Hello Spring?

Quick post today, because I almost forgot to post this card, and the blog deadline is looming upon me! 

Friday's Free 4 All Challenge on Splitcoaststampers was all about spring.  Many of us are longing for it, especially as we get ore snow!  I decided to check out the palette for the week on The Color Throwdown, and it is perfect for a springtime card! 








I chose crumb cake for my card base.  The main panel is some specialty paper from SU; white with embossed patterns, ready for sponging or brayering.  I sponged calypso coral ink all over it, then added wild wasabi to the edges which, of course, turned brown.  I wasn't thrilled, but I kept it.  The stamped images are from SU's "Hello Again" using calypso coral, wild wasabi, crumb cake, and marina mist ink on whisper white, matted in wasabi.  Marina mist satin ribbon and enamel dots finish it off.

It's a bit drab for spring, but as I said in my SCS gallery, early March is usually quite drab in central Illinois!  I'll probably use this palette again, though it won't be on time for the Link-Up.  It's just too pretty not to give it a second shot! 

Thanks for stopping by!

Inky {{{HUGS}}}
Kim

I'm Back!

Hey there, Stamping Friends!

I am dusting off this blog!  I have been stamping fairly often this year, helping to moderate Virtual Stamp Night events on Splitcoaststampers, and always having fun with family birthday cards.  I actually have 4 or 5 posts in my drafts...clearly I thought I would be back sooner!

For several years, I chose a blog challenge and a SCS weekly challenge to focus on throughout the year.  Well, I have nearly ignored 2018 blog challenges so it is too late for that.  But I have been doing the Free 4 All challenges, which are posted on SCS every Friday.

So today, I am just going to post a few F4A cards just so this blog wakes up!  It is also a waay for me to warm up before the huge Dare to Get Dirty week of challenges which start this coming Saturday!

 This first card is for the most recent F4A, "Winged Things," along with last week's color challenge (smoky slate, berry burst, granny apple green.)  I don't have any granny apple green, so I used kiwi kiss.  The bird is from "Elements of Style," and the sentiment is from a new set, "Just Add Text." I am almost out of kiwi kiss card stock...after how many years??














The next card is for the challenge "Ride the Waves."  I literally had the card base and dsp (Sunshine & Sprinkles) together for weeks, but set this aside.  Then I had vacation and a busy VSN week.  I was happy to finish with this fun stamp my sister-in-law found for me at a thrift store.  It is SU's "Aquaria" or something like that.  I colored it with blender pens.  The sentiment is from "Whimsical Words."















Now, this card was made in June while I was on dawnmercedes team to make F4A samples.  The challenge was to make something inspired by a neighboring state.  I live in Illinois, and neighboring Missouri is home to the St Louis Cardinals.  My hubby is a HUGE cardinals fan, so I made this for his July birthday.  I used "Good Sport" and "Happiest Birthday Wishes" stamp sets.  I added a tiny bit of an imitation feather to top off the bird.  I chose yellow for the sentiment,. similar to the yellow bat in the St Louis team logo.












My next card was created way back in May on the weekend of the Kentucky Derby.  I have quite a bit of this "To the Nines" dsp, and this particular pattern goes well with this horse image from "Horse Frontier."  The greeting is from "Wetlands."  The only non-SU element is the thick twine, which I looped like a lasso.  I really like how this turned out!















Now, the last card I am posting is for a F4A challenge posted months ago, but I just did it in July, combining it with a VSN challenge.  VSN was "Going to the Zoo," and the F4A was specifically about zebras.  Easy combo!  I used melon mambo and lemon lime twist with the black and white paper from S.E.I. called "Black Orchid."  The zebra is from "Zoo Friends," and the greeting is from "Just Sayin'" on a word bubble framelit.  I sent this to my "tween" grand-daughter.


I have made many other cards, but posting them all would be silly!  I am just happy to get back on this platform.  I'll be checking out other blogs too to see what YOU have been creating!

Inky {{{HUGS}}}
Kim

Challenging Friday

Hello, and Happy Friday!!

Once again, it has been a while since I have been here.  Still trying to get out of a rut.  I had a good friend visit last weekend who gave me some encouragement.  While I may be far behind in many projects for home and church, I just need to take small steps in order to catch up.  (That's my free advice for the day!  Haha!)

Today, I have cards for a couple of challenges.  One is the sketch challenge from The Paper Players.  A while back, I was going through a box of supplies.  I quickly realized they were items I received in a swap.  Among them was a small stack of positively luscious pattern  paper in earthy tones that are right up my alley.  I must have set them aside to plan a big project.  Alas, that didn't happen, so I finally put them to use this week.  Because the patters are so pretty, I thought they would be perfect with this clean sketch.  My card base is crumb cake; the sentiment is from SU's "So Sorry," stamped in early espresso and baja breeze on a large scallop circle.  Espresso satin ribbon is used for the horizontal layer.  I have 3 friends from my diocesan group who each lost a brother in the last few weeks.  This was a quick way to get sympathy cards done.  I hope to make more this weekend, so I have them on hand.

The other card is for today's Free4All challenge, Machines and Tools, on SCS.  It works well for a masculine card, and I needed something for my dear hubby.  As I mentioned, I have been going through a rough phase, and my husband has been so wonderful and patient!  Add to that, he is a mechanic for the local Quaker oats plant...fixing machines that make and package Chewy granola bars, Honey O's cereal, and Aunt Jemima pancake mix.  Today's theme has his name written all over it!  Somewhere in my mess, I have some gears to add to my cards, but I couldn't find them.  Fortunately, I had this small Tim Holtz embossing folder, and sponging with early espreso and indigo island inks helps to accent the gears.  I used early espresso, very vanilla card stock, and SU "Soho" dsp.  The sentiment is computer generated using RGB codes I found online. Memory Box brads and Tim Holtz thick twine finish it off.




It feels good to create again; hopefully I will do some more this weekend.

Thanks for stopping by!

Inky {{{HUGS}}}
Kim

Another Playful Friday

(I intended this to go live on July 22...Technical difficulties!)

Hello again, everyone!

It seems Friday has become my primary stamping day recently.  Despite looking at challenges throughout the week, I just don't get around to the actual creation part.  But since I am trying to complete the Paper Players 2016 challenges, and I started late any way on this goal, and Friday is their LinkUp deadline...well there ya go!  Instead of doing all of the Clean and Simple Challenges at once (last week I caught up on color) I decided to do the two recent ones.  Each is combined with a challenge from Splitcoaststampers.  

(Once again my camera is not uploading to my laptop...grrr.  So this will not make the deadline.  Clearly, I should have started sooner!  LOL)

The first card uses a watercolor with a fresh color challenge:  so saffron, calypso coral and crisp cantaloupe.  I stamped images from "Fifth Avenue Floral" on  watercolor paper and used my aqua brush to paint the colors.  The sentiment is from Stampabilities, punched out with the scalloped circle.  After adding thick bakers twine, I mounted it onto coral card stock, and then a saffron base.

Next, today's Free4All challenge is all about Christmas in July, which works out since I missed that one from The Paper Players a couple of weeks ago.  Since July is nearly over, I decided I better get this done!  My card base is SU brushed gold.  The dp is a Karen Foster Designs piece that I purchased YEARS ago at a big box store.  I bought it for scrapbooking, which I never do anymore, so I think I'll make a few more of these cards with the rest of the sheet.  The sentiment is from SU "Delightful Dozen" on an oval already cut and in my stash.  Gold brads and gold embroidery thread add some holiday glamour!  

That's it for today.  I hope to participate in the upcoming Dare to Get Dirty challenges...and maybe even post a few cards!


Inky {{{HUGS}}}
Kim

Free for All Friday...on Thursday??

Hello Stamping Friends!  Here is another post that I started quite some time ago.  Now I have to change the text!  LOL

One challenge that I don't do enough is the Free for All (F4A) on Splitcoaststampers.  It comes up on Fridays, which should be a good day to play, but inevitably I am catching up on work or something more pressing.  Well today I have not one, but two cards for two different challenges...one hosted by my stamping friend Dawn (dawnmercedes).

This first card is for last Friday's Free for All...and I even made it that day!  Alas, I didn't get a picture and then didn't get back to my blog.  I made two of these because my aunt has asked for some cards.  She lives in a nursing home with severe MS.  She wants to be able to keep in touch with friends and family.  I decided that I will be duplicating my Virtual Stamp Night cards too, so that she can have a stack before the end of the month.  The challenge was to have a yellow image.  I decided what a great way to prep for the "Here Comes the Sun" Virtual Stamp Night!  On a black card base, I added some "Beyond the Garden" dsp.  I cut out a tag with my Big Shot.  In honor of my daffodils which are so close to blooming, I used this long-retired set "Beautiful Life" using wild wasabi and daffodil delight ink.  The sentiment is from "Whimsical Words", stamped over a sun made with a sponge dauber.  I added some light sponging, including some bashful blue.  Scrunched up satin ribbon and enamel hearts from Avery Elle finish this off.


Next, I have a card for the challenge, "Going Postal," hosted by my sweet friend Dawn.  Dawn believes as I do...card makers are keeping the US Postal Service afloat!  LOL  This year, I have already mailed 91 cards (well, a couple were hand delivered.)  Admittedly, 27 were late Christmas cards that first week of January and 38 Valentines to wrap up my "Christmas" list.  But still, that means 26 other cards have Gone Postal from my home.  Not bad for the digital age, right?  This card was for one of my brothers-in-law.  The pattern paper was gifted from my friend Dawn, so it was fun to use for her challenge.  It goes perfectly with this poppy parade card base and ribbon.  The image is from "For the Birds" colored with markers (poppy, not quite navy, and more mustard) and mounted on more mustard.  I covered up the original sentiment with this one from "Happiest Birthday Wishes," cut out as a banner.

Now, maybe I am back in my blogging rhythm!   Thanks for coming by again!

Inky {{{HUGS}}}
Kim