Something's Sketchy!

Hey all! It's Monday -- which means I pull out a sketch from the PageMaps archives, tinker, create and then, share it here! For today's card, I wanted to challenge myself to take one of the sketches and simplify it -- making it a 10 minute creation! Who doesn't need a few of those up their sleeves for those cards "in a jiffy" occasions?

Here's a peek at the card....

And here's a peek at the sketch! 

You can see, the sketch has a wee bit more going on -- like the scalloped border and some accents behind the image. I chose to simplify! I traded a button for a floral and washi tape for the punched border. The ruffled accent over top the sentiment went underneath. While I took a cleaner take on the sketch -- you can still see that it's there! ;-)

My stamp is from Penny Black's Truly Great cling stamp set. I love that sentiment! It's so nice when a sentiment can take center stage, don't you think? The paper pad is called A Mother's Love by My Mind's Eye. The flower is Prima. The washi tape is from Stampin' Up and the ribbon is Hug Snug Melon. Just that easy!

Here's a close up of that cute sentie! I had to -- of course -- add a little bling! ;-)

If you need a little sketchy inspiration, it's only a click away HERE at Pagemaps' CardMaps gallery! You can click HERE for the newests sketches and HERE for the whole shebang that Becky Fleck has created! Too much fun if you ask me!

Hope you have a fabulous start to your week and I'll see you back here soon!

~Julie

PageMaps Monday!

Hi all! Like most Mondays, I like to share a little PageMaps fun to get that creativity started for the week! There's nothing better than picking out a fun sketch and putting it to paper! And, this month, there's a whole new crop of Cardmaps Sketches! Just check them all out HERE!

On to my card! Here's a peek at the finished creation..... 

And here's the sketch that inspired it! 

I used Penny Black's stamp set called A Bunch for this one. I love the fact that this set has a variety of blossoms and then a handful of ways to display them -- a terra cotta pot, a vase or... like I chose -- I mason jar! ;-)

The images were stamped with Memento Espresso Truffle and then colored with Copic markers Y32, Y35, Y38, Y00, G20, G21, and G24. The jar was stamped on decorative paper, cut out and overlayed so that my flowers looked like they were just happily sitting inside!

Here's a close up!

The rest is just matting it up! All of the papers were from Carta Bella's Hello Again paper pack. I followed the sketch pretty much to a tee -- using an EK Success border punch, some May Arts Twine and a Spellbinders die for the curvy edge. 

And that, my friends, is it! Need some inspiration to kick start your week? All you need to do is hop on over to CardMaps and see all the fun sketches for this quarter! 

I'll be back soon and hope you will too! 

~Julie

Hello Friends!

Hi all and happy Monday! Ready for a little Pagemaps Monday creative spark? I'm ready to share!! This card one actually one that I made a couple months ago and never blogged! Shame on me! So, let's get this show on the road, shall we?

This sketch was from the July Cardmaps & here it is!!!!

And, here's my card!

This shows that darling little pocket that is a part of the sketch! I actually had a kraft colored envelope and using Memento Toffee Crunch, I stamped the poppies from the Penny Black set called Friendship Flowers. The paper is a mix of Bo Bunny and Stamping up. I added some paper piercing, some fun buttons, a bit of May Arts lace and twice. That's it for the outside. Wanna see the inside of the tag?

I stamped the poppies using Memento Espresso Truffle and then colored them up using Copic markers. I picked up R20, R24, R27, G40, YR0000, and YR01. Just that simple!  And that, my friends, is it! If you are ever in need of something to spark you mojo -- check out PageMaps! If you just click HERE, you'll find dozens upon dozens of sketches to give you a shot of creative inspiration! 

Thanks for stopping by! Hope you have a wonderful start to the week! See you back here soon!

~Julie

A little sketch to kick off your week!

Hi all and happy Monday! I took a bit of a hiatus from Pagemaps Monday this summer... but now I'm back and I realized there were a couple cards that I made.... and hadn't shared! What's up with that? I guess no time like the present, right?

So, this sketch was from the July Cardmaps & here it is!!!!

And... here's my take! I stamped the flower bucket from the Penny Black set called Friendship Flowers using Memento Espresso Truffle ink. And then? I picked up my Copic markers and went to town! I used V01, V04, V06, Y01, Y04, BG01, BG03, BG05, and G20. The sentiment (also from the set) was stamped on a Spellbinders tag die and then sponged with a little Broken China Distress ink. The ribbon is Hug Snug. The enamel dot is from Stampin' Up and the paper is just a mix from my scrap bin. 

Here's a look!

And here's a close up! You can see I  cut out the bucket and then added a little bit of razzle dazzle with the help of some glittle glue on the centers of the flowers!

And that, my friends, is it! If you are ever in need of something to spark you mojo -- check out PageMaps! If you just click HERE, you'll find a plethora (that's a big word for a Monday!) of sketches to give you a shot of creative inspiration! 

Thanks for stopping by! Hope you have a wonderful start to the week! See you back here soon!

~Julie

Hello There Friend!

Hi all and Happy PageMaps Monday! It's a day when I flip through the Cardmaps sketches looking for inspiration to kick off the week! This sketch went all the way back to March of 2010! And here it is!

And, here's my take on it! I stayed pretty darn true to this sketch this time! ;-) I stamped the tulip in a bucket image from Penny Black's Friendship Flowers set (designed by Becky Fleck) using Espresso Truffle Memento Ink and then I colored up my image with Copic Markers. I used G20, G21, G24, R81, R83, and R85, C00, C01, C03 and C05 and then shaded using BG000 and BG11. 

Here's a peek!

From there, the rest is just matting it all up! I used a mix of My Mind's eye papers and that fun little ruffle up at the top was done just by literally cutting off strips of a doily and attaching it to create a scalloped edge. I wanted an easy breezy look that picked up on the doily design of the wood grain paper. Add some paper piercing, a little sentiment tag with a Stampin' Up clip and... ta da!! Done!

Here's a close up!

And, as I always say, inspiration is just a click away over at Pagemaps!! Hope your week is already off to a fabulous start! I'll see you back here soon! :-)

Happy stamping!

~Julie

I'd Pick YOU!

Hi all and happy Monday! I'm kicking off the week with another PageMaps Monday -- a day when I scour the galleries over at PageMaps' Cardmaps and look for just the right sketch to set off one of my stamped images. 

I don't know about you, but I love to stamp a bunch of images, color and then stick those colored images in a drawer for a day when I want to make a card but don't have a ton of time to color! This card was done just that way! 

So, here's a peek at the sketch I picked......

And here's my card! As you can see, even though this sketch is long and lean, I chose to squish it and make it fit with an A2 card. Like I always say -- that's the beauty of a sketch!  

I started by stamping the pail of flowers -- from Penny Black's Friendship Flowers stamp set --with Espresso Truffle Memento Ink and then I colored it all up with Copic Markers. I used E23, E25, E27, Y21, Y18, C00, C01, C03, C05, E33 and then I shaded with Y000, BG000, W00, W01 and W03. The little accents were created thanks to a Molotow White Paint Pen.  

Here's a close up!

And as you can see, I added some paper piercing, a silver ribbon slide (Stampin' Up), some May Arts Ribbon, and mix of My Mind's Eye paper. Just that simple! The sentiment was also a part of the set and I stamped it on a Spellbinders Petite Labels One die cut shape and then added some Antique Linen Distress Ink sponging.

And that, my friends, is it! If you are ever in need of some sketchy inspiration -- it's just a click away at Pagemaps.com's Cardmaps! Grab a cuppa joe or tea, make yourself comfy and have fun looking!

See you back here soon!

~Julie

Just Bloom!

Hello all and Happy Monday! Gosh, I can't believe it is the start to a new week already! I spent the weekend out in the sun watching my DD play softball from Friday night to late Sunday Afternoon. Note to self -- sunscreen, sunscreen, sunscreen! ;-) So before we get to PageMaps Monday, I thought I'd share a Proud Mama moment! Let me introduce you to these little champions! They played amazing and ended up winning their fast pitch softball tourney! Yay!!!! Congrats girls!

Okay, moving on! As I try to do most Mondays, I go into the archives of PageMaps CardMaps greatness, pick a card sketch and use it to influence a fun-filled creation! Here's the sketch I picked from June  2013....

And here's my take on it using one of Penny Black's new stamps from Becky Fleck called Friendship Flowers!

I started by stamping this darling vintage wheel barrow on Cougar Opaque White Card Stock using Espresso Truffle and then colored it up with Copic Markers and used all shades of the Warm Grey markers, G20, G21 and G24 plus R21. R24 and R27. I also shaded with BG0000. I die cut the image with a Spellbinders Classic Oval die and while the die was still on, I did sponge on some Distress Antique Linen ink. I paired it all up with some Stampin' Up and My Mind's Eye decorative paper, some May Arts Crochet lace, and a SU button. I stamped the sentiment on a strip that a notched the ends off of and before I matted it all up, I did add a wee bit of paper piercing. 

Here's a close up!  

And that, my friends, is it! Of course, if you want to grab a little inspiration on the go, all you need to do is click on over HERE to CardMaps! I usually suggest a cup of coffee for the journey because not only will you have some fun sketches to take a gander at -- you'll have samples to spark creativity too! Have fun and even better -- have a wonderful week! I'll see you back here soon! 

~Julie

Bright & Bold Poppies!

Hello all and happy Monday.... PageMaps Monday here on my little blog! It's a day where I scour the CardMaps sketches looking for just the right inspiration! So, want to see my sketch? Here goes! I got this from the December 2011 edition. Loved the clean and classy layout!

And... here's my creation!

I used one of the brand new stamps illustrated by Becky Fleck for Penny Black Stamps called Friendship Flowers. I just loved these dainty little poppies! :-) I stamped using Versafine Black Onyx and heat set before adding a splash of watercolor. I actually used Ranger Distress Ink Reinkers to color these little flowers! I used Barn Door, Peeled Paint and Broken China for the wash behind. All you do is add a drop of reinker to a paint palette and then pick up your color thanks to a water brush -- easy peasy! The sentiment is also from the set! I added a couple Queen & Co. Rhinestones, some white Hug Snug Seam Binding and the paper is a mix of Echo Park 5th Avenue, and Authentique Gathering.

Here's a close up! You can see, I literally just dropped color on. I wanted a kind of "messy artsy look!" ;-)

And that, my friends, is it! If you ever want some layout inspiration -- just hop on over to the Pagemaps Cardmaps HERE -- for literally hundreds of design ideas and samples!

Hope your week gets off to a good start! I'll see you back here soon!

~Julie

Let it Snow Sketch!

Hi all and happy Monday! I have a little fun to share as you kick off your creative week! I love when I can share a little sketch that might inspire YOU! So, let's get on with the show!

Here's a peek of the sketch I used from CardMaps this week...

And here's a look at my creation! I didn't have a tag die so, instead I used THIS die called Scalloped Borders Two and just scalloped the edge of some decorative paper. The stamp set is a cutie patootie called Build a Snowman designed by Becky Fleck for Penny Black! After I stamped (and masked along the way), I colored this little guy up with Copic Markers and used BG11, BG10, BG000, R01, R14, R27, RV00, RV02,YR01, YR04, and YR07.

The sentiment if from Flourishes' Winter Berries set. Pair this little guy with some fun decorative paper (it's from my scrap bin so I am not sure what it is!!!) I added a crystal button, some twine and a little razzle dazzle with some prisma glitter. See?

I should point out that this sample is a part of the December Cardmaps -- which is a remix of the Pagemaps Design Team's favorites from 2013! So, if you want some more inspiration -- click HERE and see what the other designers created this month!

I'll be back with more fun tomorrow -- My daughter and I have been crafty again and this creation is so inexpensive and would be GREAT as stocking stuffers. You just have to have minimal sewing skills and you'll be good to go! Back with that tomorrow! :-)

~Julie

Time for a kick off the week sketch!

Hi all and happy Monday! I have a fun-filled sketch to kick off your creative week and this one was a fun one for me because...... today is my niece's birthday -- and this creation was all about her!

First up, my sketch! This was taken from the December 2010 Card Maps! You can  check out all the sketches HERE....

And... here's my take on this one! 

You can see I was pretty "literal" with my spin on this one! I used Spellbinders A2 Scalloped Borders Two for my shape. I am just LOVING those border dies! After I was done with my shape, I kept the die on the edge and then sponged on some Distress Ink in Spun Sugar to add a soft pink glow. Then.. the fun part came! I used the Cupcakes set that Becky Fleck designed for Penny Black to create some birthday pizazz! I used two of the cupcakes from the set and paired it with a birthday candle that I stamped all over my main mat. I used Tuxedo Black Memento and then colored up my images with a mix of Copic markers! Mat it all up on some sparkly paper, add some seam binding ribbon, some blue patterned paper, a wee bit of lace and a crystal button threaded with silver cording and... ta da!!!! Done! 

The sentiment was also from the Cupcakes set and I cut that out and formed a fun little sentiment flag! Here's a close up of those darling little cuppy cakes!  You can also see I added a little bit of razzle dazzle thanks to some glitter glue! I mean..... don't we all need TONS of sparkle on our birthdays???

Thanks so much for stopping by my place today! :-) Keep in mind, if you ever need a little sketchy inspiration, just hop on over to Becky Fleck's Pagemaps  to see all the fun she has just waiting to inspire you in your own stamping spaces!

See you back here soon!

~Julie

Wishing you Blessings!

HI all and Happy Monday! I'm back to share my take on another Pagemaps Cardmaps sketch! I love getting my week started with a little bit of creativity and I love sharing that with YOU! So.... here's a peek at the sketch that I used....

As you can see, I grabbed this one from June of 2012. And, here's the fun part, Becky has all of the sketches since she first started right HERE. So, you'll have to jump on over if you ever need some inspiration!

And.... here's my card!

For my card, I started by stamping the poinsettia from the Winter Blossoms stamp set by Penny Black. I used the Memento Toffee Crunch ink on Flourishes Classic White. After that, I really just "scribble colored" some color on it using E50, E51 and then RV00 for the flower and YG91 and Y00 for the leaf. Once I was done scribbling on the color, I went over it with the blender pen. From there, I cut out the flower, added some bling to the center and.. the rest is just matting it all up! I used the Carta Bella paper called Wildflowers . I also used some light pink seam binding ribbon, some ivory crochet lace, a little gem and then the sentiment was from the Winter Berries stamp set by Flourishes. 

And, here's a close up!

And that, my friends, is it! Like I said if you ever need some creative inspiration in the form of a sketch, just head on over to Pagemaps and check out their Cardmaps link! 

Hope your Monday gets off to a great start! Happy creating! I'll see you back here tomorrow -- I'm playing along with this week's Timeless Tuesday Challenge and then on Wednesday -- the sneaks begin for Flourishes November Release! Lots of fun headed your way!

~Julie