A Creative Touch: Stamping Smiles Designs

Saturday, October 31, 2015

Stamping Smiles Designs "Tic-Tac-Toe Challenge," MFT Wednesday Sketch Challenge #252 and a "Top-Mow-it-All" winner!!

Happy Halloween everyone!! For those of us in the states, many are getting ready for parties and others for trick or treating. Charlotte is going to a party this year and forgoing trick or treating. Time flies so enjoy it when your children are small!!

Today I am sharing a card that I created using Stamping Smiles Designs "Tic-Tac-Toe Challenge" and My Favorite Things Wednesday Sketch Challenge #252. Stamping Smiling Designs is having a Design Team call and I decided to throw my hat into the ring.

Here is the card I created:

Isn't he cute? I love the way that mouse for My Favorite Things "Harvest Mouse" set came out!!

Here is the Tic-Tac-Toe Challenge that inspired all the main elements on this card:

I chose to go diagonal from the top left corner to the bottom right corner. I used "Forest Friends" (the mouse), "Embossing" and "Woodgrain" (kraft background) as the main elements for my design on this card.

I then used the sketch below for the placement of the elements.

I have been using a lot of sketches as of late, as well as challenges, for my card design. It challenges my brain to think outside of the box and use my supplies that I have hoarded. For example, the woodgrain embossing folder that I used for the background. I have had that for YEARS and I think this is one of the first times I have used it. How sad is that? The "Tic-Tac-Toe" challenge is something I have NEVER even seen and it was so much fun!!

I used Copic markers to color in the mouse and accented him with colored pencils and a white gel pen. I added a bit of Stickles to the pumpkins to make them a bit more festive. I chose to leave a sentiment off the card so I could use this whenever.

I created the background in the circle by first stamping and coloring some leaves from the "Harvest Mouse" set. I then used an ink blender and blended Simon Says Stamp "Burnt Orange" ink, and Distress Ink in "Scattered Straw" and "Squeezed Lemonade. "After blending, I used a mister to mist some water onto the top. I die cut the gate die from My Favorite Thing's "Sunflower Sweetheart"out of Kraft card stock and ran it through the woodgrain embossing folder. I then inked it up with Distress Ink in "Vintage Photo" to try to bring out the texture a bit. This card was just so much fun to make!!

A bit of news for me today. I was a "Top-Mow-it All" winner on the Lawnscaping Challenge blog for this card.