The Challenges Continue!

My Vagabond in the studio

 Before I begin my post on the challenges, I have to point out that I am entering the "Where in the World is Your Vagabond?" photo submission, and I needed to put this photo on my blog!  So excuse me while I enter this promotion for the Vagabond.  I have had every Sizzix from the original one to the Sidekick to the BigKick, but this one takes the cake!  I love it, and its motor sure does save my cranking hand!

And now to the challenges...

Four Cards Inspired by Bed Bath & Beyond Flyer

The Tennessee Stampers Yahoo group  has been encouraged to participate in a weekly challenge.  The past two weekends' projects are a bit related, in that we produced two projects from the first challenge.  Last weekend our challenge was to find inspiration in the Bed Bath & Beyond flyer.  It was difficult to choose just one page, because there was so much inspiration in that flyer!  It is still sitting on my desk for more inspired projects.  I may never look at another ad without thinking that it could inspire a card or a scrapbook page.  Try it sometime when you are trying to find your muse!  

Inspiration Page

The front cover inspired me to create four cards.  As seen in the Inspiration Page photo on the right, the ad was for a coffee maker, and the menu showing available individual coffees were all lined up to the right of it.  The circular design of all the coffees lined up made me think of the Stampin' Up! "Circle Circus" set.

Close up of one of the Inspiration Cards

THE FIRST PROJECT--Bed Bath & Beyond Inspiration Challenge

Another Card

 

 Using different colors, similar to the ones in the ad, I stamped all the different designs from the stamp set and a button stamp from another set, punched them out with a 7/8 inch circle cutter, backed them with dark brown punched circles (1 1/4 inch),  and arranged in two rows down the side of the card on patterned background paper.  A ribbon backed the sentiment on the left side of the card.  The sentiment from a birthday stamp with a scalloped border was punched out of its border with a circle punch, backed by a brown punched scalloped circle, and mounted on the ribbon with pop dots.  

 THE SECOND PROJECT--Leftover Challenge

This weekend the challenge was to use some "leftovers" from a recent project and create something, using the leftovers.  We have called it the "Leftover Challenge."  I chose to use the stamped borders from the sentiment I had punched out last weekend.  It made a kind of stylized sunflower when a brown punched center from leftover brown scraps filled the opening left from last week's punched out sentiment.  On top of that, three leftover punched designs from "Circle Circus" became the center of the flower.  These were placed atop stems that were stamped onto a turquoise background from leftover scraps.  The grass at the bottom is made by using the Memory Box Fringe die, and it was die cut from green card stock that was in that scrap pile on my desk. The little sentiment is stamped on leftover scraps, punched with a small oval punch and tied with some brown and white butcher's twine. 

Leftover Challenge Card