It's about Time for New Banner and Buttons!

Wow!  I hadn't realized how long I'd had the same banner and buttons up until I went to name the new file (I name them by the month they're created in).  This card is one of my favorite recent projects and I thought it would be perfectly bright and spring-y to highlight.

The image is cut from a single stamp in the Occasions Catalog called Vivid Vases (page 20, W133818).  The sentiment comes from the Annual Catalog in the set titled A Dozen Thoughts (page 59, W131056, C131059).  I inked the image in Jet Black StazOn ink (AC, page 165, 101406) and used my Aqua Painter (AC, page 164, 103954) to watercolor the blooms, stems and vases.

Then I cut the image apart, matted some of it on Tangerine Tango card stock and matted the remaining pieces directly on the Wild Wasabi.  The color scheme was inspired by the Dynamic Duos #91 challenge, in which we were to use Tangerine Tango, Wild Wasabi and Melon Mambo.  I used the sketch from Freshly Made Sketches (Challenge #124).

I only made one of this card, but I plan to go back and reproduce several and switch up the sentiment (I also love the sentiment set, Sweet Essentials (AC, page 41, W132085, C126457).

I'm still fiddling with the banner and buttons.  I don't like how they appear grey in the background, but I'm having trouble fixing that.  Might just need to settle and move on.  I use My Digital Studio for my banners and buttons, so it's easy to go back in and tweak things.  I might also shop for new downloads to find just the image I'm looking for (I like the butterfly, but I'm not in love with the banner).  I *LOVED* my last banner.  

I've got a new watercolor project to share, so stay tuned!

{12 Weeks of Christmas} Week 2 -- Diverting from the Traditional Color Palette

This card was created for a Color Scheme Challenge a while ago at 365 Cards: 

While I'm a big fan of the traditional color palette for Christmas, I like how fun and fresh this note is.  The colors we were to use were Old Olive, Bashful Blue, More Mustard and Crumb Cake (or something thereabout -- I assign Stampin' Up! colors to those challenges).

This is also a simple and versatile layout.  By crumpling the scraps of More Mustard and adding a dry embossed layer (and rhinestones!), texture abounds in this project...  The Labels Collection Framelits make the basis of the focal point easy to create.

In a second project, I was going for a bright and cheery look without the traditional colors.  Using Tags til Christmas and my ornament punch, I created the Melon Mambo ornament, tied off with a bit of white floss.

The texture in this card was created using the Vintage Wallpaper Textured Impressions Embossing Folder ("TIEF"), and turning the card base to show the opposite relief from the Elegant Eggplant layer.

This color scheme was brought to you by the Color Coach...

Stampin' Up! Supplies:

Stamps:  Snow Swirled (W111690, C127799), Tags til Christmas (W120847, C121169)

Papers:  Crumb Cake (120953), Whisper White (100730), More Mustard (100946), Bashful Blue (105120), Old Olive (100702), and Elegant Eggplant (105126)

Inks:  Bashful Blue (126961), More Mustard (126964), and Melon Mambo (126948) Classics

Accessories:  Big Shot (113439), Labels Colleciton Framelits (125598), Petals-A-Plenty TIEF (116824), Vintage Wallpaper TIEF (120175), Rhinestone Basic Jewels (119246), 1/2-inch Circle Punch (119869), Ornament Punch (119847), Color Coach (120148), and Stampin' Dimensionals (104430).

Bright Spring Sunshine with Cottage Garden

We need a little spring sunshine in the Pacific Northwest, as we're getting treated to the liquid variety this week...  I love the stamp set, Cottage Garden and I'm sad to report that it'll be retiring in a little over a week's time (May 31, to be exact).

The 5-Petal Flower Punch likewise retires at the end of May, so I thought I'd pay homage to them both in this project.  The colors I used were Melon Mambo, Tempting Turquoise, Daffodil Delight, Pretty in Pink and Whisper White.  

The tone-on-tone flowers in the Melon Mambo piece are courtesy of VersaMark ink...

If you're lovin' Cottage Garden and you'd like to see another project, click *here*, *here*, but page down a bit, *here*, and the sentiment is used *here*.

Stampin' Up! Supplies:

Stamps:  Cottage Garden (W117068, C120003)

Paper:  Melon Mambo (115320), Tempting Turquoise (102067), Daffodil Delight (119683), Pretty in Pink (100459) and Whisper White (100730) card stocks

Ink:  Melon Mambo (115656), Tempting Turquoise (100814), Daffodil Delight (119667), and Pretty in Pink (101301) Classics and VersaMark (102283)

Accessories:  Large Tag Punch (119876), 5-Petal Flower Punch (119880), White Baker's Twine (124262)

Happy Dance! 365 Cards Top Trio Winner!

Hooray! What a way to start a week! The card I made for the 365 Cards "Terrific Ten" Challenge won me a place in the Top Trio!

The trick this time was to create a card in which ten different pieces of patterned papers were used. Here's my take, using the Welcome Home Designer Series Paper (available through tomorrow as a Sale-A-Bration freebie).
I stamped images of the trees, houses and roofs from one of the Sale-A-Bration freebie sets on the backside of the Designer Series Paper I wanted to use (and then cut them out).

I also used my Scallop Trim Border Punch (another SAB freebie) on the top piece with the grosgrain ribbon.

Speaking of the grosgrain ribbon, refer to my step-to-step video tutorial about tying a simple grosgrain knot!

Stampin' Up! Supplies:

Stamps: Warm Words, Good Neighbors (Sale-A-Bration freebie stamp set)

Papers: Melon Mambo, Crushed Curry, Whisper White and Kraft card stocks, Welcome Neighbor Designer Series Paper

Inks: Old Olive Classic

Accessories: Scallop Trim Border Punch, Paper Snips, Scallop Edge Border, Word Window, and Modern Label Punch, Melon Mambo Grosgrain Ribbon, Stampin' Dimensionals

Thank you so much for your visit! Please be sure to visit the gals at www.365cards.blogspot.com. The challenges are always fantastic and the people who contribute are very inspiring!

Please remember that Sale-A-Bration ends tomorrow! We're on Spring Break around here, but I'll be posting another technique video before long...

{Sunday: Sketchy!} Easter Tulips

Hello and Happy Easter! Here's the sketch we were to follow at 365 Cards for the Super Sunday Sketch Challenge:

And here's my take on the challenge:
Have you seen my tutorial video about tying a simple knot? I used that technique here in the ribbon embellishment of this card...
A little sueded paper and watercoloring add to the softness of this card:

Stampin' Up! Supplies:

Stamps: A Flower for All Seasons, Teeny Tiny Wishes

Papers: Melon Mambo, Barely Banana, Certainly Celery and Whisper White card stocks

Inks: Basic Brown Classic

Accessories: Melon Mambo grosgrain ribbon, Whisper White and Pretty in Pink 1/4-inch grosgrain ribbons, Whisper White Designer Hardware, Watercolor Pencils, Blender Pens, Stampin' Dimensionals, Mini Glue Dots

Hope your week is a good one! We're on Spring Break around here, so we'll be having PJ Days and lots of scrapping and Easter fun... Thanks for your visit! Please drop me a line and let me know you were here!

Coloring Page!

The challenge at 365 Cards for which I created this little guy was to color in a line image, using colored pencils or pastels. I used my Blender Pen to color with my Stampin' Pastels...

I had more fun adding little touches to this card. The stamps are from Snow Buddies, which is a Level 2 Hostess Set from the Holiday Mini Catalog. The flourish at the bottom of the card (and on the Bashful Blue oval) is supposed to be wind. I thought it would make fun ice skating tracks! I used my Stamp-a-Ma-Jig to help me place that on both the Crushed Curry and Bashful Blue pieces. I used VersaMark ink on both for a subtle touch.

The snowflake hanging from the "Merry Christmas" is from the Snow Buddies set and I was tickled to discover that it fit the Boho Blossoms Punch perfectly! I added a punch of Bashful Blue to make it pop and adhered the silver elastic cord to each side of the card stock with a Stampin' Dimensional.

I used a Stampin' Up! resource to choose my colors. When the New In Color choices come out each year, Stampin' Up! provides us with a variety of options for other colors to use with them, be they In Color or from the basic Color Families. I use this resource a lot. Contact me if you'd like a copy!

Stampin' Up! Supplies:

Stamps: Snow Buddies and Many Merry Messages sets

Papers: Crushed Curry, Melon Mambo, Soft Suede (see his hat), Bashful Blue, Old Olive, Whisper White

Inks: Basic Black, Bashful Blue, and Old Olive Classics and VersaMark

Accessories: Blender Pen, Stampin' Pastels, Silver Elastic Cord, Boho Blossoms, Ticket Corner and Small Oval punches, Circle Scissor Plus, Hobby Blade, Glass Mat, Paper Snips, Stampin' Dimensionals, Stamp-a-Ma-Jig

I really appreciate the visit! Drop me a line; let me know you were here!