Happy EARLY Saturday! I know its Friday, but I wanted to post this now 😀

The weather has been GORGEOUS here in New Hampshire.

I am suffering from NO motivation the last few days. Since the weather has been fabulous I have been out and about with my kids. They are really enjoying the weather. We walked Daisy for so long the other day, that she passed out for 6 hours! I had to check and make sure she was still alive! I let Noah take the leash and he RAN the entire way around 3 large blocks of our neighborhood, while Amber and I pushed our “dolls” in the carriage. Alexa was at school.

Point to my blabbering is, this week’s sketch is being kept very simple. I like simple.

 click to enalrge. Feel free to mix it up. Put something fun in that upper corner!

The first card is done using an Elvis Profile stamp. Um,YEAH! I actually went “there”. I just had too. I was placing an order and was haunted by the new line. This was the ONLY one I bought though. I did want a few other’s but know I won’t really use them. I will say that CHF ROCKED my shipping! I ordered Fri night and it was on my door Mon morning! WOW! AND it was a new release day. That deserves a round of applause.

The only reason I went all on the “KING” is because Elvis reminds me of my dad. Now I have to fill you in on this for you to appreciate my vision’s of Elvis. My dad was “the guy” who if we were at a restaurant, and someone popped an Elvis song on the Jukebox (remember those-they use to have them at like every restaurant when I was a kid), he would get up ON THE TABLE-yes ON the table-yes AT the restaurant, and start singing along (loudly)and dancing. He would get the entire place going-no lie. Talk about wanting to die right there!

This is only the tip of some of my most embarrassing times as a kid. You think YOUR parents were embarrassing! I’m am certain I have you beat. Those times are funny now, but back then, not so much. Anyway, I haven’t seen my dad in over 2 years. We have talked here and there, very briefly, but I thought I should send this his way. Let him know Im thinking of him.

So here is my card for my dad

 Blue Suede Shoes

5 1/2 square

I will say Elvis had some great songs!! I don’t care who you are, you can’t not love some of his classic songs.

Speaking of music-I love that music bkgd. I just stamped it at an angle, then added some Elvis stickers I had to buy after getting the stamp! LOL! You can’t tell, but the card is layered onto black cardstock as well.

Now to help you really “visualize” the possibilities I made another sample! Let me be honest-these cards took like under 10 minutes TOPS!!!! That is how rockin fast and easy this layout is! Plus it may get you using those neglected backgrounders!! You can of course substitute with paper or whatever-but TRY to use some sort of stamp if you can-its a challenge 😀

Here is the next one-same colors and layout.

 This is 4 1/4 square.

This was like a 2 minute card! I just stamped the lined paper image from Green Grass-Noteworthy set. I popped a sticker by Autumn Leaves Mod collection. Added a Velvet and clear flower from Maya Road, and punched the edges-DONE!!! I like it. Its sorta fun and funky. You could write a little something on the lines. Not me. I have the WORST handwriting-awful! I hate writing. I envy people with nice penmanship.

So that is it for today

We have a weekend full of errands, and kids parties. Fun stuff. Im HOPING my new stamps arrive today! YEAH!!

Stay tuned!!! If you get a chance to play send me a link here in the comments section, so we can all see your take on the sketch!

Oh yeah-I forgot to tell you to check this out—->HERE! YEAH!! I did have to cut back on some other obligations. I’m very excited to be part of that though. Should be fun.

Till tomorrow.

Lauren

Lauren

 Stacks of Cupcake Wishes

This card uses : Cupcake single, and ribbon from American Crafts (which inspired by colors). You can never have enough birthday cards, and I feel this is very gender/age neutral.

OK I know some of you may yawn at this post (SORRY), but many people have yet to try one the the best, and simplest techniques of all time-MASKING and REVERSE MASKING!!!

I know I personally love the technique, and the first time I tried it, I was floored. Yeah I know, so not revolutionary but I was excited just the same. We have all been “there”. Remember the first time you tried embossing powder? LOL! I know I do! LOL!

OK, well I thought to put together this little tutorial because many people wanted to know how I made—-> this <—- cupcake card. Many of you seem to be visual learners, and I am not the best at just explaining things. I’m hands on and can look at something and just figure it out. So when I have to “break it down” I’m just not that great at it. Its better to show you, for me anyway 😀

Any questions-just ask. Ill answer them for you.

DIRECTIONS for masking-click to enlarge photos please

Step 1

Stamp your image on a sticky note or eclipse tape (making sure the sticky strip has part of the image stamped!). Carefully cut out the image.

Step 2

Stamp image on cardstock.

Step 3

Place cut out sticky note image, over stamped image-like photo. Then stamp another image over it. I repeated this process for a third cupcake.

 For this one I did NOT ink the sentiment for the next layer of cupcake.

THIS is what it will look like. I made a trio stack of cupcakes.

 cool huh? Now its like you bought a whole other stamp isn’t it?

Now this lets you make things look like they are layered behind each other with out stamping through the image and looking messy!

Next up-many people had no idea how I sponged on my color so neatly! Here you go-

REVERSE MASKING-another fun concept, often neglected. Not one you will use often, but fun all the same.

Step 1

Take the paper, that you had cut the main image out from, and place it around the stamped image you cut.

Step 2

Take a sponge dauber and rub into ink pad of choice. Now lightly pounce desired color, in area of choice.

 See that the mask prevents it from going outside the stamped edges.

Here is the stack all inked. Now you can also see how I began to color in the sprinkles with my Singlo white gel pen, which I then use my markers to color over, so the sprinkles have color that can be seen.

Then color and design card as desired!

That simple.

 CRAFTY TIP -if I take the time to create a mask, I always out it in with the stamp so I remember I have it, and it is there if I want/need it again!!! No need to cut out a new one every time.

So that is it for today! Tomorrow is my Saturday Sketch! I hope you will come back to give it a try. I hope to get some stamp time in today. I haven’t gotten much done the last few days. Least not that I can share yet.

Till tomorrow-

Lauren