Mashin' Up Some Color

Hello and Happy Wednesday!

I have not stamped for a week, mostly because of a project for work (that is nearly done) but I wanted to get my Friday Mashup card in.  I am really trying to keep up with my stamping goals, instead of falling behind like previous years.

In fact, I am going to link this up quickly, then come back to edit...the deadline is in half an hour!  LOL

I'm back!  *wink*
So, this week's Friday Mashup included a fun sketch along with a musical theme.  I LOVE music!  I had some ideas early on, but no time to stamp.  Then yesterday, I saw the color challenge over at SCS:  strawberry slush, mint macaroon, and early espresso.  I decided to combine the challenges.  Initially, I was going to only do the sketch and colors, because I don't have a lot of music theme stamps (shame on me!)...but after digging through my collection, I decided to do the Mash Up.  My card base is early espresso; the strawberry slush layer is dry embossed with a Cuttlebug heart folder.  I don't have any mint macaroon card stock or ink, so I went with some very old sage shadow.  I used three stamp sets:  SU's "For the Birds" for the main image, and "Work of Art" for the heart.  The music notes and treble clef are from My Favorite Things "Who's That Musical Girl."  I used my blender pen to color the image, then punched it out with a scallop circle.  The heart is cut with an SU framelit, out of some retired DSP...Nature Walk, perhaps?  It has bumble bees on the other side.  Any way...the heart and circle are popped up.  I added a few SU sequins.  Good grief.  Why did I buy these things??  Yes, they can look nice, but that depends on them being applied well!  My fine motor skills stink!  Please, somebody give me some tips!

That's it for today...turns out I got the write-up done before the deadline after all!  WooHoo!  Thanks for stopping by!

Inky {{{HUGS}}}
Kim

Ink-Free Sketches

Hello Everyone!

It's Wednesday, which is Sketch Challenge day at SCS.  Even though the sketch challenge isn't my primary focus this year, I decided to play with several of them.  Last year I did not make as many cards as I did the previous year, so I am trying to surf galleries less often and actually make cards more often.  Completing challenges is a great way to do this.

When I saw last week's challenge, I was initially baffled.  I don't have any "tall" greetings.  I was putting some scraps away, when I saw a greeting in a Christmas Simply Scrappin' kit.  It was too large for this project, but it reminded me that I had a kit that might work.  Sure enough, I had "Sunshine Garden" from YEARS ago while I was a demo.  I used it for a monthly Stamp Club project, but it has been stashed away ever since.  One of the die cuts was this simple greeting:  hi.  It's really tall!  As long as I had the kit out, I decided to use it for the rest of the card.  The card base is garden green.  I love the textured so saffron card stock...miss that stuff!  I used my Sizzix scallop circle die to cut some dsp.  The strip is another sticker.  After adding brads from "Spare Parts" I popped the entire panel up with dimensionals.  No stamps; no ink.  

That got me thinking...maybe I can create other cards with this kit, using no stamps.  After all, how will I ever use up my old supplies if I only make one card from a package every now and then?  I didn't have any more of those fun large greetings, but several stickers did the trick.  Here we go...

This one has more stickers: the white and baja strip, the large yellow flower, the small scallop circle, and the friend rectangle.  The rest is cut from the kit's dsp.  Again, I added brads.  Not bad.

Finally, this week's ketch...posted TODAY!  Good grief!  It's weird doing a challenge so quickly!  LOL  This card uses the most stickers, as I filled the whisper white layer with flowers and leaves. Both sentiment details are also stickers.  I used my corner rounder punch...and brads again.  By using the same supplies, these cards came together quickly. 

I cut 2 other card bases from the baja breeze.  I think I will be able to finish off this kit soon if I am diligent about it...perhaps before March.  I told myself that I can't buy pretty new paper until I use up some of My Stash.  

I just know some of you can relate!

Thanks for stopping by!

Inky {{{HUGS}}}
Kim

January Birthdays

Hello everyone!

Before I left for Christmas vacation, I tried to catch up on the 2015 SCS sketch challenges.  I had fallen way behind on my goal.  One day, I cut 6 card bases and stamped the insides, all with the intention of making 6 cards quickly with the same colors and DSP.  Well, I only did 3 that day (you can find them HERE).  Upon returning, the card bases and dsp were still sitting on my messy table.  I tossed them aside, but finally finished them up, and thought I would post them together today.  The first card was actually created and mailed a week ago for my nephew.  The other two will go in the mail today.

The card base is bermuda bay, and the DSP is "Winter Frost."  I like the simplicity of this sketch.  It gave me room for this cute snowman from "Snow Much Fun."  I added a few snowflakes from "Serene Snowflakes," and a sentiment from "On Your Birthday."  I colored my image with markers: smoky slate, bermuda bay, coastal cabana, pool party, and pumpkin pie.  My banner is cut on an angle to leave room for the enamel dots.  

I turned the next sketch vertically because my card base was already done.  I used the same DSP, plus a scallop circle of old bermuda bay pattern paper.  The sentiment is from "Whimsical Words," and I used markers to doodle some candles in the background.  The silver slate strip is dry embossed with the Northern Flurries folder.  Finally, I added enamel dots again.

Finally, a card that took a bit longer to create.  If I had just let go of the color palette a bit more, I may have finished this sooner...and better.  It needs a pop of pink, or something.  Any way...I used this fun sketch.  I have very few tall, narrow images, and no decent die to match.  I ended up using this image from "For the Birds."  The sentiment is also from that set, but on a different stamp.  I used a framelit from SU's Apothecary Accents to cut out the image, after it was colored with markers.  Under the image is a different sentiment, and I thought it would be easy to cover with Dazzling Details.  Not so much...so I added some color...hmmm...looks like a glittery toxic spill!  LOL  Oh well, one of my nieces loves anything with sparkle!  Some enamel dots and thick bakers twine wrap this up.   

I think it's about time to say good-bye to the 2015 sketches.  Time to move on to my 2016 goals.  Thanks for coming by again...

Inky {{{HUGS}}}

Kim

Featuring Sympathy

Hello again! It is not often that I write up a post in advance these days, but hey, it's a New Year!  I am trying to be more productive an timely in all of my projects.

One of my 2016 stamping goals is to complete all of this year's Featured Stamper challenges posted over at Splitcoaststampers.  I found that I have often looked at the challenge, but rarely complete them.  It might be because they post on Sunday, and my husband rarely works Sundays; it's nice to have a day with him.  But since I give myself wiggle room (I don't have to do them the day or even the week they are posted) I should be able to do these.  One reason I picked the Featured Stamper is that it is fun if I "know"the stamper.  I haven't met many SCS members in real life, but I do chat with a lot of them in the various forums. I enjoy seeing my friends get this honor!  It is also fun to be inspired by stampers whose galleries I have never seen.   So many different styles!  While I am posting on a Sunday, I don't have the current challenge done.  I'll be away from home all day.  I do have this year's first two featured stamper challenges to share...

The first challenge highlights the gallery of Kathy LeDonne.  Kathy participates in many of the SCS challenges, so I was happy to see her as Featured Stamper!  I chose THIS card to CASE.  I love the flowers she used, and my set (Watercolor Garden II) had not been touched for a long time.  My color scheme is completely different; I used the palette from Color Challenge #564.  My card base is sahara sand, with a layer of very vanilla.  I do not have any cucumber crush ink or card stock, so I used wild wasabi.  The 2-step flowers are stamped in wasabi, sahara sand, and pacific point, and I sponged the edges, then popped it up.  The ribbon is non-SU...from my nephew's wedding favors!  I embossed the wasabi card stock with the Cuttlebug stylized flowers folder.  The sentiment is from "So Sorry."  Candy dots finish it off.

The next Featured Stamper was someone I had not seen before:  gunilla.holmqvist  What a lovely gallery!  I chose THIS card to CASE.  I chose a similar color scheme and similar main image. My card base is crumb cake.  I added a layer of "Sweet Sorbet" dsp.  On very vanilla, I stamped the hydrangea image from "Because I Care."  It was colored with markers: crisp cantaloupe, calypso coral, mellow moss, and pistachio pudding.  I had hoped more variation of shades would show up, but it didn't.  I added ruffled pistachio ribbon, and the same sentiment on a popped up layer.  (I messed up the "for your loss" so I restamped and punched out with the word window)

A woman in the neighborhood passed away last week.  One card is for her adult daughter, the other is for the neighbor next door who helped nurse the woman in her home for years.  Even though it is cold and dreary...or perhaps because of that, I wanted these cards to have a hint of spring.

Thanks for stopping by...let me know what you think!

Inky {{{HUGS}}}
Kim

Mashing Up in the New Year

Hello Stamping Friends!

I never did get around to posting about my 2016 Stamping Goals, but today's cards fit one of them.  One of my favorite challenge blogs is The Friday Mashup.  I served on the Design Team several years ago, and I continue to peek in from time to time.  Well, I decided that I would complete all of the 2016 FM challenges!  (Waving "Hi!" to my friends over there!)

I like that there is a variety (color, technique, theme) and that each week gives you the option of "mashing up" two challenges in one.  As with past goals, I am giving myself lots of wiggle room.  I don't *have to* do the challenges in order or the week posted...though I will try to.  I am already late for the first one of 2016, even though I knew what I would be doing.  To make up for that tardiness, I have this week's challenge completed already!

I needed another winter birthday card, so this week's Friday Mashup challenge to use blues and/or snowflakes was perfect.  My card base is sahara sand.  On a layer of very vanilla, I stamped "Serene Snowflakes" in baja breeze, not quite navy, and midnight muse.  I added a large midnight muse scallop circle, embellished with a silver glimmer brad and baja breeze felt snowflake, then popped up with some dimensionals.  Not quite navy taffeta ribbon is scrunched up for added texture.  Finally, I added the birthday sentiment from "Teeny Tiny Wishes" on the the duo of word window and modern label punches, intentionally cut off on one side for a different look.  All products are from Stampin' Up...but LOTS of retired goodies in this card!

Next, I have a card that was lots of fun.  This superhero theme from the first 2016 Friday Mashup was different for me, but I had the perfect image.  Unfortunately, I don't remember where it is from.  YEARS ago, a stamping friend visited me, and we stamped many images from each other's stash.  I still had a couple of these guys to use up.  (Dawn, if you see this...do you remember what company made this image?)  Any way, I made this card for a friend & colleague who recently got a promotion.  It is so well deserved!  As you can see, the card base is basic black.  I added panels of pacific point, which are dry embossed with a Cuttlebug folder, and plain real red.  My image was stamped in black pigment ink and heat embossed.  I used markers to color the image:  pacific point, real red, yo-yo yellow, blush blossom, going gray, and a bit of early espresso.  (My friend hasn't gone completely gray yet! LOL)  The image is matted in daffodil delight and popped up.  I cut the sentiment in a crazy shape, and outlined it with my yo-yo yellow marker, then popped it up.

I really like this card...but funny thing is, I may try to do it differently.  My friend's name is Jor-El.  That is the name of Superman's Dad!  So I searched online to see what dad should look like.  If I go with Marlon Brando's costume, adding texture will be the tricky part.  Stay tuned!

Thanks for stopping by!

Inky {{{HUGS}}}
Kim

Christmas 2015...NOT a Typo!

Hello and Happy Wednesday   Sunday  Monday!
I started this post days ago, as you can see.  But I have been quite busy in this New Year already.  You see, I did not finish my 2015 Christmas cards, but there are 12 Days of Christmas!  So...I try each year to get them out by January 6th.  I was a stampin' fool once I got home from vacation!  Plus last night when I tried to edit pictures, I was having issues.  Fortunately, I figured it out tonight.

I decided to use some leftover 2015 SCS sketch challenges, as a way of continuing that goal.  This first card features DSP from SU's "Festival of Prints" stack.  My sentiment is from Our Daily Bread Designs "Christmas Verses" and the image is from SU's "Miracle of Christmas" punched with the old ornament punch.  I used cherry cobbler and old olive ink.  Dimensionals and a candy dot add some interest.  I had 10 card bases cut from my time visiting mom, so I made 10 cards when I got home.

I turned the next sketch vertically, because I had cut card bases while visiting my mom.  The star and sentiment are from SU's "The Sounding Joy."  I used baja breeze for the star, not quite navy for the sentiment, and soft sky for the dots.  I also used a larger sponge to add some silver shimmer, which is hard to see in the photo.  Finally I added silver metallic ribbon (or elastic cord once I ran out!)  It was very dark when I took these pictures, so even when edited, they look weird.  I kept the close up shot dark and pointed out the shimmer for you.

The detail looks better in real life.  Photography is not my area of expertise!! (And Blogger won't place my cards correctly.  Good thing stamping is my hobby!)

 The last card features images that my mom stamped, and it doesn't utilize any challenges.  The stamp set is SU's "Newborn King," stamped in versamark on night of navy, then heat embossed with platinum powder.  She had some extra images after making 3 dozen cards, and she let me use them.  Yay!  Her demonstrator found a design which you can see here.  On smoky slate, some cards have the coordinating greeting, but others use "Greetings of the Season."  I embellished with either rhinestones or organza ribbon.  I was happy to get 7 cards made with the materials I had at home.  



All of these cards have been mailed or hand delivered already!  I have more to post later, plus my January birthday cards.  Whew!




Thanks for coming by!

Inky {{{HUGS}}}
Kim