Friday, January 30, 2015

Butterfly Basics

Happy Friday, Everyone!  Today's post is a little different for me.  Why?  Because it's the last card I'll be posting on a Friday as a designer for the Friday Mashup. I've had a blast and learned a LOT being a part of this team and will continue to enjoy playing along with them in the future.  Check out the new design team if you haven't already.  Lots of creativity going on with them!  Now onto this week's challenge from Avery...


Create a project with the "Sketch". 
Create a project with "2 different embellishments". 
or Mash it Up! and create a project "with the Sketch and different embellishments".

I had fun creating this card and love that it's a very CAS card for me, but it was a little challenging to get the words and flowers to line up just right with the layers of banners.  Believe it or not I did it all in one try...whew!!!



Make sure you check out the design teams great creations HERE and play along too.


This is the only picture where you can see the shimmer on my card.  I definitely used shimmer on it. :)


Since I didn't have a lot of time to create this card and already had the sketch from Avery I decided to use a challenge for the colors too.  I love that they are out there and take some of the thought out of making a card, but on the other hand they put so much more into it...does that make sense to anyone but me? lol  I used this week's vibrant colors from Color Me...playful.


Seems like I had a lot of pics that I liked this time for my card. :)



Last pic, I promise. lol  I wanted you to see a close up of the banner pieces I used since it's a little harder to see in the other pics because I only used white card stock.  



Thanks for looking and have a great day!
Sara

Supplies used on this card:

Built for Free Using: My Stampin Blog






Friday, January 23, 2015

Baby!

Oh, baby, it's Friday!  Glad another week is done.  I don't know about any of you, but January is a busy month at work for me.  Lots to do and I'm getting it done...whew!  And now on to something fun...a baby card. :)  That's what it's all about at the Friday Mashup this week.  Here's Tara's challenge for us...

Create a project with a "Baby Theme". 
Create a project  with "Brown, Aqua & Tangerine". 
or Mash it Up! and create a "Baby project with the above colors".

 I just posted a Christmas card a few weeks back and we had to use orange and blue.  I know I've said this before...they are not my favorite colors together.  Now I have to do a baby card with them! lol  Well I also said I've started to soften up toward them.  I didn't use a bright blue or orange for this challenge.  I wanted softer colors since it's for a baby card.  I do wish I had put Whisper White behind the baked brown sugar, but it was too late.  I didn't want to pull everything off and reposition it so I could cut the brown card stock smaller to fit over the white so it could be a 4 1/4" x 5 1/2" card.  I still think it's pretty cute the way it is. 


Be sure to head over to the Friday Mashup HERE to check out all the other fun baby cards and to play along too. :)


Thanks for looking and have a great day!
Sara

Supplies used on this card:

Fox and Friends (retired)


Built for Free Using: My Stampin Blog


Thursday, January 22, 2015

Christmas Wishes

I have another fun card for you and since it's still winter out it might not seem too bad.  Yes, it's another Christmas card, but it could be a winter birthday or thinking of you card too. :)  I made this card for the next 'Tis the Season challenge and this week it's a sketch challenge.  



You need to check out all the other cards made using this sketch HERE at 'Tis the Season.  They are all so different, but so fun!!  Play along with us too if you get that chance.  You'll be glad you did when you have your Christmas stash finished in plenty of time to send them out for Christmas.  Trust me...that's what I did and it was wonderful! :)


Believe it or not I really did incorporate the sketch on my card.  After I stamped the tree from the set Sheltering Tree I used the group of snowflakes from the set Holiday Home and stamped those before the rest of the snowflakes using a stamp from the set Gorgeous Grunge.  The snowflakes and tree are all stamped with VersaMark and embossed with White Stampin' Emboss powder.  Then I brayered over the embossed images first in Coastal Cabana, then Island Indigo, next Pacific Point and finally Night of Navy.  I spritzed it all with Vanilla Shimmer Smooch Spritz (mixed with rubbing alcohol) to give it a shimmer effect and it cleans all the ink of the parts of the card that were embossed in white.  The last thing I stamped was "Christmas" using Night of Navy on the bottom of the brayered sheet, then embossed more snowflakes and "wishes" on the bottom of a piece of Night of Navy.



Thanks for looking and have a great day!
Sara

Supplies used on this card:

retired snowflake embossing folder

Built for Free Using: My Stampin Blog




Tuesday, January 20, 2015

World of Dreams ~ Thinking of You

Wow, what a sketch we have for you over at Try Stampin' on Tuesday.  I wasn't sure what to do at first, but I obviously had browns on my mind. lol  As you can see I decided to stamp the same image three times getting darker as it moved along.  I thought it was the perfect thinking of you card.


Make sure you check out the other fabulous cards using this sketch at Try Stampin' on Tuesday HERE and to play along if you get a chance.  We'd love to see what you create!




Thanks for looking and have a great day!
Sara

Supplies used on this card:

Built for Free Using: My Stampin Blog





Friday, January 16, 2015

Layered Corner Garden

So glad it's Friday!  I am ready for this week to be done, but not before I show you my card for this week's Friday Mashup.  I'm the hostess this week and this is what my mashup is...


Create a project with the "Triple Layer Technique" Tutorial HERE.
Create a project that's "Floral". 
or Mash it Up! and create a "Floral Triple Layer Project".

I think I've said it here before, but if not I love winter.  Well, not winter so much but the snow.  If it's going to be cold I want snow.  Not rain, not mud, not dead brown grass and weeds...pure white snow to cover the yuck!  We've had it for a bit again, but as much as I love it I always miss stepping outside and seeing all kinds of flowers in my back yard.  That's what today's card is about...anything floral and add the triple layer technique to it.  A few month's back I did a different twist on the triple layer technique using the stamp set Lovely as a Tree.  I loved how that card turned out, so I decided to try that twist again using the stamp Corner Garden.





Let me tell you I will NEVER color all these flowers in again!  As much as I like how it turned out it was a LOT of coloring especially since I had to double some of it!  I actually used water color paper and colored everything in with Blendabilities.  It's a lot different coloring on watercolor paper with them than on Very Vanilla or Whisper White card stock.  It bleeds and blends a lot better, but you do have to really watch it a lot more.  Make sure you head over to the Friday Mashup HERE.  The designers made some fabulous cards!  I hope you'll play along too.  I'd love to see what you create!



Just a few more pics at different angles so you can see the layers. :)






Thanks for looking and have a great day!
Sara

Supplies used on this card:

1 1/4" square punch & 1 3/8" square punch

Built for Free Using: My Stampin Blog


Monday, January 12, 2015

More from Moon Lake for the Creative Blog Hop

Happy Monday, Everyone!  Are you surprised to see that I posted on a Monday?!  Even I am, but I'm doing it for a good reason!  I was asked by Amy at Stamp with Amy K to be a part of a creative blog hop.  Of course I said YES right away!  It's always exciting when someone likes my work and asks if I want to be a part of something. :)  If you get a chance make sure you check out Amy's blog.  She makes some lovely cards!  Also make sure you see who I've nominated at the bottom of my post (I've written WAY more than normal to explain how I've made one of my cards).  Anyway, you'll be glad you stopped to check out her blog after Amy's because they are both so talented. :)  Now onto my cards...

I decided to use the new set Moon Lake for a few reasons for the creative blog hop...  It's a great new set that has some wonderful masculine stamps from the new Occasions catalog, I love making masculine cards and I had hoped to use both of the cards I created for this month's stamp a stacks because I normally do two of those each month.  

This is my first card using the goose stamp, and I love how it turned out!  It involves sponging, but it's not difficult at all.  The ladies that come to my stamp a stacks are used to me doing some sort of sponging almost every time I have a stamp a stack.  I can't say they always like it so I try to keep it pretty simple, but each of their cards turn out so nice.  Yes, different than mine because of how they sponge and how much they ink it up, but lovely just the same and their own creation.


To make this card I stamped the image with black StazOn ink, colored the goose's neck and beak with Basic Black, used the blender pen with Sahara Sand to carefully color in the goose, colored the cattails greenery with Mossy Meadow and Always Artichoke and finished the actual cattails with Chocolate Chip.  I used Stampin' Write markers for all of these colors.  After I had that done I punched out a circle using the 1 3/4" Circle Punch and gently adhered it where I wanted the moon to show on the card.  I also used a long sticky note and blocked the top of the card off so I could sponge color on the small bottom part.  I started by pinching my sponge until it was pretty small, inked it up a bit and darkened in the water under the goose and cattails using Pool Party.  Then I gently rubbed the sponge back and forth over the bottom of the card to "fill in" the pond using Soft Sky.  I also went back over it a little bit here and there with Pool Party.  I removed my sticky note, then covered up the bottom part that I had just sponged.  By doing this it helps your card look like there's a horizon.  First I started sponging around the moon with Soft Sky doing back and forth motions again, but very lightly.  When I reinked I made sure I didn't have the ink on too dark because I wanted the effect of the moon glowing, so I kept it very light there.  Then I moved my sponging out and just kept rubbing it back and forth until I liked the shading that I had.  I also sponged using Pool Party.  I used that color mostly at the top, the left edge and the horizon.  I did have to be careful around the goose so I didn't accidentally color him blue! lol  You could also cut a template of him out and cover him up, but I was being kind of lazy and didn't do that this time around.  If you do that make sure you save the template so you can use it over quite a few times instead of needing to cut a new one out every time.  I didn't stamp a sentiment on the outside because I wasn't sure what I wanted to use the card for.  I'll just quickly stamp a saying if it needs it, then send it on its way to someone special. :)  You can also see that I added just a little stamping on the inside for a nice finishing touch.


For my second card I used the tree and boat stamp from Moon Lake.  I intended for this to be a masculine card too when I started it, but really liked the Calypso Coral and Crisp Cantaloupe behind what I water colored.  Who knows what I'll end up using this card for?! ;)  Like I said earlier I wanted these cards to be for my stamp a stack, but I think if I tried to get the ladies to do this they'd never show up again! lol  Actually it would be the perfect thing to do for a technique class.  I'd need to get a little more practice in first though since it was a bit difficult for me.  I do love how it turned out though. :)  I can't really explain how I did this card, but I used StazOn black ink, water color paper, water, paint brushes, my aqua painters and reinkers plus a few Kleenexes, paper towels and a lot of patience! lol


I took a side view of this one too because I stamped on the inside using Smoky Slate.


Wow, if you've survived reading this far you're good!  Thanks for sticking with me because I have just a little more for you. :)  Part of this creative blog hop is to answer four questions which I thought were going to be pretty hard for me to answer, but I managed to whip them out pretty quickly...

1.  What are you working on?  I've been working on my cards for this blog hop and also working on cards for this month's stamp a stacks. 

2.  How does your work differ from others in your genre?  I have to admit that there are so many creative people out there making cards that I'm not sure my work differs too much.  I do have to say I love to sponge to create scenes, sponge to finish off edges, sponge to cover up mistakes...ok, I love to sponge! :)  I've also started working with water colors a little.  I pretty much know nothing about it, but I'm just working along trying to figure out what works for me and watching a few videos here and there of people who actually know what they're doing.

3.  Why do you create what you do?  I create what I do because I can (which I'm very thankful for!) and it gives me a feeling of satisfaction and joy.  I also like to give away what I create to share my joy with others.  Plus I have classes to teach other ladies (and guys if they like) how simple it really is to make a handmade card when they sometimes look so difficult!  I like seeing their satisfaction knowing that they've done something they thought they couldn't do.

4.  How does your creativity process work?  This question kind of makes me laugh because I'd say I have NO creativity!  I am sometimes amazed that I can make cards at all since I don't do anything else crafty and haven't for a long while.  It's kind of like me sitting down at the piano and playing.  I watch my fingers and wonder, "How do they move like that?!"  Now I'm not saying I'm the greatest at that at all, but it still amazes me.  That's how I think of my creative process.  I sit down and sometimes have an idea in my mind from another card I saw, a picture I've seen on Pinterest or Facebook, a color challenge or a sketch challenge or just seeing nature as I'm driving somewhere.  That's when I just start grabbing my supplies and working away.  Every now and then I make a card pretty quickly, but normally once I start a card I just keep plugging away at it until I'm satisfied with what I've created...and let me tell you it can take a while!

Thanks for sticking with me through all of this!  I also need to nominate someone to keep this creative blog hop going. :)  I was going for two ladies, but only ended up with one.  I found out a lot of ladies have already done this!  So I've asked Naomi Witzke from One Happy Stamper to join in the fun.  I first saw one of her cards posted on Facebook from Splitcoast Stampers when they featured a card that I believe Lydia liked.  So I had to check her out on Splitcoast which then let to her blog and eventually me starting to follow it and commenting every now and then on her cards as I've had time.  She is amazingly creative, so please take the time to check out her work!

Thanks for reading and looking today and enjoy each day you have!
Sara






Friday, January 9, 2015

Setting Sun on Moon Lake

It's Friday and what a day it is!  The scene on this card is the total opposite of what I see outside my windows right now!  A calm, warm night just as the sun sets versus a night of snowing, blowing and the wind howling and waking up to lots of white!  Now let's see if I can drive in it!  
You might be thinking to yourself, "What did she do to this scene?!"  Well Lisa's challenge will explain that to you....

Create a project with a "Embossing Folder Stamping Technique". Link Here
Create a project  with "Mix & Matched Shapes". 
or Mash it Up! and create a "project using the technique with different shapes".


I decided to just chop my picture up and say that's my mix and matched shapes.  Strange I know, but it's not too bad...at least my daughter and hubby say it isn't. lol  I also did the embossing folder stamping technique but for some reason it didn't show up really well in the picture.  If you look  closely you can see the wood grain on the crumb cake paper.
Make sure you stop by the Friday Mashup and check out how everyone else interpreted this challenge.  Lot's of fun cards out there!  


Thanks for looking and have a great day!
Sara

Supplies used on this card:

Built for Free Using: My Stampin Blog


Thursday, January 8, 2015

Christmas Bauble Inspiration

Now that the holidays are over I'm starting my cards again for Christmas 2015.  Seems so far away, but that's what I thought for 2014 too! lol  I must say I love being a part of 'Tis the Season Christmas card challenge since I didn't need to sit down for extended periods of time and stamp the same thing over and over and over and over...I think you get the picture. ;)  It's so nice to create a few cards every couple of weeks and have a stack of them ready to go just before Christmas!  I hope you'll join us for our bi-weekly challenge as much as you can throughout 2015!


I have to say this was a VERY hard challenge for me!  I do NOT like blue and orange together, but I definitely like how this card turned out!  I've seen a few cards here and there with these two colors together and I actually really liked them, so I knew I could get it to work if I took the time to think about it.  I didn't quite use the same blue as the Inspiration does, but I really wanted to use my Blendabilities markers so I went with Bermuda Bay andCalypso Coral.  Make sure you head over to challenge HERE to check out all the other great cards using these colors and play along too!  We'd love to see what you create!  


I almost forgot to add that I used Try Stampin' on Tuesday's sketch challenge for this card.  Definitely a little different than what I posted on Tuesday, but it still fits for this card too. :)  The idea for this card popped into my mind while I was creating my other one for this challenge.  Love how that happens, don't you?!


Thanks for looking and have a great day!
Sara

Supplies used on this card:

Built for Free Using: My Stampin Blog


Tuesday, January 6, 2015

Your Kindness...

Today's card is a cute clean a simple one for this week's Try Stampin' on Tuesday sketch challenge.  What's so great about this card?  The stamp set!  It's a part of Stampin' Up! Sale-a-bration which starts today along with the new Occasions Catalog!  It's also one of the stamp a stack cards I'll be doing for this month's stamp a stack.  


Sale-a-bration is always a fun time because you can earn free stuff...stamp sets, paper, markers and more! And what better way to earn it than by checking out the new Occasions Catalog!  I have to say I LOVE a lot of things in theOccasions Catalog, and because of that I was able to earn a lot of free things from Sale-a-bration. :)

Let's get back to this sketch though...I love it and will probably be using it for another challenge I have coming up later this week.  You'll have to check that out on Thursday. :)  Make sure you head over to the Try Stampin' on Tuesday challenge blog HERE to see all the other fun and beautiful creations made by the design team and play along if you get the chance.  We'd love to see what you create!


Thanks for looking and have a great day! 
If you'd like to check out the new Occasions Catalog or Sale-a-bration Catalog or purchase anything check out the right side of my blog.  Just click on the picture and it will take you right where you need to go. :)
Sara

Supplies used on this card:

Built for Free Using: My Stampin Blog

Friday, January 2, 2015

Simply Winter

Today's card won't be new to a few ladies since it was one of my December stamp a stack cards.  When I make my cards for December I want a card that they can send out for Christmas or for another occasion.  I made two of these cards and one was for Christmas and the other one a Thinking of You card.  It could be a birthday or just for you card too. :)  Well that's what today's mashup from Heidi at the Friday Mashup is all about...

Create a project with a "Winter theme". 

Create a project  with "Snowflakes". 

or Mash it Up! and create a "Winter project with Snowflakes".




In this pic I'm trying to show you that the top layer of the card is actually popped up to give the card some dimension.  Guess it's kind of hard to see even in this picture.


Here are both cards that I made.  Make sure you head over to the Friday Mashup HERE to check out the other great winter cards from the design team and make sure you take the time to play along too! :)



Thanks for looking and have a great day!
Sara

Supplies used on this card:

Built for Free Using: My Stampin Blog



Thursday, January 1, 2015

Faux Leather Birthday Greetings

Happy New Year, Everyone!  I've spent the day spending my Christmas money on new shelving and cabinets in my stamping area and working with my hubby to put all of them together.  I can't wait to get everything moved around! :)   Even after all of that I managed to do the Faux Stamped Leather technique that Melissa B. showed us in a Splitcoast tutorial a couple of weeks ago.  As soon as I saw the technique I knew I would be making a card for my brother's birthday using that technique, and I'm a month early with his b-day card too...amazing! lol  I was also browsing through blog challenges last night that I follow and saw that it's Color Me's... 1st anniversary....congratulations to Tara and Haley and all that have been a part of their design team!!  I've only played along with them one time since I've started following them and decided it was time to play along again.  I checked out all the options I had since we can choose any one of their color combinations over the past year and went with Color Me...subtle which was challeng # 47.  I love these colors together and thought they would go great with the faux stamped leather technique since the colors were pretty close.  Here are a few pics of the card I made...



 


I'm trying to show a little more detail of what I did using the stylus.  Kind of looks like the card is shimmery in this pic, doesn't?  Well it's not!  Somehow I don't think my rock climbing, hunting, body man of a brother would want a sparkly card. lol




Thanks for looking and Happy New Year!
Sara

Supplies used on this card:

Built for Free Using: My Stampin Blog