Hydrangia

My husband looked at this card and said," Wow, that was a lot of work". This definitely took a bit of time, but the results are well worth the time.  The Hydrangea, an Impression Obsession die, is mounted on lilac card stock that was cut with a Spellbinder's die. A piece of white card stock was embossed with a Cuttlebug embossing folder and then mounted on black card stock which was adhered to a white card base. I will enter  it in the IO challenge Welcome to my Garden.
http://mitrafriant.typepad.com/impression_obsession_news/2014/05/new-impression-obsession-challenge-welcome-to-my-garden.html
IO die DIE044-Y

Out of the Box Challenge

The challenge at Impression Obsession is called Out of the Box.  You were to use a stamp or die in a way different then what was intended or to do something new for you,  This is out of the box for me because I made an aquarium instead of a snow globe and it is the first time I used this die and their shake it pouches. If you like shaker cards, this is the way to create some great designs.   The fish in the aquarium is part of a piece of stationery that I have had for ages.  I filled the corner with some IO shells and tucked some moss behind the shells.  See some great ideas here   chttp://mitrafriant.typepad.com/impression_obsession_news/2014/04/new-impression-obsession-challenge-outside-of-the-box.html

IO  Snow globe DIE122-R   Shell Set DIE077-W

Yellow Gingham

Lee Murphy is hosting a Going Gingham challenge at Mod Squad this week. http://modsquadchallenge.blogspot.com/. For this card, I used an IO die to cut the center of some white card stock and edged it with two strips of yellow gingham dp.  I adhered  the white card stock to a yellow card base.  The wheelbarrow and tiny flowers are also IO dies, and the sentiment is from Gina K Designs

Wild Flowers

This card was made for a challenge at Poppy Sketches.  http://poppysketches.blogspot.com/   Every two weeks a different sketch and color pallet challenge is posted. This week's challenge can be seen below.  Anyone can play and there are some generous sponsors for the cite.  I stamped white card stock with a stamp from Penny Black  in London Fog ink and colored the flower part with Spectrum Noir markers.  I used an IO die to cut out the squares on the side.  I cut a red strip and a blue strip with the same die so I could fill the middle strip with alternating colors.I mounted this to grey card stock and then on white card stock. I added a sentiment and some red ribbon for embellishment.

Wagon

I love this wagon stamp from Heartfelt Creations.  This simple card follows the sketch from My Favorite Things.  Since I have several male family and friends celebrating birthdays in the next few months, I decided to make some masculine cards for challenges.Craft card stock is perfect for this. I stamped the wagon and the sentiment on some dp with versa mark ink and embossed it with black embossing powder. The card base was embossed with a barbed wire embossing folder, and three button die cuts  replaced the flower in  the sketch.  You can see other cards using this sketch here.  http://www.mftstamps.com/blog/category/wednesday-stamp-club/

 

You are my Sunshine

This is a card for the challenge at Impression Obsession "You are my Sunshine".
 http://mitrafriant.typepad.com/impression_obsession_news/2014/04/new-io-challenge-you-are-my-sunshine.html
I started with craft card stock which I  embossed  with A Darce embossing folder and adhered it to a slightly larger piece of black card stock.   Next, I cut a second strip from craft card stock and embossed it with Darce  grass embossing folder.  After I sponged that piece with tea die and  walnut distressed inks,I adhered it to a slightly wider strip of black card stock.   I cut yellow and blue circles using Spellbinder Dies and positioned the sea shells which were sponged with Memento desert sand and rich cocoa.  I finished with some sea birds. I placed the final pieces on an A2 card base.
The Impression Obsession dies I used are DIE078-F Sea Birds and 
Sea Shells Code: DIE077-W

Pop of Pink

This card is for the first Poppy Sketch Challenge. http://poppysketches.blogspot.com/  It was both a sketch and color challenge.  The borders are Spellbinders' border dies, the larger butterfly is Cheery Lynn and the smaller butterflies are Martha Stewart.

Strawberry Squares

I made this card for the Tuesday Morning Sketches.  The Strawberries are freebies from Becca's Place, I colored them with Spectrum Noir Markers then cut them with Spellbinder Dies.  I sponged some Memento Summer Sky around the strawberries while they were still in the die.  The bird is a Sizzix Die.

 
http://tuesdaymorningsketches.blogspot.com/

Celebrate Spring

I created both of these cards for Stamp TV Monday Challenge,Celebrate Spring. The daffodils and cone flower stamps are illustrated by Theresa Momber for Gina K Designs  The dies are all Spellbinder dies.

Blue and Yellow Blossom

This card is for the MY Favorite Thing sketch challenge.  I just got this new die from Memory Box and had to try it out. I will definitely do some experimenting with this again.

http://www.mftstamps.com/blog/category/wednesday-stamp-club/

Thinking Pink

I created this for Cat's challenge at Mod Squad which was to make our own DP.  I must have thought I was creating for Lee with all the pink I used.  I used pink card stock and stamped over with Gina K Design's Fall Foilage in Shabby Shutters  and Bring the Bling in  Aged Mahogany.  The flower and flourish are Spellbinders' dies and the butterfly is Martha Stewart. The sentiment is Gina K Designs' Hope. You can find all the beautiful designs for this challenge at  http://modsquadchallenge.blogspot.com/

Winter Scene

This card is for a  Green Challenge at Impression Obsession. http://mitrafriant.typepad.com/impression_obsession_news/2014/03/new-impression-obsession-challenge-green.html
I sponged a background using London Fog to create snow bank.  Then I sponged Pear Tart, Bahama Blue and Paris Dusk to create the night scene.  The light washed out the colors a bit when I took the picture. I then secured  two sprigs of pine branches that I had dusted with some home made flower soft.  I popped up the three deer with pop dots.  Really a quick and simple card.

 Pine Branch Die  DIE021-N
Deer Trio DIE080-N

Daring Adventure

MFT has the best sketches and I love a sketch challenge so I gave this sketch a try.  The dp is from Heartfelt creations, and I paired it with a golden brown.  I used a cuttlebug folder to emboss the top and a different one to emboss the strip.  I am not sure who manufactured the sentiment, but I found it in a stash drawer and realized I had never used it. My new favorite flower is this die from Susan's Gardens. I added a few pearls and I was done.  There are some fabulous designs entered in this challenge so if you have some time take a look.  




http://www.mftstamps.com/blog/category/wednesday-stamp-club/

ColorfuLEE Yours Grapes

Lee's challenge at Mod Squad  http://modsquadchallenge.blogspot.com/   really was a challenge for me because I can't wrap my head around red and brown, but I gave it a try.  I stamped the grapes ( Gina K Designs) with versa Mark on GKD cranberry tart card stock and embossed with white.Then I bleached the card stock which turned it a pretty golden color.  I decided I might like some green on the leaves so I washed my water brush and then used Bamboo laves ink pad to grab some color on the brush and added it over the bleaching.  Then I added a little pink to some of the grapes. Layered this on some craft CS that I had stamped with some branches and sponged the edges with distress ink.  Added a flower and some twine for embellishment and placed it on white CS.  Stop over to the Mod Squad blog and look at the beautiful creations that were done in red and brown for this challenge.

Golden Doves

I love this dove and holly stamp from Flourishes,  It has been on my wish list for over a year so I was thrilled  to buy it for half price during their Gambler's Sale.  I was anxious to work with it so I made my first Christmas card.  I will enter this in flourishes' Timeless Tuesday Challenge  A Touch of Gold
http://flourishes.org/2014/03/timeless-tuesday-263-a-touch-of-gold/

Going Green Sketch

This is an entry for MFT   http://www.mftstamps.com/blog/category/wednesday-stamp-club/  sketch challenge and for Lee's Going Green challenge at Stamp TV.
http://stamptv.ning.com/forum/topics/mix-it-up-monday-stv14mon11-going-green



The challenge at Stamp TV is to use the color green and one other neutral color. I chose some green dp and matched it with an ivory base.  The bottom panel was created with Die-Namics Chicken Wire die, and the flower is  a dogwood die from Susan's Garden.  Both sentiments are from Gina K Designs.

It's a Wash

This card will be entered in Flourishes Timeless Tuesday Challenge It's a Wash at Flourishes.

http://flourishes.org/2014/03/timeless-tuesday-262-its-a-wash/  We were to use Washi tape on our card. I used theWashi tape as borders around Flourishes'Wild Roses stamp set. I tried a

white wash technique from a video by Melanie Muenchinger at http://melaniemuenchinger.blogspot.com/ and a technique for using two embossing folders by Gina K at Gina K Designs   http://stamptv.ning.com/video/two-embossing-folders-one-card.  Made a few mistakes on this one so I will visit both techniques again.  

Tag...Your It

I made this card for the Mod Squad Challenge hosted by Donna Phelan,

a guest designer for Gina K Designs.  She loves tags so her challenge is Tag..... Your It.  We were to create a card and use a tag of any size on the card. Of course, she created a fabulous design for an example. Check it out here http://modsquadchallenge.blogspot.com/  I don't have a tag die so I had to improvise.  I started playing around with some new stamps from Flourishes. I wanted a collage look so I stamped the honey comb stamp for a background then stamped over that with a script stamp and finally stamped again with Wild Roses. I mounted this on a black background. I embossed another panel with a Cuttlebug chicken wire embossing folder and the sponged it with Cantelope and Rosebud inks. I cut another panel and embossed it then sponged it with London fog. I used the Die-namics chicken wire die to cut the background then attached it to the gray panel.  I adhered the other two panels on top.  Added a ribbon, a little key charm and bird for embellishments.

Mother's Day in Pink

A friend asked me to make a Mother's Day card for her Mother who loves pink. The beautiful flowers are a freebie from Beccy's Place.  I colored them with Spectrum Noir markers and then fussy cut them.  The Happy Mother's Day was computer generated,cut out and embossed with a Spellbinder's die. and sponged with Angel Pink. The lattice dies and leaves are also Spellbinder's dies while the butterflies are from Martha Stewart.  I plan to enter this in the March Challenge at Becca's Place.
http://beccysplace.blogspot.com.au/2014/03/march-challenge.html

Purple Iris

I made this card for my daughter's birthday. I will be entering it in Allie Gower's  color palette challenge at  Mod Squad  http://modsquadchallenge.blogspot.com/    I love this iris stamp from Heartfelt Creations, and I was so pleased with how this card came out that I will be duplicating it for Mother's Day.   I am so fortunate to have both my mother-in-law (94) and my mother (91) still healthy and as fun loving as always.  I colored the iris with Spectrun Noir markers then fussy cut it and put it inside the oval frame from Spellbinders dies then positioned it on dp  from Heartfelt Creations.  The sentiment is from Theresa Momber's "Elegant Florals" for Gina K Designs. I added a bow and some pearls that I colored black. 

Hydrangea

This card is for a Timeless Tuesday Challenge at Flourishes MASKuerade!
  . http://flourishes.org/2014/03/timeless-tuesday-261-maskuerade/.  The challenge is to use some kind of mask in your stamping. I stamped the hydrangea on white card stock, and then stamped it again on some scrap paper. I cut around the flower and taped it over the image on the card stock.  I inked the "Honeycomb" stamp from Flourishes in cantaloupe ink and stamped over the image. I removed the mask and then  colored the butterfly and the hydrangea with Spectrum Noir markers.  I used a Spellbinders die to cut out the image then inked the edges in cantaloupe, pear tart, and bahama blue.  I mounted it on black, lilac and then placed it on a on light yellow card base. I wanted something in the corner so I decided to place a sentiment from Gina K Designs "One in a Million" on a leaf and then some rhinestones on the other corners.I will also enter this in the Mod Squad challenge Spring Palette Challenge
http://modsquadchallenge.blogspot.com/

Cherry Blossoms

I made this CAS card for Flourishes' Timeless Tuesday challenge Less=More.   http://flourishes.org/category/timeless-tuesday/. You had to use a stamped image with no coloring. I stamped the cherry blossom in Versa Mark on pink paper and embossed it in white embossing powder.  This Flourish stamp has such amazing detail that it does not need to be colored.  I used one of my favorite sentiments from Gina K Designs "Moments"  mounted it on a white card base and added a Martha Stewart butterfly.  My mother asked me to make birthday cards for her Mother's Day gift so I created  a birthday verse that echos the sentiment and placed it on the inside the card.

I hope your BIRTHDAY

is filled with many  

MOMENTS

That take your

BREATH

Away.
Happy Birthday. 

Spring Strawberries

When I think of spring a picture of strawberries overwhelms all my senses.  My husband just brought my first  basket this week.  Yum!!!  This image is a free digital from Becca's Place.  I colored it with Spectrum Noir markers and fussy cut it.  The dotted paper is a freebie from Gina K Designs and the border is Spellbinders zig zag. I will enter it in the the Mod Squad's latest challenge. http://modsquadchallenge.blogspot.com/ and in Becca's February challenge.http://beccysplace.blogspot.com.au/2014/02/february-challenge.html.

Golden Touch

This card will be entered into Donna's Shabby Chic Challenge (I am still learning  how to create shabby chic, but i did my best) at Stamp TV and Cat's Mod Squad Challenge Go for the Gold. http://modsquadchallenge.blogspot.com/  The gold is in the lantern and a few sprigs that are tucked into the dogwoods.  The lantern is a Marianne design and the fern and leaves are Spellbinder dies.  All the stamps were Gina K Designs. Theresa Momber illustrated  "Dogwood and Butterflies" and the sentiment is from Tami Mayberry's "Dreams". The paper is from Heartfelt Creations Sunny Day Collection.

Golden Pears

I made this card  using the stamp set "Pears" from Flourishes for the Timeless Tuesday Challenge, A Lotta Polka Dots.  You can find the challenge here: http://flourishes.org/category/timeless-tuesday/. I used Spellbinders Label Eight Gold dies and a Gina K Designs freebie paper which I printed on craft paper. The humming bird is from Cheery Lynn.