Embellish Magazine: Cutesy, Quirky and Clean

Ahhhh...to create for challenges again...how refreshing!! I've had a little more time with the critters back in school and was itchin' for a challenge! Embellish Magazine's most recent challenge..."Quirky - Cutesy - Clean Style" proved to be a serious challenge for this shabby, vintage lovin' girl. I wasn't sure if I had a quirky, cutesy or clean bone (or stamp set) in me (and one of my cards really shows it!)

I created this card after I felt I had totally failed on the first one (posted also below). I forgot I had picked up this sweet and inexpensive set at CHA...Up, Up and Away by Papertrey Ink. This little banner is certainly clean and tidy...

...as is this fun little airplane below! I colored them both with watercolor pencils and used my Copic blender pen to blend a little. My Aqua Flo brush just wouldn't allow me to stay in those tiny little spaces, but the Copic marker did the trick. I'm trying to build up my Copic supply so I can start practicing with those...but for now...the watercolor pencils did just fine. The clouds were cut out of white glitter felt with Papertrey's die cuts and then I stamped the polka dots (a little quirkyness?) on them (Background Basics - Retro - PTI).

The little plaid strip on the lower portion was made with some stripes from Background Basics - Retro again, with Melon Berry and Aqua Mist inks. I used PTI's ric rac die with their MB cardstock for the trim. It was all set on Kraft cardstock (PTI). I really like this little set and the way the card turned out. It was for our little next door neighbor.

The next card was my "failure" card when it comes to cutesy, quirky and clean, but I couldn't let it go to waste. I used a sentiment, stems and bumble bee image from PTI's Honey Bee's...another really nice and inexpensive set...

It's hard to see but I stamped some light "wheat" bees on the painted chipboard before applying some glittered clear embossing powder to the whole thing. The chipboard (Tim Holtz) framed in a little handmade flower (Sweet Blush and Melonberry cardstock) with some stems and leaves (Turning a New Leaf).

The sentiment described the little church friend this card was going to perfectly.
The "Mary, Mary..." papers from My Mind's Eye gave just a bit of a honeycomb feel and the Aqua Mist ribbon and buttons from PTI finished the whole thing off.

So, so happy to be creating again!! Next week will leave little spare time as I dig deep and prepare for new carpet to be put down in this 12 year old house. Hope to see you again soon, though!!

Have a great week!!

Geri