Cheeky On So Many Levels

Today is National Scrapbooking Day in USA. I have been enjoying all the extra inspiration on a lot of the manufacturers' blogs and was super inspired to create. Trouble is, I didn't make a scrapbook layout; I made a card. Cheeky, I know! But I have a good reason: I was laid out with a migraine yesterday so today I am feeling pretty jaded and need to rest up for work tomorrow. I also need to rest up for an up coming Creative Adventure (more to come on that later this month). Am I forgiven?

I get even cheekier. I am submitting the card I made to several challenges/contests. One is a new one for me (Echo Park). The Big Picture scrapbooking ones are supposed to be layouts strictly speaking but luckily the 3 I was thinking of didn't specify - some of them did.  Let's hope they ignore the Scrapbooking part of National Scrapbooking Day eh? :)

Here's my cheeky National Scrapbooking/Cardmaking Day card:

This card was based on a design I saw on the Studio Calico site but I don't have their product (apart from a couple of stamps) so it doesn't really qualify for their competitions. :(  I have to say it came together really fast -faster than my usual. It would have come together even faster if I didn't go to the effort of white embossing a background stamp on the plain pink strip. (I saved papers which I thought I would use elsewhere and used the backs also thus cutting down on the paper I was 'wasting' on a card).  It helps when you are 'inspired by' [copying from] someone - see, I get even cheekier by copying someone else's design. There is no hope for me is there in regards to my cheekiness?

Here's where and why I am entering this card:

First off the legitimate one - Simon Says Stamp's current challenge is Happy Mail (a card not made for a specific reason). The link for this [legitimate] challenge is  HERE .

The next one is Echo Park. I was lucky enough to win a 6x6 Everyday Eclectic paper pad from Artfull Crafts last year and this was my first opportunity to use it.  The Challenge is NSD Challenge #1: Summer Cards. Now, I know you are probably thinking my card doesn't look very summery but I thought the patterns of the papers were very reminiscent of summer. Clouds, hot air balloons, etc. I had the idea of using a saying that said something like, 'hello sunshine' but I realised I don't actually have such a stamp! Shock Horror!  Pity, it would've been cool. Way cool even (channeling my teenage niece there for a moment). The link for the challenge is  HERE .

Finally Big Picture Classes has the following challenges which fit my card:

Challenge#8: Use arrows to draw attention to parts of your journaling. Well, "hello There' can be considered journaling right?

Challenge#6: Shake it up creatively - Don't use your go-to techniques or Do try something new (my paraphrasing).  Well May, I had to not ink the edges of all my papers/cardstock/embellishments which I always do. This would be the first card when I haven't at least inked the edges of the card. Don't you think the paper strips could've done with ink on their edges? A new technique is using my American Crafts thickers on a card. I never use them on cards; I save them for my layouts.

I think that is enough cheeky for now. Gosh, I hope no one was expecting to see any bottoms when they saw my title! ;)

Materials:
Cardstock (Ormolu), Paper (Echo Park), Stamps (Mama Elephant - saying, Hero Arts - background used on pink strip), Ink (Stampin' Up!), Arrows (American Crafts), White Embossing Powder (on pink strip).