Apple Blossoms for Paper Players Challenge #8

Hi Everyone.  Happy Sunday.  I hope you have all had a fabulous weekend.  Lou and I just got back, but more about that later:-)

Tonight's card is for the Always Playing with Paper Challenge # 8 – an inspiration challenge and the great CAS sketch challenge from cleanandsimple stamping.  I love being able to challenge myself in two ways.

Lesley set us an inspiration challenge this week. 
The thing about inspiration – it can take you to so many different areas.  Here's the inspiration pic.  For many people the overall theme would be the blue… but for me, I looked at what stood out – the orangey/pink flowers were the things that really stood out for me – along with the green leaves.

You could also be inspired by the shape – or the yellow, or the flowers – there are so many things to look at and let your imagination take you on a journey.

So, for me – it was the flowers and the green leaves.

Here's the sketch for the fall to layout #99 – it really is a very versatile sketch

Pop along to the design team's sites and have a look at their fabulous creations – there is some cool eye candy for you this week.

Corie's Gorgeous Vintage Wallpaper CAS card

LeAnne's beautiful, bright and cheerful daisy card

Lesley's, fabulous daisy card

Marlene's beautiful Baroque Motifs CAS card (check out the scoring in the background!).  Marlene was our guest designer for July and it was an absolute pleasure to see her creations every week.  Thanks so much for being such a great guest designer, Marlene.

Using my new Apple Blossoms hostess level 2 set, I used the flowers on the top pic as my inspiration to create this card:

So, probably not what you were expecting, I bet.  I bet you were expecting me to do a blue card.  But, I really was struck by the flowers! :-)  Now, it's your turn to join us.  We really do love seeing what you create each week – and it's very difficult for the design team to decide which ones to feature.  You are all a very talented bunch.  If you haven't joined us before, this inspiration challenge is a good place to start!

Card recipe – all materials Stampin' Up! unless otherwise noted:

• Card stock:  Poppy Parade (thanks, Rach!), Very Vanill
• Stamps:  Apple Blossoms
• Inks:  Always Artichoke, Poppy Parade
• Accessories:  small half pearl from the Basic Pearls
• Tools:  Corner rounder punch, Window Word Punch, Dotted Scallop Ribbon Border punch, dimensionals, paper snips

Card instructions:

• Cut Poppy Parade card stock to 11 x 4 1/4".  Score and fold at 5 1/2 – with the fold on the left
• Cut Very Vanilla card stock to 4 x 3 3/4".  Round the two right hand side corners
• Ink up your stem and leaf stamp with Always Artichoke and stamp onto the Very Vanilla layer.
• Ink up the flower stamp with Popy Parade ink and Stamp onto the Very Vanilla focal point layer using your stamp-a-ma-jig. 
• Ink up and stamp again onto scrap Very Vanilla card stock.  Using your snips, carefully cut around the flower image and back with dimensionals.  Then place over the image stamped onto the Very Vanilla layer.
• Take a small half pearl and place in the middle of the flower
• Mount the Very Vanilla layer onto the card base using dimensionals
• Ink up your sentiment stamp and stamp onto Very Vanilla card stock.  Punch out and place on the focal point layer, overlapping with the card stock. 
• Cut a piece of Poppy Parade paper and punch out.  Glue down the middle of the punched piece carefully, so that you don't get glue oozing out of the punched dots.
• Adhere to the focal point layer – allowing the Very Vanilla to show through on one side
• Using your corner rounder, round the two right hand corners of the card base layer

Tips:

• I know I've told you this before, but don't forget to condition your stamps when they are brand new.  Clean them vigorously with Stampin' Mist on your Stampin' Scrub and wipe clean, or sand very lightly with your sanding block.  Anything that works for you to get the filmy layer off the stamp
• Rounding the corners of your card stock closest to a round image – like the flower, creates a softer outline and fits better with the focal point
• The scalloped punched border echoes the shape of the flowers and the leaves
• The small pearl adds just a touch of elegance, but also helps to tie together the focal image with the scalloped border – as that also has little dots in it
• Stamping and cutting the second flower is a little time consuming, but adds dimension to the card – which is always a great thing with such a clean and simple card

On a personal note:

It has finally stopped raining.  It's still muggy – but my heart goes out to those of you on the east coast who are under yet another heat advisory!  We finally got the new furniture out on the deck and are looking forward to having a glass of wine out on the deck in our new chairs this evening.

We were out of town last night  – up in Minneapolis/St Paul for the finale of the Minnesota Orchestra Summerfest.  We drove up, did a little shopping at the local art store for me and then had lunch, relaxed and then went off to see the "semi-staged" production of Puccini's Tosca.  Now, when they said "semi-staged" they weren't joking.  Two props on the stage and no-one in costume.  It was a little surprising but enjoyable none the less.  The arias from Tosca are some of the most beautiful in opera and it never ceases to move me.  Then it was back to the hotel for a late supper and very late to bed.  A great evening spent with my honey.  A special bonus as we were not supposed to be going, as Lou was supposed to be traveling.

Today, I am hoping to get a little time in my stamping space to make some more cards, then do a little housework – I really need to do housework, but would much rather be stamping.  Anyone else have that problem?  Working full time, just doesn't give me the time to do all the things that I want to do. We really need to win the lottery 🙂

Lynn, thank you so much for stamping some images of Fluffles for me.  I really appreciate that.  He really is such a fabulous image!

As always, thank you so much for spending time in my little area of the stamping blogosphere.  Your visits, your support and your comments are greatly appreciated.  Talking about comments, I have no idea what is going on these days, but I know some of you are having trouble putting comments on my blog and I'm having trouble adding comments to blogs that are housed on BLOGSPOT.  It's gotten to the point where I have to try two different browsers and make sure that I copy my comment before I try to post it to make sure it doesn't get lost in the blackhole of the blogosphere!

Prayers as always for Trish, Germaine, T, Pri, Arthur and for those of you who feel you could use a little help.

Have a fabulous Monday – I hope it's a wonderful day for you all

Hugs

Jaydee