Color Throwdown 823-It's the Season of Joy

It's time for another Color Throwdown! Broni is our hostess this week with a fun mix of colors--pink, gold, and green.

Here's my take on the colors based on the current challenge at Try Stampin' on Tuesday. I had this green and gold striped paper in my stash that I knew would be perfect for the challenge. I cut it into quarters and arranged the pieces on a pink card base. The paper was topped with a twisty pile of gold thread, then the word "joy" heat embossed in gold on a pink word die cut was placed on top using foam tape. The word helps to hide the adhesive that's holding the thread secure. I stamped "it's the season of" in black ink on a narrow strip of pink cardstock and used more foam tape to place it above the die cut word to finish the card.

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 CTD823. If you upload your projects on social media, go ahead and use the hashtag #ctd823 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.

** Amy Rohl **  Broni ** Tammy **
** Kelly ** Lisa ** Lynn **
** Susie **  Vickie ** Wanda **
** Guest Star Stamper Saskia Pullen **

Materials Used:
Joy stamp set, Joy die (Clear and Simple Stamps); VersaFine Clair Nocturn and Versamark inks (Tsukineko/IMAGINE Crafts); Hibiscus Burst cardstock (Papertrey Ink); Be Bold Be Bright 6x6 foil patterned paper pad (The Paper Studio); Gold Zing! embossing powder (American Crafts); gold thread (Recollections); foam tape

 

Color Throwdown 773-Season of Joy

It's time for another Color Throwdown! Broni is our hostess this week with a vibrant mix of colors--green, purple, blue, and gold.

I paired the colors with the current sketch from TGIF Challenges for a holiday themed design. I used a bold stamp/die pair for my focal point. The word "joy" from a classic limited edition stamp set from Clear and Simple Stamps was stamped in gold on a navy die cut, then heat embossed to really stand out. I used foam tape to place the word on a purple panel. I stamped "it's the season of" above the die cut in navy ink, then tucked a narrow strip of green cardstock edged with gold beneath the raised word to set it off from the background. A little bit of gold thread was tied around the right side of the green strip and secured with a bow as a simple accent. The sentiment panel was placed on a gold panel over strips of blue and green cardstock. I centered the panel on a purple card base to complete the design.

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 CTD773.  If you upload your projects on social media, go ahead and use the hashtag #ctd773 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.

** Amy Rohl **  Amy Rysavy ** Broni **
** Kelly ** Lisa ** Lynn **
** Susie **  Vickie ** Wanda **
** Guest Star Stamper Sue Symens ** 

Materials Used:
Limited Edition: Joy stamp set, Limited Edition: Joy dies (Clear and Simple Stamps); Delicata Golden Glitz and Memento Nautical Blue inks (Tsukineko/IMAGINE Crafts); Rich Razzleberry, Not Quite Navy, and Garden Green cardstock (Stampin' Up!); gold paper (Target); Zing! Gold embossing powder (American Crafts); gold cord (Michaels); foam tape

Color Throwdown 669-Believe

It's time for another Color Throwdown! Vickie is our hostess this week with a great color combination-- navy, gold, and white.

I paired the colors with stamps and dies from Clear and Simple Stamps for a clean and simple holiday design. The large snowflake die cut is my focal image. It was cut from pearlized white cardstock and adhered to the bottom right corner of a navy card base. I stamped the "believe in the magic of the season" sentiment in gold pigment ink at the upper left side of the cardfront, then heat embossed the text in gold for more sparkle and shine. Simple, but it makes a statement!

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 CTD669.  If you upload your projects on social media, go ahead and use the hashtag #ctd669 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 this week's guest star stamper. 

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

** Broni ** Lisa ** Lynn **
** Susie **  Vickie ** Wanda **
**Guest Star Stamper Ingrid Reyners **

Materials Used:
Believe mini stamp set, True Blue Fan and White Pearl cardstock, Flurry die (Clear and Simple Stamps); Delicata Golden Glitz ink (Tsukineko/IMAGINE Crafts); Zing! Gold embossing powder (American Crafts)

Color Throwdown 655-Oh Baby

It's time for another Color Throwdown!  Susie is our hostess with a color combination inspired by a sweet bedroom scene--pink, mint, and gray.

I paired the colors with the current sketch at Try Stampin' on Tuesday and stamps and dies from Clear and Simple Stamps for a fun baby design. My focal image is the large elephant that I die cut from gray cardstock with a die from CSS's Large Baby Shower die set. For a whimsical touch, I used a punch to cut out an oval to use as an ear for the elephant and accented it with a knotted piece of pink grosgrain ribbon. The elephant was adhered to a pink cardstock panel using foam tape for dimension. I used a grass die to cut a strip of mint cardstock. The die cut strip was tucked beneath the elephant to ground it.  I adhered the pink panel to the right side of a gray card base, leaving just over an inch of cardfront exposed. I covered most of that section with a strip of pink gingham patterned paper tied with a gray twine bow. A small mint rectangle stamped with the "oh baby" sentiment from the Baby Shower stamp set was placed at the top of the cardfront using foam tape to finish the design.

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 CTD655.  If you upload your projects on social media, go ahead and use the hashtag #ctd655 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 Guest Star Stamper Sue Rose.

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

** Broni ** Lisa ** Lynn **
** Susie **  Vickie ** Wanda **
** Guest Star Stamper Sue Rose  **

Materials Used:
Baby Shower stamp set, I Steel Got It and I'm a Princess Pink cardstock, Large Baby Shower and Grass dies (Clear and Simple Stamps); Memento Gray Flannel ink (Tsukineko/IMAGINE Crafts); Mint Julep cardstock, Sweet Blush patterned paper (Papertrey Ink); small oval punch (Stampin' Up!); gray twine (Hemptique); pink grosgrain ribbon; foam tape

I {heart} You

Here's my card for the current sketch at CAS(e) this Sketch.  This is a stamp-free design using dies and papers from my Clear and Simple Stamps stash.

I used CSS's Lowercase dies to cut "i" and "you" from coral cardstock.  To go between the two words, I cut out a pair of hearts using the Shapes: Hearts dies.  After twisting a length of sparkly silver thread and securing it to a pale pink cardstock panel, I added the hearts on top, layering them with foam tape for dimension.  The die cut words were placed above and below the raised hearts.  My original plan was to stamp a row of hearts beneath the die cuts, but after "auditioning" the stamped image with a stamp positioner, I went in a different direction. I found the tiny heart die that serves as a nose for the various Build-a-Critter sets and used it to cut out a bunch of hearts.  They were arranged beneath the "you" at the bottom of the panel.  I adhered the panel to a coral card base matching the die cuts to tie all of the pieces together.

Materials Used:
Coral Necklace and I'm a Princess Pink cardstock, Lowercase, Shapes: Hearts and Build-a-Critter Owl/Cat dies (Clear and Simple Stamps); silver thread (Recollections); foam tape

You Color My World

Here's my card for the current Mojo Monday sketch.  I went back into the archives and pulled out one of the Clear and Simple Stamps rag doll sets for this one!

This card features Rag Doll Emma.  I colored the stamped and die cut image using a bright mix of Copic markers.  The colored image was adhered to a large white circle, leaving room to stamp the "you color my world" sentiment to the left of the image.  I added some pink to the word "color" to match the rag doll's dress. 

To go with the image, I found a scrap of super colorful striped patterned paper in my scrap pile.  I adhered a wide strip of the striped paper to the center of a light pink cardstock panel, then added a wide strip of solid dark pink cardstock over it.  The sentiment was matted on a pale yellow scalloped circle before I added it on top.  Each scallop was pierced with my paper piercing tool for a fun detail. The finished panel was adhered to a dark pink card base to match the rag doll's dress and the strip across the front of the card.

Materials Used:
Rag Doll Emma: Color stamps and die (Clear and Simple Stamps); Memento Tuxedo Black ink (Tsukineko/IMAGINE Crafts); markers (Copic); Pink Pirouette and Barely Banana cardstock (Stampin' Up!); Hibiscus Burst cardstock (Papertrey Ink); designer paper (October Afternoon); circle and scalloped circle dies (Spellbinders); foam tape

Wishing You Joy

Merry Christmas!  I thought today would be an appropriate time to share the holiday card I made to send out to family and friends.  I did something I don't often do on this one--mixed a bunch of brands together on one design--and I'm really happy with how it turned out. 

The tall, narrow champagne glass from My Favorite Things was the first element I added to the gray panel.  The glass was cut from white vellum, then "filled" with a gold foil piece for extra sparkle.  I  used the large "joy" stamp from a limited edition Clear and Simple Stamps set for the main part of my sentiment.  It was stamped in Versamark on black die cut pieces, then heat embossed in gold sparkle embossing powder that I will probably never finish getting cleaned up from my crafting space...I used my MISTI to stamp the "wishing" you" and "this holiday season" text from Avery Elle's Sending Peace set to frame the large "joy" die cut.  The tool made it so easy to stamp quickly and know that all of the pieces would fit perfectly on the panel.  Once I'd stamped the words, I used foam tape to add the die cut word between them.  The finished panel was adhered to an easy to write on cream card base.

Materials Used:
Sending Peace stamp set (Avery Elle); Memento Tuxedo Black and Versamark inks (Tsukineko/IMAGINE Crafts); Limited Edition: Joy stamp set, Limited Edition: Joy die (Clear and Simple Stamps); Coffee and Cream cardstock, Gold Foil cardstock, white vellum, Clear Gold Sparkle embossing powder (Recollections); Layered Champagne Glass dies (My Favorite Things); foam tape

Color Throwdown 572-Warm Winter Wishes

It's time for another Color Throwdown!  Barbara is our hostess with a color combination inspired by a sweet treat-turquoise, green, gold, and white.

I paired the colors with stamps from Clear and Simple Stamps and the current sketch at CAS(e) this Sketch.  The images from the scene I created for the focal image are from the Party Elements: Winter Woodlands stamp set.  I stamped the images in dye inks on a blue panel, then added the sentiment in aqua ink on a shimmery white strip I placed at the bottom of the scene to look like snow.  After matting the panel on gold paper, I adhered it to a piece of turquoise cardstock with a panel of green paper with a gold triangle pattern at the bottom.  The turquoise panel was matted on gold paper before it was adhered to a turquoise 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 CTD572.  If you upload your projects on social media, go ahead and use the hashtag #ctd572 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 December Guestie Amy Tsuruta, and this week's Guest Star Stamper Anita Trippi.

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

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

** December Guestie Amy Tsuruta **
** Guest Star Stamper Anita Trippi **

Materials Used:
Party Elements:  Winter Woodlands stamp set (Clear and Simple Stamps); Memento Rich Cocoa and Bamboo Leaves inks (Tsukineko/IMAGINE Crafts); Summer Splash ink (My Favorite Things); Tropic Teal cardstock (The Stamp Market); Shimmery White cardstock (Stampin' Up!); Be Bold Be Bright 6x6 paper pad (The Paper Studio); gold paper (Target)

Believe

Here's my card for the current challenge at Freshly Made Sketches.  I used stamps and dies from Clear and Simple Stamps for a holiday design in cool shades of purple and gray.

My focal image is the large shimmery white snowflake cut with CSS's large Flurry die.  I adhered the die cut flake to a dark purple cardstock panel, then trimmed off the edges of the flake that hung off of the panel before matting it on a gray cardstock panel.  The gray panel was adhered to the upper right side of a pale purple card base.  I stamped the "believe in the magic of the season" sentiment from CSS's Belive set in purple ink on a pale purple panel.  The panel was matted on gray cardstock then positioned over the top of the die cut snowflake to complete the design.

Materials Used:
Believe stamp set, V.I.P Purple, Purplicious, and I Steel Got It cardstock, Flurry die (Clear and Simple Stamps); Memento Lilac Posies ink (Tsukineko/IMAGINE Crafts); Crystal Stardream cardstock (The Paper Cut)

Color Throwdown 566-Boo!

 

It's time for another Color Throwdown!  Lisa is our hostess this week with a trio of colors inspired by some primitive pumpkins--orange, gray, and cream.

My card is based on the current sketch at CAS(e) this Sketch.  I represented the large layered shape at the center of the sketch with a large spider web die cut from cream cardstock. I adhered the web to a contrasting black cardstock panel, then added a gray die cut spider dangling from a silver strand on top.  The spider's eyes are dotted with black glitter enamel dots.  For the sentiment, I used lowercase letter dies from Clear and Simple Stamps to cut the word "boo!" from orange cardstock and craft foam. After layering the pieces for dimension, I adhered them across the web.  For a final touch of sparkle, I arranged a bunch of silver sequins around the die cut web.  The finished panel was adhered to an orange 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 CTD566.  If you upload your projects on social media, go ahead and use the hashtag #ctd566 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 October Guestie Rosemary Dennis, and this week's Guest Star Stamper Sue Jackson.

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

 ** Jodi ** Lisa ** Lynn ** Vickie ** Wanda **
** October Guestie Rosemary Dennis **
** Guest Star Stamper Sue Jackson **

Materials Used:
Spider Web dies (My Favorite Things); Pumpkin Pie and Basic Black cardstock (Stampin' Up!); Weathervane cardstock (Papertrey Ink); Lowercase dies (Clear and Simple Stamps); black glitter enamel dots (Eyelet Outlet); silver thread (Michaels); silver sequins; craft foam; foam tape

Happy Holidays

Here's my card for the current challenge at CAS Colours and Sketches.  I turned the sketch on its side to create a simple holiday design.

I started out with a festive red cardstock panel.  A trio of three narrow silver cardstock strips were adhered to the center of the panel, running across it from end to end.  I used part of a sentiment stamp from the Clear and Simple Stamps All Wrapped Up stamp set to stamp "happy holidays" just above the silver strips in silver ink, then heat embossed the sentiment in silver.  I topped the strips with a decorative die cut bow cut from the same silver cardstock as I used for the strips.  The finished panel was adhered to a contrasting black card base.

Materials Used:
All Wrapped Up stamp set, Rouge Ruffles, Perfect Little Black Dress, and Sterling Silver cardstock, Mini Bow Trio dies (Clear and Simple Stamps); Delicata Silvery Shimmer ink (Tsukineko/IMAGINE Crafts); silver embossing powder (Hero Arts)

You Are Jawsome

The theme for the current Lawnfawnatics challenge is Perfect for Parties.  I put together a simple ocean themed party favor box perfect for a summertime event.

I don't have any of the Lawn Fawn boxes or favor dies since I have a nice collection of dies like that from my time on the Clear and Simple Stamps design team.  I used one of them, Party Favor 3, here.  The box was cut from light blue cardstock, then assembled with some clear tape strips.  For my ocean theme, I used different sized circle punches to make wave-like snips into strips of darker blue cardstock.  One strip was adhered directly to the box front.  The other was adhered on top using foam tape for dimension.  A strip of torn vellum was tucked behind the top wavy strip for the appearance of "foam" at the top of the wave.  I added the shark from the Duh-nuh set on top of the layered waves using more foam tape.  The set's "you are jawsome" sentiment was stamped directly on the top of the box in teal ink.  I added a satin ribbon handle and stuffed the box with some fun striped tissue to finish the box.  I think this would be perfect to fill with some colorful gummy fish as a party favor!

Materials Used:
Duh-nuh stamp set, Duh-nuh dies (Lawn Fawn); Memento Tuxedo Black and Teal Zeal inks (Tsukineko/IMAGINE Crafts); markers (Copic); Party Teal Dawn and My Style Blueprint cardstock, Party Favor 3 die (Clear and Simple Stamps); circle punches (EK Success); blue satin ribbon (Target); white vellum; foam tape

Color Throwdown 530-I Love You Bunches

It's time for another Color Throwdown!  Wanda is our hostess with a pretty color palette--fuchsia, light gray, and black.  I paired the colors with the current TGIF Challenge and some elements from the inspiration photo for this love themed design.

The woodgrain pattern behind the string art heart caught my eye and was the starting point for my design.  I used a woodgrain background stamp and silver ink to make a similar pattern on my light gray cardstock panel.  The panel was topped with a pair of hot pink hearts cut with the Shapes:  Hearts dies from Clear and Simple Stamps--love the fun shapes of these hearts!  The smaller heart was adhered with a bit of foam tape so that I could tuck one end of the black sentiment strip beneath it.  The "I love you bunches" sentiment is from CSS's Cart Pals:  Occasions set.  I stamped the text in white, then heat embossed it so it would pop against the black background.  A tiny gray baker's twine bow was added where the heart and sentiment meet as an accent.  I added a little sparkle with a trio of silver sequins, then adhered the finished panel to a coordinating pink card base.  I thought about using black, but the pink is much easier to write a message on!

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 CTD530.  If you upload your projects on social media, go ahead and use the hashtag #ctd530 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, February's Guest Designer, Leigh O'Brien, and our guest star stampers Frances McGreevy and Jennifer Weide.

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

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

** February Guestie Leigh O'Brien **
** Guest Star Stamper  Frances McGreevy **
** Guest Star Stamper Jennifer Weide **

Materials Used:
Cart Pals:  Occasions stamp set, Paint the Town Pink and Perfect Little Black Dress cardstock, Shapes:  Hearts dies (Clear and Simple Stamps); Memento Luxe Wedding Dress and Delicata Silvery Shimmer inks (Tsukineko/IMAGINE Crafts); Woodgrain stamp set (Waltzingmouse Stamps); Grout Gray cardstock (My Favorite Things); Snow embossing powder (Recollections); gray baker's twine; silver sequins; foam tape

Wrapped in Peace, Hope, and Love

Here's my card for the current Fusion challenge.  I combined the sketch with elements of the inspiration photo (color scheme, stripes, square shape and decoration from the pillow) for this holiday themed design.

The holiday sentiment I used is one of my favorites. It's from a set from Clear and Simple Stamps.  The text was stamped in white pigment ink on a wide black cardstock strip, then heat embossed in white for a nice pop against the black.  I adhered the panel to a diagonally striped panel with stripes that start out darker at the top, then gradually fade towards the bottom of the panel.  For the trio of elements on the sketch, I made my own "gifts" from cardstock squares wrapped with cream twine. The gifts were adhered to the cardfront using foam tape for dimension.

Materials Used:
All Wrapped Up stamp set, Rouge Ruffles, Kraft Like a Rockstar, Perfect Little Black Dress, and A Blanc Check cardstock (Clear and Simple Stamps); Memento Luxe Wedding Dress ink (Tsukineko/IMAGINE Crafts); The Story of Us 6x6 paper pad (Simple Stories); Snow embossing powder (Recollections); cream twine (Hemptique); foam tape

Welcome to the World

Here's my card for the current Fusion challenge.  I used the sketch and elements from the inspiration photo (color scheme, dot pattern, and elephant image) to put together this classic gender neutral baby card.

My focal image is an adorable elephant image from the Baby Shower stamp set from Clear and Simple Stamps. I stamped the image in white pigment ink on gray cardstock, then heat embossed it so the text detail would pop against the gray  background.  The image was adhered to a pair of layered circles using foam tape for dimension.  I adhered the image panel over a strip of gray on gray dotted paper placed across a plain white cardstock panel.  The "welcome to the world sweet little one" sentiment from CSS's Baby Sentiment set was stamped just above the elephant image in gray ink.  The sentiment is one long line on the stamp, but here I broke it up for a more balanced look.  The finished panel was adhered to a coordinating gray card base.

Materials Used:
Baby Shower and Baby Sentiments stamp sets, I Steel Got It and A Blanc Check cardstock, Baby Shower and Shapes:  Circles dies (Clear and Simple Stamps); Memento Luxe Wedding Dress ink (Tsukineko/IMAGINE Crafts); Hippo ink (Lawn Fawn); Smokey Shadow patterned paper (Papertrey Ink); Recollections Snow embossing powder (Michaels); foam tape

Stained Glass Love

Here's my card for the current Fusion challenge.  I combined the sketch with the stained glass elements from the inspiration photo for this love themed design.

To create my faux stained glass, I heat embossed heart images from the Clear and Simple Stamps Shapes: Hearts stamp set on to white vellum.  After embossing, I flipped the images over and used Copic markers to color on the reverse side of the vellum.  I let the ink set for a bit, then carefully cut out the images.  I arranged them on a white panel, using CSS's vellum friendly double-sided tape to secure them. For the sentiment, I stamped the "I love you" from the Gemstones Sentiments set in white ink on a black Favor Flags die cut.  The sentiment was heat embossed to stand out from the black background.  I added a silver sequin to each heart for a bit of sparkle.  The finished panel was adhered to a red card base.

Materials Used:
Shapes: Hearts and Gemstone Sentiments stamp sets, Dare to Be a Diva Red, Perfect Little Black Dress, and A Blanc Check cardstock, Favor Flags dies (Clear and Simple Stamps); white vellum (My Favorite Things); Memento Luxe Tuxedo Black and Wedding Dress inks (Tsukineko/IMAGINE Crafts); markers (Copic); black embossing powder (Stampin' Up!); Recollections Snow embossing powder (Michaels); silver sequins

Welcome Little One

Here's my card for the current challenge at Global Design Project.  I used the sketch to create a sweet baby card, again for a colleague who is welcoming a baby boy.  My focal panel is a decorative label shape cut with a long-neglected die set and stamped with images from the Clear and Simple Stamps Tweet Notes set.  The pair of eggs was stamped on a scrap of cream cardstock and cut out, then adhered to the stamped panel using foam tape for dimension.  The "welcome little one" sentiment is stamped in a pale tan ink.  While it's hard to see in the photo, I like the soft look for a baby card.

For the background, I used a piece of pale mint cardstock topped with a panel of woodgrain chevron patterned paper.  I added a long kraft fishtail flag strip, edged with some delicate cream trim, over the patterned panel, then positioned the image panel on top.  A teeny, tiny pale mint button threaded with a bit of cream thread was placed on the fishtail flag strip as an accent.  For some reason, I always want to add buttons on baby cards!  The finished panel was adhered to a kraft card base to match the chevron patterned paper.  Now I just need to find the perfect gift to go with the card  . . .


Materials Used:
Tweet Notes stamp set (Clear and Simple Stamps); Memento Tuxedo Black, Rich Cocoa, and Desert Sand inks (Tsukineko/IMAGINE Crafts); markers (Copic); Sno Cone cardstock, Die-namics Fishtail Flag STAX dies (My Favorite Things); Mint Julep and Kraft cardstock (Papertrey Ink); Neapolitan 6x6 paper pad (Dear Lizzy); Labels 4 dies (Spellbinders); cream trim (Hobby Lobby); cream twine (Hemptique); button; foam tape

Color Throwdown 474-Mr. & Mrs.

It's time for another Color Throwdown!  Amy Rohl is our hostess for our first challenge of the year with a classic, neutral color combination--gray, ivory, and black.  I used the colors to create a elegant wedding design.

My focal image is a large doily from Clear and Simple Stamps.  I stamped the image in Versamark on CSS's Pressed Greige Linen cardstock, then heat embossed it with an ivory embossing powder.  For the sentiment, I stamped two lines of text from CSS's All Occasions 1 stamp set in black ink at the bottom of the panel.  After wrapping a piece of black satin ribbon around the panel and securing it with a simple knot, I adhered the panel to a black card base. Simple and elegant!

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 CTD474.  If you upload your projects on social media, go ahead and use the hashtag #ctd474 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 January guestie Debra James, and this week's Guest Star Stamper, Angie Cimbalo.

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

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

** January guestie Debra James  **
**  Guest Star Stamper Angie Cimbalo ** 

Materials Used:
Doily and All Occasions 1 stamp sets, Pressed Greige Linen and Perfect Little Black Dress cardstock (Clear and Simple Stamps); Memento Tuxedo Black and Versamark inks (Tsukineko/IMAGINE Crafts);  Vanilla embossing powder (Stampin' Up!); black satin ribbon

Pop Fizz Clink

Happy new year!  My first card for 2018 is based on the current sketch at Match the Sketch.  A tiny pair of glasses from the Clear and Simple Stamps Taglines: By the Glass set serves as the focal image.  I colored the glasses with Copic markers and added some sparkle with a clear glitter pen before attaching them to an angled pierced square die cut.  The square die cut was adhered to a white panel over a gold paper strip edged with a contrasting black strip and an elegant edge, courtesy of CSS's Border: Eyelet dies.  I stamped the new year sentiment from the CSS New Year Cheer stamp set beneath the gold strip, then added a trio of clear crystals along the top right side of the panel.  The finished panel was adhered to a black card base.

Materials Used:
Taglines:  By the Glass and New Year Cheer stamp sets, Perfect Little Black Dress and A Blanc Check cardstock, Border:  Eyelet dies (Clear and Simple Stamps); Memento Tuxedo Black ink (Tsukineko/IMAGINE Crafts); markers (Copic); Recollections Silver cardstock (Michaels); gold paper (Target); Die-namics Pierced Square STAX dies (My Favorite Things); clear crystals; foam tape

Wrapped in Peace, Hope, and Love

Here's my card for the current Fusion challenge.  I combined the sketch with the color scheme from the inspiration photo to create this holiday themed design.  It features one of my all-time favorite holiday sentiments.  It's from the All Wrapped Up stamp set from Clear and Simple Stamps.  I stamped the text in silver ink on a piece of blue cardstock, then heat embossed it using silver embossing powder to help it stand out from the panel.  After adhering a pair of narrow silver cardstock strips to the panel, I topped them with a silver bow die cut with one of CSS's Mini Bow Trio dies.  I matted the panel on silver cardstock, then used foam tape to adhere it to a blue card base.

Materials Used:
All Wrapped Up stamp set, My Favorite Blue Jeans cardstock, Mini Bow Trio dies (Clear and Simple Stamps); Delicata Silvery Shimmer ink (Tsukineko/IMAGINE Crafts); silver paper (Target); silver embossing powder (Hero Arts)