Good Day for The Flower Challenge

Hello friends!  The fourth of September brings us to a new month for The Flower Challenge.  This time we have a sketch to inspire you!

The Flower Challenge

 

Great sketch with lots of potential, don't you think?  For my card, I pulled out an older favorite floral die and a newer sentiment die. 

I'm also joining in with my friends over at Just Us Girls since it is die week and my card is loaded with them.

JUGS 791

Let's take a look!

After I chose the floral and sentiment dies, I looked through my collection of cardstock and settled on a couple from Concord and 9th for the flower and one from Spellbinders (one of my new favs!).  After die cutting, I ink blended some shading on both the flower petal layers and the leaves, although that's mostly hidden.  The flower was put together then set aside as I worked on the sentiment and background.

An A2 panel of Blue Spruce was die cut with an Altenew frame die, ink blended with a dark blue and a dark teal around the edges, then adhered it to an A2 kraft panel.  After die cutting the sentiment and flower center from matte gold, all the elements were added to the card front.  I found some gold sequins that matched the metallic paper, and that finished things off.

What are you inspired to create with our sketch?  For more inspiration, I encourage you to visit the challenge blog, where my talented teammates have some amazing cards to share.  The challenge remains open until the 25th of the month; I hope to see your card in the gallery!

Thanks for stopping by!

Stef

• Honey Bee Stamps Lovely Layers:  Coneflower
• Altenew Timeless Sentiments 2 and Mix & Match Frames dies
• C&9 Sprout and Nectar cardstock and Nectar and Grapefruit ink
• Spellbinders Blue Spruce cardstock
• Altenew Brushed Gold cardstock and gold sequins
• Simon Says Stamp Limelicious, Pearfection, Ocean and Galaxy inks

Pumpkin Patch for Color Hues

Hello friends!  The first of the month has rolled around again (can you believe it???) and Color Hues has a new challenge.  The lovely Karen is hosting and has chosen a lovely color combo of orange and green.  Hmmm, rather fall-ish to me...🍃🎃.

Color Hues

As you can tell from the title of my post, I definitely went for a fall scene and used a sweet Bundle girl from Stamping Bella.

The scene was stamped, then before coloring with my Copics, the sky was stenciled using a light orange ink and a cloud stencil.  I completed the coloring, stamped the sentiment and die cut the panel with a rectangle die.  The panel was then added to a green matte that was barely larger than the colored panel.  

I added that to the card base, then as I was photographing it, I wondered to myself, where is all the green?  Frankly, there wasn't much because I opted to color the little girl's outfit in brown rather than green, and the leaves and the mat didn't provide much.  I think I lost my mind for a short time while creating this card lol!  Anybody else have those days?

A plaid cover die to the rescue!  It was cut with a Tim Holtz cover die, adhered to the card base, then the main image was added to finish the card.  Finally!

Thanks for taking time to stop by! I encourage you to pop over to the challenge blog where my very talented teammates have a variety of card design using these colors.  The challenge remains open until Sunday, 9/14 at 3pm EDT.  I hope to see your card in the gallery!

Stef

• Stamping Bella Bundle Girl at the Pumpkin Patch and Frightful & Delightful sentiment set stamps
• MFT Mini Cloud Edges die
• Hero Arts Nesting Rectangle die
• Tim Holtz Simple Plaid cover die
• Copics:  Pumpkin - YR18, 24, 09, 07, 16, Y38 E57, 35; Leaves YG67, 17, 03; Skin E11, 21, 00; Hat, Jacket and Boots E77, 74, 71; Scarf T2, 0; Ground E31, 41

Poinsettia Swag for the Paper Players

Hello friends!  It's the fifth Sunday of the month (bye, bye August!) and that means it's time for our Tic Tac Toe challenge at the Paper Players.  This time the amazing Joanne is hosting and has created a really great TTT board!

Paper Players

I chose to use the middle column - flowers, free and word die - to create another Christmas card for my stash.

I went searching through my holiday stamps and found this lovely poinsettia swag from Simon Says Stamp.  The image was stamped twice and I colored the flower from one and the leaves and berries from the other, which were then die cut.  The flower was fussy cut then added to the leaf and berry image with thin foam tape.  

The die cut sentiment is one of my favorites and I found it already die cut and adhered to the vellum base.  White just seemed too boring for the background, so I used a piece of Spellbinders Chiffon cardstock after embossing it with the SB Tufted 3D folder. Everything was added to a white card base, then I opted to use some gorgeous gems for the flower center to really glam things up.  I love how this turned out!

Won't you come play along this week?  There are so many great options on Joanne's TTT board and you'll have until Friday, September 5th at 3pm EDT to join in.  My wonderfully talented teammates have some great inspiration for you over on the challenge blog, so please take a moment to check it out!

Thanks for stopping by!

Stef

• SSS Poinsettia Swag stamp and die
• SSS Flourished Merry Christmas dies
• Spellbinders Tufted ef
• Spellbinders Chiffon cardstock
• Lawn Fawn Pearlized Vellum
• SSS Prism Dazzling gems

Big B-Day Vibes for the Paper Players

Hello friends!  It's time for a new challenge at the Paper Players and this week the fabulous Jaydee is hosting our monthly sketch challenge and she's created great one with lots of options.

Paper Players

 

I decided to work on adding to my pile of masculine birthday cards, of which I never seem to have enough.

This card, which is a gatefold shape, was super-duper simple to create, as you can see.  In hindsight, the only thing I wish I would have added was some twine around the middle piece before adding to the card.  Maybe next time, if I make more.

I started with the patterned paper, which is from an 2008 paper pad by  Basic Grey.  It's been a great source for masculine/boy paper designs and I still have a few pieces I'm hoarding holding onto.  I trimmed it down to A2 size then cut it in the middle to fit each side of my gatefold. After ink blending brown all around the outside edges, I die cut two decorative strips from a grungy orange panel from the same paper pad and added them to each side of the card front.

The middle piece was created with a wood plank die.  I made two, cut them in half, then used 3 of the 4 pieces.  I arranged them onto a small square, which was then added to the left side of the gatefold.  The sentiment was added with a bit of thin foam tape and that finished things off.  A bit plain but I hope the gate fold and the paper add enough interest for the recipient.

Thanks for stopping by and I encourage you to visit the challenge blog, where my talented teammates have some fabulous and varied takes on this sketch for your inspiration!  The challenge remains open until Friday, August 29th at 3pm EDT.  Hope to see your card in the gallery!

Stef

• Simon Says Stamp Big Old Birthday stamp and die
• SSS Wood Plank die
• Basic Grey Archaic paper pad
• MFT Fine Finish Edge die

Meowy Christmas for the Paper Players

Hello friends!  We have a fun new challenge over at the Paper Players this week!  The amazing Elizabeth is hosting our Clean and Simple challenge and is asking us to use critters on our cards.  

Paper Players

You can use any type of critter as long as you keep your card CAS - minimal layers and embellishments, simple and uncluttered with plenty of "white" space.

I'm continuing to work on my holiday card stash and I also used a stamp set that I've had for nearly, cough, cough...five years and have never used.  I figured it was high time to do so, and I'll be sharing over at Darnell's NBUS challenge.

Having had cats for at least half of my life, I couldn't love that sentiment more!  It makes me giggle, as does that very tense looking kitty (who knows what's in his cup???).  The cat was stamped then I did very simple coloring with my Copics before fussy cutting.  

The frame was die cut 3 times, twice from white and once from red metallic, then layered together on top of the Sea Glass card base.  The white center portion was stamped with the sentiment, layered inside the frame, then the cat was added with thin foam tape. 

I had cut three Christmas lights from another stamp in the set, colored them, then covered them with Glossy Accents. They, along with some torn up pine needles were added to the floor beneath the cat.  (sorry, they're a bit hard to make out; they're more visable IRL) Those darn cats will make such a mess of your holiday decorations if left unattended, as any cat owner will tell you! 

I hope you'll share your CAS critter card with us this week!  Before you head off to your crafty space, I encourage you to check out what the other DT members came up with (they're so talented!).  The challenge remains open until Friday, August 22nd at 3pm EDT.

Thanks for stopping by!

Stef

• Simon Says Stamp/Tim Holtz Stamptember 2020 stamp set (this set isn't available any longer but TH has other Snarky Cats stamps available at SSS or other retailers, if you have a warped sense of humor as I do lol!)
• Tim Hold Mini Holiday Greens die
• Waffle Flower Nesting Piercing Ticket Frames die
• Copics - R59, 37, 35, T4, 2, 0, C3, 1, 0, Y11, B00
• Olos - G1.7, 1.5, 1.4

Gnomie Christmas for Color Hues

Hello friends!  It's mid-month already (!!?!) and time for a new challenge at Color Hues.  The fabulous Julie is hosting and has chosen a wonderful color combination.  

Color Hues

I considered several options but decided to add to my Christmas card stash with a funny gnome take on the holiday.

The stamp set is one that I bought a couple of years ago from Colorado Craft Company. The gnome Santa is kind of different looking but I was really enamored with the polar bear and the three penguins.  Plus I thought the sleigh looked pretty cool too. 

I colored everything with Copic markers.  Santa and the sleigh were red, of course, but then I added gold to all the metallic parts of the sleigh and the bell on Santa's hat.  I used the matching dies to cut them out.  

I had the sky background in my background stash.  I'm guessing but I think it was created using a Distress Spray stain and a Mica Spray stain because it has a shimmer to it.  A couple of snow hills were hand cut, layered on the background, then I added the images.  I covered everyone's eyes then splattered the entire panel with white splatter medium for lots of snow.  After that dried, the final step was to add the sentiment, which is from another CCC stamp set.

I hope that you'll be joining us for this challenge and if you need further inspiration, my very talented teammates and guest designer, the lovely Leslie Miller, have a wide variety of cards on the challenge blog just to do that!  The challenge will be open until Friday, August 29th at 9am EDT.  I hope to see your card in the gallery!

Thanks for stopping by!

Stef

• CCC Chillin' Gnomies stamps and dies
• CCC North Pole sentiment stamp
• Guessing - Salty Ocean Distress Spray Stain and Snow Flurries Distress Mica Spray Stain
• Simon Says Stamp White Splatter Medium
• Copics - R59, 46, 27, 05, 20, YR27, Y15, 13, 11, T4, 2, 0, C9, 7, 6, 5, 3, 1, 0

Peony Bowl for The Flower Challenge

Hello friends!  I'm here today with my reminder card for The Flower Challenge.  This month we're adding embellishments to our floral creations.  

TFC 105R

 

Many years ago, when I was learning to color with my Copic markers, there were a number of people I followed, trying to learn their techniques and color choices, etc., which led me to Power Poppy.  It is owned by Marcella Hawley and as far as I know she still does all the illustrations.  I bought a couple of stamp sets and a few digi images, which have been tucked away. I haven't used them in ages and I thought it was way past time, especially since the image I used is one of my very favorites.

Isn't that an amazing illustration?  Since the peonies in our garden are a glorious pink, I was inspired to use the same color here.  It is an intricate image, so it did take a couple of hours to color but I love how it turned out.  I used some light brown markers to create a "table" and since I colored the bowl blue, I opted to use a light yellow in the background.

I trimmed the image down, matted on black then added to the card base.  I found some pretty gems that in real life are very close in color to the bowl.  I chose not to add a sentiment.

You still have 10 days to join in this month or add a second card - the challenge ends on the 25th.  In the meantime, do stop by the challenge and see the amazing inspiration by my talented teammates, there are some gorgeous cards to behold!

Thanks for taking time to stop by!

Stef

• Power Poppy digi print (not sure if it was Peony Bowl or ??)
• Honey Bee Stamps Winter Wonder gems
• Copics - B05, 02, 00, Y26, 15, 000, YG67, 45 17, 05, G29, 21, 40, E43, 41, 40
• Olos - RV 0.6, 0.5, 0.2, 0.1