Hey Fungi

Here’s my card for this week’s SCS clean and simple challenge to use a cut apart sentiment on your design. I combined that with the sketch from this week’s Less Is More challenge, a relatively new challenge blog focused on clean and simple designs.

I used the mushroom duo from the Fun Fungi II set from Clear and Simple Stamps for my focal image. The mushrooms are stamped in brown ink on a cream die cut piece, then colored with Copic markers. I set them on a cork circle—love this for adding interest to masculine cards!

The “hey fungi” sentiment from the Fun Fungi set is stamped in brown ink and cut apart, then added to the cork circle. I stamped the text block image from the Fun Fungi set repeatedly in brown ink on a kraft panel and set the panel on the bottom of the card, then attached a strip of brown twill along the top of the stamped portion. The cork circle is layered over that, using ScorTape to hold it in place.

Materials Used:

Fun Fungi and Fun Fungi II stamp sets, Dish All the Dirt Brown ink, On the Catwalk Cream and Kraft Like a Rockstar cardstock, Copic markers (W-5, W-3, W-1, W00, YG93, YG95), Simple Cuts Fun Fungi die (Clear and Simple Stamps); cork sheet (Creative Impressions); circle die (Spellbinders); brown twill (Martha Stewart)

Blogger Challenge: Week 64

This week's challenge was to use designer papers on your project. I only have a few packs of the new SU! designer papers and my second order from the new catalog (including my mini catalog preorder stuff) isn't scheduled to arrive until Monday, so I went with the Sweet Always paper pack for my project.

I made a criss cross pocked card to show off three of the different patterns and one of the trendy new sets, Just Jawing. This turned out just as cute as I envisioned it. I love when that happens! I used a dotted and a striped paper to cover the panels on the outside of the criss cross card.

The belly band around the card is a piece of coordinating Chocolate Chip paper covered with a strip of yet another pattern from the Sweeet Always paper pack. I stamped the skull image twice on white cardstock and cut both images out. On one of them, I cut off the bone pieces. This one was layered on top of the other image using dimensionals. I stamped the heart-shaped eyes on scraps of Regal Rose cardstock and covered them with some Dazzling Diamonds before attaching them to the skull. After I attached the skull image to the belly band, I stamped the sentiment directly on the patterned paper in Chocolate Chip ink.

I used a different image from the Just Jawing set for the insert. I used markers to color the cherry image. Once it had dried, I covered the cherries with more Dazzling Diamonds. I layered the insert on Pink Pirouette cardstock to contrast just a little with the criss cross card's darker Regal Rose base. I added a Chocolate Chip round tab with a star, stamped in white craft ink and heat embossed with some Iridescent Ice embossing powder, to the top to finish it off.

For some other great ideas using designer paper, you can check out what the other participants have done for this challenge. You can find links to their blogs in the sidebar on the right.

Materials Used (all from Stampin' Up!):

Just Jawing stamp set, Chocolate Chip and Basic Black Classic inks, White Craft ink, Regal Rose, Pink Pirouette, Chocolate Chip, and Whisper White cardstock, Sweet Always patterned paper, Regal Rose and Chocolate Chip markers, Chocolate Chip wide grosgrain ribbon, round tab punch, Iridescent Ice embossing powder, Sticky Strip, Dazzling Diamonds, 2 way glue pen, Stamp-a-ma-jig, dimensionals

Sketches {by Tamara} #59

Today is my last sketch for the Sketches {by Tamara} card sketch design team. I'll miss being part of such a talented group of cardmakers! I'll definitely keep checking in to see what they're up to every week. Fortunately for me, I won't be completely leaving Sketches. I'm thrilled to be a part of Tamara's weekly Recipe Challenge design team for the next three months. Be sure to stop by Tamara's blog (and Inking Aloud) on Tuesday to see how this challenge works.

When I first saw this sketch, I wasn't exactly sure what I wanted to do with it. Then, the idea to use patterned papers in the 4 small squares came to my mind. This is a perfect design for using up some of those little scrap pieces of paper that we all have in a bag, box, drawer, or just a messy pile!

I ended up flipping the sketch so the card had a vertical orientation. Here, I used scraps of the retired Loves Me designer paper and backed the squares with coordinating cardstock squares before attaching them to a pink panel. I covered a chipboard heart with pink craft ink and embossed it with Iridescent Ice embossing powder.

The sentiment is from Unity's August Kit of the Month (only a few days left to get your hands on this great kit . . .). I inked the image with markers to get the multi-toned image and stamped it alongside the squares. After adding a ribbon, the card was done.

Materials Used:
Remember Happiness stamp kit (Unity Stamp Co.); Regal Rose Craft ink, Taken with Teal, Chocolate Chip, and Regal Rose markers, Pretty in Pink, Close to Cocoa, and Taken with Teal cardstock, Loves Me and Pretty in Pink Prints Series designer paper, 1 1/4" square punch, On Board chipboard heart, Iridescent Ice embossing powder, dimensional (Stampin' Up!); teal satin ribbon (Michaels); white cardstock (Georgia Pacific)

Since I was on a roll, I decided to make another card based on this sketch. This time, I paired a bunch of designer papers from different paper collections for the squares. I chose ones that were all in similar cool color tones so that they'd still coordinate. I attached a chipboard flower in the center of the arrangement and added a photo corner in the upper right corner.

I used another sentiment from the Remember Happiness kit on this card, stamped in a shade or two darker ink than the panel. I decided to round the bottom corners of the cardfront for a slightly different look.

I can see using up a whole bunch of my scraps with more cards along these lines . . .

Materials Used:
Remember Happiness stamp kit (Unity Stamp Co.); Lavender Lace Classic ink, Almost Amethyst and Certainly Celery cardstock, Soft Sky, Certainly Celery, and Almost Amethyst Print Series and designer paper, 1 1/4" square punch, corner rounder, dimensionals (Stampin' Up!); rhinestone, celery satin ribbon (Michaels); chipboard pieces (Making Memories); white cardstock (Georgia Pacific)

Mojo Chick

The chick images from the Hey Chick set from Kitchen Sink Stamps are so fun to use and so cute, too! I haven't used them for a while, so I pulled the set out for this week's Mojo Monday sketch from Julee's blog. The large circle panel in the center was perfect for the chick and cracked eggshell images.

I stamped the 4 step chick in the center of the circle and surrounded it with the two halves of the 3 step eggshell image. I used a little bit of chalk to give the chick and eggshell some shadow and sponged around the panel with soft yellow ink.

I curved the sentiment to match the shape of the circle and stamped it in Regal Rose ink. This is one of the big things that I love about clear stamps--you can bend them twist them, curve them, whatever, to make them fit where you want them.

The colors for this card came from the patterned paper on the cardfront. It's from a paper stack by Debbie Mumm from Joann. The pack has a bunch of cute patterns, including some glittery ones. And, as an added bonus, this glittery paper doesn't stink like some of the DCWV glitter packs I have (am I the only person that finds this with their DCWV papers???). There are some nice dotted and striped patterns, plus some nice kid friendly ones with cute little bugs, too. This piece came from the Baby Boy stack, but there's an identical piece in the Baby Girl stack, too. How do I know this? Well, both packs made their way into my shopping basket at Joann, so I could check that out for you . . .

Materials Used:

Hey Chick stamp set (Kitchen Sink Stamps); Sweet Blush and Lemon Tart Palette inks, Lemon Tart cardstock (Papertrey Ink); Pretty in Pink, Regal Rose, Barely Banana, So Saffron, and Close to Cocoa Classic inks, Regal Rose, Whisper White, and Kraft cardstock, Pretty in Pink Prints Series designer paper, mat pack and paper piercing tool, Stampin' Pastels (Stampin' Up!); yellow brads (Making Memories); patterned paper (Debbie Mumm Baby Boy Pack); circle and scalloped circle dies (Nestabilties)

Blogger Challenge: Week 39

Since I knew I wouldn't be around last night to do any stamping because of going to the NCAA basketball tournament (we saw two fantastic games, including an almost-upset of tournament favorite Duke by Belmont) I planned ahead (for once!) and created this card for both the weekly blogger challenge and this week's sketch for Sketches {by Tamara}. This week's challenge was to use Chocolate Chip, Blue Bayou, Soft Sky, and Real Red. I love this color combo! I've used it (or a variation on it) many times before.

Here, I used two different colors and patterns from SU!'s Prints Series designer paper for the large sections on the cardfront. I covered the seam where they meet with some Chocolate Chip taffeta ribbon. This ribbon is so pretty! I love all of the SU! taffeta, but this one is so cool-looking. The edges are a dark, Chocolate Chip-like color, but the inside of the ribbon is lighter and more shimmery.

I found a bunch of American Crafts felt flowers in coordinating colors to use as embellishments in the lower right corner of the card. I added small rhinestones to the centers of the small red flowers. For the larger blue one, I dug up a red flower shaped brad for the center and added a rhinestone to that, too.

I stamped the sentiment from Stem Sayings in Blue Bayou ink right on the Soft Sky patterned paper. The Blue Bayou is just dark enough to stand out from the pattern.

If you want to see what the other challenge players have created using this fun color combination, you can find links to their blogs in the sidebar on the right. You can also stop by Tamara's to check out other versions of this sketch. And, if you decide to give the sketch a try, be sure to post a link on Tamara's blog (and here, too--I want to see what you do with it!). She's just started featuring guest designers on her blog and she'll be choosing people who leave links to their creations with her sketches.

Materials Used:

Stem Sayings stamp set, Blue Bayou Classic ink, Chocolate Chip and Blue Bayou cardstock, Soft Sky and Real Red Prints Series designer paper, Chocolate Chip taffeta ribbon (Stampin' Up!); felt flowers (American Crafts); rhinestones (Walmart); flower brad (ProvoCraft)

An Eggstra Special Day

Here's a card made with the sketch posted for today's sketch challenge on SCS. This is the first time I've used this chick image from the Hey Chick! stamp set from Kitchen Sink Stamps. I was a little scared of it, but I think I've mastered it now. I used the same color combination for the layers as I did for the other chick image. It just took me a while to figure how to line it up just right.

I stamped the egg in two layers of pink ink. Then I used a variation on a tip that Maria shared on her blog. Using a Prismacolor pencil, I shaded just a little bit, which created a more distinct outline for the cracked eggshell. I added some of the tiny flower images to the shell and dotted the centers with some glitter.

This layout is great for using up a bunch of those scraps that are always piling up. For a monochromatic look, I found a bunch of pink patterned paper scraps to piece together the panel on the front. I used my sewing machine to stitch the pieces together. The sentiment is stamped directly on the papers, stretching across parts of all three pieces. I used some more scrappy pieces to make the "layers" under the panel.

The ribbon around the front panel is from American Crafts. It is so shimery--there are lots of gold flecks running through it. The color is a much better match IRL than in the photo. When I saw the ribbon on the store shelf, it was so eye catching and different looking (and on sale, too!) that I ended up buying it in a few different colors, so you'll probably be seeing more of it . . .

Cosmo the crazy dog seems to be on the road to recovery. He was not doing too well this morning, so I took him to the vet. Because of all of our trips there and some of the strange circumstances surrounding those trips, pretty much everyone there knows Cosmo. They all agreed with me that Cosmo was just not acting Cosmo-like at all. The vet did some blood work and found that there are a few things that need to be monitored, so I'll need to bring him back to the vet next month. None of the issues from the blood work are related the semi-toxic plant eating situation (not sure if that's good or bad yet . . .). The plant seems to be working its way out of his system naturally and he was much more playful and alert this afternoon and even ate some of his regular dog food.

Materials Used:

Hey Chick! stamp set (Kitchen Sink Stamps); Barely Banana, So Saffron, Close to Cocoa, Pretty in Pink, and Regal Rose Classic inks, Pretty in Pink, Regal Rose, Barely Banana, and Whisper White cardstock, Loves Me and Pretty in Pink Prints Series designer paper, Stampin' Pastels, slit punch, dimensionals (Stampin' Up!); clear Stardust pen (Sakura); colored pencil (Prismacolor); ribbon (American Crafts); sewing machine

Elzybells Hello

When I got home from work, I found an envelope full of these adorable Elzybells chick images from an SCS WISH-RAK member waiting for me in my mailbox. I don't have any of the Elzybells spring releases yet--I'm waiting for them to arrive at my local stamp store--so I was thrilled to have a few to play with. I knew the image would be a perfect fit for this week's Technostamper sketch challenge. This is a great layout for some of those smaller images that can be so tricky to work with--I know I'll pull this one out again.

I cut out the image panel with a rectangle Nestabilities die, then used Copic markers to color the image in some spring-like colors. I added just a little bit of clear Stardust glitter to the flower and bee--hard to see in the photo, unfortunately. I used more Nestabilities dies to cut out coordinating mats for the image.

I paired the image with a sentiment from Papertrey Ink's Mixed Messages stamp set. The tiny sentiment fits perfectly inside one of the small oval Nestabilities dies. I embellished the sentiment with a small rhinestone flower.

Then, I set off to find a pair of patterned papers that would coordinate with each other and with the colored image. I think that worked out okay. I used a piece of dotted paper from SU!'s Spring Fling paper package along with a piece of striped paper from a K & Company box set of assorted patterned papers. This color combination is a little different than what I'd usually pair together, but I like the spring feel they create. The band of solid paper that divides the two patterns has a (somewhat straight) zig zag stitch down the center for a little interest. Just a little machine (or faux) stitching adds so much to a card, doesn't it?

Materials Used:

daffodil chick image (Elzybells); Mixed Messages stamp set (Papertrey Ink); Regal Rose Classic ink, Regal Rose, Apricot Appeal, and Certainly Celery cardstock, Spring Fling designer paper, rose grosgrain, glue dot, dimensionals (Stampin' Up!); rhinestone flower (Joann); oval, rectangle, and scalloped rectangle dies (Nestabilities); clear Stardust pen (Sakura); patterned paper (K & Company Pretty in Pink Designer Paper box); markers (Copic Ciao); sewing machine

Print Pattern Thanks

I made this card for today's featured stamper challenge. I loved the clean, simple look of the original card, so I tried to replicate that in my version along with a few changes.

For my card, I chose to use different color papers that have the same pattern on them. I picked papers from the SU! Prints Series packages in Soft Sky, Almost Amethyst, and Certainly Celery. I love blues, purples, and greens together and these soft shades work beautifully when paired. I chose to use the flower pattern to coordinate with the flower image from Priceless.

I stamped the flower image on a scrap of white cardstock, then used the matching brass embossing template to dry emboss the flower petals (really hard to see in the photo, but I promise it's there). I trimmed around the flower and added a self-adhesive rhinestone to the center, then attached the flower to the cardfront with a dimensional.

I added a matching button to each square of patterned paper, varying the placement of the button on each square. The "thread" between the button holes isn't thread at all, but is drawn on with my white gel pen--much easier to do and much less bulky to attach, too.

The sentiments from Priceless were much too large and heavy for the delicate look of this card, so I used a sentiment from the Short & Sweet stamp set instead. These little script words are a really versatile set.

The shoebox swap earlier in the day was so much fun. Like always, I came home with a long list of things I need to include on my next SU! order thanks to all of the talented stampers at the event . . .

Materials Used:

Priceless and Short & Sweet stamp sets, Almost Amethyst and Certainly Celery Classic inks, Certainly Celery, Almost Amethyst, and Soft Sky Prints Series designer paper, Pricesless Classy Brass template, white gel pen, dimensional (Stampin' Up!); self-adhesive rhinestone and wide blue grosgrain ribbon (Michaels dollar bin); blue button (American Crafts); purple button (Walmart); green button (Making Memories)

Sketches {by Tamara} #31

I have two cards to share using this week's sketch from Sketches {by Tamara}. This is the card you'll find on Tamara's blog. It's a spring-like thank you card featuring one of the definition sentiments from Define Your Life. With a definition for each letter of the alphabet, this is such a versatile set--there's something in the set for pretty much every one and every occasion. The sentiment is stamped on a paper-covered piece of chipboard. I used the Basic Grey precision file set to file down the excess paper edges once it's attached to the chipboard. The shapes of the different files make it easy to find just the right one to round corners and file in small spaces, too.

The large flowers in the corner come from a kind of unexpected source. A few weekends ago, my friend Michele and I went to the Lakeshore teacher supply store. And there, among the awesome games and resources for classroom use, we found a fantastic bulk arts and craft section. I picked up a huge bag of these flowers (and when I say huge, I mean hundreds!) for about $10. I found some fun ribbon-like trims there, too. Here, I layered two of the flowers and attached them with a clear plastic flower-shaped brad that I embellished with a small rhinestone.

Materials Used:

Define Your Life stamp set, Close to Cocoa Classic ink, Barely Banana and Pretty in Pink cardstock, So Saffron Prints Series designer paper, Pretty in Pink grosgrain ribbon, On Board Accents chipboard (Stampin' Up!); silk flowers (Lakeshore); plastic flower brad (Target); rhinestone (Walmart)

Here's another card using the exact same sketch--the last Valentine's Day card of the season you'll see on Inking Aloud (or maybe the first for next year . . .). I used a piece of patterned paper from Cosmo Cricket's Hey Sugar line for the cardfront and based the rest of the colors of the card on the paper's colors. I covered chipboard embellishments (heart and photo corner) with Apricot Appeal dotted paper from SU!'s Prints Series hostess pack. I added a ribbon tab to the chipboard heart. The ribbon is colored with a Copic marker to match the paper.

The sentiment is from Define Your Life. I stamped it in Close to Cocoa craft ink, then embossed it with clear embossing powder. It's not as dark as I would have liked, but I think it still works.

Materials Used:
Define Your Life stamp set, Apricot Appeal Classic ink, Close to Cocoa Craft ink, Apricot Appeal and Cameo Coral cardstock, Apricot Appeal Prints Series designer paper, Crystal Clear embossing powder, dimensionals (Stampin' Up!); chipboard (Making Memories); wide grosgrain ribbon (Michaels); patterned paper (Cosmo Cricket); marker (Copic)

Back (with) Out On a Limb

I had so much fun with the Papertrey Ink Out on a Limb set yesterday that I decided to use it again (along with the same color scheme) for today's SCS sketch challenge. This card uses some of my favorite things--kraft cardstock and SU!'s Fall Flowers designer paper. I love the looks of the earthy blues, greens, and browns together.

I stamped the branch and leaves images along with the sentiment on a vanilla panel with chalk inks. I've found that the VersaMagic chalk inks work really well with clear stamps. They give a rich, solid image. I used a sponge to apply ink to the panel's edges. The panel is layered on cardstock mats to match the colors of the Fall Flowers designer paper. I distressed the bottom layer to add some interest and dimension.

I combined the Fall Flowers paper with a scrap of striped Soft Sky Prints Series designer paper on the card base. I added a little paper pierced strip of matching solid cardstock under the striped paper and some brads.

My new Kitchen Sink Stamps order arrived today. I got the 3 step Hearts & Roses set, so I need some time to play around with it to figure out how to get the roses just right before I have a card to post. Be sure to check out the store--Maria has added two brand new sets today.

I'll be back later with some cards for blogger sketch challenges that I've completed this week.

Materials Used:

Out on a Limb stamp set (Papertrey Ink); Tea Leaves and Jumbo Java chalk inks (VersaMagic); Close to Cocoa Classic ink, Certainly Celery, Soft Sky, Very Vanilla, and Kraft cardstock, Fall Flowers and Soft Sky Prints Series designer paper, distressing tool, mat pack and paper piercing tool, wide Chocolate Chip grosgrain ribbon, sponge, dimensionals (Stampin' Up!); copper brads (Making Memories)

Wild Thing, Take Two

Remember how I damaged one of the stamps in my new Verve Visual set, Wild Thing? If not, you can read my tale of woe here (if you want). Well, the replacement stamp for the damaged sentiment arrived, so I wanted to pull my set out again now that it was complete. I figured that the sketch challenge that Julee posted on her blog was a great way to use it.

My biggest challenge (okay, one of them) with this sketch was deciding on papers to use. I shuffled a lot of different papers around, but was having a hard time finding the right mix. I finally turned to my retired Loves Me paper for the solution. The way that the colors and images coodinate is one of the things I love about Stampin' Up!'s patterned papers. Once I had the papers decided on, this card came together really quickly.

I cut the paper into strips and secured it to the cardfront with some adhesive. Then I began to sew the strips. This was my other challenge! Making straight lines is not something I've ever been good at, so my stitching is a little erratic. I definitely need more practice. Let me put it this way--I will not be sewing on anything that I might need to wear . . .

I stamped the (replacement) sentiment on a white panel, then added a row of hearts to the bottom of the panel. I layered the panel on cardstock scraps that matched the patterned paper. The heart embellishment is also made from images in the Wild Thing set. I stamped the brown heart, then the pink heart outside it. The pink heart is stamped in craft ink, then heat embossed with Iridescent Ice embossing powder. Stitching aside, I really like how this turned out. It's not too girly, but still has a Valentine look to it.

Materials Used:

Wild Thing stamp set (Verve Visual); Close to Cocoa and Regal Rose Classic inks, Regal Rose Craft ink, Taken with Teal, Regal Rose, Close to Cocoa, and Whisper White cardstock, Loves Me designer paper, Iridescent Ice embossing powder, dimensionals (Stampin' Up!); sewing machine

Vases in Vogue Meets Fall Flowers

This card is a quick one made with a sketch provided by MJ at Techno Stamper, one of the members of my blogger challenge group. Starting with last week, she's posting a sketch on her blog every Monday at lunchtime. I'm going to try to get to her sketch when I can--made it just under the wire this week . . .

This sketch is a great one for using up some of those scraps of patterned paper that are scattered around. The cardfront uses three different patterns from the Fall Flowers paper package. I love the colors and patterns in this pack. By sticking to the same package of paper, it was easy to come up with three patterns that coordinated well.

The main image and sentiment come from the retired Vases in Vogue stamp set. This may be my all-time favorite retired hostess set. I love the versatility of the flower and vase images and the variety of seniments included. Here, I stamped the vase, then masked it before stamping the flower. Then, I stamped the vase again so I could cut out the vase in a solid color (here, Certainly Celery) and attach it to the panel with dimensionals. I also stamped the flower on a scrap of Soft Sky cardstock and cut it out and attached it to the white panel. There's a tiny self-adhesive rhinestone at the flower's center. It's an Amuse Twinkle sticker--boy, are those tiny little buggers hard to put in place . . .

Materials Used:

Vases in Vogue stamp set, Old Olive and Basic Black Classic inks, Sahara Sand, Certainly Celery, Old Olive, Soft Sky, and Whisper White cardstock, Fall Flowers designer paper, Old Olive marker, mat pack and paper piercing tool, white gel pen, Soft Sky stitched grosgrain ribbon, dimensionals (Stampin' Up!); rectangle and scalloped rectangle dies (Nestabilities); Twinkle sticker (Amuse)

New Kitchen Sink Stamps

My new stamps from Kitchen Sink Stamps arrived on Thursday afternoon and I had to try them out before I left for the beach. I got one of the new Valentine's Day sets, Love & Luck. I love the fun heart and clover images found in this set--lots of possibilities here . . .

This card uses one of the large sentiments from the set. I stamped "love" in a red toned ink on a scrap of shimmery white cardstock, let it dry, then stamped a solid heart image right over the sentiment. The clear stamps make the placement so easy! Then I used my oval Nestabilities to cut out the image and a pair of mats.

I chose the colors for the card based on the striped patterned paper from Chatterbox's Scrapbook Walls line. The papers in this line are double-sided and have a subtle texture. I used my sewing machine to stitch a piece of the patterned paper to a piece of solid brown paper (had a little machine user error on the first piece and had to re-do it, but no real damage done . . .). Then I used two of the small heart images from the set to stamp a "border" along the bottom of the panel in dark brown ink. I put both stamps on a small block and stamped them repeatedly. Again, the clear images made lining up the border quick and easy.

At the top of the panel, I added a strip of wide grosgrain ribbon with a copper buckle. I made the buckle with a buckle punch and some brushed copper paper. It's a fun detail and doesn't add a lot of bulk to a card.

I'm looking forward to playing some more with these stamps next week . . .

Materials Used:

Love & Luck stamp set (Kitchen Sink Stamps); Pixie Dust and Jumbo Java chalk inks (VersaMagic); Pearlescent Poppy pigment ink (Brilliance); oval and scalloped oval dies (Nestabilities); Cranberry Crisp, Chocolate Chip, Blush Blossom, Brushed Copper, and Shimmery White cardstock, wide chocolate chip grosgrain ribbon, dimensionals (Stampin' Up!); buckle punch (EK Success); Peppermint Stripe paper (Chatterbox's Scrapbook Walls line)

Masculine Medallion

Like lots of other cardmakers, I really struggle with making masculine cards. So, to push myself a little, I decided to try a masculine card for Beate's weekend sketch challenge. I'm actually pleased with the results, which is kind of surprising, since when I make cards for men, I usually end up with something that I think is just okay.

My color inspiration for this card was the scrap of paper from the Fall Flowers paper pack that has Really Rust, Groovy Guava, and Sahara Sand diagonal stripes. I used the large round image from In the Spotlight to create a "medallion" from a scrap of chipboard (cereal box) as the focal point of the card. I used the faux metal technique with copper embossing powder (which I will be cleaning up after I finish with this post--it blew everywhere!). The image is attached to a slightly larger Chocolate Chip circle with dimensionals since it won't lay flat for some reason.

I layered the patterned paper scrap on a piece of Sahara Sand cardstock and used the mat pack and paper piercing tool to create a line of holes along the edge of the Sahara Sand mat to match the dots along the edge of the medallion. The Really Rust cardstock is stamped with the Sanded background stamp. I love the textured look this background stamp creates. I think it's one of my favorite background stamps now.

I left off the sentiment so I can add one when I'm ready to use the card.

Materials Used:

In the Spotlight and Sanded stamp sets, Really Rust Classic ink, Sahara Sand, Chocolate Chip, and Really Rust cardstock, Fall Flowers designer paper, Classy Copper embossing powder, mat pack and paper piercing tool, photo corner punch, dimensionals (Stampin' Up!); copper brads (Making Memories); 2" circle punch (Marvy Uchida); circle die (Nestabilities); brown ribbon (Michaels dollar bin)

Blogger Challenge: Week 29

This week's blogger challenge was to use the layout found on page 37 of the Stampin' Up! Spring/Summer Collection catalog as the basis for a card. The card in the photo is not my typical style (very elegant!), so it took me a while to come up with a way to approach the layout that worked for me.

I ended up using the large boat image from Boatloads of Love as the focal point of the card. I loved the way my earlier card with Boatloads of Love worked with the fun striped paper from the Cutie Pie paper pack, so I went back to that for my color inspiration.

I stamped the image two times, first on the cardfront, then on a scrap of cardstock. I colored the image on the scrap piece with Copic markers, then cut it out and attached it to the cardfront with dimensionals. I used sponges to dab in a sky and the water.

I had a hard time arranging the blocks of color and pattern to my liking (a red panel at the top of the card just didn't work--way too heavy feeling). I arranged and rearranged quite a few times before I settled on this combo.

Be sure to check out what the other blogger challenge players have created using this layout. You can find links to their blogs in the sidebar on the right side of my blog.

Materials Used:

Boatloads of Love stamp set, Bashful Blue and Rose Red cardstock, Bashful Blue, Brocade Blue, and Ballet Blue Classic inks, Cutie Pie designer paper, Bashful Blue grosgrain ribbon, corner rounder, Crystal Effects, dimensionals, sponges (Stampin' Up!); markers (Copic)

I Need More Stamps!

Creating this card exposed a big hole in my stamp collection. I'm not sure how that's possible, given the number of stamp sets I've accumulated, but it's true. Most of my friends have little boys and I have very few stamp sets that are appropriate for little boy birthday cards. This is a big problem, since my best friend's little boy turned one (yay, Zach!) over the weekend. I've already used most of my "boy" stamps to make cards for his big brother Jake for various occasions. I hope Michele won't mind that I'm "recycling" images on this card . . .

My inspiration for the colors for this card was Zach's bedroom. It's done in yellows (mustard-like), oranges, and greens--I managed to get a few of those covered in this card. I found this fun striped paper as the card base. And, no, it's not my lousy photography you're seeing here--the stripes on the patterned paper are not straight. They are actually kind of slanted. Anyway, since the colors are kind of bold, it's not so much of a "baby" card, but more of a little boy one, at least I think so.

The card is made with a sketch that Jen posted on her blog recently. I used the giraffe image from Wild About You as the main image. I love the bold images in this set. I stamped the giraffe in Summer Sun ink, then used two different sizes of handheld punches to punch out the giraffe's spots. I backed the image with a scrap of blue paper to fill in the spots. I used one of the scalloped rectangle Nestabilities dies to make a frame for the image.

I added a sentiment from Stem Sayings to finish the card. I like the way this sentiment curves. It helps it to stand out when it's stamped directly on the patterned paper.

So, since I'm looking, does anyone have any suggestions for tried and true sets that make great cards for little boys? If you do, please leave me a comment or drop me an email.

Materials Used:
Wild About You and Stem Sayings stamp set, Summer Sun and Brilliant Blue Classic inks, Pumpkin Pie, Bashful Blue, and Whisper White cardstock, handheld punches, dimensionals (Stampin' Up!); scalloped rectangle die (Nestabilities); orange button, twine (Walmart); blue grosgrain ribbon (Michaels dollar bin); patterned paper (Scrapbook Wizard's ScrapPack Mini #1)

Eat Cake Gift Trio

I did a pretty quick and simple card for today's featured stamper challenge that I can add to my stash of birthday cards to be used this year. The featured stamper this week is Nancy/stampinat6213. You can find Nancy's SCS gallery here and her blog iSTAMP here. My card was inspired by this card in Nancy's gallery. I kept the layout and theme the same, but changed lots of the details.

I took my color inspiration from the striped paper scrap from the Cutie Pie paper pack. I went with the softer of the three colors here and omitted the red entirely in my stamped images and other papers.

I stamped the cake/gift image from Eat Cake three times on a white panel. I stamped off once before stamping each cake so that when I stamped the bow in the same ink, the bow would be a darker color. Then, I made each cake a little bit different by adding elements from different SU! cake and birthday stamp sets--the squiggly pattern from Fun Filled, the sparkle and dots from Eat Cake, and the dots from Big Bold Birthday.

I used a sentiment from the Short & Sweet set. It fits perfectly in the word window punch with room to spare for a brad at one end. I used a celery colored one here.

Materials Used:
Eat Cake, Big Bold Birthday, Fun Filled, and Short & Sweet stamp sets, Certainly Celery, So Saffron, and Bashful Blue Classic inks, Certainly Celery, So Saffron, Bashful Blue, and Whisper White cardstock, Cutie Pie designer paper, mat pack and paper piercing tool, word window punch, celery brad, Certainly Celery grosgrain ribbon, dimensionals (Stampin' Up!)

Bright Birdie Birthday

It is so bitter cold here today that I wanted to make a bright, cheerful, warm-feeling card tonight. And, today was my first day back at work after my too short vacation, so I was definitely in need of some cheering up! So, here's my bright birdie card for today's sketch challenge on SCS.

I am loving this bird set from the new catalog! With all the sentiments and little accessories, it can be used for so many occasions. I made a birthday one tonight so I could use this fun Salsa paper from Junkitz. The birthday hat in the paper is a great match for the bird's party hat.

I stamped the bird image on a white rectangle--probably should have placed the image a little bit higher up on the panel . . . Then, I stamped the bird again, this time on a scrap of turquoise cardstock and cut it out, then attached it over the bird on the white panel with a dimensional. I colored the party hat with Copic markers to match the colors in the patterned paper, then cut it out and attached it with dimensionals, too. I added some green Stickles to the hat, too.

Today was the first day to place orders from the new SU! Spring/Summer Collection catalog. I got my order in this afternoon so I'll have new sets (and paper and ribbon and accessories) to use in an upcoming swap. I can't wait for my new stuff to arrive!!

Materials Used:

A Little Birdie Told Me stamp set, Tempting Turquoise, Pink Passion, Groovy Guava, and Gable Green cardstock, dimensionals (Stampin' Up!); patterned paper (Salsa pad by Junkitz); Lime Green Stickles (Ranger); rectangle and scalloped rectangle dies (Nestabilities); green brads (Making Memories); markers (Copic); green grosgrain (?)

Goodbye, 2007! Cheers to 2008!

It's no secret to anyone who knows me that I'm not a big fan of New Year's Eve and all the stuff that it represents. So, tonight will be spent at home uneventfully, watching a Netflix movie, catching up on General Hospital, and doing some crafty stuff.

I've already gotten started with the crafty stuff. I've been working on catching up on the challenges in the Stamping Bella forum on SCS. I have a few of the sketch challenges done and a very few of the color challenges finished. This card is for one of the color challenges--Basic Black and Tempting Turquoise. If you look closely, you'll probably notice that the tuqruoise is more of a teal, but I think it will pass!

I used a Winobella image I got in a recent image swap and colored her with Copic markers. I added some sparkly and glossy details, too, using glitter and glaze pens. I made the wine sort of champagne-looking since it is New Year's Eve and I do love a glass of champagne myself.

The cardfront is covered with a piece of patterned paper from a patterned paper stack I picked up on clearance at Target a while ago. I like the retro look of the pattern. I added a little scrap of last year's Loves Me designer paper from SU. I was so disappointed this paper didn't make a comeback in the new catalog! I have an extra pack or two that I'm hoarding and using sparingly so it lasts and lasts . . .

I had a hard time deciding where to put the sentiment. Originally I planned to use a happy new year stamp, but it didn't fit. So, I guess "cheers" is festive enough and still appropriate for today's occasion.

Happy New Year to all my readers and online buddies. I hope everyone enjoys the festivities this evening, whatever it is you're doing and that it's the start to a wonderful new year. Thanks again to everyone who visits here at Inking Aloud. I've enjoyed getting to know you! I really appreciate your kind comments and support. I can't believe that my one year "blogoversary" is fast approaching . . .

Materials Used:

Winobella image and sentiment (Stamping Bella); Tempting Turquoise Classic ink, Basic Black, Whisper White, and Tempting Turquoise cardstock, Loves Me designer paper, slit punch, dimensionals, silver brads (Stampin' Up!); yellow and black Glaze pens (Sakura); markers and glitter pens (Copic); patterned paper (Pressed Petals stack); ribbon (Michaels)

Merry and Bright

I was so excited when I saw who was selected to be today's featured stamper on SCS. Danielle/dlounds has just joined my SU! demo swap group and I've been admiring her work for a while. I'm looking forward to the opportunity to swap with her and have one of her beautiful creations in my possession! You can find her SCS gallery here and her blog, here: Fat Cat Stamper.

I picked a card from Danielle's gallery that showcased a small stamped image. You can see the card that inspired my creation here. I've really been trying to get better at using these tiny images for cardmaking. Today I used an image I got from the SCS Wish-RAK forum. I love this little round snowman from Merry & Bright from the most recent Holiday mini catalog, but didn't get the set since I knew that I wouldn't have much use for some of the other images in the set. I was able to get a whole bunch of just the snowman image to play with through Wish-RAK--that's what makes this such a great group.

I colored the snowman image with blender pens and reinkers. I added some Dazzling Diamonds to the hat and outlined the image with a Stardust pen. The image is set on circles I cut using my Nestabilities sets (have I said yet today how much I'm loving these things?).

The patterned paper panel is from a ProvoCraft Holiday Slab that I picked up on after-holiday clearance at Michaels last week. I added some snowflake buttons (minus the shanks) in the corner of the paper. The reds and greens in the patterned paper were a good match for Real Red and Wild Wasabi, so I used those here. I wheeled the Bold Snowflake wheel over the red cardstock in white craft ink and inked the edges of the panel in red with a sponge.

I had so much fun with my Wish-RAK images today I want to make sure I return the favor. So, I'm off to do some stamping so I can send some images to some Wish-RAK members . . .

Materials Used:

Merry and Bright stamp set, Bold Snowflake jumbo wheel and handle, Real Red and Basic Black Classic inks, White Craft ink, Blue Bayou, Wild Wasabi, and Real Red cardstock, dimensionals, Dazzling Diamonds, blender pen, 2 way glue pen (Stampin' Up!); circle and scalloped circle dies (Nestabilities); red grosgrain ribbon, snowflake buttons (Michaels); Stardust gel pen (Sakura); patterned paper (ProvoCraft Holiday Slab)