Love Blooms Here by Reneé Matarese

 Hello Ai fans!

The current challenge is YELLOW and I couldn't be happier about that.

Yellow isn't my favorite color, however, I do feel it's the most CHEERFUL color there is.

Today I'm sharing a card with a cat sunning himself amongst some beautiful flowers.
This is a new release, 6195 – Love Blooms, and part of the Holiday Lane series.
These little scenes make putting a card together so easy. No figuring out placement or perspective. The work is done for you. You just fill in the blanks and personalize it.

Be sure to enter your project using yellow and you just might win a free stamp set. Click the photo below to be taken to the challenge.

Arteza Real Brush Pens:

Ice Blue

Bubble Gum Pink

Chocolate

Pea Green

Arctic Blue

Spearmint Blue

Sunset Yellow Honey

Pale Skin

Acid Yellow

Pocket Full of Sunshine Challenge #419 Week #1

Hello Ai fans and welcome to the new challenge here on the Art Impressions Challenge Blog!

This time we have a Pocket Full of Sunshine!

This challenge is pretty flexible.

We want to see SUNSHINE, YELLOW and/or POCKETS.

Show us your interpretation of what a Pocket Full of Sunshine means to you.

Maybe it's a bouquet of yellow flowers?
Maybe it's your favorite yellow Designer Paper?
Perhaps you love making cards or journals with pockets on them.

After viewing my little house, be sure to scroll down to see if you were one of our winners from our Button Up challenge.

I'm the featured artist this week and I chose to create a yellow house with a sunshine to brighten it. Inside of the house is a mini journal that contains pockets. (You'll see that on Tuesday)

For my project, I used the new 6114 – Box Village Template Dies.
Please see the InLinkz below for a complete list of all of the Art Impressions supplies that I used.

This box die set is just the cutest! It comes with a cover and pages to create a little journal or booklet that tucks up inside of it. 

I also love how customizable the house is. It was marketed as a Christmas house to hold the Woodland Scene series but it is so much more than that. Two days ago, I shared it as a Valentine house that I created for my fireplace mantel.

This is the cover of my little journal which you'll see the inside of on Tuesday.
Gail looks so happy tending to her garden.

I hope I've inspired you to enter our Pocket Full of Sunshine Challenge.

You might be the next person to win a free stamp set.

See details below.

Also, be sure to scroll down to see the winners of the previous challenge.

Copics used:

G40, G43, E01, E31, E35, E42, E93,

Y000, Y21, YR12, YR15, YR61

Now let's see who won our Button Up challenge.

For our Top Spot we selected Stephanie S.

Be sure to grab our Top Spot badge and share it on your social media, 

letting people know that you're a winner!

Please contact Leah at Feedback@artimpressions.com

to claim a free stamp set of your choice!!

Our Lucky Random Winner was Terry C.

Be sure to grab our Lucky Random Winner badge and share it on your social media, 

letting people know that you're a winner!

Please contact Leah at Feedback@artimpressions.com

to claim a free stamp set of your choice!!

Congratulations to both artists. We LOVED seeing so many beautiful entries.

KEEP THEM COMING!

 ✻ 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.

 ✻Please include your first name and last initial on your submission. You may include your entire last name, but it's not necessary.

✻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

Gardener Gail has come to visit by Sharon Caudle

 Hello AI Fans!

Our new Bi-weekly challenge "When one door closes" is going strong and if you haven't looked at all the DT and GDT creations, I really urge you to do so! They always blow me away with their talent!! We were even blessed to have Debbie Hedges join us as a Guest Designer this month!!  So please do yourself a favor and scroll through the blog to look at all the amazing works of art!

 So.... I'm going to make a big confession here. I have had this screen door die for probably almost 15 years and I have NEVER used it. When I saw the theme of this challenge I decided it was finally time. I grabbed 6076 Gardener Gail and went to work. I used quite a few sets from Art Impressions to create this, and they're all linked below.  I wanted the door to actually open on the front of the card, so I found some miniature hinges on Amazon and the tiny brads from Art Impressions are the PERFECT size for them! Don't you think? I used a larger brad for the inside and outside doorknob.  I simply spread the tines all the way out and glued them in place. The screen in the door actually came with the die and is sandwiched between several layers of the die cuts. The die was made by Cheery Lynn Designs if you want to try and find one. I doubt it is still manufactured after all these years, but I would be surprised if there isn't some kind of substitute die you could use. 

 I wanted it to look like the inside of the house of the front and to be able to see Gail through the screen door. I took just a strip of the paper from 6072 Father's Day PP to use as the floor.  I just needed a small strip, so I actually just cut it out of the back cover of the paper. That way I didn't have to cut into a full sheet for a small strip! Don't overlook using both the front and back cover pieces in the paper packs! I then added a small strip of white cardstock to look like the baseboard. 

I used the fishtail banner from 5809 Decorative Journal Page 2 to cut out the sentiment and pop it up on the top of the door.  I had to make sure to watch where I glued it so the door would still open. Here's a picture with the door open.  

And finally the inside of the card when it's fully opened. 

I used plants from 5490 Front Porch Farm House to place next to the door. For behind Gail, I cut a couple fences using 5807 Journal Fence Dies and pieced them together. The branch came from 5346 Birdhouse Cubbies Set and the bee and birdhouse from 5925 Honey Bee Set. I tied the birdhouse to the branch with a piece of twine and just let it dangle freely. I thought that was just a fun touch. So that's it for me today! Thanks so much for stopping by for a visit and until next time - stay crafty!!

Copic markers used:

E000, 00, 04, 11, 33, 35, 37, 51, 53, 55, 95, 97, and 99

W0, 2, 3, 4, and 5

G40, 43, and 46

C1, 2, 3, 4, and 5

YG00, 13, 17, and 67

Y15, 17, 18, 32, 35, and 38

R02, 12, 81, 83, and 85

B00, 91, 93, and 95

Gardener Gail by Dori Mendiola

 Happy Thursday AI Friends!

WOW! WOW! WOW!  Have you seen the newest AI release?  OMGosh this release has got to be the best EVER!  I just LOVE the girlfriends line and this is right up that alley.  Add the papers to go with and WOW!  Bonnie and Joel knocked it out of the park with this release!

Picture a happy dance right now!!  Sorry, no video attached.  LOL!

My card for today uses #6076 - Gardener Gail.  These AI People are so fun to color and they are a great size (about 3 1/2 inches tall).  And the best part, they come with corresponding dies!  

I stamped each of the images onto copic friendly paper with Memento black ink and colored with my copic markers (colors listed below).  The bee and flowers come from the #5925 - Honey Bee stamp set and the papers are from two different paper packs - #5742 - Easter PP and #5939 - Fairy Garden PP.  

The watering can with the little flower is from the #5336 - Garden mini dies.  These mini dies make such a cute little addition to any card.  I love them as a simple accent or a charm hanging from a bow.  Adds a perfect extra little touch.

Make sure to check out yesterday's watercolor wednesday video  to see and hear all about the other sets.  Also, make sure to visit this blog daily for other inspirations.  There will be many more posts for these as well as other available sets.

Thanks for joining me today!  Hope you have a wonderful weekend and enjoy creating!

Copics used:  E000, E00, E11, E21, E23, E25

E51, E53, E55

N1, N3, BG32

 R20, R22, R24

Y11, Y13, Y15, YR65, YR68

YG41, YG61, YG63