Summer School Is in Session-Part 2

Now that my classes are done, I had some time on my hands to play along with this summer's second Summer School session at My Favorite Things.  I checked out all of the videos then tried my hand at each lesson using my MFT stamps and dies.  

My monochromatic design is super clean and simple and would be easy to reproduce in a variety of color schemes.  I used several shades of blue-green cardstock to put it together, but it would look great in lots of colors!  I started with the lightest blue for the card base.  After cutting out the "thanks" tag using a tag from the Tag Talk die set in the medium cardstock shade, I backed the open letters in the tag with a strip of the darkest shade of cardstock.  I used that same teal cardstock to cut a narrow strip of cardstock to place across the cardfront.  I knotted some aqua twill through the hole in the tag, then used foam tape to adhere the tag to the cardfront over the cardstock strip. The "__" sentiment from the More Essential Sentiments set was stamped just beneath the tag in teal ink to finish the card.

Materials Used:
More Essential Sentiments stamp set, Tropical Teal ink, Tag Talk dies (My Favorite Things); Aqua Mist, Hawaiian Shores, and Tropical Teal cardstock, Aqua Mist twill (Papertrey Ink); foam tape

Here's my card for the focal point lesson.  I used one of the giraffes from the Giraffing Me Crazy set as my focal point.  The image was colored with Copic markers, then cut out with the matching die.  I usually don't use ink to shade behind an image, but Carolyn's video inspired me to try it out.  After die cutting a white panel with a pierced rectangle die, I used blue and green distress inks and an ink applicator to make a background for the image.  I'm not sure I'm wild about how it turned out, but I did give it a shot!  The giraffe image was positioned over the inked area, using foam tape for dimension.  I stamped the set's "what's up?" sentiment on a green fishtail flag strip, then used more foam tape to adhere the sentiment to the white panel.  The panel was matted on kraft cardstock, then adhered to a bright yellow card base.

Materials Used:
Giraffing Me Crazy stamp set, Giraffing Me Crazy, Fishtail Flag STAX, and Blueprints 24 dies (My Favorite Things); Memento Tuxedo Black ink (Tsukineko/IMAGINE Crafts); Tumbled Glass and Shabby Shutters distress inks (Ranger); markers (Copic); Bright Buttercup, Kraft, and Simply Chartreuse cardstock (Papertrey Ink); green enamel dots (Michaels); foam tape

This is my card to go with the visual triangle lesson.  I used one of the adorable pups from the Dog-gone Awesome stamp set as part of my triangle. The dog was colored with Copic markers, then cut out with my Scan 'n Cut machine.  I used foam tape to adhere the image to a blue card base over a strip of green cardstock cut with a grass border punch.   I made a sun from striped cardstock cut with a pinking circle die.  I added it to the top of the card along with a shimmery white flat bottom cloud.  To round out my triangle, I added a teeny tiny heart cut from red cardstock to the cardfront.  The set's "sending kisses and cuddles" sentiment was stamped on the green strip in black ink to finish the card.

Materials Used:
Dog-gone Awesome stamp set, Flat-Bottom Clouds dies (My Favorite Things); Memento Tuxedo Black ink (Tsukineko/IMAGINE Crafts); markers (Copic); Baja Breeze and Pear Tart cardstock (Stampin' Up!); Crystal Stardream paper (The Paper Cut); Lemon Tart patterned paper (Papertrey Ink); Pinking Circles dies (Spellbinders); Grass border punch (Fiskars); foam tape

Here's my card for the rainbow lesson.  I created a rainbow striped panel using a bunch of narrow cardstock strips.  This is something I've done before, but arranging the strips on a diagonal is something I don't usually do.  I adhered my rainbow panel to a purple card base, then used foam tape to adhere white cardstock strips on either side of the colorful panel.  For the sentiment, I went with the obvious Rainbow of Happiness stamp set.  The "appear when we need them most" sentiment was stamped in white ink on a black Slanted Sentiment Strip die cut, then heat embossed in white.  I placed the sentiment on the cardfront, tucking the straight end underneath the raised edge of the white panel.  I die cut the word "rainbows" from both cardstock and craft foam. After layering the two pieces for dimension, I adhered the word to the cardfront, overlapping the rainbow panel and white cardstock.  A bunch of silver glitter enamel dots were arranged around the sentiment to finish the card.

Materials Used:
Rainbow of Happiness stamp set, Color the Rainbow and Slanted Sentiment Strips dies (My Favorite Things); Memento Luxe Wedding Dress ink (Tsukineko/IMAGINE Crafts); Real Red, Yoyo Yellow, Only Orange, Green Galore, Pacific Point, Lovely Lilac, and Basic Black cardstock (Stampin' Up!); Snow embossing powder (Recollections); silver glitter enamel dots (Eyelet Outlet); craft foam; foam tape

And, finally, here's my card for the ombre lesson.  My ombre element is the die cut to-go cup that I used for my focal image.  I inked the die cut with distress oxides before assembling it and adhering it to an aqua card base over pink cardstock strips.  The straw was die cut from silver paper to make it like the eco-friendly reusable stainless steel straws that are so trendy now!  I made the clear top for the cup from some white vellum.

The "you make life sweet" sentiment from the Stay Cool stamp set was stamped at the top of the cardfront in aqua ink. I accented the image with a trio of pink matte enamel dots.

Materials Used:
Stay Cool stamp set, Cool Cup dies (My Favorite Things); Memento Tuxedo Black ink (Tsukineko/IMAGINE Crafts); markers (Copic); Abandoned Coral and Worn Lipstick distress oxides (Ranger); Iced Aqua ink (Reverse Confetti); Aqua Mist, Raspberry Fizz, and Pale Peony cardstock (Papertrey Ink); Silver cardstock (Recollections); pink matte enamel dots (Eyelet Outlet); foam tape