Sweet Sunday Sketch #71

Happy Sunday! I can't believe it's already Memorial Day Weekend! CRAZY. Do you guys have anything exciting planned this weekend? It's a 4-day weekend for me and we spent most of the day yesterday doing yardwork. We planted a total of 20 palm trees in our yard!! Yes, that's right - TWENTY. They're all Areca Palms along our back fence, something we've been meaning to do for over a year now. We're hoping they grow fast and give us some shade for the back side of our house, which faces the West and gets SUPER hot in the late afternoon. Anyway, today we're just going to chill at home - I'm crafting a little and catching up on laundry while the boys do some boy stuff. Tomorrow we'll probably head out to Makena and spend at least half the day on Big Beach - our Memorial Day tradition!! Of course, it's a holiday, so that means half of Maui will be there with us, but that's OK! It's a Monday and I won't be at work so I don't really care!! :-)

Anyway, today's Sunday so it's time for another fun Sweet Sunday Sketch Challenge. I really REALLY love this week's sketch and can see myself using this one over and over again. It's so versatile!


I created a sweet summery hybrid card this week using printed digi papers and an adorable digi Popsicle embellishment from the Pop! digi kit by Dani Mogstad (Sweet Shoppe). The "sweet" sentiment tag is stamped from the Mini Mixed Messages set from PTI.


Be sure to check out the other Sweet Sunday Stampers' blogs and see what they've done with the sketch:

• Karen Motz
• Karen Giron
  
• Laura Fredrickson
• Lynn Put
• Sarah-Jane Kale'
• Vicki Burdick
• Nancy Riley
• Joanne Basile
  

Then play along with us and post your own creation using InLinkz over on today's post on Karen's Blog!

Sweet Sunday Sketch #70

Happy Sunday! You know what that means - Sweet Sunday Sketch time!! I'm a few hours late with my post. Oops! Like that's never happened before. Ha! We've just had a crazy busy weekend and I totally forgot to schedule my post. My card's been done and just as I was about to head to bed I was like "Oh Crap! My Sweet Sunday Post!". So here I am...

When I saw the flourish-y thing on the sketch I knew EXACTLY what I wanted to do. And this is SO out of character for me. I mean, this card took like 2 hours to make. ugh. But I must admit I love it.


That flourish is HAND CUT! It's a printed digi image from the Desmond & Molly Jones kit by Libby Weifenbach (Sweet Shoppe). Isn't it yummy? I resized it in Photoshop Elements, printed it out and used my hobby knife to cut it out. Then I used a bunch of neglected PTI stamps - Background Basics Text Style, Say It With Style, and the leaf is from In Bloom.

Oh, you wanna see the sketch? OK. Here it is...


Be sure to check out the other Sweet Sunday Stampers' blogs and see what they've done with the sketch:

• Karen Motz
• Karen Giron
  
• Laura Fredrickson
• Lynn Put
• Sarah-Jane Kale'
• Vicki Burdick
• Nancy Riley
• Joanne Basile
  

Then play along with us and post your own creation using InLinkz over on today's post on Karen's Blog!

The World

I'm finally getting around to sharing with you one of my favorite cards I created using Verve's latest release. Julee always amazes me with her seemingly limitless ability to come up with the perfect quotes to turn into stamps AND match them up with the most beautiful fonts! This One Person stamp is no exception:


Now, if you're a regular blog reader you know that I don't normally do a lot of coloring. I'm just too lazy. I normally like to finish up a card in half an hour or less and if it takes longer than that I start to get frustrated with the process. But those awesome flowers were just SCREAMING at me to pull out my much-neglected Copics and color them!! I am FAR from a Copic coloring expert, but I must say I was pretty proud of how those flowers turned out! (but they did take FOREVER). I took the colors from the striped Scenic Route DP I chose to use - doesn't this card look nice and Spring-like?

Just Because

*ARGGH! I've just realized that I have about 5 blog posts that I had scheduled throughout May that never published. I am so frustrated with this and it seems completely random - some posts publish while others don't. Anyone else having this problem? So I'm copying and pasting the html into a new post and publishing immediately. I'll try to catch up over the next week.

I am LOVING the new Kind Deeds stamp set from Clear and Simple Stamps! That floral image is my favorite kind - elegant, yet still simple enough in it's silhouette form to keep it from being too "froo-froo" (and yes, that is totally a word!). This is one of my favorite cards I've made with the set so far:


I used some more yummy retired Scenic Route DP along with coordinating cardstock from CSS - Kraft Like a Rockstar, On the Catwalk Cream and Dish all the Dirt Brown. The floral image was stamped in SU's Wild Wasabi ink. I added the "Just Because" sentiment, rounded some corners on the main image panel and tied some chocolate grosgrain on as finishing touches and it was done!

Taylored Expressions Blast from the Past Blog Hop

I'm so excited to be playing along in the Taylored Expressions Blast from the Past Blog Hop with an AMAZING group of talented papercrafters!! You can find the list of participants at the end of this post - be sure to visit them all, you definitely won't be disappointed!!

For my Blast from the Past project, I actually decided to purchase one of my favorite TE sets that has been on my Wish List for quite awhile but that I just never got around to adding to my cart. Well, it's that time of year and this Blog Hop seemed like a good excuse, so I am FINALLY the proud owner of Boys Will Be Boys! YAY! I used the trio of ties image and the #1 Dad sentiment to create this fun card for my Father-in-Law for Father's Day:


Are you tired of that sketch yet? It's one of Jen del Muro's Sketch For You to Try sketches from last month and I'm telling you, it just may be the most perfect sketch ever created! I can't stop using it!! I stamped the tie image once on cream cardstock, then masked off one of the ties and stamped it again so I'd have a nice odd number of ties in a row (I wanted an oblong panel of ties and I have this weird aversion to even numbers). I then stamped the ties on various colors of cardstock to match the Thrift Shop DP (October Afternoon) I used on the rest of the card, cut them out with a hobby blade and popped them up on dimensionals on the original cream panel. I added a scalloped border and some pleated chocolate grosgrain to finish it up.

Sweet Sunday Sketch #69

Gosh, I just can't seem to get into a regular blogging routine lately. It's not for a lack of good intentions. I'm still playing catch-up after we all passed around the nastiness / sickies last month and I've been working an extra half-day the last few weeks while a coworker is on vacation. It's amazing what that extra 4 hrs a week will do to you! LOL. Not to mention we've been having weird power outages all week - 4 times this week we've lost power, and of course it's always at the time when I happen to feel like I might sit down and try to catch up on some blogging or surfing. ugh!

Anyway, here I am again - another whole week has gone by and I'm back with another Sweet Sunday Sketch Challenge sample to share with you! Here's the sketch:


Now, I have to admit that I struggled with this one and I don't love my result. I went through SEVERAL throw-aways before I finally gave up and settled for this one!


I used 2 of my favorite new Verve sets - Relax to create the background with some Versamark ink and clear embossing powder, and the rest is from Happy Days. The DP is printed digi paper from Jump by Fee Jardine (Sweet Shoppe).

Be sure to check out the other Sweet Sunday Stampers' blogs and see what they've done with the sketch:

• Karen Motz
• Karen Giron
  
• Laura Fredrickson
• Lynn Put
• Sarah-Jane Kale'
• Vicki Burdick
• Nancy Riley
• Joanne Basile
  

Then play along with us and post your own creation using InLinkz over on today's post on Karen's Blog!

MoJo Monday #137

*If you're looking for my Sweet Sunday Sketch sample, scroll down a post*

It's been about forever since I had a chance to play along with the MoJo Monday Challenge, but I couldn't resist this fun sketch. I just can't believe the week's already over and I'm just now getting around to posting this. YIKES!! You can find the sketch over on the MoJo Monday Blog. There are still a few hours left to play along and it's a contest week, so hurry up and get your own creation linked up!! Here's a look at what I made (sorry the photo is a little washed out - I'm having lighting issues today!):


For my hybrid card, I used the new Dude set by Verve and combined it with some printed digi papers from ABC-123 by Melissa Bennett (Sweet Shoppe). It was such a quick and easy masculine card. The sketch is one I'm sure to use again and again!

Sweet Sunday Sketch #68 - FINALLY!

OK, so here we go...FINALLY! Since this is super late, I'll just get right to it. Here's a look at this week's Sweet Sunday Sketch:


You can play along with us over on Karen's Blog.

For my sample this week, I created another hybrid card with no stamping at all! Super easy. I used printed digi papers and some adorable digi bird elements from the new Happy Go Lucky kit by Zoe Pearn (Sweet Shoppe). Take a look:


And don't forget to check out the other Sweet Sunday Stampers' blogs and see what they've done with the sketch:

• Karen Motz
• Karen Giron
  
• Laura Fredrickson
• Lynn Put
• Sarah-Jane Kale'
• Vicki Burdick
• Nancy Riley
• Joanne Basile
  

Then play along with us and post your own creation using InLinkz over on today's post on Karen's Blog!

I'll be back in just a little while with another creation. I have lots to share this week and I'm behind on a few other things, so you'll have to deal with a double post from me today! :-)

Sweet Sunday Delay

Hey there Stampers!! I do have a Sweet Sunday Sketch Sample Card to share with you, but it's going to be delayed by a few hours. It's still Saturday night in Hawaii and we just got back from a yummy Mother's Day Dinner with my Mom at Ruth's Chris in Wailea and I had all these Grand Plans to photograph my card, edit and get my post done as soon as I got home - and you won't believe this, but I left my stinkin' camera at my Mom's in Kihei!! ugh. I love you guys, but I'm so not driving back over there tonight just to get this post done. Lucky for you she's coming to town early tomorrow to visit my Dad, so I'll get my card posted in the morning (which will be Sunday afternoon for those of you on the U.S. Mainland!). Sorry!!

In the meantime, head on over to the other Sweet Sunday Stampers' blogs and see what they've done with the sketch:

• Karen Motz
• Karen Giron
  
• Laura Fredrickson
• Lynn Put
• Sarah-Jane Kale'
• Vicki Burdick
• Nancy Riley
• Joanne Basile
  

Then play along with us and post your own creation using InLinkz over on today's post on Karen's Blog!

OK, I'll be back with my post sometime on Sunday! Happy Mother's Day to all the Moms out there! We had a fun-filled day of family togetherness today (Saturday) and tomorrow (Sunday) I get to enjoy an entire day of uninterrupted play time all by myself in my Craft Room!! YAY! :-)

Sweet Sunday Sketch #67

Crossing fingers blogger cooperates and actually publishes this as I'm scheduling it ahead of time - the last few times I've done that have ended in a big fat FAIL! LOL.

Anyway, it's Sunday for most of you by now and that means it's time for another Sweet Sunday Sketch Challenge! Head on over to today's post on Karen's Blog to play along with us! Here's a look at this week's sketch:


I had a lot of fun with this one! I created a summery hybrid card with NO stamping this week! Check it out:


Aren't those papers and embellishments fun!?!? Well, that's a little sneak peek at the new Sweet Summertime Collection by Crystal Wilkerson. It will be available in her store at JessicaSprague.com tomorrow! AND...she'll be releasing the collection in a "real" paper version sometime in early June - so be watching the shelves of your LSS!! Here's a peek at the Collection:


You can see more Sneak Peeks and download a fun freebie of digital solid papers that coordinate with the Sweet Summertime Collection over on Crystal's Blog this weekend. Be sure to leave her a comment and tell her what you think of the new kit!!

Ok, anyway, be sure to stop by the other Sweet Sunday Stampers' blogs to see what they've done with the sketch...

• Karen Motz
• Karen Giron
  
• Laura Fredrickson
• Lynn Put
• Sarah-Jane Kale'
• Vicki Burdick
• Nancy Riley
• Joanne Basile
  

Then play along with us and post your own creation using InLinkz over on today's post on Karen's Blog!

CSS May SOTM - Kind Deeds

Wow! I can't believe it's already May 1!! In Hawaii, May 1 is Lei Day, so Happy Lei Day everyone!!

The first of the month means it's time for a new Stamp of the Month release from Clear and Simple Stamps! I'm so excited about the Kind Deeds stamp set - I honestly think this may be my favorite CSS set to date! (use the code CSS0510 to get $1 off during the month of May on this stamp set!!).

And, as always, we have an awesome new template to play with this month - it's a seed packet / envelope template. You can download it HERE. When I started thinking of things I wanted to do with the template, I decided to use it as a little envelope to hold embellishments as part of a simple card-making gift to give to my Grandmother (who is not a stamper) for Mother's Day. My gift sort of evolved and I designed a folder with 2 pockets - 1 to hold some pre-decorated cards and the other to hold the embellishment envelope (seed packet template).


I filled the envelope with buttons and several pre-stamped sentiments. When she needs to send a card, all she has to do is pull out the appropriate sentiment and add it to the card front and she's ready to go. If she's feeling fancy, she could add a button or two as well!


I used several other CSS products on this project in addition to the Kind Deeds stamp set:
- Kraft Like a Rockstar cardstock
- On the Catwalk Cream cardstock
- You're a Natural Darling buttons

Here are a few more photos of the project:

In addition to the SOTM, CSS is featuring a new Copic Trio Bundle and a new Color Story.

The Copic Trio Bundle, Red Trio 4, includes R81, R83, R85.
And finally, the new May Color Story is Paint the Town Pink and includes buttons, cardstock, ribbon and ink.