Friday, February 15, 2008

RAK for Katie

If I haven't already told you, I am a challenge junkie. If I don't participate everyday I seriously get the shakes(not really, but you know what I mean). I once saw someone post that there needed to be a 12 step program, and I tell you what, I would be one of the first in line!!! This card is for Beate's weekend sketch challenge. I saw Sandy, aka sandrasmart64, post the other day that there was a young mom whose baby is very sick, and I wanted to make a card to send to her. You can get more info from Sandy.
This is one of the biggest cards I have ever made. It is an A6, which is 6 3/8 by 4 5/8(9 1/4 unfolded). I started with a Whisper White base, then Close to Cocoa. The DSP panel is Berry Bliss DSP, Pretty in Pink and then Purely Pomegranate. I stamped the Cherry Blossom branch stamp by Rubber Stampede on Whisper White with Black Stazon. It is colored in with SU markers. I sponged the edges with both Close to Cocoa and Pomegranate ink. The rest is pretty simple. I hope that this helps to brighten her day. If you expressed an interest in being in an RAK group, this would be the first assignment. Send me an email or leave a comment, and I will get you the address. Thanks for looking and have a great day!!
stamps-Cherry Blossom and Circle of Friendship

ink- Black Stazon, Close to Cocoa, and Purely Pomegranate

paper-Close to Cocoa, Whisper White, Pretty in Pink, Purely Pomegranate, and Berry Bliss DSP

tools-Circle punches, pomegranate satin ribbon, primas, brads, and page pebbles

I Thought This Was Supposed To Be Simple???

Isn't the purpose of a "stamp simply" challenge for the card to be simple?? So why is it every week, I seem to make it difficult?? Sharon's, aka notimetostamp, challenge for today was a sketch challenge. She had a lovely sample to work from, as always!!! Somehow, I seem to make it so hard. When it is done, it is easy to replicate, it's just the journey there that is difficult for me, anyone out there feeling my pain??

As soon as I saw the sketch, I knew exactly what stamp I wanted to use. I just recieved an order from Rubbernecker this week, and this was one of the stamps that I recieved. Isn't it beautiful!! I also knew exactly who it would be for. Jen, aka Jen70, usually hosts the limited supplies challenge on SCS, but had a death in the family, so this is for her and her family. I was going to put a sentiment on it, but couldn't get one to work.

So, I colored the Hearty Vase in using my SU markers. It is stamped on watercolor paper and I used Stazon Black ink. I used Pretty in Pink and Rose Red for the hearts and Mellow Moss and Always Artichoke for the leaves and stems. The base is actually my 20% cool gray prismacolor marker and it is highlighted with my Going Gray marker. I then went over all of it with my aquapainter. It really helps to blend all of the colors. It was matted on Pretty in Pink and Rose Red. The strip across the card is 3 1/4 to 2 3/4 starting with Rose Red. The base is 5 1/4 square in Basic Gray. The ribbon is Basic Gray tafetta.

Well, that is all for now. Thanks for looking and have a great day!!!
stamps-Hearty Vase
paper-Basic Gray, Very Vanilla, Watercolor, Pretty In Pink, and Rose Red
ink-Stazon Black
tools-SU markers, aquapainter, gray tafetta, Prismacolor Cool Grey maker

Circles, Circles Everywhere, But None That I Like!!

Just when you think that you have one of every kind of stamp imaginable, the limited supplies challenge is posted, and you become aware of the fact that you don't!!! I have come to the realization today, that I have no circle stamps besides Riveting and Circle of Friendship. Well, that is not 100% true, I do have Seeing Spots, but just couldn't get it to work, and believe me, I tried! I usually, as a rule, look only at the challenge guidelines for any challenge. I look at what supplies to use, what colors, the sketch, etc., but I NEVER look at the gallery. I feel like I am cheating when I do. I am also afraid, that I will unintentionally copy someone, you know what I mean?? Well today, I was stuck, I thought, I stamped, I thought some more, I stamped some more, I tore two cards apart and put them back together, to make a long story short, I was completely blocked!!! So I decided to look at the gallery for the stamp sets that I had, but nothing inspired me. I finally broke down and looked at the gallery. Bad idea!! I now feel the need to go shopping!! Where do you guys come up with this stuff at???? I will admit, when I first started stamping, I bought what I thought was cute, never taking into consideration how on Earth I was going to use them. Thankfully, I am getting better about that now!! But today I became sadly aware of the fact, that I am not completely there yet. Luckily for me, inspiration finally came. I just got an order yesterday in the mail from Embellish It. Their website is fabulous, you should totally check it out!! I still had it sitting on my stamp table, and I got to looking at the yummy ribbon I had purchased, and finally inspiration came. I started with a standard A2 card in Basic Black, then Pink Passion. I embossed the On the Spot background on white with detail black ep. I sponged the edges with Pink Passion ink. The layered strip down the middle is in the same colors starting at 1 3/4 then 1 1/2 for the pink, and 1 1/4 for the white, which I sponged the edges on as well. I tied the black organdy around this strip in a square knot, and then took the fabulous ribbon I got from Embellish It around it in a bow. Then sentiment is from Circle of Friendship, and I do believe that I used every circle punch I own on it!! I started with my 1/8th handheld punch in white, then I used the 1/4in in Pink Passion, and 1/2in in Basic Black. The sentiment was stamped in black and then punched out with the 1in circle punch. Then 1 1/4 in Pink Passion, 1 3/8 in white and then the scalloped punch in Basic Black. I layered them all together, and then put a page pebble over the top of it, it just looked bare without it. I used my Signo white gel pen to make the dots. I was going to try to be brave and totally go all Markie's Mom(dots everywhere) on this, but didn't have the guts to!!!!
Well, that's it for me today! Hope you have a good one, and Happy Stamping!!!
stamps-Circle of Friendship and On the Spot
paper- Basic Black, Pink Passion, and Whisper White
ink-Versamark and Stazon Black
tools-Lots of circle punches, black EP, black organdy, pink and white ribbon from EI, and page pebbles