Freshly Made for a Special Grad

Hello, and Happy Memorial Day!

I haven't been around lately; one of my brothers-in-law passed away last week.  Bruce & I spent a lot of time over in Indiana with family.  It has been an emotional week.  Yesterday, I was thinking of the stack of graduation cards I still need to create.  Family, friends...lots of different schools so lots of different colors.  Last night I saw a post on Facebook which gave me much needed cheering up.  John is the only child of some dear friends.  He was born 4 months prematurely...I kid you not.  No one knew if he would ever go home, or if he would ever celebrate a birthday.  Well, this weekend,, he graduated from high school!  Check out this AMAZING picture of PURE JOY!

So, I got up out of my stamping slump, and made this card, using two challenges, Freshly Made Sketches and The Paper Players.  I took the left vertical column in the Tic Tac Toe challenge.

The card uses elegant eggplant and crushed curry card stock and ink. My stamp sets used are "Extreme Elements," "Tassle Time," and "Delightful Dozen."  The stars were die cut with an old Sizzix die.  After I stamped on the whisper white and taped the stars down, I ran it through my Big Shot with the diagonal stripes embossing folder.  The sentiment is matted with long-retired perfect plum dp.  Both the sentiment and graduation cap are popped up.  Finally, I added nearly ancient SU purple twine.  Can't believe how long I have had it!

Well, one Grad card done; about 8 more to go!  YIKES!

Hope to post later this week...thanks for stopping by!

Inky {{{HUGS}}}
Kim

Late and Final Mashups

Hello and Happy Friday Saturday!!

I started this post yesterday around lunch time, and posted the badges and one card, but really wanted to get the other card done also.  I made it last night, but too late to feel like blogging.  Any way...

Earlier this year, I set my stamping goals:  complete all of this year's Friday Mashup challenges and all of this year's SCS Featured Stamper challenges.  Well, I was doing fine with Mashups, until Holly announced she was retiring that blog.  I left two undone...and I just can't have that!  So here they are...

I needed two birthday cards for guys in the family; one my side, one Bruce's side.  Is it cheating that I made the same card for them?  I don't think so!  I really liked this sketch, and decided to also pull out a past SCS color challenge. (The other part of the Mashup was to do an Easter card.  I opted out of that part, for obvious reasons.)  Despite all my stamping goals, color challenges are still my favorite!  The colors to use were lost lagoon, basic gray, and hello honey.  I absolutely LOVE lost lagoon!  These colors are used in SU's paper stack "Moonlight," so that is what I used for the diagonal stripes.  The image is "Sail Away," colored with markers and some sponging, then mounted on gray.  I added a sentiment from "On Your Birthday" stamped on an oval. Simple bakers twine wraps it all up.


Next, this Friday Mashup gave us color and shimmer to combine.  I really did add shimmer,but you can't see it in the photo.  I needed yet another baby girl card.  The card base is pink pirouette.  I added a simple layer of tempting turquoise. On whisper white, I stamped these feet and hand prints in pink pirouette and melon mambo.  I used markers to add color variation to the sentiment.  The pretty in pink circle is dry embossed and brushed shimmer spritz.  After punching out the sentiment, I dabbed more shimmer on the scallops. The pretty organza ribbon has a touch of shimmer also.

So, that's it.  My belated farewell to the talented and fun ladies of The Friday Mashup.  I still follow a bunch of them, because they are still talented.  Hope to run into them again in some other challenge blog!  Since the Friday Mashup is retired, I switched my blog challenge goal to The Paper Players.  I am almost caught up with them...stay tuned!

Inky {{{HUGS}}}
Kim

Playing with More Challenges

Hello Friends!

It's Thursday, and I rarely post on Thursdays.  My internet was down for much of the day, so some work was not accessible to me.  I have some Audible books downloaded on my Kindle app, and decided to finish a novel.  I often stamp while listening, so that's what I did this afternoon.  Now, after rebooting my router I am able to get back on the computer.  I still have quite a mess to clean up!

My first card combines this week's challenges at both The Paper Players and Freshly Made Sketches.  One of my brothers-in-law was admitted to the hospital on Tuesday for numerous health issues.  He will be there a while, so I wanted to make a card.  A song at church is called "On Eagle's Wings," based on Psalm 91.  Inspired by that, I used this image and stamp from Our Daily Bread Designs.  The card base is early espresso.  I stamped on very vanilla, using soft suede for the eagle and midnight muse for the verse.  My sponge dauber created the sun, in crushed curry.  I started using a blender pen on my bird, but the suede ink smeared (duh!) so then I just used markers.  I sponged some river rock and pool party in the sky.  The strip of dsp is from SU's "Comfort Cafe."  Two enamel dots finish it off, and conveniently cover one of my smudges.

Next, I have a card for today's Way to Use It challenge
at SCS:  In Stitches.  I rarely play along with this one, and considering the theme, it's odd that I did.  We were challenged to use actual stitching, or sewing images...something along those lines.  I have no stamps that work with that. I thought I had an image from a swap, but didn't find it.  I did have these bulky designer brads from SU...don't ask me why I bought them but not the coordinating stamps or paper!  Any way, I used a different swap image (unknown name) which I colored with blender pens and water coloring.  I doodled my own stitches and added the brad and some ribbon.  The sentiment is from  "Because I Care."  This card also goes with an old challenge at The Paper Players...working on that 2016 goal!

Since I am trying to make two of my cards these days, I do have near duplicates made today.  That means I made 4 cards and 1 huge mess today!  Thanks for coming by!

Inky {{{HUGS}}}
Kim

Double Challenge Card

Hello and Happy Wednesday!

This afternoon I made a card combining this week's color and sketch challenges from SCS.  I was going to pullout some past challenges too, but decided to clean up my mess instead!  LOL  Seriously, I am in the middle of so many non-stamping projects that I need to limit my weekday stamping to one or two cards a day.  This kind of discipline is tough!

I noticed the sketch late last night when I decided to see if it was posted early.  It looked tough,  but really wasn't bad.  The colors are so saffron, tempting turquoise, and melon mambo.  It took me a while to pick a stamp set.  My sister had back surgery two weeks ago, and is still recovering with physical therapy and medicine.  I decided to make this for her, hoping to cheer her up.  I used the SU set "Send Me Soaring," using the challenge colors, plus basic black.  I cut the kites out and popped them up.  I brushed a bit of shimmer on the clouds.  The dsp is long retired, from a Sale-a-bration scrap kit, but I can't remember the name.  It is difficult to see,but the layer of so saffron is dry embossed with the Cuttlebug "Divine Swirls" folder.  Some grosgrain ribbon finishes it off.

My sister lives about 60 miles away.  I wish I could give this to her in person. but I will have to drop it in the mail instead.  Long Live Snail Mail!!
Thanks for dropping by!

Inky {{{HUGS}}}
Kim

Fresh and Simple Butterfly

Happy Monday!

It's been a while since I have done a Freshly Made Sketches challenge, so I decided I should take a look at it today (just before the deadline!)  I opted to combine it with a previous challenge at The Paper Players as I try to catch up with my 2016 goal.

My card has a pink pirouette base.  I added very vanilla and two patterns from "Parisian Summer" dsp, still sitting out from the card I made Friday!  The sentiment is an oldie but goodie from "All Holidays" colored with mellow moss and pink pirouette markers.  After scrunching up some pretty in pink taffeta ribbon, I added this so saffron butterfly.  It was cut with my SU Butterflies framelit, and spritzed with some shimmer.  My spray bottled tip was clogged, so it came out in big splashes.  I had to dry it with my heat gun...and my fingers are a fun mess!

I really like how this turned out, and plan to make another with the other half of the sheet of pink pirouette.  I even already made a second butterfly.  Making two cards in each design helps me rebuild my stash.

Thanks for stopping by again!

Inky and Shimmery {{{HUGS}}}
Kim

Playing Paper Catch-Up!

Hello Friends!

It's Friday, early afternoon...which means I am posting my card for the week's challenge at The Paper Players!  I really hope I get out of this last-minute habit, because it's driving me crazy!  LOL

The colors are soft and feminine, which is perfect for the Baby Girl card I needed to make. All supplies are from Stampin' Up! My card base is pink pirouette.  I added a layer of "Parisian Summer" dsp; I think polka dots are a wonderful match for baby cards.  My image is from "Baby Prints," stamped in wisteria with the coordinating sentiment in pink pirouette.  The other sentiment is new, from "Suite Sayings" on a punched out and popped up scalloped oval and layered over a pear pizzazz scalloped circle.  I added candy dots and ruffled ribbon for the final details.











Next, I have two cards for a previous challenge that I made a while back (like all those cards I posted yesterday!)  When I saw this color challenge, I immediately thought of this dp:  Black Orchid from S.E.I.  I have had it for years, and it will take a long time to use it up, unless I get serious about it!  (Summer project, perhaps?)  Both cards use "Hello Again" for the greeting, stamped on ovals.  The bird on the left is from "Elements of Style," colored with markers.  One card has bakers twine, the other a bit of polka dot ribbon.  Both of these cards have long been mailed.  Feels good to catch up on my posts!



Thanks for checking out my colorful post!

Inky{{{HUGS}}}
Kim

Clusters of Cards

Hello Stamping Friends!

Recently I had stated that I had been stamping but not blogging.  So today I decided to post some of the cards I made in the last 2-3 weeks, with some brief descriptions.

This first batch is the most recent, and all four of the cards have already been mailed.  I was very behind on my birthday cards.  I had the card bases cut, intending to use a different dsp, but opted for "Patio Party" after I looked at my May birthday calendar!  Since the cards went in many directions, I used the same stamp and supplies.  The card bases are summer starfruit and midnight muse.  One card also uses strawberry slush card stock.  Lots of different patterns of Patio Party were used, plus some stitched ribbon in starfruit and raspberry ripple.  The sentiment is from "Word Play," colored with midnight, starfruit, and raspberry markers and layered with scallop circle punches.  Easy-peasy.







Next, I wanted a more masculine batch.  When I was a SU demo, I got samples of dsp that I displayed in baseball card folders. I still have the samples, and periodically make a batch featuring them.  This was simply a Text dp (can't remember the name) so all the pieces look the same.  Card bases are bravo burgundy and sahara sand, and there is some not quite navy also used. I used "The Open Sea" to stamp on the dp.  Various sentiments were used, all stamped on vanilla:  "Hello Again," "On Your Birthday," "Delightful Dozen," and "Whimsical Words."  Avery Elle enamel dots, burlap, and brads add the final details.  






Now I have a fun set featuring "Domestic Goddess" dsp. I never bought a pack of this; it did not appeal to me at all.  But now that I used the samples, I wish I had more!  The colors are springy...looks a bit retro!  Card stock used includes pool party, so saffron, calypso coral, and smoky slate.  The slate ws dry embossed with my houndstooth folder.  Bakers twine and taffeta ribbon add soft touches.   I used a sentiment from "Whimsical Words" on six of the cards, then donated those to a non-profit in town that always needs thank you cards.  The other card features a sentiment from There She Goes stamps (no longer in business).  I gave that card to my friend who helps me with housework every week, since I am physically unable to do much of it.  I used to hide my messy craft room.  No more!  The sentiment on her card says, "The only place housework comes before stamping is in the dictionary."  So true!





Next, two similar cards.  I had a piece of "Comfort Cafe" dsp on my cutting table, which started things off.  Card bases are cajun craze,, with a layer of soft suede.  The suede is dry embossed with the Cuttlebug folder "stylized flowers."  The sentiment is from "Blessings from Heaven," stamped in midnight muse on vanilla.  My punches helped a lot: circle, scallop circle, and butterfly.  Midnight muse ribbon finishes it off.  I wanted midnight ribbon for the birthday cards, but I can't find it!  I may have to clean up my space!  LOL


Finally, I made 2 of these ink-less cards.  My husband and I have two friends who are priests, and Star Wars fanatics.  A while back we saw some goofy Star Wars kitchen items which we bought just to give as silly gifts.  For a few years, May 4th has been known as Star Wars Day on social media.  We couldn't send the gifts without cards, right?  The card base is sahara sand.  I added some "Going Places" dsp.  I ran some vanilla card stock through my printer for the sentiment, using Amatic font, size 48.  It is mounted on more mustard card stock.  I had some corrugated card stock which I cut using two star punches. Very quick and simple.




Whew!  Lots of cards from different days.  Hopefully I will have new cards to post tomorrow.  Thanks for stopping by!


Inky {{{HUGS}}}
Kim

Playing with a Springtime Ride

Hello, and Happy Friday!

Once again, I am posting a blog challenge project just before the deadline.  I am continuing my efforts to complete all of the Paper Player 2016 challenges.  Last week I caught up on sketches.  This time, I was hoping to catch up on theme challenges.  I even pulled out my stamp on Monday, and jotted down ideas for earlier challenges.  But I'll just start with the (barely) current one for now, and hopefully edit later.

This bicycle challenge is great for spring!   My card base is pistachio pudding.  I added a layer of SU "Sweet Sorbet" dsp.  The image is from Hero Arts, purchased at the local JoAnn's craft store. I stamped it with Stazon jet black, then cut it out with a framelit. Then I used markers and sponging to add color: pistachio pudding, crisp cantaloupe, summer starfruit, pool party, and sahara sand.  The sentiment is from "Just Sayin'" cut out with the Word Bubble framelit and popped up.  I added Avery Elle enamel hearts on the wheels and by the sentiment.  Bakers twine finishes it off.

I have more cards to post later, if I get a chance.  I keep thinking I will blog more often...hmmm...I guess once a week is better than once a month!

Thanks for stopping by!

Inky {{{HUGS}}}
Kim