Guest Designer at STAMPlorations

Hey everyone!  I'm a Guest Designer over at STAMPlorations for their sketch challenge #31. I'm always so thrilled to GD there.  The products are awesome, the challenges are incredibly fun, the design team is super inspiring and, Shery, the owner/illustrator, is just fabulous.  :-). (And no, I was not paid to say that!  LOL!)

I hope you'll want  to join in on the fun with this fantastic sketch challenge.  Just take a look...

Awesome, right?  I had so much fun with this sketch.  Now, I didn't place my sentiment exactly where it shows on the sketch but that's okay.  You don't have to follow the sketch exactly.  Here's my card...

So first I die cut my medallion shape from a scrape piece of paper using my new Evolution die cutting machine.  It's by We R Memory Keepers.  What's cool about this machine is you don't need to remember all the different sandwich combinations for the different types of dies.  It has a dial the raises or lowers the platform to the right height. It eliminates all the complicated sandwiches and the need for more than the one or two plates.  It's awesome!  Anyway, once I had my die cut mask I stamped my poppies (STAMPlorations, Bloom Sketches set) in black.  Then using a previously cut out mask of the poppies (I always keep them) I covered them up.  Then I started sponging Soft Suede (SU!) ink all around the edges getting lighter in the middle.  I stamped the script (7 Gypsies) in the same brown ink but stamped off first so it would be subtle.  Then I splattered my heirloom gold Perfect Pearls mist (it's hard to see but you get a better look with the close up picture), and watered down Mellow Moss (SU!) and Walnut Stain (distress) ink.  Once that was dry I removed the masks.  I then coloured my poppies with my Spectrum Noir markers (DG2, DG4, DR5, DR7).  I die cut the birthday from black cardstock and adhered it to the card.  Then I stamped the wishes (part of a sentiment by Clearly Besotted) in black.  I'm quite pleased with how this turned out. Especially, the red poppies.  Red tends to bleed a lot regardless of the paper you use so I was happy I'd managed to control it fairly well.  :-)

I hope you'll take a stab at this fabulous sketch challenge too.  I would love to see you there!  And you really must go take a look at the DT projects.  So amazing!

I'd like to link up to the following challenges:

Spectrum Noir Monthly Challenge - for April it's, use a die cut. STAMPlorations - anything goes challenge
Penny Black and More Challenge - birthday
The Mixed Media Card Challenge - flowers with the option of baskets

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge - Happy Birthday 

Thanks so much for dropping by and I hope you all have an amazing day!