Vintage You

There are a few colors that I just love.  Yes, love.  I love the hue, the depth of the richness, the feeling it provokes.  LOVE it.  Pink Pirouette, Soft Sky, Aqua Mist, Latte, Shell, Crumb Cake, River Rock, Sweet Blush, and Vanilla.  These colors are soft, sweet, and perfect for shabby or vintage paper crafts.

But, there are other colors that pair so nicely with these, that it is amazing how wonderful they look together.  My case in point, is this card that I made for the Nacho Average Challenge, this week.  The wonderful ladies over @ NAC, have a great sketch for you to try this week.  

here is this week's sketch:

here is what I created:

I started with Calypso Coral cardstock.  This color is rich and beautiful.  I thought that it help high light my accent colors.  The main panel is actually very vanilla cardstock matted with River Rock cardstock. I used the Very Vintage wheel and River Rock classic ink, to create the background stamp.  I wanted to add some contrast, so I used the Music Notes wheel and basic black classic ink.  I added three separate lines of music notes.  

The blossoms were made from very vanilla card stock, and sponged with calypso coral (outer petals) and pretty in pink (inner petals) classic inks.  I added a pearl jewel to the centers.  I used whisper white craft reinker and painted the tips of the petals and then dumped the whole blossom in dazzlling diamond glitter.  I used old olive cardstock and the build a blossom punch to create the leaves.

For the sentiment strip, I used lace border punch and whisper white card stock to create a decorative edge.  The very vanilla cardstock strip is only 1/2" wide.  I stamped the sentiment in basic black classic ink, using the Loving Thoughts stamp set.  I added a strip of very vanilla seam binding and a neutral glimmer brad to attach this multi-loop bow to the sentiment strip.  

The butterflies were stamped on very vanilla card stock using the Kindness Matters stamp set.  I fussy cut two of the butterflies out.  I scrunched the cardstock to create 3D butterfies.  I didn't want them to look too flat.

I sponged all the edges of all the cardstock with crumb cake classic ink.  I wanted everything to have some depth, and I didn't want the edges to look too 'clean'.  I gave the whole card a spritz (or two) of my home-made white frost shimmer mist.  (Sparkles are pretty!)

Each of us, on the design team, have shared our own  takes on this sketch @ NAC.  However, a majority of us did blossoms {frown}.  But don't let that stop you from using any other object for the cluster.  I know that I would love to see hearts, or a cluster of butterflies, or . . .

~stop by Sunday, May 12th, for your chance to win some blog candy~

Shabby Thank You

Happy Tuesday.  I hope this week has gotten off to a wonderful start for you.  Me, busy like usual.j  So, I'm not sure how any other speed feels.  The weekend was good.  I had a chance to relax for an afternoon.  So, that allowed me a chance to recharge.

The wonderful ladies over @ Nacho Average Challenge have another wonderful sketch challenge for you to try.  The sketch is pretty basic.  So, you do have some room to embellish and create a busier card.  Or, leave it clean and simple {smile}.

this week's sketch:

I just love the row of circles.  There is so much potential here.  Keep the row of objects as circles, and use buttons, flowers, or soda pop caps.  Or change it up, and replace the shape with another shape: stars, rectangles, hearts, etc.  The only suggestion that I have, is if you change the number from 5, to keep it an odd number: 3.  I think the same type of number stays true to the sketch.  

Ok, so for the rectangle strip, this can easily be replicated.  Make it a banner of pattern paper.  A strip of wide ribbon.  A stamped piece.  I would make sure that the bottom isn't straight.  So a decorative end.  A hand-held punch can easily be used to create that decorative detail.  Like I said, 'a sketch with alot of potential'.  Love it.  And so will you {smile}.

here is what I did:

I'm not a generation X, Y, or any recent name.  All that white space makes me crazy.  So, I dry embossed a piece of crumb cake cardstock with the houndstooth embossing folder.  I sponged crumb cake classic ink on all four sides.  The card base is basic black card stock.  I love how these two neutrals look together.

I cut my banner piece out of vanilla card stock.  I stamped the large sentiment piece is basic black classic ink.  This large sentiment pieces comes from the From the Heart stamp set.  I just love the font and the decorative curves.  I wanted to continue the black on vanilla look.  So, I stamped the flourish frame in basic black classic ink on very vanilla cardstock.  I used the matching label punch, to punch the shape.   

For the five circles, I selected the blossom trim from the Spring Mini Catalog.  I love the clean lines.  But, I'm a fan of layering.  So, I cut a strip of the fabric burlap ribbon, and created a box pleat.  Then I machine stitched the pleated ribbon.  I used red sticky strip to hold the pleated ribbon and the row of fabric blossoms to the card front.  I then wanted to add a splash of color to the field of neutrals.  So, I hand-dyed vanilla seam binding with pink pirouette re-inker.  I used my heat gun to speed the drying time.  I created a multi-loop bow with the hand-dyed seam binding.  To hold it all together, I used a black glimmer brad.  

I hope that we have inspired you.  I know that I would love to see what you create with our sketch @ NAC.   Please, play along with us. {smile}

Thank You Greeting

My last Arts & Crafts Fair for the holiday season is on 

Saturday, December 8, 2012.

It will be at the North Valley Academy from 10a to 3p.

Hope to see you there!

On this Friday, I am participating in the sketch challenge brought to you by Sketch Frenzy Friday.  Maria, is the designer of this weeks sketch.  Maria, does a fabulous job on giving us a very user friendly sketch.  Here is her sketch:

See, what I mean?  You can keep this sketch clean and simple, or embellish the heck out of it!

Here is what I created:

These past several weeks, I have been busy making many, many holiday themed paper crafts.  So, this week, I took a break from Christmas themed cards.

The card base is pool party card stock.  For the main panel, I used the polka dot background stamp.  I stamped the polka dots with Versa Mark ink and used white embossing powder.  I wanted a subtle and feminine background.  So, that is what I came up with.

I have to admit, that I really love pool party and summer starfruit together.  Just pretty.  So I added a strip of summer starfruit pattern paper for my horizontal piece.  I crinkled some very vanilla seam binding.  I wrapped the seam binding around the pattern paper piece, and then created a multi-loop bow.  I secured the bow to the card front with a sparkle-y black glimmer brad.  I stamped and attached the 'thanks' tag to the glimmer brad.

For my focal pieces, I stamped the 'Thank You' stamp off the very vanilla card stock piece.  I sponged crumb cake classic ink along the edges.  For my frame piece, I first dry embossed the frame in pool party card stock.  I distressed the edges with crumb cake card stock, too.  I cut the very vanilla piece to fit inside the frame.  I sponged the edges here, too.  I stamped the little girl in basic black classic ink.  I used my heat gun to speed the drying of the ink.  Then carefully, I used a blender pen to color the image.  I used crumb cake for her hair.  I used pool party of various portions of her outfit.  I used blush blossom to color her skin.  For the heart, I used pink pirouette classic ink.  Then, I used my 2-way glue pen and dazzling diamond glitter to the heart.

I hope that you have been inspired and can play along with us @ Sketch Frenzy Friday.

Happy Crafting!  hugs, Sharon W.

Monochromatic PCCC

Happy 'Hump' Day to you! {smile}  This is a busy day.   Between work, crafting and appointments, it will be good to get home and sit on the couch.  I know that sounds super lazy.  Sorry.  

Stampin' Queens Sketch Challenge has a new name and location:  the Paper Craft Crew Challenge.  (that is why the sketch still bears the initials SQSC.)

The creative ladies over @ Paper Craft Crew Challenge have a very user-friendly sketch for you to work with this week.  The only thing we ask, is that you use Stampin' Up! products.

Here is the sketch:

This sketch has a lot of potential.  You could easily showcase pattern papers, or embossed papers.  The burgundy panel could easily showcase a stamped image (florals, background, etc) and the white square could easily be a specific shape (flower, star, heart, postage stamp, etc.).  The white rectangle on the lower right corner could easily be a sentiment label.  See, totally workable! Just grad your favorite stamps, colors, and create!

Here is what I did:

I just love soft suede.  I love the soft brown color.  With richness and depth.  It's a brown without being black (early espresso) or without being too brown (chocolate chip).    But with depth, and a creamy color, unlike crumb cake.  So, I selected my favorite brown: soft suede.  I used two different DSP in soft suede.  Instead of the white square, I added a soft suede taffeta bow and a brown glimmer brad.  The little tag I made was stamped and edged in soft suede classic ink.

Thank you for looking.  I hope you have found some inspiration to play along with us @ Paper Craft Crew Challenge.

Vintage, Shabby, & Birds

this is not the only post today.  please scroll down for this morning's post.

 (If you click on an image, it will enlarge, so you can see the detail!)

 For those who know me, know that I have an infinity for vintage/shabby-chic,  birds & butterflies.  Stampin' Up! has a new section in this year's Big Idea & Catalog named, 'elements'.  This section has dollies, borders, backgrounds, frames, labels, memorabilia, textures, flourishes, and tags.  Within these pages are four different product suites:  Flirtatious, Beau Chateau, Pocketful of Posies, and Well Worn.  All of these different product lines are fabulous and individually beautiful!  However, my new favorite: Beau Chateau!  And those who know me, are not surprised by this.  Here is what the super clever, creative design team of Stampin' Up! has done with this paper.

This section has wonderful graphics, pretty colors, delicate touches, and a sense of 'home'; comforting, and familiar.  If you own the new Stampin' Up! Big Idea & Catalog this year, please take a second look at this section.  If not, contact me and with any $30 order, I will send you a Big Idea & Catalog for free!

I am now off to meet with Lynn Pratt's group for the 3-D tutorial swap.  Have a wonderful day!  And I will post again later today!  Enjoy!

life happens . . .

First, let me say, Thank You for stopping by, for a visit!  I am grateful for each and everyone of you!  Well, I thought last week was a rough week at work.  This one is crazier!  This card was suppose to be posted this morning before my spin class, and well, that didn't happen.  

The talented ladies over at Creative Sketches have both a sketch and a technique: Masking.

My Card

This card is pretty simple, but I really wanted the focus to be on the flowers utilizing the masking technique!  This technique is super easy, and very pretty!  I love the perspective of it! I used all Stampin' Up! supplies: classic ink (baja breeze, and pear pizazz), stamp set (vintage vogue), cardstock (baja breeze & very vanilla), pattern paper (baja breeze DSP), glimmer brads (subtles), and crochet trim.  Even my punch, scallop trim border punch, is from Stampin' Up!

close-up of the masking technique

So, if you have the chance, please play along with our challenge!  You just may be this weeks winner!  Please stop by and see what the Design Team have created.  You just might be inspired!