A Serene Colour Challenge

Happy Sunday! I hope you are enjoying your weekend. I am just starting a week of R & R at my parents' place in northern Ontario. Think wilderness, a lake and peace and quiet. Ahhh...so beautiful. This is the one week each year when I get to do absolutely nothing. Just what I need before heading back into the craziness of the school year!
Today marks the start of a new colour challenge over at Sunday Stamps. Check out this soft, serene pallette...

Here is my project for the Design Team.

I pulled out the Helping Me Grow stamp set, which I've owned for several months but had not yet inked up! I thought these beautiful floral images were perfect for the ombre watercolour wash background. To achieve the ombre effect I used Pool Party, Marina Mist and Dapper Denim inks with my aqua painter on watercolour paper. I have to admit that my Marina Mist ink pad has been sadly neglected too. It's funny because that was once one of my go-to blues...how my tastes have changed! The floral image is heat embossed in white. I added some spatters of silver using the Gorgeous Grunge stamp set and (retired) silver metallic Encore ink. The watercolour panel is mounted directly on a Marina Mist card stock base.

The sentiment is stamped in Marina Mist ink on Very Vanilla card stock. I highlighted the sentiment with some Pool Party striped satin ribbon and a bit of lace trim. I added some Linen Thread and a Classy Designer Button to further highlight the sentiment. The final touch was a few clear sequins scattered across the card front...they add an subtle shimmer and texture, though they are hard to see in the photos.

I hope you'll give this soft and pretty colour pallette a try and share with us over at Sunday Stamps this week. Have a super Sunday!


Product List

Helping Me Grow Photopolymer Stamp Set [140764] $32.00	Gorgeous Grunge Clear Stamp Set [130517] $24.00	Marina Mist 8-1/2" X 11" Card Stock [119682] $10.00	Very Vanilla 8-1/2" X 11" Card Stock [101650] $11.25
Watercolor Paper [122959] $6.75	Pool Party Classic Stampin' Pad [126982] $8.50	Marina Mist Classic Stampin' Pad [126962] $8.50	Dapper Denim Classic Stampin' Pad [141394] $8.50
Metallic Silver Encore Pad [132142] $12.95	Versamark Pad [102283] $11.25	Embossing Buddy [103083] $8.00	White Stampin' Emboss Powder [109132] $6.75
Heat Tool [129053] $40.00	Linen Thread [104199] $6.25	Pool Party 3/8" (1 Cm) Stitched Satin Ribbon [141691] $12.00	Venetian Crochet Trim [134581] $8.75
Classy Designer Buttons [138393] $8.00	Metallics Sequin Assortment [138390] $6.75

Born to Ride

Happy Sunday...and happy July! It has been a busy couple of days around here with Canada Day festivities. I am SO thankful to be finished school for the year and to have some time to unwind from the crazy pace of life.
Today marks a new sketch challenge over at Sunday Stamps and it is a fun one! Check it out:

Here is my decidedly masculine take on it.

I have been dying to ink up the new One Wild Ride stamp set since it came with my first new catalogue order. When I saw this week's sketch I knew exactly what I wanted to do. The Basic Gray tag is stamped with the motorcycle image in Basic Black ink. I then added some smudges and spatters of silver metallic ink (reired). To create the tag itself I used the Angled Tag Topper punch (also retired!). The tag in the background is cut from silver foil sheets and it embossed using the Houndstooth TIEF (this one's retired too!).

The Smoky Slate background panel is stamped with the tire tread image from the One Wild Ride set as well as a couple of texture images from the Gorgeous Grunge set. I added more silver smudges (that image is actually part of the One Wild Ride set...awesome, eh?) before running the panel through the Big Shot with the Brick Wall TIEF. I layered the embossed panel on a piece of Tangerine Tango card stock and then adhered that to a Basic Gray card base. The sentiment is stamped in Basic Black on Tangerine Tango card stock and then die cut using the new Bunch of Banners Framelits. The only embellishments are some black metallic thread, a few silver enamel starts and the little Route 66 sign, which I stamped and fussy cut out.

On the inside I added a Whisper White panel on which I stamped another tread mark in Basic Black and some more silver metallic smudges. The sentiment is again stamped on Tangerine Tango card stock using Basic Black ink and punched using the ned Best Badge punch.

This is a fabulously versatile sketch...be sure to check out the rest of the Design Team's projects and you'll see what I mean. Give it a go and share your creation with us over at Sunday Stamps...we'd love to see your work!


Product List

One Wild Ride Clear-Mount Stamp Set [141724] $28.00	Gorgeous Grunge Clear Stamp Set [130517] $24.00	Tangerine Tango 8-1/2" X 11" Card Stock [111349] $10.00	Basic Gray 8-1/2" X 11" Card Stock [121044] $10.00
Smoky Slate 8-1/2" X 11" Card Stock [131202] $10.00	Whisper White 8-1/2" X 11" Card Stock [100730] $11.25	Silver Foil Sheets [132178] $5.25	Basic Black Archival Stampin’ Pad [140931] $9.25
Basic Gray Archival Stampin’ Pad [140932] $9.25	Metallic Silver Encore Pad [132142] $12.95	Big Shot [143263] $136.00	Brick Wall Textured Impressions Embossing Folder [138288] $11.25
Bunch Of Banners Framelits Dies [141488] $35.00	Angled Tag Topper Punch [133323] $31.95	Best Badge Punch [140633] $23.50	Metallic Enamel Shapes [141678] $9.25
Basic Black Metallic Thread [141695] $4.00

For my Fellow Coffee Lovers

Now, I don't know about you, but there are two ESSENTIALS in my life. One is white wine (we'll save that for another day) and the other is coffee. I can't start my day without it...well, I suppose I could, but the people I live and work with would much prefer I didn't! Today's project is fondly dedicated to my fellow coffee lovers...

Birthday card featuring the Cups and Kettle Framelits and Timeless Textures stamp set with sentiment from the Balloon Celebration stamp set.

 I can't think of a better way to spend my birthday than sitting with friends drinking coffee...and eating cake! I'm an easy girl to please :)

To create this card I began with a piece of Crumb Cake card stock. I stamped several of the images from the Timeless Textures stamp set in neutral ink shades, including Crumb Cake, Soft Suede and Early Espresso. I also added some larger spatters from the Gorgeous Grunge set... (honestly, it's like Gorgeous Grunge and Timeless Textures are a match made in stampin' heaven!). I also sponged the edges of the Crumb Cake panel in ink of the same shade. The coffee cup is die-cut from Mossy Meadow card stock using the Cups and Kettle Framelits. I sponged the cup in Mossy Meadow ink to give it depth and dimension.

I added a little wooden heart from the Love Blossoms Embellishment kit to the mug. The spoon and the steam are die-cut from gold foil sheets also using the Cups and Kettle Framelits

 The newspaper banner is cut using the Banners Framelits from Typeset DSP (afterall, who doesn't like to read the newspaper while sipping their weekend cup of java??) The sentiment banner is also cut using the Banners Framelits and Very Vanilla card stock. I stamped the sentiment in Versamark ink and heat embossed it in gold. I also added a few coffee stains for texture, as well as some linen thread.

On the inside I added a Very Vanilla panel on which I heat embossed the sentiment from the Balloon Celebration set in gold and stamped a few more coffee stains. The whole card is built on an Early Espresso card base.

Before I go, I need to remind you that this is the last week for Weekly Deals (*sigh*), so be sure to check them out and get your order in before Monday at midnight. Some excellent bargains this week!

Product List

Timeless Textures Clear-Mount Stamp Set [140517] $25.00	Gorgeous Grunge Clear Stamp Set [130517] $22.00	Balloon Celebration Photopolymer Stamp Set [140675] $32.00	Crumb Cake 8-1/2" X 11" Card Stock [120953] $8.75
Early Espresso 8-1/2" X 11" Card Stock [119686] $8.75	Mossy Meadow 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock [133676] $8.75	Very Vanilla 8-1/2" X 11" Card Stock [101650] $10.50	Gold Foil Sheets [132622] $5.00
Typeset Specialty Designer Series Paper [133704] $16.00	Crumb Cake Classic Stampin' Pad [126975] $8.00	Soft Suede Classic Stampin' Pad [126978] $8.00	Early Espresso Classic Stampin' Pad [126974] $8.00
Versamark Pad [102283] $9.25	Embossing Buddy [103083] $7.50	Gold Stampin' Emboss Powder [109129] $6.25	Heat Tool [129053] $37.00
Love Blossoms Embellishment Kit [140551] $15.00	Linen Thread [104199] $5.75	Sponge Daubers [133773] $6.50	Big Shot [113439] $136.00
Cups & Kettle Framelits Dies [140624] $36.00	Banners Framelits Die [132173] $33.00