Freshly Made Sketches #279

I surpised myself when I saw the current sketch at Freshly Made Sketches and had an idea, right away. That doesn't happen very often. Usually, I check out the inspiration of the design team to help me come up with a plan. 

Here's the sketch




Here's my card

I started with Simon Says STAMP Happy Every Day stamp set. I stamped on a large white piece of cardstock and also on scraps of orange/red, hot pink and teal. Using balloon dies from Paper Smooches Balloons and WPlus9 Whole Lotta Happy, I cut out different parts of the sentiment area. It's pretty easy to line up the balloons on the white panel. I found some printed paper that coordinated to complete the card.

Thanks for visiting
sue

CASology: Week 240

I'm happy to have had some time at my craft table to make a card for this week's challenge at CASology



Here's my card

I used the Memory Box Large Olive Branch die and die cut three branches. I tried to keep the positive with the negative die cuts - makes it easier to add colour, at least for me. I added colour with ink daubers and distress inks (twisted citron, mustard seed, faded jeans, mermaid lagoon, spiced marmalade, picked raspberry). I like the effect of using black as the cardbase. I feel it makes the colours really pop. I used white embossing powder for the sentiment from Catherine Pooler's Butterfly Notes. I also inked up a scrap of white cardstock with twisted citron and mermaid lagoon and cut them into really thin strips for below the sentiment.  

Thanks for visiting
sue

Christmas Card Throwdown - March - Sketch

Why am I always waiting until the last minute to finish stuff? I mean, there is less than 2 hours before the current challenge at Christmas Card Throwdown closes? 

Here's the sketch




Here's my card

I looked at the three vertical strips in the sketch and changed it up to wavy horizontal strips of light shimmer paper. Here's a close-up (it's difficult to capture the shimmer of the wavy strips).

Instead of a label-type of sentiment element, I chose a circle. The super cute snowman and sentiment are from Create A Smile's Cool Buddies stamp set. 

Thanks for visiting (Phew - I think I made it)
sue

Calling All Sistahs - March Edition

Its that time of the month again ... time to remind all the women in your life to do their monthly self-exams and annual mammograms. This campaign was started by Michele Gross of CAS-ual Fridays upon her discovery and diagnosis of breast cancer. Michele designed the CAS-ual Fridays Calling All Sistahs collection to help us remind each other of this important campaign. Michele donates 50% of the proceeds of the sales of that line to the National Breast Cancer Foundation.

Did you know that one in eight women in the US (or one in nine women in Canada) will hear the diagnosis of invasive breast cancer during their lives. Take a look around, do you see eight (or nine) women - think about it, one average one of those women will be diagnosed with invasive breast cancer. I don't like those odds. We can try to increase the odds and through early detection, increase the survivor rate. We can do this by doing our monthly self exams and annual mammograms.

We'd love for you to join our blog hop. All you need to do is create a card using a CAS-ual Fridays product, preferably something from the Calling All Sistahs collection, but that's not imperative. Help us spread the word.

Three random commenters along the blog hop will receive a $15 gift certificate to the CAS-ual Fridays store. You need to leave a comment before 12am on the 19th of March to be eligible.

Here's my card

I used CAS-ual Fridays Word Ribbon stamp set. I inked up the word ribbon with Hero Arts Shadow Ink - bubble gum. To add some pop, I inked the sentiment from CAS-ual Fridays Calling All Sistahs stamp set with black ink and popped up the sentiment element with dimensionals. To complete the card, I added sequins from the exclusive Sistahood Sparkles sequin pack. 

Next on the blog hop is

Kara Stainbrook

Here's the full list of "hoppers" 

Cas-ual Fridays Stamps

Melissa Miller

Jeanne Jachna

Kelly Griglione

Sue (foleysfriend)

Kara Stainbrook

Kimberly Rendino

Penny Ward 

Lisa Lahiff

Gwendolyn

Sandi Pressley

Mary Moisan

Nora Noll

Ceal Pritchett

Shona Chambers

Lori Kobular

Taheerah

Lori McAree

Vicki Dutcher

Rahmat Gouse

Heather North

Thanks for visiting
sue

Less is More Challenge #319 - One Layer Card

The current challenge at Less Is More is

I'm a bit intimidated by one layer cards. I'm always so certain that I'm going to mess it up - you know, drop the stamp, fingerprint, smudge the imprint. I know, that I could just turn it into a multi-layer card and it's only paper. It still stresses me out. I'm working on that, though.

Here's my card

I'm just in love with Altenew's Floral Shadow stamp set. It's what I used, along with my MISTI. I inked up the stamp with one colour, stamped it and without moving the stamp, inked up part of the stamp with a complementary colour. Then, I re-positioned the stamp - restamped, twice more. The sentiment is from the same stamp set. 

Part of me wants to add something to the top of the card. I think that I just need to embrace the white space - do you agree?

Thanks for visiting

sue

Stamp Nation Challenge #231 - Background Stamps

Where are your background stamps? If they are like mine, they are tucked away, out of sight and kind of forgotten. Thanks to the current challenge at Stamp Nation, I've gone to the shelf where they are hiding. I remember thinking that I.had.to.have this stamp from Hero Arts Everything Flower stamp. I probably have only used it a few times. I was inspired by this card by "tinstar" and CASEd her card




Here's my card

I commented on her card, that i thought it should have been photographed with colour pencils because it reminded me of a colouring book image. Well, figures, when I took the picture of my card I forgot the colour pencils. Oh well, next time. The sentiment is from Altenew's Floral Shadow stamp set, which was heat embossed on vellum with silver embossing powder.   Here's a close-up

Thanks for visiting
sue

Simon Says STAMP Wednesday Challenge

Found some crafting mojo and created a card for the current challenge at Simon Says STAMP Wednesday Challenge. 

This week the challenge is

For A Special Lady/Girl

This week they are showcasing Penny Black Products.

Here's my card

So, i didnt' really think this all the way through. I started masking off a central area (rectangle with rounded corners) and then stamping using Penny Black's Sprigs stamp set and a variety of Hero Arts shadow inks. I then removed the mask. Then I decided that the sentiment should be popped up with dimensionals and made the sentiment element - same sized rectagle with rounded corners. This is where I realized that I didn't have to mask the sentiment area, since I was popping the sentiment element up anyway. Here is a close-up.

The sentiment is from Hero Arts Happy Mother's Day stamp set. I used a red pen to add a stitched outline. 

Thanks for visiting

sue

AAA Cards: CAS Game #85

Found some time this weekend to create a few cards. Here's a card for the current challenge at AAA Cards

The challenge is 






I was inspired by the fancy gold dress on a black background. Here's my card

I used Impression Obsession Cover-A-Card Flourishes stamp with versamark ink and gold embossing powder. I cut the panel down to 2.75" x 3.25" and matted it with gold. The sentiment from Simon Says STAMP Handwritten Greetings stamp set was also heat embossed with gold.

Thanks for visiting
sue

Muse Card Challenge #206

There is a great Muse card over at Muse Card Club for this week's challenge. It's this beauty created by Anita Bowden



I was inspired by 

• the Echinacea flowers
• black background
• offset colour mat
• a friend sentiment

Here's my card

I started by stamping Penny Black's sunbursts cling stamp with white pigment ink on black cardstock. Once the ink dried, I used Primacolor coloured pencils to add colour to the image. 

Thanks for visiting

sue

Stamp Nation CC Challenge #1 - Sweet Treats

I don't think that it's ever too early to start making Christmas cards. Heck, if I can get them made during the year, I won't have to scramble in December. Sounds like a plan! Stamp Nation has just started a Christmas Card challenge to help us get a head start on our 2017 Christmas cards. The first challenge is "Sweet Treats".

 
So, I was also inspired by Stamp Nation's KISS card challenge to be inspired by one of Catherine Pooler's KISS (Keep it Simple Stampers) cards. You can see her cards here. I was inspired by this card

While I was looking through my stamps, I created a card - then I realized that while I had something that fit the "sweet treats" theme initially, I put down the stamp set and created a completely different card than no longer fit the theme - UGH! It's OK though, another Christmas card completed!

Then I picked up Catherine Pooler's Candy Cane Lane stamp set and CAS-ual Friday's Snowy Sayings stamp set which was available in Catherine Pooler's Holiday Magic Stamp of Approval box. Here's my card

I stamped the candies with Catherine Pooler inks (Rockin' Red and Party Dress). The sentiment is die cut using Simon Says STAMP Happy Holidays die. To complete the card, I used a piece of black striped washi tape.

Thanks for visiting
sue

Stamp Nation Challenge #230 - KISS Cards

I love watching Catherine's KISS (Keep It Simple Stampers) videos. She makes cardmaking seem so effortless. There is a challenge over at Stamp Nation to make a card inspired by one of Catherine's KISS cards - you can see her videos here

I chose to start with this card



Here's my card

I used Catherine Pooler's Paisley Peacock stamp set with Catherine Pooler inks (Party Dress, Flirty Fuchsia and Fiesta Blue). The sentiment used CAS-ual Fridays 2 Yous Dies and CAS-ual Fridays All About You stamp set - both were available in Catherine Pooler's Beautiful World Stamp of Approval box. To complete the card, I used some diagonally striped washi tape.

Of course, I couldn't stop with just one card. 

I made this card with The Ton's Holiday Flourish stamp set from Catherine Pooler's Holiday Magic Stamp of Approval box. I used Catherine Pooler inks (Rockin' Red, Lime Rickey and Grass Skirt). The sentiment is die cut from Simon Says STAMP Happy Holidays die. I found a thin scrap piece of Christmas cardstock which complemented the colours well.

Thanks for visiting
sue

Less is More Challenge #318 - Mainly Teal

I was intrigued by the current challenge at Less is More 




because I love the colour teal. 

Here's my card

I used the leaf-y branches stamps from Altenew's Floral Shadow stamp set using my MISTI. I used both Cracked Pistacchio and Peacock Feathers to create the "teal"-like colour. I also die cut the sentiment using two colours of cardstock which mimic the colours of the ink. I chose to slightly offset the two die cuts (like a shadow). Here's a close-up.

Thanks for visiting
sue

TIME OUT Challenges 3rd Birthday Party

Joining in the birthday party fun at TIME OUT Challenges where the current challenge theme is

Love and/or Friendship with the optional twist of 'spotlight stamping' where you add colour only to one raised area of your image


Here's my card

I started by silver heat embossing using the large sentiment from CAS-ual Fridays Dream Then Do stamp set. I felt that the message is one for a special friend, filled with love. I then silver heat embossed the same sentiment on a scrap of bright pink and a scrap of light pink cardstock. I die cut hearts from different sections of the main sentiment. I popped up the bright pink heart. Here's a close-up.

Instead of traditional spotlight stamping, I mimicked the same effect using cardstock to add spotlights of colour.

Thanks for visiting
sue

Hero Arts SA085 Highlighting Stencil Hello Card

Can't believe that it's already March. I'm thinking that someone has shortened the number of minutes in a day and maybe even the number of days in a week; certainly someone has shortened the number of days in a weekend - it sure feels that way.

Well, with the beginning of a month, that means that there is a new challenge at a2z Scrapbooking

My supply of Hero Arts stencils is very limited. I picked up Hero Arts SA085 Highlighting Stencil and wondered what I could do to create a card. This is what I ended up with.

I thought it would be fun to ink up various speech bubbles with different colours of distress inks and add a sentiment to one speech bubble. I inked some speech bubbles, wiped off the stencil and flipped it over to ink more speech bubbles. 

The sentiment is from Hero Arts CL943 Color Layering Bouquet

We'd love for you to join us for our March challenge. Just remember to use a Hero Arts product prominently on your project. If you're looking for Hero Arts products, please check out a2z Scrapbooking etsy store. When your order exceeds $25, use my code sue15 for 15% off.

Thanks for visiting

sue

House of Cards - March Challenge

WOW - it is really March the 1st? Where did February go? Heck, wasn't it just Christmas? I can't believe how fast the days are flying by. Well, if it's March 1st, then it must be time for a new challenge at House of Cards

MARCH 2017

Make a Scene and/or Colors

Here's my card

I chose to use the colours (well, the bottom four) to create my card. This was the first time I created a background using stamping, masking and colouring. I used Simon Says STAMP Wild Beauty stamp set. I stamped the outline of the flower and also created a mask of that flower. Then placing the mask on the outline, I stamped both branches of leaves. I removed the mask and then stamped the solid flower with yellow. I wasn't sure what to do about a sentiment. I couldn't figure out "where" to place a sentiment. I was going to leave the card without a sentiment. Then, I decided to try stamping the sentiment on vellum with silver embossing powder. Here''s a close-up.

The sentiment is from Hero Arts Color Layering Bouquet.

Won't you join us at House of Cards this month? Either create a scene or use the colours of the photo. We'd love to see your work.

Thanks for visiting

sue