One Year for Freshly Made Sketches!

This week is the one-year anniversary for Freshly Made Sketches! I've enjoyed playing with the ladies over there a few times now and I just couldn't pass up celebrating their one-year.

The challenge this week is to use any of their previous sketches. How fun! Well, I ended up choosing the very last sketch since I didn't get a chance to play along last week. Here's the sketch:

It just so happened I was commissioned to create a special 25th birthday card and this sketch worked out well for what the client wanted. I flipped the sketch and came up with this:

Paper: Basic Black, Very Vanilla, Whisper White
Ink: Sahara Sand, Black
Stamps: Memorable Moments
Tools: Big Shot, Polka Dots TIEF, Paper Piercing Pack, Labels Framelits, Scallop Punch
Accessories: Very Vanilla Satin Ribbon, Pearls

The client wanted black, white/neutral, elegant and pearls. Memorable Moments is the perfect stamp set for such occasions. I find it to be very elegant... perfect for those special milestones and as the name suggests, memorable moments. :)

After some embossing, stamping and paper piercing (hard to see in the photos), I added a sleek bow and some pearls inside and out and the card was complete.

What do you think?

Until next time, stay crafty!
Steph

Serene Silhouettes for FMS

Today's card is inspired by both the sketch over at Freshly Made Sketches, and my upline, Leena Girsa. In fact, my card is pretty much a CASE of Leena's beautiful card (see it here), but with a few twists.

First, here's the sketch:

When Leena designed her card for our monthly team meeting, I just fell in love with it and knew I had to one day recreate it. I just didn't want to completely copy it, so here's my version based on the sketch above:

Paper: Basic Black, Whisper White, Marina Mist
Ink: So Saffron, Old Olive, More Mustard, Riding Hood Red, Cherry Cobbler, Black
Stamps: Serene Silhouettes
Tools: Big Shot, Woodgrain TIEF, Post-It Notes
Accessories: Naturals Button, Twine

Aside from the tree image from Serene Silhouettes, I sponged the entire image. When I saw the three layers in the sketch, I had the idea to carry the image across all three... kind of like the Triple Time Stamping technique I featured last week (see card here), but with a twist.

I first sponged all three layers with So Saffron and after masking my sun with a 1-3/8" circle, I started adding my layers of colours until I achieved the look I wanted.

I decided to add a tiny black border around all layers - a last minute decision - and I think it works. I glued the initial layer to the card base and then popped up each additional layer. To finish off, I added a button with some twine and I just love how this card turned out!

What do you think?

Until next time, stay crafty!
Steph

Never Done This Before...

I created a card that works for THREE challenges this week! Now that's a challenge! :) The card I designed works for the sketch over at Freshly Made Sketches, the colour combo at The Paper Players and the picture inspiration over at Stampin' Royalty. Here are the details:

For my card, I switched the sketch layout from Freshly Made to portrait instead of landscape and shifted the focal box slightly to one side. I kept within the colour scheme from The Paper Players and from the picture inspiration at Stampin' Royalty, I went with the floral and vintage/cottage feel. Here is my card:

Paper: Whisper White, Calypso Coral, Lucky Limeade, Everyday Enchantment DSP
Ink: Lucky Limeade, Calypso Coral, Daffodil Delight
Stamps: Fabulous Florets
Accessories: Vintage Brad
Tools: Big Shot, Vintage Wallpaper Embossing Folder, Dimensionals

I started by embossing the Whisper White card base with the Vintage Wallpaper embossing folder. I choose two patterns from the SAB Everyday Enchantment DSP pack and mounted them on Calypso Coral card stock. Next, I stamped the large leafy image from Fabulous Florets in Lucky Limeade, once, on Whisper White card stock. The rest of the images are also from the same stamp set. I stamped each on Whisper White as well and fussy-cut them all out. I layered them using Tombow and Dimensionals so that certain parts would pop-up to give added texture and dimension. To add even more depth to the flower I stamped in Calypso Coral, I cut it out three times in different sections of the image. I popped up each layer with Dimensionals again to give it a 3D look. I added a Vintage Brad to finish things up - perfect fit, I think!

What do you think?

Until next time, stay crafty!
Steph

Freshly Made

Today I'm playing with the ladies at Freshly Made Sketches. It's my first time playing, but I liked the sketch and that this challenge site focuses on clean-lined and fresh creations. Here's the sketch:

It's actually quite fitting that I'm playing along today at Freshly Made because there's (finally) fresh air outside. It's been so hot and humid around here lately that I really missed having the windows open. Such a nice change!

Anyway, here is my card:

Okay, so I roughed up the edges just a tad. But not too much, so I think it still qualifies for "fresh" and "clean-lined", no?

I finally got around to using the Fine Feathers stamp set. It's one that drew my attention immediately in the new catty, but every time I pulled it out, I just couldn't come up with anything. This sketch certainly got my creativity flowing with it... and it's about dang time! :)

I started with a very detailed section from the Fan Fair DSP pack. It featured some lace, a flower, a washed out map and the Eiffel Tower (mostly hidden). I then layered with a piece of Island Indigo card stock that I embossed with the Fancy Fan embossing folder. Next, I stamped two feathers in Pool Party ink on Very Vanilla card stock and then cut one feather out and popped it up with some Dimensionals. I wrapped some Pool Party Bakers Twine around and added a punched tag. I stamped the sentiment from the Just My Type set and elongated the tag by pulling the paper up and through the Jewelry Tag Punch. The trick is to have your paper the same width as the punch. You can then make the tag as long (or short) as you want. Cool, eh?!

To finish off, I used the retired Lace Border Punch and added some pearls. I mimicked this on the inside too by stamping a couple of feathers and adding the border again with the pearls.

What do you think?

Until next time, stay crafty!
Steph