a little smile makes everything better

how true this sentiment is - whether in giving a smile or receiving a smile - this simple act makes the world seem like a much friendlier place, and the day just that tad nicer!

card design was inspired by retrosketches #109

and also by the choice of colours in this week's Dynamic Duos #97, which are so great together

the sentiment stamp is from Hero Arts - A Little stamp set, which has such a beautiful frame on which the key words can be interchanged and switched around to fit the card

in fact, the whole card just makes me SMILE .... and I sure hope it does that for you too!

Post Note: and how cool it is to be selected as one of the 'Shout-Outs' for retrosketches #109

hello, little kitty

card was created using the sketch design in Seize the Sketch #17 from Jen Mitchell

the cute little kitty comes from Paper Smooches - Nine Lives clear stamp set, which comes with its own matching die-cuts - convenience personified! The tag with the 'hello' sentiment is also a die-cut from Paper Smooches - Quote Tag set - love the little window in the centre of the tag which is great for placing background paper and photos as well

Card is also going in for this week's April 6-12 "Anything Goes" Paper Smooches SPARKS challenge 

POST NOTE (14 Apr): and though I didn't win the PS SPARKS challenge, it was great to be selected as one of the Featured Players .... yayy!

just a note ...

Card was largely based on this week's CASE Study Challenge #185

I wanted to replicate the simple 1-layer card, which has always been a challenge for me - but in order to satisfy my itch to get patterned paper onto the card, I had to resort to doing paper piecing a lot of the elements (the trees, the little birdie and the clouds...) and ended up with lots of stamping and fussy-cutting ...phew! 

love this case study sketch and am going back to the table to see if I can create one with more white space and less elements on the card

Am also entering this into the April 6-12 "Anything Goes" Paper Smooches SPARKS challenge 

 stamps are from Paper Smooches - Spring Groves (the trees and birdie), Spiffy Scooters (cloud) and Sentiment Sampler ('just a note') stamp sets

The Lord is my strength

A card to encourage another ... for all strength comes from God as we face each day and all that it brings!

This card design was based on this week's Freshly Made Sketches #130 from Linda

The beautiful verse (Psalm 27:1) is a stamp from Stampendous - Hope Verses clear stamp set 

the stamp is great, but my embossing skills on such detailed stamping leaves much to be desired .... sigh, I think I really need to find an anti-static pouch especially if I'm going to use black embossing powder!

POST NOTE: and thank you so much to Jen T (from Freshly Made Sketches) for choosing this card as an honourable mention ... am so very honoured indeed!

Many Blessings

The "Leafy Vines" stamp from Hero Arts is truly versatile - great for backgrounds, and also as the main attraction on a card - here, with a bit of masking, it sits wonderfully as a multi-coloured backdrop (stamped using Kaleidacolor - Autumn Leaves rainbow dye) to the beautiful sentiment "Many Blessings" stamp also from Hero Arts

Card design was inspired by the card in this week's CASE Study Challenge #184

arigato

am totally in love with my new set of Lawn Fawn clear stamp - "Let's Roll" collection - with its delectable sushi rows and paraphernalia (chopsticks, soy sauce bottle, and even down to the little wasabi lump!) - I can just imagine the 'sushi meals' I will be churning out card after card...

this simple card was made based on the sketch in CAS(E) this Sketch #70

a close-up of those cute sushi rounds!

thanks so much

thanks so much, a photo by eatzycath on Flickr.

I'm having so much fun with my Zig Art & Graphic Twin brush markers - they are wonderful to colour directly onto stamps - after colouring, spritz a mist of water and voila, a semi-water colour image is produced when stamped!

Here, the image was stamped using Penny Black's Fresh Fields wood stamp.

Sentiments come from Paper Smooches Simply Said and Chit Chat stamp sets.

The card sketch itself comes from Seize the Sketch #13 - a really easy sketch to play around with.

you're special

you're special, a photo by eatzycath on Flickr.

card was made using the card sketch from Mojo Monday #332, which incorporated a tag on the front of the card:

I had used tacky glue to stick the patterned paper on the tag - but this turned out to be a bad idea as I had used too much glue - to save the tag, I edged the same using a maroon polka dotted washi tape which I also used for the horizontal design feature.

The hearts were cut using Quickutz Nesting Scallop Hearts die-set, edged with distress colour and each was mounted on foam tape on top of the other - finished with a little heart pearl.

Finally the tag and sentiment were stamped using Paper Smooches Streamers stamp set and Sentiment Sampler stamp set, and embossed in silver.

warm thoughts

warm thoughts, a photo by eatzycath on Flickr.

a quick and simple card made based on:

1. Retro Sketches #101 sketch design

2. Paper Players Color Challenge #182 - using the colors of midnight muse, crisp cantaloupe and gold

The card base is blue card stock, over which I layered the light orange 'cantaloupe' polka-dotted pattern paper with the edges die-cut using Paper Smooches Borders 1 die cut.

The sentiment is stamped on blue card stock using Paper Smooches Sentiment Sampler stamp set - and embossed in gold - mounted on orange card stock.

Some lace, ribbon and co-ordinating buttons in blue and orange finish the look for this card.

love

love, a photo by eatzycath on Flickr.

with valentine's day just round the corner, this is a great time to create cards with the 'love' theme.... and a great time to send these 'reminders' to loved ones!

- the heart was die-cut using Hero Arts' Fancy Dies - Renaissance Heart

- the banner was stamped using Paper Smooches - Streamers stamp set, and embossed in silver powder

- the word 'Love' was die-cut using Penny Black's Creative Dies - Love & Joy 

this card was based on this week's CAS(E) this Sketch #63

and using the colours set out in ColourQ Challenge #227