Inspired by Challenge #253 -- SUNFLOWERS

Squeezing in a card for Inspired by Challenge #253 -- Sunflowers.

Here's the challenge graphic and sketch.

 

 

Here's my card. I was inspired by the sketch, and of course, the sunflowers.

 

I cut a strip of Craft Consortium patterned paper and ran it through a wood plank 

embossing folder. To add to the weathered look, I distressed the edges with a scissors.

 

After adhering it to a card base, I added the sunflower and a sentiment that was

in my scrap bowl. It's so old, I don't know which stamp company it's from, but I like 

that it was cut and ink distressed and fit perfectly on the card.

 

Thanks for stopping by!

 

Featured Stamper for Color Throwdown #758

I was so surprised when I found out that my entry was chosen as the random winner for

 Color Throwdown Challenge #756 and that meant an invitation to be the Featured Stamper 

for CTD #758. And I graciously accepted.

The colors are pink, green, magenta, and white. 

 

Here's how I was inspired.

I chose The Greetery's Spring Meadow set paired with some new Concord & 9th inks.

Dragonfruit and Carnation were the best choices for my project although CTD

allows for some leeway with the color palette. 

I was trying to create an OLC but stenciling the image on an angle was a bit too 

challenging so I decided to stencil, then cut out the bouquet. I adhered it to a panel, 

stamped the sentiment, and finished off with some clear sequins

You have until Monday, September 4, 2023 at 6PM EST to link up your projects.

Thanks to the CTD team for the invitation to join you for this week's challenge

and we hope to see you n the gallery!

Freshly Made Sketches #600

With twelve years and 600 sketches under their belt, Freshly Made Sketches is

 celebrating a milestone! I couldn't resist joining in with a card using this fun and

simple sketch.

 

 

Here's my take on it since I had some extra leaves floating around.

I ran a piece of patterned paper through an Altenew embossing folder and adhered

a maple leaf over it. The two part sentiment was added, then finished off with some

tiny gold sequins.

I'm still a newbie at Freshly Made Sketches after being on the CAS(E) this Sketch!

team for many years, and I'm happy to play along whenever I can. I love a good

sketch as a starting point for a card design and being able to use "bits and bobs"

from my scrap bowl is a bonus!

Congrats on the 600th sketch, FMS, and here's to many more years of sketches

and inspiration!

Color Throwdown #756

I love leaves. I must own a zillion leaf dies and stamps. So when I saw that the

color palette for Color Throwdown Challenge #756 was green, orange, and brown,

it was a no brainer to enter.

 

I chose a large oak leaf and smooshed, blended, and spattered three of them. 

A woodgrain piece was distressed on the edges and adhered to a card base.

The leaves were adhered and finished off with the sentiment.

Off to link up my card. Thanks for stopping by!

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Edited to add: My card was chosen as the winner for CTD756 and I'll be the

Featured Stamper for a future challenge! Thank you, CTD!

Color Throwdown #753

I'm entering a card to Color Throwdown #753 just under the wire, as always. 

Here's the challenge colors: pink, aqua, yellow and lime.

 

 The colors made me think about flowers and I pulled out The Greetery's

Spring Meadow Stencil which fit the bill.

I used inks from The Stamp Market and Altenew. I'm not really sure of the names

because I was just grabbing colors and stenciling as I went along.

I stamped the sentiment and used a set of matting dies to cut out the panel.

I adhered it to a light gray card base and finished off with some clear enamel dots.

I'd better link this before I miss another deadline. 

Thanks for stopping by!

The Flower Challenge #82 -- Clean and Simple

It's a new month--I can't believe we're into JULY!--and a new challenge over at

The Flower Challenge. This month the challenge theme is CAS, Clean and Simple,

one of my favorite card styles.

 

I chose Honeybee Stamps' Lovely Layer Coneflower Honey Cuts as my flower of choice.

The background was made using Altenew's Organic Linen 3D Embossing Folder.

The coneflower petals were colored and assembled and I DIY'd a stem. The bloom was

adhered to the card and finished off with a gold embossed sentiment. I wish you could

see the shiny sentiment. I always struggle with capturing metallic embossing.

 

While the overall design is CAS, I'm wondering if all those layers make this a

"clean and layered" project? Well, either way, I'm off to link this up.

 

Thanks for stopping by!

 

 

Bear Hugs

Waffle Flower's Intertwined Bear Hugs Dies just HAD to come home with me. I wasn't

going to wait for a blog hop to try and score one, and I'm glad I grabbed it right away 

because most craft sites are sold out, or there's a reserve/waiting list.

 

 After watching several You Tube videos for inspiration, I came up with this.

This set is ingenious and cute! When separated, the bears open up to share a hidden

message. I'm still waiting for my sentiment set to arrive so the inside is blank for now.

The sentiment is Waffle Flower's Classic Sentiments and part of the "h" went over 

the tummy fur but I can live with that. 

 

I have other ideas for this set, now I just have to find the time to put them down.

Thanks for stopping by!

 

A Little Weekend Marketing

 

I'm so into die cutting now, more than coloring, and when I saw Concord & 9th's

Weekend Market Dies, I fell in love. Yes, the set has over 20 dies but I watched a video

by Jennifer McGuire and she shared tips and tricks for making the most out of

die cutting "en masse". 

 

Cutting multiples may seem daunting at first, but it's actually time saving and

you'll have a bunch of elements ready to choose from.
 

I wanted to give her a printed top and found some vintage MFT papers. Altenew's  

Organic Linen and Deck Planks 3D embossing folders helped to create the background 

and ground the image. I finished off the card with a sentiment from Altenew.

 

I'll be putting together a few more cards using this set. It's very relaxing to choose the 

outfits and pick out what she's carrying--it's just like playing with paper dolls!

 

Thanks, always, for stopping by!

 

The Flower Challenge #81 and SSS June Flickr Challenge #212

The Simon Says Stamp Flickr Challenge for June is Stencil It--use stencils on 

your project. I chose Poppy Field Stencils and went with red as the color choice

for the blooms.

 

 After stenciling the poppies, I die cut the piece with an arch shaped die and adhered it

to a light gray card base. I added a strip of dotted paper on the bottom and the

sentiment was cut from black card stock. Black enamel dots finished off the card.

 

 

I'm also entering the card to The Flower Challenge #81-- Use Your Favourite Flower.

 

While the poppy isn't a favorite flower, per se, I have fond memories of an elderly

neighbor who would pass out a Buddy Poppy at a local shopping center on Veteran's Day.

I would donate a few dollars and sometimes score TWO poppies and attached them 

to my purse straps.

Sadly during the pandemic, Buddy Poppies were no longer passed out and the 

neighbor has since passed away. But he always comes to mind whenever I see the red

poppy and I recall how lucky I was to have a Buddy Poppy. Or two.

Thanks for stopping by!

* * * * *

Edited to add: My poppies were chosen as Honorable Mention for June!

Thank you, The Flower Challenge!

SSS Flickr May Challenge -- Enticing Trio

The Simon Says Stamp Flickr Challenge theme for May is Enticing Trio--create a project

using three of anything.  Here's my card.

I used SSS Friendly Birds Embossing Folder and Dies to cut out three birds, then ran them

through the coordinating embossing folder.  I inked them up using dye inks and Copics.

I adhered a WPlus9 cover die on a card base and adhered the birds on top. 

CZ Design sentiments and clear sequins finished off the card.

I'm off to link up this card. Thanks for stopping by!