What If Wednesday Sketch Challenge

It's time for another What If Wednesday sketch challenge from Repeat Impressions!  Submissions to this J3010 Sketch Challenge will be accepted until 5:00 p.m. EST on July 13th. All participants are automatically entered into a random drawing for a $25 gift certificate to Repeat Impressions, so what have you got to lose?

There is a very nice fellow who works for one of my long time clients and he is retiring this week, so I made this retirement card using the sketch and this adorable kitty from Repeat Impressions (Forty Winks # 2606). I don't know this gentleman very well from a personal standpoint, but I do know that he is a fellow cat lover, so this image seemed appropriate. 

I paired the image with BasicGrey's Max and Whiskers papers, some kitty-themed twill and a brad from Around the Block that says Cat Nap in the upper left corner.  The sentiment is from Repeat Impressions' Quartet Complements line.

For the inside of the card and the envelope liner, I used some more of the Max and Whiskers paper.  The sentiment is from Stampabilities.

Please play along with us and create a card using this week's sketch!  If you have Repeat Impressions stamps, we'd love for you to use them, but it's not required.  Leave a link to your project over on today's post at The House That Stamps Built, and while you're there, be sure to check out what the rest of the design team has done using the sketch.

Thanks for stopping by!

RI SOTW - Lupine

Happy Monday (that's an oxymoron, isn't it??)!  It's time for another Stamp of the Week from Repeat Impressions.  This week's stamp is Lupine (1711) and it's available at 50% off through July 4th.  All you have to do is head over to The House that Stamps Built to get the details on how to take advantage of this special!

For my card, I searched my stash of patterned papers and found this K&Company Juliana Muscari paper that worked perfectly with the Lupine image.  The other patterned papers are from Memory Box's Gossamer collection and the purple card stock mat layers are Coredinations Nostalgia line.  My image was colored with Copic markers and the background was airbrushed.  My sentiment is from the Quartet Complements series, also from Repeat Impressions.  I added some Rock Candy Stickles to the flowers and used a clear Spica glitter pen on the leaves and sentiment.  My layout is based on this week's sketch over at Taylored Expressions.

Please be sure to check out what the rest of the design team has done using the Lupine stamp over at The House That Stamps Built!

Thanks for stopping by!

Belli Challenge #94 - Sketch and Patriotic

Welcome to another Belli Challenge!  This week's challenge is a double challenge - a sketch plus you must use a patriotic element.  The timing of this challenge was perfect as I was able to use this week's Stamp of the Week from Repeat Impressions - Land of the Free (#3074-I).  The patterned papers are from Stampin' Up and I used the coordinating markers to color my image.  The image panel was outlined with a gold leaf pen.  The buttons are from PTI, as is the sentiment, and I added two star-shaped rhinestones to the red buttons.  Please check out Monday's post over at the House That Stamps Built to find out how you can get the Land of the Free stamp at half price.

I completely messed up when I made my first card for this challenge, because I forgot the patriotic element.  I started out using a new stamp set from There She Goes - Butterfly Happiness.  The background paper is from DCWV's Mariposa collection and I stamped my sentiment directly on the patterned paper and embossed with Fine Detail Gold Embossing Powder.  I stamped the small butterfly three times on black inchie squares and embossed them with the gold powder too.  They were outlined with a gold leaf pen.  I added a layer of crocheted lace and two layers of PTI's satin Spring Moss ribbon.  The ribbon qualifies it for the challenge to use a ribbon border over at Really Reasonable Ribbon.

Please be sure to check out what the rest of the Belli girls have done using the sketch and a patriotic element. We would love for you to play along with us, using this sketch and a patriotic element.  If you do choose to play along, enter your project over on today's Belli Challenge post, using Mr. Linky. 

Thanks for stopping by! Enjoy the rest of your week!

Happy Father's Day!

Greetings!  Happy Father's Day to all the Dads out there! 

This card was made using Flourishes Guiding Light set.  I stamped all of the images using Sepia Archival Ink and then sponged all the papers using Old Paper and Vintage Photo Distress Inks.   I added a trio of copper pearls in the upper right corner to balance it out.  The layout is based on Taylored Expressions' TESC112 sketch. 

Hope you're enjoying your weekend!  Thanks for stopping by!

RI Sketch Challenge - Thank you grapes

Hello!  It's time for another Repeat Impressions sketch challenge! 

For my card, I started with the Grapevine Border (1504-O), which I stamped on white paper and colored with Copic markers.  Next I stamped the grape cluster from the Daily Red FLIP Set (7506-W) twice and colored those with the same Copic markers and then stamped the Thanks sentiment (8607-D) from Quartet Complements in lavender ink.  The stamped images are all matted on lavender patterned paper and then on dark purple vellum and were distressed with Old Photo Distress Ink.  All the papers are from Laura Ashley. 

For the inside I used a Martha Stewart border punch on the vellum layer and added some scraps from the papers used on the front.  Please be sure to check out what the rest of the design team has made using the sketch over at The House that Stamps Built. 

This card is on its way to my sister to thank her for a beautiful silver tray with a grapevine border that she sent us for our silver anniversary.  She loves purple and grapes so this card is perfect for the occasion - precisely what I love about making cards!

We would love for you to play along with us by making a card using this sketch.  Simply create a card based on the sketch, upload your card to your blog or Splitcoast gallery, then link your card on today's post over on the Repeat Impressions blog. Submissions will be accepted until 5pm (eastern time) on June 29th.

Hope your week is going well!  Thanks for stopping by!

RI SOTW - Life is not measured...

Good morning! It's time for another Repeat Impressions Stamp of the Week. This week's stamp is #6113-K Life is not... from the Verticals series. This stamp is available exclusively to Repeat Impressions' blog readers at 50% OFF from June 14 – June 20, 2010 only. (Limited to 1 per person please.) Please see The House that Stamps Built for details on getting this versatile stamp at half off!  While you're there, check out what the other members of the design team have done - it's always interesting to see the different things everyone does with the same stamp!

When we are SCUBA diving, seeing a seahorse is definitely one of those moments that takes your breath away, so I paired the sentiment up with some seahorse patterned paper from Creative Imaginations Oceana Collection and the 4102-D, Sea Horse (sm) stamp, also from Repeat Impressions.  I stamped the sentiment and the seahorse using Versamark and heat embossed with navy blue embossing powder.  I cut the seahorses out and placed one on the ric rac with its tail curled around it, to mimic the way they wrap them around coral in the ocean.

My ribbon treatment is three layers of ribbon - a sheer navy with satin edges, a teal and white striped ribbon and finally a layer of ric rac.  The ribbon layers were adhered using Scor-Tape.  The square brad in the upper left corner is also from the Oceana collection.

For the inside, I used the strip of remaining seahorse images I had stamped and layered it on a leftover piece of the patterned paper.  The blue striped paper mat is is Japanese Watermark paper from Marco's Paper. 

Thanks for stopping by!  Have a great week!

Feel Better (CPS170, CTD96)

Happy Friday!  This morning I decided to make another card using the CPS170 sketch along with the colors from this week's Color Throwdown 96 (So Saffron, Cool Caribbean and Pumpkin Pie).  I inked up this cute little Pure Innocence image from the My Umbrella set and went to town paper piecing!   The patterned papers are from October Afternoon's Ducks in a Row and Piggytales' Cinderella Collection.

The boots and raincoat were paper pieced using the same paper, then I colored a second set of hands and pieced them on top.  The umbrella was cut out of yellow paper and popped up on foam squares, and I colored the handle with a brown Copic marker and an opaque silver marker.  The wooden flower was added on top of the umbrella. 

I cut one of the cute little ducks out of the patterned paper and added him to my sentiment panel, also with foam squares.  And, in keeping with the rain theme, I added a few tear drops from The Robin's Nest in the upper right corner.  Finally, I thought she needed to be standing in some grass, so I took a strip of grass paper and cut it with a Martha Stewart grass edge punch and added it to the bottom of the main panel.

For the inside, I matted a sheet of white paper with the same patterned paper I used for my mat on the front, then added another piece of the big ric rac ribbon and a leftover square of the patterned paper with some of the baby ducks - can't waste it!

Thanks for stopping by! Enjoy your weekend!

Belli Challenge #92 - Rub-ons!

It's time for another Belli Challenge! This week the challenge is to use rub-ons.  For my card, I started with a Card Positioning Systems' sketch (CPS170) and used this week's Stamp of the Week (#4304-K Fairy’s Fun/Dragonfly) over at Repeat Impressions (it's available for 50% off this week only!). 

I combined the image with some of Graphic 45's Botanicabella papers and Stampin' UP! twill ribbon.  The image was colored with Copic markers and the background was airbrushed.  I added a rub-on border from Cosmo Cricket to the twill.

For the inside of my card, I made use of the 'punch trash' from the vertical layer on the front of the card, and combined it with a leftover strip of the patterned paper.

Please play along with us this week and pull out some of those long lost rub-ons in your stash!  In order to participate, link your project to today's Creative Belli blog post.  Don't forget to head over to the Creative Belli blog and check out what the rest of the design team members have done with their rub-ons!

Thanks for stopping by!

Garden of Friends Challenges

Happy Tuesday!  I found some time this weekend to make a few cards for some challenges.  This card is for the Curtain Call Color Challenge and the Sweet Sunday Sketch Challenge.  I used my new Garden of Friends set from There She Goes and some K and Company  Blue Awning papers and embellishments that I have had for ages. 

I stamped the pitcher of flowers and colored them with Copic markers, then I stamped the pitcher portion on some of the patterned paper, cut it out and pieced it on my main image.  I added a few crystals to the flower centers and popped the image up on some foam tape. 

For the inside of my card, I used a Martha Stewart Floral Vine border punch and a scrap of some of the patterned paper from the front.  I've left it blank for now, but will stamp a sentiment when I have an occasion to use this card.

Hope your week is going well so far.  I get to go to the dentist today....joy!  Be sure to check back tomorrow for a new Belli Challenge!

Thanks for stopping by!

Happy Silver Anniversary!

Monday was our 25th anniversary and this is the card, envelope and gift ensemble I made for Tim.  There is silver everywhere!  The background of the card is silver Stardreams stationery that was dry embossed using a Cuttlebug Textile embossing folder.  I tied the sheer silver ribbon around it and then added a layer of the black and silver striped paper that had been cut with an EK Success embossing Bracket border punch on both long edges.  I stamped the two hearts from Flourishes' Fanciful Flourishes set with Versamark, embossed them with silver embossing powder and then cut them out and adhered them with foam tape.

The three hearts on the front of the envelope were cut out of two different silver papers using a Martha Stewart Eyelet Heart Punch and then mounted on another strip of the black and silver striped paper.

I also covered the box containing his gift in some coordinating papers and added a couple more the silver hearts to the top of the box and tied it with some more of the sheer ribbon. 

We had a wonderful anniversary celebration - thank you for all of the nice 'happy anniversary' wishes we received!  

Thanks for stopping by!

RI Sketch Challenge - Vase of Tulips

It's time for another Repeat Impressions 'What If! Wednesday' Sketch Challenge! For my challenge card, I used Repeat Impressions Vase of Tulips (1317-L) stamp for my focal image and patterned papers from Making Memories Flower Patch line.

I colored the tulips with Copic markers to match the background paper and left a couple of the flowers extended outside the top of the circle die.  The vase is paper pieced with coordinating patterned paper.  For the corner treatment, I used a crystal dragonfly from Prima and two yellow rhinestones.  I cut a small butterfly from another of the Flower Patch papers, covered it with Glossy Accents and adhered it, with a couple of pearls for its body, to one of the tulips.
The sentiment is also from Repeat Impressions (Just a A Note 2512-E) and was cut out using an oval Nestabilities die, then mounted on a Fancy Tags die cut from another piece of the Flower Patch paper.


Here's this week's sketch:

Be sure to stop by The House that Stamps Built to check out what the rest of the design team has done with the sketch! We'd love for you to play along with us and submit a card using the sketch - you could win a $25 gift certificate from Repeat Impressions!

Thanks for stopping by!

Stamp of the Week - Crowned Crane Deco

Good Monday morning!  Happy Memorial Day to those of you in the US!  It's time for another Repeat Impressions Stamp of the Week!  This week's stamp, which is available for 50% off through June 6th, over on the Repeat Impressions blog, The House That Stamps Built, is the Crowned Crane Deco stamp.  Head over to the blog to see what the rest of the design team has created with this stamp!

I stamped the image using Spring Moss ink, cut it out and matted it with a Nestabilites Labels Ten mat layer.  all of the patterned papers are from BasicGrey's LilyKate collection.  I added some pale green pearls to the ends of the mat and then added a crocheted flower on top of the Spring Moss satin ribbon.   I figure this card will be good for a sympathy card, or birthday or thinking of you card, so I will wait to add a sentiment when the time comes to send it out.

Be sure to remember our fallen soldiers today - their sacrifices ensure our freedom, for which we are so very grateful.  Thanks for stopping by and Happy Memorial Day!

Sketch Plus Three Challenge

I made this card to play along with Joanne Basile's Sketch Plus Three challenge, celebrating her 500,000th hit on her blog.  Joanne provided the sketch and a list of nine options you could include on your card, you had to pick at least three. I thought that was a fun and creative challenge and managed to use four of the items on my card - text printed papers (the peach background paper), kraft paper (the card base), bling (Stickles in the heart in her hair and black and gold Spica pens to color her shoes) and paper piecing (her dress).

I used two different Pure Innocence stamps - My Basket of Eggs and Flower Girl.  I stamped the flower from the Flower Girl image three times and placed it, along with some grass paper in the basket in place of the eggs.  Then I covered the flowers with some Spring Flower Soft.

The patterned papers are from the Webster's Pages Lullaby Lane and Life's Portrait Combo Pack and the ribbon roses are from Webster's Pages Bloomers Spring 2010.  I cinched the Bloomers up between the flowers, added the buttons and tied the bows with twine.

Hope you're enjoying your  Memorial Day Weekend!  Thanks for stopping by!

Silver Weekend

Happy Friday! I don't have a card to post today, but I wanted to share this project and thought it was apropos to kickoff my silver weekend - Monday is our 25th wedding anniversary, so we are celebrating this weekend!

Last Sunday I attended a soldering class with Barbara McGuire at Bonnie's Best Tools and made this pendant, using some stamped images, microscope slides and a charm.  I started with the butterfly image, which had been sized to fit the microscope slide and printed on plain white paper.  I stamped the postmark and other images and distressed the white background with some Antique Linen Distress Ink.  

Next came the soldering of the edges, which was tricky at first, but once I was comfortable, it was actually pretty forgiving.  If you have a bumpy, lumpy edge, just heat it up again with the soldering iron to flatten it out!

The hardest part was adding the loop at the top and the butterfly charm - Barbara had to do those for me, so I'll need to practice that.  It's certainly not perfect, but it turned out much better than I was expecting!

Here's the back of the pendant.  Again, I started with just the dragonfly image and then stamped the script and postage mark images.  Now all I have to do is figure out what I'm going to do with it!
Hope you have a wonderful holiday weekend!  Thanks for stopping by!

Belli Challenge #92 - Sketch and Flat Bellies!

It's time for another Belli Challenge! This week's challenge is a sketch challenge, plus the Belli challenge is to use flat embellishments - no bows, no buttons, no brads, egads! How do you make a card without all those wonderful, lumpy, bumpy, bulky embellishments?? Well, that's the challenge, now isn't it?  That and the fact that I haven't had a flat belly since I was in high school....but I digress...

For my card, I inked up my brand spankin' new Up, Up and Away set from Papertrey Ink and used my new balloon and cloud dies. I stamped a map for the background, then stamped my sentiment on top of that, layered some sky paper that I cut with a large scallop die and then added my balloons and felt clouds. This is as clean and simple as I get!

Here's this week's sketch:

To play along with us, make a card using the sketch and flat embellishments and add a direct link to your card on today's Belli Challenge post, using Mr. Linky. Please be sure to check out what the rest of the Belli Girls have done with the sketch and their flat bellies!

Thanks for stopping by!