CAS(E) This Sketch 405

This is a bittersweet post because it is my last one as a member of the CAS(E) This Sketch design team.  After an eight year run, CAS(E) This Sketch is coming to an end.  😢  I joined the design team in November of 2015 and I have loved how the unique sketches have allowed me to think outside the box and stretch my creative wings.  My card today, is another creative take on a sketch.

The sketch is a retro one that first debuted on April 25, 2013 designed by Jackie Rockwell, the creator of the challenge.  I thought and thought about how to handle those little tags but ultimately decided that tags were not the thing for me.  For the slim vertical layer I used a birch tree, added some snow to the background (a nod to the snow challenge at The Paper Players) and used a trio of bright red cardinals in place of those tags.  The scene looked peaceful to me so the sentiment was a no-brainer.

Thanks for stopping by!  And special thanks to Chrissy who invited me to join the CAS(E) This Sketch design team all those years ago.  It's been an absolute blast!

Supplies
Stamps:  Ways to Say Merry Christmas (Papertrey Ink)
Paper:  Solar White (Neenah); Real Red (Stampin' Up!)
Ink:  Onyx Black (Versafine)
Accessories:  Birch Tree die (My Favorite Things); Forest Majesty die (Whimsy Stamps); Falling Snow stencil (Simon Says Stamp); pearlescent embossing paste (Dreamweaver)

CAS(E) This Sketch 404

My card for the latest CAS(E) This Sketch challenge did not quite end up as I envisioned but I love it all the same!

I started out wanting to make a one layer card.  I intended that the dotted circle be split in the middle by some white space.  I used some frisket film to mask off that white space then happily inked up the stamp in the colors of the Color Throwdown challenge.  But when I went to peel off the frisket film it was a bit too sticky and it peeled off layers from my card base. 😡So to cover up the mistake I added a layer and stamped the sentiment on it.

Thanks for stopping by!  CAS(E) This Sketch is ending soon 😢 so we'd love to see you play along with us.

Supplies
Stamps:  Bitty Burst Turnabout (Concord & 9th); Scripty Sayings (Gina K Designs)
Ink:  Parrot, Magenta (Altenew); Pacific Point (Stampin' Up!); Onyx Black (Versafine)

CAS(E) This Sketch 403

We're starting the year at CAS(E) This Sketch with a great sketch and some news.  January will mark the end of this amazing creative journey we've loved since 2012.  CAS(E) This Sketch will be ending at the end of January. 😞  I'm so sad but I'm also thankful to have been part of this amazing design team.

I decided to go retro with my images and chose this great modern flower for some background color.  Then I really went retro and dug out my paper crimper - remember those !!! - and created some texture for that horizontal layer.  The sentiment is new to me 😉

Chrissy asked me to join the CAS(E) This Sketch design team back in November 2015.  I can hardly believe it's been more than five years since I've been creating alongside this group of talented card makers and I've loved every minute of it.  I'm sure everyone who has joined us over the years has enjoyed it as well!

Thanks for stopping by!

Supplies
Stamps:  Funky Florals (Papertrey Ink); Easy Expressions Birthday (The Ton)
Paper:  Whisper White, Powder Pink (Stampin' Up!)
Ink:  Frosty Pink, Coral Berry, Ruby Red (Altenew); Nocturne (VersaFine Clair)
Accessories:  Easy Expressions Birthday die (The Ton)

CAS(E) This Sketch 401

One last Christmas card - I hope!  This one is for our latest CAS(E) This Sketch challenge which I combined with pine trees challenge at Challenge Up Your Life.

My pine trees are a little modern, but they are pine trees in spirit!  Two of them are embossed in silver and one is embossed in a sparkly blue.  By coincidence I had some sparkly blue cardstock that was a close match so I used that at the top of my card as a banner.  I then added some other layers on top of it, including a sentiment.

Thanks for stopping by!  My fellow CAS(E) This Sketch design team members have made some great cards with this sketch so be sure to check them out!

Supplies
Stamps:  Triangle Trees (Reverse Confetti); Fa La La (Simon Says Stamp)
Ink:  Versamark; Onyx Black (Versafine)
Accessories:  Vertical Greetings II die; First Place Ribbon die (My Favorite Things); silver embossing powder, tinsel embossing powder (Recollections)

CAS(E) This Sketch 400

What a cool sketch we have for you this week at CAS(E) This Sketch!  I love the bold stripes on the sketch but wasn't quite sure how to incorporate them into my design so I ended up doing some subtle texture with embossing paste instead.  I think it looks just as good!

I made a little cluster of traditional winter greenery, stamped with the colors from the latest Sunday Stamps challenge, over my embossed honeycomb design.  I used pearlescent embossing paste for that honeycomb and it looks so pretty in real life!  The sentiment tucked in perfectly amid those hexagons.

Thanks for stopping by!  My fellow CAS(E) This Sketch teammates have made some great cards with this sketch so be sure to check them out!

Supplies:
Stamps:  Spruce & Sprigs (Papertrey Ink); Contempo Christmas (Stampin' Up!)
Paper:  Whisper White (Stampin' Up!)
Ink:  Pinefeather, Dark Chocolate (Papertrey Ink); Frayed Leaf, Ruby Red (Altenew)
Accessories:  Honeycomb stencil (Heidi Swapp); pearlescent embossing paste (Dreamweaver)

CAS(E) This Sketch 398

Hi all!  It's time for a new sketch at CAS(E) This Sketch.  It put me in a Christmas mood and if you scroll down you'll see why!

These stained glass sentiments were perfect for the sketch.  It was a little nerve wracking making sure they were lined up properly, but patience persevered and I love how this came out.  I used the colors from The Paper Players - you'll have to squint to see the gold in the tiny diamonds on some of the letters!

Thanks for stopping by!  As usual my CAS(E) This Sketch teammates have made some amazing cards with this sketch so be sure to check them out!

Supplies:
Stamps:  Stained Glass Greetings (Simon Says Stamp)
Paper:  Whisper White (Stampin' Up!)
Ink:  Onyx Black (Versafine); Real Red, Gold Stampin' Dazzle Marker (Stampin' Up!): Copic Maker

CAS(E) This Sketch 397

We're going back in time for this week's CAS(E) This Sketch challenge.  Our muse is a sketch that first debuted on August 4, 2016.  For that card I chose snowflakes.  For today's card I went with an entirely different season!

I cut some stitched leaves in the color of the Sunday Stamps challenge, arranged them like they were falling, and added a sentiment.  Easy peasy!

Thanks for stopping by!  Be sure to check out CAS(E) This Sketch for some fabulous inspiration!

Supplies
Stamps:   Give Thanks (The Alley Way Stamps)
Paper:  Very Vanilla, Rich Razzleberry, Pumpkin Pie, Crushed Curry (Stampin' Up!); Cherry (Avery Elle)
Ink:  Fallen Leaves (Lawn Fawn)

CAS(E) This Sketch 396

The fun sketch at CAS(E) This Sketch got me thinking about how I could fill up that background with something.  Then I remembered I have a "plaid" coverplate die that if cut twice then layered together in opposing directions would create a cool background.  So that's what I did.

I have been using this "joy" die a lot lately because...wait for it...it fills me with JOY!  I think I've also mostly cut it out of glimmer paper because that is even more joyful!  In this case the red glimmer letters and my maxi white background were also perfect for the challenge at AAA Cards.  

Thanks for stopping by!  My CAS(E) This Sketch teammates have made amazing cards with this sketch so be sure to check them out!

Supplies
Stamps:  Joy Stamp (The Stamp Market)
Paper:  Solar White (Neenah); red glimmer (Recollections)
Ink:  Onyx Black (Versafine)
Accessories:  Joy die (Concord & 9th); Diagonals Plaid Cover Up die (Lil' Inker Designs)

CAS(E) This Sketch 395

I took the opportunity of the great new sketch at CAS(E) This Sketch to make another Christmas card.  I went quite literal with the sketch and incorporated a wreath with my fave - a poinsettia (!) and a few holly leaves.

I dug into my stash for some pretty Christmas patterned paper and found this oldie-but-goodie striped one.  I think it matches perfectly with the poinsettia and leaves.  I managed to find a sentiment that was small enough to fit in the center of the wreath - I love how it tucks in there!

Thanks for stopping by!  My fellow CAS(E) This Sketch teammates have made some AMAZING cards with this sketch so be sure to check them out!

Supplies
Stamps:   Modern Christmas (Clearly Besotted0
Paper:   Solar White  (Neenah); Ruby Red, Garden Green, Old Olive (Stampin' Up!)
Ink:   Onyx Black (Versafine)
Accessories:  Whirl Wreath  (Penny Black);  Poinsettia die  (Paper Smooches)

CAS(E) This Sketch 394

I seem to be in a bit of a Halloween mood lately since I keep making cards with bats on them!  And I've got another one on my card for our latest challenge at CAS(E) This Sketch!  This one is on the cutesy side, though!

The dangling spiders were perfect for this sketch and I added the little bat for no other reason than it's adorable!  The spooky halloween sentiment is a favorite of mine too.

Thanks for stopping by!  Our CAS(E) This Sketch design team has made some fabulous cards with this  sketch so be sure to check them out!

Supplies

Stamps:  Best Fiends,  Autumn Apparitions (Stampin' Up!)

Paper:   Solar White  (Neenah); Watercolor Wash Brights (My Favorite Things)

Ink:  Nocturne (Versafine Clair)

CAS(E) This Sketch 393

We've got a great new sketch for you at CAS(E) This Sketch and it's a retro one.  The sketch first debuted over five years ago - find it HERE - and I will admit I was a little intimidated by it.  I think I was the first time too!

It's that time of year when I start thinking about Halloween cards.  I think they are the most fun cards that I make all year!  This card uses the colors from TGIF Challenges and I just layered circles to mimic the layout of the sketch.  I took a little liberty with the placement of the sentiment and just for fun added a die-cut bat that I cut from black glimmer paper.

Thank for stopping by!  My fellow CAS(E) This Sketch design teammates have made some amazing  cards with this sketch so be sure to check them out!

Supplies
Stamps:  Bite Me  (Stampin' Up!);  Circles Circles Circles   (Whimsy Stamps)
Paper:  Solar White  (Neenah);  Basic Black,  Rich Razzleberry, Sweet Pea DSP (Stampin' Up!);  black glimmer (Recollections)
Ink:  Onyx Black (Versafine)
Accessories:   Circles die  (Little B)

CAS(E) This Sketch 392

I love to use old stamps that have been in my stash for a long time.  They need love too!  So this week for my CAS(E) This Sketch card I dug deep into the stash and found these leafy images that were perfect for the sketch.

I used some traditional colors of fall for my leafy images and added a little natural twine too.   At As You See It the challenge is about stitching so I added a few stitched layers - woo hoo for stitched dies!

Thanks for stopping by!  

Stamps:  Pocket Silhouettes (Stampin' Up!); Simple Sentiments (Avery Elle)
Paper:  Very Vanilla, Old Olive (Stampin' Up!)
Ink:  Crumb Cake, Chocolate Chip, Dusty Durango, Old Olive (Stampin' Up!)
Accessories:  Blueprints 13 die, Slanted Sentiment Strips die (My Favorite Things); Linen Thread (Stampin' Up!)

CAS(E) This Sketch 391

I know a lot of my fellow stampers have a little basket or somesuch that has little cast off pieces of stamped images or die cuts that they have saved for future use.  Well I never had one of those, preferring instead to have my cast offs strewn about my craft desk, buried under blotters, stuck to other pieces, with no sense of organization whatsoever.  It's always been an adventure to discover what I might find!  Well, I've  been on vacation these last few days and decided that my craft cave needed some cleaning and organization.  And that decision paid off because buried under some other stuff I found a small piece that I had embossed a leafy image on and decided it was perfect for this week's CAS(E) This Sketch challenge.

I cut the embossed image in two per the sketch the added a wee butterfly - a favorite image of mine.  It's been a while since I added a butterfly to one of my cards and I've missed them!  I have a ton of them and I love this one because the stamp has an accompanying punch (so much easier than fussing with an image and a steel die) and the center of the butterfly is perfect for adding a row of little pearls (which is probably hard to see).

My fellow CAS(E) This Sketch teammates have made some gorgeous cards with this sketch so be sure to check them out!  

Supplies
Stamps:  Papillon Potpourri (Stampin' Up!); Simple Sentiments  (Avery Elle)
Paper:  Solar White (Neenah)
Ink:  Calypso Coral (Stampin' Up!); Onyx Black (Versafine)
Accessories:  Leaves stencil (Simon Says Stamp); white embossing paste (Dreamweaver); Basic Pearls (Stampin' Up!)

CAS(E) This Sketch 390

I am super late with my CAS(E) This Sketch post this week, but better late than never.  I had a very busy week with lots of late nights and more often than not I fell asleep way before I had a chance to compose a post. 😴 But I wanted to share this card before the challenge closes.

I opted to create a background with these leafy images in these beautiful colors then overlay them with vellum.  The big sentiment was heat-embossed in black so that it would really stand out.  I made this card for a particular color challenge and then realized after it was all put together that I was supposed to add some glitter or foil.  Oops!  I  should pay better attention!

Thanks for stopping by!  Don't be late to the CAS(E) This Sketch party like I was!  Play along with us!

Supplies
Stamps:  Leaf Clusters (Altenew); Hand Lettered Thanks (WPlus9)
Paper:  Whisper White, Vellum (Stampin' Up!)
Ink:  Blackberry Bliss, Cajun Craze (Stampin' Up!); Teal Cave (Altenew); Onyx Black (Versafine)
Accessories:  black embossing powder

CAS(E) This Sketch 389

We've got a retro sketch for you this week at CAS(E) This Sketch.  We are going back to sketch #306 and looking for a redux.  The original sketch debuted on January 24, 2019 and you can check it out here.

I had it in my mind to use the same colors as my card last week, but this time around the gray and yellow took the form of some patterned paper.  That bit of yellow gingham is my favorite part of this card - it's sunny and happy and I just love gingham!  The big sentiment, cut from black cardstock, adds some great contrast.

Thanks for stopping by!  My fellow CAS(E) This Sketch design team members have made some great cards with this sketch so be  sure to check them out!  I hope you'll play along with us!

Supplies
Stamps:  All About You (My Favorite  Things)
Paper:  Solar White (Neenah); Black Licorice (My Favorite Things); Gingham Linen Rainbow Petite Prints (Doodlebug)
Ink:  Onyx Black (Versafine)
Accessories:  You Trio die (My Favorite Things)

CAS(E) This Sketch 388 Meets Fusion

Hi all!  It's that time again when I get to combine the sketch at CAS(E) This Sketch with the inspiration at Fusion.

The colors in the Fusion challenge happen to be all-time favorites of mine:  yellow and gray with a bit of black thrown in for good measure.  So I used those colors and cut some wispy die-cut leafy elements and arranged them in the style of the sketch.  This is one of those cards that looked way better in my head than it does in real life!  LOL!

I took a little trip down the retro lane here too.  The challenge at the Paper Players was a tic-tac-toe one and one of the squares was stitching!  Well, I'm up for that so I took out my little Janome mini and sewed a few lines across that horizontal layer on my card.  I haven't sewed on a card in ages!  But I love the bit of texture it adds.  So then I needed to add some ribbon (per the tic-tac-toe) so I added some seam binding ribbon, which fit perfectly between my stitched lines.  The last was die-cuts - easy peasy!  And last but not least, the challenge at As You See It is to name a favorite color duo.  What a coincidence!  

Thanks for stopping by!  My friends at CAS(E) This Sketch and Fusion have made some fabulous cards so be sure to check them out!

Supplies
Stamps:  Great Friend (Stampin' Up!)
Paper:  Solar White (Neenah); Lemon Tart (Papertrey Ink); Smoky Slate  (Papertrey Ink)
Ink:  Onyx Black (Versafine)
Accessories:  Flutter Vine die (Memory Box); Epis de blé die (4enscrap)

CAS(E) This Sketch 387

Hey all!  We've got a great new sketch for you at CAS(E) This Sketch!  I did a little masking on my card to get those doodled flowers behind the sentiment "layer."

I fully intended this card to have some color but things didn't work out that way!  I started by masking off a rectangle with some frisket film and then stamped my doodled flowers around it.  I ended up hand drawing the rectangle - squiggly lines in all.  Then I decided to stop.  I really liked how this looked in black and white.

My card was also inspired by the "Doodles" challenge at Less is More.  My doodled flower images are from a set that I've had for ages and haven't used all that much.  It's nice to ink up the oldies-but-goodies once in a while!

Thanks for stopping! My CAS(E) This Sketch teammates have made some great cards with our sketch this week so be sure to check them out!

Supplies
Stamps:  Doodlie-Doo (Papertrey Ink); Totally Random Sayings (Essentials by Ellen); Tiny Words (Simon Says Stamp)
Paper:  White (Spectrum)
Ink:  Onyx Black (Versafine)

CAS(E) This Sketch 385

We've got a fun new sketch for you at CAS(E) This Sketch.  Originally I thought I would make a shaker card - big circles always make think of shakers, but I happened to have a stamp set on my desk that was chock full of spirals and circles and I realized those images would be perfect for my card!

So I inked up a few circular images in the colors of the Sunday Stamps challenge and my card was done.  I had a little trouble with ink pads that were just a bit too juicy for that striped layer behind the "hi" and that frustrates me to no end!  I tried a couple of different inks and kept getting blotchy results - meaning you couldn't tell that the image was supposed to be stripes.  I ended up choosing the best ink I could find (which isn't saying much and turned out being more purple than plum (sorry about that Sunday Stamps DT)) and reminisced about the red rubber days when stamping details was not a problem.  

And in other news the new blogger is inserting a double space each time I hit enter.  *SIGH* Every day it's something different with this new blogger interface - most of it bad!

Thanks for stopping by!  My fellow CAS(E) This Sketch teammates have made some absolutely gorgeous cards with this sketch so be sure to check them out.  

Supplies

Stamps:  Sphere's & Spirals (Altenew); Circles Circles Circles (Whimsy Stamps)

Ink:  Desert Night, Hydrangea (Altenew); Baja Breeze (Stampin' Up!)

Accessories:  Happy Hellos die (My Favorite Things)

CAS(E) This Sketch 384 Meets Fusion

Today I've got a card that I made combining our latest sketch challenge at CAS(E) This Sketch along with the inspiration part of the challenge at Fusion.

Ok, I know the inspiration at Fusion is all about fruit, but I don't own a single image of fruit!  So I had to take my inspiration from the colors.  I chose to focus on the green, blue, and red and inked up some leaves and flowers and stamped them in the corners.  I love how this turned out!

Thanks for stopping by!  My fellow design teammates at CAS(E) This Sketch and Fusion have made some fantastic cards this week so be sure to check them out!

Supplies

Stamps:  Floral Art (Altenew); Celebration of Thanks (Verve)

Paper:  Whisper White (Stampin' Up!)

Ink:  Dusk, Ruby Red, Fresh Leaf, Jet Black (Altenew); Onyx Black (Versafine)