Cold Snap Critter

So here are some cards I made while playing around with my new Wisteria Wonder cardstock. I had a hankering for that little penguin that emerges every year in my stamp room. It was like -40 last week when I pulled him out. Needless to say, that is what inspired these cold-snap color combos.

Stamps: Animal Crackers (retired), Cornelli Lace wheel (retired)

Ink: Night of Navy, Versamark

Paper: Wisteria Wonder, Night of Navy, Almost Amethyst, Brushed Silver cardstock, and Night of Navy dsp

Tools: Decorative Label Punch, heat tool, Snowflake Punch

Extras: Iridescent Ice embossing powder, Night of Navy grosgrain ribbon (retired), Clear Rhinestone brad

Here's a close up so you can see where I used the Iridescent Ice with the Cornelli Lace wheel. It's the same idea as my shaker card posted previously. I went a little crazy and tried it on all sorts of colors!

Then I tried a more clean and simple approach. I embossed the penguin in black this time to make him really pop, and used my Stampin' Pastels to color him in.

I thought this would be the kind of card you could give to a guy, right? At least I would...

Then I took this close up picture and realized...wait a minute...there's even some glitter in my black embossing powder!!! Not surprised really, there was glitter all over da place!

Can you see the glitter sneaking into my "manly" card? 

Lastly, this is an odd color combo that I'm still not loving, but my stamping partner disagrees, she likes this one the best! Anyways, it lead to a much better color combo that I ended up using on my shaker card, so I can't complain.

Stamps: Animal Crackers (retired)

Ink: Night of Navy, Stampin' Pastels

Paper: Wisteria Wonder, Ballet Blue (retired), and Real Razzleberry dsp

Tools: Decorative Label Punch, Snowflake Punch

Extras: Dazzling Diamonds glitter, Night of Navy grosgrain ribbon (retired), Subtles Glimmer Brad 

Speaking of the shaker card...i'm all excited to say it was one of the picks of the week over at Hand Stamped Sentiments! See my new badge on the side bar? Click it to see for yourself.

Here's hoping the deep freeze helped you get creative too!

HSSTC101: Hand Stamped Sentiments Technique Challenge

I have never made a shaker card before. I've always been intimidated by all the work they involved. Don't I sound like a lazy stamper? In the past I've always been interested in making a stack of every card that I make, so that I could have more to mail out, more to give as gifts, etc. But with the new year, I decided I wanted to try posting some cards to challenges, and a whole new window opened up to me. I discovered what it was like to take my sweet time at making a single card and incorporating much more detail into a single card than I ever used to. I can't tell you how much fun it is!

This week I decided to try making a shaker card for the Hand Stamped Sentiments Technique Challenge # 101.  I'll be honest, I had to look up how to do this and was glad that along with the challenge the ladies there incorporated a "how-to"resource. Well, here it is: My first shaker card!

Stamps: Cornelli Lace jumbo wheel (retired), Holiday Happiness, Christmas Punch (retired)

Ink: Real Razzleberry, Ballet Blue, Versamark, white gel pen

Paper: Real Razzleberry, Ballet Blue, Bashful Blue cardstock, Real Razzleberry dsp

Tools: Oval Scallop punch, Large Oval punch, Boho Blossoms punch, 2 3/8" Scallop punch, Snowflake punch, punch pack (circle)

Extras: Iridescent Ice and White embossing powders, heat tool, Iridescent ice tinsel trim (retired)

I fell upon this color combo as I was trying to make other cards, which I will post later on, and discovered how beautifully Real Razzleberry and Ballet Blue go together. Now, sadly Ballet Blue is retired, but I'm willing to sacrifice what I had left for a color combo that really speaks to me like this one.

I recently purchased another retired item from Stampin' Up!'s recent Clearance Rack Blitz called Cornelli Lace. It's a jumbo wheel with the pattern shown below...

It's not overly obvious how this pattern was incorporated into the details of my card, so let me show you. Can you see it in the background of my snowflake shaker? I stamped the wheel up in Versamark and then heat embossed Iridescent Ice over top...eeeeee! So pretty! It's also in the background of smaller snowflakes added to the card. Just a way to add a little hint of sparkle in a different sort of way.

I put some clear/white "snowflakes" in my shaker. I punched a large snowflake out of a scallop and thought it worked as a cute "window" but needed to add some real white with my white gel pen to highlight it. My other little snowflakes are heat embossed in white, overtop of the Cornelli Lace pattern already mentioned.

I also tried this Cornelli Lace pattern on light blue cardstock and found that it went nicely with this color combo. I used this as the background to my greeting and stamped overtop of it in Real Razzleberry. Then used the Oval Scallop Punch (also bought off the clearance rack for an insanely awesome price!) to frame it.

Wait, I'm not done! See that cool trim around my snowlfake? It's the Irisdecent tinsel trim from the clearance rack, yet again! Nothing is better than something pretty on CLEARANCE!

Here's hoping you find something on clearance that inspires you too!

CCMC184 & CQ119

I needed a birthday card and I wanted to try and incorporated the colors from the ColorQ challenge this week, since they were such a bright and cheery combo. I ended up missing the deadline for the Color Q challenge by an hour! ugh! Oh well, I'm new to these challenges and still learning when and how to submit them. Regardless, it gave me a great color palette to work with, aren't those colors great?

                    

I thought I'd also try to use the layout on Create with Connie and Mary for their weekly challenge. I already knew which stamp set I wanted to use. Can you believe I've had this set for about 6 months and this is the first time I'm using it? I'm embarrassed but it's true...so here's my card!

Stamp set: Birthday Bakery (retired)
Ink: Basic Grey, Melon Mambo, Pumpkin Pie, Pretty in Pink pads and markers
Paper: Pumpkin Pie, Melon Mambo, Whisper White cardstock, and Pretty in Pink DSP from the subtles paper pack
Extras: Dazzling Diamonds glitter, Pumpkin Pie satin ribbon, Pretty in Pink 1/8" taffeta
Tools: 2 way glue pen, Ribbon Scalloped Edge punch, sticky strip, dimensionals, glue dots, blender pens


Aren't those cakes just the cutest ever? I had so much fun coloring them!!! Here's a close up of the cakes so you can see their glitter accents.

And a little peek at what's inside, shows a little cupcake.

Yay! Well I'm off to the birthday party to give this card away. 

Hope these little cakes brought a smile to your day too.

Check it out!

I submitted my fireworks card to the Friday Mashup last week and I sorta can't believe I got picked as a Glamette!

I'm very new to challenges, and this is the first time I've been picked for anything, so I'm overjoyed!

Take a look!

I was Kasey`s pick as a Glamette for FM#39. Aren't there some gorgeous cards there? Intimidating stuff eh? But this just makes me want to "play" at more challenges. What fun!

Hope you have a happy day!

Kimono Kids in Poppy Parade

I was inspired by the idea of Chinese New Year, after having so much fun on New Year's eve. Probably looking to extend it and find another reason to celebrate...haha. Anyways, I knew I had a cute set that I had gotten last summer when the list of retiring stamps came out that might work.

I found a similar color combo when looking in the Creative Crew's January Challenge on Splitcoast Stampers and it gave me the inspiration to use the colours on the card below.

Stamp set: Kimono Kids (retired)

Paper: Poppy Parade, Pink Pirouette, Brushed Gold, Black, Whisper White, and Wild Wasabi (I just had to!) cardstock

Ink: Poppy Parade, Pink Pirouette, Wild Wasabi, Versamark, Basic Black, 

Tools: Paper Crimper, Word Window punch, Dotted Scallop Border Ribbon punch, Heat gun

Extras: Gold and Black embossing powders, Crystal Effects

The set is called Kimono Kids, and I realize that these kids are Japanese and not Chinese. Oh well, I was all inspired, and refused to allow this to stop me and really.. what does it matter? All that matters is inspiration! Aren't they adorable?

The lanterns are outlined in black embossing powder for that raised effect. I added some details with gold embossing powder, poppy parade marker, and Crystal Effects.

My first darling girl's outline and hair are done with black embossing powder. I wanted the hair to be jet black and glossy. 

My second girl has a few gold touches to her outfit.

Some inside detail...

I added a few stamps to the envelope too, but they were hard to capture :s

This card was a lot of work, but so much fun to do! Hope you can find some inspiration in your day too!