Smile in Metal!

I don't know why I cannot seem to be organized any more (or any less -- wait, no, I don't want to be any less). The days are just flying by, and I can't seem to keep them straight. Just discovered that I failed to post this week's Tuesday Morning Sketches card here on my blog (hanging my head).

This is the new sketch. It is provided by Carol and is really much prettier and easier than it looks in the sketch. I know you are going to have fun with this one. The DT all came up with something entirely different from each other.

We also have a fun-tastic prize for this week's challenge, and here it is:

OK, so I went steam punk with my card. I have used one of Sherry Baldie's steam punk images and a variety of dies to create a "metal" look. The bear has been fussy cut and is sitting on a circle that has been topped with a clock face die cut. I ran my "cogs" die through a number of times to get enough pieces to create the elements coming out from behind the circle. Lastly, I moved the sentiment to the side of the card in order to have enough room and used a metal word from my stash. Didn't it turn out adorable?

Despite my being a couple of days behind posting my card, I hope you will still have time to possibly create your own and submit it to the Tuesday Morning Blog challenge. That die sure is pretty and would be a wonderful addition to anyone's collection. They can be used, not only for Christmas, but for wedding and anniversary cards, too. Don't you just love multi-functional tools?

Blue Birds of Happiness

Melissa said that I was either still clinging to spring or looking forward to it with my little image. I actually had not thought about it being a spring image. I thought of it more as a pretty summer image, and I admit that I am clinging to summer for a little while longer. After all, fall doesn't officially come until this weekend (22nd September)! I so like the images painted by Carolyn Shores Wright. I actually own five of her framed prints (2 birdie prints and three kitty prints).

I have combined pink, blue and green for my papers, picking up the colors in the print. The card, itself, is a 5" x 7" pink card. The blue print background is matted with green. My image is matted with the same pink as the card, and my embellishment is cut from the green. I have finished the front off with the three pink pearls in the upper right corner.

Since this card is all a matter of cutting and gluing, it made up very quickly, but I think it looks quite lovely; how about you?

This week we have a fun stamp set for our challenge prize. This is the CC Design set:

                                               

Wouldn't you like a chance to win that lovely background stamp? It could be yours. All you have to do is create a card using our sketch, post it to your own blog and then link it to the Tuesday Morning Sketches blog. You may be our random winner of the Autumn Leaves background stamp. There is one thing for sure. If you don't enter, you definitely will not win!

Have fun with this week's sketch, and I'll be back next week with another wonderful sketch to share with you.

Happy Birthday

Are you ready for anothr lovely sketch? I have to say that this one is another "quicky" that doesn't look like it. Depending on what you use for your papers and your image, this sketch can have a plethera of looks! 

I started with a pink card base (a 5" x 7" turned horizontal). I put a layer of blue DP on top (that's where you really set the "tone" of this sketch depending on your background paper). Card, DP and image. It doesn't get any simplier than that! I picked a lovely vintage image of pink flowers for my focal point. I cut the circle and then layered it on the solid pink. I used the same piece of solid but cut an even larger circle from the edge to use across the front. 

A Happy Birthday die cut from the blue DP gives me my sentiment, and I topped it off with pink pearls (simply because I like my bling - smile). I think the whole look is one of simple sophistication, and I'm rather pleased with the overall effect. 

If you haven't given the Tuesday Morning Sketches a try, I think you should. The sketches are so much fun and a real creative boost. We have been having some wonderful participation, but we'd love to have even more. All it takes is a few minutes of your time. Create a card following the sketch, take a picture, then post it to your blog linking it to the Tuesday Morning Sketches blog. 

Have a good week. When you read my blog next Tuesday (not today, but next week), I will be another year old (smile). Yuppers, I have a birthday coming up on the 17th. Someone asked me to name something good about having another birthday. I replied, "Having another birthday!" 

One other thing before I go. Today (11 September) is the anniversary of the attack on the Twin Towers and the Pentagon by terriorists here in the United States. Please, if you would, take a minute this morning and just remember all the people who lost their lives.

Thank you and God bless!

N is for Nice

Once in a blue moon (in other words, not very often), we will have a challenge that makes me struggle a bit. They are, after all, called challenges, so if every one was easy where would the challenge be? This was one of the sketches that left me scratching my head.  I knew that I could use ribbon, baker's twine, even wire, to create the element beside the image, but then I really couldn't really figure out a sentiment or image to combine with the decorative element. I pondered my dilemma for quite a bit and decided to change out that funky shape for a letter. September is filled with birthdays that I need to acknowledge, so I settled on a birthday theme and a play on the word "nice." 

Originally I had cut a capital N to use, but it turned out not only to be just a tad too big, but rather lack-luster, so while searching my embellishments and my drawer of letters, I foundthe green glitter n that I used. It is a tad smaller than I would have liked, but the glitter works in a fun way to call attention to it. 

I used a piece of paper with different colored "jelly bean" shapes as my background. I matched the dark, rose pink with a solid from my stash to create the punched border piece that goes across the middle of the card. (I used a Martha Steward border punch.) I used three green brads below the border, and I typed my sentiment onto a lighter pink. 

Since I wasn't really sure how I felt about the card (it really is quite different from my usual style), I put a fun verse on the inside about birthdays being good for you because the more you have the longer you live. Despite being a bit different, it did turn out kind of cute, and the person who will receive it has a sense of humor, so perfect for her.

I've alreasy seen a couple of my teammate's cards for this challenge, and as always, we have come up with totally different ideas. I think you are going to find them all to be quite wonderful, and I hope they will inspire you to try your hand with this sketch.

Happy crafting; have a great week!