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

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

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

Deconstructed Sketch

Good morning! I'm back again with another card. Three in a row feels like such an accomplishment after the frenetic-ness of this year so far.  And to top it all off, this card is in on time!  As in, early.  As in, there are still quite a few more days before submissions close.  Yay me!

I pulled out yet some more new dp from the box that arrived on my porch.  This may be my new all-time favorite. I mean, look at those colors and patterns.  I want to use it all up. I want to hoard it.  We'll see which one wins. :)

I used this week's Deconstructed Sketch for this card.  I decided to run the ribbon across the whole card instead of just the center panel.  I also added a few little black jewels to tie the black in all together.  The sentiment is from Papertrey's free set from their Stamp-a-Faire day.  Let's just say I've been stalling and stalling on my PTI order so that I would qualify to receive this set for free!

I'm off to donuts for breakfast this morning.  A dear friend (and Captain in the Army) is finally home after serving for a full year in Afghanistan.  Amen!  It is so wonderful to know that she is home, and safe, and that I can hug her again.  Plus, I owe her a donut.  We have been talking about this donut date for ages!  One maple bar donut, coming right up. :)

Thanks for stopping by!

Supplies-
Stamps- PTI: Natural Beauties
Paper- Kraft, Black, My Mind's Eye Indie Chic "Citron"
Ink- Memento Tuxedo Black
Accessories- ribbon, jewels, nestabilities, dimensionals

So Berry Sweet

Good morning!  I have a massive project to share with you today.  When I sat down to stamp yesterday, I decided to create a little gift box to have on hand for one of those moments when I need a last minute gift/raffle item/thank you.

I pulled up Jen's Deconstructed Sketch from Thursday, which lent itself to a simpler card (which is great for mass-producing!) and went for it.  Then I spent the next, oh, two or three hours creating this box set. So much for quick and simple! I think it was the sewing... Or the coloring... Or the twine... Something in there took a long time!  Oh, well. At least they look good. ;)

I used one of my newer Taylored Expression  stamp sets. Love the little faces on the fruit and the "punny" sentiments!  Too cute!  The dp was another goal of mine: Create a whole stack of cards using the same 6x6 pad.  Check!  I used all My Mind's Eye Lime Twist: Life of the Party to create every single card. Including the packaging. Phew!  I am not quite sure why that was a goal, but there it is.

Now to figure out whom these will be going to...  Someday...

Thanks for stopping by!

Supplies-
Stamps- TE: Fruity Friends
Paper- Kraft, Whisper White, MME Lime Twist- Life of the Party dp
Ink- Chocolate Chip, Memento Rich Cocoa
Accessories- nestabilities, baker's twine, ribbon, button, sewing machine, dimensionals, copic markers, jewels, pearls

Deconstructed Sketch #16

Good afternoon! I'm attempting not to melt in my own house as the heat is absolutely ridiculous today. My poor little air conditioner is running it's heart out. We hit 100F before noon! Sheesh! Some friends are heading to Disneyland a little later today, but I graciously bowed out. Disneyland on the hottest day of the year? No thanks. I'll pass. That's the beauty of having an annual pass. I'll just wait until a cooler day. No guilt. :)

I have also officially survived the first two days of school. It's always a bit of a shock getting the brand new first graders and remembering that they really are kindergarten babies. Little guys. Young, scared, but ready to learn. It's such a journey to get them to the end of the year. My last memory is of my kids all reading confidently, writing, spelling correctly, etc. Fast forward to now, and we're starting all over, lol. Ah, but that journey is part of what makes teaching so much fun. :) But did I mention my feet are killing me?! Every year, the first week or two is really about retraining my feet to stand for hours on end. I never get to sit down with these little guys!

I decided to play around with this week's Deconstructed Sketch and some October Afternoon dp. A dear friend of mine has a birthday coming up and this will make a great card for her! The color scheme is a little brighter than my normal, but so much fun! Cheery, don't you think? I added some baker's twine under the sentiment, paper pieced the cupcake wrapper, and colored the frosting with my copics. I put a little glossy accents on top of the cherry for the finishing touch.

Well, it's back to hiding in the darkness and the air conditioning. I'm feeling a few more cards in my near future since it's too warm to do anything else. No cooking, no cleaning, no moving. The AC can barely keep up! Thanks so much for stopping by!

Supplies-
Stamps- MFT: It's a Cupcake Kind of Day, PTI: Mega Mixed Messages
Paper- Spring Moss, Tangerine Tango, Whisper White, October Afternoon Seaside dp
Ink- Memento Tuxedo Black
Accessories-baker's twine, dimensionals, nestabilities, tea dye stains, copic markers, glossy accents

Deconstructed Sketch #13

Good morning! I have a fun card to share with you today using some new stamps from TE. I love these little circus stamps, and envision making so many little boy and girl birthday cards with them! This is the first of many to come, I'm sure.

I stamped the clown in Memento Tuxedo Black and colored him with my copics. I am seriously in love with my copics right now. Something about coloring is incredibly therapeutic, lol! To make the juggling balls different colors, I sponged on different inks. The sentiment was stamped twice, cut out and popped up. It's really a pretty simple card.

The back to school shopping has officially begun. It's hard to believe that I'm heading back in just a few weeks. But something about the shopping make the excitement creep back in. I always look forward to the beginning of a new year. So full of potential. Plus, I don't have to move classrooms this year (first time in 3 years!), which is going to make the job of setting up so much simpler!

Thanks so much for stopping by!

Supplies-
Stamps- TE: Life is a Circus
Paper- Not Quite Navy, Whisper White, MME Lime Twist Out of the Blue dp
Ink- Memento Tuxedo Black, Not Quite Navy, Pure Poppy, Spring Moss
Accessories- baker's twine, copic markers, nestabilities, dimensionals, circle punch, tea dye stains

Papertrey Ink Blog Hop!

Goodness it's been a long time since I've played along with Papertrey's blog hops. Probably over a year. It was high time to join back in. Especially with such a great inspiration piece this month.

I mean, really. Look at these colors! Gorgeous! So summery and light. I pulled out my Stella & Rose Mabel dp which has oodles of these colors in it. I based the card on kraft cardstock to mimic those wooden shades. I pulled out on of my favorite PTI sets, Blooming Button Bits, stamped it and cut it out, then added a few flowery buttons (with a little baker's twine). The sketch is this week's Deconstructed Sketch. It took me a little bit to figure this one out (that circle image was throwing me off!). Thank goodness for big buttons!

Thanks so much for stopping by!

Supplies-
Stamps- PTI: Blooming Button Bits, Mat Stack 1 Collection
Paper- Kraft, Vintage Cream, MME Stella & Rose Mabel dp
Ink- Spring Moss, Close to Cocoa
Accessories- baker's twine, buttons, scallop edge punch, apron lace punch, corner rounder punch, tea dye stain

The Deconstructed Sketch

Good morning! It's another gloriously cool morning and isn't supposed to warm up too much (can you say HELLO low 80s!). Therefore, I am hitting the road and going to Disneyland today. I've had the itch to go for a little while now and finally found some friends with passes that were available. Yay! I think the roomie and I may head down Disneyland way again on Thursday to catch the fireworks and Fantasmic. My favorites. :)

But for today, I have a new sketch challenge/card to share with you! I stumbled across The Deconstructed Sketch a few days ago and thought I would give it a try. With summer being around, and with oodles of free time during the day, I need more sketches to keep my mojo flowing! I have to admit that it was the half circle in the background that got this card off of the ground and running. I know. Who knew? Circles aren't so scary anymore. Well, most of the time. LOL

I've been wanting to try the little frame from To the Moon for a while now, and figured this was the perfect opportunity. I colored the elephant with my copics, added a little sentiment (Sorry again for the influx of baby cards!), and of course some ribbon. All of the dp on this card are from MME's Stella & Rose Hazel. I am so in love with these coordinating paper packs! They just make cards WORK! Know what I mean?!

Thanks so much for stopping by today!

Supplies-
Stamps- Verve: To the Moon
Paper- Whisper White, Smokey Shadow, MME Stella & Rose Hazel dp
Ink- Memento Tuxedo Black, Basic Gray
Accessories- ribbon, copics, nestabilities