Stitches and Smudges

I spent part of the evening pondering over this challenge and finally decided that CAS was probably the way to go since I was running out of time. This is my entry into Can You CASE It? Sketch Challenge #72 and also The Paper Players Tic-Tac-Toe Challenge #247. As you can see from the grid below, I selected the three items across the bottom row: die cut, patterned paper, any shade of yellow.

These two challenges offered me an opportunity to make a birthday card for a friend. Pals Paper Arts #253 (PPA253) is a sketch challenge and Waffle Flower (May 25-June 7) is an inspired color challenge.

After making the card, I was ready to photograph it but the card was missing. I looked nonstop and was unable to find it. In my annoyance, I sat down to think about it and saw my cat jumping around with a toy. Her toy? My card. It had been batted around on the tile floor and was bent every which way! So here it is after my beautiful Samantha had a go at it!





Inspired by the round carpet in the inspiration photo, flowers were stamped randomly on a panel of yellow cardstock. On a piece of white cardstock, additional flowers and leaves were stamped and then the piece was die cut and sponged along the edges. The focal image was backed with craft foam to lift it off of the card. The sentiment was stamped.

To make the fringe I adhered three pieces of cardstock along their top edges, cut the fringe with sharp snips and then cut away each layer to coordinate with the shape in the sketch. The yellow panel was attached to the fringe and the entire stack was backed with craft foam and adhered to a card base.

To finish the card, a double frame was drawn freehand around the edge of the card base. A panel of white cardstock was adhered to the inside of the card and was decorated with stamped flowers along the lower right edge. I always leave space to add a personal note.

Here is where the fun began when my cat found the card and used it as a toy, battering it mercilessly until I retrieved it. She's elderly and I love to see that she still enjoys playing but not with my freshly made card! I wish she had waited until after I took photographs instead of before.

Visit the challenge blogs at PPA and Waffle Flower to join in the fun!

Techniques: Stamping, sponging, die cutting, fussy cutting
Size: A2 (4.25" x 5.5")

Products are Stampin' Up! unless otherwise noted:
Stamps: Verve Poppy Birthday
Ink: Whisper White, Crumb Cake, Melon Mambo, Wild Wasabi, Daffodil Delight
Marker (non-alcohol): Crumb Cake
Cardstock: Whisper White, Crumb Cake, Melon Mambo, Wild Wasabi, Barely Banana (retired)
Die: My Favorite Things Die-namics Stitched Rounded Rectangle Stack

Update 6/03/2015: Bees in Foxglove was selected as a Top Three winner at AHSC #109!

Shades of purple can be so pretty, and pretty was what I was hoping to achieve with this card, using a digital image from Power Poppy. I have entered the card into two challenges: Atlantic Hearts Sketch Challenge #109 and Inkspirational Purple Wedding Theme Challenge #83.

5/31/2015 Update: I just learned that today is the last day to enter the May 2015 Power Poppy Blog Challenge, so my card has now been submitted for that challenge as well, making it three challenges.



The digital image, "Bees in Foxglove," was downloaded, resized and printed onto white cardstock. After coloring
and blending with Spectrum Noir alcohol markers, the bees were highlighted with clear Wink of Stella. The inside of the Foxglove petals are spotted so a white gel pen was used to add the spots. The image was die cut in an  oval shape, backed with foam and adhered to the card front. The sentiment was stamped and adhered.

The inside of the card was decorated with a leaf print strip on the right edge.

This card was inspired by my friend, Cheryl. See her beautiful design and expert coloring HERE.

Visit the challenges at AHSC, Inkspirational and Power Poppy for creative ideas, then visit the Power Poppy store for beautiful digital images and other products.

Techniques: Die cutting, sponging, emboss resist, coloring
Size: A7 (5' x 7")

Products are Stampin' Up! unless otherwise noted:
Stamps: Digital image from Power Poppy, computer generated sentiment
Inks: Certainly Celery, Memento Tuxedo Black
Markers (alcohol): Spectrum Noir GB5, CG1, CG2, DG2, PL1, PL2, PL4, PP3, LV2, Uniball Signo gel pen (white)
Cardstock: Whisper White, Certainly Celery, Elegant Eggplant, pale orchid from stash
DSP: Irresistibly Yours Collection (emboss resist paper) - leaf print
Dies: Spellbinders Lattice and Floral Oval, Lil' Inker Designs Quilted Stitched, Die'sire Scalloped Rectangles
Misc.: Craft foam, Kool Tak, grosgrain ribbon, ZIG Wink of Stella

Just under the wire today I decided to enter a sketch challenge at The Paper Players (PP246).

It's time to submit another card to Sunday Stamps Sketch Challenge #102 (SSC102) and Can You CASE It? Color Challenge #71 (CYCI#71).










Three large floral images were punched from vellum and sponged with color, then three smaller floral images were punched from vellum and sponged with color. The petals were curled with a bone folder, adhered with glue dots, then a single floral punch from gold foil paper was adhered to the center. The inside was decorated with a single punched floral image from the Irresistibly Yours paper and a piece of gold foil for the flower center.

Visit Sunday Stamps and Can You CASE It? to join the challenges or find creative ideas for cards.

Techniques: Punching, emboss resist, sponging, fussy cutting, die cutting
Size: A2 (4.25" x 5.5")

Materials are Stampin' Up! unless otherwise noted:
Cardstock: Whisper White, Baked Brown Sugar, Crisp Cantaloupe, white vellum, DCWV Foiled Cardstock (gold)
DSP: Irresistibly Yours
Ink: Baked Brown Sugar, Crisp Cantaloupe
Punches: 7/8" Circle Scallop, Blossom, Pansy
Die: Lil' Inker Designs Quilted Stitched Die
Misc.: Gems from my stash, craft foam, mini glue dots

Recently I purchased a set of stamps that represents the art of Rosemaling, a style of colorful Norwegian decorative painting. I was eager to use the stamp so decided to use it for the Pals Paper Arts Sketch Challenge #252 (PPA252).



A  piece of dotted DSP was adhered to the card base. Then a piece of gray cardstock was stamped and clear embossed with a decorative stamp. In addition, embossing powder was sprinkled onto the cardstock while it was warm from the heat gun and heat embossed to provide texture. The gray cardstock was backed with craft foam to pop it up and adhered to the DSP.

The flowers were stamped and decorative trim was stamped across the top and bottom of each flower. The flowers were heat embossed with clear powder to make them glossy. The flowers were fussy cut as one piece and backed with craft foam to lift it off of the gray cardstock. A sentiment was stamped on pale pink vellum and adhered across the center of the card. The inside of the card was decorated with a small decorative image.

Techniques: Stamping, fussy cutting, heat embossing

Size: A7 (5" x 7")
Products are Stampin' Up! unless otherwise noted:
Stamps: Lil' Inker Designs "Really Rosemaling" stamp set
Ink: Versamark, Stazon Black, Strawberry Slush, Lucky Limeade, Basic Gray
Cardstock: Whisper White, Basic Gray
DSP: Strawberry Slush dotted print, pale pink vellum
Misc.: Clear embossing powder, craft foam

With the deadline quickly approaching, I decided to make a card for the Waffle Flower Challenge (5/11/15 - 5/24/15). Waffle Flower provided a photograph for inspiration with four colors: green, yellow, rust and white.

Some time ago, I saw a card someone had made, and the technique interested me. I did an Internet search on "retiform technique" and found two excellent sources: Splitcoast Tutorials and Gina K Designs.






After laying down the grid with sponged color, the card was stamped and then generation stamped randomly. Three flower images were stamped on a separate scrap of white cardstock, punched out, and adhered to the card with foam tape. They were brushed with clear Wink of Stella, and tiny pearls were added to each of the centers of the three flowers.

The inside of the card was stamped with several small flowers as well, and the card was complete.

Visit the Waffle Flower blog and store for creative ideas, fun challenges, and quality products.

Techniques: Retiform (grid), sponging, generation stamping, and punching
Size: A2 (4.25" x 5.5")

Materials are Stampin' Up!:
Stamps: Kinda Eclectic, and Beautiful Bunch
Ink: Tangerine Tango, Hello Honey, Gumball Green
Cardstock: Whisper White
Punch: Petite Petals
Misc.: Basic Pearls, Dimensionals, ZIG Wink of Stella

UPDATE 5/23/2015: My card did not place in the challenge so I decided to repurpose the card into a birthday card for someone in particular who was my muse in coloring the original card. To cover the original sentiment on the inside, I adhered a slightly smaller piece of smoky slate cardstock stamped with a birthday sentiment. I added a few stamped, colored, fussy cut images of small wrapped gifts, colored to match the gifts on the card front, wrote a personal note and, voila!, it's ready for mailing this coming week to the birthday girl.

I decided to join in The Paper Players Sketch Challenge #245 (PP245) so made the following "Girly Thanks" card. The challenge calls for Clean and Simple. This is my exemplar for Clean and Simple!

 The focal image was stamped on white cardstock and colored with Spectrum Noir markers. Wink of Stella was added to the dress, shoes and hair bow and then it was fussy cut.

The sky was sponged on white cardstock in blue ink using the edge of a cloud die to create clouds. A setting sun was stamped so it would look as if it were sinking behind the buildings. The skyline was created with strips of cardstock adhered to the background piece after the sky and sun were completed. Windows were added with a gel pen.

The lower edge of the scene was trimmed away and a piece of gray cardstock was cut to match the curve leaving a space. A piece of DSP was adhered to a white card base. The background pieces were backed with craft foam to give them dimension and adhered on to the DSP. The stamped image was backed with clear foam to pop it up above the background scene.


Stop by and visit The Paper Players for a dose of creativity and to join the challenge.

Techniques: Stamping, sponging, coloring, fussy cutting
Size: A7 (5" x 7")

Materials are Stampin' Up! unless noted otherwise:
Stamp: Painted Petals (inside sentiment), Kinda Eclectic, Stamping Bella Uptown Girls Series
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black, Bashful Blue, Daffodil Delight, Smoky Slate, Spectrum Noir alcohol markers, Uniball Signo white gel pen, Wink of Stella (clear)
Cardstock: Whisper White, Basic Black, Basic Gray
DSP: Confetti Celebration
Die: Mama Elephant Creative Cuts (used as cloud stencil)
Misc.: Craft foam, Kool Tac clear foam

Update 6/02/2015: "Pucker Up" won a place in the Top Three as an Artist Pick at Hand Stamped Sentiments #212!

Challenges can be such fun! I made one card to enter into two challenges. Hand Stamped Sentiments #212 (HSS212) uses a sketch for inspiration and colourQ #292 (CQCC292) uses color.
The Strawberry Slush card base was created in a Pointelle design with a die. The two rectangles were die cut to attain the slash edges. The hexagons were also cut from dies. The Coastal Cabana panel was adhered directly to the card base. The Daffodil Delight panel was backed with craft foam and adhered next. The foam backing gives the panel dimension. The large hexagon was added with craft foam to pop it up above the panels. The small hexagon was sponged with Tangerine Tango and the sentiment was added.

The citrus pieces were stamped on white cardstock, heat embossed with two layers of clear embossing powder to give them a glossy look, then fussy cut. The orange slices were popped up with foam. The lemon slices were adhered directly to the card.

For more information about the challenges and to view beautiful cards, visit HSS and colourQ.

Techniques: Stamping, sponging, die cutting, fussy cutting
Size: A2 (4.25" x 5.5")
Stamps: Close to My Heart "Taste of Summer" stamp set; sentiment - computer generated
Ink: Tangerine Tango, Daffodil Delight
Cardstock: Daffodil Delight, Strawberry Slush, Coastal Cabana, Whisper White
Dies: Lil' Inker Designs Pointelle, Spellbinders Hexagons, My Favorite Things Die-namics Diagonal Stitch Rectangles
Misc.: Embossing powder (clear), craft foam

After stamping and heat embossing some small flowers on a Chocolate Chip panel with clear embossing powder, I adhered it to a panel of Hello Honey. A ribbon was tied around the panels and then the panels and ribbon were adhered to a white card base.

I decided to use Irresistibly Yours paper to create an emboss resist look. The leaf embossed paper was stamped with three different flowers then the colors were blended with a sponge. I did not stamp the little flower embossed paper but only sponged it with green ink. The excess ink was wiped off the embossed areas of both pieces with a tissue.

On the leaf embossed paper, a strip of the green paper that had been die cut with a stitched zigzag border was added and it was all backed with a panel of Melon Mambo, also die cut on one edge with zigzag. This panel was then adhered to the card. I rotated the panel 90 degrees from the sketch because I thought it balanced the colors more effectively.

For the next panel I adhered the sponged green flower embossed paper to a panel of Melon Mambo. I then die cut a piece of the stamped and sponged leaf embossed paper and adhered that as the next layer. Then I die cut an oval from white cardstock and heat embossed the sentiment with honey colored embossing powder. I adhered the sentiment. A panel of craft foam was added to the back of the panel for depth and the layers adhered to the card base.

Three bright pink gems were added to the card front and the inside of the card was decorated by stamping some of the coordinating flowers on the lower right corner. For creative ideas and to join in the challenge, visit AHSC.

Techniques: Stamping, sponging, emboss resist, heat embossing, die cutting
Size: A7 (5" x 7")

Materials are Stampin' Up! unless otherwise noted:
Stamps: Flower Patch stamp set
Inks: Melon Mambo, Hello Honey, Tangerine Tango, Pear Pizzazz
Cardstock: Whisper White, Chocolate Chip, Hello Honey, Melon Mambo, Irresistibly Yours (embossing paper)
Dies: Spellbinders/Just Rite Vintage Labels Four, Lawn Fawn Border
Misc.: Hello Honey 3/8" ribbon, gems from my stash, embossing powders (honey and clear), craft foam

Today I'm posting a card for the Pals Paper Arts Color Challenge #251 (PPA251). This is my first PPA challenge.

I decided to enter colourQ Challenge #290. This will be my first time participating at colourQ and my first ever color challenge. The challenge is that cards must be made with the following colors: Blushing Bride, Calypso Coral, Coastal Cabana, Poppy Parade and white. I never purchased Poppy Parade as it is retired so I substituted Real Red. I never thought the challenge colors would work so nicely together but I like the colorful results.

In addition, I'm submitting my card to Can You Case It? Challenge #70, May Flowers. CYCI is a recently discovered challenge and I am liking the quality of the challenges and the beautiful Design Team creations. (I was lucky enough to be one of the Design Team Picks for Challenge #69 with this card.)

I am also entering this card into the Verve Inspiration Challenge for May, "Let It Bloom." Verve has beautiful products. I like them so much that I placed an order with them two days ago and that's how I discovered this challenge!


The sentiment was stamped on die cut ovals. The white oval was sponged in Real Red ink along the edge. The sentiment was adhered to the card with a strip of craft foam to pop it up. I hope the sentiment being stamped in black will not disqualify my card! Flowers and leaves were stamped and fussy cut from white cardstock and adhered. Pearls were added to a few of the flowers. The inside of the card was stamped on the lower right corner to coordinate with the background stamping.

Stop by Can You Case It? along with colourQ and Verve to see the beautiful and clever designs!

Techniques: Stamping, generation stamping, die cutting, fussy-cutting, sponging

Stampin' Up! products:
Cardstock: Blushing Bride, Coastal Cabana, Whisper White
Ink: Blushing Bride, Calypso Coral, Coastal Cabana, Real Red
Stamps: Flower Patch
Other: Pearls

Other products:
Stamps: Lil' Inker Designs Awesome Blossoms stamp set
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black (sentiment)
Dies: Lil' Inker Quilted Stitched Pattern Die, Lawn Fawn Stitched Scalloped Borders die, Spellbinders Lacy Oval and Classic Oval dies, craft foam