Hey, Sassy Pants

I print tons of sketches with good intentions of using them to make cards.  I like to think about them... mull over how to use them...and usually the deadlines pass before I do.  Only a few sketches actually get made into cards.  The newest weekly sketch for My Favorite Things was posted this morning.  Today was one of those rare occasions where I used it immediately.  I had an idea and got right into the studio.

For the polka dots on the sketch, I stamped a strip from the Distressed Diamonds set and embossed it a vibrant pink.  I love how it pops against the black background!  I pulled out an adorable Pure Innocence girl for my main image.  Her little attitude makes me smile.  I colored her with Copic markers and paper-pieced her dress using a pattern from the retired Razzleberry Lemonade pack by Stampin' Up.  Since the sentiment stamp is photopolymer, I curved it on my acrylic block to fit the circle.  So much fun and just a bit sassy!

Stamps:  Cute-a-tude (My Favorite Things)
Paper:  White, True Black (Papertrey Ink); Razzleberry Lemonade (Stampin' Up)
Ink:  Tuxedo Black (Memento); VersaMark
Copic:  0, C1, E000, E00, E30, E42, E55, E47, E59, R20, RV13, RV14, RV17
Misc:  Melon Mambo embossing powder (Stampin' Up); Standard Circles Large and Small dies (Spellbinders)

Winged Love

I made this card using Freshly Made Sketches #112.  It's a simple sketch design consisting of three off-set lines.  I kept my card very simple as well.  I originally prepared three sets of hearts, but soon realized that they were too big for what I had in mind.  The large sentiment caught my eye and plan B was born!  :)  Since it uses a common shape (the heart), I'm adding to the Verve Diva Dare too.

I stamped the word LOVE three times to create the top and bottom horizontal lines.  It's part of a larger sentiment, but I selectively inked to use just the one word.  For the middle line, I stamped and cut out a large wavy line heart using Real Red ink.  The two wings were stamped in Smoky Slate ink, cut out, and then glittered using Stickles.  Simple, but very striking!

Stamps:  Wings of Love (Verve)
Paper:  Real Red (Stampin' Up); White (Papertrey Ink)
Ink:  Real Red, Smoky Slate (Stampin' Up); Tuxedo Black (Memento)
Misc:  Frosted Lace Stickles; pop-dots

Joyeux Noel

Have I mentioned before how much I love snowflakes?  I have a snow-themed Christmas tree with white lights and it makes me smile every Christmas season.  I can't wait to set it up in two weeks!  It's hard to pass up snowflake stamps in their infinite variety.  I love the unique designs!

I already had this Verve set out on my desk from my last card, since I used a sentiment from it, and wanted to make a card with the set before putting it away.  I love the pretty snowflakes!  I recently got the new Smoky Slate color from Stampin' Up.  The markers for Smoky Slate and Soft Sky were laying side by side in my bag, and it struck me how pretty the two colors were together, and just how perfect they would be for a wintry card.

I used the latest Deconstructed sketch (found here).  I'm also posting it for the Verve Diva Dare challenge to use a common shape.  What could be more common than squares?  :)  The snowflakes could count for a common shape too.  They certainly are some of my favorite shapes!  :D

I embossed the Smoky Slate cardstock with a pretty tile pattern by Cuttlebug.  I stamped the Soft Sky cardstock with smaller versions of the snowflake, and for the angled lines in the sketch, I used Scor-Tape to make pretty strips of glitter.  I topped it all off with a large snowflake stamped in Soft Sky and enhanced with glittery Stickles.  Snowflakes and glitter naturally go together!  (any excuse, right?)

Stamps:  Glad Tidings (Verve)
Paper:  Soft Sky, Smoky Slate (Stampin' Up); White (Papertrey Ink)
Ink:  Soft Sky, Smoky Slate (Stampin' Up)
Misc:  Decorative Tile embossing folder (Cuttlebug); Frosted Lace Stickles; Carrara Marble glitter (Martha Stewart); Scor-Tape, pop-dots

Razzleberry Mittens

The colors for this week's ColourQ challenge caught my eye.  I had previously pulled out my Make a Mitten stamp set to use for a card and it was sitting on my desk, so when I saw the color challenge, I knew the warm rich colors were just perfect for a fall sweater-type look.  Of course, sometimes the vision in my head doesn't always come out easily.  I refuse to admit how long I spent on this card.  It looks simple and we'll just leave it at that.  :)

photo linked

I used the knit heart border in all four colors directly on my white card base to create a knitted sweater-style background.  I stamped the lines border on a piece of Rich Razzleberry cardstock.  The border strip was created with layers of Pumpkin Pie, Bravo Burgundy, and Crushed Curry cardstock that were distressed along the edges.  A small motif from the Make a Mitten set was also stamped using Crushed Curry ink.

I stamped the mittens in Rich Razzleberry ink and then cut them out.  I added a short piece of natural twine to mimic old-fashioned mittens attached by a cord.  I remember having a pair of those when I was a kid!  I stamped my sentiment in black on a white circle, added faux stitching lines with a Crushed Curry marker, and then placed the mittens using pop-dots for dimension.  The whole thing was matted with a Crushed Curry circle and then raised up just slightly by adding extra layers of cardstock behind.  I wanted a little separation but not quite as much as pop-dots would add.

The weather here turned quite cold two days ago.  In fact, we had a short snow flurry!  My daughter was super excited.  Very wet snowflakes and no sticking, but still cool nonetheless.  We don't get snow often in North Carolina.  (except for the mountains, of course)  It makes me wonder if we are in for a harsh winter.  Only time will tell.  Either way, this card is a great way to send some warm winter wishes!

Stamps:  Make a Mitten (Stampin' Up); Glad Tidings (Verve)
Paper:  Bravo Burgundy, Pumpkin Pie, Rich Razzleberry, Crushed Curry (Stampin' Up); White (Papertrey Ink)
Ink:  Bravo Burgundy, Pumpkin Pie, Rich Razzleberry, Crushed Curry (Stampin' Up); Tuxedo Black (Memento)
Misc:  Standard Circles Large & Small dies (Spellbinders); Crushed Curry marker (Stampin' Up); solid natural twine (The Twinery); distress tool, pop-dots

Season's Tweetings

I stumbled across an adorable card by Kay Miller on her blog here, and just had to CASE it myself.  I knew my little Winter Sparrows set by Lawn Fawn would be perfect, and I also pulled out an old set by Stampin' Up called Snowflakes, one of my favorites.

Love it!  I kept the same layout and colors, substituting the dies and stamps I happen to have.  I stamped my little bird on white cardstock, colored it with Copic markers, and then cut it out.  I stamped the snowflake on a white circle using Spring Rain ink, and then added a branch for my bird using Rich Cocoa ink.  That's the only real change I made from the original design.  I felt my little bird needed grounding, and the branch in Winter Sparrows fit perfectly. 

I embossed white polka dots on the kraft circle using Polka Dot Basics.  (I really need Polka Dot Basics II.  I'd like a stamp with polka dots closer together.  Love my polka dots!)  There is an extra layer of hidden cardstock behind the snowflake to pop it up a bit.  I did the same thing behind the Dark Chocolate circle.  The white snowflake was cut with my Fancy Flakes die.

I used a die included in Blueprints 3 by My Favorite Things to cut the scalloped piece from Spring Rain cardstock, and then stamped it with Netting, a background stamp by Stampin' Up.  After stamping the sentiment, I glued everything together and added faux stitching lines with an Early Espresso marker.  The whole thing was adhered to a Dark Chocolate card base.

Stamps:  Winter Sparrows (Lawn Fawn); Snowflakes, Netting (Stampin' Up); Polka Dot Basics (Papertrey Ink)
Paper:  White, Dark Chocolate, Kraft, Spring Rain (Papertrey Ink)
Ink:  Rich Cocoa (Memento); Spring Rain (Papertrey Ink); VersaMark
Copic:  C1, C3, C5, Y11, B41, B45
Dies:  Circle STAX Set 2; Blueprints 3 (My Favorite Things); Fancy Flakes (Papertrey Ink)
Misc:  white embossing powder (Filigree); Early Espresso marker (Stampin' Up)
 

Remember

On this Veteran's Day, I want to say thank you to all who serve in our military, both past and present.  Thank you for the sacrifices you make in my behalf.  It was my privilege to perform the music of the Andrews Sisters for three years, and during that time, I met many veterans of World War II and subsequent wars, as well as many soldiers currently in service.  My father served as an Army officer for twenty-one years.  My father-in-law served in the Navy.  I know the sacrifices the families make too.   

Thank you.  I will never forget.

Stamps:  Pretty Poppies (My Favorite Things); Remember (Papertrey Ink)
Paper:  White, Kraft, True Black (Papertrey Ink)
Ink:  Real Red, Old Olive (Stampin' Up); Tuxedo Black (Memento)
Misc:  Poppies & Leaves dies (My Favorite Things); Basic Black marker (Stampin' Up)