CAS-ual Fridays Challenge #37–Laura’s Sketch!

Wow, wow, wow!!  That’s all I can say about both the incredible number of entries from last week’s challenge, as well as the amazing projects that you all submitted.  Oh my goodness!!  I had such a hard time narrowing down my votes.  I so hope that this week’s challenge inspires you as much as last week’s challenge did.  It’s one of my faves – a sketch!!  I love a good card sketch because it takes so much of the guessing out of my designing.  And it’s a great jumping off point for “interpretation,” if you know what I mean.  *wink* *wink*  Hehehe

Our fabulous sponsor this week is Sweet ‘n Sassy Stamps, the purveyor of both clear and digital stamps.  They’ve got some pretty cute stuff, so you really should check out their store!  Sweet n’ Sassy Stamps has provided this week’s TGIF Club Winner with a wonderful prize, but you’ll have to hop on over to the CAS-ual Fridays Challenge Blog to see what it is.  Oh come on, you didn’t think I was actually going to tell you, did you?!  LOL  Thank you Sweet ‘n Sassy Stamps!!

I pretty much stuck to the sketch this time (shocker!  LOL).  The focal image is from one of my favorite stamp companies – W Plus 9 Design.  I was inspired to use The Birds & The Bees stamp set because of a set of cards that I saw on Val Stangle’s blog the other day.  I’ve had this stamp set for ages and had never inked it up before this challenge. It’s a crime, right?!  Please forgive the dark photo – I am really STRUGGLING with my lighting and new light tent.  The card base is actually Smokey Shadow, which is a dark gray – but it looks black.  Ugh!  If any of you have a fool proof solution to dark photos (I use Adobe Photoshop 7.0 to edit my photos), I’d love any and all advice you might have to offer.

STAMPS:  The Birds & The Bees (W Plus 9 Design), Polka Dot Basics II and Label Basics (PTI)
INK:  Fresh Snow (PTI), Slate & Fuchsia (Fresh Ink)
PAPER:  Smokey Shadow (PTI), Smokey (Bazzill Paper Basics), White (Neenah)
ACCESSORIES:  Angled Label Die (PTI), Rainbows & Clouds (Lil Inker Designs), Gray Satin Ribbon (Midori), Hibiscus Burst Button (PTI)

 

I so hope you’ll play along with us again this week.  As you read this, I’m packing my suitcase for an adventure that I still can’t believe I’ll be participating in.  I’ll be joining my sweet friend, Kim Hughes (the brilliant mind behind Paper Smooches Stamps), at the CHA in Anaheim, CA on Saturday morning.  I’ll be working in the Paper Smooches booth, and I can’t even tell you how thrilled and excited I am to do this.  Attending this conference has been a dream of mine ever since I started stamping, and this weekend, my dream will come true, thanks to Kim.  If you’re going to be there, please stop by the Paper Smooches booth (#2609 in the New Exhibitors Section) and say hello!  I’d love to meet you!!  In the meantime, I’ll be returning home on Wednesday, so things will be pretty quiet around my little blog until then . . . but know that when I get back, I’ll definitely be sharing my pics with you!!