Get Well Wishes

I have searched and searched but CANNOT find the sketch challenge that I did this card for! Someone closed the internet window I had open yesterday and ... well, you got the idea. Anyway, the color combination is So Saffron, Rich Razzleberry and Dusty Durango for this week's CC271 on Splitcoast (with a touch of Always Artichoke).

Need to make this quick, but I'll tell you the Razzleberry piece was from my stash of "previously sprayed" with my new Smooch Spritz. Since that was so shimmery I just HAD to use shimmer white cardstock for the main panel as well!

Hope that's all you need to know besides my supplies because I'm out of time! Thanks for stopping by! Have a great sunshiney day!!
~Kristin

SUO Supplies

Stamps: Watercolor Trio, Teeny Tiny Wishes

Colors: So Saffron, Rich Razzleberry and Dusty Durango, Always Artichoke

Accessories: Big Shot, Square Lattice embossing folder, satin ivory ribbon, pinking heart border punch, markers, Modern Label punch, Smooch Spray

A Color Challenge & Color Facelift by SU!

Good Thursday morning! Has it really been 8 days since I posted last?! My excuse is... ah, the dog ate my homework! That's it and I'm sticking to it. Actually, you know- it's spring and I've been on walks and working outside and in general getting side tracked with other stuff. I honestly did not stamp once during that 8 days! Yikes!

Well I hope it was worth the wait (plus I left you with like 7 cards on one post so that should count for something right?!)! I made this with Tuesday's color challenge from Splitcoast in mind... to use Soft Suede, Certainly Celery and Tempting Turquoise- Yummy!! I just adore this color combo. I borrowed the idea of layers of "ruffles" at the bottom from a video posted to the Stampin' Up! website for demonstrators this week. Speaking of adorable colors and Stampin' Up! have you heard the GREAT NEWS?!?

I am thrilled to be the one to tell you if you haven't! Stampin' Up! announced on Tuesday a fabulous Color Renovation that is about to take place beginning with the new 2010-2011 Idea Book & Catalog which premiers on July 1! Take a look at the four new Color Collections: (click on this picture to view a larger version)

A few things you'll notice upon closer inspection:

• There are FIVE new colors (can you find them??)
• TEN of our favorite In Colors are returning! Yahoo!
• Did you see "Crumb Cake" listed in the neutrals?? That, my friends, is our well-loved Kraft
• All of these colors (YES ALL!) will be available in not only cardstock and ink but also marker, Watercolor Crayon, Stampin' Pastel and more!

Other great things I want to point out:

• There will also be 5 new In Colors introduced in this new Idea Book & Catalog which will be available for TWO years instead of one! What a great improvement!
• This means that in the 2011-2012 Idea Book & Catalog when 5 more In Colors are introduced there will be a total of TEN!
• Bundled kits will be available to update your cardstock, ink, marker, Watercolor Crayon and Stampin' Pastels collections without having to purchase the colors you already have!!
• A redesigned Color Coach is coming that you will just drool over! I can't wait for you to see it- heck I can't wait for ME to see it in person!

So there you have it! Let's bid a fond farewell to those retiring colors, stock up on the cardstock if you must, then sit back and gaze lovingly at these new Color Collections with us. Three cheers to Stampin' Up! for continually leading the stamping community with the hottest, most up-to-date colors out there!

I'd love to hear your thoughts on these great new changes we have to look forward to!

Thanks for stopping by,

~Kristin

Creamy Pink Durangos?!!

Last week's color challenge on SCS was to use Creamy Caramel, Pretty in Pink and Dusty Durango. I had never considered these colors together but as soon as I pulled out scraps of each color I was instantly excited to try them! I'm not a huge Dusty Durango fan, so small doses is just the perfect use for my taste.

This layout is from a sketch on the Clean & Simple Stampin' Blog (FTL84)... always a great place to find a good sketch! It is a 4.25x4.25 square card.

I used the stamp set Happy Moments (again!) and watercolored the flowers with an aquapainter and ink from the lids of the ink pads. The Vanilla paper is watercolor paper which is why you can see some texture. This is my first use of this Pinking Hearts border punch (is that what it's called??) I'm glad I finally broke down and bought it because it definitely is a different look than anything else I've got.

So glad you stopped by today. Looking forward to some absolutely gorgeous weather by the end of this week- can't wait!!

~Kristin

SUO Supplies

Stamps: Happy Moments

Colors: Creamy Caramel, Vanilla, Pretty in Pink, Dusty Durango

Accessories: Aquapainter, Pink gingham ribbon, Pinking Hearts border punch, 3/4" circle punch, notch corner punch

A cool color challenge!

Today's CC253 is a fabulous and not too hard color challenge to use Rich Razzleberry, Chocolate Chip and Pretty in Pink. Sounds like something you could eat doesn't it?! As easy as these colors work together, I'm not 100% pleased with this card but had a limited amount of time today and couldn't quite figure out what I wanted to change. I have a few ideas, so maybe I'll work on it tomorrow (or maybe not, since I'll be volunteering at school again tomorrow!).

Mostly this card is self-explanatory I'd say. Did you notice the use of both the Scallop Trim border and corner punches?? Thought I'd point out that I embossed the main image with Chocolate Chip ink and clear embossing powder so I could watercolor the flowers with my aquapainter.

So, a TIP occurred to me while I was making a card the other day so I thought I'd share it with you! Does your Stampin' Scrub get absolutely filthy like mine and just never seem to get those stamps all the way clean?!? Well here's a pointer that will ROCK YOUR WORLD! Seriously, it works so well I can't believe I had never tried it. TIP: Stamp off excess ink onto your grid or scrap paper BEFORE cleaning it on the Stampin Scrub! That's it, super simple, but oh-so-effective. I promise- try it and let me know what you think.

Oops, almost forgot to mention that the sketch for this card came from an SUO challenge blog: Pals Paper Arts.

OK, gotta run! Stop back tomorrow for the new Diva challenge!
~Kristin

SUO Supplies
Stamps: For All You Do

Colors: Rich Razzleberry, Pretty in Pink, Chocolate Chip, Very Vanilla

Accessories: Scallop oval punch, Rich Razzleberry Dotted grosgrain, Clear EP, Scallop Trim border and corner punches

Vintage Friends

Good morning! I've got a card for you today, can you believe it?!? This one is for yesterday's color challenge on SCS (CC251) as well as this week's Mojo Monday sketch! Haven't done one of those in a while... I'm so excited about how this turned out. I am not a fan of Dusty Durango so I tried to use it minimally here- and I just love it now! The smaller two flowers are stamped off once for a lighter shade but the big one is not stamped off.

Not sure if you can tell but the background is wheeled in Going Gray with the coordinating wheel to Vintage Vogue called Very Vintage. It is such a pretty wheel! The "F" for friends is embossed in black craft ink and clear embossing powder.

I had a few flowers left that I'd cut so I couldn't let them go to waste... I actually stamped on the inside! Can't wait to order my acryllic blocks from SU on the 5th... I've been stamping without any blocks-which is NOT GOOD!

Anyway, I hope you like it! Stop by tomorrow to see the birthday card I made for our son.

~Kristin

SUO Supplies

Stamps: Vintage Vogue, Very Vintage wheel

Colors: Basic Gray, Going Gray, Barely Banana, Dusty Durango, Basic Black

Accessories: Scallop Trim punch, Scallop Trim corner punch, black striped grosgrain ribbon, Big Shot, Dotted Impressions Folder, distressing tool, Playground buttons, clear EP, corner rounder

Thank Ewe!

Was finally able to enjoy some stamping today! This is for this week's Mojo Monday sketch as well as the Color challenge over on Splitcoast today! I love them both and am so happy I decided to combine them. What a fabulous color combo!

I hope you like it, but I gotta run. I finally get to volunteer in my son's 4th grade class today! I've been scheduled to for the last 3 or 4 weeks but have had a kid home sick every Tuesday!

Have a great day and be sure to stop back tomorrow for our weekly Diva challenge- it is a sketch and a good one!
~Kristin

PS- Ooh, in my haste I forgot to mention that the black piece is textured with SU's large dotted Texturz Plates.

SUO Supplies

Stamps: Pun Fun

Colors: Kraft, Basic Black, Melon Mambo

Accessories: Mambo dotted grosgrain, Liquid Applique, Heart to Heart punch, scallop edge punch, Latte button, black embroidery floss, and and the DSP is from Razzleberry Lemonade!

Seeds of Friendship

My friend Lisa and I try to challenge each other each week so we can virtually stamp together. Last week our challenge was to do an on-line challenge we'd never participated in. Well, I failed miserably. I was too busy so when I did stamp I just quickly found my old reliable challenges that I am familiar with. However, I still wanted to play along since she did so I did with this card. The sketch for this card is from Taylored Expressions (TESC87) which I've never done. I also used this week's color challenge on Splitcoast (CC241) to use Always Artichoke, Bravo Burgandy, Cameo Coral and Very Vanilla. I also slipped in some Ruby Red.

There are several things I think are worth mentioning on this card. First of all, if you don't recognize this stamp set it is because it is from 2006 and it appears from looking at the rubber, it's never been used EVER! It is called The World Over and I think it was a hostess set. The other thing is that the sketch I used involved 2 separate panels at the bottom which left a gap that I wasn't crazy about.... until I noticed that it actually serves as the stem for my flower! Very accidental, I can assure you.

The flower itself is made with the Big Shot as well as the Daisies #2 die and the Flower Burst embosslit. Embosslits are great because they emboss and cut out at the same time! Not to fill you with regret, but this is the one that was part of the Deal of the Week last week.

The rest is fairly obvious- some eyelet border punching, some paper piercing, a bit of sponging on the flower, use of markers and white gel pen to color in the flowers... that's about it. FUN I tell ya!

So thanks for stopping by today, again! And thanks for all the sweet comments- you guys are the best!
~Kristin
ETA: The flower in the center is not the shape of the Flower Burst Embosslit- I actually punched it out with a circle punch.

SUO Supplies

Stamps: The World Over

Colors: Bravo Burgandy, Cameo Coral, Ruby Red, Very Vanilla, Always Artichoke (ink only)

Accessories: Flower Burst Embosslit, Daisies #2 die, Big Shot, markers, gel pen, eyelet border punch, paper piercing tools, sponge

It Just Figures!

Does this ever happen to you? I let a fellow SU demo borrow two things, just two things on Sunday, and guess which two things I wanted to reach for today?!! That's right. Is it a sickness, is it my mean sub-conscious playing with me?? I haven't used this particular Hodgepodge in ages and yet TODAY I decided I needed to even though I don't have my Designer Label punch at this very moment. No problem, trace the Hodgepodge and cut it out, really not a problem. Except I cut it a bit small and it wasn't enough to glue to the Hodgepodge so now you can see between the paper and the hardware which is NOT the look I was going for. Ah well, I'll just fix it when I get my punch back.

By the way, this color scheme is from today's Color Challenge on Splitcoast! To use Pretty In Pink, Going Gray and Sage Shadow. Also, the rope cording I used here is a retired SU product that I just got at a GREAT price because SU offered some serious discounts to us demos on retired stuff! (Hey, that sounds like a recruiting statement!) One more thing about the main image (a TIP), the dove is colored in with the white Watercolor Pencil in SU's set and to get the flowers Rose Red I first inked the entire thing with Basic Gray, then removed the ink on those flowers with a Blender Pen (yes this works great!) then added the Rose Red ink with my marker. Hope that helps!

Other item I lent out was my Top Note die thinking I've got so many new Big Shot items that I can play with I surely won't miss it. Well, it's like a member of my family is gone. I did manage this card without it... but my DCBD card for tomorrow... well, it just won't be the same. Maybe I've got a spare one cut out that I can trace. Yeah right!

Thanks for stopping by! I swear I am trying to work up some season appropriate fall cards and stop skipping an entire season, but my newest "stuff" is all Christmasy, or mostly. I think this is the last of my new stamp sets so I'll try to move on.

Have a great day,
~Kristin

SUO Supplies

Stamps: Gifts of Christmas (not in the Holiday Mini- surprise!)

Colors: Going Gray, Pretty In Pink, Rose Red, Sage Shadow, Very Vanilla, Basic Gray

Accessories: Vanilla Hodgepodge, Pretty in Pink brads, scallop border punch, sponge, Watercolor Pencils, rope twine, Designer Label punch (I wish)

Paradise!

Good morning! Although I should have been packing up to head to Cincinnati for Stampin' Up! regionals last night instead I sat down to make a card. What better way to procrastinate?!? I was intrigued by this week's color combination challenge on Splitcoast: Old Olive, Basic Black and Elegant Eggplant.

I actually thought this would be easy as I love the colors together, but once I got started I realized getting the black in was going to be difficult. That's what led me to using the jumbo grommet under the ribbon.

The Paradise stamp set is a new one to the current SU catalog and I thought would be a great one to use with all sorts of other sets... but I just realized how neat the Little Leaves Sizzlet looks with it! I had fun using the Cheesecloth background that hasn't seen ink in a while.

For the Eggplant strip on the left side I wanted it to somewhat mimic the Top Note shape so I used the Lovely Label punch multiple times.

Thanks for all the sweet comments lately- I'm so glad you are stopping by to visit and love that you take the time to say hello! Have a great weekend!!

~Kristin
PS- OMG, this spacing thing is going to be the death of me!

SUO Supplies

Stamps: Paradise, Great Friend, Cheesecloth

Colors: Elegant Eggplant, Old Olive, Very Vanilla, Sahara Sand (on the Cheesecloth), Basic Black

Accessories: Big Shot, Little Leaves Sizzlit, Top Note Die, Old Olive grosgrain, Black jumbo grommet, Lovely Label punch.

It's a Sketch Challenge for the Diva's!

Good Wednesday morning! I've got a sketch challenge for you this morning brought to you by Diva's Coffee Break Designs.

Here is my take on the sketch... gotta tell ya, I struggled with this one a bit. The three equal pieces at the top had me twisting and turning, flipping and flopping before I finally settled on leaving them right where they're supposed to be. Although, I did make them slightly askew so they overlap, and torn at the bottom edge.

My favorite parts are the square panel at the bottom and the sentiment. Both are from the new set called For All You Do. The square flower piece is embossed with Close to Cocoa craft ink and clear embossing powder. then colored in with a Certainly Celery marker and Cameo Coral ink with an aqua painter.

The sentiment piece is stamped "Thank You" in Cameo Coral then the dots over it are Certainly Celery.

So do you like this color combination? It is from Splitcoast's Color Combo challenge this week to use Close to Cocoa, Cameo Coral, Blush Blossom, Certainly Celery and Whisper White together.

If you'd like to join the Diva's and play along with our challenge we'd love to have ya! Go visit our blog then be sure to link your creation!

Thanks for stopping by,

~Kristin

SUO Supplies

Stamps: For All You Do

Colors: Close to Cocoa, Cameo Coral, Blush Blossom, Certainly Celery, Whisper White

Accessories: Certainly Celery wide twill ribbon, Vintage Brads, Clear EP, Modern Label punch, small oval punch

Hello!

Guess what- I took a little bit of time yesterday (while our Australian guests were visiting- hi Joseph, June and Hyde!) to play along with the Coffee Break Designs sketch challenge and of course my NEW stamps!

I was in a hurry and distracted by lots of activity so to make an easy card I grabbed a recent color scheme (CC227) from Splitcoast's awesome color challenge every Tuesday. I love this color scheme... it is Lavendar Lace, Barely Banana, Black, White and it was supposed to be Going Gray which is lighter, but I goofed and used Basic Gray. Oops!

Anyway, The background is the new Medallion stamp stamped in Barely Banana craft ink- isn't it great on the gray?!! The flowers from the new set Greenhouse Garden are a lovely 2-step stamp with these awesome bursts for centers that look so real I just couldn't resist them. They are done in the Lavendar Lace and Banana with black and gray centers. The sentiment is actually from a third new set called For All You Do.

Can you see the tiny touches of Dazzling Diamonds glitter on the larger flowers? I haven't done that in a long time, but felt this card really needed it.

So thanks for stopping by again! Have a great day!

~Kristin

SUO (Stampin' Up! only) Supplies

Stamps: Medallion, For All You Do, Greenhouse Garden

Colors: Lavendar Lace, Barely Banana, White, Basic Gray, Basic Black

Accessories: Dazzling Diamonds

Big on Big Shot

Sparkleplenty100 kindly invited me to join in on the Midnight Madness sketch challenges today and I actually did it. I didn't think I'd be able to pull it off while babysitting for my niece, but she took a nice nap and my DD is being an awesome babysitter! I'm not exactly on target with the sketch as I used an oval instead of a rectangle for the main image, but I think you'll see the resemblance to the sketch. I also enjoyed participating in the color challenge on SCS from yesterday: Baha Breeze, Ruby Red and Whisper White. I hadn't used Baha Breeze in a while, and needed to for a final hurrah! I managed to just squeeze the Ruby Red in there on the sentiment. TFL!

The flowers are all punched out of glossy white cardstock- mostly just because it was laying here, but I like the extra shine it adds. I think I'd like this a touch better without the bracket at the top right, but I felt I should use it in order to follow the sketch provided- especially since there are prizes involved! ;)

Thanks for stopping by. I may be MIA the rest of the week until Sunday or Monday due to babysitting. In case you're wondering, she's 21 months old and I'm well beyond that age with my own so I just know I'm going to be worn out! Thanks for bearing with me and have a great weekend!

~Kristin

SUO Supplies

Stamps: Sincere Salutations
Paper: Baha Breeze, Parisian Breeze Specialty, vellum cardstock, whisper white
Ink: Ruby Red
Accessories: Big Shot, Jumbo white brads, boho blossoms punch, Flower Burst embosslit, Little Leaves Sizzlit

Bashful Pumpkins!

I was browsing through an issue of CARDS magazine the other day and saw a card with a similar layout to this and immediately thought "ooh, I bet I could do that with my Thoughts and Prayers tree!" This is the first time I've used the Boho Blossoms punch. I punched the flowers then distressed them by crumbling them and rolling them up then seperating the layers so I got two from one and they are very thin and flimsy.

The color scheme is from last week's color challenge on SCS: So Saffron, Pumpkin Pie and Bashful Blue. I also added some Sahara sand and vanilla in for my neutrals.

Thanks for stopping by!
~Kristin

PS- did you notice the paper piercing? Can you believe the Crafter's Tool Kit (p. 188) is on the "Last Chance" list?!? I am stunned. If you don't have it, check it out- I use it nearly every day!!

SUO Supplies:

Stamps: Thoughts & Prayers, Define Your Life

Cardstock: Bashful Blue, Sahara Sand, Very Vanilla

Accessories: Top Note Die, Big Shot, Paper Piecing Tools, So Saffron brads, Boho Blossoms punch, Eyelet border punch, So Saffron grosgrain ribbon

Another Diva Day and some Big Shot Magic!!

I'm so excited to show you my card today! It came together fairly easily using the DCBD sketch, a color challenge, and some trash! That's right-I got to do something EXTRA fun with my Big Shot using trash! See that clear butterfly? No I didn't BUY that... I MADE it! It was tough to photograph because of the shadow it cast, but the clear stiff plastic I used was actually packaging for a new cheese slicer!! I took before and during photos because I just knew I could do something with that stuff!

Here is the new cheese slicer on its clear packaging! What a bonus, although kind of wasteful if it doesn't get reused somehow... and I'm not one to be wasteful!

And here is a picture of it just after I ran it through my Big Shot with the Beautiful Butterflies Die. Look how much I have left!! I can do so much more...

The color scheme I used is Kiwi Kiss, Pumpkin Pie, Summer Sun and Whisper White. This was the color challenge over on SCS yesterday... well, almost. It suggested Only Orange, but come on, I just got these Pumpkin and Summer corduroy buttons yesterday and HAD to use them. Besides Pumpkin is just more deserving than Only Orange! ;)

Anyway, hope you like it! I know just who I'm going to send it to.

Thanks for stopping by and please go check out the Coffee Break blog to check out the other Diva's work, then play along and post your work so we can all come visit YOU! Have a beautiful sunny day!

~Kristin

SUO Supplies:

Stamps: Fifth Avenue Floral

Paper: Kiwi Kiss, Pumpkin Pie, Summer Sun, Whisper White

Accessories: Eyelet border punch, Big Shot, Beautiful Butterflies die, Kiwi Grosgrain, Pumpkin Pie and Summer Sun corduroy butons, corner rounder, trash!

Triple Test

Today is Diva day, once again, and forgive me for being a bit tardy. I think my mojo took a leave of absence yesterday... couple that with a busy and stressful day and I wasn't exactly pleased with my design for today. However, I worked extra hard first thing this morning and managed to almost salvage this one a moment before it hit the trash can.

Our Diva challenge #126 is to use the Big Shot in our design (yes, this is a recurring theme!). I paired that challenge with the Mojo Monday sketch that I've been participating in pretty regularly, as well as the weekly Color Combo challenge on Splitcoast. And yes, I know what you may be thinking, you're right- combining three challenges can make anyone's mojo run for the hills! That is so true- especially when you are really struggling with one of them and for me it was the colors (Cameo Coral, Garden Green and Ballet Blue).

Anyway, here it is.

Thanks for stopping by! I'll be working on getting that mojo back today... we'll see! Please go check out the other Diva's today and give them a shout out!

SUO Supplies

Stamps: Fifth Avenue Floral

Paper: Sahara Sand, Very Vanilla, Ballet Blue, Garden Green, Cameo Coral

Accessories: Spiral punch, Little Leaves Sizzlet, sponge dauber, Texturz Plates, Big Shot, distressing tool

FINALLY! I'm ready for today's DCBD Challenge!!

This week's DCBD #118 challenge is to use the BIG SHOT!

Fun fun! But, I have been using the Big Shot almost daily so I had to think hard how to bring you something new and exciting and better than just an ordinary day. I hope you think this fits the bill!

At the risk of going overboard I combined not one, not two but THREE Big Shot Dies and 2 Texturz Plates for this card! The Texturz Plates are always a bit trickier to photograph and believe it or not, I think I might have too much sunshine this morning to perfectly photograph this (I am NOT COMPLAINING!).

So, here is my card (after 14 photos and 3 uploads)...

The color combo came from this week's Color Challenge on SCS that I missed yesterday. Basic Black, Rose Red and Always Artichoke. I also added Rose Red's dynamic duo (on the color wheel) Regal Rose for a little contrast, and of course my neutral is Very Vanilla.

The dies I used are the Flower, Daisies #2; Circles, Scallop #2; and Scallop Envelope which is exclusive to Stampin' Up! I also added on some of the new 5/16" jumbo brads in vanilla and the Rose Red Grosgrain. Each flower is raised at a different height with numerous dimensionals. The Texturz Plates were used on the envelope (the diamond pattern) and the tiny dots on the rose scallop circle but those don't show up well- I forgot the extra shim of paper I think. That is bugging me enough that I might redo it, we'll see!

The two things that are not from SU are the rectangle tag (my SU round one was just too big for this) but I have no idea where it came from, and the stems for the flowers which are a heavy hemp twine in artichoke. Actually, it may have come from SU a long time ago because we used to carry other colors (I also have it in blue and I KNOW that is from SU). Today we sell it in Black, Natural and Red.

I hope you like it and it is not too over-the-top! Don't miss out on the rest of the Diva's designs! They will be sure to delight you!

Thanks for stopping by!

~Kristin

PS- Just so you know and appreciate my sacrifice, I made this card while a box of NEW SU GOODIES was sitting on my front porch! ;)

Unique Petal

For today's Color Challenge 208 on SCS the colors were Kiwi Kiss, Chocolate Chip & Pink Passion. I enjoyed using them more than I thought I would. Actually, I knew I would but I was tempted to exchange Almost Amethyst for the Pink Passion because it looked so cool laying together here. Now I'm glad I didn't.

Once I got started I thought the design was looking like a fun little chic boutique I saw last summer in Tennessee.

On the Stampin' Up! Website for demonstrators today is a new video for using the Color Spritzer Tool. When was the last time you used yours? I almost never do- it's just not part of my regular routine so I forget to reach for it. I'm glad I did today because it offers a unique look. I also don't use the library clips that often, so this is full of unique stuff for me!

Thanks for stopping by and be sure to come back tomorrow for another Diva Coffee Break Design challenge!

~Kristin

SUO Supplies

Stamps: Pick A Petal, Define Your Life, Weathered

Paper: Kiwi Kiss, Chocolate Chip, Whisper White, Bella Rose DSP

Ink: Pink Passion, Chocolate Chip, Kiwi Kiss

Accessories: Library Clip, Linen Thread, Color Spritzer Tool, circle punches, paper piercing tools

Wahoo!!

You ever finish a card and are so excited because it either came together really easy, or you just adore the colors or everything is just so YOU about it?? That's what I just did. I've got some deadlines coming up for big swaps so I challenged myself to a 30-minute-or-less card today and this is what I came up with! You may think I cheated by using a sketch challenge, color challenge and Ways to Use It challenge but I don't! Hey, we do what we can. Besides, I really like these colors together (Rose Red, More Mustard & Kiwi Kiss) and the sketch is awesome I think, plus if you know me well you may know that I've always LOVED stripes (on cards anyway)!

The fun part is I not only embossed, but also used the Big Shot, great accessories and enjoyed some older stamps that I hadn't used in a while! All that and it was still fast! The large white brad in the center of the felt flower is NEW! They are the 5/16" jumbo brads in neutrals- FUN!

Thanks for stopping by! I can't wait to be able to share my swap cards with you- I designed them last night and I really like them. They won't be posted here until the due date probably, which is Feb. 27th- sorry for the wait!
~Kristin

Stampin' Up! Supplies

Stamps: Curvy Verses (isn't that just the most versatile sentiment set?!!), Polka Dot background, Simple Stripes background (very retired)

Cardstock: Rose Red, Kiwi Kiss, More Mustard, Whisper White

Accessories: White EP, Felt Fusion, scallop border punch, Big SHot, Scallop Circles #2 die, 5/16" brad, earth elements brads

Perfect Pink Kiwis...

Hey, that's not my title, that's what this challenge was called on SCS today! I know I say it every week (almost) that I LOVE color (& sketch) challenges and this is no exception. Today's challenge was to use Kiwi Kiss, Perfect Plum and Pink Pirouette. Love this combo! My first thought was Easter, but in the end it turned out to be a friend card. Without further ado, here is my take:

I would call this clean & simple, or "CAS" on Splitcoast. If you like a more clean and simple style like this then you can do a search in the galleries on Splitcoast and type in "CAS" in the search field. Also, if you tend to make cards in this style enter "CAS" in the keywords so others can find it.

Now I have never claimed to execute perfect "craft" as it was called in my graphics design class in college. "Craft" is what is referred to when admiring (or not) the quality of cuts, layers, details etc. My layers are rarely perfectly sized, and don't look too close at my paper piercing. Heck, even my cutting is lovingly "hand-made".

You've probably noticed that I can't seem to make a card these days without something "old" on them. I guess I just roll that way- I enjoy getting more uses out of my stamps that are of retirement age! Hope you don't mind. Starting tomorrow, when I get my first order from this new catty, you won't have to worry about that for a while!

Thanks for stopping by!

~Kristin

Stampin' Up! Supplies

Stamps: All holidays, Vases in Vogue (retired)

Paper: Kiwi Kiss, Whisper White, Perfect Plum, Pink Piriouette

Accessories: Kiwi Satin ribbon, Stampin' Dimensionals, Crafter's Tool Kit

A REAL color challenge! {DCBD112}

I gotta be honest... I almost begged off from this week's DCBD challenge. It was the pink- it nearly did me in! The colors look beautiful together in this pillow and picture, but once I set them on my desk together I cringed. Then I saw this card and this card and decided I'd give it one more go with this layout before giving up entirely!

Can I say I really like what I ended up with?! (Thanks Heidi!) At first I thought I'll just work with the blues and forget the pink or I'll never get anywhere. My plan was to just sneak in a tiny touch of the pink at the very end to qualify for following the rules. Turns out that's all it needed was a touch. That center panel with the pink flower is raised on pop dots and has a touch of dazzling diamonds. Other than that, I used the silver ribbon slide from the Hodgepodge Hardware with a tiny bit of Baha Breeze grosgrain ribbon, poked a few holes and called it a day!

Hope you like it. I'm considering even using it for my Birthday Stamp-a-Stack coming up on Friday!
Stop back tomorrow and I'll show you the first attempt at these colors which ended up off track, but still a keeper in my book!

Oops, almost forgot... please DON'T FORGET to check out the other Diva's uploads for this challenge! They are listed on the right under the coffee cup logo! Go check 'em out!

Thanks for visiting- I love seeing you all here and reading your sweet comments!

~Kristin

Stampin' Up! Supplies
Stamps: Live Like You Mean It

Ink: Whisper White, Pink Passion

Cardstock: Lovely Lilac, Baha Breeze, Bashful Blue, Whisper White

Accessories: corner punch, Baha Breeze grosgrain, Styled Silver Hodgepodge ribbon slide, Crafter's Tool Kit, dazzling diamonds