As You See It Challenges #025

Well, we've reached a quarter of a hundred challenges now at As You See It Challenge Blog!  The time has sure flown since September, and we've seen so many delightful ideas from the design team and all of you who have participated!  If you haven't tried it yet, give it a go this week.  Amanda has created a charming sketch for us:

I had great fun designing mine:

• I finally was able to break open my Fresh Prints Designer Series Paper Stacks and use this beautiful distressed polka dot paper in Coastal Cabana.  These Paper Stack are a great deal.  For $8.50 (CAD) you get 48 sheets of double-sided paper  - 4 each of 12 double-sided designs.  The sheets are 4 1/2" x 6 1/2"- plenty for a card front with a little trimming, or use them full sized and make your own envelope.  The colours used are Coastal Cabana, Crumb Cake, Real Red and Whisper White, and you can see I've used them all here.
• I used Banner Blast and Hearts a Flutter for all the garland pieces and See Ya Later for the sentiment. I used the rounded banner stamp for the half circles, but punched out a 1" circle with the 1" Circle Punch and cut it in half.
• I wanted to sew the garlands, but wasn't sure how I would feed the little pieces through the sewing machine and keep them aligned.  I came up with a brilliant (okay, maybe just clever) solution.  I used a tiny bit of snail to adhere each piece on an arc pencilled on a piece of paper. (The arc matches the arc of the doily.)  I made sure each piece overlapped slightly. I sewed them right to the paper and then I cut the paper away behind them.  The little bit of Snail on the backs helped to adhere each garland to the card front.  Whaddya think? 

• The flag garland was stamped using Banner Blast stamps and punched with the Banner Punch.  Banner Blast and the Banner Punch are both Sale-A-Bration items. You can earn either with a $60 minimum order before tax and shipping all during Sale-A-Bration, which ends March 31st!
• I added a Tea Lace Paper Doily, some Designer buttons and an In Colour Boutique Detail in Coastal Cabana!

So get out your paper and stamps and embellishments and give this week's sketch a try!  You'll get plenty of positive reinforcement and it's a chance to show off a little.  Don't be intimidated.  Stampers are the most encouraging and positive people I know and we all remember when we were just starting out!  I'm looking forward to seeing what's in that creative brain of yours.

To purchase any of the products listed below used to make this project, simply click on the links which will take you directly to my On-Line Stampin' Up!  Store, where you can view the products and make a purchase if you like.  You can have it delivered right to your door!

• See Ya Later Wood-Mount Stamp Set
• See Ya Later Clear-Mount Stamp Set
• Hearts A Flutter
• Hearts A Flutter Clear-Mount Stamp Set
• Banner Blast Wood-Mount Stamp Set
• Banner Blast Clear-Mount Stamp Set
• Fresh Prints Designer Series Paper Stack
• Whisper White 8-1/2X11 Card Stock
• Coastal Cabana 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock
• Jet Black StazOn Pad
• Coastal Cabana Classic Stampin' Pad
• Crumb Cake Classic Stampin' Pad
• Real Red Classic Stampin' Pad
• Tea Lace Paper Doilies
• Hearts A Flutter Framelits Dies
• 1 Inch Circle Punch
• Banner Punch
• Regals Designer Buttons
• Neutrals Designer Buttons
• In Color Boutique Details

Winner of the September Mystery Hostess Contest

Yesterday, I sewed for the first time in ages!  I'm sewing bedding for my youngest grandson, Wyatt.

Isn't he adorable?  Such a happy guy and full of smiles and giggles at 3 months old!

He is the son of my oldest daughter, Erin and my son-in-law, Jonny!  I'm using a navy stripe, like ticking and some ochre-coloured cotton for the pattern.

And guess what?  My Stampin' Up Craft Scissors cut that material like it was butter!  I'll show you the results once I finish.

In the meantime, it's time to announce the winner of the September Mystery Hostess Contest.  Teri Coady won the Hostess Rewards, her choice of free product from Stampin' Up!  You will have a chance to win, too, next month.  The last week of every month is a Mystery Hostess Contest Week.  Congratulations, Teri, and we will connect to arrange for your free product.



Here's a quick sample for you.  It was a card I designed for a workshop, but decided against it because of the  time consuming faux suede technique.  I posted it on Pinterest instead and entered it in the Crafting with Connie and Mary Challenge #269, where it won a Top 3 Pick.  Here's the pic:

• The star of the show is the faux suede flower which I made by punching out 4 scallop circles with the largest scallop circle punch.  I worked those circles with my bone folder until the paper plies separated and I gently pulled them apart which creates that suede look!  I sponge the edges and fastened them in the middle with a brad, then scrunched each layer up around the brad.
• The palette of Crisp Cantaloupe, Pistachio Pudding and Island Indigo came from the Venetian Romance DSP that I used here.  The one with the stylized chevrons worked perfectly for one of the flags in the Challenge Sketch.
• The other flag was made by punching only the end of the paper with the Petite Pennants Builder Punch.
• The sentiment is from Express Yourself, a Hostess Only stamp set that I find myself using time and time again!  Host a Private Party with me and you could get it for free!

That's it for tonight!  See you tomorrow with more samples and tips!

Stamps:  Express Yourself *(w130336; c130339)

Paper:  Venetian Romance Design Series Paper (130144); Very Vanilla (101650), Island Indigo (122923), Crisp Cantaloupe (131298) and Pistachio Pudding (131294) cardstock

Ink:  Classic Stampin' Pads in Crisp Cantaloupe (131176) and Island Indigo (126986)

Accessories:  Regals Collection Candy Dots (130932); Candy Dots Brads Bases (132293)

Tools:  2 3/8" Scallop Circle Punch (118874); Petite Pennants Builder Punch (122361); Bone Folder (102300); Paper Piercing Tool (126189)

*Hostess Set only