"cake conquerors" card

So I decided to enter another challenge/contest.  This one is for: www.papersmoochesstamps.com >> 


The challenge was to use this picture as inspiration:

 I admit, I was completely stumped for a day or two.  I thought that I would just use the color scheme.  And then it came to me, looking at the flag picks in the the cupcakes -- and I had this picture in my head:

(Pardon my rough sketch and my Kokopelli-looking climber.)

And then I had it -- a birthday card.  What better cupcake climber?  The monster, of course.  And he would be a "cake conqueror", claiming the birthday cupcake.  And just for a "punny" twist, I would include the phrase "take the cake!" somewhere on the card, as a kind of birthday battle cry.  ;)

Here is the final result (pretty great, if I do say so myself):

Supplies:
I created the background kitchen scene with cardstock -- turquoise "tile" embossed with the Cuttlebug Moroccan screen folder and color-flecked off white "Formica countertop".  I added the kraft paper "trim" to be the boundary between the countertop and the kitchen wall.  I cut the cupcake wrapper, yellow cake, and front layer of frosting by hand (free-form).  The cupcake wrapper was embossed with the Cuttlebug distressed stripes folder (I sent it through the machine again to soften the texture a bit).  The top of the cupcake paper was cut with Fiskars decorative scissors -- the pinking shears pattern.  The monsters were cut out of blue-green cardstock, and the flags were made from either red or patterned (red gingham, brown houndstooth) paper I had on hand.  A tiny bit of coloring was done with Sakura white and silver glitter gel pen, as well as a Bic fine-tip black permanent marker and black & brown ink.  A lot of cutting, some foam dots, some brown & white twine, yellow glitter glue, red ribbon, a Hobby Lobby circle punch, and a silver star brad top it off.  -- I think it tells the "cupcake conquerors" story pretty much as I envisioned it.  :)

Stamps:
Monster, banner shapes (small and large), flag poles, five-point- and twinkle-shaped stars, cloud (for "frosting" texture as well as secondary "frosting" layers), and second monster's extra arm (borrowed from the breakfast-themed set and trimmed to match) -- Paper Smooches/
larger font -- American Crafts/
smaller font ("HB2U") & tiny stars -- Making Memories/
sentiment ("take the cake!") -- Clear Dollar Stamps, LLC/

Thanks for taking a look! ~ Amanda B., the manderbean :)

"sunshine" card

This card design wasn't my idea at all {all the cards I've posted so far have been my own ideas} -- I "scraplifted" this one from a post on the Lawn Fawn stamp co. blog.  It looked so fun to make, I had to try it with the stamps I have!

Supplies:
I created the background scene with cardstock, embossing powder, and watermark ink (on the grass and trees).  A tiny bit of highlight coloring was done with either Bic/Sharpie fine-tip permanent markers or Sakura's "souffle" pens (much like heat embossing, those pens dry puffy and shiny, and work great for filling in any weak heat-embossed areas).  I decided to let the clouds and trees (okay, the tree was an afterthought after you look closely!) "leak" onto the kraft paper background.  More cutting and lots of foam dots to layer for dimension, plus a few glittery rhinestones up top -- and I think it turned out pretty well!

Stamps:
 Sun, bunnies, bird, trees, clouds, sentiment -- Lawn Fawn/
curlicues (as the "sunrays") -- Fiskars/
curlicues #2 (as the "grass") -- KI Memories/
chevron/zigzag (pattern on dark tree) -- American Crafts/
swiss dots (pattern on light tree) -- Studio G/
 *note: the "pattern" on the clouds is just how my blue Distress Ink beaded up on the stamp -- I think it's a neat effect.

Thanks for taking a look! ~ Amanda B., the manderbean :)

"down under" card

Opinion: Koalas are neat.  :)

Supplies:
I created the background scene with ink -- the clouds were done with my favorite cloud template from Crafter's Workshop.  I also cut and added inked kraft paper to the background to look like Ayers Rock in Australia.  Coloring was done with Crayola colored pencils.  A lot of cutting and a lot of foam dots -- and I am happy with the result!

Stamps:
Koala, trees, leaves -- Lawn Fawn/
tiny foliage and sun -- Clear Dollar Stamps (part of a scene-building set from that company)/

Thanks for taking a look! ~ Amanda B., the manderbean :)

"county fair" card

I thought that these sets would make a fun summer card!  This one took lots of patient cutting, but it was worth it!

Supplies:
For the background, I used the daisy and distressed stripes Cuttlebug embossing folders after cutting cardstock into hilly shapes. I also inked the cloud using the cloud template from Crafter's Workshop. I made the blue ribbon using Fiskars and Hobby Lobby punches plus ribbon. All coloring was done with Crayola colored pencils, a Sakura white gel pen, Bic fine point permanent markers, and various colors of ink pads.

Stamps:
Farm Girl*, Carrot, Tomato, Eggplant, Sun, smile, wheat -- Paper Smooches/
Quote -- Stampabilities/
Number -- Making Memories/

*Look closely ~ the Farm Girl comes as a boy in the set. The stamp designer included the leaf/petal shape to use to make pigtails. I decided she would be cute with more of a braided set of pigtails, but I wasn't satisfied with how the ends of the braids would look. At first, I thought I would sketch out the ends with colored pencil, but then I saw the wheat stamp in the set. I inked the top section of wheat, and voila! It became the end of her braids. :) I added the bows by hand.  I also stamped the sun twice, in orange and yellow, and layered one on top of the other.  And, if you look closely, there are tiny wheat stalks coming up out of the "dirt".

Thanks for taking a look! ~ Amanda B., the manderbean :)

"painted" card

This is probably one of the top 3-4 cards I have made in the last year or so. I just think it's neat how it all came together.  Again, lots of detailed, fussy scissor-work (and even some X-Acto knife-ing), but so worth the final product!

Supplies:
For the background, I used watered down acrylic paint and Q-Tips to create the splattered paint look. I used a Bic fine point permanent marker and a ruler to mark the line between wall and floor. All coloring was done with colored ink pads, Crayola colored pencils, Sargent water-soluble crayons, and a Sakura white gel pen.

Stamps:
Monster Critter -- Paper Smooches/
paintbrush & paint tubes -- We 'R Memory Keepers/
paint palette -- KI Memories/
paint splats (raindrops) -- My Cute Stamps/
Quote -- Inkadinkado

Thanks for taking a look! ~ Amanda B., the manderbean :)

"twister" card

I love a good summer thunderstorm!  But I didn't want these tornadoes to wreck anything.  :)


Supplies:
For the background, I used the daisy and distressed stripes Cuttlebug embossing folders after cutting cardstock into hilly shapes (I sent them back through the machine to flatten them out after embossing, so that there would be just a hint of texture).  I inked the clouds with blues and grey using the cloud template from Crafter's Workshop -- those stencils work great if you like to take your colored ink pads directly to the paper.  I popped up the tornadoes and two extra clouds I had made (when I was practicing with the stencil!) with foam dots.  I also added "grass/dust" by dabbing under the twisters with a green ink pad.

Stamps:
tornadoes, swirls, sentiment -- Paper Smooches/

Thanks for taking a look! ~ Amanda B., the manderbean :)

"bloom" card

This card turned out so cute!

Supplies:
For the background, I used a foam applicator to ink blue sky and green grass. I also inked the clouds using the cloud template from Crafter's Workshop. The "dirt" in the pot and on the ground was done by taking a small round brown ink pad directly to the paper -- I love the different looks I can get with that technique! The pot was made with a "mistake" -- I tried using an old (sanitized!) toothbrush to flick paint for the background to my previous monster-themed card.  I didn't like how busy it looked for that particular card, but I knew that I could use it for something else -- and then this card idea was hatched!  :)  I think it looks like one of those planters made of recycled plastic.  All other coloring was done with either Crayola colored pencils (good old crosshatching technique!) or ink pads.  I used foam dots to pop up the sunflower (the stem is cut by hand). 

Stamps:
Sun[flower] & flower pot (cup), smile -- Paper Smooches/
Quote, leaves, & seedlings -- Studio G/

Thanks for taking a look! ~ Amanda B., the manderbean :)

"peas in a pod" card

Just a simple card playing with green tones.  :)  {By the way, the colors on the scan aren't quite true-to- life.  The greens in the ribbon and printed washi tape match more closely in person.}

Supplies:
Simple, simple!  Pea green ribbon, cream cardstock, foam dots, Studio G printed tape.  Coloring was done with Crayola colored pencils.

Stamps:
Peas -- Paper Smooches/
Quote -- PrintWorks Collection (from Hobby Lobby)/

Thanks for taking a look! ~ Amanda B., the manderbean :)

"mountain getaway" card

Love the mountains!  --My favorite vacation destination.

Supplies:
One of my favorite backgrounds is kraft paper.  This kind from JoAnn's has neat flecks and irregularities to it.  I created the scene inside the Polaroid frame with stamps and ink pads (the clouds were done with my cloud template from Crafter's Workshop again).  I masked the edge of the frame with Post-It notes (easy, easy trick!)  I also distressed/antiqued the map in the corner by dabbing parchment-colored cardstock with light brown ink.  Coloring was done with Crayola colored pencils, a Sakura white gel pen, and various colors of ink pads.  A little cutting, a little layering -- and it was done!

Stamps:
Mountains, birds, sun, large sentiments -- Paper Smooches/
Polaroid frame -- Lawn Fawn/
map -- Bo Bunny/
small sentiment (from a "date" stamp) -- Leisure Arts/

Thanks for taking a look! ~ Amanda B., the manderbean :)

"squeal!" card

Just another simple card, this time playing with pink tones.  :)  That pig is too cute!

Supplies:
Simple, simple!  Paper Studio (Hobby Lobby) medium heart punch, Studio G mini heart punch, cream cardstock, foam dots, Studio G printed tape.  Coloring was done with Crayola colored pencils.

Stamps:
Pig & pig words [pig latin?!  ;)  ] -- Paper Smooches/
Sentiment -- Hampton Arts ("Ditto" label)/

Thanks for taking a look! ~ Amanda B., the manderbean :)