Glow

I couldn't believe my luck when Mr Linky chose my name again as the monthly prize winner at Midnight Madness! Thank you Priscilla! One of my newly acquired PriscillaStyles images is this sweet Fireflies digi:

You might remember the big box of second-hand stamps Mom let me pick through? Well this Jar rubber stamp from Mail Expressions is one of them, and although it's really big (it's wood-mounted) I'm so glad I grabbed it. I stamped it in StazOn onto plastic, and again onto silver paper for the lid. I colored the image with Copics. and filled the shaker with gold micro beads.

I printed the lovely sentiment from Create with TLC on white cardstock, and traced and cut the tag shape. The ribbons on the sides and the bottom are from Can You Digi It? and the embossed Core'diintions paper is actually a scrap from another project.

I used the sketch for Just Us Girls Challenge #126 (right) to bring it all together. Thanks all!

Sweet Peas

I received this beautiful Sweet Pea Flowers digi by priscillastyles as part of my prize from MMSC 133/134, and I just had to use it for their February Sketch Challenge. I have a special place in my heart for sweet peas; several wonderful people have given me that nickname, including the woman I plan to send this to (the mother of a friend; my friend is "Sweet Pea" and I'm "Sweet Pea #2"!).

Inspiration/Challenges:
Midnight Madness Challenge #193: February Sketches
Paper Pretties Challenge #193: Unique Fold
Pretty Little Ribbon Shop February Challenge #7: Anything goes...with ribbon
Simon Says Stamp and Show: Anything Goes (+ Vintage)

The image on the right shows the card closed with a tiny clothespin; here it is opened:

I chose these gorgeous papers (two double-sided sheets) from My Mind's Eye's Lost & Found series, and distressed all the pieces with Antique Linen distress ink. I cut all the pieces with a Spellbinders die in my Big Shot...it worked out okay, but I'm not going to try to emboss/cut a stack of embossed glitter paper again! It left a cool texture tho! But I still have glitter on my embossing pads...!

The first image is printed on vellum; the second image is printed on Hammermill, and I made it into a Notch Swing Card element. The concept is simple: secure a piece of paper slightly larger than the cut-out space by cutting small slits, or notches, in both.

And another view:

And the back:

My favorite part of this card is the little bag on the inside (see close-up on right). I've been saving this Seed Packet image from Beyond the Fringe Crafts ever since it was posted way back in August (as I said, I really like sweet peas!). I fashioned the bag from a small envelope; I used deckle scissors for the top and distress it all with Antique Linen distress ink. I printed the image (reversed, at Best settings) onto acetate, and then transferred it onto the envelope/bag. If you've never tried it, check out my tutorial.

I added a little color to the image with Copics, which I used for the rest of my coloring as well. I'm very pleased with this card; now to just remember to put it in the mail!

Have a beautiful day.


Update: I was the bonus winner for Midnight Madness Challenge #193! Whoop!

Sappy

Last night I was in need of a little Shopping Therapy, so I splurged and bought the brand-new Tree Carving digi collection from Little Musings. I love how it comes ready-to-color as well as pre-colored. Handy! I used the letters as its own image for the backing paper. Just for the sheer thrill of it, I used the "braid" texturing plate on the backing papers.

I'm also entering this card into the Let's see some Love challenge at Spoonfull of Sugar Challenges, which I haven't participated in some time (although I always enjoy looking at their DT projects!).


Digi stamp set: Tree Carving by Little Musings
Cut file: Heart and Roses Border by PaperFaces Designs

Inspiration:
Midnight Madness Sketch Challenge #90
Spoonfull of Sugar Challenge 138: Let's see some love

Supplies: K&Company Valentine's Designer double-sided paper pack, Hammermill and Recollections cardstocks, HP printer & ink, Copic Ciao markers, MS detail scissors ZipDry glue, CraftSmart ink, Cricut Expression, SCAL, silicon stamps by Alys Paterson for Quick Cards, Fiskars papercutter and texturing plate & tool, Recollections border punch, Post-it Notes (see tutorial at There She Goes)

Green

Don't get me wrong, I must have a certain amount of confidence to enter—what is it now?—seven challenges a week, but sometimes the enormity of the talent out there weighs on me. You know how it is: You're standing in the kitchen with your glasses fogging up from the heat of the embossing gun and you think to yourself, Perhaps I should leave this to the professionals. But then you suck on your fingers and remember how good it feels to sound your barbaric yawp over the blogs of the world...
The Midnight Madness Sketch Challenges by priscillastyles especially make me feel like this, which is in fact a compliment. So many talented people inspiring so many talented people! But I find myself entering their challenge week after week, I guess because of that yawp thing I mentioned earlier (original quote from Walt Whitman.) I still feel very green and creatively raw when it comes to cardmaking, but challenges like these help me develop my skills and keep me happily occupied. Thanks to all who've peeked at my cards! and especially thanks for commenting.
Anyhoo, I had lots of fun with this week's sketch:

I've really taken to coloring stamps on vellum, because it's a bit easier to keep within the lines and the end result really pops. I read about this technique somewhere in the blogosphere, where you color on the back of stamped vellum. I also broke out my brand new mist, and I'm hooked. I used painter's tape to mask the main stamp and spray on the mist background. It worked so well I couldn't believe it.
I choose a green/brown color palette because I'm in a flowery mood but can't separate myself from the autumn tapping on my window.

Inspiration: Midnight Madness Sketch Challenge #78
Stamps: Russian Dolls & Flower Circle Border by Hero Arts; silicon stamp by gstudio

Supplies: Tsukineko walnut ink antiquing solution (Eucalyptus); Recollections cardstock & vellum, StazOn brown ink, Marvy & American Craft paint pens, Copic markers E33 & E35, Tim Holtz scissors, Fiskars papercutter, Cricut personal cutter, SCAL2 software

A sketch challenge and a six-pack: Sounds like a weekend

As much as I enjoy designing my own cards, pop-ups and layouts, and I truly do love it, some of the most fun I have is when I can work within creative parameters. I first learned this when I discovered the poetic form sestina. I'm a poet of the post-post-beat generation, so form's not really my bag, but there is something incredibly freeing in having to use repetition. That's how I feel, now, about cardmaking challenges.

This felt especially true this morning, when I found the Midnight Madness Sketch Challenge #71 over at the PriscillaStyles blog. I had seen some of the entries on CDAC and was blown away, as usual. But I wanted to make something, so I decided to enter the challenge, and give myself the extra challenge of using only recycled materials that I had on hand. So I dug through the recycling and chose the packaging for a case of 7-up and a six-pack of Beach Bum Ale.



Supplies: emery board, Tim Holtz scissors, ZipDry glue, HP printer, Dimensions Mini Stamp, StazOn Ink, rose SCAL cut file from Too Many Ideas