It’s a “Howdy” Challenge

This week’s Our Creative Corner Challenge comes from the lovely Liliana, who has picked a photo of a country scene as inspiration, with the following requirements:

-Create a card or project with a country or western look. Use the photo to inspire you.
-Your project must have something plaid or gingham (checkered/tartan is acceptable too!), such as in a ribbon, or designer paper.
-Most of all, have fun!

And here is the photo:

It took me some time to figure out what to do with this challenge, since I don’t really have anything “country or western” but ended up choosing this cute little cart image from the stamp set For the Birds (Page 34 of the Annual Catalogue).  I decided this could easily be something you would see in the country.  Well, anyway, that’s my story and I’m sticking to it!
I just adore this stamp set, it was on my “absolutely need to have it” list when the new catalogue came out.
The image has been water coloured in colours to match the stripey mount, which is made with the Orchard Harvest Fabric (Page 30 of the Holiday Catalogue).  The dark background layer has been embossed using the Woodgrain embossing folder, then just add some twine and one of the gorgeous new wooden buttons.
I do hope you will play along with us this week, so make sure you check out what the rest of the Design Team came up with here.
And if you have any questions about my card or the challenge, just send me an email.

I promise to return in the next day or so with some new projects, so stay tuned!
Happy stamping!
Chris

Photo Inspiration Challenge

My turn to set the challenge again this week at Our Creative Corner, and I have chosen a photo to inspire you!

What I would like you to do is, create a project of your choice which:

1. Uses something from the photo that inspires you, it can be colours, shapes, anything at all.
2. Use 2 or more buttons on your project, they can be real buttons, fabric buttons, covered buttons, die cut buttons, any sort of buttons!
3. And, use polka dots somewhere.

And here is my card.

I have taken the colours from the photo and also the cake stand, as inspiration.

I have used the polka dot papers from the Stampin’ Up! Designer Series Paper packs in Soft Subtles, punched them out using the Blossom Punch and Boho Blossoms Punch, and then done some free-hand paper piercing around each one, and then markers to create the stitched look. (For those of you who are regular visitors to my blog or my classes, you will know that I love my faux stitching!!)
The “vase” is from A Cherry on Top stamp set, which is a cute new hostess set (Page 197 of the Annual Catalogue) and the leaves from Betsy’s Blossom have been stamped in Gumball Green and hand cut.  And just to make sure it was really “polka dotty” 🙂 I have used the Perfect Polka Dots Embossing Folder for the white background.
Have a look at what the fabulous Design Team have created for this challenge, and I do hope you will be inspired to create something and share it with us.
For those of you on Facebook, we now have a new Our Creative Corner Facebook page, so why not drop in and give us a “like”.  🙂

Please feel free to email if you have any questions.
Happy Stamping!
Chris

OCC Sketch Challenge

This week it is my turn to set and host the challenge at Our Creative Corner, and I have chosen a sketch challenge for you for this week.  I would like you to make a card for a male using the sketch, and an extra but optional challenge for you, if you choose to accept it, is to use a Monochromatic colour scheme.
The zebras on my card are from the Zoo Review stamp set and have been watercoloured, then one has been cut out and raised and layered over the other.  I have used a masking technique for the sun – I punched out a circle of Post-It Note and then sponged around the circle using a sponge dauber.  The tree has been double stamped with two different colours of ink to give it that shimmery look.
The background paper is from the Howlstooth & Scaringbone DSP (patterned papers), and the strips of Cajun Craze card stock have been run through the Big Shot using the Woodgrain Embossing Folder.
The colours I have used are So Saffron, More Mustard, Cajun Craze and Early Espresso.

So, here is the sketch for you to use for your own card.

 Make it as simple or as complicated as you want, we would love to see what you come up with. And make sure you check out the inspiration from the rest of the Design Team.
Happy Stamping!
Chris

Kiss The Card Challenge & Twist

Yep you have to kiss the card!  No not really…..  This week’s challenge from Our Creative Corner comes from Lisa Minckler from You Made Me Ink, she wants us to use the kissing technique (stamp to stamp) somewhere on a card or project.
And the twist is to use the letters X and O somewhere on your project.
My X and O are a little hard to see in this photo, but they are on the red heart that is on the tag that is hanging down.

For the blue background, I have put ink directly onto a clear block, then I have used the Music Notes wheel with Raspberry Ripple ink over the top, and stamped it straight onto Whisper White card stock.  Be careful if you are using this technique that you stamp straight up and straight down, it is very easy for it to slide around and smudge everything (speaking from experience!!).  Those pretty flowers from Field Flowers stamp set have been inked in Pretty in Pink and then stamped again using the word stamp from French Foliage in Raspberry Ripple stamp to stamp.  Add some twine and one of the new Bushed Bronze Designer Buttons and of course some of my favourite…. faux stitching! 🙂
Check out what the rest of the Design Team have done for this challenge, and make sure you join us with your own creation this week – we love to see what you have come up with.
Happy Stamping!
Chris

Resist Techniques

In this post here, I shared with you this week’s challenge at Our Creative Corner, which is to create a project using a Resist Technique, so today I am going to share with you a YouTube link, which will show you some different Resist Techniques and how to do them.

 

I have used the Emboss Resist technique for my card, and you can see some other techniques used in the fabulous creations from the rest of the Design Team.  So check out the YouTube, and lets see your creations too 🙂

Happy Stamping!
Chris

 

Resist Challenge

I haven’t used a resist technique for a while, so it was good to get into a different technique this week.
This week’s Our Creative Corner Challenge is to use some form of resist technique, whether that is Heat Emboss Resist, which I have used here, or crayon resist, and there are a number of others as well, and they are all fun to do.  The only other thing required on your creation is a pair of wings – animal, bug, butterfly, angel….  🙂
I have used some Glossy White card stock and embossed the large flower type design from the new stamp set Betsy’s Blossom, which is available…. now….. today 🙂 … with white embossing powder.  I have then used inks and daubers to sponge on the colour in the background – the colours are Wisteria Wonder, Pretty in Pink and a new In Colour called Primrose Petals.
Feel free to send me an email if you would like more information about this card.
And have a go at something different, it doesn’t have to be complicated, but do check out the amazing inspiration from the rest of the Design Team.
Happy Stamping!
Chris

Our Creative Corner – Dressed in Denim!

This week’s challenge at Our Creative Corner is a Dressed in Denim Recipe Challenge from Paula.  Here is what she says:

Paula here again….I’m an Arkansan.  We wear jeans all the time… work, church, play, even weddings. You name it, we can make the denim work.  So dress it up or dress it down but use 3 ribbons or twine, 3 buttons or brads, and some denim (either real or faux via printed paper or a technique) on a project.

 

Great challenge, Paula! 🙂

My card uses, as promised, a sneak peek at some goodies from the new catalogue (rubbing hands together). Along with some denim, I have used the gorgeous Comfort Cafe DSP, which has been cut using the Scallop Squares Duo die.  The greeting uses the new Bitty Banners Framelits die, also available on the 1st Sept. Oh and those yummy buttons are also new, Naturals Designer Buttons which have a lovely wood look to them, and they are threaded with some Early Espresso Baker’s Twine.

The denim fabric in this project (which is from an old pair of jeans belonging to my son -shhhhh!) has been adhered to some card stock using the Multipurpose adhesive sheet, before running it through the Big Shot.  This helps to keep the fabric in shape and also stops in from fraying so easily.

Make sure you check out what the rest of the Design Team have made for this challenge.

Hope you will join us with this week’s challenge.
Happy stamping!
Chris

 

 

 

OCC Sparkly Stuff Challenge!

“Sparkly Stuff” – you know, rhinestones, glitter… 🙂

This week’s challenge comes from Paula McClane at Scrap Addict’s Attic.

So this is Paula here, one of the newbies to the Design Team, I’m so excited to be on the team!  Let’s get to it then, my first challenge! I am not a girly girl, I’m mostly found wearing a tee shirt and capris or jeans.  But sometimes you just gotta whip out the shiny sparkly stuff & make it dazzle! Use rhinestones, stickles, glitter, etc along with items found in nature (plants, animals, etc)!  A bit of bling mixed with nature..”

Well, who doesn’t like a bit of bling?
This card was inspired by one I saw… well, somewhere!  There are so many ways to get inspiration these days that it gets difficult to know where you saw things…

Anyway, I have used the Shaving Cream technique to colour some white card stock. I haven’t used this techniques for a long time and thought it would be fun to give it a go again.  My son had fun too! 🙂
Butterflies have then been cut out using the Beautiful Wings Embosslit Die, through the Big Shot.  And I admit that some of the Rhinestone bling is not from Stampin’ Up!  You could, however, use the clear rhinestones and colour them using a Sharpie or other permanent marker, in the colours you want.
Another fun challenge, so I hope you play along with us this week.  Check out what my fellow Design Team members have created for this challenge.  Now there’s some inspiration!
Get out your glitter and rhinestones and anything else that qualifies as bling! And happy stamping!
Chris

 

OCC Colour Challenge

This week’s challenge at Our Creative Corner is a colour challenge, to use the colours Lime, Poppy, Pink, Black and White, along with either fabric or circles (or both!).  Lori Rider has given us a photo for inspiration for this challenge:

For some reason I struggled a little with this one, I have ended up with three cards made using the colours, but I will only show you one today. 🙂  Might show you the others another time.

I have used the Twitterpated fabric as a background and have stamped the swirly image from Precious Butterflies (Hostess set) in black Stazon ink, directly onto the fabric. I have then stitched the fabric onto the black card stock using my sewing machine!  Yes, you heard right… I used my sewing machine!
For the leaves I have used the Little Leaves Sizzlit Die, and the white flowers Blossom Party Originals Die.  The little flowers are made using the Itty Bitty Shapes punch set.
This one is a little different for me, but I enjoyed the challenge.
Make sure you check out the rest of the Design Team’s fabulous creations.

Have a great weekend, and happy stamping!
Chris