Taylored Expressions Sketch 10/16

I just can't seem to stop reaching for my Riley stamps. Maybe it's because they're just too darn adorable!

I made this card for the Taylored Expressions challenge today. This is a very straightforward, clean and simple card. The Riley is colored with Prismacolor Pencils and Gamsol. The buttons, brads, and burlap string are from Pink Hedgehog Paper Crafts. The sentiment is from Birthday Surprise (Verve Stamps). I totally stole the idea for the sentiment tag from my friend Michelle Woerner. I was at her house yesterday and she was finishing up one of the cards for the Unity challenge. I kept throwing out suggestions and she kept trying her own ideas and nothing was working right. She finally came up with a tag similar to the one I used on my card. The only difference is that my tag has asymmetrical tails. This was actually by accident, but then I liked it so I left it! I just love happy accidents!!

Snow Wonderful Riley!

I can't help but smile when I see Riley on a card! He just makes life seem better, what a clever moose!

I made this card for two different challenges: First: Embellish Magazine (round cards), Second: Creative Clear Stamps (using scallops).

To make this card, I used my Cricut with the Tags, Bags, Boxes & More cartridge and using the blue polka-dot paper (PTI), I cut out a 5 1/4" flower. Then I cut out a shadow of the flower in the same size using a random piece of cardstock from my stash. I cut a piece of Cocoa cardstock 5 1/2" x 11", folded it in 1/2, then traced the "shadow" onto the folded cardstock putting the top two petals slightly over the edge of the fold. This allows for a flower shaped card to still have a hinge. I adhered the blue paper to the cocoa card base.

Then, I stamped Riley onto a piece of white cardstock and cut him out with a Nestie circle. I also cut out a scalloped circle using Certainly Celery cardstock. The Riley is colored using Prismacolor Pencils and Gamsol. The Riley circle is masked with the Nestie and sponged using Cocoa ink, then, I removed the Nestie and sponged the whole edge with Bashful Blue ink. I adhered the Riley to the Celery circle and popped them both up on foam tape on the card base.

The sentiment is stamped in Versamark and embossed with Iridescent Ice embossing powder. I alternated Split Pea and Ice Blue rhinestones on the individual scallops.

• Paper: PTI Bitty Dot Basics & White; SU Close to Cocoa & Certainly Celery
• Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black; SU Close to Cocoa, Bashful Blue
• Stamps: Riley (Hannah Stamps), Snow Wonderful (Verve Stamps)
• Accessories: 3/8" Striped Organdy in white/silver ($.10/yd), silver cord ($.17/yd), Kaiser Rhinestones in Ice Blue and Split Pea ($1.75), Iridescent Ice EP, Prismacolor Pencils & Gamsol

Three Fall Leaves Cards

I made three cards last night for Splitcoast's Ways to Use it Challenge. The challenge was to make use of fall leaves. I can't believe how different all 3 cards turned out, especially because all 3 use Basic Grey's Indian Summer paper. I can't decide which is my favorite. My hubby likes the first one the best.

This card is a tri-fold faux envelope card. The finished card measures 4.5" x 4.5". The sentiment is stamped with Versamark and embossed with Black Detail powder.

• Paper: Basic Grey Indian Summer, PTI Black
• Ink: Versamark, Really Rust, Ruby Red, More Mustard
• Stamps: Psalm 37:4 and Abundant Blessings (Verve Stamps)
• Accessories: Black Detail Embossing Powder, 3/8" Black Grosgrain ($.18/yd)

What a fun card this was to make! It was thrilling to see the color of the background paper emerge through the stamped leaves as I heated the embossing powder. It was almost better than chocolate.....almost! The background leaves are stamped with Versamark and embossed with Black Detail Powder. The sentiment and gold leaf are also stamped in Versamark and embossed using Gold Glory embossing powder.

• Paper: Basic Grey Indian Summer, PTI Black, SU Purely Pomegranate
• Ink: Versamark
• Stamps: Autumn, Friend to Friend (SU)
• Accessories: Striped Organdy ($.11/yd), Burlap String ($.10/yd)

I just love perky organdy bows, they make me so happy, almost giddy and I can't help but smile! This card just gives me a happy feeling, and not least because it was very simple to make. Just layers of cardstock and a little Versamark, clear embossing powder, and a shot from a heat gun. then the fun bow!

• Paper: Basic Grey Indian Summer, SU Chocolate Chip, Dusty Durango, and More Mustard
• Ink: Versamark
• Stamps: Fall Leaves (CTMH), Out on a Limb & Out on a Limb Additions (PTI)
• Accessories: 7/8" Organdy in Chocolate

Pastel Swirly Sparkly Christmas!!

I designed this the request of a customer. She wanted circles, pastels, pink, swirls, glitter, shimmer, and bling! This card has it all!!

I cut the circles using my Cuttlebug and Nestabilities. The green circle is embossed using the Cuttlebug Snowflakes folder and then painted with Angel Wings Shimmerz. The pink circle is stamped with Versamark and embossed using Iridescent Ice embossing powder. The main panel is stamped with snowflakes in Pale Plum ink, the sentiment stamped in Perfect Plum Craft Ink and also embossed with Iridescent Ice EP.

I punched the bottom of the plum panel with SU!'s Scallop Border Punch and rounded the corners with their larger corner rounder.

• Paper: PTI with the exception of Basic Grey Sugared
• Stamps: PTI Snowflake Serenade, Take a Bough
• Ink: Pale Plum Classic, Versamark, Perfect Plum Craft
• Accessories: Antique Pink Kaiser Rhinestones, Striped Organdy Ribbon, Nesties, Word Window Punch, Lg. Corner Rounder, Scallop Border Punch, Angel Wings Shimmerz, Embossing Gun, Iridescent Ice EP

One more for the Sketch Challenge today. This one just popped in my head and begged me to make it. I sort of CASE'd myself because I made a card somewhat like this a few years ago: My Other Card, which I suppose is what gave me the idea to make this sketch using tags.

This was a bit of work to make with all of the details. I could not find a single holly stamp in my entire collection (which is huge) that was the right size and feel for this alphabet, so I drew my own. I am not an artist, but these images are very simple. I drew them in pencil first because I was fairly positive that I would mess up....and I was right. I colored the holly using Copic Markers. Then I put glue on the berries using a Quickie Glue Pen and added glitter. To make the tags edges in gold, I drew along the edges, one side at a time with a Versamarker and embossed with Gold Glimmer EP, which has gold glitter mixed in. I love, love, love the way this turned out! I added Olive Buttons laced with gold cord and natural burlap string. I left all of the layers plain with straight corners to allow the tags to be the focal point of the card.

Buttons, burlap string, Basic Grey Wassail Paper, Copics, and gold cord are from Pink Hedgehog Paper Crafts.

This card is for the Taylored Expressions sketch. The bird is stamped in Versamark, embossed with clear detail powder, cut out and popped up on foam tape.

• Paper: PTI
• Ink: Perfect Plum, Versamark
• Stamps: Inkadinkado, Filigree Fantasy (Verve)
• Accessories: 1/8" Organdy in Eggplant and Azalea ($.10/yd.), Kaiser Rhinestones ($1.75) in Split Pea, Clear Detail Embossing Powder, SU Scallop Border Punch

I did a couple versions of the sketch challenge today.

The whole background of this card is stamped with Versamark and embossed with Iridescent Ice embossing powder; it is so sparkly. The three filigrees are also embossed with clear detail powder. Each button is threaded with iridescent cord and either tied in a knot or a bow.

• Paper: Rose Red, Bermuda Bay, Regal Rose, Basic Grey Lemonade
• Stamps: CHF Background, Filigree Fantasy (Verve)
• Ink: Versamark, Basic Black, Regal Rose, Rose Red
• Accessories: Burlap String in Rose ($.10/yd), Iridescent Cord ($.17/yd), Coral Rose Buttons ($1.50/jar), Lippy Red Kaiser Rhinestones ($1.75)

My second version of the sketch challenge.

• Paper: Basic Grey Lemonade
• Stamps: PTI Free Anniversary set this year
• Ink: Regal Rose, Taken with Teal
• Accessories: Kaiser Rhinestones in Lippy Red and Island Lagoon, 1/8" Organdy in Teal, Iridescent Cord ($.17/yd), Oregon Raindrops in Sea Blue ($1.00/jar, just like dewdrops just way cheaper!), .05 black pen, Glitter pen

Color Challenge & Cat's Pajamas TCP Tuesday Challenge

Today's challenges are SCS's Color Challenge, (Bermuda Bay, Apricot Appeal, and Chocolate Chip) and The Cat's Pajamas challenge to use buttons. I haven't run across a pocket card in a while, so I thought I'd make one for this challenge.

All in all a pretty simple card, though I messed around with it for a couple of hours and had a couple of false starts. The butterfly is embossed with Chocolate embossing powder and the interior stippled with Groovy Guava Ink.

• Paper: Whisper White, Bermuda Bay, Apricot Appeal, Chocolate Chip
• Ink: Versamark, Taken with Teal, Apricot Appeal, Groovy Guava, Chocolate Chip
• Stamps: Butterfly Wings (CTMH), Warmest Regards (SU)
• Accessories: 1/8" Organdy ($.10/yd.), Orange Juice Buttons ($1.50/jar), Chocolate EP