Classic Design Challenge : Fall Dance

 Good day everyone! Welcome back to another Classic Design Challenge! I'm looking forward to this challenge because it features my favorite season : Fall!! I love the colors, smell, feel, the weather and the need to bake!

This month, we're featuring RAM Stamps, by Rachelle Ann Miller, the owner. I have always loved her images for years and years. I have a few of her clear stamps, but didn't know she had a digi shop, too. I'm drooling over all the other images I had no idea she offered.

I chose to feature her "Fall Dance" image, because I absolutely Love, Love, Fall!!

I printed my image off on Gina K's copic paper, and cut out the image with one of AALL & Create's "Quirky Post" dies, then colored everything in with copics. After coloring the image, I sponged on Shabby Shutters Oxide & Rustic Wilderness inks on the bottom of the image, then sponged the sky area with Tumbled Glass Oxide ink. Then I cut out 49 & Market's "Botanical Buzz" matting with another AALL & Create's "Quirky Post" dies.

I kept it all clean and simple so the fun fall colors and whimsy would shine through. I believe that sometimes the simpler the card is, the better you can focus on the image and the handiwork in it.

Thank you for joining us today and enjoying our Design Team samples using the challenge images! We look forward to seeing all of your creations this month! 

October Beautiful Blossoms Challenge : Celebrate You!

 Happy October everyone! This is my favorite month of the year!! Not because it's almost Halloween, But because Autumn is really in full swing by now, everywhere! Growing up in Northern Minnesota, October was very nippy out and either crisp and sunny, or damp & rainy. I loved them both!

This  months Beautiful Blossoms Challenge photo features orange predominantly, and looks very ethereal.

I really looked at this photo and wanted to make an orange card in the worst way possible, because orange is one of my favorite colors. But, I like what looks like a "blue" secondary color in the photo, and I decided to make a card based off of that.

Now, I know you say that this card looks nothing even close to the photo, but I want to remind you that these example photos are purely inspiration to help you. It's how YOU interoperate the design image :) 

I chose to stamp out Honey Bee Stamps On The Line : Succulents onto watercolor paper and lightly watercolor them in then diecut them out. Then I found a white paper doily and a blue doily from Doodlebug Designs and put them under my sentiment from Pretty Pink Posh. I matted some blue paper from Simple Stories "Vintage Berry Fields" over Simple Stories "Warm White" Textured cardstock, using dies from Pink Fresh and My Favorite Things. Then I diecut a Gold Metallic paper from Tim Holtz with their Stitched Eyelet Lace Rectangle and placed all my previous cardstock on top of that to frame it, then the paper doilys, the sentiment and watercolored succulents, and lastly, the blue pearls scattered around the card.

I love how it turned out, though I really fought hard not to make it an orange colored card or overly complicated.

I can't wait to see all of your unique creations and how you were inspired! And until next time, Keep Creating!

Classic Design Challenge : Scottish Lass

 Hello and welcome back to another Classic Design Team Challenge. I missed last month's challenge after an unfortunate two week internet outage, but I'm back with this month's inspiration.

This month we are featuring Moondrea Designs and we had plenty to choose from!! I chose the design I did because I immediately pictured a Scottish princess in contemplation.

I printed off the image, then colored it in with Copics. After coloring it in, I cut the image out with a die I bought from Amazon, which I matted with 49 & Market paper that I die cut with a MFT Scalloped Rectangle. I found some old DP that I used as my background paper, then matted with a co-ordinating cardstock. I layered a leftover piece of lace, swirly pearls, and pieced together flower and leaves. 

I love how it all turned out!! I'm glad I chose the deep green to really contrast with her red hair, it all looks so pretty.

I'm so glad you joined me for another Classic Design Team Challenge. Join us next month for another Classic Challenge! Have a great day!

September Beautiful Blossoms Challenge : Birthday Greetings

 Good morning fellow crafters, I've missed you! 

Another month, another design challenge! How are you enjoying them so far? Have you been feeling the challenge? Have you enjoyed the beautiful inspiration photos? I know I have.

I definitely love the rusty red and the soft oranges, so perfect for my favorite time of the year. Such beautiful fall colors!

I chose to use Honey Bee Stamps Love is a Rose stamp set and the dies to cut it out. I colored it in with my Copic markers. Then I chose a Doodlebug Design blue doily to place under the image. I found some blue-green coordinating paper that I cut out with Pink Fresh's Slim Ornate Banner die, then rounded the corners with a corner punch. Then I placed Popdots under that, and placed it over some design paper with Pink Fresh's Fancy Rectangle Frame over Bazzil's Cornmeal cardstock, then added some yellow enamel dots.

As busy as this looks, it was pretty simple to make and layer. I just love it when a card comes together so quick, don't you?!

Thank you for your follows and kind comments, it means the world to me! Until next month, thank you for joining us at Beautiful Blossoms Challenge!

August Beautiful Blossoms Challenge: Be Joyful

 Welcome back to another Beautiful Blossoms monthly challenge!! Are you having fun and getting inspired? I know I am!

This month's photo inspiration is so cheery! I love sunflowers! I also love the color of blue this vase has. So pretty!

I chose to use the sunflower colors as my inspiration and play off those cheery yellows they have.

I chose to use a stamp from Flourishes, a company that went out of business years ago, and colored it in with Copics. I matted that over some Kraft Cardstock and rounded the Kraft paper's corners. I paired my image with some yellow design paper (I cannot seem to find it anywhere or I'd name it), and used a corner punch to clip the corners into a decorative design. I added some peachy orange grosgrain ribbon and bow, and then added a sentiment from Simple Stories.

I rather like how it turned out. Clean, simple, and cute. Just the way I like them. I like my cards with minimal fuss so the images can take center stage. But every now and then, I'll fancy it up for fun.

Thank you for stopping by and I'll see you here for next month's Beautiful Blossoms Challenge photo!

Classic Design Team Challenge: Surfing Santa

 Welcome back to another fun Classic Design Challenge, I'm glad you're here!

This month, we're featuring digi's from Dr. Digi, himself! Dr. Digi has many fun and quirky designs that appeal to everyone. I chose to keep it simple and use his Surfin' Santa digi. Again, like always, I chose to make it a clean and simple card,  using Christmas reds and keeping the focus on the Santa image.

I don't color Santa's in very often, or that much skin for that matter, but I thought I'd have a little fun with it. Because he's Santa, 

I kept to the Christmas theme as best as I could without being too overt, but also elegant.

I printed off the image onto Gina K paper (it's thicker) and colored it in with Copics. After coloring in the image, I sponged some sand on using Distress Inks Antique Linen and a blue sky with Tumbled Glass. Then I cut out the main image with MFT Stitched Rectangle, then cut out the bottom with another MFT that's been long since retired but I can't remember the name. Then I cut out an A2 rectangle from Spellbinders from Bazzil Ruby Slipper red cardstock, and embossed an edge around it. I finished the card with some black pearls.

I really enjoyed coloring this image in, and if you can tell, I added some subtle pink highlights in some areas to give Santa a "sunburn". I hope Santa enjoyed his vacation. He works so hard all year, so deserved it! :)

Have a great day and I'll see you next month on the next Classic Design Team Challenge! 

July Beautiful Blossoms Challenge : Wishing You a Bright & Beautiful Birthday

Welcome back my crafting Friends! How is it even possible that we're in July... Already?! It seems like January ended a couple of weeks ago!!

Well, as it turns out, it's a start to another monthly Challenge, here at Beautiful Blossoms Challenge. This month's July inspiration photo offers some hot colors that really inspired me.

Gorgeous, isn't it?? I love, love the Hibiscus and the hot, neon colors in that basket. Well, I don't happen to have a Hibiscus stamp, much to my surprise, but I'm getting one soon. In the meantime, I remember those Bird of Paradise flowers really pack a colorful punch, so I broke out my new stamp set from Picket Fence and started watercoloring.

I chose to use Picket Fence's Bird of Paradise stamp set, then colored it in with Azteca Watercolor brush pens, then I fussy cut it out. I chose some very spicy 49 and Market background paper that I cut out with Lawn Fawn's Small Stitched Rounded Rectangles, then Matted that against Bazzil's Cornmeal cardstock that I die cut out with MFT's Stitched Eyelet Lace Rectangle. I then cut out some vellum using a retired MFT die, then added some sparkle with Honey Bee Stamps gem stickers, added a white lace doily, some candy dots, string, and a sentiment from Pink Fresh, diecut & stamped out in Mama Elephant's Apricot ink.

This card is a little more on the "spicy" color side than I usually make, but it's good to shake it up a little and go for it. You never know, you might end up enjoying the process!

Until the next Beautiful Blossom Challenge, have fun crafting, Friends!

Classic Design Team Challenge: The Dancer

 Hi again, Friends! I'm back with another digital stamp challenge with the Classic Design Team!

This month, we are working with SheepSki Designs Digital Images and Art. I had many designs to choose from, but I chose a solo flamenco dancer. The silhouette and the movement just captivated me.

I printed the image out on Gina K paper (with MUCH difficulty, as it's pretty thick), in a 4x6 format.

I chose to color the dancer in pink instead of a red, to give the dancer a real feminine, soft look. My main Copic colors on the dancer were R81, R83, R85, and R89. I cut the main image out with Pinkfresh's Stitched Rectangles, then matted that over some blue 49 & Market paper, just to pop that pink a tad more. I cut a fancy border on the blue design paper with a long since retired MFT die, then matted that on top of popdots over a scalloped backing, cut from Spellbinders Heartfelt Thanks and Scallops die. I did place some white gems from Honey Bee Stamps along the decorative edge for some interest, but otherwise, wanted just the dancer to be the focus of my card.

I really love how it turned out! The pink just sings and I love the simplicity of it all! Until next month, stay Crafty!