Gingko Leaves for Freshly Made Sketch

 

I've recently become rather enamored of gingko trees....with the leaves, in particular.  I experienced my first one a few years ago when visiting our son and his family (only granddaughter!) across the state in western Oregon ... the leaves of the tree in the park were like gold...and they were especially noticeable on the bright green grass.  This past year, I visited the same tree again for photos and later discovered young gingko trees on the main street of the town.  It was Christmas season and the trees were wrapped in white lights.  Imagine my surprise this spring when I discovered young gingko trees on a street in the

city just 20 miles from our Eastern Oregon home. Now my goal is to locate and plant one in our yard.  (See how that developed?)   Soooooo....I was happy to find a die of a gingko leaf;  I chose white DSP with metallic gold dots for the current Freshly Made Sketch.   The sentiment is stamped and embossed in gold, as well.  

Butterfly and Dot Embellishments

 The OPTIONAL TWIST for today's challenge is:

EMBELLISHMENTS

It's been weeks since I've posted but I've been making cards anyway.  I mail cards each week to two friends who live some distance away. 

I was thinking "embellishments" when I designed this card for "Can You Handle the Pressure?" The large flower stamp/die is new so I decided to try it.  First, I made a yellow sunflower image, but it didn't work with the embellishments I made in mind.  Then I found the piece of DSP with those cute colored dots...perfect for the enamel dots in my drawer.  So I cut the flower out of a blended color DSP and dry-embossed it for some texture.  From there it involved choosing coordinating enamel dots and finishing with a little cardboard butterfly with metallic paint. 

This is definitely a card that will require additional postage....as well as a thin cardboard layer to protect those embellishments from the postal machine.  (I've learned the hard way!)

Two for One Great Sketch

 I really like this Freshly Made Sketch ...and all the DT designs.  I liked it so much that I decided to make two cards. I'm certain that I will keep this sketch for future cards, as well.  (I send cards to two friends each week, so am always considering new designs.)

A Shape for Sunday Stamps

This Sunday Stamps design was a real challenge for me, and then I found the zigzag die among my stack of dies.  It was an experiment with patterns that coordinated with the "brown paper" theme.  

            

 

It's Blue on Blue

Can You Handle The Pressure?: Anything Goes With A Twist of Blue On Blue (monochromatic)

Blue on blue...my long-time favorite color (purple has edged in lately) was the theme for this card. A new Kokorosa die was my choice for Can You Handle the Pressure?

Sympathy for Can You Handle the Pressure?

 The OPTIONAL TWIST for today's challenge is:

SYMPATHY

Anything goes with a twist of Sympathy

When I was digging in a drawer of stamps on sheets, this embossing folder popped up.  Sympathy!  I've had it for years but have never used it...until today.  I embossed a piece of patterned paper and then highlighted the embossing with matching color of ink on a blending brush. The die cuts in cardstock matching the card base were applied below the embossing. Can You Handle the Pressure?

Stencils and Dies for Just Add Ink

 

For this Just Add Ink challenge, I die cut the butterfly from a piece of slick patterned paper from my bottomless stash.  The piece behind the butterfly was stenciled in metallic gold and Distress Vintage Photo ink. The card is a yellowish-colored heavyweight cardstock.