FUSION Card Challenge Mail Call~4th Anniversary Celebration with GUESTS!

Hello,

Welcome to FUSION CARD CHALLENGE~Mail Call 

AND 

4th Anniversary Celebration!

In addition to the always inspiring photo and sketch to pique your creativity - like those for this challenge -

we've added another facet to the celebration: GUEST DESIGNERS!

 Yes - and a bevy of fabulous talent we have to share with you! Want to meet my special guest?

*Drum roll....*

I’m absolutely thrilled to have one of *the* darlings of the crafting community as my special guest for this celebration: Bev of Happy Dance blog blog fame. Most of know this sweetheart, with her cards that delight, a personality that invites and welcomes, and comments that encourage, motivate and inspire. The best part about my friendship with Bev is that we met, in her home city, in July 2015! Like old friends reuniting, we enjoyed a few far-too-short hours, chatting up a storm, comfortable and delighting in one another’s company. We already love her from her blog, but in real life...WOW! She’s touched and enriched many of our lives; she is, in a word, a treasure! I’m proud to count her as one of my besties!

Bev's card is over on the challenge blog, but I *had* to share it here, too! Isn't it awesome!!  For more details, please head over to her place; she'd love if you visited - and I would, too!

Now, for my card, featuring old and new products from Uniko.  I focused on a selection of colours from the photo and 'some' elements of the sketch.  I so wanted to use the sketch fully, however, unless I have dies to cut the various panels strips...forget it! Cutting straight lines just isn't in my repertoire...

Wonky Stripes Stencil

Originally Organic Stamp & Die Bundle

All Occasion Sentiments #6

Please visit the other designers and guests over at the challenge blog, then join in the celebration!

Looking forward to seeing you in the gallery!

Thank you for dropping by!

Joy...FUSION Card Challenge~Blue Gift

Hello,

Ready for a new challenge? Perhaps some ideas for last-minute card-making (which is where I'm at!)?  The we have the ticket for you with FUSION Card Challenge~Blue Gift.  The wrapping in this photo is stunning; I can imagine this present would receive long gazes, accompanied by plenty of oohs and ahhs, prior to opening.  The sketch resembles gift wrapping, too.....

I'm still designing cards for my mom to send to family and friend; her preferences lean toward those that acknowledge the essence of Christmas: Jesus' birth.  With that in mind - and my time crunch because I'll be delivering cards to her this weekend (wooo hooooo! Mom, niece and nephew visit!) -  I came up with this...and made a set of five.

Concord and 9th: Joy

Wise Men~Gina K Designs: City of David (not sure it it's available)

Sentiment: Concord and 9th: Holy Night

Hopefully she'll like them - and I hope you do, too! 

Please head over to the FUSION blog where you'll be dazzled by the team's gorgeous takes on this challenge inspiration:

Becca Cruger
Betty J
Carol Mayne - me
Jeanne Jachna
Karren Johnson
Linda Callahan
Lyndal Higgins 
Michelle Leone

Michelle Lupton
Michelle Williams

Looking forward to seeing your designs in the gallery!

Also sharing at:

AAA Cards Challenge #104

CAS-ual Fridays Challenge #188~Winter Blues

Muse ChristmasVisions Challenge #90~Festive Free for All

Thank you for dropping by!

JOY...FUSION Card Challenge~Red Christmas

Hello,

Happy Thanksgiving to my friends in the US; may your day be filled with blessings of family, friends, fine food and abundant joy! I'm so very grateful to have a number of your add spice to my life!

Today also heralds the new FUSION Card Challenge~Red Christmas. Beautiful image; inviting sketch!

Traditional colours, a bit of woodgrain, a snippet of greenery caught my eye, so I transformed them into this card....

and, with the leftovers from the die cuts, this one. Hard to see the woodgrain on the deep red background, but it's there....

Please head over to the FUSION blog see the marvelous cards designed by my wonderful team:

Becca Cruger
Betty J
Carol Mayne - me
Jeanne Jachna
Karren Johnson
Linda Callahan
Lyndal Higgins 
Michelle Leone

Michelle Lupton
Michelle Williams

Looking forward to seeing your designs in the gallery!

Also sharing at:

Where Creativity Meets C9 Challenge #15~Christmas

Watercooler Wednesday Challenge #14~Kath's "All about Christmas" Challenge

Thank you for dropping by!

Season of Thanks...FUSION Card Challenge~Grateful

Hello,

Welcome to our new FUSION Card Challenge~Grateful.  With US Thanksgiving just days away, this photo is perfect - and although our Thanksgiving is long past, every. single. day, I feel grateful, thankful and blessed for the gifts of family and friends - especially in this warm crafting community - who grace my life.  Heart melting.... 

Anyway, before I become even more teary-eyed, let's  move on to my card.  As you've likely deduced  from my cards here and on IG, I have a 'thing' for Concord & 9th leaves. Yes, I certainly do! Soft grey background panel, ink dabbing here and there on the faux watercolour leaf to capture the colours from the wreath; the veined stamp in deep brown, sentiments in deep grey/rust, respectively.  I'm kind of surprised the grey/browns worked as well as they did; hope you like the result...

NOTE: Honoured to be selected as a Top Chick over at 4 Craft Chicks Challenge #376~Give Thanks! THANK YOU!!

Please head over to the FUSION blog see the marvelous cards designed by my wonderful design team:

Becca Cruger
Betty J
Carol Mayne - me
Jeanne Jachna
Karren Johnson
Linda Callahan
Lyndal Higgins 
Michelle Leone

Michelle Lupton
Michelle Williams

Looking forward to seeing your designs in the gallery!

Also sharing at:

Just Us Girls Challenge #418~Thankful

4 Crafty Chicks Challenge #376~Give Thanks

Simon Says Monday Challenge~Thanks/Thanksgiving

Thank you for dropping by!

Leafy Cheers To You...FUSION Card Challenge~Autumn Leaves

Hello,

Welcome to our new FUSION Card Challenge~Autumn Leaves, where both an image and sketch are ready to inspire.  This time, I was completely captivated by the photo; the contrast of the leaves, dressed in their fall palette, against the bokeh blue sky is simply stunning! We've been having crazy wind the past several days and the trees are pretty much bare. Still, the drifts and swirls of leaves are still about, so our landscape continues to be filled with colour.

Two cards to share, using new Concord & 9th Seasonal Borders and accompanying Seasons dies. I had no clue how to recreate the photo (I'd need a PhD in masking/blending/stamping to accomplish that!), so I adapted by focusing on the leaves...

Nothing fancy with the inking; I used a variety of Lawn Fawn/Memento mini inks and dabbled a bit of one colour here, another there, until I achieved a 'blended' look.  Simple...and the beautiful intricate detail of the leaves is forgiving in hiding lines/edges where the inks meet. The sentiments are a deep blue rather that the black they 'appear' to be in the photo.  

Please head over to the FUSION blog see the marvelous cards designed by my wonderful design team:

Becca Cruger
Betty J
Carol Mayne - me
Jeanne Jachna
Karren Johnson
Linda Callahan
Lyndal Higgins 
Michelle Leone

Michelle Lupton
Michelle Williams

Looking forward to seeing your designs in the gallery!

Also sharing at:

Simon Says Monday Challenge~Monochrome

Simon Says Wednesday Challenge~Anything Goes

The Card Concept~Autumn Love 

Thank you for dropping by; your visit is both welcomed and deeply appreciated!

Trick or Treat and Happy Halloween...FUSION Card Challenge~Striped Wreath

Hello!

It's definitely Fall here...and Winter has started whispering, too. We won't mention the 's' word just yet; rather, let's turn our thoughts to fun things that Autumn brings...like Halloween!

Welcome to FUSION Card Challenge~Striped Wreath, where we have an image with alllll sorts of entry points to inspire the multitude of cards/projects you're sure to bring to the gallery! Colours, stripes, wreaths, Halloween, the textured wall background - and, of course, that wonderful sketch is an option, too!

My first card's photo has me in the Land of Grrrr! After 700 photos, I decided this was the best I could manage; that green background, in real life, is rather pretty (in a Halloween kind-of-way), as are my glitter-paper bat and cat, but what a challenge to photograph! Anyway, this is my translation of the sketch; wish it looked more spook-tacular here. It's kind of fun; a card that will likely go to one of my niece or nephew's teachers.

My second is photo-inspired (obviously *grin*) The skull isn't 'that' scary, given that the flame in his candle-eye is heart shaped. The multi-colour sentiment adds a simple pop of colour.

Please head over to the FUSION blog see the marvelous cards designed by my wonderful design team:

Becca Cruger
Betty J
Carol Mayne - me
Jeanne Jachna
Karren Johnson
Linda Callahan
Lyndal Higgins 
Michelle Leone

Michelle Lupton
Michelle Williams

Looking forward to seeing your designs in the gallery!

Thank you for dropping by; your visit is both welcomed and deeply appreciated!

                                                             

Thank You and Just Because...FUSION Challenge (Sept. 8)

Hello,

I'm giddy with excitement to be sharing my first DT card as a new member of the FUSION Challenge team.  Still wandering about in the Land of WOW about this marvelous opportunity to play alongside a group of incredibly talented designers.

Before I share the challenge and my card, a huge THANK YOU to those of you who spend part of your day visiting my blog and leaving heart-warming, supportive, delightful comments. It's because of YOU that I've embarked on this 'big step' along the path of a new journey. So deeply grateful for your encouragement! I'm one lucky gal!

Okay, before I get even more teary-eyed thinking about how blessed I am....let's check out the new FUSION Challenge.  I adore every. single. thing. about this inspiration board: the eye-catching, artsy logo sporting a jazzy colour combination and stylish font; the cool sketch; the gorgeous photo...Very cool. Very inspiring.

For those of you new to FUSION challenges, and for those good friends returning: a quick outline of how things work:

PROCEDURES:

1. Play with just the sketch challenge.
2. Play with just the inspiration photo challenge.
3. Or you can create FUSION by combining BOTH challenges into one card.
4. Use the challenge graphic and link back to Fusion in your post.
Plenty of choices, right? Right!

My eye was drawn to the photo, specifically the striking combination of green and black. Out came my new Concord and 9th Brushed Blossom set for a play. In love. 'nuff said.  I inked up my flowers, buds and 'splatters' with several layers of New Sprout Memento Ink to create the impression of depth and surrounded them with Versamark black inked leaves and sentiment.  My design is totally not original, as I just followed the arrangement from the C9 site; why mess with WOW *grin*

Since I had everything out, I made a second..."just because"...

The cloudy weather we've been enveloped in makes my images appear a tad 'faint', but in real life, they are quite lively.  My mom has both cards..and apparently they're headed off to some special friends, which makes me ultra happy! 

Please be sure to check out my amazing 'new' team's creations; their translations of the challenge are guaranteed to leave you breathless...

Becca Cruger
Betty J
Jeanne Jachna
Karren Johnson
Linda Callahan
Lyndal Higgins 
Michelle Leone

Michelle Lupton
Michelle Williams

Your turn!
What sparks your creativity? Sketch? Photo? Both?
Looking forward to seeing how this FUSION challenge will inspire you!
See you in the gallery!

Thank you so much for spending part of your day with me; your visit brings me joy!