Second Color Throwdown #37

Here is my second submission for the Color Throwdown challenge to use cameo coral, sage shadow and pink pirouette. I thought I'd try a one-layer card, which I hardly ever do. I really liked how this one turned out! I used Gina K.'s Comfort and Peace set along with 120 lb. card stock. My only embellishment is pink pirouette 5/8" grosgrain ribbon. Thanks for having a look!

Color Throwdown 37

Here is my take on today's Color Throwdown 37. I used a sketch challenge 58 from SCS for a little layout help. This is a pretty neat colour combo. I had this great patterened paper from Prima Marketing Inc. from the Tea and Silk Collection called "Katsura". It is the perfect coral colour. I layered that on my Very Vanilla card base. I used the challenge colours in my flower from Soft Summer (S-U). I cut it out and popped it up on vanilla card stock that was embossed with the Damask Texturz plate. I layered that with Pink Pirouette and Sage Shadow panels. I used the Easter Wishes sentiment from the All Holidays set and punched it with my square S-U punches I used hand held punches so I could thread the pink gingham ribbon through. I finished it off with cream coloured self-adhesive circles.

Colour Throwdown #36

This is my submission for Color Throwdown #36. This one was a little tricky for me. I picked up the Stamper's Sampler Take Ten magazine yesterday (yes, Cathy, you can look through it today - come on over). Jen del Muro has a layout and sample on page 22 and I thought I'd try that on for size. I struggled with my patterned paper choices a little, but I'm really happy with how this looks. I used a variety of patterned papers (4 of them), two of which are from the S-U Hostess package. My butterfly comes from Savvy Stamps. I used Versa Magic pigment inks (Pixie Dust, Rocket Red Gold and Pearlescent Rust) and stamped it on Very Vanilla. I then clear embossed and cut her out. I popped her on Turquoise patterned paper as well as Regal Rose and Tangerine Tango. The sentiment comes from the retired Best Yet stamp set. I wish they would bring this set back - it's perfect to circle punch and layer. A few rhinestone brads and it's done. It just kills me that it can take me over an hour to make one card! I guess you can't rush art! I'd better think of someone special to give this to.

Colour Throwdown #35

Wow- this was a bit tough! I gave all of my old "in colours" to my niece a long time ago. I did keep the satin pomegranate ribbon 'cause I love it! I had to rumage through some of the old cards I made to salvage a scrap of pomegranate card stock. This is the best I could come up with. I was going to add primas and pearls, but you've got to know when enough is enough! I used the Fresh Cuts stamp set and popped the tangerine highlighted circle on top. Short post today - I've got to get to work!

Cathy's Colour Throwdown # 34

I found this colour challenge a little, well, challenging! I love the blue and green - it is one of my favourite combos, but somehow the addition of the pale pink threw me a little! Anyway, here it is!

The card base is SU Not Quite Navy and I used a My Mind's Eye patterned paper to stand in for the Kiwi Kiss portion of the challenge. To make the scalloped borders, I used a square scalloped nestie and cut it in half. The stamped stitches are from an Autumn Leaves stamp set and I liked how they echoed the scallop border. The focal image is from Hero Arts, stamped in black and then highlighted with lots of crystal glitter - I know, it's hard to see the sparkle in the photo and it's my favourite part of the card! To finish it off, I added a pink ribbon and a text printed flower from Prima with a little clear Bella bauble in the centre.

Overall, it's a little different for me, but it's growing on me!

Colour Throwdown #34

Why does it take over 2 hours to make a simple card? I just couldn't decide what stamps to use or how to arrange the colours. I had patterned paper out, attempted to use CB folders, cut out the butterfly (twice) in Kiwi Kiss, and all sorts of other combinations - arrrggghhh! Total frustration with this one, let me tell you. I was just about fed up and almost ditched the challenge for the day but I hauled out Inspired by Nature (ya think I needed a little inspiration, huh?) and used Kiwi Kiss for the grass. I restamped the butterfly in Not Quite Navy and cut her out. I had already done the sentiment (twice) at the beginning of this whole process, so I was determined to keep it and use it somewhere. I edged the main panel with Blush Blossom and also used that as my card base. I brought in more Not Quite Navy behind the main image as well. Well, that's it! It should have taken me 10 minutes. I guess that's the way it goes sometimes...

Colour Throwdown #33

I'm glad Cathy left me with a stamp set I thought I could use for this colour challenge (kidding, Cath!!). I had this stamp in mind even before she pilfered through my stuff ;). I needed a little help with my layout, so I decided to use the SCS sketch challenge #69. This is a new set from S-U that is available early (it's featured in the upcoming Occasions Catalogue to be released on April 1/09) called "An Egg-cellent Easter". I used markers and ink to watercolour the bunny and eggs. My choice of green was certainly celery. I used the coordinating grograin ribbon and celery brads. I'm not sure what happened when I was trying to space them out - I thought I had it right, but as I moved left, I realized they weren't going to be even on both sides - oh well! My aunt, who will receive this card, won't know the difference! My sentiment came from the All Holidays set. That has to be my favourite sentiment set because it covers off all major holidays & special occasions.

I Could Get Very Used to This....

Before I post the card I just made, may I just take a moment to say that I am having a very good day?

Well, I am. I am finally over the flu that's had me down, I have finished digging out my home studio and I can finally get inside of it to play (and I can even find my stuff)! After six years in the scrapbooking/rubber stamping industry, I had gotten so used to trucking my bits and pieces back and forth to various stores to make samples and teach classes that my home studio became a dusty, disorganized and completely unusable disaster area. Then my husband and son started using it as a dumping ground and.... UGHHH!

But I have taken back my creative space and now I am feeling so inspired! Seriously, I could get very used to this unemployment gig! (Don't worry Brian, I swear I sent out a bunch of resumes this morning before I came into the studio!

So, without further ado, here is the card I made this morning in response to two challenges (see how efficient I am, now that my studio is clean)?

I combined this week's sketch from Laura at 2 Sketches 4 You, with this week's colour throwdown challenge to create this card.

I really had fun with it! The image just cracked me up when I found in Donna's studio this morning and I knew I had to use it. (Sorry Donna, from now on I promise to let you use your own new stamps first)! She is from an SU set called "Golden Oldies" and they are all equally fun. I stamped her with Memories Black Ink and coloured her with my Copic Markers. I followed the sketch pretty faithfully using SU Tempting Turquoise, Elegant Eggplant, and my fave green: Old Olive. I added a little texture to the Olive panel with a Cuttlebug embossing folder and added some detail with faux stitching around the edges. The sentiment was punched with an SU circle punch as was the scalloped frame. I used some turquoise rhinestones from Hero Arts for the 3 circle embellishments and she was done!