Stylin' Thank You

#stampinup  I'm always looking for new stamping challenges to play in. I find that challenges really spur my creativity. Challenges are especially helpful on those hectic days when I've spent a whole day at work and a family activities filled evening and, yikes, I still have to create a card and get it on the blog. I work best under pressure.

I met a fellow stamper at this summer's #InspireCreateShare Stampin' Up #Convention2015 who I'd been stalking on line for a while. Her name is Diana Eichfeld and I really love her stamping style--and I told her so when I met her. She told me that I should visit the Stylin' Stampin' INKspiration blog because they post challenges almost every day! I highly recommend that YOU stop over at the blog for some SSINKspiration, too!

The September color challenge has a great color combination. I don't think I would have thought of this myself--and that's another reason to play along in challenges. 



Every time I see a challenge with Hello Honey--especially if it's pictured in a hexagon, I think of the Honeycomb Embossing Folder. For this card, I wanted the embossing to really stand out. 

I stamped a sentiment from the "Tin of Cards" stamp set in Chocolate Chip onto a scrap of Pool Party and punched it out with the 2" Circle Punch. I also stamped a small butterfly from the "Papillon Potpourri" set in Chocolate Chip onto a Pool Party scrap and punched it out with the Bitty Butterfly Punch.

I adhered the Hello Honey layer to a Chocolate Chip mat and wrapped a length of Pool Party 1/4" Cotton Ribbon around the layers before adhering them to a Pool Party card base. 

Finally, I adhered the sentiment and butterfly to the card with Stampin' Dimensionals.

tams# 4230

Product List

Tin Of Cards Photopolymer Stamp Set [138946] $17.00	Papillon Potpourri Clear Stamp Set [123759] $15.00	Chocolate Chip Classic Stampin' Pad [126979] $6.50	Pool Party 8-1/2" X 11" Card Stock [122924] $7.00
Chocolate Chip 8-1/2" X 11" Card Stock [102128] $7.00	Hello Honey 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock [133678] $7.00	Honeycomb Textured Impressions Embossing Folder [129378] $7.50	2" Circle Punch [133782] $18.00
Bitty Butterfly Punch [129406] $16.00	Pool Party 1/4" Cotton Ribbon [134568] $6.00	Stampin' Dimensionals [104430] $4.00

Retro Circles

#stampinup   I haven't played along in the Retro Sketches challenge in a long time. I'm glad that I have time this week to revisit and play along with one of my favorite challenges--I missed it! This week's sketch is really cute and I love the cards made by the design team.



I especially liked the cards made by design team members Sheri and Tracey. They had the same circle theme. Sheri used punched out circles, and that's what I chose to do, too. I wanted to use a bold sentiment like Tracey did.

I got out my Cherry on the Top Designer Series Paper stack because I love the bold colors and patterns. I chose Cucumber Crush as my focal color and I stamped a sentiment from "Birthday Blossoms" in Cucumber Crush onto a Whisper White scrap. I punched this out with the 1-3/4" Circle Punch.

Next, I punched a variety of circles (1" through 2") from a variety of the Cherry on Top DSP sheets. I arranged these on a panel of Cucumber Crush that I embossed with the Large Polka Dot Embossing folder. I added this to a Pool Party card base.

To finish the card, I punched a Crushed Curry flower from the Itty Bitty Accents Punch Pack and added it to the circle with the sentiment, using a glue dot. I then added the smallest Metal Rimmed Pearl. So cute--and so quick to make!

tams# 4213

Product List

Metal Rimmed Pearls [138394] $5.00	Polka Dot Textured Impressions Embossing Folder [133739] $7.50	Itty Bitty Accents Punch Pack [133787] $17.00	2" Circle Punch [133782] $18.00
1-3/4" Circle Punch [119850] $18.00	1-3/8" Circle Punch [119860] $16.00	1" Circle Punch [119868] $13.00	Cherry On Top Designer Series Paper Stack [138443] $8.00
Crushed Curry 8-1/2" X 11" Card Stock [131199] $7.00	Whisper White 8-1/2" X 11" Card Stock [100730] $8.50	Cucumber Crush 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock [138335] $7.00	Pool Party 8-1/2" X 11" Card Stock [122924] $7.00
Cucumber Crush Classic Stampin' Pad [138324] $6.50	Birthday Blossoms Wood-Mount Stamp Set [139167] $27.00

Awesomely Artistic Birthday

#stampinup   When I saw this week's CAS(e) This Sketch challenge, I started looking for a large-ish stamp image that I could use as a focal point. I didn't initially think about the "Awesomely Artistic" stamp set, but I haven't used this set yet and thought it might work out nicely.

I stamped the open art floral design in Basic Black Archival Ink in the center of a Whisper White panel. Then I colored the flowers with Pink Pirouette and Watermelon Wonder Stampin' Write Markers. I then colored the flowers again, blending the inks a bit, with a Blushing Bride Stampin' Write Marker. I colored the leaves with a Mint Macaron Stampin' Write Marker and added some darker accents with a Wild Wasabi Stampin' Write Marker. I was very pleased with how this turned out especially since:  I hate to color! 

I adhered the Whisper White panel to a Basic Black mat. Then, I stamped a sentiment from the "Birthday Blossoms" stamp set in Basic Black Archival Ink onto a strip of Vellum card stock, which I wrapped around and adhered to the back of the panels before adhering them to a Pink Pirouette card base.

Somehow, one of my inky fingers made a stray mark on the card, so I cleverly concealed this by using the splatter stamp from "Awesomely Artistic," stamping off, in some cases. Thus, I fulfilled the stamping adage: There are no stamping mistakes, only stamping opportunities.

tams# 4212

Product List

Awesomely Artistic Wood-Mount Stamp Set [138694] $28.00	Birthday Blossoms Wood-Mount Stamp Set [139167] $27.00	Basic Black Archival Stampin’ Pad [140931] $7.00	Many Marvelous Markers [131264] $110.00
2015-2017 In Color Stampin' Write Markers [138333] $15.00	Pink Pirouette 8-1/2" X 11" Card Stock [111351] $7.00	Basic Black 8-1/2" X 11" Card Stock [121045] $7.00	Whisper White 8-1/2" X 11" Card Stock [100730] $8.50
Vellum 8-1/2" X 11" Card Stock [101856] $6.50

Delightful Thank You

#stampinup   I haven't played in the Create with Connie & Mary challenge in a while--I haven't played in many challenges lately. I've been busy creating "on my own" for the Creation Station and Creative Crew design teams and for my Christmas card stamp-a-stacks. In fact, I spent almost the whole Labor Day weekend designing the cards we'll make at the September and October classes. I'll be sharing those in the next few weeks, so stay tuned!

Anyway, Create with Connie & Mary have a sketch challenge this week.



I chose one of my favorite sets--one that hasn't been getting much ink lately--"Six-Sided Sampler." I chose my color scheme based on a card I saw at the #InspireCreateShare Stampin' Up #Convention2015: Tip Top Taupe, Delightful Dijon, Basic Black.

I started by stamping three different hexagons in the three colors and punched them out with the Hexagon Punch. I stamped one of the splatter patterns from "Gorgeous Grunge" in Tip Top Taupe onto a Whisper White panel, then I arranged the hexagons across the bottom of the card, attaching them with Stampin' Dimensionals.

Next, I stamped a sentiment from the "One Big Meaning" stamp set in Basic Black onto a 1-1/2" strip of Whisper White. I flagged the end with the Hexagon Punch. I cut a sliver off a length of Tip Top Taupe Dotted Lace Ribbon and tied it onto the end of the flag. I attached the flag to the top of the hexagons with Snail Adhesive.

I attached the Whisper White panel to a Basic Black mat and then adhered it to a Delightful Dijon card base. 

I'm really liking this color combination and I think I'll be using it again!

tams# 4208

Product List

SNAIL Permanent Adhesive [104332] $7.00	Stampin' Dimensionals [104430] $4.00	Tip Top Taupe 1" Dotted Lace Trim [138422] $6.00	Hexagon Punch [130919] $16.00
Whisper White 8-1/2" X 11" Card Stock [100730] $8.50	Basic Black 8-1/2" X 11" Card Stock [121045] $7.00	Delightful Dijon 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock [138338] $7.00	Tip Top Taupe Classic Stampin' Pad [138325] $6.50
Delightful Dijon Classic Stampin' Pad [138327] $6.50	Basic Black Archival Stampin’ Pad [140931] $7.00	Gorgeous Grunge Clear Stamp Set [130517] $18.00	One Big Meaning Clear-Mount Stamp Set [139420] $19.00
Six-Sided Sampler Clear Stamp Set [130956] $19.00