FMS744

 A new card for this week's Freshly Made Sketches challenge #744. Here is the sketch:

And here is my card:

It has an alcohol ink background behind the butterfly that I did during the Alcohol Ink Techniques with Tiffany Solorio class from Mary Polanco Designs. 

FMS743

I made this card for the current Freshly Made Sketches card challenge. I used a background that I made in Tiffany Solorio's Distress Spray Techniques class (here). The sketch I followed is here:

And here is my card:

The flowers are from Simon Says Stamp and the sentiment is from Altenew.

FMS 741

 I’m entering the Freshly Made Sketches challenge this week with this card. 

And here is the sketch for this week. 

FMS733

 I really enjoyed creating a card for this week's Freshly Made Sketches Challenge #733. It is also one of three cards I made using the same stamp set for a challenge from Nicki Baxley (NickiHeartsCards). Below is my card and the sketch I followed.

FMS732

 I made this card for the current sketch challenge over at Freshly Made Sketches. The large flower and sentiment are from Queen and Co. The butterflies are from Altenew. The embossed leaves along the left edge used a discontinued embossing folder from Sizzix, highlighted with Mayan Gold Shimmer Relief Paste from Altenew. 

Two Cards for Two Challenges

I used a "two for one" technique to make two cards (this is the second card): I made the patterned paper using a technique I learned from a you-tube video by Ardyth. I die cut the circle with a die from Altenew and used both the positive and negative to make two cards.

I am entering them in two card challenges: The Paper Players PP779 and Freshly Made Sketches FMS729. 

Here is my second card with close up to hopefully see the sparkle:

The challenge for The Paper Players is a Tic-Tac-Toe Challenge:

I used the left-most vertical column: die cut, sparkle, and circle. My card also fits the bottom row: circle, patterned paper (that I made myself with watercolor and stencil), and layers.

And here is the sketch for the Freshly Made Sketches Challenge:

I used a circle instead of the oval in the sketch.

Two Cards for Two Challenges

I used a "two for one" technique to make two cards (this is the first card): I made the patterned paper using a technique I learned from a you-tube video by Ardyth. I die cut the circle with a die from Altenew and used both the positive and negative to make two cards.

I am entering them in two card challenges: The Paper Players PP779 and Freshly Made Sketches FMS729. 

Here is my first card with close up to hopefully see the sparkle:

The challenge for The Paper Players is a Tic-Tac-Toe Challenge:

I used the left-most vertical column: die cut, sparkle, and circle. My card also fits the bottom row: circle, patterned paper (that I made myself with watercolor and stencil), and layers.

And here is the sketch for the Freshly Made Sketches Challenge:

I used a circle instead of the oval in the sketch.

Card to a Friend

I sent this card to a friend last week - I'm hoping that she's received it by now. The flower is watercolor paper that I painted, cut, and stitched to the card. I also did the lettering - I'm really loving this lettering style! Much freer than formal calligraphy.

Happy Anniversary Brian and Jessica

I made this card for my son and daughter-in-law's anniversary. The only catch was that I was late with it (their anniversary was May 22; I mailed the card on the 27th - I hope they got it by the 30th at the latest).

I colored the stamp with watercolor crayons, misted with water, and stamped onto watercolor paper. I tore the image and then used distress inks to color the background. Then I layered it with some patterned papers onto the card.

Online Class

I'm taking another online class - I know, I'm addicted, but they're so much fun. I'm really enjoying this one - it's called Mixed Media Surfaces for Fiber Artists, taught by Sue Bleiweiss. We've just had one lesson so far, but I've already made several things!

This first picture is of tissue paper fused to fabric, and then colored with several things - including color wash sprays, acrylic paint, and silver krylon pen.



The next two pictures are of the back and front covers of a book for the samples from class, and the book itself. I still need to add some interesting fibers to the binder rings, but otherwise it's done. This has torn pages from books and newspapers. Then it has cheesecloth on top and it's colored with color wash sprays (I love sprays!). Then I put the flowers on and covered the whole thing with tulle.



This is going to be the cover of another journal - I still need to cut the signatures, which I think I'm going to make from watercolor paper. I'm really happy with how this turned out! It is layers of pattern tissue, colored with walnut ink spray, cut apart and fused to black felt. I used a decorative stitch on the edges of the cut pieces too.



And finally, this is a mother's day card I made for my mom from the tissue paper fabric in the first picture (luckily, I don't think my mom reads my blog).



You can't tell the sizes of the pieces from the pictures: the first piece started out as fat quarter size (18" X 22" approximately); the sample book is 9 1/2" X 6"; the journal cover was 9 1/2" X 13 1/2" before I used a pinking rotary cutter blade on the outside edges; and the card is 4 1/4" X 5 1/2".

I'm trying very hard to keep up in this class, because we're going to be gone for a little over a week about halfway through the class, and I'll get behind then. So I'd like to be caught up when we leave.

I highly recommend this class - if you're interested, you can read more about Sue's classes here.

Happy Holidays Everyone!

I just realized I never posted my Christmas card for this year.

Credits: All papers, ricrac, and Joy stamp from A Merry Little Christmas by Michelle Coleman
Stitching from Girl Next Door Stitches by Christy Lyle
Flower from Flower Parts Bright by Flergs

What I Did Today

I spent a LONG time choosing thread colors for a big embroidery project I wanted to start on today. Problem was, I spent so much time choosing the threads that I didn't get any embroidering done. Hopefully tomorrow I can actually start to embroider the designs. It is the summer version of the Japanese wall hangings I've been doing. I have winter and spring done (I posted pictures of them here and here). The designs come with a thread chart, but they use a brand that I don't have, so I have to convert the colors.


And I actually helped cook dinner tonight. That is very unusual for me - DH does most of the cooking around here. But I wanted a specific recipe that he doesn't make, so it was up to me. It's a swiss fruit pie (not sweet - it's a main dish sort of like a quiche), and I got the recipe from my Swiss friend. Of course, she uses real cream in her recipe, and I use soy milk, since I'm lactose intolerant. But it works, and it's almost as good as hers.


And then I realized I still needed to make DH a father's day card, so I did that tonight. Here is what I did:




I used Some Kind of Wonderful by Sweet Shoppe Designs (a limited edition father's day collaboration) and a card template by Jen Caputo.

I Forgot

What can I say - I forgot to post my valentine's card to my DH. So here it is.

Credits: Kissy Fish Love by Lauren Grier - Sweet Shoppe Designs

Card Template by Christine Smith - The DigiChick

And making that one was so fun, I made another one for a few of my friends.

Credits: Amanda and Lauren Rule the World, by Amanda Rockwell and Lauren Grier - Sweet Shoppe Designs

Font - AL Sandra

Digital Sketch by Cindy Simon

Cards

I've been making cards with Lauren's Stocking Stuffer kits. It is so easy using card templates.

First are a couple of cards using She Loves a Blue Christmas. Both templates are from Jen Caputo of The Digi Shoppe:

Next are two cards using Sweets of Christmas. The template for the first card is by Jen Caputo, and the second one is by Christine Smith of The DigiChick.

And finally, I used Christmas at Penguin City for this last card (and the black mat is from Tyler, also by Lauren). This template is from Jen Caputo.

Cards

You can also make cards digitally. I've made a few over the last couple of weeks, so I thought I'd share those. For the first two, I used Manhatten Loft Kit, and for the second two, I used Sunday Mist Kit, both by Cindy Simon at Natural Designs in Scrapbooking. On the third card, I also used a tear overlay by Stephanie Krush, and on the fourth card I used a stitch from Lauren Grier's Vanessa Kit.