As You See It 160 - DT Card

I was very impressed by the amazingly creative ways in which people used last week's recipe in the challenge. I'm looking forward to seeing how everyone sees this challenge too. This week at As You See It, we have a different challenge: a speed challenge.

The very first time I came across As You See It was late in 2015. I'd really only been obsessed with stamping for a few months and had only recently discovered the exciting universe of the on-line challenge. I found this site and they had a speed challenge using shades of white. I was intrigued and entered it. Completely loved the challenge and thrill of the clock on the countdown! I was hooked!

I hope you will find it as enjoyable as I did. The secret is to have done all your thinking before hand. I spent part of a sleepless night coming up with ways to approach this challenge. Tonight, after work, I laid out all my stamps and inks and bits and bobs. Then, I took a deep breath, started the clock and cut my card base.

I did think I might have been a bit crazy trying to fit in embossing and sponging in the time frame. There was a small intake of breath as I started to heat the white and realised I'd missed a section of the image and had to stop and re-powder it. Originally, I'd intended to put the sentiment on a strip raised up and with perhaps another touch of colour. However, with the clock rapidly hitting the final minute, a more... minimalist... approach to the sentiment prevailed. On the whole though, I like the contrast of the stark words above the strip of colour.

Here's my final timer...

9 minutes 34 seconds!

We'd love to see how you see this speed challenge. You have ten minutes from the moment you begin to make the card. You can use any shade(s) of orange plus you can use neutrals (white, vanilla, black, grey) but no other colours.

You can join up and play with us until 18 October.

If you live anywhere in New Zealand and don't have a Stampin' Up Demonstrator, I'd love to help you with ideas and Stampin' Up products. You can message me through my Facebook page, linked in the sidebar of this blog, or by leaving a comment below.

Ingredients

Card: Whisper White, Shimmery cardstock, Tangelo Twist

Stamps: Awesomely Artistic, Thoughtful Banners

Inks: Peekaboo Peach, Calypso Coral, Tangelo Twist, versamark

Other: white embossing powder, sponges

The Paper Players 352 - DT card

Welcome back to a new challenge at The Paper Players. This week we have an opulent colour challenge from LeAnne.

I had such a lot of fun with these colours. I started by sponging Rich Razzleberry to Berry Burst to Sweet Sugarplum, bottom to top, onto a piece of watercolour paper. I flicked it with water to lift the colour in spots and flicked it with clear Wink of Stella to add some shine. Sadly, these bits of glimmer haven't shown up so well in the photo.

Then I stamped the flowers from Awesomely Artistic in Razzleberry in the bottom zone and then in Berry Burst towards the centre. The dragonflies are also in Berry Burst. Finally, I used a rectangular mask and sponged on a layer of Berry Burst along the bottom and left side of the panel to create the illusion of depth.

The finishing touches were the frame stamped in Berry Burst, which I fussy cut. The greeting is from Sunshine Wishes. The greeting is grounded on some twists of  gold metallic thread. The sponged panel is matted onto Sweet Sugarplum and is on a Basic Black card base.

There are a few rules to keep in mind.

1. Create a NEW paper-craft project specifically for this challenge.
2. Upload your creation to your blog with a link back to us.
3. Please provide a direct link to the post featuring your challenge entry.
4. Please link your card to no more than four challenges, TOTAL.Entries linked to more than 4 challenges, including ours, will be deleted without notification.
5. Have fun!

I'd love to see what you do with these glorious colours. You have until noon on Friday 14 July, PST, to join in.

Global Design Project 93

The colours at Global Design Project were so bright and cheery that I made time to play with them today and I might even scrape in before the deadline!

I did go back to an old, old favourite, Awesomely Artistic as a base for this card but added in some newer products, Dragonfly Dreams (certainly destined to be a future long time favourite) and Happy Birthday Gorgeous.

The colours were so vibrant, airy and delicious, they directed the direction of this card no matter quite what I'd thought at the outset. I started by using an acrylic block to stamp the background, then built up some detail with a mix of stamping and embossing.

The dragonfly has a soft shimmer from a coat of clear Wink of Stella and has a Lemon-Lime Twist underling that peeks out from certain angles.

The butterfly is also stamped in Pool Party to give him some detailing.

Thanks for such a fun challenge!

Ingredients

Card: Pool Party, Berry Burst, Lemon-Lime Twist, watercolour paper

Stamps: Awesomely Artistic, Dragonfly Dreams, Happy Birthday Gorgeous

Inks: Pool Party, Berry Burst, Lemon-Lime Twist, Tuxedo Black, Versamark

Other: Detailed Dragonfly thinlits, Stitched Shapes framelits, White embossing powder, clear Wink of Stella, Berry Burst finely woven ribbon, rhinestones, mini-dimensionals, dimensionals.

Retro Rubber 64 - DT Card

Welcome to another Retro Rubber Challenge, the challenge that gets you re-discovering your old favourite stamps. This week, it's an Anything Goes challenge so there's lots of scope but just remember that you still have to use stamps that are at least a year old and tell us how old they are (approximately).

I've use some old favourites in this card. Awesomely Artistic, which although still a current set has been around since 2015. Aviary was the very first Stampin' Up set I ever bought and it first appeared in 2010. Finally, the sentiment is from Perfect Pennants, first seen in the 2014 Occasions catalogue and like Aviary, now retired.

I started by using an acrylic block to colour the background in Pear Pizzazz and the retired Lost Lagoon. Then I white heat embossed the floral image from Awesomely Artistic, then stamped it in Lost Lagoon as well.

I added in the birds from Aviary in Tuxedo Black and matted the whole panel on Basic Black before adhering it to the Lost Lagoon card base. I stamped the sentiment onto Whisper White and cut it out before adding it to the top corner. A couple of rhinestones completed the card.

So please, get out your old stamps and show them some love then link up to our challenge. You have until Friday 16 June to join us. And please, don't link up to more than ten challenges in total if you want to be considered for our Top Picks.

If you live anywhere in New Zealand and don't have a Stampin' Up Demonstrator, I'd love to be yours. You can contact me on my Facebook page on the link in the sidebar.

Ingredients - all products Stampin' Up

Card: Lost Lagoon, Basic Black, watercolour paper

Stamps: Awesomely Artistic, Aviary, Perfect Pennants

Inks: Lost Lagoon, Tuxedo Black, Versamark

Other: White embossing powder, rhinestones

CC&S201 and JAI338

After a bit of a drought on the ideas front, it was great to finally find some inspiration tonight after work, especially when it was brought about by two of my favourite challenges.

Just Add Ink has an inspiration photo this week.

I love the colours, especially the rich blues and purples with the touches of metal from the brushes.

I paired it with the sketch at CAS Colours and Sketches.

Here's where it ended up...

After sponging and blending the masked vertical column, I sprinkled it with water to get some spots of lifted colour. This not only gave some interest but it helped to suggest rain or tears, which goes with the sympathy sentiment.

After stamping the images in ink, I added in some copper embossed leaves at the bottom and some copper splatters at the top, adding to the rain effect.

And on the inside...

Update: Delighted to get an Honourable Mention at Just Add Ink this week.

Update: Delighted to also be a Weekly Winner at CAS Colours and Sketches

Ingredients

Card: Rich Razzleberry, Watercolour paper, Whisper White (inside)

Stamps: Awesomely Artistic, Butterfly Basics, Better Together

Inks: Island Indigo, Bermuda Bay, Rich Razzleberry, Versamark, Tuxedo Black

Other: Copper embossing powder, Sponges, water, masking tape.

All products Stampin' Up.