SPOTLIGHT CHALLENGE - PUNCHES

Woweee what a beautiful array of easel cards you've made, how fabulous!! Thank You all so much for playing the spotlight challenge. The froggy has chosen and has picked...

58 - Julie! Well Done Julie! Please email me with your address and I'll post you a candy pack out.

Its time for another spotlight challenge! We are going to spotlight PUNCHES for this one. Some of the DT have also followed Joy's recipe challenge for this too but you don't have to, we'd just like to see your ways of using punches, be inventive and have a go at something a bit different with them. You never know what you might discover, have a rummage through your dusty old punches too and see what other ways you can use it,

I've had a mooch round if you fancy challenging yourself and getting more out of your punches so here's some great tutorials I've found.

Amazing Paper Grace - Rectangle frame from corner punch
Inspirational - Floral punch art card
Inspirational - Vintage paper posies
Inspirational - Circle scalloped edge


As always both the main challenge and spotlight challenge are open for 2 weeks each so you can also combine both challenges here too as some of the team have done.

Can I also make a quick note which goes for all challenges - You must follow the blog rules and the challenge. I know we don't like rules too much but we do have to draw the line somewhere. This challenge requires you to use punches, NOT die cuts. We've noted of late that some entrants in previous challenges here and elsewhere are being a bit too liberal in the interpretation of the challenge. You won't be eligible for any prize on offer so please ensure you have followed challenges correctly.

Onto what our fantabulous design team have created to inspire you, haven't they done well!! I'm offering a little candy pack for this including flowers, stamped images and ribbon.

Melly

I loved the wee recipe challenge this week, perfect for my wee papers from Papermania. I used my image form Lili of the Valley that my friend Susie got me, coloured with promarkers. I also used my corner punch for the edges and my Martha Stewart border punch for the easel tab. Added loads of buttons and ribbons from my stash and a wee sentiment to finish!

Josephine

The image is a combination of three digi stamps from Becky Muir which I've coloured with Promarkers. I printed it on my usual Ryman card and matted it on brown. I punched four layers of coloured card with a Martha Stewart border punch and layered them, adding the image at the top, and finished the card with some sticky gems on the brown layer. I was looking for something to go with the layered idea, and the merry-go-round horses seemed ideal.

Cath

First, the background was sponged with Adirondack Sunshine Yellow ink, then, using a punchie as a mask (with non permanent adhesive), Spiced Marmalade, Dried Marigold, Cabin Door, Victorian Velvet and Spun Sugar distress inks were sponged on, with a little Adirondack Mountain Rose. The elephants and tree (one stamp) were stamped in Versafine Onyx Black, then clear embossed. Top corners were punched with a corner punch. The outer layer is just white card, embossed with a Rollagraph, taken off the wheel and used as a stamp. Final card is Bazzill orange.

Corry

I used as many punches as I could!! I used my Fiskars corner punch for the corners of all three layers behind Elsie the Elephant from Prairie Fairy Designs. SU border punch used for small strip of bright yellow paper & MS border punch used for large light yellow paper behind Elsie. I punched out my sentiment with my SU Tag punch & SU butterfly punch for (yup) the butterflies. I made a flower with my 5/8" round punch from EK Success, popped a button in the middle & used my MS leaf punch for (yup) the leaves! I used my scallop punch to decorate the inside of my card.

Ei

Here's my 'punches' card. I've used the Mega Rectangle Nestability for the opening card on the front and two different Martha Stewart border punches, two Martha Stewart flower punches, one Martha Stewart branch punch and one L-Em branch punch. The large flower was created with a poinsettia Nestie and a blossom Nestie and the large leaves are individual leaves of a Sizzix poinsettia die. I've used no dp's but 'dabbed' the hammered cream card with chalks.

Jack

I decided to go with punches for my card and used several not just to punch out flowers and edge the DP but also punched a strip with a border punch and made the large flowers following a tutorial from Inspirationsl Tips, Techniques and Tutorials Blog. The DPs are from K&Co Tim Coffey Daisy pad and the stamp is a Penny Black (full details on my blog).

Judie

I have made a clock for my mummie as its her birthday next week. It started life as a piece of wood, I stained some torn pieces of paper from an old book and swipped them with mixtures of distress inks and glossed up with sepia accents. I punched out several different sizes of flowers and sprayed them with sticky fingers and then mica powders. I used a hole punch to punch out some silver holes for the middle of each flower and then added distress stickles to the edges of the flowers. I have swipped around the edge of the clock with silver leaf.

Kat

I've followed the recipe from last week and used orange, an animal and of course punches. I used a Martha Stewart corner punch on the corners of the DP and the corresponding edge punch to punch a nice lacy strip. The cute PB image is coloured with Promarkers, cut out with a round nestie and edged in dried marigold Distress Ink. The flowers are cut out with 2 sizes of EK Success retro flower punch, edged with Distress Ink and I added self adhesive pearls. I also highlighted the punched corners, border and sentiment with s.a. pearls.

Lisa

I've used a digistamp from Di's Digi Downloads, coloured with promarkers. The papers are Making Memories with coredinations cardstock. The flower was made with a Woodware daisy punch and an x-cut flower punch, leaves were cut with a Woodware punch. I then inked around the edges of the flowers and leaves with pink ink for definition and added a button. The border was cut with the Martha Stewart doily lace trim punch.

Toria

I created a tent card from yellow card and some paper free from a magazine. I cut a aperture using a circle cutter.

The Seahorse, Weed and Mermaid are from the latest Magnolia Stamp Club. They are both stamped with Memento Ink. For both the images, I created coloured paper, using combination of Starburst Stains and Mica Powder. I stamped the on white card and coloured her face and hair with Copics and Spica Glitter pens. Then I stamped her twice on to two different starburst backgrounds and paper pieced her together. I added extra colour to the seahorse, with Mica paints and then once dried, I covered it with Glossy Accents. I made a hole in the top of the seahorse and the tent card. I added jump rings and chain, which I used to hang the seahorse. I also stamped the weed on the starburst paper and added these to the inside of the card.

The fish are created using a leaf Punch and Two different sized heart Punches. They were punched out of the same starburst stain paper as used for the seahorse and then more colour was added with Mica Paint. Then covered in Glossy Accents. To finish off the cut, I cut some bubbles using a hole punch and cover in Glossy accents.

This challenge will close Midnight on Monday 16th August just prior to the next spotlight challenge. Thank You for looking and lets see you be really inventive!