Sending Aloha

 Hi peeps,

I hope everyone is having a great Saturday. I had fun catching up with friends who live in the Chicagoland area this morning via phone. It was quite the long call as we hadn't talked in almost a year! How does the time fly?!

When I first started out in my current career (30 years this year) I traveled quite extensively. Some years I would clock over 265 days away from home. One of the best parts of my territory was Hawaii, easy to get to from the west coast. One of the best parts is my Uncle and his family settled there when he retired from the Navy, so instead of having to stay in hotels, I always stayed with them. By then, their kids were all out of the house so I had my own bedroom and bathroom and I was met at the door every evening with a glass of wine. 

I had started my stamping hobby a few years prior and so I was always on the lookout for stamps when I traveled. There were stores around Ohau called "Made in Hawaii" and they had some beautiful hand made gifts. They also had wooden art stamps with Hawaiian images and I collected several over the years. Here's a photo of a few. I have many more. I picked these out because I used some to make the card in this post.

My friend, LeAnne, is hostess of the current As You See It Challenge. Her recipe for a masculine card includes neutral colors, twine, die cut and embossing folder. Now,  I certainly have many newer stamp sets that I could have used, but sometimes I like to open up my wooden stamp drawers and see what jumps out. Today, it was Hawaii. Maybe because I'm starting to want to travel? Who knows, but here's my masculine Hawaiian card using LeAnne's recipe. I've used Jacquuie's Freshly Made Sketch for the layout.

The background is ink blended using Distress inks in Frayed Burlap, Vintage Photo and Gathered Twigs. (While the iPhone takes pretty good photos, this one does not do justice to the blended inks. They are very shimmery with a warm gold under tone.) After the ink dried, I stamped the map image with GKD Charcoal Brown ink.  I used the GKD Master Layouts 1 to cut the stamped panel and the mat in brown. I used two EFs, first the SU linen folder and then the Tim Holtz Burlap. I stamped the other various images on a piece of GKD Sandy Beach paper then cut them out using a SU stitched rectangle die and cut brown mats for each piece. The twine is actually a piece of SU burlap ribbon that I cut down. The three stamped rectangles are popped up with SU Dimensionals.

I used the map again here on the inside of the card with the Aloha greeting. 

So who is ready for some Hawaiian sun? Hopefully, we'll feel safe to travel again in the not too distant future. Until then, we have memories.

Have a great rest of the weekend, and thanks for looking in.

Colleen

Supplies

Hawaiian themed stamps by ©RSP Honolulu Hawaii, Gina K Designs Sandy Beach and Charcoal Brown card stock, Charcoal Brown ink, and Master Layouts 1 & 2, Distress inks in Vintage Photo, Gathered Twigs, Frayed Burlap, Tim Holtz Burlap embossing folder, SU Linen 3D embossing folder, Stitched Rectangle dies, SU Burlap ribbon, Dimensionals, Honey Bee Warm Wishes stamp set (sending)

Happy Easter, Happy Spring

 TGIF Peeps,

It's Friday! Yipee! 

I was very productive last night making cards and so I have two more to share with you all. Both of them use different color challenges.

This first one I made using the colors this week at The Color Throwdown blog. They are yellow, orange, green and white. I went for a Slimline card and used some fun stencils and dies from PinkFresh Studio.

The background is made using the Slimline Starburst stencil, blending brushes and Distress Oxide inks. The die is called Floral Harmony and I cut it out three times in three of the challenge colors then glued pieces in. Some the pieces are very tiny and it was sort of a challenge to do that part. I used the green and orange ovals to layer behind the yellow to pop up the oval in the center of the card instead of using foam tape. The greeting is from a SSS printed greeting bundle that I got several months ago. It's cut out with a GKD flag die. For embellishment, I added some bright green SSS sequins.

The second card uses similar colors and the challenge is from Sunday Stamps. Using Zig water markers, I applied each color to an acrylic block, spritzed it with water then "smooshed" it onto some Tim Holts water color paper. After drying the panel with my heat tool, I put it in my Misti and stamped the GKD Tulip stamp using black Star-On ink. The stamp is not as long as the panel so I made a mask for a few flowers on the end and then stamped the image again to fill across the panel.

The panel is cut out with the GKD Master Layouts 2 die and matted with black card stock. The greeting comes from the GKD set Welcome Home.

I added the SU orange twine and some SSS clear dots for embellishments.

I'd like to say that I'm going to be stamping more today, but my goal is to get my tax prep "stuff" gathered up and dropped off. Whatever you're doing, I hope it's more fun than that, LOL.

Thanks for looking in,

Colleen

Supplies

PinkFresh Studio Slimline Starburst stencils and Floral Harmony die, Kat Scrappiness Slimline Layering die, TE blending brushes, Distress Oxide inks in yellow and gold shades, SU white, Only orange, Green Galore card stock, SSS greeting, GKD Master Layout 4 flag die, SSS green sequins, Gemini Jr, Connect glue

Gina K Designs Spring Tulips and Welcome Home stamp sets, GKD white and black card stock, Tim Holts water color card stock, Zig Clean color brush markers, acrylic block, Tim Holts Spritz bottle, Staz-on black ink pad, Misti, GKD Master Layouts 2 dies, SU twine, SSS clear glass beads, Misti, Gemini Jr, Connect glue

Best Wishes and Hey, Honey

 Hi peeps,

I had a very light day today for work. Love when that happens, especially when the past couple of weeks have been very busy with some long days. I have a couple of cards to share today that I made on Sunday afternoon that use this week's Paper Players Challenge sketch. Ann has a very fun sketch this week and I had a few ideas for it. Along with Ann's sketch, one of the cards uses the Have a Slice color theme for the current Sunday Stamps challenge.

Here are the cards together. The flower card uses SU stamps and papers. The bee themed card uses hero arts supplies from the Hero January kit.

For the SU flower card, I've used the very pretty DSP called Flower Field with the A Touch of Ink stamp set. I fussy cut the images after stamping. (wish these had dies!) The fussy cut images are glued to a double stitched GKD circle die, that is stamped with the small dots from the SU set.  I added a bow tied from red & gold Baker's twine. The sentiment is from the same stamp set and it's heat embossed in white EP and cut with a strip die that I notched one end to make a flag. The DSP is cut with the GKD stitched die from her Master Layout 2 die set. (I think I use this die on 90% of my cards now!) I added some small gold circles from SSS on the die cut circle for embellishment.

Here's the very simple inside, stamped with an image from the SU Happiest of Birthdays stamp set.

For the second card, I stamped the Hero Arts Bees and Flowers background stamp with VersaMark ink and heat embossed it with white EP, then blended three inks over it with blending brushes. It is also cut out with the stitched die from the GKD Master Layouts 2 die set and matted with the other die in the set with gold paper. I used the Hero Arts Infinity Hexagon die set to cut the shapes from both the stamped panel and the mat, and then glued them to a white card base. Using the one of the same dies, I cut the hexagon from the top layer of the card base so that the bee can be seen through the hexagon. 

I stamped the small hexagon image from the Hero set on a white panel and cut it and a gold mat with the GKD Master Layouts 1 die set. The glittery bee is made by stamping the bee image wth black ink on some hero arts gold glitter paper. I wasn't sure it would work without smearing, but I heat set it and it seem to be permanent. I used the same sentiment strip idea on the outside of this card as on the first card.

On the inside, I added a friend for the glittery bee, this one stamped on yellow card stock, and a birthday sentiment.

I have a few more cards that I made in the evenings this week that I'll try to get posted in the next few days. Have a great Friday all, and thanks for looking in,

Colleen

Supplies

Stampin' Up sets A Touch of Ink and Happiest of Birthdays, SU Flower Field DSP, Gina K Designs white and black card stock, Stitched Circle die, Master Layouts 2 dies, Wild Dandelion, Jelly Bean Green, Red Velvet ink, VersaMark ink, SSS white detail EP, heat tool, Misti, Gemini Jr, SU Dimensionals

Hero Arts January My Monthly Hero kit set and dies, Hero Bees & Flowers Background stamp, GKD Amalgam Black, Black Onyx, Wild Dandelion, Prickly Pear and Honey Mustard inks, Hero Infinity Hexagon dies, GKD white, Wild Dandelion and Prickly Pear card stock, Hero glittery yellow card stock, GKD Master Layouts 1 and 2 dies, VersaMark, SSS white detail EP, heat tool, Misti, Gemini Jr, SSS sequins, SU Dimensionals

You Really Are the Best

Hello stamping peeps,

I hope you had a nice weekend. As always, they are just to darn short! I worked most of the morning on Saturday, but in the afternoon, I pulled out some stamps and papers and had some fun. I like the simplicity of Judy's sketch this week on the Freshly Made Sketches blog and wanted to be sure to make a card.

While looking though some embellishments that I have in a box, I ran across some SU wooden elements and thought they would work for her sketch. I colored this wooden wreath with a dark green Copic and paired it with some retired DSP called Comfort Cafe.

I used both sides of the sheet of paper on my card. The card base is Cajun Craze, as are the tiny punched flowers that are made with an SU punch. The centers are SU enamel dots in one of the current In-color shades. The stamped sentiments on the outside and inside are from the SU set called In Bloom. The die cut flower on the inside is made with the In Bloom dies. I've used another piece of the Comfort Cafe paper for the background on the inside.

Wishing everyone a good week! Thanks for stopping in,

Colleen

Supplies

Stampin' Up In Bloom stamp set and dies, tiny flower punch, In-color enamel dots, wooden element, Mossy Meadow and Cajun Craze ink pads and Stampin' Write Markers, Cajun Craze and Very Vanilla card stock, Comfort Cafe DSP, Misti, Gemini Jr

You Make Me Smile

 Hey and Happy Monday evening,

Late Sunday afternoon stamping resulted in a card for LeAnne's challenge at the Paper Players. It is Clean and Simple week with a theme of cats. I have this older wooden stamp of a Kliban cat swinging that I've always liked. I remember that I took a class at a stamp store down in the El Cajon area of San Diego, probably at least 20 years ago, and one of the cards that we made used this stamp. I believe that the class was on making cards using only black and white paper and black ink. I also remember that it was taught by a gentleman named Mike, who was a hoot.

An interesting side story, Bernard Kliban was an artist who did cartoons for Playboy magazine, and he also drew these cats. In 1975 a friend convinced him to publish a book of his cat cartoons/drawings. Sadly, he passed away at the early age of 55 from a PE after surgery.

Back to my card, here is a swinging Kliban cat. He/she is stamped in GKD black ink on some GKD layering weight white card stock. I colored the flowers and swing with Copics and added some clouds with a blending brush and SSS stencil. After finishing the coloring, I cut the panel out with the GKD Master Layout 2 stitched die and layered it to the white card base.

The sentiments for both the outside and inside are from the Pure Magic stamp set by Julie Ebersole for Ellen Hutson.

The inside is super simple with just the sentiment and little rainbow in the corner, another stamp from Julie Ebersole.

Have a super week, and thanks for looking in,

Colleen

Supplies

BKliban wooden stamp by American Art Stamps, Pure Magic and Unicorns & Rainbows stamp sets by Julie Ebersole for Ellen Hutson, Gina K Designs Black onyx and Denim blue inks and Layering Weight white card stock, Master Layout 2 die, Copic Markers, Simon Says Stamp cloud stencil, blending brush

Faraway Hugs

 Happy Sunday morning Stamping peeps,

It's been awhile since I've posted on my blog because it's been awhile since I've had time to sit down to stamp. That whole work thing again! Can't wait until I'm retired and can "work" full time in my craft room.

I actually worked for about 4 hours yesterday to get some reports completed for one of my labs. But, I did make time in the afternoon to stamp. I love this week's Freshly Made Sketch by Amy. I think it has so many possibilities. Since I recently received some new stamps from PinkFresh Studio, I decided to use one of the flower stamps. It was a little too long for the card in a portrait format, so I rotated the sketch to landscape.

The plaid is made with a PinkFresh Studio stencil. The card base is stenciled using Spun Sugar Distress ink and the top layer is stenciled with the newest Distress color called Kitch Flamingo. The inks are applied with blending brushes. For the top stenciled layer, I taped the card stock down onto my glass mat at an angle, then put the stencil down and blended the ink. I cut this layer and the mat using Gina K Designs Master Layout 2 dies. I used black as the mat because my idea was to stamp the flower image with black ink and to not color it. It's cut out using the corresponding die. I've used SU vellum for the cross element so that the plaid shows through. The sentiments, outside and inside, are from SSS.

On the inside, I made another stenciled plaid panel with Spun Sugar. I stamped the flower image using GKD Soft Stone ink so that it would be in the corner of the panel, then stamped the greeting in black. I used the same GKD dies to cut out the panel and the mat.

We are joining our friends for brunch later this morning. We rarely go out still, but this restaurant has a very large outdoor area with tables spaced nicely apart. Looking forward to it. It's a beautiful day here in Northern San Diego, so we'll take advantage.

Have a great Sunday, and thanks for looking in,

Colleen

Supplies

Infinite Blooms stamp and die and Simple Plaid stencil from PinkFresh Studio, Gina K designs white and black card stock, Master Layout 2 & 4 dies, Black Onyx and Soft Stone inks, Tim Holts Distress inks in Spun Sugar and Kitch Flamingo, SU Vellum, VersaMark ink, SSS white EP, blending brushes, Misti, heat tool, Gemini Jr, Pretty Pink Posh pink gems, GKD connect glue

XOXO

 Happy Friday Peeps,

Yes, I'm all about TGIF this week. Besides my usual work duties, I was covering for my manager while she was on PTO this past week. Not that it was too bad, but still some issues to take care of.

I had not done any stamping in quite awhile. Instead, I finished my project of un-mounting all of my wooden SU stamps and putting them into plastic sleeves. I cut white card stock to fit the sleeves and stamped the images in each set so they can easily be seen. I also ordered some thicker mylar sheets, cut them so that I could stick the unmounted stamps to it in the sleeve. It's all wonderful. My next project is to take the sets from the DVD boxes and do the same. That will take up even less room. Not sure when I'll start that part of the project though.

I wanted to make a card for Laurie's Tic-Tac-Toe challenge at The Paper Players, but I didn't get to it until last night after dinner, hence the very late posting.

I choose to use the vertical options of die-cut, red and stencil to make my card. The background heart panel is made with a SSS stencil and a blending brush. The ink color is GKD Red Hot. The large die cut heart is from SSS and is cut from SU Poppy Parade card stock, and the flower die is from Pink Fresh Studio. The XOXO die is from either SSS or maybe Reverse Confetti, I can really remember. I cut it 3 times, glued the layers together then glued them to the card. I brushed some Nuvo glitter on and then covered it all with Glossy Accents, a technique inspired from watching Jennifer McGuire videos.

Here's the inside, stamps all from SSS.

The card base is GKD Blue Denim and on both the front and inside I used the GKD Master Layout 2 dies to cut the white stitched panel and the shadow of Poppy Parade.

Have a great Friday and weekend, and thanks for looking.

Colleen

Supplies

Love You Beary Much stamp set from the Simon Says Stamp January kit, SSS heart stencil, SSS large heart die, Pink Fresh Studio flower die, XOXO die, Gina K Designs Master Layout 2 set, Blue Denim ink and card stock, Red Hot ink, SU Whisper White and Poppy Parade card stock, Misti, Gemini Jr, Nuvo glitter pen, Glossy Accents, Connect liquid glue