Playing with a Sketch

 

Today I thought I'd play around with a sketch from this year's Stampin' Up!s Sept - Dec Mini Catalog.  They have several sketches on page 14 of that catalog, and I've chosen to play with the one you see above.  I've made a variety of cards - some simple - some less so, but all were designed to demonstrate something about ways to use a sketch.  

All papers and cardstock used were from Stampin' Up!, but some are discontinued designs that I need to use up.  Most of these were made using paper from the discontinued pack called Regal Winter.  If the patterned paper is from a different paper pack, I'll point that out in the description. I invite you to do your own experimenting with whatever paper you have on hand!  

Also assume all stamps/dies/etc that were used were from Stampin' Up! unless I say differently.  Note that some of the embellishments I used - sequins, etc - have been discontinued (I need to use them up), but there's always something similar you can find here.

Inks used include: Cherry Cobbler, Pretty Peacock, Shaded Spruce, (or you can get all 3 colors as a part of the Regals Stamp Pad Bundle) and VersaMark.  The pineapple card also used Pecan Pie and Crumb Cake.

Cardstock used includes: Pebbled Path (discontinued - try Gray Granite), Cherry Cobbler, Pretty Peacock, Basic White, and Basic White Thick.

Most circles created with one of the following Stampin' Up! punches: 1 3/4" punch, 2" punch, 2 3/8" punch.  I occasionally also used a couple of scalloped punches I had in my stash.

Below is a look at the 11 cards I made as variations on this sketch. 

Card #1: 

This is a pretty straight forward use of the sketch.  As you can see, I've simply cut the patterned paper to match the sketch, then added the circle with a stamped greeting.  I've finished it by adding some tools.  These are ones I had already made up in my stash - partly made from a Spellbinders set called All the Tools, and partly from the die set from Stampin' Up! called Trusty Tools.  Stampin' Up! also has a coordinating stamp set!  The sentiment was from the stamp set called The Right Words. 

Card #2: 

The first variation is two-fold.  First, use different paper.  Second, rearrange the pieces. I DID mat the focal (stamp from discontinued So Sincere set), and add some sequins (from discontinued Adhesive-Backed Sequins Trio).

Card #3: 

Next variation is to add some cardstock in place of some of the pieces.  This time I punched an additional piece of the paper for my focal and added a separate sentiment (discontinued Thoughtful Moments Hybrid Embossing Folder).  Finally, I added a twine bow and a few Iridescent Adhesive-Backed Discs (also discontinued).

Card #4: 

This one again substitutes cardstock for some of the pieces - but it's a different color of cardstock and different pieces that were substituted (and the pieces are again rearranged like we did earlier).  The sentiment is another from that same Thoughtful Moments hybrid embossing folder, and I added Transparent Adhesive-Backed Dots (also discontinued) to finish the card.

Card #5: 

This time, I not only substituted some of the pieces with cardstock, I turned the sketch on its side and I cut the focal mat from the Cherry Cobbler cardstock instead of white (since my focal was white).   The sentiment was a piece from a discontinued kit.

Card #6: 

This time I wanted to try showing both sides of a double sided piece of cardstock.  Since I didn't care for the front and back together for the main paper I was working with, I chose a piece from the Fruit Salad set (currently on Last Chance sale).  I thought this paper that showed the inside and outside of the watermelon was fun.  I cut a couple of pieces from a different paper in the same set to form the focal.  I also inked all the edges of my pieces with black ink and added a black twine bow. Oh yes, the sentiment!  That was stamped using a stamp from the discontinued So Sincere stamp set.

Card #7: 

I wanted to try a different shaped focal and this pineapple caught my eye as I was looking at papers for the watermelon card. So, this card again showcases the Fruit Salad papers.  Both the fussy cut pineapple and the background paper is from that set.  As you can see, I used a large oval to back my focal and sentiment.  The sentiment is another from Thoughtful Moments hybrid embossing folder.  

Card #8: 

This time I tried adding coordinating cardstock that I had stamped on.  I stamped the texture stamp from Beautiful Butterflies stamp set using VersaMark ink.  I thought this looked a bit like water with bubbles in it and I wanted a masculine card, so added some small die cut fish (from discontinued Otterly Amazing cutting die set).  The sentiment was from the discontinued Beside Me stamp set.

The next three cards are more "stepped up" versions of this sketch. 

Card #9: 

 

All my stepped up cards incorporate mats for the patterned pieces.  This one also was made as an offset gate-fold card - with the sketch on it's side and the opening toward the right to line up with the panel separations.  I also embossed the plain cardstock pieces.  Other than that, I simply added a stamped greeting (stamp again from the discontinued So Sincere set), and some more of those adhesive backed sequins.  Below you can see the inside of the card, which I decorated with a few scraps.

Card #10:

This time, in addition to matting my patterned papers, I made the focal circle into a shaker.  In addition to my circle punches, I used a Teardrop Circle cutting die (discontinued Spellbinders set).  The focal image was stamped using another stamp from the Beautiful Butterflies stamp set. The sentiment stamp was also from that set.

Card #11: 

For my final card, I used some of the same techniques and tolls I used on other cards, but this time I die cut the focal circle through the entire card front to create an aperture card.  The stamp is again from The Right Words stamp set.  Here's what this card looks like on the inside:

I hope these 11 cards have inspired you to find some sketches to try and to use some of these ideas to modify them.