Featured Slider

Showing posts with label The Challenge. Show all posts
Showing posts with label The Challenge. Show all posts

Thursday, January 25, 2018

Keeping Christmas Designer Blog Hop


I have some exciting news!  The Challenge Design Team is BACK!  YAY!  After our Christmas Hop last month, Lesley asked us all if we would be interested in participating in a monthly Christmas Hop throughout the year.  
Of course we all said YES!  

The Challenge Design Team, 
along with friends, Kelly Lunceford and Julee Tillman, 
will be sharing Christmas creations 
on the 25th of each month!!!  

Every Christmas I seem to be rushing to get cards made to sell and to send myself.  I know I'm not the only card maker out there who then winds up not sending the cards they make.  I have vowed to change that this year!  Ok, so "m not off to a good start but hopefully this monthly hop will help at least in my Christmas card department! 

The whole idea is to have some Christmas cards in our stash all ready to go for December 2018!  Hopefully we will inspire you as well to keep Christmas going, at least in your crafting, all year long.

So, hop along and be sure to visit each blog and leave everyone some blog love too. 
There is a lot of inspiration and ideas to get your creative juices flowing!




SUPPLIES:
Label Die (Spellbinders); Mustache die (Stampin' Up); Glasses die (Paper Smooches); Sentiment die (Lil Inker Designs); Scallop frame die (WPlus9); Diamond shaped die (Catherine Pooler). Circle die for nose is part of an angel die (Poppy Stamps).

I went simple for this card, using all die cuts, so it's pretty clear cut (no pun intended).  I made a card similar to this a couple years ago.  The beard and Santa's head are a Spellbinders label die that I cut out of white glitter cardstock and cream cardstock then, I used half of each one.  

Using all die cuts can be a quick way to make several of the same card design.  It does take some time diecutting all the pieces but once one is assembled, it goes pretty quickly.  I think my most time consuming thing was figuring out which  frame dies I wanted to use around the Santa face.  

Hope you have fun hopping and be sure to come back every month on the 25th for more Christmas inspiration to help you get a start on your Christmas cards!

Keeping Christmas Blessings!

 photo signaturesmall_zpsbe1728fc.jpg

Saturday, November 25, 2017

The Simply Sweet Christmas Inspiration Hop!


Welcome to 
The Simply Sweet 
Christmas Inspiration Hop!  

Lesley Croghan, has asked The Challenge Design Team and special guest, Julee Tilman to join her in an inspiration blog hop focusing on Last Minute Simple Yet Sweet Christmas cards or tags.  The Hop begins on Lesley's blog, Always Playing With Paper.  

Hop through the list below, visiting each blog and leaving a comment:





I made two sets of five cards for the Hop.


Stamps: Plaid background stamp (Catherine Pooler); Merry Christmas sentiment -"Here We Come A Caroling" (Catherine Pooler); Beep Beep sentiment and VW Bug - "Driving to the Holidays" (Flora & Fauna).
Paper: Neenah 110 lb white cardstock; black cardstock.
Ink: Brights - Party Collection (Catherine Pooler); Muted colors - Spa Collection (Catherine Pooler); Midnight Archival Ink (Catherine Pooler).
Extras: Wonky stitched rectangle die (Stamplorations); Reindeer antler dies (Flora & Fauna). Red pearl gem.

I was originally going to make just five cards but I was loving how they turned out so I decided to use more muted colors and stamp five more.  I started by cutting out all the little reindeer antlers.  Then I cut 10 sheets of white Neenah cardstock 4-1/4"x4-1/2" and five more at 4-1/4x5-1/2".  I also cut 10 small strips from black cardstock for a border between the plaid and white cardstock. I took the 10 pieces of cardstock and mass stamped the sentiments together in black archival ink using my Misti.  I switched stamps and stamped the VW bug above the sentiment in each color.  Next I inked up the plaid background stamp by Catherine Pooler, inking one half of the stamp with the bright red (Rocket Red) and the other half with the muted red (Peppermint Scrub) and continued this process with each color.  I only needed a small 1-1/2 inch piece of plaid for the bottom portion of my card so I found it saved a lot of time (and ink) to double up colors on the stamp halves. I used the larger five white cardstock pieces to stamp the plaid.  After stamping everything, I cut each plaid color to two inches (left a little to overlap under the top white cardstock).  I adhered the plaid piece to the stamped white cardstock piece and ran it through my Big Shot to cut the stitched border.  I adhered all the top pieces to white cardbases, glued on the black strip and all the antlers and added the red gem to the car front.


Lesley is also offering a prize of 4 matching Christmas cards handmade by her. She will send them to one random winner. 

In order to qualify to win please...


1. Visit each blog in the hop and leave them a comment.

2. Leave a comment on Lesley's blog telling her about your "Christmas Cards"...how many do you make and what style do you usually use?

The Giveaway Contest closes on Saturday, December 2nd.



Simply Sweet Christmas Blessings!
 photo signaturesmall_zpsbe1728fc.jpg

Thursday, August 3, 2017

The Challenge #94 - Inspiration Photo

Good Morning, again!

The Challenge has a new challenge starting today ---

How fun and colorful is that photo?

It's loaded with inspiration! 

Here's my card ---
Stamps: Home Sweet Home (Avery Elle).
Paper: White Cardstock/base (Neenah Solar White); Black cardstock.
Ink: Tuxedo Black (Memento); Bellini, Party Dress, It's a Girl, It's a Boy (Catherine Pooler Inks); Copics.  Spectrum Noir alcohol markers.
Extras:  Birch tree cover plate (Taylored Expressions); Arrow sentiment dies (Technique Tuesday); Pink enamel heart.

I took my inspiration from that adorable pink camper, the sign and the colors.  I have had these arrow dies from Technique Tuesday for forever and when I saw the sign, I thought those dies would be perfect.  I decided to pull all the colors into the background for the sky and used the camper from Avery Elle, Home Sweet Home.

The rest of the Design Team all have fabulous projects to share you don't want to miss ----

Lesley Croghan


Come play along with us this week and share your projects inspired by our photo inspired challenge!  We love being inspired by you!

For Following Challenges:

My arrow sentiment dies are old from Technique Tuesday and the camper is from a "new to me" Avery Elle set "Home Sweet Home".



Challenge Blessings!
 photo signaturesmall_zpsbe1728fc.jpg

Tuesday, August 1, 2017

The Challenge #93 - Keywords

It has been a bad week and time has not been on my side.   So I am just now posting my DT card for the current challenge of The Challenge.  Guess it's better late than never. 


I used a stencil from Catherine Pooler with Nuvo Glimmer Paste. The leaf and butterfly dies are also Catherine Pooler.  The sentiment is Jillibean, which I stampted with Catherine Pooler ink and fussy cut around it.  I added some raspberry cardstock and a couple  diamond gems.


The Design Team and Links: (alphabetical order)


Lesley Croghan

There's still time to play so come join us!

 photo signaturesmall_zpsbe1728fc.jpg

Thursday, July 20, 2017

The Challenge #92 - Black, White + Your Choice


Good morning again!

Another new challenge happening today ---
this time at
The Challenge!


I chose dark pink or raspberry for my third color choice ---

Stamps: Jar of Flowers & Lovely & Sweet (Lil Inker Designs)
Paper: Watercolor paper. White cardstock (Neenah).
Ink: Midnight & Party Dress (Catherine Pooler Inks)
Extras: Jar & flower dies - (Lil Inker Designs). Wacky stitched rectangle die (Stamplorations).

I've been trying to play with some of the new supplies I've bought over the past few months.  So for this week's The Challenge, I chose some of the newest products from Lil Inker Designs.  I brushed watercolor paper with water and then swiped Party Dress ink and let it flow.  I used Party Dress to ink up the flowers as well.  I did ink two flowers up in "It's a Girl" for a little contrast of pinks.  

Don't forget to hop through the Design Team and see all of their fabulous projects!  I'm so very humbled to be a part of so many talented ladies!  They inspire me every week!  I hope they do the same for you!

For Following Challenges:




Challenge Blessings!
 photo signaturesmall_zpsbe1728fc.jpg

Thursday, June 22, 2017

The Challenge #88

Hello again!

There's another awesome challenge starting today
at
The Challenge!

This one is a Recipe:

Check out the Design Team's 
fabulous watercolor florals this week:

My card ---
To make my watercolor look, I inked the flower stamp then spritzed with water before stamping on watercolor paper, then 2nd generation stamped before repeating the process. 

I used stamps from the new Stamp of Approval set, Naturally Inspired.  The flowers are from Wild Garden and one sentiment is from Simply the Best.  The "Wishes" word die is a Spot On Word die from Catherine Pooler.  The label and cutout shape are the Framed Lattice Die.  Background pattern is from Sweet Girl (Echo Park). I also used Catherine Pooler inks - Party Dress and All That Jazz.


For Following Challenges:
                                                                                                                                                             


Come play along with us and share your cards following our Recipe this week!  NOTE: This time you have two weeks to share your projects!  This challenge will run until July 5th!  
Challenge Blessings!
 photo signaturesmall_zpsbe1728fc.jpg

Thursday, June 15, 2017

The Challenge #87- Colour Challenge

WHOA!  I am only 12 hours late with my post!   
If you've read previous posts, it's been a crazy week.

Anyway,  there's a new challenge starting today 
at 
 

Check out all the Design Team's projects for our cool colour challenge ---


Stamps: Medallion Mix UP, Birds of a Feather, Simply the Best - Naturally Inspired Collection (Catherine Pooler)
Paper: Bermuda Bay cardbase (Stampin'Up); White Cardstock (Catherine Pooler).
Ink: Bellini, Party Dress, Aquatini (Catherine Pooler Inks).
Extras: Best word die (Catherine Pooler).

I used stamps and die from the newest Stamp of Approval collection, Naturally Inspired, by Catherine Pooler on my card today.

So come play along and share your projects with us this week in our Colour Challenge!

For Following Challenges:


Challenge Blessings!
 photo signaturesmall_zpsbe1728fc.jpg

Thursday, June 8, 2017

The Challenge #86- Sketch

Hello again!

Thursdays are awesome days --
lots of challenges!

There's a new challenge 
at 
The Challenge 
today!
Sketch Dimensions
Layer 1- 4.25 x 5.5"
Layer 2-3.25 x 5"
Layer 3-2.75 x 4.5"
Layer 4- 1.25 x 4.25"

Check out all the Design Teams' fabulous projects and leave them some blog love!

Here's my card ---
STAMPS: Layering Turtle (Hero Arts); Trees (Inkadinkadoo); Sentiment - Sea Sentiments (Your Next Stamp).
PAPER: Marina Mist and Chocolate Chip cardstock (Stampin'Up); DP: Happy Campers (We R Memory Keepers); Text - Maps, Text & Ledgers (Die Cuts With a View).
INK:  Garden Party, Fiesta Blue (Catherine Pooler Inks); Desert Sand (Memento); Squeezed Lemonade (Tim Holtz Distress Inks);  Versamark;
EXTRAS:  Turtle die (Hero Arts); Small Banner Dies (Verve Stamps); White emboss powder. Arched banner die (Taylored Expressions).

I  need some more masculine cards so here's another one.  I created the ocean background by stamping a tree stamp with versamark and then white embossed to make coral at the bottom of the ocean.  Then I sponged it with Catherine Pooler Inks and Tim Holtz distress ink.

For Following Challenges:

Challenge Blessings!
 photo signaturesmall_zpsbe1728fc.jpg

Thursday, June 1, 2017

The Challenge #85

BIG News today!

The Challenge is BACK!

YAY!

Today is our first weekly challenge since last fall.  

Here is our first challenge:

Lesley Croghan (Owner/Creator)

Amy Tsuruta (Guest)


I was thinking about what to do for this challenge, our first one after many months off.  Today is a bit of a reunion for the Design Team, back together again with Lesley, welcoming a new teammate, Kelly, and have Amy Tsuruta as our Guest, . So, I made some rainbow "gull" friends with the set, Seaside Gulls by MFT.  It's like it was meant to be! I took out my new Catherine Pooler inks and a water brush and went to town.  
Stamps: Seaside Gulls (My Favorite Things); Sentiment -Tickled Pink Set (My Favorite Things).
Paper: White cardstock; Fresh Squeezed Chevrons (My Favorite Things).
Ink: Something Borrowed(blue), Grass Skirt(green), Orange Twist & Rocket Red (Catherine Pooler Inks); Grape Jelly (Memento); Squeezed Lemonade (Tim Holtz).
Extras: Scallop stitched frame (Pink Posh); Scalloped border for clouds (Your Next Stamp); Wave dies (My Favorite Things); Chat bubble (Taylored Expressions); label (My Favorite Things).

Be sure and hop through the Design Team above and check out all the fabulous inspiration from so many talented ladies! Then link up and share your card with us because we love being inspired too!

For Following Challenges:


THE Challenge Blessings!
 photo signaturesmall_zpsbe1728fc.jpg