Anniversary Grand Prize Reveal

This is our final week for the Tuesday Morning anniversary month, so we will be drawing for our grand prize this time. I can finally tell you what it is, and I'm so excited. First, let me share the sketch and twist with you.

The "twist" this week is to use a stamp -- pretty easy, eh? Who among us does not own a stamp? Please, no digital images or die cut focal images.

Now, here is the wonderful surprise prize:  

My Sweet Petunia is offering this wonderful prize to one lucky winner. Remember, the drawing will include every entry from week one through this final week. The grand prize winner will be announced next Monday, so you will want to participate this week!

I used a Close To My Heart image this week from a set called My Style. I have used those stamps before on several occasions with no problems, but this time I could not seem to get the image to stamp correctly (definitely needed a Misti!!). I tried every trick I know to get the image to print clearly and dark (as it should have). I even used several different inks. I finally had to pick the best of the bad to use. While I wasn't totally satisfied, I was running out of time. 

I used a blue Ninah card for my base, and a piece of retro looking designer paper from a stack my daughter pulled for me (sorry, I didn't jot down which pad it was from). Instead of ribbon, I used a piece of solid across the DP, and instead of a bow, I used the shoe image. The two fish tails are cut from a scrap of the main DP (front and back). I added three random rhinestones to the image oval and then one smaller one to the top of the shoe.

Stop by the Tuesday Morning Sketches blog and see the wonderful cards the other DT members have made and then get busy with your own creation. We love seeing what our followers do with our sketches.

Happy crafting everyone!

Thinking of you

You know that, as a general rule, I really like our Tuesday Morning Sketches sketches. However, every now and then one comes along that I have a hard time wrapping my head around. Sadly, this one was one of those sketches. First I tried doing this sketch with all paper (picking coordinating strips from my scrap bags), but that didn't work for me. Then I thought about those decorative tapes -- um, realized that I didn't like them so had given all mine away. OK, finally settled on ribbon, but I really wasn't totally happy with that choice either. At any rate, several attempts at filling my waste basket with aborted cards, I finally ended up settling for this one.

I have a white card base. The dotty paper is matted with pink card. The ribbons are various shades of pink which do match the dots in the background but aren't exactly my favorites. 

The flower is one that I made several years ago. A couple of my girlfriends and I decided we would all search for different types of flowers and try to make them. This one is made by cutting the flower shape and then folding the petals to create some dimension. I added a purchased pre-made paper flower to the center and a crystal gem. 

Because that seemed a little plain to me, I added the punched butterfly and a tail of crystal gems. Lastly, I added the sentiment which I stamped onto pink paper and cut into an oval shape using a Marianne die.

I hope you have better luck communicating with your Muses on how to use this sketch. The other DT members had no problem (sad face)! As I said, sometimes it just doesn't work for all of us, and this was my turn!

Do give it a try. Remember we have that really grand prize at the end of July, and each week's entries will be used to pick the winner, so the more week's you participate, the better your chances of winning (and if you don't happen to want or need the prize, I'll happily take it off your hands (LOL)!

Christmas in July

We, at Tuesday Morning Sketches, are having fun with the sketches and additional challenges leading up to our grand finale 8th Anniversary blog. This week, we are asking that you use the sketch to make a Christmas themed creation!

Here is the wonderful sketch:

Here is the wonderful prize for this week's challenge:

 


I love old images of Father Christmas, Saint Nick, Père Noël! The Coca Cola Santa in his red suit is cute and great for the kids, but just doesn't have the same elegance and tradition as the older images (to me). Those of you who have followed me for some time may have seen the wooden ornaments that I painted using the vintage themed Santa faces. Anyway, when I saw this clip art picture, I knew I HAD to use it for some Christmas cards this coming year, and this week's sketch is perfect to use it with.

I printed the clip art onto white card. I used red card for my card base. I dry embossed a piece of white using a Spellbinder double sided die. The ribbon is a roll I purchased at Michael's Crafts a few years ago. There is no brand name listed on it. 

The sentiment is from a set of clear stamps I purchased at Hobby Lobby by MSE! (My Sentiments Exactly). The ink I used is called Watermelon Red by Ranger. I finished it off with a small chipboard holly leaf (a package of leaves by Recollection).

I am quite pleased with this card. It will be a nice, elegant looking card but not bulky or heavy, so will be easy to mail out to my many friends during the holidays. 

Remember, Tuesday Morning Sketches is having a prize and drawing each week, but all entries remain in the "pot" for the final drawing of a fantastic prize (I've been wanting one for myself, but I'm not going to ruin the surprise and tell you what it is!!). 

Picture of the ornament I painted which is similar to the image used on my card:

Sea Shells and Surf Boards

Hello dear followers. This Tuesday Morning Sketch is going live on the 4th of July, a holiday we Yanks celebrate to celebrate our independence as a new country. Many of the cities and towns have celebrated this weekend with fireworks displays, parades and more. The Parks and Recreation Department for whom I work will sponsor the annual fireworks display this evening for our city. If you are from the US, I wish you a happy 4th. If you aren't, then I wish you a great Tuesday!

This month Tuesday Morning Sketches will celebrate its 8th anniversary, so we will be having some really nice prizes leading up to the grand prize. We also are adding a few extra requirements to the challenges, so make sure you read carefully. This week we are not only asking you to use our sketch, but we ask that you use die cuts on your card. Here is the sketch:

 

Here is a picture of the prize:

One last thing -- the challenge entries will be drawn on each week BUT they will ALL be used for the final drawing. That gives you four chances to enter towards the final grand prize (and it is a nice one, too!!). Melissa has a system all worked out so that she knows which entries apply to which week so that we will continue to have the weekly prizes and drawings and then the final prize (shew, glad she's doing it and not me - LOL)!

Anyway, our first week is to use die cuts on your card. I have created a summer time card with surf boards and sea shells. My base card is blue card with the surf board paper on top. My top panel is the matching blue of the card base matted with brown. 

My sea shells are cut using Marianne dies. The shell design is lightly embossed and then inked with Close to My Heart's fawn colored ink to enhance the embossing. The sentiment is a La La Land stamp.

Before I close, I'd like to "introduce" a new member of the design team. Carol L. has been a follower of Tuesday Morning Sketches for some time. We have all enjoyed her lovely work, and we are thrilled she agreed to join the team. If you have some free time, please take a look at Carol's blog, and her beautiful work. Also, stop by the Tuesday Morning Sketches blog and have a look at all the DT work this week. As always, my fellow teamies have worked their magic to create some FAB cards to inspire you.