Same Sketch 66, New Midweek Throwdown

Today's card is my interpretation of this week's Stars & Stamps midweek throwdown... making an Any Hero card.

I'm not sure why, but I've always thought that Any Hero cards shouldn't be overly embellished.  Obviously I want it to look nice, but I try to always keep them gender neutral and somewhat "flat." This is about as flat as you can get!

To make the "thank you" sentiment stand out, I decided to mask an area so when I used my script stamp so it would leave a void.  Once I stamped the sentiment, it appeared to just be floating and needed to be grounded.  I tried to faux stitch around the sentiment but it looked extremely goofy.

I started over.  This time I masked outside the area for the sentiment using sticky notes.  Once I got the desired amount of distress stain, I removed the stickies and applied a mask on top of the distressed area then stamped my script stamp.  I removed the mask and stamped the sentiment.

Sentiment is Hero Arts and the red star paper is from Basic Grey's "Life of the Party."

Thanks for reading!  Hope you get a chance to get crafty!

**After thought/note to self:  A picture with each step might be easier to follow**

Last week's throwdown, this week's sketch

Stars & Stamp's throwdown last week was to make a monochromatic card and I really wanted to attempt this challenge. This week's Sunday Sketch looked daunting to me but also seemed like a good time to try the monochromatic thing.  

With any challenge, I like to use scraps, cut into the right measurements, then I try to figure out what papers, stamps and embellishments I'm going to use for the real card.  I love it when a card totally comes together by accident!  My scraps started looking monochromatic... Then I found the text paper in my stash. TA-DA!  All I needed was an embellishment.

My sister let me borrow her EK Success label punch but it felt too big. So, playing around, I put the punched label, partially back into the punch, punched again and viola, a whole different shaped label! I think I need to own this punch.

I know the sentiment should probably have been stamped in brown, but I just couldn't do it.  I thought the card needed a punch of color. Plus I had this tiny blue ribbon handy.  Overall, I liked the finished product.  Hope you do too!

Happy crafting everyone!  I'm off to check out what this week's Stars & Stamps Midweek Throwdown has in store.

S&S Sketch Challege 65

I can't begin to tell you how excited I was when I finished this card using this week's S&S Sketch #65.  Those who know me, know I have a really hard time using more than one patterned paper at a time on a card and here I've used three! So, not only have I stepped way outside my box, it has to be the fastest card I've ever created! 

The paper was a gift from a good friend enabler friend.  It's Basic Grey's "Life of the Party" 6x6 pad.  The present stamp is a mini set out of a dollar bin and the sentiment is Hero Arts CL184.  I double stamped the present -- once on the cream and once on the patterned paper.  Cut the box part out & popped it with dimensional tape. The ribbon is from my stash and the bow was made with the "bow easy" (it was more handy than walking to the kitchen for a serving fork).

Thanks for taking time to read this post.  I hope you have a wonderful (and crafty) upcoming week!

S&S Sketch 64 x 2

With the Phantom out of town, I decided to play at my desk a little and work on this past Sunday's Stars & Stamp's Sketch (#64).  For a second time now, I boldly decided to leave my primary scrap supplies at the Gorilla when I left last weekend. I'm trying to force myself to use supplies that I have but never use!

On both of these cards I used Tim Holtz "Tissue Tape" along the left side and bottom.  On the more feminine card I chose to leave it as is, off the roll.  On the more masculine card I made it a little more "vintage" using Tea Dye Distress Ink.

Everything else was purchased long, long, long ago with exception of the lace.  My Sister graciously gave me globs of her lace (making only a dent in her "stash") that she recently purchased at Fancy Gap Pottery & Fabric in Southwest Virginia.  Thanks Sis!

I hope your weekend is fantastic!  Thanks for taking time to stop by!

Crafty Weekend at the Gorilla

Last weekend a couple of friends joined me at the Gorilla for a "girls weekend of crafting."  We had big fun relaxing, laughing and eating chocolate (before and after dinner...and breakfast...and lunch)!

I didn't get 101 cards made like Dixie, but I'm "ok" with that!  I had just as much fun with the 3 cards I made...

My main objective was to make my interpretation of S&S sketch #63 even though I had already missed the deadline (that would be the top card). Thank you, Dixie, for the flat bling!  I have to get some of those. 

Card bottom left: I was simply playing with the Distress Ink and water resistance technique.  In the center of the flowers I used Black Diamond Stickles.

Card bottom right: I was playing with a new embossing folder.  I am very tempted to say this is my interpretation of this week's S&S sketch #64.  But I still have time to perhaps come up with a second card.  The body of the butterfly was punched in black then covered in diamond glaze not only for a little "pop" but to help make the antennae a little more stable. Only three areas of the wings are popped with dimensional adhesive.

Thanks for reading!  I hope there's lots of card making and crafting going on this weekend!

S&S Sketch Challenges 60 & 61

Let me start by saying that I know the rest of ya'll have moved on and are currently playing with or even finished three mid-week challenges and sketch challenge 62.  I've been unable to craft for several weeks so I'm trying to catch up.  The goal was to do challenges 60, 61 and 62...that was until I saw that challenge 62 was a three-fer!  Helllooo!  I can't keep up with one sketch at a time, much less 3 in one week!  

So I took a deep breath and attacked the last two I missed.  Here are my interpretations.

Sketch 60

Sketch 61

Thanks for reading!  Have a great rest of the weekend...

Inspiration?

It's a lovely day where I am today and after the last couple we've had, it was a welcome change.  While letting my dogs out I noticed the shadow of a weed and it reminded me of a punch that I have.

Do you suppose Martha got her inspiration for this punch from a weed?

I hope that you have a wonderful weekend!