Monday, February 29, 2016

Watercolored Mehndi

"Intrigued" is probably my reaction to the beauty of intricate Mehndi designs. Henna is applied to the skin, staining it temporarily. It is worn for weddings and other festivals, usually by women from India and Pakistan. It is quite beautiful to see up close. The stamp set I used for my card is a take on Mehndi design but in a less intricate way.

My card was inspired by the Pals Paper Arts Color Challenge #289.







Using an Aqua Painter, the navy ink was painted on watercolor paper, cut to size and set aside to dry. The pink and green inks were then painted on watercolor paper. Once dry, the images were stamped with navy ink, fussy cut, and the edges sponged to darken the navy. On the panel with navy ink, the flowers were backed with foam and adhered. The leaf bases were adhered flat with a tiny piece of foam at the points so they would curl. Additional decorative stamping in green was added and the sentiment was stamped in navy. The finished panel was adhered to a panel of navy and a card base of green. The inside was lined with white cardstock and decorated with a fussy cut flower.

For creative card ideas, visit the PPA289 color challenge!

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

Stampin' Up! Materials:
Inks: Pear Pizzazz, Blushing Bride, Night of Navy
Paper: Watercolor, Whisper White, Pear Pizzazz, Night of Navy
Misc.: Dimensionals foam, Aqua Painter

Other Materials:
Stamps: Altenew "Modern Mehndi"

Sunday, February 28, 2016

Easter Butterfly

My card was inspired not only by the season of Easter but also two challenges. I used the a butterfly stamp set that I've had for a while but was still untouched. Butterflies are a symbol of the Resurrection so worked nicely for my Easter theme.

I tried the pleated skirt technique several weeks ago and now enjoy using pleating as demonstrated by the diagonal band on this card.

After posting my photos, I noticed a black spot on the enlarged images. Thankfully, the spot is NOT on my card. (I have since cleaned my camera lens.)

1. Color Throwdown #381: This is my second time entering this challenge and I'm eager to try again. The Design Team samples are so creative. I used Crumb Cake cardstock because I did not have Kraft paper.







2. Sugar Pea Designs Sugar Sketch #42: This is my first time entering the Sugar Pea challenge. Their blog and
store are new to me. Maybe I'll get lucky and win a few of their products!





A three-step butterfly was stamped on cardstock and matted with a pink panel. This was adhered to a dry embossed panel and all were adhered to a card base. The diagonal strip was made by pleating DSP and trimming the top edge with a strip for stability. The sentiment was stamped, die cut and stacked on two additional oval die cuts. The ovals were backed with craft foam to add height to the card. A flower was added to the oval. The inside of the card was lined with cardstock, trimmed with DSP and stamped with an Easter greeting.

For challenge fun, visit CTD381 and SPDSS42!

Close up of the pleating:

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





Stampin' Up!:
Stamps: "He Is Risen" (sentiment & verse)
Inks: Sahara Sand, Strawberry Slush, Pretty in Pink, Pistachio Pudding
Cardstock: Very Vanilla, Crumb Cake, Strawberry Slush, Pistachio Pudding
DSP: "Pretty Petals" stack
Misc.: TIEF "Square Lattice" (retired)

Other products:
Stamps: Altenew "Painted Butterflies"
Ink: Stazon Jet Black
Dies: Gina K Designs stacking & nesting ovals; Lil' Inker Designs "Perky Posies" (small pink flower)
Misc.: craft foam

Inside view:

Saturday, February 27, 2016

The Front Porch Garden

My card was inspired by the Inspiration Challenge #61 at Always Playing with Paper. I have been following the blog for a while and enjoy seeing Lesley Croghan's beautiful designs but have never before tried any challenges. When I saw the inspiration photo I thought that the rustic cabin must have had a porch on it with half-barrels profusely overflowing with flowers. The colors were inspired by the pink refrigerator, the blue chair and the white flowers on the table. I purposely did not add a sentiment so this can be used as an all-occasion note card.

A panel of blue cardstock was texture-embossed and adhered to the card base. The inside was lined with a panel of cardstock, decorated with a leaf spring and flowers. A panel of white cardstock was heat embossed in a splotchy wood grain using white embossing powder, then sponged with various colors. A small piece of brown cardstock was also heat embossed with white powder. From this piece I cut slats to create the half-barrel to hold the flowers.

Much of the base work is covered but I wanted a riot of flowers. Scraps of pink, blue, white and rose cardstock provided the flowers - about 50 of them - created with a punch after sponging the blue and pink lightly for variance. The leaves were punch-cut from two
shades of sponged green cardstock. This was all assembled onto the wood grain panel, which was backed with craft foam and popped up for dimension. As a final touch, glitter glue was added to the center of many of the flowers and some Perfect Pearls powder was lightly brushed on for shimmer.

Visit the Always Playing with Paper blog for fun challenges and beautiful designs.

Techniques: Die cutting, fussy cutting, punching, stamping, sponging, dry embossing, heat embossing, embossing resist
Size: A2 (4.25" x 5.5")

Materials are Stampin' Up! unless otherwise indicated:
Stamp: Hardwood
Inks: Bashful Blue, Pistachio Pudding, Pretty in Pink, Sahara Sand, Versamark
Cardstock: Whisper White, Bashful Blue, Pink Pirouette, Rose Red, Pistachio Pudding, Pear Pizzazz, Baked Brown Sugar, Chocolate Chip
Punches: Bird Builder (leaves) and Itty Bitty Accents (flower)
Misc.: Studio G glitter glue (clear), Perfect Pearls, white embossing powder, TIEF Square Lattice (retired), craft foam

Friday, February 26, 2016

Easter Chick

3/02/2016: Easter Chick was a Top Three winner at AHSC #148.








As Easter approaches I usually make a stack of cards for family and a few friends. The card was inspired by the sketch at Atlantic Hearts Sketch Challenge #148. I also noticed the Argyll design in the sketch. A few days later I was shopping and saw Argyll DSP in pretty colors so purchased a sheet.
 

As usual with landscape cards, I made it to open on the side rather than the lower edge, as it will stand up with more stability.

The pink panel was texture embossed then panels were cut and adhered to a panel of white cardstock.  The ribbon was added as the pieces were being adhered and were tied offset from one another on purpose. The chick was stamped, then die cut and stacked on two other die cuts and backed with craft foam to pop it up. Everything was adhered to a card base. The inside of the card was lined with a piece of white cardstock and decorated with a border of Easter eggs and an Easter sentiment stamped on a die cut.

Join the challenge at the AHSC blog!

View of the inside:

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

Materials are Stampin' Up! unless otherwise noted:
Stamps: "For Peeps' Sake"
Inks: So Saffron, Memento Tuxedo Black
Markers: So Saffron, Rose Red, Coastal Cabana
Cardstock: Whisper White, Rose Red, Coastal Cabana
DSP: Authentique "Fancy"
Dies: Gina K Designs nesting and stacking circles
Misc.: Perfect Polka Dots TIEF, craft foam, ribbon from sewing stash

Thursday, February 25, 2016

Soaring for You - CAS

2/28/2016 Update: "Soaring for You" was selected as "A Cut Above" winner in the Up, up and away challenge!







This card was inspired by The Paper Players Theme Challenge #283, "Up, Up and Away!" using a CAS design.
The front of the card base was sponged to achieve the look of sky and clouds. Five kites were heat embossed with white powder on a panel of white cardstock. They were then sponged with color and fussy-cut. Three were backed with Dimensionals and adhered to the card front and their tails stamped. The sun was die cut from cardstock, touched up with Wink of Stella (clear) and adhered directly to the card front. The sentiment was stamped. The two remaining kites were used to decorate the inside of the card.




Join in the fun by visiting the PP283 blog!

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

Materials are Stampin' Up! unless otherwise noted:
Stamps: Simon Says Stamp "Soaring for You"
Inks: Soft Sky, Pistachio Pudding, Crushed Curry & Pool Party; Color Box Wisteria & Coral Rose; Memento Tuxedo Black; Versamark
Cardstock: Whisper White, Crushed Curry
Dies: Reverse Confetti (sun); Lawn Fawn (die used as stencil to create clouds)
Misc.: Dimensionals, Wink of Stella (clear), White Embossing Powder

CAS Hello Spring!

This card was selected as a favorite for the Featured Stamper of the Week.

3/01/2016 Update: This card was the winner of the Sapphire Award in Color Dare Challenge #181.






We're enjoying such beautiful weather in Arizona. The hummingbirds will be migrating back north before long and the feeders will be less busy, signaling the start of spring. Today I am entering a spring card into the Color My Heart: Color Dare Challenge #181.
 
A splatter image was stamped on white cardstock in both the required red and yellow colors. Stamping off helped achieve the variance in color. A butterfly was die cut from another panel of white cardstock. The "negative" was decorated with a die cut flourish and the sentiment. The edges were sponged and the sequins adhered. This panel was backed with craft foam and popped up for dimension when adhered to the splatter stamped background panel. This was adhered to a card base of white with a panel of green cardstock. The inside was decorated with another die cut butterfly.

Techniques: Stamping, stamping off, die cutting, sponging
Size: A2 (4.25" x 5.5")

Materials:
Close to My Heart:
Cardstock: Honey, Pear and Cranberry

Stampin' Up!:
Stamp: "Gorgeous Grunge"
Cardstock: Whisper White
Inks: Real Red, Crushed Curry
Dies: Bold Butterflies Framelits

Other:
Dies: Paper Smooches "Hello Words" & MFT "Leafy Flourish"; PPP sequins, craft foam

Tuesday, February 23, 2016

CAS White Delphinium

The DSP that I found in my stash reminded me of Delphiniums that my mother had in her garden when I was young. She had numerous varieties but the white with dark blue centers were my favorite. When I chose the DSP I was looking for the right mix of colors. This DSP has every color required, although the aqua is subtle. In addition, I prefer to make landscape cards that open from the side so they have more support when standing up than landscape cards that open at the lower edge.

The camera did not catch the colors accurately but they are in keeping with the color requirements. This card is being entered into two challenges:

1. Just Us Girls #331 Color Challenge (teal, aqua, navy and neutral)








2. Can You Case It #108 sketch challenge










Cardstock and DSP panels were cut and layered onto the card base, which was edge-sponged. Two strips were added with the sentiment stamped in navy ink and a tiny punched flower. The flower was die cut and sponged. A tiny punched out center was adhered to the center and covered in Glossy Accents. The flower petals were also randomly touched up with glossy accents. Leaves were also die cut. The leaves and flower were adhered to a die cut doily, which was edge-sponged. The doily was backed with foam for dimension and adhered to the card. The inside was lined with white cardstock and decorated with a coordinating die cut flower and leaf.

To view the beautiful cards used in the challenges, visit the challenge blogs at JUGs331 and CYCI108.



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

Materials are Stampin' Up! unless otherwise noted:
Stamp: Gifts of Kindness (sentiment)
Inks: Island Indigo, Night of Navy
Cardstock: Whisper White, Island Indigo (teal), Baja Breeze (turquoise), Night of Navy
DSP: Pretty Petals Collection (retired)
Dies: Botanical Builder Framelits; Spellbinders Splendid Circles
Punch: Itty Bitty Shapes Punch Pack (tiny flower)
Misc.: Craft foam, Glossy Accents

Sunday, February 21, 2016

CAS Sketched Bird

Needing a few masculine cards for upcoming birthdays I decided to focus on two challenges for inspiration for one of the cards.

1. Color Throwdown #380: a color challenge requiring gray, red and white, which is my first time participating, and

2. Sunday Stamps Challenge #120: a sketch turned from portrait to landscape orientation:











I admire CAS cards but seem to struggle with the concept of Clean and Simple once I get started. When I make a landscape card I also prefer to have it open to the side because it will stand up better when displayed than a card that opens across the bottom edge.
 The card base was stamped with leaves and berries and the berries colored with a marker. The banners were die cut and adhered. The bird image was stamped off and die cut, then stacked on two coordinating ovals, backed with foam and popped up on the card front. The inside was lined with white cardstock stamped with the leaf and berry image.





Be sure to visit the CTD380 and SSC120 blogs and join in the challenges!

Techniques: Stamping, coloring, die cutting, stamping off
Size: A2 (4.25" x 5.5")
Materials are Stampin' Up! unless otherwise noted:
Stamps: Simply Sketched
Ink: Basic Gray
Stampin' Write Marker: Real Red
Cardstock: Whisper White, Smoky Slate, Basic Gray, Real Red
Dies: Banners Framelits; Gina K Designs Nesting & Stacking Ovals
Misc.: Craft foam

Saturday, February 20, 2016

Hug in a Mug

The Atlantic Hearts Sketch Challenge #147 evoked numerous ideas for me. I decided to eliminate the floral ideas and go with stamps and dies that I've had for a while but never used. I was slow in getting on the coffee bandwagon in card making because I usually watch trends for a while before purchasing materials.


My plan was to use coffee colors. When I created my own DSP, things changed. Using clip art that I enhanced and printed on cardstock resulted in the encircled coffee beans and the tumbling cups. I was unable to change the colors on the tumbling cups so used them as inspiration for the blocks on the card.

The blocks are perfectly in proportion to the sketch dimensions and decorated in various ways, including the sentiment, and backed with craft foam. The blocks were adhered to a panel of wood grain DSP that had been adhered to a layer of cardstock and the card base. A shaker element about the size of a nickel was added to the cup and embedded into the popped up blocks. The steam and heart were added in keeping with the sketch. Additional sequins were adhered. The inside was decorated with a border of cardstock and the tumbled cups. No stamping was done inside to permit sufficient space for a personal note.


Take a look at the AHSC blog and join the challenges!

Techniques: Die cutting, fussy cutting, stamping, coloring, shaker card
Size: A2 (4.25" x 5.5")
















Materials are Stampin' Up! unless otherwise noted:

Stamps: Lil' Inker Designs "Coffee Cozy" and "Coffee Talk"
Inks & Stampin' Write Markers: Baked Brown Sugar, Tangerine Tango
Cardstock: Chocolate Chip, Very Vanilla, Baked Brown Sugar, Tangerine Tango, Garden Green; misc. blue from stash
DSP: Adventure Bound Collection, DSP stack; border prints created on computer
Dies: Lil' Inker Designs "Coffee Cozy"
Misc.: Craft foam, PPP sequins

Sunday, February 14, 2016

Poppies for Mary

While photographing my card, my husband said, "Oh, that's a pretty strawberry ice cream cone." So let me clarify, it is NOT an ice cream cone. It's an image of three poppies wrapped in paper. (I'm hoping fellow crafters can discern the difference.) When I selected the stamp set I was thinking they were roses but out of respect for Verve stamps, we'll go with poppies.

Although I experienced a hiccup using their Linky tool, which is different than most others, I am entering this card at the Just Us Girls Trend Challenge #330




and into a joint color challenge at two blogs:
Heart 2 Heart plus Color My Heart Color Dare #180


The black and white colors are required with any one or combination of the reds listed. I have only a few CTMH items so my products are mixed. The flowers were stamped in red with white ink but when I added the Glossy Accents, the media mixed and created the pink. The flowers on the inside of the card were not treated with Glossy Accents.

I wanted to make a card for my sister, who is a Speech Pathologist and lives in Taipei, Taiwan, Republic of China. Although we stay in touch via email and Facebook, it's always fun to send and receive loving words through the mail. She also decorates her office with my cards so that is pleasing to me.

Click on the smaller images to see them enlarged:


For creative ideas and inspiration visit JUGs, Color Dare and H2H.

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

Materials:
CTMH: Cranberry cardstock, DSP Heartstrings Collection Paper Packet

Stampin' Up!: Whisper White, Basic Black cardstock, Cherry Cobbler, Real Red, White Craft Inks, Striped Scalloped Thinlit Die, organza ribbon, "You're Wonderful" Stamp Set (banner & sentiment), Dimensionals foam

Other: Verve Stamp Set "Poppy Birthday", Pretty Pink Posh Die "Twine & Bows", Reverse Confetti "Flower Wrap", Glossy Accents, Memento Tuxedo Black Ink, polka dot paper from stash