Card Patterns Challenge and a Heads Up!

I really enjoy sketch challenges. They give you a direction, but don’t dictate too much. Once I saw the current sketch challenge on Card Patterns I knew what I wanted for the focal image, and I knew I wanted to use my new paper pad “Butterfly Garden” by Pinkpaislee. I love the soft colors and they just say “spring” to me. Here’s the sketch:

And here’s my take on it:

The focal image is from the Delightful Dahlias set by Papertrey. I colored it with Copic markers on the new X-Press Blending cardstock that Copic put out this year. I love this paper for coloring; it’s very smooth, very white, and the colors blend beautifully. I’ll be keeping a folder of it in my drawer. I stamped some text on the patterned paper cut from the Big Scalloped Circles die by Spellbinders with Background Basics: Text Style (Papertrey), stitched the patterned papers together and cut the scallop with Papertrey’s medium scallop border punch. The gingham ribbon is from my stash.

And a head’s up! This Sunday the fabulous Mel is hosting a blog hop! Be sure to come back and check it out.

I’m off with a friend tonight to hear Alice Hoffman speak. I love her novel “Story Sisters,” despite the fact that magical realism as a genre has never appealed to me. Nonetheless, I had a hard time putting the book down, and I’m anxious to hear her.