365 Cards - Super Sketchy Sunday

365 Cards is almost done their second year - it's day 364, and it's Super Sketchy Sunday.  Love the sketch... not so crazy about my card, and I'm not sure why.  I think it's the big fabric flower behind the roses... it's too much.  Maybe it's the off-white roses (Wild Orchid was out of white) Anyhoo - I'm posting it anyways!

I've made a discovery of sorts.  I was looking for an affordable source of Copic-safe paper  (my local craft store charges 50¢ a sheet for the stuff!  Yowza!  Regular card stock bleeds like the dickens and is therefore useless for this application.  I thought... photo paper?  I had a big pack of Costco's Kirkland glossy photo paper, and I thought I'd give it a shot, so I printed these floral clip arts and got my Copics out.  

I love the result!  So bright and crisp.  The black lines didn't smudge one iota with the application of colour, and the gloss shines through the Copic colouring - the entire picture looks as if it is a photo print.   The blending doesn't work in quite the same way as matte card, but this will be an effective alternative for some cards - and definitely cost effective!!  

What do you think?   What's your cost-cutting alternative?

- Carolyn

Guest Design Spot - 365 Cards

First - Happy 4th to all my American friends and family!  I hope you have a wonderful celebration today and tomorrow!


As a Canadian, my patriotic celebration was a couple of days ago - but today's very special for me, too.   It marks my very first guest designer spot!   I cannot tell you how thrilled I am to have been chosen as one of the guest designers for 365 Cards today.  Thanks Rose!  I am truly honoured.


Today is, of course, Super Sketchy Sunday.  Pam's sketches are always fun to work on, and this one was no exception:

I flipped the sketch and got to work:

Card base - Paper Source; Ribbon - May Arts; Sentiment - Stampendous; Flowers - dollar store, coloured with Copic E55, Leaves - Wild Orchid Crafts; Brads - stash.

365 Cards - Day 70 & 71

What a great weekend!  Craftiness ensued, starting with my first Copic class on Saturday.  What a hoot that was!  After that, I've been practicing my colouring, and making cards.  I've got to get that inventory up.   Last year I sold about a hundred cards - with $4 from each one benefiting the CBCF.  This year, I want to raise at least $500, but I can only do it if I actually have them made!  The 365 Cards challenge keeps me motivated to make at least one card every day...

Day 70 - Super Sketch Sunday

Kraft Cardstock - Paper Source; DP - Anna Griffin; Sentiment - CTMH; Stickles - Lime Green

Day 71 - Do that Decade - 1920's

When I think 20's, I think flappers, the Charleston, and Coco Chanel. Although this picture of Coco was taken in the 40's, the inspiration is flapper with the pearls.

Cardstock - Bazzill Basics; Sentiment - Fiskars; Velvet Flowers - 7gypsies; Pearl Brad - Little Yellow Bicycle; String Pearls - from the stash.

Well, it's off to bed with me... another weekend bites the dust, and it's back to the ol' salt mines tomorrow.  Dang!   

Have a great week - and thanks for poppin' by my blog!

365 Cards - Super Sketchy Sunday (Day 63)

I've said it before, and I'll say it again... I love Sundays at 365 cards.  Pam's sketches are always challenging and fun to do.  Here's this week's sketch:

...and here's my entry... I deviated somewhat from the sketch... but I wanted to put that darn monkey in the bottom corner!  :p

(Cardstock: Paper Source & Bazzill Basics; DP - Sassafras Lass; Die Cuts - Silhouette)

I still had the Basic Grey "Mellow" die cuts out from yesterday's challenge... and had some left overs - so I made another card (not for a challenge... just to go into the CBCF fundraiser)

Well, back to the craft table.  I've been making cards all weekend, but haven't made the one that I'm needing to make... a card for my colleague and his beautiful wife - who just had twin girls. 

Have a crafty day!

~ Carolyn

Super Sketchy Sunday Challenge + PIO #14

Yay! Super Sketchy Sunday at 365 Cards. I love Pam's sketches - they're always challenging and fun to work with. I'm also going to enter this card into Pile It On's challenge #14 for the week - Birthday.

I must admit that this sketch had me baffled at first, so I printed it and flipped it (I have a hard time visualizing it with my head tilted to the computer screen). For me, I thought it was fun flipped sideways - but I still wasn't sure what I was going to do until I dug through to my stash to see what I had... Paper is what usually inspires me.

I thought these little Doodlebug fishies were perfect. I bought the matching glitter card stickers - and now I'm really glad I did. I popped the stickers for added dimension and fun.

This one's too special to sell. It's going to be saved for my great-nephew...

Well, I'm off. Mom and Dad are coming over later, and I'm going to put on a pot of soup.

Cardstock - generic construction paper from da stash; Design Paper - Doodlebug Designs "Deep Blue Sea"; Glitter Stickers - Doodlebug Designs "Seaside"; Stamp - CTMH; Ink - Opalite Nordic Ice & VersaFine Majestic Blue; Ribbon - da stash.

I hope y'all have a GREAT day!!





**Yay! This card made 365 Cards' Top 3 Card of the Week!
With so many great entries every week, this is an honour indeed! Woo hooo!

365 Cards - Challenge 169

Well it's Super Sketchy Sunday over at 365 Cards. I love SSS! Pam gives us some great layouts to start with - and I love seeing how everyone interprets the same sketch and puts their own twist on it!

Isn't this a great sketch? Seriously, if you haven't already - go check out the design team's cards. Awesome!

I found today's challenge exceptionally easy - because I was inspired (again) by great paper! This paper obsession is becoming a problem. My Amex has just about reached its melting point this month. LOL

I just received this Anna Griffin Sierra cardstack in the mail on Friday, and I was itching to use it. Gorgeous! I love the matte look, and the country colours. This paper is so great with raffia - which of course I just had to use!

A metal ribbon slide from the dollar store is the final finishing touch.

Have a scrappy day!!

365 Cards - Challenge 162

Challenge 162 is a Sketch. I love Super Sketchy Sundays! Today's sketch from Pam is simple, but you should see the variety of cards produced by the Design Team and the entrants. Fabulous!

I cheated a bit by adding some elements (kites) to the right side of the card - but it needed them! The card was too plain otherwise. I really like this one (I think it's fun) and I hope my nephew will, too. :)

We were supposed to add some glitter, but I didn't have to - this lovely kite paper by Best Creation is already glittery! I hope to get my glue n' glitter out tomorrow.

Cardstock - unknown; Design Paper - Best Creation Inc; Sentiment - CTMH; Ink - SU! Ruby Red; Ribbon - Offray; Metal Tab Holder - Dollar Store; Thread & Brads - from my stash.

I'm off to have a cuppa joe with Harvey, and then we're off to visit Judy (my sister-in-law, whom I adore!) If I have time later, I may try my hand at the Basic Grey challenge sketch. :)

Have a great day!!

365 Cards - Challenge 155

It's Super Sketchy Sunday over at 365 cards, and here's the sketch we were to base our cards on:

I'm not crazy about my result. The idea was so clear in my head, but it didn't come out the way I envisioned it. The components are OK, but they don't seem to work together. Eh, happens to almost everyone...

I like the burlap on the card (dollar store find) but don't like the colour... it's too bright. Unfortunately the only other choice (yellow) was even brighter.
I do like the buttons, which are made out of shell (and were a great find in my mum's button box - thanks Mum!) I think that I should have matted the crackle paper, for more depth and impact.

Oh well, tomorrow's another day... with another challenge, and I get the day off with pay! Yay! Statutory holidays!!! I plan on crafting for 8 hours, all the while giggling gleefully and mumbling "I'm getting paid for this"... well, that and sleeping in. :)

Cardstock & Papers: Nameless in the stash; Image: Penny Black; Sentiment: Technique Tuesday; Burlap: Dollar Giant; Shell Buttons: Mom

Thanks for popping on by the madhouse :)

365 Cards Challenge 148

It's Super Sketchy Sunday at 365 Cards.

Here's Pam's Sketch:

I really enjoy working from a sketch, and especially at 365 Cards, where the entire design team posts an example of their work. If that's not inspiring, I don't know what is! What a talented group of ladies...

My take on the challenge was inspired by my sister, Juanita, who lives too darn far away (in my opinion!) and I miss her terribly... I just wanted to send her a special card to tell her I love her.

The entire card is done with papers from a single SEI pad (Bridgeport) that I just love. The sentiment is computer generated.

Well I started my day crafty, it's 10:30ish and I'm off to finish the day being sociable, with places to go and people to see (hugs to give and receive). Life is good.

I'll catch up with y'all tomorrow, to see what's in store on Monday on 365 cards. Yup, it's official... I'm addicted (quite happily)

I hope you have a great day,