Saturday, March 13, 2010

Let's Hang Out



Happy Saturday, blog friends. The gorgeous, warm weather we had in my area earlier in the week has left me yearning for Spring even more than before. It was so nice to be outside in a t-shirt and flip-flops enjoying the warm(ish) sun and getting some yard work done. It's rain, rain and more rain today, but oh, that taste of Spring was divine!

Today's card is my sample for Jen's Sketch For You To Try for this week. I've used a brand-new Flourishes set, Friendly Reminders, now available at Stamper's Dream, along with some beautiful, bright papers from the Mary, Mary paper kit by My Mind's Eye. Is that a Spring combo or what?!

Have a look at this week's sketch:



For inspiration, visit:

Jen del Muro with guest designer Angie Tieman
Amber Hight
Amy Rohl
Jenn Diercks
Kelly Lunceford
Leigh O'Brien
Megan Lock
Susan Liles (Susan may or may not play this week, but please pay her a visit regardless. She's had some unsettling news this week and would surely appreciate your prayers and some big cyber hugs.)

To play along, just upload your creation to the slideshow on Jen's blog. Each weekly sketch has its own slideshow, so be sure to upload to the correct one. From now on, Jen will be picking the next month's guest designer from the current month's participants, so be sure to strut your stuff!

I stamped the hat image three times, the first time on watercolor paper, where I added a light blue color wash around the image using a Tombow Marker (#491) and a water brush. Next, I stamped twice on Neenah white, trimming out the whole image once and just the hat the next time. I colored both of these layers with Copic markers. I added some of Ranger's crackle medium to the green board, hoping to get the look of crackled paint. It turned out looking more like a ruler (really! lol!). I embellished with some flowers and a glittered Maya Road chipboard butterfly (soooo lovin' these! you'll be seeing a lot more of them, I'm sure!). For the semi-circle panel on the sketch, I went with vellum so that I wouldn't cover up too much of the bright, happy green and white polka-dot pattern.

Please do not examine my sewing today. Oh my goodness, it's horrific! I'll tell you what happened. I wanted to try mixing in some small stretches of zigzag stitching to break up the straight stretches. To get it to look right, I need to shorten the stitch length for the zigzags and then go back to a longer stitch for the straight parts. Well, I kept forgetting to change the length, so I ended up with a very random (and unappealing) mixture of stitch length. Lesson learned, but now I'm out of the paper needed for a re-make :/

Thanks for checking in today. Have a fantastic weekend!




Stamps: Friendly Reminders(Flourishes)
Paper: Papertrey Rustic Cream and Vellum card stock, Neenah Classic Crest Solar White card stock, Prismatics Kiwi (Dark), Prismatics Intense Pink, My Mind's Eye Mary Mary 12x12 Paper Kit
Ink: Versafine Onyx Black, VersaMagic Tea Leaves (used on chipboard butterfly)
Accessories: clear embossing powder, Tombow Marker #491, Copic markers, foam adhesive, Ranger Crackle Accents, Prima flower (green), Michael's floral stem (pink flowers), Michael's glittery brad, Maya Road chipboard butterfly, green glitter (unknown), Spellbinders Circle and Peony Nestabilities, EK Success scallop border punch, sewing machine
Size: 5 1/4" square

26 comments:

Leigh OBrien said...

THIS is breathtaking, Amy!

AHadley said...

I just had to leave you a note because I LOVE your blog. It's the first on my "go-to" list each day, and I'm never disappointed. Thanks for doing what you do!

Unknown said...

OMGosh....what a gorgeous masterpiece! I love the way you mixed the patterns from the Mary Mary paper! The glittered Maya Road butterfly is beautiful, and your coloring on the hat is divine. Awesome job, Amy!!!

Kerry Johnson said...

This is just so pretty Amy! I love that butterfly and I LOVE that you used vellum for the circle layer!

Jenn Diercks said...

This is gorgeous. I love the main image and it works so well with the sketch. Stunning card!

Megan said...

Beautiful. As always, your layering and embellishments are just perfectly perfect!

Gretchen said...

Very lovely! I like all of the fun and bright patterned DP you used together (I think that is a great talent!) We are getting closer to spring here in MN. I can actually see grass in my front yard now!It's brown and muddy looking but it's grass!!

Maureen said...

Wow! Amy, really, this is stunning!! I just picked up some of that MME paper and so I know how delicious it is...it has a bit of texture to it as well :) I love how you layered and stitched the strips...I'm the same way with stitching...LOL...but I'm learning to be like Julia Child when she said "Don't apologize!" She meant the kitchen, of course, but I mean the studio :)

CraftyC said...

A gorgeous card Amy, and so beautifully coloured!
Clairexx

Kelly Lunceford said...

Yes...this is a breath of spring air! So cheerful and beautiful!

Kim said...

From where I can see it your stitching is just fine. Love this card, Amy!!

Amy Rohl said...

Yum, yum, yum! All the wonderful details and embellishments are classic Amy! Love, love, love the mix of papers--awesome!

Denise Marzec said...

Wowwwww, girl, you ARE amazing! Such lovely coloring and so many awesome details. Love the vellum, all the stitching, and fun patterns. I struggle with combining this many patterns but you make it look so easy.

Amber Hight said...

I never tire of visiting your blog Amy! You're card is amazing! I never even noticed your random stitching until you pointed it out, lol! I think it looks awesome anyways!

Linda Carson said...

Always amazing artwork!

Angie Tieman said...

Wowza! This is gorgeous! Love your stitching and all those layers, and the flowers and butterfly are stunning!

Deborah Anton said...

WOW WOW WOW!! I love it Amy!! And your would never know your stitching faux pas!!

Deborah Young said...

This is such a perfect little work of art. Stunning, as always!

Kathy Jones said...

*SIGH* So, so BEAUTIFUL!!!! What wonderful colours and papers, such a lovely image and the embellishing and sewing and vellum are all wonderful!!!!

Dawn Easton said...

T-shirt and flip flops! Soooooo jealous here! hehe!

Your card is gorgeous! Love the added vellum layer! I always forget about my vellum!

Conniecrafter said...

so pretty, great combo of papers, like using the vellum for the half circle, pretty flowers!

Danisha said...

What a lovely card! So pretty and so much to look at!!!

Becca Feeken said...

Oh Amy, this is absolutely delightful!! And, I think your stitching is perfect!!

dpkennedy said...

This is just beautiful! I didn't notice anything amiss with your stitching! The cards lovliness just shines through!

Crystal said...

A beautiful spring-like mix of those Mary , Mary papers ! Amy, you inspire me !

Teneale Williams said...

Amy, OMG you make my head hurt thinking of how talented you are, OMG out of this world talent. What a gorgeous masterpiece.

Thank you for sharing your talent with US.