Your Ticket for AHSC #260

Hello again, crafty friends!  Slowly but surely my family and I are getting back into the swing of things after numerous health issues among us and the passing of my beloved 104 year old grandfather.  So when it was time to sit down and craft this week;s sketch at Atlantic Hearts Sketch Challenge, I wanted to create something with a fun and festive feel to it and this paper immediately came to mind.  Let's get started!

details:  I started with this fun paper from Carta Bella from their Circus Party collection.  I used Cricut Design Space to edit a basic ticket image from the Art Philosophy cartridge and cut it in black CS, and on the bottom of that image I used Versamark and white embossing powder to heat emboss the "you're invited" sentiment from a retired set called Simple Invites.

I used the It's A Date stamp set with black Memento ink to create the little calendar image on Tulip cardstock (retired) which I then ran through my Cuttlebug with the largest of the basic tag Thin Cuts and hand-trimmed that down a bit to make it fit the sketch the way I wanted.  I also ran some older black and white twine from Darice through the top of the tag.  For the "29" image, I used black ink with the retired small Chocolate alpha on Lagoon cardstock, and centered the stamped numbers in an older Darice punch of a 1 1/4" squre with tattered edges.  I then touched up the edges of both the tag and square with more black Memento ink and a sponge dauber.

I was thinking of using this piece as a template invitations to upcoming crops and I love the clean, graphic look of it but I am not entirely happy with the embossed sentiment.  I will have to play with it more to see if I simply pressed the stamp too hard, if I need to use a different sentiment, or if I will have to use a lighter color for the ticket so that the sentiment can be stamped in black ink.  Still, this was a fun sketch to work with and I think I will play with it some more on my own time.  We would love to see what you do with it too!  You have until 10:55 pm Eastern/9:55 pm Central on Sunday, 4/22/18, to play along and you can enter your projects HERE.  If you need a little inspiration, you can also check out the design team's creations using this week's sketch.

Thanks for stopping by and happy crafting!  ~~  Annette

Your Country Theme for AHSC #259

Hello again, crafty friends!  This isn't my design team's week on the Atlantic Hearts Sketch Challenge blog but our hostess Michelle Stewart came up with such a fun sketch idea for this week, to create a sketch for each of our country of origin, that almost all of us are playing along.   How awesome is that?  Let's get started!

If you have visited my blog before, this project might seem familiar because I have used the USA stamp and a different camper image from the same set as another project I did based on this same paper pack.  I had planned to use my Hello USA Cricut cartridge from CTMH but I couldn't find the paper I had in mind for that project so I dig out the last of this lovely Juniper-colored grain patterned paper and this whimsical forest patterned paper, both from the recently retired JACK kit.  I used black Memento ink to stamp the USA image from a retired set called Adventure USA, and the camper and sentiment from another retired set called Camper Crazy.  I also used the Warm Grey 4, Warm Grey 7, Turquoise Blue, and Carmine ShinHan alcohol markers as well as the metallic silver marker to add some touches of color to the camper image.  I plan for this to be a retirement card and while I don't have anyone in particular in mind for this card just yet, camping is very popular in our area so I should have no problem finding someone to give it to.

And that's all there is to my project for today.  I hope you will take time to check out the rest of the design team's creations and we would also love to see your take on this week's sketches too.  As always, you have until 10:55 pm Eastern/9:55 pm Central time to link your projects HERE.  Thanks for stopping by and happy crafting!  ~~  Annette

Gimme Some Sugar Thank You

Hello again, crafty friends!  Last week an old friend mentioned she was getting her kitchen prepped to get all new stainless steel appliances and she offered to "sell" me her barely used glass top oven  for next to nothing, what basically amounted the gas to deliver it and the time it took to load and unload it.  Since I have been making do with an apartment sized oven for several years to prepare all my family's meals, I was thrilled with her generous offer.  So naturally, I wanted to express my appreciation and since she is a far better cook than I am, I figured I had better to stick to creating a card.  Luckily, I had the *perfect* paper and coordinating stamp kit for the occasion!

details:  Everything for this one is from CTMH's Gimme Some Sugar paper kit and the coordinating cardmaking stamp set and Thin Cuts die set.  I used Heather ink to stamp the oven mit (on Bashful cardstock), rolling pin (on Pebble CS), and measuring cup and Juniper to stamp the sentiment from the retired M-sized set called Timely Tidings.  The pattern for the front of the card is pattern #21 from Make It From Your Heart Vol. 1.

For the inside of the card, I cut a strip of Bashful CS and topped it with another strip of this super cute kitchen themed paper, and then I used one of the PML cards from the kit to hand-write my message on.  This particular friend has never received one of my cards but I'm hoping she will be pleasantly surprised when she gets in the mail.

Thanks for stopping by and looking!  ~~  Annette

Chelsea Gardens Thanks for AHS #258

Hello again, crafty friends.  Last night was the first time I have sat down to craft since the recent passing of my beloved 104 year old grandfather.  Even though we were blessed to have him with us so long, he was one of the kindest people I have ever known and he will be greatly missed by many.  My dearest friend was especially thoughtful in bringing me and my family purple roses (my favorite color) and a garden stone engraved with a lovely poem, and I thought this week's sketch at Atlantic Hearts Sketch Challenge would make a great thank you card.  Before I go into the details, though, I want to remind everyone that we love seeing your interpretations of our weekly sketches, and you have until 10:55 pm Eastern/9:44 pm Central on Sunday, 4/8/18, to link your projects for this sketch which you can do HERE.

details:  I started with this striped patterned paper from the Chelsea Gardens paper pack to create a 6" square card base and topped it with a 5 1/2" square of Juniper cardstock (original or darker shade).  For the next layer, I used the retired Art Philosophy cartridge to cut the scalloped square frame at 5" from white cardstock and again from this delicate floral, also from the Chelsea Gardens kit.  I used a sponge dauber to add a little Heather ink around the edges of the white center panel before gluing it in place.

For the flowers, I chose to use both the original and lighter tones of Glacier and Bashful cardstocks with these fun stitched flower dies from MFTstamps.com and some of the white colored pieces from the gray enamel gems.  I used the stem pieces from the same die set with some scraps of a watercolor pattern in Sweet Leaf from last year's fundamentals collections.  For the banner, I used Bashful cardstock (the darker/original tone) with our new Party Banners Thin Cuts dies, Heather ink, and this lovely scripty "thanks" sentiment from a retired Hostess Rewards stamp set called Variety of Thanks.

Thank you all for stopping by.  Happy crafting!  ~~  Annette