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Sunday 23 August 2009

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 :)






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!




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.





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.


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.





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.




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




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










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.




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.






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.




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

42 comments:

  1. Beautiful work Design Team! I am so excited and inspired by each one of you! Amazing work on the website Vix!

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  2. Good luck Hunny.. you deserve it!! your fabulous & I loves ya xx
    Hugs
    Sheila xx

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  3. Loving all the beautiful cards by the DT and GDT, will try and play along this week.
    Nicola -x-

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  4. Gorgeous creations from the DT! I hopped over from Sheila's site :) Followed your blog and added your challenge blog to my list.

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  5. Hi everyone. Thanks for the DT inspiration.
    here's mine
    Clare x

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  6. Hi Vix and Brilliant Crafty Card Making Team. I've just popped by to wish you all the best of luck with your first Challenge!

    All the best and I cant wait to see what everyone comes up with!!

    Brilliant DT cards!!

    Kimmi xx

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  7. Oooh I just adore flowers and love the DT cards. It inspired me:
    Here’s my card

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  8. Hi love the Dt cards and good luck with the new blog. Sure it is going to be a winner. HERE is my card

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  9. Loved the first challenge and looking forward to more. All the DT cards and Sheila's GDT card is gorgeous. Here's my card
    Happy crafting
    Tracy x

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  10. Every success with the new blog!
    Glad I found it!
    My card is here
    Chrissie

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  11. Wishing you great sucess with your new blog,
    so glad I can join in the challenges,
    Super DT Samples,
    HERE IS MY ENTRY
    Hugs
    Angie

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  12. Thank goodness I found you
    http://peterjdan.blogspot.com/2009/08/please-read-me.html
    Vicky;0)

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  13. Done it wrong again
    Vicky

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  14. Hi, wow what an amazing blog. I havent entered a challenge before so i hope im doing this right. My entry is here http://reereecrafts.blogspot.com/ Thanks so much :)

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  15. Hope I am doing this right
    http://craftieodamae.blogspot.com/2009/08/good-morning-its-gonna-be-another-hot.html

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  16. I am so glad I found you,I feel a little out of my depth some times,
    here is my card http://peterjdan.blogspot.com/2009/08/please-read-me.html

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  17. Hi there great to see a new challenge blog. I have only been blogging for a few weeks now but I love challenges! Your DT have been very busy.

    Here's my card

    Good luck with the new challenge blog.

    Kat x

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  18. hiya. great challenge and great dt cards. HERE is mine.
    Rachel xx

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  19. Great new blog, good luck to you all. Super DT cards. You'll find mine Here TFL

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  20. Good luck with your new challenge blog, you've got a great DT! Here's my card

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  21. glad to participate in the first challenge...

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  22. Hello,

    I'm just a starter in this cardmaking thing... I almost fell bad for presenting such a simple card, but here it is: http://postaisdajoana.blogspot.com/2009/08/mais-umas-flores.html

    I'm portuguese, so my blog is in portuguese too, sorry about that.

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  23. Fabulous start to the blog guys! Fantastic dt work-wish you every success! Here's my entry
    Hugs Rowena

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  24. Wow What a lovely Challenge here's my Card

    Scott :)

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  25. What a lovely challenge to start with! The DT cards are so beautiful and inspirational. Here's my card, hope you enjoy it! :)

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  26. Great start to the blog. Good Luck with it. All the DT work is so varied and beautiful. You can see my cards and scrapbook pages here (I did 3 in total!): http://carocrafts.blogspot.com/2009/08/sunshine-and-showers.html

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  27. Fantastic challange and cards by the DT team.

    Here's my entry

    luv
    irene
    xxxx

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  28. lots of lovely flowery cards!

    here's my card http://loobys-place.blogspot.com/2009/08/crafty-cardmakers-challenge-1.html

    Still have to work out how to just post a direct link rather than the code, sorry, it'll happen one day!

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  29. My card's here.

    It's amazing how varied and beautiful the cards are even though they've got a common theme!

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  30. Im judie one of the DT i have left comments on all the lovely cards above, they are stunning - such a lovely lots of cards all different and all beautiful, well done everyone

    Judie xx

    http://judie-ijustloveartymess.blogspot.com/

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  31. Gorgeous cards evryone. Thanks Vicky for letting me know about the blog and the challenges. I look forward to lots of fun and inspiration.

    Here's my entry!
    Hope you lik eit
    Hugs
    Suzanne x

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  32. What a great new challenge. I saw your comment on my daughter's card on Do Crafts. Love your tutorials and all your DT work.

    here's my card

    Lynne.x

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  33. I'm glad you started with a simple challenge! My card is here

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  35. Great Tutorial and lovely DT cards.
    Here’s my card
    Kathleen x

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  36. Hi everyone, last minute entry but this order fitted the criteria so here's mine
    http://clarabellecrafts.blogspot.com/2009/08/crafty-cardmakers-1st-blog-challenge.html
    Sarah x

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  37. Hello, Hopefuly this ll work, here's my card.

    http://www.docrafts.co.uk/community/gallery/item.aspx?item=3099298

    Catherine

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  38. Hi guys, I no idea if this will work but hopefully you will find my card http://asprinklingofglitter.blogspot.com/2009/08/crafty-cardmakers-challenge-card.html here!
    Fab challenge
    Mandy xx

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Thank you for joining in our challenges and leaving lovely comments.