Back to School for Friday Mashup

This week at The Friday Mashup we have a sketch along with a Back to School theme. My kids headed back to school on Aug.17, I have a senior and junior this year. Time sure flies!

I'm not a big fan of back to school cards, I never had any out, so I went with images that remind me of fall and back to school, like apples. I'm also thankful that my kids are back in school, hehehehe, but I'm also thankful for some of the great teachers they have so hence the thankful sentiment.

I mixed a bit of old with the new on this card. The DSP and card base color of Lucky Limeade are all retired, along with the ribbon, but the sentiment and bear are brand new images that are in the Thankful Forest Friends, which can be found in the new SU holiday catalog. I colored the image stamp with various markers and stamped in on a piece of Very Vanilla. The bear was stamped in Early Espresso and fussy cut, then popped up with dimensionals.

Head over to the Friday Mashup blog to see what the rest of the DT created and then play along with us!

Here's your Mashup Challenge:

• Create a project using the Sketch.
• Create a project with a Back to School theme.
• or Mash it Up! and created a Back to School project with the Sketch.

Stamps: Thankful Forest Friends

Paper: Lucky Limeade (retired), Very Vanilla, Orchard Harvest (retired)

Ink: Early Espresso, Pear Pizzazz (retired), Cajun Craze, More Mustard (retired), Raspberry Ripple (retired), Soft Suede

Accessories: Lucky Limeade Ribbon (retired), dimensionals

Santa's Gifts for Sunday Stamps

It's time for a new challenge at Sunday Stamps and this time we have a great sketch for you!

I'm going back and forth with autumn and Christmas lately and today's card is all Christmas. I used a new SU set called Santa's Gifts to create a little scene, Santa tossing some presents over to Rudolph. I kept the background nice and simple as I wanted all the focus to be on the scene. The present in the air is popped up with dimensionals and I used clear Wink of Stella on all the presents. I did have to move the sentiment to a spot below the scene, and I used some retired Real Red ribbon to create the division between the images and the DSP on the lower section. I did some paper piercing around the edges to finish it all off.

Head over to the Sunday Stamps blog to see what the rest of the DT came up with and then play along with us!

Stamps: Santa's Gifts

Paper: Real Red, Whisper White, Merry Moments DSP Pack

Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black, Real Red

Copics: E13, E15, E17, E18

G07, G28, G21, G40

R27, R29, R59

YR24

N1, N2, N3, N4, N7

B00, BG02

BV02, BV04

ROOO, ROOOO

Accessories: Real Red Ribbon (retired), Paper Piercer, Wink of Stella,  Dimensionals

A Ride Under the Lights

Freshly Made Sketches is celebrating their 200th challenge and so I played along with them.

I used a new die and stamp set coming out in the SU catalog, Sleigh Ride Edgelits and Jingle All the Way. I love sleigh rides and I love being out in the snow at night so I decided to combine those 2 things. I also did a very subdued Northern Lights technique. Living in Alaska I'm lucky to be able to see "the lights" quite often and I don't think people realize that the aurora can be a very dark green in the night sky, especially when it is just starting to appear or when it is fading. I know most images capture the bright waves of green, purple and magenta. Personally, I love the dark green bands that let me know the sky is starting to awaken!

I differed from the sketch just slightly by having my center sloping but I still have the 2 different sections like the sketch so hopefully that counts!

Thanks for stopping by!

Here is just an example of the difference in intensity you can see with the aurora. These were taken in March of this year while I was on my lunch break at work, and then a few hours later after work. You can see in the first photo how much darker the lights are but in the second one they are pretty darn vibrant, really standing out even against all the light pollution from the football field and the back parking lot.

Stamps: Jingle All the Way

Paper: Night of Navy, Whisper White(Thick CS)

Ink: Cucumber Crush, Night of Navy, 

Accessories: Big Shot, Sleigh Ride Edgelits

Masculine Embossed Birthday for Friday Mashup

Happy Friday! I'm so glad this week is finally over, it means I'm closer to next week and a road trip to Valdez, wooohooo! It's a part of Alaska I haven't been to yet and I'm looking forward to wandering the area doing some photography while my husband and boys fish!

This week at The Friday Mashup the challenge is a birthday project with your choice of technique. I decided to go with a simple and easy technique that I use all the time, dry embossing.

I love masculine cards and I love wildlife so I combined those two to create this card. I'm still mad that the set Walk in the Wild with the moose got retired but I guess this elk from The Wilderness Awaits set will have to do. For the technique portion I embossed a banner of Baked Brown Sugar and layered that one the card base.

Make sure you head over to The Friday Mashup blog and see what the rest of the DT came up with, and then play along!

Here's your Mashup Challenge:

• Create a Birthday Themed project.
• Create a project using any kind of Technique you'd like.
• or Mash it Up! and created a Birthday themed project and any Technique.

Stamps: The Wilderness Awaits, sentiment from Best Dad Ever (retired)

Paper: Early Espresso, Baked Brown Sugar(retired), Whisper White, Baked Brown Sugar DSP (retired)

Ink: Baked Brown Sugar (retired), Early Espresso

Accessories: Big Shot, Woodgrain TIEF, dimensionals

TTS It's Hip to be Square

This week at 'Tis The Season it's a fun, simple sketch!

I started with a card base of Real Red and put a panel of Merry Moments DSP on it. I used some retired Crumb Cake ribbon to put across the bottom. My Whisper White panel was embossed with the Woodgrain TIEF and on that I adhered a wreath I created using the Wondrous Wreath set. Nice and easy!

Head on over to the 'Tis The Season blog to see what the rest of the DT came up with and then play along with us!

Stamps: Wondrous Wreath

Paper: Real Red, Whisper White, Merry Moments DSP

Ink: Old Olive, Crumb Cake, Real Red

Accessories: Big Shot, Wonderful Wreath Framelits, Woodgrain TIEF, Crumb Cake Ribbon (retired), Cherry Cobbler Dazzling Details

Summer Flowers for Friday Mashup

This week at Friday Mashup Heidi is our hostess and she has a color challenge for us, as well as wanting to see summer flowers on our projects.

The colors to use are shades of Dijon, Olive and Razzleberry. You can use any brand as long as the colors are similar to the challenge colors!

I used a stamp from the Serene Silhouettes set. I colored the stamp with markers and just alternated the colors going across the page. Our yard backs up to the Alaska Railroad and there are fields of fireweed all along the tracks and that's the picture I head in my head as I worked on this card (even though these flowers are obviously not fireweed!). I put a strip of Delightful Dijon DSP along the bottom and added a little butterfly in the grass.

Be sure to check out what the rest of the DT created and then play along with us!

Here's your Mashup Challenge :

• Create a project using shades of Dijon, Olive, Razzleberry. 
• Create a project inspired by Summer Flowers. 
• or Mash it Up! and create a "Summer Flowers Project using the colors above. 

Stamps: Serene Silhouettes, Butterfly Basics

Paper: Rich Razzleberry, Old Olive, Whisper White, Delightful Dijon DSP

Ink: Old Olive, Rich Razzleberry, Delightful Dijon

Accessories: Dimensionals for the butterfly

A Simple Fall Scene

I didn't have to drive into town today so I had some time to craft. I saw the current challenge for CAS(E) this Sketch come across my feed and decided to play along.

When I originally set out to make a card for this challenge I had Christmas in mind. However, when I executed the vision I had in my head it just didn't appeal to me and I started all over. I glanced out the window and decided to go with a fall theme. Here in Alaska signs of autumn are appearing everywhere...fireweed has gone to seed, the air has a certain crispness to it and leaves are starting to change.

I used a new set from SU called Happy Scenes that I recently got in my preorder. I stamped the image twice across the front and then colored it with copics. The sentiment is also from a new set coming out, that one is called Sparkly Seasons. 

I really love how it came out, it's a nice and simple card that can easily be reproduced if need be.

Thanks for stopping by!

Stamps: Happy Scenes, Sparkly Seasons

Paper: Whisper White CS(Thick)

Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black, Tangelo Twist

Copics:YG03, YG25, G07, E13, Y13, Y18, R05, R08, R46, YR09, YR07

Good Things for Sunday Stamps

Sunday already? Why must the weekend go by so fast? One good thing about Sunday though...it's time for another Sunday Stamps challenge and this time we have a great color challenge for you!

The colors I used are Old Olive, Calypso Coral, Cherry Cobbler, Blushing Bride and Whisper White. I used SU colors but you can use any brand you have as long as they are close to the shades shown in the banners on the graphic.

I used the set You've Got This. I'm not big on flower stamps but I'm really starting to love this set. The background was stamped in Blushing Bride on Whisper White, which is mounted on an Old Olive card base. I colored my flower in Calypso Coral and Old Olive, with a touch of Cherry Cobbler Dazzling Details in the center of the flower. Along the bottom of the card I used some Best Year Ever DSP and put some retired Calypso Coral ribbon across the edge of it. To finish the card off I stamped the sentiment in Cherry Cobbler. I have to say, I really love how this card turned out!

Make sure you head over to the Sunday Stamps blog to see what the rest of the DT came out with and then play along with us!

Stamps: You've Got This

Paper: Old Olive, Whisper White, Best Year Ever DSP (retired)

Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black, Calypso Coral, Old Olive, Cherry Cobbler, Blushing Bride

Accessories: Cherry Cobbler Dazzling Details, Calypso Coral Ribbon (retired), dimensionals

Christmas Treats for Jingle Belles

Wow, 2 cards in one day, for 2 different challenges? Go me!

This card is for the Jingle Belles challenge, they have an awesome inspiration photo this week! For some reason I thought I had missed out on this particular challenge so boy was I happy to see a reminder post come across my feed from them!

I thought I had a Santa image where he was giving cookies to kids but I couldn't find it anywhere so maybe it was just all in my head. LOL Instead I pulled out a retired SU set and used the colors from the photo along with the theme of treats for Santa. My layout was inspired by a recent Freshly Made Sketches post, although I ended up deviating a bit from the sketch by adding the candy canes. The 2 cups and the gingerbread man just seemed a little plain to me and I needed to add a little something extra.

I used a clear Wink of Stella pen to add sparkle to my "Merry" sentiment but you can't see it very well in the photo. It sparkles nicely in person though!

Make sure to head over to the Jingles Belles blog, there is still time to play along with this challenge!

Stamps: Scentsational Season (retired)

Paper: Sahara Sand, Taken With Teal (retired), Holiday Lounge DSP (retired)

Ink: Ruby Red (retired), Sahara Sand, Early Espresso

Accessories: Big Shot, Holiday Collection Framelits (retired), Expressions Thinlits Dies (retired), Paper Piercer, Clear Wink of Stella

Give Thanks

I go back to night shift starting Monday but this morning I was up early and with the husband at work in Anchorage and 2 kids sleeping and 2 kids gone I had some quiet time to get a card done.

I received my big SU preorder from the Christmas catalog the other day so I decided to use one of the new sets to play along with the Freshly Made Sketches challenge. I grabbed Thankful Forest Friends, I really like the images in this set, especially the bear. I didn't break the bear out today though, I used one of the sentiments instead.

I used markers to color the sentiment and I stamped it on a piece of Whisper White. It's offset by a piece of Hello Honey and underneath the panels I put a strip of retired SU Burlap ribbon. The card base is Hello Honey and I layered a panel of Tangelo Twist on it. The sequins are non-SU but they are a Mossy Green that matched my colors so I used them. 

A nice simple fall card!

Stamps: Thankful Forest Friends

Paper: Hello Honey, Whisper White, Hello Honey DSP, Tangelo Twist DSP

Ink: Blackberry Bliss, Hello Honey, Mossy Meadow, Tangelo Twist, Tip Top Taupe, Early Espresso

Accessories: Burlap Ribbon(retired), PPP Mossy Green Sequins

Getting Punchy with the State Fair

Happy Friday! It's my last Friday on day shift, I head back to overnights on Monday. I can't believe how quick the summer went. I am more than ready for the fall and winter to arrive!

One way to tell that fall is on the way here is the arrival of the Alaska State Fair at the end of August. It's held in Palmer, which is across the valley from me, and people from all over the state come to it. My family loves going to the state fair so since it's my week to host the challenge at The Friday Mashup I decided to use that as my inspiration.....make a project that's inspired by your state fair. Maybe the food is your favorite, or perhaps you like the rides and carnival portion? Maybe it's the farm animals that you can't wait to see...whatever it is, create a project based on it and while you are at it use punches on your project!

The Alaska State Fair is known for it's record breaking pumpkins. I always make a beeline for the hall that has all the livestock and fruits and vegetables because I just get a huge kick at looking at the monster pumpkins, cabbage, rhubarb, etc. The record for the largest pumpkin is 1,287lbs and that record has not been broken since 2011. A pumpkin came close in 2014 though, it was only 3 lbs away from beating the record! My love for these giant pumpkins is what inspired my card (even though my kids wanted me to do a card about fair food).

I created my pumpkin using 3 oval framelits. I used a circle punch to make the stem. The background was embossed with the Woodgrain TIEF. I thought the sentiment with the curly ends went perfectly with the pumpkin theme so I stamped that in Mossy Meadow and created a banner.

Head over to The Friday Mashup blog to see what the rest of the DT came up with and then I hope you'll play along with us!

Here's your Mashup Challenge this week:

• Create a project " Inspired by your State Fair".
• Create a  project using "Punches".
• or Mash it Up and created  a "Project inspired by your State Fair that uses Punches".

Here are some photos I took at the Alaska State Fair in 2013:

And my card:

Stamps: A Dozen Thoughts

Paper: Mossy Meadow, Tangelo Twist, Whisper White, Mossy Meadow DSP, Hello Honey DSP

Ink: Tangelo Twist, Mossy Meadow

Accessories: Big Shot, Oval Framelits, Woodgrain TIEF, 1 1/4" Circle Punch, sponge, dimensionals

Summer Colors for Tis The Season

This week at 'Tis The Season we have some bright colors to use, colors that totally made me think summer. I've said it before, I am all about the traditional Christmas colors so I had to sit and think about this for a bit.

I ended up grabbing the Lots of Joy set and stamped the tree in the set 3 times...once in Strawberry Slush, once in Daffodil Delight and then once in Pool Party. I punched them out with the tree punch and adhered them to a panel of DSP that is backed with a panel of Pool Party. To incorporate the Always Artichoke I stamped the sentiment in that color. The card still seemed a bit plain to me so I did my favorite thing to add a little extra to a card, paper piercing around the edge.

Head over to the 'Tis The Season blog to see how the rest of the DT used these colors and then play along with us! 

Stamps: Lots of Joy

Paper: Pool Party, Whisper White Thick Cardstock, All is Calm DSP

Ink: Pool Party, Strawberry Slush, Daffodil Delight, Always Artichoke

Accessories: Paper Piercer, Dimensionals