Dare to Ink Up Neglected Stamps!

Hi Friends! Today is Wednesday, which means it's time for another Color Dare!! Riley has a fresh summer combo...So Saffron, Marina Mist, and Certainly Celery.




I started with a saffron card base, and added this layer of retired celery dsp. It was in my OLD stack! How old? It's from a simply scrappin' kit I purchased before I became a demo...and it is patterned only on one side! Yup, I've had it for years...so it feels good to actually use it! I trimmed it out with my scallop trim punch. My image panel is whisper white, sponged with marina mist and certainly celery. I used my bird punch to get a branch in celery and saffron, adhered them with a glue stick, then embossed with my perfect polka dot impressions folder and the big shot. I used the scallop punch again, and layered it on saffron, also detailed with the scallops. My bird was stamped with a retired hostess set called Punch Potpourri...which I had never used! Good grief! I considered putting it aside to sell later, but I LOVE this bird! After stamping it, I used my bird punch, then popped it up with dimensionals, and used my black journal writer to give him an eye. I added some basic pearls, colored with my marina mist marker. I also used marina mist satin ribbon, and a bit of silver cord. The sentiment is from You're a Gem (duh!), stamped on the smallest circle of the sizzix circle die, and finished off with a colored pearl.

I hope you join us this week! Submit your project by Monday, and you be chosen as a featured stamper! Just use keyword CD107 in your online gallery!

Inky {{{HUGS}}}

Friday Mashup! Sketchy Regals!

Happy Friday, Stampin' Friends! Are you ready for another Friday Mashup?? Kasey gave us this nice, clean sketch with a rich color scheme...Cherry Cobbler, More Mustard, and Very Vanilla. I love the regals collection, so I knew I would have fun with this! Remember...you can do the sketch, use the colors, or mash them up together!!

I started with a vanilla base. I stamped this fatastic sentiment from the retiring set All Holidays. (Available on the Last Chance List only through June 30th by clicking here.) I actually used markers to color the different words, then stamped on vanilla, and mounted it on cherry cobbler. Both layers were rounded on the corners. I brought out Flight of the Butterfly and my coordinating punch. The sketch calls for a sentiment off the center panel, but I added some colored pearls. It felt a bit too plain, so I sponged the front, and added some cherry cobbler seam binding.

Hope you like it! But more than that,I hope you play along!! Check out the Friday Mashup, and use FM12 as a keyword on your gallery!

Inky {{{HUGS}}}

Dare to Cut Things Up!

Happy Wednesday, Friends! Time for another Color Dare challenge!! I don't know about the other design team members, but this one threw me for a loop! We are combining Peach Parfait, Real Red, and Pear Pizazz! Once again, all items used are from Stampin' Up!




Now, I gotta tell you...I RARELY use peach parfait! I seam to bring it out for challenges, but I don't gravitate toward it on my own. I decided almost right away to do something with a floral image, so I went with the 2-step stamp set Awash with Flowers. I like my square cards, and I began with a pear pizazz base, then added a peach parfait layer. The peach was texturized with the Backgrounds 1 Texturz plate in my big shot. Next I stamped my images with stazon black on whisper white, and added the challenge colors. I sponged a bit on the bottom as well... and somehow I came up with this cut-up image for my sketch. I like the stair-step look for the square shape. I stamped the entire square first, then cut it in 3 pieces, making sure I could line up the stems. Each piece was layered with real red. I added a strip of pattern paper from the almost-retired hostess level 1 pack. I used the Beautiful Wings embosslit and some basic pearls for my butterfly. The Friend stamp is from You're a Gem, finding it's way back to the IBC this July 1st! The small oval punch is retiring...found on the Last Chance List until June 30th. For my final fun detail...how 'bout that ribbon!? I could not decide which color ribbon to use (heaven knows I have a bunch!)...so I used my markers and colored my organza ribbon in this rainbow fashion. I really like how it turned out, and I know I'll be doing it again!!

Hope you play along with us this week! Check out http://colordare.blogspot.com and use keyword CD106 in your online gallery!!

Inky {{{HUGS}}}

On Eagle's Wings

Hello Friends!

Quick post...it was a long, but good day at work, and I am exhausted! LOL!

Sorry about the picture...new camera and software...can't figure out how to edit properly.

This is a card I made this weekend for a dear friend...the husband of one of my ministry staff. In a nutshell, this man has been in the hospital since early April. Just 2 weeks ago, his kidneys were beginning to fail, and he was on a ventilator. So many of us feared he would die in a matter of days.

But in a moment of consciousness, he had a conversation with God. Seriously, he did! I don't know what they talked about, but he is heading home tomorrow!! No ventilator...no nasal oxygen. The hospital staff are calling his recovery miraculous! He will have a home health nurse and some physical therapy...but he is so much stronger! Praise the Lord!!

Now, I made this card on Saturday so Judie could take it to him yesterday. At that time, we did not know he would be coming home so soon. The verse and the eagle are from Our Daily Bread Designs...but everything else is from Stampin' Up! Turns out, unbeknownst to me, this verse from Isaiah is Greg's favorite scripture verse! How cool is that?

Hope you get to witness a miracle today too!

Inky {{{HUGS}}}

Happy Father's Day!

Today is a great day to celebrate Dads!! All week, my sister has been sharing memories of our dad on Facebook. Dad loved to sing and play guitar. I grew up singing with him, at home and at church. The links my sister shared were of songs dad would sing, but by the recording artists themselves. But today, she shared a recording of him singing "I Love..." which was originally sung by Tom T Hall, I think. My aunt found an old cassette recording of it, and shared it with our family at dad's funeral 6 years ago. Hearing it today brought smiles and tears to me... I love my dad very much, and miss him very much. I look forward to seeing him in heaven some day!

My own husband, Bruce is a great dad. We had one son, Gabriel, who was stillborn...and 41 foster kids over 8 years! Bruce loved all those kids so much...and one of them even called Friday night to wish him a Happy Father's Day! So neat that some of the kids stay in touch!

I made this card for Bruce. Even though we don't have kids in the house now, or in college for that matter, he is always a dad!

The card measures 5x5"...with a basic gray card base. I used Nautical Expedition dsp from the Summer Mini (one pattern on the front, another inside). The image panel features stamps from The Open Sea (also in the summer mini). I stamped on whisper white, using basic gray and cherry cobbler ink. I mounted the panel onto not quite navy. I embellished the card with cherry cobbler bakers twine and a retgire big designer button. The sentiment is predictably from Teeny Tiny Wishes...with the word window and modern label punch. I'm tellin' ya...great investment!!

I hope you are celebrating today...with your dad, or father-in-law, or husband, or grandpa...or maybe one of your own sons is a dad now. Whomever it is...have a great day withy the dads in your family!!

Inky {{{HUGS}}}

Friday Mashup!! Summer Lovin'!

Hi there Stampin' Friends!! It's Friday, and that means it's time for a Friday Mashup!! www.fridaymashup.com Lisa has a fun challege for us...she lives in Alaska, where summer days are long, but the season is short! She challenged us to

1. create a project with a summer theme
2. create a project using polka dots
3. OR Mash 'em up and make a summer themed project with polka dots!

You know I love mashin' up my challenges! At first I envisioned bright, bold colors. But then I thought back to last summer...I went to Myrtle Beach with several family members. Loved it! So I went with a beachy color palette. My card base is beloved baja breeze. I added a layer of baja patterned paper from the subtles paper stack. I trimmed it out with the scallop trim punch, and layered it over some retired polka dotted soft suede ribbon. (New polka dotted ribbons are on their way! WooHoo!) For the image panel, I stamped a retired image with chocolate chip craft ink, and heat embossed it. I used my blender pen to color it in with soft suede. Then I went over the entire image with my versamarker, covered with clear embossing powder and heat embossed. Next, I took some post-it notes, and marked my horizon line, sponging with not quite navy ink. I removed the post-its and sponged baja breeze over the horizon. As an after thought, I added some daffodil delight for some sunshine. I tore the post its to make the shoreline, sponging sahara sand (of course!) below the line and not quite navy above it, up to the horizon. I thin strip of soft suede serves as the umbrella stand. The umbrella is peach parfait pattern paper from the soon-to-retire hostess stack, cut with my scallop circle punch. Now this image has a potted plant on the arm...really? Kinda weird! I didn't have a small glass stamp, so I used a small circle punch to cut out a coconut cup from early espresso! A tiny piece of pear pizazz is supposed to be a lime and then there is a peach parfait straw...hmmm. Just humor me, ok? LOL!!

Hope you have some fun summer stampin' time this week! Use keyword FM11 in your online gallery. (MU is the old keyword from before the revised mashup...oops) Also, check out the Fan Favorite post at the top of the Mashup blog!! You get a chance to set the challenge!! How fun is that?? www.fridaymashup.com

Gonna be a Blast to see what you create!! Inky {{{HUGS}}}

Dare to Add Shimmer!

Happy Wednesday! Time for another Color Dare!

Today we are using Blushing Bride, Elegant Eggplant, Pear Pizazz, and Sahara Sand...love it!!

I had some different ideas, but frankly have no idea how I ended up with this card! LOL! I wanted something quick and simple. Well, this was fairly simple, but definitely not quick!

My sahara sand is the card base; barely noticeable. I added a layer of blushig bride pattern paper from the Hostess stack. That was the quick part! Next, I embossed my elegant eggplant with the elegant bouquet folder. I wanted the flowers to show up more. So, I pulled out my frost white shimmer paint, and added color with my ink refills! Fun! I colored over the flowers with my blender pen because it was in reach! LOL! I did clean it up right away! It took a long time to dry...next time, I'll let it sit longer. The stamped image is from my neglected Oval All set, stamped in eggplant and colored with markers. I punched it out with the scallop oval punch, and placed it over my pear pizazz twill ribbon.

This is a terrific color challenge, so I really hope you play along! Check it out at http://colordare.blogspot.com and use keyword CD105 in your online gallery.

Inky {{{HUGS}}}

More Sneak Peaks!

Hello Friends!

Quick post today...my arthritis meds are making me queasy! Yuck! Getting in the way of my stampin' mojo!

I made 2 cards last weekend that I had not yet posted. They feature the new stamp set Simply Soft. Love these floral images! Great for water-coloring! I went crazy on the first card...using all of the new in-colors. It was a personal challenge. Not thrilled with the result, but hey, I met my challenge! Card base is chocolate chip...I added 2 strips of pool party, embossed with petals a plenty folder. I stamped the image with stazon black on watercolor paper, then colored with all the new colors. I layered it on lucky limeade and calypso coral, and added some of the new polka dot ribbon. I made it a birthday card with my good friend Teeny Tiny Wishes and my punches.

The next card is much cleaner and simpler...and I like it so much better! I used a blushing bride card base. I stamped the image on watercolor paper, colored with wild wisteria and lucky limeade. I added some ribbon scraps from an earlier project (colored with my wisteria marker.) A strip of lucky limeade lines the bottom. I used my scallop trim punch, and the sentiment is from Kind Thanks.

Before I leave, I want to remind you there is still time to participate in the Friday Mashup challenge! Since I hosted this week,I want to see everybody!! LOL!! http://fridaymashup.com

Inky {{{HUGS}}}

Graduation Cards

I made 3 graduation cards today, each for kids from different schools. Instead of the traditional cap and gown motif, I used the "Journey" stamp from Define Your Life, then worked around it. This stamp set is retiring at the end of the onth...and I can't decide if I am keeping it or not! Everything used on these cards is from Stampin' Up!

The first card is for my nephew. He is such a good kid! Excelled in academics and wrestling, and he is very respectful to his entire family. I believe he will do great in college and beyond! I wasn't sure what image to use, but since I used the journey stamp, my husband recommended this "Sail Away" stamp from the holiday mini. It is only available until the end of August, so make sure you get it! I stamped it with basic black on whisper white, then lightly sponged with retired bordering blue. I rounded the corners, and mounted it on basic gray. The striped ribbon is retired, but a perfect touch for the black and red school colors. Extra large silver brads and dimensionals add bulk, but I will be hand delivering this card tomorrow!

My next card is for the daughter of a staff member. Her school colors are back and gray, so I added lots of basic jewel rhinestones to perk it up. My large butterfly was cut from a retired pattern stack using the sizzix butterfly die, and I added lots of butterflies I had in my stash from the beautiful wings embosslit die. The white piece was a scrap, already embossed...save those scraps! Satin ribbon and retired elastic cord finish it off.

Finally, the youngest daughter of a long-time volunteer graduated. Her school colors are blue and white, so I decided to use some of my soon-to-retire Blueberry Crisp dsp, mounted on pacific point and very vanilla card stock. I stamped the grass from Inspired by Nature with crumb cake ink, and lightly sponged bashful blue in the sky. Another butterfly here, this one accented with a large antique brad and 2 basic pearls colored with my pacific point marker. I added some seam binding under the sentiment which is mounted on bashfu blue and pacific point.

Hope the kids like these cards...but odds are, they'll love the checks inside!

Inky {{{HUGS}}}

Friday Mashup! Feel Better Soon!

(Another blogger note...I found that I can comment more often when I sign out of my gmail account completely. Then I go to blogger.com and start from scratch, commenting on the sites on my blogroll. Still a bit of a pain, but now I can share the love! I'll be visiting you all more often now!)

Happy Friday! Time for another Friday Mashup Challenge! www.fridaymashup.com

Summer vacations are upon us, and everyone wants to get out and play! Nothing dampens vacation plans like a poorly timed allergy-cold or bad case of sunburn! Sometimes we need to spread a little cheer to the ones we love who are feeling the ick-ies...and I never have enough Get Well cards around. Time to change that! Plus, using fabric in paper crafting is a fun trend...let's see what you can do with it! So here's the challenge...

1) Make a Get Well card

2) Make a project using fabric or some soft texture...denim, cotton balls...but ribbon doesn't count!

3) Mash it up and Make a Get Well card using fabric!

I pulled out some new DSP that I was able to get early in April...Paisley Petals. LOTS of incredible patterns and colors. I chose to highlight this image because it is so pretty! I sponged the edges with cherry cobbler ink. I added a strip of soft suede, which was embossed with vintage wallpaper folder and my big shot. For the fabric, I pulled out my never-even-opened-box of Deck the Halls fabric from the Holiday Mini. Turns out this fabric, and so many others are available in the new Idea Book and Catalog! I used the Tasteful Trim die to cut out this nice curvy strip. then used the new Four Frames stamp set, along with Teeny Tiny Wishes, stamped with river rock and cherry cobbler on very vanilla, then punched out with the extra large decorative punch. I added another layer of cherry cobbler and an antique brad for the last details, popped up with dimensionals, of course! The whole thing is mounted on a river rock card base. I am so thrilled with how this turned out...now I have to think of who needs a pick-me-up!

I am gonna add another card which I was unable to post Monday. You see, I first tried putting fabric on some seam binding. Looks good, but couldn't get it to work with the over all design of my first card. I think the knot was bothering me! LOL! But I used it for this card...which features soon to retire dsp and a long-ago retired lady bug image. How cute is that bug??

After using NONE of this fabric for months, I think I may have found a way to have fun with it!

Can't wait to see what you create! Put MU#10 in your keywords for your online gallery.

Inky {{{HUGS}}}

Dare to Get Messy!

With sponging, that is!

Hello Stamping Friends! It's Wednesday, and that means it's time for another Color Dare!!

(Note...blogger fits! I can't copy and paste from the post below that omitted my pic! I'll be back!)

Dare to Get Messy!

Messy with sponging!

Hi Stamping Friends! This is Wednesday, and that means time for another Color Dare!! I am a little late to the party, but I hope my card is worth the wait. Riley chose a wonderful combo that I have used once ore twice myself... Cajun Craze, Baja Breeze, and Not Quite Navy. If you remember your color wheel from art class, orange and blue are opposites, so they "work" together well. This is just a modern take on that combo.

A dear friend and ministry partner passed away this week, and so I needed a sympathy card for his wife, who is also dear to me. The colors made me think of a sky at sunset, which I thought was appropriate for the occassion. I sponged baja breeze on whisper white, then stamped images from "Just Believe" in baja and not quite navy. I then sponged, very heavily, cajun craze, using a scrap piece of paper from punching out a circle. (Good thing I had not cleaned up yet...I may have thrown it away!) I lightly sponged cajun craze randomly in the sky. My hands were a mess! But it's all worth the mess, right? The sentiment is from Thoughts and Prayers with the scallop oval, layered over a baja breeze oval as well. I layered the main panel on cajun craze pattern paper from the regal paper stack. Then I trimmed it off with my scallop border punch and some tiny basic pearls. A big bow from baja breeze seam binding is the finishing touch.

I hope you play along with this week's Color Dare! Check it out at http://colordare.blogspot.com The design team has great stuff to inspire you!! Just put CD104 in the keywords for your online gallery.

Inky {{{HUGS}}}

Featuring New In-Colors!

Hello Stampin' Friends!! It's Sunday, so I made a new mess in my craft room! Love it!

I checked out the Featured Stamper challenge on SCS, and we get to CASE Taylor, aka stagccva!! She has a fabulous gallery!!! A lot of her cards are pretty involved, but since I needed to make a lot of cards today, I went with a simpler design. Here is the card I chose to case: I love butterflies, so I was drawn to that, and her dotted ribbon gave me the perfect opportunity to use my NEW SU ribbon that arrived Friday! Dots and scallops! WooHoo! Can't wait to order the other colors! (Is it July yet?) My butterflies and sentiment are from Flight of the Butterfly, a great 2-step stamp set. One butterfly is punched out with the coordinating punch and popped up with a dimensional. I used 3 new In-colors: pool party, lucky limeade, and indigo island!! Love these together! My card base is pool party...just got a mixed package of the in-color card stock...I'll be ordering more of this stuff soon!

This card also fits for the Paper Players Challenge ...my first time playing! We were challenged to make a thank you card...and I can always use more of those! The card is nearly flat...easy to mail to one of my ministry volunteers, dontcha think? Check out http://thepaperplayers.blogspot.com toplay along!

Hope you have a great Stampin' Sunday too!

Inky {{{HUGS}}}

Sneak Peeks! Delicate Doilies!

(Special note: I did some research on blogger...lots of people are having a tough time making comments. But you can change your comment setting from embedded in post to a full page or pop up window. I did! That seems to help. If you are on blogger, go to your dashboard, click on settings, then comments. Maybe it wil help people share the love on your blog posts! I still can add a link without typing the whole thing in...grrrr!)

Hello everyone! My pre-order stuff arrived yesterday! Ordering new product before the Idea Book and Catalog (IBC) is activated is one of my favorite perks of being a demo! That and the discount!

My first card is for this week's sketch challenge on SCS. The sample card was one of mine from last spring! WooHoo! I was so excited to have Roxie pick my card! It took me several days to get around to the challenge, so I decided to use my sneak peek items. The card base is concord crush...In-colors from last summer stay one more year! Plus, this year they introduce 5 new in-colors that will be here for 2 years. One is featured here...wisteria wonder. It's a lovely gray-ish lavedar. My fave! The mix of patterned paper for this sketch are all from Flirtatious specialty paper. Goes great with the Delicate Doilies stamp set, which I used with melon mambo ink. I added so saffron with the modern label punch, and teeny tiny wishes...but you knew that! The final detail is white ribbon which I colored with my wisteria marker.

My second card features all of the delicate doilies stamps, in daffodil delight, peach parfait, wisteria wonder, and melon mambo, stamped on whisper white. I cut out a large scallop circle with my sizzix die and big shot. I added some Fliratios specialty paper, and this sheet looks like an actual doilie! I added a sentiment from On Your Birthday, punched out with the scallop oval. Peach Parfait ribbon finishes it off.

My third card is for my great niece. Can't believe she's 10!! I started with a pear pizazz card base. I cut out a piece of the flirtatious paper...this pattern can stand on it's own! I added a sentiment from On Your Birthday, punched out with the extra large decorative label punch, layered with some melon mambo. I balanced the bright colors with whisper white on the bottom, embossed with perfect polka dots, and white ribbon on top. A glimmer brad (they're back!) adds the necessary bling for a 10 year old girl. I used the designer paper "frame" from my big shot for the inside of her card.

Hope you like this new stuff! I do! I'll be back with more later this week!

Inky {{{HUGS}}}

Friday Mashup!! Colorful Kids!

Happy Friday, everyone! It's time for a fun Mashup Challenge! Lesley came up with this week's challenge. Check out this great picture...aren't those colors delightful? This week, we get to:

• Make a card using Daffodil Delight, Real Red, Tempting Turquoise, and Pacific Point


• Make a card with a kid theme


• Or Mash'em up to make a kid card with those colors!

Check out the Friday Mashup challenge blog to see the AMAZING DT entries! I feel like an amateur this week! LOL! http://www.fridaymashup.com

I decided to make this bright baby card. Now the picture is lousy, but my photographer, aka hubby, is in bed! I hope he can get a better picture in the morning!

So often, we use pastels for baby cards, but I like bold, bright colors for babies too! I decided to use my soon-to-retire Fun and Fast Notes. I stamped it in stazon black on whisper white, then colored it with my markers. I layered it with daffodil and turquoise. My larger layers of daffodil and white were embossed with the perfect polka dots impressions folder and the Big Shot. My ribbon is long-ago-retired...I hoard ribbon!! Takes me forever to finish a roll! LOL!

If you wanna get this cute stamp, and the other 7 that come with the set, check out my demo website by clicking here: http://kimpadan.stampinup.net

Lots of goodies are going away...you don't want to miss out!

In the meantime, play along with the Friday Mashup! Use keyword MU09 when you upload to your online gallery.

By the way, I am having lots of problems posting comments on blogger. Makes me sad! Please know thatI look at all of the challenge cards...to fun not to!

Inky {{{HUGS}}}

Stampin' Up Last Chance Lists!

Note: To see today's Color Dare Challenge, scroll down one post

It's June 1st, and that means Stampin' Up has just released a list of items that are going buh-bye!! Numerous stamp sets, lots of accesories, and a bunch of vinyl decor items will no longer e available.

So you better get 'em now!! Retiring stamp sets will be available until June 30th.

However, retiring accessories are only available while supplies last! So, if you want some, you can order it online by going to my site here: http://kimpadan.stampinup.net

Have fun shopping! I know I will!

Inky {{{HUGS}}}

Dare to Add Layers!

Happy Wednesday everyone! Time for another Color Dare challenge! This week's challenge is fun...it matches the logo where I work! We are working with Tempting Turquoise, Pear Pizazz, Chocolate Chip and Very Vanilla. Yum!! (Once again, I am having trouble inserting links. ugh. Go to http://colordare.blogspot.com )

I started with a chocolate chip base. My card is 5x5...I know, I know. Extra postage for a square card. But some people are worth it! I layered very vanilla, which I embossed with my perfect polka dots impression folder. I had these scraps of pear pizazz pattern paper from the Hostess level 1 stack, and decided to layer with turquoise (also embosssed.) I had some retired ribbon in my bin, and the polka dots are perfect with this! My image and sentiment are both from the Hostess Level 1 set Silhouette Sentiments. I used my markers to color the image, then punched it out with my extra large scallop circle punch. I then sponged with the turquoise and pear to mimic a sunny sky and a tree full of leaves. That layer was placed on a chocolate chip circle, cut out with my sizzix circles die. The circle is popped up with dimensionals...well, 'cuz I just had to use dimensionals! Finally, I added some very small pearls which I colored with my pear marker.

Now, I cannot wait to see what you come up with! Check out the Color Dare and play along!!

Inky {{{HUGS}}}