Ah, back to a sketch that makes sense in the 'design' world. OWH 144 has a layout that I was glad to work with:

The colored stamped image I wanted to use was not the prescribed size so I cut a background in that size and mounted the image on top of it. A yellow background and green graphic block mimic colors in the image.

For the embellishment (heart on the sketch) I used a 3D sentiment sticker that features the same colors.

Ddd

Posted by studio3d@ccgmail.net at 12:01 AM PDT

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A very strange sketch is OWH 143.

That's it? Four strips 1/2" wide? Oh yeah, cut on an angle?

Well, this calls for some creative adjustment! I selected a stamped and colored image of the flag since it was already made up of stripes. I figured it would contribute to the impression it was waving to cut it into the diagonal strips. 

I decided it needed a very quiet background and added a thin blue border to echo the blue field. It was looking a little (OK, a LOT) plain so I added some tissue tape with music to jazz it up.

The cardstock sentiment sticker picked up on the red and blue as well as the general tone of the background paper.

Ddd

Posted by studio3d@ccgmail.net at 12:01 AM PDT

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OWH 142 is a banner sketch... really, just three banners

I had more of the lacy stripes from the sheet I cut down to use yesterday but they were not as wide as any of the banners on the sketch. I decided to use them anyway.

I cut a subtle woodgrain for the center banner and added all three of them to a green graphic background. I used a soft gray marker to shade around the center banner to separate it from the background.

I used a 3D sticker to provide the sentiment and satisfy the shaped element on the sketch.

Ddd

Posted by studio3d@ccgmail.net at 12:01 AM PDT

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Oh no! Another very strange sketch! I guess that is why it is called a 'challenge'!

This is OWH sketch 141:

There was nothing in the recently colored images that would suit for that big half-circle on the left. So I went to the sticker file to see what might inspire me there.

Nice - some vellum stickers with clusters of butterflies. I do like me some butterflies! I drew the half-circle on grid paper (since I didn't have any circle-drawing/cutting tools in my temporary stock of 'powerless' supplies I drew around a color-wheel that was in the front of the sticker box). The vellum stickers were arranged inside the arc with some hanging slightly over the edge. Then I cut along the arc while fussy-cutting the overhanging butterflies.

I chose the pink background to match the butterflies and a single stripe from a lacy striped paper for the crosspiece. A single butterfly from the recently stamped and colored image takes the place of the circle image on the sketch.

Silver peel-off stickers provide the sentiment.

Ddd

Posted by studio3d@ccgmail.net at 12:01 AM PDT

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If yesterday's sketch showed imagination run amuck, today's is imagination on sedatives. I looked at OWH 140 and my reaction was, "and then....?"

I started with the horizontal piece and selected one of the butterflies I had colored in a solid orange. The wingspan was perfect but, being a product of nature, needed a softer look. I chose to round the corners with a 1/2-inch corner chomper. I also ran a brown marker around the edges so it would separate from the background.

I chose brown and soft orange for the solid blocks of background.

I went through a Tim Holtz book of word stickers and chose three to make a little phrase. Aligning them along the edge of one block keeps the graphic feel going. Having them in white ties together with the image and the thin edge of the card base peeking out.

Ddd

Posted by studio3d@ccgmail.net at 12:01 AM PDT

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This is a sketch I would never have chosen to do if it had not been for this self-challenge (to use every one of the Operation Write Home sketches - in order). Since I'm not allowing myself to skip any sketches it was time to grit my teeth and press on. Here is OWH sketch 139:

In my opinion, this sketch is ghastly. So, in order to use it, I had to 're-imagine' it into something I could work with. My thought process went something like this: "what an awful shape... what can I use that is an interesting shape but not awful... I could fussy-cut something... that large butterfly I colored has some scroll-y edges...what if I used that whole image instead of half an ugly shape... oh, I like where this is going... just need some solid papers in the right colors... found 'em... let's glue this thing!"

I had used three golden tone markers and a teal marker for coloring the butterfly and cut it out leaving a thin white border around it. I chose solids in apricot and teal for the upper and lower backgrounds and a grid for the crosspiece. A strip of tissue tape with butterflies settles the apricot.

The colors on this are SO far off (stupid camera).

I added a Dazzles sentiment in gold across the grid strip.

Ddd

Posted by studio3d@ccgmail.net at 12:01 AM PDT

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And another reprised sketch for today - OWH 138:

This sketch was used on October 1, 2012 and, again, was the starting point for a Christmas card.

I selected papers, stickers and embellishments featuring snowflakes and gold foil text.

The holographic snowflake stickers were added to the basic sketch to create more interest.

Ddd

Posted by studio3d@ccgmail.net at 12:01 AM PDT

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How about a little review? Today we will look back to OWH sketch 137, first used on October 3, 2012:

Another Christmas card was created with this sketch. Although the card looks more complicated than the sketch, it is really exactly the same! The secret is using a striped printed paper in the upper background and a scalloped border on the diamond element.

I used clear stickers to decorate the diamond and provide the sentiment.

Ddd

Posted by studio3d@ccgmail.net at 12:01 AM PDT

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It seems the 'intent' of a sketch can be greatly affected by the materials selected. I started with OWH sketch 136:

None of the recently colored images suited this layout so I went to my sticker stash for inspiration. Yay for finding a sheet of vellum stickers of pansies! I chose three of them to place on a subtle woodgrain panel.

This got some blue bordering and I added yellow tiny brads for centers on the blooms. A matching panel at the bottom sports a gold peel-off sentiment.

Posted by studio3d@ccgmail.net at 12:01 AM PDT

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Oh what fun it was to use OWH sketch 135:

I stamped a single image of a pinwheel four times and used two coloring options. Each one got a brad center and I added a line of grass to the bottom of the trimmed out and bordered panel.

Background cardstock in basic solids were bordered for a simple setting.

I left off the 'embellishment' specified in the sketch but did add silver peel-off stickers for a sentiment.

Ddd

Posted by studio3d@ccgmail.net at 12:01 AM PDT

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As a little interlude to the cards made on 'powerless' day, this is a reprise of OWH sketch 134 which I first used on October 6, 2012.

This was in the midst of making Christmas cards which dictated the papers and illustrations I used.

I replaced the heart with a wreath and added a bow to it. That wreath was a clear sticker that I adhered to a white cardstock and trimmed out with a thin border.

Ddd

Posted by studio3d@ccgmail.net at 12:01 AM PDT

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Onward, to OWH sketch 133

Oops, you'll recall that in my list of tools and supplies on my 'powerless' day I did not list a circle cutter or any dies. Too lazy to go downstairs with a flashlight to find something to use, I reverted to an 'old school' technique and traced around a drinking glass. The slight size difference from the sketch is due to the size of the glass I had on hand. I used a marker to tint the edge after it was cut out.

The papers were all keyed to the illustration.

The true color for this card is rose pink in the background, sage green for the vertical band, and toast for the script panel. Why won't my camera behave?

I added a silver Dazzles sticker for the sentiment.

Ddd

Posted by studio3d@ccgmail.net at 12:01 AM PDT

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Next in my 'powerless' marathon, I used OWH sketch 132:

The stamp I used was one of the first sets I bought. It is a Stampin' Up! set of four botanicals. I colored it up with just the shading getting antique linen' ink and the stems done in 'old paper'.

Two green solids and a tan patterned paper set the stage for the feature popped up on foam tape.

I selected words from a Tim Holtz word sticker booklet.

Ddd

Posted by studio3d@ccgmail.net at 12:01 AM PDT

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Powerless - I was completely powerless. I knew it was coming... I even knew what time it would happen to me. This allowed me to be prepared for what would happen.

So what did I do to prepare for the day the electrician would shut off all the power to the house for most of the day? I sorted out select card-making supplies from my stash and had hubby schlep them upstairs to the dining room table. I also stamped a slew of images on watercolor paper to color and use on cards.

I've got my collection (massive) of stickers, tools including three adhesives, two rulers, craft knife, paper cutter and scissors, bone folder, distressor, aquabrush, acrylic block, pricking tool, foam pad, corner chomper and fine-line markers. I also have various supplies including cardstock in black, white, and a stack of mixed colors. Two pads of pre-cut solid colors plus a wide choice of printed cardstocks round out the paper selections. Embellishments included a selection of rhinestones, brads and tissue tapes. My full complement of watercolor markers and Distress markers rounded out the supplies list.

With the stage set I spent the first part of the day using Distress Markers as watercolor by coloring on an acrylic block and picking up with an aquabrush OR coloring direct to paper with or without a followup with clear water in the aquabrush.

Then I went through the next several OWH sketches, assigning newly colored images to them based on size and orientation. I trimmed them to size and set to work making up the cards.

First sketch up for use was OWH 131:

The image I chose for this was a mountain landscape. It had a bit of purple in the coloring so I chose purple for the main background. A strip of green for the vertical bar picks up the color of the grasses and three blocks of woodgrain reinforce the outdoorsy theme.

I added some silver peel-off stickers to provide the sentiment.

Ddd

Posted by studio3d@ccgmail.net at 12:01 AM PDT

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Another milestone reached - we're at OWH sketch 130:

This is another sketch that I used before - back on October 2, 2012.

I was working on Christmas cards at the time so it has a winter feel to it. I used papers from a coordinating 12x12 stack and decorated with gold Dazzles stickers.

I backed the 'hollow' Dazzles with paper to match the card base.

Ddd

Posted by studio3d@ccgmail.net at 12:01 AM PDT

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Seems simple enough to use OWH sketch 129:

Selected three papers, cut the papers to fit, trimmed them a bit to leave a nice border, attached them together, stuck them to the front of the card.... oops -- upside down! I used plenty of adhesive so they are staying right there.

Hmmm... test out the crosspiece and it looks good on there - with a little added white border.

I just added a 3D butterfly sticker for added interest.

I stamped a sentiment three times and added some drawn lines for emphasis.

Ddd

Posted by studio3d@ccgmail.net at 12:01 AM PDT

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Time for another reprise of a sketch - OWH 128:

I think this was one of my more inventive uses of a sketch which I used on August 5, 2012.

I made the three blocks into houses and used five clouds for the embellishments across the top. I didn't use quite such a regimented layout either.

A mixture of papers make up the background and I added a sentiment along the bottom border.

Ddd

Posted by studio3d@ccgmail.net at 12:01 AM PDT

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Simple sketch = elegant finish. that's what I found with OWH sketch 127.

I pulled out another copy of the tropical flower and some recently used table scraps. The asian fret-work print mimics color on the upper edge of the pod and the subtle green strip goes with the background.

I used a bit of purple twine to coordinate with the bits of purple in the flower head.

A touch of white bordering adds to the clean and elegant look.

Ddd

Posted by studio3d@ccgmail.net at 12:01 AM PDT

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Just like yesterday, I had a bunch of ideas on using another sketch. This time it is OWH 126:

I decided I wanted to use an embossed panel as the feature for this sketch and selected four of them.

First, I used hot pink with the heart blocks folder. I distressed it with 'old paper' ink to make the embossing stand out more. I bordered this in purple and added a purple chevron background along with three plain purple strips. The strips got some faux stitching with white gel pen.

Next I embossed the bamboo folder on a cream cardstock. I used Distress Markers like watercolors to color up the parts of the bamboo. T carry the Asian theme further, I selected papers with geometric prints in tan and Chinese red. The feature panel is banded in red and the sentiment is stamped on the same red and popped up on foam tape.

I used the star folder to emboss a red cardstock. I then used the 'picket fence' Distress Marker to color the raised areas of the stars. It was a little stark so I used 'old paper' Distress Ink on a blender to tone it down. Red and tan papers are used for background and bordering while a blue print is used for the strips. I colored a sentiment stamp with 'picket fence' marker and huffed on it before stamping on blue cardstock. This block is popped up on foam tape.

This one is my favorite. A floral corner border was embossed onto white cardstock and toned with Distress Ink. This was banded in green to coordinate with a green background and green strips. A simple sentiment stamped on green is popped up on foam tape.

I shall try to restrain myself from making so many multiples... unless I come to a really awesome sketch.

Ddd

Posted by studio3d@ccgmail.net at 12:01 AM PDT

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I love a sketch that generates so many ideas for use. Here's OWH sketch 125:

I had a lot of ideas about what to put in those four boxes but I narrowed it down to just three. First, I pulled a sheet of gold Dazzles butterflies and placed them on grey script-covered rectangles. After combining with several coordinating papers I added gold Dazzles script and a line of 'nail head' stickers.

Next I chose some fun frog stickers and placed them on a large dot paper bordered in black. A green background with a dotted stripe starts off calmly enough but that one jumping frog knocks his block out of line with the others. I carried that up into the stamped sentiment by making it askew as well and then added two green teardrop rhinestones to form a heart.

I went from zany to classy by using vellum stickers of pansies on pale striped paper. These were banded in green to go with the subtle background paper and the band of green printed paper. Everything else is banded in shades of purple like the pansies. I added a stamped sentiment and a hand drawn purple outline.

I won't make quick progress on the sketch self-challenge if I make multiples on many of them but it does add more quickly to the stash of cards to send to Operation Write Home.

Ddd

Posted by studio3d@ccgmail.net at 12:01 AM PDT

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