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}}}

Soft Colors with the Paper Players

Hi there, Stamping Friends! It's Friday night, and so I am posting a card for the Paper Players Challenge...just in the nick of time! (Edited: NUTS! I forgot that the deadline is Noon, not Midnight! Oh ell...at least I had fun!) The picture stinks with no natural light at this hour, but I just had to play! I love this color combo! So soft and delicate!

Once again, all products used are from Stmpin' Up! I started with a crumb cake base. I stamped the grass from Inspired by Nature in pear pizazz on whisper white, then sponged pear and pool party for the grass and sky. I layered it with wisteria wonder, punched with the scallop trim border punch. Next I added some butterflies, made with my Beautiful Wings embosslit and the Big Shot. The sentiment is from Oval All, colored with blender pens and punched with the scallop oval, layered over crumb cake seam binding in a bow.

That's it! Maybe next week, I'll play sooner!

Be sure to read my previous post for the Friday Mashup challenge http://www.fridaymashup.com/2012/03/fm50-i-want-candy.html...we've got blog candy this week!

Inky {{{HUGS}}}

Friday Mashup! 46 and Never Been Kissed!!

Never been kissed? Not really! I just wanted to get your attention! Today is Friday, which means it is time for another Friday Mashup challenge! It's not #46, it's actually #47. But I am 46 years old, and the challenge from our fearless blog leader, Holly, involves a new stamping technique for me...Kissing! LOL

1. Make a Project using the "Kissing Technique"

2. Or make a "Round" Project

3. Or Mash it Up! and make a "Round project using the Kissing technique."

Well ladies, I have been happily married for 18 years, so yes I have been kissed quite a bit! But in terms of stamping, I don't believe I have ever used the kissing technique! Good grief! It's so easy, where have I been?? If you haven't tried this technique, here's a quick tutorial from splitcoaststampers. Basically, you ink up a solid image stamp, such as this silhouette image from Stampin' Up's "Upsy Daisy," then, before stamping on paper, you take another stamp with a different color ink and press it on stamp #1. When it goes on the paper, you see 2 colors, and pattern on the soid image.

For my card, I used peach parfait card base, and added some Everyday Enchantment dsp from the Sale-a-Bration catalog. My project isn't round, but I did cut out this scallop circle in very vanilla with my Big Shot. I stamped the grass from Inspired by Nature in lucky limeade. I inked up the daisies with peach parfait, then used the small flower from Vintage Vogue to "kiss" it with poppy parade ink. I repeated the image several times to make a full field of flowers. Next I sponged the bottom with limeade and the top with baja breeze. I stamped a sentiment, also from Upsy Daisey, in poppy parade, punched with the scallop oval, nd sponged with baja breeze. I embellished with baja breeze seam binding and basic jewel pearls in the corners.

I hope you can join us this week. Just use keyword FM47 in your online gallery, and upload to the Friday Mashup blog. Remember, you need to limit the number of challenges to 5 in your project in order to be eligible for the Glamettes and Rock Star! Be sure to vote for the Fan Favorite challenge, too!! I can't wait to see what you create!

Inky {{{HUGS}}}

Friday Mashup! Embossing Nature

It's Friday, and that means another Friday Mashup! This week we are challenged to make a card inspired by nature, or using embossing (heat or dry)...or combining both.

I need to make some sympathy cards, and I would much rather have them made in advance than feel the pressure to create them quickly. I love sunsets... I love flowers, and somehow, I think they work well together for a sympathy card. I took a piece of Presto Pattern Specialty paper and brayered over it with daffodil delight, pumpkin pie, tangerine tango, cajun craze, and rich razzleberry. I took my chocolate chip craft ink and clear embossing powder, with Inspired by Nature for my main image, stamping both the flowers and the grass. Gets me thinking about my cone flowers which will be coming up in the next few weeks. My sentiment is from Thoughts and Prayers, punched out with the large decorative label punch, and added some espresso brads. I lightly brayered razzleberry over it, then sponged a bit of cajun craze to blend it in with the main panel. Now, the words on this paper are a bit different, so I decided to strategically place my early espresso satin ribbon! I used stick strip to adhere the bow.

The color palette is a bit different...but I love vibrant sunsets with yellows oranges and violets! Now, if only the weather would actually warm up!!

Hope you play along with today's Friday Mashup! Can't wait to see what you create!!

Inky {{{HUGS}}}

Dare to Be Late!

Shucks, I'm late all the time! With challenges, that is! Since I was out of town for several days, I am definitely late on the color challenges posted last week. On SCS, the color challenge posted Tuesday listed always artichoke, perfect plum, and rose red. Then, Riley's Wednesday Color Dare was always artichoke, perfect plum and a neutral of choice. Very similar palettes! (Not coincidentally, I updated my blog with greens and purples...love these colors together!)

I am anxious for spring to arrive, so I used some flower stamps. My Color Dare card is very clean and simple...and it fits Monday's CAS challenge to be inspired by "The Great Outdoors." I love purple coneflowers. I colored the large stamp from Inspired by Nature with my SU markers; my neutral is early espresso. I stamped directly on a card base of Naturals Ivory. Artichoke seam binding, combined with a bit of chantilly crochet trim add a soft touch. The modern label and word window punches meet up with Teeny Tiny Wishes again.



I struggled more with the SCS challenge, mostly because I kept changing my design ideas. LOL! The card base is artichoke, and I added the two panels of plum, which I ran through my Big Shot with the square lattice impressions folder. That wildflower image is from the new Nature Walk set found in the Mini Occasions catalog. I colored the stamp with markers, stamped on very vanilla, sponged with plum, then mounted on a layer of rose red. I used my neglected ticket corner punch for some detail (TLC challenge 314). The embellishments are the chantilly crochet trim, always artichoke seam binding, and an antique brad. At the last moment, I added the Teeny Tiny Wishes sentiment to make this a thank you card. Not what I envisioned...but not a total loss! LOL!

Thanks for stopping by!

Inky {{{HUGS}}}

LIFE is good!

Well, I just waned to post a quick note today. If you look at my profile, you will see I am committed to the Sanctity of Human Life. I work at a ministry which helps women see the gift of life as a beautiful, good thing. I believe every baby is precious, from the moment of conception!

Sometimes we have sad days. One of our clients recently miscarried, and she is having a hard time understanding why. I know she likes butterflies; she told me this when she saw all of my butterflies on the wall in my office (cut out with my Big Shot, of course!) I wanted to send her a special note, letting her know I was praying for her. I made a card for a recent Featured Stamper challenge... CASE-ing my cyber friend Riley. (A CASE [copy and send to everyone] is a project inspired by someone else's work, just changed up a bit.) Everything on the card is from Stampin' Up! I changed the colors and layout a little and added the butterfly for my client. I used chocolate chip and very vanilla card stock, some pumpkin pie and retired kiwi kiss DSP, Inspired by Nature stamp (the flowers) are stamped in choc chip and heat embossed, grass is kiwi kiss. I also used Flight of the Butterfly and Very Versatile stamps. Finally, brads, oval and scallop oval punches.

Last week, I received a call from a young woman who was convinced she needed an abortion. She counseled with my staff, and had an ultrasound today. Then, she chose LIFE! Praise God! When she realized that she was not alone, she found the courage to accept this baby. We will talk adoption with her, as well as parenting, with various supports our ministry offers.

Now...time to create a special card for her too! Happy Stamping!!