Basket Card

 Hi!  I decided this morning to join the latest Online Card Class called Crushing on Cardstock.  I  then watched the Day 1 videos and toddled off to my craft room to make a card inspired by Caly Person's weaving cards.

It's coming up to Father's Day here in New Zealand (I think it's next weekend) so I decided to go a bit masculine and make a card for my dad.  I googled basket weaving patterns and found this one which was easy to do.  Unfortunately it was really hard to die-cut after I'd put it together and some of the rows slipped out of alignment, which I didn't see until I was editing the photos.  Oh well, I'm sure my dad will like it anyways.

The weaving was created with Neenah Desert Storm cardstock die-cut into thin strips and then woven.  The frame was die-cut three times from Ocean Tides cardstock and stacked together, as was the "Dad" word.  I white-embossed the sentiment and added that with foam tape.  It looked a bit bare so I finished with some black enamel dots cascading from the top left to the bottom right.

Thanks for visiting!  The thing I love about this hobby is that there is always something new to learn.

I'm also playing along with Happy Little Stampers Anything Goes with Dies challenge.

Products used:

Stamps:  All About Dad (MFT)

Ink:  Versamark

Cardstock:  White, Desert Storm (Neenah), Ocean Tides (PTI), Black Licorice (MFT)

Dies:  Slim Stripes (Pinkfresh Studio), Park Avenue (Mama Elephant), Dad (MFT)

Accessories:  White EP, Black Enamel Dots

Cheers

Karren

Coffee Break

 Hi all!  One of the benefits of working from home during a lockdown is that in my lunch break, I can pop into my craft room to de-stress.  Over the last few days I have been working on this card for the current SugarPea Designs Mix It Up challenge.  I was really drawn to the colours and I also really like the sketch so I combined both to create this card.

I created several alcohol inked panels over the weekend and this was one of them.  Sorry, I didn't record the various inks I used for each panel so I can't list them here.  I layered that panel onto a scalloped die-cut Whip Cream panel and then onto a Kraft side-folding card base.

Originally I had stamped the coffee bean heart into a circle die-cut but it didn't look right, so I fussy-cut it out which looked much better.  The cup was stamped and coloured with Copics (I stamped the 'foam' with Brown Sugar ink) and I also fussy-cut that.  Both of these elements are popped up on foam tape.  The sentiment was die-cut three times from Whip Cream and once from Hot Fudge cardstock and stacked together.  I also cut two strips of Hot Fudge cardstock, angling the ends for the vertical sketch elements.

Only 3 Copics?  Don't think I've ever only used 3 Copics on a card before... 😀

Thanks for visiting!

Products used:

Stamps:  Caffeine Addict (SugarPea Designs)

Ink:  Amalgam (Gina K. Designs), Hot Fudge (MFT), Brown Sugar (Mama Elephant), Alcohol Inks

Cardstock:  Kraft, Whip Cream, Hot Fudge (MFT), X-Press It, Yupo

Dies:  Blueprints 27 (MFT), Chatterbox Journal Card (SugarPea Designs)

Accessories:  Copics

Cheers

Karren

Box of Balloons

It's an exciting day here today as Freshly Made Sketches reaches challenge #500!   To celebrate we have some wonderful sponsors and some members of the design team are having their own giveaway on their blog so be sure to check them all out.

FMS has been around for a decade!  I started playing at sketch #20 (February 2012) and only missed playing along a couple of times.  Then at sketch #118 (January 2014) I was asked to join the team.  What a dream come true that was!  This is a fabulous group of caring and supportive women who all share this wonderful hobby of card-making and I am so proud to be part of this team.  A lot has happened in my life since then and these girls have been there for me and I love them all.

And now onto my card.  This week's sketch is designed by one of only two original team members - Linda Callahan (the other OG is Jen Mitchell) - talk about commitment.  Linda has 5 layers to her sketch and I kept to those 5 layers, even if two of them are one on top of the other 😀

I started with a card base of Berry Sorbet and onto that I added a panel of Desert Storm then a brick die-cut panel of Desert Storm.  The main image was stamped coloured and cut with my Scan n Cut before being arranged onto the card and adhered with foam tape.

I finished with a skinny sentiment which was white heat-embossed onto black and then coloured the balloons with clear sparkle pen.

Now onto some blog candy.  I have 4 brand-new items here that I am happy to send to a New Zealand-based commenter.  The items are:  Big Birthday stamp set by Avery Elle; Friendly Foxes stamp set by MFT (this was opened and put into a storage pocket before I realised I already owned this set.  Doh!); Window Panes Stencil by MFT and Simply Hello die by MFT.  To be in with a chance to win these items, please leave a comment below and don't forget to mention you're in New Zealand.  I will randomly select a winner and announce the winner here on my blog when I post my card for the next FMS challenge.  The winner will then have a week to contact me so I can get an address, etc.  Sincere apologies to my non-NZ based readers but shipping costs and Covid-related shipping delays precludes me shipping overseas.

Thanks so much for visiting!  Please head over and check out the fabulous cards made by the rest of the design team.

Products used:

Stamps:  Celebration Box (Honey Bee Stamps), Itty Bitty Birthday Wishes (MFT)

Ink:  Amalgam (Gina K. Designs), Versamark

Cardstock:  Berry Sorbet (PTI), Black Licorice (MFT), Desert Storm (Neenah)

Dies. Brick Wall Cover UP (MFT)

Accessories:  White Embossing Powder, Copics, Spectrum Noir Clear Sparkle Pen

Cheers

Karren

Organic Thanks

 I'm just popping in with a card made for a few challenges.  We are in the middle of what is hopefully only a 7-day lockdown here in New Zealand and that means I get a bit more time to stamp.  I made this card for the challenges at Tic-Tac-Toe (Alpha Dies/Red/Apple), the sketch at Just Add Ink and the colours from Color Throwdown.

I stamped and coloured up this crate of apples by Power Poppy then fussy-cut it out.  I took a white card base and embossed it with the Subtle embossing folder before adding a strip of woodgrain patterned paper and a thinner strip of yellow polka dot paper.

The sentiment was die-cut three times and stacked together (a fiddly job, trust me!)  I then used added it to the card base.  I finished by adding foam tape behind the apples before adhering to the card base.  Originally I stamped the image in London Fog ink for more of a no-line look but after colouring it, I ended up over-stamping with Versafine Onyx Black because I guess I'm one of those people who likes black outlines.  Luckily I hadn't removed the stamp from my Misti so it all lined up perfectly.

Thanks for visiting!

Products used:

Stamps:  Farmers Market (Power Poppy)

Ink:  Memento London Fog, Versafine Onyx Black

Cardstock:  White, X-Press It, Enchanted Evening (PTI), Wood & Notebook Basics (Snap), Itsy Bitsy Polka Dots (MFT)

Dies:  Urban Alphabet Lower & Upper (Memory Box)

Accessories:  Copics, Subtle EF (SU)

Cheers

Karren

Edited to Add:  This card got a shout-out at Tic-Tac-Toe and Just Add Ink.

Colourful Birthday

 Hi!  It's time for a new challenge over at Fusion and we've gone with a colourful photo and a simple sketch.  I sort of created a Fusion if you think of the bands on the crayons as a vertical layer .

I stamped the image and spent some time doing some sinple Copic colouring.  I then adhered the X-Press It cardstock panel onto a white card base and added the sentiment.  Simple and done!

Thanks so much for visiting!  I hope you'll check out the fabulous cards made by the rest of the design team.

Products used:

Stamps:  Brilliant Day (Honey Bee Stamps)

Ink:  Amalgam (Gina K Designs), Versafine Onyx Black

Cardstock:  White, X-Press It

Accessories:  Copics

Cheers

Karren

Corner Thanks

 Hi and welcome to Freshly Made Sketch Challenge Day!  Our hostess this week is Jen Mitchell and she has given us a square sketch.  I was so glad when I saw the "Any Shape" by those angled panels because me and angled panels are not friends!

My "any shape" become floral sprays using products from The Greetery.  I stamped and arranged the two groupings before adhering them to a white 5" square card base.  The sentiment was stamped and embossed three times with Platinum embossing powder but looks a bit lumpy so I'm not too happy with it.

Thanks for visiting!  Please check out the wonderful cards made by the rest of the design team.

Products used:  Hoop Wreath, Opposites Attract (The Greetery)

Ink:  Versamark, Nimbus, Rouge, Crimson, Espresso (Altenew)

Cardstock:  White

Dies:  Hoop Wreath, Opposites Attract (The Greetery)

Accessories:  Platinum EP (Altenew), Clear Droplets (Pretty Pink Posh)

Cheers

Karren

Shaker Oval

 Today's Freshly Made Sketch is brought to us by Jennifer Timko and here's what I did with it:

I am not a fan of ovals on cards - I don't know why, but it is what it is.  So I decided to go the easy route and create a shaker card.  Looking at the photo I went way overboard on the sequins but they matched the beautiful CTMH paper perfectly.

The sentiment is clear-embossed and I finished the card with some sequins on the outside as well.

Thanks for visiting.  I hope you'll check out the fabulous cards made by the rest of the DT - who clearly don't have a phobia of ovals!

Products used:

Stamps:  Label Maker Sentiments (MFT)

Ink:  Versafine Onyx Black

Cardstock:  White, You Are Enough (CTMH)

Dies:  Oval (Lil Inkers)

Accessories:  Clear EP, Sequins (Hero Arts)

Cheers

Karren

Butterfly Sympathy

 It's time for a new challenge over at Fusion and we have the cutest inspiration photo this week.  I had originally intended playing with the photo, but ended up going with the sketch with the blue-y shades from the photo thrown in.

I kept this card very clean and simple, using scoring to mimic the panels on the sketch.  It's hard to see in the photo, but I also did some partial dry-embossing in the big centre panel, using the Subtle embossing folder.  The butterfly was stamped and die-cut and the sentiment was added directly to the card front.  No embellishments due to the nature of the card.

Thanks for visiting.  I hope you'll check out the fabulous cards made by the rest of the design team.

Products used:

Stamps:  Beautiful Butterflies (MFT), BAF:  Columbine (Altenew)

Ink: Dew Drop, Aqualicious (Altenew), Versafine Onyx Black

Cardstock:  White

Dies:  Beautiful Butterflies (MFT)

Accessories:  Subtle EF (SU)

Cheers

Karren

Embossed Tissue

 Hi and welcome!  Today's Freshly Made Sketch is brought to us by Jacquie Southas and it's a goodie with lots of open space.  I went back to a very old technique that I can't even remember the name of for this card.

The background of this card is Tim Holtz tissue paper which I scrunched up then flattened out again before putting it onto a white panel I had liberally covered with liquid glue.  Creases remained in the tissue paper giving it a vintage yet clean look.  I then took a torn scrap of paper and used it for a mask to smear Versamark ink down the left hand side before adding copper embossing powder and heat-setting.  The creases are very obvious in the embossed area.  I deliberately didn't wipe away excess powder before heat-setting so there are specks of powder on the panel as well, which adds to the vintage look.

Finally I added a thin strip of black cardstock and two embossed sentiment strips and called it done.

Thanks for visiting.  The design team have some gorgeous cards so I hope you'll check them out.

I am linking this up to the 8th birthday challenge at The Male Room.  Congrats on 8 years!

Products used:

Stamps:  Itty Bitty Birthday Wishes, Greetings & Salutations (MFT)

Ink:  Versamark

Cardstock:  White, Black, Tim Holtz Tissue Paper

Dies:  Sentiment Strips (SSS)

Accessories:  Copper EP (Altenew)

Cheers

Karren