Virtual Stamp Night: Summer Vacation!

Hello!!  It's Virtual Stamp Night (Weekend!!)

Tonight and Tomorrow night, splitcoaststampers will be giving us a bunch of fun challenges...and I am hosting one again!  My challenge will be tomorrow night.

The theme is Summer vacation.  Fortunately, I had time to get a head start, since I am a hostess.  That means I can comment on cards that YOU post this weekend!

My first card for VSN is also being submitted for the Freshly Made Sketches challenge.  I realized too late that my stripes go down to far.  Oops.  Funny how making a quick card for VSN will affect the brain!  LOL   

Along with the FMS challenge, this is for the VSN challenge Hot & STICKY for all of that summer humidity!  I rarely use stickers, but I had am old scrapbook kit from Sale-a-Bration (years ago!)...and these strips and dots were perfect.  Plus I had a smidgen of this fabulous coordinating DSP left over.  My card base is pacific point; I embossed the whisper white with petals-a-plenty embossing folder.  I don't have a tag-topper punch...YET...so I just snipped the corners and punch a hole for my daffodil grosgrain ribbon.  The sentiment is from SU's On Your Birthday, in rose red (could not find my melon mambo marker...should have grabbed the ink pad, duh!) and punched out with a decorative label punch. 

Since this card is for 2 challenges, I am going to put other cards in later posts.  Blogger is slow tonight...must be a lot of stampers online!  LOL  

I hope you get a chance to play along with VSN.  Check back tomorrow for more cards, including my COLOR challenge!  (Yes, I just gave you a hit!)

Inky {{{HUGS}}}

Kim

Last Minute Coloring!

Happy Monday, Stamping Friends!

I had big plans for the Colour Me...! challenge this week:  a flower pot card.  I have only made one, so I figured it might take a while.  I thought I would do it yesterday, but got caught up in other cards.

So here it is, Monday morning.  I got up, showered, did my morning prayer, and realized the deadline is fast approaching!  No time for a flower pot card!

As if that didn't throw me off, even my camera is on low battery!  I hope I get this posted on time.  LOL  (I had to use my camera phone!)

This palette is YUMMY!  Even the picture makes me think of food...perhaps a zesty hearty meal cooked on the summer grill.  But, I went with a summer flower image instead (more flower stamps than food images!)

My card base is cajun craze, with a layer of cajun striped paper.  The stamps are from SU's "Field Flowers" which a great 2-step stamp set...great for quick cards!  I used the challenge colors for the image, plus some liberal sponging, all done on very vanilla.    The sentiment is from the same set, matted on crushed curry.  

The last detail is a button...wasabi?  maybe garden green.  But it works!  Bumped this card from 1 postage stamp to extra postage!

Thanks for stopping by!  I should do the next challenge sooner!


Inky {{{HUGS}}}
Kim

Featuring Feathers

Hello Stamping Friends

Today is Sunday, that means Featured Stamper day on SCS!  Today highlights the talent of Laurie, aka lhs43.  I found a lovely, delicate card set using the SU set "Fine Feathers."  Since the Ways to Use It challenge called for feathers, it was a perfect opportunity to double up on challenges.

Here's where it gets really fun:  instead of the soft palette of pool party and baked brown sugar, I chose to pull out this WOW summer bright palette from The ColourQ.

My card base is celery, with a layer of whisper white.  I stamped the feathers with versamark, and heat embossed with white embossing powder.  I then used sponge daubers to randomly sponge the challenge colors.  The sentiments are from Polka Dot Party, Perfect Words, and Sincere Salutations.  Each of the cards have bermuda bay dotted ribbon, and 2 have a giant button...meaning hand delivery or extra postage!

Initially, I planned to have the colored layer over the whole card, with the sentiment in the center...but it was a bit much!  So I cut my sponged pieces in half, allowing me to make 4 cards instead of 2.  Yay!

Thanks for coming by!  Hopefully, I'll have more stamping throughout the week.

Inky {{{HUGS}}}
Kim

Sketches By the Tide

Hello Stamping Friends!

Today, I have 2 cards which came about as I tried out a SCS color challenge (coastal cabana, so saffron, tangerine tango)...I am still catching up on those!  Both cards also work for a sketch challenge.  The first card is for Freshly Made Sketches.

I decided to use SU's "By the Tide" to make my own patterned paper.  I stamped all over half a sheet of whisper white.  Fast, clean, and simple...makes it easy to make multiple cards.  I had some gaps, so I actually added a bit of smoky slate ink.  That is what led me to use smoky slate for the card base on this first card.  The sentiment is from "Happiest Birthday Wishes." I still have lots of this striped tangerine ribbon, so it was great to have a reason to use some.  My tag corner punch added a bit of detail, and I decided to put the tag on an angle.  I sponged a bit of coastal cabana ink on the edges for some color contrast.

The next card uses the color scheme, plus a recent SCS sketch challenge found here.  The so saffron piece is embossed with a Cuttlebug circles folder, then lightly sponged with coastal cabana.  I used my sizzix circle die to cut out a piece of tangerine pattern paper.  I used another sentiment from "Happiest Birthday Wishes," then punched it out with the large scallop circle.  Striped tangerine ribbon, plus saffron candy dots finish it up.  

I mentioned that I made half a sheet of my own pattern paper.  That allowed me to make 2 each of these cards.  Fantastic way to make several cards in one sitting!

Thanks for stopping by!

Inky {{{HUGS}}}

Kim

3 blogs...one card!

Hello Stamping Friends!

I am continuing my stamping binge.  When I took "inventory," I realized that I needed LOTS of graduation cards.  The good news is that many cards are going to different cities, so I can make 2 of each design!  Today's card will go to a young woman who just graduated from high school, but also to a friend who just earned her Master's degree!

On Friday, I checked out the Friday Mashup: use a tree and some embossing...I can do this, I thought to myself.  I had already checked out Mojo Monday sketch, which I have only done once or twice.  AND I discovered a new color challenge blog, Colour Me...!  Like I needed another one to obsess over!  Ha!  The colors are early espresso, primrose petals, and soft sky.

So when you have a theme, a sketch, and a color scheme it should be easy, right?  Think again!  Even though it took a while, I am happy with the end result.

All products used are from Stampin' Up!  Initially, I thought of using the classic "Lovely as a Tree" but decided to dust off this older set "Very Versatile."  The colors and badge image made me think of redbud trees, and I used my markers to get the effect.  Even though it's a bit late for the blossoms now, these beauties are one of my favorite sights of early spring.  The sentiment is from "Well Scripted."  I stamped it before I ran the white card stock through my Big Shot with the Cloudy Day embossing folder.  I STILL have NO soft sky card stock, so I sponged a lot of ink on the white.

I really wish I had paid more attention to the sketch before I stamped the sentiment, because my doily is a bit higher.  Just a small adaptation!  That doily is from a sizzlit which had not been used for a while, but I love it!  I used primrose dsp for the strips.  Quilted espresso ribbon and some butterflies from my embosslit finish it off.  While this card took a while (and has lots of bulk due to dimensionals), I think it will be worth the extra postage for 2 special people!

Thanks for stopping by!

Inky {{{HUGS}}}
Kim

Attempting Guy Cards

Hello, and Happy Saturday!

So, I am still catching up with birthday cards, of the belated variety.  I needed some for a few nephews.  Poor guys get late cards because I usually gravitate toward pretty feminine cards.  I can make cards for little boys...but teens?  That can be tough for me.

This week's Freshly Made Sketches challenge had a very clean and simple layout...and I ended up making it a mess by distressing it!  Fun stuff!

I chose this combination from a SCS color challenge: midnight muse, baked brown sugar, and cherry cobbler.  My neutral is very vanilla.  I pulled out the SU set "Rev up the Fun," which I just bought before it retires.  Ironically, the English set was no longer available, so I got one in French!  Some of my older nephews know French, so I will still be able to use the sentiments!

I have a hard time stamping straight, and I could not get the tread marks and car to line up.  Should use a stamp-a-ma-jig...but I am too lazy!  Instead, I did some distressing to mask some of my flaws.  The vanilla and midnight were embossed with the stripes embossing folder, then sponged with brown sugar.The sentiments are from "On Your Birthday."  Candy dots and linen thread finish it off.

My next card uses NO challenges.  Gasp!  I just had these circles (using the Circles #2 die) of retired "Blueberry Crisp" dsp out and decided to use them.  The main image is "Extreme Skate."  The card base is pacific point, the next layer is sahara sand.  I used the funky SAB embossing folder...kind of looks like he's skating on the moon!  The riding hood red ribbon was added because I desperately wanted more color.  And look...more belated birthday sentiments!

The good news is that these cards have been mailed, with a DQ gift card.  I think my nephews will forgive me for being late!


Inky {{{HUGS}}}
Kim

A Sketchy Afternoon

Hello Stamping Friends,

Today we had pop up storms throughout the afternoon...then lots of rain in the evening.  Perfect for making some cards and watching the Survivor finale.  (Yes, I am hooked!)  All of the supplies for both projects are from Stampin' Up...though some are LONG retired!

I had only done one sketch challenge from SCS this year (though several off of blogs) so I decided to pull some out today.  My first card is last week's sketch, paired with a recent color challenge: Wisteria Wonder, Old Olive, and Primrose Petals.  I really like this combo, even though I think primrose petals is sooooo close to other colors.  In fact, I used rose red seam binding because the colors are so similar.  Oh well. No need to be picky, right?

I flipped the sketch, and brought out retired hostess pattern paper in the pear pizzazz and a scrap of the Delicate Doilies paper in wisteria.  The small oval punch is perfect for "Teeny Tiny Wishes" and the main sentiment.  My card features SU's "Baroque Motifs."  I love this set, but had not touched it for quite a while.  The flourish looks like a vine, perfect for this flower-like medallion.  I added bits of primrose to enhance the flowers...but the panel still needed something, so I added the word Happy from "Memorable Moments."  The large medallion was stamped with wisteria, but I took my primrose marker to the image before setting to paper.  The seam binding is scrunched for fun, and a glimmer brad finishes it off.

I really like how this turned out.  It took a while, but I made 2 of these.  I am trying to do that when I have time...always good to build up my stash of cards!

Next, I took today's sketch challenge to make a graduation card.  I considered looking up a color challenge, but I like to use school colors.  A young woman from our church choir and one of my nieces are both graduating.  Two different schools in two different states...but the same school colors!  Great time saver, as I made 2 of these cards.

I did not make a square card because I wanted to keep posted down...which is silly, because I added so much bulk ANY WAY!  Oh well...one card will be hand delivered, so it balances out.

The card base is pacific point.  The white layer was embossed in my big shot with the cloudy day folder, then lightly sponged with soft sky ink and a bit of kiwi kiss on the bottom.The large sentiment is from "Feel Goods," and "Teeny Tiny Wishes" makes an appearance again, as well.  I used the word window punch and circles #2 die.  The 2-step butterfly is from "Flight of the Butterfly," stamped on whisper white card stock in crushed curry and pacific point, and layered with crushed curry.  I used markers for the butterfly trail and the grass.  Some polka dotted ribbon and a corduroy button with a touch of bakers twine finishes it off.

Both of the girls actually graduated officially last week.  Better get these cards in the mail tomorrow!

Thanks for stopping by again!


Inky {{{HUGS}}}
Kim