Tuesday Just Because

Is it bad to be designing cards with stamps you haven't yet received? It's a habit that's hard to break! Sometimes it even prevents me from using what I already have. However, I think in this case it turned out as a positive thing, once I received the the stamps anyway.

It started a few weeks back... April 14th to be exact. It was my stamp club night and I got to see the texture backgrounds for the Big Shot. I was inspired to pull out my Fiskars texture plates once I got home. I have no clue if they are the same thickness, I'm guessing they're close. I found that the cuttlebug sandwich: A, Plate, Paper, Silicon, C worked nicely.

*disclaimer- not all machines have the same tensions, what works in mine might not work in yours, experiment carefully!

I went through the the plates and found this cute rain drop one. That was the same night as the Papertrey Ink release party. I knew I had to try this particular embossed background with the Scattered Showers set. So for almost 2 weeks I've had this piece of Ocean Tides cardstock embossed and ready to go. So when my stamps arrived today I had to make this card.

Supplies: Stamps: Scattered Showers Paper: Ocean Tides, White, Vellum, Dark Chocolate Ink: Ocean Tides, Stazon Timber Brown Accessories, etc.: Embossing Plate, pop dots, brads

Ten Minute Monday

I have had this color combination in my mind for a while and it didn't come out as planned but I still like it. I had this scrap of Kraft card stock so I stamped the damask from an Inkadinkado set in PaperTrey Snowy White ink in a pattern. I just got the Scor-bug so I used that to make the little pierced looking marks between the damasks images. I matted this panel on dimensionals with PTI Lemon Tart card stock. I used my Scor-pal to score a diamond pattern on the front of the card to match the pattern on the main image panel. I attached two Lemon Tart ribbon tabs. The SCS CAS challenge, CAS12, was to use little bits of ribbon. Supplies: Stamps - Inkadinkado; Ink - PTI Snowy White; Paper - PaperTrey; Misc - Ribbon, Scor-pal, Scor-bug, Dimensionals

Ten Minute Monday 04/27/09

I had a few kraft card bases leftover from some classes that have since passed. I was also in the mood to use Heart Prints, buttons, and some of my favorite colour combinations. For the first card, a colour combination you are probably familiar with, from me anyway- Melon Berry and Chocolate plus a neutral or two. I stamped the heart onto white, cute that out and added a threaded button. I attached that to a cut out and embossed square. I finished it off with a simple Love You greeting. For the second card, I was inspired to try Aqua Mist, Berry Sorbet, and Summer Sunrise after seeing this delightful card . The inspiration card used Raspberry Fizz, not Berry Sorbet. I had a Raspberry heart ready to go, but the bitty dot papers in those colours are that much more vibrant and I found that Berry Sorbet went nicely too. I cut out all the hearts, popped up the smaller ones and placed them all on a Labels die cut. Again, I completed it with a simple greeting, Hugs & Kisses. Supplies: Stamps: Heart Prints, Damask Designs Paper: Dark Chocolate, White, Kraft Ink: Aqua Mist, Berry Sorbet, Summer Sunrise, Melon Berry, Fresh Snow Accessories, etc.: nestabilities, pop dots, button, twine

Fall To Layout #39 Birthday Wishes

I just got the Guidelines papers from PaperTrey so I had to make my patterned paper with the Guidelines I set. This paper makes using the Guidelines set so much easier and takes so much less time to make a background. I used PaperTrey Summer Sunrise, Raspberry Fizz and Smokey Shadow inks to make the patterned paper. I used a button from my stash and sewed it onto the ribbon bow with embroidery floss. My sentiment is stamped a bit too low but I'm going with it! Supplies: Stamps - PaperTrey Guidelines I, Amuse (Sentiment); Ink - PaperTrey Pallette Perfect Match; Paper - PaperTrey; Misc - Ribbon, Button, Glue Dots, EK Success Border Punch, Paper Piercer, Tim Holtz ruler, Embroidery floss, Stamp-a-majig

Fall-to Layout #39

I originally designed the sketch to be 6x3.75, but feel free to do whatever dimensions you like! As always, leave a link if you decide to play along. I really love seeing what everyone does with the sketch!!!

Here's my take on the sketch. I decided to make some stamped background paper with Damask Designs. I stamped Vintage Cream on Melon Berry. I'm pretty obsessed with how Melon, Chocolate, and Vanilla look together (sounds like I'm describing a dessert). I threw in a button bow, since I'm loving those too lately.

Supplies: Stamps: Damask Designs, Monogram Borders & Corners Ink: Vintage Cream, Melon Berry Paper: Vintage Cream, Melon Berry, Dark Chocolate Accessories, etc.: Ribbon, Button, Twine, Scallop Punch, paper piercer

Ten Minute Monday

The SCS CAS challenge was posted Sunday evening so I made this card using an inspiration piece from that challenge - JCPenney Baby Bedding. I can't get the link to the sample to work here. It took me forever to decide on an inspiration piece - all the bedding is so cute! It took less than 10 minutes to make this card though. I used the textured Bazzil stock for the card base and the blue square to imitate the material. I used the classic square nestabilities to cut and emboss the blue mat and the Spellbinders Nested Stars for the images. The matted stars and the 3 litle stars are popped up on dimensionals. Supplies: Stampes - PaperTrey Limitless Labels; Ink - SU! Bordering Blue; Paper - Bazzil, PaperTrey; Misc - Nestabilities, Spellbinders Nested Stars; Dimensionals

Two Ten Minutes Cards

I've been meaning to make my own stamped patterned paper for a while. When I picked up this Detours stamp set, I knew the flowers and leaves would work quite nicely for exactly that. First I needed a bit of inspiration for colour selection. Since these are October Afternoon stamps, I checked out papers from the coordinating line. I found one I liked, then decided on six colours- Kiwi Kiss, Regal Rose, Real Red, Cool Caribbean, Dark Chocolate, and Orangerie, that matched best. Next I just started stamping. One thing to remember when making stamped backgrounds with several images- start with your largest images first! That way you always have room for them and you can squeeze the smaller images in wherever. I tried this colour combo on white cardstock first. I loved how it turned out, but I wanted to try it on something besides white. I decided on kraft. I was delighted when the colours came out almost as vibrantly as they had on the white.

Supplies: Stamps: Detours, Birthday Basics Ink: Kiwi Kiss, Cool Caribbean, Regal Rose, Dark Chocolate, Orangerie, Real Red Paper: Kiwi Kiss, Cool Caribbean, Regal Rose, Kraft, White, Dark Chocolate Accessories, etc.: Ribbon, Labels die, rhinestone

Fall To Layout #38 Happy Birthday

I decided to use Natahsa's sketch to make a masculine birthday card. I used PaperTrey's Father Knows Best set and the sentiment is from PaperTrey's Around and About Sentiments. To keep it masculine looking, I embossed about 2/3rds of the Vintage Creme card front with the Argyle embossing folder . I then scored two lines right below the Argyle embossing and then stamped the sentiment and embossed another two lines below the sentiment. I would have liked to use a brown wooden button but I didn't have one so I went with the spiral clip instead. Supplies: Stamps - PaperTrey; Ink - Versamagic Chalk Inks; Paper - PaperTrey; Misc - Nestabilities, spiral clip, dimensionals, Cuttlebug embossing folder, Scor-pal.

Sketch 38

Happy weekend! Here's the sketch:

And here's my card. I kept things very simple this week. Lots of white space. Keep your image panel relatively small, I think mine is 1.5x2.5. The sentiment strip is about 5 inches long. A small tip, if you find that so much white space is just too plain, try using a textured cardstock, it can really jazz up the card.Supplies:

Stamps: Quick Sayings, Botanical Blooms

Ink: Chocolate Chip, Spring Moss, Melon Berry, Fresh Snow

Paper: Groovy Guava textured, confetti white, spring moss

Accessories, etc.: button, pop dots

10-minute Trees

I stamped the trunks in chocolate craft ink randomly across the card base, then stamped the "leaves" in white and coral craft inks. The grass was added by hand with my olive marker. Super simple, and the best part was that no SAMJ was needed! Thanks for stopping by. Supplies: stamps - Trendy Trees paper - kraft, coral ink - choc, coral, white craft acc - white taffeta ribbon, dimensionals, olive marker

Ten Minute Monday 04/13/09

I've still been having fun making multi-coloured polka dot backgrounds, so here's another card featuring one. I went with Summer Sunrise, Dark Chocolate, Raspberry Fizz, and Ripe Avocado this time. It stamps pretty quickly, maybe 2-3 minutes for the background. I found a flower in a coordinating colour, added a button, and I've been all about the sentiment tabs or flags lately. So I cut a piece of dark chocolate paper, rounded the corners, and stamped the greeting in white. Supplies: Stamps: Polka Dot Basics, Birthday Basics Ink: Summer Sunrise, Dark Chocolate, Fresh Snow, Raspberry Fizz, Ripe Avocado Paper: White, Raspberry, Avocado, Chocolate Accessories, etc.: Flower (Kaiser), Button (PTI), Embroidery Floss (DMC), Corner Rounder

Fall-to Layout 37

This sketch was the perfect time to ink up (one of) my new set(s). I added dazzling diamonds to the white parts of the butterfly with a glue pen, sorry it didn't show up in the picture. Thanks for stopping by! Supplies: stamps - Great Friend paper - kraft, pink passion, white, choc, baja, kiwi ink - choc, pacific, pink passion acc - glue pen, dazzling diamonds, dimensionals, scallop edge punch, photo corner punch

Fall to Layout 37

Another great sketch from Natasha! I used my Cuttlebug Flower die to cut a flower out of the PTI Raspberry Fizz patterned paper and layered a ghost flower on top and fastened them together with the big brad. I used the same patterned paper for the scalloped border. I stamped the sentiment in Memento Rhubarb Stalk on a Spellbinders Ribbon tag and put a piece of ribbon through one end of the tag. Supplies: Stamps - PaperTrey Friends to the End; Ink - Memento; Paper - PaperTrey; Misc - PTI Ribbon, Making Memories brad, Maya Road Ghost Flower; Spellbinders Ribbon Tag die, Glue Dots, Fiskars border punch

Sketch Day

I know I usually wait until Saturday to post, but I'm off anyway, so I figured I'd post the sketch early.

So first, here's the sketch. As always, feel free to use it as a starting point. You can change things to suit your design. I based this sketch off of a card I made earlier this week. However, I enjoyed it so much that I made a second design. A few dimensions for you, the background panel is about 3.5x4. The "flower" is about 2 inches in diameter.

As you can see I pretty much copied my card design to make the sketch. I had a flower, leaves, and a button on the original card. I also had the sentiment tag placed just so. You'll see in my second card what I mean when I say to change things so they fit your design.

Here's the original card. It was posted on my personal blog earlier this week. I had a lot of fun piecing together my own flower with die-cuts, instead of stamping and cutting out a floral image.

For the second card I did something that I've been wanting to do forever, but for some reason the execution of it just never occurred to me. I love polka dot backgrounds, but I've been wanting multi-coloured dot backgrounds. I was checking out some new-to-me blogs, and came across Laura's, this post in particular, was kind of an "oh yeah" moment. Use the outline polka dot backgrounds and just stamp in your own colour. I suppose if you really didn't want the colour to show you could stamp in versamark and just use it as a guide. I was okay with the outline showing here. With all the fun spring stuff around (and we're finally getting weather forecasts into the double digits!), I decided to pair the dotty background with a few garden boots. I really love these boots. I modified the sketch ever so slightly. Instead of a flower and leaves, I used a scalloped circle. And because my sentiment was too long, I had it flow over the edge of the background piece, since it wouldn't look right hugged up to the edge of the mat.

Card One Supplies: Stamps: Birthday Basics, Polka Dot Basics Paper: Pumpkin Pie, Summer Sunrise, New Leaf, Craft, Vintage Cream Ink: Pumpkin Pie, New Leaf Accessories, etc.: Blossoms, Scalloped Rectangles nestabilities, vintage button, thread, Swiss Dot folder

Card Two Supplies: Stamps: Women of Life, Polka Dot Basics, Green Thumb Paper: White, Old Olive, Pumpkin Pie, Taken with Teal, Chocolate Ink: Orangerie, Cote d'Azure, Landscape, Dark Chocolate, Fresh Snow Accessories, etc.: Circle and Rectangle Nestabilities

Ten Minute Monday

I can make cards in ten minutes when I have a great sketch to follow and any other guidelines or challenges. This card uses CPS113 sketch and it also uses Distressing which is the SCS CAS challenge. I used the direct to paper distressing around the edges of the sentiment. Supplies: Stamps - Inkadinkado; Ink - Versafine Onyz Black; Paper - PaperTrey Stamper Select, Making Memories patterned paper; Misc - Nestabilities, MS Butterfly Punch, pearls, Dimensionals, Glue Dots.

Ten Minute Monday 04/06/09

I managed to get my hands on this fun October Afternoon stamp set, Detours. It has some really cute images in it. I had the chance on Saturday night to put together a little something with it.

I inked up the tree with Memento tear drops, then decided that a Berry Sorbet bird would brighten up the card nicely. I added a thin Berry mat, a flag sentiment and polka dot background at the last touch and that was that!

Supplies: Stamps: Detours, Birthday Basics, Polka Dot Basics

Ink: Berry Sorbet, Bamboo Leaves, Rich Cocoa, Fresh Snow

Paper: White, Berry Sorbet, Certainly Celery, Chocolate Chip

Accessories, etc.: pop dots

FTL #36

Another clean, quick and easy sketch! I picked out the patterned paper like Natasha did and then chose a 3D sticker that I have had forever. It feels so good to use up my stash of stuff! I made this into a Mothers Day card using "Mom" from PaperTrey's Women of Life set. Supplies: Stamps - PaperTrey; Paper - PaperTrey Stampers Select, DCWV patterned paper; Ink - Versamagic; Misc- Sandylion 3D sticker. ETA: I guess it would be good to post the sketch!

Time for another sketch. As always, feel free to play along (post a link or use keyword FTL36). Use the sketch as a guideline. You don't need to follow it exactly,but hopefully it inspires you! I based the sketch off of this card I made a few weeks back. I was tempted to just post that card, since I am heading out of town to teach a few classes tomorrow, but I decided to make something that was a bit more simple. The original card was still linear, but I imagine it doesn't quite fit into some definitions of "CAS", what with the watercolouring and the cutting out.

I chose patterned paper, then decided on other colours and stamps from there.

Supplies: Stamps: Trendy Trees Ink: New Leaf, Dark Chocolate Paper: Pumpkin Pie, Real Red, Tempting Turquoise, White Accessories: Stamp-a-ma-jig, pop dots