Challenge Spark (ombre technique)

This time Tara from Country Girl Creates challenged Jane from White Orchid and me to come up with a card using the ombre technique. I've loved this look ever since I saw it the first time. If you check it out on Pinterest, you will see many many ways to create it. Often a brayer is used. This time I chose to use the Stampin' Spritzer. I loaded it with plain water and then added a few drops of Tempting Turquoise re-inker. It's a first for me, so I kinda just winged it! (If winged is a word! Ha!) First I spritzed a little all over the paper and then dried it with my heat gun. I spritzed layer after layer, concentrating on the bottom right side. I heat-dried it every time. After I was done I sponged a teeny bit of navy in the darkest corner, embossed the stars on with the star embossing folder and then added the rest of my yellow embellishments and focal points.

diy dsp (do-it-yourself designer series paper)(effortless)

I got inspired when I saw this tutorial by Brandy Cox. How could I not?! Using her idea for a background this card came to be! I'm definitely going to do this again. You can customize it using any color you desire. That's right; those lines are just hand drawn using nothing at all except a few Stampin' Write Markers! Neat, eh?

miss me...but let me go

 This poem is a favorite of mine when I think of someone going Home. Especially and elderly person or someone who's fight with poor health or circumstances has been long. I printed the poem off from my computer and made the two sympathy cards (above).

Miss Me, but Let Me Go

When I come to the end of the road

And the sun has set for me,

I want no tears in a gloom-filled room,

Why cry for a soul set free?

Miss me a little – But not for long

And not with your head bowed low,

Remember the love that we once shared,

Miss me – But let me go.

For this is a journey we all must take,

And each must go alone,

It’s all a part of the Master’s plan

A step on the road to home.

When you are lonely and sick of heart

Go to the friends that we know,

And bury your sorrows in doing good works,

Miss me – But let me go.

(unknown)

 

from the herd

This stamp set has long spoken to me, especially since moving onto a farm. And those animals make me laugh every time!

So here's a chuckle for you again!

Challenge Spark (retired product)

Jane from White Orchid asked Tara from Country Girl Creates  and me already LAST WEEK to create something using a retiring product. Due to springtime busyness I had to delay my submission. However, I DID want to post something yet and HERE I AM!!!

It makes me soooo sad that the Dictionary background stamp is retiring, but surely SURELY Stampin' Up will have a really nice replacement for us. The teacher in me has considered this stamp a favorite for the few short years it's been available. Maybe we'll see some good teacher and school themed product. Cross your fingers!

This card isn't layered as it appears. I did a bunch of masking and sponging, my favorite technique! Maybe I'm lazy, but I don't enjoy cutting out very much! Give us a sponge and ink pad and we're away!!!

Challenge Spark (retired product)

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

She who prides herself in being on time ALWAYS or even EARLY...is running dreadfully behind!! I'll let my new baby chicks and ducklings tell you a huge SORRY for me! Truly I'm having a lotta fun with the babies, and my crafting table is a lot smaller due to an incubator (my Prize White Hen!) who should shortly deliver us a batch of quail and a big big batch of novelty chicks.

But Jane has a challenge for us that I MUST find the time to do between fluffy chicks and their needs! And believe it or not, I JUST decided what to do with which retiring product just as I typed in that line there! Ha! Tara will also have a fabulous card to show us I'm certain, so just hop on over and see what marvelous things these two girls have on their sites. I've often been amazed how differently our three minds interpret a challenge, each coming up with a wonderful idea. But lately it seems ESPECIALLY that way! I look at Jane's or Tara's example for Challenge Spark and say to myself, "WOW! That's gorgeous! I'm gonna use that idea myself!" So ya, click on their names above and you will behold beautiful sites!

Ok, I must run, but I will be back. I've got something brewing for today's Challenge Spark and hopefully I can get it uploaded onto here in a day or two! Next week Tara's asking for the ombre technique and I also have a delicious idea stewing for that one!

Till then...happy cardmaking! AND HAPPY SPRING!!! (Does it do for you what it does for me?? Put a SPRING into your step and a smile on your face and a song in your heart?!)

The Challenge Spark (something tropical)

This week, since I am so loving anything springy and colorful, I challenged Jane and Tara to "think tropical" with me, using coral, yellow and green. My inspiration was triggered by this card by Ann Fitzgerald via Pinterest and I followed her directions, except for adding Butterfly Basics fern image on watercolor paper and then misting it, before adhering the heliconia blossom. I also added the rhinestones as water droplets. See? I was aiming for a rain foresty jungly look! All we need is a parrot and a monkey.

Next week Jane says we will make a card using something currently retired. Make sense? Not really? Newly retired. Is that better??!! The new catalogue is on the brink of bursting into our lives so now's the time to order those retiring products that you still have on your wish list.