Freshly Made Sketches 312

I would say that I'm definitely starting to feel the Christmas crunch.  I had a look at my stash of Christmas cards and cringed.  I actually cringed.  So you'll have to forgive me if you see a Christmas card every time you visit here!  This week there's a new sketch at Freshly Made Sketches, brought to you by Cécile, and it didn't take much for me to see that square as being perfect for a shaker.

After trying out a few pieces of patterned paper for that triangle layer in the corner I opted to emboss it instead with a striped embossing folder - reminiscent of candy cane stripes.  The square was cut using a snowflake die and behind it are some Christmas colored sequins.  I watched a video the other day (which, incidentally, is how I came to buy that square snowflake die set) and the greatest tip I got from it was, when making a shaker card, to rub the acetate with anti-static powder (this is what I use) so that the sequins move freely around.  Genius!

There's an "anything goes" Christmas challenge at Happy Little Stampers this month so you'll find me linked over there as well.

Well, that's it for me.  Thanks for stopping by and please check out all the amazing inspiration from the design team at Freshly Made Sketches.  I hope you'll join us in the gallery!

Supplies
Stamps:  Fa La La (Simon Says Stamp)
Paper:  Solar White (Neenah); Garden Green, Real Red (Stampin' Up!)
Ink:  Real Red (Stampin' Up!)
Accessories:  Snowflake Snippets die (Spellbinders); Class Christmas sequins (Neat & Tangled)

CAS(E) This Sketch 239

Christmas continues here!  My card for the latest CAS(E) This Sketch is another Christmas themed one - that's two this week!  The holiday mailing season will be here before we know it and I want to be ready.  Luckily I saw a Christmas card within that sketch.

I have a mantra:  when in doubt use vellum.  That long horizontal layer had me stymied for a bit.  I had already decided on the striped patterned paper and the wreath image layered on top of it, but I wasn't sure about that thin layer with the sentiment.  Vellum proved to be the answer.  It didn't cover up my wreath or the patterned paper and provided a nice spot to heat emboss a sentiment.

At Muse this week Tracey McNeely gave us a Christmas card with a wreath and it's "anything goes" at the Merry Christmas Challenge.  Since Christmas is much closer than I care to admit, I'm throwing my hat in the ring at these challenges in the hope that it will spur me to make more of the same very soon!

Thanks for stopping by!  And please join us at CAS(E) This Sketch.  Our design team has got some great cards to inspire you!

Supplies
Stamps:  Wreath For All Seasons (Papertrey Ink); Handy Christmas Greetings (Amy R Stamps)
Paper:  Classic Ivory (Flourishes); Real Red, Vellum, Merry Moments DSP (Stampin' Up!)
Ink:  Old Olive, Real Red (Stampin' Up!); Versamark
Accessories:  black embossing powder; rhinestones (KaiserCraft)

CAS(E) This Sketch 234

I'm adding another Christmas card to my stash thanks to the latest challenge at CAS(E) This Sketch.  I did make a square card instead because sometimes only a square will do!

The cute pooch is my circle on the sketch and the sentimet is that slim horizontal layer.  I added some falling snow, in the form of embossing paste, and I actually managed to put it on around the dog and the sentiment.  I think it's hard to see, but trust me, it's there!

Last week at The Merry Christmas Challenge they were looking for animals so that was a strong  motivator to use this dog.  Alas I miscalculated and the challenge ended before today.  Lucky for me they've got an "anything goes" challenge going on this week so I can play along after all!

Thanks for stopping by.  There are some great cards at CAS(E) This Sketch that the design team has created to inspire you so be sure to check them out!

Supplies

Stamps:  Santa Paws (Paper Smooches)

Paper:  Classic Ivory (Flourishes); Real Red, Merry Moments DSP (Stampin' Up!)

Ink:  Black Licorice (My Favorite Things); Jet Black (Altenew); Copics

Accessories:  Falling Snow stencil (Simon Says Stamp); embossing paste (Dreamweaver)

CAS(E) This Sketch 220

It's Thursday again and time for a new challenge at CAS(E) This Sketch.  Although the sketch says flowers I went in a bit of a different direction!

I was contemplating a design at work the other day and asked a co-worker for her ideas for this sketch.  She is not a card maker or paper crafter so it was fun to hear her suggestions.  I think flip flops, seashells, and fish were among her ideas!  I don't actually have stamps with any of those images so I had to keep thinking.  I wanted to keep the triangular design of the focal image sort of tucked in the corner and remembered this little elf and I figured he fit the bill.  The way he is sprawled with those Christmas lights mimics the general layout of the sketch I think.  There's an anything Christmas theme at The Merry Christmas Challenge this month so I'm going to add this over there as well.

Thanks for stopping by!  And don't forget to check out the inspiration from the CAS(E) This Sketch design team.  Please join us in the gallery!

Supplies
Stamps:  Deck the Halls (Kraftin' Kimmie)
Paper:  White (Papertrey Ink); Jungle (Avery Elle); X-Press It Blending Card
Ink:  Black Licorice (My Favorite Things); Jet Black (Altenew); Copics
Accessories:  Blueprints 21 die (My Favorite Things)