Monday, August 25, 2014

Colour Me Up Late at Night

Happy Monday!

Long story short, my husband will be working third shift this week, and he started last night.  So I was up stamping & blogging while he was working hard.  I want to get my weekly Colour Me fix in!  I ended up making 2 cards (#2 and #3 in this post) before I went to bed.  The first card was made this morning, just in time for the Linky deadline!

This week, CMCC#34 has a very nice soft palette.  I also decided to combine this challenge with The Friday Mashup.  The FM challenged us to use the Bokeh technique (I have seen it, but never tried it) and/or die cuts.  The FM blog had a link to one tutorial, but I attempted THIS tutorial instead.  I give myself a D-.  LOL


First, the simple stuff.  Card base is crisp cantelope, with layers of lost lagoon and watercolor paper.  The cantaloupe and calypso coral butterflies are from the SU Beautiful Wings die, and they are dry embossed with the Beautifully Baroque folder and detailed with a string of rhinestones.  The sentiment is from "Work of Art," punched out with the scallop circle, and placed on top of coral ruffled ribbon.
 Now, the actual Bokeh technique, as described by Lydia in the tutorial, is supposed to look "dreamy".  I do not have an ink pad nor ink refill, just a marker in lost lagoon.  I wanted to have a sky look (like Lydia's card).  So, I colored on top of a plastic bag, then added water and swirled with my aqua brush.  I used a pencil eraser for the dots, but they either seemed all dark or barely visible.  Oh well.  To add shimmer, I then added my shimmer spritz to the lost lagoon ink (still on the plastic bag.) I made more dots, crossing over some of the darker ones.  It just didn't looked filled in enough, so I used my aqua brush with the crisp cantaloupe ink to swoosh color in 2 areas.  Oh my!
 If I wasn't running up against the Colour Me...! deadline, I would have tried again.  At least I have the correct colors for that challenge, and I have die cuts for the Friday Mashup...so it's not a total loss.

But let's move on!

I skipped this challenge last week due to time, but I am continuing my game up catch-up with the 2014 challenges.  CMCC#9 is a rich palette, and I am sure I will use it again.   


My card base is basic black, the smokey slate layer is dry embossed with the Cuttlebug Divine Swirls folder. I added a layer of bermuda bay pattern paper (the old kind, when it was an In-color!) accented with bermuda bay ribbon.  I pulled out an old favorite, SU's "Embrace Life," for this card, stamping with black ink on real red card stock.  I fussy cut each one, and added silver glimmer brads  The sentiment is punched out with the modern label punch.  



So... I posted #10 last week...here is CMCC#11.  These colors work well for a nearby university...the University of Illinois.  Go Illini! That means I should be able to find some kid or teen to give this card to. They also work well for Chicago Bears fans, but my card has a basketball, not a football.  I may need to make another one.  Sorry for the crooked picture.  Bruce took pics this morning...he was so tired!

The card base is tangerine tango.  I stamped this large image from SU's "Good Sport" in midnight muse on whisper white card stock.  I stamped the basketball on tangerine card stock, and popped it up with dimensionals.  The sentiment is from "Itty Bitty Banners" and cut out with the coordinating framelits.  Candy dots were added to finish this Clean & Simple Card.  


Thanks for coming by this morning...or whenever it is that you are reading this!

Inky {{{HUGS}}}
Kim

Sunday, August 24, 2014

Featured Stamper Time!

Happy Sunday!

It's Featured Stamper day over at SCS, and we had an amazing gallery to peruse!  Christyne (aka coconutmuffn) is so talented!  I was not familiar with her work, and apparently she is new to many others as well.  According to her blog, she is also a PhD student in biotechnology...so she must be BUSY!

THIS is the card I chose to CASE.  The DP reminded me of a scrap I had of some paper, sitting on my huge pile of scraps.  I bought it quite a while ago from a big box store.  I kept the black matting and similar color in sponging a birthday sentiment.  Here is my card...


My sentiment is from SU's Happiest Birthday Wishes, colored with baja breeze and poppy parade markers, then sponged with lucky limeade.  It is punched out with the extra large scallop circle, punch and matted on the large circle from the Sizzix circle die.  I also used Fox & Friends for the turtle, and Just Sayin' for the other sentiment.  The Word Bubble framelits are my favorite!  Bakers twine wrap it all up.

I also want to show an update.  I recently posted a card for the Colour Me...! challenge, and decided to make more cards in seasonal colors.  Check it out!


I hope to make more of these to sell or give as gifts.


Thanks for stopping by!


Inky {{{HUGS}}}
Kim

Monday, August 18, 2014

Colour Me in Catch-Up Mode...again

Hello, and Happy Monday!!

I have this week's Colour Me...! challenge, plus 1 more in my on-going effort to do all of the 2014 challenges.  In intended to do 2 more, but got caught up in my Christmas cards.



 This week, we have tangelo twist and tempting turquoise with a neutral.  I chose basic gray as my neutral.  The butterfly and flower are from SU's "God's Beauty" (which I have been using a lot lately.)  Both images were stamped with basic gray and colored with markers.  I then covered them with my versamarker, added clear embossing powder and heated them up for this glossy look. The main panel is sponged for the sky.  I don't have the new tangelo twist ribbon yet, so I used the tangerine tango grosgrain ribbon.  My sentiment is from "Field Flowers" punched out with the oval punch and popped up with dimensionals.  This card design was inspired by today's Featured Stamper challenge and this card from Dianne (aka fionna51.)




Next, here is CMCC#10... another monochromatic card.  Eventually, I'll get the hang of these!  Since I had "God's Beauty" out already, I figured the leaf image would work well with this challenge.  I had confetti white cut out and folded for DTGD, with some left over.  I also had a piece of old olive on my cutting table that I trimmed down, then embossed with this vine street embossing folder.  The striped ribbon had been accidentally pulled from my ribbon caddy, so I cut off a piece instead of rolling it up.  I stamped on a piece of whisper white that had a messed up image on the other side...so it was on my scrap pile too.  Even the basic black pattern paper was on that pile!  So basically this is a card made with "leftovers" in about 5 minutes with a make-it-up-as-I-go-along design...and I love it!  Ha!  This will make a nice note card for a guy...I don't make many of those.




I made all of these yesterday...well, actually the first one was made for June VSN, so I made 11 yesterday.  I was too tired to blog about them last night...but I felt great getting so many cards created!  Good thing I had just enough time to post for Colour Me...!

Thanks for coming by again today.  I'm already looking forward to new color challenges coming up this week!


Inky {{{HUGS}}}
Kim

Friday, August 15, 2014

Colorful Works of Art

Hello & Happy Friday!

I have been playing with my friend's stamp set, "Work of Art," all day today.  Most of my cards use at least 2 of the new in-colors from SU, but then I realized that I needed to play with more colors.  I still had this week's SU color challenge, plus last week's.  I had tried to incorporate it with a DTGD challenge, but it didn't happen. So, today I am catching up on my favorite personal challenge...finishing up the 2014 SCS color challenges!



This week's color challenge features So Saffron, Bermuda Bay and Blackberry Bliss.  I am so happy to have this luscious blackberry bliss ink and ribbon so I could play along.  The "Work of Art" stamp set is sooooooo easy to work with...just stamp randomly!  I used some old bermuda bay pattern paper (from my scrap pile, of course!) for the lower layer.  The sentiment is from "Teeny Tiny Wishes."  Scraps of so saffron pattern paper and Moonlight dsp were used to surround the sentiment.  I used 3 punches: word window, modern label, and scallop oval.


Next, I have a card for last week's color challenge:  cherry cobbler, daffodil delight, wild wasabi, and pool party.  I decided to take the abstract stamps from the same set to create a summer scene.  I mounted that on pool party.  It is difficult to see, but I added a layer of cherry cobbler which is embossed with the chevron folder.  The sentiment is punched out with a scallop circle and sponged generously.  Satin daffodil ribbon adds a light finishing touch.

I really like how easy this set is to use, but also how versatile it is.  I'm kinda bummed that it isn't my set!  LOL  Hope to order my own set in the not-too-distant-future.



Thanks for coming by...





Inky {{{HUGS}}}
Kim

Thursday, August 14, 2014

Freshly Made Art

Hello, Stamping Friends!

Today I have a card featuring new stamp goodies...finally!  Since I am not working, I really have to watch my spending.  But I could not handle being with out the new blackberry bliss in-color!  I ordered card stock, markers, this 4x6 dsp pack, and some blackberry ribbon, plus a few other supplies that had run out.  Happy happy!  My demo delivered them to my house yesterday, so I decided to play along with the Freshly Made Sketches challenge.  It's a great layout for showing off my new pattern paper.




The stamp set I used is the new "Work of Art," which is definitely on my wish list.  My demo took pity on me, and allowed me to borrow it for a while. (Thanks Ramona!)  I used the colors from the "Moonlight" pattern paper: blackberry bliss, hello honey, and sahara sand.  The stamps are fabulous for random, abstract stamping.  I did not order any hello honey ribbon (yet!) so I took the marker and colored a scrap of white organza ribbon.  I used my embossing gun just for a couple of seconds to help set the color, plus shrivel the ribbon, which I think goes well with the chevrons.  My corner punch added a simple final detail. 

I will be using these stamps a lot this week before they leave my house.  Hope I can get my own set soon.  Oh, and I should mention that Ramona also left a holiday catalog behind as well.  Pretty sneaky!  

Inky {{{HUGS}}}
Kim


Wednesday, August 13, 2014

Mashin' Up Stamp Sets

Hello, and Happy Wednesday!

I am writing a quick post, so I can post this to The Friday Mashup blog challenge.


The challenge gave us a color combo (melon mambo, wild wasabi, basic black, and whisper white) with the option to mash it up with a wood element.

Instead of mashing up with the wood elements, I mashed up an old set with a NEW stamp set.  The flower is from SU's "Because I Care," and the sentiment s from the new "Work of Art."  I haven't bought it yet, but my demo came by today and let me borrow it!  I'll be making quite a few cards with it this week before I return it.  I colored the flower with markers.  The black panel is embossed with the Petals-a-Plenty embossing folder.  The tag punch, striped organdy ribbon, and candy dots add the final touches to this clean and simple card.

I will post some Dare to Get Dirty cards later this week, but for now, it is nice to make cards at a more relaxed pace!  Thanks for stopping by.


Inky {{{HUGS}}}
Kim

Saturday, August 9, 2014

Colour Me Ready for the Weekend!

Hello, and Happy Saturday!



I am posting cards I have made throughout the week for the Dare to Get Dirty challenges.  Today, each of my challenges also work for Colour Me...!  I have a card for the current challenge, plus 2 more for past challenges, as I continue working on my goal to do them all!




The first card uses the monochromatic color theme for this week.  I am so grateful you can add a neutral, because monochromatic is hard for me! I decided to add basic gray to the pistachio pudding. My card base is confetti white (I had my hubby cut several card bases before DTGD started.)  The image and sentiment are from a very old SU set that I purchased from a friend.  It is called "Thankful Thoughts."  Silhouettes are hard for me to stamp, but I really like how they look.  I used oval punches, some ruffled ribbon, and dimensionals to finish off this Clean and Simple card.






Next, I have a card that I nearly didn't post.  It doesn't look right!  LOL!  But, I haven't had a chance to re-do this particular DTGD challenge, so I decided I would post it just to mark it off my list.  It works for CMCC#7.  My card base is textured rich razzleberry.  I used SU framelits to make a window...kind of...then added a valance with SU fabric from a couple of years ago.  I do not sew.  At all.  So my folds were all glued down.  What a mess!  I decided to make a scene with clouds and a kite from SU "Send Me Soaring."  It's weird, but it's done!  The sentiment is from "Hello Again," on oval punches.  A few candy dots finish it off.  Maybe I'll try this again later!



Finally, I have a much simpler card which fits CMCC#8.  Not that I am posting in the order I made these, but some of my DTGD cards have been pretty involved (for me).  This card was quick, easy, and I intentionally made it good for mailing.  I used 2 stamp sets:  SU "Nature Walk" and "Whimsical Words," all stamped on very vanilla.  My card base is baked brown sugar, and I added a layer of "Venetian Romance" DSP.  I used markers to color the flower.  Just a couple of candy dots and simple sponging finish it off.




It has been fun to combine the Dare to Get Dirty challenges with the Colour Me...! challenges.  I am definitely hooked!!


Inky {{{HUGS}}}
Kim