BC #89 - Color Challenge

Hey stampers, it's Friday again - time now for another fun Blogger's Challenge! (be sure to check out the other Blogger's Challenge artists by using the link in my sidebar!)

The challenge this week was to combine Sage Shadow, Brown and any Neutrals in a project. So I began by pulling out my oft forgotten Sage Shadow cardstock. I really NEVER use this color either - shocking, I know!

Well, lo and behold, I had a 4 1/4" x 11" piece of Sage cardstock in my scrap bin - perfect for the card base. So I scored it with my Paper Trimmer at 5 1/2" and folded it to make a tent card. I then went to work on the background.

My Tres Chic background stamp has seen a lot of action lately - it's really a beautiful and versatile stamp - so I inked it up again in Sage Shadow, stamped off one time and stamped it onto Very Vanilla cardstock. I cleaned it with my Stampin' Mist and Stampin' Scrub then used the Sage Shadow marker to color in just the word "hope" and stamped it on a Vanilla scrap, punching it out with the Designer Label punch.

For this card, I decided to use the Collage Technique so I stamped the large butterfly from God's Beauty (hostess stamp set!) in Chocolate Chip ink, stamped off once. The small butterfly is from the Dreams DuJour stamp set and it also is stamped in Chocolate Chip stamped off once. Next, I turned to my trusty Baroque Motifs stamp set - please SU!, don't EVER retire this one! - and inked up the swirl in Creamy Caramel. This too was stamped off one time and added to the collage mix.

The collage panel was then sponged in Creamy Caramel ink around the edges and a bit on top too. I layered it onto a piece of Chocolate Chip cardstock and wrapped these two pieces with a piece of Chocolate Chip Taffeta Ribbon. Going back to my stamped "Hope" I overstamped the word with a Creamy Caramel butterfly, stamped off as well, then sponged the edges with Creamy Caramel ink. This was then adhered to a piece of Taste of Textiles Designer Series Paper. (That's the first time I've cut into that GORGEOUS paper - I can't wait to work with it some more!) I added a layer of Chocolate Chip behind it and then attached the Styled Vanilla Label Frame from the Hodgepodge Hardware kit. A few half pearls from the Pretties Kit were attached with Mini Glue Dots and that was it!

I can honestly say that this is one of my favorite cards ever. I liked it so much I made TWO of them - one will go to a very special recipient this weekend.

Speaking of this weekend - Sunday is our Breast Cancer Fundraiser event for Allison Kelly - my friend and fellow SU! demo. I posted the links to her Avon Walk Sites the other day in this post. I hope you have time to stop by and learn about Allison and her incredible story.

Some of you know that I lost my best friend from high school a year ago August to cancer. Not Breast cancer, but her reproductive organs. My Dad is currently fighting Prostate cancer - his second bout. My friend Lissa lost her Mom to lung cancer last January and my husband's step-mom is a Breast cancer survivor.

Cancer is a horrible, insidious, cruel disease that touches everyone around it. I am so grateful that there is a hope that endures this and every trial we face in life. My faith in Christ has sustained me through many dark days and continues to give me hope for the future. I have an assurance that transcends cancer and gives me the knowledge that I'll see my loved ones again, cancer and pain free. There is a song by Natalie Grant that I sang recently in church called "Our Hope Endures". If you haven't heard it and are struggling with any difficulty today, I encourage you to find it and listen to its amazing message. I'll leave you with a few of the words here:

"Our hope endures

the worst of conditions;

it's more than our optimism.

Let the earth quake -

our HOPE is unchanged."

Stamped blessings,

~~Robin