Happy Father's Day Dad!

Hi Everyone!

Tonight I am going out on a limb and hoping that my Dad doesn't look at this blog before Father's Day as tonight I am showcasing his card. :)

As always, I used a few challenges to gain inspiration:

1) Create with Connie and Mary

I really thought this week's sketch was really fun.  I wanted to bring a little something different to the sketch so I decided to use the "happy" as one of the layers.  I'm pretty sure the ladies won't mind.

2) The Friday Mashup


This week I chose to mash it up!

This week's Mashup Challenge is: 

• Create a project with the colors "Cajun Craze, Island Indigo and Garden Green"
• Create a project with a "Father's Day Theme"
• or Mash it Up! and Create a project with "The challenge colors and a Father's Day theme".

3) QKR Stampede Challenge

This a new challenge for me and this week's theme is Father's Day.

4) Just Us Girls

I love the look of the stacked "happy"

And here is my creation:

Card Recipe (all products used are Stampin' up! products unless otherwise indicated):

Card Stock: Tip Top Taupe, Cajun Craze, Island Indigo, Adventure Bound DSP Stack (Retired)

Stamp Set: Crazy About You

Inks: Island Indigo

Tools/Techniques: Hello Thinlets, Big Shot, Oval punches

Thanks for stopping by, I'm so glad you did!

Steph

An In Colour Christmas

Hi All,

I got to craft with a lovely friend for a while on Mother's Day and it was so much fun.  It has been quite some time since I have had a chance to sit and craft for no good reason other than for pleasure. It was awesome.

Seeing as we are about to embark on a new Stampin' Up! catalogue, I thought it would be fun to use some of those awesome In Colours that will be retiring at the end of the month one last time.  And it just so happened that the team over at Fab Friday are having a challenge to use ANY OR ALL of the In Colours - woohoo!

I also really liked the sketch over at Try Stampin' on Tuesday (unfortunately, I missed the cut off for entering in this challenge):

I also chose to enter my creation in the challenge over at Just Us Girls.  Their challenge this week was to use the embossing trend.  It's hard to see but I heat embossed my Christmas Bauble using silver embossing powder prior to colouring it in.

Here is my creation:

I also meant to dry emboss the Crisp Cantaloupe strip but totally forgot until I already had it stuck to the front of the card - oh well!

Card Recipe (all products are Stamping' Up! products unless otherwise indicated):

Card Stock:  Baked Brown Sugar, Crisp Cantaloupe, Coastal Cabana, Strawberry Slush, Whisper White
Stamp Sets: Christmas Bauble, Ornamental Pine
Inks: Baked Brown Sugar, Pistachio Pudding, Crisp Cantaloupe, Strawberry Slush, Coastal Cabana, Memento Black
Tools/Techniques: Silver Embossing Powder, Heat Tool

Thanks for stopping by, I'm so glad you did!
Steph

Happy Birthday Balloons

Hi Everyone,

I'm a little late posting this but yesterday was Monday so that means another fabulous sketch over at Atlantic Hearts Sketch Challenge!!  I do hope you will take the time to swing by the blog, check out the other Design Team creations and play along.  We love seeing our favs but also new players!!

Also, tune in next week for something very special as it will be sketch #100 for AHSC - you won't want to miss out!!

Here is this week's fantastic sketch:

And here is my card for this week:

I love the colours that are used in the DSP from Stampin' Up!'s Sale-a-bration catalogue - they are just so fun and cheery!  I also fussy cut the balloons and sentiments - I don't often like to fussy cut but it was worth it for this look.  I also used a strip from the Birthday Bash Specialty DSP in the Occasions Catalogue - I love these sheets as they have flecks of gold foil in them although it is hard to see in the pictures.  It just adds such a lovely effect to the card.

As always, I'm playing along with a few challenges to get the mojo going.

1. Just Us Girls

This week is a trend week  over at Just Us Girls and they are looking for "Splatters".  I chose to use this splattered DSP as the background for my card.

2. Addicted to Stamps and More

It's a photo inspiration week over at Addicted to Stamps and More.  The photo reminded me of a birthday party setup and I used some of the colours from the photo as well in my card.

3. Seize the Birthday

I chose not to use the toppings option this week at Seize the Birthday but rather to go with the Anything Goes option.  I love that they have the Anything Goes option each week and it gives a great opportunity to build up your Birthday stash any way you like.

Card Recipe (all products used are Stampin' Up! products unless otherwise indicated):

Card Stock: Crushed Curry, Whisper White, Best Year Ever DSP, Birthday Bash Specialty DSP
Stamp Set: Balloon Bash
Inks: Bermuda Bay, Calypso Coral, Crushed Curry
Tools/Techniques: Best Year Ever Accessory Pack - 1/4" Polyester Ribbon - Crushed Curry

Thanks so much for stopping by, I'm so glad you did!
Steph

A Calm Sea....

Hi Everyone!

Happy Monday!  I do hope you all had a fantastic weekend - I did.  Movie and dinner with some lovely friends on Friday, wine and a book on Saturday and crafting with a wonderful friend on Sunday night - I don't think it gets much better.

During crafting last night, I decided to get inspired by some fun and fantastic challenges - I know, I know, big surprise!!

Here are the challenges I will be playing along with:

1. Stampin' Celebration

I have been wanting to use the Adventure Awaits stamp set for some time now and the sketch from Stampin' Celebration this week was a great one that would be wonderful to showcase the stamps.  So very fun.

2. Color Throwdown

I loved this week's colours for the Color Throwdown.  I interpreted them to be Coastal Cabana, Night of Navy, Crumb Cake and Real Red and thought they would be perfect for a nautical themed card.

3. Just Us Girls

This week is word week over at Just Us Girls and the word is "masculine".  I thought it would be fun to add to my guy card stash and for once, create a card that wasn't a birthday card that screamed masculine.  I think the colour combination and nautical theme works here.

4. Stampin' Royalty

I love having a chance to try new techniques or ones that I don't use that often.  This week over at Stampin' Royalty the technique to be used is embossing.  I both wet embossed the stamped image on the Adventure Bound DSP stack and dry embossed on the Real Red accents.

Here is my card tonight:

Card Recipe (all products used are Stampin' Up! products unless otherwise indicated):

Card Stock: Crumb Cake, Real Red, Adventure Bound DSP Stack, Maritime DSP
Stamp Sets: Adventure Awaits
Inks: Versamark
Tools/Techniques: Big Shot, Arrows Embossing Folder, Black Embossing Powder, Little Labels Framelits, Heat tool

Thanks for dropping by, I'm so glad you did!
Steph

A Blackberry Bliss Christmas

Hi Everyone,

It's time for another absolutely fabulous sketch over at Atlantic Hearts Sketch Challenge.  I had such a fun time with this sketch and I encourage you to head over to the blog on Wednesday and check out the rest of the wonderfully talented Design Team creations.  These girls are AWESOME!  Make sure to take some time to play along as well!!

Here is this week's great sketch:

I decided that it would be fun to turn this sketch on it's side and see what came to me.  I also wanted to use some non-conventional colours for this Christmas Card so I chose Blackberry Bliss and Gold.  I also had a new stamp set that had not seen any ink just yet and I wanted to try it out - Letterpress Winter.

I know it's hard to see but the images are heat embossed in gold.  I also used gold foil sheets and embossed the background.  

I will also be entering this card in a few other challenges this week:

1. Paper Players

I love their theme this week - how fun!

2. Inkspirational

This week's theme is Anything Goes with Gold - love it!

3. Just Us Girls Paper Challenge

This week is their "Word Week":

Card Recipe (all products used are Stampin' Up! unless otherwise indicated):

Card Stock - Blackberry Bliss, Gold Foil Paper

Stamp Sets - Letterpress Winter

Inks - Versamark

Tools/Techniques - Gold Embossing Powder, Heat Tool, Gold Sequin Trim, Pretty Print Embossing Folder, Top Note Bigz Die, Big Shot

Thanks for dropping by, I am so glad you took the time!

Steph

Thanks for Fall!

Hi Everyone!

We have another super fun sketch this week over at Atlantic Hearts Sketch Challenge!  I have so much fun being part of the design team with these ladies - it is such a fun and supportive group.  I encourage you to drop over to the blog and check out the other Design Team creations - it will definitely inspire you.  But don't forget - the DT creations are not up on the blog until Wednesday each week.  This gives you time to play along before you see what was in our heads!

Here is this week's sketch:

I decided to turn the sketch sideways this week as I really wanted to use one of my newest stamp sets - Seasonally Scattered from Stampin' Up!  I love the sentiments in this set - Thanks, Merry & Love - simply beautiful.  I chose to use this set and incorporate some Fall colours as we are approaching a very Thankful time of year.

There are a few other challenges that I would like to enter my card in as well.

First, The Card Concept has a fall colour challenge this week - their inspiration picture also pulled me to use the stamp above on my card.  I chose to play along using my Clean and Layered card.  

Also, Stampin Up Only Challenges is having an Autumn Colours challenge and I thought my card would fit in with their concept this week.

Finally, the ladies over at Just Us Girls have a fantastic inspiration photo - I really loved all of the fall colours.  My card was definitely influenced by this gorgeous photo:

Card Recipe (all products are Stampin' Up! unless otherwise indicated):

Card Stock: Cajun Craze, Always Artichoke, Whisper White, Flowerpot DSP

Stamp Sets: Seasonally Scattered

Inks: Cajun Craze, Always Artichoke, Crushed Curry

Tools/Techniques: Stampin' Write Markers, Big Shot, Woodgrain Embossing Folder

I would love it if you would choose to follow my blog!

Thanks for dropping by!

Steph

With Heartfelt Sympathy

Hi Everyone,

I know it has been quite some time since I have posted but there has been a lot going on here in my life - both good and bad.  But, I'm happy to be back and to be able to feel like getting in my craft room again.

Tonight I needed to make a sympathy card for a friend of mine who lost her husband just last week.  I don't believe in having sympathy cards on hand as I am a little superstitious and believe it is bad luck.  But, at the same time, I really dislike making them - don't we all?

I decided that I would combine a few challenges tonight to make my card.  The first is Colour Me...!  This week is the special 5th week of the month which leaves us being "Creative" and choosing up to 5 colours to use in our card or project.

I decided to use the colours over at Pals Paper Arts for this card.  This week they are combining Real Red, Bermuda Bay and Crumb Cake.  I thought that although these colours usually strike me as a happy colour set, that they could also be used for a Sympathy Card to try to bring  a little sunshine into a very sad time.

Finally, I decided to combine the colours with the sketch challenge over at Just Us Girls for this week.  I really liked the clean lines of this sketch and had ideas pop in my head right away.  This is a challenge that I've never played with before so it is nice to enter somewhere new.  

I used one of my favourite stamp sets for this card - Simply Sketched.  I am really disappointed to see this one retire and I haven't decided if I will be letting this one go or not.  We'll see...

And here is my card for tonight:

Card Recipe:

Card Stock: Whisper White, Crumb Cake, Fresh Prints DSP

Ink: Basic Black, Real Red. Crumb Cake

Stamp Sets: Simply Sketched

Tools/Techniques: Basic pearls, Sponging, Envelope Punch Board (to round the corners)

I'll post about the Stampin' Up! 2014 Annual Catalog Premiere later this week and post a few photos to go along with it.  It was a great event!

Thanks for dropping by!

Steph