Oodles of Love

Finally had time to make a few valentine's day cards to send to family.  To help spark the creativity I leaned on a favorite challenge blog!  For this card I used the Friday Mashup Challenge #195.

 

This week's Mashup Challenge is:

• Create a project with the "Sketch". 
• Create a project with "2 different embellishments". 
• or Mash it Up! and create a project "with the Sketch and different embellishments".

I decided to use the Snuggles and Smooches photopolymer stamp set from Stampin' Up!  I favorite of mine for Valentines!  I just love the quirky greetings ;0).

This was a fun sketch to play with and was definitely gave me a creative boost today!

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Love Life and Blendabilities

Thought I would share another card we made at Stamp Camp earlier this month.  This card uses blendabilities markers.  I love the effect these markers can create!  Such gorgeous colors.

The stamp sets I used are the A Happy Thing Stamp Set, a free set you can earn during Sale-a-Bration!  The background was from the Butterfly Basics stamp set using Soft Sky ink.

A gorgeous way to showcase this pretty bird!

Now, to start planning for the next stamp camp!

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Be Mine

Thought I would share a quick post today for some Valentine inspiration!  This is one of the cards we created at a stamp camp I held earlier this month.  I was out of town for work last week and it has been challenging to get into my stamp room again.  Too many other distractions, like laundry and such!

I love the colors in the Stacked with Love Designer Series Paper Stack, Basic Black, Calypso Coral, Crisp Cantaloupe, Real Red and Whisper White.  I can certainly use this paper stack beyond Valentines day!  

A pretty simple card to make!

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Snuggles and Smooches for an Inspiration Challenge

Time for another Stampin' Celebration Inspiration Challenge!  This inspiration challenge was perfect to get me in the mood to make valentine's projects.

For my project I decided to use the Stampin' Up! Smooches and Snuggles photopolymer stamp set.  I love the greetings in this stamp set!  Such fun ways to express love.  The color scheme I went with is Cherry Cobbler, Strawberry Slush and Smoky Slate with a background of Whisper White,  I added a little glimmer with red glitter paper punched with the heart border punch and tucked some strawberry slush thick baker's twine behind the greeting.  

I hope you get an opportunity to play along with this challenge!  I loved the projects the design team created!  We look forward to seeing the inspiration you draw from the images!

Stampin' Up Supplies Used:

     

Watercolor Polka Dots

I love when I am taken out of my comfort zone and challenged to try something new.  Well, not really, but I had fun with The Friday Mashup! #192.

   

This week's Mashup Challenge is:

• Create a project with a "Embossing Folder Stamping Technique". Link Here. 
• Create a project  with "Mix & Matched Shapes". 
• or Mash it Up! and create a "project using the technique with different shapes".

I have added ink to embossing folders before, but not to watercolor with, so this was a nice challenge for me.  And, it turned out to be fairly simple (at least my version was simple).

I decided to use the large polka dot textured embossing folder and used a sponge dauber to add Crushed Curry, Wild Wasabi and Marina Mist onto the dots.  After spraying the dots with water I transferred the dots to water color paper.  I loved the effect!  I used a heat tool to help make the dots dry faster.

To go with the various shapes theme, I pulled out a few other framelit sets and cut a few different shapes using the same color scheme.  The greeting is from is a Sale-a-bration stamp set, Simply Wonderful Stamp Set, which has a few different greeting types to fit many occasions!  I stamped it in Staz-on black and colored in the Thanks greeting with a Crushed Curry marker.

I also added some cotton twine from Stampin' Up! 2015 Occasions Catalog. This cotton twine set is called Painted blooms and has Wild Wasabi, Soft Sky and Whisper White baby soft twine!  I added a button.  Funny, the button is actually an Island Indigo button from the Regals Designer Buttons pack. The color of this button happened to match well with the watercolored Marina Mist.

I am glad I tried this technique!  I think it will definitely be something I use in the future.  I like the way the big dots held the color and created such a pretty watercolored effect! 

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Enjoying Vintage

It's been a while since I made a vintage style card and I was inspired by an arrow shape I made trying out the faux rusted metal embellishments technique. These elements look great in a vintage setting.  I decided to use this element on a card created playing along with Retrosketches #148. 

For my card I started with a background stamp called Backgrounds Rule in Crumb Cake ink.  This is the first time I used this stamp, although I think about it often (if that counts).  That's actually the only stamping I did on this card. 

Next I layered on a few different elements to build the focal point.  Most of the shapes came from the Mini Treat Bag Thinlits Die from the Stampin' Up! 2015 Occasions Catalog.  Such great images in this set!  A little vintage ribbon and the rusted arrow and a vintage card is made.  I actually forgot about the sponging effect when I made the card and had to go back and add it.  It definitely helped turn the card into a vintage feel.  Before that it was too harsh with the bright vanilla.

Hope you enjoy the card!  Have a great week!

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An Occasions Butterfly Birthday

I am so excited!  The Stampin' Up! 2015 Occasions Catalog went live yesterday! As usual, the product is beautiful!  Everytime a new catalog comes out I convince myself that I have enough and don;t really need much new stuff.  But then, I open the catalog and I am drawn in!  Everything is usually more beautiful than the next!  The catalog gets worn out before it even goes live. Craziness I tell you!  But, I am happy to be addicted to something that actually calms me and makes me happy with minimal physical side effects (other than a giggle and a sigh here and there)!

Anyway, I needed to make some cards for an upcoming stamp camp and I decided to go to a few sketch challenges for inspiration.  When I saw retrosketches challenge #147 I loved it and wanted to use some new product to play along!

I decided to use the Butterfly Basic stamp set and the Butterflies Thinlits Dies. This stamp set and die set can be purchased as a bundle with a 15% discount on the price!  This sketch was a great way to showcase a few different elements from this set. 

The color combination I used is Mossy Meadow with Tangelo Twist and Lost Lagoon on a background of Whisper White.  I also threw in some gold with gold embossing powder and gold threads pulled from the gold 1/8" ribbon.  I also colored a few basic rhinestones with the dark pumpkin pie blendabilities to add a little bling to the card. 

I just love the font used for the greeting!  Just beautiful!

The Butterfly Basics stamp set has a few different elements that are great for background designs.  I love that this set has a grunge type feel as well.

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Stampin' Celebration Sketch Challenge

Hope you enjoyed your holidays!  I spent a lot of time trying to play catch up on my scrapbooking!  I didn't realize I was so far behind!!  I think I finally finished 2013, so now I can try to catch up on 2014 before the new year ends (again!).

The Stampin' Celebration Sketch Challenge (SC95) helped me spark some creativity and drive to scrapbook. I mostly digital scrapbook now with My Digital Studio.  So, once the computer is open, with a glass of wine next to me and a not so interesting movie on TV (or a show that takes place in Alaska that my husband is totally watching) I can scrap for hours with little mess and clean up! Love it!!

I found a few pictures of our goldendoodle Coda hoarding some new toys so I thought I would use this sketch for this page.

Unfortunately, I only had two pictures, but the layout still looks great!  

Hope you get inspired to do a little scrapbooking!  

My Digital Studio Supplies Used:

Background: Designer Series Paper\Thankful Tablescape Simply Created - 2

Embellishments: Chevron Ribbon - pumpkin pie straight (re-colored MORE MUSTARD); Mis-Stitched - espresso 3; Top Notch Woodcuts - sa-weet; Spice Cake Designer - pear pizzazz; Naturals Designer Buttons - small dark 2

Stamps: Back to School - grunge overlay; Point & Click Project Life - chevron 1

Punches: Build A Banner Simply Created - 2,  Filled with DSP Thankful Tablescape Simply Created - 3;  Build A Banner Simply Created - 2,  Filled with: DSP Thankful Tablescape Simply Created - 1; 1.25 Square Punch

Font: Boring Showers  (not Stampin' Up!)

Brrr, Baby It's Cold Outside!!

Finally, a little winter wonderland outside!  We had a bit of snow fall last night! Perfect to get me in the mood to play along with the Friday Mashup Challenge (FM191)!

• Create a project with a "Winter theme". 
• Create a project  with "Snowflakes". 
• or Mash it Up! and create a "Winter project with Snowflakes".

I purchased the Visions of Santa Photopolymer Stamp Set from the Stampin' Up! Holiday Catalog.  I didn't get to use this too much in December but the moose reminded me of being warm in the winter so I thought it would be a perfect element in a winter card!  Plus, the stamp set had snowflakes! Perfect combination.

The greeting is from the Project Life Holiday Cheer Photopolymer Stamp Set also from the 2014 Holiday Catalog.

For the large snowflake, I was inspired by a video posted on the Stampin' Up! blog on making Faux Rusted Metal Embellishments by Allison Okamitsu, an Artisan Design Team member. 

  

I loved this effect and decided to try making a snowflake with a galvanized steel effect,  For this snowflake I used silver and black embossing powder with the metallic silver encore stamp pad. 

It turned out to be a fun card!  Makes me want to climb into some flannel and have a cup of hot chocolate!

Stampin' Up Supplies Used (mostly from the 2014 Holiday Catalog which go off sale January 5th):

     

   

Happy Birthday Chalkboard Technique with Blendabilities

While perusing Pinterest I found a great technique I wanted to try using the Blendabilities markers from Stampin Up and an embossed image to make a chalkboard type effect.  The video I first saw was from Diane Dimich, although I know there are several out there,

Anyway, I received the new Big Day stamp set from Stampin' Up!  It's a new saleabration stamp set and I just love the images.  I thought this stamp set would go great with a chalkboard type effect.

I also liked the retrosketches design #146 so I decided to make a card using this technique and this sketch.  Easy Peasy! 

Here is my card.  I decided to make a regular sized card rather than a square card.  

The main image was stamped with Versamark onto basic black cardstock and then heat embossed with white embossing powder.  Then I took Blendabilities and colored in the images.  I used Old Olive (lightest one), Pink Pirouette (new color available with the 2015 Occasions Catalog), Soft Sky (another new color), Pumpkin Pie and Daffodil Delight.

Once this was colored I mounted it onto a piece of Pumpkin Pie Designer Series Paper from the Brights DSP pack and then mounted that onto a piece of Pear Pizzaz cardstock.  

I stamped the cake image onto whisper white cardstock and colored it in using the same blendabilities colors as I used to color the main image. The cake was fussy cut and mounted to the card front.

I love the color combination of this card.  It's bright and cheery.  Perfect for a January Birthday!

Happy day to you!