Can you believe it?

I'm actually  posting two days in a row!  Call "Ripley's Believe it or Not".

Anyway, since I got my mojo somewhat back the other day, I decided to keep it going and sat at my desk last night again, sketch in hand, and ideas flowing!

I decided to play with Cas(e) This Sketch # 104

Seemed simple enough right?

I decided this time I wanted to play with my stamps.  So I perused my stamp sets and came across this pretty stamp set from Stampin' Up.

It's a retired set that I had recently purchased from a c-worker who is a former Stampin' Up demonstrator.

I pulled out my CTMH Pigment inks in some pretty pinks and greens and stamped away.  Love the look of these two step stamps, and the pigment inks complimented the set perfectly!  I love the end results!

Now what should I play with?

The return of my mojo!

So it's been forever since I have posted.  When the preparations for the holidays started to roll around, I lost any bit of mojo I had.  This was the first Thanksgiving/Christmas without my mom, and it took all I had to keep moving forward for the sake of my family.  The last few months are a blur as I tried to tread water and keep it together.  I did make it through  both holidays, but it was definitely tough!

Yesterday I sat at my desk and slowly started cleaning the mess that had accumulated there.  As I slowly organized and purged, I felt a twinge of creativity.  "Baby steps" I said to myself, so I decided to color.

What better image is there to color than an Art Impressions stamp?  I had this Birthday Hat image lying around that I bought months ago, but hadn't played with.  So I took it out, stamped it with my memento ink, took out my Spectrum Noir markers and started coloring.  I could feel the tenseness leave my body as I actually started to enjoy the process.  I kept the card itself simple, but the time this one was completed, I had another card planned in my head.  Let's hope my mojo is here to stay!

Feeling Grateful

I actually had some free time to sit at my desk uninterrupted last night and in that time got three...yes, you heard right, THREE cards done.  Well, almost three.  Still need to put a sentiment on the last one, but for all intents and purposes it's done!

Both these cards were made with Close to My Heart Stamps.  The first card uses the Always Grateful stamp set and features some first and second generation stamping.  For those who don't know what that means, when you ink your stamp and then stamp on your paper, that's first generation.  If you then stamp again, without re-inking, the faded image you get is second generation. The fading makes the trees appear they are at a distance from the more vibrantly stamped trees in the foreground.  Love how this one turned out!

My second card also features stamps from Close to My Heart.  This time I used the Feathers stamp set.  I took three of the images and three colors of ink and randomly stamp them on white cardstock, creating a fun background, which I made the focal point of this card.  A simple stamped sentiment from the Always Grateful stamp set and it's done.  

I am feeling very thankful that I had time to create!  I hope I find more time again soon!!

Holidays are coming!

Like it or not, the holiday season is fast approaching.  I personally would like to stay in fall for a bit longer, but I know in a blink of an eye Christmas will be here, with the long, dreadful winter on its heels.

So in that spirit, I made a Christmas card today.  I was just in the mood to experiment and play.  So I got my water color paper out, my Tim Holtz distress inks, and a brush and played with some colors (Faded Jeans, Broken China and Seedless Preserves) until I was happy.  Once that dried I sprayed on some Platinum Pearls Color Mist to give the background a nice sheen.

Then I stamped this adorable Snowman image from Art Impressions onto Neenah Solar White cardstock then colored with my Spectrum Noir Markers.  I assembled the snowman shaker (the stamp set comes with an action wobble spring) and I played with it for a few minutes before assembling the card.  Yes, I did giggle!

Anyway, I decided the snowman needed some snowdrifts to sit in, so I free handed a couple drifts and added holographic embossing powder to them.  At this point, everything on my desk was shiny and sparkly, as well as my hands, my shirts, my face, and my hair!  

I assembled the card and added the sentiment that came with the set.  Quite a cutie if I must say so myself!

 

It's been awhile...

During the last four years, I begin the school year with 6 weeks of hell that the school calls Soccer Season.  During those six weeks, my son eats, drinks, and sleeps soccer.  If there isn't a game, there's practice.  There is some form of soccer occurring daily.  Throw in piano lessons for my daughter and just the pains of getting back into the routine of school and you will understand my "hell".

Well, now the soccer season is coming to an end.  It's bittersweet as my son will be graduating this year.  Unless my daughter decides to pick up up soccer next year (which is unlikely), the "hell" that is soccer season is over forever.  Depressing as it is, it does mark the start of the Fall Season, which is my favorite!  Love all the pretty colors and  cool, crisp days.  Makes me smile.

On the bright side, I will have more time to sit at my desk and play with my stamps.  I did some more organizing over the weekend, and actually managed to get this card completed.  I utilized two stamp sets from Newton's Nook Designs, Wagon of  Wishes and Love a' la Carte . As well as some rich inks from Close to My Heart to create the background. Simple card, but a great way to usher in the season!

Happy Harvest!

Countdown to Christmas

It's another week, and there's another sketch challenge at Sweet Sketch Wednesday 2!

Here's this week's sketch.

I decided on an elegant Christmas card for this challenge, using this Christmas Poinsettia digital image from A Day for Daisies.  Lots of fun layers on this card and I used papers from My Minds Eye The Merry Days of Christmas and Welcome Christmas from Pebbles, Inc.  Reds are such a challenge to color, but I was happy with they way this finally turned out (only took three tries! LOL).

I think I'm going to go back to Halloween for the next card.  Black is more my color!

Halloween Fun

Just stopping in for a quick post and a card!

A couple weeks ago Sweet Sketch Wednesday 2 was sponsored by Dilly Beans Stamps.   I decided to check out Dilly Beans and am I ever glad I did!

Perusing the Dilly Beans store, I happened across the Halloween stamps (OK, I didn't "happen" upon them, I sought them out on purpose)!  As soon as I saw this image I envisioned him peaking out a window, hence the inspiration for this card.

Fairly simple but fun nonetheless!