Hello - Get Sketchy

Hello peeps! How's your Tuesday? Good I hope! I was so excited last week to get a Moxie Fab shout-out for the card I made for their Hexagon Challenge. How cool is that? Like yeah! TOTALLY cool! So I decided to play with some paper again this morning, browsing the web I found and REALLY wanted to play with the Get Sketchy Challenge at My Favorite Things -- but the deadline was at 12pm! It was a clean sketch and I figured it would be fairly quick for me since I take FOREVER to create. So despite the time crunch, I took the plunge.


Scrapbook Circle Portobello Road, My Favorite Things.


Clean and Simple, huh? I wish I could say it took me all of 15 minutes to complete the card, but I'm not that talented, or built for speed. LOL. No, seriously. I admire those who can create fantabulous cards and layouts in such a short time. It amazes me how they do that. My problem is deciding color placement. White or green base? Green or blue banner? Pushing colors around, blah, blah, blah. I used the Scrapbook Circle Portobello Road Kit and for their One Item Wonder blog post, I included the Crate Paper Studs. To jump start my design, I took inspiration from this week's MUSE Challenge, which offered this striking card by Marion Vagg:

How was I inspired? By the "hello" sentiment and the beautiful blue, green, red, yellow and pink Color Combo of course!!! I immediately thought of this crazy funky paper from the new Basic Grey line that came in the kit. At first, I thought the pattern was a little wild, but now I totally LOVE and want another sheet! The hello die I used is Die-namics Happy Hellos .


The sketch:


DESIGN CONCEPTS
Balance and visual weight: I originally cut the center strip like the sketch. But before I glued down, I felt my design looked heavy. So I decided messy thread because the light, white thread actually breaks up the heaviness of both the patterned paper and solid dark strip. It grounded the banner, gave the card more dimension and texture, and was lightweight and airy enough to keep the sketch intact.
Movement: I pointed the triangle studs toward one direction, then, decided last minute to cut the tips to create a banner. Thus creating movement and flow. Your eyes are really drawn to the center away from the bold, busy pattern in the background.


So happy I got to create today. I PROMISE, next post I write I will talk less.
Thanx so much for stopping by!!

Hugs and Happy Scrappin'!!!!
xoxo




(See below for all challenge and product links to this post)

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challenge entries:

• MUSE - Challenge #59
• My Favorite Things - Get Sketchy #167

COMMENTS:
7 thoughts, thank you! (add your ♥ ♥ ♥ here)

Happy Birthday - Paper Smooches

I made another card this week. Woot!


Paper Smooches "Talk Bubbles" Stamp.


I truly enjoy combining challenges. Today I am combining a product challenge with a sketch and color, also with a design and then a theme challenge. First up, my brand new Paper Smooches stamp. I just bought my first one and have been looking forward to using it. So I am a happy butterfly to be playing along with their SPARKS Anything Goes Challenge this week:




my stamp:


Isn't that such a cool stamp?


Sketch and color interpretation came from:
I used the aqua and gold colors, included a doily inspired from the ruffling on the purse, and the placement of the four hexagons was inspired by the cups.

Sketch Variations
- Orientation: The speech bubble pointed downward, so I flipped the sketch
- Circle element: Used a doily
- Thin rows of strips: Maintained the horizontal visual with twine


The birthday theme was for the Seize the Birthday Anything Goes Challenge:




The hexagons were for the Moxie Fab World Happy for Hexagons Challenge:




That was fun. I am off to do some couponing. Need to get my shopping lists and coupons together. Looking to saving me some money if I'm going to get that Silhouette!!

Hugs to you and if you are creating today, then Happy Scrappin'!!!!
xoxo




(See below for all challenge and product links to this post)

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challenge entries:

• Paper Smooches - SPARKS Anything Goes Challenge
• Fusion Blog - Challenge #5
• Moxie Fab World - Happy For Hexagons Challenge
• Seize the Birthday - Anything Goes Challenge

Product List:

{ Happy Birthday } Card :

Supplies:

• Cardstock: Bazzill (Marshmallow Chick); Neenah Paper (Solar White)
• Patterned Paper: Heidi Swapp (Softness); Studio Calico (Framed)
• Embellishments: Studio Calico (Wood Veneer Stars); Doodlebug Twine (Bumblebee)

Other:

• Embossing Folder: LifeStyle Crafts (Linear)
• Misc: button

stamps, dies & inks:

toolbox:

COMMENTS:
7 thoughts, thank you! (add your ♥ ♥ ♥ here)

Hi! Hello How Are You? - Studio Calico

Hi there! Thanks so much for coming by, I know it's been ages since hearing from me, and I apologize for such silence. There were areas in my life that really needed my attention and focus. All the while, my mojo was gnawing at me, especially in the past few weeks. So I decided to scratch that itch, have some fun, and create. Here is my "Hi! Hello How Are You" spring-inspired card created for the Studio Calico Sunday Sketch:


Studio Calico "Sugar Rush" Card Kit.

Seeing this sketch, I was a bit intimidated by the block design -- so it was quite a challenge.

Sketch Variations
- Border strips: I mitered the corners
- Banner element: Lowered banner placement to bottom edge
- Two Blocks: Created a "canopy" and merged with sentiment

Tina Aszmus had a super fun tutorial for the Studio Calico Weekly Challenge last week. It was to digitally "ink" the digital stamps with digital brushes. How cool and clever! I haven't tried the watercolor technique and this was perfect without having to getting messy. I made two designs, one brushed and one watercolor effect:

Colors are always off when I print, but once I stamped the kite image with Memento Tuxedo Black Ink over the watercolor design, WOW, it came out so pretty! I punched out a scallop out of the brushed design and drew in semi circles on the edges to balance out all the black. The banner strip was cut from the Fancy Pants paper using the Papertrey Ink Double-Ended Banners Die.


To create the kite strings, I ran the Papertrey Ink In the Meadow Die leaving a 1/8th inch border for each cut. The little girl was colored in with Prismacolor pencils #929 and #965.



I truly love how this block designed card turned out. Glad I took the challenge!!

Thanks again for stopping by...... Hope you have a wonderful week!

Happy Scrappin'!!!!
xoxo



(See below for all challenge and product links to this post)

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challenge entries:

Studio Calico - Sunday Sketch (03/02)
Studio Calico - Weekly Challenge (02/24)
scrapbook.com - Spring Themed Card and Tag Challenge

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Project List:

{ Hi! Hello How Are You } Card :

Kit: Studio Calico - Sugar Rush (February 2014 Card Kit) -- SOLD OUT

• Cardstock: Hero Arts (Daffodil); Neenah Paper (Solar White)
• Patterned Paper: October Afternoon (Dish); Fancy Pants (Love Letter); Allison Pennington
• Studio Calico Exclusives: Wood Veneer Buttons, 4x6 Stamp Set

Other:

• Punches: Scallop Punch (EK Success); Scallop Border Punch (Fiskars)

stamps, dies & inks:

toolbox:

COMMENTS:
(add your ♥ ♥ ♥ here)