Wednesday, October 3, 2012

Freshly Made Sketches 55

This week the sketch at Freshly Made Sketches is brought to you by me.  I always get a bit nervous when it's my  turn to host.  The old self-doubt kicks in as I wonder if I should have tweaked the sketch to make it more interesting.  I hope you like it!

This week I got it in my head that I wanted to use burlap and that I wanted to try my hand at LeAnne's fab crinkly bow.  She graciously created this tutorial for it and since I'm such a huge fan of the bow (and her) I've been waiting for the perfect opportunity to try it.



I had a bit of trouble when I tried to pick some DSP for my burlap/crinkly bow card.  The obvious choice was this Orchard Harvest paper, but I made a card with it a few weeks ago for this very same challenge (also using burlap) and I didn't want to just copy the same thing all over again.  I opted for this pretty pattern and added the burlap as my vertical layer.  Then I tried my hand at dying some seam binding ribbon with my Early Espresso reinker.  The results, though a bit splotchy in real life, are actually pretty cool.  The splotchiness seems to give it an iridescent look.  I tried valiantly for at least a half an hour to create a bow worthy of LeAnne's tutorial, but I just wasn't happy with the result so I ended up cutting off a piece of it and threading it through a Brushed Bronze Designer Button and attaching it to the bottom of my Wonderfall leaves.

In hindsight, I think my bow was probably just fine, but the perfectionist in me wasn't satisfied, so I'll give it a try again later.

In the meantime I can't forget to mention that the aforementioned LeAnne is joining the gals at Freshly Made Sketches along with the super-talented Narelle Farrugia as Guest Designers this month.  Be sure to hop on over to their blogs and welcome them to the team!  And don't forget to pop on over to Freshly Made Sketches and check out the cards from the design team.  I've got it on good authority that you'll love every one!

Thanks for stopping by!



18 comments:

Jen Timko said...

I know it doesn't have the bow you wanted but I think it ended up exactly right!! Love the burlap and that touch of ribbon is perfect. I was wondering what ribbon it was and I'm so happy to know that I have some to play with!! :-)

Sherry Eckblad said...

beautiful card and your ribbon turned out fabulous.

Linda Callahan said...

I love that crinkly bow! Pretty card!

Marisa said...

Loving the burlap and of course the maple leaf and other parts of that cluster! Great take on the sketch.

Linda Suarez said...

Hi Jen! Great fall card! Love those patterned leaves and the button and bow are perfect! Thanks for a great sketch this week! Have a great day!

Tracey McNeely said...

What a great fall card Jen, I love the burlap.

Narelle Farrugia said...

Don't be self-doubting your bows Jen - I think it's gorgeous. Love your use of burlap with these images - so earthy. It's a great sketch too!

Brandi said...

So cute! Love the stamps, plaid background and fabric!

Lisa Lynn said...

Your card is gorgeous. Love the texture of the burlap. This is a great fall card. I always find inspiration in your cards, you are so creative.

Sylvia said...

This is a really nice card, Jen, I love how you used those stamps! Love the burlap you added as well. Have a lovely Thursday.

Terry said...

I'm in love with burlap, and I like the way you did the leaves and button/bow treatment on your card.

Jen Brum said...

She puts a circle on her sketch and then doesn't use it!!!! Love, love, love your card! I love those leaves and that DSP!!! I need to get me some burlap! That's on the list for my US shopping trip!!! Your bow looks just fine! Great job!

Allisa said...

Love the burlap strip!

Ann Schach said...

A perfect fall card! I LOVE the burlap strip! It looks awesome against the plaid paper!

Cindy Hall said...

Wow! What a perfect mixture of elements. I love the colors, burlap and ribbon and button. Awesome card!

Bev Gomez said...

Awe Jen, you are so cute. Get rid of your self doubt. You are so creative. I love your brulap and your bow and the whole shebang. Great job. Thanks for your sweet comments on my card too. Hugs, Bev

Tui Nathan said...

Oh so stunning Jen ... I love that burlap panel, what a perfect bacdrop for those fabulous leaves!
Thanks for the awesome sketch this week ... I loved playing with it!

Aileen said...

The burlap gives super texture to your card, perfect for the autumn leaves. x