Gettin' Dirty!

Hi there! It's certainly been a busy summer, but it's finally winding down, so I took a little time to get inky! Last week the Dirty Dozen, past and present, presented their challenges during Dare to Get Dirty over at Splitcoaststampers. It's always so much fun to hang out and get chatty with the Splitcoaststampers Design Team, and I'm honored to be a part of such an amazing group! Fan Club members can find all the challenges at the DTGD thread HERE -- there's still time to play along!

I combined the challenges of my good friends Joanne (Basilefamily) and Lisa (Lisahenke) to create this sweet card. This sweet Pure Innocence image just reminds me so much of a summer day! You can find her HERE at My Favorite Things. I used a couple Die-namics plus some twine, brads and a button to embellish, and I colored with Copics.

That's all for now, but I'll be back soon with something stampy! I hope to see you then!

Thanks so much for checking in -- have a fantastic day! :)

Christina

2 Cute

Happy Monday, everyone! We had a busy weekend -- graduation party, anniversary party, and back-to-school preparations -- so there wasn't much extra time for stamping. I do have this card to share with you, though. It's the sample I made for Leigh O'Brien's Dare to Get Dirty challenge. If you're a Fan Club member, you still have until midnight tonight to play along with the challenges! :)

This sweet new a la modes set, Bundle of Baby, was just what I needed to make a baby boy card for a neighbor. I used several Die-namics on the front, including the First Place Award Ribbon for the sentiment flag. I love that the ribbon dies are perfect for sentiments! :) I colored with Copic markers, and I added a little bling to the rattle and the tag.

I finished the inside with the image stamped again, plus more paper and bling.

Tomorrow is our monthly MFT DT Creative Challenge. I hope you'll stop by to see what we've been up to! Thanks so much for visiting today!

Have a great day!

Christina

Pure Innocence Gets Dirty!

Happy Sunday, everyone! Today's Teasers are of the adorable new Pure Innocence sets! I have two to share with you today. Both are samples for two of today's Dare to Get Dirty challenges over at Splitcoaststampers. :)

Make Today a Beautiful Day

This first card features the Pure Innocence set, Sunflower Girl. It's a sample for my Dare to Get Dirty challenge! :) The papers are from the Old School 6x6 pack by Pink Paislee. The cork flourish was made with the NEW Die-namics Fancy Flourish die. 

I love this sweet inside sentiment. It's so true, isn't it? :)

A is for Apple

My second card features the set, Caramel Apple.  It's a sample for Carole's DTGD challenge. Oh, how I'm looking forward to cooler fall days and trips to the pumpkin patch. We always leave with pumpkins and caramel apples. Yum! The papers are from the Circa 1934 Mini Deck by Cosmo Cricket. I placed the sentiment on the new Die-namics Bracket Tab. I applied some Crystal Lacquer to the caramel to make it shiny and gooey. ;)

Die-namics used on these cards:

Here's the Release 411:

• The MFT release is on August 2 at 10 PM EST. You can attend the release party from 8-10 PM EST here in the forum for fun, games, and prizes! All the new sets and dies will be available August 2 at 10 PM EST.
• The guest designer contest is ON! Check out the forum for details on how YOU can win over $100 in stamp sets and play along with the DT for a month.
• If you'd like to see all the teasers for today, please click on over to Kim's blog NOW! Be sure to leave comments as you go for a chance to win one of 2 $10 vouchers being given away daily, just for leaving a comment. :) Check Kim's blog every day for the winners.

The Teasers continue tomorrow! Thanks so much for stopping by! :)

Have a great day!
Christina

You've Got Mail!

Happy Friday, everyone! Boy, the weeks are flying by! Today I have another card I made for the Dare to Get Dirty challenges. If you're a Fan Club member you can find all of the challenges HERE. I combined challenges from Jeanne S, peanutbee, DeborahLynneS, and craftycaro.

I used the Pure Innocence set Happy Mail. I paper pieced her clothes and colored with Copics. I added some sparkle by applying Stickles to the grass and her barette and placing a heart-shaped rhinestone on the mailbox. The paper is The Thrift Shop by October Afternoon. I cut two rows of Die-namics Jumbo Scallops, and I topped them with some Garden Variety Ruffled Ribbon (currently sold out).

I have a busy few days ahead! I'll be finishing up samples for the upcoming MFT release, and I'll also be getting ready to leave for CHA! I can't wait! :) Thanks so much for stopping by today!

Have a fantastic Friday!
Christina

Gettin' Dirty!

Hi, everyone! Happy Monday! Over the weekend I participated in a few Dare to Get Dirty challenges at Splitcoaststampers. Each year the Fan Club members get a chance to take part in special challenges hosted by the Dirty Dozen, past and present. If you are a Fan Club member you can find all of the challenges HERE through July 23. If you're not a Fan Club member, now is a good time to become one! :)

My first card combines challenges from BevMom and rsalamon. It's a clean and simple card with paper pieced birds. I used the Pretty Birds set by CHF, and the paper is Euphoria by BasicGrey. The sentiment is from Clearly Sentimental about Mothers.

I had lots of fun with my second card. I combined challenges from StamperSharon and AmberDawn. I used a lot of layers and texture. Paper is Fly a Kite by October Afternoon. The sentiment frame was done using the Framed Greetings Die and Stamp Set, and I hand-cut the mat from a Cork Sheet. The sentiment itself is from Clearly Sentimental about Emerson. I added some Crochet Ribbon, distressing, and machine stitching, plus a Jumbo Scallop border cut from Veggie Garden Felt.

I hope I can take part in one or two challenges each day -- they are so much fun!

I'll be back tomorrow night with this month's MFT VIP Blog Hop! Please stop back to hop along with us! :)

Have a great day -- thanks so much for visiting!
Christina

More Dirty Challenges

Happy Tuesday, everyone! Here's another card I made for Dare to Get Dirty '09. I combined three challenges: PickleTree's Born to Be Wild challenge, StamperSharon's Black, White & Red challenge, and cindy_haffner's Sketch challenge.

I stamped Flopsey on white cardstock and added just a little bit of color with Copics. I did some Cuttlebug embossing and machine stitching for some added texture.

Well, I'll be leaving shortly for CHA!!! YAY!! I have posts scheduled while I'm gone, so be sure to stop by! I'll see you all when I get back!

Have a great week! :)
Christina

Stamps: Flopsey's Flowers (MFT) Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black (Tsukineko) Cardstock: C.C. Designs White Cardstock, Whisper White, Real Red, Basic Black (SU!), MFT Perfect Paper Panels Paper: Rockabilly dsp (SU!) Other: Circle Nestabilities, Cuttlebug, Swiss Dots embossing folder, MFT Perfect Plaid Ribbon, MFT Cup o' Buttons, black hemp twine, sewing machine, dimensionals

Dare to Get Dirty!

Happy Monday! Did any of you play in the Dare to Get Dirty Challenges over the weekend? Dare to Get Dirty is Splitcoaststampers' way of thanking their Fan Club members, with challenges hosted by the Dirty Dozen and DD Alumni. You can read all about it HERE. There were several challenges posted each day! I wish I could have done all of them, but I had to settle for choosing a few!

I made this card for Jen del Muro (genie1314)'s Tag Art challenge. I thought this adorable Ghost would be cute paired with the sentiment from Inspirational Words, both from American Art Stamp. The paper is Haunted by Cosmo Cricket. I did some distressing, machine stitching, ribbon pleating and sponging.

It's going to be a BUSY week for me! I'm leaving tomorrow for CHA in Orlando. I'm SO excited! I'm really looking forward to meeting and hanging out with all my My Favorite Things teammates and many more of my stamping heros! I have lots to do today to get ready, so I'd better get to it! :)

Thank you so much for stopping by today!

Have a great day!
Christina

Monday with MFT!

Good Monday Morning! I have some MFT fun to share with you today! First is a MFTeaser of a new set being released Wednesday! The set is called Nite Nite Ellie, and $2 from each set sold for the first six months will be donated to St. Jude Children's Hospital.

I colored Ellie's face and hair with Copics and paper pieced the rest with dp. I lightly distressed the edges of the Top Note layers.

This next card is for today's Who's That Girl Challenge -- use the set Digital Girl and incorporate some stitching (real or faux). I used BasicGrey Offbeat paper, which coordinates beautifully with Chocolate Chip and Baja Breeze. I stitched along the sides of the brown paper panel, and I also stitched down the middle of the ribbon after I pleated it.

There is so much fun happening over at the MFT Forum on SCS -- you don't want to miss any of it! There are Challenges, Tips & Tricks with the new sets, and a MFT Stamping Idol contest, just to name a few things!

My Favorite Things is having a New Release Cocktail Party on Wednesday, March 4th from 9-10 PM EASTERN. This month there are 5 new sets being released including a Who's that Girl who is hanging with her peeps! Head over to the MFT forum on Splitcoaststampers to find out all the details and to find out how YOU can be the next MFT Guest Designer. We hope to see you there on Wednesday night!

Also, don't forget about the release tonight at All That Scraps! We'll be chatting on the Message Board before the sets go live at 10 pm EST. See you then!

Thanks for stopping by today! I hope you have a fantastic day! :)

Christina

One More Dirty Card!

Hello! I have one last card to share from the SCS Dare to Get Dirty challenges. There wasn't nearly enough time to do all the challenges I wanted to do, so again I combined challenges on this card. I did Natasha's (aka Tashers) sketch challenge, and Carole's (aka TruCarMa) color challenge. If any of you know Carole's style, she loves bright colors. If you know mine, you know I don't. The colors for the challenge were Brilliant Blue, Real Red, and Yo Yo Yellow. I found out that I don't even have any Yo Yo Yellow cardstock, so I had to settle for Summer Sun instead.

I used two sets from Verve Stamps: Seeing Stars and Starlight Starbright. I added one more challenge to the mix, the Meet the Verve Divas Challenge to use buttons on your project. Where are the buttons? The stars are mounted on clear square buttons from SU!. For the rest of the card I added lots of layers, doodled around the image panel, Cuttlebugged the background, and added a row of star eyelets. I have to say that, although this isn't my usual style, I DO like it! Thanks for the color push, Carole! :)

Tomorrow is the ATS Wednesday Challenge. On Thursday, I'll start the previews of the August C.C. Designs stamps. Wait 'til you see them -- they're soooo cute!! :) Thanks so much for stopping by today -- have a great day!!

Stamps: Seeing Stars, Starlight Starbright (Verve Stamps) Ink: Basic Black (SU!) Cardstock: Real Red, Brilliant Blue, Summer Sun, Whisper White, Basic Black (SU!) Paper: Real Red Prints (SU!) Other: Cuttlebug, Swiss Dots embossing folder (Provo Craft); oval punches, red brads, clear buttons (SU!); star eyelets (CTMH); black organdy ribbon (May Arts); black Gel Exel pen (Marvy); glue dots; dimensional foam

Giveaway Winner and More Dirty Cards!

Happy Monday, everyone! I hope your weekend was a great one! The first thing I need to do is to announce my Giveaway Winner! Thanks so much to all of you who commented on my post! I'm so happy and humbled to know that you all are out there, and that you like what I have to share!! THANK YOU!!

I used Random.org to get the winner, and the number is:

Random Sequence Generator
Here is your sequence:
81

The winner is: Lorene said...
....congrats!!! What a treasure trove of goodies...hope I win!!

Congrats, Lorene! Email me with your address, and I'll get those goodies out to you! :)

Okay, on to the cards. I have two more Dirty Dare Challenge cards to share with you. This first one was for Taylor's Cupcake Challenge. I love Cuppacakeabella, and I don't use her nearly enough! I pulled the colors from this American Crafts paper. I colored with Copics and added Stickles to the cupcake. The background was done with the Spots & Dots Cuttlebug embossing folder.

This second card couldn't be more different than the first! The size is 4.25" square. Since I just didn't have the time to do all the DTGD challenges I wanted to do, I combined FOUR of them on this card! I did Lauren's monochromatic challenge, Joan's silhouette challenge, Julia's stitching challenge, and Laura's distressing challenge. Whew!! I often work with images that need to be colored, so I'd forgotten how much I love this style of card. I think more of my earlier cards had solid images and texture. My favorite color is brown (really, it is), so of course that's what I chose for my color scheme. I used the SU! set Fresh Cuts (my first time inking it up *gasp!*). The cardstock is Chocolate Chip, Close to Cocoa, and Kraft. Ink is Chocolate Chip and Creamy Caramel. I slipped a little natural hemp twine through the Chocolate Chip ribbon and frayed the ends.

I still have lots of projects on my "to do" list, so I'd better get to work! Thank you so much for visiting today -- have a fantastic day! :)

More Dirty Dare Fun!

Happy Friday, everyone! Another weekend is on the way! I have a couple more Dirty Dare '08 cards to share with you. Doing these challenges is so much fun! If you aren't a Fan Club member you won't be able to see the challenge threads, but you can still view all the DTGD projects at the SCS gallery HERE.

This first card is a combination of Holly's (aka Toy) Sketch Challenge and Sharon's (aka notimetostamp) Stamp Simply challenge. I pierced the scallops, rounded corners, and added Red Stickles to the image. I also masked off the ends of the sentiment before stamping, because it was too long to fit in the space otherwise.

This second card was for Jenn's (aka JBalcer) Inspiration Challenge. She showed a photo of an incredible cake, and it was covered in a pattern exactly like the one in the paper I used! There was a gorgeous green bow on it, too -- so I was determined to get a green bow on this card! :) I paper pieced the cake with the dp. I added stickles to the heart and clear Glaze pen to the cake plate. The smaller panels were embossed with my Cuttlebug. The layout is from this week's Sketch Challenge at SCS.

**I want to remind you to look at yesterday's post below for my Blogaversary Giveaway! The winner will be randomly selected Monday morning. Thanks to all of you who have commented so far -- you all are too sweet!**

I'll be back with more DTGD projects this weekend, so I hope you'll stop back! Thanks so much for visiting today! :)

Card One

Stamps: Stem Silhouettes, Small Script (SU! - retired) Ink: Always Artichoke, Soft Sky (SU!) Cardstock: Soft Sky, Always Artichoke, Whisper White (SU!) Paper: Figgy 6 x 6 pack (BasicGrey) Other: Xmas Red Stickles (Ranger); Corner Rounder, paper piercing tool (SU!); Mega Oval Punch, Giga Scalloped Oval Punch (Marvy Uchida); organdy ribbon; dimensional foam

Card Two

Stamps: Year After Year, Hugs & Wishes (SU!) Ink: Basic Black (SU!) Cardstock: Basic Black, Old Olive, Very Vanilla (SU!) Paper: the Paper Studio Other: Old Olive 5/8" grosgrain, corner rounder (SU!); Xmas Red Stickles (Ranger); Jelly Roll Glaze clear pen (Sakura); Cuttlebug, Swiss Dots embossing folder, Birds and Swirls embossing folder (Provo Craft); dimensional foam

It's My BLOGAVERSARY!

Good morning! Happy Thursday to you! Today is my First Blogaversary! I can't believe how fast this year has flown, and I can't believe how much has happened. I remember a year ago I was tossing around the idea of starting a blog, but I just wasn't sure I had enough "stuff" to make it interesting. I had seen so many of my stamping "heros" (whose blogs I still stalk) who had amazing creations to share every day -- could I do that? And would anyone even read it?

It was one of the best decisions I've ever made. So much has happened since then. I have pushed myself to be better and to try new things. I'm on a fantastic Design Team. I've been asked to be a Guest Designer. I've been published. I NEVER saw it all happening a year ago. And truly, the best part of my decision to blog is that now I have all of you new "friends" to share the ride with me!!!! ((((friends)))))

So, to celebrate with you, my friends, and to thank you for visiting me, I have a Blogaversary Giveaway! Last weekend, while cleaning my stamp area, I came across lots of extra goodies! Here's what you can win:

Two retired SU! hostess sets, So Lovely and Reason to Smile

SU! Prints 6 x 6 pack

Gelly Roll Glaze Clear Pen

SU! Flower Fusion felt flowers

Black and White Magic Mesh

SU! Square Vellum Metal Edge Tags

Lots of fun ribbons!!

All you have to do is comment on THIS post -- ask a question, leave a comment, or just say hi! I'll choose a random winner on Monday morning, July 28. Good luck! :)

Before I go, I want to share another card I made for the Dare to Get Dirty '08 Challenges. This was for JulieHRR's challenge to make a Clean and Simple (CAS) card with lots of white space! NOT an easy challenge for me! I used the set Nature Silhouettes by Cornish Heritage Farms. I scored two lines with my Scor-pal, and I added some brads. This was one of the quickest cards I've made in ages! Maybe I could get used to this style after all... ;)

Have a great day, everyone! THANK YOU so much for making my first year of blogging a great one! HUGS!!!

Edited 7/28: I've chosen the winner -- see today's post for more! :)

Dare to Get Dirty '08

I'm gettin' dirty with the Dirty Dozen!! This week is Dirty Dare '08 for SCS Fan Club members. We get to play in challenges by the DD and DD alumni and post them to a special gallery. Not a Fan Club member? Go HERE to see how you can be one!

Yesterday the first two Dare to Get Dirty challenges were posted. Jody Morrow's challenge was to use ribbon as the inspiration for your project, and Laurie Schmidlin's challenge was to use vellum. I combined them to create this card. These ribbons were lying next to each other in my ribbon basket, so I used them as my starting point. They just so happen to be the same colors that are in the Afternoon Tea paper, so it just came together from there! I added the vellum to bring more flowers to the design.

This was fun -- I hope to do more of the challenges this week! Tomorrow I'll have the ATS Wednesday Challenge, and Thursday is my Blogaversary!!! Lots of fun -- I hope you'll stop back! Thanks for the visit today! :)

Stamps: Coffee with Friends (Flourishes) Ink: Chocolate Chip, Soft Sky (SU!) Cardstock: Chocolate Chip, Whisper White (SU!) Paper: Afternoon Tea (SU!), White Floral vellum (Colorbok) Other: Cuttlebug, Swiss Dots embossing folder (Provo Craft); corner rounder, 1/8" handheld punch, Soft Sky stitched grosgrain, Euphoria brads (BasicGrey), glue dots, dimensionals, stamping sponge (SU!); brown dotted organdy ribbon (May Arts)

The Dark Side

No, I'm not talking about Star Wars. I'm talking about the most recent cards I made for the SCS Dare to Get Dirty Challenges. It's rare that I make cards with dark colors, which is odd, because I'm usually wearing brown (or my second favorite color, black). When I do make cards with dark colors, it's usually in the fall or for a monumental birthday! :)

This card combined shel9999's Distressing Challenge, iris's Chipboard Challenge, and WAXYO's Vintage Challenge. En Francais background and the flourish from Baroque Motifs were stamped on the River rock card base and panel with Versamark, then I chalked over them with Close to Cocoa and Chocolate Chip Stampin' Pastels. It created a much more subtle look than stamping with ink. The edges were sponged with River Rock, Close to Cocoa, and Choc Chip Classic Inks. The Old Olive, Choc Chip, and River Rock square panels were distressed with the Cutter Kit and the edges sponged with Choc Chip ink. I covered the pieces of chipboard from On Board Accents with Brocade Background Designer Series Paper, then sanded the edges and sponged with Choc Chip. I tied the new Chocolate Chip Taffeta Ribbon around the square panels and added Vintage Brads to the corner. The chipboard was mounted with Glue Dots. I stamped the sentiment from Hugs & Wishes with Choc Chip ink. I love the way this turned out -- I think I'll be doing some of these techniques again soon!

I made this card for jacksonbelle's challenge to make a Black and Brown Card. The Chocolate Chip card base was stamped with images from Polka Dots & Petals in Basic Black ink. The card base, Au Chocolat paper, and photo corner (made with the Photo Corners Punch) were all sponged on the edges with Basic Black. The Basic Black mat around the main image is paper pierced along the bottom. The tabs were made with a 3/4" Circle Punch. I punched a hole in each with a 1/8" Handheld Punch, then tied Natural Hemp Twine through them. The bicycle image is from Creative Mode (purchased at Gina K.'s site), and the sentiment is from A Muse. It is stamped with Basic Black ink, and the edges of the panel are sponged with Close to Cocoa. I added Vintage Brads to the photo corner, and I mounted the the image panel and photo corner on dimensionals.

I wanted to make this card in honor of Team Flying Fish. Team Flying Fish rides in the MS150 Bike Tour every year since 1999. The journey began when my husband Chris's brother, Tony, was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis (MS) in April of 1999. Since Tony's diagnosis, the Fischer family and countless friends have been involved in fundraising efforts to find a cure. Chris and Tony were the first (and only two) members of Team Flying Fish to cross the finish line --together -- after their first MS150 in June of 1999. Since then the team has grown to almost 60 riders, and they participate in MS150 tours in Kentucky, Ohio, and Tennessee. So, to all the members of Team Flying Fish, this is for you -- may the journey be your reward, and thanks for all you do to help find a cure!

All products are from Stampin' Up! unless otherwise noted.

Sunday Double Challenge

I had a little time this afternoon to get another Dare to Get Dirty Challenge card done. I combined trudee's Inspiration Challenge with StamperSharon's Sketch Challenge. The background is Print Pattern stamped with So Saffron ink on the So Saffron card base. I used Petal Prints for the main image -- even though it's retired, I just CAN'T part with it! :) I stamped the flower image in So Saffron, then stamped it again in Bashful Blue for the center flowers. I stamped the outline image in Night of Navy. I sponged the panel with So Saffron, then added a little glitter glue to the blue flowers. The narrow Night of Navy panel behind the image panel is dry embossed, although you can't see it well in the photo. I used my Cuttlebug and Textile Texture A2 embossing folder. The sentiment is from Much Appreciated and is stamped in Night of Navy ink. The ribbon is from the retired Seaside Ribbon Originals. I added Soft Subtles Brads on three corners and one Rich Regals brad through the Prima flower. The main image is mounted on Stampin' Dimensionals.
I feel so fortunate that I had so much stamping time this weekend! We had an "un-busy" Saturday and Sunday around here -- that doesn't happen very often! It was fun to participate in so many Dare to Get Dirty challenges. Splitcoaststampers is such a wonderful stamping site and stamping community! I have a very supportive husband and children who allow me to find my happiness in stamping -- I'm very lucky indeed! :)
All products used are from Stampin' Up! except the flower (Prima Marketing, Inc.) and the Cuttlebug & embossing folder (Provo Craft).

Cheerful Flowers

I hardly EVER use bright colors on my cards. So, when I saw jbalcer's Dirty Dare Challenge to use a cheerful color combination, I knew it was the challenge for me! I had plenty of the retired Dots & Dashes Designer Series Paper lying around (again, because I don't use bright colors on my cards), so I used that as my springboard for the card. Flowers seemed to be the natural choice for the image and embellishments. I created a card with lots of dots, flowers and scallops -- seems pretty cheerful to me! :)

I used the Polka Dot background stamp and Pixie Pink ink on the card base. The stamped image is from Sassy Stems, and the sentiment is from Warm Words Both were stamped with Basic Black ink. The flowers were colored with a Pixie Pink Stampin' Write marker, and the vase was colored using a Blender Pen and Tempting Turquoise ink from the ink pad lid. I sponged around the Whisper White panel with Green Galore ink, and stamped over the image with Itty Bitty Backgrounds inked with Tempting Turquoise. I added eyelets for the flower centers. The scallops were made with the corner rounder punch (paper guide removed). It can be done with the Slit Punch also. Julia Stainton has a great tutorial on how to make the scallops -- she's awesome! I punched a hole in each scallop with my 1/8" handheld punch. I put it all together, mounted the white panel on Stampin' Dimensionals, and added some Prima flowers. Hopefully I can use this cheerful card to brighten someone's day! :)

Recipe (all products Stampin' Up! unless otherwise noted):

Stamps: Sassy Stems, Warm Words, Polka Dot, Itty Bitty Backgrounds

Cardstock: Pixie Pink, Green Galore, Tempting Turquoise, Whisper White

Design Series Paper: Dots & Dashes (retired)

Classic Ink: Basic Black, Tempting Turquoise, Green Galore, Pixie Pink
Accessories: Pixie Pink Stampin' Write Marker, Corner Rounder Punch (retired), 1/8" handheld punch, flowers (Prima Marketing, Inc.), eyelets (unknown manufacturer), Crafter's Tool Kit, Stampin' Dimensionals

Techniques: sponging, scallops

A Double Dirty Challenge

Since I'm playing "Catch Up" with the Dare to Get Dirty Challenges, I thought I'd combine two of the challenges from Friday: Cambria's Pink Challenge and Julia's Sketch Challenge. All Supplies are Stampin' Up! except for the Prima flower. I used two background stamps on the card base, "fingerwalked" lightly to give a subtle image. I sponged around the Pretty in Pink and Whisper White panels, and I distressed the panels and paper with the Cutter Kit. The flowers were colored in with a blender pen and Pretty in Pink ink from the ink pad lid: When the ink pad was closed, I squeezed the top and bottom together. When I opened the lid, there was a pool of ink left there. I dipped the tip of the blender pen into the ink and colored the flowers. I used a Rose Red Stampin' Write Marker to make the dots in the centers of the flowers. The white panel and Prima flower are mounted on Stampin' Dimensionals.

I'm off to a graduation party, so that's all the challenges for me today! :)

Recipe:
Stamp Sets: Simply Said, Looks Like Spring, En Francais background, Linen background
Cardstock: Pretty in Pink, Regal Rose, Rose Red, Whisper White
Designer Series Paper: Petals & Paisleys
Classic Ink: Regal Rose, Rose Red, Pretty in Pink
Accessories: Blender Pen, Rich Regals Brads, Soft Subtles Brads, Cutter Kit, Stampin' Dimensionals, Stamping Sponge, Rose Red marker, Prima flower
Techniques: distressing, sponging, fingerwalking

Another Dirty Challenge

I haven't had as much time to do the SCS Dirty Challenges as I'd hoped. Anna was sick all day Thursday, and yesterday we were preparing for Kyle to have about 15 friends over -- all soon-to-be high school freshmen (eek!). Anyway, I'm catching up on my stamping today! Here's the card I made for Beate's Sketch Challenge from Thursday. It's a great sketch -- simple but full of possibilities! All supplies used are Stampin' Up!. I decided to play with the new Cutie Pie Designer Series Paper, and I pulled my colors from there. I used the Sanded background stamp -- again -- and this time I used it on the card base and on the designer paper. Actually, one of the reasons I HAD to have this stamp is to use it on patterned paper. You can easily achieve a shabby look, similar to that of the BasicGrey papers, simply by stamping over it with your choice of coordinating ink.



The first photo shows what the Cutie Pie paper looked like before I stamped over it. The second shows the paper after stamping over it with the Sanded background and White Craft ink. The difference is subtle, but it "ages" the paper just a bit. Click on the photos for a better look.


Now for the rest of the card! I stamped the sentiment from Happy Everything in Purely Pomegranate and Certainly Celery Classic Inks. I pierced the top and bottom of the white panel, matted it on So Saffron and Purely Pomegranate cardstock, and attached to the card with Stampin' Dimensionals. I punched a flower from another piece of the Cutie Pie paper using the 1" Circle Punch, then layered it on Bashful Blue punched with the 1 1/4" Circle Punch. I added a Rich Regals Brad and Purely Pomegranate Double Stitched grosgrain, then I mounted it on Dimensionals. I added a row of Soft Subtles Brads to finish it off!

Quick Tip: Use the Paper Piercer and Piercing Template to get perfectly positioned brads or eyelets.

I had fun making this card -- hopefully I'll have more Dirty Dare cards to share later! :)

Dare to Get Dirty...

...with the Dirty Dozen Design Team from Splitcoaststampers, that is! This week SCS is celebrating the 3-year anniversary of the FanClub! Fan Club members support the SCS site financially with dues each year, and in return get to view a members only gallery created by the Dirty Dozen! The DD is issuing four challenges each day this week -- for Fan Club members only! I was able to participate in two of them today before heading off to Megan's Diving Championships (where she placed 4th out of 16 and received a cool trophy!).

Recipe:
Stamp Sets: Baroque Motifs, Fine Lace background
Cardstock: Basic Black, Purely Pomegranate, Whisper White
Classic Ink: Basic Black, Purely Pomegranate Craft Ink: White
Accessories: Vintage Brads, Ticket Corner Punch, Purely Pomegranate double stitched grosgrain ribbon,stampin' dimensionals

Technique: sponging, rock n roll
Recipe:
Stamp Sets: Polka Dots & Paisley, Polka Dots & Petals
Cardstock: Regal Rose, So Saffron, Whisper White
Designer Series Paper: Petals & Paisleys
Classic Ink: Regal Rose, Rose Red, Tempting Turquoise, Old Olive
Craft Ink: White
Accessories: Rich Regals brads, Paper Piercer, Mat Pack, 1 1/4 in and 1 3/8 in Circle Punches, Stampin' Dimensionals
Technique: paper piercing

Here are the two cards I created -- the first for texasjodylynn's challenge to use brads on your cards, and the second for genie1314's sketch challenge. Actually, I used a lot of brads on both cards! :) All products are Stampin' Up!. For the first card, I used the Baroque Motifs set. I stamped the sentiment with Versamark, then I heat embossed it with Black Detail Embossing Powder. The medallion image was first inked with Purely Pomegranate ink, then rock n rolled in Basic Black. I sponged the edges in Purely Pomegranate, punched the corners with a Ticket Corner Punch, added brads and ribbon, and mounted on dimensionals.The second card is pretty straightforward. I followed Jen's sketch and made a 5 1/4 in square card. I pulled my colors from the Petals and Paisleys paper I used. I used Polka Dots & Paisley and Polka Dots & Petals stamp sets. I added some brads and some piercing in the corner of the main panel, and mounted the main panel on Stampin' Dimensionals.

This week promises to be a fun one with more challenges -- hopefully I can do some every day! Stop by the Splitcoaststampers Dare to Get Dirty '07 gallery and see what the Fan Club is up to! :)