Fusion - Front Porch

Hi all.  I don't know where my brain is lately because not only did I forget to schedule this post for Thursday morning, but I also forgot to upload a picture of my card on the Fusion  DT blog.  😕  Here is my card, all the same.

I opted to go for the sketch this week and made a Christmas card.  But in a nod to the inspiration photo I used a brick embossing folder for the background.  The right side of the card is a long vertical layer in shimmery white, which is pretty in real life, but difficult to see in the photo.  I added one of my favorite poinsettia die cuts with a bit of gold cord behind it.  A couple of layered pieces of ribbon became the flag on the top of the sketch.  I was undecided about where and what I wanted the sentiment to be so I left it off for now.

Thanks for stopping by!  Remember, at Fusion you can play with the sketch, the inspiration photo, or combine them both!

Supplies
Paper:  Solar White (Neenah); Shimmery White, Poppy Parade, Mossy Meadow, Gold Foil (Stampin' Up!)
Accessories:  Layered Poinsettia die (Penny Black); Poinsettia die (Paper Smooches); Bricked embossing folder, Tiny Attacher (Tim Holtz); gold cord, gingham ribbon (Stampin' Up!); white seam binding ribbon

Fusion - Pinwheels

Hi everyone!  We've got a great new challenge for you at Fusion.  The colors are awesome, the sketch was fun, and I couldn't resist those pinwheels.  Here's what I made!

I went deep into my crafty stash for this card.  I have no idea who made the background paper that I used, the pinwheel flowers are from a long-unused die, and the gray paper was a total surprise when I stumbled on it.  But somehow this collection of supplies combined into a fun card that incorporates the colors and sketch of the Fusion challenge!  

Thanks for stopping by!  I hope you can create some Fusion along with us!

Supplies
Stamps:  Tiny Words (Simon Says Stamp)
Paper:  Solar White (Neenah); Smoky Slate, Patterns Stack Neutrals (Stampin' Up!); Enchanted Evening, Harvest Gold (Papertrey Ink)
Accesssories:  Mini Paper Rosettes die (Tim Holtz)

Freshly Made Sketches 548

Hi friends!  Our latest sketch challenge from Freshly Made Sketches features a straight, vertical layer.  That got me thinking about a stamp set featuring a line of butterflies.  Butterflies seem to abound lately in some of my favorite challenges so I decided to combine my Freshly Made Sketches card with a couple of them.  Our sketch this week is brought to you by Jacquie.  I love her minimalist design.

I wanted to do something simple with my card so I stamped the line of butterflies in a fun color then added a "layer" by drawing a vertical line down the card, being careful to go around the butterflies.  It's a one layer card and so much fun!  There are butterfly challenges at Just Us Girls as well as Less Is More so I'm adding my card to those challenges too!

Thanks for stopping by!  I hope you'll play along with our Freshly Made Sketches challenge!  Our design team will surely inspire you so check out their cards.

Supplies
Stamps:  Butterflies and Moths (Tim Holtz); Tiny Words (Simon Says Stamp)
Paper:  Whisper White (Stampin' Up!)
Ink:  Simply Chartreuse (Papertrey Ink); Onyx Black (Versafine); Copic Multiliner

Fusion - Rainbow Plates

We've got another great challenge for you at Fusion.  The inspiration photo features "rainbow plates" but since I made a rainbow card yesterday I decided to follow the sketch this time around.

Ok, work with me here.  I know the sketch has a couple of circles but I opted for a bit of creative license on my card.  The top of the sketch has a partial circle.  On my card that became a leaf that has a circular shape.  The other circle on the sketch became a flower on my card.  Ta da!  My colors were inspired by the colors of the Global Design Project.

Thanks for stopping by!  My fellow Fusion teammates have made some great cards to inspire you to create along with us so be sure to check them out!

Supplies
Stamps:  Strength Blooms (Altenew); Simple Sentiments 02 (Simon Says Stamps)
Paper:  Whisper White (Stampin' Up!)
Ink:  Forest Glades, Rose Quartz, Puffy Heart, Purple Wine, Cosmic Berry (Altenew); Onyx Black (Versafine)
Accessories:  Bricked embossing folder (Tim Holtz)

Freshly Made Sketches 531

Hey all!  Today we've got a brand new sketch at Freshly Made Sketches and Linda is our hostess.  My take on the sketch was heavily influenced by my friend Judy who made a card last week that made me realize my stamping stash needed bunnies.  Cute bunnies.   So I did a little shopping...

I arranged the bunnies in an approximation of two of the squares on the sketch and sponged some clouds on the background because otherwise it looked quite plain.  As for the the third square on the sketch I die-cut a small pierced square that I sponged with a few clouds and added a little sentiment.  I stuck that square under the bunny on the left.

Thanks for stopping by!  Check out our Freshly Made Sketches challenge and the inspiration from our design team.  I hope you'll join us!

Supplies
Stamps:  Teeny Tiny Wishes (Stampin' Up!)
Paper:  Solar White (Neenah); Wild Wasabi, Pumpkin Pie, Dusty Durango, Basic Black, Pink Pirouette (Stampin' Up!)
Ink:  Onyx Black (Versafine); Misty Morning (Altenew)
Accessories:  Carrot Bunnie die (Tim Holtz); Grassy Edges die, Mini Cloud Edges stencil, Pierced Square STAX die (My Favorite Things)

Freshly Made Sketches 514

I'm late again for a blog post!  😢 I was up bright and early this morning so that I could get some work done (I'm on vacation from said work, but still find myself working from time to time) and get this blog post ready.  I was doing some dishes when I turned the faucet to the left a bit and out it popped and practically fell into the sink!  Uh oh!  Turns out the lock nut that secures the faucet to the counter had completely rotted away and today was the day that it decided to fall over.  So I spent the majority of the day trying to fix it.  (I didn't by the way and I'm picking up a new faucet tomorrow).  Good times...

But the show must go on so here I am a few hours late with my card for Freshly Made Sketches.  Our hostess this week is Cécile and as always her sketch has me dreaming that I can design cards the same way she does!

Those silver blobs in the center are pinecones, by the way.  I thought for sure that I had a pinecone stamp in my stash somewhere but apparently not, so I had to use this pinecone die cut, which is too small for what I wanted, but did the trick anyway.

The inspiration for this design came from a catalog that I got at work which has bulk Christmas cards with custom printing for companies to send to their customers.  The catalog is chock full of inspiration, which I knew would come in handy, so I brought it home and it now resides in my craft room.  I found an eye-catching card done in silver and black with green leaves and a pinecone and modified the design a bit to fit the sketch.  

Thanks for stopping by!  My Freshly Made Sketches teammies have some fabulous cards to inspire you to play along with us so be sure to check them out!

Supplies
Stamps:  Holiday Messages (Mama Elephant)
Paper:  Basic Black, Whisper White, Wild Wasabi (Stampin' Up!); Pinefeather (Papertrey Ink); foil paper (Recollections)
Ink:  Onyx Black (Versafine)
Accessories:  Festive Greenery Sizzlit (Tim Holtz); Pine Sprig Cluster die (Impression Obsession); Subtle Dynamic embossing folder (Stampin' Up!); silver cord (Stampin' Up!)

Fusion - Gray and White Christmas

Happy thanksgiving to all my American friends!

Thanksgiving festivities apparently got the better of me because I completely blanked on posting my card for the latest Fusion challenge.  Better late than never!  It's the last one of the year and despite today's Thanksgiving holiday I made a Christmas card!

The theme is gray and white Christmas and I mostly stuck to that theme as I created a little fusion and combined the sketch with the inspiration photo.  There was some greenery in the photo so I picked up on that for my holly leaves, but the red I added all on my own.  I was going to do white berries instead of red ones but they didn't look as good!

Thanks for stopping by!  I hope you can create some Fusion of your own by joining us!

Supplies
Stamps:  Spruce & Sprigs (Papertrey Ink); Handwritten Holidays (Tim Holtz)
Paper:  Solar White (Neenah); Smokey Shadow (Papertrey Ink); Smoky Slate (Stampin' Up!)
Ink:  Evergreen, Crimson (Altenew); Smokey Shadow (Papertrey Ink)
Accessories:  Spruce & Sprigs die (Papertrey Ink)

Freshly Made Sketches 489

Hi friends!  It's Wednesday so that means we've got a new sketch challenge for you at Freshly Made Sketches!  This week our hostess is Linda and her sketch has a bunch of circles on it. 🙈What to do, what to do?? In true Freshly Made Sketches fashion circles are not necessary (you can always substitute other shapes) but that's what stuck in my brain when I sat at my desk to make my card.  So circles lead to rain drops which lead to an umbrella which lead to the only stamp set I own with an umbrella in it.

The "umbrella man," as I have taken to calling him, was a perfect image for some masculine colors so I used the challenge at TGIF for my color choices.  My raindrops are 3D enamel dots.  Whoever gets this card will get it hand-delivered because I'm sure those dots won't survive the post office and their sorting machines!

Thanks for stopping by!  Our Freshly Made Sketches team has made some fabulous cards with this sketch so I hope you check them out and join us!

Supplies
Stamps:  Life's Possibilities (Tim Holtz)
Paper: Whisper White, Night of Navy (Stampin' Up!)
Ink:  Basic Gray, Night of Navy (Stampin' Up!)
Accessories:  Clear Droplets (Pretty Pink Posh)

Freshly Made Sketches 474

We've got a great new sketch for you from your friends at Freshly Made Sketches!  This week our hostess is Judy and her sketch is perfect for a whole bunch of ideas!

I'm really not sure that I like my card, LOL!  I knew that I wanted to use a cat on my card because the Paper Players were "feline fine" for their challenge this week.  I'm a cat mom so any excuse to put a cat on a card is a good one in my book!  But I had a hard time deciding on colors and I'm just not sure this card is cute enough in the kitty category!  Oh and after I put this together I realized it qualified for the Tic Tac Toe challenge - the top horizontal row for me.

  

Thanks for stopping by!  My fellow Freshly Made Sketches design team members have made some fabulous cards with this sketch so be sure to check them out!

Supplies
Stamps:  Crazy Cats (Tim Holtz); Kit 'N Caboodle (Papertrey Ink)
Paper:  Solar White (Neenah); Ultra Smooth Premium White (Spectrum Noir); Pacific Point, Vellum (Stampin' Up!)
Ink:  Black Licorice (My Favorite Things); Onyx Black (Versafine); Copics
Accessories:  Pierced Square STAX (My Favorite Things); Quadrangle Frames die (Simon Says Stamp)

Freshly Made Sketches 446

We've got a great new challenge for you at Freshly Made Sketches!  Our talented design team member Linda has embraced the new slimline card trend and is challenging us to create a slim card.  And what's extra fun is that the design is entirely up to you!

I'm almost out of time to create a Christmas in July card so I was determined to do one before I flipped the calendar to August.  I used some edgers dies to create a line of color along the bottom of the card then accented the layout with a poinsettia in classic Christmas colors and a gold-embossed sentiment.

One thing I've noticed about these slimline cards is that there's a prodigious amount of space to fill up!  I managed the task on this card with a big poinsettia and a big sentiment.  I recently went shopping and got some dies specifically for these cards so hopefully I will get better at decorating all that space!  I did manage to use a stitched die for the edge which allows me to play along with the Christmas Card Throwdown challenge.

Thanks for stopping by!  Let's see your slimline cards at Freshly Made Sketches!

Supplies

Stamps:  Handwritten Holidays (Tim Holtz)

Paper:  Desert Storm (Neenah); Real Red, Garden Green, Champagne Glimmer DSP (Stampin' Up!)

Ink:  Versamark

Accessories:  Blooming Poinsettia die (Memory Box); Slim Edgers die (PinkFresh Studio); gold embossing powder

CAS(E) This Sketch 359

Hello there!  It's time for a "new" challenge at CAS(E) This Sketch!  This week we are going retro all the way back to sketch #7 which debuted nearly eight years ago - November 12, 2012 to be exact.  I did play along with that sketch all those years ago making a Christmas card.  This time around I went in a different direction.

The OMBRE challenge at Addicted to CAS had me digging through my stash of patterned paper because I was sure I had some ready-made paper that fit the bill.  I found one in shades of blue fading to greenish-blue and cut it to fit the vertical layer on the sketch.  I punched a few circles in a complementary color to make the scalloped detail then added a small sentiment and I was done.  Easy peasy cards are the best!

Thanks for stopping by!  At CAS(E) This Sketch my fellow teammies have made some fabulous cards to inspire you to play along with us!

Supplies
Stamps:  #hashtags (Tim Holtz)
Paper:  Solar White (Neenah); Tropical Teal (Papertrey Ink); Adorbs (My Mind's Eye)
Ink:  Onyx Black (Versafine)

CAS(E) This Sketch 339

Sometimes when I see a sketch an idea for a card does not immediately spring to mind and I have to spend a bit of time pondering.  I ponder in the car, I ponder when I go for a walk.  I even ponder at work - when I'm supposed to be working. 😉  And then suddenly an idea pops into my head.  It's a miracle!  This week my sudden idea came about for the latest challenge at CAS(E) This Sketch!

I thought replacing the heart on the sketch with a paw print was a really cute idea!  Then I only needed a complementary sentiment and I was done.  Super easy!  That doesn't happen often so I celebrate those small victories.  My colors are based on the challenge at TGIF.

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!  I hope you can play along with us!

Supplies
Stamps:  Dog Talk (Tim Holtz)
Paper:  Classic Ivory (Flourishes); Cherry Cobbler, Basic Black (Stampin' Up!)
Ink:  Onyx Black (Versafine)
Accessories:  Dog Icons die (Paper Smooches)

CAS(E) This Sketch 333

I'm not 100% sure but I think this is the first time I've made a card with an elephant on it!  I became intrigued with the idea of using an elephant on a card when I saw the challenge at Just Us Girls.  So I thought I would incorporate it on my card for CAS(E) This Sketch this week.   The only problem was that I had no elephants in my stash.  Etsy to the rescue!

I searched.  I found.  I bought.  I've found that Etsy really is a remarkable tool for when I need a specific image that I don't have - especially when I need it in a hurry.  In this case I got a bunch of elephant images for $2.  So I picked one that I liked and used my Brother Scan 'N Cut to cut it out.  I layered it on a couple of "banners" per the sketch.  One of those banners is stamped with the  sentiment which is a nod to the elephants' amazing ability to remember everything!

Thanks for stopping by!  My CAS(E) This Sketch teammates have made some fantastic cards with this sketch so I hope you check them out and join us in the gallery!

Supplies
Stamps:  Live Love Life (Papertrey Ink); #hashtags (Tim Holtz)
Paper: Solar White (Neenah); Black Licorice (My Favorite Things)
Ink:  Gray Granite (Stampin' Up!); Fine Linen (Papertrey Ink)
Accessories:  Elephant svg (ButterflyAndScorpio)

Freshly Made Sketches 385

Hello, hello.  It's time for a new sketch from Freshly Made Sketches!  Our hostess this week is Kim who designed a classic sketch for us.

This card is the second iteration that I made with this sketch.  The first one was so boring I couldn't bring myself to post it.  So despite it being the Nth hour I crawled back into my craft cave on Tuesday night when I got home from work to see if I could come up with something better.  I started perusing cards that I had made for a now-defunct sketch challenge and found one that I could use to CASE myself.  Using a few of the colors from Sunday Stamps this is what I came up with.  It's been a long time since I've used a button on a card but sometimes I love that old school look!

I was pretty late getting this card made partly because I am obsessed with watching Jeopardy before I head up into my stamp room.  Please tell me I'm not the only one who is in total awe of the current champion!  Every night watching that show is like watching the Super Bowl!  It's exciting and sometimes nerve-wracking but certainly entertaining.  Too bad I have to schedule my crafty-time around the show's schedule! 😆

Thanks for stopping by!  Our Freshly Made Sketches design team has made some fantastic cards to inspire you to play along with us.  I hope we'll see you in the gallery!

Supplies
Stamps:  Dream Big (Verve); Slight Alterations (Tim Holtz)
Paper:  Solar White (Neenah); Old Olive, Pumpkin Pie, Vellum (Stampin' Up!); Royal Velvet (Papertrey Ink)
Ink: Daffodil Delight (Stampin' Up!)
Accessories:  Curvy Leaves die (Elizabeth Craft); Dotted Borders die (Avery Elle); Witch Hazel button (October Afternoon); enamel dots (My Mind's Eye)

CAS(E) This Sketch 284

Our latest sketch challenge at CAS(E) This Sketch is a retro one all the way back to #76.  I love these redux challenges.  Comparing what I did then versus now is eye-opening sometimes!

The original challenge for this sketch debuted HERE and I found that I played along with that sketch HERE.  What a difference four years makes! 

For this sketch I used a paint drip & splatter image as a background and then covered it with a fun sentiment.  I used a row of stars along the bottom to mimic where (I think) the sentiment is supposed to go.  Easy peasy!  I'm also adding this to the "masculine" challenge at Addicted to CAS.  Just about anytime I make a card sans flowers I call it masculine!

Thanks for stopping by.  I hope you join us in our CAS(E) This Sketch gallery this week!

Supplies
Stamps:  Splatdrip (Tim Holtz); Shiny Happy Sentiments (Lil Inker Designs); Star Scribbles (Papertrey Ink)
Ink:  Lime Rickey (Catherine Pooler); 

Freshly Made Sketches 328

I can hardly believe it's Wednesday again!  But here we are with a new sketch challenge at Freshly Made Sketches.  This week our sketch is brought to you by Linda - who is currently buried under many, many, many inches of snow.

Pets!  That's the challenge at Cupcake Inspirations so I just had to play along.  I've got a kitty or two in my house and I've also got one or two kitty stamp sets in my stash.  I chose this fun image from Tim Holtz and gave her a pink diamond background.  Meow.  That says it all!

Thanks for visiting.  Our Freshly Made Sketches design team has got some great cards to inspire you this week.  I hope you'll join us in the gallery!

Supplies
Stamps:  Crazy Cats (Tim Holtz); You Crazy Cat (Concord & 9th)
Paper:  Solar White (Neenah); Bristol Smooth (Strathmore)
Ink:  Black Licorice (My Favorite Things); Jet Black (Altenew); Worn Lipstick (Distress Oxide); Copics

CAS(E) This Sketch 256

And the Valentines continue....We've got a new challenge at CAS(E) This Sketch and as I contemplated all those layers I realized that a heart would look pretty cute embedded in the last one.  Here's what I mean:

From there it was a simple decision to add my little hashtag sentiment.  Voila - a Valentine was born!  I played along with the Paper Players love notes challenge and the CAS on Friday Valentine challenge earlier this week but I can't resist adding these cards there too.

Thanks for stopping by!  My CAS(E) This Sketch teamies have got some great cards to inspire you so be sure to check out their cards for our latest sketch and join us in the gallery!

Supplies
Stamps:  Hashtags (Tim Holtz)
Paper:  Pixie, Cherry (Avery Elle)
Ink:  Cherry (Avery Elle)
Accessories:  Stitched Heart die (White Lotus)

Freshly Made Sketches 308

The calender says October but the weather still says summer here!  Despite that I managed to put myself in the autumn mood with my card for our latest challenge at Freshly Made Sketches.  This week Rita is our hostess and her sketch is a classic design.

I used the colors from The Paper Players.  I'll admit that I really wanted to use some green on here for the leaves but I resisted the urge!  Instead I used peach with a little brown rolled onto the edges thinking they'd look like fall foliage.  I don't think I succeeded!  In hindsight I think I should have left the leaves off and used another sunflower instead.

I don't have air conditioning in my house so the humidity can wreak havoc on my cards.  I made this card on Sunday and didn't photograph it until Monday so it managed to curl from all the moisture in the air.  You can see it's got a gentle arc to it as it sits upon my frog!

Our Freshly Made Sketches design team has got some beautiful cards for this sketch so be sure to check them out.  I hope you can join us in the gallery!

Thanks for stopping by!

Supplies
Stamps:  Simple Sunflower (Papertrey Ink); Gorgeous Grunge (Stampin' Up!); Hashtags (Tim Holtz)
Paper:  Classic Ivory (Flourishes); Early Espresso, Crushed Curry (Stampin' Up!)
Ink:  Early Espresso, Crushed Curry, Peach Parfait (Stampin' Up!)
Accessories:  Simple Sunflower die (Papertrey Ink); Washi Tape die (My Favorite Things); Autumn Harvest sequins (Pretty Pink Posh)