock. The image was stamped over the circle in contrasting black ink. I added one of the set’s sentiments at the top of the circle. After layering the panel on a piece of mustard cardstock, I adhered it to a kraft card base.  Simple, but still striking.

Your next stop on the hop is my friend, Swanky Stamper Kyra.  Thanks for hopping along with us today!

Materials Used-You R the Best card:
Aye, Eye, I stamp set, CutUps Under my Hat dies, beige linen thread (The Cat’s Pajamas); Memento Luxe Teal Zeal ink (Tsukineko); Baja Breeze, Real Red, and Basic Black cardstock (Stampin’ Up!); Insulation Pink cardstock (My Favorite Things); Lost and Found-Portobello Road 6x6 paper pad (My Mind’s Eye); circle punch (EK Success); brown felt (Papertrey Ink); red enamel dots (Michaels); foam tape 

Materials Used-Find Beauty in Life card:
Simple Blooms stamp set (The Cat’s Pajamas); Rusty Hinge, Wild Honey, Dried Marigold, Scattered Straw, and Mustard Seed distress inks (Ranger); Versafine Onyx Black ink (Tsukineko); cream cardstock (Michaels); More Mustard cardstock (Stampin’ Up!); Desert Storm cardstock (Neenah)

For Father's Day

I used this week’s Viva la Verve sketch to put together a masculine design to mark Father’s Day and to meet Verve's current Diva Dare to create a masculine card. My dad’s Father’s Day gift is tucked inside of this for me to give him the next time I see him—I live pretty close to my parents’ house, so it shouldn’t be too long until that happens!

I used a trio of papers from a My Mind’s Eye paper pad on the card. The woodgrain pattern that covers most of the cardfront is perfect for masculine designs. I layered two other patterned paper panels on top of the woodgrain panel on an angle, then added a pierced square die cut on top.

I went back and forth between Verve’s Happy Days and Father Figure stamp sets before eventually settling on using the Happy Days set for my sentiment. The “have a happy” part of the sentiment was stamped directly on the yellow square in brown pigment ink. The “Father’s Day” was stamped on a kraft fishtail flag strip placed across the bottom of the square. I added a trio of brown enamel dots to give the card a bit of texture and to fill in some of the empty space.

Materials Used:
Happy Days stamp set (Verve Stamps); Memento Luxe Rich Cocoa ink (Tsukineko); So Saffron cardstock (Stampin’ Up!); Desert Storm cardstock (Neenah); Adventure 6x6 paper pad (My Mind’s Eye); stitched square and stitched fishtail flag dies (My Favorite Things); brown enamel dots (Prima)

Whole Lotta' Happy Birthday

It's time for another sketch at The Challenge!  I used Lesley's sketch to make a bright and cheery birthday card featuring stamps and dies from WPlus9.

I die cut a pair of balloons using the Whole Lotta Happy dies, then stamped the matching images from the Whole Lotta' Happy stamp set on the balloons using two shades of pink pigment inks. After adding twine strings to the balloon, I used dimensional dots to adhere them to the top of a white panel. The set’s “happy birthday” sentiment was stamped at the bottom of the panel in dark pink ink.

I layered the panel on a cardfront covered with strips of kraft cardstock and patterned papers. I picked the patterned papers to match the colors in the balloons. Unfortunately, the colors were hard to get right in the photo! I added the image panel on top at an angle and accented it with a trio of dark pink enamel dots.

Don't miss what the rest of the amazing challenge team has created using the sketch.  Here's where to find them:

Lesley Croghan, challenge creator
Jeanne Jachna
Kimberly Wiener

Materials Used:
from i {heart} papers: WPlus9 Whole Lotta’ Happy stamp set, Whole Lotta’ Happy dies; Memento Luxe Rose Bud and Angel Pink inks; Doodlebug Design Kraft in Color-Kraft 6x6 paper pad; My Mind’s Eye Now and Then-Dorothy "Wild and Free" pink enamel dots; Hemptique natural hemp twine; Sticky Thumb dimensional dots 

other: Melon Mambo cardstock (Stampin’ Up!); Kraft cardstock (WPlus9)

Hip Hip Hooray

Here’s my second take on the current sketch at Seize the Sketch. Since my first card for the sketch was a masculine one, I decided I’d do a more feminine design the second tie around.

I put together a sweet birthday card using the hippo from the Sweet Stamp Shop Too Hip stamp set. To get the party hat placed on the hippo’s head, I stamped it first and masked it with a sticky note, then stamped the hippo. With clear stamps, it’s so easy to get the positioning just right! The image was colored with Copic markers and cut out, then adhered to the bottom of a pink patterned paper panel.

Originally, I stamped the “hip hip hooray” sentiment directly on the patterned paper, but I accidentally smudged it (ugh!). So, I stamped the sentiment on a scrap of pink cardstock and used a circle punch to cut it out. It’s adhered right over the smudged words using foam tape for dimension. I wrapped the top of the panel with a piece of white satin ribbon and secured it with a knot. I scattered a few pink sequins around the image and sentiment to complete the design.

Materials Used:
Too Hip stamp set (Sweet Stamp Shop); Memento Tuxedo Black ink and Memento Luxe Tuxedo Black ink (Tsukineko); markers (Copic); Grout Gray cardstock (My Favorite Things); Sweet Blush cardstock (Papertrey Ink); patterned paper (Studio Calico); circle punch (EK Success); pink sequins (Treehouse Studio); foam tape