IO Challenge - Flowers for You

Just a quick post with my Impression Obsession entry for this challenge : http://mitrafriant.typepad.com/impression_obsession_news/2013/04/welcome-to-our-new-challenge-and-its-time-to-check-out-what-the-dts-flowers-for-you-challenge-creations-by-clicking-on.html

I'm very cheap, um, thrifty and I like to keep the smallest bits of paper and cut flowers and butterflies for them. I had cut quite a stash with the IO Flower dies (DIE047-J), and decided maybe I should use some on this challenge. We've been working in the yard and planning our gardens, so the IO stamp of the wheelbarrow (D132) seemed appropriate. I used a technique I hadn't done in ages, I coloured on the stamp with markers, I like the look, it's a little softer.

I've been at the mercy of horrible migraines lately, so I'm really sorry that I haven't been able to comment or even look at all the blogs I love. Just posting this, is really making me ill. But I plan to visit all the other entries, and my favorite bloggers when I'm better!

JustRite Challenge # 094

I made this card for the JustRite challenge found here: http://justritestampers.typepad.com/justrite-inspiration/2013/04/justrite-friday-challenge-094-sketch.html
The challenge is to use the sketch provided, and preferably use a background stamp. I find sketch challenges really hard, I don't know why, but I was already playing with my new JustRite b'ground stamp, the lovely French Rose.

I stamped on KaiserCraft DP and embossed with copper EP. Although it's hard to see, I used a Faber Castell Big Brush pink marker in spots on the roses in order to get some colour variation, as I only have a couple of Gelatos, and only one is a pinky colour. I used Gelatos in pink, blue and green to colour the image. Instead of going straight up and down, I split the stamp on an angle as I didn't want to cover up the roses at all. I used a different DP in the split and lightly misted it with blue and pink homemade glimmer mists. I used Prima bling to run through the split. The label is cut with Spellbinders Decorative labels eight and layered with Labels Eight. I used a light spray in blue and pink again and edged it with a Krylon copper pen. The sentiment is from the JR Grand Sentiments set.
You can't see it in the picture, but the Gelatos have a pretty shimmer. This is an A6 sized card.

 

                                                                                                                                                                                                         

IO Springtime Fun Challenge

Impression Obsession has a new challenge called "Springtime Fun". You can find it here : http://mitrafriant.typepad.com/impression_obsession_news/2013/04/springtime-fun-challenge.html

I've been doing a lot of cards about Spring recently, or rather what I wish Spring was about. Flowers, green grass, new leaves on trees etc., my reality is a little different, but not suitable for a card! So this card is sticking to the fantasy theme of new green growth.

I used an older IO Gary Robertson stamp, one that's new to me, called Country House ( F1730 ). I coloured it with Copics and added some yellow Stickles to the flowers. The roses are hand cut and rolled with some yellow Stickles on them too. The leaves are from the IO die set, Flower Die ( DIE047-J ). I envisioned this card the minute I saw this stamp online in the IO store. I have a thing for this Spellbinders Lattice and couldn't wait for this stamp to get here so I could pair the two together!
Now, if you want to know what Spring really means to me. Mud, Mud and more Mud ! My sweet fur baby likes to dig in the mud, and there's always lots to dig in at this time of the year. She's so bad, that I trained her to go get in the bathtub on command. Then most of the mud ends up in the tub and not all over my bed. I spend a lot of time cleaning mud out of the tub ! I'm just glad she has short hair!

Nothing new under the sun ?

This is a long post . I'm not big on typing so I don't usually want to share much, so this should be a rare thing. Feel free to skip to the card at the bottom, or if you do bother to read my ramblings, I'd love to know if you've had the same type of experience.

I had a couple of strange coincidents happen lately. I did a card with butterflys coming out of an envelope. The idea of this card was totally driven by things  on my desk, namely my new IO dies and C-A-C Cloud stamp, and a class I was taking involving using patterned paper. I first posted it in an online gallery and then on my blog. A few days later, I was reading someone's blog and they had a link to someone else etc., and I came across a sketch challenge. The sketch was so much like my card, it wasn't funny. If I had known sooner, I would have entered my card. The sketch didn't have butterflys, but it was so close to my card, even I would have thought I had used that sketch! I'm not much for using sketches and on the rare occasions I have, I've given credit to the source.
 So, a while later, I see a gorgeous sheet of BoBunny paper. I decide I want to use part of it as a backdrop on a card and build a floral arrangement on top of it. Thinking that it would create a lot of bulk, I decide to recess the front to take some of the bulk. This card was  totally inspired by the paper,  the big pile of flowers on my desk that actually needed to be put away, and the JustRite challenge. A few days after posting that card, I see a BoBunny post on facebook ,with the same type of card, using the same Labels Eight to cut out the front. That one had a bird on it, and I had almost put a bird on mine, it was actually on my desk to use, but I changed my mind. The cards weren't the same, but they were the same recessed front style, using BoBunny paper and the same Spellbinders. ( Mine was posted online first, just saying...) I won an honorable mention at JustRite with that card, and I just don't want anyone to think I copied it !
I belive in giving credit when using someone else's idea or sketch, but as there are only so many ways to put something on so small a space, that I guess that this probably happens a lot. I don't use Pinterest ( causes severe visual overload), and I have trouble with sketches,my crafting is driven by my supplies, so I'm wondering if anything really is new.

JustRite has a new challenge up, involving a sketch, and preferring b'ground stamps. I just used a JR b'ground stamp to make a card, but not the sketch, so this doesn't qualify. I won the random draw a few weeks ago, and I've wanted the French Rose stamp ever since I first saw it. I finally got to play with it the other night .

This card is way more of a rustic style than a JR style and I absolutely guarantee it came out of my own head!  I used a lot of TH Distress inks, both for distressing and as paint for the flowers. I love this stamp!

Happy Spring !

Yesterday was so beautiful, it really felt like Spring. The sun was shining, the air was warm and the Mourning Doves were mating on the deck railing. Some people think Robins are the first sign of Spring, we get a rather more blatant sign than that !
After taking River for a walk, I decided to try and tackle the mess on my desk. Once again I got distracted. Pretty paper is to me, what "squirrel " is to River. Look at the pretty paper I found !

I had bought two sheets from the BoBunny Ambrosia collection. I wish I could have found the whole collection. I love it and this paper just suited my mood yesterday. I can't wait until the garden centers open and I can have riots of colour outside.
This is an A6 sized card, but I added 1/4" to the length when I cut the base, so I could put a 1/4" spine on the card. That way,I could cut the front with the Spellbinders Labels 8, and recess the patterned paper to the rear of the front, with foam tape. That allowed the inside of the card to be available for writing on as usual. The frame was made with two layers of Spellbinders Decorative Labels 8. I used the JustRite "Grand Sentiments" stamp set. What a sweet sentiment that is, and it suited the day.
Once again, I went a little nuts with the flowers. I was a Floral Designer for many years, so sometimes it leaks out a little.The bling is from Prima, and the flowers are Prima and Wild Orchid Crafts. The crochet flower is Recollections.
I'm entering this one in the JustRite Friday challenge found here : http://justritestampers.typepad.com/justrite-inspiration/2013/03/justrite-friday-challenge-093-suddenly-spring.html
I'm also entering it in the Simon Says Stamp challenge found here : http://www.simonsaysstampschallenge.blogspot.ca/2013/03/simon-says-anything-goes.html

Thanks for looking !