Can You Case It CYCI30 Challenge

Sheri and I just discovered Can You Case It  challenge blog and we were excited to try out this week's sketch challenge #CYCI30 for our second card on Tuesday.  

If you're visiting this site be sure to check out their "Challenges" link on their right sidebar.  It will provide all the details about their weekly challenges which being on Sundays and end on Saturdays.  Each week there is a different theme:  sketch, colour, pick a page, scrapbook/cards Project Life, and Holiday. This is an interesting site that I know I'll be visiting.

This week is a Sketch Challenge and here is sketch #CYCI30:

Sheri and I both liked this sketch because of it's simple style and layering. The two of us are such "layer queens". Our hardest choice was deciding on the card's theme and then what colours to use. 

For my card I wanted to combine the Stippled Blossoms stamp set and the Back to Black DSP series paper but hadn't chosen any contrast colours and theme.   

Sheri was in love with the  Just Add Ink Colour Challenge, from last week and decided to do a double challenge card using these colours, and with a little bit of thought, I decided to go along with that choice.  Sheri will be posting her fabulous card on her blog:  Paper Bag Create.  Make sure you go an check it out.   

Note:  Although we both intended to enter our cards in the Just Add Ink Colour Challenge, we'd both forgotten about the International Date Line.  Since Australia is a day ahead of us here in Canada we both missed entering this challenge by "one day".  Too funny.  I'm sure you'll enjoy the cards anyway. 


Here's My Card:

I love this card.  The mix of textures and colour are perfect, even if I do say so myself.  It's got a rich, elegant feel about it.  The Back to Black DSP is simply stunning and really adds the contrast this card needs, while the subtle stamping on the tag adds to the elegance. 

 

The ribbon was added before layers 2-5 were attached to the card base.  The bow was made by using the "Fork Bow" method of tying bows.  Works for me! 

The modern label punch worked out perfectly as a tag.  The best wishes sentiment is from Perfect Pairs stamp set. 

I kept the inside of the card fairly plain by just stamping the flower image. 

Supplies:
Stamp Sets:  Stippled Blossoms, Petite Pairs 
Ink:  Basic Gray, Memento Tuxedo Black
Card Stock:  Basic Gray, So Saffron, Basic Black and Whisper White *
Designer Series Paper:  Back to Black, Glimmer Paper - Silver
Accessories:  Trimmer, Big Shot Machine, Beautifully Baroque Embossing Folder, Scalloped Tag Topper Punch, Modern Label Punch, Corner Rounder punch 

Back to Black Designer Series Paper

How It's Made: 
1.  The Basic Black card base measures 8 1/2" x 5 1/2" and folded at 4 14".

2.  The second layer is Basic Gray card stock and measures 5 1/8" x 4 1/8". 

3.  The third layer is a piece of Back to Black Designer Paper (DSP) measuring 

4 x 5 1/16".  The edges were distressed with a sponge dauber and Basic Gray ink.  

4.  The next layer was a piece of So Saffron card stock measuring 3 1/4 x 4 1/2.  This piece was first stamped with the Stippled Blossom detailed rose in Basic Gray ink and then embossed with the Beautifully Baroque Embossing folder.  

5.  The final layer is the tag.  I chose to cut a Whisper White piece of card stock to measure 2 14 x 5 and then punched out the tag image with the Scalloped Tag Punch.  I trimmed off the excess on the sides and used a corner rounder on the bottom of the tag.  This edges of this tag were sponged with Basic Gray ink and it was adhered to the So Saffron layer with dimensionals.

6.  Stippled Blossoms rose and rose buds were stamped in Basic Gray and Tuxedo Black on the tag.  The sentiment "Best Wishes" from the Petite Pairs stamp set was stamped in Tuxedo Black ink.

7.  I punched a Modern Label from Basic Black card stock and Silver Glimmer paper for the small tag element of the card.  I layered these pieces and added a Basic Rhinestone to the bottom.

8.  Before adhering layers 2 to 5 on the card, I added a strip of 3/8" Basic Gray Taffeta Ribbon and small bow.  

9.  For the inside of the card I added a 5 x 3 3/4" Whisper White layer with a single rose stamped in the lower right hand corner.  

I hope you've enjoyed seeing this card and my details on how to assemble it. Let me know if you've ever prepared a card for a challenge and missed by seconds on the clock..........I'd love to hear your stories.  

Thanks for dropping by I thoroughly enjoyed making this card for you to see.

Happy Stamping!
Penny Tokens
 

Stippled Blossoms Thank You Card

Today's card is a thank you card that I'm sure you'll like.   I got my inspiration for this card from  a blog challenge site called "Just Add Ink".  There is a link button on my left side panel so you can go and check out this site anytime.   

Just Add Ink has been around since January 2010 and during that time they have hosted over 200 challenges.  They are an Australian/New Zealand Stampin’ Up! challenge blog run by Australian and New Zealand Independent Stampin’ Up! Demonstrators.   Along with their challenge blog they also have Pinterest and Facebook pages you can follow.  It's worthwhile, because they have sketch and colour challenges that are awesome not to mention all the wonderful samples from the talented design team and fans.

 Just Add Ink #223 Sketch Challenge

This really challenging sketch was created by Tina Gillespie.  She used this sketch to create a birthday card for her daughter.  Check it out on her blog Scissors Paper Card.

Here's My First Attempt at this Card: 

Oooops!  I don't know if you're like me but if you are take heart, sometimes we just don't get it right.  I began this challenge with one card in mind and ended up with a bit different card, I'll call it my "stepped up" card.  That's the one I submitted to the challenge.  

For my first card I wanted to use my new InColour card stocks and inks but when I assembled the card it just didn't do it for me, it was too dark.  Here's the first card and I won't go into a lot of discussion about it's assembly just some basics.

Assembly:
I really liked the full circle in the card sketch but chose to mount it on a square card base.  I didn't want anything too big, so chose to do a 4 1/2" x 4 1/2" square.  The Whisper White card base for this card measures 4 1/2 x 9" and it's folded at 4 1/2".

For this first attempt I used Blackberry Bliss, Mossy Meadow, Perfect Plum and Whisper White card stocks and inks.  I used a sponge dauber to edge the card and stamped the sentiment directly to the Whisper White card stock.  Basic Rhinestones were added to the flower centers. 

I embossed the flower layer with the Decorative Dots EF but the layer of Blackberry Bliss in the background is plain.  Instead of pearls I used Basic Rhinestones for the flower highlights.  

The inside of my card was plain with only the floral image stamped in the corner.

Here's my "Stepped Up" version:

I did some tweaking with the layers adding an additional one to give it more connectivity.  See my note below.

I stamped the roses from Stippled Blossom in Perfect Plum and Blackberry Bliss and added leaves in Pear Pizzazz.  The Thank You sentiment is from the Blooming With Kindness Stamp set. The sentiment was stamped on Whisper White in Blackberry Bliss and then punched out with the 1" circle punch and mounted on a 11/4" circle of Perfect Plum.  This piece was then adhered to the card front with dimensionals. 

 

For the inside I cut a 4 1/4 x 4 1/4" piece of Blackberry Bliss and then layered it with a 4 x 4 piece of Whisper White.  I don't really like verses inside my cards but I do like some kind of adornment so I chose to stamp  just the detailed stamp of the large rose from the Stippled Blossoms set. I probably should have stamped off the ink to give this image a softer look, but I'm glad I decided to go with full ink.  The image came out clear, detailed, bold and, is a striking contrast to the Whisper White card stock.

Layers, Layers, Layers:  
Remember I mentioned there were lots of layers on this card, well I cannot tell a lie.  There are a lots and lots of layers!  Why?  Because I like the way it pulls everything together and adds depth to the design. 

The first layer on this card is cut from Pear Pizzazz and measures 4 1/4" x 4 1/4".  The next layer of Blackberry Bliss measures 4 x 4" and was embossed with the Decorative Dots Embossing Folder (EF).  I just can't get enough of those large dots.  

After that, I added a layer of Pear Pizzazz cut out with the Floral Frames Framelits die and then embossed it with the now retired Vine Street embossing folder.  It made the floral image look like veined leaves, which was just the look I was trying to capture.

Finally I added a 3 1/4" circle of Blackberry Bliss topped by a 3" Whisper White circle cut with the Circle Framelits.  The Whisper White circle was cutout, stamped and then cut into puzzle pieces before being mounted on the Blackberry Bliss circle.  Tip:  When mounting the circle pieces I used Tombow Multipurpose Glue so I would have some flexibility in getting the pieces to line up properly along the circle rim and in between.  Once the floral layers were put together, I added dimensionals and adhered it to the Pear Pizzazz flower shape. 

I added the Basic Pearls to the flower centers after the card was assembled.  The Thank You sentiment was the last piece added and was popped up with dimensionals.  I love the script used for this stamp.  So romantic!

Here are the two cards I made together. 

 

Card No. 1

 

Card No. 2

 Supplies Used: 
Stamp Set:  Stippled Blossoms and Blooming With Kindness
Ink:  Blackberry Bliss, Perfect Plum, Mossey Meadow, Pear Pizzazz
Card Stock:  Whisper White, Pear Pizzazz, Blackberry Blizz, Mossy Meadow
and Perfect Plum
Accessories:  Decorative Dots Embossing Folder (EF), Vine Street EF, Big Shot, Trimmer, Circle Framelits, Flower Framelits, Basic Pearls, Sponge Dauber, 1" and 1 1/4" circle punches, Tom Bow Multipurpose Adhesive and Dimensionals. 

Hope you enjoyed this card.  Leave me a comment if you did.  Let me know which version is your favourite.  It will make my day.

Happy Stampin!
Penny Tokens