UmWow November sketch challenge

UmWow has a super sketch for November's sketch challenge.  I followed it pretty closely, since I was running out of time.  The coloring of the photo is a little off, but it is the most recent one of our first grandchild (6 weeks old) and her happy little family. She's a cutie, and has a sweet personality!
Supplies were from the Nature Walk collection and an UmWow flair.  I painted the bottom of the background paper with gesso for contrast and added a doily and black twine from our stash,

Digistamps4Joy November Challenge

The November free digi from digistamps4joy's monthly Christmas challenge was actually 2 tag digis.  I used one of them for this card.  The other is a sweet and simple snowflake design.
I decided to paper piece the tree and present, and paint the ribbon.  I added a peel off sentiment, some sparkles for the tree and a couple of holiday ribbons to finish off the look.  The card base is a pre-printed one that came in a variety box, and I thought it fit the design nicely.  Thanks for taking a look,

Digistamps4joy Monthly Christmas Challenge and Halloween card

 This card is for the monthly Digistamps4Joy Christmas Challenge.  It has been fun and very helpful to get a free digi each month for participating.

The next one is a Halloween card for my daughter.  Even though my kids are big, I still like to give them a "treat" every Halloween!

Halloween cards

These are all from various bits and pieces lying around.  I've used an UmWow mask for the moon rays and UmWow bat confetti, as well as rub-ons and stickers from some very old collections.  

Online Class - Copic for Card Makers Day 3

This is my practice sheet using gray as the 3rd color.  I really like the way this looks and will definitely be practicing this technique some more.  I've looked at all the videos for the rest of the classes, and they are amazing!  I can't wait to try the techniques.

Online Class - Copic for Card Makers Day 2

Here's the practice sheet for day 2 of the online class.  Another day of awesome tips!  I still need to practice lots, but am loving being able to go to the videos as often as I want!  Great class!

Online Class-Copic for Card Makers - Day 1

Day 1 of the online copic for card makers class included great blending tips and techniques.  Here's some of the 2-color blending I did on the practice sheet.

Digistamps4Joy September Christmas Challenge

Below is the card I made using my free DS4J image.  This is the third month I've played along, and the digital images are so darn cute!  I love them!  Here's what they say at DS4J.  If you are just getting started with this challenge, there are instructions on their blog letting you know how to get your first image:

Digistamps4Joy offers a free DS4J Christmas image each month with which you can create a card or tag.

You need to enter your card or tag with this free image.  Each person who has created a card or tag with the month's free image, will receive the next month's image free.

I decided to paper piece most of this image.  I've only colored the owl faces and inside of the tree trunk using distress markers.  The white fur trim is puff paint and the sentiment is a rub on.  All materials were old papers from my stash.

Thanks for taking a look, and be sure to check out Digistamps4Joy! 

UmWowStudio September sketch

September's sketch is up at UmWowStudio.  I have used it to make another page for my "My Favorite Things/People" book. This month I am highlighting our youngest son who just got a job cooking at a nice restaurant in our local casino.  He seems to like it- now if he'd only cook for me at home!!

I used Nature Walk papers and sticker under the picture.  UmWow chipboard arrow was also used, along with the chevron mask.  I added subtle food pictures from a recipe set, 2 different ink splatters and some washi.  The title is stamped on the same photo paper I used for the pic.  The black gesso used with the mask is a little too messy for me, especially in the upper right corner, but it will do for now.  (I may go back later and redo the layout, after I live with it for awhile and see if I still feel the same)
As always, thanks for taking a look!

Digistamps4Joy, Aug Christmas challenge

Santa's Helper was the free digi for participating in last month's Digistamps4joy Christmas challenge.  It is a very sweet digi!  Here's my project using the digi and coloring with water color pencils:

The card base was in my stash and came as a free item with a past order.  I don't remember exactly who the order was from, though.  For snow, I added glitter to white  puff paint.  I also did the same for the fur trim around the Santa suit.  Sentiment is also from my stash of Christmas embellishments.  I'm really enjoying the free digis and having the opportunity to practice coloring!  (It has always been a little intimidating)
Thanks for taking a look, and be sure to check out Digistamps4joy - they have lots of beautiful digis!

UmWow's August Sketch

I'm making it in just under the wire this month - have been incredibly busy both at home and at work!
For this sketch, I used a pic of our oldest as he was driving from one state to another on one of his many moves!  (Of course, I was right there with him, as his moving assistant!)

The sketch used was UmWow's August sketch.  I followed it pretty closely, as you can see when you click on the UmWow link (I had trouble copying a small enough copy of the sketch, so you'll need to use the link to see it).
Paper was Nature Walk; masks, chipboard, and flair are UmWow; water ring stamp is VLVS; and twine and cheese cloth are from my stash.

As always, thanks for stopping by and taking a look!

PTI 2014 SAF Closing Ceremony

The Stamp-a-faire has ended for this year, and I am happy to say I learned several new techniques (thanks to all the wonderful tutorials!) and have 6 cards to add to my stash.  I just need to finish off the insides, which shouldn't take too long.  Now, to clean up my mess!

PTI 2014 SAF 1940's challenge

This is the last challenge I was able to finish this week-end. My daughter and I plan on continuing to work on the challenges later in the week and next week-end. (She bought the SAF kit, so we have lots of goodies to play with!)  It was not as hard as I expected to stamp the background (the tutorial really helped) and the card went together pretty quickly.  I did pop up the banner part of the sentiment and the two blue flowers, but it doesn't really show up in the pic.  Another fun project!

PTI 2014 SAF 1920's challenge

This may have been my all time favorite!  It took longer than the other challenge cards since there are over 100 rhinestones on this embellishment!  I love the look of the hand stamped background and the neutral colors.

PTI 2014 SAF Renaissance challenge

The colors and textures in this period are wonderful!  We were to heat stamp on velvet fabric - I was a little afraid I'd melt the clear stamp, but probably could have kept the heat on the velvet a little more. The pattern is a little hard to see on the velvet, but is really a pretty effect!  Here's the card:  The card base is more purple than shows in the picture, and the gold is not as bright as what shows up.  The velvet is a nice, deep maroon  (looks much  better in person).

PTI 2014 SAF Ancient Rome mosaic challenge

I really like the Ancient Rome challenges - Here's the mosaic card I made.  I used softer colors and a more delicate butterfly stamp.  I'll probably try this again using a bold floral stamp and brighter colors for the "grout" so the stamped image looks like it is more in the background.

PTI 2014 SAF Ancient Rome

Card #2 finished!  This is for the Ancient Rome challenge at PTI's 2014 Stamp-a-faire.  I had never painted on or used embossing paste before and it was lots of fun.  Here's what I made, following the sample pretty closely:

PTI 2014 Stamp-a-faire

Here's my morning timer challenge card :

I used the following color recipe and sketch:

Materials used:  Memento inks - rhubarb stalk, rose bud, angel  pink, summer sky, bahama blue, gray flannel

                         PTI Stamps - Round & Round set, Filled with Joy set

                         White card base and blue paper scraps for side strip

Papertrey Ink 2014 Stamp-a-faire preparations

Supplies are on the table and I'm ready to go!  This is my first Stamp-a-faire and I am really looking forward to it!

g45 get well bookmark tag

I just love the Graphic 45 collections.  This is from the Botanical Tea line, and the tutorial is on the Graphic 45 blog.  I made it for my mother-in-law, but she recovered so quickly that I didn't get a chance to send it out to her.  So, it will become part of my stash for a future need.  

g45 Botanical Tea birthday card

My aunt is turning 91 this year and loves flowers, birds, and butterflies, so I decided to make a Graphic 45 Botanical Tea card for her.  The tutorial I followed is by Romy and can be found on the Graphic 45 blog.  I didn't use quite as many layers but otherwise it pretty closely follows the example given.  I love the doily (one that was inked and cut in half) peeking out from the other papers and the scattering of butterflies.  The inside sentiment is an Anna Griffin vellum sticker.  I think my aunt will love it!

Thanks for taking a look!

UmWow tunnel tag book

I wanted to make a different birthday card for my daughter this year, so I put together a special UmWow tunnel tag book.  I used DeeDee's tunnel tag book for inspiration.  She has amazing work, and designs the UmWow goodies used.   I used Nature Walk papers (also designed by DeeDee) on all the layers, as well as UmWow chipboard pieces (butterfly on top layer, leaf stem on bottom layer) and celebrate life flair on the top page.  Assorted stamps and ribbons were added, as was gesso and glitter to the butterfly and leaf stem.

Thanks for stopping by and taking a look!

Kitty Christmas

I discovered a new site this week, Digistamps4Joy.  They have some wonderful digis, and a Christmas challenge going on.  The July Challenge is to use their digistamp, Irresistible Bling.  Once you submit an entry, you will receive a free digi for the next monthly challenge.  What a great way to build up your Christmas card stash while also building up your digi collection! The information on participating is here.
This month's digi is the cutest, and since we have three cats I just had to play along.  And, speaking of cute, there is another Christmas card challenge at Crafty Hazelnuts Christmas Challenge blog to make a cute Christmas card.  So I'll also enter it into that challenge.

I used copics to color the image on Neenah arctic white paper.  I added some sparkle with copic spica markers, but it doesn't show up very well in my picture.  The spica is on the ornaments, lights, and angel. The sentiment is a stick-on from my stash, as are the background papers.  Simple, but I really like it.
Thanks for taking a look!

Graphic 45 Botanical Tea papers: Butterfly Card

There was a sweet tutorial last month on the Graphic 45 blog that used their Botanical Tea papers to make a small butterfly card. (2 1/2" x 3 3/4")  I was able to follow the directions without any problems and ended up with a very nice "thinking of you" card.  The tutorial can be found on snapguide, and it was made by Tati Scrap.  Here's my version of it (very close to the original - will try some variations on the next one).  All papers are from Graphic 45's Botanical Tea collection.

This was a fun project and my "someone special"  really liked it, too!

Thanks for taking a look!

make it beautiful

Today I made a layout featuring flowers, VLVS, and UmWow goodies.  For this project, I combined the July UmWow sketch with the VLVS inspiration board.  The picture is of day lilies blooming outside our front window.  I snapped a quick shot early this morning - aren't they beautiful?  Too bad they only bloom for one day.

Background paper is Nature Walk, butterflies are gesso and UmWow butterfly mask, UmWow "beautiful" flair was used, and the Viva Las Vegas Stamps used were line of chevrons and fairy on moon (didn't use the moon part, though).  Sentiment was from Tim Holtz's clear stamp collection, Nature's Elements.
Below is the UmWow sketch and VLVS inspiration board.

Thanks for taking a look, and check out both UmWowStudio and VLVS - awesome stuff!!

Ready to Run

This is my second page using UmWow's June sketch, and since it has feet in it, I'll be linking it up over at S.W.A.T. Scrap Warriors for their drill #34, Happy Feet.

I'm still working on the whole grunge look - not sure I like this layout, though. I think it has a little too much gesso and paint and maybe not enough other elements.  (I sprayed some shimmer mist on the page but the color wasn't quite right so I tried to cover it up with more gesso and orange paint to better match my running shoes.)
I haven't run in about 20 years, but I've decided it's time to try and get back into shape.  So, I'm "ready to run".

I used Nature Walk paper and UmWow gear chipboard dipped in black and white gesso.  Title is black sparkly alphabet stickers.

UmWowStudio June Challenge

There's another monthly sketch challenge at UmWowStudio:

I'm continuing to add to my first album and this page features a pic of my daughter and me right after coming home from a special weekend trip we made recently, to learn about the use of copic art markers.  (She completed both copic designer classes and I managed to finish the first - now to practice what I've learned!)

I followed the sketch pretty closely, trying to add more ink and gesso splatters than I usually manage to do. The doily is the small one from UmWow with the center cut out.  I also used the outer ring from various stamps by VLVS to create the circles.  An UmWow flair, twine and heat embossed sentiment finish off the page.  Papers are from the Nature Walk collection.

Thanks for taking a look!

May UmWow sketch

Here's another sketch from UmWow.  I've decided to do a mini using just the sketches from this and previous months, and the new Nature Walk line.  Since there are 3 pictures in this sketch, we have 3 cats and I have many pictures of our cats, I decided to highlight our precious fur babies.  One page done, now to figure out what to put on the other pages... Hope you like it!

Supplies used:  UmWowStudio chipboard arrow, letters, and brick mask; Nature Walk 6x6 paper pad (for background and fussy cut flower);  Technique Tuesday sentiment stamp and flower stamp; dragonfly stamp; teal embossing powder; washi and flowered twill ribbon.

Graphic 45 sketch

This is my NSD 2014 project - a Birthday card for my mom, who will be 90 this December.  I love the Graphic 45 line, but only have a couple of their paper packs.  So, this card was made with the Twelve Days of Christmas 12x12 paper pad.  I used only one page from the pack.  The background is the back of the page and the bird and flowers were fussy cut from the front side of the page.  I added glossy accents to the flowers, berries and bird, popped the bird section up over some crocheted lace and heat embossed the sentiment.  I think my mom will like it, since she loves cardinals, flowers, and lace!

This was the sketch used: