Betta Half - AHSC #314

Hello and welcome to this week's card sketch using the Atlantic Hearts Sketch Challenge. 

This was a fun card to make because I just got this stamp set from Hero Arts and was really looking forward to using it for the first time! It's a multi layered stamp set that requires no coloring of the Betta fish body because the ink colors you choose do all the work for you. I have kept Betta fish as pets for quite a few years now and their natural beauty never ceases to capture my interest. 

The subtle bubble background paper was something that I made well over 10 years ago and had saved in my stash, so I was very happy to find the perfect way to put it to good use. You can't tell from the pictures, but I did color in the seaweed with a clear sparkle brush pen for some subtle shimmer.

EDIT UPDATE: Ok, so I knew when I finished this card 2 weeks ago that something felt "off" about it...I just felt like it needed a little something more! I looked through all my border stickers and couldn't find what I was looking for, so I took the blog pictures anyway and moved on to a different project. THEN, when I sat down to edit these photos and write this blog post, it hit me...skinny silver glitter washi tape... THAT is exactly what this card needs, lol. So I added it and guess what? I think I was right - It really draws the eye to the fish as the focal point and it's perfect now! What do you think??? Did you like it better with or without the last minute addition of the washi tape?

Until next time~

Hip-Hippo-Ray - AHSC #312

Hello and welcome to this week's edition of the Atlantic Hearts Sketch Challenge! Today's card is sweet and simple and will be sent to one of my nieces for her 9th birthday at the end of the month.

While it may be hard to see from the top photo, I did add some dimension to the card front by using adhesive foam dots on both the back of the hippo circle and the sentiment banner.

This sweet little hippo is from a set I got from Itsy Bitsy when I was on their design team and I colored her up very simply using watercolor pencils in gray and pink. I don't know if you can tell from the picture, but I also used a shimmer brush for the shadow under her feet.

The patterned papers are left over from a paper pack that my daughter left behind when she went to grad school several years ago...gotta use up that crafty stash, lol!

Until next time~

AHSC #308 - Rosy Thanks

Today's design team card for Atlantic Hearts Sketch Challenge uses Sketch #308 and doesn't have much stamping on it but instead makes good use of this gorgeous patterned paper from Close To My Heart.

I love using textured cardstock when I want a solid color to make more of a statement, which I did here with the two shades of gray. 

The two lighter colors of the patterned paper are very subtle and hard to capture on camera, but in the top left corner is a thick, pale pink stripe and in the lower right is a light gray polkadot.

That's it for me until next time,

AHSC #306 - Pink Peony Birthday

Welcoming March and the coming of spring using soft, pretty colors and lovely peonies this week! Designed using sketch #306 from the Atlantic Hearts Sketch Challenge , I made this card for my Grandma's upcoming birthday... 

My card differs slightly from the sketch in where I placed my bow, but that's only because I had to hide a mistake I made while embossing (at the last minute) in the bottom right corner of the card, lol.

I kept it simple on the inside but loved being able to showcase the shade differences in Close To My Heart's (CTMH) colored cardstock...man, this cardstock is brilliant! One side is the darker shade and the other side is the lighter shade...it's like having 2 pieces of co-ordinating cardstock in one and I am loving using it! It's quickly becoming my "go-to" cardstock!

Fine Detailed gold embossing powder is the key to capturing all the gorgeous details in these peony stamps (also from CTMH). A little bit of sparkle pen traced over the charcoal grey sentiment and just 3 mini gold pearls completed the look.

Come join in the fun with us over at Atlantic Hearts and until next time~

AHSC #304: CAS Die Cut Birthday Wishes

Today's card creation for the Atlantic Hearts Sketch Challenge Design Team uses only diecuts on the front and a single sentiment stamp on the inside. 

I went for springy shades of blue-greens since we're still seeing piles of snow and gray skies where I live, lol. 

Sweet and simple inside too...

The tiny pearls added the perfect finishing touch!

That's it for me today ~ Happy Monday!

Welcome Back!

Hello and welcome back! The last 4 months of  packing, moving, unpacking and getting settled here in our new home state of Illinois just flew right on by. I am happy to report that we survived the Polar Vortex of January 2019 and I am finally getting back into a creative groove in my new craftroom!

I am happy to say that I am starting back up as a member of the Atlantic Hearts Sketch Challenge Design Team and for my first card created from scratch in 4 long months, I used the sketch you can see below...

This card will be my hubby's Valentine and uses two stamp sets that I got from CAS-ual Friday along with hearts I diecut from Spellbinders.

I repeatedly stamped "smooches" in 3 ink colors to make my own decorative paper. I had fun adding Liquid Glass to the hour glass figure, but then tried to adhere it to my card before it was completely dry, so the top cracked and the bottom smudged...I must remember patience the next time, lol! 

I made use of the "scrap" I cut off for the front and adhered it to the inside of the card -pretty way to tie it all together.

That's it from me for today, but I hope to be back here to share with you regularly again at least 2 times a month. Until next time~

We Make a Perfect Pear

Today's design team post for the Atlantic Hearts Sketch Challenge uses stencils, diecuts and digital stamps.

The subtle gray background was done with ink and a stencil. The pinked circle from patterned paper is a diecut as is the notebook/planner page edge to the right of the card front.

I colored the pair of pears using colored pencils and die cut it out, mounted it on black cardstock and fussy cut around it then mounted it to the card front using foam tape for a bit of dimension.

Until next time~

OWL Always Love You!

Today's design team blog post with Atlantic Hearts Sketch Challenge was a fun way to take out some stencils that were in need of love! 

First, I matched my inks to the cardstock colors and then used a feather stencil on the  sea foam background. On the kraft layer I went with the circle pattern and on the peacock blue I layered two different stencils -both the tree rings and the paint splotches.

The owl and sentiment are from a cute stamp set from CTMH and I stamped using Memento ink so that I could color with Spectrum Noir markers.

We are headed to the beach here for a few days, so.....

Until next time~