Beate's back!

I am so happy that Beate is posting again, and as a bonus, she just got a huge SU order. In fact, she mentioned 15 stamp sets! I can't wait to see what she'll be showing us.
Since Beate is back, so is her weekend sketch challenge. She posts them on Fridays. I don't do them all, but I try. This is my card for this week's sketch. It's a long card, which is harder for me. So I kept it pretty simple. I'm proud that I used so many accessories, especially my new Flower Fusion, which I just got on Friday. (Rhonda and I split them; we are trying to be more cost-effective.) I also used my new DSP, 2 ribbons plus a button, a brad and a pearl. Pretty good, eh? The pink ribbon is the new striped grosgrain, but I didn't want the stripe to show, so I covered it with Chocolate Chip narrow grosgrain. I used sticky strip to adhere them together. The only stamping is the sentiment. My card is a 6 1/2" square scored at 3 1/4". That way it will fit into one of the SU envelopes.
Supplies (all SU): Stamps: Fundamental Phrases; Paper: Whisper White, Chocolate Chip, Pink Pirouette, Urban Garden DSP; Ink: Chocolate Chip; Accessories: Flower Fusion too, Earth Elements buttons, Styled Silver HPH, Pretties kit, Chocolate chip narrow grosgrain, Pink Pirouette striped grosgrain
If you're a demonstrator, don't forget to check out the new WICKED stamper challenges posted today on SCS. You'll love it!
Happy stamping, and Happy Labor Day!

Oops! Pretend it's Friday!

I just noticed that I didn't post on Friday. Oops! So you'll get posts 2 days in a row. Well, I think this card was worth the wait, don't you? It's not often that I'm as happy with a card as I am with this one. It's just like the picture in my head, maybe even a little better! This was the first card I made for the demo challenge to make a fall card without using Earth Elements. The cut-out leaf has Dazzling Diamond Dust. I used sponge daubers to make the leaves multicolored.
Supplies (all SU): Stamps: With Sympathy, Refuge and Strength, Sanded; Paper: Whisper White, So Saffron, Only Orange; Ink: So Saffron, Kiwi Kiss, Only Orange, Real Red; Accessories: Irridescent Ice EP, designer label punch, Styled Silver HPH, Kiwi Kiss/Very Vanilla satin ribbon, sponge daubers, photo corner punch

One layer card for fall

The Workshop Wow challenge I posted this week was to make a fall card without using Earth Elements. (For demos Down Under, it was make a spring card without using Soft Subtles.) I was called mean and evil! Hey, it's supposed to be a CHALLENGE, not something easy! LOL Someone jokingly said I should make a second card to give them some more inspiration. I took the challenge, and this is actually my second card. (I'll post the first one on Friday.) I don't really consider this a wow, but it was a fun card and only took about 15 minutes to make since I already had the oval shape cut for my mask.
I used reverse masking to create the oval shape. I took a piece of cardstock with an oval already cut out of it and used it like a stencil on the card. I sponged Sahara Sand around the edges of the opening onto the Kraft cardstock. Then I removed the mask and stamped the branch of flowers first in White StazOn and then in Always Artichoke and Bravo Burgundy. I used the Stampamajig to stamp slightly out of alignment. (This is called faux dry embossing. Even though I used StazOn, I would recommend using white craft ink as it will stand out more. I was just too lazy to heat emboss.) I used the same technique for the sentiment. I tied on the ribbon, tore off the edge of the cardfront and ran my Sahara Sand spot over the torn edge. I paper pierced a border, and the card was done!
Supplies (all SU): Stamps: Eastern Blooms, Wonderful Words; Paper: Kraft; Ink: White StazOn, Always Artichoke, Bravo Burgundy, Sahara Sand; Accessories: Coluzzle, Bravo Burgundy narrow grosgrain, crafters tool kit, Stampamajig

A color challenge card

I made this card for Julie's color challenge last weekend. The color combo is Baja Breeze, Not Quite Navy and Garden Green. I have to say that I am loving Baja Breeze, and for some reason I have been using Garden Green more recently. So this combo was right up my alley.
In Julie's post, she mentioned blue flowers, and that made me think of Garden Whimsy. I LOVE this set, but for some reason, I never seem to use it. I inked the tulip stamp with Baja Breeze and Garden Green then used a sponge dauber to add NQN around the edges of the flower. That was a tip I read about from Convention. The sponge dauber gives good control, and you can really load it up with ink too. I used the Coluzzle to cut out the image and mat and then used the corner rounder punch to scallop the edge of the mat. I used my ink spot and sponge dauber to color the ribbon in NQN; it looks darker in the picture than it does IRL. For the card base, I used a scrap of cardstock to make a nice edge when I was stamping the random ladybugs. Then I tied the ribbon along that line and stamped the sentiment in Garden Green.
Supplies (all SU): Stamps: Garden Whimsy, Refuge and Strength; Paper: Whisper White, Garden Green, Baja Breeze; Ink: Baja Breeze, Garden Green, Not Quite Navy; Accessories: Coluzzle, corner rounder punch, Very Vanilla taffeta ribbon, sponge dauber
Happy stamping!

Bookmark card

This weekend was Virtual Stamp Night (VSN) on SCS. It is 2 days of fun challenges scheduled every hour. I wasn't able to play too much this time, but I did get one challenge done: a bookmark card. I've been wanting to make one for a long time. The one I chose to make has a bookmark attached, and the recipient just tears it off. I decided to make a masculine card, although I think it would work for a woman too.
Here is the template for my card.
Here is the inside of the card.
Here's a better view of the bookmark. I decided to do the moonlighting technique on both the card and the bookmark. I'll be demonstrating this technique at my October workshops.
Supplies (all SU): Stamps: Lovely as a Tree, So Many Sayings (retired), Hugs & Wishes; Paper: Confetti White, Kraft, Not Quite Navy; Ink: Chocolate Chip, Always Artichoke, Not Quite Navy, So Saffron; Accessories: cutter kit, 1 3/8" circle punch, sponges, Cropadile, metallic eyelets, Always Artichoke narrow grosgrain ribbon
Happy stamping!

Got my new stuff!

My new stuff came today! Whoohoo!! I didn't have a lot of time, but I just had to make something. Thankfully, it only took about 5 minutes to mount my stamps since they are die cut. I wanted to use this branch from Eastern Blooms and my new Urban Garden paper, so I decided to make a Z fold card. I embellished the card with embossed flowers and a little ribbon knot.
Supplies (all SU): Stamps: Eastern Blooms; Paper: Whisper White, Baja Breeze, Basic Gray, Urban Garden DSP; Ink: Kiwi Kiss, Baja Breeze, Not Quite Navy; Accessories: ticket corner punch, double rectangle punch, Flower Frenzy classy brass template, Kiwi Kiss/Very Vanilla satin ribbon
It's Virtual Stamp Night at SCS this weekend, so check it out!
Happy stamping!

CASEing the catalog

I love the new catalog! Not only is it full of awesome new stuff, it also has great projects in it. I've already gone through the catalog and made a list of projects that I want to CASE. When I saw the card on page 86 made with Bloomin' Beautiful, I knew right away that it would also look great with Heartfelt Thanks. So I sat down and made it! I used the faux linen technique for the focal image; I haven't done that one in a while and I just love the look of it! Sanded background added to it even more. The other change I made was the ribbon I used on the right side of the card; the original used a strip of DSP. I didn't use any stitching on my card either; I'm not into sewing plus I think the technique added plenty of texture.
Supplies (all SU): Stamps: Heartfelt Thanks, Sanded; Paper: glossy white, Bashful Blue, Always Artichoke, Chocolate Chip; Ink: Bashful Blue, Always Artichoke, Chocolate Chip, Creamy Caramel; Accessories: 1/2" circle punch, Pretties kit, Bashful Blue narrow grosgrain ribbon, Kraft taffeta ribbon, sanding block, sponge, Stampamajig
So when you're in need of inspiration, just grab your catalog!
Happy stamping!