Grid Technique in Monochrome!

Good Afternoon all!

I am super EXCITED for today's new Loves Rubberstamps challenge because, not only is it fun, BUT we start the search for our September Guest Designer! I know we will have some amazing entries because our players each week do some G-O-R-G-E-O-U-S work! Can't wait to start seeing the entries :)

If you want to try out here are the details...

Our Guest Designer will create projects for our weekly challenges for the month of their term. You will have your work showcased on the Loves Rubberstamps challenge blog along with the design team samples, on our facebook page, and possibly in our store as samples. Term will be 4 - 5 weeks depending on how many weeks there are in your month. The only requirement is you HAVE to use stamps from companies that we carry in our store on your projects and they have to be in their current line, no retired images. Even if we do not have that particular image in stock, as long as it is a current one we can order... you can use it.

As a guest designer you will receive a 20% discount off any stamps that we carry in the store during your term!

If you want the chance to be our guest designer for the month of SEPTEMBER just play along in one of our weekly challenges and put GDT after your name next to your entry. We will be accepting applicants in this week's challenge and next week's and will announce who the Guest Designer will be on August 21st. We will be looking for entrants who stand out through any of the following... awesome coloring skills, paper piecing, great use of color, creativity, outstanding design, and just pure genius :) Hope you will try out for a spot!

Now speaking of this week's Loves Rubberstamps Challenge...this week we are playing BINGO! I love Bingo! There is a casino about 45 miles from us that has BINGO sessions and my husband and I used to go on Sundays. You payed $25 to play 17 games that payed out $500 to win. We didn't win very often but it was fun. In fact... I ended up getting myself a BINGO bag that said.... "How come everyone ELSE gets to yell BINGO and all I ever get to yell is "Oh S%#T" ... probably not the most appropriate but it was funny. It would give the elderly ladies a giggle :) 

The challenge is to create a card that features the three elements from our Bingo Card that creates a straight line. Here is our Bingo Card....

The line that I used for my card was - Monochromatic Color Scheme, Flowers & Buttons or Brads! Here is my card...

I used the Crafter's Companion Daisies from the Paint Fushion line from Sheena Douglass. I colored them with prismacolor pencils on Stampin Up's Sahara Sand cardstock and then clear embossed them to make the colors pop. I fussy cut them out and popped them on my background that I created using the grid technique. LOVE THIS! I also created the background for this week's Splitcoaststampers technique challenge. You were to go to their resources page...type in background... and then use of the techniques to make your card. I mentioned in another post that I usually end up creating my own backgrounds over using designer paper...not because I don't like it...just the opposite...I LOVE it and I am a paper hoarder because I love to look at it, over and over - LOL!

I hope you like my card today and will join our challenge!

Here are some other challenges that I will be entering this card in:

Splitcoaststampers - TLC389 Blissful Backgrounds
Papertake Weekly Challenge - Anything Goes
Shopping Our Stash - Monochromatic
Tuesday Alchemy - Bingo - Line Created - Ribbon or Bows, Your Choice & Buttons
Craft Your Passion - Anything Goes
Lollipop Crafts - Monochromatic
The Shabby Tea Room - Soft Neutrals

Happy Stampin!
Laura

Happy Hour...In Black & White!

Good Morning Stampers...or I guess I should say Afternoon!

Today is TUESDAY which means we start a brand new Loves Rubberstamps Blog Challenge! This week is a Color Inspiration to use colors from this photo boutique card:

We were to be inspired by the pretty Pink, Grey & Black colors and you could also use the photograph for inspiration too! When I saw these colors I knew I wanted to try and color my image in "black & White" and add just a splash of pink. I love this look and had never tried it before so I thought I would give it a whirl! Here is the card I came up with:

I used one of my SUPER SUPER favorite Uptown Girls - Madison Has a Margarita from Stamping Bella. I colored her with my Spectrum Noir Alcohol Ink Markers on the Crafter's Companion Ultrasmooth premium white cardstock. This cardstock is designed for use with alcohol markers and it really makes a huge difference!

Here is a closer look at my Madison...

I colored her using the cool greys and then added just a pop of the light pink in her ruffle and her glass. When you add the pop of pink you want to first lay down your lightest grey shade so it is not overwhelming, it is more subtle. I thought she turned out pretty good for my first attempt at coloring images in black and white!

On Saturday I always have to check the Splitcoaststampers Inspiration Challenge...because I love these... and found a piece that I drew inspiration from for my card as well. This week you were to use inspiration from the SugarChicBaby Etsy Shop. I found this adorable headband to use for inspiration:

You can see the inspiration in my background paper! I wanted a chic but subtle pattern and this seemed to fit! PLUS anyone with small children knows that Momma needs Happy Hour some days...or any children...or for that matter just a husband some days - LOL!

Here are a few other challenges I would like to enter this card in:
Lia Stampz - Challenge 21 Anything Goes
Made Especially For You - Use Three Colors
Make It Monday - Anything Goes
That Craft Place (2nd Entry) - Anything Goes
Creative Craft Challenges 2 - Pink & Black
Jackson's Digital Expressions - Anything Goes + Use a Color Media
Papertake Weekly - All Things Girly

Hope you enjoy today's card and play along with us in this week's Loves Rubberstamps Challenge!

Happy Stampin!
Laura