Friday Mashup! #43 - Never Be Afraiid to Try Something New!

Hello Stamping Friends! Happy Friday! I am so excited, because this week I am the hostess for the Friday Mashup challenge...WooHoo!! Creating new sketches isn't my strong suit, and when it happens, it's usually by accident! One thing I do like is using diagonal lines and contrasting them with round shapes.

I searched through my old cards (those pictures come in handy!) and found one using this sketch. I believe I had a piece that I had cut incorrectly, but decided to use it any way...Ta-Dah! Now, since the sketch is old, we have to contrast it with some NEW products in our stashes! I hope you got something new for Christmas...or maybe you recently spent money on new purchases. However you got it, let's see some new goodies! So here is your challenge:

1. Make a project using the Sketch shown above


2. Make a project using something NEW in your stash (paper, ribbon, stamps...anything!)


3. Or Mash it Up and make a project using the Sketch and something NEW from your stash!

Now, I was thrilled to take this opportunity to use some of my new Sale-a-Bration items! As a Stampin' Up demo I was able to earn some with my orders in December! Nice perk, huh?! Anywho, this card features several things. I started with a poppy parade card base, because this NEW "Everyday Enchantment" dsp goes with it perfectly! The middle strip is pool party, layered with more of the enchanted dsp, then embossed with my perfect polka dots impressions folder in the big shot. I used my poppy parade and lucky limeade markers to color the NEW image from "Fresh Vintage," another SAB goodie, stamping it on very vanilla. The ovals were cut with the ovals die in the big shot, and the limeade one also has polka dots. Both ovals are lightly sponged with soft suede ink. As if that wasn't enough, the gorgeous organdy ribbon (in calypso coral and lucky limeade) AND the designer brad are also SAB items! WooHoo! Not everything is new...note the Teeny Tiny Wishes sentiment punched out with the word window. Yup. I'm still rooted in "tradition!" LOL

I hope you join me and the rest of the design team this week! Checkout the Friday Mashup blog, and be sure to use keyword FM43 in your online gallery!

Inky {{{HUGS}}}

Manly Valentines!

Hello Stamping Friends! I am posting a couple of Valentines which are geared a bit more toward guys. I hate to stereotype...but let's face it. So many Valentines are frilly, sparkly and filled with pink! As a card maker, it is tough for me to create interesting guy cards to begin with. Add that challenge to a holiday marked by roses and chocolate, and it's easy to get stumped! But with a little outside-the-box thinking, I came up with some fun creations!! I actually CASED myself on both of these...but hey, if you like a card, why not tweek it just a bit for a new purpose!! My new purpose is a small fund raiser. I am selling Valentines for a local network of service organizations. You can read about my busy project by clicking on the tab Projects for LIFE!

This first card is a combo of elements from this anniversary card and this get well card. I started with a basic black card base, adding a strip of black pattern paper. Using my Extreme Elements stamp set I stamped in cherry cobbler and basic gray ink. The Extreme Guitar is heat embossed...black craft ink AND black embossing powder to get it solid! I added a star in cherry cobbler and a sentiment from the Hostess set Perfect Words punched out with an oval punch. Silver brads, and long-ago retired red twine finish it out.

The next card features the Nautical Expedition dsp and The Open Sea stamp set. I CASE'd this birthday card I recently made for my brother-in-law. My card base is early espresso, and I used early espresso bakers twine. I stamped with not quite navy, cherry cobbler, and early espresso ink on whisper white card stock. The sentiment is from Word Play...isn't it perfect for a Valentine?

Thanks for stopping by! Inky {{{HUGS}}}

Hello and Happy Friday! It's time for another Friday Mashup http://www.fridaymashup.com/ challenge!! Today Rita has a fun color challenge that is perfect for the upcoming holiday... Valentine's Day...combined with a great technique.

1. Make a project using Paper Piercing
2. Make a project using the colors Blushing Bride, Riding Hood Red, and Early Espresso
3. Or Mash it Up...and make a project using Paper Piercing and the color combo

I made a card using the color combo, but COMPLETELY forgot the paper piercing! Good thing the Mash Up is optional...LOL!! Frankly, I am lousy at paper piercing, so maybe my subconscience was just dreading it too much! Any who...here is my card:

I started with a Blushing Bride card base...love this color!...with a strip of early espresso quilted ribbon wrapped around the front. The panel on the left is very vanilla, with punched out hearts embedded with the square lattice impressions folder in my beloved Big Shot. I used my regular heart punch, as well as the Heart to Heart punch to get the different sizes. I used the pattern paper stacks for the early espresso hearts as well as the scallop trim borders. The whole layer is popped up with dimensionals. The sentiment is from Delightful Dozen, stamped in riding hood red on very vanilla, and punched out with the decorative label punch, and layered over a touch of riding hood red. More dimensionals make this a plump cards. I like plump cards...they match me! LOL!

Be sure to check out the great creations from the rest of the design team over at the Friday Mashup blog http://www.fridaymashup.com/ . Use keyword FM42 in your online gallery. Can't wait to see what you create!!

Inky {{{HUGS}}}

Get Well, Mark!

Hello, Stamping Friends! I have a card today created for a good friend of mine. No challenges, no swaps...just a personalized card. I LOVE when I can do that! I have known my friend, Mark, for almost the entire time I have lived here in Danville. He plays guitar at church for the more contemporary choir. I have sung with the choir for most years, but I would take a break for one reason or other. But Mark rarely misses a Sunday, plus he often helps with special prayer services or kids' programs. He played guitar for my wedding, and my husband and I sang in the choir when Mark married his wife Brenda. Our music is rather mild, but we often hear Mark before Mass messing with some classic rock tune! Well, Mark had knee replacement surgery this past week, so he will be out of commission for a while. I decided to make a Get Well card, and my Extreme Guitar guy was the perfect stamp choice! It may be retired, but I paired it with these stars and splotches from "Extreme Elements" still available from Stampin' Up. My card base is basic black. I added a layer of lucky limeade, stamped with stars then embossed with the square lattice impressions folder. I placed a layer of basic gray pattern paper on an angle, added 2 silver brads, and popped it up with dimensionals. The Extreme Elements were stamped in limeade and basic gray on whisper white, and the guitar guy is stamped in basic black, then heat embossed. More dimensionals since this card will be hand delivered later today! The sentiment is from Delightful Dozen, punched out with a circle and layered over a basic black pattern star. The star punch is a bit small...and retired...guess I should buy the star dies next!!

The chor members signed the card...and I think Bruce may try to make some food to deliver with the card. Hand-crafted card...homemade dinner...should make Mark feel better, dontcha think?

Inky {{{HUGS}}}

Friday Mashup!! Thank You!!

Hello and Happy Friday! Time for another Friday Mashup challenge!! Lesley is hosting this week's challenge, and she has one that is perfect for my day job...thank you cards! I ALWAYS need thank you cards for donors and volunteers...so I appreciate the opportunity to make something special! Here is the challenge:

1. Make a "Thank You" themed project


2. Make a project using "Designer/Patterned Paper"


3. Or Mash it Up and make a Thank You project using designer/patterned paper
   

I pulled out this very pretty DSP from Stampin' Up, called Timeless Portrait, using 2 patterns on opposites side of the same sheet. It coordinates with my river rock card stock base, and the layers of cherry cobbler and not quite navy under my sentiment. That sentiment is from God's Blessings...one of my favorite stamp sets! I used not quite navy ink to stamp it on very vanilla card stock. I also added a cherry cobbler heart, thanks to my punch, and added a small basic jewel pearl. The last detail is the cherry cobbler seam binding which is tied in a bow, not a knot! WooHoo!

The sketch is actually a variation of Freshly Made Sketches #1. I like going back to older challenges too!

Hope you can join us this wek at the Friday Mashup! Check out the Design Team projects for wonderful inspiration! Use FM41 as a keyword in your online gallery!

Inky {{{HUGS}}}

Love a Double Challenge!

Hello everyone! I am posting AGAIN this week....wow! Nothing like a New Year to get me on the right track! Today I have a card which is well...different...for me at any rate. I combined this week's Freshly Made Sketch challenge with a very tricky ColourQ challenge. I think "tweens" when I look at the colors, but it's been a long time since I have been a tween! LOL!! But I wanted to try some blog challenges just for fun, and this is my end result. I believe that writing up a blog post with 2 challenge icons is a real trick...so we'll see how often I do this! LOL!!

All of the products used are from Stampin' Up, though some are retired.I don't have any Going Gray ink or card stock, so I used Basic Gray for my card base. I added horizontal strips of pretty in pink card stock with some long-ago retired "ribbon originals." The melon mambo layer is a piece from last year's Sale-a-Bration catalog. Just want this to prompt you to check out this year's SAB items... *wink*. I stamped I {Heart} Hearts in the challenge colors on whisper white card stock. I used my scallop trim border punch to coordinate with the scallop design on the dsp. Finally, I added a pretty in pink heart stamped with Well Scripted in basic gray. Truth be told...it covers up an unfortunate smudge! Shhhhhhhhh...don't tell anyone!!

Inky {{{HUGS}}}

Colorful Valentine

Hello Friends! It's the 2nd Tuesday of the new year, and my 2nd splitcoaststamper color challenge! WooHoo!! I'm on a roll! This week's color challenge was posted late last night, so I had time to think about it. Nonetheless, I ended up with something COMPLETELY different in my final project!! LOL! The colors this week are blushing bride, riding hood red, and baja breeze...how fun is that? I decided to make a Valentine. It also fits the theme challenge over at the Paper Players challenge: All You Need is Love. (I am singing that Beatles song right now!)

I started with a blushing bride card base. I used the Stampin' Up set "You are Loved" for this fun image, coloring it with my markers in the challenge colors plus pear pizzazz, stamping it on to very vanilla that was cut out with the top note die. My lower panel is baja breeze, embossed with the elegant lines impressions folder in my Big Shot. These layers are popped up with dimensionals. I used my heart punch, as well as the heart-to-heart punch to add some detail. My hearts are in riding hood red and some retired blushing bride dsp, all embossed with elegant lines. Finally, I added both blushing bride ribbon in the middle of the card and baja breeze seam binding at the top.

Inside, I added some more hearts and this wonderful sentiment from the same stamp set "You are Loved." I already know who is getting this card...but shucks, I have to wait almost a month to mail it! Hope I don't forget!

Thanks for stopping by! Wonder if I can make it three weeks in a row... come by next week to find out!!

Inky {{{HUGS}}}

Friday Mashup! Birthday Pastels!

Hello Stamping Friends! It's the first Friday of the year, and we are ready to roll (and stamp!) at the Friday Mashup!!

1. Make a Birthday project



2. Make a project using Pastels
   


3. Or Mash it Up and make a Birthday project using pastels
   

Many times we think of pastels for women...soft tones, even pastel shades. But I needed a card for another brother-in-law (I have 8 of them!) whose birthday is next week. Like his brother (my hubby), George spent many years in the Navy. So, using "The Open Sea" and the retired Nautical Expedition dsp was the perfect choice. I started with a basic gray card base, and added various pieces of the Nautical Expedition dsp. I stamped the 2 images in versamark on whisper white card stock. The ship was colored by using a sponge dauber and not quite navy Stampin' Pastels, "thumping" the color into the image. I used ruby red for the compass (it's a retired set of pastels!). I used pastels also on the sentiment from Teeny Tiny Wishes. My punches came in handy...the word window, modern label and circle punch. Dimensionals and baker's twine are the final details.

So, feminine or masculine looks, I hope you can join us this week at the Friday Mashup! Check out the challenge blog and see some great inspiration!

Inky {{{HUGS}}}

First Card of 2012!!

Hello Stamping Friends!!

With the New Year comes a lot of resolutions for me. I hope to do better than I usually do! As usual, I want to eat less, watch less TV, stamp more, and stay in touch with family and friends more often. In terms of stamping, I hope to get back in the swing of doing more challenges...blog challenges and splitcoaststampers challenges. Well, Color Challenges are my favorite, so I got right to it. Yesterday, we were challenged on SCS to use Lucky Limeade, Island Indigo, and Basic Gray...FABULOUS combo!!

I needed a card for an area SU Demo birthday card swap. Perfect opportunity to use these new stamps, "Vintage Vogue" and "Heard from the Heart." They are not new in the Stampin Up catalog, but they are new to me.

I started with a basic gray card base, and added a strip of lucky limeade which I embossed with my Big Shot and the snowburst impressions folder. I stamped the sentiment from Heard from the Heart, coloring it with markers so I can have 2 colors. Next, I randomly stamped flowers and leaves fromVintage Vogue in the challenge colors. I used my paper piercer to put a hole in the center of one flower, and added a lucky limeade polka dot brad. I then used dimensionals to pop that layer on some indigo island card stock. Oh, nearly forgot...I used my corner rounder on 2 opposite corners. Indigo Island ruffled ribbon is the final detail. LOVE this ribbon!

Hope to stamp and blog more this year! Come hang out with me!
Inky {{{HUGS}}}