TGIF Challenge #473 - Inspiration Challenge

Yay and HOORAY! It’s time once again for the TGIF Challenge!! This week’s fun challenge in an inspiration … create a “picture perfect” background - whether you use some lovely new DSP or create your own, the options are ENDLESS!!

Here’s my shot at it! And I am immediately admitting that I used a newly-retired stamp set because … yeah-yeah-yeah … I never used it while it WAS current!! I seem to be starting my own personal trend in my craft room! I used my Blending Brushes to lightly spread both Melon Mambo and Pumpkin Pie ink in the background. I then used my WaterPainter to dribble little drops of water through the background so make the paper look more textured and interesting.

My final technique for this background was me just taking the caps off of both my Melon Mambo and Pumpkin Pie Stampin’ Write Markers to “flick” the pen tip out of the inside of the pen lid, thus creating a splattered-ink look. I LOVE how this one turned out!

I added some ribbon and embellishments to complement the dies and images in the foreground. Sometimes I feel like the MORE layers the BETTER! This was quick and easy and turned out pretty cool, I think!

Stamps: Warmest Heart (retired)

Paper: Whisper White, Bubble Bath, Melon Mambo, Pumpkin Pie, Daffodil Delight

Ink: Black Memento, Melon Mambo, Pumpkin Pie; Stampin’ Blends - Melon Mambo, Pumpkin Pie, Pretty in Pink, Lemon Lilly, Granny Apple Green; Stampin’ Write Markers - Melon Mambo, Pumpkin Pie

Accessories: Warmest Heart Dies (retired), Perennial Postage Dies, Water Painter, 2024-2026 In Color Resin Dots, White 1/4” Diagonal Trim Ribbon

I hesitate to admit that I will be doing a 12K (8 mile) run for Huntsman Heroes in Ogden Canyon this weekend.  I am kind of nervous AND excited! Nervous because I would really like to finish the race without falling on my face or breaking some other useful-and-important body parts, and excited because this will be the longest race I will be participating in since my ACL/meniscus surgery back in October. Baby Steps …. I’m getting there!!

Just Because and Uh Oh!

I’ve actually had some time lately to create a card “just because” (which I haven’t been able to do for a while! I pulled out a stamp set I’ve had for a little while (including the dies!) to play a little! I was pretty happy with my finished product and sent a pic of it to my bestie, Bree Renwick. Her reply? “Very pretty! I’m so sad that set and dies just retired!” Wait … WHAT??? How did I MISS that??? I was SO SURE it had made “the cut” and was still on the “current” list! Uh oh! My bad!! But I don’t care since I really like how this one turned out!

So this card is a mishmash of current and retired stuff! I used an old corner rounder punch (face it, who doesn’t LOVE a good corner rounder??) on this as well as the aforementioned Notes of Nature stamps/dies. I also used the new amazing neutral “Basic Beige” cardstock! Love it! AAAaaand I used the Decked Circle Dies (which I am VERY please made the transition to the new year!)! 

I used Calypso Coral, Petal Pink, Soft Sea Foam and Lost Lagoon Stampin’ Blends to color the cute little flowers and leaves.

Sigh … I am especially sad to lose the little circle/stitches border die in this set because it is FAB! Not like I can’t use it again, but since it’s not “current” it makes me this twice!

Stamps: Notes of Nature (retired, sadly!)

Paper: Basic Beige, Very Vanilla, Calypso Coral, Petal Pink, Lost Lagoon

Ink: Black Memento, Early Espresso, Lost Lagoon; Stampin’ Blends - Calypso Coral, Petal Pink, Soft Sea Foam, Lost Lagoon

Accessories: Notes of Nature Dies (retired), Deckled Circle Dies, Trio Corner Rounder Punch (retired), Linen Thread

It’s totally OK to use retired stuff … heaven knows I have enough of it!

Monday Montage #257

Monday, Monday! It's Monday Montage Week! YAY! I always LOVE seeing what my friends come up with every single time!

I got to spend four lovely days with lots of my Stampin' Up friends in Houston last week and it was a BLAST!! We were there for Stampin' Up's OnStage event for demonstrators. I even got to hang out with several of my Monday Montage besties and it was a BLAST!!

I also had the opportunity to participate in a card swap with several current and past Artisan Design Team Members! WowOhWow!! Talk about a group of talented people (and a bit intimidating!). This was my swap card.  I used the alcohol ink technique. Starting with reinkers, I dabbed Granny Apple Green, Pool Party, Melon Mambo and Misty Moonlight on a piece of vellum. Then I dribbled some isopropyl alcohol on top of the colors and the let the magic happen! Be sure to use 91% or higher alcohol ... using 70% won't work!  (Ask me how I know this!) I backed the piece of vellum with Basic White cardstock, which I also used for the base. I then cut the frames and shapes using the Perennial Postage Dies.

I embossed the sentiment with Versamark and then heat embossed some white embossing powder to make it pop. A few rhinestone basics jewels here and there and VOILA!

 I really am happy with this card ... it came out fun and unique for each person.

Stamps: Perennial Postage

Paper: Whisper White, Pool Party, Bubble Bath, Vellum

Ink: Versamark, Pool Party, Misty Moonlight, Light Granny Apple Green, Melon Mambo

Accessories: Perennial Postage Dies, Painted Textured 3D Embossing Folder, 3/8" Ribbon Combo Pack, Rhinestone Basics Jewels, White Embossing Powder

Here's a blog roll just in case you get "stuck" trying to hop around ...

Bree Renwick - Craft-somnia Momma

Cathy Casey - Sugar Shack Designs
Charlet Mallet - Painted Orange

Cheryl Curtis - Pomp and Sustenance 

Dani Dziama - Dani's Thoughtful Corner

Elizabeth Price - Seeinginkspots

Emily Kimmey - EMK Creations 

Julie Warnick - Creating on the Run - NOT PARTICIPATING THIS WEEK

Wendy Weixler - Wickedly Wonderful Creations - YOU ARE HERE

Click "Next" to see Bree Renwick ... her creations are OUT OF THIS WORLD!!

TGIFC #465 - "But First, Coffee ..."

Here we are again at this week's TGIF Challenge!! It's time to  curl up with a nice hot cup of coffee or cocoa and dive right in!

Very little stamping happened on this card ... the sentiment, stamped in Versamark and sprinkled with Basic White Embossing Powder and heated with an embossing tool.

This was a simple but fun kind of funky fold ... quick  and easy and oh-so-FUN!

Stamps: Latte  Love

Paper: Whisper White, Pecan Pie, Early Espresso,  Latte Love DSP

Ink: Versamark

Accessories: Latte Love Dies, Natural 3/8" Natural Polka Dot Trim, Speckled Dots

Spring has officially sprung and the sun his starting to shine  on most days ... LOVINIG  the change ion  the  weather  away  from cold and gray!

Stampin' Fancy Friday - Something Blue Challenge

I'm doing a bit of a "fly-by" post today ... lots going on, sho I'm going to get to the point! This month's  Stampin' Fancy Friday Challenge is "Something Blue"  ... and  even though it's Valentine's Day, this blue card fits the bill! 

I love the clouds! The dies and stamps are soooo cute! This whole bundle coordinates beautifully with thee Raindrops embossing folder as well.  I used a sponge dauber to add both Balmy Blue and Night of Navy ink to the sentiment image ... and I really love the result!

Stamps: Bright Skies

Paper: Balmy Blue, Whisper White, Night of Navy

Ink: Balmy Blue, Night of Navy, Blueberry Bushel

Accessories: Bright Skies Dies, Raindrops Embossing Folder

That's all I have for today! Enjoy your Valentine's Day and hold your loved ones close!

Check out all the fun things created by the Stampin' Fancy Friday Team on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/stampinfancyfriday/!!

Monday Montage #253

Happy Monday Montage, y'all! Now that my Christmas decorations are finally taken down and put away (yeah ... don't judge ... just finished that task this past week!), I feel like I can FINALLY start stamping again! Although, that means I need to do some more cleaning/organizing in my craft room! Isn't that the ongoing "problem" with having a room for crafting?? I know for me it is!

Sometimes the clean and simple stamp sets speak to me the most. Filled with Happiness is just one of those sets! The Modern Oval Punch that coordinates with it is soooo good! I had initially planned on coloring the oranges and greenery ... but i liked it so well just stamped with Calypso Coral ink that I decided to leave it uncolored. What do you think?

The punch works great on the center image ... but I really want one that goes around the sentiment outside the image as well! Sigh ... so I did what we all used to do back in the day and just did some fussy cutting. Not too bad on this! Of course, the Scalloped Contours dies are perfect for everything and are a "go-to" for me all the time!

Stamps: Filled with Happiness

Paper: Whisper White, Night of Navy, Calypso Coral, Delightfully Eclectic DSP

Ink: Night of Navy, Calypso Coral

Accessories: Modern Oval Punch, Scalloped Contours Dies, Misty Moonlight 3/8" Inner Braid Ribbon, Starry Sky 1/8" Metallic Woven Ribbon, 2022-2024 In Color Pearls

Here's a blog roll just in case you get "stuck" trying to hop around ...

Bree Renwick - Craft-somnia Momma

Cathy Casey - Sugar Shack Designs
Charlet Mallet - Painted Orange - NOT PARTICIPATING THIS WEEK

Cheryl Curtis - Pomp and Sustenance 

Dani Dziama - Dani's Thoughtful Corner

Elizabeth Price - Seeinginkspots

Emily Kimmey - EMK Creations 

Julie Warnick - Creating on the Run  

Wendy Weixler - Wickedly Wonderful Creations - YOU ARE HERE

Click "Next" to see Bree Renwick ... not just ONE, but FOUR fabulous cards from her this week!

TGIF #454 - Color Challenge

Welcome to this week's TGIF Challenge!! I have always loved black/white/metallic color combos for their clean and classy look, don't you?? I (begrudgingly) sat at my craft table for what seemed like ETERNITY trying to come up with an idea for this, which was kind of surprising ... but once I got going, I couldn't stop "adding" things to it!

I made the background using one of the Artistic Mix Decorative Masks and some embossing paste. I used my heat embossing tool to dry the paste, which gives it some added dimension ... I love the stuff!! I also heat embossing the "light" in the lantern with some gold embossing powder and then lightly sponged some Daffodil Delight ink around it to make it "glow". 

The spiral die from Gorgeously Made  Dies is a favorite of mine ... and the More Dazzle DSP is just so SPARKLY!

Stamps: Lighting the Way

Paper: Whisper White, Basic Black, Gold Foil, More Dazzle 6"x6" Specialty Paper

Ink: Versamark, Basic Gray, Daffodil Delight

Accessories: Lighting the Way Dies, Gorgeously Made Dies, Radiating Stitches Dies, Faux Leather Trim, White Embossing Powder, Gold Embossing Powder, Brushed Metallic Adhesive Backed Dots, Artistic Mix Decorative Masks, Embossing Paste

Now ... do any of you want to come over and help me take down my Christmas stuff?? I'll but pizza ...