I'm writing after midnight from my hotel room in Orlando. In just a few hours, I will be enjoying CHA for the first time and I can't wait. My parents came in from LA just a few hours ago, so I had to miss the release party that GinaK hosted at SCS. I hope you will take the time to participate in the challenges there to win some fabulous prizes.
Since I am out of town, I don't have any more cards to show you using my new set, Elegant Post, but I want to send you to my friend Sue's blog. She's one of the In the Spotlight Center Stage designers for this month and she's made some beautiful projects using Elegant Post.
And here is Elegant Post in its entirety: And the matching papers come in two forms, each paper pack has 12 coordinating colors. I included more pocketbook-friendly (the whole paper is not all colored to save ink and money) :-) patterns in these packs.
Here is Simple Elegance with its clean lines and patterns. The color combo I used also coordinate with Stampin' Up's Summer Sun, Going Gray, Pacific Point (or Tempting Turquoise), Purely Pomegranate (or Bravo Burgundy), and GinaK's newest color, Green Apple.
And Grungy Elegance paper pack for those who like a little bit more texture and distressed look.
I hope to post some pictures of the news goodies at CHA later today.
{The winner of the blog candy is just below this post}
...but I have more Elegant Post cards to share with you. Don't forget the release party is TONIGHT this SCS thread, 7-10 PM central time. I hope to be able to stop by, but we're driving 8+ hours to Orlando to visit some friends and, of course, to go to CHA. I will try to share some pics tomorrow from the happenings there.
I used the Simple Elegance digital paper pack on these cards. Both the stamps and papers will be available for purchase after the party tonight.
Stamps: Elegant Post by GKD Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black, More Mustard, Copic markers (Y21 and Y26) Papers: Bravo Burgundy, Simple Elegancy Paper Pack by GKD, Pure Luxury Cream CS by GKD Others: Yellow ribbon by PTI, grey button and string
Stamps: Elegant Post by GKD Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black, Really Red, Papers: Black Onyx, Simple Elegancy Paper Pack by GKD, Pure Luxury Cream CS by GKD Others: Red ribbon, black button and string
Wow, ladies, you gave me some names to definitely check out. Where have I been that I haven't heard some of the divas you mentioned :-)?
Without further ado, there were 36 entries and Lisa and JenMarie added one more each for sending their lovely friends here, and our blog candy winner is...AshJoy. Please send me your address (knbrackett at yahoo dot com) and I'll mail Elegant Post to you as soon as I find a post office in Orlando :-).
Thanks all for entering. I'll try to post pictures from CHA tomorrow!
Two more cards previewing my new stamp set, Elegant Post. I used the coordinating papers from the Simple Elegance Paper Pack on these cards. The color combo on these packs is very rich and regal.
For this card, I stamped sentiment using a cream Palette hybrid ink on Really Red CS. I colored the flower pot with Copics and Sharpie markers. The Copics used are YG91 Putty, YG93 Grayish Yellow, R29 Lipstick Red, Warm Grey #3 and #5, and Shapie Turquoise. The ribbon and silver pearls are by Michael's.
For this card, I used Old Olive CS. I stamped the pole with Memento black and the bird cage with Old Olive ink. I then colored it with Copics YG91 Putty, YG 93 Grayish Yellow and YG 95 Pale Olive. The lace is from Walmart.
Now, if you would like to get a chance to win Elegant Post, make sure you enter my blog candy giveaway on THIS PREVIOUS POST. And come visit on this SCS thread tomorrow, 7-10 PM central time for the release party.
I finally got to play with my new stamp set called Elegant Post. I loved everything that Gina's DTs have featured.
I also made some matching papers in two forms: Simple Elegance and as Grungy Elegance packs. I used rich, regal colors for the color combo, including one that matches Gina's new paper, Green Apple, a color very similar to SU's Old Olive and retired color Kiwi Kiss. I think it's going to be one of my favorite colors. I love this color so much that I have 6 Copics (out of 23 markers I own) that are in this family. Green Apple matches Pale Olive very well.
Here are my sample cards using this very versatile set. The first is a set of clean and simple cards. The birdcage image is detailed and it looks great stamped white on dark cardstock.
The sketch is the same for all three cards, but I used differnt embellishments. Here they are close-up. I stamped the image using a cream Palette ink on GKD's Chocolate Kiss cardstock and the sentiment using Chocolate Chip ink on cream CS. I also used gem brads by Making Memories on this one with a pretty ribbon from the dollar bin at Michael's.
I stamped the image on Ruby Red CS and used silver pearls for embellies on this one.
This one uses Really Red CS and ink and I hand stitched the "chain" and label. The button is from my old button stash.
For my last card for today, I used the Simple Elegance Paper pack. One color in this pack matches the SU Summer Sun, which is the card base here. The birdcage was stamped with Memento Tuxedo Black and the birds were stamped with Summer Sun. That pretty ribbon was again a dollar bin find at Michael's. I used the silver pearls for the chain and added a border punch on the bottom.
As you can see, with this stamp set, you can easily make a simple or a more elaborate elegant card. Now, if you would like to get a chance to win Elegant Post, make sure you enter my blog candy giveaway on THIS PREVIOUS POST. And come visit on this SCS thread on Thursday, 7-10 PM central time for the release party.
Then, you need to start at Gina's blog where you will find her beautiful cards using my Elegant Post set and Melanie's very cutting edge set, Inspiration Mosaic. As with all of Melanie's sets, this new one is very versatile and has tons of possibilities for many occasions. Due to some mailing issues and my traveling schedule, I don't have any cards to show you, but hopefully I'll get to play some tomorrow!
To view the GinaK Designs DT projects, you can visit their blogs here: Melanie, Lynn,Cathy,Donna,Jessica, Lee,Kurtis, andTheresa. Also, check out GKD's CenterStage Spotlight girls: my dear friend, Sue Walsh, is showing an Elegant Post card todayand JenMarie Taylor has a card made with the new Inspiration Mosaic stamp set.
Don't forget to enter my blog candy giveaway on THIS PREVIOUS POST to get a chance to win my new set, Elegant Post.
This is a card I made for HeroArts' Monochromatic Challenge. I love monochromatic cards with a little bit of black or brown. The bird was colored with Copics. I'm also following two other challenges this week: Our Creative Corner (to use 3 embellishments) and Stamp Something (to use any winged thing).
Now for some blog candy!!! My new stamp set from GinaK Designs will be released on the 30th of July. I will be out of town during the release day because I'll be on my way to CHA! I can't wait. It'll be my first and I'm just giddy with excitement. I have a list of people I look forward to meeting.
I have to tell you my new stamp set's one of my favorites so far. It's so versatile and I can't wait to share it with you. I also designed some matching patterned papers to go with it. I'm giving one copy of my stamp set away as candy and this is what you have to do. To qualify for my blog candy, leave a comment to answer this question...
If you could meet a stamping/scrapbooking diva, who would it be? I know on the top of my list is GinaK herself. Unfortunately, she won't be there at CHA, but I'm still hoping someday God will allow our paths to cross. So, how about you?
I will announce the winner to be picked using random.org on Thursday morning before I hit the road for CHA. Tell others about it. If your friends comment, make sure you ask them to mention your name and you will be entered twice.
I'm off now to the World of Coke museum to do some sight-seeing. My girls can't wait to taste all the other Coke flavors from all over the world. Have a good weekend!
Have you seen Gina's (of GinaK Designs) snippets on her blog? It's pretty exciting over there. Can you guess which one is my new stamp set to be released on the 30th of July? Stay tuned early next week when I give it away as blog candy. I'll be celebrating 4 months and 26,000 hits on my blog. Woohoo!
I've been playing with the few Copic markers I have. I want to make sure I will use them often before I buy more. So far, I have enjoyed using them. I used to hate coloring, but these markers really make your images pop. It also helps that I've looked at a few tutorials to get the effects I want. I still have lots to learn, but it's fun.
Here's a card using Copics. I love these butterflies from the Take Flight set by GinaK Designs. The card base is my new favorite CS called Soft Sand by GinaK. It's better than your typical Kraft CS. The patterned paper is by K&Co's Wild Saffron. I found a full 12 x 12 paper pack for $5 (I think retail is $19.95) at a Michael's store just recently. I love it when I find great deals like that!
I followed Patter's Triple the Sketch challenge this week. Make sure you stop by there as they celebrate the first anniversary of my friend Laura's Layers of Color stamp company. There are lots of goodies that they're giving away, including a $50 gift certificate to Layers of Color, which has amazing stamp sets with a vintage feel.
Here's a card I made inspired by travelingmama's Travel Inspiration Challenge #3 and loosely followed Card Patterns' sketch this week. That cute fish (from Eclectic Summer StampTV kit) was stamped on GinaK Pure Luxury CS and colored with Copics. The "seaweed" is a stamp from There She Goes' Act of Kindness set. I used my SU scalloped edge punch, a wonderful gift I received from a dear friend of mine, Lisa, for the water waves. The colors I used for papers and inks are Aqua Mist (PTI), Baja Breeze and Pumpkin Pie by SU.
It's been awhile since I participated in Dawn's color challenge. Here's my entry to Raspberry Suite Color Challenge #12. I used PTI Green Thumb set with Raspberry Fizz, Spring Moss and SU's Ruby Red inks. I stamped the images on GinaK's cream cardstock. I am so in love with these papers, esp as I am know starting to enjoy my very few Copic markers.
I made this card a couple of weeks ago, but never posted here. This was my entry to Moxie Fab's Lovely as a Tree challenge. I just love Cath's challenges. I won Honorable Mention with this card and I'm truly honored that she would even include me. I've won two of her previous challenges and she includes a sweet note in the prize package that I will cherish for a long time.
The bird stamp and backgroud paper are by Basic Grey. Cameo Coral and Certainly Celery papers and Trendy Trees trunks are by SU. I hand-stitched the sentiment. The buttons are by PTI.
Just a quick card to share with you today. My DH and I are away for a couple of days to go to the theater, visit a museum, stop by a farmer's market and do other fun things without the kids :-). My sweet in-laws are taking care of them. Our first stop was by Archiver's today for the first time. Wow, that was so much fun. Then, we had dinner at my favorite restaurant in Los Angeles, The Cheesecake Factory, which now has several branches in the Atlanta area. I love their salads and, of course, desserts!
For this card, I used Copics in shading for the first time. Scrapbookingalley messed up an order of mine and to make up for it, they gave me a $25 gift certificate. So, I got me some Copics to practice with. They are so fun, esp using the blending techniques. I decided to get a couple of shades in my favorite Stampin' Up/PTI colors. So, with my $25, I got 3 shades in Regal Rose/Hibiscus Burst and 2 shades in Old Olive/Ripe Avocado colors. I also got one that's similar to Summer Sun.
As you can see, I still have ways to go. I'm learning to be patient with coloring. The image was stamped on GinaK Pure Luxury layering CS.
I am so in love with these My Mind's Eye cards and paper packs. They are just my style. I used the CardPatterns' sketch this week. The stamps are by Unity. I used Old Olive and Memento black inks, PTI black gingham ribbon and MS border punch. I made this card for my aunt who is ordering several sympathy cards. I thought this sentiment is perfect for such cards.
I had so much fun making this card. I used 2S4Y's sketch this week. And the overall theme of the card is inspired by Moxie Fab's It's all green to me challenge to "create a paper-crafted project that treats eco-friendly sayings/symbols/words in a clever way."
I came up with the idea of tree hugs and kisses as I was trying to figure out how to lay out the trees on the card. By tilting the tree "heads" a little bit toward each other, they look like they are hugging. I hand-wrote the sentiment.
Stamps: Giggle Grove (Unity) Papers: My Mind's Eye, PTI's Aqua Mist, Gina K Soft Sand Ink: Memento Black Other: Aqua Mist button, string, MS border punch.
I recently received these wonderful awards from two of online friends.
This one is from the uber-talented, Maki. I first "met" her when There She Goes stamps released my Tweeterpated and Cupcake MnM sets earlier this year. She designs for them. I've loved every card she's made with my stamp sets. I can't tell you how honored I am to be listed among her Top 10 favs.
This one is from another talented artist, Sue, whom I've also seen transform my simple drawings into beautiful works of art. Sue is one of this month's StampTV On Center Stage, too.
Now! here are the rules for this award: 1.# By accepting this award you recognize that the giver ‘LIKES YOUR STYLE’. 2.# You agree to display this award proudly on your site, and include a post linking back to the giver. 3.# And because there are so many bloggers out there whose style you like, you will share this award with them… however many that may be.
Make sure you check out these ladies' blogs and you will sure to be inspired.
I haven't had much time to create the last few days. I miss my slower-paced schedule in Croatia. I can't decide which one I'd rather give up - craft stores or more regular time :-)? We did go see the movie "Up" with the girls today and that was fun. I cried my eyes out twice in that movie. What can I say? I'm a sap...heehee.
I just want to let you know that GinaK Designs is having a huge sale on 7 of their stamp sets from today until Monday. Not only are the sets discounted, but if you purchase 3 of the 7 for $49.95, you get another set free (from 4 pre-selected free sets). And if you really want to get a good deal, you can purchase all 7 sets, PLUS the 4 pre-selected sets for one low price of $125! That's 11 stamp sets of deeply etched rubber cling stamp sets! Go check out the store to see what these beautiful stamp sets are. Gina is also offering these sets as a blog candy on her blog, so make sure you pay her a visit.
I have a thing for butterflies. I think they are some of God's most beautiful creatures. So, when I saw this Beautiful Butterflies set from Unity on sale last week, I had to have them. They are huge stamps, too, which make them easy to use as the focal point on a card.
I made this for my cousin, who just graduated from high school. It's hard to believe that she was just a little flower girl when I got married. Now she's a beautiful, young lady, who's off to college.
I followed the ever so popular Mojo Monday's sketch this week. The card base and papers are by My Mind's Eye. I used Really Rust and Old Olive with the rolling technique when inking the butterfly. I cut it out, then popped it out, as with the sentiment (Hero Arts) for the Flourishes Timeless Tuesday challenge this week.
Here's my card using 2Sketches4You sketch this week. I used Unity's June KOTM again. I really like this set. The sentiment to go with the bee is just adorable and I can think of many sweet friends I can give this to. God has blessed me with many dear girlfriends, who are beautiful both inside and out.
I used My Mind's Eye papers. I bought a stack of 180 gorgeous papers for less than $10! Wow, I was like a kid in a candy store when I went to my first visit to Hobby Lobby. I am so glad I don't live in the US, or I would be spending all my money there!
I stamped, cut out and popped the bee out, which follows the Flourishes' Timeless Tuesday challenge this week. It's kind of hard to see, but I paper pierced the bee trail. The colors I used are Old Olive and Baja Breeze CS, and Ruby Red ink. This color combo is sort of a muted version of the Color Throwdown's combo this week (Kiwi Kiss, Really Red and Tempting Turquoise).
ENABLER ALERT: Make sure you check out GinaK Designs store. They are having a huge sale on 7 of their stamp sets from today until Monday. You can find more info on Gina's blog. She's also offering a huge blog candy.
Here's a card I made a couple of weeks ago using Unity's June KOTM. I just love coloring these cherries using Sharpie markers. I know I'm being a rebel for not having jumped on the Copics bandwagon :-). Actually, I did get on it for a little bit, but then got off quickly. I'm not patient enough to do the shading and blending...:-). I haven't given up on them entirely, but have put them on hold for now.
I had fun shopping yesterday, but didn't really find anything I had to have. I did buy a pair of Converse shoes for my oldest. I remember when I thought those were geeky, but now they are trendy, I guess.
I just want to let you know that I have these sets for sale over at SCS. They are all old, retired SU that come in their plastic containers, all gently use from a pet-free, smoke-free home:
A Greeting for all Reasons - $10 A Little Love - $5 All I Have Seen - $5 Anytime Greetings - $5 Close to Nature - $5 Fall Feast - $8 From the Heart - $7 Gifted Greetings - $7 Gifted Glove - $10 Hearts and Posies - $8 Little Hellos - $7 Mini Borders (foam stamps) - $1 Mini Messages - $5 Nice & Easy Notes - $10 Nice & Narrow - very stained rubber and some on wood - $7 Occasionally - $5 Ornate Ornaments - $8 Seasonal Patches - $5 Smorgasborders - $5 Thank You Blocks - $5 Weather or Not - $7 Winter Patches - $5 Year round Cheer (missing "Miss You" and "thank you") - $5
Priority Shipping is $4.95 for the first set and $11.00 for 2 - 4. These all must go, so make me an offer I can't refuse :-). Let me know if you are interested.
Guess what? Squigglefly is sponsoring Sheetloads of Cards this month. And on the cover of Sheetloads is Shelly's beautiful card with my drawing available through Squigglefly. Make sure you check out the Squigglefly blog as they post challenges weekly.
Have a great day! I'm off to shop at one of the biggest outlet malls in GA. I'm giddy with excitement as I only get to do this once every 3-4 years when we're back here. Also, my Croatian friend, Irena, and I are taking a Wilton's cake decorating class at our local Hobby Lobby. I know I shouldn't start another hobby, but maybe I'll learn something there that I can use on my cards :-).
Before I show you my card, I want to let you know about my very dear friend, Lisa's Christmas in July blog candy. She's giving away the new InColor markers, holiday papers, glitter and glue - all SU products. And she's offering a sale on SU Christmas-themed stamps, too.
I've been so busy filling in card orders that I haven't had time to post here for a few days. I made this card for one of those orders. My color inspiration comes from Travelingmama's Travel Inspiration Challenge.
After making about 8 of these, I decided to take a break and look at my favorite challenges. And look at what I found for this week's Card Patterns? It's like I made the card, then drew the sketch based on it! Weird, isn't it?
One of my blogging friends and talented artist, travelingmama, has a new travel inspiration challenge to use one of your travel photos as inspiration for a project. I used this photo of my oldest last year in Croatia. Since we live there, I'm not sure if this qualifies as our travel photo. My husband and I moved there almost 11 years ago and it's the only home our girls have ever known.
I remember this day very well. She was working hard to get the sweet cherries from our tree, while her younger sisters were anxiously trying to catch the ones she picked (or dropped :-)).
Here is my card as inspired by the photo above. I just love this quote. Time goes by so fast and I wish I have a pause button for my sweet girls, so they don't grow up too fast. But, I am thankful that I have been made aware of this (though I know I forget sometimes), and I try to enjoy every moment with them. And how grateful I am to live in the digital age that allows me to capture these sweet times in our family life.
Stamps: Live simply (Hero Arts), June KOTM (Unity) Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black, Sharpie markers Paper: Certainly Celery CS by SU, Red and White CS (GinaK Designs) Others: border punch (Martha Stewart), button (PTI), ribbon (Michaels)
And the matching papers come in two forms, each paper pack has 12 coordinating colors. I included more pocketbook-friendly (the whole paper is not all colored to save ink and money) :-) patterns in these packs.
