Hope to Keep Up with these Challenges!

Hello Again!

Today, I have 3 cards from HYCCT challenges I completed earlier this month.


This card is for Holly's "Stripping Down" challenge.  It gave me a great reason to use some scraps of pattern paper.  My card base is pretty in pink, and I added strips of pink pattern paper (from an OLD hostess stack!) and some Bella Rose dsp (the chocolate side.)  I added some pool party seam binding, scrunched on one side.  The image and sentiment are from My Favorite Thing's "From the Bottom of My Heart."  It is colored with markers: chocolate chip, blush blossom, pool party, and rose red and then I sponged the panel with apricot appeal.  The sentiment is stamped with chocolate chip.   I clear embossed the heart for some extra shine.

Next is my card for Sabrina's "Holding it Together" challenge.  We were not supposed to use any adhesive!  So... I have an apricot appeal card base (from a big stack of retired colors.)  I stamped this sentiment from "All Holidays" on whisper white, using my pretty in pink and chocolate chip markers, and cut it out with the labels framelits.  I sponged with apricot and pink ink.  I attached this to a piece of DCWV pattern paper, using extra large chocolate chip brads.  I attached it to the card base with the pink taffeta ribbon, after I punched holes in the top.  (AFTER I posted this, I saw that we could have attached a card front to a card base with tape.  Oh well.)

Finally today I have this fun card for Diane's challenge, "Two by Two, Side by Side."  In it, we needed to use pink AND purple, and some element of the card needed to be included 2 times.  I chose this fabulous image from My Favorite Things' "Meet Me at the Cafe."  I thought the two friends having a glass of wine together expresses the theme of Hope You Can Cling To.  The card base is wisteria wonder, and I added 2 panels of Flirtatious dsp.  I stamped the image with stazon jet black ink, and colored it with several markers:  wisteria wonder, regal rose, creamy caramel, blush blossom, cherry cobbler, daffodil delight, and basic gray.  I sponged soft sky in the background.  The sentiment is from the same set, and punched out with the modern label.  Ruffled strawberry slush ribbon finishes it off.

I will post more cards this weekend...this has been a fun stamping event!

Inky {{{HUGS}}}
Kim

More Hope!

Hello Stamping Friends!

I have a few more HYCCCT cards to post.  I have not been doing these in order, so hang in there with me!

Lee posted a challenge, "A Bear for My Sister."  I have no cute bear images, but I recall receiving 2 of these stamped images in a swap.  Sorry, I don't know what company makes this stamp.  But the sentiment is from a retired set from My Favorite Things.  My card base is basic gray.  The dsp is from a long-retired Christmas pack from SU.  I used my blender pens to color the image, cut it out with my framelits, and sponged.  The colors I used are kiwi kiss, soft sky, basic gray, smokey slate, creamy caramel, and pretty in pink.  I also cut the sentiment out with framelits.  The ribbon is from a different swap.




Next, I have a card for Misti's challenge: "A Spoonful of Sugar."  Starting with a chocolate chip card base, I added a layer of close to cocoa that is embossed with the diagonal stripes folder.  The ribbon is from some yummy blog candy that I won a while ago.  I used the SU set "So Very" for this card, stamping with melon mambo and chocolate chip on whisper white and pink pirouette card stock.  I made a cup cake with my scallop circle punch, a scrap of glimmer paper and a free-hand cut piece of textured melon mambo for the base.  I colored the glimmer paper with a melon mambo marker and added pink stickles (more blog candy) to the embossed swirls, to look like frosting.  This will make a nice card for my great-niece next month!

Finally tonight I have a card for Bridget's challenge, "A Card for My Hero." My card has a very clean and simple design.  I have lots of heroes, but I usually think of heroes of the Faith.  I had this stamp with a quote from Mother Teresa.  I decided to showcase it on white (embossed with those diagonal stripes again) with pacific point striped ribbon to mimic the habits of her religious order, The Missionary Sisters of Charity.  I have a lot of punched out hearts, so I grabbed a few for a pop of color...and to go with her inspiring words.
More fun cards will be posted in the next few days.  Stay Tuned!

Inky {{{HUGS}}}
Kim

Colorful Hope

Hello Stamping Friends...

Time for a couple more HYCCT challenge cards.  For extra fun, I also incorporated this week's color challenge, as well.  SCS is on color challenge #500, and they are celebrating by giving us 4 seasonal palettes to choose from.  I chose Spring and Fall...but I really hope to do the other ones as well.

My first card uses the spring palette:  soft sky, crisp cantaloupe, pistachio pudding, and so saffron.  The HYCCT challenge is "Chick's Stick Together" hosted by Fran.  I chose this cute image from SU's "For the Birds," because I thought it would be perfect with these delicate colors.  I used markers to color the image, which was stamped with Stazon jet black.  A bit of light sponging filled out the scene, and layered it on so saffron.  I embossed a piece of soft sky with the cloudy day embossing folder.  After wrapping ruffled cantaloupe ribbon around it, I placed it on the soft sky card base. The image panel is adhered with dimensionals.

Next, I have the fall palette: baked brown sugar, bermuda bay, crushed curry, and cajun craze.  I combined it with Lori's "Warm Fuzzy" challenge to use warm colors and something soft or fuzzy on our card.  I have a crushed curry base with a piece of cajun pattern paper, edged with the scallop trim punch.  I wrapped some SU fabric, from the Autumn Spice collection a few years ago; it was cut in my Big Shot with the Tasteful Trim die.  I stamped the image from "Lovely as a Tree" in baked brown sugar, then sponged with the other challenge colors.  I layered it on bermuda bay, also edged with the scallop trim.  The sentiment is from "Full of Love," which I have set aside to sell...glad I till had it!  LOL





I have been having fun with Hope You Can Cling To...there are more cards to come!

Inky {{{HUGS}}}
Kim

Hope You Can Step Up!

Hello Stamping Friends!

I am happy to be hosting a challenge today!  My Hope You Can Cling To challenge is:  It's Time to Step Up.

Today I have 2 very different cards for this challenge.  I knew I wanted to make a step card, but I had never done this before.  So yes, the challenge was for me, too!  I found a tutorial on Splitcoaststampers for a center step card.   My card base is bermuda bay.  I actually did very little stamping, because I used this amazing pattern paper from S.E.I. called "Black Orchid."  I added pieces with smaller patterns to the skinny panels, and used this huge flower in the center to showcase that flower.  My sentiment is from SU's "Whimsical Words," stamped in calypso coral and punched out with my small scallop circle punch.  I sponged some more ink on the edges so it would show up better.  Ruffled coral ribbon is the last detail.  Below is the side view...very cool!  The only downside of this card is that it doesn't fit a standard envelope.  Guess I will have to make one with my envelope maker...which I haven't used yet.  oops.

Now, I know some people really hate fancy fold cards, so I designed this as an alternative.  I recalled THIS card that I made for a blog challenge ago few years ago.  My card base is crumb cake.  I added a layer of regal rose that is embossed with the fancy folds folder.  I stamped this cone flower from "Inspired by Nature" on very vanilla card stock.  It is a silhouette stamp, but I used markers to color it: old olive, regal rose, and old olive. I added the tall grass to the background.  Then I cut the image to create this stepped-up design.  My sentiment is from "Best Yet" punched with the scallop oval.  Quilted espresso ribbon and a pretty in pink butterfly from my embosslit finish it up.

I am looking forward to seeing what other people create...hope ypu can play along too!

Inky {{{HUGS}}} 
Kim

Clinging to Hope in 2014

Well, I am FINALLY posting back over here.  After a year or so of putting my card projects elsewhere, I decided to move them back here.  This was my first Blogger site, so that's where everyone comes...and they saw nothing new for a while!

I still need to move some recent posts...or at least I want to.  I have fun with some challenges in recent months, and who knows, it might inspire someone else to participate!  I also need to add to my blog roll, and do some other tweaking...but I'll be staying here!

Over the last 2 weeks, I have been participating in the 5th annual Hope You Can Cling To challenges over at Splitcoaststampers.  I am actually hosting a challenge tomorrow, thus my incentive to set things up!  I have a few challenges completed, and I will post some today, then add a few throughout the month.



This first one was for a challenge to "Shine On" in which we needed to focus on a light source.  I chose sunlight.  I pulled out a very old stamp set, Watercolor Garden 2, and had fun with that week's color challenge (crushed curry, elegant eggplant, and garden green.  I sponged the sun, and stamped the sentiment (from Perfect Words) on a scrap of old Razzleberry Lemonade dsp.  I like using the top note die for creating scenes.  Lush organza ribbon finishes it off.

Next, I pulled out an old color challenge (so saffron, pretty in pink, and chocolate chip) with the HYCCT challenge "Hold on to Hope."  We needed to feature a handle.  I chose this wonderful cup from "Tea Shoppe." The 2 pattern papers were from my scrap pile (yay!)  I used "Whimsical Words" for the sentiment on a tag punch, so it looks like a tea bag. Some bakers twine, candy dots, and the scallop trim punch finish it off.

Finally, we had a challenge called "Hope Floats."  I decided a boat floats, so I pulled out this wonderful image, "Sail Away."  My card base is lost lagoon, and I added a layer of the new Moonlight dsp.  I added a bit of tangelo twist ink to the sail boat, and sponged the sun and sky.  I stamped the sail boat again, and cut out the sails, popping them up.  The sentiment is from "Send Me Soaring".  Some striped tangerine tango ribbon adds a fun punch of color.

I have had fun with these challenges, and I have more to come.  You should definitely play along...there are even some prizes being given away!  WooHoo!

See you tomorrow...

Inky {{{HUGS}}}

Kim

Color Me Busy!

(Note:  This was originally posted on my other blog.  I am moving my 2014 posts over here.)


Hello and Happy Monday!

I am busy with the Hope You Can Cling To challenges over at Splitcoaststampers.  They run through the entire month of October.  I will be hosting a challenge on the 14th, plus I am making a few samples for other hostesses.  I am also having fun commenting on the gallery submissions.  Great stuff!  I am also busy trying to move posts over to my other blog.  I have redone my speaker/writer site, so I am moving my cards back over to my first Blogger site.  More people follow me there!  LOL  So yes, busy busy busy!

I have a card for the most recent Colour Me...! challenge, and even my husband likes how it turned out!  WooHoo!

I have an old designer paper stack from S.E.I., called Black Orchid.  I pulled it out recently for 2 other cards, and it is perfect for this challenge to.  The coral is a perfect match for SU's calypso coral.

I used my SU Framelits to cut out the layers of whisper white and this embossed black paper from SEI.  Using markers, I colored the stylize flower from "Friends Never Fade" in smokey slate, calypso coral, and crisp cantaloupe.  The sentiment of from "Trust God."  I added satin ribbon and bakers twine for final detailing.  This is a very flat card...because I am out of dimensionals!!!  GASP! But at least it will be easy to mail, right?  I can't place an order for at least 10 days.  Flat cards on the way!  LOL 

Now, I am posting a non-challenge card...just because.  Last Thursday night, my husband said he got me a "commission."  One of his co-workers needed an anniversary card for his wife...on Friday!  Yikes!  I asked about favorite colors, wedding colors, themes, anything.  The man just said something with copper or bronze.  Hmmm.  I remembered another S.E.I. paper stack from years ago, called Charlemagne. Took me forever to find it, but it was perfect.

Isn't that a rich pattern?  Can't believe how long I have neglected this beautiful paper!  Any who, I paired it with basic black and tempting turquoise card stock.  My turquoise is embossed with the fancy fan folder, and embellished with copper brads from Hobby Lobby.  The sentiment is from SU's "Loving Thoughts" and it is embellished with a copper spiral clip, also from HL, and a but of SU white organza ribbon.  The card is a bit larger than an A2 (I have some miscellaneous envelopes.)  Turns out the man was really impressed with the card, and he paid me more than I requested, since I did it last minute.

I told my husband he can keep working on those commissions!  LOL

Thanks for stopping by.  I'll post when my other blog is ready to go.

Inky {{{HUGS}}}
Kim