Double Challenge Tuesday

Since we have five Tuesdays this May, there is a double challenge at CAS Colours & Sketches - a old sketch is revisited along with retired colors!

 

Once I decided what I was going to do this came together easily (though not quickly).  Like many CAS cards you have to measure and make sure everything lines up.  There was some masking to be sure none of the drinks poked out into white space or another circle!  The inside says "because adulting is hard"!

And I was fortunate to have the retired colors of ink, patterned paper and cardstock still on hand!

I hope you'll find time to join us this week!

Products used:

• Stamps: Nothing's Better Than
• Dies: Love You More Than
• Accessories: 1" and 1 3/8" punches, Subtle EF and 2017-2019 DSP (all retired)

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Sending Big Hugs with Lawn Fawn

Good evening!  I have a card for the color challenge at Splicoaststampers that I made for my youngest daughter.  She had a rough week at work last week so I thought she could use a hug.  I hope this easel card will remind her that she can always count on mom!

 

Karen chose Coastal  Cabana, Granny Apple Green and Mango Melody for the color challenge.

I had just received my rather large order from Lawn Fawn and decided that this large sentiment die could be used with any color combo.  I was unsure how to work in the Mango Melody so I used it in conjunction with Cinnamon Cider Stampin' Blends to come up with the brown for the fox.  Neutrals are allowed in the challenge.  And if technically the Cinnamon isn't a neutral then I'll use that for my dessert - Karen gave us "anything goes" for our dessert option!  It's like cheating with permission!

I was very excited to get this order.  I love all things Stampin' Up and I am a demo, but Lawn Fawn is one company whose designs really appeal to me.  I love all things cute and these are definitely cute and fun to color too!  Most of their images are not large so coloring goes quickly and gives good results.  When I want to color something intricate I usually turn to Stampin Bella.

I ink blended the background then cut the sentiment.  To inlay the sentiment back into the card, I cut it again from Coastal Cabana cardstock.  I glued the main blended panel down to the card front and added the Coastal Cabana sentiment.  Then I glued down all the small inside pieces.  From there I stacked three more sentiments cut from the CC and topped it with my blended sentiment.  It wasn't difficult but it was time consuming!

Products used: 

• Stamps / dies: Lawn Fawn Happy Hugs
• Dies: Lawn Fawn Sending Big Hugs, Stampin' Up! Stitched Rectangles
• Markers: Stampin' Blends - Mango Melody Dark, Cinnamon Cider Light & Dark; Copics - R11, N0, N1, W0, W1, W2, W4
• Accessories: retired enamel shapes
  

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Soaring Swallows Thank You

Today's card is for the new Team O challenge at Tic Tac Toe Challenge.  I chose the left column - sun, birds and thank you.  It's a bit more involved than my other cards this week which were pretty straightforward.  And unlike most of my cards where I plan things out before starting to create, I started on this one with no plan in mind.

 

I was originally going to use a stencil for my sun but decided to try the new Rays of Light stamp from Stampin' Up!.  I stamped the rays in So Saffron ink and then filled in the white area by using a blending brush and the same color ink (So Saffron).  I like the way the image came out; it was similar to a stencil but the stamp has a weathered, mixed media quality.

I did not want the sun to be the dominant image on the card so I cut a window to let it peek through.  I used an embossing folder to give the main panel a bit of texture.  The birds are the die cut birds from the Swallows die set (dies are also included in the set that cut out stamped images) and shaded using just a hint of Smoky Slate while the flowers are shaded with Blushing Bride.

I hope you'll visit the challenge this week and join us.  It's great fun to challenge yourself using the elements you choose - no excuse if you don't like the result!  LOL!

Products used: All Stampin' Up!

• Stamps: Happiness Abounds (sentiment), Rays of Light
• Dies: Tasteful Label (retired), Swallows (also available Soaring Swallows bundle)
• Ink: So Saffron, Blushing Bride, Smoky Slate, Memento Black
• Cardstock: Balmy Blue, Night of Navy, Old Olive, Basic White Thick
  
• Accessories: Polished Dots, Blending Brushes, Sponge Daubers, Subtle Embossing Folder (retired)

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CAS Best Butterflies

I played with more new "toys" this week - stamps, dies, paper, new In-Colors - lot's of fun!  When I saw Shannon's sketch challenge at CAS Colours & Sketches I thought about butterflies for the shapes; the dies in this bundle worked out just perfectly.

 

I took the colors for the butterflies from the coordinating paper that is included in the suite of products.  I used the paper as the border for sketch.

The card is pretty straightforward - no mystery on what I did here!  (My card Thursday will be a bit more complex.) 

Products used: all Stampin' Up!

• Suite: Butterfly Kisses Suite (includes, stamps, dies, paper and resin flower shapes, available separately below)
• Stamp / die bundle: Best Butterflies
• Paper: Butterfly Kisses Designer Series Paper
• Ink: Starry Sky
  
• Cardstock: Fresh Freesia, Calypso Coral, Parakeet Party, Starry Sky
• Accessories: Fun Flowers Resin Shapes

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Happy Birthday Fishes...

I am the hostess this week at Splitcoaststampers.  I chose colors with this new stamp and punch set in mind.

My colors are Pale Papaya, Calypso Coral and Bermuda Bay.

I love the style of this set - it reminds me of archaeological rock drawings.  The fish are drawn so that you can make them face either way.  So fun!

I stamped the background using Bermuda Bay, both full strength and also stamped off once or twice.  I stamped the small fish using the Pale Papaya with Calypso Coral dabbed on the underside of the fish.  After they were punched out I shaded them with Calypso Coral to give them more definition.

Since I couldn't find the sentiment I wanted I used my label maker!

I hope you'll join the challenge this week!

Products used: all Stampin' Up!

• Stamp / Punch Bundle: A Fish and a Wish (stamp and punch)
• Dies: Layering Diorama
• Ink: Bermuda Bay, Calypso Coral, Pale Papaya
• Cardstock: Basic White, Bermuda Bay
• Accessories: Polished Dots, White Baker's Twine, Seaside Embossing Folder (retired), Sponge Daubers

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Double Challenge Tuesday and New Toys!

Happy Tuesday!  I have two cards today for two color challenges at Splitcoaststampers and CAS Colours & Sketches.  And the best part - I used new stamps and dies!  YAY!  I love using things that I receive right away.  It makes me fell like I really got something for my money.  Don't get me wrong, I also like using my favorites; and there is immense satisfaction in using something long ago purchased but never used.  But when using brand new stuff I feel like a kid opening their birthday presents!

 

My first card is for Splitcoaststampers.  Fresh Freesia, Polished Pink and Evening Evergreen - a beautiful combination perfect for a floral.  Full of Love is a new stamp from Stampin' Up! that is perfect for colorists.  I used Stampin' Blends (filled in with a few Copic markers).  Mary, the hostess gave us the option of vellum for dessert which I thought added to the feminine feel of the card.  I also used the new Designer Tags dies for the main tag and it includes the little leaves I used with vellum.  I'm not much of a tag person, but these really spoke to me and allowed me to add ribbon!  From my last few posts you may have noticed I'm trying to actually use, rather than collect, ribbon.  LOL!

 

My next card is for CAS Colours & Sketches.  I love the colors Shannon gave us; Coastal Cabana and Bermuda Bay are two of my favorites.  That said I had a bit of a time deciding what to do.  This new stamp and die bundle - Season of Chic - really caught my eye for it's mixed media look and possibilities.  The shells seemed perfect for the colors.  So the challenge for me here was to make a clean and simple card with it.  I can't wait to start using it in more layered and  complex ways.  For the tag, I used the small tag from the Mini Pocket Envelope Die (a set perfect for gift cards!) and part of a sentiment from Art Gallery.  To get just the word I wanted, I used a marker to ink only that word.  This is so much easier than trying to use a stamp pad and masking.

Both challenges this week offer wonderful colors.  I hope you will join us!

Products used:  All Stampin' Up! (except Copic markers)

Card 1:

• Stamps: Full of Love
• Dies: Scalloped Contours, Designer Tags
• Paper / Cardstock: 2021-2023 Designer Series Paper, Vellum, Basic White
• Markers: Stampin' Blends Fresh Freesia, Polished Pink, Evening Evergreen (Copics to fill in - RV02, V000, G24, C00, C0)
• Accessories: Window Pane Ribbon, 2021-2023 Opal Rounds

Card 2:

• Stamps / Die Bundle: Season of Chic
• Stamps: Art Gallery (sentiment)
  
• Dies: Mini Pocket Envelope (tag)
• Cardstock: Basic White, Silver Foil
  
• Ink: Bermuda Bay, Coastal Cabana, Bermuda Bay Stampin' Write marker
• Accessories: Linen Thread, Opal Rounds

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Hello Handsome Father's Day Card

I have the pleasure of being the hostess this week at Tic Tac Toe Challenge.  I love this challenge and creating the board.  It's so much fun to see the variety of cards from one board!

 

I used to sometimes struggle with making a card after I made the board, often having the card equivalent of writers block.  Then a team mate suggested having a card in mind and creating the board AFTER that.  Ever have one of those "duh" moments?  In any case, for this board I had several cards in mind but this is the one I'm sharing today.  

The theme for this month is Dad/Masculine/Wedding - all perfect for getting a head start on June occasions.  I put bow on my board thinking most wouldn't use it for a masculine card, but this was one set I was thinking of using.  The one thing that caused just a bit of redirection was the paper.  I swore there was a blue pinstripe in it; but no, the pinstripe in the paper pack is grey.  So I pivoted and my suit coat became a Navy blazer and my foulard bow tie became a stripe!

This set - Handsomely Suited - is retired from Stampin' Up!  The best part of this set when it first came out was the paper.  It had the best menswear patterns in it, all perfectly sized for the dies!  It took me back to my college days when I worked in a high-end men's store.  I learned all about fabrics, mixing patterns, choosing ties and how to tie a bow tie. That actually has come in handy in my life.  No man I know in formal wear is ever going to wear a "clip-on"! Ha ha!

I hope you'll join us at the challenge this week.  I think this board has lots of lovely possibilities!

Products used: All Stampin' Up!

• Stamps and Dies: Handsomely Suited and Suit & Tie (retired)
• Paper: Well Suited (retired)
• Dies: Stitched Nested Labels (retired)
• Cardstock: Creamy Caramel (retired), Basic White, Night of Navy
  

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Another Double Challenge Tuesday

My card today is for two challenges - the Color Challenge at Splitcoaststampers and the Sketch Challenge at CAS Colours & Sketches.

The colors this week are Soft Sea Foam, Garden Green and Soft Suede with "animal" for dessert (I just realized that sounds a little carnivorous - LOL!)  I had never used the Nuts About Squirrels stamp set before despite having it for awhile, so out it came to fulfill the animal requirement!

I thought two greens with a squirrel was perfect because of the trees.  For my leaves I masked off the squirrel and stamped the leaves with Sea Foam and the veins in Garden Green.  I also used a couple of neutrals - Crumb Cake and Early Espresso for the acorn although you don't see that much difference in the photo.

I used one of the new Stylish Shapes dies to cut the square and then my paper cutter to cut a Sea Foam square just a shade larger. Originally I wanted to emboss the stripe panel but just couldn't find the right embossing folder so I used some older textured ribbon instead.  I have SO MUCH ribbon that I really need to start using it more in any way that I can!

I hope you will find time to join us in one or both challenges this week.

Products used: All products are Stampin' Up!

• Stamps: Nuts About Squirrels
  
• Dies: Stylish Shapes
  
• Ink: Soft Suede, Crumb Cake, Early Espresso, Soft Sea Foam, Garden Green, Memento Black
  
• Cardstock: Basic White Thick, Soft Sea Foam
• Accessories: Stamparatus, Linen Thread, Stampin' Dimensionals
  

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Double Color Challenge Tuesday

I have two cards today for two different color challenges,  I actually made my second one first and then I sort of cheated on the second - I used a very similar layout.  I was pressed for time this weekend.  I am in the process of moving my craft area (in our den) to my daughter's old room.  YAY!  It was supposed to be my craft studio when we moved into our house ten years ago.  But about six months after we moved in my daughter came home for a few "weeks" and stayed for almost nine years!  She has her own place now and I've started the process of boxing up what she left, cleaning and painting the room and then moving my stuff in.  Lots to do!

Now on to my cards.  This one is for CAS Colours & Sketches.  Shannon is our hostess this month and she gave us Pale Papaya, Calypso Coral and Soft Suede.  At first I was a bit hesitant with this combo but I really like it!  I used my Stamparatus to stamp the inside of the flowers in the papaya and then used a sponge to just dab part of the flower with the coral and stamp again.  The outline of the flower and the sentiment are in suede.  I didn't have a paper for underneath the scalloped edge but I did find old ribbon in the coral.  Since it had some depth to it I raised the main panel up from the card base using foam strips.

My second card (made first) uses the Sweet Songbird bundle that is brand new TODAY at Stampin' Up!  Barbara's colors are Magenta Madness, Daffodil Delight and Night of Navy.

I had a slightly different look in mind for this card but I realized the navy was just too dark for the bird so I had to change things up a bit.  I'm pleased with it but would like to try my original idea with a lighter blue.

I hope you'll find time to visit the challenges and perhaps even join in!

Products used: All Stampin' Up!

Card 1:

• Stamps: Color & Contour
• Dies: Scalloped Contours

Card 2:

• Stamp / Punch Bundle: Sweet Songbirds
• Dies: Scalloped Contours, Stylish Shapes (also available as a bundle with the Mini Stampin' Cut & Emboss!)
  

 

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