STAMPlorations Challenges are BACK!

I'm Baaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaack!

You may have noticed over the summer that I took a little hiatus from regular blogging. That's because I was crazy busy with some of the art shows I'd signed up for, plus doing some community work. Stay tuned early next week and I'll share some of my summer hijinks with you. 

But for now, I'm here to tell you that STAMPlorations challenges are back, too! They also went on a little summer break. But now we've got a whole new crop of fresh challenges and great prizes. 

The sketch this month is:

And the theme this month is: 

You can play along with either the sketch or the them OR both! Options!

For my design, I decided to work with the theme. Believe it or not, we had our first snowfall last night and so I'm already wistful for Autumn. *sigh*

The first thing I did was to add a layer of prettiness to a sheet of mixed media paper. 

I used these Ken Oliver Color Burst Crystals and Liquid Metals to create a flowy, vibrant background. 

Over the top of that, I added a layer of Faber Castel Glitter Bead gel through the Botanical Lush stencil. Because let's be real here, everyone loves glitter. 

Once that dried, I speckled the background with green & red Distress Spray Stains. 

I double stamped a leaf from the Trendy Leaves stamp set, using Fired Brick Distress Ink and Fossilized Amber Distress Oxide. 

Added a sentiment from the Buttercups & Butterflies stamp set, some ribbons, a little glue and BAM! One gorgeous Fall card. 

Pop on over to play along in the STAMPlorations theme & sketch challenge and to see all the other crafty inspiration. 

PSSStttt - if you're looking to add to your stamp collection, you can get 20% off anything in the STAMPstore using code STAMPGIRLBECCA

Elegant Autumn Leaves Thank You Card

Happy Thursday! 
This weekend, I'm off to a concert series down in the Twin Cities area and I can't wait! 

But before I go, I get to show off the design I made for the latest Fusion challenge. I loved the warmth of the inspiration image and I took a stab at the sketch, too. 

I've had these gold leaf stickers from Martha Stewart for so long. They're just so lovely and I haven't been able to bring myself to use them. I finally found the perfect design that would let me part with them. 

My little design is also going to go play along over at
Die Cut Divas - Autumn 
Little Red Wagon - Harvest Time

I hope you'll come play along at Fusion this fortnight! 

Cheers!

Distress Oxides + InkaGold + Autumn Leaves - Oh My!

Inky goodness happened in my studio earlier this week thanks to a super fantastic inspiration image from the Fusion Card Challenge. I almost couldn't wait to share it with you all because I squealed all over the place when I finished it.

The gorgeous inspiration image I referenced is this one from Fusion:

 

I just loved that blue bokeh background. If you have never played along at Fusion, you can choose either the inspiration image OR the sketch OR mash 'em together and create "Fusion" in your design.

For my card I chose to use both the sketch and inspiration image, because I'm an overachiever like that. 

I made my leaves by using the STAMPlorations Trendy Leaves stamp set. I love these artsy leaves, and I double stamped them, once with the solid base and then again in a different color with the text overlays. 

 I used a variety of red, yellow, and orange Distress Ink and Distress Oxides. 

 

 Then I splattered them with a coppery InkaGold and water slush.

I used a combo of blue Distress Inks and Distress Oxides along with the Distress Ink Double Dipping Technique to create a background filled with depth and vibrant color. 

As you can see, I also sprinkled the background with InkaGold. Oooo

I put it all together, along with some gemstone embellishments and funky bits and bobs. Charming, nontraditional Fall! All in one little card. 

I'm also going to join the fun of playing along in some bloggy challenges. 

Shopping Our Stash has a theme called "That's Sketchy" this week and wants you to choose a sketch challenge to play along with (I'm obviously using Fusion). 

Country View Crafts has a challenge all about Mixed Media with Autumnal Hues. 

I hope you all consider joining us for Fusion this fortnight!

Watercolor Autumn Leaves Card

CHALLENGES ARE BAAAACK!!!
At STAMPlorations that is. We may have taken a little summer hiatus, but we are back and better than ever!. 

This month our theme is Stamps & Two Colors and here's the sketch: 

 

If you want to play along, we make it easy peasy. You can use either the theme or the sketch OR both. And you can also use stamps from any company you want!

I chose to use the theme this go-round.

I also wanted to take part in the first birthday shindig for CAS Watercolour Challenge. So I stamped and clear embossed some leaves from the Trendy Leaves stamp set and used my Kuretake Gansai watercolors to add a splash of vibrant color.

 I've loved playing along in this challenge throughout the year. Happiest of birthdays! 

Their theme this month is watercolours and fall leaves.

I finished my card by stamping a sentiment from the Holiday Expressions: Thankful For Autumn onto a thin strip of vellum. I splashed the leaves with some red Distress Spray Stain and added a little bit of glimmer using some clear sequins. 

There's so much gorgeous inspiration over on the STAMPlorations blog so pop over and have a peek!

Card Concept - White Pumpkin

It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown! 

At least over at The Card Concept it is, anyways. We've unrolled a new challenge with a nontraditional, but still very cozy take on Fall! 

When I first saw this image, I new right away that I wanted to pull out my Wendy Vecchi Sunburst Stencil to mimic that rusty little pinwheel wall hanging thing-a-ma-bob (I'm pretty sure that's the technical decorator's name for it). 

Speaking of non-traditional, I was really wishing that I had some metallic silver embossing paste and then I remembered I had some Nuvo enamel drop stuff. I squeezed a bunch of it into my stencil opening and then sccchmeeeared it all around with a palette knife. 

Over the top of that, I added some Picket Fence Distress Spray Stain and then I dried it with a heat tool. Because I heat dried it, it began to crackle and crinkle and bubble and create all sorts of yummy textures. 

I stamped a pumpkin from the STAMPlorations Holiday Expressions: Thankful for Autumn stamp set and colored it in using a white gel pen. For my leaves, I used some Forest Moss Distress Oxide Inks and a damp paintbrush. 

Put it all together and what do you get?
A graphic, funky nontraditional Fall card. 

This card is going to play along in the following challenges: 

Addicted to Stamps and More: Make Your Mark

The Card Concept is such a great challenge because our designers all work in different styles. While I used a Mixed Media style f, there's a whole gallery of inspiration ranging from Clean and Simple to Shabby Chic. Go check it out and play along with us! 

Coffee Lover's Blog Hop - Day 1!

>insert music notes here<

It's the most wonderful tiiiiiime of the year!

>end music notes< 

I know you all didn't come here to get some Christmas songs stuck in your head, but that's just a little bit of a side bonus of knowing me (you're welcome).

 

If you're in the cardmaking blogosphere at all today, you're going to quickly realize that it's been taken over by caffeine-crazed dynamos who love to bust out those stamping blocks and make some cards. The brainchild of the ever fabulous Amy Tsurata and Chaitali Narla -  it's the Fall Coffee Lover's Blog Hop! 

 

To celebrate fall, my card features all the warm, rich reds, oranges and yellows of the season. I created my background using the Distress Ink Double Dipping technique. 

I stamped some leaves from the STAMPlorations Trendy Leaves stamp set in the background. 

And you can see I also brought them into the foreground too! My big ol' coffee mug is from the STAMPlorations Sketchy Coffee Cups.

PSSTTTT - if you are looking for some new coffee stamps, you can get 20% off in the STAMPlorations store by using code STAMPGIRLBECCA at checkout. 

Now don't let me keep you! Go check out the rest of the hop and make sure to stop by all of our AMAZING sponsors for the Fall Coffee Lover's Blog Hop. 

If you want to win one of a ka-bajillion prizes (I may be exaggerating a little, but it's close) go link up a Fall-themed coffee/tea/cocoa card. Do it! Right now! Why are are still reading this? You should be linking up a coffee card!