Day 153 - Saturday Sketch

Ready for your final sketch challenge of the week?

Here it is:

And here's Heidi's card:

Love that mix of patterns!

You have until tomorrow to complete any of the sketch challenges from the past week to be considered for a Top Trio spot and an opportunity to be a guest designer here at 365 Cards...

Day 152 - Friday Sketch

Today I get to share another card with you as I present another sketch...

After I designed this sketch, the first thing I thought of was a little buggy landing on a flower, so that's what I created. Now I can't wait to see what you come up with - it might just be the card that lands you in the Top Trio and wins you a guest spot here at 365 Cards!

One more day of 7 Sketches Week and then we have a new week with a new sponsor...

Day 151 - Thursday Sketch

Today I have a sketch for you and a fond farewell...

Our Design Team member Vicky Cook is moving on to pursue other things, but I want to wish her the very best! Vicky has been with us since the very first challenge, and I am so grateful that she joined us on this journey for as long as she has.

Here is a look at the first card Vicky create for us here at 365 Cards:

Lots of inspiration right from the start!

And Vicky would not leave us without sharing one last card, so here's the sketch for today, and her card:

Isn't that gorgeous? And check out that little gift card holder - very cool! Vicky, you and your talent will be greatly missed!!

No doubt you are wondering who will be filling the Thursday spot. Well....you'll just have to wait until next Thursday to find out, but I am certain that you will approve of our new DT member :)

Back to the scrapping....

Day 150 - Wednesday Sketch

Here's your Wednesday sketch:

And Kim's gorgeous card:

Both Kim and Audrey described their cards to me as being "loosely" based on the sketch, which is just fine with me. That's the beauty of a sketch challenge, the important thing is that you are inspired by the sketch, whether it sticks closely to it or not.

So how do you feel about sketches - are you a fan?

Oh, I almost forgot to tell you about the prize this week. Making it into the Top Trio is all about inspiration. The DT and I select cards that inspire us, and we feel will inspire you as well. So this week's Top Trio will receive an offer to be a guest designer in the coming weeks.

It's been fun seeing what you all come up with for these sketches, and there are several more to come...

Day 149 - Tuesday Sketch

Here's your Tuesday sketch for this week:

And here is Audrey's festive take on the sketch:

Very cool - and I love how you turned that patterned paper into a banner, Audrey!

I know I don't have to tell ya how a sketch challenge works, so scrap away...

Day 148 - Monday Sketch

We have a winner from Lauretta's Digital Stamps Week...

Congrats to Shelly Harris!!!

Please email me here so we can get you set up with your prize.

Here is your Top Trio:

1) Cat Spicer - For doodling a beautiful border.

2) Paula B. - For a creative "cooking" card.

3) Tasia D. - for creating this clever take on a tough sketch.

It was a week with several tough challenges - especially that sketch, but there were several people who attempted those challenging, um well, challenges :) And we're so glad you did! Thanks for the inspiration.

We have one amazing Weekly Challenge All-Star:

Shelly Harris

Thanks for playing along every day this past week!!

Ready for another sketch? Here it is:

We are fortunate to have a card from Gloria today that she created before she had to leave town. It is loaded with bright colors and bold patterns:

Beautiful card!

We'll be back tomorrow with another sketch...

Day 147 - Super Sketchy Sunday

Welcome to another 7 Sketches Week!!!

This week we're bringing you sketches ALL WEEK LONG!

If you like to see sketches, then you're going to have fun this week, starting with the Sunday sketch:

And here are the Design Team examples:

Rose

Amy

Andrea

Sophia

Tesa

Any prizes this week? Well yes, as a matter of fact, I'm looking for a Guest Designer (or maybe 2 or 3...). More details on that to come as the week progresses. But for now things are looking pretty sketchy around here ;)

Day 146 - Summer Fun

For this challenge, I figured it was time to celebrate summer!

If you aren't experiencing summer where you're at, maybe it'll be fun to dream about it while you make your card. Or, if you're like me and you live in the Pacific Northwest and it felt like it took forever for summer weather to roll in, then you really need this challenge, lol!

No matter what the reason for doing it, here's the challenge:

Use 3 images on your card that are typically associated with summer

or at least 3 things that you associate with summer. Here's Heidi's 3 and her card:

I love the bright colors and this mix of images, including the rainbow image from Lauretta's Digital Designs - beautiful!

On a somber note, I must acknowledge a recent post by DT Member Gloria on her blog. She and her family have experienced a terrible loss, and I just want her to know that her 365 Cards friends are thinking about her during this difficult time...

Day 145 - Woven Heart

Hey 365ers - Sophie's on vacation, so you get a card from me today!

The challenge is to create a cute little Woven Heart - how does that sound? If you haven't seen these before - they are little pockets in the shape of a heart that are perfect for popping in a little treat or note for the recipient. I wanted to try one, and a 365 challenge seemed like the right time. Here's my card:

For details on how I created my heart, head over to my blog and read this post.

For a better set of step-by-step instructions, go here.

I love that little sundress image from Lauretta's Digital Designs, and it tied in beautifully for this "little girl" themed birthday card.

If you've made one of these before, but not on/for a card OR if you've never tried it, then now's the time...

Day 144 - Best Seller

Recently when I was in a bookstore, I noticed the variety in book covers. It got me thinking that perhaps it would make for a fun challenge here at 365 Cards. So I passed the idea onto Vicky, and this is the book cover she selected for this challenge:

I can see why she chose this one, and it really inspired a beautiful card:

Isn't that lovely? And Vicky featured a sundress image from Lauretta's Digital Stamps on her card.

So take another peek of that image and let's see how it inspires your card...

Day 143 - What's Cooking?

We've had food-related challenges in the past, but this one is pretty specific.

You must have something related to the cooking of food - an image or sentiment - on your card.

Check out this cute chef image from Lauretta's Digital Stamps on Kim's card:

Beautiful peachy/orange shades of color on this card!

So now it's your turn to get cookin'...

Day 142 - Beautiful Background

So the challenge is to fill the background of the card with ribbon - pretty simple concept, but how simple is the execution?

Well, Audrey so very cleverly combined this challenge with a beautiful image from Lauretta's Digital Stamps to create this card:

Isn't that fabulous? When I designed the challenge, I pictured a bunch of overlapping ribbon (which definitely works, too), but then Audrey surprised me with this and it totally fits with the challenge. I love that about this Design Team - they really do create inspirational designs!!

So however you decide to do it, fill up that background with ribbon...

Day 141 - DIY

Here's the winner of the {ippity} stamps....

Congrats to

Gail!!!!

Please email me here so I can get your info.

Here's your Top Trio:

1) Jessica (at Paper Therapy) - For a gorgeous recipe card.

2) Jessica T. - With her "kraft-y" white space card.

3) Gail - For a lovely stitched up sketch card.

And your Weekly Challenge All-Stars:

Gail and Shelly H.

Great job completing all the challenges from Sunday to Saturday last week!

So for today's challenge, I'm looking for some artwork - specifically, a handdrawn image. It doesn't have to be anything fancy (a smiley face will do), but it has to be a Do-it-Yourself kind of image.

I think you just might be inspired after seeing Gloria's card:

Can you tell what is drawn by Gloria? Take a look at those pockets and ruffles. Gloria added pockets that weren't originally part of the image - cool, huh? See, easy peasy :) And such a great image from Lauretta's Digital Images to work with!

Okay, give it a try and then join us tomorrow for another fun challenge with another great digi image to share!

Day 140 - Super Sketchy Sunday

Welcome to Lauretta's Digital Stamps Week!!!

The rules are always the same:

- Get those cards linked up by 11:59 PM EST on July 25th to qualify for the prize at the end of the week.

- A name will be chosen at random, and you can earn up to 7 chances to win!

-Have fun and be inspired!!

Here's your Sunday Sketch:

And the Design Team examples:

Tesa

Rose

Amy

Sophia

Andrea

Some super sweet images and I love what everybody has done with them!!

Tomorrow we'll have some winners from {ippity} week...

Day 139 - Silly Saturday

Hey 365ers, do ya recognize these people??

Yesterday I drove up to the Scrapbook Expo in Puyallup, WA, and met up with our very own Amy Tsuruta!! And let me tell you, she's every bit as sweet and fun as you would expect her to be. We had such a good time looking at all the cool scrappy products and chatting like crazy,

Thanks, Amy!!

And now on to today's challenge...

Aside from the holidays you often hear about and celebrate, there are lots of fun and silly holidays to celebrate as well.

So I asked Heidi to find one, and here is her super cool, hysterically funny card:

And if you're thinking of celebrating this particular holiday, mark your calendars for September 19th! Thanks for great example, Heidi :^)

So go browse the web for a fun and silly holiday to inspire your card...

Day 138 - Create-Your-Own

Before I share the challenge, here's a word from our sponsor:

I have always been a crafty kind of person, but after getting into paper crafting a few years back, this particular craft has stuck with me. It is my "therapy" so to speak. I've been a fan of Unity Stamps since they started their company, and I decided to get in on the ground floor this past fall with the {ippity} Stamp line by Unity Stamp Company.

I sell the entire {ippity} Stamp line through my blog at www.endlessinkabilities.blogspot.com. I have a "Buy {ippity} here" tab at the top of the page.

A little about {ippity}

{ippity} Stamps is a new line of stamps created by Unity Stamp Company that is only sold through individuals such as myself - we are called {ippity} Chicks!
I have been an {ippity} Chick since the beginning, back in October 2009. We have had 3 releases to date. New product is released every 3 months with a new release coming in August!

The stamps are high quality, deepley etched red rubber mounted on cling foam. They can be used with any acrylic stamping block or with the {ippity} stamping block available for purchase.

Also available from the {ippity} line are new paper packs with each release and hybrid inks in 8 colors (with more being added at each release).

And let me remind you about the fabulous prize - the lucky winner will receive an {ippity} kit (winner's choice) and the stamp A Bit of Burlap - pretty cool, huh?

So the challenge today is a Create-Your-Own sort of thing. I'll give you a few lists, and you select one item, technique, pattern, etc. from each list to create your own special card.

And here are the lists:

List A - Pick a Pattern

Paisley

Houndstooth

Gingham

Toile

List B - Color Trio

Red/Green/Yellow

Black/White/Purple

Blue/Lavender/Green

Pink/Blue/Purple

List C - Embellishment

2 brads

2 rhinestones

2 blossoms

2 buttons

List D - Shape (not the shape of the card itself)

Circle

Star

Oval

Heart

Here is Sophie's Card:

It's lovely, and that star is such a cool embellishment!

You can add anything else you want to the card, as long as you only use one item from each of the lists above.

Day 137 - Hot and Cold

For this challenge, split your card in half based on color groups - hot and cold, warm and cool, whatever they're called - and there should be a distinct separation between the two.

Anything else goes - embellies, sentiment - it's up to you as long as you stick to the "hot and cold" rule.

Here's Vicky's card:

Clean and simple - love it! And you nailed the challenge, Vicky.

Just a couple more days of {ippity} stamps week to go...

Day 136 - Imagine This: Chalkboard

With an Imagine This challenge, all you have to do is be inspired by the item listed...in this case, a chalkboard.

Kim captured the "chalkboard" idea perfectly, check it out:

And notice all the wonderful little details!

So this week, if you play along with us, you can earn up to 7 chances to win an {ippity} stamp set. And as an owner of some of these fabulous stamps, I can tell you that it is a great prize! If you want to see all the stamps our sponsor, Kim Bell, has to offer - just pop over to her blog and take a peek...

Day 135 - White Space

Christmas in July? Well it is today :)

Here's the White Space sketch for this challenge:

And Audrey's festive card:

I love the texture of that white background!

So if you're new to the blog and this type of challenge - the idea is to keep embellishments and other decoration in the blacked-out area of the sketch. The rest of the card should be blank space (but doesn't necessarily have to be white).

Thanks Audrey for this wonderful source of inspiration!

Day 134 - Card Recipe

Thanks to all who participated during our Celebration Week! We have a winner of the $20 GC to the Prickley Pear shop....

Congrats to:

Steph - aka Sweet Craf-Tea Chick

Please email me here so we can get you set up with your prize!

Here's last week's Top Trio:

1) Kelly B. - For this beautiful banner card with its cute sentiment.
2) Deb N. - For this cleverly created "aged" card.
3) Juls - For this "old, new, borrowed and blue" acetate stunner.

And the Weekly Challenge All-Stars are:

Gail and Shelly H.

Today we're bringing you a deliciously challenging card recipe:

Ingredients

4x4 card
4 patterned papers
5 blossoms
handstitching
1 stamp
sentiment of your choice

That's all that should be on your card.

Here's Gloria's example:



Those colors and patterns work so beautifully together, Gloria!

Gloria combined the sentiment with the stamp requirement...which technically counts. Leave it to her to bend the rules (you know I love ya for it!)

The sentiment is from {ippity} Stamps.

Another fun challenge coming up tomorrow...

Day 133 - Super Sketchy Sunday

Welcome to {ippity} Stamps Week!!!

Thank you to Kim Bell for sponsoring the prize this week, an {ippity} stamp set. You can see all the stamps that Kim has to offer at her blog, Endless Inkabilities.

Here is this week's sketch:

And the Design Team examples:

Tesa

Sophia

Rose

Pam

Andrea

Amy

To qualify for the random drawing at the end of the week, all you have to do is link up those cards by 11:59 PM EST, Sunday July 18th. You can earn up to 7 entries, so play with us all week long!!