Daring and Colorful Week!

Hello Stamping Friends!

It has been a long time since I have been here. Thanks to the Dare to Get Dirty challenges on Splitcoaststampers, I am rediscovering some mojo!  I made all 5 of Saturday's challenges that day, but didn't stamp at all Sunday.  I have made a few cards each day since.  I am hoping to complete all of the challenges; something I have never done before.  In addition to DTGD challenges, I am using this week to catch up on a boatload of (late) birthday cards and color palettes from The Color Throwdown (my personal 2017 blog challenge).  I will also be working on sympathy and praying for you cards.  My stash needs a boost!  I had started this post on Saturday, with last week's challenge, but forgot to finish the post before the Monday challenge.  So, I decided to do this week's throwdown and add a big batch of other ones!  Now, in case you don't know, the DTGD challenges are just for Fan Club members, so I can't say what those challenges were.

This week's Color Throwdown is a subtle palette, perfect for a get well card. A friend of mine had surgery, and is having complications.  I thought  she could use a boost.  I used crumb cake, whisper white, and kiwi kiss, plus a touch of basic black.  The stamps used are SU's  "French Foliage" and a sentiment from Stampabilities.  Striped ribbon, enamel dots and the SU Urban Vine embossing folder add  texture.  

Next, the card for last week's Throwdown has yummy summer colors.  I pulled out one of my oldest stamp sets, SU "Fanciful Flowers."  After clear embossing, I sponged with rose red, pear pizzazz, and daffodil delight ink.The butterfly was in my stash of die cuts, in strawberry slush.  The sentiment is from "On Your Birthday."  An enamel dot and polka dot ribbon finish it off.

This card uses a mystery stamp.  One of my nieces gave it to me for Christmas. I had not used it, but my grand-daughters did back in February.  The package is gone; I only have the acetate cover.  Any way, I don't do fine detail coloring well, so I did a watercolor wash.  I just loved this palette for a summer bouquet!  My ink colors are real red, daffodil delight, pear pizzazz, and bermuda bay.  I added texture with dry embossing on the daffodil layer.  I(f I wasn't so busy making  so many cards, I think I would have heat embossed the image in black to make it crisper.  But that idea will wait for another day. The sentiment is from SU's "Wetlands," stamped on a decorative label.  Seam binding and enamel dots add the final touch.  

Now I have a fun card for my oldest great-niece.  She had her sweet 16 birthday recently.  Each year during DTGD and VSN week's, I always look through old supplies that I sadly ignore.  This Stamping Bella image was in a swap baggie with this luscious, shimmery pink paper and the textured paper I used with my scallop punch.  The chipboard numbers are years old; I coated them with versamark and melon mambo embossing powder.  Gumball green ribbon goes with the ink colors: gumball green, blushing bride, pink pirouette, and melon mambo.  The sentiment is from SU's "So Very" on a small oval.

Many people have this crazy bird set from Tim Holtz; I just bought it last month at the local Jo-Ann's.  It finally came out of the package!  I colored it very simply with markers in crushed curry, pacific point, and cherry cobbler.  The background is made with the accompanying Tim Holtz stencil.  I wanted my bird to say something, so I used a word bubble (reversed, so it faces his beak) with a greeting from SU's "Just Sayin'."  Enamel dots wrap it up.










Now for a non-birthday card.  I need cards to send to my guy friends, and this palette works well.  I used baja breeze, not quite navy, and whisper white card stock.  NQN, baja breeze, crumb cake, and kiwi kiss ink were used with SU's "Clockworks" to make my own dp, plus a greeting from "Whimsical Words."  Some striped ribbon and burlap trim add finishing texture.





Sometimes, a card design gets carried away.  This would be one of them!  Too many shapes, in my opinion!  Any way, on a night of navy base, I have a vintage wallpaper embossed layer of white.  I created a background with navy, blushing bride, and both gold ink and gold (messy!) glitter.  I cut it out with a SU framelit.  The image is colored with markers; a favorite from SU's "Forever Friends" and the sentiment is from "Sincere Salutations."  Various punches, pleated satin ribbon, and an enamel heart add to the busy design.





Another messy card is next...this one was fun!  I made my background on watercolor paper, using real reed, elegant eggplant, and daffodil delight inks.  My sentiment is from SU's "Happiest Birthday Wishes," colored with those same colors, plus pumpkin pie.  My purple flower is from an old swap.  I added non-SU gems, plus scrunched daffodil satin ribbon.

Finally, since I had my gold glitter out, I decided to complete this other Color Throwdown challenge.  I think I will be cleaning up glitter for months!  I made my background using tissue with gumball green and basic black, plus some gold.  The sentiment is from "Delightful Dozen" stamped over a blob from "Extreme Elements."  A touch of gold cord finishes it off.

Whew!  I have a few other DTGD cards completed. but they don't incorporate any color throwdowns.  I have quite a few more to do if I am going to catch up with my goal.  Could be fun to see how far I get!  Thanks for stopping by!


Inky {{{HUGS}}}
Kim

Playing with Snowy & Sunny Paper!

It's Friday, and that means it's time to post my card before the deadline for The Paper Players!  LOL  My intention was to finish catching up with my goal of completing this year's challenges.  But that didn't happen.  Ironically, doing this week's challenge and one from a few months ago led to 2 very different seasonal cards.  Kinda fun, dontcha think?

This week's theme challenge invited us to highlight snowflakes.  My card has a basic black card base.  I used this fabulous diagonal stripe pattern from SU's "Festival of Prints" retired paper stack.  The main image is "Dasher" colored with tuxedo black, indigo island and my versamarker.  I then heat embossed with silver powder and sponged the edges.  I also added some "Serene Snowflakes" along the card edges...which I wish I had not done!  *wink*  The sentiment is from "Happiest Birthday Wishes" punched, sponged, and popped up over vanilla satin ribbon.  

Next, a card for another theme challenge.  I think I may have stamped the main image during the week of this challenge, because I have had it in my unfinished pile for months!  I just didn't know what I wanted to do with it.  So, last night, I just added it to this pacific point card base with a panel of daffodil delight pattern paper behind it.  The main sentiment is from "Feel Goods," which is stamped over a sponged daffodil sun.  I made the sunbeams by sponging along the edge of a post-it note, which I simply moved around.  I added enamel dots and some non-SU ribbon from the local Jo-Ann's.  "Beyond the Garden" dsp and "Teeny Tiny Wishes" are paired with the word window and scalloped oval punches.  

That's it for today.  A touch of winter and a touch of summer!  With a wind chill of 10 degrees today, I would definitely prefer seeing that bright sun!  Thanks for stopping by!

Inky {{{HUGS}}}
Kim

Playing Tic-Tac-Toe

Hello Stamping Friends!

I have a couple off cards today that used some sot of Tic-Tac-Toe challenge.  I'll start with this week's challenge from The Paper Players, which I combined with a recent SCS color challenge, along with Julie's DTGD challenge.  I am still a bit obsessed with color challenges, so the DTGD challenges are helping me "catch up."  My card base is textured pacific point (opened up a retired pack of 12x12 in-colors!).  I added a bit of soft sky, embossed with the Cloudy Day folder.  SU's "Summer by the Sea" is a classic, and here I colored it with my blender pens.  The sentiment is from "Perfect Words."  A bit of gingham ribbon and enamel dots finish it off.

Next, I pulled out an early 2016 challenge at The Paper Players, hoping to catch up on my 2016 goal soon.  This also meets a past SCS color challenge and Alba's DTGD challenge.  This card is definitely more girly!  My card base is mossy meadow.  On some glossy white, I spread blushing bride and elegant eggplant ink, plus I spritzed it with my shimmer mix.  I added this poly-twill ribbon, finishing off a roll (though I still have 1 more!)  Using markers, I colored this image from "Friends Never Fade," mounted it to some eggplant card stock, and added a glimmer brad.  Another "Perfect Words" sentiment is used, plus another bit of bling.  I love all of the shimmer!

I have a few other DTGD challenges done; hopefully will post tomorrow.  I didn't come close to completing all of them, but I did more this year than last year...WooHoo!  Thanks for stopping by!


Inky {{{HUGS}}}
Kim

Playing with Colorful Paper

Hello Friends!

It has been almost 2 weeks since I have posted, and it feels good to drop by again.  I had a speaking engagement this past Tuesday; it went very well, and hopefully will help launch more events.  After a traveling day on Wednesday, I expected to get my hands full of ink on Thursday.  I made just one card (below) but I am feeling more alert and creative today.  *My good camera was having issues today; photos would not upload to my laptop. So I used my cell phone...and the results are less than impressive!  And now, my laptop is slowly installing updates, so I am finishing this post on my phone.  All so I get it done by the Paper Players deadline!  LOL

My first card is for the current challenge over at The Paper Players.  It is a color challenge, but it uses 2 colors I don't have.  I have not purchased new ink or card stock (though as I type this, I do remember buying ribbon before it retired).  Any way, I am using some substitutes that I hope work out.  I used sage shadow instead of mint macaron, and orchid opulence instead of sweet sugarplum.  My card base is thick whisper white.  I added a layer of "Holiday" dsp, since it features island indigo.  I stamped grass from "Inspired by Nature," flowers, butterfly, and swirly sentiment from "Flight of the Butterfly," and the thank you from "Because I Care," all from SU.  I had one half sheet of orchid left, which I will use sparingly any time sweet sugarplum comes up in a challenge! My decorative label and scalloped oval punches frame the sentiment.  The ribbon is from a big box store...also from YEARS ago!









Now I have a card for an earlier color challenge from The Paper Players, using soft sky, pumpkin pie, mossy meadow,  and melon mambo.  By finally doing this one, I am caught up on the color challenges from this blog for the year.  I used a pumpkin pie card base, and added a layer of soft sky, embossed with the cloudy day folder.  Using markers,  I colored the image from SU "Upsy Daisy," then cut it out with the labels framelit.  After sponging the edges,  I popped it up with dimensionals. I added one of the sentiments on a scalloped oval to mimic the clouds. Thick bakers twine finishes it off.

  Next, I have a card for this week's color challenge at Splitcoaststampers: mint macaron, night of navy, and flirty flamingo.  Again, I used sage shadow, but also regal rose as a substitution.  I dry embossed a layer of very vanilla with the Cuttlebug folder "stylized flowers," then sponged the edges.  Some striped navy grosgrain ribbon adds texture.  I made my own pattern paper using "Vintage Vogue" from SU, and even pulled out my old ticket corner punch.  The sentiment is from"Polka Dot Party," colored with markers.

Thanks for coming by. Loads of technical difficulties, but hopefully I can fix those later. Bye!




Inky {{{HUGS}}}
Kim

Featured Stamper Time

Hello everyone!

I set a goal to complete all of the 2016 Featured Stamper challenges from Splitcoaststampers, but fell behind right away.  I actually had this post in my drafts SINCE MARCH!  By the original text, I could see that I intended to post several cards, but only had one so far.  So there it sat and sat.  Since I had ignored this particular goal, I never got back to it.  Until now.

There is no way I can catch up with months of challenges in a single post, but I will  show a few.  Gotta start somewhere, right?  Cleaning up my blog drafts is a lot like cleaning out my email inbox. It feels good to finally do it!

This first card was made on Super Bowl Sunday (I remember because I was stamping while hubby watched the game), for Featured Stamper Beatrice, who is a scrapbooker.  As much as I want to get into scrapping, I knew that wasn't happening right away!  I chose THIS PAGE as my inspiration.  I chose a similar color palette.  I also chose wavy lines in embossing, as well as how I cut my dsp.  The black striped SU ribbon also mimics her design.

My card base is basic black.  The layer of sage shadow is dry embossed with the Cuttlebug divine swirls folder.  My dsp is from SU's "Nouveau Chic."  The stamps are from "Fox and Friends" and "Just Sayin'" using sage and basic gray, plus some apricot appeal sponged on the edges.  The images are popped up...featuring a scallop circle and Word Bubble framelit.  The bakers twine is from Joanne's...can't remember the brand.  This card was for my nephew-in-law who still looks like a teenager!

Next, a card I made today.  That's 5 months between cards...how weird is that?  Any way... an online blogger friend of mine joked about being available all month for birthday gifts, lunches, etc.  I told her if she sent me her address, I would send her a one-of-a-kind card.  She is not a paper crafter. She blogs about faith and family.  I thought it would be fun to connect beyond the internet.  Her favorite color is purple, so this week's color challenge at SCS is perfect.  The Featured Stamper is a new one for me:  Kendra, aka jksand.  She must be new to a lot of people, because many projects in her gallery have 0 comments...but they are GORGEOUS!  Just shows how big the stamping community is, and how hard it is to catch everyone!  I chose THIS card to CASE.   I kept the white card base, jewel colors, and diagonal sentiment.  Instead of stamping in color, I stamped images from SU's "Mixed Bunch" in versamark, and clear embossed.  Then I sponged the challenge colors generously. The colors are rose red, elegant eggplant, and island indigo.  My sentiment is one stamp, so I used markers to add variety of color.  Enamel dots finish it off.  The card is about 5x7 inches, larger than my usual.  I bought a lot of A7 envelopes, getting ready for Christmas projects, so I thought I would try that here.  I like the bigger size!

I was considering waiting until I finished another FS card, but I better not.  This post could sit for months all over again!  LOL  I'll work on catching up another time.  Thanks for stopping by!


Inky {{{HUGS}}}
Kim

Playing in a Virtual Ocean

Hello and Happy Friday again!

So one of my 2016 stamping challenges is to complete all of this year's Paper Player challenges, and I have fallen behind again. I was at a women's conference last week, and prayed about how I am spending my time as a self-employed person.  Frankly, my work...writing and speaking...truly needs to garner more of my attention if it's truly going to kick off.   That means I will stamp and blog here less often (it's been slow any way!) but I still want to complete my goals.  I considered doing the three most recent PP challenges, and I may update this post later tonight just because.  *wink*




This week's challenge at The Paper Players is a nice clean sketch.  I wanted to combine it with a VSN challenge, even though that event is over, out of courtesy to my fellow hostesses.  I decided on Jeanne's challenge to "Dive Right In."  Next I searched for a color challenge that used lost lagoon, so I could incorporate this "Moonlight" dsp since it fits the water theme.  There are very few color challenges with lost lagoon, and I had already completed the most recent ones on SCS.  But this one is from the end of 2015: island indigo, lost lagoon, and pea pizzazz.  Perfect for an ocean scene!  I used markers to color the script stamp from SU's "By the Tide."  The coral is stamped in black.  The fish is also stamped in black, colored with markers, cut out, and popped up.  The scene is on a piece of whisper white cut with a Labels framelit.  I added the "Teeny Tiny Wishes" birthday greeting, along with SU bakers twine and sparkly enamel dots from Hero Arts.  I made this quickly, but really like the final result!

Ok, so now I am adding to my original post.  This card fits Paper Players #299, Jan's VSN challenge to use red white, and blue, and today's Free4All challenge on SCS, which has a beach theme.  I used a sahara sand card base, and dry embossed my cherry cobbler layer with the diagonal stripes folder.  On whisper white, I created this beach scene, using stamps from Lawn Fawn's "Life is Good."  I colored with markers and sponging, using sahara sand, creamy caramel, cherry cobbler, and not quite navy.  (I don't have any dapper denim.)  I should have made the shoreline uneven instead of rigid, but I forgot.  I so rarely create scenes like this! My sentiment is from SU's "Happiest Birthday Wishes," stamped on a scalloped oval.  I had one tiny scrap of cherry cobbler bakers twine which barely wrapped around my card!

Well, I better clean up today's mess.  Hope to be back before next Friday.  Thanks for stopping by!




Inky {{{HUGS}}}
Kim

More Virtual Stamp Night!

Hello, and Happy Friday!!

I have a few more VSN cards, but I will be traveling tonight and tomorrow.  Not sure if I will get all of the challenges done, but I'll post what I have so far.

The first one is for MY challenge:  "Raise the Bar."   absolutely LOVE gymnastics!  Many events...balance beam, high bar, parallel bars, uneven bars...have a long horizontal bar with an athlete twirling all over it.  So I asked stampers to incorporate a horizontal element with something swirly.  I made a graduation card, using this greeting from "Tassle Time" and the hot air balloon from Stampabilities.  My colors are crushed curry, handsome hunter, mellow moss, and crumb cake...oh with a bit of bordering blue sponged on my embossed cloudy sky.  I also used markers to make the swirly trail under the balloon...hope no one fell out!  LOL














Next, Sharon asked us to "Swim for the Gold" by using a water color technique and some gold elements.  I knew that a recent color challenge used gold, so I used  that too:  wild wasabi, cherry cobbler, and gold. The cherry cobbler strip is dry embossed with the Divine Swirls folder.  I attempted to stamp my hydrangea from "Because I Care" on some watercolor paper.  Hmmm...the details didn't show up.  I need more practice!  I chose a simple watercolor wash technique.  It definitely makes the colors look different, but it works with the quick VSN time frame.  My gold elements are the brad and this washi tape from Spare Parts.  I have washi tape, but have never used it before.  It took me forever to get the roll started!  Ha!  My sentiment is also on water color paper, colored with my aqua brush.













Now I have a card for Carla's challenge, Bird On!  Inspired by the sport of badminton, we were asked to include a "birdie" in our project.  Even better, a bird playing a sport!  I pulled out my SU set "For the Birds, and used this winter image.  My bird is training for the winter Olympics!  Mycard base is marina mist, and I added panels of  "Christmas Cheer" dsp, from an old retired Scrappin' kit.  I colored my image with markers, and sponged the edges. The satin ribbon is scrunched for a touch of dimension.  This card also fits a recent SCS sketch challenge.

I really wanted to get more cards done by now, but oh well!  Maybe Sunday afternoon will be filled with some creativity.  You have until Sunday night to upload your Virtual Stamp Night projects!

Inky {{{HUGS}}}
Kim

Virtual Stamp Night!!

Hello Stamping Friends!  

I am finally posting some of my Virtual Stamp Night cards.  It's been quite  week for me, so this blog hasn't received enough TLC.  I started with 3 of the Friday night challenges, but wanted to do the other 2 so they could be posted together.  I made those cards on Saturday, really I did!  LOL  So here we go!

The first VSN challenge was inspired by the Olympic motto:  Citius, Altius, Fortius...which is Faster, Higher, Stronger.  We had to include elements that began with C, A, and F. I chose Copper (brads and the dark stripes in the dp) Airplane (from SU's "Sentimental Journey") and Fleur de Lis and French greeting (from SU's "Carte Postale.")  My card base is taken with teal; the dp is S.E.I.'s "Charlemagne".  I use creamy caramel, taken with teal, and pool party inks.  The other sentiment is from "Whimsical Words" stamped on a scallop circle.  Now I just need to plan a trip to France so I can mail this to a friend, right?

Next, Melody was inspired by her love for fabric in this "Hoist the Sails" challenge.  We could use any fabric.  I chose some denim from an old shirt that I took from dear hubby.  It didn't fit any more, but the fabric has come in handy!  I ran some of the fabric through my Big Shot with a SU framelit.  I probably should have run it through another time to cut it better...but then again, I like the frayed edges!  I stamped SU's "Sail Away" with Stazon jet black.  I layered it over a strip of burlap.  The greeting is from SU "Wetlands," stamped in bravo burgundy to match the card base.  A bit of sponging and a brad finish it off.

Next, Misti took on the port of archery with this "On Target" challenge.  We had to use at least one circle, and the colors of an archery target.  My wild wasabi is added.  *wink*  My card base is brilliant blue...already cut, in a drawer with a bunch of retired color bases.  And all of the little die cuts were in another drawer with circles and such...even the leaves.  I did decide to add texture by embossing with the perfect polka dots folder.  The greeting and tiny stamped butterflies are from SU "Hello Again."  Even the striped ribbon was in a stash of pre-cut pieces...barely fit around my base!  LOL  But all of that made this a quick card! 

Now, I have a "Triathlon" card, for Sally's challenge.  We needed to use 3 items in certain categories.  I chose 3 "papers"...card stock (bermuda bay, white, daffodil) designer paper (tangerine tango polka dot) and vellum (Simply Irresistible).  I also chose 3 embellishments...crushed curry ribbon, felt flower, and brad.  I used my markers to color the back of the vellum, then layered it on white to give a misty look.  This was also for that week's color challenge (bermuda bay, daffodil delight, and tangerine tango.)  Love the bold colors for summer!

Finally the last of Friday's challenges.  Polly asked us to "Jump Those Hurdles."  I also incorporated that week's palette from the ColourQ.  Since I didn't have this post done, I had to link up my gallery to catch their deadline.  Anyway, I really like this masculine color scheme.  I did simple layers of white, bordering blue and night of navy on my basic gray card base.  I used markers to color the sentiment from SU "Delightful Dozen," pacing it on an angle to go under the "ramp" which is made from old olive.  My skater is from the SU Extreme Series, stamped on an oval from my die cut stash.  I used enamel dots for the wheels, and added a bit of bakers twine.  I may cut off the twine...looks odd!  LOL

Whew!  That's it for now.  I don't have all of the Saturday challenges done; just 3 out of 8 so far.  But I have until Sunday to complete them...and so do you!  I hope you decide to join us!  It's lots of fun!

Thanks for stopping by!

Inky {{{HUGS}}}
Kim

Playing with More Challenges

Hello Friends!

It's Thursday, and I rarely post on Thursdays.  My internet was down for much of the day, so some work was not accessible to me.  I have some Audible books downloaded on my Kindle app, and decided to finish a novel.  I often stamp while listening, so that's what I did this afternoon.  Now, after rebooting my router I am able to get back on the computer.  I still have quite a mess to clean up!

My first card combines this week's challenges at both The Paper Players and Freshly Made Sketches.  One of my brothers-in-law was admitted to the hospital on Tuesday for numerous health issues.  He will be there a while, so I wanted to make a card.  A song at church is called "On Eagle's Wings," based on Psalm 91.  Inspired by that, I used this image and stamp from Our Daily Bread Designs.  The card base is early espresso.  I stamped on very vanilla, using soft suede for the eagle and midnight muse for the verse.  My sponge dauber created the sun, in crushed curry.  I started using a blender pen on my bird, but the suede ink smeared (duh!) so then I just used markers.  I sponged some river rock and pool party in the sky.  The strip of dsp is from SU's "Comfort Cafe."  Two enamel dots finish it off, and conveniently cover one of my smudges.

Next, I have a card for today's Way to Use It challenge
at SCS:  In Stitches.  I rarely play along with this one, and considering the theme, it's odd that I did.  We were challenged to use actual stitching, or sewing images...something along those lines.  I have no stamps that work with that. I thought I had an image from a swap, but didn't find it.  I did have these bulky designer brads from SU...don't ask me why I bought them but not the coordinating stamps or paper!  Any way, I used a different swap image (unknown name) which I colored with blender pens and water coloring.  I doodled my own stitches and added the brad and some ribbon.  The sentiment is from  "Because I Care."  This card also goes with an old challenge at The Paper Players...working on that 2016 goal!

Since I am trying to make two of my cards these days, I do have near duplicates made today.  That means I made 4 cards and 1 huge mess today!  Thanks for coming by!

Inky {{{HUGS}}}
Kim