Fun With Flowers Challenge #325 plus, our latest challenge winners!

 Hello Ai fans! We have a new challenge today and our first ever feature from MERCY! She's our newest Design Team member and we hope you love her as much as we do! Her challenge was Fun with Flowers!

We thought this would be fitting with Mother's Day rapidly approaching.

Before we get into our new challenge,  let's announce the winners of our last challenge.  Here are the Top Spot and our Lucky Random winner from our Here Comes Peter Cottontail.

Our Top Spot goes to: De Furey

Please contact Leah at Feedback@artimpressions.com
to claim a free stamp set of your choice!
Also, be sure to grab your badge to display on your blog, Facebook or Instagram!

Our lucky, random winner for our Here Comes Peter Cottontail challenge is:
Meghan Kennihan 

Please contact Leah at Feedback@artimpressions.com
to claim a free stamp set of your choice!


Now that we've wrapped up our previous challenge, let's announce our new challenge!

Mercy created a STUNNING and bold floral card

using Joel's 5102 – Succulents Set.

Welcome Mercy, and take it away!

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Hello Ai Crafters, Mercy here.... With a New Challenge 

Flower, Flowers and more flowers! 

 

I must admit I usually do not explore the endless possibilities when it comes to flower scenes, so this challenge is perfect for me 

The https://www.artimpressions.com/shop/succulents-set-5102/ is a great set which includes the dies. However, I didn’t want any white outlines in my flowers.

I fussy cut the flowers, yes it takes time! but trust me, it was so worth it.  The flowers look great against the embossed background.

I stamped the inside of the card and the envelope, making the whole thing become one.  

If you are like me and tend to stay away from this style of cards, give it a try. I fully enjoyed the process of creating this card and will continue to explore this genre. 

Hope you join our challenge and looking forward to see what you create. 

Thank you for your beautiful inspiration Mercy. 
We look forward to seeing more of your work.

We have some other exiting news today.  It's another release day!

Art Impressions just released the adorable #5502 Craft Bag and #5503 Tool Bag.

These new sets are so much fun and have so many possibilities. 
Stay tuned for a cute card from Mercy combining the new Tool Bag and the Hats Off Mr. Set.

You won't want to miss it!

Here are the Challenge Rules...

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

✻ 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

You Brighten My Day! Card by Tasha

 Happy Friday!

Tasha here sharing a new card created with the M5048 – Succulents Window Stamp Set!

This window stamp is one of my favorites! The pretty succulents and fun Hello banner makes the perfect card to send any time of year. I'm always looking for cards to send to my friends and this stamp makes it so easy to create a quick and pretty design. 

The sentiment "Your friendship brightens my day and adds color to my life" frames the image nicely and the little sun detail allows for another pop of color! This greeting would surely brighten someone's day!

For the layers, I selected bright green, purple, and a deep golden color to coordinate with the colors used on the image. I also added some foam tape to attach the top two layers before adhering it to an A2 sized card base. This card has so much detail and I can not wait to send it out!

Thank you for visiting and I hope you enjoyed today's project!

Have a wonderful day!

Espresso Hugs by Bri Firth

Hello Ai Fans - Bri here! Today, I am sharing my creation for the Itty Bitty Challenge. This tiny creation features a new set that is part of Ai's Matchbook collection, the MB Coffee Shop set. These matchbook sets are just so adorable and so itty bitty! This card is also featured on my personal blog, check it out here! 

First, I die cut the matchbook frame using the Matchbook Template die set. I used the same die set to cut the sentiment strip, rug, windows, and window frames. Next, I stamped and colored the images from the MB Coffee Shop set. I colored the images with Spectrum Noir Triblend Brush markers. I die cut all the images with the coordinating outline dies included in the MB Coffee Shop set. The flaps make it so easy to determine the placement of all of the images.

I used the MB Envelope Dies set to create a coordinating envelope for the coffee shop matchbook out of espresso-themed paper. I used Vintage Photo Distress ink to create the splatter effect on the mini envelope. I stamped the "Live life in full" sentiment from the Succulents Set onto the back of the envelope with pigment black ink.

Check back next week for more Ai inspiration made by me!

Gnome Scene for Spring | By Jessica Shier

Hello Ai Fans!

It's Jessica today! I'm sharing a fun spring themed scene card. This is using several different Art Impressions stamp sets, Gotta Garden and the Succulents set.

The Gotta Garden set is a favorite of mine. It's just so funny and always has me wishing for Spring. I love the little gnomes and the fun sentiments, which inspired this card design. I decided to stamp and fussy cut the gnomes to create a little scene. The fence is cut twice using the WC Fence die and I also used the Succulents set which has coordinating dies to decorate my gnome scene with some foliage.

This scene came together really quickly after I copic colored all of my stamp images. You can find a Copic Color list below. I also used some distress oxides for the sky, I used a stencil and white pigment ink to create the subtle clouds. For the ground I used another Distress Oxide over top of a green cardstock.The mushroom is a die cut from my stash that I thought worked well with the Gnomes. 

For the inside I couldn't help but use a couple of the fun sentiments to tie into the front. Plus I added the same green ground and another colored and fussy cut stamp image from Gotta Garden. 

Copic Markers Used:

Thank you so much for joining me today!

Happy Stamping

Succulents Shaker Card by Jil Lebel

Hello Ai fans!

I used the Succulents set to make a recessed shaker card. I've been wanting to try one for a while and I thought this was the perfect stamp set because it comes with matching dies.

I cut a piece of Strathmore Bristol smooth paper with the Rectangle A2 Double Stitched Dies and stamped my images with VersaFine Clair Nocturne Ink before I colored them with my Tombow Dual Brush markers.  The colors used are listed at the end of this post. I  layered the four images by stamping the center succulent first and then cutting a mask from masking paper and adding it over the image before stamping the succulents on both sides.  I then created one more mask for the succulent on the right and stamped the small succulent above it.. I also stamped the greeting and cut it with the Flag Double Stitched Dies and edged it with Salty Ocean Distress ink.

I cut a another piece of Bristol paper with the Rectangle A2 Double Stitched Dies to create the top of the shaker.  Holding the top layer over the colored image, I lined up the center succulent image die cut and cut it out.  I did the same with the other four succulents until the entire window was cut around all of the succulents.  I flipped the piece of paper around and added a piece of acetate to the back of the opening. It was then time to add the foam tape.  I applied it around all of the succulents making sure there were no gaps.  I also added it around the outside of the rectangle to support the entire top layer.  I added clear confetti over the succulents and sandwiched the two pieces together. I layered that onto an A2 white card that had a layer of Simple Stories Snap Color Vibe 6" x 6" patterned paper.  

Tombow Dual Brush Brush Markers Used:
Teal - 349 Jade Green
Green - 228 Gray Green, 249 Hunter Green
Pink - 725 Rhodamine Red
Blue - 493 Reflex Blue, 565 Deep Blue 

Thanks for stopping by and Have a Great Day!

Praying for you by Reneé Matarese

Hello Ai fans!

Today I'm sharing two nearly identical cards meant for two different people.

For both I used the beautiful  5102 – Succulents Set.

I'm not sure who this first card will be sent to.  I just wanted to have it on hand.

I stamped the verse inside of the 5135 – Hexagon Double Stitched Dies.
This card is WAY outside of my normal design comfort zone but I was feeling inspired.  I've been watching a lot of those home makeover shows on HGTV lately and they use a lot of very bold and bright patterns and colors.

The black and white side looks like designer paper but I just stamped and masked several of the flowers from the set to create that side.  Then I stamped, colored and die cut the flowers for the other side.

On the second card I used the 5132 – Tag Stitched Dies and 5133 – Flag Double Stitched Dies.  The second card is being sent to my daughter at school.  She recently took an interest in succulents and made herself an adorable little pot of them to take with her.

Copics used:

YG07, YG09, YG41, Y19, Y32, YR12, YR18

RV52, RV63, R22, R56

Succulents Bloom! by Reneé Matarese

Hello Ai fans!

Today I'm sharing a card made with the new 5102 – Succulents Set.
I also used the 

5065 – Oval Double Stitched Dies.

This is such a pretty set and with all the colors you can use and the combinations of flowers, the possibilities are truly endless!

I used foam tape to pop up the flowers at different heights to give the card a lot of dimension.

I love the way the flowers look with the gingham paper.

There are several fun verses that come with the set besides the one I used as well.  

Copics used:

B39, B41, B95, BV02, BV34

R81, R83, R85, G08, G12, G40

Watercolor Succulents by Carol Hintermeier

Happy Monday Ai fans!

My card today features a watercolored card using the beautiful Succulents Set.  I just used four of the stamps for my card, but there are several more stamps in this awesome set!

I used Canson Watercolor paper and my MISTI to stamp a few of the succulents from the set into a background pattern.  These were stamped with Versamark and heat embossed in white.  A couple weekends ago I was so happy to be at an event and took a class where I learned to used Ken Oliver's Color Bursts to watercolor.  I used four colors to watercolor the succulents.  I did the background first though, so I could see the images better.  I used a Tombow marker in Willow Green for that.  In order to see the large succulent's petals better, I did a light wash of green over the entire plant (2nd photo below).  Here are a couple of my "in progress" photos.

   

I've listed the colors I used below, but really, after doing a web search for succulents, you can use just about any nature-y color you want!  I tapped out a bit of the powder onto my Watercolor Palette and added just a drop or two of water.  This is key as you don't want to over dilute the color.  These are highly pigmented and I would pick up a dab of color with my brush and dilute it as needed off to the side.  Once everything was dry, I used a stitched square die to cut the panel out and used double-sided tape to adhere it to a 5-3/4" x 5-3/4" card base.  I used 110# Neenah Solar White for the card base since the watercolor panel is heavier too.

I stamped the sentiment from the WC Sentiments Set with Versafine Onyx Black and die cut it with a die from Flag Double Stitched Dies.  I used some foam squares to pop it up and scattered a few clear dewdrops from my stash across the card.

Thank you so much for stopping by today!  Have a wonderful, crafty week!

Ken Oliver Color Burst colors:  Sap Green, Fuchsia, Prussian Blue

My Favorite Things/Ken Oliver Color Burst colors:  Jellybean Green, Tropical Teal

Tombow watercolor marker:  #173-Willow Green

Hello Succulents! by Reneé Matarese

Hello Ai fans!

Today I'm sharing a card made with the new 5102 – Succulents Set.
I also used the 

5065 – Oval Double Stitched Dies.

This is such a pretty set and with all the colors you can use and the combinations of flowers, the possibilities are truly endless!

I used foam tape to pop up the flowers at different heights to give the card a lot of dimension.

I liked the way the flowers look with the two different types of wood paper.

There are several fun verses that come with the set as well.  Tune in next week and you'll see another succulents card where I used one of the sentiments.

Copics used:

B39, B41, B95, BV02, BV34

R81, R83, R85, G08, G12, G40,