Challenge 18 - A Challenging Challenge

CHALLENGE 18 - A CHALLENGING CHALLENGE

Now before you all run away screaming just sit down, take a deep breath and think about this one. We run for 2 weeks as you know so plenty of time to really think about it. There's nothing more rewarding than learning a new technique or mastering a product. We've all probably done it, gone to a show or seen some "must have" item then get it home for it to collect dust for the next few years. Sometimes we might get it out, look at it and put it back away again feeling a bit guilty so now's your chance to CHALLENGE YOURSELF.

We would like you to challenge yourself to use a product that has collected dust, try a new technique or card fold that you've been "meaning to try" or maybe have a go at a challenge you saw on blogger and ran away from because it looked too scary.

You need to point out what you've done in your blog post and we are relying on your HONESTY!

Really, you can get a lot out of this one if you have a go at it, its very rewarding and like me you might wonder what took you so long to use the stuff!

Some places you might like to look for tutorials on products, techniques and different card folds

Splitcoast Stampers
You Tube
Joanna Sheen
Cloud 9
Trish Bee
Ellen Hutson (Lots of nice projects here!)
Michelle Zindorf (What she doesn't know about brayering isn't worth knowing!)

That should give you tons of choice and ideas!

The challenge will close at 12 noon GMT on Sunday 18th April. Please post your entries in Mr Linky. If he is MIA then post in comments and we will post them when Mr Linky reappears.

I really do hope you take on this challenging challenge as it can be a lot of fun!

We have chosen for the Guest Design Spots for the next challenge and will contact you soon. If you would like to guest on Challenge 20 please add GDT after your entry.

Our sponsor for this challenge is the lovely Donna from Donna's Den of Crafts. Donna's Den stocks a number of products from well known names live dovecrafts and DCWV. Pop along to her online store!

Donna is also the brains behind the fabulous Cards for Men challenge blog which runs fortnightly, genius!
Donna is offering some goodies to the winner of this challenge and says this...

"The theme of your challenge is 'To challenge yourself' so I am offering up the following items as a prize because they represent a personal challenge to me. I've never used the inks or the fabric stickers myself. "

Sticky Fingers Autumn Ink - Maple
Sticky Fingers Summer Ink - Laurel Green
HOTP Summer Fabric Stickers

Lets see what the team have challenged themselves with, well done ladies!

Judie

Well, as everyone knows, I hate Promarkers !!!! So the challenge that i would have run a mile from is " I love promarkers" (sorry vixy, know you have just got on the team lol) I think they do a really good job, but i just find them to bulky for me to hold lol
As this really was " the challenge of challenges for me" I have decided to make this card, just for me. I think its turned out lovely, its all greens and purples, my two fav colours, i ripped everything in site, which a fav technique for me as well. The dragon fly I had been saving and saving for the right card as I loved it so much, but used the promarkers to put a bit more colour into. The girl has been coloured with promarkers as well, tried to get some shading in there, dont know if it shows that much. Thanks for looking everyone Judie xx

Julie

I have looked at the easel cards so many times and thought they looked too difficult, I now must say that I feel a little silly shying away from this style of card making as it is so easy, the hardest part is choosing what the image etc so go on it !! I used plain cream card to start with but once I had done the folding I used patterned card to make the front. The patterned card and die cuts I have used from a patchwork pals kit I bought, I stamped Tilda and coloured her with promarkers. I added the finishing touches using brads I bought at christmas with a little charm a secret santa sent me ! I still cannot believe how easy these cards are to make and would encourage anybody new to card making to have a go.

Lisa

I've challenged myself in a couple of different ways for my card this week. Firstly I always avoid 'black & white' challenges - I just don't think I'm very good at them and I really like colour. I also used my sewing machine for the very first time. I've had it for about 6 months I think and I've never used it, so please excuse the wonky stitching but it genuinely is the very first time I've risked using it on a card! The image is from a Kanban stamp set, stamped and then embossed, with some black flat backed pearls added here and there. The flower (necessary because of a very wonky corner!) was cut with a Woodware daisy punch, with a button centre. The sentiment, also strategically placed to cover dodgy stitching, is from Craftwork Cards, and the lace is from my stash.

Mandy

The latest challenge is a challenging Challenge. This for me is a 2 part challenge. I have used a sketch from Day 155 of 365 cards which was from August 2009. As a sketch I just wasn't inspired by it so never did it.

But the main challenge was to actually USE the Flowersoft that I bought at show at the NEC almost 2 years ago. I've got 6 pots of it and have never used it because I'd heard it could go all over the place and make an awful mess. Well I did make a mess, but not as bad as I'd suspected.

The papers are all from a colour co-ordinated capsule pad from Papermania. I just love the oranges and yellows, they are so bright and cheerful and a perfect antidote for the bad weather we have been having lately.

The shaped corners and the centre panel have been cut using Nellie Snellen Dies. The Flowersoft stalks have been placed inside a real terracotta plantpot and I have attached a ribbon bow from the co-rdinated accessories with the Papermania papers. The flowers, gems and sentiment are from my stash.

Toria

I decided to look at two challenges that I had not done for this one. · Magnolia down under's, Fake or Real stitches challenge· Just Magnolia - Paper Pleating challenge. The reason that I did not do these challenges was that I felt that I did not have enough time to give them Justice but also I had no idea what so ever to do for them. I also decided to have a go at a hidden message card, as I had been wanting to do one for a while.

For this card, I used the following stamps:· Magnolia: Tilda with Spring Bundle· Stampin up: Thank youPapers used:· Papermania – Signature Blueberry Hill – All patterned paper· The Papermill – Blue CardRibbon and flowers from own collection.

Tilda was coloured with copic markers and Spica glitter pens. Then cut out using a Nestability Scalloped Oval. Then, I used three shades of pink chalks to distress the edge of the oval. For the hidden message topper – I cut three Nestability labels – 2 from blue card and the other from patterned card. I added lace to the edge of one of the blue card labels. I cut a strip of the same blue card and folded this in half to create a hinge. I stuck this to the back of the lace edged label. Then I struck the other side of the hinge to the back of the patterned paper. I then added some blue and pink ribbon to be able to tie the hidden message shut. I then added some flowers to tie side of the hidden message topper. I stuck the Tilda image on top of the topper.I stamped a thank you and then cut out with a smaller scalloped Oval and used the same chalks to distress the edge. I added some colour to the image with Spica pens. This was then stuck inside the hidden message topper.

For the card base, I cut a strip about 5cm (2in) in width from a sheet of A4 Blue card. This should give you enough card, to create a 16 by 16cm (6in by 6in) card base. This I then folded in half. I round the top corners, with a punch

I cut a square of pink card, which I rounded two top corners, with a corner punch. This I then stuck on to my card base. I cut 2 strips of patterned paper about 5cm (2in) in width and using the tutorial on paper pleating, I pleated both strips. I had to pleat both strips and join them together, to make a strip long enough to fit along the bottom of my card. I stuck the pleated strip, on top of the pink card at the bottom of the card base. I then stuck a strip of blue ribbon on top of the pleated strip and then some narrow pink ribbon on top, down the middle of the blue ribbon. To match the hidden message topper.I then stuck the hidden message topper to the card base.

Vicky

For our challenge theme this week Vix asked us to make something we would normally run a mile from, so I chose " The Colour Purple " and also colouring with distress ink's. For details on this awesome project please visit Vicky's blog.

Vix

Front view

Back View

Inside View

For this challenge I decided to decorate a slide mailer I bought about 2004! When I found the slide mailer I found some marvy metallic pens bought around the same time which hadn't been used for anything more exciting than edging cards so I've used a craft mat to drop the ink onto and placed the mailer on top to get some funky backgrounds.

I've used 3 sweet pea stamps (Soft Goth Night, Rising Flame and Moonlight Whispering) coloured with promarkers and sakura stardust pens.

I've stamped and embossed fairies from The Stampmans Starburst Fairies plate and overstamped with a text stamp. There is a step by step write up on my blog on how this was made and how to do the background if you want a peek.

May I now hand you over to our Special Guest Designer - Itzuvit!

Itzuvit has an enormous list of awards on her blog for Top cards and guest design spots. She is also on the Design Team of One stop craft challenges.
I loved Itzuvits work for the variety of styles and materials, you never know what's coming next plus she does not seem to be afraid of ANY challenge, technique or material and certainly knows challenges like the back of her hand. Pop over for a browse as there is so much to see, so many styles and also helpful videos.

SPECIAL GUEST DESIGNER - ITZUVIT - ITZUV WITH A TOUCH

Ingredients for my card: Doilies in two sizes and colors (pink and white), A wooden button, 2 handmade felt circles in dark pink, C.C. Designs - Sugarplums Cherry Emma Rubber Stamp (I've masked the cherries), Net like golden fabric, Punched and prima flowers, A variety of crafty papers, the pink designed one is from G.C.D. studio.

What motivated me for this card was to use different type of materials to create a warm feel for many occasions kind of card. I wanted to show how you can combine harmonically different materials and they all feel perfectly good together. I've based it on an easel card that I simply love, and I can use it as a best wishes, birthday or holiday card.

And our questions for Itzuvit

1. The reason you were asked to special guest on this challenge is due to you NOT being afraid of anything, materials, challenges they all seem a breeze to you. What do you get out of challenges and any advice?

I take challenges literally and I challenge my self to make something different then what I've already made before. In order to do just that, I use a variety of tools and materials, some of them are from the craft world and some are just fabrics or house hold materials and mix them all up. .

2. You use a lot of different items in your creations, some are regular household items and not commercially bought ones. Whats the strangest item you've used or altered?

I would have to say that making a card with a mini plastic flower pot cut in the middle and a half of a Styrofoam ball covered with punched flowers was a bit unusual, but it had a wow factor on this post: Flower pot card

3. Who/what/where do you find your inspiration?

My inspiration has to be the world! I'm inspired by a variety of things, from outfits, color combinations, a state of mind like nostalgia, and other creative people. What inspire me the most is thinking about the person I'm making my craft for, a specific one or an imagined one (if it's for a unique challenge), that sometimes get me going, if by a color choice or a feminine / manly feel to the card.

4. What do you like most about the blogging community?

First of all I love the fact that there are people like me that I can communicate with, people that enjoy creating and sharing their creations, that’s why I share my templates and things that I create. I also love all the feedback and the sense of a creative community that feeds each other with ideas and creative thoughts.

5. Your Top 3 Tips
1. Always create with an open mind, even if you have a vision allow yourself to alter it on the way (some of my best work was made that way). Don’t be afraid to think out of the box with materials, it will give you a unique creation every single time.

2. Try to mix old with new, warm with cold, lace with metal, soft with hard etc… because they bring out the best of each other.

3. Enjoy the creating process; I do that by giving my self the time and the space to create, and giving my self an easy excess to every single material.

Thank You very much Itzuvit!
Don't forget to check out her amazing blog!