The day is finally here!  The 200th sketch over at Freshly Made Sketches!!  I had to stop and take in all that means when it comes to crafty inspiration.  The amazing challenge consistently has over 100 players each week.  That means over the last 4 years our challenge has had over 20,000 cards shared!  Wow.  Just wow!  When Lesley started this challenge, I felt immediately like she had put words to my style.  Clean but not always simple.  Don’t get me wrong, I like Clean AND Simple (CAS) but many times I make cards that have clean lines but also take a long time to make.  Sometimes it is a technique, sometimes it is detail work, sometimes it is working on balance…but many of these clean cards are actually hard.  *smile*  Lesley gave me an a-ha moment and clearly I am not the only one!  The success of this challenge is about the right mix of sketches and the amazing design team (I still pinch myself that I get to be a part of it!).  It is even more about YOU, the greater crafting community.  Our sponsors recognize what you bring and have been so generous in all they are offering as prizes!

We don’t have a traditional sketch hostess today.  The whole team is your hostess!  We chose a sketch that we felt allows for lots of expression and creativity.  Based on what I have seen from both our FMS DT and our guest DT members, we were right.  I hope that you will enjoy it as much as we already have!

I had so many ideas for this sketch that I could barely clear my head enough to use just one (actually I have more cards to share with you later this week).  This one really reflects some of my favorite items in the new Holiday Catalog from Stampin’ Up so I just had to share.  These catalogs should be arriving soon to customers and you are going to be in love!  I started with the new Softly Falling TIEF and embossed my Thick Whisper White panel.  This embossing folder is awesome.  While it is meant to be “snow”, I just used it as a texture layer with the concentrated dots at the bottom (helped me stick to the sketch).  It is so pretty and more impressive in person than in my picture.  Then there are the snowflakes.  These wooden Snowflake Elements are awesome.  I should have gotten more.  There are 24 in a pack and I’ll be through them in no time!  I took them and smooshed them into my Versamark Ink Pad and them poured Silver Stampin’ Emboss Powder on them.  Add a heat tool and they emboss up super fast.  GORGEOUS!  They are attached with the new Fine Tip Glue Pen…so great for tiny things!  I added a Basic Rhinestone to each center with such a pretty effect.  Next, using the new Christmas Greetings Thinlit Dies and my Big Shot, I cut out the sentiment from Silver Glimmer Paper.  Mmmm….glitter!  As if the shine and sparkle weren’t enough already, I added a layer of Silver Foil behind the image layer and popped the whole thing up on Dimensionals.  This card is such a wow in person.  I love it and I hope you do too!

Now if you have ever needed inspiration, this is the week to get ready to Pin.  I’m in complete awe over the talent that is in our guest gallery.  As if I wasn’t already mouth agape enough from the FMS DT!!!  The support from the stamping community has been humbling for all of us at FMS and I cannot begin to tell you what it has been like for me over the last few weeks.  Every time a card was sent to me, I squealed out loud.  As the companies responded with their sponsorship offers, I could hardly believe what I was reading.  At one point I think I channeled my inner Sally Field.  We can’t deny that you like us…you really like us!  *smile*  And that is a fabulous honor for all of us at Freshly Made Sketches.  This community of artists and friends is unlike any other I have known.  I’m grateful beyond measure to Lesley for having given me, a small time and unknown stamper, the offer of being on this amazing team almost 4 years ago.  It changed the course of my crafting life.  Gave me the confidence to enter and be chosen for Stampin’ Up’s Artisan Design Team.  And most importantly, it has given me the chance to meet some of the kindest and most generous people in the world.  The actual world….because we are all over the place and yet we feel like neighbors.

So, I’ll stop being sappy before I can’t continue my post.  I hope you have fun this week!  Here’s to another 200!

Click HERE to purchase wonderful Stampin’ Up products!

Ink:  Versamark; Paper:  Thick Whisper White, Silver Foil, Silver Glimmer ; Accessories:  Big Shot, Christmas Greetings Thinlits, Softly Falling TIEF, Heat Tool, Silver Stampin’ Emboss Powder, Basic Rhinestones, Fine Tip Glue Pen