Just Add Tequila!

Hi Stampers! Last week I was able to add lots of Bugaboo Stamps to my collection after winning a challenge on the Bugaboo Blog. It was hard to choose just 10 stamps from the fun and fabulous collection over there - I started out with cupcakes and cute kids, but then came across some of these hysterical stamps and before I knew it my order took a turn from cute kid stuff to a more grown up sense of humor. Anyway I love it and if you do too, then you should check back now and then because I can't wait to use more of these babies!! Or better yet, head over there and pick out a few for yourself!

I have big plans for this card! Not only am I entering it into a couple of challenges, I'll be offering it in next month's Stamp A Stack card class. I've really been on a creative role this past week and I'm actually just about ready for next month's class, as well as tonight's! I colored my main image using my Spectrum Noir markers, so we'll of course be using these in class too! The sketch is this week's Mojo Monday Sketch #301.

Well onto a couple challenges:

Anything Goes @ Catch the Bug

Mojo Monday #301

Thanks for stopping by today!
~Katherine

Sometimes You're the Windshield, Sometimes You're the Bug...

I have a cute card to share with you today. One of the girls who attends my monthly Stamp A Stack class asked if we could make a card using some cute stamps she picked up, so this the design I came up with  as a sample for the class. On the inside we'll be stamping the verse "Sometimes you're the windshield, sometimes you're the bug!"

It also game me an excuse to try out a new color combination from my Brights collection of Spectrum Noir markers. Trying different colors of Blue and Greens I was able to blend the colors together nicely. I haven't been able to locate a color chart for this particular set of SN markers so if any of my readers have found one, could you please point me in the right direction? I'd sure appreciate it! In the meantime I'll continue to create my own combinations and save them to my creative journal when I have the chance!

I stamped the bugs using a stamp from my stash, andso heat embossed this using Stayz-On Black Onyx Ink and clear embossing powder. It's my solution to coloring hand stamped images with these markers until I can get my hands on a pad of ink that doesn't smear.

Thanks for stopping by today. I hope you're enjoying your week!

~Katherine

Summer Days

Hi Stampers! Are you ready for some summer days at the beach? I have been having a "wicked blast" with these images from the Beach Time stamp set!

This week I used the image of Jordy from the set colored in fun shades of blue and green, with a bit of summer orange for my color palette. I colored the image using Spectrum Noir Markers, and couldn't resist creating a little beach sign on the side with a free download I found at Simple Stories. I said earlier in the week that I would try to find the link and post it, so here it is!

It reminds me of the beach side signs on Cape Cod! The little brad in the corner of the card is also from Simple Stories, and the papers are from Jillibean Soup and Stampin' Up! You can get your own copy of this cool stamp set at Chi Chi Memories.

Lastly, I want to mention that I am entering this card into the Unscripted Sketches Challenge #218:

Thanks for stopping by and be sure to visit the Chi Chi Memories blog for more fun ideas from the Design Team using Beach Time!

Sweet Summer

 

Hi Stampers! I have a sweet summer card to share with you today, and a touch-up technique that I use from time to time as needed.

As I stamped and assembled this card, I thought I was happy with the results of my stamped image. After all, I prepped this unused bold stamp just yesterday. ( Can you believe that this stamp has been on my stamp shelf since 2009 and only see an ink pad once? ) I have since learned that bold rubber stamps hold ink better if they are sanded, just a tad, with a nail buffer. It's kinda like painting a car, you know? It just makes the ink blend on the rubber better. Anyway I did all that before stamping my image and thought it didn't look bad, until I took a photograph with my digital camera. Leave it to a camera to bring out all the little flaws, huh?

Anyway I didn't like how the letters looked like maybe my ink pad was drying out!

Not good! And certainly not blog worthy! So I unpacked my ink pad and my blender and got to work on filling in the stamped image by picking the ink up directly from the ink pad. I have got to admit that I have tried many blender pens, but I think that Stampin' Up!'s blender pen works best. The brush end is just the perfect size for getting into small spaces, and the pens last for a long, long time. If you're careful with your marker nibs you can freshen them up with a few drops of glycerin (found in the cake decorating section of your local craft store). I've been using the same $5 bottle of glycerin for a looong time! And I think the after shot shows this is a technique that works:

Here's a close-up of the strawberries. I'm not sure if they count as punch art, I used my Big Shot and my Quickutz Heart Die:

The flowers and berry tops were made with the SU Boho Blossoms Punch. The gingham ribbon is also from SU - no longer available but oh so timeless! I love these little wooden buttons. I found them at Life's Memories & More - I'm sure if you called Tanya you might be able to arrange to get a few ;) The little wood veneer birds are from Studio Calico. If you're nearby and you would like to make a set of these cards for yourself, I am offering them as one of the cards we'll be making at my Stamp A Stack on Thursday at Life's Memories and More!

Thanks for stopping by today!
~Katherine

Beach Time Memories!

Hi Stampers! Are you ready for another Beach Time card? I know I am! I've been waiting days to share this one and I think it's my favorite this week. We need Mother Nature to cool off a bit around here, so I used a combination of bright and cool colors for this card.

 

The main images are from the Chi Chi Memories Beach Time Stamp Set. It was colored in with my Spectrum Noir Markers. These have been really fun to play with and when I need a bit of down time I have been finding myself pulling out my digi files and coloring. We'll see how this unbelievable hot weather we've been having effects my markers. I suspect I may need to purchase some ink refills soon - at least for my favorite colors! My fellow Chi Chi Memories DT member Marcee Rodgers recommended them and I just love them!

 

Here's a quick view from the side. I love the layers on this sketch, and I used a variety of foam dots to give my layers a variety of height.

 

If you have been seeing this sketch everywhere in the bloggy world this week, it's probably because it's a really big deal over at the Mojo Monday Blog where they are celebrating their 300th sketch. There are tons of give aways, so if you have an online gallery you might want to play along for a chance to win a fun prize!

Thanks for stopping by, enjoy the weekend!

I Scream for Ice Cream!

Hi Stampers! I don't know about you but I feel as though I am melting from the sweltering heat and humidity we've been having this week in New England! One of my favorite ways to beat the heat is to cool down with a yummy ice cream cone, but since that's not something any of us should do every day, maybe this cool treat on my card just might hit the spot! Yea, right! Well....if not the thought's there anyway!

Here are the supplies I used for my card:

Ice Cream Digi Stamp from Bugaboo Stamps
A Little Treat from Got Treats (SU)
Lucky Limeade and Pumpkin Pie DSP (SU)
Fresh Apple Slices from Jillibean Soup
Lucky Limeade Baker's Twine (SU)
Various Buttons
Spectrum Noir Markers - GT2, GT3, GB6, GB7, OR2, OR3
Pool Party Card Stock (SU)
Dotted Scallop Border Punch (SU)

I had to much fun making this card, that I decided not to enter it into one challenge, but four!

They are:

Catch The Bug Challenge Blog
Color Challenge

CAS Colours and Sketches Blog 
Challenge #32

Deconstructed Sketch #108

52 Pickup!


Thanks for stopping by today and stay cool!

~Katherine

Mojo Monday #300

Hi Stampers!  I have the sweetest card to share with you today. I recently found this cute monster image over at Bugaboo Stamps and was intending to use it on a Birthday Card for a little girl, but got some happy news as I was putting it together that changed my focus:

Instead of tucking this away for a little girl's birthday, it's going to the cutest couple I know, who found out this morning that they are expecting a baby girl! I don't always stamp the inside of my cards ahead of time but since I know where this card is going, I thought I would share the inside but ask that you please not notice the crooked stamping - it's just what happens when I don't pull out my Stamp-a-majig:

For the front of this card I used this week's Mojo Monday Sketch #300:

You might want to play along with this week's sketch challenge. Mojo Monday is celebrating their 300th sketch with tons of give aways from all my favorite online stores and stamp companies. 300 is sure something to celebrate!!

Here is a list of supplies I used for this card:

Monster 3 Digital Stamp from Bugaboo Stamps
 Spectrum Noir Markers in the Brights Collection
 Stampin' Up Mambo Mellon Polka Dot Ribbon
Carta Bella Merry & Bright Brads
Cheddar Apple Coordinating Paper by Jillibean Soup
Stampin' Up!  Card Stock in Whisper White, Lucky Limeade, Tempting Turquoise, Mambo Melon and Bermuda Breeze
Additional Stamps by Stampin' Up!: Pennant Parade & Express Yourself

Be sure to stop by again this weekend - I have another fun project to share using this same sketch!

Happy Fourth of July!

Celebrate Freedom

Hi Stampers! Today I have a fun Fourth of July card to share with you that I made using a new stamp set from Chi Chi Memories called Beach Time. I love having new things to play with and digital stamps are no exception! For my first card with this new stamp set, I just had to use the image of the three girls sitting together.

I colored the images with my Spectrum Noir markers. Boy is it hard to do hair! I have a new found respect for all those artists out there who color such amazing pictures. I am practicing almost daily with these things, and I am determined to master them! The background papers are from My Mind's Eye - American Made "Celebration Banner" and Creative Imaginations "Nautical Borders".  The wording is a free download I got from a member of my Project Life Group. I can't find the link to it any longer, but I'll try to get it and post it later this week!

The sketch is one that I found at the Clean and Simple Blog found here. Maybe this is a sketch you would like to try for yourself?

In the meantime, you can see what the other DT Members have been cooking up by visiting the Chi Chi Memories Blog!

Thanks for stopping by today! :)

Fourth of July Treats

Hi Stampers! I am excited to share the project I created for this week's Chi Chi Memories blog post! I have altered this adorable paint can that was originally filled with Christmas tags - no really, I didn't buy the tags so I could have the can later, I swear!

I started with my Happy 4th of July tag from the 4th of July Stamp Set which had been colored with Spectrum Noir Markers. I layered it onto a 2 1/2" circle punched from a scrap of paper I had stamped little stars onto, then added a ruffle of crepe paper to the back.

I punched some little banners to decorate the rim around the top of the can and embellished them with glittery stars and BoBunny Jewels.

I added a burst of ribbon to the handle using a variety from my scrap basket.

A little button and a few extra stars add finishing touches on the front of the can! The last step was to embellish the top. Once again I used a 2 1/2" punched circle, along with a die cut star, a scrap of ribbon, and a punched heart.

This piece came together so easily, I could have kept going but I really had to stop adding to it because I was simply running out of room! For now the can is sitting on my shelf, but a good friend just may be the lucky recipient of this little piece! It's not too late for you to stop by the Chi Chi Memories Store to get your own 4th of July stamps so you can make something fun for the upcoming holiday!

Before I leave, I just wanted to let you know that Chi Chi Memories is releasing a new stamp set next week. It's super cute and I can't wait to share a few projects using it in the coming weeks. Here's a sneak peek for you:





Thanks for stopping by. I hope you have a great week!

Merry Monday Challenge #67

Hi Stampers! I have to admit that I love making Christmas Cards, and I especially love having them ahead of time so I can mail them just after Thanksgiving. This is one reason I love playing along with the Merry Monday Challenge all year - aside from my addiction to all things Christmas! But this year I know I'll be ready when the time comes to mail out cards, and I think it's much more interesting to have many different cards rather than mass producing one or two designs! Here's what I came up with:

When I first saw this sketch, I wasn't quite sure what to do with that curve at the bottom. Then I remembered that I had some of these adorable crystal snowflakes that I picked up at Joanne's awhile back. There were just enough left to finish off that edge nicely!

I colored the image with my Spectrum Noir Markers. I really love how these blend together and provide a rich and evenly colored image.

The ribbon is simply 5/8" bright red from the craft store, and the brad is from Carta Bella's Merry & Bright which I picked up over at I {Heart} Papers on the clearance rack for $2 when I ordered the markers. What a deal that was!

Make sure you stop by Always Playing With Paper to see some other fun ideas made with this sketch!

Thanks for stopping by!

A Splash of Fun! Fun! Fun!

Hi Stampers! I am excited to share this card with you today. It's actually the second one I made this past week using Chi Chi Memories Splash of Fun Stamp Set. I think it would be perfect for a summer birthday, or maybe you know a teacher out there who is celebrating the first days of summer vacation this week. I know I sure do!


To make this card I started with a base of 10x7 White Card Stock for a 5x7 card. Lately I find myself drawn to bigger cards. You can put so much more on them! I layered a stamped background on top of my base that I stamped using my Stampin' Up! Distressed Dots background stamp inked in Island Indigo. For the main image I used Spectrum Noir Markers to color the divers, and Stampin' Write Markers for little touches here and there.

I printed the verse in big, bold letters and then cut them apart to make a few banners - one of the awesome things about digital stamps! I also used my Banner Punch (SU) to create the banner across the top. The colors used on this project are from last week's Color Q Challenge of Island Indigo, Bermuda Bay, Certainly Celery and Real Red.

If you want to see more paper crafting goodness today, stop by the Chi Chi Memories Blog to see what some of the other designers are showcasing there! If you don't make it today, make sure you stop by tomorrow for an amazing tutorial that I can't wait to try!!

Thanks for stopping by!

Love You Deeply

Hi Stampers! I am playing along with Freshly Made Sketches again this week! Here is the sketch I used to make this Love You Deeply Card:

Don't you think these images on Splash of Fun are just too cute not to use for a summer time card? Have I mentioned that I am really enjoying digital stamps, and here is a great example of why - I was able to enlarge the verse in this set to make it big and bold.

I thought this Pool Party paper from Stampin' Up! Sweet Shop pack would make the perfect wavy background for a couple snorkeling kids, and it came out even better than I had envisioned. I dressed up the banner with a couple of coordinating brads, it seemed the bubbly hearts were a perfect fit for the theme of the card!

I used my small hole punches to punch the bubbles from glimmer paper, and added a teeny heart. The images were colored with Spectrum Noir markers.

Visit Chi Chi Memories blog for more great ideas on using Spash of Fun, and the Chi Chi Memories Store to get a copy of your own images!

Thanks for stopping by today!

Explosion Box Made Better!

Hi Stampers! A couple weeks ago I cam across an Envelope Explosion Box I made a few years ago. It hasn't held up very well over time, mostly because it was made of thinner paper envelopes. So I set out to redesign it and see if I could make a sturdier version. Here are the final results:

This is the box all closed up. The envelopes are large enough to hold several 4x6 photos, and are hand made out of sturdy cardstock.

In this photo the outside layers of the box are open and you can see the 2nd and 3rd layers of envelopes. There are lots of pockets to tuck journal cards or mementos, and space for journaling here!

Lots of Sn@p cards, and coordinating brads and embellishments!

I think this is my favorite part of the box, isn't this a happy card?

I am in the process of scheduling this as a class, and as soon as I have a date I'll post it here and on my facebook page - My Magical Inkery Tour (and if you're there, why hot hit that Like button?)

Thanks for stopping by today!

More Fourth of July Cuteness!

Hi Stampers! Have you ever seen a Double Easel Card? I was inspired to create this after seeing a Triple Easel Card at a recent stamp show, so made this one for the Chi Chi Memories blog! Isn't this stamp set is just the cutest thing ever?

Here's a view from the side so you can see how I put it together:



Here's a close up of Candace and Jordy all dressed up for the Fourth of July festivities!



I had a little fun with that white ruffly waffle paper in the backround, too! You can grab your Fourth of July Digi Stamps in the Chi Chi Memories online store, and see what you can come up with too!

Thanks for stopping by today!