MIM #106: Two Toned Stamped Flowers

I was intrigued by the idea of doing two toned stamped flowers, so I decided to make a card for this week's  Make It Monday Challenge.  While I've applied multiple inks to an image before, I've never done it to basically cut the image in half.  I couldn't find two pinks that I liked together, so I actually inked the flower, stamped it off once, inked just half of the image a second time, and then stamped that on my card.  I got the idea for the layout from some beautiful stationery at minted.com.  I figured that was appropriate considering another MIM challenge that Melissa Phillips did last year was based on card aisle inspiration.  I didn't get a chance to play along then, so I guess this is my way of making up for lost time. :) I simplified the flower spray a ton, but it's about as complicated as I was willing to go.  I'm having a lot of fun trying to use some PTI stamp sets that I've had for a really long time, but haven't used a ton.

Supplies
Stamps: PTI (Botanical Silhouettes, Daydreamer, Turning a New Leaf)
Ink: PTI (Spring Moss, Summer Sunrise), SU (Chocolate Chip, Old Olive, Pink Passion)
Cardstock: PTI (Stamper's Select White)
Other: Michael's (pearls)

DD #42 & OLW129

 

I found a new challenge - One Layer Wednesday, and I really enjoyed playing along. The majority of my cards aren't super layered anyway, but in my efforts to actually mail the cards I make to people, one layer cards are perfect.  The current challenge is "All in a Row".

The colors for this week's Dynamic Duos challenge were still on my mind while I was trying to think of what image to stamp in a row, and then I remembered this shirt that I bought at the end of last summer for my son. (The picture is dark, but the color scheme for this line of clothing is yellow, green, and navy blue.)

Perfect.  I'd stamp an argyle pattern all in a row using yellow and green.  The only problem is that I keep forgetting to put PTI's Happy Harlequin set in my cart when I place an order, so I don't have any diamond stamps.  I've noticed lately though, once an idea gets stuck in my head, it's hard to get out.  So I grabbed some craft foam, a pen, and a ruler and a few minutes later I had a diamond stamp.  I used a stem from PTI's Heart-2-Heart #7 set to make the "x".  I think this card does this week's Dynamic Duo color combo better justice than the first card I made.  At least I like it better.

Supplies

Stamps: PTI (Heart-2-Heart #7), TAWS (All About You)

Ink: PTI (Lemon Tart, New Leaf, True Black)

Cardstock: PTI (Stamper's Select White)

CTS #17 & DD #42

 

This is definitely a last second post.  I thought about CAS(E) this Sketch #17 periodically over the last few days but nothing came to mind.  I loved the way other people were using the sketch, but I couldn't think of anything different.  Then today I looked at it and I saw a band-aid.  Odd, I know, but several friends and neighbors are sick, so I guess that is what is on my mind.  It's a slight stretch on the sketch, but once I thought of a band-aid, that's what stuck.

 

I started with a different color scheme, but it was kind of blah, and who wants a drab get well card?  So I switched to a color scheme I saw on the Dynamic Duos Challenge blog, which was much brighter, more cheerful, and definitely a color combo I would not have thought to do on my own.  It's hard to tell, but the lemon tart cardstock with PTI's Linen & Canvas impression plate and I used an embossing pen and white embossing powder to make the check marks. 



Retrosketches #52 (based on sketch #4)

Another quick project I made for retrosketches challenge #52, which allowed you to choose any of the previous retrosketches.  This time I used sketch #4.  If I had the time, I would love to go back and make something using each and every one of the previous sketches.  They are all so great.

A neighbor of ours just earned his Eagle Scout Award, so I used the sketch to make a bag topper for some cookies.  Cards for men are hard enough, but making something for a teenage boy is even more intimidating.  I kept things simple and stuck to the scout colors on the invitation we received for his award's ceremony.

Craft Dash #12 & RetroSketches #52

Update: I got a retrosketches SHOUTout for this card.  Yippee! :) Thanks, Arielle.
I've been wanting to participate in Craft Dash #12 all week, but life's been a bit hectic.  I sure love this challenge and I love the colors this week, so I was excited I finally got some time today.

I made a shaker card (which was a bit more ambitious that I was anticipating, and I finished in 9 minutes 59 seconds.  (Yes, I cut it VERY close!) I had to forego stamping a background on the pink paper, but otherwise it turned out mostly as I had envisioned it.  My friend will finish the last class she needs for her Bachelor's Degree in two days.  She's worked so hard to earn her degree (she works full time and has two kids), so she definitely deserves a party.  I'm also linking this to retrosketches challenge #52.  There's no way I could pass up the opportunity to go back and pick one of the sketches I missed out on.  I chose sketch #6.

My second card was a fail.  Not just a Craft Dash fail because it took more than 10 minutes, but it really just didn't turn out the way I was hoping.  I had tons of problems along the way...including my sewing machine going crazy.  I'm hoping my mother-in-law can fix it.  My husband and I both tried, but it's definitely beyond our abilities.   The sequins placement is not what I had intended, but I dropped a couple of the sequins after I had put glue on them, and when I tried to quickly pick them up, some of the color was still stuck to the paper....so there they stayed.  It didn't photograph well..besides the colors being off, there really is a pattern on the 1st pennant although it looks like a solid.  And there were a bunch of other problems along the way, but I've done enough venting.  So you may be asking, why am I even posting it?  So I can remember this icky experience and be grateful when things go much smoother.