Challenge #356 - Rectangles & Circles

My creativity is at a new low today, hence the brilliant title for this week's sketch challenge! Well, it does the job, doesn't it? Thanks to our former teammate, Jane, we have this interesting sketch combining the two shapes, and it's easier to just show you the challenge banner, isn't it?

 As with past sketch challenges, you can flip the sketch on it's side or reverse it, as long as you keep the integrity of the sketch! Feel free to change the shape of the circles as well.

Let's see what the Design Team did with this sketch:

Deborah Wheeler

Heather Cooper

Heather Heroldt

Jan Clothier

Joanne James

LeAnne Pugliese

Here are some guidelines for the challenges:

• Create any card, scrapbooking page, 3D project or packaging project that fits the challenge.
• Stampin' Up! colours are used for reference but any matching colours are welcome. You can use black/neutral for outlines and sentiments but don’t use any other colours. Make sure you use all the colours in the challenge banner. Neutrals include black, white, vanilla, Crumb Cake.
• Please include the challenge graphic and link back to the challenge in your blog post. Turn off word verification so we can send you lots of feedback. Make sure you link the post not the whole blog to the Linky. Use AYSI #356 when uploading to a public gallery.
• You can combine our challenge with up to 3 other compatible challenges.*
• We do reserve the right to delete, or not consider, entries that do not comply with these guidelines.*

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

Winners for Challenge #355 - Lively Leaves

Who says you need hours to come up with a beautiful card design? Our entries this week all took less than 10 minutes to make and I bet it's hard to tell! Which is your favourite? The Design Team loved them all, but had to pick the winners, because, well, that's our job, so like, here they are:

We had two Top Picks this week, because the entries were that good:

Our first Top Pick is: Wild Rose & Pearl/Kim F.

Kim's amazing card, which took her 8 min 45 sec to make uses a very unique technique to create a dense, ferny undergrowth area. She used an embossing folder and ink to create the highlighted areas and dark green ink swiped on straight from the ink pad to black out the shadowed areas. The added fern fronds from diecuts and the rich gold sentiment and backings, really add to the beauty of this lovely card! Congratulations, Kim on being one of our Top Picks this week.

Our second Top Pick is: Jolanda Johnston

Whenever there is a speed stamping contest, you're pretty sure to find Jolanda somewhere on the winner's page. She has speed stamping down to a fine art. You will learn how to do it, too, when you read her various posts on the subject! The Design Team loved her background and her lovely colouring on the leaf! Congrats on being our second Top Pick, Jolanda!

Our Featured Artist is: Gayle Chrvala

Gayle, our winner, and Featured Artist, made her beautiful card in only 5 min. 7 sec.! She is demonstrating an important concept of speed stamping - simple can be beautiful, and good composition makes a big difference. The Design Team loved the variation in greens for your line of leaves, the way you matted the front panel, the amazing sentiment that underscored your main image! Congratulations, Gayle , on being our Featured Artist this week!

And we think you may want to check out the following Honorable Mentions on their sites:

3. Johanna @Lavender House Creations

8. Liz Williams

Congratulations to our winners and thanks to everyone who played along! Our winners today can pick up their badges on this page and display them with pride on their blogs or sites. Please check out our new Sketch Challenge on our blog tomorrow morning!     

You Still Have A Few Hours Left To Play Challenge #355 - Lively Leaves

You still have a few hours left to play our Speed Challenge Challenge #355 - Lively Leaves at As You See It Challenges! Why don't you give it a try, here.

The Challenge will close on Wednesday, Sept. 3rd, at 11:55 pm Pacific time.   

You Still Have Time to Play Challenge #355 - Lively Leaves

You still have time left to play our Speed Challenge Challenge #355 - Lively Leaves at As You See It Challenges! Why don't you give it a try, here.

The Challenge will close on Wednesday, Sept. 3rd, at 11:55 pm Pacific time.    

Challenge #355 - Lively Leaves

 It's time to speed stamp again, and this time the theme is Leaves, so the title of this challenge is Lively Leaves! Let's see how pumped you can get them!  Of course, we're not in a hurry to see those lovely Fall Leaves go but we do love the colour they bring to Autumn, so let's just say we're in a hurry to see the change! Here's our challenge banner:

Remember, it's a SPEED challenge, so you are trying to complete your card in 10 minutes or less, so you'll need to set a timer. You can plan your project and gather all your materials before you start, but the moment you cut a piece of cardstock, or ink up a stamp, or emboss some paper, you must start your timer!

And when you enter, make sure you tell us your time somewhere in your blog or entry.

Let's see how lively our Design Team's leaves were:

Deborah Wheeler

7m 39s

Heather Cooper

9m 8s

Heather Heroldt

8m 39s

Jan Clothier

6m 55s

Joanne James

6m 48s

LeAnne Pugliese

4m 50s

Here are some guidelines for the challenges:

• Create any card, scrapbooking page, 3D project or packaging project that fits the challenge.
• Stampin' Up! colours are used for reference but any matching colours are welcome. You can use black/neutral for outlines and sentiments but don’t use any other colours. Make sure you use all the colours in the challenge banner. Neutrals include black, white, vanilla, Crumb Cake.
• Please include the challenge graphic and link back to the challenge in your blog post. Turn off word verification so we can send you lots of feedback. Make sure you link the post not the whole blog to the Linky. Use AYSI #355 when uploading to a public gallery.
• You can combine our challenge with up to 3 other compatible challenges.*
• We do reserve the right to delete, or not consider, entries that do not comply with these guidelines.*

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

Winners for Challenge #354 - Dining Al Fresco

We just loved all the entries that came with the Picnic Theme! They were all amazing! It was SOO hard to choose winners!  The picnic food looked delicious, especially those pies! Couldn't you almost smell them? However you slice it though, they were all beautiful!

Here are the winners of Challenge #354!

Our Top Pick is: Kelly Schirmer

The Design Team loved the pie cards this week, and no wonder! The pies were so realistic looking. Kelly's cherry pie not only looked delicious, but she put it in a picnic context by adding all sorts of gingham and cherry red and white details. Check out the fringed blanket and the scalloped cloth! So effective! Congratulations on being awarded Top pick this week Kelly!

Our Featured Artist is: Jaydee

Jaydee's apple pie took the cake in our opinion! We could almost taste that flaky crust and those tart apples. Then the apple die cuts, the colours, the pink gingham and the apple tree in the background just added to that Dining Al Fresco motif! Pie and picnics are the best! And the subtlety of Jaydee's shading added to the reality of the look! Congratulations, Jaydee, on being this week's Featured Artist!

                     

And we think you may want to check out the following Honourable Mentions on their sites:

6.  Jennie Maier

Congratulations to our winners and thanks to everyone who played along! Come and check out our new Speed Stamping Challenge tomorrow morning on our blog! Our winners today can pick up their badges on this page and display them with pride on their blogs or sites.     

You Still Have a Few Hours Left to Play As You See It Challenge #354 - Dining Al Fresco

You still have a few hours left to play our Theme Challenge Challenge #354 - Dining Al Fresco at As You See It Challenges! Why don't you give it a try, here.

The Challenge will close on Wednesday, Aug. 20th, at 11:55 pm Pacific time. 

You Still Have Time to Play Challenge #354 - Dining Al Fresco

You still have time left to play our Theme Challenge Challenge #354 - Dining Al Fresco at As You See It Challenges! Why don't you give it a try, here.

The Challenge will close on Wednesday, Aug. 20th, at 11:55 pm Pacific time.   

Challenge #354 - Dining Al Fresco

It's definitely picnic season in the Northern Hemisphere and dreaming of picnic season in the Southern Hemisphere, so what does a picnic look like to you? Do you have a dedicated picnic basket complete with gingham tablecloth, or blanket, thermos, cutlery, plates and food containers, or do you pack a Tupperware container with food and eat with paper plates, or pull things out of a backpack?That's our Theme Challenge this week, thanks to our creative team mate, Heather H.

Show us your best idea of a picnic in your entry project! Can't wait to see it.

Let's see how our Design Team dine Al Fresco:

Deborah Wheeler

Heather Cooper

Heather Heroldt

Jan Clothier

Joanne  James

LeAnne Pugliese

Here are some guidelines for the challenges:

• Create any card, scrapbooking page, 3D project or packaging project that fits the challenge.
• Stampin' Up! colours are used for reference but any matching colours are welcome. You can use black/neutral for outlines and sentiments but don’t use any other colours. Make sure you use all the colours in the challenge banner. Neutrals include black, white, vanilla, Crumb Cake.
• Please include the challenge graphic and link back to the challenge in your blog post. Turn off word verification so we can send you lots of feedback. Make sure you link the post not the whole blog to the Linky. Use AYSI #354 when uploading to a public gallery.
• You can combine our challenge with up to 3 other compatible challenges.*
• We do reserve the right to delete, or not consider, entries that do not comply with these guidelines.*

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

Winners for Challenge #353 - Recipe for the Gala

Thanks to all the guest "chefs" who tried out our Recipe Challenge last week! The glamour vibes were strong and shiny! It was very hard to pick winners, but that's our job, so we did it and here they are:

Our Top Pick is: Jolanda Johnstone

Jolanda really got her glam on for this beautiful project. The Design Team loved the amazing glimmer paper floral layer that included die cuts. Then the choice of background paper was so perfect for this black and white and gold elegance. ANd check out the gold embossed sentiment and the coloured rhinestones! This card is so skillfully done, it really deserves the Top Pick! Congratulations, Jolanda.

And our Featured Artist this week:

Our Featured Artist is: Julia Sager

Julia, our Featured Artist this week and winner, used the elements of the recipe with ornate style. The black, gold and white panels created a quietly elegant background, while the die-cut foliage and ribbons add a touch of exquisite splendour!  Well earned Featured Artist award!  Congratulations, Julia!

And we think you may want to check out the following Honorable Mentions on their sites:

      3. Jaydee

Congratulations to our winners and thanks to everyone who played along! Come and check out our new Theme Challenge tomorrow morning on our blog! Our winners today can pick up their badges on this page and display them with pride on their blogs or sites.      

 

You Still Have a Few Hours Left to Play Challenge #353 - Recipe for the Gala

You still have a few hours left to play our Recipe Challenge Challenge #353 - Recipe for the Gala at As You See It Challenges! Why don't you give it a try, here.

The Challenge will close on Wednesday, Aug. 6th, at 11:55 pm Pacific time.   

 

You Still Have Time to Play Challenge #353 - Recipe for the Gala

You still have time left to play our Recipe Challenge Challenge #353 - Recipe for the Gala at As You See It Challenges! Why don't you give it a try, here.

The Challenge will close on Wednesday, Aug. 6th, at 11:55 pm Pacific time.   

Challenge #353 - Recipe for the Gala

What is it about black, white and gold that increases the elegance factor by so much? After all, except for the gold, it is pretty basic! But somehow the contrast elevates the value so much. Today as part of our Recipe Challenge, cooked up by yours truly, we're asking you to include the colours black, white & gold, sequins or rhinestone or both, die cuts, glimmer paper or foil, and heat embossing. I'm expecting some pretty ritzy cards, but who knows what will transpire? I'm always ready to be surprised by "A Recipe for the Gala!"

Remember our last Colour Challenge? Well, the winner of that challenge, Jenny  Engelke, won the right to be a guest designer on today's challenge:

Here's Jenny:

and here's her wonderful card. I love the elegance and texture: 

Jenny Engelke

And let's see how the Design Team's card designs clean up?

Deborah Wheeler

Heather Cooper

Heather Heroldt

Jan Clothier

Joanne James

LeAnne Pugliese

Here are some guidelines for the challenges:

• Create any card, scrapbooking page, 3D project or packaging project that fits the challenge.
• Stampin' Up! colours are used for reference but any matching colours are welcome. You can use black/neutral for outlines and sentiments but don’t use any other colours. Make sure you use all the colours in the challenge banner. Neutrals include black, white, vanilla, Crumb Cake.
• Please include the challenge graphic and link back to the challenge in your blog post. Turn off word verification so we can send you lots of feedback. Make sure you link the post not the whole blog to the Linky. Use AYSI #342 when uploading to a public gallery.
• You can combine our challenge with up to 3 other compatible challenges.*
• We do reserve the right to delete, or not consider, entries that do not comply with these guidelines.*

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter