Peaceful Poinsettia ~ SC117 Sketch

When I first saw the sketch for this week's challenge at Stampin' Celebration I thought it would be perfect to showcase some of the new Christmas paper from Stampin' Up!  Then I forgot to order the paper.  No problem.  I decided to make my own Autumn background and use my new leaf dies.   The card I made was awful though. UGH!  Do you ever have days like that?  Finally I decided to make my own Christmas background and I am happy with how it turned out.

I used post-it tape along masking paper to mask off my while I did my stamping and I am so pleased with the end result.  To make the left side stand out a bit more from the right I lightly sponged it with the same color I used for my pine boughs.

As you can see I flipped the sketch.  It's so much fun to turn sketches and see all the designs you can make with one sketch. Be sure to head on over to Stampin' Celebration to see how the rest of the design team was inspired and then enter your own creation to the linky in the post.  

Stamps: Reason for the Season
Ink: Cucumber Crush, Real Red, Tuxedo Black(Memento)

Paper: Cucumber Crush, Whisper White
Accessories: Gold Stampin' Glitter, Stampin' Sponge, 1/8" Scor-Tape, Mask Paper (InkaDinkaDoo)

Reason for the Season

Gold Stampin' Glitter

Cucumber Crush

Cardinal Christmas ~ SC116

Today a new challenge is going up at the Stampin' Celebration Inspiration challenge.  Check out the photo and see how I was inspired.

My card was colored with Zig Clean Color Real Brush Markers.  Did you know you can color with them without adding water?  They blend really way. I colored the background by doing a water wash with my paint brush and picking up ink for the yellow and watercolor paint for the blue.

My plan was to stamp a bird in canary yellow to match the colors in the photo, but I what came out of my pen was a cardinal.  There is a good explanation.  I grew up in the small town of Corning, CA.  Our small claim to fame is Jeff Stover who played for the San Francisco 49ers.  Football was big in our little town and it still is.  Our high school mascot was the Cardinal.  Every time I see one of those beautiful red birds I feel a bit of nostalgia and pride for my hometown.  Allow me a moment here to share a photo and story for last week's football game.

Corning High Alumni and 2-time Super Bowl Champion with the San Francisco 49ers, Jeff Stover was at Cardinal Stadium to give Corning Union High School a Golden Football presented by the National Football League commemorating its 50th NFL season.

Be sure to hop on over to the Stampin' Celebration blog to see what the rest of the design team has created and to leave them some love.   You have 12 days to play along and link up your projects.


Stamps: Beauty of the Season, Reason for the Season (Stampin' Up!)
Ink: Black Licorice Hybrid (My Favorite Things) 60, 22, 50, 52, 10 (Zig Clean Color Real Brush Markers) Vintage Photo (Distress Marker)
Paper: Bristol Watercolor (Strathmore)  Whisper White Thick, Polka Dot Parade DSP (SU)
Accessories: White Baker's Twine (SU) Yellow Stickles

Strathmore Bristol Pad 9x12

Ranger Stickles, Yellow

ZIG Clean Color Real Brush Marker 060, Brown

ZIG Clean Color Real Brush Marker 022, Carmine Red

ZIG Clean Color Real Brush Marker 050, Yellow

ZIG Clean Color Real Brush Marker 052, Bright Yellow

ZIG Clean Color Real Brush Marker 010, Black

Ranger Distress Marker, Vintage Photo

Loew-Cornell Simply Art Watercolor Paint Cakes 36/Pkg