Wishing You Love

Good Morning TMS friends. This week's sketch was created from a hand-drawn one by Bonnie Kohane aka Grandma Bonnie.  Sadly Bonnie decided to step down from the TMS Design Team due to having other obligations which demanded her time..  She will be greatly missed as she was a very talented card crafter and always made our sketches look so wonderful.

This week is sponsored by Stitchy Bear Digital Outlet and we were lucky enough to get images to play with.  The artists we're showcasing are Beary Dust Stamps and Digi Blessings.

Now here is this week's sketch:

I am using "Girls Rule" for my image. I've colored it with Copic markers and cut it into the circle required for our sketch. The designer paper is by Die Cuts With a View (DCWV). The solid paper is from my cardstock stash. I stamped my sentiment using CTMH ink. The sentiment stamp is Memory Box B1906.. 

I tried a variety of things for the piece across the top and vetoed all of them. They either did not go well with the design or they got lost in the background paper. I finally found the chipboard piece that I used. The thicker chipboard and the darker shade of one of the colors in the background paper finally worked for my top design piece.

Do take a few minutes to visit the Tuesday Morning Blog and have a look at the wonderful cards the design team have made this week. I always enjoy seeing how each of us has taken the same sketch and made it "our own." The creativity is wonderful.

It's Tuesday Again?

Tuesday Morning Sketches #268

Thank you for joining us for another week of fun and a new sketch that will hopefully inspire you and get your creative juices flowing! I cannot believe that I truly forgot to post my blog on Tuesday when it is due. In fact, here it is Wednesday evening and if it hadn't been my seeing my image for this next week sitting here on my desk, I probably would not have remembered at all -- it is getting bad, ladies and gentlemen (smile)! Think I have too many irons in the fire right now.

This week's sponsor is our blog Mama, Melissa.  She will be giving the randomly drawn winner a $10 voucher to Simon Says Stamp.  I don't think they sponsor too much anymore, but hey, Melissa is kind enough to purchase a gift certificate from her own pocket for some lucky person to use.

Our sketch this week was created by Jessi.  Are you ready to play? Here is the sketch:

I have two tiny new kitty babies at my house, so it is only appropriate that I have used this cute little kitty image from Your Next Stamp for my card. I've colored the image with Copic markers and then cut it using a Spellbinder circle die. I've matted it with a scalloped circle cut with the Spellbinder scalloped circle die. The sentiment is a Studio G stamp, and after stamping it with Close to my Heart ink, I cut it out and matted it with another of the Spellbinder dies. The green metal dots in the upper left and lower right corners are by Heidi Grace. Both the stripe paper and the green matting paper came from my scrap bag. I am very much trying to use more of my scraps rather than cutting into new pieces of paper each time -- don't know why really as I have enough designer and solid paper to make cards and craft until my kids ship me off to the old folks home (and then I probably will take it with me and share - grin).

OK, you've twisted my arm, so I'll give in and show you my new kitty babies. Here they are:

The little black one is a female, and we've named her Fiona. The little gray one (who is about 1/3 smaller than his sis) we've named Percival (called Percy). They were orphans when I brought them home two weeks ago and so very tiny (they still are, but have now doubled their sizes). I'm having a grand time with them (although my 3 years old kitty, Annie, isn't overly happy with me).

So, if you haven't already visit the Tuesday Morning Sketches blog site, hop on over and have a look at the fab inspiration cards the DT have made for you this week. Then join the challenge for a change to win that $10 gift certificate!

Beautiful Ribbons

October is Breast Cancer Awareness month, so in order for you to have time to make cards for the beautiful women in your lives who have survived (or just as a reminder to those you love to get their yearly examinations), Sami has created a lovely release now. She has called this release Beautiful Ribbons, and here is a peek at the entire set:

You can find this release at Sami's blog or in the store.

I have used "For a Cause" as my image. It is a combination of coloring (with Copic markers) and paper piecing. I pieced the ribbon because the Copic pinks, in my opinion, are not the right color to match the BCA ribbon. After printing the ribbon and piecing it to my image, I did take neutral gray and created shadows. 

My die cut pieces are made with Spellbinder dies. The roses are from Wild Orchid Crafts. The leaves and butterfly are both Martha Stewart punches, and the pink rhinestones are by Recollections.

As many of you know, I am a breast cancer survivor. I've shared some of my feeling in blog entries for/about breast cancer in previous years. I continue to encourage all women to do self examination and to have an annual mammogram. Early detection is important and DOES save lives. Do NOT take chances. The mammogram is not pleasent, but is less painful than the disease!

Tuesday Morning Sketch 266

Good morning. Good morning. The best to you this morning! (Did you catch the jingle there? Start humming along with it? Well Pickle! Let's try it again (grin). No, instead, let's get on with our Tuesday Morning Sketch card for you. 

and here is the sketch we want you to use:

This week were sponsored by my dear friend Deedee Anderson, owner and illustrator for Deedee's Digis.  Deedee's Digis specializes in wholesome digital stamps and papers that will make you smile and lift your spirit.

My card is made featuring Backpack from High School Daze. I have used a white 5 x 7" card base, a plaid DP from a very old school days kit (so old that I can no longer tell you the manufacturer), and black card for matting. The solid red is from the same kit, and both were scrap pieces (finally "doing in" that kit). The apple is metal and is the last of that package of stickers. 

We would very much like to have you join us in this week's challenge at Tuesday Morning Sketches. Be aware that if you do enter, there is a TWIST this week. Your entry must use the sketch, but it must ALSO use the back to school THEME!

We'd also love for you to take a few minutes to visit the TMS Blog and have a look at all of the DT cards. We have a fantastic team of talented ladies who provide wonderful inspiration week after week. If you aren't a TMS follower, please join us so you don't miss our weekly challenges or the beautiful DT cards.

It Is Tuesday - Not Monday

Rats and double rats! I plum forgot that today is Tuesday. That Monday Labor Day holiday (despite the fact that it didn't really effect the Hubs nor I since we don't work) threw me off completely. When I posted my card on the DT blog pre release, I reminded myself and suggested to myself that I go ahead and pre-schedule my blog. Do I listen, though? Nope, nope, nope, and now I'm late!

This week our sponsor is Digital Delights by Looby Lou.  If you aren't familiar with the cute Digital Delights images then you are in for a treat. There are all kinds of really fun images, both colored and line-drawn, for your paper crafting. The one I'm using is called Eddie Elf.

We know that many of you have been busy getting the kids ready to go back to school (the kids here in my area started back the first of August, but many still observe Labor Day as the official end of the summer holidays). However, you should now be able to sigh a sigh of relief and enjoy some crafting time. We are providing three different sketches for you to pick from this week. Use one or all and have some crafting fun. Here are the sketches:

If you go to the Tuesday Morning Sketches Blog, you will discover the first three DT cards shown use one of the three different sketches above. Unknowing to the three of us, we each picked a different one of the sketches. How neat was that?

I started with a white card base, layered green card and then red dotty DP. I added a thin white satin ribbon across the red dotty paper. I cut out my image using a Spellbinder oval and matted that with a die cut with the Spellbinder scalloped oval. The snowflakes are cut using a Martha Stewart snowflake corner punch (the corner actually uses the negative space but the "scrap" snowflake was just the right size for my use). I added little clear rhinestones to the middle of the snowflakes. The sentiment is from a set of clear acrylic stamps that I have, but I'm afraid I cannot tell you the manufacturer as the packaging is gone.

I do hope you enjoy my card and that you will take a few minutes to visit the TMS blog to see what the other DT members have made for you this week. We'd love for you to join in the challenge, but even if you can't, do copy and save those fantastic sketches to use over and over again.