More Circles for You

 I hope everyone is having fun with circles for this challenge.  If you haven't joined in, maybe the sample designs will start the creativity flowing.

Vicki

I decided to use the Depth of Field technique on my card.  The unicycle is a stamp from Artistic Outpost and is being entered in their July referral.  The greeting is by Create with TLC, the sponsor of my challenge this time.   Have you been to Paulette's site yet.?  Not only is she giving away a gift certificate, but she has many freebies and a store full of goodies.

Barbara

body I actually got a chance to use a new technique before the newsletter arrived. I am the guest designer at Stampotique for the month of August and for my first card I used the collaged circles for the background. I did add some gold webbing. You can see the card with more detail on my BLOG

Petra

Let's Go Circling

How many circles can you add to a card? The answer has to be: a lot. I used an A6 white slightly textured card as base and layered it with digital paper from Crystal's and Kraftpaper from Pink Petticoat. As next step I stamped a whole stamp sheet from Crafty Individuals on to the Kraftpaper. After deciding where my circle cutouts would go I started to cut out circles in various sizes along the line I had drawn on the Kraftpaper. The little stamped images within the circles are from Penny Black. For the biggest raised circle I used one very fitting sentiment image from our sponsor this month 'Create with TLC': What Goes Around, Comes Around and finished it with a little stamped circle from Waltzing Mouse and a little bling.

Michele

Yes, I love having fun with circles. This card represents summer vacation! The background for this card is my take on the "embellished circles" technique from Technique Junkies. My circle-spiral flower stamps are from Connor's Collectibles. The little circle stamp (in yellow) with the sun face is from Rogue Redhead. The red flower is from Hero Arts. The vintage image of the lady with her travel trunk is from Altered Artifacts. At the top left is a circle that says "summer" -- from our challenge sponsor TLC Creations! It is placed on a little yellow paper flower. I hope you have some happy summer travel planned and I hope you are inspired to enter this challenge!

I made this as my second circle piece:

The text has been *circled* in Word, and printed onto a transparency. Valerie

Paper Piecing

Here is a card I made a couple weeks ago.   On this card I did a little paper piecing,  I think this printed paper was a perfect choice for the awning.  The little flowers at teh biottom of the window were colored with Copic markers.  The stamp for the main image is by Stampabilities.  The greeting is a VAP stamp.

Just a Little Spirelli

Here is a card with a little Spirelli.  I was inspired with the Warhol tecyhnique and used Spirelli as a method of showing it.  I made the Spirelli shape using my Nestie from Spellbinders.  The bavkground of the card is Faux Barn Wood and the greeting is from a stamp made by Stampendous.

Green and Clean

Here is a quick card I made for DigiDarla's challenge "Green and Clean".  The greeting is from an unknown stamp.  Of course the image is from DigiDarla.  I did not use any particular technique on this card.  However I did use a Spellbinder Nestie.  Embellishment is a couple of flowers from my stash.  I used Copic markers for coloring the image.

I am also entering this in Gingersnap Creations' Color of Money challenge.

I'm Back

Yes, regretfully I am back from my vacation. I had a wonderful time and wish it had been longer.

The winner of "My Favorite Background" was picked by random generator today. The magic number was #29, Carla Weiland. Thanks to everyone who entered. All the backgrounds were amazing.

Keeping on schedule the next challenge will begin very early Monday July 25. This is going to have a great theme so come back and play along.

On Vacation and Challenge Extended

Since I am on vacation and enjoying myself, I decided to extended "My Favorite Backgrond" challenge until Sunday night July 17. This gives you an additional week to enter. The winner will be announced July 18. She will receive a great Technique Junkies' CD filled with tutorials.

My next challenge will begin July 25. The theme? Well, it is a surprise!

Challenge # 21 -" My Favorite Background"

This post will remain at the top as long as this challenge is running.  For current posts, please scroll down.

How excited I am to have hit 100 entries on this past challenge!  Thanks to everyone who entered.  The entries were amazing.  They were all so different.    Since I hit a 100 entries, I will send a small prize to a second winner and put her project also in my winner's spot on the sidebar.

The challenge the next two weeks is a little different in a couple of ways.  Firstly, I will be going on vacation before it is over.  I didn't want to cut the challenge period short as I am leaving on Friday before it  closes.  Therefore, I will announce the winner the 18th of July.   As usual, I will notify the winner by e-mail and post her project in the winner's spot. There will not be a challenge July 11; the next challenge will be July 25

Now the theme--"My Favorite Background".  You can either create an original background yourself or you can use one of the techniques from Technique Junkies, my sponsor.  You do not need to show how it was done, but either give the name of the technique or tell that you used-- ink, chalk, markers, etc.

Below are the inspirations from the Design Team at The Cheerful Stamp Pad:

Vicki

I love to play around and make new backgrounds.  My first card is the result of doing that very thing this afternoon.  I uses one of my favorite tools, my embossing folders.  I call this Glassy Baroque.  When working with backgrounds I personally like to have very little covering them up.  This card uses a digital from CS Designs and was also done for a "B" challenge on that blog.

Vicki

My second (above) is completely different.  This time I used Cuttlebug Highlights, a Technique Junkies technique..  I would guess  I have used this technique more than any other. It was done on the blue cardstock to make the white stars.  The digital is from DigiDarla for her" Lady in Red" challenge.  The background curtain was a digital from Digital Collage Sheets.  I thought this wouldd be perfect for my patriotic card for the July 4th holiday coming up.

Barbara

Oh, I'm in my glory. It's a challenge to use favorite background techniques. The only problem I have is deciding which background is my favorite. You see, I love creating different backgrounds using different techniques. I've been a member of Technique Junkies for years, so I try lots of backgrounds. My card today actually shares two very different techniques. The background panel is done using the technique Createx-Creations from the April-May 2008 TJ newsletter. Just smoosh some Createx paint between two pieces of glossy black cardstock and wonderful things happen. The image and sentiment are from Artistic Outpost stamps. The background behind the image is called Pulled Glimmers from the Jun/Jul 2010 TJ newsletter). This is a technique I use quite a bit in my work. I love the glimmery look and the lightly colored background behind a black image. I look forward to seeing the techniques you love.

Here is Valerie. One of my favourite backgrounds and painting techniques is the 5S method - splodge, smudge, smear, spray and scratch. Here I have used some metallic acrylic paints, and then sprayed with some spiced marmalade, diluted with water. Then comes the fun part - heating and bubbling. Use your heat gun, watch the paint bubble and twist and crack and make new effects. When it was dry it looked like this:

I then distressed the edges with some TH inks in stormy skies and forest moss, and stamped some floral motives (LaBlanche) at the bottom edge. Then I added a setting sun made out of a scrap of material, and a die cut tree and bird in black, and a few black flowers. Then I put part of a leopard strolling in from the left side, and finished!

Valerie

Petra

Versamark Resist Technique

Creating backgrounds myself instead of using pretty papers seems to become more and more part of making cards, atcs, ... . For this card stamping with Versamark ink and Non-Sequitur stamp, embossing with clear embossing powder, Faded Jeans Distress ink and ironing with my iron was all what was needed for the background. This is such an easy technique and I so love the result. I mounted the background onto a plain square white card. The stamped image is from Red Lead Paper Works which I only coloured around the edges with Faded Jeans Distress ink. The finishing touches are some ribbon and a little house charm.

Michele

I love Technique Junkies! I;'e been getting the newsletter for about three years now I think. It is not possible for me to name a favorite technique. I don't even think I can identify a favorite technique per newsletter! For today I have created something using the very first Technique Junkies technique that I ever tried-- Depth of Field. My stamped image is from Rogue Redhead Designs, the new "Floriculture" sheet. The embellishments are all from K & Company. I would encourage you to subscribe to Technique Junkies. You will learn a lot of fun new ways to make your creations beautiful!

Now for my great sponsor, Technique Junkie Newsletter.  Pat Huntoon, with the assistance of her Design Team, publishes a newsletter every other month which is packed with numerous techniques.  It is professionally printed on glossy paper with many pictures and  step by step instuctions on how do to the many techniques.  It is perfect for the beginner to the expert stamper.

From time to time Pat produces a CD and it is one of these CDs she is giving away.  If you are really serious about learning how to stamp and make your cards look great, you have to get the newsletter and belong to her Yahoo group.  The newsletter is also available online. 

If you feel at lost for this challenge, then you really need to join Technique Junkies. 

This challenge is open to everyone. You do not have to belong to Technique Junkies and any type of background is acceptable for this challenge......just get messy and have fun!

Travel Bookmarks

I received my travel bookmarks from the Gingersnap Creations swap.  The first one is from Eve, the second is from Kathleen.  The third, with an oriental theme, was unsigned. The fourth bookmark was one of my own bookmarks returned to me.  Thank you ladies for your great creative work.

 

Whimsical Flower Card

I had a couple of minutes while clothes were washing so I put this little card together with a whimical flower on it.  The center of the flower is a digital image from CS Designs.  I made the card for the Red and White Challenge.  Coloring was done with Copics.  The saying is also one from CS Designs.  You should drop by and take a look at her site.  There are numerous unique images.

More Background Ideas

Here are a couple of more backgrounds to inspire you for the challenge "My Favorite Backgrounds" which is now running.  My card showcases Spray Webbing.  This is a quick and simple way to make a background.  Sometimes I spray it heavy, then sometimes I like it light like it is shown here.  My image is from Stampers Anonymous.  Coloring was done with Copic markers.

Vicki

This card is also for Gingersnap Creations #105 At the Mall challenge.  Some of us have a life passion with trying on clothes.  However, that is one thing I hate to do.  I would rather try my luck and bring it home and see if it fits.

Valerie

http://bastelmania-craftattack.blogspot.com/

I made a tag using alcohol ink after playing around a bit yesterday. This makes a quick and easy background. I used yellow, black and gold, and blew the spots of color with a straw to make them spread. Then I added the yellow lady, an image from my stash, after giving her a background of hologram card to make her stand out better. Added a few pearls, a spotted feather, some lace and an old earring as charm. Quick and simple to make!

Petra
Mask and Distress Inks

I used 'that special touch of masks' square mask which I moved along while applying three different Distress ink colours (Spiced Marmalade, Shabby Shutters, Scattered Straw). Not to cover up the background too much I kept the layout very simple and just stamped a few images with Distress ink Black Soot onto the background (stamps from 7Gypsies). To enhance the background colours I mounted the little tag on black card.

Flower Box

I don't know why I decided to take on a large project right before going on vacation,  but I did.  I would work on it a while and then pack a few things, then work on it again.  I will probably be missing half my clothes when I open my suitcase.

The entire box is made with double-sided cardstock.  Around the top is a piece of lace I bought a while back and now I wish I had a couple of spools of it.  I just love the way it looks around the top of things.

The butterfly is a recycled piece.  The greeting which is from CS Designs is on the top of two mats.  All three were cut with a Spellbinder die. 

This is a close-up view of the greeting which is part of the new Garden Collection at CS Designs.

This is the inside of the box.  It reveals the other four digitals that are included in the CS Designs' Garden Collection.  This group just came out and it had such possibilities.  All the digitals were colored with Copic markers.  Each individual  graphic is on four layers of cardstock.

Since the greeting is about friends being flowers, I decided to fill the center with flowers.  The flowers, made with a Tim Holtz die  are touched with Stickles to make them shine on the tips of the petals.  If you have a chance to visit CS Designs, you will find this collection along with other outstanding digitals.