Sunday's Challenge Cards

This should be my last post this weekend and these are the last few challenges I've done. My aim for the summer holidays is to get all the color challenges from Splitcoast Stampers done and all of the Mojo sketch challenges too. I doubt I'll do them all but I'm going to give them a good go!

My first card is for Stacey's Curtain Call #40 to use Tempting Turquoise, Kiwi Kiss, Whisper White, Basic Black and Real red. I used old Mojo #67 for the layout too. I think there's a bit too much red on this card, so just have to make sure that whoever receives it likes red.

Recipe:

Stamps: Itty Bitty Buds (Hostess Level 2 set), Upsy Daisy

Papers: Kiwi Kiss, Basic Black, Tempting Turquoise, Whisper White, Pink Flamingo DSP

Inks: Basic Black, Kiwi Kiss, Tempting Turquoise, Redal Red

Accessories: Pearls from Lakeland, Black gingham ribbon

My next card is for a multitude of challenges: Farm Fresh Friday's Embroidery Thread Challenge, Papertake Weekly Cutie Patootie Challenge, Mojo #148, Free For All #20 to use something new (these are my new stamps) and CC280 to use Old Olive, Regal Rose and Peach Parfait, but I don't have any Peach Parfait yet so I subbed it with Apricot Appeal instead.

Recipe:

Stamps: Summer and sentiment from the Roll Call set by The Greeting Farm

Papers: Apricot Appeal, Old Olive, Sweet Always DSP (retired), Tall Tales DSP, Copics White cs

Inks: Memento Tuxedo Black, Copics

Accessories: Apricot Appeal grosgrain ribbon, button from Elzybells, peachy embroidery thread, Circle Nestabilities

My 2 next cards are both for old SCS color challenges and old Mojo challenges. This first one is for Mojo #46 and CC194 to use Really Rust, Very Vanilla and Going Gray. I really struggled with the colour combo so made the Really Rust the dominant colour and am pleased with how it turned out in the end. I also didn't have any brads, buttons, card candy or dew drops in any of the colours so made my own by using my Crop-A-Dile to punch out some small circles and covered then with Crystal Effects so they shine!

Recipe:

Stamps: Beautiful Kindness from Verve Stamps

Papers:  Very Vanilla, Going Gray, Really Rust cs and DSP from hostess pack

Inks: Really Rust ink and marker, Going Gray marker

Accessories: Very Vanilla grosgrain ribbon, pearls from Lakeland, Circle Nestabilities, Crystal Effects

And my final card is for Mojo #63 and CC271 to use Dusty Durango, Rich Razzleberry and So Saffron. I didn't think I'd like this combo at first as I'm not particularly a fan of the Dusty Durango, but I love how this all came together so nicely.

Recipe:

Stamps: Petal Pizzazz (retired), Whimsical Words (SAB Retired)

Papers: So Saffron, Dusty Durango, Whisper White, Razzleberry Lemonade DSP

Inks: Dusty Durango, Rich Razzleberry, So Saffron

Accessories: Rich Razzleberry Polka Dot Ribbon, Scallop Edge Punch, D'Vine Swirls Embossing Folder

And that's all my cards for this weekend. I'm hoping to do a bit of crafting during the week so will try to post again a little more often now I'm on holiday!

I love being on holiday!!

The first few days of my summer holidays are always the best as I can finally do what I want to do without having to get up with the dreaded alarm and can spend my days crafting!!!

So this morning I made a few cards, catching up on some challenges that I've not yet done. This first card is for two Splitcoast Stampers challenges - Free For All #12 to use the spotlighting technique and for Color Challenge #277 to use Crushed Curry, Bermuda Bay and Dusty Durango. Not a colour combo I would choose myself, but I do like it.

Recipe:

Stamps: Fresh Cuts, Tiny Tags

Papers: Crushed Curry, Dusty Durango, Whisper White, Welcome Neighbor DSP

Inks: Crushed Curry, Bermuda Bay, Dusty Durango

Accessories: Crushed Curry Polka Dot Ribbon, Circle Nestabilities, Medium Tags Punch, Embroidery Thread

My next 2 cards are both for Papertrey Peeps challenges. The first one is for Papertrey Peeps #11 to do something out of your comfort zone. I am never very comfortable doing single layer cards as you can almost guarantee that I'll mess something up somewhere - I'll stamp the snetiment wonky or I'll drop the stamp on the card or get finger smudges of ink on it or something, but look at this one - not a thing wrong with it! Woot!!! And I love this colour combo too! This is based on a card I have seen somewhere but now can't find it so if it's yours let me know so I can credit you for it!

Recipe:

Stamps: Big & Bold Wishes, Dot Spot both from PTI

Papers: Sweet Blush from PTI

Inks: Hibiscus Burst, Hawaiian Shores both from PTI

Accessories: Hibiscus Burst buttons, Hawaiian Shores buttons and polka dot ribbon all from PTI

And my final card for today is for Papertrey Peeps #12 which was to use the photo on their blog as inspiration and also for SCS' sketch challenge #289 and Free For All #22 to make a summer card using blue, green and purple. Summertime to me always involves flowers so these challenges all worked so well together.

My dots on the Hawaiian Shores panel are not really dots but the centre of the flowers from Petal Power but as I stamped them in Hawaiian Shores too you can't really see them in the photo - they do look better in real life, honest!

Recipe:

Stamps: Background Basics: Petal Power, Spiral Bouquet both from PTI, En Francais from SU

Papers: Hawaiian Shores, Spring Moss, Stampers Select White, 2008 Bitty Dot Basics DSP all from PTI

Inks: Kiwi Kiss from SU, Hawaiian Shores and Plum Pudding from PTI, purple copic, white gel pen

Accessories: Eyelet Die from PTI

And that's all folks until tomorrow when I'm sure I'll be back witha few more challenge cards!

Inspiring Inkin' Challenge #32 - An Inspiration Challenge

This fortnight's challenge over on my SU team challenge blog, Inspiring Inkin' Challenges, is to use this picture for inspiration. How you interpret the picture is up to you and I chose to use summery colours with the tropical flowers from the top corner of the picture. The side twist is to use 3 or more stamp sets, which I thought would be quite hard at first, but it's surprising how easy it is to use lots of different ones.

And this is how my card came out...

This card is also for SCS' sketch challenge #288.

Recipe:

Stamps: Greenhouse Garden, Dot Dot Dot, Circle of Friendship

Papers: Melon Mambo, Rich Razzleberry, Whisper White, Pink Flamingo DSP

Inks: Melon Mambo, Rich Razzleberry, Summer Sun

Accessories: Scallop Edge Punch, Rich Razzleberry Polka Dot Ribbon, Circle Nestabilities

Yay It's Holiday Crafting Time!!!

It's finally the summer holidays! And I now have lots of extra time for crafting and for catching up on some of the challenges I've missed the last couple of weeks. I just simply had no time at all to do any challenges unless they were combined with the card sets I made as end of year gifts for my partner teacher and TAs.

So here are a few I did this morning! This first one is for Just Add Ink's Challenge #27 which was a sketch this time and for Stacey's Curtain Call #39 to use Kraft, Whisper White, Certainly Celery and Wild Wasabi. I dug out a set I haven't used in ages, Best Wishes & More and love the simple design of this one.

Recipe:

Stamps: Best Wishes & More, Thank You Kindly both from Stampin' Up

Papers: Wild Wasabi, Kraft, Whisper White, Certainly Celery

Inks: Wild Wasabi, Certainly Celery

Accessories: Eyelet Border Punch, Wild Wasabi ribbon, Linen Thread, White button from Elzybells, Swiss Dots Embossing Folder

My next card is for A Passion For Papertrey's To Die For challenge and for Splitcoast Stampers sketch #290 and color challenge #278 to use Baja Breeze, Rich Razzleberry and So Saffron.

Recipe:

Stamps: Beautiful Blooms II from Papertrey Ink

Papers: Baja Breeze, So Saffron, Whisper White, Rich Razzleberry DSP

Inks: Baja Breeze, Rich Razzleberry, So Saffron

Accessories: Whisper White grosgrain ribbon, Victoria Embossing Folder, Beautiful Blooms Dies #1 

My next card is for Stampin' Royalty's challenge #29, Splish Splash so I chose a mermaid sitting in the waves. I also used Our Creative Corner's Sketch #25 and Color Throwdown's Challenge #102 to use Wild Wasabi, Not Quite Navy and Marina Mist, which unfortunately I don't have yet so I used some old Bazzill card that looked a similar colour.

Recipe:

Stamps: Lily At The Beach from Pink Cat Studio

Papers: Wild Wasabi, Not Quite Navy, Copic White, Bazzill Blue (no idea what the name was!)

Inks: Not Quite Navy, Memento Tuxedo Black, Copics

Accessories: Circle Nestabilities, Wild Wasabi ribbon, Aqua Stickles, EK Success Wavy Punch

And my final card is one I made for my card swaps at Monica's SU training event last Sunday. I made 32 of these without the pearls and just added the pearls so that it fit Splitcoast Stampers Free For All Challenge #21, Snowflakes and Pearls!

Recipe:

Stamps: Dasher, Occasional Greetings, Jolly wheel

Papers: Bordering Blue, Brocade Blue, Night of Navy, Whisper White

Inks: Chocolate Chip, Bordering Blue, Brocade Blue, Night of Navy

Accessories: Brocade Blue grosgrain ribbon, pearls from Lakeland

And that's it for today folks! I'll be busy crafting again tomorrow so be sure to come back and see what other challenges I did!

A Box of Challenges #5 and a few notebooks

This is the last box set of cards I made for my partner teacher and teaching assistants as end of year presents this year.

This one uses some old retired papers from SU that are lovely but I hardly ever use - time to use up some stuff I think with the new SU catalogue on the horizon (it comes out in October, so I still have a bit of time to use up my older stuff and clear out some unwanted things too).

I'm at least 2 weeks late for all these challenges too but never mind huh? I just haven't found the time to photographs the card set and blog it all.

This is the box set...

This is the whole set...

Card # 1 uses Our Creative Corner's Sketch #23...

Card #2 uses Papertake Weekly's Sketch #44...

Card # 3 uses Mojo #146...

And card #4 uses SCS' SC287...

Recipe:

Stamps: Embrace Life, Short & Sweet, Bird on A Branch (all SU)

Papers: Ruby Red, Cameo Coral, River Rock, Whisper White, Ginger Blossom DSP (retired)

Inks: Ruby Red, Cameo Coral, River Rock

Accessories: River Rock ribbon, Eyelet Border Punch, Diamond Stickles, Oval Nestabilities

And my final presents for people at school are the notebooks I covered for the children in my class. The girls got pink and fairies and the boys got blue and football - quite sexist in a way, but these are quite representative of most of my children. One of my boys actually does like pink but he also likes football, so he gets a football one!

The notebook were cheap little mini lined notebooks from Asda at about 17p each I think they were and I used some non SU card, DSP and ribbon to cover them all. Not difficult as such, just time consuming when you need to do 28 of them all. They all get a pen or pencil to go with them as well. And here they are!

Phew only 1 more day of teaching and 1 day of training and then I'm free for 5 weeks. It's a short holiday this year but it's officially 5 weeks and 3 days, but I will be going into work this Friday to get last minute jobs done and again on the Tuesday before we go back in September.

Back to normal crafting and challenge completing as well next week! Woot!!

A Box of Challenges #4

I've been a very bad blogger and have had this post as a draft since July 7th but have only just found the time to take the photos of the cards, so huge apologies for my lack of posts.

I've now finished with making all of these box sets of cards for my colleagues at work, thank goodness! Anyways this box set uses all old Mojo sketches in a red and green theme for one of my TAs.

Excuse the poor photos too - I was having issues with my light box at the time so had to take the photos with everything laying down instead.

This is the box set...

This is the whole set...

Card #1 uses Mojo #8...

Card #2 uses Mojo #13...

Card #3 uses Mojo #28

And finally card #4 uses Mojo #21...

Recipe for the whole box set:

Stamps: Beautiful Blooms II, From the Garden Sentiments, Vintage Picnic all from PTI, Whimsy Wheel from SU

Papers: Real Red cs & DSP, Blush Blossom, Mellow Moss cs & DSP, Whisper White

Inks: Real Red ink pad and marker, Blush Blossom, Mellow Moss

Accessories: Real Red Grosgrain ribbon, Oval Nestabilities, Eyelet Border Punch, Victoria Cuttlebug Embossing Folder, Red and Clear Zoomz (like Dew Drops), 1" circle punch

I also managed to do box #5 as well so come back and check out my other post.

Just a few more challenge cards...

These are the other challenge cards I did this weekend. I probably won't get as many done next weekend as I have a ton of swaps to make for an SU event I'm going to on 18th July and I REALLY need to get on and finish my card sets for my work friends for end of year gifts and the 28 notebooks I'm making for my class!

My first card is for SCS' Free For All #18 - Ice Cream using my new Tilda stamps that I bought on Friday. I thought I'd make an easel card as I haven't done one of those for ages.

Recipe:

Stamps: Berry Tilda, Strawberry Ice Cream both from Magnolia, Spiral Bouquet (for the sentiment) from PTI

Papers: Chocolate Chip, Pretty in Pink, Copic White cs, Non SU/PTI/Copic white cs, Piece of Cake DSP from Dovecraft

Inks: Chocolate Chip, Mementi Tuxedo Black, Copics

Accessories: Chocolate Chip Satin Ribbon, Labels 4 Nestabilities

My next one involved using a stamp set I think I've only used once or twice but have had for absolutely ages! This is for Just Us Girls Challenge #40 for the sketch and there was an extra entry into the prize draw if you used any Just Rite stamps, so I dusted mine off and came up with this.

Recipe:

Stamps: 10 Designer Centers and Borders from Just Rite Stamps

Papers: Pixie Pink, Certainly Celery, Whisper White, My Mind's Eye DSP (came free with Cardmaking and Papercraft magazine and is a gorgeous pack of papers)

Inks: Pixie Pink and Certainly Celery markers

Accessories: Certainly Celery grosgrain ribbon, Circle Nestabilities, Prima Flowers, Turquoise glittered brads from stash, Treading Water punch from Fiskars

My next card is one of 2 challenges over on the A Passion for Papertrey blog. The first was to make a circle card. I rarely do these as I don't think my circle Nestabilities are big enough to create anything worthwhile to be honest. I need a bigger circle die from somewhere. You can also see on this one how much my Sweet Blush and Aqua Mist inks need reinking but alas I have no reinkers and I don't want to buy any until the new inks come out in October! Argh I can't believe I have to wait THAT long!

This card is also for Mojo#145.

Recipe:

Stamps: Butterfly Kisses, Background Basics: Petal Power, Women of Life

Papers: Spring Moss, Aqua Mist, Sweet Blush, Stamper's Select white, 2008 Bitty Dot Basics DSP

Inks: Kiwi Kiss (SU), Sweet Blush, Aqua Mist (PTI)

Accessories: Circle Nestabilities, White satin ribbon, Pearls from Lakeland, Cotton Candy Stickles

And my final card this week is for A Passion For Papertrey's Summertime challenge. When I think of summer several things come to mind - hot weather, no school, trips to the zoo and seaside, watching Shakespeare plays at Tolthorpe Hall with a picnic but most of all is strawberries and cream! I combined my picnics with my strawberries and came up with this one.

Recipe:

Stamps: Vintage Picnic from PTI

Papers: New Leaf, Stamper's Select White both from PTI, Real Red from SU

Inks: Memento Tuxedo Black, Copics, SU Markers

Accessories: Real Red Striped grosgrain ribbon, Swiss Dots Embossing Folder, Circle Nestabilities

And that's all for now folks! I may have a few challenges to show you next weekend but I really MUST get all my swaps and end of year pressies done first! I'm going to try and do a few bits during the week too, as long as I have all my schoolwork done first. Winding down at the end of the year is just as busy as the beginning of the year, if not more. At least all my reports are ready to go out on Tuesday!

In Love With Stamping Challenge Cards

On the first of every month the In Love With Stamping forum sets 4 different challenges - colour combo, sketch, technique and an inspiration one. These are my cards for this month's challenges, mixed in with a few others.

This is the colour challenge to use Almost Amethyst, Lovely Lilac, Chocolate Chip with optional Whisper White or Very Vanilla. This is also for Our Creative Corner's Sketch #22 and for Stamping Royalty's #26 - Seeing Doubles - to show 2 of the same thing. Those were my 2 big flowers.

Recipe:

Stamps: Simply Said

Papers: Almost Amethyst, Chocolate Chip, Whisper White, Lovely Lilac DSP (retired)

Inks: Almost Amethyst, Lovely Lilac, Chocolate Chip

Accessories: Circle Nestabilities

This is the technique folding challenge which was to use paper folding. I made my flower from 5 scalloped circles and folded down 2 edges of each. I found this technique from when I was hostessing the VSN a little while back on this card. It's such a simple but pretty way of doing a large-ish flower. This card also uses Mojo #31 and Stacey's Curtain Call #37 to use Tempting Turquoise, Barely Banana, Chocolate Chip, Melon Mambo and Whisper White.

Recipe:

Stamps: Well Scripted

Papers: Chocolate Chip cs & DSP, Barely Banana, Tempting Turquoise, Whisper White, Melon Mambo DSP

Inks: Chocolate Chip

Accessories: Scalloped Circle Nestabilities, Chocolate Chip Satin ribbon, Boho Blossoms Punch, Cuttlebug Embossing Folder, Turquoise glittered brad from stash

This is my card for the sketch challenge. I also used Color Throwdown's Color Challenge #99 to use Cream, Chocolate and Turquoise.

Recipe:

Stamps: Framed With Love, Lots of Thoughts (retired SAB set)

Papers: Chocolate Chip, Tempting Turquoise, Very Vanilla

Inks: Chocolate Chip, Tempting Turquoise

Accessories: Tempting Turquoise grosgrain ribbon

My last challenge card is the inspiration one. I took inspiration from the flourished wallpaper in the background and the vase of pink and purple flowers on the table. I used Just Add Ink's challenge #24 for the sketch as well.

Recipe:

Stamps: Turning A New Leaf, Signature Greetings both from PTI, Bella Toile from SU

Papers: Rose Red, Orchid Opulence, Very Vanilla

Inks: Rose Red, Orchid Opulence, Garden Green, Close To Cocoa

Accessories: Scallop Circle Punch, Flower brads from stash (Papermania I think)

So that's all these challenges done for this month. I didn't even realise I'd done them all until I was sorting out what cards to put on which blog post. (I just don't get myself sorted to take photos in the light on a Saturday at the minute so have to do 2 posts on Sunday!)