Two Challenges

I was so busy yesterday with errands and cleaning that I didn't even get a chance to complete the challenge so I combined it with today's challenge. Yesterday's challenge was to use scissors and today's challenge was to make a square card using scrap paper and ribbon. We were also to use one additional embellishment which I forgot about.
When I was cleaning out some of my older stamp sets for the online garage sale, I came across this Dancing Candles stamp by The Artful Stamper. Kate bought this stamp for me when we both worked at the Pocketful of Memories Stamp Store and I always knew I wanted to make a card with it where all of the candles were cut out and popped up on dimensionals. Well, you know how it goes, the stamp was put away and I forgot I even had it! I took it out and put it on my table so that I would think about using it. When I saw the challenge to use scissors, I knew this was the perfect opportunity for me to work with this image. I had a number of failed attempts with this card mainly because I was coloring with Copics and I wasn't patient enough and I was getting a lot of feathering with my black ink. I probably need to start trying my Staz On because Stampin' Up!'s Basic Black just ISN'T permanent enough for me! I ended up stamping the candles with my Chocolate Chip Craft ink and embossed it in black. I thought this would make it easier to color the image, but I seemed to have black embossing powder everywhere and it didn't help the coloring go any better. So, like I said...think I'll be trying a different ink to use with my Copics. The DSP is from American Crafts as is the scrap of ribbon. Both are from the Celebration Collection. I bought them in Peoria, but I wouldn't be surprised if the Keepsake Element or Friend'z carried this particular collection. It's fairly new so I doubt you'd find it at Hobby Lobby yet, but I could be wrong.
In other news...
I ended up having to put most of Maddie's new toys together by myself, but it was worth the effort because she really is enjoying having some fun things to play with in the backyard! These pics were taken this morning. She could literally spend the entire day out there on her swing or playing at her water/sand table. My Dad told me that the swingset he bought for my sister and me was his best investment--I'm beginning to understand why!