Freshly Made Sketches #755

My dear friend Donna is our designer this week for Freshly Made Sketches #755... I couldn't wait to play, and we hope you will be just as excited about it! 

Are you hearing carols? Or maybe you're conjuring a mountain scene?

As of this moment, I haven't seen Donna's card, but I sure look forward to it!

Here's mine:

I couldn't help but use one of the many sentiments I had

already created, plus the trees, from Reverse Confetti's Triangle Tree set -

sorry, Donna - no circle!

More cute Christmas papers from Scrapbook.com's Noel collection.

And the STAR of my card: Li'l Gnome from SSS - guess what?  He was

a gift from Donna many years ago - seemed just about perfect!

Thanks, Donna, for the fun Sketch!

You all have until September 28th at 3pm EST to play, too!

=] Michele

The Paper Players #804

Christy is our host this week at The Paper Players!  Check out her prompt...

... and now guess WHO came out to play... go ahead guess, I've got time.  

Okay, time's up -

Ta DAAAA!

OH, my word have I missed this guy!! 

 Looks like he might need a hand

in the CAS department but as another loveable bear would calmly say:  oh, bother.

Is this better?

Maybe not? lol

The ladies have loads of fun bears for inspiration!  You'll do better than I did.

Come play!

=] Michele

A mouse [or three] in the house!!

Have you ever had a day that you just wanted to tuck in and make a few cards just for the fun of it?  That was my day today!  I came across this darling Penny Black Tiny Tinsel set had a full set of meeces already stamped and cut - that took all the work out of my play!  Hope you like them!

This first little guy isn't necessarily for Christmas, right?  

I left the mailbox white which felt less Christmas-y to me and will be

perfect for a Winter birthday!

I adore this little Santa Mouse and managed to build him a rooftop

and a starry night sky!  That sentiment is one from Colorado Craft's Christmas Tree Cat.

Are you seeing a theme with these frames?  SB Essential Four Petal Labels 

dies gave me a frame and the perfect sized aperture for these little cuties!

One more?  this one will join the gallery at CAS Christmas September 2026!

And if you think mice don't live in the woods, you should have seen

them scatter when we moved the pile of shredded trees from our build

back in 2006!  NONE were this cute, let me tell you!

Thanks for stopping by!

=] Michele 

Time Out Challenge #322

It's easy to be inspired by what I see outside my door this time of year, but I thank Time Out #322 for giving me a reason to craft about it! 

Soon enough we'll be surrounded by yellow, orange, and gold BUT I'm doing my best to keep a few flowers going for our little Monarch friends who are very grateful, I'm sure!

This lovely Altenew Flutter and Bloom EF was just part of a gift from

a friend.  I embossed a panel of Bristol card and went about turning

this butterfly into a Monarch with Copic markers... so even though

the shape isn't quite right the colors are taken quite seriously!

We even had a view of two mating that we never thought we'd see!

The real flower that keeps the Monarch's hanging around this year is a pot

of Ageratum - they are CRAZY about it, and I can often find 5-7 feeding there.

Tom has plans to have six or more pots next year! ha!

We still have around 40 yet to 'bloom' before our porch goes back to normal.

I'll be sad to see the butterflies and our hummingbirds go but know they'll be back!

Thank YOU all for stopping by - and thanks for leaving me such kindness!

=] Michele

Color Hues #141 + PBSC

Oh, Sheri!  I cannot thank you enough for choosing green in your beautiful duo colors for Color Hues #141!  Flowers are often my favorite, and it's tough to do flowers without green! lol

I had a birthday card to make for my daughter who is 49 tomorrow!  How did this happen???  Aren't I only 45??  Okay, maybe not... but this one will be appreciated when she gets home from a fabulous trip to NYC with her family!

Inside: make that CHEERS for many many more happy, healthy years!

I'm sure Penny Black won't mind my turning their 

Winter Berry Branch into 'grapes.'  SB Stylish Ovals for the aperture,

SU! Exposed Brick for the top embossing and the sentiment is from 

Penny Black's Joy and Warmth set. The background was stamped with

a set from W+9's Vintage Ephemera - no longer available...sorry!

The Stamp Market's MOSSY ink gave me the artichoke I was looking for along with Villainous Potion for my grapes!

I also borrowed Jill Foster's wonderful sketch from her recent Easy Christmas Card

series on Penny Black's YouTube channel!

I substituted some things from my stash but can see this working 

with so many things!  Thanks, Jill!

I'll be sharing this card with Penny Black on Saturday Challenge, too!

I used the optional use of a die!

It was so much fun to do a little water coloring today!

=] Michele

A doe, a deer, and a photo bomb!

Hi, my friends! Glad you've told me that it's okay to post more than once a day!  I have two cards for two challenges for you.

Jo, and Elf Loll, are looking for reindeer at Christmas Kickstart #114 - I didn't think I had any 'fun' ones until I remembered this guy who couldn't resist a Photo Bomb!

You'll no doubt notice the embossed panel: SB's Adorning the Tree.  

The sentiment is one of many in Pinkfresh's Holiday Large Sentiments set.

Peace on Earth September 2026 challenge has a wonderful mood board - I spied with my little eye the perfect opportunity to bring out those lovely buck and doe from PTI's Deer to Me and 'Tis the Season Sentiments again...

You'll have to take my word that there is a bit of frosty snow here and there.

Penny Black's Frame It, and an old Darice sheet music EF did the trick to

capture that found in the top left photo:

Okay.  I promise that's it for me today! But there's always tomorrow!

=] Michele   

Freshly Made Sketches #754

Judy has a real zinger for her design at Freshly Made Sketches #754... you'll see what I mean...

She has included some instructions for us and I did my best

to 'stick to the rules!'  But I couldn't help but create a die-cut 

edge using a Friend die from Waffle Flower Crafts.

The pretty patterned papers were part of Scrapbook.com's Snow Days

collection... talk about 'untraditional' colors for winter - I love them!

I went a little rogue and added three die cut flowers from The Stamp Market

topped with the sentiment 'what's up?' from an old SSS set.

So, what do you think YOU might create at the bottom of Judy's Sketch?

We can't wait to see!

=] Michele