Spring Virtual Stamp Night!

Hello Friends!

I am finally posting my Mini VSN cards here.  The Mini took place on March 8th, but there is actually still time to play!  Misti, Lee, and I give out "VSN Virtuoso" prizes for people who complete ALL of the challenges.  Since some people come by later, we don't want to punish them for missing the Mini.  But you have to upload your Mini projects by Thursday April 11th.  The Main VSN kicks off Friday April 12, and continues Saturday the 13th.  Our theme is "From Here to There," and you can come and chat about it HERE.

I hosted the first challenge, "Traveling Ink."  I challenged people to use the Rolling Marble Background technique, and I was thrilled to hear how much fun everyone had!  I used regal rose, lovely lilac, and lucky limeade for my backgrounds.  Cutting a full sheet of whisper white in quarters, it took me less than 10 minutes (easily) to make the backgrounds.  Then I had fun picking various stamps to complete four different cards.  The one with the bird features "Elements of Style."  The bicycle card features an image from Stampabilities.  The big prima-like flowers have been in my stash for years, as well as the big yellow brads.  That card will need extra postage! The card with the ruched ribbon is my favorite.  I colored white ribbon with markers and used my heat tool to scrunch it up.  Fun color and texture!  The stamps are from "Just Believe."

 


Next, Misti gave us an inspiration challenge, with photos of travel ready snacks.  Instead of picking ine snack, I just went with the image of compartments and colors.  I used lots of old 6x6 pattern paper from SU!  My elephant is an old SU image, but I don't know the set, since it is in a box of random stamps.

Finally, Lee had us use Arrows on our cards.  I only have one stamp with an arrow (from SU's Word Play), so I added some by using the photo corner punch.  A local high school has blue and gold for its colors, so this will make a nice graduation card.

I am looking forward to the big event in April!  Hope to get started on samples this weekend.  Mark your calendars for April 12 & 13!

Inky {{{HUGS}}}

Kim

Traditions of Fresh Sketches

Hello Stamping Friends!

I am still trying to catch up with some specific card needs, but sometimes it is good to just make a bunch of cards for my general stash.  The best way to do this?  Grab a pack of designer series paper and a bunch of sketches.  Over the last 3 days, I have been working on the remnants of a long-retired package:  SU's Autumn Traditions.  (I think it came out when soft suede was an In-color.)  I really need to use my supplies, so I dug in with several past Freshly Made Sketches, then peeked in yesterday to grab the current one.  Two of the sketches are squares, but I don't have any square envelopes, and just wanted to keep things simple, so all of these are A2 cards.  Here goes!

Instead of giving a play-by-play, I will list supplies here at the top, since all of the cards are similar.  I used SU card stock in more mustard, soft suede, always artichoke, elegant eggplant, and whisper white.  Along with the Autumn Traditions dsp, I used some eggplant paper and a bit of ruby red from my scraps.  The ink is more mustard, always artichoke, and elegant eggplant.  Punches and dies include circles, scallop circles, ovals, Sizzix leaves, SU banners and word bubbles.  Stamps used are all SU:  "Hello Again," "Happiest Birthday Wishes," "On Your Birthday," "Just Sayin'," "Wetlands," and "Blessings from Heaven."  Some seam binding, brads, and enamel dots are the finishing details.  Now, to get all of these pictures in place!

  

Whew!  I think these look pretty as a set.  I'd like to say all of this DSP is gone, but alas, I still have some scraps left.  I plan on throwing some cards together today with the rest, instead of putting them away to gather dust again.  Wish me luck!

Thanks for coming by!

Inky {{{HUGS}}}
Kim

Daring and Colorful Week!

Hello Stamping Friends!

It has been a long time since I have been here. Thanks to the Dare to Get Dirty challenges on Splitcoaststampers, I am rediscovering some mojo!  I made all 5 of Saturday's challenges that day, but didn't stamp at all Sunday.  I have made a few cards each day since.  I am hoping to complete all of the challenges; something I have never done before.  In addition to DTGD challenges, I am using this week to catch up on a boatload of (late) birthday cards and color palettes from The Color Throwdown (my personal 2017 blog challenge).  I will also be working on sympathy and praying for you cards.  My stash needs a boost!  I had started this post on Saturday, with last week's challenge, but forgot to finish the post before the Monday challenge.  So, I decided to do this week's throwdown and add a big batch of other ones!  Now, in case you don't know, the DTGD challenges are just for Fan Club members, so I can't say what those challenges were.

This week's Color Throwdown is a subtle palette, perfect for a get well card. A friend of mine had surgery, and is having complications.  I thought  she could use a boost.  I used crumb cake, whisper white, and kiwi kiss, plus a touch of basic black.  The stamps used are SU's  "French Foliage" and a sentiment from Stampabilities.  Striped ribbon, enamel dots and the SU Urban Vine embossing folder add  texture.  

Next, the card for last week's Throwdown has yummy summer colors.  I pulled out one of my oldest stamp sets, SU "Fanciful Flowers."  After clear embossing, I sponged with rose red, pear pizzazz, and daffodil delight ink.The butterfly was in my stash of die cuts, in strawberry slush.  The sentiment is from "On Your Birthday."  An enamel dot and polka dot ribbon finish it off.

This card uses a mystery stamp.  One of my nieces gave it to me for Christmas. I had not used it, but my grand-daughters did back in February.  The package is gone; I only have the acetate cover.  Any way, I don't do fine detail coloring well, so I did a watercolor wash.  I just loved this palette for a summer bouquet!  My ink colors are real red, daffodil delight, pear pizzazz, and bermuda bay.  I added texture with dry embossing on the daffodil layer.  I(f I wasn't so busy making  so many cards, I think I would have heat embossed the image in black to make it crisper.  But that idea will wait for another day. The sentiment is from SU's "Wetlands," stamped on a decorative label.  Seam binding and enamel dots add the final touch.  

Now I have a fun card for my oldest great-niece.  She had her sweet 16 birthday recently.  Each year during DTGD and VSN week's, I always look through old supplies that I sadly ignore.  This Stamping Bella image was in a swap baggie with this luscious, shimmery pink paper and the textured paper I used with my scallop punch.  The chipboard numbers are years old; I coated them with versamark and melon mambo embossing powder.  Gumball green ribbon goes with the ink colors: gumball green, blushing bride, pink pirouette, and melon mambo.  The sentiment is from SU's "So Very" on a small oval.

Many people have this crazy bird set from Tim Holtz; I just bought it last month at the local Jo-Ann's.  It finally came out of the package!  I colored it very simply with markers in crushed curry, pacific point, and cherry cobbler.  The background is made with the accompanying Tim Holtz stencil.  I wanted my bird to say something, so I used a word bubble (reversed, so it faces his beak) with a greeting from SU's "Just Sayin'."  Enamel dots wrap it up.










Now for a non-birthday card.  I need cards to send to my guy friends, and this palette works well.  I used baja breeze, not quite navy, and whisper white card stock.  NQN, baja breeze, crumb cake, and kiwi kiss ink were used with SU's "Clockworks" to make my own dp, plus a greeting from "Whimsical Words."  Some striped ribbon and burlap trim add finishing texture.





Sometimes, a card design gets carried away.  This would be one of them!  Too many shapes, in my opinion!  Any way, on a night of navy base, I have a vintage wallpaper embossed layer of white.  I created a background with navy, blushing bride, and both gold ink and gold (messy!) glitter.  I cut it out with a SU framelit.  The image is colored with markers; a favorite from SU's "Forever Friends" and the sentiment is from "Sincere Salutations."  Various punches, pleated satin ribbon, and an enamel heart add to the busy design.





Another messy card is next...this one was fun!  I made my background on watercolor paper, using real reed, elegant eggplant, and daffodil delight inks.  My sentiment is from SU's "Happiest Birthday Wishes," colored with those same colors, plus pumpkin pie.  My purple flower is from an old swap.  I added non-SU gems, plus scrunched daffodil satin ribbon.

Finally, since I had my gold glitter out, I decided to complete this other Color Throwdown challenge.  I think I will be cleaning up glitter for months!  I made my background using tissue with gumball green and basic black, plus some gold.  The sentiment is from "Delightful Dozen" stamped over a blob from "Extreme Elements."  A touch of gold cord finishes it off.

Whew!  I have a few other DTGD cards completed. but they don't incorporate any color throwdowns.  I have quite a few more to do if I am going to catch up with my goal.  Could be fun to see how far I get!  Thanks for stopping by!


Inky {{{HUGS}}}
Kim

Playing with Snowy & Sunny Paper!

It's Friday, and that means it's time to post my card before the deadline for The Paper Players!  LOL  My intention was to finish catching up with my goal of completing this year's challenges.  But that didn't happen.  Ironically, doing this week's challenge and one from a few months ago led to 2 very different seasonal cards.  Kinda fun, dontcha think?

This week's theme challenge invited us to highlight snowflakes.  My card has a basic black card base.  I used this fabulous diagonal stripe pattern from SU's "Festival of Prints" retired paper stack.  The main image is "Dasher" colored with tuxedo black, indigo island and my versamarker.  I then heat embossed with silver powder and sponged the edges.  I also added some "Serene Snowflakes" along the card edges...which I wish I had not done!  *wink*  The sentiment is from "Happiest Birthday Wishes" punched, sponged, and popped up over vanilla satin ribbon.  

Next, a card for another theme challenge.  I think I may have stamped the main image during the week of this challenge, because I have had it in my unfinished pile for months!  I just didn't know what I wanted to do with it.  So, last night, I just added it to this pacific point card base with a panel of daffodil delight pattern paper behind it.  The main sentiment is from "Feel Goods," which is stamped over a sponged daffodil sun.  I made the sunbeams by sponging along the edge of a post-it note, which I simply moved around.  I added enamel dots and some non-SU ribbon from the local Jo-Ann's.  "Beyond the Garden" dsp and "Teeny Tiny Wishes" are paired with the word window and scalloped oval punches.  

That's it for today.  A touch of winter and a touch of summer!  With a wind chill of 10 degrees today, I would definitely prefer seeing that bright sun!  Thanks for stopping by!

Inky {{{HUGS}}}
Kim

It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like...

CHRISTMAS!!

Hello Stamping Friends!

Last weekend, I cranked out some Christmas cards...then a cold hit me ad stopped me in my tracks.  Today is Black Friday, and my tradition is not to shop, but to stamp!  My cold is less severe and so I am going to get more cards completed.  At least, that's the plan!

The first card is for the most recent challenge at The Paper Players.  I have pieces cut out to make a dozen, but I wanted to post this on time for the Link Up.  The card base and ink are lost lagoon.  I used my perennial favorite image from SU's "Miracle of Christmas."  The sentiment is from "Greetings of the Season."  Both patterned papers are from "All is Calm" dsp. Taffeta ribbon and rhinestones wrap it up.

Next, this card incorporates last week's SCS color and sketch challenges.  We were asked to use our favorite red, and for Christmas that means cherry cobbler to me.  The Baby Jesus image is another one from "Miracle of Christmas," punched out with an older ornament shape.  I used "Christmas Collectibles" and the coordinating punch, inked up in cherry cobbler and garden green.  Seam binding separates the panels made from "Love Letters" dsp and garden green card stock which was dry embossed with the houndstooth folder,  The sentiment is from "Teeny Tiny Wishes."  A single gem is the final touch.  

Finally, I made six more cards like the one posted last week.  I didn't have a lot of glorious green card stock...now I have none!  But that's okay.  Heaven knows I should keep using up my stash of retired supplies.

Today, I hope to finish a lot of cards.  PLUS, I need to prep for the upcoming Virtual Stamp Night!  I am a hostess again...stay tuned and mark your calendars for December 17 & 18th!

Inky {{{HUGS}}}
Kim