Sweet As Cherry Pie

Update 7/02/2015: This card was a Top Five winner at Aud Sentiments Challenge Blog, Challenge #134.

Today's "Clean and Simple" card was made specifically for the Atlantic Heart Sketch Challenge #110 and then a few days later, it was entered into Aud Challenge #134.

The focal point of the card was made by stamping the cherries on white cardstock, coloring them with alcohol markers and then fussy cutting. The frame was cut from a die, colored and adhered to the focal base. The cherries were backed with foam to left them above the frame.

Panels of DSP were cut on the diagonal and adhered to a white card base. The focal piece was backed with foam for dimension then adhered to the card base. The sentiment was stamped and the gems added as shown in the sketch. The inside of the card was decorated along the bottom edge with a thin panel of the DSP.

Visit AHSC and Aud Sentiments Blog to see the creative cards on display!

Techniques: Stamping, die cutting, coloring, fussy cutting
Size: A7 (5' x 7")

Products are Stampin' Up! unless otherwise noted:
Stamps: Close to My Heart "Sweet Life"
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black
Spectrum Noir alcohol markers: CG1, DG2, DG3, JG6, DR3, DR5, DR7, CR10, FS2, BG6, BT1
Cardstock: Whisper White, Wild Wasabi
DSP:  Sweet Taffy (retired)
Die: Memory Box "Jasmine Frame"
Misc.: Gems from stash, craft foam

Flowers in the Spotlight

For this week's Atlantic Hearts Sketch Challenge #112, I decided to try a Spotlight technique as demonstrated HERE. The point is to start with a plain design, mine is gray on white, then choose a spot on the card to highlight the image with color.

 



To begin, I die cut a piece of lattice and used it as a stencil, sponging the design in gray ink on white cardstock. Borders from several stamp sets were added for the horizontal elements, also using gray ink. Four flower images were stamped in gray ink on white cardstock and fussy cut.

Next, a cluster of four flowers, three in gray ink and one in black ink were stamped on white cardstock. These were placed so that they fit inside the circle die. They were colored with alcohol markers, die-cut,  and backed with a die-cut circle in gray.

The panel of white cardstock was adhered to a piece of Tangerine Tango cardstock, then onto a gray card base. The spotlight flowers were popped up with craft foam and adhered. The four plain flowers were adhered to the card - three were tucked under the spotlight to match up with the three partial flowers, and one was placed on the lattice.

A circle of gray was cut using a 1/2" punch, then adhered with foam tape. A butterfly was punched and decorated with clear Wink of Stella, then adhered to the popped-up circle. The sentiment was added. The inside of the card was lined with a white panel and stamped with flowers.

 

Try entering a sketch challenge. Visit AHSC to learn more!

 

Technique: Spotlight

Size: A2 (4.25" x 5.5")

 

Materials are Stampin' Up! unless otherwise noted:

Stamps: Choose Happiness, Watercolor Wings, Altenew "Hennah Elements"

Inks: Basic Gray, Tangerine Tango, Memento Tuxedo Black, Spectrum Noir Alcohol Markers

Cardstock: Basic Gray, Tangerine Tango, Whisper White, Hello Honey

Dies: Circles Collection, Spellbinders Lattice

Punches: 1/2" circle and Bitty Butterfly

Misc.: Wink of Stella (clear), foam tape



Mehndi Flowers

 
6/21/2015 Update: Mehndi Flowers won a Top Cup in Challenge #103.


The Sunday Stamps Color Challenge #103 features some gorgeous colors!

First, the large flowers were stamped on white cardstock, colored with Spectrum Noir alcohol markers, sponged on the edges and set aside.

The blue panel was stamped by using the MISTI tool. The stamps were carefully placed so they would stamp in the lower right hand corner of the panel with white ink. The card was turned 180 degrees and
stamped again with white ink. Once the white ink was dry, the panel was moved up inside the MISTI by 1/16". Crumb Cake ink was applied to the same stamps and applied to the card. The card was turned 180 degrees, adjusted by 1/16" and stamped again. The blue panel was adhered to a dark panel, then to the card base.

The large flowers were backed with craft foam and adhered to the card. Pearls were added to the two large flowers and two small flowers. The inside of the card was decorated with a panel of white cardstock stamped with the small flowers.




Visit the challenge blog at Sunday Stamps to see the beautiful cards.

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

Stamps: Altenew "Hennah Elements"
Ink: SU! Crumb Cake and White Craft Inks, Spectrum Noir alcohol markers
Cardstock: SU! Whisper White, Crumb Cake, Soft Suede, Bashful Blue (retired)
Misc.: Craft foam, SU! basic pearls, MISTI

Butterfly Swirl

6/16/2015 Update: This card was selected as an Artist Pick for HSSCC#213!

Today's card was inspired by two challenges: Atlantic Hearts Sketch Challenge #111 and Hand Stamped Sentiments Color Challenge #213.

Color Challenges typically permit color substitutions if they're similar in color. It was necessary to use a substitute in place of Bermuda Bay so I chose Lost Lagoon. The gold cardstock is from my scrap stash in place of Crushed Curry.

In addition to the inspiration from the challenges, I viewed a card the other day HERE that provided ideas for this card.

A panel of gold cardstock was embossed and adhered to the white card base. A panel of Lost Lagoon was die cut with scallops on each edge, embossed, then adhered to the gold embossed panel. A strip of embossed gold cardstock was added onto the scalloped piece. The floral design was stamped three times on white cardstock, punched with a scalloped edge and attached to die cut circles. They were adhered with craft foam to give them depth.

The butterfly was stamped in three steps using the MISTI tool and then fussy cut. On a piece of white cardstock, using round dies, the swirl shape was sponged off center. The fern fronds were added. This panel was adhered to another panel and popped up with craft foam. The butterfly was also adhered with craft foam to lift it off the paper.

The inside of the card was decorated with fern fronds and two floral images along the lower right corner. The front of the card was finished by adding pearls to the floral rounds and clear Wink of Stella to the butterfly wings.

Visit the challenges for AHSC #111 and HSS #213 for creative ideas!

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

Materials are Stampin' Up! unless otherwise noted:
Stamps: Watercolor Wings, Awesomely Artistic
Inks: Crushed Curry, Calypso Coral, Mossy Meadow, Lost Lagoon, Memento Tuxedo Black
Cardstock: Whisper White, Calypso Coral, Mossy Meadow, Lost Lagoon, gold from scrap stash
Dies: Circles Collection Framelits, Lawn Fawn border die
Punch: 7/8" Scallop Circle
Misc.: Pearls, craft foam, Wink of Stella (clear); Embossing folders: Decorative Dots and Polka Dots

The Wabash Cannonball

When I saw that the new challenge at The Paper Players required a masculine card, I thought this would be my opportunity to make a birthday card for my son, who is in his 40s. I went searching for a specific image of a man on a riding lawn mower. I still have not found the desired digital image but I fell in love with this dear old man reliving his dreams from the past. That said, here is my card for the PP248 Theme Challenge.

After downloading The Engineer from Mo's Digital Pencil, I printed it on white cardstock, masked the image to sponge the background, then removed the mask and colored the image. I thought that this man would keep his train polished, so I heat embossed the locomotive with clear powder to make it shiny. I cut the image freehand into two overlapping circular shapes.

The background was sponged on white cardstock and embellished with some stamps. The clouds were sponged using the edge of a cloud die as a stencil. The sentiment was computer generated and both tags were die cut and pierced to include the brad. The tags and the focal image were backed with craft foam and lifted up. The inside was stamped with a few trees using generation stamping.
For great card ideas visit the blogs for The Paper Players and Mo's Digital Pencil.

Techniques: Masking, stamping, generation stamping, coloring, die cutting, sponging, heat embossing, fussy cutting
Size: A7 (5' x 7")

Products:
Stamps: Mo's Digital Pencil The Engineer, SU! Lovely As a Tree, Wetlands, computer generated words in Magneto font
Inks: Wild Wasabi, Bashful Blue, Crumb Cake, River Rock, Versamark
Markers (alcohol): Spectrum Noir
Cardstock: SU! Whisper White, Wild Wasabi, Night of Navy
Dies: My Favorite Things Stitched Rounded Rectangles, Mama Elephant Creative Cuts (cloud die used as stencil)
Misc.: Brad, craft foam, SU! clear embossing powder

For You

I spent part of the evening pondering over this challenge and finally decided that CAS was probably the way to go since I was running out of time. This is my entry into Can You CASE It? Sketch Challenge #72 and also The Paper Players Tic-Tac-Toe Challenge #247. As you can see from the grid below, I selected the three items across the bottom row: die cut, patterned paper, any shade of yellow.

A panel of gray card was adhered to a white card base. The sphere was die cut from white card and using second generation stamping, the leaves were added. The shape was cut a second time from yellow cardstock and the frame was inlaid onto the white circle. It was adhered with foam to lift it from the card base ............ The butterfly was punched from DSP, the edges sponged and popped up with foam. The tendrils were thin strips cut from the same DSP and wound tightly before being adhered under the round image.The sentiment was stamped with a tiny leafy flourish. Pearls were added to two corners and one was applied to the butterfly. The inside of the card was decorated down the right edge with a thin strip of the same DSP.

Drop in and visit CYCI and PP for some fun challenges and beautiful cards! And a word to the wise... I think waiting until the last minute to submit is not a good idea, especially if the winners are to be announced right away. In my opinion, the card may not get the attention it deserves before the votes have to be in. I suspect some of the decisions may already be made.

Techniques: Die cutting, stamping, generation stamping, inlay, punching

Size: A2 (4.25" x 5.5")

 

Products:

Stamps: Gina K Designs "Bounty of Blessings" for sentiment, Lil' Inker Designs "Really Rosemaling" for leaves

Ink: SU! Basic Gray

Cardstock: SU! Whisper White, Smoky Slate, Daffodil Delight

DSP: SU! Best Year Ever

Die: Memory Box "Chesapeake Circle"

Punch: SU! Elegant Butterfly

Misc.: SU! Basic Pearls, craft foam

Happy Birthday with Fringe

These two challenges offered me an opportunity to make a birthday card for a friend. Pals Paper Arts #253 (PPA253) is a sketch challenge and Waffle Flower (May 25-June 7) is an inspired color challenge.

After making the card, I was ready to photograph it but the card was missing. I looked nonstop and was unable to find it. In my annoyance, I sat down to think about it and saw my cat jumping around with a toy. Her toy? My card. It had been batted around on the tile floor and was bent every which way! So here it is after my beautiful Samantha had a go at it!

Inspired by the round carpet in the inspiration photo, flowers were stamped randomly on a panel of yellow cardstock. On a piece of white cardstock, additional flowers and leaves were stamped and then the piece was die cut and sponged along the edges. The focal image was backed with craft foam to lift it off of the card. The sentiment was stamped.

To make the fringe I adhered three pieces of cardstock along their top edges, cut the fringe with sharp snips and then cut away each layer to coordinate with the shape in the sketch. The yellow panel was attached to the fringe and the entire stack was backed with craft foam and adhered to a card base.

To finish the card, a double frame was drawn freehand around the edge of the card base. A panel of white cardstock was adhered to the inside of the card and was decorated with stamped flowers along the lower right edge. I always leave space to add a personal note.

Here is where the fun began when my cat found the card and used it as a toy, battering it mercilessly until I retrieved it. She's elderly and I love to see that she still enjoys playing but not with my freshly made card! I wish she had waited until after I took photographs instead of before.

Visit the challenge blogs at PPA and Waffle Flower to join in the fun!

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

Products are Stampin' Up! unless otherwise noted:
Stamps: Verve Poppy Birthday
Ink: Whisper White, Crumb Cake, Melon Mambo, Wild Wasabi, Daffodil Delight
Marker (non-alcohol): Crumb Cake
Cardstock: Whisper White, Crumb Cake, Melon Mambo, Wild Wasabi, Barely Banana (retired)
Die: My Favorite Things Die-namics Stitched Rounded Rectangle Stack

Bees in Foxglove

Update 6/03/2015: Bees in Foxglove was selected as a Top Three winner at AHSC #109!

Shades of purple can be so pretty, and pretty was what I was hoping to achieve with this card, using a digital image from Power Poppy. I have entered the card into two challenges: Atlantic Hearts Sketch Challenge #109 and Inkspirational Purple Wedding Theme Challenge #83.

5/31/2015 Update: I just learned that today is the last day to enter the May 2015 Power Poppy Blog Challenge, so my card has now been submitted for that challenge as well, making it three challenges.

The purple panel was die cut with scallops. The orchid panel was die cut with the stitched quilt design then cut again with the scallop die and backed with craft foam. The green panel was cut with a lattice die and backed with craft foam and Kool Tak, a clear foam adhesive. The emboss resist leaf print paper was sponged with ink. The purple panel was adhered directly to the leaf print. The orchid panel was adhered next followed by the green lattice. These two panels are backed with craft foam so pop up and add dimension. A piece of green ribbon was adhered across the entire stack and tucked behind the leaf print. This was all adhered to the white card base.

The digital image, "Bees in Foxglove," was downloaded, resized and printed onto white cardstock. After coloring

and blending with Spectrum Noir alcohol markers, the bees were highlighted with clear Wink of Stella. The inside of the Foxglove petals are spotted so a white gel pen was used to add the spots. The image was die cut in an  oval shape, backed with foam and adhered to the card front. The sentiment was stamped and adhered.

The inside of the card was decorated with a leaf print strip on the right edge.

This card was inspired by my friend, Cheryl. See her beautiful design and expert coloring HERE.

Visit the challenges at AHSC, Inkspirational and Power Poppy for creative ideas, then visit the Power Poppy store for beautiful digital images and other products.

Techniques: Die cutting, sponging, emboss resist, coloring
Size: A7 (5' x 7")

Products are Stampin' Up! unless otherwise noted:
Stamps: Digital image from Power Poppy, computer generated sentiment
Inks: Certainly Celery, Memento Tuxedo Black
Markers (alcohol): Spectrum Noir GB5, CG1, CG2, DG2, PL1, PL2, PL4, PP3, LV2, Uniball Signo gel pen (white)
Cardstock: Whisper White, Certainly Celery, Elegant Eggplant, pale orchid from stash
DSP: Irresistibly Yours Collection (emboss resist paper) - leaf print
Dies: Spellbinders Lattice and Floral Oval, Lil' Inker Designs Quilted Stitched, Die'sire Scalloped Rectangles
Misc.: Craft foam, Kool Tak, grosgrain ribbon, ZIG Wink of Stella

You're My Anchor II

Just under the wire today I decided to enter a sketch challenge at The Paper Players (PP246).

 

I previously made two masculine cards from these same papers so decided to make a third card from the scraps and found this sketch to be inspiring.

 

The card base is made with gray cardstock with a machine stitched panel of white cardstock. A panel of weathered wood DSP was adhered to the white panel. Next a panel of plaid DSP, cut on the diagonal, and a panel of watery DSP were die cut with a curved die and backed with craft foam to add depth when adhered to the card.

 

The anchor was stamped and a piece of hemp was laced through using a piercing tool. It was backed with a mat, both having been die cut, sponged and adhered with a piece of craft foam to pop it up. The sentiment was computer generated, adhered to a piece of the water DSP, curled slightly with a bone folder. then adhered with a piece of craft foam. Sticky-backed metal studs were added. The inside of the card was lined with a panel of white cardstock and a second generation of the anchor was stamped on the lower right hand corner.

 

Be sure to visit The Paper Players for creative ideas! 

 

Techniques: Stamping, die cutting, sponging, piercing, machine sewing, generation stamping

 

Products are Stampin' Up! unless otherwise noted:

Stamps: The Open Sea

Ink: Pacific Point, Basic Gray

Cardstock: Whisper White, Basic Gray

DSP: Adventure Bound

Dies: Spellbinders Wonky Rectangles, Mama Elephant Creative Cuts

Misc.: Hemp by Hemptique, metal studs from gem stash 

 

Vellum Flower - CAS

It's time to submit another card to Sunday Stamps Sketch Challenge #102 (SSC102) and Can You CASE It? Color Challenge #71 (CYCI#71).





I decided to keep the card Clean and Simple. A piece of gold foiled cardstock was adhered to the card base. A panel of Irresistibly Yours DSP was sponged with ink and wiped clean with a tissue, fussy cut along one edge, then adhered to the card base. A panel of Crisp Cantaloupe cardstock was cut with a die to get a quilt diamond cut design then sponged with ink along the edges. A piece of craft foam was adhered to the back and then it was added to the card. The craft foam pops the panel up from the surface and gives it depth. Three gold gems were adhered to the card.

Three large floral images were punched from vellum and sponged with color, then three smaller floral images were punched from vellum and sponged with color. The petals were curled with a bone folder, adhered with glue dots, then a single floral punch from gold foil paper was adhered to the center. The inside was decorated with a single punched floral image from the Irresistibly Yours paper and a piece of gold foil for the flower center.

Visit Sunday Stamps and Can You CASE It? to join the challenges or find creative ideas for cards.

Techniques: Punching, emboss resist, sponging, fussy cutting, die cutting
Size: A2 (4.25" x 5.5")

Materials are Stampin' Up! unless otherwise noted:
Cardstock: Whisper White, Baked Brown Sugar, Crisp Cantaloupe, white vellum, DCWV Foiled Cardstock (gold)
DSP: Irresistibly Yours
Ink: Baked Brown Sugar, Crisp Cantaloupe
Punches: 7/8" Circle Scallop, Blossom, Pansy
Die: Lil' Inker Designs Quilted Stitched Die
Misc.: Gems from my stash, craft foam, mini glue dots

Rosemaling

Recently I purchased a set of stamps that represents the art of Rosemaling, a style of colorful Norwegian decorative painting. I was eager to use the stamp so decided to use it for the Pals Paper Arts Sketch Challenge #252 (PPA252).

A  piece of dotted DSP was adhered to the card base. Then a piece of gray cardstock was stamped and clear embossed with a decorative stamp. In addition, embossing powder was sprinkled onto the cardstock while it was warm from the heat gun and heat embossed to provide texture. The gray cardstock was backed with craft foam to pop it up and adhered to the DSP.

The flowers were stamped and decorative trim was stamped across the top and bottom of each flower. The flowers were heat embossed with clear powder to make them glossy. The flowers were fussy cut as one piece and backed with craft foam to lift it off of the gray cardstock. A sentiment was stamped on pale pink vellum and adhered across the center of the card. The inside of the card was decorated with a small decorative image.

Techniques: Stamping, fussy cutting, heat embossing

Size: A7 (5" x 7")
Products are Stampin' Up! unless otherwise noted:
Stamps: Lil' Inker Designs "Really Rosemaling" stamp set
Ink: Versamark, Stazon Black, Strawberry Slush, Lucky Limeade, Basic Gray
Cardstock: Whisper White, Basic Gray
DSP: Strawberry Slush dotted print, pale pink vellum
Misc.: Clear embossing powder, craft foam

Retiform Revisited

With the deadline quickly approaching, I decided to make a card for the Waffle Flower Challenge (5/11/15 - 5/24/15). Waffle Flower provided a photograph for inspiration with four colors: green, yellow, rust and white.

Some time ago, I saw a card someone had made, and the technique interested me. I did an Internet search on "retiform technique" and found two excellent sources: Splitcoast Tutorials and Gina K Designs.

After laying down the grid with sponged color, the card was stamped and then generation stamped randomly. Three flower images were stamped on a separate scrap of white cardstock, punched out, and adhered to the card with foam tape. They were brushed with clear Wink of Stella, and tiny pearls were added to each of the centers of the three flowers.

The inside of the card was stamped with several small flowers as well, and the card was complete.

Visit the Waffle Flower blog and store for creative ideas, fun challenges, and quality products.

Techniques: Retiform (grid), sponging, generation stamping, and punching
Size: A2 (4.25" x 5.5")

Materials are Stampin' Up!:
Stamps: Kinda Eclectic, and Beautiful Bunch
Ink: Tangerine Tango, Hello Honey, Gumball Green
Cardstock: Whisper White
Punch: Petite Petals
Misc.: Basic Pearls, Dimensionals, ZIG Wink of Stella