ColourQ and Coffee Lover's Challenges

I'm getting close to the wire for Amy's Spring Coffee Lover's Blog Hop and decided to go with the colors from the current ColourQ Challenge for this quick and simple card.  I had these Verve digi images printed from last year, so this fell together quickly with some washi tape and a stenciled mini coffee splotch by TCW.  

This is a quick post...heading out to work shortly!  It's a gorgeous spring day with some warm temperatures for a change!  Thanks so much for stopping by...

Hello Fall

I love the brisk, fall temps and all the warm colors of the season which inspired me to make a card using the current warm palette of the Color Q Challenge.  I combined it with the wonderful sketch for Karen Giron's Sweet Sunday Sketch Challenge.  I used Altenew's Wood Palette BG stamp and added Weathered Wood distress ink to only a portion of the stamp using a large sponge dauber.  Next...three step stamping on the flowers (Mustard Seed, Spiced Marmalade, Memento Tuxedo Black) and 2 step stamping

on the leaves (Peeled Paint and Black) - after first die cutting the shapes.  The flower centers needed a little extra pop, so I gently added some black Enamel Accents by Inkssentials.  I had this gingham banner in my leftover pile for a LONG time, so have no idea of the paper origin.  A touch of twine and sequins finished it off. 

STAMPS: Pretty Peonies (WPlus9), Greetings and Salutations (WPlus9), Wood Palette Background (Altenew).

My diffuser smells so good right now with a mix of Christmas Spirit essential oil (no I'm not rushing Christmas but I love the hint of cinnamon in that oil mixture) and Northern Lights Black Spruce by Young Living!  Yes, I'm really into using oils to support so many different body systems! :-)  Thanks so much for stopping by...

So Blessed

I'm squeaking in a card hours before the deadline for this really great layout for the CAS(E) This Sketch challenge.  After getting happy mail yesterday from WPlus9's new release, I knew the Doodle Bud stamp set would be perfect to create a one layer card with a doodled frame (the little squiggles are stamps and the lines were drawn using a Tombow marker #899).

The coordinating Doodle Bud dies (wow...I see they are already sold out!) make it so easy to arrange these fun flowers!  I used the yummy colors for the new Colour Q challenge.  Stay tuned for more cards using WPlus9.  A real shame that working full time interferes with my stamping obsession...errr...hobby - lol!

Summer Coffee Lovers Blog Hop

It's that time again for all you coffee lovers...it's the Summer Coffee Lovers Blog Hop and there are a lot of wonderful sponsors giving away some fabulous prizes! All you have to do is create a coffee-themed card and link it to the blog HERE. 

 I decided to combine this with a couple of other favorite challenges:
Colour Q Challenge (see photo on left) and the Fusion Card Challenge ( sketch only).  I paper pieced the coffee cup and stenciled some coffee splotches (by TCW) on orange CS from my scrap pile. The designer papers are from Follow Your Heart "Be Amazing" 6x6 pad by My Mind's Eye.  I love this "Warm My Heart" stamp set by North Coast Creations...so perfect for coffee lovers!  The clothespin is by SU and the tiny coffee tag is by Reverse Confetti.  I also used the Stitched Corner Rectangle STAX and the Stitched Fishtail Flags STAX Die-Namics by My Favorite Things.

3 in 1

I have a crisp and clean, layered card (my favorite card style) for 3 different challenges: 

Freshly Made Sketches #188

Colour Q Challenge 

Ways to Use It - use favorite tool.  

I would say my Big Shot is probably my favorite tool since I love using dies on the majority of my creations!  This card uses the Diagonal Stripe Pretty Panels Confetti Cut by Reverse Confetti,  Spring Blooms dies by WPlus9 that coordinates with the stamp set by the same name, and my fave Stitched Mats: Rectangle die by Lil' Inker Designs.

STAMPS: Spring Blooms (WPlus9), Banner Blast (SU).

PAPER: Coastal Cabana (SU), White (PTI).

INK: Coastal Cabana, Daffodil Delight, Tangerine Tango, Strawberry Slush.

ACCESSORIES: Spring Blooms dies by WPlus9, Diagonal Stripe Pretty Panels die by Reverse Confetti, Banner punch by SU, Silver button by SU, Stitched rectangle die by Lil' Inker Designs.

ColourQ Challenge

I needed a sympathy card for a coworker, so decided to play along with the beautiful spring colors for the current ColourQ Challenge. I pulled one of my fave SU sets - Kinda Eclectic - and stamped with Daffodil Delight, Cool Caribbean, Melon Mambo, Lucky Limeade (my Kiwi Kiss bit the dust and was all dried up) and Versafine Onyx Black.  IRL the button blends in nicely, but the photo makes it look more royal blue than it is. :-(  I can't seem to create a card without using a stitched die by Lil' Inker Designs!  The sentiment flag was cut with MFT's Fishtail Flags Die-Namics.

 So, there you have my finished product!  I'm having an anal moment and wishing my dotted blue panel was staggered lower to give the card better balance.  That's what I get for stamping in the wee hours of the morning after I've worked a busy shift - lol! A tired brain that doesn't think very clearly.  Good night and welcome April!

Colour Q & Sketch Challenge

A quick post before heading off to work with a clean and simple masculine valentine!  I knew I wanted to incorporate this heart border Die-Namics die by MFT, so went with some inlaid pieces of Cherry Cobbler CS against the black outline.

I used the Colour Q Challenge colors (red, black, newsprint and a neutral) and paired it with the SCS Sketch Challenge.  The
patterned paper was perfect since newsprint was part of the houndstooth design (from My Mind's Eye "Filled With Love" 6x6 pad).  I black embossed the

sentiment from Verve's Love Notes set; the arrow is from Crushin' by Reverse Confetti. 
The vertical strip is a piece of vellum with torn edges. The shiny gold sequin heart doesn't show up well in the photo, but I wanted a wee bit of added sparkle and shine!  To add some texture, I looped some red jute twine behind the popped sentiment circle.  The finished card is 4 3/4" square.

Have a blessed day and thanks for popping in...

Watercolor Roses

Today's Inspiration Challenge on SCS is from the Color Watercolor Etsy store where I was inspired by the rose print HERE. I still struggle with watercoloring and keep telling myself I just need to play with it more. I decided to use the current palette at Colour Q Challenge and am also playing along with the Tag, You're It Challenge. Designer Marion Vagg has some watercoloring on her flower dies and I went with the same hello sentiment.  I watercolored the florals using distress inks (Dusty Concord, Seedless Preserves, Peeled Paint and Tumbled Glass) then die cut the tag using MFT's Rounded Banner STAX Die-Namics.  I added texture by applying light modeling paste (Liquitex) with a TCW Mini Specimens stencil.  Then, of course, I couldn't resist some enamel dots!

STAMPS: Painted Flowers (Altenew)
PAPER: Distress Watercolor Cardstock (TH)
INK: Dusty Concord, Seedless Preserves, Peeled Paint, Tumbled Glass - distress inks by Tim Holtz
ACCESSORIES: Small Hello die by Simon Says Stamp, Enamel dots by Recollections (Michael's), Soft Sky stitched ribbon by SU, Black satin ribbon (Michael's), Rounded Banner STAX Die-Namics (MFT), Modeling paste by Liquitex, TCW Mini Specimens stencil.

Thanks so much for stopping by....I always enjoy your comments!

Hope and Feathers

It's so great to finally be able to have a bit of time to create just for fun and not for a specific design team commitment! This card is for 3 different challenges: Ways to Use It (feathers), Deconstructed Sketch and Colour Q.  Isn't this shower curtain in the inspiration photo so gorgeous?!  I also couldn't resist Jen's awesome layout this week! 

I created the background using Bermuda Bay, Orchid Opulence, Certainly Celery and Tangerine Tango inks and stamps from WPlus9's Spring Blooms set.  This set gives you a gazillion options with all the floral designs! The sentiment and feathers are from Waltzingmouse Stamps from a set called Fine Feathers.  I love embossing them using Stampendous detail white embossing powder.  

Thanks so much for stopping by...always love to hear from you!

CQC & Sketchbook Saturday

I am really loving both the colors in the Colour Q Challenge and the layout for the Sketchbook Saturday Challenge! This is the result when I merged the two. When I saw that gorgeous floral dress design, I knew I wanted to use more of the Spring Blooms stamp set with coordinating dies by WPlus9.  The striped border was a scrap piece of paper from MME's "Happier" Six by Six pad and the scalloped border was the negative leftover of a MFT Die-Namic whose name totally escapes me now. The embossed BG is a folder by Lifestyle Crafts.

INK: Old Olive, Certainly Celery, Tangerine Tango, Calypso Coral, Pretty in Pink, Crushed Curry, Black Licorice hybrid ink by MFT.

Thanks for stopping by...

CAS Hello

It's a gray, rainy Friday and I was awakened by joint pain which told me it was raining even before I "threw open the shutters and turned out the sash"! Have to head out to work shortly, but first had to post a quick CAS creation for the following challenges:
Colour Q - Basic Gray, Summer Starfruit, Bravo Burgundy, Poppy Red (I subbed Real Red).
CAS(E) this Sketch - fun layout by Leigh Penner.

I used the "Feathers" die set by QuicKutz and sponged and stamped some grid and splatter designs.  Designer paper is from Authentique's Renew 6x6 pad and sentiment is from Reverse Confetti's Arrows and Elements set.  I attached my sequins with Tombow Multi Mono glue - you can see I didn't wait for it to dry or else the centers would be clear :-(.

TGIF...have a good one!

CQC & DS

I took a break from my run of making Christmas cards to play along with the autumn colors in the Colour Q Challenge...combining it with the Deconstructed Sketch Challenge. I stamped the base blueprint pattern with Bravo Burgundy ink, then stippled Rich Razzleberry over it.  I die cut the whole leaf and then a half leaf - sponging Pumpkin Pie, Crushed Curry and Bravo Burgundy ink on the cardstock.  I again stippled Rich Razzleberry over the leaf.  The sentiment is a metal word band by Tim Holtz which is anchored by two burgundy brads.

STAMPS: Leaf Blueprint (Tim Holtz), Borderline (Verve)
PAPER: Pumpkin Pie, Crushed Curry, White
INK: Bravo Burgundy, Pumpkin Pie, Rich Razzleberry, Crushed Curry
ACCESSORIES: Leaf Blueprint Framelits (Sizzix), Word band (TH).