Inspiration Station Challenge #41 - Sunflowers and Pumpkins

Hi Friends and Welcome to my second post for today!  A new bi-weekly challenge round has started at The Inspiration Station Challenge Blog and the inspiration photo this round contains one of my favorite flowers!  

How stunning is this inspiration photo?  I wish I could have fields of sunflowers growing all around me.  Next to the Iris, Sunflowers are a favorite of mine in the summer and autumn.

I was inspired to create an Autumn themed card that, of course included sunflowers and I found this lovely image from Conie Fong in my stash.  It's the Sunflowers and Pumpkins digital image and it was just right! 

I've colored the image using my Spectrum Noir Illustrator Alcohol Markers and the patterned papers are from the Carta Bella "Hello Fall" 6x6 paper pad.  I love plaids, polkadots and ginghams in holiday themed projects.

I didn't follow a sketch per se, I made my own sketch.  I've die cut the focal image using a fancy tag die from Alina Craft.  Lastly, I've added gold sequins for extra shine.  We also want to announce we are partnering with the Double Trouble Challenge this round.  Please stop by their challenge HERE and play along.

We hope you'll visit the challenge blog, my teammates have created some lovely projects based on their intrepretation of the photo.  

Until next time, Happy Crafting!

Donna

**Challenges Entered:

Double Trouble

Dream Valley

A Place to Start

Conie Fong FB Group

Crafting Happiness

Cupcake Inspirations

Incy Wincy

Your Scrapbook Place

Creatalicious

Crafty Hazelnut's Patterned Paper

Die Cut Divas

Cut It Up

Build A Bouquet for Ukraine

Hello Friends and Happy Sunday.  Today's post features a card created using the Stampendous Build A Bouquet Cling Stamp Set.  This is an older set that I've had in my stash for quite some time.  I wanted to create something with the Ukraine in mind, so this set was perfect for that.

The card measures 5.5" square (one of my favorite square sizes) and the images have been colored using alcohol markers.  I've ink blended random sized strips of card and adhered to the card base, the sentiment die is one I've had in my stash a very long time as well; so long I do not remember how I came to have it, I believe it was gifted to me in a swap.

I fussy cut the images and adhered to the card base, popping up a bloom on craft foam for dimension.  Lastly, black gems and white highlights have been added for visual interest and this card is complete.

Thanks for visiting me today and until next time, Happy Crafting!

Donna

Challenges Entered:

Gem of a Challenge

Polkadoodle

Little Patch of Crafty Friends

Outlawz Sunday Song & Rhyme

Dragonfly Dreams

We Love Stamping

Stamping Sensations - I Love:  Sunflowers...I plant mini sunflowers in whiskey barrel planters every year.  They adorn my from porch.

Krafty Chicks

Make the Cards

Avenue 613

Dies R Us

Colorful Options

Hello Sunflowers and Sunshine

Good Sunday to you!  I hope your weekend has been great so far and if you're having a holiday tomorrow, I wish you lots of enjoyment.  Today's make and share features a Trio of Sunflowers.

I've made a Mini Slimline card measuring 8"x4" with Sunflowers from the Spellbinders Fun Stampers Journey Hello Sunflower Stamp Set.  I stamped the smallest of the sunflower images 3 times and colored with Spectrum Noir Alcohol Markers.  I die cut the images with a circle die and mounted them on foam pads.  The sentiment, from the same set, was heat embossed and mounted on foam pads.  I adhered all to a card base with mats from 12x12 single sheets of designer papers from Hobby Lobby.  Lastly, added twine and sequins for a finishing touch.

Sunflowers are one of my favorite flowers and it's sad the stalk only produces one bloom then it's done.  Sunflowers say Summer and Fall to me.  Until next time, Happy Crafting!

Donna

**Challenges Entered:

Just Us Girls

Outlaws Crash Your Stash

Paperbabe

Krafty Chicks

Lemon Shortbread

TTCRD

Lil Red Wagon

Penny's Challenges

The Sisterhood of Crafters

Word Art Wednesday

Aud Sentiments

You Are Beautiful

Hello and Happy Tuesday!  Todays make features a beautiful Sunflower and Ink Blending created with all those suffering with the unbearable cold, snow storms and loss of power this winter in mind.

Sunflowers are my favorite Summer and Fall flowers, I usually plant them twice a year.  I created this card with an ink blended background panel; using Fun Stampers Journey and Distress Oxide Inks in the colors Lemon Drop, Limeade Splash, Orange Rave and Mowed Lawn.  The stamps are from the Fun Stampers Journey "Hello Sunflower" Stamp Set.

To complete the card, I added two pieces of scrap designer series paper to the left side along with a strand of Journey Gift Twine (it has a gold thread running through it) and some mini pearls.  I also added the black dots around the flower, those are not part of the stamp.

Have a Great Day, Stay Warm and Safe.  Until next time, Happy Crafting!

Donna

**Challenges Entered:

Crafty Sentiments

Digi Choosday

Pammie's Inky Pinkies Challenge - Sending Warm Hugs

 Hello and Happy Monday!  Today begins a new challenge at Pammie's Inky Pinkies with a theme of Anything Goes.  Pammie will be offering the winner a $10 Gift Certificate to Unity Stamps...Woo Hoo!

My design team project features a Freebie digital stamp from Power Poppy titled Sending Warm Hugs.  It's a lovely stamp, an easy color and because it's a digi, it can be resized to fit your needs.  Do you know of anyone needing a Hug?  If yes, create a special card for them using this digi stamp.

Since we are 1 day away from the official First Day of Autumn (it's tomorrow), I wanted to create an Autumn themed card.  I colored the image with Spectrum Noir Alcohol Markers, die cut the focal image with a tattered paper die, inked the edges with Tea Dye Distress Ink and backed with DSP from the Carta Bella 6x6 paper pad "Fall Market".

For a final touch, I added Wink of Stella to the flower petals and added a ribbon from my stash.  I love Sunflowers and this flower looks like a Sunflower to me...I especially love the Orange and Maroon Sunflowers in the Fall.

Please join us this round at Pammie's Inky Pinkies, we would love to see your creations and we hope to inspire you with ours.  Until next time, Happy Crafting!

Donna

**Challenges Entered:

Crafting Happiness

Artsy Stamper

Dream Valley Challenges

All Fun Challenges

Crafts Galore Encore

Creative Fingers

Cardz TV #124

All Sorts Challenge

Crafty Friends Challenge

Pink Gem Challenge

The Paper Funday Challenges - July Challenge

Hello everyone and Happy 4th of July!  It's been a quick first half of the year and it's been very HOT here in Florida!  The humidity is unbearable so all the more reason to stay inside and craft or in the pool floating around.

Today begins a new challenge at The Paper Funday Challenges.  This month the challenge has a dual theme:  Patriotic and/or Summertime.

I chose to create projects for both themes.  My first card is an Easel Card with a Patriotic Theme.  I used some dies to cut out the flowers and stars, an embossing folder for the flower centers, some Washi tape and digital paper. 

My second project was created with the Summertime theme.  I colored up an image from Bugaboo Stamps, die cut the sentiment, the Vellum background and the white mat with the image.  Otherwise I kept it pretty simple.  I love Sunflowers and they just sing Summer to me!

Please join us this month at The Paper Funday Challenges.  The Challenge has a lovely Sponsor  offering a great prize.  We would love to have you play along and we hope to unspire your crafting.

Until next time, Happy Crafting!

Donna

Make My Monday Challenge - Going Round in Circles

Hello and Happy Monday!  I hope your weekend was spectacular.  Today begins a new challenge at the Make My Monday Challenge Blog with the theme being Going Round in Circles.

I created a round card and embellished with circles in order to match the theme.  I used a few dies in my stash to create this pretty Spring card. I used the largest circle die I had to create a 5" circle for the base of the card.  I was lucky to find another circle die for the printed mat that left a nice border.
The sentiment is a sticker from a pack I found at the Dollar Tree; that was a special surprise!

Please join us this week at Make My Monday and let your imagine run with what you can create using circles.  We would enjoy seeing your creations.

Until next time, Happy Crafting!

Donna

**Challenges Entered:

Penny's Paper Crafty Challenges - Bouquet of Sunflowers

Hi everyone, I hope you're all doing well!  It's a new challenge at Penny's Challenges and the sponsor for this week is Sparkle N Sprinkle.  I had the pleasure of creating my design team project with the
Thinking of You Digital Stamp Set.  This set has the focal image and several sentiments for many occasions.

My card is a standard A2 size (4.25" x 5.5") side flap design.  The card base is kraft card and the design paper was some I had in my stash.  I added some card candy for accents with a touch of Gelly Roll pen in the centers of the flowers for sparkle.

Please join us this week and Penny's and also please visit the new challenge blog The Paper Funday Challenges - A Monthly Challenge Blog for all Things Paper.

Until next time, Happy Crafting!

Donna

**Challenges Entered:
The Paper Shelter
Cardz TV #81
Artistic Inspirations
Get Creative

Creative Knockouts Design Team Project - Challenge #260

Today I'm sharing my design team project for the Creative Knockouts Challenge #260.  The image I've used today is the Autumn Owl from Bugaboo Stamps.  I love coloring Bugaboo images because they have bold lines making them easy to color using your favorite method.

As part of the challenge, we are to use twine in our design so I made two bows out of double strands of brown baker's twine.  The sentiment "thankful" was stamped with Ranger Archival Ink in the color Potting Soil and I went over the letters with a Gel Glitter pen.

I hope you have been inspired to join in the fun over at Creative Knockouts for challenge #260.  Until next time, Happy Crafting!

Donna

**Card entered in the following challenges:
Pammie's Inky Pinkies
Cute N Crafty Challenge Blog
Creativ Fusion #3
A Bit More Time To Craft
2 Crafty Critter Crazies
Carlin Map Paradise
Creative Moments #151
Crafty Animals #17
Cardz TV #61

Sunshine - Sketch Saturday Challenge Blog

Hello and Happy Saturday!  Today I'm sharing my 3rd project as Guest Designer for the month of August on Sketch Saturday.  The image I used is Sunshine from The Paper Shelter who is the sponsor of the challenge this week.

The image was pre-colored so it made for a quick card.  This image is so sweet and the color combo was perfect and easy to match up with the papers I had in my stash. 

For the challenge, there was also a sketch to follow:

I decided to add the flowers, following the sketch as closely as I could. I distressed the edges of the focal image with a Tim Holtz Paper Distresser and inked the edges with Tea Dye Distress Ink.  The polka dot patterned paper added just enough visual imagery for her.  

I'm pleased with how Sunshine turned out and I hope you've been inspired to visit Sketch Saturday and join the fun.

Until next time, Happy Crafting!

Donna

** Card Entered in the following challenges:

Jo's Scrap Shack #247

Crafty Friends Challenge #90

CardzTV #61

Digi Choosday #33

Lemon Shortbread Challenge #74

QKR Stampede #309

Scrapbook Stamp Society #147

It's the Little Things

Hello and Happy Monday!  Wow - time is flying by as it's already July 9th..where did May and June go?

Today I'm sharing a lovely floral card that says Summer in a big, bold way.  Sunflowers are my favorite flower; summer and fall.

I used a Bugaboo Stamps image and come dies to cut out the main panel and the sentiment.  I placed the sentiment on a die cut piece of vellum so the vase would not be completely covered up by the sentiment.  The image was colored with Spectrum Noir Markers.

A quick and fairly simple card for today to celebrate the 9th of July...no particular reason other than it's summer and sunflowers are happy!

Have a great day and until next time, Happy Crafting!

Donna

**Card Challenges entered:  Pammies Inky Pinkies #1827, Artistic Inspirations #204, Incy Wincy Designs, Lil Patch of Crafty Friends #85, Penny's Paper Crafty Challenges, CardzTV #54