Scandinavian Snowflake

I am running late and just now posting a card for Taylored Expressions Sketch Challenge 88. As I was photographing I noticed how much this reminded me of a Scandinavian design. I had purchased this sheet of punch shapes from Cosmo Cricket at the end of last year but never used them so decided to punch out the snowflake ornament and worked from there. The center snowflake is another stamp from Sewing Box-Christmas by Waltzingmouse Stamps. Check Claire's blog tonight--she has posted a sneak peek of a new set and it has a charming little cottage in this same style! So anxious to see what else is included! The sentiment is from her Seasons of Love-Tags. Small snowflake stamp is Sign Language, Papertrey Ink. Cardstock is all Papertrey Ink; patterned paper and brad are from Basic Grey; and ribbon is from Stampin' Up.

Hope everyone is staying warm. We have had rain since yesterday but lots of snow west of us so I'm not complaining! Hopefully I will get a couple more challenge entries done on the weekend. Tomorrow the furkids go to the vet for a check up. We are changing vets so hope all goes well. I don't look forward to the weekend like when I was working but for everyone who stills counts the days--it's almost Friday! Yeah!

Raspberry Plaid!

Guess what--more plaid! Can you guess that I just love this stamp set by Waltzingmouse! Makes me want to add plaid to everything! This plaid creation is for Raspberry Suite Color Challenge 18. I always love Dawn's selection of color but this is a particular favorite. I just adore the pink and green.

Supplies for today:

Stamps: Sewing Box-Christmas, Off-Beat Backgrounds-Waltzingmouse; Signature Christmas (featuring Dawn's gorgeous handwriting)-Papertrey Ink

Cardstock: Dark Chocolate, Vintage Cream, Raspberry Fizz, New Leaf, Kraft-all PTI

Ink: Vintage Cream-PTI; Rich Cocoa, Bamboo Leaves, Rose Bud-Memento

Embossing folder: Snowflakes-Cuttlebug

Twine-PTI

Hope everyone is having a good weekend! It was gorgeous this morning when I was out--still wonderful fall color. It has been perfect here this year--rain in the summer and cool but no hard frost yet. Makes me want to savor every moment!

Plaid & Ruffles: 2 Challenges

This card is my 2nd Moxie Fab Not Your Regular Ruffles entry and also for Laura's Sketch 37 at 2 Sketches 4 You. Hard to believe but I am actually doing another ruffle card! This was such fun! More playing with Waltzingmouse Off Beat Backgrounds and adding a Sewing Box-Christmas stocking. Claire's newest sets are wonderful and I have been using them a lot. I paper pierced the stocking, added some buttons and a couple of pearls--I think I love this one!

Additional Supplies:

Cardstock: Rustic White, Lavender Moon, Enchanged Evening-Papertrey Ink

Patterned Paper: Guide Lines-PTI

Ink: Paris Dusk, Sweet Plum-Memento; Lavender Moon-PTI

Buttons: PTI

Houndstooth Embossing Folder-Cuttlebug

Pearls-Hero Arts

Embroidery thread

Capturing Autumn

This is a rather long post with 2 cards and some autumn photos! The first card is for Taylored Expressions Sketch Challenge 87. Keeping with the fall theme I started with some Basic Grey Indian Summer paper. Additional supplies include:

Stamps: Autumn Abundance: Papertrey Ink

Cardstock: Dark Chocolate, Lemon Tart-Papertrey Ink; Buttercup-Brazil

Extras: Autumn Harvest Jewels-Paper Company Studio, Nesties, Copics, EK Success punch,

Quikutz Embossing Folder.

Some more Indian Summer paper and the willow tree from my new Waltzingmouse Stamps. The tree is from Blessed by You. I have had such fun with these and love this tree! I added the bunny (Martha Stewart punch) and wasn't sure if he was needed but he looked kind of cute! The other stamp set that I have been playing with (a lot!) is Off Beat Backgrounds. Isn't the stitching one clever! I will post one using the plaid tomorrow.

It has been just gorgeous here. Yesterday the fall colors seemed to have peaked and last night we got rain. The leaves are falling fast! We took the time yesterday to walk (and drive) a bit to take in the color before it is gone. We have the most spectacular American elm in front of our house with great golden leaves. The other 2 are just shots in the park close to our house!

We also walked thru our local botanical garden and here are some cute Fall Critters!

Aren't these fun.............

Simply Ruffled

I'm not your usual 'ruffle' person. Normally I don't even use a lot of ribbon! But what fun to find new challenges to help develop some 'outside the box' skills. This is for the Moxie Fab World Not Your Regular Ruffles challenge and is a simple thank you card with a little fluff. I love buttons and needed a home for a bunch of large black ones so this is perfect for a rather taylored card. And quick and easy so great to use for thank you notes! If you haven't tried adding ruffles on your cards, you might want to give it a try!

Supplies:

Stamps: Around & About Sentiments-Papertrey Ink

Cardstock: Summer Sunrise-PTI

Patterned paper: Bitty Bits Basics, Black & White Basics-PTI

Fluff: Ribbon, button-both PTI and I colored paper with Copics

Kazan's Sketch 37

Another Halloween card and a new challenge! I found this new blog yesterday--looks like lots of fun! Before I started my blog I mainly make cards for family and friends. I never took many photos or shared them with fellow stampers so it is exciting to expand my world and work on developing my stamping design skills. And I have so much to learn! I love checking the other sketches and sometimes just playing with designs before coming up with something I am satisfied enough with to actually take a photo. I know I have a long way to go before measuring up to the many fabulous creations that I often see but I am having a ball! Hope you enjoy!

Supplies for this card:

Stamps: Spooky Expressions-Taylored Expressions

Cardstock: Plum Pudding, Summer Sunrise-Papertrey Ink

Design paper: Hocus Pocus, Guide Lines, Bitty Dots-all PTI; Boo to You-My Mind's Eye

Ink: Memento

Embellishments: Rain Dots, Brads-Making Memories, Ribbon-LSS, Copic marker

TESC86-Happy Fright Night!

Halloween cards are always such fun! I just recently received my first order from Taylored Expressions--2 Halloween sets and just love them! For this card I used Brazil (sun coral) & PTI (spring moss) cardstock, vellum, Basic Grey Indian Summer patterned paper (aren't the colors great!), Memento ink, Copic makers, atyou Spica marker (clear), Rain Dots and PTI ribbon.

PTI WCMD Challenge #4: Australia

I think this is my favorite--a little bit like aboriginal art. The cardstock is Brazil and the patterned paper was in a pack that I got at Michael's ages ago. The Pond Life set was perfect!

Add some white dots and a sentiment from Life and another easy creation! Hope everyone had a much fun as I did! Now I can take time to check out what everyone else has done! Then get started on my thank you notes............

PTI WCMD Challenge #3: India

This was definitely the easiest card--super quick to make! The last time I was in Archiver's they were giving away paper pads by Deja Views. The flower in the center is a punch-out. The plum paper is PTI and I used the stamps from the new Vintage Labels set and embossed them in gold. I know I will use these a lot---they are so cool! Anyway, added a few gems and was done!

I decided not to add a sentiment but glued a lavender paisley paper that matches the flower on the inside. Thought it would be pretty as the background to a written note.

PTI WCMD Challenge #2: Mexico

This is my least favorite card! Coming up with colors was easy but just couldn't work out a design that looked right. The stamp sets are Guide Lines I with sentiment from Scattered Showers. All other supplies are PTI except for embroidery thread.

PTI WCMD Challenge #1: Japan

A huge thank you to Nicole and PTI for offering these WCMD Challenges, with great prizes too! And what a challenge--I really struggled with the one for Mexico! Japan was much easier and I immediately thought of the Life set. I had been playing with the Quikutz Stripes embossing folder and decided to stamp first and then emboss for this card. I like the effect and hopefully it shows in the photo. The dragonflies are from Pond Life and I stamped off once and then touched the edges of the wings again in the ink to get the watercolor effect.

Raspberry Suite Color Challenge #17

Wow! I have spent most of my weekend creating! My retirement is official--last day was Wednesday! They gave me a wonderful luncheon, many fabulous gifts and I got to see some dear old friends--just a cherished memorable day. I haven't even started on thank you cards as I took time out for the color challenge and then the WCMD contests at PTI! Good thing I don't have to go to work tomorrow! I would never get everything done! I am doing laundry while I post and took a enough time this afternoon to go grocery shopping--still have all those necessary chores!

This card uses a bird stamp from a Christmas set by Inkadinkado. Paper, ribbon and button by PTI. I used 2 embossing folders--one by Cuttlebug and then other is Stripes by Quikutz. Nicole used it in a sample during the last release and when I saw that Hobby Lobby carries the new folders, I was able to get 3 of them by using 40% coupons--great buy--and I love them all. The sentiment is from Dawn McVey's newest set, released in September, Signature Christmas. This is such a fabulous set and I have had such fun using it. It is going to be one of my favorites--just hope she can do another one with different sentiments soon!