It's a Beary fun Challenge at AiFactory!

This weeks challenge at Aifactory is to use a bear (or many bears, you decide!) on your project!

Now, I must admit, I was so totally stumped with this one that it had me thinking for days on what to put together! Purely because I was trying to think up a cute card for a new baby, or christening or something along those lines....

I struggled because I dont have kids, or anybody who has kids who will be needing a card like that in while. And quite frankly, I hate making cards that lie in my box for ages because I end up looking at them months later wishing I could change some or other element. Dont know if you know the feeling?

Anyway, my youngest sister is coming to visit us this weekend and it's going to be the perfect opportunity to give her cards and gifts for my parents as belated mother's and father's day sentiments. We live far away from them so we didn't see them on the appropriate dates.

It was an amazing turnaround when I decided I was going to make my mom a card with the bear that the DT were given to work with this week (P.S. it'sup for grabs for FREE in the store!) (P.S.S. the store is having a one day only 50% off sale today!). He's called Chocolate teddy...

I found an awesome tutorial for a joy fold card over at splitcoaststampers.com and I would highly recommend hopping on over there to have a look at the great projects to inspire you. I used a light blue cardstock for the base of the card, a brown cardstock for the inner card fold and contrasting pattern papers for the inner card base and outer card fold. I cut the bear off slightly on his bottom half and placed him in the centre of the brown inner card. I think this gives him the look of being inside or behind a frame. Next to him I placed an awesome sentiment from Kaisercraft that says, " A mother is the dearest friend of all". I inked it in brown and left the embossing for once. It looks really rustic.



Everything was of course inked in brown on this card and I find it gives an earthy tone overall. The flowers on the left hand bottom corner serve as the 'hook' that keeps the inner card closed. I used fabric flowers with copper snowflake brads through the centres.

The fold opens like this:

And inside is a mothers day sentiment, also from Kaiserkraft, and also inked in brown. The three flowers to the left are all paper flowers with gem centres.

The closed and complete card looks like this, and I am so chuffed with myself for getting this joy fold right the first time :)

I hope you'll all join us for the challenge this week :) Have a fantastic Thursday!