Paper Smooches January Challenge

The current challenge at Paper Smooches



is 4 colors

Here is my card

I was inspired by this beautiful card by jill dewey hawkins



I inked up a panel with four distress inks (twisted citron, spiced marmalade, picked raspberry and faded jeans). I die cut some flowers using Paper Smooches dainty flower dies from white cardstock an adhered to the panel. The sentiment is from Paper Smooches salutation stamp set.

Thanks for visiting
sue

CAS(E) this Sketch! #156

Here's my card

It's for the current challenge at CAS(E) this Sketch!






I used this Penny Black stamp set. I added ink with mini distress inks and spritzed with a little water before applying to watercolour paper. The sentiment is by Paper Smooches.

Thanks for visiting
sue

Stamp Nation Technique Toolbox: Creative Stenciling

Here's another card for the online course at Stamp Nation

This card is for Creative Stenciling course #2 - Masking and Sponging with Stencils.

I used a die to cut out a heart from a piece of repositionable adhesive label. I used this stencil and inked up with mini ink blending tools and distress inks (ripe persimmon, field berries and picked raspberry). NOTE: try to ensure that you will be adding ink along the edges of the mask. For my first attempt, I had unintentionally placed the stencil where some of the stencil lines were close to the masked edge - result, "weird" stencil edges; the heart edges were wobbly!

The sentiment is from Simon Says STAMP - Lots of Thanks.

Thanks for visiting
sue

Simon Says STAMP Wednesday Challenge

Here is my card

It's for the current challenge at Simon Says STAMP Wednesday Challenge


This week the challenge is…

CREATE WITH CRITTERS

I used this super cute stamp and die from Lawn Fawn.

The background was made with mini ink blending tools and distress inks (broken china, faded jeans and chipped sapphire).

Thanks for visiting
sue

Freshly Made Sketches #220

Here's my card for the current challenge at Freshly Made Sketches

Here's the inspiration sketch

 

Instead of overlapping the circles, I tried to "join" the flowers with the leaves. I worked with the general arrangement of the elements.

The flowers and sentiments are from these Clearly Besotted stamp sets

Thanks for visiting
sue

Muse Challenge #149

The current Muse at Muse Challenge is this beauty by Tracey McNeely

 

 

Considering the snowstorm out east and the cloudy, rainy weather here in Vancouver, I just love the reminder that spring, with its bright colours is just around the corner.

I'm trying to think outside the box and stretch a bit. 

I was inspired by 

• the beautiful and bright colours that Tracey used
• the "subject" - flowers, stem and leaf 
• the sentiment - a mix of script and "regular" print

So, instead of stamping, I tried using a stencil and adding ink (distress inks - spiced marmalade, ripe persimmon, picked raspberry and twisted citron). Here's my card

The stencil is by ARTplorations - Bold Florals. The sentiment is from Avery Elle - Love Notes. I also used a lime green cardstock as a mat.

Thanks for visiting

sue

Stamp Nation - Technique Toolbox: Creative Stenciling

Catherine Pooler and her team at Stamp Nation are offering a free online Technique Toolbox: Creative Stenciling for Stamp Nation members.

Class #3 - Stamping over Stenciling

Here's my card

I lightly stenciled with distress ink (pumice stone) the chicken wire. It was followed by stamping with Hero Arts shadow inks and my favorite Paper Smooches stamp set - Reflection. The sentiment is from Simon Says STAMP Many Thanks stamp set.

Thanks for visiting
sue

STAMPlorations Blog: CASEplorations January

I heart Laura Bassen. Over at STAMPlorations, their CASEplorations challenge is to CASE a card, this card by Laura Bassen.



Here is my card

As I used exclusively STAMPlorations stencil and stamp set, I'm also going to be linking up to their Never-ending Anything Goes Challenge


I used this stencil

and this stamp set

I made a small nest with gold thread and a piece of fun foam to "pop" the panel on the card.

Thanks for visiting
sue

One-Layer Simplicity Challenge #23 The Sky's the Limit

This month's challenge at One-Layer Simplicity is

OLS23 The Sky's the Limit

Here's my card

Is anyone else intimated by one-layer cards? I like the "comfort" of creating on a card front which seems easier for me to recycle than the entire card base. I need to get over it - only pennies, right?

I had seen several photos of the northern lights. I have yet to witness them myself. Apparently, they are dancing lights in the night sky. I tried to reproduce this. I masked off the card front, to prevent ink on the back. I used distress inks (spiced marmalade, faded jeans and seedless preserves) applied with mini ink blending tools. I tried to make the colours dance.

I used SU's Lovely as a Tree for the silhouette. The sentiment is from Paper Smooches.

Thanks for visiting
sue

Fusion Card Challenge - 2nd Anniversary Celebration

There is a 2nd Anniversary Celebration over at Fusion Card Challenge

Congratulations to all those at Fusion Card Challenge! There is a great challenge this week. Love the bright colours especially on dark dreary rainy days like today.

 

I chose to use both the sketch and the photo as inspiration. Here is my card

I used a variety of flowers from Paper Smooches stamp sets. The sentiment is also from Paper Smooches.

Thanks for visiting
sue

Stampin' Celebration Challenge #120

The current challenge at Stampin' Celebration is an inspiration challenge.

Here is the inspiration


Here is my card

I was inspired by the gift in the upper right corner. I die cut a snowflake with this Memory Box die

 I placed a piece of sparkly silver paper behind the cut out.

The sentiment is from this stamp set from Catherine Pooler's Holiday Magic Stamp of Approval box.

Thanks for visiting
sue

Muse Card Challenge #148

I have to say that I look forward to participating at the Muse Card Challenge

Often I am challenged as to how to take elements of the Muse cards and make my own card. I find that my interpretations are pretty "literal". I am working at stretching and "thinking outside the box" - not this week though (LOL!)

Here is this week's Muse card, created by Anita Bowden

Here's my card

I was inspired by the following elements

• the swirly vine with flowers
• the sentiment under the vine
• the simple black mat of the narrow panel
• the colours

My "twists"

• changing the orientation of the card
• coloured the flowers/leaves with Prismacolor colored pencils
• changed the sentiment (I have a need for thank you cards, so chose a thank you sentiment)

I used these Stampin Up sets

Thanks for visiting
sue

Freshly Made Sketches #219

There's a new challenge at Freshly Made Sketches



Here's my card. I rotated the sketch and kind of inverted it too.

I started with this Memory Box stencil and added colour with distress inks (twisted citron, peacock feathers and seedless preserves).

The sentiment is from this Simon Says STAMP set

I made a small flower using this Memory Box die set and added colour with the same distress inks as I used with the stencil.

To complete the card, I found some printed paper that coordinated with the inked colours.

Thanks for visiting
sue

Less is More: Week 258

So, I was all ready to post my card here yesterday for the current challenge at Less is More (finished an evening early) and then I realized that the challenge was for a one layer card. Oops - back to the drawing board.

Here's the challenge

It's

One Layer Card

 time again and we are continuing the New Year with a 

Flourish

So we'd like to see a flourish somewhere on your creation.

Here's my card

 

It's very similar to yesterday's card - except that this is a one layer card. Anyone else intimidated by one layer cards? I keep expecting that the last thing I do, will mess up the card - like a smudge, dropped stamp ... you know!

I used the Stampin Up set

The sentiment is from Paper Smooches

I felt that it needed something more so I drew dash lines to frame the flourish.

Thanks for visiting

sue

Just Us Girls Challenge #325 - Trend Week

The current challenge at Just Us Girls is a trend week



Here's my card

I found this We R Memory embossing folder (I've seen it used and had it on my wish list). I used a silver paper to emboss.

I heat embossed with silver powder the sentiment from this Simon Says STAMP stamp set

Added a "nest" of silver cord behind the sentiment to add a bit more metal to the card.

Thanks for visiting
sue

TIME OUT Challenge #47 and StampNation - Technique Toolbox: Creative Stenciling

Stamp Nation is celebrating its fifth birthday and as a gift to all subscribers (of which I am one), they are pre-offering their Technique Toolbox: Creative Stenciling course. As I settled down to start adding ink with a stencil, I decided to create a birthday card with the sponged background for the current challenge at TIME OUT Challenges

Birthdays with the optional Technique Twist of adding sponging

Here's my card

I used this Winnie and Walter stencil which came in Catherine Pooler's Stamp of Approval Friendship Collection box.

I added colour with distress inks - seedless preserves, picked raspberry, spiced marmalade, twisted citron and peacock feathers.

The sentiment is from this Simon Says STAMP stamp set

I added a few sequins to add a bit of sparkle to complete my card.

Thanks for visiting
sue

The Friday Mashup FM238 Bang! Pow! Zap!

When I saw the theme for this week's challenge at The Friday Mashup  I knew that I wanted to play along. What a fun challenge

This week's Mashup Challenge is:  

• Create a project featuring Super Heroes. 
• or Create a project with Storybook layout. 
• or Mash it up! and create a Super Hero card using a Storybook Layout.

Here's my card - I like a challenge and tried to "mash it up"

I'll be honest, I had no idea what a storybook layout was. However, looking at the inspiration from the design team, I interpreted it to mean "like a comic book" :)

I used images from these three stamp sets

From Papertrey Ink

From My Favorite Things

I stamped each image, cut them into rectangles and added ink with an ink blending tool and distress inks. I then added the frames with a black fine tip marker.

Thanks for visiting
sue

CASology Week 179: SIMPLE

When I first saw the cue word at CASology I really wasn't sure what to do. I looked to the Design Team for inspiration.

I loved this card by Ardyth






 So, here is my CASE of Ardyth's card

I found a random cherry blossom stamp in my stash and the sentiment is from this Lawn Fawn stamp set. I tried different "pink" inks and finally settled on the distress ink - picked raspberry, stamped off once.

Thanks for visiting
sue