Whew, it's Friday!  and I can now take a breath and focus on just crafting!  It's a true fun filled weekend for me.  It's the first day of the fall rubber stamp retreat.  Yep, three days of non stop crafting.  Your choice of what you craft, you bring what you want to work on.  Un-interupted crafting time, no chores to get done, no meals to make, no dishes to wash, and no children to take care.  

But, before I get my craft supplies loaded into my car, and start a weekend filled with girl time, laughs,  no sleep, and crafting, 

I wanted to share a card I created for the latest sketch @ Sketch Frenzy Friday.  Kim is this week's designer of the sketch, and I have to say, Kim did a fabulous job creating a very user friendly sketch.

and here is what I created

For this card, I tried to keep it pretty flat.  So, it could be mailed easily!  I used a few different stamp sets to create this card.  I stamped the label piece, from Everything Eleanor in baked brown sugar.  I then stamped two blossoms with versa mark ink, onto pink pirouette cardstock, and then added white embossing powder.  I heat embossed the blossoms, and fussy cut them with scissors.  For the leaves, I used the Gently Falling stamp set.  The leaf outlines were stamped with baked brown sugar, and the body of the leaf was stamped with pistachio ink.

I cut two banner pieces out of a few scrap pieces of patten paper.  I added a few lines of machine stitches to add a little home-y touch.  and then a few pearls.  

For the sentiment, I stamped a postage stamp and a itty bity banner piece.

I hope that you get some inspiration from the design team.  We really have quite a few different crafting styles.  I hope that you get a chance to play along with us this week @ SFF!

Collage of Autumn

Happy Tuesday!  I hope your week is off to a good start.  Me? it's doing ok. (smile)

I want to share a card with you today.  The lovely ladies over @ Nacho Average Challenge have the cutest sketch.  And the weather here is turning cold.  It was 48 degrees yesterday when I left the house to drive to work.  YUK!

here is the sketch:

and here is what I created:

A bit different.  A collection of various elements.  But, I kinda like it!  I wanted to use colors that are easily found this time of year: green, cajun craze, daffodil delight, slate, kraft, and soft suede.

I used crumb cake cardstock for the card base.  Always good to have a common color used, to help ground the card.

I stamped the flourish in smoky slate.  I love how soft this color is.  I added a green stripe pattern paper from the Etc. dsp collection.  I machine stitched the pattern paper on.  

I stamped the leaves in cajun craze and soft suede, using the gently falling stamp set.  I fussy cut around the leaves and sponged the edges.  I cut a simple tag shape from very vanilla card stock, and layered the leaves behind the tag.  

I cut a scallop circle from the perfect pennants die, using daffodil delight cardstock.  I sponged the edges also.  For the center, I stamped the aspen background in crumb cake classic ink.  I didn't want anything to compete with the print.  I then stamped the acorn in soft suede classic ink, right over the aspen image.  I used my 1 3/4" circle punch to create the center.  I sponged the edges.

For the banner piece, I stamped the banner stamp in old olive classic ink, fussy cut it with my scissors and used foam tape to elevate the banner off the card front.

I hand dyed the vanilla seam binding with my basic black re inker.  I made sure I used just a few drops, so it wouldn't come out too dark for me.  Dried the hand dyed seam binding with my heat tool, and strung it at the top of my tag.

For the sentiment tag, I stamped the aspen background in crumb cake classic ink, and then the sentiment over it, in soft suede classic ink.  I used the decorative label punch to create the fancy piece.

I hope that we have inspired you, and you get a chance to play along with us over @ NAC.  

Hope you have a wonderful start to your week!

Sweet Leaves

Happy Friday!  Welcome and thank you for stopping by.  The talented Kim over @ Sketch Frenzy Friday, has a creative sketch for you to try.  Kim, generally makes wonderfully playful sketches, and I have fun creating using her sketches.  

this week's sketch:

here is what I created:

The card base is soft sky cardstock.  I just love the softness of this blue.  I used soft suede card stock, very vanilla card stock, and soft sky dsp.  I machine stitched the soft sky dsp on to the soft suede cardstock.  I love the soft contrast.  

I used the label collection dies to cut the shape of the very vanilla cardstock.  I used the 2 step Gently Falling stamp set to create the leaves.  I stamped the outline leaves in soft suede classic ink.  I stamped the inside of the leaves in pear pizzazz classic ink and coastal cabana classic ink. I sponged the edges of the very vanilla cardstock with crumb cake classic ink.

I adhered the stamped very vanilla card stock, onto soft suede cardstock.  I took my detail scissors and followed the curve of the vanilla cardstock.  I used my sanding block to help smooth out any rough edges.

I stamped the sentiment piece, using the four frames stamp set.  Stamping the polka dot frame in crumb cake classic ink.  I stamped the two words: 'sweet' and 'friend' in soft suede classic ink.  I purposely didn't stamp the words with solid pressure.  I wanted a 'worn' look, so I stamped the words with a light-hand.  I tied a simple bow with pool party seam binding, that was slightly crinkled.  I tied a wooden button to the center of the bow with linen thread.

I hope that you like what you see {smile} and that you have been inspired to play along with us @ SFF.  We would love to see your creativity! 

Falling Leaves

Thank you for stopping by on this fabulous Friday!  ANd won't you join us for a blog hop hosted by Sketch Frenzy Friday.  It's a fun, and easy way to get some inspiration to play along with us in our sketch challenge this week.  The talented Jennifer, has created a fun sketch for you to try.  Here it is:

here is what I created:

I used the Houndstooth embossing folder to create the texture.  I also used some subtler DSP to give the card some visual interest.  I stamped the leaf in two different colors, doing a rock and roll technique.  I crinkled some crumb cake seam binding and tied a multi-loop bow.  I tied a wooden button onto the seam binding, to give the card a masculine feel.
Now, continue with our blog hop by visiting Tammy F.'s blog, to see what she has created.

Nature & Bling #252

Happy Saturday.  The wonderfully talented Paula over @ Our Creative Corner, has this most creative and beautiful challenge for you to try this week.  Paula says that, she is not a girly girl.  Her typical attire is 'tee shirts and jeans'.  A girl after my own heart.  But, Paula admits that, 'sometimes you just gotta whip out the shiny sparkly stuff and make it dazzle!'  So Paula wants you to use rhinestones, stickler, glitter, etc along with items found in nature (plants, animals, etc)!  A bit of bling mixed with nature.  Sounds super fun, huh?  Well, I knew what I wanted to make, I just needed to sit down at my craft table and create.

I loved the sketch Mojo Monday has this week.  So, I combined these two challenges.

Here is what I made:

I am really happy with how my card turned out!  I used scraps of pattern papers to create my 'natural' bling card.  The top music sheet paper is from Glitz.  The green floral pattern paper is from Wild Asparagus.  The middle panel is Road Show by Fancy Pants.  The scallop piece is actually the backside of the green floral pattern paper. 

The leaves are an unique mix.  The cream felted wool leaf was cut with a die.  The gold embossed leaf was first stamped onto First Edition DSP with Versa Mark.  I used vintage gold embossing powder to give the leaf shape some definition and sparkle.  I then fuzzy-cut the embossed leaf out by hand. The middle leaf was first stamped with certainly celery classic ink onto very card stock.  I then stamped the leaf outline marks in Old Olive classic ink.  I cut out the leaf.  I used a 2-way glue pen to do a rough outline of the leaf and then dipped it into a tub of dazzling diamond fine glitter.

I attached a button tied with cream twine to the stem of each leaf.  The felt leaf has a green button, the green leaf has a kraft button, and the embossed leaf has a vintage facet button.

I added a strip of Lichen satin ribbon from Amuse Studios.  I loved how the green ribbon didn't really compete with the card, but rather blended.

For the label/tag, I stamped the polka dot label in Twilight ink by Close To My Heart.  I used a sentiment from the Fall Elegance stamp set by Paper Trey Ink.  I stamped the sentiment in Early Espresso classic ink.

Join us this week, @ Our Creative Corner for this fun and very creative challenge.  Nature and Bling!