SU Because I Care

SU Simply Sketched and SU Because I Care

I mixed an old SU Hostess Set with a brand-spanking new Hostess set for The Dynamic Duos # 55 this week. This month marks the anniversary of my best friend’s daughter’s wedding day where we used hydrangeas right out of the yard for the centerpieces- it was a beautiful summer wedding. So, I thought The Paper Players #148 challenge was spot on for this card as well.

It was really easy to get two colors on the hydrangea by inking a sponge dauber and applying it randomly to an already inked stamp. In this case, I inked the SU Wisteria Wonder on the stamp first and then used the dauber inked up with SU Raspberry Ripple to create a two colored flower. I used the luxurious SU Satin- stitched ribbon with a ribbon slide to dress up the card.

Card Recipe:
STAMPS: SU Simply Sketched- sentiment (Hostess 2013-14 available NOW!), SU Because I Care
INK: SU Wisteria Wonder, SU Raspberry Ripple, SU Close to Cocoa (retired)
PAPER: SU Wisteria Wonder, SU Raspberry Ripple, SU Whisper White
ACCESSORIES: SU Ribbon Slides (retired)
TOOLS: SU Corner Rounder, SU Sponge Daubers

SU Because I Care

At first, I wasn’t sure about how to use the Colour Q # 184 colors but after a few days, I thought they were pretty classy together. I was also looking at the MUSE #12 card this week from Therese Calvird and loved the flower and simple design. So, I got out one of my favorite flower stamps- the hydrangea from SU Because I Care and made a clean and simple card:

Card Recipe:
STAMPS: SU Because I Care
INK: SU Blushing Bride, SU Going Gray, SU Creamy Caramel
PAPER: SU Blushing Bride, SU Going Gray, SU Creamy Caramel, SU Basic Black, SU Whisper White
ACCESSORIES: SU Pearls

Here is Therese’s card:

Whoa to Wow with retrosketches…

When I first saw retrosketches #35, I thought, “Whoa, that’s a lot to take it!” And then I saw Jen’s card that the sketch was built upon and said, “Wow, that’s an incredible piece of work!!!” I have been waiting for the perfect challenge to use SU Pleasant Poppies. This was my one of my first attempts at coloring a large image as well. I used Prismacolor Premier Colored Pencils and Gamsol Odorless Mineral Spirits. If you enlarge the photo, you can see the color gradiations:)

Card Recipe:
STAMPS: SU Pleasant Poppies, SU Because I Care
INK: SU Basic Black, Prismacolor Pencils: Carmine Red, Crimson Red,Spring Green, Apple Green, Canary Yellow
PAPER: SU Basic Black, SU Whisper White
ACCESSORIES: SU Pearls, random black button under pearl, SU Black organdy ribbon (retired)
TOOLS: Nestabilities oval dies
Here’s the sketch:

Hydrangea Retro Sketches # 34…

I absolutely, positively adore hydrangeas! I love the variety of colors God painted them. The are so lovely in bloom and equally gorgeous as a dried arrangement. I will never forget making table centerpieces for Meredith and Evan Slee the night before their wedding..we just clipped the flowers right of the bush in the back yard where the beautiful reception took place. I might add that Evan was heading to Afghanistan to serve for the first time (thank you, Evan, for your second tour taking place now!), and the wedding was planned in less than a week! And, it was one of the most inspiring and heartfelt weddings I have ever attended:)

Here’s the sketch:
Card Recipe:
STAMPS: SU Because I Care (retired)
INK: SU Always Artichoke, SU Elegant Eggplant (retired)
PAPER: Same as Ink, SU Whisper White
TOOLS: Martha Stewart border punch cut in half, name?

ColourQ Freshly Made…

I combined ColourQ #159 with Freshly Made Sketches # 57 in this card. I have wanted to use the SU Papillon Potpourri stamp set for a while now, and here was my chance. I thought of the Monarch butterfly and wings in tones of orange and thought that SU Only Orange and Tangerine Tango fit the bill. I wanted to get Pear Pizzazz ink into the picture but instead found the color in some lovely DSP- no matter how many times I photographed this card in different lightings- none of them gave this sweet paper justice- it is so pretty in person! I must say I liked the black to set things off.

Card Recipe:
STAMPS: SU Papillon Potpourri, SU Because I Care (retired)
INK: SU Tangerine Tango and SU Only Orange (retired) on butterfly wings, SU Basic Black
PAPER: SU Only Orange (retired), SU Basic Black, SU Whisper White, DSP in Pear Pizzazz
ACCESSORIES: SU Black stitched grosgrain ribbon (retired)
TOOLS: SU Butterfly Punch, CB Wicker embossing folder

Here are the challenges: