Saturday Sketch Challenge #748

Happy April, Crafting Friends! I hope your month has started out good and continues in a positive way. 

I'm back today with another project based on a design from Sketch Saturday. We are up to sketch #748. That's a lot of sketches and a lot of inspiration. If you need ideas for card layouts, I highly suggest you visit their blog. 

My sketch uses all the elements, but in a slightly different layout. My circles are a little askew from the card sketch.

Here is the original Saturday Sketch Challenge #748:

Think about it...you can move elements, flip the sketch on its side, turn it upside down, add a mat, leave off a mat...whatever floats your boat. The options are endless. Just let your imagination go.

I hope you are inspired to play along! Head over to their BLOG and check out what the other design team members have to share and get even more inspiration!

Til next time,

Keeping It Inky

Sketch Saturday #746

Hi, stampin' peeps! Can you believe it's March 9th already? Not sure where February went, but here we are with Spring just around the corner. I don't know about you but I can't wait to see things blooming and hear birds chirping.

One fun thing that helps pass the time is playing along with sketch challenges. I love the Saturday Sketch Challenges. I am excited to share my project for Sketch Saturday #746. This one was a little more thought provoking. I had to figure out just how to fine tune my angles and lines. I like how it turned out though.

I used some found papers in my stash along with some vinyl line strips which really defined the different sections. The leaves were heat embossed with some Seth Apter Wow! embossing powder. I love the color variations I get when I use these. The image started out as a branch with leaves. I just nipped it apart to get them placed where I wanted them. The Kraft cardstock I used for the card base and sentiment went really well with the vintage style paper. Here is the sketch...

I opted to rotate the sketch to a portrait layout and, instead of dots, I added leaves. This card could be used for male or female, which is always good to have in your stash. I kept the inside of the card fairly simple. I just stamped a sentiment and added a thin strip of the vintage print paper down the side.

I know I sound like a broken record when I say how much I enjoy challenging myself with sketches. I know you've heard it from me a time or two (or twenty). Even when I don't feel the need for something inspirational, I like trying new techniques and using both new and old supplies to create something from a sketch. I can be sure I always have a good selection of cards in my box when I need them.

So, have I inspired you to play along? Need a little more inspiration? Check out the Sketch Saturday page and see what the others on the Design Team have to share. Then you can share your design after you've made your creation!

Enjoy your day. Thanks for sharing part of it with me!

Til next time,

Keepin' It Inky!

Sketch Saturday 745 In The House

Hey, Stamping Friends! It's time to play along with another Sketch Saturday Sketch. You can check out all the interpretations from the designer team here: Sketch Saturday #745. 

This one was a fun one for me. It kind of all fell together.

When I saw the sketch, I knew exactly what I was going to do. Well, maybe not exactly. But I did know for sure I was using the die I had in my stash that fit the sketch perfectly!! Here is the sketch:

Could that die BE any more perfect (said in my best Chandler impersonation)!

I hope you will be inspired to play along too. Just hit up Sketch Saturday's blog and get your inspiration!

Til next time,

Keepin' It Inky!

Sketch Saturday #744

Good Day, my crafty friends! It’s time again for another sketch challenge over at Sketch Saturday. This was a fun one to do. I just grabbed some of my designer papers from Stampin’ Up! and went to town. I am trying to stock up on some sympathy cards and was very pleased with how this one turned out. Take a look…

I was actually visiting family in Florida when I made this. I had taken a small stash with me so I could do a little crafting. I brought white card bases and some pretty papers, but I forgot to bring black paper, which I frequently use for matting. So I cut the pieces I needed for matting and swiped my black ink pad down the edges. It worked like a charm.

For the inside of the card, I continued with the same papers and theme:

If you would like to see all the beautiful creations from the Design Team and play along, just click on this link: Saturday Challenge #744. Hope you find some great inspiration!

Til next time,

Keepin’ It Inky!

Sketch Saturday #743

Hello, crafty friends! I have a new project to share with you, based on the newest Sketch Saturday Release #743. I found another forgotten paper pack in my stash from the Paper Studio (Apartment 405) and was drawn to a couple selections.

The winter doldrums have set in and this paper combination just cheered me up a bit. I am low on sympathy cards, so I thought now would be a good time to start adding a few. I hate making them and sending them, but it's a little easier when it's combined with something enjoyable (the making them part). This is the sketch:

Sketch Saturday #743

 For the inside of the card, I used some of the scrap from the paper pack and dressed up the panel a little. The sentiments on the card are from an old set called Positive Thoughts from K. Andrew Designs.

What kind of cards do you have the most difficulty with? Next to manly cards, I think sympathy are my most difficult. I do find it easier, though, when I have a sketch to get my creative juices flowing. I sure hope you pop over to the Sketch Saturday Challenge #743 and play along. You'll find some great ideas from the Design Team there.

Til next time,

Keepin' It Inky

A NEW YEAR AND A NEW SKETCH CHALLENGE

Hello, inky friends! I hope you all had wonderful holidays and enjoyed some time with family and friends. My Christmas was uneventful, which is a good thing in my book. I am back in my craft room and happy to share a brand new Sketch Saturday Challenge with you.

Challenge #742 was a lot of fun for me. I have been busy cleaning my craft room and purging some supplies I no longer need. That's always when I find things I forgot or didn't know I had, so it's kind of like Christmas. I found this beautiful paper pad from The Paper Studio called Pretty as a Poppy. The pack is done in shades of black, gray, and pink with a beautiful shiny copper accent. The copper is what really caught my eye, but I love the designs and how well they all complement each other. This is my completed project.

And just look at the shimmer in that paper!

I used a couple of sizes of postage stamp dies, some vellum, and some copper washi tape to complete the layout from the sketch. Are you anxious to see the sketch? Well here it is!

Sketch Saturday #742

The crafty friends over at Sketch Saturday would love to see your take on the sketch too! (So would I!) You can head over there and see all the samplings from the Design Team. Come play along...upload YOUR creation!!

Til next time,

Keepin' It Inky!

Sketch Saturday Challenge #741

Hello again, craft friends! I cannot believe Christmas is right around the corner. Hope you are all ready with your preparations! I still have way too much to do!

Can you believe this is the last Saturday Sketch Challenge of 2023? And can you also believe that there were 26 sketches shared with you this year? You can always find all the Past Sketches linked on their blog in case you missed any or want to review them.

This final sketch was a little more challenging. But if you check out what the Design Team did, you well get some really great ideas! Here is my project and the sketch:

I chose a birthday theme, as suggested by the bonus challenge. I wanted to keep it simple and elegant. And the inside of the card reflected all the colors and patterns from the front of the card.

Since this is the last sketch of the year, it will be my last post for the Saturday Sketch Design Team for 2023. Stay tuned for 2024 and whole new batch of amazing sketches to play along with. And be sure you upload your creations on their blog!

I hope you all have a blessed Christmas and a joyous New Year.

Til next time,

Keepin' It Inky!

Toodle Noodle Ro

Sketch Saturday Challenge #740

Good Day, my crafty friends! I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving. I'll bet you are all eagerly getting ready for Christmas. The countdown has begun. Yesterday was my birthday, and I was lucky enough to be able to spend some time with friends in Siesta Key. Sunshine and sea....soothes my soul!

Have you gotten all your Christmas and Holiday cards made and sent? If you do, you're way ahead of me! If you are still working on them and are stuck for ideas, or are already preparing for upcoming events (birthdays, valentines day, weddings, etc.), sketches are a great way to boost your ideas and creativity.

This weeks Saturday Sketch Challenge (#740) is a fun and easy one to knock out. The bonus challenge is to make a second card with a mirror image. These cards would be great for mass card batches if you have beautiful papers or ribbons to add to the front. I decided to do two orientations (kinda sorta mirrored, lol) using a similar color scheme.

I had fun using some embossing folders on these. The diagonal striped one was so perfect, I couldn't believe I was lucky enough to have it in my stash! I will give you a little hint...rather than using individual papers or ribbons (which you could totally do), I used striped pattern papers for my diagonal images! It was so quick and easy, I can't wait to make more! This sketch will definitely go in my "go to" sketch bin. Here is a closer look at the cards including the inside layout, along with the sketch I followed.

I'm curious...how many Christmas/Holiday cards do you send out each year and do you make all of them yourself? Leave me a comment!

Til next time,

Keepin' It Inky!

Toodle Noodle Ro

Sketch Saturday Challenge #739

Hey, crafty friends! Can you believe Thanksgiving is so close? Time just seems to fly by these days. I've been busy crafting bundles of holiday cards to sell, hoping to pad my vacation cash just a little. I try to go to Florida for a couple of weeks during the beginning of December to celebrate my birthday. Winter birthdays are not much fun when you don't like the cold and snow!

The Saturday Sketch Challenge (#739) was a little more challenging for me. I really had to put my thinking cap on, but I'm happy with the end result. You know, you can always spark your creativity with the great sketches from Sketch Saturday. There is a new one every two weeks, with a little bonus challenge if your feeling extra crafty! The "extra" this week was to feature an image of a person. I couldn't come up with a twist for that, but I'll bet you can! Here is my card and the sketch I followed.

I really liked the colors of the paper I used and focused on that for my inspiration (besides the sketch!). I chose the soft blue as the main color and used that in several ways on the card. I even inked the edges of the back panel to tie everything together. And silver just really goes with soft blue so I chose that for my threading. 

For the inside of the card, I repeated the inked edges on the card panel and used the same color for the sentiment, adding a stamped bough to tie it all together.

I tend to "default" to certain color combinations. When I find a combo that works, I go with it. Why reinvent the wheel? Do you have a favorite combo that you use as your "go to"? Leave me a comment!

Hope you play along with our sketch this week and upload your project. You can get lots of inspiration from the Design Team if you need a little boost!

Til next time,

Keepin' It Inky!

Ro Donner

Toodle Noodle Creative

Sketch Saturday Challenge #738

Happy November, my crafty friends! I'm not quite sure where October went, but WHOOSH...it's gone! Hope you all had a fun and safe Halloween and are looking forward to some of the colder weather holidays. I, personally, look forward to the holidays, just not the colder weather. Here in Michigan, it gets pretty chilly and my poor old bones are just not excited! lol

It's also time again for a brand new sketch from Sketch Saturday. Sketch #738 was a fun one for me. I love cards with panels. And I really enjoy sparking my creative brain with a sketch and the satisfaction I feel when I've finished the project. As the holidays approach, life gets kind of hectic. What better way to escape for a brief time than to play along with a sketch challenge?! 

Here is the sketch and my finished project:

I love using colors other than the traditional red and green for holiday cards. The tiny boughs of holly are so dainty and the dark blue card base really sets it off. I used some dies to highlight the sentiment panel. Both of the dies are cut from the same cardstock, but I used a little darker ink pad swipe over one of them to add a little dimension.

For the inside of the card, I followed through with the color theme and paper, adding another die cut branch to top it off.

The sentiment is from Stampin' Up! They have such beautiful sentiments, it's never difficult to find the perfect one.

Do you have a "go to" technique that you frequently add to your cards? Leave me a comment. I'd love to hear your thoughts!

Til next time,

Keepin' It Inky!

Ro Donner

Toodle Noodle Creative

Sketch Saturday Challenge #737

Hey, crafty friends! It's time for another card challenge. Check out the Sketch Saturday Challenge #737. It's a great place to find card sketches, get design ideas, and share your take on the current sketch. 

Here is the current sketch. There is a link on their page that let's you play right along!

And here is my interpretation:

I used an embossing folder for the background and gently rubbed a lighter green ink pad over the raised parts of the image. I used a glitter marker to highlight the berries. Glitter tape added a little bling to the red panel. I love green and red on a kraft cardstock base. The colors really pop. 

I also carried the theme to the inside of the card:

I used a coordinating border folder to create the left panel and a Stampin' Up! Stamp for the sentiment. 

So, tell me...what is your favorite color combination for Christmas? Are you more traditional or a bit modern? Leave me some comments!

Have a fun, crafty week. Stay safe, y'all!

Til next time,

Keepin' It Inky

I am no longer MIA - And a Sketch Saturday Card (#736)

Hello, my crafty friends. I have been a little MIA as of late. Many things happened in my life (some ok: son and granddaughters moved in; some bad: had to go on medical leave, and had to put my cat down; and some worse: increasing and constant chronic pain issues). I won’t bore you with all details. But believe me when I say that crafting definitely took a back seat for a few minutes.

I’m happy to say things have settled down to a new normal. I deal with a lot of pain on a daily basis and am working with my health care provider to come up with a way to manage that and still function. That’s been unattainable so far. I’m determined to live through the pain. Life is too precious. I am lucky to have a wonderful support system in my hubby, kids and besties.

With that being said, I am now back in crafting mode. I can only do it in spurts (I have the time, but the pain dictates how long I can craft at a time). So I am happy to share my creation for Sketch Saturday’s Sketch #736. I would love it if you play along! They release a new sketch every other week. You can upload your creations and you might even be selected as a top 3 badge earner! If you are looking for ideas and inspiration, check out what the design team has put together. 

Here is the sketch:  

And this my interpretation:

Thanks for letting me pop back into your world.

Til next time,

Keepin' it inky!

Sketch Saturday #722

 I'm back again with another Sketch Saturday Challenge (#722). This sketch really spoke to me. And one of my favorite combos to use is black, white and silver (or another accent color). Vellum is one of my favorite things to add to cards as well, so this vellum from Stampin' Up! is perfect with the simpleness of the card. The stamp and label die are also from SU!. 

This is the basic sketch:

I sure hope you will come play along and share your creation at Sketch Saturday Challenge.

Til next time,

Keepin' it inky!

Sketch Saturday New Sketches

I've been a little behind the eight ball lately with life stuff. But I have still managed to squeeze in some craft (aka therapy) time. And, of course, I've been using the Sketch Saturday Sketches for some great inspiration. Here's what I've been up to...

Sketch 720 was so fun I did two! 

Here's the sketch: 

And here is my creation based on Sketch 721!

I really enjoy using these sketches for inspiration. I hope you come join in on the fun and share what you create! Stop by Sketch Saturday any ol' time for some great ideas!

Til next time,

Keepin' it inky!!