Case this Sketch 129 and Fab Friday

The sketches at Case this Sketch are unfailingly lovely and this week is no exception, although the vertical sentiment is initially a bit scary!

Meanwhile, Fab Friday is showcasing the delicious new in-colours from Stampin' Up and I've used my three favourites from the range.

So, here it is...

Ingredients

Card: Whisper White, scrap of Watermelon Wonder

Stamps: SU Butterfly Basics and Kinda Eclectic, W&W Big, Bold and Party

Inks: Mint Macaron, Watermelon Wonder, Tip Top Taupe
Other: Brad base and Crumb Cake candy dot, linen twine, dimensional, Elegant Buttefly punch, SSS Stitched Rectangle die, Crumb Cake marker.

Create with Connie and Mary 361

This week, Connie and Mary have given us a sketch to work from.

This has been a challenge for me in many ways, in that I have deviated from what I think of as my usual style. Although I often use DSP when I'm scrapbooking, I seldom use it in cardmaking, preferring to use stamps to create backgrounds and depth. However, I did get myself a packet of the Everyday Chic DSP from the new catalogue. I got it out to test out on another card this weekend and ended up using it again here. Another deviation from my norm is using what I think of as gushy sentiments: at heart I'm plain spoken so usually limit myself to plain sentiments and usually make the sentiment less prominent. This one, from Perfect Pennants seemed apt for this card though and I like the result.

Ingredients

Card: Black, Whisper White, Mint Macaron, Everyday Chic DSP

Stamps: Perfect Pennants, Butterfly Basics

Ink: Black, Mint Macaron

Other: circle framelits, Butterfly Basics Thinlit die, rhinestones, linen twine, dimensionals

Paper Craft Crew 150

It has been a few weeks since I last played at the Paper Craft Crew but sometimes, life just gets in the way....

Anyway, the sketch this week was extra appealing, with its overlapping, askew squares.

I often find myself with a lot of feminine cards, not at least because of the frequency with which I reach for a butterfly stamp or die! So today, I was aiming firmly at the masculine end of the spectrum - not all male but something acceptable to a male - but still OK for a female.

I did indulge myself and get some Everyday Chic DSP from the new catalogue and have been itching to give it a turn.

The black and white is a good foil for the Coastal Cabana. Edging the cut shapes with a black marker gives a subtle, but perceptible, pop to the cut shapes. I really wished I had the little itty-bitty star punch tonight, so I could add in some tiny stars but the circles pick up the 'a' from the sentiment, so I'm OK with that.

Update: Pleased to be voted a Feature Artisan for this card.

Ingredients

Card: Black, Whisper White, Coastal Cabana scraps, Everyday Chic DSP

Stamps: Perfect Pennants

Other: Square Framelits, Star Framelits, the star from the Circle thinlits die, circle punch from the Itty Bitty punch pack, Coastal Cabana twine, Black marker pen, dimensionals.

As You See It 93

I always look at As You See It challenges but don't play anywhere near as often as I'd like. Maybe, if I retire....

This week is a sketch.

There's something about the way the challenges are presented on the page - they are just so enticing!

I started with the idea of using the dragonfly and having him on a skyline. The colours blended together on the circle are Hello Honey and Blackberry Bliss, and it was from that that the rest of the card grew.

Update: Delighted to be Featured Artist at As You Like It Challenge with this card.

Ingredients

Card: Hello Honey, Blackberry Bliss, Sahara Sand, Whisper White scraps

Inks: Blackberry Bliss, Hello Honey

Stamps: Clearly Besotted Leafy Accents and Say it in Style, SU Banner Blast.

Dies: Spellbinders Dragonfly Delight, Circle framelits

Other: Rhinestones, SU Square Lattice embossing folder, Couture Exotic embossing folder, SU Banner punch

AAA Cards Game 42

It's been a little while since I've played at AAA Cards but the technique challenge was really appealing. In fact, I started last weekend and only got time to finish my card this weekend, so just as well it's a two week challenge!

PASTE and/or STENCIL TECHNIQUES

Some time ago, I watched a video from Ranger Dylusion inks about using water to raise the colour from the ink and I'd heard it worked with distress inks too. I've not used stencils much. I had a couple that I used in scrapbooking layouts but never in cards. Having been lucky enough to win two stencils from Artplorations through Casology, I was well-armed for this experiment.

I started by cutting a circle and blending together Broken China and Crushed Olives. Then I used Artploration's Retro-circle stencil and misted it with water. After about a minute, I used a paper towel to pick up the water and bingo - the pattern appeared.

Then I used circle framelits to cut the original circle into three,  discarding (to my bits box) the inner circle. That's all adhered to a stitched rectangle, which is raised up on the white card base.

I like the effect created here. In the photo, it almost looks a bit bokeh - something else I'm going to have a play with soon. Isn't that one of the great things with crafts: there's always something new to try out.

I'm also linking this post to Stamplorations Anything Goes Challenge, since my lovely Artplorations stencil is the hero of the piece. :-)

Ingredients

Card: Whisper White, watercolour paper

Ink: Distress Inks Crushed Olives, Broken China; water, Black

Stencil: Artploration Retro Circles

Stamp: Clearly Besotted Say it in Style

Dies: Circle framelits, SSS Stitched Rectangles.

Other: dimensionals

CAS Colours and Sketches 130

Well, it's my final week as Guest Designer at CAS Colours and Sketches and it's sketch week, this week. Thanks so much to the team at CAS Colours and Sketches for letting me join in for the month of June. It's been a lot of fun.

I couldn't help myself: I'd got a new parcel from Stampin' Up and in it were the banner framelits. And the Perfect Pennants stamps....

Then I got all Disney and started thinking about "When You Wish Upon A Star." So that's how it all ended up here...

Ingredients

Card: Whisper White, Black, Hello Honey

Stamps: SU Perfect Pennants

Ink: Black

Other: Lucky Stars embossing folder, Banner framelits, Hello Honey twine, star thinlit from the Circle thinlit card die, Itty Bitty circle punch, black marker to colour cut edges

Case this Sketch 128

I had a lot of fun experimenting with the sketch from Case this Sketch this week.

A couple of weeks ago, I watched a great video clip on www.kwernerdesign.com on ink smooshing. I loved the controlled, yet uncontrolled nature of the technique and was keen to experiment with it again. So, here it is.

In a first attempt at this idea, I embossed the clock in white but is just got lost in the background, which is supposed to be reminiscent of fireworks and suggestive of energy and joy. The black embossing powder worked better, especially since the clock has been cut into pieces. I added in some sequins for a bit of glitz, in keeping with the celebration theme.

Ingredients
Card: Whisper White, Watercolour paper, Wisteria Wonder, Island Indigo
Stamps: Clearly Besotted Time to Celebrate, W&W Big, Bold and Party
Ink: Black, Tim Holtz Distress Ink Peacock Feathers and Shaded Lilac, Versamark
Other: W&W Big, Bold and Party die, W&W sequins, Black embossing powder