Inspiration in Action Weekend Sketch Challenge - IA113 -- Play along ... it's fun ... and you might win some Blog Candy!

Good morning, everyone! I hope all is going well for you and you are ready to play along with another Weekend Sketch Challenge at Inspiration in Action! I can't tell you how much fun it is for me to see the creative things that you do with the sketches I design! As a reward and incentive, I am again this week offering another fabulous bit of Blog Candy to one lucky participant! I've put together another packet of great preview items from the Occasions Mini Catalog (Available January 5th). You can be among the first to "oh and ah" and create with these fabulous new papers, ribbons and embellishment. The lucky winner will receive everything in this photo, complete with a hand-made card of congratulations from me! How great is that? But you can't win if you don't play! You have until noon on Wednesday, December 16th to create your project and link it with the Mister Linky Widget below. Next week's winner will be announced on Thursday!

Okay, are you ready to see what I've done for you this week? Look at this fabulous sketch? It gives you lots of options for using some great Designer Series Papers or texturizing with Impression Folders or Embossing Plates. There's a fun little "partial" strip with a border punch, which is something a little different. And of course, you will want to add some ribbon and perhaps brads or buttons or some other embellishment. I really can't wait to see what you create this week!

Here's my first project. I've used some of the wonderful new preview products from the Occasions Mini Catalog - Sending Love Specialty Designer Series Paper, The Pinking Hearts Border Punch, the luscious new satin ribbon and the I {Heart} Hearts and Well Scripted Stamp Sets. I colored in the little triple heart stamp with Stampin' Write Markers and then punched them out with my Heart To Heart Punch. Yes, they are made for each other! And I love the beautiful flowing script lettering in the new Well Scripted Stamp Set -- so lovely! Do you know that the Sending Love Specialty Designer Series Papers are glittered? It probably won't show up in this photo, they they are simply beautiful to look at and touch! Three little brads finished off this card, along with stamping some more of those little trio hearts on the inside of the card!

Okay, on to example number two! This card uses the beautiful Christmas Cocoa Specialty Designer Series Paper from the Holiday Mini Catalog. The colors are Soft Suede, Real Red and Whisper White. I used the Scallop Border Punch on both Soft Suede and Real Red and layered them for this lovely little effect. The ribbon is 5/8" Real Red Polka Dot (love this ribbon). The sentiment is from All Holidays and the little bird and branches are cut from another Occasions Mini preview item -- the new Extra Large Two-Step Bird Punch. Yes, this is done with a punch! Aren't you excited about all the great new products that Stampin' Up! is designing for us!!! Some real red brads finish off the card on the left side. As you can see, I flipped the sketch horizontally for this card!

And talk about flipping, for this final example card I've flipped the sketch on it's side. And some little girl will surely flip for this cute, soft little Build A Bear Card. Isn't she darling? The stamp set is Beary Best Friends and the colors are Certainly Celery, Pretty in Pink, Whisper White and Orchid Opulence. The paper is another preview -- Shades of Spring Designer Series Papers. The ribbon is from the Elementary Ribbon Originals pack. I stamped the bear on Whisper White, colored her in with Close to Cocoa Ink and a Blender Pen, and then paper pieced the dress and shoes by stamping the image again on the DSP and then cutting out just the images that you want, in this case dress and shoes. She is popped-up a bit with some dimensionals and her flowers were created with the Trio Flower Punch and some brads. The buttons on the bottom of the card are from the Sherbet Designer Buttons pack and are attached with tiny dots of Cyrstal Effects. And the inside of the card is almost as special as the outside with another Eyelet Border Punch strip and some more flowers and a sentiment from Beary Nice Wishes. Did you know that all the Build-a-Bear products will still be available after the first of the year. There's even some great new stamp sets and dies to coordinate with the original products that came out this fall!

Well, I think it's time for me to stop talking and for you to start stamping! Remember, there's some great Blog Candy on the line for one person who submits a card for this week's challenge! Just come back and leave your name and the URL of your project with Mister Linky below! I'll be watching!

Remember, as well, that both the Angel Basket Kits and the Santa & His Sidekicks kits are in stock and waiting to come to your house! Orders placed this week will be mailed by Friday, Dec. 11th and additional orders will ship out next week. Tutorials will be sent out within 24 hours, usually much sooner! You've still got plenty of time to bring these delightful little characters into your home for the holidays!

Order Angel Kits and Tutorials HERE.

Order Santa & His Sidekicks Kits and Tutorials HERE.

That will be it for today! Thanks for stopping by and I hope you'll visit again soon!

Comments

[Chantal]

I like this week's challenge 1A113. Your cards look so nice! I will participate for sure! Thank for giving me the chance for the candy blog!

[Erin Morley]

I love this sketch! I will be using it again, and again... Your cretions are beautiful! Love the new product and can't wait to get mine!

[Wendy Hawkinson]

I had a lot of fun with this sketch and I ordered all the supplies to CASE your Valentine card. LOL

~Wendy Hawkinson

[Chantal]

This sketch was alot of fun. Thank you Gretchen!

[Carol Hager]

Gretchen,

I am always amazed by your work. Thank you for sharing!

Carol
Clinton, IL

[Cam]

Not sure why, but sometime I can't get to my sketch...so here it is again in case you have trouble getting to it,
http://www.splitcoaststampers.com/gallery/photo/1565942?&cat=17834

[Rachel Verbrugge]

Phew! I got in just nder the wire this time. Thanks for another great sketch challenge.

[Yvonne Newborn]

Here is my first submission ever for a blog sketch challenge!

Hopefully I did okay. Sorry for the dark picture.

Yvonne

[Logo Design]

Hi gretchen, the stuff here is so pretty, love to visit your blog.

[Bob - Dial up Internet Services]

I love this sketch. I will be using it again, and again. Your creations are beautiful. Love the new product and can't wait to get mine,thanks for sharing the post.