With Sympathy

Hello stampers!  I'm back today with a creation for the Diva Coffee Break Designs sketch challenge.  I was in the mood for something sort of pretty and elegant and needed a sympathy card so this is what I came up with.  Obviously I've turned the squares on their sides so I've got a little different look than the sketch. 

I hope you like my color combo!  It is Soft Suede, Sahara Sand, Vanilla and Cherry Cobbler.  Doesn't that Cherry Cobbler seem binding look pretty?  It has such a nice sheen in real life! 

Well, gotta run (again).  Baseball practice and weeds are calling my name, not to mention dinner and laundry.  I did finally get my bathroom all complete and will take some after pictures to share with you tomorrow (hopefully).  I am so pleased with how it turned out- despite all the work and effort it took (about 5 days). 

 Please stop by to see what the other Divas have done for today's challenge!

Thanks for stopping by!
~Kristin

SUO Supplies

Stamps: Watercolor Trio, Fine Flourish

Colors:  Soft Suede, Sahara Sand, Very Vanilla, Cherry Cobbler

Accessories: Cherry Cobbler seem binding, pearls, Lattice die, Big Shot, small oval punch

WOW! 11 day hiatus!

Wow, I can't believe it has really been 11 days since I posted last!  Actually 12 by the time this goes live.  Well, I've had some issues... first one being I spilled tea on my new laptop last Monday!  OMG, I almost threw up.  But it turns out, after letting it sit and dry out for 5 days it is up and running.  The only residual problem is that my 3 key doesn't stay put (because I pried it off in my panic) and the keys where I spilled sound a little different now.  I guess I can't complain.  Better than buying a new laptop!

  Anyway, I've also been painting my kids' bathroom.  It has been bright yellow- not kidding, like Daffodil Delight- for probably 8-10 years!  Any guesses as to what color it is now?  I'll post some before and after pictures when it is all complete.  I'm so excited- I think it is going to be fabulous! 

So, due to those and other events I haven't stamped since the last card I posted.  I'm not really even feeling withdraw yet... I suppose my creative outlet has been the bathroom.  But, I do owe you two Diva Coffee Break design challenges so I decided to combine last week's sketch with today's color challenge.  I hope you like it... you know I struggle with bright colors.  Be sure to stop by and check out the other Divas' creations and then play along with us!

Thanks for stopping by!
Kristin

SUO Supplies

Stamps: For All You Do

Colors: Tempting Turquoise, Melon Mambo, Rich Razzleberry

Accessories:  Newsprint DSP, Rhinestone, narrow Rich Razzleberry ribbon

Vintage Wishes

This is a little out of the ordinary for my typical style, wouldn't you say?!  Not exactly clean & simple, that's for sure.  It took quite a bit longer than normal too, but I'm still pleased with it.  I decided to try out the sketch challenge on Splitcoast this week.  I love sketches that have enough details to get me started but leave lots of room for interpretation. 

The stamp set I used is called Nature Walk and will be available a bit longer in the Occasions mini catalog, until April 30. 

To add dimension and texture true to a vintage style, I used a number of things like the old Linen background stamp, pearls, rows of scallops, heat embossing on the bird cage, dry embossing with the Big Shot and the Square Lattice embossing folder, bitty punch flowers and a fussy cut butterfly with one wing raised on dimensionals.  Other details include the chantilly lace ribbon, distressed and some sponged edges a well as a bit of French Script stamped in Very Vanilla ink on the card base.

And guess what, I remembered to photo the inside also!  I layered a few simple scallops and a faint birdcage enhanced with a single flower to coordinate with the front of the card. 

Thanks for stopping by!  Have a fantastic weekend!  I'm planning to enjoy some beautiful weather!

~Kristin

SUO Supplies

Stamps:  Nature Walk, Linen background, Oval All

Colors: Always Artichoke, Rich Razzleberry, Sahara Sand, Very Vanilla

Accessories:  Clear embossing powder, scallop oval punch, large oval punch, bitty flower punch, basic pearls, distressing tool, chantilly lace ribbon, narrow Rich Razzleberry ribbon, scallop border punch

Vase o' flowers

Good afternoon!  Sorry I'm a bit late posting my challenge.  Have gotten distracted by a number of things today, including a sick kid at home for the third straight day. 

Today the Divas have a color challenge for you and I've got to admit- I am not a fan of this combo.  Those bold bright colors are just not my favorites and when combined together I just cringe.  With that said, I do like how this card turned out... but it was WORK! 

I toned down the brightness by adding my trusty neutrals Early Espresso and Very Vanilla.  Then distracted the eye with some accessories like the antique brad, some linen thread and the vellum vase.  Which, by the way, was made with the small oval punch trimmed at top and bottom, then watercoloring with the aqua painter and some Pacific Point ink.  Really looks like water, I might add.   Also added a tiny detail with the spiral punch.

I hope you find these colors a bit less challenging than I did.  Please be sure to link your creaction to the Diva blog so we can all come take a look! 

Have a great day and thanks for stopping by!

Kristin

SUO Supplies

Stamps: Greenhouse Garden, French Script

Colors:  Early Espresso, Pacific Point, Real Red, Tangerine Tango, Very Vanilla

Accessories: linen thread, spiral punch, vellum cardstock, antique brad, pop dots

Unique You!

OK, I'm back with not one but TWO cards for the Clean & Simple blog sketch challenge.  I hadn't used this Tart & Tangy stamp set in a while so decided to try it out for the sketch.  I popped up one of the slices, made it orange and added some Dazzling Diamonds.  Pierced a frame around the edge and popped on a sentiment from Define Your Life. 

Next up is a graduation card!  Tis the season almost so why not get started early.  My hubby is a high school teacher so we always need plenty of graduation cards each year!  I love how this one turned out- hope you do too! 

Thanks for stopping by today!  Be back tomorrow for another Diva Coffee Break Designs challenge!!

~Kristin

SUO Supplies

Stamps: Tart & Tangy, Define Your Life

Colors: Marigold Morning, Pumpkin Pie, Daffodil Delight

Accessories: Dazzling Diamonds, 1.25" circle punch, Modern Label punch & matching die, Big Shot

SUO Supplies

Stamps: Go, Graduate

Colors:  Sahara Sand, Riding Hood Red, Very Vanilla

Accessories: Riding Hood Red striped ribbon, square punch, scalloped square punch



Spring-like!

I've got a two-fer for you today!  My daughter stayed home sick today and while the Tylenol was working she felt up to making a card (she's back on the couch now).  I made the top one and she made the bottom card.  Mine is using that sketch I posted a few days ago from Card Patterns that I've wanted to use.  Took me long enough but I finally got to it.  I tried to give you a little peak at the inside as well since I rarely do up the inside, let alone remember to show you.

My daughter, 9, is very proud of this card and I'm proud of her!  It was her idea to do an Easter card and she chose the colors and design.  I gave her a few pointers here and there and tied the ribbon for her, but she did the rest!  She is excited because I told her we could enter this in Shelli's April Showers contest.  The sketch she used is from the Clean and Simple blog- which I happened to be using myself at the time (will post my creations with that sketch tomorrow).  She was concerned about flipping the sketch but I assured her that was just fine.  The part she got the most excitement from is when I showed her how to use this Tulip Frame border embossing folder!! 

Speaking of April showers, we are definitely getting them today!  Hope you are staying dry!  Thanks for stopping by!

~Kristin

SUO Supplies

Stamps: Punch Bunch

Colors:  Basic Black, Daffodil Delight, Melon Mambo, Always Artichoke

Accessories:  Big Shot, Large scallop die, Dotted embossing folder, scallop circle punch, Melon Mambo pom pom trim, scallop trim border punch

Stamps: An Egg-celent Easter

Colors:  Pale Plum, Daffodil Delight, Marina Mist, Bashful Blue, Pretty in Pink, Old Olive, Perfect Plum

Accessories:  Big Shot, Framed Tulips embossing folder, square punch, scallop square punch, white organdy ribbon, Daffodil Delight narrow ribbon, embossing folders:  Square Lattice, dotted, Petals-a-Plenty, oval punch

Concord Note

If you read my last post you already know that Lisa Henke and I did some virtual stamping again yesterday afternoon.  We enjoy doing this as often as possible as it makes us (me anyway) feel a bit more creative and spontaneous.  I don't sit for a long time looking for the perfect challenge or perfect starting point- Lisa usually provides one for me.  Then I do the same and we both do both challenges.  FUN!  The only thing that could be more fun would be to stamp together IRL- but that just doesn't happen often being nearly 3 hours apart. 

For my flower on this card I found an OLD flower die called Large Daisies that I've had since the original red Sizzix days!  I have no idea if it is available any longer and it was never sold by SU as far as I know.  The paper is the 6x6 In Color paper pack that is a level one hostess set. 

Anyway, my challenge for us was to incorporate at least 2 items from the following list: 

• Color combo: Neutrals plus one color*
• Something old something new: use a stamp set you haven't used in AGES and something relatively new together
• brads *
• wheel*
• No DSP
• Big Shot*
• CAS*

I've starred the items I did on my card.  We'd both love it if you'd decide to play along!  Please leave a comment here or on Lisa's post so we can come ooh and ahhh over your work. 

Thanks for stopping by!
~Kristin

SUO Supplies

Stamps: Sweet Little Sentiments (re4tired)

Colors:  Whisper White, Concord Crush, Basic Gray

Accessories:  Music Note wheel, Filigree Brad, Big Shot, Large Daisies flower die, Concord Crush print patterns

Sugar & Spice

Yippee!  Today Lisa Henke and I had another chance to virtual stamp together.   What a great time!  I highly recommend finding an on-line pal that you can virtual stamp with.  We are physically nearly 3 hours apart but we challenge each other and enjoy knowing we're stamping at the same time.  Then we reveal our creations to each other and enjoy seeing how different they are!  If you ever need an on-line pal to virtual stamp with feel free to drop me an email with a date and time and I'd LOVE to be your vitual stamp buddy as long as I'm available!

This time we decided to do this week's sketch challenge on Splitcoast shown below.  We were also supposed to add flowers for today's Ways to Use it challenge and complete it in 30 minutes or less.  Well, I got the sketch part but failed miserably on the rest! I thought the flower part would be easy until I ended up doing a baby card.  The 30 minutes or less I might have gotten but I searched high and low for my dotted emobossing folder and never found it.  

Either way, here is what I came up with.  Considering how many times I tore it apart and started over I'm fairly pleased with it.   

The main image is a new stamp to me from the Sale-a-Bration set Punch Bunch.  I hadn't used it yet so just wanted to get it inky.  My long sentiment at the bottom is an old favorite of mine called Word on Word.  I just love how this stamp is designed to have the larger words in the background a bit faded while the smaller script is more bold.  How creative those SU designers are!!!

Since this is obviously for a baby girl I had to add some pearls and pink dotted ribbon with a pretty scallop border.  Now I just need someone to give it to.  I hope you like it and that you'll stop back tomorrow to see how else we challenged each other. 

If you'd like to play along we'd LOVE to have you join us for our 3rd challenge that neither of us has started yet... it is:  use the sketch from Card Patterns and make your card in under 30 minutes.  If you'd like an extra credit option try this (Lisa doesn't even know about this):  use something metallic.  Can't wait to see who joins us!  When you're done stop back here and link your card in a comment and I'll come check it out!  Be sure to go visit Lisa to see what she did too!

Hope you had a great Thursday!  TGIF!! 

~Kristin

SUO Supplies

Stamps:  Word on Word, Punch Bunch

Colors: White, Pretty in Pink, Melon Mambo, Pacific Point, More Mustard

Accessories:  Tag punches, Melon Mambo dotted ribbon, Big Shot, Square Lattice embossing folder, pearls, Scallop trim border punch