Oh Happy Day!

Here's a little somethin' I whipped up this morning based on the latest sketch at Freshly Made Sketches. The paper is "For Always"-- I will be so sad to see it retire from the CTMH line on February 1. I am hoarding a little bit of it... I really love black and white with a pop of color.  I thought it would be just perfect as a background for this stamp.  The stamp is one I had from years ago, and happily, it is making an appearance in the new CTMH idea book!  I am so excited to see these quick-card stamps make a come back as a part of Jeannette's Archives! Another quick-card favorite will be featured in the new Idea Book as well, you'll have to check them out!

I colored the flowers with Copics and the leaves with ink pad and blender pen. The cardstock colors are White Daisy, Hollyhock and black. 

Here's the inspiration sketch:

Hope you have a "happy day!"

Kristine

Retro Sketches 99

I love a good sketch challenge!  Here's a card for Retro Sketches #99 Challenge. I used some cute Doodlebug Designs paper that I got at Archiver's last weekend. Sadly, they are closing (so everything is 40% off), I hate to see that happen. I love to go and look at all of the pretty paper! I don't go often, but when I do, I always find something I can't live without.

The stamp is from CTMH's "Whoo's Your Valentine" promotion from last year.

For the heart in the middle, I used the reverse of the floral paper-- it has little hearts all over it. To make it dimensional, I cut four of them, folded them in half and glued the backs together.

Here's the sketch (I took a few liberties with it!):

Hope your Sunday is a fun-day! :)

Kristine

Determined

Determined, that's what I am.  I am determined to finish my Christmas thank you notes before the end of January. It is shameful, I know, getting them out this late. Oh well. ;) I honestly have to scale back on the embellishments (even though I'm really not excessive in that area)... it's just that it's hard to mail the bulky cards, you know.

I made three of these cards today. I kept the design simple because the paper just steals the show anyway! This paper is from MME and I LOVE it!  It came in a package I purchased off of some Facebook deal last year, 100 sheets of random MME paper for $17.95, or something like that. There are a couple of duds in the bunch, but there are also a few great surprises, like this one. I think the paper is gorgeous-- love the colors, the prints and the hexagons. I love the bird, and one hexagon you can't see has a pretty butterfly on it.

The stamp is from a CTMH set called Casual Expressions. It's a great little set with sentiments for all occasions. It is Cricut compatible, so will continue to be available for a loooong time, :)


Happy weekending!
xoxo,
Kristine

Happy Monday!

Happy Monday!  I am so excited to have a day off!  I had such great plans... but woke up feeling awful. So, the grand plans will have to wait, but crafting and creating always make me feel better, so I actually have my Mojo Monday creation ready on Monday! Woohoo!

I felt the need for bright, cheerful colors, and what is brighter or cheerier than Dream Pop? I have a ton of these papers left and they are just perfect for days like today. I am still working on those Christmas thank you notes...

I substituted an oval shape for the circle because of the circle in the print of the background paper. I tried a circle, but it was just too, well, circle-y. ;)  Please forgive my photography skills-- the card looks a little angled high on the right side. It really is straight, I promise!  After editing it, I just couldn't make myself take that picture all over again...  maybe later. 

Back to bed now...  

xoxo,

Kristine

Ivy Lane Thanks

Oh my goodness-- Close to My Heart has a new idea book going live on February 1st and the new papers are gorgeous. This is a little bit of "Ivy Lane."  It has pinks, purples, greens and browns. Sooo pretty!

I used the layout from Freshly Made Sketches to make this thank you card.  I am a little embarrassed to say I am still working on thank you notes from Christmas!  I guess better late than never, right?

The floral medallion stamps are from the Ivy Lane card kit. I know I'm going to have to order another pack of this paper very soon... love, love, love it!!

Happiness is a Warm Heart

Hello to you on this cold but bright and beautiful day!  I am so happy to have made it to the weekend-- it was a brutal week as far as paperwork and meetings and I am proud that I successfully made it through!  The kids were great-- which was a miracle considering we only got to go outside for recess one day this week. I do love my sweet little class. :)

As far as crafting, I have been wanting to try something a little new (for me, anyway!).  I have long admired the look of images that were colored and blended with the alcohol markers. I typically use the ink pad and blender pen or watercolor pencils to color, but those alcohol markers give such depth of color and blend so smoothly...  Truth be told, I don't really see myself as artistic and have been hesitant to try. Plus, those markers are a big investment. Well, my sister gave me a gift certificate for Christmas--  and voila! I have the beginning of a new marker collection!  I hopped on over to Youtube for a few tutorials and the card below is my first attempt at coloring with the alcohol markers. I had so much fun and even surprised myself with how nice the skin, hair and accessories turned out! I mixed the coloring with a little paper piecing and am really happy with the result.

Oh, and p.s.-- totally in love with MFT's Pure Innocence stamps. They are just darling!  That little PI girl is cute as a button... I couldn't resist.  The heart is a fuzzy chenille embellishment I had in my stash. It works, I think!

Linking up again to the Mojo Monday sketch challenge. :)

Brighter Because of You

Guilty confession:  I love to watch "Fashion Police." I know, Joan Rivers is outrageous... often a wee bit, let's say "colorful," but she really is pretty funny, too. Well, I have noticed the decor on the set, and I love it!  The rug is a quatrefoil pattern-- so trendy! And the walls are a white and gray chevron pattern. For some time, the accents against the gray and white chevron were pops of a gorgeous purply-orchid color (they've recently changed it out for pink, which I love too). I've been wanting to do something with the gray and white chevrons with pops of purple... so here it is!  Isn't it funny where we find inspiration?

This is my latest Mojo Monday creation. The chevron overlay was cut with the CTMH's Artbooking cartridge using White Daisy cardstock. I believe the gray cardstock is Slate. It was so easy and fun to cut that chevron overlay!  It popped right off the cricut mat in one piece, and I love that I can create my own chevron paper that has texture and depth.  The flowers were cut with the CTMH Art Philosophy cartridge using the Laughing Lola purple print paper.  The sentiment is from a set called "Let it Be" by Verve-- I love the set, it has great sentiments and floral images.

Here is the sketch:

Materials:

Paper: CTMH White Daisy, Slate, Laughing Lola

Stamps: Verve "Let it Be"

Ink: CTMH Slate

Embellishments:  CTMH Designer Rhinestone Brads, CTMH Glitter Gems, glitter ribbon from Michaels



Warm Wishes

Hello!  I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas and the happiest of New Years! My Christmas break has been so nice (I'd do it all again!).

The weather here has run the gamut-- everything from cold, relentless rain to almost 70 degrees and (somewhat) sunny!  The weathermen are predicting the coldest winter in many years-- and a cold wind is sure blowing tonight. But while my northern friends and relatives see loads of snow, we rarely get it here in Georgia. Truly, an inch or more tends to shut down the city!  That said... I am hoping and wishing for some snow days in this month and while I dream of snow, I'll be sending some warm wishes to those up north. :)

Here's a little card I put together for this week's Mojo Monday challenge. I used some retired CTMH paper called Wonderland (I love it.), some sparkles and gems.  The snowflakes are cut from the Art Philosophy cartridge. I couldn't help but glitter them up!