Paper Smooches Designer Drafts Challenge

Hello everyone!! Well, we had a wee bit of snow this morning, nothing that stayed around, just a little reminder that winter will soon be here. Ugh.  So, it's the perfect day to make a tropical card!!

I'm participating in the LAST challenge over at the Paper Smooches Sparks blog.

 It's a Designer Draft Challenge using the following sketch:

So, let me just start by saying that I'm never really sure how far you can "stray" from the sketch. I kept it fairly close to this..I think.

I've combined two different stamp sets for this card :  Get Outta Town and Summer Lovin.  These two sets go together SO well!!!

To start, I picked my images and coloured them with Spectrum Noir coloured pencils on watercolour cardstock, then fussy cut them out.  (Check out Julia Altermann's Blog and YouTube channel for colouring tips and just fab card designs!!).

Then I planned my layout.  I die cut four Frame 2 dies and figured out my placement.

I traced lightly around each frame.  I then masked around the inner portions of each frame and blended Tumbled Glass and Peacock Feathers Distress Inks to make a nice blue background for each image.

I erased all my pencil marks and started to assemble.  I used Smoke Ink from Simon Says Stamp to stamp my sentiment and some additional small images. I adhered my frames using some Tombow Mono glue and my images with foam adhesive.

And finally here is the finished card, complete with Wink of Stella and Glossy Accents, of course!!

Hope you enjoyed and thanks for stopping by!!  

Stay Crafty!!

Laurie

Paper Smooches Picture Perfect!!

Hi Everyone!!  Just want to share a card I made for the October Paper Smooches Sparks Picture Perfect Challenge.

Here is the photo inspiration:

Such pretty colors!! So here is my entry!!

I used the Leaves One dies along with the Sentiment Sampler stamp set!! 

Thanks for stopping by today!!!

Stay Crafty

xx

Mixing It Up with WPlus9

Hi everyone!!  I'm back with a card for Ellen Hutson Mix It Up Challenge.  This time around, you are to use Ellen Hutson products along with WPlus9 products!!  As you all know, I am a huge fan of this challenge!!

I decided on the BeYoutiFul die from Ellen Hutson and the Paisley Patterns stamp set from Wplus9.
I chose 7 ink colors from Simon Says Stamp...Doll Pink, JellyBean, Scuba, Green Leaf, Rosie Cheeks, Wisteria and a tiny bit of Slate.

I started by doing a bit of test run to make sure the colors were going to look ok.

Then I stamped my entire background.  I didn't really have a concrete plan in my head but I didn't really expect it to be so "busy"...but hey, let's just go with it, shall we?? 

 To break things up a bit I thought maybe a die cut window would be good, so I used a My Favourite Things Double Stitched Ovals Die.  Then thought I would use the Sunshine Layers Dies to cut the panel (sorry, I couldn't link to it..it is currently out of stock).  I used the pretty scalloped frame!

So, this is when I started to think that I messed up, I basically die cut the focal point out of my  background, that large, beautiful paisley.  Ok, let's think about this...I knew that background was busy, but I didn't want to lose that middle piece.  I ended up die-cutting the BeYouTiFul in the centre of the oval...let's inlay die cut, shall we??

I should mention that this was my first card base.  Scrapped that pretty quickly!!

Yes, the back is very ugly.

I ended up cutting two extra BeYouTiFul pieces from thick, black cardstock, for a bit of dimension, adhered it into the negative space (and can you believe I had all the tiny bits of the sentiment saved?!?).  And no card of mine is complete without some Clear Wink of Stella and Glossy Accents!!  I also put some tiny rhinestones and silver sequins, yes, sequins!!  I kind of have a love/hate thing going on with them...they're pretty but I'm terrible at placement!!  Aaaaanyway, here's the finished card...(I still think its on the "busy" side, but let's call it done!!)

Hope you enjoyed!!  I'm off to have some leftover chicken from today's Thanksgiving feast!!
Happy Thanksgiving to all my Canadian friends!!

Until next time,
Stay Crafty!!

Laurie

Let's Give it a Go!!

So, Paper Smooches is looking for a Guest Designer for the month of November!!!  Wouldn't that be awesome!!??!   I'm submitting an older project and this one here:

This was made with The Autumn Groves Stamp set and Birch Tree Dies.  I ink blended the background (crookedly, i may add), fussy cut all the images and created my little fall scene!!  I just adore that scarecrow:)

I just love the way it turned out!!

Hope you enjoyed!!

Until next time...Stay Crafty!!!

Laurie

World Card Making Day 2015 with Simon Says Stamp

Happy World Card Making Day!!  This is the first time I've participated!!  It is also the first time I'm participating in the 30DayColoringChallenge, hosted by Kathy Racoosin.  So, I thought I'd combine the two to link up a card for Simon Says Stamp for a chance to win 100 smackers!!  Oh, what I would do with that, hahaha!!
The floral images are from Altenew's  Striped Florals, which I watercolored with watercolor pencils and then fussy cut.  The colouring was for the Coloring Challenge and I wanted to make a card using them.  Then sentiment is from Simon Says Stamp Hand Lettered Encouragement.  So, here it is!!!

Hope you all have a wonderful day/night of card making!!