Nature Walk

I used both the color challenge at Stampin' Royalty and the sketch challenge at Stamping 411 for today's card.

The colors threw me for a bit until I decided on using Nature Walk.  The plant alone used Wisteria Wonder (one of my least liked colors); Certainly Celery and Blushing Bride.  I used my favorite color of the four as my base.  

Aside from the sentiment, this whole card was stamped using markers.  For the bird after I stamped him, I went over him with markers and blender pen to "flesh" him out a bit.  After I inked up the butterfly in Baja Breeze and Early Espresso, I went over the edges of the wings in Wisteria Wonder to add a bit of interest.

Products used: (all Stampin' Up!)

Stamps:  Nature Walk, Curly Cute

Ink:  Early Espresso

Cardstock:  Baja Breeze; Very Vanilla; First Edition DSP

Accessories:  Baja Breeze; Certainly Celery; Blushing Bride; Wisteria Wonder; Early Espresso; Tangerine Tango markers; Pearls; Baja Breeze Seam Binding ribbon

Edited to add:  This card was chosen as a top pick at both Stamping 411 and Stampin' Royalty this week.  Thanks guys!

Cheers

Karren

Masculine Just Add Ink

I am one of the apparently few stampers who enjoy making masculine cards, so I couldn't turn down the challenge at Hand Stamped Sentiments this week, which was to create a masculine project.  Many years ago, when I first started stamping, I had the job of making birthday cards for all the people at work.  Now working in the courier industry means it's a male-dominated environment, so most of the cards I made were masculine.  I really enjoyed it but struggled to find time to make the cards, so I handed over the reins to my mum, who has been making a couple of hundred masculine cards a year for about 5 years now.

Anyway, enough yammering.  This is my card for HSS119.  I used the cool sketch at Just Add Ink.  I stamped the log book image from The Open Sea all over the Crumb Cake layer, using Crumb Cake ink.  For the main image; I inked the ship with markers and after I stamped it onto the Crumb Cake cardstock, I masked it then over-stamped with the globe image.  Then every layer was distressed and sponged.

Products used (all Stampin' Up! unless otherwise stated):

Stamps:  The Open Sea

Cardstock:  Early Espresso; Crumb Cake; Island Indigo

Ink:  Crumb Cake; Island Indigo

Accessories:  Early Espresso Marker; Circle Nestabilities; Sponges; Distressing Kit; Vintage Brads; 1/4" Circle Punch; Hemp Twine

Edited to add:  This card was given an Honorable Mention at Just Add Ink, as well as being a Top Pick at Hand Stamped Sentiments.  Thanks so much, guys!

Cheers

Karren

Medallion in Sahara Sand

For unknown reasons, I had a real urge to use Whisper White and Sahara Sand together today.  This card is similar to one I did a few months ago using the same colors.  Here's the sketch from Freshly Made Sketches I used:



Here's the card I came up with:

This is pretty self-explanatory.  I stamped Medallion in Sahara Sand on Whisper White cardstock.  The sentiment from PTI is stamped in Real Red.  The embellishments are punches from the Itty Bitty Punch Pack with a pearl in the centre of each.  Very simple.

Products used (all Stampin' Up! unless otherwise stated):

Stamps:  Medallion; Signature Greetings (PTI)

Cardstock:  Whisper White; Read Red

Ink:  Sahara Sand; Real Red

Accessories:  Itty Bitty Punch Pack; Pearls; Square Nestabilities

Edited to Add:  This card was chosen by the team at Freshly Made Sketches for a Perfect Princess Award.  Thanks, guys!

Cheers

Karren

Emboss Resist Dots

I managed to eke out a bit more time for stamping this weekend and decided to create one card that covers three challenges.  Well, actually, it covers five challenges, but I'm only linking it to three.  It uses the challenge colors over at Create with Connie & Mary as well as the 3D flower challenge at SUO Challenges, but I've already submitted cards for those challenges so these are the three I'm submitting this card to:

Pals Paper Arts sketch challenge

The Paper Players CAS Polka Dots challenge

and Hand Stamped Sentiments Emboss Resist challenge







So here's my card:

For the Emboss Resist technique, I first stamped En Francais in Versamark on Whisper White then before embossing, I over-stamped the Dotted background stamp with Versamark.  I then embossed in clear EP and sponged Poppy Parade over the whole piece.  I really like the distressed look of the dots.

The flower was made using the 5-petal flower punch and the Boho Blossoms punch, along with a brad from this year's SAB offerings.

Edited to add:  This card was chosen by both Hand Stamped Sentiments and Paper Players as a top pick this week.  Thanks, guys!

Further edited to add:  This card was also picked by Pals Paper Arts.  Way cool!

Products used (all Stampin' Up!):

Stamps:  En Francais; Dotted; Because I Care

Cardstock:  Basic Black; Whisper White; Pool Party

Ink:  Poppy Parade; Basic Black; Versamark

Accessories:  5-petal Flower Punch; Boho Blossoms Punch; SAB brads; sponge; Scallop Dotted Ribbon Punch; Satin Ribbon

Cheers

Karren

Dynamic Duos - Daffodil and Black

I got a bit of time to play along with this week's Dynamic Duos Color Challenge.  This week is Black Tie week, using Black and one other color - in this case Daffodil Delight.  The dessert option is dry embossing.

This is a very simple card with minimal stamping, but I think it fits the Black Tie theme - simple yet elegant.

Products used (all Stampin' Up!):

Stamps:  Curly Cute

Cardstock:  Basic Black; Daffodil Delight

Ink:  Versarmark

Accessories:  Finial Press EF; White EP; Boho Blossoms Punch; Itty Bitty Flower Punch; Pearls; Adorning Accents Edgelit

Cheers

Karren

Tulips

The inspiration photo at Stampin' Royalty is gorgeous.  Look at this:

I interpreted the picture literally and dragged out an oldie but a goodie from Stampin' Up! - Terrific Tulips.  I combined that with the sketch at Stamping 411

and came up with this card:

This is such a Spring-y card and even though it's the middle of Autumn where I am, I can dream, right?  I flipped the sketch as the tulips looked better on the left but other than that, it's pretty true to the sketch.

Edited to add:  This card was picked by Stampin' Royalty this week as a top pick.  Thanks so much!

Products used (all Stampin' Up!):

Stamps:  Terrific Tulips; French Filigree; Warmest Regards

Cardstock:  Old Olive; Calypso Coral; Whisper White

Ink:  Old Olive; Calypso Coral; Daffodil Delight

Accessories:  Calypso Coral Ribbon

Cheers

Karren

Pool Poppy Black

The color combo challenge at Create With Connie & Mary this week is awesome!  Pool Party, Poppy Parade and Basic Black.  I decided to use this week's Freshly Made Sketch challenge which is a great sketch that really appeals to the accountant in me due to its delicious symmetry LOL.  As luck would have it, this card also qualifies for the SUO Challenge this week which is to use 3D flowers.

Here is my card:

There's lots of heat embossing going on with this card.  I embossed En Francais in clear on the card base and also embossed it on the DSP layer.  On the DSP layer, I lightly sponged over the top with Poppy Parade ink to highlight the embossing a bit more.

Products used (all Stampin' Up!):

Stamps:  En Francais; Warmest Regards

Cardstock:  Basic Black; Pool Party; 2010-12 In Color DSP; Everyday Enchantment DSP; Whisper White

Ink:  Basic Black; Versamark; Poppy Parade

Accessories:  Scallop Circle Punch; In Color Brads; Clear EP

Cheers

Karren

Dynamic Duos #2

Here is my card for the second Dynamic Duos Challenge.  I couldn't play along last week due to other commitments so I'm glad I got an hour today to whip up a card using the challenge colors of So Saffron and Pool Party.

I used the Emboss Resist technique with this card, which produced a nice soft image, which I feel goes well with the challenge colors.  I was trying to decide what little embellishments to put on the flags when I remembered seeing a card by Deb Fearns which used the heart from the Owl Punch.  So I used Deb's idea as inspiration for my little hearts.

Products Used (all Stampin' Up!):

Stamps:  Pretty Petals; Curly Cute

Cardstock:  Pool Party; So Saffron; Whisper White; In Color 2011-13 DSP; Subtles DSP

Ink:  Versamark; So Saffron; Basic Black

Accessories:  Owl Punch; Sponge; Pearls

Cheers

Karren

Father's Day

So, Father's Day isn't until September in New Zealand, but I decided to make a Father's Day card anyway.  This card is for the sketch challenge on Create with Connie & Mary and also Shelli's Creative Challenge for May.  This card did not come out as I envisaged it in my head, and I'm still not sure if I like it.  But it is what it is!

This card sure gave my Stamp-a-ma-jig a good workout, lining up that sentiment eight times, not to mention getting the tree in the right position on 3 different pieces of cardstock.  I inked the tree in Always Artichoke, then used my Early Espresso marker to color the trunk.  I then used the thumping technique with an Always Artichoke marker to make the trunk look more realistic.  The stamp-a-ma-jig also came in handy to extend the tree trunk at the bottom.

Here is the sketch I used:

Thanks for looking!

Products used (all Stampin' Up!):

Stamps:  Lovely as a Tree; Teeny Tiny Wishes

Cardstock:  Early Espresso; Always Artichoke; Very Vanilla

Ink:  Basic Black; Always Artichoke

Accessories:  Always Artichoke marker; Early Espresso marker; Early Espresso ribbon; Scallop Border Punch; Antique Brads

Cheers

Karren

Creative Elements

I didn't get a chance to stamp last weekend, as I spent my usual stamping time taking up the hem on four (yes, four!) pair of work jeans for my husband.  The things we do...LOL

Anyway, I got into my stamp room for a few hours this afternoon and pumped out a couple of cards.  This first one is for the Freshly Made Sketches and Just Add Ink challenges.

And here is my card:

I'm quite happy with how this came out, with lots of lovely white space.  I cut a circle using a nestie then before removing the die, I did some sponging and stamped the flourish image using So Saffron for both. Love this look!

Products used (all Stampin' Up! unless otherwise stated):

Stamps:  Creative Elements; Signature Greetings (PTI)

Cardstock:  Whisper White; Daffodil Delight; Brights DSP; Subtles DSP

Ink:  So Saffron; Daffodil Delight; Black Stazon

Accessories:  Circle Nesties; Pearls; Daffodil Delight Satin Ribbon

Edited to Add:  This card was chosen for one of the Perfect Princess Awards at Freshly Made Sketches this week.

Cheers

Karren