Pink Dogwoods

I have recently discovered Heartfelt Creations stamps and dies. Heartfelt Creations has been around for some time, so isn't a new company, but is new to me. I've been "collecting" some of the beautiful dies and stamps-dies sets lately and have really enjoyed learning how to use them. I made the card above today.

The card is a white base. I used a Spellbinder die to create the pink frame which I layered on top of the white card. The beautiful Dogwood flowers are first stamped using the wonderful HC stamps (I used Stampin' Up ink), and then are cut using the matching die set. I then sponged the same color pink ink along the tops of the petals and a little in the middle. I used a darker pink in the divots of each petal. I used two different colored Distressed Ink pen colors for the center (a yellow and a mustard). I colored the center with the yellow and then added dots with the mustard. 

(NOTE: The stamp and die sets have a calyx type center if you prefer, but the dots look more like the real Dogwood flower centers to me, so I opted to do the centers that way.)

The leaves are stamped with a dark green (Garden Green) and then colored in using a lighter green (Certainly Celery). I added Stickles Diamond Dust glitter to the divoted areas of the petals for a little extra shimmer and glitz. 

The "Happy Birthday" was created using dies (sorry, they belonged to my girlfriend and I don't know who made them).  After adhering the words, I needed something in the lower left of the card, so I added the butterfly. It actually could have gone down just a little more, but once it was on to the paper, there was no moving it as the glue dries very quickly!

The butterfly was stamped on vellum using white ink and white embossing powder. It was then fussy cut by hand. I used the Distressed Ink pens (two different pinks) to color the under side and then adhered just the center of the butterfly so that I could lightly turn up the wings. I added a bit of gems behind the butterfly to indicate a flight path.

The Dogwood trees are just beginning to get some blooms on them here in north-west Georgia. I have both white and pink in my yard (although it looks as if I may have lost one of my pinks this year to disease). 

I hope you enjoyed my additional creation this week. I certainly enjoyed making it. Thank you for stopping by.

Dog Walking

 

Hello friends. I hope you had a wonderful week. I did something on Sunday that I've never done before. I attended the same movie at the theater twice on the same day. The Hubs and I went to the 1:30 showing of "Beauty and the Beast" (new version) and then I returned for the 7:00 showing with the kids. I enjoyed it as much the second time as I did the first time -- in fact, MORE because I accidentally picked up a pair of children sized 3-D glasses at the first showing. so I was having a tiny bit of trouble seeing properly. Made a point of watching carefully so as to make the mistake twice. The adult size fit so much better (smile).

Today's sketch is another great one. I had a lot of fun putting this one together. It was nice to be able to pull out one of my own stamps for this card, since there was no sponsor provided image this week.

Here is the sketch:

The stamp I used is by Close to My Heart. I stamped it using black Memento ink on white card. The card base is white with a layer of black card matting under the black and off-white stripe designer paper. (I am sorry the photo makes the stripes look kind of greenish-gray, but they are true black) The stripe paper and the reddish orange dotty paper are both from a Glitz Pack called Laced Grace (8x8" papers).

The fish tail die cuts were made using an Elizabeth Crafts die (paper from same Glitz Pack). The black brads are from my stash.

Please stop by the Tuesday Morning Sketches blog and have a look at what the other designers have made this week. As always, the team members creative talents totally shine! 

Have a happy crafting week. Will see you back here next Tuesday (if not before). 

Thinking of You

Hello kind friends and followers. It is time for another Tuesday Morning Sketches sketch. This week's sketch is a fun, easy one to use and can take on so many different looks. 

The prize this week is a $10 gift certificate, and here is the sketch for you to use:

I have used a Magnolia image this week. The card base is white with a layer of purple card and then a layer of purple and white gingham check. I think the card turned out rather cute. I also matted the image with the purple card. I didn't have the sentiment prior to adhering my image to my card. If I had planned that a bit better, I would have moved the image towards the top more, better balancing the spacing between the top and bottom of my card. Oops! 

The flowers are actually some very old stickers that my daughter found in our stash. The color matched the card perfectly. I added two purple gems to the centers of the flowers for a little added bling, and the little butterfly gem is from a roll of border tape.

The sentiment is a clear acrylic stamp (brand unknown) and the ink is CTMH Eggplant. I matted the sentiment with the purple card and slightly lifted it with a think foam tape.

You will want to go to the TMS blog to see the variety of creativity the design team has shown using this sketch. Six different looks from this simple but classic sketch. You MUST give it a try and show us what you do with this sketch.

Circle or Square

Hi fellow crafters. Today Tuesday Morning Sketches has a two for one sketch. First, let me share my DT card with you and then I'll explain that two-fer statement!

 And here is the sketch (or rather sketches):

Debbie showed the two sketches to Melissa and asked her to pick. Neither of them could come to an agreement over just one, so it was decided that Tuesday Morning would offer both. If you are submitting an entry in this week's challenge, you can pick one or the other design. Isn't that nifty?

Our challenge prize is being provided by Tuesday Morning Sketches and consists of two fun cutting dies. Here they are:

I picked the circles for my DT sample. The card is white with a layer of fun and colorful word graphic paper that has been matted in blue. I carried the blue and red theme to the ribbons by layering a thinner blue ribbon on top of a red one. I then cut a red and blue circle to go under my colored image. Little Wren was printed onto X-Press It brand card and colored with Copic markers.

This was a fun sketch to use, and you will definitely want to go to the TMS blog and see what the other DT members created. Such variety, such talent, such fun! Have a great week, and if you are up north experiencing the storm that has covered the northern part of North America, stay safe!

Happy Green Day!

It is Tuesday again and time for another Tuesday Morning Sketches sketch. This is a fun sketch! Our sponsor this week is:

DRS Designs

"DRS Designs - a family owned company since 1950 - boasts hundreds of original rubber

stamp designs. All images are available fully mounted, completely unmounted or mounted

on cling cushion and are proudly hand crafted in the USA. Our rubber stamp collection

includes a wide assortment of images including sentiments for all occasions, easy

background designs and fun technique stamps such as our stained glass and plaid designs.

The DRS Designs website features a huge card sample gallery, online demos and tips, a

secure shopping area and more. Be sure to visit our daily blog with posts from our fantastic

design team for inspiration and ideas."

And here is the sketch:

I used a white card base for my card. I would have preferred a solid green, but I did not have the appropriate green to go with the DP, so I had to use white. I layered a piece of gold (to represent the pot of gold) and a layer of DP that contains various St. Patrick's Day words. I matted my Irish Blessing onto the gold and used a white dotty card weight for the two fish tails. The background DP is from "The Spring Stack" by DCWV. I don't know the manufacturer of the gold paper nor the pad from which the green and yellow dotty paper comes. The yellow side is the back of the green with white side. 

The fish tails were cut using an Elizabeth Crafts die. The ovals were cut using a Coluzzel template. The corner was punched using a Paper Shapers sold by Stampin' Up punch. The clover punch does not have a manufacturer's name on it.

You are going to love the different examples the DT have made using this sketch. To get a look at all of them, go to the TMS blog.

Thanks for stopping by. Have a happy, crafty week!