StampTV CSS Alumni Inspiration Blog Hop

 Hello it is time for another StampTV CSS Alumni Blog Hop.  You should have arrived here from Betty's blog where I am sure she wowed you with her fabulous creation.  If you get lost you can find a complete list at StampTV.   For this hop Linda Payne has found this gorgeous photo for our inspiration.

Isn't that gorgeous???  I love the colors and texture.  When I looked at this photo I saw a snow covered tree which is what I based my card on.  Tell what do you see?  Inquiring minds what to know, LOL.

Here is my card.

I used the fun tree and sentiment from Joyful Holiday.  I started by sponging the background after I had masked off the snow covered ground. To use the wonderful colors from the photo I added rhinestones to the tree.

Make sure to leave a comment as you go along because we will choose a random comment and that stamper will win a grab bag of Gina K. Designs products! Look for the announcement on Tuesday, December 24.
Your next stop is Cheri's blog where I am sure you has something beautiful to show you.


I am sad to say this will be the last CSS Alumni blog hop.  We all have enjoyed the hops for the last four years.  Wow can you believe that.  I am so very honored and humbled to have been part of this group of incredibly talented ladies.  Each and everyone of them has inspired and motivated me to learn and practice to be a better stamper and papercrafter.  All of us have cherished you stopping by our blogs to see our creations and to leaving comments.  Thank you for the the bottom of my heart. I have read every comment left here and hold them dear to my heart.  This has been a hard post to write as I am sad to see the hops coming to an end.  Rest assured though that I will continue to create with my beloved Gina K Design stamps.  I am sure that my fellow teamies will as well.  Hey you never know we may just surprise you once in awhile with a hop.  At least that would be my dream.  I would like to thank Gina for selecting me so long ago to be part of this fabulous group, it has been a dream.  Also thank you Carolina for organizing the hops every month.

Thank you for stopping by.
Brenda

StampTV CSS Alumni October Blog Hop

Hello it is time for another StampTV CSS Alumni Blog Hop. It is time for another sketch challenge.  You should have arrived here from from the wonderful talented Cheri.  If you get lost along the way you can find the complete blog hop list on StampTV.  Here is the sketch.

 

Isn't this a great sketch?  I enjoyed it so much I made two cards.  Here is the first one which I turn the sketch on it's side.

  I used the bag and sentiment from Melanie Muenchinger's latest set Beyond Baskets 2.  I paired it with the boy toys from Melanie's Basket Additions 3 set.  I love these sets and they are so fun and versatile.  I also love red and kraft together so this was a very easy card to come together.  Now for my next card.

 

For this card I used Theresa Momber's latest set Let it Snow.  Snowmen are one of my favorite things to work with.  I created the background by embossing the snowflakes and then sponging with memento summer sky.   On the snowflakes on the side I used sticky embossing powder and the added glitter.  I just found the embossing powder at my LSS and it is fun to use and I can see myself using it often. 

 Make sure to leave a comment as you go along because we will choose a random comment and that stamper will win a grab bag of Gina K. Designs products! Look for the announcement on Tuesday, October 15.

 Your last stop is the fabulously kreative Karen.  Thank you for stopping by.

Brenda
SANTA'S BAG
Copics: B24, C0, E31, G40, N1, R22, R24, R27, Y15, Y35, Y28, YR24, YR27
LET IT SNOW
Copics:B0000, B000, B21, B23, E21, E23, E27, N1, YR02, YR04 
  

StampTV CSS Alumni Color Combo Blog Hop

Hello it is time for another StampTV CSS Alumni Blog Hop. For the hop Cheri challenged us to use yellow, white, gray and one other color.  Such a fun color challenge!  You should have arrived here from from the wonderful talented Cheri.  If you get lost along the way you can find the complete blog hop list on StampTV.  Here is my card.

 I used Up and Away illustrated by Theresa Momber.  I have to say I love this set and it has been sitting on my craft table waiting so patiently for me to ink it up.  I colored all three balloons and totally messed up on the large one so I decided to paper piece it and hide my boo boo.  I then masked off the balloons and sponged in some clouds.  I didn't want them to be really noticeable and in the process you can hardly see them.  Well there you have it a card I messed up pretty bad and yet with some creative coverups it came out okay.  I will also be entering this into Just Us Girls sketch challenge.

Make sure to leave a comment as you go along because we will choose a random comment and that stamper will win a grab bag of Gina K. Designs products! Look for the announcement on Tuesday, August 13.
Your last stop is the fabulously creative Betty.  Thank you for stopping by.

Brenda
Copics:B45, N1, N3, Y13, Y15

Gina K Designs Fourth of July Blog Hop

Happy 4th Of July!!!!

 

Welcome to this special July 4 Gina K. Designs Hop!!!!  Some of the Design Team and the Center Stage Spotlight Team have some fun cards and projects to share with a patriotic theme and flair!!!  And Gina has a special sale incentive too!!!  Check out these 2 new Duos:

From Thursday, July 4 thru Sunday, July 7
Orders of $25.00 or more get Harvest of Memories
Orders of $50.00 or more get Harvest of Memories and Unforgettable.
Come hop along for some Patriotic inspiration to help kick off your Fourth Of July festivities!!!

Gina

Lee

Laurie

Cat

Sean

Carolina

Latisha

Tami

Val

Cheri

Miesje

Vicki

Lori

Tera

Melissa C.

Geri

Karen

                         Brenda  (you are here)

Congratulations you have made it to the final stop of the hop.  For my Red White and Blue project I picked Melanie Muenchinger's Holiday Basket and Basket Additions 2.  There are so many fun combinations with Melanie's Basket sets. Of course with a red white and blue theme I had to go Fourth of July.

I hope you have enjoyed and have been inspired by this hop.  Now that you are done how about heading over to Gina K Designs and do a little shopping and pick up one or two of the wonderful free sets.  Thank you for stopping by.

Brenda

I will also be entering this card into the following challenges

• Simon Says Challenge: Patriotic 
• Ribbon Carousel: Celebrate your Heritage, show your country pride and celebrations

Copics: B21, B24, C0, E31, E33, E35, G14, R22, R24, Y15, Y28

StampTV CSS Alumni Spring Has Sprung

Hello it is time for another StampTV CSS Alumni Blog Hop. This time our theme is Spring Has Sprung.  I don't know about you but it is gorgeous here today!!  We are having the best weather that we have had in 8 months.  You should have arrived here from from the wonderful talented Betty.  If you get lost along the way you can find the complete blog hop list on StampTV.  Here is my card.

I used Birds and Blossoms illustrated by Theresa Momber.  Sorry the photo is a little washed out.  I have the hardest time with yellows and blues.  No matter how many photos I took or times I tried fixing it in photoshop I couldn't get it any better.  I will keep this very short as we are having internet outages in our area today and I don't know how much longer I have before we lose it again.

Your next stop is the fabulously creative Cheri.  Thank you for stopping by.

Brenda
Copics:B63, B66, G43, G46, N3, Y13, Y15, Y26

StampTV CSS Alumni Blog Hop

Hello it is time for another StampTV CSS blog hop.  You should have arrived here from the incredibly talented and lovely Cheri.  If you get lost along the way you can get the entire blog hop list of participants at StampTV.  This time it is a sketch hop using a sketch from me.

Here is the card I created.

 I used the cupcake and sentiment from Sweet Tweets.  I quickly colored it with copics and added with stickles.  I hope you like the sketch and if you decide to create with I would love to see it.

"Make sure to leave a comment as you go along because we will choose a random comment and that stamper will win a grab bag of Gina K. Designs products! Look for the announcement on Tuesday, April 16."

Your next stop is the fabulous creative and beautiful Betty.  Thank you for stopping by.
Brenda

StampTV CSS Alumni Blog Hop~ Simplicity Sparkles

Hello it is time for another StampTV CSS blog hop.  You should have arrived here from the incredibly talented and lovely Betty.  If you get lost along the way you can get the entire blog hop list of participants at StampTV.  This time the challenge is to create a clean and simple (CAS) card or project, use only embellishments that sparkle (glitter, rhinestones, etc.). 

I picked Spoon Me from Rebecca Oehlers to work with and created this card.  

I had so much fun with this card.  I tried to keep it simple and with the bowling ball I may have pushed it a bit.  I knew I wanted a bowling ball and s circle punched out of card stock just didn't get it for me.  So I started thinking about how a real ball looks and they are very often marbled.  Then I remembered Gina's shaving cream technique and tada I had what I needed to get the perfect bowling ball.  I did try to get a red one, however it kept coming out pink so black it is.  I also added three very small black punch pieces of card stock to create the finger holes.  Unfortunately they don't show in the photo.  Here is a close up.

 

Still using Spoon Me I created this fun card.

 

Okay your next stop is the fabulous creative and beautiful Cheri!!  Make sure to leave a comment as you go along because we will choose a random comment and that stamper will win a grab bag of Gina K. Designs products! Look for the announcement on Tuesday, April 2.  Thank you for stopping by.
Brenda

StampTV CSS Alumni March Inspiration Blog Hop

Edited to say:  It appears that some people are not able to comment on my blog.  I believe it is problem with blogger and Internet Explorer.  I am sorry for the inconvenience.  If anyone is able to comment using Internet Explorer please let me know in the comments or by emailing me at pepper2045@gmail.com.  Thank you


Hello I am the last stop on this StampTV CSS Alumni Blog Hop! Hopefully you have arrived from the beautiful and incredibly talented  Betty's blog and seeing her beautiful card.  If not you can find the list of participants at StampTV.  This hop is an inspiration hop ( I love inspirations challenges).  Lori found this adorable Easter basket for our inspiration.

And here is what I came up with.

I had the idea for this treat cup/place holder awhile back and knew as soon as I saw the inspiration photo that now was the time to get my bum in gear and make it.  I use a few older sets to create it.  The basket is from Holiday Basket, the bunny and sentiment are from Square Pegs both from Melanie Muenchinger.  Here is a close up of the basket.

Below is a template showing how I made the box part of he basket.  For the handle I cut a strip of card stock 1/2" by 6 1/2"s long.  Thank you for stopping by.

Brenda

Copics:C0, R000, R00, R20

StampTV CSS Alumni Blog Hop~Some of our Favorite Things

Hello it is time for another StampTV CSS Alumni blog hop.  You should have arrived here from the very talented and beautiful Betty's blog.  If not you can start the hop at StampTV.   For today's hop the CSS group is sharing some of their favorite things.  

One of my most favorite things to do is color flowers and Melanie Muenchinger's flowers are beautiful and I so enjoy coloring them.  So I knew right away that I had to use this rose from Stately Flowers 6.

For my second card I love the look of CAS cards, but struggle with them.  It is all the "white space" that makes me feel like I have to keep adding more to the card.  So being as I love the look of CAS I decided to make one.  It was much easier than the last time I made one.  Maybe it was due to having this wonderful Balanced Diva set.

Your next stop is the fabulous and incredibility creative Cheri.  

I will be entering my cards into the following challenges

Rose card

Through The Craftroom Door: Anything Goes

Balancing Act Card

CAS-ual Fridays: CAS card with silver

Cute Card Thursday: CAS card

Thank you for stopping by.

Brenda

Copics

Rose Card:

Y11, Y13, Y15, YG61, YG63, YG67

Balancing Act Card

BG01, E21, E23, E50, E51, N1, N3, N5, R00, R20, W0, W1

CSS Alumni Blog Hop~Color Challenge

 Hello it is time for another StampTV CSS blog hop!!  This time it is a color challenge.  Geri is challenging us to use Pink and Red with with an option of white, black or tan.  You should have arrived her from the incredibly talented Cheri.  If you missed someone along the way you can get the entire list of hoppers at StampTV.

At first I was struggling with this combo for some reason.  Then inspiration hit and I made three cards!  For all the cards I used Gina K Designs stamps and Pure Luxury Innocent Pink and Lipstick Red card stock.

I used one of the sentiments from Elegant Florals for this card.  Ironically I didn't plan on making this card, but just a few hours before the start of this hop inspiration struck and so I whipped up this card.  I have to say I am very pleased with how it turned out and it was a quick card to.

For my next two cards I used the sketch from this weeks Mix It Up Monday hosted by Sharon Harnist.

 I used Sweet Strawberries for this card.  I flipped the sketch. 

Finally this card came to me as I was drifting off to sleep a few days ago.  It uses the chalkboard technique.  I first gave this technique a try back in December and really enjoyed it.  

I decided to color the poinsettia with colored pencils. I used Joyful Holiday for this card.   One Christmas card done for 2013!!  I surprised myself by using pink and red going into Valentines day and I didn't make one of the for it!

Your next and final stop in the hop is the fabulously creative Betty!

Make sure to leave a comment as you go along because we will choose a random comment and that stamper will win a grab bag of Gina K. Designs products! Look for the announcement on Tuesday, February 12.

Thank you for stopping by.
Brenda

StampTV CSS December Blog Hop

 Hello and welcome to the December StampTV CSS Blog Hop.  You should have arrived here from Betty's beautiful blog.  If not you can start at the beginning on StampTV.  This month Linda Payne is challenging us to make card or project using this color challenge; Non-traditional Christmas colors with absolutely no red or green.  This was a bit of a challenge for me.  I kept trying to slip a little red or green in.  I do have a few projects to share today.

First off this ivory and gold card.  Using one of the sentiments from Joyful Holiday.  The poinsettia is made with a spellbinders die that I sponged lightly with memento desert sand and then added some stickles. 

 Next I have been seeing projects made using the chalkboard technique and I wanted to give it a try.  So I created some gift tags  using stamps from Joyful Holiday, Festive Frame, Holiday Tags and The Giving Tree.

 I used some very cool chalkboard sticker paper that I got on clearance at Michaels last year.  I stamped the images with colorbox frost white ink and let it dry for a bit.  It was still very wet so I very carefully dabbed the excess ink off with a tissue.  Before removing the paper from the spellbinders die I traced around the inside with a white gel pen.  This was a fun technique and I will be making more tags for Christmas.

Finally I have a tag I made for a challenge that Sean hosted a few weeks back on StampTV and it just happens to fit this challenge.

For this tag I used the emboss resist technique to create the background.  The tree and snow bank are free hand cut with stickles added to the edges.  The sentiment is from Joyful Holiday.


Make sure to leave a comment as you hop along because on Friday morning (December 21), we will randomly choose one of the comments from all the blogs and that person will receive a huge grab bag of fabulous Gina K. Designs Stamps!

Your next stop on the hop is Cheri's blog where she will have a gorgeous creation for you to enjoy.
 Thank you for stopping by.
Brenda

StampTV CSS November Inspiration Blog Hop

Hello it is time for the November StampTV CSS blog Hop.  This month Kay Simmons provided us with this gorgeous photo to use for our inspiration.  Thank you Kay for such wonderful inspiration.

 

You should have arrived here from the beautiful and fabulously talented Betty.   If you get lost along the way you can get the complete list of hop participants here at StampTV.

I was inspired by the fall theme, natural textures and colors of the photo.  Here is the card I created.

I used Stately Flowers 5 from Gina K Designs and the fifth in Melanie Muenchinger's Stately Flowers series. I love this beautiful sunflower.  I colored it with copics and then did the out of the box technique for the leaves.  I made the background paper with the smaller sunflower in the set on Pure Luxury sweet corn using Memento desert sand ink. 

Thank you for stopping by.  Now your next stop is incredibility talented Cheri.   

Make sure to leave a comment as you hop along because on Tuesday morning (November 13), we will randomly choose one of the comments from all the blogs and that person will receive a huge grab bag of fabulous Gina K. Designs Stamps!

Stamps: Stately Flowers 5 GKD

Paper: GKD Pure Luxury sweet corn, chocolate brown, pumpkin spice and white

Ink: Memento tuxedo black and desert sand

Copics: E23, N1, Y15, Y38, YG63 YG67

CSS Alumni October Blog Hop

Hello it is time for this months StampTV CSS blog hop.  This month Melissa provided us with this wonderful sketch to use.

You should have arrived here from the beautiful and incredibly talented Betty.  If you get lost along the way you can get the complete list of hop participants here at StampTV.
I loved this sketch and got a little carried away.  I made four cards!  I was on a roll and if time would have allowed I would have made at least one that I had in mind.

I used Penguin Joy and Blizzard patterned paper for this one.  I colored the penguin with copics and sponged with memento ink.

For this one I used Merry Tree and Blizzard patterned paper.

 

For this one I used one of my very first sets Winter Foliage and The Magic of Christmas with Basic Greys Aspen Frost for the patterned paper.  I used copics to color and sponged with memento ink.

Finally I created this one using Whimsical Wishes.  I am also entering this into Gina's release challenge to use only a sentiment.  All stamps used on these cards can be found in the Gina K Designs online store.

Okay thank you for sticking with me.  Your next stop is the gorgeous and amazingly talented Cheri.



Make sure to leave a comment as you hop along because on Tuesday morning (October 30), we will randomly choose one of the comments from all the blogs and that person will receive a huge grab bag of fabulous Gina K. Designs Stamps!  Thank you for stopping by.
Brenda

Wishing You Joy!

 Hello I have a card to share that I made for Vickie's Oldies challenge on StampTV. 

 

I used Penguin Joy from Gina K Designs.  Now that I have the card finished I realized that I was to use an older set, duh.  I hope this one is old enough, as it is a few months old.  I colored this darling little guy with copics.  The paper is My Minds Eye's Be Merry.  Thank you for stopping by.

Brenda 

StampTV CSS Alumni September Blog Hop

Welcome to a color combination challenge blog hop hosted by members of the Gina K.' CSS Alumni team. Today we are featuring hand drawn sets designed by Melanie Muenchinger and Theresa Momber. As you hop along make sure to leave a comment because on Tuesday morning (September 25), we will randomly choose two comments from all the blogs and two lucky individuals will receive a Gina K. Designs Stamps set each (the winners will receive either a set designed by Melanie Muenchinger or Theresa Momber).

This month Sharri picked Pumpkin Spice, Fresh Asparagus and Sweet Corn.  Before I get to my cards you should have arrived here from the very talented Betty.  If you get lost along the way you can find the entire list on StampTV.

For my first card I used Basket Additions 2 and Holiday Basket both from Melanie Muenchinger.

 For my next card I used Country Roads from Theresa Momber.

 Your next stop on the hop is the incredibility creative Cheri.  Remember to comment as you hop along with us for you chance to win one of two wonderful sets from Theresa or Melanie.  I would like to thank both Melanie and Theresa for sponsoring this hop.  I love their stamp sets.  I will be entering both of these cards into the current challenge to use fall colors at Color me Creative Classroom.  Finally I will be entering the covered bridge card into Simon Says challenge to emboss it.
 Thank you for stopping by and good luck!

Brenda

StampTV CSS August Blog Hop~Inspiration

 Hello and welcome to another StampTV CSS blog Hop. You should have arrived from the very talented Betty's blog.  If you get lost along the way you can find the complete list Here at StampTV.  This month Geri gave us this gorgeous photo of a lovely Autumn porch.

Here is my card:

I used the sunflower from Autumn Beauty, the sentiment is from Fanciful Fall.  I was inspired by the sunflowers and colors in the photo.  I also used the door and door mat as inspiration for my layout.


Make sure to leave a comment as you hop along because on Tuesday morning (August 28), we will randomly choose one of the comments from all the blogs and that person will receive a huge grab bag of fabulous Gina K. Designs Stamps!  Good Luck!!

 Your next stop is the incredibly talented Cheri.  Thank you for stopping by.

StampTV CSS July Blog Hop

Hello and welcome to another StampTV CSS blog Hop. You should have arrived from the very talented Betty's blog. If you get lost along the way you can get the complete blog hop list at StampTV. This month Melissa provide us with this wonderful sketch.

I was so inspired by this sketch that I made three cards.  I also have new Gina K Stamps in the house that I have not been able to play with.  For my first two cards I used Theresa's newest set Tropical Nature.

For my last card I stepped away from the tropical theme and used Melanie's newest set Pretty Patterns and the sentiment from Whimsical Wishes.  If you look closely at the second card you will notice that I used Pretty Patterns on it as well.

  

Make sure to leave a comment as you hop along because on Tuesday morning (July 17), we will randomly choose one of the comments from all the blogs and that person will receive a huge grab bag of fabulous Gina K. Designs Stamps!  Good Luck!!


Your next stop is the incredibly talented Cheri.  Thank you for stopping by.

StampTV CSS Color Blog Hop

Hello and welcome to another StampTV CSS blog Hop.  You should have arrived from the very talented Betty's blog.  If you get lost along the way you can get the complete blog hop list at StampTV.

This month Cheri is challenging us with a color challenge.  The colors are Purple, Pink, and Green plus neutral colors (white, ivory, black, and brown) are also fine to incorporate.  Don't you just love these fabulous colors, they are a great combo.

 I used A Beautiful Life illustrated by Melanie Muenchinger.  This is such a great stamp, as many you may already know I love to color and flowers and butterflies are my favorite. I kept it simple and only embellished with the butterflies and a few clear dew drops. 

Make sure to leave a comment as you hop along because on Tuesday morning (June 12), we will randomly choose one of the comments from all the blogs and that person will receive a huge grab bag of fabulous Gina K. Designs Stamps!  GOOD LUCK!

Your next stop is the incredibly talented Cheri.  Thank you for stopping by.

Brenda

StampTV CSS Inspiration Blog Hop

Hello and welcome to another StampTV CSS blog Hop.  This go round I am the first stop.  If you get lost along the way you can get the complete blog hop list at StampTV.

This month I picked this inspiration photo for our hop.

I was inspired by the brick wall, colors and the country feel of the photo.  Here is what I came up with.

I used Tim Holtz's brick embossing folder on some of his Kraft Core paper and then sanded the paper to expose the kraft center.  The stamps are from Theresa's latest set Sweet Strawberries from Gina K Design.  I colored them with copics and added glossy accents to the glass.  I wanted to use some burlap, but didn't have any so I came up with the kraft colored piece on the left side.  Can you guess what it is?  Here is a close up.

Have you figured it out yet?  It is dry wall tape that is sticky. ( I raided my husband garage, shhh don't tell him).  I then placed it on some scratch paper and colored it whit brown copic marker.  Next I stuck it down to a piece of kraft pure luxury card stock and trimmed it to the size I wanted.  Not a bad substitute, but I will be getting some burlap the next time I get to the fabric store.



Next on the hop is the incredibly creative Cheri.   Make sure to leave a comment as you hop along because on Tuesday morning (May 15), we will randomly choose one of the comments from all the blogs and that person will receive a huge grab bag of fabulous Gina K. Designs Stamps!

I also be entering this card into Sweet Sunday Sketch Challenge.  Thank you so much for stopping by and enjoy the rest of the hop you are in for some beautiful creations!

Brenda

Karing for Karen Blog Hop

Welcome to a special blog hop we are calling, Karing for Karen!! A hop for a very special friend of ours, Karen Knegten. If you have been around the stamping community for any length of time at all, you might have run into Karen. She is always participating in challenges, offering us wonderful inspiration with her awesome talent! About a month ago, Karen had to have surgery for two brain aneurysms. She is still in the hospital and we are having this blog to inspire more of you out there to send in some cards to Karen AND to her family that is caring for her too! So hope you feel inspired with our little hop for you today. Below you will find all of the links to all of the girls participating...these are from the CSS Alumni group and the Design Team from Gina K Designs.

Enjoy and be inspired to send a card or two in! Here is the address for sending the cards to:
Karen Knegten
c/o R.S.V.P. Rental Services
350 W. Northwest Highway
Barrington IL 60010


Links:
Carolyn King
Tina Gilliland
Giovana Smith
Lee Murphy
Theresa Momber
Deb Felts
Vicki Dutcher
Cathy Tidwell
Melissa Shultz
Tera Fujan
Cheri Weston
Joy Hadden
Linda Payne
Sue VanDeVusse
Jennie Harper
Betty Neville
Geri Utterback
Brenda Turner
Miesje Flach

 Thank you for stopping by.

Brenda