Thanks

This will be my last post today. It's been a while since I had time in my studio, so I kept working. As I look back, it seems that there were quite a few sketch challenges. This card follows the Kraft Journal sketch challenge. I used a different color palette for me -- grays and kraft/brown. My stamp is from Quietfire Designs. The background uses 2 shaded of gray and the banner is a dark shade of gray. The oval and the card base is kraft cardstock.
I am also entering this card in these challenges: City Crafter -- one word sentiment; SweetStamps -- Thanks; Simon Says Stamp Wednesday -- thanks/ Thanksgiving; Marks Finest Papers Simple Salutations --at least two shades of gray.

Be Thankful

I had a wonderful and busy day in the studio today. I used the Mojo Monday sketch challenge as my layout inspiration. However, I made a few artistic prerogative changes. First I turned the sketch 90 degrees to the right. Then, instead of a card, I made a tag.
I started with a black tag cut using a Tim Holtz die. The layering panel was dry embossed and then highlighted with distress ink. My stamped top panel was made using the acorn blueprint framelits set from Tim Holtz ( a prize from Mario and Tim for the 12 Tags challenge)  That is really a fun set to use. The layered acorn represents the circle on the sketch. I added the sentiment on the ribbon hanging from the top.
My tag is being entered in these additional challenges: Ink on my Fingers Sunday challenge -- black; Word Art Wednesday -- anything goes; Mixed Media -- stamps.

Good Friends

 It's Friday and time for Bloggers Challenge. This week the challenge is friendship. I created this CAS card using the layout from the Addicted to CAS sketch challenge.
I started with a red card base. I pulled out a favorite stamp set from Rogue Redhead Designs, Milliner Misses. I love these ladies and the sentiment works so well with the challenge.

Season's Greetings

Today's project was a Christmas. I started by cutting my tag from kraft cardstock. I die cut the Season's Greetins ornament (Cheery Lynn Designs) twice once in green and once in gold so I could layer the gold season's greetings over the green. I die cut an oval (Cheery Lynn Designs) to use as a background panel. The sentiment (Artistic Outpost) was stamped in green pigment ink and heat embossed. It's a simple design, but sends the Christmas message.
I am entering my tag in these challenges: Cheery Lynn Designs -- tag, you're it; City Crafter -- Christmas CAS; Fashionable  Stamping -- Christmas tag; Dies R Us -- Christmas; Artistic Outpost -- anything goes using Artistic Outpost stamps; Word Art Wednesday -- anything goes.

12 Tags of 2014 -- November

Thanksgiving is in a few short weeks. The November tag for Tim Holtz's 12 Tags of 2014 is perfect for the season. I love the look of distressed corrugated cardboard and it's especially cool when the negative of a die cut is used. The distress paint and dry embossed leaf which shows through is a great touch.
I am also entering this tag in the Stampendous challenge which is so thankful.

Ornament Tag

As the weather forecast threatens a cold, arctic blast in Chicago, thoughts go to the Christmas season. Today I am sharing a CAS Christmas tag. The tag was die cut from green cardstock. The ornaments (Our Daily Bread Designs) were stamped on white card stock and heat embossed. Then they were die cut using Spellbinders dies (available at Classy Cards n such). "Peace on Earth" was stamped on the tag and embossed in silver.
I am entering this tag in these challenges:Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge -- ornaments;
Classy Cards n Such -- ornaments; Word Art Wednesday -- anything goes; Marks Finest Papers Friends of Speedy -- red, gold, green; Our Daily Bread Designs -- holiday; Addicted to CAS -- tag; Inspiration Journal -- happy holidays; Artistic Stamper -- Christmas is coming.

Woodsy Thinking of You

Today's card uses a die and stamp set from Sweet and Sassy. I've been looking for an excuse to use it.  It worked in so well with several of the current challenges, so I quickly grabbed it and went to work. I started with a blue background panel . I then stamped and die cut the trees, deer, and birds. For the lower background I tore a piece of shimmery cardstock, added a little glue, and sprinkled some distress glitter. The sentiment and frame is from Tim Holtz.
I am entering this card in these challenges: City Crafter -- my deer; Simon Says Stamp Wednesday challenge -- thinking of you; Marks Finest Papers Color challenge -- rust, blue, green; and Fashionable Stamping -- animals.

A Salute to Veterans

Today's Bloggers' Challenge is to use the colors red, white, and blue. My card is a salute to veterans in honor of Veteran's Day. I started with a white cardstock base. I used my Statue of Liberty stencil and Versamark. Then I heat embossed the image using clear embossing powder. I added the flag and stars die cuts (Tim Holtz) and the "Brave Hero" dog tag die cut (Cheery Lynn). And may I add, A BIG THANK YOU TO OUR BRAVE VETERANS!

Good Old Fun

I am a city girl and I do love the city. However, I have memories of spending summer vacations during my childhood at my great-grandparents farm. There my great-uncles would ride us around on the tractor and we could see the different crops they had growing. When Simon Says challenged us on Monday to remember the good old days, this is what I came up with. I used the layout from the Mojo Monday sketch challenge as the basis for my layout. All of the stamps used are from Artistic Outpost. Prisma colored pencils were used to color the images. This layout was a bit of a challenge since I had to use six masks to get every stamp where I wanted them to be.
I am entering this card into these challenges: Mojo Monday -- sketch; Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge -- Good Old Days; Artistic Outpost -- anything goes using Artistic Outpost stamps.

Give Thanks

To create my card I started with the beautiful Cheery Lynn Designs die, Fall Harvest 2. For the background I used watercolor paper. I used a light touch of Pan Pastels for the color. The pumpkins were colored with Tim Holtz's distress glitter. The sentiment "GIVE THANKS" was die cut with Tim Holtz letters.I love how the glitter emphasizes the die cut image.
 I am entering my card in these challenges: Cheery Lynn Designs -- give thanks; A Vintage Journey -- bountiful harvest; Dies R Us -- thankful.

Thankful

Today's card uses one of my favorite Cornish Heritage Farms stamps. I stamped the stamp on watercolor paper and used the distress marker watercolor technique (a Tim Holtz technique) to color it. I adhered the image to the stamp die cut from Tim Holtz and adhered the panel to a kraft base card. I die cut the wheat stalks and added them to the front as well as the numeral 4 at the top corner.
I am entering this card into these challenges: Cornish Heritage Farms -- show a pumpkin; A Vintage Journey -- bountiful harvest; Dies R Us -- thankful; Great Impressions -- thankful thoughts; V's Sweet Ideas -- anything goes.