Tuesday Throwdown Challenge 365 Clean and Simple

Tuesday always follows Monday. That means it's time for a new Tuesday Throwdown challenge. This week my favorite, clean and simple. Our sponsor is Lacey Sunshine, a crafter's candy shoppe. Everyone loves "candy" and I have to say there is some mighty sweet candy in her shop. The design team was provided three digis to pick from for this challenge.

I am using Eleanor Autumn days. Just love those spectacles! As a bit of a personal challenge, I only used three main colors of Copics: V15, G43 and R20.
I wanted to push my shading and texturing skills.

Here is my version of Eleanor Autumn days.

 I have always kept to the belief that clean and simple meant no layers or embellishments but just this once I will go with the general consensus that one layer is okay I mean really, she just looks so darn cute with the colored card stock behind her!

Now it's your turn. Go, check out Lacey Sunshine's shop. Check out the rest of the Design Team creations. Enter your masterpieces in Tuesday Throwdown's clean and simple challenge.

I'm waiting on pins and needles...

Tuesday Throwdown Challenge 353 - Black, White & 1 Color

Today is Tuesday, July 25th and your throwdown challenge is to create something using black, white and one other color.  Okay I'm a Mission Impossible fan but the Tuesday Throwdown challenge is possible! Once again, we are grateful to MHK Designs for sponsoring and providing the images.

I worked with her Funky Flowers digital stamp set and kept to my love of a clean and simple look. I knew the sentiment was going to be the focal point so my other color became the card base and accent on the flowers. I used a Sakura glitter gel pen for my coloring tool. There was a bit of a mental debate on coloring the word Wonderland; opted not to in the end for fear of orange overpowering the eye.

While you've been busy reading I took the liberty of adding to your mission, should you accept. Stop by MHK Designs and check out her offerings. Create your black, white and one other color masterpiece and enter the Tuesday Throwdown challenge. While your there be sure to check out the rest of the design team's interpretations.

This blog post will not self destruct. (Cue music for dramatic exit.)

Tuesday Throwdown Challenge 351 - One Layer

I'm back and it's time for another Tuesday Throwdown. This week's challenge is a one layer card, my favorite style. Our sponsor is Sweet n Sassy Stamps; a family owned, Christian based shop with both clear and digital stamps, does and other goodies for card making and scrapbooking.

Today I am showing Gold Finch Collage. I couldn't resist using this image since it is the state bird where I come from. One layer to me means the cleaner my front is the better so I centered the image and printed on craft card stock. Simply colored with a yellow, white and an orange pencil. This look makes a card perfect for any occasion.

I can't wait to see every one's take on "One Layer" so visit Sweet n Sassy and get creating!

Tuesday Throwdown Challenge 345 - Stitching

Tuesday, the new Monday if you had the day off. It's also time for a new Tuesday Throwdown. Challenge 345 - Stitches. Our sponsor this week is Kim Sherrod - Lily Patch Boutique. Kim is one busy woman so don't be alarmed if the link tells you it's being updated. It is and it's worth a second trip.

I'm a self taught sewer, embroidery, knitting, crochet, tatterer. I just wasn't interested in Home Ec in school. If only I could do it over again; might "master" more than the basics, though I'm not sure my level indicates mastering any of them. My strongest skill is I never give up or to quote my mother, I am bull headed.

Today I used an image from Inky Antics, stamped with Staz-On black ink on a metallic gray piece of cardstock. Coloring was done with Prismacolor pencils. White pencil used to blend and tone down the metallic sheen. Spellbinder's rectangular die set to create the frame. Once the "window was assembled it was adhered to a card blank made with Stampin Up's Tempting Turquoise. Clean, simple and thanks to some embroidery floss (colored with a Copic marker) the kitty has fur! I left room for a sentiment beneath the tail. I feel this would work well for a thinking about you, a what's new or happy birthday occasion.

What do you think?

Tuesday Throwdown Challenge #321 - Make a Tag

Tuesday Throwdown challenge time! This week our sponsor is Bugaboo Stamps and your challenge, should you accept it, is to make a tag. I am using Bugaboo's Bear Stocking image for my tag. The shape along with the cute bear were shouting "tag, tag, tag!" Three different tags for today as a little person resides in my house and I'm sure Mom will be using these pretty darn fast, I made them larger than I normal so it would be easier for him to read his name. Silly but true and resizing is certainly one of the best perks to digital stamps.

Tag 1 was colored with Copics, Flocking was used on his hat and Fun Stampers Journey's Journey Sparkle Cuts on the boot trim. This gives a really sparkly look with a bonus of glitter in the mix. Fussy cut (thank you Abbey) and mounted to a piece of Christmas paper from my stash. Added two glittery, green star brads and strung with fine gold cording. Little man loves this one.

Tag 2 was colored with Copics and colored pencils. A little less fussy cutting (thanks again, baby girl), some "candy glitter" on the berries, which is a bit too heavy for my taste if honest. Added some real greenery plus a red gem to the brim after flocking both hat and stocking. Mounted with zot dots to a piece of scrap Christmas paper and green cording to hang. This one is actually very vibrant with the primary colors in person.

Tag 3 is colored with pencils. Some medium fussy cutting (thanks Abbey.) Hat and cuff are white flocking. Berries received a fine dusting of Art Institute transparent crystal glitter (which I love the look.) Hat embellishment is a die cut snowflake of white shrinky-dink plastic, cooled, and then colored with a blue Copic marker on top. Red ribbon to hang.

I hope you enjoyed these as tags aren't something I ever make; another reason to love these challenges!  That said I am pretty sure I printed off three extra so I can keep playing  designing. While I color and glitter away, don't forget to visit Bugaboo; the selection is amazing and the prices can't be beat.  When you are done shopping head over and enter the tag challenge at Tuesday Throwdown!


Parting thought especially for my daughter Abbey who helps me with cutting things out and an occasional idea or two:
                                                "The gift is you!"                                                                                     John Denver

Tuesday Throwdown Challenge 318 - Thanksgiving

Welcome to November and another Tuesday Throwdown challenge.  Challenge 318 and this week's sponsor is My Grafico with a theme of Thanksgiving. I am using their Thanksgiving stamp 4, "So Grateful." 

I printed the sentiment on white card stock and cut with a frame die. I sponged Brilliance inks on the sentiment for a warm look. Since the theme is Thanksgiving, I pulled one of my favorite rubber stamps, "Autumn Harvest" from The Angel Company (out of business.) I stamped the cornucopia onto a scrap piece of card stock with Memento Black. Colored with Copics - rather than list them all, there are photos of the ones used at the end of the post. I then bribed my daughter to fussy cut the cornucopia while I looked for an appropriate color card blank to tie it all together. Yes, I admit I never plan my colors before starting.

Here is the end result.

If you are wondering why I picked "So Grateful" rather than a more traditional Thanksgiving stamp it is because I truly am grateful. Every day. Grateful for my family, my friends, that I can wake up every day and find something good in this crazy world, no matter how small.  The beauty of a night sky, a chance remembrance, a moment of silence...there is always something to be grateful about. Sometimes it may not come easily, but it's attainable.

Thanks for stopping by and comments are always appreciated. I hope to see some entries in the Thanksgiving challenge.  Now, as promised here are the photos of the Copics used.

One cut off is YG63

Parting thought:
     I would maintain that thanks are the highest form of thought; and that gratitude is happiness doubled by wonder.      G.K. Chesterton

Tuesday Throwdown Challenge #314 - Leaves

Hello again! Time for a Tuesday Throwdown - #314 Leaves. This week our sponsor is Robyn's Fetish Digital Stamps and More which is owned by Robyn Weinrib and offer a great variety of digital stamps and papers.  I am using the image "Fall Fun" for my card today.

I colored with Copics and admit to have a lot of fun trying different yellow, red and greens for those leaves. I had so many markers out at the end that there is no way I can tell you which colors went where. I can say the skin colors were E50, E51 and E00 with R11 for blush. Pants were W3, W5, W7. Shirt was R35, R37, R56. A little BG10 (Cool Shadow) was added for dimension to the wind swirls and around the girl.

I mounted to a deep orange brown card blank after layering on a piece of mustard cardstock. Stamped the sentiment (Hero Arts F1843) in black ink and stamped 3 more leaves, colored with Copics and punched out. I layered after adding some dimension to the leaves with glue dots. 

Here is my finished product.

As much as raking and jumping into huge piles of leaves was a highlight of fall growing up, I am secretly happy that the majority of leaves are still on my trees for now. Then again, with a certain little man around, I might have to relive my youth again in the next few weeks.

Thanks for stopping by and can't wait to see everyone's entry! Remember to check out Robyn's Fetish Digital Stamps - she has a sale going on for autumn, 30% of all inventory and is good until November 7th.

Parting thought: 

    Of all the seasons, autumn offers the most to man and requires the least of him.

                                            Hal Borland

Tuesday Throwdown Challenge #304 - Happy Birthday!!

Everytime I come to post I fight the urge to start singing "Hello" by Lionel Richie. I know, weird but true. I'm back today with another Tuesday Throwdown challenge for everyone. Our sponsor is Winnie & Walter with a Happy Birthday theme.

I couldn't resist their multifaceted Star cutaway dies. Everyone is a star on their birthday! Truth be told, I can foresee this die being used for many types of celebrations and milestones. While the dies are perfect for a shaker card, I wanted to stay a bit more simple in my approach.

Using DCWV "Fun in the Sun Summer Glitter Mat Stack", I cut the solid star from solid paper and the faceted star from a coordinating patterned paper. Mounted the "negative" patterned paper to a card blank, glued the detailed cutout to solid star and inserted over the negative space with some foam tape to elevate the star from the patterned background. The faceted star lines up exactly to the pattern on the paper,without any effort, creating visual flow.

Here is my card.

I'm happy you stopped by and hope you check out some of Winnie & Walter's great dies, stamps and embellishments. That said, don't forget to enter the Happy Birthday challenge because you're to busy shopping!


Parting thought:

    I am happy to report that my inner child is still ageless.
                                                  James Broughton

Tuesday Throwdown Challenge #296 Proud of You

I am so happy to be a new member of the Design Team for Tueday Throwdown and equally as proud to make my debut with the delightful Sami Stamps!

The theme for this challenge is "Proud of You."  When my eyes lit upon  Valentine Feathers, my mind went into overdrive as I think this is an extremely versatile (and cute) stamp. One of the great things with this stamp is the ability to add your phrase to those hearts Valentine Feathers is proudly perched on. I've simply colored with pencils and metallic gel pens to those head feathers. For fun I made it a wobble action card.

Now to decide if I will use it for a nephew who just earned his masters, another  who will soon be a first time father, another that enlisted in the navy and attending naval school, a friend's birthday (as in proud of another year under the belt) or ... the list is a long one because there is much to be proud of in life.

Thank you to Sami Stamps and visit  any of the following for additional stamp selections:

Sami Stamps blog

Sami Stamps Shop

Sami Stamps Etsy shop

Now make me proud and enter the challenge!

Sunny days

Happy Mother's day to all! What a beautiful day it is here. Hubby made a wonderful meal and lots of hugs from the little man. Free time on my hands today as daughter and little man went off on an adventure for a few hours. Love them both but what a gift! It allowed me to check out the Tuesday Throwdown challenge and create a card. You can find their blog with challenges here. Go ahead and check it out, I'll wait.

Okay, did you go poke around? I certainly hope so. When I saw the challenge for Welcome Spring I knew it would involve flowers. Since the sponsor is My Grafico I poked about and found a cute pastel umbrella clip art.

Printed two of the umbrellas and cut one with a small border and fussy cut the second. Pulled out the trusty foam pad and shaping tool to add curve on the fussy cut image. Glued it to the umbrella with a border, turned it upside and added real ferns from Darcie Co and strawflowers I have in my stash.

Background of clouds and hills is the same stamp, just turned the opposite way from Stamps by Judith as were the scrubby brush stamps. Add a few more strawflowers and sentiment from The Angel Company (still sad they are no more.) Glued the flower filled umbrella and called it done.

Now scoot along and check that challenge out! After all it ends at 3 p.m. Monday. Of course that means there will be a new one on Tuesday...




Parting thought for the day:
                                                  All art is but imitation of nature.      Lucius Annaeus Seneca