Stamping Smiles Designs Tic-Tac-Toe Challenge #12 Inspiration

Hello!! Nora here for some crafty inspiration for Stamping Smiles Designs 

Tic-Tac-Toe Challenge #12. 

I could have done every row on this challenge badge but since I had to choose, I used the diagonal starting from cork, to jute/natural twine and ending with birds/bees/butterflies. 

I actually started this card by die cutting the only piece of cork that I had in my stash into a tag. It was part of kit that was sitting around that I never used. When I saw that cork was something I could use for this challenge, I knew I had to pull it out. The whole card was designed around the 

patterned cork tag.

Next, I went through my box of "extras" that I think everyone has in their stash. I pulled out a pink circle, the lace heart, the butterfly, the pink card stock strip, as well as a dark pink die cut heart. I figured out how I wanted to arrange them together and then chose the bold patterned paper from Basic Grey's "Urban Luxe" for the background. 

I used a My Favorite Things "Blueprints #13" die to die cut the Basic Grey paper and adhered it over a "Soft Stone," A2 top folding card. I used foam adhesive to adhere the pink, die cut circle and then adhered the cork tag over that. I centered the white card stock heart over the cork and added the butterfly, using a small piece of foam adhesive on the left wing to give it some dimension. I added a pink button with a small piece of jute to the center of the butterfly as its "body" and "antennae." 

I adhered the dark pink heart as shown and then layered a stamped sentiment  from PaperTrey Ink's "Words of Comfort" stamp set over both hearts, using foam adhesive. 

That is it for my card for today. I hope this inspires you to create a card using the Tic-Tac-Toe Challenge Badge #12. I cannot wait to see what you create!

Have a fabulous day!

Nora

Challenge #12 Inspiration With Rachel

Hey, everyone! Rachel here from RBergfeld Card Designs to share some inspiration for Challenge 12!

I chose the middle row for my card - Arrows, Jute/Natural Twine, and Tag. I also decided to make this into a Father's Day card because the images I chose are perfect for my tropics-loving dad!

I actually remembered to take pictures along the way while creating this card, so I have a mini tutorial for you!

I started my card by heat embossing the arrow background in white on some watercolor paper.

Next, I blended distress inks into the paper in two different colors to create the ombre effect.

I made sure to blend the two colors in the middle to create that beautiful in between color. (The colors I used were Peacock Feathers and Twisted Citron.)

When the blending was done, I used my MISTI to stamp the missing arrows in the two colors. For the two arrows in the middle, I stamped once with Peacock Feathers and stamped over it with Twisted Citron to get a beautiful blended color to match the middle section.

Next up was my tag. I cut a tag using a die and then blended the same distress inks in a circle on the tag. It creates the background for my images.

I die cut my images and then stamped them (the dies are solid so it's hard to cut after stamping). I used my Copics to color them in.

And here they are after all the coloring!

I trimmed down my arrow panel and adhered it to a white card base using some Be Creative Double Sided Tape. It's super sticky, so it really helps with the heavier watercolor paper. I used foam tape on the back of my tag for some dimension.

Now I need my sentiment, so I used The Man stamp set from Avery Elle and heat embossed the banner from the top of the set in gold on vellum and carefully fussy cut around it leaving a small border.

I arranged my images where I wanted them and then used foam tape to adhere them. The banner was adhered with a little Multi Medium Matte behind the embossing.

I actually liked this card so much that I created another one in different colors with different images for a friend's birthday.

I hope you liked my mini tutorial and it inspired you to enter our super fun challenge!

Polynesian Paradise	Birthday Greetings	The Man	Arrow Ends Background Builder	Polynesian Paradise	Stitched Tag	Canson XL Watercolor Paper	Neenah Solar White 80 lb
Vellum	Memento Tuxedo Black	Copic Sketch Markers	Peacock Feathers	Twisted Citron	Abandoned Coral	Carved Pumpkin	Versamark
White Embossing Powder	Wow Rich Gold Embossing Powder	May Arts Natural Twine	Strawberry Burst 4mm	Strawberry Burst 6mm	Mini Round Ink Blending Tool	5mm Be Creative Tape	3M Foam Tape

InLinkz.com

Challenge Guest Designer : Therese Calvird

Hi, I’m Therese Calvird. I live in the sub tropics in Australia near some of the best beaches in the world, with my husband and furchild, a three-year-old black and cheeky cat called Lilith. I’ve been making cards for over 10 years and had always enjoyed all different crafts, that is, until papercrafting ‘took over’. I ventured into Youtube about 4 years ago and being quite technologically challenged I’m not really sure why I did, it was one of those things that I just wanted to do and so with some bumps and big learning curves along the way I’m still having heaps of fun with it. I enjoy keeping in contact with everyone via my blog lostinpaper as well as at my Youtube channel here. I was so excited to be asked to guest at the Tic-Tac-Toe challenge today and thought for a bit of fun I would share a video showing just how I made this card.

So here it is:
https://youtu.be/bX6vKiesrbs

Thanks for everything and good luck with Challenge No 12, it’s another great one (and just in case you were wondering, I used the diagonal elements today)!

Introducing New Tic-Tac-Toe Challenge Design Team Members!

Hello! It's Ka here today and I can not believe that we're already halfway through 2016. Crazy how time flies when you're having fun and fun is our motto here on the Tic-Tac-Toe Challenge!

Today I am introducing the newest Design Team members for the next term, July through December. My current Tic-Tac-Toe Challenge Design Team has been so FABULOUS and I can't say how proud I am to have such an amazing group of talented and supportive group of friends. I hope you had enjoy their projects as much as I have. I consider myself lucky to have work briefly with each one of them and they will be greatly missed! I'm looking forward to having our new members join us and I'm sure it'll be another fabulous term!

Please welcome the new Design Team Members for the Tic-Tac-Toe Challenge and visit their blogs when you get a chance. I know you'll love them and their projects just as much as our previous designers.

Blog: Rachel's Card Corner
Instagram: @rbergfeldcarddesigns

"Hi, I'm Rachel Bergfeld, and I'm an Indiana native who's been transplanted to Southwestern Arizona for the time being. I still feel like a newlywed (just over 2 years) and my husband and I have 2 dogs and 3 cats, but no human children yet. I started papercrafting in 2011 when I decided to try to make my own Thank You cards for my wedding. Little did I know that I was starting a full-blown obsession with that cardstock and simple rubber stamp!

My style has since evolved into Clean and Simple by nature and necessity. I live pretty far from all of my family and I like to stay in touch with a handmade card every so often, but they have to stay fairly flat to make it through the mail undamaged. I will occasionally play around with other styles just for fun and variety! I love card making because receiving a handmade card feels like getting a little hug over long distance. It's a great way to keep in touch with the people in my life that I don't get to see very often. When I'm not making cards in my craft room, you can usually find me curled up with a good book and a dog or a kitty (or 2!) or else playing video games with my husband."

Blog: Varada Sharma

Instagram: @varadasharma

"Hello! My name is Varada Sharma and I live in Franklin, TN with my truly wonderful husband and two lovely princesses. Growing up, I wasn't much artsy-craftsy, but when I got to college, I developed a huge interest for sewing and painting. I think some of my Mom's love for making handmade things rubbed off on me then.

When we moved to the United States, I dribbled first into jewelry making and home decor before finally settling on card making as 'my thing'. I love how card making let's me focus on a project that is achievable in one sitting most of the time. I love how it lets me experiment with different designs, colors and mediums. And best of all, I love how I can brighten someone's day by giving them a card I made myself. I don't have any definitive style of card making or crafting. I just roll with whatever inspires me at that time. I am so thrilled to be part of the design team at tic-tac-toe challenge, of which I have been a big fan for a long time. Can't wait to inspire this community with my creations and get inspired in return. :-)"

Blog: Craft Ghetto

Instagram: @craftghetto

"Hello!! I’m Channin, pronounced just like the typical pronunciation of Shannon, my parents are creative too ;). I’m a mother of two little girls both under the age of 4 and just recently took a break from being a teacher to be a SAHM. I’ve been making cards for about 4 years now. It all started when I got my Cricut and I went looking for an outlet to create with it. I soon discovered card challenges and though them I rediscovered stamping and I was hooked!! I love this craft form because you get to experiment with design and play with a variety of art materials and when you are done you have created kind gesture for a loved one. I would love to say that I have one style but I definitely dabble in many styles, but honestly clean and simple is probably my most favorite."

Blog: Judy's Card Corner

Instagram: @judy_marino

"Hello, friends! I am so excited to be joining the Tic-Tac-Toe Challenge Design Team! I am married to my high school sweetheart, mom to four kids, and am employed as a school psychologist. My other hobbies include singing, gardening, reading, and scrapbooking. (I must also admit that I am addicted to Pinterest.) I was introduced to card making in the late 1990's when my best friend sent me a hand-made Christmas card and encouraged me to try it...and I have been hooked ever since! I love the clean and simple style, although I also enjoy cute scenes and paper-piecing designs. I love sharing my designs and I am always inspired by what others share...that's why I am SO excited to join the design team at the Tic-Tac-Toe Challenge!"

Our returning members:

I am so grateful to have these two ladies returning and designing for this challenge blog again. Welcome back you two!

Blog: A Creative Touch

Instagram: @hobbitnoll

"Hello! My name is Nora Noll and I am excited to be a part of the Tic Tac Toe Challenge Design team. I have been a crafter since I can remember-starting with hand-sewing and have taken classes in everything from pottery to decorative painting. I started paper crafting in my teens, and have been doing some sort of paper craft for almost thirty years.

I would not say I have a particular style, though I am not a one-layer wonder. I tend to have many layers on my cards and own die cuts for almost all of my stamps. Layering helps me cover up my mistakes when I make them so that I do not have to throw away a whole card! Paper crafting is a stress release for me. I create for no other purpose then to have fun and relax. I know that being part of this design team is going to be a lot of fun and I cannot to wait to get to know everyone."

Blog: My Lime Journal

Instagram: @mylimejournal

"Hello! My name is Amina and I am deeply in love with paper crafting. I live in the UK with my awesome husband. We have two cute kids who fill our lives with happiness and laughter. I used to teach in a Primary school but currently a SAHM. I love making cards, albums, mixed-media, altering and anything in between. I have always enjoyed being creative. In fact as a little girl I used to love playing with scissors and glue. I bought my first ever stamping supplies in 2005. YouTube videos totally changed my life in 2009. Since then I have fallen deeply in love with this awesome hobby. For me, ‘ME TIME’ means making cards, tags, mini books and journals. I would describe my crafting style as eclectic and wide ranging. I love making shabby chic cards with layers as well as simple cards with just one layer. I love my hobby and have become friends with some awesome people. Love the crafting community. So excited to be a part of TIC-TAC-TOE challenge and looking forward to getting to know everyone."

So those are all the lovely ladies joining us for this term and I hope you enjoy their creations! I'm so excited to have each of them and cannot wait to see all the creative things they'll be sharing and inspiring us with! Welcome to the team, ladies!!!

Challenge #12 Inspiration with Lindsey

Good morning! Lindsey here, sharing some additional inspiration for Challenge #12.  It also marks my very last project as part of the Design Team.  I cannot believe how quickly the last 6 months have gone by!  What an absolute treat and privilege it has been to be a part of this team!  Ka, Mady, and all the DT, thank you so much (from the bottom of my heart!) for making this such an amazing experience for me.

For my project today I chose to work with the diagonal starting from the top left: doily, jute/natural twine, and metals.  We have a wedding to attend in a few weeks, so I used the colors and feel of their wedding as my inspiration. 

The doily anchors the entire focal point on this card, and I love the soft, feminine touch it adds. My main metal element is a silver wreath, which seemed a little to harsh in contrast at first.  So order to maintain a soft feel to this card, I added an offset vellum wreath on top.  My favorite touch on the wreath is the little twine twirls tucked under my loosely watercolored flowers.  I just think they are so fun!

This card is jam-packed with embellishments, which is not the norm for a CAS cardmaker like me, but I'm happy with how it turned out.  It's always good to stretch yourself from time to time, and I love that the Tic-Tac-Toe Challenge encourages me to do that.  I think the Challenge 12 Board has so many fun options, and I cannot wait to see how it inspires you to play along!

Card Supplies

Stamps: Concord & 9th (Flourish)

Ink: CTMH (sorbet), PTI (melon berry, ocean tides)

Dies: Clearly Besotted (congrats), PTI (rustic wreath)

Other: CTMH (twine), Pretty Pink Posh (sequins), Recollections (pearls), doily