February Sketch Challenge

My friend and I decided to add a sketch challenge to our monthly challenges this year, starting this month. Since we're both quite busy as homeschool moms and pastors' wives, two challenges a month seems more do-able.

My friend picked the sketch this month. She chose a sketch from Splitcoaststampers. I'll admit that I've looked at this sketch before and felt completly uninspired. Now I'm not sure why! :)


Supplies: paper (main panel, unknown collage; The Paper Company; CM); daisy lace border punch (Martha Stewart); mini rhinestones.

Since our families had a Valentine's Day party together last Friday, my kids each gave my friend's daughter a valentine. This is the one I made for my son to give her.



Supplies: paper (main panel - unknown collage; The Paper Company; ATD); daisy lace border punch (Martha Stewart).

This is the one from my daughter. They were cute and simple, especially considering the fact that the main panel was already designed and colored for me. I love those little collage sheets they come out with now and then!



Supplies: paper (Heidi Swapp, The Paper Company); stamp (Inkadinkado); ink (BIC Mark-Its, Versamark with black embossing powder); embossed metal trim (Making Memories); corner punch (Martha Stewart); Nestabilities Labels 4(?); rhinestones.

This is the cover I made for a funeral guest book. It's a full 8-1/2 x 11". If you notice some shine to it, that's because I placed a transparency over it (bound right along with everything else) to help protect the cover.

Of course, there's a story behind this. A member of our church died recently. Her children held the memorial service at our church, but we discovered when they got here that the funeral home hadn't given them a guest book. So we hurriedly put together simple guest book pages for people to sign as they came in, and I promised to bind it for them afterward.

Of course, I couldn't just bind those bland pages. It wouldn't do justice to my friend's memory. Instead, I designed covers that reflected the dignity of a life well-lived. I think she would have been pleased!



Here's the back cover, which is a piece of thick cardboard (not the corrugated kind) covered with decorative paper.



And here's a closeup of the main image. I added real gold leafing to the Bible pages for a neat effect.



And here's a closeup of that embossed metal trim. I've had these for ages and thought I might never find the perfect project for them. Well, here it is!

I hope you've enjoyed a peek at my paper creations based on this sketch. Now you can hop over to my friend's blog to see what she came up with!