" Had A Blast" !

I had a blast with Cheery Lynn Designs this past month. I managed to enter all four challenges for the month of June. This last challenge was to do a wedding card. I tried out two new things for this challenge, a new to me card fold and the gorgeous Cheery Lynn Orchid die.

The whole centre flap flips up and the sentiment/verse goes inside. I saw this card fold on the Cheery Lynn blog and got the instructions off Youtube. It's called the Magic Card Fold and usually the edges are done on the flaps using a decorative punch, but I had some pretty lace with silver in it to use. I cut the orchid pieces from watercolour paper and used Copic R81 and RV00 on the base of each petal. I wanted the pink to be very subtle and the watercolour paper helped by absorbing the colour. I then painted white Perfect Pearls on to further subdue the pink and give it some shine. The b'ground paper is embossed and then I rubbed Platinum Planet Brillance ink over it. The back side of the side panels match. I used the Cheery Lynn Princess window frame and cut it and covered it with silver EP and Utee.
The Cheery Lynn Challenge is found here : http://cheerylynndesignschallenge.blogspot.ca/2013/06/cheery-lynn-designs-challenge-86.html

UPDATE : In order to qualify to win an EBosser from Cheery Lynn Designs, you had to enter all four challenges in June. I just managed to squeak this last one in uder the wire with just minutes to spare, and I'm so glad I did!! I just won the EBosser !!! Be thankful y'all can't see my Happy Dance !

Colours of Summer

Impression Obsession's challenge is called "Colours of Summer". I used the IO "Sunflower Barn (H1157)" because it make me think of a Summer's day drive through the country.

I stamped two extra layers of sunflowers so I could layer them up. I used some fuzzy stuff ( pretty sure that's not the technical name) on the sunflower centre. I stamped IO's Washi Tape stamp (B880) on vellum, and layered a piece of a K&Co border, a TH adage ticket, a wooden bird and a button on it. The paper is MME Miss Caroline. My favorite part of this is the sky, I probably couldn't recreate it if I tried. I used Copics to colour the image.
I'm entering this in the IO challenge : http://mitrafriant.typepad.com/impression_obsession_news/2013/06/colors-of-summer-challenge.html
and the Simon Says Stamp Anything Goes challenge : http://www.simonsaysstampschallenge.blogspot.ca/2013/06/simon-says-anything-goes.html

Keep it Krafty !

This card was inspired by all the seeds I planted, which are growing well now and will be so beautiful this summer. The Cheery Lynn flourish dies reminded me of the Sweet Peas, so when I saw this seed package stamp set by Artistic Outpost in my stash, I knew what I wanted to do for the Cheery Lynn challenge http://cheerylynndesignschallenge.blogspot.ca/2013/06/cheery-lynn-designs-challeng-85-keep-it.html
I cut a bunch of the mini Cheery Lynn Flourishes and some leaves from the regular sized Cheery Lynn Flourish to intersperse with the flowers I hand cut using decorative scissors (now that's something I don't ever use). I painted some Gesso on a piece of burlap and sewed some twine through it ( after I took all the glue off the needle I usually use to unclog Glossy Accents ). All the patterned paper is MME from the Stella & Rose line.The card base and the seed package are kraft cardstock.

 I'm way behind on seeing all the beautiful things my blogging friends have created. Sorry! I'm having a horrible time with migraines again or should I say as usual, and I can only use the computer in very small doses. It has taken me days to post this, so I'll catch up with you all as soon as I can.

I'm also entering this card in the Loves Rubberstamps challenge : http://www.lovesrubberstampschallenges.com/2013/06/challenge-57-summer-theme.html

Just Because !

It's beautiful today, it isn't raining (YAY) and I finally don't have a migraine. So I thought I'd put together a cheerful little easel card. I've been trying to use supplies I don't normally use, and it's scary how much stuff I have that fits in that category. So on this card I didn't use any stamps and used dimensional embellies instead. I used the Cheery Lynn Princess Garden Window Frame die to cut a vellum piece to go over the patterned paper. I loved that paper with the floral embellie, but the paper was too strong on it's own, and the vellum toned it down so the flowers showed better. I also used the Cheery Lynn Fanciful Flourish. I folded some of the patterned paper for the corner embellies, and another layered embellishment for the sentiment.

I am putting this in the Cheery Lynn challenge to use corner embellishments : http://cheerylynndesignschallenge.blogspot.ca/2013/06/cheery-lynn-designs-challenge-84.html

"Manly, yes, but I like it too"

When I sat down to post this card, the line from an old Irish Spring soap commercial popped into my head, hence the title of this post.
 I used the first Impression Obsession stamp I ever bought, and being an East Coast girl, it is an image I never tire of.

I stamped the image on patterned paper and coloured it using Copics. It probably doesn't show in the photo, but there are actually a couple of layers. I didn't use foam tape to raise the layers, I wanted a much more subtle look. I also used a Sakura Glaze pen on the water. I embossed the background paper with a TH Sizzix folder for some more texture. In my continuing mission to use older papers, I opened a case and rediscovered some beautiful nautical themed paper by K&Co and the paper I stamped on was also K&Co, Que Sera Sera.
Since I prefer to photograph my cards outside, it's so nice that it finally stopped raining! The last card had a bit of an adventure while being photographed in the rain. Luckily a hair dryer, and the fact I used waterproof ink, saved the day!
I entering this at Loves Rubber Stamps here: http://www.lovesrubberstampschallenges.com/2013/06/challenge-56-masculine-theme.html
and Tuesday Throwdown here: http://tuesdaythrowdown.blogspot.ca/2013/06/tuesday-throwdown-151.html

Make it Manly !

I kept seeing really cute shirt cards, and I do know how to fold one, but I decided to just make a tie. In order to enter the JustRite challenge, "Make it Manly", I needed to use JR stamps and sadly, I don't really have any suitable ones. So I used my JR Market Place Alphabet stamps to make my b'ground paper and used the "you are the best" stamp from the JR Grand Sentiments set for on the tie clip. All the paper is Authentique.

The JustRite Challenge is found here : http://justritestampers.typepad.com/justrite-inspiration/2013/05/justrite-friday-challenge-098-make-it-manly.html
I'm also entering another "manly" challenge at Love Rubber Stamps.
http://www.lovesrubberstampschallenges.com/2013/06/challenge-56-masculine-theme.html
and at Tuesday Throwdown : http://tuesdaythrowdown.blogspot.ca/2013/06/tuesday-throwdown-151.html

Bloom Where You Are Planted

I was leafing through some MME paper and I saw a paper with a bunch of journaling-type cards on it. One of them said " Bloom where you are planted". Well, that became the starting point for my Impression Obsession challenge card. How could I resist, when the IO challenge is called " Bloom where you are planted" ? http://mitrafriant.typepad.com/impression_obsession_news/2013/06/bloom-where-you-are-planted-challenge.html
I know I just did a card with this same IO Beauty Rose stamp ( F8842) this month, but I love this stamp and could happily use it everyday. Besides, this card is totally different from the other. I used H2O's on black CS the last time and used Prismacolor pencils and Gamsol this time. I haven't tried using the Prismacolors in a while, I'm not very good with them, but I tried watercolour pencils and the colour was just too rich for the MME papers I used. I fussy cut the roses and covered them with Diamond Glaze. The little banner pieces were cut from the cover sheet to this collection, and I took the base off my corner rounder to make a scalloped edge to peek out on the right side and bottom.

I also am going to put this in the My Sheri Crafts Challenge #112 "Summer Solstice" http://myshericrafts.blogspot.ca/2013/06/my-sheri-crafts-challenge-112-summer.html
I don't know if this is quite what they have in mind, but for me, I like to plant myself on the deck on beautiful Summer  evenings and drink my tea next to my lovely miniature roses, and listen to the birds. Can't wait for those days, am getting tired of cold and damp!
Finally, I'm also entering this here : http://www.lovesrubberstampschallenges.com/2013/06/challenge-55-anything-goes.htm
,because after all, who doesn't LOVE rubber stamps?

B'day card for my Sister

It was fun to have made a bunch of cards that were so different, but that can only last so long before I have to go back to the style that makes me the happiest. I don't know what it would be called, but it seems to usually have lots of flowers and often a lot of pink !

I am entering this one in the Simon Says Stamp Anything Goes challenge found here :
http://www.simonsaysstampschallenge.blogspot.ca/2013/05/simon-saysanything-goes_29.html

I think I'll send this one to my sister for her Birthday. I hope she'll like it, because it is a favorite of mine. I love the colours IRL.

Red, White and Blue

I was digging through my stuff and I found a really nice Cuttlebug embossing folder I had forgotten about. It has different kinds of berries on it and it reminded me of the Flourishes stamp set with the berries. A bit of colouring and a couple of Cheery Lynn dies, and I had my entry for the Cheery Lynn Red, White, and Blue challenge.

I used the Cheery Lynn French Pastry Doily die, which I seem to use all the time, and the Mini Fanciful Flourish, which is such a great size for cards.
The Cheery Lynn Design challenge is found here : http://cheerylynndesignschallenge.blogspot.ca/2013/06/cheery-lynn-designs-challenge-83.html

I also am entering this in the Simon Says Stamp challenge here: http://www.simonsaysstampschallenge.blogspot.ca/2013/05/simon-saysanything-goes_29.html

Bear With Me !

I think my favorite kind of cards to do are fussy florals with lots of layers, but sometimes I wander off into something completely different. I already showed one of my bear cards, but I thought I'd show a few more done with that super adorable stamp set.

The sentiment is also part of the Wellington Bear set by docrafts.

The tag and the "with love" are part of the set as well. It comes with other word stamps that fit on the little tag, and a pile of larger "boy" words like brother, husband, dad, son, nephew,grandad and uncle.

How cute is this image? Even though I normally avoid stamps with people ( I think it relates to my fear of dolls LOL ), this is the image that sold me on the set, and there is still one more adorable image I haven't used yet. This was one of those purchases that really felt like money well spent, and better yet, the set was only something like $ 14.00. SCORE !!
I actually have the 6x6 paper pack that goes with the stamps, but I was continuing in my obsession with trying to use up a Cosmo Cricket collection called "Little Boys Biography". I finally had to put the rest away because I couldn't do anything with any other papers. Here are a few of the other cards that came out of my obsession with that paper collection. Not one flower in the bunch!

Gold'n Roses

This card is for the Cheery Lynn Challenge found here : http://cheerylynndesignschallenge.blogspot.ca/2013/05/cheery-lynn-designs-challenge-82-roses.html

I used two Cheery Lynn dies, French Pastry Doily and Princess Window Frame. I used the IO C-A-C rose lace stamp with gold embossing powder on black CS for the background.

The roses are an IO stamp coloured with Twinkling H2O's.