Paper Smooches Anything Goes Challenge

For the September 20 - 26 Anything Goes Challenge with Paper Smooches,I thought it would be fun to share this card.  I love the Paper Smooches products, always top quality with very creative designs.

I decided to make a small gift for a friend of mine who is getting married.  That act usually requires many thank you and note cards.  For this card, I used some Distress Ink, this one was Mustard Seed, as a watercolor background.  I then die cut the letters from the Paper Smooches Sassy Letters alphabet and the ampersand was from Ampersands 2.  I die cut a leaf from the Foliage 1 dies in heavy vellum paper and tucked it under the ampersand and let it kind of float on the card.  I then rubbed the edges of the watercolor paper with some Versamark ink and applied some gold embossing powder.  I then mounted this to a white A2 note card.  

I made three of these cards.  The blue was Distress Ink Salty Ocean with silver accents and the other was Black Soot with a heavy vinyl shiny paper for the letters.  I love the way they turned out and was only possible with such a cute alphabet to work with.

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Challenge #168 - Art Impressions Cut Your Cards

Art Impressions Challenge #168 was all about some of their new products that have windows and cut outs.  They also have some new Windows to the World stamps.

I loved this stamp Day Spent that has a little dog running around with a red ball in his mouth.  I colored it with some water colors in an artsy manner.  I had a shaker window the same size so I made a shaker card.  I put a red brad and two little dog bone brads mixed in with the sequins in the shaker.  So cute.  Sorry this close up is a bit blurry.  A double meaning on the sentiment, you could send this to a friend about a friend!

Art Impressions has so many fun products and the quality of their stamps is amazing. Always a perfect impression every time.

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NBUS Challenge #5

After reading the Paper Smooches blog today, I discovered a new blog called NBUS (Never Before Used Schtuff).  So many of the projects added were fun to read about.  I decided to enter the newest challenge with this card.

The butterfly die is from Memory Box and it is called Willoughby Butterfly Wings.  I bought this months ago and had not used it.  I have been playing around with foiling techniques and I thought this die would work perfectly.  I am using Thermo Web iron on adhesive transfer sheets and running them through my laminator.  The directions were on the back of the package of adhesive sheets and I must say it worked really well.  I used a rainbow foil sheet to give a gradient color across the butterfly.  The sentiment stamp is from an old Sizzix Phrases stamp collection, which I use all the time.  Ribbon and paper were on hand, no idea where they came from!  The pearls just finished it off.

I think we are all guilty of seeing things we just have to have, but do end up sitting on them, waiting for the right moment.  There is an old saying, "My husband lets me buy all the craft supplies I can hide".  I think this fits this situation.

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MIX IT UP CHALLENGE - Ellen Hutson and Paper Smooches

For the Mix It Up Challenge with Ellen Hutson, the goal was to make something using the Essentials by Ellen Line and Paper Smooches products.

For my card, I used the Paper Smooches Trees 2 die and the smaller flower die from the Mondo Magnolia set by Ellen Hutson.  I cut two of the flowers and colored them with watercolors and when placed on top of one another, it looked like a gorgeous tree.  I also used some watercolor on the tree trunk.   The sentiment is from the stamp set by Ellen Hutson, Mondo Magnolia.  I then used one of the Paper Smooches stitched dies to make the line across the card for some added interest.

Ellen Hutson and Paper Smooches are wonderful companies to deal with.  I have ordered from both of them and delivery is always very quick.  Their products are top notch!

I was having a beautiful day, making this card!

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My Favorite Things Summer School - Quiet Space

Today was the last lesson for the Summer School done at the My Favorite Things blog and it was all about Quiet Space.  To me, it means lots of white, but the design team proved it can be all just one color.  I love this die from MFT, Lily, and have made many cards with it.  Today, I took the Sun Ray die and embossed it on white card stock for the background.  I mounted this on foam and attached to the card.  This card pretty much captures all the lessons, rolled into one.  I have thirds, focal point, lines and quiet space.  At the last minute, I added the yellow sun.  My original plan was for it to be white, but it just did not do it for me!

In the first photo, it is hard to see my little dew drops.  Just a few tiny dots of glossy accents makes this flower seem alive.  

Since this was labeled Session One, I will look forward to another session of these lessons and assignments.  This was fun!

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My Favorite Things Summer School - Balance and Line

Day Four of the My Favorite Things blog Summer School was all about lines and how to balance a card with them and use them to draw attention to the focal point.  It is hard to see, but I stenciled rain drops in the background using clear embossing paste.  They come down on the top and sides of the umbrella, but not under the umbrella.  The umbrella is cut with a MFT die and I embossed the panels for some texture.  I think the horizontal stripes around the border also give some linear motion.  Great lesson, I will use this again and again!

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My Favorite Things Summer Scool - Movement and Flow

Another class from My Favorite Things blog Summer School.  This lesson was on Movement and Flow.  I made this card using the Flying Butterflies die from MFT.  I put various colors of papers behind the cut outs and the ribbon just matches perfectly.  I think this card properly demonstrates the movement around the card and then you end on the sentiment.

When I use this die, I am left with lots of tiny butterflies.  I save them and put them in a shaker card. Since they are cut from white card stock, I color them however I want.  So fun!

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