Smiles Across the Miles

Image:  SU 'Little Boys'.  Cardstock:  Textured red, 'Fair Skies' DP.  Ink:  copics.  Accessories:  clear button.

 

Thanks to Vickie for sending this fun image for our monthly image swap on Splitcoaststampers!  This image was fun to color and try new techniques (see the dog's coat?  First time I tried this, in case you couldn't tell).  The most difficult part was finding a coordinating sentiment, so I decided on 'sending smiles across the miles' from Papertrey.

Sketch is courtesy of Tuesday Morning Sketch challenge #276.  I rotated the sketch to coordinate with my image; it's such a versatile sketch that it works either direction! 

Tuesday Morning Sketch #138: Make a Birthday Wish!

Stamps:  Papertrey 'Garden Silhouettes'.  Paper:  Chocolate Chip, DCWV 'Garden Party', Papertrey Vintage Cream.  Ink:  Chocolate Chip, Baja Breeze.  Accessories:  SU chocolate satin ribbon, Stardust glitter pen, Nestabilities squares.

Welcome to Tuesday Morning Sketch #139! 

Here's our sketch for this week's challenge:


Our sponsor this week is My Creative Classroom.

For my card, I finally inked the Papertrey bonus set from last year to create this CAS versionof my sketch -- no coloring and only DP for  all that fun glitter!  Can you tell I am running short on birthday cards??

Be sure to admire the TMS Design Team's spin on this week's challenge:

Melissa
Angela
Theresa
Kathy

Dawn B
Marie
Cheryl

Then link up your creations HERE to join in the fun and so we can admire your take on this sketch and enter your name in the drawing to win a prize from our sponsor!

Tuesday Morning Sketch Challenge #135: Hello From the Heart

Stamps:  Magnolia Tilda,  Papertrey 'Vintage Picnic' sentiment.  Cardstock:  Black, Paper Studio "Uptown Flair' DP, Cryogen white.  Ink:  Memento black, Versafine black, Copics.  Accessories:  Rectangle Nestabilities.  Stardust glitter pen.

Welcome to Tuesday Morning Sketch #135! 

Here's our fun sketch created by Melissa for this week's challenge:

Our sponsor this week is Digi Doodle Shop.

For my card, I rotated the sketch so I could use this Magnolia cutie from our monthly image challenge on Splitcoast Stampers.

Be sure to admire the TMS Design Team's spin on this week's challenge:

Melissa
Angela
Theresa
Kathy

Dawn B
Marie
Cheryl

Then link up your creations HERE to join in the fun and so we can admire your take on this sketch and enter your name in the drawing to win a prize from our sponsor!

Merry and Bright!

Stamps:  Whimsie Doodles digi, Papertrey Ink 'Signature Christmas' sentiment.  Cardstock:  Textured green, red, Basic Grey 'Fruitcake', GP 110 white.  Ink:  Copics, Versamark.  Accessories:  white EP, circle Nestabilties, white satin snowflake ribbon, Dazzling Diamonds glitter, silver cording, red button.

Whimsie Doodles Challenge #57 is 'Button It Up!, so I thought this sweet ginger angel would be perfect with her buttons on the hem of her dress and an extra button element on this fun sketch, Mercy Tuesday Sketch Challenge #99! 

In fact, I had so much fun with this sketch that I decided to let it inspire a second card using supplies sent to me by my Secret Sister on a Splitcoast Stamper's Card Kit swap.  My sis sent me all these goodies, including the cardstock, DP, and felt tree die cut. She actually sent me much, much more, enough for several more cards -- stay tuned for those!  Thanks, Sis!!

Topic inspiration from this card started out from Sparkle's Christmas Card Challenge #49 which featured a beautiful holiday decorated room in a sort of vintage style.  I used Icicle Stickles to try and simulate a snowy effect on the tree, but it didn't really come out as expected.  It's still a neat effect, but not really snowy -- any suggestions?

Two more finished cards for my Christmas stash -- now if I could only be so prepared in the gift department!

Midnight Madness Sketch #60: Happy Anniversary!

Stamps: Papertrey 'Through the Trees', SU sentiment. Cardstock: Kraft, textured white, Basic Grey 'Sugar Rush'. Accessories: heart brads, Rectangle Nestabilities.

Once again, Midnight Madness Sketch #60 is "YOUR PICK" Make it fancy, clean and simple, or somewhere in-between. Remember to click on the sneak peek button on the side bar for the following weeks sketch each Friday.

"YOUR CHOICE"

Fancy

CAS
Enter one style or both this week.
Just have fun and come play with us :)

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CONGRATULATIONS!!!

Our MMSC59 Gold Star Award goes to...
#8 Darlene

Our Remarkables Awards this week go to...
#14 An
#50 Marsha Sanderlin
#58 Iris
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Our MMSC59 Weekly Bonus Winner is..
37. Charlene
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*Our MMSC60 weekly Bonus sponsor is.....

Priscilla will be offering a $20 shopping spree in her "priscillastyles" store!

Have fun and good luck :)

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Our Monthly sponsor is..

Katstamps
Check out the Grand Prize they are offering.

Last week, my husband and I celebrated our 16th anniversary and this is the card I created for him. It's full of symbolism, which means it probably doesn't look like a typical anniversary card. For example, the three heart brads are for our three great loves, our daughters! And note the lack of ribbon, a nod to DH's opinion that if it has ribbon, it's not a masculine card.

Special thanks to my friend, Tracy, for bringing this awesome 'Through the Trees' set all the way from Florida so I could play with it!!

Be sure to stop by the other Midnight Madness Design Team's blogs to admire their take on the sketch:

Brenda
Carol
Charlotte
Darsie

Denise

Gunn
Linda
Pam
Phyllis
Priscilla
Tracy

The Joy of Buttons!

Stamps: Everyday Button Bits. Cardstock: Almost Amethyst, Basic Grey, Barely Banana, Basic Grey 'Sugar Rush'. Ink: Certainly Celery, Real Red. Accessories: button, Three Flower Punch, brads, Stardust glitter pen, long rectangle Nesties.

KLSNS challenge #20 for this week is 'Button Down the Hatches' so I thought it was the perfect time to initiate my brand new 'Everyday Button Bits' set from Papertrey!

The sketch is courtesy of Splitcoast Stamper's Sketch Challenge #271.

It was an absolutely beautiful day here today -- sunshine and in the 70s, but I guess it's now time to pay because we are currently under a tornado watch. Welcome to Spring weather in the Midwest!

Wishing you joy in your day (and no tornados)!

Tuesday Morning Sketches #36

Stamps: Papertrey sentiment. Cardstock: Chocolate Chip, Pink Pirouette, Basic Grey 'Nook and Pantry' DP. Ink: Chocolate Chip. Accessories: Martha Stewart scallop border punch and 'Pink Clay' craft seam binding, dotted grosgrain ribbon.

When I first peeked at Tuesday Morning Sketch #36, it immmediately reminded me of a quilt so I started searching through my stash for quilting-related sentiments. Lucky for me, I received a selection of Papertrey sentiments in a previous card kit swap.


Once I had the card complete, it seemed a bit humorous to use a crazy quilt style for a family theme; then again, it might be appropriate in some circumstances!

Be sure to admire the TMS Design Team's versions of this sketch:

Gabby

Melissa

Tammy

Theresa

Then link up your creations HERE so we can admire your take on the sketch!

Clean and Simple Birthday Flower

**Click HERE to view the latest Saturday Spotlight challenge, 'Teeny Tiny Time!'**

Stamp: Papertrey 'Birthday Basics'. Cardstock: Chocolate chip, unknown source DP. Ink: Versamark. Accessories: organdy flower, white detail EP.

Tuesday Morning Sketch #31 is the inspiration for this card. In my opinion, the true measure of a sketch is how well it stands up to the bare bones (better known as Clean and Simple) approach and Melissa's sketches definitely shine in this style! The last two cards I've made with her sketches have been straight from the layout with no extra layers or mats; I really like how they've turned out.

Many thanks going out to my amazing Secret Sis in monkeymama's (Angela of Just Monkeying Around) Card Kit Swap -- she not only sent me this fun DP, but also these amazing organdy flowers; I used a punched circle from the coordinating DP and a page pebble to create the center:



More inspiration from this card comes from Opus Gluei challenge #40: Soup to Nuts. The Opus Gluei Poobahs encouraged us to complete a project OR start something new. Right now I have no major project anywhere close to completion (unless you count the maybe 50% complete organization of the craft area), so I struggled for a quite some time trying to figure out how to incorporate 'starting something new' with my overall 'downsizing' goal. Finally, it hit me -- since I always seem to like my CAS creations most, I should start making them on a regular basis. Say at least once a week? So, Jana and Rosemary, my new project is to create more CAS projects like this one!

As far as the craft room organization, that may indeed take the whole year!

Midnight Harvest Mouse

Digital image 'Harvest Mouse' by Delicious Doodles. Sentiment: Papertrey 'Autumn Abundance'. Digital Cardstock by Aisne's Creations 'Fall Daze Paper Pack 3'. Cardstock: kraft, Chocolate Chip, More Mustard, GP110 white. Ink: Chocolate Chip, Copics. Accessories: dotted chocolate ribbon, Oval Nestabilities.

Isn't this little 'Harvest Mouse' adorable? He's a freebie offered by Teri (Delicious Doodles) on the Tuesday Taggers blog for this week's challenge.

More digital fun on this card -- the patterned paper is one of several autumn-themed selections available at Aisne's Creations!

Sketch inspiration is provided by Midnight Madness Sketch #23; isn't this a unique sketch? Don't forget that you still have one more day to hop along the Midnight Madness blog hop for lots of fun prizes!

Clean and Simple Winter Wishes

Stamps: Papertrey 'Vintage Picnic Sentiments'. Cardstock: Baja Breeze, 'Ski Slope' DP. Ink: Riding Hood Red. Accessories: Felt Flurries, button.

Here's my end of year resolution: if I buy new supplies, I must use them within a week. No hoarding allowed because my hoarding usually evolves into forgetting something exists, at least until the next big cleaning session.

So, here are three newly bought items in use -- the felt snowflakes and the DP were SU clearanced items, and the sentiment is from my most recent Papertrey order. Inspiration is courtesy of Clean & Simple Stamping's Fall-To sketch #61.

This is fun! Now let's see if my resolve can outlast my impulse purchases....

Autumn Thanks

Stamps: Papertrey 'Autumn Abundance'. Cardstock: Kraft, Papertrey white, Old Olive. Ink: Memento black, Copics, Chocolate Chip. Accessories: Harvest Crafts gingham, Cuttlebug 'With Love' embossing border and 'Distressed Stripes' folder.

Although I always want to add 'more' to my cards, I end up liking the Clean and Simple cards best of all! Thank goodness for the Clean & Simple blogs sketches like this Fall-To #60 for inspiration and a reminder than most times less is definitely more.

This card also qualifies for Tuesday Morning sketch #11 which is not a sketch this week, but a challenge to use ribbon. Although this ribbon's use is fairly traditional, I like how the colors really pop off the solid background -- the ribbon is definitely one of the focal points!

Thanks also to great friends for my recent birthday gifts, two of which I used on this card. The 'Autumn Abundance' set from Tracy is so fun to Copic color while the Cuttlebug embossed dots from Michelle added just the right amount of texture for the sketch.

Beautiful autumn-like weather and great friends -- there's definitely a lot to be thankful for!

Mailbox Greetings, Masculine Style?

Masculine cards are always a challenge, but the stress of knowing I had to have one in the mail by today was great incentive to get moving. Nichole Heady featured this connect-a-d0t sketch on the Papertrey blog and I decided it was a great launching point. Unfortunately, once I completed the card I also realized I was about 7 hours too late to be entered in the PTI prize drawing for all that wonderful ribbon, but at least I had my card complete!

Stamps: Papertrey 'Mailbox Greetings', 'Birthday Basics'. Cardstock: Kraft, Black, Papertrey white. Ink: Memento black, Wild Wasabi, Real Red, Pure Poppy, Copics. Accessories: Pure Poppy grosgrain ribbon, black brads, rectangle Nestabilities.

Here are the Copics used:

I'm kind of proud of myself for using so few markers; usually the pile grows as I experiment to find a preferred color or shade.

The next two days will be dedicated to more Valentine's treats and then it will be on to the newly released DRS stamps, hot off the presses and arriving in my mailbox just today. Hurray for new stamps!!

**BLOG CANDY ALERT!! Step on over to Kristine's Ink Something blog to wish her a Happy Birthday and check out the great blog candy she has. Isn't she the one supposed to be receiving the presents??