Sunflower Studio

LUCKY DAY KETTO {sfytt}

Thinking ahead about St. Paddy's Day?  Anything that will bring me closer to Spring is a good thing!  So here's a Spring-y card for this week's SKETCH FOR YOU TO TRY.  I couldn't pass up a couple of new KETTO images from STAMPING BELLA when I recently ordered the new Cosmo Cricket papers.  I've been eyeballing these little gals for a while.  They're very sweet and whimsical but with an edge.  I really like that!

This is MISSMATCH KETTO and she's wearin' the green in hopes of wishing someone a very lucky day.  The gingham paper is from the the new Cosmo Material Girl pack.  The darker green patterned paper is from a Memory Box holiday pack.  I added super-wide green striped ribbon from SU! (some of my very favorite!), a white paper flower, green silk shamrock, and a button center to jazz it up.  The little sentiment is from A Muse Artstamps.

This is your last week to enter JEN'S SFYTT CONTEST.  All you have to do is make a card using one of the February sketches and upload your card to the corresponding slideshow guestbook.  Really...Jen's got a fabulous prize package that you won't want to miss out on!  All of the details can be found on her blog.

Need more inspiration using the sketch?  Visit the other SFYTT girls today to see what they've come up with...I'm off to do that right now!

Amy Rohl
Amy Sheffer
Susan Liles
Kelly Lunceford

and Jen del Muro with her special guest designer for the month, Mona Pendleton.

SYMPATHY TOP NOTE

I am always inspired by whatever AMY ROHL comes up with. So, when I saw her TOP NOTE QUARTET I knew that I had to give it a try.  It's a pretty simple design that you can dress up or down as you see fit.  I love that!  I needed a sympathy card this week and I created my card with that in mind.

Not a ton of stamping but that can work, right?  Sometimes you need to step back to a simpler design.  The patterned papers here are from the La Creme pad from DCWV.  It's a great pad because it has some pages that are flocked.  I used PTI ribbon, the leaf die is from Sizzix, a big brad from Recollections in the center of my scalloped circle punch flower made from vintage book pages, KaiserCraft pearls, and the Top Note die from SU!  The sentiment is by A Muse Artstamps.

2010 - A BEARY GOOD YEAR CALENDAR {APR/MAY/JUN}

As promised...here are the next three month's in my TCP A BEARY GOOD YEAR calendar project...

As mentioned in my original post, I'm featuring PJ THE BEAR and all of the goodies that go with him/her in the A BEARY GOOD YEAR SET.  Most of the patterned papers used on the calendar are from the COSMO CRICKET GIRL FRIDAY collection with a few other Cosmo patterns thrown in.  Most of the buttons are also available from THE CAT'S PAJAMAS.  I created the calendar pages on the computer and then hand-stamped the numbers and months using the TCP COOLVETICA alphabet. 

Next week, I'll be posting pages for July, August, and September.  I hope you'll check back to take a look!

WHIPPER SNAPPER WEDNESDAY

Finally, the last of the cards that I created before the holidays for WHIPPER SNAPPER DESIGNS.  I'm so glad to finally share them.  Sometimes when I've created them so long ago, have already mailed them off to the stamp company, and wasn't able to share them instantly, they get lost in computerland.  All of these images are available now from WSD.  Here goes...

 

Stamp:  Raggedy Anne, sentiment from Sweet Expressions cling set

 

Stamp:  Itsy & Bitsy, sentiment from Sweet Expressions cling set

 

Stamp:  Hot Gossip, sentiment computer generated

 

Stamp:  Simple Susan

TCP TUESDAY 97 & 98 - COLOR/STAMP CHALLENGES

I missed last week's really great TCP Tuesday color challenge from JOANNE so I combined it with this week's challenge from SUSAN.  Susan's challenges always center around stamp images from THE CAT'S PAJAMAS.  This time she's thrown down a pretty broad challenge to use SPRINGTIME STAMPS.  That can include many of Alma's terrific images - some overtly "Spring" in theme and others that you can interpret for yourselves.  I've chosen to use PJ from the A BEARY GOOD YEAR set - along with his shamrock - and the little skunk and log from the HAPPY CAMPER set. 

In addition to using Joanne's OLIVE/LIGHT BLUE/IVORY color combo, I was inspired to try out the Karen Giron's SWEET SUNDAY SKETCH CHALLENGE #57.  {I get feeds from quite a few blogs and so many of them create really great cards for oodles of different challenges.  I don't often get to try them out myself so I was excited to give it a whirl!}  Plus, who wouldn't be itchin' to use the five different strips of patterned paper - all of mine from different COSMO CRICKET paper collections - on one card!  Very fun!

I printed my little sentiment from the computer.  The font is called Little Days and I downloaded it from www.dafont.com.  I'm sure I must have something similar in my stamps but didn't feel like digging around to find it.  Sooo lazy, I am!

Alma will have this week's GUEST BOOK SLIDESHOW up on her blog so don't forget to add your card there.  You won't want to miss out on your chance for this month's SWANKY STAMPER title and the KAT'S KASH to go along with it, would ya?

MFT FABULOUS FRIEND!

I'm a lucky duck to be chosen as a FABULOUS FRIEND over on the MY FAVORITE THINGS blog today!  Kim included a little blurb about lil ole me and the card that I made for her to feature.  You know I can't get enough of the little PURE INNOCENCE kids and that's what I chose to use on my card.  Here's a little peek at it but to see the whole thing, click on over to the MFT blog and take a look!

HAPPY BABY! {sfytt}

Here's my take on this week's SKETCH FOR YOU TO TRY.  I started a little knitted baby throw during the snow last week for a neighbor who had a little girl at the beginning of the year.  So I finished that but I needed a card...not that I probably couldn't dig around in my piles and find one...I just felt like a new baby would need a NEW card.  Thankfully, the sketch gave me a great jumping off point.

All of the animal images here are from WHIPPER SNAPPER DESIGNS.  They have great expressions, don't they?  The sentiment stamps are both from A Muse - still my fave for small sentiments in fun fonts!  I dug deep into the paper stash for these pretty patterned papers from the Basic Grey Oh Baby! Girl collection.  I also used my Fiskars Apron Lace punch for the scalloped border, ribbon, buttons and twine from Papertrey, and a paper flower by The Card Co.

Why don't you sit down with this week's sketch and get to work on your card?!  REMEMBER...JEN has a fantastic prize package this month.  It's full of must have goodies...see the picture here!  All you have to do is upload your card using one of this month's sketches to the correct guest book slideshow on Jen's blog.  Eazy peazy!  Jen has all of the details on her blog so be sure to take a look there.

Wanna see what the other SFYTT girls did with the sketch this time?  Here are the links:

Amy Rohl
Amy Sheffer
Susan Liles
Kelly Lunceford

and Jen del Muro with this month's guest designer, MONA PENDLETON.

I thought I'd also share a photo of the baby throw.  I get the LION BRAND YARN catalogs and I'm always inspired.  I'm pretty much a beginning knitter so I stick with the easy ones.  This one is called SUNSHINE DAY BABY THROW and the pattern was free (although, you may have to sign up to see it).  I have two other friends getting ready to have babies this year so I know I'll be making a few more of these!

2010 - A BEARY GOOD YEAR CALENDAR {JAN/FEB/MAR}

I wanted to share one of the projects that I created to spotlight the new A BEARY GOOD YEAR stamp set from THE CAT'S PAJAMAS.  The set was released last week and is currently available for all of your stamping needs.  It really does have it all AND you can use stamps from your other TCP sets to coordinate with it as well.  Very versatile!  So, I'm gonna share the whole deal in a few different posts...you know, it's a whole year of PJ the bear!

As mentioned above, I'm featuring PJ THE BEAR and all of the goodies that go with him/her in the A BEARY GOOD YEAR SET.  I've also used PJ, in the teensy bit larger form, from the HAPPY CAMPER set.  {Very cool that you can coordinate them and use them together!}  Most of the patterned papers used on the calendar are from the COSMO CRICKET GIRL FRIDAY collection with a few other Cosmo patterns thrown in.  Most of the buttons are also available from THE CAT'S PAJAMAS.  I created the calendar pages on the computer and then hand-stamped the numbers and months using the TCP COOLVETICA alphabet.  I also used the TCP BABYDOLL alphabet on the book cover.

This was such a fun project and I can't wait to show you more of the pages.  I'll be posting three months on each of the next three Friday's.  I hope you'll check back to take a peek!

YOU MAKE THE GRADE {sfytt}

Yeah...finally Saturday and there's no snow in the forecast...at least for today.  That doesn't mean that we don't still have three feet on the ground though.  I'm really ready for no more snow!  So, to concentrate on something else, right?  It's time for a new SKETCH FOR YOU TO TRY.

I'm using another new PURE INNOCENCE set from MY FAVORITE THINGS.  This one is called YOU MAKE THE GRADE.  Isn't she cute in her orange polka-dot sweater and pink skirt?  An A+ for sure! 

Above is this week's sketch.  You definitely must play along...especially since JEN's offering such an amazing prize package this month.  She's got all of the details for the contest in her BLOG POST for the week.  Complete your card using the sketch and upload it to her slideshow guest book to be included in the contest.  And you've got all month to participate so get on it!

Need a little more inspiration?  Check in on the other SFYTT girls this week to see how they interpreted the sketch.

Amy Rohl
Amy Sheffer
ME!
Susan Liles
Kelly Lunceford

and Jen del Muro with this month's special guest designer, Mona Pendleton!

INSTYLE STAMPS

During the Christmas holidays I was hard at work on some samples for a company called INSTYLE STAMPS.  They have lots of fun images - both in stamp and digital versions.  They're really big on anime style images but they also carry some whimsical images and these really cool ones that caught my eye in their "Retro" category.  They really remind me of characters like Wilma Flintstone or Betty Rubble or even Josie & The Pussycats.  {I'm really dating myself now!} 

So...here are the cards that I created...

 

The above images is BARB.  She's the bowling gal.  Isn't she fun?!  I had the perfect paper to go with her in my stash...don't ask me who makes it because I have no clue...I'd have to do some digging to go back and find out.  The sentiment used here is by A Muse.

Above is DEB.  For whatever reason, when I first looked at this image it reminded me of a USO type of girl.  As soon as that hit my brain this sort of camo/military theme stuck.  Now that I see her all colored and onscreen I realize that her pillbox hat would really have been adorable in pink or light blue.  She's a cutie though!  Again, sentiment from A Muse.

This hip dude is LEROY.  He's "stylin'", to say the least!  I am really diggin' his "fro"....he's awesome! Sentiment by A Muse.

And, lastly, this is STAN.  He's one cool cat....reminds me a little of Richie Cunningham?  Anybody know who he was?  I tried to work in the plaid and argyle patterned papers to go with his sweater and style.  Can't you just tell that "the chicks dig him"?!  Sentiment from Paper Source.

There are so many really great images available now from INSTYLE.  Definitely click on over and take a peek!