CAS(E) This Sketch 278

June is almost in the books - can you believe it?  I can't, that's for sure.  But before we march on into July we've got a new challenge at CAS(E) This Sketch.  I used a little artistic liberty with the sketch (haha pun intended)!

Usually when I see three of something on a sketch I run for the hills!  I don't know why - it's just a design element that leaves me stumped most of the time.  So I started poking around blogland for some ideas and found the inspiration challenge at CAS-ual Fridays was about fireworks.  I remembered I had a stamp set that had some fireworks plus the Statue of Liberty so I figured I could somehow make that work. 

The fireworks are the top circle on the sketch and the Statue of Liberty is a combination of the other two!  You can see that, right?  Well, even if you can't that's my story and I'm sticking to it!  I actually love how this came out.  That elegant lady is a perfect foreground for some exciting fireworks!

Thanks so much for stopping by!  My CAS(E) This Sketch teamies did not go rogue with this sketch at all and have some wonderful cards to inspire you to play along with us.  I hope you do!

Supplies
Stamps:  USA 1776 (Waltzingmouse Stamps)
Paper:  Solar White (Neenah)
Ink:  Caribbean Sky, Sapphire (Altenew); Pure Poppy (Papertrey Ink); Nocturne (Versafine Clair)

Freshly Made Sketches 343

Hello people!  We've got a new challenge debuting at Freshly Made Sketches!  Yay!  This week our sketch is designed by the superbly talented Jen Timko.  That big ol' wide open layer has so many possibilities.

There's a fun "girl power" challenge going on at Addicted to CAS so it gave me an excuse to ink up my favorite super girl and this sketch was perfect to make sure she really stands out!  I gave her a white starry background with a stencil and some embossing paste then heat embossed the sentiment.

I was feeling a bit of the #girlpower this weekend because I managed to install a new faucet in my bathroom.  I needed a bit of help from my brother-in-law to drill a hole in the basin but the rest of the job was all me.  After my BIL drilled the hole he said "who's your plumber?"  I said in my most emphatic voice "I am!" 

Thanks for stopping by!  And I hope you can join us at Freshly Made Sketches with your take on our sketch.  We'd love to see you in the gallery!

Supplies
Stamps:  You're Super (My Favorite Things)
Paper:  Solar White (Neenah); Daffodil Delight, Real Red (Stampin' Up!)
Ink:  Nocturne (Versafine Clair); White (WPlus9); Polychromos pencils
Accessories:  Starry Nights stencil (Memory Box); white embossing paste (Dreamweaver); white embossing powder

CAS(E) This Sketch 277 Meets Fusion

Every couple of weeks I combine the sketch challenge at CAS(E) This Sketch with some of the design elements at Fusion.  This week I got to make a fun, clean and simple card with a bit of a color-block look.

N@ Ali's sketch took the CAS(E) This Sketch design team in many awesome directions this week.  For my part I decided to turn that arrow into a simple line of narrow blocks of color a-la the Fusion challenge then added a simple sentiment on top of them.  The card went together pretty easily - aside from some angst about making sure those tiny strips of cardstock were the same width!

So we'd love to see you in the respective galleries at CAS(E) This Sketch and Fusion.  I hope you'll join us!

Thanks for stopping by!

Supplies
Stamps:  Painted Butterflies (Altenew)
Paper:  Solar White (Neenah); White (Catherine Pooler); Vintage Jadite (Papertrey Ink); Pacific Point, Real Red, Pumpkin Pie (Stampin' Up!)
Ink:  Nocturne (Versafine Clair)

Freshly Made Sketches 342

Another week in the books and we are back to a Freshly Made Sketches Wednesday challenge.  This week our sketch comes to you from Amy who hails from Texas where I understand everything is big and bold!  She's given us a big and bold sketch that is just full of opportunities.

The colors on my card are quite tropical and that's because I was inspired by the color challenge at Sunday Stamps.  And those colors made me think of these tropical blooms.  I layered the flower and leaves up in a way that was pleasing to my eye and bada-bing I was done!

Your friends at Freshly Made Sketches have designed some really beautiful cards to inspire you so I hope that you will join us in the gallery!

Thanks for stopping by!

Supplies
Stamps:  Tropical Flowers (My Favorite Things); You Matter (Simon Says Stamp)
Paper:  Solar White (Neenah); Black Licorice (My Favorite Things); White (Catherine Pooler); Limeade Ice (Papertrey Ink)
Ink:  Limeade Ice, Green Parakeet, Raspberry Fizz (Papertrey Ink); Jet Black (Altenew); White (WPlus9)
Accessories:  Slanted Sentiment Strips die (My Favorite Things); Rustic Burlap impression plate (Papertrey Ink); white embossing powder

CAS(E) This Sketch 276

It's time for a brand new sketch at CAS(E) This Sketch!  That background of floating stars really had me thinking a lot about how to interpret them.  First I thought I'd go literal and use some stars (not very original), then I thought about flowers along a vine.  I ended up going with something completely different!

There is a geometric challenge at AAA Cards and a rainbow challenge at Addicted to CAS so I thought I'd combine those two with our CAS(E) This Sketch challenge.  The grid image provided the perfect background for some rainbow colored squares.  I chose a random pattern to color the little squares to mimic the random pattern of the stars on the sketch.  And finally I topped it all off with this bold sentiment.

Thanks for stopping by!  My friends at CAS(E) This Sketch have made some fantastic cards to inspire you this week so I hope you will play along with us!

Supplies
Stamps:  All About You (My Favorite Things); Distressed Grid (Creative Embellishments)
Paper:  Solar White (Neenah); White (Catherine Pooler); Black Licorice (My Favorite Things)
Ink:  Nocturne (Versafine Clair); Black Licorice (My Favorite Things); Copics
Accessories:  You Trio die (My Favorite Things)

Freshly Made Sketches 342

This week at Freshly Made Sketches our super fun sketch is designed by Narelle.  It's got a couple of circles on it, but you can use whatever shapes you like!  I used a couple of colorful flowers.  Take a look:

The color challenge at The Paper Players struck my fancy so I used those colors on my card.  I love how the coral flowers look against the kraft background.  And that bright lemon-lime color make some pretty fantastic leaves and a great accent to boot!

Thanks for stopping by!  Our Freshly Made Sketches design team has made some AMAZING cards to inspire you this week.  I hope you can join us in the gallery!

Stamps:  Amazing (My Favorite Things)
Paper:  Kraft (Papertrey Ink); Calypso Coral, Lemon Lime Twist (Stampin' Up!); Black (Simon Says Stamp)
Ink:  White (WPlus9)
Accessories:  Plentiful Petals die, Layered Leaves die, Blueprints 13 die (My Favorite Things); white embossing powder

CAS(E) This Sketch 275 Meets Fusion

This week the sketch at CAS(E) This Sketch is going waaayyyyy back in the retro vault.  Yep, all the way back to #3!  Every once in a while we revive an old sketch and if you played along with us the first time around it will surely be fun to play around with us again, don't you think?  That sketch debuted on October 25, 2012 - back when I just just a wee babe 😉- and I had a look at the gallery.  Sadly, I didn't play along with that sketch but I see a lot of familiar names there!

I combined that sketch with the latest Fusion challenge - a floral cupcake one!  I took my cues from the colors of the inspiration photo and on my card dotted some flowers and leaves around that negative circle.  The enamel dots were an add on after I accidently ripped the patterned paper.  There are no mistakes in stamping, I always say, because there's nothing that can't be fixed by an enamel dot, sequin, or some other embellishment!  Right?!

It's been a while since I've played along with Retro Rubber but they've got an "anything goes" challenge going on and I used a sentiment on this set that I've had for many years so play along I did!

Thanks for stopping by!  We've got some great challenges going on at CAS(E) This Sketch and Fusion so I hope you can join us in those galleries!

Supplies
Stamps:  Thanks (Simon Says Stamp)
Paper:  Solar White (Neenah); Pear Pizzazz, Pretty in Pink, Pear Pizzazz DSP (Stampin' Up!); Vellum (Graphix)
Ink:  Nocturne (Versafine Claire)
Accessories:  Button Stax die, Button Stax II die (Papertrey Ink); Curvy Leaves die (Elizabeth Crafts); Matte Sprinkles (Doodlebug Designs)

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)