Freshly Made Sketches Challenge #605

Happy Wednesday!  

I hope you're having a fantastic start to your week!  We're having a couple of nice warm days but the cold is on it's way.  Last year we were fortunate to have a long, warmer fall but looks like winter is anxious to get here!  Our hiking season is quickly coming to an end...it might even be over (which I might be okay with).  

We have a brand new sketch this week at Freshly Made Sketches! Our sketch this week comes all the way from New Zealand and our amazing hostess, Karren Johnson!  Karren's cards are so beautiful and she's a world class colourer!  Trust me.  Head over to her blog and check them out!

I saw that giant circle and wondered what I could do with it.  I remembered my Lovely Layers hydrangea and decided I would cut them out and colour them in various shades of purple!  I'm working on my distress oxide blending and these hydrangea are perfect to practice with!  Unfortunately I couldn't get a good enough picture of my card.  I used some wink of stella on the petals and it doesn't show up well!  

Supplies:

Cardstock: Hammermill White, Highland Heather (SU), Silver Foil

Stamps: Itty Bitty Gifting (MFT)

Ink: Black (Pink Fresh Studio), Milled Lavender (Ranger), Dusty Concord (Ranger), Villainous Potion (Ranger), Wink of Stella

Other: Lovely Layers Hyrangea Honey Cuts (Honey Bee Stamps), Itty Bitty Strips (MFT), Basic Rhinestones (SU), Tasteful Texture Embossing Folder (SU)

Thanks so much for stopping by today!  I hope you'll join in our challenge this week!  If you need some inspiration head on over to the Freshly Made Sketches blog and check out the cards the Design Team has created! 

Last Saturday we went on Hike #30 of 2023.  My husband wasn't too keen on this one.  He likes to summit peaks but I'd seen some pictures of this one and it's beautiful!  He agreed to try out Piper's Pass.  We hit the mountains just as the sun was coming up.  It was so gorgeous!  The larches have turned from green to gold in the mountains (see pic #3 below).  We try and stay clear of big larch hikes because they're soooo busy.  We were fortunate to see a few larches on our hike and not have to deal with all the people!

The cloudy skies made this hike even more incredible and we all said that it might just be one of our favourites!  

I hope you have an amazing day!

Jen

 

 

Freshly Made Sketches Challenge #515

Hello!

Happy Wednesday!  We're one week closer to Christmas!  Are you ready?  I'm not sure I'll ever be ready!  My boys and I are flying out next Thursday to Ontario to celebrate Christmas with my parents and in-laws! My husband will join us just before Christmas!  I'm so excited!  I totally have the countdown going and actually our Advent Calendars are counting down to our flights not until Christmas!  

We've got a great new sketch this week at Freshly Made Sketches!  My favourite New Zealander is our hostess this week!  Karren Johnson is one talented card maker so you are definitely going to want to check out her blog and her beautiful cards!  

So I know you'll be shocked but this card took me forever!  I actually sat one night just staring at the sketch and could not feel the creative juices flowing.  Then I started with different paper and different colours and honestly an hour later, this card was born!  In the end I think I'm happy with it!

Supplies:

Cardstock: Gold Foil, Basic White, Just Jade, Magenta Madness

DSP: Expressions in Ink

Other: Pierced Blooms Dies, Tasteful Textile Embossing Folder, Celebrate Script Dies (Taylored Expressions), Celebrate Script Backer (Taylored Expressions)

Thanks so much for stopping by today!  I hope you'll head over to the Freshly Made Sketches blog and check out the gorgeous cards the Design Team have posted for your inspiration!  

I hope you have an amazing day!

Jen

 

Freshly Made Sketches Challenge #501

Hello!

Happy Wednesday!  I hope you're having a great start to your week!  We are gearing up for a new school year here in brand new schools.  I think I'm more nervous than the kids.  I don't think I would do very well being the new kid in a school.  My introverted personality doesn't like change too much!  

A huge thank you to everyone who participated in Freshly Made Sketches' 500th sketch challenge!  We had some amazing entries and it was so fun to see everyone's cards.  We have a brand new sketch this week from the amazing Kim Singdahlsen!  Kim's cards are always so beautiful so you'll want to head over to her blog and check them out!  

Kim's sketch is pretty fun!  I had some fun playing around with different colour and paper combinations!  I am regretting not matting the patterned paper.  Not much I can do about that now!!  I pulled out my favourite sunflower die and went to town!  I wanted a fall'ish theme to this one!  I'm totally getting into the fall mood (my pumpkins are still nicely packed away but they're coming out soon)!!!

Supplies:

Cardstock: Early Espresso, Bumblebee, Garden Green, Be Dazzling Specialty

DSP: Harvest Meadow

Stamps: Itty Bitty Birthdays

Ink: Early Espresso

Other: Sunflower Dies, Tasteful Texture Embossing Folder

Thanks so much for stopping by today!  I hope you'll head over to the Freshly Made Sketches blog and check out the beautiful cards the Design Team have created!  I also hope you'll join in our challenge this week! 

Have an amazing day!

Jen

 

Freshly Made Sketches Challenge #470

Hello!

Happy Wednesday!  I hope you're having a great week so far!  We were covered in a blanket of snow yesterday.  Nothing major but the first big snowfall of the year (and it's not a huge one).  I have a love-hate relationship with snow.  I can definitely live without it but the ground feels so damp when we don't have it.  We're supposed to have some cold weather for the next couple of days so it will stick around!  The kids will be happy!

We have a brand new sketch at Freshly Made Sketches this week!  I have the honour of being this week's hostess!  I kept the sketch super simple but sometimes the simpler the sketch the harder it is to create a card!  At least it is for me!!!  

I just love the Forever and Always stamp set and dies.  I have so much fun using them and those flower are beautiful!  I definitely need to work on my colouring but I'm a work in progress!  I added a little Wink of Stella to the centre of the flowers but you can't really see it in these pictures!

Supplies:

Cardstock: Whisper White, Basic Black

DSP: In Good Taste

Stamps: Forever and Always

Ink: Basic Black

Other: Always Dies, Tasteful Texture Embossing Folder, Stampin Blends, Wink of Stella, Dimensionals

Thanks so much for stopping by today!  I hope you'll head over to the Freshly Made Sketches blog and check out the gorgeous cards that the Design Team members have created!  You will definitely be inspired!  I can't wait to see what you come up with and I do hope you'll enter our challenge this week!

Have an amazing day!

Jen

Freshly Made Sketches Challenge #463

Hello!

Happy Wednesday!  How on earth is it Wednesday already?!  A big Happy Early Thanksgiving to all of my American readers!  I hope you have a wonderful day on Thursday and eat lots of turkey (or whatever you choose to eat!)!  Are you a big Black Friday shopper?  Black Friday in Canada isn't the same as the US.  We're a little more low key!  There are sales but no one seems to line up at unearthly hours to get deals!  My kids are home that day for a PA Day so I won't be going to far!  Hopefully by Friday most of my shopping will be done.  I'm on a mission to have all Christmas shopping completed by the end of the week.  We shall see!  

We have a great new sketch this week at Freshly Made Sketches!  Our hostess this week is the incredible Amy O'Neill!  Amy is so talented and her cards always amaze me.  Head over to her blog to check them out!  

I decided to take a break from Christmas cards this week!  I had received the Playful Pets DSP a few weeks ago and it has just been sitting on my desk begging to be used (get it, "begging"?!)!  I just love this paper!  Of course I had to start with a cat card!!!  I cut the "Grump Cat" from DSP and then added a sentiment!  Who doesn't love a grumpy cat?!

Supplies:

Cardstock: Whisper White, Basic Black, Real Red, Grey Granite

DSP: Playful Pets

Stamps: Itty Bitty Birthdays

Ink: Basic Black

Other: Tasteful Texture Embossing Folder, Dimensionals

Thanks so much for stopping by today! If you head over to the Freshly Made Sketches blog you'll find lots of inspiration!  We can't wait to see what you come up with this week!

Have an amazing day!

Jen

 

Freshly Made Sketches Challenge #457

Hello!

Happy Wednesday!  We are coming off a long Thanksgiving weekend in Canada!  We were able to get out for a few hikes this weekend and the trees were so glorious!  That's one thing I would miss if I didn't live where there were gorgeous maples and oaks.  The colours were amazing!  

We have an amazing new sketch at Freshly Made Sketches this week courtesy of the talented Linda Callahan!  Linda makes gorgeous cards!  She is super creative and usually has a great story to go with her cards!  Head over to her blog to check them out! 

I bet you can't guess it, but I had trouble with this one!  I know, shocking right?!  Story of my life these days.  I just couldn't figure out what to do.  Finally my eyes landed on the Honey Bee DSP from SU.  It's some of my favourite paper ever!  I was pretty sure this would work for my card!

I added a couple of little bees and we were off to the races!   

Supplies:

Cardstock: Whisper White, Basic Black, Gold Foil

DSP: Honey Bee Specialty

Stamps: Honey Bee, Celebrate Sunflowers

Ink: Memento Black, Basic Black

Other: Detailed Bees Dies, Tasteful Texture DSP, Stampin Blends, Dimensionals

Thanks so much for stopping by today!  I hope you'll head over to the Freshly Made Sketches blog and check out the gorgeous cards the Design Team have created!  

Have an amazing day!

Jen

 

Freshly Made Sketches Challenge #454

Hello!

Happy Wednesday!  I hope you're having a great start to your week!  I can't believe we're officially into fall!  Fall is my favourite season.  I love decorating, the colours, the smells and the cool nights!  There are some people that get excited to decorate for Christmas, for me it's fall.  I could totally leave up my pumpkins all year round!!  

We have a brand new sketch at Freshly Made Sketches this week!  Our hostess is the amazing Jacquie Southas!  Jacquie is one of our colouring queens and always creates the most amazing cards!  Head over to her blog to check them out!

One would think that this is a straight forward sketch.  It seems straight forward right?  Not for this girl.  I've felt very uncreative lately.  Like really, really uncreative!  Anyhow, I struggled to figure out what I wanted to make for this card.  I wanted a fall card - I just can't help it! You know me and fall! Needless to say, the plaid tidings DSP was sitting there and it won!

Supplies:

Cardstock: Cajun Craze, Whisper White

DSP: Plaid Tidings

Stamps: Fall Foliage (Reverse Confetti)

Ink: Basic Black, Memento Black

Other: Fall Foliage Dies, Copper Thread, Tasteful Texture Embossing Folder, Stampin Blends, Dimensionals

Thanks so much for stopping by today!  I hope you'll take some time and head over to the Freshly Made Sketches blog!  You will love the cards the Design Team ladies have created!  

We can't wait to see what you come up with for our challenge!

Have an amazing day!!

Jen

Freshly Made Sketches Challenge #453

Hello!

Happy Wednesday!  I hope you're having a great week so far!  School has officially started for both of my kids.  I have one in school full time and one who goes a bit less than part time.  High school is mostly online and is organized and so far so good.  The elementary schools are trying their best and I'm hopeful that all will be well.  Truthfully if I think about it too much, it makes me want to throw up!  Thankfully my youngest has a great attitude about school and is super excited to be there and doesn't seem to mind wearing a mask all day!

It's Wednesday and that means that we have a fun new sketch at Freshly Made Sketches!  Our hostess this week is the lovely Judy Rozema!  Judy's cards area always beautiful!  Did you see what she created last week out of a blob?!  Check her blog to find out!

For those of you who know me, you know that as soon as I saw that giant circle I freaked out.  Then Judy went and added a second one in as well!  Two!  Oh goodness!  I struggled friend.  Struggled.  It wasn't until I saw some stamp company advertising some new stitched pumpkins that I realized I could make my own giant pumpkin!  Totally old school!  

I used some oval dies, embossed the ovals, inked them and put them together.  The stem is totally hand cut because I didn't know what else to do!  I added some fall foliage and voila, a fall themed card!

Supplies:

Cardstock: Early Espresso, Sahara Sand, Very Vanilla, Cherry Cobbler, More Mustard

DSP:  In Good Taste

Stamps: Acorny Thank You

Ink: Early Espresso

Other: Oval Dies, Tasteful Texture Embossing Folder, Colourful Seasons Dies, Sunflower Dies, Braided Linen Trim, Dimensionals 

Thank you so much for stopping by today!  I hope you'll head over to the Freshly Made Sketches blog and enter our challenge this week!  We can't wait to see what you come up with!  

Have an amazing day!

Jen

Freshly Made Sketches Challenge #451

Hello!

Happy Wednesday!  I hope you're having a great week!  I hope school has started well for those of you who are back at it.  The school situation here is very fluid and I am totally going with the flow on it.  That's totally not like me.  I'm trying to just let everything fall into place and trust that the right decision will be obvious and all will be well.  Regardless, there isn't much I can do about it!  So we'll just wait!

We have a fun new sketch this week at Freshly Made Sketches!  Our hostess this week is the incredible Narelle Farrugia!  Narelle is a floral, fussy cutting queen.  She also seems to add the most gorgeous layers to her cards.  I'm always wowed by them!  Head over to her blog and check them out!  

I didn't know what I wanted to do for this card but I saw the Peony Garden DSP sitting there and knew I should probably get that out!  I just love this paper and of course I love that giant magnolia bloom!  I added a textured background and some little gems.  I can't seem to make a card these days without some kind of bling!  And just like that, it was done.  Okay...it took way longer than that to make!!!  

Supplies:

Cardstock: Whisper White, Basic Gray

DSP: Peony Garden

Stamps: Good Morning Magnolia

Ink: Memento Black

Other: Tasteful Texture Embossing Folder, Stampin Blends,  Celebrate Die (Lil Inkers), Elegant Faceted Gems, Dimensionals

Thanks so much for stopping by today!  I hope you'll head to the Freshly Made Sketches blog!  We really hope you'll join us in our challenge this week!

Have an amazing day!

Jen

Freshly Made Sketches Challenge #447

Hello!
Happy Wednesday!  I hope you're having a great week so far!  I am back from an amazing visit with my parents and settling back into routine here.  I can't believe it's already August and the kids only have a month of vacation left.  I must say I have enjoyed having my kids home and will be a little sad to see them go back to school - then again I will not miss 4 people in my kitchen at the same time trying to make their own lunches!

We have a great new sketch this week at Freshly Made Sketches!  Our hostess this week is the incredible Kim Singdahlsen!  Kim makes amazing cards - I often end up spending a tad too much $$ after seeing her cards!  Head over to her blog to check them out!

I had a couple of ladies request some cards and the request involved pink and peonies.  I love the Prized Peony stamp set and really do love the Tasteful Texture Embossing Folder.  I paired them together and added a Nested Label Die cut and voila!  I got the Nested Labels in my last order and I just love them!  I had been eyeing them up for a long time and you'll probably see them on every card now!!

Supplies:
Cardstock: Petal Pink, Whisper White, Grey Granite
DSP: Peony Garden
Stamps: Prized Peony, LJD Birthday Greetings (MFT)
Ink: Memento Black
Other: Nested Labels Dies, Peony Dies, Stampin' Blends, Elegant Faceted Gems, Dimensionals

Thanks so much for stopping by!  Head on over to the Freshly Made Sketches blog to check out the gorgeous cards the Design Team has created!  I must say that I love being on a team with so much talent!  The other ladies truly amaze me with their creativity!

Have an amazing day!

Jen

Freshly Made Sketches Challenge #437

Hi!
Happy Wednesday!  I hope you're having a good week!  We're having a crazy hot week here.  2 weeks ago we had snow and now we're melting!  I won't complain, it's better than winter!  Our boys have been able to get out for a few rounds of golf which is helping them from being too bored!  Our kids are doing online school until the end of June so we have a while to go!  Golf is providing a much needed distraction.

We have a fun new sketch this week at Freshly Made Sketches!  Our hostess this week is our incredibly talented and French designer Cecile Ribon!  Cecile is our die cut master.  Head over to her blog and you'll see what I'm talking about!

I must say I was a little challenged with the sketch.  Those wiggly rectangles might have thrown me a bit.  I had to dig deep with this one.  This is not my first card (I'm sure you already knew that!).  Needless to say I ended up with some butterflies.  I tried my first splotches on this card as well!  Let's say I'm going to need some practice!!!

Supplies:
Cardstock: Whipser White, Gorgeous Grape, Silver Foil
Stamps: The Inside Scoop - Birthday (Taylored Expressions)
Ink: Stazon Black, Gorgeous Grape
Other: In Flight Overlays (Taylored Expressions), Tasteful Texture Embossing Folder

Thanks so much for stopping by today!  I hope you'll head over to the Freshly Made Sketches blog and check out the gorgeous cards the Design Team girls have come up with!

Have an amazing day!
Jen