Birthday Flowers and a New Design Team

Welcome to Try Stampin' on Tuesday's weekly sketch! 

Yes, I am now a member of the Try Stampin' on Tuesday Design Team and I am 
thrilled about that! 

This week's sketch is all about the squares (or rectangles if you wish...)

I stayed true to the sketch. I chose a retired Close To My Heart paper pack called Happy Times along with the coordinating stamp set for the flowers. I love the colour combination of yellow and turquoise/mint. I did add a sentiment right under the top square. The sequins were coloured to match the flowers and stems and randomly placed to form a ground cover for the flowers. I used a clear shimmer brush on the flowers to add some interest. 

Come and join us at Try Stampin' on Tuesday and show us how you interpret the sketch 
shown above. 

You have until Sunday, August 11th to link up your project. 

We can't wait to see what you create!

Products used are Close To My Heart unless otherwise indicated: 

Paper: Happy Times Paper Pack, White Daisy Cardstock, Lemon Cardstock, Mint Cardstock, Neenah Solar White Cardstock

Stamps: Happy Times, A Bunch of Love

Inks: Lemon, Mint, Lagoon

Accessories: White Sequins, Clear Shimmer Brush, Thin Foam Tape, Sharpie Markers (not CTMH)

Enjoy,

Alyson 

Sunburst Floral Card

It's time... time to get back to a couple of challenges. 

This card is based on a card I found on Pinterest because when I saw it, I loved it! The original creator of the design that I found was Melodie Viljoen. I loved the sunburst with the wreath around the main circle. 

I used a template from the Artbooking Cricut cartridge for the sunburst and adjusted it to fit the size of my card. The wreath was created using the Flower Market Cricut cartridge. The papers for the sunburst are from the CTMH Mix-in paper pack. I chose the colours that I did because I am entering the Three Amigos challenge and it was the colours from their mood board (shown below) that inspired my choice of colours for this card. I splattered two colours of paint on the sunburst part to add some interest. 

The flowers were stamped, coloured and die cut. The main flower was brushed with a clear shimmer brush to add some sparkle. A bit of foam tape and some coloured gems finished off the card. 

This close-up shows the shimmer on the main flower. 

This is the mood board for the Three Amigos challenge.

It saddens me that this is the last challenge at Three Amigos - it ends on July 31. So sorry to see good things come to a close, but the three ladies there have done a fabulous job with that challenge! 

I am also entering this card in the Double Trouble challenge - all three components: 

Thing 1: Something, Anything and Everything (use your stuff) 

Thing 2: Link up with any previous challenge with which DT has paired previously 

               (I chose Three Amigos)

Thing 3: Create something with sun (I used a sunburst) 

Products used are all Close To My Heart unless otherwise indicated: 

Paper: Mix-in Paper Pack, White Daisy Cardstock, Almond Cardstock, Ballerina Cardstock, Neenah Solar White Cardstock

Stamps: Floral Delivery, Wordfetti

Inks: Intense Black, Lagoon

Accessories: Artbooking Cartridge, Flower Market Cartridge, Watercolour Paints, Waterbrush, Touch Markers (some CTMH), Sharpie Markers (not CTMH), Clear Shimmer Brush, Foam Tape, Thin Foam Tape, Clear Sparkles 

Enjoy,

Alyson

H2H - Borders

Welcome to this week's Heart 2 Heart challenge! 

Borders, borders, borders... they surround things, outline things, separate things. Borders are dividers of something - be it colours, patterns, even countries, provinces or states. 

"On the Border" is this week's theme - and I decided to use a set of rectangular stitched dies to create my card for this challenge. 

I selected some cardstock in rainbow colours and went to work, cutting rectangles with stitched border dies. I wanted Lemon yellow to end up in the centre so I worked backwards from that colour. I had to eliminate some colours as I only had so many rectangles... 

This card came together very quickly as there was no stamping or inking involved - simply die cutting and then gluing the pieces together. I love how the stitching along the rectangles sets each rectangle apart from the next. 

Come and join us at Heart 2 Heart and show us how you use borders in your project.

You have until the end of July to enter this or any of the other July challenges. 

We can't wait to see what you create!

Products used are as follows: 

Paper: White Daisy Cardstock, Black Cardstock, Lemon Cardstock, Nectarine Cardstock, Candy Apple Cardstock, Pansy Cardstock, Bluebird Cardstock, Lagoon Cardstock, Willow Cardstock, White Daisy Cards and Envelopes (all CTMH)

Stamps: none

Inks: none

Accessories: Stitched Rectangles (SSS), Hugs Die (Calligraphy Pop)

Enjoy,

Alyson

Colour Dare #353 - Purple Rules!

Welcome to Colour Dare Challenge #353 where purple rules! 

Yes, this week it is all about purple so if you are a fan of shades of purple, this is YOUR week (actually 2 weeks since the challenge is open for 2 weeks)!

I waned to try something new so I pulled out my re-inkers and some rubbing alcohol and went to work. So where is it, you ask? Well... the end results weren't as wonderful as I anticipated, although my purple fingers will last for several days, I'm sure. I tried a variety of things but I did learn that some purples have very strong green undertones and since green is not permitted in this challenge, those samples were not usable. 

I decided to switch to watercolours instead. After experimenting with creating my own shades of purple, I used one of those and two that were already in the paint palette. Completely by accident, I put a paper towel on top of some wet paint and I liked the pattern it left behind so I painted a large card piece and while it was very wet, I placed a paper towel over top and then lifted it. That is how the pattern was created! After it dried completely, I cut the piece into 9 equal pieces and adhered them, being very careful to place them in the same pattern so as not to disrupt that flow. 

The die cut is from Memory Box and was cut twice - once in black and again in white - and adhered one on top of the other, slightly misaligned. I brushed the black one with the black shimmer brush first. The sentiment is done in reverse. 

This close-up shows the shimmer on the black foliage die. 

Come and join us at Colour Dare and show us how you create using this purple palette. 

You have two weeks to link up your project. 

We can’t wait to see what you create!

Products used are as follows: 

Paper: White Daisy Cardstock, Black Cardstock, Watercolour Paper (all CTMH), Neenah Solar White Cardstock

Stamps: none

Inks: none

Accessories: Watercolour Paints and Paintbrushes, Black and White Dots, Black Shimmer Brush (all CTMH), Fresh Foliage Die (Memory Box), Kindness Die (Calligraphy Pop)

Enjoy,

Alyson

AH 326 - Framed Blooms

Welcome to Atlantic Hearts Sketch #326!

I love floral images - stamps and dies - and they are my first choice of images to use on a card if at all possible. I reached for the Love Booms stamp set for this card. There are two large images in that set and I chose one of them, stamped then fussy cut it. I embossed the image in black so the colouring wouldn't bleed plus I wanted a thick border as I didn't want to leave white space around the cut image. 

I chose a colour combination from the Love of Colour book from CTMH - fairly dark shades. The flower was coloured using the Sugarplum Shimmer Brush and a Glacier coloured marker. Using Heather (light side), Eggplant and Peacock cardstock, those sections were either stamped or embossed to add interest. The strip of Glacier cardstock allowed for a lighter background on which to stamp the sentiment. I also die cut two square frames to surround the floral image. 

Come and join us at Atlantic Hearts and show us how you interpret the sketch shown above. 
You have until Sunday evening to link up your project. 

We can't wait to see what you create! 

Products used are as follows: 

Paper: White Daisy Cardstock, Heather Cardstock, Peacock Cardstock, Eggplant Cardstock, Glacier Cardstock, White Daisy Cards and Envelopes (all CTMH)

Stamps: Love Blooms, In the Background (both CTMH), First Frost (SU)

Inks: Heather, Peacock, Eggplant, Black Pigment Ink (all CTMH)

Accessories: Artiste Cricut Cartridge, Clear Detail Embossing Powder, Heat Tool, Sugarplum Shimmer Brush, Sugarplum Glitter Gems (all CTMH), Square Stitched Dies (Gina Marie Designs), Rosy Posey Embossing Folder (Taylored Expressions), Mint Twine, Touch Markers (unknown)

Enjoy,

Alyson

Birthday Bear and Friend

FINALLY... some time to create outside of design team work and other obligations, but just for fun! 

The Double Trouble challenge currently has a challenge for baby or children's cards and extra credit if it is a birthday card, so I decided to do both. If the card contains zoo animals, there is also an extra plus for that so I decided to use a bear and a porcupine. That part was tough as I don't have a lot of animal stamps. There is another challenge, Crafter's Cafe, that is linked to the current Double Trouble challenge that can be entered if you use animals on your card. 

I began with a white base and I had to do some searching online for the best way to create clouds. My cloud making efforts in the past haven't been very successful. I found a good idea and I created a template on my Cricut. I think the clouds look pretty good! 

The bear, porcupine, balloons, birthday sign and grass were all stamped and /or cut from different stamps and /or dies. This card is a real mixture of supplies put together. I added the stitched rectangle outline to frame the card and then drew a black line around that. The whole scene is mounted on Carolina cardstock. 

My card will be entered in the following challenges 

Double Trouble challenge      

- child or baby card, zoo animals, birthday card

Crafter's Cafe challenge

- animals 

Products used are as follows: 

Paper: White Daisy Cardstock, Carolina Cardstock, Nectarine Cardstock, Espresso Cardstock, Almond Cardstock, Clover Cardstock (all CTMH), Neenah Solar White Cardstock

Stamps: To My Bestie, Spring Critters, You Are My Happy, Jack Cardmaking (all CTMH)

Inks: Black, Espresso, Sapphire, Carolina (all CTMH)

Accessories: Cricut Basic Shapes (not CTMH), Spring Critter Thin Cuts, Jack Cardmaking Thin Cuts, Decorative Border Thin Cuts (all CTMH), Sharpie Markers, Touch Markers, Rectangular Stitched Dies (GMD), Mint Twine (unknown)

Enjoy,

Alyson

H2H - Carefree Love LO

Welcome to this week's Heart 2 Heart challenge! 

It's all about celebrating this week - the theme is called just that: "Celebrate the Good Times". 

I was recently emailed a photo that I never thought I would never see - a photo of my father's parents. My father passed away in 2006 and if he was alive today, he would be 100 years old (soon 101 as his birthday was in August). This photo is a keepsake. His mother (my grandmother) passed away when she was in her early 30s. I only ever met my grandfather once - very briefly - when I was a young child. I don't remember him at all. 

The photo was in sepia wen I received it but I wanted it in black and white for the purpose of this layout. The date is unknown but I am guessing it is around 1910 - it was before they had any children and before the Depression. Life was pretty carefree at that time. 

I based this layout on a sketch I found on Pinterest. Texture paste was used to create the brick background to replicate the brick wall in the photo. I wanted to set the photo on a bright coloured background to bring attention to it and daisies and butterflies represented a carefree life to me. I added a few scattered pearls to finish it off. 

 Come and join us at Heart 2 Heart and show us how you celebrate the good times. You have until the end of July to link up your project. Be sure to use some Close To My Heart products in your creation. 

We can't wait to see what you create! 

Products used are Close To My Heart unless otherwise indicated:

Paper: Happy Times Paper Pack, White Daisy Cardstock, Charcoal Cardstock, Lemon Cardstock, Clover Cardstock, Carolina Cardstock, Bluebird Cardstock

Stamps: none

Ink: Bluebird

Accessories: Jasmine Cricut Cartridge (not CTMH), Flower Market Cricut Cartridge, Art Philosophy Cricut Cartridge, Artbooking Cricut Cartridge, Cricut Basic Shapes (not CTMH), Bitty Pearls, Grey and White Twine, Foam Tape, Thin Foam Tape, Texture Paste and Texture Tools, Stencil Sheets, Edge Distresser

Enjoy,

Alyson

Colour Dare #351 - Tic Tac Toe Shaker Card

Welcome to Colour Dare Challenge #351!

It's another Tic Tac Toe board this week - often a favourite of both our design team members and our participants!

The colours on this board are taken from the Craft On paper pack and silver has also been added. Please note that Black and White are allowed but NO OTHER NEUTRALS are permitted. 

I chose to use what is known as the hero paper from this paper pack - the busiest paper of all and it contains all of the colours on the board except silver. I added some silver gems so I used every colour on the board. 

The inside of the shaker was stamped using a very old stamp called A Flowering Bunch. It was the Stamp of the Month back in June 2013! I added some grass at the bottom but that's hard to see in the photo. The flowers were coloured using some Sharpie markers and some Touch markers to match the papers. The sequins are designed to match this paper pack. I also poked the holes along the shaker border to add some interest as I had to cut that by hand. 

Come and join us at Colour Dare and show us how you use the Tic Tac Toe board shown at the top of this post. You have two weeks to link up your project. 

We can't wait to see what you create! 

Products used are Close To My Heart unless otherwise indicated: 

Paper: Craft On Paper Pack, White Daisy Cardstock, Bluebird Cardstock, Raspberry Cardstock, Emerald Cardstock, White Glitter Paper, White Cards and Envelopes

Stamps: A Flowering Bunch, Well Said (SU)

Inks: Intense Black, Bluebird

Accessories: Scalloped Border Thin Cuts, Decorative Border Thin Cuts, Silver Glitter Gems, Loose Sequins - Crafty, Blue Ribbon (unknown), Sharpie Markers, Touch Markers, Foam Tape, Piercing Tool and Stitch Guide (unknown)

Enjoy,

Alyson

Sorry for your Loss...

I don't like creating sympathy cards - I avoid making them and when I have to make one, it is always because I NEED one. This is one of those times. 

I chose the Know That I Care stamp set to create this card. I used a colour combination from the Love of Colour book of Pewter, Lilac and Sapphire. A large image was stamped all around the outside of the card and the flowers were stamped using a coordinating stamp. A blending pen was used for the leaves. I used the same stamp for the main image and coloured that using markers. The main image flowers were brushed with a clear shimmer brush. Some silver embellishing thread and sequins were added and this card was finished pretty quickly as it needs to be delivered today. 

It was based on a card from Make It From Your Heart - Volume 4. Nice and easy!

Products used are Close To My Heart unless otherwise indicated: 

Paper: White Daisy Cardstock, Pewter Cardstock

Stamps: Know That I Care

Inks: Pewter, Sapphire, Lilac

Accessories: Silver Embellishing Thread, Clear Shimmer Brush, Blending Pen, Touch Markers (not CTMH), Silver Sequins

Enjoy,

Alyson

AH 324 - A Cluster of Tulips

Welcome to Atlantic Hearts Sketch 324!

This sketch shows a Hawaiian flower in the sketch but any symbol is fine to use. I decided to use a wreath and a cluster of tulips as my focal point. Due to the stems at the bottom of the tulips, I put my sentiment at the bottom of my card rather than right under the focal point. 

The tulips and stems are triple stamped and then die cut. I stamped and coloured the wreath and that is also die cut. Layering all of those pieces took a while to do - and then the ribbon was added. I brushed the tulips with a gold shimmer brush which can be seen in the close-up photo. The sentiment was embossed in gold and then stamped with Pansy ink for the bottom part. Gold foil paper was used for the diagonal strip and to mount the sentiment. 

Come and join us at Atlantic Hearts and show us how you interpret the sketch shown above. You have until Sunday evening to link up your project. 

We can't wait to see what you create! 

Products used are as follows: 

Paper: Live Beautifully Paper Pack, White Daisy Cardstock, Lilac Cardstock, Gold Foil Paper (all CTMH), Neenah Solar White Cardstock

Stamps: Tulip (Altenew), Sending and Wishing (SSS), Wreath (CTMH)

Inks: Versamark, Lilac, Pansy, Black, Sweet Leaf, Willow (all CTMH)

Accessories: Gold Embossing Powder, Heat Tool, Gold Skinny Ribbon, Gold Shimmer Brush, Wreath Thin Cut (all CTMH), Tulip Dies (Altenew), Thin Foam Tape, Touch Markers

Enjoy,

Alyson

Birthday in Green (and Blue)

A special friend of mine is celebrating a birthday shortly and I always struggle with masculine cards. I wanted to use the new stamp and die combination set from CTMH called Share the Joy. 

I decided on a combination of shades of green with some blue for emphasis. The primary green that I used was Willow. 

The images inside the circles were each stamped, coloured and then fussy cut. I suppose with some strategic placement, they could be stamped behind the circle on a single piece of cardstock but that would take some very carefully placement. I wanted them to be raised for emphasis which is why I chose to fussy cut them instead. I added a heart as well - just because :)

The background is created from two different patterned papers and a piece of embossed cardstock. I tied two pieces of twine around the edge of the image piece and used the same twine for the tag. 

This will go in the mail tomorrow - arriving in plenty of time for his birthday. 

Products used are all CTMH unless otherwise indicated: 

Paper: I Heart Us Paper Pack, Cats and Bats Paper Pack, Adventure Fundamentals, White Daisy Cardstock, Lagoon Cardstock, Bluebird Cardstock, Neenah Solar White Cardstock

Stamps: Birthday Joy, Bunches of Joy

Inks: Black, Lagoon, Bluebird

Accessories: Basic Banners Thin Cuts, Multi-Circle Windows Thin Cut, Chevron Embossing Folder, Foam Tape, Touch Markers, Sharpie Markers, Green Twine (unknown), Blue Twine (unknown)

Enjoy,

Alyson

H2H - Colour Challenge

Welcome to this week's Heart 2 Heart challenge!

It's a simple colour challenge this week - the colour is a Close To My Heart colour:
CANDY APPLE.

You can certainly combine other colours with Candy Apple in your project but Candy Apple should be the focal colour of your project. 

I chose to create a card using emboss resist. I wanted to be able to use different shades of the Candy Apple ink so I wanted to use an open flower stamp. I needed one that was fairly large so I had to go way, WAY back to find one that would work. I found the stamp I wanted in an old stamp set called Lucy Workshop on the Go. I have held onto that set for this long because I like the flowers! 

After stamping the largest flower multiple times using Versamark ink, I embossed it with white embossing powder. I used a sponge to lightly cover the entire paper with Candy Apple ink. Using a sponge dauber, I went over the flowers twice using the same ink. It lightens significantly which is why I did it twice. It's ok that the dauber was larger than the petals and came outside of the flowers - nature isn't perfect, right? I used a tissue to wipe off any excess ink that was left on the white embossed parts and then the flower centres were coloured using the red shimmer brush. 

Glacier is a nice complement to Candy Apple so I used it as my background and also wrapped some twine around the end of the sentiment piece where I also added some red shimmer trim. 

Come and join us at Heart 2 Heart and show us how you use the colour Candy Apple on your project. You have until the end of July to link up your project. 

We can't wait to see what you create!

Products used are Close To My Heart unless otherwise indicated:

Paper: White Daisy Cardstock, Glacier Cardstock, Neenah Solar White Cardstock

Stamps: Lucy Workshop on the Go stamp, Card Captions

Ink: Candy Apple, Versamark

Accessories: White Embossing Powder, Heat Tool, Red Shimmer Trim, Red Shimmer Brush, Aqua Twine (unknown), Foam Tape

Enjoy,

Alyson