Friday Mashup! Sketchy Regals!

Happy Friday, Stampin' Friends! Are you ready for another Friday Mashup?? Kasey gave us this nice, clean sketch with a rich color scheme...Cherry Cobbler, More Mustard, and Very Vanilla. I love the regals collection, so I knew I would have fun with this! Remember...you can do the sketch, use the colors, or mash them up together!!

I started with a vanilla base. I stamped this fatastic sentiment from the retiring set All Holidays. (Available on the Last Chance List only through June 30th by clicking here.) I actually used markers to color the different words, then stamped on vanilla, and mounted it on cherry cobbler. Both layers were rounded on the corners. I brought out Flight of the Butterfly and my coordinating punch. The sketch calls for a sentiment off the center panel, but I added some colored pearls. It felt a bit too plain, so I sponged the front, and added some cherry cobbler seam binding.

Hope you like it! But more than that,I hope you play along!! Check out the Friday Mashup, and use FM12 as a keyword on your gallery!

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}}}

Perfectly Tempting Daffodils

Hi Friends! More from my Stampin' Sleepover.

I encouraged the girls to come up with their own color challenge. They were initially stumped, but then came up with some lovely spring ideas! Today, I'll feature Lauren's combo: Perfect Plum, Tempting Turquoise,and Daffodil Delight.

The pictures are a little off...Bruce, aka photographer and hubby, was gone when we made these cards. The lighting around noon on a cloudy day wasn't great...but you'll get the idea! Oh, another note: my watermark indicates I made these,but the girls really did. I don't have time to adjust my watermark (can barely remember how!)

Since Lauren came up with the colors, I'll show hers first: Wow! I love how she embossed the lower panel of plum with the vintage wallpaper impressions folder, and used a few rhinestone jewels for a touch of bling. She wasn't sure what image to use, but when she saw this great stamp from All Holidays, it was perfect! The ticket corner punch adds a nice detail. SU markers were used to color the different words. The top half features Greenhouse Gala DSP. She added some daffodil satin ribbon and a non-SU ribbon to finish off the card.

Jenna decided to CASE a card I made with the Sale-a-Bration set "Bliss." She helped me clear some stash,as she used a retired striped grosgrain ribbon, and polka dot turquoise dsp from last summer's Tropical Party. She stamped the butterfly and flower, then added some pearl basic jewels. Love these things! She decided to use a plain layer of daffodil (not patterned) so the polka dots on the turquoise would stand out more. Smart girl! This card just make me wish for spring even more!


Finally...my card. Since the girls had chosen plum and turquoise card bases, I went with daffodil. I just got this stamp set, Morning Cup, and decided to play. I embossed the white layer with the square lattice folder, and added a layer of Greenhouse Gala DSP on the outside and inside. I used my markers to color the tea cups, which were stamped with stazon ink. The image was punched out with the large decorative label punch, and another piece of turquoise also punched out. I cut out the middle, then attached the side pieces on the back (great tip from Mary Fish's blog.)The sentiment was tiny, so I actually cut of the ends of the word window and modern label punches. I added brads from the bright collection, as well as daffodil and turquoise (retired) ribbon. Hope you like it!

Inky {{{HUGS}}}

Very Quick Cards

Today I am posting two very quick cards. Both were made for challenges on SCS, but also fit the "clean and simple" concept. This past Thursday, the Ways to Use it challenge called for twine. Well, I have this retired blue twine which has been making a mess in my basket! I decided to use it...and with this design, I should be able to duplicate this card a lot. I need lots of thank you cards now! I have a sahara sand base, then took my sponge daubers with sahara sand, bravo burgundy and night of navy ink to lightly dab a random pattern. Cool, huh? My 2-hole punch was used so I could lace my twine. I then stamped from Thank You Kindly in navy on very vanilla, outlining it with a marker, and popping it up with dimensionals. Super easy!

Next, Friday's Free For All challenge prepped us for Valentine's Day. We had to use pink, purple, and a heart. Check, check, and double check! If you follow this blog, you may recognize this. I CASE'd myself! Instead of ornaments, I punched hearts from the subtles pattern stack. (Actually, the perfect plum is a retired pattern, but the new patterns come in the same stack as the pretty in pink.) The elegant eggplant ric-rac is retired. But that fabulous striped grosgrain is still around! I used naturals ivory for the card base, and All Holidays for the sentiment.

Hope you like them!
Inky {{{HUGS}}}

Hugs and Kisses to Volunteers!

Today I have a party which has become a fun tradition. My husband and host a 12th Day of Christmas party for staff and volunteers from the ministry where I work. Bruce always makes 3 big pots of soup, and everyone brings a dish to pass. The evening includes a rather competitive "white elephant" gift exchange. At the end of the evening, I try to present them with a small token. This year, I made up treat bags, using small cellophane bags from Stampin' Up. I also cut out some retired Christmas DSP with my Top Note die in the Big Shot, and folded it over for a simple decoration. Each bag had a scallop circle in ruby red (yep...clearing out more retired stuff) and 1-3/8"circle in very vanilla. The sentiment is from All Holidays, and says "hugs and kisses". The bags were filled with chocolate kisses and life-savers...'cuz we're a life-saving ministry!

Inky {{{HUGS}}}

Tricky Color Dare!

You know I love color combos, and this week's Color Dare gave me a challenge to stretch a bit! Peach Parfait, Rich Razzleberry and Sahara Sand would never have met in my home on one card if this challenge had not come up!

This card features lots of punches and dies. I used the Top Note die, then embossed with perfect polka dots. I also used Little Leaves sizzlit with peach parfait pattern paper from the Hostess Level 1 pack. I punched out 5-petal flowers in very vanilla, sponged with peach and razzleberry, and added glimmer brads from the Holiday Mini. I used markers for this wonderful sentiment from All Holidays, then added the Teeny Tiny Wishes birthday stamp on the word window. This is going to an area SU demo for a birthday card swap. I better make more!

I'll be working on the 2 Color Dares that I missed. Actually, I completed one (6 cards!), but sent them off for a swap before getting a picture. Hopefully I can get quality stamping time in this upcoming weekend to catch up! (Our silly jobs get in the way of stamping, don't they?)

Inky {{{HUGS}}}

NEW Catalog Preview!!!

...and with that, a new blog template. I picked this in about 30 seconds...I have zero patience to go through so many blog templates! LOL! Hope you like it!

So, I got some new goodies with my Stampin' Up preorder! What's that, you ask? It's one of the great perks I get for being a demonstrator! Several stamp sets, designer series paper, card stock, ink, and accessory items were available to choose from before the new catty (catalog) goes live on July 1st. I got a good stash!!

I know a lot of people don't or can't buy so much at once. But you can get some great stuff to add to your current supply of goodies! You also can chat with me about your style and wish list, and I will help you plan what to order when. Don't forget about the retiring goodies, too! click ----->

This first card features the NEW dsp "Greenhouse Gala," cut out with the oh-so-classic top note die on my big shot. LOVE this floral pattern! I already had the chocolate chip and whisper white cardstock...and the baja breeze was admittedly from it's In-color year! Glad I stocked up! Come July 1st, we can all order it again! I used my NEW baja breeze marker to color just a bit of white taffeta ribbon (had that already, too) to make a small ribbon tag. The stamp is from All Holidays (already had it), and I colored it with NEW pear pizzazz and baja breeze markers.


And now...something completely different.


Believe it or not, the dsp in this card is from the same Greenhouse Gala! This zig-zag pattern is great for guys!
I decided to cut along the zig-zag for interest. The pattern has some chocolate chip, but I went ahead and mounted it on the new Early Espresso card stock. Can we say "YUM!"?? LOVE the rich brown-black shade. This stamp is also from All Holidays, colored with baja, real red, and espresso markers, and layered on pumpkin pie and baja breeze. NO accessories! Gasp! My husband took the picture and said he loved it. Too bad it isn't for him!

2 cards...3 new markers, 1 new pack of dsp, 1 new card stock color...everything else in my stash already. Not bad, huh?

I'll be back with more..I'm having a great time experimenting with my new goodies!!


Inky {{{HUGS}}}

A Colorful Sketch

Usually, I wait until my hubby can get a good picture of my cards. But he is at work now, and I wanted to post this today. Anyone who posts to splitcoaststampers knows that your cards get a lot more "love" if you post on the day of a challenge! LOL!!

I combined today's sketch challenge on splitcoaststampers with today's Color Dare. Very bold colors...but I think I have someone in mind for this card already!

The Color Dare (see my Blog Roll) called for elegant eggplant, old olive, bermuda bay, and melon mambo. Wowza! I decided to go floral...but I now realize that bermuda bay flowers probably don't exist in nature! Oh well! I colored images from Embrace Life with my markers and blender pens. The main panels have ticket corner punches. I used bermuda bay and razzleberry lemonade DSP. Some ribbon, a scallop oval punch...and Look! It's the word window punch again! But hey, that thank you is from All Holidays, not Teeny Tiny wishes. (Aren'tcha proud of me??) Only the gemstones are non-SU...everything else you can get by clicking over there <-------- on the Stampin' Up! catalog picture.

Inky {{{HUGS}}}

Sunday Feature

On Sunday mornings (or late Saturday nights) I always peek at splitcoatstampers to see who has been named as the week's Featured Stamper. I admit, I would love to have this honor,but with thousands of super-talented people, I may have to stick with just CASE-ing the ones chosen! LOL

Today's stamper is named Cathleen (ctorina). I often notice her work...she is so gifted! For the FS challenge, you select one project from the FS gallery and then CASE it (copy and send to everyone). You must change at least 3 things, but keep it close enough to show the inspiration. You may use the same stamped image, same colors, same sketch...just have fun!

I chose this card to CASE, and came up with my card shown here. I used naturals ivory, not quite navy, close to cocoa card stock and ink, Bella Bleu DSP, photo corner punch, gold brads, ribbon originals, and dimensionals. The image is from Of the Earth (a Level 1 hostess set) and the sentiment is from All Holidays.

I should make more of these...I really like it! Hope you do too!

Inky {{{HUGS}}}