Land of the free

I'm popping in to post a card for the Verve Stamps Diva Dare.  The challenge is to use stars and stripes, so I pulled out my American Hero stamp set.

I created a background pattern using one of the stars inked in Scarlet Jewel and Blueberry Sky.  Of course, I just now noticed that my panel is upside down.  Aaargh!  Oh well, we'll just pretend that I meant to do a tilted star pattern all along.  It'll be our little secret.  lol

I sponged the edges of the cream layer and the sentiments to add a vintage feel.  It's also the reason I chose these particular shades of red and blue cardstock rather than the typical bright colors.  The star behind the sentiment on the flag banner was stamped off first so it's even more muted than the background.  I also distressed the cream layer to add some texture.

I love the vintage Americana feel of this card!  If you want to check out the Verve Diva Dare challenge, you can find it here.

Stamps:  American Hero (Verve Stamps)
Paper:  Vintage Cream, Blueberry Sky, Scarlet Jewel, Kraft (Papertrey Ink)
Ink:  Tuxedo Black (Memento); Blueberry Sky, Scarlet Jewel, Fine Linen (Papertrey Ink)
Misc:  Jumbo Fishtail Banner STAX die (My Favorite Things); Label Four die (Spellbinders); distress tool

Smile, it's the PTI blog hop!

I have an announcement to make.  I stamped.  Yes, actually stamped.  After a two month break of no mojo, I have finally stamped a card.  It feels great!  I'm not counting the physical act of stamping new images in my inventory book, naturally.  Totally not the same thing.  I did a lot of studio reorganization during that down time, but for some reason, my mojo had deserted me.  Nevertheless, I am here to say, we're back in business, baby!  lol

Today, I'm participating in the monthly Papertrey Ink blog hop.  The challenge is to use floral stamps and pick from several luscious color combos provided on Nicole Heady's blog.  Here's the one that caught my eye:

Aren't those colors gorgeous?  They aren't typical flower colors and that's one of the reasons I picked it.  Plus, it gave me a chance to pull out Limeade Ice again.  :)  I used the Funky Florals limited edition set from Papertrey Ink.

It's hard to tell, but before I embossed the Vintage Cream mat, I stamped it with text in Fine Linen ink (stamped off first to make it lighter) and then sponged the edges to soften it up.  Then it was adhered to Limeade Ice and a Pinefeather card base.

The flowers were stamped with New Leaf on the matching cardstock after I cut out the shapes with the Notched Flower dies.  Not sure if you can see it, but I also stamped the flowers with text with New Leaf ink.  The centers are stamped in Pinefeather ink.  I just happened to have some mini brads that closely match Limeade Ice, so I put several in the center of each flower.  It adds texture and makes them really pop!

The leaves were cut using a Turning a New Leaf die and I used my bone folder to add a scored line down the middle of each leaf.  I bent the ends slightly and then adhered them behind the flowers.  Oh, I forgot to mention that each flower was crumpled up.  I'm a big fan of texture!  :)

My sentiment is also from Funky Florals.  I stamped it in Pinefeather Ink on two layers cut with the Jumbo Fishtail Banners dies from My Favorite Things.  So versatile, plus the sentiment fit perfectly!  I love my finished card and it feels so good to be stamping again.  Time to get inky!  :)

Stamps:  Funky Florals, Background Basics: Text Style (Papertrey Ink)
Paper:  Vintage Cream, Limeade Ice, New Leaf, Pinefeather
Ink:  Pinefeather, New Leaf, Fine Linen
Misc:  Notched Flowers dies, Turning a New Leaf dies (Papertrey Ink); Jumbo Fishtail Banners STAX (My Favorite Things); Polka Dots embossing folder (Cuttlebug); WC Brite mini circle brads (Making Memories) 

Speed Scrap

I participated in a speed scrap over at Scrap 'n Pieces this week.  My mojo has been seriously lacking as of late.  I've got stacks of card sketches, but just haven't felt much like creating.  I've done some reorganization, but unfortunately that's all the action my poor studio has seen.  Well, other than a few new acquisitions, of course.  lol  I saw the speed scrap announcement and thought, "Why not?"  The timing was perfect since I had just put another load in the washer and dryer.  Creative break!

I'm quite pleased with the layout.  The speed scrap instructions were pretty easy to follow (thankfully) and I knew exactly what photo I wanted to use.  My digital scrapping skills are a bit rusty, but I had my class printouts to reference when I couldn't remember how to do something.  It's been a year since I did one.  (gasp)  It made for a fun break from chores!

Digital Kits:  Barely kit, Once Upon a Memory kit (Amy Dane Designs)
Font: Sail

Welcome to the neighborhood

Boy, it's been an adventure trying to get this posted today!!  My internet connection keeps going out.  Technology is both a blessing and a curse sometimes.

Here's my final card for the Love Fest challenges at Splitcoaststampers!  This one was sponsored by Scor-Pal (found here) and we had to make a card with multiple folds.  I decided to try a stair step card and here is the result.  I posted plenty of pics so you can see the details.   :)

I had so much fun creating this card.  For my first attempt at the stair step card, it came out really great!  I used Spring Rain cardstock for my base and added multiple strips of grass on each step.  (I do mean multiple.  There are eleven of them counting all the layers!) I stamped and cut out the tree on white cardstock, and used the generational stamping technique for the leaves.  The bird, squirrel and tree swing are also cut out.

I added a strip of picket fence to the back step and a cute welcome sign to the middle step with an embossed sentiment.  It's also sponged to look more like wood.  I used the Tulip Garden punch with both Leaf Green and Poppy Parade cardstock, cutting off the red tulips and gluing them in place on the green.  Then each tulip sprig was placed individually in the grass strips.  Very time consuming process, but I love how it adds pops of cheerful color.  It totally makes the card!

I sure wouldn't mass-produce this card since it took me hours to make it.  It's one of my favorite cards I've ever made though!  I really had no clear vision when I started.  It was fun to experiment as I went along and see it evolve.

Stamps:  Trees & Things, Around the Block (Close to My Heart)
Paper:  Spring Rain, New Leaf, White (Papertrey Ink); Poppy Parade (Stampin' Up)
Ink:  Dark Chocolate, New Leaf (Papertrey Ink); Poppy Parade (Stampin' Up); VersaMark
Misc:  Picket Fence die, Fresh Cut Grass die (My Favorite Things); Tulip Garden edge punch (Martha Stewart); white embossing powder (Filigree)  
Paper:

Skunk love

One more card to post today.  (This has to be a personal record!)  I would have posted a couple yesterday, but it rained nonstop and I couldn't get a decent picture.  Today we had glorious sunshine!  This card is for the Splitcoaststampers Love Fest challenge sponsored by The Greeting Farm.  (found here)  They have some very cute stamps, although I only have a few.  This particular image is actually digital, not a rubber stamp.  It's perfect for the challenge to create a love-themed card using dies.

It may look like a simple card, and it is as far as design goes, but it took quite a while to finish due to all the coloring.  I used my Copic markers and thoroughly enjoyed myself like I was back in elementary school again.  I used a distress tool along the edges of the white cardstock to add some texture.  The sentiment is stamped on a heart diecut and layered on a scalloped heart.  Very simple, and oh so sweet!

Stamps:  Bertie Valentine digi (The Greeting Farm); Mixed Messages (Papertrey Ink)
Paper:  White, Pure Poppy (Papertrey Ink)
Ink:  Tuxedo Black (Memento)
Copic:  0, C1, T1, T4, T6, BV29, R20, R30, R24, R29, R59, YG93, E55, E57, E59, E30, E42
Misc:  Classic Hearts die, Classic Scalloped Hearts die (Spellbinders); distress tool 

Mini thank you

Taylored Expressions sponsored a Love Fest challenge at Splitcoaststampers and asked us to created a card set sized 3x3 inches or smaller.  This was a first for me!  Other than gift tags, I don't think I've ever created cards this small.  It was actually pretty fun!

Aren't they cute?  I made three teeny cards using a scalloped rectangle die by Spellbinders.  (finished size about 2-1/2 inches square)  I've had this stamp set by Taylored Expressions for a while, so it's about time I used it!  The scene was created using four different stamps, and my stamp positioner tool got a lot of use to do it.  Very handy to have around.  :)  I spent the most time coloring the cards with Copic markers.  Love how they turned out!

Stamps:  Branching Out (Taylored Expressions)
Paper:  White (Papertrey Ink)
Ink:  Tuxedo Black (Memento)
Copic:  0, C1, T1, T4, T6, B42, B45, B37, E55, E57, E59, YG11, YG13, YG15, Y11, Y13, Y15, R24, R29
Misc:  black Pigma Micron .01 pen  

Flowers are the music of life

The next Splitcoaststampers Love Fest challenge is a sketch.  (found here)  It's a very versatile layout and resulted in this card.  I really like it!

 

I chose to use earthy colors this time.  I embossed the Canyon Clay piece with a cool diamond pattern and it adds a rich texture to the card.  The patterned paper is from an older 6x6 pad by Basic Grey called Green at Heart.  I layered everything with Dark Chocolate cardstock.  The sentiment is stamped on a Vintage Cream oval, and the flower was created using both Canyon Clay cardstock and Vintage Cream that was stamped with the matching ink.  A dark metallic brad holds it all together.

Stamps:  Beautiful Blooms II (Papertrey Ink); Floral Symphony (Verve)
Paper:  Canyon Clay, Vintage Cream, Dark Chocolate (Papertrey Ink)
Ink:  Canyon Clay, Dark Chocolate (Papertrey Ink)
Misc:  Beautiful Blooms II #3 dies, Double-Ended Banners die (Papertrey Ink); Standard Ovals Large die, Classic Scalloped Ovals Large die (Spellbinders); Diamonds in Diamonds embossing folder (Sizzix); Metallic Basics brad (Making Memories)