MDSM7 Friends

It's Tara's turn to give us a layout for the MDS Monday challenge.

I'm finishing up my Aruba pages now, and I was able to create three pages while laying around recovering from the red-eye and jet lag.  So glad MDS is easy to do while lounging in bed!

My page for this week ended up being a second page of a two-page layout; the first being one I designed a few weeks ago for MDS Monday.  Helps the book flow better, but maybe not so exciting for the viewers.  Hope you don't mind!

You can refer to my previous post for how I made the background.

Notice the little flower embellishment.  I used a Freeform layer to color it... attempting to make a plumeria blossom.  I was so pleased to find some plumeria in the backyard of the house we rented.  The video to do this is in the MDS Monday How-To's section, under Brush Tool.

MDS Elements: Stamps: French Foliage, Tropical Party, Days to Remember overlay, Natural Composition Overlays; Paper: Crumb Cake Textured, First Edition; Color Palette: Pink Pirouette, Midnight Muse, Crumb Cake, Basic Gray, Whisper White; Accessories: Simple Stitches, Mis-Stitched, Downtown Grunge frame; Font: Scriptina, Segoe Script.

Thanks for stopping by!

Summer Starfruit Smiles

I was looking around for an inspiring sketch to help get a thank you card made.  And I really wanted to do something in black & white with pencil shading. Here's what I came up with.

You can see some shading I did on the flower.  I sketched some petal veins and then rubbed in the lines with my finger.

This card was inspired by CAS(E) this Sketch #14.

Stamps: Reason to Smile, Oh, Hello, Fabulous Phrases; Paper: Whisper White, Patio Party DSP; Ink: Basic Gray; Accessories: 2-1/2" Circle punch, Pencil, Dimensionals.

Thanks for stopping by!

Thank You in Grunge

Some snow day stamping...  There's a new challenge on Splitcoaststampers, Mix-Ability.  Each Friday we get to get our feet wet with mixed media projects.  I'm jumping in with the second challenge, Hard to Resist.  The first suggestion was to use emboss resist, but I opted to try acrylic resist.

For this, I used flat white acrylic paint, so it didn't quite resist the ink as expected; maybe that shimmer factor in the paint is necessary.  Still kinda funky look, so I kept sponging more colors to get something I liked.  I also used white acrylic paint for the chalkboard-type sentiment.  That stamp (don't you love it?) is from the Dude, You're Welcome kit.

I wanted to turn this card a little feminine, so I added the Eastern Blooms branch, but used some grungy flowers.  They were punched out of a spare faux mother of pearl scrap I had, which has already been sponged with Cajun Craze ink.

Stamps: Dude, You're Welcome, Eastern Blooms, Gratuitous Graffiti; Paper: Summer Starfruit, Basic Black, Very Vanilla, Whisper White; Ink: Summer Starfruit, Cajun Craze, Basic Gray, Whisper White Craft, Black Stazon; Accessories: Pearl Jewels, Eyelets, Hemp twine, Frost White shimmer paint, Itty Bitty punch pack, Sponges, Apothecary Accents framelits, Big Shot, White colored pencil, White acrylic paint.

Thanks for stopping by!

FM96 It's About Time

What's black and white and read all over?  That's a question that popped into my head while thinking about this week's Friday Mashup challenge.  And what's it got to do with time?  Well, I thought since we were challenged to use black, I would go back in time and make a black and white card.

Source

So here is the "Mashup" Challenge:

1. Make a project with a "Time Theme".

2. Or Make a project using the "Color Black".

3. Or "Mash it Up" and create a project with a " Time theme using the color Black".

Of course I had to add some Newsprint DSP to my card.  The B&W photo focal point was created by brayering with Basic Gray ink.  The umbrella was paper-pieced, and the watches were stamped on a spare piece of faux mother of pearl card stock I had in the scrap pile.

Stamps: Rue Des Fleurs, Loving Thoughts; Paper: Basic Black, Very Vanilla, Whisper White, Newsprint DSP; Ink: Basic Gray, Basic Black, Black Stazon, Basic Gray marker, Basic Black marker; Accessories: Pearl Jewels, Dotted Scallop Ribbon border punch, Color Spritzer Tool, Aquapainter, Brayer, Lacy Brocade EF, Big Shot, Dimensionals.

Thanks for stopping by!

Jar of Hearts

A few weeks back, I saw a card created by Holly, and I knew I had to make a jar of hearts.  I'm throwing this one back at her for Sunday Stamps.  Hope you don't mind, Holly!

I created the sentiment in My Digital Studio.

This card is using the sketch from Sunday Stamps

and colors from Stampin' Celebration Inspiration Challenge.

And while I'm at it, I'll add this card to this month's Holiday-focus Creative Crew challenge, Love.

Stamps: Perfectly Preserved; Paper: Primrose Petals, Cherry Cobbler, Early Espresso, Very Vanilla, Whisper White, More Amore DSP; Ink: ; Accessories: Cherry Cobbler baker's twine, Small Heart punch, Cannery Set framelits, Fashionable Hearts embosslit, Big Shot, Dimensionals; MDS Stamps: Pinwheels on Parade; Font: Bodini MT Poster.

Thanks for stopping by!

I Left My Heart in San Francisco

There will be a slight disruption in our regularly-scheduled broadcasting.  We came home from a whirlwind weekend in San Francisco.  I'm not sure if I left my heart there, but the warm weather is certainly in the rear-view mirror.  It is taking some effort to recover from the red-eye flight.  Missy asked, as soon as we landed, "Are my eyes red?"  So literal... kids, these days.

We saw sea lions and visited Alcatraz.  There was tall redwoods, clam chowder, bridges, and cable cars.  I think we hit most of the tourist traps, and enjoyed every minute of it.  What an adventure!

I should throw together a scrappy page, but I'm exhausted.  In an effort to stretch the time until I have a crafty post, I'll share a couple of my favorite girl-time photos with you.  Here we are indulging in the ultimate chocolate decadence at Ghiradelli Square.

And people-watching at Union Square.  

Thanks for stopping by!

FM95 Spring Colors, Fall Leaves

Today's Friday Mashup challenge involves color and a non-stamped sentiment.

Image Source
© Misty Sprouse Photography  

So here is the "Mashup" Challenge:

1. Make a project with the colors "Raspberry Ripple, Daffodil Delight & Old Olive".
2. Or Make a project "Creating your own Sentiment (No Stamps, Stickers, Chipboard etc.).
3. Or "Mash it Up" and create a project "With your own Sentiment using the Colors above".

I was trying to make a flower, butterfly, or bird card, but I just wasn't getting that Spring feeling with it being 5 degrees today.  I thought I could swing a leaf card with the color palette.

I feel guilty to make a clean & simple card... 'cause they just are too quick.  I could add an embellishment, but I think I'll be sending this card to a male, so best to leave it as it is.  See the splatter?  I tried the flick technique using an aquapainter shown at Convention on this card.

For the sentiment, I actually built the card up in MDS first and ended up printing out the sentiment on card stock.  On re-reading the challenge, I think I was suppose to type up my own sentiment.  Oops!

I also used Retro Sketch #47.

Stamps: French Foliage, Hugs & Wishes (MDS); Paper: Basic Gray, Very Vanilla; Ink: Daffodil Delight, Old Olive, Raspberry Ripple, Basic Gray reinker; Accessories: Aquapainter, Sponges, Perfect Polka Dot EF, Big Shot.

Thanks for stopping by!