Challenges

This week's Bloggers' Challenge is "A Stitch in Time." Here are some cards I finished this week. I enjoy stitching...by hand, by machine, and I enjoy adding beads to my cards too.

This one is machine stitched, based on the "Card Trick" quilt block pattern, using Daisy D's papers.

This one, for a dear friend's birthday today, is hand stitched and beaded, using the same basic "easel" card design, a 3-d rose, and some old Anna Griffin papers.

Now for something completely different for me!

The current TGIF challenge is "Piece from Heaven;" "Our Creative Corner" wants three different embellishments (I used Crystal Lacquer, ribbon, and pearls); "Saturday's Workout" challenge technique is to use Perfect Pearls with Distress Inks (I used several Distress Inks with Ranger "Perfect Gold" Perfect Pearls on the angel' wings on my tag); and the "So Artful" challenge is Angel's tears.

So for this card, I created the backgrounds by pouncing Broken China Distress Ink on my craft sheet, spritzing with water, then dipping the cardstock into that. Then I heat dried, and stamped the Crafty Individuals angels with Vintage Photo Distress Ink, which I then painted with a little gold Perfect Pearls powder, just on the wings and the gate (It's really difficult to get a good picture of the glimmer, sorry). Then I overstamped with a Stampendous Crackle stamp using Shabby Shutters Distress Ink, and outlined the tag with Peeled Paint Distress Ink. I put one tiny drop of 3-d Crystal Lacquer beneath the eye of the angel facing heavenwards (although you can't see THAT in my photo either, sorry! I loaned my good Canon camera to my son this weekend, and I'm using another one which doesn't take good close-up pictures at all). Then I stamped the Quietfire sentiment over a separate piece of Broken China prepared cardstock, then stamped and gold embossed these beautiful Crafty Individuals flourishes on the left side and the bottom right corner. I was trying to create a "cloud/heavenly" feel with the Broken China ink. I added an organza bow and Kaisercraft pearls, then outlined the blue and green panels with Krylon 18 Kt Gold Leafing Ink. I find distressing exceptionally challenging, so this card really forced me to work well outside my comfort zone.

Thanks so much for visiting today. I hope you enjoy an artsy, creative weekend!

Dreaming about Christmas...in July!

Today is the Impression Obsession Christmas in July sneek peek; it's also "Cute Card Thursday's" design theme challenge for the week, and meets the Wednesday Stamper's "Dreams" theme. The IO designers are all profiling new stamps due for release at CHA this month, and available for sale August first. Be sure to visit all their blogs for inspiration! You'll find direct links on my sidebar to your right. I created some of these cards for the Impression Obsession CHA sample board, some for my favourite local papercrafting shop (the Cutting Garden) and some to meet various blog challenges. What FUN!

Leigh Hannan images are such a joy to colour! For this one, I used this week's Cuttlebug Challenge sketch with one of Leigh Hannan's new Christmas images. I posted another one last week with the same colour scheme, have a look here.

Here are a couple for special protectors in our lives:

Aren't these ornaments just the SWEETEST things!?

I love creating cards for special little boys in my life. These snow people by Alesa Baker are just wonderful for kiddies!

This one's based on the current Papertake Weekly sketch challenge:

Finally, although I'd posted these cards previously, I just have to post them again; they're my absolute FAVOURITES of all the new winter images, and will be used for my Christmas cards this year.

Would you like to see your card featured on the Impression Obsession blog? Create a card for the challenge using Impression Obsession images and email it to Shirley. Every week, cards will be selected to showcase on the Impression Obsession blog!

Thanks so much for stopping by today. I hope you'll take the time to visit the other designers! I'm off to our summer place for a few days, to enjoy the lake and the sunshine. I wish you a creative weekend!

Designers' blog hop week!

This is Impression Obsession's new stamps peek week! All the IO designers will be showing off some of the fabulous new releases, scheduled to make their first appearance at CHA at the end of the month. So here are some of the newbies I've been enjoying.

For these two cards, I used my absolute FAVOURITES of the new Christmas stamps. These beautiful horses are sure to be flying off counters everywhere...that's my prediction! I stamped and embossed these on vellum, then coloured the reverse with chalks and Copics. I really like the recessed window style for this card. We'll be doing a class with these beauties at a local stamp shop this fall.

I used the same vellum technique for this card too, but designed it a little differently.

Do you enjoy creating Halloween cards? These new stamps designed by Leigh Hannan are such FUN to colour and to glitter! I know several little boys who'll love receiving these in the mail.

For this one, the sentiment is computer generated.

I hope you'll have time to visit other designers' blogs. You'll be glad you did! Tuesday's highlights are also being posted by Laura and Julie. Wednesday's peeks will come from Kelli and Jeanne. Friday's peeks will come from Dina and Shirley.

Thursday's posts will be by everyone on the team...it's our Christmas in July new release blitz, so I'll have several new Christmas cards to share with you then. Links to all the IO designers are here on my sidebar. If you're looking for inspiration, be sure to visit!

Apart from enjoying time in my Happy Room today, I was able to enjoy my gardens as well. I'm so delighted with my peonies and my climbing roses this year. Here's one of my "New Dawn" climbers. My pink roses always remind my of my dear friend "Dr. Debbie." She loved roses, and everything she planted grew so beautifully.

Thanks for visiting today.

Impression Obsession Designers' Challenge!

This week, the Impression Obsession designers are engaged in a collaboration with the Simmmerz designers, using IO stamps and Shimmerz paints...a natural mix! This is the card I did, a double slider using one of the brand new Leigh Hannan Christmas stamps due to be released at CHA later this month, and sentiment stamps also from the Christmas collection. I coloured the image with Touch alcohol based markers, then overpainted accents with Shimmerz paints (Bubble Gum and Angel Wings. It's difficult to capture the beautiful shimmery finish, but trust me, it's just GORGEOUS, and so perfect for Christmas! This design holds a surprise gift card well...nice for popping in the mail! It also meets the current Wednesday Stamper challenge...colourful.

Thanks so much for stopping by today. I hope you'll have time to look at the other Impression Obsession designers' blogs for their beautiful creations. The links are on the sidebar, just look right. ;)

I wish you a creative summer weekend!

Card for a friend...

I created this one to meet the following challenges: Created by Hand (inchies), Gothic Arch (create an ATC, Gothic style), Timeless Tuesday (use dimension...pop it up) and Secret Crafters (use three ribbons). I created an inchie envelope, then masked and stamped it with this design stamp from Quietfire. I accented the border and the tiny heart with Glitter Ritz Stardust Opaque Microfine glitter. I used Sookwang double sided tape on cardstock, then punched small hearts and covered them with Glitter Ritz Grasshopper Opaque Microfine glitter. I cut the Gothic arch from this beautiful classic Italian Portofino paper, edged it with Krylon 18 Kt Gold Leafing ink, then glued the inchie envelope and pop dotted the glittered hearts onto the arch. I attached the arch to a Cuttlebug embossed gatefold card, and wrapped a length of ecru double faced satin ribbon 'round the card.

Thanks so much for taking the time to visit today. I hope YOU have some time to create something beautiful!

Designers' challenge

The Impression Obsession designers' challenge is to create cards suitable for men...always a challenge for me! This first card uses this swirl background stamp which I white-embossed on my origami tie, and the "Just for You" stamp from the "Anytime Sentiments" set.

This second card uses a sentiment stamp from the Cupcake set (MC 181), coupled with a diecut arch and silhouette I did with the Silhouette SD electronic cutter. The Dad's wings meet the Gothic Arch challenge for this week, and the buttons meet the Craft Challenge over at Charisma Cardz.

Several other Impression Obsessioon designers are posting their challenge cards today, so I hope you can take some time to blog-hop a little. The links to their blogs are on my right hand sidebar. Who else is participating? Daniela, Dina, Laura, Jeanne, Jenny and Shirley!

Would you like to see your own artsy work featured on the Impression Obsession blog? We'd love it! Please send Impression Obsession stamped creations along to our IO blog mistress here.

Thanks for stopping by, hope your day is delightful!

Challenges, for a friend

The current Created by Hand challenge is to use a summer theme; the current Crazy Amigo challenge is to use a favourite brand; the current Wednesday Stamper challenge is to use the colours of our flag. Our Canadian flag is red and white...and today is Canada Day.

I used a gold embossed "friend" stamp from Quietfire Design, and a sheet of damask paper from one of my perennially favourite manufacturers, Making Memories.

I cut the centre aperture of this tri-fold card with the Cuttlebug and the round Nesties die; the card is another one for my friend Meg whose seven year old son Ben is fighting cancer. The centre panel's circle is actually just space...nothing there..the card folds to view the "friend" on an inside panel from the front.