Boo to You in Glow in the Dark--#tgifc442

Life has a way of taking unexpected turns, but I am back again to enter another TGIF Challenges sketch challenge.  I had fun with this one.  I have been wanting to try my hand with the Glow-in-the-Dark specialty paper (#162221) from the Them Bones Suite Collection in the current mini catalog. So, I created this card using this week's sketch challenge:

The skeletons of the person, dog and cat were stamped on the glow-in-the-dark paper with VersaMark ink and then embossed with white embossing powder.  The stamped images and die cuts were made using the Bag of Bones stamp set and dies bundle (#162219).  The designer series paper is from the Them Bones designer series paper pack (#162215).  This photo was taken in full light as was the close-up below:

The next two photos were taken in the evening after the card was covered and with just a soft evening light from my ring light.  I think you can see a bit of the glow-in-the-dark effect on the skeletons.  It took a bit of trial and error to get these photos.  You could really see the skeletons glow when the lights were off in my room.

I took a few liberties with the sketch but I still think I kept to the spirit of the sketch with the dog (named Raven after my grandson's neighbor dog) and the cat (named Ghost after another neighborhood pet--and, yes, those are their real names!!!) taking the place of the floral stems in the sketch.  The greeting was changed to a circle but placed over a horizontal rectangle in the form of grass in the cemetery.

Hope you have a great day!

--Sara Nell

   

You Made My Day--#tgifc429

Back today with my entry in this week's TGIF sketch challenge.  Two weeks in a row--this is when I know I am getting back to my old self again!  

I am featuring the Cheerful Daisies Bundle (#161297) again this week.  The background is a set of three strips of designer series paper from the Fresh as a Daisy designer series paper pack (#161289) arranged on a piece of Lemon Lolly card stock.  The focal arrangement of three daisies was die cut using a single die from the die set and cutting it out using Basic White card stock for the base and Garden Green, Soft Sea Foam and Crushed Curry for the accent pieces which were trimmed and glued over the corresponding Basic White pieces.  The Crushed Curry flower centers were glued over a piece of Lemon Lolly card stock before fussy cutting them to fit over the the center of the flowers. The greeting was stamped in Pebbled Path on Basic White card stock then trimmed.  A bow of Linen Thread (#104199), three Pebbled Path 2023-2025 In Color Dots (#161620) and a card base of Pebbled Path complete the card.

Have you ever completed a sketch challenge?  It's a great way to help you grow as a stamper and have fun creating.

Have a great week!

--Sara Nell

   

Blessings of Home Thank You--#tgifc346

It's sketch challenge week over at TGIF Challenges.  It has an interesting mix of elements.  I chose to give you another sneak peek into the Heart & Home Suite from the upcoming mini catalog out on January 4.  I think you're going to see a lot of this suite in the next few months.  I am enjoying working with it.

I started with a Cinnamon Cider card base, stamped the edge in VersaMark ink using an image from the Blessings of Home stamp set (#157930, bundled with coordinating Flowers of Home dies, #157939 for 10% off).  Next came a layer of Garden Green patterned Heart & Home designer series paper (#157928), a wood grain patterned tag from the same paper patterned paper punched at the top with the Fancy Tag Topper punch (#152711).  Next is a floral bouquet image from the stamp set stamped in Basic Gray and colored with Pale Papaya, Cinnamon Cider, So Saffron and Just Jade Stampin' Blends and die cut with the Flowers of Home die (#157938).  And, finally, a bee die cut from the same designer series paper using a Tasteful Labels die (#152886) and a greeting from the stamp set stamped in Basic Gray on Basic White card stock and fussy cut into a rectangle.  A  doubled piece of Basic Gray baker's twine from the Baker's Twine Essentials pack (#155475) tied in a bow at the top of the tag and three Classic Matte Dots (#158146) from the Heart & Home Suite complete the card.

See other projects created with this sketch over at the TGIF Challenges Blog here.

Have a great week!

--Sara Nell

Sending Healing Thoughts--#tgifc337

This week's sketch challenge over at TGIF Challenges took me a bit of time to work out in my head.  After mulling over design ideas with a few stamp/die bundles, I settled on the Nature's Harvest Bundle (#156813, which includes the Nature's Harvest stamp set, #156495, and coordinating Harvest Dies, #156504, at 10% off).  It turned out to be a bit of fun and an easy card to do:

I started by stamping the leafy background image over Basic White card stock in Crumb Cake, stamped off once.  Then I added three of the large triple flower images stamped in Crumb Cake to complete the background.  Next, I die cut three flowers out of Shimmery White card stock and watercolored them using Pear Pizzazz (which I thought was Old Olive until I put up my ink pads!!!), Pale Papaya, Calypso Coral, Soft Suede and a bit of Early Espresso to make seed dots in the flower center. 

I stamped the greeting in Calypso Coral and die cut it with the long label die.  A double strand of Linen Thread (#104199) tied in a bow was substituted for the scalloped piece in the sketch and three Pale Papaya Genial Gems (#155500) were substituted for the little hearts--but placed randomly around the label.

Head over to the TGIF Challenges blog to check out more projects created with this sketch:

Have a great week!

--Sara Nell

   

Halloween Smile--#tgifc333

I've been creating all week with the Cute Halloween Suite of products.  I used a leftover from another project to create my project for the TGIF Challenges sketch challenge this week.  In honor of the 333rd challenge, the sketch has 3 strips in the background.  I added another layer to the sketch and loved how my leftover piece looks on the final card:

The focal design is stamped on a gray bottled piece I die cut from the front of a Tombstone Treat Box (#156486) using a Painted Labels die (#151605).   The images are all from the Cutest Halloween stamp set (#156480/bundled with Halloween Punch, #156483).  The spider and greeting were stamped on the label with VersaMark ink and heat embossed with Black Stampin' Emboss Powder (#155554, Basics set).  Note:  I found that ink smeared on the tombstone boxes, so I started heat embossing all images I stamped on them.  

The pumpkin was stamped in VersaMark on Basic White card stock and heat embossed in black.  It was colored with Pumpkin Pie combo and Old Olive Light Stampin' Blends, then the face was stamped and heat embossed as well.  The pumpkin was punched out using the Halloween Punch (#156482) and adhered with a Stampin' Dimensional. Three Pumpkin Pie Cute Stars adhesive-backed sequins complete the label piece.

The card base is Pumpkin Pie card stock.  This was layered with a bottled Basic Black design from the Cute Halloween designer series paper pack (#156479).  The center layer is Pumpkin Pie card stock layered with three strips of a Basic Gray and Basic White design from the paper pack.  A bow of black baker's twine (Baker's Twine Essentials Pack, #155475) completes the card.

Here is the tombstone treat box from which I cut the label used on my card.  Next time I will use a smaller label die to cut a window out--this one is almost too big!

For more wonderful projects using this sketch,head over to the TGIF Challenges Blog:

Have a great week! I'm headed to Charleston, SC, this week to attend the Chosen Women's Conference at Seacoast Church and to visit my daughter, son-in-law and grandson. So excited.

--Sara Nell

    

A Floral Thank You--#tgifc324

It's sketch challenge week at TGIF Challenges!  I chose one piece of Hand-Penned designer series paper (155499)--one of the papers currently on sale at 15% off--to start my card:  one side for the bottom of the card and the other for the top.

The stamped images are from the Color & Contour stamp set (#154994).  All were stamped in Highland Heather, with a squiggle of Daffodil Delight Light Stampin' Blends color in the center of each flower.  The blossoms and Daffodil Delight large scallop and scalloped frame were die cut using the Scalloped Contour Dies (#155560, bundled with the stamp set at 10% off, #158356).  The Mint Macaron leaf branch was die cut using the Forever Flourishing dies (#152714).  Three Mint Macaron Genial Gems (#155500) complete the card.

Check out the TGIF Challenges Blog here for some wonderful interpretations of this sketch:

Have a Happy Weekend!

--Sara Nell

Artistically Inked Birthday--#tgifc320

For this week's TGIF Challenges sketch, I used the Expressions in Ink suite of products.  I love how easy the stamp set and dies are to use for creating beautiful cards. Initially, I was going to use just the three flowers as the panels on my card, but the gold frames in the Expressions in Ink Ephemera Pack (#155465) just added that little something, something:

The background on the card is a piece of Pale Papaya patterned paper from the 2021-2023 In Color designer series paper pack (#155641).  The flowers and leaves were stamped and die cut using the Artistically Inked Bundle [#155456, includes the Artistically Inked stamp set (#154542) and Artistic Dies (#155371) at 10% off].  Ink pad colors used:  Polished Pink, Fresh Freesia, Pale Papaya, Soft Succulent, Evening Evergreen and Misty Moonlight.

To adhere the gold frames, I placed a glue dot on each side of the largest frame to keep the frames in place as I arranged the floral elements.  The glue dots and Stampin' Dimensionals adhering these elements are also helping to hold the frames in place.

The greeting was stamped in Soft Succulent and die cut using a Stitched Rectangles die (#151820).  The width was narrowed by putting the piece through the Stampin' Cut & Emboss Machine twice.   A few sequins from the ephemera pack and a bow of Soft Succulent open weave ribbon (#155780) complete the card.

Lots of inspiration for your projects can be found over at the TGF Challenges Blog here.

Have a wonderful Father's Day weekend!

--Sara Nell

 

 

Mother's Day Blossoms--#tgifc307

Lately, I've been pulling out the stamp sets that I love but haven't used in a while.  I had a plan for my TGIF Challenges sketch challenge this week, but it went out the window when I saw the beautiful Forever Blossoms stamp set (#151457) sitting lonely and unused on my shelf.  The cherry blossoms are just so pretty:

The blossoms image was stamped in Basic Gray on Whisper White card stock, then colored with Rococo Rose (#154900) and Soft Sea Foam (#154902) Stampin' Blends.  It was die cut using the coordinating Cherry Blossoms dies (#151456).  The blossoms were layered over two Vellum circles die cut using the Stitched Shapes dies (#152323) and a layer of Balmy Blue card stock embossed with the Parisian Flourish 3D embossing folder (#151474).

The greeting is from the Strong & Beautiful stamp set (#148732).  It was stamped in Basic Gray on a 1/2" strip of Whisper White card stock.  The ends were punched with the Banners Pick a Punch (#153608) to create the banner.

A layer of Rococo Rose card stock, a Rococo Rose card base and some Pearl Basic Jewels (#144219) complete the card.

Find more wonderful projects using this sketch over at the TGIF Challenges Blog here.

Have a wonderful weekend!

--Sara Nell

  

A Birthday Book for Easton--#tgifc303

My grandson Easton's 2nd birthday is coming up next week and he loves dinosaurs.  It was his mama who started him in dinosaur outfits and now he goes to his dinosaur books and roars as he turns the pages and "reads". (And Grandma may have gotten him a stuffed dinosaur that he started hugging at Ikea a couple of weeks ago.)  Obviously, I had to make him a dinosaur card for his birthday!

I used this week's TGIF Challenges' sketch for my card front:

This card front has a secret message on a flip feature:

To create the flip feature, I started with a 4-1/8" X 1/2" strip of Whisper White card stock (which is discontinued--we now have Basic White card stock but I am using up my old stash).  I punched one end of the strip with the Banners Pick-a-Punch (#153608) and scored the other end at 3/4".  I masked off the bottom half of the greeting image and stamped the top half on the front of the strip in Soft Suede and then masked off the top half and stamped the bottom half on the back of the strip.  I folded the scored tab and adhered it to the back of the Mango Melody piece using Seal+ adhesive (#149699). 

Easton now calls all the cards I send him "books".  So, this time I made him a three page "book" instead of a regular card.  I cut two 4-1/4" x 5-1/2" card bases, one in Mango Melody and the other in Pool Party, then adhered them together with Seal+.  Here are pages 2 and 3:

I used the Dino Days stamp set (#149406) and coordinating Dino dies to create most of the images (#149636).  The letters for "Easton" were die cut using the Playful Alphabet dies (#152706).  "Happy Birthday" was die cut using dies from the Well-Written dies (#151816).  I die cut one of each word out of Mango Melody and two of each out of Soft Suede, then adhered them together with Multipurpose Liquid glue.  The greeting on the second page was die cut using the Tasteful Labels dies (#152886). 

The Mango Melody layer on the card front was embossed with the Painted Texture 3D embossing folder (#154317).  Linen Thread (#104199) and Pearl Basic Jewels (#144219) colored with an Old Olive Dark Stampin' Blends (#154892) complete the card front.  Holiday Rhinestone Basic Jewels (#150457) in Pumpkin Pie finish off pages 2 and 3 of the card book.

The TGIF Challenges sketch leaves lots of room for creativity.  Check all of the project entries over at the TGIF Challenges Blog here.

Have a great weekend!

--Sara Nell

Happy Harvest Blessings--#tgifc218

It's the monthly sketch challenges over at TGIF Challenges. It's a block sketch that I flip-flopped left to right for my card:

The designer series paper I used for the blocks is from the Gilded Autumn Specialty pack (#153520).  The maple leaf from the Gather Together stamp set (#150589) was stamped in VersaMark onto Cajun Craze card stock, heat embossed with Gold Stampin' Emboss Powder (#109129), and die cut using the coordinating Gathered Leaves dies (#150662).

 

The greeting is from Country Home stamp set (#147678).  It was stamped in Early Espresso and heat embossed with Clear Stampin' Emboss Powder (#109130). The banner ends were punched with the new Banners Pick a Punch (#153610).

A layer of Cajun Craze card stock, a Mint Macaron card base and Mint Macaron 1/2" Basket Weave ribbon (#153553, ribbon combo pack) complete the card.

Head over to the TGIF Challenges Blog to see more great cards created with this sketch:

Have a great week!

--Sara Nell

Hello with Blooms & Just Jade--#tgifc277

Back in April or May when I first saw the five new 2020-2022 In Colors, I would not have thought that Just Jade would be the one I would use the most.  But,  here I am with another Just Jade centric card!!!  Today's card is my entry in this week's sketch challenge from TGIF Challenges.  The sketch includes a watercolor background and a horizontal band.   My card is a pretty straightforward interpretation of the sketch:

My watercolor background started with a wash of Mint Macaron on Fluid 100 watercolor paper (#149612). I added streaks of Just Jade with the edge of my wide water painter (#151298) for a bit of depth to the wash.  Once the wash was dry, I stamped the small blooms cluster image from Bloom & Grow stamp set (#149229) randomly over the wash using Mint Macaron ink.

The focal bloom image was stamped in Just Jade ink on to Whisper White card stock. It was colored with So Saffron, Mango Melody, Magenta Madness, and Misty Moonlight Stampin' Blends Combos, then die cut with a die from the Budding Blooms dies (#149548).  This was arranged over a piece of Just Jade card stock with a scallop edge created with another die in the same die set, wrapped with a piece of Polka Dot Tulle (#146912).

The greeting is also from the Bloom & Grow stamp set.  The card is finished with a layer of Just Jade on Whisper White thick card stock and three Pearl Basic Jewels (#144219).

Want some ideas for wonderful watercolor backgrounds?  Check out the TGIF Challenges Blog here.

Have a great weekend!

--Sara Nell

So Grateful--#tgifc268

It's sketch challenge week at TGIF Challenges.  This week the sketch includes a trimmed down front panel.  I made the obvious choice and pulled out my Ornate Garden Suite of products (the complete collection, #154153).  Why is this choice obvious?  The suite includes the Ornate Borders die set (#152724)--the perfect way to finish a trimmed down front panel!  It was also an obvious choice for me because I have yet to work with these beautiful border dies.

After playing around with paper and color choices, I ended up using the least ornate border and the coordinating ornate layer from the Ornate Layers die set (#152726):

The front panel was cut down 1".  A piece of Whisper White card stock was added to the inside.  I adhered a 1-1/8" wide strip of paper with the same pattern from the Ornate Garden specialty designer series paper pack (#152488) that I used on the front panel to the right-hand side of the Whisper White inside liner.  I die cut the three Mint Macaron floral strips using another die from the Ornate Borders die set.  I glued these over the paper for the front panel and then trimmed the edges.

The greeting is from the Ornate Thanks stamp set (#149471).  It was stamped in VersaMark and embossed with Gold Stampin' Emboss Powder.  The Terracotta Tile ornate layer was put through my die cutting machine three times to cut it down to the size I needed for my greeting.  It was easy to do--just be sure and match up all the holes!  I added some Gilded Gems (#152478) to complete the card.

Visit the TGIF Challenges blog for more inspiration using this sketch:

Have a great week!

--Sara Nell