CAS(E) This Sketch 282

I missed the CAS(E) This Sketch challenge last week because I was in a kind of vacation-induced fog!  I was just starting the first week of a two-week holiday when I realized I was knee deep in paint, garden shovels, flowers, plus various other household implements and there was no way that I was going to put together a card in time for the challenge.  But this week I've set aside my chores and crafted a Christmas card for Brian's awesome sketch.

I've had this particular patterned paper in my stash for a really long time and knew instantly that it was absolutely perfect for this sketch.  And since poinsettias are a favorite of mine for Christmas cards I knew it would be just the right thing for that circle on the sketch.  I had the most trouble deciding what color the poinsettia would be but in the end decided on an off white with a bit of red glimmer paper for the center.

My CAS(E) This Sketch design teammates have made some fabulous cards with this sketch so you will definitely be inspired to play along!  Thanks for stopping by!

Supplies
Stamps:  Keep It Simple Joyeux Noel (Papertrey Ink)
Paper:  Classic Ivory (Flourishes); Real Red, Red Glimmer, Dashing DSP (Stampin' Up!)
Ink:  Nocturne (Versamark Clair)
Accessories:  Layered Poinsettia die (Spellbinders); Blooming Poinsettias die (Memory Box); Horizontal Stitched Stripes die (My Favorite Things)

Freshly Made Sketches 347

I'm back after a little stamping hiatus!  I'm actually halfway through my second week of vacation and up until now I've been so busy crossing things off of my vacation to-do list that I had no time do any crafting.  But I've traded in my paintbrush and pitchfork for some cardstock and ink and I got busy in my craft room just in time for our newest sketch at Freshly Made Sketches.  This week our hostess is Kim and her sketch is an instant classic!

I recently discovered that I like to use this particular floral stamp set!  It's been in my stash for a while but had remained un-inked for a long time.  I like the shape of the tropical leaves and the flower is fun, so I've used it a couple of times recently.  For this card I used the colors from the latest Sunday Stamps challenge to create my little floral spray. 

Sadly, I'll be back in my office in a few days - vacation will be over {insert sad face here}.  But I'm happy to say that I've had a productive couple of weeks and accomplished quite a lot around the house.  But I will say it's nice to be back in my craft room getting all inky!

Thanks for stopping by!  Our amazing Freshly Made Sketches design team has created some awesome cards to inspire you to play along with us.  And this week we say farewell to our July guest designer Caly Person.  It's been such a treat having her along with us and seeing her fabbo cards!

Supplies
Stamps:  Tropical Flowers (My Favorite Things); WTF (CAS-ual Fridays Stamps)
Paper:  Kraft (Papertrey Ink); Black Licorice (My Favorite Things); So Saffron, Whisper White (Stampin' Up!)
Ink:  So Saffron (Stampin' Up!); Lagoon (Altenew); Nocturne (Versamark Clair)

CAS(E) This Sketch 280

We've got a new challenge at CAS(E) This Sketch.  I don't mind saying this sketch threw me for a loop!  All those arrows had me searching for ages through my stash for something appropriate.  It turns out I've actually got a few arrows in my stamping stash, but none were inspiring me.  I think at one time I had about 10 stamp sets on my desk trying to figure out which one to use!  In the end I went in an entirely different direction...

After deliberating and pondering for much too long I chose to use a stamp set that makes notebook paper!  Super simple.  And I had a sentiment stamp in my stash that fit perfectly between the lines.  Done!

Thanks for stopping by!  My fellow CAS(E) This Sketch design team members have made some fantastic cards with this sketch.  They clearly didn't have as much trouble with this sketch as I did because their cards are amazing!  I hope you'll join us in the gallery this week.

Supplies
Stamps:  Notebook Paper (Paper Smooches); Fancy Word Coordinates (Reverse Confetti)
Paper:  Solar White (Neenah); White (Catherine Pooler)
Ink:  Arctic (Altenew); Pretty in Pink (Stampin' Up!); Nocturne (Versafine Clair)

Freshly Made Sketches 345

Hello hello!  We're back at Freshly Made Sketches with a brand new challenge this week designed by little ol' me!  I used a tilted layer *gasp* in the sketch so I hope you like it!

I decided to make a Christmas card with a kraft card base (one of my Christmas faves) and finally inked up this stamp set that I've had for at least a couple of years.  That's my cool-dude Santa!

The Jingle Bells challenge is looking for stars and stripes this time around and I used a bit of both here and at AAA Cards it's Christmas in July.  It's kind of fun to think of snowy things when it's 90-degrees outside!

Thanks for stopping by!  And I hope that you will join us at Freshly Made Sketches this week!

Supplies
Stamps:  Tis the Season (Essentials by Ellen)
Paper:  Desert Storm (Neenah); Riding Hood Red (Stampin' Up!); Marker Paper (Strathmore); Heidi Swapp patterned paper
Ink:  Black Licorice (My Favorite Things); Nocturne (Versafine Clair); White (WPlus9); Polychromos pencils
Accessories:  white embossing powder

Addicted to CAS Guest Designer

Well I am pleased as punch to say that I'm a guest designer over at Addicted to CAS for their newest challenge!  The code word is "baby" which is very fortuitous for me because there just happens to be a whole bunch of new babies this year in my family so I've been making quite a few baby cards lately!

I really loved the sketch at Sunday Stamps and thought for a bit about how I could use it and still keep my card CAS.  I was pretty sure that I wanted to use a onesie as my focal image so after cutting out one with this pretty awesome plaid paper I used the die cut to emboss a couple more of them off the edge of the card in a topsy turvy way.  I think they are pretty hard to see in the pic, but trust me they are there!

I want to thank the ladies at Addicted to CAS for inviting me to play along with them for this challenge.  I am always humbled when a card I've made has caught someone's eye enough that they want to reward me with a guest designer spot!

Thanks for stopping by!

Supplies
Stamps:  Baby Face (Momenta); Welcome Baby (Sugar Pea Designs); Baby (Simon Says Stamp)
Paper:  Solar White (Neenah); Perfect Plum (Stampin' Up!); Perfectly Plaid Rainbow (Lawn Fawn)
Accessories:  Welcome Baby Accents die (Sugar Pea Designs); Clear Droplets (Pretty Pink Posh)

CAS(E) This Sketch 279 Meets Fusion

I hope that all my American friends had a wonderful and safe Independence Day yesterday.  I went to my local parade in the morning (always fun with the screeching firetrucks and ambulances at the beginning)!  At night my town hosts a fireworks display and it was warm and balmy evening.  Of course, my kitties don't care for all those booms and pops, but it was a great day all around.

So now, since its Thursday, it's time for a couple of new challenges from CAS(E) This Sketch and Fusion.  At CTS we've gone back into the retro vault for a redux of #166.  My original card featured my favorite bunny piloting a plane but this time around I did a one layer using colors inspired by the Fusion challenge.  I created a stencil by die-cutting a banner then used it to sponge a minty green onto my card base.  I flicked a few drops of water onto it and was very happy to find that underneath that green was a blue very close to the blue in the inspiration photo!  I then stamped the layered sentiment in two shades of blue - one light and one dark (although it's hard to see the light color in the picture). 

I've got to say that I don't love this card!  LOL!  It's one of those cases where the design looked way better in my head than it looked when I put it to paper.  But following some sage advice I got from my friend Linda I am putting it up here as if it's the Mona Lisa and now it's on to the next thing!

Our respective CAS(E) This Sketch and Fusion design teams have each created some wonderful cards for their challenges so be sure to check them out.  I hope we'll see you play along!

Thanks for stopping by!

Supplies
Stamps:  Hello Hello (The Stamp Market)
Paper:  White (Catherine Pooler)
Ink:  Cracked Pistachio (Distress Oxide); Caribbean Sky, Sapphire (Altenew)
Accessories:  Blueprints 13 die (My Favorite Things)

Freshly Made Sketches 344

First things first:  I want to wish all my American friends a very happy, fun, and festive Independence Day! 

Right now I am smack-dab in the middle of a big ol' heat wave...and I have to confess that I'm loving it!  People who know me know that winter (and especially snow) is not my thing but turn up the heat and I'm in my glory!  Today marks day four of our 90+ degree days and we've got a few more before we "cool off" to somewhere in the 80s.  But don't get me wrong...I'm not complaining! 

Today we've got a brand new challenge at Freshly Made Sketches.  Our sketch is designed by Cécile and I love that angled layer!

I also love the colors at As You See It so I combined the sketch and colors to make this pretty butterfly card.  It's been a while since I've used this particular stamp set.  Those butterflies are gorgeous and I don't know why I've neglected it so long!  I dabbed color on the solid part of the butterflies with a sponge dauber which makes the stamped image lighter and allows me to use the second layered image with the ink at full strength so the contrast shows up.  That's a tip that I got from my friend Amy O'Neill and it's in my top 10 list of best stamping tricks!

Thanks for stopping by!  The Freshly Made Sketches design team has created some beautiful cards with this wonderful sketch so be sure to check it out and join us in the gallery!

Supplies
Stamps:  Painted Butterflies (Altenew)
Paper:  Classic Ivory (Flourishes); Black Licorice (My Favorite Things); Crushed Curry (Stampin' Up!); Berry Sorbet (Papertrey Ink)
Ink:  Berry Sorbet (Papertrey Ink); Crushed Curry (Stampin' Up!); White (WPlus9); Nocturne (Versamark Clair)
Accessories:  enamel dots (My Mind's Eye); white embossing powder