Très Chic Challenge #389 Week #2

 Hello and welcome to week #2 of our Très Chic Challenge.

Our Design Team really did a great job with this photo inspiration challenge. They each had a slightly different take on the photos and ALL did an amazing job!

We hope you will find something you like in one of these photos, that will help you imagine a beautiful craft project. We're LOVING all of the creative entries we've seen so far.

 

           

I was the Featured Artist last week and created three snowflake cards.

Tasha created this darling hedgehog card using 5953 – Woodland Critters Set, 4804 – Snowflake Dies and 5543 – Journal Template Die Set.

Sharon's precious Christmas scene used 5350 – Animal Nativity Set along with 5768 – Decorative Journal Page Set 1.

I also made a pair of fall cards and you can find the details here.

Janet has an elegant fall card using 5783-Fall Leaf Frame Set, 5600-Harvest Sentiments Set and
5726-Nested Circle Set.

Dori has two chic gift tags using 5367 - Birdcage Dies, 5132 - Tag Stitched Dies, 5591 - Journal Rectangle Frames, 5949 - Encouragement Sentiment Set and 5592 - Harvest Journal Dies.

Lynn's stunning wreath cards have a video tutorial that you can find here.

Sharon created one final fun Halloween frame card that you can read all about here.

Each one of these is so unique and beautiful and we hope you're inspired to join in our challenge. You may just win a free stamp set! Good luck to you all and happy crafting.

✻ Please make a new card or handmade crafty creation. You can make any item you wish; this is not limited to cards! (unless specified)

✻ Limit two submissions per person. You will receive extra votes if you use Art Impressions stamps!

 ✻Please include your first name and last initial on your submission.

✻We love to comment on your entries, but keep in mind if you use a private group or a platform that you need to sign up for, we probably won't be able to.

✻ The Ai Challenge is open to everyone, international submissions are welcome!

✻ Include a link back to the Ai Blog or grab our button on the top right of our sidebar!

✻ Share the Ai love if you can, by clicking and commenting on your fellow crafters.

✻ Make sure to get your link up by the deadline to enter your creations.

✻ Good luck and happy stamping! 

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

Tres Chic Tags by Dori Mendiola

 Happy Thursday AI Friends!

I have a couple of tags for you today that are inspired by the "Tres Chic" challenge going on this week.  Have you ever tried something out of your norm?  Every challenge expands your creativity and it's fun seeing where your imagination will go.  Plus it's extremely inspiring to others!  Please join us for this challenge.  Check out the tab above for details and a chance to win a free stamp set.  WhooHoo!! 

Both tags were made with many of the same die sets but produced quite different looks.

My first tag uses the #5367 Birdcage die.  I die cut it twice, once with black cardstock and one in a pattern paper.  I placed the black die cut behind the pattern piece slightly to the left to create a shadow look, plus to offset to give it more dimension.  I also used #5132 Tag Stitched Die and #5591 Journal Rectangle Frame die.  I inked all of the edges with Distress Oxide Vintage Photo.  The wood bird, heart, ribbon and flowers came from my stash that I have had for years.  Finally I can say I used them.  😄  

For my second tag, I used #5592 Harvest Journal Dies for the pumpkins, leaves and the "Hello Fall" die cuts.  I also used the #5132 Tag Stitched dies as well as the #5591 Journal Rectangle frame die.  Again, I inked all of the edges to give them a distressed look.  Placed a checked ribbon around the frame and at the top of the tag and, voila, tag is complete.  

I hope my tags today have inspired you to try something outside of your norm.  You never know where your imagination and creativity will go.  Have fun with it!!

Have a great day and keep creating!!

Christmas Magic Wreath - Using Elegant Earth Tones by Lynn Dionne

Happy Wednesday Ai Fans!!!

Watch video tutorial here!!!

For today's card and video, we will be creating a soft, elegant, earth toned Christmas wreath. If you want to get away from the typical reds and greens for your Christmas cards, you may want to have some fun by combining some earth tones and metallics for a different, yet beautiful look!  

We will talk a little bit about some tricks and tips for mass-producing your holiday cards in today's video as well!

Let's get started by stamping our images using the Ai WC Poinsettia Set (5828) and the Ai WC Christmas Wreath Set (5472). We will be coloring the images using the Zig Clean Color Real Brush Pens in the following colors: Blender, Beige, Mid Brown, Olive Green, Mid Green, Brown.

We will stamp several sets of the poinsettia, leaves/sprigs, and pinecones because we will be creating 3 cards today! Once all of the coloring is done, we will use our detail scissors to cut these out, leaving a small white border around the edges.

Next, we can create all of the layers for our cards using the Tim Holtz Distress Kraft Heavystock, Strathmore Bristol Smooth Cardstock, and some pretty Tim Holtz Metallic Cardstock in copper. These pretty stitched border layers will be die-cut using the Ai Square Double Stitched Dies (5061). For the metallic layer we will create a frame for our wreath, and I will show you how to do this in the video.

On the white layer we will stamp the twig wreath using the Ai Frameworks Set 1 (5420). To color the wreath quickly and easily we will just using a small blending brush and add some oxide ink all around. Let's also spatter this panel for a bit more interest!

Now the fun part, attaching all of the layers and creating our pretty poinsettia floral arrangement. We can also add one of the pinecones to the inside of the card and stamp the "Christmas Blessings to you and yours" sentiment using the Ai Christmas Sentiments (5566) Set.

And for a finishing touch, let's add some pretty champagne pearls!

Thank you so much for joining me today! If you enjoyed today’s video, please select the Like and Subscribe buttons and don’t forget to hit that notification bell so that you don't miss a single video!

All of the supplies used in today’s video are listed below. Click the products below to make a purchase. Where available I use compensated affiliate links which are at no additional costs to you.

Ai WC Poinsettia Set (5828)

Ai WC Christmas Wreath Set (5472)

Ai Christmas Sentiments (5566)

Ai Frameworks Set 1 (5420)

Ai Square Double Stitched Dies (5061)

Trés Chic Woodland Critter Cards by Reneé Matarese

 Hello Ai fans!

I have two more cards for the Très Chic challenge.

Last week I created three snow themed cards and this week I decided to go with a fall theme.

I used 5808 – 5pk Snow Globe Shaker Dome to create both of my shaker cards. Although these are difficult to photograph due to the glare, they are so pretty in person.

I used a combination of little diamond dots and tiny die cuts from Art Impressions to sprinkle in my shakers.

I used the self adhesive Watercolor paper to cut my Thankful phrase. It was so easy to color and stick down. No more fussing with glue on delicate die cuts and making a mess.

I love rustic cards, nature and animals. I fell in love with this new set the second I saw it. All Ai products that I used are linked below. Happy Fall everyone! I hope you join in this photo inspiration challenge!

Copics used:

B00, BG05, RV02, YG05, YR31, W2, W4, YR24, E34, E55, E99

Boo!! A spooky Halloween creation by Sharon Caudle

 Hello AI Fans!!

It's getting pretty close to Halloween! Are you ready? Do you decorate for the holiday and hand out candy? I love it when all the littles come to the door all dressed up and excited to get some candy!! I even love it when the teenagers come a knocking! I love that they enjoy it and I want them to be kids for as long as they can. Adulthood comes soon enough, so enjoy the heck out of while you're there! So I had a lot of fun decorating up this frame and I confess I used a ton of different sets, but they're all linked below, so don't be shy to go click on them and check them out!! This was really a blast to put together!!

Thanks so much for stopping by for a visit today! Until next time - stay crafty!!

Copics used:

Y06 and 32

YR12, 14, and 27

YG01, 91, 93, and 95

E33, 35, and 37

Harvest Scenes and Harvest Together by Gennette Houghton

 

Hello! Welcome to Watercolor Weekend! I am so happy you are here! I absolutely love fall, even the sun takes on a more golden hue that just lights up the beautiful colors that we are graced with during this time of year here in Michigan.  This is the first time I have used either of these sets and they are so perfect for fall cards!  For my first card I used 5593 Harvest Scenes and inked it with 565 and 969 and stamped off once before stamping my final image and then pulled the color out. 

For the chair I used a combo of 969 and a touch of 947 to brighten a few areas.  The pumpkins I used 993 as a base color, 933 to deepen the shape and contours, 946 in the more shaded areas and a touch of 947 to deepen some of the more shaded areas.  On the stems I used 177 and 969.  The watering can and the milk can I used N52, also using 947 on the handle of the milk can. For the wood basket I used 969 and 947. I was going for the likeness of a Purple Finch with the birds, next time I think I will try a color that has more of a pink hue to it. I started with 969 as the base color and used 676 over the top of the 969, finishing with some Bleed Proof White to add back in some of the lighter colors. For the flowers in the wood basket I used the daisy bunch from 4052 Flower set 1 in 925 and then softened it with water, with just part of the stamp in 885, which is a wonderful orange toned red, to add a bit more texture in. 5126 Foliage Set 4 small vine and inking just the tip of the stamp in 177 to add in a touch of foliage. The tiniest of dots in Bleed Proof White was also added.  I then used 526 for the sky, I wanted this in first so I didn’t have to try to work around the flowers I added into the milk can. Masking the milk can with post-it tape I used the 5474 Flower Set 5, I colored the stamp in 3 colors, going over the whole flower with 623 first then used 676 and drew a line up the center of the flower and added 177 to the stem. 

Now because of how everything is so close together I decided to use my stamp positioner for this. I wanted the flowers in the background to be light so I stamped off once first, I did this twice, then I again colored the stamp with the same colors and centered the stamp and stamped with full color and then lightly touched just the flower with a damp brush.  4051 Foliage Set 1, with the teeny tiny grass in 177, I like to touch a 969 marker to just the base of the stamp in 2 spots, just a little bit, barely there. To me it adds just a little more depth to the base of the grass area. Pulling the color out and adding just a touch more 177 over the ground. 565 was used for all the shadows in the scene.  I also added a little bit of Bleed Proof White in the grass to add little white flowers.  I cut the image out with 5768 Decorative Journal Page 1 and matted the card with paper from 5606 Harvest Journal PP.

For my 2^nd card I used 5507 Harvest Together Set.  This set is just so adorable I just don’t understand why I haven’t used it until now.  I decided to use the birdhouse from this set, those sunflowers! I’m telling you! I just used 969 to color this stamp, I stamped my image after stamping off once first, and then pulled a little bit of the color out.  On the roof and pole I used 947. On the front trim and the base of the birdhouse I used 925. 969 was used on the detailed wood piece and the opening, 158 on the remainder of the front. For the sunflowers I used 025 over all the petals and then used 933 to give more contour to the petals starting at the center and only going up part way and darkening any shaded areas.  The centers of the flowers I started with 947 all over the center and then added a touch of 025 over that to create contrast. 969 was added along the edge of the center with a couple dots in the center. I added just a little bit of Bleed Proof White for some highlights.  The leaves and stems I started with 126 and used 177 for the shaded areas, darkening even more below each flower.  I then took some Bleed Proof White and created a few flowers on the front of the birdhouse and using the same color 158 for the centers.  The only thing left was using the brown twintone marker for a little bit more definition. I used the 5783 Fall Leaf Frame Set, first cutting it out of a solid card stock and then used it on my image. I combined the two together into one solid piece. The card was matted with paper from 5835 Mini PP. Thank you for joining me today, and I hope you enjoyed my cards! Until next time. Create….Share….Inspire!

Here Comes Halloween by Janet

 Hi and happy weekend. Halloween is ALMOST here! Yay! Love this time of year as it's full of fun and then rolls right into a time of family and thankfulness with Thanksgiving.

My card celebrates the holiday and is full of texture. The yellow background is made of felt. I cut it using 5604-Halloween Journal Die Set. I cut out all the other black images with this set as well. The Jack-O-Lantern and candies were stamped, cut, and colored using 5601-Halloween Accessory Set. The card base was pre-purchased and was printed with the rustic wood pattern. All I had to do was arrange all the cut pieces as shown on it. I dressed the card up a little by wrapping twine around the front. The final embellishments are gold enamel dots. For a simple card, it's a lot of fun and quick to make. 

Thanks so much for joining me to see what I created for you today. Please visit the Ai store for the sets I used and all the things you need for your card, journal, and tag making projects. Have a great weekend!

Janet - YouTube - Blog - Facebook - Instagram - Pinterest

Happy Halloween! by Tasha!

 Happy Friday!

Tasha here sharing a Halloween card featuring the cute owl from the new 5934-Spooky Crew Set. The Spooky Crew Set has quickly become my go to for Halloween projects this year and I love that the set includes little hats to customize your image; I love the witch hat!

To create the background, I stamped the light post from the 5602-Spooky House & Post Set and used masking paper to cover it before ink blending. After covering the image, I masked off the moon area and used several shades of Distress Oxide Ink and water droplets to create the sky.

After the background was done, I removed all the masking paper and attached the Owl and two ghosts. I also added layers of black card stock, gold glitter paper, and Art Impressions star pattern paper to complete the card. 

I hope you enjoyed today's project and are inspired to create a fun Halloween card!

Have a wonderful day!