Creative Crew September Challenges

It's time for my very first challenges as a member of the SU Creative Crew over at Splitcoaststampers. I have had TONS of fun creating my projects and truly hope many of you will find some inspiration to take part in a challenge or two (or four!) yourselves.

September is Self Improvement Month

"The best thing you can do is get good at being you." - Dennis the Menace

"My past has not defined me, destroyed me, deterred me, or defeated me; it has only strengthened me." - Steve Maraboli

CCREW0913DF - DSP/Color Focus: Our journey of self improvement begins with Eastern Elegance designer papers or the colors crushed curry, coastal cabana, smoky slate and whisper white. Make a project using these colors for someone you admire. Tell us why this person is significant to you.

I wanted to incorporate as many of the colours as I could but didn't want to overwhelm my project with too many busy patterns. The ideal answer was a small amount of each! So out came my mosaic ensemble and here is the result:

Materials used:

• stamps - Really Good Greetings (MDS)
• card - whisper white, smoky slate, Eastern Elegance dsp (MDS)
• other - mosaic embossing folder, Big Shot, mosaic punch, dimensionals, rhinestones

This was made with both of my girls in mind. I admire them both so much for working so diligently towards their dreams and goals in life.

CCREW0913CF - Catalog Focus: use any of the stampsets on pages 111-119 in the annual catalog. Make a project in a new way to you by using a technique you've never tried or a special fold never used by you before. Continue to use at least two of the colors from the color focus, crushed curry, coastal cabana, smoky slate or whisper white. 

This one was a real challenge and my first three or so attempts at a new technique ended up in the bin! So I changed focus and tried a different tack and was finally happy with the result. The technique new to me is collage stamping; my stamp set from p111-119 is My Friend; and I've used all four of the challenge colours. My sentiment stamp was picked to carry on the Self Improvement theme - to live optimistically and not focussing on the dark parts of life. Here's my project:

Materials used:

• stamps - My Friend, Collage Curios, Lovely Little Labels, Pursuit of Happiness, Medallion, En Francais
• card - coastal cabana, whisper white, basic black
• other - dimensionals, cloudy day embossing folder, Big Shot, 3/4" circle punch, 1" circle punch, 1 1/4" scallop circle punch, clear embossing powder, heat tool

You can check the Splitcoaststampers Resources forum for ideas for new techniques at this link: http://www.splitcoaststampers.com/resources/C88/

CCREW0913HF - Holiday Focus: 911 Remembrance. It's not a holiday, but it's a day that has been imprinted on our minds. Make a project with the Big Shot that allows you to remember a day from your past. If you wish to share the significance of this day, we'd love to read about it.

Well, this one posed so many possibilities - there's no shortage of significant days to remember. Then I read Steve Maraboli's quote (above) again and knew immediately that my project would be about DD15, who was diagnosed with Type 1 (insulin dependent) diabetes 7 1/2 years ago.  She most certainly lives up to that quote, refusing to let the disease define her or rule her life - she is determined to live life on her terms and her diabetes has to fit in with that, not the other way around. 

If you've been a regular reader over the years you may remember a jelly bean card I made for DD a while back (see here). Jelly beans are what she takes when she is having a hypo (hypoglycaemia) to bring her blood glucose levels back up to a safe number. So for this project I used my Big Shot to make her a little purse full of jelly beans!

I used clear window sheet so the lovely colours of the jelly beans would show through and embossed it with the fancy fan E/F for a bit of texture. The "jelly bean " brad at the front features tiny love hearts to show my love and support for her every step of the way.

Materials used:

• stamps - none
• card - window sheet
• other - petite purse die, Big Shot, jelly bean brads (retired), subtles brads (retired), fancy fan embossing folder, sticky strip

CCREW0913SF - Scrapbook and More Focus: Make a gift for a good neighbor as you celebrate National Good Neighbor Day (September 28th).

Although we don't have NGND here in Australia, I love the idea of it. We have a young neighbour who feeds our cats for us while we are away and so this was the perfect opportunity to make an extra special thank you for her. My project isn't so much the gift as the gift wrapping - hope that meets the challenge criteria!

This bag is made from one piece of 12"x12" designer paper plus a couple of pieces of cardstock. Very simple and quick. The instructions were from a U Stamp with Dawn and Friends project (Year End Blow Out 2010) and were designed by Danielle Daws.

Materials used:

• stamps - Chalk Talk
• card - pumpkin pie, very vanilla, basic black, Modern Medley dsp, Polka Dot  Parade dsp
• other - chalk talk framelits, Big Shot, gift bow die, pumpkin pie and basic black 1/8" taffeta ribbon, 1 1/4" circle punch, 1 3/8" circle punch, crop-o-dile, sticky strip, bone folder, corner rounder punch, dimensionals
• non SU - black button

If you do make a project for any of the challenges, use the Blue codes when you post your project on your blog or on SCS.

Phew! That was a post and a half, wasn't it?! Thanks for sticking with me to the end and do please visit SCS and take a look at the other projects made by my fellow design team members for your inspiration (click HERE). And check back there regularly during September to see what everyone who is taking part in the challenges comes up with! 

Thanks for stopping by.

Cheers

Kez

Thanks So Much

Here is the thank you card I made for the lovely ladies who are coming to make Mothers Day cards for the Troops today.

Materials used:

• stamps - En Francais, Medallion, Sincere Salutations
• card - very vanilla, crumb cake, cherry cobbler
• ink - crumb cake, soft suede, cherry cobbler
• punches - 2 step bird punch, scallop trim border punch
• other - sponge daubers, dimensionals, rhinestone (non SU)

The name tags have some stamping too.

I'm sure the canny among you have spotted the cherry cobbler used in both!

Thanks for dropping in.

Cheers
Kez

Ink Wash

I wanted to try out a new technique that I found while surfing on SCS. It's called Ink Wash Faux Embossing (although personally I think Faux Bleaching is more accurate) and WOW! I love the effect!

For my first card I used the medallion stamp with Concord Crush, one of the new In Colours. Here's how it turned out (excuse my crappy photo; looks much nicer IRL!):

Next I tried it on Night of Navy and added touches of Sahara Sand. The sentiment feature is from Just Believe, rapidly becoming one of my new favs.

Of course, the medallion makes any card look great, but this is a really pretty effect. Like it? Here's how I did it:

• I began with a piece of whisper white card
• I applied my Concord Crush or Night of Navy ink pad directly to the white card, covering it entirely
• I inked my medallion stamp with Versamark ink
• then I sprayed Stampin' Mist liberally over the medallion stamp (you've got to be generous or it doesn't work as well)
• I stamped the medallion down on to the inked up card and pressed firmly
• I used my heat gun to speed up drying

Why don't you give it a go yourself? I think you will love experimenting with a variety of colours and seeing how different they all look.

Thanks for stopping by.

Cheers
Kez

Beginners Embossing

Today's beginner class is having fun with embossing.

First up some dry embossing using SU's beautiful Manhattan Flower embossing folder, which looks so gorgeous in rich razzleberry. I've teamed it with very vanilla and some adhesive pearls:

Same card but this time using designer series paper for the embossing, then sanding over it to bring out the white core - this makes the embossed image really "pop"! I am looking forward to all the new embossing folders coming in the new catalogue - only 16 sleeps to go!

For our first "wet" embossing we're using one of my favourite sets, Inspired by Nature, and embossing it in white on DSP. A little touch of dry embossing at the bottom of the card adds more texture. I will miss kiwi kiss after this month, sigh!

And last but not least a simple yet beautiful effect which showcases the gorgeous medallion background stamp perfectly. Embossed with white, then sponged in pink pirouette and regal rose, plus a touch of close to cocoa for accent (another colour I will really miss).

Thanks for calling in; you can brighten my day if you leave a comment!

Cheers
Kez

Satin Wings

I couldn't help it.
I just had to do some more butterflies. There's something about flowers and butterflies, isn't there? So serene. Mother Nature is truly amazing.

First up I cased a lovely card by Kirsty Brown but changed the colours completely and added in All A Flutter. I wanted to use this colour combo before these colours are gone forever ... sniff! (It's OK. I'll be alright. Ta.) This is blush blossom, cameo coral and ruby red, with a touch of choc chip.

Then I just had to use Upsy Daisy to pair with AAF. In spite of all kinds of different ideas popping in my head, I fell back to my all time fav, brayering. Just love the effects you can make with this little rubber roller! Here I have used the colours from the JAI challenge a couple of weeks back, just for something a little different - taken with teal, elegant eggplant and melon mambo. Very vibrant..

There is a song about butterflies and love and I always think of it when I use this stamp, so I thought I'd try a wedding/engagement/anniversary card. I stuck with classic black and white and added kraft, soon to be renamed Cookie Crumb! and added the gorgeous medallion in the background.

Well, that's my butterfly obsession for today! Thanks for calling in.

 
Cheers
Kez

Mojo Time

It has been a long time since I did a Mojo Monday sketch challenge and I didn't think I'd do one this week either as the sketch looked like something way out of my comfort zone! Take a look:

But late last night I had a go at making one of Corie's gorgeous puffy flowers (see her tutorial here) and as I went to bed, a plan for a card came into my head and was still there first thing this morning. So, up I got and made the card before the idea disappeared!

I'm rather pleased with how it came out and I hope you like it too.

Non SU materials used: nestabilities dies, ribbon from stash

Thanks for stopping by. Hope you have a mojoful day!

Cheers

Kez

Simple Medallion

I loved the new Medallion stamp from the moment I saw it in the US catalogue last year and I am so thrilled it finally made it to our shores.

Here's my first offering with this gorgeous stamp, a very simple card but black and white always looks so classy don't you think?

I added a pearl to the centre of the medallion which is a bit hard to see in the photo. The sentiment is punched with the large oval and sponged around the edge in black, as is the scallop oval behind it.

I'll be away for a few days (taking a road trip with DD18! - look out!) so things will be quiet here ... but back with a vengeance next week! See you then.

Cheers

Kez

Sneak Peek

I have been creating up a storm this week in preparation for the Blog Hop but there are a couple of projects I'll save for other posts afterwards; don't want to overload you with too many goodies all in one go! So here are a couple of sneak peeks at projects I'll be showing you later in the week ...

Just to keep you going, you understand. Nothing to do with me not being able to contain my excitement and dying to show you new stuff!

Cheers

Kez