A Retro Sketch #180 Card

Happy Labor Day!! Though I have been back to work for almost two weeks, this is the "official" end of summer. Now if the cooler weather, with a weeks worth of rain would come, it would be perfect. I am so over the hot, humid weather right now and am ready for fall. Fall is my FAVORITE time of year. I like it cool enough to wear a sweater!!

Today I am sharing a card that I created yesterday using "Build-able Blooms" from My Favorite Things. I am kind of in love with this stamp set because it is so easy to use!! The sketch that I used was retro sketch #180 from the Retro Sketches blog.

The sketch was calling out for me to create a one layer card, something I NEVER do. One layer cards and I do not get along. I usually I get to just the end and mess it up. Do you know how many cards I wind up throwing away in my attempts? Or having to cover up my mistakes? I am always envious of people who create one layer cards because I adore how they look. I did wind up adding several sequins to jazz it up a bit but that really does not count, does it?

The whole thing was just stamping the fabulous flowers from the "Build-able Blooms" stamp set in different pinks and purples. I was not looking for depth or using fancy techniques like masking. It is what it is!!

Here is the sketch:

It screams one layer, doesn't it? Well, except for the sentiment-which I almost used a banner for but decided to stamp right over the flowers instead.

I thank you for taking the time to stop by. Have a fabulous week!!

Supplies:

InLinkz.com

MUSE Challenge, Papertrey Ink and Pretty Pink Posh

Happy Sunday!! I hope everyone in the states is enjoying their Labor Day Weekend. I know I have!

Friday night was spent with girl friends. We had the MOST DELICIOUS dinner at my friend Sue's house. Homemade quiche with her chickens eggs, fresh fruit and french toast with her husbands home made maple syrup. She has a garden to table dinner in her own backyard between her lovely garden and her chickens. It was really nice.

Saturday Chris smoked some beef ribs and chicken for my father and my stepmother. They were delicious. It was topped off by my contribution of fresh baked peach cobbler. All I have been doing this weekend is eating!!

Today I had time to play with the MUSE challenge blog. It is sometimes weird how my mind goes when I do these type of challenges. It is not always where I think it will. Here is what I created:

Here is the MUSE card that designer Carol Mayne created:

If you have time, go check out her blog. She has some beautiful cards.

I had my card percolating in my brain over the busy week when I received my Papertrey Ink order. I bought the Leaf Silhouette Die and knew I wanted to use this on my card in lieu of the feathers. I also wanted to do a bit of experimenting so I did a number of different techniques on this.

First I used various colors of ink and inked up some white paper. I then die cut each of the leaves. Next I took a piece watercolor card stock and blended three shades of Distress ink, (Spiced Marmalade, Squeezed Lemonade and Shaded Lilac) spritzed with water and let the inks run together as I held the card stock, turning it around. I dried the ink using my embossing tool.

I kind of wanted the background to be a bit of collage, like in the stamped feathers on Carol's card. I stamped a word background in the corner in gray ink to start with. By this time, I was wishing for a leaf stamp to match the Papertrey die cut. I improvised by die cutting a fourth leaf out of white paper, inking it with Versamark ink, pressing it down into the background and then covering it with gold Powdered Pearls. I have not done this technique in so long and it was so fun to dig out old supplies again. I then stamped the sentiment from Papertrey Ink's "Words of Comfort" stamp set.

Next I mounted the watercolor panel on a piece of card stock that I inked up with SSS Blue Violet ink and mounted it on an top folding A2 size piece of Papertrey's Harvest Gold card stock.

I mounted the three leaves over the watercolor panel, covered them in clear Wink of Stella and added some orange sequins that Paulina from generously sent "free" when I last ordered from "Pretty Pink Posh" (LOVE that store) and a violet sequin I had in my stash and it is complete.

I actually might make a few more cards like this today as Chris needs one and I need some more in my stash. I also want to make some miscellaneous cards for someone whom I owe a long OVER DUE thank you note to. I figure a bunch of cards would make up for my lack of timeliness.

I thank you for stopping by. Have a fabulous day!!

Supplies:

InLinkz.com