Freshly Made Sketches #751

 

It's Michele's turn as this week's sketch designer for Freshly Made Sketches #751.

How fun is this one?

 

 

I decided to go postal with a postage stamp as my rectangular element. 

 

 I created a stamp with some patterned paper and added the postal marks. I thought

about adding a pretty bloom but reached for this happy bird instead because it's time 

she made another appearance. I stamped the sentiment then layered everything onto

a card base. 

 

Note: This card was sent to a centenarian who reached an amazing milestone and 

we've been told she likes to receive birthday cards and opens and reads each one! 

 

 Visit Freshly Made Sketches for all the details and deadline and see how the rest

of the team interpreted Michele's sketch. We hope to see you in the gallery!

 

 

Freshly Made Sketches #725

 

Freshly Made Sketches #725 is brought to us by Cécile and her sketch is

a representation of her unique card making style. 

I always overthink the sketch while trying to keeping my card CAS. Here's what I 

came up with.

I've had that goose die for a while and decided to finally use her for my card. She was

assembled and I chose the bonnet over the other two hats and grounded her with an 

old MFT oval shadow diecut. 

I embossed the background and went over it with a white pigment inkpad to 

bring out the details. I adhered the goose and shadow and finished off with a 

Pinkfresh Studio sentiment.

Visit Freshly Made Sketches to see how the rest of the team interpreted

Cécile's sketch and for all the challenge details and deadline. Come and join us

if you can and we hope to see you in the gallery!

Freshly Made Sketches #723

 

 Freshly Made Sketches #723 is brought to you by our teammie Verena. 

Here's her awesome sketch that had me stumped for a while .

At first all I saw was a fish. Then a whale, then a leaf, then an umbrella.

And at the last minute I thought about a nest and came up with this.

 

I assembled the Memory Box nest and borrowed some eggs from Papertrey Ink 

together with greenery from Altenew. I used a 3D embossing folder that was

buried and rediscovered. Isn't that texture amazing?

The bottom of the card front was covered with cream card stock and the

springtime sentiment was stamped on it. I assembled all of the elements

and called it done, although the card lost its "clean" status along the way.

 

Visit the Freshly Made Sketches blog to see how the rest of the team

interpreted Verena's sketch and join us if you can. You have until Monday,

February 16th at 3:00pm to link up your card. Hope to see you in the gallery!

 

 

Freshly Made Sketches #719

 

Judy brings us a fun sketch for Freshly Made Sketches #719 and it looks like this.

As always, I had numerous ideas and settled on using a favorite bird. He was

already assembled and spattered with some "snow" and I trimmed his scarf so 

he'd fit within the card.

The knitted piece was a scrap that I salvaged and I used Altenew's embossing

folder with the assorted sentiments so I wouldn't have to decide on one.

I assembled all of the pieces per the sketch and finished off with some 

iridescent sequins. 

Visit the Freshly Made Sketches blog for all the details and more inspiration 

from the design team. You have until Monday, January19th at 3PM EST to

link up your card. Hope to see you in the gallery!

Freshly Made Sketches #717

 

Freshly Made Sketches #717 by Narelle will be the last sketch for 2025

so that all of you, as well as the design team, can enjoy the holidays.

 

 Here is my simplified take on it.

 

The Backyard Wren is typically facing to the right but I wanted it facing inwards 

to the left. After die cutting the pieces, I colored the reverse side and assembled 

the bird. A cream colored panel was embossed and adhered to a kraft card 

base. The wren and greenery were adhered per the sketch and I added a 

simple one word sentiment.

 

Come and join our last challenge of the year. You have until Monday, 

January 5th, 2026 to link up your card for this sketch.

Happy Holidays and see you in the new year!

Freshly Made Sketches #715

 

Today's a special day with a special post!  I can finally announce that I am officially

a design team member for Freshly Made Sketches!  I love working with sketches 

and could not refuse the invitation from Jennifer Timko to work with the

ladies I've long admired for their weekly creativity. 

I'm also back together with my former CASE this Sketch buddy, Michele Ferguson

and another former teammate, Jen Mitchell! Oh happy day!

Now that I've gushed long enough, here's this week's sketch by Karren.

 

 

And here's my take on the sketch using another Memory Box cutie.

After assembling  the Snowy Owl I added a bit of Stickles on the hat's band and 

pompom. I ran an aqua strip through a snowflake embossing folder and a Kristina 

Werner snowflake was cut from specialty paper from my stash. 

 

I adhered all the pieces per the sketch and added a white embossed sentiment. 

I rounded off the two bottom corners and my first DT card was done.

 

 Visit the Freshly Made Sketches blog for more inspiration and join us if you can.

You have until Monday, December 8th at 3:00PM EST to link up your card(s).

 

Thanks, always, for stopping by!

 

 

JUGS Week #800 -- Anything Goes

 

Just Us Girls (JUGS) Challenge #800 is a special one as it marks their 800th

challenge! What a milestone! I consider myself a "newbie" to their challenges,

and I started playing along thanks to blogging pal Michele.

 

 I wanted to join the celebration and squeezed in a card, just under the wire.

 

I fell in love with that Memory Box bird doing its happy dance, another enabled

purchase from Michele. Doesn't he just evoke joy? After inking him I spattered

a bit of water for texture. I ran an arched piece partially through a snow 

embossed folder then stamped the sentiment.

 

A red card base was embossed and inked around the edges and topped with

the arch piece and bird. 

Here's a better pic of the sentiment which is an old (c.2012) set from

Simon Says Stamp that I wish they would remake. It has some of my

favorite holiday sentiments on it.

Ok, now I'd better run and link this up. Thanks, always, for stopping by!

  

* * *

 

Edited to add: I'm honored to receive a SHOUT OUT from JUGS!

Now I'm really doing a happy dance! Thanks so much, ladies!

 

Freshly Made Sketches #708

 

Jen T designed Freshly Made Sketches #708, a sketch with many possibilities

for that circular element.

 

Here's how I was inspired. 

 

A Memory Box magnolia wreath almost got turned into poinsettias but I changed the colors

at the last minute for autumn. The wreath was adhered to an embossed card base

and some gemstones were added to the flower centers. A Kristina Werner sentiment

finished off the card.

Thanks so much for stopping by, I'm off to link this up!

 

 

Freshly Made Sketches #705

 

Narelle brings us Freshly Made Sketches #705 and it looks like this.

 

 

I brought out a die that's at least 12 years old that was a favorite back then.

  

 

 

The Memory Box die is called Modern Landscape and I used my surgical skills

to cut the landscape apart and taper off some hills. All the pieces were inked

 then colored with Zig markers and I couldn't resist some water spatter.

I stamped the sentiment on the bottom strip then adhered the three pieces

on a dot embossed card base.

Apologies for using "old" supplies but they were well loved and still are.

Thanks for stopping by!

* * *

Edited to add: Verena honored me with a Princess title for my card.

Thank you Verena and FMS!

 

 

Freshly Made Sketches #673

 

Freshly Made Sketches #673 is a clean and simple one from Jen T.

 

 

I attempted to follow the sketch design, but I blame "the bird."

 

 

I'm a huge fan of bird dies and when I saw Memory Box's "regal birds" I couldn't wait

to order them. Birds wearing crowns?  I die.

I followed the colors of their example in the store then perched him on a berry branch.

I added a little texture with a doily embossing folder, adhered him to an arch,

and stamped the sentiment before popping up the element. 

I hope you (and Jen) can see the sketch, Off to link up this little guy.

Thanks so much for stopping by!

Color Throwdown #793

Playing along with the latest from Color Throwdown #793 being drawn to the 

unique color palette: orange, purple, and aqua.

 

 And here's my card featuring new mushrooms from Papertrey Ink.

 

 

I'm a huge fan of mushrooms and I liked the shapes and sizes in the set. I know that 

the colors are uncommon, but I think they give them a whimsical touch.

All of the mushroom parts and leaves were cut from Concord & 9th card stock

and inked to give them more dimension.

A panel was cut from Reverse Wonky Rectangles (again!) and ran through Memory

Box's Pinpoint Leaves Cover Die. I arranged the pieces and finished off with the

sentiment from MFT. 

Ok, I'm off to link this up. Thanks for stopping by!

 

The Flower Challenge -- PRETTY PASTELS

I can't believe we're halfway through the month of May! A cold and flu bug made its

rounds in two households and now we're all slowly recovering. 

 

I finally found the energy to create again and using scrap pieces helped put this card 

together for this month's The Flower Challenge--PRETTY PASTELS.

 

 

 

Here's my card.

I had the dome shape in my scrap pile and embossed the magnolias on them. I used residual

ink on my brushes and applied the color over the piece. Some silver ink was spattered over

and adhered to an embossed card base. A scrap sentiment piece was added together with

some small iridescent drops.

Once again, I'm grateful for my scraps. Thanks so much for stopping by!

Fluttering By With Freshly Made Sketches 583

The deadline for Freshly Made Sketches 583 is in a few hours and I'm entering

the challenge because it took me so long to put the card together. I refused to give up!

 

Here's the sketch.

 

And here's my card in its third and final design.

  

 

A rainbow seems like the most logical element as a focal point, but the Backyard Wren from

Memory Box arrived and I wanted to incorporate it on a card. I flipped the sketch since 

he's facing to the right, and perched him on a few branches. I also changed him into a

bluebird because a brown wren is pretty drab.

And about that sentiment....It's by Waffle Flower and meant for their butterfly collection.

I really like the mixed fonts and had to Google whether birds do flutter (or flitter?)

It's a toss up, depending on which expert you listen to. I'm sticking with fluttering

as a "means of courtship".

Off to link this up. Thanks for stopping by!

Inspired by April Showers

This week's Inspired by Challenge 233 is April Showers. Here's the challenge graphic.

 

 

 

And here's my take on it, loosely based on a flipped sketch.

 

Of course I had to incorporate umbrellas somehow. I DIY'd a cloud template and

used Lost Shadow Distress Oxide ink for the cloudy background. Three umbrellas 

were inked and spattered with water, then adhered to the card.

 

I chose a sentiment from Hero Arts/Reverse Confetti, added some clear raindrops

and rounded off a corner as a finishing touch.

Thanks so much for stopping by!

Freshly Made Sketches 580

 I'm joining Freshly Made Sketches 580, with its window pane sketch design.

 

I was afraid I'd take too long to figure out the dimension of each quadrant and I was

thinking of going "wonky" with the shapes. But neatness and order prevailed and

here's what I came up with.

I used Altenew's gradient card stock and wide washi tape for the panels and 

added some embossing for a bit of dimension on the card. The sentiment was

white embossed and the card was finished off with clear sequins.

Thanks so much for stopping by!

Color Throwdown Challenge #735

 

Here's the graphic for Color Throwdown Challenge #735 with blue, brown, and rust

as this week's colors.

 

 

 

And here's my card using Simon Says Stamp's Paper Layering Circles. 

Dana Joy mentioned the circles look like geodes, which they do. Here's my geode.

The circles were cut from mostly patterned papers and I threw in a bit of glitter paper

for interest. A Memory Box sentiment, a few enamel dots, and a rounded right corner

finished off the card.

 

 Thanks so much for stopping by!

Caffeinated Christmas Card Challenge #10 -- GNOMES

 

Entering Caffeinated Christmas Card Challenge is a first for me. I've always meant to 

join a challenge but never had the time. I couldn't resist this month's challenge because 

I have a few gnomes and a ton of coffee related stamps and dies.

I had some leftover gnomes and wanted to have one holding onto a coffee mug.

Extra gnome noses worked perfectly as hands! The sentiment was stamped on a

panel before being embossed with the coffee cups so it's a little wonky looking

but still readable, I think.

A strip of gingham plaid was added to the panel and the gnome and some

greenery were adhered to the card.

And I can chalk up another Christmas card for my stash!

Thanks for stopping by!

Fusion Challenge -- Autumn Leaves

I have a soft spot for leaves and after seeing blogging friend Michele's card and finding out

that Fusion's latest challenge is all about leaves, I had to join in. 

At Fusion you can play with the sketch or with the inspiration photo, or both. I went with

the photo--such gorgeous colors!

 

A pad of Altenew patterned paper made quick work of choosing the colors, and I

used a retired set of leaves from MFT. A dark brown panel was embossed with

an Altenew folder and the leaves were adhered and pulled up for dimension.

I die cut the "thankful" from white card stock, then inked it in ombré colors and

adhered it to the shadow piece. The sentiment was then adhered to the card.

Thanks to Michele for directing me to the challenge and thanks for stopping by!

Inspired by National Coffee Day

 

I was excited to see that Laurel and Inspired by Challenges are back! And I wanted

to participate in the current challenge which is all about coffee.

 

 

Here's Laurel's easy peasy sketch.

 

 

And here's my easy peasy take on it.

 

 

 I own SO MANY coffee themed stamps and dies and one of my faves is this set of 

cups from Memory Box, which is long discontinued. I cut them from white card 

stock and inked them in warm colors. I die cut a small heart from the middle 

mug and mounted all of the cups on a kraft card base.

 

 Originally I was planning to white emboss the sentiment, but after stamping it 

in Versamark ink, I like how it looked so I clear embossed it instead. 

 

And that's a wrap. I'd better link this card in the IB gallery. 

Thank for stopping by! 

 

 

Color Throwdown 705

I'm not one to enter color challenges--because I'm color challenged. Unless

the colors jump out and I have an idea, then I'll pass. But this week's challenge 

at Color Throwdown did just that. Jumped out at me and I had an idea.

 

 

Leaves came to mind, although the purple made me decide to use gingko leaves.

I colored three of them, spattered them with white paint and adhered them to a 

white card base. Clear sequins, a Memory Box sentiment and rounded off corner 

finished off the card.

And that's a wrap. Thanks for stopping by!