So I am just coming off of a two week camp where I volunteered my time to help kids learn a little bit about art and crafting.  For me there is something really rewarding about putting a bit of art and crafts into a kids hands and seeing what they are able to create.

However, I am drained after two weeks of working out in the elements of camp (which included high heat and thunder storms) plus camping I am a little wiped.  So yesterday, for the first time in what feels like forever, I created something just for me.  I played along with some card challenges just to help destress and build back up my creative juices.

The first card I played around with come from the bi weekly challenge over at Art Impressions.  This week they are having a patriotic colors challenge, and I was super inspired by a tutorial from one of the design team.  They have a paper piecing project on their card, and really just had to try it.

I pulled out a bunch of printed paper and trimmed them all down to .5″ and then laid out the the pattern.  Then using an Art Impression stamp, I stamped out an image and sentiment and colored them up using my zig clean color real brush markers.  I fussy cut out the images and matted the paper piecing.  

Then I hopped over to Ellen Hutson to play with their monthly color challenge.  The image in the top corner inspired me for this month, and I tried to recreate the vases.

I pulled out a balloon Ellen Hutson Essential stamp and flipped it over to create the vase, masking where I needed to layer them.  Then using some old EHE floral stamps I added the flowers.  Finally, using my copic markers, I added color to the vases, using the color challenge inspirations colors to create my palette.

Finally, I played along with My Favorite Things weekly sketch challenge.  This sketch at first glance seemed very difficult, but then I realized that if I just die cut out the squares and then popped up the frame over stamped images, I would end up with a sort of cool image.

I die cut out the squares using one of my smaller square dies. I added a bunch of tattered rose Distress Ink around the frame edges to give it a hint of color.  Then I stamped out the scene of gnomes and their friends to peak through the frame.  I colored the images in with my copics and added some sparkle from a red spectrum noir sparkle pen.  I also die cut out my sentiment and added it to the top of the card along with some nuvo drops.

Thanks for peaking in on my projects.  Hopefully over the next few days I find my energy again and have a little bit more pep in my step.