Stamp Happy

Kitchen Sink Monday

My project for Kitchen Sink Day is this sweet Ghiradelli Chocolate box!  Today, we have a guest hostess for our challenge!  Emilia is from Finland and she issued a challenge for us today to create a gift for a friend or relative.  She also said that we could not use designer paper on our creation, and that we were supposed to use ribbon.  I think I lost some brain cells 9 months ago when I turned 40 because little details like that just seem to slip my mind a lot lately!  So call the Challenge Police... I screwed mine up!  I hope you'll like it anyway!

I found the idea for this little box when I was browsing through some blogs awhile ago!  I know not many of us really need to add another blog to our Google Readers, but I would highly recommend adding Shelley Hopps' blog, Mocha Memories to your list!  She's got some super designs and ideas to share, including this Ghiradelli Chocolate Box that I created today!  Her photos and directions are superb, so I'm not even going to attempt to add them here.  Please just visit her blog for the complete tutorial by clicking the link!

 

My co-manager at the store said that her husband was talked into participating in a Secret Santa exchange where he works.  So she asked me if I could create a few little gifts for him to give.  She's hoping it'll throw the recipient off-track a little by giving her some hand-stamped gifts, so I plan to give this to her tomorrow to pass on to her husband!

Please take a moment to see what the other Kitchen Sink Crew members have created for the challenge, including Emilia's project on the Kitchen Sink blog!

Emilia
Julie
Lori
Dee
Angela
Nicole
Lynn
Maria

Thanks for making my day brighter with your visits and wonderful comments!  Have a great day, and happy stamping!

 

Stamps:  3-Step Bells, 3-Step Holly & Mistletoe, Snow Flurry(Kitchen Sink Stamps)
Cardstock:  Rhubarb (Bazzill), River Rock (Stampin' Up!), designer paper (Wassail by Basic Grey)
Inks:  Creamy Caramel, More Mustard, Pretty in Pink (Stampin' Up!), Momento Rich Cocoa, Rhubarb Stalk, Encore Gold (Tsukineko)
Accessories:  scoring tool (Scor-Pal), 1 3/8" circle punch, scalloped circle punch (Stampin' Up!), concave corner punch (EK Success).

Stamp Simply Celebrates Day 5, and Stamp Simply #64

It's Day #5 of the Stamp Simply Celebrates party!  Are you having fun?

 

 

There is some awesome blog candy available today from Barb Schram at Explore, Dream, Discover, and from Cathy Tidwell at Cat's Creations.

The Stamp Simply Celebrates Featured Project today is also being brought to you by Cat, and it's a sketch challenge!  It'll be super-easy to combine the sketch (see below) with today's Stamp Simply challenge, so why not do both, as I did!

Today’s Stamp Simply challenge is to make a Christmas card, but with a bit of a twist!!!  We can NOT use a traditional Christmas stamp or traditional Christmas DP – but aside from that, anything goes.  You MAY use:

Any stamp, OTHER THAN a traditional Christmas stamp

Any designer paper, OTHER THAN traditional Christmas designer paper

Any embellishments

Any colors

You MAY USE a Christmas sentiment          

If you upload to Papercraft Planet (or Splitcoaststampers, or any online gallery), please tag your photo for this challenge as SSC08, but please also, tag your photo for the Stamp Simply challenge as ssnotime64.  So if you play the Stamp Simply Challenge, you will use both tags!

My card for both challenges is a very simple design, and came together in about 15 minutes.  However, I had already been thinking about using a sentiment in the oval and did so without thinking about the space for a sentiment at the bottom as the sketch indicates. So my version is slightly altered.  I've been assured however, that the Challenge Police are not going to come after me, so it's all good!  My non-traditional paper comes from the Basic Grey Boxer collection, and I liked it for it's gorgeous green color, and also because the pattern reminds me of poinsettias.

As always, check out the designs from the other Stamp Simply Team members for further inspiration!  Also, with a new month we welcome a new Guest Designer!

LeAnne Pugliese, December Guest Designer
Sharon Johnson
Julie Koerber
Dee Jackson
Jennifer Buck
Janine Orchard
Becky Oehlers
AJ Otto

In addition, several of the Stamp Simply Celebrates team members have posted designs today using the sketch challenge and/or the Stamp Simply challenge!  Check them out, too!

Darlene Pavlick
Heather Telford
Susan Roberts
Leslie Miller

OK, that's it for today... in a really BIG nutshell!  So, go now... get entered for blog candy and then do some stamping!  Happy Friday, and thanks for stopping by!

 

 

Stamps:  sentiment (Impression Obsession)
Cardstock:  Bravo Burgundy, Always Artichoke, Natural Ivory (Stampin' Up!), designer paper (Basic Grey)
Ink:  Momento Rhubarb Stalk (Tsukineko)
Accessories:  poinsettia and leaf (Creative Impressions), brads (Gary Burlin), Nestabilities (Spellbinders).

Papercraft Planet Sketch Challenge #4

It's time again for another sketch challenge at Papercraft Planet, and this week DT member Kim Burmeister is the hostess!  If you'd like to play along, upload your card to the gallery at the Planet and remember to tag your photo with SK112908.  Kim will periodically search the uploads for creations using this tag, and she'll manually move them into an album for all the sketch cards!  (Be patient...it doesn't happen automatically!  If you card doesn't appear in the album within 12-24 hours, then send a message to Kim and let her know!)

For my card, I chose to use this sweet little Gordie the Giraffe stamp I received recently from Peggy at Paper Works Co.  Isn't he adorable?  The stamp is made from a very nice, very deeply-etched red rubber, and was a joy to stamp with!  I also received a package of assorted papers from The Paper Temptress!  The yellow cardstock I used for the backdrop of my card is a nice shimmer cardstock, and went perfectly with my Basic Grey paper!  I just wish my photo was better to show you how it shimmers!  My little giraffe is actually double-stamped.  I must have had ink on my fingers, and after the card was finished I realized I had a smudge on the giraffe.  So I stamped and colored him again, and layered it over the smudged one with dimensionals for a nice 3-D effect.

I hope you'll have time to join in the sketch challenge over on the Planet!  Also, don't forget today brings "the second day of Christmas" in the 12 Days of Christmas challenges!  Be sure to check in and see what your requirements are for the challenge so you can win some awesome prizes!

Thanks for stopping by today, and happy stamping!

 

 

Stamps:  Gordie the Giraffe(Paper Works Co.), sentiment (Michael's $1 bin)
Cardstock:  black/white duplex (The Paper Cut), yellow shimmer (The Paper Temptress), Starmist (Bazzill), white (Gary Burlin), designer paper (Urban Prairie by Basic Grey)
Ink:  Momento Tuxedo Black (Tsukineko), markers (Copic)
Accessories:  Nestabilities (Spellbinders), buttons (Stampin' Up!), ribbon (May Arts).

Color Throwdown #21

Welcome to another week of the Color Throwdown!  Week #21 is being brought to you by Broni Holcombe, and she chose these pretty fall colors for our challenge this week!

For my card, I chose to use this Stampendous stamp that I got a few weeks ago and haven't gotten around to using!  I thought it lent a nice harvest, Thanksgiving-like theme to my card with these great colors!

 

I was also pleased to find this paper in my 6x6 Ambrosia paper pad that I thought went very nicely.  It even appeared to have some Sage Shadow around the edges, so I tore it out of the pad and ran with it!

Check out the creations from the other designers and make some time to play along, won't you please?!

Broni Holcombe
Cathy Indelicato
Kimberly Crawford
LeAnne Pugliese

Thanks for stopping by!  Be sure to see my next post for some great events coming up with lots of chances to win prizes and have fun!

 

 

Stamps:  silhouette (Stampendous), sentiment (Gina K Designs), swirls (Stampers' Anonymous)
Cardstock:  Sage Shadow, Really Rust, Chocolate Chip, Natural Ivory (Stampin' Up!), designer paper (Ambrosia by Basic Grey)
Inks:  Really Rust (Stampin' Up!), Momento Rich Cocoa (Tsukineko)
Accessories:  ribbon (Offray), Threading Water punch (Fiskars), Nestabilities (Spellbinders), brads (Creative Impressions).

Thoughts of You

Just a quick post this morning!  Here's a card I made earlier this week using Jen del Muro's Sketch for You to Try on her blog.  I just love to be able to use a little variety of matching designer papers, so this sketch layout worked well for that!  If you find yourself in need of inspriration, try the sketch!

Hope you have a great day!  The craziness in my life is leveling off, so I'm hoping to get back to a little routine soon!  Yay!

Thanks for stopping by!

 

 

Stamps:  Nature Silhouettes (Kim Hughes collection for Cornish Heritage Farms), sentiment (Impression Obsession)
Cardstock:  Pickle, Mocha Divine (Bazzill), Confetti White (Stampin' Up!), designer paper (Basic Grey)
Inks:  Momento Rich Cocoa (Tsukineko), markers (Tombow)
Accessories:  flowers and brad (Creative Impressions), Nestabilities (Spellbinders), ribbon (Basic Grey).

Papercraft Planet Sketch Challenge

There's a new Sketch Challenge going on today over at Papercraft Planet, and I hope you will all have time to join in because you could win prizes!  Sakura has generously offered some prizes for 2 lucky participants, so jet on over to the Planet and check out the challenge!  Upload your creation and put SK110808 in your tag!  (Click on that tag to be taken directly to the album for today's sketch challenge and see what others have made already!)

I hope those of you that have joined over at PCP are finding it fun and friendly!  A new place always has kinks that need to be worked out, but I hope you'll continue to come around and be patient while we work everything out!  Last week at this time, there were about 500 members.  Today there are over 2500!!!  BLOW ME AWAY!  That's incredible!  Many companies have "groups" started that you can join.  Many of them have started issuing challenges, and I'm sure many of them have some "incentives" for playing in the challenges, too!  (hint, hint... more prizes!)  The Design Team has started a rockin' album of cards and projects expressing Gratitude this month, and we'll keep adding to it each week!

Here, very quickly are two cards I made for today's sketch challenge.  The "thank you" card was just giving me fits, until I turned it sideways and then it all came together!  I was quite pleased with that one!  I was also very happy with the Christmas card.  Awhile back, I tried out for a guest designer spot with Impression Obsession.  Didn't get chosen  (I KNOW... what's up with that?)  LOL  But I did receive a very nice little package in the mail on Thursday with some free stamps from them, thanking me for submitting!  Free stamps... doesn't get any better than that!

 

 

I hope you have a fabulous weekend!  Thanks for stopping by!    

 

Thank You card
Stamps:  Upsy Daisy (Stampin' Up!)
Cardstock:  Baja Breeze, Basic Black (Stampin' Up!), Watermelon, Parakeet (Bazzill), designer paper (Urban Prairie by Basic Grey)
Inks:  Ruby Red (Stampin' Up!), Versafine Onyx Black (Tsukineko)
Accessories:  black brads (Stampin' Up!), Nestabilities (Spellbinders), Swiss Dots folder (ProvoCraft), ribbon (supply).

Christmas card
Stamps:  wreath, sentiment (Impression Obsession)
Cardstock:  Watermelon (Bazzill), Old Olive, Certainly Celery, brushed gold (Stampin' Up!), white (Gary Burlin)
Inks:  Momento Tuxedo Black, Encore Metallic Gold (Tsukineko), Old Olive (Stampin' Up!), markers (Copic)
Accessories:  Nestabilities (Spellbinders), brads (Stampin' Up!), Textile embossing folder (ProvoCraft).

Color Throwdown #18 and another Pink Cat peek!

It's week #18 of the Color Throwdown, and we've got some exciting news!  My super sweet stamping/blogging friend Kimberly Crawford has joined our team as a designer!  I hope you'll hop over to her blog and make her feel welcome!  She picked some really fabulous colors this week and everyone on the team has created some beautiful samples!  Kim said her inspiration for these colors came from the Basic Grey paper she's been using a lot lately from the Eva line.  Well, in honor of Kim becoming a new member of our team, and also recently becoming a new member of the Stampers Dream Team, Michelle from Stampers Dream graciously donated a 6x6 pad of the Eva paper from Basic Grey to give away to one lucky player!  So, head on over to the Color Throwdown blog for some inspiration, or visit the team members' blogs...

Kimberly

Cathy

LeAnne

Broni

(Our team member Kisa is taking a little break right now from the challenges, but she still rocks out these awesome blinkies and swatches for us each week, as well as the fabulous banner on the Throwdown blog!  You rock, Kisa!  Thanks for your help!)

For my card, I used another stamp from the soon-to-be-released Lily & Billy Winter Fun stamps from Pink Cat Studio!  If you'll check out my other post, you'll see that this stamp set is actually bigger than what I've shown here.  It was easy-peasy-lemon-squeezie (ala Jennifer Buck!) to mask out the little doggie and have Lily just skating by herself!  Isn't she gorgeous in her green houndstooth coat with the fur trim?  Now, I MUST tell you that paper piecing the coat was entirely my daughter Kaylie's idea!  She vowed that she will check my blog tomorrow to make sure that I gave her the credit for the idea, so there you go my sweet girl!  We make a good team!

I think one of my most favorite things about this stamp set is how cute Lily is dressed for winter!  I just love her little fur-trimmed coat, and her hood on some of the other stamps!  You must pick up some Marvy Liquid Applique to embellish her outfits when you get this set!  It's a requirement!  LOL

I borrowed this layout from another card that I CASE'd awhile back from the super-talented Julie Koerber!

So, I hope you'll make time to join us in the Color Throwdown today!  Remember to leave a comment on the Color Throwdown blog with a direct link to your card, and if you upload to Paper Craft Planet or any other online galleries, be sure to use the keywords CTD18!

Thanks for stopping by!

 

Stamps:  Lily & Billy Winter Fun (Pink Cat Studio)
Cardstock:  Old Olive, Pale Plum, Chocolate Chip (Stampin' Up!), white (Georgia Pacific), designer paper (Basic Grey)
Inks:  Versamark, Momento Tuxedo Black (Tsukineko), markers (Copic)
Accessories:  oval and scalloped oval Nestabilities (Spellbinders), pearls (Hero Arts), ribbon (Creative Impressions), white Liquid Applique (Marvy), Iridescent Ice glitter (Stampin' Up!).

Finally!

 

Finally!  I had some time to do some "just because" stamping, and I FINALLY got my Ambrosia paper from Basic Grey!  I swear my supplier knows how much I love this stuff and purposely puts me on the backorder list!  LOL  I've been so anxious for this paper, and 4 other 6x6 pads I got yesterday!

I used a new stamp set from Stampers' Anonymous that I got at the stamping convention this past weekend.  I really like the artsy/college-y look of these stamps, and it helps me branch out into other styles to use them, so I got this beautiful set.  The sentiment is from a Stampin' Up set that I have borrowed from my friend Anita!

We had a great time at the convention!  I picked up this stamp set, plus another wood-mount Stampers' Anonymous stamp, and decided to get some Tim Holtz Grungeboard to play with.  I also added 18 Copics to my collection, and got the new Versamark Dazzle ink pads in Champagne and Frost!  I'll be working on a project with that ink later today at work!  Other than that, we just walked around and looked over all the displays, and connected with friends.  We didn't stay very long, as I get quickly bored since I spend all day everyday at work looking at stamps and stuff!  A quick stop at Taco Bell so Anita could satisfy her craving for a bean burrito, a quick stop at Hollo's to pick up envelopes and miscellaneous paper and back home!  The weather was beautiful too, so it was a great day!

Thanks for stopping by!  Be sure to check back in tomorrow for the Color Throwdown!

 

Stamps:  Nature's Discovery (Stampers' Anonymous), sentiment (Stampin' Up!)
Cardstock:  Ruby Red (Stampin' Up!), gray, black (supply), designer paper (Basic Grey)
Inks:  Momento Potter's Clay and Rich Cocoa (Tsukineko)
Accessories:  hardware (Stampin' Up!), ribbon (Offray), distressing tool (Tonic).

Pink Cat Day!

Hello everyone!  I am back from my whirlwind weekend at the trade show and classes!  I think I need a day off to recuperate, but have too much to do for that.  I haven't had time to go through all the stuff I made and sort it out, but I'll get to it soon!  Some of the stuff made in the classes is not going to get uploaded, but I do have a few things to show you.  You know how it is when you take a class.... it's so fast-paced sometimes so things don't turn out quite the way they're supposed to!  If I could sit in my studio with it for an hour, then it would turn out better!  LOL

But I do have this quick card to share wih you today as it is Pink Cat Day, and the design team members have all made a card following this sketch!

 

Tweet is doing some shopping today!  I hope she bought me something cute!  I'm SO in the mood for a new fall sweater or something!

These two designer papers ended up next to each other in a pile of scraps one day and I was struck by how well they went together.  The flowered paper is Basic Grey, and the polka dots are from My Mind's Eye.  It's very rare that I combine designer papers from different companies, but in this case I think it worked out well.

Gotta' go!  Have a great day!

 

Stamps:  Tweet (Pink Cat Studio), sentiment from Say Charge! (My Favorite Things)
Cardstock:  Whirlpool (Bazzill), Blush Blossom (Stampin' Up!), white (Gary Burlin), designer papers (Basic Grey, My Mind's Eye)
Inks:  Momento Tuxedo Black, Rhubarb Stalk (Tsukineko), markers (Copic)
Accessories:  Threading Water border punch (Fiskars), circle and scalloped circle punches (Marvy), Nestabilities label die (Spellbinders), brad (Creative Impressions), flowers (craft supply).

Pink Cat - More Sneak Peeks

  I'm running late today with my Pink Cat sneak peeks.  I wish I owned this Inkadinkado stamp... if I did I'd be stamping it all over my walls!  I hope no one is getting cyber-germs from me!

My first sneak peek card for today shows you again how versatile the new Christmas Kitty stamp set is!  I can use this stamp as is for a great "best wishes" card, or I could add the Santa hat that's included with the set to Pink Cat's head and make it a Christmas greeting!  This stamp, used without the hat is one of my favorite of the set!  I am sure I'm going to use it with this sentiment a lot!

My second card illustrates just what cats do best, especially at Christmas-time... get into mischief!  Is there anyone who owns a cat that doesn't get in the tree?

With this card, I made a rick-rack border using the new scalloped border punch from Stampin' Up!  (Yeah Anita... you're not getting that back!)  I don't know whose blog I saw that rick-rack done on, but I love it!  You're going to see that often (as long as I can keep Anita from taking her punch back home!)

All the Pink Cat girls have created cards today using these same stamps, so please take a moment to check out their cards, too!  Tomorrow is the new release day and I'll have one more card to share with you as well as a picture of the entire set.  Remember, you have until 5:00 EST today to enter the drawing to win this set.  Just go to www.pinkcatstudio.blogspot.com to enter to win!  Good luck!

Thanks for stopping by!  Remember tomorrow is Color Throwdown day, too!

Fishy card
Stamps:  Christmas Kitty (Pink Cat Studio)
Cardtock:  Summer Sunrise (Papertrey Ink), Cool Caribbean, Taken with Teal (Stampin' Up!), white (Gary Burlin)
Inks:  Adirondack Pitch Black (Ranger), Versafine Onyx Black (Tsukineko), markers (Copic)
Accessories:  scalloped border punch (Stampin' Up!), ribbon (May Arts).

Christmas Tree
Stamps:  Christmas Kitty (Pink Cat Studio
Cardstock:  Always Artichoke, Soft Sky, Very Vanilla (Stampin' Up!), designer paper (Basic Grey)
Inks:  Adirondack Pitch Black (Ranger), Colorbox Maroon chalk ink (Clearsnap), markers (Copic)
Accessories:  scalloped border punch (Stampin' Up!), faux suede ribbon (May Arts), Nestabilities (Spellbinders).