Techniques Class & Challenges

Alot of the blogs, group lists & websites I follow offer challenges every week or so, and lately I've been really trying to get on board. 

Simon Says Stamp is a terrific online store that carries pretty much everything that's out there, including Tim Holtz items and Wendy Vecchi's lines (two of my favorite designers, duh).  They offer a challenge every week, where a random entrant can win a $50 gift certificate to shop for goodies from their site.  I just found out last week that there are actually two different challenges ... their weekly challenge, and their vintage challenge.

One of the challenges for last week was trendy--use either neon colors, hexagon shapes, or a chevron design.  The first two weren't gonna happen here, so I chose to use my new Chevron embossing folder from Stampin' Up!  I had to prepare for my monthly Techniques class, so I killed two birds with one stone.  Here's what I came up with:

 

 

I used Tim Holtz's Alterations Rickety House die using SU Crumb Cake card stock, then ran the diecut through my machine again in the Chevron folder.  I applied Pumice Stone Distress Ink, and then went over it all with Frayed Burlap Distress Ink.  I cut a 2nd house on scrap to use as a stencil which I laid over some SU So Saffron card stock and inked the windows with So Saffron ink to create a kind of glowing light effect.  Then I adhered the yellow card stock to the back of my house.

 

The base of the card is SU Early Espresso card stock with a layer of Elegant Eggplant to which I stamped SU's Cheesecloth background w/Versamark ink.  I also made a stencil of a 'hill' for the bottom which I inked up with Frayed Burlap.  I distressed the edges and added more Frayed Burlap ink.

 

The moon was SU's Very Vanilla card stock, punched out with 1", 1-1/4" & 1-3/8" circle punches, then stacked and ran them through the Bigshot in Tim Holtz's Rays Texture Fade folder.  They were colored w/So Saffron ink before embossing, and swiped w/Spiced Marmalade Distress ink after and layered w/Dimensionals.

 

Alas, my entry didn't win, but never fail, there's more!

 

One of the talented people I met on the last Tim Holtz cruise was Linda Ledbetter and her mom.  Linda has a blog where she posts a challenge, and there's usually a prize.  Most of the time (as far as I know--haven't been following more than a couple of months), it's also a gift certificate for Simon Says Stamp, about $25.  Her challenges run through the techniques from Tim's books, and as I said, I just started following them.  She's up to page 46 from A Compendium of Curiosities Vol. II.  The techniques go to page 66, so I'm very late in the game.  lol



I also belong to a couple Yahoo Groups:  All Things Tim (subscribe at AllThingsTim-subscribe@yahoogroups.com), Kindred Souls (invite only), and Everything Wendy Vecchi (subscribe at EverythingWendyVecchi-subscribe@yahoogroups.com).  These groups have challenges as well.

This next card is from another challenge.  Simon Says Stamp happens to be having their Stamptember event, and Tim did a technique video for them, as well as Wendy.  Lori Hassler, who is the list mom for Everything Wendy Vecchi challenged us this week to do the technique Wendy did in her video, so here's mine:

 

I used Encore Gold ink first for the script background from Wendy's Live & Make Art set.  I then stamped the flourishes in the top left & bottom right corners w/Adirondack Snow Cap ink and heat dried them (sorry, I don't know which company makes these stamps).  I then swiped over them with the ink blending tool w/Seedless Preserves Seasonal Distress ink.

 

I then used the Snow Cap again and stamp the leaves with a stamp from the Precious Butterflies set from SU.  After heat drying, I swiped Peeled Paint Distress ink.

 

I put some Ranger Gold Paint Dabber on my craft sheet and added water with my Aqua Painter.  When the mixture was watery enough, I splattered the background.

 

I put some water in a small dish and added a dropper-full of Dusty Concord Distress Ink, plus about 1/4 teaspoon of Heirloom Gold Perfect Pearls & mixed well.  I dropped in a Prima paper flower to color & then heat dried.  I added more color with the Dusty Concord Distress ink & an ink blending tool to highlight some details.  For the flower center, I inked up my SU Canvas background stamp w/Versamark ink and set aside.  I put a Pop-Up Glue Dot in the flower center & covered with gold embossing powder.  After melting the powder, I quickly pressed it onto the inked stamp to give it texture (the Versamark ink helps to release the embossed glue dot).

 

The card is layered on some Elegant Eggplant card stock, then Shimmery Gold, and finally onto a Basic Black card base.

 

This final card from class wasn't a challenge, and I learned this technique from a fellow Stampin' Up! demonstrator, Louise DelVecchio.  She came up with this flower fold using the SU Scallop Circle Punch.  I just chose my colors, and added more flowers.

 

 

I thought this was a fairly simple card since it's just the white card base and two stamps.  Boy, was I wrong!  lol  I figured after they scored & folded their 2nd flower, they'd be pros ... not so.  But, they all liked the card, so I think it was OK.  lol

 

We used Basic Black ink for the sentiment, and Garden Green ink for the leaves.  The flowers are made with Rich Razzleberry, Melon Mambo, Regal Rose, Pretty in Pink & Pink Pirouette card stocks.  Everything used to make this card was by SU.

 

One of the ladies at class last night was from the classes I taught at Michaels, so she's been to about 7 of my classes.  The friend she brought with her was an absolute (and I mean absolute!) beginner.  I love teaching beginners because everything is a WOW.  It's just tough when you have very experienced stampers and a newbie in the same class with advanced projects.  I hope I didn't overwhelm her and scare her away!  lol