Challenge Inspired Creations!!

...I'm so happy to be back to my craft desk and although I have not made too many cards this weekend, I do have a few new ones to share and the majority were inspired by some of my favorite challenges.

   I'll start with the card that I created for the 90 Minute Scramble that Janet hosted yesterday over on the Hero Arts Flick Group.    I will also admit that I have two versions of this card, a before and then an after, as I was super rushed in playing this time.    By the time I was back home had time to sign on and read the fun rules, I only had about 40 minutes to create me card and that's not much time, for sure.   Janet came up a very unique challenge and that was to use some form of "book print" on our cards.   Something I only happened to have, because I found some a craft yard sale that was hosted at my LSS earlier this year!  Lucky me!!    And, as always you must include Hero Arts stamps on your project, and at least one should be a main image.

     I wasn't sure where to start, but quickly grabbed my "book print" pages and decided to use whatever stamp set I found first, and that just happened to be this fun "Scattering Leaves" set from Hero.  That also had me thinking in a Fall mode and that also helped me to decide to use the "Gratitude" background stamp and started by Stamping that in "Dark Quartz" shadow ink, onto come cream cardstock.  I then grabbed some Fall colored Distress inks, and quickly stamped a variety of the "leaves" directly onto my book print and then quickly cut out the leaves....and believe me, there was no time for fussy cutting, so they are a bit messy, but then again, in real life, no two leaves are ever the same.   I then die cut a matching cream circle and very quickly added my leaves on top.  The only think I still needed was a sentiment, and I chose the "Autumn" sentiment from a new sets of  "Seasons" stamps from Winnie & Walter.     Luckily, I still had enough to time photograph my card and upload it to the Gallery for the Scramble!   Here is a photo of the card I entered yesterday.

   After the Scramble had ended and I took the time to check out all the awesome entries, which you can see HERE!   I decided to give my card a bit more attention and cut it down and added it to a Kraft Card Base and then tied on some twine for more dimension.   I also took a Black Wink of Stella Marker and highlighted the "Autumn" Sentiment to have it show a bit more and make it darker.   In the end, this is how my card turned out after those couple of updates.

  I also had another Scramble card that I had recently created, where I smudged the sentiment at the very last minute and in an effort to hide it "quickly", I stamped the same Sentiment again and then quickly punched it out with a square punch to cover the "oops".   I never was thrilled with the end result, so I put the card aside and finally took the time to make a slight change to the sentiment today! Here are the before and after images of that card!  

                        Original card                                                        Revised Card

             

   I am much happier with it now and all I did was remove the square sentiment, and add a new sentiment which I punched with an oval punch and then framed in black scalloped frame!  I also changed the bling and added some larger gems versus the Pearl Pen version I had used the first time!

   My next card was actually inspired and created for two new challenges, the first was this week's MUSE challenge, where I fell in love with this card that Vicki created as our Muse Card.

   I also decided that I wanted to come up with one card that I could make work for a second challenge and that is the new "Patterned Paper" inspired challenge being hosted on Virginia's new challenge blog.

  And this is the card that I created to enter into both challenges.   I started with the inspiration of the fun design and colors from Vicki's card and then chose to add even more patterned paper and even do some paper-piecing, so that my card would also fit perfectly into Virginia's challenge and this is what I came up with.

  And the best part is that all of the patterned papers I used for this card, are actually scraps that I pulled right out of my Scrap bin.   I combined those in my little butterfly which is from this Stamp and matching die set, by Hero Arts.   My sentiment is also from Hero Arts and you'll find it in this fun set "Be Happy", which is exactly the theme and name I thought of for my card!

   My new two cards were inspired by our new challenge being hosted this month over at the a2z Scrapbooking Blog.  I also wanted to try making some more Christmas Cards to add to my stash and have found that I'm totally enjoying just how easy and fast that can be where you are using Digital Images, both of which are from Hero Arts and now are sold "Exclusively" by a2z Scrapbooking Store.   I also was missing my "purple" mojo a bit, so I decided to make both of these in a Purple/Lavender theme, which in case you don't know, just happens to be my favorite color.

   My first card is one where I combined elements, I used an older "Hero Arts" Striped Background paper and then added on my little "feathered friend" which is from this digital kit.   I do all my digital cardmaking in Word, which makes is super easy for me.  It also gives me the option to changes image colors and even some of the lighting and shadowing, which I did to make my adorable bird turn purple.  Adding the frame around him was also done, as well as adding the digital "Merry Christmas" sentiment, which was created in a font that I really like.

  And that brings me to my final card, which as I mentioned is also a hybrid card and this one was also inspired by the new challenge at "Cas(E) this Sketch", based on this sketch, was you'll also find over on the CTS challenge blog. 

CTS #91

My Card

  This card started with the fun "Merry Christmas" background which is part of this kit, called  Merry Background (DK028) Christmas.   I simply again, played around a bit with the colors to make it a bit more purple, and then also added in some 'matching' digital snowflakes which were also included in the kits.  I printed that onto some of my favorite white cardstock and then adhered it to a lavender cardbase.   I then cut two strips of cardstock for my 'flag" and added two die-cut snowflakes on top, from the SSS Die Set.

    I hope I have inspired you to join some of these fun challenges too -- especially our challenge over at the a2z Blog, where you can enter either "Fall or Christmas" projects for your chance to win a $25 Gift Card to the a2z Scrapbooking Store!    

    My countdown to my San Diego trip continues and today I'm down to ONLY 10 days!   I still can hardly believe that the time is so close!  Speaking of which, I'm planning something fun to be posted on my blog, while I am away!   That post will be shared on September 17th and will remain the main post until I'm back.  Although I'm sure I'll take my laptop with me, I really do not plan having a lot of free time to spend online while I am on vacation.  I really want to enjoy as much time as I an with Brian and Meghan.  

     For now, I'm not sharing all the details, but I can say, I think it's something that you'll all like and it will be fun, so stay tuned for more info on that!   In the meantime, I'm very happy to be back crafting and although looking forward to my next class too!  If you are one who loves to color, who loves Copics or is just started to become interested, then I recommend you head on over to the Online Card Classroom and consider signing  up on the "Copics for Cardmakers" class which starts on September 22nd.   Although I'll still be away for the first week of class, I'm still taking it and know that it'll be awesome.  They also have such an amazing line up of Guest Teachers and there is not doubt I'll learn some new tips and hints. I also LOVE Copic Coloring, it's so relaxing and so fun to work with those amazing markers!   Note:  This class is designed for Beginners and Intermediate users, but I can already tell from what I have seen in the Pre-Class Gallery that there are a LOT of fabulous Copic colorists enrolled!    I think we all like a little re-fresher now and then and that's one of the other reasons I decided to take the class  -- see you there!