Category Archives: CPS Sketches

You Must be Flying High

Posted on August 21, 2011 | 11 comments

It’s been kind of a lazy weekend around the Craig house, and I’m back with another sketch sample for The Card Positioning Systems Sketch (CPS Sketch 232). The sponsor this week is Stephanie Barnard from The Stamps of Life. Stephanie is a talented lady that I’ve had the pleasure of working with several times over the last few years, and she has some beautiful stamps to choose from. I chose the set kites2fly.

I stamped my kite image on a scrap of pretty calico paper from The Girls’ Paperie. My sentiment is stamped on a die cut from Spellbinders, Labels Nine on kraft cardstock.

I love sewing a few crazy layers of stitching on my main image panel…there is zero stress whilst sewing, unless of course your bobbin runs out of thread half way around the card. Then you have to backtrack and sew each of those empty holes by hand turning the sewing machine wheel to hit just the right spot once it’s re-threaded. Not that I would know that from experience. LOL.

After I cut my kite image out, I scored both of the cross pieces of the kite with my Scor-Pal and then folded the kite, ever-so-slightly. When it’s popped up on the cardfront, it has a slight 3D affect. I also hit the lines of the stamped kite image softly with a W0 (Warm Grey Zero) Copic Marker for just a hint of shading.

I’m going to continue the laziness after church this afternoon. Maybe do a little more organizing in the stamp room/office and make a few clean and simple cards. If I get rested, I might throw caution to the wind and cook a nice supper for my family! Who knows what could happen around here!

Stamps – kites2fly from The Stamps of Life
Cardstock – Blush Red Prismatic, Kraft
Patterned Paper – Girls Paperie & Making Memories
Ink – Rich Cocoa Memento
Accs – Spellbinders Lables Nine, Twine, buttons and cloud die from The Cat’s Pajamas, Copic Marker (W0)

11 Comments

Posted in CPS Sketches

thinking of you ~ xoxo

Posted on August 14, 2011 | 7 comments

It’s CPS Sketch 231, and this week’s sponsor is the one and only MFT! Woot! Who wouldn’t want to try this sweet sketch for the chance to win some MFT goodies!?! Woot!

I {puffy heart} the MFT girls! It’s tiny, I know…but this is a picture of the Splitcoast Crew, the Taylored Expressions team and the MFT team from CHA in Chicago a few weeks ago. We had all gotten together to have a little baby shower for our friend, Taylor. Love these girls.

I used Just My Type (stamp & die combo) with my Stella Rose paper. Quick and dirty with the darling matching die for that typewriter and sentiment sheet.

I spent the better part of yesterday organizing things around the house. I’ve traveled enough this summer that the office, quite literally, got away from me. Feels good to have some of that done and back in place.

I also organized many, many photos from the last year, and got them all squared away in iPhoto, sorted by date and/or event. YAY ME!

After church today, I’m going to continue work on a fun mini-album with some of my NYC pictures. I really hope to share that tomorrow, but if not tomorrow…soon!

Thanks for stopping by! Have a great day!

7 Comments

Posted in CPS Sketches, My Favorite Things

You are a Blessing

Posted on August 7, 2011 | 9 comments

A wonderfully simple design this week at the CPS Sketch blog. No reason that you can’t pull out some paper and ink and get sketchy!

Our sponsor this week was Flower Soft, and I can’t tell you how happy it made me to make up a quick batch of cards to send to a few special people! I used a Flower Soft Topper with Peony Pink & Green Flower Soft to accent. Super easy!

Hope you have a beautiful Sunday!

  • Main image: Card Topper with Green & Peony Pink Flower Soft – Flower Soft
    Sentiment: Signature Greetings – Papertrey Ink
    Ink: Black Tuxedo Memento
    Cardstock: White & Amethyst Prismatics Paper
    Accs: Leafy Flourish Dienamics – MFT Stamps

9 Comments

Posted in CPS Sketches

Sweet Summer Memories

Posted on July 31, 2011 | 5 comments

We have some memory making fun going on around here, and I thought I’d thrown in a short and sweet post with my offering for the CPS Sketch this week.

The sketch was sponsored by Clearsnap, and their new Mix’d Media inks that were released at CHA. I’ve used Truffle and Honey. LOVE that Honey ink pad. With it’s easy to hold circular, flexible pad shape and beautiful opaque cream colored cover, I know I’ll reach for it a lot.

Lots of good things going on around here, so I’ll be back soon. Had time to stamp last night for the Splitcoaststampers’ Fan Club challenge week ~ Dare to Get Dirty! Love all of the fabulous dirty girl challenges. This card is for Julie Lacey’s KRAFT challenge. (A tough one for me, I know!! LOL!)  I know I’ll be sharing a few this week. If you are a Splitcoast Fan Club member, check it out. If you want to be a part of the fun, more Fan Club info can be found here.

One last thing ~ Jenn Balcer and I will be in NYC for a Standard Copic Certification next Sunday, August 7th in Manhattan. We’ll be in Oklahoma City on Friday, August 26th. We’d love to have anyone in those areas join us. Copic is still accepting applications for both classes. You can find more info on registration here.

I’m off to make some Sweet Summer Memories with my girls! Have a beautiful Sunday

  • Stamps – Unity Stamp Company
  • Ink – Clearsnap (Mix’d Media Ink: Truffle and Honey)
  • Cardstock – Stampin’ Up!
  • Patterned Paper – Simple Stories – 100 Days of Summer

 

5 Comments

Posted in CPS Sketches, Unity Stamp Company

God is GOOD

Posted on July 24, 2011 | 11 comments

It’s the final day of CHA festivities! It’s always a fabulous time here in Chicago. I’m glad to be back with a sample for CPS Sketch 228. {love} this sketch. It works perfectly for mass production cards with sweet sentiments as the focus.  I hope you’ll find them to stamp this week, because this one is fast and fun.

Greet the day with a song in your heart.

This came together very quickly for me. The God is Good sentiment, fluer-de-lis stamp and dies are all from Verve Stamps. The patterned paper and printed embellishments are all from the 6×6 paper pack of Odds and Ends from Cosmo Cricket. The Distressed Dot background is from Unity Stamp Co. The caramel colored roses were a birthday gift from my dear friend, Jami…

We’re off to the final day of the SuperShow this morning, and then I’m home late tonight. It’s been a treat, but I’m definitely ready to be back home with my family. I always am.

God is GOOD…all the time.

11 Comments

Posted in CPS Sketches, Verve Stamps

It’s the little things…

Posted on July 17, 2011 | 10 comments

Happy Sunday! I have a sample for CPS Sketch 227 for you today!

On Friday afternoon I took my girls to our local theater to see The Sound of Music. The Lyceum is a Missouri treasure, and we always enjoy seeing their fabulous, professional productions, but this summer a child in my daughter’s class has the role of the baby VonTrapp, Gretl. When she landed the part in the spring, they told her she’d be great as long as she didn’t hit a growth spurt. She did so well, and I was again reminded that ‘it’s the little things that make life great!’

The CPS Sketch is being sponsored this week by our friends at Want2Scrap … You might know them as the Nestabling people. I’ve shied away from shaped bling in the past because I’ve had trouble peeling it off of the plastic transfer sheet and applying it to my project without it getting all jumbled up and twisted. I’ve used bling from Want2Scrap several times in the last few months, and I’m happy to report it’s much easier to work with than any other product I’ve tried in recent history. On this card, I used the Finesse Swirls! Thanks to them for sponsoring this week’s sketch!

My balloon image is colored with Copic Markers. I’ve pictured the assortment above. See the one with no cap? It started as an empty Sketch marker. If you look at my colored projects, I use the E30 run of Copics a lot, but sometimes I want something a little lighter and closer to the E31 than the E30, so I’ve mixed E31 and blender solution to create a lighter shade of the beautiful tan combo.

I told you it’s subtle, but to my eye, the custom blend looks a little closer match to the E31 – not quite as pink as the E30. That’s what I love about having the Various refills. You can find empty Sketch markers here. 🙂

I’m on my way to Chicago – helping Debbie with the Copic Intermediate Certification class today and this evening and teaching the Standard Certification tomorrow and then having Lydia and Beate ~ the Splitcoast Crew –  join me on Tuesday for the CHA Show! Looking forward to the summer family reunion with so many of the people who are a special part of my life because of this little ole obsession with paper and ink.

Have a beautiful Sunday!

  • Stamps: Away We Go (balloon) & Bearing Flowers (sentiment)- The Cat’s Pajamas
  • Cardstock: X-Press It Blending Card – Copic Marker
  • Ink: Black Tuxedo – Memento and Dark Brown Colorbox Chalk
  • Accs: Finesse Swirls bling – Want2Scrap, Copic Marker, twine & button

 

10 Comments

Posted in Cat's Pajamas, Copics, CPS Sketches, Want 2 Scrap

Need a Cuppa?

Posted on July 10, 2011 | 9 comments

** Copic Coloring Guide giveaway is now closed.
I’ll announce my winner tomorrow. Thank you! **

All to happy to share a sample with you for Card Positioning Systems Sketch 226 today, sponsored by Annie’s Attic and Copic Marker. The CPS sketch team is helping them promote their new publication, The Copic Coloring Guide.

I am very honored to have two projects in this beautiful publication written by my dear friends, Colleen Schaan and Marianne Walker.  It’s filled with lots of  pictures and helpful instruction to cover multiple Copic blending techniques.

 

My image is from a favorite The Cat’s Pajamas set called, Cuppa. I love this little bear. PJ’s colored with Copic Marker, and the apron is paper pieced. All of the paper on this card comes from the Stella Rose collection from My Mind’s Eye. I used 2 dies (Decorative Doily from MFT Stamps and Sunflower Rosette from The Cat’s Pajamas). I love how quick and easy it is to make the rosette flower with this die, and being a native Kansan, I’m a little partial to sunflowers.

I hope you find a little time to stamp this weekend!

9 Comments

Posted in Cat's Pajamas, Copics, CPS Sketches

CPS Sketches!

Posted on July 4, 2011 | 5 comments

A few weeks ago, the ridiculously talented Miss Tami Mayberry asked me if I would be interested in working with the Card Positioning Systems team and try a sketch each week. I’ve been needing a push back into consistent therapy sessions crafting, and sketches are my favorite go-to.

Here I am with my first try for the team and CPS Sketch 225. The sponsor this week was Simply Betty, and I used Brittany. Loved her curly, curly hair. She’s colored with Copics (BG70 & BG72 on the pants – E31 & E33 on the shirt – YR30, YR31, YR24 on the hair) and paired up with Echo Park paper. Visit the CPS Blog and try your hand at this week’s sketch. Share your take on the sketch here, and you could win a fun prize from Simply Betty.

You’ll see I took a little liberty (it’s 4th of July week, after all) with the sketch. I liked this sentiment (Take Off) and Cloud Border die from The Cat’s Pajamas.

Speaking of the 4th! Here’s a quick picture of my husband and I at our annual 4th of July parade this morning.

Last night we had our church’s annual God & Country Picnic. We’re so blessed here in America. Tonight, I’m off to enjoy an evening of fireworks and good food with my family and friends. I love this holiday.

I hope that your 4th of July simply sparkles!

5 Comments

Posted in Copics, CPS Sketches