Christmas in July

     This week's Teapot Tuesday Challenge is Christmas in July -- create a card feturing a gingerbread man. I didn't have any good images, but luckily fellow SCSer Leigh, who runs Happileigh Scrappin, offered up this cute image for challenge participants.

     The image is colored with pencils and OMS.  The layout is this week's Card Positioning System sketch (CPS228).   I added a scalloped edge and ribbon to the panel on the left of the cookie, and also did a little piercing in each corner of the main image. (Papers are from an old Hobby Lobby Christmas pad.)

     I'm so proud of myself for being able to locate all my holiday supplies.  I found an aluminum candy cane (from Michael's several Christmases ago) and added red and green gems to it, because this card is also for Victorine Originals Challenge #13 to add bling, and that's about as blingy as I get.

Kick back and relax

I own a fluffy orange cat, and I can almost imagine him in this pose. He loves to stretch out on his back with the sun hitting his belly, and I'm sure he'd be happy to do so with an inner-tube cushion, as long as it was on solid ground, not water.  OK, he probably wouldn't want an umbrella drink, but "carefree days" sure captures his life.
But back to the matter at hand.  This card is for the Off The Wall Craftiness challenge #57, which is to make a "beachy" card.  Additionally, it is for this week's Magical Monday Callenge at There's Magic In the Air -- this week's challenge is a sketch, which I had to tweak just a bit to fit my image.
That cute image is a free digi I picked up a while back, but I'm pretty sure it's Hambo.  Colored with pencils and OMS.  There's some Martha Stewart baker's twine wrapped around the edge of image, and the chipboard sentiment is from an old pack by Colorbok. Patterned paper is from My Mind's Eye.
Take it easy in the heat!

Birthday Collage

I don't do collage very often, as I'm just not comfortable doing it. But the Ways to Use it challenge at SCS this week was to do a collage using at least four stamps.  The sample cards inspired me, and this is what I came up with. (It is in part a CASE of the sample by Collette, challenge hostess).

It's also for this week's Magical Monday challenge to do a birthday card.  (And it's really different from anything I made during my month as guest designer for Paper Cupcakes).

The puffy flower (Purple Onion Designs) is clear-embossed on gray paper. I overstamped with a script background stamp using Ranger Slate ink, wiping the ink of the embossing.  Then I added the butterflies (Impression Obsession) in opposite corners using SU Eggplant Envy ink. 

The sentiment is also stamped in Eggplant Envy ink.  I used half-pearls to tie the sentiment in with the bottom of the card.  The border punch is by McGill.

Bright and cheerful flowers

     Outside, it's about 97 degrees and any flowers in my yard are wilting. But in my stamp room, I can make them as perky, bright and cheerful as I want.

     This card was inspired by this week's teapot at Mother Mark's Teapot Tuesday.  Usually I get inspired by Cindy's fun stories, rather than the actual teapot, but this teapot was so cute, I couldn't resist translating it to card form.
      The flowers and leaves are from an SU set, and I've lost track of where the bee is from (probably a grab bag of some sort or another). I arranged them close to how they appear on the teapot and colored with pencils.  The yellow layer went thru the Cuttlebug with the Swiss dot folder, and since the bottom of the card "needed something," it got half pearls.  
     The ribbon came from Mike's a few years ago -- it was among the Christmas clearance ribbon, and I was grabbing anything that didn't look "too Christmasy."
      The Victorine Stamps challenge is back, and this card is for Challenge #12 -- using flowers.
Stay cool.