Let's Hear it for the Boys

Hello, and Happy Friday!

I have a VERY quick card today for The Paper Players challenge to create a masculine card.  I needed a card for my oldest brother.  It needed to be quick, because it is late!  Oh, and because the deadline to link this up is in 10 minutes!  LOL

I actually had different dsp sitting out for a WEEK, but just couldn't get inspired.  So I pulled out this stuff from SU's "Well Worn," which is one of my favorites.  I used one side for the vertical panel, then the flip side to mat my sentiment.  The stamp is from SU's "Delightful Dozen," stamped in not quite navy on very vanilla.  After adding 2 NQN brads, I popped the panel up with dimensionals. The final touch is the kite string.  Easy-peasy!

The other reason I wanted to get this post in is to let you know that TONIGHT is Virtual Stamp Night!  It starts at 6 pm  Eastern time.  I am hosting a challenge at 7 pm Eastern.  The overall theme is "Happy"...hope you can come and play!

Inky {{{HUGS}}}
Kim

Mashin' Up with Some Embellishments

Hello, and Happy Wednesday!

Here is my card for the Friday Mashup challenge.  I finished it earlier today, but nearly forgot to upload.  Sometimes, my brain is on overload!  The challenge was to use the Ombre technique and/or a cluster of embellishments.  I just had to Mash things up!

Recently, one of my aunt's fell and broke her wrist.  I wanted a bright card to cheer her up.  I used some "Irresistibly Yours" specialty paper, and brayered ink in certainly celery, pear pizzazz, and wild wasabi, then placed it on a garden green card base.  I LOVE green, especially in the summer! I added a strip of pear pizzazz twill ribbon (which is almost completely covered up!) The sentiment is from Stampabilities, mounted on basic black so it pops.  I had these Prima flowers from a swap years ago, and added some SU flower brads.  The design was heavy in the lower half, so I added lucky limeade bakers twine on top.





Next, I am going to quickly add 2 cards.

The first is for THREE challenges on SCS:  color, sketch, and Free4All, which was to make a graduation project. My sketch is slightly varied, wit circles instead of squares. The colors are blackberry bliss, wisteria wonder, and pool party.  LOVE!  I love nearly anything with purple tones, second only to green.  Sometimes, it's a tie!  LOL

My card base is blackberry bliss.  I added some wisteria wonder plus more Irresistibly Yours specialty paper, where I brayered colors again.  Some seam binding is used at the dividing line.  I used 4 stamp sets on this card:  "Tassel Time" (for the books,) "Pure Gumption" for the cap (the other was too large,) "Just Sayin'" for the woohoo word bubble, and "Word Perfect" for the greeting.

Finally, a Clean and Simple card for a sad occasion.  The card is simply in pool party, basic black, and whisper white.  I used SU's "Little Angel" and "So Sorry" stamps, plus a non-SU baby hands stamp.  A young couple here in town recently lost their baby.  He was born prematurely after a difficult pregnancy.  He lived outside the womb for 5 weeks.  I know how hard it is to bury your own child. I wouldn't wish it on anyone.  But this couple has tremendous faith, and has already given witness to the gift that their son is to them.  Very inspiring.  If you  are the praying  type, please keep this family in your prayers.

Sorry to end on a sad note.  But I guess as card makers, we know sometimes our craft is used to bring comfort to someone.  That is a blessing and a privilege, isn't it?  Thanks for stopping by!

Inky {{{HUGS}}}
Kim

A Collection of Fresh Sketches

Hello, and Happy Monday!

This is a long post with LOTS of cards!  I actually won't give too many details on the separate cards, because this is a gift set.  I made 3 cards last Thursday, 2 on Friday, and 3 yesterday.  I intended to post yesterday, but we had a major thunderstorm, at least 7 inches of rain, and a tornado warning.  I stayed off my computer!  Fortunately our home is okay; some of our friends did not fare as well.

As I have mentioned before, one of my 2015 stamping goals is to complete all of the 2015 Freshly Made Sketches challenges.  Well, I did almost no stamping in April, and that put me very far behind.  I may have even been a bit behind already!  At any rate, I decided to use a bunch of sketches for this gift set.  It also gave me a great excuse to use most of the remaining pieces of some retired dsp. Most.  I still have a little bit left!

The cards feature kiwi kiss, baja breeze, basic gray, and crumb cake card stock and ink.  The dsp is SU's "Urban Oasis." Usually, I keep my creases on top of my cards, so I should have had half of my cards oriented horizontally and half vertically.  But for whatever reason, all of my cards are vertical.  No biggie, I suppose, but it is driving me a bit nuts!  LOL  

I'll start with the current Freshly Made Sketches challenge, then go through the rest quickly.  I used the decorative dots embossing folder, and sponged lightly.  The sentiments are from "Happiest Birthday Wishes" and "Perfect Words."  I used my Sizzix circle die, large oval punch,and decorative label punch.  The last detail is the gray stitched ribbon.  I love the polka dotted paper, and used it on several cards for this set.

This next card could easily have gone horizontal, but I flipped the sketch.  I used this wonderful floral
pattern which coordinates with the "Fifth Avenue Floral Stamps."  I surely can make my own pattern paper in the future!  I stamped two sentiments; one from "Because I Care" and the other from "Whimsical Words."  I used my baja breeze marker to outline the dsp.  This ribbon is reversible, so I used it for both strips.  More enamel hearts finish it off.

The next card uses more of that floral pattern, plus I used the Manhattan Floral embossing folder to add a layer for a tone-on-tone look.  The sentiment is from "Whimsical Words" cut out with the decorative label punch.  After sponging, I added some lucky limeade bakers twine.

This next card features the 2-step set "Awash with Flowers," "Well Scripted" and green gems from...hmmm. I have forgotten!  The outer package is gone!

Now I have a simple sympathy card.  I used the decorative label and scallop trim punches.  The sentiment is from "Thoughts & Prayers" and I added one enamel dot to keep the clean and simple look.  

Next, I used some of the more neutral patterns from the dsp pack, but did add kiwi when I stamped the sentiment from "All Holidays" and in the smaller horizontal strip.  I added some enamel hearts from Anna marie, and retired corduroy brads.  I wish I had not added those big brads.  This card will be the hardest to mail, of the entire bunch.

Here's a quick, nearly flat card.  It's still quite fun, I believe, because of the polka dot pattern.  The sentiment is from "Blessings from Heaven" punched with the scallop circle. The layered circle was made with my Sizzix die.  I added some striped ribbon to finish off the sketch.

The last card may be my favorite, because of the large floral pattern, and the soft seam binding I used. I also used the Manhattan floral embossing folder again, plus a few of the green rhinestones.  The sentiment is from "You're a Gem" punched out with a small circle.  

Here are all of the cards together.  You might think with 8 sketches here that I am all caught up.  Not. Quite.  But hopefully I will be before the end of this month.  It's the halfway point...gotta reach my goal!

Inky {{{HUGS}}}
Kim

Mashin' Up By the Tide

Hello, and Happy Wednesday!

I have had a busy day...but in a good way.  Fortunately, between meetings and phone calls I was able to make a card.  Now I can finally upload it, just in time for the Friday Mashup deadline.  We were challenged to use some water coloring with this great open sketch.  I also pulled out a past ColourQ challenge that I missed.  I really like these colors! 

I felt the colors and water coloring technique were perfect for an underwater scene.  My card base is bermuda bay, and I added some basic black for contrast.  On a sheet of watercolor paper, I started by stamping the images from SU's "By the Tide" in Stazon jet black.  I used crumb cake to color the seahorse, and the bermuda and kiwi kiss on the fish.  I also stamped the coral in kiwi kiss, on top of the black. Then I used the aqua brush to randomly add color for the water.  The sentiment is from "On Your Birthday."  I felt the wavy nature of the text also works with a water scene.  The final detail is the addition of glimmer dots from Hampton Art.

This was lots of fun to create...makes me want to travel to Florida!  Thanks for stopping by.

Inky {{{HUGS}}}
Kim

A Sunday Night Post

Hello Stamping Friends!

I have a card for both the Colour Me...! challenge and the Freshly Made Sketches challenge.  Usually I post these on Mondays, but I have a meeting out of town, and i am leaving early in  the morning.  I am posting quickly, and I will add updates after I get my briefcase ready.  *wink*

In a nutshell, I used the challenge colors to make my own dp with SU's "Vintage Vogue."  My buttons were getting lost, so I varied the sketch a bit, using this striped ribbon and just one button and enamel dot.





Inky {{{HUGS}}}
Kim

Quickly Playing with Paper

Hello...and TGIF!

I have a very quick card to post before the deadline for The Paper Players challenge.  I'll link it up, then add details.  (Edited the details on time too!  Whew!)








There is not much to say here.  The Designers Series Paper takes center stage on a basic black base.  It is SU's "Sweet Sorbet" from a few years ago, and it has some pretty funky patterns.  Took me a while to get into it; I still have most of the package left!  I wanted the tree to be highlighted, so I adapted my sketch just a bit.  I used another pattern from the same stack for the horizontal stripe.  I thought I still had all 3 of the dahlias in summer starfruit, but just 2...so I added this enamel heart from Anne Marie.  (Appropriate, since Anne Marie is the name of the DT member who gave us the sketch!)  The sentiment is from Stampabilities, in Stazon jet black.  My sister just had surgery and she lives out of town.  This will go out in the mail today.

It was fun to play another challenge...in crunch time!  Thanks for checking it out!


Inky {{{HUGS}}}
Kim

Triple Challenge Card!

Happy Wednesday!!

I finally completed the latest Friday Mashup challenge...literally linking up my card before I typed up the description!  2 minutes to spare...adrenaline rush!  LOL   Not only is the card for the Mashup, but it also uses the palette from the ColourQ challenge, which was extended a week (WooHoo!)  Finally, I used the sketch challenge posted today on SCS.  I adapted it a bit, maybe too much.  Oh well.  I am grateful that there are no challenge police!

My card base is strawberry slush, and the layer of whisper white is dry embossed with a Cuttlebug folder, then sponged with coastal cabana.  3 of my horizontal strips are from the SU brights pattern paper stack, in daffodil delight and tangerine tango.  The other 2 strips are my own dp, made with various stamps in the "Flight of the Butterfly" stamp set.

I made this wonderful butterfly using coastal cabana and the SU Butterflies thinlit die, which had been sitting in my drawer for 2 months.  I was a bit nervous about it.  Lots of little pieces to pop out, but I as able to do it easily with my finger or my piercing tool.  The lace is from a friend who sews a lot.  It was white, but I sponged it lightly.  Finally, the sentiment is from "Teeny Tiny Wishes" punched out with the word window.

This card is headed to one of my great-nieces.  She turns 14 next week...hard to believe.

Thanks for stopping by again.

Inky {{{HUGS}}}
Kim