A Fabulous Friday with a Fab Friday Sketch Challenge

Happy Valentine’s Day!  It sounds like yesterday’s bright orange and green card yesterday really struck a chord with y’all – so many nice comments about how uplifting it was on a cold, snowy day.  Well, if you liked yesterday’s colors, then you are really in for a treat today.  🙂

First, I’d like to share a few photos from “all the weather” we’ve been having.  Everything is covered with a layer of ice, followed by a large dusting of snow.  We don’t get that a lot here.  Here’s a picture of the creek behind my house:

8547 And here’s a shot of the side yard:

8555Today is my first day as a member of the FabFriday Design Team.  I couldn’t be happier to be part of this collection of talented designers.  Here’s my card:

Petal Parade, So Very Grateful, Stampin' Up!, Brian King, FabFri35And here’s the Fab Friday sketch that inspired my card:

Tips, Tricks and Reminders

  • The Colors.  When I first saw this sketch, I was a bit thrown off by the doily and the neutral colors that are typically used to create sketches for this Design Team.  My first instinct was to create something with grays and browns, but that seemed so drab to me.  And Drab ain’t Fab.  So, what’s the opposite of dark and dreery?  Bright and cheery.  I chose Strawberry Slush, Pumpkin Pie, Coastal Cabana and Daffodil Delight to create a card that’s as happy as it is pretty.
  • Texture.  You know how much I love texture on a card, right?  I added just a touch of texture with the White Baker’s Twine and the sentiment that’s heat embossed with White Stampin’ Emboss Powder.  The doily and the structure of the sketch add nice shape to this card, while the twine and embossing add a nice quality to the surface of the card.Petal Parade, So Very Grateful, Stampin' Up!, Brian King, FabFri35
  • The Doily.  I purchased the Tea Lace Paper Doilies when they were introduced last year.  This gave me a perfect opportunity to actually use them – nice to use them, instead of just having them.  Again, my first inclination is to put a doily on a brown or gray background, but I like the look of the bright color behind the doily.

Stamp Sets:  So Very Grateful, Petal Parade (Sale-a-Bration)  Inks:  Strawberry Slush, Coastal Cabana, Pumpkin Pie, Daffodil Delight  Papers:  Strawberry Slush, Coastal Cabana, Pumpkin Pie, Whisper White  Accessories:  Tea Lace Paper Doilies, White Baker’s Twine, Bitty Banners Framelits, White Stampin’ Emboss Powder, Stampin’ Dimensionals

Please check out the projects from all the other Fab Friday Design Team Members here.

Buy the Kit!  We all love bundles, right?  Think of the Stampin’ Starter Kit as a bundle where you get to pick the items you want to include.  For only $99, you can buy $150 worth of products for NO ADDITIONAL OBLIGATION.  Why wouldn’t you do it?  Oh!  And you get to be a part of my super-fun, super-great group.  🙂  To buy the kit, click here.

Thanks for stopping by my blog today.

Brian

CLICK HERE to order Stampin’ Up! products 24/7.

32 Comments

  1. It may look like winter outside, but your card just screams “SPRING!” I love what you said about adding a little texture, and it reminded me of how much I used to emboss things, and it falls by the wayside. Time to get the powders out again.

  2. Your place looks like a storybook picture. I know the snow must be hard to handle, but it looks very pretty (no snow ever here in sunny Queensland, Australia). Love your card too, as always. The colours are love-ly (for Valentine’s day).

  3. Great sketch and Awesome card! The punch of colors truly do change ones mood!

    • Thanks, Patti. For the most part, the colors were ripped right off the pages of the Quatrefancy Specialty Designer Series Paper. I changed the Pool Party to Coastal Cabana and kept the rest. I wouldn’t normally make something this bright, but I really wanted to go “happy”. 🙂

  4. Your pictures are postcard material…..be safe! Beautiful bright card!

  5. Laurie Burns Gachewicz

    Beautiful pictures Brian and such a rare sight for the Atlanta area!! Your card is such a contrast and I love it!! Your backyard is so pretty, I can only imagine how gorgeous it is in the Spring & Summer!!
    This Sale-A-Bration stamp set is awesome in SO many ways, especially for exactly what you did with it here!!! The pop of Strawberry Slush behind the doily and the combination of colors of you chose are SUPER-FAB!!! 🙂 Thank you for taking ANOTHER snowy day & brightening it right up!!!

  6. If you could put Spring on a card–it would look like this! Thank-you!

  7. Congratulations on being on the Fab Friday team, and they are fortunate to have such a talented stamper! Great card, I love how you used the stamp collage style, looks like DSP. Great cheery colors for yet another dismal day!

  8. “WOW” What an uplifting card. Your backyard is beautiful with all the snow & ice, I’m originally from Chattanooga so I know what a problem it can be. Stay warm & have a Happy Valentines Day!

  9. Love Love Love this Brian! What a fab addition to this design team you will be! 😀

  10. Congratulations on your first design team card. I love this bright and cheery card. It’s much needed this winter. Mother Nature has been cruel to us all. However your snow touched pictures are stunning what a rare sight in Atlanta.

  11. Indeed, this card really is a blast of Spring, love it!! so colorful and happy. We need this reminders that Spring will be here soon, although it couldn’t be soon enough for all of us who have been hit by these very, very hard Winter storms. Stay safe and warm.

  12. I love it ! This is a study in design elements . What caught my eye was the PP border that gives your eyes a rest before you added another addition . You added the doily at the bottom in a small way (yet colorful underneath ) and all together it is delightful .
    Yay for your Fab Friday invite ! You will do them proud !
    And your southern back yard looks like mine . All of the colorful birds at my feeders are wearing toboggans !

  13. Love the beautiful colors you chose for this card and with the little doily touch, it just screams ‘HAPPY’! Just the ticket to break out of these cold wintery days we’ve had. Great photos, too!

  14. Congratulations, Brian, on being the newest addition to the Fab Friday DT! Your first card with them is super bright and fun – especially on this gloomy, snowfilled Friday!

  15. This is a totally fab card! The colors are so bright and springlike, it’s sure to put a smile on the face of the recipient. It could even bring on a happy dance! Thanks for sharing. Happy Valentines day!

  16. Wow! Love your bright cheerful colors Brian! The texture is great too! Well done & welcome to the Fab Friday team! TFS!

  17. While it’s a pain the rear, the ice and snow sure is pretty, isn’t it? But I’m SO over it as it’s snowing here again adding to the I don’t know how many inches already on the ground, blah! So over winter! So, your card is perfect since it’s so bright, cherry, and fun! I made me smile when you emailed it to me 🙂 I’m so excited to have you on board and can’t wait to see all the fabulous things you’ll make with our challenges!!!! Stay safe and warm!

  18. Love your bright and cheery card on a cold winter day! (School is canceled today up here in Maine). Reminds me of that quote “we rise by lifting others up.” Thanks Brian!

  19. What a “Fabulous” card for Fab Friday!! I love the cheerful bright colors as everyone has already stated! It does scream “Spring” to me which is a good thing! 🙂

    Love your pics! Just gorgeous! Although this type of weather is a source of pain, there is a certain amount of beauty and peace that comes with it as well.

  20. First of all, Happy Valentine’s Day to our Stampin’ Sweetheart! We all just love you and what you do Brian. Second, congrats on the appointment to the design team at Fab Friday – I bet Justin is excited to have you on board also. The design for today was a real challenge to me. I don’t know what I would have done with it but you, with your unique perspective, managed not only to pull it off but to enhance it with your colorful interpretation of the design. Good work Brian. You have a gorgeous back yard and having a brook flow through it is a plus. Thanks for sharing the photos.

  21. Very pretty card!! Love the color combo!! And the texture from the twine and embossing is a perfect touch!!

  22. Love, love, love this card. I was wondering why I couldn’t figure out what DSP you used then realized you stamped it. Very cool!

  23. Oh my, this is yummy! Love the bright colors!

    I’m sure you enjoyed the “pretty” snow for a few minutes! We have had it up to our eyeballs in NH!! We had a snow day yesterday and probably got a foot. We will get another storm Saturday night. I’ve had enough of the prettiness! I want spring!

  24. Super fun and bright card . By the way , what part of Atlanta are you in. We lived in Lawrenceville for several years , also Roswell. Love the creek . Snow and ice just set a creek off for pictures.

  25. thanks for posting the pictures!! you have a creek in your backyard?!? wow! you must see lots of pretty birds there during all the seasons. i know it was inconvenient, but this snow was so pretty. loved how it forced everyone to sloooooowwww down, at least for a few days.

    the card is a riot of color. the only thing i think that could be improved was doing the sentiment in a darker color. it seems to be a little overpowered by the flower bouquet above it. still, it’s super cheery and i’d be happy to see it in my mailbox!

  26. Brian, love this card. It truly is a color design beauty! Just what we all East Coasters need with all the stormy weather. The trees are beautiful, too!

  27. Brian, I enjoy this card also. The colors are so cheery, but them I love flowers.
    I want to congratulate you on being designer for Fab Friday. I know you will have us thinking out of the box!
    I like you serene yard. We have 2 large ponds and I enjoy watching the birds feed, trees changing seasons and of course our fish.

  28. Congratulations, Brian!! Your work is always exemplary and HAPPY! They are so lucky to have you on their team!! Hugs, Darnell

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