Freshly Made Sketches #50-A Sketch by Me!

This week I am the sketch designer at Freshly Made Sketches. I have been enjoying some time off from design team duties and I am still off. I am only finishing off the last couple of sketches I designed before I decided to take a break.

{Supplies}

Stamps: Summer Silhouettes, Friendly Phrases

Inks: Crumb Cake, Poppy Parade,  Black

Papers: Crumb Cake, Poppy Parade,  Black, White

Extras: Circle Punches, Big Shot, Stripes Embossing Folder, Swiss Dots Embossing Folder

Unfortunately my camera batteries went, right as I was taking photos of my card, so I only took this photo that turned out alright...I  cannot even make it larger as it looks worse that way! LOL! I am off visiting my parents and did not get the chance to take another photo before I left...when I get home I will try again!

I hope you will join us this week at Freshly Made Sketches...

Merry Monday Winners for Sketch #29

Another fabulous week last week at Merry Monday!! Our current sketch is on right now, to play along, please CLICK HERE!

The design team have chosen their favourites from last week, who are honorable mentions!

Wendy's Choice: Carol L.
Our Little Inspirations

I just loved Carol's pretty Christmas card this week! The colors are very different for Christmas and I just loved the papers and her pretty felt snowflakes! The black embossed snowflake and ribbon finish this beauty off nicely! Congratulations, Carol, for being my Top Pick this week! :)

Nina’s Choice: Sandy Mathis

Stamp with Sandy

I chose Sandy's cute card this week. I love all the texture and the little bird is adorable and coloured wonderfully to match the DP. The simple ribbon and brads are a perfect finish. Congrats on being my "Top Pick" this week Sandy.

Debbie's Choice: Betty
BeeBee Stamps 

I picked Betty's card this week because I fell in love with the little tag she used for her stamped image and her choice of a traditional Christmas-y color combination. What also adds to the tag is the little bit of bling in each individual corner! Congrats on being my "Top Pick" this week Betty!

Narelle's Choice: Sarah
Sarah Stone Creations

I chose Sarah's card this week because of sweet her card is.  I love the polka dotted DSP and ribbon, and the non traditional colours she's used are gorgeous together.  Those delicate little ornaments hanging from the branch caught my eye - an overall lovely Christmas card. Congrats Sarah, on being my Top Pick this week!

Bonnie's Choice: Lindsey
Doodlings

I love all the white space on Lindsey's card and she has cleverly used all the details of this sketch. The snowdrifts and embossed snowstorm make those three perfectly placed trees pop!  And the twine gives just the right amount of dress up to this card.  Congratulations, Lindsey, on being my Top Pick this week!

Lesley's Choice: Debbie

Debbie's Dash of This and That

Wow, such great submissions this week and I have to tell you, it is getting harder and harder, trying to choose a winner each week! I kept looking over all the submissions and those sweet little birdies kept catching my eye! I love the warm rich papers and the zigzag ribbon!! Congrats Debbie on being our Challenge Winner this week at Merry Monday! 

I hope you will consider joining us as a Guest Designer for Monday, September 3. Please email me by clicking the email icon at the top of my blog if you are able to be our Guest Designer!

Congratulations to everyone who joined in the fun!!! 

Create with Connie and Mary & Simply Stamping Challenges {To My Friend}

This is my second post for the day, if you are looking for the Merry Monday Challenge, please click here.

Good morning blogging friends! I was up entirely too late last night, my mind racing with teaching ideas for the year! This time of year, no teacher can sleep! LOL! So I went in search of some challenges to play and came across a delightful new challenge called Simply Stamping and the always fabulous Create with Connie and Mary Challenge! So I went to work! I loved the pretty colours at Simply Stamping and the CCMC Sketch was fabulous, I decided to flip it up to make a vertical card.

My card is very clean! I used the Stripes Embossing Folder (my fav) for the background of Very Vanilla! The flowers come from my absolute favourite new set called Summer Silhouettes. It is such a pretty set! I inked up my butterfly in Calypso Coral and the flowers use Pretty in Pink and Old Olive. I couldn't resist adding some bling with my gemstones...love those!!! Thank you to both teams for wonderful inspiration!!

{Supplies Used}

Stamps: Summer Silhouettes, Friendly Phrases, Papillon Potpourri

Inks: Calypso Coral, Pretty in Pink and Old Olive

Papers: Subtle DSP Pack, In Colours 2011-2012 DSP Pack, Very Vanilla, Old Olive

Extras: Jewels, Butterfly Punch, Stripes Embossing Folder, Big Shot

Merry Monday #30 {Be of Good Cheer}

Welcome to another week at Merry Monday!  The idea behind this challenge is to get a head start on your Christmas cards!  Each week, I choose one Merry Monday Winner who will then be a Guest Designer for a future challenge!  So get out your Christmas supplies and let's get to work! This week we have two amazing Guest Designers, Mikki Sarkisyan and Beth Beard! Welcome ladies! This is also our last challenge with the fabulous Debbie Henderson! Thank you Debbie for being our Featured Designer this month! It was a pleasure having you join us!

Lesley Croghan

This week I decided to ink up my Stitched Stocking Stamp and Punch from last Christmas. I was so sad when Stampin' Up retired this set and punch! I love it. To add a little "Somethin', Somethin'", I punched out some silver glimmer paper for the stocking tops and toes...then added some bling to the center of the middle stocking. My sentiment is current, from the "Sweet Sentiment" set, I cannot tell you how much I love using this set with a flag! The ribbon is some Old Olive Taffeta ribbon I had kickin' around, and the designer paper is also current from the main catalogue called "Be of Good Cheer". The design team have come up with some beautiful samples to inspire you!!! Be sure to click on their names to visit their blogs...

LeAnne Pugliese
Off this week

Nina Forsyth

Wendy Aungst

Narelle Farrugia

Bonnie Klass

Debbie Henderson (FD)

Beth Beard (GD)

Mikki Sarkisyan (GD)

The Friday Mashup {Thank You} and Cas-ual Fridays {Banners and Flags}

I got to play with paper today and some ink! Hooray! I saw the challenge over at the Friday Mashup and I was intrigued by the wonderful colours they have this week...Yellow, Navy, Turquoise, Suede and I added White...when I saw the design team samples, I knew I had to play! I loved how the colours looked when put together! I also saw the Cas-ual Fridays Challenge to use Banners and Flags. 

So here is the "Mashup" Challenge:

1. Make a project with the colors "Midnight Muse, So Saffron, Tempting Turquoise & Soft Suede".
2. Or Make a "Thank You" project .
3. Or "Mash it Up" and create a "Thank You project w/ the colors Midnight Muse, So Saffron, Tempting Turquoise & Soft Suede".

So I inked up the Papillon Potpourri set and used a sentiment from the retired hostess set "Because I Care". The sentiment is cut out using the small banners dies from Stampin' Up, I just cut off one of the flagged sides! Using the matching butterfly punch, I popped up one of the butterflies, and added some gemstone bling to it. I also used the edglit die to add some interest.

Dynamic Duos and my new teaching blog!

Another week gone and Saturday is here! That means a fun colour duo from Dynamic Duos! This week is monochromatic and we are using purples! I love using white as the main colour and then accenting it with the monochromatic tones. I used the Lovely and Lacey set once again, I just LOVE it!

I have spent my week getting my classroom ready for the new year. I had the same room last year so I was really excited to make some positive changes in it! I rearranged furniture, cleaned, purged and did a major overhaul! I won't lie, I am EXHAUSTED but so thrilled with how it turned out! If you have time, stop by my teaching blog, I have posted some photos of my classroom there! I am looking forward to a great year!  

Here is the link :)

http://thesplitgradeescapade.blogspot.ca/2012/08/where-i-teach-wednesday-lots-of-photos.html

Thanks for stopping by today! I hope you get the chance to join us at  Dynamic Duos.

My New Teaching Blog

Hi blogging friends...I have some cool news to share...I have started up a teaching blog for myself...I am excited to share it! It is called The Split Grade Escapade I would love it if you came by for a visit...I designed the blog with My Digital Studio.

Merry Monday Winners for Sketch #28

We have last week's picks for Merry Monday here! Congrats to all of our participants for playing along and for getting another Christmas card done! Here are the Honorable Mentions chosen by the design team...

Wendy's Choice: Bianca
glitter.ink.craft. 

I was so taken with Bianca's Christmas card this week because of the Eggplant color and those beautifully embossed snowflakes! Loved the glittery ornament and the pretty pearls she added to the snowflakes! Congratulations, Bianca, for being my Top Pick this week!! :)

LeAnne's Choice:
Lisa at Papercraftbliss

Lisa's card has all those little eclectic vintage elements that work so well together, it just called to me the minute I saw it!  That cute little cherub and pretty bird together with the circular images make this card a delight to gaze upon!  Congrats, Lisa, on being my Top Pick this week!

Nina’s Choice: Danielle Vincent

D's Crafty Connection

This vibrant card caught my eye this week. I love this designer paper and the pearls are a wonderful addition. The sentiment added a touch of elegance to this fabulous clean and simple card. Congratulations, Danielle, for being my Top Pick this week!

Debbie's Choice: Patti Corriere
What Are You Inking?

I just was in awe at all the different little things & blings that Patti used on her card and how everything coordinates perfectly. A few colored pearls here and there, a tiny Bakers Twine bow and especially the ribbon covered ornament. Congrats Patti for being my pick for this week at Merry Monday!

Narelle's Choice: Beveryl
Gott Heart Art

I really loved Beverly's card this week.  The designer series paper she's used is just gorgeous and I love the framelits on her card (I can't wait to get my hands on them!).  The coloured bauble in the sentiment is a nice touch and the glittery brads finish of this festive card perfectly! Congratulations Beverly on being my Top Pick this week!

Bonnie's Choice: Karen
Altered Scrapbooking

I love the simple elegance of this card and the pearlized paper makes the embossing even more special! The neutral tones and pretty tag contribute to it's elegance.  Congratulations, Karen, on being my Top Pick this week.

Lesley's Choice:

This week's challenge winner is 

Beth Beard of My little craft blog

Wow! I loved Beth's gorgeous clean and simple creation. The fabulous glimmer snowflake and the script font of the sentiment, went so wonderfully together! Pretty as a picture and easy to mass produce. Congratulations Beth on being our winner at Merry Monday! I hope you will consider joining us as a Guest Designer for Monday, August 27th. Please email me by clicking the email icon at the top of my blog if you are able to be our Guest Designer!

Congratulations to everyone who joined in the fun!!! 

To play along with our current challenge, please CLICK HERE. The sketch ends on Sunday at Noon (PST).

Merry Monday #29-"Christmas Cheer"

Welcome to another week at Merry Monday!  The idea behind this challenge is to get a head start on your Christmas cards!  Each week, I choose one Merry Monday Winner who will then be a Guest Designer for a future challenge!  So get out your Christmas supplies and let's get to work!  

I was excited to design for this week, but I didn't quite follow my sketch exactly...I was inspired by a couple of challenges which just made me need to use three strips of paper instead of two! So my third piece represents the ribbon in my sketch! I LOVE this Stampin' Up stamp set called "Lacy and Lovely", it is so much fun to use with punches and I think it is so pretty! I have been using it all week, so my upcoming design team cards might start to look the same! Ha! Do you think it is ok for a Christmas card? 

Lesley Croghan

I created my card using my sketch above and the following challenges, I hope these challenges do not mind that I have used them with my challenge! Thank you for the wonderful inspiration!

365 Cards: Colour Combo-Rose is on the design team for this group, she always joins in at Merry Monday, so I wanted to support her challenge too! Thank you Rose!

Chocolate, Coffee and Cards-(great blog name hey!!!) Dry Embossing 

Challenge Up Your Life-Christmas in Summer

My fabulous and lovely design team have come up with some amazing samples! I would also like to welcome Guest Designers Sue Joyce and Nancy Brown. 

LeAnne Pugliese

Nina Forsyth

Wendy Aungst

Narelle Farrugia

Bonnie Klass

Debbie Henderson (FD)

Sue Joyce (GD)

Nancy Brown (GD)