Freshly Made Sketches #420

It's Wednesday, and that means a new sketch at Freshly Made Sketches! Today's hostess is Jen T. with a classic circle. 

I had intended to do something totally different with this sketch, and had made my ink blended stencil for the circle (which you will see down the road!). I was looking for a sentiment to put with it, and pulled out my little drawer of "unfinished cards and pieces." As I was going through it all, I noticed several elements that would fit together! Everything I needed for today's sketch was already cut or colored, included the checked background and the separate circle. So all I had to do was arrange it and make a card base! Kind of a fun way to go off in a different direction, while using things right on my desk.

Another fun part was seeing all of these different products from different companies coming together to make a fun, mailable greeting for a friend:
Card base and circle: Core'dinations Canvas CS (American Crafts)
Patterned paper: Echo Park Coffee 6x6 Pad
Flowers: Picket Fence Studios Flowers for Picking
Sentiment: Taylored Expressions Simple Strips/Die 
Whimsy Stamps Honeycomb Pattern Die
The little bees are from some die cuts I had in the drawer, but from an unknown company.

I think I would like to add some sparkle in the flower centers with rhinestones, so I may add a few of those later. What do you think?

I hope you will join us with your take on the sketch this week! Our challenge is open until 3 PM EST on Monday, February 3. Click on the links on the FMS blog by each photo to see what lovely things my teammates have created on their blogs!

Other challenges:

• Use Your Stuff - #390 FRIENDSHIP 
• SheepSki Designs Challenges - Square Cards
• Sweet Stampin - Use Your Scraps

What is Creativity?

Hello everyone! For once in a January, I feel like this month has flown by! I clearly remember last January being more than 31 days! But here we are at the end of the first month of 2020 - already. I will say, I have had a good amount of creative time, and that's always fun. 

Today's share comes from Visible Image Stamps. I am using one of Helen's amazing sentiments, and one of Mark's awesome stencil designs. They are the creative duo behind the scenes, and I adore them. 

The stencil is called TWO TONE, because the other half is circles! I used my Life Changing Blender Brushes (Picket Fence Studios) and Broken China DOX to ink up my stencil. I love that I have some teeny tiny brushes to get into those little squares and ink them up well! I stamped my sentiment from BRIGHTEN THE WORLD with VersaFine Clair Nocturne ink.

"Creativity is sharing a little bit of your soul with the world." Yes.

I love the CAS look, and the contrast of the blue and black against the stark white (Hammermill CS).

Be sure to check out the Visible Image Facebook page - the February release is in preview now, and there are some AWESOME new stencils and stamp sets! 

Freshly Made Sketches #419

It's Wednesday, and that means a new sketch at Freshly Made Sketches! Today's hostess is my sweet friend, Lee Ann, and she has given us some angled edges to work with. I love this sketch!

I used some gorgeous papers from Teresa Collins to begin my card. I knew with the large panel I wanted to highlight some of the paper that I hoard, and also use a big word die. Once I decided on the paper, I chose the Hello die from Simon Says Stamp, and cut it from some beautiful shimmery silver cardstock, which was a perfect complement to the designer paper. I decided to leave in all the "middles" of the letters to show more of the beauty of this cardstock. I added some Champagne pearls from Kaiser to complete the card. As you can see, I flipped the sketch, just to follow the direction of the word.

I hope you will join us with your take on the sketch this week! Our challenge is open until 3 PM EST on Monday, January 27. Click on the links on the FMS blog by each photo to see what lovely things my teammates have created on their blogs!

Other challenges: 
Dragonfly Dreams  – (January) Anything Goes

January Release at Picket Fence Studios!

It's an exciting day for Picket Fence Studios - the January CREATIVATION Release! There are so MANY amazing products in this release - new stencils, stamps, and coordinating dies - plus foiling plates! 

Today I am sharing two of the new stencils: Artsy Sun and Flourish Circle. My first card uses a perfect sentiment from You Are My Sunshine. I used my Life Changing Brushes and Squeezed Lemonade DOX for the sun. The sentiment is stamped with VersaFine Clair Nocturne. 

My second card uses the elegant Flourish Circle and a sentiment from the new stamp set, Seriously Literally. What a perfect card for an anniversary or wedding.

Broken China Distress Oxide Ink was blended in with Life Changing Brushes. I again used Nocturne ink for the sentiment. A few pearls for a little bling, and it's finished!

It's a simply fabulous release, so head over to Picket Fence Studios to see it all! There is so MUCH MORE to check out! And I will see you back tomorrow for more cardmaking ideas!

What Do Creative People Do?

Happy Friday, everyone!

I think a lot of the middle of the country has snow today, and it's the perfect time to craft! Today I am sharing a design I made using some of my favorite Visible Image stamps and stencils. 

I chose the large flower from CREATIVE CHAOS (a Visible Image fan favorite!), a sentiment from BRIGHTEN THE WORLD, and the STARS & STRIPES FLAG stencil, which I haven't had a chance to ink up yet. My chosen ink colors were Ripe Persimmon Distress Oxide and VersaFine Clair Nocturne (my favorite black!).

I used a stitched rectangle die to cut the front panel. I added a contrasting color for the card base, and a second strip down the side in the same shade as my card ink. I love how it turned out! And although I didn't color outside of the flower lines, the stencil lines keep that creative color going!

Visible Image has SO many amazing stamp sets and stencils. If you haven't yet, go check them out!
And besides, they are the NICEST people! Always super important in my book!

Challenges:

• Craft Rocket Challenges - #66 Something New
• Word Art Wednesdays - #422 - #423 Anything Goes  

Freshly Made Sketches #418

It's Wednesday, and that means a new sketch at Freshly Made Sketches! Today's hostess is Jacquie, with a favorite curve down the side!

I have been waiting a long time to find this Mondo Hydrangea, from Ellen Hutson, in stock. I can see why everyone loves it, because it's a beautiful image, and was a delight to watercolor. After embossing in gold, I used my Altenew watercolors to create the delicate color for the background and the flower. This is the kind that grows in my yard. I can hardly wait for spring! I popped up the hydrangea using foam tape. The sentiment from the Hero Arts Stamptember set is stamped in Morning Mist VersaFine Clair ink. I added some of my favorite Krenik thread and a few stacked sequins to finish the card.

I hope you will join us with your take on the sketch this week! Our challenge is open until 3 PM EST on Monday, January 20. Click on the links on the FMS blog by each photo to see what lovely things my teammates have created on their blogs!

Other challenges:
Just us Girls Trend Week #518 - Dimension

Pantone Color of the Year for 2020

This week's Color Challenge 774 at Splitcoaststampers is showing off Pantone's Color of the Year (Classic Blue) in a big way! I used a favorite stencil and sentiment from Picket Fence Studios for my challenge card -- copying a previous card I had made in November for another SCS challenge. I can't decide which I like better! I will let you choose!

For this panel, I used a new to me hybrid stamp pad line from Scrapbook.com. I was wanting to try something new and ordered several of the colors in this line. They blend very nicely. This is Postal Blue. Of course, the Life Changing Blender Brushes from Picket Fence Studios make the blending a breeze! I kept the sentiment (from PFS's Peach & Piper) the same color as the stencil. I use Hammermill White for my cardstock and it's on SALE at a great price today (link below).

For the pink version, I used Pink Pirouette (Stampin' Up!) for the ink color. Pink is my favorite color, so I really love this one too! On this one, I used black ink and added an extra mat panel to tie that all together. Which is your favorite?

And to clean my stamps? Well --- have you seen the NEW Stamp Scrubber? Because of its unique texture, it removes inks from crevices and cleans your stamp surface beautifully! Be sure to check it out and grab yours today!

Stay tuned this week for the Picket Fence Studios BIGGEST release yet -- on Saturday, January 18, live with Creativation! I will have more stencil fun to show off, as well as a giveaway!

 

Other Challenges:

• A Place To Start - JANUARY - ANYTHING GOES w/option CAS
• Dream Valley Challenges - #216 SOMETHING NEW, BABY, NEW JOB, NEW CRAFTY BITS, ETC. 
• Get Creative Challenges - #87 SOMETHING NEW 
• Use Your Stuff - #389 ANYTHING GOES 
• Daring Cardmakers – ELEMENTAL INSPIRATION - FEELING BLUE? (photo-overall color scheme, stencil, sentiment)

Affiliate links at no cost to you:

Freshly Made Sketches #417

It's the first sketch of the year at Freshly Made Sketches! I am honored to be hosting this week with a sketch with classic lines and a lot of room for creativity!

I have had this stamp set from Technique Tuesday for quite awhile, but had never inked it up. It's called Barberry. I found it when I did a major organization overhaul of my stamp room last weekend, and thought it would be perfect for a sympathy card I needed. A friend's mother passed away suddenly the week before Christmas, so I was keeping a little of that seasonal look with this design. 

I colored using Copic markers, and used the Falling Snow embossing folder from Stampin' Up for my background.

I hope you will join us with your take on my sketch this week! Our challenge is open until 3 PM EST on Monday, January 13. Click on the links on the FMS blog by each photo to see what lovely things my teammates have created on their blogs!