CAS(E) this Sketch: Pick of the Patch

Happy Halloween!!!

It's time for a new sketch at CAS(E) this Sketch!

I made a number of Halloween cards this year, but none of them were quite right for my youngest niece. I found this older A Muse sentiment in my collection and added some of the charming stamps from Lawn Fawn.  I had to fit it into this sketch so I could have a Halloween card on my blog today!!


I hope you bring out your flags and pennants and play along with CAS(E) this Sketch!

• Stamps: Lawn Fawn Into the Woods, So Thankful (pumpkin), A Muse sentiment
• Paper: Stampin' Up Pumpkin, Avery Elle white woodgrain, unknown green
• Ink: Memento black and Copics
• Accessories: Lawn Fawn Into the Woods, So Thankful dies, My Favorite Things Fishtail dies, Divine Twine Black Licorice, clear sequins

Festive Friday with Avery Elle: 'Tis the Season

The challenge this week at Festive Friday is to create a holiday card with a wreath.  I have a gorgeous wreath from Avery Elle, so on my last day as a guest on their blog, I put these two together.


This wreath is so unique and so different from most wreaths - it is fun to work with.  It has an open and airy look so works perfectly with CAS cards, but I'm sure it could be fancied up too!!  I used it a few weeks ago on tags - one in pinks and one in kraft colors - so it can take on a lot of looks.

Thank you so much to Jamie at Avery Elle - I had a very enjoyable month working together.  I actually noticed Avery Elle with its very first release (bought it all!) and have liked everything that I have seen (and bought) since then!!  Stamps and sequins! They are definitely on my list of faves!

• Stamps: Avery Elle Winter Wreath
• Paper: Papertrey Ink Ripe Avocado
• Ink: Papertrey Ink Ripe Avocado, Pure Poppy, Delicata Golden Glitz
• Accessories: Stampin' Up embossing folder, Spellbinders circle dies, MFT fishtail dies, misc ribbon

MFT Wednesday Stamp Club: Incredibly Sweet

Just a quick post...when I saw the Wednesday Stamp Club at My Favorite Things, I knew that I had a NBUS (Never-Before-Used-Schtuff!) stamp set and die that I recently got from their clearance rack that would be fun to use!

The challenge closes in an hour and I should be showered and cleaned up to meet a girlfriend in 15 minutes (sorry, girlfriend!) - so no more words!

• Stamps: My Favorite Things Contempo Cage
• Paper: Stampin' Up Strawberry Slush, Avery Elle woodgrain
• Ink: Stampin' Up Coastal Cabana, Versamark
• Accessories: My Favorite Things Contempo Cage die, Sentiment Strips 2 die, Lawn Fawn twine, MME enamel dots, white embossing powder

A Deconstructed Merry Monday: Santa

I am thrilled to be this week's guest designer at Merry Monday!!  The challenge for the week is Santa.

Sadly, I discovered that while I have a number of Santa image stamps, they date back a decade or more, or they are simply not my style any more.  And I didn't have time to go shopping this week (usually I love any excuse).

But...I did find a stamp hiding in my collection.  It's not a Santa image, but it's definitely Santa. And given that I have two teenage boys...it is perfect!!

I was stressing over this Santa card on the same day that a new deconstructed sketch came out.  It had such fun panels that it seemed perfect with my silly card.

• Stamps: unknown (sorry)
• Paper: Doodlebug Home for the Holidays Here Comes Santa Claus (used both front and back), Stampin' Up Poppy Parade
• Ink: Stampin' Up Gumball Green
• Accessories: Sweet Stamp Shop Holiday Flair (the cute naughty/nice button), Lil' Inkers stitched circles, Holiday Divine Twine, Stampin' Up embossing folder, Ellen Hutson Red and Dill Iridescent sequins, Neat & Tangle Crystal Clear sequins

Phew!!

phew [fjuː]

interj

an exclamation of relief, surprise, disbelief, weariness, etc.

Marching band season - done.

You may not understand how much effort a high school marching band puts in.  Typically 16 hours of practice during school weeks and full days for weeks in the summer and even during fall break.  Sadly, they did not end as well as they had hoped.  Based on who they had beaten in earlier competitions, they had hoped for 5th, but they got 10th.  10th in the entire state is very, very good but my children don't see it that way (and it didn't help that it was just a couple of judges that marked them way down - other judges liked them).  It was heartbreaking seeing my 6'4" teenager huddled with the group just sobbing  (after they had proudly and coolly left the stadium).  My youngest wasn't too upset, but he has played competitive sports for years and I think he's grasped the concept of losing.

Finals project #1 - done.
Finals project #2 - done.

I am actually back as a full-time college student getting my second degree.  It's a program that offers two classes for two months and my current classes ended today.  I actually submitted my papers Friday morning so I could enjoy state marching band competition.

Fall break for me - just starting!!

For some reason, my college program has a two-week break at the beginning of November and then doesn't have a break over Thanksgiving or Christmas.  Figure that out???

Today - Denver Broncos football!!  Beer!!  Tacos in a bag (don't ask!)

Quick Cards with CAS-ual Fridays Stamps!

There is absolutely no chance that I will ever be nominated for mom-of-the-year.  It was about 7 pm on Thursday night.  My two children were at a football game until 8 pm.  It suddenly occurred to me that they had the biggest weekend of their lives coming up and I hadn't made any cards of encouragement or congratulations.  It is the state marching band competition this weekend.  These kids have been working on their show starting with a two-week marching camp in July, into the school year, straight through daily rehearsals during fall break - and it's now the final weekend.

I am not a fast card maker.  You will never see me in the 10 minute challenges.  Even my simplest cards typically require multiple changes and re-dos - not to mention multiple photos and edits - before I am happy with them (and sometimes, I'm not even happy then!).  But Thursday night, in 60 minutes (OK, maybe 70 minutes) - I did six cards - and I mostly like them!

Thank goodness for CAS-ual Fridays Stamps!  They have great contemporary sentiments that work perfectly in these situations.  I did six cards for my two teenage boys, who aren't typically easy to make cards for! These first two cards were encouragement on Friday morning before the entire weekend began.  Noise...marching band...how perfect!  Everything comes from the Woot Woot set.



FYI: the flag and the "washi" tape were made with dies from My Favorite Things. I did get a starting point for this one from Freshly Made Sketches.

I am fairly certain we will end up placing higher than our marching band has ever placed.  We won't win it - there are a few fabulous marching band dynasties that win it year after year.  Our kids would be thrilled to be in the top 8 and are secretly hoping for 5th.  I'm thinking somewhere in the middle.  But assuming that they are thrilled with the outcome, here are the congrats cards.  All of these stamps are still from Woot Woot.


I was needing inspiration at this point, so I got these great colors from Sunday Stamps.  In real life, my blue is closer to the teal that is in the inspiration photo - but I edited so quickly I messed up the colors!

Then there are two cards that I am hoping never see the light of day and end up in the garbage.  Not that there is anything wrong with them - but it means my kids are disappointed.  The sentiment comes from Tech Talk and the asterisk from Exclamations along with the coordinating die.  

At quarter finals yesterday, the band ended up once place lower than hoped for.  One place higher and we wouldn't be up at 3:45 a.m. this morning getting ready to take them to the bus for semi finals.  One place higher would have moved their performance three hours later and after two of their main competitors which does make a difference in the judging..  They are discouraged but still hopeful of making finals tonight.  
Keep your fingers crossed for my boys and the Chaparral High School Marching Band!!!

Sweet Sunday and Merry Monday: Deck the Halls

What a fun pair of challenges to put together - Sweet Sunday Sketch and Merry Monday!  Merry Monday challenges us to use music or a carol.  No ideas were coming to me until I looked at the Sweet Sunday sketch and thought that I could put holly for the element at the top!


Let me guess!!  You are singing the carol right now!  You are going to be fa-la-la-ing all day long!
For most of the year, I am not a glitter kind of gal (although I do have a thing for sequins) - but I pull out all the stops at Christmas.  I smeared Versamark across the entire card front, heated up some heat-and-stick powder and glittered the entire thing.  Then plopped on a button and some holly leaves!

• Stamps: Stampin' Up Merry & Type
• Paper: Stampin' Up Cherry Cobbler, Old Olive, Season of Style dsp
• Ink: Stampin' Up Chocolate Chip, Versamark
• Accessories: Stampin' Up button, heat-and-stick embossing powder, and Cherry Cobbler twine; Martha Stewart Crystal Fine Glitter; Papertrey Ink Holly Jolly die

CAS(E) this Sketch: Hi! Just Sayin'

We have a very fun sketch at CAS(E) this Sketch this week. It has a collage-type effect in one corner yet is still totally clean!

A few weeks ago, we had a sketch with word bubbles and it didn't even occur to me to pull out my NBUS Papertrey Ink set Bubble Talk.  For this week, I thought that the various scribbled elements worked well together for a little Just Sayin' collage!

I look forward to seeing the elements you pull together for this sketch!!  Have fun!

• Stamps: Papertrey Ink Bubble Talk
• Paper: Papertrey Ink Simply Chartreuse, Hawaiian Shores
• Ink: Papertrey Ink Simply Chartreuse, Summer Sunrise, Hibiscus Burst
• Accessories: Papertrey Ink Bubble Talk dies, Doodlebug Black Sprinkles

Avery Elle: Let It Snow (without snow!!)

As my stamp collection has grown too big to fit into its allocated space, I have gotten pickier about the stamps that I buy.  (Don't get me wrong - I still buy way too many!)  I particularly love Christmas stamps that have other uses and the tree and bird from Avery Elle's Let It Snow is a perfect example!

The sun and sentiment come from the first Avery Elle set that I ever bought - Bright Days.  It came out in their very first release back in 2012 (shhh...I bought the entire release).  It also has big sun rays so you could do a sunburst across the entire card.   The sunshine idea allowed me to show off some of Avery Elle's wonderful sequins.  They have multi-packs of mono-chromatic sequins that are just lovely (shhh...I own all of those too....which is really sad because I remember telling a blog friend that I absolutely did not need big packages of sequins!)
I hope this happy little bird brightened your day!  Be sure to check out my card and others on the Avery Elle blog.

• Stamps: Avery Elle Let It Snow, Bright Days
• Paper: Stampin' Up Bermuda Bay, Summer Sun, My Favorite Things Primitive White, Pebbles Seen & Noted 6x6 pad
• Ink: Stampin' Up Smoky Slate, Summer Sun, Papertrey Ink Smokey Shadow, Memento Black, Copics
• Accessories: Avery Elle Lemonade Sequins, The Twinery Caribbean Twine

A Freshly Made Curtain Call: Paper Sweeties Scarecrow

The current challenge at Curtain Call Inspiration Challenge is a photo of gorgeous blue gourds.  The sponsor for this challenge is Paper Sweeties who provided the design team with a discount code and, more importantly, is providing the winner of the challenge with a $20 gift certificate.  One of the sets that I got because it had pumpkins/gourds in it, also had a cute scarecrow.  I had used the gourds here in a more elegant card, but I also wanted to ink up the scarecrow.  I found the perfect sketch to showcase him at Freshly Made Sketches.  The sketch also led me to create his hay bale border.  This guy makes me smile!!!

I have a couple of scheduled posts this week but other that, it will be fairly quiet on my blog.  My children have state marching championships on Friday and Saturday.  It's in a town that's a five-hour round trip away so those days are shot from a crafting standpoint - but very exciting from a marching standpoint.  It's also finals week for me in a couple of accounting classes (this school does 2 classes for 2 months instead of the standard 4 classes for 4 months - so finals are hitting me right now!)  Everything is due on Sunday - but I really want to be done before the state championships.  Think of me when you are happily crafting and I have my nose buried in accounting textbooks and financial statements!

• Stamps: Paper Sweeties Stand Add-On 3 (scarecrow, hay bales, big gourd), Stand Add-On 2 (two little gourds)
• Paper: My Favorite Things Primitive WWhite, blue is a scrap piece, flags are Stampin' Up More Mustard CS and dsp
• Ink: Memento black and Copics
• Accessories: Lil' Inkers Stitched Rectangles, My Favorite Things Fishtail dies, Hemptique twine

A Festive and Whimsical Sketch: Merry Penguins

I got an order from Mama Elephant and knew that I wanted to immediately use these penguins as part of the Festive Friday challenge to create a holiday project with a whimsical theme.  I love the Basic Grey 25th and Pine paper with its retro colors and feel, so I added a dash of that too.

I always struggle with penguins - they are supposed to be black!!!  But the colors of the paper led me in this grayish direction and I love how it turned out!
The stamp set comes with the penguins as separate stamps (and snowmen too!) and they can hold hands or there are multiple banners or chains of stars and hearts - lots of options.  The hearts in Mr. Penguin's hat is even an add-on.  
I had created the long panel then couldn't figure out what to do with it.  Seize the Sketch to the rescue with its simple flag!!

• Stamps: Mama Elephant Polar Pals, Winter Wonderland (the snowflakes)
• Paper: Stampin' Up Bermuda Bay, Real Red, My Favorite Things Primitive White, Basic Grey 25th and Pine
• Ink: Memento Black, Copics, Stampin' Up Bermuda Bay, Real Red, Hero Arts Wet Cement
• Accessories: Michaels brand gold pearls, My Favorite Things Fishtails, unknown twine

Cuttlebug Rain/Snow Folder

I've used an older embossing folder a number of times lately and always get multiple requests as to where to find it.  Here is a card from a past post:

The folder that I am using is a Cuttlebug European Exclusive called Rain/Snow (I think).  I used to be able to Google it and find it out there but I don't find anything now so I think it is long-retired.
However, I was browsing Simon Says Stamp and ran across this set by Hero Arts/Sizzix.  Here's a clearer picture of it right from the Sizzix website. 

The snow is a little denser than the original Cuttlebug, but I think it might be a decent substitute for the old Cuttlebug photo.
Hope it helps all of you who have asked!!

Catered Crop: Orange

It's that time of year where everything turns up orange!  Pumpkins and jack-o-lanterns and fall leaves and the Denver Broncos football team!!  The current challenge at Catered Crop is "orange" and Linda has curated a Pinterest board full of ideas - not just the typical fall cards, but she's also found cowboy boots and orange sodas and paper flowers!!

Not being quite that creative - I went for a fall leaf!  (Although I do think I deserve creativity points for the zig zags on the leaf because they weren't there to start with!)


To get the zig zags on the leaf, I first stamped the die cut leaf with the zig zag in white, then overstamped with the deep orange.  Jennifer McGuire did this on this card using a canvas background and solid leaves.  I love autumn so much that I do see the joy in every day (as compared to the summer when I am just grumpy from the heat!) so this sentiment was perfect for me and my fall leaf!
I hope you check out the Pinterest board (found here), pull out your orange and play along!

• Stamps: My Favorite Things Thankful Leaves, Cheerful Blessings, Mod Borders
• Paper: Papertrey Ink Terracotta, Smokey Shadow
• Ink: Papertrey Ink Terracotta, Smokey Shadow and Soft Stone, WPlus9 white
• Accessories: My Favorite Things Fall Leaves die, Stampin' Up Silver Cord, Neat & Tangled Festive Fall Sequin Mix

CAS(E) this Sketch and Merry Monday: Snow Much Joy

There's a great new sketch at CAS(E) this Sketch.  Just think of all of the great elements that you could use - leaves, pumpkins, hearts, suns...

...or snowflakes!!!  I just got some big and bold snowflake stamps and dies from Stampin' Up so I knew exactly what I was going to do!

I got the snowflakes stamped, embossed and die-cut and then realized that I had no idea what I was going to put on top of them.  I found a Hero Arts "snow much joy" sentiment that worked well and then I used Paper Smooches Streamers to add the banner across the snowflakes.  Then I didn't think it looked sparkly enough so I plopped on some sequins from Neat & Tangled.  There are just a few companies represented on this card!!  And I just realized one of the snowflakes is stamped in ink from Papertrey Ink!
The colors come from this week's Merry Monday challenge: snowflakes in blue, gray/silver and white.

I'm also submitting this to Simon Says Christmas/Holiday.

• Stamps: Stampin' Up Festive Flurries, Hero Arts Snow Much Joy clear set, Paper Smooches Streamers
• Paper: Stampin' Up Smoky Slate, Marina Mist
• Ink: Stampin' Up Marina Mist, Papertrey Ink Spring Rain, Versamark
• Accessories: Stampin' Up Smoky Slate embossing powder and Festive Flurries dies, Paper Smooches Streamers dies, Neat & Tangled winter sequins

Avery Elle and CAS Colours and Sketch: Peace, Love & Joy

It's my day on the Avery Elle blog and I get to show you a little more with the set Winter Wreath.  I'm feeling a little guilty as I made a card without the wreath!!  It's fairly rare for me that a card just appears in my head.  Usually it takes brute force - try this color, try that paper, try sequins, etc.  But as I was browsing challenges, I saw a sketch from CAS - Colours & Sketches and it made me see snowflakes and I knew there was a beautiful "Peace, Love & Joy" sentiment in Winter Wreath - it seemed like a great match!  (I did use the actual wreath two weeks ago on these cards)


The frame on this is actually from an earlier Avery Elle set called Framed Fonts.  Isn't it nice that it fits the sentiments in Winter Wreath??!
Here's the sketch from CAS - Colours & Sketches.

I'm also submitting this to Simon Says Christmas/Happy Holiday.

• Stamps: Avery Elle Winter Wreath, Framed Fonts
• Paper: Stampin' Up Coastal Cabana, Best Creations Gold glitter
• Ink: Stampin' Up Bermuda Bay, Coastal Cabana, Versamark
• Accessories: Cuttlebug embossing folder, Michael's brand gold pearls, crystal gold embossing powder (a brand no longer made that I have hoarded for years!)

Curtain Call: Gorgeous Gourds

It's time for some more inspiration at Curtain Call Inspiration Challenge and we have some Gorgeous Gourds!!

Aren't those blues fabulous?!!

Our sponsor for this week is Paper Sweeties.  The LEAD of Gorgeous Gourds challenge will receive a $20 Paper Sweeties gift certificate! 

They have a very cute line of stamped paper dolls but, with this inspiration graphic, I had to use some gourds and pumpkins. The gourds and the wheat are from from Stand Add-On sets that are actually meant to use to decorate a big farm stand stamp (you should see the cute scarecrow.)  Paper Sweeties also has gorgeous crinkled ribbon.

I hope to see you playing along this week.  There is lots of great design team inspiration over on the Curtain Call blog.  It's a gorgeous inspiration photo - it's definitely the time of year for some gourds and pumpkins and/or those beautiful colors (or anything else that inspires you!) The challenge stays open until October 25th with The Lead and Show Stoppers announced on October 31st.

• Stamps: Paper Sweeties Beautiful (the frame and sentiment), Stand Add-On 2 (the blue gourd), Stand Add-On 3 (the wheat and tan pumpkin)
• Paper: vintage cream
• Ink: Papertrey Ink Aqua Mist, Memento Black, Copics
• Accessories: Paper Sweeties Oatmeal Cream and Aqua Mist crinkled ribbon

Freshly Made with Reverse Confetti

This is my second post today.  In my first post, I used a Reverse Confetti Spooky Sentiment and a whole lot of patterned paper.  Since that was a bit out of my comfort zone, I decided to use a different Spooky Sentiment and go a little bit more my style!!


I am a very literal person - so when the sentiment mentioned pumpkin faces and ghosts - the card had to have both of them.  As it turns out, I don't have a jack-o-lantern die.  So I used the pumpkin from Reverse Confetti's Forever Fall and found an older EK Success punch in my stash that was just the face!
The sequins are my favorite go-to Halloween bling this year.  They are Iridescent Chocolate sequins from Ellen Hutson.  They flash purples and greens and blues - so even though I don't have any chocolate on my card - they still give the perfect Halloween feeling.
The sketch is from Freshly Made Sketches.

• Stamps: Reverse Confetti Spooky Sentiments and Forever Fall (the pumpkin), Clearly Besotted Fright Night (the ghost)
• Paper: Stampin' Up Basic Black, Pumpkin, Glitz Raven 6x6
• Ink: Stampin' Up Basic Black, Tangerine Tango
• Accessories: Hemptique 10 lb black twine, Iridescent Chocolate sequins from Ellen Hutson, Clearly Besotted Fright Night dies

Unscripted Color Throwdown: Batty for You

Last week, when Stacey Schafer visited Denver, she brought me a Halloween goodie bag - Reverse Confetti Halloween sentiments, Glitz paper, orange Doodlebug Sprinkles, and black Hemptique twine. From the airport, we drove straight to Archiver's - big surprise, huh?  In the course of the drive, I had mentioned that I had spent two weeks brutally purging my stash, but that one of the things I hadn't parted with were punches even though I always used dies instead.  We agreed there was no reason to ever buy punches again.  So we walk into Archiver's and there's a make-and-take with this great bat punch.  Guess what?  Here's Stacey's use of the bat punch that we weren't going to buy...and here's mine...


I've also used the Glitz Raven paper, the twine and the sprinkles!!!   Thanks Stacey!!  The bat is a black suede and I'm thinking I should have brushed the cat fur off it before I took the photo - sorry for the linty look!
I had started this card a week ago then I set it aside to work on some other projects.  In the meantime, the unscripted sketch challenge closed - but I still want to credit it!

I also used color throwdown.  I had already used the Smoky Slate background and the papers are full of Tangerine Tango, Black and Slate.  When I was finishing it up this morning, none of it popped - I remembered the Daffodil in this challenge and it worked perfectly!!  Plus it matches the creepy bat eyes!

• Stamps: Reverse Confetti Spooky Sentiments
• Paper: Stampin' Up Basic Black, Daffodil Delight, Smoky Slate, Glitz Raven 6x6, black suede paper
• Ink: Stampin' Up Smoky Slate
• Accessories: EK Success Large Vampire Bat Punch, Doodlebug Sprinkles in Tangerine, Yellow and Black, Lil' Inkers Stitched Circles, Hemptique 10 lb black twine, yellow stickles

Merry Monday and dahlhouse: Let It Snow

This week's Merry Monday challenge is Christmas birds.  I just got the Winter Sparrows from Lawn Fawn and had to use these sweeties, and I just re-discovered the cute snowflakes in Frosties, also from Lawn Fawn, that has been hiding in my stash for awhile!  As an added bonus - I love the wanna sketch #9 from Lisa at dahlhouse designs!

I hope you are all having a wonderful weekend.

Happy Thanksgiving weekend to my Canadian friends!

Go Broncos for my Denver friends!!

Now I am off to catch up on some accounting classwork that is due today so I can be done and totally prepared to watch some football with my boys!

• Stamps: Lawn Fawn Winter Sparrows, Frosties
• Paper: white
• Ink: Memento Black , Copics
• Accessories: Lawn Fawn Winter Sparrows die, Divine Twine Cotton Candy, Stardust Stickles, WPlus9 tag