Beauty for Ashes! VLVVerve and MORE!

I am back from a long weekend in Virginia visiting my sister.  It was fun and we totally shopped til we dropped.  My parents road with us and we all had a blast.  We took my mom out for a belated Birthday dinner celebration on Saturday night.  She was alittle beside herself with the restaurant crew came out singing their Birthday song very loud.  The look on her face was priceless.  

As for me, I was really amazed at how cheap the gas prices were in Va.  It was $3.17 on Friday.  It is $3.68 here in NC.  What is up with that?     Anyway, enough chit chat.  On to the card for today. 


I am using the Viva La Verve Sketch Week 4.  Charmaine is the host this week.  I love this clean and simple sketch design.  I forced myself to keep this card a little CAS for me.  I am using Verve's Miracles Blossom and Isaiah 61:3 Plain Jane for my card.  I did sneak in the grid panel from the newly released Making a Statement.  I thought it created a cool textural background.  I stamped it on an angle behind the sentiment.   All the Anniversary sets and dies can still be purchased at a special discount.  Check out the link to find out more.

As always thanks so much for stopping by!

I am playing along with a few blog challenges!
CR84FN36 Color Challenge(kraft in designer paper and inks)

Designed 2 Delight Anything Goes Inspire Me Fridays Anything Goes Crafty Ann's scallops and or fancy bordersPhindy’s Place something new(MME sunshine paper)

Poodles Parlour anything goesSimply Create distress Art Impressions Stamps Challenge Anything Goes Craft Us Crazy  Anything Goes Paper Crafting Journey Anything Goes Stamp Insanity Anything Goes Stampin' B's Distressing The Paper Variety Use thread Ruby's Rainbow Stitching Try It On Tuesday - Anything Goes

Supplies:  Verve stamps

Paper:  MME Lost and Found Sunshine, Flourishes Classic Ivory, PTI true black

Ink:  Momento Tuxedo Black,Vintage Photo, straw, pumice stone

Accessories:  Cream seam binding,  gold buttons, sewing machine, gold pearls, Quickie glue pen, Stampendous glitter, Spellbinder's frame for border, copics, 

 

Flourishes Timeless Tuesday Challenge FTTC316 and MORE!

Happy Tuesday!  It is time for Flourishes FTTC316 Challenge!  This week Maki is the challenge host!  Maki is challenging us to create a card or project to give to a child under thirteen years of age!  We would love to see what you create!

This card is also for today's SCS CC321! Black Cherry Crumbs! Check out the link to find out how to play along and to see what scrumptious dessert option we have for you this week!

I am using Flourishes Apple of My Eye (sentiment) and lightly overstamped sentiment with the bunnies from the Spring is Sprung sets. Where is my flower you might ask? Okay, I must admit the challenge to create something for a kid totally threw me or should I say challenged me?   Luckily, my Melissa Francis Vintage Attic Treasures paper pack was perfect since it has little children  playing around on some of the pieces in the pack.  Awesome, right? Totally simple for me and cute.  I figure the whimscal vintage paper and the sentiment were kid friendly enough.  At least I hope so.   

 
Check out the other blog team designers to see what they created!

Cindy   Dee   Silke   Maki,  Tammy, and 
May's  Guest Designer Brenda O'Rear (Benzi)

I have entered my card in a few blog challenges. Back with those in a few!

I have entered my card in a few blog challenges.

Totally Gorjuss:  1,2,3(One bow, two stitched panels, three layered frame shapes staggered)

Delightful Challenge:Distressing

Paper Romance: Summer(kids playing outside)!

Creative Friday:  Open Theme

Stamptacular Sunday Challenge and MORE!

Happy Sunday!  Time for another Stamptacular Sunday Challenge 81!  This week is all about colors!  We have a color combo challenge.  We are using orange, lime green, plum, ivory, and optional black!  I really love playing around with color.  A major factor in dealing with colors is color ratios.   Does one color dominate the whole card, or do all the colors get equal showing?  Which formula for color works on my card?   I decided to play around a bit with these colors and made three different looks.   The changes are fairly subtle, however, it was fun just to see how changing a few color things really changed the look and feel of the card.  For my cards I am using ODBD Serenity Prayer stamp.  I stamped it in versamark and embossed in black.  I heavily sponged the edges with marigold ranger distress ink mixed with some pumpkin pie.   This portion of the card remained the same on all three cards. 

This card uses an ivory base.  I opted for a bold striped and neutral colored patterned background dp that is sewn to a black and ivory panel.  I inked the ivory panel with plum pudding ink.  I added a pumpkin pie textured panel and two photo corner punch accents that were also textured.  I added a  butterfly that I softly sponged with green and plum inks to finish my card.  This card has very little green.  Aside from the actual flower on the button, the only other green is the sponging on the butterfly.

The card to the right, I kept the majority of the card base and background layer.  However, I did add plum pudding and chartreuse panels to the card base to add more of two colors from the color choices.  I layered the butterfly with chartreuse and plum pudding and added one 1/4" circle punch to the flower on the button in plum pudding. The green is still used the least with a bit more of the plum showing. 

For the top card,  I opted to use a whole black base.  I added the stitched panel, but instead of the bold black and ivory stripe bottom on the background layer, I added a green pattern that I used vertically to give the illusion of vertical stripes. I also moved the two plum pudding corner punch accents from opposite corners in the first two cards to sitting on the right side of the main focal panel.  I think with the addition of the layered butterfly the right side of the card needed more elements to give a sense of balance.  At least to me, anyway.  Also, I felt since the plum was the least dominant of the colors, keeping the plum elements closer together gave it more impact eventhough it is used less. 

While the key elements are pretty much the same, I really think these subtle changes give each card a different feel.   However, for these three cards, neutrals still received the biggest percentage of use on all three.  Funny, huh?  Also, the backgrounds were altered not the focal image.  What would the card look like if I changed just the pumpkin pie panel and kept the background the same?  This is why of all challenges, color combo challenges can be the most challenging and the most fun!  I could keep on changing color and little color aspects of the card.  Pretty cool when you really think about it.

My card is for a few more challenges!

Stamping In Time (SNTODBD20)!  Embossing Powders!

The Shabby Tea Room Week 32- Inspiration Picture!

Stampin' Royalty 42-  Ribbon!

Speedy the Cat's Challenge 26- Die cuts!

Tip Top Tuesday Challenge 7- Anything Goes!

Allsorts Week 75:  Spots and Stripes!

One Stitch at a Time:  All Celebrations!

As always, thanks so much for stopping by!