Amazing Day

It's Wednesday and that means another fabulous sketch from Freshly Made Sketches.  This week our hostess is the super Cindy Hall, whose blog Pretty Impact is aptly named :)

And here's Cindy's sketch:

For my card, I went with two new sets from MFT - Distressed Patterns and Amazing.  

I started by white embossing one of the images from Distressed Patterns down the left hand side of the cardstock.  I then sponged yellow and orange inks in an ombre fashion, after masking off the rest of the card base.

For the top panel I stamped a sentiment from Amazing, after cutting it apart.  I die-cut the word and stacked it three high before painting it with Wink of Stella.

The flower comes from the Single Roses die by SSS and I actually used the center piece which is generally discarded as its proportions suited the card better.

And that's it!  As always, please check out the fabulous creations made by the Design Team as they are sure to inspire.

I'm entering this card into the new Tic Tac Toe Challenge, where I used celebrate/embossing/jumbo letters, Time Out who have a birthday with an optional twist of sponging theme and the Anything Goes challenge at Addicted to Stamps and More.

Products used:

Stamps:  Amazing, Distressed Patterns (MFT)

Ink:  Spiced Marmalade, Fossilized Amber, Dried Marigold, Scattered Straw, Peeled Paint, Twisted Citron Distress Inks, Versafine Onyx Black, Versamark

Cardstock:  White, black

Dies:  Stitched Rectangle Dies (Lil' Inkers), Doubly Amazing (MFT), Single Roses (SSS)

Accessories:  Wink of Stella, White EP

Cheers

Karren

Heart Pop

Hi!  I've been back at work for a week and already I need another holiday :)  In the meantime, I'm making the most of my weekend and getting as much stamping in as I can.  I made this card for my DH's Valentine's card.

I made it using this week's sketch at CAS(E) This Sketch, Muse, The Male Room's Anything Goes and CASology, where the cue word is "Simple".  My card reflects simple pleasures - popcorn is one of those simple pleasures in my opinion!

From Michele's fabulous Muse card, I (rather obviously) went with the popcorn theme, I used the same sentiment, from another set, and I stayed with the color scheme, although I did add some shading to the popcorn.

I stamped, colored and cut the popcorn pieces and container and arranged them around the sentiment which I stamped onto a white card base.  The popcorn container is popped up with foam tape.  A very simple card :)

Thanks for visiting.

Products used:

Stamps:  Date Night, Popcorn Background (My Creative Time)
Ink:  Memento Tuxedo Black
Cardstock:  White, X-Press It
Dies:  Date Night, Popcorn Background (MCT)
Accesories:  Copics

Cheers
Karren

Bouquet of Hugs

Hi and welcome back to another fabulous Fusion Challenge!  And this one is a big one - it's our 2nd Anniversary and to celebrate, each DT member has invited a fellow card-maker to create a card using the sketch or photo.  I chose to invite Sonja Kerkhoffs, whose work I have long admired and who frequently plays along with Fusion.

And here is the challenge:

For my card, I used both the photo and sketch and came up with a bright and cheerful card.

I started by stenciling the Zig Zag Dots stencil onto the top portion of the card base, using embossing paste colored with Squeezed Lemonade distress ink.  To show some separation from the rest of the card base, I adhered a sliver of black cardstock.  While that was drying, I colored some of the images from Blissful Blooms and arranged them into a wee bouquet.

I die-cut an oval and also the Hugs word, which I colored with Wink of Stella.

Then all that remained was to arrange everything on the card base and add a few sequins.

Thanks for visiting.  Be sure to check out the rest of the Design Team and our fabulous guests and I hope you'll have time to join us.

Products used:

Stamps:  Blissful Blooms (MFT)

Ink:  Memento Tuxedo Black, Squeezed Lemonade

Cardstock:  White, black, X-Press It

Dies:  Big Hugs (PTI), Blissful Blooms (MFT), Pierced Oval Stax (MFT)

Accessories:  Embossing Paste, Zig Zag Dots stencil (SSS), Wink of Stella, Copics, PPP sequins

Cheers

Karren

Floral Birthday

Hi and welcome back to a brand new year with Freshly Made Sketches!  This week our hostess is the very talented Kim Singdahlsen and here is her sketch:

Now, I have to admit, when I first saw the sketch my mind went blank.  I pondered it for days before finally coming up with a card that uses the sketch flipped and, let's say, turned inside out :)

I sponged some yellow distress inks onto my card base and then die-cut another panel using a Stitched Basic Edge die.  After stamping the sentiment from Adorable Elephants on the top panel, I adhered it to the base with foam tape.

I then stamped some flowers using Altenew's Painted Flowers and Altenew inks before fussy-cutting them out.  I positioned those to break the horizontal panel as per the sketch.  I finished off the card with some rainstones.

I'm entering this card into Seize the Birthday who have an Anything Goes theme this time.

Thanks for visiting.  The rest of the design team have recharged their batteries and produced some fabulous examples using the sketch, so please check them out.

Products used:

Stamps:  Painted Flowers (Altenew), Adorable Elephants (MFT)
Ink:  Buttercream, Warm Sunshine, Frayed Leaf, Forest Glades, Jet Black (Altenew), Scattered Straw, Fossilized Amber, Wild Honey distress inks
Cardstock:  White
Dies:  Stitched Basic Edges (MFT)
Accessories:  Rainstones (PTI)

Cheers
Karren

Tons of Fun

It's time for another sketch challenge at SugarPea Designs and it's a good 'un :)

I decided to take the adorable elephant from Tons of Fun for a spin today and this is the card I came up with:

After I colored my elephant and his party hat with Copics, I cut them out and adhered them to a Zig Zag Stitched Circle die.  I also stamped and cut the wee gift and put that on a tiny little circle.  I used some old patterned paper for my horizontal panel and put a strip of black that I'd die cut with a Zig Zag Stitched Rectangle die.  I stamped the sentiment on the card base and finished the card with some rainstones.

Thanks for visiting.  Be sure to check out the amazing cards created by the rest of the design team and I hope you get a chance to play along with our sketch.  You don't need to use SugarPea products to join in.

Brandi Hall 
Claire Broadwater

Deanne Kay
Jeanne Jachna
Karren Johnson
Laura Jane

Lee Ann Barrett

Lesley Croghan

Mackie Robertson

I hope you give this sketch a go.  Here are the challenge guidelines:

• Create a new card or project using the sketch provided.

• SugarPea Designs stamps are NOT required to play along or to win but would be appreciated 

• You may rotate/flip the sketch & replace shapes – so long as the original sketch layout is recognizable.

• Upload to your blog or other Online Gallery using Keyword: SPDSS36 so that we may check out your beautiful work.

• Add your name and link to your project in the InLinkz on the SugarPea Designs blog.

• One randomly selected winner will receive a $25 Gift Certificate to the SugarPea Designs store. However, if the winning entry features a SugarPea Designs stamp we will increase the prize to $75!

• We will announce our Sweet Picks and our Main Winner at the end of each month.

• The more times you play along during the month, the better chance you have of winning!

Products used:

Stamps:  Tons of Fun (SugarPea Designs)
Ink:  Memento Tuxedo Black, Versafine Onyx Black, High Dive, Sunshine
Cardstock:  White, Black, X-Press It, Thoroughly Modern (SU)
Dies:  Zig Zag Stitched Circle Dies, Zig Zag Stitched Rectangle Dies
Accessories:  Copics, Wink of Stella

Cheers
Karren

Demure

Hi and welcome!  Today's card was made for the neutrals challenge at Less is More, the word challenge at Just Us Girls, the challenge at Inkspirational and the new stash challenge at Sweet Stampin'.

My new item on this card is the floral stamp from Penny Black called Demure.  I've had this for a month of so, but this is the first chance I've had to ink it up.  I colored it with warm grey Copic markers after stamping it onto my card base.  I then stamped the "thank you" from CTMH along the bottom.

The card looked a bit dull so I die-cut the frame and popped it up on tiny little slivers of foam tape.  I deliberately cut it at an angle to add interest.

Thanks for visiting!

Products used:

Stamps:  Demure (Penny Black), A Thousand Thanks (CTMH)

Ink:  Memento Tuxedo Black, Versafine Onyx Black

Cardstock:  White

Dies:  Frames (SSS)

Accessories:  Copics, white gel pen

Cheers

Karren

Edited to Add:  This card got a shout out at Sweet Stampin'

Favorites of 2015

Hi!  I wasn't going to do a favorites post this year, but have been inspired looking at other blogs, so decided to go through my last 12 months' worth of posts and see what makes it into my top 12.  I haven't chosen one card from each month, but my 12 favorite cards.  Interestingly, I originally selected 23 cards and most of them were from the last few months.  I look back on the ones from earlier in the year and some of them really make me wonder what I was thinking at the time :)

Anyway, here are photos of the cards and a link to the original post:

Vintage Birthday - I don't do vintage well, and I was pleased with how this came out.

Dandelion Dreams - I like the ombre panel and the way the dandelions go across all layers.

Smooshed Tag - my first go at ink smooshing and I love it!

High Tops - fun card for my Converse-crazy son's 13th birthday.

Girlfriends - I just love the Girlfriends range and was happy with how this card came out.

Wishing - this card is special because it was for Freshly Made Sketches 200th challenge.

Muse Birthday - I loved this card when I made it and it was just chosen as a 2015 CAS favorite at SCS.

Pumpkin Girl - I love this image and I loved the layout of the card.

Zig Zag - Stenciling is one of my favorite techniques and this multi-colored one was a challenge!

Grid Thanks - I just love how the color went onto this embossed panel.

Poinsettia Tag - The Soft Stone background really makes this poinsettia pop.

Merry Christmoose - I just adore this moose and I love, love, love coloring with Copics!

Thanks for taking the time to visit, both today and during 2015.  I appreciate you taking the time to stop by.  I'm going to link this up to Lyndal's favorites post.

Cheers

Karren