A Square Pair

I've said before that square cards are challenging for me, but I'm starting to find them easier and easier to create. I have two to share with you tonight, both made for sketch challenges.

This one is for Beate's weekend sketch challenge. I was making my sample for my challenge for tomorrow's World Card Making Day event at Kitchen Sink Stamps when I thought up this cute little card. I adjusted Beate's layout a little to get the pieces to fit on a small 4 1/4" by 4 1/4" square.

This is the first time I've tried the three step squirrel image in the Autumn Squirrel set. It's so easy to use. I started with a layer of pigment ink, then layered two different brown inks over that to stamp the squirrel. I used two of the sentiments, "oh, nuts!" and "I forgot" for the panel across the cardfront. The "I forgot" is stamped in Kiwi Kiss ink for some contrast. I chose the card's colors to coordinate with the striped patterned paper from Basic Grey's Infuse line. I kept the embellishments simple, a coppery brad and a ribbon tab, because of the small space on the cardfront.

Materials Used:

Autumn Squirrel stamp set (Kitchen Sink Stamps); Dune pigment ink (Colorbox); Close to Cocoa, Chocolate Chip, and Kiwi Kiss Classic inks, Kiwi Kiss, Not Quite Navy, Close to Cocoa, and Very Vanilla cardstock, dimensionals (Stampin' Up!); patterned paper (Basic Grey's Infuse line); copper brad (Making Memories); brown grosgrain ribbon (Morex)

The second card is for Julee's Mojo Monday sketch. The card is a little larger, measuring 5" square. I used one of the images from the DoodleFactory Fairy Tale sets from Starving Artistamps here. The appropriately named "Grand Castle" is stamped on white cardstock, then colored with Copic markers. I trimmed around the image, then used dimensionals to attach it to a brayered background panel. I used three shades of blue ink on a piece of glossy cardstock to create the sky-like background.

The "congrats on the new castle!" sentiment is stamped on a strip of light blue cardstock. I added a purple sparkly brad to one end and cut a notch into the other end to make it look kind of like a banner or flag. I really like how this one turned out--so fun!

Be sure to stop back tomorrow for a special World Card Making Day event . . .

Materials Used:

The Grand Castle, Pretty Background, sentiment (Starving Artistamps); white cardstock (Xerox); Tuxedo Black ink (Memento); markers (Copic Ciao); Elegant Eggplant, Soft Sky, Baja Breeze, and Brocade Blue Classic inks, Brocade Blue, Perfect Plum, Elegant Eggplant, Soft Sky, and Glossy White cardstock, dimensionals (Stampin' Up!); rhinestone brad (Making Memories)