Be yourself

Today I wanted to create a card using a technique showcased in the Stampin' Success Magazine.  In this technique you use a piece of felt and reinkers as your stamp pad.  It allows you to use a single stamp and stamp it once and not have to use markers to get the different colors. It's a great technique when you'll be making many cards of the same design (such as a Christmas card) and do not want to re-marker the stamp for each card.  It is fast! I used the Happy Together set with the three birds.  I find this set of three birds funny.  The middle bird just seems to be marching to her own beat. I played this up by giving the middle bird (that sounds almost naughty!) a different color and some bling.  She also has some "lip" stick too.  Lipstick on a bird...okay, that just makes me laugh.  The sentiment says, "Be yourself," and on the inside of the card, it says, "Nobody is better suited." 

I added a flower from an old pretties kit, but you can now buy them without buying the whole kit. They are called paper daisies and you can find them on page 188 of the catalog.  I sponged some Pear Pizzazz onto it to make it blend better and then topped it with a knot of the new In Color Ribbon in Pear Pizzazz.  The DSP is from the Nursery Suite Specialty.  I think Pear Pizzazz is going to be one of my favorite colors!

Thanks for taking the time to stop by today.

Have a good one!

Kristine

SSUS swap and a double page

I did get the latest card photographed, so here's the post.  I made this card for a swap in the Sensational Stampin' Up Swappers group I belong to.  I used the new set Just Believe and some of the new DSP from the package Walk in the Park. The paper looked like smooth stones covered in moss to me, and that made me think of an Asian garden, and that sparked the design.  The three "pebbles" on the left side of the card are the clear dots that belong to the build a brads!  I wanted to continue with the pebble idea, and these were the size I wanted.  The colors are directly out of the new color coach.  At first I thought Wild Wasabi and Perfect Plum? Really?  But I decided to try it.  At first I was non-plussed by what I had designed.  But the more I look at it, the more I like it!

I stamped the image in black Staz-on and then "highlighted" the plant with my markers.  Not sure about the sponging around the edges.  I left that off on the swaps I made for the gals.

Next is my latest pages in my girlfriend's new baby scrapbook.  The paper is retired, and called Muirfield.  The color is the returning color Baja Breeze.  Such a wonderful hue of blue, don't you think? 

Thanks for taking some time to spend here today.  Have a great day!

Kristine

Long time no see

It's been awhile. Life can surly get away from a Mom, don't you think? So here are my latest cards.  The first two are inspired by Mary Fish.  Her work is so simple, yet elegant.  She's my go to CASE.  She's a lovely person besides!

 
 

The next card is a direct CASE from Nancy Riley.  She uses the color palette I like, and her work is eye catching. 

Isn't the reversing of the color squares great!  Love it! 

And the final card is inspired from a card I saw somewhere on the Internet.  I just came back from California, was thinking of card ideas, and California poppies seemed just the thing.  With the new In Color Poppy Parade, it was super easy.  The technique is masking.  Masking allows putting some images "behind" others for more of a dimensional look.

The sentiment is a bit wonky, but I'm still learning to use the clear stamps. It's not a serious card, so a "jumpy" sentiment isn't such a bad thing!

I have two more cards to share...and I will do my darnedest to get them photographed and posted!

If you have any questions about colors or sets used, please drop me an email or a comment.

Thanks for taking time to look today!

Kristine 

Some of my favorite sets...going

June is a bitter sweet time in the Stampin' Up! world.  It's the time when stamp sets are retired.  For me as a demonstrator, that means I can no longer use the set in my workshops and clubs.  So this month for club, we made cards using three of my favorite sets that are going away.  I can still use them for my personal cards, but I just LIKE these sets so much, I have used them many times in workshops and events.  So here they are in their glory.

This first card uses one of my all time favorite sets, Embrace Life.  I also used the retiring color, Sage Shadow.  My thanks to Flutterby Atomic Butterfly for the layout.

Next up is a very versatile set called Tue Friend.  I have always liked the sort of western feel to this set.  The sentiment is from another retiring set called Wow Flowers. Colors are Always Artichoke and the retiring In Color, Dusty Durango.  This is a direct CASE from Nancy Riley.  L-o-v-e Love her work.

And the final card for the club was a red, white and blue tribute using the technique of faux buttons.  The ladies loved punching out all the circles for the six buttons (hehehe).  This card uses the retiring set Celebrate Everything.  I also used the new Square Lattice Embossing Folder available in the Summer Mini catalog.  A little texture is good. :-)  (This card also uses the retiring color of Brilliant Blue.  I'm gonna miss you Brilliant Blue.  You were truly a brilliant color. {sniff})  Thanks to an unknown artist (If this design is yours, please let me know, and I'll give you credit!)  I tweaked mine just a smidgen adding the texture and a brad-held bow.  Love that way of making a bow--easy peasy!

That's it for today.  If you would like any of the retiring materials used in the cards, you can place an order for these items through June 30th through my Stampin Up website.  After June 30th, retiring items will no longer be available for purchase through Stampin' Up.

Thanks for stopping in today.  I appreciate you giving some of your time to me!

Kristine

Floored

Sorry to be M.I.A again.  I have been installing laminate wood flooring.  It's my first time, and I may be getting too old for this stuff.  Ouch, the knees!  But, I think it's turning out pretty snazzy...even if I do say so myself. It'll be great once the baseboard molding is in.  This is just the back hallway...still have the rest of the house to do! Lookie:

I did take a break today to do a double page layout for my friend's new baby.  So LOVE doing baby pictures!  This layout is from a CTMH template, but all the materials are SU. The ducks are free-handed.  The velum pocket on the far left is for the hospital bracelet to be tucked into.  Really broke out my embellishments on this huh?! lol

And a close up of each page.

Thanks for taking the time to look today.

Kristine

A floral wish

This is a card that I made with my Magnificent Stampers Club.  I really enjoy the time I get to spend with the club members.  Funny how stamping brings people into my life that otherwise I would never have met!  Gotta like that!  We actually made this card back in April when the Specialty Designer Series paper "Sending Love" was still available.  See, I am so behind on posting!  I added some glitter to the center of the flowers just to add to the sparkle of the card.  I'm really hoping SU offers some more glitter options in the new catalog.  Some sparkles, a box of half-back pearls, some colored gems...something sparkly!

Thanks for taking the time to visit my blog today.  Leave a comment!  Those make my day!
Kristine

TSSC122 challenge

This card reminds me of my grandmother...the colors, the softness, the roses.  I used chalks to get the soft look, and then "pulled" the color around with a blender pen.  there is also a dab of glitter on the roses.  Kinda looks like a bit of dew. I don't know if there really are blue roses, but that was the color I really wanted to make these roses.  Red, pick and orange were too much I thought.  What do you think of the colors?

Stamp Set: Elements of Style

Colors: Very Vanilla, Not Quite Navy and Kraft. 

Inks: Not quite Navy, Sahara Sand, Chalks

Accessories: Mellow Moss taffeta ribbon

Here's the sketch for this challange.  Go take a peek at Mary Jo Price Williams blog.  She's got amazing stuff.












I really like this new stamp set.  It's in the summer mini and it's called Elements of Style.  Right now, if you purchase this set, you also get free designer brads! If you do not already have a demonstrator, please contact me and I'd be happy to help you. You can also click on the summer mini catalog pictures at the right to see all the great stuff, or to shop online.

My daughter, Olivia, who is 10, wanted to do the challange as well.  Here's the card she made.  I think she did a great job!  She's getting better at getting the images stamped clearly and the papers on straight.  She was a little worried that her card didn't match the sketch exactly, but she felt better when I told her the idea of the sketch is inspiration and not direct instructions. 

I really love the time we get to spend together creating.  I hope that continues into her teens.

Thanks for looking today.
Kristine