Ship Ahoy! Masculine Card

2/02/2016 Update: This card was named the Diamond winner in the Color Dare Challenge #177. My thanks to the design team!






In pulling together my materials for this challenge I found that I did not have any "Whisper" cardstock but I used a color from my stash that I hope is a close match. In looking at Whisper in the product catalog and on-line it looked as if it's a combination of light gray and light sand.

My family grew up on the east coast spending lots of time on the water so this card will work well for my brothers or nephews. I have left it undefined so I can add a sentiment at a later time. I liked using the colors for the Color My Heart: Color Dare #177 - Peacock, Crystal Blue, Whisper and White Daisy because of their "beachy" appeal.



When the Sahara Sand ink was blended with the Bashful Blue ink, it created a cast of sea green. The focal scene was stamped and sponged and matted with a panel that had been sponged along the edges. The banner was hand cut, then texturized using an embossing folder and an ink pad. These two elements were backed with foam to pop them up. They were adhered to a card base texturized with the same embossing folder that had a panel of cardstock and a panel of torn DSP, that had been wrapped and tied with hemp. The inside of the card was lined with white cardstock and stamped with a compass image. Three candy dots were added to the front of the card.

Visit the Color Dare Challenge #177 for creative ideas!

Techniques: Stamping, sponging, fussing cutting, dry embossing, dry embossing with ink
Size: A2 (4.25" x 5.5")

Materials:
Stamps: "The Open Sea"
Inks: Island Indigo, Bashful Blue, Sahara Sand, Stazon Jet Black
Markers: Uniball white gel pen, Basic Black (non-alcohol)
Cardstock: Whisper White, Island Indigo, Bashful Blue, Sahara Sand
DSP: Plaid pattern from stash
Misc.: Foam tape, Argyll TIEF, hemp (by Hemptique), Candy Dots

Take Care - Pleated Skirt or Curtain Fold

2/03/2016 Update: This card was a Top Three winner at Atlantic Hearts Sketch Challenge #144.






Today I made another card for my elderly Aunt Millie, who is recovering from surgery related to injuries she sustained as a passenger in a car crash. My card will be mailed so I kept it low profile with a little dimension for the flowers.

Atlantic Hearts Sketch Challenge #144 provided the inspiration for the card. I also decided to participate in the Aud Sentiments Challenge #147: "Anything Goes" as long as there is a sentiment. A while ago, I saw a You Tube video HERE on how to make a curtain (or drape) fold card and this sketch is perfect for that fold. There is another fold called a curtain fold or a pleated skirt fold but this is the one I preferred.

A panel of DSP was cut, scored and folded using the measurements in the instructions. It was adhered to a coordinating panel of DSP on which two corners were decoratively punched. A strip of embossed cardstock was adhered and then two stamped flowers were punched and popped up on the strip. A white pearl button was adhered with a bow of twine. The sentiment was stamped directly onto the card. This was all adhered to a panel of cardstock and then to a card base that had been dry embossed. The inside of the card was lined with a panel of white cardstock and decorated with two stamped flowers that had been punched.




















Join the AHSC challenge and stop by the Aud blog for lots of ideas!

Techniques: Pleating, stamping, sponging, punch cutting
Size: A2 (4.25" x 5.5")

Materials are Stampin' Up! unless otherwise noted:
Stamps: SU! "Flower Shop"; Just Rite "Enjoy the Day" (sentiment)
Inks: Calypso Coral, Coastal Cabana, Memento Tuxedo Black
Cardstock: Whisper White, Coastal Cabana, Pool Party, Crisp Cantaloupe
DSP: Best Year Ever Collection (retired)
Punches: "Pansy" and "Curvy Corner Trio"
Misc.: Diagonal TIEF, Coastal Cabana Thick Baker's Twine, Dimensionals, white pearl button from stash

The Bright Spot

1/27/2016 Update: The Bright Spot was a Top Three winner!






Atlantic Hearts Sketch Challenge #143 provided the design for this card. I looked at the sketch often, trying to decide... Lighthouse? Floral spray? Pendant? Balloons?... but these ideas were already in use. At one point I thought the circle looked like an eyeball. Enough of that!

After settling on the light bulb stamp set, rays of light beaming upward were sponged from three ink colors and pierced on white cardstock. A small panel of cardstock was texture embossed, backed with a black mat and adhered to the white panel. The sentiment was stamped twice, once in black and again in yellow. The yellow words were fussy cut and popped up on the black stamped sentiment then adhered to a white die cut image backed with black.

The decorative strip was cut with a die and adhered to the textured panel. The bulb is a two-step. The first stamp is a solid image. The second is the bulb outline. Once both images were stamped, the bulb was fussy cut, backed with foam and adhered. The finished front panel was adhered to a black mat and then to the card base. The light bulb and beams were touched up with Wink of Stella (clear). A few sequins were added to the card. The inside was lined with a panel of white and stamped and sponged with rays of light.

Take a few minutes to visit the AHSC blog for unique sketch designs!

Techniques: Stamping, sponging, fussy cutting, piercing, die cutting, dry embossing
Size: A2 (4.25" x 5.5")

Materials are Stampin' Up! unless otherwise noted:
Stamps: Simon Says Stamp Set "Watt's Up?"
Inks: Daffodil Delight, More Mustard, Crisp Cantaloupe, Stazon Black
Cardstock: Whisper White, Smoky Slate, Basic Black, Daffodil Delight
Dies: Verve Scalloped Trim Trio; SU! Labels Collection Framelits
Misc.: Craft foam, Zigzag TEIF, Wink of Stella (clear), PPP sequins

Thinking of You

My 89-yr old aunt was involved in a serious car crash as a passenger two days ago. She has undergone surgery for both a broken arm and a broken leg. Aunt Millie lives on the eastern seaboard so I will be unable to visit her from Arizona. Because she is going to have a lengthy recovery, I will be sending cards to cheer her.

I was inspired by two challenges:

1. Sunday Stamps Sketch Challenge #118:

2. Hand Stamped Sentiments Color Challenge #229:

A panel of cardstock was decorated with three pieces of die cut cardstock. The alternating pieces were popped up with foam tape. The bird was stamped in the MISTI with Elegant Eggplant but was not purple enough to my liking so was stamped over with Amethyst ink. The bird was fussy cut, edge-sponged and adhered to the raised cardstock.

An envelope image was stamped in the MISTI, fussy cut and popped up, then adhered to the card. A heart was punched and stamped with Amethyst ink. Three candy dots were added to the bottom right corner. The panel was then adhered to a card base of Always Artichoke cardstock. The inside of the card was lined with a panel of Sahara Sand, stamped in the MISTI with a
verse in Always Artichoke and adhered. A leftover piece of die cut cardstock was used to decorate the inside.

Visit the blogs for SSC118 and HSSCC229.

Techniques: Stamping, sponging, fussy cutting, die cutting, punch cutting
Size: A2 (4.25" x 5.5")

Materials are Stampin' Up! unless otherwise noted:

Stamps: SU! Lovely Amazing You; Inkadinkadoo Birds & Bugs; Lil' Inker Greetings & Salutations (inside)
Inks: Always Artichoke, Elegant Eggplant; Ancient Page Amethyst
Cardstock: Sahara Sand, Elegant Eggplant, Always Artichoke
Dies: Reverse Confetti "Doin' the Wave"
Punch: Itty Bitty Accents (Heart)
Misc.: Craft foam, Candy Dots

A Valentine for You

St. Valentine's Day is approaching so I have been making valentines as I enter challenges. I found three challenges that ultimately influenced my card:

1. Color My Heart: Color Dare #176 - White Daisy, Black, Slate & Whisper






2. Can You Case It? #103 - Black & White - Fun or Elegant Theme







3. The Paper Players #278 - CAS Valentine

Five heart frames and one full heart (in the center) were die cut from various papers. One scalloped heart was die cut in white cardstock. Each heart frame was adhered to the white heart, popping up every other frame with craft foam and popping up the center heart. A panel of black cardstock was adhered to a panel of chevron cardstock and adhered to a white card base. The heart was adhered to the card.

I especially like the DSP that is used on the third heart from the center because of the tiny subtle hearts.



The sentiment was die cut in both foam and cardstock, adhered and popped up on the card for dimension. After adding sequins in black, white and gray, the inside of the card was decorated with two die cut hearts left over from the project.

Visit Color Dare #176, CYCI103 and PP278 to join the challenges!

Technique: Die cutting
Size: A7 (5" x 7")

Materials:
Stamp Set: Stampin' Up! "Lovely Amazing You" (inside verse)
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black (inside verse)
Cardstock: Whisper White, Basic Black, Basic Gray, Smoky Slate
DSP: Miscellaneous pieces from my stash
Dies: Spellbinders Classic Hearts & Scalloped Hearts; Stampin' Up! Thinlits Expressions
Misc.: Craft foam, Pretty Pink Posh Sequins

Congrats!

This card was made specifically for the colourQ Challenge #324. I thought the color combination was unusual so wanted to see if I could come up with something that would suit the requirements. I always find it difficult to photograph cards with foiled cardstock and this card was no exception.




Because Glorious Green is a retired product, I used Garden Green as a substitute.

A grid was die cut from all required colors except white, then adhered to a white panel. A die cut oval in silver was popped up on the front of the card and die cut flowers and leaves were also added and popped up for dimension. The sentiment was die cut and adhered to the oval. A strip of cardstock was added to the right side of the panel and the entire panel was adhered to a card base in Garden Green. The inside of the card was lined with white cardstock and die cut flowers were adhered.

For unique color challenges, visit the colourQ blog!

Techniques: Die cutting, stamping, sponging
Size: A2 (4.25" x 5.5")

Materials are Stampin' Up! unless otherwise noted:
Stamps: MFT All Occasions (inside)
Inks: Coastal Cabana, Memento Tuxedo Black (inside)
Cardstock: Whisper White, Coastal Cabana, Certainly Celery, Garden Green, DCWV Foiled Silver
Dies: Lil' Inker Designs Perky Posies, Wrappers Delight: Lattice, Dual Dotted Ovals; Frantic Stamper Congrats
Misc.: Dimensionals

Floral Thank You

While my husband was watching NFL football Sunday afternoon, I decided to leave him to it and make a card. Inspiration came from two sources:

1. Pals Paper Arts #283 Color Challenge

2. Aud Sentiments #146 Thank You Card

A panel of white cardstock was stamped in Mint Macaron ink with a background stamp that reminds me of looking through a screen door. That panel was adhered to a panel of black cardstock and then to a card base of Melon Mambo.

On two panels of water color paper, flowers were stamped with Versamark ink and heat embossed with black embossing powder. The flowers were colored using an Aqua Painter and Melon Mambo ink. A little of the background was also colored using the same method with Mint Macaron ink. The flowers intended for the card front were fussy cut and popped up with craft foam on the card front. The other panel was left whole and was adhered to the inside of the card with a stamped sentiment.

The sentiment was stamped on white cardstock, then three ovals were die cut,
adhered to one another and popped up with craft foam. The butterfly was stamped on water color paper with Stazon ink and colored with Stampin' Write markers. The butterfly was punch cut along with another in black. They were attached to one another and adhered onto the edge of the ovals. Three black gems were added to the sentiment ovals.

Please take a few minutes to visit the PPA283 and Aud Sentiments 146 blogs. Consider joining the challenges!









Techniques: Stamping, water coloring, heat embossing, die cutting, punch cutting, fussy cutting
Size: A2 (4.25" x 5.5")

Materials are Stampin' Up! unless otherwise noted:
Stamps: "Papillon Potpourri" & "Another Thank You"; Lil' Inker Designs "Inky Flowers"; background stamp from yard sale
Inks: Melon Mambo, Mint Macaron, Stazon Jet Black
Stampin' Write Markers: Melon Mambo, Basic Black
Cardstock: Whisper White, Melon Mambo, Basic Black; Strathmore Water Color Paper
Dies: GKD Ovals
Punch: Elegant Butterfly
Misc.: Craft foam, Aqua Painter, black gems

Valentine (Stencil & Embossing Paste)

I occasionally participate in a challenge at the Inkspirational Challenges blog. This biweekly challenge appealed to me when I saw it so here is my card for Inkspirational Colour Challenge #100, Blast from the Past. I selected past color combination #55, green and pink, for this Valentine.

Glossy embossing paste was mixed with inks to produce the paste in two shades of pink as well as the green. A tulip stencil from my quilting collection was used for the image. Once dry, the image was cut with a circle die and adhered to another die cut doily circle in green. Both circles were edge-sponged. The sentiment was stamped on cardstock, cut as a banner and sponged. A piece of DSP was adhered to the pink card base. The elements were backed with craft foam and adhered to the DSP panel. The hearts were die cut and adhered. The inside of the card was lined with a panel of white cardstock stamped with hearts along the right edge.

Visit Inkspirational Challenges to join the challenge or view the creative designs.

Techniques: Stamping, sponging, die cutting, coloring & stenciling embossing paste
Size: A2 (4.25" x 5.5")

Materials are Stampin' Up! unless otherwise noted:

Stamps: "Snuggles and Smooches"
Inks: Certainly Celery, Old Olive, Blushing Bride, Strawberry Slush
Cardstock: Whisper White, Certainly Celery, Blushing Bride
DSP: English Garden Collection
Dies: Spellbinders Standard Circles; Our Daily Bread Designs Delicate Doily; Lil' Inker Designs Hearts Banners
Misc.: craft foam, Dreamweavers Glossy White Embossing Paste, TSC Designs stencil

With Sympathy

1/20/2016 Update: This sympathy card won Top Three at the AHSC #142!






LeRoy, one of my husband's Poker Club friends passed away two days ago, so my husband asked me to make a sympathy card for the family. I used the sketch provided by Atlantic Hearts Sketch Challenge #142.

An embossing folder was sponged with two inks and run through the Big Shot to color and texturize a Crumb Cake panel. A tag was die cut and backed to match the tag on the sketch.

 

The sentiment was die cut from cardstock backed with Sookwang Be Creative tape and adhered to the panel. (I love this no-mess method to place adhesive on the back of a die cut image.)

 

A strip of cardstock was adhered across the bottom of the card front. Leaves were stamped on Crumb Cake cardstock, fussy-cut and adhered in a round cluster to match the sketch.

 

 

The entire panel was backed with craft foam and popped up on the card base.

 

The inside was lined with a panel of Very Vanilla cardstock, stamped with leaves in two corners. A verse of sympathy was also stamped on the inside.

Visit AHSC for creative card ideas!

Techniques: Stamping, sponging, die cutting, fussy cutting, embossing folder stamping

Size: A2 (4.25" x 5.5")

Materials are Stampin' Up! unless otherwise indicated:

Stamps: "Vintage Leaves" and "Thoughts and Prayers" (inside)

Inks: Baked Brown Sugar, Not Quite Navy (retired)

Cardstock: Very Vanilla, Crumb Cake, Not Quite Navy (retired)

Dies: Lil' Inker Designs "Dotted Tags" and "With Sympathy" words

Misc.: Woodland TIEF, craft foam, Sookwang Be Creative tape

Hibiscus Thank You

Hibiscus in the state flower of Hawai'i but is also found in abundance in Florida, Arizona and other warm climates. The Hibiscus attracts hummingbirds, especially if the blooms are in shades of red. I recently purchased this Hibiscus die and have been eager to use it. My card was made for three challenges:

1. Can You Case It? #102 Sketch Challenge



2. Inkspirational #99 Designers Choice, Thank You with Something New. My "Something New" was the hibiscus die.



3. The Paper Players #277 Color Challenge: Tempting Turquoise (TT), Melon Mambo (MM), Real Red (RR), Whisper White (WW)



A panel of WW cardstock was texture embossed in a brick pattern, sponged with MM ink, backed with MM cardstock and craft foam. The focal image was die cut and paper pieced with all four colors of cardstock. The center of the white flower was inlaid with TT cardstock and sponged with MM. The leaves were paper pieced in TT but then colored over with a TT marker to darken them. The Hummingbird image was stamped with MM ink on WW cardstock, die cut then backed with a lacy die cut in RR and backed with craft foam.

The sentiment was stamped and punched from WW cardstock. It was adhered to another punched tag in RR and backed with craft foam. The pieces were assembled and adhered to the TT panel. then to the WW card base. The inside of the card was stamped with a small flower and the hummingbird image, leaving sufficient space to write a note.

Techniques: Dry embossing, stamping, sponging, die cutting, inlay with die cut, paper piecing, punch cutting
Size: A2 (4.25" x 5.5")




Participate in the challenges at CYCI102, Inkspirational99 and PP277!

Materials are Stampin' Up! unless otherwise noted:
Stamps: Bloomin' Marvelous, MFT All Occasion Sentiments
Inks: Melon Mambo, Tempting Turquoise, Memento Tuxedo Black
Cardstock: Tempting Turquoise, Melon Mambo, Real Red and Whisper White
Marker: Stampin' Write Tempting Turquoise
Dies: Spellbinders Circles and Lacy Circles; Die-namites "Hibiscus"
Punches: Word Window, Modern Label
Misc.: Craft foam, Spellbinders Brick Wall EF