Friday Mashup!! Happy Graduation!!

Hello Stamping Friends!  It's time for another Friday Mashup...and I am your hostess this week!  I have a nephew graduating from college soon, and many schools and families are preparing for big ceremonies!  So, I decided to use that as our theme!

So here is the "Mashup" Challenge :

1. Make a project for "Graduation".
2. Or Make a project using " Text or Definition Stamps and/or Paper".
3. Or "Mash it Up" and create a " Graduation project with Text or Definition stamps/papers".

I know this is kinda tricky...but be not afraid!  You don't have to have traditional caps and gowns, or even traditional words.  Just think about what might inspire your favorite grad!

I began with a basic back card base, and added stripes of cherry cobbler, layered with "First Edition" Specialty designer paper from Stampin' Up.  My center sentiment is from the retired set "Define Your Life" stamped in basic black on very vanilla card stock.  I used my sizzix ovals die and the big shot to get both of my ovals.  The larger one is in crumb cake.  My airplane is also retired; "Sentimental Journey."  I added the grad stamp from "Teeny Tiny Wishes" layered with oval, modern label and word window punches.  Finally, linen thread finishes it off. 

I have a LOT of text on this card.  Perhaps it will remind my nepheww of all of that reading he had to do!  LOL!!  Be sure to check out the great projects from the Friday Mashup blog!  Use keyword FM56 in your online gallery. 

Inky {{{HUGS}}}

Friday Mashup! Pale as a Ghost!

Hello Stamping Friends!! Happy Friday! I am just one week away from a BIG fund raiser, and my mom is visiting, so I had to squeeze in some stamping time! Why? It's time for another Friday Mashup challenge! http://www.fridaymashup.com/ This week, Rita is our hostess...and she came up with a fun challenge (though I struggled bit!)

1. Make a project using the "Sketch"
2. Or Make a project using the "Ghosting (or Versamark Resist) Technique"
3. Or Mash it Up! And make a project using the sketch and the ghosting technique

Well, I decided to mash it up...but you can hardly tell! Not only did I get impatient and not allow my versamark to dry thoroughly, I used very pale colors! Oops! It's much prettier in person! My card base is blushing bride. I stamped the flowers and grass (really I did!) from Inspired by Nature on very vanilla card stock. I sponged baja breeze, blushing bride, and pear pizazz ink on it, then layered it over concord crush for contrast. Next, I used my Sizzix 2 tags die with the big shot to cut out the smaller image panel. I stamped versamark again...but cheated this time. I used clear embossing powder to heat emboss this time...and you can still barely see it! I need to practice this technique again...it really isn't hard...just be patient! LOL! The sentiment is from "Blessings from Heaven" stamped in concord crush. I added a bit of blushing bride dsp detailed with the scallop trim punch. I also added pear pizazz ribbon, popped it up with dimensionals, and added a butterfly from the Beautiful Wings sizzlit for the final touch.
Late night...lousy picture...but a FABULOUS challenge! Be sure to check out the amazing DT cards over at the Friday Mashup blog...then join us! http://www.fridaymashup.com/

Inky {{{HUGS}}}

Friday Mashup!! Scurrying is a "Learned Art"

Hello and Happy Friday, everyone!! Time for another Friday Mashup! http://www.fridaymashup.com/ We have a fun challenge this week from Holly...

1. Make a project using your "Favorite Muppet color combo"
2. Or make a project "for kids"
3. Or make a project "For kids...using your favorite Muppet color combo"

WooHoo!! I love the Muppets! Very silly, but oh so adorable! The toughest part was deciding which Muppet to use as my inspiration. Of course, there's Kermit...and I love Animal and Gonzo! But I decided to pick the sassy and always hungry "Rizzo the Rat." He's the only rat I enjoy watching!! ( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=enrMChZPOc8 )

Everything here is frm Stampin' Up. My card features the colors riding hood red, chocolate chip, river rock, basic black and (retired) crushed curry. Hey...gotta use up my stash! I embossed the chocolate chip with the houndstooth folder in my Big Shot. The small and mid-sized circles were punched out; the large circle was made with the Sizzix circles die. I embossed most of the circles with perfect polka dots. The little fox (in lieu of a rat!) is from Fox and Friends. The sentiment is from On Your Birthday. I used my chocolate chip marker for the dots on the large circle to keep it flatter. The striped ribbon is long-retired...again, trying to use up stuff. I like the way the stripes contrast with the circles. Hope you do too!

Be sure to check out this week's challenge http://www.fridaymashup.com/ ...and play along! Use keyword FM54 in your gallery...and tell us who your favorite Muppet is!

Inky {{{HUGS}}}

Featured Stamper x2

Hello everyone. I am posting cards which I made several days ago. One I nearly completed last Sunday, but I didn't get back to it until Wednesday. I made the 2nd one on Wednesday too. Both cards are for last week's Featured Stamper challenge on SCS. It was a new gallery for me to enjoy...Vickie, aka redlynny. I chose this beauty to CASE.

I loved the cut out flower over the rich designer paper, and the simple sketch of the featured stamper card. Well, I picked Paisley Petals dsp and the coordinating stamp set to stamp, color, emboss and cut out. But the dsp is so strong, I felt the cut-out image just didn't work...so I made 2 cards. Couldn't let my cut-out images go to waste!

Everything used here is from Stampin' Up. My first card has an early espresso card base. I layered the dsp over pear pizazz, which includes a scallop trim border. I used retired early espresso satin ribbon and not quite navy taffeta ribbon. I used the little leaves sizzlit in my big shot, and lightly sponged the pear pizazz with early espresso. Instead of a cut out flower, I stamped a sentiment from "Blessings from Heaven" and another Paisley Petal image that I did not color... then punched it out with the scallop circle punch and lightly sponged it with baja breeze and not quite navy.

Since I had not one, but 2 Paisley Petal images stamped, colored with blender pens and embossed, I made this other card. Using crumb cake for the base, I added a simpler pattern of the Paisley petals dsp and a layer of baja breeze. The baja breeze was embossed with the petals-a-plenty folder and sponged with not quite nav ink. More espresso satin ribbon, but this time I layered crumb cake taffeta ribbon in a scrunched manner. My images were adhered with dimensionals. I used a stamp from Perfect Words, and punched it out with an oval punch.

I added some dsp inside each of the cards...and I already know to whom I will send them. I think just about anyone can use a bit of encouragement!

Thanks for stopping by!

Inky {{{HUGS}}}

Friday Mashup! Tic-Tac-Toe!

Hello Stamping Friends. Today is Good Friday for millions of Christians around the world. I try to have a quiet, solemn day...so I was happy to be able to create my card ahead of time. Kasey has a fun, unique challenge for us at the Friday Mashup http://www.fridaymashup.com/ this week! We're playing Tic-Tac-Toe!

1. Make a project using a "Special Fold"
2. Or make a project using the "Tic Tac Toe" board
3. Or Mash it Up! and make a project with a special fold, using the Tic-Tac-Toe board

I decided that I needed to play with my new "Baby Prints" stamp set from the Occasions Mini catalog. Lookin at the tic-tac-toe board, I opted to also include ribbon and bright colors...but I COMPLETELY forgot about the special fold! Oops. But I still love the look, and will likely make more for the ministry!

My card base is melon mambo, with layers of daffodil delight, whisper white, and rich razzleberry dsp. The square whisper white layer is embossed with Petals-a-Plenty folder in my Big Shot. These cute hand and foot prints are pretty good size, so I just played around with the placement. The sentiments are from the same stamp set, punched out with an oval and popped up with dimensionals. Just 2 colors of ink on this card: melon mambo and daffodil delight. My final detail is a bow made with retired ribbon...the spool is *almost* gone!

Check out the fun challenge this week...lots of great inspiration from my fellow design team gals! http://www.fridaymashup.com/ Be sure to use keyword FM53 in your online gallery.

Have a great Easter weekend! Inky {{{HUGS}}}

Key to My Heart

Hello Everyone! Here is a card I made over the weekend, but did not get posted on time for a blog challenge. Boohoo. But hey, it was fun to make! My card is for last week's sketch challenge on splitcoaststampers and last week's Create with Connie and Mary challenge.

I have had this stamp set, Artistic Etchings for months, but have rarely used it. I felt the Eiffel Tower worked well with the sketch. I started with a basicc gray card base, and added a layer of retired dsp in so saffron. (Ironically, I think the name of the pattern has Parisian in it!) I also used retired popy parade dsp and current basic gray dsp. The images are stamped on whisper white, and I used my poppy parade marker to outline one layer. Oval punches, poly-twill ribbon, and dimensionals finish it off.

Maybe next week, I'll play "on time!"

Inky {{{HUGS}}}

Double Challenge for a Nephew

Second post today!! I made this card for the color challenge (lucky limeade, peach parfait, and pool party) over at splitcoaststampers, plus today's sketch challenge.

Very quick card! Basic black card base with a layer of whisper white, sponged with the challenge colors. I heat embossed this Extreme Skateboard image. I added the word window punched out pieces at the top (embossed with poladot impressions plate), and a circle in the opposite corner to match the sketch. The sentiment is from On Your Birthday.

Lots of nephews with birthdays coming up soon! Thanks for stopping by!!

Inky {{{HUGS}}}

Freshly Made Thank You

Hello everyone! I have had fun getting my hands back in to my stamping! I made several cards over the weekend and today. I'll post them in a few posts...and truthfully, I'll post some back-dated...if there is such a word! I'm just doing that to line cards up with various challenges. Hang in there with me!

The first card is actually on time TODAY. Surprise! It's the Freshly Made Sketches http://www.freshlymadesketches.blogspot.com/2012/04/freshly-made-sketches-29-sketch-by_04.html challenge:

I started with a wisteria wonder card base, and added 2 patterns of the Flirtatious dsp, highlighting wisteria wonder and regal rose. For contrast, I added a piece of lucky limeade, embossed with the square lattice folder and my big shot. My main panel features Delicate Doilies, and I added the sentiment from Thank You Kindly. Both of those pieces were outlined with markers, to give a look of layers without the bulk. But since I always *need* some bulk, I added these fabulous polka-dot brads from the in-color collection. I LOVE how the limeade POPS off of these cool colors!

Love this sketch...I'll have to use it again! Thanks for stopping by!

Inky {{{HUGS}}}

Colorful Sofa!

Hello Stamping Friends! I made this card over the weekend, but I am finally posting it. That happens a LOT to me! The card combines last week's color challenge on splitcoaststampers with this week's Paper Players Challenge. The colors are so out of my comfort zone! I like pinks, I like purples...but together it is so bright and lttle-girly for me. Oh Well!

The Paper Players challenge asked us to use humor. Well, I think I am a fairly funny person, but my stamps are so stinkin' serious! I need to fix that! I did have this retired image from Stampin' Up's Please Be Seated. Puns are at least a little bit funny. My husband keeps trying to convince me of that. *wink*

My card base is melon mambo, and I have a layer of whisper white embossed with polka dots. I added stripes of polka dotted ribbon in melon mambo and elegant eggplant to create its own layer. The main image is stamped in stazon black, and I used my blender pens for the challenge colors of melon mambo, elegant egglant, and concord crush. I added pink pirouette for the sofa to lighten things up, but decided a bit more humor was needed...so I colored the sofa legs to look like Barbie shoes. That's what melon mambo reminds me of! The image panel is mounted on concord crush, and I used my corner rounder punch. I also added these itty bitty punched flowers with rhinestones, and some retired silver cord.

One of my nieces is finishing her 2nd year of college. I think this will be good to welcome her home for the summer!

Thanks for stopping by!

Inky {{{HUGS}}}