Hope Your Day is Fabulous - Fusion 19

Just a quick post today as I have a list of things I need to get done plus a few things I want to do, like make a few cards to share with you this week. Today's card is my take on the current Fusion Card Challenge.

Though I often opt for a Fusion of the inspiration photo and sketch, this week I opted to go with a clean and simple design using some of the elements and colors in the photo. I think the grey, black and pinks are a really striking color combination and I think it's a great choice for a classy, fashionable look.

Whatever you have planned for the rest of your weekend, I hope your day is fabulous!

SUPPLIES USED:

STAMPS: Signature Sentiments (Papertrey)

INK: Black Onyx (Versafine)

PAPERS: Recollections Solids (Michael's), Bazzill Solids (Bazzill)

OTHER: Paper String (Tim Holtz) Colored with Spectrum Noir DR7

I Just Want to Espresso My Thanks - Fusion #18

When I first saw the current Fusion Card Challenge my first thought was I might pass on playing but I ultimately decided that since I'd set up my Cameo for my craft session this weekend I'd put it to use for this challenge. The card I wound up with is definitely what I'd consider a 'hybrid' since I created the grey/white DSP digitally, cut the shapes with a combination of punches, dies and my Cameo and the stamped the sentiment.

The rules of the Fusion Card Challenge allow you to use the inspiration image, the sketch or a combination of both. I primarily focused in on the teal cup with it's white and red floral pattern and picked up the rest of the colors in this fun retro print too. Although my layout is a variation of the one supplied you can clearly see the influence in my layout so I guess this would be a Fusion design.

Happy Crafting!

SUPPLIES USED: 

STAMPS: Pretty Poppies (My Favorite Things)

PAPER: Recollections Solids (Michael's), Print Poetry - Green Ditsy Print (Stampin Up), Grey & White Wavy Stripe DSP - by Me

DIES/PUNCHES: Coffee Mug by Jen  Martakis (Silhouette Store), Pierced Circles (My Favorite Things)

OTHER: Black Satin RIbbon  (Michael's), White Signo Gel Pen

BASICS: Click HERE to check out my crafting tool bag.

The Best Things - Fusion #17

I ordered a couple of Unity Stamps during the first week of OWH Birthday Bash and they arrived in today's mail. I decided I'd ink this one up to create a card for the  current Fusion Card Challenge. This time I opted to use the image as my inspiration. Stamping an image on text is actually something I've done before and I love the effect.

The text is a page from an old book I picked up at the used book store at our library. Choosing a book with thicker paper is ideal when you're going to use it for crafting. I look for pages that have solid paragraphs so I don't end up with awkward, trapped white space. The flower is stamped and colored with pencils, without too much concern for adding too much shading since the coloring itself isn't the focus. The sentiment is not part of the Unity set. It's a very old acrylic stamp. It's one of my favorite, most used stamps ever but I sadly have no idea who made it. The center of the flowers are tiny, silver seed beads. 

Happy Crafting!

SUPPLIES USED: 

STAMPS: Flower - The Best Things Just Happen (Unity Stamps), Sentiment (Unknown)

INKS: Onyx Black (Versafine)

PAPER: Boy Scout Pad (K&Co), Recollections & Bazzill Solids  (Michael's), Book Page

COLORING MEDIUM: Colored Pencils (Prang)

OTHER: Crepe Ribbon (PaperWishes), Silver Seed beads (Darice)

BASICS: Click HERE to check out my crafting tool bag.

Just For You - Fusion #16

I'm playing along again in the Fusion Card Challenge this week. For this challenge I decided to go with the photo inspiration. I tried to incorporate the soft focus background of the image into my mottled, watercolor background and the soft, translucency of the mason jar in both the sheer ribbon and vellum. The various shades of greens and pinks in the image also stand out so I decided using a floral image would be a good way to capture that in my card too.

Two great things about sheer ribbon are that it doesn't totally obscure what's behind it (which in this case means you see the entire focal image) and that it is soft enough to be tucked into an envelope and be flat enough to mail.

Of all the challenges I've been joining in on this year I think the Fusion is my favorite. The option of using an inspiration photo and/or a sketch leaves lots of room for creativity and inspiration and I like that winners are chosen by their peers.

Happy Crafting!

SUPPLIES USED: 

STAMPS: Natural Beauty, Afterthoughst (Stampin Up)

INKS: Steel Blue (My Favorite Things)

PAPER: Fabriano Artistico Watercolor Paper, UV Ultra II Translucent Vellum 36lb Cover (Neenah), Recollections Solid (Michael's)

DIES: Rounded Banner Stax (MFT)

COLORING MEDIUM: Spectrum Noir Markers (FS3, FS6, PP1, PP2, PP4, PP5, LG3, CG4)

OTHER: Martha Stewart Edge Punch, Sheer Ribbon

You Are My Favorite Thought - Fusion #15 and a Free Chalkboard Digi Sentiment

It's time for another Fusion Card Challenge and when I first saw the inspiration photo I knew that I wanted to incorporate the chalkboard look. The chalkboard technique is a a very hot trend and you can find lots of tutorials on the web if you've haven't already given it a try. I have tried it several times and after a couple of attempts was happy with the results but I started thinking that there were probably a lot of people who liked the look but who might not have the supplies, the patience (heat embossing is almost always a 'hit or miss' proposition for me) or even the right stamps. One thing led to another and I decided I could create the look in a digi, which is what I ultimately used to make my card.

I printed this digi on bright white card stock on my very basic Epson inkjet printer and I am offering it here today for your personal use. I hope you enjoy it.

Just remember that you may use my freebies in any of your personal crafting projects but if you'd like to share it with others I ask that you post a link back to this post so that they can come and download it and see this usage policy. Please do not sell it in any form, pin it, repost it or claim it as your own. If you want to pin my card, please do and then you will always be able to find your way back to the digi when your ready to use it. Just click on it and then use the 'download linked file' or 'save as' command to save it to your computer. 

I ultimately decided to go with a Fusion of both the image and the sketch but you are allowed to use one or the other, or both in your design, so it's really three options rolled into one challenge. If you haven't played along yet in the Fusion Challenges I highly recommend checking them out. I think it's one of the very best challenge blogs around.

Happy Crafting!

SUPPLIES USED: 

STAMPS: Chalkboard Digi Sentiment, Watercolor Garden(Stampin Up - Retired)

INKS: Gumdrop Green,Grape Jelly (MFT), Chestnut Roan (Colorbox) - Distressing

PAPER: Recollections Solids (Michael's), World Traveler (Teresa Collins), Scraps

DIES: Fishtail Flag Stax (MFT)

OTHER: Woodgrain Embossing Folder (Paper Studio), Jute 

BASICS: Click HERE to check out my crafting tool bag.

Christmas at the Beach - Fusion #14

My card share today was created for the Fusion Challenge. The schedule recently switched to every two weeks which is great for me. Because I have limited crafting time, sometimes it's hard to come up with an idea and actually make the card itself. The extra week means I can ruminate over the challenge for a few days before sitting down and trying to create my vision.

This time I decided I would incorporate aspects of the photo with the sketch for a Fusion design. The first thing that came to mind when I looked at the photo was that it would be perfect decor for a beach house at Christmas.

Though it is difficult to perceive in the photo the stars are heat embossed in white and two shades of gold. The ribbon is reminiscent of seaweed, coral or a fishing net and the sequins remind me of water bubbles in the context of this inspiration photo. Though I don't think I would normally be inclined to combine ivory and white in the same design I decided to give it a try and I was pleasantly surprised by how much I ended up liking them together with the various shades of gold.

Happy Crafting!

SUPPLIES USED: 

STAMPS: Seasonal Sentiments (My Favorite Things)

INKS: Versamark

PAPER: Recollections Solids (Michael's)

DIES: Petite Ovals (Spellbinders), Stacking Stars (MFT)

OTHER: Ribbons, Sequins (Michael's), Embossing Powders: White (Hero Arts), Gold Metallic, Gold Matte (Hampton Arts)

BASICS: Click HERE to check out my crafting tool bag.

Fusion - Hypothesis 13

By nature, I am and have always been a very organized and detail oriented person. It's a personality trait that's served me pretty well so far. I mention it because while this card appears to be making it 'just under the wire' for the Fusion Challenge deadline it's actually a pre-scheduled post. Ah yes, technology is amazing... and I am so grateful because it means I can sit down a couple of days (weeks, months or even years) in advance and set up posts for the coming week. 

Though I typically combine both the sketch and the inspiration image on my cards, this time I opted to just work with the sketch. I have to admit that it was so long ago that I first saw this challenge that I can't even recall what might have first come to mind. It definitely wasn't this cute little paper airplane/cloud combo but I'm pleased with how it turned out. Hope you like it too!

Happy Crafting!

SUPPLIES USED: 

STAMPS: Flying By (Lawn Fawn), Sentiment (Stampendous- Retired)

PAPER: Recollections (Michaels), Dots & Stripes Echo Park)

INKS: Onyx Black (Versafine)

DIES: Streamers (Paper Smooches), Clouds (Papertrey Ink)

COLORING MEDIUM: Spectrum Noir Marker (Plane highlights)

OTHER:  Clouds EF (Darice), Jute Twine

BASICS: Click HERE to check out my crafting tool bag.

Fusion Hypothesis #12

The Fusion Challenge this week has a lot of creative possibilities with so many colors and a such a wide variety of elements in this photo. I have owls, gnomes, flowers and cameras in my collection of stamps and digi stamps, but I wasn't keen on narrowing it down to just one of the elements and trying to include them all seemed like it would be chaotic and result in a card that looked too much like a wacky dream, LOL, so I opted to create a Fusion card based on the sketch and also incorporating the colors in the inspiration photo but not the elements. Based closely on the sketch and CAS... here's my card for this week's challenge.

You have until tomorrow at noon if you want to join in the fun at the Fusion Challenge. Public voting takes place on Thursdays and the results get posted on Fridays.

Happy Crafting!



SUPPLIES USED: 
STAMPS: Right At Home OWH Stamp Set (Hero Arts)
INK: Orange Fizz (My Favorite Things)
PAPER: Childish Things (Fancy Pants), Craft Core Solids (Tim Holtz)
OTHER: Teal Mini Brads

Fusion Challenge - Hypothesis #11

I'm playing again this week in the Fusion Challenge. My first instinct was to go with a Fusion of the sketch and inspiration image but when I finally sat down to create my card I ultimately opted to go with the inspiration photo only. 

I liked the CAS design on the sketch and decided that I would try to keep my design CAS and masculine. I didn't have any deep, jewel toned plaids in my paper stash (well at least not any I could find) but thought these light plaids were a nice choice for summer.

Here's a photo of the inside of the card. I created a duplex stock by using light blue card stock firmly glued to a kraft. I don't do this often but thought it added a little bit of a surprise element to the design since you naturally expect a kraft color inside too.

I also made a coordinated plaid liner that you can see in the foreground for this A2 envelope. Again it's not something I would normally do for OWH cards but I like the extra finishing touch it gives.

If you haven't checked out the Fusion Challenge yet, go have a look. Voting takes place on Wednesday and a new challenge starts on Friday.

Happy Crafting!

SUPPLIES USED: 

STAMPS: OWH Epic Love (Hero Arts)

INK: Sepia (Versafine)

PAPER: Classic Prints (KI Memories), Solids (Michael's Recollections)

OTHER: Button Die - Blueprints 1 (My Favorite Things), Kitchen Twine

FUSION Hypothesis #10

Voting for Round 3 of the Gallery Idol Challenge is still open until tomorrow at noon and you can head on over and cast a vote if you haven't already. While I wait on pins and needles, I'm playing along in the Fusion Challenge this week. If you haven't yet checked it out the concept is that you can use the Photo, the Sketch or a Fusion of the two as your inspiration to create a card.

I opted to go with the image for my card this week. I decide I would not only try to incorporate the colors but tried to capture the 'beachy' feel. This is what I came up with and it reminds me of the small towns and tourist spots that dot the shores of the East Coast. Places like Wildwood, NJ, Bar Harbor, ME and Cape Cod, MA where one can find old wooden signs that are worn by the sun, wind and water which inspired me to use this sentiment and die cut as my focal point.

Here's hoping you have a glorious Summer and plenty of friends around to share both the good times and the hard times.

Happy Crafting!



PRODUCTS USED:

STAMPS: Chalkboard Greetings (My Favorite Things)
INK: Steel Blue (My Favorite Things)
PAPER: Hootenanny & Summer Splash (My Minds Eye)
DIES/DIE CUTS: Labels Eighteen (Spellbinders)
OTHER: Yarn, Paper Flower, Pearls, Chalk

Fusion Card Challenge #8 - Where Science & Inspiration Meet

This is one of the most interesting Challenge Blogs I've come across yet. It's unlike any other challenge I've seen so far. It takes place weekly and particularly interesting is that the participants (and anyone who wants to) gets a chance to vote for the 3 entries they feel best meet the challenge.

Here's this week's 'Hypothesis'...

The Fusion Card Challenge

The idea of fusing both the sketch AND the inspiration photo together had the most appeal to me so that's what I decided to tackle and here is the card that I came up with.

Sentiment by Hero Arts (Everyday Messages) •  Spellbinders Circle Dies
Floral Stamps by Stampin Up - Watercolor Garden (Retired)
Papers- Simple Stores SNAP 6x6 Color Vibe 2 • MFT Decorative Doily Duo Die

This was a lot of fun and I know it will be one of the challenges I'll find myself doing regularly. If you enjoy challenges I encourage you to check it out!

Happy Crafting!