You will not head on over to www.artisticavenger.com to view my blog (which will be continuing to be tweeked over the next little bit!)

Thanks for your patience,

Carrie

Yes, you are reading the title correctly – I had some spare time! This almost never happens! I decided to put aside a few things I “had” to do to play along with two great challenges: Pals Paper Arts and Mary Jo’s Lunchtime Sketch Challenge.

At first I was a bit stumped and almost decided to throw in the towel but I’ve been so focused on specific projects of late that I needed to do something “just because”.

I used a base of Riding Hood Red and then layered it with Confetti White and then Calypso Coral. The central panel is Basic Gray designer series paper. It was very hard for me not to do a ton of sponging or distressing but I don’t think that is what this card needs.

For the focal layer I stamped a bunch of the cages from Aviary on Confetti White and then a couple on some scraps which I cut out, stamped on some birds and adhered with dimensionals. I tied on a little Calypso Coral ruffled ribbon and a sentiment. This is half of a sentiment from On Your Birthday (those are the words I omitted).

A fun little card that I think may just go in the mail today!

Thanks for visiting and Happy Labour Day Weekend!

Products used on today’s project:

Cardstock: Calypso Coral, Confetti White, Riding Hood Red.

Ink: Basic Gray, Calypso Coral, Riding Hood Red.

Stamps: Aviary, On Your Birthday.

Accessories: Neutrals Designer Paper Pack, Basic Rhinestones, Calypso Coral ruffled ribbon, Scallop Edge Punch.

Yep, you are reading that right! It’s time to celebrate winter! This week at Inkspirations, there is a fantastic sketch to play along with:

This card was made for a swap when the stamp set Snow Much Fun first came out. I had such fun using this set and especially once I figured out that the circle in the sketch works just like a letter “O”.

I used Always Artichoke for the base and layered it with Cherry Cobbler and then Crumb Cake. I embossed the right half of the Crumb Cake layer with the Perfect Polka Dots embossing folder.

Down the centre, I added a panel of Watercolour paper which was stamped with the large snowman image using Jet Black StazOn. I coloured him in using my Aquapainter and coordinating colours and if you look closely, you’ll see a little snowflake stamped inside his tummy using Snow Swirled and Champagne Mist Shimmer Paint.

Down the right side, I added a row of Tombow and some Champagne Glass Glitter.

Around the snowman, I added letters using my Simple Alphabet Die in Cherry Cobbler, Island Indigo and Always Artichoke.

I tied on some Deck the Halls Designer Fabric and on it, a little tag using some text from Punch Pals and I added a Crumb Cake button to finish it all off.

I do so hope you’ll play along with us at Inkspirations this week! Check out what the rest of the design team has done with this sketch.

Cindy Kirsty Makeesha Renée Brandi Carrie Helen Ilina Lee-Anne Marisa

Products used on today’s project – CLICK HERE to buy them NOW!

Cardstock: Always Artichoke, Island Indigo, Cherry Cobbler, Crumb Cake, Watercolour Paper.

Ink: Always Artichoke, Island Indigo, Cherry Cobbler, Crumb Cake, Jet Black StazOn.

Stamps: Punch Pals, Snow Much Fun, Snow Swirled.

Accessories: Big Shot, Perfect Polka Dots embossing folder, Deck the Halls Designer Fabric, champagne mist shimmer paint, Champagne Glass Glitter, Simple Alphabet Die, Neturals Buttons, Linen Thread.

It’s Thursday and that means another challenge at Create with Connie and Mary! This week, there is a great colour challenge for you:

I decided to use Naturals Ivory for my base on this card and Basic Black as the highlight colour. Yes, you may be saying, isn’t that Old Olive? Yeah. I’m a bit of a dope and used Old Olive instead of Lucky Limeade (I just figured that out as I’m putting this together).

I’ve used the new stamp set Gently Falling from the Holiday Mini catalogue which is now available for order TODAY! Yeah! Make sure you take a look at this amazing mini offering my clicking here.

The outline stamps were used in the challenge colours to make my own background paper and I then stamped the solid leaves with a black outline on the three overlapping panels.

A few little extra details help finish this off:  Some Basic Black Striped Grosgrain which I coloured using my Stampin’ Write markers. Various Bolds buttons tied with Linen thread and a little stamped and pinned on tag complete the card.

Now not only will you see some amazing design team cards at Create with Connie and Mary this week, but Early Bird pricing for the Holiday Edition of Create with Connie and Mary is on NOW!  Save $5 off the normal price for six weeks of daily posts and tutorials featuring Holiday Mini products!

Products used on today’s project:

Cardstock: Naturals Ivory, Basic Black.

Ink: Rich Razzleberry, Old Olive, Pumpkin Pie, Basic Black.

Stamps: Gently Falling, Fabulous Phrases.

Accessories: Basic Black Striped Grosgrain, Bolds Buttons, Linen Thread, Trinkets, Medium Jewelry Tag punch.

I made the above card for a recent swap with a great group of Canadian Demonstrators. I am proud to be a part of this amazing group of swappin’ women!

For this swap, I was to use the Holiday Mini Hostess set, Warmest of Wishes. I had so many ideas but I wanted to do something a little bit different.

I started with a Soft Suede card base and stamped it with the wreath from this stamp set (I stamped off the ink first so it is a very light impression).

Next, I used the large NOEL stamp and stamped it in full strength on Soft Suede cardstock and layered it with Early Espresso and adhered it to the left. On that I added some Soft Suede taffeta ribbon.

The central panel is my favourite part of this card. I love using a non-traditional holiday stamp for a holiday project.

I first stamped the Ornate Blossom in Soft Suede on some Confetti White cardstock. I then sponged the edges. Next I punched out an Ornament with the Ornament punch in Early Espresso. The ornament from Tags Til Christmas was next stamped in Early Espresso ink on some soft Suede cardstock. I punched it out with my Ornament punch and then trimmed around the outside a bit so you could see the Early Espresso ornament below.

The banner is cut using the Petal Cone Big Shot Die and is sponged and stamped with a sentiment from Four the Holidays.

Lastly, I took a piece of Linen Thread and tied a bow on a Mini Jingle Bell. I adhered with Tombow Multi Adhesive.

I know these are not your typical holiday colours but this card is full of rich details and colours and I think I may interpret this somehow for my holiday classes!

Products used on today’s project – CLICK HERE to buy them NOW!

Cardstock: Soft Suede, Early Espresso, Confetti White.

Ink: Soft Suede, Early Espresso.

Stamps: Warmest of Wishes, Four the Holidays, Ornate Blossom.

Accessories: Soft Suede Taffeta Ribbon, Mini Jingle Bells, Linen Thread, Ornament Punch, Big Shot, Petal Cone Die, Stampin’ Sponges.

Today brings my last card as Guest Designer on The Paper Players. Lesley and Team have been such fun to work with this month. They are a bright, talented and extremely organized group that, I dare to say, rivals any DT out there. I was honoured to serve with them for August and hope there is another opportunity to play along with them soon.

This week, Jaydee brings a great sketch to the table. I had the pleasure of meeting Jaydee in person at Convention this year – she is such a dear soul! Here is what I came up with:

I am IN LOVE with this Have a Seat stamp set. I remember when it came out last year, I knew I liked it but not as much as I do now that I have it!

I wanted to play around with masculine colours so I used Chocolate Chip, Not Quite Navy, Garden Green and Baja Breeze. I really like how the colours work together on this one.

The Garden Green layer has Woodgrain stamped in Early Espresso and is roughed up and sponged. Actually all the layers are roughed up a bit (obviously I was feeling aggressive that day!). The centre square is Baja Breeze which is stamped with the Medallion in Baja Breeze ink and is layered on Chocolate Chip.

The centre circle is from the 2 1/2″ circle punch and I’ve sponged it with Chocolate chip. I stamped the large bench image in Early Espresso and cut it out and again sponged the edges. Two little flowers from the Bitty Punch Pack were added with a little basic pearl. I used the sentiment from On the Grow (I love the font). To finish is all off, I added a loop of Chocolate Chip Polka Dot Scallop Ribbon and a couple of Jumbo Chocolate Chip brads.

This card totally embodies my style and I love it. So, loving this layout so much, I had to make another one for my holiday classes, didn’t I?

This card is pretty much the same as the first with a few minor modifications. The base was changed to Sahara Sand and I textured the Not Quite Navy layer versus stamping it as above. I stamped and punched out the bench versus cutting it out and added a wreath to it using my Boho Blossoms punch and Owl punch (for the berries) and down the centre is some Real Red satin ribbon.

I hope you’ve enjoyed today’s designs and I encourage you to play along at The Paper Players! Check out what the rest of the design team did with this great sketch from Jaydee:

Products used on today’s challenge project – CLICK HERE to buy them NOW!

Cardstock: Chocolate Chip, Garden Green, Not Quite Navy, Whisper White, Baja Breeze.

Ink: Early Espresso, Chocolate Chip, Baja Breeze.

Stamps: Have a Seat, On the Grow, Medallion, Woodgrain.

Accessories: Chocolate Chip Polka Dot Scallop Ribbon, 2 1/2″ circle punch, Bitty Punch Pack, Basic Pearls, Jumbo Brads, Stampin’ Sponges.

Challenge Day at Inkspirations! Yep, it’s time to play along with Keesh and the gals again. But this time it’s a challenging colour challenge:

I totally didn’t know where I was going to start with this one. Which colour do I make the focal colour? They are all so bright!

Well, I decided to make my base Concord Crush. I took all the cages from Aviary on my largest clear acrylic block and made my own background stamp. I love how simple this idea is and it’s a great wow at a workshop.

I drew on the latest sketch at The Paper Players as my design inspiration. I love that sketch and there is still time to play along!

Across the centre is a piece of Daffodil Delight and then that is layered with Whisper White. Okay, now for those birds….

The first bird I made like this was actually an error. Yep, that is how things happen sometimes. You are punching away and a little shape ends up on your desk that looks a bit like a partridge. Happens all the time.

It’s obvious to see that I used the Owl punch but here is how the punching actually happens. Sorry, no great tutorial on how to do it but I layered one of these birds over the actual owl so you can see:

The Daffodil Delight owl is the actual Owl from the punch. You then feed it in the punch again so you get only the little bird. I then added a second foot to the back of the little bird so he wouldn’t fall down.

I finished it all off with a tie of Concord Crush ribbon tied with a Pumpkin Pie button and some Baker’s Twine. The tag sentiment is from Delightful Dozen. Oh, and that Tangerine Tango scallop on the bottom? That is the “shirt” shape from the owl punch. Perfect scallop border!

Thanks for visiting today and I hope you’ll join us at Inkspirations for a great challenge week.

Check out with the rest of my design team homies have come up with:

Cindy Kirsty Makeesha Renée Brandi Carrie Helen Ilina Lee-Anne Marisa

Products used on today’s project – CLICK HERE to buy them NOW!

Cardstock: Tangerine Tango, Daffodil Delight, Concord Crush, Whisper White.

Ink: Concord Crush, Tangerine Tango.

Stamps: Delightful Dozen, Aviary.

Accessories: 2-step Owl Punch, Concord Crush Ribbon, Bold Buttons, Baker’s Twine.

Where do the weeks go? It is time for yet another Create with Connie and Mary challenge! This week it’s a wonderfully interpretive sketch.

I decided to use some new products from the upcoming Holiday Mini to whet your appetite. I used the Spice Cake Suite of products which I LOVE!

The base for my card is More Mustard and I’ve layered with Soft Suede cardstock and a sheet of Spice Cake designer series paper.

My central layer is Very Vanilla which I sponged with Soft Suede and splattered with Spritzer tool and Early Espresso. I stamped two leaves in Pool Party and More Mustard from the stamp set Gently Falling. This is going to be a “must have”, I can tell you that! Over the leaves, I stamped a saying from Just Believe in Soft Suede.

For the vertical piece, I used a strip of Soft Suede cardstock. I then layered it with a piece of Pool Party ruffled grosgrain and then down the centre I added a small strip of More Mustard cardstock. This is tacked down with a couple of Trinkets.

To finish it all off, I stamped a leaf outline on some River Rock cardstock and cut it out tying a small piece of Linen Thread on for a little added detail.

This sketch was a lot of fun and I hope you’ll head on over to Create with Connie and Mary and play along!

Products used on today’s project:

Cardstock: Soft Suede, More Mustard, Very Vanilla.

Ink: Soft Suede, More Mustard, Pool Party, Early Espresso Marker.

Stamps: Just Believe, Gently Falling.

Accessories: Trinkets, Pool Party Ruffled Grosgrain, Spritzer Tool, Spice Cake designer series paper.

This was my second of two 3D projects I submitted for the Artisan Award this year. 3D projects are sometimes the hardest to get a good representative photo of before sending them away. Sometimes they are big and you can only appreciate them in person.

This is a trio votive table centre for the holidays. Each triangular box is sewn together and all the pieces of designer paper are also sewn on. I used the holiday Simply Scrappin’ kit from the last catalogue for my colour scheme.

The centre of each box is cut out on both sides and letter from the Simple Alphabet are added on each with embellishments to spell “Joy to the World”. Here is the other side:

There is Champagne glass glitter around each opening and pulled Cherry Cobbler seam binding along the entire bottom.

Only two more projects to go! Hope you’re enjoying them.

Time for another fun challenge at The Paper Players. I’m halfway through my August Guest Design month and I’ve had such a great time with these ladies. Truly, they are an “on-the-ball” and organized bunch and so much fun too! LeAnne has put together a great sketch for us this week and here is what I’ve come up with:

The base of my card is More Mustard and I’ve layered it with Basic Gray cardstock – on the bottom 1/3rd I added some Basic Gray designer paper. On both the cardstock and designer paper I stamped the Snowflake stamp in Basic Gray which I stamped off first so it is a very subtle addition.

Next, I added the central panel of Riding Hood Red. I adhered two snowflakes in Riding Hood Red (which were sponged with Riding Hood Red ink). Then, for the “stand out” one, I actually punched three Very Vanilla snowflakes and in the centre is a small flower from the Bitty Punch Pack and a Basic Gray brad.

Lastly, I added a sentiment from Four the Holidays stamped in Basic Gray ink on More Mustard cardstock. This layer is also sponged – lots of sponging on this one!

Want to see another one? Here is a more simplified version for a holiday stamp-a-stack class:

I changed the colours slightly – using Wisteria Wonder, Whisper White and Basic Gray. I added some texture with the Snowflakes embossing folder and the sentiment was stamped on a small piece of vellum. A clear rhinestone brad was added to the centre for some bling.

Now it’s your turn. Head on over to The Paper Players and play along with us and this sketch challenge. Here is a taste of what the design team has come up with:

Products used on today’s challenge project:

Cardstock: Riding Hood Red, More Mustard, Basic Gray.

Ink: Basic Gray, Riding Hood Red, More Mustard.

Stamps: Snowflake, Four the Holidays.

Accessories: Snowflake punch, Neutrals brads, Bitty Punch pack, Neutrals designer paper.