Fun with TWO Challenges!

Aloha, all!

     While I'm procrastinating on doing some chores today (chore is NOT a fun word!), I looked for some online Stamping Challenges to keep me busy.  Not only did I find one challenge that seemed like it would be especially fun, I found a second challenge for which I could use the same project as I had in mind for the first.  Two-fers are good things!

     The first challenge that got me started was from my online Stampin' Up! Demonstrator group, SUDSOL. The challenge there was to use something from the Stampin' Up! Holiday Catalog in a non-Holiday way.  I'm always trying to make use of seasonal stamp sets in a way that's different from their stated purpose so that I can help you (and me, of course!) justify buying a seasonal stamp set.

     Then, as I was building my challenge list for the day, I came across the Create with Connie and Mary Color Challenge for the week.  Aha!  Some fall colors that go with a set of Designer Series Papers, Sweater Weather – in the Holiday Catalog!  I was off and running…

     …to make a Birthday Card!!   The stamp set with the pile of gifts is from the Christmas Set, Wishing You, on page 23 of the Holiday Catalog.  And, of course, I jumped right on that Sweater Weather paper set to accent the Christmas set.

     All of the papers, except for the Very Vanilla Card Stock that I used for the stamped image and the card base, are from Sweater Weather.  I focused on the colors from the Create with Connie and Mary color challenge, which are Tangerine Tango, Crushed Curry, and Chocolate Chip. 

     The gifts are all in one stamp.  I stamped the whole image, using Chocolate Chip ink, onto a piece of Very Vanilla Card Stock, then cut it out using two dies from the Stampin' Up! Sizzix Framelits Set, Chalk Talk.  It's really easy using the small piece through which I ran the Baker's Twine to make the bow.  The outside edge of that little piece fits nicely right up to the inside edge of the larger framelit die.  I then stamped the image separately in Tangerine Tango, Crushed Curry and Chocolate Chip (again!), cut out the 3 "gifts," and adhered them to the main image to give the card a bit of texture.

     Now about that Baker's Twine:  There is no really small ribbon in the current Stampin' Up! lineup that features any of the colors I was using today.  So I decided to tint some White Baker's Twine with some Tangerine Tango Ink.  I did this by laying one end of the cut Baker's Twine on my Tangerine Tango Stamp Pad and then I used a Blender Pen, with which I picked up some color from the stamp pad, and colored onto the Baker's Twine that was lying there.  This way both sides of the twine were colored with the Tangerine Tango.  I ran the twine across the stamp pad in small sections until it was all colored.  If you do this, wait a while for the twine to dry, and run it through a paper towel or tissue to catch any leftover ink.

     Oh, and that "Birthday Wishes" stamp is from the annual catalog set, For You.

     So here I am with a card that meets both challenges!  Anyone can join in the Create with Connie and Mary challenge just by clicking here and adding your own project using the link at the bottom.  If you are a Stampin' Up! demonstrator and don't belong to SUDSOL, you can try this fun group out for two weeks for free! Just click here to check it out!

     It's been a while, but I thought perhaps I might try to get back into some layout sketching.  So here's my sketch for today's card.  I hope you have fun with it!

     Now off to do some more procrastinating.  Maybe those chores will just go away?

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