Thursday, 29 October 2026

Cork Leaves

Hi! Today's sketch over at Freshly Made Sketches was designed by Jen Brum and as often happens, I saw the diagonal panel as negative space and had to go with that!

I found an already embossed panel of Fog cardstock so that was cut to become my top layer.  When I went looking for some patterned paper for the leaves, I found this self-adhesive cork paper and decided that would work as something a bit different.  I splattered some Rusty Hinge Distress Spritz on the leaves before adding the copper foil stems.  


I then adhered the leaves with a combination of foam tape and liquid glue.  Finally a copper and black sentiment finished the card.

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





Products used:

Cardstock: White, Fog (SSS), Cork Paper, Copper Foil
Dies: Big Leaves & Stems (Kristina Werner), Bold Thanks (Altenew)
Accessories: Rusty Hinge Distress Spritz, Wood Planks Embossing Folder (Honey Bee Stamps)

Cheers
Karren

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Thursday, 22 October 2026

Gingerbread

It's time for another sketch over at Freshly Made Sketches and this week our sketch hostess is Verena Shapiro.  I have to say I'm not in love with this card - I had the idea in my head but it didn't exactly come out as I envisaged.  But it is what it is.


I stenciled and die-cut the cookie images before white heat embossing the stamped elements.  Onto a red panel, I embossed the Confection Companions embossing folder and adhered it to a white car base.  I die-cut the cookie rack with grey cardstock and adhered that to the embossed panel.  After adding the gingerbread man with foam tape, I white embossed the sentiment onto red and added that and called it done!


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


Products used:

Stamps: Gingerbread Cookies (Kristina Werner)
Ink: Gathered Twigs, Walnut Stain, Scorched Timber Distress Inks, Versamark
Cardstock: Paperbag, Lobster (Lawn Fawn) Evening Gray (Altenew), white
Dies: Gingerbread Cookies (Kristina Werner), Cool It Cookie Rack (Spellbinders)
Accessories: White EP, Confection Companions embossing folder (Spellbinders)

Cheers
Karren

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Thursday, 15 October 2026

Abstract Birthday

Hi, just a quick post from me as it's late and I need to get this published!  Today's sketch over at Freshly Made Sketches was designed by Jennifer Timko and it leaves pretty much everything up to the creator, which is fabulous!  I went with a cover plate foil plate and stencils to make this birthday card.


The cover plate was foiled in silver foil onto white and then I used various Distress Inks to colour through the stencils.  I cut it down and matted it onto a black panel.  The sentiment was also silver foiled - this time onto black and die-cut before being adhered with foam tape.


Here is the colour inspiration which came from the Colour Cubes.


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





Products used:

Ink: Tattered Rose, Dried Marigold, Saltwater Taffy, Worn Lipstick, Dusty Concord Distress Inks
Cardstock: White, Black
Dies: Abstract Background press plate (Alex Syberia Design), Modest Greetings 1 (Poppy Stamps)
Accessories: Silver hot foil, Abstract Background stencils

Cheers
Karren

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Friday, 9 October 2026

Leaf Fragments

Welcome to a new challenge over at Tic-Tac-Toe. I went with the left diagonal - fall colours - leaves - metallics to come up with this card using some NBUS dies and embossing folder.


I added Vintage Photo distress ink to the embossing folder before embossing to give it some added interest and then adhered the panel onto a card base.  The leaves were created using various distress inks and ink-smooshing before putting them through the Foliage embossing folder (saw this trick on a Tim live recently and loved it!).



The metallic component comes from the thin frame and the sentiment.



Thanks for visiting.

Products used:

Ink: Vintage Photo, Crackling Campfire, Fired Brick, Peeled Paint, Rustic Wilderness, Fossilized Amber Distress Inks
Cardstock: Truffle (Spellbinders), Copper Foil, Watercolour paper
Dies: Vault Leaves & Sticks (Tim Holtz), A2 Thin Frames (SSS), Hello Poe Script (Poppy Stamps)
Accessories: Cracked Leather Embossing Folder (Tim Holtz), Foliage Embossing Folder (Tim Holtz)

Cheers
Karren

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Thursday, 8 October 2026

Snowman Scarf

Hi! Today's Freshly Made Sketches card layout was designed by Jen Mitchell.  I wanted to use a NBUS die so made what is probably my second Christmas card of the year.


I die-cut the snowman elements - added a bit of ink-blending to the snowman and his hat and then assembled.  I mounted it onto two gray panels die-cut with a torn edges die.  I couldn't figure out what to use for the horizontal panel in the sketch so decided to go with negative space instead.


I finished with a simple sentiment and called it done!


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




Products used:

Stamps: Curio Labels (The Greetery)
Ink: Moon Rock (Altenew), Salvaged Patina, Gathered Twigs Distress Inks
Cardstock: White, Black, Moon Rock, Sand Dunes, Rouge (Altenew), Pebble (C+9), Acorn (Spellbinders)
Dies: Sweet Snowman (Spellbinders), Torn Paper Edges (MFT)
Accessories: Copic Markers (110, R20)

Cheers
Karren

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Thursday, 1 October 2026

Halloween Shelf


Hi and welcome!  Today's sketch over at Freshly Made Sketches was designed by Kim Singdahlsen. I decided to make a very rare for me Halloween card - purely because I'd just received this Tim Holtz die set and wanted to use it.



On a kraft card base I embossed my new favourite embossing folder - Cracked Leather.  I added some Frayed Burlap distress ink to both the folder and then around the edges of the embossed panel.  The rectangle was die-cut with wonky stitched die from some patterned paper and then I lightly sanded to expose some of the white core.  I die-cut the shelf and all the shelf elements from white and ink-blended with various inks before popping up with foam tape on to the patterned paper.



For the vertical panel, I decided to use some mummy cloth and seam binding ribbon.  Unfortunately I used liquid glue and it showed through the ribbbon, but I've decided to embrace the imperfection to quote Tim.  Next time I'll use double-sided tape.  To cover up the worst of the glue I added a black glitter spider - which was huge for me because I *hate* spiders! The sentiment was white-embossed onto black and cut out with a sentiment strip die.

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


Products used:

Stamps: Fang-Tastic Friends (MFT)
Ink:  Versamark, Fossilized Amber, Frayed Burlap, Rusty Hinge, Vintage Photo, Lost Shadow, Ground Espresso, Weathered Wood Distress Inks, Dark Night (Altenew)
Cardstock: White, Black, Fine Linen (PTI), Vintage patterned paper (Scrapbook.com), Black glitter cardstock (Spellbinders)
Dies: Vault Side Order Laboratory (Tim Holtz), Wonky Stitched Rectangle Stax (MFT)
Accessories: White EP, Cracked Leather Embossing Folder (Tim Holtz), Mummy Cloth, Seam Binding Ribbon

Cheers
Karren

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