CAS(E) This Sketch 396

The fun sketch at CAS(E) This Sketch got me thinking about how I could fill up that background with something.  Then I remembered I have a "plaid" coverplate die that if cut twice then layered together in opposing directions would create a cool background.  So that's what I did.

I have been using this "joy" die a lot lately because...wait for it...it fills me with JOY!  I think I've also mostly cut it out of glimmer paper because that is even more joyful!  In this case the red glimmer letters and my maxi white background were also perfect for the challenge at AAA Cards.  

Thanks for stopping by!  My CAS(E) This Sketch teammates have made amazing cards with this sketch so be sure to check them out!

Supplies
Stamps:  Joy Stamp (The Stamp Market)
Paper:  Solar White (Neenah); red glimmer (Recollections)
Ink:  Onyx Black (Versafine)
Accessories:  Joy die (Concord & 9th); Diagonals Plaid Cover Up die (Lil' Inker Designs)

Fusion - Autumn

It's getting cooler outside and the leaves are changing colors here so the Autumn challenge at Fusion is very appropriate!  I went in a completely different direction than the inspiration photo though, choosing the sketch and a fun turkey instead - turkeys being the ubiquitous autumn ambassador around here!

I colored the little fella up in lots of warm colors - I'm pretty sure the turkeys around here are not nearly as colorful!  Nor do they have polka dots and stripes!!  But he's cute all the same.

Thanks for stopping by!  My teammates at Fusion have made some fantastic cards for this challenge so be sure to check them out! 

Supplies
Stamps:  It's Fall About You (The Alley Way Stamps)
Paper:  Pure Ivory (Gina K); Fine Linen, Fall Prints and Patterns (Papertrey Ink)
Ink:   Black Licorice (My Favorite Things); Onyx Black (Versfine); Copics

Freshly Made Sketches 459

Hello everyone!  Today is sketch reveal day at Freshly Made Sketches.  Our sketch hostess is Jen Brum and apparently she was determined to confound me with some angled layers!

I set out to do a Christmas card using some pretty patterned paper that was specifically designed for Christmas themes.   I chose some highly contrasted colors and patterns, chose an appropriate holiday sentiment, and was fully prepared to pat myself on the back for a job well done.  But when I got done with it I realized absolutely no one was going to recognize this as a Christmas based solely on some pretty paper.  So I figured I better add something to the mix.  Enter some long skinny trees - obviously Christmas trees  - in complementary colors!  All is right in the world!

My fellow design team members at Freshly Made Sketches have really done some amazing things with this sketch so be sure to check them out.  We hope you'll join us in the gallery!

Supplies
Paper:  Whisper White, Holiday Thyme DSP (Stampin' Up!)
Stamps: Ways to Say It Merry Christmas (Papertrey Ink); Peaceful Forest (Ink to Paper)
Ink:    Cranberry Crisp, Old Olive (Stampin' Up!); Onyx Black (Versafine)

CAS(E) This Sketch 395

I took the opportunity of the great new sketch at CAS(E) This Sketch to make another Christmas card.  I went quite literal with the sketch and incorporated a wreath with my fave - a poinsettia (!) and a few holly leaves.

I dug into my stash for some pretty Christmas patterned paper and found this oldie-but-goodie striped one.  I think it matches perfectly with the poinsettia and leaves.  I managed to find a sentiment that was small enough to fit in the center of the wreath - I love how it tucks in there!

Thanks for stopping by!  My fellow CAS(E) This Sketch teammates have made some AMAZING cards with this sketch so be sure to check them out!

Supplies
Stamps:   Modern Christmas (Clearly Besotted0
Paper:   Solar White  (Neenah); Ruby Red, Garden Green, Old Olive (Stampin' Up!)
Ink:   Onyx Black (Versafine)
Accessories:  Whirl Wreath  (Penny Black);  Poinsettia die  (Paper Smooches)

Freshly Made Sketches 458

The last couple of cards that I have made have featured Halloween colors and themes so I thought for our newest challenge at Freshly Made Sketches I would make a Christmas card.  Our hostess this week is Kim and I knew instantly when I saw her fun sketch that sparkly paper was in my future!

I've had this glimmer paper in my stash for a while but have only used a tiny bit (what a surprise)!  It is super sparkly and the colors are so bright and fresh and modern.  I love to use colors like these on Christmas cards.  They are a bit unexpected and just so darn fun!  My photography skills don't do this card justice because in real life it is super sparkly!  

So that the smaller white layer didn't get lost on the card front I dragged out a ruler I've got with holes all along it and my paper piercer and hand-pierced all four edges.  So old school!  Remember when  stitched and pierced dies didn't exist and we had to hand-pierce everything? 😜  I'm so glad I never got rid of the ruler or the piercer because sometimes a die just won't do!

Thanks for stopping by!  My Freshly Made Sketches teammates have made some amazing cards with this sketch so be sure to check them out!

Supplies:

Stamps:  Joy Stamp  (The Stamp Market)

Paper:  Solar White (Neenah); glimmer paper (Stampin' Up!); silver  paper (Recollections)

Ink:  Onyx Black (Versafine)

Accessories:  Joy die  (Concord & 9th)

CAS(E) This Sketch 394

I seem to be in a bit of a Halloween mood lately since I keep making cards with bats on them!  And I've got another one on my card for our latest challenge at CAS(E) This Sketch!  This one is on the cutesy side, though!

The dangling spiders were perfect for this sketch and I added the little bat for no other reason than it's adorable!  The spooky halloween sentiment is a favorite of mine too.

Thanks for stopping by!  Our CAS(E) This Sketch design team has made some fabulous cards with this  sketch so be sure to check them out!

Supplies

Stamps:  Best Fiends,  Autumn Apparitions (Stampin' Up!)

Paper:   Solar White  (Neenah); Watercolor Wash Brights (My Favorite Things)

Ink:  Nocturne (Versafine Clair)

Fusion Purple Night

We've got a great new challenge for you at Fusion.  The purple night theme put me in mind of a Halloween card so that is what I made.

Don't adjust your set, folks, I really did use purple on my card.  But well-documented here, photography is not in my skillset, so no matter what I tried my picture came out looking blue.  

I don't often have the time to get adventurous with my cards but wanted to try my hand at some alcohol inks for this moody theme.  It had been so long since I used mine I had to refresh my memory on how to use them by watching a few videos on YouTube!  Apparently I need to add 90% alcohol to my stash to get those color to swish around, but since the pandemic that is in short supply so I had to rely on Ranger blending solution.  I added some silver mixative to make things interesting and used a straw to blow all the colors around my paper.

Thanks for  stopping by!  I hope you can join us at Fusion.  Our design team has created some amazing cards to inspire you!

Supplies
Stamps:  Bite Me (Stampin' Up!)
Paper:   Solar White (Neenah); Yupo (Ranger); black glimmer (Recollections)
Ink:  Amethyst (Ranger Alcohol Ink); Silver Mixative (Ranger); Nocturne (Versafine Clair)

Freshly Made Sketches 457

Once again I have decided to add another Christmas card to my stash using our latest sketch from Freshly Made Sketches.   Our hostess this week is Linda and her sketch immediately put me in mind of my favorite poinsettia die.

That long panel as well as the slim vertical layer practically screamed at me to add the poinsettia and a Christmas sentiment.  And the color combo at Christmas Card Throwdown is a favorite of mine when it comes to Christmas cards  so I jumped at the chance to use it for this card.   I chose to add some texture to the white background as well as the long blue vertical layer and finished it all off with a vellum poinsettia.  It's quite pretty in real life!

Thanks for stopping by!  My Freshly Made Sketches teammates have, of course, made some amazing cards this week so be sure to check them out!

Supplies
Stamps:  Holiday Messages  (Mama Elephant)
Paper:  Solar White (Neenah); Crumb Cake, Baja Breeze (Stampin' Up!); vellum  (Graphix)
Ink:  Onyx Black (VersaFine)
Accessories:  Pierced Rectangle STAX (My Favorite Things); Subtle Dynamic embossing folder (Stampin' Up!); Snowflake/Speckles embossing folder (Tim Holtz); Layered Poinsettia die (Penny Black)

CAS(E) This Sketch 393

We've got a great new sketch for you at CAS(E) This Sketch and it's a retro one.  The sketch first debuted over five years ago - find it HERE - and I will admit I was a little intimidated by it.  I think I was the first time too!

It's that time of year when I start thinking about Halloween cards.  I think they are the most fun cards that I make all year!  This card uses the colors from TGIF Challenges and I just layered circles to mimic the layout of the sketch.  I took a little liberty with the placement of the sentiment and just for fun added a die-cut bat that I cut from black glimmer paper.

Thank for stopping by!  My fellow CAS(E) This Sketch design teammates have made some amazing  cards with this sketch so be sure to check them out!

Supplies
Stamps:  Bite Me  (Stampin' Up!);  Circles Circles Circles   (Whimsy Stamps)
Paper:  Solar White  (Neenah);  Basic Black,  Rich Razzleberry, Sweet Pea DSP (Stampin' Up!);  black glimmer (Recollections)
Ink:  Onyx Black (Versafine)
Accessories:   Circles die  (Little B)

Freshly Made Sketches 456

Hi!  We've got a great new sketch for you at Freshly Made Sketches, designed by Jen Timko,  I don't often make cards with a landscape orientation, so it's a real treat when I see a sketch designed that way.  I get to flex my horizontal muscle, as it were!

The second thing I love about this card is the plaid layer.  I don't know why I love plaid so much - I don't own a single plaid piece of clothing - but when it comes to cards I think plaid is the bees knees.  So I was especially happy to see that the challenge at Just Us Girls is to use plaid.  

Thanks for stopping by!  Our Freshly Made Sketches design team has made some great cards to inspire  you to play along with us, so join us in the gallery!

Supplies

Stamps:  Totally Random Sayings (Essentials by Ellen)

Paper:  Solar White (Neenah); Truffle (Avery Elle); Marigold Morning, Crumb Cake (Stampin' Up!)

Ink:  Truffle (Avery Elle)

Accessories:  Sunflower die (My Favorite Things)

CAS(E) This Sketch 392

I love to use old stamps that have been in my stash for a long time.  They need love too!  So this week for my CAS(E) This Sketch card I dug deep into the stash and found these leafy images that were perfect for the sketch.

I used some traditional colors of fall for my leafy images and added a little natural twine too.   At As You See It the challenge is about stitching so I added a few stitched layers - woo hoo for stitched dies!

Thanks for stopping by!  

Stamps:  Pocket Silhouettes (Stampin' Up!); Simple Sentiments (Avery Elle)
Paper:  Very Vanilla, Old Olive (Stampin' Up!)
Ink:  Crumb Cake, Chocolate Chip, Dusty Durango, Old Olive (Stampin' Up!)
Accessories:  Blueprints 13 die, Slanted Sentiment Strips die (My Favorite Things); Linen Thread (Stampin' Up!)

Fusion on the Farm

For my Fusion card this week I decided to turn the sketch clockwise and incorporate a few farm animals per the theme.  Despite my extensive stamp collection I didn't have any farm animals in my stash so I did a little poking around Etsy and found some fun digital images.

I did some ink blending to create a blue sky background then added some grass for my little farm animals to tramp around in!  My happy sun is shining down on the pig and cow and wishing someone a happy birthday!  At TGIF Challenges they are looking for ink blending so I took that as a sign that I was on the right path with this card.

Thanks for stopping by!  My fellow Fusion design team members have made some great cards for this challenge so be sure to check them out!

Supplies
Stamps:  Birthday Bears  (My Favorite Things); Farm Animals (Pixel Paper Prints)
Paper:  Solar White  (Neenah); Bristol Smooth; X-Press It Blending Card; Cocoa Bean (Papertrey Ink)
Accessories:  Slim Film City die, Slim Window Dressing die (Mama Elephant)