Flutter By Wednesday DT Call

Flutter By Team DT Call

We've lost several members of the Flutter By Team lately so Danni is looking to add 2-3 more people to our team!!

If chosen, you'd be responsible for~

• Participate in 4 FBW challenges each month-all your creations MUST have a butterfly or fairy on them
• Comment weekly on challenge participants entries using your assigned number (each team member is assigned a number to comment on to help make the commenting easier to do)
• Occasionally help come up with challenge ideas
• Have tons of fun!

At this time we are a sponsor free challenge so there are not any free digi's or stamps/products to work with but occasionally Danni will offer prizes. This is just a "for fun" team and to challenge yourself each week. 

If this is something you'd be interested in here's how to apply~

• Create a new card/project using a butterfly or fairy
• Post the new creation on your blog and tell Danni in your post why you want to be on the team!
• Link up to the InLinkz below

Danni has set this to stay open for 1 week. If she doesn't have the new members picked by then, she'll update the InLinkz with more time.

I very much enjoy being on the FBW DT. It is a stress free team with no drama, and Danni is a very efficient, organized coordinator. She is flexible should you have an unexpected event crop up that prevents you from meeting your requirement for that week; however, she posts monthly themes in advance so that you have plenty of time to work on your submissions.

If this sounds like something you might enjoy, then Danni would very much like to hear from you.

Hobbies

Hello! Are you getting tired of seeing golf cards from me? I know I've already done two -- now three -- of them, but when I saw that our assignment for Inky Impressions this week was "hobbies," I couldn't resist using this wonderful Golfing Papaw (HERE)  image. As I mentioned before, the men in my family do like their golf games.

So now you know that our challenge this week is HOBBIES! You can use any image that represents a hobby of some kind -- maybe you'd like our little crafter image (HERE). There are so many cute images available that would fit our theme (perhaps you like to read, or ski or fish or bike). Of course, as always, you are not required to use an Inky Impressions image, but if you do, you have an extra chance to win our wonderful prize, and this week we are being sponsored by .

My Creative Classroom

My Creative Classroom is an online arts and crafts learning center. Our interactive and in-depth courses are instructor led and filled with wonderful projects and techniques to help you get the most out of your supplies. Our Fall Semester  offers over 100 classes to choose from. We also offer Library classes which feature retired classes at 40-50% off their original price!  New this fall we are offering deals on bundled classes. 

Now for my card. My card base is light tan. The two DPs are from different sources (the stripe I've had for some time, and the argyle is from a My Mind's Eye 6 x 6" pad). I've printed my digital image onto X-Press It brand card and colored with my Copic markers. The matting is brown card (Bazzill), and the brown (yes, that is brown and not black) ribbon is by Offray. The sentiment is computer generated and punched with circle punches from Creative Memories.

I do hope that you will join us this week and show us some of your favorite hobbies (or a family member's). 

Challenges:

Digi Makeover - Anything Goes with a Digi
Bearly Mine - Anything Goes (2 entries only)
613 Avenue Create - Anything Goes or Color Challenge
Sister Act "Anything Goes"
One Stitch at a Time "Anything Goes"
Cutie Pie Challenge - Cute Cards for Boys  
Ooh La La Creations - Cards for Men
Glitter n Sparkle - Male Cards

Chubby Fall Fairy

This week we have a sketch for you at Flutter By Wednesday. I think you will like it very much. I did. Before I tell you about my card, let me share the sketch with you. Here it is:

I have colored up another A Day for Daisies fairy -- in all her adorable chubbiness -- using my Copic markers. Since fall is now officially here, I've used browns, greens and golds as my color scheme. The butterfly background DP is by Recollections from their pad called "Habitat." The smaller square DP (behind my oval) is covered  with words and is also from the same pad. My card base is the light tan color, and all my matting (and die cut) is brown card. The lacy border piece across the card is Cherry Lynn die B159, Francesca (you can get it from Dutch Paper Crafts), and the die behind my image is by Spellbinders (Opulent Ovals S5-160). I cut my image oval using an old Coluzzel, and I used the out-of-the-box technique.

I hope you will join us this week in our challenge at Flutter By Wednesday. As always, we so enjoy seeing your beautiful work. Just remember to follow our sketch this week along with using either butterflies or fairies on your card. From now on, if we get over 100 entries, there will be a prize, so join in and encourage all your friends to join in.

Challenges:

House of Gilli -  Anything Goes/Fall

Lady Anne's Challenge - Wings

Lexi's Creations - Autumn Colors

 Lunagirl Moonbeams - Autumn

My Craft Creations - Anything Goes

Crafty Cardmakers - (2nd week) Winged Things

That Craft Place - (2nd week) Things with Wings.

Simon Wednesday Challenge - Anything Goes

Paper Makeup Stamps - Anything Goes

EEK!

Happy Tuesday morning everyone! This week at Tuesday Morning Sketches, we are being sponsored by the wonderful Stamp Fairy. The Stamp Fairy images are adorable, so if you aren't familiar with them, you will want to take a quick trip over to their blog and have a look around. Our prize is a $10 gift certificate from The Stamp Fairy.

As always, we have a wonderful sketch to jump-start your creativity, and here it is:

For my card, I am using one of the Stamp Fairy freebie images called Halloween 1. Now how cute is that? I've printed my little image this week onto Cryogen card and colored it with my Copic markers. The DPs I've used are from My Mind's Eye 6 x 6" pad called Haunted. The decorative elements (candy corn, spider and eek word) are bits and bobs left over in my stash. As a general rule, I don't do Halloween cards, so I honestly don't know how old those are or where they came from.

I cut the second DP using my Spellbinder wonky rectangle die and then traced around the same die and hand cut to get the matting. I've matted all DP and my image with black card. After I had glued everything down, I felt the card needed a little something else, so I took a Martha Stewart corner punch and created my own corner pieces. I punched the corners of a piece of black card and then cut them in a triangle to fit onto the two orange pieces. It would have been easier to punch the orange paper directly (which would have given the same effect), but one must improvise when an idea hits "after-the-fact." I think they worked out well.

I do hope you will join us this week in our challenge at Tuesday Morning Sketches. The only requirement is to use our wonderful sketch (no particular theme or images required). It is always fun to visit our entrees and see the different ways you all interpret our sketches. Also, if you have a few minutes, we'd so like for you to visit the TMS blog as well as the blogs of our design team -- everyone enjoys your visits so much.

I'll be back tomorrow with some more cards to share. Until then, happy crafting!

Challenges:

want to enter my card in the following challenges:

• Artistic inspirations -  Bright colours
• Created with love challenges - Fall colours
• Digi makeover challenge - Use a digi
• Love to scrap challenge - Borders
• Make it monday - Anything goes
• My craft creations - Anything goes
• Kaboodle Doodles Challenge - Use Orange

Awsome Release and Some News

Happy Friday morning to all of you. Kind of different seeing a post from me on a Friday, eh? Well, I have some news that I want to share as well as a new card to show you. First, the news! Many of you who follow me know that I often use images from A Day for Daisies. Well, Tammy's sister, Sami, has her own images under the name  Sami's Stamps  and I've had the good fortune of being chosen as a member of her new design team. 

Sami has a new release today of wonderful, fun images called "Bubble Bath Fairies." These whimsically delightful images are just so pretty. I know you will "fall in love" with them all just as we on the design team have.

I have colored my wonderful digital image using Copic markers. I also added a little Stickles Diamond Dust to the fairy wings, and Stickles Crystal to the soap bubbles. My card base is white (a little hard to see in the photo above, so I'm providing another for you using a piece of pink card as the background for contrast) Here is the second photo:

The background paper (don't those circles look like bubbles??) is from a My Mind's Eye pad called Wild Asparagus. I used two dies from a Spellbinder set  called Resplendent Rectangles (arent they beautiful?). The ecru ribbon is by Offray. The roses and rose buds are from Wild Orchid Crafts. I typed the sentiment on the computer and printed it off, then used punches to create the two sized circles.

Please take a few minutes to drop by the Sami's Stamps blog to see all of the images and to see the gorgeous inspiration cards made by the DT members. The new images are for sale at Sami's Stamps shop. You can get there by clicking here.

Challenges:

Creative Fingers Challenge- Make it shine (Used Stickles on the wings and the bubbles)
Cut it Up- Going in Circles  (Sentiment is punched circles)
Kitty Bee Designs- Water 
4 Krafty Girlz - Anything Goes
Divas By Design - Anything Goes
Lady Anne's Challenges - Anything Goes
The Sisterhood of Crafters - Use a Digi

Do You Live to Eat or Eat to Live?

Isn't this a cute image? This week at Inky Impressions, we are asking you to highlight FOOD (in some fashion) on your card. Right now in my part of the country, apples are starting to be harvested. There are apple festivals all over featuring yummy apple dumpling, fried apple pies, apple jams -- all manner of yummy, yummy things -- so this little Inky image with its basket filled with apples was just perfect (in my mind) for today's theme.

My image is printed on X-Press It brand card and colored with my Copic markers. My card base this week is black with DPs (all) from My Mind's Eye. I've matted each of the DPs with black card. I cut the image using a Spellbinder die and then traced around the same die to create my matting. My black and white ribbon is by Home and More (classic collection).

Please join us this week at Inky Impressions. Remember, your image does not have to be one of ours; however, as always, if you do use an Inky image, your name will be entered twice in the drawing. Also, as always, our prize is a $10 gift certificate at the Inky store for any of our products (rubber and digital stamps, jewels, charms, etc.).

Have fun!

Fluttering Fairy

It's that time again! What time? Flutter By Wednesday time, of course! Time for another challenge on our Flutter By Wednesday blog. This week the theme is OPEN -- which means that you can do anything you want as long as you add a butterfly (or plural) and/or a fairy! I really enjoy those types of challenges, don't you? 

This week I've used Butterfly Fairy which I've partially colored and partially paper pieced. I colored everything except her dress (although I did use a copic to bring out the folds a little bit). I also used a jelly roll glitter pen for her tiara and a bit of diamond dust Stickles on her wings.

My card base is white with a blue DP (very old brand - company no longer is business). The soft yellow doily is QuicKutz nesting floral doillies die DC0434 (Dutch Paper Crafts), and the corners are Joy Crafts die 6002/0125. The cream ribbon is by Offray, and the flowers are by Recollections. I added some sprigs of small leaves behind the flowers which I punched using Martha Stewart punch.

I know that summer is about over, but fairies and butterflies never go out of season (especially in our make believe crafting world), so pull out those stamps or punches/dies and show us what you can do this week with our open theme. We always love seeing your creativity -- all of you are an inspiration for us on the DT. We'd also like for you to visit the Flutter By Wednesday blog and have a look at what the DT has made. If you want to visit the DT's individual blogs and leave a little "love," simply click on their name above their sample and you should be taken directly there.

Happy crafting this week!

It Looked Like a Candy Cane

It is Tuesday morning and time for another Tuesday Morning Sketches. It is also my birthday -- yeah, happy birthday to me! We have another great sketch for you to use this week, and here it is:

This week we are being sponsored by a company called Raisin Boat. I know many of you have heard of them before, but did you know that Raisin Boat has a neat program that allows you to rent their stamps? Yes, you can rent their stamps, use them and then return them -- should you find, after you've used them, that you want to keep the stamps, there is an optional purchase plan, too.

I have used one of the stamps from the set called North Pole Toymakers (10222). There are a total of 10 stamps (images and sentiments) in this set. I had to laugh when I saw this stamp -- remember the (now classic) television movie about Ralphie and the kid who got his tongue stuck on a metal pole during recess? 

I stamped the image with Memento black ink onto X-Press It brand card and colored it with Copic markers. After coloring the image, I used Stickles crystal glitter on the snow.  I then cut my image into a rectangle so that it would fit the center of a Spellbinder die (A2 Locking Loops S5-175). The DPs are by My Mind's Eye from the pad called "Merry." The glitter snowflake is from a package I bought last year at Michael's Crafts. As you notice, I turned the sketch sideways to better accomodate the taller image.

Please take a few minutes and go over to the TMS Blog to have a look at the other wonderful cards the DT members made using different Raisin Boat stamps. We each received a different set to use.

Have a good day!

September Inky Blog Hop

Hello Inky Friends

We are really excited at Inky Impressions to be releasing two super cute new digi stamps.  We just know you are going to love them!!!  We are giving you the chance to win both of them. All you have to do is join in our Inkettes blog hop.  You need to visit all of the Inkettes and leave them a comment on each blog -easy, right?  One random winner will be chosen on September 22nd, and we will announce the winner on the Inky Impressions Challenge blog.  You follow our challenge blog anyway, right? 

If you can't wait to find out if you are a winner the new digis can be purchased HERE

Here is my card:

Isn't it a beauty? Don't you just love that tutu Lili is tying around Mr. Scarecrow? I'm not sure it was meant to be a tutu (in reality, I think it was supposed to just be the way the shirt-tail gathered up), but in my imaginary world, it is a tutu because I can just see my little granddaughter making a scarecrow with a tutu -- not all tutus are net, you know!

I have colored my image with Copic markers. I hope I've captured the feeling of fall with my oranges, greens, and browns. My card base is tan. The DPs are by Simple Stories and the little 6 x 6" pad they came from is called Harvest Lane. The matting for all DPs and the image is brown card. I found the ribbon in my "loose" ribbon box, so I can't give you any information about it, but it was perfect (in my opinion) for the card. The silk leaves are by Recollection, as is the tan flower. I've had the webbing that is behind the image for ages, and the three orange pearls are really white ones that I colored with an orange copic marker.

I hope that you like our two new images and will leave a little comment so that your name can be entered into the hat to win both images. You will also need to visit each of the DT blogs as well as our Inky blog (leave a comment at each). If you cannot wait to see if you've won, then you can purchase the images at the Inky Online Store.

If you arrived here from Elisabete's blog, you are on the right track.  Your next stop should be Jessie. 

Here is a list of the blog hop

Inky Impressions Challenge Blog

Audrey

Doreen

Elisabete

Jenee (me)

Jessie

Katie

Kerry

Leslie
Lisa

Tanya

Valou

Vicky 

Inky Impressions Inspiration Blog

Thanks for stopping by.

Challenges:

• My Time To Craft Challenge Blog: Challenge #234 - Autumnal Colors
• Aud Sentiments Challenge Blog: 89 - Autumn
• Chocolate, Coffee & Cards Challenges: Challenge #48 - Anything Goes!
• 613 Avenue Create: Challenge #37 - Anything Goes w/Optional Twist 'Happy Fall Y'all'
• Challenges 4 Everybody: Challenge #29 - Anything Goes
• Just For Fun Challenge Blog: Colors of Autumn
• Sister Act Card Challenges: Challenge #24
• Oozak Challenge 22 - Fall

Water, Water Everywhere

When I saw the theme for this week's challenge at Inky Impressions, my mind immediately went to the line from the Rhyme of the Ancient Mariner by Samual Taylor Coleridge:

Water water everywhere

and all the boards did shrink

water water everywhere

nor any drop to drink

This week at Inky Impressions, we would like to see something pertaining to WATER on your card. Perhaps a beach scene, rain, swimming, fishing -- all manner of possibilities -- just whatever your imagination (and images you may have) can come up with pertaining to water. As always, you do not have to use an Inky Impressions stamp, but if you do, you'll earn an extra chance at the random drawing for a $10 gift certificate to the Inky Impressions Store.

I've used rubber stamp LS09-WL02, Wading Lili for my card. I stamped the image onto X-Press It brand card with Memento ink. I colored her with my Copic markers. I tried some new (for me) color combinations on Lili's dress, and I'm thinking I need to find a slightly different color for the lightest value. I'm not seeing quite the contrast for the highights that I'd like to have. I think the pink is pretty, so will be playing with this combo a little more to see what I can use for the highlights. I was, however, quite pleased with the outcome of the "reflection" in the water, which I did free-hand.

I've used a white 5.5" square base. The background DP is by K&Company, and I matted it with brown card. The pink circle under the image was cut using Noor Joy Crafts die 6003/1004 (from Dutch Paper Crafts). The oval cuts (image and blue matting) were cut using Spellbinder's oval dies. I added blue ribbon across the card and a bow to the left of the image. (I really should have fluffed that bow before photographing it!) The flowers are some old Prima paper flowers I've had for ages. I added pearls to the centers (from Inky Impressions) and two leaf springs that I punched from the blue card using a Martha Stewart punch.

I hope we will see you this week in our water challenge at Inky Impressions. Do take a few minutes to see what the other DT members have made to inspire you. Thanks for stopping by. Now go craft something!

Challenges:

Avenue 613 - anything goes
Addicted to Stamps - anything goes
Challenges 4 Everybody - anything goes
C is for Challenges - lots of layers
Digi Sketch Challenge - use a rubber stamp
MarkerPOP - anything goes
Cards and More - anything goes
Crafty Sentiments - anything goes

Fall Colors

Our esteemed leader over at Flutter By Wednesday is chomping at the bit for fall to arrive. She's tired of the hot weather and looking forward to the season changing. I, on the other hand, am not so anxious for the weather changes. We've been fortunate this year here in the south to have enjoyed a relatively mild summer (unlike last year with day after day of opressive heat), and these old bones of mine just don't do cold real well (smile)! Anyway, this week our Flutter By challenge is for you to use FALL COLORS! That means it is time to pull out the oranges, browns, golds and reds.

So you're saying to yourself that you see a lot of green on my card, right? I had an art teacher point out that there is still a lot of green in the fall. She used an example of one of her own paintings --- fall trees -- which she was so proud of. She had worked hard on her painting, but when she submitted it to her teacher, she was immediately taken aback that he did not like it. The reason being that there were no greens in the leaves. If you truly look at the trees/plants as they change, you will start to notice that the leaves do not actually all change at once. Until the final leaf has fallen, you will continue to see a bit of green peeking through. Then, of course, there are the evergreens which are a whole 'nother story.

OK, enough of the art lessons, right? What about my card? This is a fairly simple card this week. Instead of my usual fairy (or butterfly) image, I've colored up a Magnolia Tilda stamp. I've colored Tilda's dress and apron in greens and golds, and I've used orange, green, brown and gold in my papers. I've added an orange paper flower atop my gold bow, and then I've added green butterflies which I punched with Martha Stewart punches.

I hope we will see you this week in our FALL colors challenge. Stop by the Flutter By Wednesday blog and have a look at the other DT member's cards. It is always a treat to see what the team does to inspire you.

I've Done It Again

So what have I done? I've once again totally ignored the "twist" for our Tuesday Morning Sketches challenge. Very surprising, too, since our twist this week is to use glitter or bling, and I do so like bling. You'd definitely think that would be something that I would easily remember! Our sketch this week is a bit more CAS in nature (something I'm not particularly comfortable doing), so I was so focused on getting all those elements correct that my mind just didn't comprehend everything (at least that's the "excuse" I'm going with - if you can think of a better one, let me know -- smile!).

This week we're sponsored by a little internet store called Yours or Mine Paper Crafts. Mei is offering a great prize, too....

So let's get on with the challenge.  It's the Judged Challenge week, so the added twist is:  Make it Shine (glitter or bling).

Here is our sketch for this week:

You have to admit that it isn't quite my usual "style," right? Not a bad sketch at all -- just different from what I'm used to doing. Of course, you also have to take into account my OCD tendencies and that incomplete circle. My family and friends tease me about my OCD nature, but I do have to literally sit on my hands at times to keep from getting up and straightening a picture or from putting something in "order." I may have stacks of paper on my desk, but they are neat, straight stacks - sigh! OK then, this post is about our new challenge and not my falacies, so let's move on.

My Digi Gardens image was printed onto X-Press It brand card and colored with Copic markers. I then fussy cut the image. My two circles were cut with Spellbinder dies (regular circle and scalloped circle). The DP is from a very OLD pack of Provo crafts designer papers, and the solid card is from my stash (I think DCWV, but not sure). The green card is from my scrap bag. My sentiment is an acrylic stamp from a set designed by Adam Prescott. The green ink I used is by Stampin' Up (Garden Green).

I do hope our sketch this week will inspire you to create something. Remember the twist, though, and add bling to your card. For more inspiration, visit the Tuesday Morning Sketches blog and have a look at what the other designers have done for you this week.

Flutter By Birthday Blog Hop

Today is the second day of fluttery hops to celebrate Danni’s (owner/creator of FBW) birthday! Yesterday was the friends hop--you fluttered along didn’t you? If not, be sure to visit the Flutter By Wednesday Blog for all the information!! Today is the Flutter By Team’s turn to inspire you!!

You should have fluttered here from Harriet! If not--start at the beginning at the Flutter By Wednesday Blog, or check the list of participants at the bottom of my post.

Be sure to leave comments at each stop that you make as there are some surprises hidden! You have until September 9th, 2013 at midnight CST to flutter along!

We hope that you’ll also join in this week’s challenge at Flutter By Wednesday which is anything goes with a butterfly or fairy! A little butterfly told us that if the challenge gets over 100 entries there will be a prize!!

Here’s my project for today

My image is from A Day for Daisies colored with Copic markers and a dab of chrystal stickles on the wings. I have to tell you that the colors in my DP DO match the image better than they appear in the photograph. The DPs have photographed darker than they really are. I took a dozen pictures (in my lightbox) trying to get the colors to show true, and for some reason they just would not cooperate. The DPs are from My Mind's Eye, matted with blue card from my stash. The offray ecru ribbon was the last of the role (boohoo), the flower from Recollections, and the butterfly charm from the Inky Impressions store.

Now you should hop on to Kathy! She has a lovely card waiting to share with you. Happy Fluttering!

blog hop order-

FBW Blog: http://flutterbywednesdays.blogspot.com/

Jan

Chrissy

Denice

Harriet

Jenée (me)

Kathy

Jami

Lynette:

Danni

Give Thanks

This week at Inky Impressions, we would like you to give THANKS. Are you thankful for a gift you've received? Did you properly thank the giver? Are you thankful for a special friend or person in your life? Have you thanked them lately for just being them? We'd like to challenge you this week to make a THANK-YOU card. As always, you are not required to use an Inky Impressions image, but if you do, your name will be entered twice for a chance to win a $10.00 gift certificate from the Inky Impressions online store.

For my card this week, I have used the Inky rubber stamp called "Praying Lili." I stamped her using Memento tuxedo black ink onto X-Press It brand card. I've colored her with Copic markers, then cut the image into a rectangle and matted it with blue card. The card base is white. My two patterned papers are from my scrap bags. I matted the background DP with the blue card, as well as the piece of striped paper. I punched the blue border using an EK Success border punch. I handmade all three of the flowers (the pink and two small white ones) using different punches. The larger individual leaves are from a Spellbinder die, and the smaller, clustered leaves are from an Impression Obsession die. The little heart and key charm is from Inky Impressions.

We would be ever so "thankful" if you would take a few minutes to visit the Inky Impressions challenge blog and have a look at the lovely cards the DT members have made this week to inspire you. I can personally guarantee you will not be disappointed with what you see. Go have a look and then go craft something! You'll be thankful you did (smile).


Challenges:

Sister Act "Anything Goes"
Digi Galore "Anything Goes"
613 Avenue "Anything Goes"
Eclectic Ellapu "It's Sentimental"
Bearly Mine "Anything Goes"
 Love To Scrap:  Anything Goes
Oozak:  Anything Goes/Die Cuts/Punches 
Happy Campers:  Use A Stamp
Little Scrap Pieces:  Fun Friday Linky Party
CIS:  Thank You
Pattie's Creations:  Anything Goes
HIMCR:  Freestyle
Paper Creators:  Anything Goes
Lacy Sunshine:  Dies and/or Punches
Addicted To Stamps:  Anything Goes

Flutter By Wednesday Challenge

Today is Wednesday, and normally you would be seeing a Flutter By Wednesday post from me. However, we have something a little different for you. We are having our usual challenge. It is an "Anything Goes" theme. But that's not all, and you need to go to the blog to see what else is in store for you.

This month is the birth month of our founder, Danni, and she has scheduled a special treat for you. She has gotten a bunch of her friends together today to help her celebrate -- and with all birthday parties, there are a bunch of nice prizes to be had. A little birdie told me that Tiddly Inks, Saturated Canary, Sweet n' Sassy Stamps, Little Miss Muffet, and others have stepped up to provide some of those prizes. I also heard that if we get over 100 participants in this week's challenge, there will be even more prizes. How is that for a celebration?

The celebration continues because tomorrow (Thursday), the DT will be back with their own wonderful blog hop. The only way you will get to see the lovely DT creations is to join the hop. We will not be posting to the Flutter By Wednesday blog (as we usually do), but to our own blogs only. Remember, part 1 of our celebration is today with some of Danni's crafting friends, and part 2 is tomorrow with the design team!

Now to grab a drink, and get to hoppin'! Start at the Flutter By Wednesday blog for all the details and enjoy!

Christmas Latte

I want to go on record, here and now, that I am not ready for the winter/Christmas season to decend upon us. Summer is not officially over until mid-September despite the kids already being back in school, and I want to enjoy every last second of summer before moving on. However, when a sponsor generously provides images, one uses them -- Christmas or not. So here I am being pushed, kicking and screaming (not actually, but mentally) into the Christmas holiday preparations.

Firstly, let's have a look at this week's sketch:

Another great one, right? Our sketches over at Tuesday Morning are always fantastic and so easy to use. 

This week, our sponsor is the wonderful Floppy Latte's Digital Designs. You will find great versatility in the Floppy Latte's line of images -- a little something for most everyone -- from beautiful silhouettes to flowers to Christmas to -- well, you get the idea! My lovely image is called Christmas Lamp.

After coloring my image with Copic markers, I used Ranger Stickles around the outside "glow" to give a little added sparkle. I used two DPs from a Christmas pad that I had left over from last year. I matted the DPs and the image on black. I know some of you may think black isn't exactly a color you think of for Christmas. However, I tried several different colors for the mats, and all the colors seemed to compete with or wash out the colors in the DPs except for good old neutral black. Don't know about you, but to me the black is really almost non noticeable.

The holly leaf ribbon is from my stash. I have had it for a number of years. Isn't it just a perfect ribbon to go along with the image?

Even though my card (and several of the other DT's cards) has a Christmas theme, our only theme this week is to use our delightful sketch. Remember, you can turn the sketch, change a shape or an embellishment or whatever you need to do to make the sketch fit your creation. HOWEVER, we must be able to see/recognize the original sketch plan in your creation. Thanks! So, if you are so inclined, we'd love for you to hop over to Tuesday Morning Sketches and join us in this week's challenge.