Sketchy Berries?

I'm such a sucker for a sketch.  I created this card for one of Dirty Dare challenges last week, but then I forgot to ever tuck it into the gallery. Forgot!  Off to do that now.....If you haven't yet completed the challenges, get going, the galleries close tomorrow!!

I hadn't yet used the strawberry stamp from Gina K's summer harvest (the current one free with three set) and thought they'd fit nicely within this sketch. 

I left it sentiment free so that I can pop whatever I need on at the last minute as I'm keeping this fun little summery card in my stash for the next time I need a quick note. 

The panels are scored diagonally, then stitched all around the edge.  The image was stamped with Memento Tuxedo Black ink then colored with my Copic markers.   I then went over the edges of the berries with my Atyou Spica pen for a little shine on the berries.  

Hope you have a berry nice day!  (oh, sorry, I couldn't help myself....)

With Sprinkles on Top

There is this little girl I know... and let me say, she's all girl.  Pink dresses - each one cuter than the last. Will loudly proclaim "Hey Joanne.... I love you!!" many times throughout the day, brightens up my spirits every time I hear it!! So, I knew it had to be a girly girl card for her.  Full of pinks and purple....  

I picked up this designer paper a while ago, but man, that purple, it just paralyzed me.  I think I've mentioned that when I have designer paper that intimidates me, I tend to mix it up with even more paper that intimidates me, and just run with it.  And then somehow, I don't get it, but the MORE just blends and then, and then I'm okay with it. Bizarre I know.....

This combined two of the Dare to Be Dirty challenges last week. I actually have more than a few stamps with cupcakes on it, so I used the sentiment from my Stampendous set and the cupcake from my Hero Arts set.  The half pearls were part of a sweet little package from Barb Schramm!  Thanks chickie!

This paper is Crate Paper Kaitlyn Collection and I've sewn just about every scrap of it down.  Hope my little cupcake liked it!  

Quietly Stitched

Did I ever have fun stamping the week away last week during the Dare to Get Dirty challenges.  I'm so excited to say that I completed every one of the challenges!  I was usually able to combine at least a few here and there so that I didn't have to create a unique card for every single challenge.

Some of them made me stop and think, some of them came together quickly, and others, well, others well, lets say were a challenge indeed!  But that's the fun right? 

Isn't it funny though, how sometimes the cards that you're least sure of are the ones that people comment on the most?  I wasn't even sure I liked this, was it too clean? Did the pearls cover too much of the flowers?  Was it boring? I wasn't sure. But after all that sewing, I was going to post it and move on.  

This is now the second most commented card in my gallery. Go figure! Thanks everyone!! 

This is Framed Flowers by Carolyn King for Gina K Designs.  I have the lovely Barbara Schramm to thank for the half pearls, they were sent to me as part of a recent Secret Swapper (thanks girlfriend!) 

Hope you all have a great day!  There is still time to complete the challenges on Splitcoast if you're interested. The challenges will be "open" for submissions till August 1st!  

Challenged

About two years ago, I signed up for a six month club with a friend of mine who is a Stampin Up demonstrator.  I joined more for the night out than for the actual stamping.....  I became adept at replicating her designs each month to complete my own pages, and would buy my minimum order, which would promptly sit there unused.  I knew how to copy her designs, but was baffled as to what I'd do with stamps of my own.  

To try to put all that spending to work, I decided I'd do at least one challenge weekly on Splitcoast.  I wanted to get outside my comfort zone and try new things. 

My collection grew, and quickly, as I'd see that I didn't have any of the colors ever selected for the weekly color challenges.  Sketch challenges were, and still are... my favorite one to play along because then I could see what stamp in my ever growing collection might be just right for the "assignment."

But as I've become busier and busier with custom card orders, and design team projects, I seem to have fallen off the Splitcoast Wagon.  But I'm back with gusto this week.  I'm LOVING playing along in the Dare to Be Dirty challenges this week.  Hey, a girl can dream right?  

Its been so fun to try new things each day again, and to look at each project as a real challenge, a puzzle to be solved.... and I love looking at the galleries to see how each of us tackle the challenge so differently.  

I've been on a Gina K postapalooza enjoying all the new rubbah for last night's launch - were you there?  Its always SO fun!! But, I couldn't let my My Favorite Things stamps go too long without usage... 'cause I just love them!

The little Dirty Piggy card was made with "Punny Farm" for Holly's (aka Toy's) challenge on Thursday.  

The second card using "Rain or Shine" (ahem, maybe my most favorite MFT set yet.....)  is for the 40th week of sketch challenges on the MFT Member Company forum and also was made for Jody's Dare to Be Dirty challenge on Monday.  

You can find all the Dare to be Dirty challenges over here - but you'll only be able to access the page if you are a Splitcoast Fan club member. Totally worth it IMHO!  

So far, I've only missed one of these Splitcoast challenges this week, and that's only because I don't own any vellum paper.  I'll be rectifying that today so that I can play along! 

Have a fantastic weekend! I'll be back on Sunday with a green post, then a few more cards from the Gina K release later next week!  

Little Tees - Hers and Mine

Is it me, or has this week just FLOWN by? Tonight is the night, Gina K will be launching four new sets over on the Member Company Forum.  Today I'm thrilled to have two fun cards using Melanie's newest set titled "Little Tees" 

I've been having a LOT of fun playing in all the Dare to Be Dirty challenges over on Splitcoast Stampers this week, and was thrilled that Julie HRR (if  you didn't know, that stands for Her Royal Rubberness!!) posted a challenge to make a clean and simple card with a lot of white space. 

That used to terrify me, but now I find it really fun.  Imagine how thrilled I was that my card got a JulieHRR "THUD"(If you're on splitcoast, you know what I'm talkin' about!!) I giggled and jumped around in my kitchen with glee!  

This card I made with my bestie in mind Meri. Sweetheart, I hope you don't mind that I'm callin you out as a diva.  This girl can be counted on to have on something snazzy and stylish and be carrying a bag to match at any given moment of the day.  Me on the other hand, I'm usually in a polo shirt and capri pants.  Usually with a ponytail, quite often, with a Red Sox baseball cap to boot.  

I had the idea to make this Diva Shirt for her as soon as I saw the stamp set.  Because I couldn't get black ink to come out crisp enough (um, it was the ink's fault, not the stamp --- I need some reinkers for my stamp pads!!) I decided to stamp the image of the shirt on black paper, then embossed it for some added detail and trimmed it out.  I stamped DIVA with white craft ink and then embossed that as well.  I found these fun rhinestones at Stampology in Chicago just with this shirt in mind.  

So, if my bestie is a Diva, what shirt represents me?  Well a Polo Shirt wasn't in the stamp set.... but this is the closest thing to me in the set I'd say....

I stamped the same t-shirt onto a piece of Crate Paper's Blue Hill collection, and hung it out on a piece of Hemp Twine.  The little tag reads "Lets Hang Out" ....just love that sentiment!!  It is on a Cuttlebug Tiny Tag die on chipboard and then hung off of a piece of wide width grosgrain ribbon tied in a bow. 

You'll just love the variety of options in this set.  Mel is so good about making sure you all get the most for your money, and this stamp set is no exception!  So many fun flexible options!  Just WAIT till you see them all.

To see more with this super fun set, be sure to check Gina's blog.  You'll also find more samples from: 

Melanie Muenchinger

Julie Koerber

Barba Schram

Last but not least, don't forget to join us over on the Gina K Member Company forum TONIGHT from 7pm to 10pm Central Time.  As always Gina will be there (as well as many of us from the DT with questions, challenges, giveaways and project samples too!) Hope to see you there!

Cracked the Glass......

I have another preview using the "Flowers for Daisy" set that will be released this coming Thursday from Gina K Designs.  One of the Dirty Dare 08 challenges yesterday was for a masculine card, while I wouldn't put the flowers on a card for a man, I would say that the verses are equally suitable to either gender.  

I've been wanting to try the Cracked Glass technique ever since Shannan used it on a Unity card a few weeks ago. What a neat technique. All you need is some Versamark, Clear Embossing Powder and a Heat Gun.  I used my Ranger Distress Ink to deepen the Very Vanilla cardstock before applying all those layers of Clear EP.  All the edges of the card are distressed with my Tonic Edge distressing tool. 

I **wish** I still had some twill tape around for this card, but the striped ribbon was my backup.  I know, not so much ribbon on a guy card, but this is subtle eh?  

Don't forget to hop on over to Gina's blog to see the TWO latest stamp set that she's previewing today. Blurfing around, you'll also see some rockin' samples from Asela Hopkins, Melanie Muenchinger, Emily Giovanni, Linsey Rickett, Kurtis Amundson, Erika Martin and Faith Hofrichter.

Have a great day everyone!

 

Nothin but a Dirty Wanna Be...

I'm so excited that this week is the Dare to Get Dirty challenges over on Splitcoast Stampers.  I missed out on this super fun event last year - I was on vacation without stamps or internet access-eeeks!!

I hope to be able to play along in a lot of the challenges this week.  This card combines the Watercoloring Challenge as well as the Clean Card Challenge.  

If you're not already a member of the Splitcoast Fan Club whatever are you waiting for? Instant uploads, access to the Dirty Dozen gallery which always holds some of the most beautiful and clever creations!  And this week, the chance to play along with my stamping idols to boot!  What's not to love?

This is another sample using the soon to be released "Flowers for Daisy" set from Gina K Designs.  Please be sure to stop by Asela's blog to read the story behind the design. But warning, grab a tissue, because I was streaming tears reading her beautiful post. 

I did post another card using an upcoming Gina K Designs release.  I won't be sharing it here till later in the week, but you can find it here on Splitcoast if you're interested in a little preview of what else is coming later this week!