Sketch N Scrap Card Sketch #160

Hi everyone!  There's a fantastic new card sketch up on the Sketch N Scrap blog today, designed by Lisa Hidy:

Isn't that a great design?  I took a literal approach to Lisa's sketch with the adorable snowman and decided to create a winter greetings card:

When I saw this sketch I thought of the Simple Stories Sub Zero line that I have. Living in Florida I don't get many chances to use the cute wintery papers and embellishments.  I thought this card will be good to send to a family member or friend living up north where it's shorts & flip flops weather in December! 

Come join us at Sketch N Scrap and show us what you can do with this sketch! Hope to see you there!

Sketch N Scrap Layout Sketch Challenge #191

Hello everybody! There's a brand new sketch up on the Sketch N Scrap blog today designed by Heather Hall:

What a versatile sketch, I love it! Here's my take on it:

 I'm not one to scrap holidays, even Christmas, I'm not sure why.  As you can see, these pictures are 12 years old! LOL  I often find that manufacturers go theme-y overboard in the holiday designs and I'm generally not into juvenile looking patterns.  I prefer patterns such as plaids, stripes, florals, etc. When I purchased Pinkfresh Studios warehouse box last year, there was quite a bit of Christmas products that I really liked!  I used them here with some Twill and Storm Bazzill cardstocks.  My favorite embellishments in the box were the chipboard stickers and wood buttons:

I've scrapped Christmas layouts sporadically over the years, time to go back in my albums & see what other years I can catch up on, now that I'm in the Christmas spirit!  Happy Holidays to you and yours, and hope you come join us at Sketch N Scrap. Show us what you can do with this sketch!

Tuesday Morning Sketches #350

I played along at Tuesday Morning Sketches again this week, there is a super cute card sketch that I was excited to try:

And here's my take on it, using the new So Happy Together line from Simple Stories:

I love to use up scraps after I make a layout, which I did last night when I made this card.  While shuffling through the bits & pieces pack I saw the "hello" sentiment & the cute box full of hearts and set them aside for a card.  This will work perfectly to send a little love to someone special!

Thanks for stopping by!

Sketch N Scrap Card Sketch #158

Hi everyone!  So glad you came by because I have an awesome sketch to share with you.  It's card sketch #158 and it's up on the Sketch N Scrap blog:

What I love about this sketch that Lisa Hidy designed is that I can see it not just for cards, but for a layout!  I'm thinking of those cool border strip papers that some lines have, or even just scraps.  The sentiment would be the picture.  I know I'll use this one again and again for cards, too.  Here's my take on it with a card:

I used Vicki Boutin's gorgeous Wildflower & Honey line on this card.  The papers are from the 6x8 paper pad and the little bee & envelope are die cuts from the same line.  I knew I wanted the papers to pop off a black background, but one they were in place it just needed something.  I took a small foam brush, and a little dab of off-white acrylic paint & hit the edges of the black cardstock:

I love how it turned out! I'm sure I'll be trying this on layouts, too, when a dark background just needs a little something.  Gives it a nice grungy, shabby-chic look to it.  

Thanks for stopping in and hope you check out this Sketch N Scrap challenge, along with the other challenges we have running through the end of this month! 

Sketch N Scrap Layout Sketch #188

Hi everyone!  It's the first of the month and a brand new sketch is up on the Sketch N Scrap blog!  Sketch #188 was designed by Lisa Hidy and it's sure to inspire you to create:

Here's my take on the sketch:

I knew exactly what line I wanted to use when I saw this sketch.  Two years ago at Expo I hit the Echo Park booth.  They were selling collection kits for $5.00....yes, I said $5.00.....each.  You had to buy a certain number to get that amount, if I remember correctly, and my friend & I split it and walked away with some beautiful collections.  My favorite was their I Love Family line.  I had purchased some when it was first released and was excited to grab the whole collection again.   I used it with these pictures from my Mom's 75th birthday celebration in 2013.  It is a rare occasion that all five of her kids can be together at the same time!

Come join us at Sketch N Scrap and show us what you can do with this sketch, too! Hope to see you there!

Sketch N Scrap Card Sketch #156

Hi everyone!  Have all of you card maker's been playing along with the fabulous card sketches we have at Sketch N Scrap this month for World Cardmaking Day?  In addition to those, we still have our regular monthly challenges running, including this beautiful sketch designed by Lisa Hidy:

And here's my take on the sketch:

I'm still hanging on to the colors and feel of summer on this one....perhaps because it is still in the 80's or 90's most days where I live LOL  I used up some scraps from Simple Stories' Oh Happy Day on this one, along with a scrap of white wood grain, to make this "Hello Sunshine" card.    The sunshine sticker is from Photoplay's Squeeze in some Fun line and I cut the "hello" with a Tim Holtz metal die.  I finished it off with some fun outlining with my favorite black pen :)  I hope it will brighten the day of the person I send it to!

Come on over to Sketch N Scrap and play along with this challenge and check out all of the other fun sketch challenges we have running until the end of the month.  Hope to see you there!

World Card Making Day 2019 at Sketch N Scrap #3

Hi everyone!  We're celebrating World Card Making Day ALL month long at Sketch N Scrap!  There is a brand new card sketch each week, in addition to our regular challenges.  If you love to make cards, this is for you!  If you don't make very many cards, then this is definitely for you because these sketches can be simple for beginners, or as detailed as an expert wants to make it!

Today I'm sharing with you this week's sketch, designed by Lisa Hidy:

Here's my take on the sketch:

You can see that I didn't stick with the Halloween theme depicted in the sketch. That's the wonderful thing about sketches, you can look past colors or themes & when you just focus on the placement of the details, they are SO versatile!  I used the sketch for a card that I think will work well for a wedding or even a wedding shower.  I used Pink Paislee's Indigo & Ivy line for this, the tag is one of the cardstock stickers from the line.  In the place of the stars I used some gold cardstock stickers and in the place of the black cat I used more cardstock flower & leaves stickers.  LOVE using up those sticker sheets!

Thanks for stopping by and hope you click on the link above to join us over at Sketch N Scrap!

Sketch N Scrap Layout Sketch #187

Hi everyone! I'm back to share with you a super fun sketch that is up on the blog now at Sketch N Scrap!  This sketch was designed by Heather Hall:

And here's my take on it:

I love the split design that Heather created with the long strip for the title at the bottom, and of course the large sunflower element that is FULL of possibilities!  I decided to use a globe cut file from Lori Whitlock's SVG shop in place of the flower for this travel page of a weekend getaway we had a couple months ago to Clearwater Beach.  It rained the entire weekend, but we didn't let it spoil our fun. That's why I used some cute little clouds with my globe!

To create the background, I used a plus sign stencil & different shades of Distress Oxide inks with a blending brush.  I then outlined each plus sign for definition.  I think they really pull out the colors in the patterned papers.  The teal base is an old piece of SS Life in Color...love using that stash!  The floral and stripes are from a Simple Stories and Photoplay summer lines where the colors really complement each other.  For my title, I used a Photoplay "Summer" cardstock sticker, along with some AC Thickers for "Getaway" and the cute little car.

Come join us over at Sketch N Scrap and show us what you can do with this sketch, hope to see you there!

World Card Making Day Sketch #2 at Sketch N Scrap

Hi everyone!  We're continuing to celebrate World Card Making Day all month long at Sketch N Scrap. Lisa Hidy has designed some awesome sketches, with a new one being revealed each week in October.  Up this week is Sketch #2:

And here's my take on it:

When I saw this design, with the squares & and rectangle shape, I knew I wanted to dig out some scraps for this one.  I used some Vicki Boutin Color Kaleidoscope, along with a piece of Kraft cardstock.  To add some interest to the Kraft background, I used an embossing folder I've had for a really long time and never used!  I also hit the edges with some Black Soot Distress Ink.  The flower is from the same line and I used up some corrugated Thickers for my "hi" sentiment. For finishing touches, I splattered some black ink & added some tiny clear rhinestones to the flower's center & one in the dot of the "i."  

I know you'll be as inspired as I was by this sketch & hope you decide to join us over at Sketch N Scrap! 

WCMD Card Sketch #1 at Sketch N Scrap

Hi everyone!  This is my second year that I've been on the Design Team at Sketch N Scrap for World Card Making Day and I'm so excited to share our first sketch with you all!  Lisa Hidy has designed some AH-mazing card sketches for all you card maker's out there in honor of World Card Making Day 2019, which we are again celebrating ALL month long!  We're getting things kicked off with this gorgeous sketch:

Isn't that just lovely?  I really like that this can be used as an all-occasion card without a sentiment on the front.  I plan to use this sketch several times & keep some on hand.  I'll just stamp a sentiment if I need to on the inside.  Here's my take on the sketch:

The background paper is a deep indigo from Vicki Boutin's Wildflower & Honey line. I love the subtle design in the paper. I also used some scraps from Pink Paislee's Indigo & Ivory line and a random piece of woodgrain for the circle, I hit the edges of it with my Tim Holtz distress tool.  The flower is an old prima flower I've had in my stash for ages! I also used some Prima leaves and dug out my Tattered Angels Bronze mist to splatter the background.  You all know I've been trying to dig out at least ONE old thing on my projects and boy is that bottle old LOL.  I know if I worked at it I could get the nozzle unclogged, but in the meantime just unscrewing it and tapping the tube creates a beautiful splatter effect.  I finished my card off by using some twine with tints of gold to complement the splatters and a bit of machine stitching around the edge.

Thanks for stopping by and I hope to see you joining us over at Sketch N Scrap for World Card Making Day and the other fun card and layout challenges we have running all month long!

Sketch N Scrap Card Sketch #154

Hi everyone!  There's a fantastic new card sketch up on the Sketch N Scrap blog!  Here's the sketch, designed by Lisa Hidy:

And I chose to spin it to the right and use it this way:

I've been wanting to use my Cricut for writing text more and decided to use it on this card.  I didn't have a stamp that says "Birthday Greetings"  which is the sentiment I thought would work well with the bicycle flower cart cardstock sticker from Carta Bella.  I used the Be Mine font on a scrap of vanilla cardstock, added some Festive Berries Distress Oxide with a blending brush & a little doodling around the border.  For some reason in the pic it looks a little more peachy than pink like it is in real life.  The papers are also from Carta Bella's Flower Market line. 

I hope you are as inspired by this sketch as I was! Come play along with us at Sketch N Scrap, hope to see you there!

Sketch N Scrap Challenge #185

Hey everybody!  The mid-month layout sketch challenge is up on the Sketch N Scrap blog!  Here's the sketch, designed by Heather Hall:

Aren't those circles & banners fun?  I thought the design was perfect for guy page, using a pic I took of my husband and son at his first Miami Heat game. We surprised him to celebrate his 12th birthday, back in 2012:

Once again, I'm stash-busting on this one!  The black camera paper is CTMH, and the basketball court wood grain is Reminisce that I've had for ages!  I've had an old package of basketball themed rubons from Creative Imagination even longer and to my surprise, they worked like new!  I used one to place the player in the bottom right to rest my title on.  The title & the basketball were both cut with my Cricut.  A few scraps from EP's new Teen Spirit Boy collection & some stickers from the same line worked perfectly with my theme.  I finished it off with some faux stitching for the other circle elements.

Thanks for stopping by, and hope to see you playing along with us at Sketch N Scrap!

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Scrap Our Stash August 2019 Pick A Side Challenge

Hi everyone!  I played along again this month with the Pick a Side sketch challenge at Scrap Our Stash.  Here's an image of their challenge:

And here's what I came up with, using the left side of the sketch:

The challenge requirements are to pick a side and also use 5+ patterned papers and twine.  I loved this opportunity to really dig into my stash & pull out this Photoplay Boarding Pass line I've had a couple of years.  The patterned papers I used from this line are the stripe, green map, navy blue compass, the polka dot & the plaid.  That's 5 right there...plus I used a wood grain background from EP's America the Beautiful line & a scrap of old EP grid paper for my view finder circle element & date tab.  LOVE using stash!  While I was at it, I also pulled out several pieces of wood veneer I've had for ages, too.  Thanks for stopping by!

August 2019 Scrappy Friends Challenge

Hi everyone! I played along again this month with the Scrappy Friends Challenge that combines the awesome sketch designed by Rochelle Spears posted below and the photo inspiration challenge on Scrap With Stacy's blog.  Here's what I came up with by combining both challenges:

Here's the sketch and a link to the challenge on Rochelle Spears blog:

Here's Scrap With Stacy's photo inspiration and a link to her challenge on her blog:

So many fun summer photos to draw inspiration from! I used lots in my layout...the pineapple drink sticker I used looks exactly like one of the photos!  Sunshine, pool, summer...it all came together.  I used several different kits from The ScrapRoom on my page, combining Echo Park, Simple Stories & Photoplay papers and elements. The background paper is from this month's kit, EP's Teen Spirit Girl.  The floral & stripes are from May's kit using Oh Happy Day from Simple Stories.  The "relax" I used for my title is from one of last year's SS summer lines. The yellow polka dot & blue wave papers are from my July kit using Photoplay's Squeeze in Some Sun.  Thanks for stopping by!

Sketch N Scrap Card Sketch Challenge #152

Hi crafty friends! It's August 20th and that means TWO things......it's my birthday AND there's a new card sketch challenge up on Sketch N Scrap!  I used the sketch to make a birthday card, of course LOL

And here's the fabulous sketch I used, designed by Lisa Hidy for Sketch N Scrap:

How many of you Cricut users have checked out all of the FREE images that are available in Design Space?  You don't have to subscribe to Cricut access....they're free....all the time!  I remember back in the day (not so long ago) when I had to have a scallop punch in order to get a scallop circle.  To get a different size scallop I'd have to buy another punch. That got pricey!  In Design Space I used the free scallop circle image and made it the exact size I wanted!  My Cricut Explore Air 2 continues to pay for itself again and again :)  If you haven't checked them out, simply select the filter in Design Space and check the box that says Free.  It's amazing how many images are available!

Moving on to the rest of my card, I used some woodgrain patterned papers along with a 6x6 paper pad from Jen Hadfield's Warm & Cozy line.  I've mentioned in previous posts that I'm really trying to stash bust, even if it's just one item, on every project. The layered flower has a Jillibean Soup canvas flower (I've had these FORever and never used them!), a prima flower & a random button. I liked the checkerboard design with my papers.  Inside the scallop I used a circle die set from Little B to get the dotted image around the edge. I haven't dusted these dies off in a while, I like the little bit of interest that the dots add to the circle.  The sentiment is an Altenew stamp and I hit the edges of my papers with different shades of brown Distress Inks.

Thanks for stopping by, and hope to see you join us at Sketch N Scrap!

Lasting Memories Challenge #457 - Trees

Hi everyone, I'm back again with another challenge for Lasting Memories.  I went in reverse to the first challenge for August, #457 - Trees:

I have trees in the background of my pictures and also a cute little tree die cut from the new Simple Stories line Happy Trails.  The plaid & floral papers are from the same line, the wood grain is an old EP fall paper and the map paper is a reeeaallly old Simple Stories camping line.  It's a scrap & so old I've forgotten the line LOL  I added a little touches with a Kaisercraft wood veneer gate piece & some little mushrooms from Jillibean's Mushroom Medley line.  The design is a Sketch N Scrap sketch designed by Lisa Hidy. 

Thanks for stopping by!

Lasting Memories Challenge #458 - Flowers

Hi everyone!  I'm playing along with a new blog challenge this week.  Lasting Memories is a really fun challenge blog that focuses only on layouts. This month their theme is Plants and they are posting a new challenge every Sunday.  I played along with this week's challenge - Flowers.

I used flowers as embellishments on my layout. Most of the patterned papers and embellishments are from Vicki Boutin's new Wildflower & Honey line.  I LOVE the rich colors & patterns in this line!  For my background, I used one of my go-to staples - Simple Stories' Snap Basics grid paper.  I also used a blending brush to add some Stormy Sky & Weathered Wood Distress Oxide inks.  I chose to use more of a "smoky" look on my background, rather than try to match the teal shades in the embellishments, to complement my black & white photo.  I think it gave it the more neutral, soft background I was going for.

I added a few droplets of water here & there to give it a bit of a watercolor look, which is really hard to see in the picture, it's more subtle with these shades than others.  Thanks for stopping by!

Sketch N Scrap Challenge #182

Hi everybody! It's the first of the month and that means a new sketch is up on the Sketch N Scrap blog!  Since we are in the midst of the dog days of summer, I chose to create a layout with one of my favorite summer pastimes.....baseball!

Full disclosure.....this is actually Spring Training, but in Florida it's practically summer most of the year!  Here's the sketch I used, designed by Lisa Hidy for Sketch N Scrap:

What I LOVE about this sketch is the layering and design for 4 photos, perfect for chronicling an event like this on one page.  Most of the patterned papers are from Carta Bella's recent Baseball line (the brick is a scrap of Jillibean Soup...I think LOL). But again, I wanted to challenge myself to dig out stash items & a tool or stamp I haven't used.  For my stash items I used an OLD piece of Simple Stories' Awesome line for my background.  It was literally the last piece I was hoarding from that line. I also used up some Studio Calico wood veneer stars and some foam AC Thickers for my title.  For my stamp/tool I used a CTMH baseball acrylic stamp that I just HAD to have and never used!  I was so excited to use the stamped baseballs in the spots of the sketch design where the flowers are. BUT....my dilemma was that I wanted to use the same paper as my background & it was my last piece.  So I used an old trick a fellow scrapper showed me years ago.  I cut out a square from the background....strategically....where the layering would cover the hole.  I then used that piece to stamp my baseballs & fussy cut them.

The sticker sheet from the Baseball line has SO many cute little images, perfect for embellishment layering & clustering!  I hope you are as inspired by this sketch as I was, and that you join us at Sketch N Scrap! Hope to see you there!

Scrap Our Stash July Pick Your Side Challenge

Hi there!  I'm sharing a layout with you that I created for Scrap Our Stash this month.  The challenge is to pick a side of this sketch and to also use wood or wood veneer:

I chose the right side of the sketch:

For the challenge requirement I used wood grain background paper from Ella & Viv and also some wood veneer pieces throughout the layout.  The bud wreath cut file is from Paper Issues and the patterned papers & sticker elements are from Simple Stories' Spring Farmhouse collection.  Thanks for stopping by!

Sketch N Scrap Card Sketch #150

Hi scrappy friends! There's a brand new card sketch up on the Sketch N Scrap blog today that I had so much fun creating with:

And here's the sketch, designed by Lisa Hidy for Sketch N Scrap:

Check out all of the wonderful details on this sketch, it's full of possibilities! I started out with the intention of following the image as shown, using ice cream or a tall cake or something similar.  But, I happened to be going thru some items while making a layout and when I saw this cute hot air balloon I just HAD to use it! I stuck with the basics of the rest of the sketch...the scalloped sides and the banners.  In place of the confetti I cut two stitched clouds and added some gems.  Papers are from My Mind's Eye Well, Hello line and the blue grid is CTMH.  The stamp is from a fabulous new set I just picked up from Altenew. I am SO impressed by the crispness in their images!

Thanks for stopping by and I hope to see you join us at Sketch N Scrap!

Sketch N Scrap Layout Sketch #181

Hi everyone! I'm sharing a layout with you today that I created using the new layout sketch up on the Sketch N Scrap blog today:

And here's the sketch I used, designed by Heather Hall for Sketch N Scrap:

Heather designed a fantastic multi-photo sketch.  I love the balance of the banners and the title. In place of the third photo I decided to use that space for my journaling.  These pictures are of my son, who interned last summer at a local vet to get his CVA license.  His high school had a fantastic program and he was able to earn his CVA upon graduation last month!  The photos are from our dog Malcolm's annual check-up...perfect photo op! LOL

I mentioned in a previous post that I'm really trying to use up old stash and at least one die, tool, stamp, etc. on each layout.  For this page, I only had scraps from Photoplay's Fetch line.  For the background I pulled an OLD kraft sheet with a subtle triangle pattern.  I think it was Amy Tangerine and it's been in my stash for ages!  The black paper has also been in my stash for at least a couple of years, it's from Doodlebug Design. I also pulled my notebook edge punch for my journaling card and cut the cute doggie with my Cricut.  

Thanks so much for stopping by and checking out the new challenge from Sketch N Scrap.  Hop on over to their blog and join in on the fun with us, hope to see you there!

Scrappy Friends Challenge July 2019

Hi crafty friends!  I joined in on a really fun challenge this month....actually TWO fun challenges!  Rochelle Spears has an awesome sketch up on her blog, and combined with Scrap With Stacy's Photo Inspiration challenge it's the Scrappy Friends Challenge.  Here is a look at Rochelle's sketch and Stacy's Photo Inspiration:

And here's what I came up with using both:

The patterned papers and die cuts are Bella Blvd's Fireworks and Freedom from my July Flavors of the Month kit from The ScrapRoom.  I used a deep navy cardstock to cut the star wreath, which is a Paper Issues cut file.   Included in my kit were some strips of tiny clear bling.  I normally don't put bling on my "boy pages" but this time I chose to use them on my border and one in the center of the firework burst.  I also decided to add some machine stitching to the inner circles:

Pics are from 2011 when my son and I went to Missouri to visit my Mom.  This is a re-do of a double page spread I scrapped back then & honestly,  I just never liked it.  The fireworks pics were printed 4x6 and I found that by using Photosheet and printing them smaller the images looked much better.  I'm on a kick where I like to print "extra" photos where they look like photo booth strips.  You can get so many on a page but still not take away from the design.  Thanks for stopping by!