retro sketches #9

Welcome back! My second post for today is a card created for the latest challenge at retro sketches! 

I used Paper Smooches' Sugar Rush set for my card:

Supplies: image and sentiment stamps (Paper Smooches - Sugar Rush), ink (Tsukineko Brilliance), patterned paper (brown polka dot - Jillibean Soup; pink striped paper - Echo Park), embossing folder (Sizzix), Copic markers (fudgesicle - E71, E74, E51, E53; root beer float - E43 (bottom part of glass), E50, E51, E000,(foam) RV25, (straw) C2, C3 (shadows on glass); ice cream cone - R30, R32 (ice cream), E51, E53 (cone); gumdrops/candy - YR16, YR18, R14, R24, G09, G14; foam squares, jute twine, card stock (Stampin' UP! - Very Vanilla), Distress Stickles (Rock Candy), Glossy Accents.

And, for your reference, here's the current retro sketch:

Thanks so much for stopping by! If you'd like to play along, there's still time! This challenge closes at 11:59PM on Thursday, May 3!

Thanks again for stopping by! 

Deconstructed Sketch #49

Hi, crafty friends! Hope you had a great weekend! I have two posts for you today, and the first is for the latest sketch challenge at deconstructingjen! Here's my card:

Supplies: patterned paper (Memory Box - Minuet), card stock (Stampin' Up!),  image and sentiment stamps (Taylored Expressions - Royal Digs), embossing folder (Cuttlebug/ProvoCraft), foam squares, Copic markers (flags - R35, R37, R39; door/roof - E81, E84, E87; grass - G21, G24; shadow around castle - BG10; windows - N5, N6; stones - N2, N3, N4; castle walls - W0, W1, W2, W3, W4) ink (Tsukineko Brilliance).

And here's the sketch used for this card:

Love these sketches! It's the first time I've been able to play along! If you'd like to check out what their Design Team created for this challenge, or want to link up an entry of your own, visit the deconstructingjen blog for all the details!

Thanks for stopping by!

CPS 262

It seems like it has been FOREVER since I've been able to play along with a Card Positioning Systems (CPS) challenge! I made this card with the current sketch last night during a crafty chat session:

Supplies: card base, patterned paper (Basic Grey - Konnichiwa), image stamp (Sister Stamps - Ayako), sentiment stamp (My Favorite Things), Copic markers (hair - 110, C4; skin - E00, E11, R02; umbrella - BG10, BG11, BG13, BG18, E31, E33; kimono - R20, R21, R22, BG13, BG18; headband - R20, R21, R22, RV02), foam tape, adhesive pearls.

Now that I've completed the first round of Copic certification, I'll try to do a better job of listing what colors I use for each part of an image! 

Here's the sketch my card is based on, for your reference:

The deadline for this CPS challenge is Saturday, April 28 at 5pm CST and the sponsor is My Favorite Things.

Thanks for stopping by! Hope you have a wonderful weekend!

Flutter By Wednesday #200

It's a bittersweet day for me...while we're celebrating the 200th challenge at Flutter By Wednesday, it's also the last challenge for me as part of the design team.

Danni (the challenge's creator, my crafty friend and Flutter By Queen) is moving on to new things, and will not be creating new challenges at Flutter By Wednesday after this one. However, she will be keeping the blog up for inspiration! You can read her full announcement HERE. I know it was not an easy decision for Danni, and I understand and wish her all the best!

It seems like just a few weeks ago that I joined the team, and I'm so glad to have had the opportunity to craft with my FBW Design Team sisters...I'll be keeping in touch with y'all in blog land, and I hope you all will do the same!

The stamp I used on my card is the first one that I bought when I found out I was joining the FBW DT. I didn't have that many fairy, butterfly or angel stamps, and I was trying to build up my collection! Since this is my last FBW challenge, I thought it would be a perfect one to use!

Supplies: paper (Echo Park This & That, My Mind's Eye - pink floral), image and sentiment stamp (Kraftin' Kimmie -  Isabelle), Copic markers, white opaque marker, copper gel pen, Spellbinders die (Labels 25), foam tape, adhesive pearls, embossing folder, card base.

The inspiration for our challenge this week is a sketch created by Jen Schults! 

For my card, I rotated the sketch and moved the large accent down instead of leaving it in the center. I thought it would balance better that way (and the shape I stamped the sentiment on looked rather big next to my main image)!

Be sure to discover what the other Flutter By DT Members have created for this week’s challenge: Danni, Anna, Harriet, Karen, Kristie, Leanne, Lynette, Mary, Michelle VP, Nancy, and Peggy!

I hope you'll play along with us this week! We'd LOVE to see LOTS and LOTS of entries!!

Don't forget your butterfly, fairy or angel...and I hope to see your entry at the Flutter By Wednesday blog!

colourQ #134

Happy Tuesday! Hope you had a wonderful weekend and are ready for a new colourQ challenge!

Here's my card:

Supplies: image and sentiment stamps (Unity Stamp Co.), polka dot paper (aMuse Studio), cardstock (Very Vanilla, Calypso Coral, Bravo Burgundy, Pool Party - Stampin' Up!), adhesive rhinestones (Prima e-line), twill tape, ink (Tsukineko Brilliance), foam tape.

I paper-pieced the image instead of coloring it with Copics...for some reason I have a hard time getting a close marker match for Pool Party, so I used the card stock instead. Pretty simple card overall, after I figured out what colors I wanted on each part!

and here are our colours to inspire you this week:

To be considered for this week's colourQueen, make sure to link your creation at the colourQ blog by Sunday, April 29 at noon Central Time! (Don't forget to display the challenge colors and link back to the colourQ blog in your entry post.)

Of course, the rest of the colourQ Royal Court have created some gorgeous projects with this week's colors! You can see them all on the colourQ blog or by visiting their personal blogs. (The links are to the right next to the thumbnail of this week's challenge colors.) 

 I can't wait to see what you'll create with this week's colourQ! 

I'll be back tomorrow with the final Flutter By Wednesday challenge! Thanks so much for stopping by!

Drunken Stampers: I Can See Clearly Now

Happy Saturday! It's time for another Drunken Stampers challenge! Thanks to all who joined us for our last challenge! I hope you'll have fun partying with us for this one!

This week's theme is "I Can See Clearly Now," which means we want you to use acetate on your card! I found it hard to color on acetate with Copics, so I came up with a work-around to combine the bright and bold colors I wanted with the acetate.

Here's my card:

Supplies: image stamp (Love Tattoo - Gourmet Rubber Stamps), patterned paper (memory box - pixie, Basic Grey - Sweet Threads, Fancy Pants - It's the Little Things), black card stock, black grosgrain ribbon, embossing folder (Sizzix), brads, acetate (PaperTrey Ink), Copic markers, Bic permanent marker, ink (StazOn black, Brilliance Graphite Black), foam squares.

I stamped my main image on the acetate with Staz-On black ink. I stamped the image again on 110lb. white cardstock and colored it in like I normally would. Then, I fussy cut the image and used vellum adhesive to adhere it to underside of the acetate (so it wouldn't show where I adhered the paper). 

I didn't cut out the really thin pieces; instead, I used a permanent marker to color those directly on the underside of the acetate. Then, I made frames to go around the image, added foam squares for dimension, then created the background and base for my card.

So, what will you create for this week's challenge? If it's not clear to you yet, you can visit the other Drunken Stampers DT members to find out what they've created: Chaitali, Donna, Elizabeth, Nat, Peggy, Spike and Steph! And don't forget to link up your entry at the Drunken Stampers blog! See you there!

Thanks so much for stopping by!

Flutter By Wednesday #199

Happy Wednesday, crafty friends! 

Before we get started with this week's Flutter By Wednesday challenge, please stop by the Flutter By Wednesday blog...Danni has some important news to share with you. I am so happy to be a part of the FBW team, and LOVE bringing you inspiring flutter-licious creations to challenge you each week!

This week, we'd like you to CASE (Copy And Share Everything) Danni's first FBW card! I've included a photo of that card under my card for this week.

Here's my take, featuring an adorable stamp from Sister Stamps (Kiyomi):

Supplies: patterned paper (Basic Grey - Konnichiwa mini pad), image stamp (Sister Stamps - Kiyomi), sentiment stamp (AmyR Stamps/All That Scraps), Copic markers, glitter brads, ink (Tsukineko Brilliance - Graphite Black), card stock (Stampin' Up!), card base.

I made a change or two to Danni's original layout...I substituted two glitter brads in place of the spiral paper clips, and I didn't create a torn edge at the bottom of my image or the mat. Her card didn't have place for a sentiment, so I added one in the lower left hand corner.

For your creative reference, here's Danni's first-ever Flutter By Wednesday card!

Before you go, I'd like to share some happy news with you! I'm pleased to announce that three of my cards have been published in the April/May edition of Designed To Color! 

Check it out HERE! It's the first time I've been published, and one of my cards even made the magazine's cover! (It's the one on the lower right). My other two cards are on pages 20 and 28.

If you love coloring stamped images with Copics, pencils, ProMarkers or another medium, you'll love Designed To Color!

Thanks again for stopping by! Be sure to discover what the other Flutter By DT Members have created for this week’s challenge: Danni, Anna, Harriet, Karen, Kristie, Leanne, Lynette, Mary, Michelle VP, Michelle, Nancy and Peggy! 

Don't forget to include your butterfly, fairy or angel, and link up your entry at the Flutter By Wednesday Blog!

colourQ #133

Happy Tuesday! It's time for a new colourQ challenge!

On Friday, I completed Basic Certification for Copic markers. Even though I've been coloring for a while, I learned several new techniques and tips to improve my coloring. It was definitely worth it! I hope to take the Intermediate certification either in the fall or early next year!

I also got to meet up with and hang out with several of my crafty friends! Some I met for the first time at CHA, and others I met in person for the first time this weekend! 

We went up to Granville Island, British Columbia on Saturday...such beautiful weather and fabulous company! I was exhausted on Sunday, and got lots of rest, so I'm feeling much better now!

On to this week's colourQ card! I thought the colours were perfect for a masculine card! When I showed this to my husband, he said it reminded him of a Pringles can! (Which now that I look at it, it reminds me of one, too! LOL!)

Supplies: image and sentiment stamps (aMuse Studio), cardstock (Stampin' Up! - Basic Gray, Dusty Durango, More Mustard & Basic Black), card base, embossing folder, button, twine (Whisker Graphics), ink (Tsukineko Brilliance), Copic marker (110 - Special Black), ticket corner punch (Stampin' Up!), patterned paper (My Mind's Eye - Darling Deer 6x6 paper pad), foam tape, glue dots.

For your reference and crafty inspiration, here's colourQ challenge #133!

To be considered for this week's colourQueen, make sure to link your creation at the colourQ blog by Sunday, April 22 at noon Central Time! (Don't forget to display the challenge colors and link back to the colourQ blog in your entry post.)

Of course, the rest of the colourQ Royal Court have created some stunning projects with this week's colors! You can see them on the colourQ blog or by visiting their personal blogs. (The links are to the right next to the thumbnail of this week's challenge colors.) 

Thanks so much for stopping by! I can't wait to see what you'll create with this week's colourQ! 

DeNami Designs Blog Hop: Ravishing Ribbons!

Hi, DeNami blog hoppers! Thanks for stopping by to see what I've made for today's hop!

You should have arrived from the super-fabulous Emily Keaton's blog, and now you're visiting me (Suzanne Bier)!

On my card, I used 3/8-inch wide white and black grosgrain ribbon (which you can buy from the DeNami Designs shop) and one of DeNami's new cling sentiment stamps (Happy Birthday Script):

I drew the dress form pattern on chipboard, then cut it out and painted it with acrylic paint. Then, I used tacky tape to stick the ribbon down as I wrapped strips of it over the dress form.

On the last row, I folded the ribbon back and forth over the tape to make a ruffle. Then, I adhered a few pearl embellishments to make the necklace. Finally, I used basic supplies like card stock, an embossing folder, a metal label die and a scrap of striped paper to finish the card!

Don't forget to leave some sweet comments for all of the blog hop participants, because DeNami's awarding $20 gift certificates to TWO lucky commenters!

Your next stop is Mirta's blog...I'm sure she's created something beautiful for you to see! If you get lost along the way (or overwhelmed by all of the ribbon-y gorgeousness), you can always go back to the DeNami Design blog for the full list of participants!

Thanks again for stopping by! I hope you enjoy the rest of today's hop!

Flutter By Wednesday #198

Hi crafty friends! Thanks for stopping by to look at my card for this week's Flutter By Wednesday challenge!

Thanks so much to everyone who fluttered along with us last week...we always love seeing your creations!

This week, we're challenging you to create a birthday card! Here's mine:

Supplies: digital stamp (Some Odd Girl - Fairy Fly Away Mae), sentiment stamp (C.C. Designs/AmyR Stamps - Magical Wishes Sentiments),  patterned paper (Echo Park - Springtime), embossing folder (Sizzix), cardstock (Stampin' UP!), die (Spellbinders Lacey Circles), Copic markers, foam tape, adhesive rhinestones, card base, Stickles.

I'm finally taking my Basic Copic Certification on Friday! I'm so excited! I'm also getting together with some of my gal-pals over the weekend; I haven't seen a few of them since CHA in January...should be loads of fun!

Hope to see your card at the Flutter By Wednesday blog! And, be sure to stop by the other Flutter By DT Members' blogs to see what they created this week: Danni, Anna, Harriet, Karen, Kristie, Leanne, Lynette, Mary, Michelle VP, Nancy, and Peggy!

We don't have a sponsor this week, so feel free to enter more than once! Don't forget your butterfly, fairy or angel!

Hugs,

colourQ #132

Happy Tuesday! Thanks for stopping by to check out the card I created with this week's colourQ!

Hope you had a wonderful weekend! We took a short trip to Leavenworth, WA -- it's set up as a Bavarian village. Scott was in German food heaven! We had beautiful weather for the weekend...I think Spring has finally arrived here in Washington (don't let the snow on the mountains fool you)!

We loved seeing all of your creations with last week's soft pastel palette...this week we're switching gears and going BOLD! Here's my card:

Supplies: card base, cardstock (Stampin' Up!), ink (Poppy Parade, Lucky Limeade, Only Orange - Stampin' Up!; Graphite Black - Tsukineko Brilliance), stamps (Clever Girls set - aMuse Studio; A Word For You - Stampin' Up!), adhesive pearls (KaiserCraft), embossing folder (Sizzix/Stampin' Up).

It took me a while to figure out how I wanted to work the colors in for each flower. Because our colors for this week are all (what I consider to be) strong, I wanted to have a balance between them and the black and white. The layout of my card was inspired by one of the September 2011 card sketches at Page|Maps.

I print sketches that I like or want to try and keep them in page protectors bound with loose leaf rings to take with me when I craft. It helps a lot when I'm stumped on how to place elements on a card, or get stuck making the same design over and over! The same booklet contains two pages of Stampin' Up color swatches to match with patterned paper, my Copic color chart, and a list of my upcoming DT assignments. 

So if you're ready to play along with us, here's our latest colourQ:

To be considered for this week's colourQueen, make sure to link your creation at the colourQ blog by Sunday, April 15 at noon Central Time! (Don't forget to display the challenge colors and link back to the colourQ blog in your entry post.)

The other members of the colourQ Royal Court have created some fantastic projects with this week's colors (as they always do)! You can see them on the colourQ blog or by visiting their personal blogs. (The links are to the right next to the thumbnail of this week's challenge colors.) 

Thanks so much for stopping by! I can't wait to see what you'll create with this week's colourQ! 

Drunken Stampers #86 - You're a Krafty One!

Happy Saturday, crafty pals! Thanks for stopping by to check out my first "official" card as a member of the Drunken Stampers team! This week, we're showing our "krafty" side by using kraft paper or card stock on our cards!

Here's mine:

Supplies: patterned paper (Memory Box - Valise mini pad), digital stamp (Geeky Mae - Some Odd Girl), sentiment stamp (Clever Girls set - aMuse Studio), border punch (EK Success), twill tape, ink (ColorBox cat's eye - Lemongrass, Tsukineko Brilliance), glitter brads, Copic markers, manila tag (7Gypsies), twine, staples, foam tape, rub-ons (Making Memories), paper clip.

I love the "CSI" feel of this card...Now that I look at it again, I wish I had stamped words on the twill tape! Can you tell that I'm a big fan of mysteries and forensic science? I've recently started reading a new historical fiction-mystery series set in the early 1900's...I think it's amazing how far we've advanced in crime-solving technology in such a short time! 

Sorry to geek out like that...LOL! I hope you'll play along with our latest challenge! 

For more krafty inspiration, visit the other Drunken Stampers to see what they've created this week: Chaitali, Donna, Elizabeth, Peggy, Spike and Steph! And don't forget to link up your entry at the Drunken Stampers blog! See you there!

Flutter By Wednesday #197

Happy Wednesday! For this week's Flutter By Wednesday challenge, we're being sponsored by Sparkle Creations Rubber Stamps!

Since we have a prize/sponsor this week, please enter only once...the only other requirement for this challenge is to include your butterfly, fairy or angel!

Here's my card, featuring Rollerblading Chloe:

Supplies: card base, patterned paper (Basic Grey - Plumeria), image stamp (Sparkle Creations Rubber Stamps - Rollerblading Chloe), sentiment stamp (C.C. Designs/AmyR Sentiment Stamps - Be Happy Rubber Stamps), Copic markers, mini brads, foam tape, scalloped circle punch (Fiskars).

Hope to see your card at the Flutter By Wednesday blog! And, be sure to stop by the other Flutter By DT Members' blogs to see what they created for this week’s challenge: Danni, Anna, Harriet, Karen, Kristie, Leanne, Lynette, Mary, Michelle VP, Nancy, and Peggy!

Thanks so much for stopping by!

colourQ #131

Happy Tuesday and thanks for stopping by to look at my card for this week's colourQ challenge! It's starting to feel a little more like Spring here, if not outside, then it's definitely Spring in my crafting area! This card makes me smile!

I used some stamps from Paper Smooches and paper from American Crafts' Dear Lizzy Neapolitan collection for this week's card:

Supplies: card base, image and sentiment stamps (Paper Smooches - Spring Fling), cardstock (Pear Pizzazz,  Peach Parfait, So Saffron, Blushing Bride - Stampin' UP!), paper flower, clear button, jute twine, leaf punch (Martha Stewart Crafts), embossing folder (Sizzix), grass border punch (Fiskars), twill tape, patterned paper (American Crafts - Dear Lizzy - Neapolitan mini pad), Copic markers, ink (Tsukineko Brilliance).

I paper pieced the bunny and carrot images, used Copics to accent some parts on the images and then colored the butterfly.  The flower was stamped on Blushing Bride cardstock, and then adhered to the grass. To make sure the center of the flower matched, I punched a circle from the So Saffron cardstock and adhered it to the button.

So, are you ready to get crafty? Here's this week's colourQ!

To be considered for this week's colourQueen and Royal Court, make sure to link your creation at the colourQ blog by Sunday, April 8 at noon Central Time! (Don't forget to display the challenge colors and link back to the colourQ blog in your entry post.)


Of course, the rest of the colourQ Royal Court have created some sweet projects with this week's colors! You can see them on the colourQ blog or by visiting their personal blogs. (The links are to the right next to the thumbnail of this week's challenge colors.)

Thanks so much for stopping by! I can't wait to see what you'll create with this week's colourQ!