Freshly Made Sketches Challenge #727

 

Hello and happy Wednesday!

I hope you're having a great start to your week so far!  We got out for an amazing hike on the weekend.  The wind was insane and the weather network indicated gusts of up to and over 80 km/hr.  That's a lot if you're on a mountain!  We opted for a safer ridge hike that has you in the forest for quite a while.  It also gave me a chance to try some steeper terrain and see how the hand did.  Up is fine, down is more challenging.  Anyhow, we were completely blocked from the wind pretty much the whole hike and it was fantastic so we were so thankful we got out and did it.  We're supposed to get a bunch of snow this weekend so we might not be hiking at all!  We shall see.  

We have a great new sketch this week at Freshly Made Sketches!  Our hostess this week is the lovely Michele Ferguson.  Make sure you head over to her blog and check our her beautiful cards! 

Michele's sketch threw me for a bit and then I decided I would use some of my new Waffle Flower stamps and dies for it.  I love anything forest like and this Postage Stamp set made my heart flutter!  I love deer and am so thankful that we have deer that walk down our road often so I get to see them on a fairly regular basis!  

Supplies:
Cardstock: Basic Black (SU), Hammermill White Coverstock

Stamps: Postage Collage Forest Sunset (Waffle Flower), Elegant Sentiments (Waffle Flower)

Ink: Detail Black (Pink Fresh Studio)

Dies: Postage Collage Dies (Waffle Flower), Build-A-Wreath (Spellbinders), Double Stitched Frames

Other: Embossing Folder (SU)

Thanks so much for stopping by today! I hope you'll join in our challenge this week! You can head over to the Freshly Made Sketches blog to get all of the details and see some fabulous examples! 

You have until Monday at 3 PM EST to get your card entered into this week's challenge!

Have a wonderful day!

Jen

Freshly Made Sketches Challenge #726

 

Hello! Happy Wednesday!  I hope you're having a great start to your week!  Can you believe it's March?  I know some people feel like January and February dragged on but I feel like I blinked and those two months were gone.  Monday was 11 weeks since my surgery and thankfully after physio last week, I am feeling so much better.  I am excited to see the progress over the next few weeks!

We have a great new sketch at Freshly Made Sketches this week!  Our lovely hostess is the one and only, Karren Johnson!  Karren makes the most amazing cards so please head over to her blog to check them out!  

Karren has such a great sketch for us this week!  I have been loving using Honey Bee Stamps Lovely Layers dies so I got my Lovely Layers Peonies out for this one.  I already had some pre foiled sentiments sitting on my desk so I opted to use one and save some work!  

Supplies:
Cardstock: Basic Black, Rose Gold Foil (SU), Hammermill White Coverstock

Ink: Distress Oxides (Tim Holtz)

Dies: Lovely Layers Peony (Honey Bee Stamps)

Other: Classic Sentiments (Alex Syberia Designs), Lovely Stripes Embossing Folder (SU), Rose Gold Foil (Spellbinders)

Thanks so much for stopping by today!  I hope you will join in our challenge this week!  Head over to the Freshly Made Sketches blog to get your inspiration!  You have until Monday at 3 PM EST to get your card entered into this week's challenge!  

Have an amazing day!

Jen

Freshly Made Sketches Challenge #725

Hello and Happy Wednesday!

I hope you're all having a great start to your week!  Snowmageddon last week wasn't as exciting as it could have been.  We are expecting another round again this week.  Interesting fact, Alberta gets a lot of it's snow in March.  Spring comes late here!  Thankfully the snow usually comes and then melts right away but right now it's quite cold so looks like we're in for some accumulation.  Only a few more weeks to go!

We have a grand new sketch at Freshly Made Sketches this week!  Cecile Ribon is our favourite French hostess this week!  Please make sure you head over to her blog and check out her beautiful creations.  

I wasn't too sure what to do with this sketch!  It sure is a fun one and I wanted to do it justice. I figured I would go with a giant floral background and throw a sentiment over it and go from there.  I opted to use the Lovely Layers Hydrangea from Honey Bee Stamps because I don't think you can ever go wrong with Hydrangea!  I already had some sentiments foiled and sitting on my desk and they worked perfectly!  Voila.  One round and we were done!  

Supplies:
Cardstock: Petal Pink (SU), Hammermill White Coverstock

Ink: Shabby Shutters, Bundled Sage, Mowed Lawn, Tattered Rose (Distress Oxides), Cotton Candy (Catherine Pooler)

Dies: Lovely Layers Hydrangea (Honey Bee Stamps), Nesting Postage Die (Waffle Flower)

Other: Classic Sentiments (Alex Siberia Designs), Iridescent Rhinestones (SU), Exposed Brick Embossing Folder (SU)

Thanks so much for stopping by today! I hope you'll join in our challenge this week!  Please head over to Freshly Made Sketches for more information and to get your card entered!  

You have until Monday at 3 PM EST to get your card entered into this week's challenge!

Have an amazing day!
Jen

 

Freshly Made Sketches Challenge #724

Hello!  Happy Wednesday!  I hope you're having a great week!  We are in the throws of winter craziness.  We have had the weirdest winter I think I've ever lived though.  Most of January and half of February was above freezing.  When you live in the mountains of Canada, this is strange.  You expect cold and snow right?  Nope, not this year.  Yesterday however, that all changed.  Temperatures dropped to bitterly cold and the snow showed up!  I guess winter is rearing it's ugly head after all.  

We have a brand new sketch at Freshly Made Sketches this week.  I have the privilege of being this week's hostess!  I went with a versatile sketch and you can swap those circles for whatever shape you'd like!  

So I'm still playing with my new SU order that I got and I just love the Lovely and Beautiful DSP and decided that I would need to use that again on my card!  The colours are so perfect and soft and make me dream of spring flowers!

Supplies:
Cardstock:  Calypso Coral (SU), Hammermill White Coverstock

DSP: Lovely and Beautiful (SU)

Stamps: Simply Beautiful (SU) and Fabulous Sayings (SU)

Ink: Detail Black (PinkFresh Studios)

Dies: Simply Beautiful Dies (SU)

Other: Stampin Blends (SU)

I hope you'll join in our challenge this week!  Please head over to the Freshly Made Sketches blog and check out the details!  You'll also find some great Design Team cards there to get you inspired.

You have until Monday at 3 PM EST to get your card entered into this week's challenge!

I thought I'd share a few photos from our most recent hike.  I'm still staying at lower elevations and avoiding really icy trails as the recovery from my surgery is a little slower than I would like!

It was a wildlife intensive day!  A herd of elk, so many herds of deer, at least 3 eagles and this mama moose and her baby!  My heart was full!

Thanks for stopping by!
Have an amazing day!

Jen

 

 

Freshly Made Sketches Challenge #721

Hello!
Happy Wednesday!  I hope you're having a good week and if you live on the Eastern side of North America, you're digging out of the snow!  As we live west (though east of the Rockies), we didn't experience the snow really at all.  We have above seasonal temperatures and beautiful sunshine so I will not be complaining.

I've been MIA for several weeks.  I had surgery on my left hand (I'm left handed) and have only gotten to the point where I feel comfortable using it for card making.  In hindsight though I think I was a little premature in my endeavors as I have maybe pushed my hand a little too hard.  I had severe arthritis in my left hand (also in my right) and needed to have a bone removed, another shaved down and then a rope rigged up to attach my thumb to my hand.  Unfortunately, it is as painful as it sounds!

We have a brand new sketch this week at Freshly Made Sketches courtesy of Jen Mitchell!  Please make sure you had over to Jen's blog to check out her gorgeous cards!

I needed to keep my card fairly simple so I didn't overtax the hand and I gave myself one shot at making it.  I'm not overly thrilled but my husband's birthday card is done!  He will just be impressed I managed to make a card!  I love the Wildwood Secrets paper from Mintay so I grabbed that one to give the card an outdoorsy feel.  I added in some silhouette looking trees and called it a day!

Supplies:
Cardstock: Hammermill White Coverstock, Gumball Green, Basic Black (SU)

Patterned Paper: Wildwood Secrets (Mintay Papers)

Stamps: Elegant Sentiments (Waffle Flower)

Ink: Detail Black (Pink Fresh Studios)

Dies: Circle Dies (Spellbinders), Evergreens (Taylored Expressions), Scenic Adventure Dies (SU)

Other: Exposed Brick Textured Embossing Folder

Thanks so much for stopping by today!  I hope you'll head over to the Freshly Made Sketches blog and join in our challenge this week.  You have until 3 PM EST on Monday to get your card entered into this week's challenge.

Have an amazing day!
Jen

 

Freshly Made Sketches Challenge #714

Hello!
Happy Wednesday!  I hope you're having a great week!  We got our first snow storm of the year on Monday.  What a disaster.  The roads were insane yesterday and today I found some great skating rinks to drive along!  As much as my husband loves winter, I am not a fan mainly because I hate driving!  I guess I better dig deep and get used to it, we've got another 5 months to go!

We've got a brand new sketch at Freshly Made Sketches today courtesy of Cecile Ribon!  Please make sure you head over to Cecile's blog and check our her absolutely stunning cards!  

 

When I was in at Home Sense the other day I noticed that pink seemed to be the in colour for Christmas.  I'm not sure how I feel about that and I must admit I did not purchase anything pink since I'm pretty sure pink won't be the in colour next year!  I did however incorporate some pink into my card in honour of this year's wild colour!  This is a terrible picture because I forgot to take a picture while the sun was up and then the lighting was terrible!  I'll try and get a better picture tomorrow!

Supplies:
Cardstock: Hammermill White Coverstock, Pink Pirouette (SU)

Stamps: Ornament Keepsakes (SU - long retired!)

Ink: Cotton Candy (Catherine Pooler Designs)

Dies: Double Stitched Squares (Lil Inker Designs), Holiday Ornaments (SU - long retired!)

Other: Distressed Tile Embossing Folder (SU), Joyful Christmas Sentiments (Spellbinders), Glimmer Hot Foil Machine (Spellbinders), Pink Foil (Spellbinders), Pink Jewels

Thanks so much for stopping by today!  I hope you'll head over to the Freshly Made Sketches blog and join in our challenge this week!  If you need some inspiration you'll find it on the blog!

You have until Monday at 1 PM EST to get your card entered into this week's challenge!

Have an amazing day!
Jen

Freshly Made Sketches Challenge #712

Hello!
Happy Wednesday!  I hope you're having a great week so far!  Trevor and I were able to get out for a snow free hike yesterday which was amazing!  The arthritis in my left hand (and my right to be honest) is bad enough to require surgery at the end of January but I also cannot use my hiking poles anymore.  Unfortunately that means I need to stick to lower elevation gain and lower distance hikes so that I'm not endangering myself!  It was quite the experience hiking without poles.  It sure feels different.  I needed one for the way down for a bit but then I had to just carry it.  Hoping this surgery fixes my hand and I can go back to normal life!  I'll also be hit or miss on making cards for the next little while as well as the fine detail work also has become quite difficult.  I feel so old!!!!  

We've got a great new sketch this week at Freshly Made Sketches!  Our hostess this week is the amazingly creative Verena Shapiro!  Please head over to her Instagram and check out her cards!

So, the funny thing about my card this week is that I thought I was this week's hostess and so I made a card for my sketch only to find out that I'm on for next week and I still needed a card for this week!  Thankfully I had some paper and dies sitting on my desk that worked perfectly for this sketch and off I went!  I was also thankful that I was off today and had the time to get it done!  Now I'm not overly thrilled with the end result but that's okay!

Supplies:
Cardstock: Very Vanilla, Garden Green, Gumball Green, Real Red, Champagne Foil (All SU)

Patterned Paper: Simple Vintage Yuletide (Simple Stories)

Ink: Garden Green, Real Red

Dies: Christmas Foliage (Spellbinders)

Other: Joyful Christmas Sentiments (Spellbinders), Glimmer Hot Foil Machine (Spellbinders), Red Foil (Spellbinders)

Thanks so much for stopping by today!  I hope you really enjoy your week!
We hope you'll join in our our challenge this week!  Head over to the Freshly Made Sketches blog to get find some inspiration!  You have until Monday at 1 PM EST to get your card entered into this week's challenge!  

 Have an amazing day!

Jen