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Saturday, October 31, 2015

CAS(E) this Sketch: Merry & Bright

For today's Christmas card, I decided to work with a charming set of ice skating critters. I picked the polar bear and decided he needed to be skating in the corner with a big open sky but then I couldn't figure out what else to do.  CAS(E) this Sketch to the rescue!! LOVE their new sketch with the banner in the corner!


I started by creating a background using a variegated wash technique that I learned in Deepti Malik's Craftsy class - Watercolor Cards Made Simple. It is so fun to apply a line of color at the top and then apply water line by line watching the color move down, fading as it goes.  

CtS Merry & Bright

I love the little smile on the ice skating bear!  

CtS Merry & Bright CloseUp

I am such a cold weather person.  I am thrilled that there is snow in the forecast next week.  Of course, depending on the source - it might come on Tuesday, or Thursday, or a snow mix on Saturday. That uncertainty tells me that it's not going to happen - but I'm waiting and I'll be smiling just like this little guy (but my ice skating days are long gone!)

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Thursday, October 29, 2015

CAS(E) this Sketch: Christmas Greetings

I had this sinking realization this morning that if I made a Christmas card on every day that I didn't have another card due - I still wouldn't get them all done.  I've never been in quite this bad a shape before. Luckily I have plenty of unused supplies calling my name so I'm taking on the challenge!!

The first one came about easily. I had been eyeing the sketch at CAS(E) this Sketch and now with an hour until it closes, I decided to use it.


It also came about easily because I just received an order including a Washi Paper Tape Sheet. First, I haven't generally used washi tape. Second, I had no idea what a tape sheet was. But I knew I liked the patterns and the 6x6 paper pad had been out of stock forever, so I thought I'd try the sheets. They weren't quite what I expected - really short - but look how well they work with this sketch!!

CtS Christmas Greetings

I'm being a little braggy here, but I really like this card. (If I end up duplicating cards just to get done in time for Christmas - this is the card!) My style has changed over the years. I went from really busy cards, to really clean and simple, and now I seem to have settled somewhere in the middle - a Clean & Layered style.  Clean & Layered doesn't necessarily mean easy to do; it's just a fresh and clean look at the end.  I think I've forgotten how really refreshing it is to do "simple". I do like this card and it was a five minute card. The strips were in one packet so I didn't worry about coordinating, then one die cut, one stamp - ta da!  Big thanks to CAS(E) this Sketch for the inspiration!

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Wednesday, October 28, 2015

Freshly Made Sketches: Celebrate

It's time for a new sketch at Freshly Made Sketches! Today we have a sketch by Cindy Lovell.


I am in such an autumn mood.  As I was working on this card, our local heat wave finally broke - we actually broke heat records with temps at 90 degrees...in Colorado...in October!!  I am so not a hot weather person - so when rain and cold weather moved in, I was ecstatic! It was a fairly dramatic change to highs in the 40s. The rain is unusual but it will pass then I can revel in the crisp fall temperatures and the beautiful colors. 

The colors on my card for today are a little unusual. I'm still trying to decide what I think about them. They are basically fall colors but I wanted them to be a little unique because of those fun acorns.  

FMS Celebrate

I love the little wooden leaves to wanted to balance it with a wooden sentiment. It's a little big but it just needed to be used!  Now that I'm looking at the picture I'm wishing I would have made the strip of acorns a little narrower. The sentiment is in an awkward location - it's not exactly in the middle and it's not in the magical 1/3 area which the human eye loves. I don't dislike this card - and I will definitely use it as a Thanksgiving card - but I think it would be a little more pleasing if it were broken into true thirds!

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

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The twine is a thick baker's twine that I got from the $1 bin at Michaels, then I frayed it. I saw a friend doing this with the thick Stampin' Up baker's twine and I love the look!


Tuesday, October 27, 2015

Merry Monday: Christmas Lights & Glitter

This week's challenge at the Merry Monday Christmas Challenge is Christmas Lights & Glitter.


As luck would have it, I saw the challenge right after I brought the mail in with a package of new dies including Paper Smooches Holiday Lights!!

MMLights_Glitter

I love these funky little lights.  I've seen a lot done with them by other cardmakers - patterned papers, little snowflakes in each one, a sponged glow behind each light.  I'm looking forward to playing with them some more!!

I hate iridescent sequins - at least for photography. The sequins above are red, gold and green - the one is really not pink. I'm not sure this photo is any better. The one sequin looks more gold now but the bottom sequin looks blue!  Oh well - they look just fine in real life.

MMLights_GlitterClose


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The red is Stampin' Up Poppy Parade; the aqua is Coastal Cabana. These are two colors that will never leave my collection!