Freshly Made Sketches #731

Donna is our sketch artist this week - I think it might be her first, but it's so good it feels like she's a pro already!  Take a look at Freshly Made Sketches #731:

In all fairness, I made my card from Donna's 'rough sketch' so I'm not sure what the three colors might represent - maybe we'll know when we see her card?  I can't wait!

Without further ado, here is how I interpreted Donna's artwork:

Oh, I know my sentiment is not in the right spot - but there wasn't a designated

spot on her rough sketch... I put it where it seemed 'at home' on my card.

These little lavender sprigs are from Altenew and I did pick up the

coordinating die for it, too.  My sentiment is from Concord & 9th's

Picked Posie Die set and the amazing embossing was made with the

Spellbinder's Summertime Waves - a gift from our sketch artist today!

Okay - enough chit chat... I'm heading over to FMS#731 to see what Donna did with her sketch - it will be incredible as always, as will my teammate's cards!  Join me, won't you?

=] Michele

The Paper Players Challenge #779 - JUGS #817

I haven't spent much time in my studio lately but had a few items front and center on my desk... I found they were just the ticket for The Paper Players #779 Tic Tac Toe board game - specifically the top left to bottom right diagonal line!

 

Die cut - flowers - and layers!

Hope they like it!

Concord & 9th's Just Picked was cut from some Scrapbook.com bright Joyful papers

and layered up inside SSS's Scalloped Arches and Frames die sets.

I do love scallops - and using a panel of white cardstock allowed

me to use the 'leftovers' which I've added texture by way of

SU! Subtle Texture.

Another new Betterpress-ed sentiment and my rainy day was made

to feel a bit sunny!  Thanks, Paper Players!  OH!  JUGS #817 wants us to play with

dies, too?  Happy to oblige!  I hope my blooms are Spring-y enough!

=] Michele 

Color Hues #130

Nancy is our hostess for Color Hues #130 and I just love her choices...

You all know by now I'm not a big fan of blue - but I LOVE navy!  

Combined with pink?

YES, please!

I had my Spellbinders Wonderful Tulips set out and decided to give it a go through

my Betterpress system - since I can't foil!  YAY! It worked using black Versafine ink!

Then I chose C&9th's Dragonfruit pink and The Stamp Market's Navy for

the layering stencils... I love how it turned out...

After die-cutting, I ran the 'leftover' through my Betterpress with an un-inked

Spellbinders by Lisa Horton Script Text plate and topped it off with one of

Yana's Bouquet of Hugs Betterpress-ed sentiments and a few 'dewdrops.'

You may notice a little added detail for depth using just two Prismacolor pencils.

Thanks, Nancy!

=] Michele

Freshly Made Sketches #730

No April Fools trick - there really is a new sketch over at Freshly Make Sketches and Judy is our designer this week!  Here is FMS#730: 

I had a little looky-loo in my snippets bin and found a beautiful flutterby who fit so nicely in Judy's tilted squares!

A Pinkfresh butterfly was foiled at Marcia's and stenciled while we gabbed.

Two die-cut Nesting Square frames from Waffle Flower were happily tilted!

Another Pinkfresh edge die cut the peachy panel with the pretty edge

all topped off with some of those PF gems and Better-pressed sentiment from my stash!

I try to use those snippets when I can - they're just too pretty to ignore!  I know you'll find something wonderful to fill Judy's squares!  Ready for more pretty from FMS - head over HERE!

=] Michele

Freshly Made Sketches #729

Amy is our wonderful Freshly Made Sketch #729 designer, and I knew in a moment which set I would reach for [again]! Take a look at FMS#729:

And here is my card!

Does it seem familiar?  I followed my friend Channin's lead a while back and today I brought out the same inks I used HERE - such a bright combination!  Do you see the oval shape on Amy's sketch? I think this bouquet had that shape built in!

Run don't walk to the Freshly Made Sketches blog! My teammates have made really wonderful cards to inspire you, too - so please come play along!

=] Michele

Just us Girls #815

The fabulous Ms. Carol M. has chosen a fabulous image for Just us Girls: Mood Board week...

 

I had this set from Concord & 9th on my desk for something else and

saw in an instant the 'fun and funky' florals painted on those stone 'eggs'

in Carol's photo inspiration!  I hope I've done them justice - and also

remember to add my card to their gallery this time OY!

My floral pieces from the C&9th Paper Posies die set were cut from scraps.

Some were embossed with the coordinating EF.

I also used another EF from JoAnn's Parklane to add

interest to the black card base.  Lastly, a sentiment from

Pinkfresh Studio's With Sympathy set and a rounded upper corner

to mimic the rounded shape of the stones! 

I'll wish you a happy weekend a bit early as I'll be prepping for company

for dinner tomorrow evening and a card game!  

Thanks for dropping by!

=] Michele

Freshly Made Sketches #728

Narelle is our sketch designer this week at Freshly Made Sketches #728 - her cards are always so cool, so I really wanted to push myself this week.  

This design came to me in the moments after waking up one morning!  I'll start with my closeup so you can see that I've used my VERY OLD DCWV Adhesive Fabric for the card panel and sentiment strip... sorry Susan - it seems that it is no longer available.

... plus a little more 'unraveled' twine!  The circles were cut with various sizes

from a few of the many embossed panels I have in my stash.  Some sent to me

from friends, some brought home from Marcia's - please don't ask me for

the folder names as I wouldn't have a clue!

Let's head over to the Freshly Made Sketches challenge post, shall we?  I can't wait to see Narelle's card and how the rest of the team have interpreted FMS#728!

=] Michele

Color Hues #129

My friend Marcia is the host at Color Hues #129, and she picked a wonderful color combo for us to play cards with...

Once again, I reached for my watercolors - this time my Distress reinkers, and a gorgeous SU! 3D Sunflower embossing folder!  It turned out just like I wanted it to with lots of dimension because I used watercolor paper!

I added just a touch of grey to the 'greenery' to stay within their rules.

Finishing it off with a sweet HELLO from The Stamp Market

tied with a little piece of linen thread from my friend LeAnne.

Thanks, Marcia for these pretty colors - I used Wilted Violet, Villainous Potion, and Dried Marigold inks.

Tom and I finally finished up the little renovation/update to my tiny little laundry room and I have to say it makes me a little bit happier to do that chore... what can I say - I'm a cheap date! lol

=] Michele

Time Out #308 and JUGS #814

I made a card!!  Ha!  Yes, I have been busy elsewhere these days but today the mood for crafting struck - you know what that means... look for inspiration from some of my favorite challenges!

Time Out is CASEing the marvelous Stef Perry and her lovely card - AND celebrating their 12th birthday, too!  Stef's featuring her wonderful Copic-coloring skills which I love so much.  I chose to watercolor, so out came my Altenew watercolor palette and their Craft your Life: Hello Beautiful set!  Please take a look at Stef's card:

 

You'll see I've CASE'd Stef's use of gold heat embossing, dry embossing too! which was swiped with a small gold ink pad as she had done.

Speaking of EMBOSSING - my friend Bobby is the host over at Just Us Girls word

challenge and her word is EMBOSS!  I think I've got that covered - in gold!

Thanks so much for stopping by today - have a wonderful, crafty weekend!

=] Michele

Freshly Made Sketches #727

Hello, friends!  It's once again that time of the week when we share our Freshly Made Sketch... #727 to be exact and I am your designer this week!  I hope you'll have fun with it!

It's a tiny bit early for Easter cards, but the way our USPS has been

these days I think it's safe to say: we'd better HOP to it!

I was so lucky to have a win at Time Out before Christmas that included a prize from

Poppy Stamps - it only took a heartbeat to put this darling Nordic Happy Bunny into my cart!

A frame from Penny Black, background paper from Scrapbook.com's

Noel Christmas paper - yeah, I know - CHRISTMAS never

looked so spring-like to me!

If you look behind the Altenew Dainty Leaves, you'll see that she's perched 

on top of a WF Nesting Egg die.

All finished up with a sweet sentiment from WF's Rejoice Rabbit set.

[I couldn't help but stage her with that natural cotton]

I just know my teammates will have lots more fun inspiration for you over at the Freshly Made Sketches blog ... I can't wait to see my sketch through YOUR eyes!  

=] Michele

Freshly Made Sketches #726

Ready for the next Freshly Made Sketch installment?  Karren is our designer this week and I was ready for a touch of Spring... how about you?  Take a peek...

I'm not one who angles much of anything on a card but found a way to

find 'balance.'  Tell me if you think it worked...

While tilting my tag a teensy bit to the left, one of my crocuses leaned right

as does my secondary sentiment tag.  It made me happy... hope you

like it, too and will play along with Karren's Sketch #726!

Who's ready for Crocus season? ME!

=] Michele

Penny Black on Saturday Challenge - February 2026

My husband and I didn't even exchange Valentines this year - but don't think for a minute we didn't enjoy our dinner out!  Romance lives!

I do want to share a card I made [in the likeness of FMS725] the sentiment is fitting for a romantic card which immediately made me think of Penny Black on Saturday!  Enough small talk...

Penny Black: Love Blooms and Encircle EF

It must be close to the deadline for entry - I'd better get this one delivered!

Happy Friday, my friends!

=] Michele

Thanks so much for this honor, PBSC and Jenny!

Just us Girls #812 - Stencil Week

It's Stencil Week at Just us Girls and I've been itching to get inky with those gorgeous Field Florals from Pinkfresh Studios again! 

They sure look like tulips to me...

Pink and orange?  YES, please!

After stenciling with those inks, I cut them with the coordinating die and

mounted them over top of a debossed [lil' inkers - you know that sad story] cover 

panel then splattered lots of 'snow' - you know it wouldn't surprise any

Michigander to have their tulips covered with snow!

Thanks, JUGS for the timely opportunity to stencil this one again!

=] Michele

Freshly Made Sketches #725

Cecile is our designer this week for Freshly Made Sketches #725 and I know you will agree it is a beauty...

I wanted to keep it as organic as possible and found another lovely layering set from HoneyBee Stamps in my stash to do my work for me!

I found another SU! embossed panel that I cut down to size

using a PTI Torn Edges die.  That provided a great spot for my HB Plumeria!

HoneyBee's My Favorite Flower stamp and die set provided my sentiment.

I can't wait to see how your imagination plays with Cecile's Sketch this week!

=] Michele

The Paper Players #774

By now you all know how inspired I am by a sketch - Jan at The Paper Players has a lovely sketch for us this week...

I had the Fun & Flowers set from The Stamp Market still out on my desk.  It worked its charm for Jan's sketch IMHO, using some papers from the same company - would you believe this was a Halloween collection?

My newest frame from Waffle Flower Craft set the stage for my little flower.  Here's a closeup so you can see I followed LeAnne's lead on my horizontal strip of paper with that MFT stitching detail we both love so much...

Happy Tuesday, my friends!

=] Michele