Love Fest!!

Love is in the air at Splitcoaststampers!

I almost missed it this year, but once again, member companies have posted a series of challenge during the last half of February.  I only did a few cards, combining each with a couple of challenges.  I'll post a couple today, then the others later this week.

My first card was for the Paper Smooches challenge to make something CUTE and fun, or elegant and classy.  I just got the SU "Just Sayin'" stamp set and the coordinating framelits.  I work for a prolife ministry, and I am known to say "WooHoo!" a lot.  I decided to combine the conversation bubble with this little guy from long-retired "Baby Firsts."  The top of the card was run through the big shot with my new impressions folder from sale-a-bration. The entire card is in white and poppy parade, including the twill ribbon..   I made 12...and will make 12 in many other colors as well.  I plan on using them for thank you cards.

The next card is for the Stamping Bella challenge to make a spring card (we are all tired of winter!)  It also works for a recent SCS color challenge; wild wasabi, daffodil delight, and strawberry slush.  The card base is wasabi, and the white layer is embossed with Cuttlebug's stylized flowers folder.  My images are from SU's "Hello Again," colored with markers.  The sentiment is from "On Your Birthday."  I added a scallop oval from more scraps on my table, even though it isn't quite the right color...close enough!  Gotta use my scraps!  A touch of strawberry ruffled ribbon, and some candy dots finish it off.

I enjoy making clean and simple cards...sometimes. LOL  These were quick and easy to do.  Perhaps I will make more of them soon.

Inky {{{HUGS}}}

Kim

Virtual Stamp Night...Mini!

Hello Stamping Friends!

I am making my 3rd attempt to post this.  Blogger has not liked me this week!  I typed up a full description of my cards, and it would not publish.  I hit save multiple times, but when I came back to it this morning, nothing was there.  BooHoo.  Hardly earth-shattering, but definitely frustrating!  My motivation to get this posted is the deadline for this week's Friday Mashup challenge!  

My FM card is also for the Mini version of Virtual Stamp Night, which was last Friday night.  The full version will be March 7 & 8, and I am happy to be hosting a challenge that weekend!  The overall theme is "Weather or Not."  There is still time to upload your mini VSN cards, with a chance to win a 6 month subscription to the SCS Fan Club!!

So...onto the cards.  I just did one part of the Friday Mashup - the color scheme - and the VSN challenge was to use a weather theme with a play on words.  My card base is marina mist, and I added a layer of whisper white which was dry embossed with the Cloudy Day folder, then sponged with soft sky ink.  I had this glimmer paper already cut (using the Tasteful Trim die), and then I added a bit of color with my SU markers.  I told someone that they represent the huge piles of snow we have all over town in every parking lot, every driveway...  I am so over this winter!!!

But I digress.

The cute image and sentiment are from SU's "Snow Much Fun."  I used black craft ink, heat embossed, then colored with markers.  It looks like cherry cobbler on his scarf, but it is actually primrose petals.  The image is cut out,and my snowball is actually on the "wrong" side, so I would have room for the sentiment.  I did use cherry cobber for the sentiment, popped up on a scalloped oval to match the clouds.  Bakers twine is the final detail.

My next card is more about SPRING!!  We were encouraged to make a card with a floating element.  I made my first suspension card; you can find a tutorial here.  I did it a bit differently, so if I write a note inside, it will show.  Oops.  Oh well.  The card base is wisteria wonder.  I used the apothecary framelits for the opening.  The butterfly and inside frame are concord crush pattern paper.  The flower is from SU's "Every Moment", heat embossed, colored with markers, then cut out and popped up with dimensionals.  The sentiment is from "Because I Care", and the watermark flower is from"Bliss."  I added certainly celery seam binding for contrast.

It was fun making cards for challenges again this weekend.  I probably won't be stamping again until Saturday, since work is so busy.  But I will be sure to post cards when I do!  Thanks for stopping by!

Inky {{{HUGS}}}
Kim

Freshly Made by the Sea

Good morning, Stamping Friends!

Today I have the other card I made this past Wednesday.  Once again, I am catching up on SCS Color Challenges.  This one calls for tempting turquoise, coastal cabana, and crisp cantaloupe.  I have to admit, this was a tough one for me.  But as I pondered and perused my stamps, I decided to go with an ocean theme.  I also paired up the color challenge with this week's Freshly Made Sketches challenge found HERE:  As you can tell, I flipped the sketch on its side.

I gravitate toward rich regals and deeper tones, so I wasn't sure how to handle this palette.  Because I needed a card for a young adult male (nephew-in-law) I thought adding the black would give it some depth and maturity.  My nephew live in Florida, so I'm hoping he'll like the design!  

My card base is basic black, with a layer of coastal cabana, dry embossed with the Cuttlebug "Divine Swirls" folder in my big shot, then sponged with turquoise.  The polka dot paper is from a retired SU pack, "Tropical Party." My stamped images are from SU's "By the Tide," simply layered for dimension.  Of course, I needed to add "Teeny Tiny Wishes" for the sentiment.  Calypso Coral bakers twine finishes it off.

I am enjoying my dive back into stamping challenges!  Hopefully, I will make more cards later this weekend.

Inky {{{HUGS}}}

Kim

Triple Challenge Card!

Hello again, Stamping Friends!

I am on a stamping and blogging roll!  Today's card features THREE challenges from SCS... Last Fridays Free 4 All (use the word LOVE), this past Tuesday's Color Challenge (Basic Gray, Pumpkin Pie, and Primrose Petals) and yesterday's Sketch challenge, shown here.

Because of the sketch and the "Love" requirements, I planned on making a Valentine.  However, I needed a birthday card for one of my nieces who turned 16 last week.  Yep...LAST week.  Belated card, it is!  With my sickness last month, I feel a bit justified, for a change.  I better get back on track with the rest of the month!

I used pumpkin pie pattern paper...Sarah likes orange.  It is hard to see, but the white and pumpkin pieces are dry embossed with a heart folder from Cuttlebug, run through my Big Shot.  The pennant has SU sets "I Heart Hearts" and "Fabulous Phrases."  I used my journal marker to add the number 16.  The other sentiment is from "Well Scripted."  I used the heart punch, even as the bottom of the pennant.  "Teeny Tiny Wishes" on the word label punch with candy dots finish it off.  I think these colors work very well for a teen girl card...what do you think?  By the way...sorry for the smudge.  I think I need to have a chat with my hubby/photographer!  LOL

Thanks for coming by!  I have another color  challenge card to show you tomorrow.  Hope you stop by again.

Inky {{{HUGS}}}

Kim

My Mojo is Coming Back!

Hello Stamping Friends!

I can hardly believe that I am blogging two days in row.  Plus I made 2 additional cards yesterday which I will post in the next few days.  My stamping mojo is definitely coming back.  (By the way...this blog "address" is new.  I have no followers yet, even though I had many on the last blog.  I'd love to have you follow me here now!)

The first card I have today was made on Super Bowl Sunday.  I kept thinking it needed something more, but now that I have set it aside for a while, I like it.  This card uses the first color challenge of 2014 from SCS: Rich Razzleberry, Island Indigo, Night of Navy.  I absolutely love these colors, and because of their "cool tones" I initially planned on making a snowy card.  Instead, I was craving something different...I am ready for spring!  My card base is island indigo, and I added a layer of razzleberry pattern paper.  The main image panel features a fun technique that I learned during a Virtual Stamp Night years ago:  Serigraph.  I rarely use my brayer, and even for this card, it didn't work as well as I had hoped, but I think the results still look nice.  In a nutshell, I stamped the silhouette image with versamark, embossed with clear embossing powder, then randomly brayered the challenge colors over the top.  I gently wiped off any color from the flowers.  The tutorial actually has you stamp on top of some color and emboss with white.  One time, I embossed with early espresso over the brayered colors.  Whichever way, it has a lovely marbled look.  The sentiment is from SU's "Trust God," and I used the scallop punch.  Very old night of navy organza ribbon wraps it up.

My other card came about on Monday because I had a half sheet of crumb cake card stock from Sunday's project, and this bold DSP scrap was on the top of my growing pile.  I had not touched anything with poppy parade for a while, so this turned out to be fun.  This dsp is called Pocket Full of Posies, I think, and it was designed to coordinate with the SU set "My Friend."  I randomly stamped on the card base directly (something I rarely do) for a background.  The sentiment was stamped on very vanilla, but I sponged heavily with crumb cake, baja breeze, and night of navy.  My embellishments are poppy parade poly-twill ribbon and navy candy dots, plus some dimensionals.  I didn't have any challenges in mind for this card...other than to use some retired materials!

Thanks for coming by...and please sign up to follow this blog!  I'd love to have more stamping friends!

Inky {{{HUGS}}}

Kim  

FIRST Card of 2014!!

Hello Stamping Friends!!

I have FINALLY started stamping in this New Year!  Why has it taken just over a month?  Well, I had a serious case of bronchitis,my husband had kidney stones, which led to surgery which led to an infection which led to hospitalization...  Let's just say I am happy January is over!

So, on Super Bowl Sunday, I typically stamp while the game is on for background noise...mostly for the commercials.  I like and admire Peyton Manning as a talented athlete and classy guy.  Too bad he didn't show up!  LOL

Anywho, I only made 2 cards that night...then one on Monday.  I hope to stamp tonight again.  As I decided to begin, I went with the Inspiration Challenge on SCS found HERE.  And of course, I had to join my cyber friends over at The Friday Mashup, with this week's challenge found HERE.  

The inspiration room from the Ethan Allen website is HERE.  The dark wood bookcases and feathery plants were the items I focused on, so it seemed to work with this sketch.  My card base is crumb cake.  The early espresso layers are dry embossed with the woodgrain folder.  Believe it or not, I still have kiwi kiss card stock.  I stamped SU's "Fine Feathers" using kiwi kiss, crumb cake, and summer starfruit, then sponged generously.  The text is from SU's "Feel Goods," stamped in early espresso.  Some quilted ribbon finishes it off.

It feels good to stamp again!  I hope to get back into regular participation in challenges, as well as blogging what I create.  Check back tomorrow to see the other cards I mentioned above.  And hopefully, there will be more later this week!

Thanks for stopping by!

Inky {{{HUGS}}}
Kim