Mashin' Up with Paper Players!

Hello Stamping Friends!!  I am FINALLY posting some cards!  I actually made 15 cards this past weekend, and 30 the weekend before!  Many are in simple sets, but today I am featuring 2 challenge cards.  It felt great to visit the Friday Mashup (couldn't stay away long!) and Paper Players challenges again.  It was also nice to bring out some new Stampin' Up stuff.  I am winding down my days as a demo to put more energy and time into my speaking events.  But of course, I had to place a BIG order first!  LOL! 

The Friday Mashup challenge uses this fun sketch combined with a bird theme.  The hardest part was deciding which bird to use!  The Paper Players challenge gave us a fun and playful color combo.  I decided to flip the sketch and put it all together!




My first card has a basic gray card base with a layer of lucky limeade from the patterned paper stack.  This stack was available last year, but I just ordered it...how fun to tear into a new stack of paper!!  I added two strips of retired melon mambo ribbon...it's almost gone!  I nearly forgot the center piece, but decided to make my own DP using the challenge colors with these cute birds from "Aviary."  The many image is NEW...from the set "For the Birds."  I used blender pens to color it, then layered it on basic gray and black.  The gray layer is wide enough to add a row of rhinestones, which go perfectly with the retired "You're a Gem" set.  The inside piece of dsp is from an old SAB stack.  Feels good to use retired goodies, along with the new stuff!  This card will be perfect for one of my minstry donors...they support us soooo much!  Hope you like it!!





I made another card for the Friday Mashup.  I just had to play with some of the new colors!  The colors come from this new DSP called Comfort Cafe (I think...since I am not selling stuff now, I am not memorizing names!)  The card base is soft suede, with a layer of very vanilla, embossed with the Big Shot and new chevron impressions folder.  I used this new stitched satin ribbon in the new Midnight Muse color...pretty!  I used 3 patterns from this new dsp...the vertical stripe, the layer under my image, and a piece inside.  I think it's my favorite new pack!  The floral image is from Sale-a-Bration, but I think it goes well with the paper.  I used markers in soft suede, pool party, cajun craze and NEW midnight muse and summer starfruit to color it.  My bird is from "Elements of Style" in pool party and midnight muse, using the rock and roll technique.  My circle punch and sizzix circle die came in handy for the sentiment again!

It feels to post to the blog again!  I'll be sure to come by again soon!

Inky {{{HUGS}}}

Sunday Challenges!

Happy Sunday! I made 2 cards today. I wanted to make more, but arthritis meds made me groggy. Oh well. I am thrilled that I got these 2 done!

The first card is for the Featured Stamper challenge, and ths week we get to CASE Dianne (aka Eured99). Dianne stops by my gallery a lot, and makes such encouraging comments. I was thrilled to use her work as inspiration!! I chose this card to CASE. I kept the sketch and used all Stampin' Up products as she did. Instead of dry embossing, I sponged the image panel. It looks weird, but hey, I got it done! LOL! I used melon mambo for the card base, and added razzleberry lemonade dsp (retired.) The crushed curry ribbon and ink are also retired. The image is from Aviary, and the sentiments are both from Hostess sets...Precious Butterflies and Perfect Words. The image and oval punched sentiment are both popped up with dimensionals.

My next card is for today's Hope You Can Cling To challenge, as well as this week's sketch challenge on splitcoaststampers. My card base is pink pirouette, and I added a layer of very vanilla which was embossed with perfect polka dots. I pulled out retired Sending Love dsp, adding some sparkle. I made some of my own dsp with butterflies from Precious Butterflies in rose red, pink pirouette, pretty in pink, and pear pizzazz. The large scallop circle is retired pear pizzazz pattern paper. I stamped more butterflies in pink pirouette and a sentiment from Perfect Words in pear pizzazz. I used the butterfly punch to finish out the sketch. The pearls and glimmer brads add the final details.

Tomorrow I'll be back at work...no stamping...boohoo! Well,maybe some late at night! So many new challenges, so little time! *wink*

Inky {{{HUGS}}}

For the Birds

Hello everyone!

I made this card on Saturday for Wednesday's sketch challenge, but posting it on Sunday!! Did you follow that?? Busy schedules make for difficult posting...but hey, no biggie. I stamp whenever I can!



I started with a pumpkin pie card base, and used daffodil delight and pear pizazz for accents. All of these go perfectly with this print from Greenhouse Gala dsp. Such a variety in that package! My main image is from Aviary, stamped in stazon black on whisper white. I added a tall bird, colored with my markers, even added color to the bird cage. Each layer was accented with the scallop trim punch. Some people line up their scallops perfectly. God Bless them! I am not that coordinated! LOL! The sentiment is from Teeny Tiny Wishes, paired up with the word window and modern label punches. Basic jewel pearls and grosgrain ribbon finish it off.

About that ribbon... the card did not include ribbon originally. In fact, my first picture was without the ribbon. But, alas, my picture was not very good, so I decided to ask my husband to take a picture. But before I did, I set the card down...and behold! 2 small black splotches appeared! Gasp! I found the guilty party...a sponge wedge...sitting there, acting innocent. What to do? I once read a wise piece of advice, which I share with all stampers, experienced or novice: "There are no mistakes. Only opportunities for embellishment."

Yup. Another reason to keep a healthy stash of ribbon around!!

Inky and Splotchy {{{HUGS}}}

Dare to Share a Dare!

More from this weekend's Stampin' Sleepover!

As I mentioned, we started with Riley's Color Dare...basic gray,marina mist, and cherry cobbler. I made a baby card to take to the Clinic...it is a CASE of a card I made for a swap last year. I love this little monkey from Fox and Friends! The sentiment is rarely used in my house, but it is from the famous Teeny Tiny Wishes. I used the circle die to make various sizes, then ran most of them through my Big Shot with the perfect polka dot impressions folder. A few silver brads and the corner rounder punch finish it off.



Lauren loves birds, so she enjoyed using the Aviary stamp set. We all felt sorry for the owl...what's he doing in this set? Owls don't belong in bird cages! LOL!! Any way, as she chose the taller bird cage, stamped in Stazon Black, we wondered what to use to accent it. Well, I just bought the 2 Tags Big Shot die...perfect! The patterned paper stacks were used for the other layers. The sentiment is from "Hello Again" which is available through Sale-a-Bration with a $50 order. She used my scallop trim punch and just a touch of retired riding hood red ribbon to finish off this fantastic card.

Jenna saw one of my cards and decided to CASE it...and she did it with flair! I love this Clean and Simple design, leaving out several "extras" I had used. She used the Vintage Wallpaper impressions folder, and punched out a large scallop circle. She stamped the sentiment from "You're a Gem", which is available from the Occasions Mini Catalog on a 1-3/8" circle. A Fire brad adds just a touch of red to complete the color challenge. Fun!

Almost forgot...the girls also used some dimensionals. I have taught them well!!

Inky {{{HUGS}}}

Featured Birdie!

Today is Sunday...and that means Featured Stamper challenge on SCS. Today highlights the talent of Tracy (aka whoistracy). WOW! What a beautiful, clean look she has!! I am stocking up on thank you cards, and decided to make one for today with my Aviary set. This is the card I chose to CASE. (Edit: I now have a link to the card, not her entire gallery) I pulled out a soft color palette...blushing bride, pear pizazz, and baja breeze, including patterned paper from the Hostess Level 1 pack. The satin ribbon is retired ('cuz I am trying to finish it off!) but Fear Not!! You can now get baja breeze seam binding, which has a lovely sheen to it...it's available in the Occasions Mini. I bought 3 rolls already! LOL!! I stamped the bird cage in basic gray, which I like over basicblack when I have a softer pallette. And the little bird mimics the little bird on Tracy's rainbow! How cool is that? ;-) One more thing...did you notice Teeny Tiny Wishes without punches?!? Gasp! Sometimes,less is more!

Hope you get to stamp today!

Inky {{{HUGS}}}

Dare to Try Again!

This week's Color Dare is bright and summery...a great diversion from the cold of January! I made one card...and it was like a snowball rolling down a hill! Stop! Too much!! LOL!! So, I tried again, and I am happier with the results. I thought about making one more attempt...but with two 12th Day of Christmas parties this weekend, there was no time.

The Color Dare assigned us tempting turquoise, tangerine tango and pear pizazz. I had some retired tangerine ribbon which I really want to use up. On the new side, I have this adorable Stampin Up! set called Aviary. It had not seen ink yet, so I pulled it out for a debut. It is quite a cute set! My extra large scallop punch and Circles big shot die came in handy. The card base is tempting turquoise, and I added some pear pizazz pattern paper from the Hostess Level 1 pack. I ran some whisper white through the Big Shot with perfect polka dots...but just part way, so I could stamp the sentiment. This cute 'hello' is from "Hello Again," a set in the Idea Book and Catalog (IBC) but also available soon as a FREE set when you place a $50 Sale-a-Bration Order! Contact me for more details!

Back to the card...since I had already added the ribbon, taped on the back...oops...and I needed more tangerine, I took my marker and outline the white layer. I also added a tiny bit on the bottom of the cage.

Just for fun, I'll post my reject card. Here, not on SCS. More limited views on my teeny tiny blog! LOL!!

Inky {{{HUGS}}}