A Little Zen with The Challenge

Only 1 more Monday to go for this school year!  Can I get an Amen!?  That also means only two weeks before I head out of town and I am frantically trying to get everything together.  Getting all my crafty obligations done early is a challenge in itself!
This week at The Challenge is an inspiration challenge~

Here is this week's pretty inspiration photo~

So not only did I fall in love with the pinks and greens in this week's inspiration photo, but it has a zen-like feel to me as well, so I tried to keep everything clean and crisp.
 I used one of my favorite Flourishes images (no longer in business) and colored with Copics.  I have been practicing trying to get more depth in my coloring and this is a great image for that.  The sentiment is from a retired Sweet 'n Sassy Stamp Set.
The Design Team has lots of great inspiration for you!

Anita Madden
Broni Holcombe
Claire Broadwater
Diane Jaquay
Jinny Newlin

Kim Heggins

Kimberly Wiener

Lori Tecler

Nance Salkeld

Nina Forsyth

Rachel Bergfeld

Hope to see you in the gallery!  You can link up your creation HERE!

Thanks for stopping and have a blessed day!

Lee Ann  :)

Wednesday with SugarPea Designs!

Hi Everyone and Happy Hump Day!

A great sketch is coming your way this week at SugarPea Designs SugarSketch!  It is that time of year when proms, graduations and the like are happening.  I have a niece graduating from high school.  With a little help from google, I found her school colors and made her this card using the 'The Key to My Heart Stamp Set'.

Here is your sketch~

I started with coloring my key with Copics and cutting it out.  The Cherry Cobbler panel was masked and sponged; then I used gold embossing paste with a stencil.  The gold paste wants to photograph a copper color, but it does have more gold in it.  Spritzed some Calico White color spray and added my new go-to, cheese cloth, for texture.
And the team, with more fabulous inspiration!
Claire Broadwater
Deanne Kay
Jeanne Jachna
Karren Johnson
Laura Jane

Lee Ann Barrett

Lesley Croghan

Mackie Robertson
Kerin Sylvester 

We hope you join us and link up to our gallery HERE!  With each entry you have a chance to win a gift certificate to the SPD store.  The more you play, the more chances you have!  Check out the details and rules HERE.  

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

I am linking up to Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge- 'emboss'. 
Happy Stamping!

Lee Ann  :)

Colors with The Challenge and Unity

Hi All!

Hope you ladies had a fantastic Mother's Day.  I know I did!  I never get tired of going to the Missouri Botanical Gardens- it is truly a St Louis treasure-and time with my son is cherished.
This week, we have some fabulous colors for you at The Challenge!

So I could not wait to ink up my new Phyllis Harris image from Unity!  Isn't this just the most precious little girl!  I colored her with Copics.  The blue background is also done with Copics and then texturized with alcohol and burlap.  Same goes for the yellow area on the next panel.
Ready for some more inspiration?  Check out what the rest of the team has for you!

Anita Madden
Broni Holcombe
Claire Broadwater
Diane Jaquay
Jinny Newlin

Kim Heggins

Kimberly Wiener
Laurel Seabrook

Lori Tecler

Nance Salkeld

Nina Forsyth

Rachel Bergfeld

 

You can link up your card HERE, on Lesley Croghan's blog, Always Playing with Paper.   

 

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

 

Lee Ann  :)

Colorburst Peony

Happy Mother's Day to all you Moms out there! 

Just sneaking in a quick card that I had lots of fun making.  I really really wanted to play around with my Colorbursts.   I am still learning, as I think I tend to use too much water when I activate them,  but they are so freeing, in that you do not need to worry about precision (which is what I typically do!). 

I used by Stampendous Peony, embossing it with black ep.  Then I just started playing!  The shine is from Crystal Effects- I coated most of the peony with it.

I am linking up to Happy Little Stampers Mixed Media Challenge- 'Shine',  Tuesday Throwdown-'spring',
and Freshly Made Sketches~

Thanks so much for popping in and have a blessed week! 

Lee Ann  :)

Pastel Thanks and a SugarSketch

Happy Wednesday Everyone!

EDIT~So sorry this did not post yesterday as it was supposed to everyone!

Don't mind me; I am just a school nurse counting down the days to the end of the school year!  Yep, 3 more Wednesdays and then 2 months of freedom!  In the meantime, I continue to try to find time in the evening to craft (such a stress reliever, no?) and am waiting for my mojo to come back home.
This week's sketch was a challenge for me~

Here is your sketch~

Since I am without mojo, I thought I would mix things up and venture outside of my comfort zone.  I typically do not use pastels, so went ahead and used a pastel watercolored paper for my card base- it was die cut with the SugarCuts Zig Zag Stitched Rectangles.  I also am not a shaker fan, so went ahead and did that on this card as well.  The various strips of paper- patterned, cs and vellum- are also outside my comfort zone.
Lastly, I experimented with something new, adding color and dimension to my SugarCuts  'Thanks'.

The bubbly little girl is from the What's Mew? Stamp Set- I fussy cut her out of the window scene and tucked her into the corner of my shaker window.
Ready for more inspiration from the stellar team?  Check out their creations!

Claire Broadwater
Deanne Kay
Jeanne Jachna
Karren Johnson
Laura Jane

Lee Ann Barrett

Lesley Croghan

Mackie Robertson
Kerin Sylvester 

We hope you play along with us! As always, with each submission, you have a chance to win a gift certificate to the SugarPea Designs Store!  See the blog for details and rules.  Link up your creations HERE.  
I am linking up to Addicted to STamps and More- 'Make your Mark'
as well as The House of Cards May Challenge, 'Clear Papers'.  I have used vellum and acetate.  Thanks so much for taking time to visit!  

Have a blessed day!

Lee Ann  :D

A Sketch for The Challenge

Hi Everyone and Happy First Monday in May!

This week is sketch week over at The Challenge and Lesley has a great one for us.

Here is your sketch~

This was a great one, especially for using up bits of designer paper.  The most difficult part was deciding on which color scheme to go with!  In the end I settled on neutrals with a hint of pink, perfect for a contemporary baby card.
The sweet giraffe is a WPlus 9 image, colored with Copics.  Sentiment stamp and die is from SugarPea Designs.
The Team has some ah-mazing inspiration for you this week~

Anita Madden
Broni Holcombe
Claire Broadwater
Diane Jaquay
Jinny Newlin

Kim Heggins

Kimberly Wiener
Laurel Seabrook

Lori Tecler

Nance Salkeld

Nina Forsyth

Rachel Bergfeld

We would love to see your work in the gallery this week!  You can link up your creation HERE!  
Have an amazing week!  

Lee Ann  :)  

Knock Your Socks Off!

Hi Everyone and Happy MAY!!!
Wow, I cannot believe it is May already; and knowing how things are at work this time of year, the remainder of the school year is going to fly by.  I squeezed in a bit of stamping time to play in the Retrosketches Challenge this week, as well as the current Colour Q Challenge.
This Unity image had yet to see ink, so I was thrilled to see how well it would work for the sketch.

The dark frame is navy blue, I just could not get it to photograph right.  The card base is scored, just for fun!

Here is your sketch~

And your colors~

These are definitely not colors I would have leaned towards on my own, so it was a good challenge!
I am also linking up to Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge, 'Anything Goes'. 


Thanks much for stopping by and have a blessed week!

Lee Ann  :)