Stamp-A-Faire: Runway Carpet Challenge

And the final challenge of Stamp-A-Faire 2015 - to showcase the items made during this fun-filled event. I participated in eight of the ten challenges and made a total of 10 cards over 2 days. Yes, it was a bit stressful trying to keep up with the challenges, you know those 2 hours between challenges really come around fast! And my back is sore from sitting at my craft table so much...I need to come up with a better plan for next year. Yes, I'm already thinking about SAF 2016!

A BIG thank you to PTI, Nichole and each member of the Design Team - Amy, Ashley, Betsy, Danielle, Dawn, Erin, Heather, Lauren, Laurie, Lexi, Lizzie, Maile and Melissa (and all the behind the scenes helpers) for all of your hard work and inspiration you provided for SAF. I know it's a lot of work to prepare all of the challenges and your hard work and dedication is sincerely appreciated!

Here's a look at the 10 cards I made and a little special note to the PTI family...

Stamp-A-Faire: Mix & Match Challenge (Take #2)

Dawn said we should try to use colors we wouldn't think about putting together and I thought I'd push myself to do this. I always seem to gravitate toward the same colors over and over. She also showed us some watercolor techniques and I thought I'd apply that to my card as well.

I used Harvest Gold, Simply Chartreuse and Summer Sunrise as my "off color colors".  lol I tapped them on a piece of acetate and spritzed it with water. I placed it on a piece of watercolor paper and "smooshed" it until I had the desired look. I have to admit....I liked the color combo! The panel is layered on a Simply Chartreuse cardstock card base.

The pumpkins are die-cut with Pumpkin Patch, a new favorite stamp set. I stamped each pumpkin with one of the three colors - a little non-traditional pumpkin colors but I think it works. Or as Tim Gunn would say, "make it work"! Two of the pumpkins are on foam tape and I sprinkled a little glitter on them too.

The sentiment is stamped in Summer Sunrise on a Fabulous Frames die-cut. Using ink other than black for the sentiment is also something I don't normally do. The frame is adhered to the card with fun foam.

The card looked a little empty, i.e. no embellishments and I remembered I bought Halloween enamel dots last year. P-E-R-F-E-C-T match for the card colors! I just love the way this turned out!!! Anyone else ready for Fall???

Card Details:

• Stamps:  PTI Pumpkin Patch, Southwestern Style
• Paper:  PTI Simply Chartreuse, White Stampers Select; Tim Holtz Watercolor
• Ink:  PTI Harvest Gold, Summer Sunrise, Simply Chartreuse, Kraft
• Dies:  PTI Pumpkin Patch, Fabulous Frames
• Other:  Enamel Dots; Fun Foam; Foam Tape
• Size:  4.25" x 5.5"

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Guess what?? I'm a winner of a gift certificate!! Thank you PTI!!!

Stamp-A-Faire: Threads Challenge (Take #2)

We still have time to enter the SAF challenges today so I'll be making a couple more cards. I want to win something!  haha  I have a ton of twine and thread, so making something for this challenge  is easy for me.

I started with a piece of white cardstock and impressed it with my Canvas Impression Plate.  Next, I die-cut the two Popsicles and stamped them with Berry Sorbet and Pear Tart ink, the sticks in Kraft ink. I adhered them to fun foam and placed them on the card.

August is die-cut in Berry Sorbet three times, stacked and glued together. I stamped "birthdays are the most fun" in Smokey Shadow ink and placed the month above it. I added glossy accents to give the illusion of icy Popsicles and also stamped a few Popsicle drips.

I placed the panel on a Limeade Ice (I need to use this color more often!) cardstock card base and tied crochet thread around the card three times finishing it with a bow.

Card Details:

• Stamps:  PTI Summer Sweetness, Birthday Classics: June
• Paper:  PTI Limeade Ice, White Stampers Select, Berry Sorbet
• Ink:  PTI Berry Sorbet, Kraft, Smokey Shadow; Memento Pear Tart
• Dies:  PTI Summer Sweetness, Monthly Moments: August, Linen & Canvas Impression Plate
• Other:  Glossy Accents; Fun Foam; Crochet Thread
• Size:  4.25" x 5.5"

Stamp-A-Faire: Make It Work Challenge

This challenge is to create a new card from pieces of reject cards or alter a card from earlier that you weren't happy with.  Well, the very first card I made yesterday for the Bridal Challenge was bugging me all day because I really wasn't happy with it.

This is the original card:

And I changed it to this:

For the revised card I started with white cardstock (getting rid of the vellum altogether) and used my Simple Stripes Impression Plate on it. You can't see the stripes that well in the picture, but they're there! I placed the striped panel on fun foam and adhered it to a white cardstock card base.

I used the same Keep It Simple Frame for the sentiment, stamping "happy wedding day" (I thought the smaller font was prettier) in Versamark and heat embossing it with silver Zing embossing powder. The frame is also on fun foam for dimension. The edge of the hearts are dipped in silver embossing powder, heat set and on foam tape.

I tied the silver edged ribbon around the card and decided to add a heart stick pin through it - idea taken from the Pins & Needles Challenge! I think this card looks so much more sophisticated than the original one and I'm much happier with it.

Card Details:

• Stamps:  PTI Keep It Simple: Wedding
• Paper:  PTI White Stampers Select
• Ink:  Versamark
• Dies:  PTI Keep It Simple Frame, Simple Stripes Impression Plate, Cover Plate: Hearts
• Tools:  Heat Embossing Tool
• Other:  Zing Embossing Powder; Ribbon; Heart Stick Pin; Silver Beads; Faceted Beads; Fun Foam; Foam Tape
• Size:  4.25" x 5.5"

Stamp-A-Faire: Runway Challenge (Take #2)

Well, I've had a good night's sleep and feel rested. Had some things to do earlier today but now I'm ready to make a few more cards. I looked at the Runway Challenge again and selected Lexi's color combination - these are colors I don't normally use and thought I'd give them a try.

Here's Lexi's card:

And the color selection:

I started with white cardstock and stamped the mums on it, first in Pure Poppy ink and then again in Berry Sorbet, slightly overlapping the image to give it a shadowed look.  The stems and leaves are stamped in New Leaf ink - I inked up the stamp and then stamped off once so the color wouldn't be too dark (I didn't want it to look too Christmas-like).

The sentiment is stamped in black ink. To bring in the Summer Sunrise color, I stamped the butterfly in that color and tied Marigold twine around the top of the card. I hardly ever tie around the top of cards and I did this 3 times for SAF! lol The stamped panel is adhered to a Berry Sorbet cardstock card base. To finish things off, I added glitter on the flowers.

Card Details:

• Stamps:  PTI Mum's The Word, Perfect Pairing
• Paper:  PTI Berry Sorbet, White Stampers Select
• Ink:  PTI Pure Poppy, Berry Sorbet, New Leaf, Summer Sunrise; Memento Tuxedo Black
• Other:  Twine; Glitter
• Size:  4.25" x 5.5"

Stamp-A-Faire: Runway Challenge

The Design Team took their ideas from fashion looks on the runway. Our challenge is to create a project based on one of their runway looks. We can base our idea on the colors, style, design or what ever inspires us.

I chose Danielle's look - 1) because she used the Brushed Blooms stamp set and 2) because I like how she used Enchanted Evening as one of her flower colors.

Here's here design:

And color selection:

I started with a piece of white cardstock and stamped the blooms on it using Spring Moss and Pistachio inks for the stems and Berry Sorbet and Pure Poppy for the flowers. I added the small flowers in Enchanted Evening - a color I don't normally use for flowers but I think looks striking.

I added a strip of Enchanted Evening Bitty Dots pattern paper along the left hand side and stamped the sentiment in Enchanted Evening as well. I love the look of the blue on this card!

I remembered I just bought some thin, gold Washi tape and added a piece of it just along the edge of the pattern paper. I think it really looks nice on the card and adds a little something extra.

Card Details:

• Stamps:  PTI Brushed Blooms, Keep It Simple: Get Well
• Paper:  PTI White Stampers Select, 2008 Bitty Dots
• Ink:  PTI Spring Moss, Berry Sorbet, Pure Poppy, Enchanted Evening; Memento Pistachio
• Other:  Little B Washi Tape
• Size:  4.25" x 5.5"

Stamp-A-Faire: Pins & Needles Challenge

And here's the next challenge - create a project featuring a stick pin. I have lots of stick pins and rarely use them, so this is a welcomed challenge! I have to say I'm starting to get a little tired, so I made a quick, but impressive card (don't you think?).

On white cardstock, I stamped the tree image in Aqua Mist ink and stamped the sentiment from Botanical Silhouettes (one of my favorite stamp sets!) in Smokey Shadow ink.  The panel is adhered to an Aqua Mist cardstock card base.

I tied white ribbon around the card and inserted a stick pin with a heart (this will be an anniversary card) on the top, adding silver balls and faceted beads. I wanted the card to be rather simple so the ribbon and stick pin would be more of the focal point.

Card Details:

• Stamps:  PTI Love & Marriage, Botanical Silhouettes
• Paper:  PTI Aqua Mist, White Stampers Select
• Ink:  PTI Aqua Mist, Smokey Shadow
• Other:  Ribbon; Heart Stick Pin; Silver Balls, Faceted Beads
• Size:  4.25" x 5.5"

Stamp-A-Faire: Unconventional Materials Challenge

This is another challenge I'm going to pass on....when I first heard about it I really couldn't think of what I could use for it. We had a budget of $10 to go to the hardware store to purchase items and my brain just couldn't come up with an idea.

It will be fun to see what everyone uses!

Stamp-A-Faire: Mix & Match Challenge

This challenge is to mix and match at least 3 different pattern papers. I've done a little of this in the past with two papers, but not three. Now to get busy and pull out some papers! Is it cheating if I use a PTI pattern pack with the papers already picked out?? lol I'm in the mood to make an Autumn card, and Autumn Abundance is perfect for what I have in mind.

On white cardstock, I layered the (1) background striped paper and added a 3/4" strip of (2) leaves on the left hand side. I die-cut a stitched circle in Vintage Cream cardstock and stamped the sentiment. I die-cut the circle again in a (3) plaid paper and placed it under the sentiment. The circle is on fun foam for dimension.

I wanted to add a leaf at the top and die-cut one in Terracotta Tile cardstock. I inked the edges with Versamark ink, sprinkled it with gold Zing embossing powder and heat set it. I think Danielle showed us how to do this last year (or was it the year before??)

Once I put the leaf on, the card was screaming to me for some jute so I tied a bit around the top of the card. I really like how this turned out using the three different patterns!

Card Details:

• Stamps:  PTI Birthday Classics: November
• Paper:  PTI Autumn Abundance, Vintage Cream, Terracotta Tile, White Stampers Select
• Ink:  Memento Morocco; Versamark
• Dies:  PTI Leaf Prints; Lil Inker Designs Stitched Mats: Circles
• Tools:  Heat Tool
• Other:  Zing Embossing Powder; Jute; Fun Foam
• Size:  4.25" x 5.5"

Stamp-A-Faire: Accessories Challenge

I'm passing on this challenge for today. It looks like a lot of fun - the challenge is to use paper crafting supplies to make wearable accessories.

Erin is showing us how to make necklaces, which was part of the SAF Kit people purchased earlier in the month. But other things can work as well for it.

And Maile is showing us how to make wooden bangle bracelets. The wooden bracelets should be done in advance and I didn't do it, but the good thing is the video will be on Nichole's blog forever so I can do it sometime in the future.  They really look pretty!

Time for a little break now until the next challenge!

Stamp-A-Faire: Threads Challenge

Well, this challenge looks easy enough - we're to add a "thread nest" to a card. Laura Bassen is known for her "loosey goosey" thread nests - she makes me laugh when she calls it that.

I used my new Brushed Off stamp set for this - I know I'm going to get a lot of use out of this set! On white cardstock I stamped the brushstrokes in Berry Sorbet and Pure Poppy inks and rounded the corners.

Thanks is die-cut three times in True Black cardstock, stacked and glued together. Yes, I love this effect! Before I attached it to the card, I took my silver metallic thread and wrapped it around my hand a few times and let it fall onto the card. I adhered the thanks on top to help the thread stay in place.

When looking at Lauren's card, I saw she used Rainstones....yes, I have those and haven't used them yet so placed a few on the card.

Card Details:

• Stamps:  PTI Brushed Off
• Paper:  PTI White Stampers Select, True Black
• Ink:  PTI Berry Sorbet, Pure Poppy
• Dies:  PTI Wet Paint Cuts
• Tools:  Corner Rounder
• Other:  PTI Rainstones; Metallic Silver Thread
• Size:  4.25" x 5.5"

Stamp-A-Faire: Patterns Challenge

This next challenge requires us to select a card pattern and use it as inspiration. I chose this one since I knew Cover Plate: Horizontal Stripes would work perfectly for it (like Betsy's).

I die-cut my Cover Plate in white cardstock and used a little color blending with Aqua Mist and Hawaiian Shores inks on it - this is one of my new favorite thing to do! I attached the Cover Plate to a white cardstock card base.

On one of the stripes, I stamped the sentiment in Smokey Shadow ink and adhered it on fun foam to the card. I wanted it to pop off the card! I tied Pink Sorbet twine around the top of the card in a bow, letting the twine hang down a bit.

The flower was made from Raspberry Fizz, Hawaiian Shores, Aqua Mist and Simply Chartreuse felt. I will confess that I already had these die-cut from a previous project so they came in handy for this card. Celebrate is die-cut in Hawaiian Shores cardstock three times, stacked and glued together. 

My final step was adding quite a few 4mm sequins - I know they say "rule of three" but I think more worked for this card!

Card Details:

• Stamps:  PTI Good Times
• Paper:  PTI White Stampers Select, Hawaiian Shores
• Ink:  PTI Smokey Shadow, Aqua Mist, Hawaiian Shores
• Dies:  PTI Cover Plate: Horizontal Stripes, Flower Fusion 1, 5, 9, Flower Fusion Stem, Wet Paint III
• Other:  PTI Felt; Pretty Pink Posh Sequins; Fun Foam; Twine
• Size:  4.25" x 5.5"