Winter Thanks

Hi and welcome to another fabulous sketch from SugarPea Designs!  This week's sketch will run for two weeks and features the very popular tag.  Check it out:

For my card, I went with a winter thanks theme.

I stamped and colored the trees and the igloo from Have an Ice Day using Copics.  I then used my Snow Marker pen to create some snow on the trees.  I know the snow should be on the outer edges of the branches, but I thought this looked better :)  I fussy-cut the trees and then created the "scene" on both the Gift Tag and the die-cut Zig-Zag Stitched Rectangle panel.  I cut some snow-drifts and sponged them lightly with Tumbled Glass ink.  I then sponged Tumbled Glass ink on the rectangle panel fading away as I got higher up the panel.  Two snow drifts went onto the tag and the other onto the panel mimicking the sketch.

The trees were then adhered to the tag and the igloo to the panel.  The beautiful, scripty "thanks" was die-cut and stacked three high and painted with Wink of Stella.  Some matching twine for the tag and my card was done.

Thanks for visiting.  Be sure to check out the amazing cards created by the rest of the design team

Brandi Hall 
Claire Broadwater

Deanne Kay
Jeanne Jachna
Karren Johnson
Laura Jane

Lee Ann Barrett

Lesley Croghan

Mackie Robertson

I hope you give this sketch a go.  Here are the challenge guidelines:

• Create a new card or project using the sketch provided.

• SugarPea Designs stamps are NOT required to play along or to win but would be appreciated 

• You may rotate/flip the sketch & replace shapes – so long as the original sketch layout is recognizable.

• Upload to your blog or other Online Gallery using Keyword: SPDSS35 so that we may check out your beautiful work.

• Add your name and link to your project in the InLinkz on the SugarPea Designs blog.

• One randomly selected winner will receive a $25 Gift Certificate to the SugarPea Designs store. However, if the winning entry features a SugarPea Designs stamp we will increase the prize to $75!

• We will announce our Sweet Picks and our Main Winner at the end of each month.

• The more times you play along during the month, the better chance you have of winning!

Products used:

Stamps:  Have an Ice Day
Ink:  Memento Tuxedo Black, Tumbled Glass
Cardstock:  White, X-Press It, Surf Blue
Dies:  Zig Zag Stitched Rectangles, Thanks, Gift Tag
Accessories:  Copics, twine, Wink of Stella

Cheers
Karren

Shake it Up

Hi!  Here's another card using one of my NBUS Girlfriends stamps from Art Impressions.

I love coloring these girls because they're pretty easy to color, with no real thought to shading.  As these chicks are dancing, I've put them in very sparkly clothes using copious quantities of Wink of Stella :)

After coloring them, I die-cut them with a circle die, cutting the front lady's foot out using the Out of the Box technique.  I then put the layers together, using Papertrey Ink cardstock that most closely matched the Copic colors.

I used the sketch at Retro Sketches as well as the Sparkle theme at Simon Says Stamp.

Thanks for visiting.

Products used:

Stamps:  Dance it Out (Art Impressions)

Ink:  Memento Tuxedo Black, Versafine Onyx Black

Cardstock:  Hawaiian Shores, Limeade Ice (PTI), white, X-Press It

Dies:  Horizontal Stitched Stripes, Pierced Circle STax, Stitched Fishtail Flag Stax (MFT)

Accessories:  Wink of Stella, Copics, PPP sequins

Cheers

Karren

Edited to Add:  This card got a shout out at Retro Sketches.

Friends

Hi!  Today's card features more NBUS - my NBUS pile is getting down - only 10 more sets to go.  However, that doesn't count the orders that are winging their way to me ;)

I bought several Art Impressions Girlfriends sets when they were on special a few months ago and finally getting around to coloring them.  I have another card I'll put up later using another Girlfriends set.

I used the Laughing set for this card and colored the ladies with Copics in pale blue and green.  I then die-cut the image with Blueprints 6 before layering it onto a panel of Sea Glass cardstock.  The word is die-cut with black card and colored with Wink of Stella.

I used the sketch from Can You Case It for this card.  Thanks for visiting.

Products used:

Stamps:  Laughing (Art Impressions)

Ink:  Memento Tuxedo Black

Cardstock:  X-Press it, white, black, Sea Glass

Dies:  Blueprints 6 (MFT), Wet Paint Cuts III (PTI)

Accessories:  Copics, Corner Chomper, Wink of Stella

Cheers

Karren

Simply the Best

Hi!  I've been working through my box of NBUS over the last couple of days and just stamping things and not making cards up.  However, I did make this card this morning:

This uses the Wallflower set by CAS-ual Fridays.  I stamped the two sizes of flowers and colored with Copics.  I then fussy cut each flower and arranged them onto a white panel.  The larger flowers are popped up on foam tape and the smaller flowers are stuck directly onto the panel.  I layered the panel onto a piece of Hawaiian Shores cardstock and then onto a white card base.  I finished the card with some PPP sequins.

I'm linking this card to the current challenge at CAS(E) This Sketch.  I'm not sure I've got the proportions of the sentiment right, but I hope you can see the general sketch.

Thanks for visiting.

Products used:

Stamps:  Wallflower (CAS-ual Fridays)
Ink:  Memento Tuxedo Black, Versafine Onyx Black
Cardstock:  White, X-Press It, Hawaiian Shores (PTI)
Accessories:  Copics, Sequins

Cheers
Karren

Wishing Prism

Hi and welcome!  It's the day after Christmas Day (or Boxing Day as we call it) and I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas!  Our day was pretty low-key, spent with family.  Today, I found some time to get back into the craft room and I struggled at bit at first.  I've got nearly two weeks off work and there are so many techniques I want to try, that I didn't know where to start!  In the end, I went with something I'd been wanting to try for months - a technique I saw on Sonja's blog.  She developed a controlled watercolor technique which is so much fun and she also made a video.

I started by white-embossing the Prism Lines background stamp onto some watercolor paper.  Then I donned my disposable glove and started "painting" with Squeezed Lemonade, Twisted Citron and Spiced Marmalade inks.  I was having so much fun that I made the colored piece a bit larger than I wanted :)  I die-cut the piece with a pierced rectangle die and adhered it to a Green Apple card base.  The sentiment was die-cut and stacked and the stamping was white embossed and cut with a pierced banner.  I made a thread nest with some silver thread to place behind the sentiment and then finished it off with some PTI rain stones.

I have to say, it was nice to make a card that wasn't a Christmas card!  I'm entering this card into Seize the Birthday Anything Goes and Inkspirational's Anything but Christmas challenges.

Thanks for visiting.

Products used:

Stamps:  Prism Lines (Hero Arts), Sending and Wishing (SSS)
Ink;  Squeezed Lemonade, Twisted Citron, Spiced Marmalade (Distress), Versamark
Cardstock:  Green Apple (SSS), watercolor, black
Dies:  Blueprints 21 (MFT), Wishing (SSS), Pierced Fishtail Flag Stax (MFT)
Accessories:  White EP, silver thread, rain stones (PTI)

Cheers
Karren

Snowdudes

Hi!  I thought I was done making Christmas cards, but I need a couple more and this is one of them.

I have wanted this Paper Smooches stamp set since it first came out and it finally came to live with me :)  I wanted to make a card straight away and made this one for the die-crazy challenge at Simon Says Stamp, the Christmas challenge at Color Throwdown and the Merry Christmas challenge at Sweet Stampin' Challenge.

I stamped, colored and die-cut the snowdudes and then painted the colored parts with Wink of Stella.  For the background, I die-cut a Surf Blue panel with Blueprints 15 and then stamped the snowflakes from the set with Unicorn White ink.  I then die-cut the Stitched Mountain Range and popped it up on foam tape over the Surf Blue panel.The tall and skinny snowman was adhered directly to the mountain range.  The snowy curved panel was die-cut and popped up on foam tape after being lightly sponged with Tumbled Glass ink.  The short and not-so-skinny snowman was glued to the curved panel and the top part had some foam tape to keep it steady.

And that's it!  Thanks for visiting.

Products used:

Stamps:  Swanky Snowdudes (Paper Smooches)

Ink:  Memento Tuxedo Black, Versafine Onyx Black, Unicorn White, Tumbled Glass

Cardstock:  White, X-Press It, Surf Blue

Dies:  Snowdudes, Stitched Hills & Slopes (SSS), Stitched Mountain Range (MFT), Blueprints 15 (MFT)

Accessories:  Copics, Wink of Stella

Cheers

Karren

Toy Dog

Hi!  I'm sneaking in with only a few hours to go on the current Winter/Holiday Coffee Lovers' Blog Hop.  I'm also linking up to CASology, where the theme is "Toy".  I chose to use a "toy dog" for my card :)

I actually made this coffee cup/dog combo last weekend, but couldn't get it looking good on a card.  I put it to one side and now I'm now to the last six hours of the Coffee Lovers' Challenge, I just had to make it work somehow!  I'm not in love with this card, but it'll do.

The wee dog, who looks a lot like our wee toy dog, was stamped, colored and die-cut.  The coffee cup is a MFT die and I sponged the edges to give some dimension.  I also stamped the "Merry Christmas" sentiment across the band using Soft Stone ink for a tone-on-tone look.

And that's pretty much it.  Thanks for visiting!

Products used:

Stamps:  Christmas Doggy & More (My Creative Time)
Ink:  Memento Tuxedo Black, Pumice Stone, Old Paper, Frayed Burlap
Cardstock:  Soft Stone, Desert Storm, White, Very Vanilla, X-Press It, Let's Bokeh in the Snow
Dies:  Christmas Doggy & More (MCT), Coffee Cup (MFT)
Accessories:  Copics

Cheers
Karren

Poppin' By

Hi and welcome to Freshly Made Sketches.  This is our last challenge of the year and will be open for two weeks.  Linda - hilariously funny and super-talented Linda - is our hostess today and she has a sketch that you will find yourself using over and over again.

I used a new-to-me set from a new-to-me company and my card was heavily inspired by one made by my fellow FMS teamie, Cindy Lovell.  In fact, it was this card of Cindy's that got me ordering this set straight away.  I tried to not copy Cindy slavishly but you can definitely see where I was influenced :)  Thanks, Cindy!

I started with a white card base and over that I adhered a panel of Soft Stone cardstock cut with SugarPea's Zig Zag Stitched Rectangles dies.  I then die-cut a smaller white panel for the center.  

Then I got to playing with the various stamps and dies in the Date Night set.  I colored up the popcorn image using Copics and just played with the arrangement until I was happy with it.  The sentiment is white-embossed onto black cardstock.

I finished off with a few sparkling clear sequins.

Thanks for visiting.  Please check out the rest of the design team and I hope you can take some time over the holiday break to have a play with the sketch.  

Products used:

Stamps:  Date Night (My Creative Time)

Ink:  Memento Tuxedo Black, Versamark

Cardstock:  White, Black, X-Press It

Dies:  Date Night, Zig Zag Stitched Rectangles (SugarPea)

Accessories:  Copics, white EP, sequins

Cheers

Karren

Christmas Wreath

Hi and welcome to a new sketch at SugarPea Designs Challenge!  This week, we have a classic sketch which allows for such a lot of creativity.

For my card, I went with a Christmas card in turquoise, lime and silver, using the set Funky Wreath - Christmas and Have an Ice Day for the sentiment.

I started with a white card base and onto that I layered another white panel with rounded corners.  Some Audrey Blue cardstock at the top and a silver foil scalloped piece formed the bones of my card.  To pretty it up, I got to stamping :)  I used the beautiful Funky Wreath Christmas set and after die-cutting the frame, I stamped one of the images several times in Audrey Blue, Green Apple and silver inks, shifting the stamp slightly each time.

I then stamped the bow in silver ink and white embossed the sentiment onto the banner from the Gift Tag Die set.

Here's a close up of the beautiful images in the wreath set.

Thanks for visiting.  Be sure to check out the rest of the design team as they have made some wonderful cards with this sketch.

Brandi Hall 

Claire Broadwater

Deanne Kay

Jeanne Jachna

Karren Johnson - you are here!

Laura Jane

Lee Ann Barrett

Lesley Croghan

Mackie Robertson

Products used:

Stamps:  Funky Wreath - Christmas, Have an Ice Day

Ink:  Versamark, Green Apple, Audrey Blue (SSS), Silver (Hero Arts)

Cardstock:  White, Black, Audrey Blue, Silver Foil

Dies:  Funky Wreath - Christmas, Gift Tag, Scallop (SU)

Accessories:  Silver ribbon, Corner Rounder

Cheers
Karren

Merry and Bright

Hi!  This is the first card I've made for fun in two weeks :(  But I finally got some time to myself in the craft room and after I'd made my cards for DT commitments for the week, I got to play.  And I made a card for a few challenges out there:  CAS(E) This Sketch, Just Add Ink, CASology and Virginia's View.

I started with a white card base and out of that I die-cut the Frames die and then inlaid the thin frame which I'd cut from Audrey Blue cardstock.  Unfortunately, that plan went out the window when I accidentally ripped the blue frame - after it was stuck down in parts!  So I had to lay another frame over the top and it worked - thank goodness.  The tree was stamped and colored with aqua colored Copic markers and I tried for a silver-colored base and star using Copics.  It was then coated in clear Wink of Stella.

I stamped the sentiment onto the cardbase and over the blue frame using my Misti and then when I was about to stick the tree down, I thought something was missing, so I die-cut some Circle Loops out of silver glimmer paper to put behind the tree.  It almost looks like a silver thread nest :)

Thanks for visiting.  I'm hoping to get some more time to stamp tomorrow!

Products used:

Stamps:  Jingle All the Way, Hand Lettered Holiday (MFT)

Ink:  Memento Tuxedo Black, Versafine Onyx Black

Cardstock:  White, Silver Glimmer, Audrey Blue

Dies:  Circle Loops, Frames (SSS)

Accessories:  Copics, Wink of Stella

Cheers

Karren

Edited to Add:  This card got a shout out at Just Add Ink, CAS(E) This Sketch and CASology.

Penguin Beach

Hi!  It's Fusion Card Challenge time and we have a fabulous sketch and inspiration photo for this, our last challenge of the year.

Despite the decidedly Christmas theme to the challenge, I went in the complete opposite direction and came up with a summer card - although it IS summer here.  I did stick with a bird theme of sorts, though :)

On a white card base I sponged some sand and sea using Old Paper, Tumbled Glass and Broken China distress inks.  I used a white gel pen for the waves.  I stamped and colored the penguin, tree and ball before die-cutting them.  I then used an oval die to partially die cut the top layer of white cardstock.  I then positioned the colored elements onto the card before stamping the sentiment.

I used a Copic Multiliner pen to draw the seagulls - that is the extent of my drawing skills :)  And that's it!  In hindsight I wish I hadn't used a white top layer but it's too late now!

Thanks for visiting.  The rest of the design team have used the challenge graphic to make some spectacular cards, so be sure to check them out.

Products used:

Stamps:  Penguins in Paradise (MFT) Poppy Birthday (Verve)
Ink:  Tumbled Glass, Broken China, Old Paper Distress Ink, Memento Tuxedo Black, Versafine Onyx Black
Cardstock:  White, X-Press It
Dies:  Penguins in Paradise (MFT), Oval Nestabilities
Accessories:  Copics, white gel pen, Copic Multiliner

Cheers
Karren

How did THAT happen?

Hi and welcome!  It's time for another sketch at Freshly Made Sketches and this week, our hostess is the fabulous Rita Wright.  Rita has come up with a wonderful sketch and I have to say that I used to dislike angled panels, but I'm getting used to them now :)

I need a card for my oldest, who turns 18 next week.  I have no idea how I have become the mother of a legal adult, but there you go!  For Matthew's card, I went with an age card, because 18 is a pretty big deal here in New Zealand - you can legally drink in bars and you can vote.  I know which one he'll be doing ;)

Speaking of drinking, much to my dismay, my son is pretty much addicted to the energy drink "V" hence the bottle on his card.  I die cut the bottle and sponged it with Green Leaf and Olive inks to try and mimic the color of the real bottle.  I then peeled off the label from a real bottle and die-cut the logo to adhere to my cardstock bottle.

The card base was stenciled with translucent embossing paste and a grid stencil.  While that was drying, I also coated the "18" with Glossy Accents and left it to dry.  The "notebook" panel was stamped with the Notebook Paper Background in Surf Blue ink then die-cut with Paper Smooches Paper die.  The bottle top was die-cut from silver foil cardstock.

And that's it.  I hope he likes it - not that he'd ever admit it, of course - he is a teenager!

Be sure to check out the gorgeous cards produced by the rest of the design team.  They're sure to inspire you as always.

Products used:

Stamps:  Soda Pop (MFT), Notebook Paper Background (MFT)
Ink:  Surf Blue, Green Leaf, Olive (SSS), Versafine Onyx Black
Cardstock:  White, black, slate, silver foil paper
Dies:  By the Numbers (PTI), Soda Pop Bottles (MFT), Bottle Caps (MFT), Paper (Paper Smooches), Pierced Rectangle Stax (MFT)
Accessories:  Glossy Accents, Translucent Embossing Paste, Large Grid Stencil (MFT)

Cheers
Karren

Pizza My Heart

Hi and welcome!  Today is the first challenge for the all-new SugarPea Designs challenge and check out the fabulous sketch:

As soon as I saw the sketch, I wanted to use this cute pizza guy!  This card is going to be my DH's birthday card later this month.  He lurves pizza :)

I stamped and colored Pizza Guy from Pizza My Heart and put him to one side while I worked on the rest of the card.  I laid a brick stencil onto the card base and sponged several colors of ink in a circular pattern, fading out at the edges.  I then cut a double-ended banner shape from some old patterned paper.  The pizza image on the left was stamped and fussy-cut and the heart on the right was punched out.  I took one of the sentiment stamps in the set and cut it up to fit inside the heart.

Thanks for visiting!  Be sure to visit the rest of the team by clicking on their names below.  They each have a wonderful card showcasing this sketch.  I hope you'll have time to join us - you have all month to play along but we will be providing a new sketch each week.  You can make a card for each sketch or just play once or twice - it's up to you.  

Brandi Hall
Claire Broadwater

Deanne Kay
Jeanne Jachna
Laura Jane

Lee Ann Barrett

Lesley Croghan

Mackie Robertson

Products used:

Stamps:  Pizza My Heart (SugarPea Designs)

Ink:  Sparrow, Cobblestone, Khaki, Burnt Orange (SSS), Versamark, Memento Tuxedo Black

Cardstock:  White, SU Patterned Paper, Black, X-Press It

Accessories:  English Brick Wall Stencil (MFT), Copics, White EP, Heart Punch

Cheers

Karren

Big Hugs

It's Freshly Made Sketch Challenge Day and this week our hostess is none other than the very-talented Jen Mitchell who always amazes me with her fabulous cards.  Jen's sketch is so cool - I loved it as soon as I saw it!

Unfortunately, while I may have loved the sketch, my mojo wasn't present when I was trying to make my card!  

I wanted to do an emboss resist on the top part of the card so dug around in my stamps for a suitable image.  I found an old, old wood mount stamp from a company called Just for Fun and decided to use that.  I white embossed that onto a panel of watercolor paper and sponged on Antique Linen, Tattered Rose, Victorian Velvet, Barn Door and Fired Brick ink from right to left across the panel.  I saw this color combo on Pinterest and thought it looked gorgeous!

Once the panel was finished, I cut it down to size and mounted it onto a black stitched scallop piece.  The banner was white embossed and glued to the card base and the top panel and scalloped piece is mounted on foam tape.  I tied some kraft colored twine around the panel to bring in the Antique Linen ink a bit more.

Thanks for visiting!  Be sure to check out the wonderful creations from the rest of the design team.

Products Used:

Stamps:  Unknown from Just for Fun Stamps, Big Scripty Greetings (SSS)

Ink:  Tattered Rose, Antique Linen, Victorian Velvet, Barn Door, Fired Brick (Distress), Versamark

Cardstock:  White, Black, Watercolor

Dies:  Jumbo Fishtail Flag Stax (MFT), Stitched Scalloped Border (Lawn Fawn)

Accessories:  White EP, twine

Cheers

Karren