First Communion

Skipping Stones Design has once again a fabulous sketch challenge! The blog has all the details of the challenge as well as inspiring projects for you to see, please stop by!

This week I chose to work with the butterfly image from Victorian Summer and stamped it onto canvas and did a bit of coloring with marker, the sentiment is from Heartsong 2. The background is patterned paper and then a burlap string bow was the only other element I added.

I gathered color inspiration from my favorite color challenge, The Play Date Cafe.

I have a blogging pal that says I shouldn't apologize for not visiting all your wonderful creations, but I just can't help but to feel bad when I miss almost a whole week! I took a bit of a blogging break, all with good reason... I was celebrating the First Communion of this handsome little man.

It's a Delightful Kind of Day

Hello, Hello! Today is going to be a delightful kind of day.
My mother and sister are in town and we are headed off to a really special greenhouse to pick out some delightful baskets full of the most beautiful flowers you ever did see!

Today also marks my first official post as an Artful Delight Card Kit Designer! These kits are amazing...I just wish you could see my excitement when I opened May's kit! Jammed packed full of goodies. (Currently all the May kits are sold out, but you can read more about them and past kits here).

Another reason to make it a delightful day...there's a new sketch in town for card makers! Artful Delight is now offering a monthly CARD sketch challenge in addition to their monthly layout challenge. So this is good news! There are tow sketches to play along with, you can have you can have chances to enter. One random winner will have their choice between a scrapbook kit or a card kit! You can read more about the details on this post over at Artful Delight. I really encourage you to play along-you have most of the month to work with the sketch- I designed it to work for many kinds of card styles, so please be creative!

I made two cards from the sketch. This first one has a clean and modern look that features card stock, patterned paper, stamps and the cute clothespin embellishment-all from the kit!

This second card has a more shabby, vintage look to it. It also features card stock, patterned paper, stamps, twine and buttons from the kit.

Please do stop and check out Artful Delight's blog, there is so much eye candy and information on there! LeeAnne has a giveaway going on now for two Paper Smooches stamp sets in celebration of carrying them at the store, plus, she'll soon be offering Mr. Huey's Mists...and I adore mists. You can find out all about a monthly kit subscription here.

Banners

I have the  pleasure of joining in on the Ribbon Carousel and May Arts Blog Hop!

Banners were quite the rage not to long ago (they still are a hot ticket items, I think?) and I never got around to creating my own ribbon banner...until now.
I took three coordinating May Arts ribbon (solid black twill, blue chevron striped twill and red striped grosgrain), folded them over and stitched then onto a string of black burlap string. I made sure the banners were of different lengths and even added in an inverted v-cut for additional interest.
Perhaps this will be my go to card this year for graduations, I think it would be rather fun to make ribbon banners custom to the graduate's school colors.

Below is a a listing of all participants in the hop. Please stop by for a visit and be sure to leave  comments, as up for grabs is a fabulous ribbon carousel offered by May Arts and four spools of ribbon offered up by Ribbon Carousel. There are also chances to win spools of ribbon on each of the sponsor's facebook  pages as well!

Chartreuse

Did you know?

Chartreuse is a color halfway between yellow and green that was named because of its resemblance to the green color of one of the French liqueurs called green chartreuse, introduced in 1764. Similarly chartreuse yellow is a yellow color mixed with a small amount of green that was named because of its resemblance to the color of one of the French liqueurs called yellow chartreuse, introduced in 1838.

Interesting for a color to be named after a drink. Kinda neat, actually, but I'm not so sure I'd like to drink a chartreuse drink.

There is a new sketch by Heidi Van Laar and a whole set of new guest designers up over at the Skipping Stones Design Blog. Check out the details of the challenge, the prize information, and see the fabulous samples on the blog!

I used a few older sets on my card: the frame and sentiment come from Sentiment Frames and the bird silhouette is from Garden Kiss. The lovely color palette comes from this week's Play Date Cafe. Fun colors, but hard to find in my stash so I had to substitute a bit.

Phases

I definitely go through phases when card making, do yo? Sometimes it is graphic and modern, sometimes it is shabby and vintage, and other times fun and cute. Sometimes my phases are introduced through a new stamp set or product or tool. Sometimes it is because I've seen something and just want to reproduce it. Always, no matter what phase I'm in, I still think I keep things clean and simple and still true to me. Anyway, thank you for everyone that comes for a visit, even if what you find here is what might not have originally drawn you in.

So this card I made while still in my shabby and vintage phase. And the I am loving the ink distressing tool phase. And the ooh this picture is so pretty phase. And the I just discovered how easy the lovely May Arts silk ribbon is for making big, full bows phase. And last but not least, I just got the Market Street Stamps Sweet Lace stamp in the mail the other day phase. I first misted a piece of kraft card stock with Partridge in a Pear Tree Tattered Angels Glimmer Mist, then stamped the lace with white craft ink and then sprayed the cards stock once more,  with a little bit lighter misting this time.

Market Street Stamps is having a Block Party, thought I'd join in on the fun! And I'll also be linking up to the Simon Says Stamp Challenge: Anything Goes too!

Raising Boys

Raising Boys
Author: Roberta I. Teague

I scrub the wall of fingerprints,
Pick up the mounds of clothes.
I sweep the dirt that shoes track in-
Wish I could use a hose!
Meals are served from dawn to dark,
Dirty dishes crowd the sink.
Just when they’re washed and put away-
Everyone wants a drink!...
Broken bones and bloody knees,
I should have been a nurse.
I take it all in shaky stride-
Just grateful it’s not worse!
Screams and shouts and arguments
Test the keeping of my cool.
They left the neighbor’s faucet on-
See their new front yard pool!...
A rose can say I Love You,
Orchids can enthrall;
But a weed bouquet in a chubby fist,
Oh my, that says it all! 

My card follows the monthly sketch over at Authentique's Blog. I used chicken wire as a mask to create the hexagons in the background and then added a tag and elements from the lovely Authentique's Delightful Collection as well as May Arts ribbons and fibers.

May Arts teamed up with Authentique this past week! Please stop by the May Arts Blog this weekend and comment for your chance to win prizes from both amazing companies!

Farewell, Farewell

Sometimes you've got to step back and re-access. At the time the decision came around to stay or not stay on the CAS-ual Fridays team I was really, really torn... Because I loved being on the team and because I am really, really busy. I knew my life was going to get busier with the summer approaching and two active little boys itching to go outside and play. I knew I wanted some extra time to design stamps that my crafty friends would love and be able to use over and over. I knew I wanted to give one other person the chance to shine by being on one of the best teams in blog land. I knew, in the end, it was time to step down from the CAS-ual Fridays team. Today marks my last challenge as a design team member, for now, and I'm truly saddened. I'll miss being on this fascinating team with oodles of camaraderie and inspiration. Thank you ladies, and a special shout out to Michele, for the fun ride. You'll be seeing my name pop up as a participant in the future!

Please stop by the CAS-ual Fridays Blog for sponsorship and prize information -SRM Stickers!, challenge rules and details and super Girl Friday inspiration.

Ice Packs

We've seen our fair share of ice packs here in the Baker household in the past week or so. One hard fall off the bike (helmet on!) and one claw part of the hammer to the head. Two injuries, two boys, thank goodness!

I'm here today with a Carbon Copied (same stamp set, same challenge, same day!) post with the fun and talented Kelly from Kelly's Place! I've followed Kelly for a long while, she has two boys as well and makes the cutest of cute cards with Lawn Fawn stamps, not to mention she is so incredibly nice. We are using the fresh and funky runway photo from Runway Inspired Challenge and Lawn Fawn's On The Mend set!

So I was inspired by the chevrons, and the orange/gray combo. The chevron is from Lawn Fawn's petite Bright Side paper collection, a lot of fun! Instead of gold, I opted for a fun yellow hue.

Please stop on over to Kelly's blog, because I'm sure she has something cute and fun to show you as well!

*(I'd love for you to join me in on a future Carbon Copied post! Check out the details here...)*

Which One?

Sometimes you've just got to go with the flow. What feels right? What is off? Have I accomplished my goal? Should I chuck it and start over? Such was the case with this week's card for the Skipping Stones Design Sketch Challenge. It wobbled to and fro for quite a while but I think I prefer the less complicated version above.

Although this version fits the sketch better. The sketch is a really great one, designed by Dina Kowal. There is a prize up for grabs and to read more about the challenge and find tons of inspiration from the guest designers and design team members, please visit the Skipping Stones Design blog.

 The sentiment and flowers come from Beautiful Botanicals set by Skipping Stones Design. I used the amazing, bright, bold colors available this week at The Play Date Cafe, as a sketch and color combination are the perfect combination.

***

A few days back I had a tutorial over on the May Arts Blog. My talented mother helped me make some cute girl bobby socks to give as a gift! Simple and easy, my kind of project. For those crafty friends of mine with girls, this one is for you!

For the "Boss"

There's a delightful little hop happening today in celebration of Michele's birthday (the mastermind behind CAS-ual Fridays) where the Girl Fridays will be featuring clean and simple creations, of course!

Michele, thank you for being the best "boss" that ever was, and I wish you only the happiest of days!

I gathered inspiration from Lily Pad's Virginia View's Challenge #4. I so very much admired the transparent quality of the poppies in the photo, and how the red contrasts against the green. So...I grabbed some tissue paper, misted it with spray ink and then stamped and fussy cut some blossoms. Then, I adhered the blossoms to a white card base, being careful to overlap in choice areas to achieve some transparent petals.

I'm the first stop and I'm going to send you on to Dana! The complete order is listed below.

Karen

Dana
Stephanie
Karolyn
Angie
Debby
Lorena
Suzanne
Kimberly
Jenny
Virginia
Julie Ranae
Christina
Laurie

Lisa
Deb

Gayatri