More Stampin' Fun, SSC104

Oh how I wish Baja Breeze wasn't retiring in a week, it looks so nice paired with the new Soft Suede. I'm also loving the new Modern Label punch, layers wonderfully with the word window punch! It's so much fun to find new uses for our old toys.

I took a little liberty with this weeks Saturday sketch challenge over at Stamping 411 and offset my main image just a bit. This is the very first time my Classic Sketches stamp set has seen ink, I'm sure it was feeling very neglected. This image just screams "distress me" so I sponged heavily. This is my end result:

Stamps: Classic Sketches, Teeny Tiny Wishes
Paper: Soft Suede, Baja Breeze, Whisper White, Parisian Breeze DSP
Ink: Soft Suede
Accessories: brads, word window punch, modern label punch, sponge, dimensionals

When I Can't Sleep ...

I play with my stampin' toys! I'm blaming these recent sleepless nights on the nasty midwest weather ... many heavy storms, followed by blazing heat and humidity. I suppose I can sleep through the heat, but the rain and lightning through my bedroom skylights make it dang near impossible. Anyway, I decided not to fight it last night and wandered into my stamping quarters and dug out these lovely window sheets to play with. Ok, I totally messed one up trying to figure out how to affix them without the adhesive showing - there has to be a clean and simple way to do this that my brain is refusing to process. Any suggestions???

I ended up using glue dots in the upper corners to stick the window sheet on - then covered them with a photo corner and pearls from the SU Pretties kit. I would have rather left the entire card blank, but those dang glue dots stick out like a sore thumb (as did everything else I tried)! The bottom I did use regular adhesive, just covered it with an eyelet punched piece of cardstock and ribbon. I fiddled with the ribbon a bit to have the polka dots only on the bow edges, decided I really like this new in color ribbon since it can be used plain or printed. While I'm not 100% sold on the card, I really do like how the bow turned out! hahahaha

Stamps: Hope Happens
Paper: Dusty Durango Textured, Crushed Curry, Razzleberry Lemonade DSP, printed window sheet
Ink: Soft Suede
Accessories: Soft Suede polka dot ribbon, photo corner punch, SU pretties kit/pearls, eyelet border punch

Lots of Dots

Just messing around yesterday with my stamps, seems I've been procrastinating bigtime on starting my final swap project that is due next week (it has to be mailed on Monday!). A group I participate in had posted a color challenge for the week, thought I would try my hand at that first ... a lame attempt to get those creative juices flowing again. That's my excuse and I'm sticking with it!

This color challenge inspiration came from a blanket (I think), the print was so gorgeous - colors were Rose Red, Taken with Teal, Elegant Eggplant and Whisper White. I've never thought about putting these colors together, but I really like the end result. The background was made with the polka dot background stamp from Stampin' Up!, I hand colored all those little dots to mix up the colors. Unfortunately the teal stamped more like the color eggplant. Oh well ...

Stamps: Simple Friendship, Polka Dot background

Paper: Rose Red, Whisper White, Taken With Teal, Elegant Eggplant

Ink: Taken With Teal, Elegant Eggplant, Rose Red

Accessories: scallop border punch, markers, scallop circle punch, 1 1/2" circle punch, circle scissors, pennant Bigz XL die, little dots texturz plate

A Happy Sunday! SSC103

I can't believe it's Monday already, not sure exactly where I lost last week ... guess time really does fly when you're having fun! It also means it is once again time for the Saturday Sketch Challenge over at Stamping 411, I'm determined to get my entry submitted on time this week.

Yesterday it was bright and sunny, I felt a teeny bit guilty toying with the idea of staying inside to stamp. When hub decided to get caught up on the yard work, the decision was made. I really hated to give up that rare opportunity of uninterupted stampin' time. I know you know what I mean ... no telemarketing calls ... no silly favors being asked ... no crises to attend to ... just good old fashioned, all alone, quiet, ME time! I took full advantage of it (thoroughly enjoying every minute) and got quite a bit accomplished. I finished one swap that I am participating in, which is what I based this card from. I had a very difficult time finding something for those thin upper and side panels - everything I tried seemed to take away from the softness of the main image. I finally decided to dig through my designer paper stash (aka: hoard) ... WOOHOOOOO, I found some Old Olive Patterns DSP that I was happy with! So here's my creation:

I must have stamped 100 various color/image combos with the new SU hostess set Kind & Caring Thoughts, finally hit on something that I was thrilled with. I applied Crushed Curry ink to the entire image, then used those little finger sponge daubers to edge the flowers with Dusty Durango and the buds with Old Olive. I used a marker to color the stems in Old Olive. I love how those flower buds look kind of yellowish green, yet the stem is so much bolder ... and I thought the flowers were so bright and cheerful. Give this a try, you won't belive how easy it is!

Stamps: Kind & Caring Thoughts, Tres Chic (background), Itty Bitty Backgrounds
Paper: Whisper White, Old Olive, Dusty Durango, Crushed Curry, Old Olive Patterns DSP
Ink: Crushed Curry, Dusty Durango, Old Olive
Accessories: Dusty Durango polka dot ribbon, rhinestone brad, large oval punch, scallop oval punch, wide oval punch, corner rounder punch, sponge, sponge daubers, marker, dimensionals

Stamping 411 Saturday Sketch; SSC102

It seems I've been having a bit of a creative slump lately, and I've really been wanting to play with all my new "toys" from the recent SU catalog preview. I thought maybe trying my hand at the Stamping 411 Saturday Sketch Challenge would be a great place to start ... instead of sitting at my desk staring aimlessly at piles of paper, ink and stamps.

I started by using versamark on this wonderful wildflower image from the Asian Artistry hostess set, colored over the versamark with the new In Color markers (are you as excited about them as I am???) then heat embossed with clear embossing powder.

I tore a strip of paper to mask the background for the main image and sponged in some color. The tag is also an image from the same set, heat embossed and colored with blender pens.

The card base is one of the new In Colors ... Soft Suede. I LOVE this color, such a great addition! Sponging around the base gave it just a bit of added depth and the softness I was hoping for.

Stamps: Asian Artistry, Teeny Tiny Wishes, Sanded (background), En Francais (background)

Paper: Very Vanilla, Soft Suede, Dusty Durango

Ink: Old Olive, Crushed Curry, Soft Suede, Dusty Durango

Accessories: Clear EP, markers, blender pen, circle punch, small and large tag punches, hemp twine, distressing tool, sponges

One Color Challenge

I finally found some time to stamp yesterday, this is the end result for my monthly demo swap challenge ... which was to use ONLY one color. You are reading this correctly, ONE color -
that means cardstock, ink, accessories - everything!

I admit, I will always without fail cuss about the challenge before I can finally get down to business and actually create something. I decided the only way to add more color was to sponge ... and sponge ... and sponge. When I thought I had done enough sponging, I sponged some more. Seriously, after making a dozen of these cards I thought my arm was going to fall off!

Don't you love SU's new In Color Dusty Durango though? With all the sponging, this color looks so incredibly rich (to me anyway). And how do you like that creative photo corner I came up with? I'd love to hear your comments. Please be gentle, I'm new at this blogging world!

Stamps: Font of You, Sanded
Cardstock: Dusty Durango
Ink: Dusty Durango
Accessories: Clear EP, small oval punch, scalloped oval punch, scalloped square punch, 1"circle punch, sponge, dimensionals, Big Shot Ovals original dies (to mask flower pot)

Fun, Fun, Fun

This card was so much fun to create! I've been wanting to make this darling little dress I saw on Patty Bennett's website, thought my daughters 22nd birthday was the perfect opportunity. I decided to make the belt with a ribbon rose, love, love, love the end result. The double sided satin ribbon really makes that rose POP. My daughter studied the card and declared that it looked like a replica of an old Homecoming dress she had. I took that as a wonderful compliment!


Stamps: Wonderful Favorites

Ink: Kiwi Kiss

Cardstock: Whisper White, Kiwi Kiss, Bella Rose DSP

Accessories: Kiwi Kiss satin ribbon, eyelet border punch, Bigz Scallop Die, Little Dots texturz plate