Peace Within - AHSC #422

Welcome to another episode of Betsy crafting for the Atlantic Hearts Sketch Challenge. I hope you've been keeping an eye on the beautiful cards coming from our Design Team and especially the cards shared by the challengees each week. 

I recently got a new stamp set that I adore and I was determined to use it for this challenge.  Let's take a look at my cards (I did two). 

I thought this first photo was pretty much a straight take of the sketch. Later I realized that (in my opinion) I switched the white space and the pattern paper space. No harm, no foul since it's still my take on the sketch.  

Now the second photo.  I reversed the white & patterned spaces, turned the sketch a quarter turn and placed my sentiment in the center.  This one is my favorite. 

Here is the sketch:

Okay, your turn now.  Share how you were inspired by this sketch by posting on the AHSC blog. 

The following products were used for my cards. You can follow each link to a specific product or wander my shopping site on your own:  https://betsy.closetomyheart.com/

D2019 - Take A Hike My Acrylix Stamp Set (Z3953 - with thin cuts)

X7269B - Stars & Sparklers Paper Pack (X7269S - with stickers)

X5957 - Sapphire Cardstock 

Z2474 - Ice Grey TriBlend Marker

Z2476 - Fair Skin TriBlend Marker

Z2479 - Gold Brown TriBlend Marker

Z2481 - Coral TriBlend Marker

Z2491 - True Blue TriBlend Marker

Z2848 - Sapphire Exclusive Inks Stamp Pad

Z6508 - Blue Bird Exclusive Inks Stamp Pad

Z6512 - Evergreen Exclusive Inks Stamp Pad

Z3372 - Adhesive Runner 

Z2060 - Thin 3-D Foam Tape

X254 - White Cards & Envelopes Value Pack

Whisking You A Happy Day

I had so much fun making my card for this week's Atlantic Hearts Sketch Challenge. Let's take a look. 

I love this little Gnome Chef. Okay, you've got me, I am very partial to Gnomes, period. (Help from the grammar police, please - do you use a period after you say period?)  I thought the sentiment would be cute if I made it look like a chalk board. I'm going for that café feel where they write the daily menu on a chalk board. Then instead of just adding the chef to the card, I wanted to make a cluster of him with his utensils.  So cute, right?  I added a bit of shimmer brush to the whisk and red liquid pearls to the heart.

Here is the sketch that inspired me. 

What does this sketch suggest to you? "Whisk" something up and add it to the challenge!  We love it when you play along! 

Here is a list of the Close To My Heart products I used making this card. Check out those Gnome stamps - they are on sale through the rest of April!  I appreciate you shopping with me! 

Z3931 - Kitchen Gnomes with Thin Cuts (D2010 without Thin Cuts)

Z3686 - Stitched Fancy Brackets Thin Cuts

X9026 - Mix-ins (Mar-Apr)

1385 - White Daisy Cardstock

X5958 - Peacock Cardstock 

Z2805 - Black Exclusive Inks Stamp pad

Z891 - VersaMark Ink Pad

Z2068 - White Super Fine Embossing Powder

Z3293 - Clear Shimmer Brush 

Z3799 - Carnation Red Liquid Pearls

Z2474 - Ice Grey TriBlend Marker

Z2476 - Fair Skin TriBlend Marker

Z2477 - Tan TriBlend Marker

Z2478 - Earth Brown TriBlend Marker

Z2488 - Green Turquoise TriBlend Marker

Z2489 - Blue Turquoise TriBlend Marker

Z3372 - Adhesive Runner

Z2060 - Thin 3-D Foam Tape

X254 - White Cards & Envelopes Value Pack 

Spring is for Cherry Blossoms

 Welcome to my version of Atlantic Hearts Sketch Challenge number 416. I hope you have been following us and playing along. Nothing inspires me more than a good sketch and viewing all the possibilities that it inspires!  

This time I am following the sketch pretty closely.  I chose one of our current stamps, Cherry Blossoms because I love everything about this stamp and the sentiments. I also chose to do a monochromatic card.  Let's take a look. 

Why don't you play along today?  Tell them Betsy sent you.  Here is the sketch:

I really like the simplicity of this sketch and the nice clean style.  However, when I made my card I kept thinking it needed something. Just a little something more, you know?  

So I thought about how when cherry blossom time rolls around it always seems to be snowing as the little flower petals break free and float away on the breeze.  

In my infinite wisdom I thought, "I know! I'll add some liquid pearls!"  And just so you know, this is how my new section called Betsy's Bloopers got it start.

So here is the same card with liquid pearls.  I dare say I went a little overboard, got carried away, used just a tad too much.  😂

Remember this old rule, kiddos?  "When you think you are done remove one thing." Okay crafters, someone tell me the correct way to remove liquid pearls, please.  Lucky for me, this was an easy card to create.  Let me show you what I used, links included to my shopping site. All linked products are available at the time of this post. 

C1889 Cherry Blossoms Stamp Set (stamps are on sale through April 30, 2021!)

Z2896 Smoothie Exclusive Inks Stamp Pad

X6044 Peach Cardstock

The Peach plaid paper was from a retired Mix-ins paper pack.

Z3791 White Opal Liquid Pearls 
Z726 Sponge Daubers (Z1938 for a value pack of 12)

Z4187 Stitched Oval Thin Cuts 

I used a dauber to apply ink to my stamps. The Smoothie ink is a nice dark color but I wanted something just a little lighter, that would work with the Peach papers. Peach ink was too light. By daubering (I'm making up words now, forgive me?) on the Smoothie ink it was a lighter coverage than inking directly from the pad. Give it a try sometime when you find something just a bit too dark. 

Z3372 Adhesive Runner

Z2060 Thin 3-D Foam Tape

X254 White Cards & Envelopes Value Pack 

Can She Bake a Cherry Pie?

I love the Atlantic Hearts Sketch Challenge this week.  I thought I had the perfect die cuts to use for it. Well, I do, but I soon realized that the idea I had was looking from inside a window to the outside and those dies were obviously meant to be the outside looking in. 

So the question became do I change my idea or do I plan this card as a 'thinking-outside-the-box' card?  I chose the latter. 

I created a rainbow using the four different colors of patterned paper. I don't know about you, but I think it's pretty stinkin' cute!  The vellum steam was an afterthought. I like it but I believe I could have done it better had it been a forethought.

Here's the sketch for this week.

I hope you'll consider playing along and post your card on the AHSC blog!  Whether you decide to play along or not, check out the blog for lots of inspiration!

Use this link for a rundown of products used to make this card. 

Beautiful Butterflies

I love the Atlantic Hearts Sketch Challenge sketches, but do you know what I like even more?  Using them as inspiration in my attempts to think outside the box. My brain likes to focus on what it actually sees, and trying to look beyond is my personal challenge to find my own creativity. 

This sketch #412 at AHSC. My brain sees the ribbon and thinks that is what I must use. Not this time, brain. 

Instead I did decide to use the general shape, but my interpretation used a butterfly. Here are my two takes on this sketch. 

I hope you'll try your hand at the Atlantic Hearts Sketch Challenge. It's lots of fun and really sparks the creative juices. 

To see what I've used making these cards just follow this link. 

One Sketch, Two Takes

Welcome to another edition of Altantic Hearts Sketch Challenge by Betsy.  I took a look at this weeks sketch and my first thought was its designed for a slimline card. However, I didn't feel like doing a slimline card so read on for my adaptation.  First of all, here is sketch #410 that we are working from this week:

This sketch inspires so many ideas - a slimline card, a three part shaker card, a three season card, a divided scene card... and so on.  What does it say to you?  

For me, I immediately thought of an older stamp set I have and a brand stinkin' new one.  Let's visit the older one first. 

Birthdays are always being celebrated and we always need cards for them. Per the sketch I created a Cricut cut background for the three images that are the focal point of this card.

This was a fun card to create and has all you need to celebrate a birthday - balloons, presents and cake!  Of course your favorite people, too, but those are a given. I love this combination of script for the sentiment. It's two stamps so can be used many ways. 

A brand new stamp set just coming available on March first is the basis for this next sketch rendition. I love this set so much and just had to create with it! 

Lets see what you can do with the Altantic Hearts Sketch #410. I'm sure you have some great ideas! 

For more information on the Close to my Heart products I used, follow this link to the details.  Betsy's Sketch #410 details.

Until next time...

Atlantic Hearts Sketch Challenge #408

 Wow!  It's been a long long time since I have blogged, but I think I want to get back at it.  I hope you'll like what I have to share and follow me! 

The first thing I've done is connect back up with the Atlantic Hearts Sketch Challenge. This team of ladies is so so talented and I am very excited to be part of them again.  And you will love them too!  Why? Because their art is so inspiring and you can also share your take on the sketches.  Sketches are my go-to resource when I am feeling creatively blocked. 

So with no further ado, let me share the current sketch: 

Since I am creating for my next virtual card workshop I thought I would use this sketch for inspiration and came up with this:

Although I love snow and we just had a bunch fall on us, the springtime feel of this card makes me feel happy!!