Karen Burniston Designer Challenge -- For the Birds

It's time again for the Karen Burniston Designer Challenge.  This month's theme is "For the Birds."  Even though the new release has a bird -- the Peacock Add-on, I went in a totally different direction and used the birds from an older set, Outdoor Scene.

I did not ignore the new release, however; the base die for my card is the new Stage Pop-up along with the Sea Stage Add-ons.  

Like a parent, I'm sure that, as a DT member, I'm not supposed to have a favorite; but I must admit that the Stage Pop-up is definitely my favorite of this release.  It was the first one I used as soon as we received our dies, and I have made quite a few stage cards since then.  This is my "For the Birds" card:

Karen Burniston has an excellent video on construction of this stage.  Be sure to check it out.  In addition to the two new die sets, I also used the Palm Tree Pop-up and a sentiment from the Cruise Greetings clear stamp set.  My sea gulls are flying high, attached with acetate strips.

This was such a fun release -- make sure you check out the rest of the cards made by the team.  I'm sure you'll find at least one with the new Peacock Add-ons to the Arch Pop-up.

 

Karen Burniston New Release -- Sneak Peek Day 1

Exciting times for the Karen Burniston design team.  Karen has a new release coming out next week, and we're going to be showing you some sneak peeks all this week.  There are 11 new dies in this release.  One of the new die sets will make it lots easier to make a Double-Wide Woven Basket.  As much fun as the Woven Basket is, I love making double-wide ones; and this add-on set makes it so much easier.

I have a neighbor who just loves flamingos.  I usually give her a religious card, but this year's Christmas card for her is full of flamingos -- all in the Double-Wide Woven Basket.  The new set includes the die to make the wider sides of this basket as well as a die for the grass.  These cute flamingos are from a retired My Favorite Things set called Festive Flamingos.

I added a couple of palm trees from the Palm Tree Pop-Up set along the back of my basket and decorated it with Christmas lights from the Holiday House set.

I'll have some more sneak peeks as the week goes on, as will the rest of the team; so be sure to check back.

Blog Hop Winner and Palm Tree Pop-Up

 Before I show you my card for the day, I want to announce the winner from my blog for the recent Karen Burniston DT Blog Hop.  LYN CHRISTIAN is the winner of a $25 gift certificate from Karen Burniston - KB Riley LLC.  Congratulations, Lyn!  Happy shopping!

Now, on to my latest card.  I recently watched a Youtube video on how to ink blend a sunset using Distress Oxide inks.  Kristina Werner showed several different color combinations for creating a sunset, and I chose Squeezed Lemonade, Picked Raspberry, Wilted Violet and Blueprint Sketch -- and created what I thought was an acceptable background.  Of course, I then had to make a card!   I hunted through my stamps and found something I thought would work -- two palm trees with a hammock strung between them.  I confess I don't know who made the stamp; it was loose in my drawer of tree stamps.  I colored the trees and hammock "gently" with Copic markers, so as not to detract from that sunset sky.

For the inside, I decided I wanted to have a little fun, so I used the Karen Burniston Palm Tree Pop-Up and found a sentiment I thought complemented the feel of the card.

I am so glad I found that video.  I will definitely be trying that technique again.

Beach Hut

 In yesterday's Blog Hop post, Karen Burniston mentioned that the new Tiny House/Mushroom House Add-on dies could be used to make a beach hut.  The idea started some gears turning in my brain, and I ran with them.  I cut both the Tiny House Pop-Up from some patterned paper and constructed it, using the windows, door and roof from the Mushroom House Add-On.  I then cut the Tiny Trees out and did a bit of pruning on the branches -- removing them totally.  Using the smaller fronds die from the Palm Tree Pop-Up, I made two palm trees.  I had never used the new Fold Splitter (from the Tiny Trees Pop-Up), so this was a new adventure.  I'm pretty pleased with the result.

The front of the card is made using the larger palm tree from the Palm Tree Pop-Up and some of the Tropical Scene dies and Word Set 6 - Summer.

Those cute little crabs were stamped on some Shrinky Dink plastic and heated so that they shrunk down to size.

This is actually the second card I made.  The first one was 5 1/4" x 5 1/4" square; but it was too small, and the elements on the inside were bumping into each other.  So I salvaged the palm trees and the hut and made a second card -- this one is a 5" x 7" card.

The inside turned out much better on this larger card.

I've been having lots of fun using Karen's new dies.

Karen Burniston Designer Challenge - Beach Day

It's time for the Karen Burniston Designer Challenge once again -- this month it's all about the beach.   That's a great place to be when you live in Florida!  I pulled out the Circle Tag Book and some fun fishy stamps for this one.

Using several different pieces of patterned paper, I created this little beach scene -- stamping some sea gulls above the palm trees from the Tropical Scene set.

But inside is where the fun part lies.

I love those sweet little stamped fish, framed in the twisted frames from the Circle Tag Book, as well as a few small seashells from the Tropical Scene.  Here's a closer look at them.

Somewhere my brain stopped working, and I didn't remember that I had done this card; so I made a second card, which I will also share today -- this one using the Palm Tree Pop-Up, the Rockin' Rectangle, Tropical Scene, and Sea Animals.

Thanks for stopping by today.  Hope you can plan a trip to the beach sometime soon!