Back to Florals with Some Gorgeous Inspiration!

Hello Everyone!

Hope you are enjoying your weekend.  We had some wonderfully unseasonably warms temps here in St Louis this weekend.  I was able to get in a little yard work on Saturday.  It also allowed me to get outside to take photos of some cards.  I have reclaimed my dining room table -it used to be my photography location for my cards.  I have had a tough time finding another spot with good lighting, so getting outside this weekend was a pleasant surprise.

I have an extremely ambitious and talented blogging friend, whom many of you may know, Lesley Croghan of Always Playing with Paper.  She has started more challenge blogs than anyone I know!  Just recently, she has started providing us with a weekly inspiration photo.  This week, I am honored to be asked to guest design for her, using this beautiful photo~

The rustic vase and sweet bouquet reminded me of cottage gardens and was the perfect opportunity to ink up this gorgeous new-to-me Power Poppy image.  My Prismacolor Pencils have been sorely neglected and I got them out as well, to color the flowers on kraft.  The sentiment is from PTI; it is heat embossed.

I am linking up to Simon Says Stamps Work it Wednesday Challenge, 'Use something New' as well as Just Us Girls- 'Tic Tac Toe'- Flowers, stamps and die cuts.

Also linking up to The Paper Players Tic Tac Toe Challenge- 'Flowers, Die Cuts, Yellow' and 'Die Cuts, Pink, Girly'.
Thanks so much for stopping by and hope to see you over at the Inspired by All the Little Things Challenge!

Lee Ann  :)

Some Fabulous Inspiration

Hi Everyone! 
I an still running short on MOJO, but I found some gorgeous inspiration on my friend Lesley's blog, Always Playing with Paper.  I just had to give it a go!

Blue and white.  Such a timeless combination, you cannot go wrong with it~

While rummaging through my stamps, I came across this PTI set and these stamps that have never seen ink.  I thought the colors in the inspiration photo would work well here.  The card base and image panel are die cut with the SugarPea Designs Zig Zag Stitched Rectangle Dies.  The sentiment is also a SugarPea Designs die.  I added a layer of SU brushed gold cs to the sentiment and as a mat around the image panel.  3 tiny seed beads finish it off.

I used the sketch from Freshly Made Sketches, but changed the orientation of the card.

Thanks for popping in and have a blessed day!

Lee Ann Barrett

SugarPea Sketch #38

Hello and Happy Wendesday All!

Well, sad to say,I am in a terrible crafty slump.  Someone took my MOJO and I would really like it back!  No mojo made this week's Sugar Sketch from SugarPea Designs difficult.  I made the first card (Valentine card) and was not satisfied with it, so then made the 'New Home' card.  Can't say I am very happy with that one either, but at some point you just have to quit.

For this card I used the SugarCuts Homescape die for my houses and trees.  The sentiment is from the fun new set, Key to My Heart and the heart die cut is from the new Key to My Heart SugarCuts.

Here is your sketch~

Next up, my Valentine card, which just wasn't working for me.  How many times have you spent hours trying to salvage something and it just seems to get worse?  Yeah, I think I spent 3 hours on this  card.

For this card, I used the SugarCuts Heart Journal Card die set.  And again, my favorite die, the Zig Zag Rectangle SugarCuts dies for the decorative edge on the card base.  'You' is from the new Key to My Heart Stamp Set.

Hope you will link up your creation in the gallery!  There is a $75 SugarPea Designs Gift Certificate up for grabs!  Check out all of the rules HERE. 

Ready for some amazing inspiration?

 

Brandi Hall 
Claire Broadwater

Deanne Kay
Jeanne Jachna
Karren Johnson
Laura Jane

Lee Ann Barrett

Lesley Croghan

Mackie Robertson

Thanks so much for stopping by and have a blessed week!

Lee Ann  :)

Stenciled Birthday

Hi All!

I enjoyed a crafty fun evening last night with a few girls from work.  They are used to me coming up with 'projects' for them as I did for them in my SU consultant days.  So last night I broke out the stencils, distress ink and spriters.

Not sure if there is a name for the technique I taught them, but we coated our cardstock with Distress Ink and then laid a stencil down on top of it.  Spritzed with water and then immediately used a paper towel to soak up the water.  It is lovely how the water reacts with the ink to lighten up the color.

My 'happy' is a die from Papertrey Ink and the sentiment, embossed in white, is from SugarPea Designs' Hot Diggity Dog Stamp Set.  The panel was die cut with my current favorite dies, SugarPea Designs Zig Zag Stitched Rectangles. The number stencil is from Tim Holtz. 
Needless to say, everyone is ready to go stencil shopping and distress ink shopping!  I love the simplicity of these cards and my friends did too!

I am linking up to Happy Little Stampers' Mixed Media Challenge - 'stencil'. 

Thanks so much for stopping by and stay warm!

Lee Ann  :)

Winter Warmth

Happy Saturday All!

I got a chance to play a bit this past week,  so  inked up this new Unity Stamp, Hello Love.  I really like this beauty with her cup of hot chocolate!

My mint background is watercolored over embossed snowflakes. The panels were die cut with SugarPea Designs Zig Zag Stitched Rectangle Dies,  image was colored with Copics and the sentiment is from Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps, 'One Cup at a Time'.
I am linking up to the Merry Monday Challenge~

 As well as Addicted to Stamps and More, 'Make Your Mark'. 

Thanks so much for popping in,

Lee Ann  :)

Under the Wire with Retrosketches

Hello, Hello!

Hope you are all staying warm, especially those in the south east  and east coast.
I have had this card done for days and totally forgot to blog it, so I am sneaking it in at the late hour tonight so I can link it up to Retrosketches~

Here is the fun sketch~

I have to say, this was the most difficult card to photograph, EVER!  It still is not great, but for whatever reason, it did not like the camera.  So yes, I was outside on the deck in 6degree weather to get the photo!
The heart image is from Concord and 9th, 'Let's Chat'; the die is from Waffle Flower, and the background was made using Brushos.

Thanks so much for stopping by!

Lee Ann  :)  

SugarPea Designs Sugar Sketch 37

Hi There!

We are back with another sketch at the SugarPea Designs Sugar Sketch Challenge.  Truth be told, this week's sketch gave me fits. Must have taken my hours to finally get results that I liked.  But, when the MOJO is lacking, seems the simplest of things are hard!

Valentines, Valentines, Valentines!  I am making as many as I can as the young gals at work usually clear me out. I really wanted to use these adorable flasks from the Adorkable Stamp Set; love their sketchy feel! The colors for my flasks came from inspiration at The Curtain Call.   The Polaroid Journal Card Sugar Cuts die made a great panel for the heart.  I added to the 'sketchy' feel by doodling around the edge of my heart.

Ready for more inspiration?  There is LOTS of it from the rest of the team~

Brandi Hall 
Claire Broadwater

Deanne Kay
Jeanne Jachna
Karren Johnson
Laura Jane

Lee Ann Barrett

Lesley Croghan

Mackie Robertson

And don't forget, you can play as many times as you like throughout the month!  Each entry gives you a chance at a $25 gift certificate to the SPD store.  Use a SPD stamp and your prize increases to $75!  

Check out all of the details on the SugarPea Designs Blog!   

Thanks so much for visiting and have a blessed day!  

Lee Ann  :)

A Punny Valentine!

Yep, Another Valentine card!
Sorry, hope you are not tired of the romance cards.  Today's is far from romantic though, as I used this super fun stamp from Unity~

Cute, no??!!!  And really, what does go better together besides cookies and milk??  The image is colored with Copics and the light background is done by painting with Copics and an alcohol filled aqua brush.  That technique is definitely going to take some more practice.
The images are actually stamped and colored twice, fussy cutting out a set and popping them up over the images on the front panel.  The large speech bubble die is from Lawn Fawn.  My die cut heart is brushed with a Wink of Stella clear brush for a bit of sparkle.
I used a sketch from Sunday Stamps~

I am also linking up to The Paper Players- 'CAS Valentine'.

And last but not least, linking up to Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge, 'Best Friends'. 

Thanks so much for stopping by!
Blessings!

Lee Ann  :)  

Baby Blues

Hello All and Happy Monday!
 It is quite the happy Monday for me and I imagine many of you as it is a holiday- Martin Luther King Day- and we have the day off!  Good day to be off too, as it is bitter cold outside.  Winter has finally arrived; all we are missing is snow!
I played in a few challenges this weekend~

The sketch is from Viva La Verve and the colors are from both The Friday Mashup and  Just Us Girls.

The sentiment, image and dies are all Verve.  I have been eyeing those sweet blue bells for quite some time and finally broke down and bought them.

Thanks so much for stopping by and have a blessed week!

Lee Ann  :) 

No Pink for Boys!

Hi Everyone! 

I continue to make Valentine cards, hoping to have enough for the teachers at school.  I wanted something for a boy- no red or pink or purple- but Valentine none the less.  I used the unlikely colors from Colour Q~ 

What do you think?  Do the colors work? 

The sketch is from Sketch Saturday.  I turned the sketch to better accomodate the image and sentiment~

The Stamps are NEW Klear Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps; the set is Love Chemistry.  I coated each test tube with Crystal effects for a glassy look.  I am linking up to the KKS Saturday Challenge , 'Anything Goes'. 
Thanks so much for stopping by and have a blessed week! 

Lee Ann  :) 

Looking Forward to a New Year

Hi Everyone!

I have been mia for a bit- out of mojo and taking a bit of a crafty break.  It is only when I take a break that I realize just how much I have been neglecting thngs at home!
And then slowly, the craft room starts calling my name, lol!  It has gotten quite cold in St Louis so it seemed only right to stay inside a warm house in my jammies, crafting all day!
I was itching to ink up this gorgeous Unity image, Sparklie Beth Girl.  It can be so versatile- wedding, prom, Sweet 16- but I decided to use it, along with the sentiment from the Dream of Being Stamp Set, to encourage a friend with big ideas for 2016.

The dress was a challenge, to say the least!  The pinky purple bodice is embellished with glitter.  The sentiment is heat embossed in black.  As usual, I love my Simon Says Stamp sequins!
I am linking up to Addicted to Stamps and More~  'Anything Goes'

...And The Mixed Media Card Challenge~  'Beginnings'.  My two mixed media elements are sequins and glitter.

...As well as Fusion~  I was inspired by the gorgeous colors!

As well as Inkspirational- I chose color palette 14- pink, banana and slate.

I will be back soon with Valentine cards galore!  I promise it will be sooner than a week or two.  :)

Thanks so much for visiting and have a blessed weekend!

Lee Ann :)

Scootin' with the SugarPea Designs Sketch!

Hi Everyone!
Hope everyone is staying warm!  Winter has finally arrived in St Louis and we are in single digit numbers today.  Needless to say, I am in my jammies and there is a fire in the fireplace!  :)

Have you played along with the latest SugarPea Designs Challenge Sketch yet?  This sketch was great for a quirky collage style valentine~

I really like how this turned out; I flipped the sketch~
 

I can never have too many valentine cards and I can think of a few people who enjoy adventures with their loved ones. I used the fun scooter from the Wanderlust Stamp Set.  Colored with Copics and fussy cut the scooter out.  The light turquoise layer is sponged; afterwards, I decided to add to the collage'y' look by adding the striped dp.  The bracket border was made with a bitty bracket stamp that is a part of the Wanderlust set.  Sentiment strips finish it off.
The colors are from the Paper Players Challenge; thanks Claire for some great colors!

 As well as The Card Concept~

I was inspired by the heart and the colors.  Honestly, I just could not do another card with a mug of something hot, LOL!

Thanks so much for stopping by!  You can link your card for the SugarPea Challenge up HERE!

Lee Ann  :)

Seasons Giving Hop Winner!

Thanks to all who participated in the Seasons Giving Blog Hop!  I hope you were inspired by the wealth of talent and gorgeous work along the way.  The winner of my prize package has been selected using Random.org and is~

Number 17, Juliana! 

Congrats Juliana!  Please e-mail your address so I can send you your prize package.  

Thanks again and have a blessed Sunday!

Lee Ann :)

Wintry Thanks

Happy Friday! 

There are a few challenges out there that I decided to play in that were perfect for the Thank You card I needed for a sweet little girl at school.

I used the Viva La Verve sketch~

and the inspiration from Curtain Call~

The background is done using Stampin' Up stamps and Peerless Watercolors with the resist technique.  It is on a kraft base die cut with a SugarPea Designs Zig Zag Rectangle Die.  Next, two snowflakes were heat embossed on vellum, fussy cut out and colored with Copics on the back side.  I embellished with die cut sprigs cut with the Verve Leafy Sprigs dies. 
Finished up with a banner sentiment from WPlus9 and SSS sequins. 

Thanks so much and have a fabulous weekend! 

Lee Ann :)