Freshly Made Sketches: Sending Joy

It's time for a new sketch at Freshly Made Sketches! Today we have a sketch by Judy and here’s what I did with it!

   

 

The dies in the my little scene are from my most-used set from last Christmas. It's Honey Bee Stamps Winter Bouqet. I hadn't pulled it out yet this year so it was overdue.  The candle is actually taller - I cut it and moved the die to cut again so it was shorter and more in line with the squares of the sketch.  The sentiment is new this year from Honey Bee.

I'm not 100% true to the sketch. My candle should be to the right. I just mis-remembered the sketch as I was adhering things. I was a bit sad when I looked at the sketch again and realized that because I had been fairly thrilled with the way I came up with doing the sentiment.  I remember that it was to the left and I was struggling with that.  Then I saw the stamp and die combo and realized I could put it to the left but have the weight of it under the candle. 

Plaid has been so trendy this year and I really hadn't used any (not that I use a lot of patterned paper anyway!!) I originally was going to doing my usual white and sponge on a golden glow for the candle.  I still like that idea - but I had a paper pack out on my desk from doing this card and the plaid caught my eye.  I love happy accidents (or messy desks!)

I hope to see you playing along with us this week at Freshly Made Sketches.

SUPPLY LIST

Stamps: Honey Bee Stamps Joy

Dies: Honey Bee Stamps Joy, Winter Bouquet, Simon Says Stamp A2 Thin Frames

Paper: Moda Scrap Sudtirol Origins 12x12, Taylored Expressions Cherry Pop, Mushroom, My Favorite Things Natural

Color Throwdown: Happy Holidays

I love the fresh Christmas colors at the Color Throwdown. I created a slimline background of snowflakes using the colors and added the sentiment with the silver.

The snowflakes are a set from Simon Says.  I got it a while back just to have a wide variety of stamped snowflakes - I have plenty of snowflake dies but not big sets of stamps.  But then I noticed that there were dies in the same shape - not to cut out these snowflakes but to coordinate.  Being an obsessive full-set kind of person, I bought all of the snowflakes on the recent Simon Says sale. Sad, but true - and I bet you can all relate!

For this card, the stamped snowflakes were what I needed because I wanted to use this slimline sentiment stamp from Impression Obsession.  It's a set of five Christmas sentiments.  I purchased it to go with the slimline trees that I used on this card, but that particular card needed a bigger sentiment. I wouldn't let myself tuck the sentiment stamps into my stash without using them - so here it is!  I did have to do some card surgery to make it work.  I originally silver-embossed directly onto the snowflakes but the part on the red snowflake didn't show up unless it was in exactly the right light so it had a shine on it.  First I tried cutting out the sentiment strip and popping it - obviously it didn't change the red snowflake, I just thought it would make the sentiment more prominent.  Then I decided to emboss on vellum and cover the original sentiment.  That works, except I really prefer the crisp white, vs. the muted vellum. Oh well.  I was not going to start over with the snowflakes - not because I didn't want to stamp them, but I had already deep-cleaned the red ink off of them!

Thank you to the Color Throwdown for the inspiration.

SUPPLY LIST

Stamps: Simon Says Stamp Lots of Snowflakes, Impression Obsession Winter Greetings

Dies: Mama Elephant Slim Card Basics

The Card Concept: Sketched Trees

 I love the current graphic at The Card Concept. It's such a classic Christmas look!  I thought about pulling out a chair die and using the inspiration quite literally by creating that charming scene, but I have so many unused Christmas stamps and dies so I went in a different direction.

I was inspired by the plaid in the photo and the fresh white and green.  I also saw my layout in their photo with the plaid at the bottom and the white/green at the top. 

The stamp is a new stamp in Impression Obsession's slimline series.  The stamp covers an entire slimlime and has a wonderful curved and graceful look which you can't see well on mine with the big sentiment. The die is from Trinity Stamps; I love the font and how it pops with the backer die. 

After I stamped the trees, I stamped again with the tops of the trees colored with a Versamark pen. Then I embossed some heat and stick powder and added glitter.  I had some snowflakes that matched perfectly then added red tree topper gems to a few of the trees. 

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I've always liked The Card Concept's style definition of Clean and Layered. I never felt I was a Clean and Simple creator mostly because I don't find any card "simple"!  But I definitely like clean so since I first saw their definition I have called my style "clean and layered".

Thanks so much to The Card Concept for the inspiration.

SUPPLY LIST

Stamps: Impression Obsession Sketched Trees

Dies: Trinity Stamps Scripty Christmas

Paper: Moda Scrap Sudtirol Origins 12x12

Ink: Stampin' Up Just Jade

Other: Pretty Pink Posh Holiday Mix gems, Stampin' Up Adhesive-Backed Snowflakes

CAS on Friday: Snow

 I am thrilled to be a guest at the CAS on Friday challenge which starts today!  The challenge is "snow". When I sat down to make this card, I had just gotten the sentiment die so I had a starting point!

This card took a hard left turn halfway through making it.  I actually got the die to use for my young nieces and that was the intent when I started this card. But after I pulled out bright colors and glitter paper and bling - I realized I couldn't do a CAS card for my nieces. Their cards need to be full of color.  But as I was staring at the die, I started to realize that this was the message that I wanted to send to both of my 21+ year old sons.  I usually go funny for them, but this year is different. 

I switched directions and found a wintery plaid.  I cut the die in white and in gray - then layered with the gray slightly showing as a shadow.  I trimmed out the "O" in "SNOW" and added a snowflake and a dapper little snowman.  As much as I love dies, I'm going to have to start re-thinking which dies I buy.  I recently picked the snowman set up on sale at Hobby Lobby and I do love it.  But those itty-bitty pieces are becoming more and more difficult to see and to handle as the years go by!! 

"Snow Much Love" to each of you!  I hope my American friends are having a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday - even while social distancing!!

SUPPLY LIST

Dies: Mama Elephant Big Snow Much Love, Sizzix Tiny Snowglobes (the snowman), Sizzix Mini Paper Snowflakes

Paper: Lawn Fawn Perfectly Plaid Winter, Stampin' Up Balmy Blue, Gray Granite, Poppy Parade, Mango Melody

Other: Studio Katia Red Hearts

Sales at Poppystamps and Birch Press!

 To all my U.S. friends - Happy Thanksgiving!!

I don't know about you, but it looks very different this year.  Instead of starting all of the cooking, cleaning and other preparations - I'm sitting here in my PJs, with a warm cup of coffee, doing some shopping!

Here's two good sales.  I LOVE when the entire site is on sale

Poppystamps

Birch Press

Have fun!

Freshly Made Sketches: Holiday Blessings

It's time for a new sketch at Freshly Made Sketches! Today we have a sketch by Amy and here’s what I did with it!

I was flipping through dies that I had never used and saw the Paper Smooches snowflake that I got as they were closing.  Then I saw the 'holiday blessings' by Paper Rose which was a recent purchase - and I like how the two of them had a chunky rounded look.  I knew it was all meant to be when I saw this older paper by Lawn Fawn that also included hearts and the "blessings" of peace, love and joy!!  I love it when a card comes together like that!!

I applied a heavy coat of sparkle to the snowflake. My original intent was to use black behind the sentiment to balance the black patterned paper but it just seemed so heavy - so the three little glitter dots gave me the black that I needed!!

One last post about the Colorado wildfires.  It might surprise you to know the big ones are still burning although mostly contained.  The biggest fire ripped through the high mountain church camp that our family has gone to for 30 years. For weeks at a time, no one knew whether it stood or not. The fire would blow towards it, then it would shift, then it would head back, then an early snow slowed it and on and on.  At the beginning, the firefighters had used it as a base (to eat, shower, and sleep) and when they were taking a "break" from fighting the fire, they spent a lot of time trying to mitigate the danger. See that big orange thing by the cars, that's a big water-filled bladder - they placed them all around the camp.  

They saved the main lodge although you can see it was close.  (Pictures by Sky Ranch staff.) 

The high ropes course and much of the land, including most of the sites for youth campers, were damaged.

But I think this is the most amazing view. This is the outdoor worship space and the font.  Changed forever, but still standing. 

Praise God!!

I hope to see you playing along with us this week.

SUPPLY LIST

Dies: Paper Smooches Lovely Snowflake, Paper Rose Holiday Blessings

Paper: Lawn Fawn Peace Joy Love, Taylored Expressions Watermelon, Stampin' Up Lost Lagoon

Other Sparkle Sheer Shimmer Stix, Doodlebug Beetle Black Glitter Sprinkles

Poppystamps: A Snowy Christmas

 I love the sparkle of Christmas!  Lights and candles inside. Snow outside. I'm on the Poppystamps blog today and I just had to use the Snowy Merry Christmas dies with a forest of snowy, sparkly trees.

I went with very traditional colors but this could work in frosty blues or purples and lavenders. Or you could go elegant with white trees and a golden Merry Christmas. Or what about cutting the trees in plaids. There are so many options with just a few basic dies.

There are more details and pictures on the Poppystamps blog!

SUPPLY LIST

Dies: Poppystamps Snowy Merry Christmas, Evergreen Trio, Snowflake Tall Curve Border