shortcuts to clearly great cards!

are you ready for a new CAARDVARKS challenge?! because i am...and luckily it's a really EXCELLENT one with a great sponsor:

and a FABULOUS sketch for you to use:

it doesn't get much better than that, right? oh wait a minute...it DOES get much better than that, actually, because we have an extra-special expanded design team gallery for you! yep, the folks at ShortCuts sent us some of their awesome frosted and clear acetate full sheets, card blanks and gift card holder folders...so of course we went crazy with awesome ideas to use those babies!!! but first, wanna see my sketch cards? yeah...i said cards, plural: it's such a good sketch, i couldn't just make one!

for my main card i went a bit crazy with clear layers: there are transparent & frosted sheets from ShortCuts, a printed transparency, some frosty patterned vellum, a ghost clock, and a butterfly i stamped and embossed on a scrap of a ShortCuts frosted sheet! (the frosted product embosses nicely, although it tends to buckle a bit--which actually worked to my advantage with the butterfly. it gets QUITE hot, as well; you might like to use tweezers while embossing!)

(clear and frosted acetate sheets by shortcuts; seriously eldery patterned transparency of unknown origin; anahata katkin clip art image; close to my heart patterned vellum; hero arts butterfly stamp; heidi swapp ghost clock; prima gem flourish; making memories brad;ribbon from michaels; adhesives: tombow monoadhesive runner, uhu gluestick)

here's my second card. it has less layers, but i was starting to get into the idea of really USING the clear cardbase to my advantage by putting some of the sketch elements on the inside and others on the outside. again i enjoyed playing with things that show off the "transparent" aspects of the product: i've got some lace cardstock, a small printed transparency frame, some rub ons, and ribbon that wraps around to be an inside AND an outside element at the same time!

(clear and frosted acetate sheets by shortcuts; hambly transparency frame; ki lace cardstock; close to my heart patterned paper; heidi swapp ghost stars; making memories star brads; mambi gem star; rub-ons: cherry arte, dcwv, mambi & basic grey; ribbon from michaels & some vintage silver metallic ribbon; adhesives: tombow monoadhesive runner, uhu gluestick, 3m foam tape)

tune in tomorrow for another one of my gallery cards! in the meantime be sure to check out the CAARDVARKS and SHEETLOAD blogs, and start planning your sketch card for a shot at the lovely prize!!!