Chalkboard Carnival Celebration!!!

   For this card I did with my monthly Stamp Club, I was worried I may overwhelm them with techniques, but as always, they zoomed through them and made fabulous cards :) I recently went on a search for more challenge blogs, as many of my favorites have quit over the last 6 months or so. I found some great resources and lists, so I have lots of inspiration to work with these days... for this one, I started with one I hope to use often called Pile It On. The theme this week was Happy Birthday, and who wouldn't love to have their birthday party at the carnival?  I used Color My Heart for my palette (I used Midnight Muse, Tempting Turquoise and Certainly Celery (sponged with Wild Wasabi for depth), Mojo Monday for the sketch, Fairie Challenges for the Celebrate theme, Card Makin Mamas challenge to use Green for a large portion of your card, and ABC Challenges "Anything Goes".

   As for the techniques I used, I started with the Chalkboard technique, where you use our Embossing Buddy, to tap, swirl and rub it onto Basic Black Cardstock to create a used/erased chalkboard look. Then you stamp in Whisper White Craft Ink, for which I thought the vintage, hazy Feeling Sentimental set from the Sale-A-Bration flyer (ending at the end of March), was a PERFECT fit for a chalkboard image!! Then I used the Oval Framelits to cut it out, the coordinating Piercing Pack to pierce the edge, and the white Watercolor Pencil Crayon to do the stitching, in keeping with the chalky look. (Instead of using the Uniball White Gel pen like I often do for faux stitching.)

   The other technique I used was to flatten a Soda Pop Top with the Big Shot (just use the bottom platform we rarely use, with no tabs, and the cutting pads, and push it through... perfect EVERY time I've tried!!). These tops are so much fun, and so fresh and funky on their own, but when you flatten them, they take on a whole new, more classic and versatile look to embellish any project with!