Shop NOW! Red Cross Relief!

In light of the recent tornadoes and disaster in the Southeastern US, Kate from i {heart} papers will be donating 10% of ALL ORDERS received starting today through Sunday 5/1 to the American Red Cross for their Tornado Relief fund, benefiting victims in Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Virginia.  Please share and keep those affected by the storms in your thoughts and prayers.  Here in Florida we're expecting rain and hail tonight, and we're praying that the worst of the storm has already dissipated.

As a survivor of  the hurricanes of 2004, this cause is one that is near and dear to my heart!  We were out of our home for six months after a ginormous tree fell on it courtesy of Hurricane Jeanne on September 26, 2004...we are blessed that we have a great insurance provider and although the damage was extensive and the experience horrifically inconvenient, we were able to restore everything and lost only a few irreplaceable sentimental items.  It makes me ache to see the photos of the devastation that the current storms have caused, knowing that much of what has been lost is not replaceable even if money were no object.  This is when friendship and love make all the difference in the world!  The compassion of a total stranger can speak volumes.  I hope you're moved to do your part!  Blessings!

CPS w/ Kraftin' Kimmie!

This week's CPS sketch sponsor is Kraftin' Kimmie!  Adorable Isabelle was just perfect for this sketch!  I used some TPC Studio papers to create the layout...the paper has a beautiful shimmer, so I added a bit of Spica sparkle to the Memento/Copic coloring combo, and I think she came out really pretty!  She makes a great little girl card, but I bet any grown up girl wouldn't mind receiving a card like this either!

Just so you know...a new CPS sketch debuts each Sunday, but our designers post inspirational cards throughout the week, and sometimes sponsors' design team members contribute their creations on Wednesdays.  The link I've posted will take you to the Sunday post, but be sure to click through to the top of the blog and scroll through the posts from the rest of the week to see the gorgeousness that my DT mates are creating!  :)

A BIG thanks to Kimmie for allowing me to play with her fun stamps!

Notes:
Bazill card stock
TPC Studios patterned paper
Copic blending paper
Isabelle
Memento Tuxedo Black ink
Copic markers
Spica glitter pens
corner punch
Kaisercraft pearls

What's the Dirt?!

I hope you have had a great time these last few days seeing the amazing creations of our talented design team using the most recently released Gina K Designs stamp sets!  Today we're sharing cards made with What's the Dirt?!  I love these casual garden images and fun sentiments!  They are great for those with green thumbs or those who wish they had 'em!  

Cat's release party challenge, to use a "found object" that you normally would not include on a card, is what inspired this project.  I used mustard seeds as the centers for these pretty flowers.


Notes:
Pure Luxury card stock
Memento Tuxedo Black ink
Tim Holtz tea dye distress ink
Copic markers
Nestabilities classic circles large and small

Fabulous inspiration to follow:

• Gina K
• Melanie Muenchinger
• Michelle Woerner
• Sharon Harnist
• Theresa Momber
• Tina Gilliland
• Vicki Dutcher
• AJ Otto
• Carolina Buchting
• Cathy Tidwell
• Colleen Schaan
• Donna Baker
• Emily Giovanni
• Giovana Smith
• Jennie Harper
• Jimmi Mayo
• Lee Murphy

More Gina K Inspiration!

Welcome back! I hope you had a wonderful, blessed Easter!  We went to a quaint, quiet Easter sunrise service, had breakfast at the church and then stayed for the contemporary service, which was packed!  It was so powerful!  I spent most of the afternoon stamping and cutting card stock for a class that I'm teaching today.  In all of the Easter hustle and bustle, I hope I haven't forgotten anything!

I'm sharing two cards with you today.  The first is one I made this weekend using Melanie's set, Branching Out.  The square frame, perfect for cutting/embossing with Spellbinders Nestabilities, inspired me to make a spring card.  I love the way these pop up when you remove them from their envelope!  I used some soft colors with Marjolaine designer paper, using markers directly to the rubber to achieve this look.  Before stamping, I masked in some scalloped circle clouds (used this technique on both of my cards for today)...it is almost like looking through a window onto a beautiful summer sky!

Notes:
Branching Out
sentiment from Stenciled Spring
Pure Luxury card stock in creme de menthe and ocean mist
Basic Grey Marjolaine designer paper
Memento Rich Cocoa ink (sentiment)
markers
Nestabilities classic squares
Versamark ink
Tim Holtz tea dye distress ink
satin ribbon
pearls

You might've already seen this card if you attended the release party or have visited Stamp TV recently.  I love Theresa's set, Follow Your Dreams...reminds me of where I grew up in Louisiana!  I put together a little scene that could just as easily be Florida where we live now!  I used a multiliner to sketch in the horizon and add some detail to the reeds at the water's edge.  It is so cool the way you can build a scene with a few stamps and the technique of masking!  I love seeing it come to life! This card is simple but fun because the scene extends from foreground to background with the egret popped up the way it is.

Notes:

Pure Luxury card stock in ivory and chocolate brown

Memento Tuxedo Black ink

Copic markers

Nestabilities labels 2

Tim Holtz tea dye distress ink

Be sure to visit these designers for lots more inspiration with these two new sets! 

• Gina K
• Giovana Smith
• Janice Whiting
• Jennie Harper
• Jimmi Mayo
• Lee Murphy
• Melanie Muenchinger
• Michelle Woerner
• Sharon Harnist
• Suzanne Dean
• Tami Mayberry
• Theresa Momber
• Tina Gilliland
• Valerie Stangle
• Vicki Dutcher
• AJ Otto
• Carolina Buchting
• Cathy Tidwell
• Deb Felts
• Donna Baker
• Emily Giovanni

I'll look forward to seeing you tomorrow for an inspiration hop using the remaining set from this release!

Vroom Vroom!

Are you ready for some fun?  The {Stamps} of Life and The Twinery Design Teams are playing together for a blog hop!

About The Twinery:

Our twine is made from 100% cotton, it's eco-friendly and made in the USA. Whether you're gift wrapping, crafting or tying up baked goods to give to a friend, our baker's twine adds a fresh, yet nostalgic look to any project at hand! Our baker's twine comes in 11 delicious colors and is uniquely twisted against a bright white hue, creating an eye-popping burst of color and a creative embellishment! Our twine has lots of color which lends to a fun, candy-striped look.  For creative ideas and more...visit OUR BLOG!

About The {Stamps} of Life:

We feature high quality, made in the USA, clear stamps and digital stamps/brushes for stampers, card makers and scrapbookers. Feel free to browse our gallery with more than 2500 samples using our stamps, watch our free how-to videos and join our club!

As you make your way through the hop make sure you comment on each and every post. There will be 4 prize winners chosen randomly among the blogs:

• Two winners will win 2 stamp sets of their choice valued at $12.95 (total retail value: $26.90 per prize) from The {Stamps} of Life
• Two winners will win Two Colorful Bunch Sampler Packs ($20 value!) from The Twinery!!

The prize winners will be announced on The {Stamps}of Life and The Twinery Blogs on Tuesday, May 3rd.

My card features cars2drive from the {stamps} of Life, with some bright Mandarin orange twine from The Twinery!  I used scraps of SEI Happy Day to paper-piece the van...the card base is made with "clouds and pavement" from My Little Shoebox's Flying High.

We saw a toy Scooby Doo Mystery Machine at Barnes and Noble the other day.  Maybe that had something to do with the paper choices here!  I think this card would make a happy greeting for a road trip, or even a great encouragement for moving day!

Have fun on the hop!  Good luck winning a great prize!  I hope to see you again!  Thanks for visiting!

The hop list:

The Twinery Blog
The {Stamps}of Life Blog
Jeanne Streiff
Julie Ranae
Monique Hansen
Vicki Garrett
Monika Wright
Emily Niehaus
Emily Leiphart
Beverly Sizemore
Tifany DeGough
Joana Studer
Katrina Hunt
Laura Williams
Jen Carter
Kim Howard
Jenny Suchin
Sheri Twing

Gina K Designs Inspirational Blog Hop

We had a blast at last night's GKD release party!  Lots of laughs, and a whirlwind of amazing inspiration from our amazing design team!  

Today we'll be sharing cards and projects made with two sets:  Timeless Textures and Garden Silhouettes, the One Free with Three for this release. 

Yesterday was our design team coordinator, Lee Murphy's birthday.  She loves pink and bling, so I reached into my stash for the pinkest designer paper I could find!  I used three coordinating prints for Jimmi's Pretty Paper Tripleplay challenge, one of two challenges presented last night.  (Here's Cat's Random Findings challenge...I gave a peek of my card for hers yesterday!)

The focal image was stamped using markers directly to the rubber.  Using several shades of each color brings the illusion of depth to a two dimensional image, and blending with a waterbrush softens the lines.  I over-stamped the image with the texture stamp using very pale pink ink.  I love the delicate, soft look this achieved!

The square layout allowed more of the lovely floral designer paper to show.  A peek of white from under the scalloped edges makes this card even girlier, with luminous pearls and a pretty pink satin bow to add elegance to the design.  I hope you like it!

Notes:
Pure Luxury card stock in white and innocent pink
Timeless Textures
Garden Silhouettes
Niji waterbrush
Mono Multi adhesive (this is my favorite)
Mini pop dots
satin ribbon
scalloped border punch
corner punch
pearls

Here are links to the designers sharing their creations today...enjoy the hop!

• Gina K
• AJ Otto
• Carolina Buchting
• Cathy Tidwell
• Donna Baker
• Emily Giovanni
• Giovana Smith
• Janice Whiting
• Jennie Harper
• Jimmi Mayo
• Lee Murphy
• Melanie Muenchinger
• Michelle Woerner
• Sharon Harnist
• Theresa Momber
• Tina Gilliland
• Valerie Stangle
• Vicki Dutcher

Gina K Release Tonight!

I'd like to extend a warm welcome to all of you today, but especially to all the Gina K Design fans who are so faithful to visit frequently and leave such wonderful comments!  I hope you know just how much your words are treasured!  You should have arrived here from Cat's blog!  If you didn't, jump back to the start and I'll see you here again in a little!

In case you missed the news, I hope you'll join me in welcoming our newest design team member, Jimmi Mayo!  So excited for Jimmi to be joining us, and I know that she will prove today that we've saved the best for last!  Big {{hugs}} JP!  

Just wanted to give you a little peek at a card I made for tonight's release party!  I can't show you more than a snippet because this is a card for one of tonight's TWO fun challenges!  I know you wanna BE there to find out ASAP what the challenges are so you'll have a chance to WIN some new rubber!  :)

You will most certainly miss out on all the FUN if you can't come to the PARTY!  Be there or be SQUARE!  The PARTY starts TONIGHT at 7 CST on the Stamp TV Release Party Forum!  Our design team will be sharing lots of cards made with the FIVE fabulous stamp sets we're releasing, you'll enjoy full stamp set reveals, and we'll all have fun trying to keep up with the dizzying fast-paced chat that IS release party!  SO FUN!  Finally, at 10 CST the sets will go LIVE for purchase in the Gina K Designs online store.  You can even shop in your pj's if you wanna!

Once you have seen all the sets and decided upon your purchases, you can join us Friday, Monday and Tuesday for some design inspiration!  From here, you're headed to Donna's blog!  Have a great time!  I'll be hoping to see you again tomorrow!

Flower Soft Sweet Treats

With Easter right around the corner, this week's Flower Soft challenge was the perfect opportunity to doll up a little gummy bunny tin!  I used the 3D cutout, Easter Fun, a grand nestabilities scalloped circle and classic circles to take some Best Creations designer paper "over the top" and take this lid from plain to precious!  There is also a little touch of Shamrock Green Easter grass, and Polar White fluffy bunny tail.  So cute, with so much dimension!  Yummy inside and out!

This "straight-on" picture doesn't show the dimension very well...I'll try to take some more pics when the light is brighter and I'm not rushing off to Bible study!  :)

i {heart} papers Design Team challenge

Today is i {heart} papers design team challenge day and this month Lynn dubbed our challenge "Exclusively Yours!"  We are featuring stamp sets that can be yours only through the ihp online store.  We have three exclusive lines to choose from:  Chicken Girl Designs, Mint Motif, and The Petal Press.

The temps are in the 80's in Florida while it is snowing like crazy in the Northeast!  If winter and spring at once aren't confusing enough, let me throw a Fall stamp set into the mix!  Happy Harvest was Tracy's very first design for The Petal Press, and I thought it would be fun to come up with an everyday design using an image from a set designed for Autumn.  This card and wine bottle coaster combo would make a nice gift to accompany a carefully chosen bottle of wine for a dinner host.

My card uses this week's Card Positioning Systems layout, which worked perfectly with the grape clusters image and some Basic Grey buttons.

The "wreath" on the coaster is actually a smaller image, masked and stamped repetitively to form a circle.  I used Memento ink and Copic markers, then added subtle highlights with a white Prisma pencil.  This gives the grapes a more frosted, realistic look.  The shapes for the card and the coaster were cut and embossed with Spellbinders dies and inked with tea-dye distress ink.

Although this is only a simple recycled chipboard coaster, several layers of matte clear spray acrylic sealer will hopefully keep it in service for quite a while!

Notes:

Stampin' Up (River Rock) and Gina K Designs (Wine with Everything) card stock

The Petal Press Happy Harvest

Memento Tuxedo Black ink

Copic markers

Tim Holtz distress ink

Nestabilities classic circles, squares

Basic Grey buttons

natural twine thread

Zva adhesive dimensional dots

Here are the links to my ihp design team mates' blogs!  Can't wait to see what they were inspired to create!

• Carolyn
• Gretchen
• Kendra
• Loretta
• Lori
• Lynn
• Megan
• Tracy
• Kate

Kraftin' Kimmie's April Release!

One of the great perks of being a CPS design team member has been the opportunity to play with Kraftin' Kimmie stamps, especially when it's release time!  I have long loved Kimmie's stamps and this release is no exception!  Not only are there new Steven Leary Dress Up Kids, but there are more Krafty Quotes, and some beautiful fairies from Annie Rodrigue.  I'll be sharing a fairy card later this week.

You will get to see most of the new images while you sit back and enjoy our Krafty Hop! You’ll see all the Krafty Girls, as well as some very special Krafty Guests along the way!!  :)   If you want to start from the beginning, just head over to the Kraftin’ Kimmie Challenge Blog! As you hop from blog to blog, be sure to leave a comment at each and every stop because some lucky stampers will win packages of stamps from the new release!! And when you’re done hoppin’, be sure to head over to the Kraftin’ Kimmie shop, because ALL the new images are NOW available!

Steven Leary's little Dress Up Kids Astronaut Andy is so adorable!  I had some Basic Grey designer paper that I thought looked "spacy," but I'm afraid my card doesn't do this cute little guy justice!  The idea was to have the layout of my card mimic the spaceship he's holding in his hand, but it didn't really translate so well to paper!

I used Memento ink and Copic markers to stamp and color the image, choosing a traditional olive green for his flight suit.  His space helmet is coated with Glossy Accents, which remained bubbled and cloudy at the time of this photo shoot (we had to rush off to Easter choir and Regency Ball practice, Pride and Prejudice style!).  Nestabilities classic circle dies were used to cut and emboss the focal image and card stock mats.  The overall design is simple, open and uncluttered, which is what most little boys seem to like best.

From here, you're headed to Donna's!  Have fun hoppin', and enjoy your new stamps when they arrive!  :)

Lizzie Anne DT Challenge!

The Lizzie Anne Designs team was given a challenge to make an Easter card.   OK...I'm gonna date myself here!  How many of you remember dyed chicks for Easter?  :)

These cute chicks are from Lucky You, a mix set released in March 2010.  They are one of my FAV Lizzie Anne Easter images!  I paired them with some Best Creations glittery paper, some pretty pearls, and dotted Swiss ribbon.  Dotted Swiss brings more great Easter memories of frilly dresses, white gloves and hats!

Visit Lizzie Anne's blog to see more inspiration!

OCL Challenge #61

This week's Our Craft Lounge challenge is to use something clear on a CAS card.  My card has a "glass" lava lamp with the lava and sentiment stamped on the inside, from the set, I Lava You!  

It was so difficult to get a picture of this card!   The acetate made it tough to get a good shot...you can either see the acetate or the "lava," but not both!

Since I used Memento ink and  Copic markers for the image, I added some "groovy" Basic Grey designer paper to the back to cover the place where the colors seeped through the back layer of card stock, a paper designed especially for blending with Copics.  I also added the same paper to the inside of the front to cover the edges of the acetate and make things look more finished.  It's almost like an inside out card!



If you decide to make a similar card, I would recommend that you stamp your image on the card front, and then place the designer paper with temporary adhesive as it will lay inside before cutting the window with a craft blade and mat.  That way your cuts will exactly line up, and you can then place the acetate between the two layers and line them up perfectly to adhere them permanently.  My cuts are not a perfect match because I decided to add the designer paper afterward and that the unevenness bothers me, so you can learn from my mistake!

I hope you'll join us in this challenge!  Visit the OCL blog for more inspiration and to leave your link.

Flower Soft Blog Hop!

We invite you to join the fabulous Flower Soft® team on an inspirational blog hop featuring projects using Die Cut Dimensions - Wild Flowers and The Wine Buffs - Papercraft Kit!

The blog hop starts on the Flower Soft® Blog on April 13^th at 6:00am CT and ends April 19^th at midnight CT. The winner will be announced on the Flower Soft® Blog on April 20^th. If you get lost along the way the complete hop list will be posted on the Flower Soft® Blog.

Be sure to comment on every blog in the hop. One lucky person that comments on one of the blogs will be chosen to receive a $50 Flower Soft® shopping spree!!!

Welcome to my blog, With a Stamp and a Song!  You should have arrived from Dina's!  I am sure she wowed you with something amazing!  


I thought it would be fun to try something different with a sentiment and the Die Cut Dimensions, so I cut a window and embossed frame with a pair of nestabilities dies and stamped the sentiment on a different color of card stock so that it would peek through.  Trimming the blush pink edge off of the oval and using the brighter pinks and corals from the floral design gave this card a much brighter, more colorful feel than the card I made previously with the softer hues.  These colors were a great match for Basic Grey's Porcelain designer paper.  The pinks are still decidedly feminine and elegant, especially with a satin bow, some pearls and a pretty flower.


You can shop for all the great Flower Soft products, including stamps, Die-Cut Dimensions, toppers, and Flower Soft in original and ultrafine textures on the Flower Soft® website: http://www.flower-soft.us.com/index.php.  And remember, winners of the prizes from today's hop will be announced on the Flower Soft® blog: http://flower-softinc.blogspot.com/. 

From here, you're going to Cibele's!  Can't wait to see what she's created!  

CPS #213

Another fun CPS sketch this week, sponsored by My Favorite Things!  I had such a great time making this card!  Unlike one of my recent cards, this one practically fell together!  Yay, I *love* it when that happens!  I hope you'll come play along!

Notes:
Gina K Pure Luxury card stock (ivory and pumpkin spice)
My Favorite Things a la mode Picture Perfect
Memento ink
Tim Holtz tea dye distress ink
Cosmo Cricket Joy Ride designer paper
Copic markers
Spellbinders long rectangle, film strip dies
SEI and BoBunny buttons
The Twinery twine

Hope

Here's a super CAS card for the release of one of TSOL's new sets, dictionary4me.  There are two other sets that were also released to club members on the 7th, released today to the general public...they are princess4life and cars2drive.  I'll share some cards made with cars2drive soon!

Notes:
dictionary4me
Memento ink
faux suede ribbon
Prima jewel

OCL Challenges

I'm playing catch-up with challenges on the Our Craft Lounge blog.  This week's challenge is a photo inspiration challenge.

I love this color combo and decided to go with cupcakes from Big Birthday Wishes!  They were stamped with Memento ink, colored with Copics, and embellished with rhinestones and twine.  The layout all started with a found scrap of card stock that just happened to be cut on a diagonal.  Just a simple, bright, fun birthday card!

Last week's challenge was a color challenge, to use teal, brown, and white.  A scrap of Crate Paper designer paper and a Tea Time image stamped on white Copic blending paper seemed like a perfect starting place, but the Copic marker colors I had for the tea cup turned out a little bit bright for my liking.  I tried to tone it down by over-stamping it with the now retired SU linen background stamp and some distress ink.  That stamp was not where I expected it to be, and it took me 45 frustrating minutes to finally find it, which left me exasperated and not much in the mood to stamp.  I ended up stepping away from the stamp table overnight, and still struggled to get back into it next morning.



I used a Nestabilities labels 10 to cut a mat for the focal image, then used an oval to cut an opening in the dotted Swiss paper to create a frame that would let the card base peek through.  A bit of sponging with distress ink and a few pearls emphasize the edges and draw attention to the contours of the label.  I added a small strip of the designer paper, edged with strips of ribbon and a bow at the center...I had originally planned to use more of this paper, but the busy-ness of the design overwhelmed the card, so I changed my mind!  It just didn't look quite the way I expected.  It's funny, too, that of all the white card stock I started with got trimmed away as I worked, so I'm not so sure it qualifies for this color challenge after all, although one of the inspiration photos in the collage IS cream-colored!  ;)  I'm still not so thrilled (or maybe more accurately, so not thrilled) with this card!  I'm not sure I'll ever really like it, as much as I fussed with it, but it is what it is!

Visit the Our Craft Lounge blog to find lots of card-making inspiration using fun sets illustrated by our amazing artists!

Notes:
Our Craft Lounge stamps (Big Birthday Wishes, Tea Time)
Crate Paper designer paper
Copic blending card stock
Nestabilities squares, ovals, labels 10
Memento ink
Tim Holtz tea dye distress ink
Copic markers
Cherry Red Divine Twine
Kaiser Craft pearls
satin ribbon

CSS Blog Hop!

It's time for another Gina K Designs Center Stage Spotlight Alumni hop, and you and I are in for a real treat!  It will be so fun to see what beautiful paper creations were inspired by these beautiful premier wedding cookies from Better Bit of Butter!  With a name like that, I bet they taste every bit as delicious as they look!

You should have arrived from Cheri's!  I'm sure she had something scrumptious to share with you!  If you missed the beginning of the hop, start at the StampTV forum!  My blog is #6 on the list, and I know you don't wanna miss any of what comes earlier!

After seeing our inspiration photo, you hopefully will have no doubt which one inspired my card!   It is Premier 3, right there on the top row.  If you'd like a closer look, visit the Better Bit of Butter website and "mouse over" their premier wedding cookie photos.

I was drawn to the bright color combo of this cookie and immediately thought of Asela's Flowers for Daisy, which was one of my very first GKD stamp sets!  I used some old, retired Stampin' Up designer paper to mimic the dotted background, adding an eyelet border and a fancy tags sentiment embellished with a few pearls.  Although it is simple, I love the way it turned out...a little vase of daisies is so delightful, inexpensive enough to enjoy "just because!"  This card inspires that same happy, light-hearted feeling and would work for any occasion at all!

Notes:
Pure Luxury white card stock
retired designer paper from my days as an SU demo
GKD Flowers for Daisy by Asela Hopkins
Memento Tuxedo Black ink
Copic markers
Spellbinders fancy tags
pearls
border punch

Your next stop on the hop is Giovana's!  I am looking forward to seeing one of her fabulous cards with her gorgeous layers and stitching!

Enjoy the hop!  Hope to see you again soon!

CPS #212

Here's a slightly taller than A2 masculine card for this week's CPS sketch, #212, which is sponsored by DRG Publications.  There is some really great inspiration from our designers this week, although I'm sure you'll agree with me that that is always the case!  These girls never cease to amaze me!  

Tami's set, Perfect Pennants, was just perfect for this sketch!  This set is a fun one because it makes fast, easy, cards that can be dressed up or down, masculine or feminine, young or old!  It is very versatile!

Notes:

Gina K Pure Luxury white card stock

Gina K Designs Perfect Pennants

Memento Paris Dusk ink

Tim Holtz tea dye distress ink

Basic Grey Oliver designer paper: 

Queen & Company foam letters

The Twinery twine

Hope you'll join us!