I am so excited to bring you the sketch for this week’s Freshly Made Sketches Challenge!! I suppose it shouldn’t surprise you that my sketch choice for the week is a bit flying inspired.  “Straight and level” flying is the goal of every airline pilot.  Despite the efforts of my instructors and their failed engines, hydraulics, electrics (and anything else they can thing of…in a simulator, of course), my training partner and I have dutifully maintained this over the last few weeks.  Apparently, that is what I needed for stamping too!  The design team has created some spectacular samples and I can’t wait to see what everyone makes this week!

I made this card for my youngest son’s birthday.  Patterned Party is such a fun stamp set and I just love these little presents.  I started with the Real Red polka dot print and framed it using Basic Black.  Then I chose happy primary colors, Pacific Point and Daffodil Delight to go with the Real Red.  I thought it would be fun to add a little banner grounded by a button for the sentiment.  I tied the button with some black thread to mimic the bows on the presents.    The best part is that my little one liked Mommy’s card.

This is the last week of training here in Denver.  My big check ride is this Friday and then I’ll be done.  Sometime next week I can expect to go out on my first trip.  Hopefully I’ll get some stamping in before they send me on my way!!  Thank you for all the encouraging messages while I have been here and I am grateful for your patience on my minimal posting.  I hope to be back to “normal” in the next couple of weeks!!  I miss my stamping friends and can’t wait to catch up with them!

Make sure you go check out the awesome samples the design team has made.  I already see some CASEing in my future!!  Have a great week!

Stamps:  Patterned Party, Teeny Tiny Wishes; Paper:  Brights Designer Paper Pack, Basic Black, Whisper White; Ink:  Real Red, Pacific Point, Daffodil Delight, Basic Black; Accessories:  Neutrals Buttons, Black Thread, Dimensionals

Time for another Freshly Made Sketches Challenge!  This sketch is courtesy of Lesley Croghan again!  She is seeing double and I see a lot of great cards in our future!!

This was the second project I made over the weekend.  After convincing my boys that I “needed” to stamp to make Valentine’s, it was a bit harder to convince them I needed to make another card.  Needless to say, this had to be fast!  While I have all my lovely SAB papers and new mini items, the Spice Cake DSP called out to be used.  Let’s face it…these colors are right in my happy zone!  I let the paper do the work and simply cut two butterflies out with my Big Shot, one in Early Espresso and one in the DSP.  I channeled the talented Ann Schach of The Stampin’ Schach (without her trademark distressing) and rolled up the little banners.  So easy and yet such a great addition!  The button has a little piece of Very Vanilla paper threaded through to finish it off.

Again, a bit short and sweet on the post.  I’m so glad I got a little time to stamp while I was home but I’m back to studying.  This week’s “fun” includes lots and lots of engine out work along with other exciting emergency procedures.  Suffice it to say that United pilots are very, VERY well prepared if unusual things occur!!  At least we are finally in simulators.  My landings after three years off are still good…what a relief!!  There are many things that pilots use to judge an excellent flight but we know you passengers really just use the landing!  *smile*

Make sure you drop in to see the work from the rest of the design team!  I always love seeing the different interpretations of the sketch!  Hope you can play along this week.

Thanks for dropping by today.  I’ll see you again soon!

Stamp:  Because I Care (Hostess, retired); Paper:  Spice Cake DSP, Pool Party, Early Espresso, Very Vanilla; Ink:  Early Espresso; Accessories:  Big Shot, Beautiful Butterflies Die, Neutrals Buttons

Here we are…Wednesday already!  So much for my promised post with a new card.  Well, maybe in the next few days.  This pesky studying is getting in the way of my blog work!  *smile*  Fortunately I have a great sketch for you from Freshly Made Sketches.  This one is courtesy of none other than Lesley Croghan from Always Playing with Paper (aka, the woman who cannot possibly ever sleep for all the amazing things she does!!).

I figured it was about time to show you a Valentine’s Day card seeing that it is February!  This is the card I have made for my husband this year (shhh, don’t tell him).  I hope the bow doesn’t make it too girly but, after all, it is from me and I LOVE a bow!  Rose Red and Basic Gray are great together and it seems like forever since I have used Rose Red.  The Adorning Accents Embossing Folder hearts were my starting place for this card.  I thought they worked perfectly in the sketch.  I dug out one of my favorite retired sentiments from a set called Well Scripted.  I created a scalloped border using the Adorning Accents Edgelit.  So easy to get those perfect scallops!  A bow from the Rose Red Seam Binding was all that I had left.  I created a “potato masher” bow and then added a Basic Gray button.

As usual, the Freshly Made Sketches design team has made fantastic examples for you!  We are welcoming Kim of Joyful Creations with Kim and Tracey of My Creative Side as our guest designers this month.  What talented stampers!  Hope you can join us in the challenge!

This week holds another test of sorts.  Now we get into different phases of flying check rides.  Our “validation” on Friday will be on procedural items.  Basic checklists (getting the aircraft ready to go, inflight checks, taxi and shut down procedures), instrument procedures and flying both missed approaches and landings.  Missed approaches are when you cannot land for weather, runway conditions or whatever and need to take the airplane back around for another runway or airport.  This is where the three years off shows most to me and I will be studying a lot this week.  If I am a bit remiss on commenting, I promise I will catch up after the check.

I hope your week is great and I very much appreciate you stopping by today!  See you soon!

Stamp:  Well Scripted; Paper:  Rose Red, Basic Gray, Whisper White; Ink:  Rose Red; Accessories:  Big Shot, Adorning Accents Embossing Folders and Edgelits, Rose Red Seam Binding, Neutrals Buttons, Thread

Happy middle of the week, everyone!  I hope you are having a great one!  I have this week’s great sketch from Freshly Made Sketches for you and it is another winner!  This one comes from the super talented Jen Mitchell of I Create.  She is one of my favorite stampers.  Her clean lines are always striking.  Her tone on tone layering always makes me say wow!  Make sure you check out her card for this week’s sketch…it is fantastic.

I went with a decidedly spring palette for today’s card.  I just love Pear Pizzazz…not too olive, not too pale, just right!  This fun print from Twitterpated DSP just seemed to call out to me.  Of course, out came my new Bordering on Romance again.  This little flower is just the right size for the sketch!  I stamped it in Stazon Black, then watercolored with my Blender Pen using Daffodil Delight, Riding Hood Red and Pear Pizzazz.  The sentiment is from the hostess set Precious Butterflies…love this one!  I added a border created with the Adorning Accents Edgelit and some Basic pearls on the flowers and in the corner.  I have to say that this card just makes me happy!

So the test went really well (96%) and I am on to the next phase of training tomorrow.  We start flipping switches and running procedural checklists in a mock-up of a cockpit.  I always like it when I get to start doing more “pilot” stuff and less classroom stuff.  There is still classroom to go, of course, but the trainers are one step closer to the simulators.

I hope to be back early next week with a card I made before coming to training.  Until then, make sure you go enjoy the cards created by the whole design team.  As usual, they are incredible!  Thanks for stopping in today.  See you again soon!

Stamps:  Bordering on Romance, Precious Butterflies; Paper:  Twitterpated DSP, Pear Pizzazz, Basic Black, Whisper White; Ink:  Stazon Black, Daffodil Delight, Riding Hood Red, Pear Pizzazz; Accessories:  Big Shot, Adorning Accents Edgelits, Basic Pearls, Blender Pen

Take a look at the fabulous sketch from Freshly Made Sketches this week!  This sketch is courtesy of the amazing Linda Callahan of Stampin’ Seasons.  She makes the most lovely cards and you just have to go see her version of this layout!  Of course, the rest of the team has made some amazing projects too.

With such clean lines to the sketch, I chose to use the KISS (Keep It Simple Stamper) principle.  I pulled out my Fruit & Flowers stamp set and chose this pretty little flower.   The background paper is from the coordinating Berry Blossoms DSP and I let those colors be my guide.  Calypso Coral and Early Espresso are so fantastic together!  I attached some Early Espresso (retired) Satin Ribbon with one of the brads from the Sale-a-bration package and finished with a sentiment from Teeny Tiny Wishes.  I love the spring feel of this and it helps me with my continuing need for thank you cards from the holidays.

Well, yesterday was my first day of Airbus training and my brain is getting full of lots of numbers.  Not too bad so far but I know today will hold many more hours of classroom work.  I’m going to keep this one short so I can get back to the books.  Thank you so much for all the kind wishes on my training!

I’m so glad you were able to drop in today.  Make sure you take a look at the design team’s gorgeous work!  I’ll be back next Tuesday with a new SUO Challenge.  Until then, have a wonderful week!

Stamps:  Fruit & Flowers, Teeny Tiny Wishes; Paper:  Berry Blossoms DSP, Early Espresso, Whisper White; Ink:  Calypso Coral, Early Espresso; Accessories:  Early Espresso Satin Ribbon (ret), Everyday Enchantment Ribbon and Brads Pack

Now look at this fabulous sketch over at Freshly Made Sketches this week!!  This one is courtesy of the lovely Rita Wright from Rita’s Creations.  Rita is such a fabulous stamper…you will just love the card she has made with her own sketch!  Make sure you go take a look at her creation and those of the other designers on the team.

I decided take a masculine direction with this one.  I love this leaf from Faith in Nature (Hostess).  For this one, I inked with Versamark, then Early Espresso and stamper.  Then I heat embossed with Clear Stampin’ Emboss Powder.  I only did a little light coloring to add some depth.  I embossed the background with the Big Show and my Square Lattice Embossing Folder.  For the crossing panels, I added some Early Espresso Quilted Satin Ribbon (Holiday Mini).  I love how the ribbon looks with the embossed background.

I hope your week is going well.  I can’t wait to see everyone’s use of this sketch!  I’m certain the entries will be spectacular.  Have a great day!

Stamps:  Faith in Nature, Teeny Tiny Wishes; Paper:  Naturals Ivory, Early Espresso; Ink:  Early Espresso, Versamark; Accessories:  Big Shot, Square Lattice EF, Quilted Ribbon, Heat Tool, Clear Stampin’ Emboss Powder, Dimensionals

Welcome to a new year of challenges from Freshly Made Sketches!  This week’s sketch is courtesy of the amazing Tui Nathan of Stampin-Time.  Her style is always highlighted by the most lovely details and she has brought us a layout that lends itself to so many possibilities.

With the beginning of a new year it seemed appropriate to use this sketch for a baby card.  My husband works with the West Virginia Air National Guard and as you may imagine there are some serious West Virginia fans there.  This was my color motivation since this card is for some friends from work who had a baby boy.  I pulled out my Button Buddies set.  It is one of my favorites from the new catalog for the pure fun of it!  The sentiment is from Teeny Tiny Wishes.  I used a print from the Just Add Cake DSP against a Night of Navy background.  Some retired Night of Navy Satin Ribbon was used to add a little dimension across the card.  Of course the buttons make this…aren’t they fun??!!

You will be impressed with what the design team has done with this sketch and we can’t wait to see what you will show us!  Come along and join the fun!

Today is the first day back at United Airlines for me.  Wish me luck in going back to “school” (more here if you missed the announcement)!  Thanks for stopping in today.  See you soon!

Stamps  Button Buddies, Teeny Tiny Wishes; Paper:  Just Add Cake DSP, Night of Navy, Whisper White; Ink:  So Saffron, Night of Navy; Accessories:  Night of Navy Satin Ribbon (retired), Subtles Buttons, Regals Buttons, Thread