sketch challenge at CAS

I *just* missed the deadline to actually enter this challenge but I was in need of a little crafting therapy today so I whipped this out over my lunch hour, and I wanted to share it anyway because the sketch from (CAS) Colours and Sketch Challenge #78 was so versatile it really had me thinking but no one else used torn paper for their project.

details:  I went back to one of my all time favorite CTMH papers, For Always, which {sadly} is retired, but it lends itself so well to torn paper projects.  I backed the patterned papers with Ruby cs and used blank ink and another piece of Ruby cs to stamp the sentiment from the Casual Expressions set.  While this is one of the sets that is Cricut-compatible (specifically, the Artiste cartridge) but I hand cut this one just for the sake of time.


Happy crafting!  Annette

New stamp, old paper for AHSC

Nothing like a few new bumps in the road of life to remind you of who your true friends are, not to mention how LUCKY you are to have them in your corner.  I love this particular stamp from the Lollydoodle kit and have had it in mind for a 'just because' kind of card for my best friend but her favorite color is red and she's just not into the pastel colors of that particular kit.  So as I was working on the ongoing task of organizing my stash to better fit my craft area, I was inspired by an older paper kit which just happened to be one of my favorites because I *love* the quilted look of this paper but it also had a rich, vibrant red as one of the main colors AND the stitching in the pattern really lent itself well to this stamp.  I was further inspired by this week's sketch at Atlantic Hearts Sketch Challenge.  All products used are from CTMH but unfortunately, just about all of them (except the stamp and the Cocoa cardstock) are retired or discontinued items.  But, hey, if you can't break into your most precious stash items to make something  special for your BFF, what's the point of having all this stuff?

details:  As mentioned, the stamp is from the Lollydoodle scrapbooking Workshop On The Go and the dark brown "base" pieces are from Cocoa cardstock.  Both patterned papers are from the retired "Stella" kit and I used the ribbon and little faux button brads from the Sunset mini-medley embellishment set, the white crocheted doily from the White Daisy mini-embellishment set, and one of the antiqued copper designer brads (all of which are retired) in the center of the doily for a more flowery look.  Just fyi, I also used these same papers and basic arrangement for a 6x4-inch title piece for a future pocket-style page to celebrate my 32 1/2 year friendship with my BFF, although I could easily devote an entire scrapbook to the things we have been through together --- if only we had taken the pictures to go with the stories!

Happy  crafting!  Annette

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patriotic card for "Less Is More" challenge

Hello!  I have had such a lazy and relaxing day reading and napping, and I have to admit this little break was greatly needed.  I had planned to do a little reorganizing in my craft area after I finished reading my book but then inspiration struck so I have had a little fun creating first.  This card was inspired by a friend's family; she is an Army wife and she and her husband just went on a trip to DC as he was the recipient of a prestigious (and no doubt well deserved) leadership award.  I have always admired this family as they are such a great example of service, values, and teamwork so I wanted to do a little something to say "thanks" and help them celebrate this achievement.  As I used multiple stamps, I will also be entering this in this week's "Less Is More" challenge.

details:  All products used were from Close To My Heart.  I used a spare piece of CS and made my own striped background using the backside of one of the border stamps from the Stitch Wonder set in Cranberry and the stars background is from a retired set called Vintage USA in Outdoor Denim.  I then used the USA outline border stamp from the Adventure USA set (also retired) in black and then fussy cut the image and adhered it to the center of a 6 x 6" card base.  The sentiments "Land of the Free" and "of the Brave" are from one of last year's promotional sets called "Home of the Brave."  The second sentiment actually reads "Home of the Brave" but I used decorative tape to mask off "home" and the used the Keyboard Uppercase alpha to spell "because."  On the inside of the card is a sentiment that reads, "Thank you for your dedication and sacrifice." which is from the "Courage" stamp set that was also part of last's summer's promotion.  By my count, that's 6 stamp sets so I think that will qualify for the challenge.  :-)

Happy crafting!  Annette