Clean & Simple *CAS08*

I can hardly believe this is the 8th week for the new Clean & Simple challenge on SCS already! These are a great way to start out the week stampin'! This week we had a sketch to follow- very simple! I actually pulled out a few things that are not SUO- believe it or not. The ribbon you've probably seen before- it is a sheer dot that I love. The shiny epoxy sticker with the word peace is also non-SU. My sister gave me several packages as a stocking stuffer for Christmas last year and I hadn't used them yet.

Go play along with the CAS challenges- they are fun and you can't go wrong!

Thanks for visiting!

~Kristin

PS- Stop back tomorrow for the weekly Diva Challenge and don't forget to comment on yesterday's post. I will send that card to a randomly selected poster!

Supplies

Stamps: Thoughts & Prayers

Cardstock: Sahara Sand, Very Vanilla

Ink: Versamark

Other: Sheer Ribbon by Ribbon Creations, Epoxy Sticker by Studio18.

Good Monday Afternoon!

It's time for another Mojo Monday Challenge!

What is not to love about this sketch? It can be simple, complex and anywhere in between! I stayed fairly true to the sketch, which is not all that unusual for a MOJO sketch since I love them so much! I started out in a completely different direction and just didn't like where I was headed. So I stopped, took a deep breath and started over. LOL!

The colors I chose are Kraft, So Saffron, Taken with Teal, Ballet Blue and Whisper White. These happened to pile up on my desk last week and I just left them because I thought it was a fun color combo I could use. Initially I stamped my Saffron panel, then didn't like it so went with the Texturz Plate and embossed it. So glad I did, even if it is hard to capture in a photo.

I also embossed the Taken with Teal panel with the same plate, just opposite side. Finally, I stamped my main image using Ballet Blue ink (refill on my next order!) and Say it With Scallops stamp set. Punched out the normally square image with my circle punch, added some ribbon and jumbo brads and voila!

So what do you think? Leave me a comment and I will pick someone randomly (by closing my eyes and pointing probably- sorry, not real fancy around here) to send this to. Don't worry, I won't write in it- that way you can send it on to brighten someone else's day!

Also, don't forget that TOMORROW is the last day to SALE-A-BRATE! Be sure to place your order here and be eligible for not only a FREE SAB product, but also a FREE Idea Book & Catalog!

Thanks for stopping by!

~Kristin~

Oops, forgot my supply list and also a note to tell you that I cannot, for the life of me, photo the vibrant colors well on this card! I've tried and tried... need some lessons on my Rebel!

SUO Supplies:

Stamps: Say it with Scallops

Paper: Kraft, So Saffron, Taken with Teal, Ballet Blue, Whisper White

Accessories: Texturz Plates, Big Shot, Scallop circle punch, circle punches, Wide Brocade Grosgrain, jumbo brads.

Occasions Mini Swap: Great Swaps Girls!

I hope this isn't too early... our due date for this swap was Tuesday but I doubt anyone has gotten them back yet (namely because I might have been a bit late with mine). But since I'm out of town today I thought I'd post this for lack of anything else.

This version is a tiny bit different than the one I sent in. We only do card fronts and I had one left over so I mounted it to a Cameo Coral card base. The other little difference is the piercing on the top left corner. After I did this (on my sample here) I decided the look was not quite what I was going for, so I left it out. I really struggled with where I put the ribbon on this and in the end ran out with at least 4 or 5 to go. Thank heavens for my awesome ribbon scraps jar- I found one last scrap just enough to finish off those swaps!

The trees in the background are stamped in Versamark for a very soft subtle look. The greeting and deer are both stamped in chocolate chip craft ink and embossed in clear powder. The grass was done with the aquapainter and some ink from the ink pad lid. Scalloped circle was done with the Big Shot.

TFL, I hope my gals like it. Have a great weekend!
~Kristin

ETA: Good Grief! Sorry for all the typos and crummy grammar. My mind must have been elsewhere when I typed up this post! I've fixed everything I could find.

Guess what else I forgot to say... this design with the circle off the corner was inspired by THIS card from Lisa Henke! Thanks Lisa, and sorry I didn't mention it before! Love your ideas and creativity girl!

SUO Supplies

Stamps: All Holidays, Forest Friends

Cardstock: Blush Blossom, Always Artichoke, Kraft, Cameo Coral

Ink: Versamark, Chocolate Chip, Always Artichoke

Accessories: Kraft Taffeta Ribbon, Clear EP, Big Shot, Scalloped Circles die, circle cutter, distressing tool

Don't Try This at Home!

Just kidding... sort of! Funny story- tomorrow is the last day to submit contest entries to Stampin' Up! (for demos only) for workshop ideas using the upcoming Occasions Mini products. I hadn't really considered entering this time, but true to my nature, at the last minute I thought "what the heck!"

So I whipped out this train set called Choo Choo and thought I'd try to remake THIS card so it is using current SU cardstock instead of the Long Note which is nearly 13.5 inches long total. I grabbed some 12x12 textured Sahara Sand and then ideas starting flowing...

(Not sure why you can't click on this picture to make it bigger. Click HERE to see a close-up shot of the inside.)

I love how it turned out, but between watching HGTV shows it probably took me 2 hours. And Oh My Gosh, you should see the mess on my desk!! I kept trying to think of easy ways to embellish this train so it is realistic for a Stamp Camp setting... well, that didn't happen. There are just too many cute possibilities for the train cards but I wanted them all cut out! You could do this with masking, but that's not as much fun and doesn't give as much dimension. Once I was about done and I realized this wouldn't work for a Stamp Camp I went ahead and finished it off with some retired Hodgepodge Hardware and Always Artichoke Grosgrain.

So thanks for stopping by today! I am going scrapbook shopping tomorrow since my long-awaited annual Scrapbook Getaway is NEXT WEEKEND! So I might not be posting, but you never know! ;)

~Kristin

LOL! I just noticed that I put "Birthday Happy" instead of "Happy Birthday" inside! Duh!

SUO Supplies

Stamps: Choo Choo, Darling Dots, Sweet Little Sentiments, On Your Birthday

Cardstock: Sahara Sand Textured (12x3), Very Vanilla

Ink: Chocolate Chip, Really Rust, Always Artichoke, Sahara Sand

Accessories: Word Window punch, Pewter Hodgepodge Hardware, Always Artichoke Grosgrain

It's a Diva Wednesday!! {DCBD#120}

Here is my card for this week's Diva Challenge! I don't know what made me go with the Wanted stamp set.. in fact, neither of the cards are at all what I pictured when I saw the inspiration piece and color scheme. I thought I'd go with something nice and soft and pretty and feminine. I guess my second one is sort of feminine with all the flowers and glitter, but I think it could fall in the "tacky"category too which is why I did another one. (You'll see that one later in this post.)

Our challenge was to use Bashful Blue, Rose Red, Going Gray (oh crap, I just realized I used Basic Gray. Oops!), and Whisper White. I have absolutely not another shred of Going Gray so I'm kind of glad I didn't notice that until now- I would've totally stressed about that! I guess I'll have to break down and buy some- although the only reason I haven't thusfar is because it ONLY comes in a multi pack with other neutrals, of which I have TONS!

Anyway, this is a card for one of my son's classmates who is home sick after having his tonsils out. Here is the inside. Don't you just love how that horse looks when stamped multiple times in a row?! I didn't get my western star on the front anywhere so thought I'd put the sentiment (from Mini Mates) on it inside. The medallion stamped behind it is also from Wanted.

This is the other card I did with these colors. It is also for Monday's Clean & Simple challenge on SCS to use punches on a CAS card. I used the retired Spring Bouquet punch as well as the current Curly Label punch. The rows of "happy birthday" at the left were done with the Happy Happy Birthday jumbo wheel. I cut the curve in a piece of typing paper with the rotary tool in the Cutter Kit then layed it over my card front so I could wheel in that same curved pattern (if that makes any sense).

Then I adhered the flowers and stamped the greeting with versamark, embossed with Heat & Stick powder then poured on some fine cosmo glitter! Punched it out and attached. There is a touch of glitter on the centers of a few of the flowers which ended up getting glitter everywhere.

Anyway, there you go! Two very different cards with the very same (wrong, but same) color scheme!

Thanks for stopping by!

~Kristin

SUO Supplies

card 1:

Stamps- Wanted, Sanded, Oval All, Mini Mates (retired)

Cardstock- Basic Gray, Rose Red, Bashful Blue, Whisper White

Accessories- Scalloped oval punch, large oval punch, Pewter Jumbo Eyelets, Top Note, Big Shot, Bashful Blue Grosgrain, sponge, distressing tool, Crop-a-Dile

card 2:

Stamps- Cute & Curly

Cardstock- Bashful Blue, Whisper White, Rose REd, Basic Gray

Accessories- Happy Happy Birthday Jumbo Wheel, Spring Bouquet punch, fine Cosmo Glitter, Curly Label punch, Heat & Stick Powder, Versamark

FINALLY! A post today!

That's how Tuesday's are I guess- since I volunteer at school in the morning and I'm usually working on my DCBD challenge for Wednesday...

But I did get a chance to make something for today's Splitcoast Color Challenge! This challenge was to use Baha Breeze, Pretty in Pink and Kiwi Kiss!

My brain went all over the place on this one but you know what finally got me started?? Scraps! That's right- almost every card I do is dictated by what I find in my scrapbag for a particular color scheme. Honest! I'm not saying these were all scraps... well, OK, they were all scraps except the white mat behind the Baha layer! Even the Pretty in Pink card base was already cut and scored.

So I whipped out an old technique for this one- Poppin' Pastels! I hadn't planned to, but once I saw the white flowers on the blue I decided to just dab a touch of color with my chalks. I still wanted a sort of dreamy look so I didn't chalk the stems in green (I also don't have a Kiwi chalk!).

If you are noticing the scalloped edge I know what you're thinking. I'm using it an awful lot lately for not being "so crazy" about it, and not being a "frilly type". You got me! I didn't think I really cared to have that punch, but hey, I reserve the right to change my mind!

I have nearly an entire spool of that Pink Pirouette ribbon so had to get that on here! I love it, so not sure why I haven't used it much. I think tying a chunky knot with that wider ribbon sometimes stumps me, like in this case. But, I found an alternative so that my sentiment could still fit nicely without all the bulk.

Well, thanks for visiting. Gotta run! Tuesday is our gymnastics night and MY volleyball night which I look forward to tremendously!

See ya'll tomorrow! Be sure to come back to see the DCBD challenge and the winners of last week's contest!
~Kristin

SUO Supplies

Stamps: Inspired by Nature, Oval All

Ink: Whisper White, Baha Breeze

Cardstock: Pretty in Pink, Baha Breeze, Kiwi Kiss, Whisper White

Accessories: Eyelet border punch, large oval punch, curly label punch, button bouquet, wide Pink PIrouette grosgrain, chalks, sponge dauber, linen thread, Big Shot, Dotted Texturz Plates

A color & a sketch (and a hug around the neck?!)

Happy Monday! It's time for another Mojo Monday challenge and a brand new Raspberry Suite Color Challenge by Dawn McVey- her very first! Well, I combined the two just for fun, and fun it was! Here is the sketch as well as the color challenge which I took to be Chocolate Chip, So Saffron, Whisper White, Pumpkin Pie and Rose Red.

I like to mix up the main panel in sketch challenges like this. To me it is so easy to just reach for white or vanilla without thinking and go from there, but the cards with some other color for that panel are the ones that often catch my eye... hence, the chocolate chip with stems from Embrace Life stamped in white ink.

I also used my new Eyelet border punch and the Beautiful Butterflies Die with the Big Shot. Also fairly new is the 5/16" jumbo white brad in the center of the butterfly.

The DSP that I used is from old pattern packs that were free hostess gifts in the past. The ribbon, you may recognize as the chocolate chip twill that was offered in a mini a while ago. I may not stray when it comes to using Stampin' Up! only products, but I can say that I use old & new, retired or not, together all the time. No wasting supplies or regrets here!

Well, thanks for stopping by! Oh HEY, don't forget to play along with the Diva's challenge from last week to WIN a PRIZE! Your odds are about 1 in 16 right now- that's not bad! We're choosing our winner tomorrow.

One more thing, there are 8 days left in Sale-a-Bration so be sure to get your orders placed ASAP if you want FREE STUFF! Your first on-line order of any amount now until April 30th (or while supplies last) will earn you a FREE Idea Book & Catalog.

OK, that's all.

~Kristin

Lisa tagged me!

I guess I'm "it"! My pal Lisa Henke tagged me to play along with this quick and easy game. The picture I found is of my daughter the "chef" making soup!

Now these tagging games have rules and here they are:

•Open your photo folder on your computer
•Open the 6th folder of photos
•Select the 6th picture
•Post the picture on your blog with a description
•Invite six friends to join the challenge
•Link your six friends to your blog post

Here are the six I'm taggin':

Jamie
Kendra
Cindy
Ilse
Alicia
Heather

That's all for today! Have a great Sunday!
~Kristin

Hoppy Easter Basket

Boy did I mess up! Today's Limited Supplies Challenge on Splitcoast is to make a spring card using a spring flower or bulb as the main image and only the Soft Subtles color family! I started out just fine- picked the basket of tulips in the A Flower for All Seasons stamp set- then I made this basket weave background. Next is where I messed up- I decided I should use my NEW Easter set An Egg-celent Easter instead since I've only had time to use it once so far... so I switched. And didn't realize I was breaking the "rules" for the challenge until I had this all done!

Oh well, besides some fairly obvious smudging (crap!) I do like how it turned out. Here's a TIP: for anyone wanting to do something at all similar: USE STAZ-ON black ink, NOT Basic Black!!! I was doing fine adding a tiny bit of shading around my bunnies then without warning my aquapainter flow got a bit too heavy. OK, no problem, I just flipped the image over and tried to dab off the extra water on my grid paper. YIKES! I turned it over and was so frustrated to see that was a big mistake. I had already paper pieced the bunnies' outfits and used the SAMJ to determine just where to stamp them... I wasn't going to start over (although the thought did cross my mind!)

ETA: OK, so I was mixing up the Stamp Something Challenge for today and the LSC on SCS! So this is GOOD for Stamp Something's Spring challenge!
Finished it off with a few easter eggs (which I DID use Staz-On for) and a pretty pink button from the Button Bouquet, topped with some Pretty in Pink grosgrain ribbon.

Hope you like it, even if I can't post it to the LSChallenge!
Thanks for stopping by- hope you're having a great day!

PS- Ha! I just realized while posting my supplies that I accidentally used Sahara Sand and Kraft- not a combination I would recommend! What a ding dong I am today!
~Kristin

SUO Supplies

Stamps: An Egg-cellent Easter

Paper: Sahara Sand, Kraft, Very Vanilla, Parisian Summer DSP

Accessories: markers, white gel pen, word window punch, square punch, Button Bouquet, Pink grosgrain

MOJO Monday... on a Thursday?!?

Well, you know how it is right?! I actually had this made on Monday night but didn't get it photographed until Wednesday and I already had 2 posts yesterday so this got pushed to today!

I really like Mojo sketches- I've said that a dozen times before! They always have a unique twist and are always motivating.

This week I don't know how this card fell into place. I think I decided on using Tart & Tangy first. That took me a while, but I wanted to emphasize that curve at the bottom of that panel since that was the most unique and fun feature of this sketch. Recently I'd seen the words from this old set Sidekick Sayings used in a similar manner and I just LOVED it! That is a set that just didn't get much use from me.

The colors started with the red apple so I first grabbed the checked pattern from the Bella Rose DSP (I hadn't used that pattern yet at all!). Next went to the Summer Picnic DSP and chose the other two red patterns. Lately I've been enjoying keeping to two colors plus neutrals- I guess it is kind of eye pleaseing to me right now. I love the Old Olive with these shades of red so grabbed that wide grosgrain to finish this baby off.

So what do you think?? I'm real happy with it. I toyed with several ideas of embellishments to add then decided that would just clutter it up. It was already making me smile without them so I figured they were unnecessary!

Thanks for visiting me today, and for all the kind comments you guys always leave. They make me smile for sure, and so happy blogging! I feel like I've met so many nice "virtual" friends by doing this! Thank you!


~Kristin

SUO Supplies

Stamps: Tart & Tangy, Sidekick Sayings

Paper: Old Olive, Very Vanilla, Bella Rose, Summer Picnic

Ink: Old Olive, Real Red

Accessories: Circle punches, circle cutter, Wide Old Olive Grosgrain

Wednesday's Diva challenge #119 and PRIZES!!

Good Wednesday morning ladies & gents! I am running a bit late this morning as I normally would have this card already done and posted by last night, but yesterday got busy and crazy for me so no time to stamp! But I dove right in this morning once I got my kiddos off to school so I could enjoy this sketch!

We were asked to also use something available to us as one of the FREE choices during Sale-a-Bration this month so I started out choosing my colors based on the Certainly Celery twill ribbon option! I wanted a very simple color scheme so kept the celery with Basic Gray and Whisper White- that's it! The DSP in the 1/2 circle is also a SAB Freebie- the Delicate Dots double sided paper.

I really wanted to use this butterfly Thank You stamp from the new Oval All stamp set that is coming out April 1st in the Occassions Mini from SU. That led to my choosing Flight of the Butterfly for my main set (guess I sort of designed this one backwards- but that works OK too sometimes!).

The green layer of the sentiment is raised on dimensionals as is the white butterfly panel. If you'll notice, I also added tiny touches to the tiny buterfly with the white gel pen, and pierced the top of the 1/2 circle. I hadn't used many of these Filigree brads (a case of hoarding I'm afraid) so I forced myself today and am glad I did. I think it is just the right finishing touch this card needed.

Thanks for looking! Hope you'll play along too with the Diva's and this sketch! If you link your card back to the Diva's blog we'll be sure to come visit and leave loving remarks! ;) Not only that, you'll be eligible for a chance to win some GREAT PRIZES! Just be sure to post your creation no later than March 23rd!

So glad you stopped by today!
~Kristin

SUO Supplies

Stamps: Flight of the Butterfly, Oval All

Paper: Basic Gray, Whisper White, Certainly Celery, Delicate Dots DSP

Ink: Basic Gray

Accessories: Celery twill ribbon (FREE!), Filigree brad, distressing tool, Stamp-a-majig, NEW scallop oval punch, wide oval punch, white gel pen, paper piercing tools.

Choo Choo for a birthday boy!

Yesterday I posted the baby girl card I made for Monday's CAS challenge. Well, today I'm sharing the boy card I made with a brand new set called Choo Choo! It will be available for purchase from Stampin' Up! beginning April 1st in the new Occasions Mini Catalog. Here are the adorable shoes I got my inspiration from.

I wasn't sure if this qualified as a CAS card, but honestly it only has the one layer (plus the cupcake). The cupcake was colored with markers then I did cut it out, but it is not hard and took only a minute or less. I did cut a slit in the train piece so the cupcake would slide right in! I was tempted to do so much more- add a matching ribbon or some brads for wheels, or even some paper piercing, but I resisted!

So, hope you are having a great day! If you haven't yet tried the CAS challenges, you should. They are fun and just might add a new twist to your stamping!

Thanks for visiting!

~Kristin

SUO Supplies

Stamps: Choo Choo, Party Hearty, Darling Dots

Paper: Sahara Sand, Very Vanilla

Ink: Chocolate Chip, Really Rust, Sahara Sand, Always Artichoke

Accessories: None, can you believe it?!!

Welcome Home Baby Girl!

For Monday's CAS06 challenge I made two cards! Both were inspired by this website. The first one I made for a baby girl so of course I had to make a second one for a boy (I'm a mom- things must be fair!). I'm posting the baby girl card today and will post the other one tomorrow (just a teaser!).

Here are the shoes that inspired me. I took it very literally and fashioned my card in the same colors and design as the shoes! This ribbon, also part of the Ribbon Originals Valet pack, is new to me so I've been reaching for it often.

The sentiment is from Sweet Little Somethings, a level 1 hostess set. It is framed by Frames With a Flourish.

Did you notice the scored lines on the vanilla piece? I thought I'd do a faux stitch or paper piercing there then decided I really liked the simplicity of the scored lines!

TIP: Want help making this type of bow? A box bow I think it is called. Well, just cut a length of ribbon (I'd start with 4-5 inches) and tape the ends together to make a loop. Next, glue one end of the ribbon on the spool to the center of this loop (where the ends meet) and wrap it around once. Cut there and glue down. This way ensures that you don't waste any ribbon! You know me, nothing if not economical (yes, you can call it cheap if you want to).

Thanks for stopping by!
~Kristin

SUO Supplies

Stamps: Sweet Little Sentiments, Frames With a Flourish

Paper: Pink Pirouette, Very Vanilla

Accessories: Scoring blade, Valet Ribbon Originals

Take Care!

I was on a mission today to make a CAS card and this is what I came up with. Initially I thought I'd combine the trees from Thoughts & Prayers (this one) and from Forest Friends but that attempt is on the back side. I didn't like it so well so I flipped it over I tried again. That's why my score marks are all debossed instead of embossed. Anyway, the tree and owl are both embossed with chocolate chip ink. The rest is fairly obvious!

Thanks for stopping by!
~Kristin

SUO Supplies

Paper: Kraft, Baha Breeze, Chocolate Chip, Sahara Sand (to watercolor owl)

Stamps: Thoughts & Prayers, Forest Friends, Sweet Little Sentiments

Accessories: Clear EP, 1 1/4" square punch, scallop square punch, word window punch, scoring blade, corner rounder, aquapainter.

WARNING: read before scrolling down

I promised I would give fair warning if I share some of my scrapbook pages I completed this week so consider this it! As I mentioned yesterday hunting and trapping is an everyday part of life at my house so I have an entire album dedicated to it (this also ensures that all my other albums are "safe" for anyone who would prefer to not see this aspect of our lives). We refer to it as our Critters No Moore album which is obviously a play on our last name, and the name of my hubby's nusiance trapping business.

I know not everyone is accustomed to this and would want to see pictures of dead animals so I am first posting a card then you can proceed with caution if you want to see more. I will link the pages in a small format so you can click on them to make them larger if you are interested in detail. I hope that works for everyone! And just to clarify, I do not participate in these activities. I enjoy the outdoors and the adventure, but that's it. I don't necessarily enjoy scrapping these either, but this is great bonding time for my husband and kiddos and they very much appreciate and enjoy the album; so much that I couldn't refuse!

So here's a card I made today.

In case you haven't seen it yet, this is using the new Manhattan Flower Embossing Folder! Isn't it beautiful?! This is black cardstock but I have used an old technique to shimmer it up- namely, Pearl Ex in hairspray sprayed all over the whole thing. The ribbon is from Valet Ribbon Originals (new to me) and the sentiment is Oval All layered with the new scallop oval punch! I really wanted the sentiment to look silky and sophisticated like the raised roses so I embossed it in black on glossy white cardstock, then watercolord the flower a bit. The two tiny dew drops at the bottom are the only thing that is not from Stampin' Up!. They were a gift from my pal Lisa (found them Lisa!) so I don't know the brand. Hope you like it!

Now on to the scrapbook pages:

Great Catch! First day of trapping season. This layout was done with the new Simply Scrappin' Kit Hoppy Memories. Both layouts were inspired by sketches on SCS I believe.

Wanted: Dead or Alive. Daughter's first squirrel hunt.

Hardcore Trappers. Hides from the entire 2006 season.

Thanks for stopping by! Don't worry, no more scrapbook pages tomorrow! ;)

~Kristin

Busy Scrapbooking!

Sorry I haven't posted yesterday or today... I've been scrapbooking. My BFF came over yesterday afternoon and we chatted mostly and scrapped into the evening. Today I plan to do much more while the rest of my family all has plans and the house is quiet.

I may or may not post pictures of my completed pages. I'm working on my husband's "Critters No Moore" album which is the name of his Nuisance Removal business. We're a very outdoor family, which for him includes lots of hunting and trapping. For me that means lots of pictures that not everyone is comfortable looking at!

If I post them I will first post a fair warning so you can avert your eyes if you wish. Hopefully that will suffice so no one is seriously offended. If you are I apologize and hope you come back. I don't regularly post my scrapbook pages anyway (cause I don't do a whole lot and I'm not all that good at it)! I've only complete 3 pages so far so I'm going to go get busy then maybe have several more to choose from so you only see my "best" work! ;)

Thanks for stoppin' by- hope you are enjoying your Saturday!
~Kristin

A little something new

As you may recall my mentioning, yesterday my new goodies came from the preorder period for the Occasions Mini Catalog that is available April 1st. This set I used is called An Egg-celent Easter (available to YOU right now)and really I bought it because of this little chick with the eggs on his head.

Have you ever gotten so much new stuff at once that you just got overwhelmed and all creativity goes out the window?? That's what happens to me sometimes. In fact, nearly every time I get a box of new stuff it sits on my desk for at least a day before I can wrap my head around it. I know that is weird!

Well, this isn't exactly an "inspired" work of art... the chick is stamped on watercolor paper and I watercolored her with aqua painters and watercolor crayons mostly. I intended to use mostly barely banana and keep the yellow subtle but the Yoyo Yellow ended up matching better so I found my sole remaining piece of Yoyo! The scalloped oval punch is NEW in this catty and perfectly fits with the large oval punch we've already got (ooh, and an awesome new stamp set that coordinates)! The bottom edge is made with the new eyelet border punch in the big catty. It isn't entirely my style as I'm not very frilly but I've seen so many cute things done with it and it was FREE so why not!

I had a long day helping with school pictures today so I'm gonna stop there and hopefully have something a little more exciting for you tomorrow!

Thanks for stopping!
~Kristin

SUO Supplies

Stamps: An Egg-cellent Easter

Cardstock: Ballet Blue, Regal Rose, Yoyo Yellow, Very Vanilla, Watercolor paper

Accessories: Vanilla EP, scallop oval punch, large oval punch, rose grosgrain, eyelet border punch, aqua painter, Watercolor Crayons.

FINALLY! I'm ready for today's DCBD Challenge!!

This week's DCBD #118 challenge is to use the BIG SHOT!

Fun fun! But, I have been using the Big Shot almost daily so I had to think hard how to bring you something new and exciting and better than just an ordinary day. I hope you think this fits the bill!

At the risk of going overboard I combined not one, not two but THREE Big Shot Dies and 2 Texturz Plates for this card! The Texturz Plates are always a bit trickier to photograph and believe it or not, I think I might have too much sunshine this morning to perfectly photograph this (I am NOT COMPLAINING!).

So, here is my card (after 14 photos and 3 uploads)...

The color combo came from this week's Color Challenge on SCS that I missed yesterday. Basic Black, Rose Red and Always Artichoke. I also added Rose Red's dynamic duo (on the color wheel) Regal Rose for a little contrast, and of course my neutral is Very Vanilla.

The dies I used are the Flower, Daisies #2; Circles, Scallop #2; and Scallop Envelope which is exclusive to Stampin' Up! I also added on some of the new 5/16" jumbo brads in vanilla and the Rose Red Grosgrain. Each flower is raised at a different height with numerous dimensionals. The Texturz Plates were used on the envelope (the diamond pattern) and the tiny dots on the rose scallop circle but those don't show up well- I forgot the extra shim of paper I think. That is bugging me enough that I might redo it, we'll see!

The two things that are not from SU are the rectangle tag (my SU round one was just too big for this) but I have no idea where it came from, and the stems for the flowers which are a heavy hemp twine in artichoke. Actually, it may have come from SU a long time ago because we used to carry other colors (I also have it in blue and I KNOW that is from SU). Today we sell it in Black, Natural and Red.

I hope you like it and it is not too over-the-top! Don't miss out on the rest of the Diva's designs! They will be sure to delight you!

Thanks for stopping by!

~Kristin

PS- Just so you know and appreciate my sacrifice, I made this card while a box of NEW SU GOODIES was sitting on my front porch! ;)

Diva Coffee Break Design Challenge

Yes it's today! Unfortunately I had a slight unexpected emergency come up yesterday that kept me away from home all day so I don't have anything for you right now. Don't worry though, while you are waiting you can check out all the other Diva's designs right here. I will be back later this morning with something (barring any other emergencies- knock on wood).

Thanks for your patience, and don't worry everything is fine! Stop back soon.
~Kristin

Clean & Simple Challenge!! *CAS05*

I had something pictured in my mind, but something went terribly wrong. Well, not something, but several somethings! I started out embossing the oval using an Oval Cutter (CM) and my Silicone Rubber pad for the BIg Shot and a stylus. OK, that worked.

Then I did some masking, reverse masking and stamping. Well... my flower stamp had some strange fuzz on it so you can see a strange pattern on it, my grass didn't stamp great.

Then I tried to sponge the oval but missed my scored/embossed oval line (duh!). Well, then I just tried to salvage it the best I can. Covered a few things with my sentiment and butterfly. I decided to post becasue it is a nice "idea" in theory so maybe someone else can try it and perfect it!

If you missed yesterday's CAS challenge to use Blue & Green on a clean & simple card then go try it out right now!

Glad you stopped by! Thanks for all the sweet comments- they always make me smile!

MOJO77 is HERE!

Here I am again with today's Mojo Monday sketch! You really can't go wrong with a Mojo sketch- they are so unique and not just basic, typical layouts.

Remember a little while ago I posted a THIS beaded flower card (scroll down to 2nd card in that post)? Well, I really wanted to try it again but hadn't because the fine green beads were the only SU beads I have... well, today I dug through my non-SU stash and found a tiny hex-nut bottle with a tiny amount of misc. beads in it. Obviously someone shared these with me so I have no idea what brand they are but I can say for sure they are old!

Anyway, I used Fifth Avenue Floral again, but a different flower this time. I watercolored a tiny bit around the outside so it would stand out more. The chipboard ring framing the flower was inked with Rose Red craft and clear embossed. No my brads are not supposed to be in a straight line, I decided to try curving them with the chipboard just for a fun and unexpected something. I wish they looked more Basic Gray than they do- they are from the vintage variety pack of brads and looked a little more gray in the container (unless I grabbed the wrong ones).

I had a lot of fun with this! I hope you'll try this technique- 'stamping with beads' we'll call it! You'll need some craft ink (or Versamark) and some heat & stick powder and of course some fine beads. If mishandled they can come off, but if you can resist touching too much they will stay on just fine. Oh, and here's a closeup of the beads for your viewing pleasure.

Thanks for stopping by and be sure to check out the Mojo sketch! BTW, I am not affiliated in anyway with Mojo- I just am loving their sketches!

Stop by tomorrow for something I put together for the CAS challenge today! Have a great day!

~Kristin

PS- To Jeannette my most loyal poster: do you have a blog? I want to see and comment on all your lovely works of art! I feel bad not being able to reciprocate your sweet comments! You can email me at stamp_for_smiles at embarqmail dot com!

SUO Supplies (unless otherwise noted)
Stamps: Fifth Avenue Floral, sentiment from Stem Silhouettes (retired)

Paper: Basic Gray, Rose Red, Whisper White, Summer Picnic DSP

Ink: Silver, Rose REd Craft, Basic Black

Accessories: Chipboard, clear EP, Rose Red grosgrain, Vintage Brads, Non-SU: fine beads.

Butterfly Birthday

This isn't for a sketch challenge, color challenge, inspriation challenge or any other type of challenge believe it or not. I just felt like stamping last night after the kiddos were in bed and this just happened. Once again I started with the Color Coach, actually closed my eyes, and spun! It landed on Always Artichoke- a favorite anyway!- which included Brilliant Blue (another of my favorites), Rose Red, Elegant Eggplant and Bravo Burgundy. Well, I thought I'd get one of those other colors in at the last minute, then didn't and I'm OK with that! I used two neutrals, kraft and vanilla instead.

I felt like messing around with my Texturz Plates and the Big Shot so I kind of went there next, chose the plate I wanted, and let that help me decide my stamp set. I actually used two different Texturz Plates- one on the blue and one on the Kraft. I intended to highlight the texture with either piercing or a gel pen then decided that would be overkill once the card was done. That's one of those things that could ruin a perfectly fine card, you KWIM??

So thanks for stopping by! I'm off to play today's MOJO Monday sketch, which I always look forward to. Why don't you play along with me?!

Have a great day!
~Kristin

oops, forgot to add my supplies list:

SUO Supplies

Stamps: Flight of the Butterfly

Cardstock: Always Artichoke, Brilliant Blue, Very Vanilla, Kraft

Ink: Bashful Blue, Brilliant Blue, Always Artichoke

Accessories: Scallop edge punch, circle punches, Brilliant Blue brads, Texturz Plates, Big Shot

Friend to Friend

I needed a quick card today and found this beauty by AJ (Willosmama). I love the simplicity and decided to CASE (copy and share everything) it! Here is my version with a few changes. I grabbed DSP from my scrap stash of some old retired papers, used Pocket Silhouettes stamp set and made mine square. I also added the detail of the perforation around the top and sides just to balance it a little more since my stamp is not quite to scale like AJ's is. This was done with the perforation tool on the Cutter Kit which I've almost never used until now... I think I'm liking the possibility!

OH, I almost forgot that I won a contest on http://www.soshelli.com/ yesterday! Shelli Gardner is the CEO/founder of Stampin' Up! and hosts a challenge on her blog each month. I try to enter each time just for fun, and honest-to-goodness, she picked my card this time! Although I'm not exactly sure which one since I posted a link to a huge assortment of SAB projects I've done. Anyway, THANKS SHELLI and a big HI to everyone stopping by my blog via Shelli's contest page!

Thanks for looking today! And thanks for all the well wishes. I'm afraid I'm still under the weather with this nasty headcold. Since we've all had it in my family we're down to only one box of tissues left to share which is NOT GOOD! Everytime someone sneezes I hear "where is the kleenex box?!?" and it's usually me yelling it! Speaking of empty tissue boxes, here's a handy TIP: use an empty tissue box (I like the small rectangle ones that stand upright) on your stampin' table for small scraps of trash! Very handy- I save them all the time and once they are full then it goes in the trash can. Now I've got plenty of empties! You could even decorate them so they are pretty if you want- but they come in so many fun colors now that I don't bother.

Hope you are having a great weekend!
~Kristin

SUO Supplies

Stamps: Pocket Silhouettes

Cardstock: Kraft, scraps of Spring Flowers & Petals and Paisleys

Ink: Chocolate Chip

Accessories: Button Bouquet, Fresh Favorites Buttons, Soft Subtles buttons, Linen Thread, Perforation Tool on the Cutter Kit.

Delight in Spring!

Thanks for stopping by again! I am happy to show you this card I made yesterday when I wasn't feeling well. I looked to the color wheel for inspiration on this one. I knew I wanted to use this tree so I first turned to Chocolate Chip. I love that it shows Rose Red as a coordinating color because I really wanted to make this a flowering tree this time! See how flexible this set is?! Nothing says spring like a flowering tree in my opinion!

The third color I used is Almost Amethyst and I love it. The layer with the tree stamped on it is glued to the inside so you are actuallylooking through a window oval to view it.

Did you notice the large brads? They are new to this catalog and come in Chocolate, Vanilla, Silver and White!

I suppose I should also mention that this ribbon is NOT from Stampin' Up! It was in the clearance bin at Big Lots I think (my mom grabbed it for me- thanks mom!) and it is the only sheer dotted ribbon I have so I was happy to use it. That is the only thing that makes this card not SUO.

So what do you think?
Come again!
~Kristin

SUO Supplies
Stamps: Branch Out, Define Your Life, Stitched
Cardstock: Chocolate Chip, Rose Red, Almost Amethyst, Very Vanilla
Ink: Rose Red, Chocolate Chip, Almost Amethyst

Accessories: 5/16" jumbo brads, sponge daubers, non-SU: sheer dotted ribbon, oval cutters

Wish Big

Wishing I am feeling better soon. This mild sore throat has turned into worse than mild sore throat, headache and generally feeling crappy. I tried to lay down today after spending some time at school this morning, but that wasn't helping so I decided to try stamping. I'm not feeling any better, but at least I got a few cards done! I'll post one now and save the other for tomorrow in case I don't feel like stamping again.

This is very clean, simple & fast too! I did a little bit of masking- using the circle that came out of the center of this circle frame. Just temorarily adhered it then stamped some polka dots. Then remove the circle and voila!

When you aren't feeling well and Splitcoast is down for maintenance so you have no challenge prompting you, I recommend going to the Color Coach Wheel! That's where I got this color combo of Taken with Teal, Appricot Appeal and Certainly Celery. I think the rest is mostly self-explanatory!

Thanks for stopping by!

~Kristin

SUO Supplies

Stamps: Flight of the Butterfly, Short & Sweet, Polka Dot Background

Cardstock: Whisper White, Taken With Teal, Textured Certainly Celery

Ink: Taken With Teal, Appricot Appeal

Accessories: Circle cutter, Celery Grosgrain, small oval punch, paper piercing tool, Spiral punch

Occasions Mini Catalog Sneak Peek

Are you starting to think about Easter now that spring is just around the corner? Well, Stampin' Up! is and we want to make sure you enjoy an exclusive sneak peek at the Occasions Mini Catalog so you can get brand-new Easter sets just in time for all your Easter crafting!

I know you are excited to see this Mini Catalog, and you will, on April 1st! But between now and then feast your eyes on these three sets (and one coordinating wheel) available early to you.

You may order these items TODAY by contacting me or clicking on the Shop Now button at the right!

To see samples from of the rest of this Occasions Mini Catalog stay tuned because I'll be playing as soon as I get my demonstrator order!

~Kristin

It's Time! {DCBD117}

Time for another DCBD Challenge! This week our challenge is a sketch. I took a few liberties with it, namely flip flopping the sentiment (which in hindsight I probably could've done at the bottom), no brads on the corners of the main element and my bow is in a different spot.

I decided on the hippo image from Pun Fun and to use a star from the hostess set Darling Dots as the balloon. The hippo is paper pieced and his head is raised ona dimensional.

My colors didn't seem to work out great in this lighting- the card is actually Bashful Blue with a layer of So Saffron on top. The DSP (Delicate Dots) is So Saffron but looks almost Apricot Appeal. The darker blue is Pacific Point.

I hope you'll play along with us! Please see our new DCBD blog where you can find links to other Diva designs and a Mr. Linky to post links to your cards too!

Can't wait to see what you do!
Thanks for visiting!
~Kristin

SUO Supplies

Stamps: Pun Fun, Darling Dots, Short & Sweet

Paper: Bashful Blue, So Saffron, Whisper White, Delicate Dots DSP

Ink: Basic Gray, Pacific Point, Whisper White

Accessories: Styled Silver Hodgepodge, Scallop edge punch, Pacific Point Grosgrain, Round Tab Punch

Unique Petal

For today's Color Challenge 208 on SCS the colors were Kiwi Kiss, Chocolate Chip & Pink Passion. I enjoyed using them more than I thought I would. Actually, I knew I would but I was tempted to exchange Almost Amethyst for the Pink Passion because it looked so cool laying together here. Now I'm glad I didn't.

Once I got started I thought the design was looking like a fun little chic boutique I saw last summer in Tennessee.

On the Stampin' Up! Website for demonstrators today is a new video for using the Color Spritzer Tool. When was the last time you used yours? I almost never do- it's just not part of my regular routine so I forget to reach for it. I'm glad I did today because it offers a unique look. I also don't use the library clips that often, so this is full of unique stuff for me!

Thanks for stopping by and be sure to come back tomorrow for another Diva Coffee Break Design challenge!

~Kristin

SUO Supplies

Stamps: Pick A Petal, Define Your Life, Weathered

Paper: Kiwi Kiss, Chocolate Chip, Whisper White, Bella Rose DSP

Ink: Pink Passion, Chocolate Chip, Kiwi Kiss

Accessories: Library Clip, Linen Thread, Color Spritzer Tool, circle punches, paper piercing tools

Just Because

Boy I like these Mojo Monday sketches! It's a contest week so there are prizes! If you haven't checked it out- go do it and be sure to play along!

I did adjust the sketch a bit, to work for me. Once I had the majority of the card designed and put together I realized I didn't quite have room for the sentiment and line of piercing or whatever at the bottom, so I improvised and just put it near the bottom.

For this card I combined patterned paper from Urban Garden and Urban Oasis- which work great together! I love that they have many similar colors because that just gives me more "room to move" within the patterns. These flowers are from Fifth Avenue Floral. They are embossed then watercolored for some highlight. The sentiment is also embossed in black and is from a retired set called Fancy Flexible Phrases. You already know I love that set! This luscious ribbon is satin kiwi!

Thanks Mojo Makers for the awesome sketch! And thanks for stopping by to check in. Why not drop me a note to let me know you've visited?!

~Kristin

Wake Up with Purple!

Recently I noticed on Vera's blog a comment about a new CAS Challenge on Splitcoast!! I was totally shocked, first of all that there is a challenge I'm unaware of, and also that there is a challenge that is right up my alley! I don't always do CAS cards, but pretty frequently.


Anyway, the card on the left I started last night before I knew of today's challenge. I even had the dots already on it, which is the gist of today's challenge- use dots, either with marker or piercing. Since I went to bed before deciding how to add a sentiment I was able to add that in accordance with the challenge. I left the silver hodgepodge off that I was considering, and instead traced the shape with white gel pen dots.


This card might also qualify for last week's sketch challenge with the three squares on top- at least that's what I was going for. The center one is actually layered under the cardstock instead of on top like the outside two, to look like a frame and add some dimension. All white parts on this are embossed (well, except the dots).

This one looks much prettier in person I think. The cork looks a bit too harsh and dark in the photo, but softer in real life! I'm almost thinking I should've left off all last minute details like the twisted cord and photo corner. It was SO simple that I thought it was too plain and kept adding.

I had this piece of corkboard on my desk from a challenge last week and never used it. I've been eyeing it thinking it would be cool on something- but this wasn't what I had in mind. Funny how things just happen.

TFL! I'm going to try to do today's MOJO challenge also- I love those too! Play along with me- it's fun! Come on, try it!

~Kristin

You're Nothing But a Big Shot!

On a previous post I showed lots of different projects without any real detail so I thought I would give a quick explanation for a few of them. First of all, this little boxed gift set with 3 note cards and a little box to put them in... the holder is made from 2 Scallop Envelopes (made with the Big Shot). Basically you trim the bottom flap off so it is only about a 1/2" wide and glue all the flaps of the two together. If you have the envelopes it is pretty easy to figure out. BTW, I did NOT come up with this idea, it has been widely shared by demonstrators, and I have been unable to trace it back to the originator so far.

The three matching cards I made are 3x3 and fit easily into the 3.25" wide box. Each of these was made with Sale-a-Bration products, including the Delicate Dots DSP as well as stamp set Polka Dot Punches. I also included sentiments from Short & Sweet as well as Think Happy Thoughts.

This adorable little box was also made with the Scalloped Envelope Die & Big Shot- but four of them this time! Also, there is no need for trimming as the bottom flaps form to make the bottom of the box. I wanted to show all the fun patterns in this pack of DSP so I used a different paper for each side.

The embellishment on the front is a stamp from Polka Dot Punches again, embossed in white, then punched out and layered with a clear button and some Certainly Celery Grosgrain ribbon. It would be a perfect little basket to hold a chocolate Easter bunny for a special someone! Best part it, it is so easy!

Well, I haven't stamped for 2 days (wore myself out on Friday I think and it was my DH's birthday yesterday) so I'll get busy and have something new to show you soon!

Thanks for stopping by,

~Kristin