This is my first of two posts today! (Every other Wednesday I will have two) Freshly Made Sketches is ready to challenge you again with this fun and versatile sketch by the lovely Amy O’Neill. I love how this image panel provides so many options. You can stamp directly onto it, use DSP or play with some dies like I did.
I had the Layering Leaves Dies (Concord and 9th) still out from yesterday’s tag and wanted to play with them some more. I thought it would be fun to add pops of color behind these delicate cuts and I’m thrilled with how easy it was to create. All I did was lay the die onto the Kraft card stock with the end of the die hanging off over the edge of my bottom plate. This meant that my leaves did not cut completely out and were still attached at the bottom of the cut. Keeps it simpler on having the leaves stay in place without complicated glueing. Using some watercolor paper, I sponged on Tim Holtz Distress Ink in Scattered Straw, Mustard Seed, Carved Pumpkin and Spiced Marmalade under where the leaves would sit. So pretty!! I used a retired sentiment set and stamped in Versamark and then heat embossed with Crushed Curry Stampin’ Emboss Powder (retired). It needed a little something more so I added on a little bit of twine that I had left from a Paper Pumpkin kit.
It just says fall is here, doesn’t it?! And it ALMOST is! Now for our Virginia weather to cooperate! I hope you like this one and see all that can be done with our sketch this week. Make sure you jump over to see my card for The Card Concept too. See you again soon!
We have a great new challenge at Stamp Ink Paper this week and I think you will like the theme. It is one that always forces me out of my box! Yep, we have Anything but a Card. Deep breaths and jump on in!!
I decided to go with a tag because well, why not?!! I knew that whatever I made was going to start with the Layering Leaves Dies by Concord and 9th. I love all things fall and leaves are a big part of that here in Virginia. I could not even wait to get these! I cut the leaf out of Thick Whisper White and chose to add some copper to it. I smooshed the end of the leaf into Versamark Ink and dipped it into the new Copper Stampin’ Emboss Powder. Simple and so pretty! The tag is made out of corrugated kraft paper (SU retired). I added on some Burlap ribbon and Copper Metallic Thread for some extra texture. The sentiment is from the Lovely stamp set (Essentials by Ellen) and was stamped in Versamark and heat embossed as well. Finally the sequins. These are from the Birthday Bling mix created by Pretty Pink Posh for C9. The Rose Gold is a nice match to the copper and the Marshmallow adds a balance for the white. I added some twine to finish the tag. I think this will be pretty added onto a kraft bag or box for a great fall gift.
I hope you’ll feel inspired to come join us this week. Always fun to see what everyone creates! I’m back tomorrow with two posts (Freshly Made Sketches and The Card Concept). Until then, have a great day!
Supplies (affiliate links included):
Stamp: Lovely (Essentials by Ellen – Ellen Hutson); Ink: Versamark; Paper: Corrugated Kraft Paper (SU retired), Thick Whisper White; Accessories: Big Shot, Layering Leaves Dies (Concord and 9th), Birthday Bling Mix (Pretty Pink Posh for C9), 5/8″ Burlap Ribbon, Twine, Copper Metallic Thread, Heat Tool, Copper Stampin’ Emboss Powder, Tag Topper Punch (SU retired)
This day has come again. For those of you who have been with me for awhile, you probably know that I write a little every year and tend to create something to commemorate this date. (You can read my previous posts here: 9th Anniversary, 10th Anniversary, 11th Anniversary , 12th Anniversary, 13th Anniversary and 14th Anniversary). Each one of those posts is special to me. I looked back on them to reflect before sitting down to write this year. In many ways, I suppose, after reading those you know a lot about me. The stuff I mostly don’t write about here. I usually keep my life as a United pilot and my life as a stamper separate….at least here. But on this anniversary, I find it easier to show how I feel than explain it sometimes.
For the first time this year, I have actually had a long conversation with my oldest son about my memories of September 11, 2001. Much of it I have already told you in my posts above. But he had not heard my story. It wasn’t as personal to him. I didn’t want to scare him. I didn’t want him to worry when I left to fly. But this year seemed like the time. Because he has started to learn about it in school. He has seen the pictures of those planes, my company’s plane, flying into buildings. He has heard the stories of the heroes of Flight 93. But he needed to hear my part of the story too. I also talked with him about my visit to the National 9/11 Memorial and Museum in New York. I went when I was on a layover and chose to go by myself. I wanted to take it all in alone before I ever went with others, especially my boys. The Museum is emotional and heart-breaking and a beautiful tribute. One of the most moving pieces there is called “Trying to Remember the Color of the Sky on That September Morning” by Spencer Finch.
This wall is filled with individual panels all in shades of blue. Each panel commemorates a person. Each panel is a memory of a shade of blue since we all remember color differently.So, as usual, my inspiration is clear. My pictures of this art pale in comparison to the real piece. And the theme spoke to me in a way that I cannot explain. Because I remember the sky when I was flying that day. It was glorious. A perfect fall blue. The perfect day to fly. And in all that beauty, pure evil went to work. But evil cannot win. We must not let it. Because there is too much beauty. And even in our sadness, beauty helps us heal. It helps up move forward. It helps us find our things in common.
I created my card as a tribute to those things. The things we, as humans, share. The appreciation of God’s handiwork, the strength to move forward even after great tragedy, the expression of our feelings in art and music and mostly…and most importantly….love. I used two sets from Concord and 9th. The flower seemed perfect and the sentiment was what was in my heart. I colored using a few shades of blue from Tim Holtz Distress Ink and my Zig Light Gray Pen. Both seemed right for today. The blues for the sky. The gray for the sadness. Three sequins for the planes that found their mark and one missing for the one that missed because of the heroes aboard.
Thank you for letting me share with you. Thank you for the support you have always given me when I do. I’m grateful for the stamping community who seems to understand why it is important for me to create and remember. I wish you a day filled with love.
In memory of:
United 93: Jason Dahl, LeRoy Homer, Lorraine Bay, Sandra Bradshaw, Wanda Green, CeeCee Lyles, Deborah Welsh
United 175: Victor Saracini, Michael Horrocks, Robert Fangman, Amy Jarret, Amy King, Kathryn Laborie, Alfred Marchand, Michael Tarrou, Alicia Titus
American 11: John Ogonowski, Thomas McGuinness, Barbara Arestegui, Jeffrey Collman, Sara Low, Karen Martin, Kathleen Nicosia, Betty Ong, Jean D. Roger, Dianne Snyder, Amy Sweeney
American 77: Charles Burlingame III, David Charlebois, Michele Heidenberger, Jennifer Lewis, Kenneth Lewis, Renee May
Another Wednesday and another fabulous challenge from Freshly Made Sketches! This week, the lovely Cindy Hall has created a sketch that is an instant classic! I love the traditional feel of it with all of the potential of layering.
I just had to ink up this new set from Concord and 9th called Give Thanks. It has an awesome combination of leaves and sentiments. Mostly this sentiment!!! Because I do love Fall!!!! Pretty basic stamping to create the back layer of the sketch and then some twine for the crossing layer. I flipped the oval because it showed the leaves a bit better. I can see I’m going to have lots of fun with this set!!
Ok, short post because I’m off to work today. I hope that you are having a great week and that you get some time to stamp. Come over and join us for the sketch! Thanks for stopping in!
Supplies (affiliate links included):
Stamps: Give Thanks (Concord and 9th); Ink: Tangering Tango, Crushed Curry, Early Espresso; Paper: Naturals Ivory (SU Retired); Accessories: Early Espresso Twine, Big Shot, Ovals Dies
I’m sure you have already been blown away by the amazing Cécile Ribon in her time as a Guest Designer at Freshly Made Sketches. Well, this week she took on the task of being our sketch hostess. And look at what she came up with!! It really is fun!
I wanted to play a little more with O Christmas Tree from Concord and 9th as a continuing celebration of their first birthday. The fonts from this set are so fabulous and the variety of images are super fun. I took a panel of watercolor paper and inked it up with Tim Holtz Distress Inks in a variety of blues. Then I splattered it with some water to see what would happen. True confessions….this was actually my third panel….I messed up the embossing on the first two….yes, it was THAT stamping day. The interesting finding in all this was the differences you get with varying brands of watercolor paper. This paper is the Fabriano 140 lb Cold Press but I has also played with the Tim Holtz Distress Watercolor Paper. They have different textures (Tim Holtz has a smooth side and a rougher side) and the water spots move the ink in different ways. It is like a fun experiment to play with them!! I found that the Fabriano held onto the color just a little more and the texture really shows when you sponge on the colors. I think the effect on this is pretty and I didn’t want to distract too much from it. I added the snowflakes from the set by stamping in Versamark and heat embossing with White Stampin’ Emboss Powder. I pulled a snowflake wooden element from my stash (SU) and heat embossed it in white too. The sentiment was stamped onto a Night of Navy panel the same way. I added a few Sparkling Clear sequins which I love for how they morph depending on the background.
I hope you have a great time playing with this sketch! The angled panel allows for so many great options. Make sure you stop by and say hi to Cécile too. This is her first sketch and I think she did a great job!! Trying to fit in some more stamping today. Hope to have more to share soon. See you then!
The most wonderful week of inspiration continues today over at Splitcoaststampers!!! It is Dare To Get Dirty Challenges week and you will not even believe all that SCS has already done! As a former “Dirty Girl”, I get to participate on the planning side and today is the day for my challenge!! How do you get to see all this fabulousness?? You simply have to be a Fan Club Member at Splitcoaststampers. Not only can you see all the details of the challenges, you can participate with present and past Dirty Girls. My sample makers have created the most awesome inspiration. I hope you will come check it out! You can see all the cards for my challenge HERE.
I can’t share the details of the challenge but I think you will not be too surprised by my choice of challenge! As I was making cards, I was actually inspired to make two variations. Gold and Silver! They used the new set from Concord and 9th called O Christmas Tree. I am totally in love with the sentiments and the great trees! As an extra bonus, Concord and 9th is celebrating their first birthday so I wanted to join in on their party! I heat embossed the trees on Thick Whisper White card stock (in gold and silver) to put as the base of my shaker cards. For the gold version, I used Pop of Pink DSP’s gold confetti pattern and cut it using the Stitched Rectangle Dies (SSS). The silver version uses a retired DSP. I added sequins based on the color of embossing. The gold is from SU’s Metallic Sequins and a retired holiday pack while the silver are the Pretty Pink Posh Sparkling Clear sequins. Now for that bit of sparkle on the sides. Remember back during Sale-a-bration when the Glitter Tape was one of the choices? Yeah. I HAD to have that and I got it with the holidays in mind. It is so easy to use and it adds so much!! I heat embossed the sentiments again and done! Now…..which is your favorite??!! My house is split on their decision (which is why I posted both).The challenges this week really are amazing and your need to come check out the gallery!! I hope you will go over and check out my challenge and join in!! Thanks so much for stopping in today. See you soon!
I’m a little late with this today but I have been in full snow prep mode! The snow started at noon and we are hunkered down for whatever comes! My boys have promised me they will help me shovel along with their playing in the snow. Good lads!
I have a fun little Valentine for you today using a set I used recently called Tree Hugs from Concord and 9th. I used the retired Canvas Creations as my base and sponged on a little Crumb Cake ink to start. I stamped the big heart, the sentiment and the little heart and added in the “birch” lines and marks using Momento Tuxedo Black ink. A little bit of a red Copic marker for the little heart and I put it on a Real Red base. A nice, clean and masculine Valentine!
Just a note…over the next couple of days I’m doing a little construction on the blog. Bear with me if things seem a bit off as I get widgets and details rebuilt. Hoping for a cleaner look that works better with devices when I’m done.
Thanks so much for stopping in today
Stamp: Tree Hugs (Concord and 9th); Ink: Momento Tuxedo Black; Paper: Real Red; Accessories: Canvas Creations (SU ret), Copic Marker
I’m so happy to be able to share this fun card I created last week for the Simon Wednesday Challenge! The challenge was “Something New” and I totally just had to pull out the latest stamp that I got from Concord and 9th called Tree Hugs. I just love that you can create your own birch trees and add a little carving. I suppose that Valentine’s Day is right around the corner (already?!) and this set makes awesome masculine cards! I stamped the trees onto Whisper White using Momento Tuxedo Black ink. It took a little bit of masking to create the angled trees and the branch but nothing too time consuming. Then I set about coloring. I used two Copic colors and that was it! BG11 is the light aqua background and then E31 adds a little shading to the trees and carving. I was so happy that Santa brought me some Copics for Christmas and E31 was in that little pack of neutrals that he knew I just had to have!! When I was all done coloring, I trimmed the image layer using my Big Shot and the Stitched Rectangles Dies from Simon Says Stamp.
Hope you enjoy this fun card. Back on Wednesday for the latest from Freshly Made Sketches! See you then!
Stamp: Tree Hugs (Concord and 9th); Ink: Momento Tuxedo Black; Paper: Whisper White, Basic Black; Accessories: Big Shot, Drummer Boy Dies(WPlus9), Stitched Rectangles (SSS), Zig Water Pen, Dimensionals, Softly Falling Embossing Folder (SU)
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This is my first of two posts today! (Every other Wednesday I will have two) Freshly Made Sketches is ready to challenge you again with this fun and versatile sketch by the lovely Amy O’Neill. I love how this image panel provides so many options. You can stamp directly onto it, use DSP or play with some dies like I did.
It just says fall is here, doesn’t it?! And it ALMOST is! Now for our Virginia weather to cooperate! I hope you like this one and see all that can be done with our sketch this week. Make sure you jump over to see my card for The Card Concept too. See you again soon!
