DYNAMIC DUOS #12: STAMPIN' UP! FLOWER FANCY

This week at Dynamic Duos, there is a GLORIOUS colour combination!

Poppy Parade is a gorgeous orangey-red, that looks really elegant with black.  In addition to the colour challenge, we have the option of using punches on our project.

I had an idea in mind, using a bold, glossy flower - but I covered the flower in Crystal Effects over 24 hours ago, and it's still not dry!  It's a bit chilly here at the moment!  So, "Plan B" kicked in, and here's what I came up with:

...... and a close-up of the cute bow I created, courtesy of my new Bow-Easy (now I see what the fuss is about!):

Stamps: Flower Fancy, Just Believe

Card: Poppy Parade, Basic Black, Whisper White

DSP: Mocha Morning Specialty Designer Series Paper

Ink: Poppy Parade stampin' pad and marker, Basic Black marker, Versamark ink pad

Other: Black embossing powder, Basic Black satin ribbon, In Color Glimmer brad, Mat Pack and paper-piercing tool, Word Window punch, Modern Label punch, Lace Ribbon border punch, Corner Rounder punch, butterfly punch (not SU!), mini glue dots

Well, I certainly 'went to town' with the "dessert option" of punches - I used 5 punches on this card!

If my glossy flower ever dries, I'll see if I can come up with another card for this challenge .... but in the event I don't, at least I had fun with this one!



JAI #102 : JUST ADD KATHY TANNER

This week's challenge at Just Add Ink, is to draw inspiration from the gorgeous creations of Kathy Tanner, a member of the Design Team.

I scrolled through Kathy's blog and found a number of cards that I wanted to CASE, but finally decided on this card.  If I'd read Kathy's 'recipe' before starting, I would've realised that her card base is Crumb Cake .... but, I thought it looked like Soft Suede, so that's what I started with!  After consulting my handy Color Coach from Stampin' Up!, I decided on the colour combo of Soft Suede, So Saffron and Riding Hood Red.  I thought Very Vanilla would be a little less stark than Whisper White with these colours.

Like Kathy, I used the Just Believe stamp set, but as a slight variation, after stamping the main image on Very Vanilla card using Versamark ink, I embossed it with Iridescent Ice embossing powder.  I then sponged So Saffron ink over the top.   Here's a close-up of the embossed image, so you can (hopefully) see the subtle sparkle:






...... and my card in its entirety:

Stamps: Just Believe, Kindness Matters, Happiest Birthday Wishes, Parlor Prints

Card: Soft Suede, Very Vanilla, So Saffron, Riding Hood Red

Ink: So Saffron, Soft Suede and Basic Black stampin' pads, Versamark inkpad

Other: Iridescent Ice embossing powder, 1 3/8" square punch, paper snips, Subtles brads, Paper Piercing tool and Mat Pack, sponge daubers

STAMPIN' UP! BLOG HOP, CHINESE WHISPERS STYLE

A while back, the gorgeous Sarah Klass talked on her blog about how a few people in a row all CASEd a card, and how different all the cards looked. She called it Chinese Whispers, like the kids' game.  My friend, and fellow Stampin' Up! demonstrator, Tina Gillespie, suggested a group of us give this a try, and we had a lot of fun with it.   Here's how it worked:

Tina started by making a card.  She emailed a photo of that card to the next person on the list. That person made a card that was inspired by Tina's, and then emailed a photo of their card only to the third person on the list.  On it went, until everyone had made a card.  Bear in mind that at no stage did we see the original card; only the one immediately before us on 'the list'.  It was fascinating to see how, by the time we'd worked our way to the last person in the group, the creations evolved.

Today we'd like to share that process with you.  It would be a good idea to start at Tina's blog, so you can see the progression.

The person whose card I was inspired by, was Di Dunk.  You might like to take a look at her card first, to see where my ideas came from.  If not, you can just check out my card, and follow the links around until you've visited all the people who took part.  The first cab off the rank was Tina Gillespie, and the  person who wrapped up the list of participants was Alisha Watson.


Here is my card:

Stamps: Just Believe, Four Frames, Parlor Prints

Card: Island Indigo, Basic Black, Whisper White

Ink: Island Indigo, Basic Black and Lucky Limeade stampin' pads

Other: Beautiful Wings embosslits die, Square Lattice embossing folder, Decorative Label punch, Island Indigo ruffled ribbon, Island Indigo designer brad, Scallop Trim border punch, stampin' dimensionals, Stamp-a-ma-jig, mini glue dots

I then emailed a photo of my card to Teena Pillar, who unfortunately doesn't have a blog.  Here is the card Teena made: 

Teena then emailed a photo of her card to Ros Davidson.  Click on the link to Ros's blog, to see how she was inspired by Teena's card.

We had a lot of fun taking part in this Chinese Whispers 'challenge', and hope you enjoy seeing the results!

Here is a complete list of participants:

Tina Gillespie - http://scissorspapercard.blogspot.com/

Kathryn Mangelsdorf - http://klm55.blogspot.com/

Christine Henderson -  http://www.livinglovingcreating.blogspot.com/

Sue Madex - http://www.madexcreations.com/

Genna Gifford -  http://www.genna.stampinup.net/

Elaine Hannam

Amanda Hill

Di Dunk - http://stampartbydi.typepad.com/my-blog/

Christine Blain - http://christineblain.blogspot.com/

Teena Pillar

Ros Davidson - www.rosdavidson.typepad.com

Nikki Sadler - http://www.inkyart.com.au/

Kathryn Ruddick - http://www.katlodesigns.com/

Di Gill - http://www.artwithgillycat.typepad.com/

Alisha Watson - http://www.ratherbstampin.typepad.com/

SC 006/11 : STAMPIN' AROUND WHEELS

This week at Sunny Challenges & Creations, the challenge is to use Stampin' Up! wheels on a project that is based around this sketch:

When I checked out my collection of Stampin' Around wheels, I was surprised to find how few I have left, after the retirement of so many with the introduction of our new catalogue.

I settled on using the gorgeous Very Vintage jumbo Stampin' Around wheel, inked in Chocolate Chip on Very Vanilla card.  Using a blender pen and Calypso Coral inkpad, I coloured the flower and butterfly.  Deciding it looked a bit stark, I then sponged Crumb Cake ink all over the main panel.  I added flecks of Chocolate Chip and Calypso Coral ink, using my Color Spritzer tool, and finished it by sponging the edges in Chocolate Chip ink.

I've had to move around a couple of elements on the sketch; due to the placement of the butterfly image, I couldn't place my sentiment in that spot.

Here's the finished product:

Stamps: Very Vintage jumbo wheel, Just Believe

Card: Very Vanilla, Calypso Coral

Ink: Chocolate Chip stampin' pad and marker, Calypso Coral stampin' pad and marker, Crumb Cake stampin' pad

Other: Chocolate Chip Scallop Dots ribbon, Eyelet Border punch, Lots of Tags sizzlits die, sponge daubers, Basic Pearls, blender pen, Color Spritzer tool, mini glue dots, paper snips (to distress the cardstock edge)

JUST ADD INK #83 - A SKETCH, AND HAPPY NEWS

I am thrilled to say that I'm a Guest Designer for Just Add Ink for the month of September.   I've been a flag-waving fan and follower of this wonderful challenge site since its inception, and try to take part in the challenges every week.  Some of my loveliest 'stampy' friends are already on the Design Team, and it is a real honour to join them for the next 5 weeks.  Thanks, girls, for inviting me to join in the fun in a slightly more 'official' capacity!

This week Bron has come up with the following sketch:

I have a bit of a tendency to take sketches VERY literally (rather than using them as a starting point), and this week is no exception!  I've made a card that I think has a distinctly 'folksy' sort of country/naive feel (does that make sense?!).

Stamps: Just Believe, Sweet Stitches stampin' around wheel

Card: Soft Suede, Cherry Cobbler, Very Vanilla, Crumb Cake, Baja Breeze

DSP: Baja Breeze Patterns Designer Series Paper

Ink: Soft Suede, Cherry Cobbler, and Baja Breeze stampin' pads, Crumb Cake stampin' pad and marker

Other: Boho Blossoms punch, Circles #2 die, 1 3/4" circle punch, 2 3/8" Scallop Circle punch, Word Window punch, Modern Label punch, Crimper, Sweet Buttons embosslits, Perfect Polka Dots embossing folder, Square Lattice embossing folder, sponge daubers, Mat Pack and Paper Piercing tool, Kraft corduroy buttons (retired)

STAMPIN' UP!'S COLOR COACH - RIVER ROCK

Last weekend, when I showed you a few cards I'd made with colour combinations suggested by Stampin' Up!'s Color Coach, the gorgeous Sharnee Torrents suggested I take a look at a colour combo using River Rock:

Hmmmm ..... well, I took this as a challenge, and ran with it! 

 Firstly, I'd like to share this photo that I 'lifted' from Sharnee's blog; this is the two of us at Stampin' Up! Convention recently:

What a sweetheart Sharnee is; it was a joy to watch her present her Workshop Wow to HUNDREDS of people without the slightest quiver in her voice - such a natural.  I was so pleased we met in person at Convention, as we often share a bit of 'bloggy love' between us!  So, Sharnee, this card is in honour of you!

  I have used my rather neglected Stampin' Pastels (that's my mission this week - to use neglected products!), in River Rock and Tangerine Tango, to colour the focal image.  I think my 'cloudy' effect around the flowers just adds to the ambience, so don't be thinking I didn't do it on purpose! :)

Stamps: Just Believe, Teeny Tiny Sentiments, En Francais

Card: River Rock, Not Quite Navy, Tangerine Tango textured, Whisper White

DSP: Not Quite Navy Patterns Designer Series Paper

Ink: Versamark inkpad, River Rock and Not Quite Navy stampin' pads

Other: Stampin' Pastels, Beautiful Wings embosslits, Whisper White 1/4" grosgrain ribbon, Whisper White Organza ribbon, sponge daubers, Word Window punch, mini glue dots, Tombow liquid glue

COLOR ROUNDUP CHALLENGE #29 - FLOWER FANCY

Here is the colour combination Holly at Rubber Redneck has come up with this week:

I've gone for a bit of a wildflower look, using one of the stamps I rarely use from my Flower Fancy set.  I've added foliage along the bottom of the main panel, using my newly-acquired Just Believe set.  The sentiment is also from Just Believe.  Here is the photo, taken on a very dreary Melbourne autumn day:

Stamps: Flower Fancy, Just Believe

Card: Rose Red, Whisper White, Wild Wasabi textured

DSP: Elegant Soiree, Sweet & Sour and So Saffron Patterns Designer Series Papers

Ink: Jet Black Staz-On inkpad, Wild Wasabi stampin' pad and marker, Baja Breeze marker, Rose Red stampin' pad and marker, So Saffron marker

Other: Neutrals brads, Mat Pack and Paper Piercing Tool, sponge dauber, stampin' dimensionals, Stamp-a-ma-jig, paper snips