CAS(E) This Sketch 183!

I'm not afraid to admit that I was a little daunted by the latest challenge designed by Chrissy Larson at CAS(E) This Sketch.  But then I saw the inspiration challenge at Just Us Girls and a light bulb went off in my head!

I stamped several horizontal lines in some of the colors from the JUGS inspiration photo then added a popped up a die cut sentiment and a star in orange.  This ended up being easy peasy, despite my initial misgivings!

My fellow CAS(E) This Sketch teamies have made some beautiful cards with this sketch so I hope you have some time to play along with us this week.  We'd love to see you in the gallery!

Supplies
Stamps:  Abstract Art (My Favorite Things); Seeing Stars (SU)
Paper:  White (Spectrum Noir); Pumpkin Pie (SU)
Ink:  Certainly Celery, Old Olive, Smoky Slate, Basic Gray, Midnight Muse, Night of Navy, Pumpkin Pie (SU)
Accessories:  Awesome die (Neat & Tangled)

Freshly Made Sketches 247!

Hello, hello!  It's Wednesday so that means it's time for a new challenge at Freshly Made Sketches!  This week our guest designer Shannon is our sketch hostess.  I actually owe a deep apology to Shannon because I thought I would be clever and rotate the sketch to accommodate a certain sentiment die that I wanted to use and somehow became spatially disoriented because said sentiment ended up in the wrong place.  Even so, I think you get the spirit of the sketch from my card.  At least I hope so!

I love these how these colors look together and they come from the latest challenge at Cupcake Inspirations.  I wasn't actually sure I could pull off the white die cut sentiment but I think it looks pretty good.  In real life it's a little sparkly because I went over it with Wink of Stella, but you can't see it here because my photography talents don't extend to whatever skill is needed to make that show up!

Thanks for stopping by! I hope you've got some time to join us at Freshly Made Sketches.  Our design team has got some wonderful cards to inspire you so I hope we'll see you in the gallery!

Supplies
Paper:  White (Spectrum Noir); Night of Navy, Rich Razzleberry, Pumpkin Pie (SU)
Accessories:  Circle STAX 2 (My Favorite Things); Thank You die (Heidi Swapp); Wink of Stella

colourQ 352!

It's July 26th.  How in the world did July go by so fast?  Before I know it, I'll be putting on heavy sweaters and shoveling snow.  Boo.  But waaayyyy before that happens I've got a new card to show you that I made for the latest colourQ challenge!

I got a new floral stamp set recently and thought the images in it would look good with the sketch at As You See It.  These flowers are so pretty and I wish I had stamped a few more!  There's a birthday challenge at Can You Case It so I inked up a birthday sentiment from a set I bought ages ago and never used before!  #NBUS

Well that's it for me today.  Short and sweet.  I've been doing a project at work that has my brain fried and my body exhausted every day so I've not been very diligent about keeping up with my blog visiting and commenting.  So if it's been a while since I've popped in to your blog, I apologize sincerely.  I appreciate each and every visitor to my blog and look forward to reading your comments and it pains me greatly that I haven't returned the favor lately.  Hopefully soon, I'll be back to a regular schedule!

Supplies
Stamps:  Floral Sketches (Papertrey Ink); Celebrate Big (My Favorite Things)
Paper:  White (Spectrum Noir); So Saffron, Rich Razzleberry (SU)
Ink:  So Saffron, Pumpkin Pie, Rose Red, Rich Razzleberry (SU)
Accessories:  Festive Fall sequins (Neat & Tangled)

Tag You're It 52!

It's finally Friday!  Yay!  And it's time for a new challenge at Tag You're It.  This week the amazing and sweet Amy Tsuruta is our featured designer and she gave us an equally sweet tag as inspiration.

I went through my stamp stash at least twice looking for stamps that had a vase and some flowers.  No such luck.  So I decided to focus on the floral theme and the colors.  I stamped the flowers in shades of orange and red and added some green leaves.  To complete the look I added a little yellow half circle at the top of the tag, some taupey-gray for the sentiment, and the blue water line on Amy's tag became some enamel dots on mine.  Voila!

The color challenge at  Sunday Stamps was a great influence on my tag.  Too bad I don't have a parakeet in my stash or I would really wow you with my design!

Thanks for stopping by and I hope you will stop by Tag You're It and check out the inspiration from our design team.  You will be amazed I am sure!  I hope to see you in the gallery!

Supplies
Stamps:  Reason to Smile (SU); Label Love (Altenew)
Paper:  Smoky Slate, Garden Green, Crushed Curry (SU); White (Spectrum Noir)
Ink:  Pumpkin Pie, Real Red (SU); Smoky Shadow (Papertrey Ink)
Accessories:  Traditional Tags STAX, Pierced Traditional Tags STAX (My Favorite Things); Curvy Leaves die (Elizabeth Craft Designs); enamel dots (My Mind's Eye)

CAS(E) This Sketch 182

Hello, hello!  And welcome to Thursday where I get to share my latest project for CAS(E) This Sketch.  This week our sketch is brought to you by N@ Ali and is deliciously CAS!

I spent a lot of time thinking about this sketch.  I thought of sponging with some stencils or doing something cool with embossing paste.  A friend made some suggestions ranging from doilies to umbrellas to strawberries to upside down leaves.  I thought of feathers and, in desperation, even briefly considered an upside down Christmas tree!  So with all these ideas swirling around in my head I sat down at my stamp table and as often happens to me when I think too much, a simple idea occurred to me.  How about a leaf, some flowers, and a wee sentiment.  Lucky for me I had a leaf whose shape echoed the flourish on the sketch - a little wider on one end as it tapered down to the other.

I was helped along with my design by using the colors from the latest challenge at Global Design Project.  I love using gray for leaves (something I learned from my friend Narelle who is not afraid to think outside the box when it comes to color) and I would just like to say that I used an old black stamp pad for the sentiment and it looks gray in the picture but it really is black!

Be sure to check out the latest sketch from CAS(E) This Sketch as well as the inspiration from the design team.  We'd love to see you in the gallery this week!

Thanks for stopping by!

Supplies
Stamps:  Summer Silhouettes (SU); Everyday Mini Sentiments (Whimsy Stamps)
Paper:  White (Spectrum Noir); Smoky Slate (SU)
Ink:  Melon Mambo (SU); Noir Black (Palette)
Accessories:  Leafy Greenery die (My Favorite Things)

Freshly Made Sketches 246!

I'm very excited that it's Wednesday and time for a new sketch from Freshly Made Sketches!  Our  beautiful sketch, designed by Rita, has a tag on it which put me in mind of Christmas.

The colors for my card were inspired by the latest Christmas Card Challenge, although I took a little artistic liberty and added some silver sparkle!  Originally I was going to use patterned paper in these colors for the different layers on the tag but then came across an old tag I made that had a sparkly circle on it.  I used that idea for the circle and then added the two triangular trees in green and red to make it extra festive!

The Freshly Made Sketches design team has some great cards to inspire you to play along with us this week, so be sure to check them out.  I hope to see you in the gallery!

Thanks for stopping by!

Supplies
Stamps:  Modern Christmas (Clearly Besotted); Jingle All the Way (Technique Tuesday)
Paper:  Classic Ivory (Flourishes); Smokey Shadow (Papertrey Ink); Baja Breeze, Silver Glimmer (SU)
Ink:  Mossy Meadow (SU); Smokey Shadow (Papertrey Ink); Ruby Red (Altenew)
Accessories:  Femme Frames (Mama Elephant); Small Stitched Rectangle die (Lawn Fawn); Pierced Traditional Tags STAX, Washi Tape die (My Favorite Things); Baja Breeze seam binding ribbon (SU); crochet thread

colourQ351!

It's Tuesday so I've got a new colourQ palette to show you!  There's a bit of gold on it which really made me smile when I saw it!

I went with  Midnight Muse background because I thought it would make the gold butterfly stand out more.  I think I was right!  I stamped a few background stamps behind the butterfly also with the intention of making sure the butterfly wasn't lost on a white background.  I love how this turned out and I left a sentiment off so that I can add one later - depending on what I might need it for.

The layout for my card comes from the latest sketch at Fab Friday.  I'm pretty sure I was influenced by the butterfly image on the graphic!  Shocking, I know!

Thanks for stopping by and I hope you check out the inspiration from my fellow colourQ design team members.  I hope you can join us in the gallery!

Supplies
Stamps:  So 80's, Ink Splats (WPlus9)
Paper:  Midnight Muse, Bermuda Bay, Whisper White, Gold Foil (SU)
Ink:  Bermuda Bay, Concord Crush (SU)
Accessories:  Blueprints 13 die, Jumbo Fishtail Banner STAX (My Favorite Things); Daphne Butterfly die (Poppystamps); Festive Fall  Mix sequins (Neat & Tangled)

Tag You're It 51

I was shocked to find that I had some extra crafty time earlier this week so I made a tag for the latest challenge at Tag You're It.  There's still a week to go, so plenty of time to play along!

I tried to stay true to Donna's floral theme, watercolored background, use of washi tape, and enamel dots.  It is well documented here that I am not very good with watercolors but I decided to try my hand at them because I was just creating a splashy background for the flower.  No need to be precise with my coloring and if I messed it up I was prepared to call it artistic license.  To my shock, the background came out pretty good.  So I decided to jazz things up a bit by going over the tag with my brand-spankin'-new Gansai Tambi Starry watercolors.

Firstly, these shimmery watercolors are the bomb!  The photo here does not do the shimmer justice AT ALL so you will have to trust me that this looks amazing in real life.  Secondly, the picture seems to make it seem that the shimmer layer obscures my totally fabulous watercolor splash behind the flower.  Not true.  In real life the shimmer really enhances it.  And lastly I stamped the flower and leaves with my brand-spankin'-new Altenew inks.  I stamped the images onto SU Whisper White which, because of that coating it has allows the ink to sit on top of the paper rather than be absorbed into it.  Some paper is a little too porous for my taste and when it absorbs the ink it looks too dark and often the image looks splotchy.  I am quite impressed with these inks.  The color is beautiful and the images are very crisp.  So far I'm giving these inks an A+!

How fortunate that the current challenge at AAA Cards is to make a tag, so I'm going to add this there as well.

We are making a little change at Tag You're It.  Each challenge we will have a featured designer who will create the tag inspiration for our challenge.  How exciting!  This time around our designer is alumna Donna Mikasa!  You'll never know what to expect so make sure you visit and visit often!

Thanks for stopping by!

Supplies
Stamps:  Delightful Dahlia Additions (Papertrey Ink); Hand Lettered Hello (WPlus9)
Paper:  Distress Watercolor; Whisper White (SU)
Ink:  Frosty Pink, Coral Berry, Grapevine, Forest Glades, Frayed Leaf (Altenew); Onyx Black (Versafine); Gansai Tambi Watercolors, Gansai Tambi Starry Colors (Kuretake)
Accessories:  Traditional Tags STAX (My Favorite Things); Rose Red seam binding ribbon (SU); enamel dots (Doodlebug Designs); washi tape

CAS(E) This Sketch 181!

Our new challenge at CAS(E) This Sketch, designed by Leigh Penner, is beautiful in its simplicity and I had a few ideas in my head for my card when I happened upon the inspiration challenge at Global Design Project.  The use of gold was eye-poppingly delicious so I decided right then and there to use some gold on my card.

I own a couple of gold ink pads and they are quite different from each other.  The one I chose to use on this card is a kind of a subtle sparkly gold and I actually wish I had used the other, which is much more vibrant.  But, on the other hand, the subtleness of this one makes the gold butterfly really stand out which was really my goal anyway!  The inspiration photo had some wee rhinestones scattered around the card so I added a few to mine too.  Perfect for The Mixed Media Card Challenge!

Thanks for stopping by and checking out my card.  Our design team at CAS(E) This Sketch has got some fabulous card to show you using this sketch so you don't want to miss them.  I hope we'll see you in the gallery!

Supplies

Stamps:  Distressed Background Blocks (My Favorite Things); Mixed Media Elements (Stamplorations); Signature Greetings (Papertrey Ink)

Paper:  Crumb Cake, Gold Foil (SU); White (Spectrum Noir)

Ink:  Gold (Encore); Onyx Black (Versafine)

Accessories:  Floral & Fllutter dies (Concord & 9th); Basic Rhinestones (SU)

Freshly Made Sketches 245

Summer is in full swing here and we are halfway through our July challenges at Freshly Made Sketches!  This week I am the hostess and now is the moment when I reveal the sketch and card that I designed for the challenge - always a nerve wracking time!

The sketch says square but making a square card is not necessary to play along.  I just happen to like square cards!  I think I must be the only one who likes them because it's been a long time since we've featured one at Freshly Made Sketches and I think it was one of mine!

I based the sketch on a card that I had made a couple of years ago.  That card used these colors also so I had them on my mind when I made this one.  I happen to love So Saffron and if Stampin' Up! ever retires it I will be really mad!  As mad as I was when they retired Baja Breeze!

There's a challenge this week at Crazy For Challenges to make a card of encouragement.  Apparently, July 11th is "Cheer Up the Lonely Day" so they've coordinated their challenge around that.  I used a sentiment from Verve  and this particular set is full of encouraging phrases and a few of them are arranged in this subway style.  Those are perfect for fitting on a decorative banner like the label die I used.

Well, I hope you enjoy my sketch and get a chance to play along with us at Freshly Made Sketches.  Our always-amazing design team has made some beautiful cards with it so be sure to pop on over there, if you haven't already, to see their inspiration.  I hope you can join us in the gallery!

Supplies
Stamps:  Words of Wisdom (Verve)
Paper:  Basic Gray, So Saffron, Sweet Pea DSP, Urban Garden DSP (SU); Black (Simon Says Stamp); Solar White (Neenah)
Ink:  Onyx Black (Versafine)
Accessories:  Vertical Greetings II die (My Favorite Things); thread; sequins

colourQ 350!

I was overcome with the need to make a baby card when I saw the latest colors from colourQ.  I don't really need a baby card (especially one that is sort of gender neutral) but I'm not one to question my intuition, so a baby card is what I went with.

Do not pay any attention to the crooked "baby" sentiment.  I always save the negative from my die-cuts so that I will have perfect placement when I glue it into its final resting place. But for some reason I decided to glue this one down without the aid of the template.  BIG mistake.  It's crooked and I hope that when I finally give this to someone my little boo-boo will go unnoticed!

The challenge this week at Addicted to CAS is Stripes and my layout comes from the sketch at Can You Case It.

My colourQ teamies have made some beautiful cards with these colors so be sure to check them out.  I hope we'll see you in the gallery!

Supplies
Stamps:  Baby (Simon Says Stamp)
Paper:  White (Spectrum Noir); Pool Party, So Saffron, Blushing Bride, Old Olive (SU)
Ink:  Old Olive (SU)
Accessories:  Wonky Stitched Rectangle die (My Favorite Things); Baby die (Simon Says Stamp); pastel sequins (Verve)

CAS(E) This Sketch 180!

 Hello, hello!  It's  Thursday and that means it's time for a new sketch from CAS(E) This Sketch.  This one made me think of a butterfly and I think you'll know why when you see it!

I'm not very good at following directions it seems because I put the butterfly in the wrong spot and took some liberties and used the "s" from my sentiment to represent one of the squares.  But I redeemed myself by using a couple of clear droplets for the other two squares and some sketchy lines for the horizontal part of the sketch.

My colors come from Can You Case It and the code word at Addicted to CAS is "fly" and who flies better than a butterfly!

Thanks for stopping by!  And I do hope you can check out the inspiration from my teammates at CAS(E) This Sketch and join us in the gallery with your creation!

Supplies
Stamps:  Papillon Potpourri (SU); Live Love Laugh & Be Happy (My Creative Time); Distressed Patterns (My Favorite Things)
Paper:  White (Spectrum Noir)
Ink:  Lucky Limeade, Tempting Turquoise, Pacific Point (SU)
Accessories:  Clear Droplets (Pretty Pink Posh)

Freshly Made Sketches 244!

I think I've been bitten by the Christmas card bug.  And that's a good thing since I'm sort of behind in that department!  This is the second Christmas card I've made this week and it was inspired by the our latest sketch at Freshly Made Sketches, which was designed by Jen Timko.

In the interest of full disclosure there's a Christmas in July challenge happening at The Paper Players this week and that gave me a good kick-start into the Christmas mood.  Then I saw the challenge at As You See It, red and white colors inspired by Canada Day, and I was off!

I like to use poinsettias a lot on holiday cards and lately I've been using a poinsettia die to make them.  But before I had that I had a leaf stamp that someone smarter than me discovered that when stamped in white on red cardstock and fussy cut out, resembles the leaves of a poinsettia.  Brilliant!  Of course, my poinsettia is not oval (like the shape in the sketch) but ovals and circles are kissing cousins and I think it's ok that I substituted.  I also die cut the sentiment in Dazzling Diamonds Glimmer paper but it barely shows up in the picture so you'll have to trust me that this card sparkles!

After a Monday holiday and a super busy Tuesday at work this week is already whizzing by.  That's actually a good thing because I'd love for it to be the weekend again!  Thanks for stopping by and please head on over to the Freshly Made Sketches blog (if you haven't already been there) to see the inspiration from the design team.  We'd love to see you in the gallery!

Supplies
Stamps:  French Foliage (SU)
Paper:  White (Spectrum Noir); Real Red, Dazzling Diamonds Glimmer (SU)
Ink:  White (WPlus9)
Accessories:  Blueprints 20 die (My Favorite Things); Hand Lettered Holiday die (WPlus9)

colourQ 349!

I've just come off a very relaxing three day weekend with 4th of July celebrations to boot, but now it's back to the office and back to reality.  But before I head in to work, I've got a card to show you using the latest palette at colourQ.

The colors are a little patriotic, but after seeing the Christmas in July challenge at The Paper Players I decided those colors would look good on a Christmas card as well.  I used some Diamond Sparkle Medium on the background using a stencil and I can tell you that it looks much better in person.  The sparkle barely shows up here!  The challenge at Creative With Stamps is to use ink splatters and since those can sometimes look like snow too, I inked some behind Santa.  I like how it mimics the snowy background.

Thanks for stopping by.  I hope that I'll get to see you in the colourQ gallery this week.  There's a lot of inspiration from the design team at colourQ so be sure to check it out!

Supplies
Stamps:  Jingle All the Way (My Favorite Things); Gorgeous Grunge (SU)
Paper:  White (Papertrey Inkn); Real Red, Island Indigo (SU); X-Press It Blending Card
Ink:  Black Licorice (My Favorite Things); Marina Mist (SU); Copics
Accessories:  Jingle All the Way die, Blueprints 20 die, Traditional Tags STAX, Pierced Traditional Tags STAX, Washi Tape die (My Favorite Things); Falling Snow Stencil (Simon Says Stamp); Diamond Sparkle Medium (Imagination Crafts)