A Week of Challenges

Splitcoaststampers is sponsoring a week of challenges hosted by the Dirty Dozen design team. I've been trying to do a few. What I love about doing challenges is that it stretches you out of your comfort zone...making you try techniques and styles that are not your usual fare.
This first card is the result of the challenge to keep a lot of white, the design simple, and layers to a minimum. I combined it with a challenge to design a card around ribbon. I've been wanting to use this ribbon since I got it. The size and boldness of the pattern is such a statement on it's own, it was perfect for a simple card.

Recipe: paper- white; ink- black archival; stamps- Essential Sentiments (MFT); accessories- ribbon (Offray), crimper.




Watercoloring was the technique of choice for another challenge. I don't watercolor very often, so it was good practice for me. I used a blender pen and a water pen, pressing on the closed lid of the stamp pad to use the ink gathered on the lid as my palette.

Recipe: ink- black archival, various colors dye inks; paper- pale grey, white, lavender Bazzil; stamps- Inkadinkado; accessories- Cuttlebug, ribbon (Offray).