Card Patterns Sketch 74 & PDDC 39 Colors

This week's sketch at Card Patterns has lots of lovely layers. Something I love to do! I also wanted another pass at the colors at the Play Date Cafe Challenge this week because they are so pretty.  So what do you get when you take this beautiful sketch:

add the inspiration colors:

and get this...

Products:

• Ranger Distress Inks Pumice Stone
• Hero Arts - Poppies (Clear and Wood)
• EK Success Border Punch
• Hero Arts - Cling Flourishes
• Hero Arts - Shadow Ink - Soft Sand
• Derwent Watercolor Pencil - Golden Brown
• Versafine Pigment Ink - Black Onyx
• Marvy Uchida - Butterfly Punches
• Pearls

Well I hope you are going to have a fabulous weekend. We are having a birthday party for my youngest today. I have a few projects on my desk which I hope to get the idea/inspiration on how to finish. :)

Have a lovely day!

Suzz

Plums & Buttercream

Cathy over at Moxie Fab World issued a plum challenge.. Love plum colors... Don't have any. :)


Lucky for me, Jacqueline did her challenge first and used the gorgeous Basic Grey Wisteria papers on her card which reminded me that I have a few sheets of that lovely paper too.


So here is my plummy card:

Products:

• The Crafters Workshop - Orchid Template - (Love these)
• Hero Arts - S5135 Outline Flowers
• PaberBag Studios - PBS-038-C Beauty
• Versafine - Imperial Purple
• Versamark
• Basic Grey - Wisteria
• Marvy Uchida - Butterfly Punch
• Pearls - Unknown
• Light Yellow Embossing Powder
• Ranger Stickles - Purple

Thanks for stopping by... Have a beautiful day...

Suzz

Raspberry Suite Challenge #7

I decided to play along with Dawn's color challenge... http://dawnmcvey.typepad.com/these_are_a_few_of_my_fav/2009/05/raspberry-suite-color-challenge-7.html
How can you go wrong with green and pink and she said you could add white if needed.

The die cuts are from quick kutz and the only die I own from them but I like that it cuts the shape and also provides a very thin frame as well.

The raspberry paper is the Coredinations White Wash.

Products:

• Stampabilities - Tapestry Pattern
• Saavy Stamps - Silhouette Flower Garden
• Marvy Uchida - Butterfly Punch
• Quick Kutz - Cookie Cutter Nesting Labels
• Memento - New Sprout, Bamboo Leaves
• StazOn - Fuschia
• Tombo - Watercolor Marker
• Bazzil - Ribbon
• Hero Arts - Gem Flowers, pearls
• Coredinations - WhiteWash
• Hero Arts - Petite Birthday
• Crochet Flowers - Unknown

Thanks for stopping by...

Suzz

Happy Birthday Marie!

My good friend Marie had a birthday yesterday and we all went out to lunch at a Mexican restaruant. Very good food and good company.

This was her birthday card.


She loves her earth tones and I thought she would appreciate the browns and gold.

The brown cardstock is the new Coredinations chocolate cardstock. Brown on one side and another color on the other. You emboss it and sand off the brown to reveal the other side.

Products:

• Cornish Heritage Farms - Silhouette Blooms
• Versafine - Vintage Sepia
• Cornish Heritage Farms - Grid Paper
• Memento - Rich Cocoa, Honey
• Marvy Uchida Corner Rounder
• Coredinations - Core Color - Chocolate
• Ribbon Unkown
• Hero Arts - Happy Birthday

Thanks for stopping by..

Suzz

Sunday Sunday

I have 2 cards to share. One is for fun and using up some background paper I made using the old smear the ink on the acetate and spritz it with water and the other is for the HA blog challenge May Flowers this week.

Recipe for card #1:

1. Start with a piece of acetate and smear the oranges, yellow and green ink randomly on the acetate and add water until the colors run together.
2. Lay white cardstock on the ink. Flip over with the acetate and smear the color around until you are pleased with the effect. Set aside to dry.
3. Cut circle (4") from dye ink background.
4. Stamp Fern using brown dye ink on circle. Slightly offset and stamp again using green dye ink.
5. Accent brown with white gel pen.
6. Versamark entire surface and heat emboss using clear embossing powder.
7. Repeat. (I wanted a more even finish so I did this 2 times)
8. Woodgrain background: Cut 5" x 5" white cardstock square. Stamp woodgrain 4 times using pigment ink. Spray entire surface with tuscany sun glimmer mist. (Beautiful orangey brown color)
9. The rest is assembly. I wrapped the twine 3 times and threaded each end through the two buttons on either side. Tied a separate piece of twine through the big button and made a bow and used glue dots to hold each piece down.

My second card was made from some beautiful scraps sent to me from Jacqueline. She sent me some music paper and pink vellum. (I never used any colored vellum before and I love the effect!)

Nothing to difficult here but the ribbon is actually this really pretty plum velvet and it looks brown. :(

I also took clear buttons and used the scraps of the music paper to make the background for the buttons. (The designers at HA were doing this and I thought what a fun way to use up some of my little scraps)

Products:

• Hero Arts - Three Ferns
• Hero Arts - Design Block Woodgrain
• Hero Arts - Design Block Outline Flowers
• Cuttlebug Embossing Folder - Birds & Swirls
• EK Success - Border Punch
• Glimmer Mist - Tuscany Sun
• Versamark Watermark Ink Pad
• Butterfly Punch - Marvy Uchida

Have a great sunday!

Suzz

Butterfly Tree!

The Caardvarks challenge this week is tree's a crowd http://caardvarks.blogspot.com/2009/04/trees-crowd.html and the Hero Arts weekly challenge is distressing... Neither of these are something I can resist. I love my trees and I also have a little attraction to butterflies.. I decided to create a butterfly tree.



If you have ever been to a butterfly garden you probably have seen something similar to this..

I used the Marvy Uchida butterfly punch. They are so adorable.. Tiny butterflies and I used up scraps! Yeah! I had some acohol inked background (red) and glimmer mist background (yellow) which I punched the butterflies from. Before I punched the butterflies I stamped in red pigment ink a script stamp on the paper.

The rest is easy as pie... Stamp the tree add a little sponging and you have a beautiful background tree for the butterflies to float softly on.

Products:

• Hero Arts Designblock - Tree
• Hero Arts Sparkle Clear - Love That!
• Hero Arts - Artistic Windows
• Versafine - Vintage Sepia
• Ranger Distress Inks - Broken China
• Memento - Rich Cocoa
• Marvy Uchida - Butterfly Punch

Thanks for stopping by...

Suzz

Happy Easter and a little Spring!

Time for another of Kristina Werner's color challenge... http://www.kwernerdesign.com/blog/?p=1274 which encompasses these colors:

Love the bright colors on these. I am truly inspired by colors in addition to new stamps. :)

There are these lovely birds from Inkadinkado which are so much fun because of the circles and swirls built into them.

I decided to ink up a bird and use it as my focal point for these colors. I really feel the bird reminds me of a robin because of her bright red chest.

I hope everyone has a wonderful Easter! Spring is a time to renew and rejoice!

Happy Easter!

Suzz

Kwerner Challenge # 48

Here's Kristina's latest color challenge. http://www.kwernerdesign.com/blog/?p=1218 Love these colors!

I have a vintage farmhouse clear stamps from Fiskars. I love the background stamp. (Bottom Half of the card) and it has a rooster. I decided to put this card together using this set. Don't know who would like to recieve a rooster on their card but I thought it was too cute!

Products:

• Fiskars - Vintage Farmhouse
• Hero Arts - Old French Writing
• Versafine - Deep Lagoon,
• Ranger Distress Inks - Shabby Shutters
• Marvy Uchida - Oval, Oval Scalloped Punches
• EK Success - Border Punch

Thanks for stopping by...

Suzz

KWerner Color Challenge #45

Kristina's Color Challenge this week: http://www.kwernerdesign.com/blog/?p=954 are black, grey, and white. Lovely elegant colors. They are wonderful for graphic designs or wedding cards.

Here is my interpretation of the colors:

Love these new stamps from Inkadinkado. After I took the picture I realized that the middle background piece looks like vellum. It is actually white cardstock stamped with grey ink.

Products:

• Inkadinkado - 99263, 99257
• Versafine - Black Onyx, Smokey Grey
• Spellbinders Nestabilities - Scallop Circle
• Martha Stewart Cornice Border Punch
• Marvy Uchida Circle Punch

Thanks for stopping by...

Suzz

Little Things Challenge

This weeks challenge over on the HA blog is little things. Meaning their little stamps. I don't have any of their tubs of little stamps but I do have a little owl stamp.

I stamped the background of the wood grain previously and it was a scrap. I pulled out my little owl and repeatedly stamped him on the wood grain. I then colored them up a little bit.

To finish it off I created my scalloped circle and added a few more owl friends. That little guy hanging out at the bottom was added because I wanted to make him popping out and saying you hoo!

Hope you enjoyed my little owls.

Products:

• Hero Arts - Sparkle Clear - You Hoo
• Hero Arts - Sparkle Clear - Halloween Wishes
• Hero Arts - Wood Grain
• Hero Arts - Designblock - Tree
• Versafine - Vintage Sepia, Olympia Green
• Cuttlebug Embossing Folder
• Memento - Rich Cocoa
• Marvy Uchida - Circle Punch
• Paper Shapers - Circle Punch

Thanks for stopping by...

Suzz

Friendship and Scraps...

I put together a couple of cards for two challenges. Hero Arts Weekly Challenge for friendship: http://heroarts.com/blogs/club/2009/02/16/motivation-monday-friendship-a-video/ and Godelieve posted a sunday scraps challenge on 2 Pea's: http://www.twopeasinabucket.com/mb.asp?cmd=display&thread_id=2752494 .
Godelieve suggested a weekly challenge on Sundays to use up scraps. I have a ton of scraps from all my projects. I actually started from a couple of scraps (screen shadow background and butterfly) to make this card:
While making this card I tried something which I didn't like on the little card and ended up with another scrap! So I decided I must put that into a card as well otherwise I would not be using up my scraps.. So here is my second card.

Products:

• Hero Arts Sparkle Design - Mini Messages
• Hero Arts CardArt Thinking of You
• Hero Arts Designblock - Wavy Leaf Pattern
• Creative Beginnings - Light Pink Embossing Powder
• Versamark Watermark Ink
• Basic Grey - eloquent stamp
• Hero Arts - Screen Shadow
• Amy Butler Lotus Floral Stamps
• Memento - Rose Bud
• Cuttlebug Embossing Folder - Swiss Dots
• Marvy Uchida Circle Punch, Scalloped Oval Punch, Scalloped Circle
• Spellbinders Nestabilities Labels

I also wanted to share that a few of my cards are out this month in the April issue of Crafts n Things. I sent them in a long time ago and they let me know they were going to be published, but it has been a long time to wait to see them in print. Very exciting for me. I also have a few other pending future issues.

Thanks for stopping by..

Suzz

More Penny Black...

As you can see I have received a few Penny Black stamps recently and a few more are on thier way... This is one from a clear set "Thinking of You".. It reminded me of my Grandmother's kitchen. A little bunch of wildflowers stuffed into a glass jar.

The embossed background actually has a faint shade of blue and was sponged with the brown. The flowers were stamped in blue pigment ink and colored with my colored pencils. I sponged the edges of the circle with green dye ink.

Products:

• Penny Black Clear - Thinking of You, Sentiments
• Versafine - Majestic Blue
• Ranger Distress Inks - Peeled Paint, Broken China
• Cuttlebug Embossing Folder - Swiss Dots
• K&Company Photo Corners
• Spellbinders Nestabilities - Circle Scallops, Oval Scallops
• Marvy Uchida Circle Punch
• Versafine - Olympia Green
• Prismacolor Pencils

Thanks for stopping by...

Suzz

Lovey Dovey Challenge - OCC

This card is for 2 different challenges. The OCC challenge is a Lovey Dovey Challenge http://ourcreativecorner6.blogspot.com/2008/12/lovey-dovey-challenge.html and is based on a sketch from Hero Arts Blog Challenge: http://heroarts.com/blogs/club/2008/12/19/having-fun-on-friday/ I am giving this to my DH. He is always there taking care of things and really is a wonderful husband.

There wasn't much recipe. The only thing I did was I stamped on a transperancy to make the pair of skunks. The grass is made from distress re-inkers put on acetate and cardstock laid on top of it to absorb the ink. The sky is sponged.

Products:

• Hero Arts Clear Design - Woodland Critters
• Spellbinders Nestabilities - Scalloped Circles
• Fiskars Circle Template & Circle Cutter
• Cuttlebug Embossing Folder - Tiny Bubbles
• Marvy Uchida Corner Rounder Punch
• Distress Re-Inkers - Mustard, Lettuce
• Distress Ink - Broken China, Shabby Shutters
• Pink Sharpie -(Noses)
• Rubber Stampede - Prairie Grass
• Ribbon - Martha Stewart
• PP - Unknown

Thanks for dropping by!

Suzz

Kwerner Color Challenge # 33

I love the color challenges... Sketches are harder for me to follow and I love color. So anything that can inspire a new look based on color is good with me... Here is the link to Kristina's great blog: http://kwernerdesign.com/blog/2008/12/color-inspiration-33.html. I also am doubling up challenges as these will also apply to the Hero Arts Blog weekly challenge. Lisa Spangler is hosting and has some really cute last minute card ideas and sneak peeks for the 2009 catalogue. http://heroarts.com/blogs/club/

Here is the wonderful color swatch:

Right away after seeing the colors I thought of doing a card with the blue spruce trees in teal and the orange skyline. I decided to try a second card which used the same colors for Christmas ornaments...

The recipes on these cards are fairly simple so I will share the products only. As Shirley says... I am taking the easy path today. :)

Products:

• Hero Arts Designblock - Birds & Poinsettas
• Hero Arts Clear Design - Classic Christmas Borders
• Martha Stewart Clear Gift Tag Stamps
• Hero Arts - Real Pine
• Stampendous - Holiday Quad Cube
• Hero Arts Clear Design - Three Tree Christmas
• Marvy Uchida Purple Circle Punch
• Ranger Distress Inks - Shabby Shutters, Broken China
• StazOn - Pumpkin
• Adirondack - Sunset Orange
• Versafine - Deep Lagoon, Vintage Sepia
• Memento - Rich Cocoa
• General Kimberly Watercolor Pencil
• Stampendous - Stamp N Stuff - Kaleidoscope Transparent Embossing Powder
• Ranger Stickles - Orange Peel
• Gems - K&CO

Thanks for stopping by..

Suzz

Something Elegant in lavender...

I made this the other day after distressing.. I like to switch gears and do something completely different. My goal was elegant and something in a non-traditional colors... We used to have an extraordinary amount of anniversary cards to send out.


I always panic when an anniversary rolls around and I like to make some backup cards to have on hand..

This card started from a new inkpad I purchased called Milled Lavender. This is a distress ink from Ranger. I hadn't tried it but I knew it was a very muted purple. This drew me to a cream cardstock to see if I could emulate the vintage feel of lace and purple dried lavender.

Products:

• Martha Stewart Doily Border Punch
• Cuttlebug Embossing Folder - Just My Type
• Kaiser - Pearls
• Hero Arts - C4594 Pod Branches
• Inkadinkado Clear Stamps - 97892 Wedding / Marriage
• Ranger Distress Ink - Milled Lavender
• StazOn - Royal Purple
• Ribbon - Unknown
• Marvy Uchida Oval Punch

Toodles...

Little Snowman Card...

This little card is made with the Hero Arts Snowman. I think he has been done in a similar fashion on a few of my other cards. This card was made for the Hero Arts Blog challenge. You are to be inspired by one of the guests on the blog this week. This card was inspired by Donna she is such a nice person and she makes the cutest cards. Here is a link to her flickr photostream: http://www.flickr.com/photos/3umbrellas/ and here is the link to her day on the HA blog: http://heroarts.com/blogs/club/2008/11/05/win-a-day-contest-winner-donna-mikasa/

Here is a card that is inspired by Donna's cards:

I won't provide all the details as they are fairly simple...

I put the folded cardstock on top of the nestabilities oval scallop and made sure I could see the outline of the oval on the left side. I just ran it through my cuttlebug and there you have it a little scalloped oval card.

I stamped the snowman on the patterned paper to cut out the brim of the hat, the hat and the scarf.

I used watercolor pencils and water brush to give the snowman his pink tinge and black gems for his eyes.

Products:

• Hero Arts Design Clear Warmest Winter Wishes
• Basic Grey Wassail - Greetings,
• Versafine Onyx Black Pigment Ink
• General Kimberly Watercolor Pencils
• Spellbinders Nestabilities Scalloped Oval
• Marvy Uchida Scalloped Oval Punch
• Fiskars Oval Template, Fiskars Circle Cutter
• Crystal Stickers Pearls

Thanks for stopping by...

Yoo Whoo.... SOF Party Continues...

This is a bunch of challenges in one for SOF... Here is the master thread for all the challenges: http://www.twopeasinabucket.com/mb.asp?cmd=display&thread_id=2661997 . One of the challenges is to case someone. The card I cased is linked here: http://www.twopeasinabucket.com/pg.asp?set=recent&gallery=3&cmd=display&layout_id=1398353





The challenges I am linking this to are: Get inspired, Cut it Out, Cuttlebug and Resist This.

The owls are cut out. The inspiration is the card I cased. The resist is a wax paper resist technique.

I have never tried this so I was very excited when Daria raised this as a challenge. She also showed multiple examples of the the papers she created.

I created multiple sheets of the wax paper resist backgrounds, so don't be surprised if you see them coming back. Including the cuttlebug wax paper resist.

Recipe:

1. The background the owls are stamped on is from a wax paper resist. I started with a piece of wax paper. I layed it on my new scor-pal (thanks Lisa.. a lovely birthday gift from my good stamping buddy) and I scored lines vertically and for part of the page I also scored horizontally.
2. I took the score wax paper and placed it between 2 pieces of glossy cardstock with the glossy surface facing in on both pieces. I then covered it with a thin towel. I ironed on a medium setting with no steam. I had to iron for a few minutes.
3. The beauty of this is you get two effects the cardstock on the bottom and the cardstock on the top. One of them will get a much softer impression.
4. After I ironed and I could see the pattern on my cardstock, I took it back to the craft table and used my dye ink to smear over the surface. The owls and the owl background are smeared on the same sheet of cardstock but I used multiple colors to see what I liked the best. I buffed the excess ink off using a paper towel.
5. Stamp the owls on the brown resist background with StazOn.
6. Cut out the owls. Attach black gems for eyes and put white on the black gems with gel pen.
7. Everything else was just cutting and rounding corners. Nothing too special.

Products:

• Memories Dye Ink Pad - Honey
• Ranger Distress Ink - Vintage Photo
• StazOn Olive Green, Timber Brown
• Hero Arts - A4942 Tiny Owl
• Hero Arts - Sparkle Design
• Hero Arts - H4946 Long Branch
• Cuttlebug Embossing Folder - Swiss Dots
• Basic Grey - Phoebe
• Brown Ribbon - Unknown
• Fiskars Threading Water Border Punch
• Marvy Uchida Corner Rounder
• Hero Arts
  

Thanks for dropping in...