It's All About the Bees!

I'm joining in with Darnell's Twofer Challenge today, but to help me make two cards using the same stamps but with different designs I turned to several other challenges as you will see linked at the bottom of my post!

So here are my twofer's -  both using retired stamp set Honey Bee from PTI. 

For the first card I made an encouragement or Birthday card depending on what I end up stamping inside!  I used the sketch from the Fusion Challenge, the colors from The Color Throwdown Challenge,  I popped up the bee on a folded strip of card for the Cupcake Inspiration - Add a Pop Up Element and The Country View Challenge is Bugs!

Fusion Challenge

I used just the sketch

Color Throwdown

My flowers are hot pink and orange, the honeycomb stamp is yellow and the stem is green.

Cupcake Inspiration

Add a Pop Up Element

Country View Challenge

It's a Bugs Life

For my 2nd card I made a baby card using the CAS Colours and Sketches Sketch

 My card is a 4 1/4" square.

CAS Sketch

So there you have my Twofers for this month - with a little help from my friends!  You'll find the Twofer Card Challenge here.

Stamps:  Honey Bee, Honey Bee Sentiments, Wee Folk - PTI.
Paper:  White, Bright Buttercup, Hawaiian Shores, Happy Spots DP - PTI,
Ink:  True Black, Bright Buttercup, Orange Zest, New Leaf, Berry Sorbet, Classic Kraft, Hawaiian Shores.
Accessories:  Pierced Feature Frames: Rectangles dies, Noted Scalloped Square Die - PTI, half circle die - from China, foam dots, Clear Glitter Wink of Stella, 1" circle punch - SU, enamel dots - Altenew, puffy heart - Michaels

Three Giraffes x 2

I am once again attempting to play along with Darnell's Twofer challenge - which this month is Zoo Animals!  These instructions always throw me for a loop!

I used a really funny giraffe stamp from Technique Tuesday called Attitude Giraffes on both cards.

I dropped Glossy Accents on the sunglasses (which you can't see too well here).  The sentiment is from What's Up by Avery Elle.

For my Twofer - I stamped the Attitude Giraffes on patterned paper and die cut it with a Circle Nestability and framed it in a Pinked Edge Nestability.  I added Eerie Eyes from Doodlebug and brushed over all the giraffes with Clear Glitter Wink of Stella (not showing in photo!). The birthday sentiment is from Party Animal by Avery Elle.

Twofer Card Challenge

To be sure I made each card a different design, I enlisted the help of two sketch challenges!

For my It's Been Too Long card I'm linking to:

Freshly Made Sketches

I tweaked the sketch a tad since my image was a long rectangle

For my You Party Animal card I'm linking to:

Fusion Card Challenge

I used the sketch as well as the colors from the photo

 Seize the Birthday

It's Been Too Long
Stamps:  Attitude Giraffes - Technique Junkies, What's Up - Avery Elle.
Paper:  White, Kraft, Dark Chocolate - PTI, DP Enchanted - Authentique.
Ink:  Wendy Vecchi Archival Orange Blossom, True Black - PTI
Accessories:  Pierced Feature Frames: Rectangles - PTI, Glossy Accents.

You Party Animal
Stamps:  Attitude Giraffes - Technique Tuesday, Party Animal - Avery Elle.
Paper:  White, New Leaf - PTI, DP Rainbow Bright - Sunny Studio.
Ink:  Hero Hues Black, True Black - PTI
Accessories:  Nestability Circles and Pinked Circles, Clear Glitter Wink of Stella, Eerie Eyes - Doodlebug Designs.

Stars for Two

Today I'm participating in Darnell's Twofer Challenge.

I used the same Seeing Stars Die from Neat and Tangled for my stars but I used the negative piece for one and the positive piece for the other.   That is the only thing that is the same on my cards.

I sponged the watercolor paper panel, that I cut the stars out of, with Ranger Distress Wilted Violet, Blueprint Sketch, Broken China and Black Soot.

I stamped tiny stars and cluster stampings around the cut out stars and layered the panel over a piece of Kraft Stack Metallic Silver.   I embossed the sentiment on black using Silver Embossing powder, layered it to a slightly larger metallic silver panel and popped it up on foam dots.

For my Twofer, I cut apart the positive stars from the die cut so I could place them around my sentiment from Impression Obsession.  I layered the stars onto a piece of Bitty Big Lilac Grace patterned paper and added some white and clear sequins.  I stamped a sympathy sentiment on the inside.

We're expecting snow Tuesday night - so glad I'm retired now and don't have to try and get out to work!   But then on Wednesday afternoon it's supposed to get into the 40's and everything will melt.  Crazy weather here in New England this winter!

Birthday Stars
Stamps:  Star Gazer - PTI
Paper:  White, True Black - PTI, Kraft Metallic Silver - Idea-ology/Tim Holtz, Water color paper - Canson.
Ink:  Ranger Distress Wilted Violet, Blueprint Sketch, Broken China, Black Soot; Versamark, True Black - PTI.
Accessories:  Seeing Stars die - Neat and Tangled, silver embossing powder, heat tool.

Gentle Thoughts 
Stamps: With Gentle Thoughts - Impression Obsession.
Paper:  White, Winter Wisteria, DP Bitty Big Lilac Grace - PTI, watercolor paper - Canson
Ink:  Ranger Distress Wilted Violet, Blueprint Sketch, Broken China, Black Soot; Versamark, Hero Hues Black.  
Accessories:  Seeing Stars Die - Neat and Tangled, Winter Blend Sequins - Avery Elle, Tombow Glue.

Twofer Birds

I'm trying once again, to join in on Darnell's Twofer Challenge -  these are SO challenging for me!

I participated today in the Splitcoaststampers Inspiration Challenge which was Etsy Birdhouses and created this card using a bird stencil inspired by this pillow.

So I said to myself - 'Self - this could be used for the Twofer challenge!  How can I use this in another design?"    

I got out different color inks and a different sentiment and created this card.

So I used the same bird stencil, the same dots stencil, the same frame die and the same sequins -  but used different colors, more than one stenciled bird and a sympathy sentiment instead of an encouragement sentiment.  I did not pop up the outside frame piece on foam, which I did on the first blue card.   And I only stenciled the dots on the inside piece of the frame die cut on my 2nd card - I stenciled the dots over the whole panel on the blue card.

So here they are -  my Twofer

Oh, and I also turned my stencil over so the birds were flying a different way!

Sympathy                                                            Encouragement

I'm also linking my cards to:

CAS Stencil - Sponging

There are just a few more days for you to link up to either of these challenges so get cracking!

Stamps:  Walk by Faith - PTI, Simply Said Sympathy - Jillian Vance Designs
Ink:  Ranger Distress Wilted Violet, Victorian Velvet, Seedless Presserves, Weathered Wood, True Black - PTI
Paper:  Water color paper - Canson, white - PTI
Accessories:  Birds Stencil - Dina Wakley, Lots of Dots stencil - Wendy Vecchi/Stampers Anonymous, Winter Blend Sequins - Avery Elle, Pierced Feature Frames - PTI

Harvesting Sympathy

I'm joining in again this month with Darnell's Twofer Challenge!  This month the word is HARVEST.  You use the same stamps on two different designs for two different occasions.

I used the same stamp set for both cards -  First Fruits from PTI (no longer available).

For the first card I used traditional fall colors and a harvest sentiment from the set.  I die cut the frame using Pierced Feature Frames from PTI.  The outside frame is popped up on foam tape.  I inked the top of the stamp with Canyon Clay and the stems with Simply Chartreuse.  I added a tiny twinkle to the top of each sheaf of wheat.

For my Twofer -  I used the same wheat sheaves image but embossed it in blue and added a sympathy sentiment stamped on a blue strip, layered over the stamping with foam dots.  On this card I used  Scallop Stackers Large die for the framing and Mix & Mat Herringbone Die to make the stitched edge gray panel.

I'm linking my 2 cards to:

Twofer Challenge

Linking my Autumn card to:

House of Cards 

I used the colors

Linking my Sympathy card to:

Inkspirational

Autumn Harvest Card
Stamps:  First Fruits - PTI
Paper:  Rustic Cream, Vintage Cream, DP Text Style First Fruits - PTI
Ink:  Simply Chartreuse, Canyon Clay, Pure Poppy - PTI
Accessories:  Pierced Feature Frames Die - PTI, foam tape, Tombow Glue, Tiny Twinkles

Sympathy Card
Stamps: First Fruits, Words of Comfort - PTI
Ink:  Versamark, True Black - PTI
Paper  Enchanted Evening, Weathervane, Soft Stone, Blueberry Sky - PTI.
Accessories:  Scallop Stackers Big die, Mix $ Mat Herringbone Die - PTI,  Cornflower Blue Embossing Powder - Wendy Vecchi/Ranger, foam dots.

Twofer - Leaves

I made myself sit down in my craft room and work on two cards for Darnell's Twofer challenge, which this month is Leaves.  

I don't know why I have such trouble thinking of two different ways to use the same stamps - but it seems to shut my creative mind right down!?!  Usually, I'm very good at multi-tasking -  but apparently not so good at multi-designing?!!!

But, I think I got it done.......

 I know at first glance, my cards look similar -  same colors, same grid background stamp, same dew drops, same leaf stamp, but on closer inspection, I'll show you how they are different!

For my first card I stamped this lovely leaf (retired set Season of Change from Sweet N Sassy) by inking the stamp first in Orange Zest and then 'rock n rolling' the edges (remember that technique??!) in Honey Nut Ink.  You can see all the lovely detail in the stamp.  Then I stamped the Distressed Grid background over the panel in Soft Stone and die cut the panel with Pierced Feature Frames from PTI.

My Thanksgiving card!

For my Twofer below - I used the same stamp but "inked' the stamp by coloring it with Tombow Markers, brown around the outside edges and orange on the inside of the leaf.  Then I stamped the leaf onto watercolor paper and brushed over the middle of the stamping with a slightly wet paint brush to move around the color - which also makes all the detail of the stamp disappear 

(although there wasn't much detail showing anyway since this is a textured watercolor paper.) 

I repeated the process for the second leaf. 

Then I die cut the leaves using the coordinated die and layered them with foam dots over a panel of watercolor paper stamped with the same grid stamp as my first card. I layered the panel to a scalloped die cut and onto a card base of Rustic Cream cardstock .

My Thinking of You card.

So, I hope I got it right sis?  Two different designs for different occasions using the same stamps!

Thanksgiving Card
Stamps: Season of Change - Sweet N Sassy (retired), Distressed Grid - Cornish Heritage Farm (retired), Sentiment -  Inky Antics.
Paper:  white, Honey Nut - PTI
Ink:  Soft Stone, Orange Zest, Honey Nut - PTI
Accessories:  Pierced Feature Frame dies - PTI, orange dew drops, foam dots, Tombow Glue.

Thinking of You Card
Stamps:  Season of Change - Sweet N Sassy (retired), Distressed Grid - Cornish Heritage Farm (retired), Sentiment Staples: Thinking of You - PTI
Paper:  Rustic Cream, Honey Nut - PTI, Arches Watercolor paper
Ink:  Soft Stone, Honey Nut - PTI
Accessories:  Tombow Markers Brown and Orange, water, paint brush, Season of Change leaf dies - Sweet N Sassy (retired), Scallop Stackers Medium die - PTI, foam dots.

Trees for Two

Yikes!  What a challenge Darnell's Twofer Card Challenge is!  I really have to get my brain in gear to make two different cards for two different occasions using the same stamp!

But I think this month, I actually got it!  Using a tree stamp in two different ways!

For my first card, I used the lovely willow tree as a tree.  Stamping the tree and die cutting it, adding the little swing and birdhouse.  

I got this stamp set from a flash sale from PTI.  It's called Backyard Branches and PTI sold it from Facebook a few weeks ago - I got an e-mail about the sale and was lucky enough to order two of the four sets available before they were gone!  They are small stamp sets with the dies included for $15.00 each.   

I think they may offer the four sets again - but it's not in the web store now.  

Anyway -  I made this a Birthday card and stamping Happy Birthday inside.

For my Sympathy card, I took the willow tree leaf stamp (it's separate from the trunk stamp), turned it upside down, inked the bottom half of it with Simply Chartreuse and the top half with Plum Pudding - thinking it would look rather like a lavender plant.   I die cut the square frame out of a panel of Plum Pudding and layered the stamped panel behind the opening using foam tape so it sits  back from the frame.  I stamped the sentiment from Words of Comfort from PTI and added 3 Tiny Twinkles and layered it all over a white card base.

So there you go -  my Twofer!  And please excuse me while I go take a nap to rest my brain!!

Twofer Card Challenge 

Blue Skies card:
Stamps:  Backyard Branches - PTI, Sentiment - Inkadinkadoo
Paper:  White, Textstyle Bitty Dot Basics - PTI
Ink:  Hero Hues Black, Blueberry Sky, Simply Chartreuse Cocoa Bean - PTI
Accessories:  Backyard Branches Dies, Noted: Scalloped A2 dies - PTI, foam dots, Tiny Twinkles - Taylored Expressions.

So Sorry card:
Stamps:  Backyard Branches, Words of Comfort - PTI
Paper:  White, Plum Pudding - PTI
Ink:  Hero Hues Black, Simply Chartreuse, Plum Pudding - PTI
Accessories:  Square Peek a Boo Die - MFT, foam tape, Tiny Twinkles - Taylored Expressions.