Today I'm sharing my design team card for our new challenge over at As you See It where it's time for a speed challenge chosen by Jan:

The dreaded speed challenge! I had both paper and dies featuring ornaments to hand, but no current stamps, so this week was definitely a case of 'go hard or go home', so I grabbed the Sketch Saturday layout and decided to go for it! This is what I came up with:

Here's the low-down on today's card:

Today's card was all about the planning! I designed my card and wrote a list of the sizes I needed to cut my layers to and gathered my scraps of coloured cardstock and paired them with each die ready for cutting. I put my sentiment stamp into my Stamparatus and once I had everything to hand, set my stopwatch and started cutting! The real highlight of today's card is the brightly coloured, ornament patterned paper from the 'Celebrate Everything' hostess paper pack - I cut a panel of this then diecut an ornament using my Spruced Up Outlines Dies for a co-ordinated focal point:

I added a simple sentiment from 'Framed & Festive' that I diecut at the same time as my ornament to save time and as I still had time I added a black twine bow for a final finishing touch just as my 10 minute timer went off - not a second to spare! My desk was an absolute bomb site - a true 'craftermath', but I did it! A stamped ornament would have made for a much quicker card and I did contemplate just using the designer paper and a sentiment, but where's the fun in that, right?! It's not a speed challenge if there's no pressure!

Here is the visual summary of the key products used on today's project for you to pin for easy reference:

You can see all of my 'How To' summaries on my 'How To - Tips and Techniques' Pinterest board in case you've missed any. 

Here's a summary of our challenge rules:

• Create any card, scrapbooking page, 3D project or packaging project that fits the challenge.
• Please include the challenge graphic and link back to the challenge in your blog post. Turn off word verification so we can leave you lots of lovely comments. Make sure you link the post not the whole blog to the Linky. Use #AYSIXXX when uploading to a public gallery.
• If you’re unsure about ‘the rules’, check the details under the Challenge Guidelines tab on the As You See It Challenge homepage.
• In a speed stamping challenge, please time yourself and say in your post how long your card took to complete. 

Enjoy your day; I have a day of housework and errands and I'll be back tomorrow with another project. Until then, happy stampin'!

Stampin' Up! Supplies Used:

CELEBRATE EVERYTHING 12" X 12" (30.5 X 30.5 CM) DESIGNER SERIES PAPER (16.50)	FRAMED & FESTIVE CLING STAMP SET (ENGLISH) (22.00)	TUXEDO BLACK MEMENTO INK PAD (5.75)	BASIC WHITE A4 CARDSTOCK (9.75)	STYLISH SHAPES DIES (28.00)	POLISHED PINK A4 CARDSTOCK (8.75)
POPPY PARADE A4 CARDSTOCK (8.75)	BAKER'S TWINE ESSENTIALS PACK (10.25)

It's Tuesday and time for a new challenge over at CAS Colours & Sketches. Cecile is hosting this month and since we have 5 weeks this month we are ending with a double challenge: 

Feel free to flip or rotate the sketch when making your card.

I have loved all of Cecile's colour and sketch choices this month and whilst I normally struggle with a double challenge, this one came together easily - I love it when that happens! For my card today I used my Spruced Up Outline Dies to create a collection of ornaments in three sizes to mirror the circles on the sketch, in each of the challenge colours - take a look:

Here's the low-down on today's card:

Retro Colours - As I no longer have any of this week's colours (long time readers of my blog will remember my thoughts on Always Artichoke!), I substituted with my nearest matches: Pool Party, Mossy Meadow and Blushing Bride respectively. I actually think they look ok together and the Mossy Meadow is perfect for a festive feel; I made this my dominant colour of the trio and used it for a hint of mat layer colour and my sentiment too.

Wintry Pines - Whilst I could have just added my baubles and been done, they looked a little 'lost', so I added a panel of embossed pines courtesy of the Wintry 3D Embossing Folder. This is a narrow EF so did mean I had to get creative with my layering to maintain the square aspect ratio, but I think it works and I really love the way the ornaments now look as if they are hanging from pine branches. Keeping this layer white helps to keep the clean and simple feel yet adds beautiful subtle embossed detail:

'Tis The Season - Finally, my simple sentiment is courtesy of the 'Jingle Jingle Jingle' stamp set - just enough to finish without obscuring the detail of my card.

Here is the visual summary of the key products used on today's project for you to pin for easy reference:

You can see all of my 'How To' summaries on my 'How To - Tips and Techniques' Pinterest board in case you've missed any. 

I really love this card - so much so, I'm going to make a few more in alternative colourways too.

As a reminder, for our colour challenges, you must use all of the stated challenge colours. You may also use neutral colours; however, the challenge colours should be the most noticeable ones featured on your card. We use Stampin' Up! color names for reference, but you are welcome to use any other companies' products as long as you match the challenge colours as closely as possible.

Enjoy your day; I'll be back later with another post with important details about this week's upcoming Retiring List. Until then, happy stampin'!

Stampin' Up! Supplies Used: 

SPRUCED UP OUTLINES DIES (30.00)	JINGLE JINGLE JINGLE PHOTOPOLYMER STAMP SET (ENGLISH) (21.00)	WINTRY 3D EMBOSSING FOLDERS (9.50)	BASIC WHITE A4 THICK CARDSTOCK (8.25)	MOSSY MEADOW A4 CARDSTOCK (8.75)	BLUSHING BRIDE A4 CARDSTOCK (8.75)
POOL PARTY A4 CARDSTOCK (8.75)	MOSSY MEADOW CLASSIC STAMPIN' PAD (7.50)