Retro Sketch & A Cocktail Party

Good afternoon!

I loved this week's Retro Sketch and immediately thought it would make a great monochromatic card with a single pop of color.  I sat down with my Smokey Shadow pattern pack and got to work mixing dps.

I used the gorgeous flower from Natural Beauties to create the pop of color.  This could quickly become my new favorite stamp. I love the dimension that is created with the multi-step stamping!  So fun!  A little bow, button, twine combo finished up the pop of color.  Sweet, simple, and done in under 30 minutes. Yay!

My day of nothingness yesterday was wonderful.  After lunch, the roomie and I decided to venture over to the movie theater to catch a showing of "Oblivion."  I love me a good sci-fi movie, but this one was extra special because it was partially filmed in my hometown; across the street from my house!  And I was there when they filmed last July.  My mom and I even took a little walk down to the set.  Remember this photo? That big tent on the left is blocking the cabin set and the pond.

I may have let out a few cheers and squeals and claps every time my mountains came onto the big screen. And I pointed out to the roomie exactly where my house was. So, so fun! I attempted to snap a picture of the film crew with our town's name, but I forgot to turn the flash off and got a great picture of the back of the row of seats in front of me... Grrr... But I did manage to get the camera squared away by the time the thank yous came round. Go Double Eagle Resort and Mono County!

The moment we stepped out of the theater a text came from my sister,  whom happens to be in town for the weekend, inviting me to a formal cocktail party fundraiser for leukemia research being held at my brother-in-law's new studio.  Cocktail parties, open bars, dancing... Not really my scene.  A last minute cocktail dress? Now, that I have. :)

I'm so glad that I went!  We were so lucky to spend a big chunk of the night visiting with each other around introductions to various producers and friends.  It made for a late night, but I whole-heartedly am glad that I went a little out of my comfort zone to support a great cause, and more importantly, support and visit with my amazing sister.

 We grabbed some lunch together this afternoon, which was also wonderful. I'm feeling truly spoiled that I got to visit with her for so long on this "business trip" to So Cal.  Next, to plan a trip north to Oregon (sister and bf), Seattle (Beth), and BC (hi, Marisa!) for this July/August.  I'm so blessed!

Thanks so much for stopping by!

Supplies-
Stamps- PTI: Natural Beauties, Inside & Out: Thank You
Ink- Cameo Coral, Rose Red, Ruby Red, Basic Gray
Paper- Smokey Shadow Pattern Pack, Soft Stone, Smokey Shadow
Accessories- button, twine, flag die, dimensionals

Deconstructed Sketch

Good afternoon! I gloriously have found myself a day with absolutely nothing planned. This girl is in HEAVEN!

I slept it, read a few chapters in my book, showered, made breakfast, made a card, started some laundry... and am working up the energy to go grocery shopping. Which I desperately need to do.  As in, the fridge and freezer are empty.  I literally have nothing to cook.  It's sad, really.

But, back to the card.  I decided it was high time to get some crafting done.  This week's Deconstructed Sketch sang to me and I decided to follow where the inspiration led. :)

I pulled out the cutest little pieces of fruit ever from Taylored Expressions, some copic markers (coloring felt sooo good  this morning!), and got busy.

I'm off to do a whole lot more of nothing.  And maybe go grocery shopping.

Maybe.

Thanks for stopping by!

Suppies-
Stamps- TE: Fruity Friends, MFT: Sassy Sayings
Ink- Memento Tuxedo Black
Paper- Kraft, Whisper White, Tangerine Tango, MME Lime Twist- Life of the Party dp
Accessories- embossing folder, baker's twine, dimensionals, nestabilities, copic markers cloud border die

Deconstructed Sketch

Good evening! I've been slaving away on getting things ready for my classroom this week (yes, I know tomorrow is a holiday).  Since I've been out for the entire last week at Common Core training, I just feel so unprepared.  But then I sit down and think through Tuesday, and I'm really OK. Sure, there are a bunch of things that need to be run (spelling homework, writing work station papers, listening work station papers, etc), but the bones are all there.

This is definitely one of those moments where I am feeling the advantage of having taught the same grade for four consecutive years.  I've had the amazing realization that the lesson plans, though not written down, are thoroughly ingrained in my head.  I know what to do on Tuesday.

Finally! It only took eight years, lol!

So, I rewarded myself for all of my hard work for the last few hours by making a card with this week's Deconstructed Sketch.  That big image panel definitely strained my brain for a bit.  I ended up making the entire card and simply leaving the white image space blank.  Then, a few scraps from the card started sticking out on my desk. A little manipulation, and... Voila!  Giant sentiment and some jewels and scallops to mimic the scallops below. Phew!

Now I need a break from work and card making.

Hmmm...

Perhaps it is time to make some cookies...

Thanks for much for stopping by!

Supplies-
Stamps- PTI: Big & Bold Wishes
Paper- Kraft, Whisper White, My Mind's Eye Lime Twist Life of the Party dp
Ink- Ruby Red, Fine Linen
Accessories- twine, button, scallop edge punch, jewels

Viva la Verve

Good morning! Oh how blissfully happy I am to have a four day weekend!  I know I've been out of the classroom for 6 of the last 9 school days for a Common Core training, but good golly! My brain is TIRED! I can't think anymore.

Obviously, the perfect solution for break deadness is making cards. :)

I pulled up this week's Viva la Verve sketch and immediately formed a plan in my head. A very monochromatic plan in my head.  I knew I wanted to use some flowers from Joyful Blooms (hooray for the awesome matching dies!) and decided to pull out some plum pudding card stock to give the winter wisteria a little bit of contrast. I embossed them with clear ep and then popped up the larger of the two with dimensionals.

The bow was calling for a gorgeous bow/button/twine combo and thank goodness I had ordered some lilac twine a month or so back!  The sentiment is a Plain Jane and I added some lavender pearls under them to make it pop just a wee bit more.

Hooray for finishing another Viva la Verve card!

I'm off to go help a friend get moved into her new apartment today!  The process of moving and unpacking, as we all know, is miserable. But the company of good friends not only makes the process faster, but definitely more fun!

Thanks for stopping by!

Supplies-
Stamps- Verve: Joyful Blooms, Everything Plain Jane
Paper- Soft Stone, Winter Wisteria dp pack, Plum Pudding
Ink- Versamark, Winter Wisteria
Accessories- ribbon, button, twine, clear ep, dimensionals, nestabilities, pearls

Sweet Sunday Sketch

I think I am literally squeaking in under the line for submitting this card for last week's Sweet Sunday Sketch. I have had this card sitting half-completed on my desk for over a week.  Staring at me.

Begging to be finished.

Phew!  I had an idea for this layout, and went with some way brighter tones than my normal realm of comfort.  I love these little Love Monsters from TE. I decided to stack a few up and make a sweet  birthday card for one of my little cousins. We've got lots of birthdays coming up in the next month or two and I'm sure we'll be having some family get-togethers. :)

I added some glossy accents to the eye. And please try to ignore the smudge on the one eye... My nail bumped it while tying the twine bow. Darn it!  I also added some stickles to the heart for a little extra sparkle.

I'm off to keep crafting away. Gotta tackle that Viva la Verve sketch next.

Thanks for stopping by!


Supplies-
Stamps- TE: Love Monsters, PTI: Mega Mixed Messages
Paper- Bermuda Bay, Whisper White, My Mind's Eye Lime Twist: Happy Go Lucky
Ink- Memento Tuxedo Black
Accessories- ribbon, twine, tag die, glossy accents, stickles, copics, dimensionals

 

Deconstructed Sketch

Good morning!

THE RAVENS WON THE SUPER BOWL!

Just needed to get that out of my system.

I was intrigued by all of the variegated flags on this week's Deconstructed Sketch and thought I would give it a try.  I pulled out some coordinating dp, cut a few strips, adjusted the widths, and hand cut the flag tips since I had used custom widths instead of dies.

I played around with the sentiment panel's shape a bit. I originally started with an oval, like the sketch, but didn't like the look with the sentiment I wanted to use. So, scratch the sentiment, grabbed a new panel shape, and all ended well. I think.  I ended up added a third frame around the sentiment using glitter to make it stand out a little more amidst the sea of flags.

I also played around with the twine/ribbon in the background for a good while.  I didn't have a twine that really worked (hmmm... Maybe time for some shopping?!), so I ended up with this little scrap of silk ribbon that I have. I love the soft look that it created. I made a double bow to give it a little more dimension. One bow was really small and kind of lonely looking on the card.

I'm psyching myself up for a late evening at work today making sure the room is ready for my sub for the next two days.  I'm mostly done, but the perfectionist in me worries about every little detail.  What if I forget something?  What if I didn't mention something in my plans? What if I neglected to set out one little tiny thing that will end up being huge to a sub?! AH!  I need to let it go.  She's an adult. She'll figure it out, I know.  But I still want it to be perfect.

Thanks for stopping by today!

Supplies-
Stamps- PTI: Signature Greetings
Paper- Soft Stone, Whisper White, Vintage Violet, My Mind's Eye Miss Caroline: Fiddlesticks
Ink- Vintage Violet
Accessories- silk ribbon, glitter, dimensionals

Viva la Verve

Happy Super Bowl Sunday!

Go Ravens!!!

(Just had to get that in.)

I'm off to a friend's house to celebrate this annual holiday and cheer on Baltimore. Food, friends, football. It's a trifecta. :)

Now on to the card.

I used this week's Viva la Verve sketch, which was sweet and simple. I pulled out some spring/Valentine's colored papers and got to work. I'm heading to baby shower this time next week and thought I should whip up a card for the occasion.  My bf is having a little girl next month and these colors screamed girly.

I sewed around the outside panel, but left the others plain.  I stamped the larger of the two hearts from Text Objects, fussy cut it, and then added a little sentiment from Over the Moon.  I also added some glitter to the heart to make it the focal image when looking at the card.

Have a wonderful Sunday!

And Go Ravens!

Thanks for stopping by.

Supplies-
Stamps- Verve: Over the Moon, Text Objects
Paper- Kraft, Whisper White, My Mind's Eye Miss Caroline- Howdy Doody
Ink- Ruby Red
Accessories- sewing machine, glitter, dimensionals, apron lace punch, tea dye stain, nestablities

Sweet Sunday Sketch

Good morning!

I have a card to share with you. Finally.

I loved the panels in Karen's Sweet Sunday Sketch for this week, and paired with some new (to me) dp, it was a match made in heaven.

I sewed on all of the panels, including the flag, with some golden thread to bring out the golden colors in the dp.  I also added some gold glitter around the sentiment to add a little sparkle.

I pieced the sentiment together from PTI's Happy Day set, which has been sadly underused by me.

It's back to working on sub plans for the six days I'm going to be out of my classroom over the next two weeks.  I'm hating life at the moment.  This could require lots of stamping breaks. ;)

Thanks for stopping by!

Supplies-
Stamps- PTI: Happy Day
Paper- Baja Breeze, Soft Stone, My Mind's Eye Indie Chic- Nutmeg
Ink- Baja Breeze, Crushed Curry
Accessories- sewing machine, dimensionals, gold glitter, Happy Day die


 

PTI's Make It Monday

Good evening! I'm back after the fall/winter long-haul at work.  The run from mid-November to December is absolute insanity. I didn't even think about trying to blog.  But I really missed it and promised myself to get back to it in the new year.

Thus, here I am!

I was cruising through the blogosphere yesterday and stumbled across this week's Make it Monday Challenge over on Nichole Heady's blog.  I always love the cards she makes with this incredible rainbow patterns, whether die cut or stamped.  She made this week's challenge a how-to on using these patterns and even supplied us with a few tried and true color combos! Score!

I pulled out one of my scalloped dies and went to town.  I added some score tape and glitter to give it a little pizazz and a simple light gray sentiment.

Sorry for the non-chatty post. I have so much to say, but am lacking in energy. Still suffering from a bit  of jet lag (hello Australia!) from my winter break adventure. More on that to come. :)

Thanks for stopping by!

Supplies-
Stamps- PTI: Inside & Out- Thank You
Paper- Whisper White, Soft Stone, Pure Poppy, Orange Zest, Summer Sun, Ripe Avocado, Ocean Tides
Ink-Going Gray
Accessories- glitter, dimensionals, score tape

Verve's WCMD Challenge

I think we all know by now that I love me a good sketch. And when you mix that sketch with a challenge that included prizes, and the prizes are stamps, and the stamps are from one of my favorite stamp companies?  Well, you have there an absolute must of a challenge!

Enter Verve's World Card Making Day Challenge!  I know, WCMD was, oh, three or four weeks ago.  So,  I'm a little slow on the uptake.  I've had this sketch saved on my computer desktop for weeks now and finally figured out what to do with it. Darn circle in the middle and skinny flags had me running scared for a while there...  But no more!

Voila!

I am so smitten with this card! I'm definitely going to hoard it until the right person comes along. ;)

I pulled out my Doily Details die for the background circle, Verve's Classy Label Die, and come circle nesties to make the center focal piece.  The flags were created with my MFT Fishtail Flags dies.  Now that I study this card, I went a little die cut happy!  Have I sung my praises of the wonderfulness of die cuts to you recently?!  How I love them!  I love not having to cut something out. Cutting out by hand is right up there on my "least-favorite-things-to-do" list.  And that loathing grows even more intense when it comes to mass producing.  I am definitely one of those people where if a die exists for the stamp set, I own it.  It's a must in my book. Priorities.

Phew! Back on topic!

I used some double sided clear tape along the three skinny flags and then glittered them all up.  They are so incredibly sparkly in real life!  Darn camera can't quite capture that sparkle.

Thanks so much for stopping by!

Supplies-
Stamps- Verve: Thanks For Caring Free Stamp
Paper- Smokey Gray, Whisper White, Smokey Gray Patterned Paper Pack, Echo Park Everyday Eclectic dp
Ink- Memento Tuxedo Black
Accessories- ribbon, glitter, PTI doily details die, Verve classy label die, nestabilities, jewels, MFT fishtail flag dies

Retro Sketch

Good morning!  I'm still relishing in the cooler fall weather that has finally decided to move into our neighborhood. Hooray for cold, drizzly mornings and cool afternoons with gorgeous puffy clouds in the sky!

We're diving into all things Halloween this week in our classroom. At least art-wise.  We're still studying bears (so fun!) but throwing in a little holiday-themed crafting and writing to help our classroom feel a little more festive.  We've also begun rehearsals for our all-school Fall Sing performance.  First grade is singing "Does Your Chewing Gum Lose It's Flavor on the Bedpost Overnight?" LOVE that song! I remember listening to it and singing along with an old Dr. Demento tape that my family had.  And I just love hearing my little guys try and say "peculiar."  Too cute!

Therefore, I have a decidedly non-holiday themed card to share with you! Logical, right?!  I used this week's Retro Sketch and kept it pretty clean and simple.

I colored the little monster with my copic markers, added some glossy accents to his eyes, fussy cut it out, popped it up, and added some subtle shading with another copic marker around the edges.  Sweet and simple.  Some silk ribbon and a few little jewels gave it the perfect finishing touches.

Thanks for stopping by!

Supplies-
Stamps- TE: Love Monsters
Paper- Kraft, Whisper White, Echo Park Everyday Eclectic
Ink- Memento Tuxedo Black
Accessories- ribbon, jewels, glossy accents, copic markers, dimensionals, MFT wonky scallop border die

 

Mojo Monday

Good morning! I have my Mojo Monday card to share with you today.  On a Sunday.

I am the queen of last minute card entries.

I went with a decidedly fall themed card and kept it less Halloween and more fall and Thanksgiving.  I mixed up a few packs of dp to pull some gorgeous rusty orange colors with some greens and browns.  Also, my Bountiful Harvest stamp set has been begging to be used.  I really only pull it out this time of year. I don't know why, but I have a really difficult time making holiday-themed cards when it is not the right time of year for that holiday.

I did some sponging on the circle to frame the image, went to town with my copic markers, and decided to add a little bit of glitter pen to the pumpkin for a very, very subtle shimmer.  A little fancy ribbon treatment, and a whole lot of sewing machine action and I called it finished.

Thanks for stopping by!

Supplies-
Stamps- Verve: Bountiful Harvest
Paper- Dark Chocolate, Rustic Vintage Cream, MME On the Bright Side, Simple Stories Fabulous
Ink- Chocolate Chip
Accessories- ribbon, tea dye stains, nestabilities, dimensionals, sewing machine, copic markers, glitter pen

 

Viva la Verve

Good morning!

Can I just begin with the fact that I am so in love with the weather we are having today! Instead of the sun blaring through my window and already being in the 90s by ten o'clock, it is gloomy, heavy drizzling, water dripping from our roof... I am in heaven!!!

Fall, please stick around for good this time!

I loved this week's Viva la Verve sketch (still staring at the other two... Help!).  I couldn't get the idea of using a doily behind the middle panel out of my mind.  It's always a good day when a doily sneaks its way onto a card.

I popped up the oval sentiment and put a double bow of seam binding ribbon behind it.  I finished the card and felt it was missing a little something, so I added some bling around the oval to make the sentiment pop just a little bit more.  The sewing machine had a little dust blown off of it as well to add some stitching to the main panel.

Thanks so much for stopping by!

Supplies-
Stamps- Verve: New Mercies
Paper- Sahara Sand, Whisper White, Lily Bee Design Buttercup dp
Ink- Basic Black
Accessories- seam binding ribbon, button, twine, Taylor's tiny twinkles, dimensionals, doily, scallop edge punch, sewing machine

 

Deconstructed Sketch

Good evening!

I actually had a little time this evening to play along with this week's Deconstructed Sketch. I loved the flag in the middle. It spoke to me.   This sketch also gave me the an excuse to pull out some of my PTI flower dies as well.  And that is always a good thing. :)

I started with some Enchanted Evening cardstock and some MME dp (have I sung my love of of MME lately?  How I love thee, MME).  Though I do have some flag dies, I decided to hand cut this one to make it the exact size that I wanted.  I then embossed it with an old cuttlebug embossing folder.  These poor things are so underused.  Definitely need to play with them some more.

I sponged some tea dye stains around the frame of the sentiment and smushed up a few flowers to create the layered look.  And one can never go wrong with a little button/twine combo.  They make me happy.

In other news, I ran home to JL last weekend to try and catch the peak of the fall colors. I think I may have been a week early for the trees in our front yard, but just a thousand feet up, they were in full regalia!  The aspen trees were so GORGEOUS!  Yellows, red, oranges... Part of me wishes they were like this all year long. Except, then it wouldn't be as special and we wouldn't appreciate it as much.  Ok, how about they last a little more than a week or two. That's not asking for too much, is it?  Here are a few of my favorite shots from my camera escapades last Saturday.

Thanks so much for stopping by!

Supplies-
Stamps- PTI: Signature Greetings
Paper- Enchanted Evening, Melon Berry, Vintage Cream, MME Indie Chic Citron dp
Ink- Chocolate Chip
Accessories- twine, nestabilities, tea dye stains, Taylor's Tiny Twinkles, dimensionals, ek success edge punch, PTI flower die, button, embossing folder