Freshly Made Sketches: Mermaid Birthday

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

I started a new job a little over a year ago and right from day one, I made birthday cards for the people in my department. But a year ago, I didn't know them very well. Now I'm starting to figure out everybody's likes and dislikes.  I learned that one lady has a passion obsession with mermaids.  This sketch seemed like the perfect time to get her card made because I saw those little dots as bubbles!


As I was shopping for a mermaid stamp, the sentiment was the first thing that I saw at Impression Obsession.  It's made me laugh out loud!!   (I know my workmate well enough by now to know that she will enjoy this!)


I think the mermaid is lovely and so fun to color.  As a last touch, I colored her tail and the little fish with some clear Wink of Stella.

I am excited for making these birthday cards over the next year.  A huge part of the joy of cardmaking is the ability to tailor the card precisely to the recipient - images, colors, sentiment - and this year, I have most of my workmates figured out!

SUPPLY LIST

Stamps: Impression Obsession Martha Mermaid, If Your Thighs. PTI Happy Harlequin ("birthday")
Dies: Avery Elle Wonky Stitches, Clearly Besotted Happy (but they no longer sell dies, sorry)
Cardstock: Taylored Expressions Cookie Monster
Copics: BG13, BG05, BG0, YR31, YR20, YR23, YR65, YR68, V15, V17, E51, E11, R20
Other: Clear Wink of Stella, Pretty Pink Posh Clear 4mm Clear Droplets

Taylored Expressions: All Shook Up Snowman

It's July and I don't have a single Christmas card done!  And I think it's really sad that I just strung "July" and "Christmas" in a single sentence!!  I decided I need to start working my way through my Christmas NBUS stash before all the new Christmas products start coming out!  I also had so much fun making yesterday's shaker card (after my belated discovery of foam adhesive sheets - see yesterday's post for a full description!) that I started my July Christmas card push with a snowman shaker.


I made the background using a narrow brayer.  There are actually three strips - the top is a darker ink. The next two are the same color - just rolled off once for the bottom.
He made me smile.  And seeing him is helping me to survive the 90+ degree weather this week (I HATE HEAT).  Hopefully you are feeling just a bit cooler too!
SUPPLY LIST

Snowman Shaker	Little Bits - Snowflake Confetti	Stitched Rectangle Stacklets	Stitched Circle Stacklets
Baby, It's Cold Outside	foam adhesive sheets	TE 6x6 Paper Pack - Double the Joy	TE Premium Cardstock - Sugar Cube
TE Premium Cardstock - Oreo	TE Premium Cardstock - Sprinkles	TE Premium Cardstock - Salt Water Taffy	TE Premium Cardstock - Toffee
TE Premium Cardstock - Candy Corn	TE Premium Cardstock - Granny Smith	TE Premium Ink - Oreo - Full Pad	TE Premium Ink - Sprinkles - Full Pad
TE Premium Ink - Salt Water Taffy - Full Pad	TE Sequins - Snow Flurries

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Curtain Call Inspiration Challenge: Red, White and Blue

It's time for a new challenge at the Curtain Call Inspiration Challenge: Red, White and Blue.

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Be sure to check out our newest Guest Designer: Hannelie Bester at Desert Diva.

Here's my card!  I went with two different blues.  When I had just the navy as is in the challenge graphic, it had such a patriotic look that it didn't shout "thank my lucky stars for you".  I wanted to brighten it up a bit but still stay within the challenge.

This star stamp set was great stamp to work with.  The stamp includes 9 patterned stars and the die cuts them all at once.  So it was very easy to fill up my jar!  
I've become a much bigger fan of shaker cards since I discovered foam adhesive sheets.  I'm sure I'm late to the party, but I used to try to cut foam tape to fit the shape.  It also helps that the die was made to cut out the center.  I cut a piece of acrylic using the ouside die (without the center).  I stamped, then cut the paper and foam with the center of the die in place. (BTW - this is the one time that I don't try to trim down those pesky metal tabs on a die.  You know what I'm talking about - the ones that stick out after you cut a die set apart and can draw blood because they are so darn sharp.  If you cut the center piece from the die set and leave the tabs on both sides - you can easily line up the inside with the outside to cut them at the same time which you want to do to get the paper and the foam exactly the same!)
I hope to see you playing along!
SUPPLY LIST

Lucky Stars Stamp & Die Combo	Mason Jar	Mason Jar Dies	foam adhesive sheets
Stitched Banner Stacklets	Embossing Folder - Bead Board	TE Premium Cardstock - Sugar Cube	TE Premium Cardstock - Blue Corn
TE Premium Ink - Earl Grey - Full Pad	TE Premium Ink - Blue Corn - Full Pad	TE Premium Ink - Cookie Monster - Full Pad	TE Premium Ink - Cherry Pop - Full Pad
TE Sequins - Snow Flurries

LinkDeli.com

Freshly Made Sketches: Life Gives You Lemons

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

I recently got my first order from the new Stampin' Up catalog so I didn't care what the sketch was - I was going to make my new stuff fit!!  Lemon Zest was at the very top of my wishlist and luckily, it fit!


(I have a love/hate relationship with iridescent sequins.  From my usual photo angle, the sequins looked coral - so I have to go off to the side to avoid the odd color!)

I inked the lemons in Daffodil Delight - then rolled the edges in the old Summer Sun (the difference shows up better in real life).  I don't own the new In-Color inks - I always start with a sample pack of the paper and decide which colors I want to collect (usually all of them!).  I am wishing I had the new Lemon Lime Twist - but had to use Papertrey's Limeade Ice on the leaves since it was the same general color.  I wanted a little texture in the background and settled on Softly Falling!  I've only ever used it for snow but some of my FMS design team friends use it regularly on other types of cards and have shown me that it's often the perfect amount of texture.

This set is fun in that you can start with "If life gives you lemons..." and add something cheerful like "live it with zest" - or a bit sarcastic like "chuck them right back".  I went with sarcastic on the inside. I have a work friend who is a single mom of two young girls, who is dealing with her own mother being very ill, who is not only doing her job which was already overly busy - but doing the department head's job while there's been a job search for that position.  Then on top of everything - she got a jury duty summons.  It's definitely time that she start chucking some lemons back.

I hope to see you playing along!

SUPPLY LIST

Stampin' Up Lemon Zest	Stampin' Up Lemon Builder Punch	Stampin' Up 1 3/4" Circle Punch	Stampin' Up Softly Falling
TE Stitched Rectangle Stacklets	Hero Arts Ombre Sequins Sunshine	SU Daffodil Delight Ink

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Freshly Made Sketches: Sassy and Classy

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

After my original idea did not work out because I didn't have a goldfish stamp (can't you just see a fishbowl with a funky little goldfish peeking out!!) - I decided it was a perfect sketch to focus on a fun sentiment.  I found the sentiment, then I worked for a very long time trying to come up with something creative on this card.  I felt a little bad just showing you a sentiment plopped on a curved edge with some gems.  But darn it - I like it.  Nothing else I did made it better.  This sentiment deserves to be the star of the show!!

Isn't that a fabulous sentiment?  I have absolutely no idea what I'm going to do with it - but someday for someone, it's going to be perfect!!
Have fun with the sketch!  So much open space to work with!
SUPPLY LIST

CAS-UAL FRIDAYS Frankly'isms

Finnley Drip Pattern Paper by Glitz Design

Pretty Pink Posh Stitched Borders 1

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