photo kime5_zps3df5231d.png  photo kime6_zpsa90859c6.png  photo kime7_zps9d2ef86d.png  photo kime9_zpsb23b4278.png

Thursday, November 29, 2012

Friends of Sweet 'n Sassy Blog Hop

Welcome to today' Friends of Sweet 'n Sassy blog hop!  We have a serious list of designers on our hop today and there is no doubt you are going to be full of inspiration by the end of the hop!  During the hop we're all sharing our favorite SNSS stamps, as well as some tidbits about SNSS (and maybe even Korin!) and there's no doubt that silhouette images are some of my most favorite SNSS stamps of all time!

I've been on the SNSS design team for three years, it might actually be going on four (WooHoo!), and one of the things I can share about their stamps is that I never, ever grow tired of using them.  I am consistently excited about the new sets that Korin releases each month - there really is something for every design style - and I love the relationships that I've developed with Korin and the entire team.  Having been on a number of teams, I can honestly say that working with Korin and the entire SNSS team has been one of the best experiences (which is why I stay for so long...)!  SNSS is a great company and I can highly recommend their products and the owner. :-)

On my card today I'm using the Together Silhouettes stamp set along with new paper from the Authentique, the Lovely collection.  For my card, I used a plain oval die from Spellbinders, left the die on and used my blending tool and Spun Sugar Distress Ink to add some color.  The I stamped the image in Fired Brick Distress Ink.  I then built my card (it is like building when you have multiple layers, right?) and added a paper flower using a die from My Favorite Things.  Finished off with a little bling!

During our hop today...

~There will be 4 random participants from whom I will choose 1 commenter to receive a $15 store credit.  
~To be included in the drawings, comments must be left by midnight EST Friday, November 30th.
~The winners will be announced on the SNSS Blog on December 1st at 8am EST

Enjoy the hop!!

Monday, November 26, 2012

Starry, Starry Night


It's that time again...Time for this week's CAS challenge on Splitcoast.  This week our challange was to be inspired by a quote from Galileo, "I have loved the stars too fondly to be fearful of the night."

As soon as I read the quote I knew I needed to use my brand new stencil, Starry Starry Night, from Dylusions.  And what better product to use with the stencil then the Embossing Paste from Wendy Vecchi.  I have been in a major embossing paste phase lately, I love this stuff and have been using it a lot in my art journal so why not also use it on a card!

To create my card I first laid the stencil over my cardstock, applied the paste, picked up the stencil and sprinkled on a whole lot of super fine glitter! The shine is awesome!

I left the paste to drive overnight and then added the sentiment (from a Tim stamp set). I didn't want to cover up those great stars so I used vellum for the sentiment and embossed the sentiment in black so it would stand out among all that shine.

Enjoy today's card and why not try out this week's CAS challenge!


Monday, November 19, 2012

A Joyful Christmas


Welcome to this week's CAS challenge...a color challenge using grey, tan, plum, and lavendar.  And along with this week's card, I have a confession to make...I have a hard time creating cards with more than three colors! Heck, even my clothes are mostly black and white! LOL!  Four colors...it makes me wee head spin!
 
So...Instead of trying to find paper with all of this week's challenge colors, which are beautiful by the way, or create a card with punched flowers or butterflies (which I kinda wanted to do), I decided to put my many Distress Inks to good use and create this scene.  I actually spied this stamp set, last year's Tim Holtz Christmas release, on my desk when I went in to make my card and this idea popped into my head. 
 
To start, I die cut a large circle for the moon and tore a piece of scap paper for the sand....then I got to work with my blending tool and inks.  I first blended Milled Lavendar around the moon and then added Seedless Preserves.  Once I removed the masks, I went back with Antique Linen for the sand.  Then I just needed to stamp my image and sentiment.  The grey was used as the card base. 
 
Enjoy!

Friday, November 16, 2012

You Are My Sunshine


Oh my...three posts in one week and check out what I've been working on!  Seriously, so out of my comfort zone but I am IN LOVE with this art form!  It finally dawned on my last week that the wonderful pages of my Dylusions journal can be just that...a journal!  Not one where I necessarily write down all of the events in a day but where I can record broad thoughts and emotions.  Once that idea struck, I spent hours over the weekend creating background pages, sketching (hello...me sketching?  Just who I am??!), and planning page after page.  I have so many ideas that I wish there were more hours in the day to just create.  (Is it the weekend yet??)

This project is my second full page (still working on finishing the first one) and it was inspired by an art piece that is in my children's bedroom that says, "You are my sunshine, my only sunshine, you make me happy when skies are grey..."  That song has special significance for me as my mom used to sing it and my strongest memory of her singing it was when she was battling cancer.  She lost the battle when she was just 37...I was 14 so I've carried the "tradition" of singing it to my husband and now my children.  The art piece in my children's room has a sun in the middle of it and I decided that I'd like to create something that was similar that would remind me of my precious boys...who really do make me so darn happy!

I started by using Dylusions Ink Sprays to color the background pages.  What, you don't have Dylusions Ink Sprays?  You need them...like now.  They are amazing!  I used Lemon Zest, Vibrant Turquoise, and and London Blue on these pages.  Once the inks were dry, I went back with the Dotted Flowers stencil and added a few gold polka dots with the a paint dabber.

I used a dinner plate to draw the face outline and then I free handed the face and sun beams with a pencil.  Once I was happy with the drawing, I outlined everything in black sharpie.  To color the face I used a paint brush and the Dylusions Ink sprays.  (Dyan uses a water brush filled with the ink and I'll move to this method of applying the ink as it no doubts works better.)  However, the paint brush worked well and I love that the colors kind of ran together (the ink sprays react with water, like Distress Inks) as it gave a great patina look to the face.  And since I'm no ar-teest, this free form method works better for me.  I colored the sun beams with a Picket Fence Distress Marker (love that thing!)  Then I got busy with a white gel pen and my Sharpie to add highlights and a bit of design elements to the beams and face.

Next...a space for my text and I think adding this curvy text is my favorite thing!  I started by free hand drawing the lines and then using a stamp from the Further Around the Edge stamp set.  Since the stamp is thin I was able to easily bend it along my curved lines for a border.  Added my words and then got to work on more decorating.

I used dictionary paper and decorative paper from Echo Park's Documented paper pad to add birds and the leaves are from a Papertreyink set; they're stamped in Pine Needles Distress Ink (I don't use this color enough and it's beautiful...note to self, use Pine Needles more often!).

And that, my friends, is the completion of my first two-page journaling page...What do you think?  Interested in this type of art?  It's so much fun...the skies the limit, there are no boundries to what you can create! 

PS - My one painful moment and I share this so you don't make the same mistake, is that the ink does bleed through the seam of the journal.  Normally this would be fine but because I used such a light color for the sun, the red from my next page really bled through in the middle of the sun.  I was a wee bit sick about it when I realized my mistake but it's all good, right?  You could also create on every other page to try and cut down on the bleeding.

Enjoy and thanks for hanging in for this very lengthy post!!  Now go out and get inky!

 
 
 


Wednesday, November 14, 2012

God's Grace is Sufficient


Oh my...I'm posting twice in one week...it's a record!  Running little eP sure is time consuming and my crafting time has taken a serious hit!  However, I was ahead of schedule with this week's to do list so I had some time to create just for the joy of creating...love that!
 
This card is for this week's sketch challenge over on Splitcoast.  And I decided to have a little fun with paint on this card.  Once my card layout was completed, using beautiful paper's from Authentique's Thankful line, I got to work on creating my tree.  I used the Tree Background stamp from Sweet 'n Sassy to stamp the branches in Walnut Stain Distress Ink.  Then I grabbed a few Adirondack Paint Dabbers, poured the paint on a paper plate, got an old toothbrush and went to town with creating "leaves" for the tree!  I dipped the toothbrush in the paint and then pounced the toothbrush up and down on the paper to get little splotches of color.  Abstract, no?  Once the paint was dry I just added the sentiment, from the Amazing Grace stamp set, and a few pearl embellishemnts.
 
What kind of projects have you created with paint?  Share!  And enjoy today's card!

Monday, November 12, 2012

Seasons Greetings


Welcome to this week's CAS (Clean and Simple) challenge over on Splitcoast.  This week's challenge was a sketch challenge and I love it!  I'm totally in love with banners anyway so this was perfect for me. 
 
The sketch sample provided on Splitcoast is a great example of how to use a variety of designer paper on cards but I decided to keep it all white (well...except for that bit of twine!)  I used embossing folders to create four different patterns on each white banner.  I also very slightly rolled up the edges of each banner to keep the card from being too flat.  Then I just added some red twine and a holiday greeting, from Sweet 'n Sassy
 
Enjoy!

Tuesday, November 6, 2012

Sweet Stamp Shop Release Day


Yippee!  It's time for another Sweet Stamp Shop release!  Are you all excited?!  I love release day...so much fun to see all the new sets and projects created by the team members!
 
Today I'm sharing a CAS (Clean and Simple) card using the new Get Fit stamp set.  This darling stamp set comes complete with everything you need to get fit....sneakers, a scale, some healthy food, and a whole bunch of darling sentiments.
 
When I saw this set the first thing that came to mind was footprints across my card.  I stamped the sneakers in Memento Ink and "walked" across my card.  Then I stamped the sneakers again on a scrap piece of paper, colored them with a pink marker, added some glitter, cut them out, and popped them up with foam tape (because every girl needs a pair of pink sparkly shoes!)  Then I simply added the sentiment and a tiny bit of bling to one of the corners.  Fun!
 
Ready to see what the rest of the team has come up with today?  Check out the links below and enjoy!
Kim - You're Here!
 

Monday, November 5, 2012

Praying for You


Hello Monday and welcome to our next CAS challenge on Splitcoast!  This week it's a photo inspiration challenge and wait until you see the photo...it's beautiful! 
 
I went back and forth when creating my card as I really wanted to be quite literal in my design...having tiny leaves cascading down the side of my card (like in the photo).  However, after I created these leaves using sticky back canvas, Dylusions Ink Sprays, Distress Ink Stains, and Seasons of Change dies from Sweet 'n Sassy I changed my mind. :-) 
 
I decided to focus on the elements of the photo...the vines in the background were recreated with an Impression Obsession background stamp in the middle of my card, my leaves were attached with foam tape, and I added scallop trim in a teal.  Loved that pop of color in the photo!  And my sentiment is also from Sweet 'n Sassy, from the Seasons of Change stamp set (this set coordinates with the dies). 
 
Enjoy!
 

Thursday, November 1, 2012

Happy Birthday Sweet 'n Sassy

How exciting to be celebrating Sweet 'n Sassy's birthday!  It's hard to believe Sweet 'n Sassy Sassy Stamps is celebrating five fabulous years this month and I've been with the team for three of those five years....Seriously great times, SNSS is not only one of my favorite stamp companies but Korin is one of my favorite people! :-)  Time definitely flies when you're having fun and creating with Sweet 'n Sassy is full of fun!

We have a lot planned this month in honor of the 5th birthday starting with today's special DT Favorites Blog Hop.  The best part about this hop is that all of the sets the DT is featuring are on sale---25% off today through November 7th!!!

One of my favorite SNSS stamp sets is Everyday Miracles.  I have used this set numerous times...either to grab one of the butterfly images or the sentiments.  And it's no secret that butterflies are one of my favorite images so this has to be a fav set!  I also used Friendship Script on this set, in the background, which is another favorite of mine...it's a perfect accent or background stamp for any style of card!  I colored the butterfly with Distress Markers, using my craft sheet and a water brush to get a watercolor effect.  Want to see a few other cards created with this set?  You can check them out here:


I hope you enjoy the beautiful creations shared today featuring the team's favorite Sweet 'n Sassy Stamp sets!!

Here's the list of blogs you won't want to miss: