Arizona colors

I was really intrigued by this week's "Your State" challenge at Speedy Fox and Friends, so I tried my hand at an idea my friend had while he was visiting. I have some cut-out masks from a cityscape project, and I used that to make a mountain like you see in Arizona. Although I now live in Maryland, I consider Arizona my other home... that's where my folks live, and where I was living when I met my friend. I used the same wood-stamping technique that I used on my Portlandia card to make the little "quail".

Inks: SU! Barely Banana, ColorBox, Versamark watermark ink, Versamark chalk ink
Wood bird used as stamp: Prima
Stamps: sentiment from Verve's Let It Shine set, cactus from My Favorite Things' Fred Bear Out West set, bubble border by Annabelle Stamps
Papers: SU! Whisper White, Core'Dinations
Embossing Powders: ZING! Brown Sugar, Lemonade Scentz by ColorBox  
Dies/Cutting Files: Card frame and Cityscape/Mountains designed in SCAL and cut on my Cricut, Banner die from a•muse studio, Button from SU! Embosslit, scallop scissors for corner rounding

Inspiration/Challenges:
Annabelle Stamps Challenge #157: Sketch
Color Throwdown #231: Melon Mambo, So Saffron, Crumb Cake, Lucky Limeade
CAS-ual Fridays #92: Stamp your own background
Speedy Fox and Friends Challenge 148: Your State

Thank you for visiting,

Doodlin' with Roy G Biv

I had so much fun using this week's Less Is More sketch for my leafy CAS card the other day, that I just had to try it again. This time, I was inspired by the "Use Markers" challenge at CAS-ual Fridays as well as the "Doodle a Frame" challenge at Speedy and Friends.

For the color band, I used the "texturing with Copic blender solution" technique that I learned from my mom via Copic Diva Jennifer Dove. My current favorite fabric to use is scrap Aida cloth from my cross-stitching projects. I used my Copics to make a color-block band, soaked a strip of fabric in Colorless Blender Solution, and simply pressed it on top of the colored band. Presto! 

Then I stamped the sentiment in black, and then again with SU! Craft White ink, and traced it with a black glaze pen.

I used an XS PITT Artist pen to doodle the frame; this is a doodle that I've been doing for years but it's the first time I've used it on a card. But it won't be the last!

Inspiration/Challenges:
CAS-ual Fridays: Use markers
Less Is More: Sketch (2nd entry)
Speedy and Friends # 144: Doodle a frame

Thank you for visiting,

Va-va-vroom

I just adore this free digi stamp from Floweret, and thought it would be fun to paper piece it for this week's Paper Pretties Challenge. I decided to go way outside my comfort zone and went PINK for this week's Speedy Fox & Friends Challenge at Mark's Finest Papers.

I also played a little Tic-Tac-Toe with the Card Crafter's Circle (see the board below). I chose the right-to-left diagonal: Embossing, Digi, Bling.

I dry-embossed the bottom of the Kraft piece using a Tim Holtz Texture Fades folder, and ink-distressed it a bit with Rose Bud Memento ink.

The stitching is actually a stamp from the great Stitchery Doo set by SP & Company. I stamped it in Memento Tuxedo Black and heat-embossed it with Kaleidoscope embossing powder from Stampendous! for a little bit of Bling. I also heat-embossed the Hero Arts sentiment, with MS pink powder.

For the paper-piecing, I used about every piece of pink paper in my stash! Eight papers in total, plus a white piece that I built onto. The skin is actually a light pink... I added color to the hair, light & seat with Copics.

I strung some bakers twine across the background, and popped up the image piece with foam tape. I added a pink gemstone to her helmet for a final touch, and she's OFF!

Thanks for visiting!

Update: Many thanks to Floweret for spotlighting this card on her blog!

Card Crafter's Circle Challenge #15

Inspiration/Challenges:

Card Crafter's Circle Challenge #15: TIC TAC TOE - Embossing, Digi, Bling

Paper Pretties Monday Challenge: Paper Piecing/Piercing

Speedy Fox and Friends Challenge Week 100: Shades of Pink

Mopedbrud digi stamp by Floweret (thank you!)

Dilo en Español

I don't think I could have had more fun making this card! It started with inspiration from a few challenges:

• Dilo en Español Challenge #1: Kraft Paper
  I've been following Abby's blog for a while, and am very excited about her new challenges inspired by her fab new Dilo en Español stamp sets. I only just bought a set, and I don't think a sentiment in Spanish is a requirement, but I was inspired so I used this cute Feliz Cumpleaños Ticket digi stamp by Marion.
  
  
• Fun with Shapes Challenge #93: Shabby/Vintage
  This challenge blog is new-to-me,  and I love its mission of using "something punched or cut". For this card, I used my Cricut & their "Paper Dolls" cartridge (the circus tent), as well as two Recollections hand-punches. I made the borders with a star punch, and the banners made from the circle punch. For the additional "Shabby/Vintage" theme, I used my Tim Holtz paper distresser on all the edges.
  
  
• Speedy the Cat's Friends Challenge Week 75: Use Polka Dots
  Polka dots seemed a perfect fit for the circus theme. I used a scrap of Graphic 45 paper for the tent, but I really tore into my Echo Park Dots & Stripes pack for the rest!
  
  
• Crazy Amigo Challenge: Animals
  This challenge blog is also new-to-me, and it looks like fun! I didn't really have any circus animal stamps, so I used this cutey. I'm not quite sure what circus act this is ... Gassy the Zebra & his Gossipy Canary, I guess!

Originally, this is how the card was to look. But I really wanted to show off the background, so I made the tent fold down to create this sort of tent card:

Here's the card completely open. I stitched the message section with the same hemp rope I used to string the banners.

Update: Wow! This card won Dilo en Español Challenge #1! Muchísimas Gracias!

Can I resist / 4 challenges

Thanks to the generous comments on my recent stamping/sponging endeavor, I'm feeling pretty jazzed and ready for a new challenge! Or, in this case, four challenges. What can I say, I wanted a lot of inspiration! And I sure got a wonderful bunch:

1. Speedy the Cat's Friends Challenge #50: Emboss Resist Technique
2. All Things Unity Challenge #28: Unity/{ippity} stamps + Buttons
3. Color Throwdown #136: Orange, Soft Sky, Kraft
4. Critter Sketch Challenge #59: Fancy Folds

I really enjoyed making my first Center Step card last week, and I thought the fold would look really good with the {ippity} stamps I won from CPS/Banu. Love these stamps.

I probably should've done the emboss/resist on white paper, but I really wanted the kraft-y paper to come through (I'm out of real kraft, so I used Core'dinations to match the other papers). I do adore this technique; you just stamp it with watermark ink and clear-emboss it. After you apply the ink (I use cheap-o makeup sponges), just wipe off the stamp with a papertowel. And it really really works! The actual stamping portion of this card only took about 10 minutes.

I stamped the flowers in blue & orange onto the "kraft" paper, clear-embossed them, cut them out and sewed them, along with little flower buttons, onto the orange paper. It was a freakin' miracle that I happened to have matching thread. Wow! I also pulled out my fancy corner punch and a border punch (for the inside details), which always make things look good. I made this card for a friend's daughter, who just had shoulder surgery; I don't know her personally, but she's about my age so I made something I'd like!

Center Step card tutorial: Creative Moments with Sandy

Supplies: Regal Greetings set by {ippity} Stamps, Core'dinations glimmer cardstock, Stampendous clear detail embossing powder, ColorBox inks, Versamark Watermark ink, Martha Stewart detailing scissors and border punch, Fiskars papercutter and corner punch, ZipDry glue, Marvy heat tool, thread by Coats & Clark, needle, emery board

Update 4/20/11: This card made the top three for All Things Unity Challenge #28. Thanks!