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Friday, October 12, 2012

Challenges Revisited



Today's card is in response to a bunch of challenges.  Challenges are a fantastic way to get the creative juices flowing.  They're like a kick start to one's mojo.  You have a basic requirement (or template, in the case of sketch challenges), but the interpretation is entirely up to the crafter.  I LOVE that.  Before I discovered challenges, I would sit and muddle my way through each card, trying to come up with a layout on my own and really having no clear idea of where I wanted to go and wasting much time in the process.  And I was never very satisfied with the final results.  So much was left to chance.  But once I discovered challenges, particularly sketches, I was off to the races.  Suddenly I couldn't wait to get into my craft room - I had a plan!!  Then I discovered more challenges.  Color challenges, embellishment challenges,  incorporate this shape, do something for that holiday....eeek!!!  So many challenges, so little time!!  

So today's card is for several of them.  It's gotten to be a game - how many challenges can one little card fulfill?



This card fulfills seven.  For many, that's peanuts, but for me, it's a LOT.  (All challenges will be linked below.) Four of them were for colors, in case you were wondering why I made a Christmas card using these colors.  One was to focus on tasty treats. One was a sketch, and one was to incorporate two or more circle shapes.  See what I mean?  As someone who loves putting together jigsaw puzzles, putting together a card for multiple challenges gives me the same satisfaction.

 


  The ornaments are free-hanging.  They are the Ornament die and stamp sets from MFT and are so much fun to play with.  I stamped them with glue and applied gold and copper glitters, then hung them from between the two upper panels using gold metallic thread.



The image is from Flourishes stamp set, Sweets of the Season.  I colored it with watercolor pencils and popped it up on two contrasting diecuts.  The background layer was embossed with SU Snowburst embossing folder. 

I have to say it was fun making a Christmas card from decidedly non-Christmas colors.  I might even do it again.  But you can be sure it'll be part of a multiple challenge.

Thanks for visiting me, and Happy Crafting!!

Challenges entered:

SCS Thursday Challenge - Round and Round
The Shabby Tea Room - Link Up For Pink
The Shabby Tea Room - Week #135, Beautiful Romance
Flourishes Timeless Tuesday - Fresh Baked 
The Color Throwdown - #213 
Really Reasonable Ribbon - #57, Pretty in Pink and Ribbon Theme 
and last but certainly not least...

MOJO Monday 262 

 

6 comments:

Esther said...

Pretty Christmas card!
Love all the sparkle :)
Thanks for joining us at Link Up For Pink!!!

Kristie said...

I love how you used the ornaments in place of the banners in the Mojo Monday sketch, that is thinking outside the box! Very beautiful, Shea! TFS!! Mwah!!

Kimie said...

Hi Sweetie, I am so late checking in today. Love this one. All that sparkle and the hot pink are a feast for these tired eyes. :) This is a non-traditional Christmas card as far as the colors, but I really, really like it. Gorgeous!! MWAH!

Lori Comeau said...

Very cool card.
http://lorisartsyobsession.blogspot.com/

Rebecca Deeprose said...

A really fun use of pink, green and white!! Love the dangling ornaments! So glad you could join us at The Shabby Tea Room!!!

Broni said...

Love the Christmas cookies and the loopy border! Thanks for joining us for the Timeless Tuesday challenge!!