Hugs and Kisses

Hello stampers,

Happy Monday evening. While watching some late evening Australian Tennis, I put together this card using the current CAS(E) this Sketch! challenge. This is quite the interesting sketch this week, and I had to think about how to use this sketch for a bit. Here's what I came up with.

The colors are Real Red, Flirty Flamingo and Whisper White. Using a MFT Falling Heart Stencil, Flirty Flamingo ink,  and a blending brush, I made a panel of hearts. I then cut five 1/4" strips diagonally from it and glued them onto a panel of Flirty Flamingo card stock per the sketch. The lace and stitched heart dies are Lawn Fawn cut from Real Red and Whisper White card stock. The Hugs die is Avery Elle. The bottom is Real Red, then 3 layers cut from white and the top is cut from Flirty Flamingo. All are glued together then glued onto the hearts. I added a few enamel dots that match pretty well for embellishments, as well as a layer of clear glitter from a Nuvo glitter pen over the Hugs die.

For the inside, I used another piece of the stenciled hearts panel and sentiments from the Avery Elle Hugs stamp set. The Happy Valentine's Day stamp is by Lawn Fawn.

Yay, another Valentine's Day card made. Thanks for looking,
Colleen

Supplies
Stamps: Simply Said Hugs set by Avery Elle and Conversation Hearts Add-On set by Lawn Fawn
Paper: SU Real Red, Flirty Flamingo and Whisper White card stocks
Ink: SU Real Red and Flirty Flamingo
Other: Simply Said Hugs dies, Lawn Fawn Hearts dies, MFT Falling Hearts Stencil, TE blending brush, Gemini Jr., Misti, dimensionals, Nuvo clear glitter pen, enamel dots

Sending Some Happy

Hello stampers,

Since I know that this coming work week is going to be a busy one, I wanted to make sure to get a card made for this week's Paper Players Challenge. I'm not sure how much crafty time I'm going to get.

Joanne is our hostess this week with a sketch. Her sketch has a repeating element in it, and for some reason these repeating element type sketches are truly a challenge for me.  After looking through some of my recently purchased sets and dies, I came up with a Valentines card using a Concord & 9th set. I'm also using the color challenge at Sunday Stamps. It fits well with the Valentine's Day theme.

I started with SU Pool Party card stock. For the background, I used a TE cloud cover plate and foiled it using my Gemini Hot Foiling System. The foil I used is a holographic foil and IRL it looks silver-white in color. In the photo, the light brings out many other colors. 

After making the foiled piece, I used the small rainbow die in the Concord & 9th Tall Type Tagalong die set and cut six out of a piece of Pool Party. I backed this with some scrap white card stock so that I could piece in the rainbow arches after cutting them from three different shades of pink card stock. The card base and the middle layer of the card are the same light pink shade as the lightest pink shade in the rainbows. The sentiment is from the corresponding stamp set called Tiny Tagalongs set. The banner is stamped with SU Pretty In Pink and the sentiment is stamped with SU Rose Red. I fussy cut it out and popped it with mini dimensionals. The puffy heart stickers are from Paper Source.

The inside Happy Valentine's Day sentiment is from the SU Wacky Wishes set stamped with Pool Party. The small hearts are from the Concord & 9th Playful Patterns set stamped with Pretty In Pink. I made three of the foiled cloud panels because the foil didn't stick evenly on a couple of them, so I used one of those to layer on the inside.

Thanks everyone and have a good week,

Colleen

Supplies

Stamps: Tiny Tagalongs and Playful Patterns sets by Concord & 9th, Wacky Wishes set by Stampin' Up

Paper: Taylored Expressions pink card stocks, SU Pool Party and Whisper White card stock

Ink: SU Pretty In Pink, Rose Red and Pool Party

Other: Gemini Jr, Gemini Hot Foiling System, Spellbinders Glimmer Foil, Concord & 9th Tall Type Tagalong dies, Waffleflower Rectangle dies, Taylored Expressions Cloud cover plate, Paper Source Puffy heart stickers, SU dimensionals and mini-dimensional, liquid glue

Hope Your Day Is Wonderful

Hello and Happy Saturday to all,

I had some time in my craft room early this afternoon after finishing my Saturday chores. Mostly laundry and some grocery shopping after being out of town for work last week. I decided to use this week's Freshly Made Sketch to make a birthday card for my stash.

I like to work with these tilted panels and I decided that this time I would use the top panel for my stamped image. This Gina K flower fit perfectly with room at the bottom for the sentiment banner too.

I started with a white card base that is covered completely with a piece of Lawn Fawn patterned paper. Next I cut the white tilted piece and stamped the flower image using a Gina K Slate ink cube and colored the flowers with Copics. After gluing on the scalloped edges, I used foam tape to pop the tilted panel over the card. The sentiment is from the same stamp set and it's heat embossed using white EP. I used paper flowers for the round sketch element at the end of the banner. I haven't used them in years, and these seemed to go well with the stamp and background patterned paper. A few silver pearls for embellishments finishes the front.

For the inside, I kept things simple. I taped off all but one flower in the same image and used it to complement the Happy Birthday sentiment.

Yay, another birthday card for my stash. Always good to have a few extra.

Thanks for stopping in,
Colleen

Supplies
Stamps: Bitty Blossoms set by Gina K and Fine Line Florals set by Concord & 9th for the inside sentiment
Paper: SU thick Whisper White and Gumball Green card stock, X-Press It Blending card stock, Lawn Fawn Spring Fling patterned papers
Ink: Gina K Slate ink cube, SU Gumball Green, Copics, VersaMark
Other: White embossing powder, hear tool, Misti, Gemini Jr,  paper flowers (not sure from where), Queen & co pearls, TE small scalloped border die, foam tape, liquid glue

Wishing You. . .

Hello,

I hope everyone is having a good week. Only two more days until the weekend. I will be doing training classes in Los Angeles tomorrow and Friday.  Not one of my favorite duties of my job, but part of it none the less. Probably the worst part will be the traffic driving home on Friday afternoon. The Los Angeles to San Diego traffic on Fridays is NOT fun, although there isn't much fun when it comes to LA traffic.

Speaking of work, one of my co-workers asked if I would make a retirement card for another of our co-workers. Of course, I said yes. This is really simple as I used a Turnabout stamp for the background. The colors are this week's Color Throwdown Challenge colors of pink, green and blue. I've used two shades of pink.

The sentiment seemed pretty perfect for a retirement card. It comes from the SU Garden Goodness set. I heat embossed it with white EP on Rococo Rose card stock and then cut it out using a SU stitched die, layered with a larger die from the SU set. I added a piece of ribbon between the two layered dies with foam tape.

Here is the inside. The retirement stamp is an older wooden stamp from Hero.

Thanks for looking in,

Colleen

Supplies

Stamps: Flower Patch Turnabout set by Concord & 9th and single Hero Arts wooden stamp

Paper: SU thick and regular Whisper White, X-Press It Blending, Blueberry Bliss and Rococo Rose card stocks

Ink: SU Blueberry Bliss, Rococo Rose, Granny Apple Green, Pretty In Pink, and VersaMark

Other: SU Stitched So Sweetly dies, white EP, heat tool, Gemini Jr, Misti, foam tape, SU white ribbon, TE enamel heart

You Look Fabulous, Darling!

Hi again,

Since I had so much fun coloring the Pure Innocence images in my last post, I reached for another when I saw this week's Paper Players Challenge theme. Laurie is our hostess this week with a fun and different theme. One that I don't remember having before. I again used this week's Freshly Made Sketch.

Because this is also a CAS theme, I made a one layer card, basically. There is a bit of DSP on the inside. I used the same Avery Elle Stitched edge die to cut the front of the card to match the sketch and layered the DSP on the inside's edge to show through.

I used the colors in the DSP for my coloring choices. After I finished coloring the image, I used a clear glitter pen (i think SSS) to add lots of sparkle to the pink boa, and some Glossy Accents on her shoes to make them look shiny. After the coloring was completed, I made a mask for the image, then using a MFT brick stencil and a TE blending brush with Granite Gray ink I added in the sidewalk.

To decorate the inside of the card, I fussy cut a purse from the DSP and added a couple of SU sentiments. I like how this SU sentiment goes so well with the front image, and the challenge theme.

Unfortunately, it's back to work tomorrow. Luckily, I get to stay in Southern California and not travel to a cold and snowy city like one of my co-workers is having to do.

Thanks all,

Colleen

Supplies

Stamps: Pure Innocence Dress Up Diva set and SU Sending You Thoughts set 

Paper: SSS Heavy white card stock and SU 6 x 6" DSP sampler from the new Mini catalog

Ink: Memento tuxedo black, Copics, Altenew Plum ink cube, SU Granite Gray

Other: Avery Elle Stitched edge die, Gemini Jr, SSS clear glitter pen, Glossy Accents, sequins and tiny clear rhinestone, liquid glue, MFT Brick stencil, TE blending brush, Misti, Gina K masking paper

Pure Innocence Winter Fun

Hello Stamping Peeps,

It's a gloomy Sunday here on the San Diego coast. A perfect day to stay in and stamp. Not that I need an excuse.

Retro Rubber Challenge has a winter theme for their first challenge of 2020 and I decided it would be fun to color one of my Pure Innocence images. I have several that will work for this challenge, and ended up picking a couple of cute girls out to play in the snow. I've used one set for the outside of the card and another for the inside image. The layout is this week's Freshly Made Sketch.

The background sky is a panel of white card stock that I blended with Soft Sky and Smoky Slate inks with a blending brush. After the inks dried, I put a Falling Snow stencil over it and brushed on some white craft ink. For the snow hills and the bottom layer, I used a Falling Snow EF. One of the hills is cut out using a Die-namics hill/tree die and the other Die-namics Stitched Hill die. The curved edge for the top layer of the card is cut with an Avery Elle stitched edge die. The Pure Innocence girl is stamped with Memento black ink and colored with Copics, fussy cut out and popped up with dimensionals.

For the inside of the card, I used another Pure Innocence set. This one is the little skier. She is also stamped with Memento black ink and colored with Copics, fussy cut out,  and layered onto a panel of Soft Sky card stock that is embossed with the same Falling Snow EF. I carefully cut the line between her arm and body to add her skis.

A fun card to make and color.

Have a wonderful Sunday evening and thanks for looking in,
Colleen

Supplies
Stamps: Pure Innocence Heart Warmer and Ski Girl sets by My Favorite Things
Paper: SU Thick Whisper White card stock, X-Press It Blending card stock and SU Soft Sky card
stock
Ink: Memento tuxedo black, Copics, SU Soft Sky and Smoky Slate
Other: Die-namics and Avery Elle dies, Taylored Expressions Falling Snow embossing folder, Simon Says Stamp Falling Snow stencil, TE blending brushes, Misti, Gemini Jr, Wink of Stella, dimensionals

Hello Beautiful

Happy Sunday afternoon,

Well, late afternoon here on the west coast anyway. I hope you all had a nice weekend. I spent all day yesterday cleaning out an armoire in my bedroom that is used to hold "STUFF." I went to put more STUFF in it and decided some purging was in order. That is how I spent my Saturday. I'm happy to say, I have lots of free space in it now, and what's even nicer, I freed up two drawers that I can now store fabric in. I'm very happy about that part!

Anne Marie has a very vibrant color challenge this week at the Paper Players.  I recently received the latest Build-A-Flower set from Altenew, which has gorgeous images, and used it to make my card. A floral theme seemed best for these colors. I also used this week's Freshly Made Sketch for the layout.

Using the Misti I was able to get several shades of each of Anne Marie's colors by stamping multiple layers, and using the "stamping off" technique to achieve a lighter shades of color. To make the background, I used an Altenew stencil, a blending brush and Rich Razzelberry ink. The first step was to mask off the outer areas of the card. I blended more ink to make the darker shade over the larger dots and got lighter moving out to the smaller dots.

The second step was stamping the flowers and leaves using the set layering stamps, and then cut them out using the set dies. The neutral color is black, which I used to stamp the sentiment. It is cut out using a Simon Says Stamps label die. The flowers are added to the card by gluing the bottom of the image to the card base with liquid glue and using a dimensional under the top portion. I like using this kind of dimension on flower images.

Here is the inside of the card. This sentiment, as well as the front sentiment are included in the stamp set. The flowers are stamped again using a Misti. The darker flower with several layers of ink and the lighter one using the "stamp off" technique. Both stamped with Rich Razzelberry and Old Olive inks.

It's back to work tomorrow. Weekends just fly! I hope you have a great week and thanks for looking in.
Colleen

Supplies
Stamps: Build A Flower Triumph Tulip set by Altenew
Paper: Simon Says Stamp Heavy Weight white card stock
Ink: SU Poppy Parade, Rich Razzelberry, Old Olive and Memento Tuxedo Black
Other: Misti, Altenew Triumph Tulip dies, Gemini Jr, dimensionals, Altenew stencil, TE Blending brush, Post-It Tape for masking, SSS Label die

a Friend Like You

Hello all,

The new SU mini catalog has some great card kits. I really liked the look of this Botanical Prints set and product medley when I first looked through the catalog and decided to order it. The papers are beautiful as are the stamp images. Here is my first card using the suite.

The color inspiration comes from Sunday Stamps where the color challenge is neutrals and the sketch is the new CAS(E) this Sketch! layout.

I followed the sketch pretty closely. The patterned paper is from the kit and is glued to a black card base. The top panel is Granite Gray embossed with the new Coastal Weave 3D embossing folder. The image is stamped using charcoal ink and the fruit is colored in with light beige Copics and cut out with the set dies. I added a few SU tiny gold pearls around for embellishments. The front and inside sentiments are from another new SU stamp set called Peaceful Moments.

Here is the inside of the card.

Enjoy your Friday and thanks for looking in,

Colleen

Supplies

Stamps: Botanical Prints and Peaceful Moments sets by Stampin' Up

Paper: SU Basic Black, Granite Gray and Whisper White card stock and Botanical Prints DSP

Ink: Momento tuxedo black, Gina K Charcoal, Granite Gray, Copics

Other: Botanical Prints dies, SU embossing folder, SU gold pearls, Misti, Gemini Jr, mini dimensional

Hey, Lady!

Happy New Year to all,

As this is my first post of 2020, I want to wish all of my blogging friends a very happy New Year.
I had a very nice holiday season and I hope you did as well. A ton of driving for me, a little over 2000 miles to visit my mom and my sister. From San Diego to Redding in Northern California, to Portland, OR and back. Luckily, the weather cooperated for driving in the Siskiyou and Cascade Mountains to get to Oregon and we didn't encounter any snow.

I made this super quick card last night after getting home from having dinner with a friend. Mr. Personal Chef was at work meetings that lasted into the evening so we opted to eat out. Yes, I'm that spoiled when it comes to cooking, LOL.

The sketch is this week's CAS(E) this Sketch!. I'm also entering this into Jaydee's theme challenge at the Paper Players where the theme is "new." Like many entries, my new is the new Sale-a-bration stamp set from SU called Little Ladybug. It's really a cute, cute set. I ordered the dies, but they have not arrived yet so I did some fussy cutting.

I started with a Whisper White card base and glued a piece of SU yellow Gingham DSP on top then cut the oval out of both pieces. The flower is stamped on another piece of WW and colored with Copics and glued so that the flower is displayed through the oval. Using the same oval die and one larger, I cut the solid yellow border from Daffodil Delight card stock and glued it down with liquid glue. The ladybug and sentiment banner were stamped, cut out and glued in place. As an afterthought, I added the tiny ladybug to one of the flower petals. With this card, you essentially see both the front and inside as one.

I'm off to the Apple store in about an hour. I mistakenly deleted the photo library link on my MacBook computer Sunday when I was storing card pictures to an external HD. I know exactly how I did it, but I don't know how to re-install the program, and it's the one I use to edit my card pictures for my blog. I can probably download from Apple, but I think an Apple "genius" will be able to do it quicker and with less drama than I. Luckily, I do have all of my actual photos backed up to iCloud and also to Amazon Photo Sharing, and I think they are all still on my phone. 

Thanks for looking in,

Colleen

Supplies

Stamps: Little Ladybug set by Stampin' Up

Paper: SU Whisper White and Daffodil Delight card stock, SU Gingham DSP

Ink: Memento tuxedo black, Copics, Hero Arts Charcoal cube

Other: Die-namics Stitched Oval dies, Gemini Jr, Misti, liquid glue, Wink of Stella (ladybug wings)