Virtual Boat on the Water

Hello and Happy Saturday!

I made this card last night for the Mini Virtual Stamp Night...Summer Vacation!

The VSN challenge asked us to use water in our project.  In addition to the VSN challenge, I pulled out a recent color challenge on SCS (I have missed quite a few) which calls for old olive, bermuda bay, and night of navy.  I even almost did a featured stamper challenge.  I say almost, because this stamper has not been formally featured, but I CASE'd her card found here.  

All of the products used are from Stampin' Up!

My card base is confetti white.  My panel features the challenge colors.  I actually stamped the image, "Sail Away," on 3 pieces of card stock, using Versamark and embossing with white powder.  I then cut each piece into 3 pieces. This way, I will actually be able to assemble 3 nearly identical cards.  The thin strips were mounted onto a piece of white card stock, then trimmed to make sure it was even.
My bermuda bay card stock is the old textured variety; I don't have any smooth CS in that color.  That made embossing tough...but hey, it's not too bad.  VSN nights, you want to finish quickly in the right time frame!  I added this wide striped ribbon and a large button with twine for more detail.  The sentiment is from Teeny Tiny Wishes, punched out with the word window.

I think this card would work for a man or a woman...so it is nice to have 3 of them.  For the moment; lots of cards to mail on Monday!

Thanks for stopping by again.

Inky {{{HUGS}}}
Kim

Mashing Up with a Mini Virtual Stamp Night!

Hello Stamping Friends... I'm Back!

My ministry fund raiser last week was a HUGE success!  We exceeded our goal of $110,000 and actually raised $134,000...WooHoo!  I have been busy doing follow-up calls and thank you notes, so I am thrilled to take a break with some stamping time.

Tonight is the Mini version of the Summer Virtual Stamp Night, and of course, it's Friday...so I had to check in with The Friday Mashup!  I combined the first VSN card with the mashup...so I have 3 challenges in one card!


All of the supplies are from Stampin' Up!  The mini VSN challenge calls for the focus to be on something that melts, so I chose this cute Popsicle from "Mouthwatering."  The Friday Mashup gave us a bright color scheme (tempting turquoise, wild wasabi, real red, and pumpkin pie, plus a neutral) mashed up with a kid card.

My neutral is baked brown sugar, which I used for the card base and the Popsicle sticks.  I colored the stamps with markers, and used one to add the year for this birthday card.  The sentiment is from "On Your Birthday," and I used circle and scallop circle punches.  The accessories are turquoise grosgrain ribbon, and bold bright candy dots.

I originally planned on 4 Popsicles, but they wouldn't fit very well.  I sure hope I know a kid who is turning 3 this summer!  Ha!

I will post the other Mini VSN challenge tomorrow.  Thanks for stopping by!!


Inky {{{HUGS}}}
Kim

I Found Some Dynamic Duos!

Hello again!  2 days, 2 blog posts...maybe I am back on track.
(Who am I kidding?  My ministry Banquet for Life is on the 24th!  Stamping and blogging will be sporadic at best!)

While surfing the galleries on SCS, I decided to do more commenting.  I used to do that a lot...share the love...but drifted away from this simple and fun activity.  Saturday night, I clicked on gallery entries for the day and saw a few with this soft color palette.  I did a bit of digging, and found another color challenge blog!  Happy, happy me!  I was amazed to see the challenge creator is Lesley Croghan...she is EVERYWHERE!  LOL  I am convinced she doesn't sleep...though her cards never look sleep deprived!  Lesley is getting help from another super talented stamper, Ann Marie Hile who serves as challenge manager and a host of super talented ladies on the Design Team, including my cyber friend Holly Endress of The Friday Mashup.  When I see a great DT, I know that I want to participate, at least once in a while.  This is DD#98...where have I been???



I have always loved playing color challenges...especially on SCS.  I sometimes would get frustrated with people adding colors, because I thought it was "cheating."  (Add green to anything, and you can make flowers and stems!  LOL)  I learned to get over it, and just have fun.

Well, these challenge DT ladies are sticklers!  ONLY use the 2 colors given, plus neutrals.  That's right...don't add green to make pretty spring flowers in a field, or blue in the sky.  I LOVE this idea!

While the badge says wisteria and saffron, the blog post says soft purple & yellow.  I used this opportunity to pull out long-retired goodies.  I have a gazillion things that need to be used before I spend more money!  I used almost amethyst and barely banana.  The barely banana was embossed with the Cuttlebug divine swirls folder.  The pattern paper is from an old 6x6 hostess stack (remember those?) and the ribbon is from Michael's.  It is a perfect match to SU's amethyst!  I used the 2-step SU stamp set, Flight of the Butterfly, which will never leave my collection.  Finally the button and linen thread are also from SU, and bumped this card up to the Hand Deliver or Extra Postage category.  I love bumpy cards!

By the way, soft subtles are NOT my favorite, so I was itching to throw in some richer tones.  But I was a good girl, and played by the rules. *wink*  I think future DD challenges will, indeed, be very challenging!

Thanks for stopping by!

Inky {{{HUGS}}}
Kim

I'm Back!

Hello Everyone

It has been quite a while since I have stamped, and even longer since I have blogged about it.  I have been deep in regular work stuff (a major fund raiser on the 24th), and my home office/craft room is a ridiculous mess.  Makes creative juices flow like molasses!  Well yesterday, I just wanted to STAMP, even in the midst of my chaos.  I needed an outlet that had nothing to do with raising money.  I also needed more birthday cards!

                                 

So I made 4 cards...2 each of 2 designs.  Here is one of those designs that combines 2 challenges.  I really like this clean sketch from Freshly Made Sketches, because it is so versatile.  I combined it with Saturday's Inspiration Challenge on SCS, where I found these fun metallic strips to add to your nails.

I rarely use my markers this way, but I decided to just draw the lines to look similar to the nail art.  Even my card stock colors were inspired by the packaging of the nail art.  I have a basic black card base, with a layer of elegant eggplant which was embossed with diagonal stripes.  I added some real red pattern paper.  The markers used on the whisper white are marina mist,garden green, night of navy, real red, and elegant eggplant.  Both sentiments are from On Your Birthday.  2 gold brads add a touch of brightness.  Everything is from Stampin' Up!



Not sure if this card is masculine enough for a nephew of mine.  I made 2, so someone will get this card before too long!

It felt good to stamp again.  I will post my other card tomorrow.

Inky {{{HUGS}}}
Kim

Friday Mashup is In Stitches!!

Hello Stamping Friends!!

I am taking a break from the VSN cards.  It has been a while since I have done a blog challenge...so here I go with The Friday Mashup!!

This week, we were asked to make a card using stitching and/or a masculine flair.  I chose to do both...but my stitching is of the "faux" variety!  Isn't it funny...faux just means fake, but say it in French, and we're all impressed!  LOL

My card is for a good friend from my Lay Dominican prayer/study group.  He broke his leg while cross-country skiing.  Ouch.  I just wanted him to know I was thinking about him.

Once again, I went to my scrap pile.  I had this piece of designer paper ("Well Worn,") plus a scrap of night quite navy and river rock.  My guess is that I intended to make something before, and never did.  Fortunately, I had enough to make 2 of these cards at once.  The card base is soft suede.

To coordinate with the striped designer paper, I embossed the NQN piece with the striped impressions folder.  I used SU's "Praying Hands," stamped in soft suede on very vanilla.  I tried to use my paper piercing kit...but with each hole, the guide moved a smidgen, so my holes are not straight.  Yep.  I can't even "faux" stitch in a straight line!  I used my early espresso marker to make the stitches, then sponged the paper with river rock.  The sentiment is from Stampabilities, in not quite navy on a decorative label punched piece of river rock.  Antique brass brads add the final touch.

I am starting to make 2 cards at a time, when I can.  That way, I can use one right away, but I add one to my stash.  Great way to make cards without too much design time.

Thanks for stopping by!  I hope to stamp more this week!

Inky {{{HUGS}}}
Kim

More VSN...

I did more stamping today.  I intended to make 2 of the first card, but adapted it a bit to create the 2nd one.  The other card I made today will be posted tomorrow...it is not a VSN card.  (gasp!)


The first card is for the challenge "Use Your Negative."  We could use the negative space from a die cut, the split-negative technique, or other similar approaches.  I went to my scrap pile, and saw a strip of this retired dsp, Cheerful Treat, as well as more retired hostess pack paper in bashful blue.  I LOVE using up my scraps!  (Still have a LOT!) By having these scraps, my color palette was set.  I used this large blossom punch, then sponged melon mambo in the negative space.  I placed the paper flower on top to mask it, while I moved my "stencil" to sponge 2 concord crush flowers.  The leaves are done in lucky limeade, to match the card base, using the SU bird punch.  I added a corduroy brad and candy dots for the flower centers.  The sentiment is from "On Your Birthday" with the duo of oval punches.




Instead of duplicating the card, I got more dsp out to simply punch flowers, and I used a scrap to punch out leaves. I even had this tiny scrap of daffodil delight that was already embossed with the perfect dots folder.  I simply used a small circle punch to make the flower centers.  Similar card, but a bit faster to make.

Thanks for stopping by again!  I hope to do the other VSN cards later this week.

Inky {{{HUGS}}}
Kim




 

More Virtual Stamp Night - Feeling Gray

Hello Again!

I have just a couple of VSN cards to post tonight.  I spent much of the day at a funeral.  Never a fun way to spend the day.  At least I was with many wonderful people...


The first card was for the VSN challenge "Shades of Gray," calling for projects with various shades of gray and one other color.  I needed a sympathy card, so I made 2 that are nearly identical...one has been mailed already, and one is posted here.  The card base is basic gray.  There is a layer of smokey slate, embossed with the SAB vine impressions folder from last year, then sponged with kiwi kiss.  The dsp is Urban Garden, from quite a while back...cut into panels for interest.  The sentiment is from SU's "Thoughts and Prayers" punched in kiwi kiss, set on a scallop oval punch, paired with decorative label punch.  Silver brads tie it all together.

The next card is a bit more cheerful, even though there is rain.  We had a challenge to incorporate an umbrella...this Flopsey image from My Favorite Things fit the bill.  My card base is smokey slate, and the layer of cloudy paper was on my scrap pile.  It comes from the Sunshine & Sprinkles, as does the strip with colorful umbrellas.  I stamped Flopsey with basic black craft ink, then heat embossed.  Using blender pens, I colored him in with smokey slate, daffodil delight, melon mambo, lucky limeade, and marina mist.  Sponging the edges help ground the image.  I had just a few short rhinestone strips from a package, so I cut them up for the rain drops...which kinda looks like sleet!  The sentiment is also heat embossed and matted in melon mambo.

Thanks for stopping by.  It may be a gloomy day, but stamping alays cheers me up!

Inky {{{HUGS}}}
Kim