February SFYTT: Your Next Stamp

[***Second post today. Scroll down for my Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps Challenge post***]

It's time to unveil the February Sketch For You To Try! How do you like monthly sketch/weekly inspiration format?

This month, we're sponsored by another super fun company, Your Next Stamp, home of some of the cutest images money can buy! Remember, if you complete all twelve sketches during the year, you'll be eligible for a super prize pack in December!

Take a good, hard look at the February sketch ...

... because it might be hard to spot in my, er, "creative" interpretation {grin}:

Between rotating the sketch 90 degrees, replacing the three small circles with clouds, and then using an image that substantially exceeds the focal panel, the sketch is, granted, a bit manipulated, but the nuts and bolt are all there. The adorable image is Up, Up & Away from the new Jenny Suchin Designs line at Your Next Stamp. I paper pieced the balloon and basket and colored the koala (also popped up on dimensionals) with Copic markers.

The fun papers are from another collection by UHK Gallery, a paper company in Poland that I posted about earlier this week. This collection is called Babie Lato - BOY.  Love these colors!

For sketch inspiration, visit the SFYTT Sisters:

Jen del Muro with Designer of the Month Angela Thomas
Amber Hight 

Becky Carafa 

Carole Burrage 

Iwona Palamountain 

Jen Tapler 

Jodi Collins 

Kerry Johnson 

Megan Lock 

Susan Liles

and an extra dose of inspiration from YNS designers (links on Jen's blog)

Have a good weekend, friends!

Happiness Is You

Your Next Stamp sponsored last month's Sketch For You To Try, and this adorable image, Tea Time Fhiona, is what I chose to work with. It may be a new month/new sketch/new sponsor, but I just had to show this image some more love - it's so cute! I colored with Copics, sponged around the outside with Aquatic Splash VersaMagic chalk ink (with the Nestabilities die still in place), then added some hand-stitching.

The layout is last week's Card Positioning Systems sketch, #220. Turned sideways, it was perfect for this image. I kept the layout clean, with minimal layering and only a few embellishments ... a white crochet flower topped with a button, some baker's twine, a punched strip, dry embossing, and a little tab in the upper right where the sketch shows three small circles. The card base and background layers are Papertrey's Smokey Shadow card stock. The designer papers are from My Mind's Eye's Happy Go Lucky 6x6 pad.

Hope you had a great weekend! I spent too much time (and money) shopping for the kids and just the right amount of time watching baseball and enjoying some of the best weather ever! Today, laundry, the yet-to-be-planted vegetable garden, two half-finished home improvement projects and a dirty car are calling yelling my name.

Here's a photo of my 10-year-old doin' his baseball thing:

Have a fantastic day!





Stamps: Tea Time Fhiona (Your Next Stamp)
Paper: Copic X-Press It card stock, Papertrey Smokey Shadow card stock, My Mind's Eye "Happy Go Lucky" dp
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black, VersaMagic Aquatic Splash
Accessories: Spellbinders Rectangle Nestabilities, paper piercer/needle/thread, foam adhesive, Fiskars corner rounder, My Favorite Things Little Open Scallop border die, The Twinery twine, Stampin' Up white crochet flower, button from stash, Stampin' Up label punch, Cuttlebug Seeing Spots embossing folder
Size: 5 1/2" x 4 1/4"

Happiness Is You - May SFYTT

Today, the Sketch For You To Try girls get to unveil the new May sketch and sponsor, plus welcome both our May guest designer and our newest SFYTT sister!

Our May Sponsor: Your Next Stamp. Such a CUTE stamp line! And just for you....

Our May Sketch (which I {heart} -- a great one, Jen!):

Our May Guest Designer: Kerri Michaud at Cards by Kerri -- welcome!

Our newest SFYTT Sister: Jen Tapler (waving to you, Jen!)

And, as always, for lots more sketchy interpretation and inspiration, visit the amazing SFYTT sisters:

Jen del Muro with guest designer Kerri Michaud
Amber Hight
Carole Burrage
Jen Tapler
Jodi Collins
Kelly Lunceford
Kerry Johnson
Megan Lock
Sony Christoph  (coming soon)
Susan Liles
Terri Moore


For my sample, I used the adorable Tea Time Fhiona. Seeing Fhiona lovin' on that sweet cat reminds me so much of my daughter and our family cat, Rocki. I did my coloring with Copics and chose papers from the My Mind's Eye Stella and Rose line (Hazel, I think?). Embellishments include an Open Scallop Border die-cut (My Favorite Things), stitching, buttons, twine (The Twinery), and some turquoise bling from Pizzazz Aplenty.

Have a great weekend! I'm taking off in a few to meet and hang out with one fabulously talented stamper and all-around amazing person -- Kristin Eberline! I'll try to remember to take a picture!

1. The SKETCH FOR YOU TO TRY {SFYTT} will be posted on the first Saturday of each month on www.iheart2stamp.com at 8am EST and will stay open to participants until the last day of the month, unless otherwise noted.
2. This is for fun! Interpret the sketch as you wish and embellish as desired. There are no vendor restrictions, but we would love to see you use the sponsor’s stamps!
3. Each month we will have a Designer of the Month that will be chosen from past month’s participants.
4. Come and play with us on each and every sketch! On Christmas Day 2011 a prize package worth over $200 will be given away to one very lucky and loyal SFYTT stamper that participates in EVERY sketch for the year.
5. To be eligible for the prize package, you must complete ALL of the sketches by each of the deadlines AND link your creation to the link system on that month’s sketch post (the first Saturday of the month). Everyone except for SFYTT Sisters are eligible for the prize package, including Designer of the Month and international players.
6. When posting your sketch creation on your blog, please post the sketch and link back to the sketch post on www.iheart2stamp.com. When posting to online galleries, please use the keyword “SFYTT.”

SFYTT - Your Next Stamp!

I'm quite late with my sample for this week's Sketch For You To Try, but here it is finally! This week, some of the SFYTT sisters have showcased images from a new stamp company called Your Next Stamp. How clever is that name?? Learn more about how the company got started HERE, and check out all their cute images HERE. It's hard to find a snowman I don't love, but even so, some sure are cuter than others, and this one definitely goes in the cuter category :)




The snowman is just one of several images and sentiments in YNS's Christmas Digital Package. I printed him onto Papertrey's white card stock with my HP inkjet printer and colored with Copic markers. I thought the sketch lent itself well to a more clean look, so I kept the extras to a minimum: Polar White Flower Soft for the ground and the top of the hat, clear glitter along the outer edges of the snowman's face and body, and some clear crystals in the centers of the snowflakes. I included the sentiment (also from the Christmas Digital Package) on the inside. It's hard to see in the photo, but there are two scored lines along the bottom, just above the punched wavy border.



If you haven't already, I hope you'll take a moment to check out everyone else's creations:

Jen del Muro (with the sketch, her sample and guest designer Amy's sample)
Amy Rohl
Kelly Lunceford
Leigh O'Brien
Susan Liles

... and then play along. Just upload to Jen's post and remember to use keyword: SFYTT in online galleries.

Thanks for popping in today!



Stamps: Christmas Digital Package (Your Next Stamp)
Paper: Papertrey White and Hibiscus Burst card stock, Cosmo Cricket Jolly By Golly dp
Ink: printer ink, SU Soft Sky (sponged around image)
Accessories: Copic markers, clear crystals, Polar White Flower Soft, Sakura quickie glue pen, clear glitter, button from stash, Martha Stewart snowflake punch, Frosted Lace Stickles, SU Crushed Curry ribbon, EK Success dotted wavy border punch, dimensionals, Spellbinders rectangle Nestabilities