limelight 72: NAMASTE!

before i show you this week's rather gorgeous new limelight papercrafts sketch, i hope you'll join me in congratulating mandy and her family on their very happy and healthy new addition: young mister jonah, who made his debut just two weeks ago! as you can imagine, miss mandy has quiiiiiiiiiiiite a lot on her plate at the moment, so it is with sadness i must announce that this will be the LAST limelight sketch... or at least... the last one FOR NOW, anyway! so let's send it off with a big blast, and in the meantime, you can see a lovely picture of the handsome little dude, and send his mama a bit of love, over on mandy's blog!

and now, here's the sketch:

talk about "going out on a high note", eh? what's not to love about *THAT*?! it's round, it's beautifully proportioned, and you could pretty much take it anywhere, am i right?! so in honor of the fact that my lovely (non-blogging) friend deborah just sent me a positively astonishing horde of handmade papers from her trip to thailand, i decided to take mine a bit east!

oh yeah, i almost forgot the "product feature" for this one is to incorporate our favorite flower stamps, which was a super-easy call for me, since the amazin' mari not only found this lotus for me, she taught me the best ever way to use it: with watercolors on sticky-back canvas! (thanks, m!) ♥♥♥

(patterned paper: pink paislee, basic grey + handmade mulberry paper & script paper from thailand (thanks, deborah!); studio g flower stamp & claudine helmuth sticky-back canvas (thanks, mari!); clipart mandala: anahata katkin; diecut lace tape: basic grey; tissue tape: tim holtz; alphas: lil davis; watercolors: grumbacher; india ink pad: stewart superior; adhesives: tombow monorunner, 3m foam tape & doublestick tape, sewing machine)

i know, i know, you're shocked that i didn't stop at the circle shape for my card, and actually i'm a bit surprised, too. but i really wanted to use this as my thank you to deborah, and... here's a dirty little crafting secret for ya... i RARELY take the time to "put a back on" my round cards! since i knew i had more to say than the back of this not-quite 6" circle would hold, i decided to pop it onto a square card base. what can i say, every once in a blue moon i come over all practical like that! :)

and now i bet YOU'd like to have a go at this awesomely well-rounded sketch, so i'll get right to the point with what you have to do, and then ask you to go say "hi" and "ciao for now" to the lovely sketch mistress, ok?!

THE DETAILS:
**Use the sketch provided and your FAVORITE FLOWER STAMPS!
**Key word for SCS upload is LLPC072.
**Post a comment with a link to your card on Mandy's Blog by Sunday, May 1, at midnight (or before winner is drawn Monday afternoon).
**PRIZE-a Basic Grey accessories prize pack--woohoo! The winner will be chosen randomly from all participants!

limelight 070: vintage inspired & scalloppy

hooray for another fabulous limelight papercrafts sketch, by the delightful mandy: this time the additional "challenge" that goes with the sketch is to incorporate scallops into our card design...something i am never opposed to doing! ok, actually i don't think that's what mandy meant, but don't they look YUMMY*??! not particularly useful in a papercrafting context though; maybe these work a bit better:

(patterned paper: prima, hambly, doodlebug, pink paislee; vintage image: the ephemera book; florals: prima; tissue tape: tim holtz; inks: ranger; embroidery floss: dmc; adhesives: tombow monorunner, uhu gluestick, gluedots)

a few other things i am always happy to include on my cards are: vintage images (whether real or, as in this case, faux), musical notes, text paper, prima florals and hand stitching... so just to be on the safe side i added ALL OF THOSE as well! :)

but how can YOU play along with the limelight sketch??!

here are THE DETAILS:

**Use the sketch provided and try to incorporate some SCALLOPS!

**Key word for SCS upload is LLPC071.

**Post a comment with a link to your card on Mandy's blog by Sunday, April 17th, at midnight (or before winner is drawn Monday afternoon).

**PRIZE-winner is chosen randomly from all participants to receive a lovely treat!

*please note: no mollusks were harmed in the making of this greeting card. :)

(pink) limelight birthday card

i love thursdays! at least, i love EVERY OTHER thursday...and vastly prefer the ones which contain one of mandy's gorgeous LIMELIGHT sketches, like this one:



i went really literal this time. also really REALLLLLLLLLLY pink!!! in fact, anyone who is prone to migraines or epilepsy may want to don protective eyewear before viewing my card, ok?! :)

READY??!?!?!

(patterned paper: echo park, heidi grace, sei; glossy white cardstock: ranger; ribbon & bling: michaels; rub-on: american crafts; ink: colorbox; adhesives: tombow monorunner, 3m foam tape; other: sewing machine, maya road mini acrylic album used as cupcake template)

told ya--i went a liiiiiiiiiiiiiiittle wild with the pink patterns--i apologize if it was more than your retinas could stand, lol! but see, it started with that ribbon from michaels' dollar spot... then i added in a bunch of echo park papers... a paper-pieced cupcake seemed like a nice focal point, what with the cool ribbon and all... what can i say? sometimes "pink-n-girly" is a slippery slope!!! :) :) :)

so now ♥YOU♥ want to play, right?! ok, here's what to do:

**Use the sketch provided to make a BIRTHDAY CARD!
**Key word for SCS upload is LLPC070.
**Post a comment with a link to your card on Mandy's blog by midnight of Sunday, April 3rd.
**Of course there'll be a lovely PRIZE awarded randomly to one lucky participant, who'll be announced on Mandy's blog Monday!

limelight on st. patrick's day?

how perfect is *THAT*??! :)

of course mandy has done us a brilliant sketch, as usual:


and considering the date, it'd be sort of odd if we weren't incorporating a bit of ♥GREEN♥ into our cards, now wouldn't it?! speaking of which, this time mine is a slightly less literal version of the sketch, but it's IN THERE, i promise!

(patterened paper: pink paislee + vintage sheet music + vintage illustration; cardstock: core'dinations; stickers: meri meri + unknown shamrock; ink: colorbox; corner rounder: ek success; adhesives: tombow monorunner, uhu gluestick, 3m foam tape; other: sewing machine)

i built my card around the fabulous vintage couple (in green!) found in the very damaged but beautifully illustrated copy of a sheet music collection called "songs of the gilded age" which i picked up at a book sale a couple of years ago; and the one lone sequinned shamrock i found in my sticker box whilst searching for something else. with regards to said shamrock: i have no idea whence it came...or how it got there...but it was JUST RIGHT for this card, so i thank the lucky leprechauns in charge of serendipitous craft supplies! :)

would you like a place in THE LIMELIGHT this week??
here's what to do:

**Use the sketch provided and try to incorporate the color GREEN!

**Key word for SCS upload is LLPC069.

**Post a comment with a link to your card on Mandy's blog by Sunday, March 20th, at midnight.

did i mention there's a lovely PRIZE?? it'll be awarded randomly to one lucky participant, who'll be announced on Monday!

pearly king and queen in the limelight

i know that every time i post a limelight card i say that it's my favorite of mandy's sketches, but honestly, it is true every time. especially NOW!!!


a *ROUND* card with layers of flowers and butterflies on it and a space for some glorious ribbon?! seriously. what's NOT to love. especially since this week the product focus is on PEARLS...which i never, ever, object to using!

of course you don't have to put flowers and butterflies there...you can put stars and robots...or hearts and cupcakes...or perhaps even birds and roses? :) but i love the way mandy's sketches are sort of complete mini-works of art in themselves!

(patterned paper: autumn leaves, doodlebug, pink paislee; clipart birds: anahata katkin, papaya!; pearl flourish: prima; crinkly seam binding: pixie dust paperie; tag: k&co; circle sticker: creative imaginations; heart & word stickers: echo park; edge punch: recollections; adhesives: xyron, tombow monorunner, 3m foam tape; other: hindi newspaper; fancy pants chipboard frame used as a template; decorative scissors)

this card has many of my "old favorites" on it: glossy clipart birds, hindi newspaper, a pearl flourish, the super-addictive crinkled seam binding that comes in every pixie dust paperie kit, and i've used my favorite funky chipboard frame as a template to cut a couple of layers of patterned paper on which to rest my circular design.


and now, since i know you cannot wait to make YOUR version of this awesome sketch, here are the details you need to know:


**Use the sketch provided and try to incorporate some PEARLS!
**Key word for SCS upload is LLPC068.
**Post a comment with a link to your card on Mandy's blog by Sunday, March 6th, at midnight.
**A lovely PRIZE is awarded randomly to one participant, and will be announce on Monday!

limelight: stringing us along :)

i don't know about you, but i can never get enough of mandy's gorgeous limelight sketches. they're the kind you really need to print and save...'cause you KNOW you're going to want to use them again in future! case in point:

this week's sketch. it's simple, yet awesome. you could take this thing ANYWHERE! oh and did i mention this week's product focus is to incorporate string or twine into the design? of course we can use it any way we'd like, but one cannot help noticing that the sketch has kind of "telegraphed" to us the perfect place to put a bit of string or twine, should we need some inspiration! thanks, mandy! :)

here's my card:

(kraft cardstock: hobby lobby; patterned paper: dcwv, sei; tab: sei; chipboard alphas: heidi swapp; charm: pebbles inc; "string"...confession...it's actually dmc embroidery floss...i wanted it to match ok??! :) inks: colorbox; adhesives: tomobow monorunner, 3m foam tape, sewing machine)

i know what you're thinking. you're thinking, "hey lauren! that's a lot more 'clean & simple' than you usually go!" what can i tell you? that amy girl must be a really good influence!!! ♥ on an added--and completely unrelated--side note i realized when i was photo-ing this card that pretty much every product i used is AT LEAST 3 or 4 years old. apparently, i was having some sort of little "retro" moment? but i like it, and i needed a "guy card" so i'm going with it! :)

and now you'd like to know how *YOU* can get in on the action, am i right??! well here ya go:

THE DETAILS:
**Use the sketch provided and try to incorporate some TWINE or STRING!

**Key word for SCS upload is LLPC067.
**Post a comment with a link to your card on Mandy's Blog by Sunday, February 20th, at midnight.

**PRIZE** this week Limelight Designer Lynn Miller got to choose one of her favorite products... it's the Webster's Pages 6x6" Vellum and Die Cut Kit (the kind i used to make my pixie dust birthday book!) and it'll be awarded randomly to one lucky cardmaker!♥

in the limelight...seeing red...

hooray! it's time for limelight papercrafts sketch #66! and it's a goodie, too:

i love the way mandy's sketches always have enough to get you going...but you still have plenty of freedom in your interpretation! that's basically what you want in a sketch, right?!

this week's "product challenge"...with valentine's day fast approaching...is to incorporate some red embellishments. i apologize in advance to the paper crafters on the eastern coast of the US who plan to take part in this: i have used ALL of the red embellishments in this region. sorry. you could nip over to the limelight store though, where there are discounts galore!!! :)

(patterned paper: creative imaginations, echo park; flowers: prima, michaels, doodlebug; brads: doodlebug, queen & co; rub-ons: prima, american crafts, fancy pants, autumn leaves, michaels; stickers: k&co, susan branch; bling: recollections; adhesive: 3m foam tape; other: sewing machine)

see? you thought i was kidding, right? but no, as i told you: i have used ALL of the red embellishments on the eastern seaboard! :) i'd try to be a little more repentant about that, but i don't think you'd believe me anyway, because making this card was just SO MUCH FUN!

my very favorite part isn't all the fab red goodness, however, my favorite part is the scalloppy edge. so much so, that i've given it a photo of its very own:

i'd originally planned to either trim the right side or add ribbon (or something) to the left, but as the card developed i decided i really LIKED the asymmetrical look, so i left it. 'cause yeah! i'm a crazy crafty rebel--and i've got the super-abundance of red embellishments to prove it! ♥♥♥

and now, here's a little something for those of you who enjoy a bit of official "FINE PRINT":

**Use the sketch provided and try to incorporate some RED embellishments!
**Key word for SCS upload is LLPC066.
**Post a comment with a link to your card to the sketch post on Mandy's blog by midnight, Sunday, February 6th.

PRIZE ~ White Liquid Applique and an Odd Bird Planet "Me and You" stamp; winner is chosen randomly from all participants...GOOD LUCK! ♥

limelight sketch 65

hooray! it's limelight papercrafts sketch day, and yet again, miss mandy has done us proud!


this time the product focus is on CHIPBOARD and i knew right away what i would use on my card. i've had a pack of these basic grey chip stickers from the "lemonade" line since they first came out, and i'd only used ONE; so it was definitely time to change that! and i did:

(patterned paper: basic grey, house of 3 for pink paislee; chipboard accents: basic grey (circle & flowers), k&co ("wish"); felt cupcake: american crafts; ribbon: american crafts, doodlebug; letter stickers: making memories; butterfly diecut: k&co; inks: martha stewart; adhesives: tombow monorunner, 3m foam tape, sewing machine)

i remembered the pack had that nice round flowery shape, which was perfect for the sketch; and then i couldn't resist adding the cheery sprig of flowers, too. the word "wish" is also chipboard, and came in a verrrrrrrrrrry cool crafty care package from the lovely miss leslie recently! (ta v much, missus! see, the "fussy gene" is payin' off already, lol!)

as usual, everything is on various layers of foam tape, either for support, or dimension, or both; and i've done a bit of machine stitching both for security (the layers of ribbon) and as a colorful accent (around the white panel); and that's about it, really, except of course you'll want the challenge details so YOUR card will have a shot at the *prize*...and here they are now... :)

LIMELIGHT CHALLENGE DETAILS:
**Use the sketch provided and try to incorporate some fabulous CHIPBOARD!
**Key word for SCS upload is LLPC064.
**Post a comment with a link to your card on Mandy's post by Sunday, January 23, at midnight.
**THE PRIZE: a pack of fabulous Basic Grey "Woolies" ...is chosen randomly from all participants...details on Mandy's Blog!

in the limelight!

HOORAY! it's the day i've been waiting for ever since the lovely mandy honored me by asking if i would join the limelight papercrafts sketch design team. a request to which i immediately said, "YES, PLEASE!" because i looooove mandy's sketches! this one is especially good. see?


uh huh. told ya!!! technically speaking, this is sketch 64 and the product feature for this one is to incorporate some yummy RIBBON into the card's design! i am proud to say that i am quite pleased with the card i made using the sketch:

(patterned paper: ALL prima...most unusual for me, eh?!; ribbon: may arts (vine) and k&co (felt); chipboard letters: heidi swapp; rub-ons: basic grey; stick-on pearls: recollections; circle punch: ek success; adhesives: tombow monorunner, 3m foam tape, glue dots, sewing machine; computer generated greeting formatted in cafe rojo font and printed on an avery clear inkjet label)

you can see i've gone VERY LITERAL: for one thing, for the spot that's represented on the sketch by a butterfly inside a circle, on my card is embodied as a butterfly inside a circle!!! (well, hey, it wasn't BROKE...why on earth would *I* want to fix it??!?!) :)

my circle is punched out of the front of the card, and the pretty prima butterfly paper has been punched once and fussy cut once for extra depth. but my very very ultra-favorite part is the may arts leafy ribbon, of which i was given AN ENTIRE ROLL for christmas by the divine miss stephanie, who just knows me way too well! i swirled and swooped the ribbon to fit in with the flowers and vines on a different sheet of prima paper, tacking a few leaves here and there with gluedots before securing the entire length of each piece with the (slowly & carefully hand-cranked) sewing machine. a fiddly thing to do?? yeah. definitely. took longer than everything else on the whole card... but (i think you'll agree?) ...WORTH IT!

if you're already a limelight fan, you'll be aware that sadly, the store is in the midst of closing down; on the other hand, there are sales, savings and specials galore, including THIS ONE which lasts through sunday, january 9th--same as the sketch challenge! for full details, including the prize that's up for grabs and how to submit your card, please check out mandy's blog, where there are also many lovely paper-based projects for your enjoyment! ♥♥♥