Winners for the FMS 500th sketch!

 Our week of celebration for the 500th sketch at Freshly Made Sketches is over and tomorrow we'll start fresh on sketch 501.  132 people played along with us on the FMS blog and the winners of the prize packages from our sponsors have been announced there.

I put together two packages of items from my not-yet-used stash.  I had pictures and described them on this post. I randomly selected two winners from the comments on my post - and here they are!

The Fun Package:

JoAnn from Crafty Nana's Blog

The Floral Package:

Anita from Stampin with Anita

Congrats!  And thank you for taking the time to comment!  

You can contact me using the form to the right - or email me at sing.email62 at gmail dot com. As soon as I get your address, I'll get a package right off to you!

Giving Gifts: Peace

I sent my youngest off to his junior year in college yesterday morning.  He and my husband are driving from Colorado to Illinois then my husband will fly back Friday.  It's really nice having the house to myself for a few days after a busy and chaotic summer!!  So last night I celebrated with an easy dinner (my son is an excellent cook but makes a horrible mess so the real celebration was the lack of a mess with my dinner), a glass or wine or two and by making a card.

It was good timing to have last night free because the current challenge at the Tic Tac Toe Challenge includes "alphabet dies" in the grid and with my current passion for Stampin' Up's Giving Gifts dies and the Playful Alphabet (see Monday and Tuesday's posts), it inspired me to do my next card.  I went across their grid with alphabet dies, CAS and blue.

My original plan was to use a bluer blue but when I stumbled on this older Stampin' Up Ombre pad with Coastal Cabana the idea of the color fade behind the snowflakes seemed just right. I found a coordinating glitter paper in my stash and some jewels that matched it perfectly.

I centered the first snowflake and then I added a piece of removable tape across the bottom so I could line up the other two. The letters for "PEACE" are layered with two pieces cut in plain cardstock to make them stand out.

Now the pumpkins in the Giving Gifts die set are calling my name so we'll see what ends up on my craft table next. After all, it's still a quiet house tonight before my husband gets home tomorrow night!

Thanks to the Tic Tac Challenge for the inspiration!

SUPPLY LIST

Dies: Stampin' Up Giving Gifts dies and Playful Alphabet dies

Paper: Stampin' Up Oh So Ombre, glitter paper unknown

Other: Studio Katia Jade Crystals

Freshly Made Sketches: 500th Sketch!!!

It's a big day!!!  It's time for a new sketch from Freshly Made Sketches and it's our 500th sketch!! We are celebrating today with prizes from our wonderful sponsors and also many of our design team prizes have prizes on their blog (check it all out below) PLUS we have a fun sketch by Linda!! This is what I did with it.

Although I'm feeling fall coming (my very favorite season), I decided I needed one more card full of vibrant floral colors so I created a rainbow of stripes behind my Poppystamps Floral Stem Collage. The Playful Hugs tucked in perfectly with that flower. 

Five hundred sketches is such a HUGE milestone.  We can't thank you enough for supporting our challenge over all these years.  The very first sketch was in September of 2011.  It's fun to look back because one of the original design team members was Linda who also designed today's sketch for #500! (Another original is Jen Mitchell!)  I wasn't a design team member but I was absolutely honored to be a "Perfect Princess" for that first sketch.  I was invited to join in September 2014 and I absolutely cannot believe it's been that long.  It is such a joy to work with the sketches every week but even more so to work with the amazing design team!

I mentioned prizes.  Here are the sponsor with prizes just for playing this week.  Head to the FMS blog because there's even more listed there!

Then check out each team member because many of us have prizes on our blog. The prizes vary - I have two sets of products to give away.  I will randomly pick from comments on this post for the winners; however, all winners must in the US for mailing purposes.

I raided my overly large not-yet-used stash and pulled out two sets of products that might work together.  The first set is a fun set.  These are products that have been hiding in my stash until the point when all of the people in my life who would appreciate the cuteness have grown up!

I think I'm regretting parting with this stash as soon as I posted that picture.  The animal scene from Waffle Flower is just the cutest.  I tucked in a "hugs" heart die from Concord & 9th that could work well with any of the products but I had envisioned it with the panda bear dies.  And I adore the girls with their bouquets of flowers in the Newton's Nook set.

My second prize are floral sets with a big butterfly to top it all off.

The Simon Says/WPlus9 was a Stamptember set so only available for a very brief period.  Check out the amazing ways to use it at the link. It was a hard one to let go but I've found that "builder" stamps to create scenes are not my favorite type to use (Side note: I actually don't have any real artist talent - I can't draw a stick figure that you'd recognize! So a big reason that I'm drawn to this hobby is that people do the artistic work for me and design the stamps and dies.  I do believe I'm creative which means that I can put together the beautiful products created by others into a pleasing card! Thus the reason that I find the builder type stamp sets hard to work with!)  The variety of flowers and toadstools from i-crafter is simply it turned out as I was exploring my stash that I have two of them!  The Memory Box big butterfly is just because all those flowers need a butterfly!

All you have to do is comment below.  Our 500th challenge closes next Monday and on Tuesday I'll announce winner's on my blog!

I do hope to see you play along.  It's a huge week for us - we love to be inspired by all of your cards and we're so excited to send out prizes to many of our players!

SUPPLY LIST

Dies: Poppystamps Floral Stem Collage, Playful Hugs

Other: Memory Box Fairy Drops

Giving Gifts: Ho Ho Ho

 My first order from the new Stampin' Up mini catalog included the Giving Gifts dies because my imagination saw them in a variety of layouts along with the Playful Alphabets (older but new-to-me).  I started with this card yesterday and I had a variety of other cards partially done. It's particularly busy in my home right now as today is the last day of packing before my youngest son heads back to college - but I saw that the TGIF Challenge was to use mini catalog products so I just had to put another one together!

Had I noticed this challenge when I was doing yesterday's card, I should have played along with TGIF using that one as it included the Giving Gifts dies and two new papers - this one only has the Giving Gifts.  

I had intended to put a big silver bow on this one but my bow-making ability is limited in the best of times and with the easiest of ribbons.  After too many attempts to count, I decided I'm completely incapable of making a bow out of that twine. I already had the little snowflake sequins at the bottom of the card so I decided to add a couple more at the top in an attempt to balance it all.  It really needed the bow for balance - but I've gotten much better in my card-making at stopping before total frustration and annoyance sets in!

Thank you to TGIF for being the inspiration for this card!

SUPPLY LIST

Dies: Stampin' Up Giving Gifts Dies and Playful Alphabet

Cardstock: Stampin' Up Poppy Parade, Bermuda Bay, Granny Apple Green

Other: Stampin' Up Winter Snow Embossing Folder, Frosted Sequins and Simply Elegant Twine

Giving Gifts: Joy

With the new Stampin' Up mini catalog, I spent many happy hours browsing and creating a wishlist - then changing that wishlist when I saw other bloggers' cards, then browsing again and again.  Then when it finally came time to order, I went in an entirely different direction! Go figure!  There was one particular set (especially the dies) that I kept imagining along with another die set from the main catalog that had been on my wishlist for awhile.  The holiday dies are the Giving Gifts dies and the second set is the Playful Alphabet.  Here is my first card with the two, inspired by the CAS Christmas: Decorations challenge. 

Besides the two die sets, I also got a variety of the unique specialty papers they had in this catalog.  Today I used the Be Dazzling paper with the alphabet and as accents on the ornament. I have a bit of a love/hate relationship with this paper - at least in photographs.  In real life, it has a fabulous sparkle and you can see hints of that above.  In photographs, I looks a bit like lizard skin :( 

I used a scrap of paper from the new Whimsy & Wonder dsp.  The paper actually coordinates with Polished Pink which is not one of my favorite colors so toned it down by using Flirty Flamingo cardstock.  

I have the parts for three other Giving Gifts/Playful Alphabet cards out on my desk but they got pushed to the side when I had both of my sons home this weekend.  The oldest is only about 90 miles up the interstate at Colorado State University.  He's graduating in December (not early graduation - very late graduation!)  He's getting a seriously advanced combination of degrees - things like Applied Math and Physics - so he rarely looks up from his computer long enough to come visit.  (Although he doesn't mind at all when we go visit him and take him out to brunch.)  My youngest is in school in Illinois and is heading back on Wednesday.  As a junior, he's in a house this year, but a school-owned house.  When he's a senior, he'll also be in a house but owned by a landlord and requiring responsible behavior like making utility and water payments. I love the way the school has set this up - I believe that college is all about growing up while still in a safe environment.  But living in a house takes a LOT of stuff and as I'm looking at the growing pile in my dining room, I'm a little afraid I'll be spending a lot of money shipping with UPS because I have no idea how he thinks it will all go in his car.

Thanks to CAS Christmas for the inspiration and the push to get one card completed this weekend even with the chaos in my house!

SUPPLY LIST

Dies: Stampin' Up Giving Gifts dies, Rectangle Stitched Framelits and Playful Alphabet

Paper: Stampin' Up Whimsy & Wonder dsp, Be Dazzling Specialty Paper, Flirty Flamingo and Mossy Meadow Cardstock

Poppystamps: Hugs from a Whittle Beaver

 I'm on the Poppystamps blog today with this pair of cards using the sweet Whittle Beaver sending paper hugs.

I started with the masculine card as I am working on my stash of cards to use for my son's at college.  Then I realized that of all the cards I have sent to my mother-in-law during the lockdown, the one card that she specifically complimented was this card using the Poppystamps Whittle Sloth. She clearly needed another cute card. So I switched colors and moved the Whittle Beaver so his tail filled in the space under the sentiment - and I have two new cards for my stash!

Check out the Poppystamps blog for many more pictures and detail.

SUPPLY LIST

Stamps: Poppystamps Marzipan Greetings

Dies: Poppystamps Whittle Beaver, Swaying Birch, Little Bit of Turf, and Whittle Unicorn (just the heart), Memory Box Double Stitch Rectangle Cut Out

Patterned Paper: Memory Box Springtime Bouquet and Madra Plaid Blue and Violet

Freshly Made Sketches: Just Because

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

 

I noticed the "any shape" on this card so I started flipping through my not-yet-used dies looking for anything I could add to the corner. I found the Simon Says Autumn Splendor die and it had a vaguely triangular shape. I cut it in white, then took further inspiration from the sketch and added a true triangular shape behind the leaves but in a strip of colors.  Because the die had the word "autumn" in it, I used a couple of bright colors (the daffodil and mango) and then toned it down with pumpkin and some subtle greens (succulent and evergreen).

It took me awhile to decide on a sentiment. I started out thinking about my Thanksgiving card stash but after trying a number of appropriate sentiments, nothing caught my eye.  Then I looked through Simon Says sentiments (I like keeping things within the same company, but only because it typically narrows down my search for sentiments!) This "just because" popped out at me right away as the right size then it definitely because the correct choice when I realized I could drop a bit of the leaf into it and "connect" the sections!!

Have you all noticed that we are sketch 499?!  That means 500 next week!  It will be an exciting week!

I hope to see you playing along with us!

SUPPLY LIST

Dies: Simon Says Stamp: Autumn Splendor and Just Because

Cardstock: Stampin' Up Daffodil Delight, Mango Melody, Pumpkin Pie, Soft Succulent, Evening Evergreen

Freshly Made Sketches: Birthday Butterflies

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

  

 

As I was thinking about this card and looking at my calendar of birthdays, I knew that I had to use Stampin' Up products because my long-time Stampin' Up demonstrator (and friend) has a birthday coming up!  I thought about using Stampin' Up pastels because that was her last class but I just hadn't practiced enough to be comfortable. A few classes before that was about the Blending Brushes and those made sense for the oval part of the sketch!

I used the biggest oval in Stitched Shape Framelits to create a mask and then brushed on Balmy Blue leaving the area where the sentiment was going very light (I didn't want to change the mango color of the sentiment by having blue behind it). I did end up straying a bit from the sketch at this point. I had intended to use a small strip sentiment in the upper left as the sketch shows then surround it with the smaller butterflies but it just wasn't working and my eyes kept going to how nice the big butterfly would be. I know my teammates made the two strips work with lovely results, but I really needed to love this card before sending it off and I loved the butterfly! (Apologies to Jen!)

I love those cheerful butterflies!  And I love that sentiment set!!  So I will happily be sending this to my Stampin' Up demo - probably about the time she'll be bringing me my stuff from the new catalog.  Happy day!

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

SUPPLY LIST

Stamps: Stampin' Up Butterfly Gala, Biggest Wish

Dies and Punches: Stampin' Up Butterfly Duet punch, Stitched Shapes Framelits

Ink: Balmy Blue, Mango Melody

Cardstock: Balmy Blue

Other: Stampin' Up Blue Adhesive-Backed Gems

Poppystamps: The Coolest Cone

 I'm on the Poppystamps blog today with Whittle Ice Cream Cones in a rainbow of colors with one sparkly little cone telling the recipient they are the coolest!

I love the detail on those cones.  There's so much interest with waffling on the cones and the stitched detail on the ice cream.  

There's much more detail and more pictures on the Poppystamps blog. Be sure to check it out!

SUPPLY LIST

Stamps: Poppystamps Whittle Everyday

Dies: Poppystamps Whittle Ice Cream Cone

Paper: Memory Box Delicate Pastel Glitter Pad

Freshly Made Sketches: Snowy Forest

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

When I saw all of that open space, I looked at my embossing folders and/or dies that created entire scenes for the background.  Since I was making this card on Saturday which was still Christmas in July(!), I ended up with this snowy forest background.

I had stamped and cut the sentiment for an earlier card but I ended up not using it. Happily, it fit so nicely in the center of the scene on this card. Then I just added some classic plaid, a little sparkle and a little twine bow!

The Hallmark Channel now officially says "Christmas in July" is over!!  I actually like their Christmas movies in July - if nothing else, it feels like an escape from the heat!  Sadly I'm a little tired of them by December when they start them again in October.  But for the past month, they provided a nice background for Christmas card-making!

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

SUPPLY LIST

Stamps: Waffle Flower Wonderful Christmas stamps and dies

Dies: Lawn Fawn Mini Snowflakes

Paper: Memory Box Christmas Plaid, Stampin' Up Mossy Meadow

Ink: Stampin' Up Mossy Meadow

Other: Memory Box Snowy Forest Embossing Folder