Challenge Projects

I love playing in challenges.  I say it over and over in my posts.  Participating  in challenges seems to help spur on my imagination and creativity.  Stamping for me is for pleasure and stress relief and challenges help me accomplish both at the same time while growing in my skills and techniques.  Here are projects from this past week.

My first project is for my first time playing in Cindy Motherway’s (Mothermark) Teapot Tuesday Challenge.  Cindy’s challenges are teapot inspired with an ongoing make believe , funny and unbelievable story line. The inspiration this week was a teapot with an apple tree and the story line was based on Annie Mae Appleseed. 

I hand painted and sponged a little apple tree scene and used the mini fern stamp in my Kittie Kits Outdoor Master to add texture to the tree top and ground area.  The apples were added using a red marker.

This project was for the sketch challenge.  I love the Iris and Butterfly image and thought it was perfect for a clean and simple card.  The image was painted with a brush and reinkers and shaded lightly with a light gray marker. Stamps:  Rubbernecker Stamp Oasis Floral    Paper:  Pink, SU Designer Paper     Ink:  Black Craft, Lemonade, Regal Rose, Scattered Straw    Accessories:  Ribbon, Brushes, Sponges, Marker

I was fortunate to be off work Friday and got to create two projects for the Limited Supply challenge.  The challenge was to make a tiny card and a tiny treat to accompany it.

My first project combined the card and treat into one by making a teabag holder.  I used the Rubbernecker Tea Time set for the cups, tea bags and sentiment.  I love the tiny scalloped napkins accompanying the tea service. Don’t look to closely at the inside of the holder.  When I went in to the kitchen to get one for my photo I didn’t have any teabags so I had to use a chicken broth envelope for the photo.   Accessories: Blender Pen, Clear EP, Nestabilities, Scalloped Punch, Grosgrain

I fell in love with this little birdhouse template that Nicole Heady offers as a free download on her blog. You can see how tiny it is as it sits by my little 3X3” mini card.  I thought the sweet birdhouse would be perfect combined with the bird image from SU Touch of Nature. I stamped the bird image once on pure white cardstock and again on scrap watercolor paper to paint and cut out. I sponged the yellow background on the white main layer.  I painted and cut out the second image and popped up over the main for added dimension. I used a Martha Stewart leaf punch to create the little green hedge around the house.  I cut out little heart flowers free hand for the front and I attached them all with Mod Podge. The roof was made using a large Nestabilities scalloped die. I love this little set. Stamps:  SU Touch of Nature   Paper:  Barely Banana, Bashful Blue, Certainly Celery, White, SU Designer Paper    Ink:  Black Craft, Lemonade, Bashful Blue   Accessories:  Nestabilities, Nicole Heady Birdhouse Template (free), Grosgrain, Mod Podge, Brushes, Sponges,