More Punch Art Challenges!

This week on Paola's Punch Art card swap thread on Splitcoaststampers (http://www.splitcoaststampers.com/forums/cards-f107/%2A-u-postal-yet-%2A-pleezz-check-punched-art-%2Adue-april-2-2012%2A-t545218.html) Melina challenged us to make a card using one punch 3 times.  In addition we needed to emboss our punched pieces either dry or wet embossing.  I love embossing so I decided to do both and here's my creation:

If you've known me long you know I love anything with butterflies so naturally when Melina challenged us to use one punch 3 times I knew I had to use one of my butterfly punches.  This one is from Martha Stewart.  The butterflies were punched out with Stampin' Up's Bermuda Bay paper which had been dry embossed with Cuttlebug Swiss Dots folder then rubbed with Versamark pad sprinkled with black embossing powder and heat set.  I felt the butterflies needed a little more definition so I punched more in black cardstock, trimmed and adhered to the embossed butterfly punches.  The butterflies were attached to the panel with designer papaer from Graphic 45...Love the colors and the butterflies on that paper!  When it came to choosing a focal image I couldn't resist using C.C. Designs Ima Butterfly.  I was so fortunate to win this cute image in a recent reveal of their Swiss Pixie's stamps for March.  You can see them here: http://www.allthatscraps.com/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=650_1412  I colored this adorable Ima Butterfly with Copic markers, enhanced her ribbon, wings and boots with Stickles.  The panel was cut with my Spellbinders Nestibilities Labels One, sponged with Tim Holtz Distress Ink in antique linen and edged with Copic Marker YR23. The Bermuda Bay panel was embossed with the CB Swiss Dots folder.

The layout for this card is from {FreshlyMade} sketch #28 (FMS28):

Another Punch Art Challenge Card

Every Tuesday someone participating in my friend Paola's Punch Art card swap on Splitcoaststampers (SCS) chooses a punch art theme challenge.  Since no one else stepped forward I decided since it was the first day of spring to challenge my fellow punch art enthusiasts to create a card featuring flowers created from punches.  Here is my creation:

Paper: The Paper Company Metallic Cover Kiwi, Bazzill  and Stampin' Up cardstocks
Designer Paper: Crate paper Neighborhood Collection
Ink: SU Cameo Coral, Momento Pear Tart, Copic Markers: R22, BG10
Stamps: SU Flower of the Month, Happy Birthday Frame
Punches: Martha Stewart, Fiskars, Marvy, Carl Carla Craft, McGill Craftivity
The sketch is this weeks Mojo Monday MOJO233:

This card is going to one of my dear friends who is celebrating her birthday this month. Hope she likes it!



One for the Money, Two for the Show....

Remember that old ditty?  For some strange reason it was running through my mind as I prepared to upload two new cards.  My first card is for today's Dueling Darling Challenge, "St. Patrick's Day"!  The Dueling Darlings are two teams, the Divas (my team) and the Dazzlers who create around a theme from a kit supplied by their team member.  Each month one team member from the Divas and one from the Dazzlers get together to choose a theme for their month.  From that theme they individually create a kit using stamped images/sentiments, paper and embellishments and mail to their team mates.  On the 15th of the month we reveal our creations.  Often there is an additional challenge.  Here is my card created from the fantastic kit sent by my teammate Barb:



 The Kit Contained:

Whipper Snapper Designs
4--Images—Irish Luck-stamped in Memento Black
4--Sentiment—Happy St. Patrick’s Day
it is stamped in Memento Black-2 & Cottage Ivy-1 and Stampin Up Garden Green-1

Patterned Paper:
Reminisce Lucky Me
--St. Patrick’s Day—clovers/swirls
--Lucky Stripe—stripes/clovers
--Micro clover—small clovers/stripes
Reminisce Shenanigans
--Shenanigans--Words and outline clovers

--Various Ribbons and Twine--White Buttons

--Shamrock and Leprechaun shoe Brads

--Various pearls, rhinestones and foam stickers

I LOVED all those papers and had a hard time choosing which to use so I cut strips, layed them diagonally along withe the green ribbon on a card stock panel then zigzag stitched each panel and around the edges of the panel.  This darling leprechaun image was colored with Copic Markers, die cut with Spellbinders' Nestabilities Labels Eleven and enhanced with a shamrock brad, rhinestone and shiny green adhesive embellishments.  The final touch was those sparkly green foam shamrocks in opposite corners.

And in addition to creating your card, Michelle and Barb  requested us when we post our cards to "please tell  if you have a tradition relating to St. Patrick’s Day. Do you crave a type of Irish food? Do you prepare something special or go out to a certain place to eat that day. Do you have any special memories of that holiday from the past that you want to share?"  I'm married to a man with the name Patrick McMullen. So what do you think?  Of course, we celebrate St. Paddy's day usually with him preparing Corned Beef and Cabbage.  This year we're delaying the celebration by one day.  We belong to a Gourmet Club and it so happens this month the dinner in falling on the 17th and our hosts have decided the theme should be Vietnamese food.  Go figure!

Please visit the rest of the Diva team here:
Kelly: http://sandcastlestamper.blogspot.com/
Carol: http://lostinmycraftroom.blogspot.com/
Barb:  http://inkingintoretirement.blogspot.com/
Jamie: http://butterflystamper71.blogspot.com/
Joan:  http://msearlgrey.wordpress.com/
LJ:  http://buckygirl.blogspot.com/
Tami:  http://blueinksdesign.blogspot.com/

And also visit the Dazzlers starting with their leader Jeanette here: http://creativeplayischeaperthantherapy.blogspot.com

My second card of the day is for a challenge on my friend Paola's Punch Art swap thread on SCS (http://www.splitcoaststampers.com/forums/cards-f107/pleezz-check-%2A-swaps-due-soon-punched-art-%2Adue-april-2-2012%2A-t545218.html).  Each week one of the participants in the swap chooses a challenge using punches.  Here is this week's challenge from Rosie in her own words: 

"Use DP for the background of your card, sounds easy right. Ok here is the twist, you must use a solid color paper on the top, make a frame using punches.

You will be layering the card with DP and then place your punched solid color over the top to see the DP through your punched frame.

You may decorate how ever you would like......after the first steps are done"

Here's is my card (sorry the lighting was so dim!):

Several months ago I received a surprise package in the mail from my dear and generous niece.  Inside was a treasure trove of Martha Stewart punches, all with a snowflake image.  So may punched panel was made with the punch anywhere large snowflake and the "punch around the corner" snowflake corner and border punches.  The background paper is a freebie digi paper from Lauren Meader's My Time Made Easy store.  I used some blue grosgrain ribbon from Michael's.  I stamped the "peace" sentiment in SU's Bashful Blue and used Bashful Blue cardstock for the base of the card.  I think this card also qualifies for this week's Clean And Simple (CAS) challenge on Splitcoaststampers (SCS): White with Shades of Blue.

I would love to know what you think.  Wishing you many blessings and Hugs!

Punch Art Challenge, Week Two

My friend Paola is hosting a Punch Art card swap on SCS.  For those participating and friends she decided to add a special weekly challenge using punches.  Each week one of the swap participants presents a challenge and this week my paper punching pal April has challenged us to create a card using non-border punches to create a border.  Almost immediately I thought of using a punch  I rarely use to create a border of four leaf clovers on a card celebrating St. Patrick's Day and here is my card:

The designer paper is from Best Creations, St. Patrick, Base and layering paper is from Stampin' Up, four leaf clover was punched from Bazzill cardstock as where the scalloped hearts that create the shamrock embellishment.  The smaller hearts on the shamrock are from some scrap d.p.  I added a button with lime twist twine from My Mind's Eye and a trailing ribbon stem.  The "Happy St. Patricks Day was cut from SU cardstock on my Cricut.  The used this week's MOJO Monday sketch 230 here: