Freshly Made Sketches #695

 

It's a "no fuss" sketch from Jen T this week over at Freshly Made Sketches #695.

After much trial and error, here's my card.

 

   

Since the oval could be substituted with any shape, I was planning to use a

 window and patterned papers from Simon Says Stamp's July 2024 Card Kit.

 

While I was putting the card together, the window panes blocked out most of the

 cityscape so I switched to a regular arch. Much better. I stamped the sentiment 

and at the last minute decided to add a branch that semi resembled cherry 

blossom buds.

 

Off to link this up with a few days to spare. Thanks for stopping by!

 

* * *

Edited to add: My card was given a Princess status by Judy. Thanks so much, Judy!

Freshly Made Sketches #676

 

Here's Freshly Made Sketches #676 courtesy of Kim.

 A lot of possibilities for those circular elements but I ended up going citrus and 

happened to have several Greetery Citrus Slices already premade. Yay!

I embossed some texture before adding the frame and fruits. I tucked in a few leaves

and finished off with the simple sentiment. 

I'm pleased as punch when I can use premade goodies on my card, especially when

it's down to the wire to enter AND I remembered where I put them. (Wink!)

Thanks so much for stopping by!

* * *

Edited to add: My card was given the Princess honor by Judy! Thanks so much!

Freshly Made Sketches #666

 

Jen B brings a fun sketch for Freshly Made Sketches #666. With the holidays quickly

approaching, I thought about using ornaments or snowflakes for the design.

 

In the end, I resorted to stacking teacups that I could use on an A2 sized card--because 

my slimline dies were hiding from me 😉

 

I rotated the sketch to accommodate the cups which were cut from washi tape

and colored card stock. The sentiment was stamped before the card was run

through a textured embossing folder.

 Off to link this up. Thanks for stopping by and have a great weekend!

Freshly Made Sketches #609 -- Guest Designer

 

I was invited to join Freshly Made Sketches 609 after my card, along with other winners,

 was chosen for their celebratory Freshly Made Sketches 600.

 

Here's the fantastic sketch--just look at all of the elements!

 

 

I was a little overwhelmed, so I simplified the sketch to more my style.

I used a rounded arch for the central element and substituted branches for the fishtail

strips which helped to perch the bird. A strip of kraft was embossed with a wood plank 

folder, then distressed with white pigment ink. I embossed the sentiment and adhered 

all of the elements to the card base. The finishing touch was a spattering of snow with

some white paint.

 

You have until Monday, October 30th at 3:00 PM EST to enter. Come and join the fun!

Huge thanks to Karren and the rest of the FMS team for inviting me to join you this week.

 

 

The Flower Challenge #68 -- Use a Number

This month's challenge theme at The Flower Challenge #68 is to Use a Number.

 

 

 

Here's my card using the new Lovely Layers Peony Honey Cuts for the bloom, and

one of my favorite number dies--Penny Black's By the Numbers.

 

The numbers die was debossed into a white card stock top folding card and set

aside. The peony and leaves were diecut from white card stock then colored 

with inks. The flower was assembled and spattered with gold ink.

The bloom and leaves were adhered to the debossed panel and finished off with

the white embossed sentiment.

This was probably a lazy way of adding a number so I may redeem myself and

enter another card. Stay tuned, and thanks for stopping by!

* * * 

Edited to add: So honored that my card was chosen as the Challenge winner! 

Huge thanks to the Flower Challenge design team and congrats to the Top Picks

and Honorable Mention.

So Thankful

Happy New Year! I am so in love with Papertrey Ink's Feathered Friends series. 

When I think back (way back!) my first pet was an olive green budgie, so birds 

were always a fave.

 

I recently acquired Feathered Friends 13 and I'm not familiar with what type of

bird he is, but I've turned him into a red breasted robin. Correct me if I'm wrong.

 

 

I assembled the bird after coloring him with inks and daubers. For the background

I used branches from Penny Black's Nestled set and I was going to color them but

decided to leave them white for an embossed look. 

 

 I finished off the card with a sentiment from a Spellbinders stamp set.

Here's wishing you a Happy 2022. I am so thankful for your visits here and

for your sweet comments too!

Inspired by Challenge 199C -- Tweet Winter

I'm linking up another project to Inspired by Challenge because of the chubby guy

in the graphic. And I happen to have a flock of bird stamps and dies.

 

 

I used Laurel's simple sketch, too.

The bird and branches are Nestled from Penny Black. I tried to channel the amazing

Jill Foster to color the bird, but ended up ink blending him because the first two 

attempts were a watercolored mess. 

 

A band of color was blended per the sketch design and I adhered the bird and

branches and finished off with the sentiment from Hero Arts.

 

Hope your weekend is going well. Thanks so much for stopping by!

 

 

Inspired By Challenge -- Wrap Me Up in Spring

I made some time to join this week's Inspired by Challenge. I was totally inspired

by the flowers and used supplies from four stamp companies on my card.

 

 

This is the first time that I'm using Hero Arts' Watering Can Die. I'm not sure why

the watering can turned out the color that it did because I ink distressed white

card stock with Pumice Stone distress ink. Must be my Pic Monkey editing.

The tulips and fillers were cut from white card stock and colored with Copic 

markers. The can was grounded on a strip of diagonal striped paper and

finished off with the Penny Black sentiment.

 

Thanks so much for stopping by!

 

Inspired by Challenge -- Spring into Color

 

For the latest Inspired by Challenge, I was totally inspired by team member Michele and

 her gorgeous take on the inspiration photo. Go on, click on the link and prepare to be blown away.

 

I decided to use Altenew's Crocus Layering Stamp and Die Set and Laurel's sketch for my card.

 

 

When I Googled crocus, I didn't see pretty red or pink crocuses. Mine look more like

tulips. I'm calling them fantasy flowers. I used Altenew inks--love that they come in sets

of three or four that makes life so much simpler. 

I cut them out with the matching dies and adhered them to a mini slimline card. I white

embossed the Penny Black sentiment, rounded off the top corner and called it done.

I think the crocus gods are frowning down on me. Thanks for stopping by!

Inspired By Challenge -- Take a Number

I'm entering the latest Inspired By Challenge just under the wire.

Where did February go??

 

 Here's my take on the challenge theme.

This Penny Black die is one of my all time favorites and I thought it would work for 

the challenge. I die cut watercolor card stock and inked it with warm Distress inks

then spattered it with gold ink. A gold embossed sentiment finished off the card.

Ok, I'm off to enter the challenge. Thanks for stopping by!

CASology Week #361--Guest Designer

I have the honor of guesting for this week's CASology challenge since my card 

was chosen as the BRANCH winner for week #358. Thank you, Melissa!

Here's the cue word for this week--just in time for Valentine's Day.

And here's my take on the cue word.

I stamped the adorable hedgie off center on a white card base and colored
her with Copic markers. I white embossed the sentiment on the balloon,
 added a few clouds, then rounded off the bottom corners.

By using one main image and placing it off center, this gives the illusion of
more white space, even with the addition of die cut clouds.

Visit the CASology blog for all the details and deadlines, and see how the
design team interpreted the cue word. Come and join us if you can--we hope
to see you in the gallery!

CAS(E) this Sketch #341

Teammie Brian brings us this week's CAS(E) this Sketch.

Meet Sketch #341.

Here's my take on it.

It was serendipitous that I organized my dies, finding Penny Black's By the 

Numbers die that I enjoyed playing with. I diecut the piece from watercolor 

card stock and inked it with Hero Arts Reactive inks, then spattered it 

with water and gold ink.

I diecut the piece twice more from kraft card stock and adhered them to form

a thick chipboard piece. The piece was adhered to a kraft card base then 

topped with the gold embossed sentiment.

Visit CAS(E) this Sketch to see how the rest of the team interpreted Brian's

sketch and join us if you can. Link up your card(s) by Thursday, October 3rd.
Hope to see you in the gallery!

Penny Black's Christmas in July--PEACE•LOVE•JOY

On my last day of guesting on the Penny Black blog, I pulled out my Copics

and colored pencils to color this little cutie.

After coloring the image, I masked her and inked in the sky with Distress Oxide inks.

Visit the Penny Black blog for instructions and details on how I created this card.

Thanks so much for dropping by during Christmas in July and I hope that you

found inspiration to get a head start on your Christmas cards!

Huge thanks to Jill and Penny Black for the invitation to share my ideas
with you using their awesome line of products! Happy Holidays!

Penny Black's Christmas in July--Merry Everything

Thanks for stopping by on another day of Christmas in July on the Penny
Black blog! Today my card features Snowy with another popular icon from
Penny Black--the adorable hedgehog!

I did a bit of fussy cutting after stamping and coloring the image with
Copic markers, and paired them with berry branches on my wintry scene.

For details and instructions on how this card came together, visit today's post
 on the Penny Black blog. And join me here tomorrow on my last day as a guest!

Penny Black's Christmas in July--Warmest Wishes

Hello! I'm back on the Penny Black blog with another card for their month long
Christmas in July series! Here's today's card.

I fell in love with the mugs and knew that ink distressing would be involved. I created
a cup each of hot cocoa, coffee, and tea. Please visit today's post at Penny Black for
instructions on how this card came together.

Thanks so much for stopping by and hope you'll drop by tomorrow!

Penny Black's Christmas in July--Let it Snow

 Hello, and Happy Holidays! As the banner reads, it's Christmas in July over at
 Penny Black, and I'm thrilled to be joining them over the next few days with
some wintry inspiration! It's never too early to start on Christmas cards, right?

Of course I couldn't pass on making a Snowy card. Blogging friend Judy Jung,
(aka Ms. Running With Scissors) did a series of Snowy cards last year and I
wanted a Snowy stamp of my own after reading her Snowy stories.

Distress Oxide inks helped create the background, and I grounded Snowy

with a snowbank and trees. I added the perfect sentiment, and finished off

the card with some clear sequins.

Please visit the Penny Black blog for a list of supplies that I used as well as 

instructions on how this Snowy card came together! Thanks for visiting

today, and I hope you'll stop by tomorrow to celebrate Christmas in July!

Pretty Pink Posh Cutting Edge Blog Hop

I'm joining the Pretty Pink Posh Cutting Edge Blog Hop just under the wire.
Here's my card.

I'm totally in love with Penny Black's By the Numbers die.
I dabbed some distress inks on it and popped it up on a woodgrain embossed card.

Gold spattered ink, a gold die cut sentiment and gold sequins finished the card.

Gosh, that's a lot of gold!

Visit Pretty Pink Posh and hop along and comment to win some awesome prizes
from fabulous sponsors!

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