Freshly Made Sketches 504

Hi everyone!  It's Wednesday so that means it's time for a new challenge at Freshly Made Sketches!  This week our hostess is Karren and she's designed a slimline!  I love those!

I started with a slimline rectangle die then made a card base to accommodate it.  Initially I had a vague idea to stamp some leafy images - maybe even with a Christmas theme -  in the corners but when I started poking around some of my favorite challenge sites for inspiration I found lots that are in an autumn theme mood.  So I switched gears, grabbed a stencil, and inked it up in the corners using the colors from Just Us Girls.  I then went over it with some sparkly embossing glitter for a little pizzazz.  I didn't want to cover up the leaves entirely with a horizontal layer across the bottom as per the sketch so I used vellum.  Apologies if it's hard to see in the photo.  You'll have to believe me that it's there!  Then I added a slim horizontal layer in a yellow that is complementary to the ink and a sentiment die cut in black.  Easy peasy!

Thanks for stopping by!  My fellow Freshly Made Sketches teammates have some great cards to inspire you to play along with us!

Supplies
Paper:  Solar White (Neenah); Crushed Curry, Basic Black (Stampin' Up!); vellum (Graphix)
Ink:  Dried Marigold, Fossilized Amber, Candied Apple (Distress Oxide); Versamark
Accessories:  Tumbling Leaves stencil (Simon Says Stamp); The Big the Bold and You die (Winnie & Walter); Slim Diagonal Stitched Rectangle die (Pinkfresh Studio); clear sparkle embossing glitter (WOW)

CAS(E) This Sketch 381

Hey all!  I've got a new card today for our latest challenge at CAS(E) This Sketch.  Apparently slimline cards are a "thing" so I decided to make one for this challenge. 

I flipped the sketch and used a little leaf and floral design to take the place of that small rectangle.  The idea to make a slimline came from the Just Us Girls challenge.  It's funny that what is old is new again.  I remember that years ago I made a big card like this to fit in a #10 business envelope.  I kept that card for a long time because I loved it so much (even though I can no longer remember what exactly it looked like) and didn't want to part with it.  And now these slim cards are popular again!

Thanks for stopping by!  At CAS(E) This Sketch our design team has got some fabbo cards to inspire you to play along with us!  

Supplies

Stamps:  Best Blossoms (Stampin' Up!); Sentimental Birthday (Winnie & Walter)

Paper:  Solar White (Neenah); Pretty in Pink, Whisper White, Sweet Pea DSP (Stampin' Up!); Pixie Pink (Avery Elle)

Ink:  Old Olive, So Saffron (Stampin' Up!); Onyx Black (Versafine)

Freshly Made Sketches 439

Hey there!  We've got a great new sketch for you this week at Freshly Made Sketches.  Our hostess this week is Narelle - who has this amazing knack for combining tons of layers while still making cards that have a clean and simple feel.  I don't know how she does it!  For my card, though, I stuck with just a few layers to keep that CAS look!

I bought these wonky square dies ages ago and this is the first time I've used them.  I don't know whether that means I buy things I shouldn't or that I have amazing foresight because I buy things months before I actually need them!  In any event, they are perfect for this sketch.  So that I could play along with the Allsorts Challenge of "lots of yellow" I used used yellow for the squares and a small yellow flower for an accent.  I love the easy peasy cards!

Thanks for stopping by!  Play along with us at Freshly Made Sketches!

Supplies

Stamps:  Sentimental Birthday (Winnie & Walter)

Paper:  Solar White (Neenah); Daffodil Delight (Stampin' Up!)

Ink:  Onyx Black (Versafine)

Accessories:  Quadranglel Frames die (Simon Says Stamp); Blueprints 13 die (My Favorite Things); enamel dots (Doodlebug Designs)

CAS(E) This Sketch 362 Meets Fusion

Hello!  It's been a while since I've added a Christmas card to my 2020 stash so I decided to combine the sketch at CAS(E) This Sketch with the inspiration at Fusion.

I love the colors of the Fusion challenge - they are so beautiful.  So I grabbed a turnabout stamp from Concord & 9th and used purple, blue, green, and silver to ink it up.  The colors are unusual for a Christmas card and I didn't start out intending to make one but something about the wreath that turnabout stamp creates put me in mind of a holiday card.  I added a bold sentiment and hand-drew some lines around it to mimic the CAS(E) This Sketch. 

Thanks for stopping by!  I hope you'll join us at CAS(E) This Sketch or Fusion!  Our design teams have some great cards to inspire you!

Supplies
Stamps:  Wreath Turnabout (Concord & 9h); The Big The Bold and Merry (Winnie & Walter)
Paper:  Whisper White (Stampin' Up!)
Ink:  Persian Blue, Ultraviolet (Altenew); Tropical Teal (Papertrey Ink); Silvery Shimmer (Delicata)

CAS(E) This Sketch 352

Hello! It's time for our last sketch challenge of the year at CAS(E) This Sketch!  It's a great one that will get you thinking, I'm sure!

All those angles had me stymied until I decided to do one of them with a stencil and some embossing paste.  The left to right angle was accomplished with some ancient Stampin' Up! patterned paper highlighted with a bold birthday diecut and a simple sentiment.  So a card that had me stymied at first turned out to be not so difficult after all! 

Thanks for stopping by! This is a two week challenge at CAS(E) This Sketch.  We'll be back on January 2nd with a new challenge!

Supplies
Stamps:  The Big the Bold and the Happy (Winnie & Walter)
Paper:  Solar White (Neenah); Black Licorice (My Favorite Things); Sweet Sorbet DSP ( Stampin' Up!)
Ink:  Onyx Black (Versafine)

Freshly Made Sketches 401

Whew!  That was quite a month we had at Freshly Made Sketches!  We reached our 400th sketch with a small trip down memory lane and capped it off with a brand new sketch and prizes for some of our lucky participants!  So now it's time to get back to business with a brand new sketch.  This week our hostess is Cécile.

I really tried to channel my inner Cécile with my card.  I so admire the way she artfully designs her cards.  She always uses interesting backgrounds and unusual die cuts and each card is a masterpiece.  So I tried to keep my card clean and yet still be interesting.  I gold embossed some coffee rings to add a metallic touch, added some soft vellum leaves, and a bold, yet simple, birthday sentiment.  I'm really pleased with how this turned out!

There are a couple of other challenge I'm playing along with too.  Less is More is looking for metallics and TGIF wants us to use embossing powder.  That's a match made in heaven!

Thanks for stopping by.  We are well on our way to another 400 sketches at Freshly Made Sketches 😳so I hope you'll go along with us for the ride!

Supplies
Stamps:  Java Spills (Stamping Bella); Birthday Bash Sentiments (Papertrey Ink); The Big The Bold and The Happy (Winnie & Walter)
Paper:  Solar White (Neenah); Vellum (Stampin' Up!)
Ink:  Versamark; Onyx Black (Versafine)
Accessories:  Curvy Leaves die (Elizabeth Craft Designs); gold embossing powder

CAS(E) This Sketch 329

Happy Independence Day to all my American friends!  I hope you are enjoying a day off work, some hamburgers and hot dogs in the back yard, and all the fireworks you can handle!

Today is also the debut of a new sketch from CAS(E) This Sketch!  The sketch has three rectangles on it which gave me an excuse to dip into my never-ending supply of patterned paper.

I was also inspired by the light and airy colors at CAS on Friday and so arranged my rectangles in those colors in a mix of patterned paper and colored card stock.  I added a simple birthday sentiment and this card was done!  Easy peasy!  I celebrate those cards because they don't happen all that often!

My fellow CAS(E) This Sketch teammies have made some amazing cards with this sketch so be sure to check them out!  I hope you'll join us in the gallery!

Thanks for stopping by!

Supplies
Stamps:  Sentimental Birthday (Winnie & Walter)
Paper:  Solar White (Neenah); Pool Party, So Saffron, Bermuda Bay, Walk in the Park DSP, Welcome Neighbor DSP (Stampin' Up!)
Ink:  Bermuda Bay (Stamin' Up!)

Freshly Made Sketches 395

It's my turn to be the hostess at Freshly Made Sketches and, as I frequently do, I designed a square card!  I just love those because they are somewhat unexpected!  For my card I did a bit of a "fancy fold" which presented some challenges when I had to take pictures of it, so I apologize in advance for the lousy pics!

As you can see from the next two pictures, this card opens in thirds.   I had a terrible time getting the folded version to stay in place long enough to snap a picture.  Temporary tape was useless so I added a tiny bit of permanent tape and crossed by fingers that I could unstick it when I was done!  The next two pics were almost as difficult, but I just snapped a couple of quick picks with my phone and called it a day.

I played along with the tic-tac-toe challenge at The Paper Players - the last row across - although my "wood" is of the faux variety!  And the fancy fold idea came from Just Us Girls .

Thanks for stopping by!  I hope you are inspired to play along with my sketch.  As always our Freshly Made Sketches design team has created some amazing cards for you to see.  See you in the gallery!

Supplies
Stamps: Splendid Sunflower (My Favorite Things); Sentimental Birthday (Winnie & Walter); Make A Wish Quotes (Fiskars)
Paper:  Desert Storm (Neenah); Chocolate Chip, Whisper White (Stampin' Up!)
Ink:  Harvest Gold, Ripe Avocado (Papertrey Ink); Chocolate Chip (Stampin' Up!)
Accessories:  Splendid Sunflower die (My Favorite Things); Old Olive ribbon (Stampin' Up!)

Freshly Made Sketches 378

It's time for a new sketch from Freshly Made Sketches!  This week our challenge hostess is Amy and her sketch inspired me to bring a little spring-time into my world!

As is well documented here when I see three of something on a sketch I go into full-on panic mode.  I spent many an hour thinking, thinking about what to do with this sketch.  I made a card that was a VERY liberal interpretation of it and after spending a day thinking about it decided it no way was representative of the sketch so I scrapped it in favor of three daisies.  With the plaid background this screamed spring to me, which was fortunate because the challenge this week at The Paper Players is all about spring and at Stamps Ink Paper they want plaid!

Thanks for stopping by!  Our Freshly Made Sketches design team has made some fabulous cards with this sketch so be sure to check them out.  I hope we'll see you in the gallery!

Supplies
Stamps:  Sentimental Birthday (Winnie & Walter)
Paper:  Solar White (Neenah); Amethyst Allure (Papertrey Ink); Daffodil Delight (Stampin' Up!); Perfectly Plaid Rainbow (Lawn Fawn)
Ink:  Nocturne (Versafine Clair)
Accessories:  Gerbera Daisy die (My Favorite Things)

CAS(E) This Sketch 311

It's time for a new challenge at CAS(E) This Sketch!  This week our sketch is designed by Brian and it's a great design that is open to a wide range of interpretations.

I decided to incorporate the butterfly challenge at TGIF Challenge along with the purple challenge at Just Us Girls on my card.  I love how those butterflies seem to be floating across that panel!  I added a few sequins to take up some of the white space and a birthday sentiment and quick as a wink I was done!

Thanks for stopping by! I hope you can join us at CAS(E) This Sketch this week!

Supplies
Stamps:  Painted Butterflies (Altenew); Sentimental Birthday (Winnie & Walter)
Paper:  Solar White (Neenah); Amethyst Allure (Papertrey Ink)
Ink:  Soft Lilac, Lavender Fields, Deep Iris (Altenew): Nocturne (Versafine Clair)
Accessories:  Lovely Lilac sequins (Neat & Tangled)

Freshly Made Sketches 375

I took a little unexpected blog break this last week so I'm excited to be kick off a new card design with a brand new challenge from Freshly Made Sketches!  This week our hostess is Cécile and I love her sketch!

I have some fun triangle-tree dies and that was the first thing I thought of when I saw this sketch.  But then I decided to do one subtle triangle with some embossing paste and a stencil then add some flowers.  I used the colors from The Paper Players challenge and had a tough time deciding what kind of flower to use.  I went with this modern take on a flower then had a tough time deciding on which die cut leaves to use!  So many tough decisions with this card!

I love how this turned out, though!  I love all that white space with a pop of color and I love that the embossing paste gives this subtle texture.

Wait until you see how the Freshly Made Sketches design team has interpreted this sketch.  So many great ideas!  I hope we'll see you in the gallery this week!

Thanks for stopping by!

Supplies
Stamps:  Funky Florals (Papertrey Ink); Sentimental Birthday (Winnie & Walter)
Paper:  Solar White (Neenah); Smoky Slate, Basic Gray (Stampin' Up!)
Ink:  Melon Mambo, Basic Gray (Stampin' Up!)
Accessories:  Foliage 3 die (Paper Smooches); Diamond stencil (Memory Box); white embossing paste (Dreamweaver)

CAS(E) This Sketch 296

May laptop has passed on to that great technology heaven in the sky so I'm using my trusty old Chromebook to post this.  I actually love this Chromebook and I should probably use it more but there are some things that it can't do that my laptop can so I'll be shopping soon for a replacement.  I think I'm going to bite the bullet and get a Mac this time around so that should be fun learning a whole new operating system!

But enough about my technology woes.  It's Thursday and it's time for a new challenge from CAS(E) This Sketch.  This week I'm pleased as punch to say that our guest designer is my old friend Kim who is my fellow design team member over at Freshly Made Sketches!  Now onto that challenge!

It was a short leap from that sketch to this card.  The sketch elements were tailor-made to a repeating word image.  So I stamped the word "merry" three times then die cut the same out of some red cardstock a bunch of times, glued those pieces together for some dimension, and stuck it on top of the stamped image in the middle.  I did add a glittery border around the card and some Wink of Stella to the red die cut layer but I'm quite sure neither shows up in the photo!  The colors for my card were inspired by the inspiration challenge at Just Us Girls and at the Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge it's an anything goes week!

Thanks for stopping by!  I hope you'll join us at CAS(E) This Sketch.  My fellow design team members have created some fabulous cards to get your creative juices flowing!

Supplies
Stamps:  In a Word Merry (Winnie & Walter)
Paper:  Solar White (Neenah); Cherry Cobbler (Stampin' Up!); glitter paper (Recollections)
Ink:  Cherry Cobbler (Stampin' Up!)
Accessories:  In a Word Merry die (Winnie & Walter); Wink of Stella

Freshly Made Sketches 340

Hellloooo!  It's Wednesday so that means it's time for a new challenge at Freshly Made Sketches!  This week our sketch is designed by Karren - who I like to call my chief enabler.  I'm not kidding when I say that nearly every time I visit her blog something new ends up on my wish list.  😉 And this week we also welcome a new guest designer for the month of June.  It's Laurie Unger!  Yay!!  So let's get to the new sketch!

I chose shades of pink for my card and since it has been a while since I've made a butterfly I card I thought this sketch was the perfect opportunity to.  That star shape is easily translated to a butterfly, or anything else that your imagination decides!  The embossed background is a nod to the CAS on Friday challenge where they are looking for embsossing. 

Thanks for stopping by!  Our Freshly Made Sketches design team has made some fabulous cards to inspire you this week.  So stop on by and be prepared to be wowed!

Supplies
Stamps:  Sentimental Birthdays (Winnie & Walter)
Paper:  Pink Pirouette, Melon Mambo (Stampin' Up!); Bubblegum (My Favorite Things); Vellum (Graphix)
Ink:  Melon Mambo (Stampin' Up!)
Accessories:  Snowfall/Speckles embossing folder (Tim Holtz); Chrissy Butterfly die, Leanna Butterfly die (Simon Says Stamp)

Freshly Made Sketches 339

I took the opportunity of Jen Brum's new sketch at Freshly Made Sketches to add a masculine themed birthday card to my stash!  Woo hoo!  Those boy cards sure are hard to put together but the angles on the sketch put me in mind of plaid which I associate with babies and men.  That didn't come out right LOL!

I new right away when I saw the sketch that I wanted to use patterned paper on my card.  So I started perusing my stash and found this oldie but goodie from Stampin' Up!  I chose this plaid pattern then decided how big I wanted my triangle to be, cut a rectangle, then cut it from corner to corner to create my rectangle.  Easy peasy, right? 

I made this card a few days ago and was pleased as punch at how easy it went together.  Then Tuesday night I photographed it.  It's funny how things look different through the lens of the camera.  Somehow the reality of what you have created is displayed in a way that you don't see with the naked eye.  Well, in this case I saw that the angle of my triangle in no way matched up the angle of the lines of the plaid.  It's all helter skelter!  Doh!  I still like it (and I'm pretty sure that whatever man is the recipient of this card won't notice) but next time I dig out the plaid I will be a bit more thoughtful before I put it on my paper trimmer!

Thanks for stopping by!  Our Freshly Made Sketches design team has put up some AMAZING cards to inspire you this week so I hope you'll play along with us!

Supplies
Stamps:  Sentiment Birthday (Winnie & Walter)
Paper:  Classic Ivory (Flourishes); Raspberry Ripple, Orchard Harvest DSP (Stampin' Up!)
Ink:  Early Espresso (Stampin' Up!)
Accessories:  Blueprints 15 die (My Favorite Things)

Birthday Butterfly

For once in a really long time I have created a card just for fun!  No DT card challenges here - I've made a card just because I wanted to...

I was inspired by the colors at TGIF and my layout comes from Fab Friday.  Butterflies are a favorite of mine and I've been neglecting them this long, cold winter.  Since spring officially starts today I thought it would be nice to make a card featuring a butterfly to welcome the season.

Thanks for stopping by!

Supplies
Stamps:  Papillon (The Stamp Market); Sentimental Birthday (Winnie & Walter)
Paper:   Soft Stone (Papertrey Ink): Garden Green, Daffodil Delight, Whiper White, Vellum (Stampin' Up!)
Accessories:  Papillopn die (The Stamp Market); Banne Trio die (WPlus9); black embossing powder

CAS(E) This Sketch 254

Blogger SNAFU alert!  I messed up scheduling my latest card for the CAS(E) This Sketch challenge, but here I am, better late than never!

The sketch is gorgeous, as is the banner that goes with it, and originally I thought about using some flowers in the style of the banner but opted to do a shaker instead.  There's a purple challenge going on at Less is More so I thought a simple design using shades of purple would look pretty.  Especially since I had sequins and seed beads to go with it!

I'm happy to play along with this color challenge because I've got a sister that LOVES purple.  Her birthday isn't until August so I'll have to keep this safe until then. *smile*  And in case you're wondering why the sentiment on front is an incomplete sentence - the inside says "filled with lots of cake and ice cream!"  She's going to love it!

Thanks for stopping by!  And apologies all around to my CAS(E) This Sketch teamies for posting so late today.  They have all created some amazing cards with this sketch so be sure to check them out!

Supplies:
Stamps:  Bokeh Burst Round (The Ton); Sentimental Birthday (Winnie & Walter)
Paper:  Solar White (Neenah); Royal Velvet (Papertrey Ink)
Ink:  Pretty Amethyst (Fun Stampers Journey); Royal Velvet (Papertrey Ink)
Accessories:  Lovely Lilac sequins (Neat & Tangled); Lavender Moon sequins (Pretty Pink Posh); seed beads

CAS(E) This Sketch 253 Meets Fusion

Today is special for so many reasons.  First we're back at CAS(E) This Sketch with our first challenge of 2018!  Second, I am pleased as punch to be joining ladies at Fusion for their anniversary challenge as the guest of my good friend Karren.  And third, there's a big old-fashioned blizzard busy pounding outside today and the concensus is that we're all going to lose power.  (I'm typing this on Wednesday night so I don't know for sure)!

But, like the US postal service, I deliver in rain, snow, and sleet.  So let's get to it!

It's retro sketch time at CAS(E) This Sketch as we bring you an oldie but goodie once again.  My design is based on the colors of the Fusion inspiration photo and I used simple geometric shapes so that this card was a bit more of a man-card.  Those cards are pretty rare for me so when inspiration strikes I run with it!

Thanks for stopping by.  And if you are in the path of this storm as it heads up the east coast then I hope you stay safe!  I hope to see you at CAS(E) This Sketch and Fusion!

Stamps:  Sohcahtoa (Altenew); Sentimental: Birthday (Winnie & Walter)
Paper:  Soft Stone (Papertrey Inkn); Cement Gray (My Favorite Things); Whisper White (Stampin' Up!)
Ink:  Tempting Turquoise (Stampin' Up!); Scarlet Jewel, Smokey Shadow (Papertrey Ink); Cement Gray (My Favorite Things)