Dream Big - DS58

After yesterday's clean, simple, all-white number, I just had to get my shabby on today. I've used the new Deconstructed Sketch, #58, along with what may be my favorite Verve set ever -- Words of Wisdom.

Here's our sketch this week:

Like it, love it, gotta have it ...

For the circle panel (which I moved to the left side to better accommodate the "dream big" sentiment), I used a glittery pink paper flower, along with two sweet little tags (a vintage metal rimmed tag from Stampin' Up and a jewelry tag, also SU, that I stamped with the "xoxo" sentiment from Verve's Tag Time set).

Elsewhere I've added the usual shabby details ... buttons, stitching, sanding, and distressing. The papers are from the new Carta Bella Beautiful Moments 6x6 pad. The die-cuts at the top and bottom are by My Favorite Things (Bracket Tab Die-namics at the top and the Faux Crochet Border Die-namics at the bottom).

For more sketch inspiration, visit the amazingly talented Deconstructed Sketch Girls:

Amber Hight

Arielle Gordon

Donna Wardle 

Jen Shults 

Jessica Diedrich

Judy Rozema, Guest Designer

Kadie Ensley

Lori Boyd

Pam Varnell

Sheri Gilson

To enter, link up your creation on the Deconstructed Sketch #58 post over at Jen's blog. Happy stamping, and thanks for stopping by!

 


Stamps: Words of Wisdom and Tag Time (Verve Stamps)
Paper: Carta Bella Beautiful Moments 6x6 pad; Papertrey Vintage Cream and Kraft card stock
Ink: Memento Espresso Truffle; Tim Holtz Walnut Stain Distress Ink
Accessories:  Prima flower, May Arts jute string, Stampin' Up vintage metal-rimmed tag and jewelry tag punch, MFT Faux Crochet Border and Bracket Tab Die-namics, Papertrey buttons, paper piercer/needle/thread, distressing tool, sanding block, foam adhesive
Size: 4 1/4" x 5 1/2"

Well, Hello! - TCPTues216

Well, hello friends! Today I have a CAS card to share that I made for this week's TCP Tuesday Challenge. Jen is our hostess, and has put together a beautiful trio of inspiration images for us:

I used a mixture of textured and smooth white card stock to create this little window scene. The window and vase are both from the Window CutUps die set, and the flowers are from the Flower Buttons Cutups. I used some thin green floral wire for the stems. Here's a closer look:

For some added texture, I added a white tulle window treatment. I gathered the tulle at the top, tacked it to the back of the window, and tied it with some of TCP's linen thread. 

The sentiment, from Field of Pinwheels, is stamped on a white oval from the Circus Panel CutUps, then layered on a banner (from the Easy Rosettes CutUps) and a Big Scallop CutUps die cut, which has been embellished with some dry embossed dots.

Here's how YOU can join us. We'd love to see your take on the challenge!

1. Each Tuesday we will give you a challenge.

2. You will have until the end of the month to complete the challenge.

3. Add your entry to the Inlinkz Gallery on Alma’s blog or upload to the SCS Gallery, using the keyword TCPTUES216 for this week’s challenge.

4. TCP stamps are not required for this challenge, but highly recommended.

5. There will be one randomly chosen weekly winner, announced when Alma posts the TCP Tuesday Challenge who will win a Gift Voucher for use on The Cat’s Pajamas website.

6. There will be one winner, The Swanky Stamper, announced the 1st of each month. The Swanky Stamper will win several sets from an upcoming release and get to play along with us at our Pajama Party and Blog Hop.

Hope you're having a great week!

Kind Words - SFYTT

Just a quick post this morning, with a quick and easy card to share. I started with this month's Sketch For You To Try and some fun papers from Heidi Swapp's Sugar Chic 6x6 pad. The sentiment is from Verve's Kind Words set. I love this stamp not just for its beautiful message, but also because of its generous size and incredible font combination. It commands center stage and needs few embellishments. Which made it a perfect fit for the SFYTT layout.

The chevron was cut from one of the Sugar Chic patterns. Embellishments include some paper flowers (Zva Creative and Kaisercraft), pompom trim, jute string, and some Pizzazz Aplenty bling. Don't miss the background pattern, which is a nice dark gray grid paper, not black as it may appear in the photo.

There's plenty of time left to play along in this month's Sketch For You To Try. Hope you'll join us!

The sketch ...

and the "rules" ...

Have a fabulous weekend. Unless my husband has other plans, we have a blissfully unscheduled afternoon and evening. Looking forward to it!

Stamps: Kind Words (Verve Stamps)
Paper: Heidi Swapp Sugar Chic 6x6 collection, Papertrey Rustic White and black card stock
Ink: Versafine Onyx Black
Accessories: Spellbinders Classic Circle Nestabiities, Zva Creative and Kaisercraft paper flowers, May Arts jute string, Pizzazz Aplenty 2mm, 3mm, and 4mm clear rhinestones
Size: 4 1/4" x 5 1/2"

Grace - DS57

I absolutely love Verve's new Plain Jane, Grace -- such a fantastic quote and so very, very true. The sentiment comes as a single stamp, but here I've put half on the card front and the other half on the inside.

The layout is this week's Deconstructed Sketch (#57), and the papers are from one of the My Mind's Eye Indie chic 6x6 pads. The sentiment was done with a Circus Panel CutUps die cut layered over a tag from Spellbinders Fancy Tags Three set.

Visit the Deconstructed Sketch Girls for more inspiration:

Amber Hight

Arielle Gordon

Donna Wardle 

Jen Shults 

Jessica Diedrich

Judy Rozema, Guest Designer

Kadie Ensley

Lori Boyd

Pam Varnell

Sheri Gilson

To play along, link up your creation HERE.

Happy Thursday, friends.

TCP Tuesday #215 -- Sketch Challenge

I am hosting this week's TCP Tuesday Challenge, #215, another fabulous sketch designed by Leigh O'Brien. Here's what we're playing with:

For my sketch sample, I started with a pre-made tag element (no idea who the manufacturer is, much less the collection ... it came in a goody bag along with a recent Emma's Paperie order), trimmed it down to fit a standard A2 card, then added the notebook punched top edge at the top (totally inspired by Amy Rohl again) and the rounded corners at the bottom. The cork mustache and star punches/die-cuts were both from my leftover pile, as was the black ricrac. The mustache was done with one of TCP's Mustaches CutUps dies, and the stamped portions of the sentiment are from The Mustache Set. Since this was turning into a hodgepodge of sorts, I decided to ADD SOME WASHI TAPE! Yes, I'm shouting! I've collected a dozen or more rolls, mostly for my project life album, but have yet to use a single bit on an actual project -- until now! Love the scrappy look! I know at least some of you will share my excitement, right?

Enough chatter, here are all the challenge details ...

1. Each Tuesday we will give you a challenge. 2. You will have until the end of the month to complete the challenge. 3. Add your entry to the guestbook on Alma's blog and/or upload to the SCS Gallery, using the keywordTCPTUES215 for this week's challenge. 4. TCP stamps/dies are not required, but of course, highly encouraged. 5. There will be one randomly chosen weekly winner, announced on Tuesdays. 6. There will be one winner, The Swanky Stamper, announced the 1st of each month. They will win several sets from an upcoming release and get to play along with us at our Pajama Party and Blog Hop.

Have a happy Tuesday, friends!

Stamps: The Mustache Set (The Cat's Pajamas)
Paper: Basic Grey Kraft Basics dp, Papertrey black and vintage cream card stock, Echo Parks Note To Self collection, main tag element unknown
Ink: Verafine Onyx Black, Ranger Walnut Stain Distress Ink
Accessories: Mustaches TCP CutUps, cork, star and notebook edge punches by EK Success, star dies by MFT, Offray black ricrac, Bella Boulevard washi tape, distressing tool, paper piercer/needle/thread, foam adhesive
Size: 5 1/2 x 4 1/4

TCPTues214 - Good Times

My infatuation with the Simple Stories Summer Fresh collection is stronger than ever. Here's my latest creation, for TCP Tuesday Challenge #214. This week, Susan is hosting, and the theme is You Blow Me Away. Use any stamp that could be "taken by the wind" or that you could blow on, along with either the Cloud Border or Pinwheel die.

I used the adorable hot air balloon from Away We Go, paper pieced the balloon, basket, and bunny's nose, then colored the bunny and gifts with Copics. The clouds were done with the Clouds Border CutUps die, and I cut out the sun from one of the Summer Fresh paper elements.

Here's all the swanky details on how YOU can play along!: 1. Each Tuesday we will give you a challenge. 2. You will have until the end of the month to complete the challenge. 3. Add your entry to the guestbook on Alma's Blog and/or upload to the SCS Gallery, using the keywordTCPTUES214 for this week's challenge. 4. TCP stamps/dies are not required, but of course, highly encouraged. {Unless it is a challenge calling for a specific stamp/die, like this week) 5. There will be one randomly chosen weekly winner, announced on Tuesdays. 6. There will be one winner, The Swanky Stamper, announced the 1st of each month. They will win several sets from an upcoming release and get to play along with us at our Pajama Party and Blog Hop.

Hope you're having a fabulous weekend!




Stamps: Away We Go (The Cat's Pajamas)
Paper: Simple Stories Summer Fresh dp; Papertrey kraft, rustic white, and harvest gold card stock
Ink: Versafine Onyx Black, Memento Tuxedo Black, Ranger Old Paper Distress Ink
Accessories: Clouds Border CutUps die, Copic markers, Papertrey button, May Arts jute string, Pizzazz Aplenty bling, foam tape, distressing tool , paper piercer/needle/thread
Size: 4 1/4" x 5 1/2"

DS56 - One Day at a Time

The day are just speeding past, and here we are at Thursday, which means a brand-new Deconstructed Sketch to play with. Do you look forward to these as much as I do? Here it is:

For my sample, I really wanted to start with one of Verve's new Plain Janes, so I picked out One Day. For papers, I reached for Echo Park's Note To Self 6x6 collection. There's something about the bold, graphic vibe of this collection that makes me practically giddy. I had to find a way to work in those adorable viewmasters, too!

The sentiment is stamped onto a Curvy Bookplate die cut and popped up over a Spellbinders Labels Fourteen shape. The orange accent flower was done with Verve's Loopy Blooms die set. The notebook edge on the blue ledger paper was done with My Favorite Things' Notebook Edge Die-namics die, and the gray scallop beneath that is a Cat's Pajamas Big Scallop CutUps. Along the bottom, I added some paper-pleated orange paper and adhered it with some Tim Holtz tiny staples.

For more sketch inspiration, please visit the Deconstructed Sketch Girls:

Amber Hight

Arielle Gordon

Donna Wardle 

Jen Shults 

Jessica Diedrich

Judy Rozema, Guest Designer

Kadie Ensley

Lori Boyd

Pam Varnell (off this week)

Sheri Gilson

When you're ready to play, link up your creation HERE on Jen's blog.

Don't miss Verve's current sale -- it's a good one! ALL dies, plus their coordinating stamp sets, are on sale. Check it out, right HERE.

Happy stamping!

Summer Fresh Gift Card Tins

Hola, friends, I'm still around, just super busy with year-end activities and such. I haven't done a whole lot of crafting, but last week, I set aside a chunk of time to make some fun gift-card holders for my son's teachers. I used metal DVD tins and altered them with Simple Stories Summer Fresh papers and journaling elements. Shown above are the outsides of both tins. For each, I embellished with a pinwheel and cloud border. Both were made with The Cat's Pajamas CutUps dies (Pinwheels and Cloud Border). I personalized the tins with the teachers' names using stickers from my stash.

Next, the inside of the lids ...

For both, I started with a large 4x6 journaling element from the Summer Fresh collection. (One of the 12x12 sheets has six of these on the front and another six on the back. Lots to choose from!) I formatted the list of students who contributed to the group gift on my computer and then just ran the journaling block through my printer. Last, I added coordinating paper to fit the dimensions of the tin.

The inside of the tin is where I put the actual gift card. 

I used a few more TCP CutUps dies here. The Gift Card Envie CutUps held the actual gift cards. I cut those from Kraft and embellished with a tiny strip of striped paper and a daisy cut with the Flower Buttons CutUps. The tin on the left has some die-cut borders, Big Scallop and Queen of Hearts. The tin on the right has a Grass border.

Have a happy day, friends!

DS55 - The Greeting Farm

It's Thursday -- are you ready for a new Deconstructed Sketch? Here's what we're playing with:

Since it's the first Thursday of the month, we are also sponsored this week, and by none other than The Greeting Farm! To be eligible win some TGF of your own, you'll need to complete your sketch by Wednesday, June 13, 8 pm CST. Link up your creation HERE.

Visit my fellow Deconstructed Sketch Girls for lots more inspiration:

Amber Hight

Arielle Gordon

Donna Wardle 

Jen Shults 

Jessica Diedrich

Judy Rozema, Guest Designer

Kadie Ensley

Lori Boyd

Pam Varnell 

Sheri Gilson

I chose to play with Amy Paints, a digi image by The Greeting Farm. She has my name, but she reminds me so much of my 8-year-old daughter, so I think she was meant for us! I'll have to either save this for her birthday in November, or let her give it to one of her friends. Coloring is with Copics, papers are from one of the Indie Chic lines by My Minds's Eye. 

I love this week's sketch! Don't be surprised if it shows up here again ;) Hope you'll give it a try!

Thanks for stopping by!