Blending a Year of Cheer from the Inky Friends

Welcome to a new hop from the Inky Friends! This time we are doing something a bit different by showcasing how the awesome new Stampin' Blends Markers can be used throughout the year. I start by stamping the image with Memento Tuxedo Black ink (never use Archival ink with Stampin' Blends!), and then laying down the lightest color first, working in small sections. While the ink is still wet, I add in the darker colors for depth and shading. Then I go back over it with the light marker to blend the shades together. I love that we can customize embellishments with these markers, too!

You probably just landed here from Kris' blog, Paper Fairy Kris. She had October, and her theme was Halloween. Follow the links at the end of each stop to see the whole year.

My theme is friendship for November. Yeah, I know - not Thanksgiving, but thankful for friends! I had so much fun choosing and coloring the images for these cards, plus I mixed a little "something old, something new" as you will see.

My first card uses the Cheery Chirps stamp set that is retiring on January 2nd, but I paired it with a new embossing folder (called Scattered Sequins) that's coming in the Occasions catalog on January 3rd! The greeting is from Dragonfly Dreams.

The bird was colored with Daffodil Delight light and dark combo markers, along with the light Pumpkin Pie maker, and the leaves with Old Olive combo markers. Clear Wink of Stella was added to the wings for a little shimmer, and the rhinestones were colored with the dark Daffodil Delight, too. See? Custom embellishments!

Up next is a fabulous, fun image to color - the beautiful rose in Rose Wonder, from the annual catalog. I used the Pink Pirouette combo markers and light Rich Razzleberry for the rose, and Old Olive combo on the leaves. And again, a few swipes of Wink of Stella on the rose petals for some subtle shimmer.

This time I paired the image with the gorgeous Painted With Love Specialty DSP in the Occasions catalog. You really have to see this paper in person....the pictures do NOT do it justice! The greeting was heat embossed in white on the DSP.

My last card uses the flower image from You've Got This and greeting from Hello Friend, both in the annual catalog. This time the Pool Party combo markers and Bermuda Bay light marker were used, with Daffodil Delight dark on the stamens.

Did you notice the die cut? That is from the new Petals & More Thinlits Dies, and the Petal Passion DSP is from the same suite. Oh, there is so much to love in the new catalog!!!

That's all I have for you today. Up next is Betty, over at Kitty Stamp. She has December, and her theme is Christmas. Can't wait to see what she colored!

Stampin' Blends Used

Daffodil Delight Stampin' Blends Markers Combo Pack

Pumpkin Pie Light Stampin' Blends Marker

Pink Pirouette Stampin' Blends Markers Combo Pack

Old Olive Stampin' Blends Markers Combo Pack

Pool Party Stampin' Blends Markers Combo Pack

Lovely Friends Makes Me Happy!

I love quick and easy cards, and this card couldn't be much quicker or easier to make! The large greetings in Lovely Friends make up the "easy" part of this card, which makes me ridiculously happy. And so does the color combo of Tranquil Tide and Pool Party - it's a match made in heaven!

Today we are taking Mom to one of our favorite restaurants in the "big city" so I needed to get a quick card done and posted.

Here's the "How To"
 Greeting: Whisper White 2-7/8" x 3-7/8"
 Mat: Tranquil Tide 3" x 4"
 Background: Pool Party 4-1/8" x 5-3/8"
 Card base: Tranquil Tide 5-1/2" x 8-1/2" scored & folded at 4-1/4"

1. Stamp background Burlap stamp in Pool Party on Pool Party cardstock. Attach to card base.
2. Stamp greeting on Whisper White in Tranquil Tide ink, then attach to Tranquil Tide mat. Adhere to card base with dimensionals.
3. Make loops of Copper Metallic Thread and adhere with a glue dot. Attach In Color Bitty Bow on top.

Seriously, it doesn't get any simpler! I hope you all are enjoying your first day of Summer, and I pray the people affected by the awful heat out West, and tropical storm Cindy here in the South will be safe. (I just want to state right here and now that I am not responsible for any storm damage, LOL!!!)

Product List

Lovely Friends Photopolymer Stamp Set

Burlap Clear-Mount Stamp Set

Whisper White 8-1/2" X 11" Card Stock

Pool Party 8-1/2" X 11" Card Stock

Tranquil Tide 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock

Tranquil Tide Classic Stampin' Pad

Pool Party Classic Stampin' Pad

2017-2019 In Color Bitty Bows

Copper Metallic Thread

Stampin' Dimensionals

Glue Dots

A Swap Card

For the Stampin' Up! convention this year, I didn't go overboard on making swap cards, like I did last year. Thank goodness, because I had much less stress, which made the whole experience much more enjoyable! This is a card I made for on of the Stampin' Addicts organized swaps. I just love swapping with that group of stampers, because I know I will get amazing swaps back!

This was a "Something old, something new" swap. We were to use a stamp set that is current, but not new this year, and combine it with something that IS new, like DSP, or embellishments. I chose Papillon Potpourri for my something old, and the fabulously awesomely glimmery Dazzling Diamonds Glimmer Paper. You just can't appreciate how beautiful this is unless you see it for yourself!

The greeting is from the hostess set called Let Your Hair Down.

I have more swaps to share over the next week or so. One of which I can't share yet because it's a Control Freaks swap, and my Freaky peeps haven't received it yet. Don't want to spoil the surprise! But I will say that Glimmer Paper was involved, and leave it at that.

STAMPS: Let Your Hair Down, Papillon Potpourri
CARDSTOCK: Whisper White, Basic Black, Tempting Turquoise, Dazzling Diamonds Glimmer Paper
INK: Jet Black StazOn
ACCESSORIES: Big Shot, Perfect Polka-Dots embossing folder, Elegant Butterfly Punch

My First MDS Hybrid!

No, it's not a fossil-fuel-sipping vehicle, it's a card made with an image I printed out of My Digital Studio! I needed the image in a hurry, and if I ordered the stamp set, it would have taken nearly a week for it to arrive. Sooo, I got the digital download of the Established Elegance stamp set instead, and instantly had the images I needed.  I wasn't sure if my printer* would match the colors of the DSP and cardstock, but it did - perfectly!  Just so no cardstock would be wasted, the Very Vanilla sheet was filled with the same image, with different colors chosen for each one. Now they'll be handy for future projects.

Stamps: Four Frames, Timeless Treasures, dressform digital image Established Elegance MDS download
Cardstock: Very Vanilla, Marina Mist, Soft Suede, Beau Chateau DSP
Ink: Soft Suede Classic
Accessories: Decorative Label Punch, Dotted Scallop Ribbon Border Punch, Very Vanilla Seam Binding Ribbon, Very Vanilla Satin Roses (retired), Hat Pin, Pearls Basic Jewels, Mat Pack, Paper Piercing Tool, Stampin' Sponges, Stampin' Dimensionals, pearl beads (non-SU)

* It's a Dell 2150cn Color Laser printer that can handle 110 lb. cardstock....that's what Santa brought for Christmas, and I LOVE it! Warms up super fast, prints super fast, and the print quality is amazing.

Hoppy Easter (and a Lesson Learned)

This is the card I made for the Stampin' Club Swap this month.  The theme was, of course, Easter.  The image is from a retired Stampin' Up stamp set called Friends.  I was going to sell it, along with a bunch of other retired SU stamp sets, but I just couldn't part with it.  It was killing me to put my Stampin' Up Teddy Bear sets (Favorite Teddy Bear, Bear Necessities, Beary Best) on the auction block, and I just couldn't do this one, too.


The image was stamped on watercolor paper with Jet Black StazOn ink, and colored with Classic ink and an Aqua Painter. The edges were torn and the image matted on Pink Passion card stock.


Oh, the lesson learned?  I should never place an order late at night with my brain half asleep. I double-ordered Green Galore cardstock.  It's such a bright Spring green - something I won't be using very much, so I have enough to last me quite a while!


Stamp: Friends (retired)
Cardstock: Whisper White, Pink Passion, Green Galore, watercolor paper
Ink: Classic Stampin' Pads - Creamy Caramel, Close to Cocoa, Tempting Turquoise, Green Galore, Melon Mambo, Lavender Lace, Chocolate Chip, Jet Black StazOn
Accessories: Big Shot Die-Cut Machine, Elegant Bouquet embossing folder, Modern Label Punch, pink gingham ribbon, pink crystal stickers

FRIDAY FUNDAY CHALLENGE!

Greetings, friends and fellow stampers!  I have just now gotten around to starting up the Friday challenges for 2010....I know, I know, but better late than never, right?  I've decided to call this the "Friday Funday Challenge" , or FFC.  Fridays are my favorite day, since I have the whole weekend, with all its possibilities, ahead of me.  Plus, it's payday. :-)


For our first challenge of the year, I decided to keep it simple, so no sketch or color requirements this time.  The theme is FRIENDSHIP.  Go wherever your heart takes you with this one!


The challenge will run until next Friday, Feb. 5th, when I will post a new challenge.


Upload your link using Mr. Linky below.  I can't wait to see what you've made!

Edited to add:  I don't know why Mr. Linky isn't showing the links, but people ARE participating.  You have to click on the widget to be able to see the links to the lovely creations.





Stamps: Flowers in Silhouette, Vintage Vogue, Teeny Tiny Wishes
Cardstock: Pale Plum, Rich Razzleberry, Old Olive, Whisper White
Ink: Old Olive Classic, Rich Razzleberry Classic
Accessories: Rich Razzleberry Polka-Dot Grosgrain Ribbon, Wide Oval Punch, Ticket Corner Punch, Designer Label Punch, Swarovski Crystals

THANKS, FRIEND

Just a quick card today.  I have to get my samples made for a workshop coming up. The colors aren't right (again); the background patterned paper is Sahara Sand, not that putrid grey.  If you click on it, the enlarged picture looks closer to the true colors.

I think the Bermuda Bay stamped image works well with the Sage Shadow DSP matted behind it.  Of course, it looks much better IRL!

This would make a great Father's Day or masculine birthday card, too, dontcha think?

Thanks for stopping by, and I hope you all have a great week.  Don't forget to check out the Clearance Rack on my Stampin' Up! website.  There are some great deals to be had, and they won't last long!!!

Stamps: Image- Autumn Days (115452), Itty Bitty Backgrounds (114996), Sentiment- Upsy Daisy (111710)
Inks: Bermuda Bay Classic (115655), Chocolate Chip Classic (100908), Creamy Caramel Classic (103220)
Cardstock: Chocolate Chip (102128), Very Vanilla (101650)
DP: To The Nines Specialty Designer Series Paper (114038)
Accessories/Tools: 1/16th inch punch (101227), Chocolate Chip ¼ inch Grosgrain Ribbon (111367), Chocolate Chip 5/16 inch brad (112534), Stampin' Dimensionals (104430)

Friendship

I've been thinking about true friendship quite a bit lately, and how there are people one calls friends, but who are really more like acquaintances. Pleasant enough, and fun to be with, but not necessarily someone with which you felt you could completely be yourself, warts and all.

And then there are Friends, with a capital F. Those are the people who are sometimes more like family than family; people who will always be there for you, no matter what. Someone you could call at 3:00 a.m. if you had an emergency. I am blessed to have a few Friends, and every day I am thankful for it.


Which leads me to this card (great segue, 'eh?). I've had this stamp since I started card making a year ago. I bought it on ebay, and it's probably from a set, but I don't know for sure. There's just something about those two girls that makes me smile.

I started by cutting out the panel with the Nesties Labels One before I stamped the image. I've had some trouble getting the cut cardstock to stay in the
die when I emboss it, and I didn't want to color the image only to screw it up later. So, Stamp-a-ma-jig to the rescue!

After coloring (with Copics, of course), I matted it on Basic Black cut with the next larger die. The Tempting Turquoise was edged with a new border punch I just got, made by EK Success. I actually used two border punches. The double line of tiny holes with an embossed line between them is also by EK Success.

The edge of the scalloped border was accented with small black self-adhesive pearls from Sally. She has the best prices, shipping and customer service! You really have to check it out.

Copic colors used>>>>>

Cardstock: SU Tempting Turquoise, Basic Black and Whisper White, the Paper Co Weave Black
Stamp: Stampin' Up!
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black
Embellishments: flat back pearls, ribbion, Nestabilities dies, EK Success punches, Prime flowers, sugared brads

PTW Challenge, Seeing Spots!

I'm on a roll this week! Three days of cards in a row, woohoo! Today's card is my entry for the Paper Take Weekly challenge called "Seeing Spots!". With Valentine's Day and a whole slew of birthdays coming up, I've had sweets on my mind, and this just happened to be the result. ;-)

The yummy paper (pun intended!) is from the Die Cuts With a View "Sweet Stack" that is currently available. Lots of neat patterns in there, with lots of glitz and glitter!

The image is from that stack, as is the pink scalloped background. The darker pink is also DCWV.

The ovals were cut with good ol' Nestabilities dies (Petite Oval) and the embossed background was the Cuttlebug Swiss Dots folder.

!I stamped the sentiment in SU "Pink Passion" Craft ink then accented the first 2 letters with a Sakura Jelly Roll Clear Star glitter pen. Sugared brads and some pink polka dot ribbon complete the card.

My apologies for the poor quality of the photo. I am really trying to improve my photography skills. I've ordered a photo box that comes with lights. Hopefully that will help. If not, I'll try a different camera.

Cardstock: DCWV Sweet Stack, DCWV textured, SU Whisper White, The Paper Co. pink
Sentiment: Inkadinkado "Chelsea Sentiments"
Ink: SU Pink Passion Craft

Got to Meet a Splitcoast Stamper!!!

Jen White, a fellow SCS member, is in town with her DH and adorable baby daughter (and 2 Great Danes!) to visit her DH's family for a couple weeks. I was so excited to get to meet her, since I feel like I already know her from her posts on SCS. She's so sweet and funny and nice! Anyhoo, we weighed in together at Weight Watchers and then went to Souplantation (fabulous salad bar) for lunch. Next week she's going to WW with me again, and then we'll hit the local stamp stores. Here's a quickie card I made using the same image from the blue Thank You card below. (I usually stamp a couple extra images as long as I have the stamp out.) This one looks completely different.

Cardstock: SU Always Artichoke and Mellow Moss
Pattern Paper: Colorbok Sage Stripe
Stamp: Stampin' Up! "Beary Best"
Sentiment: Penny Black "Salutations" stamped in SU Close to Cocoa and heat embossed with clear EP
Ribbon: Coffee grosgrain from JoAnn
Wooden heart button: Blumenthal
Stickles, Judy Kins Diamond Glaze
Spellbinders Scalloped Circle Nestabilities