little inklings

Never Too Late for a Thank You

I've so been missing Kristina Werner's color challenges... literally. I seem to have a problem getting my creations in by her timelines these days. I've completed several challenges of late, but keep missing the posting deadlines. ARG! I guess after work and kids and traffic and dinner, my little brain is just a little too full for any more numbers. Ok, that makes me sound pretty blond.. but if you're a mom, you might be able to relate just a little?.  Anyway -  so I'm going with 'better late than never' and sharing this card with my wonderful blog readers. I made this one for Color Inspiration 15, which was to use Chocolate Chip, Close to Cocoa, Really Rust, Certainly Celery & Whisper White.  I wasn't sure how to pull that Celery in there, and so I choose the thumping technique to try and accomplish that.  I think it got a bit busy with the scripty sentiment, but it was kinda cool.. hope you like it.

Here’s how I made it: I started by inking up the stamp for the main image with Certainly Celery Ink, then, using a Chocolate Chip marker, I 'Thumped'. I Sponged daubered around the edges with Chocolate Chip, then heat embossed the sentiment with Chocolate Chip craft ink and Clear Embossing powder. I mounted the image to a 1/4" larger square, then matted them both onto a scalloped square cut using my Nestabilities. On the card base, I rounded the two side corners, heat embossed the flowers along the left side again with Chocolate Chip Ink and clear embossing powder then tied the Chocolate Chip wide grosgrain along the side. I added the matted image to the card front using dimensionals, and voila! Easy peasy.. :) 

Here’s the supplies I used: 

Stamps: Fresh Cuts 

Paper: Chocolate Chip, Close to Cocoa, Really Rust 

Ink: Certainly Celery, Chocolate Chip Classic, Craft & Marker 

Extras: Cuttlebug & Nestabilities, Clear Embossing Powder, Sponge Daubers, Dimensionals, Chocolate Chip Wide Grosgrain Ribbon, Corner Rounder

Here's the Measurements: 
Base: 4 ¼" x 8 ½” Close to Cocoa
Layers: 2 ½” square Really Rust,  3 ¾” Chocolate Chip (large enough to accommodate the Nestibilities scallop square die)
Image: 2 ¼” square Whisper White

Wild and Wonderful

It seems a bit strange to be posting cards with last years In colors, but I have quite a bit of what I did do over the summer, still left to share. This was a card I made for my Mother-In-Law's birthday using the SCS Color Challenge #173 which was Purely Pomegranate, Wild Wasabi and Certainly Celery. I really struggle with the Pick a Petal stamp set for some reason, even though I've seen so many incredible cards out there using it. I did like how this card turned though. Hope you like it too!

Here’s how I made it: I heat embossed the polka dot petal 5 times on a scrap piece if Purely Pomegranate paper (retired), using versamark and clear embossing powder, then cut each petal out. I punched circle with my 1 3/8" circle punch, then adhered the petals to the circle. I then tied linen thread thru a mellow moss button and adhered it to the center of my flower using a glue dot. I set the assembled flower aside and moved on to the next layer. Using my canvas background stamp, I stamped the top 3/4 of the card in matching Wild Wasabi ink (retired), Paper pierced around the three sides of the canvas image, then heat embossed the sentiment using Black Craft ink and Clear embossing powder. I then adhered the Wasabi layer to the next Pomegranate Layer and added the ribbon. I adhered the flower to the card using dimensionals, then assembled the combined layers to the card front using adhesive. :)

Here’s the supplies I used: 

Stamps: Pick a Petal, Canvas Background stamp, Wonderful Favorites

Paper: Certainly Celery, Wild Wasabi, Purely Pomegranate 

Ink: Wild Wasabi, Versamark Extras: Clear Embossing Powder, Certainly Celery Wide Grosgrain Ribbon, Soft Subtles Buttons, Linen Thread, 1 3/8" circle punch, Paper Piecer, Dimensionals & Glue Dots

Here are the Measurements:

Base: 5 ½” x 8 ½” Certainly Celery

Layers: 5 ¼” x 4” Purely Pomegranate (retired), 5" x 3 3/4" Wild Wasabi (retired),   

Image: Purely Pomegranate & Certainly Celery Scraps

Sweet Heart

 I can't believe this stamp set retired without me ever making a card with it. I'm pretty sure that should be a crime or something. I  came across it when I was organizing my stamp space, and had to use it for the layout challenge over at the Great Swap Girls Blog spot. And at the time, my dear friends daughter was having her 1st birthday. Isn't this little giraffe ADORABLE? Almost as adorable as my friends daughter (Hi SP:). 

Here’s how I made it: I first created the Vanilla and So Saffron Ovals using my Nestabilities dies. I then stamped the giraffe image in the center of the Vanilla oval in Close to Cocoa, then again on a scrap piece of paper. I colored him in using blender pens, cut him out and tied the itty bitty ribbon around his neck. I adhered him to the stamped image using dimensionals then assembled the two layers together. Last, I added the paper piercing in the scallops and set the image aside. On the Close to Cocoa layer, I stamped the start & swirls along the top in coordinating ink. I added the So Saffron Designer Series paper. The paper piercing along the top strip of DSP, and then the Chocolate Chip ribbon to hide the seam. I added the sentiment in Close to Cocoa, punched out three ¼” Chocolate Chip circles, adhered them to the bottom of the card, then added the So Saffron brads. I then assembled all the layers using dimensionals. 

Here’s the supplies I used: 

Stamps: Bundle of Joy, Sweet Stars Wheel 

Paper: So Saffron, Close to Cocoa, Chocolate Chip & Very Vanilla Cardstock, So Saffron Designer Series Paper 

Ink: Close to Cocoa, Chocolate Chip & So Saffron Classic Inks 

Extras: Paper Piercer, Dimensionals, Cuttlebug & Nestabilities, Chocolate Chip Wide Grosgrain Ribbon, Craft Store thin vanilla ribbon, Rich Regals Brads, ¼” circle punch 

Measurements: 

Base: 5 ½” x 8 ½” So Saffron 

Layers: 5 ¼” x 4” Close to Cocoa, 3 ½”x 4 ½ So Saffron (large enough to accommodate Nestabilities Scalloped Oval die) 3 ¾” x 2 ¾” & 3 ¾” x 1 ½” Strips of So Saffron Designer Series Paper Image: 3 x 4” Very Vanilla (large enough to accommodate Nestabilities Oval die)

Daisy Wishes

This card started out as my creation for Kristina Werner's 21st Color Inspiration Challenge, that took a life of its own. The challenge was to use Bravo Burgundy, Rose Red, Regal Rose, Soft Sky, and Whisper White. But somehow, I felt the need to use that beautiful new Baja Breeze In Color instead of the soft sky, and then of course, had to throw in some Chocolate Chip, since I can't seem to make a project with out it! LOL. This new stamp set is really great too. I like how it can be used for so many different techniques, including the Misting with Markers technique I used here.

Here’s how I made it: Using the Misting with Markers technique on this card, I inked up the Daisies stamp with Regal Rose classic ink – applying the lightest color first then adding the darker Rose Red and Burgundy tones around the edges of the flowers with markers for depth. I colored the stems in with an Old Olive marker then sprayed the whole stamp lightly with a water misting bottle before stamping on the whisper white cardstock. This creates a water colored result. I sponge daubered around the edges of the rectangle in Rose Red, then finished off the main image with the sentiment in the top right corner. The main image is layered first on Baja Breeze then a Rose Red Scalloped rectangle cut with my Nestabilities die and Cuttlebug. The background layer is paper pierced along all four sides, edges sponged in Chocolate Chip ink, then Chocolate Taffeta ribbon was wrapped twice around the right side of the card. Last, I assembled the layers of the card using dimensionals to the Chocolate Chip card base. 

Here’s the supplies I used: 

Stamps: Upsy Daisy, Wow Flowers 

Paper: Chocolate Chip, Baja Breeze, Rose Red & Whisper White 

Ink: Regal Rose, Rose Red & Chocolate Chip Classic Inks, Markers: Bravo Burgundy, Rose Red & Old Olive 

Extras: Chocolate Chip Taffeta Ribbon, Paper Piercer, Dimensionals, Cuttlebug & Nestabilities, Water mister 

Here's the Measurements: 

Base: 5 ½” x 8 ½” Chocolate Chip 

Layers: 4” x 5 ¼” Baja Breeze, 4” x 5” Rose Red (to accommodate Nestabilities Scalloped rectangle die), 3” x 3 ½” Baja Breeze 

Image: 2 ¾” x 3” Whisper White

Rock-a-bye-Cutie-pie

I'm so glad its Friday!! Its Thanksgiving weekend here, and I'm looking forward to some family time, and laying pretty low, and maybe getting a bit more stamping done this weekend. Speaking of..I've completely missed Kristina Werner's deadline for submission for her 25th Color Inspiration Challengetonight (sniff, sniff), but I'm going to post anyway. The challenge was to use Ballet Blue, Certainly Celery, So Saffron and Ruby Red. The inspiration pic. was so adorable - I had to put a card together. I think this Nursery Necessities set is so cute - and its pretty hard to go wrong with a little baby boy card for this color combo. Anyway, enough yick yack.. hope you like it!

Here's how I made it: My card base is a 4 1/4" x 8 1/2" piece of Confetti White. The next layer is a 4" square of Ballet blue. I paper pierced around the four sides, then I heat embossed the stars with the sweet stars wheel, versamark ink and White Embossing powder, then adhered it to the card base with dimensionals.

The little boat is stamped first on a 1 3/4" square of Whisper White card stock using Ballet Blue ink. I then stamped the boat three more times in each of the colors, then cut out the sails, and adhered them over top of the blue boat with dimensionals. I adhered the ribbons to the right side and set the image aside. The Certainly Celery matte is a 2 1/2" square. I paper pierced along the four sides, the created faux stitching. I heat embossed the sentiment with Versamark ink and white embossing powder on a piece of Celery scrap paper, then punched it out using my word window punch. The final step was to adhere all the layers together using dimensionals.

Here's the supplies I used:
Stamps: Nursery Necessities, Sweet Stars Jumbo Wheel
Paper: Confetti White, Ballet Blue, Certainly Celery, Whisper White
Ink: Ballet Blue, Certainly Celery, Ruby Red, So Saffron, Versamark
Extras: White Embossing Powder, White Gel Pen, Paper Piercer, Dimensionals, Celery & Apricot 1/4" grosgrain ribbon, Blue Gingham Ribbon.

Organically Happy

 I think one of my favorite times of the year is fall. I love all the beautiful colors that come out in the trees, but I also love how life seems to settle into a groove. For me, fall also means the start of another Stamp Club. I have the most wonderful and supportive group of ladies that attend my classes, and I'm always excited to share my projects with them. This was among the projects we completed at our first workshop. It was originally a card I made for a recent Great Swap Girls swap that featured a new stamp set from the SU! Fall & Winter Catty, but I loved the retro feel of this card so much, I had to share it at my class too.

Here’s how I made it: Starting with the large white panel, I stamped the solid image first in Pink Pirouette then stamped the outline image in Close to Cocoa randomly over top. I sponged the four edges with Chocolate Chip ink then adhered the panel to the right side of the Chocolate Chip panel. I paper pierced down the left side of the Chocolate Chip panel, then tied the striped ribbon around the two layers. I heat embossed the sentiment with Chocolate Chip craft ink & clear embossing powder on a piece of scrap Pink Pirouette paper, punched it out with my large oval punch, edges sponged in Chocolate Chip and matted to a circle I punched from a scrap Chocolate Chip CS using my 1 ¾” circle punch. I then assembled the sentiment and the stacked layers with dimensionals.

Here’s the supplies I used: 

Stamps: Organic Outlines 

Paper: Pink Pirouette, Chocolate Chip, Whisper White Ink: Pink Pirouette, Close to Cocoa, Chocolate Chip Craft 

Extras: Paper Piercer, Dimensionals, Pink Pirouette Striped Grosgrain, Large Oval & Wide Oval Punches, Sponge Daubers, Clear Embossing Powder 

Measurements: Base: 5 ½” x 8 ½” Pink Pirouette Layers: 5 ¼” x 4” & scrap pieces of Chocolate Chip, Pink Pirouette scraps. Image: 5”x 3 Whisper White