Creative Blog Hop- Time to Celebrate :-)

Hi Stampers! 

Today I am sharing a card as part of the Creative Blog Hop- Sondra Hammond, a fellow SU! demonstator was kind enough to invite me to participate in the blog hop, and if you have not had a chance to check out her post from last Monday, below are the links to her blog as well as two others that are part of the blog hop:

Sondra Hammond

JodyBrechbill

CindyFodor

Also, I have invited the talented Karen Barber to be part of the hop and she will be posting her card next Monday, March 2nd , so please remember to check her out as well :-)

I decided to use the hostess set from the 2015 Occasions Mini, Time to Celebrate, to create a card with the CC518 Splitcoaststampers Color Challenge (Baked Brown Sugar, Pistachio Pudding, Crisp Cantaloupe, Coastal Cabana and Hello Honey- I used all five colors) along with the Friday Mashup! FM198 “Up, Up and Away” Themeand Sketch Challenge.

Again, if you have not already done so, I hope you will have the time to check out all of the linked sites- gorgeous creations and inspiration from all!

To create this card:

Using Memento™ Tuxedo Black Ink stamp the balloon and sentiment images from Time to Celebrate onto Whisper White cardstock.

Color the balloon image using Stampin’ Write markers- Pistachio Pudding, Crisp Cantaloupe, Coastal Cabana and Hello Honey and use the Crumb Cake marker to add shadows.

Trim the panel for the balloon and distress the edges using a Distressing Tool.   Apply Baked Brown Sugar Classic Ink using a Sponge Dauber and stamp the large splatter stamp from Gorgeous Grunge using Crumb Cake Classic Ink.

Mount the distressed panel onto a piece of Hello Honey cardstock, distress the edges using the Distressing Tool, mount onto a piece of Coastal Cabana cardstock, distress the edges using the Distressing Tool and mount onto a piece of Basic Black cardstock.

Trim the panel from the Everyday Adventure Project Life® by Stampin’ Up! and emboss the panel using the Big Shot™ with the Chevron Textured Impressions™ Embossing Folder.  Distress the edges using the Distressing Tool and apply a bit of Baked Brown Sugar Classic Ink over the embossed area.  Mount onto a piece of Basic Black cardstock.

Use the Big Shot™ with the Woodgrain Textured Impressions™ Embossing Folder to emboss a piece of Coastal Cabana cardstock, trim and mount onto the Basic Black card base.

Add the distressed Everyday Adventure panel and mount the balloon image using Stampin’ Dimensionals®. 

Trim the sentiment and create the banner using the Hexagon Punch.  

Mount onto a piece of Basic Black cardstock, distress the edges using the Distressing Tool and stamp the Gorgeous Grunge splatter stamp with Crumb Cake Classic Ink (“huff” onto the stamp to re-moisten the existing ink from the previous step above). 

Mount the sentiment using Stampin’ Dimensionals®. 

Create the bow from Basic Black cardstock using the Bow Builder Punch.  Add the retired Basic Black button (with a piece of Coastal Cabana cardstock in the center to mimic the thread) and mount onto the card front to finish off the card. 

Stamp Sets: Time to Celebrate (2015 Occasions Mini hostess set), Gorgeous Grunge

Ink: Memento™ Tuxedo Black Ink, Crumb Cake, Baked Brown Sugar; Stampin’ Write Markers- Pistachio Pudding, Crisp Cantaloupe, Coastal Cabana, Hello Honey, Crumb Cake

Paper:  Whisper White, Coastal Cabana, Hello Honey, Basic Black, Everyday Adventure Project Life® by Stampin’ Up!

Accessories: Big Shot™, Chevron and Woodgrain Textured Impressions™ Embossing Folders, Distressing Tool, Hexagon and Bow Builder Punches, retired Basic Black button

The other part of the challenge was to answer four questions, so here we go :-)

1.) Why do you create what you do?

I have been artistic all of my life and love stamping since it gives me a chance to teach others that they can be artistic as well (plus it helps reduce stress :-)).  I have been a Stampin’ Up! Demonstrator since 1999 and was not taking the time to create as often as I liked, so in May of 2010, I decided to start participating in weekly challenges.  This allowed me to actually use the supplies and stamps that I had been accumulating over the years and, in August of 2010, I started my free "tutorial" blog.  It truly has been an honor to see the response to the cards that I post and that helps motivate me to continue designing original card designs as well as experimenting with new and different techniques.

2). What are you working on?

I am currently on two Design Teams- SUO Challenges and The Card Concept.  Since these challenge sites are bi-weekly, I can create original designs for my entries on the Design Team and I also create at least three to four additional cards per week.

3). How does your creative process work?

As I mentioned, I like to participate in several challenge sites on the internet.  By allowing myself to limit my choices to specific colors, sketch and/or theme, it helps me narrow down my selections for the creative process.  My mind tends to be a bit "hyperactive" and I am also a perfectionist, so having the limitations helps me focus.  Once I choose a challenge, I think about what stamp sets would be good to highlight and go from there…Not sure exactly how else to describe the process, other than I truly believe that my artistic talent is God-given, so the Lord inspires me to create using the steps above.

3). How does your work differ from others in your genre?

Not sure how to answer this one.  I tend to gravitate towards a Shabby Chic style but also love to participate in Clean and Simple, Clean and Layered, Mixed Media and other styles as well.  Recently I was told that I have an “Elegant Eclectic" Style- not sure if this is an actual stamping style or not, but I tend to agree that I am a bit “eclectic” since my designs are varied (my learning style is Random Concrete from the CynthiaTobias' “The Way They Learn” so I guess “eclectic” fits me-lol!) 

Thanks again for taking the time to visit- don't forget to visit Karen Barber next Monday to check out her fabulous design on the next stop for the Creative Blog Hop :-)

It has been an honor to participate in this blog hop, and if you have a a chance, stop by again soon...I will be posting another card tomorrow using the Time to Celebrate set :-)   Have a fabulous day, my friends!!

Happy New Year's Eve and Happy New Year- 2015!!

Happy New Year's Eve Stampers! 

I hope all of you have a safe Happy New Year's Eve and wonderful 2015!  It has truly been a blessing to me to see how many of you visit my blog and I read and treasure each one of your comments :-)  

2014 has been a bit of a tough year for us since my husband was diagnosed with cancer in the fall, but Lord Willing, he is handling the chemo well so far and we are praying that he will be in remission once the chemo is finished in the spring :-)   We know that all things work together for good to those who love Him and we are resting in His Promises :-)

 

This card was the first one I originally created for the  SUO113 “Project Life by Stampin’ Up!®” Challengeand decided to hold it one extra day for the New Year :-)

I decided to incorporate a few of my favorite weekly challenges as well- the FMS167 Challenge at Freshly Made Sketches and the SC94 Inspiration Photo at Stampin’ Celebration.   

 

If you have not already done so, I hope you will find the time to check the rest of the Design Team projects at all of the challenge sites and come join in on the fun!

To create this card:

Mount a piece of Hello Honey Moonlight Designer Series Paper (DSP) to a piece of Basic Black cardstock, trim and mount onto the Whisper White card base.

Trim the Project Life® by Stampin’ Up!® Smoky Slate plaid card from the Everyday Adventure collection in half and punch along the bottom with the Spiral Border Punch.

Punch a piece of Basic Black cardstock with the Spiral Border Punch (I used a scrap strip wide enough for the vertical panel created above) and adhere behind the bottom portion of the PLxSU plaid panel, offset just a bit to create a shadow effect.

Add the vertical punched panel to the card front per the sketch.

Trim two additional Project Life® by Stampin’ Up!® cards from the Everyday Adventure collection (Smoky Slate Polka Dot and the Days of the Week), mount the Smoky Slate Polka Dot piece onto a piece of Basic Black cardstock, trim and adhere onto the Days of the Week panel.   Mount this panel to the card front.

FYI- I had the globe image from The Open Sea already printed and ready to go from a previous My Digital Studio (MDS) card project (in my organized scrap bag)- you can also stamp the image onto Whisper White cardstock using Memento™ Tuxedo Black Ink.  

Punch out the globe with the 2 ½” Circle Punch and punch out another 2 ½” Circle from Basic Black cardstock (split the black circle in half and mount behind the globe image).

Create the Basic Black bow using the new Bow Builder Punch and add the Smoky Slate button to the center (use a small silver of Basic Black cardstock to mimic thread in the button).   Add the globe image to the card front using Stampin’ Dimensionals®.

Use the Big Shot™ with the retired GoGo Boots Sizzlits™ to cut out the numbers from Smoky Slate cardstock and add to the card front.

Stamp the sentiment from the 2015 Sale-A-Bration set, A Happy Thing, using Memento™ Tuxedo Black Ink onto Whisper White cardstock and create the banner using the Hexagon Punch.   Mount onto a piece of Basic Black cardstock and create the banner points, again with the Hexagon Punch.

Add the sentiment to the card front using Stampin’ Dimensionals® to finish off the card

Stamp Sets:  The Open Sea (MDS version), A Happy Thing

Ink: Memento™ Tuxedo Black; Printer Ink- Black

Paper/Cardstock:  Project Life® by Stampin’ Up!® Everyday Adventure, Basic Black, Whisper White, Smoky Slate

Accessories:  Big Shot™, retired GoGo Boots Sizzlits™, Punches- Bow Builder,  Hexagon and Spiral Border; Smoky Slate button,

Thanks again for taking the time to stop by – I sincerely hope that all of you have a fabulous and blessed 2015!   

SUO113 Feathers with Project Life® by Stampin’ Up!®

Hi Stampers! 

This card was created for the new SUO113 “Project Life byStampin’ Up!®” Challenge.   I hope you enjoy this card (I wanted to show how versatile the Project Life® by Stampin' Up!® collections can be)- they are not just for scrapbooking :-)   

FYI- I will be sharing another card created for this challenge later this week :-)

I hope you will find the time to check the rest of the DesignTeam projects and create your own project to join in on the fun!

To create this Clean and Simple (CAS) card:

Trim and mount the Project Life® by Stampin’ Up!® card from the Everyday Adventure collection to a piece of Melon Mambo cardstock, trim again and mount onto the Basic Black card base.

Ink the Four Feathers images using Memento™ Tuxedo Black Ink and stamp onto Whisper White cardstock.   Use the Big Shot™ with the matching Feathers Framelits™ to cut out the feather images and mount onto the card front using Stampin’ Dimensionals®.

Ink the sentiment from Happy Hooray with Memento™ Tuxedo Black Ink and stamp onto Whisper White cardstock.  

Punch the sentiment out with the Hexagon Punch and mount onto another hexagon punched from Melon Mambo cardstock (split the Melon Mambo hexagon in half and mount behind the sentiment).   Add the sentiment to the card front using Stampin’ Dimensionals®.

Using the new Bow Builder Punch, create the bow from Melon Mambo cardstock, add the Basic Black button to the center and mount the bow to the top of the feathers. 

Adhere the Rhinestones to the background to finish off the card.

Stamp Sets: Four Feathers, Happy Hooray

Ink: Memento™ Tuxedo Black

Paper/Cardstock:  Project Life® by Stampin’ Up!® Everyday Adventure, Melon Mambo, Basic Black

Accessories:  Big Shot™, Feather Framelits™,  Bow Builder and Hexagon Punch, Rhinestones, Basic Black button

Thanks again for taking the time to stop by – I hope that you will join in on in on the fun with your Stampin’ Up! Only creations and create your own “Project Life® by Stampin’ Up!®”project!