CAS(E) this Sketch! Believe

It's time for a new sketch at CAS(E) this Sketch

I am determined to get through my Christmas NBUS (Never-Before-Used-Schtuff) stamp sets - so I ended up going in a slightly different direction.  I wanted to use My Favorite Things Holiday Subway Art, but when I used it I wanted to use a number of the words.  Instead of using a single word - I used a variety of words in a subtle color - then popped the word "Believe" in red.

The die is also in my NBUS basket - it's the Small Blooming Poinsettia from Memory Box.  I love how it layers up!
I think this is a very nice sketch - add a beautiful sentiment and a simple embellishment and you have a great card!  I hope you all find time to play along during this busy holiday season.

• Stamps: My Favorite Things Stamps Holiday Subway Art
• Paper: Stampin' Up Real Red, Papertrey Ink Soft Stone, Basic Grey 25th and Pine 6x6, Stampin' Up Silver Glimmer Paper (just the center of the flower)
• Ink: Stampin' Up Real Red, Papertrey Ink Soft Stone
• Accessories: Memory Box/Poppystamps Small Blooming Poinsettia, Hemptique 10-lb white twine

CAS(E) this Sketch: Cheers to You!

This is my second post today.

If you are looking for the My Favorite Things Release Rewind,

it's just a post away BUT the card in this post also uses MFT new products!!

It's time for a new sketch at CAS(E) this Sketch!

There is so much that you can do with these three elements.  As is usual, I am amazed by the variety of elements that the design team has come up with.  I went with actual circles because I have these fun new dies from My Favorite Things.


You won't believe how I picked these colors?  Blue margaritas - do you see it?  Red wine.  Champagne!  I wonder what that says about my state of mind as I was creating this card!?  I cut the circles in their colors and then again in white.  I painted the white with MFT's Glitter Glaze to give it shine and a bit of sparkle.   I think it all says "cheers"!
I hope you can play along - I look forward to seeing what everybody uses for those three elements!

• Stamps: My Favorite Things Celebrate Big
• Paper: MFT Blue Raspberry, Brick Red, Natural, Project Life Midnight Edition (the stripes)
• Ink: MFT Brick Red
• Accessories: MFT Cheers Glass Charms Die-namics, Pretty Pink Posh flat black sequins, Hemptique 10 lb black twine

CAS(E) this Sketch: A Merry Bow

This is my second post today.

The My Favorite Things Release Countdown can be found here.

It's time for a new sketch at CAS(E) this Sketch!

I have to admit to being a little stumped by this one. Not so much that I couldn't cut a triangle and follow the sketch - but I would like to have come up with something unique and different.  Not so much! But it is a great sketch for letting paper do the work for you.

I hope you play along with this one...let your paper do the work - or think outside of the box.  I look forward to seeing what you create.

• Stamps: Stampin' Up Tiny Tags
• Paper: Echo Park 'Tis the Season 6x6, Stampin' Up Old Olive
• Ink: Memento black
• Accessories: Simon Says Stamp Perfect Bow die (yes, I know I glued it together upside down!), Stampin' Up Jewelry Tag

CAS(E) this Sketch: May Your Days Be Merry

This is my second post today.

It's time for a new sketch at CAS(E) this Sketch!  And you will plenty of time to play along as it is a two-weeker.  The link will stay open until December 5th.  So even in this busy season - Thanksgiving in the U.S. or just general Christmas/holiday preparation - you have time to play!

I'm ashamed to admit that I bought new stuff for this sketch (as if I don't do that regularly!!!)  I have been eyeing the Fill in the Blank series by Avery Elle.  Since the die matches that rectangle panel - I took it as a sure sign that it needed to be part of my collection.  I started with the holiday series, but the non-holiday series is just as fun - and they all work together. 

(There's a great "& Bright" stamp to go underneath but I was trying to stay true to the sketch!)

• Stamps: Avery Elle Holiday Fill in the Blank
• Paper: Stampin' Up Gumball Green and red glitter paper
• Ink: Stampin' Up Gumball Green
• Accessories: Avery Elle Holiday Fill in the Blank Elle-ments, Papertrey Ink Holly Jolly die, Lifestyle Crafts embossing folder, Neat & Tangled clear sequins, misc red gems

CAS(E) this Sketch! Greetings

This is my second post today.  Check out 

my earlier post for a special birthday greeting!

It's time for a new sketch at CAS(E) this Sketch!

I was thrilled to be an early recipient of two new sets at Sweet Stamp Shop - sets being released TODAY!!  They're sets that allow you to create monograms - plus a ton of other fun effects.  I did do this traditional monogram type card.  I made eight of these thinking they would be very good for quick notes during the holidays.

There are a dozen or more stamps in this set to create different looks and types of sentiments.  The alphabet is Monogram Alpha and all of the fun add-ons are Monogram It.
While I was creating my monogram cards - a few other images kept "winking" at me.  I swear!!  They just wouldn't leave me alone.  So I decided to have some fun!!

Each of the images is separate so you could use them in many different ways.  Here's a close-up - can't you just see him winking?!

I do hope you play along with this week's sketch!
And most definitely check out the new release festivities at Sweet Stamp Shop!!

• Stamps: Sweet Stamp Shop Monogram It, Monogram Alpha
• Paper: misc striped cardstock on first card, black on second card
• Ink: Stampin' Up Celery and Hero Arts Pale Tomato on first card, black on second card
• Accessories: Spellbinders Oval and Papertrey Fillable Frames 10 on first card, Spellbinders Wonky Rectangles and Hobby Lobby ribbon on second card

CAS(E) this Sketch: You're So Cool!

It's time for a new sketch at CAS(E) this Sketch!  It has some very fun angled panels.

I have recently been ruthlessly purging my stamps and stamp supplies, but I've been following the advice of Susan at Simplicity who says she puts things in a box for six months and if she hasn't needed them in those six months, it is time to get rid of them.  One of the things that I just stuck in a box was a tool that was popular some years ago, but I haven't seen much of lately - a paper crimper!!  I love how it turned out for my snow drifts.  So this tool - that I hadn't used in probably four or five years - went in the six-month box, but got pulled out less than a week later.  I think it's safe!

The stamps are Critters in the Snow by Lawn Fawn.  I would have said that I was only recently converted to Lawn Fawn - but in the midst of my purge this last week, I found this set hiding in my older Christmas stamps!  I guess I knew about them earlier than I thought!
I hope you play along - I am excited to see what everybody else creates with those angled panels!

• Stamps: Lawn Fawn Critters in the Snow
• Paper: Stampin' Up Coastal Cabana
• Ink: Stampin' Up Coast Cabana, Memento Black, Copics, Versamark (to apply heat/stick and glitter)
• Accessories: Fiskars Paper Crimper, Stampin' UP Heat and Stick Powder, Martha Stewart Fine Crystal Glitter

CAS(E) this Sketch: Pick of the Patch

Happy Halloween!!!

It's time for a new sketch at CAS(E) this Sketch!

I made a number of Halloween cards this year, but none of them were quite right for my youngest niece. I found this older A Muse sentiment in my collection and added some of the charming stamps from Lawn Fawn.  I had to fit it into this sketch so I could have a Halloween card on my blog today!!


I hope you bring out your flags and pennants and play along with CAS(E) this Sketch!

• Stamps: Lawn Fawn Into the Woods, So Thankful (pumpkin), A Muse sentiment
• Paper: Stampin' Up Pumpkin, Avery Elle white woodgrain, unknown green
• Ink: Memento black and Copics
• Accessories: Lawn Fawn Into the Woods, So Thankful dies, My Favorite Things Fishtail dies, Divine Twine Black Licorice, clear sequins

CAS(E) this Sketch: Hi! Just Sayin'

We have a very fun sketch at CAS(E) this Sketch this week. It has a collage-type effect in one corner yet is still totally clean!

A few weeks ago, we had a sketch with word bubbles and it didn't even occur to me to pull out my NBUS Papertrey Ink set Bubble Talk.  For this week, I thought that the various scribbled elements worked well together for a little Just Sayin' collage!

I look forward to seeing the elements you pull together for this sketch!!  Have fun!

• Stamps: Papertrey Ink Bubble Talk
• Paper: Papertrey Ink Simply Chartreuse, Hawaiian Shores
• Ink: Papertrey Ink Simply Chartreuse, Summer Sunrise, Hibiscus Burst
• Accessories: Papertrey Ink Bubble Talk dies, Doodlebug Black Sprinkles

CAS(E) this Sketch and Merry Monday: Snow Much Joy

There's a great new sketch at CAS(E) this Sketch.  Just think of all of the great elements that you could use - leaves, pumpkins, hearts, suns...

...or snowflakes!!!  I just got some big and bold snowflake stamps and dies from Stampin' Up so I knew exactly what I was going to do!

I got the snowflakes stamped, embossed and die-cut and then realized that I had no idea what I was going to put on top of them.  I found a Hero Arts "snow much joy" sentiment that worked well and then I used Paper Smooches Streamers to add the banner across the snowflakes.  Then I didn't think it looked sparkly enough so I plopped on some sequins from Neat & Tangled.  There are just a few companies represented on this card!!  And I just realized one of the snowflakes is stamped in ink from Papertrey Ink!
The colors come from this week's Merry Monday challenge: snowflakes in blue, gray/silver and white.

I'm also submitting this to Simon Says Christmas/Holiday.

• Stamps: Stampin' Up Festive Flurries, Hero Arts Snow Much Joy clear set, Paper Smooches Streamers
• Paper: Stampin' Up Smoky Slate, Marina Mist
• Ink: Stampin' Up Marina Mist, Papertrey Ink Spring Rain, Versamark
• Accessories: Stampin' Up Smoky Slate embossing powder and Festive Flurries dies, Paper Smooches Streamers dies, Neat & Tangled winter sequins

CAS(E) this Sketch: So Thankful For You

It's time for a new sketch at CAS(E) this Sketch!

Remember - this is for inspiration only.  If you don't have word bubbles, check out the design team cards - there are clouds and leaves and snowflakes!

I did use word bubbles, mainly because I had finally gotten my hands on a set that seemed to have been sold out everywhere for awhile.   I love the charming creatures from Into the Woods by Lawn Fawn. I finally managed to get my hands on the stamps, dies, sequins and paper - although if I have to admit it - it took orders from three stores to get them all!  Here is the sweet fox!

Sadly, after all of that, I also have to admit that the sentiment is not even from Into the Woods.  The word bubbles do come from the coordinating die set but I cut up and used the sentiment from So Thankful, a small-sized pumpkin set.
I hope you have fun with this sketch - it's a fun one!

• Stamps: Lawn Fawn Into the Woods, So Thankful (sentiment)
• Paper: Stampin' Up Tangerine Tango, Island Indigo, Papertrey Dark Chocolate, Simply Chartreuse, Lawn Fawn Into the Woods 6x6 dsp
• Ink: Memento Black, Copics, Versamark, Papertrey Dark Chocolate
• Accessories: Lawn Fawn Into the Woods dies and sequins, white embossing powder, Martha Stewart Fine Crystal Glitter (on the log - I like a little frost in my autumn scenes!)

CAS(E) this Sketch: Give Thanks

It's time for a new sketch at CAS(E) this Sketch!

I have to admit to playing around for awhile trying to come up with something other than three of the same stamps down the middle.  But...the truth is...if you have a great stamp, it absolutely works to showcase it!!  I love this woodgrain heart!!

I'm looking forward to seeing what everybody does with this!!  I think it will give me insight into your favorite stamp!

• Stamps: Reverse Confetti Forever Fall
• Paper: Stampin' Up Ruby Red
• Ink: Stampin' Up Summer Sun, Pumpkin Pie, Ruby Red, Chocolate Chip
• Accessories: Misc buttons, May Arts twine

CAS(E) this Sketch! Happy Birthday Chevrons

This is my second post today.

It's just a short scroll down for the Avery Elle blog hop!!

There's a great sketch today at CAS(E) this Sketch that will allow you to bring out your favorite border stamps or dies.

I settled on my new Peek-a-Boo Chevrons from My Favorite Things.

I was recently commenting on another blog about the difficulty of graphic cards.  My comment was about the need to be perfect on a graphic card - everything has to be lined up or it's noticeable.  Sure enough - there's something not perfectly straight on this and it bugs me (not quite enough to go to the work of cutting all of these again - although I do have the new magnetic Sizzix platform and it's awesome!!)  The yellow strip is leaning ever so slightly to the right.  I think if I took a ruler, I wouldn't have increments small enough to measure it - but my eye sees it!I sure hope you have fun with this one!!  I look forward to seeing what you create!
I'm also submitting this to Simon Says Anything Goes.

• Stamps: My Favorite Things Birthday Greetings
• Paper: Stampin' Up Poppy Parade, Summer Sun, Coastal Cabana
• Ink: Memento black
• Accessories: My Favorite Things Peek-a-Boo Chevrons, misc MME enamel dots

CAS(E) this Sketch! {Grateful}

I am totally and completely an autumn person.  I love the cooler temperatures and the crisp air, I love the colors, I love the clothing, I love the high school marching band and the Denver Broncos.  I am {grateful} for everything about fall.

I used this week's sketch from CAS(E) this Sketch! and a big fall leaf to show my gratitude!

Funny story - not that any of you need any reason to doubt my complete obsessive side.  The leaf is stamped in Dusty Durango.  A month or so ago, I wrote a post about taking the time to stamp every stamp pad that I owned into an index so I could always choose the best ink color.  I was horrified to realize that I had every Stampin' Up stamp pad back to Mauve Mist and Mint Melody - 113 of them - but was missing one color, a retired color named Dusty Durango.  I'd never missed it - but I was immediately on EBay finding a Dusty Durango pad.  I just couldn't deal with having an incomplete collection! Here it is...I've used it...and it's perfect for my autumn-lovin' self!

This is a great sketch with so many possibilities.  I look forward to seeing you all play along.

• Stamps: Stampin' Up Wonderfall (leaf), Falling Leaves (sentiment)
• Paper: Stampin' Up Sweater Weather dsp
• Ink: Stampin' Up Dusty Durango, Chocolate Chip
• Accessories: Stampin' Up Naturals Designer Buttons, Linen Thread

CAS(E) this Sketch! An African Violet Love You!

It's time for a new sketch at CAS(E) this Sketch!  I actually had a ton of ideas for this one!

I ended up keeping it fairly simple and also using one of the Pantone Colors from Jackie's Pantone Fashion Color Challenge - African Violet.  I'm not much into purples of any variety - but I like the soft look of this card.


I hope to see you play along with this one!

• Stamps: Avery Elle Oh Happy Day
• Paper: Papertrey Ink Winter Wisteria
• Ink: Papertrey Ink Winter Wisteria
• Accessories: Papertrey Ink Love Lives Here die (butterfly), Memory Box Lorelai die (leaf), Papertrey Ink button

CAS(E) this Sketch! Bear Hugs

It's time for a new sketch at CAS(E) this Sketch!

I like this sketch, mostly because I LOVE my card!!  Is that bad to say?  If I post a card, I generally like it, but some cards just stand above the others in my mind.  I think this card is just charming - because of that sweet little bear and because of the happy accident of a smudge that needed to be covered, thus the heart balloon and the balloon string made out of a bee trail.  Most of my crafting accidents involve bad words or, in the case of a spilled glass of red wine, lots of tears.  But I love how this one worked out!


I hope to see you play along.  Once again, the design team at CAS(E) this Sketch! has a huge variety of cards for your inspiration.  I instantly saw a shelf of some kind, but the team has turned this sketch into a soup pot, and a feather and a clothesline - it's very flexible!!

• Stamps: Simon Says Stamp Circle Friends and scallop from Flower Friend
• Paper: white, Simple Stories Snap Color Vibe
• Ink: Stampin' Up Coastal Cabana, Memento Black, Copics
• Accessories: Doodlebug Sprinkles Swimming Pool Assortment, Lil Inkers Stitched Squares

CAS(E) this Sketch! love & kisses

It's time for a new sketch at CAS(E) this Sketch!.  For some reason this simple sketch gave me headaches.  I think it's the placement of those two little buttons in the center.  I wanted to put them near the top or the bottom, but I challenged myself to make it work. (That's why they call these challenges!!!)

I just got the Paper Smooches set We Connect.  It's a set of love words and three fun ampersands (plus dies).  I got the entire set for the ampersands.  Sad, huh?  So I figured I had better use the words right away so they actually see ink!



And look...my embellies are in the middle - just where they are in the sketch!

I guarantee that the rest of the design team didn't have much trouble with the sketch as there are amazing cards in the gallery.  Check it out at CAS(E) this Sketch! then be sure to play along!

(I'm also submitting this to the Simon Says Stamp Anything Goes challenge.)

• Stamps: Paper Smooches We Connect, Art Impressions Lips
• Paper: Papertrey Ink Smokey Shadow, Simple Stories 24/7 dsp
• Ink: Papertrey Ink Smokey Shadow, Pure Poppy
• Accessories: Papertrey Ink Fine Linen button, MME enamel dots, Divine Twine Black Licorice

CAS(E) this Sketch! BOO!

It's time for another sketch at CAS(E) this Sketch!  I am going very literal this time as I just purchased a set of Halloween speech bubbles from Hero Arts and I got these little eyes from Papertrey AND I got the Peek-a-Boo chevron die from My Favorite Things AND I got the chocolate sequins from Ellen Hutson!  Whew! Let's all do a NBUS happy dance!!!  (Never Before Used Schtuff!)

Just a few more details.  

1. The little ghost is from Papertrey Ink but it's last year's ghost from the Happy Haunting set (not this year's polka dot ghost).  I had the die from last year but didn't have the stamp set.  As I was loading the new ghost into my cart last week, I decided I probably should get last year's set instead to go with my die - so old set...new to me!  
2. The Hero Arts set is older.  It's called Scary and is currently 40% off at Ellen Hutson's store.  
3. The sequins are also from Ellen Hutson and are going to be my favorite for Halloween.  They are actually the Iridescent Chocolate sequins but the iridescence flashes purples, blues and greens!
4. The chevron dies are my favorite thing from the most recent release at My Favorite Things.  The set comes with different lengths and spacing.  

I hope you all play along this week.  Remember...this sketch is for inspiration...it doesn't need to be a speech bubble!!

• Stamps: Papertrey Ink Happy Haunting, Hero Arts Scary
• Paper: Papertrey Ink Limeade Ice, Orange Zest, Black
• Ink: black
• Accessories: Papertrey Ink Happy Haunting, My Favorite Things Peek-a-Boo Chevrons, Martha Stewart Crystal Fine Glitter, Ellen Hutson Iridescent Chocolate sequins

CAS(E) this Sketch: You're a Super Star!

This is my second post today.

Curtain Call is just a post away!

It's time for a new sketch at CAS(E) this Sketch!  It's definitely a good one for letting your creativity and imagination run wild!

I ended up turning it into a square card.  I wanted to use that center die cut which reminds me of a marquee with neon lights all around it and it just wasn't quite big enough for a full-sized card.

I hope to see you playing along!!

• Stamps: The Alley Way Stamps Admin One (you're a), Reel Time (Super Star), Good Point (arrows)
• Paper: Astrobrights Glow Cardstock multipack
• Ink: Hero Arts Neon Purple and Neon Blue
• Accessories: Avery Elle Royal and Caribbean sequins, Taylored Expressions Impression Plate, Spellbinders Twisted Metal Tags & Accents

CAS(E) this Sketch! Thanks a Super Lot

It's time for a new sketch at CAS(E) this Sketch and everyone should play along!!  There are SO many options - tall flowers, feathers (although I spent a long time trying to create a nice feather card and I failed), balloons with strings...so many options!

I didn't use any of those.  I used words!  I am trying so hard to use my Never-Before-Used-Schtuff (NBUS) and there just wasn't anything tall in that stash.  So I am continuing on my use of a brand new order from Paper Smooches with a new thank you set (free with $60 purchase) and a brand new paper pad and just started stamping "thanks" in the colors from the paper.  The "super lot" seemed perfect for all of those "thanks"!

• Stamps: Paper Smooches Many Thanks
• Paper: MME Cut & Paste Flair, Stampin' Up Coastal Cabana
• Ink: Stampin' Up Real Red, Blushing Bride, Coastal Cabana, Sahara Sand, Versamark
• Accessories: white embossing powder, Papertrey Ink file die

CAS(E) this Sketch! You are the Best!

This is my second post today.  Curtain Call is just a short scroll away.

It's time for a new sketch at CAS(E) this Sketch!  I really like this one and you can see that I stuck to it almost exactly.

There are a number of different products from Simon Says Stamp on this card.  You all know that I like many, many companies. One of my "criterion" (beyond just loving their style) is that things work together.  In this case Simon Says Stamp came out with the floral stamps set which is absolutely darling.  A month or so later - they came out with dies.  The "you" is a die that coordinates with the You stamp set.  The stamp set comes with multiple styles of stamped "you" also - but you can add the diecut instead.  The banner comes from All-Occasion banners which also has a stamp set just full of sentiments that fit inside.  So multiple sets and multiple dies - but it all works!!
With all of the Simon Say Stamp product, I'm also adding this to their current Anything Goes challenge.
I hope you are inspired by this sketch and play along!!  Remember...there is flexibility allowed...you will have to check out the rest of the design team cards to really see how much flexibility and creativity there is in a sketch.

• Stamps: Simon Says Stamp Flower Friend, You, All-Occasion Banners
• Paper: Stampin' Up Strawberry Slush dsp, scrap of gray woodgrain
• Ink: Stampin' Up Strawberry Slush, Lucky Limeade
• Accessories: Simon Says Flower Friend dies, You die, All-Occasion banners die, Avery Elle Lucky Blend sequins, Lil' Inkers stitched squares die, large gem from Hobby Lobby brand