World Cardmaking Day, Take 1

Hi, everybody!  I hope you had a wonderful World Cardmaking Day yesterday, full of creativity and plenty of time to play!  I had the chance to sit down and make a few cards, and I'll be sharing two of them today.  I'm playing along at the Paper Smooches Blog, where Kim has issued 3 different challenges: 1. use pink in your card (for Breast Cancer Month), 2. make a single layer card, or 3. make a card using a sketch from Operation Write Home.  I combined two of the challenges to create this paper yummy:

I really struggle with single-layer cards, so I wanted to challenge myself to make one.  And since I love making Christmas cards in non-traditional colors, I incorporated the pink challenge into this card as well.  First, I die cut the double-ended banner die from Lil' Inker Designs, as well as the Layerz Mat Stack 1 Die from Papertrey Ink.  I temporarily adhered them onto the right side of my card to be used as masks.  With the masks in place, I stamped the large solid circle stamp from the Paper Smooches Hullabaloo set around the edge of the larger die to create a scalloped border around it.  I also stamped the houndstooth background  from the Debonair set using the second generation stamping technique to give it a worn, distressed look. Then I removed the larger die cut mask and, with the banner die cut still in place, adhered only the negative of the larger die cut in place to use like a stencil.  I applied the green ink using a finger dabber.  I outlined both die-cut shapes with a black Copic Multiliner to give them more definition, then stamped the sentiment from the Paper Smooches Christmas Sampler set.  I finished off the card with some holly leaves and cute pink berries from the Chilly Chums set.

Here's a close-up of the cute little holly leaves and some Stickled pink berries:

I'll be back in a little while to share my second card, which totally has me GIDDY!!!  It may be one of my faves to date.  Thanks for looking!

I'm playing along here: 

Paper Smooches World Cardmaking Day challenge

Simon Says Stamp Celebrates World Cardmaking Day

Supplies: cardstock: Stampin' Up!; stamps: Paper Smooches (Hullabaloo, Christmas Sampler, Chilly Chums, Debonair); inks: Tsukineko (Memento Tuxedo Black), Ranger (Tim Holtz Distress Inks in Worn Lipstick and Crushed Olive); dies: Papertrey Ink (Layerz Mat Stack 1), Lil' Inker Designs (double-ended banner from Flags & Tags); black pen: Copic; corner rounder: We R Memory Keepers; glitter glue: Ranger (Diamond Stickles)