Paper Smooches SPARKS challenge - Welcome home, hero!

Happy Monday!  I hope all the moms out there had a fantastic Mother's Day spent with your loved ones.  Today begins a new challenge at the Paper Smooches SPARKS blog.  Since the format of the challenges changed, this is the first post for Team 2 (which I'm on - YAY!).  And since it's the second week of the month, the theme is Designer Drafts:

That's right - it's a sketch challenge!  I really enjoy following sketches, and lemme just tell you - the sketches that Kim Hughes has drawn for us are just awesome!  Many of them are quite different than the other sketches out there, I think.  Some of them are definitely challenges to me, especially with curved and diagonal lines.  Like this month's sketch:

I gotta say, many of the cards I've been most pleased with were the result of a challenge that I wasn't completely comfortable with.  I love that!  In this sketch, those diagonal, asymmetrical lines totally took me out of my comfort zone, and I never would've thought to do something like that on my own.  However, I absolutely love the result,  which is this paper yummy:

The one diagonal line that crosses the other two was the one that really threw me.  I wanted to use patterned papers, and to me it seemed as if the patterns should be different on one side of that line than on the other. I didn't really want to use 5 different patterns, so I ultimately decided to use vellum to slightly change the look of the patterned papers above that line.  I don't use vellum very often, but I really love the way it worked on this card!  Then I cut narrow strips of paper for the diagonal lines, adhered them onto the card, and stitched down the middle of each strip, as well as around the edge of the card.  I created the sentiment using two stamps from the Circle of Honor stamp set, and paper-pieced the little house.  Down in the lower right corner, I stamped some little stars from the Smarty Pants set.  Here's a close-up of the sentiment and stitching:

I'm really excited to see how other people interpret and use this sketch!  You can play along with the challenge here.  You have until next Sunday, May 20 at 11:59 PM EST to play along.  The winner will receive a $30 credit to the Paper Smooches store!!  And don't forget the check out the rest of Team 2's wonderful creations, and give em' some love!

Angeline

Erica

Jackie

Savannah

Thanks so much for looking!  Now get busy with that sketch! :)

I'm playing along here:
Creative Mondays Challenge #8: Stitching
AnnaBelle Stamps AC072: Say it with...stitching

Supplies: card stock: The Paper Company; patterned papers: Authentique "Celebrate" 6x6 bundle (blue, stars, strips), Echo Park "Happy Days" 6x6 pad (red); vellum cardstock: Core'dinations; stamps: Paper Smooches; ink: Tsukineko; sewing machine: Kenmore; thread: Singer