Here is this week’s CanYouCaseIt sketch challenge:

And here is my card:

I love the simplicity of this week’s sketch. Just one block on the card front with a sentiment. I started looking through my stamp sets for just the right thing. First I came upon the sentiment from the Cheer A;; Year stamp set. The crisp, clean lettering fits the simplicity of the sketch. I started playing around with it, then had the idea to stamp it “in the round” – or maybe it should be “in the square.”

Then I needed something for the center. I tried several images before settling on this peaceful, snowy scene from the Happy Scenes stamp.

Since my sentiment is within the block, I needed something else to balance the design. Very Vanilla Candy Dots were just the right thing. Usually I would put the Dots on the right side of the card, but here they seemed more balanced on the left, perhaps because the trees are toward the right. How did I find just the right place? I cut a strip of three Dots from the package and moved them around the card until it felt right. This is a good time to use Brian King’s patented Squinting Technique (I owe him a nickel now.)

I was very tempted to add just a tiny pop of Real Red somewhere, but I resisted. Again, I wanted to keep with the simplicity of the sketch. But some time I may add a tiny red bird in one of the trees.

For these particular images to line up just right, here are the measurements I used for the panels: 2-1/8″ x 2-1/8″ Very Vanilla; 2-1/4″ x 2-1/4″ Lost Lagoon; 3-1/2″ x 3-1/2″ Very Vanilla. You’ll need to experiment if you use other images. For example, the largest Very Vanilla piece is the length of the sentiment plus the height of the sentiment plus just a tinch. I added enough to make it a nice even 3-1/2″.

(Tinch is a Southern term. It’s a cross between a touch and a pinch. It’s usually pronounced “teench” or “taynch.”)

Here’s what I used:

Be sure to check out the other projects at canyoucaseit.com.

Thanks for stopping by today, and Sweet Stamping!