EIC challenge #115, and some Thanksgiving thoughts

The Etsy Inspired Challenge has some great inspiration this week over at Queen of Tarts Cakes Etsy store. The artwork on these cookies is just amazing, look at these...

Don't they just look too good to eat- though I'm sure they are delicious!

The challenge this week was to create a project inspired by this store, and using squares in honor of this week's sponsor Inchie Arts. I had so much fun with this, I ended up with 3 cards!! Once I got started with my square punch, I just couldn't stop creating lol!

The first image at Queen of Tarts that inspired me was this:

It immediately inspired me to pull out my Fern stamp and get stamping :) Here's the card I created for it below:

I heat embossed the fern stamp with shabby shutters distress embossing powder onto kraft paper, and then used my 1inch square punch to punch out three squares from the image and inked the edges in vintage photo and shabby shutters distress ink. I loved the beading look of the icing on the edges of the cookies too, so pulled out my scallop border punch and to create a white back panel, which I also inked slightly around the edges, and then adhered to the green card. I adhered the squares using foam squares, and then used my Crop-A-Dile tool to set the eyelets, adding a piece of inked kraft with the stamped sentiment. Finally I threaded the ribbon, and added ribbon tabs to the top of the card, and rounded the top corners using my Corner Chomper. I thought this will be a great card to use to write to my Grandfather, as most of my cards are quite feminine!

The next piece I used for inspiration was this beautiful plate of flower cookies:

This was the card I came up with, and with all that pretty pink I'll be entering it in the current challenge over at Wee Memories also!!

I heat embossed the flower stamp using Worn Lipstick Distress embossing powder, and then cut it into 1 inch squares, inking the edges in the same colour Distress ink. I adhered all of the squares to a piece of kraft paper, and distressed the edges of the kraft paper using scissors. I inked the back of the clear acrylic tag with pink sherbet and pearl mixitive Adirondack alcohol ink, and then stamped the sentiment using Stazon. I threaded the tag onto some twine, and then wrapped the twine around the image, tying a bow on the side where the tag sits. I adhered the panel using foam squares to a pale pink card, and then inked the edges with Worn Lipstick Distress ink, and finished the card with white gel pen stitching, and a bronze pearl in one of the flowers in each square.  

Finally, who can pass up the chance to play with gingerbread men at this time of year?! Look at these Hawaiian themed guys, aren't they fun!!

Seeing as I had just bought my first pack of kraft paper, and I hadn't used my Cricut in a while, I figured it would just be rude not to put them together and make me a gingerbread man :)

This cute card was soo easy to make! I just searched online for a gingerbread man coloring page and traced it into SCAL to create an svg to cut using my Cricut (it sounds a lot more complicated than it really is lol). I cut the shape out of kraft paper, and then used my Snow Writer to create the face and buttons. I used that 1 inch square punch again to cut out the four pieces from patterned paper for the background, lightly inking the edges with vintage photo Distress ink to stop them looking so harsh against the green card (a Jennifer McGuire tip!) I adhered the squares to the card, stuck the gingerbread man on with foam squares for dimension, and then used my white gel pen to 'stitch' around the panel. No stamping at all, except the sentiment inside the card!!

I had so much fun playing this weeks EIC!! Can't wait for next week, I'll be playing with my Mum from her living room in England- I'm so excited!!

Happy Thanksgiving to you all. I hope you all have a lovely day with your family and friends, and take a minute from all the craziness of hosting etc to think about what you are thankful for this year. I know for me, I am so thankful to have learned this year just how much my husband loves me, and how much he truly meant those wedding vows 5 years ago. I'm thankful that he has been so strong for me this year while we have dealt with me going through numerous surgeries, doctors visits and nasty side effects from horrible medications, and that he is willing and able to support us both financially while I take time out to regain my strength and improve my health. I am thankful that our marriage is stronger than ever, and that even though this year didn't turn out at all the way we hoped, that we both have the strength and character to join together, keep our heads up and march into the next year, still feeling positive and determined that everything will all work out the way it is supposed to.

I'm thankful for my cuddly kitties, who keep me company during the day, and provide plenty of comic relief when its needed!

Lastly, I'm thankful to have discovered this wonderful world of stamping and cardmaking, and for the wonderful friendly, supportive, and inspiring community that comes with this new love of mine!

Lynsey x