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A Study in Gray

I’ve been wanting to do a series of Black and White cards.  Julie Dinn put a bug in my head with her gorgeous samples.  So, for today’s Stamping411 Sketch Challenge, I decided to do a card in shades of white and gray.  Walk in the Park Designer Paper, available in the Occasions Mini, is perfect!

I started with a base card of Going Gray (available in the Neutrals Assortment Package) and layered Whisper White on top.  I cut two different pattern strips of the Walk in the Park DSP and placed on on the left and one across the top per the sketch.  I really wanted to add some ribbon across the top, but it just didn’t look right to me.  Then I used the stamp set Heartfelt Thanks again (hey…it was on top of my messy desk and convenient!) and stamped the top blossom in Going Gray and the stem in Basic Gray on Whisper White cardstock.  I layered it on Basic Gray and then Basic Black to make it POP! 

For the medallion, I used Frames with a Flourish (another stamp set that is retiring, but is SO versatile!) and stamped the circle with Basic Gray on Whisper White.  For You is from All Holidays Stamp Set.  I punched it with my 1 3/8 circle punch and then did the same Scallop Circle trick from yesterday!  (I placed the Going Gray scallop circle back in the punch, moved it over slightly and repunched to make pointed scallops!)  I added a large Clear Rhinestone Brad in the center of the flower and a small clear Rhinestone brad over For You.  These are now available separately rather than just the Pretties Kit!

Pretty simple card to create,but it is dramatic, I think!  Make sure to check out what the other gals did with this sketch on Stamping 411!

Stay tuned for the Stampin’ Addicts Bon Voyage Blog Hop coming up later today!

Bloggers’ Challenge 103 – Sketch

OK…I’m writing this for the SECOND time since my post just decided to DISAPPEAR on me!  Grrrrrr…

Today’s Bloggers’ Challenge was to use this sketch to create a card.  When I first saw it, I thought Lisa was really trying to stump us!  But, after I used it…I found I really liked it!  I’ll use it again!

I started with a base of Kraft cardstock and layered on a strip of floral pattern in Parisian Breeze Specialty Designer Paper.  It is Specialty because the DSP is cardstock weight and wonderful to work with!  I added a strip of Not Quite Navy to the Kraft base, too.  Then I used the checked pattern in Parisian Breeze DSP for the horizontal piece and wrapped some Kraft Taffeta Ribbon around it before adhering it to the base card.

For the focal point, I stamped the puff flower from Heartfelt Thanks in Baja Breeze ink several times on Naturals White cardstock that I spritz with water first.  It gave it a very watercolor look.  I stamped the stems in Kiwi Kiss.  Let it dry and then I stamped the outline puff flower stamp in Not Quite Navy over top.  I can’t tell you how long it has been since I used Heartfelt Thanks…at least 4 years!  I did a big stamp camp with it, so my set has seen lots of love, but for some reason it got pushed to the back of my sets!  Now that it is retiring, I want to use it some more!

I need an anniversary card for my Brother and his wife, so I stamped Cheers to You (from Cheers to You stamp set) in Not Quite Navy on Naturals White cardstock, and punched with the 1 1/4 circle punch.  I layered it on a 1 3/8 Kraft circle, then I layered it onto a Scallop Circle punched in Not Quite Navy.  But wait!  That doesn’t look like a scallop circle!!!  That is because I put the scallop circle back into the punch, turned it slightly so I could punch again and get the spiked scallops.  Love it!  I placed it with dimensionals in the lower left corner.

Last, I added some Dew Drops that I had sitting on my shelf to the Not Quite Navy strip.  You could also use mini brads, but I had already adhered that strip and didn’t want to pull it up.  I like how that added a little something extra.

Don’t forget!  Tomorrow is the Stampin’ Addicts Bon Voyage Blog Hop!  Stop by any time between 12:00 N tomorrow and Tuesday at midnight and take the Blog Tour featuring 34 different retiring stamp sets…a different set on each stop.  You will be sure to get lots of great ideas on using those stamps.  Make sure you come back here and place your order for those Last Chance stamp sets and accessories!