Tuesday Morning Sketches #129

Hello Crafters -

Sorry I missed last week's sketch...I was too intimidated by it having to be "vintage!" This week we have a great sketch and a sponsor - a sponsor that I am very partial too. Our sponsor this week is the Cupcake Craftroom. They offer some fantastic digital papers and some new cardmaking kits. Be sure to stop by and check them out.

Today's card I was inspired by Mary J's card. I totally loved the papers and her card that I just had to use the same paper scheme (Fresh Polkas & Little Black Box). I knew the perfect set - Bee My Honey from Flourishes. Course I colored the flower image hoping I could fit all three images. Sadly, they did not fit so I'll be making another card with the flowers in the set. I am totally in love with this card. I think it came out so perfect. I thoroughly enjoyed coloring the images. I'm startin' to love my Copics.

Here is today's sketch. I hope that join along with us at Tuesday Morning Sketches. Be sure to check out the rest of the design team work (you can find their blogs on my sidebar). I can't wait to see what you put together.

Thanks for stopping by. Have an awesome day!

Christmas Traditions

Can you believe it's December! Christmas is just a few weeks away. It's time to get your holiday cards done and to help with that Mandy over at the Cupcake Craftroom is challenging us to make a card with the theme of "Christmas Traditions." That could mean putting up the Christmas Tree, decking the halls, Santa, stockings, a roaring fire...it's up to you. Mandy has also posted some scrupmtious new papers in the store titled "Traditions."

For my card I took my inspriation from Silke. She always makes such beautiful cards. I love the layout she used and the image. I got this image a while back and this is the perfect image for the challenge theme. I totally love the reds in this set. I wanted to use all of them, but I refrained.

I hope to see you join us. I can't wait to see your Christmas Traditions.

Thanks for stopping by. Have an awesome day!!

Flourishes Timeless Tuesday #139

Evening crafters...a quick post tonight. At Flourishes Timeless Tuesday this week their challenge is to create a card with an ornament or make an ornament. Well I did both! I made a card with a removable ornament. To Flourishes, my apologies I do not have any holiday stamps sets, but they are on my wish list.

Once I created my card I realized that I did not have my camera here. I left it at school. I had to pull out a camera and I'm afraid the photo isn't the best. What I'd like to do is take some photography classes. I do however like my card. I used chipboard to make the ornament and put the DP on both sides and then used gold cording around the edges. It was so simple and quick. I found the beautiful DP at Archivers ~ it's from Authentique and it's gorgeous!!

I hope you like my card. Thanks for stopping by. Have an awesome evening.

Thank You

Good evening everyone! I wanted to say thanks to all the followers that left me some wonderful comments. I'm sorry I haven't posted for more than a week. Well I think I am back on the mend. We'll see...this is the time of the year that I really suffer from allergies and get sick. It's not been too bad!

Last Thursday was my birthday and I was really showered upon. I want to say thank you to all the children, my colleagues, friends, and family for all the wonderful gifts. I have been wanting to CASE Silke's cards for a month now. I finally got the time today to sit down and make some clean and simple cards.

I totally love the technique used. I used a clear stamp block and put the stamp pad directly onto the block, misted it with water and then stamped that onto the cardstock. I love how it came out. This card came together very quickly. I think they make fabulous thank you cards. I hope you do to!

Again, thank you for visiting me and I look forward to getting around to see everyone's creations. Have an awesome day!! 

Recipe:
Stamps: Flourishes (Sweet Days of Summer & With Gratitude)
Ink: Close to My Heart (Parchment & Creme Brulee); Memento Tuxedo Black
Paper: Bazzill Basics
Accessories: Metals (Mark Richards)

Flourishes Timeless Tuesday Guest Designer

About a month ago I got a fabulous e-mail from Tammy Hershberger asking if I would like to guest design for Flourishes Timeless Tuesday Challenge. I was shocked! What an absolute honor to be asked to design amongst some amazing and talented women.

This week's Flourishes Timess Tuesday ~ FTTC134 Maki is our hostess and her theme this weeks is "Keep Calm and Play with Water!" You can use images and/or elements that include water or use any techniques that include water as its supplies (for example: water coloring, misted background with water, or water color wash).

For my card this week I used the beautiful set Kids Play. I have wanted this set for quite some time. I was so excited when it arrived in the mail and I got to ink it up. I used water colors to color the pond and the sky. I was so afraid to do watercolor such a large area, but I think it came out awesome. I want to shout out a big thanks for Angela and Carisa for giving me such great encouragement while I colored. It's a bit intimidating among these amazing artists!

Now it's time to check out all the gorgeous creations the rest of the team has waiting for you ~ Cindy, Heather, Silke, Maki, Tammy, Beate and Betty.

Thanks for stopping by. Again, I want to thank all of you that have taken the time to come to my blog and leave me the most fabulous comments a girl could ask for. Have a fabulous day!!

Recipe:
Stamps: Flourishes (Kids Play)
Ink: Versa Fine (black)
Paper: Me & My Big Ideas (Forever Watercolor); SU (cardstock - color names unknown)
Accessories: Oval Nestabilities; My Mind's Eye (twine)

Coneflowers

This week at the challenge at Flourishes Timeless Tuesday #133, Silke has set up a bingo card. I have to tell you that this stumped me because I stink at bingo. It was my grandmother's favorite game and I remember going once and it was the last game of the night - you know the one that always pays the most. Well, I yelled bingo and everyone started leaving and then they realized I didn't have bingo. Oh was I ever embarrassed. I never played again!!

How can I pass up on Silke's challenge? I first tried to do the shaped card - I went through about ten sheets of paper trying to create something. So I scraped that idea. Then I thought hmmm...I always like the blackout game, but that would mean doing a shaped card - not again. I settled on the middle row, pink, embossing, and pearls.

I am also entering this card into the Jugs 100th sketch challenge. It's so hard to play all the challenges that are out there, but I am trying to do more. I really liked their sketch this week and I thought it fit this beautfiul Flourishes With Gratitude set.

Thanks for stopping by. Have an awesome weekend!

Recipe:
Stamps: Flourishes (With Gratitude)
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black
Paper: Close to My Heart (old olive); Me & My Big Ideas (forever watercolor)
Accessories: ribbon (stash); Recollections (silver pearls)

Sentiments

This week at Flourishes Timeless Tuesday Challenge #132, Cindy has challenged us to showcase one of Flourishes sentiments. When I saw the Zinnias set I was really loved the sentiment that I have selected for this card. Being a teacher sometimes it feels as if what you do doesn't matter. I learned differently this past week.

I began teaching 10 years ago. My first class was a 4th grade class with 18 amazing children. These students graduated this past June and hopefully entering their first year of college. I think about this kids often, but I got a phone call from one of them! Little Allie (now she goes by Alex) called me to tell me that I was one of her favorite teachers and that she was headed off to college. It made me realize that everything I do really does matter. It's why I continue to teach.

I also am entering my card into Card Patterns #130 Sketch Challenge.

I hope you like my card. Thanks for stopping by. I really enjoy hearing from all of you.

Flourishes 4th Birthday Celebration

Flourishes is lighting the candles and getting ready to sing to honor their fourth birthday! And, as a way to celebrate, I’m happy to say I was hand-picked to help them have a bit of a party as a designer for their customer appreciation hop! The only challenge here was to create a card or project using my favorite Flourishes stamp set. Read on – I’ll tell you how you can win some Flourishes goodies too!

Making the decision on which stamp set to select for my card today - I struggled. I love all my Flourishes stamp sets - especially the flowers!! Well, it came down to a stamp set that is near and dear to my heart. Flourishes is celebrating their 4th birthday, I too will be celebrating my "4th birthday." Nearly 4 years ago I was diagnosed with breast cancer and come October it will be officially 4 years - of being cancer free. Therefore, I selected Think Pink - Fight Like a Girl. I love this set! Isn't this dress fabulous? Happy Birthday Flourishes! Thank you for asking me be a part of this celebration.

 I used the sketch from Card Patterns #129. I thought it was perfect for this gorgeous dress.

What can you win? Take a peek at this fun and festive blog candy!

If you’d like to learn more about how you can win all of these stamp sets, just click HERE to read up on today’s hop and challenge! 

If you arrived here by way of Yogi Grunwald, then you are on the right path! If I was your first stop, you’ll want to go back to the Flourishes Blog to and start this hop from the very beginning! You have until September 1st at 5PM CST to enter!

Next up on the hop is Brenda O'Rear.

Thanks for stopping by. Good Luck!!

Recipe:
Stamps: Flourishes (Think Pink-Fight Like a Girl and Kids At Play - sentiment)
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black
Papers: Me & My Big Ideas (baby girl); Close to My Heart (black)
Accessories: ribbon (stash); Nestabilities; Cricut (Art Philosophy)

Flourishes In Pink

Good Morning crafters, what a beautiful Sunday morning!! I decided to get up early today so that I could spend the day making cards. I went to the school yesterday and painted my old green chalkboared with magnetic paint!! What a messy process, but I am so excited that a useless board will now be worth having. It gave me the idea that the wall in front of the crafting table should be painted with magnetic paint so that I can post some items without using tape or nails!!

This week the Flourishes Timesless Tuesday Challenge #131 is a recipe challenge: pink, one button, and lace. Now how could I pass making a card in my favorite color - pink? All three elements are my favorite, especially pink. I selected Butterflies & Blossoms. The flowers are called clematis and I learned they are a SW Colorado wild flower. I think they are gorgeous. I really enjoyed coloring this image, especially that butterfly.

Thanks for coming by. I hope you enjoy my card. Have a fabulous day!!

Blueberries

I am pushing it again to enter my card into the Flourishes Timeless Tuesday #130. I swore that I would not let work take over and take presidence over of my crafting. What did I do?? I'm sorry and sad that I have made or posted a card until today. I really need to find that balance, but it's so hard.

This week their challenge is to Be Fruitful! I selected Berry Sweet from Flourishes. I love the set. I have never colored blueberries before. I'm not sure that I got the right color. I was at the grocery store and looked at the different brands. I think these are a little more purple than blue, but I do like the coloring.

The rules this week is that this card cannot be used for any other challenges. I hope it's okay that I used a sketch from Chupa's Sketchbook Saturday Challenge #24. I don't think her sketch is a challenge, she loves to create sketches and share them. If prizes are attached, I didn't see anything. I just used her sketch, but I won't post it to her challenge. Wanted to give credit where credit it due.

I hope that you like my card. Thanks for stopping by, have an awesome day!

Recipe
Stamps: Flourishes (Berry Sweet)
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black, PrismaColour Colored Pencils, Close To My Heart (Moonstruck)
Paper: DCWV (the dots, stripes & plaids), Close To My Heart (Magnifique); the circle DP (blog candy win)
Accessories: ribbon (blog candy win)

Favorite Flowers

This week at Flourishes Timeless Tuesday the challenge (#129) is to design a card around your favorite flower. This was hard for me because I love flowers. When I was in high school I worked in our family flower shop. I worked my way from drying flowers to making flower arrangements to doing all the wedding work. I love all the flowers.

If I really had to pick the "beer" pocket would pick daisies and the "champagne" taste would pick orchids. Since I only have Gerbera Daisies from Flourish (which is not the plain beautiful daisy I love) and I don't have the orchid stamp set - I decided to select a flower that I have loved coloring - zinnias!!

I am totally pleased with how this card came out. Rarely do I used red...so this was definitely a challenge for me. This paper is just too fabulous. I hope you like it! For the layout I used the fabulous sketch from The Deconstructed Sketch. I didn't get this completed in time for their challenge, but that's okay. I really liked the sketch.

I am also entering this card into The Dare to Get Dirty challenge by Lisa Henke & Jessie Knight Rone. These may be the only challenges I get to complete. Sorry, not allowed tell you what the challenges are all about. You need to be a Fan Club Member at Splitcoast Stampers.

Thanks for stopping by. Have an awesome day!!

Recipe:
Stamps: Flourishes (Zinnias)
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black; PrismaColour Colored Pencils
Paper: October Afternoon (Beach Chair); The Girls' Paperie (kitch); Bazzill Basics (lilly white & coconut swirl); Close to My Heart (tulip & black)
Accessories: Ribbon (stash); Close to My Heart (button); Jolee's Jewels (Swarovski Elements)

Flourishes Timeless Tuesday

I am once again getting this in just under the wire! This past week's Timeless Tuesday Challenge #128 is Christmas in July. I am not much for Christmas in July, but I am loving coloring the Flourishes stamp sets. I settled on these gorgeous raspberries for my submission.

I think they came out gorgeous. I think I managed to photograph them so that you can see the holographic glitter that I used. Instead of covering the entire raspberry with glue I used small dots of glue in each of the small sections of the berry. I think they look delish!!

Thanks for stopping by. All of your comments have meant the world to me. I appreciate you. Have an awesome day!! 

Recipe:
Images: Flourishes (Berry Sweet), There She Goes (Seasons Greetings - sentiment)
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black; PrismaColour Colored Pencils
Paper: Bazzill Basics (white, cotton swirl & olive); Close to My Heart (Mistletoe & Perfect Day)
Accessories: Ribbon (stash)

Two Artists & Two Challenges

This week over at Flourises, one of my favorite crafters, Silke Ledlow is this host. How could I not play along? She posted a photo inspiration challenge for the Timeless Tuesday Challenge #127. In addition I went up to see another one of my favorite crafters and friends, Holly McMillen and she asked if I would consider using my card for her challenge (TLC - Technique Lover's Challenge) on Splitcoast Stampers. How could I possibly refuse this??

This card has been worth the wait for me. I hope that I made you proud Silke and Holly.

I signed up for a coloring class and it began last Tuesday. The first class began with some really basic information on stamping pads, paper, and how they react to each other. I had no clue!! One of the techniques that the instructor pointed out I used on this card. I stamped my image on watercolor paper with chocolate ink and then I took a watercolor brush and pulled the ink out to give it a glow around the image. I love how it looks.

For Holly's TLC335 challenge making a box for emblished cards is such a fabulous idea. I think the box showcases my card so well. Once the four of us (Holly, Lee, Angela and myself) got through all the "math" calculations on the box - honestly I think we all had to many M&Ms and we were on sugar rush - the 2nd (mine), 3rd, & 4th came out great. Lee made her box first and had to remake it. From that, we learned that the weight of your cardstock and the scoring tool used makes a small difference in the measurements. It's so fabulous when it's completed.  

It was so worth doing. I hope you agree.

Recipe:
Stamps: Flourishes (Zinnias)
Ink: Close to My Heart (chocolate); SU (chocolate chip)
Paper: Canson (watercolor); SU (kraft & a purple); DP (unknown)
Accessories: May Arts silk ribbon (rust); pearls and Swarovski Crystal beads; embossing folder; BasicGrey magnets

Cropping Weekend

Hello Bloggers -

Sorry I disappeared...I went to a cropping retreat for the past few days! It was so nice. Although I really don't like going to them because I feel like I have to pack my entire craft room. I did almost that. I took a lot of stuff with me and really didn't use a third of it, but I did a lot of crafting and had the best time. I have about six cards to share, but not all in this post. I'll share over the next couple of days.

I want to say, WELCOME to all my new followers and I want to thank each and everyone of you for all the fabulous comments you have made. I am loving all your feedback. I am also enjoying visiting your blogs and seeing your fabulous are work. You all inspire me!!

On to my first card. I am so loving Flouishes challenges. I am hoping to spend time in their shop this week. I have a huge wish list!! This week's Timeless Tuesday #126 Challenge is to emboss. I used my Cuttlebug and Swiss Dots folder to create this beauty. Again, this Strawberries set is another set I bought a couple of years ago and just inked it this weekend. I loved coloring this and using a few different reds, purples, and even black to get the shading I was looking for.

My next challenge is to work on better photography. The greens in the leaves didn't photo with the shading I see on the card. I am going to a friends tomorrow and she's introducing me to a professional photographer and I can't wait to get some lessons.

Thanks for stopping by. I'll see you again tomorrow. Have a fabulous week!! 

Recipe:
Stamps: Flouishes (Strawberries)
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black; PrismaColor Colored Pencils
Paper: Bazzill Basics (luscious lime, cream puff); The Girls Paperie (paper girl)
Accessories: Primo (Say it in Pearls), ribbon and lace (stash); Martha Stewart Punches

Tuesday Morning Sketches #102

It's another fabulous Tuesday morning...hopefully the day won't bring another crazy heavy rainstorm. Today at Tuesday Morning Sketches we don't have a sketch, but a judged challenge...to make a detachable bookmark. We have a fabulous sponsor today and my apologies to the Doodle Pantry, I did not read Melissa's email closely and forgot to grab one of your freebies to make today's project.

When I started thinking about this project I panicked. I've never done this!! I turned to Splitcoast Stampers for a tutorial. Well I don't have the fancy machine they used to get a perforated edge. Then some friends suggested using a paper piercing tool to make the perforation and I tried that and made a mess. So I settled on making a corner bookmark and I thought it was going to be hard. Was I ever wrong! I loved making the corner bookmark it was so simple and fast.

For my card and bookmark I used the stamp set From the Desk Of by Flourishes. I bought this set because I saw the most amazing card from Heather Jensen using the set and I just had to have it. I think the set of books with the daisies is the perfect image for a bookmark. I thought about making the card with the exact same image so that when the receipient takes off the bookmark they still have the same image on the card, but I loved the vase with the flower blossoms that I had to ink them up too!! The bookmark fits perfectly on any one of the corners of the card, but I am going to put in on the inside corner of the card so when it gets opened up there's a surprise.

Aren't these DPs delicious!! I loved the sketch at The Sweet Stop: SSS116 and decided to use their sketch to display these beautiful papers and stamp set. I did add the one element to the Sweet Stops sketch and that was the bookmark, I hope they don't mind. 

I can't wait to see what you all make. Thanks for stopping by.


Recipe:
Stamps: Flourishes (From the Desk Of)
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black, PrismaColors Colored Pencils
Paper: Cosmo Cricket (from A to Z-used both sides), October Afternoon (Near Mint), Bazzil Basics (cream puff),
SU (very vanilla)
Accessories: Ribbon (stash); Martha Stewart (punch), Nestabilities

Friends

When I hear the word "friends" I think of Bette Midler and her singing..."you gotta have friends." I have been lucky enough in my life to be blessed with some of the best friends a girl could ever want. From my oldest and dearest friend ever, Olivia - she and I met in 7th grade and are still friends today to my newest friend Lee, whom I met online on the TSG forum.

This week's challenge at Flourishes Timeless Tuesday #125 is to make a card and it must contain the word friend. I colored up my image at the beginning of last week and now I am down to the wire to get it in for this week. I don't know where the week went, but it sure flew by. I love this Cherry Blossoms set from Flourishes and although I have had the set for nearly two years I just recently inked it up. I'm not so afraid to color my Flourishes stamps anymore.

I also decided to use Mojo Monday's 199 sketch this week to give this beauty life. I have only played with Mojo Monday about 3-4 times because I have also been so intimidated to play with those amazing designers. I have gained a great deal of confidence and I am so looking forward to playing in different challenges.

I just love how this came out. I hope you do to. Thanks for stopping by.

Recipe:
Stamps: Flourishes (Cherry Blossoms); There She Goes (Everyday Greetings)
Ink: Memento Black Tuxedo; PrismaColors Colored Pencils
Paper: Bazzill Basics (cream puff); SU (very vanilla); The Girls' Paperie (Jubilee); Me&My Big Ideas (baby girl); Close to My Heart (black & vanilla)
Accessories: Ribbon, lace and pearls (stash); EK Success & Martha Stewart (punches); Wild Orchid Crafts (flower)