Gretchen Barron

My Digital Studio is Available Tomorrow -- Special Offer!

The much-awaited release of My Digital Studio, Stampin' Ups! state-of-the-art Digital Crafting Software, will be avaliable for customer orders tomorrow, October 1st! You don't want to wait to purchase this fabulous new software. All of the exclusive Stampin' Up! Colors are included, including In Colors from the past two years; Dozens of the most popular stamp sets along with Simply Scrappin' Kits, ribbons, brads, hardware, punches, embellishments and more! If you were to purchase all the stamp sets separately that are included in this software package, you would spend more than $1000, and that's just for the stamped images. What can you do with My Digital Software? Obviously, it makes scrapbooking so simple and quick. Whether you want to use the pages as you design them on the screen or print them out and add your own embellishments and layers (Hybrid projects), this software will have you plowing through your back-logged photographs and turning them into works-of-art in no time. You can also design cards and other projects with MDS, as well as print out your own designer papers and embellishments to use on traditional projects. Since all the colors perfectly match Stampin' Up! colors, the possibilities are endless! The program is very user-friendly and easy to use. Within minutes of installing the software on your home computer, you can be creating beautiful projects like this Scrapbook page! Click HERE for even more project ideas! Plus, when you purchase from me, I will coach you and assist you in learning how to use the program for as long as you might have questions.

Purchase The My Digital Studio software from me (either directly or through my ONLINE STORE - click on "shop now" at the top of the page) during the month of October and I will send you a FREE spool of 1/4" Grosgrain ribbon (15 yards -- your choice of 19 different colors) as my gift to you. Just e-mail your color choice to me after you place your order.

Host a workshop during October or November and you could receive 50% off the cost of My Digital Studio if your workshop order totals $400 or more -- how's that for a deal!

Check my blog often for more updates on My Digital Studio and lots of inspiring projects that I plan to share with you! My Digital Studio definitely needs to be on YOUR wish list!

Take It to the top Tuesday

Good morning, everyone! Tuesday morning can only mean one thing at Inspiration in Action! It's time to take it to the top. We start with one beautiful, but basic card. Add some layers, textures, and embellishments to step-it-up a bit, and then add some more to take it to the top. Three cards all using the same colors and stamp sets but you can see how easy it is to add just those little extra touches to your cards to make them even more special. Okay, enough chit-chat, here we go!

All of the cards today use the new Level One hostess set from the Holiday Mini Catalog, Patterned Pines. The color scheme is Real Red, Glorious Green and Whisper White (you can't get more traditional for Christmas than that). I used Stampin' Write Markers to color directly on the rubber. Don't you just love the different patterns in each of the trees? The sentiment is from Snow Swirled. This would make a wonderful, quick and easy Christmas card, especially if you need to mail out dozens of them. But with just a little more time and effort, you might do something like this ...

This Intermediate card is basically just like the first. I dont' know how well it shows up in the photo, but I have added a little bling to the Glorious Green Background with some Shimmer Spray made with Champaign Mist Shimmer Paint (click on the photo to make it bigger and see the sparkle better). You put 2 oz. of rubbing alcohol in a little mister spray bottle (available at most discount stores) and add 6 drops of the Shimmer Paint. Shake it well before and during use and spray it liberally onto your cut cardstock. The cardstock will curl but will quickly dry flat. Make sure it's completely dry before you try to apply adhesive. If you're impatient like me, you may want to hit it lightly with your heat tool just to make sure. You really need to try this technique -- it's just stunning in real life. So anyway, I added Shimmer Spray to the Green background and added a scalloped mat behind the trees. See THIS Post to learn how to quickly and easily make the scalloped rectangle. Now, let's add a bit more to make this a really special card!

WOW -- as you can see, this is the same basic layout. I've still added shimmer to the Glorious Green background but this time I also ran it through the Big Shot using the Petals-a-Plenty Impressions Folder (apply the shimmer spray and let dry before you put the texture on). Behind the stamped image, I've added two more layers of Real Red And Whisper White, just 2" wide, which helps to draw your attention even more to the stamped trees. I

added the sentiment on this white layer and tied on a little bow using Silver Metallic Elastic Cord. The Scalloped Rectangle layer is attached using Stampin' Dimensionals! And of course, you never want to forget the inside of the card. It needs a little stamping love as well. In this case, all it took were two simple stamped filigrees in opposite corners. Perfect!

Well there you go -- three cards that anyone would love to receive. Depending on the time you have and the skills you've developed, you can easily do any of them -- basic, intermediate and a little more advanced. None of them are difficult, it's really just a matter of how much time you spend on your creations! I hope you've enjoyed "Taking it to the Top" with me today. I've enjoyed having you visit and hope you'll come back often. And don't forget to leave me a comment. I love to read what you write. And I love it that so many of you are learning some simple, easy, techniques and tips to step-up-your card making. That makes my day!

There's still time to order your Frankie & Friends Halloween Treat Bags Class-Kit-on-the-Go or Tutorial soon so you will have them in time for October workshops and Halloween Gift-giving! You can order or find out more information on THIS post!

How To Create a Scallop Rectangle or Square of Any Size

Good Morning, everyone! This morning I want to show you a fun and quick technique to create a Scallop Rectangle Mat of any size using the Big Shot and the Scallop Square Die. This is so easy to do and adds such beautiful detail to your cards, scrapbook pages and 3-D items. When you cut a piece of cardstock using the Scallop Square Die, you will get a square that is approximately 4 3/8" square. Now, if you want to make a rectangle, instead of a square, it just requires that you run that cut piece, back through the Big Shot. The trick is to count the scallops that you want on each edge. Each scallop on the Die is approximately 1/2" wide. For my example, I wanted a rectangle that was 9 scallops wide (the longest you can get using this Die) and 6 scallops tall.

In this first photo, you can see that I cut it first using a piece of cardstock that is a bit bigger than what I want my finished mat to be (I wanted it to be 6 scallops wide which is approximately 3" so I first used  a piece of cardstock that was 3x5"). Next, I simply lifted the cut cardstock up out of the die and slid it over so that the left side was lined up in the 6th scallop (from the right) of the Die, ran it through the Big Shot again, and there you go -- a perfect scallop rectangle to use on my project. You can make a rectangle of any size

using this technique. You can also make a variety of scallop square sizes. To do this, you simply reposition your first cut on the corner of the die to make your square. (click on the photo on the left to view it as a larger image). In this example, I wanted to make a Scallop Square that had 6 scallops on each side (approximately 3" square). So After making my first cut, I repositioned it so there would be 6 scallops on each side and cut it again, using the Big Shot. This is a little more tricky, because the cardstock tends to "rock" in the cut-out portion of the clear die. To make it a little easier and to hold the cardstock where you want it, you could put just a bit of re positionable adhesive on the back to hold it securely on the foam part of the die. That's it! I can't wait to see what you create with your new scallop rectangles and squares!

And here's what I created for you today! I love the way this card turned out and the colors are so beautiful together. I actually created this for the Late Night Stampers "Take It To the Top" Challenge which begins today. I used a card on page 80 of the Idea Book & Catalog as my starting inspiration. This card uses Kind & Caring Thoughts (a level 3 Hostess stamp set), Cottage Wall Designer Series Paper and a color scheme of Elegant Eggplant, Old Olive and Whisper White. The edges of the DSP layers and the stamped layer are all sponged, with adds a great deal of depth to the project. The stamped image is simply stamped-off -- ink it

up once with Elegant Eggplant ink and then stamp it off two more times without reinking -- what a lovely effect. I added 3 Old Olive Brads on the left for a perfect finishing touch! And of course, I didn't neglect the inside of the card!

Well, I think that will be it for today. I've got a great new "Takin' It To the Top Tuesday" project ready for tomorrow -- my new Blog feature where I take one basic card and step-it-up two times with added embellishments, layers and textures. I do hope you'll come back tomorrow to see what I've been up to!

Don't forget to order your Frankie & Friends Halloween Treat Bags Class-Kit-on-the-Go or Tutorial soon so you will have them in time for October workshops and Halloween Gift-giving! You can order or find out more information on THIS post!

A New Saturday Sketch Challenge and Inspiration from the Stamping 411 Operators!

Hello everyone! I hope you're gearing up for a fun and productive weekend and that your plan calls for a little stamping time! The Operators at Stamping 411 have some inspiration to help you out!

As you know (I hope), Stamping 411 is a site that is put together with the Beginning and Inexperienced Stamper in mind. We take extra care to provide detailed instructions and measurements to help you as you create and learn. Stop by Stamping 411 often for inspiration, tutorials, new techniques and ideas!

Here is the card that today's sketch inspired me to do. I used the fabulous Kaleidoscope Designer Series Papers along with Green Galore, Tempting Turquoise and Whisper White cardstocks. The stamp sets are Petal Pizzazz and Thank You Kindly. Here's the nitty-gritty details:

1. Layer One -- Cardbase -- Tempting Turquoise cut at 8.5 x 5.5, scored and folded to make a 5.5 x 4.25" card with a top fold.
2. Layer Two -- DSP cut at 4 x 5.25"
3. Layer Three -- Green Galore cut at 2.25 x 4"
4. Layer Four -- Tempting Turquoise cut at 1.5 x 4". I ran it through the Big Shot using the Elegant Bouquet Impressions Folder and then attached it to layer Three with SNAIL adhesive. I ran some Whisper White 3/8" Taffeta Ribbon across the "seam" where the two pieces meet and tied a faux-bow.
5. Layer Five is the flower from the Petal Pizzazz stamp set. I inked up the stamp with Green

   

   Galore ink and then, using a Sponge Daubber inked with Tempting Turquoise, "daubbed" all along the edges to get a lovely, blended, two-tone effect. I colored in the little black dots with a Stampin' Write marker and attached to the card with Stampin' Dimensionals! The Playground Designer Button was attached using just a tiny bit of Crystal Effects.
6. Inside of the Card -- don't forget to do a little stamping on the inside. What a delight to open up a card and find a surprise inside as well!

Well, that will do it for now! Don't forget to visit Stamping 411to see what the other operators have been up to with this sketch. And, after you have a chance to get creative, remember to come back and leave your linked project with Mister Linky. We look forward to seeing what you create this week!

A New Weekend Sketch Challenge from Inspiration in Action!

Happy Thursday morning, everyone! Are you ready to do some stamping this week? I've got a new Sketch for you and some fun examples to share today!

How do you like this sketch? The large circle gives lots of opportunities for creative stamping! I can't wait to see what you create this week.

So, here we go ... my first sample to share today!

I think this sketch just begs to use the new Sweet Treet Cups from Stampin' Up! And on a recent shopping trip to a local Big Box Store, I found this fabulous purple and pink Strawberry Cotton Candy Gourmet Candy Corn - yum! What a fun card this is using The Pick a Petal Stamp and Crazy for Cupcakes stamp sets and bright colors -- Lovely Lilac, Tempting Turquoise, Certainly Celery and Pink Passion. All those polka-dot petals (12 in all) were a snap to do by

punching them out with the Large Oval Punch and then rounding-off the inside with the Wide Oval Punch so that they fit around the Sweet Treet Cup. Here's a tip for you -- stick two of the petals at a time on a small Post-it-Note and then easily punch with the Wide Oval Punch. Works like a charm! Half of the petals are

attached with Stampin' Dimensionals! Such a fun, bright card! To see how I attach my Sweet Treat Cups (and to make it possible to remove them without destroying the card), see my previous post HERE. And oh yes, the stamping on the inside of the card will show through the punched circle once the candy is removed! What a fun card to send for a Birthday or other special (or even not-so-special) occasion!

It's all about fun cards today and here is my second one using the fabulous new Twick or Treet Stamp set. I new when I first saw this little dog chomping on the skeleton's leg, that I had to have this set. Somewhere I saw someone make a card that had a bite taken out of it, so I had to try it on this card as well. I used the Cast-a-Spell Designer Series Paper, Scallop Edge Punch, 1/4" Pumpkin Pie Grosgrain Ribbon and the Scallop Circle #2 Die with the Big Shot. I also put some texture on the Elegant Eggplant layer with the Texture Plates Kit #4. And do you see that sparkle? It's

not glitter! It's actually the new Champaign Mist Shimmer Paint from the Holiday Mini Catalog. You put 6 drops of paint in 2 oz. of rubbing alcohol and keep it in a small misting bottle. Shake well before and during use, spray and let it dry flat. The result is amazing sparkle and shine without glitter residue! It's such a fun new technique and one that I will be using a lot in the future! I told you it was a day for fun cards!

And here's my last example today! For this one I turned the sketch on it's side and used Razzleberry Lemonade Designer Series Papers and the Razzle Dazzle Stamp set. Again using the Scallop Circles #2 Die, I cut the circle in

Melon Mambo cardstock and layered it with Rich Razzleberry and Whisper White. 1/2" Rich Razzleberry Polka-Dot Grosgrain Ribbon adds a finishing touch and a little stamping on the inside never hurts!

There you go -- one great sketch and three fun cards! I can't wait to see what you do with this weekend Sketch Challenge! Be sure and come back to link your creations using the Mister Linky Widget below. Make sure and give the specific link for your sketch creation -- not just a general link to your blog or gallery. My favorite entries will be featured on my blog next week! Tell your friends and invite them to play along as well -- the more, the merrier!

Don't forget to order your Frankie & Friends Halloween Treat Bags Class-Kit-on-the-Go or Tutorial soon so you will have them in time for October workshops and Halloween Gift-giving! You can order or find out more information on THIS post!

"Takin' It To the Top" Tuesday with Asian Artistry

Good morning, everyone and happy "Takin' It To the Top" Tuesday! I can't tell you how many wonderful comments and notes I've received from you, my faithful blog readers, since I started this popular Tuesday feature. Thank you so much for stopping by and taking the time to write me. Your comments and e-mails mean so much to me! Thank you, thank you, thank you! On "Takin' It To the Top" Tuesday, I take one basic, beautiful card (simple but not simplistic) and then I show you how you can step it up a bit by adding texture, elements and color and then I show you how you can step it up even more by taking it to the top (but not over the top -- sometimes there is a fine line between the two). Each of my cards today uses the Asian Artistry Stamp Set (a Level 2 Hostess Set). And each uses a color scheme of Not Quite Navy, Kraft, Old Olive and Very Vanilla. The Designer Series Paper is Bella Bleu and I've used some of the new Mistletoe Originals Taffeta Ribbon in Old Olive. As you can see on this first card, it's beautiful and perfectly fine just the way it is. However, when you want to send something that just a little bit more special, you could do something like this ...

On this intermediate card, I added an extra layer of Old Olive as Layer Two. On Layer Three (Kraft cardstock), I added some texture with the Big Shot and the Stampin' Up Texturz I Texture Plates (diamonds). Instead of using a square mat, I double-cut the Top Note Die (by turning the first cut 90 degrees and sending it through the machine again), to make this interesting shaped mat. Those are the only things different on this second card -- an extra layer, an interesting shape and a little texture in the background. You can see how just those simple, quick and subtle changes made this a much more interesting card.

Okay, now are you ready to Take it to the Top?  For this card, I did a little sponging over the textured Kraft cardstock layer, using Soft Suede ink. This helps to bring out the texture even more by adding contrast and depth. I sponged all around the edges of layer three, including the bottom where the DSP is attached. I added yet another layer of Old Olive underneath the stamped image layer and did some sponging (again with Soft Suede Ink) on the Very Vanilla Stamped image layer. Three Old Olive Brads are added in the top right-hand corner. The ribbon which was on the first two

cards as well, now has a

little faux bow tied on the left edge. And the altered Top Note layer is attached to the card using Stampin' Dimensionals (as is the sentiment), which brings even more texture, depth and weight to the card and also makes for a lovely natural drop-shadow. And of course, I had to add a little stamping to the inside of the card as well. I just love that little extra touch! So what do you think? Maybe you'll add some extra touches to your cards this week and Take them to the top! I would love to see your work and as always, I LOVE to read your comments!

Thanks so much for stopping by today! I do want to remind you that my newest Kit-on-the-Go is this darling set of Frankie & Friends Fancy Favors Bags (or you could make them into cards). The kit includes everything you need (except for your own adhesives, tools and inks) to make all six of these adorable Halloween friends. Click HERE for more information or to place an order for either the Kit or the Tutorial!

Thanks so much for stopping by! I hope you'll come back soon!

It's Freaky Tour Time Again!

Hello everyone! Can you believe that another month has flown by and it's the twentieth already -- time for another Freaky tour! The Control Freaks are at it again, bringing you some fabulouso projects focused on Fall, Halloween and Thanksgiving. If you're already in the midst of the tour, that means you arrived here from the wonderful Lisa Martz's blog. However you got here, pour yourself a cup of coffee, pull up a chair and enjoy this next stop! I've got some great projects for you today!

Here's my first project. I must say, I've been putting off using these new Build-a-Bear dies from Stampin' Up! I don't know why, really, just have had too many other projects on my plate. This seemed like the perfect time to break them in. Wow -- they are so much fun to use! If you don't hear from me for a couple of days, you may want to send someone to my stamping room to find me. I'll probably be playing with my new paper dolls! I decided to put my Halloween Bears on Top Note Die Cuts and then mount them on Fancy Favors bags,

transformed into baskets by adding the handles! Aren't the little bears so cute dressed up in their Halloween costumes. And look at all the treats they've collected already! LOL. Actually, I couldn't resist getting this Kooky Spooky Halloween Costume Die. When my daughter was two (oh my, was she really that little), she had a pumpkin costume just like this. Here's the picture to prove it! I feel a scrapbook layout coming in the near future! How sweet is that!

Well, continuing with the Halloween theme, I have this fun card using the new Pumpkin Patch Stamp Set. This set is so amazingly fun to use! I took it to a workshop last week with mostly inexperienced stampers and they had a ball putting their cards together. It looks like my little pumpkins in the patch are a bit unruly! This card is 3x6" and uses Basic Black, Pumpkin Pie and Whisper White cardstocks. The pumpkins are stamped in Pumpkin Pie and Dusty Durango inks, with Old Olive stems and

curly-q's. The gorgeous Old Olive Taffeta ribbon is included in the Mistletoe Ribbon originals in the Holiday Mini Catalog. And of course, no card is complete without a little stamping on the inside as well! I just can't get enough of those cute little pumpkins!

One more project for you today before moving on to the next tour stop. The Season of Friendship stamp set was one of my favorites from last year's Holiday mini catalog and I was so glad to see that it made it to the new Idea Book and Catalog. That means we have a whole year to use this beautiful stamp through all four seasons! I used Autumn Traditions

Designer Series Papers; Ruby Red, Soft Suede and Very Vanilla Cardstock; and 1/2" Soft Suede Polka Dot Grosgrain ribbon. There's just something about stamping these little leaves that makes you want to never stop!

I hope you've enjoyed this stop on the tour. I've certainly enjoyed having you visit! It's time to move on but I do hope you'll come back soon for more Inspiration in Action. You're welcome anytime!

Click on the button below to move on down the road to Julie Dinn's blog. I took a little sneaky-peeky so I know you won't be disappointed! Have fun on the rest of the tour. Happy travels and Happy Stamping!

 

 

Frankie & Friends Are Back as a Class-on-the-Go Kit!

Frankie and all his friends have come back for another year of monstrous fun, this time as Favor Bags and in a Class-on-the-Go Kit! Pictured above are Frankie, Brenda, Winefred, Gaspar, Manfred and Dougie --  they are another year older and wiser and all ready to inject some fun and frolic into your

Halloween preparations. Each kit includes a coordinating Fancy Favor Box Die Cut, Top Note Die Cuts, all the punchies, ribbons, embellishments and step-by-step instructions with tons of photos to make assembly a breeze (additional supply list is provided below). Time needed to assemble all 6 projects is approximately 2 hours. If you have the Top Note and Fancy Favor Dies, I'm also offering the option to purchase just the Tutorial, which will be e-mailed to you as a PDF file.

Additional Supplies you will need to assemble the kits include: Sticky Strip, Stampin' Dimensionals, SNAIL adhesive, Paper Snips, Bone Folder, Crop-a-Dile, sponges, Real Red and Basic Black Stampin' Write Markers, White Signo Gel Pen, Classic Stampin Pads in the following colors -- Elegant Eggplant, Creamy Caramel, Melon Mambo, Old Olive, Brocade Blue. A Fancy Favor Box Die Cut is included for each of the 6 characters but you could also put these on cards, use on scrapbook pages or use in other ways. They promise to bring such spirit and personality to all your Holiday projects!

 

Each Class-on-the-Go Kit sells for $19.95 which includes S&H and Tax, payable by clicking on the PayPal link below. Shipping to the United States Only. Sorry, no international orders. Kits will ship to you within 1 week, usually within 48 hours. Once your kits ships to you, you will receive an e-mail confirmation from me which will include your PDF tutorial which you may download or print. If you would like to purchase only the Tutorial for $5, it will be e-mailed to you within 48 hours of receipt of payment, usually within a few hours. If you have questions, please e-mail me BEFORE you order.

I hope you have fun with Frankie & Friends this year! They've promised me they won't cause too much trouble when they arrive at your house!

Please Choose:

Frankie & Friends Class-on-the-Go Kit $19.95 Frankie & Friends Tutorial Only $5.00

 

A New Saturday Sketch Challenge from Stamping 411!

Hello everyone and Happy Saturday (well, Friday evening, really). Are you ready for a great weekend? I hope you've planned for some creative time because you won't be able to resist this darling sketch for this Week's Stamping 411 Sketch Challenge (click to view the larger image)! In all my years of using sketches, I've never quite seen one like this before! Here's what I created this week ...

It's a darling little Christmas ginger-bready (is that a word?) Bird House! I used Real Red, Soft Suede and Whisper White cardstocks; Christmas Cocoa Specialty Designer Series Paper, 5/8" Real Red Polka Dot Grosgrain ribbon; Heart to Heart, Scallop Circle and 1

1/4" Circle Punches, and the Big Shot and the Stampin' Up! Birds & Blooms Sizzlet's Dies as well as the Petals-a-Plenty Impressions Folder. And oh yeah, the Sweet Season Stamp Set has the perfect stamp for the inside of the card.

Okay, now for all the nitty-gritty details!

 

1. Layer One -- Real Red cardstock cut at 8.5 x 5.5", scored and folded in half to form your card base.
2. Layer Two -- Soft Suede cardstock cut at 4 x 5.25". Texturize using the Petals-a-Plenty Impressions Folder. If you don't have the folder or the Big Shot, you might want to select a small Christmasy stamp image to give some texture in the background.
3. Layer Three -- Christmas Cocoa DSP (Holly Pattern) cut at 4 x 2.5". Apply this on top of the Soft Suede layer and then put a strip of ribbon over the "seam" where the DSP meets the cardstock.
4. Layer Four -- real red cardstock cut at 3 x 2.5". I made the triangle "roof" by taking a 3 x 2" piece of real red and cutting diagonally from the bottom corners to the top half-way point (1.5").
5. Layer Five -- Soft Suede 2.25 x 2.75"

6. Embellish with aScallop Circle (Real Red), 1 1/4" Circle (Chocolate Chip), and faux ric-rac punched with the Scallop Edge Punch (begin with 1" strips of cardstock, punchone side and then the other, off-setting the scallops so you get the ric-rac effect. The medium sized heart from the Heart To Heart punch covers up the point where the two pieces of "ric-rac" meet (it wasn't very attractive by itself so the heart was a last-minute addition. You know what I say, "In stamping, there are no mistakes, only opportunities for creative embellishment."). I sponged the little birds, applied their wings and attached them with Stampin' Dimensionals. The white "highlights" are applied on the scallop circle, birds, ric-rac and heart with a white Signo Gel Pen.

7. On the inside of the card, I sponged the edges of the cardstock, stamped the image on a scrap of Whisper White (using Soft Suede Ink), punched it out with the Wide Oval Punch and then sponged the edges of the punchie. I colored in the tiny heart with a Real Red Stampin' Write! Marker.

What a fun little project! I hope you enjoyed today's inspiration! Be sure and check out what the other Operators have created this week on Stamping 411. And, make sure and come back to link your sketch creations so we can all see them! We're waiting!!!

Have a great weekend, everyone!

A New Weekend Sketch Challenge from Inspiration in Action -- One Sketch ... Three Cards ***AND*** a FABULOUS Blog Candy Offer!

Hello and Happy Thursday morning to you! Thursday means a new Sketch Challenge at Inspiration in Action, so here you go!

This sketch gives you opportunity to use lots of different elements in your creations. I hope you have fun and hope you decide to play along. Once you've posted your creation to your blog or other public forum, come back to this post and, using the Mister Linky widget below, give us location where we can find your project. I'll be checking throughout the challenge period, leaving comments on your blog and will feature some of my favorites next week on Inspiration in Action. Be sure and put the keyword, "IA102" on your creation if you're posting to a public forum.

Please share this challenge with everyone you know -- invite your friends to play along with you. If we get at least 50 entries this week, I have a fabulous BLOG CANDY package ready to send out to one lucky winner -- a FREE (retired) stamp set and a Card Kit with everything you need (including instructions) to make 10 FABULOUS cards with the stamp set. It's a great prize, but will only be offered IF we get to FIFTY entries this week. Can we do it?

Okay, I made three samples for you today! I hope you enjoy them!

Stamp Set: Pumpkin Patch

Colors: Basic Black, Pumpkin Pie, Old Olive, Elegant Eggplant, Dusty Durango

DSP: Cast-A-Spell

Accessories: 1/4" Elegant Eggplant Grosgrain Ribbon, large oval punch, scallop oval punch, Stampin' dimensionals, Big Shot and Stampin' Up! Backgrounds I Texturz Plates

Stamp Sets: Wandering Words, Teeny Tiny Messages

Colors: Always Artichoke, Mellow Moss, Elegant Eggplant, More Mustard

DSP: Autumn Traditions

Accessories: Natural Hemp Twine, Stampin' Dimensionals!, Markers, Modern Label Punch and Die, Brads, Big Shot and Stampin' Up! Backgrounds I Texturz Plates (Swirly)

Stamp Sets: Snow Buddies, Grateful Greetings

Colors: Garden Green, Real Red, Old Olive, Very Vanilla

DSP: Merry Moments

Accessories: Snowflake Punch, 2-way Glue Pen, Dazzling Diamonds Glitter, Stampin' Dimensionals!, large and small tag punches, Crop-a-Dile, 1/4" Grosgrain ribbon, markers, Big Shot and Stampin' Up! Backgrounds I Texturz Plates (Swirly), Rhinestone Brad, sponges

Remember, there's a great Blog Candy Offer on the line if we can get 50 entries this week! If you're playing along with the Sketch Challenge this week, please leave your direct link in the line on the widget below, along with your name and other information, and then leave me a comment. I can't wait to see your creations this week. Deadline for submitting is midnight on Sunday, September 20th!

It's too late to enter but I hope you'll come back each Thursday for a new Weekend Sketch Challenge. I want to thank everyone who played along this week. Here are just some of my favorites from this week!