the last Waltz :-(

I was REALLY sad to read that this week's sketch at one of my favourite challenge sites is to be the last ever - boo hoo :-(     http://waltzingmousesketchchallenge.blogspot.co.uk/2012/12/last-challenge-129december-29-2012.html

So, I had to ink up my Waltzingmouse stash and join in for a final waltz - don't you just hate it when the party is over and you have to go home?    Here's hoping it won't be long before we get an invite to a new party with the same old friends :-(

I was going to ink up my all time favourite stamp sets - "Back in the Saddle/Way Out West" for this final sketch but the urge to play with my new Christmas present stash was too strong so my sets from the latest release won the day.    I stamped 3 of the hearts from the new my heart set onto white card in pear tart and pistachio inks and added some banners from the woodgrain set which I stamped sentiments from my heart onto.  I cut the hearts by hand as my laptop with my silhouette software on died on New Years Day - for the vine one, I drew around the outside of the stamp to get a nice even line to follow ;-)  I added some gems for a little sparkle and an embossed background for added texture and interest.  I finished the sketch with a strip of white card stamped with chevrons from woodgrain and the leaf vine from my heart.   I'm not sure why I initially pulled out the two shades of green - not the first thought for hearts - but inadvertently I've created an anniversary card for friends whose wedding colours were these greens.  Their anniversary isn't whilst September though so I'd better put it somewhere safe..........

Whilst I had these sets out, I also decided to make an quick anniversary card for my hubby - for our first date anniversary which is next week.  We've only been married for 5 years, but we've been together for 18 so we like to celebrate both as I fancy a golden anniversary party and the together one will come quicker ;-)

As you can see, my thing for kraft cardstock has followed me into 2013 as I opted for it again.  I really think it works well with the woodgrain.  For this one I wanted the wood to be more prominent as I spotted a challenge where the theme is wood (holz as it's a German challenge site)  http://kis-challenge.blogspot.co.uk/2012/12/kis-4-holzwood.html so I thought I'd play along.   As the stamps are NEW then I'm also entering this into this week's casology challenge as new is this weeks' cue word  http://casology.blogspot.co.uk/2013/01/week-25-new.html

This time I stamped the large background stamp using real red ink onto the base card and rounded the corners.  I cut some more kraft card and drew some soft pencil lines to make sure I centred my heart images perfectly - I stamped them using peanut brittle and just a hint of rich cocoa inks.  I used the vine stamp again to "hang" the heart with.  I then used 3 of the sentiments from my heart to finish it off.