2016 Winter Challenge Card

This is my card for the 2016 Winter Challenge at the Michael Strong Yahoo Group.

Mike shared the tree sketch on his blog.

The assignment was to incorporate his tree image into our design.

After saving the image, I opened it in photoshop elements.

I duplicated the tree and made 2 more smaller ones.

I printed the trees with my laser printer, 

using printer paper because my cardstock would not run through this printer.

I would have tried my inkjet printer, but I had trouble connecting my laptop to that!

Using home made "hill" templates, I sponged wild honey for my hills.

Punched a circle in a post it. Used the negative punch and sponged scattered straw for the sun.

Placed the circle post it over the sun, I sponged the sky with tumbled glass.

The sentiment, from Stampscapes, was stamped in Versafine black onyx.

Used Victoria Cuttlebug embossing folder for the top layer of my card.

Used a black frame around my layers, and burlap underneath the sentiment.

Thanks so much for visiting!

2015 Summer Challenge Card

Here's my card for the Enjoy Michael Strong Stamps Yahoo Group 

Summer Challenge: express "The lazy days of summer".

I just had to make another watercolor background as you can see
using Michael Strong's Alphabet set
and an oval punch to cut the letters.
Also used his Mini Creatures
stamping with distress inks, fussy cutting and sponging edges.
Distress inks:
wild honey, salty ocean, mowed lawn, abandoned coral, rusty hinges

Happy New Year's Eve

Here is a card I made for the Enjoy Michael Strong Yahoo Group's challenge 68.

It's a simple Z-fold card, based on Hetty's tutorial.

I used Mike's cloisonne numbers stamps and a paper shapers punch, 3/4 x 1-1/2".

Harvest Time Challenge on EMS

This is my entry for the Harvest Time Sept.-Oct. Challenge at Enjoy Michael Strong Stamps Yahoo Group.

Michael Strong recently provided a free pumpkin digital image on his Born Doodler website. I printed it on thinner cardstock--Paper Company Value Pack. My laser printer didn't like my usual white cardstock--110 lb. Georgia Pacific paper. 

I colored the pumpkin with colored pencils and fussy cut it.

Used the Woodgrain embossing folder by Sizzix/Tim Holtz on brown paper. Then cut it to look like a tree. Leaves were made with a leaf punch.

To create the sun, I punched a circle in a post it note, using it as a mask when applying stormy sky distress ink to the top of the 4 x 5-1/4 inch layer. 

Used the punched out portion to ink just the circle-sun with scattered straw distress ink. 

I made "hills" cut cutting curves into cardstock. Then applied Stanpin' Up! old olive ink with a sponge.

I wrote the text on small rectangles of white cardstock that was distressed with scattered straw ink.

To print on the inside layer, I opened MS Word and added Mike's pumpkin image twice.

I had planned to create 2 inside pieces that would each be 4 x 8 inches and they'd be folded in half.

  I was figuring to make a 2nd card so why not print both at once. 

However, I was confused and thought "landscape" instead of "portrait". 

So I just trimmed the paper to 4 x 5-1/4 inches, which works fine.

Pin-Spiration Challenge for April 2013

Lynette, Mary and I started a challenge amongst ourselves to share something we've made that was inspired by Pinterest each week. In addition, we decided to send a card that was Pinterest Inspired to the other two members. We also planned to work on our altered books each month. I have not accomplished that ...yet.

Here is my card, inspired by this Pin: http://pinterest.com/pin/194006696420361661/  I am tempted to use this card as one of my "cards of the week" for the Enjoy Michael Strong Stamps Yahoo Group. As the week progresses, I may use this card twice!

Below is the inside of card:

MATERIALS:
Papers: Stampin' Up' Certainly celery cardstock, Unknown brand of white cardstock with flecks, Old book printed paper

Stamps: Hero Arts, Michael Strong Stamps, Rubber Stampede, Stampers Anonymous

Distress inks: tea dye, spun sugar, worn lipstick

Stampin' Up' Ink: certainly celery

Picket Fence distress stain

Cuttlebug decorative swirly die

Below you can see Lynette's beautiful card:

I will add Mary's contribution when I receive it!