Guest Designing at Poppystamps

There are so many fantastic companies out there with awesome products that I love to use.  One of my favorites is Poppystamps, and I've loved them for years.  They have so many fun die-cuts and stamps sets and a fun Challenge each month on the Poppystamps Blog.  So, when I was asked to be their August Guest Designer, I simply couldn't say no.  How exciting, right?

I made three new cards that I'd like to share with you.  The theme of this month's challenge is "Back To School" and you must use at least one Poppystamps product on your card in order to play along.  With that theme in mind, my "Back to School" influences for Card #1 were in my "old school" technique of stamping my own background, and in my use of primary colors (rainbow) to represent the colors in a box of basic school crayons.

My first card uses the largest frame in the Scalloped Stitched Frame Dies.  I painted the frame in rainbow colors using alcohol paints.  The center piece of white cardstock was background stamped using sentiments found in the Art Deco Inspiration Stamp Set using Lemonade Oxide Ink.  The water was also painted and was cut using the Whittle Wave Background Die.  The groovy fish was painted and cut using the Koi Whittle Die.  I painted one side in the traditional Koi colors and the opposite side in the rainbow.  This awesome die is on SALE for just $1.

I took a picture of it each way (one with the rainbow coy and one with the orange koi) to show it both ways.  The sentiment is also found in the Art Deco Inspiration Stamp Set.  Stamping your own background is an "old school" technique that you can use to play along in this fun Challenge.  Poppystamps has lots of great Stamp Sets to create backgrounds and lots of other awesome products.  I hope you'll check it out and come play along in their FUN challenge.

My second card is very CAS (Clean and Simple).  It uses the Scalloped Frame Stitched Dies that I rubbed with Hickory Smoke and Lemonade Oxide Inks, and then the Oval Sun Burst Die (also on SALE for just $1) as the focal point.  The lovely sentiment can be found in the Art Deco Inspiration Stamp Set.  I also used the fabulous Scalloped Stitched Frame Dies again on this card (and all three of my cards, in fact).  The "Old School" technique for this second card is CAS (Clean & Simple) technique on a one-layer card.

And finally, my third card uses the "Old School" technique of stamping my own background using the Art Deco Inspiration Stamp Set combined with the Scalloped Stitched Frame Dies and the beautiful Butterflies Die Cuts.  I used some silver Stickles in the centers of the butterflies.  Because the entire background was stamped, I didn't actually add a sentiment.  I also stamped the word Grateful in Hickory Smoke Ink as opposed to the Spun Sugar Ink I used on the rest of the background for this card to make that word stand out a bit more than the rest.  Stamping your own background is a fun and creative way to give your backgrounds a pop of color.  Pappystamps has lots of great stamp sets to help you do just this.

Have an awesome week, and thanks for stopping by today.  I'm always happy when you're able to visit me and say hello.  Don't forget about visiting Poppystamps and playing along in their fun Challenge.  You need to use at least one of their products to play along, and you could be a lucky winner of their monthly prize.  It's always more exciting when everyone plays along.  I hope to see you there.

I'm playing along here:

Triple B Challenge Blog - Butterflies, Birds and Blooms - I'm entering my butterfly card.

Blessings,

Karen