Papertrey Challenges

I have a card for this week's Make it Monday #322 Above and Below challenge.  What a fun challenge.  I decided to use my new Seasonal Borders: Summer hibiscus flowers.  I have to say, that the stamps are beautiful and not too difficult to line up, but wow, there are a lot of steps to make one flower cluster.  I made several extras, while I had everything set up in my Misti.

I was so excited to see In Bloom, one of my oldest and most favorite flower sets featured at PTI Throwback Thursday.  I fell in love with one of the cards Lexi made, and decided to use that as inspiration for my Transformation Tuesday card.

Here is my original card.

Here is my transformed card, inspired by this card by Lexi.  I was inspired to make my card simpler, with more white space, texture, and color blocking with Copic markers.

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Time Out #78...Reminder...Sending Hugs

There is still time to play along with our current challenge at Time Out.  This is a very special challenge, as it is our 3rd birthday. It's our birthday, but you might get the present....we have several sponsors offering prizes for this challenge.

Our challenge this time is a theme challenge:  

Love and/or Friendship with the optional twist of Spotlight Stamping.

I made this card at the same time as I made the card I showed last week.  I was practicing my Copic coloring, and ended up liking both versions of almost the same card.

Please head over to Time Out to see more inspiration from our Design Team and Guest Designer. Our Guest Designer this week is Ardyth, so please stop by her blog to see what she has created for this challenge.  Details for all the prizes are on the Time Out Challenge Blog.

This challenge will run another week.  I hope you will take some Time Out of your busy schedule to play along with us.

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Time Out #78...Happy Birthday

It's time for a new challenge at Time Out.  This is a very special challenge, as it is our 3rd birthday. It's our birthday, but you might get the present....we have several sponsors offering prizes for this challenge.

Our challenge this time is a theme challenge:  

Love and/or Friendship with the optional twist of Spotlight Stamping.

I pulled out an old favorite floral stamp, In Bloom from PTI, and practiced my Copic coloring on just the raised parts of the flowers.

Please head over to Time Out to see more inspiration from our Design Team and Guest Designer. Our Guest Designer this week is Ardyth, so please stop by her blog to see what she has created for this challenge.  Details for all the prizes are on the Time Out Challenge Blog.


This challenge will run for two weeks.  I hope you will take some Time Out of your busy schedule to play along with us.

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Sunday Recap

Well, the weekend has just sped by, and I am now posting everything I made.  First up is a card going to someone who is probably reading my blog right now...so I won't say anything more, except that she has some very exciting news to celebrate.

I stamped and masked my flower image three times, adding some leaves in the background.  I used several colors of distress inks to sponge and blend over my flowers and leaves.  I embossed my front panel, adhered a sentiment and then matted that panel on another piece where I sponged the darkest Distress ink just along the edges.

In honor of the May Flowers challenge at Retro Rubber #14, I pulled out one of my very favorite and oldest flower stamps--In Bloom by PTI.  I used the color scheme at Sunday Stamps #101--first time playing at this challenge for me, and am also entering at Designer's Choice Recipe challenge at Inkspirational Challenge #82 (Distress Inks, Flowers, Embossing) and Addicted to Stamps #144: CAS.

Next up is a card for CAS-ual Friday's 4th birthday celebration.  I used a sentiment from Bold Wishes and some of their Fri-dies as well.  I randomly filled in some of the open centers of the die cuts with the negative pieces. 

I am also entering this card at Freshly Made Sketches #186 and Seize the Birthday Use the Negative.

Next up is a card with my brand new Ellen Hutson Mondo Magnolia stamps and dies.  I used the colors at Colour Me #71 for this card.  I die cut the largest flower once from Hibiscus Burst paper and once from vellum.  The vellum is only adhered in the center, kind of softening the pink of the flower, and also adding a bit of dimension as the petals curl up a bit.  My leaves are from PTI Cutting Garden, since this flower set did not have any leaves, and my sentiment is a die cut Thanks on a Line cut out of Basic Grey paper.

I am entering this card at  Paper Players #245 Clean and Simple Girly Thanks and Happy Little Stamper CAS Challenge:  Die Cuts or Punches.

My next card is another sympathy card for my stash.  I used a brand new Hero Arts floral set I had forgotten I ordered until I opened my package from Joann's and there it was.  I love happy surprises like that.

I am entering this card at A Blog Named Hero Clean and Simple challenge and CAS on Sunday #58: Cheer Up, Buttercup.

My last two cards are variations on the same 2 Simon Says Stamp challenges--SSS Monday to use Simon branded product and SSS Wednesday is a color challenge.  I just saw that I missed the Monday deadline.  Oh, well.  I'll just link up at SSS Wednesday.

I used paint chips for the colored bubbles inlaid into the Bubble Parade die.  I really love these colors together, and will link this card up at Simply Create Too #85 where the challenge is to use a favorite color combination.

I colored the negative pieces with Copics in this variation of the card.

Well, that's it for me today.

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In Bloom Thank You

I made a card today using the technique taught at Make it Monday #189:  Impression Line Water Coloring.  I am also linking up to Simon Says Wednesday Thanks/Thanksgiving Challenge. 

I used the In Bloom Impression Plate and my Inktense Pencils for the water coloring.  I drew over all the impression lines with the pencil, then went over them with a water brush.  Then, I went back and added more color inside the lines using more water to get a paler version of the same color.  I started with the leaves and then moved on to the smaller flowers.  By the time I got to the biggest flower, I had the technique down better, and I am most happy with how that flower came out.

I was not sure where to put a sentiment, because I did not want to cover up my biggest flower, so I cut the panel to a narrower width and had the sentiment go up the side of the card base.  If my paper was not so warped, I would have popped this panel up, but I had to use lots of score tape to get it to lay flat.  I think I will use water color paper next time.

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Sunday Night Wrap Up and Card Drives (Part 2)

I'm playing along with this week's RetroSketches rs#127, where the sketch is one of my favorite cards by their fabulous Guest Designer, Tracey!  I am also playing along at Just Us Girls #263 and Addicted to CAS Code Word:  Vellum.  The color is a bit off in my photo, but my front panel is SU Navy card stock, and I've backed the open circle cut with vellum.

I've got another card for Tag You're It, and I am also sending it in for the Splitcoast Stampers Hope You Can Cling To challenge Something's Missing.  I did not color the flowers inside--they are missing a solid color.

My next 3 cards play along with the Pink Christmas Challenge at Jingle Belles, and I will send them to the Caring Hearts Drive.

These two play along with the sketch at Freshly Made Sketches #158. 

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