Gallery Idol {Final Challenge} A Christmas Collection

On Friday afternoon, I found out that I indeed did make it into the Top 5 at Gallery Idol. Whew! I have to say, this whole experience has been amazing and I had SO much fun this weekend, making my 4 different cards. 

Here was the challenge I found out about on Friday afternoon:

And now it’s time to announce the theme of round 5! We would like our five contestants to make four color-coordinated cards in four different styles! (Contestants, you can either photograph these all together in one shot or make a collage image.) To help with the concept of different card styles, you may want to consult our special issue, Card Style! 

Wow! 4 different styles of cards but all in the same colour. I quickly got access to the Online content of the card styles (thanks Amy T and Virginia) and I decided to choose Freestyle Collage, Clean & Graphic, Fun & Cute and Classy & Elegant.

I have used the colours Red, Black and White! My cards are all Christmas themed cards but they are all in the different styles mentioned above...here is the breakdown and my explanation of each card:

Card #1-Peace on Earth {Freestyle Collage}

The Freestyle Collage card is characterized as a card that uses:

• unrelated elements in a collection

This is my favourite style!! I love the idea of mashing all of these unrelated elements together to make a Christmas card! The burlap, the cork heart pin, the die cut circle, the french script font and the simple sentiment. I think this new style of card making is very cool and I am happy with my card. I hope you like it too!!!

Card #2-Santa Owl! {Fun & Cute}

The Fun & Cute card is characterized as a card that uses:

• bright colours
• sweet sentiment
• uncomplicated design
• whimsy
• polka dots
• punny sentiment
• playful

You can also use shapes like stars and hearts. And gingham patterns. Basically, this card should be fun and playful! I hope you like my take on HO-HO-HO!!! I just love Owls!!

Card #3-Most Wonderful Time of the Year {Clean & Graphic}

The Clean & Graphic card is characterized as a card that uses:

• clean lines
• simple treatment of text
• no frills
• bare boned
• message is communicated quickly

This was the first card I made, and so my colours were set for the other cards. 

Card #4-Merry Christmas {Classy & Elegant}

The Classy & Elegant card is characterized as a card that is:

• polished
• shiny finish
• sparkling embellishments
• rich colour scheme
• sophisticated sentiments
• regal
• sweeping
• dramatic
• monochromatic
• layered textures
• awe
• impress

I decided to ink up a stamp from Flourishes that I love and coloured the poinsettia with my Copic Markers. When I think of classy and elegant Christmas cards, I think of Music Notes. I also embossed the background with a damask design but it difficult to see in the photo. 

So those are my 4 cards made with the 4 styles!! I hope you like them and will vote for me!

I hope you like my Round 5 Cards for Gallery Idol. 

If you would like to vote for my card or for any of the participant's cards, 

please CLICK HERE to vote!!!

Top 5 at Gallery Idol

Yesterday morning I announced that I did not make it into the Top 5 at Gallery Idol. I received an email late yesterday afternoon from my stamping friend Sherry Eckblad, congratulating me on being in the Top 5 at Gallery Idol. 

I wondered what she was talking about but then in my inbox, further down was an email from Holly at Paper Crafts Magazine. The email from Holly, instructed me to look at the Top 5 announcement again and so I did. And this is what I saw...

Although this announcement should have been full of joy and happiness for me, it did come with mixed feelings. I have worried all night about what to write, to let my friends and family know of this news. Many of you have been emailing me or writing to me on FACEBOOK, and so I wanted to address it here.

So I am just going to say, how honoured I am to have this chance to compete. Again, I accept the challenge with mixed emotions but will try my best. 

Thank you for your support and love.

Gallery Idol {the cards I didn't share}

Thank you!!! Thank you to everyone who voted for me in Gallery Idol!!! I never thought, in a  million years, that I would have the opportunity to compete in a competition like this. To make the Top 20 was shocking and overwhelming and then to make Top 10...well, that was the icing on the cake!!!

I had a blast, spending time each weekend, thinking up ideas for my next project!!! And the comments of support and the emails I received were lovely and heart warming. What a sweet group of crafting friends I have!!!

I wanted to share my cards that did NOT make the cut for the three rounds I played...

Round 2: Father's Day

This was the card I was going to use, but right after I photographed it, I dropped an ink pad into it. So even though, I had the photo, if I did happen to make it through and my card was to be submitted for publishing...it would not work...with ink all over it. Yes, I nearly wept when that happened as it took a long time to conceive and create this card!!! LOL!

Round 3: Background Stamping

I created two other cards for this challenge. I wanted to cover my background stamping with vellum but in the end, I decided to create a bold card!! Using no vellum. Man, I found this particular challenge very difficult!!

Round 4: 10 Embellishments

This was going to be my more clean and simple card for the 10 embellishment card. I decided to create a fancier version of this...to really stretch myself! LOL!!! I was so pleased with what I created as it was out of my comfort zone. Not something I would usually create at all!!! But that was the fun of this challenge, getting me outside of MY box!! It was awesome and so much fun to challenge myself in that way!!

Thank you to everyone who voted for me!!! And a special thank you to Nicole Rixon of Sweet Stamps, for the shout out on the Sweet Stamps FACEBOOK page!!! That meant so much to me!!!

Gallery Idol Round 4 {10 Embellishments...Just For You}

Good morning! Thank you to everyone who voted for me last week and for all of the kind comments I received!! This week, we are to create a card using exactly 10 embellishments! No more, no less. There was no specification about using 10 different embellishments, so I could have used 10 pearls and nothing else...if I wanted.

This challenge WAS a challenge for me! I am not usually a card maker who uses a lot of embellishments. I admire the card makers who make embellishments look good on a project! I always struggle with that! But I was determined and pulled out all of those embellishments I had in my stash! I LOVE the look of embellishments...and tend to hoard them!!

My card was based on the cream flower.. It was the inspiration for my entire card. I pulled out the other embellishments to create a "clean" vintage look. My colours are Kraft, Vanilla and Espresso.

Here are the 10 embellishments I used:

1. Pearl-top right hand corner

2. Tag-Michael's Recollection Brand

3. Twine-At Top of Tag (I had to add it)

4. Flower-Recollections

5. Wood veneer Leaf-Recollections

6. 2nd Wood Veneer Leaf-Recollections

7. Lace Ribbon-folder in half and jutting out from the flower

8. Chocolate Striped Grosgrain Ribbon 

9. Cork Heart Pin-Little Yellow Bicycle

10. Martha Stewart Doily

I hope you like my Round 3 Card for Gallery Idol. 

If you would like to vote for my card or for any of the participant's cards, 

please CLICK HERE to vote!!!

Thank you for your support and love!!! 

Gallery Idol 2013-Round Two {Blimey!!! You're a Treasure!}

Today is the beginning of Round Two for Gallery Idol! Wahoo!

Our "theme" challenge for Round Two is "Defining Dad". 

Dad's can be difficult to "define". They can be sporty, serious, funny, outgoing, office workers, trades workers, teachers, doctors, and so on...is there any one way to "DEFINE DAD"?  Maybe not?! LOL! 

Creating a masculine card, can be challenge in itself! Especially when you are trying to create something for "everyman". Our challenge this week was to Define Dad and create a card that is perfect for father's everywhere!

I decided to have fun with my card and remark on the fact, that in most cases...Dad's are pretty wonderful! They are definitely "Treasures"! I inked up a lot of stamps from the There She Goes stamp set called Shiver Me Timbers and my father's day sentiment came from a Sweet Stamp Shop set called It's a Man's World. 

My theme is pirates and I am emphasizing the idea that Dads have "hearts of gold"!!

I did some paper piecing on my card. I paper pieced this pirate's bandanna and his sash. I went for some "chevron" to keep him in fashion! I also paper pieced the barrel and the treasure chest onto kraft paper and then coloured them both with my Copics. I popped them up on dimensionals.

Here is my father in-law, Glen! 

He is so much fun and one of those dad's with a heart of gold!!! 

Look at that face!!! 

I hope you like my Round 2 Card for Gallery Idol. 

If you would like to vote for my card or for any of the participant's cards, 

please CLICK HERE to vote!!!

Thank you for your support and love!!! 

And thank you to my inspiration, Glen Croghan. Love you OG! You ARE a treasure!!

{Supplies Used}

Stamps: There She Goes & Sweet Stamps

Inks: Crumb Cake & Soft Suede by Stampin' Up, Memento Tuxedo Black and Copics

Papers: Teresa Collins Map Paper {Far Away}, Crumb Cake, Always Artichoke, Flourishes White

Extras: Baker's Twine, Heavy Hemp Twine for top knot, tag, sponge for edges

Exciting News!

I wanted to share some very special news...

I was completely taken aback with yesterday's announcement for the Top 20 in the Gallery Idol Contest. 

When I awoke yesterday morning, I received a message from my sweet friend, Amy T letting me know I had made it. Thank you so much Amy for letting me know!! I just could not believe it.

I tried to get onto the site to see the news but my computer would not allow me to see the page! Ack!

I had to get ready and leave for work. Oh, what a day of agony!! LOL! All day I waited until I could get home to see the news for myself. I must say, I was totally distracted and I was also on cloud 9 ALL day! (there I am...bottom left hand corner of the picture array above). WOW, so amazed by this and completely honoured. 

This is the card I submitted for the Kid Birthday card challenge, 

that won me a spot in the Top 20.

My original post of this card is HERE.

This is like an "American Idol" contest. We are working on cards for the next theme which is Father's Day. 

The cards will be posted on Monday and then the public can vote for their favourite!

On Monday I will be posting my next card here. I hope you will be able to stop by to see it. 

Thank you to all of my dear, crafty friends for your loving comments on FACEBOOK and the emails of encouragement. I appreciate ever single one of them!!! 

Still beaming...