First Blog Challenge Card of 2019

Hi Stamping Friends!

Like many in the blogosphere, I let my blog go into hibernation.  I looked at y list of posts, and there are 5 in the drafts.  I had a bit of a rough 2018, so many projects suffered a bit.

But I was stamping a fair amount, just not posting here.  In fact, last fall I was asked to join the Dirty Dozen on Splitcoaststampers!!  My term began in November and completes in April.  Because the Dirty Dozen projects are only available to Fan Club members, I can not post them here until months after my term.  By then, I might forget about it!  LOL

I also kept busy with Virtual Stamp Night duties; in fact we are prepping for the spring event now.

But last Friday, while looking at the MIXability challenge on SCS (be inspired by tin tile ceilings), I decided to search for an interesting color combo.  I have The Color Throwdown bookmarked, and saw a very tough palette staring me in the face! Of all the weeks to decide to look for a challenge not on SCS!  I needed a masculine birthday card, so I gave it a go.  This took forever!  Ha! 

My card base is basic gray.  I covered a card front-sized piece with aluminum foil, and ran it through my Big Shot with the chevron embossing folder.  I coated some portions with versamark, and heat embossed with copper powder.  I also added some gold pigment ink and embossed with clear powder.  Grabbing a Spectrum Noir alcohol ink purple marker (hey, it is a MIXED media challenge!)  I started coloring a portion of the card front, and thought Yuck.  That's when I decided to cut 4 tiles out of the card front so the purple would be random.  The chevrons were set up in alternating directions.  There wasn't enough purple, so I added the center circle.  All of the purple was coated with the gold pigment ink (which doesn't show) and heated with clear embossing powder.  As you can see, I also have a strip of cajun craze which is partially coated in copper embossing.  The sentiment is from SU's "Epic Celebration."

It was hard to photograph, so I took 2 angles.  I think this took me 2 hours to finish, compared to 15 minutes for the Free4All challenge to use our birthstone color!  I definitely need to get more comfortable with mixed media projects!  But at least, it inspired me to wake up my blog!  Hope to see you again soon!

Inky {{{HUGS}}}
Kim

Throwing Down some Fall Challenges

Hey Stamping friends...I'm back!

I had another lull in my stamping life, but was re-awakened by the recent "Falliday Fest" over at Splitcoaststampers.  I decided rather quickly not to worry about completing all of the challenges, so I could concentrate on making multiples.  I had hoped to combine with more palettes from The Color Throwdown, but I have just these two today.  I looked at the clock and thought, Yikes!  I better get these posted!

So, this week's palette is gorgeous!  I hope to make some additional cards using the new SU color, fresh fig.  But the purple in this card is mostly from old tissue paper.  One if the Falliday Fest challenges, hosted by my cyber friend Jeanette, asked us to recycle something in our project.  Crumbled tissue adds nice texture.  The stamped & embossed image, from SU's "Embrace Life," was actually found in my packet of very vanilla scraps...Yay!  All of this is on a cajun craze card base with a strip of always artichoke pattern paper.  The sentiment is from SU's "Tea Shoppe," stamped in fresh fig, punched with the modern label and adorned with cajun enamel dots.

Next, a Color Throwdown from a couple of week's ago combined with Ceal's FF challenge to use our acrylic blocks for stamping a background.  Super fun!  My card base is sahara sand, with a layer of pumpkin pie that has been embossed with the houndstooth folder.  After using my blocks to add sahara sand and pumpkin pie ink to my very vanilla piece, I added flowers from SU's "Of the Earth" in basic black, then mounted it on black and added thick twine.  My sentiment is from the same set, heat embossed with white on black.  I rarely do that, but I love the look!  I hope to create more similar cards with neutrals and one pop of color.

That's it for today, but I have a few posts started with completed Falliday Fest projects that I hope to share later this week.  Thanks for stopping by!

Inky {{{HUGS}}}

Kim

More Colorful Cards!

Happy Friday!

Wednesday was the last day to submit projects for the Dare to Get Dirty challenges.  I have been stamping off and on, combining DTGD with previous challenges from The Color Throwdown.  I started this post on Monday, thinking I would get more done before the deadline.  3 of these cards were done by then, but I did 1 yesterday, and 1 today.  I figured I would start with the newest Color Throwdown, then add some from months ago.  I am determined to do all of the 2017 challenges!

In addition to the color challenge and a DTGD challenge (which I cannot specify), this card is also for yesterday's Way to Use It challenge to use a faux technique.  I chose faux mother of pearl; something I have never done, but it is super easy!  My card base is coastal cabana, with a layer of Flirtatious dsp.  To create the mother-of-pearl background, I dabbed metallic acrylic white paint from Folk Art on glossy white card stock.  After it dried, I generously sponged pink pirouette ink over it, then wiped off excess ink to highlight the shimmer.  I stamped flowers from "Fifth Avenue Floral" in wisteria wonder and pink pirouette, then fussy cut them.  I added pink leaves made with my Sizzlit.  The sentiment is from "Sincere Salutations" on a decorative label, outlined in coastal cabana.  Ruffled ribbon adds a soft touch. 

This card is for a great-niece who has just turned one year old.  She is soooo cute.  Of course, I am biased!  I thought this palette (from February...can you tell?) would be cute for her.  The card base is chocolate chip, with a layer of pink pirouette pattern paper. The kitten is from Paper Smooches "Chubby Chums."  My sentiments are both SU:  "Teeny Tiny Wishes" and "Well Scripted."  I used my extra large scallop circle die, heart punch, and word label punch, plus my fluttering hearts embosslit die.  Ink colors are stazon jet black, creamy caramel, blushing bride, and real red.  Some sheer polka dot ribbon (from a swap) wraps it all up.  

Not sure what I think of this next card, but at least it's done!  The card base is basic black with a layer of dusty durango (surely, my last piece!)  I used SU stamps, "By the Tide," "Kinda Eclectic," and "Word Play."  After coloring the fish with tempting turquoise, summer sun, and dusty durango markers, I coated it with a versamarker and clear powder, then heat embossed.  The embellishments are tangerine tango striped ribbon, and non-SU shimmery enamel dots.  My fish looks a bit out of sorts, doesn't he?  LOL  

This past weekend, the mother of a dear friend lost her battle with cancer.  I wanted a card that would be easy to mail, but still have a lot of interest.  The card base is baja breeze, and I matted the main panel with chocolate chip.  The watercolor background took much longer than I expected!  I saturated my paper with water, then dabbed it with distress inks: dried marigold, stormy sky, frayed burlap, forest moss, and vintage photo.  After a few colors, I dried it with my heat tool.  I also splattered plain water, as well as diluted baja breeze and mellow moss inks.  After that layer dried, I stamped the leaves from SU's "Kinda Eclectic" in versamark, and heat embossed with copper.  It's my new favorite detail!  The main verse is from Our Daily Bread Designs, Scripture Series 3, stamped and embossed over baja breeze leaves.  The other sentiment is from the always-popular "Thoughts and Prayers" from SU.  The last detail is simple seam binding.  This is a larger card, measuring 5 x 7.

My last card today involves a very tricky color palette.  The pale green threw me for a loop, especially with the mustard tone, but I am happy with the result.  It uses this week's SCS sketch challenge.  My card base is rich razzleberry, with a layer of SU Venetian Romance dsp.  I stamped butterflies from "Kinda Eclectic" with razzleberry and pistachio pudding ink on very vanilla, then sponged with delightful dijon. The horizontal strip of delightful dijon is dry embossed with the chevron folder.  I colored the smallest flower from "Inspired by Nature" with markers in chocolate chip, delightful dijon, and garden green. The grass is made with pistachio and garden green.  Both stamped panels are outlined with markers to give an illusion of another layer.  Embosslit butterflies and enamel dots finish it off.

Now, it's time to clean up my VERY messy table!  If I had cleaned it completely before DTGD, I probably would have completed the challenges on time!  LOL   But I don't feel bad about this; I made - and mailed - more cards in the last 2 weeks than in the previous 3 months.  Back on the right track!

Hope to stay on track, too.  Thanks for stopping by!

Inky {{{HUGS}}}
Kim

Featured Stamper Time!

Hello Stamping Friends!

If you have been following my blog at all, you know I have been busy catching up on the 2016 challenges at The Paper Players.  But the other half of my stamping goal is to complete all of the 2016 Featured Stamper challenges at Splitcoaststampers.  Honestly, before this past Sunday, I had only done 15 so far!  Yikes!  I probably won't be able to catch up,, but I'll see what I can do.

I decided to make a Christmas card each of these challenges, since I still need a lot of Christmas cards.  A few will be worth duplicating later on to help build up my stash.  I completed the four most recent Featured Stampers, along with the three oldest challenges that I had skipped.  Busy busy!  Here we go...

This week's Featured Stamper is Mary, aka octoberbabe.  I see her quite often in the gallery, including Virtual Stamp Night challenges.  I chose to CASE this card.  I kept the lost lagoon, even embossing it with the World Traveler folder.  I added a strip of All is Calm dsp.  The base and circle are brushed silver.  The sentiment is from "Greetings of the Season," stamped in pear pizzazz on a decorative label.  The image is from "Miracle of Christmas," stamped in lost lagoon.  The ribbon is from a gift I received a while back, because I always reuse my ribbons!

Last week featured another stamper I often see around VSN, Shannon, aka scrapaholic007.  I chose this Christmas card to CASE.  I used the thick whisper white for the base and image panel.  Using SU's "Work of Art," I stamped the background in sahara sand, marina mist, night of navy, rich razzleberry, and crushed curry.  The image is from "Come to Bethlehem," in tuxedo black...except the star, which was inked with versamark and heat embossed in silver.  I added a rhinestone for extra sparkle.  The greeting is from the same set, stamped in midnight muse.  

  

I spotted this card on the day Jan, aka Precious Kitty, was featured, and knew I wanted to CASE it.  I had to look quite a while to find this Sizzix die from SU, which I bought just before it retired.  I had not used it yet, but I plan on making a dozen of these!  I printed sheet music for "Joy to the World" on very vanilla card stock, and sponged the edges with crumb cake ink.  The card base is always artichoke, and the dsp is "Deck the Halls" from SU, slightly distressed.  The sentiment is from "Greetings of the Season" stamped in cherry cobbler and punched with a scallop circle.  Scrunched artichoke seam binding finishes it off.








Next, I chose THIS card from MommaPatti's gallery.  I kept a similar color scheme, featured pine trees, a bit of sparkle, and the same sentiment from "The Sounding Joy." (Mine is stamped on vellum and embossed in silver.  My base is pool party. The dsp is retired from a Valentine pack.  I used label framelits to cut out a piece of blushing bride and very vanilla.  The bb is embossed with Divine Swirls folder.  I stamped trees from "Lovely as a Tree" colored with creamy caramel and sage shadow.  I added a bit of dazzling diamonds, which is hard to see, and pleated satin ribbon.

Here is a card CASE'd from Kathy, aka MochaFrap's gallery.  I chose this card.   My dp is from an old stash of Creative Memories paper from my scrapbooking days.  The sentiment is from "Greetings of the Season," stamped in cherry cobbler on very vanilla, matted on always artichoke.  The flowers are made from the 5-petal stamped and a tiny circle stamp, using riding hood red, al;ways artichoke, and crushed curry.  Seam binding wraps it up.

Now, a card for a challenge posted in January!  I chose this card from Michele's (aka Whimsey) gallery.  The image and greeting afe both from Our Daily Bread Designs "Blessed Christmas."  I colored the image with markers, stamped on watercolor paper, and spritzed with water.  After cutting it out with the label framelit, I sponged with crumb cake ink.  The card base is early espresso, dsp is "Deck the Halls," and accessories are enamel dots, satin ribbon, and crochet trim.  

Finally, here is another card, this time featuring Minnur's gallery, CASE-ing this project.  I kept the tree theme, again using "Lovely as a Tree."  I used always artichoke, very vanilla, chocolate chip, and cherry cobbler card stock.  My accessories are the SU wood grain embossing folder and non-SU enamel dots.  Another "Greetings of the Season" is featured in this simple design.  I almost forgot...I also added some dazzling details.  A bit less messy than the dazzling diamonds! 

Of course, I still have a lot to do in a short time.  Stay tuned to see how many challenges I complete!

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

Featured Stamper Time

Hello everyone!

I set a goal to complete all of the 2016 Featured Stamper challenges from Splitcoaststampers, but fell behind right away.  I actually had this post in my drafts SINCE MARCH!  By the original text, I could see that I intended to post several cards, but only had one so far.  So there it sat and sat.  Since I had ignored this particular goal, I never got back to it.  Until now.

There is no way I can catch up with months of challenges in a single post, but I will  show a few.  Gotta start somewhere, right?  Cleaning up my blog drafts is a lot like cleaning out my email inbox. It feels good to finally do it!

This first card was made on Super Bowl Sunday (I remember because I was stamping while hubby watched the game), for Featured Stamper Beatrice, who is a scrapbooker.  As much as I want to get into scrapping, I knew that wasn't happening right away!  I chose THIS PAGE as my inspiration.  I chose a similar color palette.  I also chose wavy lines in embossing, as well as how I cut my dsp.  The black striped SU ribbon also mimics her design.

My card base is basic black.  The layer of sage shadow is dry embossed with the Cuttlebug divine swirls folder.  My dsp is from SU's "Nouveau Chic."  The stamps are from "Fox and Friends" and "Just Sayin'" using sage and basic gray, plus some apricot appeal sponged on the edges.  The images are popped up...featuring a scallop circle and Word Bubble framelit.  The bakers twine is from Joanne's...can't remember the brand.  This card was for my nephew-in-law who still looks like a teenager!

Next, a card I made today.  That's 5 months between cards...how weird is that?  Any way... an online blogger friend of mine joked about being available all month for birthday gifts, lunches, etc.  I told her if she sent me her address, I would send her a one-of-a-kind card.  She is not a paper crafter. She blogs about faith and family.  I thought it would be fun to connect beyond the internet.  Her favorite color is purple, so this week's color challenge at SCS is perfect.  The Featured Stamper is a new one for me:  Kendra, aka jksand.  She must be new to a lot of people, because many projects in her gallery have 0 comments...but they are GORGEOUS!  Just shows how big the stamping community is, and how hard it is to catch everyone!  I chose THIS card to CASE.   I kept the white card base, jewel colors, and diagonal sentiment.  Instead of stamping in color, I stamped images from SU's "Mixed Bunch" in versamark, and clear embossed.  Then I sponged the challenge colors generously. The colors are rose red, elegant eggplant, and island indigo.  My sentiment is one stamp, so I used markers to add variety of color.  Enamel dots finish it off.  The card is about 5x7 inches, larger than my usual.  I bought a lot of A7 envelopes, getting ready for Christmas projects, so I thought I would try that here.  I like the bigger size!

I was considering waiting until I finished another FS card, but I better not.  This post could sit for months all over again!  LOL  I'll work on catching up another time.  Thanks for stopping by!


Inky {{{HUGS}}}
Kim

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}}}

Happy Anniversary, Dear Hubby!!

Hello Friends! Today is my 18th wedding anniversary! Of course, I had to make Bruce a card, and I pondered it for days. I actually intended on participating in last week's Paper Player Challenge, which had a musical theme. But I made this a day too late...oh well! I did decide to change my card a bit to correspond with the Hope You Can Cling To challenge from a few days ago, Real Men Wear Pink. We were challnged to make a masculine card with a touch of pink. Bruce is NOT into pink, but he is a real man who supports me at home, in my ministry, and just in our every day lives!

All of the supplies are from Stampin' Up! My card base is early espresso, with a strip of soft suede embossed with the square lattice folder. I sponged river rock and soft suede on very vanilla, then stamped the Extreme Guitar (retired) in early espresso craft ink, which I then heat embossed. I punched out a heart in melon mambo for the pink, then decided to add a tiny bit of melon in my background. The sentiment on the bottom is from Teeny Tiny Wishes, stamped in melon then punched out with the word window. The other is from Perfect Words, a hostess set. I used my early espresso and melon mambo markers to color it, and then punched out with my oval. My final detail is the early espresso baker's twine...love this stuff!!

Gotta run...we're gonna see a movie and get dinner. Hope you have a great day!

Inky {{{HUGS}}}

Friday Mashup!! Halloween Howl!

Hey there, Stampin' Friends!! It's Friday, and that means it is time for another great challenge at the Friday Mashup!! Today we have a great challenge from Holly!

1. Make a Halloween themed project


2. Make a project using the colors black, pumpkin pie, lucky limeade, and concord crush


3. Or make a Halloween project using the colors listed above
   

Now, I love color challenges and theme challenges...but Halloween is just not my cup of tea. We hand out candy, and put a few fall decorations and maybe cute jack-o-lanterns...but the gorey stuff, the horror flicks...I can't handle them! I jump during PG-13 movies! LOL!! So my Halloween stamps are limited to a few sentiments from sets that also feature other holidays. But I do have this fabulous Nature Silhouette set, with a howling wolf...perfect!

All of my supplies are from Stampin' Up! My card base is concord crush, with a layer of pumkin pie, then lucky limeade embossed with the square lattice impressions folder. I embellished with basic black striped grosgrain ribbon and 2 bright (pumpkin pie) glimmer brads. The tree and wolf were stamped in basic black craft ink, coated with basic black embossing powder and then heat embossed. With a small circle mask, I sponged the full moon in limeade, then sponged a bit above the grass. I continued sponging pumpkin then concord crush. I matted the image with pumpkin and concord card stock. The final detail is the return of Teeny Tiny Wishes with the word window and modern label punches, intentionally set off the edge just a bit.

It took me a while to come up with this, but I like the end result. Now...where do I send this card?? *wink*

Be sure to join us this week! Check out the fabulous projects from the design team on the Friday Mashup blog, then upload your own project. Use keyword FM27 in your online gallery. I can't wait to see what you create!

Inky {{{HUGS}}}

Summer Mini Club Projects

Hello Friends!

It has been a busy weekend! At work this week, I signed lots of receipts and pledge letters for our fund raiser. Did I ever tell you how it went? It took a couple of weeks for pledges to be entered into the computer...but here we are. The goal was $80,000 for operating expenses...but the pastor giving the appeal challenged us to stretch to $100K to prepare for growth. Well, we reach $123K...WooHoo!! Praise the Lord!

On Friday night, I had my Stampin' Club. We made 2 projects, both using products from the Summer Mini catalog. My first card is a complete CASE of this card from my cyber friend Wendy. It was nice to have someone else do the design work! LOL!! The card base is early espresso, and I added a nice striped pattern from the Nautical Expedition DSP. Another pattern was used for the 1/2 scallop circles on the left. I stamped the compass from The Open Sea stamp set in early espresso on cherry cobbler card stock. The ship is stamped with not quite navy ink on whisper white layered on espresso. I used my ticket corner punch for a simple detail. I added some cherry cobbler bakers twine, then added a sentiment from Teeny Tiny Wishes on the modern label and scallop oval punch.

The second card is bright and feminine. The card base is melon mambo. I stamped versamark on whisper white. I first stamped the sentiment from All Holidays, and coated it with the new wild wasabi embossing powder. After I heated that, I stamped an image from Fifth Avenue Floral, then used the melon mambo embossing powder. I finished the card with a strip of Beyond the Garden dsp and some daffodil delight satin ribbon.

Like what you see? You can get these products by checking out my Stampin' Up! website...just click here!

Now, I have to finish my power point presentation for a conference this week! Yup, I have been busy! But it's all good stuff...busy blessings, I guess you could say!

Inky {{{HUGS}}}