The Kitchen Table Crafter

Free Digi Sketch: Origami Peace Crane

2011-09-19T06:00:00.001-05:00

Good morning friends! It's Monday and I have another Digi Sketch to share with you today!

This sketch is of an origami peace crane. Since this Wednesday, September 21st is the International Day of Peace, I wanted to share with you a symbol and story of peace.

If you are not familiar with the story of Sadako Sasaki and the paper peace cranes yet, I highly recommend it. You can find it in most public libraries and the illustrations are as beautiful as the story itself. You can find a website about the story geared towards children at the Hiroshima Peace Museum's website, and also as a free pdf: "The Story of the Peace Crane".
There is a Japanese legend that goes that if a person folded a thousand paper cranes, he or she would receive their wish.
Sadako Sasaki was a young girl in Japan who loved to run. However she became sick with leukemia from the Hiroshima atomic bomb radiation. After she got sick, she started to fold cranes with the wish that she would get better and run again, but she never made it to one thousand. She passed away at age 12, to the shock of her class. They finished her thousand paper cranes.
Today, schoolchildren all over the world send thousands of paper cranes to the Hiroshima Peace Memorial in Japan, where the cranes adorn a statue of Sadako Sasaki, a heroine of peace for the whole world, reminding us of the cost of peace--both in conflict and in the aftermath.
If you are interested in folding cranes with your own children, you can find directions on how to fold them and and details of where to send them HERE.

File is in .jpg format

You are welcome to use these sketches for your projects, but all I ask is that

1) You do not try to pass off my artwork as your own and

2) Please link back to me on your posts or projects. Images are still copyright to me, Kathryn Ritter. 3) I would love to see your projects as well; please come back and link them up so that we can all see YOUR work! :)

Also, when you are telling others about my free sketches, please use the watermarked image below for display and provide a link back to the main Digi Sketch page--THANK YOU!

As I add more sketches to the collection, you'll be able to find them using the tab at the top of the page. I hope you will keep checking back or follow so you won't miss any new sketches as I make them available. My goal is to share with my fellow crafters so the more the merrier! :)

Have a great day!

Free Digi Sketch: Single Cherry with Leaf

2011-09-12T06:38:00.000-05:00

Good morning! It's Monday and I have a new free digital sketch to share with you!

This sketch is of a single cherry with a leaf. I hope to start posting my samples using these sketches soon but things have been rather hectic of late.

If you're a fan of cherries and sentiments to go with these images, I would really suggest you look at the wonderful Flourishes set by Marcella Hawley. It is just beautiful. However, if you just want a single cherry image, I do hope you enjoy this one too.

Click on image to view and save full-size.

File is in .jpg format

You are welcome to use these sketches for your projects, but all I ask is that

1) You do not try to pass off my artwork as your own and

Also, when you are telling others about my free sketches, please use the watermarked image below for display and provide a link back to the main Digi Sketch page--THANK YOU!

Have a great day!

Aqua Blossoms Wedding or Anniversary Card

2011-09-06T15:52:00.001-05:00

Here is another card along the same theme as the Softly Blooming Pinks card I posted this morning.

On this one I have colored all the flowers rather than just the bud.

This card is listed in my Etsy shop HERE.

Flourishes' Bring Back Beautiful "The Beauty of Color" Monochromatic Theme

CR84FN #37

Papertrey Paper Dolls #44 Inspiration Photo

Ooh LaLa #88 "Anniversary"

Papertake Weekly Anything Goes

Here are a few detail photos:

I stamped the bottom background with the Papertrey Ink Guidelines 2 set. The guidelines are in PTI Fresh snow white; then I used two different medallion stamps for the background pattern.

The gorgeous flower images and sentiments inside and out are from the Flourishes cherry blossoms set. Sheer elegance in every set. I love these images top to bottom. Each set is a real work of art.

Materials Used on this Card:

Cardstock {Papertrey Ink}

Stamps {Flourishes, Papertrey Ink}

Inks {Ranger - Archival Black, Memento - London Fog, Papertrey Ink - Fresh Snow}

BIC Markit Markers

White Galaxy Marker {American Crafts}

Stemmed Floral Wedding Pearls

Black Satin Ribbon {Robert Stanley}

Paper Lace Doily

Spellbinders Nestabilities dies

Adhesive gems {Offray}

Thank you all so much for visiting, and I hope you have a wonderful rest of your week.

Softly Blooming Pinks - Love One Another Wedding Card

2011-09-06T12:12:00.001-05:00

Good morning! I have not been playing challenges for awhile because I've been up to my elbows in Craft Fair preparation and Custom Orders from my Etsy Shop.

But let me tell you folks when I saw these fantastic inspiration photos I just had to join in.

JUST. BEAUTIFUL.

I'll be coming back to these for awhile I think.

The Shabby Tea Room #78 Pink Wedded Bliss

AND

Papertrey Paper Dolls #44 Inspiration Photo:

So here is my card, made especially for the daughter of a close family friend.

I have only colored the small flower bud of the main image, as a subtle suggestion

about the beautiful love the couple shares that is just beginning to blossom as they begin their life together as husband and wife.

The outside sentiment is simply "Happiness," while inside

is a quote from the scripture John 15:14-15

"Love One Another"

This card is also made with the September "Bring Back Beautiful" monochromatic challenge from Flourishes.

Here are a few other challenges:

Our Creative Corner Background Stamping

4 Crafty Chicks "Celebrate" theme - GDT

Whimsy Inspirations #4 Sparkle and Shine

Speedy the Cat #71 Bring on the Bling

Materials Used on this Card:

Cardstock {Papertrey Ink}

Stamps {Flourishes, Papertrey Ink}

Ink{Ranger - Archival Black, Memento - London Fog}

Copic Marker {R20 Blush}

BIC Markit Markers

White Galaxy Marker {American Crafts}

Stemmed Floral Wedding Pearls

Paper Lace Doily

Black Satin Ribbon {Robert Stanley}

Spellbinders Nestabilities dies

Adhesive gems {Offray}

During my brief break from challenging and blogging recently I've made some decisions about the direction and future of Kitchen Table Crafter with regards to my other business and crafting goals. I will keep you all 'posted' in the days ahead, but be assured that Kitchen Table Crafter will still be here along with the weekly digi sketches and all the rest.

Until next time, thank you of course for visiting and I hope you all have a really wonderful day!

Free Digi Sketch: Phalaenopsis Orchid

2011-09-04T18:59:00.002-05:00

Good evening, friends! I'm posting your weekly digi sketch a little early since we have plans for Labor Day!

Also my apologies for being MIA the past few weeks. I have been quite busy with my Etsy shop and fall craft fair preparation... not to mention two energetic little guys!

This sketch is of a Phalaenopsis Orchid. If you need photo guides for realistic orchid coloring, you can visit these links:
http://www.athidhyam.com/orchid/
The Orchid Photo Page

Click on image to view and save full-size.

File is in .jpg format

You are welcome to use these sketches for your projects, but all I ask is that

1) You do not try to pass off my artwork as your own and

Also, when you are telling others about my free sketches, please use the watermarked image below for display and provide a link back to the main Digi Sketch page--THANK YOU!

Have a great day!

Free Digi Sketch: Hawk Eye

2011-08-29T06:00:00.000-05:00

Good morning friends! It's Monday and I have another Digi Sketch to share with you today!

This sketch is a hawk eye. I have an original pen-drawn sketch posted on the wall in front of my desk. I drew it years ago and for various reasons I find it inspirational--I love hawks and they figure strongly in my imagination and stories. I thought it might be an interesting graphic to put on the side of an airplane image for a boy or paired with a clever sentiment.

File is in .jpg format

You are welcome to use these sketches for your projects, but all I ask is that

1) You do not try to pass off my artwork as your own and

Also, when you are telling others about my free sketches, please use the watermarked image below for display and provide a link back to the main Digi Sketch page--THANK YOU!

Have a great day!

Free Digi Sketch: Dandelion in the Wind

2011-08-22T06:00:00.000-05:00

Good morning friends! It's Monday and I have another Digi Sketch to share with you today!

This sketch is a dandelion with its seeds blowing in the wind (gardeners rejoice...haha).

File is in .jpg format

You are welcome to use these sketches for your projects, but all I ask is that

1) You do not try to pass off my artwork as your own and

Also, when you are telling others about my free sketches, please use the watermarked image below for display and provide a link back to the main Digi Sketch page--THANK YOU!

Have a great day!

Free Digi Sketch: Lacewing Butterfly

2011-08-09T07:48:00.000-05:00

Good morning friends! I apologize for the lateness of your free Monday digi sketch / stamp!

Here it is... a day late, but at least not a dollar short :)
This sketch is a lacewing butterfly. I've done him in profile so that you can easily add a flower or leaf underneath if you choose.

File is in .jpg format

You are welcome to use these sketches for your projects, but all I ask is that

1) You do not try to pass off my artwork as your own and

Also, when you are telling others about my free sketches, please use the watermarked image below for display and provide a link back to the main Digi Sketch page--THANK YOU!

Have a great day!

Woodland Anemones and A Quiet Life

2011-08-08T20:31:00.000-05:00

Here is my third entry for the Moxie Fab World "Fanatical about Botanical" challenge. I don't usually wait until the last minute on things like this, but both our boys are going through brain growth spurts and are figuring out how to positively run me ragged in new and creative ways every day. I finally photographed all my entries for the MFW and other challenges and Etsy orders today during naptime.

I love the botanical images from 100 proof press. I was in a huge toss up over whether to use their
Carnations image for this challenge or the
Anemones. As you can see, the Anemones finally won out:

The quote is from William Drummond: "What sweet delights a quiet life affords."

While I made this card I thought about the tranquility of a woodland anemone growing in the forest, perhaps passed every so often by a chipmunk or a little red fox. I wondered if her neighbor might be a birch tree, or a blackberry vine.

And then I thought of what I would do with a "quiet life" (sigh!) for just a day or so.... and I daydreamed of how lovely it would be to sit and READ again--to get so very deeply buried in a book that nothing could stir you until you were through. As a young Mom I have to drop any and every activity at least once before it's finished.... so reading is one of those pleasures that has to wait for now. As I was thinking about it though, it just seemed so natural to use some vintage book paper and a dictionary backgrounder stamp...

Words.... such a sweet delight.

Also one other challenge in mind:

Sentimental Sundays #67 "Flowers"

Materials Used on this Card:

Cardstock {Papertrey Ink}

Stamps {100 Proof Press, Flourishes, Hampton Art}

Ink {Ranger, Tsukineko}

Vintage book paper

Circle punches {EK Success}

Scalloped circle Nestabilities die {Spellbinders}

Gold metallic pen {Hybrid Gel Grip DX}

Butcher's twine

Sewing machine

Thank you for your visit and I hope you have a wonderful day.

Botanical Dictionary Poppy

2011-08-08T17:24:00.002-05:00

This is my second entry for the Moxie Fab World "Fanatical about Botanical" challenge.

I have always loved images that look like they came from a botanical illustration text or an old book of Redoute paintings. Maybe it's because as I grew up my mom and I would take our flower identification books with us on hikes through the woods.

Also a few other challenges in mind:

Daring Cardmakers "Poppies and Gladioli"
Cute Card Thursday #176 "No Designer Papers"
Mark's Finest Papers #67 "No Plain Old Rectangle Cards"

Materials Used on this Card:

Cardstock {Papertrey Ink}

Stamps {Anna Griffin, Hampton Art}

Ink {Ranger}

Apron lace edge punch {Fiskars}

Butcher's twine

Thank you for your visit and I hope you have a wonderful start to your week.

Scherenschnitte Stamping: Botanical Papercut

2011-08-08T15:19:00.000-05:00

Hello all! They say that true confession is good for the soul, so... I confess.....

I have been up to my old papercutting tricks again,

all in preparation for the opening of Crafty Crafty, a craft boutique and atelier opening soon in our area and where I hope to sell some of my work and where I will be teaching cardmaking workshops.

I'd like to share one of my most recent projects today that might even tempt you to try the hi-contrast art form or papercutting. It is also one of my entries in the current Moxie Fab World challenge, Fanatical about Botanicals.

With a botanist mother who also loved scherenschnitte, you just knew I couldn't pass up at least one entry with her in mind, right?

Are you interested in learning yourself? Well that's wonderful, because I aim to do just that! Combining one's love of papercraft and stamping with scherenschnitte and papercutting is remarkably easy. It mostly has to do with choosing the right stamps, being able to plan for all the lines to connect properly, knowing just how much detail you are able to deal with (don't worry, this will probably increase with practice at handling the knife blade) and a little bit of patience! (OK, honestly in some cases, a LOT... :)

The Queen Anne's lace stamp I used for this design came from the Sugar Shoppe SeeD's botanical set 50215 silhouettes.

As you can see, the flowers were stamped and I drew in the long leaves, ground, roots and ant myself:

You don't have to cut out exactly around the stamped image, especially when it's a blossom like this one. Remember that every flower is different in real life; so it's OK for them to be different in your papercut too! The stamped image is more for reference than anything else.

I have cut this design from black origami paper. It is remarkably strong and has a white back to draw on so that you can see your cutting lines easily. You can see how strong it is:

This papercut has some very fine, long stems that hold up the flower heads. But even when I wave it in the air... not even close to tearing. Only a few things will tear your origami paper... 1) You have a dull cutting blade 2) You are going too fast 3) You accidentally rest one finger on the papercut while trying to turn it with the other... 4) Your toddler gets a hold of it.

But for the record... at least one of my papercuts HAS survived for about 3 seconds in my toddler's hands. Impressive, yes?

Yes, indeed.

Next, the mounting. I usually use a ZIG glue pen because it is easy to make thick or thin lines, it dries quickly but only once you turn it over onto the mounting paper. For my mounting stock, I prefer Papertrey Ink's Rustic White 110 lb cardstock. It is so sturdyand has a very professional look. As you glue the papercut you can go gradually, glueing down portions at a time. This also helps to prevent the design from bunching up on itself or portions glueing down accidentally in the wrong place. If anything, you should go more slowly at this stage than you did while cutting.

And then................

You have a beautiful mounted papercut!

Now a nice frame (even places like Walmart carry some nice frames that you can take the cheesy art out of and Voila!

Welcome to scherenschnitte stamping, my friend! :)

If you decide to give this technique a try, I'd love to see your project and show others as well, so please leave your link!

Have a wonderful day,

Free Digi Sketch: Connie's Seagull

2011-08-01T12:24:00.000-05:00

Good morning friends! It's Monday and I have another Digi Sketch to share with you today!

This sketch is rather a special one, because it was done for a blog friend, Nana Connie, for a guest designer project she was doing for the Operation Write Home project. If you click on either of the links you can see her lovely project! The theme was water, and Connie loves gulls. So here is what I came up with for her. The first version has a frame, the second does not.

(Click on images to enlarge)

And without the frame:

Files are in .jpg format

You are welcome to use these sketches for your projects, but all I ask is that

1) You do not try to pass off my artwork as your own and

2) Please link back to me on your posts or projects. Images are still copyright to me, Kathryn Ritter.
3) I would love to see your projects as well; please come back and link them up so that we can all see YOUR work! :)

Also, when you are telling others about my free sketches, please use the watermarked image below for display and provide a link back to the main Digi Sketch page--THANK YOU!

Have a great day!

Congratulations Banner

2011-08-01T08:55:00.000-05:00

I made this banner last night due to a mixup. I thought my FIL's retirement party was coming up very soon; but I was confusing THAT event with a different one.... the one coming up this weekend is the GRAND OPENING of CRAFTY CRAFTY! I will be teaching workshops there and I am so excited! If you happen to be in the SC area, this is really exciting because up until the opening, if we wanted to go to a brick-and-mortar scrapbook store, the closest one is all the way in Landrum! The owner contacted me via my Etsy shop, and we've been talking ever since! I will post pictures and more info as it's available, but it'as you can tell I'm quite jazzed. :)

Still, the mixup DID get this banner done well in time, so I guess all's well that ends well.

Here it is:

Somehow I didn't realize what a LONG word "Congratulations" is until I made a banner tile for each letter! LOL...

I got my inspiration from the PPC color combo this week. I thought it was a wonderful masculine combination; one of my favorites.

Picture Perfect Creations #66:

The Crazy Challenge #77 "Ribbons"

Materials Used:

Cardstock {Papertrey Ink, Making Memories}

Silhouette SD Electronic Cutter {Font: Georgia}

Circle punches {EK Success}

White Grosgrain Ribbon {Offray}

Butcher's twine

3d and regular Zots {Thermo-Web}

Ocean Seagull Card for OWH - Featured Digi Sketch

2011-07-28T09:30:00.001-05:00

Over a month ago I began chatting with a delightful lady known here in blogland as Nana Connie. Her blog is Grammy's Attic. If you are familiar with the Operation Write Home project, you will probably have run into her from time to time. As we got talking she mentioned that she would be doing a featured card for the Operation Write Home Midweek Throwdown at the end of July, and that the theme would be WATER. I offered to do a digital sketch especially for her to use, and when I found out she loves SEAGULLS, this is what I came up with for her:

(I plan to post Connie's Seagull next Monday with the regular digital sketches)... but if you choose to save it from this post, please follow my simple Terms of Use ... thank you. :)

So now that it's official and Connie's lovely card is up and shining on the OWH page (she was very clever with her paper piecing of the image--really wonderful idea)....

I decided to play along too with the same image.

Anyway, how could I not? ;)

Here is my card:

I'm also entering in the following:

Tuesday Morning Sketches #104

CCEE #1130 "Winter or Summer"

And the following color variation for the Just Add Ink #78 challenge:

Materials Used on these Cards:

Cardstock {Papertrey Ink, DCWV}

Hand-drawn digital image {Kathryn Ritter}

Ink{Ranger}

Watercolors {Grumbacher}

Epoxy Sentiment Sticker {Fiskars}

Brads {Spare Parts by The Paper Studio}

Thank you so much to Connie for featuring my sketch in her card art, and many thanks to all of you for visiting!

Free Digi Sketch: Whooper's Swan

2011-07-25T06:00:00.000-05:00

Good morning friends! It's Monday and I have another Digi Sketch to share with you today!

This sketch is of a Whooper's Swan in some water. Swans are so graceful about all they do that they make nice sketching subjects. I hope you enjoy this image; it would work especially well for a wedding card, I think. But it's up to you how you use it :)

File is in .jpg format

You are welcome to use these sketches for your projects, but all I ask is that

1) You do not try to pass off my artwork as your own and

2) Please link back to me on your posts or projects. Images are still copyright to me, Kathryn Ritter.
3) I would love to see your projects as well; please come back and link them up so that we can all see YOUR work! :)

Also, when you are telling others about my free sketches, please use the watermarked image below for display and provide a link back to the main Digi Sketch page--THANK YOU!

Have a great day!

Free Digi Sketch: Baby Teddy Bear with Bottle

2011-07-18T11:03:00.000-05:00

Good morning friends! It's Monday and I have another few Digi Sketches to share with you today!

I had some fun colorizing this one too, so if you have a color printer you can save yourself some time on your project. :)

This sketch is of a baby teddy bear bear with a bottle.

(Click to view images full size)

Next are a number of colorized versions. Again, to view and save these colored versions, click on the individual image. They are the same dimensions as the Black and white version above.

Files are in .jpg format

You are welcome to use these sketches for your projects, but all I ask is that

1) You do not try to pass off my artwork as your own and

2) Please link back to me on your posts or projects. Images are still copyright to me, Kathryn Ritter.
3) I would love to see your projects as well; please come back and link them up so that we can all see YOUR work! :)

Also, when you are telling others about my free sketches, please use the watermarked image below for display and provide a link back to the main Digi Sketch page--THANK YOU!

You can find all the sketches in the collection by clicking the Digi Sketches tab at the top of the page. I hope you will keep checking back or follow so you won't miss any new sketches as I make them available. My goal is to share with my fellow crafters, so the more the merrier! :)

Have a great day!

Masculine "I Love You" card

2011-07-18T09:18:00.000-05:00

Hello all--well I goofed on the scheduling of my Sentimental Sundays post this week, so here it is, but better late than never.

Our theme this week is "For the Men in Your Life".... plus a sentiment, of course. I made an I Love You card for DH:

Other challenges:

Cute Card Thursday #173 "Going Round in Circles"

Papertrey PaperDolls #41 "Twine"

Make It Monday #46

Materials Used on this Card:

Cardstock {Papertrey Ink}

Patterned papers {SEI}

Stamps {Hampton Art}

Inks {Ranger, Stampendous}

Flower {Recollections}

Circle Punches {EK Success}

Swiss Dots embossing folder {ProvoCraft}

****************

Also there is still time to join in with my

new tree-themed monthly challenge!

You can enter as many times as you like... which is in your interest, since

I'm offering a prize that will GROW along with the number of entries!

Give it some thought... I'd love to see your take on the July theme, which is

FAVORITE TREES.

In other words... practically anything goes! (As long as it's inspired by or has a tree somewhere on it!)

I hope you all have a wonderful Monday! Back soon with your free Monday Digital Sketch!

What Have I Been Up To? -- ER, Etsy and Red Wagons!

2011-07-16T15:29:00.003-05:00

Hello all and good afternoon! The babies and DH are taking a late afternoon snooze so here I am taking the opportunity to update my recently neglected blog. Where have I been?

Oh dear.....

Where have I not been with my two little tornadoes these past two weeks?!

"Thing One" has an appointment with a Pediatric Orthopedist this coming week and will probably need braces for his little legs to correct a problem I'd been asking the doctor about for the past year. They kept saying, "Oh, that usually just goes away on its own." As it turns out, in 5% of cases, this particular problem DOESN'T go away "on its own" and now we're going to need some intervention to prevent a lot more trouble later on. It's going to be so hard to see my little helper frustrated with not being able to just zoom and go.....

In addition, I injured my left arm a week and a half ago (got a little over-enthusiastic on the Rhythm Boxing workout... argh), and had two large custom Etsy orders to fill. So I was crafting one-handed.... on a timetable. Still, all the custom work is completed now with time to spare and I have been very pleased with the finished products. Here is just a small part of one order. Along with a lot of other things, I made 30 thank you cards for my client's little boy's Red Wagon themed birthday party. I had such a good time I might just do a wagon b-day one day down the road myself. In fact, though, Thing 1's obsession with trains might call for a Thomas the Tank Engine birthday. (Good thing Mommy likes trains too :)

The red wagon cards:

I drew and colorized the little red Radio Flyer wagon graphic myself using my Wacom Intuos 4 tablet (this is how I've done all the Digital Sketches I'm offering here for you all on Mondays). I am so happy with this tool! I am glad I got the medium-sized tablet as well; the large would have taken up far too much space on my computer desk, and the small one just wouldn't have had enough working area for me. If you happen to be thinking about buying a tablet at all, I highly recommend Wacom's products. Not to mention it comes with free software downloads like Corel Painter, Autodesk Sketchbook (my preferred program for sketching so far), and Adobe Photoshop Elements. OK, pitch over.... I'm just enthusiastic.

Here are a few challenges (5 total):

Cute Card Thursday #173 "Going Round in Circles"

DYSU #28 "Sewing"

Papertrey Paper Dolls #41 "Twine"

Digital Tuesday #119 "Spellbound" - i.e., use your dies

Less is More #24 "Circles"

Materials Used on these Cards:

Cardstock {Papertrey Ink, Martha Stewart, American Crafts}

Stamps {HamptonArt, Fiskars}

Ink {Ranger, Studio G}

Banner tags {Martha Stewart}

Spellbinders Nestabilities Classic Scalloped Circle (Lg) die

Circle cutter {Martha Stewart}

Swiss dots embossing folder {ProvoCraft}

Machine stitching

Original hand-drawn graphic

***************************

On another note, have you thought of joining in for my

new tree-themed monthly challenge?

You can enter as many times as you like... which is in your interest, since

I'm offering a prize that will GROW along with the number of entries!

Give it some thought... I'd love to see your take on the July theme, which is FAVORITE TREES.

In other words... practically anything goes! (As long as it's inspired by or has a tree somewhere on it!)

Well I think that's it for now folks. Hopefully as things normalize around here I'll be seeing more of you than in the past two weeks! Until then, have a really wonderful rest of your weekend!

Free Digi Sketch: Bluebird on Blossoming Branch

2011-07-11T07:00:00.006-05:00

Good morning friends! It's Monday and I have another Digi Sketch to share with you today!

This sketch is a nice little bluebird perched on a blossoming branch.

File is in .jpg format

You are welcome to use these sketches for your projects, but all I ask is that

1) You do not try to pass off my artwork as your own and

Also, when you are telling others about my free sketches, please use the watermarked image below for display and provide a link back to the main Digi Sketch page--THANK YOU!

You can find the entire sketch collection using the Digi Sketches tab at the top of the page. I hope you will keep checking back or follow so you won't miss any new sketches as I make them available. My goal is to share with my fellow crafters so the more the merrier! :)

Have a great day!

Sympathy Tree

2011-07-10T09:13:00.000-05:00

This week our challenge theme at Sentimental Sundays is "Inky Fingers"... that is, we're all being challenged to use an unconventional stamping technique or material... or I suppose you could just get good and messy with your project. (Fingerpaints, anyone? :)

For this one I stamped with Distress Inks onto acetate, then cut out the image.
In terms of lessons learned.... just be aware that the Distress Inks take quite some time to dry on the acetate (no benefit of the paper fibers to absorb the moisture). I tried using a heat gun to help speed the drying... it did help.... but you also have to be careful not to melt the acetate sheet...or your fingers! (Eek!)

Materials Used on this Card:

Cardstock {Papertrey Ink}

Stamps {Papertrey Ink}

Inks {Distress Inks - Peeled paint and Walnut, Black Ink - Ranger}

Pearls {e. by Prima}

Corner Rounder {EK Success}

Butcher's twine

Acetate sheet

********************

Also, the first Tretop Monthly challenge is now up and the theme is Favorite Trees! Just make a creation inspired by your favorite tree or tree photo (use the colors, etc) and upload to the Treetop Monthly post at this link: Treetop Monthly July - Favorite Trees

I'm offering a prize package that will grow with the number of entries!

Have a wonderful and beautiful finale to your weekend! I'll be back tomorrow with news, another free sketch and more to share!

Free Digi Sketch: Vintage Airmail Airplane

2011-07-04T06:20:00.000-05:00

Good morning friends! Since today is 4th of July I wanted to share a sketch inspired by a little bit of Americana with you today!

This sketch is from a vintage postage stamp of an airmail airplane. I've drawn just the plane so that you can use it for many different projects! It would be great for a little boy's birthday!

File is in .jpg format

You are welcome to use these sketches for your projects, but all I ask is that

1) You do not try to pass off my artwork as your own and

Also, when you are telling others about my free sketches, please use the watermarked image below for display and provide a link back to the main Digi Sketch page--THANK YOU!

Have a great day!

Wake Up America - Vintage Patriotic Americana Poster Card

2011-07-03T17:52:00.000-05:00

Here is a vintage-inspired 4th of July card using an old piece of Americana--a poster that says Wake Up America! I found the image at The Graphics Fairy.

Here are the challenges:

Use it Tuesday #10 "Red White and Blue!"

Craft Us Crazy #11 "Red White and Blue "
Friday Maship #13 "Red White and Blue / Patriotic"
Lil Red Wagon #87 "Patriotic"

Frosted Designs Fabulous Friday "Use a Vintage Image"

Materials Used on this Card:
Cardstock {Papertrey Ink}
Spots and Dots embossing folder {Provocraft}
Image from The Graphics Fairy
Corner rounder {EK Success}
Butcher's twine

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I'm offering a prize package that will grow with the number of entries!

Have a wonderful 4th of July!

Floral Round Thank You Card

2011-07-03T17:21:00.001-05:00

Believe it or not, I realized while writing this post that this card is the first ROUND card I have ever posted here on Kitchen Table Crafter for you all to see. I was clearing off my scrap pile on the table again and this is what I came up with:

For the layout I've used this week's round sketch from Mojo Monday:

Also this week Pals Paper Arts is celebrating it's 100th! The challenge is to use one or a few of your Favorite Techniques, so I've used one of my favorites which is using X-acto cutwork (also called "fussy-cutting" from a quilting term) and then layering up the different pieces.

Also Crafty Creations Challenges have a Thank You theme. I love to make thank you cards, and not only because they seem to be the ones I am most often using (I have a LOT to be grateful for from a LOT of wonderful people in my life!)... It just gives me a good feeling to think of all the things I have to say "Thank You" for when I am making a gratitude card.

Materials Used on this Card:

Cardstock {Papertrey Ink}

Stamps {Fiskars, Papertrey Ink}

Black Ink and Clear Superfine Embossing Powder {Ranger}

Light green pigment ink cube {Studio G}

Scalloped circle die {Nestabilities Large Circle by Spellbinders}

Swiss dots embossing folder {ProvoCraft}

Rhinestones, Ribbon {Offray}

Butcher's twine

BIC Mark-it Markers

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I'm offering a prize package that will grow with the number of entries!

Have a great day everyone, and a wonderful 4th of July--

I'll be back tomorrow with a new free digital sketch for you and some more creations!

Summer Sun Beach Card

2011-07-03T00:00:00.001-05:00

We have an Anything Goes challenge this week at Sentimental Sundays, and

so I have another summer card to share with you today:

My little crafting buddy decided I needed some help with this one and while I wasn't looking he got it down from the craft table, and tore off the top layer of the dimensional sticker... so the glittery top is gone. But it still works :)

Here are the other challenges:

Secret Crafter #141 "Here Comes Summer"

My Time to Craft #146 "Here Comes Summer"

Materials Used on this Card:

Cardstock {Papertrey Ink}

Patterned paper {My Mind's Eye - }

Stamps {Art Warehouse by Hampton Art}

Ink and Clear Superfine Embossing Powder {Ranger}

Dimensional sticker {K and Company}

Magenta pearls {e. by Prima}

Ribbon {Offray}

Machine stitching

Butcher's twine

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Also, the first Tretop Monthly challenge is now up and our theme is Favorite Trees! Just make a creation inspired by your favorite tree or tree photo (use the colors, etc) and upload to the Treetop Monthly post at this link: Treetop Monthly July - Favorite Trees

Have a great day everyone, and a wonderful 4th of July--

I'll be back tomorrow morning with a new free digital sketch for you and some more creations!

TREETOP MONTHLY - JULY - "Favorite Trees"

2011-07-02T00:00:00.036-05:00

Welcome to Treetop Monthly--the monthly craft challenge that spotlights those lovely leafy leviathans ;)

Feel free to grab one of these banners for your blog!

For the very first challenge, the theme is

FAVORITE TREES

You can either tell us your favorite tree/s that you like to look to for inspiration, or show us a photograph. If you have a story to tell about why it's your favorite, we'd love to know that too!

If you just can't choose a favorite, then you are certainly welcome to use one of mine:

As a Southerner I know and love tall trees. Deep-rooted old oaks, maples, hickory trees... I enjoy visiting old sentinels like the huge Wasilik poplar and the Angel Oak--trees with history and memory. I even missed pine trees while I was in Texas... think of that! :) And then there are flowering trees like dogwoods, crabapples, cherry and plum trees; fruit trees like apple and peach trees... Mountain trees like paper birch, and river trees like willows.

But oddly enough, this Southern tree-lover's heart was stolen by a Western tree:

The Aspen

I went out West for the first time when I was fourteen, and stayed for a week on a ranch, taking trail rides (on a horse named Texas... funny old world, isn't it), sketching, hiking. And there were slender tall trees growing in beautiful groves on the mountainsides there. The mountains were unlike the ones of Appalachia that I was already familiar with from numerous family camping and hiking outings. These mountains were newer, taller, and, to me, fiercer. Those wonderful white trees shook in the wind that rushed down from Canada. They made a sound like a sigh and I imagined there must be a story behind them.

Quaking Aspens...the Singing Trees.

No card or picture could ever do them justice, because it robs them of their voice. Still, here is my card for this month, inspired by my favorite tree.

I've used one of my digital sketches for this card, which you can use too if you like. You can find it by clicking HERE -- you will find the sketch as well as my simple terms of use.

Technically, I have titled the sketch "Paper Birches" - but the trees look similar enough to aspens that I make an exception in this one case :)

I've also decided to extend the launch candy to be the base for this week's prize! For every 4 entries we get in this first challenge, I'll add something else to the stash!
We start here...

Now I can't wait to see your creations!

But first, a quick bit of housekeeping for everyone's info. I'll post it along with the challenge for awhile, but after that you can find it on the Treetop Monthly Tab of my blog.

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Challenge Details and Rules:

DETAILS:

A new challenge will be posted on the 1st Saturday of each month, and will run until midnight on the 28th of the month, in order to leave time for winners to be selected. Winners will be posted here by the 30th of each month.

Winners must contact me by EMAIL within two weeks; otherwise a new winner will have to be drawn. And I just hate having to do that.

Every month we will have a Winner aka "High Climber" and also a "Top Tree" (3).

RULES:

You may submit any craft, card or photography, or other medium. Theme challenges are open to interpretation as long as we can recognize the source.

You may enter as many times as you like and are welcome to combine with as many other challenges as possible! In fact, if you top 10 or more, you'll be recognized along with the monthly prizewinners!

Please do not backlink to old posts and projects; it isn't fair to other players. Backlinked posts will not be eligible for monthly prizes and recognition.

All entries must link back to Treetop Monthly using a URL and/or the challenge banner.

Ready? Set? Link! :)