Inspirational Card Sketchers and Spoonful of Sugar

Good morning one and all and some more of yesterdays challenge work which I managed to get finished last evening.

Dawn B has come up with yet another fantastic sketch over at Inspirational Card Sketchers and don't ask me why, but this one shouted out vintage to me. So with that in mind it also fits in with this weeks Spoonful of Sugar challenge which is "Distressing".

As I had decided on vintage/distressing I worked from the My Minds Eye DP's outwards, distressing the edges with Tim Holts scattered straw. Next I created a circle with inks and a sponge then stamped in the centre with another of the new one from Inkadinkado 98396 Winter Birds using versafine sepia and detail clear embossing powder. I adore this set with all the swirls and leaves......mind you I have to say all of the new images they have introduced are gorgeous with lots of swirls.

The narrow spotty ribbon is from my stash and the leaves and flowers created with punches. Finally I added some gems and buttons.

Inspirational Card Sketchers and Creative Card Crew

Well I'm chuffed to bits that you seem to be liking the idea of a Glimmer Mist tutorial, I've even had a few PM to egg me on, so I shall continue to work away at it. Did some pictures first thing, now I need to get everything into an understandable format.......how possible that will be when I even confuse myself half the time remains to be seen, but if you don't try as they say........... I am trying to use the same principal as in class and go through it step by step but not really sure if that will work, we shall see !

So in the meantime this is what I can up with for this weeks lovely sketch by Olena at Inspirational Card Sketchers - I like working with squares so I naturally love this one and have combined it with this weeks Christmas in August theme from Creative Card Crew.

Gives me the chance to get out the new Christmas Penny Black stamps again and do a few more samples for Sir Stampalots big Christmas launch weekend which is running over 29th & 30th August 10-4 both day. Lots planned including in store demos, all the new Penny Black, Hero, Mangenta, Tilda etc products and 'on the day specials' as well. Make a note in your diaries. And you can bet on some eats and drinks as well to keep your energy levels up - well crafting can be exhausting, especially choosing all those new goodies.

The snowflake stamp is PB3933H and the DP's Joly Holly from Fancy Pants. Main image is stamped with versamark and embossed with detail white. The corners on the squares were cut using Martha Steward doily lace punch and the corners of the main card run through the bug and embossed with one of the fancy corners folders. Poinsettia flowers made using a punch and gems added to embellish. It's a pretty simple card, but sometimes that's all it takes and I quite like the finished article.

Inspirational Card Sketchers plus........

I am such a fan of Dawn B's sketches and this one for Inspirational Card Sketchers is no exception especially as it's not dissimilar to a design I often use on my demo and class cards (one for classes at Sir Stamplaot using My Minds Eye DP's is due an airing this week). And a first for me I have managed to incorporate four challenges into one, in honest this is a bit of a cop out as Creative Card Crew has the theme "Polkadots", Everybody Art Challenges "Dots and Stripes" and Spoonful of Sugar rounds things up nicely with "Swirls".

I have based my card around these very pretty coordinating DP's from Scrappy Cat, stamping onto some of the cut sections with Hero Leaf Flourish F5042 using Stayzon black. The swirl has been cut on Cricut home accents, inked with Adirondack acrylic dabbers and dipped in crystal glitter whilst still wet. Buttons, ribbon, slide, flowers and gems added to embellish.

Inspirational Card Sketchers

My first card of the day is for Inspirational Card Sketchers, another of Dawn B great sketches to follow.

I started with another of the new Penny Black Christmas stamps 3984K available now from Sir Stampalot with one my favourite messy techniques ....... what better way to start the day than elbow deep in inks, glue, acetate, an old book and kitchen foil ........ anyone who wants to try this out I go into it detail here.

The oval and swirl were cut on cricut Plantin Schoolbook and home accents. I stamped over the top oval with Magenta crackle background 32090M with Stayzon sepia and Hero script writing with H2365 and Tim Holtz tattered straw. I also roughed up the edges of the oval and distressed with the same TH ink. The scroll was stippled with Adirondack gold acrylic dabber. The greeting is Art Impression F3143. DP is from stash and gems added to finish.

Inspiratonal Card Sketchers

Before I move on to my card, thought I'd better update you on my second opinion this morning as lots of you have kindly asked. Whilst nothing is certain at this moment, they have agreed the previous guy's proposals were rather radical ........ I'll say, removing all my front teeth. Lots of xrays which they are going to assess with a view to starting remedial treatment next Thursday. To be honest I haven't asked too many questions, prefer not to know exactly what they are going to do, sufficient for me at this point to know they are going to try and repair the damage to save my teeth, rather than take what they called "the easy option" suggested last week. So I am more than pleased that I pressed for this second opinion.

On to my card which is following another super sketch on ICS this week, a bit different and lovely to work with. I worked a bit in reverse with this one as I had decided I wanted to use a DP from Fancy Pants ........ two weeks stroking is enough I think ? I cut the top band and bottom tab using Cricut storybook, then laid a piece of the reverse across the middle of my base card which is a nice limey green which picks out the buds on the DP.

The image is Stampendous N152 stamped with Brilliance med blue and olive, I then inked the whole piece, which was an offcut from my main card, with versamark and embossed with detail clear giving a nice sheen to the image. All finished of with some blue cord, flowers, buttons and gems. All in all quite a quick simple card.

Inspirational Card Sketchers & Passion for Promarkers

Don't wish to turn this into a gory vamparian blog........isn't that a lovely word -checked it out and it's a real one......but so many of you have kindly asked what's happening with my little 'problem' though I should update.

The prognosis was not good, it seems at some point I've had a fracture in my upper jaw ....... no idea when, how or why it never showed up before, but me thinks it probably got lost or overlooked amongst other symptoms of TMJ and Trigeminal Neuralgia the last couple of years ........yes got both, part of my MS package, aren't' I the lucky one. They say that this damage in turn led to cracks in the roots of my two top front teeth, both of which had root canal treatment and post crowns fitted years ago. Three weeks ago one came loose and the dentist put it back in, along with an infection it seems........I'm not suggesting anything here, but........it's led to an awful lot of tissue damage, my speech is still not right and the pains not totally gone.

The immediate answer was to remove all front teeth as the repair work would be so extensive and financially prohibitive (to the NHS I figure and I don't have to pay normally because of my health issues)........I've asked for a second opinion and that's next week.

So on to proper stuff, this card follows another of Dawns great sketches for ICS - she's amazing coming up with something so different every week and a the first time for me Passion for Promarkers ........ where the requirement is to us "Moss & Poppy but there is a twist this week, you have to include something tasty". Well as they arrived yesterday, I've had a little play and Jules says's she expects no less what option do I have ?

The image is Sarah Kay with her picnic basket (I know it's got something tasty inside) stamped with versafine black and embossed with detail clear. I have no idea if this is how you are intended to use Promarkers, but as the restriction is two colours and my first outing with them I was struggling to get the lighter shades for the hat and basket, so I tried lifting colour from the pen with the blender (exactly the same method that works with Marvey le Plumes) and it seemed to provide the effect I wanted.

I also discovered ........ I know I'm probably teaching you veteran Promarker users to suck eggs ........ that if I inked the leaves and cherries (cut on Cricut storybook and Stretch your Imagination) with the thick end it was wet enough to dip into detail clear embossing powder so I got the nice shiny finish I get when I do this with brilliance ink. The DP's are The Paper Company and mat cut with Nesties on the Cuttlebug. Sentiment is Art Impression.

Think I've got a way to go with this Promarker technique, but I'm sort of happy with my first effort.

Inspirational Card Sketchers

There is another of Dawns fab sketches to follow on ICS's challenge this week.

My main image is Magenta P0542 a stamp that lends itself to so well to decoupage. I have stamped the image four times, one onto linen cardstock and three times onto vellum all with versafine black and clear embossing powder and coloured with Twinkling H2o's to match my DP which is My Minds Eye.

Flowers on the main image have been decoupaged as have those in the corners and laid over leaves cut on Cricut Storybook which have been coloured with the same medium.

Inspirational Card Sketchers 20

This week ICS have a fab sketch, don't know why but this morning I woke up thinking brown and turquoise ........ sad I know, dreaming craft, but I know for a fact that I'm not alone here, so of course this was the basis for my card.

DP's are K&Co and the image one I've had for years from Hampton Arts DF4513 - it's called 'Fan's hat' so figure this is Fanny wearing it ? The image is stamped in versamark and embossed with detail copper onto a Glimmer Misted background of ........ you've guessed, turquoise and brown - well actually creme da chocolate if we are being exact. I added a piece of lace an a flower in Fanny's hat.

Inspirational Card Sketchers

Yes another one, this time for ICS challenge which is another of Dawn B's wonderful sketches which are always a delight to work with. I am also combining this with this weeks Creative Card Crew where Sheila has set the theme "Child's Play" - card's for a child. Really being spoilt today as I so like sketches and still have another to go, but saving that for later when it cools down a bit ........ and after the ironing which I have been resisting for days, but there's been desperate cry's for uncreased shirts in this house, so needs must I guess.

And I've gone cutise again, grief I seem to getting a liking for these Sarah Kay stamps, but they do go so well with pretty DP's and I have an abundance of them ........ one can never have too many can they (cummon all agree with me)? I have stamped around the main image with various Art Impression and Penny Black stamps ........ I think the reason I have always found cutise difficult is because I have issues with a solitary figure, so building up the scene somehow makes me happy.

The image is stamped with vesafine black, embossed with detail clear and coloured with marvy pens. Also added some glitter to her belt and hat. DP's are My Minds Eye, leaf cut on cricut, inked with a pale yellow chalk eye and embossed, again with detail clear to give it some shine. The mat was cut on the cuttlebug using nesties.

Inspirational Card Sketchers 16

The challenge from ICS this week is a great sketch by Dawn B. Unusually for me I started with my DP'd, I usually think stamp, then work around it, but I love the colours of this paper and really wanted to use them.

The DP's are Basic Grey and the image two stamps (branch and birdie) from a Hero set LP140, which I simply stamped with versafine sepia and embossed with detail clear. Gems, ribbon and button added to finish off.