Isn't this "Krafty?"

Sorry for the bad pun! I am starting to feel sick...boohoo...and I am under the influence of decongestants!

I love color challenges (have you noticed?) and this week's splitcoaststampers challenge was a fun, easy one: Bermuda Bay, Real Red, and Kraft. The Kraft card stock will be renamed as Crumb Cake with the Color Renovation in the new catalog (IBC) this July, and will have coordinating inks! WooHoo! I have one more month to use my Bermuda Bay...but Real Red is staying! Life could not go on without this classic, right?

See all the layers? I wish it was my own creative genius, but No! It was a sketch challenge from 2 weeks ago. My top square is tilted the "wrong" way...but that's because of a little smudge on the layer below! LOL! I once read "There are no mistakes; only opportunities for embellishments!" AMEN!

Sketches like this are great for using various DSP patterns. I stamped the flourish from Elements of Style and the sentiment is from On Your Birthday. Add some brads and grosgrain ribbon, highlight the layers with basic black (all from Stampin' Up!), and Ta-dah!

Now...who shall I send this to? Hmmmmmmmmmm

Inky {{{HUGS}}}

Dare to Sketch

It's Wednesday...and that means it's splitcoaststampers' Sketch Challenge day and Color Dare Day with dancerriley! Once again, I combined the two challenges into one card. Everything used is from Stampin' Up!

The sketch challenge sample was made by a good cyber friend, Kelly. WooHoo! She was so surprised and thrilled to see it posted last night! And since my hubby had called to say he had to work overtime, I made this card before I went to bed! The Color Dare was another tough one...rich razzleberry, crushed curry, soft suede, and old olive. I am not a big fan of crushed curry, and it is retiring June 30, so this was a great way to use some of my supplies. The main image is from Awash with Flowers...a 2-step stamp set that will be found in the new IBC on July 1st. Of course, I did some sponging, and I used Teeny Tiny Wishes on the modern label punch. ;-) Problem is, I have misplaced my teeny tiny "happy birthday" stamp! Oh No! So, I decided to make this a Thinking of You card. The soft suede layer in the middle was supposed to be on top of the image panel, but I goofed. So I just added soft suede and old olive ribbon to the front...ta da! The dsp is a combo of rich razzleberry pattern paper and the retired Hello Neighbors dsp. You can't tell, but I ran them through my Big Shot with a Texturz plate...really, I did! I think I like this one...what do you think?

Inky {{{HUGS}}}

A Night at the Club

Well...my monthly stamping club!!! We met last night and had a great time as always! We started with graduation cards. I gave them basic black and whisper white...then each card was personalized with school colors. Forgive my stereotyping, but I let them choose between a "His" and "Her" card...but I won't know where these end up!



Both cards feature Happy Grad from the Summer Mini and Itty Bitty Background stamps. I added Extreme Guitar to the guy card and butterflies made with the Beautiful Wings embosslit die. I decided to use black craft ink and clear embossing powder for heat embossing on the sentiment and guitar guy.











The inside uses (sadly) long-retired sentiment stamps and a simple panel with the slit punch for a gift card. In the picture, I just used my business card for keynote speaking! LOL!!




The other card we made is far more elegant, and I am really pleased with how it turned out! We used some of the Presto Patterns Specialty paper, and brayered rose red ink over it to make that gorgeous background layer!! I then stamped Elements of Style in black, and stamped a tiny portion of the image on a circle from my Big Shot Circles die. By coloring that little bit, and popping it up with a dimensional;, we get the "Spotlight" technique. Cool, huh? Added some ribbon, sentiment on an oval...and it is hard to see, but we spritzed the background and image with Vanilla Shimmer Smooch Spritz! Love this sparkle!!

I need 15 of these for a demo swap THIS weekend! Oh My! I will be changing up the sketch just a bit so I don't run out of presto paper. Everyone needs some, right? ;-)

Gotta run...I have more cards to make!

Inky {{{HUGS}}}

A Colorful Sketch

Usually, I wait until my hubby can get a good picture of my cards. But he is at work now, and I wanted to post this today. Anyone who posts to splitcoaststampers knows that your cards get a lot more "love" if you post on the day of a challenge! LOL!!

I combined today's sketch challenge on splitcoaststampers with today's Color Dare. Very bold colors...but I think I have someone in mind for this card already!

The Color Dare (see my Blog Roll) called for elegant eggplant, old olive, bermuda bay, and melon mambo. Wowza! I decided to go floral...but I now realize that bermuda bay flowers probably don't exist in nature! Oh well! I colored images from Embrace Life with my markers and blender pens. The main panels have ticket corner punches. I used bermuda bay and razzleberry lemonade DSP. Some ribbon, a scallop oval punch...and Look! It's the word window punch again! But hey, that thank you is from All Holidays, not Teeny Tiny wishes. (Aren'tcha proud of me??) Only the gemstones are non-SU...everything else you can get by clicking over there <-------- on the Stampin' Up! catalog picture.

Inky {{{HUGS}}}

Swaps!

Just a quick post to "showoff" 2 cards I submitted for a recent swap on splitcoaststampers. Everyything is from Stampin'Up!

The first thank you card features some retired items (the pink pirouette striped ribbon and bella birds dsp, and the flowers in silhouette image)...but I'm hoping something similar comes in this summer since Pink Pirouette is coming back! WooHoo! I used my Ovals big shot die to get coordinated ovals, and the word window punch with Teeny Tiny Wishes. Ink colors are so saffron and chocolate chip to match the paper. The card base is the soon-to-retire bordering blue. I stocked up on this favorite!

The same hostess had a youth birthday card swap. I had no idea what to do, but looked at my retiring goodies. I decided to use ruby red card stock to make room for the returning riding hood red and new cherry cobbler! I also used very vanilla, close to cocoa, creamy caramel and brocade blue (very vanilla is staying, don't worry!). I ran card stock in my big shot with the Circles big shot die, and then two of them with the polka dots embossing folder. That cute monkey is from Fox & Friends, with chocolate chip and ruby red ink. The sentiments are from On Your Birhday and, what else.Teeny Tiny Wishes! Topped it off with brocade ribbon. I am making room for new goodies!!

Ink {{{HUGS}}}

Sunday Feature

On Sunday mornings (or late Saturday nights) I always peek at splitcoatstampers to see who has been named as the week's Featured Stamper. I admit, I would love to have this honor,but with thousands of super-talented people, I may have to stick with just CASE-ing the ones chosen! LOL

Today's stamper is named Cathleen (ctorina). I often notice her work...she is so gifted! For the FS challenge, you select one project from the FS gallery and then CASE it (copy and send to everyone). You must change at least 3 things, but keep it close enough to show the inspiration. You may use the same stamped image, same colors, same sketch...just have fun!

I chose this card to CASE, and came up with my card shown here. I used naturals ivory, not quite navy, close to cocoa card stock and ink, Bella Bleu DSP, photo corner punch, gold brads, ribbon originals, and dimensionals. The image is from Of the Earth (a Level 1 hostess set) and the sentiment is from All Holidays.

I should make more of these...I really like it! Hope you do too!

Inky {{{HUGS}}}

Lotsa Mommas!

So, Mother's Day was last weekend, and I made lots of Mother's Day cards. For my mom, my mother-in-law, several sisters-in-law, and 2 nieces who have kids. Fun!

I used several designs, so I wouldn't get bored. The first was actually a Stampin' Club project in April. It features the Manhattan Flower textured impressions embossing folder. LOVE this! We sponged apricot appeal and pretty in pink ink to highlight the image. The sentiment is from a mini occasion set...hope it makes the new Idea Book and Catalog (IBC)! The card base is almost amethyst (I will miss this color!), with a layer from Tea Party DSP. Celery ribbon and the scallop oval punch added for detail.

I also made a card with one of my new favorite stamp sets...Elements of Style! It is in the Summer Mini-Occassions catalog. This set includes this luscious floral image, a pretty bird, a flourish, and 2 sentiments. (The sentiment here is from Teeny Tiny Wishes.) It's gonna be fun to create all summer long with this! My colors are always artichoke, dusty durango, and crushed curry. Not all Mother's Day cards need to use soft subtles, right? I colored the image with my blender pens...a can't-live-without-it tool. I also sponged the edges...love the aged look!

The last card I will feature here uses a new technique for me: Burnishing. I was inspired to try this technique and this fun new set, Awash with Flowers, by a world-famous Stampin' Up! Demo, "Jan Tink". (Her last name is actually longer, but everyone knows her as Jan Tink!) She had a tutorial on her blog...and it is so easy! I will definitely use this technique at a future monthly stamp club! All it takes is pressing color into the card stock with a sponge dauber, and gradually working the color outward. Wow! I enjoy using rich regals and earth tones together. This card actually features LOTS of colors...all sticking around (or coming back!) for the Color Renovation: Soft Suede, Not Quite Navy, Rich Razzleberry, So Saffron, Always Artichoke, and Baja Breeze! The sentiment is from Teeny Tiny Wishes, punched out with the word window punch. I'm telling you, those items get me to use the smallest of scraps! So cool! Hope you like this too! Be watching for the new IBC that arrives in July...and you too can own Awash with Flowers!!

I had about 5 other designs, but shucks, I don't want to bore you!! My next challenge will be to use all of these flowers in non-mommy cards. Hmmm...did I say that outloud? Guess I will have to really do it!

Inky {{{HUGS}}}

A "Challenging" Weekend

Saturday mornings are fun with the Inspiration Challenge on splitcoaststampers. This week, we had an amazing website to peruse, called Jazz it Up, with stunning metal wall art. I chose a piece with butterflies, and came up with this card.

I used basic gray and sage shadow card stock, plus Nouveau Chic DSP. The butterflies are made with the DSP, my Beautiful Wings embosslit die, and my Big Shot. I added rhinestones from the retired Eggcelent Eggs kit, some gray satin ribbon, and my scallop and wide oval punches. Oh, almost forgot. The sage card stock was placed in Plenty of Petals embossing folder, and edges sponged with basic gray.




I enjoyed the website so much, I picked another wall art piece, then created this card.
More basic gray (1 piece of 8-1/2 x 11 card stock makes 2 "invitation" size card bases.)
I used a texturz impressons plate for the basic black. The "tiles" are in mellow moss, kraft, and bordering blue. I stamped the flourish from the new Elements of Style (found in the Summer Mini) in slightly darker ink...always artichoke, soft suede, and night of navy. Added brads and the word window punch with my famous Teeny Tiny Wishes.

Looking to step out of your creative block? Try a Saturday Inspiration Challenge!


Inky {{{HUGS}}}