IO In the Garden Challenge

I must confess, I totally lost it! I've been concentrating on doing CAS cards. Good grief, they are hard ! So this card for the IO challenge is a result of my self control cutting loose and rebelling against CAS.

I threw everything at this! Patterned papers, inking, heat embossing, die cutting, fussy cutting, Copic colouring, stamping, handmade flowers, glitter paint and a doily and lace.
The Impression Obsession products used are:
All Occasion II (CL307)
Open Rose (E6014)
C-A-C Greenery (CC018)
Bare Branch (DIE 022-U)
Sm Spiral Flowers (DIE042-I)  I just used the tiniest flower from this die set, it makes the cutest little         flowers, so perfect for cards and is one of my all time favourite dies.
The IO challenge is found here :
http://mitrafriant.typepad.com/impression_obsession_news/2014/03/new-challenge-in-the-garden-1.html                              

Serendipity

I thought I'd try making a wavy design down a card with the button stamps from JustRite's Buntings and Banners set. I drew two parallel lines on white CS using Spellbinders A2 Curved Borders One with a pencil on my card. I stamped the buttons with VersaMark and Distress Ink ( the EP sticks better), and embossed with clear EP. I slipped up and made a bit of a mess. I thought it was garbage, and was cleaning up and putting the Borderabilities piece I drew the lines with away, and suddenly realized I could use it to cut a piece to cover the mistake. I suppose I could have just done one side, but I had two pieces, so I stamped the sentiment from the same set, by curving it on the block, and put the pieces on with foam tape.

I am totally incapable of leaving well enough alone, so I stamped another button, covered it with two coats of UTEE and tied a linen thread through it. I was pleased with how it was looking before I screwed up, but I think it turned out better because I screwed up !

I'm kind of pleased with this one, I think I got closer to CAS, even if it was through serendipity !
The JustRite Challenge is found here: http://justritestampers.typepad.com/justrite-inspiration/2014/03/justrite-friday-challenge-116-cas-cards.html
I can't wait to see what everyone else has done!

JustRite CAS Challenge #116

For some reason, I picture the lovely Sheri with an evil grin on her face when she posted the latest JustRite Friday challenge. It's not that I think that the women who enter JustRite's challenges can't do CAS cards, ( I know they can!!), it's just that I never associate JustRite with CAS cards. I always think that this is where those who make cards that require a lot of extra postage play!
I occasionally go on a kick where I make cards that don't require additional postage, but that doesn't make them CAS cards. I just cut back on the flowers and the foam tape! CAS cards are a whole different animal, one that I don't have a handle on. I almost signed up for the Online CAS Card class, but it cost as much as a new SB die that I could make more layers with! LOL!
Anyway, I'm going to give this a try, possibly more than once, because I do like a good challenge and for me, this really is a challenge. I would appreciate any constructive criticism, because I don't have a clue how to control the urge to add MORE STUFF !
Here's my first attempt, if it's wrong, please tell me! I know it's simple, but CAS ???

This is 110lb Neenah Solar White CS embossed with a Provo Craft folder on the front. Vellum is stamped with JustRite's Hydrangea Vintage Labels Seven in white EP. I coloured on the back with inks, and put clear Wink of Stella on the front. The sentiment is from JR's Grateful Heart Vintage Labels Two. I attached the vellum to the card with eyelets and a ribbon.
You can find the JustRite challenge here: http://justritestampers.typepad.com/justrite-inspiration/2014/03/justrite-friday-challenge-116-cas-cards.html
I wonder if anyone else is struggling with this one!

A Spring Basket

I got the JustRite Baking Antique Tags One a while back because I had planned to do a recipe mini album and this set has a great mason jar and a perfect border stamp. Well, I just adore the mason jar, and so I keep trying to find more ways to use it. Last time, it was a flower vase, this time I decided to fill it with flowers a different way! A lot of the US and Canada got hit with a very nasty cold Winter,  so, wouldn't it be nice if we could pack some Spring in a jar and send it to those people freezing their toes off ?

I started by stamping an old original JR stamp from the "Sending You Sunshine" set with grey ink on white CS, and coloured the flowers with Copics. I then inked up my mason jar stamp with both VersaMark and Memento London Fog ink and stamped over my flowers and heat embossed with clear powder. I was hoping that it would look like the flowers are IN the jars. I stamped the labels from the Baking set and put them on the jars. The "fabric" overhanging the basket with the lace edge was stamped with the JR Ticking Stripe Background stamp and Mama Elephant Pigment ink ( this ink is yummy! ). I've seen paper weaving done in some card making lately, which gave me the idea to do a basket with my CS scraps. I haven't tried that since I was a kid! I made a border for the basket bottom with Spellbinders Diamond Effects. I added a bow and made a tag which I stamped with a sentiment from JustRite's "The Scoop Vintage Labels Four" and attached with a cute heart pin.
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Here are the fun challenges I'm entering !
JustRite Friday Challenge  Spring Cheer:
http://justritestampers.typepad.com/justrite-inspiration/2014/02/justrite-friday-challenge-115.html
Loves Rubber Stamps Anything Goes : http://www.lovesrubberstampschallenges.com/2014/03/challenge-93-anything-goes.html
Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge Tag It : http://www.simonsaysstampblog.com/wednesdaychallenge/simon-says-tag-it/

"Warming Spring"

Impression Obsession's challenge is "Favourite Technique" again. I still have no idea what my favourite might be. I love trying new things, but my old standby is die cutting. Another old favourite is stamping on vellum and I see that that has become quite popular again.

I used a beautiful IO stamp called 'Warming Spring' ( E8605) as my focal point. It's stamped and heat embossed on vellum. The paper underneath is a very vibrant piece of K&Co Sweet Nectar paper. I die cut a bunch of flowers and leaves from the IO set ( DIE047-J ), and made rolled flowers with the super cute IO die set (DIE042-I). I love using these little dies to cut up scraps of paper. I usually have a stack of them pre-made and ready to go. I filled the rolled flowers with Distress Stickles, and put Liquid Pearls on the others. I also used a MS punch to cut some even smaller flowers to fill in. The frame is made with  Spellbinders Diamond Effects die. I like to use it to make a quick and easy card.

Here's where you can find the IO challenge and a blog hop with the talented IO designers:
http://mitrafriant.typepad.com/impression_obsession_news/2014/02/new-io-challenge-favorite-technique.html


I am having a really hard time trying to make cards while watching and worrying about the situation in the Ukraine. It is scary to know that the UN and NATO are powerless to do anything (not that that's new) to protect a member nation. I caught a minute or two of some US politician babbling about how if he was in power, Russia would be scared and he'd make Putin back down,blah,blah. So deeply relieved that that guy isn't in charge! World War III, here we come! My heart goes out to the Ukrainian people, they are on the edge of a precipice, with no safety net. The Crimea is lost, no one will risk another World War and Putin knows it. The question is, what's next?