Seashells

This is a card for an IO Nautical challenge.  I made a stencil by cutting out the shells on heavy CS.  I sponged over the stencil onto kraft CS with distress inks. I used versa mark to make splotches and then embossed with UTE. I stamped the sentiment and cut it out with a nestabilities die and sponged it with Memento desert sand.  I added a strip of seashell paper and a seashell cut from some dp.
http://mitrafriant.typepad.com/impression_obsession_news/2014/07/new-impression-obsession-challenge-nauticalbeach.html

I used these IO products
CL43
 DIE077-W

Watercolor Butterfly

I made this card for Stamp TV's Monday challenge and Simon Says Wednesday Challenge Anything Goes.
http://www.simonsaysstampblog.com/wednesdaychallenge/simon-says-anything-goes-6/

I've Got the Blues

I made this card for the Mod Squad challenge I've Got the Blues and for the Work It Wednesday challenge at Simon Says.  Both challenges required blue but Mod Squad also asks for brown.  I personally like blue and brown together.

 http://modsquadchallenge.blogspot.com/

http://www.simonsaysstampblog.com/blog/work-it-wednesday-july-2014/

Super Cameron

When I saw this MFT stamp set and matching die, I knew I had to have it.  I have two great nieces that have a stubborn streak and have been known to stand with their hands on their hips and an attitude that screams "I dare you".  Cameron's birthday is next month so I decided to get busy and make a card.  I will enter it in two challenges at MFT, the color palette and the sketch challenge. I did not have exact matches for the color palette so I matched them as best as I could.  The snow cone is a really pale blue so I used the lightest blue CS that I had and a turquoise CS for the other blue.  The chevron pattern is a MFT die.  You can find the challenges at these web cites.
http://www.mftstamps.com/blog/stamp-and-win-with-this-months-color-palette-challenge-7/
http://www.mftstamps.com/blog/category/wednesday-stamp-club/

Summer Dreams

I will be entering this card in two challenges. Summer's Fun at The Housethat Stamps Built http://www.thehousethatstampsbuilt.com/designers-choice-challenge/dcc716-summer-fun/  and A Missummer's Challenge at Simon Says  http://www.simonsaysstampblog.com/mondaychallenge/?p=1767

 The hot air balloons and the sentiment are from Papertrey Ink. the pine tree is a Hero Arts stamp.

Strawberry Basket

I will be entering this card in two challenges, the sketch challenge at MFT and the Mod Squad challenge, A Fruitful Summer" which asked us to use fruit and the colors black, white and kraft. http://modsquadchallenge.blogspot.com/    I started with a  Die-Namics chevron die.  I cut it twice from kraft and white.  I used the kraft for base and filled in with the negatives from the white one. I mounted that on a black base.  The strawberry basket and strawberries are digital freebies from Becca's Place.  I colored them with Spectrum Noir Markers.  I fussy cut them and then layered them with pop dots for some dimension. I stamped the sentiment with Versa Mark and used white embossing powder to make the sentiment pop.

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

Feather Medallion

One of my gal pals, Judy Woodland, created a beautiful feather card a few months back.  In her description, she said the stamp was from Paper Tray Ink. I scurried over to their web cite and began following  their posts and looking at their products.  I finally purchased a few stamp sets and dies and they arrived in time for a current Make-it- Monday Challenge.  Of course, one of my purchases was the fabulous feather set.  Unfortunately, the die that accompanies the stamp set  was out of stock at the time, but it is back now so I will be ordering that soon. The challenge this week is to make a rainbow medallion using a stamp.  I used the smallest feather from the set.  The picture is a bit faded so the medallion is more vibrant than the image shows. I don't normally make square cards,but this particular stamped image seemed perfect for one.  The sentiment is from Melanie Muenchinger's  Buds and Vases available at Gina K Designs.  The scalloped circle and feather are Spellbinders and the embossing folder is Cuttlebug  Mosaic.   If you are interested in this challenge or a great tutorial on the technique,you can find the details here
http://nicholeheady.typepad.com/capture_the_moment/make-it-monday/

http://nicholeheady.typepad.com/capture_the_moment/make-it-monday/

Happy Thoughts

This is a card I made for the IO challenge, The Colors of Summer. I love this little pail from IO and wanted to fill it with flowers. You can see other entries for this challenge at http://mitrafriant.typepad.com/impression_obsession_news/2014/07/impression-obsession-challenge-colors-of-summer.html

Impression Obsession Products

Pail - DIE164-A
Square Cutout Border - DIE172-
Leafy Branch - DIE055N

Hydrangea Set - DIE044-Y

CL43 Stamp 

Three Challenges

The challenge I set  for myself this week was to see how many challenges I could enter with one card.  I managed three.  I will enter this in the Stamp TV Monday color challenge, MFT sketch challenge and the Mod Squad Challenge.  The port hole  and fish tail dies are  Die Namics , and the seashell is IO. The lighthouse stamp is from By the Sea and the sentiment is from Dream Catcher both available at Gina K Designs.
The challenge at Mod Squad is called Love that..... Texture.   http://modsquadchallenge.blogspot.com/

MFT Sketch

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



Stamp TV color challenge

Think Pink

I will enter this card in the MFT Sketch challenge.   /http://www.mftstamps.com/blog/category/wednesday-stamp-club/    I had so much fun the other day creating water color backgrounds so I used a couple for this card. The sentiment stamp and the circle cut out border are from IO, and the feather is from Spellbinders.  I took some liberties with the sketch and used the feather in place of the fish tale.

Just a Note Mini Card

For this mini I inked up by acrylic block and spritzed it with some water and put the CS on top. Once it dried I cut out one of the feathers from Spellbinders and a circle. I stamped the sentiment from Theresa Momber's  Dogwoods and Butterflies set and used the leaves from Summer Blooms.  Both are available at Gina K Designs. I cut a square from white CS sponged it while it was still in the die. After masking the edges of the square I stamped it with a text stamp. I used black CS for layers, and mounted it on blue CS.  This is the third entry for the Mod Squad challenge.
http://modsquadchallenge.blogspot.com/

Summer Blooms

This is my second entry for the Mod Squad Challenge.   http://modsquadchallenge.blogspot.com/     I think these mini cards are so cute. I die cut a square and sponged it while it was still in the die.  I used a stamp set from Gina K Designs called Summer Blooms and stamped the leaves,butterfly, and sentiment in black.  I cut three flower pieces using a die set and sponged the edges and filled the center with flower soft.

White Wash Note cards

The challenge at Mod Squad this week is to make mini cards.  These note cards are 3x3. I stamped kraft CS in Versa Mark and embossed with white embossing powder.  I used some water and white ink to fill in the center of the flowers. I left  one white but went over the rest of them with various Memento colors.  The white ink is from Ranger.   The stamp set is from Hot off the Press and the greeting is from Gina K. Designs Thank You duo. You can see the other entries here. http://modsquadchallenge.blogspot.com/

Migration

 I made this card tor a travel challenge at IO called "Are We There  Yet".  As I looked through my IO stamps and dies, I discovered I had nothing travel related.  Then I saw these birds and the die and  I thought about birds migrating.  As I continued to look,  I saw this sentiment and I was reminded of all the traveling I have done in my lifetime. Since my husband had a career in the USAF, we were constantly traveling and moving and I remember the goodbyes that we made to places, homes and friends.  Each move was bitter sweet because it hurt to say goodbye but at the same time the idea of new and exciting adventures pulled at my imagination, I was much like the bird that "paused in its flight" and rested and grew comfortable until the boughs beneath her give way, but when they do, she does not panic because experience has taught her not to fear but to sing because she has wings.  Venturing into the unknown takes courage sometimes, but what we would miss if we never left our comfort zone. 
You can find the challenge here
 http://mitrafriant.typepad.com/impression_obsession_news/2014/06/new-impression-obsession-challenge-are-we-there-yet.html    

 The IO products used are

My Little Chickadees - C8589

Birds Die - DIE003-A

Leafy Branch - DIE055-

 Be Like the Bird - E13029

 

Summer Flowers

Lee Murphy is the hostess for the Mod Squad Challenge this week. She made it easy for us because we just have to color something and use summer colors.  I laughed at Lee because she said she needed more coloring time because it was so therapeutic.  I can relate to that!  I frequently color in the evenings when something is on my mind or when my husband is watching something ho-hum on television. A while back  I was coloring and he asked if I was stressed or bored.  That night I was bored.  A few nights ago he said he was unsettled about something but he didn't know what or why so I asked him if he wanted me to get him something to color.  He declined, but he just does not know what he is missing.  The flower on this card is a freebie from Beccy's Place.  If you have not visited her web cite, you should. She has some awesome tutorials, a fabulous store. a monthly challenge,and lots of beautiful freebies. I colored the flowers with Spectrum Noir markers.  Both the card and and the die are sponged with Memento pear tart and Bahama blue.  I put some beads on some floral wire to make my own rendition of a hat pin for embellishment and tucked in a little lace. You can see Lee's challenge and card sample along with other entries here.   http://modsquadchallenge.blogspot.com/

Happy Day

MFT has a color challenge every month.  Combining colors is one of my weakest areas so I decided that I am going to enter more color challenges.   You can see the other entries and find out about the challenge here. http://www.mftstamps.com/blog/category/color-palette-challenge/   The stars are from a Die Namics die and the flower border is  a Martha Stewart punch

Sketch 181

I made this card for the sketch challenge at MFT. http://www.mftstamps.com/blog/stamp-and-win-with-this-weeks-card-sketch-181/    It really did not come together like I envisioned it so if I have time, I might give it another try.  The stamp is from Gina K Designs and the fishnet overlay is a Die Namics  die.

Popped Flower

I found this sketch and color pallet on theViva LaVerve blog and I had to give it a try.  I entered it at STAMP TV Monday challenge and Viva La Verve.  I used Gina K Designs stamps By the Sea and Summer Blooms.

http://vlvsketches.blogspot.com/2014/06/viva-la-verve-june-2014-week-1-sketch.html

Life's Memories

I based this card on a sketch from Mojo Monday. http://mojomonday.blogspot.com/  The stamps and papers are from Gina K Designs and the flower is a Spellbinders die.  I also entered it in StampTV Monday's challenge" Pop Goes the Flowers".

http://mojomonday.blogspot.com/

Masculine Note

This was a quick and simple card to make with just an embossing folder, a stamp, and a die cut.  I started wit Kraft CS and embossed it with a Darcie embossing folder.  Love all the cat tails and grasses. I sponged it with tea die and walnut distress inks.  I stamped a sentiment from IO( CL43) and added some die cut birds (DIE078-F )also from IO.  I mounted it on some black CS and then adhered it to a Kraft card base. I will enter this in the IO Masculine challenge.
http://mitrafriant.typepad.com/impression_obsession_news/2014/06/new-impression-obsession-challenge-masculine.html

RWB

I will enter this card in two challenges hosed by Lee Murphy.  The challenge at Stamp TV is to use 7 or more layers and the challenge at Mod Squad is to use the colors red,white and blue. I used some paper that I downloaded from Gina K Designs' freebies page.  The light house is from Theresa Momber's By the Sea. I stamped it twice and colored it with Spectrum Noir markers. I cut out one of the lighthouses and used pop dots to give the lighthouse more dimension. You can see the other entries  for the Mod Squad challenge here. http://modsquadchallenge.blogspot.com/

Born Free

When I see a a bird on a branch or soaring through the sky, I am reminded of the song "Born Free" and one of my favorite poems "Caged Bird" by Mya Angelou.  Of course, the bird in the poem is symbolic of the struggle of the blacks for freedom on one level, but it is also symbolic of any person who is enslaved by fear, pride, addictions or any other thing that takes over their lives.  I created this card with the poem and song in mind and I will enter it in the IO challenge "Inspired by a Song".  I used the IO die Bird on a Branch 161-N and the sentiment is from Any Time Sentiments CL 43. You can see the challenge here.
http://mitrafriant.typepad.com/impression_obsession_news/2014/05/new-io-challenge-inspired-by-a-song.html  Four days after I posted this Mya Angelou passed away.  May 28,2014.

I also included a copy of the poem.

Caged Bird

BY MAYA ANGELOU

A free bird leaps

on the back of the wind   

and floats downstream   

till the current ends

and dips his wing

in the orange sun rays

and dares to claim the sky.

But a bird that stalks

down his narrow cage

can seldom see through

his bars of rage

his wings are clipped and   

his feet are tied

so he opens his throat to sing.

The caged bird sings   

with a fearful trill   

of things unknown   

but longed for still   

and his tune is heard   

on the distant hill   

for the caged bird   

sings of freedom.

The free bird thinks of another breeze

and the trade winds soft through the sighing trees

and the fat worms waiting on a dawn bright lawn

and he names the sky his own

But a caged bird stands on the grave of dreams   

his shadow shouts on a nightmare scream   

his wings are clipped and his feet are tied   

so he opens his throat to sing.

 The caged bird sings   

with a fearful trill   

of things unknown   

but longed for still   

and his tune is heard   

on the distant hill   

for the caged bird   

sings of freedom.

Triple Stamping 4

Thanks to all my friends that left such nice comments on my other triple stamping cards.  When I finished them, they did not look like I expected and I could not decide why until I looked at others I made a long time ago.  I realized I was not leaving enough of a border between layers so I decided to make another card with larger borders.   I wanted to use the stencil technique again but I chose a larger pattern and sponged it in Dandelion, Cantaloupe, and Rose Bud. I also wanted to color on this one so I used the grapes from Gina K Designs, Better With Age, and colored them with Spectrum Noir markers. I will enter this in the Mod Squad Challenge,  http://modsquadchallenge.blogspot.com/

Triple Stamping 3

This is the third card I made for Judy Woodland's challenge at Mod Squad this week. The challenge is to create a card  using one of my favorite techniques,triple stamping.  I decided to try a stencil for the background.  The vines are from a set that is not labeled and I can't remember the manufacturer. I used a die to cut some little flowers and sponged the edges. I glued them to the trellis background. 

  You can see other challenge cards here http://modsquadchallenge.blogspot.com/

Triple Stamping 2

This is the second card I made for Judy Woodland's challenge at Mod Squad this week. The challenge is to create a card  using one of my favorite techniques,triple stamping. I used some textured dp. but it does not show up on the picture.  I stamped and colored the butterfly on the base, but I did not like the result so I stamped a second butterfly colored it with Spectrum Noirs and put it over the original stamp.  I used two Gina K sets for this card Hope is Faith and master Butterfly.  You can see other challenge cards here http://modsquadchallenge.blogspot.com/