CAS(E) this Sketch! Celebrate

I really like the current sketch at CAS(E) this Sketch.  It's a sentiment across the card with a little image off to the side.

One celebration that I always plan ahead for is my brother and sister-in-laws anniversary.  They had a fall wedding and it was stunning.  It was at an old stone church in our Colorado mountains, decorated in pine branches and fall leaves.  So every year I try to create an autumn-themed card that captures that golden glow of that day  I started following the sketch with a little leaf off to the side - but quickly decided the leaf needed to be a more dramatic so I could add color and sparkle.  At that point I strayed a bit from the literal sketch with my bigger leaf, but still want to give them full credit for my card.

I finished this at the wrong time of day to get a great photo (and I can't try again because the challenge closes soon).  So I took this side shot under artificial light just to show the golden glow.

After sponging on a variety of distress inks, I splattered the leaves with slightly watered down acrylic paints in gold, shimmer white and black.  I also wanted a hint of texture. Luckily I had recently purchased the Stampin' Up Subtle embossing folder which I'm thinking is going to be one of those supplies that never leaves my desk!

Thanks to CAS(E) this Sketch - I have this very special anniversary card ready to go!!

SUPPLY LIST
Dies: Neat & Tangled Maple Thanks, Celebrate
Ink: Distress Oxides in Peeled Paint, Carved Pumpkin, Fossilized Amber, Mustard Seed
Cardstock: Taylored Expressions Gold Foil
Embossing Folder: Stampin' Up Subtle

Freshly Made Sketches: Christmas Snowflake

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

I have a snowflake in my stash that comes out multiple times every year just for the sheer pleasure of adding layers and colors.  It's the Layered Snowflake Confetti Cut by Reverse Confetti and I knew it would be just right for this sketch!


Here's a closer look.  There are so many fun pieces that come together for a million different looks.  I've only used a few of them.  And just for fun, I also used little hearts from Queen & Co.'s Fimo Fun Toppings.  

I tried to honor the sketch with the sentiment placement - I do have a banner just like in the sketch but I just added a word above it! 
I hope to see you playing along with us this week at Freshly Made Sketches!
SUPPLY LIST
Stamps: Reverse Confetti (RC) Winter Word Coordinates Dies: RC Layered Snowflake Confetti Cuts, Winter Words Confetti Cuts Cardstock and Paper: Sunny Studio Classic Gingham, Taylored Expressions Lime Zest, Sour Apple, Watermelon Miscellaneous: Queen & Co. Fimo Fun Toppings, Taylored Expressions Dotted Lattice Embossing Folder

Freshly Made Sketches: Special Blessing

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

I don't often order things the day they come out.  I generally wait to see if I'm still interested a week or more later.  It's amazing how many times something new comes along that catches my attention more than the first item (I must have "squirrel" syndrome!)  But a set of dies came out recently that I ordered within minutes of their release - My Favorite Things Birds of a Feather.


The birds are cute and quirky.  There's a few short, squat ones and then other taller birds.  There are multiple leaves and flowers and hearts.  My favorite things to do is groupings of dies so I can see these coming out regularly.  (Not the branch - that's a different company.)   I did add just a bit of pattern on this little guy's wing - but you may have to click on the photo to see it.  I have a stamp set by Concord & 9th called Background Blocks that is just nine little patterns but works perfectly for accenting little dies.  (I'd love to have a set of small patterns like this but on slightly large stamps - if you have any ideas let me know!)
I do have someone special to thank for their years of friendship and a listening ear so I was thrilled when I realized this sentiment fit the card perfectly.  
I hope to see you play along with us this week at Freshly Made Sketches.
SUPPLY LIST Stamps: My Favorite Things (MFT) Cheerful Blessings, Concord & 9th Background Blocks Dies: MFT Birds of a Feather, Taylored Expressions Out on a Limb

Color Throwdown: Don't Give Up

The colors at the Color Throwdown caught my eye this week but I went in a very different direction than the inspiration photo or the inspiration from the design team.

Here's my card:


Here's the challenge:

I used the colors to create a sunrise/sunset card behind a die that I unexpectedly purchased the last time that I was shopping at Simon Says Stamp.  I was ready to check out and started getting those "other people purchased these products" messages and there was the Cattail Triptych.  And even better, it was $20 marked down to $8 (and it's still there).  I'd never noticed it before but thought it would be perfect for masculine cards so it popped into my cart. 

I'd imagined brilliant sunsets behind it - but these colors gave it a more soft and gentle look.  I splattered a little watered down white acrylic paint on it - maybe stars or maybe fireflies. 

I like it.  I'm glad it jumped into my cart!

SUPPLY LIST
Stamps: Simon Says Stamp (SSS) You Got This
Dies: SSS Cattail Triptych
Ink: SSS Melon, Lake Shores, Fog and Smoke (in the background), Slate (sentiment)

On the Bright Side Butterflies

In one of my recent orders, I tucked in the Memory Box Devyn Butterfly Trio.  I don't know if it's a new or old die but its loopy open butterflies caught my eye.  So of course, I have to play along with the CAS on Friday Butterfly Challenge.  Then to make it even better, The Paper Players came out with a color challenge using a trio of oranges and yellows.  It was all meant to be!!


The sentiment is from Neat & Tangled and I thought it was perfect for these bright butterflies.  I also threw on another new-to-me product - the gems.  These are Buttercream from Pretty Pink Posh.  I think I'm going to like this new trend with gems.  I like clean cards and I think a clean card really benefits from just a bit of sparkle!

It's Friday - so I'm definitely looking on the bright side!
SUPPLY LIST
Stamps: Neat & Tangled So Many Sentiments Dies: Memory Box Devyn Butterfly Trio, My Favorite Things Blueprints 13 (the stitched rectangle) Cardstock: Stampin' Up Pumpkin Pie, Mango Melody, So Saffron Patterned Paper: Taylored Expression Playful Patterns - Black and White Embellishments: Pretty Pink Posh Buttercream Jewels

Freshly Made Sketches: A Shaker Balloon

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

I've been somewhat uninterested in making cards for a few months now - probably due to life getting insane with moving (after 27 years in the same house), my youngest graduating high school, my husband in a new job, and more.  (Hopefully my disinterest hasn't shown too much!)  Life is finally settling into a groove and I've done multiple cards and posts in the last few weeks just because I wanted to!  I've also had to place multiple orders for new products (maybe I should stay less interested!)  Here's a few items from one recent order.


I ordered from Impress Cards & Crafts on their recent big birthday sale.  A couple items from this order are the balloon shaker die which is their own product and the jotted birthday by Memory Box.  I already had the little pearlies in my stash but they'd never been used.  (I got four different full sets of shaker fillers by Queen & Co and none have been opened - I'm thinking there will be some shaking on my blog over the next few weeks!)


I hope to see you playing along with us this week!!

SUPPLY LIST

Stamps: Clearly Besotted Happy Birthday (retired)
Dies: Memory Box Birthday Jotted Script, Impress Balloon die, Taylored Expressions Double-Ended Flag Stacklets
Paper: Taylored Expressions Confetti Cake (my new favorite blue!) and Playful Patterns Black & White, Doodlebug Swiss Dot Rainbow Petite Prints (the yellow)
Miscellaneous: Queen & Co Pearlies Bright, Pretty Pink Posh sequins

Taylored Expressions: Watercolor Hydrangea

I'm still having a wonderful time playing with watercolors.  I know that I'm late to the party - but quite frankly, I've been intimidated. I am so not an artist - I can't draw a stick figure that can be recognized.  Don't get me wrong - all of us who make cards are creating little works of art.  But a big reason I'm drawn to this hobby is that someone else drew the image and designed the papers and created the dies.  All I have to do is put them together!!  Until watercoloring came along.

But I've been practicing and my comfort level is growing.  One of the things that has helped me is coloring heat embossed images.  Then I can apply little pools of color and it spreads out all by itself up to the embossed lines  I love it!  It's fairly easy to do and it gives a wonderful natural look.


I watered down some Plum Punch Liquid Watercolor and added it to the petals first.  Then I did a slightly stronger version on some of the petals.  Finally I decided I wanted some slight color variations, so I added a small amount of Cookie Monster to my Plum Punch to give a few petals just a bit of a blue cast. 

I'm happy with it.  I'm not there yet, but I get more and more comfortable each time I pull out my watercolors.  In fact, sometimes I even look at an image and think how nice it would be if it were watercolored and that's a new thought for me!
SUPPLY LIST