Always Cherish Every Moment

 

I was terribly annoyed with myself that I missed the So Sketchy Design Team call. There was just so much going on here at the time of the call. I missed it by only a few hours and the next morning, I wrote to Alli asking that I be allowed to submit late (Puh-lease!!), hoping that my stint as a Guest Designer might count for something. Early Bird that she is, the team was already chosen and notified! NUTS! She was very sweet in her email and suggested that I play in her challenges each month. So I looked through July’s card sketches so far and found this one. Very unusual. I am also entering this in Verve’s Divine Details Project Parade Contest. “make a project or card that shows us your Divine Details”.

I won’t mess around here, I had a dickens of a time  getting this layout to work. The diagonal piece was easy (and FUN) but I first tried a large scalloped circle in the darker pink floral paper.  Pretty, but the lovely scalloped diagonal paper was lost against the darker pink circle, SCRATCH that. I used some peach chipboard photo corners that came in the scrapbooking kit I was working with, mmm, too heavy looking, SCRATCH that. I tried a circle in the turquoise paper (on the back of  cross-stitch paper) for the center, also not right, SCRATCH that. Flowers from the Honey Pie Cosmo Cricket die cut sheet  instead of the bows? Not enough contrast, SCRATCH that!! Circle in the middle of the card? Too unbalanced since the diagonal is not in the middle. SCRATCH that.

I finally settled on the cross-stitch circle sponged with worn lipstick Distress ink, the cherry blossom paper in the center sponged with cocoa ink, the turquoise reverse of the cross stitch paper as the corners (they fit perfectly on the scrap left from die cutting the scalloped circle!!) and bows instead of flowers on the diagonal. With the circle offset, I needed something for the other corner. This rub-on is so sweet, I know even in the close up it is hard to read, “always cherish every moment with those you love.'” Sweet huh? I wish the small letters showed up a bit better **SIGH** I used pearls to bring more attention to the sentiment and added one to each corner die cut for emphasis. Over all, I am quite pleased with the result and if I were part of the So Sketchy team, I would be proud to send this to Allison.

In case I need to list them, my Divine Details are: Die cut photo corners, buttons tied with twine, ‘shabby chic’ ribbon bows, scalloped edges on the circle, pearls as accents and for adding emphasis to the sentiment, sponged paper edges, scalloped edge on diagonal and three different button colours!

Just a little note, I ADORE making generic cards. Consider not adding a sentiment to your card (I know!! GASP!!***) or using a very generic one like an uplifting quote or Thinking of You. Then you always have a card when you need it. You will find most of my cards have no sentiment unless I am making them specifically for someone.

Enjoy, Rebecca

RECIPE
Stamps: gulp, none!
Ink: worn lipstick-Ranger, cocoa-SU!
Paper: Sassafrass, Honey pie-Cosmo Cricket, Blush CS-SU!
Accessories: corner die-Cuttlebug, scalloped circle Nesties, seam tape-stash, buttons-Maya Road, hemp twine-Hemptique, rub-on-SU!

Musical Thanks

This is the second card for my second So Sketchy layout. I made it as a thank you for my girlfriend, Rebecca, the one who makes the crocheted flowers. She is a wonderful pianist and piano teacher. She helped the kids work on a song for the congregation party I mentioned a while ago. She had them all over to her house to rehearse and although there was no piano at the party, she did record herself playing onto a CD for the kids to sing to. My son, Jameson, is a real performer at heart and loved every minute of the attention even though he was one of about 15 kids!  At the end, Jameson stretched his arms out wide, TA-DAH style, a few other kids did too, you could tell he was so proud of himself and LOVES an audience! Everyone thought it was great, especially me! So this card is for Rebecca; hope she enjoys it. ETA: I gave it to her last night, she loved it! The music paper is real vintage music I bought for about 10 or 15c each sheet! It is  yellowed with age and the edges are imperfect and dog-eared ~ exactly how I like it! I even decorated the inside, I NEVER do that.

This one was very fun but it is tricky getting the woven paper strips to stay straight! TIP: If you want to try this, work from the center out and put a bit of adhesive between each layer. Just a bit, that way, if you get out of square, you can adjust it! Use more adhesive on the layers that will be cut on an angle because the paper tips want to stick up. I tried stamping the large treble clef image from a retired SU! set on the flower, it looks cool, but not like a treble clef because it was too big! If I'd remembered that I have a music wheel stamp, I would have used that. Yes, I am in the un-illustrious position of beginning to forget which stamps I own! ***GASP*** One more quick thing, you probably can't see it, but the vanilla CS has a diagonal texture to it! Cool huh?

Enjoy, Rebecca

RECIPE
Stamps: treble clef-retired SU!, thank you-Elegant Notes SU!
Ink: Stazon black
Paper: patterned paper-Clear Impressions, vintage music sheets, black CS-SU!, ivory Bazzil CS
Accessories: sheer ribbon-SU!, gingham ribbon-UK, paper flower-Scrapbook Sally, button-UK, black embroidery floss
Technique: paper weaving

Silver Snowflake Card

This is the third and final So Sketchy card I did for my Guest Designer position for March! Again with this card, I chose to do something other than use the two vertical panels on the sketch. I used a single piece of patterned paper and split it down the middle with pleated ribbon. This ribbon isn't very wide and any adhesive I might use would gum up my needle and since I am using my $2800 sewing/embroidery machine, I am not about to screw it up with adhesive. So I started the ribbon with a backstitch, then as I sewed I used a bamboo skewer to push the ribbon under the foot thereby pleating it! I deliberately wanted it uneven. TIP: A bamboo skewer is a sewers best friend because unlike other tools meant for assisting while pushing or adjusting things under the foot, it will not break your needle! If the needle hits it by accident, it will split the skewer and you can simply remove it!

The nifty stitch is actually called a lightening stitch and is one you get on mid- to higher-end machines. It is actually used as a stretch fabric stitch for very stretchy areas like adding ribbing to cuffs and collars! I just thought it looked cool!

I do wish this card was a bit better proportioned. Had the start been larger and the ribbon wider I would have liked it better. The vellum circle is edged in silver ink and looks much better IRL!

Enjoy, Rebecca

RECIPE
Stamps: CTMH
Paper: Aspen paper pack-CTMH, navy CS-SU!, vellum-UK
Ink: navy-SU!, silver
Accessories: silver snowflake charm, white snowflakes, ribbon-UK, pewter brad-SU!, thread-Mettler, foam dots-Jody Morrow
Techniques: sewing, pleating

Lovely Ladies - Another So Sketchy Card!

Here is the second of three cards I did for the So Sketchy Blog. Allison's sketches are so interesting! If you like sketch challenges, you have to to visit often. She comes up with really interesting card and scrap page sketches. Link on the sidebar!

I like asymmetrical sketches best and this one is relatively symmetrical. So on all of my cards, I did something other than use  the two vertical rectangle panels in the sketch. On the beach card a couple of  posts ago, I used fish net. Here I used the two ladies in place of my vertical panels. They are coloured with Copics and adhered with foam dots. Only problem was, I distressed the panel below with the new Versamark Twinkle ink called Champagne. If you haven't tried it, it gives you a very subtle shimmer similar to a Spica pen or very fine glitter gel pen. I haven't used it for stamping yet but so far, I really like it. So why was this a problem? Like all pigment ink, it stayed wet for a very long time and the foam dots wouldn't stick! GRRRR!! I really liked the result though. The striped May Arts ribbon I bought from Sharon Johnson of No Time to Stamp? Click on the link at the top of the page right under her blog banner to see other May Arts ribbon she has for sale.

The rosette in the center is made by my great friend Rebecca-thank you! It is hard to see of course but the card base is sprayed with Glimmer Mist. TIP: I read somewhere that if you spray your paper while it is held vertically, you are less likely to get blobs that drip off the nozzle than if you spray while the paper is on a flat surface.

Enjoy, Rebecca

RECIPE
Stamps: ladies-Rubber Baby Buggy Bumpers (I think), french script bkgd by SU!
Ink: Versamark champagne, chocolate chip-SU!, Adirondack black, sorry-don't remember what colour was used for the script stamp
Paper: Graphic 45 patterned paper, Bazzil textured CS, vanilla, black CS-SU!
Accessories: Glitter Mist gold, gold corners-UK, May Arts striped ribbon, tan ribbon-Masterstroke, pearl brad-UK, reproduction vintage perfume label-Victorian Papers, foam dots-Jody Morrow, Copics

Beautiful Beach

This is my favourite of my So Sketchy cards. Funny thing about how I create; I never know what I am going to make until I sit down to make it. Even as I am creating, I don't know what the next layer is going to be. Whether that layer is on top of what I am working on or underneath depends on the card. For this one, I started with the card base and corners and worked up. I did that for my other So Sketchy cards too; just suited the way my brain
thinks when doing this sketch. This card is pretty big to accommodate the layers and 'corners', 6x6". The netting under the top layers is actually real fish net I picked up at a little shop on the boardwalk in Ocean City, NJ. Ocean City is the PG, family version of Atlantic city. And not a single 'chain' restaurant, store or hotel in the whole city. Fabulous place to visit, we had a great time. The beach is gorgeous thus inspiring this card!

Anyhoo, the card layers are distressed with either creamy caramel, close to cocoa or buckaroo blue. I was surprised to see how similar bordering blue and buckaroo blue are. The 'sticks' under top circle are bits of raffia. Several layers are up on foam dots, especially the top circle. It is dotted on either side of the raffia. The label 1 die is dotted between the fish netting. It is actually in two pieces because the sketch showed two separate panels for that layer.

Enjoy, Rebecca

RECIPE
Stamps: shells (I forget the name of the set), cheesecloth and linen (or was it canvas??)  backgrounds
Ink: close to cocoa, creamy caramel, buckaroo blue
Paper: Kraft, Buckaroo blue, bordering blue,
Accessories: Heidi Swapp distresser, twill tape-UK, raffia and fish netting-UK, label 1 and circle Nestabilities, Cuttlebug, foam dots-Jody Morrow. All products SU! unless otherwise noted.

So Sketchy French Postale

Can you believe it is 2009 already? Insane.  {{CUE MUSIC}}  525,600 minutes. How do you measure year in the life? (From 'Seasons of Love', play/movie Rent) I measure it with the ages of my children as do many other moms.  My baby will be 2 this year but not til May and I am in no hurry. The other one will be 8 in a month and a few days. EEEK! When did that happen? He is already asking {AHEM} grown up questions IYKWIM! Anyhoo...

This is the third and final card made with a So Sketchy Sketch at least for now. The DT requirements were 3 cards from their sketches and three others from your archives. I had fun making this card. It is an unusual style for me but instead of being hard it actually flowed! ****AMAZING****  Could it possibly be that I am growing as an artist? Way Cool!!
I cut the damask floral paper first intending to use the other side. Then I realized I had cut it out so the flowers on it were sideways. What a ding-dong! {{{GRRRR}}} I hadn't even seriously considered the other side because I forgot it was double-sided and since I DETEST wasting paper and in fact liked it better, I flipped it. I didn't mind that these were sideways. At first I glued it on with the floral emblems at the bottom. Didn't like it that way considering the sketch I was using so I flipped it over. Did you notice the part where I said I had already glued it?? Honestly, if my head wasn't attached... so yes, that does mean that my card currently opens on the left. Maybe I'll give it to my BFF whose husband is Chinese (yes, it is girlie but he is an artist so he understands this stuff). Maybe he will appreciate it! Thank goodness I take photos of my cards closed!!

The paper is actually part of a postcard collection so that got me thinking about using the postmark stamps. I stamped the large stamp a second time on a scrap and cut out and foam dotted the circular portion. The little flowers were on my desk from another idea I was working on but decided against and they gently called my name just before I stuck down the circle. Normally I think of these things later and have to tear things up and re-stick them!

Enjoy, Rebecca

RECIPE
Paper: Bazzill CS lagoon, Making Memories PP, vanilla CS - SU!
Stamps: large postmark - ?Rubber Baby Buggy Bumpers, small postmark - ?SU!, Carte Postale
Ink: night of navy (distressing) and riding hod red - SU!, Adirondack black
Accessories: beige loopy ribbon and pearl - SU!, ivory ribbon - Masterstroke, flowers - Prima, foam dots, glue dots, Quickutz tag die

So Sketchy Flowers and Dots Card

WHEW!! Right in under the deadline for the So Sketchy Design Team! I don't usually leave things like this until the last day but it has been so busy with my son home from school! I really find these sketches really inspirational so I will do them more often even if I don't get on the DT; but I course I sure hope I do! {{GRIN}} Pretty Please!!!

I got these papers from Sweet Pea Scraps. They are a great little company supplying fabulously well matched papers, ribbons and bellies for a great price with none of those nasty rules of other bigger kit companies. Need to skip a month? Just say please! You get a cheaper price for committing to 6 months, but again if you need or want to skip a month, no big deal. Now that I am no longer a SU! demo, I am trying to branch out into other paper companies and this helps me decide where to start looking.

Anyway, that is my little plug for them, just 'cause they are so nice. Back to the card. The layout is pretty simple and easy to put together. The flower is stamped with chocolate brown ink using a French Script stamp. It is actually kinda hard to stamp a slightly 3-D object but I like that it didn't stamp perfectly; gives it more character! The button is clear backed with a scrap of the same paper as the label 1 Nestabilities die cut, just the reverse side. But there is a small surprise under the Label.

TA DA!! I {heart} the pop of colour under there!! I deliberately cut out that portion of the paper because I liked the swirl. I did the same with the floral panel under the label die cut. In sewing, carefully cutting to get a specific portion of a design is called 'fussy cutting'; like when garment using an animal patterned fabric has one of the animals perfectly centered on a pocket. Or a pocket perfectly matches on a plaid shirt. Do we paper crafters have a name for it? I think the same expression works equally well here!! The So Sketchy sketch actually called for that flap, I love sketches with a little something extra like that. I tried adding more ribbon somewhere but it just didn't work; whadda think?

Enjoy, Rebecca

RECIPE
Paper: Crate Paper Blue Hill Collection
Stamps: sentiment unknown set, French Flair - SU!
Ink: Chocolate chip and Close to cocoa for distressing, Regal Rose -SU!
Accessories: brad - unknown, Flower - Scrapbook Sally, clear button and sheer ribbon - SU!, foam dots, Nestabilities Label 1 die

So Sketchy Purple Hydrangea Wedding Card

The So Sketchy Team is looking for new DT members so I made this card, following one of their sketches, to enter the search.

Looks simple enough right? The original sketch can be found HERE. Cool sketch but I decided to make it a bit more interesting. Instead of treating the half circle as a layer on top of the card, I decided it needed to be a layer UNDER the card! Watch...

 

 

The lowest brad is actually a hinge allowing you to pull the insert out. The edges of the white CS insert are stamped with 'Always' as is the shimmery white CS tag. The insert gives you room to write without having to find a light coloured gel pen. I have tons of them but can I find them when I need them?? Of course not {{GRRR}}. The circle cutout was done with Nestabilities. In case you want to try this, the outer card is square then folded in half. Your insert should be 1/4" smaller both ways than the folded card. This allows you to align the insert with 1/8" clearance at the top and bottom and 1/4" clearance at the folded edge. If you do not have this, the corner of the card will snag as you try to rotate it. Another solution would be to deeply round the corner nearest the brad. BTW, it does swing out the whole way, this was just the easiest way to photograph it.

To get the ribbon loops under the bow, I made holes in the ribbon at roughly equal intervals so the loops were long enough to peek out from under the flower. The loops are formed one at 12 o'clock, then one at 6, then at 2, 8, 4 and 10. Hope you can understand that. If not, let me know, maybe it's worth a tutorial!

Enjoy, Rebecca

RECIPE
Stamps: floral background, 'always' Fancy Flexible Phrases
Paper: eggplant, shimmery white, white CS
Ink: eggplant
Accessories: flower - Michael's, brads - probably Making Memories, Big Bite, Quikutz tag die, silver cord, purple ribbon - unknown, rhinestone brad - unknown, Nestabilities. All products SU! unless otherwise noted.