Because...

Good morning!!  Let's get right down to business today.  The Diva Coffee Break Design challenge for you is this sketch.  As you've probably come to expect form me I went pretty clean & simply with very few layers and embellishments.  The embellies that I did use pack a punch though, don't they?!  I bet you'll notice the strip of white flowers as my scallop edge right away.  That is from the Flowers Sizzlit Strip (on the Clearance Rack still I believe).  I've had it for a few months now and had forgotten all about it.  It actually cuts a 12" border so it is ideal for scrapbook pages as well. 

Like this color combo?  It is straight from the Color Coach:  Early Espresso, Dafodil Delight and Cherry Cobbler.  I love it!  The embossed heart is called the Scalloped Heart of Hearts and is an embosslit so it works with the Big Shot to emboss and cut at the same time!  My little owl on here is from the stamp set Love Bandit.  I also have a little raccoon on the inside but forgot to photograph it- sorry! 

My sentiment is from Define Your Life stamp set which I cut into strips so as to qualify for Monday's CAS challenge on Splitcoast.  And what do you think of my homemade brad?  I used the Build-a-Brads and a heart stamp from the new Create a Cupcake set.

I hope you'll join the Divas for this great sketch challenge.  I'd love to see what you come up with!!  Glad you decided to visit me today! 

~Kristin

SUO Supplies

Stamps: Love Bandit, Define Your LIfe, Create a Cupcake

Colors: Early Espresso, Daffodil Delight, Cherry Cobbler, Whisper White

Accessories: Scalloped Heart of Heart embosslit, Flowers Sizzlit Strip, Big Shot, Build-a-Brad

Something Scrappy

I had the opportunity to work on a few layouts on Sunday so I thought I'd share them today.  Apologies for the crummy photos- the lighting just wasn't working for me yesterday.  First layout is a spread from my son's fourth birthday.  I used the Big Shot with the Cupcake Sizzlit set for the large cupcake, and the scallop circle as well.  My sparkly 4 is a "sticky cut" with some glitter that completely matches Rich Razzleberry!  The confetti stamped on the background is a stamp set called Itty Bitty Backgrounds.  Not sure why I didn't think to use the current set called Confetti!! 

Here is the entire layout together.  The background paper on the right side is from one of my favorite packs of DSP called Urban Oasis.  Colors are Rich Razzleberry, Old Olive and Dusty Durango with touches of white.

Here's one featuring my kiddos at 4 and 2 eating ice cream in the car- what was I thinking??  For colors I used Pacific Point, Wild Wasabi and Bermuda Bay.  How's that for a combo?  I especially think they are striking on the black background. 

Here is the entire layout together.  A few things on these pages are not SU like the stickers (Nature's Garden by Colorbok circa 2003), photo corners (?) and the clear flower (?) with polka dot center brad (Queen & Co.).  Everything is from Stampin' Up!

And finally a Christmas layout.  I actually like how this layout worked since I managed to get 13 pictures on!  Pictures at Christmas time are never great since it is such a hectic holiday, but still memories to preserve.  The patterned paper is an old SU pattern (I forget the name) but the ribbon on the left and the sticker title on the right are not SU products. 

Thanks for stopping by!  I hope these inspire you to get back to your scrapbooking if you've taken a break.  I'll be back tomorrow with a fun Diva challenge and I've used something that you've NEVER seen from me before!  Can't wait to show you.  Have a great day!

~Kristin

Sweet Summer Wedding

Good morning!  I hope you're ready for another Diva Coffee Break Designs challenge today!  Here are the colors we challenge you to use together:  Certainly Celery, Pretty in Pink and Perfect Plum. 

Would you like an awesome sketch to pair with our color challenge??  How about this one from Stampin' 411?!  I loved it and it really helped get me going on this card when I didn't have much time to crank it out. 

So glad you stopped by today!  I hope you'll visit the Diva blog and consider playing along with our challenge.  We'd love to see what you come up with!

Hope you like it and thanks for stopping by!

~Kristin

Happiness Always

Happy Tuesday ladies and gentlemen!  Do you like bird cages as much as I do?  I think they are so graphic and visual- I just love the variation and appeal!  They make me think of a classy boutique.  Anyway, I wanted to try my hand at the Clean & Simple sketch below (FTL132) but just had to think of something unique other than what first came to mind (flowers).  It didn't take me long to decide on bird cages!  The hard part was figuring out a way to make them fit. 

I knew I wanted something sophisticated and whimsical at the same time so I paired them with the Nouveau Chic DSP (retired).  The best part is this gave me an excuse to use my new Baja Breeze seam binding ribbon from the Occasions Mini Catalog.  It is the only ribbon in this color so if you LOVE Baja Breeze, and I know you do, you MUST have this ribbon! 

I did sneak something on here that isn't from Stampin' Up! and that is the tiny glass dew drops.  I've always been enamored by those dew drops and love how the color just seems to go perfectly with Baja.

I hope you've enjoyed today's card I made just for you!  Thanks for visiting!

~Kristin

SUO Supplies (unless otherwise noted)

Stamps: Aviary, Whimsical Words

Colors: Baja Breeze, Very Vanilla, Basic Gray, Sage Shadow, So Saffron

Accessories: Curly Label punch, Nouveau Chic DSP, Baja Breeze seam binding ribbon, scallop trim border punch, distressing tool, corner rounder, non-SU dew drops

Catty CASE Birthday

Good morning!  Sorry I ditched ya yesterday- I thought I'd scheduled this to post then realized I had never even started it.  So here is the third and final card I completed while virtual stamping with Lisa last week.  This was my challenge to us both:  to use the birthday card on page 131 of the SU catalog for the sketch and the color scheme from the inside back cover of the catalog which is Soft Suede, Wild Wasabi and Baja Breeze with a touch of Peach Parfait (I know it doesn't look like it!). 

Did you notice the crimper again??  I used it twice on Friday!  Just another way to rationalize why I never get rid of anything, ever!  In nearly seven years as a demonstrator I've only sold off ONE retired stamp set.  I guess I do send lots of stamps home with my mom and sister, and there is the storage tub in my garage that is completely full.... but I dig something out of it once in a while so I just can't let them go. 

Anyway, thanks for stopping by today!  And thanks to Nancy Riley at iSTAMP and Kim Score at Paper Punch Addiction for featuring my Birthday Penguin card from yesterday!  The extra traffic to my blog was amazing! 

~Kristin

SUO Supplies

Stamps:  So Many Scallops (an OLDIE!!)

Colors: Soft Suede, Baja Breeze, Wild Wasabi, Peach Parfait

Accessories: Scallop circle punch, dotted Soft Suede ribbon, crimper, Big Shot, Dotted embossing folder, Bitty Punch

Birthday Penguin

 Here's challenge number two between Lisa and I.  The picture below was to be our inspiration and we were also to use dry embossing and circle elements on our cards.  It is fun to see how different ours turned out- hers is elegant and just plain gorgeous.  Mine is obviously playful and cutesy. 

I hate to admit just how long this card took.  Piecing together that penguin from the owl punch (thanks to an idea I have saved by Teneale Williams!) and the balloons which have a layer of acetate over them for some realistic shine added a bit of time.  Especially when I kept messing up and having to redo certain parts.  My sketch is from page 88 in the SU catalog- I just love it and will definitely keep it in mind for the future! 

The happy birthday sentiment is from the new set Bring On the Cake in the current mini catalog.  I decided at the last minute to emboss it in white.  It got a little messy but I wasn't about to startover at that point!  Heck, messy embossing is a little like confetti on a birthday card, right?!  At least that's what I'm telling myself. 

Well, thanks for stopping by.  I'll list everything I used in my supplies list in case you're wondering.  Feel free to ask questions if you like, and feel free to join us in this challenge if you'd like!  We'd love to come see what you've done! 

~Kristin

SUO Supplies

Stamps: Bring on the Cake, Party Hearty (hat)

Colors: Tempting Turquoise, Kiwi Kiss, Pacific Point, Certainly Celery, Tangerine Tango

Accessories: Owl punch, Glimmer Brad, Dotted scallop ribbon border punch, Word Window, 1" circle and medium oval punch (from Holiday Mini), small star punch (for part of balloons), Big Shot, Dotted embossing folder, Texturz Plates, white embossing powder, linen thread (PHEW!)

Virtual Stamping with my pal Lisa!!

My stampin' pal Lisa Henke and I had a chance, finally, to get some "virtual stamping" time together yesterday.  We try to do this a few times a year and it just worked out yesterday.  Lisa and I met through the Great Swaps group a few years ago and just got along so well we decided to room together for SU's convention in 2008.  We've been friends ever since!  It helps that we both live in Ohio, so we can get together IRL every now and then even. 

When we virtual stamp we take turns making up challenges that we both participate in.  This card is from Lisa's challenge to use the layout and color scheme of the card on page 89 of the current Stampin' Up! catalog.  Click on her name up there to see what she came up with. 

Mine is fairly self-explanatory.  I used Basic Gray, Going Gray, Real Red, Night of Navy and Marina Mist.  I turned the layout on it's side just to change it up a bit.  Hope you like it! 

She even posted her card for our last challenge on that post to use this picture as inspiration, with the added caveat to use dry embossing and circle elements.  It was such a fun challenge and I really like what I came up with.  I'll be back to post mine tomorrow.  Then Sunday I'll show my challenge to Lisa which was to use the layout from the birthday card on page 131 with the color scheme from the inside back cover of the SU Catalog. 

If you are inspired to play along with us we'd love to have you!  Just link your creation in the comments.  Thanks for stopping in today!  I love it when you visit! 
~Kristin

SUO Supplies

Stamps: Bring on the Cake (Occasions Mini), Extreme Elements

Colors: Basic Gray, Going Gray, Real Red, Night of Navy, Marina Mist

Accessories: Large star punch, Basic Gray corduroy button, White gel pen, tag corner punch, crimper, paper piecing tool

Nature Walk Gratitude

I was finally able to place an order for a few goodies from the current SU mini catalog.  I couldn't resist this pretty set called Nature Walk and the coordinating paper Botanical Gazette!  This collage/vintage style is tough for me so this card took me quite a while to get just right.  Then, when it was all done I tried to smooch spray it and of course it gooped out all over and ruined my main image so I had to start over on that.  The good news is take two is better than take one and I thought to stamp it on this lined paper from Newsprint DSP which I hadn't done originally. 

Here is the sketch I borrowed, from a sketch blog I found recently:  Unscripted Sketches.  Fun!

I need to give an extra special should out today to Chat Wszelaki, Cindy Beach and Patsy Waggoner for nominating me recently for the Stylish Blogger award.  If you know these three ladies, and you probably do, you'll know this is definitely an honor!  Thank you my friends, you've made my week! 

Have a great day everyone and thanks so much for stopping by!  Your comments are so appreciated- you always know how to make me smile!

~Kristin

SUO Supplies:

Stamps: Nature Walk, Fabulous Phrases

Colors: Not Quite Navy, Sahara Sand, Soft Suede

Accessories: Newsprint DSP, Botanical Gazette DSP, Antique Brad, Linen Thread, Log Cabin Smooch Spray, distressing tool

B&W For You Pansy

Ahoy Mateys!  I'm back today with a fabulous Diva sketch challenge for you.  And you simply MUST go to the Diva blog to check out the variety of creations the Divas have made with it!  I was short on time and went with the first idea to come to mind:  quick punched squares of Newsprint DSP!  The pansy was already sitting on my desk from a few days ago.  It is made with the butterfly punch!  Have you seen this technique??  I just punched two So Saffron butterflies then heavily sponged on some Concord Crush ink.  You could call them done then but I went ahead an spritzed them with my Vanilla Smooch Spray, added a So Saffron Glimmer Brad to the center and drew a few lines with my Concord Crush marker and a ruler. 

My sentiment is from Just Believe and is punched with my favorite, Modern Label punch.  It is lined with scraps bits of Concord Crush cardstock punched with the ribbon punch. 

Hope you like it!  Gotta run and get some dinner for the family.  Thanks for stopping by!

~Kristin

SUO Supplies

Stamps: Just Believe

Colors:  So Saffron, Concord Crush, Very Vanilla, Basic Black

Accessories:  Newsprint DSP, Butterfly Punch, Modern Label punch, Glimmer Brad, Smooch Spritz spray, Dotted Scallop Ribbon Border punch

Friend

Hello!  Are you interested in seeing another sketch challenge card from me??  I love the Card Patterns blog and their fabulous sketches!  It is saved in my favorites for places to go for inspiration! 

This is my first use of the hostess set A Slice of Life.  I went with a color combo of Peach Parfait, Riding Hood Red, Early Espresso, Crumb Cake and some Very Vanilla.  

The vase was actually painted with an aqua painter and some Early Espresso ink.  Not sure why it has the rosy tint, but it works with the colors.  I covered it with a layer of Crystal Effects for a bit of dimension and shine. 

Notice the Peach Parfait organdy ribbon?  I dyed it myself by holding it onto the Peach Parfait ink pad with a sponge and just pulling it across multiple times.  Didn't take long and I have a customized ribbon! 

I hope you like it!  I'll be back tomorrow with another DCBD challenge for you to try your hand at.  Thank you for the comments lately- they have meant a lot and they surely keep me stamping! 

~Kristin

SUO Supplies

Stamps:  A Slice of Life, Fabulous Phrases, Simply Stripes background (retired ages ago!)

Colors:  Peach Parfait, Riding Hood Red, Early Espresso, Crumb Cake and some Very Vanilla

Accesories: Crystal Effect, Scalloped Trim border punch, Small oval punch, Chocolate Epoxy brad, White organdy ribbon, Big Shot, Square Lattice Embossing folder

Featuring Easter

Good morning stampers!  I've got a card for you today.  This is for the Featured Stamper Challenge over on Splitcoaststampers.  Here is the card of BFinlay that I decided to use as my inspiration.  You'll see it was the sketch that I copied.  I tried to do a bit of a modern twist by punching my flowers out with a circle punch and keeping the details simple, like paper piercing around the edges of the circle.  Added a few rhinestones for detail and bling.  This stamp set is one of the currently available Sale-a-Bration sets which you can get for FREE with any $50 order!

Made it an Easter card for the Pals Paper Arts challenge as well.  Hope you like it!

~Kristin

SUO Supplies

Stamps: Sweet Summer, Teeny Tiny Wishes

Colors: So Saffron, Concord Crush, Whisper White, Pale Plum, Always Artichoke

Accessories:  1" circle punch, circle cutter, Basic Rhinestones, Concord Crush ribbon, markers, white gel pcn, paper piecing tools

Elegant Lines and a few challenges!

Remember yesterday when I said I stamped a few things but just wasn't thrilled with the outcome?  Well, here they are.  I know, I don't have to share everything, but they aren't horrible... just not thrilling me either.  I think I would really like the first one without the So Saffron ribbon- maybe with a Baja Ribbon instead, but since the Diva Color challenge for today included Baja Breeze, So Saffron and Regal Rose.  Plus, I am all out of Baja ribbon until my new order arrives in a few days!  I colored in the parts of the embossed areas using an Aqua Painter and ink from my inkpad lids.

This was my first take on this challenge and it's just a little too sweet and pastel for my liking I guess.  That's why I changed the sentiment from "Because I Care" to a baby card- more fitting I guess.  

My sketch for these two cards is from the Clean & Simple blog post HERE.  I hope you'll join the Divas today for our color challenge.  Be sure to hop on over to the blog to see what everyone came up with you! 

Hope you had a little bit of sunshine in your life today! 

~Kristin

SUO Supplies

Stamps: Because I Care, All Holidays

Colors: Baja Breeze, So Saffron, Regal Rose, Whisper White

Accessories: Big Shot, Elegant Lines embossing folder, So Saffron wide grosgrain, Decorative Label punch, scallop border punch

The NEED to stamp!

Good morning!  Boy, has anyone else been in a stampin' slump?  I told my husband last night, you know it's bad when I have time to stamp but no motivation or desire!  You really know the winter blahs have set in when you're a stamper that doesn't want to stamp!  So I sat down last night and stamped a few things, neither of which I was crazy about... but this morning I decided to try again and am finally happy with what I did! 

I put the PPA color challenge to work and actually designed my own sketch!  Yep, that means I sketched it out on paper before I even started.  I wish I knew of a way to design sketches digitally and I'd consider having a sketch challenge right here on my blog occasionally.  Maybe some day! 

Anyway, for this card I used a mix of old and new (like always!).  The stamp sets I used are not new, but only the sentiment in the Hodgepodge Hardware is acually retired (Think Happy Thoughts).  The other two are Inspired by Nature and Flight of the Butterfly.  The punches and colors are still available, as well as the DSP Elegant Soiree. 

Hope you like!  And keep your fingers crossed for me that I might be able to hold on to my new found stamping motivation! 

Thanks for stopping by!

~Kristin

SUO Supplies

Stamps: Flight of the Butterfly, Inspired by Nature, THink Happy Thoughts

Colors: Soft Suede, Very Vanilla, Baja Breeze, Crumb Cake, Night of Navy

Accessories: Itty Bitty punch pack, Desiner Label punch, butterfly punch, scalloped border punch, Big Shot, Dotted embossing folder, basic pearls, Vanilla Hodgepodge

Sweet Friend & Diva Day

Good morning!  And a beautiful sunny morning it is here in Ohio!  Not sure why my picture is less than stellar since I took it at 7:30 am... I guess the sun was still waking up like I was. 

Today I've got a Diva sketch challenge for you.  It isn't a tough one- especially if you take a short cut like I did and use really pretty coordinating designer paper like Greenhouse Gala.  My third and smallest strip is a textured piece of vellum cardstock too. I like that you can see a bit of the pattern and color beneath it. 

I hope you'll join us and play along today!  Go check out the other Diva's creations while you're at it! 

Thanks for stopping by today! 

~Kristin

SUO Supplies

Stamps: Just Believe

Colors: Early Espresso, Baja Breeze, Daffodil Delight, Poppy Parade

Accessories: Big Shot, Square Lattice Textured Impressions embossing folder, narrow Daffodil ribbon, markers

PS- I HATE blogger!  Why oh why is it so difficult to put wrap text around a picture?  I used to be able to do it with no problem.  GRRRRR!