Freshly Made Sketches #598

 Welcome to Freshly Made Sketches #598!

Our amazing Clean Team leader, Jennifer Timko, has given us a great sketch this week! I didn't have an immediate idea for my design, but was pondering the sketch while swiffering away the post vacation cobwebs that popped up in all corners of the house when I started thinking Halloween.

I don't have a lot of Halloween products but somehow ended up with this tiny Tim Holtz Sizzix cobweb corner embossing folder in my collection and I'm sure it has never been used. 

Those of you that came into card making from the scrapbook world might recognize the Making Memories Magnetic Rubber Stamp Alphabet set used to create the sentiment. Feeling like something more was needed, a sweet MFT Fab-Boo-Lous Friends spider tied itself to the upper web with an Avery Elle Bunting bow.

Check out the terrific Clean Team designs and play along with us this week at Freshly Made Sketches!

Using anything never been used before will always makes me think of Darnell and her NBUS (Never-Been-Used-Schtuff) Challenge, so my card is going to join NBUS Challenge #53.

Thanks for stopping by,

Jacquie

Freshly Made Sketches #501

 Welcome to Freshly Made Sketches!

It was such fun to see the gallery fill up last week with all of you helping us celebrate sketch #500! Kim is starting us on the way to the next 500 with a terrific classic design.

I don't usually make a lot of Halloween cards but have a fun Poppystamps Scary Ghost die waiting impatiently to be used. And I didn't want to risk upsetting an impatient ghost.

My idea was to create a bit of dimension by embossing a white panel and then cutting the small rectangle panel from the center. The outside frame is adhered to the card base first, then an orange polka dot panel added for a bit of fun and finally the center panel is popped back in so the embossed lines match up.

I hope the ghost looks like she is rising from a smoky swirl with her bottom end adhered flat to the panel and a foam dot elevating her head.

Make sure you check out this Freshly Made Sketches post to see if you won one of the fabulous prizes our sponsors offered last week!

A random number generator helped me pick the winner of this prize. 

The winning number is 1, which means I will be in contact with you,  Stephanie! Please don't hesitate to email me at jjsouthas@yahoo.com if an email doesn't show in your inbox today.

I'm adding this card to the NBUS Challenge #30 to celebrate using the ghost die!

Thanks for stopping by,

Jacquie

Papertrey Ink January 2017 Blog Hop

Today I'm participating in the Papertrey Ink January 2017 Blog Hop. I couldn't resist the beautiful inspiration photo that Nicole provided and the challenge to play with bright flowers on a black background.

My desk had a little pile of untouched dies I was determined to use on this card. Beginning with a white A2 Scalloped vertical die cut card base and adding a black stitched rectangle panel gave me the foundation. The Big Basics: Wish Big die is also cut from white cardstock and adhered to the black panel.

The small flowers and leaves are cut from felt using the One Big Happy dies, with a few extra leaves coming from the Painted Petals die set. These felt pieces were arranged with a trio of orphan flowers from my paper flower basket. In a nod to the white dots on the iced cookies, a pearl center was added to the flowers.

I am also linking this card to delightful Darnell's NBUS Challenge #9.

I can't wait to see the beautiful creations in the gallery this month!

Thanks for stopping by,

Jacquie

Muse Christmas Visions #60 + NBUS #7 + Simon Says Anything Goes

When I saw Guest Designer Kim Makortoff's card for Muse Christmas Visions Challenge #60, I immediately thought of a sweet Lawn Fawn stamp set I picked up when a local scrapbook store closed in the spring. I know this set hasn't been inked up yet which means I also get to enter another card in Darnell's fun challenge to use some of the "never befor used schtuff" hanging around our creative space or, as most of us know it, NBUS#7.

Muse Christmas Visions #60

As you can see, my primary inspiration was the pine cones and multi-colored pine boughs.

The pinecone was stamped first and then masked before the pine boughs added. The ledge was added next and then the sentiment in red.

After the stamped panel was matted with a chocolate panel and added to the chartreuse card base, a little Wink of Stella was swiped over the pinecone.

This card is also being linked to the Wednesday Challenge Blog at Simon Says Stamp where Anything Goes this week.

Thanks for stopping by,

Jacquie

Muse Christmas Visions #59 + NBUS #7

I've been letting my son drive to school lately. The good part is that I don't have to battle the school traffic costing me at least 30 minutes to drive the 6 mile round trip at 7 in the morning. The bad part is I don't get the car back until almost 5 because he has cross country practice after school. Today it also meant I had some time to craft.

I had major poinsettia envy when I saw Meredith MacRitchie's gorgeous card for the Muse Christmas Visions Challenge #59. That is not patterned paper on her card! I really need to get a poinsettia stamp into my collection this year, but for now have to make do with a sweet Poppystamps Poinsettia die.

I took several ideas from Meredith's card: the inked tag, mix of a diecut &stamped sentiment, poinsettia die cuts and jute bow.

The close up shows the lovely detailed lines on the poinsettias.

This card is also being entered in the lovely Darnell's NBUS #7 Challenge. I picked up a number of MFT dies earlier this summer, included this great stitched tag. I punched the hole and added a hole protector from a second NBUS tag set. I encourage you to use something from your new craft supplies and play along on this fun challenge (or at least check out what everyone else has been buying).

My car is home so I'm off to run a few errands!

Thanks for stopping by,

Jacquie

Seize the Birthday: The Great Divide

It is time for a new challenge at Seize the Birthday, where I am thrilled to be the Surprise Party Guest for February and March!

The Toppings is The Great Divide, with a challenge to divide the focal point of your birthday card in half (or thirds, etc.).

I stamped, masked and heat embossed a floral design onto watercolor paper before coloring it in with an aqua pen and Distress Inks.

Once the panel was dry, it was die cut into two pieces and popped up on a white card base. The sentiment was heat embossed on a die cut scrap of watercolor paper and then colored to match the floral panels.

A couple of translucent, glittery enamel dots finish the card off.

As always at Seize the Birthday, you can choose to play along in the Anything Goes category.

I am also linking this card to the always delightful Darnell's NBUS #6 challenge as this is my first time inking up the PTI Bold Blossoms stamp set. Today is the last day to play with your "never-been-used-schtuff" and link to the challenge.

I'm looking forward to seeing your cards in the Seize the Birthday gallery!

Thanks for stopping by,

Jacquie

Muse #109 + Curtain Call: Jelly Bean Challenge & The Challenge #27 + NBUS #4

It is a quiet Saturday night around here after everyone was running around in 20 different directions last night and for most of the day. Three of us are now home catching up on TV and surfing the internet while my husband is still trapped in the infield oval of the Auto Club Speedway in Fontana for the NASCAR races. Did you know they have RV camping in the middle of the race track?  Every time I talked to him today it was with the noise of cars racing in the background.

The quiet evening meant I had time to finish a couple of cards. I've been wanting to play along with The Challenge from Lesley Croghan for a while and was happy to find I haven't missed the deadline for The Challenge #27.

My translation of the sketch and colors is about as literal as you can get, but this pair of butterfly dies as been sitting on my desk forever, waiting to be used. How handy that Darnell is running a new Never Before Used Schtuff challenge, NBUS #4, starting today. I'm sure everyone reading here is already familiar with the delightful and generous Darnell, but if not please head over and say hi.

 

I tend to make top fold cards, but had a Smoky Shadow card base cut already. I love that this orientation gave me the opportunity to run my flags on the inside of the card.

This second card is inspired by the jelly bean colors from the Curtain Call: Match 15 Jelly Bean Challenge and the sweet little birdhouse image from Muse #109, which were morphed to create this thank you card.

The clouds and windows are touched up with Wink of Stella for a little shine and glitter.

With Stefan away until tomorrow I expect to get a little more crafting time before I have to put together his belated birthday dinner together. Steak, sushi and a blueberry cheesecake are on his wishlist.

Thanks for stopping by,

Jacquie

Muse #99 + NBUS #3 + SSS Anything Goes

Today was our first day back to the 6 AM alarm and it wasn't easy, but it was kind of nice to have a quiet, clean house and spend a little time in the office. The always fun Darnell is having another NBUS Challenge, and I have a great NBUS Simon Says Stamp confetti die, and there is still time to enter the SSS Wednesday Challenge Blog where Anything Goes, and the die looks very similar to the one Vicki used for her Muse #99 inspiration card, so this card was truly inspired by all three challenges.

I cut the die from a white panel, stamped the sentiment and then popped it up on the red card base.

It looked a little unfinished, so I started poking around my bits & pieces finding a mirrored star that fit in the center circle nicely. It still didn't look quite right until the red felt circle was place under it and a trio of rainstones scattered among the open circles.

You can find the challenge details and join in the fun by following these links.

Muse #99

NBUS#3

SSS Wednesday Challenge Blog

I really hope the New Year has been off to a great start for you and thanks for stopping by,

Jacquie

CTS93 + FFC40 + NBUS#2 + Fusion Shiny Pink

Our heat wave has finally broken, and one of the benefits is I have ventured upstairs into the office a bit more in the last couple of days. I was enchanted by the soft pink & cream palette in the Festive Fridays Challenge #40 and had been thinking about using a new Christmas stamp and die to make a couple of cards for Darnell's NBUS #2 challenge, so these challenges paired nicely together.

In addition, both cards are influenced by the shiny pink car in the Fusion Sept 11th challenge.

And this first card was based on the sketch for CAS(E) this Sketch #93.

For this clean & simple card, the wreath was stamped with Versamark and embossed with Ranger Holographic embossing powder before being die cut.

The sentiment was curved slightly to follow the line of the curved panel and heat embossed. The edges of the pink panel were also inked with the Versamark and embossed with the holographic embossing powder for a little extra shine.

A few shiny pink pearls were attached to the cream panel after the wreath was woven through the sentiment. I spent far too long deciding whether to add the pink pearl as a dot for the "i" and am still not sure if I like it.

This second card uses the same wreath stamp (Option 3 in the NBUS challenge to use the same Christmas stamp on two different cards).

A narrow panel provides a base for some embossed dots and the vellum onrnaments.

The sentiments and wreath are all from PTI's Rustic Wreath stamp set.

Thanks for stopping by,

Jacquie