An Easter Card from Scraps and a Sketch

A happy hello to you! I hope this finds you well and safe. I'm sharing my first Easter card today. It's turned rainy and chilly in my neck of the woods and that's fine with me. I will be finishing up a few more Easter cards to mail out on Monday as Honey and I attempt to see how many days we can survive on the groceries we have. He's finally become a bit spooked about going out as they've told us this coming week is going to be bad and to hunker down as much as we can. We're now looking into grocery delivery. I figure we should try an order for non-perishables at least. What are y'all doing? I'd love to know!

I followed TSOT's current sketch for the layout of my A2-size card. Usually sketches with tiny focal points do not interest me, but I saw that I had a little silver basket square in my Easter drawer as well as an embossed sheet of background eggs (Darice embossing folder). I knew I had a Spellbinders Label die with a large round center I could layer the square onto. I hunted through my shaped brads and found 4 purple flowers. An MFT Chevron Stripes die cut and purple paper scraps completed my supplies.

Here is what I began with. I also wanted to include an image from the freebie sheet from Sweet n Sassy's Faith Over Fear Project on the back of the card.  

So, the embossed egg background could have held it's own just fine as all white, but I got the idea to rub embossing ink all over it and heat-emboss it with holographic and rainbow sparkle powders. I used an embossing ink that went on pink (Top Boss); obviously, I learned a lesson there. It's definitely showing up pink in these photos, but in real life, the colors change and it really more like a very light lavender.

I love this shade of purple...it's a blue-violet appears at times to have a tad of grey. I cannot remember using this Spellbinders Label before, and I know this is my first time to use the Impression Obsession sentiment die. It's a little bit of fun for me to include a NBUS in every project. I can remember being horrified if any of my stamps stained. Now I like seeing stains on my stencils and stamps. It means I've used them. ;-)

I have had this little silver square since the old 12x12 scrap booking days. It was originally part of a set of 6, I think. One by one each got used and this is the last one. I thought about maybe coloring the basket and eggs but today wasn't a good day for me to do much detail work, so I left it as is.

The back of my card: I used a large patterned paper scrap and a medium piece of card stock scrap to die cut mats using Spellbinders A2 Torn Edges dies. Then I used the smallest die to cut out the SNS freebie I'd printed. A Gelatins siggie stamped with Brilliance Lavender ink and clear heat-embossed then punch out with a circle punch finishes the back.

Thought this last shot was a dark but cool look. Thanks for dropping by and I hope you have something fun to do this weekend. Prayers for us all, XOX

MY CHALLENGE PLAYLIST for this card:
1.   TSOT Sketch #450 -- Sketch is shown above and I did not play the optional theme.
2.   Outlawz Color Tuesday Challenge 3/24-4/6: Lavender Monochrome Palette --

3.   Time Out Challenge 3/26-4/8: Lots or a Little Purple + Opt. Friend --

4.   The Sisterhood of Crafters Challenge 3/25-4/5: Spring
5.   Classic Design 4th Birthday Challenge #4: AG
6.   The Creative Crafters Challenge #26: AG
7.   Aud Sentiments #248: Sentiment + AG
8.   Sparkles Monthly #126: Easter

Easter Deco for April's Love To Craft Challenge #45

Wow, it's April 1st - no foolin'! :-) A new monthly challenge begins over at Love To Craft Challenge Blog. Here is my design team project, an 8x8 Religious Easter Deco:

I had a religious Easter Deco planned since last year, but I had trouble deciding on the details until I honed in on a few symbols I wanted to include if I could find them among what I already had. I wanted Jesus's crucifixion cross and shroud. I got that plus his crown of thorns in Sweet n Sassy's digital stamp Old Rugged Cross.  I also wanted palm leaves and I found a good palm die in Tim's Tropical Thinlits dies. I used scraps for all the die cuts.

 I used a Graphics 45 8x8 chipboard backing and adhered a sheet of Cosmo Cricket's Summer Love collection to it. I then broke out the Crafters Companion Sheena Burst of rays to stencil with yellow acrylic paint and a makeup sponge wedge. I die cut my Quickutz Revolution Washington alphas and Spellbinders tiny cross and adhered them. Also the ribbons all around the edge, and then that gorgeous purple flower trim that I have been hoarding for too long. Last step here was die cutting several Tim Tropical Thinlit palm leaves and adhering a few layers at the bottom.

 The Sweet n Sassy digital stamp Old Rugged Cross was printed out on Springhill card stock and then I did a technique I learned from Technique Junkies called Pencil Over Marker. I colored the cross a light brown and the shroud a light purple with ProMarkers as a base coat. Then I colored with my still new to me Polychromos pencils, using 3 shades brown on the cross and 3 shades of purple on the shroud. I did use a dark gold metallic gel pen on the thorns in the crown.

 I fussy-cut the image and used dimensional foam tape to adhere to the deco on top of some die cut palm leaves. I then went to town layering paper flowers. My aim here was to also remember the importance of the palm leaves and to sort of show that as those palm leaves, that were discarded after Jesus' entrance into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday, eventually turned to ashes (that Christians symbollically dot their foreheads with on Ash Wednesday), there was new life and growth springing forth.

This is my favorite way to color with pencils because I always find "bald" spots, but when I color with alcohol marker first, the color is down everywhere and I can shade with the pencils.

 With Easter coming up in less than 2 weeks, I am glad to have made my first Deco for it. I also want to make a secular Deco with an Easter basket, eggs and bunnies...maybe a bit humorous. We will see if I get to it this year or not. This one will go nicely with my other Spring-related creations.

 Close-ups...

 The back this time: the G45 chipboard was already wearing this pattern and white on the other side, so I left this side alone.

 I moved it to the foyer to take this, with the front door window sunlight hitting it. Makes the purple look pink, doesn't it? I may keep it hung here a while. It goes well with the wallpaper.

Thanks for visiting me today. I continue to pray for us all, XOX

CHALLENGE PLAYLIST:
1.   A Vintage Journey March Challenge: Celebration Time Come On!
2.   Sparkles Monthly March Challenge #126: Easter
3.   Outlawz Festive Fridays 3/20-4/2: Easter/Spring Theme
4.   Colour Crazy Week 11: AG with Colouring -- I used Polychromos colored pencils over ProMarkers to color the cross and shroud. It is called the Pencil Over Marker technique.
5.   Time Out Challenge #158: Lots or a Little Purple -- I didn't play the optional twist this time.  

6.   Creative Fingers #182: AAG
7.   Sisterhood of Crafters Challenge: Spring
8.   613 Avenue Create #231: AG + Opt. Colored Pencils -- I played the option by coloring the cross, shroud and crown with Polychromos colored pencils over ProMarkers.
9.   Try it on Tuesday: Beauty of Nature
10. Take a Word Challenge: Botanical
11. The Creative Crafters #26: AAG
12. Creative Confetti Challenge: Let's Go Digital! -- The Cross image is a digital stamp I resized in PSE and printed out and hand colored. 

13. Passion for ProMarkers Week 536: Lace & Flowers -- I used ProMarkers to colour the Cross and I have paper flowers and flowered lace on the side edges.

14. Stay Crafty with Hero Challenge #2: Never-Seen-Ink --  Supplies I have had for years used for the first time on this project: Old Rugged Cross digital stamp, purple flowers brocade, palm tree leaf die, Sheena Burst stencil, QK Washington alpha dies

Thank You Berry Much

Hello and Happy New Week! I pray you are all well and safe and have toilet paper. After sweating worry over our dwindling supply, this weekend a family member scored us some. Hallelujah! I can shed that stress for a while. I can live without a lot of things, but I gotta have my TP, lol.

March is almost over, so it's time to play at Beccy's Place monthly challenge if I'm gonna. I was lucky enough to be one of last month's winners and Beccy is very generous with her prizes (store credit!). Every month we must use one of her digital images (she always offers a freebie) and this month,. the optional twist is FOOD. Since I have dozens of her images, I perused my file folder and her Basket of Strawberries freebie from years back kept making my mouth water, so I chose it to print out on white Springhill card stock and color it up...for the first time. 

  

 For my layout, I chose this sketch from Outlawz's current challenge and resized it in PSE to an A2 size card. My card base is SU green card stock.

I lucked out and found this cool strawberries paper in Studio Calico's South of Market 6x6 pad, so all the patterned paper I've used is from that collection. I used one of my corner punches on it and then ink-distressed the edges with Colorbox Chestnut Roan chalk ink. I added the vertical strip using the green dotted paper and some pink stitched grosgrain ribbon. I used a Spellbinders Labels 17 die to cut a piece of pink paper and my image. I used some red and white striped twine around the pink piece.

To color my image, I used ProMarkers and then my Polychromos colored pencils over that, using that technique I've mentioned far too many times. I dotted the seeds with one of my Sakura Star Dust gel pens. I stamped the clever Papertrey Ink sentiment with VersaFine Clair Nocturne ink, popped the label layers up a bit to clear the vertical strip layer, and then called it done since it'll be mailed so no sequins or enamel dots this time. 

 The back of the card uses the largest Spellbinders Labels 17 die on yet another paper in the pad. Then I cut some leftover pink with the smallest Labels die and stamped a Leave Memories siggie.

 Yes, a BERRY good addition to my card inventory! Groan, I need to wrap this up because every time I look at this card, my mouth waters for strawberries! And we don't have any but we do have Strawberry Jam. I need to go toast a bagel - HA! 

Thanks for visiting today, and I hope your Monday has gone well. I was thinking the other day, I bet with so many working from home now, seems like Mondays would definitely be better in slippers and pj's, right?  May your day be Berry Merry! {Grin!}

CHALLENGES:

1.   Outlawz Wednesday Sketch 3/18-3/31 -- Sketch is shown above
2.   Beccy's Place March Challenge: Use a Beccy's image + opt. twist of Food -- I've used a Beccy's image and played the Food twist with STRAWBERRIES :-)
3.   Hero Arts Stay Crafty Challenge #2: Never Seen Ink! -- For me, my digital stamps and images all-too-often live a dark lonely life inside my computer, so I used 2 NBUS (Never Before Used Stamp): the basket of strawberries and the sentiment  

4.   TTCRD March 24 Challenge: AG
5.   Crafty Creations #407: AG
6.   Colour Crazy Week 12: AG with Colouring -- I used the Pencil Over Marker technique again. I used ProMarkers and Polychromos Colored Pencils on my focal image.
7.   Stamplorations Theme & Photo Prompt March Challenge: Stamps + Nature -- I used rubber and digital stamps of juicy berries and took inspiration from the challenge photo's red berries, pink ice cream bars on white background.

8.   CHNPPC March: AG with patterned paper -- I've used papers from Studio Calico's South of Market collection.

Lucky Friend

Hey there! Hope you and yours are well and safe. I've another Thanks/Friends/Thinking of you inventory cards to share.

I used TSOT's current sketch #449 sized to A2. I made it a CAS card, using colored SU card stock for the base. I embossed 3 MFT Homespun Stitch lines in my Big Shot on the card base front - these cut perforations, not completely through, and make a pretty stitched design element.

 The Polaroid die cut is Lawn Fawn using white Springhill card stock. I added 3 pink heart enamel dots for the star elements in the sketch.

 I printed out a floral image and sentiment from Power Poppy to color. I used a technique called Pencil Over Marker. You lay down a base coat of alcohol markers in light shades and then color with pencils on top.I added Wink of Stella clear glitter to the shamrocks and tiny clear rhinestones in each center.

 As with my other inventory cards, I leave the inside blank when I can to give me the greatest flexibility when choosing to send one.

A clean and simple yet colorful happy little card for today. Hope you liked it and have something fun lined up this weekend. Thanks for visiting and see ya soon! XXO

CHALLENGE PLAYLIST:
1.   TSOT #449: Sketch + Opt. Pop of Color -- Sketch is shown above and I've played the option.
2.   HLS CAS March Challenge: Favorite Technique -- My favorite way to use colored pencils is the Pencil Over Marker technique, which I did and describe in post above.

3.   HLS AG with Dies March Challenge -- I used a Polaroid die from Avery Elle  

4.   Colour Crazy Week 11: AG with Colouring -- I coloured my image with colored pencils over ProMarkers.
5.   Outlawz Festive Fridays 3/20-4/2: Anything Goes Theme
6.   Creations in Pink #20: AG Mainly Pink
7.   Lil Patch of Crafty Friends #128: AG
8.   Creative Artiste #58: AG -- I used alcohol markers, colored pencils and ink.
9.   Aud Sentiments #247: Sentiment + Spring/Easter -- I went with Spring
10. Stamping Sensations March Challenge: Spring Florals -- I colored a Power Poppy digital stamp
11. Stamplorations Theme & Photo Prompt March: Stamps + Nature -- I used Power Poppy flower stamp digi and used the pink and white in the photo.  

12. #TTTC057: Featured Designer Charlotte -- I chose diagonal bottom left to top right (Colored Card Base/Clean & Simple/Flowers)

13. The Sisterhood of Crafters: Spring
14. Power Poppy Creative Confetti Challenge 3/24-30: Find Your Happy -- Using the coloring technique I chose on a gorgeous Power Poppy illustration brings me joy because I love to color!

Guest Design for Feeling Sketchy Challenge #237

Hello, Tuesday! I have a card to share that I made for Feeling Sketchy's Challenge #237 as Guest Designer. And I'm a little late. I should have posted it on the 15th but I was late making it round to check on the new challenge! It's a very nice sketch, so you still have until the 29th I think if you want to play.

Here is the sketch.

And here is my card. I got to use my (new to me) Spellbinders Hemstitch Oval, Square and Rectangle dies, as well as Altenew's Embroidered Blooms flower stamps and dies I've had a while and never inked up. I teamed these items up with a few papers from Basic Grey's Euphoria collection and a rainbow pattern ribbon with stitching from my stash. The stamped sentiment is by Neat and Tangled.

The back uses a stamped siggie by SeeD's and more hemstitch die cut Euphoria paper.

I enjoyed creating the flowers but really enjoyed learning how to use the hemstitch dies. It amazes me sometimes how far die cutting has come since the days of the Zip'E Cut and the Sizzix Big Red machines, both of which I still have. I still use my blue Quickutz Squeeze, too! Those Alpha dies were expensive! lol

I'll be back later to see if there are any challenges I can enter this card in. I'm so tired, I need to take a little catnap first. Social Distancing is exhausting, lol.

Thanks for the visit and try the sketch if a sketch is your thing. You know I love them, lol. Have a good evening! xoxo

CHALLENGES:
1.   Use Your Stuff #394: Spring --

2.   Aud Sentiments #247: Sentiment + Spring / Easter -- I went with Spring
3.   Crafts Galore Encore #73: Always AG
4.   Classic Design Challenge #3: March AG
5.   Stamping Sensations March Challenge: Spring Florals -- I hand-stamped the Altenew flowers and leaves before die cutting them.
6.   613 Avenue Create #231: Always AG + Opt. Colored Pencils -- I did not play the option this time.
7.   Double D Challenge: Spring --

8.   CHNPPC March Challenge: AG with Patterned Paper -- I used Basic Grey Euphoria
9.   Stamplorations Theme & Photo Prompt Challenge: March Stamps + Nature -- I hand-stamped the flowers  

10. Happy Little Stampers March Anything Goes with Dies -- I used Spellbinders Hemstitch Oval, Square and Rectangle dies plus Altenew Embroidered Blooms dies.

11. ABMTTC Challenge #112: AG

12. ABMTTCX March Challenge: AG

13. Outlawz Sunday Songs and Rhymes 3/22-4/4: Spring