Freshly Made Sketches Challenge #617

Hello and Happy New Year!
I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas and New Year!  We had a very quite Christmas and start to the New Year.  We didn't travel anywhere this year and so it was just the 4 of us and that was just perfect for me.  I missed my family terribly and hope to get to visit them soon but Christmas is always so hectic to travel.  We got some hikes in and some ski days!  It was wonderful.  I got to sleep in (sleeping in is 6 AM for me) and so that was lovely!  I start a new job next week so I'm a little nervous!  I haven't worked in 17 years so getting back into the throws of things will be different.  Thankfully it's just part time and I get to do something that is out of my comfort zone so I'll be learning new things!  I'm taking on the role of Women's Coordinator at our church!  I'm excited and have lots of ideas bouncing around in my head so we'll see how this goes!

Okay we've got our first sketch of the new year ready for you at Freshly Made Sketches!  Our hostess this week is Narelle Farrugia.  Narelle's cards are always jaw dropping and her creativity always amazes me!  Head over to her blog to check them out!  I think one of Narelle's resolutions this year is to come and visit me so I can take her up a mountain!

This is a great sketch and shockingly I knew what I wanted to do right away!  My husband's bestie's birthday is coming up next week and I thought I'd try and get a head start on some of my January cards.  Don't worry - this increased organization will probably only last a week or so!  I've got a lot of outdoorsy themed paper that I rarely used but knew it would be perfect for this card!  I cut some trees, coloured them with some Distress Inks and added my sentiment!  

Supplies:
Cardstock: Gray Granite (SU), Hammermill White Coverstock

Patterned Paper: Mountain Trek 2.0 (Paper Rose)

Distress Ink: Rustic Wilderness, Mowed Lawn, Bundled Sage, Shabby Shutters

Other: Evergreens (Taylored Expressions), Mini Everyday Sentiments (Spellbinders), Square Dies (Spellbinders), Black Foil (Spellbinders), Glimmer Hot Foil Machine (Spellbinders).

Thanks so much for stopping by today!  I hope you'll head over to our Freshly Made Sketches blog and join in our challenge this week!  The Design Team has got some amazing cards posted to spark your creativity!

Ski day!  We're missing a kid because he was off skiing with friends!

One gorgeous sunrise in the mountains!

The Summit of Prairie Mountain 

Still smiling!  It was a great hike!

I hope you have a great week!  Make sure you get outside and get some fresh air!

Jen

 

Freshly Made Sketches Challenge #608

Hello!
Happy Wednesday!  I hope you're having a great week so far!  We are enjoying our last week of fall before winter makes its grand entrance next week.  The highs next week are mostly below zero and there's some snow in the forecast.  I'm not quite ready for it but I guess I don't have much of a choice.  The kids and Trevor are getting super excited for ski season!  I call it "meet Jesus season".  I'm pretty sure one of these days I'll have a wipe out and break something!  Maybe this year I'll get out there and absolutely love it!  

We've got a brand new sketch at Freshly Made Sketches today!  Our hostess this week is our creative Canadian/Californian Jacquie Southas!  Jacquie's cards are beautiful and always so fun so head over to her blog and check them out!  

So I took one look at this sketch and decided that running away would be my best bet!  Actually, that's not true.  I made an anniversary card for my husband with it but I have no idea where he put it so I couldn't take a picture of it and he's away this week!  Plus I wasn't overly thrilled with that particular card.  I tried using butterflies but they didn't look right and then I realized these banners look like upside down pine trees!  Winner, winner, chicken dinner!  Pine trees it is!

Supplies:

Cardstock: Hammermill White, Wild Wasabi, Garden Green, Shaded Spruce

Stamps: Itty Bitty Gifting (MFT)

Ink: Garden Green, Wild Wasabi, Shaded Spruce, Craft White (All SU)

Other: Pine Wood Dies (SU), Evergreens (Taylored Expressions), Itty Bitty Strips (MFT)

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!  We sure would love to have you play along!  If you need inspiration, you'll find it on the blog as well!  There are some gorgeous cards posted by the team!

Have an amazing day!
Jen

 

Freshly Made Sketches Challenge #593

Hello!
Happy Wednesday!  I hope you are having a fantastic start to your week!  My youngest and I are heading off on an adventure today!  We're flying to see my parents and attend my cousin's wedding in Ontario!  I've actually been able to see my parents a few times already this year which has been wonderful!  I'm super excited to visit them during the summer.  Though I might not be looking forward to the humidity!  

We've got a fantastic new sketch this week at Freshly Made Sketches!  Our hostess this week is our favourite New Zealander, Karren Johnson!  Karren's such a creative stamper and is the queen of hot foiling!  She's one of the reasons I'm broke!!!  

I needed a card for my Father-in-law's birthday - which was yesterday.  Karren's sketch was perfect!  I used the amazing Adventure Awaits paper pad from Honey Bee Stamps with the coordinating Pinstripes and Polka Dots: Outdoors.  I threw on some evergreens and called it a day!  I struggled with the sentiment and I'm still not sold on it but it's what worked!

Supplies:
Cardstock: Shaded Spruce, Certainly Celery, Basic White (SU)

Patterned Paper: Adventure Awaits, Pinstripes & Polkadots: Outdoors (Honey Bee Stamps)

Other: Evergreens Dies (Taylored Expressions), Sentiments for Everyday (Spellbinders), Silver Foil (Spellbinders), Glimmer Hot Foil Machine (Spellbinders), Tasteful Labels Dies (SU)

Thanks so much for stopping by today!  Please be sure to head over to the Freshly Made Sketches blog and join in our challenge.  The girls on the Design Team have created some gorgeous cards that will definitely inspire you!  

I thought I'd share a few photos of one of our more recent adventures!  We did two hikes this weekend.  I'll share the second one next week!  We hiked at Cory Pass.  It's a beautiful area that passes between Mount Cory and Mount Edith!  I wasn't sure what to expect but it far exceeded my expectations.  It was such a beautiful area!  I loved it and we had the whole area to ourselves!  

I hope you have the most amazing week!

Jen

 

Freshly Made Sketches Challenge #592

Hello!
Happy Wednesday!  I hope you're having a great start to your week.  It's been a good week here.  My youngest had his last day of school yesterday which I was so thankful for!  He is now done at the middle school and will go to high school next year with my oldest.  My days of driving him to school are over!!!  Praise the Lord!!!  I'm so thankful to finally be starting our summer vacation.  My oldest has been done for over a week but he's working maintenance at the golf course so we don't see him much!

We've got a great new sketch at Freshly Made Sketches this week courtesy of our favourite French designer, Cecile Ribon!  Cecile's cards always blow me away so you need to head over to her blog to check them out!  Cecile's sketch really stretched my brain.  I struggled with it for a while but I had just used these trees and the dies were still sitting on my desk and I thought they would work perfectly.  I tried one design but didn't like it so opted for an all white Christmas card!

I apologize greatly that the photo quality of my card is poor.  The lighting was terrible when I took it.  We have some rare cloudy skies and it was impeding my ability to take a good photo!  I really love these white sequins from Taylored Expressions.  I had been using them sparingly but I used quite a few in my shaker!

Supplies:
Cardstock: Basic White (SU)

Other: Nested Circles (Pink Fresh), Circle Dies (Spellbinders), Silver Hot Foil (Spellbinders), Joyful Christmas Sentiments (Spellbinders), Evergreens (Taylored Expressions), Sequins (Taylored Expressions and SU)

I thought I'd include some pics of our hike on Friday!  We tackled the Heart Mountain Scramble!  It was a spectacular ridge walk.  No bears on this adventure!  We did see a cute marmot!  You'll see his picture below!  

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!  The design team has some amazing cards there to inspire you!  We can't see what you create!

Have an amazing day!
Jen

 

Freshly Made Sketches Challenge #539

Hello!

Happy Wednesday!  I hope you're having a great week so far!  We've had a bit of rain over the last couple of days and we're so thankful.  I have never lived anywhere that went this long without rain.  Everything looks so green and happy now!  If it could just warm up a bit it would be wonderful!  

We've got a great new sketch this week at Freshly Made Sketches!  Our hostess this week is the fabulous Jennifer Timko!  Jen's card are gorgeous and I'm always wow'd by her creativity!  Head over to her blog and check them out!  

 

So I flipped this sketch around a bit since my bear die was pointed the other way!  I'm pretty sure that's okay!  I'm not totally thrilled with this card but I totally lack creativity and supplies when it comes to making masculine cards (especially Father's Day cards)!  I think I need to focus on that a bit more!  Push myself out of the floral/feminine card design!

I've always made this bear out of black cardstock before but now I know this guy is a grizzly (note the hump behind his shoulders) so he's now brown!  Yes, grizzlies can be really dark or really light but this guy is just brown!  

Supplies:

Cardstock: Early Espresso, Wild Wasabi, Shaded Spruce, Garden Green

DSP: Peaceful Prints (retired)

Stamps: Handsomely Suited

Ink: Early Espresso

Other: Bear Die (Taylored Expressions), Pine Woods Dies, Evergreens (Taylored Expressions), Tasteful Labels Dies

Thanks so much for stopping by today! I hope you'll head over to the Freshly Made Sketches blog and take a peek!  We also hope you'll join in our challenge this week!  The Design Team has got some beautiful cards to inspire you!

Have an amazing day!

Jen

Freshly Made Sketches Challenge #513

Hello!

Happy Wednesday!  I hope you're having a great week!  Happy Thanksgiving week to my American friends!  I hope you all have a wonderful time celebrating with your families!  I also hope that everyone has a safe Black Friday!  I think I'll be avoiding the stores at all costs!  I'm not big on crowds or people!!!  

We have a brand new sketch at Freshly Made Sketches!  I have the privilege of being this week's hostess!  I always find coming up with a sketch challenging but I sure love seeing each and every card that you come up with!  I kept with a simple sketch but know that you guys will knock it out of the park!

I did put a circle on there...just to try and force myself out of my comfort zone!  I need a couple of birthday cards and decided I would convert my circle to a forest of trees!  Hopefully this card could work for either a man or a woman!

Supplies:

Cardstock: Basic White, Basic Black. Garden Green, Evening Evergreen

DSP: Peaceful Prints

Stamps: Itty Bitty Birthdays

Ink: Garden Green

Other: Pine Woods Dies, Evergreen Dies (Taylored Expressions), Clear Droplets

Thanks so much for topping by today!  

I hope you'll head over to the Freshly Made Sketches blog and check out the cards the Design Team has posted!  I can't wait to see what you come up with this week!

Have an amazing day!

Jen