Desert Details for #TGIF413

Bust out your vellum and add it to your next hand-stamped project and join the #TGiF413 challenge. I used the Vellum Basics to add a bit of flair to my Desert Details card. It's hard to see but there is a bit of a leaf print to this vellum which adds just the right amount of visual interest and texture.

Besides the Vellum Basics and Petal Pink Cardstock everything else on the card comes from the Delicate Desert Suite Collection. I love the embellishments. They are the Pale Papaya Faux Velvet Ribbon and the Gold Faceted Adhesive Backed Sequins.

Here's a look at the inside. While your supplies are out, stamp up the inside for a fabulous inner finish.

Spring Colors for Hand Stamped Sentiments

How about this welcoming color combination for a card challenge? Just create with Fresh Freesia, Pear Pizzazz, and Balmy Blue and you'll be set to meet our latest challenge over at Hand Stamped Sentiments.

I put this card together with scraps on my desk and a couple piece of DSP from the Dandy Designs pack of DSP.  The stamped images are from the True Beauty Stamp Set. I did do some ink blending on the stem and the flower. The stem was first inked with Balmy Blue and then I dabbed a bit of Pear Pizzazz ink directly on the inked stamp with a Blending Brush. For the flower I used Fresh Freesia and Highland Heather. Ink blending directly on stamps is one of my most used techniques.

Artisan Post #3: Enjoy the Journey

I was assigned the Enjoy the Journey Suite Collection for my March Artisan projects. Let me say "what fabulously versatile collection this is." It's feminine and masculine; it's great for card making and memory keeping. There is so much you can do.

This is a 4 3/4" square card based on Night of Navy cardstock. I did some ink blending around the edges with Gorgeous Grape, Starry Sky, and Night of Navy. While I had the ink pads open I stamped the greeting. I mixed in a little Fresh Freesia along with Gorgeous Grape and Night of Night to create an ombre of color. The runners were all cut from the Enjoy the Journey DSP. I added them to the card with Stampin' Dimensionals.

This fold up accordion mini-album is created on one sheet of 11" x 8" piece of Thick Basic White Cardstock. I used the Alphabet a la Mode Dies for the "Half Dome" on the Window Sheet belly band and a hand stamped banner. I masked one of the images from the Enjoy the Journey Stamp Set to stamp the word "adventure." I did lots more masking of images to create custom pops of journaling inside the mini-album.

All of the stamped images are from the Greatest Journey Stamp Set.  For the ticker, clouds, tent, and shrubs I used the Greatest Journey Dies. And for the circles, squares, and banners were cut using the Stylish Shapes Dies.

#TGIF411 It's Taco Fiesta Time!

It's Taco Fiesta time for this sketch challenge from #TGIF411.  If you are a fan of tacos, chips, salsa, spicy bold flavors, and parties then this stamp set is for you.  I totally adore this set and it makes me happy to create with it every time I ink it up.

Let me tell you about what I've used. I started with a So Saffron card base and then added a layer of Flowers and More DSP. Next, I added another layer of So Saffron. On this piece I stamped the trio of tortilla chips all over using a Crushed Curry Ink Pad and splattered it with a Crumb Cake Stampin' Blend. After that I ran the stamped piece through the Stampin' Cut Emboss Machine and the Sweet Citrus Hybrid Embossing Folder.

The smaller strips of pattern paper also were from the Flowers and More pack. The white circle was cut using one of the dies from Stylish Shapes. Then it was time to add all my Taco Fiesta fussy cut elements. All the images were stamped with Night of Navy Ink and colored with various Stampin' Blends. I especially love the blue corn tortilla chips!

Let the Fun Begin Sketch Challenge

I'm always up for a sketch challenge and that's what we have over at Hand Stamped Sentiments. This sketch is open to all kinds of possibilities. I will say I see a tombstone when I look at the graphic. It's a good thing that when I brought the layout to life it no longer looked like a grave marker. 

For this card I used the Delicate Desert Suite Collection and a few added supplies: my card base is Pool Party, there's a bit of Linen Thread, and I added several Genial Gems. All other papers, dies, and stamps are from the collection.

I slightly altered my take on the sketch to fit the elements of my card. The greeting felt too squished to place it in the bottom right corner. And that's the fun of challenges. They are designed to inspire your creative process and if you decide to change things up you can do it. There are no sketch challenge police.

Petal Park for Monday Montage

Have you created anything using the Petal Park Bundle? The stamp and punch combo is such a treat. You get three flowers in one stamp and you can punch them all out with one squeeze. For today's Monday Montage Blog Hop I am sharing a spring colored "thank you" card showcasing the Petal Park Bundle and several other Jan-Apr Mini Catalog products.

I have included the Cane Weave 3D Embossing Folder (a must have), the Sentimental Park Dies, and the Something Fancy Bundle. Also I used scraps from my desk which were cut from Stitched Rectangles and Basic Borders Dies. This is one of those cards where you create to your hearts content. 

I do believe the inside of the card needs to be just as pretty. Everything I used for the interior of the card I used on the front. I didn't add any new product. The background stamps are from Petal Park and the label and greeting are from the Something Fancy Bundle.

Okay folks that's it for me today. Next up is Emily or you can work backwards and head over to Cheryl's blog. Enjoy and happy stampin'.

Creation Station is Ink Blending

Ink blending is out theme this month for our Creation Station Blog Hop. I blend ink all the time when I am stampin'. Sometimes I blend ink on white cardstock other times on colored cardstock, but for this hop I blended ink colors directly on stamp images.

It's a simple technique with a big impact. Simply pick two colors for your image. Next ink up in the your stamp with the lighter color. Load a Blending Brush with your darker ink color and then tap it here and there directly on your image and stamp on your paper.

For several of the flowers in these cards I used Pale Papaya, my lighter color, and Polished Pink. A couple of the other flowers were stamped with Pale Papaya and Cajun Craze.

All three cards feature the stamps and dies from the Desert Details Bundle. I also used the Delicate Desert DSP, the Dry Brushed Specialty Paper, and the Gold Faceted Adhesive-Backed Sequins. All together these products are part of the Delicate Desert Suite Collection.

Take a close look at the many "delicate details" in the die cuts. This is why I added this bundle to my library of products--the dies are FANTASTIC!

I hope you have been inspired to try ink blending directly on your rubber stamps. Next up in our hop is the sweet and super talented Rachel. Let's go see what type of ink blending she has been doing.

A Paper Pumpkin Thing Blog Hop: Sunshine & Smiles

Welcome, welcome all to our blog hop today. We are A Paper Pumpkin Thing and we are sharing alternative projects showcasing the Sunshine and Smiles Kit from last month.

February's Paper Pumpkin Kit has been OUTSTANDING in every way. It's totally adorable, it coordinates with the Rain or Shine Suite Collection in the Jan.-Apr. Mini Catalog, and it had an add on of dies. 

My first project here is what I call a One Sheet Wonder Box. It's made from a 5 1/2" x 8 1/2" piece of Balmy Blue cardstock (I have shared the pattern below). I included some of the Rain or Shine DSP to decorate the box. And then used printed die cuts from the PP Kit to embellish the box front.

 

For the circle handles I used two pieces from the Stylish Shapes Dies cut from Thick Basic White. I did use some Blushing Bride Frayed Grosgrain Ribbon (retired) to tie the handles together and finish the box with some spring style.

For this card I flipped the kit card base inside out. I used the Stylish Shapes Dies again to cut the circle layer and the banner. Both were cut from a scrap of one of the yellow plaid card bases. The focal bunny is from the coordinating Rain or Shine DSP. I used my paper snips to cut out the image.

Before I added the die cut circle to the card I splattered Balmy Blue ink with a Water Painter. I wanted to mimic the raindrops. Another detail to note is that the flower printed die cut on the left was cropped. I saved the flowers I cropped off for another project. 

Here's a look at the inside. You can see behind the opening I added white cardstock. It's a 4 1/4" x 5 1/2" piece of Thick Basic White Cardstock which I splattered with more Balmy Blue ink.

Be sure to click on each of the links to hop with each of us sharing projects today. Also, be sure to be signed up for this month's 10 Years of Growth Paper Pumpkin Kit. From the sneak peeks the kit looks like it will be filled with bold colors AND a second stamp set! Sign up by March 10th.