Happy Harvest

I love everything about fall. The cold crisp nights, the colors, picking the last of the vegetables in the garden and watching the chrysanthemums bloom. I guess that is why I've been hoarding this paper from Basic Grey's "Mellow" series. After all, it screams "Fall" and if I use it, I won't have it anymore. Don't you just love my logic?
I paired the Basic Grey paper with SU's Riding Hood Red, Kiwi Kiss and Pumpkin Pie along with a piece of burlap run through the Xyron. The card is patterned after Splitcoast Stampers' Sketch SC243. The stamps are from Papertrey Inks' Vintage Picnic stamped with Memento Black on Neenah Classic White and colored with Prismacolor Markers. All pieces were dusted with Walnut Stain Distress Ink.

If anyone is interested in a list of the Prismacolor Marker colors used, please let me know.

Til next time...

Reversed Acorn

Did you know that acorns are dark and the little hats are light? Obviously I didn't until I looked at a neighbor's oak trees but I think my version is prettier. Isn't this just the cutest acorn? I keep wanting to put eyes and a goatee on it. It's from Papertrey Inks First Fruits set. The card is based on Splitcoast's sketch SC242 but I made a minor change to make the final card more balanced. The background was stamped with SU's Woodgrain stamp then sponged with Creamy Caramel and Walnut Stain Distress Ink. The cardstock used was SU's Always Artichoke, Confetti Cream and Creamy Caramel and the inks were SU's Always Artichoke, Chocolate Chip, Creamy Caramel and Distress Walnut Stain. Spellbinders Rectangle dies were used for the center 2 panels and their mats. The Flourished leaves on the side panel are from Papertrey Inks Fall Elegance and the rest of the stamps used are from their First Fruits set.

Til next time...

Sunflowers

I love making my own background papers. Yes it is time consuming and prone to failure but there is so much satifaction when it comes out right. For this card I pulled out my old Stamp-O-Graph from Mostly Animals. It was billed as a Stamp Positioner and Image Enhancer and was real handy for stamping the same images on multiple cards. The stamp positioner is attached to a gridded base with hinges so you can attach your card to the base, stamp it with the positioner, flip the positioner out of the way, work on your card then flip the positioner back into place and re-stamp your card. Clear as mud huh? So...
I stamped the background stamp onto the gridded base with the stamp positioner in place to see exactly where my design would land then, using a repositional gluestick I attached my Handsome Hunter card front into position then stamped the background onto it. I then flipped the positioner out of the way and colored the background with Prismacolor pencils. When you color a detailed design with colored pencils you tend to lose the detail so this is where my Stamp-o-Graph earns its keep. I flipped the positioner back into place and re-stamped the image OVER the pencil coloring which adds the detail back in. I may not use it every day since the Stamp-a-ma-jig is quicker but no way would I ever give up my Stamp-O-Graph.
I used Splitcoast Stampers Sketch Challenge 244 for the basis of this card. I stamped the More Mustard panel with a text background from Papertrey Inks Background Basics Text Style in Close to Cocoa. After sponging Walnut Stain Distress Ink around the edges I matted it with Close to Cocoa cardstock also sponged with Walnut Stain. I attached a round clip tied with natural twill ribbon to the top corner then mounted it to the card front. I stamped the pitcher full of sunflowers from Papertrey Inks Autumn Abundance onto Neenah Natural White with Memento Black ink then colored them with Prismacolor Markers. I clipped the 4 corners of this piece as well as the corners of the Close to Cocoa mat with the ticket punch from SU, sponged all with Walnut Stain ink then mounted to the card. Attached an antique turn button to balance it all out.
Til next time...

(Girl)Friends

Verve's sketch for the 3rd week of September was with a twist of girlfriends. This card isn't girly but all the girls liked it so that's good enough for me. I used SU's Mellow Moss and More Mustard cardstock with patterned paper from We R Memory Keepers. I stamped the hot air balloon with Memento black ink on the reverse side of the patterned paper, colored it with Prismacolor markers and cut it out with a Spellbinders circle die. All pieces were aged with Distress Ink in Tea Dye. Mounted the largest printed piece to the card base then outlined it with a gold Stardust Pen by Sakura. Pierced holes on each side of the striped piece, cross stitched with gold thread then mounted across the middle of the card. Stamped the sentiment from Verve's Because of You in Chocolate Chip ink onto the bottom half of the Mellow Moss piece. Mounted the Mellow Moss piece then mounted the circle piece over it with Dimentionals.
Til next time...

It's sketch time Verve Style!

For the first sketch of September I tried to keep things clean and simple. The twist was "little round things" so I chose polka dots and balloons. The card base is SU's Not Quite Navy with a panel of Neenah's Classic White. I cut panels of Barely Banana, Bashful Blue and Gable Green, stamped them with the polka dots from Verve's Bountiful Backgrounds in their respective ink colors then edged them using the large scallop border embossing punch from EKSuccess. I layered the scalloped panels, wrapped white grosgrain ribbon from Michael's around the top, attached a partial bow with a pearl brad from K & Company then attached the unit to the white panel.I stamped the balloons from Verve's Party Time on a small white panel in Memento black ink then colored them with Prismacolor Markers,matted it with Bashful Blue and mounted it to the top right corner of the card. Stamped the sentiment from Party Time on the bottom left in Bashful Blue. I can NOT believe I created a card with absolutely NO disressing!!

Til next time...

Back in the Saddle

It has been 3 weeks since my last post and I need to pick myself up and get going again. Life is too short to waste and Shirley would tan my hide if I stayed in my shell any longer. To jumpstart this blog I am reposting the card I made for her family with details this time.


The floral vine is from a gorgeous set by Papertrey Ink called With Sympathy. The butterfly is from a Verve set called Enjoy and the sentiment is from StampinUp. Shirley loved Pink or Peach with green so that was my color scheme.

The cardstock I used was SU's Blush Blossom, Always Artichoke and Groovy Guava as well as Neenah's Classic White. I stamped the vine with SU's Always Artichoke and the flowers with Dusty Durango then colored with Prismacolor markers.

The label was cut from Blush Blossom using Making Memories Slice and the Studio Essentials design card. I stamped the sentiment in Always Artichoke, dusted the edges with Blush Blossom and attached the label with crystal brads that were colored with a Prismacolor marker. The butterfly was stamped with Groovy Guava, Dusty Durango and Chocolate Chip then cut out. I stamped the antennae in Chocolate Chip directly onto the card front then mounted the butterfly in place with Dimentionals.


I have a handful of cards and things that I have worked on over the last few weeks that I will be posting over the next week or so. Several sketch challenges from Splitcoast and Verve, 2 technique pages from this years Stamp Club as well as the projects from Stamp Club. Hope you come back.

Til next time...