Paper Smooches Sparks - Designer Drafts Challenge - May

Its a glorious day today. After a week of freezing temperatures, its time to get out the t-shirts and shorts again. No wonder everyone is getting sick!! I'm finally back to normal after my flu three weeks ago and hopefully that will be it for the whole of Winter.

This is the sketch for this weeks Paper Smooches - Sparks Challenge and the Gallery is full of amazing creations. As usual I've left it till the last moment and was up till 5am this morning catching up on my cards (crazy I know!!). I got a new Paper Smooches die on Friday and knew it would be perfect for this sketch:

I don't know why but I find this size card so hard to photograph. I just can't capture the sunlight as much as a portrait top folding card. I'm sure there will be some photographic reason why....

I smooshed!!! Yes, you heard me right....smooshed! Such a fab word to say and so much fun to do. I watched a video by the wonderful Kristina Werner the other day where she tried out 'smooshing' after watching Laura Bassen do it. She uses a piece of acetate to move the ink around which I thought might be easy enough to try. Its brilliant and you really must watch the video!

I 'smooshed' Distress Inks - Picked Raspberry, Spiced Marmalade and Mustard Seed on to a piece of water colour paper. After it dried I even sprinkled on some water droplets and pressed with tissue (something else I've never done). It looked so cool!!  I die cut the flower shapes and also a few tiny hearts from the left overs.

I cut an angled panel of white CS and gold CS. After heat embossing the sentiment in gold, I glued them together and attached to the card front. I then popped the larger flower up on foam tape and also the smaller flower on top. Finally I just scattered around the tiny hearts. I am so 'smooshing' again, I might become rather addicted.....

The flower dies are from Paper Smooches 'Big Blooms' and the hearts dies are also Paper Smooches 'Tiny Hearts'. The sentiment is another Paper Smooches set 'Uplifters'.

I have four other challenges I would like to enter:

Simon Says Stamp - Monday Challenge (Thank you)

Simon Says Stamp - Wednesday Challenge (Anything Goes)

Simply Create Too Challenge # 86  (Keep it Simple)

Artful Crafts May Colour Challenge

Phoebe has her BFF Ella over and they are turning the lounge room into a hideout. And Max has his friend Tom over and they are stuck to their IPods. Trying to get kids outside sometimes is like pulling teeth. We are all off to my Mum's for dinner tonight so will go early so we go play at the school across the road. Hopefully it will tucker everyone out and they will fall asleep early....fingers crossed!

Take care
Shona