September Challenge Cards

Happy end of September!  I know I'm happy because it means my fiscal year end is about to end at work!  This has been a crazy busy month!

Let's just get to the cards.  Here is the challenge design and colors.  I do love these new In Colors!

First, we have Regina's exciting card!  I love so much about this card, I don't know where to start.  Well, Regina loves stars and I love that she punched them out, then punched out circles around them, and put the In Colors behind to make the stars pop!  I don't know how she did the textured background, but isn't it cool?  It reminds me of sprinkles on a fun birthday cake.  The crazy string reminds me of string confetti you can spray out of a can!  To see more of Regina's amazing creations, please visit her blog here.

I love this card, Regina!  Thanks for joining the challenge.

 

Next is my card.  I don't know what it is about these mosaic shapes, but I love them!  When I was trying to think of what stamp set to use for this challenge, I grabbed another set first.  But, I just couldn't help myself and decided to go with this one instead.  I had other ideas for the long piece, but I just couldn't get it to work with my Stamp-a-majig.  I think I'm just not good with that thing and large or long stamps!  So, I decided to make my own designer paper instead :)  Like I said, I just love these colors!  I did pop up the punched out mosaics using dimensionals and put some pearls on two of the mosaics.  I decided to put pearls on the strip to tie everything together.  This was a hard sketch, but fun in the end :)

 

Thanks for looking and have a great day!

Bleach Cards!

Hello!  I'm sorry I'm a day late posting these bleach cards.  I must say, this sure was a challenge for me!  I love the look of the technique, but like my friend Regina states on her blog, the fumes are really strong!  I think we all had fun doing this challenge, but not one we could do often because of the fumes!

So, let's get to the cards!  First up, we have Michelle's card.  This challenge was her idea.  Her card is beautiful, don't you think?  The bleached background is soft and subtle.  I really like how it seems to add texture, without adding texture!  It also gives the card a hint of sophistication.  The cut out border and popped up flowers are also beautiful touches.  I look at this card and it makes me feel like I'm walking into a beautiful blue jungle.  I love it!

 

The next three cards are by Regina.  She's amazing!  Check out her blog here.

 Look at all of these beautiful cards - each different and stunning.  I love the colors of this first card.  The bleached background makes the center images really pop!  The lace and stapled sentiment go perfectly with this card.  Love it, Regina!

 

Next is a wonderful Fall card.  The colors really do make you think of Fall.  I think it is really beautiful the way the bleach made the cardstock change to a golden color under the brown.  The stamped wheat bundle is perfect with this background.  Another great card, Regina!

And here is Regina's third card.  She used the same background image, but with a different colored cardstock, the look and feel of the card is totally different!  There is so much wonderfulness in this card!  Is that even a word???  Anyway, I love the tag, ribbon, twine, and brads that are thoughtfully placed around this card.  It has an antique feel in the background, yet a modern feel with the tag.  This card is brilliant, Regina!

Yay!  Look who is back to join us?  Debbie!!!!!  She made this adorable baby card.  Isn't the background adorable with the images bleached into the cardstock?  The images are so crisp, yet subtle because they are bleached.  I think this is just adorable.  The buggy main image is so cute with the heart - the background, bleached hearts tie right in!  This card makes me think of a baby in the buggy taking a nap and dreaming of the adorable images around the buggy.  Too, too cute, Debbie!

The next two cards are mine.  When Michelle came up with the challenge, I knew I wanted to try to create something that would look like Hawaiian batiks.  I pulled several colors of cardstock and stamped some of my Hawaiian turtle stamps all over.  I have a heavy hand and I think I used too much bleach on the Dusty Durango cardstock.  But, it does remind me of some of their fabrics.  I really liked the images on the Navy cardstock, so I wanted to use it with the Durango.  I used my color coach to see what colors would go with both and Old Olive was a suggestion.  Since the colors are more masculine anyway, I decided to tie them all together with ribbons and metal brads.  I don't love this card, but I think it shows the technique off well.

 

Since I had stamped on Baja Breeze cardstock, I wanted to use it as well.  I had just bought some Hawaiian turtle dies, so it was great timing.  I decided to run the Navy through using the dies and adhered them to the Baja cardstock.  To me, this looks like the Navy turtles are swimming in the ocean with images of other turtles.  It is plain and simple, but I like it!

 

Well, another month done!  Thank you Michelle, Regina, and Debbie.  I love your creations and can't wait to see what you all create next month! 

 

Thanks for looking and have a great day!

Welcome New In Colors!

This month, Michelle and I wanted to feature Stampin' Up!'s new In Colors.  We both love them!  I have loved mint green for as long as I can remember, so was so happy to see Pistachio Pudding!   I do love the rest of the colors as well - they are so yummy!   Join us as we challenge ourselves:

June Shoebox Swap - A Little Behind!

I'm playing catch-up.  I've been wanting to post the card I made for the annual SU! Demonstrator shoebox swap my up-line and sister (Debbie Naylor) hosts each year.  I love these events and usually stress over what to make.  This year, I knew the color combo I'd use as soon as SU! announced the new In Colors.  I've been in love with mint green since my middle school days.  Oh, how happy I was to see Pistachio Pudding!  It isn't quite my Mint Melody (retired long ago), but close enough!  I have been seeing a lot of Mint/Navy clothes combos on Pinterest this year and knew a mint color would be coming.  So, I had my colors set in my mind.  Then, this awesome mosaic stamp set and matching punch and embossing folder came out.  That was it - LOVE!  So, this is the card I came up with. 

 

While I was cutting out pieces for the swap, I looked up and saw the Crisp Cantaloupe ink pad.  What a pretty color too!  Well, I thought, why not try the card in this color too.  I liked it!  So, I put both colors in the shoebox and let the others choose which color they wanted to make.  Here's a picture my sister took of me with my cards.

Here's a group picture.  To read more about the day and to see what all of my fellow stampin' demonstrators made, please check out Debbie's blog here.

Thanks for looking and have a great day!

A Little Bleach Challenge!

Regina's 2nd Challenge Card for July

Please forgive me, Regina.  I had forgotten that you made two lovely cards for this month's challenge! 

Look at this beautiful card.  I really love the way Regina uses color.  The Pacific Point being the main color of this card really makes the other spots of color pop!  I also love that she used the new hexagon punch - can't wait to get that myself!  The way the ribbon is tied, it almost looks like it is pointing to the sentiment, doesn't it?  How neat!  This card is so cute and I know the recipient will be so happy to get it!

Thanks again, Regina!  Can't wait to see what you come up with for next month ;) 

July Design Challenge Posts

Happy Weekend!  Hope everyone is having a wonderful weekend so far. 

This month's challenge was quite a challenge!  I know when I drew the sketch while sitting in an auditorium training, I had some good ideas on how I'd interpret the sketch.  BUT, that was not what happened when it came to create!  I think I was going to do kites for this sketch, but they didn't quite make it onto my card ;)

Here's the sketch:

 First up is my card.  I really like the pendent punch.  I wanted to make a word out of the pendents, but couldn't make it work.  So, I found my little butterfly punch and used it instead :)  I wasn't sure how to use these colors, but the DSP made it easy!  Not much else to say!

Next is Michelle's card.  Wow!  She did a great job with the colors and following the sketch - love the use of the buttons (love buttons!).  The poppy images are beautiful too.  Great card, Michelle; someone will be lucky to receive it!

And finally we have Regina's card.  Isn't this cute? 
She and I must have butterflies on the mind right now with Summer in full swing.  I love how she edged the borders with a marker and used a scallop border and punched holes across the card.  I know she put a lot of work into this card and it is just so bright and summery and makes me smile :)  Thanks, Regina - as always, love your creations!

 

 

I can't believe this month is almost over in a few days.  Where is the time going???  Please join us next month as we challenge ourselves again.  Thanks for looking!