Off-Kilter Thanks

I spent way too much time playing with this simple card this morning, particularly since I started with the Splitcoast Sketch Challenge and the Picture Perfect Creations Colors.  So I already a layout and colors - there wasn't much left for me to do!! 

I went through four stamp sets, I knew I had hit on something when I ended up with this flower.  But the final breakthrough was when I wasn't trying to center it - a flower plopped in the center of a panel isn't always the most interesting look.  I stamped the flower and sentiment then I found a rectangle nestabilities that cut off part of the flower.

I will be doing a lot of posting the next two days because, as usual, I have waited until the last minute to get ready for our monthly church cardmaking gathering on Thursday night and Friday afternoon - so be sure to check back!

• Stamps: Papertrey Ink Flower Fusion #1, Verve Thanks set
• Ink: Stampin' Up Melon Mambo, Wild Wasabi
• Paper: Stampin' Up Wild Wasabi and Melon Mambo CS, Pink Pirouette and Melon Mambo dsp, Very Vanilla
• Accessories: Nestabilities rectangle and scalloped rectangle, Cuttlebug embossing folder, Stampin' Up Wild Wasabi ribbon, Recollections (by Michaels) Glitter Adhesive Dots

Confirmation - Elegant

I have been making confirmation cards for the church card ministry.  I like to make a variety of styles because these kids are teens - but typically parents and grandparents are buying the cards.  I've done a number of others earlier in the week - this one is the elegant card!

I saw a card somewhere with the colored gems on this cross - it was the reason that I bought the stamp set.  I really don't remember anything else about that card, but I loved the cross reminiscent of stained glass.

• Stamps: Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps Elegant Blessings
• Ink: black
• Paper: white
• Accessories: Spellbinders Label Die, Stampin' Up Embossing folder, misc gems

Colors: Black, Cherry, Crumbs

Today's Splitcoast Color Challenge is to use black, cherry and crumb cake with the dessert option of sparkle and shine.  I had actually recently used those colors in a sympathy card, so decided that today I needed to go a very different direction.

• Stamps: Stampin' Up Tiny Tags
• Ink: Stampin' Up Markers in black and cherry
• Paper: Stampin' Up black, white, and Crumb Cake dsp
• Accessories: Stampin' Up Crumb Cake Seam binding, embossing folder, butterfly embosslit and gems, Tattered Angels Pearl Glimmer Mist

Peaceful Swans Sympathy

I love these swans by Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps - in my rather large stamp collection, I didn't have a swan until I saw this set.

The other sentiments in the set are just lovely - "Peace be with you", "Be still and know that I am God" and "May the peace of God fill your heart today".

I used a metal impression plate on the white background - I have so many Cuttlebug/Stampin' Up/Sizzix embossing folders that I had really ignored the more subtle texture plates that a number of companies are starting to make.  But I have come to the realization that many times, subtle is good.  This plate comes from Papertrey Ink.
I used this week's Sweet Stop sketch.

This is my second post today using stamps from my recently received Sweet 'n Sassy stamps.  I have one more set to open up - probably later today.  I am going to try so very hard to use new stamps before they get put away as I already have many, many others that have never touched ink!

• Stamps: Sweet 'n Sassy Peaceful Swans
• Ink: Stampin' Up Basic Gray, light blue copics to coordinate with Baja Breeze
• Paper: Stampin' Up Basic Gray, Baja Breeze dsp
• Accessories: Smooch Illuminate Top Coat (on water), Stampin' Up border punch, oval & scalloped oval nesties, gems (colored with copics)

Let Go & Let God

This card is for today's Splitcoast CAS Challenge which was titled "Sandy & Baby Blue Chocolates".  I have to admit that the card got away from me a little bit - outside of my personal definition of clean and simple.  But when a card needs particular embellishments and layers - you just have to do it!!  The saying is just too wonderful for me not to post - so here it is:

This is from a new set at Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps called "Let Go, Let God".  The sayings in it are perfect for our church card ministry.  My other favorite saying says "We must be willing to let go of the life we planned, so we may enjoy the life God has waiting for us."

The layout for my card comes from Stampin' Royalty:

• Stamps: Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps Let Go, Let God
• Ink: Stampin' Up Chocolate Chip
• Paper: Stampin' Up Chocolate Chip CS and dsp, Bashful Blue CS and dsp, Sahara Sand CS, Thoroughly Modern dsp
• Accessories: Martha Stewart butterfly punch, Punch Bunch leaf punch, Stampin' Up trio of flower punches (can't remember the name, but it's retired), Stampin' Up Top Note die, gems colored with copics, Bashful Blue taffeta ribbon

Confirmation - Teen-Style

I have known all week what I wanted to do with this week's ColourQ Color Challenge - this stamp with "thumped" greens for our teens who are being confirmed in a few weeks.  And here I am finishing it up with 14 minutes to go before the challenge is closed!

I think it just took the inspiration of the Sweet Sunday Sketch Challenge!

FYI - I didn't spend any time in Photoshop making sure the colors were correct - but they REALLY are from the color challenge!

I inked the Blessed stamp in Kiwi then I thumped it with Artichoke and Pear.  The Pear is a little hard to see but up close it's just a wonderful mash of greens!

Here's the colors that I used:

And here's the sketch:

• Stamps: Clear Dollar Stamps Whatever, unknown cross
• Ink: Stampin' Up Kiwi Kiss, Always Artichoke and Pear Pizzazz
• Paper: Stampin' Up Always Artichoke, Pear Pizzazz, Baja Breeze dsp
• Accessories: baker's twine, brushed gold brads

My Favorite Stamper is Featured!!

Susan (or lateblossom on splitcoast) is, without a doubt, my favorite clean and simple stamper.  She can take two stamps, no colored cardstock, maybe a small gem - and get spectacular results.  Her Splitcoast gallery is here.  Also check out her blog - she explains why each card works (and she often shows cards that she considers failures and explains why they don't work!)

When I saw that she was today's Splitcoast Featured Stamper, I was thrilled.  But as I paged through her gallery, I realized that CASing Susan based on the rules of the Featured Stamper challenge (change 2 or more things) is not an easy task.  I want to totally and completely COPY her cards - I don't want to change a thing!!

Having said that, Susan is the epitome of "clean and simple".  My style is more "clean and layered".  I picked a card from her gallery from over a year ago that was the reason that I own a tub of Flower Soft.  I got the Flower Soft then never got around to CASing her card - so here it is:

• Stamps: Stampin' Up Stem Silhouettes, Papertrey Ink Signature Greetings
• Ink: Stampin' Up Certainly Celery, Soft Suede
• Paper: Stampin' Up Pink Pirouette, Crumb Cake
• Accessories: Martha Stewart French Scroll border punch, Sweet Pea Flower Soft, misc pink ribbon