Freshly Made Sketches: Eggs Come From Where??

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

We are in the middle of the Holy Week of Easter, although I have to admit to being a bit amused that Easter Sunday is also April Fool's Day!!  We are a Christian family and we worship, mourn and rejoice throughout the week. However, when it comes to cards for my sons - 18 and 22 - I tend to go a bit snarky.  This card is exactly the type of humor that works.


LIFE UPDATE: For the first time in 27 years, we are moving and I am beyond thrilled!  The new house is just a few miles away but it's exactly where we want to spend our empty-nester years.  We are currently on 5 acres with a view of the Colorado Rockies and that will be hard to give up. I'd say we are downsizing but it's actually a bigger house (although that's not saying much because currently we have "big land, little house"!)  It's a ranch style with a full basement - recently renovated top to bottom and is more than I ever dreamed that I'd have.  It's two blocks from a major bike trail through gorgeous open space that's world famous for bird-watching.  It's less than a mile from groceries and coffee.  And the biggest news - - I have a craft room instead of being tucked into a corner of the family room!!  It all happened quickly so now I only have a month to clean and upgrade our current house that's full of 27 years of life and has perhaps been slightly neglected.  The move date is May 1. My blog won't go dark during that time - I'll have to keep making cards just to stay sane and grounded during this overwhelming month.  I'll also have the joy of reading your blogs as a break from the insanity!  LOVE this hobby (and might LOVE it a bit more in my brand new craft room!)
I hope to see you playing along with our sketch this week - and have a HAPPY AND JOYFUL EASTER!!  He IS Risen!!

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Taylored Expressions: Give Me a Sign

The charming little animals holding signs in the Taylored Expressions stamp set, Give Me a Sign, have been calling my name since they first came out but I've never had an excuse to use them.  I still don't have an excuse(!) - but they looked at me while I was paging through my stamp drawer and it amazed me what sad eyes they gave me because they hadn't seen ink yet.  Here they are!  Don't they look happier now?!


I knew I had banner dies big enough to hold them so I started with the idea of three simple banners on a horizontal card, but as I started playing with colors and patterns, I came up with this random grouping of banners.  I pulled out my favorite bright color combo - bright orange, turquoise and green (the green is a scrap from Doodlebug Design's At the Zoo 6x6 pad) which all pops particularly well on kraft.  I cut a variety of banners and adhered them with different thicknesses of dimensional adhesive. 

The background was first embossed with the Honeycomb Embossing Folder - I picked that because I needed a simple, small pattern and I thought it looked a bit like fencing!  I also had matching enamel stars to give it even more of a celebratory look. 


I am even more in love with these guys now that I've used them.  Besides the three critters, there's a raccoon, a fox and a bear - and there are five other sentiments!  I'm sure they will all see ink soon!
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Freshly Made Sketches: Caring Daisies

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

I put together this sketch with a long strip specifically for all the straight, simple sentiments that are coming out - then lots of open space for your imagination.  I add the circle (or any shape or stamp) to suggest that you keep it all to one side.  I love slightly off-kilter cards.

There is nothing unique or new about this card - but I so love the pop of fresh white and yellow daisies on a kraft background.  I think I do the same combination every single year when spring starts to appear!


I started out with the daisies and my intent was to do a bank of daisies (thus the reason I did a circle on my sketch).  But right next to the daisy dies in my binder was the die with the stem/leaves and I realized a bit of bright spring green would be a great addition.  I added a bit of texture to fill up the background, a few sparkly sequins and a sweet sentiment - done!!

I hope to see you playing along!  I am in awe of the creativity on display in our players' gallery each week!

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Stamps: My Favorite Things (MFT) More Essential Sentiments
Dies: MFT Gerbera Daisy, Simon Says Stamps Radiant Sunflower (just the stem), MFT Blueprints 13 (the stitched edge)
Cardstock: MFT Lemon Drop, Sour Apple, Kraft, Gravel Gray
Embossing Folder: Taylored Expressions Dotted Lattice

Freshly Made Sketches: Butterfly Sympathy

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

This sketch has so many possibilities!  I couldn't decide whether to stamp or use a die cut - but I did know that I wanted to keep the diamond shape - love the look!!  I wasn't finding much in my stamp stash to fit a diamond (although you'll have to check out the rest of the design team to see how Linda used stamps to fit!).  I started flipping through my die binders and saw this quilt!  I make no claims of creativity - and this is going to seem really minor to most of you - but the light bulb came on and I realized I could flip it to look like a little window.  I was quite proud of my little light bulb moment!!


That part of my card was pretty basic so I pulled out this beautiful layered butterfly die and I added a focal point sentiment.  The church card ministry is so often in need of sympathy cards so this direction made sense.
I hope to see you playing along with our sketch this week!
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Dies: Birch Press Genevieve Butterfly Layers A,B and C, WPlus9 Quilt Cuts 2, MFT Blueprints 13 (the stitched edge)
Patterned Paper: Pink Paislee Indigo Bleu
Cardstock: Stampin' Up Summer Starfruit and Lost Lagoon, Papertrey Ink Smokey Shadow

Taylored Expressions: Berries and Prayers

I recently had one of those hard cards to make.  An elderly family friend is in the hospital. I definitely wanted to send a card of support and encouragement.  It needed to be masculine.  "Get well" was not really the right message.  My go-to style of clean and simple was not necessarily right for this family. Do you see what I mean? All of this made it a challenge for me.

I decided to stick with "prayers" as the focus, so I pulled out You're in my Prayers with the coordinating Prayers Script.


I put the sentiment on a banner to make it stand out.  My original plan was to use "Prayers for Peace & Comfort" which really was perfect - but when I got the background done my designer side took over and I could see that that larger sentiment would cover too much of it.  I ended up lining up pieces of two sentiments.  One sentiment was in "You're in my" but it needed to come from all of us so I changed my to our.  Luckily both words were in the stamp set!  FYI - I lengthened the stitched banner just slightly by cutting the banner end, then sliding the die and cutting the square end.

I settled quite quickly on the Berries Cutting Plate as the right look for this family.  I wanted to give the berries a little oomph so on the round ones, I added Oyster Grey Nuvo Crystal Drops.  Then to add color, I sponged a blue background starting with Salt Water Taffy, then Sprinkles, then just a bit of Cookie Monster so it didn't get too bright.


I think it's just right for this family.  Although after all of my fussing, I know it's always the thought that counts.  
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Freshly Made Sketches: Vintage Bicycle

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

I had such fun with this sketch. I love the words "Any Shape" on a sketch.  I pulled out one of my binders of dies and just started flipping through the pages.  As soon as I saw this bicycle, I knew it was just what I wanted!


With the "hill" in the sketch, I knew it needed to be a "you can do it" card.  I used some of my favorite floral paper to give the bicycle a sweet little field to ride through.  Then just a hint of bright cardstock and sequins.  This has to go down as one of my quickest cards ever!!
I hope to see you playing along with our sketch this week!
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Stamps: Papertrey Ink Floral Fusion 12 (the sentiment)
Dies: Memory Box Vintage Bicycle, Lil' Inker Designs Stitched Mat Rectangles
Patterned Paper: Pebbles Walnut Grove 6x6 pad
Cardstock: Stampin' Up Crushed Curry, Black

Taylored Expressions Sweet Jelly Beans

I love jelly beans.  Forget fancy chocolates - give me a cheap bag of jelly beans and I'm yours.  I buy jelly beans all year long, but the variety available near Easter makes my heart happy.  Right now in my candy jars, I have a bag of Brach's Speckled Jelly Bird Eggs and one of Starbursts Ice Cream Jelly Beans.  There was no way I was letting Easter go by without making a jelly bean card.

Taylored Expressions has a new set called Full of Beans Stamp & Die Combo.  It's nice to use because you can stamp and die cut nine beans at a time.  This makes it perfect for filling up a Mason Jar!!


The Mason Jar dies that coordinate with the Mason Jar stamp also can cut out around the outside of the jar so that the entire mason jar is cut out. I chose just to use the inside so the entire top panel is popped up and gives me an easy place to put the bunny and sentiment.  I like this flexibility in a set!
I wanted to add a little interest inside the jar so I embossed the entire background panel with the Cross Stitched Embossing Folder.  I did trim a bit off the edges of the background so that the entire piece is "framed" with full X's.

I added a cute little bunny from Hippity Hop.  I love the alert way he's looking at the jelly beans. There's another stamp in the set that I used for the inside.  Since the outside says "You're Sweet", the inside says "From the Easter Bunny"!!
When I got it all done, I realized that the only person I still needed to make an Easter card for is my 18-year old son and I don't think a pink "You're Sweet" would be appreciated.  So I guess I'll just to leave this on my craft desk as a decoration for the season!!! 
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