Hello & Welcome Crafty Friends,
I have decided to enter my very first blog challenge today!! Scary stuff for such a newbie - I feel nervous just talking about it. But, they say writing it down is a form of commitment, so it's done now - that means I have to follow through and enter!
Plus, the two main reasons I started a blog was to share my crafty creations, and to be able to enter challenges. Entering competitions like a blog challenge or blog hops requires you to put your creative hat on and design. Simply use the products you have at your disposal and follow the challenge guidelines to create a card.
It has been proven that creativity can be learned, through constantly creating and designing. The more you design and make your own creations the easier it becomes to be creative. Hence, why challenges and blog hops are fantastic outlets for ensuring your creativity juices are constantly flowing.
Plus, the two main reasons I started a blog was to share my crafty creations, and to be able to enter challenges. Entering competitions like a blog challenge or blog hops requires you to put your creative hat on and design. Simply use the products you have at your disposal and follow the challenge guidelines to create a card.
It has been proven that creativity can be learned, through constantly creating and designing. The more you design and make your own creations the easier it becomes to be creative. Hence, why challenges and blog hops are fantastic outlets for ensuring your creativity juices are constantly flowing.
I have decided to enter the Just Add Ink Challenge as I have personally met a few members of the design team at the Stampin' Up! Perth convention in April this year. If you do not have a blog, JAI also accepts entries via email!! The Just Add Ink challenge this week offers a choice - you choose two from the available three concepts. Flowers-Washi Tape- Watercolour. I decided to chose water colour and flowers - surprise, surprise lol.
I started with a black card base and heat embossed the sentiment from the Colourful Seasons stamp set with gold embossing powder.
Using gold foil card stock and the Detailed Floral Thinlits, I cut the smaller of the two detailed end pieces and used this as a base for the flowers. The die cut is adhered directly to the card front using tombow. If I wasn't posting the card I possibly would have raised the die cut with dimensionals opposed to gluing directly onto the card front.
Using Shimmery White card stock I stamped the Floral images from Remarkable You & Birthday Blooms stamp sets in Versamark and heat set using gold embossing powder. The flowers were water coloured using Daffodil Delight, Peakaboo Peach, Berry Burst and Lemon Lime Twist inks, and then fussy cut.
The flowers were adhered using both foam strips and dimensionals as I wanted to achieve a layered look. I thought about adding some gold metallic Twine - but that stuff and I don't get on too well so I canned that idea. I didn't like the look of any jewels/sequins/rhinestones so I just left it as is.
The card is now in the post making its way to New Zealand - due to the layering, I put my overseas cards in a cello bag first, then the envelope. This helps keep everything attached as the card passes through the postal machines, and also prevents damage if the card is left in a wet letterbox (trust me, twice now, this has happened and both times the envelope was ruined but the card was perfect thanks to the cello bag!)
With loads of family and friends celebrating special occasions in June, I have a busy few days ahead in the craft studio - Yay!!! Hope you get time for you today and get to do something you enjoy, or even try something outside your comfort zone like entering a challenge - until next time - stay crafty x
