Freshly Made Sketches Challenge #690

Hello!
Happy Wednesday! Hope you're having a great start to your week!  We are in desperate need of rain around here.  The smoke moved in on Saturday from the various wildfires taking place across our country right now.  Lots of northern cities are dealing with wildfires right now.  It's such a hard time of the year.  

We have a fabulous new sketch over at Freshly Made Sketches!  Our hostess this week is the fabulous Karren Johnson!  Karren's cards are gorgeous!  Please head over to her blog and give her some love!  

That circle struck me as a sunflower so I pulled out the Lovely Layers Sunflower Honey Cuts by Honey Bee Stamps.  I grabbed my Distress Oxides and coloured away.  My woodgrain embossing folder was sitting out after last week's card so I decided to put it to good use again!  

Supplies:
Cardstock:  Hammermill White Coverstock, Early Espresso

Ink: Scattered Straw, 

Dies: Lovely Layers Sunflowers, Fossilized Amber, Gathered Twigs, Espresso (Distress Oxides)

Other: Hardwood Embossing Folder (SU), Curved Everyday Sentiments (Spellbinders), Copper Foil (Spellbinders)

Thanks for stopping by today!  I hope you'll join in our challenge this week!  Head over to the Freshly Made Sketches blog to get inspired to create a masterpiece!  You have until Monday at 1 PM EST to get your card entered in this week's challenge!

Thought I'd share a few pictures from last weekend's hike.  The view from the top was incredible but the hike up and down left a little to be desired.  We had great weather though the smoke has started to roll in.  Fire season is starting early!

Have a wonderful day!

Jen

 

Freshly Made Sketches #626

 

Hello!
Happy Wednesday!  I hope you're having a great week so far!  March has come into Calgary like a raging lion.  We started off the month with lots of snow and super cold temperatures.  I am sure hoping that March goes out like a lamb but this is Canada, I won't hold my breath.  We do desperately need the snow - we are already looking at a drought so any snow is better than no snow I guess!

We've got a brand new sketch this week at Freshly Made Sketches!  Our hostess this week is our French designer Cecile Ribon!  Cecile's cards are always spectacular so make sure you head over to her blog and prepare to be wowed!  

When I first saw Cecile's sketch I was a little nervous.  Not only is there a giant circle but it's cut in half!  Half circles!  What on earth do I do with half circles?!  I remembered for a card a long time ago I had cut some sunflower dies in half.  I realized I could do that again!  So, off I went to make some sunflowers!  I'm running a little low on my daffodil delight so I just used my white cardstock and blended it with brushes.  The sunflower looked a little naked on the page so I decided to stencil some honeycombs onto the page using the Distress Oxides!

Supplies:

Cardstock: Hammermill White Coverstock, Sahara Sand (SU) Copper Foil (SU)

Ink: Scattered Straw, Pumice Stone, Scorched Timber, Ground Espresso (All Distress Oxides)

Other: Lovely Layers Sunflowers (Honey Bee Stamps), Sunflower Dies (SU), Mini Everyday Sentiments (Spellbinders), Brown Foil, Glimmer Hot Foil Machine, Grain and Grunge Gem Stickers (Honey Bee Stamps), Honey Comb Stencil

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 can't wait to see what you create!  You have until 1 PM EST on Monday to get your card entered!

If you need some inspiration you will want to head over to the blog and see some fantastic cards from our Design Team!

Have an amazing day!

Jen

Freshly Made Sketches Challenge #607

Hello!
Happy Wednesday!  I hope you're having a great week!  If you're a Canadian you might have celebrated Thanksgiving on the weekend.  We had a lovely weekend.  Our neighbours came over for Thanksgiving dinner on Saturday and then we enjoyed leftovers Sunday and Monday!  It was lovely!  No hike for us this weekend so no pictures for you.  Sorry.  We decided that we would just enjoy the weekend and get some things done around the house - plus I feel like I spent part of the weekend in the kitchen!  I'm sure you know what I mean!

We've got a brand new sketch this week at Freshly Made Sketches!  Our hostess this week our favourite Texan, Amy O'Neill!  Amy's cards are always delightful and she so much creativity!  You need to head over to her blog and check them out!  

At first I stared at this sketch for a while.  I thought about poinsettias and discovered one of the other girls had made a card with poinsettias and since Thanksgiving is over I am moving away from fall cards.  Then I saw a sunflower cut in half already sitting on my desk.  I knew that would work perfectly!  I went with a lot of white on this card.  Maybe a little too much white but we're going to roll with it for now!  

Supplies:

Cardstock: Daffodil Delight, Early Espresso, Copper Foil, Hammermill White

Ink: Crushed Curry

Other: Stitched Squares, Lovely Layers Sunflowers (Honey Bee Stamps), Be Bold Sentiments (Spellbinders), Copper Foil (Spellbinders), Glimmer Hot Foil Machine (Spellbinders), Rhinestones (Honey Bee Stamps)

Thanks so much for stopping by today!  I hope you will head over to the Freshly Made Sketches blog and join in our challenge this week!  We'd love to see what you create!  If you need some inspiration, the Design Team has cooked up some amazing cards for you!  

Have an amazing day!

Jen

Freshly Made Sketches Challenge #598

Hello!
Happy Wednesday!  I'm a little confused at what day it is here.  We had a holiday on Monday and so I'm a day behind on everything!!!  We had a fantastic long weekend though and it was lovely to spend time with our sweet, little family!  Of course there was some hiking involved - you can catch those photos at the end of this post!  

Since it's Wednesday, that must mean that we've got a new sketch at Freshly Made Sketches and our hostess, Jennifer Timko has a fabulous one for us!  Jen's cards are always amazing and she is one of the most talented card makers I know!  Head over to her blog and you'll see what I'm talking about!  You'd think that I would cringe when I saw it but this time I knew exactly what I wanted to do with it!  

I looked at those circles and saw sunflowers!  I grabbed my Honey Bee Lovely Layers Sunflower and went to town!  I struggled a bit with the outside but went with the frame (and I can't remember where it's from).

Supplies:
Cardstock: Early Espresso, Daffodil Delight, Hammermill White, Copper Foil

Ink: Daffodil Delight, Crushed Curry (both SU)

Other: Lovely Layers Sunflower (Honey Bee Stamps), Posh Happy Birthday (Memory Box), Copper Hot Foil (Spellbinders), Glimmer Hot Foil Machine, Adventure Awaits Gem Stickers (Honey Bee Stamps), Pierced Rectangle Frames

We actually completed two hikes this weekend!  The first one was a beast. The mighty Mount Jimmy Simpson!  This peak stands at just over 9700 feet!  It was quite the climb but we did it!  This hike is in Banff National Park and you can see Bow Lake from the peak!  It's also surrounded by glaciers!  I think it was the most beautiful place I've ever seen!  The pictures really don't do it justice!

The second hike was at The Orphan! It was a shorter hike but still super tough!  The entire hike was on rocks!  It was a little tough on the feet and ankles but it was still a fun hike!  Started out super foggy but was nice and sunny at the top.  We are experiencing a little smoke right now so the views from the top were obscured but still amazing!!!

Thanks so much for stopping by today!  I apologize for all the hiking photos!!!  Brace yourself for more next week!!!!  

I hope you'll head over to the Freshly Made Sketches blog and check out our challenge this week!  We really hope you'll join us!  If you need any inspiration you'll find it on our blog as the Design Team has come up with some beautiful cards!  

Have an amazing day!  

Jen

 

Freshly Made Sketches Challenge #549

Hello!

Happy Wednesday! I hope you're having a great week so far!  We're on vacation this week and we were supposed to be spending this week with my family in Ontario but due to the craziness of the airports right now and the very good chance that our flight home would be significantly delayed or cancelled we opted to postpone our trip to another time.  We're having a staycation here instead.  Monday we headed to Canmore for the most amazing golf game.  Yesterday my husband and I hiked up the most incredible ridge  (there are 7 peaks on this ridge and we were able to accomplish 6 of them!) and today we're heading into Banff and we're going to bike back to Canmore!  Can't wait to see this trail! 

 

It's Wednesday (I think) and we've got a fabulous new sketch at Freshly Made Sketches!  Our hostess this week is the amazing Jen Timko!  Jen's cards are always so beautiful and she inspires me to be a better card maker!  Head over to her blog to check out her cards!  

I knew what I wanted to do for this card and was super excited to work with my sunflower dies again!  My neighbours have a sunflower garden out front and it's the cheeriest thing!  I just love seeing those little waving yellow heads!  

Supplies:

Cardstock: Early Espresso, Daffodil Delight, Garden Green, Copper Foil

Ink: Daffodil Delight, Garden Green

Other: Lovely Layers Sunflowers Honey Cuts (Honey Bee Stamps), Bitty Buzzwords Honey Cuts (Honey Bee Stamps), Dainty Diamonds Embossing Folder, Dimensionals

Thanks so much for stopping by today!  I hope you'll head over to the Freshly Made Sketches blog and join in our challenge!  The Design Team has some amazing inspiration on the blog for you!  

We can't wait to see what you create!

Have an amazing day!

Jen

 

Freshly Made Sketches Challenge #538

Hello!

Happy Wednesday!  I hope you're having a great start to the week.  A lot of my American friends have started their summer break.  We've got a bit more time left here.  My oldest has two weeks of school left and my youngest has 4 weeks left.  The weather isn't all the warm so I guess that's okay!  I'm looking forward to more relaxed summer time!

We've got a great new sketch this week at Freshly Made Sketches!  Our hostess this week is the amazing Jacquie Southas!  Jacquie's cards are always amazing so please head over to her blog and check them out!  

So as usual, this is not my first card.  I really wanted to get some masculine cards made but honestly, masculine cards always stump me.  I don't know why.  Anyhow, I made a card and didn't really love it.  I had this sunflower sitting on my desk and decided to make a card and incorporate that instead!

I used some old DSP from SU that I had sitting out.  I do love dots and stripes!  

Supplies:

Cardstock: Basic White, Daffodil Delight, Crushed Curry, Early Espresso, Copper Foil

DSP: Retired SU Neutrals Colour Pack, Retired SU Brights Colour Pack

Ink: Early Espresso, Daffodil Delight, Crushed Curry

Stamps: Itty Bitty Birthdays

Other: Subtle Texture Embossing Folder, Lovely Layers Sunflowers Honey Cuts (Honey Bee Stamps), Champagne Jewels, Dimensionals

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

There are some amazing cards on our blog that will jump start your creativity!

Have a fabulous day!

Jen

 

Freshly Made Sketches Challenge #532

Hello!

Happy Wednesday!  I hope you're having a great start to your week!  We are just coming out of a crazy snow storm - I think it was going around a lot of places this week!  I am not a big fan of snow in April and I'm hoping that it doesn't last.  It's supposed to warm up so I'm hoping this is the end of it!  I don't know if I can take any more snow and winter!!!

We've got a great sketch at Freshly Made Sketches today courtesy of the super creative Kim Singdahlsen!  Kim's cards are always so fun and she has the best collection of dies!  Head over to her blog to check them out!

I had this sunflower sitting on my desk and needed to add it to a card and it fit onto this card perfectly!  I went with a white background because the other colours I tried just didn't look right.  I also thought the colours just stood out so nicely against the white!

Supplies:

Cardstock: Basic White, Daffodil Delight, Garden Green, Early Espresso, Copper Foil

Stamps: Special Moments

Ink: Basic Black

Other: Lovely Layers Sunflowers Honey Cuts (Honey Bee Stamps), Sweetly Stitched Dies, Tasteful Textile Embossing Folder, Flag Dies, Dimensionals

Thanks so much for stopping by today!  I hope you'll head over to the Freshly Made Sketches blog and join in our challenge!  The design team has put together some amazing cards for your inspiration!

Have an amazing day!

Jen

 

Freshly Made Sketches Challenge #520

Hello!

Happy Wednesday!!  I hope you're having a great start to your week!  Can you believe we're in the last week of January already?  I normally find that January DRAGS on but for some reason I feel like I blinked and now it's almost over! Maybe it's because the weather has been fairly fantastic here!  I won't complain!  February, here we come!

We have a fabulous new sketch at Freshly Made Sketches!  Our hostess this week is the super creative Jen Mitchell!  Jen creates gorgeous cards so be sure to head over to her blog to check them out!

Jen has a super fun sketch for us this week!  As soon as I saw it I knew I wanted that start to be a sunflower!  I had some sunflowers sitting on my desk and couldn't wait to use them!  

Supplies:

Cardstock: Daffodil Delight, Granny Apple Green, Early Espresso, Brushed Copper, Basic White, Vellum

DSP: In Good Taste, Brights 6X6 (Retired)

Ink: Daffodil Delight, Garden Green

Other: Subtle Texture Embossing Folder, Lovely Layers Sunflower HoneyCuts (Honey Bee Stamps), Bitty Buzzwords HoneyCuts (Honey Bee Stamps), Double Stitched Circle Dies,  Sequins

Thanks so much for stopping by today!  I hope you'll head over to the Freshly Made Sketches blog and find some inspiration!  We can't wait to see what you create this week!

Have a fabulous day!

Jen