Heartfelt Thanks Sketch Challenge

I finally had a chance to try last week's sketch challenge over the weekend. I wasn't able to do as much stamping as I would have liked, but I was at least able to get in a few cards.

This one uses Ginger Blossom DSP and Ruby Red cardstock that I embossed with the Swiss Dots embossing folder. The focal image was stamped with the flower from Heartfelt Thanks in River Rock and then again in Ruby Red and Old Olive. The sentiment is from Stem Silhouettes and is separated by a thin strip of River Rock cardstock that was distressed slightly.

Thanks for looking! I have another sketch challenge card, based on Julee Tilman's Mojo Monday sketch, that I plan to post tonight. It was too late to take a picture of it last night.

Recipe:
Stamps: Heartfelt Thanks, Stem Silhouettes
Cardstock: River Rock, Ruby Red, Chocolate Chip, Very Vanilla
DSP: Ginger Blossom
Ink: River Rock, Ruby Red, Old Olive
Accessories: Vintage Brads
Tools: Swiss Dots Embossing Folder, Distressing Tool

Ways to Use It Challenge

This card was created for this week's Ways to Use It challenge, Just Spray It - using Glimmer Mist, water misting, color spritzer, airbrush, hairspray...or whatever else you can think of on your card. I used the misting with markers technique recently highlighted on SCS.

I colored the flower from Heartfelt Thanks with Ruby Red and Old Olive, misted the stamp with water, and then stamped it on a piece of Very Vanilla. I did this a few times and used some of the stamps multiple times for a 2nd and 3rd generation look. I also stamped the Linen background on the Vanilla cardstock in second generation River Rock. I'm not sure I totally achieved the watercolored look I was aiming for, so I'll have to experiment again. I really like how the focal piece turned out though.

The finished card is a 4 1/4" square with a layout I've used before (but have never posted). The layout came from a card I saw on Papertrey's site, and I really love it for the square cards.

The congratulations from Hugs & Wishes was added to a 3/4" strip with the corners rounded on one end. This card is going to my husband's aunt who recently won a teaching award, so we wanted to send her a quick note with our congratulations.


Recipe:
Stamps: Heartfelt Thanks, Hugs & Wishes
Cardstock: River Rock, Chocolate Chip, Very Vanilla
DSP: Ginger Blossom
Ink: Ruby Red, Old Olive
Accessories: Vintage Brads, River Rock Double-Stitched Ribbon
Tools: Corner Rounder, Rectangle Punch
Technique: Misting with Markers

A New Beginning!

Happy New Year! I can't believe it's 2008 already! And I can't believe it's been so long since I've posted to my blog. I started out with good intentions of working on a watermark and getting right back into posting. However, life seemed to have another plan for me. I won't go into detail, but my husband and I had a difficult end to the year (no, we're not splitting up or anything like that). We are looking forward to great things in the new year though.

I haven't had any desire to stamp for quite awhile and hadn't even touched my stamps for around 6 weeks or so. I was finally able to get into my workroom today and play around a little. Even though I didn't come up with anything earth shattering, it was good to get back into it.

This first card is the one I made today. It uses a color combination and stamp combination I've used before - just a little different layout. The main image also uses the cracked glass technique.

Recipe:
Stamps: Stem Silhouettes, So Many Sayings, Linen, Baroque Motifs
CS: Always Artichoke, Chocolate Chip, River Rock, Very Vanilla
Ink: Always Artichoke, Chocolate Chip, River Rock, Versamark
Other: Chocolate Chip Taffeta Ribbon, Vintage Brads
Technique: Cracked Glass

This second card is one that I've had in my stash for quite awhile, but I don't think I ever posted it to my blog. I needed a special thank you card to send to my parents for a generous gift they gave my husband and I while we were visiting over Christmas. And I decided this was the one. The left panel uses the emboss resist technique with the open flower from Heartfelt Thanks.

Recipe:
Stamps: Heartfelt Thanks
CS: Whisper White, Glossy White, Pretty in Pink, Going Gray
Ink: Versamark, Pretty in Pink, Going Gray
Markers: Regal Rose, Certainly Celery
Other: Clear Embossing Powder
Technique: Emboss Resist

I hope to be able to post a little more regularly now and have some more new things soon! Hope you had a great day with family and friends!