Christmas Sketch Inspiration #2

Today's card, which is 4.25" square, is based on another sketch by Teri on page 9 of Papercrafts Go-To Sketches. I moved the sentiment up a bit, but otherwise it's pretty close to the sketch. It's nice to make a Christmas card that isn't red and green, LOL!

This Christmas tree stamp is from Hero Arts. All those swirls make me happy, and blinging them makes me even happier!

For those who asked, the Picasso quotation stamp Marty sent me is by Inkadinkado.



Update on Lincoln Hammett: Lincoln is home and happy and playing with his two big sisters. Unfortunately, he isn't healthy enough to have chemo, so the cancer cells are spreading unchecked. Please continue to pray for him and his family.


Supplies
stamps: Hero Arts, PTI
ink: Memories soft silver, Palette Noir
cardstock: PTI white, SU basic black
accessories: corner rounder, dimensionals, silver ribbon, clear bling

Get a Deal on Papercrafts Go-To Sketches

This information was posted by kind reader berryblue:

My magazine should be on my way to me. Can't wait to see it in person. ...and for those looking for the magazine, today is the last day you can order it directly from PaperCrafts and get 20% off and free shipping! Use code "SKETCH20" in the promotion box when you checkout. Here's a link... Papercrafts order page.

Happy shopping!

Christmas Sketch Inspiration #1

Papercrafts Magazine just came out with a special issue called Go-To Sketches. It's a bit expensive, so in order to justify the cost, I came up with an elaborate and possibly stupid plan to use as many of the sketches as possible.

To make Christmas cards.

Because it's April, and I'm behind in making Christmas cards.

"Behind?" you ask.

Yes, behind. I'll make about 200 Christmas cards this year, with very few exact duplicates because making more than one or two of something is tedious and dull and completely incompatible with my crafter ADD. Mass production would drive me crazy and make me pitch all my stamps in the trash.

We don't want that, now, do we?

Of course not, because then I'd have to go into therapy and psychologists are so annoying sometimes (not you, Donelda...never you!). So I'm going to use as many of the sketches in Go-To Sketches as I can to make Christmas cards and USE MY CHRISTMAS STAMPS. Or at least as many as I can.

If you care to join me, please go buy the magazine. I'm not going to post photos of all the sketches because I'm sure that would violate copyright or habeus corpus or e pluribus unum. Well, you get the idea. I'm no lawyer like Joan B, but I whacked knuckles in freshman comp classes when students plagiarized.

Besides, we've had enough papercraft magazines fold in the last few years. I wept when Simple Scrapbooks stopped printing and have barely scrapped since. I'd like Papercrafts to hang around.

The first sketch I'm posting is from Teri Anderson. Isn't she DA BOMB!?!? I've admired her work for a long time. She's very versatile, and her designs are so fresh. I'd never in a million years come up with a sketch like this.



I moved the three little embellishments to the bottom because something about my version looked weirdly unbalanced. I think it might be that the poinsettias are too big/heavy/dense for the white space and wonder if I used the outline version of the stamp instead of the solid block stamp if that would lighten it up enough to follow the sketch more precisely. Or maybe I just need to use the smaller poinsettia in the set. Whatever. The samples in the magazine that follow the sketch exactly are LOVELY.



But then, so is my version. *giggle*

Supplies
stamps: PTI Merry and Bright (sentiment), Peaceful Poinsettia
ink: Colorbox chalk, Palette Noir
paper: PTI white, SU real red
accessories: cool little bling sent to me by twinkletoes, dimensionals

Thank you, Marty!

Yesterday, I retrieved our mail and found a bubble envelope with my name on it. Huh? I hadn't ordered anything. The return address said it was from Marty Ferraro, a lovely woman who comments frequently here and on my other blog, Questioning my Intelligence. Oh.My.Gosh. Another RAK!

Y'all are spoilin' me...and I love you for it!

Inside the envelope, I found two stamps and a lovely card, which I will post later. I ran (literally RAN!) upstairs and made a card I've wanted to make for YEARS but never had the right stamp for. Thanks to Marty, I was able to make this:


This works for the CAS61 challenge, too. I've seen cards like this for years with clever sentiments like "you color my world." But Picasso's statement truly speaks for me. I'm so dependent on my creative time that I can't believe I once lived without an artistic outlet in my life. Art is better than therapy (believe me, I know!) and definitely washes the dust of life away in a rainbow of happiness.

Yeah, I'm sappy that way.

This card was made using watercolor crayons colored directly on the pre-made watercolor card (Fabriano Mediovalis...that's not how you spell it, but it's close. I think). Anyway, I colored the crayons on the card, then took a wet watercolor wash brush (flat and broad) and smooged water over each color, allowing them to blend in between. I cleaned the brush between colors. The black gemstones are Hero Arts.

Marty, thank you so much for your kindness in thinking of me and sending such a special package. YOU ROCK!!!


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MY HUMBLE MUSINGS ON THE SU COLOR CHANGES

Imagine my surprise when I got an email from alert reader Prema yesterday telling me orchid opulence had been discontinued. WHAT?!?! I went straight to SCS and saw multiple threads on the changes in SU's color families.

Change is scary and frustrating...especially if you're a new demo or customer who only recently invested in what are now discontinued colors. For people in those positions, I'm sending you cyber-hugs. Big ones.

I'm not a demo and also not an SU-only stamper, so I'm not frustrated. Last night, I reorganized my SU cardstock and inks by color rather than family--something I've been too afraid to do until now. It'll take getting used to, but I bet I'm going to love it. I'm also thrilled that pink pirouette, river rock, and wild wasabi are coming back (I missed the pink last time around and will definitely be buying it). But why oh why isn't cool caribbean coming back?!?!?

I'll surely miss some of the discontinued colors, especially bordering blue and almost amethyst (not fairy vomit, though). But I'll also be using more of my PTI cardstock and investing in the coordinating inks.

In the end, my most used color of cardstock is WHITE, so really, there's no need for me to be concerned. Right now, I'm just happy fairy vomit is going away.

For those who are feeling like your world just got rocked, and NOT in a good way, try to let it all out, cuss, shout, use ALL CAPS. I understand.

Hugs to you.

CAS61 Meets Big Gems

This week's CAS61 Challenge is to use only a sentiment stamp to make a card...no other stamps allowed. Yesterday's card fit the challenge by coincidence. Today's card uses big bling like yesterday's and a sentiment stamp from Hero Arts.

Simplicity Tip: Use a ruler to get precise placement of items on a line. On this card, I used a pen and quilting ruler to draw the line. Then after scooting the ruler over a bit, I was able to place the bling precisely, with even spacing. I started with the large bling, then filled in the smaller bling.

Unfortunately, the colors are a bit off in the photo. The gems are purple and teal, and they are lighter in real life.

FYI: Several people have asked lately about gemstone brands. I use Hero Arts' gems a lot, but they don't have the really small ones. Michael's carries a brand (Recollections, I think) that has three different sizes of gemstone on one sheet, including the really small ones. These are much better quality than the Hobby Lobby brand (those look sort of cloudy to me, while the Michael's ones look very clear). Some of my giant gems come from packs that have an assortment of sizes and even tiny little flowers I haven't used much of yet; these came from Target. I haven't tried the A Muse twinkles yet but plan on ordering some soon. Basically, I buy whatever gems I can find. Hope this helps.

Sue Berker chastized me for my unkind reference to orchid opulence as fairy vomit. She challenged me to use that color on a card. Hmmm. Maybe I'll hold my nose and do it. We shall see. Frankly, I'm thrilled to put my children on the bus again this morning after over a week of spring break. I'm hoping to spend a large chunk of my day in the craft room, and another large chunk finishing up the de-molding of the antique furniture. Whatever I do today, at least the noise of bickering boys will not annoy me...until 4:00, when big boy realizes he has to go to rehab while little boy gets speech therapy. Oh, the long-suffering boredom of waiting!

DUKE WON THE NCAA CHAMPIONSHIP!!!!!!!!! WAY TO GO, BLUE DEVILS!!!!!!! COACH K ROCKS!!!!!!!!!!!!! And to Butler...YOU ARE AWESOME, TOO!!!!!!

Thanks for listening.

BIG Gems

What does one do with those giant gemstones? I mean, I have NO PROBLEM using the small ones (for proof, see this card, and these cards, and this card). The big gemstones, however, keep accummulating like sheets of orchid opulence when I buy multiple bold brights assortments. (Sorry, but I despise orchid opulence, or as I like to call it, fairy vomit.)

Anywho, I sat down the other night determined to use some of the big gemstones that are stacking up.

Problem solved.


I could make dozens of these in several different colors. But the blue works beautifully, don't you think?

Supplies
stamps: PTI Birthday Basics
cardstock: PTI white
ink: SU brilliant blue
accessories: flower punch, large gemstones, glue pen

Happy Easter

Happy Easter, everyone! Every year, I come to Easter with different feelings. Some years, it's all pastels and bunnies...a celebration of the warm fuzzy of salvation. Some years, it's all crosses...a focus on Christ's suffering and death. Some years, like this one, it's all gold and butterflies...Christ the living king who set our souls free of death. However you're feeling this Easter, whatever your faith or belief or non-belief, I hope that you feel joy today for life and love and hope. I sure do.

Blessings to you all.