Time for a Break

I bet you are thinking, "That's an odd title for this week's blog entry." After all, it is Tuesday, so supposedly it is time for a new Tuesday Morning Sketch. Yep, so far you are correct (on both counts). Let me say that my head just hasn't been working properly for the past week or so, so it is definitely time for a break. Here is this week's sketch:

 You will note that my card above looks NOTHING like the sketch. I colored up the pretty image provided by our sponsor and then proceeded to make my card -- only I looked at the wrong sketch!

I was exceptionally pleased with the way the flowers turned out. My coloring was quite good this time, and I was even pleased with the way I had combined Copic markers and Prisma colored pencils to get the look that I wanted. Everything fell right into place -- the papers matched nicely, the ribbon added a nice touch. I was really patting myself on the back with this one -- and then I went over to the TMS blog to post my card. . . 

That's when I discovered I had looked at the wrong sketch :-(

I apologize, but I am just going to have to go with the flow on this one. I am heading out of town tomorrow for the day to attend a luncheon, and today was filled with errands and some last minute decorating. Yesterday was granddaughter's birthday, and I spent the day with her and her mom having a girl's day at the beauty salon.

Let It Snow Scene

Oops! Here it is Friday, and a team mate emailed me to ask if I realized I never put up this week's card posting. I apologize to our sponsor, We Are 3 digital papers and images. I did get the card made and posted on the Tuesday Morning Sketches blog, but not my own. Anyway, without further ado, here is this weeks sketch:

Look a bit daunting? It really isn't. I was surprised at the different ways the DT used this sketch (I don't know why, though, since everyone is exceptionally talented!!). Mine is a tiny bit different, but still keeps the integrity of the original design (at least I think it does). I have used two of We Are 3 papers, and the Hipster Snowman to create my card.

The two papers are Rainbow Gingham (the trees), and Holiday Thank You (the snow). I printed the two papers off using my HP color printer. I tore the snow pieces and glued them to the bottom portion of a piece of blue card, leaving enough blue to create my sky. I then used a Marianne tree die and cut two trees from the Rainbow Gingham piece and adhered them flush to the card. I fussy cut Hipster Snowman and then adhered him with foam dots.

My bad, because I had planned to finish off my card using one of the sentiments from We Are 3's Christmas sentiment collection, but totally forgot it (sort of like forgetting to post this blog entry - um oops!).

Please take a few minutes and go over to the Tuesday Morning Sketches blog if you have not already done so, and have a look at the beautiful DT samples our team made this week. Also, would love for you to head over to Etsy and look up We Are 3 Digital Stamps and Images. There are some really beautiful things over there for use in paper crafting.

Have a Wonderful Christmas

I am using another Heartfelt Creations paper and image for this card. I really love the Heartfelt Creations papers, dies and stamps. They are so very pretty and classic looking. 

Here is the sketch we are using this week (a nice, simple, classic sketch):

We have tried to keep the sketches here toward the end of the year classic and simple. We realize everyone is busy with holidays and/or family, not to mention Christmas cards, so we've tried to create simple but beautifully classic sketches to help you out. This one was created by Debbie and is perfect for lovely Christmas cards!

As mentioned, I am enamored  with the beautiful Heartfelt Creations. For this card, I have used a piece of their paper (background) and the lovely pre-printed cut-out (front panel). The rest of the card is from my stash. I started with a white card base. I layered red card and then the HC background paper. The border piece behind the front panel is a Spellbinder die. The green is from my scrap bag. The panel is pre-printed. I matted it with the red before placing it onto the card. Easy-peasy and quick, but doesn't it look so very pretty?

Please take a few minutes today and check out the other DT creations on the Tuesday Morning Sketches blog. The team always does such beautiful work. I know you won't be disappointed this week, and I hope you will be inspired to join us.

Birdies of a Feather

We Are 3 products:
Image - Birdies of a Feather
Paper - Toasty Warm
             Spring Letters
Sentiment - Holiday Thank You (Retired)


For this little card, I started with a white base card. I layered the toasty warm brown knit patterned paper onto solid brown. The little birds are pre-colored, so after printing, I cut them into an oval shape using a Spellbinder's oval die. I then cut a coordinating scalloped die (Spellbinder Scalloped Ovals) from the Spring Letters blue water drops paper. 

I finished off the card using Wild Orchid apple blossom flowers, Recollections pearls and green leaves punched with a Martha Stewart punch. The little banner, which I adhered using foam dots, is from the Holiday Thank You set.

This card was super easy and quick to put together, but I love the look of it. It looks as if I spent a lot of time creating a special thank you for a special gift. LUV this kind of crafting!

I Love You

I know you are probably thinking we haven't even gotten through Thanksgiving yet so what in the world are we doing featuring Valentine's Day cards? You are probably also saying, "We just did that sketch last week." Hum, let me bring in the sketch and then I'll give you some details and reasons.

OK, Melissa is to "blame" for this (smile). She actually didn't intend for these two sketches to be side by side, and she didn't mean for it to be in November. However, when she was setting up the sketches (she does them months in advance), she didn't notice what was happening (she's a busy lady, so we allow her at least one mistake a year - grin). I didn't mind because I have an anniversary December 3rd, so I can see where hearts and love can be throughout the year and not just in February. OK, so this particular card is a bit too feminine for me to use as an anniversary card for my Hubs, but I've got a jump on Valentines (smile).

Let me show you the prize for this week and then I'll tell you about my card:

Now, on to the details of my card. This beautiful card was made using paper and dies from Heartfelt Creation's newest set. It is designed with love in mind, and I just received it last Thursday -- just in time to give it a try for my Tuesday Morning Sketches DT card!

I started with a white card as my base. The beautiful pink paper is from the pad that goes with this beautiful Heartfelt Love collection. The center was cut from the green using the Sweetheart Borders die. My heart uses the Heartfelt Eyelet Hearts set. It was cut out of pink using the eyelet die and then cut again out of white with the matching stacking die. I then stamped the I Love You using one of the stamps in the Heartfelt Love Sentiments set using Close To My Heart ink. To finish off my card, I added paper flowers from Wild Orchid and pink pearls from Recollections.

You do not have to use a heart (although most of the DT did). Check out Debbie's card over at the blog. Melissa's thinking was a layered heart, but you can change that up to another image as long as you get the layers in there. Use some creative thinking if you aren't into hearts or if you'd like your card to be different. 

Have a great week, and for those of you in the US who will be celebrating Thanksgiving this Thursday, have a wonderful one!

Christmas Blessings

This time of the year, my brain gets a little scrambled and my time gets a little off kilter. I apologize for being late with my posting.

Here is this week's lovely, basic sketch. It is perfect for making some quick but lovely cards during this busy time of year.

We also have a super prize this week (I'd like to have this myself). Here is a super stamp/die set that some lucky participant will win:

My card was even "quicker" to make because I used some of Heartfelt Creations Christmas paper, poinsettia stamp and die and sentiment tag for the elements to this wonderfully classic sketch.   I started with a white card and layered a piece of the Heartfelt Creations (HC) paper which I cut so the holly print would fit into the left hand corner. I cut a piece of green card from my scrap bag for the center strip and punched a scalloped edge with a border punch.

The poinsettia is hand made using red card and the HC stamp and die. I added gold Prells (also from HC) to the center. The leaves are a combination of Martha Stewart (fern shape) and McGill (holly leaves) punches. 

Lastly, the small "ticket" shaped sentiment tag is a HC cut out. 

Stop by the Tuesday Morning Sketches blog and have a look at the other beautiful samples provided by the DT. You should find lots of inspiration, and if you have time, we'd love for you to join this week's challenge.

 

For a Friend

 Today I made a card to send to a friend. She is the sweetest lady and is highly thought of by everyone who knows her. A month ago, she was diagnosed with non-small cell lung cancer. The up side is her doctor feels it can be eliminated with surgery. The down side is she has been waiting for the surgery because they need to get her built up a bit. 

I started with a white card as my base and then used We Are 3 digital papers and sentiment for the rest. The background paper and the strip are from the Spring Letters collection  (https://www.etsy.com/…/we-are-3-digital-paper-spring-letters).

 The sentiment is from the Little Things Sentiments
(https://www.etsy.com/…/we-are-3-digital-shop-sentiments-lit…)

The flower is handmade using Heartfelt Creations dies and paper from the Fall Inspiration Collection (Orange Glow  https://www.etsy.com/…/we-are-3-digital-paper-fall-inspirat…)

I have been having a lot of fun using the digital papers from We Are 3. I hadn't used digital papers much, but it has been very nice (and much quicker) to print off the papers that work together. No going through pad after pad after pad to find papers that would give me the "look" I am after. Not counting the flower (which I had already made previously), this card took me less than 20 minutes to make, and that included cutting the sentiment with a Spellbinder die and inking the middle strip with Colorbox brown ink.

We Are 3 has images (both black and white and pre-colored), sentiments and papers designed to make you a crafting expert in no time at all. Go check them out!

One Horse Sleigh

This week we have a wonderful sketch for you. Here it is:

 

We're thrilled to have our friend and former DT member sponsor our challenge this week.  Bonnie opened a digital shop of her own. We Are 3  The prize is a $15 voucher to the shop (excludes handmade cards).

 

Don't let the black and white sketch scare you off. This sketch is really not complicated (as you can tell from my card as well as the beautiful cards from the other DT members). The most complicated part (for me) was the stitch lines. Our gracious sponsor designed some .png stitch lines that she is selling in her We Are 3 Etsy shop, but sadly, I didn't get the benefit of using them, so I actually pulled out my nice sewing machine (that never gets used) and stitched across the top with a threadless needle (say that three time quickly)! OK, so I'm not going to apologize for the awkwardness of my stitches, but I will suggest you look at the other DT samples and see how they did theirs -- much nicer and neater than mine for sure and for certain (smile).

All of my card (except the white base and the poinsettia flower) is made using We Are 3 digital papers and image. It was really fun putting the different papers together to create the warm feel of this card.  Here is what I've used: Storybook Christmas, Christmas Greetings Sentiments, Toasty Warm Neutrals, Winter Scenes and Warm Sand.

The green background is from the Storybook Christmas collection of papers. The piece matted with the red is from teh Toasty Warm Neutrals collection. The image is from the Winter Scenes set, and it is matted using a piece from the Warm Sand collection. The sentiment is from the Christmas Greetings sentiments, and it is printed onto a piece of red from the Storybook Christmas collection. Whew, got it all in (LOL)! 

The poinsettia flower and leaves were made using Heartfelt Creations stamps and dies, and the center is made using Heartfelt Creations Prells.

I think I may do this card again using some of the other Winter Scenes images but will use the We Are 3 stitching lines which I'll place onto the background paper before I print it off.

Remember to take a few minutes to go by the Tuesday Morning Sketches blog and have a look at all the DT samples. We are also privileged to have three of the We Are 3 team members sharing their cards. You will really be WOWed with all the wonderful talent and inspiration you will see.
 

Happy Christmas

When I made this card, I really wanted a big star in the upper right and the caption "Do You See What I See;" however, I didn't have a star image that would work, so I hope I created the illusion of twinkling stars with the little gems along the top.

This card was made using the Snow Friends Wow Snowman image from We Are 3 Digital designs. We Are 3 offers Wow Snowman in a pre-colored form as well as black and white so that you may color him yourself. I used the black and white image and my Copic markers to create my own look.

My background paper is from Toasty Warm Neutrals.  I used navy card stock for the card base and to mat the strip piece under the snowman. I also used the navy for the die cut on which I've placed my little fellow. I fussy cut the snowman and popped up up using foam dots. The die is from Spellbinder.

The sentiment used is also from We Are 3 and is the Christmas set. I printed it off and then matted it with the navy. Lastly, to give my stars a bit of twinkle, I added crystal gems from Recollections.

If you haven't tried working with digital papers, you really should check out the beautiful sets created by We Are 3. They really make card making so much easier and quicker (less time trying to find and match papers). 

Hipster Snowman

 

I have several snowmen designed by We Are 3 designs that I'll share with you over the next several week. This is the first one.

I have used: Hipster Snowman digital image and three designs from the Christmas Magic digital papers.

Although the Hipster snowman now comes in a precolored image, I chose to color my own. I printed the image onto Neenah white card and colored it with my Copic markers. I then fussy cut him. I used a white card base and printed off three of the papers from the Christmas Magic set (one behind the snowman, one on the band and one the background). I matted the two lighter ones with navy card. I adhered the Hipster Snowman using foam pop-up dots. I finished off the little card with blue pearls.

You can find the image and the papers, along with many more,  in the We Are 3 Etsy shop.

Holly Santa

This week we have another classic looking sketch that will be very fun and versatile to use. Here it is:

Tuesday Morning Sketches is sponsoring the prize, and here it is:

Is that not one super prize? I wouldn't mind having that set myself!

For my card this week, I have used a red card base and layered a piece of green with holly. This is from an old pad that I bought several years ago and only have about 2-3 pages left. Needless to say, the cover is missing, so I cannot tell you the manufacturer. The holly background goes with the holly in back of the Santa image. 

I cut my Santa image and matted it with red and then green. I'm not sure I am overly pleased with the final mat (the red with white swirls). I may end up going back and replacing it with a dry embossed solid red but I'm "living with it" for a little while to see.

I wasn't quite sure what the line at the top 1/4 mark was supposed to be, so I added a piece of gold ribbon and a bow which I think turned out right nice looking. I topped the card off by adding a poinsettia flower with punched holly leaves tucked behind.

The DT have created a plethora of wonderful cards for various occasions showing just how versatile this sketch can be. Please take a minute to visit the blog and have a look at the beautiful work there. Then, of course, we would so like to see what you do with our sketch! 

Happy Halloween to all who celebrate; otherwise, happy Tuesday (smile)!

Spook Dracula

This card turned out a lot cuter than I was expecting it to. I'll tell you all about it, but first, here is this week's sketch:

As most of you know, I don't really "do" Halloween. However, when my daughter first saw the sketch, she automatically associated it with Halloween. Sadly, I didn't have a punch that had the spiky look shown in the sketch, so I picked one that I though might look somewhat like a spider web (NOT). It ended up look more like lacy than a web. Fear not, though, I forged on (grin).

Oh, lest I forget, here is a picture of this week's lovely challenge prize: 

I truly had no idea what I was going to do for this week's card. I decided to get the basics done and see what popped into my head. After picking the orange base, I found the main DP in my scrap bag. I was a little disappointed with the border punch. The upper row and lower row seemed to be lining up pretty accurately, but then shifted slightly towards the end. I just had to put my OCD tendency aside and forge onward.

I used my Spellbinder oval sets to cut the orange oval and the black matting oval. After adhering the two together and placing it on my card, I went in search of what to do next. I don't have a lot of Halloween stamps, images or embellishments, so I was not sure what was going to work. To my surprise, I found an unopened package of Provo Craft rub-on decals. I picked the little Dracula and one of the pumpkins. Everything came together right cutely. The sentiment is a stray sticker that I also found in my meager stash.

Have fun with this sketch. You do not have to have a punch that looks like the one in the sketch. That's just an example, so don't let it intimidate you. Show us your imagination and your creative skills. 

Stop by the Tuesday Morning Sketches blog and have a look at the other DT programs. If you want to get more details about each, simply click on the DT's name and a direct link will take you to their individual blogs where they will explain what they used and what they did.

Have a great week! Happy crafting!

We Are 3 Santa Card

I have been busy playing this Saturday morning. In addition to making my DT card for Tuesday Morning Sketches (which you will have to wait until Tuesday to see), I also made a card for We Are 3 digital images and papers. My dear friend, Bonnie Kohane along with her daughter Kerri, are the designers and owners of the We Are 3 papers and images, and Bonnie has asked me to join her design team. 

I have used Holly Berry papers (https://www.etsy.com/listing/534284042/we-are-3-digital-paper-holly-berries?ref=shop_home) and Santa Glitter Tags (https://www.etsy.com/listing/561779729/we-are-3-digital-shop-glitter-tags?ref=shop_home_active_11) to make this card.

I have used a red card base and layered the first holly paper onto it. I then printed the berries only piece and cut a 1.5" fishtail which I layered with solid green cardstock. I printed one of the four designs from the glitter tags, but cut out the Santa image only and layered it onto a piece of green card which I cut using my Spellbinder scalloped circle die. I wanted to use just the Santa image to show that the images could be used in different ways. 

I stamped the sentiment onto white card using Warm Red chalk ink by Colorbok, and I cut it with a tag shaped die that came in a cute Sizzix set my younger daughter gave me for my birthday. I then added the red dot "candy" to mimic the holly berry.

I am so pleased at how quickly this card came together and how wonderful it looks using Bonnie's papers and image. The We Are 3 papers come in coordinating sets, making them so much easier and quicker to use.

Have a nice weekend, and I'll see you back here on Tuesday morning!

Bugaboo Winter

Hello everyone. It is Tuesday again, so time for another Tuesday Morning Sketch. This week's sketch is a little more involved than the past several, but is lots of fun and is very versatile (see the DT creations at the blog!!). This week, our sponsor is once again Bugaboo Digital Stamps. If you didn't win the adorable images a few weeks ago, you have another chance this week.

Here is our sketch:

I have used Bugbblwinter01 as my image this week. I printed him onto X-Press It brand card and colored him up with my Copic markers.

The card base is white layered with a piece of holiday paper from a Recollections (Michael's Crafts brand) paper pack. I then used my Creative Memories due square punch to punch the two squares in solid red and green DP. I omitted one of the layers in the sketch because I didn't want to cover up too much of the fun background paper. I then used a Spellbinder scalloped rectangle die to cut my little image.

The Bugaboo image has three little dots (snowflakes perhaps?) on the image, but I decided to cover them with crystal gems for a little extra sparkle (you know I like my glitz), and lastly, I added a small white pom-pom to the pom-pom area of the little hat for a little more texture and fun.

Remember, you have until Sunday afternoon to create your entry and link it at the Tuesday Morning Blog

Look forward to seeing what you create with this week's sketch.

Wise Men

Hello everyone. It is another Tuesday which means we have another wonderful sketch from Tuesday Morning Sketches to share. This one is super classic. Here it is:

Our sponsor this week is, once again, Tuesday Morning Sketches. I don't know what is being given away, but I promise to come back and let y'all know as soon as I find out. Whatever it is, I know it is going to be great! (Keeping my promise to you, the prize for this week is a $10 gift certificate to either Hobby Lobby or Starbuck's. You can add to your crafting stash or simply indulge yourself -- can you say pumpkin spice latte?)

I had lots of fun with this sketch. It gave me the perfect opportunity to try out a new die. (OK, not new. I got it last year but never got around to using it, so it was unopened which, in my book, counts as new!) The Wise Men die is from Creative Expressions by Sue Wilson. Isn't it lovely? I decided to go with a silhouette effect by cutting it out of black card. But before I get ahead of myself let me say that my card base is black matted with silver glittery paper from the DCWV "Glitzy Glitter" 12x12" pad.

I also got to use another new die (maybe I should use the term "unused" rather than new) for the corner piece. It is Spellbinder's Corner Flourish (S2-050).  I finished the card off by stamping the sentiment with black pigment ink and embossing with black powder onto a piece of the same silver glitter as the background. I matted it with black.

The whole card went together fairly quickly but is oh so stunning. I was quite pleased with the overall results!

You are going to find this sketch quite versatile. I don't know if you've noticed, but the last half dozen sketches have been really easy to work with and quite classic in design. I definitely have them in my "go to" file! I think you will also enjoy seeing the different ways the DT have used the sketch, so hop over to the TMS blog and have a look.

As always, I encourage you to take some time to create your own card and join our weekly challenge. We enjoy seeing what our followers do with our sketches, and who knows, Mr. Random just might pick your number to win the prize!

Little Pumpkin

Happy Tuesday! It is time for another Tuesday Morning Sketches sketch. This one is super great. You are going to enjoy using it. Here it is:

Our sponsor this week is the fantastic Bugaboo Stamps. Their adorable images are so fun to color up and to use. Our winner will get a choice of 4 images of their choice! My card features Kidlet Pumpkin

I have used a black card base for my cute little Halloween card. The background DP is, believe it or not, from my scrap bag, so I can't tell you the manufacturer. I know it came from a kit of Halloween papers and embellishments, but that's all I can remember. I used a Martha Stewart border punch and orange grosgrain ribbon to create my top. 

I printed my kidlet pumpkin onto X-Press it brand card and colored it with my Copic markers. I then fussy cut the little guy out so that I could use foam pop-dots to add him to the scalloped oval background. The inside of the oval is another piece of Halloween scrap. I used the Spellbinder oval and oval scallop dies.

I did leave off the black brads that I was going to use (left side) because the background was to busy and the brands would have just gotten lost and or detracted from the paper's cute little images. 

Stop by the Tuesday Morning Sketches blog and look at the beautiful cards the DT have made this week. Click on the DT's name above her card and you will automatically be directed to that person's individual blog where you will find additional information about her card. Then, if you haven't started on your own card, get busy! We so enjoy seeing the work out followers do!
 
 

Halloween

Hello everyone and happy Tuesday. It is time for another Tuesday Morning Sketches sketch. Here is the sketch:

Our prize this week is being given by Tuesday Morning Sketches and here it is:

I have to admit that I had a little trouble "feeling" this sketch. That doesn't happen very often, but once in a while, we have a sketch that just doesn't "speak" to me, and this was this year's sketch. I finally struggled through, but I'm not totally happy with the results.

I started with a black card and layered a piece of dotty paper from one of my Halloween paper packs. I cut the strips for the left corner from the same piece that I cut the corner triangle. The three little image are cut out from another piece of paper from the Halloween pack. I did not have a circle punch that would work because the circles were too close together, so  ended up fussy cutting each of the three images. I punched circle for each from black and adhered the image to the top of the circle. I then adhered the circles to the triangle. From yet another piece of Halloween paper, I cut the word and matted in onto black. 

The card was quick and easy to put together, but . . . well, I hope it gives you inspiration as to what NOT to do (LOL)!

I truly would love to see what all you do with this sketch. The other DT members have made beautiful cards to inspire you, so please stop by the Tuesday Morning Sketches blog and have a look.

I had a wonderful birthday last week -- did anyone miss me (smile)? I ate out four days in a row (can you see the extra pounds on my hips??). Saturday night the Hubs took me to see a Trace Adkins concert. I had a blast, and I have to give the Hubs special kudos for enduring the evening. He just does not appreciate the country/western genre, but he sat through it for me! He did admit that he was actually having fun watching me shake my booty and acting like a teeny-bopper! Sunday (my actual birthday) was celebrated with family members (one of my four meals out), and Monday I attended a luncheon with former classmates and other alumni from high school. All in all, it made turning another year older lots of fun!

Now, if you are still with me, you go have some fun in the craft area and whip up a scumpdillious card to enter in this week's challenge.

Scarecrows and Changing Leaves

Happy Tuesday everyone. I apologize for being late getting my card posted, but I was not online much yesterday and last night. We live in northwest GA, but felt the effects of Irma this far north. We were without electricity for a bit, but we are well prepared with our own generator, so fridge and freezer continued to run (smile).

This week we have the pleasure of being sponsored by DRS Designs.

And here is this week's wonderful sketch:

My images are two of DRS's stamps Large Scarecrow and Changing Leaves.

I used Memento ink to stamp my image onto X-press It card and colored the scarecrow with my Copic markers. After coloring, I fussy cut the image. I decided, though, that I wanted the little collar to stand out a bit more, so I stamped it on a piece of orange dotty paper I had in my scraps and cut it out. I colored the bow (on the orange piece) with brown. I then clued tiny blue buttons over the stamped button eyes to give them some dimension. I adhered the scarecrow to my card using pop-dot foam to give it a lift.

I used a piece of orange card stock to create my card base and layered a piece of plaid from a Recollections pad. The green, grosgrain ribbon is from my stash. I stamped my second image (the sentiment) onto a piece of the base card stock using black Momento ink and then matted it with a piece of gold so it would stand out a little more from the plaid. 

The DT showcased some really fantastic images from DRS this week. I think you are going to really enjoy everyone's work. Please stop by the TMS blog and have a look, and if you have time, visit each DT member's individual blog by clicking on their name above their sample. I know they would love to hear from you as to what you think of their work.

See you again next week.

Santa and Holly

Hello everyone. I hope everyone has had a good weekend. We have another really great sketch for you this week at Tuesday Morning Sketches, and I continue with my vintage Santa theme for Christmas. Here is the fun sketch:

 

When I first saw this sketch, I was a bit leery and wasn't sure how it was all going to come together. However, once I got started, it all fell into place, and I was really pleased with the end results.

Once again, I have used a vintage Santa clip art. I cut the image into a tag shape. I started with a brown card base to keep the vintage feel, and I layered a piece of red and gold DP that I've had in my stash for a number of years. In fact, I only have about 3-4 pieces of the original 12x12" pad left and had even considered putting it into the purge pile for my teacher friends. As it turned out, glad it hadn't yet quite made the cut because it was the perfect paper to go with my clip art.

Picking up the green in the holly on St. Nick's hood, I cut a strip of green and then a smaller strip of gold for the top. I adhered the clip art tag shape and then created a triple bow with the red, green and gold ribbon. I cut three holly leaves and three berries off of a Christmas pick and tucked it behind the bow which duplicates the holly on the hood.

It was that easy to create a beautiful and wonderful card with this sketch. I think I was done in less than 30 minutes. Considering how many Christmas cards I have left to make, quick but pretty is a definite plus!

I have been searching my computer and my files for pictures of some of the ornaments that I painted. I have shared them before and thought I would find them in some of my older blogs, but no luck. I finally found a few pictures, but not all of the ones I wanted to share. I was looking for the ones that match or are similar to the three clip art pictures I've already used this year. Anyway, even though I wasn't fully successful in my search, here are a couple of my painted pieces:

 Now, back to this week's sketch. You are definitely going to want to visit the Tuesday Morning Sketches blog and see what the other DT have done. So many wonderful examples! You can also click on each DT's name and go directly to their blogs where you should find additional information as to how they created their lovely card. While there, leave them a little love and feedback.

Santa Face

Happy Tuesday everyone. This week's sketch is a wonderfully classic sketch that you can do loads with. As I told you last week, I am in Christmas mode. However, before I go into any details about my card, here is the sketch:

Our prize this week is a bag of 10 Washi tapes. As Melissa said, it is a rainbow in a bag (smile)!

About two decades ago, when I was still painting, I found some wrapping paper with small pictures of vintage Santas. Using several of them as samples, I painted several of them as ornaments. The clip art I've used on this card is similar to one of the ones I painted.

I started with a tan 6x6" base for this card. The base and the other papers used on this card came from my scrap pile, so I was able to make this lovely card without cutting into any new paper (win-win). On top of the tan base, I put a layer of green card. On top of that, I placed a layer of red and cream stripe. Along the side I placed a strip of matching red with gold swirls. Despite having basically four layers, this card is not bulky nor weighty, so should not require additional postage (except extra for non standard shape). I cut the clip art using one of my Spellbinder nesting circle dies and I cut the green mat with the next size nesting die. The sentiment is from a set I got last a couple years ago with the purchase of a stamping magazine from the UK. I used warm red chalk ink, tan paper and green card to create the sentiment.

The whole card has a nice vintage feel which compliments the clip art perfectly. 

You will want to visit the Tuesday Morning Sketches blog to see the wonderful cards the other DT have made. I've said it before, but it is worth repeating, we have some really wonderful designers on our team. Take a peek and then leave some love on their individual blogs.
 

Merry Christmas

This week's sketch is so very pretty. I have changed mine up a tiny bit, so before I go further, here is the original sketch:

As you can see, I changed the oval shape to a rectangular one. I didn't want to lose any of my pretty clip-art vintage Santa.

I started with a tan card base and matted it with a piece of snowflake covered red. I matted my image with the same tan as the card base. Behind he Santa I placed a large snowflake (I believe it was cut with a Spellbinder die. I found it in my scrap drawer, so I cannot remember when/where I cut it.) I punched smaller snowflakes using two Martha Stewart snowflake punches. 

 I used my Wink of Stella clear glitter wand and colored all of the snowflakes (the large and the small ones). I think you can get a little hint of the sparkle in the above photo. It is really pretty up close and personal (smile). 

This is the time of year that I start making my Christmas cards, so you will probably be seeing more in the future. However, my team mates haven't started Christmas yet, so if you want to see some wonderful non-Christmas samples of this lovely sketch, please visit the Tuesday Morning Sketches blog and have a look. Stop by the individual blogs by clicking on the member's name above her sample. Leave a little love on their blog if you like what you see.

Coffee Please!

Hello kind followers. Many of you who personally know me recognize that this card was really made with me in mind. I definitely HAVE to have my coffee when I get up in order to wake up and get going. I enjoy coffee. I enjoy the smell and the taste. 

This week's sponsor is Bugaboo Digital Stamps, and here is our sketch:

 This was a fun sketch. It is easy and quick but not totally CAS. The fishtail elements add some dimension and a nice focal point to draw your eye to the image. 

My image is called Mis JJ Coffee. 

The image comes in both b&w and pre-colored. I enjoy coloring, but for the past several months, I've really enjoyed using pre-colored or stamped images using one ink color only. I've been able to make some really nice cards in less time which has helped with my busy schedule. 

I started with a piece of blue cardstock to create my base card. I added the piece of stripe background (from my scrap bag). I then matted my pre-colored image on a piece of the blue and adhered it to the center of the card front. I cut the two fish tail pieces from the blue using a Memory Box fishtail banner die.

You could add a bit more bling if you wanted by adding gems to the fishtail or replacing the fishtail pieces with another design -- take a look at some of the things the other DT members did with theirs by visiting the Tuesday Morning Blog.

Flowers for You

This week's sketch is a little different but I think you will have fun with it. The card actually looks a bit like an envelop, but if you take a minute to visit the Tuesday Morning Sketches blog, you will see how many beautiful looks this sketch can have. It was so much fun!

Here is the sketch:

I started with a mint green textured card. I then used a beautiful triangle die by Die'sire to cut the peach colored "flap." (HINT: If you have this die or any other similar intricate die, sandwich a piece of wax paper between the die and the paper being cut for easier release after cutting.) I used spray adhesive to adhere the flap piece to the card.

That was easy, right? Now the fun part. I used peach, white and yellow flowers (Recollections and Wild Orchid) randomly adhered to the flap. Then I stamped a Just Rite sentiment using Certainly Celery ink (Stampin' Up) onto white card. Punched it into a square and then matted it with the peach. 

This card was easy-peasy. It took me about 30 minutes to create (tops), yet it is so pretty! Have some fun and have a go at this sketch.