fresh & fun

…. and you get this layout. I had to try out my new hostess set Oh So Lovely and use the Fall Flower Designer paper. Especially since I posted last time I used that paper, when instead it was Linen Prints (which I LOVE!).

The card base is NOT chocolate chip, but Really Rust Cardstock. I added to pieces of the Fall Flower designer paper and stamped my All in a Row Argyle stamp all around the edges.

I stamped one of the flowers of the Oh So Lovely Set in Brown Stazon on Whisper White cardstock. I stamped the background stamp of that set in Soft Sky all over and sponged the edges. Then I colored the flower in with Soft Sky and Old Olive ink and aqua painter. I cut out the oval and the matching Really Rust Oval with my Coluzzle and layered it on a Chocolate Chip (the card needed a little bit of chocolate!!!) giga scallop oval punchout.

Last I tied  my new wider chocolate grosgrain ribbon around the card and added the two sayings from Absolutely Fabulous. I love that new sayings set. I know I will use it a lot.

Thanks so much for all the stampers that already made samples with this sketch. They all look amazing! If you have a minute, check out all the entries HERE in the comment section!

Have a wonderful day! Hugs and smiles

Kathy Kinney bought some of my retired sets and sent me this gorgeous Thank you card with her payment. I love Cool Carribean, Black and white together.  She used Polka Dots & Paisley to make me this wonderful card. Thank YOU, Kathy!

I am in love with Stampin’ Up!’s new designer paper. For this card I used the Linen Printspack.

The card base is a 5 1/2″ x 8 1/2″ piece of chocolate chip cardstock. I layered three different pieces of the Linen Prints Designer Paper on it and stamped my faux stitching with All in a Row on the green and pink paper. The flower paper has the bottom two corners punched with the ticket corner punch. I can’t help myself. I can’t stand just rectangle on rectangle right now. I have to change the corners of the first layer a little bit.

I stamped the Definition of Because from Define your Life in Chocolate chip on Shimmery White cardstock and cut it out with my coluzzle. Next I cut the next size oval out of chocolate chip cardstock and layered both on Cameo Coral Giga Scallop Oval punchout.

As embellishment I used three chocolate chip punchouts made with the Three for you punch and one Apricot Appeal punchout flower from the Spring Flower punch. All four flowers have pink circle jewel brads from the Fire pack in it’s center. The ribbon is our new Chocolate Chip Taffeta ribbon. It’s pretty, but I sure wish it was darker chocolate and you couldn’t see any white in it.

I can’t wait to see your version of the sketch! I am off now to play some Crash Bandicoot Nitro Kart with my boys. If you know this game….you either have boys…or you are a nerd! I am both! Hugs and grins!

I am still working on my sample, but here is this weekend’s sketch. I created it with color this time. Let me know if you like gray or colorscale better. You can use any colors you like. It’s a sketch, not a color challenge. I just thought the template looked pretty in something other then grayscale for a change!

Feel free to add accents wherever you like. My sketches are just starting points. I can never stick to a sketch 100% myself. There is always something that I need to change.

If you want to participate in the sketch challenge raffle, make a card with this sketch, upload it in an online gallery or your blog and add a link to your card as a comment to this post. I will use random.org to determine the winner on Wednesday morning 9 a.m. CST. The winner will receive one unopened spool of Cranberry Crisp stitched grosgrain ribbon.

Have fun! I can’t wait to see what you all come up with. I am always dazzled by your entries!

For all your Grayscale fans, I converted it to black and white.

Joan Hajek sent me this fun card! I love the image, the colors and everything else. Thanks so much Joan!

P.S.: Joan, if you have a blog, please send me your blog address so I can add it to this post. If you don’t send me your SCS username so I can publish it here and everyone can check out your gallery!

I finally stamped. I have to stamp in between games with Austin. I sure hope he is better soon. His sore throat is getting better, but now the cold is more of a nasty runny nose and cough. It’s always the same. And everytime Austin is over a sickness, he grew at least 1/2″.

I started out by using the So Swirly Jumbo roller with Soft Sky on a 3″ x 4″ piece of Whisper White cardstock.  I stamped the big Flower from Fabulous Flowers in Versamark and embossed it with Clear embossing powder.

Next I brayered Blue Bayou Classic ink over the entire piece of cardstock. I stamped the big swirl stamp from Priceless over the blue spaces of the cardstock, wiped the extra ink over the embossed flower away with a paper towel and tied a piece of double stitched River Rock grosgrain around it.

I layered my center piece on a 4 1/4″ x 3 1/4″ piece of soft sky cardstock, then on a 4 1/2″ x 3 1/2″ piece of cardstock and added Giga Scallop Square punches underneath.

The card base is a 5″ x 8 1/2″ piece of River Rock cardstock folded in half. I stamped the background stamp Tres Chic on it in River Rock and sponged the edges in the same color. 

Pam Downs is one of my favorite demonstrator friends. I think I met her first way back when Jenn and I held a stamp camp in San Antonio and she and her friends came down from Austin to participate. Gosh…that must have been four years ago! Ever since then I am so looking forward to seeing her and my other Austin friends at Stampin’ Up! events.

I think making friendships like these is one of the best things of being a demonstrator. Meeting people that share the same interests and passion for stamping is just sooo much fun.

Pam offered to swap her convention swaps with me, since I won’t be able to go to convention this year. Sweet as she is, she already send me hers. Flake as  I am, I still have to send mine.

Pam, you are too good to me. I always love your work! I saw in your SCS gallery that I photographed your card the wrong way….but I kinda like it that way! LOL

Thanks again! I promise your card will go out soon! Hugs and smiles

Pat from Pat’s Paper Passion won this weeks sketch challenge. Pat, please email me your snail mail address so that I can send you the ribbon.

Thank you all for participating in the challenge. Your cards were all amazing and it was my pleasure to check them all out!

I made this card this weekend. I needed several quick thank you cards and this is what I came up with. I still had lots of 4 1/4″ x 8 1/2″ pieces of Blue Bayou cardstock left over from the Ladybug card from stamp camp, so I used that as my card base.

I used one of my favorite layouts again. It’s so simple but usually makes a pretty card.

I wheeled the Swirly Wheel over a 2″ x 4″ piece of Groovy Guava cardstock, punched the two bottom corners with the ticket corner punch and adhered it to the bottom of the card. Next I added Soft Sky double stitched ribbon on the card.

I stamped the pretty butterfly from Priceless in chocolate chip classic ink on Shimmery White cardstock and punched it out with the 1 3/8″ circle punch. I cut the next layer of Soft Sky cardstock with the coluzzle and added that on top of a chocolate chip Marvy scallop circle punch.

I got my replacement for the Stampin’ Up! scallop circle punch. Unfortunately it only lasted for five punchouts before this one broke as well. I hope Stampin’ Up! will have this problem fixed soon. I really like the punchouts.

My kids are still sick and don’t leave me much time to stamp. They are attention hogs when they aren’t feeling well. LOL I hope they get better soon.

Have a wonderful day!

I love Jenn Dierck’s work. She creates amazing cards. If you haven’t checked out her blog yet, you really should. It’s called Stamp your Heart out! Thank you so much for this beautiful card, Jenn! Hugs and smiles