Halloween Monsters for AHSC #234

Hello and welcome back, crafty friends!  Michelle Stewart has another fun sketch for us to work with this week at Atlantic Hearts Sketch Challenge.  I miss celebrating Halloween now that there aren't any little ones at my house so I decided to have some seasonal fun with this week's project

details:  I started with the Jeepers Creepers paper pack, which was last year's Halloween kit from CTMH.  I used two of the patterned paper from the kit as well as two of the PML cards.  I broke out a retired alpha stamp set called Tiny Typewriter and Lagoon ink to create the sentiment I wanted in the word bubble.  I also used Lagoon ink to create the upside down monster from the Monstrous Halloween stamp set and Thin Cuts, which I positioned on Pansy cardstock.  I fussy cut some tiny monsters from one of the kit's zip strips for embellishments and added some light green glitter glue to create a "slime trail" under the purple monster.  I love these colors and the whimsical monsters so much, I think I'm going to have to make this card part of a layout of the various costumes my kids wore when they went trick or treating.

You can see what the rest of the design team came up with by following this link.  Of course, we would love to see your take on this sketch as well.  As always, you have until 10:55 pm Eastern/9:55 pm Central to add your projects HERE.  Thanks for stopping by and happy crafting!  ~~  Annette

Ribbons of Courage for AHSC #232

Hello again, crafty friends!  Today's project is especially dear to me as every October I create a pink ribbon card in honor of my mother, who lost her battle to a rare form of breast cancer.  I have been planning this card for months and I was so pleased when this week's Atlantic Hearts Sketch Challenge had the perfect sketch for what I had in mind.  **Please allow me a moment of your time for my annual public service announcement:  Early prevention is the best weapon in the fight against breast cancer so please schedule your annual mammogram and take a minute to remind your friends, the lives of our loved ones are worth fighting for!**
Before we get to the details of this card, I also want to remind you that you have until 10:55 pm Eastern/9:55 pm Central on Sunday, 10/8/17, to submit your take on this sketch, which you can do HERE, and you can check out the rest of the design team's AMAZING creations here.

details:  Not only is this cause very dear to me, but this card incorporates several of my current favorite craft supplies.  As soon as I saw this Ribbons of Courage stamp and die set from Stampin' Up, I fell in love with it and knew it would be the centerpiece of this year's pink ribbon project.  I was so happy this week's sketch had those "ribbons" at the bottom so I could add these adorable Thin Cuts Hearts Border.  And I am totally in love with this Stronger Together stamp set; not only does this set contain 8 sweetly supportive sentiments that will forever be in style, but all proceeds of this set have been designated for Red Cross relief funds for our friends and neighbors affected by the recent wildfires and hurricanes.  Seriously, so much heart went into the elements of this card from so many sources, it truly touches my heart and I am so happy to share it with you!


COVER:  I started with a 6 x 4" card, which was actually cut at 6 x 12" as this is a tri-fold card.  I used this floral patterned paper from the Basics Fundamentals collection as the base layer , using the lighter "flip side" of Pewter cardstock (5 3/8 x 3 1/2"), and the lighter side of Bashful cardstock on top of that (5 1/16 x 3 1/4").  On the center panel (4 7/8 x 3 1/8"), I used Bashful ink for the "swipe" of color from the retired Brush Strokes stamp set.  The sentiment is from the Stronger Together, stamped with Pewter ink.

I used the Hearts Border Thin Cuts to create this two-layer border with the lighter shade of Pewter cardstock for the base and Bashful glitter paper for the delicate row of hearts for the top layer, using a glue pen for adhesive.  Then I used Pixie ink to stamp this floral ribbon from the SU Ribbons of Courage set on the lighter shade of Bashful cardstock, die cut the ribbon, and popped it up with bits of 3-D foam tape.

INNER FOLD:  The Pewter ink was a tad too dark for this sweet littler wreath from the retired White Pines cardmaking stamp set, so I went with Heather instead.  Likewise, the Bashful ink was a little too light to stand out when paired with the wreath image, so I used Pixie ink for this sentiment from the retired Here For You Workshop Your Way kit.  I used the glue pen and negative space hearts from the border cut on the cover to embellish the wreath with the tiny pink hearts.

INSIDE:  I purposely kept this inside of this card super simple, using Pewter ink with another sentiment from the Stronger Together stamp set, as I planned this card with plenty of room for lots of signatures so that a group (whether it's a group of coworkers, fellow church members, or a group of besties) to come together to show support for their newly diagnosed loved one.  After all, a great support team is invaluable in fighting any illness, particularly cancer.

 A lot of heart, and a lot of time and effort, went into this one but I'm very pleased with how it turned out.  And while I hope and pray it isn't needed for anyone I know anytime soon, it will be ready to round up support should that day come.  Until we find a cure, we have to fight cancer together.

In loving memory of my mother, Diane, who was and will always be my hero.  ~~  Annette