We're at the half way point of challenge#32 at Serendipity Stamps Challenge Blog. A new Challenge begins on the first Wednesday of every month. At the half way point - the third Wednesday of the month - the design team posts a second project for the challenge to remind you that there is still time to play along and hopefully inspire you to join us. The challenge this month is to make a card with a die cut window. You can make a frame, or even lay a die inside the opening you create. I always joke that Mary tries to keep us on our toes because she always keeps it interesting for the design team by adding a little twist to the challenge. This time she has asked the design team to make an accordion card for their samples today.
I'm usually inspired by things I see - or the time of year. We were in Hilton Head Island, SC about a month ago. We try to go every year around the same time, and usually it's my first taste of summer. It's coastal living at it's best and we've made lots of good memories there. WIth so many images fresh in my mind a nautical card was fun and easy.
The accordion card base I made consists of three 4.25 x 5.5" cards all taped together to create a zig zag / accordion shape. You can find a tutorial at Splitcoaststampers. I used the same method as in the video to connect my cards, I just changed the shape from the one shown in the tutorial.
Since it's a window challenge I started with the cover of my card - cutting an oval shape window, and inserting a piece of transparency that I stamped with a seahorse. I used Staz On Ink in White. To give it a more finished look I created a frame by cutting the same oval from a larger scalloped oval shaped die cut.
Here's the finished card
And a few close ups so you can get a better look at the inside. The star fish is embossed in gold. I left the page behind the open window clean so that the pattern paper creates a background for the stamped seahorse.
I stamped the sailboat to look like a watermark stamp so you could hand write a message over it. The lighthouse die is new from Serendipity and most of the other dies - the Seahorse, foliage, oval and scallop oval are from Cheery Lynn. Did you know Serendipity now carries Cheery Lynn dies in their inventory?
Would you like to see more cards from the design team? Just click on their names below to jump to their blogs.
I hope you'll join us at Serendipity for this month's challenge. One random winner will receive a $20 gift code off their next order. Everyone is a winner though because the sale this week is 40% off the highest priced item in your cart. Use code “40fromhigh614” Good through 6/24. You'll also receive a free cling stamp with each die you purchase while supplies last.
Supplies Used: Finished Size 4.25 x 5.5"
Stamps: Serendipity Stamps: Sea Horse, Star Fish, Scallop Shell, Sail Boat, Thinking of You Large, Long the Summer Haiku
Dies: Serendipity Stamps Lighthouse, Cheery Lynn B118 Pair of Ferns, B267 Seahorse Family, XL12 French Flair Stackers, L12 Silver Stacker French Flair Classic, L7 Oval Classic, XL8 Oval Scallop Stacker, Buckle RETIRED Spellbinders
Pattern Paper Mambi Me & My Big Ideas Ocean Collection
Card Stock: SU! Coastal Cabana, Tangerine Tango, PTI Aqua Mist, White, Kraft, Enchanted Evening, Silver Foil American Crafts
Twinery Twine Gold Shimmer
Button: Basic Grey
Border Punch: EK Success Double Embossed Dotted Lace
Ink: Versamark, Memento Nautical Blue, Staz On White, Fresh Ink Birch
Gold Embossing Powder ZING!
Transparency
I'm so happy and excited to share a little secret with you today. I am never any good at secrets - thank goodness I have my DH to share everything with - I know he won't tell anyone because he leaves all the card making and crafting to me LOL! I'm joining the CardMaker Magazine blog design team! It's a 6 month term and I get to post once a month there. So pinch me because I keep asking myself... "Well, how did I get here?" 
