10th Birthday Card

Next week is my youngest's 10th birthday.  Today is my last chance to make a birthday card.  I used this week's Fall To Layout plus the color challenge from Just Add Ink.

I really loved the sketch and decided to stick with the star images.  However, Marina Mist is not one of my favorite colors, so working that into the card was a bit of a challenge.  Luckily, Sarah's favorite color is green, so hopefully she'll like the card.  I took inspiration from Christine Blain's cool card and went for a grungy look.

I randomly stamped images from PTI's Grunge Me set over the card base and also over the stars and the "10".  The hardest part was deciding what to stamp in the Very Vanilla panel.

Details of the challenges:

Thanks for looking.

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

Stamps:  Grunge Rock; Grunge Me (PTI)
Cardstock:  Early Espresso; Wild Wasabi; Marina Mist; Very Vanilla
Ink:  Early Espresso; Wild Wasabi; Marina Mist
Accessories:  Large and Small Star Punches; MFT Fishtail Flags Die; Timeless Type Sizzix Alphabet Die

Edited to Add:  This card received an Honorable Mention at Just Add Ink this week.  Thanks, guys!

Cheers
Karren

Ornate Blossom

This is the third of three cards I've made today.  The other two will be posted shortly.  I made this card for two challenges - this week's Freshly Made Sketch challenge and the second challenge at Addicted to Stamps which is a Bingo challenge.  In case it's not obvious from my card, I chose Stamp, Emboss, Blue.

Here is my card:

and open (no insert as yet - I never do that until I use the card - because I'm lazy LOL):

I chose to use the sketch as inspiration for a gatefold card.  I haven't made one of these in years!  My stamp-a-majig came in very handy lining up the Ornate Blossom stamp across the center as I had to stamp each side separately to get full ink coverage.  Once I'd stamped in Whisper White Craft Ink, I used the VersaShadow Technique to highlight the images.

The main panel is white embossed on Island Indigo.  I also used a ruler to draw a frame around the main image.  An antique brad holds the card closed.

Here are the challenges:

Thanks for looking.

Products used:  (all Stampin' Up!)

Stamps:  Ornate Blossom
Cardstock:  Island Indigo; Whisper White
Ink:  Versamark; Whisper White Craft
Accessories:  Versamarker; Antique Brad; Stamp-a-majig; White EP

Cheers
Karren

Mixed Bunch

I got Mixed Bunch and the co-ordinating punch in my last order and today was the first time I got to use them.

I combined the color challenge at Create with Connie & Mary with the sketch challenge at Sketch Frenzy Friday and came up with this card:

Tell you what, doing color challenges has really highlighted to me how many colors I don't use!  Pumpkin Pie is one of those colors, so I used the smallest amount possible LOL.

I stamped the flower onto Whisper White and punched it out.  I then took a Pumpkin Pie marker and colored in the center.  For the sentiment, I used Basic Gray and Real Red markers and my Stamp-a-majig.  The end is shaped using the Modern Label Punch.

Here are the challenge details:

Thanks for looking.

Products used (all Stampin' Up!):

Stamps:  Mixed Bunch; Bring on the Cake
Cardstock:  Whisper White; Basic Gray; Neutrals DSP
Ink:  Real Red; Whisper White
Accessories:  Blossom Punch; Pumpkin Pie marker; Modern Label Punch; Pearl

Cheers
Karren

Just Buzzin' By

As mentioned in my previous post, here is my second card for this week's Freshly Made Sketch Challenge.  I'm also submitting this for a new challenge at Addicted to Stamps which is to use markers.

I caved and got some Copic markers (DH very kindly paid for them for Mother's Day).  I only got 25 colors but I already need more.  What have I got myself into??? LOL.  Anyway, this is only the second time I've had a play with these markers, so I'm very much at the beginning of the learning curve - but man, they're fun!

I went hunting for a stamp set that required coloring and found this one, which is so cute!  Everytime I see these little bees, it reminds me of The Bee Movie, which I love.  I dry embossed the base with a woodgrain EF and made sure to match the wood-graining on my Chocolate Chip scallops as well for continuity.

Thanks for looking.

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

Stamps:  Just Buzzin' By

Cardstock:  Daffodil Delight; Chocolate Chip; Whisper White; Shimmery White; Brights DSP Stack

Ink:  Brilliance Graphite Black; Chocolate Chip

Accessories:  Copic Markers; Oval Nestabilities; Daffodil Delight Satin Ribbon; Tim Holtz EF; Tasteful Trim die

Cheers

Karren

Monochromatic Sympathy

I was fascinated with a recent technique posted over on SCS called Masking Fluid Resist and wanted to give it a go.  So I incorporated that into this week's Dynamic Duos color challenge and Freshly Made Sketch.  I'm not 100% sure the sponging on this card qualifies as the "clean" that is part of the FMS challenge, so I made another card using the same sketch which I'll show you in a separate post.

I had some masking fluid because I'd seen Heather Telford use it on her blog before and wanted to try it for myself.  If you haven't seen Heather's work, check it out.  She is the master of sponging!  Anyway, onto the card.  I followed the instructions for the technique, except I only used two colors - River Rock and Always Artichoke.  This is a fun technique - the hardest part is waiting for the masking fluid to dry, but heat tools were invented for a reason LOL.

Here are the challenges:

I didn't put any embellishments in the top right corner because I wanted to keep the card more muted and somber.

Thanks for looking.

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

Stamps:  Dreamy (Penny Black); Warmest Regards

Cardstock:  River Rock; Always Artichoke; Whisper White; Neutrals DSP Stack

Ink:  River Rock; Always Artichoke

Accessories:  Windsor & Newton Masking Fluid; paintbrush; sponges; oval Nestabilities; Tasteful Trim die

Cheers

Karren

Edited to Add:  This card was chosen as the top pick at Dynamic Duos.  Thanks, guys!

S.W.A.K.

Today's card is for two challenges:  Create With Connie & Mary have a color challenge and the Stamping 411 Saturday Sketch Challenge.

I thought the colors tended towards masculine, so I went in that direction and made an anniversary card.

I couldn't find a way to make the strip behind the scalloped circle work, so I ended up leaving that off.  Both of the scalloped pieces are popped up on Dimensionals.

Thanks for looking.

Products used (all Stampin' Up!):

Stamps:  S.W.A.K.; Teeny Tiny Wishes

Cardstock:  Crumb Cake; Cherry Cobbler; Island Indigo; Very Vanilla; Jolly Holiday DSP

Ink:  Cherry Cobbler; Basic Black

Accessories:  Island Indigo Bakers Twine; Regals Button; Tasteful Trim Die; 1 3/8" circle punch; Scallop Circle Punch

Cheers

Karren

Lovely as a Tree

I'm scraping in under the wire with this week's Dynamic Duos color challenge!  I've paired it with this week's Freshly Made Sketch challenge as well.

For my card, I did some very basic masking and sponging with Regal Rose and Basic Gray before stamping the trees in Basic Black. The DSP comes from a really old DSP pack, which I think was a hostess gift a few years ago.

I had to take the photo under artificial lighting tonight, so apologies for the quality.  It's not often I stamp at night as I'm generally not in the mood after a day of work, but I didn't want to miss the color challenge, so needs must!

Here are the challenge details:

Thanks for looking.

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

Stamps:  Lovely as a Tree; Perfectly Penned

Cardstock:  Basic Gray; Whisper White; Patterns II DSP

Ink:  Regal Rose; Basic Gray; Versamark; Basic Black

Accessories:  Sponges; Circle Nestabilities; White Taffeta Ribbon; Pearls; White EP

Cheers

Karren