fresh & fun

Remember this card? I have to say I love this card. Probably because of the simple layout and the Kiwi Kiss! I just love that new green. The sentiment made it a bit limited to use, so I created two other cards with the same layout and colors, just different sentiments.

Both sentiments are from the Only Oval stamp set. Another new set I love.

Sorry I have been quiet again. On weekends I do spend more time with the kids and just take some time to relax.

I don’t know how much stamping I will get done next week. There is a lot of stuff on my schedule. I don’t like when the planner is all full.

Have a great Sunday afternoon. Hugs and smiles

Yesterday’s Way to Use it Challenge  said to use Quotes on your project. I combined that challenge with the Weekend sketch to create this card.

I had to force myself not to use Chocolate Chip as my card base. LOL

This time I used a 4 1/4″ x 11″ piece of Basic Black cardstock piece for the base.

The next layer is a 4″ x 5 1/4″ piece of Bella Rose Designer paper.

The vertical designer paper strip measures 1 3/8″ x 5″ and is from the  Urban Garden paper pack. The white scallops underneath were punched with the scallop square punch out of Shimmery White cardstock.

The horizontal strip measures 2 1/2″ x 3 3/4″ and is from the Bella Rose DP pack.  The sides on top edge were paper pierced.

The sentiment is from Full of Life and was stamped in Black Stazon on a 1 7/8″ x 2 5/8″. The edges were paper pierced. The black scallop rectangle was created by taping six scallop square punchouts together.  The Flowers are from the Flower FusionToo pack. The center is a Pewter Build a Brad. I punched out a 1/2″ circle out of black cardstock and added white gel pen dots to it.

To finish the card off I added a 1″ circle punchout from the Bella Rose DP on the top left, paper pierced the edges, added a Pewter Jumbo Eyelet and tied white Taffeta ribbon through it. On the horizontal strip I added two black 1/4″ circle punchout and topped them with white brads (that SU needs to add to their product list!).

Tuesday’s color challenge was perfect to get me back into my sponging/distressing mood.  I love Really Rust with Chocolate Chip. I still had a layout design on my desk and did everything except for the center image. It took me a long time to decide which set to use.

The card base is a 4 1/4″ x 8 1/2″ piece of Chocolate Chip cardstock. The edges of the card front were sponged for a darker, richer color.

The 4″ layer of Really Rust was first stamped in Really Rust with Gratuitous Graffiti, then sponged with Really Rust and lastly with Chocolate Chip classic ink. The edges were distressed with the Cutter Kit and paper pierced.

The designer paper measures 2 3/4″ x 3 1/2″ and is from the Autumn Vine Designer Paper. The edges were distressed before adhering the paper to the Rust layer. Next the edges were paper pierced.  Last I sanded over the paper with a sanding block for an even more distressed look. A hole was punched on the right hand side next to the designer paper and 5/8″ wide Chocolate Grosgrain Ribbon was tied around both layers.

Stamps from the set Pocket Silhouettes (I hope you all got that last month while it was on sale) in Really Rust and Chocolate Chip on a 2 1/4″ Very Vanilla cardstock square. The edges were first sponged with Really Rust, then with Chocolate Chip. Then the edges were distressed with the cutter kit and paper pierced. It was layered on a 1/4″ bigger piece of Chocolate Chip that was sponged and distressed. These layers were attached to the Rust layer with dimensionals.

The sentiment was stamped in Chocolate chip on Very Vanilla cardstock. It was punched out with the small oval punch. Over it I stamped one of the stamps in second generation of Really Rust and sponged the edges with the same color. That was layered on a Chocolate chip designer Label punchout that was topped with a 1″ Autumn Vine Designer Paper circle. To add a little umpf I layered a small oval bookplate from the retired Antique Hodgepodge Hardware over my oval sentiment. Three 1/4″ chocolate chip circles were added under the designer paper layer that were topped with three Antique Brass brads.

Today’s tutorial on SCS is again a very basic one. It’s on how to use your Stipple Brushes. I couldn’t help myself. I had to use Inspired by Nature again.

I stamped the image in Chocolate Chip on a 4″ square of Whisper White cardstock.

I added depth with my Chocolate Chip marker.

Next I stippled the entire piece of cardstock with More Mustard. Next I added a layer of Pumpkin Pie, but I didn’t stipple all the way to the flower, leaving a small area around it just in Mustard. Last I added a stippled layer of Riding Hood Red, again, not going as fast with the Red as I did with the Pumpkin.

The cardstock was layered on a 1/4″ bigger piece of Whisper White, then on a 4 3/4″ piece of Chocolate Chip cardstock. I paper pierced a double row border on the stippled layer, then tied striped Riding Hood Red Ribbon around all three layers.

The sentiment was stamped in Chocolate Chip on Whisper White cardstock, punched out with the large oval punch and layered on a 1 1/4″ Riding hood Red circle and a Chocolate Chip Designer Label Punchout.

Here is another sample of a stipple background in blue. I really liked how that card came out.

For cleaning suggestions for the stipple brushes check this forum thread on SCS or check the Ask Beate Question in this SCS weekly Inkling Newsletter.

It felt good to stamp after my cleaning chores were done yesterday.  I loved the layout of the print that is today’s inspiration piece and used it as my sketch. I based my color choice loosely on the image as well.

The card base is a 5 1/2″ x 8 1/2″ piece of Chocolate chip Cardstock folded in half.

I found that when using the a color block layout with designer paper, it’s easiest if you start with a 4 1/4″ x 5 1/2″ piece of cardstock and tape onto that. That’s what I did here. Color really won’t matter, since you will cover the entire piece up.

The Bella Rose Designer Paper panel in the center measures 2 1/2″ x 4″ and is taped to a 2 3/4″ x 4 1/8″ piece of Chocolate Chip cardstock.

I inked up the berry stamp from Kindred Spirits in Riding Hood Red ink and added Chocolate Chip on each stem with my marker, before stamping the image on to the designer paper panel. Next the edges of the designer paper were paper pierced along with the edges, that didn’t have berries stamped over them.

My thin Kiwi Kiss borders measure 1/8″ in width. The small strips on top and bottom are 5/8″ wide. The Baja Breeze paper is from the Autumn Vine Designer Paper pack in the Holiday Mini catalog, the Polka dotted paper is from the Bella Rose Designer Paper. Both pieces on top, as well as the short one on the bottom are 2 1/8″ long, the polka dotted one on the bottom measures 3 3/8″.

I punched a ribbon slot in the bottom Kiwi strip, right next to where my main image ended and tied Kiwi Satin ribbon around the card vertically. Over it I layered a Chocolate Chip Designer Label Punchout, followed by 1″ circle with Autumn Vine Designer Paper. The words from the sentiment were inked up seperately in Chocolate Chip ink, stamped over each other on Whisper White cardstock and punched out with the small oval punch to finish off my sentiment layers.

The main image looked a little to plain, so I covered all the berries first in Crystal Effect, then with Dazzling Diamond glitter.

I can’t wait to see what you come up with for this inspiration challenge! Have a great day! Hugs and smiles

Use the colors or the pattern from this canvas by Elise Remender….anything that will inspire you to create your card.

I can’t wait to see what you come up with.

Check out the cards made by the Inspiration Challenge Team:

Charmaine Ikach

Danielle Lounds

Dawn McVey

Jennifer Buck

Silke Ledlow

Susan Roberts

If you upload your image to your splitcoast gallery, don’t forget to add BIC25 in the keyword section. That way your card will appear in this search: SCS Submissions

I really like the look of today’s sketch.

I had a hard time deciding if I wanted to go with cute or elegant.

Since I just recently got Flowers for all Season, cute won out.

Big surprise, my card base is a piece of Chocolate chip cardstock. This time it measures 4 1/4″ x 11″ and is folded in half.

For the second layer, I taped a 4″ x 5 1/4″ piece of Mustard Autumn Vine Designer paper on the same size Mustard cardstock. I paper pierced the edges.

The Chocolate Chip strips measure 1 1/4″ x 3 3/4″, the Bella Rose Designer paper strips are 1/8″ smaller. Again, I paper pierced the edges. On the right side of the right strip, I added a Shimmery White strip that was punched with the scallop edge punch.

I stamped the sunflower image from Flowers for all Season in Brown Palette ink on Shimmery White and punched it out with the 1 3/4″ circle punch. The image was colored with Aqua Painter and More Mustard, Pumpkin Pie, Creamy Caramel, Chocolate Chip, Riding Hood Red, Baja Breeze (shading), Garden Green and Kiwi Kiss. I adhered it on Chocolate Chip cardstock and cut around it to create my second layer. Next I added a ribbon slot and paper pierced around the edges.

The sentiment is from Smarty Pants. I stamped it with Chocolate Chip on the left hand top on the left hand strip. Next I adhered the image layers with dimensionals on the bottom right and tied Riding Hood Red ribbon through the ribbon slot. Last I taped the More Mustard layer to the card base with dimensionals.

Charmaine, I was thinking about you the whole time I worked on this card. Whenever I see a ladybug, I think of her!

Have a great day! Hugs and smiles

I am sorry I didn’t get the card front done earlier yesterday. After I got my teeth cleaned all sparkly white and got a gold star from my dentist, I had some shopping to do. After that the usual housework/SCS work got hold of me. I finished the card front in the evening and decided to post it this morning.
When I began the card, I used this weeks Color Challenge on SCS Kiwi Kiss, Very Vanilla and Baja Breeze) as my starting point. For the flowers inside, I wanted some more POP and added Tangerine Tango and Riding Hood Red. I figured I could just use the challenge colors (+Chocolate, always plus chocolate).

The card base is a 5 1/2″ x 8 1/2″ piece of Kiwi Cardstock folded in half.

Next is a 4″ x 5 1/2″ layer of Chocolate Chip, followed by two pieces of Urban Garden Designer paper. The smaller one measuring 2″ x 3 3/4″. Underneath that layer is a Scallop Edge punched piece of Very Vanilla cardstock. I paper pierced the edges of the chocolate/designer paper combo and set it aside.

For the main image I stamped the branch from Eastern Bloom in Chocolate Chip on a 1 7/8″ x 3 7/8″ piece of Very Vanilla cardstock.  It was layered on a 1/4″ bigger piece of Kiwi Kiss cardstock and the edges were paper pierced.

Next I punched eight Chocolate Chip squares with my scallop square punch and created the scallop rectangle layer. I taped the stamped layers on top. The Baja breeze flowers were punched out with the Trio Flower punch, sponged at the edges with Baja Breeze and sponge daubers, layered with a 1/4″ circle punch and topped with silver brads (that go through all the way to the chocolate scallop layer).

The layers were adhered with dimensionals to the chocolate/designer paper layer. 5/8″ wide Chocolate grosgrain ribbon was tied around the left hand side of all layers. Then those were attached to the card base with dimensionals.

I stamped the favorite definition from Define your Life in Kiwi Kiss on Very Vanilla Cardstock. Over it, I stamped Friend from Fundamental Phrases. I had seen this combo in the current catalog and LOVED that idea. The sentiment combo was punched out with the wide oval punch, adhered to Chocolate Chip cardstock and hand cut around it to create the chocolate layer. Another Baja Flower was adhered to the bottom right and a row was paper pierced underneath the definition. The sentiment layers were attached with dimensionals.

Let me know if you need a detailed description of yesterday’s post. Otherwise I just leave it. Have a wonderful day!
Hugs and smiles

Today’s tutorial on SCS was written by the sweet and super talented Corinne Somerville. She shows us how to make a spiral pop up card.

I made this card this morning. I still have to do decorate the card front. But first I have to run to the dentist and get my teeth cleaned.

So you will get all the details later. Here are at least the ingredients:

Stamps: Full of Life, Eastern Bloom
Inks: Baja Breeze, Kiwi Kiss, Tangerine Tango, Riding Hood Red and Chocolate Chip
Paper: Kiwi Kiss, Chocolate Chip, Riding Hood Red, Very Vanilla and Tangerine Tango Cardstock, Urban Garden Designer Paper
Acc: scallop square punch (for an my little place to write your message), Trio Flower, Ice Rhinestone brads, large oval punch, silver brads, sponge dauber, dimensionals, sticky strip, paper piercing tools, Oval Nestabilities

I love today’s inspiration picture. Jenn had sent it to me a while ago. I picked the colors and the silhouette look from this challenge.

The card base is a 5 1/2″ x 6″ piece of Bashful Blue cardstock folded in half to make a 3″ x 5 1/2″ card base.

One of the border stamps from Beautiful Borders was stamped in Chocolate Chip on a 1 1/4″ x 5 1/2″ piece of Whisper White cardstock. It was overlayed with a transparency strip of the same size. I taped them together on the top of the strips and paper pierced the bottom edge. You can’t see the acetate layer on the picture, but it makes the stamped strip shiny and add more resemblance to the glasses.

I added a Chocolate Strip underneath both layers. That bottom of that layer was punched with the Scallop Edge Punch. The layers were adhered to the bottom half of the card base and tied Chocolate Chip Taffeta Ribbon on the upper edge of the layers.

The sentiment was stamped in Chocolate Chip on Whisper White cardstock and punched out with the small oval punch. It was layered on half of a 1 3/8″ bashful blue circle and half of a chocolate scallop circle. I added a paper pierced border underneath the sentiment. These layers were adhered to the top right of the strip. I used a modified version of the WSC8 layout.

My little flower was punched out with the Three for you Punch out of Bashful Blue cardstock. The edges were sponged with a sponge dauber and Bashful Blue. A 1/4″ Whisper White circle was added in it’s center and topped with a brown brad. The flower was adhered with dimensionals.

Have a wonderful day! Hugs and smiles