HSS 114

Hi stampers!   It's Tuesday and time for another challenge over at Hand Stamped Sentiments!  This week is a technique challenge that I'd never tried!  I was pleased to find out it was really quite easy!  I'm a lazy stamper...I don't like to do a bunch of work (which is probably why there is a pile of laundry to do and my stamp room is a disaster, lol). :-)

Now, be nice to me...I didn't have any colored pencils and I didn't want to buy any just for this card so I tried to use what I had and work with my water color wonder crayons.  It sort of worked....I think:-)  Now, coloring with those suckers was not real easy and they aren't very precise...so don't look TOO hard at my coloring.  I had fun with my white gel pen though:-)

Stampin' Supplies:
Stamps:  Fresh vintage (SAB - now retired), loving thoughts
Ink:  Basic black, white craft
Paper:  Basic black, melon mambo, old olive
Accessories:  Watercolor wonder crayons, white gel pen, basic rhinestones, daffodil delight seam binding, labels collection framelits, vintage wall paper embossing folder

I went with BRIGHT colors to contrast with the black and white.  And I used old olive instead of my new fave lucky limeade!  My friend old olive was very happy:-)

Now head on over the to challenge site and see what the awesome design team has come up with!  And don't forget to play along!

Happy stamping!

HSS 108

Hi stampers!  Happy Tuesday...time for a new challenge at Hand Stamped Sentiments.  Now, I have to start out with a disclaimer....I goofed!  For some strange reason I totally had it in my head that this week's color challenge used poppy parade when in fact it used real red...oops!  The colors are really fun and bright though!

I don't know if maybe I had seen this color combo with poppy somewhere else or I got confused when I looked at my attic boutique DSP because all of the colors minus the real red are in there.  I absolutely LOVED the card that I came up with though so I'm going to share it anyway....and I didn't have the time to re-do it....and really I'm not sure that you can really tell it's not real red unless you look closely:-)  So, I hope you forgive me! I swear I turned 31 and my brain stopped functioning, lol!

Stampin' Supplies:
Stamps:  Apothecary art, creative elements, loving thoughts
Paper:  Very vanilla, crumb cake, soft suede, daffodil delight, attic boutique DSP
Ink:  Black staz-on, crumb cake, soft suede, poppy parade, daffodil delight
Accessories:  basic pearls, large basic pearls, daffodil delight striped grosgrain ribbon, itty bitty punch pack, labels collection framelits

There's a lot of sponging going on here to make it nice and vintage!  I used the big flower from creative elements to make the label a little less sparse.  I stamped it off once to make it softer.  I chose the word memories because I thought it fit the vintage theme of the card.  And lastly, I pulled apart some of the ribbon to make it a bit more shabby!

I'll have to make sure I check the next challenge a little more carefully before I start stamping, ha!

Happy stamping!

A special sketch!

Hi stampers!  I have a very special sketch for you today!  Why so special?  Well, because it's from the Create With Connie & Mary Occasions Mini 2012 Edition!  I'm a guest designer for them this go-round and each Saturday they have a special sketch for members only!  How fun!  You can play along and enter if you head over there right now and sign up!  Not only do you get special sketches and challenges but over 30 fabulous and exclusive projects....including MINE.  And I worked long and hard on that puppy and it turned out so cute! Go on, you KNOW you want to see it:-)

Anyway, this week's challenge was this sketch:

And this is my card:

Stampin' Supplies:
Stamps:  Fresh vintage (SAB), You're a gem
Paper:  Very vanilla, calypso coral, peach parfait (smooth & textured), pool party, everyday enchantment (SAB)
Ink:  Versamark, pool party, peach parfait, calypso coral
Accessories:  Clear embossing powder, basic pearls & rhinestones, itty bitty punch pack, dotted scallop border punch, adorning accents edgelits & embossing folders

I know, I know....I used the Everyday Enchantment DSP again BUT at least I focused on a different pattern this time, hehe!  To make the butterfly a bit special I used textured DSP and embossed over that.  I really love the look of heat embossing over textured card stock and I love the way my butterfly turned out! I also added the little flowers for just a POP of calypso coral.

Hope you had a great weekend!  And if you're a Create with Connie & Mary subscriber, make sure to play along in the sketch this week!  And if you're not then head on over and sign up!

Happy stamping!

Freshly Cased

Hi stampers!  Where does the time go?  I can't believe that it's the middle of January already.  Time needs to slooooow down...my birthday will be here before I know it and I don't think I'm ready to be another year older just yet, hehe!  But, maybe I'll have my Christmas trees down by then, lol!  I've been in a pretty down mood since after Christmas so I haven't been able to motivate myself to get much done around the house:-/  I did get one of them down this week though and all the ornaments off our big tree.....I think the problem is I need a vacation to somewhere tropical:-)

Anyway, speaking of January....I LOVE the magazine us demos get every month!  It's called Stampin' Success and has all kinds of great articles, techniques, tips, and projects in it.  I often draw inspiration for my projects from it!  I also love that it has sneak peeks of upcoming items from time to time!  You know I don't have a lot of patience so I love seeing things early, hehe!

I found a number of things to work on in the January edition!  This card is one of them:

Stampin' Supplies:
Stamps:  Fresh vintage (SAB),  kind thanks
Paper:  Very vanilla, soft suede, everyday enchantment DSP (SAB)
Ink:  Pool party, lucky limeade, soft suede
Accessories:  Triple layer blossom punch, lucky limeade ruffled ribbon, everyday enchantment ribbon & brad pack (SAB), color spritzer

Isn't it pretty?  I think it was a pretty popular card as I've seen quite a few people posting their version!  And it's a little bit of a sneak peek for you too.  If you haven't already seen the SAB 2012 catalog, this is one of the stamp sets!  It's called fresh vintage and it coordinates with the DSP and ribbon and brad pack.  I really like how this card sort of has it's own handmade DSP with the stamps from the set, that's a technique I often forget about but should remember to use more often! 

I also love the soft colors of this card!  Pool party, lucky limeade and soft suede are a great color combination!  I lightly spritzed the card with soft suede ink using my color spritzer. Lots of sponging helps soften the card too.  I sponged around all of the edges and also around the "flower".  Finally, it's kind of hard to see but I put some of the SAB organdy ribbon over the ruffled ribbon.

Don't forget you can get your own SAB goodies for FREE starting next Tuesday, woo-hoo!

Happy stamping!

Lucky Island Basics

Hi stampers!  I did something I haven't done in a LONG time this weekend.  I played in a color challenge over on Splitcoast Stampers.  Now, I have absolutely no good reason for not playing along in such a long time other than I just kind of forgot!  Shame on me!  Well, I picked a good one to come back to as the colors were so pretty!  The challenge was to use island indigo, lucky limeade, and basic gray.  So many possibilities but I decided to do something simple since the colors were so vibrant.  I'm really on a kick with the white space and clean and simple thing as of late.  It's fun to do something different!  What do you think?

Stampin' Supplies:
Stamps:  Fresh vintage (SAB), fabulous phrases
Paper:  Whisper white, island indigo, lucky limeade, neutrals DSP stack
Ink:  Island indigo, basic gray
Accessories:  Everyday enchantment ribbon & brad pack (SAB), basic pearls

There was a bit of cutting here but it's not too fussy and that image cuts out pretty quickly.  I also used the "wallpaper" pattern of the DSP which I don't normally use.  I tend to stick to the polka dots, hehe.  And again, I really love the font of the fabulous phrases set and think it works beautifully with the fresh vintage set.  I tried a variety of sentiments down in the corner but I liked the simplicity of this one and the tiny size!

Here's a quick tip if you use the clear mounts:  if I can't decide on a sentiment or placement of a stamp, I will take the stamp unmounted and lay it where I want it.  You can then kind of visualize what it's going to look like.  It's harder to do with the wood mounts so this is just another reason I love the clear mounts!  I can waffle back and forth until I figure out which one I like without wasting paper or messing up my project!

Hope you can put this tip to good use!  And don't forget about the fun challenges over on SCS like I did:-)

Happy stamping!

Simple SAB

Hi stampers!  I've been struggling to come up with cards/ideas lately!  So, I decided to take a cue from the Sale-A-Bration catalog and keep it simple!  The catalog this year is gorgeous!  It's got wonderful use of white space....which when it comes to cardmaking I tend to forget about:-)  BUT white space can be VERY visually applealing...just look:

Stampin' Supplies:
Stamps:  Fresh vintage (SAB), fabulous phrases
Paper:  Whisper white, calypso coral, pool party
Ink:  Calypso coral
Accessories:  Dotted scallop border punch, everyday enchantment ribbon & brad pack (SAB)

Simple but packs a punch doesn't it?  I just love it!  This is my favorite card of the night and it happens to be the simplest...funny how that works out!  I really love the design and colors of this suite from the SAB catalog!  Those little printed brads are so cute!  And I was very happy how well the fabulous phrases font worked with this card!  I fretted for quite a while about what sentiment to use!  I finally settled on this due to the simplicity. 

So, the next time your stuck for an idea try something simple!

Happy stamping!