Happy Blogaversary Mustang Sarah!

Hello friends and followers.  This really nice fellow stamper that I met at Verve's release party last week announcd she had a Sketch Challenge on her blog in celebration of her 4th blogaversary (can you imagine?  I don't even think my blog is a month old yet, LOL!).  I missed her birthday blog hop, but I made this card in honor of her blogaversary:

I love the combination of River Rock and Black together, don't you?  All the images and sentiment are from Verve's 'Forever in our Hearts' set.  Now that I think of it, it seems a little odd to be making a sympathy card in honor of a blogaversary (what was I thinking?!!) but really, I think this is the perfect, calming set for a sympathy card, and I wanted to use it when I saw Sarah's appealing sketch.  I don't know about you, but for me, sympathy cards are the most difficult to make because they are for a somber occasion and stamping makes me happy, but I have found if I don't have a few set aside in my stash that trying to make them on the spot when you really need one is far more difficult.  So Sarah, when you see this, don't read into it?  Okay?  Please?  And there is still time to play so I hope some of you will, Sarah even has a little Vervey blog candy to entice you, or at least stop by to wish her a happy blogaversary.

I made a second card today for Sketch Challenge 135 at Taylored Expressions, using Taylor's cute 'Pet's Place' set.  I found some striped pre-glittered patterned paper from my DCWV's Pet Stack (thanks Barbie!!) and basically found papers that matched the colors in it - Taken with Teal (which I hardly ever use), Regal Rose and Chocolate Chip.  I attempted to have half of the pups turning their heads in opposite directions using a reverse image stamp, but after 5 tries I decided my back would appreciate it more if I used the doggies as they were.  I punched them out with a 1 1/8" circle punch, colored them in with Copic Markers, stamped the paw prints on the teal cardstock with a marker of the same color and added the sentiment and twine.  I hope you like it.

Thank you Sarah and Taylor for the cool challenges, and thank you all for stopping by my blog today to see my cards and listen to my ramblings.  I hope you all have a wonderful weekend!
~Crafty Math Chick