Make a Difference

Happy Friday! If you’re looking for the Weekend Sketch Challenge, you have come to the right place. If you want to play along, please link your card using Mr. Linky (at the bottom of this post).  If you are uploading to Splitcoast, please use the Keyword WSC83. Can’t wait to see what you got!

Edit to add: I forgot half of my post yesterday morning. If you’ll link your sketch here, I’ll choose a winner on Tuesday evening.

To see samples of this sketch, please visit Cambria, Charmaine, Jenn, MaryJo, & Sharon (my sample will be up in the next post… :-).

Have a super fabulous weekend!

Here’s Mr. Linky:

I can’t wait to see what you all create!!

I’ve been delving into my stash of Core’dinations cardstock the last few days. Love the texture and the sandable surface. The paisley impressions were made with a Sizzix plates and my Big Shot. Then I ran over the surface with a sanding block to smooth off the top layer of cardstock color.

You can read a full review, see great samples and get some helpful tips about Core’dinations Cardstock by checking out this review (just published) from the SCS Product Focus team: Core’dinations Cardstock.

A really quick sentiment. I need to rejuvinate my stash of these. :)  I used the Frost VersaMark over the entire surface of white on the image panel. It gives it a nice shimmer.

 Because of You 

• Stamps: Circular Sayings - Verve 
• Cardstock:  Core’dinations - Marine Blue and Orange
• Ink: Sail Boat Blue - Memento 
• Accessories: Paisley Impressions folder - Sizzix, sanding block, crocheted flower, ribbon - Making Memories, vanilla hodgepodge hardware - Stampin’ Up!
  

 Thank you 

• Stamps: Because of You - Verve 
• Cardstock: Love Potion, Harlequin and February Gold - Core’dinations
• Ink: Raspberry & Sunset Yellow - Ranger & Frost VersaMark by Tsukineko
• Accs: Hello Kitty Ribbon Trim Dies - Sizzix

LOL! If you’re traveling here via Sharon’s blog - I’m literally ‘in a jam’ and will finish up my post in just a few minutes. So, check back soon for a jammin’ good time and Copic Marker giveaway.

Here’s a picture from Silver Dollar City to tide you over. This is my crazy husband and my oldest DD. They are the thrill seekers! LOL We spent another 3 days in Branson, MO.  We love that place, so much that this was our 3rd trip there this year. This picture was from June, but it’s always the same story…how many roller coasters can these two ride? When you ask my littlest DD what her favorite part of the weekend was….it was pretending that grandma’s hair brush was a cell phone while she was sitting on a bench waiting for these two! Don’t you wish all kids were so easily entertained?

 Beate (rhymes with Miata) had a very fun, easy sketch posted for weekend inspiration. I paired it with some patterned paper from My Mind’s Eye and some large Prima flowers for a quick and easy birthday card. The only stampin’ is the Linen background on the Chocolate Chip band and the Happy Birthday greeting. My Spring Bouquet flower punch is a must have for your own ‘fake’ flowers. I can’t wait to get my hands on the new Flower Punch from SU!, but that will be another post later in the week! (after the UPS man delivers my new catalog preorder!) The SU! accent color is Certainly Celery, and the brads are from Makin’ Memories! Thanks, Beate, for a Fresh and Fun sketch for the weekend! 

My home is completely surrounded by large, 100 year old trees so the window of opportunity for a good picture is limited, literally. I resorted to the side porch for this shot. 

Using my ruffled blooms Stampendous stamps from eclectic Paperie, I was so pleased with the results of my new Brilliance Dew Drop inks. Paired with my favorite, Shimmery White cardstock, the results were heavenly. I only wish I could capture that shimmer and shine in photo for you. The black cardstock layer was embossed with the Cuttlebug embossing folder in my Sizzix machine and then using the direct to paper method, I lightly dusted the raised areas with the shimmery Brilliance ink. The accent cardstock is from my stash of retired SU! Mauve Mist, a perfect match for the Brilliance Pearlescent Orchic ink. A white panel on the inside of the card gives the sender a little place to jot their own ‘little things that make life big’! My Brilliance Dew Drops were a special birthday surprise from a sweet friend, but you can pick yours up at eclectic Paperie when you are getting that Ruffled Bloom stamp set <wink wink>! Thanks for looking!

Edited to add: I actually stamped this card almost 2 weeks ago and never uploaded it. Then when blog browsing, I saw a beautiful card, similar to this one and thought how funny, ‘we were on the same page’! Now I can’t find it! If you recently posted something similar to this with textured plate and DTP, please let me know. I’d like to link it here for a comparison.

Almost 2 weeks ago, I won a sketch challenge contest on the Paper Salon blog (see it here!). I got their gracious prize pack in the mail yesterday. It includes the Bloom Alphabet Tailored Tin, a stack of paper from the Pristine Collection and some “outer wear” (envelopes and liners)! Wonderful prize pack. I *love* the Tailor Tins and am happy to add this one to my growing collection! Here is my card that won: New Goods in the House! Thanks so much, Paper Salon! Can’t wait to use my new goodies!

A little apprehensive when I saw the color challenge this morning over at SCS. Cool Carribean, Chocolate Chip and GARDEN GREEN! I rarely use Garden Green, by choice!

All the white cardstock is SU! Glossy, Inks are SU! Classics in colors mentioned above. Stamped images are from Stampendous. I get my Stampendous stuff from Joy & Daisy at eclectic Paperie. The Linograph background is a retired SU! favorite stamp. I thought it helped with a retro look. The flowers and butterfly are accented with Stickles for a little sparkle and shine. 

Thanks for looking!

Check it out! 2 weeks ago tomorrow, Beate, paper genius, sent some of those adorable, cute Stampendous Bees to myself and Sharon, paper genius. I have had my cards ready to go for a few days, but the Pony Express in Texas decided that Sharon wasn’t quite ready, so they delayed delivery of her bees until YESTERDAY! Yep, that’s that US Postal increase hard at work! On to the Bees ~

For this Bee card, I wanted to hoard this absolutely divine maize colored paper from Daisy D…but I didn’t. Simple layout. Colors are Chocolate Chip & Regal Rose. Prima Flowers & Making Memories pink brads. Ribbon is MayArts. Little guy is colored with PrismaColor pencils and Gamsol. 

I used my SU! corner punch (with the guard removed) to create a scalloped edge to the Chocolate Chip piece. I used my paper piercing tool to add a little punch to the Regal Rose strip. The little bee was punched out with my Marvy Scalloped Punch (mega size). The bee is touched up with a bit of shimmer from my StarDust Gelly Roll Clear Gel Pen. Love that shimmer!

For the challenge, I did two 4.25″ square cards, and Beate sent me enough images that I can make a few more to create a little gift collection. This is card number 2.

The Bees are stamped Stampendous images that you can get from eclectic Paperie, sentiment is made with Karen Foster Snap Stamps. I don’t want to cause alarm, but I read on JanTink’s blog yesterday that Karen Foster was going to discontinue these stamps. Are they kidding? I have 2 sets of each size, and that makes it so handy to create unique phrases.

Stamps: Stampendous Bees, Karen Foster Snap Stamps. Paper: Polka Dots are Scenic Route by Harvest, Shimmery White & Morning Marigold from Stampin’ UP! Ribbons: American Crafts and Prima Flowers. Coloring is with PrismaColor Pencils and Gamsol.

I have lots to do today. My parents are coming this weekend to help me work in a large perennial garden that I inherited from previous owners. This is my 3rd summer here, and I have yet to thin anything. Hopefully, by Monday, I’ll have some pictures to show you because they are also bringing my NEW CANON REBEL SLR CAMERA. Many, many thanks to Sharon for being the Ultimate Enabler this week. She told me about a great sale, and I had my daddy at the store in the city the next morning when they opened! I am so excited! I’m sure I’ll be boring you with pictures next week!

Happy Friday!

Another Paper Salon card - featuring Pristine Collection of papers & Fancy Flourishes.  I just love the clean Paper Salon look. The big flower is actually cut from the Pristine Paper.

Stamps: Paper Salon Fancy Flourishes Tailored Tin & Be Happy “smile” from Stampin’ UP!

Cardstock: Paper Salon Prisine Collection papers & Whisper White

Ink: Mellow Moss & Pretty in Pink by Stampin’ UP!

Accs: Dazzling Diamonds Glitter, Grosgrain Ribbon

I have loved working with my new Paper Salon goodies that arrived late last week. Not that I would want to enable you in any way, but I got mine here: eclectic Paperie. Joy & Daisy (owners) just *ROCK* the online ordering world. I met them while I was in California, and they are both just a delight IRL. You’d definately be friends with these cool chicks. So check ‘em out!

Stamps: Paper Salon’s Create a Flower Tailored Tin

Cardstock: Paper Salon’s Pristine Collection, Close to Cocoa by Stampin’ UP!

Ink: Mellow Moss, Regal Rose, Pretty in Pink, Close to Cocoa by Stampin’ UP!

Accs: Dazzling Diamonds Glitter, Grosgrain Ribbon, Uni-ball White Gel Pen