Soft Serene Silhouettes

Just a quick post for today.  This is one of the cards I'll be using for this month's stamp a stack.  It was inspired by this week's Paper Craft Crew sketch challenge.  To get the blue and green color behind the stamp I used a sponge and rubbed it back and forth and re-inked it until I got it as dark as I wanted it. 

Thanks for looking and have a great day!

Stamp Sets:  Serene Silhouettes & Simply Sketched

Card Stock:  Pool Party & Whisper White

Classic Stampin' Pads:  Pool Party & Pear Pizzazz

StazOn:  Black

Framelits:  Windows Collection

Festive Paper-Piercing Pack

Jewels:  Basic Pearls

Sponges

Witches' Brew Box

A couple of weeks ago I made a box using Witches' Brew DSP for the Creative Crew on Splitcoast Stampers.  When I showed it to my daughter she asked if I would make another one so she could give them to give to the kids she nannies.  I had to change the paper that I used since I didn't have enough to do it the same way as the other.  I decided to enter this box in The Paper Players sketch challenge for this week since it's "Trick or Treat" a Halloween card or treat holder.  If you'd like to see my other box click HERE.

Thanks for looking and have a great day!

Measurements for box.  

Cut an 8 1/2" x 5 1/2" piece of card stock or DSP

Score 1" around all edges

Score at 3 3/4" and 4 3/4" down from the long edge

Card Stock:  Witches' Brew DSP

Classic Stampin' Pad:  Pumpkin Pie

Bigz Dies:  Autumn Accents & Top Note

Sponges

TSoT - So Grateful

Today's card is my design for Try Stampin' on Tuesday and its twist is Give Thanks.  I did some quick sponging to create a sunset, then added crushed curry in the background.  However I didn't like the crushed curry and had to change the background to blushing bride.  The crushed curry was way out of my comfort zone, but I didn't want to use whisper white or very vanilla either.  My daughters think I use those colors way too much. ;)  

Don't forget to check out what the other designers made using this sketch HERE.  Don't forget to play along too!

Thanks for looking and have a great day!

Stamp Sets:  Best of Flowers & Apothecary Art

Card Stock:  Basic Black, Blushing Bride 

& Very Vanilla (sponged piece)

Classic Stampin' Pads:  Pool Party, Crushed Curry, 

Crisp Cantaloupe, Pumpkin Pie & Old Olive

StazOn Black & Versa Mark

Embossing Powder:  White

Punch:  3/4" Circle & 2 1/2" Circle

Framelits:  Circles Collection

Embossing Folder:  Woodgrain

Sponges

The Open Sea World Map

Today's card is inspired by Friday Mashup #130 - Let's Cut it Up.  I needed a stamp that was big enough to tear and another stamp that I could cut out, but I didn't want it to be too fussy! lol  Since I need a masculine card for this month's stamp a stack I figured World Map and The Open Sea would work great for this sketch.  Just stamp the world map twice in two different colors, tear one of the maps and place it on top of the other map.  Since I didn't want to cut the whole ship out I figured the globe would be easier to cut.  So I stamped the globe first and the ship over top of it.  That way I only needed to cut the water and just a little bit on the ship and the rest was a circle. :)  

Thanks for looking and have a great day!

Stamp Sets:  The Open Sea, World Map & Express Yourself

Card Stock:  Island Indigo, Garden Green & Whisper White

Classic Stampin' Pads:  Island Indigo & Garden Green

Punch 1 1/4" Circle

Sponges

Freshly Made Flower Shop

Today I'm playing with Freshly Made Sketches for the first time.  I've been following them for a couple of weeks and thought it was time I played along.  I finally bought the Flower Shop stamp set after having the punch for quite a while.  It kind of reminds me of the flower I use so much from the Fabulous Florets set except I don't have to cut these flowers out!   This card went together pretty fast! :)

Thanks for looking and have a great day!

Stamp Sets:  Flower Shop & Blooming with Kindness

Card Stock:  Whisper White

Classic Stampin' Pad:  Island Indigo

Versa Mark

Stampin' Emboss Powder:  White

Punch:  Pansy

Smooch Spritz:  Vanilla Shimmer

Sponges

Art Prize

Well today I don't have a card to show you.  I was gone Tuesday and working in my yard a lot on Wednesday and yesterday.  It was such beautiful weather out for October I couldn't resist being outside!  So more about Tuesday...I went to Art Prize with my hubby and had a look around.  We didn't even come close to seeing everything, but we enjoyed walking around Grand Rapids checking out what we could.  I figured I'd share some pictures of what we saw...

These are the first pieces we saw at the GRAM.  I have to say I love his work (because I love flowers).  They are made of hand blown glass and steel.  He drove them here from Seattle, Washington...yikes!  Not sure if the whole group or only one of the pieces is in the top ten.

This was also in the GRAM.  I actually took it to show my son because he's a hunter.

I took this pic to show my oldest daughter.  She thinks my cards have way too much white in them.  Well, I happen to really like this piece so I must like the white and light colors. :)

These pandas are made out of bike tires...hence the name Tired Pandas. :)  This is another top 10 finalist.

Sorry if you see a few blurry blurbs in my pics.  I want to respect people's privacy so I blur them out a bit.  It gets kind of hard to take pics at times because some areas are so full of people.

This was a top 25 winner.  Even though the top ten had been chosen and this wasn't one of them, we noticed the artist still sitting by his work and talking with people. :)

Talk about a lot of sequins and pins!!!

This had a lot of positive messages all over this...and it's obviously in the shape of a heart. :)

I don't remember what this was called, but it liked to shoot out fire!

We could feel the heat from where we were standing and it was NOT close! lol

I thought that it was kind of funny that this was right by the fire breathing dragon! lol

No idea what this is, but it had moving parts. Wish I had stuck around to see a little more.  I think it was one of the top 25.

I saw a lot of people walking around with these twirly pieces, so they must have had lots of them made up to sell.

This was kind of cool.  First you take a pic without your flash...

Then you take it with your flash.  

I do want to point out that even though I thought some things were pretty neat it does not mean I agree with all that they stand for!

Loved this pic! 

I really liked these pics too, but the glare from the light made it hard to take a good picture of them.

I kept seeing pictures of this on every one's fb page and I was wondering what it was about. 

I guess  they were supposed to change the color of the water...when the sun was shining.  I managed to see a little of the color. :)

I just liked this pic so I added it. :)

LOVE this!  

I wasn't sure what way was up on this picture.  That's why I thought it was pretty neat.

This whole picture was made with peanut shells!

Lots of crocheting and knitting in this piece of art.  If I remember correctly it has 26 pounds of yarn.

This is one big fish! 

And I would NOT want to be kissed by it! lol

Earth Giant - just fishing away.  Another top 10 finalist.

Since I love dogs I had to take a pic of this.  Looks like a pretty nice fort if you ask me.  Even looks like it might have a stove in it. :)

Another top 10 finalist.  It was outside the Gerald R. Ford Museum.

I think this had lighthouses from all over Michigan on it.  I wouldn't get too close because there were a lot of news cameras around this area because three of the top ten pieces were here.

Holland!

Another top 10 at the Gerald R. Ford Museum.

Last piece we saw.  I was getting hungry and it was getting busy since it was after five and such nice weather out.

If you managed to make it through all my pics, and you'd like to see the top ten entries click HERE.

Thanks for looking and have a great day!

'Tis the Season's First Challenge!

Hi Everyone!  I'm excited that today is the first day of 'Tis the Season's Christmas card blog challenge, and that I am one of the designers!  We will be having a Christmas card challenge for you every two weeks.  Why am I excited about this challenge?  First I think it will be fun to make Christmas cards throughout the year instead of just around Christmas time, and second is that I plan to make four of the same or very similar cards when I make a design for the challenge.  That means by this time next year I'll have around 100 cards all ready to go for Christmas.  I'll only have to sign and address them. :)  I love to stamp, but I have to admit that it gets kind of boring making around 100 cards of the same design. :(  On top of that, even though I order and get my supplies early somehow the time always gets away from me, and I'm cramming to get them done in December so everyone gets their cards before Christmas!  

So far I'm off to a good start..I made four cards with my first design. :)  Now I need to find a place to store all of them for next Christmas.  It will be fun to go through all the cards next year remembering each one I made.  Check out what the other talented designers' cards look like by joining us HERE at 'Tis the Season.  You can start following us and showing us the great Christmas cards you have made too!

Thanks for looking and have a great day!

Stamp Sets:  O Holy Night & Teeny Tiny Wishes

Card Stock:  Elegant Eggplant & Whisper White

Glimmer Paper:  Silver

Classic Stampin' Pads:  Elegant Eggplant

Embossing Folder:  Modern Mosaic

Punches:  Modern Label & Word Window

Ribbon:  3/8" Taffeta in Whisper White

Smooch Spritz:  Vanilla Shimmer