Retrosketch #11

Here's this week's sketch:

 

I sometimes wonder, when I "Ardyth-ize" these sketches, if the hosts think my card doesn't match the spirit of the sketch at all. Especially the ones with ribbons and bows - I amost NEVER use ribbon, lol!

I honestly appreciate all the hard work that the challenge hosts go to and I try to be true to the sketch, but it has to feel right to me as well. This card actually came from a scrap on my desk. I had cut out the turquoise butterfly to use somewhere else (didn't work), and decided to use the negative to make this card. I used turquoise Stickles on 3 rows of polka dots near the bottom of the card as my 'ribbon'. This would be a great card to whip up as a gift set, in different colours and with different sentiments - even different die cuts!

New from Old

Sometimes it's fun to recycle ideas or just vary them a little, like I did yesterday with the "Art Deco" card.

Today's cards are both remakes from cards I made last week. Remember them?

Remade from this post.

Remade from a card from this post.

Sometimes the new cards are better, sometimes they're just different (for the record I think I like these two better than the originals - sometimes an idea takes a little while to evolve). But it reminds me that I really do not need to keep buying new things to play with - I can create very different cards with the same tools over and over. (Well, I CAN, but that doesn't mean I have to does it? LOL!)

FS275 - Tobymac

Today got away from me, so this is a quick, late post for this week's Featured Stamper challenge.

for a wedding shower at our church this week, inspired by this card by Tobymac:

Then a Christmas card:

which was inspired by the colour combination and the adorable little cutout letters that she used on this card:

Gotta run - lots of laundry to be done after my son spent the weekend on Survival with his Air Cadet squadron!

PS - I've double checked on the line of dots stamp from Saturday's rainbow card. It is still available at Stamps of Life in a set called Borders 4 Me - hope that helps, Bahb!

Outlawz CAS Week 2 - Happy Birthday

Today is week two in my month as Guest Designer for Outlawz CAS challenges. Today's challenge is to make a clean and simple birthday card.

I love how this simple, simple design turned out to be so Art Deco. I have lost track of who made the clear candle stamp (I think either Stampendous or Inkadinkado). The sentiment is from My Sentiments Exactly and is the perfect addition to the 'starburst'.

In fact, I loved this card so much, I made a variation, using more black ink and applying the colours in a different way:

I can't decide if I like one better than the other - what about you?

Hard to Find

Inspiration was certainly not Hard to Find at this week's site for the Inspiration Challenge.

I used My Stamp Box Rough Copy alphabet and a small star stamp.Copics and stickles (gotta get some shine!)

For this one, I focused on how the sharks fit together (isn't that cool?). This Papertrey sentiment fits into itself quite well,  but I also wanted a pop of colour so I stamped the orange one first and then worked out from there.

Finally, you know how I love a great rainbow. I used a clear stamp from The Stamps of Life that is a line of circles and curved it to make the rainbow. I really wanted some texture on this card, and my initial idea was to use pipe cleaners but I thought it would probably end up looking like Grade one art, or a bunch of colourful dead caterpillars.  I opted for crystal effects to create 'beads' of texture on each coloured circle instead. The sentiment is from LawnFawn.

Technique Week

I've branched out this week and tried some new techniques. The first one was in this post and required all sorts of embossing powder AND sponging.

Then I saw a video about a technique called Spreading Ink. You're supposed to emboss in white on glossy white cardstock, fill the areas with water and then dab ink and watch it spread magically, resulting in beautifully blended and unique images. Didn't work for me. But I did use my reinkers and one of the images (no water) and got this:

It's quite pretty in real life because it's still glossy. Also, I used my new grosgrain embossing plate on the black panel and it really looks like ribbon. If you click and enlarge the photo, you may get a hint of it, but it really didn't photograph well at all.


My next technique was to use sticky strip and glitter, but with a twist. Before I put the glitter on the sticky strip(s), I placed a diecut border (Memory Box Pepita border). I made two card with this technique, using Glitter Ritz ultrafine glitter.

This one uses a Papertrey sentiment.

This one uses a wonderful Christmas reminder sentiment from Stampendous and I think it will be my May Church Christmas card.

Feathered Friends

Today's CAS-ual Friday challenge is to make a card with birds. I pulled out my Paper Smooches set "My Peeps" and some other Kim Hughes bird images and ended up making 3.

I love this older image of the lovebirds - perfect for wedding, anniversary, valentines. The sentiment is from Waltzingmouse.

Not sure how "clean and simple" this one is, but it's FUN!

And now that I look at this one on the blog, it reminds me of the shooting games at carnivals - I guess the 'cool blue' one is the target?! I'll have to think about this card before I send it to someone! lol!