When I saw this stained glass window while we were at a church for a funeral, it reminded me of the Essentials by Ellen Abstract Sunset Die.
I used it as inspiration piecing the die together using Alcohol Ink Roll-Off pages & prints from my recent gel press printing and a shaving cream marbled paper for the sky.
I spaced the die pieces to give the look of stained glass & finished with a sentiment from Essentials by Ellen Mondo Pansy.
When I saw this week's sketch at the Inspire Create Challenge, I really liked how several of the design team members used combinations of designer paper.
Rather than use papers from a single collection, I challenged myself to go through my massive scrap basket and find papers that would work for this week's Color Throwdown - Aqua, Ice Blue, and Pale Green.
These are the papers I decided to work with.
And this is the design I came up with. I used the natural shape of the paper along the top of my design.
I added a sentiment from Gina K. Designs Spring Tulips - Mini (this small stamp set has four awesome sentiments).
I finished with two butterfly punches topped with Ice Blue gems to bring in a bit more of that shade into my Sea Glass inspired design. I'm also linking-up at Simon Says Stamp Challenge to use dies and/or punches.
I had fun playing with Authentique's new Bird Watcher Collection papers and stickers that I pre-ordered from The Funkie Junkie.
I started with the layout from TGIF Sketch Challenge.
I combined two stickers with some glittery enamel dots and a stamped sentiment from Impress Everyday Word.
For the next one I used the layout from Hand Stamped Sentiments Paper Crafting Challenges.
I love the monochromatic look with the pop of the color from the sweet little bird.
My third card uses the layout from Paper Craft Crew Vertical Sketch Challenge.
I used another sentiment from the Impress Everyday Word Sentiment Set together with some Swirl Bling Flourishes from Eyelet Outlet.
If you're a bird lover (or have bird lovers in your life) this is a lovely collection.
It's been a long time since I started my Saturday with the SplitcoastStampers Inspiration Challenge. Today our inspiration is from Color Shot. I was drawn to this painted Rainbow Doormat.
Since the theme at Paper Smooches Challenge is also Rainbows, I used the Paper Smooches Rainbow Die to cut the six colors from the Door Mat - three shades of blue & three shades of peachy pink.
I used the sketch from CAS on Sunday and cut two strips of designer paper in the blues and peachy pinks. Since rainbows are often seen as a reminder that God is with us, I used this sentiment from the Paper Smooches Feel Better Sampler and finished with a pair of Eyelet Outlet Enamel Hearts.
And Just Us Girls are also doing the Rainbow Thing, so I'm linking-up there too.
Hope those of you in the US are getting to spend the holiday doing what you'd like ... I'd rather be with family, but I'm enjoying my plan B which is uninterrupted studio time.
Tonight I had fun trying to replicate the Eye Shadow Technique that Gina K. shared in this video. My eyes are pretty much allergic to everything, so I have no eye make-up in my house, so I had to stop by the Dollar Tree and pick some up, so I could give it a try. I grabbed the same one that Gina used and one with lots of purples. The light colors work best on the darker cardstock colors to get the cool effect with Gina K. Designs Embossing ink.
I started with a dark green scrap of cardstock and blooms from Gina K. Designs Elegant Asters.
Next I tried red cardstock with flowers from Gina K. Designs Stately Flowers 10 ... this one was my favorite.
And my final one was Purple cardstock with the new Gina K. Designs Natural Silhouette Blooms.
Here are all three together.
I kept the cards really simple so the backgrounds could shine. The sentiment is from Gina K. Designs Whimsical Wildflower Frame.
I used another sentiment from the same set for the red card.
Then for the purple card, for some reason, the eye shadow rubbed off and I got this sort of shadow effect. Rather than fighting it, I embraced it.
I just burnished the eye shadow into the cardstock and stamped the same wildflower stamp directly onto the background.
The sentiment is from the same Gina K. Designs Natural Silhouette Set.
So if you've got some great 80's eye shadow in your stash (or you make a stop at the Dollar Tree) give this technique a try ... it was a lot of fun ... and looks super-shimmery-cool.
When I saw today's Atlantic Hearts Sketch, I immediate saw pieces of Washi Tape.
I had fun combining different washi tapes to help restock my sympathy card stash.
I added some cork cloud stickers and a sentiment from Simon Says Stamp Moments of Grace.
Today's Makeover Monday was inspired by this colorful Washi Tape card from May 2012.
I saw the theme at CAS Mix Up Card Challenge was acrylic paints.
I have a drawer of acrylic painted and acrylic paint gel pressed papers from the various Art Camp fun that Lauren and I have had the last few years. I thought it would be fun to recreate the design above by replacing the Washi Tape with 3/4" strips of painted papers. My third elements is paper tearing, as I tore the ends of each of the paper strips like I tore the washi tape (Acrylic Paint, Stamping, Paper Tearing).
I started with the third paper that is acrylic paint gel press in teal and purple and found three more papers that coordinated. I punched the butterfly from the dark purple paper at the bottom and added two tiny teal gems.
Rather than thanks, I used a typed Thinking of You sentiment from Essentials by Ellen Totally Random Sayings Vol. 1. I could easily make a set of these (and alter the sentiments) for a gift.
I have so many great sentiment sets from Simon Says Stamp, and I wanted to use some of them for the current Freshly Made Sketch, since it just screams multiple sentiments to me.
I gave my new Fern Green Paper Glaze from Picket Fence Studios a try using the Tumbling Leaves Stencil from Simon Says Stamp. My first attempt needed some work to get the Glaze even, but I was able to use the largest Simon Says Stamp Stitched Circle Die on a portion of the leaves for the sketch.
I used sentiments from Simon Says Stamp You Got This & You Got This with C Z Design. I'm taking this card to work to have on hand ... and since cards for the office often need room for the whole team to sign, I made this one on a 5" x 6 1/2" card base.
I'm also linking-up at the Anything Goes Challenge at the Simon Says Stamp FlickR Group Challenge #143.
Today's cards were inspired by Sam's new Use My Stuff - Sympathy Challenge and this gorgeous pile of sympathy cards that Chris Dayton shared using Alexandra Renke papers. I used images cut from her 12" paper called Blue Flowers with florals cut with a variety of Alexandra's floral dies.
I used Alexandra's Square Grid Embossing Folder for the background and the sentiment is from a new-to-me set from Simon Says Stamp called Moments of Grace (so many great sympathy sentiments).
Same recipe ... slightly different result with more blooms and a larger sentiment. Thanks Sam for the push to get these new stamps inked up ... and to Chris for reminding me to cut into these gorgeous papers.
And ... it's also Anything Goes at Simon Says Stamp this week.
I took a break from Christmas Tags to restock my stash a bit. There is a DieCember Challenge at the Simon Says Stamp Flickr Group to use some SSS Dies. I've had these lovely Simon Says Stamp Eucalyptus Leaf dies on my studio table ever since they arrive, so it was time to roll them through the Gemini ... I love them so much. I die cut two sets for my card from a green slightly shimmery cardstock scrap.
The colors are from this week's Color Throwdown.
I used the gold to frame my light blue mat. The sentiments are from Simon Says Stamp Clean Line Everyday set stamped in Catherine Pooler Grass Skirt Ink. I cut one side of each banner, and then flip over the piece I cut off, so I get the same angle on both sides.
I finished with a scattering of Enamel Dots.
