from my ink pad to yours

Yesterday's Sketch Challenge

I did this for yesterday's SCS Sketch Challenge, a great one for the Doodle Alphabet word strips I already had stamped.  The colors are Gable Green, Tempting Turquoise and Orchid Opulence a color combo that I had used for a Crab and Company card and wanted to use again.  The circle background is made with a Cuttlebug embossing folder.  It's kind of hard to see, but I attached the sides of the word strip with regular adhesive and then used a Stampin' Dimensional for the center of the strip so that there is a little dimensional curve to the strip.

I did have this done yesterday, but struggled to get the picture right.  It's still a little paler than in real life.  The wind was too strong yesterday and today to take pix outside.  This morning I finally tried the piano.  The mid morning light in the piano room isn't too bad.  Maybe someday I'll have  better photo editing software to compensate...

Beate's RAK

This  Doodle This beauty is from Beate Johns. I love the subtle shading on the funky flowers.  It looks like it was done with a Cameo Coral inkpad and  aquapainter on the same color cardstock.  The white gel accents on the flowers finish them off beautifully.  Look closely at the other details she used to finish off the card and then, of course, visit her blog, Fresh and Fun. If you aren't already familiar with her, you'll find that Beate is one of the most prolific stamping bloggers around.  I just know you'll love your visits with her.

Love of a Lifetime

Here's my third Palette o' Prints card.  And yes, it uses yet another ribbon from the Sweet Shoppe collection.

I adhered the patterned paper to the chipboard heart (On Board Accents) with a glue stick, sanded down the edges and "stitched" with my white Signo Gel pen.  The scallops are done with the corner rounder.  The message is from Just So Sayings, from the Spring Mini Catalog.

Heather's RAK

I received a couple of great RAK's from fellow blggers while I was on my little hiatus.

This first card is from Heather Stevens.  Isn't it pretty!  The silver diamond shaped brads are the perfect touch to the butterflies and the swirly white provides an awesome backdrop. It looks like her "thanks" was die cut.

When you are done admiring Heather's card make sure you visit her blog, A Secret Garden Grows Here.

She did it...we did it!

My daughter's HS graduation was wonderful and I'm back to stamping and blogging - on a more regular basis, I hope.  Not that I actually stopped stamping entirely this past month.  I have been making graduation cards, of course!  One of the many reasons I've found it difficult to post this past month is I have found that it is so much faster to take my photos outside. But, if you've been in Minnesota over the past month you'd know that we have had such wind that in our unprotected spot it has been nearly impossible to take pictures of cards without them blowing away or at least blowing over.  Now that life has settled down a little I should even be able to play with indoor pictures if the wind starts up again...which is supposed to be tomorrow.

To get back in the saddle again I'm posting a few cards that I did with the Palette o' Prints preview, which you've probably seen if you follow many other blogs that feature Stampin' Up! products.  Have you noticed that all of the colors featured in the palette are in the Sweet Shoppe Ribbon Originals?

This first card is one that I did for my niece's HS graduation.   It's really just a case of a Doodle Alphabet card that I posted earlier done up in a pastel version of her school colors. Since we hand delivered the card I added a bit of rhinestone bling on the flower on the tag and on the "n" though they don't show up very well in the photo.

The second card I did one night while I participated in a Ladies Night Out Showcase in our community.  I had brought just a few items to stamp with including the Doodle sets, the Palette o' Prints and the Sweet Shoppe ribbon and matching inkpads. I'm not totally happy with it - I need a little more stamping play time I guess.

Stay tuned I'll be back with some fantastic RAK's tomorrow. Now I'm off to stamp!!!