Passion for Papertrey - whatever the weather challenge

Over on A Passion for Papertrey, they have a challenge this week called Whatever the Weather.  I love their blog and try to join their challenges when I can.  They all have great style and I really enjoy their mad card skills!  Plus, I was inspired by the gorgeous weather today - really glorious sunshine.  After going for a walk with a friend along the seawall, I grabbed some of my supplies and got started.  I put on a movie I had recorded in the background (Jennifer Lopez's Back up Plan) and happily stamped away.

Here's my first one, which was actually the last card I made.  Not much stamping at all but the colours are sunny!

I split the Beautiful Butterflies set with someone for the sentiments only.  Gasp, I know!  I just decided I didn't need a whole set of butterflies even though they are truly beautiful. :)  I have a butterfly scene from Tim Holtz and also the gorgeous butterfly from PTI's Happy Trails.  So only the sentiments came home with me.  Oh, and I got this gorgeous patterned paper from the talented Aga in a prize pack she sent me a while back. 

It's Cosmo Cricket's DeLovely and all the patterns and colours are bright, and well ... lovely!  Thanks, Aga, as it has inspired me to make some more bright and fun cards. :)

I used PTI's Limitless Layers to cut the circle and mat behind.  As you can see, there is the sentiment Like a Rainbow, you color my world stamped in Fresh navy ink as I felt black would be too harsh.  I still have a tough time with the American spelling since to my Canadian eyes, it looks like it's not spelled right but what are you gonna do?  I would actually selectively ink and try and add the 'u' but I was going for a quick fun card after all the that masking I did in this next pic...

So here it is, card number two:
Obviously my masking (and sponging) skills need some work but it is a bit more blended in person ... really! :)  Don't believe me, huh?  Well, I decided that even though it's no masterpiece I would post it.  Even if it's shameful ... <----- insert embarrassed emoticon here ...

I originally stamped over each sponged section while masked with a variety of stamps (BB Retro, Text Style, Turning a New Leaf, Polka Dots, In Bloom) but since I used Jenni Bowlin's Malted Millk, it didn't show up enough for my liking.  I like subtle well enough but it was beyond subtle.  So I used my new Market Street Stamps background honeycomb stamp over top in Distress Ink Marmalade.

I just love this sentiment from Modern Wood Mats - it's such a sweet one, isn't it?  Oh, in this closeup you can see the Malted Milk ink peeking through a bit but it just wasn't enough.  I used the Sunshine impression plate inked up for a letterpress technique with the DI's Marmalade as well.

This one is a more literal scene of sun and clouds.

The rays are Faux Ribbon with a Modern Wood Mats sun and I used an inked up Mehndi Medallions impression plate for the letterpress technique on the clouds.

If you look closely, you can see Text Style used as a background on the front panel.  Oh, and Studio Calico grid pattern background stamp was stamped on the card front and just peeks through from behind.

Okay, last one based on this challenge:

I grabbed a piece of Lemon Tart cardstock and used the Sunshine Impression plate on it after stamping the sentiment on the selectively inked Think Big hello and a spelled out Outline Alphabet's sunshine.  When using the impression plates, I have learned that it is always better to stamp first then impress.  I have done it the other way around when I change my plan and it will sometimes work quite well but the best impression of the stamped image is on smooth cardstock.

I stamped the Outline Alphabet stamps in Jenni Bowlin Chicken Feed and the hello in Distress InkMarmalade and you will notice that there is basically no difference.  I thought it might be a nice subtle ombre sort of gradation but nope! :)
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My last one is not for the challenge but had my yellow ink out and thought I would get a start on my graduation cards.  I have eleven advisees graduating this year and always make personalized cards for my students for holidays, end of year and graduation.  This year since they are graduating and (most) have been my advisees for five years, it is extra special.  Our school colours are yellow, grey and blue so I went with yellow and blue for my colour scheme.

I bought a little mini graduation set called Hats Off from Ditto at Michael's for a couple of dollars.  So the hats are from this set and I simply repeated the pattern.

I impressed the circle with the Text Style impression plate after stamping the sentiment from Mega Mixed Messages.

In hindsight, I should've completely dried the Vintage Cream inked sentiment with my heat gun, inked up my Text Style impression plate with Versamark to dry emboss, and then heat emboss in clear but oh well!

This will be a good one for one of the boys in my advisee group.  They all compare their cards so I like to make them as different as possible.

Supplies:

Like a Rainbow
Paper: Staples 110lb white, Cosmo Cricket DeLovely
Stamps: PTI Beautiful Butterflies (sentiment)
Ink: Fresh navy
Misc: PTI Limitless Layers circles, foam dots






 
 The World is Brighter
Paper: Gina K pure luxury sweet mango, Staples 110lb white
Stamps: Market Street honeycomb background, Modern Wood Mats (sentiment)
Ink: Jenni Bowlin weather vane (sentiment), lemon drop; Distress Ink marmalade
Misc: foam dots
PTI Sunshine impression plate, Eclipse masking paper, Ranger foam blending tools

Hello, Sunshine
Paper:
Stamps:
Ink: Jenni Bowlin chicken feed,Distress Ink marmalade
Misc: PTI Sunshine impression plate

The Sun and Cloud
Paper: Staples 110lb white, PTI Enchanted Evening
Stamps: PTI Text Style, Modern Wood Mats (circle), Faux Ribbon (rays), Studio Calico grid pattern background stamp (background of card base)
Ink: Jenni Bowlin lemon drop, chicken feed, malted milk; PTI Vintage Cream
Misc: foam dots, PTI Mehndi Medallion impression plate

Congrats to the Grad
Paper: PTI Enchanted Evening, Staples 110lb white
Stamps: Ditto Hats Off, PTI Mega Mixed Messages
Ink: Jenni Bowlin lemon drop, PTI Vintage Cream
Misc: 1 3/4" punch, foam dots, PTI Text Style impression plate