Freshly Made Sketches Challenge #389

Hello!
Happy Wednesday!  I hope you've had a great start to your week!  We've had an exciting week at our house.  Our oldest turned 13 yesterday!  I can't believe it.  How on earth did that happen?!  I honestly don't think I've aged at all!!  Except that after the bike ride we did on Monday and the epic fall I had, I'm definitely not feeling 20 anymore!!!

We have a great new sketch this week at Freshly Made Sketches!  Our hostess this week is our amazing flower queen Narelle Farrugia!  Narelle is a fussy cutting and flower creating master!  I just love all of her cards!  Head over to her blog to check them out!

So, as you can probably imagine, this isn't the first version of this card.  This card challenged me - I think because I needed it to be a masculine looking 13th birthday card.  I also now realize that the red banner is VERY crooked.  Honestly!  I couldn't get the positioning of anything right and I tried over and over!  I don't think Caleb even really noticed.  He's a boy...I'm not sure why I did so much fussing!!!

Supplies:
Cardstock: Basic Black, Whisper White, Real Red, Silver Foil, Black Sparkle (Non-SU), Black Foil
Stamps: Itty Bitty Birthdays
Ink: Memento Black
Other: Number Framelits, Star Dies, Starburst Framelits, Circle Dies, Brick Wall Embossing Folder, Dimensionals

Thanks so much for stopping by today.  I hope you'll head over for the Freshly Made Sketches blog and check out the gorgeous cards the Design Team has created!  You will definitely feel inspired!

Have an amazing day!

Jen

Freshly Made Sketches Challenge #388

Hello!
Happy Wednesday!  I hope you're having a great week!  Can you believe it's the middle of May already?!  Seems like just yesterday it was Easter!  Time is flying by.  In less than a week my oldest turns 13!  I have no idea where 13 years have gone.  The day are long but the years are short!  Isn't that how the saying goes?  I'm feeling it this week!

We have a great new sketch this week at Freshly Made Sketches!  Our hostess this week is our New Zealand friend Karren Johnson!  Karren is a masterful colourer and creates the most amazing cards!  I totally think I need to take a vacation in New Zealand and spend time having colouring lessons!

I'm going to be totally honest when I say those circles threw me.  Totally threw me.  You guys should see the bits and pieces on my craft room desk that are left from all the different trials!  This card took forever to come together.  Once I figured out what I was going to do, it was created fairly quickly BUT it was getting to that point that was hard!  The stamp I used was the one from my Lots of Happy Card Kit that is still sitting on my desk on the acrylic block!

Supplies:
Cardstock: Sahara Sand, Night of Navy, Whisper White
Patterned Paper: Under the Umbrella (Reverse Confetti)
Stamps: Lots of Happy Card Kit stamps (SU), LJD Circle Scribbles (MFT Stamps Retired)
Ink: Night of Navy
Other:  LJD Circle Scribbles Dies, Double-Stitched Circle Dies (Lil Inkers), Stampin' Blends (Flirty Flamingo and Old Olive), Sequins (CTMH), Subtle Texture Embossing Folder, Dimensionals

Thanks so much for stopping by!  I hope you'll head over to the Freshly Made Sketches blog and check out the gorgeous cards the Design Team has created!  You will definitely be inspired!

Have an amazing day!

Jen

Freshly Made Sketches Challenge #387

Hello!
Happy Wednesday!  I hope you're having a great start to your week so far!  We've had a good week.  The boys got out for their first round of golf this week.  They were so excited.  The next round is scheduled for Friday night.  It's amazing how much they seem to love it.  I wish I shared that love so we could all go out together - but I don't!  And I'm totally okay with that.

We have a great new sketch this week at Freshly Made Sketches!  Our hostess this week is our favourite French designer Cecile Ribon!  Cecile has the most unique and intricate die cuts for her cards.  They always amaze me!  Head over to her blog and check them out!

Well, Mother's Day is quickly coming and I needed one more card so I put this one together.  I think it's prettier in person than it is in the photo.  The leaves in the sketch stumped me for a bit until I found these flowers from Reverse Confetti.  I coloured them up and was off to the races.  The part that took me the longest was trying to get that thread to look okay.  I am not good with random and haphazard.

Supplies:
Cardstock: Basic Black, Whisper White, Silver Foil
Patterned Paper: Taylored Expressions
Stamps: Tall Blooms (Reverse Confetti), Happy Mother's Day (PTI - can't remember the set)
Ink: Versamark, Memento Black
Other: Tall Blooms Confetti Cuts (Reverse Confetti), Silver Thread, In Flight Overlays (Taylored Expressions), Silver Embossing Powder, 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 has created for your inspiration!  You won't be disappointed!

Have a fabulous day!
Jen

Freshly Made Sketches Challenge #386

Happy Wednesday!  I hope you're having a great start to your week!  It's May 1st!!!  How did that happen?!  Wow!  Time is flying by.  I'd like to say that summer will be here in no time but with the weather we've been having I'm not sure!  My parents live in a community that is currently being devastated by extreme flooding.  The pictures of people's water logged houses are heart breaking and to know it could be months and months before some people can be back int their homes is so sad and overwhelming.  We're praying over the coming days that the water can recede enough for the clean up to begin.  We are so fortunate where we live that we don't have to really worry about extreme flooding the way this community is.

On a happier note, we have a brand new sketch this week at Freshly Made Sketches!  I am excited to be this week's hostess!  Coming up with a sketch can often be challenging but sometimes you just see something that you turn into a sketch!

Funny story about this card though.   This isn't the first card I made for this challenge.  You may be thinking "Jen, you say that almost every week".  Well, see, I made this great card that I really liked and it was for my in-laws anniversary and I gave it to my husband and before I knew what was going on my husband had written in it and mailed it.  Normally he's not so on the ball!!!

Anyhow, I had to rush to make a new card and this is what we ended up with.  I opted to combine some pieces from the Lots of Happy Card Kit.  Honestly, I love this kit.  If you don't have it - I really recommend it.  It's so fun to colour and I love the designs.

Supplies:
Cardstock: Crumb Cake, Gold Foil
DSP: I can't remember what it's called...I'm sorry....
Stamps: From Lots of Happy Card Kit
Ink: Basic Black
Other: Highland Heather and Old Olive Stampin Blends, Ribbon (from Card Kit), Image from Lots of Happy Card Kit


Thanks again for stopping by! I hope you'll head over to the Freshly Made Sketches page to check out the gorgeous cards the Design Team has created!  I can't wait to see what you come up with this week!

Have an amazing day!

Jen

Freshly Made Sketches Challenge #385

Hello!
Happy Wednesday!  I hope you're having a great start to your week!  Did you get to enjoy a lovely Easter weekend!  We had a nice weekend.  It was quite rainy here most of the weekend so the majority was spend inside but that's okay.  Sometimes forced quiet time is nice!  My kids were quite squirrelly by the end though!  They were able to get outside for most of the afternoon on Monday but mom's brain isn't quite in summer mode yet so they both came in with sunburns!

We have a great new sketch this week at Freshly Made Sketches courtesy of the amazing Kim Singdahlsen!  Kim's cards are always fabulous and so creative!  I always love them.  I actually make wish lists based on her cards!
Head over to her blog and check them out!

I really loved Kim's sketch this week.  I had recently purchased the Lots of Happy Card Kit from Stampin Up.  I'm not sure why it took me so long to purchase it because I just loved it.  I didn't use the watercolour pencils in it but used my Stampin Blends instead.  I decided to use the stamps from the kit and create a similar design to the cards in the kit!  I used the gingham paper from the Occasions catalogue - who doesn't love the gingham!  It just screams spring to me!!

Supplies:
Cardstock: Whisper White, Basic Black, Highland Heather, Gold
DSP: Gingham Gala
Stamps: Lots of Happy Card Kit Stamps
Ink: Basic Black
Other: Circle Punches, Dimensionals, Stampin Blends

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 has created!  You will definitely be inspired!

Have a fabulous day!

Jen

Freshly Made Sketches Challenge #384

Hello!
Happy Wednesday!  I hope you're having a great week!  We've been having the craziest weather here.  It does not feel spring like at all.  One day it's freezing and rain and then the next day is crazy warm.  Then back to cold for a week.  I am totally ready for warmth whenever Mother Nature is ready.  Hopefully sooner than later!

We have a great new sketch this week at Freshly Made Sketches.  Our hostess this week is the amazing Linda Callahan!  Linda always makes such creative cards.  She also has some amazing stories that I love to read and giggle about!

Linda's sketch stumped me for a bit and then I decided I had better tackle my Mother's Day cards.  And I totally know my sweet mom is reading this and now she knows what her Mother's Day card looks like.  Sorry mom!  I hope you still love me!!!  I decided to colour the flowers with my Stampin' Blends.  I probably will never get into Copics but I can handle the SU markers!  I don't have to think too hard when using them! I tried to pull an Amy O'Neill with my thread but it didn't turn out too well.  I tried though!

Supplies:
Cardstock: Whisper White, Smokey Slate, Granny Apple Green
Patterned Paper: Reverse Confetti
Stamps: Secret Garden, Crazy About You
Ink: Memento Black
Other: Stampin' Blends, Secret Garden Dies, Silver Thread, Frosted Epoxy Droplets, Stitched Rectangles (Lil' Inkers), Subtle Texture Embossing Folder, 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 has created for your inspiration.

Have a fabulous day!

Jen

Freshly Made Sketches Challenge #383

Hello!
Happy Wednesday!  I hope you're having a fantastic week so far!  It's been a good week here!  I went for a walk last night and was encouraged to see the tulips starting to grow and the robins yanking juicy worms from the ground.  The golf course is open - though it's awfully wet so the boys are itching to get out golfing!!  I think they may have to wait a little while longer!!

We have a great new sketch this week at Freshly Made Sketches!  Our hostess this week is the amazing Jen Mitchell!  Jen makes the most gorgeous cards!  She is the queen of clean cards!  I adore her clean style!  Maybe when I grow up I'll be able to create cards like her!!!

Jen's sketch this week is so fun!  I have a little confession to make though.  I don't just struggle with circles, I struggle with all little shapes!  That square may as well had been a circle!  I decided to totally rebel and go with some sunshine and clouds instead!  The sun and clouds are some of my favourite dies ever!!!  I used the Ruffled embossing folder for the sky - though I probably should have used one with clouds on it!

Supplies:
Cardstock: Whisper White, Balmy Blue, Daffodil Delight
Stamps:  Shine Bright (Reverse Confetti)
Ink: Black Memento
Other: Ruffled Dynamic Embossing Folder, Sun 'n Cloud Confetti Cuts (Reverse Confetti), Dimensionals

Thanks so much for stopping by today!  I hope you'll head over to the Freshly Made Sketches blog and check out the amazing cards the Design Team has created for your inspiration!  They are are incredible!  I'm so fortunate to get to work with such a talented group of ladies each and every week!

Have an amazing day!

Jen