Freshly Made Sketches #529

 Welcome to Freshly Made Sketches #529!

Clean Team designer Jen Timko has given us a fantastic sketch this week! I always deplete my very small stack of masculine birthday cards this time of year and am determined to keep it from running completely out in the future, so immediately turned to green for my color palette this week.

The design came together quickly once I decided to use a leftover piece from Memory Box Bamboo Shoots die cut as the focal point. The white and green panels were embossed with a Darice Thin Lines embossing folder before being cut with the stitched rectangle dies. A piece of darker green scrap paper is cut with the smaller stitched die and tucked under the white panel.

The MFT Bitty Birthday Wishes sentiment is heat embossed and tucked into the bamboo to finish the card.

Check out the amazing Clean Team designs at Freshly Made Sketches and join in the fun this week!

Thanks for stopping by,

Jacquie

Freshly Made Sketches #528

 Welcome to Freshly Made Sketches #528!

I'm thrilled to be hosting the Freshly Made Sketches challenge this week! I'm not sure which came first, the card design or the sketch, but they definitely were interlinked in my mind as a mulled over a few ideas for a simple masculine birthday card for my Pisces husband.

MFT Abstract Art images were inked with Mermaid Lagoon, Salty Ocean and Peacock Feathers Distress Inks, spritzed and stamped on the white panel. Once dry, the Simply Graphic Sardines images were stamped and heat embossed with Ranger Liquid Platinum embossing powder.

A Memory Box Fish Tales sentiment finishes the design.

I can't wait to see how you use the strips in the sketch! They can be for a sentiment, design element or some combination of both. Check out the amazing Clean Team designs and play along with us at Freshly Made Sketches.

I am linking this card to Seize the Birthday #234 in the Anything Goes category.

Thanks for stopping by,

Jacquie

Freshly Made Sketches #527

 Welcome to Freshly Made Sketches #527!

I love sketches that have a trio element like the fabulous one Clean Team Designer, Judy Rozema, has given us to work with this week. To be honest, I struggled to pick an idea and stick with it, flitting from flowers to fish to leaves to butterflies and back to flowers.

Several Pretty Pink Posh Cherry Blossom images were stamped and heat embossed on scraps of watercolor paper before being softly colored with Zig Real Brush Markers. The blossoms and leaves were adhered to a woodgrain embossed stitched panel first to figure out the placement of the Pretty Pink Posh Thoughtful Greetings sentiment.

True confessions time: I didn't realize that at least two different brands of watercolor scraps were used until I went to edit the photos. Can I blame my still healing eye for this oops?

I hope you check out the terrific Clean Team cards and play along with us at Freshly Made Sketches this week!

Thanks for stopping by,

Jacquie

Freshly Made Sketches #526

 Welcome to Freshly Made Sketches #526!

Designer Amy O'Neill has given us a classic and versatile sketch to work with this week! I knew I wanted to add a bit of color and pattern to my background and pulled out a stack of softly colored gingham and polka dot papers. These papers always make me think of Easter, so the Easter stamps and dies made their way to the desk, too.

The aqua and green gingham papers are lined up to give a sense of grass and sky backing the MFT Mini-scallop Stitched rectangle panel. A PTI Simply Spring Borders sentiment is heat embossed before the pile of eggs is created.

A pair of Poppystamps Bunny Buddies dies finish off the design.

I hope you check out the fabulous Clean Team cards at Freshly Made Sketches and play along with us this week!

Thanks for stopping by,

Jacquie

Freshly Made Sketches #525

Welcome to Freshly Made Sketches #525!

 

Like so many people, the news over the last week has influenced my creativity and I thought Clean Team designer Karren Johnson's sketch is perfect to highlight a design around the colors of the Ukrainian flag.

The Simon Says Stamp Streaming Heart die is cut at a slight tilt on a white panel to leave the open heart negative space. The Ali Edwards Technique Tuesday sentiment is added next.

Blue and yellow panels are cut slightly wider than the white panel and trimmed down to fit the lines of the heart using an old school pencil and scissors method. Another technique I haven't used in ages was to distress the edges of the colored panels. 

My thoughts are with both crafting friends in Ukraine and so many Ukrainian Canadian friends right now and hope this nightmare ends quickly.

Please check out the Clean Team designs and play along with us at Freshly Make Sketches this week.

I'm linking this card to the Color Hues Challenge.

Thanks for stopping by,

Jacquie

CASology Challenge #401: HAT

 Welcome to CASology Challenge #401!

I bet you have more hats than you realize in your stamp and die collection. I know I did, with birthday hats, snow hats, bathing caps, a fedora and this fun sun hat to pick from when designing my card.

In the end, it is the Simply Graphic Sunhat die really wanting to play with an Ellen Hutson Stay Cool by Julie Ebersole sentiment that led to this card.

The sentiment is clear heat embossed on the white panel with Tumbled Glass and Salty Ocean Distress Inks blended over so the sentiment pops. An Essential Ovals die provides a frame and resting spot for the bright pink hat.

I hope you check out the terrific design team cards!

Åsa Johannson

Deidre Payne

Jacquie Southas (you are here)

Jen Wills

Joyce Mehrberg

Melissa Chipperfield 

Nancy Elrick

Sandie Munro

Sue Symens

Guest Designer: Tracy!

 

We are looking forward to seeing how HAT inspires you - just remember to keep it Clean & Simple! This is a month long challenge, so you have until 9 AM Monday, April 4th (CMT) to link your card to the CASology blog.

Thanks for stopping by,

Jacquie