Catching Some Q's

Hello and Happy Monday!

I haven't stamped much lately, and I reeeaaallllyyyy want to get back into the groove.  I made a card last night, not for any challenges, and one today for the ColourQ and a sketch challenge on SCS.  Ib am also postinga card I maade in July that never found its way onto my blog...but since it is a ColourQ, I decided to include it.

This first combo was a real doozy.  I was going to do something very abstract, as I often do with these tough palettes, but opted out of that.  The sketch seemed simple, but I struggled with finding the right detail for those circles.  Too big or too small!  I'm not thrilled with this, but hey...it's done.  Mojo returns slowly!

The card base is taken with teal, and I added a layer of lovely lilac.  I can't believe I still have this stuff!  I used tangerine tango pattern paper on the bottom, with whisper white on top.  I stamped the large flourish from "Baroque Motifs" in teal, going over both the white and tangerine, the added the flowers in lilac and saffron.  Striped ribbon divides the two sections.  It is hard to see, but the sentiment "Kind" from the same set is stamped in lilac.  I added two flower brads in the two circles, and finally two candy dots on top to balance the color.  I should have stopped somewhere sooner!   LOL










This next color combo was much simpler to work with.  I made this nautical themed birthday card for my nephew who is serving in the Navy.  I sent it over a month ago but the picture was still sitting in my computer file.  I nearly forgot all about it!


My card base is crumb cake.  I added a simple strip of midnight muse (hoarding this stuff...I love it!)  On whisper white, I simply stamped in a collage fashion, using SU's "The Open Sea" which is one of my all time favorites.  The sentiment is from "On Your Birthday", punched out with the scallop oval.  Poppy parade twill ribbon finishes it off.  Very quick and easy!

Finally, a card I made with some new goodies.  I bought this Tim Holz sunbeam stencil and some gesso with some birthday money.  The fabulous orange ribbon was on a birthday gift...the bow was still tied!  I just had to use all of this together!  I spread the gesso through the stencil and let it dry.  Then I sponged daffodil delight, pumpkin pie, and tangerine tango ink.  I layered it on basic black, then placed it on a tangerine base.  My ribbon covers up a lot of the sunbeam effect...oh well.  So I stamped this greeting from "Whimsical Words" on a daffodil circle.  My gesso layer is a bit crumpled, but not bad for a first attempt with this new material!

That's it for now.  I sure hope I make it back this week.  I have a boatload of September birthday cards to make!

Inky {{{HUGS}}}
Kim

Non-Challenge Cards...Gasp!

Hello, and Happy Monday!

Once again, I had a week with very little stamping.  Why?  Because my craft room has been a MESS!  Ha!  I found myself in a rut, barely touching the mess, and unable to create anything (stamping or writing) for days.  The good news is, I have gotten a good start on reclaiming this room.  We'll see how long that lasts!
In spite of the heaps of ribbon scraps and uncleaned stamps, I did have to create 2 cards over the weekend.  I made one Saturday morning...finishing it just before heading out the door...and another one Saturday night...finishing it just before bed.  Both were made on a tiny corner of my table, as I shoved the heap aside!  (I know many of you crafters can relate!)

Here is the evening creation.  I had recently sent my pastor a thank you card for a birthday gift.  I have given him several cards in the past.  He was visiting his parents last week, and told them about the cards I make.  His mom asked if I could make a birthday card for her friend.  I agreed to, and was told the woman likes green.  Her birthday is coming up soon, so I needed to make a card by Sunday to give it to Father Nelson.  I do well with deadlines!

The card base is handsome hunter.  I added a layer of Irresistibly Yours dsp, sponging generously in garden green, wild wasabi, certainly celery, baja breeze, and daffodil delight.  I added a strip of striped wasabi ribbon.  My stamped leaves and flowers on the scalloped circle are from SU's "Best Blossoms" in wild wasabi and melon mambo, with a bit of baja breeze for more sky, then mounted on a wasabi circle from my Sizzix circle die.  Finally, I added the sentiment from "Teeny Tiny Wishes" with the word window punch.

Next is the birthday card I made in the morning...actually early afternoon.  Crazy thing is, I had some ideas for this card that would have worked for a DTGD challenge, but it just never came together.  But with the deadline looming, I kicked into full gear! BARELY on time.  So late in fact, that we didn't get a picture before we left the house.  

Solution?  Get a picture with the recipient and her mommy!  This is my beautiful niece Pam and her daughter Olivia, who turned one earlier this month!  Isn't she a doll? (Both of them are beautiful!) The party had a farm theme, so I chose to feature the pig and cow stamps from SU's "Very Punny" and the cow image from Paper Smooches "Chubby Chums."  The sentiment actually says "SMooches".  How cute is that?  I had NO idea how perfect the match would be until we showed up at the party!  I chose a basic black, melon mambo, and white color scheme, plus two different polka dot ribbons, and scalloped punches.  It was meant to be!

The picture with the card was taken late in the day after l'il Miss Olivia changed clothes...but check out how adorable she is in her special outfit!  Call me biased, but she's adorable in anything!

So...no blog challenges with these cards.  Just deadlines.  And the challenge of a messy room!  That's plenty, dontcha think?
Thanks for stopping by!



Inky {{{HUGS}}}
Kim

I Wasn't Very Daring

Happy Monday!

Fan Club members on Splitcoaststampers know that the Dare to Get Dirty challenge week just wrapped up.  Technically, I still have approximately 11 hours to upload some more cards...and maybe I'll add a few...but I fell waaayyy short of my goal.  I didn't feel well last weekend when they started, was busy with birthday thank you cards, and then had a surprise speaking engagement (filling in for someone who was sick) Friday night which took all my attention half of Thursday and all of Friday.  I had grandiose plans for this weekend, but the mojo wasn't there.  Once I realized I would have NO chance at completing all 40 challenges, I stalled out.  I completed 6 challenges, and maybe I will do a couple more tonight.

The details of each challenge are kept secret, unless you have a Fan Club subscription.  So I will just give some basic material lists.

This first card has a daffodil delight base with a band of whisper white.  I stamped the flourish from SU's "Elements of Style" twice, colored with daffodil delight, poppy parade, and gumball green markers.  The sentiments are from "Thank You Kindly" and "Whimsical Words."  A poppy parade glimmer brad and patterned paper, along with the decorative label punch add final details.







My second card has a pacific point base with a whisper white layer, plus some "Beyond the Garden" dsp that was still out from my stack of thank you cards.  I used "Flight of the Butterfly" stamps, plus clouds from "You Send Me Soaring."  Ink colors are pacific point, daffodil delight, melon mambo, and wild wasabi.  Some striped ribbon finishes it off.








Now I have a card with baja breeze and riding hood red card stock.  The image is SU's "Sail Away" stamped with Stazon jet black, and colored with aqua painters, using crumb cake, daffodil delight, baja breeze, lost lagoon,and riding hood red inks.  The sentiment is from "Happiest Birthday Wishes" cut out with a framelit, and set on top of some striped ribbon.



This next card features an old favorite 2-step set..."Fanciful Flowers."  Again, I used inks already on my table...I had a big enough mess already!  The sentiment is an a la carte stamp from SU that is colored with markers and punched with a scallop circle.  And look...more striped ribbon!  Using my stash, bit by bit!




I am not thrilled with this next card, but hey, it's done!  I used a simple color palette, baja breeze, poppy parade, white and black.  My "Cloudy Day" embossing folder works well with the kites from "You Send Me Soaring."  One greeting is also from that set, the other is from "Teeny Tiny Wishes."  Polka dot ribbon and a glimmer brad finish it off.  I did not mean to have an arrow...but I let the adhesive sit too long before I tried to adjust it.  Oh well!




Finally, a very clean and simple card.  I used baja breeze ink and  sponge to make the sky.  The grass is from "Inspired by Nature" stamped in kiwi kiss.  The greeting also in kiwi, is from "Trust God."  I like how the decorative label punch looks a bit cloud-like.  For contrast, I added a small butterfly and ribbon in blackberry bliss.  I love this ribbon!







That's it... 6 out of 40 challenges.  Not very "daring" this year, but hopefully next year will be better!



Thanks for stopping by.  Hopefully, I will get back into a "regular" stamping mode...whatever that means!

Inky {{{HUGS}}}
Kim

Thanks for the Sketches!

Hello Friends!

I'm back!  A while back, I had a post with lots of cards...maybe 8.  I wanted to catch up on sketches from the Freshly Made Sketches blog.  Well today I am trying to catch up with sketch challenges from Splitcoaststampers. I am so far behind on my goal to do all of them in 2015.

I recently had a big birthday party for turning the Big 5-0, and I needed lots of thank you cards.  Since I used bright summer colors for the party instead of black, I decided to make bright cards.  So I pulled out my barely-used pack of SU's "Beyond the Garden" dsp, along with card stock and ink in pacific point, wild wasabi, daffodil delight, melon mambo, and pumpkin pie.  I also used the SU sets "Thank  You Kindly" and "Carte Postale" plus various embellishments and punches.  I am out of dimensionals, but these needed to be mail-able any way.  I actually made 2 cards in each design, and I still have more cards to make.  Without further ado...

My first card is actually the current week's challenge. In addition to the materials I already listed, I used "Fabulous Florets" for the small flower, which is cut out.  The set coordinates so well with the dsp...why didn't I pull it out sooner?  I still have cards to make, some with large panels, so I will likely use it again.

I discovered how badly I need to sharpen my scissors as I tried to cut this curvy line.  Good grief.  But I will say this sketch is great for showing off dsp with large patterns.  It's also fun to scrunch up some seam binding for a bit of contrast.

















I turned this next sketch sideways.  It's a simple sketch, and I may use it if I run out of steam tomorrow!  I *need* to get these cards done and mailed!  LOL  

I have stared at this sketch for months...even had plans for it.  But I kept setting it aside.  With my goal to complete the 2015 SCS sketches, I knew I had to get back to it.  I had fun coloring the sentiment with two markers to add to the split screen design!

 The next sketch was another one I thought could feature a large pattern.  With the vertical top panel, I was a bit stumped, so I actually used a marker to stamp one word at a time with this otherwise horizontal sentiment.

















I did the same thing with my sentiment here.  The blue gem is the only non-SU item in this entire post...it is from Darice, and I received it with a birthday card from a fellow stamper.  Yay!

Finally, this sketch with tilted layers.  I love tilted layers!

So, 14 cards created and mailed.  I still need more, so I will tackle more sketches tonight and tomorrow.  Here's a look at all of the designs together...I love the bright colors!


Thanks for stopping by...it's good to be back!

Inky {{{HUGS}}}
Kim