Thursday, May 9, 2013

A Twofer This Week

This week is a twofer, actually, it's a threefer but I don't think there is such a word. (twofer probably isn't a real word either!). I am entering my mother's day card for my Mum into 3 challenges. The challenges are:

A Blog Named Hero: Challenge #23 - All that Glitters. The details are here. This card fits the theme as I hand cut a shadow for the diecut butterfly from glitter cardstock. Lots of lovely, glittery shimmer from that little touch.

Simon Says Stamp: Things with Wings. The details are here. The butterfly definitely fits as an item that has wings.

Southern Girls Challenge #68 - You Can Say That Again. The details for this challenge are here  .  The challenge is to use a sentiment or a quote and the tag on the card front (hiding behind the butterfly in the photo) says 'Happy Mothers Day'.  That's a sentiment right?

Here is the card and the inside as well as a close up of the saying:







This card was heavily inspired by a card by Mrs Frizz so I'd like to add a link in here so you can see her original card as it is her design (not mine). I was inspired by the triangle tri-fold style and the butterfly backed with the muslin circle.  I didn't have any muslin so a doily had to do for my card.  Mrs Frizz used cardstock as the base and patterned paper triangles as decoration. I used patterned paper as my base which meant I didn't have to cut perfect triangles from patterned paper to fit.

Materials: Paper and Cardstock (DCWV), Pink Cardstock (from scraps), Border Punch (Martha Stewart), Stamps (unknown), Ink (Colorbox), Die (unknown), doily, tag.


Saturday, May 4, 2013

Cheeky On So Many Levels

Today is National Scrapbooking Day in USA. I have been enjoying all the extra inspiration on a lot of the manufacturers' blogs and was super inspired to create. Trouble is, I didn't make a scrapbook layout; I made a card. Cheeky, I know! But I have a good reason: I was laid out with a migraine yesterday so today I am feeling pretty jaded and need to rest up for work tomorrow. I also need to rest up for an up coming Creative Adventure (more to come on that later this month). Am I forgiven?

I get even cheekier. I am submitting the card I made to several challenges/contests. One is a new one for me (Echo Park). The Big Picture scrapbooking ones are supposed to be layouts strictly speaking but luckily the 3 I was thinking of didn't specify - some of them did.  Let's hope they ignore the Scrapbooking part of National Scrapbooking Day eh? :)

Here's my cheeky National Scrapbooking/Cardmaking Day card:


This card was based on a design I saw on the Studio Calico site but I don't have their product (apart from a couple of stamps) so it doesn't really qualify for their competitions. :(  I have to say it came together really fast -faster than my usual. It would have come together even faster if I didn't go to the effort of white embossing a background stamp on the plain pink strip. (I saved papers which I thought I would use elsewhere and used the backs also thus cutting down on the paper I was 'wasting' on a card).  It helps when you are 'inspired by' [copying from] someone - see, I get even cheekier by copying someone else's design. There is no hope for me is there in regards to my cheekiness?

Here's where and why I am entering this card:

First off the legitimate one - Simon Says Stamp's current challenge is Happy Mail (a card not made for a specific reason). The link for this [legitimate] challenge is  HERE .

The next one is Echo Park. I was lucky enough to win a 6x6 Everyday Eclectic paper pad from Artfull Crafts last year and this was my first opportunity to use it.  The Challenge is NSD Challenge #1: Summer Cards. Now, I know you are probably thinking my card doesn't look very summery but I thought the patterns of the papers were very reminiscent of summer. Clouds, hot air balloons, etc. I had the idea of using a saying that said something like, 'hello sunshine' but I realised I don't actually have such a stamp! Shock Horror!  Pity, it would've been cool. Way cool even (channeling my teenage niece there for a moment). The link for the challenge is  HERE .

Finally Big Picture Classes has the following challenges which fit my card:

Challenge#8: Use arrows to draw attention to parts of your journaling. Well, "hello There' can be considered journaling right?

Challenge#6: Shake it up creatively - Don't use your go-to techniques or Do try something new (my paraphrasing).  Well May, I had to not ink the edges of all my papers/cardstock/embellishments which I always do. This would be the first card when I haven't at least inked the edges of the card. Don't you think the paper strips could've done with ink on their edges? A new technique is using my American Crafts thickers on a card. I never use them on cards; I save them for my layouts.

I think that is enough cheeky for now. Gosh, I hope no one was expecting to see any bottoms when they saw my title! ;)

Materials:
Cardstock (Ormolu), Paper (Echo Park), Stamps (Mama Elephant - saying, Hero Arts - background used on pink strip), Ink (Stampin' Up!), Arrows (American Crafts), White Embossing Powder (on pink strip).