Stampin' Queens

Wow, it's already Wednesday!  Tomorrow is Thanksgiving.   Where has this year gone?  Today, is the start of a new week for the Stampin' Queens Sketch Challenge, and here is their sketch.

Ok, so if you know me, you know that I have an infinity to anything french, vintage/shabby chic, or pink.  So, I don't think that it comes as a surprise as to the pattern paper from Stampin' Up! that I have used:  Beau Chateau.  The only stamping I did was for that little sentiment tag.  And yes, I used the tiny tags stamp set.  Here is my creation:

I'm not positive, but don't you think that the rooster is the french version of the American pineapple.  Its a symbol of hospitality.  Anyways, with the holidays right around the corner (literally) I thought it was fitting.  I didn't vary the sketch in any way.  It's pretty straight forward.  But, now the more I look at my card, the more I want to add one of those tiny, round, metal trim tags below my bow.  And maybe a faux half pearl swirl of some sort.  No, I didn't sponge a thing.  Shocking.  But, I have to admit, I kinda like it! with the clean crisp corners and edges.  Anyways, please play along!  

Blessings

Happy Saturday!  Wow, this month is screaming by.  Does anyone else find themselves trying to play 'catch-up' with how fast this year is going by?  

Holly, from Our Creative Corner, has a great challenge for us this week.  I love it, when a design team member gives us a great challenge.  I love to be challenged, but not too crazy.  I love to have some creative freedom and to give the challenge our own sense of 'life'.  And Holly has given us an inspiration photo and some guidelines.  How clever.  How creative.  How wonderful.  So, without boring you any longer, this is the inspiration photo:

This photo has some wonderful colors, textures, designs, and tons of different elements!  Holly tells us to, 'find some inspiration from this fancy table setting and create a Thanksgiving, Holiday, or New Year's paper craft'.  So, take your que from this photo.  And create something wonderful to share with us!  For me, I'm still working on craft fair items, and so, I decided to create a guest blessings book.  When your family and friends share your Thanksgiving meal, instruct them to each write down what they are 'thankful' for.  Here is my Blessings book:

 

The blank journal measures 5 1/4 " x 5 1/4".  The original cover is light blue with this  huge unattractive tea cup on the front.  I kept the back cover original.  So, i worked with the light blue.  I cut a darker blue cardstock to fit the front cover, and then added some newly arrived pattern paper.  I wanted to use pattern paper that reflected the colors and patterns in the inspiration photo.  I used a scallop die to create the scallop trim.  I wrapped scallop trim with a scrap piece quilted ribbon.  The quilted ribbon has the diamond pattern on it, like in the inspiration photo.  I just love the words and font on the larger tag: I am thankful for you.  Love it!  And a seperate stamp created the 'Blessings' stamp at the upper edge of this journal.  I stamped it in a dark brown and heat embossed it.  So it has some presence and some texture.  I just love the shades of yellow and orange in this pattern paper.  I wanted those colors to really pop, so I added a yellow paper flower on top of an orange silk flower.  I felt the flower seemed 'naked' and so I used a die to cut the butterfly shape out of a pressed wood piece.  I inked the edges with some brown ink, to give the wings some definition.  I added the metal tag holder piece, because I thought the journal needed another texture/element.  I added the 'love' tag, to help express my feelings for my family.

So, its now your turn.  Lets see what you create with this wonderful inspiration photo.  Take your time.  Get in your crafting space, and lets see what you have done!  Share your talents with us! 

deb's sketch

Happy Friday.  I want to share a wonderful sketch from Sketch Frenzy Friday  with you.  Deb is the designer!  what a great sketch!

Now, off to Tammy B.'s blog!

hand-crafted Thank You

Happy Wednesday!  It's hump day, and that means we are half-way thru the week!  So, do you have any plans?  Me, I'm crafting every chance I get.  I two craft fairs coming up this weekend.  And then 2 more right after Thanksgiving.  So, I'm paper crafting like a crazy person.

The wonderful ladies over @ Stampin' Queens Sketch Challenge, have another wonderful, user-friendly sketch for us to work with.  I encourage you to play along with us.  

This is week #13, and here is the sketch:

This sketch has alot of potential!  For the matts, you can use pattern paper, solid cardstock, or any variation in-between.  For the rectangle in the middle, I used a tag shape.  You can use a  rectangle/oval/tag, etc.  The possibilities are endless.  And the ribbon can be replaced with crochet trim, a strip of paper, or twine.  The sentiment doesn't have to be stamped right on  your paper piece.  As you will see, myself and at least one other design team member, made a little tag.  Now break out your Stampin' Up! supplies, and create something uniquely you!

Here is my card:

I used all scraps to make this card.  Now I figure no one is surprised that I used the Spice Cake DSP and the First Edition DSP, right?  These two pattern papers have got to be my all-time favorite!  And yeah, I'm almost out.  I used three different stamp sets; one for each sentiment.  The tag in the middle came from a scrappin' kit: tea time.  I used one of the tiny safety pins from the vintage trinckets to hold the tags together.  Both tags are adhered to the card with foam tape.   I used sahara sand and pool party texture cardstock for my matting.  The card base is soft suede.  The crochet trim is a 'poor man's bow'.  I also added some faux half-pearls to continue the feminine feel of the card. 

Thank you for looking.  Hope you play along.  :)

Holiday Wreaths

I wish I had a photo, but I don't.  I have these wonderful neighbors, who are volunteer ski instructors with the Adaptive Ski Program right here in New Mexico.  They are both nice, warm and friendly folks.  But, they also teach people of all ages how to ski, in spite of a physical or cognitive disability.  And, at this time of year, they are in need to equipment.  So, they hold a fund raiser every year.  This year, once again, they are selling Holiday Wreaths made from a mix of Noble fir, cedar, pine, berried juniper, and completed with a bow and a few pine cones.  These wreaths are gorgeous in real life! and VERY fragrant.  The price hasn't gone up in 12 years.  These wreaths are still only $20.  So, why not decorate your front door with a beautiful, fragrant wreath, and help those in need?  

If you live around the Albuquerque, New Mexico area, and would like to order a wreath, please contact me via email (the address is just under my photo).   You can pay either with cash, check, or pay pal.  I will need the orders by Monday, November 21st.  The wreaths will be ready for delivery the Monday following Thanksgiving.  I will add a hand-stamped Thank You card with each order.

Thank you for your support.  

Pumpkin

Happy Saturday!  This year is flying by, I tell ya!  As we all get ready for Thanksgiving, please take a moment out of your busy lives to tell your loved ones, how much you care for them, and need them in your life.  Wendy J. from Our Creative Corner has a wonderful challenge for you this week: Pumpkin.  Make either the color pumpkin or the object your main focus.  Sounds pretty easy, huh?  The creative freedom is enormous.  But, good golly I struggled with this one.  So, I used the sketch from Mojo Monday to help get this card together.  

For those who know me, this card is pretty flat.  Lacks some dimension, and some extra pieces.  But, I couldn't 'fix' this card to save my life.  So, it's flat.  It's basic.  But, it's pretty! and the color Pumpkin is the main focus!

Here is the sketch I was working with:

Here is my card:

I couldn't make the image of a pumpkin really work.  Crazy, I know.  I even tried using the pumpkin image on a 'seed' packet.  I couldn't even get pumpkin colored ribbon to work.  Then, I found a few scraps of this pretty orange pattern paper.  The flower is from the orange collection.  The stamp is from a stamp set that is at least 2/+ years ago.  I sponged all the edges with a dark beige to help give the pattern paper pieces some division.

I hope that you play along with us @ Our Creative Corner.  Who knows, maybe you can get that pumpkin to work!