Happy Fourth of July! It’s time to play with the designers at Freshly Made Sketches!  This week’s sketch was created by the talented Jennifer Timko.  I opted to create a “gender neutral” versatile card.  Simply remove the butterflies and substitute straight edges for the embossed scallops, and this card transforms into a masculine card. The men in my life don’t mind butterflies, so I would not need to remove them.  In fact, this card was made for my husband.  Of course, it is always easy to switch out the sentiment for birthday, sympathy, thinking of you sentiments and more!  And there is an added bonus.  It is QUICK! Enjoy today’s card!

Today’s card measures 4-1/4″ wide x 5-1/2″ long.

• Quick texture! Crumb Cake card stock was zipped through the Big Shot with Stampin’ Up!’s new Argyle Textured Impressions Embossing Folder!  Visual and tactile interest is added in seconds!

• Quick accents! Butterflies are created with a twist of the wrist, when you use the Beautiful Wings Embosslit! Basic Pearls add a sweet touch!

• Quick “WOW”!  Cherry Cobbler card stock is transformed into an elegant and rich confection when embossed with a scalloped Delicate Designs Textured Impressions Folder and the new coordinating Large Scallop Edgelit! A Cherry Cobbler heat embossed sentiment, accented with Basic Pearls, completes the “WOW”!

And for even more versatility, substitute your own favorite color combination or use Stampin’ Up!’s Color Coach!  Not a fan of argyle?  Use any one of Stampin’ Up!’s fabulous Textured Impressions Embossing Folders! 

What do you think of today’s card? Won’t you let me know in your comment?  I would love to know what you might use for colors.  Your comments are important to me, and I do read each and every one!  Of course, if you ever have any questions about the cards that I create or the techniques that I use, I am only an email away!  Until next time…


(Brody Update:  So many of you have emailed me to ask about Brody.  He is enjoying just being a dog.  He loves playing with Lexi, and is very gentle with her…even when she sits on his head!  And speaking of his head, he does have another small bump between his ears.  It is being observed.  It could be nothing…one never knows.  However, I spend each day filling his hours with love and everything his doggie heart desires…walks, toys, food and cuddling.  I do not take my time with him for granted…)

Stamp Sets:  Serene Silhouettes (W 127322, C 127324  ), Field Flowers (W 122760, C 122762);  Inks:  VersaMark (102283), Early Espresso (126974); Card Stock:  Naturals Ivory (101849), Crumb Cake (120953), Early Espresso (119686), Cherry Cobbler (119685);  Tools:  Heat Tool (129053), Embossing Buddy (103083),  Big Shot (113439), Large Scallop Edgelit (127019), Delicate Designs Folders (127023), Beautiful Wings Embosslits (118138), Argyle Textured Impressions Embossing Folder (127750),  Large Oval Punch (119855);  Glitz and Glam:  Basic Pearls (119247), Cherry Cobbler Stampin’ Emboss Powder (122949), Clear Stampin’ Emboss Powder (109130);

 It’s Sunday and time to play with The Paper Players! This week we have a theme challenge for you…Christmas in July! So get a head start on your holiday cardmaking and join in the fun!  We can’t wait to see what you create! As for me, I wanted to incorporate some non-traditional holiday colors.  I grabbed a scrap of  Pool Party and Riding Hood Red Plaid, from the Storytime Designer Series Paper Collection.  Left over from working on yesterday’s card,  this pattern gives the card a retro-country feel.  Combined with silver embossing, the result is what I call “country elegance”!  Enjoy!

This card measures 4-1/4″ wide x 5-1/2″ long.

• Embossed with bling! Add an elegant touch by heat embossing the new Star Tree stamp with Silver Stampin’ Emboss Powder.  Basic Rhinestones colored with a red permanent marker are the perfect adornments!

 

• Add a banner! “Christmas cheer” from the Sweet Essentials set was inked in Riding Hood Red and stamped onto Whisper White cardstock.  The ends were free-hand snipped to form a banner.

• Texture! One of the new Delicate Designs Textured Impressions Embossing Folders was zipped through the Big Shot with Riding Hood Red card stock.  A snippet of  Pool Party Seam Binding was added to provide contrast to the retired Riding Hood Red Pleated Ribbon which enhances the oval.

 

I hope you enjoyed today’s card. I now have a total of TWO holiday cards completed. How about you?  Have you started on your holiday cards yet?  Won’t you let me know in today’s comment?  Your comments are important to me, and I do read each and every one of them.  Of course, if you ever have any questions about the cards I create or the techniques I use…I am only an email away! Until next time… 

Stamp Sets:  Star Tree (126784), Sweet Essentials (W 126455, C 126457);  Inks:  VersaMark (102283), Riding Hood Red (126968);  Designer Series Paper:  Storytime (126907);  Card Stock:  Whisper White (100730), Riding Hood Red (111348), Pool Party (122924); Tools:  Big Shot (113439), Delicate Designs Textured Impressions Embossing Folder (127123), Heat Tool (129053); Glitz and Glam:  Basic Rhinestones (119246), Pool Party Seam Binding (125582), Silver Stampin’ Emboss Powder (109131)

Many of you know my good friend, the talented Linda Callahan.  Her work is absolutely amazing.  To top it off, she is the sweetest person you could ever hope to meet.  Linda is going to be a grandmother soon, and will be taking a short leave of absence from her position on the Freshly Made Sketches Design Team.  As a surprise for Linda, some of her friends and fellow Design Team members have organized  a blog hop to honor Grandmothers everywhere.

I only knew one of my grandmothers, and she lived a distance from us.  But I can remember seeing her every Christmas, when she would come to visit.  She would snuggle me up on her rounded lap, and pull a handkerchief full of pennies from her big black “Grandma” purse.  “I love you, Grandma!” I would say, much to her delight.   Her hair was always neatly pulled into a bun, and her calico bib apron was always freshly pressed.  She smelled like lemon verbena.  

As I grew older, Grandma would pull me down to sit beside her on the couch.  She would fix her little granny glasses upon her nose, and pull a handkerchief full of silver coins from her big black “Grandma” purse.  Her hair was still neatly pulled back, and the requisite apron was still freshly pressed.  “I love you, Grandma!” I would say, as I kissed the lemon verbena scented cheek.


Sadly enough, I don’t remember the last time I saw my grandmother.  Isn’t that strange?  I know that it would have been at Christmas.  And I know that her silvered hair would have been held in a bun.  Her calico apron would have been freshly pressed, and the scent of lemon verbena would have permeated the air.  I know that I would have said those four magical words, “I love you, Grandma.”

I designed today’s card with Linda in mind.  I know that when the time is right,  Linda will be instrumental in teaching her grandbaby the “ABC”s and “1-2-3″s.  Cherish the moments, Linda! Time passes all too quickly!

This card measures 4-1/4″ x 5-1/2″.

• Cherish the distressing! Cherish the Moments, from the Baby Prints set, was inked in Jet Black StazOn and lightly distressed with Crumb Cake.  Paper piercing adds interest, as does spritzing with the Color Spritzer Tool.  The Waterspots are courtesy of the French Foliage set.

• Cherish the pearls! For a bit of whimsy, Basic Pearls accent the ruled strip.

 

• Cherish the Designer Series Paper! The Storytime Designer Series Collection definitely tells a story! Its retro color scheme and cute sketches are reminescent of a by-gone era, conjuring up images of Dick and Jane! A Linen Thread bow accents the apple, while a Teeny Tiny Wishes “Baby” tag nestles neatly at the side.

I hope you enjoyed today’s card.  Won’t you let me know what you think in today’s comment?  Your comments are so important to me. Of course, if you ever have questions about the cards I create or the techniques I use, I am only an email away.  Now hop on over to the uber-talented Jennifer Timko.  She never disappoints! Until next time…

Stamp Sets:  Baby Prints (W 125470, C 125472), Teeny Tiny Wishes (W 115370, C 127802), French Foliage (W 120845, C 121166);  Inks: Jet Black StazOn (101406), Crumb Cake (126975) Riding Hood Red (126968); Designer Series Paper:  Storytime (126907);  Card Stock:  Very Vanilla (101650), Pool Party (122924); Tools:  Big Shot (113439), Apothecary Accents  Framelits (127003), Paper Piercing Tool (126189), Stampin’ Pierce Mat (126199), Essentials Paper Piercing Pack (126187), Sponge Dauber (102892), Color Spritzer Tool (107066), 3/16″ Corner Rounder Punch (119871), Jewelry Tag Punch (117190) ; Glitz and Glam:  Basic Pearls (119247), Linen Thread (104199)