Treasures and Twine

It is so cool working in higher education! I love having the week off between Christmas and New Year's Day. (Now if I could just arrange having SUMMERS off...)

It would be wise to use this time to clean, get caught up at work, pack away Christmas decorations...yet here I sit in the Bubble. Just me, my card making STUFF, alternating between cups of Douwe Egbert coffee and Twinings Earl Grey tea (thank you Gail) and yes, both are decaffeinated, occasionally checking Facebook, browsing card maker blogs, and just in general, enjoying Bubble. Go away guilt, go away visions of cleaning, fleeting thoughts of working on student re'sumes: I need to concentrate on CARDS! I say NO to drudgery - YES to card making.

Daughter Amy and Nearly Daughter Jennifer decided it was easier (and more fun?) to have me make them cards as they need them rather than create their own. Because of this decision I was the recipient of all their card making/scrapbooking goodies!

Arrrrggghhhh, now THAT is mighty fine Me Matey. I got all treasures-a-plenty including papers, stamps, markers, ribbons, brads, adhesives, containers, stamp pads, chip board, embossing powders...they must have been VERY serious about ALMOST making cards! YIPPPPPEEEE for me! It's better than dubloons!

Why does this stamp set have me writing like a pirate?

This layout is a challenge from Mercy's Tuesday Sketch Challenge #54
Treasures from Me Girls!
~Base card - PTI white cardstock
~Layer of print paper DCWV - Color Block collection - corners curved to blend with the oval and polka dots
~Assorted ribbons - including polka dot horizontal ribbon
~Ovals cut using Spellbinder's Nestablities - edges smudged with Stampabilities Black Dye Ink - layer of red cardstock and layer of DCWV Color Block
~Image stamped with Stampin Up Ahoy, Matey - colored in with Copics, topped with Ranger Glossy Accents
~Sentiment from Stampin Up Ahoy, Matey - stamped on white, layered on red, green, orange, and navy blue cardstocks

Thank you Amy and Jennie!

Next up is a challenge posted over at Whimsical Wednesday. It too is a sketch challenge. This was just the layout I needed for a grape vine I colored while on vacation in Shellman Bluff.

Wine and Twine
~Base card - Paper Trey Ink Soft Stone cardstock
~Layer of design paper from a huge pad of papers that I almost got rid of... I realized making this card that I don't have much purple design paper. I may have to remedy this situation.
~All four corners curved with 4 metallic purple eyelets
~Horizontal layer of same purple design paper
~Layers of solid green and purple cardstock - edges curved
~Assorted ribbon and a couple of strands of twine (kinda' like grape growers use on real vines)
~Image from Clipart Etc, colored with Copics, and coated with Ranger Crackle Accents - surface smudged with Tim Holtz Distress Ink Old Paper

You can get up close with the card by clicking on the image.
All good wishes,
Nancy