Card Challenge Junkies challenge #1 January 2018

I joined a FB group called Card Challenge Junkies which is a group that encourages card making cards with certain criteria that must be included. This is the first card I made:

The challenge was to use a sketch that was provided. The sketch showed a circle, rectangle and sentiment. Once those things are included, I was free to interpret the rest of the card however I wanted. For this card I used:

Stampin' Up! Secret Garden stamp and die (flower)
Tonic Studio circle dies
Stampin' Up! Just a Note stamp (sentiment)
Stampin' Up! decorative square punch
Scrap papers I had left over from other projects
Spectrum Noir alcohol markers (for coloring the flower)

I am still pretty new at coloring with these markers. They are alcohol based so they take longer to dry giving more opportunity for blending the colors. The way I colored the flower on this card is actually my second attempt. Here's the first:

I was trying to make the petals of the flower look curved in the light. It was an ok attempt but I liked the other flower better so I used it. I'll try this again another time.

I needed a birthday card for my brother-in-law today, so I decided to follow the same sketch as issued in this challenge, but I changed it a little:

Supplies:
Stampin' Up! Giggle Greetings stamp set
Stampin' Up! You Make Me Smile stamp set
Stampin' Up! decorative rectangle punch
EK Success Memory Pencils
FSJ Cocoa Powder Ink Pad
Scrap papers
Unbranded decorative square die

I don't get much practice making masculine cards so it's hard for me to not add a flower here and there, so I used a marker and added dots instead. lol