October swap and some RAKs

Hello All.  Happy cooler weather!  Makes me do the happy dance. 

My share today is my swap for the Open Swappers group.  (Click on the Alpaca in the right side bar to see what the other swappers created.) I decided to create a holiday card.  This stamp set had not yet seen ink {gasp.  I love the drinking glasses and the fun sentiments.

This was the first version.  I liked it.  Then I got this bee in my bonnet that said one more thing.  Put some embossing on the Gumball Green card stock.  So I did.

Version 2.0

I showed the two versions to my son.  He said, "I like the one with the embossing."  (An aside...how many 14 year old boys love their mother enough to KNOW what embossing is?  I know!  I am loved.  {Big grin.})  Later in the day, after making all the swaps with the embossed back ground, I asked my daughter which version she preferred, totally anticipating that she would go for version 2.0 as well.  She didn't.  She liked the smooth paper better.  (Can you see the confuzzlement on my face?) Dear Hubby comes home.  He gets the question... which does he prefer? He was the tie breaker.  I was hoping he would go for the embossed version.  I had ALREADY finished the cards...all of them embossed.  Can you guess what he said? 

Wait!  A game.  You leave a comment as to which version you prefer and I will draw a name to win.  What do you win?  The card you prefer!! I'll draw a name before next week end.  Okay, off you go to make a comment.

Recipe:
Stamp set: Happy Hour
Dies: Spellbinders classic oval, Framelits Labels
Snowburst Embossing folder
Cardstock: Be of Good Cheer DSP, Very Vanilla, Cherry Cobbler, Gumball Green
Inks: cherry cobbler
Ribbon: Scallop Dots 1/2" Cherry cobbler
Punches: Wide Oval
Fun stuff: Dazzling details, Basic Rhinestone

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Something that is so cool, well besides the weather, is a card that comes in the US Postal Mail for no reason other than the sender was thinking of you.  Here are some cards I recently received as Random Acts of Kindness, or RAKS in the stamping/card making world.

 

Thanks Eleanor and Joanne for the kindness shared! 

 

 

Thanks for stopping in! 

Kristine

A time for some gratitude

Whew.  I have felt like a hamster on a wheel as of late.  I am grateful that the wheel is slowing and I'm preparing to climb off the wheel and work toward more "normal"... if there is such a thing in Life.  One of the things that I am grateful for are the customers who have decided to stick with me as their point of contact for Stampin' Up merchandise.  I made this card for those that ordered from me this month. It's a simple card.

 

This is my version of a vase full of mums.  Ever since being back east during the fall color change many moons ago, I have adored mums.  If you're wondering, the vase is punched out using the owl builder punch!  Clever eh? 

 

Thanks for continuing to stop in and visit.  I am grateful for your support!

 

Kristine



 

 

Recipe:

Stamps: Apothecary Art

Inks:  Soft Sky (retired), Bravo Burgundy

Paper: Watercolor paper, Bravo Burgundy, Apricot Appeal (retired), Really Rust (retired), Creamy Caramel (retired)

Punches: Owl Builder Punch, Triple flower punch (retired)

Fun tools and embellies: Aqua painter, basic rhinestones (colored with a orange and yellow Sharpies)

A Fall card

Demonstrators for Stampin' Up! get a monthly magazine called Stampin' Success.  There is always something in there that gets a response from me.  This time it was a card designed by Lisa Dolson from the great state of Montana.  I copied her card, except that I do not have the same stamp sets she has, nor do I have the patience she has to score a card the way she did.  I have searched the vast web to see if she has a website/blog. I cannot find either.  I cannot legally show her card on my blog, soooo you'll have to either imagine what she did, or become a demo to see the magazine. :-)  Here's some differences...she used a leaf stamp set different than the one I have used, she had a different sentiment, and she scored the die cut piece whereas I used the new wood grain embossing folder...so much cinchier. (is that a word?  Mr Spellchecker says no, but I'm using it anyway.) Colors and layout are the same.   

Here is my version:

Can you see why it won the art contest?  Once I had all the leaves made and cut, I decided a little shimmer would be extra nice.  Can you see the light sparkle on the leaves?  Purdy.

I liked this card so much that I made more of them for my Open Swappers friends as my swap card.  Click the link in the right side bar (the cute alpaca!) to see what all the swappers made.  Then contact me to join in the swapping fun.

Recipe:
Stamps: Autumn Leaf Prints, All Year Cheer
Dies: Labels Framelit, Woodgrain embossing folder
Paper: Very Vanilla
Inks: Cajun Craze, Lucky Limade, More Mustard, Island Indigo, Soft Suede
Fun embellies: Champagne Shimmer paint, Linen thread, a button from my collection.

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Thank you to those of you who have emailed me to ask after my mom's health.  I appreciate the prayers and support.  She is doing well!! We go back to California this Friday to see how well she has healed from the surgery and to get a prognosis.  More prayers are always welcome!

Thanks for dropping in.

Happy Fall!

Kristine

Mojo Monday 260

I am so glad to be posting today.  You have no idea.  So let's get right to it!

I played along with the Mojo Monday crowd today.  If you look through my blog, you will note that I do not make many square cards.  No reason for that.  I suppose the idea just doesn't hit my creative brain spot when crafting.  Nice to try something different.

This is my Friend's son, Kyle.  He is really into dinosaurs right now.  The picture is a little old, but just too cute! 

 

And a peek at the inside of the card. 

 

 

Thanks to Julee for the great sketch.  I had fun!  Here is the sketch that I followed.

 



Thanks for stopping in.  I missed you!
(note: the card recipe is below)

Kristine

Recipe:
Paper: SU Brocade Blue (retired), SU Chocolate chip
Design paper: Little Yellow Bicycle's babysauraus
Punches: 1 3/4" circle, Scallop Trim border
Ribbon: SU 1 1/4" striped Chocolate chip Grosgrain

I'll see you when I see you

Sometimes Life throws a curve ball. A fast ball at the head.  Maybe low and inside and you gotta watch out for your knees. Sometimes a ball zips by and a wild dance happens to reach the ball. A swing and a miss.  It's okay because a person is not out until after the third strike. And a person gets to hit a lot of foul balls while swinging. So goes my life right now.  I'm swinging and missing.  But I'm still at bat, and I'm knocking the ball to foul rather than striking out.

This whole metaphor is just my clever way of saying that posting to this blog may be ...let's call it sporadic... for awhile.  I have pulled back from my demonstrating from Stampin' Up (sad, sad, sad) and when I have time and the energy to craft, it will be for pure joy.  It takes more energy to post a blog entry than one might think.  All the photography, downloading, thinking...and typing...and, for me spell checking, that has to happen! So this is not adios, just a  "I'll see you when I see you."

Let's all wish for a perfect pitch to my sweet spot that I get to hit outta the park! Whamo!

Kristine

A sunset just for you

The art of stamping.  Seems to be making a comeback.  For awhile, the thing to do was create a card with a gazillion layers of card stock. Gosh, a card may not even have stamping on it, but be filled with embossing and designer papers and trinkets.  Nothing wrong with that kind of card. (well, except maybe the extra postage it takes to send it somewhere!)  This card is only two layers and the impact is made with the inks and stamping.

I had to ask my son about making the sunset.  I have really never noticed which direction the colors layer themselves in the night sky at sunset.  Yes, I know the colors of a sunset, but how to recreate it with ink?  My son informed me that his art teacher said, "Dark on top."  So that's what I did.   There is a line under the words Just for you on the actual stamp that I masked before stamping.  I like the top part of the sentiment, but not the teasing tone of the bottom half of the sentiment.  Especially for this card.  I love that with a wee bit of transparent tape I can adjust a stamp to my liking.

Below you can see the glimmer of the card.  I went back over each bunch of flowers with some Dazzling Details and just dotted on a little sparkle. 

Supplies:

Stamps: Serene Silhouettes, Afterthoughts (retired)

Card stock: Whisper White, Night of Navy

Inks: Stazon Black, Night of Navy, Cajun Craze, Daffodil Delight

Dazzling details, sponges

Hope you like the card.  Thanks for stopping in!  Special thanks to my followers and subscribers for giving me someone to "talk" to!

Kristine

Let me make it up to you

Sorry for the long absence.  Life happened.

To make up for the almost month away, I will post ALL of the goodies in my "to be posted" stash.

First up is the latest card I have completed for my Open Swappers Group.  Click HERE for more information on joining the group and to see what the other swappers created.

Supplies:

Stamp set: Pleasant Poppies

Card stock: Whisper White and Poppy Parade (retired)

Inks: Poppy Parade (retired), Daffodil Delight, Certainly Celery

Accessories and Tools: Certainly Celery 1/4" grosgrain ribbon (retired), Brights brads, and Simply Scored tool.

I used the new Pleasant Poppies large background stamp.  This is really an easy card.  I water colored the poppies using and aqua painter.  I did not worry about staying in the lines because I wanted a very soft look.  The scored line on the top and the bottom just adds a hint of interest to the card.

Project number 2:  I made this for my friend.  She just moved into a new home and is moving on in her life after a marriage ending.  This is her time to bloom, so I made this to remind her of that.  The colors match the colors she has chosen for her new master bedroom.

A closer look at one of the "Hydrangea" blooms.  I used the Trio Flower punch (retired) and sponged each flower in  Perfect Plum.  There are over 1,000 flowers on the two blooms!  This took me longer than I planned and left me with purple fingers.  The butterfly is from a big box store and just matched! It so fits in with the idea of rebirth.  I used straight pins to push the flowers into a Styrofoam ball.  Another reason for purple fingers.  After pushing in over 1,000 pins, the pad on my thumb had a bruise!  The idea for the project came from a catalog of another stamping company.

Supplies:
Sizzix Timeless Type Alphabet Die
Card stock:  Whisper white, Elegant Eggplant, Certainly Celery
Inks: Perfect Plum, Elegant Eggplant
Trio Flower Punch (retired)
Certainly Celery 1/8" taffeta ribbon (retired)
Candlesticks and Styrofoam balls

Project 3:  Sometimes giving a tip in a nice little envelope is cool.   These are made from the Scallop Envelope Die.  Add an appropriate label and they're ready to use. 

Supplies:
Stamps: Perfect Punches (retired)
Ink: Pear Pizzazz
Bigz Scallop Envelope Die
Card stock: Whisper white
DSP: Berry Blossoms (retired)
Pear Pizzazz 1/4" organza ribbon (retired SAB)
Punches: Scallop oval, Moder label

I punched a hole in the center of the flap and brought the ribbon up through it to tie the bow.  Keeps the flap closed and gives it a finishing touch.

Project 4:  These are the thank you cards for orders placed last month.  I really love the Mixed Bunch stamp set. 

Supplies:
Stamp Set: Mixed Bunch, Loving Thoughts
Card stock: Whisper White
Inks: Summer Starfruit, Primrose Petal, Gumball Green
Adorning Accents Embossing Folder
Punches: Blossom, 1" circle
Basic Rhinestone

Project 5:  This card is a CASE of a card made by Mary Brown.  I love her style.  This was a card from a workshop that I had.  The clouds are made from the cupcake builder punch!  My downline made a card using the punch as a cloud and I adored the idea!

Supplies:

Stamp Set: Up, Up and Away, Friendly Phrases

Card stock: Whisper White, Bashful Blue, Marina Mist

Inks: Midnight Muse, Basic Black, Raspberry Ripple, Pumpkin Pie

Punches: Build a Cupcake

Polka Dot Embossing Folder 

Project 6:  This was another card made at the same workshop as the balloon card.  It has a special gift card holder!  The idea for the card came from a convention swap last year.  There was no name on the swap, so I have no idea who to give credit to for the design.

See how the ribbon pulls out the gift card holder?!  Clever eh?

Supplies:

Stamp set: Betsy's Blooms Wheel (on the gift card at the bottom)

Framed Tulips Embossing Folder

Card stock: Rich Razzleberry, Daffodil Delight, Baja Breeze, and copy paper for the envelope

DSP: Floral District

Inks: Rich Razzleberry

In Color Designer Series brads

1" circle punch

Daffodil Delight Seam Binding Ribbon

Final share:  This is a birthday card I did for a friend.  This is also a CASE of Mary Brown.  Told ya I love her stuff! 

I have been working on this post for most of the day.  Having my family home is wonderful, but it is difficult to get anything done!  The minute I sit down, another interruption. I know any mom out there can relate. 

Thanks for visiting.  It is appreciated.

Kristine