Wednesday, June 22, 2011

Sketch #107 with Amber Inks

Welcome to Sweet Sketch Wednesday! This is Sharon from the design team posting this week from Michigan, the Great Lakes State. If you're a new visitor here at Sweet Sketch Wednesday, we extend to you a warm welcome and our open arms of online friendship. If you are a returning friend, we greet you with a hearty smile and hugs - pull up a chair and spend some time with us!

Now before we get to the sketch this week, I'm going to continue the little tradition that our wonderful Kathie began about a month ago. That is telling and showing you a little about where I live and the beautiful things I love about the State of Michigan.

Michigan is also called the peninsula state because it's made of two land masses completely surrounded by the Great Lakes. Our motto is "If you seek a pleasant peninsula, look around you".

The name Michigan is from a native Indian word called Michigana, meaning "great or large lake".  There are five Great Lakes - Huron, Ontario, Michigan, Erie and Superior - and they are what make our state so beautiful. There are 3,288 miles of Great Lakes shoreline and if the Great Lakes weren't enough, we have more than 10,000 inland lakes around the state.  The picture above is Lake Michigan from Sleeping Bear Dunes National Park.

Lake Superior is the largest freshwater lake in the world, covering 31,820 square miles (82,414 sq km). These are the famous Pictured Rocks on Lake Superior - absolutely breaktaking.

Michigan has more lighthouses than any other state in the U.S. - a total of 116.  This one is on the shore of Lake Michigan called Big Sable Point.

Michigan's two peninsulas are connected by one of the largest suspension bridges in the U.S. called the Mackinaw Bridge.  It spans across the junction of Lake Michigan and Lake Huron.

And although they are large bodies of water, when you get that far north the water freezes.  Ice breakers are used to keep the lakes open for shipping.

This is one of my favorite photos of the ice flows on Lake Michigan - looks like glass doesn't it? Gorgeous.

Michigan is probably best known for it's automotive history and dominance - it is home to the global headquarters of Chrysler, Ford and my company, General Motors.

But it's also the home of the legendary Motown Records and many of the music legends as well as some other noted people including Rosa Parks, Bob Seger, Tim Allen, Charles Lindbergh, Francis Ford Coppola, Madonna, etc.

Detroit is our largest city, Lansing is our capital city and Copper Harbor pictured here is our most northern town!  Thanks for endulging me as I've bragged long enough about my state! But maybe I've just enticed you enough that you're interested in visiting :)

Now on with the regular post.  It's time to announce the Grand Prize winner and Top Three for last week's sketch challenge #106.  Drumroll please..... 

The Grand Prize Winner is:

# 19 JENNY L

Congratulations!  Please contact Arlana at sweetberrydesigns@hotmail.com to claim your prize!  Be sure to grab your Grand Prize Banner along the sidebar to proudly display on your blog!

And the Top Three are:

#1: LUCIANNA DILSAVER

#2: HAZEL P

#3: MARIANNE CRAFTROOM
Be sure to grab your Top Three Banner on the sidebar! Congratulations to you too!

We have a terrific sketch this week for SSW107 and a fun new sponsor too.  Take a look....

Here's that super sketch, created by our own Arlana Patten - it a great one to show off papers and embellishments. 

And our wonderful sponsor this week is Amber Ink!  The Grand Prize Winner of the challenge will receive a generous $15 Gift Certificate to the Amber Ink Shop!

Now hang onto your hats - it's time to see the creations of the design team using the fun digi stamps from Amber Ink. Prepare to be inspired....





To play along this week is really simple:

1. Create a card using the sketch of the week.  You may use any stamp or element you have to create your card, however if you have any Amber Ink images, we'd love to see what you can do with them.

2.  If posting to an online gallery, please use Sweet Sketch 107.

3.  Add a link on your blog to Sweet Sketch Wednesday.

4.  Post your card along with the link.

5.  Sign into Inlinkz and add a direct link back to your card on your site.

6.  Be sure to leave a comment here as we love hearing from you.  You must do this to be considered for the Grand Prize.

And most important:  Have Fun!!!!


Thanks so much for stopping by and good luck!

Sharon



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29 comments:

  1. I have to say ladies, I love reading about where you are from and the pics..It is a really lovely touch!!
    As for the sketch it is another fabby one !! xx

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  2. What a wonderful job ladies....will be around to visit in a bit. Want to also say welcome to Amber Ink and thanks for the fun image. Loved the sketch this week, Arlana.

    Patti

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  3. Michigan is just a beautiful as Sharon wrote about. Great job Sharon!
    Great DT inspiration.

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  4. Loved reading about Michigan - what a cool place! Your sketch is great this week and so are the DT examples!!

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  5. Sharon, I love your pics from Michigan. It really looks like a great place to visit or live. Thanks for sharing and for the great post this week. Thanks to Amber Inks for sponsoring us. It has been fun using your images. And, thanks Arlana for another great sketch. The DT cards are really fun this week!
    Nancy

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  6. We are honored to sponsor such a fantastic challenge! The craftsmanship and class in the DT cards is Holy COW amazing! Loved the arm chair trip to Michigan too. What a great experience for Amber Ink! Thank you!

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  7. Sharon, I'm ready to pack my bags and come for a summer visit! Your lakes are gorgeous and I certainly didn't realize that you have so many lighthouses! Thanks so much for sharing! Arlana, I had so much fun with this sketch! A special thanks to Amber Ink for their sponsorship this week! Ladies, what a terrific line up of cards! It's always a treat on Wednesday. And then it always a treat all week long to see what our players will display! Hope your week is wonderful!
    Judi

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  8. Oh, those pictures looked so inviting! I wish I could someday visit that lighthouse! Beautiful DT cards, it was so much fun playing with this sketch!

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  9. Sharon I am loveing your pictures. So fun to learn about where everyone lives. Thanks for a super post. Amber inks we had such a fun time with your digis. Thanks so much for sponsoring us. Dt fablous cards. To all our player we cant wait to see what you have to creat. Have a sweet week. Arlana

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  10. Loved your piccies and all the facts you wrote. Looks beautiful and love that ice flow pic, fab. Really lovely to see this on a crafting blog as it really is different and something that really caught my eye. Lovely. Thanks. Annette xx

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  11. Good morning ladies, I was meant to do my commenting last night but fell asleep watching TV pretty sad ha!!! There were so many amazing cards last week I just loved them all great work everyone. Thanks Amber Inks for being our sponsor this week wonderful images to work with and they look awesome. All those images too choose from and three of us had great minds to choose the same image and all three cards look just so different. Thanks Arlana great sketch this week it really does show off your design papers. Sharon thanks for an amazing posting this week from Michigan. I've started something on the Challenge and I do hope it continues as it's great for everyone to see our parts of the world. Wishing everyone a fun week of crafting and a great weekend ahead.
    Hugs
    Kathie SSW-DT

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  12. I can tell you it sounds wonderful, love to go. The Design Team have a wonderful cards, thank you for letting me play along.

    Much love Anne-Marie x x

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  13. Oh Sharon-- I love it!!! I live in MI too, and it is beautiful!!! I love reading all about the DT and the places they live!!!
    I have entered my card in the challenge--thanks for another fun sketch!

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  14. Beautiful work again ladies! Sharon, your photos are amazing!!

    Deanne :)

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  15. Fabulous work, as always ladies. Great sketch
    Beryl x

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  16. Fab post Sharon - I love all the photos, its cool to see where you live! Great sketch again Arlana, again I loved using this one. Fab DT cards too, I love seeing them all each week, you're a very talented bunch! Hope you're all keeping well. Wedgie xxx

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  17. This weeks sketch has got to be the best one ever,
    Cheers
    H xx

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  18. Great pictures! Love the sketch! Glad to have played along this week!

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  19. hiya chickies! wow...another rawkin sketch this week...and great inspiration!

    and whoa...lovin the photos sharon...it's so kewl to see where you live! thanks so much for sharing

    ah..and congrats to the grand prize winner..and runner ups last week ~ you go 'girls'!

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  20. Thanks for the gorgeous sketch, as always! DT, y'all are always a huge inspiration. Fantastic cards!

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  21. enjoyed this sketch What beautiful photos soooo jealous.

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  22. Beautiful photos and stunning samples too!

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  23. Thanks so much for the inspiration! I just love popping past to see the latest sketch and DT creations each week! And not to mention how fantastic it is when the DT comments on my blog - they are always so lovely! Thank you:)

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  24. I loved reading about Michigan! Beautiful photos! It really made me want to visit!

    Great sketch... I really enjoyed it. Lovely samples from the DT!

    Arabella

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  25. BEAUTIFUL creations ladies!! You "wow" me every week! Loved this sketch Arlana, so I just had to play again!

    Deanne :)

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  26. Hi SSW - thank you for yet another great sketch and also for the continued inspiration you provide with your sketches. I love looking at the DT's lovely creations and also reading about the part of the world they are from. Keep up the ace work - luv & hugs Michelle x

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  27. Oh wow Sharon these are such beautiful photos of Michigan, thanks for sharing :)
    Fab sketch as always Arlana, and gorgeous DT inspiration
    hugs Mandy xx

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  28. I loved this sketch and it looks as if I am able to comment this time!! Lovely DT work ladies and I would just like to say Thank you for all of the lovely comments that you leave. Hugs Jo x

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  29. I just love looking at the pictures and reading all the information about the towns/states, so fun and the DT cards are just so adorable! Thanks so much for another beautiful sketch :)

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