Card Buffet .....

... it's time for the new challenge at St Luke's Charity Card Challenge.  We have something a bit different for you this month.  You can pick any theme, any image, but you MUST pick FOUR and only FOUR items from the table - you can add a focal image and a sentiment. 

Card Buffet
1.  Patterned Paper	6.    Flowers
2.  Ribbon	7.    Punches
3.  Gems	8.    Buttons
4.  Pearls	9.    Embossing
5.  Charms	10.  String

I've gone for a quirky but romantic theme to my card, and it's a bit more involved than my usual cards.  All the stamps are from Waltzingmouse Stamps - and Claire has kindly donated a set of stamps as this month's prize.  The stamps are called Wanda's Pantry - they're just fab!
I started with the Love Potion #9 stamp, inked it up with Versafine and heat embossed the image with clear powder for a lovely shiny image.  I cut the image and mat layers out using the coordinating Spellbinders dies (item 7 - punches/dies).  I added some colour to the main image with distress inks and picked out some areas with my aqua painter. 

I decided to make my own patterned paper (item 1).  I started off by stamping text in Versamark and embossing with clear powder and then rubbing shades of pink all over the card.  I removed the embossing powder by putting the card between some scrap paper and running a hot (no steam) iron over it.  I then stamped a random pattern on the paper - musical notes, hearts, witches, lizards; this was then layered onto some black gloss card.  I made a lovely black bow (item 2) and attached this to the backing layer.  I attached the main image and some embossed hearts to the card base.  And the final touch was to add some gems (item 3) to the main image.

Stamps:  Waltzingmouse - Wanda's Pantry (see below to see all the stamps in the set), Text-It, Musical Backgrounds, Sweethearts
Inks: Distress - Spun Sugar, Worn Lipstick, Barn Door; Versafine - Onyx Black; Memento - Tuxedo Black
Spellbinders: Labels 4 (S4-190) #5 & 6, Labels 4 Sm (S4-309) #6
Accessories:  Card, ribbon, embossing powder and gems from stash

For more inspiration - check the DT blogs - see if you can spot the four items used in each card:

Lynne Atkinson

Tara Cardwell

Anne Forrest

Ciara Jennings

Jenny Mullens

If you'd like to donate your card to St Luke's you can find out full details on the Challenge Blog.  And here's a picture of the set that Claire has donated for this month's prize.  It really is lots of fun.  You've got lots of time to enter - just think of the fun things you could make with this set!

Before I go, I'd like to tell you that Tara (organiser of St Luke's Lovlies) and her husband had a very busy August Bank holiday weekend at the Sheffield Fayre where they were selling the cards kindly donated by our players.  Despite some fairly rough weather, they raised a total of £210.  Tara has put together a list of frequently requested cards on the Blog site. 

That's all for now.  Take care.  I look forward to visiting your blogs and seeing your fabulous creations.