Yikes! Timed Stamping Challenge with As You See It Challenges!

Let me start by saying I hate anything to do with timed tests of any kind!  As a kid, I would always fall apart anytime we had to do a times table test that had a time limit.  It took until I was an adult and a teacher, to learn how to handle timed assignments:  put your emotions in the background; take data in, spit answers out! No feelings allowed!  But this week's challenge from As You See It Challenges brought all those anxious emotions back to remembrance again!  It is a Speed Stamping Challenge - you have to complete a card in 10 minutes!

I also wanted to enter The Paper Player's Tic Tac Toe Challenge #189 :

I did the diagonal line, Birthday, Patterned Paper and Any Shade of Blue.

And I promise I didn't cheat!  Here's what I came up with in 10 minutes:

• Before I started the clock, I had the card planned out in my mind and I knew I wanted to do an ombre design of some sort with the "Shades of Blue" part of the As You See It Challenge.  I originally thought I would do fringes, but thought maybe it would take too long to get it looking nice.  Then I decided to stamp and immediately thought of Gorgeous Grunge.  I could picture the "splotch" stamp in my mind in a range of blues.
• I had to use Patterned Paper for the Tic Tac Toe challenge and knew I could find some Coastal Cabana polka dots in the Afternoon Tea DSP.
• We were allowed to gather our materials before starting, but as soon as the cutting blade hit the paper, the timer started!  I had inks, paper, stamps, stamp cleaner ready to go.

• The inks I used were Midnight Muse, Island Indigo, Bermuda Bay, Tempting Turquoise, Coastal Cabana and Pool Party, going from darkest at the bottom to lightest at the top.  I stamped some off first to give some depth to the design.
• The sentiment is from Bring on the Cake.  I had originally intended to use Stampin' Write Markers to fill in the letters if I had time.  I didn't and I'm glad now.  I think the outline letters create a good contrast to the solid splotches.

• As I worked on this, everything was going fine until I was ready to glue the last two panels on to the base.  Then I realized that the patterned DSP was incredibly crooked and I couldn't move it!  Yikes! Things started to go south, until I remembered the advice I gave my students:  "No feelings!  Data in! Solutions out! "  I took a deep breath, cut another piece of DSP, ripped off the crooked one and glued the new piece down.  Phew. Crisis averted!
• It was done but needed something.  I glanced at my watch. 59 seconds remaining.  I ran to my embellishment drawer and grabbed some Coastal Cabana In Colour Boutique Details and some Midnight Muse Dahlias.  The Boutique Details were too big and wouldn't fit anywhere.  I experimented with the dahlias, but finally used just one and glue-dotted it down with split seconds remaining!  DONE!
• If I had had more time, I think some linen thread or Baker's twine might have added some interest to break up the vertical a bit, but I'm pretty happy to at least have a feasible card done in 10 minutes.

Try this challenge yourself!  It's a bit nerve-wracking, but lots of fun!  I wouldn't want to always have to have time limits, but it's amazing what you can do when you push yourself a bit!

Click on the links below to take you to my On-Line Store, where you can read about, look at, and purchase if you wish, the products used to make this card today!

Product List

130514	130517	128490	121958	131390	101650
126843	126860	126986	131171	126952	131175
126982	127556	110755

You're One Mean 'Ombre!

You can't go 5 pins on Pinterest these days without running into Ombre!  It's Ombre everything:

                                                                      nails,
       hair,                                                                                                       denim,



                                                                                                                           
 leggings,

                                                                       Easter Eggs                                                                                  



                                                                                                                                           - even mugs!

I was inspired by a demonstration and a card done by my upline, Tamara Casorso, using this very technique.  The results were so beautiful, that I decided it was time I tried this ombre stuff, and if you know me, you'll know that my favourite palettes are monochromatic.  Every time I'm in a hardware store, I'm drawn by some invisible force to the paint chips! lol

The ombre technique is done on the Canvas Creations sheets!  I just love the look they create.  I decided I would try some emboss resist along with the ombre effect.  I stamped an image from the Flowering Flourishes stamp set in Versamark on the right side of the canvas, covered with clear Stampin' Emboss powder, and heat set it.  (The canvas definitely has a wrong side and the embossing and dye won't take on the wrong side.  The wrong side has a fuzzier texture and a coarser looking weave.)

Then I added about 4 drops of Pacific Point reinker to about 1/4" of water in a container and submerged the whole canvas into it for a few seconds and brought it out.  I added about 4 more drops and submerged the bottom 3/4 of the canvas for another few seconds.  I added 10 - 12 more drops and dipped half of the canvas in that, then added another 10 drops and only dunked the bottom 1/4 of the sheet in.  You can see how well the clear embossing resisted the ink.

I dried the sheet using the low setting on the Stampin' Up Heat Tool and then stamped the butterfly from Papillon Potpourri and the sentiment from Oh, Hello in StazOn Jet Black.  The texture of the canvas gives the stamped images an interesting look.

I like the way the Designer Builder Brad with a small circle of the background DSP ( Tea for Two), makes it look like a peep hole through to the back of the canvas and its matte of Old Olive.

Anyway, what a fun technique and you should try it out!  I know you'll enjoy the results!

Stamps:  Oh, Hello ( w130730; c130733), Papillon Potpourri (w123757; c123759)), Flowering Flourishes (w126365; c126367)

Paper: Tempting Turquoise (102067), Whisper White (100730) and Old Olive (100702) card stock;  Tea For Two DSP (129311); Canvas Creations (129375)

Ink:  VersaMark (102283); StazOn Jet Black (101406); Pacific Point Classic Stampin' Ink Refill (111840)

Accessories: Designer Builder Brads (129329); Clear Stampin' Emboss Powder (109130)

Tools: Itty Bitty Shapes Punch Pack (118309); Heat Tool (129053)