Military Collage

Happy Tuesday, hope you all enjoyed the Labor Day holiday!  I've got some exciting news to share with you today, I'm a Guest Designer for Firecracker Designs this month!  Throughout the month of September I'll be sharing creations made with some of Pamela's wonderful  images.  Firecracker Designs also offer Digi images, and you can find some FREE Digital Freebies here.

This week I used the So Far Away stamp set to create my card

The background on my card is created using the Sanded Core'dinations technique, I thought it was just perfect to use with this image.  The image is stamped on Matte card stock with Black Archival ink. Once dry, I used the Pulled Glimmers Technique to add color to the background, then added color to the main image with an H20 Brush and Distress Inks.

Details:
Stamps - So Far Away - Courtesy of Firecracker Designs
Ink - Black Archival, Distress Ink Crushed Olive
Card Stock - Matte, Black, Olive, Core'dinations
Other - Big Shot, Cuttlebug Stars Folder, Sanding Block, Glimmer Mist, H20 Brush

Kitchen Sink Stamps - Oh Nuts!

Happy Kitchen Sink Stamps Monday, I hope you had a great weekend.  For those of you in the States, enjoy the Labor Day holiday!  I'm excited to let you know that the Monthly KSS Challenges return this week!  Connie is your hostess this month and she is challenging you to use your Kitchen Sink Stamps and create a Fall Themed card.  Remember to be eligible for this months random drawing, you need to use Kitchen Sink Stamps along with Connie's challenge theme.  Click here for the KSS Challenge Rules.

I love the Fall!  The crispness in the air and the leaves changing color.  Recently my BFF sent me some beautiful papers from Cloud 9 and I new they'd be perfect to incorporate with Connie's challenge.  I combined them with the following Kitchen Sink Stamps: 3 Step Autumn Squirrel, Multi Step Owl and Autumn Moon and Multi Step Pumpkin.

Click here then enter code LISA10KSS at checkout to save 10% on all your purchases at Kitchen Sink Stamps.  Note discount is not valid on KSS Workshops.

Be sure to stop back next week and see what's new in the Kitchen!

Thanks so much for stopping by, for more Kitchen Sink Stamps inspiration, be sure to visit the other Design Team Members.

Angela • Connie • Julie • Lynn • Makiko • Maria

Color Recipe:
Squirrel - #2 Chocolate Chip, #1 Caramel, #3 Black
Large Leaves - #2 Memento Tangelo, #1 SU Mustard, #3 Memento Cottage Ivy
Small Leaves - #1 Mustard, #2 Memento Tangelo
Pumpkin - #3 Memento Tangelo x 2, #3 Memento Tangelo, #1 Memento Tangelo stamp off, #4 Memento Potters Clay, stamp off repeat, #4 Memento Potters Clay
Stem - #3 Memento Cottage Ivy, #1 Memento Desert Sand x 2
Ivy - #1 Memento Pear Tart, #2 Memento Bamboo Leaves, #3 Memento Cottage Ivy
Have a creative week!

Bloggers Challenge - Sketch Challenge

Happy Bloggers Challenge Friday, I hope you've been having a great week!  This week I gave the Bloggers Challenge players the following sketch to incorporate into their project.  It's a pretty simple sketch, rotate it, flip it, replace the small panel with a piece of ribbon.  I rotated mine so the sentiment is now at the top of my card.

I created this card with a few of my friends in mind who have birthdays coming up....So if your birthday is in the next month, this may just be arriving in your mailbox!  The cute images and sentiment are from The Rubber Cafe Birthdays and Balloons set.  The image is stamped in Black Archival on WC paper then colored using the Marker Watercoloring Technique. The bone was stamped in Pumice Stone Distress Ink on Basic Grey Marrakech paper.  All edges were inked with Pumice Stone.

Looking for more inspiration using this weeks sketch, click on the Bloggers Challenge Logo on my sidebar to see what the other players created this week.

Details:
Stamps - The Rubber Cafe
Ink - Black Archival, Markers, Distress Ink Pumice Stone
Card Stock - Black, Rust, WC
Other - H20 Brush, Rock Candy Stickles, Ink Blending Tool, Basic Grey Marrakech

Have a great weekend! To my friends in the States, enjoy the long holiday weekend!

Creative Inspirations Paint - Monochromatic Ribbon/Lace with Tutorial and a DT Call

Please click here for my Play Date Cafe Challenge Post

Thanks for stopping by today, I've got a lot to share, so grab a cup of coffee and read on...

This week the Creative Inspirations Paint Design Team "A" was challenged to use the paints in a Monochromatic color and add Ribbon or Lace.  Using Green as my monochromatic color, I selected my paint in Green Olive, papers from Cloud 9 and My Minds Eye and this beautiful Vintage Santa from the Artistic Outpost Snowy Woods plate.

So, where's the lace you ask?  I mixed some of the Green Olive Paint in a water filled Spritz Bottle, to make my own shimmer spray, then sprayed through a piece of lace to transfer the pattern to my card stock (the panel under the ribbon).  Then I used this same spritz bottle to dye my White Ribbon - see tutorial below.

Supplies:

Baggie

White Ribbon

Heat Gun

Non Stick Craft Sheet

Creative Inspirations Paint

Water filled Spritz Bottle

Toothpick

Optional for additional ideas: Clear Envelope, Glossy Card Stock

Using toothpick, add Paint to your water filled Spritz Bottle.  Working on the Non Stick Craft Sheet, spritz your ribbon to add color.

If you'd like your color darker, pick up some paint with your fingers and rub it into your ribbon.  You will get messy here, so if  you'd like, put on rubber gloves.

Once ribbon has coverage to your liking, place ribbon in corner of a baggie and twist shut.  Leave to dry overnight.  ETA - The reason the ribbon is put in the bag and left to dry is so that it comes out crinkly like the photo below.  You can heat set - you have to be very careful not to overheat your ribbon, as it will burn.

Remove ribbon and fluff, if still slightly damp, heat set. Use on project as desired.

Before you clean your Non Stick Craft Sheet, why not use the excess paint to create some backgrounds.  The following techniques were inspired by some past Technique Junkie Tutorials, I just swapped out the products called for in the Tutorials with Creative Inspirations Paint

You'll need Glossy or Matte card stock

Swipe card stock (Glossy/Matte) through the spritzed paint to great a glimmery background

Use as desired on your projects

Another idea to use of the leftover spray on your Craft Sheet - you'll need a Clear Envelope and Glossy or Matte Card Stock

Slice open envelope, place one side down onto Craft Sheet to absorb the spritzed paint

Place card stock inside envelope, if using Glossy make sure the glossy side is face down on the ink

Close envelope and smoosh to transfer paint onto card stock

Remove and use as desired

Thanks for stopping by!  Looking for more inspiraton using Creative Inspirations Paint along with Ribbon and Lace, be sure to check out the Creative Inspirations Paint Blog.  While your at the Creative Inspirations Blog, be sure to check out their Design Team call!

Play Date Cafe Simple Pleasures

I'm so glad you stopped by for another wonderful color challenge from The Play Date Cafe!  Thanks to everyone who gave last weeks "color horribilis" a go, you all created such wonderful pieces with that challenge! This week Julie Ranae is your color hostess, Andrea is joining us as our new Private Blend Designer and we also have Sankari Wegman as our Guest Designer!

Here's Julies Color Story, aren't those colors pretty!   I pulled out my card stock colors: Eggplant, Sahara Sand and Mustard, as I thought they were a close match to the photo.  Picked an image to use, then decided on a Technique to add color to my image.  What's your creative process?

Don't adjust your screen....when looking at the color story, I actually say an eggplant/purple shade - thus the color of my card stock and Wisteria BG paper.

I stamped the Paper Bag Studios image Simple Pleasures in Black Archival.  To color the image, I used the Spectrum Roll Technique from an older Technique Junkie Newsletter - using Eggplant and Mustard Inks, spritzing the Brayer with pearl Glimmer Mist. Once dry, I sponged the edges with Pumice Stone Distress Ink, then colored the bench in Pumice Stone using an H20 Brush.

We'd love for you to play along with this weeks challenge at The Play Date Cafe, you can find all the details here on how to enter.  If you upload to any online gallery please use keyword PDCC#45 so we can find your creations!

Looking for more inspiration using this weeks challenge visit the other Designers Blogs:

Julie Ranae * Sarah Anderson * Suzanne Czosek * Ruby 2 Shoes * Savannah O’Gwynn *Andrea Ewen  * Sankari WegmanGuest Designer

Details:

Stamps - Paper Bag Studios

Ink - Black Archival, Mustard, Eggplant, Distress Ink Pumice Stone

Card Stock - Vanilla, Black, Eggplant

Other - Spritz Bottle, Brayer, Basic Grey Wisteria, Dew Drops, Scrappy Glue, Ink Blending Tool, Non Stick Craft Mat, Pearl Glimmer Mist

The Same but Different - Fun with a few Challenges

I enjoy taking one image and changing a few things to come up with some different card ideas.  I picked my focal image Keep the Lamp Burning from Our Daily Bread Designs, then went to work with a few techniques from The Technique Junkie Newsletter.  While I was combining things, I added in a few challenges: City Crafter's Let your Light Shine, Our Daily Bread Designs Texture It, The Artistic Stamper Sing a Rainbow and Simon Says Stamp and Show your Layers.

The end result......

For all three cards I used the same colors of Glimmer Mist: Scarlet Red, Sunflower, Olive, Denim and Purple.  All three use Texture Fades Embossing Folders, color was added to the embossed areas.  The first two use the same technique Pulled Glimmers, the Glimmer Mist was applied in the same order.  The last card uses the Glimmer Mist Watercolor Technique, again using the same colors of Glimmer Mist.

Details:

Stamps - Our Daily Bread Designs

Ink - Black Archival, Amethyst, Lavender, Banana

Card Stock - Matte White, Black, Amethyst, Lavender, Banana, Bashful Blue

Other - Texture Fades Folders, Big Shot

Critter Challenge Blog - Happy Fall and a Design Team Call

It's time for another challenge from the Critter Challenge Blog.  This week's challenge is to create a Fall themed card.  We'd like to thank Limelight Papercrafts for being our sponsor this month, if you get a change, pop over to their website, they've got lots of great products on sale! A special thanks to all of you who've joined us for this months challenges, we enjoy seeing what you create with the challenge themes each week, watch for the winners of this months prize to be posted on the Critter Challenge Blog.  I also wanted to mention the The Critter Challenge Blog is hosting a Design Team Call, you can read more information here.  

Sunflowers are a sure sign of Fall!  Here I used Kitchen Sink Stamps Multi Step Sunflower and 3-Step Bitty Tulip Bouquet (the vase) to create my Fall themed card.  Details for this card can be found in the October issue of Crafts 'n Things on page 69.

Looking for more inspiration using this weeks challenge,  head over to the Critter Blog to see what the other Designers created this week, and find out how you can play along. 

Stamps - Kitchen Sink Stamps

Card Stock - Black, White, Kiwi

Ink - Soft Suede, Chocolate Chip, Memento Dandelion, London Fog, Cantaloupe, Bamboo Leaves, Pear Tart

Other - Lattice Punch, Basic Grey Origins, Dimensionals

Kitchen Sink Stamps - With Thanks

Happy Kitchen Sink Stamps Monday, I hope you had a great weekend!  It was mighty warm here again this weekend, so I thought maybe if I posted a Fall themed card, things might cool down a bit!  Kitchen Sink Stamps has a lot of wonderful Fall themed stamps - today I reached for one of my favorites Multi Step Big Leaves.  Sorry, no video again this week, I'm hoping to be back next week with more Kitchen Sink Stamps Video Tutorials.

I used the Triple Dimension Technique from an older TJNL, to create the collage of leaves, aren't they lovely!  Not wanting to cover the leaves, I stamped the sentiment from Multi Step Harvest in Black, using a Stamp-a-ma-jig.  Don't forget, Kitchen Sink Stamps, is hitting the road and heading to Houston for some Multi Step Stamping fun on October 8th and 9th.  Click here for more information- space will be limited, so you'll want to act fast to reserve your spot!

Click here then enter code LISA10KSS at checkout to save 10% on all your purchases at Kitchen Sink Stamps (note discount is not available for KSS Texas Event)

Details:
Stamps - Kitchen Sink Stamps Multi Step Harvest, Multi Step Big Leaves
Ink - Olive, Celery, Artichoke, Summer Sun, Saffron, Mustard, Riding Hood Red, Cranberry, Silver, Black
Card Stock - Black, Pear, Riding Hood Red,
Other - Ink Blending Tool, SAMJ

Click here for Kitchen Sink Stamps Video Tutorials

Color Recipe:
Green Leaves: #3 Olive, #2 Olive, #1 Celery, #4 Artichoke
Yellow Leaves: #2 Summer Sun, #1 Saffron, #3 Mustard
Red Leaves: #2 Cranberry, #1 Cranberry stamp off, #3 Riding Hood Red
Silver - Repeat steps for Green Leaves

Thanks so much for stopping by, for more Kitchen Sink Stamps inspiration, be sure to visit the other Design Team Members.

Angela • Connie • Julie • Lynn • Makiko • Maria

Have a creative week!

Bloggers Challenge - Live the Life you've Imagined

Happy Bloggers Challenge Friday - this weeks I issued the members a Color Challenge of Red, Green and Yellow.  When I was making the remaining challenge schedule for the year, I thought the colors would be good for BTS, or a Fall Themed project, or just plain anything!  As you can see my project went in the "just plain anything" direction.

Needless to say I had a lot of creative fun making my project this week! Running short on time this week, I've combined the Bloggers Challenge with Linda's Compendium of Curiosities Challenge (Blended Batik), the Anything of Lord Tim Holtz Inspired Challenge at Simon Says Stamp and Show, and the You Don't Bring me Flowers Challenge at the Sunday Stamper.  Say that really fast!

Inspired by the lovely flowers that Tim Holtz creates, I created my own, using the Bloggers Challenge Colors, and the Blended Batik challenge.  My stamp of choice was a BG stamp from the Fortune Teller plate from Artistic Outpost.  I'm just love the way the Batik turned out.  The sentiment is also from this plate and I thought it went well with the stamp from Tim's 100th Collection.  Inspired by Evelyn's use of Tissue Tape, I covered the sides and top rim of my Tin, then distressed a piece of Tim's paper to cover the remainder of the lid.

Looking for more inspiration using this weeks colors, click on the Bloggers Challenge Logo on my sidebar to see what the other players created this week.

Details:
Stamps - Artistic Outpost, Stampers Anonymous
Ink - Black Archival, Distress Ink Barn Door Red, Crushed Olive, Pumice Stone, Mustard
Other - Tattered Florals Die, Big Shot, Ink Blending Tool, Craft Sheet, Rock Candy Stickles, Glossy Accents, Glue Dots, Dimensionals, Accoutrements Buttons, Bird Embellishment, Stick Pin, Flourish Gems, Tissue Tape, Tin, Ribbon, Seam Binding

Have a great weekend!

Play Date Cafe #44 Color Clash or Not

Thanks for stopping by for another wonderful Color Story Challenge from The Play Date Cafe!  You may be wondering why I called my title "Color Clash or Not".  There's a story behind this weeks colors chosen by Senior Designer Sarah Anderson, so be sure to read her PDCC blog post.  I know you're probably scratching your head and thinking has the PDCC really lost their mind!  Trust me, when you check out what the Design Team has created you'll surely be inspired. 

We want you to have FUN with this weeks colors of Navy, Hot Pink and Mustard.  YES, they really do go together nicely! While your creating with this weeks colors we'd love you to think about what colors you think don't go together, feel free to leave these colors as comments here on my blog, but remember to use Navy, Hot Pink and Mustard when you link in at the PDCC.

Memory Box is back as our sponsor this week, with another WONDERFUL prize, and the talented Elise Durenberger is back as our Guest Designer. On another note, this is Stephanie's last  post as a PDCC Design Team member, she's been a wonderful asset to the team, I wish you all the best on your creative endeavors!  Be sure to stop back and play along with us Stephanie!

Isn't this such a cute image!  Have you ever seen a "mustard" grater before?  Me either, but it looks wonderful with this weeks colors!  The Grater Floral image from The Rubber Cafe is stamped in Black Archival on Watercolor paper, then colored using the Marker Watercoloring Technique using Navy, Mustard and Rich Razzleberry (it's a hot pink) markers.  Then added a few Pink Half Pearl.

I searched through my pattern paper looking for something in this weeks colors and found this Pink/Mustard piece, works great don't you think!  The sentiment is from The Rubber Cafe Birthdays and Balloons.

We'd love for you to play along with this weeks challenge at The Play Date Cafe, you can find all the details here on how to enter.  If you upload to any online gallery please use keyword PDCC#44 so we can find your creations!

Looking for more inspiration using this weeks challenge visit the other Designers Blogs:

Julie Ranae * Sarah Anderson * Suzanne Czosek * Ruby 2 Shoes * Savannah O’Gwynn *Stephanie Kraft  * Elise Durenberger Guest Designer