Mojo Monday and CAS(E) this Sketch: It's Marching Season

This is my second post today.

In my previous post, I noted that I had four hours carved out today for cardmaking.  The reason only four hours is that it's marching season and both of my children are at a competition.  They march this afternoon in the preliminary competition. Typically I go for the full day and take notes on the competition so I'm feeling a little guilty sitting here crafting (but not too guilty!).  In this particular competition they would have to completely fall apart to not make finals tonight so I figure I'll see most of the bands this evening.

The next challenge I want to play today is Mojo Monday.  As soon as I saw it, it occurred to me that I had not thought about making cards for my guys.  Although the cards are lost and forgotten as soon as they are opened - they would definitely notice if I forgot.   Check out the great paper.  Clearly it's meant for a football card - but as they say..."what is the football team doing on the band field"?

For the second child, I noticed the sketch at CAS(E) this Sketch - perfect for a line of music and a sentiment.  This card uses the colors of their uniforms which always feels a little militaristic - but he'll like it.

Dude You Rock:

• Stamps: Verve Dude
• Paper: Echo Park That's My Boy 6x6 pad, Papertrey Ink Simply Chartreuse, Stampin' Up Night of Navy
• Ink: Stampin' Up Night of Navy, Papertrey Ink Simply Chartreuse
• Accessories: My Favorite Things Fishtail dies, misc button and twine

Absolutely Proud of You:

• Stamps: Simon Says Absolutely
• Paper: Echo Park That's My Boy 6x6 pad, Simon Says Schoolhouse Red, Stampin' Up Night of Navy
• Ink: Stampin' Up Night of Navy
• Accessories: Simon Says Absolutely die, Memory Box music, Papertrey Arrow, Doodlebug Graduation Stars Sprinkles

Merry Monday: Stripes and Dots

Happy World Cardmaking Day!  Isn't it wonderful to have our own special day?!  I have managed to carve out four uninterrupted hours.  There isn't even anybody home to bother me!! Life is good!

I'm not going to chatter too much because I want to be making cards.  I decided not to play along with any official celebration.  I am simply going to walk through challenges and do the ones that I want to do - with absolutely no other requirements on myself - no design team, no NBUS, just fun!!!

The first is the current Merry Monday Challenge: Stripes, Polka Dots or both.

I have a lot to choose from but I decided to go with the original Clearly Besotted set.  They have a new release going live tomorrow that I am loving - so while I'm waiting for that I am pulling out the first set ever!


I recently got the Kaisercraft pad called Mistletoe.  I am loving the fresh colors - particularly the lime green - so I pulled all the colors from the paper.  The borders are two die cuts that come in the pad.  Honestly, I have always just paged right by the die cuts in pads - but I like these!

• Stamps: Clearly Besotted Stamps Signature Christmas and Signature Christmas Additions
• Paper: Kaisercraft Mistletoe, Papertrey Ink Ocean Tides
• Ink: Papertrey Ink Limeade Ice, Ocean Tides, Simon Says Schoolhouse Red, Versamark
• Accessories: Clearly Besotted Stamps Signature Christmas dies, Martha Stewart Fine Crystal Glitter, Stampin' Up Heat 'n Stick Powder, Hemptique 10-lb white twine, misc sequins.

Curtain Call Inspiration Challenge: Smooch

This is my second post today.  Freshly Made Sketches
is just a post away!

It's time for a new Curtain Call Inspiration Challenge!

We have a new sponsor, Paper Smooches, for the Curtain Call Inspiration: Smooch!  A randomly selected participant in the Smooch challenge will be awarded a $25 gift certificate to the Paper Smooches store, while the LEAD of the challenge will be invited as a guest designer for a future challenge!

I was inspired by the various pinks with a lot of white - so I used the sweet flowers in Blossoming Buds along with the handy set We Connect.  We Connect has a variety of loving words with some big ampersands so you can put together your own sentiment.  I had to use "kisses" because of the inspiration, and I love "huge hugs".

I also used wanna sketch #20 from Lisa Arana.  I have to admit to already planning to put the spray of flowers in the corner before I looked at the sketch, but then I saw the single colored heart and that's what led me to leaving some uncolored flowers.

Make sure you visit each of the designers' blogs for more inspiration!

Smooch Designers

Wanda Guess, Guest Designer

Amy Kolling
Amy Sheffer
Amy Tsuruta
Gayatri Murali
Kim Singdahlsen
Laurie Willison
Lisa Henke
Marisa Ritzen
Maureen Plut
Monika Davis
Sarah Gough
Sheri Gilson
Stacey Schafer
Tenia Nelson
Tracey McNeely

Follow us!

Curtain Call Inspiration Challenge Facebook Page

Curtain Call Pinterest Boards

Stop by the Curtain Call Inspiration Challenge:  Smooch for the challenge details and to play along with us!

Freshly Made Sketches: Boo to You

It's time for a new sketch at Freshly Made Sketches!

If you started with my card, be sure to head over to Freshly Made Sketches and check out the amazing variety of cards that came from this single sketch!!  I am always amazed at what everybody sees in a sketch and how different each card can be even with just a few panels.  I went with a happy ghost.


I really had no intention of getting any new Halloween products this year.  It's fun to make Halloween cards but I simply do not have many people to give them to. But I was playing at a friend's house and she had this Stampin' Up Fall Fest set - I couldn't resist!  It's full of different sized pumpkins and a variety of faces for the pumpkins or the little ghost, plus it has coordinating dies!
I hope you are inspired to play along - I look forward to seeing what you create.

• Stamps: Stampin' Up Fall Fest, Good Greetings 
• Paper: Doodlebug Haunted Manor 6x6, Stampin' Up Lucky Limeade, Simon Says Fog, My Favorite Things Grape Jelly
• Ink: Stampin' Up Lucky Limeade, Pumpkin Pie
• Accessories: Stampin' Up Fun Fall dies, Jillibean Soup Enamel Stars, Wow white embossing powder, Papertrey Ink file die

Catered Crop: Seeing Red

It's time for a new challenge at Catered Crop.  We are "seeing red"!

Linda, at Catered Crop, writes:

Bold, luxurious and sexy Red! The Hollywood red carpet, red light districts, homespun gingham, roses, valentines, kick a** lipstick, cherries, apples, and blushing cheeks . . . royalty, danger and passion . . 


She doesn't mention Christmas, but what better for a red challenge than some crisp and clean, red and white Christmas snowflakes!?


These are a few items from the Stamptember release at Simon Says Stamp.  I got the Holiday Frame die on the day it was released. I imagine so many uses for it, from cute to elegant.  It took me a couple of weeks to decide on the snowflakes, then I saw this card by Debby Hughes.  I want everything that I see Debby Hughes use!  This is the Presents and Ornaments set and it's full of handy basics like these snowflakes, a number of different sized presents and bows, and a chevron border. Much of it will be handy year-round.
Linda has curated this Pinterest board full of inspiration.  Here's a peek. Notice that the card doesn't have to be all red - just a focus on red.

Then next week, all of the design team cards will be gathered together on the Catered Crop blog along with a few guest designers.
I look forward to seeing the Catered Crop gallery full of red!

• Stamps: Simon Says Stamp Presents and Ornaments
• Paper: Simon Says Stamp Schoolhouse Red
• Ink: Simon Says Stamp Schoolhouse Red
• Accessories: Simon Says Holiday Frame die, Falling Snow Stencil, white embossing paste and glitter, red and white twine

MFT Sketch: Birthday for a Friend

My 14-year old son fancies himsel a chef.  I am SO lucky!  He loves to cook and he loves to eat.  So when we decided to have friends over last night, guess who did the meal?  He made his own recipe - Rustic Pasta with Sweet Italian Sausage, and on the side he had Roasted Brussel Sprouts.   He even had an antipasti platter with various Italian meats and cheeses, marinated Mozzarella and Castelvetrano olives (which took three stores to find).  I was going to take pictures of everything so you could all drool - but I was too busy eating!

When we scheduled the meal, I had no idea that it was our friend's birthday in a week.  Thank goodness for Facebook sending me a reminder!  So before they came over, while my son was upstairs cooking and my husband was cleaning(!), I was downstairs doing a birthday card.

I recently got My Favorite Thing's Spotlight Sentiments.  I knew that they would make fabulous cards with the simple addition of a diecut flower.  I did my first one early this week - see it here.  I liked the look so much, I did it in a different layout for this card.


My colors came from the patterned paper which is Fancy Pants True Friend.  I have the entire collection of My Favorite Things cardstock and inks and  but it turns out they are missing anything in the coral and/or cantaloupe family which I needed for this paper.  Hey MFT!!  I'm thinking it's time for some new colors!!
The layout is from their current sketch.  I the love diagonal but the vertical lines gave me enough of a headache that I almost didn't do it.  I kept going and I REALLY like the final result.  That's why I use the sketches, and other people create the sketches.

• Stamps: My Favorite Things Spotlight Sentiments, Woodgrain Background
• Paper: Fancy Pants True Friend 6x6 dsp, My Favorite Things Natural and Berrylicious, Stampin' Up Crisp Cantaloupe and Calypso Coral
• Ink: Versamark, My Favorite Things Natural
• Accessories: My Favorite Things Gerbera Daisy die, Layered Leaves die, Lemon Drop button

CAS(E) this Sketch! Boo to You

I spent a wonderful afternoon playing at a friend's house who has it all when it comes to Stampin' Up products.  Although I still manage to buy more than my fair share of Stampin' Up products, playing with her stash allows me to avoid buying full stamp sets because I love one or two of the stamps in the set.  In this case, I really like Frankenstein from Freaky Friends but I have no use for the other fun characters from the set.  So I got my Frankie-fix with this little scene!


I thought the off-kilter panel on this week's sketch from CAS(E) this Sketch worked well with Frankie.

• Stamps: Stampin' Up Freaky Friends, Good Greetings
• Paper: Stampin' Up Blackberry Bliss CS and dsp, Crushed Curry
• Ink: Stampin' Up Blackberry Bliss, black, Versamark
• Accessories: Stampin' Up Heat 'n Stick Powder, Martha Stewart Fine Crystal Glitter, Avery Elle sequins