Hello, Birdie!

 I've been late getting my challenge cards done and/or posted the past couple weeks, so I rushed this one a bit to make the MFT Sketch Challenge 504.  If I were to do it over again, I'd go with a narrower image to show off more of the parallel strips beneath and I'd definitely re-position my Hello die. but c'est la vie! That die is also driving me nuts since I cannot verify its origin. I've had it for years, outside of its original packaging, of course!

Supplies: Tim Holtz Crazy Birds and Spiced Marmalade distress ink,  Paper Smooches Bird Cage die, unknown sentiment die, Recollections feathers, Copic markers, Stampin' Up basic gray & whisper white card stock, Daffodil Delight ink, Ranger glossy accents, Paper Studio Entirely Textures and Craft Smith Yellows & Oranges paper, Wink of Stella and clear packing tape for a faux embossed sentiment.

Hummingbird Hello

 I made this for My Favorite Things' Sketch Challenge #502

Balloon Triangle

As our local school district prepares to go back to school, at least virtually for the first few weeks, I was surprised to find an invitation to a crafter's version of a summer escape and an opportunity to do some arts and crafts!  My Favorite Things' Summer Camp Day 1  reviewed the concept of visual triangles, so I placed my balloons as well as the clouds that way.  I'm still working on my background-blending skills, but since skies are forgiving, with pop-up showers hidden among seemingly calm, cumulus clouds I tell myself the unevenness is acceptable.

Supplies: Papertrey Ink Up, Up and Away, My Favorite Things Anything but Basic Encouragement, Tim Holtz Salty Ocean distress ink, Inkadinkadoo  stamping mask paper, Copic markers and Memento Tuxedo Black ink.

A Palette of Colors

My Favorite Things' Summer School Day 2  is all about using a rainbow of colors, a great idea for any cheerful card.  I liked their example so well, I copied it with my palette and brush Die Namics, although the paint brush my dies came with looks shorter and fatter than the current MFT art dies.  To avoid copying the example online, I changed the shape, sentiment and layout.  It makes me think of my Dad, an artist whose palette never looked so neat -except maybe on the first day he got it, long before I ever saw it!

Supplies:  My Favorite Things Stay Tuned sentiment, Die Namics, card stock scraps, Wink of Stella, Ranger Glossy Accents, Versafine Onyx black ink and clear embossing powder.

A Symmetrical Card

I'm enjoying my Summer Camp experience with My Favorite Things' Summer Camp Day 3 , this challenge was for symmetry.  I like balance, so this was not hard to do, my challenge came in other ways.  My first set of cacti was ruined when one of my markers bled all over the third square!  Since I had a least three green Copics on my desk, once I placed the leaky one down, I forgot which one it was and had to use a different combo of greens!  Then I had a hard time deciding what to do at the base of each square (where I opted for just a hint of terra cotta) as well as the space below my trio of cacti in that great expanse of white (where I found some paper yarn looked good tied across the card). 

Supplies:  MFT Sweet Succulents, Stampin' Up! Cajun Craze, Whisper White, Tim Holtz Mustard Seed Distress Ink, Memento Tuxedo Black ink, Copic markers, Making Memories Twistel and dimensional tape.

A Blue Birthday

My Favorite Things' Summer Camp Day 4 is all about ombré, a fun and easy way to use colors on any card.  I liked the example so well, I mimicked it with the supplies I had on hand.  I like the contrast of the cursive script Happy and the manuscript letters in Birthday.  I could have die cut the same "Happy", but I like the three blended backgrounds better than a trio of die cut sentiments. I have a "birthday" die cut as well, but its style didn't go well with any of the "happy" stamps I own, so this is what I got! I had some odd smudge on one part of the card, so I added sequins to cover it!

Supplies: Hero Arts Happy Stamp & Cut,  Stampin' Up Whisper White, Tim Holtz distress inks: Peacock Feathers, Mermaid Lagoon, Salty Ocean, and Blueprint Sketch, Ice Crystal sequins, Frosted Lace stickles, Ranger Navy embossing powder and Versamark watermark.

Practicing White Space

 

The use of white space is not my forte, so I'm glad that Day 5 of My Favorite Things' Summer Camp encouraged me to try another clean and simple card (although my symmetrical cactus also has more white space than usual, too)!  I spent a long time making the TV since it would be the sole focus of the card and it has lots of layers including four faux TV cabinets for depth, but I may still go back and add "Stay Tuned" or something to the top left hand corner . . . it's just a lot of emptiness for my taste.

Supplies: MFT Stay Tuned and Celebrate stamp sets, paper scraps, Ice Crystal sequins, mounting foam, Stampin' Up! Whisper White cardstock and Colorbox pigment inks.