Create Along With Us - July 2015

 If you are looking for my Paper Sweeties July Release Party Post click:  HERE

Hello Stamping Friends!!!!

Have you heard about the new challenge over at Capture the Moment (Nicole's blog) for Papertrey Ink?  Since during release weeks we are without our beloved Make it Monday challenge Betsy had the idea to have us create a card by utilizing some of the incredible inspiration that has all of us drooling (okay maybe that is just me LOL) and ready to order tonight when the products go live!

I wanted to case so many cards!  The designers at Papertrey are all so fabulous! I found something on every single designers blog that I would have loved to attempt CASEing!  For today I chose this lovely card by Laurie Willison:

You can see this gorgeous card on her blog Soapbox Creations:  HERE

I will warn you that creating backgrounds is something that I tend to struggle with.  I find it very difficult not to end up with ink where I do not want it.  But I found it a wee bit easier this time....maybe my skills are starting to improve! LOL!  My cards are still not 100% perfect but they are handmade after all!

I cut 4 card fronts and stamped them using a flower from the "Pretty Peonies" stamp set with a goal of making a card set to mail to a family member.  I did this at 4am on a television tray in my living room this morning.  I always wake up early and wanted to try this so bad that I got up and got to it!  LOL!  Then I came down to my craft room and finished them off....

Here is my favorite of the four cards....and luckily no ink smudges on this one:

 I love "Tiffany Blue" so I chose to go a wee bit darker with my Copic coloring on the background after realizing I didn't have a lighter blue marker like Laurie.  I like the way this turned out!  What do you think?  I stayed very close to her original design which I just love!  Thanks again Laurie!

And here it is in green:

  On this one I let the flower show more by using a shorter vellum banner.  It looks like it is peeking out to say "Hello" doesn't it? 

And here are two more versions with coloring in the centers of the flowers only.... just to try something  a little different:

 I am not sure if you can see it very well in the pictures....

Here I used an RV32 marker to color the flower centers.

And a V06 Copic for the flower centers on this card.

I almost want to make two more of these cards and try coloring in 3 flowers fully in a visual triangle.  I think that would be cool too!

Well that is it for me today.  Thanks Laurie and all of the wonderful Papertrey Ink Designers for the incredible inspiration during this release and every release! And thanks to Betsy for coming up with this great new challenge! I think I want to try Melissa's teacup card next....I LOVE IT!!!!! 

Happy Stamping!
Jill