Penny Black after a long time…

I adore penny black images but had stopped using them because I wasn’t having a good luck with the clear stamps. However I couldn’t resist any further and decided to give them another try! Sorry about the blurry image…didn’t know that the macro function was off on the camera when I took the photo

Stamped the image in Brilliant Black. Colored using prismacolor pencils and OMS. Sponged the panel with Broken China distress ink. Stamped the sentiment using memento black and cut it out. Popped the panel on dimensions and then the sentiment on top of it. The two glasses are also popped up but thanks to the blurry photo they’re hardly visible. Added some Crystal stickles to the hearts.

• Stamps: Penny Black Good Catch and hero Arts Cuckoo
• Paper: PTI
• Others: Memento black, Brilliant black, broken china distress ink, crystal stickles, prismacolor pencils, OMS.

WMS #42

I love WMS sketch challenges!! Somehow their sketches always manage to motivate me! Here’s the sketch for this week’s challenge.

This time I must say I’ve my own interpretation of the sketch. I always look at the sketch when the challenge is posted and then make the card based on what I remember of the sketch or how it inspired me.

I’d to make a wedding card for a relative and Indian weddings are all about bright colors and glitter (in the form of rhinestones, sequins or the more expensive diamond and gold). So that was my second inspiration for this card.

I stamped the round frames from Inkadinkado stamps in Bamboo and Dark green inks. Then I (masked and) stamped the flower from Jolies Fleurs. Colored the flowers using prismacolor pencils and OMS. It was after a long long time that I was coloring a card . Glued a rhinestone on the centers of the flowers. Cut the label using Cricut and SCAL. Stamped the sentiment from Flourished Words in Tuxedo black. Outlined the frames with Diamond stickles. Here’s a better view of the bling:

• Paper: PTI white and Orange zest
• Stamps: Inkadinkado Rounded Frames Clear stamp set, Lizzie Anne Designs Jolies Fleurs, Flourishes Flourished Words
• Others: Rhinestone, Diamond stickles, Prismacolor pencils, OMS, Cricut, SCAL.

CPS 161

This was actually for CPS 161 but I forgot to post it on time :(. The color scheme is based on SCS CC 237. The color combo was a change from my usual ones, I love to use black. It adds a certain definition to the card. I’ve had this image from a swap for a long time and thought it was finally time to show it the light of the day :).

Supplies: SU! stamp, Flourished flourished words, dew drops look-alike, prismacolor pencils, OMS.

Bookmark this!

That’s the challenge at Spoonful of sugar this weekend. For long I’d been thinking of making myself a bookmark. Considering that I’m an avid reader and a crafter, it seemed weird that I used the library receipt as the bookmark! So this challenge forced me to make one for myself :) and this image seemed to be just perfect! I also printed a quote at teh back but forgot to take a photo of it :(.

I colored the image using prismacolor pencils – the toughest challenge was coloring the peacock in non-peacock colors and I think I’ve achieved that to my satisfaction. I then dotted the peacock feathers with liquid pearls and outlined them with stickles.

Supplies: Image from a swap, Wasau CS, prismacolor pencils, OMS, stardust stickles, liquid pearls, white gel pen.

Sketch Saturday challenge #94

The moment I saw the sketch on Sketch Saturday, I knew I wanted to make a card using this sketch and I also knew which stamp I was going to use :).

The napkins on the mice are paper pieced and so is the cupcake wrapper. The cupcake is popped up on dimensionals. The center embellishment was created by cutting a circle from felt and stitching a button on top of it. I recently bought lot of felt in various colors and was waiting to use it :).

Supplies: DCWV PP and CS, fiskars corner punch, Favorite findings button, acrylic felt, grosgrain ribbon, penny black acrylic stamps, Prismacolor pencils, OMS.

SC 213

I picked this sketch from the sketch challenge at SCS – SC 213. It was so much fun to work with and somehow everything just fell into place! :) I’m glad I used an image from a swap that I received long back.

 

Supplies: DCWV PP, Bazzill CS, autumn leaves buttons, felt, nestabilities, stardust stickles, grosgrain ribbon, prismacolor pencils, OMS

CPS 155

This sketch was so easy to work with – loved doing it. You can see the challenge at CPS 155.

I put some liquid pearls on the ribbon as it was looking too vacant without it.

Supplies: DCWV CS, Textiles EF, flower, liquid pearl, button, corner rounder punch.

Create Your Own Friday #7 – Masculine and stand-up card

I wanted to force myself into making a masculine card and at the same time I was bent over making a stand-up card so I thought why not combine the two into one! After all men should also get a chance to get some unique cards :)

Many people would gawk at the use of red color in a masculine card but I…nah! I think men shouldn’t be given a break from all those boring dull colors! :)

I got this image in a swap long back and the sentiment too.

Supplies: DCWV and Bazzill CS, white brads, copper eyelet, prismacolor pencils, OMS

Create Your Own Friday #4 – Easel card

Here’s another new thing that I tried for CYOF – an easel card. You can get the tutorial at SCS. It’s quite easy to make except you need to think about how to design the bottom so that the easel would stand up. Maybe it would be easier if you have a sturdier cardstock. Maybe using my Wasau 92 lb would’ve been better than using the DCWV. I had a hard time deciding how and where to place the brad. I wanted this card to be masculine enough and so that struck off a whole lot of embellies that I could’ve used :). For the sentiment I wanted to give it a look such that it’s a sign hanging from a nail.

And that made me reckon, everywhere we go we see all this for ladies – apparel, shoes, accessories and what not. In Chennai, there’s a street that has shops selling sarees or jewellery! Can you imagine what a heaven it must be for women (except me :))?!?! Even here in US, my DH always says that I have so many options to choose from when it comes to clothes but for men there isn’t so much variety. It’s the same for masculine vs. feminine cards! When it comes to making the latter, my mind is filled with options – oh I can use the liquid pearls or the flowers or the rhinestones etc.; for men it’s the other way round – oh I *cannot* use the rhinestones or flowers or… you get the picture :)

Ok let’s get to the important things – my card

Supplies: DCWV CS and PP; Prismacolor pencils; clear EP; brads; crop-a-dile

SC262 and CC253

One card and two challenges! This card uses the color combo of Color Combination 253 and the sketch from Sketch Challenge 262 at SCS.

This image is from Inkadinkado set. I like the way I popped up a part of the wing and there’s some glitter on it. The background was created using the PTI Guide Lines two.

Supplies: DCWV and Bazzill CS, Prismacolor pencils, OMS, Stardust stickles, Prima flowers, dew drop, sheer ribbon, scallop scissors, Inkadinkado stamp, PTI guide lines two stamp set, white gel pen.

Laura’s sketch 35

Laura’s sketch 35 was a lovely sketch to work on. Once I knew what image I was going to use, the rest was a breeze :). Otherwise it takes me eons to decide what DPs I want in a particular card!

• Stamps: Magnolia
• CS and PP: DCWV and Bazzill
• Prismacolor pencils, OMS, Sticker, pop dots, brads

SC06 – SCS sketch challenge

For those familiar with SCS would notice that this challenge is prefixed SC and not SCS, can you imagine how old this challenge must be? :) This sketch was really a challenge for me and I loved it!

• Stamp: Penny black
• PP and CS: DCWV and Bazzill
• Prismacolor pencils, buttons, grosgrain ribbon, vellum, crop-a-dile, scallop scissors.

Penny black parade

I’m trying to devote one week to one stamp set so that I ink as many stamps as possible. Let me tell its very hard – the feeling that you’ve to stick to just one stamp set in one week!! I’m trying…:)

So here’s another hedgie from Penny Black for 2S4Y challenge. I made the border of the circle using the tiny flower punch and added a white dot topped with stickles to the flower centers. I think that was the most time taking part of the card! LOL!

• Stamps: Penny black
• CS and PP: DCWV and Bazzill
• Prismacolor pencils, OMS, flower punch, ribbon, stickles.

caardvarks challenge

Caardvarks has some lovely sketches for their challenge! If you haven’t seen them check them out at caardvarks challenge.

This is what I made for their challenge, its based on sketch #1. I popped the feet, the scallop circle and the sentiment on dimensionals and the gift is paper pierced.

Hmm…looks like I’m going for the soft look these days!

• Stamps: Penny black
• PP and CS: DCWV and Bazzill
• Prismacolor pencils, ribbon, white gel pen, rhinestones, pop dots.

Laura’s sketch #33

Here’s my entry for 2S4Y Laura’s sketch 33 challenge.

There are tiny rhinestones on the flowers and piercing all along the scalloped border. Maybe I should’ve colored the bird brown and that would have been appropriate with the color scheme. I’m into using my PPs these days because I have way too many!!

• Stamp: Unity
• CS and PP: DCWV and Bazzill
• Prismacolor pencils, flower sticker, rhinestones, white gel pen, piercing needle, scallop scissors, cuttelbug embossing folder.

Super woman!

I’m not so fond of Bellas because they don’t give me ample playground for coloring and I love to color! Most of these I get through image swaps. Somehow for this bella I’d a catchy saying so I was motivated to make this card. In fact I’d been thinking of making it for mother’s day with the saying “for the super-mom” but never got a chance so here’s what I did…

I was so keen on using eggplant CS for this and just couldn’t decide what PPs would go with it. After spending couple of hours on just picking the right paper, I think it wasn’t a bad choice :).

The trailing hair and cloak is popped on pop dots. I created the sentiment using MS alphabet set and then clear embossed it.

• Stamps: Bella, MS alphabet set
• CS and Paper: DCWV and Bazzill Smoothies
• Nestbailities, Prismacolor pencils, ribbon, white gel pen, pop dots, clear EP.

CSP124

Yippee! One more challenge done! This card took me a really long time, actually not the card but the image. I’d colored it about a month back but I just wasn’t sure what sentiment to attach with it. First I thought “I’d flip for you” but that didn’t make sense to me, then I found “king of the grill” but that wouldn’t be too useful in my family as we don’t do BBQ…another one that came to my mind - “Have a smoky day”…finally settled on “Lets’ Celebrate”. It seemed universally applicable :).

Oh and I made it for the CPS124 challenge. It appears that I’m into flipping sketches these days!

How is it for a manly card? I think I’m getting more comfortable making manly cards since I shred my stereotypes that manly cards should be in earthy tones and yadda yadda yadda. The sentiment is embossed with clear EP. Something new that I tried with this card – I didn’t use OMS blending instead I blended using the pencils itself. That brings a bright touch to the coloring.

• Stamps: from an image swap
• Paper: DCWV – Taj Mahal paper stack and DCWV CS.
• Black ink, clear EP, Prismacolor pencils.

Finally…

…I was able to make a masculine card to my satisfaction. I hope it does look masculine to others too :). It also fits in with the Something yellow, blue and green challenge at Stamp Something.

I created the background paper using some ol’ forgotten foam stamps that I had and which I thought I would never be able to use :). Can you believe it – this is the first time I’ve used Versamark?!?! I’ve been stamping for over a year now and had never used Versamark ?!?! Which world was I in :-?. Then I created the sentiment using another set which I didn’t have any hopes of being money-well-spent; it does have a weird “r”, almost looks like a “z”.

• Stamps: SU! Angler, CTMH amore lowercase, Summer cuties
• Paper: DCWV
• Prismacolor pencils, OMS, brads, clear EP, heat gun, versamark

Ismaki Challenge

The moment I saw this week’s sketch at Ismaki, I knew I wanted to make a card on the sletch – it is so beautiful and different! Totally fell in love with it.

The sketch:

The card:

I liked the way it came out and did you see what I did with the leaves of the palm trees?!?!? Instead of popping the leaves exactly on the image, I interleaved it to give a richer foliage.

• Stamps:  Riley
• Paper: DCWV and Bazzill
• VersaColor Orange ink, prismacolor pencils, OMS, Stickles stardust, Nestabilities, Crochet thread, crop-a-dile

Jolies Fleurs rocks!

When I bought this stamp set, a year ago, I liked it but I didn’t know I would love it THIS much! :). It’s been a year since I’ve had it and never have I repeated a design. Somehow I’m able to see the same elements in a new light. I’m surprised at the flexibility that they offer. The silver lining is their price!

No I’m not their DT.

No I don’t get a commission from them.

Just wanted to appreciate the designers (Lizzie and Anne) of the stamp set as I truly and honestly feel that they’ve done a job par excellence!

Ok, now coming to the card. It is also my entry to the CK Stamp It! Week Challenge.

I tried to create a grid like pattern using one of the flower stamps; colored the flowers, added a touch of white using a gel pen and put a rhinestone at the flower center. So happy with the way it turned out!

• Stamps: Jolies Fleurs by Lizzie Anne Designs, sentiment is computer generated.
• Paper: Bazzill and DCWV
• Stazon ink, rhinestone, prismacolor pencils, grosgrain ribbon, sakura white gel pen, OMS