Freshly Made Sketches: Beloved Friend

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!

In the midst of everything going on right now, a sweet lady at work lost her dog. It was a long illness, so not unexpected but that doesn't make it any easier. She's working from home right now so feels the loss of her companion all day long.

Here's the sketch. I hope to see you playing along. Making cards is a fabulous escape from our current lives, plus it's a much-needed bright spot in someone's day when they go to the mailbox to see that you thought of them!

SUPPLY LIST
Stamps: Taylored Expressions Care & Comfort - Pets
Dies: Simon Says Stamp Paws, Stampin' Up Layering Circles Framelits, Sweet 'n Sassy Hearts, Lil' Inkers Stitched Squares
Paper: Stampin' Up Smoky Slate, Honey Bee Stamps Sweet on You (the coral patterns), Sunny Studio Classic Gingham
Ink: Stampin' Up Smoky Slate
Other: Stampin' Up Glitter and Clear Epoxy Shapes (the tears)

CAS(E) this Sketch: Hugs and Coloring

I want to send regular cards to my tween and teen nieces while they are stuck at home. They love to make cards with me so they have some idea of the process.  I saw the unique sketch at CAS(E) this Sketch and decided to use it a little differently that it might be intended.  Here's my card.


Notice how it doesn't look like I got the panels adhered all the way?


That's because I made the inside a coloring panel for her!!


She loves to sketch, doodle, journal and color!  I'm hoping that not only will this be a nice surprise in her mailbox but will also fill some time.
Thank you to CAS(E) this Sketch for the inspiration.

SUPPLY LIST
Stamps: Papertrey Ink Big Hugs, Taylored Expressions Color Me Background
Dies: Birch Press Design Big Lingo Type
Paper: Honey Bee Stamps Over the Rainbow
Other: Studio Katia Red Hearts

Poppystamps: Hugs and Daisies

I wanted to make a warm and cheerful card to send to my MIL who is very unhappily stuck in her house in Virginia.  In these times, even a surprise in the mailbox adds some interest to the lonely days. Normally, she is an extremely social and busy woman. I can't say I can relate.  I find these stay-at-home days perfect for introverts. Maybe extroverts finally understand the struggle we introverts face having out to go out into their world day after day!

I already had the Scribble Daisy Heart Frame by Poppystamps. I knew that some of their other heart dies fit nicely in the center. As it became clear over the last month that I wanted to send many cheerful hugs, I found an online store that was still shipping and got the Hugs Heart die.


Thank you to the Poppystamps Floral Fantasy challenge for the inspiration to pull out my Scribble Daisy and to purchase this charming Hugs Heart and to inspire my colors!!

SUPPLY LIST
Dies: Poppystamps Hugs Heart, Scribble Daisy Heart Frame, Taylored Expressions Petite Scallop Square
Paper: Stampin' Up Crumb Cake, Taylored Expressions Pineapple, My Favorite Things Pineapple, Doodlebug Design Dot-Grid-Daisy-Stripe Rainbow Petite Prints
Other: Stampin' Up embossing folder, Pretty Pink Posh Citrus Mix Gems

The Card Concept: A Woodland HEY

One of my sons elected to stay in his college apartment for this pandemic vs. being at home with the rest of us.  I don't think he realized how stir-crazy he'd get sheltering in place.  On the other hand, my youngest did come home and he regularly lets his friends know that he is so bored he's doing a puzzle with his family or he is so bored he's on a walk with his mom so I'm not sure being at our home is all that much better!  (One of his friends posted a video of his 746 attempts at flipping a KCup across the kitchen into the Keurig, with 747 actually being successful so my son is not the only one who is bored.)

I wanted to send a card to my oldest to brighten his day.  I wanted it to be cheerful but not cutesy. The cute graphic at The Card Concept led me toward animals.  I'm not sure I'm exactly right for the challenge since the title is "Woodland Nursery" and I am not making a "nursery" card!  But I love the unique look of the charming animals in the graphic.  I used Flopsy Forest Friends from Ink Blot Shop which also has a unique look.

The ground and clouds are from a different Ink Blot set - Get Grounded.  I added just some very small splashes of color around the clouds, his tail and the grass.  I was afraid if I fully colored it would become cute, not quirky.  The big "hey" seemed appropriate and the inside simply says "consider yourself hugged".

I went for a Clean & Layered look with just a hint of patterned paper, a layered die - but still lots of white space. Thank you to the Card Concept for the inspiration.

SUPPLY LIST
Stamps:Ink Blot Shop Flopsy Forest Friends, Get Grounded
Dies: The Stamp Market Hey
Paper: Honey Bee Stamps Sweet on You

Memory Box: Easter Blessings

I got totally excited when I saw the newest designer papers and glitter papers from Memory Box - especially the soft, pastel colors for springtime.  It turns out I wasn't the only one, because it seemed to be sold out everywhere I looked.  (Of course, as I browsed all of my favorite stores, I managed to order plenty of other products!)  I did finally find it and got it this past week. With everything going on right now, it was an incredible stress-reliever to play with glitter, beautiful colors and spring flowers!


While I was on my hunt for the glitter paper, Memory Box came out with a glitter paper or glue challenge.  I was already excited about the paper - but the challenge spurred me on to keep looking and not wait until it was in stock at my usual places.  Hmmm...I guess I can blame them for the multiple packages that arrived this last week!

SUPPLY LIST
Stamps: Memory Box Springtime Typewriter Sentiments
Dies: Memory Box Stitched Tulips, Butterfly Delights (retired?)
Paper: Memory Box Springtime Bouquet Stripes and Dots 6x6 pad and Delicate Pastel Glitter Pad

CAS(E) this Sketch: Back to the Beginning

This is a retro week at CAS(E) this Sketch and when I saw it was the first sketch ever, I had to play along!!  I was on the team at that time so that first sketch is full of memories (mostly of nerves wondering if my card would be good enough!!)  But my time on the team was absolutely fabulous and honestly, if I hadn't been overwhelmed with some tough college classes as I was getting a second college degree late in life, I'd never have let it go.  It's just so sad when real life gets in the way of this hobby!!!

Here's my card and the sketch.

I know this isn't the most exciting card that I've ever made, but I just got that tulip on a big sale at Concord & 9th.  It had been on my wishlist forever. I love the sweet and simple look. With some cheerful patterns, I thought it would work well as a happy card to send to my brother and his family who are going absolutely stir-crazy stuck in their home.  They are a family who travel at least three months every year plus lots of weekend trips - they do not sit around (vs. me who has to charge my Kindle very, very regularly right now with all the fabulous time I've had to read!) In fact they spent a month in Italy last fall, before their big floods and of course the pandemic.

Just for fun - here's my first card for CtS using this sketch.  I try very hard not to look back at my early cardmaking, especially clear back to 2012 but I actually don't hate this!


SUPPLY LIST
Dies: Concord & 9th Tulip Label
Paper: Sunny Studio Dots & Stripes Pastels, Stampin' Up Granny Apple Green
Other: Taylored Expressions Lemon Meringue Enamel Dots

Freshly Made Sketches: Hope

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!

Although I am still going to work every day and I have one of my college-aged sons unexpectedly home, I find myself with lots of free time - no movies, no restaurants, no shopping, etc.  What better use of that time than to create cards for those in senior living facilities with no outside contact.  I made a number of these in different colors using Amy's sketch, although on most of them, I switched out the "hope" for "hugs" for a slightly more cheerful card.  I love these flower dies from Stampin' Up - and I love the detailed little bee so they had to come together on a card!  I tried various dsps in the background but then remembered the dimensional leaf folder also from Stampin' Up. It's a beautiful 3D folder - you don't get the full impact with just the edges showing, but I like it with the flower.

I hope you are all safe and well - and that this sketch helps you relax with some crafting time!  I hope to see you playing along with us at Freshly Made Sketches.

SUPPLY LIST
Stamps: Stampin' Up Honey Bee
Dies: Stampin' Up Poppy Moments, Sunshine Wishes, Detailed Bee
Paper: Stampin' Up Perennial Essence Vellum Cardstock, Grapefruit Grove, Petal Pink and So Saffron Cardstock
Other: Stampin' Up Layered Leaves Embossing Folder, Gingham Gala Adhesive Backed Sequins, Wink of Stella (on "hope", the flower centers and the bee's wings)