November Fourth Friday Fun Challenge

The challenge for this month is…  “Its all in the Background”

Our challenge to you is to create a project that features background stamping. And – to celebrate “Black Friday” – if your project has black on it (in addition to stamp ink) you will get a double entry.

You have till midnight (EST) of Friday 12/4 to add a comment to this post with link your project.   We will draw one random winner for the prize.

The rules are:

• It must be a newly created project for this challenge – but feel free to combine this challenge with any other ones out there.
• We’d love to see all the art you care to share, but each person will only be entered in the random drawing once (well, twice if you have background stamping and black). Make sure you do not post anonymously – because then we can’t find you to give you your prize when you win.
• The winner will be drawn randomly and announced the following Saturday.

This months prize is two cling mounted background stamps:

The stamps are Daisy Background and Tin Pattern Background.

Be sure to check out the “Black Friday” Specials at the Paper Garden Projects Store.

Through Monday for in stock items only:

• All Christmas stamps are 15% off.
• All Copic Sketch Markers are 25% off
• All Embellishments are 20% off
• All Inks are 10% off
• All tools (including punches, Spellbinder dies and Cuttlebug Folders) are 15% off

For my “its all in the background project”, I decided to make a set of winter themed note cards (these could end up as part of a teacher gift).  The cards are 4 1/4″ square.

I used the Decorative Tile background stamp with Memento Rhubarb Stalk ink on Neenah Solar White cardstock to create the patterned background.

The critters are from the Penny Black Holly Day Critters clear set (the dog is from the Christmas Critters set).  They are colored with Copics and cut out with circle Spellbinder Dies.  The image is mounted on a Blush Red Dark circle, than a Tawny Medium scalloped circle.

The card is 4 1/4″ square Tawny Dark, 4″ square Black, 3 7/8″ square stamped background.  Then I mounted a black circle in the lower right and adhered Tan Twill ribbon across.  The matted images are then mounted on the circle using foam tape.

I love cute little cards like this – but I get frustrated about the envelopes.

You can go ahead and put the cards in A2 envelopes – the plus side is you pay standard postage.  But you end up with an empty envelope flap.

For my gift cards, I wanted the envies to fit better.  So I created new envies from standard A2 envelopes.

First, seal the envelope.  Then measure 4 3/8″ from the base and lightly pencil a line across the envelope.

On both sides, cut the envelope sides from the line to the top and an angle about 1/8″ in from the side.

Then cut across the top about 1/8 inch down.  Now the top of the envelope should be open.

Cut across the envelope on the line – but through the top layer only.  The back layer will be the envelope flap.

You can add envelope glue to the flap – or you can just add a piece of double sided tape (like ScorTape) with the liner left on until ready to seal.

Now you have custom fit envelopes for your little square cards.

Every year I give my girls’ teachers a little set of cards and a Target Gift card.  Well, for the first time two of my girls have teachers who are men.  I’m trying to decide if I can still give cards like this to “guys”.

What do you think?  Are they still too girly?  Maybe if I made all frogs it would work??

Here are the other cards…..