Last Card for 2013!!

Hello Stamping Friends!!

This is my last card for 2013.  I kept track of my cards this year...the ones I made, the ones I mailed, even challenges that I completed.  Since I didn't actually mail Christmas cards, my "mailed" number suffered a bit.  I'll work on that in 2014!

So, how did I do?  I mailed 33 cards that were in my stash before this year. Kinda fun to keep track of those...especially since I often make cards in December which get mailed in January or February.

I made 217 cards this year...
I completed 150 SCS challenges and 18 Blog Challenges  (some cards meet 2 challenges).  I definitely want to do more Blog Challenges!
I donated 36 of these cards to the ministry of Women's Care Clinic
I sent 18 of them to swaps
And I mailed 112
That means I have 51 cards to mail in the coming year! (28 of those are Christmas cards)

So, any way....

Here is my last card.  The colors are pink pirouette, soft sky, and sahara sand.  I don't have any soft sky card stock yet, and I had a scrap of sahara sand...did not feel like opening a new pack.  Not sure I like this, but hey, it's done!  I needed another winter birthday card.

I ran the sahara sand through the Big Shot with the elegant lines impression folder, then sponged with soft sky ink.  The ornament is from SU's "Tags til Christmas," used with the coordinating punch.  Once again, "Teeny Tiny Wishes" is used with the dynamic duo of punches...word window and modern label.  Some rhinestones and elastic cord finish it off.

I am looking forward to more stamping in the New Year!  Christmas cards, birthday cards, thank you cards... Hopefully you will be inspired to create pretty things too!

Inky {{{HUGS}}} and Happy New Year!!
Kim

Mommy & Baby Birthdays!

Hello Stamping Friends!

I have two more cards today, using color challenges from earlier in the year.  I needed a belated birthday card for one of my nieces, and a card for her daughter who will turn one year old in January.






This first card features gumball green, cherry cobber, and crumb cake (I also added very vanilla.)  I used my Top Note die in the Big Shot.  The sentiment iss from "Happiest Birthday Wishes" and the flower is from "Because I Care," colored with markers.  I added some cherry cobbler seam binding for the last detail.













The next card has pool party, so saffron, and real red.  My so saffron is dry embossed with the Sale-a-Bration folder, but I can't remember the name...something with a vine.  The images are from "Hello Again," colored with markers.  I added a small piece of red dsp from an old hostess pack.  The sentiment is from "Best Yet," punched out with the pair of tag punches.  I added candy dots for a bit of detail.  My ribbon needs to be tucked in again...but you may recognize it from years ago in a SU catalog.  I bought 3 rolls of this stuff!  Still have quite a stash!

It is always fun for me to use the color challenges for my cards.  Some are easier than others, but I love the opportunity to create something new.

Thanks for stopping by!

Inky {{{HUGS}}}
Kim

Snowy Birthdays by the River!

Hello Stamping Friends!

I made several cards this weekend, hoping to finish up the 2013 SCS color challenges, but I can tell it is not going to happen!  I have various things to do for work before the New Year, and if I only make cards, I'll be in trouble!

But I did a few cards that I will post over the next few days, each using a color challenge.  Turns out I did all but 16 2013 color challenges...not bad!

Two challenges from last spring used river rock.  Not my favorite color, but it did grow on me.  Ironically, SU has retired this color, but I did buy a couple of packs which will last me a while.  Since I needed winter birthday cards, I pulled out SU's "Serene Snowflakes" for both cards, and I am very happy with them!





The first card has river rock, elegant eggplant, and melon mambo.  Weird colors for snow, but yet I think it's kinda fun!  The sentiment is from "Happiest Birthday Wishes," stamped on a scallop circle.  The rick-rack ribbon is several years old from SU ribbon essentials...I may finish off the role before spring!  Some river rock dsp and sponging add simple finishing details.











Initially, I started that card for one of my sisters-in-law, but it has way to much pink for her!  When I saw the next color challenge, I knew it would be a better fit for her:  river rock, baja breeze, and not quite navy.  I made snowflake pattern paper again, and cut it into panels.  The large snowflake is cut out, and popped up with dimensionals.  Of course, "Teeny Tiny Wishes" is paired with the word window and modern label punches.  Taffeta ribbon and rhinestones add some pretty detail.

Thanks for stopping by!  Hope to see you again soon!

Inky {{{HUGS}}}
Kim

Happy Birthday, Leilani!

While I have quite a knack for belated birthday cards, this one was done EARLY!!  I saw my great-niece along with the rest of my hubby's side of the family (the ones in IL/IN) on Dec. 22nd.  I was happy to give this card to my beautiful niece, who has three beautiful kids.  Her youngest, Leilani, was born on this day, the 28th, while her husband was stationed in Hawaii.  They have since moved back to Indiana to be close to family.  We are so happy to see all of these kids more now that they live close by!

The card works for yet another color challenge (still have many to do!) from SCS:  Blushing Bride, Real Red, and Gumball Green.  I dry embossed the whisper white, using this snowflake embossing folder in my Big Shot.  I lightly sponged the raised area with blushing bride ink.  The snowman is from SU's "Snow Much Fun" embossed in black, then colored with markers.  The sentiment is from "On Your Birthday" paired with a circle and scallop circle punch.  I added gumball green ribbon to match my snowman's scarf.

The year is almost done...I wonder how many more color challenges I will complete.  Stay tuned to find out!!

Thanks for stopping by!!

Inky {{{HUGS}}}
Kim

New Babies! WooHoo!!

Since I work for a pro-life ministry, you might have guessed that I LOVE babies...and mommies too!  I make cards for the ministry sometimes.  But it is also fun to make cards for my own family and friends.

Pulling out the SCS color challenges again, here are 2 cards I needed this month.  These cards are quite simple, which is good during a busy time of year.  One friend had a little boy, the other friend had a little girl.  Both are simply precious!!

My baby boy card features a new SU color, Coastal Cabana, combined with Tempting Turquoise and Pacific Point.  The "dessert option" was to use dots.  I used sponge daubers to make a polka dot background with the turquoise and cabana colors.  The striped ribbon goes back a few years, when pacific point was first introduced.  The baby image is even older, from SU's "Baby's Firsts", and the sentiment is from "Baby Prints."  I love that the words are on different stamps, so you can place them any where you like...such as above AND below an image!  The polka dot DSP is also retired SU stash.  "Teeny Tiny Wishes" shows up with the word window punch, and a new bright "candy dot".  Much like a brad, but since it is flatter, it adds less bulk to your card.  Love them!

The baby girl card features melon mambo, old olive, and daffodil delight.  The colors were posted back in August, which makes sense since they are bright and summery.  But with a baby girl born in December, I figured these would work just fine.  I used confetti white for the card base, plus an extra layer.  That layer

is embossed with petals-a-plenty and sponged with melon mambo.  The image is from "Baby Firsts" again, punched out with my scallop circle and sponged around the edges.  I used the same sentiment from "Teeny Tiny Wishes" this time paired with the word window and modern label punches.  Of course, I have a healthy dose of dimensionals!  I added satin ribbon, with a small button and rhinestone for the last detail.

Thanks for stopping by!  It has been fun catching up on some color challenges with you.  I hope you have a Very Merry Christmas!!!

Inky {{{HUGS}}}

Kim

Merry Christmas!

Hello and Merry Christmas!!

Just a quick post today.  I made a card with yet another SCS color challenge.  This one features bermuda bay, real red and chocolate chip.  Fun!

The card base is bermuda bay...my last piece from the stash I had when it was an "in-color."  So glad it is in the regular line up...I need to order some next week!  My stamp is SU's "Dasher," heat embossed in chocolate chip.  I guess I should say that before I stamped him, I did some sponging, trying to have a snowy hillside scene.  The real red is a fun contrasting color on the background layer and fabulous polka dot ribbon.  "Teeny Tiny Wishes" is paired with the word window and scallop oval punches.  Quick and easy, or should I say Clean and Simple?  This card was for my dear hubby, Bruce.  (Can you tell?)

Catch ya later this week!

Inky {{{HUGS}}}
Kim

Belated Colorful Birthdays

In January, I set out to complete each color challenge on SCS, knowing fully well that it would be tough!  I did not add the pressure of doing them "on time" or in order...thankfully!

I also set out to make 120 Christmas cards.  That didn't happen.  Not even close.  My mojo was GONE.  Just last week, I decided not to worry about Christmas cards any more; I would just send out a Christmas letter.  Once I did that, I felt a burden lifted...and I made 5 cards!  I needed several cards for birthdays and a couple of baby cards.  Here are the belated birthday cards I created:

Remember in my last post I stated I started a color challenge card and felt like I had already used this color combo?  Well, I did use it before, but it is such a nice combo that I don't mind using it again!  The colors are Midnight Muse, Strawberry Slush and Pear Pizzazz.

My card base is confetti white.  I used the SU "Snow Much Fun" stamp set, embossed in black.  Then I colored the images with markers.  The midnight muse is TOO dark for that bird on top.  Wish I had just made them both strawberry.  My tree is actually old olive because that is what I thought I needed...and the colors are very close any way.  The DSP that I used for a layer is from a retired baby print package from SU, so I managed to get pear pizzazz in there!  The midnight muse is left over from a card I made last year!  Embossed with Plenty of Petals folder, sponged with silver shimmer, and edged with the decorative scallop punch, it adds a lot of detail!  You cannot tell, but there is a bit of sponging on the snow with a silver shimmer spritz mix also.  My sentiment is from Happiest Birthday Wishes (also SU), and I finished it off with ruffled ribbon.



Having a half sheet in confetti white, I decided to make another card; this one for the color challenge to use Soft Sky, Night of Navy, and Cajun Craze.  I really thought I had a stamp with "warm wishes," but no such luck.  I decided to stick with the cajun color for my coffee pot (from SU "Morning Cup"), and hand write the sentiment.  I thought it was a nice contrast to the cool tones that I sponged on the snowflake embossed background.  I guess I can also say that this card was for my nephew who just turned 21. Hope he didn't need to much coffee the next morning!  *wink* Striped grosgrain ribbon finishes it off.

My last belated birthday card (from this stamping day!) uses shades of blue:  Marina Mist, Midnight Muse, and Baja Breeze.  I used SU's "Serene Snowflakes" to make my own pattern paper.  Another run of the snowflake embossing folder in my Big Shot added much needed texture.  The circle was in my stash of pre-cut pieces, coming from my Sizzix circle die.  The sentiment is the same one in the first card, from Happiest Birthday Wishes.  I used my corner rounder punch...messed up a bit on the sentiment.  But, hey.  This and all the b-day cards I send out to family include a DQ gift card!  That makes up for smudges, crooked sentiments, double punched corners, or being LATE cards...right??

Thanks for stopping by!!

Inky {{{HUGS}}}
Kim

Some Catching Up...Again

So today, I decided to make some belated birthday cards.  I wanted to incorporate past color challenges, since I had set a goal to do each 2013 Color Challenge from Splitcoaststampers.  I pulled out my midnight muse card stock, and had a piece that was embossed and spritzed, left over from last December!  So, I decided to look for a challenge using that color.  As I began to design a card, I though that I had done it before.  Yup.  Just didn't put it in my color challenge file.  I made it for the September Virtual Stamp Night, along with another color challenge.  So here they are...

This first card is the one that prompted my memory.  The colors are midnight muse, pear pizzazz, and strawberry slush.  I used the rock-n-roll technique on this fabulous tea cup from Stampin' Up (Tea Shoppe?).  The sentiment is from Delightful Dozen, with circle and scallop circle punches.  The tag punch makes a great tea bag! 

This next card uses 5 colors...very rare for a SCS color challenge.  They are indigo island, pool party, daffodil delight, pumpkin pie, and strawberry slush.  The kites and sentiment are from SU's "Send Me Soaring."  I embossed with the cloudy day embossing folder, then lightly sponged.  The kites are cut out and popped up with dimensionals.  The striped paper is from the 12x12 pattern paper stack.  Ruffled ribbon is my favorite detail.

Thanks for stopping by!

Inky {{{HUGS}}}
Kim