Embrace Life

Hello from Salt Lake City! Not really...it's Tuesday night as I'm typing this post for you. But, I'm certain that as you are reading it today on Thursday, I am having a grand 'ole Stampin' Up! kind of time.

I created this card for Kazan's sketch from the 2 Sketches 4 You site. If you haven't visited this site yet, what are you waiting for? The site always has a collection of fun and diverse cards. New sketches are posted on Mondays. Go check it out!

This is not my favorite card. I was feeling rushed and stuck. Not a good combination. Does that ever happen to you? I guess sometimes we all have those moments, and we just need to move on. I do LOVE the Bali Breeze paper though. The colors and designs are just beautiful. I may have to order some more before it's gone for good.

Maybe some ribbon would help. Or a main stamped image. I actually made a stamped image, but didn't end up using it. Maybe it's just because it's not the best photograph. I really need to get one of those light tents for when I don't have daylight to work with. Okay, that's not what I call moving on exactly, but oh well! {Embrace Life recipe}
Stamps: Embrace Life
Ink: Pumpkin Pie
Paper: Conqueror White, Pumpkin Pie, Bali Breeze DSP
Accessories: scalloped edge punch, paper piercer, flower fusion, brads

Cake Inspiration Challenge

This gorgeous cake is for Jenn's Dare to Get Dirty Inspiration Challenge. Just looking at this cake amazes me. This must be a primo designer cake. I never saw cakes like this when I was planning my wedding! While I was out yesterday, I found this paper by American Crafts that really reminded me of the cake. I picked it up along with a few others in the same family (green, black, white) to play with just for this challenge. It's really perfect for this, don't you think?

I wanted to add a whole row of the brads, but I only had seven, so I had to come up with a different plan. I was able to find this green ribbon, which I think works well. Sure wish it was thicker though.

This layout is from Julee's Monday Mojo Sketch 47. I didn't follow the sketch exactly, but I think it can still qualify. {Mon Amie recipe}
Stamps: Carte Postale
Ink: Basic Black, Kiwi Kiss
Paper: Conqueror White, Kiwi Kiss, Whisper White, American Crafts
Accessories: black brads, ribbon by American Crafts

I'll post the last of the Punch Class cards Friday night.

New In Colors

If you haven't had a chance to see Stampin' Up!'s new In Colors that will be available in August, here they are! I made this card last weekend when I got my order of preview stuff. I wanted to do something that would show off all six new colors. From the bottom left is Tangerine Tango, going up is Pacific Point, then Riding Hood Red. Moving to the right is Kiwi Kiss and Baja Breeze. In the bottom right corner is Pink Pirouette. The stamp set, Wow Flowers, is also new and will be available in August too. I used SCS Sketch Challenge 182 for the layout. I stamped the main images in Versamark and embossed them with white embossing powder. Thank you is stamped in black craft ink and clear embossed. {Thank You recipe}
Stamps: Wow Flowers
Ink: Versamark, Black Craft
Paper: Conqueror White, Basic Black, Whisper White, Tangerine Tango, Pacific Point, Riding Hood Red, Kiwi Kiss, Baja Breeze, Barely Banana, Pirouette Pink, Lovely Lilac, Pixie Pink
Accessories: white embossing powder, black embossing powder, circle punches, scallop punch, Three For You flower punch, black brad, basic black and pixie pink markers for the envelope

If you want a better look at the new In Colors, Dawn Olchefske has a great color comparison that you can see here.

On a completely non-stamping note (unless you count the stamping I did while watching TV), are there any other Firefly/Serenity fans out there? My husband and I spent two days this week completely immersed in the DVD of this prematurely canceled show called Firefly that apparently developed some cult following (the good kind - and no wonder). They made a movie, Serenity, a few years after the show was over. We really enjoyed it! In fact, we just watched the movie again. It's a really different kind of show, hard to explain. It's a western sci-fi, which let's face it, sounds terrible. But it's really, really good! It has characters that really grow on you and clever dialogue. It's written by the same guy (Joss Whedon) who did Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel. I didn't watch either of those shows when they were on, not much into vampires, but guess what just arrived from our Netflix cue? That's right, Buffy! We've been told that if we liked Firefly, we'll love Buffy. So, Buffy it is (and if my husband has his way, Angel will be next).

On the subject of vampires, any Stephanie Meyer fans out there? I've read the first two books in Stephanie Meyer's series. I need to read the third book because the fourth book is coming out in August. Now, again, not much of a vampire fan, and these books are actually young adult/teen books that I heard about in some random Splitcoast forum last year. Tried 'em out! Pleasantly surprised! Quick, easy reads, clearly written for a younger audience, but wonderful mind candy.

Now here I've blabbered on too long. It's way past my bedtime, so off I go!

Happy Birthday, Charmaine!

Another birthday to celebrate today for a fellow Great Swaps Girl! Happy birthday, Charmaine! I hope you have a great day today! Card's in the mail, but until then, this will have to do.The layout for this card is my version of this week's Sketch Challenge #183 over at Splitcoaststampers. I just rotated the sketch upside down, 180 degrees, and voila!

{Bicycle Birthday recipe}

Stamps: Great Impressions, sentiment by A Muse

Ink: Basic Black

Paper: PTI White, Whisper White, Pumpkin Pie, Tempting Turquoise, Crate Paper

Accessories: SU! markers in Pumpkin Pie and Tempting Turquoise, Dazzling Diamonds glitter, SU! District Originals ribbon, Copic markers

Three Challenges, Two Cards

Being a book lover and a teacher, I'm very fond of Bookwormabella. The layout on this card features Beate's WSC50. I really love this particular layout. It will definitely go into my book of favorite, go-to layouts...just as soon as I create that book. Can you say summer project? Like one of 20. {You're Fabulous Bookwormabella recipe}
Stamps: Bookwormabella by StampingBella, sentiment by Verve Visual
Ink: Palette Noir, Chocolate Chip
Paper: Soft Sky, Close to Cocoa, Whisper White, Tres Jolie DP
Accessories: SU! markers, Nestabilities, Brown brads by American Crafts

This next card is for last week's sketch (SC178) and color challenges (CC168) on Splitcoast. The sketch was hard to work with, but I like the end result. Except for the sentiment, which ended up a bit crooked and small. It was, however, the last thing I added and there was no way I was redoing it! The French Flair background was stamped on very vanilla. It was kind of harsh, so I layered the vellum over the top to soften the look. Both the sentiment and the medallion are stamped with chocolate chip craft ink and embossed.
{Merci recipe}
Stamps: French Flair, Carte Postale
Ink: Chocolate Chip Craft, Versamark
Paper: Chocolate Chip, Sage Shadow, Very Vanilla, Vellum
Accessories: Clear embossing powder, SU! wide chocolate satin ribbon, Brown brads by American Crafts

May Technique

This month's technique is Scratch and Sniff. Yes, we're making smelly cards. Remember scratch and sniff stickers from when you were a kid? Well, here's the grown-up, crafty version. I'm very happy with how both of these turned out, and I hope everyone coming to the class will enjoy learning this fun, yummy technique.

Both of these cards are for sketch challenges. Here's what's great about this: it's my very FIRST time intentionally participating in a challenge. I'm actually going to upload these cards for the challenges. Yay, me!

This first card is for this week's sketch #49 by Lauren Meader. You can see her beautiful samples for this sketch here. I absolutely adore Lauren's style! In my opinion, she's one of the most talented, creative stampers out there.

Anyway, here's my take on her sketch. This is the first time I've used theTart & Tangy set. The citrus image is a scratch and sniff. It has an orange scent when scratched. Yum!

{Fruity Birthday ingredients}

Stamps: Tart & Tangy, Hugs & Wishes

Paper: PTI white, Summer Picnic DSP

Ink: Basic Black, Pumpkin Pie, Versamark

Accessories: clear embossing powder, sugar-free orange Kool-Aid, felt flowers, scallop punch, mini black brads, ribbon

For this next card, I wanted to do a chocolate scratch and sniff. I had to pull out a retired stamp set because it's the only one I had with chocolate. I think that needs to be remedied. Must have more chocolate! This feels like a wintery set, so I added the flower to make it feel more like spring. Another first, I used fun flock for the whipped cream. The mug is the chocolate scratch and sniff. Double yum! This card was designed for this week's SCS Sketch Challenge #175.

{Chocolate Friend ingredients}
Stamps: Like It A Latte
Paper: Close to Cocoa, Regal Rose, Whisper White, Pretty In Pink Prints DSP
Ink: Close to Cocoa, Regal Rose, Pretty in Pink, Versamark
Accessories: clear embossing powder, sugar-free hot cocoa, flower punch, mini white brad, white fun flock