On the Road for LIFE!

Hey stamping friends!! I will be absent from the blog and my craft room for a few days. I have a very exciting opportunity this weekend...I will be the keynote speaker for a fund raising banquet, benefiting Midlands Women's Center in Camden SC...WooHoo! In addition to directing a ministry in my own community, I also love to share my passion for the cause elsewhere! Check out gabrielsmom.com

Hopefully the weather will cooperate, the flight will be uneventful, and the banquet will be a success!

My stamps will have to wait...Hmmm...perhaps I should place an order before I go...whatcha think?

Inky {{{HUGS}}}

Better Late than Never!

I made these two cards this past weekend...one for a color challenge,one for a sketch challenge. I am so glad that the challenges on splitcoaststampers are open forever! It is rare that I complete them on the day they get posted! But, I figure it is better to participate late than never...because, as a stamper, I learn so much from these challenges!

The first card was for last week's Color Challenge on SCS...so saffron, wild wasabi, and pacific point. LOVE these fresh colors! I decided to make a spring card...I am SO ready for spring! The striped ribbon is retired; I ordered it last year from the Clearance Rack. Keep an eye on that page...who knows what goodies you can get! My pacific point pattern paper is retired also, but you can get the new patterns in the Brights Pattern Paper Stack. The flower image is from the Hostess Level 1 set, Silhouette Sentiments. I colored it with markers. I used my scallop trim, corner rounder, word window, and modern label punches, along with Teeny Tiny Wishes to finish it off.


The second card is for a recent sketch challenge on SCS...a great one for highlighting lovely DSP. I had this retired Bella Rose paper out for Valentines, and decided to use it some more. The card base is retired kiwi kiss. I added a band of pink pirouette, which was embossed with the square lattice impressions folder and the Big Shot. The kiwi corduroy buttons were purchased from the Clearance Rack. That cute bird is also from Silhouette Sentiments, which is my favorite Level 1 set this year! I colored it with old olive and riding hood red markers. Teeny Tiny Wishes quickly turned this into a birthday card.

Hope you have fun with some creative challenges today!

Inky {{{HUGS}}}

Dare to Make Something Masculine

Work has been so busy lately, that my stamping has been limited. If not for some sympathy cards, it would be even more so!

One of my volunteers at the ministry lost her father-in-law last week. Her husband was actually a past board member. I wanted a card that is more masculine, and the Color Dare provided the perfect palette...Night of Navy, Marina Mist, and River Rock.

As you can tell, I am on a square card kick lately. I used the classic Stampin' Up set, Lovely as a Tree, with my sentiment from Teeny Tiny Wishes. The card stock colors are straight from the Color Dare, with Very vanilla added. I sponged marina mist over my trees stamped twice in river rock. I have a little confession...my first image was not very clear...I re-inked, then stamped again. Makes my forest look a little thicker, don't you think? A happy accident! My embellishments are the lovely wide striped grosgrain ribbon and an antique brad.

I hope this card will bring comfort to John and Linda...

Thanks for stopping by!

Inky {{{HUGS}}}

Featured Colors

Hello Again!



Sunday is Featured Stamper day on SCS, and I made this card that afternoon. Uploading...well, that has taken quite a while!! The Featured Stamper is Charlene (aka Willow01) and this is the card I CASE'd. I kept the same sketch, using dsp on top,as well. My sentiment (from Elements of Style) is in a similarly shaped layer, (I used my extra large decorative label punch), but I added a regal button instead of ribbon. Instead of the large felt flowers, I stamped my flowers, but I did keep the (basic jewels ) pearls on the card. My flowers are from the Sale-a-Bration set "Bliss." My color choices were dictated by last week's Color Challenge...not quite navy, cajun craze,and daffodil delight. The dsp is from Greenhouse Gala.

Not sure who will receive this card...but I am sure I can find someone on my mailing list to receive it!!

Inky {{{HUGS}}}

Dare to be Inspired!

Hey there! It felt good to get back into my stampin' room today after a very long work week! I peeked at today's Inspiration Challenge on SCS, and the top post on the Santa Barbara Chic blog had this picture of a noodle dish. I guess I was hungry, because I barely looked at the rest of the blog!! I also liked the picture, because it was perfect for this week's Color dare...bashful blue, peach parfait, and garden green. Everything used in this card is from Stampin' Up!

I used my Elegant Lines impressions folder to mimic the bowl of noodles. I used my Big Shot and Sizzix large scallop circle and ovals dies. The image is from Friends Never Fade, and I used Teeny Tiny Wishes again. I punched out some of the peach parfait pattern paper from the Hostess Level 1 pack, then layered it with the modern label and word window punches. Regal brads, candy cane designer button (retired), basic jewel pearls and twill ribbon add the finishing touches.

Hope you like it!

Inky {{{HUGS}}}

Collection of Valentines

Hello there! Even with 2 snow days this week...or maybe because of it...my mojo was frozen! Took me forever to find it...but this weekend it returned!

I made several Valentines, duplicating a few designs. I hope to sell some cards. Stampin' Up has several stamps you can use for their "Angel Policy." It allows you to sell projects made with their copyrighted images... and for me, it is a way to recoup some of my expenditures. Trust me, I don't "make" money at this...I spend much more! LOL!! At any rate, I'll bring some to work, as will my hubby. Here are just a few examples...

The first two cards combined a color challenge from two weeks ago...soft suede, elegant eggplant and riding hood red...along with today's featured stamper challenge. I used the same card stock and neutral DSP, and the same stamp set, Love You Much. I added satin ribbon and retired eggplant ribbon originals (the ric-rac). One card used buttons, the other brads.. I cut the birds out for the first card, making a better CASE of this card. But, ugh. I can't cut well! So, I made another version, stamping on a scallop circle,and mounting it on a layer cut out layer, using the Big Shot and the Sizzix circle die. The brads make the card much easier to mail, too. I also decorated the inside of each of my cards. Well, the first one was done after Bruce took a picture!

The next card is very different for a Valentine...in fact, it is simply a card about love, so it really could be appropriate any time of the year. This week's color challenge was a tough one...river rock, basic gray, and whisper white. I drew a blank. But yesterday's Inspiration challenge gave me some help. The inspiration site had this odd gift...and the neutral tones with simple geometric shapes inspired my card. I used my heart punch, and after taping them down, I ran the entire layer through my big shot with the square lattice folder (an idea I saw on another demos blog.) I added large antique brads which are gorgeous! I didn't want to say the usual Happy Valentine's Day on the front...but why not say "forever", right? It's from Fabulous Phrases, which is a wonderfully versatile stamp set. For a change of pace, I stamped it on a modern label punch, but cut off one end...then added a basic gray brad and popped it up on dimensionals.

There's more...but seriously,I need to go to bed!! Hope you all have a great mojo-filled week!!

Inky {{{HUGS}}}