Back from Vegas, Baby!!

Whew! I am tuckered out! The main event - the May VSN - is over and it was soooooo much fun! There were a total of 15 challenges this weekend. We had 4 Friday night and 11 on Saturday. One challenge per hour!! I've explained it before, but just in case you aren't familiar with VSN, here's a little summary. Splitcoaststampers.com (where I spend a LOT of time) holds these events called VSN(s) which stands for Virtual Stamp Night(s). There are these fantastic women who organize and prepare challenges that get posted on the VSN chat boards. There is a new challenge posted each hour during the event. This time it ran from 7pm-10pm on Friday and Noon-10pm on Saturday. You have 45 minutes to complete each challenge and 15 minutes to clean up your workspace, take a break, etc before the next challenge is posted. Obviously it depends on the honor system to work. You then have until (usually) the following Monday to upload your work. That way, if you have to miss a challenge or twelve, you have until Monday to do them (still following the 45 min. rule) and get them uploaded. If you participate and upload while the challenges are being played, you have a chance to win a prize. I won an adorable stamp set called Build a Bouquet from the company "My Favorite Things". I was sooooo excited!! Woot!! I wasn't able to participate in all of the challenges, so I hope to do the ones I missed today and tomorrow and get them uploaded also. After the upload deadline, all of the challenge hostesses will select their favorites and put them in an honor gallery. There are no prizes for being selected... but it's an honor!! to be selected. So later this week, I'll see if I get selected. I've never been in an honor gallery and think it would be very flattering.

Anyway, I am going to post pictures of all of my projects that I completed yesterday. After I finish the rest of the challenges, I'll be back to share those, too. I'll try to give you a short description of each challenge as I go along. I won't be posting all of the details about each card though, because this post is going to be super long as it is. But if you have questions about something, just leave me a comment and I'll address it.

*It seems that SCS is having some technical difficulties this morning. I'll add links after they get back online.

So here we go.... the first challenge was "Double Down." We were to make two cards (just alike) and they had to be related to Vegas somehow. I hear the golfing in Vegas is great, and I needed a card for Father's Day, so I made these. I love that the challenge made us create two cards, because now I can sent one to my Dad and still have one to keep!! I am forever hoarding my cards because I don't want to give them away with out having a copy. I mean, what if I want to make that card again sometime?? I wouldn't have it here to copy! See .... dilemma! LOL. I always tell my self to go ahead and make two the first time, but I rarely do.

Next was a super fun challenge~ "Non Traditional Wedding Card". We had to think about all of the fun themed, non-traditional weddings Vegas has to offer. And we had to use bright colors, not the pastels or neutral cards so often seen with wedding cards. And here's what I came up with. The "bride" has on a tulle veil and the "groom" has a little black top hat made from cardstock.
This challenge was "Hitting the Tables." We were to use the colors red, black and white only! These colors are a nod to card suites, roulette tables, dice, etc. I LOVE this color combo. It's always a great standby.
This challenge was called "Card Buffet" and was inspired by all of the fantastic food and drinks Vegas has to offer. Our cards were to use food or non alcoholic beverages as inspiration. Yummy!!
This was one of my favorites, because it was inspired by one of my all time favorite TV shows, CSI: Las Vegas. Our hostess talked about crimes and solving them and "being framed" etc. So we were to use "frames" in our projects. We could alter a frame, as I did here, or use a cardstock frame of some kind. I made this frame for my DD's bedroom.


Next, we have a great sketch inspired by slot machines. Our hostess gave up this great sketch and off to work we went!

Next was the "Green is the color of Money" challenge. We were to use all green and one neutral. Even the accessories had to be green. (Things like brads, buttons, ribbon, etc. If you used it, it had to be green.) They are easy to make and look great! Don't you think?

Editing to Add link! You can find the instructions on how to make this pretty ribbon flower HERE. (be sure to look around while you are at Christine's blog. It's fantastic!)
I added two small pieces of ribbon, each folded into a cone shape and then flattened, as the "leaves." I just used glue dots to hold everything in place.


This was for the "Shopping in Vegas" challenge. Our hostess loves to shop while in Vegas and even had to buy an extra suitcase so she could get all of her goodies home. So she listed all sorts of things we had to include in our card (suitcase). I thought this was a really fun challenge. We had to have 5 layers, 3 ink colors, 1 image, 1 sentiment, sponging, ribbon, 3 dew drops or brads, plus something to glam it up (I used glitter on the wings).
Here is the "Glamor" challenge card. Our hostess loves all things glittery and blingy! So we had to glitter up an entire panel. I used iridescent ice embossing powder over the entire white panel. It's hard to see how shimmery it is in this picture. But irl, it is super shimmery and glittery and blingy and what ever other "y" word you can use. lol. I was covered in glitter when I was done.
Another one of my favorite challenges was to cover a Jr Legal pad. We were given an awesome pattern to follow. There is even a pocket on the inside of the cover! My DD wants me to make her one of these now. I have to say, they are super cute! I used the Morning Sunshine DSP because I am thinking about offering this at a stamp camp in June and I can get this paper in bulk. FUN!!


So that's all for today. I finished 10 out of the 15!! Now maybe I can get to work on those last 5. As always, I would love to hear your comments!!! Thanks for dropping by and I hope y'all have a Stamptacular Day!