Clean and Simple, Take 2

***If you're here for Kitchen Sink Monday, scroll down to the post below.***

This week's clean and simple stamping challenge on SCS was to remake one of your own cards, either an already clean and simple one or a more ornate one. I picked this 4th of July themed card to revisit.

Instead of stars, I used sparkly flowers by the same manufacturer for my images. I paper pierced and faux stitched the stems before attaching the flowers using mini glue dots. I kept the placement of the sentiment relatively the same as in my original card. The sentiment here is from Papertrey Ink's Vintage Picnic Sentiments set. The Melon Mambo ink really pops against the soft blue background.

This was about a 5 minute card and is so sparkly and fun--I'm glad I went back and did it again!

Materials Used:

Vintage Picnic Sentiments stamp set (Papertrey Ink); Melon Mambo Classic ink, Bashful Blue cardstock, mat pack and paper piercing tool, white gel pen (Stampin' Up!); flowers (Petaloo)

Kitchen Sink Monday: Oh Nuts!

It's time for another Kitchen Sink Stamps Monday. For this week's project, I tried something I haven't attempted before--a wiper card.

I used images from the 3 Step Autumn Squirrel set for this interactive card. The front of the card features the squirrel image, stamped in shades of brown ink on a cream panel. I sponged on a little more brown ink along the edges of the panel and added the "oh nuts!" sentiment, too.

The squirrel image is paired with some acorn patterned paper that I've been trying to figure out how to use. I layered the image over the patterned paper and added a creamy satin ribbon, too.

When the sides of the card are extended, the wiper piece becomes visible. I used the large acorn image and the "I forgot" sentiment on a cream circle that I placed on the Melon Mambo wiper mechanism piece. What a totally fun belated birthday message!

For more Kitchen Sink inspiration, you can visit the rest of the Kitchen Sink Crew. Here’s where you can find them:
Angela Knopf
Connie McCotter
Dee Jackson
Julie Masse
Lisa Somerville
Lynn McAuley
Makiko Jones
Maria Colosimo, owner

You still have time to sign up for the Kitchen Sink "Chef in Training" program to be held on September 19 in Warner Robins, GA. Check out all the details here. And, don’t forget that you can use the code LORI10KSS for a 10% discount on your KSS purchases!

Materials Used:
3 Step Autumn Squirrel stamp set (Kitchen Sink Stamps); Creamy Caramel and Close to Cocoa Classic inks, Close to Cocoa, Melon Mambo, and Very Vanilla cardstock, 1 3/8"circle punch, sponge dauber, dimensionals, Sticky Strip (Stampin' Up!); Dune pigment ink (ColorBox); designer paper (K & Company-Greenhouse line); cream satin ribbon (Michaels); ScorPal

The Apple of My Eye

Here's my card for today's SCS featured stamper challenge. I was inspired by the colors and layout in this card.

I kept the layout pretty similar, but eliminated a few layers. In my version, I replaced the wildflower image in the original version with the whimsical tree image from the DoodleFactory Into the Woods stamp set from Starving Artistamps. The tree is stamped in brown ink and the leaves are colored with Copic markers. I used sponges and ink to add a fall-feeling backdrop for the tree. A single yellow apple is under the tree, attached with a dimensional.

The Summer Sunrise card base is stamped with the gate image from the set, replacing the white border punched fence along the bottom of the original card. I matted the tree on rust cardstock before layering it on the card base, slightly overlapping the fence. A narrow olive ribbon is tied around the card, just at the bottom of the fence. The coordinating sentiment is stamped in rust ink alongside the image panel. I added a brad at the top of the sentiment and a pair of brads on the opposite side of the image panel.

A new DoodleFactory release is coming soon. If you're a DF fan, you'll want to keep an eye on the Starving Artistamps blog for some blog candy . . .

Materials U sed:

DoodleFactory Into the Woods stamp set and Woods Sentiments (Starving Artistamps); white cardstock (Gina K Designs); Rich Cocoa and Tuxedo Black ink (Memento); markers (Copic); Really Rust, More Mustard, and Old Olive Classic inks, Really Rust cardstock, Old Olive polytwill, sponge, dimensionals (Stampin' Up!); copper brads (Making Memories)

Pumpkin Patch Pair

I got my Stampin' Up! Holiday Mini preorder last week and I'm just starting to play with my new stamps. I used two different blogger sketch challenges along with the new Pumpkin Patch set for these cards.

This one uses Taylor's latest sketch challenge. I based the card's colors on the colors in the patterned paper from Papertrey Ink's Hocus Pocus paper pack that I used for the panel on the bottom of the card. I stamped the polka dotted pumpkin on the white panel and added one of the funny faces. Originally, the pumpkin was flat, but as I was taking a photo of the card, Cosmo the crazy dog came by to investigate. He'd just had a drink of water and he shook his head, getting some water droplets on my stamped image. So, the popped-up pumpkin was a quick fix.

I paired the patterned paper with an embossed Apricot Appeal panel, then layered the papers on a Chocolate Chip mat. Since the pattern is kind of busy, I stamped the sentiment on a piece of Pumpkin Pie cardstock and layered that over the patterned paper.

Materials Used:

Pumpkin Patch stamp set, Pumpkin Pie, Close to Cocoa, and Old Olive Classic inks, Apricot Appeal, Pumpkin Pie, Chocolate Chip, Kraft, and Whisper White cardstock, Pumpkin Pie grosgrain ribbon, corner rounder, silver brad, dimensionals (Stampin' Up!); Hocus Pocus patterned paper (Papertrey Ink); circle dies (Nestabilities); Swiss Dot embossing folder (Cuttlebug)

This card is made using Weekend Sketch Challenge 95. I have to admit that I "reworked" this one a little bit after thinking on it after I'd initially finished it. I picked a different pumpkin from the Pumpkin Patch set for my focal image. It's sitting on some grass in a softly sponged-on night time sky.

The colors for the card came from the brightly colored K & Company designer paper panel that covers part of the cardfront. I usually don't find myself using Lovely Lilac and Green Galore much, but they seem to work okay for Halloween cards!

At first, I had a plain purple panel covering most of the cardfront. I went back and swapped it out for the spider web patterned one--much better. I kept the embellishments simple, too. Originally I had a single Prima flower with a Dew Drop center where the punched out moon and star brad are. These are a much better fit for a Halloween themed card. Much happier now!

Materials Used:

Pumpkin Patch stamp set, Pumpkin Pie, Old Olive, Certainly Celery, Bashful Blue, Pale Plum, and Basic Black Classic inks, Lovely Lilac, Pumpkin Pie, Green Galore, Yoyo Yellow and Whisper White cardstock, Basic Black grosgrain ribbon, 1" circle punch, sponge, dimensionals (Stampin' Up!); patterned paper (K & Company); circle dies (Nestabilities); Swiss Dot embossing folder (Cuttlebug); star brad (Making Memories)

Back to School Time

I spent a big chunk of my day today working at my school system’s annual Back to School Fair, a free event open to the community to celebrate the start of the school year and to share information about how parents can support their children’s success. So, with that in mind, I created a few fun school-themed projects to share here tonight.

This first project came out of a crafting session with my friend Michele. She wanted to make a back to school gift for her son’s kindergarten teacher and for her teacher colleagues, too. We came up with this adorable apple Top Note basket, based on the design of a swap I received earlier this month from Stacey Buzbee at the SU! convention.

The front of the basket is a red Top Note die. It's embellished with some punches to make a cute face. I also used punches for the stem and the leaves, too. The box is a simple rectangle, scored in a few places, cut to form flaps, and put together with some Sticky Strip. So cute, not to mention quick and easy to pull together!

Materials Used (all from Stampin' Up!):

Real Red, Green Galore, Basic Black, and Whisper White cardstock, Top Note die, 1/4" 1", and 1 3/4" circle punches, photo corner punch, Dazzling Diamonds, dimensionals, Sticky Strip

This card features a fun school house image from my new Unity August Kit of the Month that I couldn’t resist trying out. I used Mercy's Tuesday sketch challenge for the layout. The school house is colored with Copic markers, then cut out. It's added to the background using some dimensionals.

I paired the schoolhouse image with some paper with a subtle cursive handwriting pattern. I tied a twill ribbon around the patterned paper panel before placing it on the kraft card base. It took me a while to settle on the right sentiment for this card. I finally went with one from Unity's Birthday Chic set. I think it's a nice message for the start of the school year.

Materials Used:

August Kit of the Month, Birthday Chic kit, Distressed Dots background (Unity Stamp Co.); white cardstock (Gina K Designs); Tuxedo Black ink (Memento); markers (Copic); Riding Hood Red and Gable Green Classic ink, Riding Hood Red, Soft Sky, Green Galore, and Kraft cardstock, scallop edge punch, dimensionals (Stampin' Up!); designer paper (Imaginisce); twill (Martha Stewart)

Perfect Pair

Adela is our hostess for this week’s Paper Craft Planet sketch challenge. She shared a great sketch for the challenge. When I first saw all of the layers, I wasn’t sure how I’d approach it, but I love how my version turned out. I ended up making my card a standard A2 size instead of a square, but I think it still kept with the layout pretty well.

Here’s my version. I used the large pear image from Unity’s August Stampin’ Store Kit of the Month as my focal image. My kit came from i {heart} papers—and IHP’s Kate is offering some Unity freebies to anyone who purchases the kit before August 31. The pear is stamped on cream cardstock and colored with Copic markers.

I layered a bunch of papers on this card. The pear is layered on just a bit of Kiwi Kiss cardstock, then placed on a Baja Breeze panel that extends the length of the card. I had a scrap of October Afternoon designer paper left over from a card I was working on a few days ago that ended up fitting perfectly on the cardfront. The card base is covered with a K & Company lime green paper with a cream plaid pattern. I wrapped a piece of coordinating green ribbon around the card. I picked this ribbon up in the dollar bin at Michaels and have been using it a lot. I inked up the words “perfect” and “pear” from Unity’s June Kit of the Month separately in coordinating inks and stamped them on a circle. Isn’t this a totally cute anniversary card?

If you want to play along, upload the picture of your project to the PCP gallery using the keyword sk082909 so it can be pulled into the gallery with the other beauties using this sketch. I’ll be back later today with some back to school related projects . . .

Materials Used:
August Stampin’ Store Kit of the Month, June Kit of the Month (Unity Stamp Co.); cream cardstock (Taylored Expressions); Tuxedo Black ink (Memento); markers (Copic); Baja Breeze and Kiwi Kiss Classic inks, Baja Breeze and Kiwi Kiss cardstock, 1 3/8” circle punch, silver brad, dimensionals (Stampin’ Up!); designer paper (K & Company-Greenhouse line; October Afternoon); 1 ½” circle punch (EK Success); green grosgrain ribbon (Michaels)

Bella Boy Birthday

Here’s my card for this week’s Bellarific Friday sketch from Stamping Bella. I pulled out another new-to-me Bella image, the cute robot KiloWATT, for this perfect for a little boy card.

KiloWATT is colored with Copic markers. I used an oval shaped reverse mask to sponge in a shadow underneath him—probably should have masked his feet before doing this! I thought the blue ink would be light enough to not show up on my coloring, but it sort of did . . . I didn’t want to make my card “girlie,” but I couldn’t resist adding just a little sparkle to KiloWATT using a clear Stardust pen.

The cardfront is covered with some patterned paper from DCWV’s All About Boys stack. I matched the colors in the paper with some Ballet Blue cardstock scraps for the panels across the cardfront. This was great for using up some of my scraps! Each panel is accented with a single silver brad. I added the “happy birthday” sentiment along the bottom of the image, also accented with one silver brad.

Materials Used:
KiloWATT image and sentiment (Stamping Bella); white cardstock (Gina K Designs); Tuxedo Black ink (Memento); markers (Copic); Ballet Blue and Bashful Blue Classic inks, Ballet Blue, Real Red, and Whisper White cardstock, oval punch, silver brads, dimensionals (Stampin’ Up!); clear Stardust pen (Sakura)

Blogger Challenge: Week 114

This week’s blogger challenge is a sketch, provided by our leader, Lisa. I’ve been playing with my DoodleFactory Into the Woods stamp set from Starving Artistamps and thought that the trio of trees would be a perfect fit for this sketch.

I stamped the trees on a light blue cardstock panel. The treetops are paper pieced using scraps of cardstock that has been embossed with different embossing folders. I really like the look of the mixed and matched textures on the treetops. I added the grass using a sponge and some green ink.

I was going for a masculine look for the card, so I kept the rest of the design fairly simple. I covered most of the cardfront with some grid patterned paper in a light green and added a matching solid panel of green at the bottom of the card. A piece of green stitched grosgrain ribbon, embellished with a single button, divides the two different panels. Using a solid panel gave me a good place to stamp the “you’re tree-mendous” sentiment in coordinating green ink. I added three white brads as an embellishment

For more ideas using this sketch, you can visit the rest of the challenge players. Links to their blogs are in the sidebar on the right.

Materials Used:
DoodleFactory Into the Woods stamp set and Woods Sentiments set (Starving Artistamps); Rich Cocoa ink (Memento); Kiwi Kiss Classic ink, Soft Sky and Close to Cocoa cardstock, sponge, dimensionals (Stampin’ Up!); Ripe Avocado Palette ink, Ripe Avocado and Spring Moss cardstock, Ripe Avocado stitched grosgrain ribbon, Spring Moss button, twine (Papertrey Ink); Herringbone and Swiss Dot embossing folders (Cuttlebug); white brads (Making Memories)

Chocolate Kraft Is a Hoot

I made this cute card tonight combining this week's Mojo Monday sketch challenge and this week's SCS color challenge. I can't resist a challenge using kraft cardstock!

I used the owl image from the Chicken Girl Designs Into the Forest stamp set from i {heart} papers as my focal image. I colored the owl with Prismacolor pencils--it's been a long time since I pulled those out! I really like how the pencil looks against the kraft background. The owl's eyes are coated with some Glossy Accents for a glassy, dimensional look.

The fun dotted paper on the cardfront comes from a 3 Bugs in a Rug kit. I paired it with a solid kraft panel at the bottom of the card so that the sentiment would stand out when it was stamped in dark ink. I stitched around the panels in contrasting white thread, then added an ivory faux suede ribbon accent. The owl is layered over the ribbon using dimensionals.

Materials Used:

from i {heart} papers: Chicken Girl Designs Into the Forest stamp set, 3 Bugs in a Rug Happy Bird Day Caboodle Kit, May Arts ivory faux suede ribbon, Ranger Glossy Accents

other: Tuxedo Black and Rich Cocoa Classic inks (Memento); Kraft, Real Red, and Chocolate Chip cardstock, 1 3/4" circle punch, dimensionals (Stampin' Up!); 1 1/2" circle punch (EK Success); colored pencils (Prismacolor); sewing machine

New Nest

As soon as I saw this week's sketch at 2 Sketches 4 You, I knew just what I wanted to do with it. After working on this card for parts of two evenings, here's what I ended up with.

I started with the nest and a portion of one of the tree images from the DoodleFactory Into the Woods stamp set from Starving Artistamps. The image is colored with Copic markers and layered on a pair of circles to coordinate with the colors in the October Afternoon designer paper that covers most of the cardfront.

I added a coordinating solid cardstock panel, covered with a strip of grosgrain ribbon. The image panel overlaps the lower portion of this panel. I added a cheery matching bow to the top of the image where it meets the panel.

I used a fancy border punch to decorate the edges of the Kiwi Kiss layer underneath the patterned paper. It took a few tries to get the corner done right, but I really like how it looks. The sentiment is stamped directly on the patterned paper--it almost blends in, but it's there! If you want to get your hands on a set of these fun images for yourself, don't forget to use the code savetenLT to save 10% on this and all DoodleFactory and Starving Artistamps purchases at Starving Artistamps.

Materials Used:

DoodleFactory Into the Woods stamp set and Woods Sentiments set (Starving Artistamps); white cardstock (Gina K Designs); Tuxedo Black ink (Memento); markers (Copic); Cool Caribbean Classic ink, Kiwi Kiss and Kraft cardstock, sponge, mat pack and paper piercing tool, (Stampin' Up!); Aqua Mist cardstock, Aqua Mist button, twine (Papertrey Ink); designer paper (October Afternoon); circle and scalloped circle dies (Nestabilities); green grosgrain ribbon (Michaels); border punch (Martha Stewart)

Fab Purse

Here’s my card for the final Viva la Verve sketch for August. The twist for this sketch was to use your favorite color combo, so I had to pull out the kraft cardstock (one of my very favorite things!). I paired it with shades of blue and cream for this fun card that’s on its way to my sister for her birthday.

I used the purse image from Verve’s new Express Yourself set as the focal image. The purse is cut out and attached to the card with a dimensional. I added a coordinating blue rhinestone as an accent on the purse. The “you’re so fabulous” sentiment from the new Bountiful Backgrounds set fit perfectly underneath the purse. I love the clean, graphic look of the sentiments in this set!

I used the dotted background stamp from Bountiful Backgrounds for the blue panel across the cardfront. To keep with the dotted theme, I embossed a Chocolate Chip panel with my Swiss Dot embossing folder for the panel that runs up and down the card. I kept my embellishments simple, adding only a piece of elegant kraft taffeta ribbon to complete the card.

Materials Used:
Express Yourself and Bountiful Backgrounds stamp sets (Verve Stamps); Baja Breeze and Chocolate Chip Classic inks, Baja Breeze, Blue Bayou, Chocolate Chip, Kraft, and Very Vanilla cardstock, Kraft taffeta ribbon, dimensionals (Stampin’ Up!); oval dies (Nestabilities); blue self-adhesive rhinestone (Darice); Swiss dot embossing folder (Cuttlebug)

Tickled Pink

Friends of mine just welcomed a brand new baby girl to their family so I needed the perfect little girl card to go along with the cute gift I got for her. I used Unity’s Tickled Pink set along with the most recent Sweet Sunday Sketch Challenge to come up with this girly card.

To accommodate my tall image, I ended up stretching the sketch from a square to a rectangle. The baby carriage is paper pieced using a scrap of Sweet Blush cardstock. I added a pair of tiny pink twinkle stickers to the centers of the carriage’s wheels and put a shadow beneath the carriage with some gray shimmery chalks.

I paired the carriage with some My Mind’s Eye paper with stripes in soft shades of pink, yellow, green, and peach. To pick up some of the warm tones in the patterned paper, I added a yellow strip across the card, decorated with a button-embellished bow. The “tickled pink” sentiment is stamped on a circle and tucked underneath the yellow strip. So sweet!

Materials Used:
Tickled Pink stamp set (Unity Stamps); Tuxedo Black ink (Memento); Sweet Blush Palette ink, Sweet Blush cardstock, Sweet Blush satin ribbon, Sweet Blush button, twine (Papertrey Ink); Barely Banana and Whisper White cardstock (Stampin’ Up!); designer paper (My Mind’s Eye); pink twinkle stickers (Amuse); circle die (Nestabilities); shimmer chalks (Pebbles inc)

Papertrey Ink August Blog Hop

***If you're here for the IHP DT Challenge, scroll down to the next post.***

The theme for this month’s Papertrey Ink Blog Hop is to take your inspiration from all things fall-colors, patterns, symbols, etc. I decided to combine one of my new PTI fall stamp sets with an unusual texture for my blog hop card.

I used my crimper to make a piece of faux felt to use as the large panel for my cardfront. To do this, I repeatedly ran a piece of Dark Chocolate cardstock through the crimper in different directions, then started at one corner of the paper and peeled the layers apart. What you see on the cardfront is the inside of the paper after it’s been roughed up by the crimper. Cool, isn’t it? I stitched the faux felt piece to a cream cardstock panel with my sewing machine, then attached it to a kraft card base.

I used one of the images from the new Autumn Tags 2009 set as my focal image. I stamped the image in Scarlet Jewel ink, then punched it out with a 1 ¾” circle punch. I layered it on a slightly larger Scarlet Jewel mat, then added a coordinating button as an accent. I added a ribbon strip as an unusual background for my sentiment. I’ve found that the Palette inks stamp nicely on grosgrain ribbon, so that’s what I did here. The cream ink makes a nice contrast to the deep scarlet ribbon. Two copper brads finished off the design.

Materials Used:
Autumn Tags 2009 stamp set, Scarlet Jewel and Vintage Cream Palette inks, Scarlet Jewel, Dark Chocolate, Kraft, and Vintage Cream cardstock, Scarlet Jewel grosgrain ribbon, Scarlet Jewel button, twine (Papertrey Ink); 1 ¾” circle punch (EK Success); circle die (Nestabilities); copper brads (Making Memories); dimensionals (Stampin’ Up!)

i {heart} papers August DT Challenge

With the school year starting (or just about to), it's only appropriate that this month’s i {heart} papers design team challenge is called “ABC’s and 123’s.” Here are the challenge requirements:
1. Use 1 sentiment stamp only
2. Use 2 embellishments (may be two of same or one each of two different kinds)
3. Use 3 layers

I pulled out my Unity August Stampin’ Store Kit for the challenge. IHP is one of the stores that is carrying this exclusive kit full of great images. And, Kate recently won 1,000 Unity stamps from a giveaway she entered at CHA. She’s so generous that she’s sharing them! Anyone who buys one of these fabulous kits from IHP between now and the end of August will get a few stamps from Kate’s stash. I knew I had the perfect match for the kit’s “You are one of a kind” sentiment in this Sassafras Lass Chirp Chirp designer paper. I cut out a circle from the patterned paper, making sure that the lone blue birdie on the sheet was within the circle. The circle is layered on a panel that's embossed with the QuicKutz Polka Dot embossing folder. I added a pretty velvet bow to the top of the patterned paper panel for a fun touch.

I set the image panel on the cardfront at an angle. That left plenty of room for the sentiment along the bottom of the card. It’s accented with a single white glitter brad.

Be sure to check out how the rest of the IHP DT (and some Chicken Girl Designs guests) met this challenge. Here’s where to find them:

Carolyn (bklynstamper)
Cathleen (Crooked Card Creations)
Deb (With a Stamp and a Song)
Gretchen (Happiness Is. . .)
Lynn (Stamperosity)
Megan (Megan Lock Designs)
Tracy (Who Is Tracy?)
Loretta (Love To Create)
Judy (Joy in a JAR)
Tammy (Stamp Happy)
Kendra (Kendra's Card Company)
Kate (i {heart} papers)

And, before I forget, it's time to announce the winner of my Chicken Girl Designs blog candy. My official random number picker (also known as my sister, Jill) chose number 6. That means sarahw is the winner of the Into the Forest stamp set. Sarah, contact me with your info and I'll be sure the set is on its way to you soon.

Materials Used:
from i {heart} papers: Unity August Stampin’ Store Kit, Sassafras Lass Chirp Chirp designer paper, QuicKutz Polka Dot embossing folder, Stemma Silver Wedding glitter brad, Maya Road brown double stitched velvet ribbon, Nestabilities circle die

Other: Summer Sunrise cardstock, Fresh Snow Palette ink (Papertrey Ink); Bermuda Bay cardstock, dimensionals (Stampin’ Up!)

Happy Harvest?

***If you're here for Kitchen Sink Stamps Monday, scroll down to the post below.***

I’m still trying out my newest Papertrey Ink stamp sets. Here, I used the pumpkin image from the new Boo to You set along with some older sets along with the colors in Dawn’s latest color challenge--Melon Berry, Hibiscus Burst, Spring Moss, and Vintage Cream.

I love the new formula Spring Moss ink! It gives a beautiful, rich image. Here, I used it to repeatedly stamp the leafy border from Beyond Basic Borders on a matching Spring Moss panel. I flipped the image over each time I stamped it for a nice pattern.

The pumpkin image is stamped in Melon Berry ink with a Spring Moss stem. I added a simple bright pink flower at the base of the pumpkin, then layered the matted image on the leaf-stamped panel. I stamped the “happy harvest” sentiment from Vintage Picnic on a strip of Melon Berry cardstock and rounded the edges before attaching it to the card. I’m not exactly sure what event I’d give a card with this sentiment for, but it seemed to fit the card’s theme . . . Anyway, I added a knotted piece of Spring Moss ribbon to finish off the card.

Materials Used:
Boo to You, Vintage Picnic, and Beyond Basic Borders stamp sets, Melon Berry and Spring Moss Palette inks, Melon Berry, Hibiscus Burst, Spring Moss, and Vintage Cream cardstock, Spring Moss dotted satin ribbon (Papertrey Ink); mat pack and paper piercing tool, corner rounder, dimensionals (Stampin’ Up!); flower (Prima); self-adhesive pearl (Martha Stewart); circle dies (Nestabilities)

Kitchen Sink Monday: Knock One out of the Park

Here’s my card for this week’s Kitchen Sink Stamps Monday. I'm combining Monday's project with Saturday--the Cinema Saturday Creative Challenge, that is. This week's featured movie was Field of Dreams. When I saw it, I immediately thought of KSS's fabulous 3 Step Baseball set.

I stamped the bat image on cream cardstock, then stamped the ball image on a scrap. I used a 7/8" circle punch to punch out the stamped ball, then attached it to the bat with a dimensional. I used a sponge and some Creamy Caramel ink to softly ink around the edges of the panel for an aged look. The sentiment fit nicely in the bottom right corner of the panel. I remember watching the movie and loving the idea of all of the baseball greats from years past all coming together on the magical field for a game--this sentiment sums up feeling of excitement perfectly!

In addition to the baseball theme, the challenge required some red stitching. There's some red stamped "stitching" on the baseball, but I decided to add just a bit more by stitching a folded twill tab to the left side of the image panel. I added a red button, too.

For more Kitchen Sink inspiration, you can visit the rest of the Kitchen Sink Crew. Here’s where you can find them:
Angela Knopf
Connie McCotter
Dee Jackson
Julie Masse
Lisa Somerville
Lynn McAuley
Makiko Jones
Maria Colosimo, owner

And, don’t forget that you can use the code LORI10KSS for a 10% discount on your KSS purchases!

Materials Used:

3 Step Baseball stamp set (Kitchen Sink Stamps); Creamy Caramel, Close to Cocoa, and Riding Hood Red Classic inks, Very Vanilla and Kraft cardstock, sponge, dimensionals (Stampin' Up!); Pure Poppy Bitty Boxes paper, Pure Poppy button, twine (Papertrey Ink); Dune pigment ink (ColorBox); twill (Martha Stewart); 7/8" circle punch (EK Success); sewing machine

Bee My Honey

Here's my card for today's SCS featured stamper challenge. It's based on this one. I used pretty much the same layout for my version, minus a few layers and with the focal image flipped to the other side of the card--it just looked better to me this way with the images I used.

I used the cute bee image from the Chicken Girl Designs Hugs from a Bug stamp set from i {heart} papers. The bee's holding a flower in its hand (from the Into the Forest set, also from Chicken Girl Designs--the one in this set was bigger than I wanted to use here). I colored the bee with Copic markers and added some Stickles to the wings. The bee's cut out using a Nestabilities Labels 2 die and layered on a slightly larger mat.

The cardfront is covered with some Piggy Tales striped paper. I paired the stripes with a panel embossed with the QuicKutz Rings embossing folder--love circles and stripes together! I wrapped a piece of green ribbon around the panel before attaching it to the cardfront. The sentiment is cut out using the middle-sized die from the Labels Trio set.

Be sure to check out my blog candy post here for a chance to win a Chicken Girl Designs stamp set for yourself. I'll pick a winner on Monday night and post the winner on Tuesday morning with my IHP challenge card . . .

Materials Used:

from i {heart} papers: Chicken Girl Designs Hugs from a Bug and Into the Forest stamp sets, Nestabilities Labels Two and Labels Trio dies, Piggy Tales Oven Door designer paper, May Arts reversible celery/pink satin ribbon, Stardust Stickles, QuicKutz Rings embossing folder

other: white cardstock (Gina K Designs); Tuxedo Black ink (Memento); markers (Copic); Certainly Celery Classic ink, Old Olive, Certainly Celery, and Barely Banana cardstock, sponge, dimensionals (Stampin' Up!)

Nuts!

***See this post for my current blog candy giveaway.***

I made this fun interactive spinner card for this week's Taylored Expressions sketch challenge using images from the DoodleFactory Into the Woods set from Starving Artistamps.

When I first saw the squirrel image (named Squip) with its outstretched hands, I thought that it could be juggling some acorns. The spinner card is a perfect way to bring this idea to life! After stamping the image, I used a craft knife to cut the curved path between Squip's hands. I stamped the acorn images several times to form a cluster, then attached the clustered acorns to the spinner mechanism above the Squip's head. Squip's definitely got his hands full now!

Squip is colored with Copic markers. It's hard to see in the photo, but I used some sparkly fluff on his belly. The sky and grass were done by sponging on some ink. I added the coordinating "I'm nuts about you!" sentiment to finish the card. I ended up flipping the position of the sentiment to the opposite side of the image (lower left instead of lower right corner) to better fit my image. So cute!

Don't forget, you can use the code savetenlt for 10% off your DoodleFactory and Starving Artistamps stamp purchases at Starving Artistamps.

Materials Used:

DoodleFactory Into the Woods and Woods sentiment set (Starving Artistamps); white cardstock (Gina K Designs); Tuxedo Black and Rich Cocoa inks (Memento); markers (Copic); Cool Caribbean and Certainly Celery Classic inks, Bermuda Bay and Kraft cardstock, Chocolate Chip polytwill, dimensionals (Stampin' Up!); Aqua Mist cardstock (Papertrey Ink); designer paper (My Mind's Eye-Bloom & Grow); Forest Branches embossing folder (Cuttlebug); 1 1/2" circle punch (EK Success); Sugar White sparkly fluff (Our Craft Lounge); copper brad (Making Memories); craft knife

Tweet Sketch

***Check out the post below for a chance to win some fun blog candy!***

Susanna's hosting this week's sketch challenge at Paper Craft Planet. She shared a fun sketch based on one of her favorite cards from this week. I just got my new DoodleFactory Into the Woods stamp set from Starving Artistamps, so I inked it up to create an outdoor scene for my card for the sketch.

The scene is colored using Copic markers. I added the sky with some sponged on ink. The nest image was stamped on a scrap of paper, colored, then cut out and added to the scene with dimensionals. I tied a coordinating piece of satin ribbon around the card and accented the ribbon with a button embellished bow. I just can't get enough of these!

Since I don't find myself turning to them often, I intended to stretch myself and use letter stickers like Susanna did in her sample for the sketch. But, I found that my image panel was too wide for any of the letter stickers I had on hand to fit. So, I used one of the coordinating sentiments from the Woods Sentiments set instead to complete the card. It's stamped in Bermuda Bay ink on some dotted patterned paper.

I hope you'll play along with our sketch challenge this week. If you do, upload to Paper Craft Planet using the keyword sk082209 so your card can be added to this week's gallery. One card from the gallery will be selected to be featured in an upcoming PCP newsletter.

Don't forget that you can always use the code savetenlt to save 10% on your DoodleFactory and Starving Artistamps purchases at Starving Artistamps.

Materials Used:

DoodleFactory Into the Woods stamp set and Woods sentiments (Starving Artistamps); white cardstock (Gina K Designs); Tuxedo Black ink (Memento); markers (Copic); Cool Caribbean and Bermuda Bay Classic inks, Bermuda Bay and Gable Green cardstock, dimensionals (Stampin' Up!); designer paper (My Mind's Eye-Bloom & Grow line); teal satin ribbon (Michaels); Spring Moss button, twine (Papertrey Ink)

Stair Stepping into the Forest (with Blog Candy!)

As soon as I saw the Chicken Girl Designs Into the Forest stamp set from i {heart} papers, I knew the images would be perfect for a stair step card.

I used a few different images from the set to create this fun scene. The trees are paper pieced using a piece of Sassafras Lass designer paper with a grid pattern. I colored the bear and squirrel images with Copic markers. After coloring the bear's fur, I dotted on some Copic colorless blender solution with a rag for a textured look. I also used a white pen to add some contrasting dots to the red bandana. I couldn't resist adding some sparkly flock to the squirrel's bushy tail, too.

I covered each of the card's "steps" with some textured looking Sassafras Lass designer paper. The scalloped "grass" was a last minute addition. The "Hello, friend" sentiment is stamped directly on the designer paper. I added some sparkly green ribbon, too.

Want to have one of the cute Into the Forest stamp sets for yourself? Kate's given me a set to share with one of my blog readers. Just leave a comment on this post for a chance to win the set. My random number picker (also known as my sister Jill) will pick a winner when she returns home from her vacation on Monday.

Materials Used:

from i {heart} papers: Chicken Girl Designs Into the Forest stamp set, Sassafras Lass designer papers (Wintermint and Bungle Dots); Creative Impressions lime glimmer ribbon, Ranger Inkssentials white pen, Our Craft Lounge Sugar White sparkly fluff; Copic colorless blender refill

other: white cardstock (Gina K Designs); Tuxedo Black and Rich Cocoa inks (Memento); markers (Copic); Bashful Blue cardstock, scallop edge punch, dimensionals (Stampin' Up!); New Leaf cardstock (Papertrey Ink)

New Bellas!

Here’s my card for this week’s Bellarific Friday sketch from Stamping Bella. I'm a little bit disappointed that, once again, somehow my emailed image got waylaid and didn't arrive in Bellaland in time to be included in Emily's Friday post along with the other fabulous versions of this week's sketch . . .

My newest Bellas just arrived this week, so I had to pull out a new-to-me image for this week’s challenge. I went with GrattyTude for my main image. I got a few of the images from this collection--they were too cute to choose just one! She’s colored with Copic markers and highlighted with some Cotton Candy Stickles.

I colored the image to coordinate with the K & Company Wild Raspberry designer paper I used to cover most of the cardfront. The flowers matched the ones in her hair! I stamped the matching sentiment in Regal Rose ink on a So Saffron oval (it just fit!), then assembled the card. I added a trio of coordinating foam flowers with a self-adhesive pearl at the center as simple, girlie embellishments.

Materials Used:
GrattyTude image and sentiment (Stamping Bella); white cardstock (Taylored Expressions); Tuxedo Black ink (Memento); markers (Copic); Regal Rose Classic ink, So Saffron cardstock, oval punch, Regal Rose grosgrain ribbon, dimensionals (Stampin’ Up!); flowers (Petaloo); self-adhesive pearls (Martha Stewart); Cotton Candy Stickles (Ranger)

I couldn’t use just one of my new Bellas, so I made a second card, this time using Mercy’s Tuesday Sketch Challenge for my card. I used the Lulu Ketto image here—love these fun girls!

Lulu is colored with Copic markers and highlighted with some Stickles on her wings and crown. I added the “you color my world” sentiment along the left side of the image panel.

I used some bold patterned paper from Luxe for the panel on the cardfront. A red ribbon divides the two different patterns. I brought in a little more red along the bottom of the patterned paper panel with a punched border strip. A button-embellished ribbon piece finishes off the card.

It's about to rain here (our second big storm of the day), so I'm off to calm Cosmo the crazy dog along with our weekend houseguest, my sister's dog, Bella. Everyone is calmly in their separate corners for now, but I have a feeling that will change once the rain starts!

Materials Used:
Lulu Ketto and sentiment (Stamping Bella); white cardstock (Gina K Designs); Tuxedo Black ink (Memento); markers (Copic); Real Red Classic ink, Real Red and Kiwi Kiss cardstock, Real Red grosgrain ribbon, dimensionals (Stampin’ Up!); Aqua Mist cardstock, Aqua Mist button, Aqua Mist satin ribbon, twine (Papertrey Ink); designer paper (Luxe); Stardust and Yellow Stickles (Ranger); Effervescence border punch (Fiskars)

Blogger Challenge: Week 113

This week’s blogger challenge is to show off your punches and dies. I have a project that I made to swap at the recent SU! convention to share.

For an earlier blogger challenge, I made a photo clip using a wooden heart with a clothespin attached to the back. As I was thinking about my swaps for the SU! convention, I started to think about ways I could replicate this project using SU! products. This project is what I came up with.

I replaced the wooden heart with a chipboard heart, cut with the SU! Hearts and Brackets die. Before running the die through my Big Shot, I used a glue stick to attach the Kaleidoscope designer paper to the chipboard piece. The glue stick holds nicely and doesn’t make the paper bubble like a liquid glue sometimes does.

I stamped a sentiment image from A Happy Heart on the front of the heart in Melon Mambo ink, then added a coordinating piece of knotted grosgrain ribbon. I used Sticky Strip to attach a 1 ¾” wooden clothespin (purchased at a local craft store) to the back of the heart to complete the project. These are so quick and easy to make! I was able to finish 25 of them in just over an hour.

For more ideas using punches and die cuts, you can visit the rest of the challenge players. Links to their blogs are in the sidebar on the right.

Materials Used (all from Stampin’ Up!):
A Happy Heart Stamp set, Melon Mambo Classic ink, Kaleidoscope designer series paper, Melon Mambo dotted grosgrain ribbon, Hearts & Brackets die, Sticky Strip, glue dot, glue stick

Catching Up with Verve

I’m way behind on this month’s Viva la Verve sketch challenges, so I took some time this week to get caught up. I did wait until my new Verve stamps arrived so that I could use them for some of the challenges.

Let’s start at the beginning. The first week’s challenge was to CASE a Verve Diva. They are some very talented ladies! I decided to go with a card by my fellow Paper Craft Planet DT member Jen Tapler. I love her clean and simple style! My card is based on this one by Jen.

The “twist” for this challenge was to use patterned paper if the original card didn’t have it (or not use patterned paper if the original card used some), so instead of stamping a border image along the right edge of the cardfront, I used a piece of elegant flocked paper, purchased long ago at Target. I tied a piece of red ribbon with white piping along the flocked paper, keeping with the color scheme of the original card.

I used an oval panel for my sentiment, too. I used the “you’ve got style” sentiment from the new Express Yourself set, stamped in white pigment ink. I added a single rhinestone as an embellishment.

Materials Used:
Express Yourself stamp set (Verve Stamps); Fresh Snow Palette ink (Papertrey Ink); Kraft, Riding Hood Red, and Soft Suede cardstock, dimensionals (Stampin’ Up!); oval and scalloped oval dies (Nestabilities); red ribbon (Martha Stewart); self-adhesive rhinestone (Studio 18); flocked paper (Target)

And, now week 2’s card. I paired the same sentiment with the fancy shoe images for my focal image. The color scheme for the card came from SU!’s Razzleberry Lemonade designer paper. The shoes are a bold Melon Mambo. I fit the sentiment on the panel along with the shoes—a little change from the original sketch, but it fit my idea better! I matted the image on a Rich Razzleberry panel with a border punched edge (the twist for this sketch).

I used some of the fun patterned paper from the Razzleberry Lemonade collection for the panels on my cardfront. A coordinating piece of ribbon is tied around the cardfront. In place of the sentiment, I used a trio of pink rhinestones for a little more glitz and glamour.

Materials Used:
Express Yourself stamp set (Verve Stamps); Rich Razzleberry Classic ink, Rich Razzleberry, Melon Mambo, and Whisper White cardstock, Razzleberry Lemonade designer paper, Rich Razzleberry dotted grosgrain ribbon, dimensionals (Stampin’ Up!); Threading Water border punch (Fiskars); self-adhesive rhinestones (Studio 18)

Here’s my card for week 3. I used one of the hot air balloon images from Up, Up, and Away as my focal image. The balloon is colored with Copic markers. I tried to blend the blues and greens together seamlessly—I kind of like how it turned out.

I paired my blue and green hot air balloon with blue and green papers from SEI’s Bridgeport line. I picked a paper with bold blue and green stripes to cover the card base (and coordinate with the balloon image) and added a strip of varnished dot paper along the length of the card. The twist for this sketch was to use a tag. I found some foil-edged tags that I think came from a dollar store. I stamped the sentiment on the tag and added a simple satin ribbon piece to the top of the tag for a finished look.

Materials Used:Up, Up, and Away and Great Expectations stamp sets (Verve Stamps); White Pure Luxury cardstock (Gina K Designs); Tuxedo Black ink (Memento); markers (Copic); Brocade Blue Classic ink, Bashful Blue cardstock, dimensionals (Stampin’ Up!); designer paper (SEI-Bridgeport line); celery satin ribbon (Michaels); foil edged tag (?)

Suckers!

I’m having so much fun with the images from the Chicken Girl Designs Hugs from a Bug stamp set from i {heart} papers! Here's a pair of projects featuring the mosquito image (the only kind of mosquito I tolerate!) and coordinating sentiment.

This card is for this week’s SCS clean and simple challenge to create a masculine card. I paired the mosquito with a chipboard heart covered in My Mind’s Eye designer paper. The mosquito is colored with Copic markers and cut out, then added to the scene with dimensionals. I coated the wings with some Stardust Stickles for an iridescent look. The sentiment is stamped at the bottom of the panel with a single silver brad beside it.

Materials Used:
from i {heart} papers: Chicken Girl Designs Hugs from a Bug stamp set, My Mind’s Eye Penny Lane designer paper (My Friend-Bonded) , Ranger Stardust Stickles

other: white cardstock (Taylored Expressions); Tuxedo Black ink (Memento); markers (Copic); Baja Breeze, Riding Hood Red, and Kraft cardstock, silver brad, Hearts & Brackets die, dimensionals (Stampin’ Up!); Pure Poppy button, twine (Papertrey Ink)

And, here’s another quick project featuring the mosquito image. I made a lollipop cover using a red cardstock rectangle, scored just a little bit off from the middle. The front of the cover is embossed with the QuicKutz Polka Dots embossing folder. Kate has just started carrying these in the store—be sure to check them out. They’re just like the Cuttlebug ones, except they emboss a full 4 ¼” by 5 ½” cardfront (no border around the embossed design!).

The mosquito is stamped on a white cardstock circle and again colored with Copic markers and highlighted with some Stickles. I added a black glitter brad here, too, before layering the image panel on a scalloped circle, dotted with a white gel pen. I put the lollipop inside the cover and added a little sparkly black ribbon to finish it off. How cute is this as a little gift?

And, speaking of gifts, I’ll have some blog candy for you over the weekend. Be sure to check back here for your chance to win one of the new Chicken Girl Designs stamp sets . . .

Materials Used:
from i {heart} papers: Chicken Girl Designs Hugs from a Bug stamp set, Ranger Stardust Stickles and Inkssentials white pen, Stemma Silver Wedding glitter brad, Nestabilities circle and scalloped circle dies, QuicKutz Polka Dots embossing folder, Creative Impressions black glimmer ribbon

other: white cardstock (Taylored Expressions); Tuxedo Black ink (Memento); markers (Copic); Real Red and Basic Black cardstock, slot punch (Stampin’ Up!)

For Halloween and For Him

I got new Papertrey Ink stamps in the mail, so I had to try them out for today's SCS sketch challenge. Here's my very first Halloween card of the season using the new Boo to You stamp set.

I used the ghost as my focal image. It's shaded with a little of the palest blue and purple Copic markers, then painted with a coating of Opal Shimmerz. Using dimensionals, I layered the ghost on a purple panel stamped with a starry background and the "boo!" sentiment.

I paired the ghost with two patterned papers from a DCWV Halloween paper pad. Both papers have some shimmer to them. Instead of having a paper strip run the length of the card, I used a wide green ribbon to coordinate with the striped paper. I used the Drippy Goo punch for the silver strip along the bottom. Fun!

Materials Used:

Boo to You stamp set, Snow White Palette ink, Summer Sunrise button, twine (Papertrey Ink); white cardstock (Taylored Expressions); Tuxedo Black ink (Memento); markers (Copic); Lovely Lilac and Basic Black cardstock, dimensionals (Stampin' Up!); silver paper (Target); patterned papers (DCWV's Halloween Stack); green grosgrain ribbon (Michaels); Drippy Goo punch (Martha Stewart); Opal paint (Shimmerz)

I also used PTI stamps for this week’s SCS clean and simple challenge to create a masculine card. These can be tricky for me! I do like how this one turned out.

I used images from Papertrey Ink’s Star Prints set for my focal image and sentiment. The dotted star image is stamped in navy ink on cream cardstock, then cut out (by hand). I layered the cut out star on a punched out navy star and used a dimensional to attach the stars to a cream panel.

The “you’re a super” sentiment is stamped in navy ink. I added a single silver brad to the left of the sentiment, then layered the stamped panel on a pair of red and blue mats. It looked a little plain to me, so I went back and added a navy grosgrain ribbon tab to the image panel. The panels are attached to a kraft card base. Not a lot going on here, but definitely clean, simple, and masculine.

Materials Used:
Star Prints stamp set (Papertrey Ink); Night of Navy Classic ink, Night of Navy, Riding Hood Red, Kraft, and Very Vanilla cardstock, large star punch, silver brad, dimensional (Stampin’ Up!); navy grosgrain ribbon (Michaels)

Taylored Expressions Two

I used some of my stamps from Taylored Expressions to create a pair of cards based on some sketch challenges from the past weekend. This first one is from Taylor’s blog.

I immediately thought that the branch image from the Branching Out set would be a perfect fit for the sketch’s large image panel. I colored the branch, nest, and bird with Copic markers and used a cloud template along with a sponge and some Cool Caribbean ink to fill in the sky.

I paired the branch image with some October Afternoon designer paper. I used both sides of the paper, one side to cover the cardfront and the other for the panel underneath the image. It makes things go so much quicker when you can use already coordinated stuff like this! I added the “thinking of you” sentiment, embellished with a matching satin bow, to complete the card.

Materials Used:
Branching Out stamp set, white cardstock (Taylored Expressions); Tuxedo Black ink (Memento); markers (Copic); Cool Caribbean Classic ink, Bermuda Bay cardstock, mat pack and paper piercing tool, sponge, dimensionals (Stampin’ Up!); Ripe Avocado Palette ink, Ripe Avocado cardstock, Ripe Avocado satin ribbon, wooden button, twine (Papertrey Ink); designer paper (October Afternoon)

I did this one for weekend sketch challenge # 93. I went sweet here, using Taylor’s cupcake images and some coordinating papers from Doodlebug Designs. The cupcakes are colored to match the ones on the patterned paper. I added some Spica glitter pens to the tops, too.

I used two coordinating paper patterns to cover the Hibiscus Burst card base. The sentiment is stamped on So Saffron cardstock in matching pink ink. I added a pair of pink rhinestones to the sentiment panel for a little more sparkle.

Materials Used:
For the Love of Cupcakes stamp set, white cardstock (Taylored Expressions); Tuxedo Black ink (Memento); markers, Spica glitter pens (Copic); Hibiscus Burst Palette ink, Hibiscus Burst cardstock, Hibiscus Burst satin ribbon, Hibiscus Burst button, white twine (Papertrey Ink); So Saffron cardstock, scallop edge punch, dimensionals (Stampin’ Up!); designer paper (Doodlebug Designs); circle and scalloped circle dies (Nestabilities); pink self-adhesive rhinestones (Studio 18)

Checking Out What's on (Stamp)TV

It's been a while since I've had a chance to play in some of the StampTV challenges. I had time to give two of the challenges a try the other day using some images from Gina K Designs.

This one is for the most recent technique challenge. I don't do lots of "technique" stamping, so these challenges are great for pushing me to try some things I might not usually think to do. Here, I inked an embossing folder with light blue ink, then ran it through my Big Shot to get the fun dotted background.

I paired the background with images from Melanie's Sporty Accessories set. I masked the baseball mitt with some Eclipse tape to get the images to have a layered look. After coloring the images with Copic markers, I added the "all star" sentiment from the coordinating Just So Sporty set. A little navy ribbon and a few red mats later, and the card was completed.

Materials Used:

Just So Sporty and Sporty Accessories stamp sets, white cardstock (Gina K Designs); Tuxedo Black and Summer Sky inks (Memento); markers (Copic); Real Red Classic ink, Real Red, Night of Navy, and Bashful Blue cardstock, Night of Navy grosgrain ribbon, silver brads, dimensionals (Stampin' Up!); Polka Dots embossing folder (QuicKutz)

And, here's the card I made for the most recent sketch challenge. I combined images from the My Cuppa Joe set with pretty papers from DCWV's La Creme mat stack. The paper that covers most of the cardfront is flocked--so soft!

I stamped the coffee bean and bag image on cream cardstock, then colored the coffee beans. I stamped the bag image a second time, this time on white cardstock. I trimmed around the image and attached it to the colored image panel with dimensionals. It's hard to see in the photo, but I added some Glossy Accents to the bag's window for a glassine-ish look.

The La Creme papers were a great match for Gina K's Soft Sand cardstock, so I used that for my card base (love that color!). I added a black satin ribbon and bow as a simple embellishment to finish my card.

Materials Used:

My Cuppa Joe stamp set, Soft Sand, Cream, and White cardstock (Gina K Designs); Tuxedo Black ink(Memento); markers (Copic); designer papers (DCWV's La Creme mat stack); black satin ribbon (Target); black button, twine (Papertrey Ink); Glossy Accents (Ranger)

Clear (and Simple) Gratitude

Clear & Simple Stamps is sponsoring this week’s sketch challenge at 2 Sketches 4 You. They always have super-creative sketches to work with! Here’s my version of this week’s sketch, flipped on its side.

I decided to use the sketch to make an acetate card. The plum scalloped panels are inside the acetate overlay. They’re made from two Nestabilities scalloped rectangles. I placed the patterned paper panel on the outside of the overlay to hide the adhesive that holds the pieces together.

Isn’t the floral pattern on the paper a great match for the flower trio from the Gratitude set? I stamped the solid silhouette images first, then went back and added the line images over top for definition. I used small ink pads so that I could ink up the flowers and stems separately. No room for a sentiment here, but I think that the card works okay without one.

Materials Used:
Gratitude stamp set (Clear & Simple Stamps); Plum Pudding Palette ink, Plum Pudding cardstock, Plum Pudding grosgrain ribbon (Papertrey Ink), Bamboo Leaves, Pear Tart, and Lulu Lavender inks (Memento); Very Vanilla cardstock, dimensionals (Stampin’ Up!); designer paper (Crate Paper-Sweet Branch line); oval and scalloped rectangle dies (Nestabilities)

Kitchen Sink Monday: Thanks Berry Much

Here’s my project for this week’s Kitchen Sink Stamps Monday. I made up a simple 2-5-7-10 gift box to hold a sweet thank you treat.

The box is made from Berry Sorbet cardstock stamped randomly with images from the Big & Bold Swashes stamp set in coordinating ink. I made a window in the front of the box so that the treats (berry-shaped, of course!) would show through. The window's framed with a scalloped circle that's dotted with some Petal Pink Liquid Pearls.

I also made a coordinating thank you tag for the box. The tag is stamped with one of the yummy berry images from the Multi Step Berries set. I added the thank you sentiment in black ink. There's a hole punched at the top of the tag so the box's ribbon closure could be threaded through the tag and tied in a pretty bow.

For more Kitchen Sink inspiration, you can visit the rest of the Kitchen Sink Crew. Here’s where you can find them:
Angela Knopf
Connie McCotter
Dee Jackson
Julie Masse
Lisa Somerville
Lynn McAuley
Makiko Jones
Maria Colosimo, owner

And, don’t forget that you can use the code LORI10KSS for a 10% discount on your KSS purchases!

Materials Used:

Big & Bold Swashes and Multi Step Berries stamp sets (Kitchen Sink Stamps); Rose Red, Riding Hood Red, Cranberry Crisp, Certainly Celery, and Kiwi Kiss Classic inks, Whisper White cardstock, Sticky Strip, double circle punch (Stampin' Up!); Berry Sorbet Palette ink, Berry Sorbet and Sweet Blush cardstock, Berry Sorbet satin ribbon (Papertrey Ink); Tuxedo Black ink (Memento); scallop circle punch (Marvy Uchida); Threading Water border punch (Fiskars); circle and scalloped circle dies (Nestabilities); Petal Pink Liquid Pearls (Ranger); Coluzzle

PCP DT Challenge: AiVault

The Paper Craft Planet DT has a fun challenge going on today. We're showcasing projects made with the Little Superhero set from AiVault. These adorable images print in full color -- so you just print and you're done :) The challenge is to make something... anything... using product from their store. (Here is a link to some great freebies, so that you can play along!)

Here's my card for the challenge. I used the already colored images to create this fun card. I printed out a few different ones on a sheet of white cardstock (using the "best" setting on my printer for the most vibrant colors), then cut out several to use on my card. I still have a few left over to use for other projects.

I paired the superhero image with papers to coordinate with the images I selected. The "superhero" sentiment was trimmed to be banner shaped. I matted it on red and added a red ribbon to one end, then attached it to the card with dimensionals.

I used my small star punch to create the strip for the bottom of the card. I filled in the negative space inside each star with a silver Dew Drop. Totally cute card for a little boy!

Now, it's your turn -- create something, anything, using product from the AiVault.com store. (They have a lot of freebies for you to try.) Post your project in the Paper Craft Planet photo gallery, and use the tag "aivault" -- all lowercase, please. (Here is a tutorial on adding pictures to the gallery, if you need it.) AiVault has generously offered a gift certificate to their store to one of our lucky challenge players.

Be sure to check out what the rest of the Super Novas have done with these images. Here's where to find them:

Adela Rossol
Kim Burmeister
Wendy Price
Tammy Hershberger
Erika Martin
Sankari Wegman
Susanna Boyd

Materials Used:
Little Superhero images (AiVault); Brocade Blue, Real Red, and Yoyo Yellow cardstock, Real Red grosgrain ribbon, small star punch, glue dots, dimensionals (Stampin' Up!); silver Dew Drops (Robin's Nest)

Bee-Cause

Here's my card for today's SCS featured stamper challenge. I based it on the design and elements of this card. I switched it up a bit by making adjustments to the layout and by replacing the ladybug image with the cute bee from the DoodleFactory Valentine Remix set from Starving Artistamps.

The bee image is colored with Copic markers and highlighted with some really sparkly Dazzling Diamonds glitter. I cut around the image and attached it to the blue panel with a dimensional. I stamped the bee's head another time, colored it, and trimmed it out, then attached it to the colored body with a dimensional.

I used my paper piercing tool to make the bee's flight "trail," then layered the panel on a red mat. The image panel is layered on a blue panel stamped with the dotted background in matching blue ink. The coordinating sentiment is stamped in black ink. Perfect for any time of the year--not just Valentine's Day!

Don't forget that you can use the code savetenLT to save 10% on your Starving Artistamps and DoodleFactory stamp orders at Starving Artistamps. You don't want to miss the latest additions to the DoodleFactory line--Prehistoric and Into the Woods.

Materials Used:

DoodleFactory Valentine Remix, Valentine Sentiments, dots background (Starving Artistamps); white cardstock (Gina K Designs); Tuxedo Black ink (Memento); markers (Copic); Brocade Blue Classic ink, Real Red, Brocade Blue, and Bashful Blue cardstock, Dazzling Diamonds, Real Red grosgrain ribbon, mat pack and paper piercing tool, 1 "circle punch, silver brad, dimensionals (Stampin' Up!)

Bee My Honey

Here’s a simple and fun card featuring images from the Chicken Girl Designs Hugs from a Bug stamp set from i {heart} papers.

I stamped the bug image 4 times on red cardstock using black ink and punched out the images using a 1 3/8” square punch. Each image is highlighted a little with a combination of Lipstick and Clear Spica glitter pens—very sparkly and shimmery IRL. I layered the bugs on a square of black cardstock, then used dimensionals to attach the panel to a red panel.

The “bee my honey” sentiment is stamped below the bug panel. I added a piece of black glimmer ribbon beneath the sentiment, then layered the panel on a black panel and then on a white card base so that it would be easy to write a message inside. Eye-catching and back to the basics (our theme for this month’s Paper Craft Planet DT gallery) all at the same time.

Materials Used:
from i {heart} papers: Chicken Girl Designs Hugs from a Bug stamp set; Palette Noir Black ink; Creative Impressions black glimmer ribbon; Copic Spica glitter pens (Lipstick and Clear)

other: Real Red and Basic Black cardstock, 1 3/8" square punch, dimensionals (Stampin’ Up!); white cardstock (Georgia Pacific)

Back to Basics Pair

I've been home almost a week now and I still feel like I have lots of catching up to do. With that in mind, here are my cards for the two most recent sketch challenges from Paper Craft Planet. Our DT gallery theme this month is all about getting back to basics and with that in mind, I've used different back to basic techniques on each of these cards.

For last week's sketch, hosted by Tammy, I used multi-step stamping to get my focal image. Kitchen Sink Stamps are perfect for this classic stamping technique! Maria recently announced the very first KSS event on the road. It's a great opportunity to learn about multi-step stamping from the experts at KSS. You can find more info here.

I love the farm animal images from the new Multi-Step Ducks & Pigs stamp set. I featured one of the piglet images on this clean and simple card.

The pig is stamped in 3 shades of pink inks plus one shade of brown to bring it to life. I used a stipple brush to add in the sky and some grass. I paired the piglet with a country-style gingham print in pink and yellow. The "squealing with delight" sentiment is stamped in pink on the solid yellow panel and highlighted with paper piercing underneath.

Materials Used:

Multi-step Ducks & Pigs stamp set (Kitchen Sink Stamps); Blush Blossom, Pink Pirouette, Pretty in Pink, Creamy Caramel, Bashful Blue, and Certainly Celery Classic inks, Barely Banana and Whisper White cardstock, mat pack and paper piercing tool, stipple brush, dimensionals (Stampin' Up!); Sweet Blush cardstock, Sweet Blush satin ribbon, Lemon Tart button, white twine (Papertrey Ink); gingham patterned paper (K & Company); oval and scalloped oval dies (Nestabilities)

Now, here's my card for this week's sketch. Kim is our hostess this week and she shared another great sketch to try.

I used my Unity August Stampin' Store Kit for this card. This fun kit is only available through retail stores--mine came from i {heart} papers. I picked the bingo card as my focal image. The image was colored with markers to get the two toned (red and blue) image. To get the circles on the numbers, I used an unused pencil eraser, dotted in red ink, to stamp.

I paired the bingo card image with star and grid patterned papers from Papertrey Ink in coordinating colors. For some interest, I used my sewing machine to stitch a zig zag border around the edge of the card. I also added a clear star, embellished with a piece of red grosgrain ribbon to the card. Lots going on here, but I think I managed to pull it all together.

Materials Used:

Unity August Stampin' Store Kit (i {heart} papers); Real Red Classic ink, Real Red, Brocade Blue, Kraft, and Whisper White cardstock, Real Red and Brocade Blue markers, Real Red grosgrain ribbon (Stampin' Up!); Bitty Star Basics and Bitty Box Basics patterned papers (Papertrey Ink); ghost star embellishment (Heidi Swapp); sewing machine