Paper Hugs

Well, we have sad news to announce today - this will be the last sketch challenge!  After many years of running this challenge blog, it is time to close up, with so many other pressing areas to attend to, but we hope you have enjoyed participating!  I certainly have! So with that said, here is this week's sketch: and here is my card: I felt this sketch had a whimsical feel about it (the torn edge perhaps?), so I chose to make a soft, pretty card.  Firstly, I created my background paper again - I used the small poppy flower from the same set as my focal image, the Sweet 'n Sassy clear stamp set 'Poppies and Greetings'.  I first stamped light pink circles all over white cardstock - for this, I used the back of a patterned circle stamp, and then I overstamped the small poppy in a deeper pink ink.  For my image, I stamped the poppies with black memento ink, and coloured them with Copics, then cut the panel out using Spellbinders Curved Rectangles. ...

Hi there, Saturday again and time for another sketch challenge! Here is this week's sketch: and here is my card: Now you'll notice that there is a spin this week - and it is Fall.  You may remember I have just returned from Wisconsin, where we enjoyed beautiful Fall weather - sunny days with blue skies, and crisp early mornings and evenings.  Perfect weather - but already those leaves were turning, and we enjoyed seeing their glorious colours on our daily walks.  With those leaves in mind, I created my own background paper by stamping various leaves from the Sweet 'n Sassy clear stamp set, 'Nature Silhouettes 2', using autumn inks, and turning the stamps each time I stamped them.  I then stitched this panel to a black mat.  When I thought about those two circles in the sketch, I realised they didn't need to be two actual circles, they could be a cut out of one circle, which would leave more of the background paper showing!  I dry embossed the large...

My what a busy time we have had this past week!  Returning from visiting our daughter and her lovely family in Wisconsin, catching up with all that needed to be done around the house and garden, and completing the next few cards for the sketch challenge!  It's lovely to visit, but it's always good to be home, don't you think? Here is this week's sketch and here is my card: I have used a Christmas wreath from the lovely Sweet 'n Sassy clear stamp set:  Seasonal Wreaths, which also has a coordinating die set, making it so easy to cut the wreath out, if that is the way you want it.  I coloured my wreath in traditional holiday colours, and popped it up on dimensionals, over a shimmery white card from my stash (the shimmer doesn't show in the photo, unfortunately).  I have mounted this on a pretty Spellbinders die cut - called Marvellous Squares.  The top half of my card has been dry embossed with a holly embossing folder, and dp covers the bottom two sha...

I have returned home eager to create cards again, and for these cards I have CASED Brandy Cox - different stamp, slightly different layout and a bit of colour, but I was inspired by the crispness of her mass-produced cards.  You can check her blog  HERE  - just look for 10 minute cards in black and white!  I have used Stampin Up's Quint-essential flower for my focal image, stamping twice for each card, so that I could cut out the centre, mount it on a black scalloped circle and pop it up with dimensionals.  I decided to add a splash of colour to the black and white theme, by cutting a strip of flocked dp to adhere to the left side, with a narrow black strip to finish the edge.  A matching rhinestone in the centre of the flower is all that is necessary to finish the card.  What do you think?  Should I have kept it simply black and white, or does the colour add something special?

It's Saturday, so time for another sketch at the Sweet Stop.  This post will be brief as I am away on holiday and using different technology to usual. I hope you understand how 'tricky' that can be sometimes. Here is this week's sketch - isn't it darling? And here is my card: Not being at home, I used what I had available, and fortunately, that included some autumn leaves I made last year and left here (with my daughter)!  This was my starting point and together with dsp by Gina K and a die cut 'thanks on a line' my card was complete.   Don't forget to visit all the sugarbabies, as they have some wonderful inspiration for you: Cathy McCauley ,  Korin Sutherland ,  Ceal Pritchett ,  Marlena Peduzzi ,  Melissa Shultz ,  Robin Parker ,  Stephanie Serrano ,  Ann Tuck ,   Cynthia Olheiser , Debbie Owens , and  Jamie Moore .      

Saturday Sketch time at the Sweet Stop! I am determined to improve with my sponging - and for this card, I took inspiration from a tutorial I found on Theresa Momber's blog:  Crafting the web.  She is a master of colouring scenes, so if you feel you need help with this technique, I can recommend her blog to you. I have used one of the images from the clear stamp set Landscape Silhouettes  , which I have used quite often since I purchased it a month or so ago.  This time I sponged with only two inks - Memento Desert Sand and Rich Cocoa, which has given my card a very soft, wintry feel to it - which fortunately, is what I was aiming for!  I masked the foreground, to create the undulating hills, and re-stamped a little section of the silhouette for the trees in the foreground.  I thought this gave it a more realistic look.  I die cut a small deer for my circle embellishment, and added some tags from muted paper - on reflection, it would probab...

Another sketch for you today, from the Sweet Stop - it has a spin - and it is School Time. I loved making this card, as I have just completed cards for my youngest grand-daughters, who live in the US and have just commenced their new school year.  I'll show you those later in this blog.  But for this card, to follow the sketch, I used the Rhubarb digi image, Back to School - and assorted papers from a Kaisercraft pad called, appropriately, Class Act.  The corkboard background paper is from that pack - isn't it special?  I cut the stars using a Sweet 'n Sassy die set, Star Dies, which has been so useful to me.  Look further below if you want to see my personal Back to School cards. For now, check out the other sugar babies, for lots of inspiration. Cathy McCauley ,  Korin Sutherland ,  Ceal Pritchett ,  Marlena Peduzzi ,  Melissa Shultz ,  Robin Parker ,  Stephanie Serrano ,    Cynthia Olheiser , De...