Saw this new-to-me challenge site this week and the prompt FOLD took me immediately to my reverse easel card fold!  I had to go to my own YouTube video to refresh what the dimensions were for a vertical easel card!

It seems whenever I make reverse easel cards, they are typically photo cards because they capture something that I believe the recipient will enjoy displaying without the card falling over every time someone walks by it.

My sister took this photo of our beach at New Smyrna Beach, Florida and it is a favorite!  I have it as wallpaper on my laptop and she made me a shadow box with this photo as the background.  It's getting a lot of use that's for sure!  See what I mean about photo cards?  They provide an immediate memory of a cherished moment.

Here's a partial view of the easel configuration.  It's nice and sturdy and fits in an A2 envelope.  The next photo is a better view of the easel.

For instructions on how to create my Vertical Reverse Easel card, just click on either photo.

I also have a video on constructing a Horizontal Reverse Easel card HERE.

Supplies Used:
Stamps:  You're a Lifesaver & Hey Gull Friend (A Muse Studio)
Papers:  Hammermill Color, Copy, Cover (Card Base), Wintertime (Penny Black), Bazzill, Recollections
Accessories:  Stitched Circle (A Muse Studio), Heart Die (Spellbinders), Sequins (my stash), Stencil (Tim Holtz), Crisp Dye Ink (Alt&New), Versafine Onyx Black

Thanks for Stopping By!

XOXO

LYN

I immediately loved the little added tag embellishment and my creative wheels went into high gear!

I worked through a few circle designs and finally settled on using an embossing folder.  The lace embossed strip o the left really worked.  Final touch was the sweet little tag, my favorite part!

Supplies Used:

Stamps/Dies:  You're So Sweet (Studio Katia), Sizzix Framelets w/Stamps (Stephanie Barnard), Spellbinders Heart Die
Papers:  Neenah, Reflections, Strathmore Watercolor Paper
Accessories:  Embossing Folders (SU & Alt&New), Stitched Circle (A Muse Studio), Versafine Onyx Black, Alt&New Watercolor, Wonder Forest Brush, Tombow Mono Glue, Scrapbook Adhesives Mounting Squares, Twine (FSJ)

Thanks for Stopping By!

XOXO

LYN

Today I'm combining one card into 3 challenges:
​ 
Addicted to Stamps #352 - Make Your Mark
Global Design Project #200 - Case the Designer
Paint Party Friday Week #22, Year 9 
 
I used an egrets metal stencil by Dreamweaver/Stampendous and it's one of my favorites, especially here in Florida.  Mine are a bit fanciful, and I like that they're not predictably colored.

​I had a scrap of watercolor paper that was set aside and today was the day to make it work with my card design!  I used Picket Fence Blending Brushes and Alt&New Crisp Dye Inks to color the birds.  The background was cut from a large "failed" watercolor and it is amazing to me how cutting up a little section of it worked perfectly for the background!  As I always say, don't throw out your failed paintings!  You can always use them to diecut from or even stamp over as well.

​Here's my card:

Supplies Used:
Stamps:  Tickled Pink (FSJ)
Papers:  Ultra Smooth Cardstock (Catherine Pooler), Canson Watercolor
Accessories:  Egrets Stencil (Stampendous), Crisp Dye Inks (Alt & New), Stitched Circle Dies (A Muse Studio), Prisma Glitter (Lawn Fawn), Quickie Glue pen (Sakura), String (my stash), Fun Foam (Michael's)


Thanks for Stopping By!

XOXO

LYN

Found another challenge site to enter called Make My Monday Challenge​ with the theme "For A Guy -  Any Age."

I'm in a Distress Oxide background phase, so bear with me as this is my third card using the smoosh background technique!  I've always loved backgrounds so I am naturally drawn to this technique.

Supplies Used:
Stamps:  Framescape Tropical Skies (Gina K)
Paper:  Strathmore Watercolor, Hammermill Color, Copy, Cover
Accessories:  Bluepring Sketch, Mermaid Lagoon, Squeezed Lemonade, Carved Pumpkin (Ranger Distress Oxide), Lawn Cuts Stitched Frame Dies (Lawn Fawn), Foam Mounting Tape (3M), Scotch Advance Tape Glider

Thanks for Stopping By!

XOXO

LYN

Another one card for two challenges!  Woo hoo!  I'm on a roll here!

This one was especially inspiring since I'm living in Florida by the sea for a few months!  The two challenge sites are:

​The Library Challenge - Gifts of the Sea Challenge #38

and

The Male Room - Surf's Up Challenge #116

My card used two classic A Muse Studio stamp sets.  Anyone who is a lover of A Muse will remember these sets.  I especially love the background smoosh using Distress Oxide inks on watercolor paper that remind me of a swirling, moving ocean!

Here's two close ups that show the dimension of the elements:

Adding the two dimensional areas diagonally from each other helped tie in the school of fish.

Supplies Used:
Stamps:  Sealed with a Fish (Still Available) & You're a Lifesaver (A Muse Studio)
Papers:  Strathmore Watercolor, Hammermill Cover, Copy, Color
Accessories:  Mermaid Lagoon, Blueprint Sketch, Evergreen Bough (Ranger Distress Oxide), Prisma Glitter (Lawn Fawn), Quickie Glue Pen (Sakura), Tombow Markers


Thanks for Stopping By!

XOXO

LYN

Saw the Just Us Girls Challenge first and was happy I have one adorable elephant stamp here in Florida.  Then, I saw the Just Add Ink challenge and thought I could create one card for both challenges!  Simple, right???  Wrong!!!

Ultimately, I'm very happy with the vision I had for this card design.  I'm always talking about the process of designing a card and where the journey takes me.  This one almost threw me for a loop because of the tilted square!  The size of the elephant really posed some interesting challenges, but that's part of participating in challenges that "challenge" me!

After hours of pondering and playing with different ideas for the tilted square, I decided to create a pocket to make it interactive.  The little bow is packaging from a local boutique!

Another challenge I placed upon myself was to use as many papers in the 6x6 Cupid Reverse Confetti paper pad as I could!  Why?  I don't know, just for the fun of it.  I love 6x6 paper pads because every paper goes together!  Here's a photo of the pulled tag.  Maybe I'll fold some cash behind the tag for a gift!

Supplies Used:
Stamps:  Ella & Friends Stamps & Dies (Mama Elephant), Framelets w/Stamps (Stephanie Barnard - Sizzix)
Papers:  Cupid 6x6 Paper Pad (Reverse Confetti), Hammermill Color, Copy, Cover, Strathmore Watercolor
Accessories:  Tombows scribbled on acetate and water colored, Deep Iris Crisp Dye Ink (Alt&New), Hearts Die Strip (A Muse Studio), Foam Mounting Squares (Scrapbook Adhesive), ScorTape (ScorPal), Zig Two-Way Glue (Kuretake)


Thanks for Stopping By!

XOXO

LYN

Here's the thing, I don't typically like shaker cards because of all the fuss, but I'm in Florida for a few months and I couldn't resist attempting a card!  My trick is to diecut two circles of fun foam along with the cardstock circle frame. I used dots of Tombow Mono Glue to adhere the frames.  It worked great and there were no sticky edges to deal with.  I think I will be okay creating shaker cards from now on!

Supplies Used:

Stamps:  Tickled Pink (Fun Stampers Journey)
Papers:  Strathmore Watercolor, Poodle Skirt (Martha Stewart)
Accessories:  Tombow Markers, Versafine Spanish Moss, Prisma Glitter (Lawn Fawn), Lawn Cuts (Lawn Fawn), Versafine Onyx Black, Sequins (my stash)

Thanks for Stopping By!

XOXO

LYN

Here's my motivation for this first time challenge called "Shopping Our Stash."  There's only a few days left in July for creating Christmas in July themed cards!!!  After that, I'm done 'til December when I prefer to crunch Christmas...!!!

I'm a life-long resident of Upstate New York and absolutely know about the winter season and especially Christmas time.  Skies are dark and dramatic which is what prompted this card design.  I smooshed Distress Oxides onto watercolor paper to begin my card background. 

​I always love where a design takes me.  You can actually see a hill in the background which was completely random.  I'm totally happy with the sentiment ink as I didn't want it to be loud and bold.  This is a quiet wood scene such as we'd find along a snowmobile trail.  I did splatter with silver acrylic paint.  Super happy with this card.

Supplies Used:
Stamps:  Winter Woods (SU)
Paper:  Strathmore Watercolor
​Accessories:  Hickory Smoke, Tattered Rose, Blueprint Sketch (Distress Oxide), Ultramarine Crisp Dye Ink (Alt&New), VersaMark Ink (Tsukineko), White Embossing Powder (Hero Arts), Bright Silver Acrylic Paint (Craftsmart), Anti Static Pouch (Ranger), Brush for Splatters (Wonder Forest)

Thanks for Stopping By!

XOXO

LYN

First time entering this challenge site!  Fun times!  I utilized a trick I saw online when stamping multi-layered images.  Of course I now can't find the video I'm referring to but I believe it was from Alt&New using the Misti.  

Here's the gist of the trick.  This particular stamp set has 3 images for the flower and 3 images for the leaves.  Rather than stamp the first image, clean it, pull it off, stamp the 2nd image and repeat with the 3rd image, do this:

Cut cardstock into a square shape (mine was 4-1/4 x 4-1/4).  Stamp the first image in one corner.  Turn the cardstock square one turn, re-ink the same stamp and stamp the first image again.  Repeat turning the cardstock square two more times for a total of 4 images.  You may not need 4 images but you might as well stamp extras.  Clean the stamp and place the 2nd stamp to layer on the Misti.  Do the same steps.  Repeat for the 3rd layer.  This trick is so efficient!

​You may already know this trick, but I swear I sometimes think I live under a rock, so I'm feeling pretty sassy knowing this cool tip!

Below is a close up of the blue watercolor wash background.  I taped off a border using painter's tape.  The color plays well off of the oranges and yellows.

Supplies Used:
Stamps:  Beautiful Day Stamp & Die Bundle (Alt&New), First Frost Sentiment (SU)
Papers:  Strathmore Watercolor
Accessories:  Inks - Marigold, Orange Cream, Snapdragon, Lime, Fresh Leaf, Parrot, Iceberg (Alt&New Crisp Dye Inks), Gray Flannel (Memento), Fitted Frames (Stampendous), Watercolor (Koi)

Thanks for Stopping By!

XOXO

LYN

Working two challenges in one card!

Simple, sweet, no fuss, no muss...

​Supplies Used:
Stamps:  Dragonfly Dreams (SU), Beautiful You (SU), Bold Stripe (A Muse Studio)
Paper:  Hammermill Cover, Copy, Color Cardstock
Accessories:  Marigold, Fuchsia, Warm Sunshine (Altenew Crisp Dye Ink), Versafine Onyx Black (Tsukineko)

Thanks for Stopping By!

xoxo

LYN