Daring Trio

Hello Everyone!

I am moving very slowly through the Dare to Get Dirty challenges. I had this grandiose plan to make 4 of each card... 2 for me and 2 for Operation Write Home.  That means, I am spending a lot of time on a single challenge.  Tomorrow I will change that so I can get more challenges completed.  I can always duplicate later, right?

I posted one card yesterday...today I have 3.  Again, I can't specify what the challenges are.  These are fun extras for Fan Club members over at Splitcoaststampers.  However, I will give you some basic details on what is included in each card.

My first card uses some dsp from my scrap pile...yay!  Elegant Soiree and Bella Bleu are featured here.  My card base is baja breeze and the layer of crumb cake is tinted just a bit with some shimmer spritz I made (frost white shimmer paint + rubbing alcohol + not quite navy ink).  I actually dry embossed it first with the diagonal lines.  The not quite navy sentiment is from SU's "Blessings from Heaven" and the flower image is from "Thanks for Caring," colored with crumb cake and baja breeze markers, all on very vanilla and punched out with the extra large scallop circle.  Candy dots and kite string finish it off.

Next I have a Christmas card.  I planned on keeping it very simple with no coloring.  But I managed to get black embossing powder showing up in all the wrong places.  I used LOTS of different markers to color this image from  Paper Inspirations.  I sponged sahara sand and a combo of baja breeze and night of navy.  Touches of gold embossing were used for the crowns.  The entire image was cut out on my Big Shot, using the SU framelits.  My ribbon is long-retired purely pomegranate satin, so I used the matching ink for the sentiment (from SU "Come to Bethlehem.")  Oh...the card base is brushed gold, with the front embossed, using the fancy fans folder.

Finally, my favorite DTGD card so far.    Another baja breeze card base.  The second layer was embossed with the wood grain folder, then sponged with soft suede and pear pizzazz ink.  The image is a 2-step stamp from SU "Field Flowers." I used pear pizzazz, regal rose, calypso coral, and soft suede inks, plus sponged baja breeze all on very vanilla.  The sentiment is from the same stamp set.  I added just a strip of soft suede polka dot ribbon.  This is very mail-able, so I made 4...and will likely make more in different colors.

4 each of these cards is great for my stash, but I better get cranking on the other challenges!!

Inky {{{HUGS}}}
Kim

Mashin' Up with a NEW Christmas Stamp!

Hello Stamping Friends!


Today I am posting a card for a SCS Color challenge from April: Baja breeze, sahara sand, and so saffron.  I skipped this way back when because it didn't really "speak" to me.  But in my quest to do all of the 2014 SCS Color Challenges, I am finally doing it.  I am also submitting this for The Friday Mashup this week (just in time!)  We were challenged to use the watercolor wash technique and/or make a Clean and Simple card.  I did both.

Since I prefer rich, saturated colors, this combo was tough for me.  Give me one light color in combo with darker colors, and I am good to go.  But this is a very muted palette.

But inspiration struck with this NEW gorgeous stamp from Whipper Snapper Designs.  Well, it's new to me.  I had never looked at their website before, because I was only familiar with the cutesy images I often see used.  Just not my style.  But during the recent Virtual Stamp Night, I saw a Christmas card made with an image that grabbed my attention.   I decided to look it up, bought it...plus two other gorgeous Christmas stamps!  This Madonna & Child is one of them.

I am not very good at detailed watercoloring, but this watercolor wash technique is so easy!  I think it really allows the artwork of the image to come through.  After stamping the image in Stazon jet black, I spritzed a piece of very vanilla card stock with water and brushed on color using an aqua brush and re-inkers.  I used more saffron near the heads, to represent halos.  I kept more of the sand color on the skin, and the blue was used more around Mary's robe and head piece.  I never would have thought of these colors for Christmas, but with this image, I think it works!

My sentiment is from SU's "Greetings of the Season" punched with a scallop circle and sponged generously.  Baja breeze seam binding and some pearls finish it off.

I made this in a hurry, so I can post here.  But I need to take a bit more time...like let the wet paper dry before I trim it!  I definitely plan to make at least 11 more (I try to do 12 cards of each design for Christmas.)  With this technique, every card will be truly unique. I plan to stamp more this weekend, so I can also submit this to the SCS Christmas Card Challenge...WooHoo!

Thanks for stopping by again!

Inky {{{HUGS}}}
Kim

Virtually Colorful

Hello, and Happy Sunday!

I have 2 more Virtual Stamp Night projects for you.  You can still participate by uploading your projects to the SCS gallery, with these challenges by Saturday June 14th.

This card is for Lee's challenge to make a card for "Christmas in July"...even though it is only June!  I desperately need to get going on my Christmas cards. This was the nudge I needed.  I looked up a color challenge I had skipped and figured it was perfect: midnight muse, soft sky, and bermuda bay.  I kept a very clean design, using SU's "Angelic Joy" stamp set.  I needed the extra layer of midnight muse so that the elastic silver cord and filigree brad tips would not show on the inside of the card.  The horizontal strip is embossed with petals-a-plenty, and sponged with silver shimmer spritz.  (I actually had a scrap from a project 2 years ago...so glad I saved it!)  My angel image has just a bit of soft sky colored in, but I kept most of the image untouched.  The sentiment just fits in the modern label punch.  A couple of rhinestones add the final touch.  Since I missed out on ordering more midnight muse card stock, I will be adjusting this design with some slate card bases as I make a dozen for my Christmas card stash.

The next card was so fun and simple!  Lydia gave us a challenge to show "tan lines" in our project.  Once again, I pulled out a color challenge:  always artichoke, marina mist, and pistachio pudding.  I first stamped this sentiment from "Delightful Dozen" in artichoke on very vanilla.  Then I placed post-its across the vanilla layer and sponged along that edge.  I moved the post-its a few times, sponging pistachio in one direction, and marina in the other.  I adhered it to a layer of pistachio card stock, and ran both layers through my Big Shot with the square lattice folder.  The final detail is the addition of long-retired buttons and linen thread.   

Thanks for stopping by...just a couple more VSN cards to come!


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

Catching Up some more...

Hello again, Stamping Friends!

Here are 3 more Dare to Get Dirty challenge cards.

The first is a Christmas card which I intend to make 11 more of for my neglected Christmas card challenge, since it is pretty clean and simple.  I thought it also met a color challenge, but I was supposed to use midnight muse instead of night of navy.  Oh well!  The cared features my all-time favorite Christmas stamp from Miracle of Christmas, stamped with Versamark, then heat embossed with clear embossing powder.  The white and marina mist layers were cut out with the Big Shot and apothecary framelits.  I used baja breeze and marina mist to sponge around the image.  The sentiment is from SU's Greetings of the Season, stamped in night of navy, and punched out with the decorative label.  A few rhinestones finish it off.

Next is a very clean and simple card...in whisper white and gumball green.  I used the polka dot embossing folder on part of the white.  Polka dots continue in the patterned paper, and the jumbo brad.  The sentiment is from SU's Hello Again, on a small oval popped up with dimensionals.  The leaves are from Day of Gratitude.

The last card is more springy, which means it will sit in my box for next year.  The card base, ribbon, and dsp were actually an old card kit from my stamp club days.  Felt good to use up some retired stuff!  The base is almost amethyst, the ribbon is certainly celery.  I used the leaves die, large flower punch, and boho blossom punch, along with some apricot appeal, certainly celery, and regal rose pattern paper.  I embossed the flowers to add texture, added brads, and a sentiment from Teeny Tiny Wishes.

It has been good to catch up on posting...thanks for stopping by!

Inky {{{HUGS}}}
Kim