Freshly Made Sketches #200 – A Celebration…

August 22, 2015August 22, 2015 Pam Sparks38 Comments

I made two cards for the Freshly Made Sketches Challenge #200 yesterday… here’s the sketch, I turned it horizontal on both of my cards and the twist is to keep your project clean-lined and fresh!

Here’s hoping I succeeded! : ) Lots of great prizes from great sponsors for the celebration!

A close up photo of the poinsettia…

My 2nd card for the challenge…using Peerless Watercolors for the presents.

The Border die is from Taylored Expressions and the sentiment is from Winnie and Walter. At first I just thought of this border die for birthdays but I really like it for Christmas too!

and a close up photo…I did use the MISTI to stamp the merry Christmas.

Thanks for the fun challenge ladies…tons of ppl linking up, so if you have some time, check out all the inspiration over there!

Thanks again stamping friends for coming over to see what I’ve been up to! ‘preciate it! TTUL!

Supplies I used for the cards…

InLinkz.com

http://static.inlinkz.com/ppr.js

Peerless WC · Watercolor

Peerless Watercolor Palette…

August 22, 2015August 22, 2015 Pam Sparks10 Comments

Do you have the Peerless Watercolor Sheets for watercoloring? I purchased some years ago when they were all the rage but never used them! I know…crazy! Now that they are popular again, I started using them. I had to figure out some way to use them so they weren’t just scattered all over the place but yet I didn’t want something 8.5 x 11 size or larger taking up so much space on my desk either.

So I came up with this…

I know, it’s ugly! lol Now I’m thinking I should’ve taken the time to cut some watercolor paper and painted it to cover the chipboard! Especially since it bends when I flip through it! lol

Here’s what I did…take the 9 pocket ATC/playing card size protector sheet and cut it into three strips.

Just showing two of the strips in this photo because I had to use one in my palette. I used 5 full sheets, cut in strips, plus one more strip. There are a few empty pockets but that’s ok, I put a piece of 2.5 x 3.5 cardstock in those and if I need to mix some colors, I can mix on top of that pocket.

I cut strips of watercolor paper, 2.5 x .5, painted with the color that’s in that pocket and taped it to the top of the pocket with ATG tape.

Then I cut the Peerless WC sheet with the name of the color on the back, the size of the pocket and slipped it in the pocket for later. Some of the colors you can see the name between the watercolor sample and the paint piece. The remaining piece, that you will use to paint with, I taped with ATG tape again, on all four sides, to the front,outside of the pocket.

The Peerless colors are fabulous! So pretty… I love them!

Time to get out the old Bind it All! I punched each of the strips. It works the best to put a piece of paper in with the sheet protector when you’re punching. (the holes look kinda rough but it works fine anyway) I had my pockets all full before I punched too… helps to have the strips stabilized.

Then after punching, cut the covers out of chipboard, a little larger than the size of the strip, punch and bind with 3/4 inch owires! It was somewhat time consuming but it will be SO much easier to use these paints now and save time in the long run.

Birch Press Design is carrying Peerless (a division of Memory Box) and Simon Says Stamp has them too!

Simon Says Stamp has a sale going on too!

Thanks for stopping by! I have two cards to post so I’ll be baaack! I just thought this should be a separate post. Happy Saturday and coloring to you!

Birthday · cards · Fall · rubber stamps · Taylored Expressions

Taylored Expressions Peek-a-Boo Pumpkins and Summer Fun!

August 18, 2015August 18, 2015 Pam Sparks21 Comments

Hi everyone! Summer is in full swing and keeping everyone busy I’m sure!

My first card today is using a new for August Peek-a-Boo stamp set and Peek-a-Boo die set. Swoon…do you ever think back to the days before matching stamps and dies?! Oh, we are so fortunate to have such fun ‘things’ to create with!

I stamped the pumpkins with Colorbox Fluid Chalk ink using the MISTI and then die cut with the coordinating dies.

The sign post is a new Little Bits die, I swiped it a couple times with the Gathered Twigs Distress Ink pad…the dirt is a new embossing folder called ‘Weathered’.

I had to throw in some other TE dies to finish off the scene. I love the word ‘fall’, standing in as a cloud! *grin*

I know…goofy, goofy angle, now why didn’t I notice that before I finished the photos! It happens! lol

I’ll never get enough of the TE Shaded Thanks Tree die…love it. Cut in Toffee/kraft cardstock and colored. Wispy grass and the fence from the Garden Arbor and Gate die set.

Next up…a Summer fun birthday card…

It’s an overcast rainy day here…so I’ll bring on the sun with this card! I love this basket die from TE and when you emboss it with the new We R Memory Keepers Woven embossing folder…well… it really looks like a basket! So cool!

There’s that fence again and this time I used the tree from the On The Line die and the word dies from the June Script set.

Stamps, dies and cardstocks I used are from Taylored Expressions HERE.

Thanks so much for clicking over to my blog today! Now what to make next! : )

cards · CAS · rubber stamps · Taylored Expressions · Watercolor

Taylored Expressions Southwest Cutting Plate card…

August 9, 2015August 12, 2015 Pam Sparks22 Comments

Another FAB Cutting Plate from Taylored Expressions! I made it up three times… third time was the winner in my mind! Taylor liked it too and used it in her post on Friday! I just now saw it! Now that puts a smile on a gal’s face!

I cut a piece of watercolor paper…painted water on it and dropped two drops Distress reinkers one color at a time…tipped the paper a bit so they’d move some, then moved on to the next color. What colors you say? oh eek… thinking…. I just have to start writing this stuff down! I think they are all new colors because I hadn’t put them away yet. The ‘story’ of my life! lol

White embossing on the black die cut banner… sentiment from the new TE stamp set Free Spirit. Doodlebug enamel dots.

Linking to…

Scrapyland Challenges – Anything Goes

Thanks for stopping by today for a quick post! If you must see the other two cards that aren’t my favorites, they are in the TE gallery HERE. : )

Supplies I used…

InLinkz.com

cards · rubber stamps · Taylored Expressions · Watercolor

Taylored Expressions August Release Day…

August 6, 2015August 8, 2015 Pam Sparks16 Comments

Hello! A bouquet of daisies for you today. This is a new set from Taylored Expressions called Simply Daisies. It’s a big stamp set, large and small flowers and sentiments and a set of matching dies.

I stamped the daisies and leaves with the MISTI. I used multiple colors of chalk ink from the Colorbox Queue pads. I love how fall-ish the colors turned out and how crisp the white looks with them.

A new embossing folder called Weathered. I have to try sanding it and inking it next!

The daisies set has three small flowers in the set too…here I just used one of the small stamps and stamped in Ranger Archival black ink on watercolor paper and painted with Peerless watercolors. Then die cut the flowers.

I was going for a gerber daisy look. I love the font Taylor used for the sentiments too.

I couldn’t decide what photo to use… here’s a white background too. : )

Thanks for stopping by today! Click over to the TE Blog for the links of the gals posting today…hop around and enjoy all the inspiration with this month’s release! It’s awesome!

Challenges I’m linking to…

Addicted to Stamps – Anything Goes

Seize the Birthday – Anything Goes and optional topping embossing

Muse Challenge – inspiration card (inspired by the bow, the hearts/enamel dots and the sentiment taking front stage)

Here’s the dies and supplies I used for my cards…Click a link to see the August release in the TE store!