Peaceful Sympathy

Hello friends!  Today I am sharing several cards on the Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps Blog and thought I would share one of them here. 

Creative Nugget:  A stencil mono printing technique found  on Karen Dunbrook's Blog was used as the inspiration for the background in the left corner.  Oxide inks were applied to the back of a stencil, spritzed with water and pressed onto a heavy piece of card stock.  Several prints, each getting a little lighter, were obtained by continuing to spritz and press onto different pieces of card stock.  More colors were added by turning the stencil slightly as each layer was added.  The same Oxide Ink colors used for the mono printing were applied to my craft mat and spritzed with water.  The craft mat was then used as a stamp pad to apply ink to a peony stamp which was used to randomly stamp another piece of card stock.  A sentiment was very lightly stamped over the flowers to finish the background.  The inks on the craft mat also became a paint palette for watercoloring the focal image.  The sympathy greeting was white embossed on a cut vellum banner and stitched to the card.  The design of the card came from Freshly Made Sketches.

These stamp sets from Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps were used for the card above:

This card will be submitted for the following challenges:

Freshly Made Sketches 312

Addicted to Stamps and More Challenge #267 - Make Your Mark

Love to Craft Challenge Blog #16 - Anything Goes

Time Out Challenge #96 - CASE with a Twist

Thanks so much for stopping by...have a wonderful weekend!

Hugs,

Cathy

Floral Greetings

Hello everyone!  Just sharing a few cards from the new Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps February release.  SNSS just added two beautiful floral sets designed by Gracie Chavez and Nina Bracket and three Bible journaling sets, one of which is a new set in the Jesus collection.  The inspiration for these cards came from several challenges.

Creative Nugget:  One of the images from the beautiful Floral Greetings set was white embossed on water color paper. Kuretake watercolors were used to color the flowers on this background panel.  The same flower was stamped on Neenah card stock with Rich Cocoa Memento ink, colored with Copic Markers, and fussy cut. The sentiment is just one of seven included in the set.  The design is from Freshly Made Sketches but I did flip the orientation.

My second card was made using the new Pretty Potted Florals stamp set designed by Nina Bracket.

Creative Nugget:  The design for this card came from CAS(E) This Sketch.  A frame was cut from green card stock and Penny Black paper.  The flower pot was colored with Copic Markers and accents added with a white gel pen.  The sentiment is another one included in the Floral Greetings set and was white embossed on a vellum banner.  A bow and some Bitty Sparkles were added to finish the card.

Here are the new stamp sets from the Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps Store used to make these cards:

All of these pretty flowers are making me yearn for Spring!

These cards will be entered in the following Challenges:

Freshly Made Sketches - FMS274

CAS(E) This Sketch #208

A Gem of a Challenge #187 - Add a Butterfly

Hand Stamped Sentiments - Inspiration Challenge #257

Thanks so much for stopping by…have a wonderful day!

Hugs

Cathymac

SaveSave

Looking Forward

Hello friends and happy Friday!  Are you ready to say good-bye to 2016?  I can say that I am ready to welcome in a new year.  I do not have a New Year's card to share today, but I do have a couple of new challenge cards to share and a sneak peek of something new that will be released on the first by Our Daily Bread Designs.

First…something new:

Creative Nugget:  Yesterday's Ways To Use It Challenge on Splitcoaststampers was to use a moon on your card because it was the last New Moon of 2016.  I remembered an old email with something similar and was inspired to use this new whimsical wildflower from the A Happy Hello stamp  set being released on the first of the year.  The sky and ocean were masked and sponged with distress inks and the flower stamped.  Copic Markers were used to add a little color and the image was mounted to some new papers also being released.  The sentiment with its mat were cut with Pennant Flags Dies and Double Stitched Pennant Flags Dies.

Sketch Challenge 625 inspired my second card.

Creative Nugget:  Neocolor 2 crayons were colored directly on the Rope Background, spritzed with water, and stamped onto a piece of mixed media paper.  This panel was cut with a Pierced Rectangle Die, cut into two pieces, and stitched back together to create the background.  The Beatitudes was then stamped on the panel.  The hands from Handle With Prayer were white embossed on vellum and cut with the coordinating Praying Hands Die.  The sentiment from Pennant Flag Verses was white embossed on black card stock and cut with a Pennant Flags Die.  A bow of metallic threads and some Nuvo Crystal Drops were added to finish the card.  Thankfully, I do not need a sympathy card at this time, but now have one when needed.

In addition to the challenges mentioned these cards will be submitted for the following challenges:

CAS-ual Fridays CFC164 - Celebrations
Love to Scrap Challenge Blog #92 - Anything Goes
ODBD Shining the Light Challenge #281 - Let's Be Sentimental
Pile It On #123 - Celebrations
The ABC Challenge - V is for Varied
Word Art Wednesday Challenge Week 263 - Anything Goes

Thanks so much for stopping by…have a very Happy New Year!
See you in 2017!

Hugs,
Cathymac

With Sympathy

Hello sweet friends!  I love taking Online Card Classes to learn new tips and techniques but usually take the class independently because I like working at my own pace.  One of the techniques from the Clear & Sheer Class was used to make a sympathy card needed for a family at church.

Creative Nugget:  All of the stamp sets used are from Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps and this card is also being shared on the Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps Blog today.  The poppies from the Precious Poppies stamp set were white embossed on a piece of vellum dyed with Memento dye inks.  The vellum was attached to card stock that was embossed using the Anna Griffin Poppies folder and mounted to a card base.  The sympathy greeting from the Script Sentiments stamp set was gold embossed on a strip of white card stock and attached to the card.  A bow and gold pearls were added to finish the card.  A sentiment from Sympathy Innies was gold embossed on the inside.

(The Precious Poppies stamp set is currently out of stock but will be available soon.)

This card will be submitted for the following challenges:

Simply Create Too Challenge #111 - Use Buttons or Bows

Paper Creator Challenge #48 - All bout Flowers

Addicted to Stamps & More Challenge #197 - Make Your Mark (Embossing Powders & dye inks)

CAS-ual Fridays Challenge #149 - Florals

Thanks so much for stopping by…have a wonderful day!

Hugs,

Cathymac

Tender Thoughts & Sympathy Innies

Welcome to Day 3 of our November feature  Blog Hops! Today we're featuring Korin's beautiful new  Tender Thoughts stamp set, Birch Forest Dies, and Sympathy Innies Stamp set includes 7 images and 3 sentiments Set measures approximately 4" x 6" The birch trees measure approximately 3 3/4" X 3 3/4"  The deer measures approximately 1 3/4" x 2" Designed by Korin Sutherland Stamp set - $15  Die set-$25.75  Get the Bundle for just $36 a ($40.75 value) Stamp set includes 7 sentiments Set measures approximately 4" x 6" The sentiments range approximately from 2" to 3"  Designed by Korin Sutherland Stamp set - $15 Here are some samples for your inspiration! Creative Nugget:  I love the new Tender Thoughts stamp set and the Birch Forest Dies!  A background was masked and sponged with Memento inks to look like the sun is rising over the snow drifts.  The birch forest was cut from True Black card stock and white embossed.  The trees can be used as is or they can be separated to accommodate the size of your card as was done here.  The trees were popped up with foam tape on the sponged background to create depth.  A black frame was cut using Spellbinders A2 Matting Basics dies and attached to the tree panel.  Snow drifts were torn from Solar Crest paper...one drift was embossed with Swiss Dots while a sentiment from Sympathy Innies was stamped on the other. These were also attached with foam tape.  The deer was cut from Smokey Shadow and stamped with Versafine Onyx Black ink, and a few Cherry Cobbler birds were stamped, hand cut and added to finish this card.   Creative Nugget: The pattern for this card came from the Technique Junkies' Designer Paper Perfection CD.  The Authentique papers were cut using the directions on the CD. It's hard to see, but the first cut in the DP was made with a Decorative Plaque Die.  The panels were loosely stitched (still getting used to the tension on my new sewing machine...I miss my old Sew Mini) to True Black card stock and attached to a Baja Breeze card base.  The sentiment, from the new Sympathy Innies stamp set, was stamped, cut and matted to a Baja Breese oval, and attached to the card.  A black bow and a few mulberry roses finish the card. Check out some of the fabulous samples made by our talented DT in the thumbnails below. Be sure to leave a comment on each of the blogs along your journey because we're giving away (6) $15 store credits (1 winner will be chosen from each of the 6 blog hops). The deadline to comment for a chance to win is midnight EST Friday, November 15th.  The list of winners will be announced on our website homepage by Monday, November 18th. Thanks so much for joining us!  Enjoy the hop!  Check back with us again tomorrow for Day 4. Hugs, Cathymac

Bridge of Hope

Happy Saturday to you!  Hope you've had a wonderful week and are able to enjoy the last remaining days of summer!  Soon the hustle and bustle of a new school year will begin, or has begun for some of you. This will be my second year of retirement from teaching, and it still seems funny not having to get a classroom ready!  On Monday, the first day of school for children in our district, all the retired teachers will have breakfast together and wave to the school buses as they go by!  :)  In honor of school beginning, I made this card for a challenge on Splitcoaststampers..."No Stamping!"...only cardboard stickers, Washi Tape, and papers!

Now...on to the new sketch at The Sweet Stop!  A friend at church lost her mother after a long illness this week.   I needed a sympathy card for her, so naturally the Sweet Stop Sketch provided the perfect inspiration.  I did need to change the orientation of the sketch to accommodate the image.

Creative Nugget:  Bridge of Hope, a clear stamp set released two months ago by Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps, was the perfect set to use for my sympathy card.  The serene bridge scene was colored with copic markers, cut with an oval Nestie, and mounted to a scalloped oval Nestie.  The other panels of the sketch were made with a combination of patterned papers by My Mind's Eye and FabScraps mounted on True Black or Vintage Cream.  I can't seem to put my Sew Mini away lately, so stitching was added to three of the layers.  The sentiment was stamped on a Tim Holtz Tattered Banner Die, run through the Big Shot with the Canvas Impression Plate, sponged, and attached to the card.  Some gingham ribbon was also sponged with distress ink and added to finish the card.  I hope and pray this card will bring some comfort to my friend.

I have a Christmas version for you this week!

If you love woking with layers, you will love the sketch this week. Don't forget to check out the other Sugar Babies for more fabulous inspiration.

Sugar Babies

Monika Davis

Shelby Goolsby

Janice Melton

Shannon White

                Chrissy Dickinson

Thanks so much for stopping by...Hope you'll be able to join us this week.  As always, we look forward to seeing your fabulous creations!

Hugs,

Cathymac

Card Recipe

Stamps: Bridge of Hope (Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps)

Ink: Tuxedo Black (Memento), Walnut Stain and Broken China Distress Inks (Ranger)

Paper: Vintage Cream, True Black (PTI), Neenah Solar White (Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps), Sunshine DP (My Mind's Eye), Classic Collection Paper Pad (FabScraps)

Accessories: Oval and Scalloped Oval Nesties (Spellbinders), Tattered Banners Die (Tim Holtz), Canvas Impression Plate (PTI), Sew Mini (Janome), Gingham Ribbon (SU!), Signo White Gel Pen, Copic Markers BG0000, 53, 72, 75;  G21, 24, 46;  Y11, 15, 35;  E31, 35, 37;  C3, 5, 7, 9