CHALLENGE #1 - BLOSSOMS

Welcome to our humble abode, please pull up a seat and make yourself comfortable :)
The way this blog will work (except this time) is I will post up some tutorials, links to tutorials, hints and tips etc PRIOR to a challenge so that you can use your knowledge when the challenge is set plus it will give you time to prepare. Obviously I don't know everything so please feel free to add comments or email tips in to be added. There will also be a question and answers thread or you can email me about anything craft and blog related.

Firstly I would like to introduce you to one of our sponsors, a very familiar name, Joanna Sheen

Joanna has been involved in crafts for 30 years, has written over 30 books from cookery to crafts and flowers. She is best known for her craft CDs, cardmaking and pressed flowercraft programmes and can regularly be seen on Ideal World and Create & Craft TV.

Her website is a gem of the latest craft goodies from stamps to CD's and flowers and pens to suit all budgets, tips and tutorials and projects galleries and if you see something you fancy its FREE postage and packing on most items worldwide! Please check out her site, apart from her shop she has a lovely friendly forum with lots to do!

Joanna is offering a voucher for one lucky participant, thank you Joanna!




Now onto our very first challenge!
I've chosen Blossoms (flowers) as a nice easy starter as we're a new blossoming group and everybody has flowers somewhere! Stamp them, stick them, pick them or make them from scratch the choice is yours! I'll show you the DT works and later on over the next week I'll highlight various ways of using flowers in your designs.

To enter, leave a link to your card in the comments box below, if you dont know how to do this there is a tutorial in the sidebar on the right or if it goes Pete Tong DON'T PANIC :-)
If you don't have a blog, please email entries in. Please post your entries by Noon UK time on 24th Aug.

Our design team is made up of very new cardmakers up to more experienced with a variety of styles and skills. We also have a special uber talented guest designer each challenge so you will see a full range of examples. Now remember, everyone starts somewhere (I sound like Granny Murray!) and I hope you start with us :)

So your challenge is to use flowers of any kind somewhere on your design :)

JACK

The butterfly stamps are from Clear Choice stamps and are stamped with stazon onto a background I made by rubbing Distress Inks over cream card. The flower is stamped onto an old book page that I stuck to some card and using a stamp that was free with Craft Stamper Magazine and then inked with the same Distress Inks (Mustard Seed, Old Paper and Walnut Stain). The ribbon and brown card was from my stash. Easy peasy!

JENNY

A4 card scored at 12.5cm so it creates card base off centre.
16cm light pink card, 15cm green card, 14cm dark pink card – this has been embossed with big shot flowers textured plate then glitter added.
5cm x 21cm dark card again embossed with flowers plate but this time a pink inkpad used to highlight.
4 squares – 2 light pink & 2 green
Hero Arts flower set – this has been stamped with Versamark and then heat embossed with clear embossing powder

JOY

This is made up using a plain cream card to which I glued the purple backing, added some self adhesive flowery border and then put three photographs all of which show the wild rose tree which is in our back garden.

JUDIE

I used a flower paper for the vase shape, attached a piece of card and added two more flowers topped with buttons, the main flowers are 2 flowers topped with ribbon to make another flower.

JULIE

A simple yet, in my opinion, effective card which with any sort of papers I am sure anybody could make. I started with a C5 size card, I used a sheet of "Hot off the Press" background paper, cut one sheet to size to cover the front of the card and use a glue roller to attach it. I then used a stamp I bought in a "Hot off the Press" kit and pink ink to stamp the swirls in each corner of the card. The tag in the middle is from the same kit, I cut it out and mounted it onto card (just to make it a little thicker) then attached it to the card with 3d foam. Last but not least two little gems attached to the tag on the front.

LISA

Sugar Nellie 'Blossom' stamp, coloured in with promarkers - image cut out using nestabilities scalloped oval dies and edged with distress ink. The backing paper was made using a matching flower stamp - stamped repeatedly on plain white card, coloured in with promarkers, edged with distress ink and glitter glue added to the flower centres for some sparkle. Strip of self-adhesive lace added to finish.

MANDY

Patterned paper K & Co, silk flower recycled, decoupage flower in centre from patterned paper, stickles glitter glue and Sakura Glitter Pen.

RACHEL

I used Sugar Nellie's Country Cousins country garden, water coloured using whispers brush markers, lilac card stock and layered backing paper, a ribbon to cover the join then matted the image on gold mirri board. To finish it off I punched a scalloped circle from the same gold card and centering a flower cluster punched a smaller circle to make a free moving embelishment by fastening with three jump rings under the flower from Joanna Sheens site

ROSE

My scrapbook page is 12 X 12
Flowers cut with Sizzix dies Flower Layers #3 and Three Leaf Stem
I die cut the flowers from patterned papers and then scrunched them up to make them look old and have some dimension. I only glue the centers on them to each other so they are 3 dimensional. I added bright buttons to the centers. The leaves are cut from a vine and I cut the actual leaves off and inked them to make them look old.

TORIA

The stamp is Papermania Vintage Flower. I stamped the image using ColorBox Midnight blue from one of their option pad, onto a cream coloured cardstock, that is similar to watercolour paper. Then used a brush and water to pull the colour from the edges of the images. I love using this technique as it is so quick and easy to do. Then once it had dried I used a Sukura clear stardust pen to add a little glitter to the centre and then used a Sukura clear glaze pen over the top to add a little more shine. I mounted on the same cardstock that I have coloured using the same ink pad. Then mounted it again on plain cream cardstock. I have used the ink to edge the card mounts as well.

For the main card, I wrapped a length of ribbon and added a pleated a ribbon bow, with a large brad in the centre. I mounted the flower on top and then added three brads on top of the ribbon.

VIX

I thought I'd go back to my roots with this challenge and use some peel offs, I think most cardmakers start with them or will use them at some point. The peel off is from a sheet of pansies and I chose the one in a vase. I stuck them onto card and cut them out then coloured them with copic markers and added stickles glitter glue to the centres. I also added some additional pansy heads to make it 3d.

Backing paper is from stash and the green I distressed with a pair of scissors (It was not happy about it I can tell you!) and then rubbed distress ink using cut n dry foam (You can also just use a sponge) I also used a pink adirondack ink around the vase and drew in some doodling. I added more pansy heads to the bottom corner and some knotted ribbon as "leaves" The ribbon was coloured with copic pens to match as were the gems at the top and peel off sentiment.

SPECIAL GUEST - SHEILA FROM DOUBTFIRES MUSINGS

Image is a digital stamp by Victoria Case which has been coloured with copic pens and I used nestabilities to cut out the oval. Flowers and leaves are punches and the centres are gems I coloured with copic pens to match.

EMAIL ENTRIES

BY BEAUMONT FOX

BY JULIE W

BY MANDIE F

BY KATHY O'M