Did they remove my mojo too?

I'm back today to share some cards that I've been working on for various challenges some of which have now come and gone with posting deadlines.  That's OK as it was more about just getting a chance to create something than to try to win a prize.

I had surgery to remove a large ovarian cyst (10 cm) at the beginning of May.  The cyst was not cancerous, thank God!  I truly feel blessed to be resting at home and on my way to recovery.  My energy has been slow to return, and with the doctor's restrictions on no lifting more than 10 pounds, no housework, etc.  I'm pretty limited in what I can do right now.  I had to sit with my feet up on the couch for pretty much the first week at home.  I did some reading, a bunch of napping, and caught up a little bit on the TV shows taped on the DVR.  I wasn't in pain, just uncomfortable when I tried to sit and make a card.

When I could sit comfortably for a long enough period of time to make a card, I started with the first sketch I saw which was Amber's VLV sketch for March.  I was drawn to the simplicity of the sketch and went with a CAS style interpretation. 

Supplies:
Stamps:  Verve "Everlasting Life"
Papers:  White, yellow, green, dp from Brenda Walton "Small Wonders Girl"
Ink:  Versafine Onyx Black
Other:  Recollections mini rose
Size:  A2

The next sketch was Amy's VLV week 3 sketch for May.  This one was a little more complicated for me.  I have been really wanting to use up the last of this Small Wonders Girl dp.  I had a bunch of little pieces on my work space, and I tried to make them work with Amy's sketch.  Here's where I started to wonder if my mojo also got removed.  I tried and tried so many paper combos, and this is the one I liked the best.  I think it's a little busy though. 

I added a little tag which reads "Wising you a fabulous birthday."  The flower covers it more in this picture, but it was the picture that had the most accurate colors.  For some reason, it was looking really peachy colored when I tried to angle it differently to show the tag better.  I had intended to enter this card in Papertake Weekly's "In the Garden" challenge but that one is over.  It does qualify for the Oldie but a Goodie "Things with Wings" challenge.  I used a little Verve butterfly, colored it with Copics, cut it out, and popped it up on foam tape.

Supplies:
Stamps:  Verve butterfly from "Chicks Rule" and sentiment from "Birthday Surprise"
Ink:  Versafine Onyx Black
Papers:  cream, green for leaves, dps from Brenda Walton "Small Wonders Girl"
Other:  Recollections pearl flourish, MS leaf punch, Recollections flower, foam tape
Size:  4" x 6 3/4"  (made to fit an extra photo card envelope leftover from Christmas)


The next sketch was Mojo Monday #241.  I had intended to combine the sketch with two other challenges:  Our Daily Bread Designs SLC108 which was a photo inspiration challenge along with Cute Card Thursday "A Touch of Sparkle."

I used inspiration photos 1 and 3 for the colors, the flowers, and the round shape.

Supplies:
Stamps:  Our Daily Bread Designs "Birthday Blessings" image and sentiment
Ink:  Versafine Onyx Black, Memento Tuxedo Black
Papers:  Cream, pink, burgundy, dp from Brenda Walton "Small Wonders Girl"
Other:  Nestabilities, Copic markers, Recollection glittery flower, Tim Holtz edge distressing tool
Size:  6" square

With my final card, my mojo seemed to be coming back.  I used Amber's VLV sketch for May week 1, and found I had just the right pieces of dp scraps to fit this sketch.  I did another "odd" sized card to fit those leftover photo card envelopes.  This sentiment just really spoke to me, enjoy each day and take pleasure in the little things.

Supplies:
Stamps:  Verve "Blessings"
Ink:  Versafine Onyx Black
Papers:  Cream, green for leaf punches, dps from Brenda Walton "Small Wonders Girl"
Other:  Sizzix flowers 3D die, pink felt, thin twine, flower button from stash, ivory ribbon, Bow Easy, MS leaf punches
Size:  4" x 6 3/4" (photo card envelope size)

Thanks for stopping by!
Blessings,
Sarah

Thank You!

I shared with you a while back that I've gotten accepted into Pharmacy School for the fall of 2012.  What I didn't share with you were the cards that I made for my interviewers.  The Admissions counselor encouraged us to send thank you notes following our interviews, and after one of my interviewers mentioned that she also enjoys cardmaking, I thought that I should definitely send handmade cards!

I interviewed back in January, and I made both of these cards at the end of January.  I photographed them before sending them, but I didn't have time to get them posted on my blog until now. 

The first one was for a man, so I thought Shannan's sketch would be perfect.  I wanted to stay somewhat CAS for his card.  This card was made in just a matter of minutes once I picked some coordinating papers.  He mentioned that he enjoyed golfing, so I thought that green would be a good color to use for his card.

Supplies
Stamps:  Verve "Celebration of Thanks"
Ink:  Versafine Onyx Black
Papers:  white, dps from Basic Grey "Boxer"
Other:  Olive May Arts 1 1/4" silk ribbon, Bow Easy, Recollections mini rose
Card size:  A2

The second interviewer was a lady who was wearing a pink sweater, so I decided that pink should be the color for her thank you card.  Teresa's sketch was a great starting point since it had a little bit of layering, and I got a feminine feel from it, maybe from the heart?  At any rate, it got my creative wheels turning, and my second card was also pretty quickly made.

The papers I used were a peachy pink color that was hard to match, so I used a variegated pink and peach ribbon to try to tie the colors together.

Supplies
Stamps:  Verve "Celebration of Thanks"
Papers:  2 shades of ivory (a more yellowy ivory for the card base and a very subtle ivory for the mats), dps from Brenda Walton "Small Wonders Girl"
Ink:  Versafine Onyx Black
Other:  Recollections pearl flourishes in pink, Recollections mini rose, variegated organdy ribbon from Michael's, Bow Easy, Nestabilities heart and scalloped heart dies
Card size:  A2

Thanks for stopping by!
Blessings,
Sarah

A Sweet Birthday Wish

I have not one but two cards to share with you today for Cute Card Thursday's I Want Candy Challenge (#211).  I opted to interpret the challenge as a "Sweet Treat."  I hope that isn't too far of a stretch for the challenge.  If you've visited my blog previously, you know that I love to create cards based on sketches.  My crafting time has been pretty limited since the beginning of 2012, and I had printed out these two layouts and couldn't decide which one to do, so in the end, I made both!  At least I'm making a dent in the stack of sketches I've accumulated!  :)

The first card uses Amber's fab Viva La Verve sketch from January for the layout. 

Here's the first card.  Someone from church asked me to make a card for her grandson's first birthday. 

Supplies
Stamps:  Verve "Carpe Cupcake"
Papers:  white, dps from DCWV "Nana's Nursery Baby Boy"
Ink:  Memento Tuxedo Black
Other:  Nestabilities circle die, Copic markers, Stickles Crystal glitter

The second card uses Charmaine's fab Viva La Verve sketch from March for the layout.

Supplies
Stamps:  Verve "Carpe Cupcake" and sentiment from "Birthday Surprise"
Ink:  Memento Tuxedo Black (image) and Versafine Onyx Black (sent.)
Papers:  white, teal, dsp from K & Co. "Berry Sweet"
Other:  Copic markers, Nestabilities circle and petite scalloped circle dies

Thanks for stopping by!
Blessings,
Sarah

A Springtime Hello

Today I'm sharing a card that I made for Just Magnolia and Hanglar Stanglar's Anything Goes challenge.  It's cool but clear and sunny here today, so I decided to make a spring colored card.

Here's a closer look at the colored image.  I used shades of coral for her dress and the accent flowers to pick up the color of the polka dots in the dp. 

I used a Viva La Verve layout from January that I had not gotten around to using previously.  Here's Andrea's great sketch.

Supplies
Stamp:  Magnolia
Papers:  white, olive green, dps from K & Co. Brenda Walton "Small Wonders Girl"
Ink:  Memento Tuxedo Black
Other:  EK Success "Abstract Flower" border punch, oval and scalloped oval Nestabilities, Recollections mini roses, large rose from Prima, Copic markers

Thanks for stopping by!
Blessings,
Sarah

Never Stop Going

I'm back with a card I created for two challenges.   First is the Shining the Light Challenge #102 at ODBD which was to use our favorite stamp set.  The second challenge is for Papertake Weekly's anything goes challenge. 

I had intened to play along last week with ODBD's SLC #101 silk challenge, but I just ran out of time.  I did want to try the faux silk technique, so I decided to incorporate it into my card.  Also from last week, I had printed out the Papertake Weekly sketch but that's as far as I got on that challenge entry!  So when I sat down to stamp, the first thing I saw was the sketch, so that became the basis of my challenge entry. 

Here's the sketch: 

I wanted to use a couple of the newer ODBD sets called "Grunge Cross" and "Never Give Up."  I was drawn to the never give up sentiment as I went through my ODBD stamps.  It was so hard to pick a favorite!  I really like the way the cross has all of these swirls and intricate details.  The image and sentiments are also fitting for either masculine or feminine cards. 

I decided to try to do the faux silk technique by scrunching up some white tissue paper and then stamping the cross image to make my own patterned paper.  I don't have a Xyron sticker maker, so I elected to wrap the tissue paper around a piece of white cardstock and adhere the tissue paper to the back so the adhesive wouldn't show through on the front of the faux silk panel.  Here's what the panel looked like before I nearly entirely covered it up with the other layers!

Next, I just added the layers as illustrated in the sketch and then added just a bit of color with some flowers.  I made the large flower using a Sizzix die.

Here's a closer view of the image and sentiment. 

I took a side view photo so you can see the dimension on the flower a little better.  This card will definitely be placed in a little box to be delivered!

Supplies
Stamps:  Our Daily Bread Designs "Grunge Cross" and "Never Give Up"
Ink:  Vintage Photo Distress Ink
Papers:  brown for card base, white, dps from Basic Grey's "Little Black Dress" collection (including mat papers used for image and dps)
Other:  twine from stash, Martha Stewart punches (leaf and fern), Sizzix "Tattered Florals" Tim Holtz die, Recollections mini rose, Recollections pearl for center of big flower, foam tape
Technique:  faux silk

Thanks for stopping by!
Blessings,
Sarah

ODBD 4th Anniversary!

So I knew I hadn't posted on my blog in a while, but I didn't realize that I still hadn't posted for 2012 yet!  I've been crafting (just not posting stuff on my blog) and have spent a good deal of time trying to make a major career change.  After teaching science for over 10 years, I decided that I really did not want to do that any longer, so after a great deal of prayer, I decided to try to get accepted into pharmacy school.  I recently received the good news that I was accepted, so I will begin the four year process of obtaining my Pharm. D. in August.  Whoo hoo!  I'm so excited to be starting a new chapter in the job aspect of my life. 

My post today is another celebration, the Shining the Light Challenge #100 as Our Daily Bread Designs celebrates their 4th Anniversary!  Congratulations, Kelley on this milestone!  I love my ODBD stamps and find that I can interchange the sentiments, Bible verses, and images from so many sets to have lots of crafty options.  They are high quality stamps, and they ink up beautifully.

The challenge was to use the colors aqua or topaz (blue) with your favorite quote, sentiment, or scripture.  The scripture I chose is from "Scripture Collection 3."  I chose it because it has helped me to get through all of the changes and challenges that have arisen since last April whien my Mom died suddenly and unexpectedly.  At her funeral, my brother and I sang "You Are Mine" which is partly based on this scripture verse.  Later last summer, my great-uncle died at age 99, and I sang it as a solo for his funeral.  His funeral was the first time in 20 years that I sang publicly without being accompanied by either my husband or my Mom which was a shocking realization.  (Ryan couldn't take off work that day, but Karen accompanied me and she was so great to work with!  I have known her since childhood).

My card is kind of a CAS design.  I was going to add ribbbon, flowers, or something else, but in the end, I just left it with the scripture as the focal point since that is what really matters to me on this card.

The card is 6" x 6" and is based on the March Midnight Madness Sketch (#136).  I used the plain version of the sketch and changed the center square to a circle (sorry!).  That was the direction my mojo took me.  :)

In this last picture, you can see a bit more clearly how I stacked the doily dies and used foam tape to separate the layers and give it some depth.  I also added adhesive backed pearls to give it a little bit of a delicate feeling.  The edges of the doily dies are sponged along with the sentiment panel.

Supplies:
Stamps:  ODBD "Scripture Collection 3"
Ink:  SU!  "Night of Navy" and Vintage Photo Distress Ink (sponged)
Papers:  cream for base and mats, navy for scalloped die mat, dps from Basic Grey "Picadilly"
Other:  My Favorite Things Doily Dies (large and small), Recollections pearls (Michael's), Nestabilities circle and scalloped circle dies

Thanks for stopping by!
Blessings!
Sarah

With Love

I finally have another card to post on my much neglected blog!  I hadn't made a card for about 6 weeks, so it was a bit of a challenge to dust off the stamping cobwebs and create something.  I started with a great sketch by Dawny from Papertake Weekly.

I then set out to combine a few of my favorite challenges, since for Basic Grey Challenge 59, ODBDSLC90 and SNTODBD50, the current challenge is Anything Goes.  My Basic Grey papers are all from an older collection called "Lily Kate."  (Well, I think they are all from that collection - the binding on my little 6 x 6 pad has fallen apart since I've nearly used the entire pack, but these sheets were tucked in there, so I think that is the correct collection!)  Since I was playing along at Our Daily Bread Designs, it was the perfect chance to ink up this new clover image from "Simple Things."

This card is going to be going to my Dad as a thank you for Christmas.  He is a farmer, so the clover image is perfect for him.  I tried not to go too girly on it and just added touches of pink (coordinates with the tiny pink flowers in the dp) and just a tiny bit of ribbon.  :)  He knows I like ribbon!

Supplies:
Stamps:  Our Daily Bread Designs "Simple Things" clover image and "Poinsettia Tag" (I inked just the With Love off of the With Love From sentiment on the tag set)
Ink:  Memento Tuxedo Black (image), Vintage Photo Distress Ink (sponging), SU! Cameo Coral marker for sentiment
Other:  Copic markers, Bow Easy, satin ribbon from stash, MFT scallop border dienamics die, sponge

Thanks for stopping by!
Blessings,
Sarah