Gellin' at Club

One of our stamp club cards this month was an oldie technique but a goodie, a gel card using Summer Splash from the Summer mini catalog.

Everyone loves to touch and play with the gel window; it is such tactile fun! I used the simple front, similar to Kirsteen Gill's as inspiration, so all the focus was on the gel window. We sponged the bottom part of the window scene with Pool Party to make it look darker, similar to an underwater scene. The brad window frame is reminiscent of a porthole. And the handtorn sandy bottom was spritzed with the Color Spritzer Tool to make realistic speckles.

Don't forget the Summer mini is only available until August 31. Grab your favorite stamps and supplies, before they are gone.

Stamps: Summer Splash, Sincere Salutation; Paper: Pool Party, Island Indigo, Pear Pizzazz, Always Artichoke, Crumb Cake, Early Espresso, Whisper White; Ink: Pool Party, Island Indigo, Calypso Coral, Lucky Limeade, Always Artichoke, Soft Suede marker; Accessories: Gold brads, Sponges, Color Spritzer Tool, Circle Scissors Plus, 3" Circle die, Little Leaves die, Tasteful Trim die, Big Shot, Dimensionals, Ziploc jewelry bag, Hair gel.

Thanks for stopping by!

A La Card Monkey Guest Designer

Hello Everyone, Today I'm a guest designer on the challenge site A La Card Monkey. Fun! This week's theme is sympathy & a sketch.

I love "thinking of you" cards, so I knew I'd go in that direction. The Summer Mini catalog is ending August 31, so time to squeeze a little more play time with those stamps.

This is the a la carte stamp Sail Away. While on my design team duties over at Stampin' Up Only challenges, Margaret submitted a card with this stamp, colored with Stampin' Pastels. This really is the perfect image for pastels with the soft colors, so this also became a stamp club project.

Typically I sew on many of my cards, but I wanted to show the club girls a different way to create the stitched look with faux stitching.

Stamps: Sail Away, Teeny Tiny Wishes; Paper: Baja Breeze, Crumb Cake, Early Espresso, Very Vanilla, Well Worn DSP; Ink: Early Espresso, Black Stazon; Accessories: Stampin' Pastels, Paper Piercer, Signo white gel pen, Word Window punch, Modern Label punch, Early Espresso Baker's twine, Square Lattice embossing folder, Big Shot, Dimensionals.

Thanks for stopping by!

June Club Projects

Today I'll share the projects we did at stamp club this month. Last Tuesday, I already showed the wedding punch art card we made.

I love every sample I see with The Open Sea and Nautical Expeditions DSP. And this combo is very popular! To stand out, I thought I would try a fun and different fold, a Joy Fold.

Here is the outside -

and the inside -

Stamps: The Open Sea; Paper: Early Espresso, Crumb Cake, Very Vanilla, Nautical Expedition DSP; Soft Suede, Crumb Cake, Not Quite Navy; Accessories: Early Espresso Baker's twine, Circle #2 die, Big Shot, Dimensionals.

And this card is my favorite! I can't take credit for it. It was wholly CASEd from fellow blogger, Sara Mattson-Blume. A fun fishy View-master card -

This is the best view-master card I have seen! Very fun!! I grabbed the Pacific Point RGB numbers off My Digital Studio to create a custom computer-generated sentiment in MS Word.

Stamps: Fish Frenzy wheel; Paper: Pacific Point, Bashful Blue, Pear Pizzazz, Whisper White; Ink: Pacific Point, Pear Pizzazz, Pear Pizzazz marker; Accessories: Sponge, Brad, Circle punches, Word Window punch, Modern Label punch, 3-1/2" Circle die, Tasteful Trim die, Big Shot, Dimensionals.

If you are local and would like to join my stamp club, drop me a line or stop by my New Catalog Launch Party on June 29 or June 30. Sign ups will be available at that time, and we will start up the new stamp club season in August. Thanks for stopping by!

Playing with Some In Colors

** If you are here for the Flag Day Giveaway, you can find my giveaway post here. **

I got my preorder last week, and I was instantly in love with the new In Colors. Right away, I thought of making a Caribbean-feeling kind of card. The In Color chart is courtesy of Dawn Olchefske. You can click on the photo for all sorts of color comparisons on her blog.

I pulled out Summer Splash for some play time.

Most of it is sponging, with a little bit of embellishment so it didn't look so flat. This was the scene I had in mind for a while for Splitcoast VSN challenge to hide something on a card... my octopus. Seems like such a happy little guy that's gonna snatch and eat you, Little Fishy!

Stamps: Summer Splash; Paper: Pool Party, Island Indigo, Pear Pizzazz, Whisper White; Ink: Pool Party, Island Indigo, Calypso Coral, Lucky Limeade, Pear Pizzazz, Wild Wasabi, Sahara Sand, Soft Suede; Accessories: MDS for sentiment, Sponges, Post-it notes, Aquapainter, White Baker's twine, 3/4" Circle punch, Word Window punch, Modern Label punch, Tasteful Trim die, non-SU cloud die, Big Shot.

Thanks for stopping by!

SUOC20 Sail Away On Father's Day

Good Morning, All! Today is another challenge on Stampin' Up Only Challenges. This time we are focusing on Father's Day. There are some great masculine goodies in the summer mini, which makes it easy to put together a coordinating project quickly.

Some of my brayering students from last week might disagree, but I find brayered cards to be some of the quickest WOW cards to put together. And since all the WOW is in the main panel, not a lot of accessories are necessary on the rest of the card, relatively clean and simple. That's the way I like it!

After stamping, I brayered the sky with So Saffron, More Mustard, and Peach Parfait. Also with the sea masked, I brayered a little bit of Peach Parfait from the bottom. Then I masked off the sky and brayered the sea with Tempting Turquoise from the bottom of the sea and Not Quite Navy from the top of the sea. I sponged with Not Quite Navy along the horizon. The sun was colored in with So Saffron and a sponge dauber. I paper pieced the sails, a little gel pen, a little stitching...

This card also satisfies a couple more challenges from Virtual Stamp Night, Sea Dogs and Land Lubbers, a project with beach or boat scenes, and Pillage & Plunder a Thing of Booty, use a map image as your project background. I wanted to play more with VSN, so yay me! :)

Stamps: Sail Away; Paper: Not Quite Navy, Very Vanilla, Whisper White, Newprint DSP, Nautical Expedition DSP; Ink: So Saffron, More Mustard, Peach Parfait, Tempting Turquoise, Not Quite Navy, Basic Black, Black Stazon; Accessories: Sponge, Sponge dauber, Brayer, Decorative Label punch, 1-3/8" Circle punch, Signo white gel pen, Sewing machine, Thread, Dimensionals.

Thanks for stopping by!

3-D Thursday: Summer Splash Table Center

I'm in charge of Table #2 at the Syracuse shoebox swap this weekend. Come on, it's gonna be the best table! I had to make something to designate it as Table #2. I couldn't just write #2 on a piece of paper... I just couldn't.

I absolutely loved the little favor box Sara made for the Stampin' Addicts Summer Mini blog hop. So I sat down and recreated.

I didn't have any Big Shot dies that cut big flowers, so I "borrowed" some foamy flowers from my daughter. She was none too happy. "Sharing is caring," or so she always tells me.

How can it not be the best table with such a colorful table center? :)

Stamps: Summer Splash; Paper: Whisper White, Island Oasis DSP, Window sheet; Ink: Rose Red, Old Olive; Accessories: 1-3/4" Circle punch, 2-3/8" Scallop Circle punch, Buttons, Linen thread, Birds & Blooms die, Circles #2 die, Fancy Favor Box die, GoGo Boots die, Big Shot, Foam flowers, Lollipop sticks.

Thanks for stopping by!

Scrappy Friday: More Creative Crew Challenges

Morning Everyone, I have a couple more samples for May's Creative Crew demo challenges on Splitcoaststampers. Even if you are not a demo, you can always see the challenge cards by searching "creativecrew" in the gallery.

This month's DSP/color focus challenge is inspired by Elegant Soiree DSP, use neutral cardstock with a splash of color. I love this neutral look; it is so elegant! An extra step is to use naturals or confetti cardstock rather than Whisper White or Very Vanilla.

I thought the Elegant Lines embossing folder could look like sea waves, so it was an easy pairing with the Sail Away single stamp from the Summer mini.

I tried to make a less frilly bow, so perhaps this could pass as a masculine card.

Stamps: Sail Away; Paper: Naturals White, Crumb Cake; Ink: Soft Suede; Accessories: Brads, Neutrals Collection button, Early Espresso baker's twine, Baja Breeze seam binding, Elegant Lines embossing folder, Big Shot, Dimensionals.

The scrapbook focus challenge is to make a vintage scrapbook page using black & white or sepia photos. Fun idea! Personal bookkeeping: it is week 18 of Project 52, and I've created 25 pages.

I had hoped to make a real life, hold-in-your-hands, cardstock page. But it wasn't meant to be. It is rather easy to put together a vintage page with My Digital Studio. There are so many vintage and distressing options. In this case, I only had to use Love Letter DSP, which is already quite distressed.

These are photos of my grandmother and father. I have several more photos, passed down to me after she died, and you can just see the adoration on her face. This is the same grandmother that passed down to me her sewing machine, sewing box, and dining room table which my club ladies stamp on. I think of her often!

MDS elements: Love Letter DSP, Cherry Cobbler Scallop Trim punch, Black zig zag stitching, Red corduroy button, Black grosgrain ribbon knot.

Thanks for stopping by.

Creative Crew May Challenges

Morning Everyone, Remember I told you I was selected to be part of Creative Crew on Splitcoaststampers' demo side? This is my first month, and the challenges are out there and live in the demo challenge forum.

If you're not a demo, you can't see the challenge forum, but you can still see the cards in the gallery. Just search "creativecrew". There are four challenges each month: catalog, DSP/color, holiday/seasonal, and scrapbook focus challenges.

The catalog challenge is to use distressing tools (sponges, distressing kit, cutter kit, etc.) to age up the project, to make something new look old. I had a couple not-so-straight-forward technique ideas for this one, cracked glass or faux mother of pearl. Actually I had a lot of card ideas, but not so much time. So for my little notecard, I used sponging on the edges, and I also ran my DSP piece through the Framed Tulips embossing folder and sanded the design. There is no problem that can't be solved over a cup of tea, or so I've heard.

Stamps: Morning Cup; Paper: Peach Parfait, Early Espresso, Whisper White, First Edition DSP, In Color DSP; Ink: Peach Parfait, Early Espresso, Soft Suede marker, Peach Parfait marker, Pear Pizzazz marker; Accessories: Sponge, Sanding block, Aquapainter, Neutrals Collection Watercolor Wonder CrayonsEyelet Border punch, Itty Bitty punch pack, Bitty button, Linen thread, Framed Tulip embossing folder, Big Shot, Sewing machine, Thread.

The holiday/seasonal challenge for May is his and hers cards, i.e., Father's Day and Mother's Day. Use the same layout to make a masculine and feminine card. Once I settled on a layout, it went pretty smoothly. I am a sucker for circular main images.

Here are some close-ups.

Stamps: The Open Sea; Paper: Not Quite Navy, Basic Gray, Crumb Cake, Very Vanilla, Nautical Expedition DSP; Ink: Soft Suede, Basic Gray, Crumb Cake, Cherry Cobbler, Early Espresso, Not Quite Navy, Night of Navy, Black Stazon; Accessories: Sponges, Aquapainter, Early Espresso baker's twine, Perfect Details texturz plate, Circles #2 die, Tasteful Trim die, Big Shot, Sewing machine, Thread.

Stamps: Easter Blossoms; Paper: Rose Red, Pear Pizzazz, Very Vanilla, Springtime Vintage DSP; Ink: Rose Red, Black Stazon; Accessories: Aquapainter, Brads, Circle Scissors Plus, 3" Circle die, Tasteful Trim die, Big Shot, Sewing machine, Thread.

I'll share more challenges on Friday. You can peek in my gallery if you can't wait. ;)

Thanks for stopping by!

Fun in the Sun

It's time for some summer fun with the Summer Mini catalog! This is one of the cards I made for the Stampin' Addicts mini swap.

OMGosh, brayering multiple cards in a row. What was I thinking?!? Lots of fun little details here - the sand is speckled with the Color Spritzer tool, the water is texturized and sponged for depth and dimension, and I made my own little buttons.

Stamps: Summer Splash; Paper: Bashful Blue, Soft Suede, Crumb Cake, Marina Mist, Pumpkin Pie, Very Vanilla, Brights Collection DSP; Ink: Bashful Blue, Marina Mist, So Saffron, Rose Red, Pumpkin Pie, Pacific Point, Crumb Cake marker, Basic Gray marker; Sponge dauber, Sponge, Linen thread, Crystal Effects, Color Spritzer Tool, 1-3/8" Circle punch, Buttons #5 die, Texture Plates Kit #4, Big Shot.

Thanks for stopping by!

Stampin' Addicts Summer Mini Blog Hop

Welcome to the Stampin' Addicts Summer Mini Blog Hop! Grab a cup of coffee, sit back, and enjoy a sneak peek of the Summer mini catalog, releasing on May 1.

If you have been following the blog hop in order, you have just come from Jennifer's blog featuring the single stamp set Sail Away. Didn't she do an amazing job with a single stamp?

I totally love travel stamp sets and coordinated accessories, and this mini has some beautiful options! Today I will share some projects using the stamp set Travel Log. Road trip! First, a bon voyage card.

This card served double-duty, as it was also my card for Paula's Summer mini card swap over at Stampin' Addicts. I created my own suitcase by rounding the corners and embossing with the Square Lattice embossing folder. The Bon Voyage sentiment was printed with My Digital Studio. Although faint, I used an embossing plate to texturize the background as well.

Stamps: Travel Log; Paper: Early Espresso, Cherry Cobbler, Crumb Cake, Soft Suede, Very Vanilla, Nautical Expedition DSP; Ink: Early Espresso, Cherry Cobbler, Not Quite Navy; Accessories: Early Espresso baker's twine, Eyelet, Word Window punch, Small Oval punch, Large Oval punch, Corner Rounder punch, My Digital Studio sentiment (Bradley Hand ITC), Circle Scissors Plus, 3-1/2" Circle die, Square Lattice embossing folder, Perfect Details Texturz Plate, Big Shot, Sewing machine, Thread.

Travel Log is a perfect scrapbooking stamp set. Here is a page of the weekend trip we took to Ducktown, TN for hubby's 100-mile mountain bike race.

We looked around the Ocoee River, site of the 1996 Olympics canoe, kayak, and slalom events, while we waited for him to finish. You can see DH didn't feel so peppy when he was done. Little Missy is gonna drive tired Papa back home. :)

Stamps: Travel Log; Paper: Pacific Point, Not Quite Navy, Sahara Sand, Melon Mambo, Very Vanilla, Nautical Expedition DSP; Ink: Early Espresso, Not Quite Navy, Sahara Sand, Melon Mambo, Versamark; Accessories: Clear embossing powder, Early Espresso baker's twine, Scallop Square punch, Tasteful Trim, Big Shot.

And hopefully this project isn't too much of a stretch. This set seems to lend itself to masculine color palettes, but I wanted to create a more feminine and colorful travel journal.

I kept the front free of bulky accessories, while still adding layers. I used "supporting" stamps in this set to create tabs and a cute border on the inside page.

Stamps: Travel Log; Paper: Tangerine Tango, Daffodil Delight, Wild Wasabi, Very Vanilla, Beyond the Garden DSP; Ink: Tangerine Tango, Wild Wasabi, Melon Mambo, Stampin' Write markers; Accessories: Scallop Trim punch, Curly Label punch, Decorative Label punch, On Board chipboard sheets, Bind-It-All.

If you aren't yet a member of Stampin' Addicts, you can sign up here. Make sure you check out the next stop to see what Cheryl put together using the Best Dad Ever. She's made some amazing projects.









The complete blog hop listing:
1. Holly P (hollylogic): Blossom Bouquet triple layer punch
2. Holly K (catrules): Hello Blossoms
3. Allison (alliohran): Nautical Expedition DSP
4. Carmen: The Open Sea
5. Sarah (willsygirl): Pretty Postage
6. Jennifer (SunfowerStamper): Sail Away
7. Heidi (hlw966): Travel Log
8. Cheryl (lovetostampandscrap): Best Dad Ever
9. Adriana (escape2stamp): Proud Peacock
10. Debra (WebDeb): On the Grow
11. Rhonda (rhondag): Sunny Fun
12. Sara (lilyinkpad): Summer Splash
13. Tanya (tanya27): Recess
14. Yapha: Builder Wheels
15. [intentionally left blank]
16. Lisa (genesis): Fabulous Florets
17. Barbara (cre8tivestamper): Beyond the Garden DSP
18. Betty (kittystamp): Embossing Powders
19. Cindy (CindyE): Flower Garden embossing folder
20. Twila (tjdstampsalot): Touch of Kindness
21. Mickey (MickeyRoberts): Happy Greetings
22. Kim (s1itcher46): Strength and Hope

Thanks for stopping by!

Sweet Scoops and Dinosaurs

Sweet Scoops... don't miss out on this sweet set. Time is running out! The summer mini only runs through August 31. Did you hear me say this was my favorite set from the mini?

I have seen this ice cream shoppe window awning card in several places and just had to make one. How cute! I followed Dawn Olchefske's tutorial.

Stamps: Sweet Scoops; Paper: Pretty in Pink, Blush Blossom, Close to Cocoa, Whisper White; Ink: Early Espresso, Versamark; Accessories: Word Window punch, Scallop Edge punch, White Organza ribbon, 2-Way glue pen, Dazzling Diamonds glitter.

And here is a thank you card my daughter whipped up for a friend. She is learning all about sponging, although I still help her with the masking.

Stamps: Prehistoric Pals (retired); Paper: Wild Wasabi, Chocolate Chip, Very Vanilla; Ink: Wild Wasabi, Regal Rose, River Rock, Basic Gray, Chocolate Chip, Bashful Blue, Crumb Cake; Accessories: Sponges, Wild Wasabi ribbon.

Thanks for stopping by!

Stamp Club Projects Continued

I must have been insane, but I decided to do another take of the beachy card for club. All that cutting? What was I thinking?? But, you know, it makes the card!

Using the Lattice embossing folder from the Summer Mini looks great with this set. It reminds me of weaved grass or bamboo place mats.

Stamps: Tropical Party, Itty Bitty Backgrounds; Paper: Bashful Blue, Crumb Cake, Soft Suede, Marina Mist, Whisper White; Ink: Bashful Blue, Garden Green, Soft Suede, So Saffron, Crumb Cake, Marina Mist, Soft Suede marker, Poppy Parade marker, Peach Parfait marker, Basic Gray marker; Accessories: 1-3/8" Circle punch, Sponges, Sponge dauber, Lattice embossing folder, Kit #4 texturz plate, Big Shot, 2-Way Glue Pen.

We also made luminaries, similar to what I made for the recent blog hop, using a variety of Halloween DSP and satin ribbon. We only made one window so that club members wouldn't be spending the night trying to complete their projects. :) The paper trimmer from Stampin' Up really comes in handy for cutting out these windows.

Luminaries: Stamps: Wicked Cool; Paper: Vellum cardstock, Cast-a-Spell DSP, Wicked Fun Specialty DSP; Ink: Black Stazon; Accessories: Various satin ribbon, Paper trimmer.

Thanks for stopping by!

Beachy Tropical Party

Another birthday card that I decided to pull out some stops on. You'll see why I say some, if you compare this card to my previous one.

I brayered the sky with Bashful Blue, using a circle mask for the sun. I also sponged the horizon line. The sand was hand torn Crumb Cake cardstock, stamped with Itty Bitty Backgrounds. I drew in the seagulls with a Basic Gray marker.

To create the water, I ran Marina Mist cardstock through the Kit #4 texturz plate and sponged it to highlight the dimension. The fussy part of the card is all the precise cutting, but that really makes the card, don't you think?

Stamps: Tropical Party, Itty Bitty Backgrounds; Paper: Bashful Blue, Crumb Cake, Soft Suede, Marina Mist, Whisper White; Ink: Bashful Blue, Garden Green, Soft Suede, So Saffron, Crumb Cake, Marina Mist, Soft Suede marker, Poppy Parade marker, Peach Parfait marker, Basic Gray marker; Accessories: 1-3/4" Circle punch, Brayer, Sponges, Sponge dauber, Kit #4 texturz plate, Big Shot, Tombo multipurpose glue.

Thanks for stopping by!

Summer Fun

I bought the Lazy Days Stampin' Around wheel when it was on the clearance rack. I thought it would be great to pair it up with the Sweet Scoops set for a fun summer birthday card.

I stamped the wheel in Early Espresso and paper pieced the graphics onto my wheeled strip. The Island Oasis DSP gives a nice ice cream shoppe feel, and the ice cream is created using the "kissing" technique.

Stamps: Sweet Scoops, Lazy Days wheel; Paper: Pretty in Pink, Early Espresso, Whisper White, So Saffron, Rose Red, Old Olive, Pumpkin Pie, Island Oasis DSP; Ink: Early Espresso, So Saffron, Pretty in Pink, Rose Red; Accessories: Pretty in Pink button, Linen thread, Dimensionals.

Thanks for stopping by!

More Stamp Club...

Another project we did at Stamp Club - a page of the chipboard album in the Summer Mini. I figured the ladies could use it for a Father's Day gift (perhaps hang at his desk) or even an element for a larger scrapbook page.
We used the Cog On Board chipboard album (pg. 23 of the Summer mini). It is a very economical little scrapbook album at $4.95.

We used extra cog pieces and colored them with craft ink (using sponge daubers). The stamp set Sentimental Journey and Travel Journal DSP was used to embellish the chipboard page, and we used the Cog punch and extra pieces of DSP to create more cog pieces.

Stamps: Sentimental Journey; Paper: Pumpkin Pie, Bashful Blue, Very Vanilla, Travel Journal DSP; Ink: Soft Suede, Pumpkin Pie, Old Olive, Bashful Blue craft; Accessories: Sponge dauber, Cog punch, 1" punch, Hemp twine, Brads, Satin ribbon, Scallop #2 die, Big Shot.

Thanks for stopping by!

Summer Stamp Club Projects

We had fun at Stamp Club this month making a cute summery project.

This is a square card that uses the Sweet Scoops set and Island Oasis DSP from the Summer Mini. Aren't those colors just sweet enough to eat? We learned the kissing technique, which is perfect for this set!

Stamps: Sweet Scoops; Paper: Pretty in Pink, Whisper White, Rose Red, Island Oasis DSP; Ink: So Saffron, Rose Red, Pretty in Pink; Accessories: Button, Linen thread, Striped ribbon, Dimensionals.

And I was on a square card kick. Yes, I love square cards! Here's one for either Father's Day or any masculine event.

We brayered the Presto Patterns DSP from the Summer mini for the background. It comes white with the pattern already on it, so you can brayer or sponge it to customize it for your project. And we got a chance to play with the Smooch Spritz. There is a small splash of So Saffron DSP (from Tall Tales DSP) behind the Bitty Button.

Stamps: Pedaling Past, Teeny Tiny Wishes; Paper: Old Olive, Kraft, Soft Suede, Very Vanilla, Presto Patterns Specialty DSP; Ink: Old Olive, Black Stazon; Accessories: Scallop Trim punch, Word Window punch, Modern Label punch, Brayer, Log Cabin Smooch Spritz, Aquapainter, Earth Elements and Neutrals watercolor crayons, Bitty Buttons, Linen thread.

There are just too many great toys in the mini to try at one club meeting. Hopefully we'll get a chance to play with more summer items at the next meeting.

Our stamp club season is over, and sign up for the next season is open. Don't miss sign up at the New Catalog Launch parties on July 1 and July 6! Check out my calendar of events (right margin) for more details. Contact me with any questions.

Thanks for stopping by!

It's Dad's Time!

So, it's typical. I prepare lots of stuff for class, including Father's Day projects, and I don't have anything prepared for my own father. *eye roll* So I quickly put one together so I could get it in the mail. I hadn't really done anything with the car image in Sentimental Journey, and my dad did spend plenty of time fixing cars in his day, so off we go...

I CASED the layout from 'RDiehl' on SCS. I stamped the car in Night of Navy, and then ran it through the Big Shot with the Kit #4 Texturz plate.

The background was spritzed with the Log Cabin Smooch Spritz - love that stuff! Don't those look like little oil spots? I used the Cog punch for an extra little embellishment.

Travel Journal DSP has nice map patterns, and I am such a sucker for maps! I actually bought myself a globe when I was a freshman in college. But maybe that's too much information! Anyway, I'm really digging the paper. In fact, there is a used library book sale on Friday (today!) locally, and I can't wait to pick up a bunch of paperbacks and maps for crafting. But don't tell anyone so I can buy them all up first! ;)

Stamps: Sentimental Journey, Teeny Tiny Wishes; Paper: Night of Navy, Kraft, Pumpkin Pie, Whisper White, Travel Journal DSP; Ink: Night of Navy, Sahara Sand; Accessories: Sponge, Cog punch, Word Window punch, Modern Label punch, 5/16" brad, Night of Navy ribbon, Pumpkin Pie ribbon, Log Cabin Smooch Spritz, Kit #4 Texturz plate, Big Shot, Dimensionals.

Thanks for stopping by!

Relaxing in Paradise...

When I saw this month's Stampin' Success (the Stampin' Up magazine for demonstrators), I had to have the new set from the Summer mini, Tropical Party. The fabulous Jackie Topa created the cutest card! Here's my take on it.

The sun was created by using So Saffron ink and a sponge dauber in a circle mask. The sand is Sahara Sand cardstock, with torn edges, and stamped with Itty Bitty Backgrounds (a retiring stamp set). And the seagulls are just drawn in with a Brocade Blue marker.

Another view - you can see the texture on the top Bashful Blue cardstock layer.

The inside and outside edges of the Bashful Blue cardstock was sponged with Night of Navy.

Stamps: Tropical Party, Itty Bitty Backgrounds (retiring); Paper: Garden Green, Night of Navy, Bashful Blue, Sahara Sand, Very Vanilla; Ink: Night of Navy, Garden Green, Chocolate Chip, So Saffron, Sahara Sand, Chocolate Chip marker, Real Red marker, Brocade Blue marker; Accessories: Blender pen, Hemp twine, Sponges, Sponge dauber, Kit #4 texturz plate, Topnote die, Big Shot, Tombo multipurpose glue.

Thanks for stopping by!

MOJO140 - Thank You

This is the first time I've played with the Mojo Monday sketch challenge. What a fun layout!

I was in need of another thank you card, and I recently saw the sentiment from Pedaling Past used as a tag on Adriana Benitez's blog. What a perfect set for a masculine card! Plus the intended recipient also biked part way across America, so could I ask for more? :)

I used Watercolor Crayons to create the muted colors on the bike and the shadow. The sentiment is stamped inside a Curly Label punch. The edges of the Very Vanilla cardstock are sponged for an aged look, and if you click the picture for a close-up view, you can see the Sanded background stamp used on the Chocolate Chip cardstock.

Stamps: Pedaling Past, Sanded BG; Paper: Bashful Blue, Chocolate Chip, Very Vanilla, Old Olive, Sweet Pea DSP; Ink: Black Stazon, Chocolate Chip; Accessories: Sponge, Aquapainter, Watercolor Crayons, Curly Label punch, 1/2" Circle punch, Crop-o-dile, Brocade Blue ribbon, Epoxy brad.

Thanks for stopping by!

Syracuse Shoebox Swap

I really wanted to play some more with the new Sentimental Journey set, so I worked and worked so I could use it for my shoebox swap. I think I finally nailed it! :)

I created a collage ATC with Sentimental Journey images and Travel Journal DSP to mount onto an older passport background. I sponged the edges to make it look aged. The Cog punch-out was sponged with Platinum Shimmer Paint, and I stitched the ATC edges with a sewing machine.

But still, something was missing...

When I added the hemp twine as a key ring, then it felt "right".

I loved this set, Sentimental Journey, as soon as I saw it, but somehow I have been struggling with it. I'm relieved to make a card that has the right feel and balance. Awesome! LOL!

Stamps: Sentimental Journey, Key by Impression Obsession, Passport Background by Just For Fun; Paper: Naturals White, Kraft, Night of Navy, Very Vanilla, Night of Navy DSP, Travel Journal DSP; Ink: Soft Suede; Accessories: Sponge, 1" Circle punch, Cog punch, Scallop Border punch, Brad, Eyelet, Crop-o-dile, Craft knife, Hemp twine, Night of Navy ribbon, Pumpkin Pie ribbon, Platinum Shimmer Paint, Sponge dauber, Sewing machine, Thread.

Thanks for stopping by!