You're Spooktacular

I love making Halloween cards!  Unfortunately there aren't too many people I can send them to . . .  I made this one based on the current sketch at The Paper Players.

The ghost is from the SugarPea Designs Eek-a-Boo stamp set.  He was heat embossed on thick vellum, then colored a bit with Copic markers.  One hint for this--color on the reverse side of the vellum with your markers.  I cut the ghost out, then used my favorite vellum adhesive, Simple Adhesive from Clear and Simple Stamps, to attach it to a purple panel.

The "you're spooktacular" sentiment was heat embossed in silver beneath the image. I added a trio of silver sequins around the ghost to give the panel a night time sky look.  After edging the image panel with orange cardstock, I adhered it to a coordinating plaid patterned paper panel.The finished panel was matted on black cardstock, then adhered to a dark purple card base. 

Materials Used:
Eek-a-Boo stamp set (SugarPea Designs); Memento Luxe Wedding Dress and Delicata Silvery Shimmer inks (Tsukineko/IMAGINE Crafts); markers (Copic); Elegant Eggplant, Pumpkin Pie, Basic Black, and vellum cardstock (Stampin' Up!); Halloween Parade designer paper (Doodlebug Design); silver sequins

More Than Coffee

Here's a fun coffee themed design inspired by last week's Mix It Up challenge at SugarPea Designs.  I used the sketch and the colors as inspiration for my design.

I brought in the shades of pink from the inspiration photo's balloons in the two-toned heart patterned paper panel on the left side of the card.  The panel was matted on coordinating solid pink cardstock, then adhered to a pale gray panel.  I used the Coffee to Go Cup die to make a to go cup to position on the right side of the panel.  The cup was accented with a pink heart die cut with the Heart Journal Card die.  This is the first time I've used this heart shape from the die set and now that I see how cute it is in action, I'm going to make sure I use it again soon! 

After the cup was in place, I mixed and matched text from the Caffeine Addict and Espresso Yourself stamp sets to create the "love you more than coffee" sentiment that I stamped on the patterned panel.  The finished panel was adhered to a coordinating pink card base.

Materials Used:
Caffeine Addict and Espresso Yourself stamp sets, SugarCuts Coffee to Go Cup and Heart Journal Card dies (SugarPea Designs); Memento Tuxedo Black ink (Tsukineko/IMAGINE Crafts); marker (Copic); Pink Passion cardstock (Stampin' Up!); Grout Gray cardstock (My Favorite Things); Kraft cardstock (Papertrey Ink); Sweet Cakes 6x6 paper pad (Doodlebug Design); foam tape

Color Throwdown 412-Smiles from Me

It's time for another Color Throwdown! Barbara is our hostess this week and she's sharing a vibrant color combination--blue, green, light pink, and coral.  I combined the colors with the current sketch from Sunday Stamps for this simple, sweet design.

I started my design by finding a piece of patterned paper that incorporated the challenge colors.  I cut the paper into strips and adhered it to the left side of a coral-y card base.  To top the paper strips, I created a pair of felt flowers using dies from Lil' Inker Designs.  It's been a while since I pulled out my felt and I'd almost forgotten how fun it is to use!  I arranged the flowers on the panel then added a green enamel dot to the center of each one.  The encouraging "smiles from me" sentiment from the Sending You stamp set was stamped on a bright pink fishtail flag strip. I set the strip on the card, tucking oneend beneath the flower pair.

To play along, just create a paper crafted project using these colors as a starting point and add a direct link to your finished project using the linky tool found at the end of this week's CTD post. As always, if you don’t have exact color matches, something close works just fine. Just be sure that the challenge colors are the dominant ones in your project. And, if you upload your project to an online gallery, use the keyword CTD412. If you upload your projects on social media, go ahead and use the hashtag #ctd412 and #colorthrowdown. You can find us on Instagram (and on Facebook!) with the username colorthrowdown. 

Before you get started, here’s some inspiration from the talented Color Throwdown team, our September guestie, Karren Johnson, and this week's Guest Star Stamper Emily E.

** Amy Rohl **  Amy Rysavy ** Barbara ** Broni ** 

 ** Jodi ** Lisa ** Lynn ** Vickie ** Wanda **

** September guestie Karren Johnson **

**  Guest Star Stamper Emily E. **

Materials Used:
Sending You stamp set, Perky Posies dies (Lil' Inker Designs); Memento Tuxedo Black ink (Tsukineko/IMAGINE Crafts); Raspberry Fizz and Melon Berry cardstock, Melon Berry, Raspberry Fizz, and Spring Moss felt (Papertrey Ink); Perfectly Plaid 6x6 paper pad (Lawn Fawn); green enamel dots (My Mind's Eye)

I Thank My Lucky Stars

I used the current sketch at Match the Sketch to put together a patriotic themed thank you card.  Nothing goes better with red, white, and blue stripes than stars, right?

My red, white, and blue striped paper is an old patterned paper scrap found in my stash.  It was the perfect background for the star themed thank you sentiment from Reverse Confetti's Because of the Brave set.  I stamped the text in navy pigment ink on a cream panel, then matted it on a pair of coordinating cardstock panels.  After adding a narrow navy cardstock strip across the panel to break up the vertical stripes, I added the sentiment on top, using foam tape for dimension.  I accented it with silver die cut stars and a trio of sparkly enamel dots.  The finished panel was matted on navy cardstock, then adhered to an easy to write on light blue card base.

Materials Used:
Because of the Brave stamp set, Seeing Stars dies (Reverse Confetti); Memento Luxe Nautical Blue ink (Tsukineko/IMAGINE Crafts); Spring Rain cardstock (Papertrey Ink); Night of Navy and Riding Hood Red cardstock (Stampin' Up!); silver paper (Target); designer paper (Creative Imaginations); silver glitter enamel dots (Eyelet Outlet); foam tape

Mojo Monday 467-Puppy Love

Happy Monday!  It's time for a new Mojo Monday sketch.  It's the last Monday of the month and we're switching things up a bit this week with a square layout.

I made a dog themed design using stamps from Paper Smooches.  The dog image from the Paws for a Cause set was stamped in copper ink to match the color of my mini goldendoodle, Bo.  He doesn't sparkle like this dog does, but his coat is a rich copper color like a penny--so pretty!  I used the matching die to cut out the stamped image, then adhered it to a white circle with foam tape.  After matting the image panel on a red pierced circle, I adhered it to a pale blue cardstock panel with a strip of plaid patterned paper at the bottom.  The set's "puppy love' sentiment was stamped on the patterned paper in dark brown ink just to the right of the image panel.

I die cut a tiny kraft tag to accent the image.  The tag is decorated with a paw print die cut topped with a teeny, tiny red heart.  I added a twine bow to the tag, then adhered it next to the image using foam tape.  The finished panel was adhered to a coordinating square kraft card base.

Head on over to the Mojo Monday blog for more inspiration from the design team and to add your own take on this week's sketch!  You can also find all of the Mojo Makers at their blogs here:

• Julee Tilman (Owner)
• Justin Krieger
• Marisa Ritzen
• Sarah Bigelow
• Teresa Kline
• Wanda Cullen 

Materials Used:
Paws for a Cause stamp set, Paws Cause Icons and Paw Print dies (Paper Smooches); Delicata Celestial Copper and Memento Espresso Truffle inks (Tsukineko/IMAGINE Crafts); Poppy Parade and Dark Chocolate carstock (Stampin' Up!); Kraft cardstock (Papertrey Ink); Sno Cone cardstock, Die-namics Pierced Circle STAX and Pierced Traditional Tag STAX dies (My Favorite Things); Good Fellows 6x6 paper pad (Fancy Pants Designs); circle dies (Spellbinders); twine (Lawn Fawn); foam tape

You Make My Tail Wag

It's hard to believe that my adorable rescue dog Bo joined our family four weeks ago!  I used this week's My Favorite Things Wednesday Sketch Challenge to make another thank you card for gifts Bo received to welcome him to our family.

I made the layout's round panel into a simple outdoor scene.  The blue sky and green grass are divided by a die cut white picket fence.  One of the dog images from the You Make My Tail Wag stamp set was colored with Copic markers and cut out, then placed on top of the panel, using foam tape for dimension.  I framed the scene with a light blue pierced circle die cut, then adhered it to a red striped panel.  After stamping the set's "you make my tail wag" sentiment beneath the image, I adhered the striped panel to a kraft cardstock panel.  I was worried that the stripes would make the text hard to read, but it seems to be readable enough.  The finished panel was adhered to a coordinating light blue card base.

Materials Used:
You Make My Tail Wag stamp set, Die-namics Pierced Circle STAX dies (My Favorite Things); Memento Tuxedo Black and Versafine Onyx Black inks (Tsukineko/IMAGINE Crafts); markers (Copic); Spring Rain and Kraft cardstock, Spring Rain and Pure Poppy patterned papers (Papertrey Ink); Picket Fence Border die (Taylored Expressions); foam tape

The Challenge 79-Season's Greetings

The Challenge is back with a new challenge!  Next up in our rotation is a Christmas inspiration photo challenge. It's probably pretty obvious, but I was inspired by the photo's images and color scheme.

My layout comes from the current sketch at Freshly Made Sketches.  The layout's large panel was perfect for creating my wintery scene.  I love all of the Paper Smooches snowman images, so it was hard to pick just one to use, but I finally settled on one from the Paper Smooches Cool Dudes set.  I stamped the image on shimmery white cardstock and colored it with Copic markers, then used the matching die to cut it out.  It's hard to see in the photo, but I added a bit of white flock to the pom pom on his hat for some texture.  After adhering the snowman over a shimmery white snowbank, I added a cardinal from the Santa Paws set perched on his arm.  A few sparkly silver sequins serve as snowflakes in the dark sky. 

I matted the scene on white cardstock, then adhered it to a gray dotted patterned paper panel.  The "season's greetings" sentiment from the Swanky Snowdudes set was stamped on a narrow red cardstock strip and adhered across the panel, just beneath the snowman.  The finished panel was adhered to a festive red card base.

Check out what the rest of the talented team at The Challenge has created based on this week's inspiration photo.  Here's where to find them:

Anita Madden
Broni Holcombe
Claire Broadwater

Kim Heggins
Lee Ann Barrett

Lori Tecler--you're here!

Nance Salkeld

Nina Forsyth
Rachel Bergfeld

Materials Used:
Cool Dudes, Santa Paws, and Swanky Snowdudes stamp sets, Cool Dudes and Backdrop Builders dies (Paper Smooches); Memento Tuxedo Black ink (Tsukineko/IMAGINE Crafts); markers (Copic); Real Red, Basic Black, and Shimmery White cardstock (Stampin' Up!); Recollections Grey Mini Dot designer paper (Michaels); white flock (Stampendous); silver sequins; foam tape

Fall Coffee Lovers Blog Hop

I'm joining in on the Fall Coffee Lovers Blog Hop with this fall-inspired thank you card featuring stamps and dies from SugarPea Designs. The layout is based on the current sketch at RetroSketches.

I built my design on a piece of plaid patterned paper.  Something about plaid just screams "fall" to me!  I adhered a contrasting strip of teal cardstock across the plaid panel, then topped it with a kraft zig zag stitched circle die cut.  The "just to espresso my thanks" sentiment was stamped in super dark brown ink on a cream panel.  I used a combination of 4 different stamps from the SPD Espresso Yourself set to get the wording. Creating a card with a thank you sentiment seemed most appropriate for the fall hop since it is the season when we celebrate Thanksgiving.  After matting the sentiment on a dark brown cardstock panel, I adhered it to the center of the kraft circle. 

I die cut a to go cup using the Coffee To Go Cup dies. It's hard to see in the photo, but I shaded the cup a bit with a warm gray Copic marker to give it a bit of depth.  I adhered the cup to the panel using foam tape, then framed it with a trio of brown enamel dots.  The finished panel was adhered to a coordinating orange card base.

Materials Used:
Espresso Yourself stamp set, Coffee To Go Cup dies (SugarPea Designs); Memento Espresso Truffle ink (Tsukineko/IMAGINE Crafts); marker (Copic); Tropical Teal and Kraft cardstock (Papertrey Ink); Orange Fizz cardstock (My Favorite Things); Early Espresso cardstock (Stampin' Up!); Perfectly Plaid-Fall 6x6 paper pad (Lawn Fawn); brown enamel dots (Doodlebug Designs); foam tape

Have a Cool Birthday

Yes, it's the first day of fall and yes,  I'm sharing a super summery design.  This one was inspired by the celebration theme of the first Where Creativity Meets C9 challenge.

The popsicles are from Concord and 9th's Sweet and Cool stamp set.  They are made from watercolored paper coated with some clear glitter from a Spectrum Noir Sparkle pen.  The glittery coating looks kind of ice crystal-like IRL!

I arranged the popsicle pair on a white panel, using foam tape to adhere the top one.  The set's "have a cool birthday" sentiment was stamped next to the popsicles in black ink.  I added a bunch of different sized clear sequins around the popsicles. The finished panel was adhered to a pale yellow card base that coordinates nicely with all of the colors in the popsicles.

Materials Used:
Sweet and Cool stamp set, Sweet and Cool dies (Concord and 9th); Memento Tuxedo Black ink (Tsukineko/IMAGINE Crafts); Lemon Chiffon cardstock (My Favorite Things); Kraft cardstock (Papertrey Ink); watercolors (Michaels); sparkling clear sequins (Pretty Pink Posh); foam tape

Color Throwdown 411-Birthday Balloon Bouquet

It's time for another Color Throwdown!  Amy Rysavy is our hostess this week and she's chosen a bold sunset inspired color combination--purple, poppy red, orange, and yellow.  I used the colors to make a clean and simple birthday card based on the current sketch at CAS(e) this Sketch.

With bold colors like this, I tend to use a lot of white and just a bit of each of the colors. Here, I used three of the colors to create a balloon bouquet.  The balloons were die cut with the Balloon Builder dies from Lil' Inker Designs.  After stamping the balloon strings image from the Balloon Builder stamp set on a white panel, I arranged the balloons on top, using foam tape for dimension.  I stamped the words "happy" and "birthday" from the Mom and Dad Sentiments set at the sides of the bouquet, then arranged a trio of yellow sequins around the panel. The finished panel was adhered to a poppy red card base.

To play along, just create a paper crafted project using these colors as a starting point and add a direct link to your finished project using the linky tool found at the end of this week's CTD post. As always, if you don’t have exact color matches, something close works just fine. Just be sure that the challenge colors are the dominant ones in your project. And, if you upload your project to an online gallery, use the keyword CTD411. If you upload your projects on social media, go ahead and use the hashtag #ctd411 and #colorthrowdown. You can find us on Instagram (and on Facebook!) with the username colorthrowdown. 

Before you get started, here’s some inspiration from the talented Color Throwdown team, our September guestie, Karren Johnson, and this week's Guest Star Stamper Tina Magnusson.

** Amy Rohl **  Amy Rysavy ** Barbara ** Broni ** 

 ** Jodi ** Lisa ** Lynn ** Vickie ** Wanda **

** September guestie Karren Johnson **

**  Guest Star Stamper Tina Magnusson **

Materials Used:
Balloon Builders and Mom and Dad Sentiments stamp sets, Balloon Builders dies (Lil' Inker Designs); Memento Tuxedo Black ink (Tsukineko/IMAGINE Crafts); Poppy Parade cardstock (Stampin' Up!); Winter Wisteria cardstock (Papertrey Ink); yellow sequins; foam tape

I Just Adore You

Here's my card for September's second Viva la Verve sketch. I used the layout to create a love themed design that wasn't overly feminine. I think it works!

I used the "I simply adore you" sentiment from Verve's Simply Amazing set as my focal image.  After stamping the sentiment on a white circle, I accented it with a pair of red hearts die cut with Verve's Heart Quartet die.  I sifted through patterned paper pads and scraps for way too long before settling on this pair of papers from an Echo Park paper pad.  The mix of papers was perfect for a gender-neutral design.  I matted the striped paper on gray cardstock, then adhered it to the blue-gray card base on an angle.  After adding the round patterned panel over it, I topped it with the sentiment panel. A trio of gray enamel dots arranged around the sentiment completed the design.

Materials Used:
Simply Amazing stamp set, Heart Quartet die (Verve Stamps); Memento Tuxedo Black ink (Tsukineko/IMAGINE Crafts); Ocean Tides and Smokey Shadow cardstock (Papertrey Ink); Real Red cardstock (Stampin' Up!); Sweet Day 6x6 paper pad (Echo Park); circle dies (Spellbinders); Recollections gray enamel dots (Michaels); foam tape

Mojo Monday 466-You're My Superhero

Happy Monday!  It's time for a new Mojo Monday sketch.  This one has lots of possibilities and after thinking about quite a few things, I settled on making everyone's favorite big eared superhero, the bunny from the My Hero set from The Cat's Pajamas, my focal image.

I colored the bunny image with Copic markers, then carefully cut out the colored image.   I used foam tape to adhere him to a blue dotted background panel edged with a strip of green die cut grass.  To fill in the little scene, I added a pair of shimmery white die cut stitched clouds in the panel's upper right corner.  The panel was matted on coordinating light blue cardstock, then adhered to a darker blue cardstock panel.  I stamped the set's "you're my superhero" sentiment on another strip of the same blue dotted paper and matted it, then adhered it next to the image panel.  To bring in the colors from the superbunny's costume, I used navy blue and red scraps to cut the fishtail flag strips that were set above the sentiment.  The finished panel was adhered to a coordinating light blue card base.


Head on over to the Mojo Monday blog for more inspiration from the design team and to add your own take on this week's sketch!  You can also find all of the Mojo Makers at their blogs here:

• Julee Tilman (Owner)
• Justin Krieger
• Marisa Ritzen
• Sarah Bigelow
• Teresa Kline
• Wanda Cullen 

Materials Used:
My Hero stamp set, CutUps Stitched Clouds, Stitched Fly, and Grass dies (The Cat's Pajamas); Memento Tuxedo Black ink (Tsukineko/IMAGINE Crafts); markers (Copic); Marina Mist, Real Red, Night of Navy, Kiwi Kiss, and Shimmery White cardstock (Stampin' Up!); Spring Rain cardstock, Spring Rain patterned paper (Papertrey Ink); Die-namics Fishtail Flag STAX dies (My Favorite Things); foam tape

You're Dog-gone Awesome

Since my sweet mini goldendoodle Bo arrived at the end of last month, we've received some very generous gifts from special friends.  Those special gifts need special dog-themed thank you's right?  I used this week's My Favorite Things Wednesday Sketch Challenge to make one.

I used the sketch's square panel to make a window, then set a dog image from the Lucky Dog set so that it looks like he's peering out of the window.  Too cute!  The window was backed with aqua gingham paper, then layered on to a contrasting red panel. After adhering the panel to a kraft card base, I added a fishtail flag strip with the set's "you're dog-gone awesome" sentiment along the bottom.  To accent the sentiment, I used foam tape to add a red die cut heart to the end of the fishtail flag strip, then stamped a tiny paw print on the heart to go with the dog theme.

Materials Used:
Lucky Dog stamp set, Die-namics Lucky Dog,Pierced Square STAX, Fishtail Flag STAX, and Staggered Heart Border dies (My Favorite Things); Memento Tuxedo Black ink (Tsukineko/IMAGINE Crafts); markers (Copic); Real Red cardstock (Stampin' Up!); Aqua Mist and Kraft cardstock, Aqua Mist patterned paper (Papertrey Ink); foam tape

The Challenge 78-Tropical Thanks

The Challenge is back with a new challenge!  Next up in our rotation is a photo inspiration challenge. I paired the inspiration photo with the Pinapple Paradise stamp set from SugarPea Designs and the sketch from SPD's current Mix It Up challenge.

I stamped the pineapple image on the matching pineapple die cut using pigment inks.  To make it easy to get a multicolored pineapple, I did a little stamp "surgery" and cut the image apart.  I was able to ink the leafy top in green and the bottom in yellow, then roll it in kraft for a two toned look. 

I added a pair of panels to a bold yellow card base. The floral one was a nod to the inspiration photo's flowers. The solid orange panel was die cut with one of SPD's Zig Zag Stitched Rectangle dies. I stamped the set's "thanks" sentiment on it, then added the pineapple image on top using foam tape.  I scattered a bunch of yellow enamel dots around the sentiment to finish the design.

Check out what the rest of the talented team at The Challenge has created based on this week's inspiration photo.  Here's where to find them:

Anita Madden
Broni Holcombe
Claire Broadwater

Kim Heggins
Lee Ann Barrett

Lori Tecler--you're here!

Nance Salkeld

Nina Forsyth
Rachel Bergfeld

Materials Used:
Pineapple Paradise stamp set, SugarCuts Pineapple Paradise and Zig Zag Stitched Rectangle dies (SugarPea Designs);  Mimosa and Celery inks (Avery Elle); Memento Luxe Toffee Crunch and Memento Tuxedo Black inks (Tsukineko/IMAGINE Crafts); Lemon Drop and Orange Zest cardstock (My Favorite Things); Raspberry Fizz cardstock (Papertrey Ink); Sugar Shoppe 6x6 paper pad (Doodlebug Design); yellow enamel dots (My Mind's Eye); foam tape

A Bushel and a Peck

Here's my card for this week's sketch at Freshly Made Sketches.  The adorable bushel of apples from Lawn Fawn's Thanks a Bushel set were a perfect fit for the layout's round panel.

I colored the apples and bushel basket with Copic markers, then used the coordinating die to cut out the colored image.  The image was adhered to a white circle using foam tape.  After matting the image panel on red cardstock, I adhered it to a kraft stitched edge panel over strips of red gingham patterned paper and some jute ribbon.  The gingham is a perfect match for the apples and the ribbon strip's woven texture just says "fall" to me!  I stamped the set's "I love you a bushel and a peck" sentiment on a narrow red fishtail flag strip and layered it over the bushel basket.  The finished panel was adhered to a red card base.

Materials Used:
Thanks a Bushel stamp set, Thanks a Bushel dies (Lawn Fawn); Memento Tuxedo Black ink (Tsukineko/IMAGINE Crafts); markers (Copic); Real Red cardstock (Stampin' Up!); Kraft cardstock, Pure Poppy patterned paper (Papertrey Ink); Die-Namics Blueprints 24 and Fishtail Flag STAX dies (My Favorite Things); circle dies (Spellbinders); jute ribbon (Michaels); foam tape

An Apple for Teacher

Here's my card for this month's Reverse Confetti Sketch for You to Try.  I put together this teacher themed design for my former officemate who took a new position to start the school year.  I miss her lots and want to let her know that!

I mixed and matched elements from three Reverse Confetti sets for my card. An apple from the All Apples set is my focal image.  I used foam tape to adhere it to a notebook paper patterned panel made with a stamp from the Class Act stamp set and the matching die. I made a background for the panel by adhering a chalkboard style text stamped dark gray strip to a kraft card base over a coordinating red cardstock panel.  A narrow yellow ruler, stamped with an image from the Worm Wishes set and cut out with the matching die, added a fun contrasting pop of color. AFter I added the notebook panel on top, I scattered a trio of red enamel dots around it to complete the design.

Materials Used:
All Apples, Worm Wishes, and Class Act stamp sets, All Apples, Worm Wishes, and Class Act dies (Reverse Confetti) Cherry, Lemon Grass, and Aquamarine inks (Avery Elle); Memento Luxe Rich Cocoa and Wedding Dress ink (Tsukineko/IMAGINE Crafts); Real Red cardstock (Stampin' Up!); Kraft cardstock (Papertrey Ink); Typewriter Text background stamp, Steel Grey and Lemon Drop cardstock (My Favorite Things); red enamel dots (Eyelet Outlet); foam tape

Color Throwdown 410-Celebrate

It's time for another Color Throwdown!  Wanda is our hostess this week and she's chosen a soft, pretty color palette--peach, aqua, and gray.  I used the colors along with the current sketch at RetroSketches to make a special birthday card.

I used Avery Elle's Fabulous Floral stamps and coordinating dies to create a pretty spray of flowers using the challenge colors.  After settling on an arrangement, I placed the flowers and leaves on an aqua card base with a gray dotted panel along the bottom half.  The dark gray panel hides the seam between the two panels and its cream trim gives it a feminine touch.  I stamped the "celebrate" sentiment from the Sentimental stamp set to the left of the flowers, then arranged a trio of enamel dots around the flowers as an accent. 

To play along, just create a paper crafted project using these colors as a starting point and add a direct link to your finished project using the linky tool found at the end of this week's CTD post. As always, if you don’t have exact color matches, something close works just fine. Just be sure that the challenge colors are the dominant ones in your project. And, if you upload your project to an online gallery, use the keyword CTD410. If you upload your projects on social media, go ahead and use the hashtag #ctd410 and #colorthrowdown. You can find us on Instagram (and on Facebook!) with the username colorthrowdown. 

Before you get started, here’s some inspiration from the talented Color Throwdown team, our September guestie, Karren Johnson, and this week's Guest Star Stamper Susie Moore.

** Amy Rohl **  Amy Rysavy ** Barbara ** Broni ** 

 ** Jodi ** Lisa ** Lynn ** Vickie ** Wanda **

** September guestie Karren Johnson **

**  Guest Star Stamper Susie Moore  **

Materials Used:
Fabulous Florals and Sentimental stamp sets, Fizz pigment ink, Fabulous Florals dies (Avery Elle); Lake House pigment ink (WPlus9); Memento Luxe Gray Flannel ink (Tsukineko/IMAGINE Crafts); Aqua Mist cardstock (Papertrey Ink); Steel Grey cardstock (My Favorite Things); Gray Mini Dot designer paper (Michaels); cream trim (Hobby Lobby); Tangerine enamel dots (Doodlebug Design); foam tape

Curtain Call Inspiration Challenge-Fall Floral

It's time for a new Curtain Call Inspiration Challenge!

Welcome to a very special challenge!  The Curtain Call Crew is joining the Altenew crew for The Ultimate Challenge Blog Hop.  The hop features inspiration from many of your favorite challenge blogs.  Click on the graphic above to check out the hop and all of the details. 

And, since you can't think of Altenew without thinking of their fabulous floral stamps, the Curtain Call Crew has created a bevy of fall inspired floral projects to share today.  We hope you'll play along!  The LEAD of this challenge will be invited as a Guest Designer in a future challenge!  Please visit the Curtain Call Challenge blog for all the challenge info and deadline.

Here's my take on the inspiration photo.  I used Altenew's new Bamboo Rose set, stamped in gold and heat embossed.  The blooms and leaves were colored in with Clean Color marker and an aqua brush.  I stamped the set's "take care" sentiment in gold and heat embossed it, too.  Half of a white paper doily was adhered to the top of the panel.  I wrapped the panel with some pretty seam binding and added a double looped bow made with my neglected Bow Easy for one more feminine touch.  The finished panel was adhered to a golden yellow card base.

Make sure you visit each of the designers' blogs for more inspiration:

Fall Floral Designers

Betty Wright
Kim Singdahlsen
Laurie Willison
Leigh Penner
Lisa Henke
Lori Tecler--you're here!
Lynn Mangan
Marisa Ritzen
Maureen Plut
Melody Rupple
Monika Davis
Silke Ledlow
Sheri Gilson
Stacey Schafer
Tammy Hershberger
Tara Godfrey

Follow us:

Curtain Call Inspiration Challenge Facebook Page

Curtain Call Pinterest Boards

Stop by the Curtain Call Inspiration Challenge: Fall Floral for the challenge details and to play along with us!

Materials Used:
Bamboo Rose stamp set (Altenew); Delicata Golden Glitz ink (Tsukineko/IMAGINE Crafts); Clean Color markers (Zig); Harvest Gold cardstock (Papertrey Ink); seam binding (Martha Stewart); Gold embossing powder (American Crafts); Bow Easy; white paper doily

Mojo Monday 465-You're a Lifesaver

Happy Monday!  It's time for a new Mojo Monday sketch.  I created a nautical themed thank you card using the sketch and stamps from Paper Smooches.

I made the tall panel into a watery scene featuring the sailboat from the Wicked Nauticool set.  Some light blue dotted paper with darker blue wavy edged cardstock at the bottom serve as sky and water. The boat was set on top with foam tape.  I adhered the image panel to a light blue cardstock panel over an angled dark blue panel and a strip of twill.  The layout's round panel was turned into a sun.  I stamped the set's thank you sentiment at the sun's center, then added it to the panel with foam tape.  To finish the scene I added a pair of tiny shimmery white clouds to the sun's edge.  After adding a trio of shiny silver brads to the dark blue panel, I adhered the finished panel to a matching dark blue card base.

Head on over to the Mojo Monday blog for more inspiration from the design team and to add your own take on this week's sketch!  You can also find all of the Mojo Makers at their blogs here:

• Julee Tilman (Owner)
• Justin Krieger
• Marisa Ritzen
• Sarah Bigelow
• Teresa Kline
• Wanda Cullen  

Materials Used:
Wicked Nauticool stamp set, Nauticool and Clouds dies (Paper Smooches); Memento Tuxedo Black ink (Tsukineko/IMAGINE Crafts); markers (Copic); Pacific Point, Real Red, and Shimmery White cardstock (Stampin' Up!); Spring Rain and Lemon Tart cardstock, Spring Rain patterned paper (Papertrey Ink); pinking circle dies (Spellbinders); circle punches (EK Success); white twill (Martha Stewart); silver brads (Michaels); corner rounder; foam tape

Textured Fall Thank You

It's certainly not feeling like fall is around the corner out here, but I think I'm ready for temperatures to cool down a bit!  This fall thank you card was inspired by both the current texture themed Lawnscaping challenge and the sketch and inspiration photo from the current Fusion challenge.

I built my design on a green card base.  For texture, I considered corrugated cardstock, suede-like cardstock, and laminated burlap.  Lots of options, right?  I ended up going with the corrugated paper.  I edged it with a narrow strip of gold paper, then adhered it across the top of the cardfront.  I topped the corrugated panel with a pair of sparkly gold leaves cut with Lawn Fawn's Stitched Leaves dies.  After stamping the "many thanks" sentiment from Lawn Fawn's Happy Harvest set on a green fishtail flag strip in dark brown ink, I added it to the cardfront underneath the leaves.  For a final sparkly touch, I arranged a trio of gold sequins around the sentiment strip.

Materials Used:
Happy Harvest stamp set, Stitched Leaves dies (Lawn Fawn); Memento Espresso Truffle ink (Tsukineko/IMAGINE Crafts); Simply Chartreuse cardstock (Papertrey Ink); kraft corrugated cardstock (Creative Imaginations); gold paper (Target); Die-namics Fishtail Flag STAX dies (My Favorite Things); gold sequins (Michaels); foam tape

 

 

The Challenge 77-Tank You

The Challenge is back with a new challenge!  Next up in our rotation is a color challenge featuring teal, coral, and yellow.  I paired the colors with the current sketch at Freshly Made Sketches to put together this punny thank you design.

My focal image is the fish bowl from Lawn Fawn's Fintastic stamp set.  I filled the bowl with a pair of fish, then colored the image with Copic markers and cut it out with the matching die. 

To go with the fishbowl, I found a piece of coral-y colored polka dotted patterned paper.  I matted the paper on a coral cardstock panel, then adhered it to a teal card base.  After layering a narrow golden yellow cardstock strip across the bottom of the dotted panel, I added the fishbowl on top, using foam tape for dimension.  I stamped the set's "tank you" sentiment above the fishbowl and arranged a trio of teal enamel dot "bubbles" above the fishbowl to finish the design.

Check out what the rest of the talented team at The Challenge has created based on this week's sketch.  Here's where to find them:

Anita Madden
Broni Holcombe
Claire Broadwater

Kim Heggins
Lee Ann Barrett

Lori Tecler--you're here!

Nance Salkeld

Nina Forsyth
Rachel Bergfeld

Materials Used:
Fintastic stamp set, Fintastic dies (Lawn Fawn); Memento Tuxedo Black and Versafine Onxy Black inks (Tsukineko/IMAGINE Crafts); markers (Copic); Hawaiian Shores and Harvest Gold cardstock (Papertrey Ink); Coral Crush cardstock (My Favorite Things); 6x6 paper pad (My Mind's Eye); teal enamel dots (Eyelet Outlet); foam tape

Follow Your Rainbow

Things have been very busy at my day job, so I only had time to put together a quick card before I sat down to tackle the work I brought home.  This week's My Favorite Things Wednesday Sketch Challenge was a perfect fit! 

I let the rainbow background panel do most of the work here.  I added the contrasting black die cut "rainbow," made extra dimensional with a matching craft foam cutout behind it.  The black has such a nice pop against the rainbow background!  I stamped the coordinating"follow your" sentiment from the Rainbow of Happiness set on a tiny bright pink cardstock strip and placed it just above the die cut word.  The word and die cut were accented with a trio of iridescent sequins.  After layering the rainbow panel on a bright pink cardstock mat, I adhered it to a pale pink card base. The pinks aren't exactly traditional rainbow colors, but I love how they look here!

Materials Used:
Rainbow of Happiness stamp set, Die-namics Color the Rainbow dies (My Favorite Things); Basic Black cardstock (Stampin' Up!); Raspberry Fizz and Sweet Blush cardstock (Papertrey Ink); Rainbow Bright 6x6 paper pack (Taylored Expressions); iridescent sequins; craft foam

Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star

One of my colleagues recently had a baby girl, so I took advantage of the occasion to create a super girly, all pink baby card to welcome her.  The clean, classic layout for the design comes from September's first Viva la Verve sketch. 

I knew I wanted to use Verve's Little Star Plain Jane as my focal image, so I stamped it in rosy pink ink on a white circle, then layered it on a pair of pink  mats for emphasis. It's hard to see in the photo, but the bottom layer has a pierced border that goes nicely with the dotted frame around the sentiment.  

To go with the sentiment, I found a scrap of pink heart patterned paper. I double matted it, just like the sentiment, then added it to a pale pink card base.  After adding a pink strip on top, covering the patterned panel's bottom edge, I added the sentiment on top.  Originally I had a trio of pink sequins lined up next to the sentiment panel, but I didn't like how that looked, so I carefully took the pieces apart and wrapped a piece of ribbon around the panel instead.  Much better!  For a final girly touch, I tucked a strip of ruffled gingham ribbon beneath the panel that runs across the card.

Materials Used:
Little Star Plain Jane (Verve Stamps); Memento Luxe Rose Bud ink (Tsukineko/IMAGINE Crafts); Pink Lemonade and Ripe Raspberry cardstock, Die-namics Pierced Circle STAX dies (My Favorite Things); Bundle of Joy-A New Addition 6x6 paper pad (Echo Park); circle dies (Spellbinders); pink gingham trim (Hobby Lobby)

Color Throwdown 409-Sending Sunshine

It's time for another Color Throwdown!  Vickie is our hostess this week and she's found a fabulous combination--yellow, black, aqua, and white. When I saw these colors, I thought of a sunny sky speckled with clouds and I think my card captures that pretty well.

The layout is based on the current sketch at Retro Sketches.  I made a sun-filled scene for the card's upper left corner using sun and cloud dies from WPlus9.  The black "sending sunshine" sentiment really pops against the blue background.  It helps that I cut the "sending" out of craft foam to layer behind the black die cut word!

After matting the little scene on yellow cardstock, I adhered it to a yellow card base covered with a piece of dotted aqua patterned paper.  I decided the card needed a bit of sparkle, so I added a trio of aqua sequins in the empty space beneath the sun and clouds.

To play along, just create a paper crafted project using these colors as a starting point and add a direct link to your finished project using the linky tool found at the end of this week's CTD post. As always, if you don’t have exact color matches, something close works just fine. Just be sure that the challenge colors are the dominant ones in your project. And, if you upload your project to an online gallery, use the keyword CTD409. If you upload your projects on social media, go ahead and use the hashtag #ctd409 and #colorthrowdown. You can find us on Instagram (and on Facebook!) with the username colorthrowdown. 

Before you get started, here’s some inspiration from the talented Color Throwdown team and our September guestie, Karren Johnson.

** Amy Rohl **  Amy Rysavy ** Barbara ** Broni ** 

 ** Jodi ** Lisa ** Lynn ** Vickie ** Wanda **

** September guestie Karren Johnson **
 

Materials Used:
Hand Lettered Hello stamp set, Sending, Hoping, Wishing Word and Sunshine Layers dies (WPlus9); Memento Tuxedo Black ink (Tsukineko/IMAGINE Crafts); Lemon Drop cardstock (My Favorite Things); Basic Black, Cool Caribbean, and Shimmery White cardstock (Stampin' Up!);  Apple Cheddar Soup-Fresh Apple Slices designer paper (Jillibean Soup); aqua sequins (Treehouse Studio); craft foam; foam tape

Sweet Birthday Wishes

Here's another birthday card to add to my stash.  This one is based on the current sketch at Match the Sketch.

With summer quickly coming to a close, I thought I'd ink up WPlus9's berry-filled Fresh Picked set one last time for the season.  I stamped a trio of strawberries with the help of my MISTI for the cluster of elements at the left of the cardfront.  For a background, I adhered a pale green cardstock panel with a red gingham patterned strip along the bottom to the center of a darker green card base.  I edged the center panel with narrow kraft strips, then added a wider kraft strip across the cardfront, hiding the seam between the two different paper panels.  The berries were arranged on top using foam tape for dimension.  I completed the design by stamping the set's "sweet birthday wishes" sentiment just above the kraft strip in green ink.

Materials Used:
Fresh Picked stamp set, Fresh Picked dies (WPlus9); Memento Lady Bug and Bamboo Leaves inks (Tsukineko/IMAGINE Crafts); Spring Moss, Simply Chartreuse, and Kraft cardstock, Pure Poppy patterned paper (Papertrey Ink); foam tape