Wednesday and a Freshly Made Sketches Treat for You!

Hello, Hello!

It's time for a new sketch at Freshly Made Sketches and we have a bit of a treat for you!  This week is not a sketch per se, but a size.  Long, tall, skinny, slim- whatever you want to call it- we are making slimline cards this week.

These cards are just plain fun!  Lots of room and new ways to place your stamps.

I started with a practice sheet of plain ol' copy paper in the 8.5 x 3.5 size.  I played around with the daisy placement.  The daisy is from the Delightful Daisies Stamp Set from Sweet n Sassy Stamps.  Once I had the general layout down, I used my MISTI, a large, clear plastic panel and my practice sheet to stamp the images.  This is the order of items in the MISTI.
First, my blank Neenah Solar White 8.5 x 3.5 piece of cs.  Next, the practice piece of paper.  Next the clear plastic panel.  This allowed me to place the stamp in the appropriate position without risking getting a smudge of black ink on my final panel. Once the image was in the right place, I closed the MISTI door to attach the stamp to the lid. Then I opened the MISTI and removed the plastic sheet and the practice piece.
I do need to mention that I made multiple (like 6) masks using post it notes.  I used these for two things- first to stamp my flowers behind one another for dimension, and second, to cover the flowers and sponge the background.
All of the images were stamped this way.  Once all were stamped, I covered them with the masks and sponged two different distress inks on the background.  I used Broken China and Mermaid Lagoon.
After the initial ink was down, I splattered the panel with water.  Once the water was dry, I did more sponging to intensify the color.  Then I did a final splatter of water.
The flowers were colored with Copics.  The sentiment, from the Grace so Amazing Stamp Set, was stamped in Versafine Onyx Black ink using the MISTI.   A few Simon Says Stamp Moonshine sequins finished off the card with a bit of shine.

This card was made with a very special person in mind, a wonderful part of our crafting community who, short of a miracle, has a very short time left on this earth. If you are a praying person, please say a prayer for Ellie.  Pray for healing, comfort and that she be free of pain.  Thank you.

I am linking up to The Cupcake Inspiration Challenge~

As well as Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge, Anything Goes. 
Thanks for stopping by!  Pop over to the Freshly Made Sketches Blog to see so much amazing inspiration from the rest of the team.  Then, get inky and join us!

Lee Ann 

Christmas in July!

Hello All!

It is officially Christmas!  In July that is, at Sweet n Sassy Stamps!
Korin is kicking off the weekend with 'lives', inspiration, and a 3-day sale on all Christmas and winter themed stamp sets.

I have used those adorable snow men from the Snow Much Fun Stamp Set.

This guy, or maybe gal, since she is wearing pink, was stamped with Memento Tuxedo Black ink on Neenah Solar White cs and colored with Copics.  I then fussy cut him/her out.
I fell in love with the sketch at CASE This Sketch and knew immediately what I wanted to do with it

I stamped the sentiment from the Deck the Halls Stamp Set in Versamark Ink and heat embossed it with brown ep, then cut out the sentiment panel.
On the background, I wanted a swirl of snowflakes for my twirling snow person.  I used snow flakes from the Snow Much Fun and Folk Art Snow Flakes Stamp Sets.  I did first, second and third generation stamping for depth, using Coral Berry Ink from Altenew.
My dark background panel is actually dark brown, even though it looks more black.  That is me and poor photography skills.  I finished off the project by popping my snow person up on dimensional tape, balanced precariously on the 'l' of the la.  Some of my all time favorite sequins, Simon Says Stamp Moon Shine Sequins, add some sparkle and shine.

My colors are from the new Festive Friday Challenge.  I used pink, brown and vanilla.

Thanks for stopping by!  Hope you can stop by the Sweet n Sassy Facebook Group this weekend and join in the fun!
If you need more places to shop, items are listed below. 

Have a blessed weekend!

Lee Ann

Blick Art Supplies

Copic Sketch Markers 

Altenew

Floral 6 Mini Cube Set 
Warm Spring Mini Cube Set
Red Cosmos Mini Cube Set
All of the above ink sets contain
the Coral Berry in I used

Mixed Media Mermaid

Hello!

It was time to break out one of my favorite summer stamp sets, Mer-Mazing from Sweet n Sassy Stamps.  I love this mermaid, and I ESPECIALLY love this crab!

Aren't they sweet?!  Both were stamped on Neenah Solar White CS and colored with Copics then fussy cut out.
The background started with a watercolor background I had in my stash.  I used it for the bottom base.  Canson water color cs and Ken Oliver Color Bursts were used to create the panel.  Next, I sponged Salty Ocean Distress Ink onto another panel of Neenah Solar White cs.  Then, using a Stamplorations stencil, Bubbles, I sponged Mermaid Lagoon Distress Ink.  This leafy image in the Flower Garden Stamp Set is perfect for sea weed.  As soon as I saw it I knew I wanted to use it for an underwater scene.  It was stamped with Memento Tuxedo Black ink and colored with Copics.
To add depth to the card, I used my MFT edge dies.  These dies are apparently retired but they are similar to these MFT Stitched Scallop Edge Dies. I cut the bottom edge off my image panel then popped it up on some craft foam.
A few sequins and gems finish off the card.

I am linking up to Simon Says Stamp Monday challenge, a Day at the Beach.

Also linking up to Sunday Stamps for their color challenge~

And Krafty Chicks Challenge for their 'All Occasions' Challenge.

Thanks for stopping by!

Lee Ann

Freshly Made Sketches # 445

Hello and Happy Wednesday, All!

Oh, you are going to love the latest FMS sketch!  It is so unique and fun! Jen M. knocked it out of the park with this one.

Curious about the sketch?  Here you go!

For this card, I started with a background panel that I was hoarding.  It was made with Distress Spray Stains and a Tim Holtz Schoolhouse Stencil.  To that I added a black circle die cut and a strip of white cs to ground my butterflies.  The butterflies are from the Sweet n Sassy Stamps Flower Garden Stamp Set and were stamped with Versafine Onyx Black Ink on Neenah Solar White cs, then fussy cut out.
A sentiment from The Future Stamp Set (snss) was heat embossed with Brutus Monroe Alabaster White ep.

Head on over to the Freshly Made Sketches Blog to check out the rest of the amazing inspiration from the team, then join us!

Thanks for stopping by!

Lee Ann  

Simon Says Stamp
Picked Raspberry Spray Stain
Broken China Spray Stain
Mermaid Lagoon Spray Stain
Evergreen Bough Spray Stain

Sweet n Sassy Stamps
Versafine Onyx Black Ink
MISTI

Whimsical Flowers

Good Morning everyone! 

Today's card is BRIGHT!  The whimsical flowers from the Flower Garden Stamp Set seemed to call for bright colors.  I used the sketch from CASE This Sketch~

I used the MISTI to stamp the flowers with Versafine Onyx Black Ink onto Arches cold press 100% cotton water color paper.  I pulled out a medium that I have not used in a long long time, Derwent Inktense Pencils.  Initially, I colored the pigment onto the paper, but then I switched to the brush to tip method. 
The background was a panel I had in my stash from playing with Distress Spray Stain.  I added a couple of strips of Neenah Solar White cs and then popped up the fussy cut floral image and sentiment on dimensional adhesive.  The sentiment is from the Mason Jar Bouquet Stamp Set from Sweet n Sassy Stamps.  A few sequins finish the card.
  I did flip the sketch. 

Looking for more places to shop?

Simon Says Stamp~
Arches 100%  cotton cold press water color paper
Versafine Onyx Black Ink
MISTI
Flower Garden Stamp Set 
Mason Jar Bouquet Stamp Set 

Thanks for stopping by!

Lee Ann  

Rose in Teal- or is it Aqua?

Hello All! 

It is a hot one here in St Louis this weekend.  But I guess it is mid July. 
About the only thing I am growing in my yard is weeds, but if I had a choice, I would be growing roses! 

I am pretty good with colors EXCEPT for Teal and Aqua.  Which is which??  Are they the same? Green or Blue??  I have no idea.  So I am really not sure what color this rose is, but I love it none the less.  The rose is from the True Beauty Stamp Set from Sweet n Sassy Stamps.  It was stamped with Antique Linen Distress ink and colored with Copics.  It was then fussy cut out. 
My background was done with a Prima Stencil and spritzed with Shimmerz Well Blue Me Down Coloringz on mixed media paper. 
A white die cut, made with the Simon Says Stamp Outline Clustered Leaves Die- was used to ground the rose.  The 'hello' sentiment is stamped with Crushed Olive Distress Ink.  It came out quite dark as I stamped it several times, using my MISTI. 
The card was finished off with Simon Says Stamp Moonshine Sequins. 
I am linking this card up to the Flower Challenge, Summer/Winter Flowers

As well as Inkspirational- Coloring~

Additional shopping links below~

Thanks for stopping by! 

Lee Ann 

Simon Says Stamp
True Beauty Stamp Set
MISTI 
Neenah 80# Solar White cs

Sweet Berries

Hello Everyone!

Today I have some wonderful, sweet, Raspberries to share with you!  They are from the latest release from Divinity Designs.

I stamped an all over pattern on my white card base using Memento Tuxedo Black Ink.  I then colored the images with Copics.
I decided to highlight one branch of berries, so die cut a frame from the panel, using the Pierced Ovals Dies.  I discarded the smaller center oval and used just the frame, popping it up on dimensional adhesive.

I positioned the panel and the frame on the card base to determine where I wanted the focal image to go, then stamped it in Memento ink.  I colored the image with Copics, adhered the large panel and die cut frame over it and then added a sentiment strip across the card.

My second card I really wanted to keep CAS.  I do this often when then image is so pretty it can just stand on its own.

This is a OLC; I masked off the sentiment area and stamped my berries, using my MISTI.  The images were colored with Copics.  The sentiment panel was then outlined with a black marker.  I added a bit of color around the berries using a Copic.
To finish, I stamped the sentiment within the sentiment panel and added shiny sequins to finish.

That's it for me today! Hope you are all having a good week!

Lee Ann