Deconstructed Sketch #117

Yay!  I managed to squeak in a little me time to participate in a few of the challenges that I've been missing out on for the last few weeks...  I pulled out one of my Key Ingredients kits from last year, and a CTMH stamp that I don't believe had seen ink yet... and used this week's Deconstructed Sketch to make this sorta retro looking card:

Patterned papers are Fabulous by Simple Stories; Cardstock is Chocolate & Colonial White, CTMH; Stamp set is Card Chatter - Focus On You, CTMH; Inks are Chocolate & Champagne, CTMH; Spectacles die, Taylored Expressions.

 

Deconstructed Sketch #110 and Inspired By #84

This is my second post for today - to see my Art Impressions card, please scroll down!
Most of my recent posts have been heavy on the colouring - so it was a nice change to make a card that was heavy on the patterned papers instead!  I've used the current Deconstructed Sketch, and Laurel's cool vintage luggage photo at Inspired By as my inspiration.  I sponged the edges with a little Desert Sand ink to soften it up a bit, and give it more of a vintage vibe:

Patterned papers are Cosmo Cricket, Tea for Two; Cardstock & ribbon - Key Ingredients kit; Sentiment is Borderline, Verve; Ink is Desert Sand, CTMH; Hemp & button, CTMH.

 

Sweet Sunday Sketch #183

I have a bright and sunny card today using the current Sweet Sunday Sketch.  I pulled out one of last year's Key Ingredients kits and that lovely flower from Something Splendid:

Patterned papers are Hello Summer, Echo Park; Paper,cardstock & ribbon, Key Ingredients; Stamp sets are Something Splendid and Say it in Style, CTMH; Inks are Creme Brulee, Sorbet & Black, CTMH; Licorice Opaque pearls, CTMH.

Inspired By #70

Laurel had a pretty floral blue/white bedroom photo as inspiration for this week's Inspired By challenge, so I pulled out some floral Jillibean Soup paper that I have, and used this week's Sketchbook Saturday sketch to put together a simple birthday card:
*Edited with a new photo after I added the leaf die cuts:

Here was our inspiration:

And our sketch:

Patterned paper is Grandma's Lima Bean Soup by Jillibean Soup; Cardstock is Pear & Colonial White, CTMH and Navy, Key Ingredients kit; Ribbon and butterfly pick, Key Ingredients kit; Prima flowers; Stamp sets are Stitched Together & Happy Birthday, CTMH; Ink is Outdoor denim; Meadow Leaf die, Memory Box.

Freshly Made Sketches #81

It's been a busy week, but I've finished up swap cards and some design commitments... and finally had a chance to just play tonight :o)  I pulled out an old Key Ingredients kit, and used this week's Freshly Made Sketch:

Patterned papers are Lost & Found 'Rosy' by My Mind's Eye; Cardstock is Tulip, Cocoa & Colonial White, CTMH; Stamp set is Sweet Treats, Verve; Mini Vintage Oval dies, Verve; Ink is Champagne, CTMH; Tilda Swirl die, Memory Box; Cocoa grosgrain ribbon & mocha opaque pearls, CTMH; Flowers, One Crazy Stamper.

 

You are my Happy

This is another wonderful stamp from the Buzz & Bumble Workshop on the Go.  I'm working on building up my generic stash of birthday cards, so this one should fit the bill.  I've used this week's sketch from The Paper Players, and the colours from The Play Date Cafe:

 

Patterned papers are The Sweetest Thing, My Mind's Eye; Cardstock is Slate & White Daisy, CTMH; Stamp set is Buzz & Bumble, CTMH; Ink is Sorbet, CTMH; Spellbinder's die; Twine is American Crafts; Button & papers are Key Ingredients kit, Taylored Expressions.

Freshly Made Sketches #73

I was on a roll last night and got a card made for this week's Freshly Made Sketches challenge!  I pulled out one of the previous Key Ingredients kits, and a Verve stamp set that I haven't used in a while:

Patterned paper is Doodle Deux, Prima; Queen & Co. Trendy tape; Cardstock is Black and Colonial White from CTMH; Melon is Key Ingredients; Stamp set is Text Objects, Verve; Classy Oval Die, Verve; Ink is Tuxedo Black, Memento; Mini Monarch die, My Favorite Things.

Mojo Monday #279

I haven't been able to play Mojo Monday for a few weeks, so I was happy to squeeze in a little crafting time this evening to try this week's great sketch.  I used one of my new Plain Jane's, too!

Patterned papers are Tea for Two Mini-Deck, Cosmo Cricket; Ribbon, Cardstock and patterned paper are all Key Ingredients; Sentiment is Simply Irresistable Plain Jane, Verve; Vintage oval die & stamp, Verve; Inks are Olive, Hollyhock & Desert Sand, CTMH; Prima flower.

Seize The Birthday #4

After a mad scramble through my stash of cards this evening... I had to run out and (gasp!) BUY a card for my son to give to a friend.  I had absolutely zero cards suitable for the male population.  And I must say that I find a lot of my cards have somewhat useless sayings, that really don't apply to many situations...  90% of the cards I need are simply for birthdays, so I'm trying to keep that in mind every time I start to make a card these days.  Okay.  Now down to the business at hand - knowing that it is a masculine week, I made a point of working on this week's Seize The Birthday sketch.  I now have a stash of { 1 } male birthday card :o)
Edited to add: I just realized now that I hadn't mentioned that I used this week's Inspired By photo as colour inspiration to use for a guy card!  So I'm a little late, but I'm linking it up now!

Patterned papers are Harvest Lane by Simple Stories; Cardstock, papers and ribbon, Key Ingredients kit; Stamp sets are Live Inspired & Happy Birthday, CTMH; Inks are Cocoa, Twilight & Autumn Terracotta; Button & Hemp, CTMH; Spellbinders die.

Seize the Birthday #2

It is masculine birthday card week at Seize the Birthday... so I've used my October Key Ingredients kit, which is perfect for guy cards:

 

Patterned papers are Harvest Lane, by Simple Stories; Papers, frame and burlap all Key Ingredients; Buttons, CTMH; Stamp set is Nursery Bash, CTMH; Copic Markers.

Inspired By #58

I have a sneak peak for you today!  If you haven't yet seen the new Close To My Heart Spring/Summer 2013 catalogue... here is a wonderful new stamp set called Focus on a Friend.  A few months ago I got these wonderful little "spectacles" dies from Taylored Expressions, and it wasn't until after I'd ordered a couple of these fun eye chart stamps that I realized how perfect they'd be together.  I've used Laurel's pretty inspirational photo at Inspired By as my colour/pattern inspiration:

The inside sentiment is: "and loves you just the same."
Patterned papers are Pebbles Fresh Goods; Cardstock, paper and ribbons all Key Ingredients kit from Taylored Expressions; Stamp set is Card Chatter - Focus on a Friend, CTMH; Ink is Tuxedo Black, Memento; Die is Taylored Expressions.  Clear button and Crystal Blue Waxy Flax, CTMH.

Seize The Birthday Challenge #1

Here is a fun challenge if you're looking for something new... Seize the Birthday is a sketch challenge, that uses the same sketch for 2wks, the first week you're to do a feminine birthday card, and the second week a masculine one.  I love the concept, so hope to play regularly!  The inaugural week is a feminine one, so here's what I came up with:

Here was our sketch:

Patterned papers are Doodle Deux, Prima; Stamp is You're So Sweet Plain Jane, Verve; Vintage oval die & frame stamp, Verve; Key Ingredients kit; Copic Markers

Sketchbook Saturday #86

I made some time for cardmaking this evening, and it was heavenly to be doing it at a leisurely pace! Over the last few weeks, there has usually been a reason to get a card made as quickly as possible and sent off somewhere... so this one represents the first of my 2013 Christmas card stash. I just received my Key Ingredients kit for December on the 24th, so I'm taking advantage of the lovely wintery papers to start my cards. I used the current Sketchbook Saturday sketch by Chupa:

 

Patterned papers are Winter Frost by We R Memory Keepers; Cardstock is Slate & White Daisy, CTMH; Stamp set is Seasonal Rememdies, Waltzingmouse Stamps; Ink is London Fog, Memento; Copic Markers; Ribbon, Bling & Blue cardstock are all Key Ingredients kit; Cricut Art Philosophy Cartridge, CTMH.

Deconstructed Sketch #75

It's my Dad's 80th birthday this week, so I made a card for him with my October Key Ingredients kit, using this week's Deconstructed Sketch.

Patterned papers are Harvest Lane by Simple Stories; Cardboard die cut, Jillybean Soup, ribbon & Cardstock - all Key Ingredients kit; Stamp set is Blessings by Verve; Ink is Barn Red, CTMH.

 

Celebrating with Verve

To celebrate World Card Making Day... Verve has a sketch challenge going on, using this great sketch from Julee.  I used the bright colours from this week's Color Throwdown challenge as my inspiration, and pulled out my June Key Ingredients kit for the papers and accessories:

Stamp set is Bloom & Grow, Verve; Elegant Leaves Die, Verve; Large scallop circle, Spellbinders; Ink is Tuxedo Black, Memento and Pear, CTMH; Patterned papers are Hello Summer, Echo Park; Black and White Daisy cardstock, CTMH;

 

Play Date Cafe #150

I haven't done a colour challenge in a while... and loved this week's colour palette from The Play Date Cafe:

My lighter colour was a little more peachy than caramel... but here was our inspiration:

Patterned papers are Lost & Found, Rosy by My Mind's Eye; Cardstock is Cocoa & Colonial White, CTMH & Bazzil peach; Inks are Tulip & Cocoa, CTMH; STamp sets are Vintage Oval Frame & Blessings by Verve; Flower & Ribbon, Key Ingredients kit.

Mojo Monday #259

I'm using my August Key Ingredients kit for this week's Mojo Monday sketch... I love the fall feel to these papers :o)

Patterned papers are Doodle Deux, by Prima; Flower, Prima; Bazzil Cardstock; Trendy Tape by Queen & Co. - all Key Ingredients Kit; Stamp set is Blessings by Verve; Charming Oval die, Verve; Ink is Tuxedo Black, Memento; Black Hemp, CTMH.

 

September Sketch For You To Try

Yay!  I'm nine for nine so far this year in completing the monthly SFYTT sketches!  And... I broke into my August Key Ingredients kit, and... this is the first time I've ever used Washi tape on a project.  So here we go:

 

Patterned papers are Doodle Deux by Prima, Trendy tape, Queen & Co.; Doodle Deux paper flower, - all Key Ingredients kit; Stamp set is Cute-a-tude, My Favorite Things; Ink is Tuxedo Black, Memento; Copic Markers; Cardstock is Black and Colonial White, CTMH.

Sketchbook Saturday Challenge #75

It's back to some bold colours today, in an effort to boost my birthday card stash.  I've used my May Key Ingredients kit along with this week's Sketchbook Saturday sketch:

Patterned papers are Pebbles Fresh Goods; Cardstock is Bazzil; Canvas flowers are Key Ingredients kit by Taylored Expressions; Ink is Moonlight, CTMH; Stamp set is Say it in Style, CTMH; Buttons CTMH; Dies, Verve & My Favorite Things. Leaf is cut from the Cricut Artiste cartridge, CTMH.

 

A Couple of Challenges

I haven't had my Copics out for a while, so I combined this week's colour challenge at The Paper Players with the current Sweet Sunday Sketch - and used a cute little image that I got in a stamp swap.  I tweaked the sketch a little, but hopefully you can still see it in there somewhere:

Patterned papers are Tea for Two, Cosmo Cricket; Stamp sets are (boy-unknown), and Plain Jane, Verve; Ink is Tuxedo Black, Memento; Dies are Verve & Taylored Expressions; All papers Key Ingredients July Kit.  Copic Markers.