Crafting The Web

Calendar Bits & Pieces and Calendar Grid

2009-11-11T20:00:00.000-08:00

Hi! We are having a very special blog hop to introduce Tami Mayberry's newest stamp sets for Gina K Designs, Calendar Bits & Pieces and Calendar Grid. Oh my word, I have never seen a stamp set this large!!! Calendar Bits & Pieces is huge and Calendar Grid is enormous.

The possibilities for these sets are endless! I used the calendar grid to make a grid background for my card. I used one of my favorite stamps from the set, the label stamp that fits of the the Spellbinders Labels 1 Nestibilities!

For some helpful tips on how to use the Calendar Bits & Pieces and Calendar Grid stamp sets, please be sure to check out Gina's blog and StampTV for a helpful video on just how quick and easy it can be to use! Both of these sets as well as the PDF version of the Calendar Grid image will be available for purchase tonight over on our online store.

After that, stop by our Illustrator's blog - Tami Mayberry for some projects with her timely stamp sets.

Here are the GinaK Designer Member's links who are joining us in the preview tonight:

Carolyn, Cathy, Donna, Erika, Jessica, Lee, Lynn, Melanie, Nina, and Theresa

You'll also want to check in on these CenterStage Spotlight Designer's blogs for more ideas:

Melissa, Sharri, and Sue

I don't have many photos for this card, since it is pretty basic, but I did take a few to show you how I did the grid background. I stamped with Versa Mark and then heat embossed with clear embossing powder.

Then I sponged Bashful Blue(SU) ink.

Sponged Ballet Blue ink.

Then I used the snowflake stamp from Calendar Bits & Pieces and stamped randomly using Bashful Blue ink. I like the way the sponging comes out using the grid stamp. I think it looks a bit like faux tile. The embossing caused the ink to be just a bit darker along the lines.

I cut my background into two pieces and assembled the card using Pure Luxury Black Onyx, White and In The Navy cardstock. I stamped the snowflake and sentiment using Vivid Inky Blue and then used my Startdust Glitter Pen to add some sparkle to the snowflakes. (sorry that didn't show up in my photo).

Thanks for stopping by. I hope your day is filled with stamping fun!

Festive Frame Blog Hop!

2009-11-10T20:00:00.000-08:00

You can click on any of the images for a larger view

Hi! We are having a Gina K Designs blog hop, featuring Melanie Muenchinger's new set, Festive Frame. I love all the ways you can use this set. For my project, I decided to make a gift box and matching gift tag. I did an oval cut out window so my candy bag could show through. More details below...

Melanie Muenchinger, the Illustrator of Festive Frame has invited a couple of her friends to join in on the blog hop tonight, so click on their blog links to see the projects they've created for us:

Joan Ervin
Wendy Price

Linda Payne

Then, check in on these GinaK Designer's participating in the Blog Hop tonight:

Carolyn King
Donna Baker
Erika Martin
Jessica Fick
Lee Murphy
Melanie Muenchinger
Theresa Momber

And our fabulous Center Stage Spotlight Team:

Deb Felts
Diana S. Queen
Melissa Cash
Sharri Seffens

After you're done hopping to all the Designer's blogs stop by GinaK's Idea Center here: Festive Frame for lots more ideas on how to use Melanie's stamp set. And, don't forget to check in on GinaK's blog so you can leave your comment to be entered as a chance to win this stamp set, too!

To make the top layer, I stamped the Festive Frame stamp and colored with Copics. I used V09 to start.

Added V06.

Added V04.

I used the blender pen to soften the highlights, then used V06 to darken the edges of the petals.

Used E59 in the darkest areas of the cone.

Blended with E53. After coloring, I used a white gel pen to add some highlights to the cone.

I used Post-in notes to mask the edges and then sponged with Vivid Tuscan Tan ink.

I colored the borders of the image with my Grape Jelly Memento marker and then cut out the center.

To make the box I used an 8 1/2 by 11 inch paper and scored at 1 1/4 inches on either side, lengthwise. (Sorry, my pictures for this part of the project are showing kraft colored cardstock, rather than lavender)

I rotated the paper and scored at 4 1/2 from either side.

Folded on the score lines. Then I placed my largest classic oval Nestabilities die centered on one of the larger sides. I used a piece of tape to hold it in position. Since the paper was too wide to fit in my Cuttlebug, I folded the flaps over so I could get it to pass through. With the flaps folded, it was 6 inches wide and just barely fit in my Cuttlebug.

After cutting out the oval, I added Scor-tape to the flaps, made cuts in the center, for the bottom flaps, as shown and then assembled.

I layered the top piece with Vibrant Violet, which I cut the center out of, then I sandwiched a piece of Clear Craft Plastic between the box and the top layers. I added self adhesive pearls to the centers of the poinsettias and a ribbon bow with a button from the Autumn Button Assortment.

I filled the box with a bag of candy. Just a tip for filling your plastic bag - place your bag in the box and then fill it with it in place. This will keep the candy from bulging into a shape that won't fit in the box.

Thank you for visiting. Have a wonderful day!

Reindeer Fun

2009-11-09T17:56:00.000-08:00

Hi there! Today's card is for the featured stamper challenge at SCS this week. The featured stamper this week is Christine M and what a beautiful gallery she has. I chose this card for inspiration. Participants were to change at least two things. I changed...

Different Stamps
Different Layout
Added Embellishments

I started by sponging Blush Blosson (SU) on Pure Luxury White cardstock. I also added a 1 3/8 inch circle, punched from a post-it note, for a moon mask.

Sponged Pretty In Pink (SU) ink.

Sponged Regal Rose.

Sponged Bravo Burgundy.

I stamped the trees and deer from Holiday Cheer, using black ink. I stamped the trees a few more times without re-inking.

I added some sateen flowers, that I sponged to color and some little punched branches (Martha Stewart punch), and a die cut element in the corner. I used an EK Success slimline punch for the side detail on the left. Layers are Pure Luxury Cranberry Tart, Black Onyx and Ivory and SU Blush Blossom.

Thanks for visiting. I hope you have a wonderful day!

A Very Merry Matchbook and a Card by my Daughter

2009-11-08T21:04:00.001-08:00

Hello! I hope you all had a happy weekend. Have you been following the Holiday Tutorial Blitz at Split Coast Stampers? There is a whole passel of new tutorials posted, all featuring holiday projects. I wrote one of the tutorials for this Pocket Matchbook Candy Holder. You can see all the holiday tutorials, past and present, here, and you can see the Holiday Blitz Gallery right here.

I used the holly sprig from A Very Merry Christmas and colored it with Copic markers. For the background, I sponged a little Certainly Celery on Pure Luxury Ivory and then stamped the branch from Christmas Blessings. Cardstock layers are Rocket Red and Black Onyx.

On the inside, did the background the same as above and then stamped the sentiment, from Christmas Blessings. You can see all the step by step photos and even a video, here.

I also had to share this little card that my daughter made the other day. She really surprised me by wanting to make a card. She used the sprig of holly from A Very Merry Christmas and colored with Copics. The image was cut out and layered with Rocket Red and an All Spruced Up cardbase. This was her first time using Copics and I think she did a fantastic job.

Thanks for stopping by. I hope your day is full of stamping fun!

By the Light of the Moon

2009-11-06T05:02:00.001-08:00

Hello happy stampers! Have you ever seen a crescent moon that was so bright you could still see the shape of the entire moon? That is what I was trying to reproduce on this card. I think it came out looking more like an eclipse, but I kinda like it anyway.

I started by sponging my background. I punched a 1 inch circle from a post-it note and placed it as a mask for my moon. Then I sponged some Pretty in Pink ink, using my Jumbo Round Sponge Dauber.

Sponged Regal Rose ink.

Sponged Real Red.

Sponged Bashful Blue.

Sponged Ballet Blue.

Sponged Vivid Inky Blue.

Next, I removed the moon mask and then placed a post-it note, with the circle cut out, right over the moon.

Then I added another post-it, overlapping the first just a tad, to cover the crescent.

Sponged with the same colors.

Used torn post-its to mask off an area on the bottom and sponged Basic Black ink.

Stamped the smaller tree from Tree Silhouettes with Going Gray ink.

Stamped the pine branch from Winter Foliage with Memento Black ink.

I stamped the tent from Happy Camper with Memento Black ink and used Copics to color. I started with B95.

Added B93, then used my blender pen to soften the highlights.

Used E59.

Added E55.

Added E53, then used my blender pen.

I cut out the tent and layered the background with Pure Luxury Black Onyx and White. The cardbase is Pure Luxury Smoky Slate. I stamped the sentiment, from Happy Camper, with pigment white ink.

Thanks for stopping by. I hope you have a great day and wonderful weekend!

Merry Mailbox

2009-11-05T05:00:00.000-08:00

Hello! Today I have a winter card, made using images from Autumn Beauty and A Very Merry Christmas. I'd been wanting to make a snowy mailbox scene since I saw this card my mom made.

I started by stamping the mailbox, from Autumn Beauty, with Memento Tuxedo Black ink, then used my N5 Copic marker.

Added N3.

Added N1.

Used E59 on the post.

Added E55.

Filled in with E53.

Used R24 on the flowers and flag, G24 and G28 on the foliage. After coloring, I used my Versa Mark pen to cover the image and then heat embossed with clear embossing powder.

Used torn post-it notes to mask off the bottom and then sponged with Bashful Blue ink.

Sponged with Ballet Blue.

Removed the mask and sponged Not Quite Navy around the edges.

Stamped the holly flourish from A Very Merry Christmas around the edges and colored with R27 and G28.

I added some highlights to the holly with an opaque white gel pen and added some shredded styrofoam for snow on and around the mailbox. (I seriously need some flowers soft) Layered with Pure Luxury Black Onyx and SU Bashful Blue. The cardbase is Pure Luxury White Base Weight and the sentiment is from A Very Merry Christmas.

Thanks for stopping by. I hope you have a great day!

Little Bear

2009-11-04T05:28:00.000-08:00

Hello! My card today is for two challenges, the Featured Stamper challenge at SCS and the Potluck Challenge at StampTV. Miss Boo is the featured stamper this week and this is the card I chose for inspiration. Participants were to change at least two things. I changed...

Different colors
Moved bow
Added sentiment on oval layer

The Potluck Challenge at StampTV this week was to make a feminine card. The challenge hostess, Deb, is collecting cards to send to the mother of Somer Thompson, the little girl that was murdered in Jacksonville, Fl a few weeks ago. Somer's favorite color is purple.

I used the bear from First Christmas, but I didn't want to make a Christmas card, so I used my Tuxedo Black Memento marker to ink up the bear, leaving the Santa hat un-inked. After stamping the image, I used the Memento marker to draw in the missing part of his head.

I used Copic markers to color, starting with E37.

Added E35.

Added E53.

Filled in with E51.

For the ears, face and feet, I started with V12.

Added V01.

Filled in with V000.

For the scarf, I started with V06.

Added V04 and filled in with V000.

Cut a piece of Pure Luxury Ivory and sponged with So Saffron in the center and Creamy Caramel around the edges.

I layered with Lavender Lace (SU) and Pure Luxury Ivory, cut using scallop square Nestabilities. The patterned paper is from the Springtime in Paris digital paper pack. I used a Martha Stewart lace border punch to cut the bottoms of my digi paper and Ivory layer.

Thanks for visiting. Have a happy day!

Blue Christmas

2009-11-03T07:10:00.001-08:00

Hi there! Here is a card I shared at the release party for Gina K last week. I combined several sets on this card to make a cool winter scene.

I stamped the background stamp from Hip To Be Square, then sponged in the background with Bashful Blue and Ballet Blue inks. Then I stamped the trees from Holiday Cheer (current StampTV kit), using Going Gray ink.

I stamped one corner from the new Festive Frame stamp, then colored with Copics and cut it out. I placed that in the corner of my window. Then I stamped the poinsettia from A Year of Flowers, twice and colored with Copics. I cut those out, cutting just the inside leaves on one. Then I layered them on top of the poinsettia from the Festive Frame image. I added a few self adhesive pearls to the center of the poinsettia.

The round sentiment tag is from Holiday Greetings (from the current StampTV kit) and was cut out with my 1 1/4 inch circle punch. I layered that with a scallop circle, cut using Nestabiltities. I used a Copic to fill in the narrow border around the window and then layered with Pure Luxury Black Onyx. The cardbase is a new Pure Luxury color called Smoky Slate.

Thanks for stopping by. I hope your day is filled with smiles!

Baby's First Christmas

2009-11-02T05:08:00.001-08:00

Hello and happy Monday! Here is a card you may have gotten a peek at if you were at the Gina K release party last week. I used two of the new stamps sets from this month, First Christmas and Vintage Borders.

I started by coloring the main part of the bear using E59 Copic marker.

Added E57.

Added E35.

Added E53.

Added E51.

For the face, belly and feet, which I wanted lighter, I started with E33.

Added E31.

Used my blender pen.

For the hat and scarf, I used R29.

Added R24.

Used my blender pen to soften the highlights. Then I cut out the image.

To created the background, I sponged Vivid Tuscan Tan ink on a piece of Pure Luxury Ivory.

Sponged Vivid Coffee Bean.

Stamped the music border from Vintage Borders, using Vivid Brick ink.

I cut another piece of Pure Luxury Ivory with an oval Nestabiltities die and sponged more Tuscan Tan and Coffee Bean.

I added some Doodlebug Glitter to the hat and used my Startdust Glitter pen to add some sparkle to the scarf. Layers are Pure Luxury Cranberry Tart, Chocolate Kiss and the cardbase is the new Tan Leather.

Thanks for stopping by. Have a wonderful day!

Festive Scrapbook Page

2009-10-31T18:56:00.001-07:00

Here is another project I showed on my blog during the Gina K previews last week. I didn't have room on that post to do a tutorial, so here it is now.

I used Melanie Muenchingers gorgeous new stamp set, Festive Frame to make my page. Since my page is 8 by 8, I only wanted to use the corner detail and stretch it out for a larger composition. So I used tape to mask off the oval, and corners of the stamp before inking. The tape kept those portions from getting inky.

Then I removed the tape and stamped the image on Pure Luxury Ivory cardstock. I repeated the process for the opposite corner.

To color I used my R29 Copic marker.

Added R24.

Added R22.

Used my blender pen to soften the highlights.

R29 on the berries, G05 & G99 for the greenery.

E31 and E57 on the cone.

I used an opaque white gel pen to add some highlights to the flower, tips on the cone and the berries.

For the large snowflake panel, I sponged a piece of Pure Luxury Ivory cardstock with Regal Rose ink.

Sponged Bravo Burgundy.

Then I dry embossed with my Snowflake Cuttlebug folder, and sponged over the embossing, very lightly with Bravo Burgundy.

I used Spellbinders Nestabilities to cut the scallop circle detail and Sateen Flowers, sponged with Bravo Burgundy ink. I layered with Black Onyx and Cranberry Tart cardstock.

This was also my sample for the scrapbook challenge at StampTV. You can find my challenge here. I would love to have you play along for a random chance to win a stamp set of your choice from Gina K Designs. Here is the sketch from my challenge.

Thanks for stopping by. Have a wonderful weekend!

Revisiting My Toffee Project

2009-10-31T17:52:00.001-07:00

Here is a project I just shared the other night. I'm showing again because I had a few people that wanted instructions on how I made the slide in tray for the large plastic boxes that Gina K carries.

I cut a piece of cardstock to 6 1/4 inches by 7 3/4 inches, then scored at 1 inch on all four sides. I snipped in to the score line in four places as shown in the photo. You can click on the photo for a better view if you would like.

After scoring and cutting, I stamped each side with the pretty scroll stamp from Vintage Borders and added Scor-tape to the tabs I cut.

To make it a little easier to grab the tray and slide it out, I used my 1 1/4 circle punch to cut a small notch on either end.

I decorated the box with stamps from Signed With Love and Festive Frame. I used this recipe from AllRecipes.com for my toffee.

Thanks for stopping by. Have a great day!

Gina K Preview - Winter Friends and Signed with Love

2009-10-28T20:00:00.001-07:00

Hello! Today the Gina K Design team is previewing two more stamp sets. This first is the new "Free with Three" set, called Signed With Love. If you buy any three stamp sets, this set is included for free! It is full of a wonderful variety of sayings, just perfect finishing off any of your projects.

I made some toffee and used it to fill one of the large clear boxes that Gina carries (there is also one included in the Holiday Cheers StampTV Kit. I made a little paper tray to fit the box, lined it with parchment paper and placed my toffee in it, then just slid the tray right into the box.

I stamped the Home For the Holidays stamp with Versa Mark and heat embossed with Ranger Superfine Gold embossing powder. Then I punched it out and layered with Cranberry Tart and Good as Gold Pure Luxury papers. The corner piece was made with Melanie's new Festive Frame stamp, embossed with gold and colored with Copics.

Next up is a super cute new set from Rupa Shevde, called Winter Friends. You are going to love these adorable winter images. As soon as I saw this penguin, I knew I wanted to do a reflection technique with him. All the details on how I made this card are below.

For more inspiration, we have a couple of our Center Stage Spotlight Designers joining in the previews tonight. Here are their blog links:

Karen Knegten

Sue VanDeVusse

Then, stop by these GinaK Designers' blog for even more projects with tonight's stamp sets:

Gina Krupksy
Carolyn King
Cathy Tidwell
Cindy Lawrence
Donna Baker
Erika Martin
Emily Giovanni
Jessica Fick
Kurtis Amundson
Lee Murphy
Lynn Mercurio
Nina Brackett
Melanie Muenchinger
Asela Hopkins

Our Release party will be held tomorrow night over on SCS in GinaK's Forum from 7-10 pm CST. We'd love to have you join in the fun! There will be contest questions, challenges, chatter, and lots more samples from our designers throughout the party! I'll be hosting a challenge and hope you'll play along.

To make the penguin card, I first inked up the stamp, leaving the little motion swirls un-inked.

Then I stamped the penguin on my mirror image stamp. I huffed on the image and stamped that on my cardstock.

After stamping the reverse image, I stamped the regular image above it, lining up the skates. I've found that it is usually easier to stamp the reverse image first and then line up the straight image second.

I colored using Copics, starting with N7 on the top image.

Then I added N5, blending out from the previous color and used it in the shadows of my reflection. For a more realistic look, color your reflection lighter that your image.

Added N3 to the top image, leaving a few areas uncolored. Then added it to the reflection where I had used N5 above.

Filled in both images with C1.

Used R27 on the hat.

Added R24, and used it on the reflection, where I had used R27 on the top image.

Added R22 to the reflection.

Used the blender pen on both hats to soften the highlights.

Used B23 to highlight the swirls and E51 & R20 to add some shading to the belly, cheeks and arms.

After coloring, I used my Versa Mark pen to go over the entire images and then heat embossed with clear embossing powder.

I used torn post-it notes to mask off the ice and sponged Bashful Blue.

Sponged Ballet Blue.

Sponged Vivid Inky Blue.

Removed the mask and sponged Bashful Blue around the outer edges. .

Sponged Ballet Blue around the outer edges. I also sponged Vivid Inky Blue around the outer edges, but I didn't get that pictured. I used the mask again in the background and sponged a bit of Bashful Blue to create some faint snow banks.

Used Liquid Applique to make the white parts on the hat look puffy. Added a sentiment from the Winter Friends set, some piercing, and some red brads (from the Holiday Cheers StampTV kit). I layered with Black Onyx and White Pure Luxury cardstock. My card base is another gorgeous new Pure Luxury color, called Smokey Gray. I love this color!

Thank you for visiting me! Have a wonderful day!

Gina K Preview - First Christmas and Vintage Borders

2009-10-27T20:00:00.000-07:00

Hello! Today I have projects to show you for two new stamp sets being released this Thursday from Gina K Designs. This first one uses First Christmas, illustrated by Asela Hopkins. You are going to love the classic holiday images in this set! Check out the gorgeous new Tan Leather textured cardstock! (you can click on the image to see it larger) It's just one of the new Pure Luxury colors being released this month and part of a new Neutrals Assortment Pack. Those buttons are from the new Neutrals button assortment!
Next up is Vintage Borders, illustrated by Nina Brackett. The gorgeous border images in this set are going to be wonderful for making holiday cards, but I see many possibilities for cards all year long. I used Pure Luxury Cranberry Tart, Ivory and Chocolate Chip for my layering and the new Pure Luxury Leather for the card base.

For even more inspiration, please visit the Illustrators of the stamp sets featured tonight:

Asela Hopkins: First Christmas
Nina Brackett: Vintage Borders

Tonight, we have several of our Center Stage Spotlight Designers joining in the previews. Here are their blog links:

Deb Felts
Sharri Seffens
Melissa Cash

Finally, stop by these GinaK Designers' blog for even more projects with tonight's stamp sets:

Gina Krupksy
Carolyn King
Cathy Tidwell
Cindy Lawrence
Erika Martin
Emily Giovanni
Jessica Fick
Kurtis Amundson
Lee Murphy
Lynn Mercurio
Melanie Muenchinger
Tami Mayberry
Donna Baker

Our Release party will be held Thursday night over on SCS in GinaK's Forum from 7-10 pm CST. We'd love to have you join in the fun! There will be contest questions, challenges, chatter, and lots more samples from our designers throughout the party! See you then!

Here are the details on my cardinal card...

I started by using R29 Copic marker on the cardinal from First Christmas.

Added R24.

Used my blender pen.

After blending, I went back with R29 to deepen the shadows.

Then added a little N5 to deepen the shadows even more.

Used E33 and Y23 on the beak and then I cut out the bird.

Next, I stamped the cardinal a second time. I didn't really need to color the bird again since I planned to pop up the first bird over him, but I went ahead and colored over him very quickly so that there wouldn't be any white peeking out from under the popped up bird.

I colored the foliage with YG95, then used an opaque white gel pen to add highlights. After coloring, I used my Versa Mark pen on the whole image and then heat embossed with clear embossing powder.

I cut out the second image using oval Nestabilities. I intentionally chopped off the poor bird's head, so he would extend past the oval after I placed the first bird on top. then I sponged around the image with So Saffron ink.

Sponged with Creamy Caramel around the edges.

I used Pop Dots to adhere the first bird over the second and layered with Pure Luxury Black Onyx. Added a layer of Ivory that I embossed with my Snowflake CB folder, layered with Rocket Red, Black Onyx, Tan Leather and used an Ivory cardbase.

Thanks for stopping by. I hope you have a wonderful day!

Gina K Preview - Festive Frame

2009-10-26T20:00:00.000-07:00

Hello! I am so excited to be sharing a project using Melanie Muenchinger's gorgeous new stamp set, Festive Frame. This is a one layer card! It just looks layered because of the fabulous frame stamp Melanie designed, inspired by the poinsettia from A Year of Flowers. She created such a gorgeous composition with the pine branches and cones. In addition to the large poinsettia frame, there are several sentiments that all fit inside the frame, including the one I used here.

For even more inspiration, please visit the Illustrator of the Festive Frame stamp set Melanie Muenchinger's blog. Then, check in on our CenterStage Spotlight Designer, Diana Queen who has prepared a project for us tonight too.

After that, check out these GinaK Designer's joining in on the Preview blog hop tonight:

Gina Krupsky
Cathy Tidwell
Cindy Lawrence
Erika Martin
Emily Giovanni
Jessica Fick
Kurtis Amundson
Lee Murphy
Lynn Mercurio
Nina Brackett

Before I show you the step by step photos for my card, I wanted to give you another peek at Melanie's new set...

This is a scrapbook page I made for the Scrapbook Challenge I am hosting at StampTV this week. I'll be sharing all the step by step details for this project later in the week, but wanted to show you how beautifully this stamp set lends itself to larger compositions and invite you to play along in my challenge!

And now for my card...

To create my card, I cut a piece of base weight Pure Luxury White cardstock and then stamped my image with Memento Tuxedo Black ink. I used my Copics to color and didn't have to worry about them bleeding through, since I was using the base weight white.

I started with R29 at the centers of the leaves and along the edges.

Added R24.

Then used my blender pen to smooth the color transition into the highlighted areas.

Went back with R29 to deepen the shading.

Finished the rest of that flower and the other poinsettia in the same manner.

Used E57 on the cones, YG97 on the pine needles and R27 on the berries.

Next, I used my Versa Mark pen to go over the colored portions of the image and then heat embossed with clear embossing powder.

Used post-it notes to mask the sides and sponged Bashful Blue ink.

Sponged Ballet Blue ink and then moved my masks and did the other side.

Cut an oval from a piece of scratch paper and used it as a mask to sponge some Certainly Celery ink. My oval wasn't the exact match, but close enough that I could just reposition it a few times as I worked around the oval.

To finish, I used my YG99 Copic marker to fill in the banded areas and then used Liquid Applique to fill in the little dots on in the center of the poinsettias and on the berries, cones and pine needles to look like snow. I got it to puff up by heating just briefly with a heat gun. That stuff is so cool!

Thanks for stopping by. I hope you have a great day!

CAS Daisies

2009-10-25T20:48:00.000-07:00

Hello! Today I am sharing a CAS card made for a couple of challenges over at Split Coast Stampers. The CAS challenge this week is to use brads or eyelets, so I've got some brads on there. It is also for the Featured Stamper challenge. This week the featured stamper is RACHELHOPE13, and I chose this card by Rachel for inspiration. Participants were to change at least two things.

I changed...

Colors
Added brads
Added scoring

I used Copic markers to color the flowers (from Autumn Beauty) and leaf (A Year of Leaves). On the tan layer, I used rectangle Nestabilities to emboss and added brads. Then I layered with Pure Luxury Black Onyx.

The card base is Pure Luxury Ivory and is stamped with "thanks" from the "Give Thanks" sentiment in Autumn Beauty. Then I added two score lines along the bottom of the card base.

I'll be back Monday night with a preview for the next Gina K Designs release. I hope you'll stop by.

Thanks for visiting and have a great day!

Spooky!

2009-10-23T12:07:00.001-07:00

Hello and happy Friday! I have a spooky Halloween card to share with you today. I just the pumpkin and broom from Alicia K's latest stamp set, Feel the Magic, combined with the tree and bats from Spooky Silhouettes.

I started by stamping the jack-o-lantern with Memento Tuxedo Black ink, on Pure Luxury White cardstock.

I used a Stamp-a-ma-jig to position the broom just right. I placed the plastic sheet against the corner of the positioner, then stamped the broom on the sheet, using the corner of the positioner to guide my acrylic block.

Then I placed the plastic sheet, with the image stamped on it, over my cardstock, so that the broom was lined up the way I wanted, and moved the positioner against the corner of the sheet.

I removed the sheet and then stamped the image on the cardstock, using the postioner to guide my acrylic block.

Used YR07 Copic marker on the pumpkin.

Added YR04.

Added YR12 and then used my blender pen to soften the highlights.

Used E53 on the carved parts of the pumpkin and on the broom.

Added Y23 and Y17 to the eyes and mouth.

Used E33 and E57 on the broom.

For the stem, I used YG93 and YG95. Then I went over the images with my Versa Mark pen, then heat embossed with clear embossing powder.

Cut a 1 3/8 inch circle out of scrap paper to act as a mask to create the moon, then sponged a little Going Grey ink around the moon.

Sponged Creamy Caramel.

Sponged Pumpkin Pie.

Sponged Chocolate Chip.

Sponged Basic Black.

Removed the mask and stamped the tree and bats.

Used torn Post-it Notes to create a mask at the horizon line and sponged a bit of black and brown.

Stamped the pine branch from Winter Foliage to look like grass in the foreground.

Thanks for stopping by today. I hope you have a wonderful weekend!

Warm Winter Wishes Blog Hop

2009-10-21T20:00:00.000-07:00

Hello and welcome to a Gina K Designs blog hop for Warm Winter Wishes. This is a stamp set designed by Carolyn King, in honor of her grandmother. All of Cammie's proceeds from this set will go to the Alzheimer's Association.

Since I first saw this adorable snowman, I've wanted to give him some twig arms, so when I made this gift card holder, I left the center part of the stamp un-inked and went hunting in the garden for some good snowman twigs. All the details are below, but for now...

For even more inspiration visit Carolyn King - the Illustrator of Warm Winter Wishes and the Idea Center gallery HERE.

Then, check in with Carolyn's special guest designers:

Charlene Merrick

Tina Gilliland

Deb Anton

And, finally stop by these GinaK Designer's blog participating in the hop tonight:

Cathy Tidwell
Cindy Lawrence
Emily Giovanni
Erika Martin
Jessica Fick
Kurtis Amundson
Lee Murphy
Nina Brackett
Melanie Muenchinger
Tami Mayberry

and our CenterStage Spotlight Team:

Joy Hadden
Kay Simmons
Linda Payne
Lori McAree

GinaK will be giving away a copy of Warm Winter Wishes on her blog tonight - so pop over there to leave your comment on her blog for your chance to win the set for free! (If you've already purchased the stamp set, we can swap it out for another GinaK stamp set valued at $19.95 or less.)

To stamp my snowman, I inked all but the heart and arms. You can do this by using a marker to ink up just the specific parts of the stamp you want inked, or you can mask off the portion you want un-inked, with tape or paper.

With the heart removed, there was a portion of the scarf missing, so I used my black Memento marker to connect the ends of the scarf and then added the horizontal segments. If you color with Copics often, a Tuxedo Black Memento marker is very handy to have for instances like this, or if you image doesn't stamp clearly. You can go in and fix things and your Copics won't smear. Before I had my Memento markers, I always had to fix things after I colored my image, or I would get smearing.

I colored the hat with N7, N5, N3 and my blender pen.

Colored the body with C3, C1, B00 and my blender pen.

Colored the scarf with R27, R24 and R22.

Colored the holly with G03 and G07. Colored the nose with YR07 and YR04. After coloring, I cut out the snowman.

For the background I first rubbed my anti-static pad over my paper and then stamped the snowflake with Versa Mark ink. Then I heat embossed with clear embossing powder.

Tore some post-it notes to mask off the foreground and sponged with Bashful Blue ink.

Sponged Ballet Blue ink.

Sponged Inky Blue Vivid ink.

Removed the mask and used C3, C1 and my blender pen to add some shadows to the snow.

Attached the twig arms to the back of the snowman, using Glue Dots, then used Pop Dots to attach the snowman to the background.

To make the cardbase, I cute a piece of Pure Luxury White Base Weight cardstock in half length wise, leaving me with a piece cut to 4 1/4 by 11 inches. Then I used my Scor-pal to score at 4 1/4 and 8 1/2 inches.

Folded at the score lines and then used scissors to trim the small section in a random curvy line to look like a snow bank.

Sponged a piece of cardstock like the background above and then stamped the sentiment. I layered that with Black Onyx and then attached it to the inside of the gift card holder. Added Scor-tape to either side of the small flap and closed it up.

Then I colored the snow like above and added another twiggy snowman.

Layered the top piece with Black Onyx and added dots with an opaque white gel pen.

Thank you for stopping by. I hope you have a great day!

Special Delivery Birthday

2009-10-20T20:47:00.001-07:00

Hey there, happy stampers! Today, I have another Special Delivery card. On this card, I wanted to make a scene and then trim it to place on the large image from Special Delivery Addition.

I started by cutting a piece of Pure Luxury White cardstock to slightly larger than 3 inches square, then sponged some Apricot Appeal in the center.

Added Pretty in Pink from the edges to meet the Apricot Appeal.

Sponged Regal Rose.

Sponged Real Red.

Sponged Bravo Burgundy.

Stamped the large stamp sheet (Special Delivery Addition) stamp on my brackground.

Stamped images from Tropical Flowers, using Bravo Burgundy ink.

Next, I cut between each of the individual stamp images and then trimmed away the outer edge from each piece (only two shown trimmed here so far).

Stamped the image again, this time of Pure Luxury White paper.

Stamped the 9 cents (from Special Delivery) on each individual piece, then adhered them to the background.

Layered with Pure Luxury Black Onyx and Cranberry Tart, along with a piece of SEI glittered paper. I stamped the greeting and squiggle lines (from Special Delivery) and used my Scor-Bug to add the dotted lines on the white cardbase.

Thanks for visiting. Check back tomorrow for another Gina K Blog hop. Have a great day!

Sending Smiles - A Special Delivery Blog Hop!

2009-10-19T20:00:00.000-07:00

Hi! I made this card for a Special Delivery Blog Hop! This stamp set was designed by Tami Mayberry for Gina K Designs. It also has a wonderful companion set called Special Delivery Addition. These are both great foundation sets that can be used alone or can really expand the use and look of your existing stamp sets.

On my card, I wanted to focus on the individual stamp image and how it can be combined with small images you may already have, but also can be used with images that are bigger than the outline of the stamp image, to create a totally different look. This is another fab stamp set that will breathe new life into some of your older stamps.

Tami Mayberry, the Illustrator of these two stamp sets has invited a couple of her friends to join in on the blog hop tonight, so click on their blog links to see the projects they've created for us tonight:

Keri Sereika

Jeanne Streiff

Then, check in on these GinaK Designer's participating in the Blog Hop tonight:

Tami Mayberry (Illustrator)
Carolyn King
Cathy Tidwell
Donna Baker
Erika Martin
Jessica Fick
Lee Murphy
Melanie Muenchinger
Theresa Momber
Kay Simmons
Kurtis Amundson

After you're done hopping to all the Designer's blogs stop by GinaK's Idea Center here: Special Delivery & Special Delivery Addition for lots more ideas on how to use Tami's stamp sets. And, don't forget to check in on GinaK's blog so you can leave your comment to be entered as a chance to win these two stamp sets too!

Now for a few details...

I stamped the postage stamp image using Memento Tuxedo black ink on Pure Luxury White cardstock. Then I used post-it notes to mask off the edges, leaving a small white space along the sides.

Finished masking and stamped the pumpkins (from Autumn Beauty).

Stamped the remaining images.

Colored the images using Copic markers.

I put the post-it masks back in place and sponged some Vivid Tuscan Tan.

For the large panel, I cut a piece of Pure Luxury Sweet Corn cardstock and sponged the edges with Vivid Coffee Bean ink.

Then I ran it through my Forest Branches Cuttlebug folder and sponged over the surface with a very dry sponge dauber, with more Coffee Bean ink.

I layered the postage stamp images with Pure Luxury Chocolate Chip and Fresh Asparagus. The CB panel was layered with Chocolate Chip and Ivory and the card base is Fresh Asparagus. The two ribbon bands are from the Autumn Ribbon Assortment. The sentiment is also from Special Delivery. I stamped it with Vivid Coffee Bean and used my SU Word Window punch to cut it out, then sponged a tiny bit of Coffee Bean around the edges.

Thanks for stopping by. Have a great day!

Autumn Mist

2009-10-18T17:39:00.000-07:00

Hello! I hope you all had a wonderful weekend. I went on a gorgeous nature walk at Whiskeytown Lake with my family and that is what inspired my card today. I used images from Happy Camper, Autumn Beauty and Winter Foliage (Gina K).

To start, I stamped both leaves from Autumn Beauty in a falling pattern on my paper.

Colored with Copic markers, starting with E37.

Added YR14.

Added YR12.

Filled in with Y23.

I colored the remaining leaves the same way and then used my Versa Pen to go over all the leaves so my embossing powder would stick. Then I heat embossed with clear embossing powder.

Next, I sponged with So Saffron ink (SU). I accidentally grabbed Summer Sun when I started. That is why it is so bright around a few of the leaves. Talk about a shock! I thought I had ruined the project, but I decided to keep going and managed to come up with a decent card.

Next, I sponged Vivid Tuscan Tan.

Sponged Vivid Taupe.

Sponged Vivid Coffee Bean.

Stamped the tree portion of the mountain scene stamp from Happy Camper, using Coffee Bean ink.

Used E57 and E33 Copic markers to add some shadows and ripples to the water.

Stamped the pine branch from Winter Foliage to look like grass around the bottom, using Coffee Bean ink.

Used a white gel pen to add some highlights.

Layered with Pure Luxury Black Onyx, Sweet Corn and a Chocolate Kiss card base.

That's the end of the stamping portion of my post. If you want to see a few nature photos, read on...

Here is one of the falls we saw on our walk today. That's my daughter off to the side.

Here is a little creek trail we walked along.

More falls.

My husband took this photo while on a hike he took the other day. I thought it was cool.

Thanks for visiting me today. I'll be back tomorrow for a Gina K blog hop featuring Special Delivery, the debut stamp set by Tami Mayberry.

Have a great day!

Lord of the Season Blog Hop!

2009-10-16T20:00:00.000-07:00

Hi all! My card today is for a special Gina K Designs blog hop, featuring Nina Brackets gorgeous new stamp set, Lord of the Season.

I really love this autumn wreath topiary and had some pattern paper all picked out to go with it and plans to do a pretty elaborate sketch. After I colored it, I thought the image was too pretty and needed a simple design, so I added a bow on the right and balanced that with a piece of Pure Luxury Ivory paper on the left. (more details below)

For even more ideas with Nina Brackett's Lord of the Season stamp set, visit her blog as well as the GinaK Idea Center here: Lord of the Season

GinaK Designer's joining in on the hop tonight:

Nina Brackett
Carolyn King
Cathy Tidwell
Donna Baker
Erika Martin
Jessica Fick
Emily Giovanni
Lee Murphy
Melanie Muenchinger

Theresa Momber

September's Center Stage Spotlight Team:

Janice Melton
Joy Hadden
Kay Simmons
Lori McAree

Nina's Guest DT and friends:

Crystal Bernsdorf
JenMarie Taylor
Lisa Hjulberg

First I stamped the image on Pure Luxury Ivory paper, using Memento Tuxedo Black ink. I really wanted to get a lot of dimension on the tiny images in the wreath, so I first filled in the orange with my blender pen, then went around the edges with my YR07 Copic marker. Then I used my blender pen again and pull some of the orange ink out into the center of the orange.

I find that when making big color transition like this, it helps the color blend easier if I coat the area with blender solution before add the color.

For the grapes, I used the same method of going over the grape cluster with my blender pen, before adding a dot of purple using my V06 marker, then used the blender pen to smooth it out again.

For the apples I used R29, using the same process of covering the area with blender solution first.

Then used my blender pen to push some color to the center.

Same technique for the lemons, using Y17.

For the centers of the sunflowers, I did the same thing again, using E37 and my blender pen. Then for the petals, I just used Y23.

For the leaves, I used my blender pen and YR14, then added some Y17. I also used these colors for the leaf on the flower pot.

To color the flower pot, I went around all the edges with E37.

Then blended out from there with E33, working in small circles.

Added E53, again working in small circles.

Then used my colorless blender pen to soften the color transition and push some of the color away from the highlighted areas.

Used V06 around the edges of the bow.

Then added V04 and my blender pen to finish the bow. I also used C1 in a small line all the way around the image, giving it a bit of a shadow to pop off the paper.

I sponged around the edges of the paper with Vivid Straw ink.

Then sponged with Vivid Butterscotch ink.

I layered the image with Pure Luxury Black Onyx and Ivory, and used a Pure Luxury Sweet Corn card base.

Thank you for stopping by. Have a great weekend!

Spruced Holly

2009-10-16T06:00:00.000-07:00

Good morning and happy Friday! What a great blog hop yesterday. I loved hopping around and seeing all the wonderful inspiration. Tonight, we will be having another blog hop, this time featuring Nina's new stamp set, Lord of the Season.

Today I have another A Very Merry Christmas card. I used the tree to create a "wooded" background for the holly focal image.

I started by stamping my image with Memento Tuxedo Black ink, then used Copics to color the image. I used R29 on the bow and berries, leaving a tiny white spot on each berry for a highlight.

Added R27 to the bow.

Added R24 and R22 to the bow.

Used G07 along the leaf edges and veins.

I used my blender pen to pull the green out into the center of the leaves to give them dimension, then went back over the edges with Go7.

Used E57 on the stem and then cut out the image.

To create the background, I sponged Bashful Blue ink on a piece of Pure Luxury White paper.

I sponged Certainly Celery, Old Olive and Vivid Vintage Green on the lower part (sorry lost some pics) and then sponged Ballet Blue around the top.

Stamped the tree from A Very Merry Christmas using Vivid Olive ink. To get some fainter images in the background, I just stamp a second time without re-inking.

I layered the holly with an over, cut using Spellbinders Oval Nestabilities. I sponged Certainly Celery ink on the oval and then layered with a Scallop Oval, using Pure Luxury All Spruced Up card stock. I layered the back ground with All Spruced Up, Rocket Red and used an All Spruced Up card base. The ribbon is Spruce Pure Luxury Organdy ribbon.

Thanks for visiting. Have a wonderful day!

Blog Candy Winner!

2009-10-16T05:40:00.000-07:00

Hello! I used Random.org to draw a winner for my blog candy and the winner is...

Theresa said...

Beautiful card and great set! Would love to win it.
theresabeddy@aol.com

Congrats, Theresa! Drop me an email with your address and I'll get your stamps right out. (cashcrafters@gmail.com)

A Very Merry Blog Hop!

2009-10-14T20:00:00.001-07:00

Hi and and thanks for hopping along the A Very Merry Christmas blog hop! Tonight some members of the Gina K Design Team and CSS team, along with a few guests will be sharing ideas and inspiration using my new set, A Very Merry Christmas.

Here is a card I made using some of the fabulous new Pure Luxury card stock colors just released along with the bells from A Very Merry Christmas. More details below...

Would you like to win a set??? Just leave me a comment at the end of this post and be sure to leave me a way to contact you! I'll choose a winner Thursday night and post the winner's name on Friday.

For even more ideas using A Very Merry Christmas stamp set, visit the GinaK Idea Center here: A Very Merry Christmas. My tip sheet has been added to the Idea Center as a PDF so you can print out the tips and suggestions for a handy reference tool. We've also included Copic coloring links too.

Here's all the Designer's Blog Links to check out tonight:

Carolyn King
Cathy Tidwell
Donna Baker
Erika Martin
Jessica Fick
Lee Murphy
Nina Bracket
Melanie Muenchinger

September's Center Stage Spotlight Team:

Giovana Smith
Janice Melton
Kay Simmons
Linda Payne
Lori McAree

and finally, my Guest Designers for A Very Merry Christmas:

Selma Stevenson
Sharri Seffens
and special guests...
Geri Utterback
Brenda Turner

I started by stamping the jingle bells with Versa Mark ink and heat embossing with Ranger Superfine gold embossing powder. Then I used Y17 Copic marker to color the shadows.

Added Y23.

Added Y21, leaving just a few small areas uncolored for highlights.

Used my blender pen to soften the transition from the yellow to white and then added YR14 to the holes in the bells. After coloring the bells, I cut them out, separating them from the ribbon.

Next, I stamped the image again, this time with Memento Tuxedo Black, and started coloring with R29.

Added R27.

Added R24.

Added R22.

sed an opaque white ink pen to add a few highlights to the ribbon.

Added Pop Dots to the gold embossed bells and attached them to the other bell image.

Sponged Certainly Celery ink (SU) to a piece of Pure Luxury Ivory paper.

Sponged Old Olive.

Sponged Vintage Green (Vivid) just on the very edges.

Stamped the holly flourish on two corners, using Vivid Olive ink.

I colored in the flourish with YG03 and used the fine tip on my Lady Bug Red Memento Marker to color the berries.

I layered with Pure Luxury Black Onyx, Good as Gold, Cranberry Tart and used a Fresh Asparagus card base. After assembling, I used Crystal Lacquer on the bells and ribbon. The sentiment is also from A Very Merry Christmas.

Thanks for visiting. Have a great day!

A Very Hip Hop!

2009-10-12T20:00:00.000-07:00

Hello and welcome to a very Hip blog hop! Today, members of the Gina K Designs team, CSS team and special guests are have a special blog hop, featuring Melanie Muenchinger's new set, Hip To Be Square. I made some fun treat holders for my project.

This is a slider decoration that you can add to candy canes (or straws for a fun kids party) and hang from your tree. You could use them to decorate presents, add to Christmas stockings or to just pass around to friends at school.

This little guy holds a Hershey's Treasure and can hang from a tree as an ornament, or given as a treat at school parties. Add a name and they can be place holders on your holiday table.

Here is the same idea with a Jack O Lantern. Wouldn't these be fun to send to school or hand out to neighbor kids?

For even more ideas with Melanie Muenchinger's Hip to be Square stamp set, visit her blog link below as well as the GinaK Idea Center here: Hip to Square. Melanie's tip sheet has been added to the Idea Center as a PDF so you can print out her tips and suggestions for a handy reference tool!

Here's all the Designer's Blog Links to check out tonight:

Melanie Muenchinger
Carolyn King
Cathy Tidwell
Donna Baker
Erika Martin
Jessica Fick
Lee Murphy
Nina Bracket
Theresa Momber

September's Center Stage Spotlight Team:

Giovana Smith
Kay Simmons
Linda Payne

and finally, Melanie's Guest Designer for Hip to be Square:

Karen Knegten

and Special guests:

Tina Gilliland

Selma Stevenson

Geri Utterback

And now the details for my projects...

The Snowman Hershey's Treasure Keeper -

I started by stamping the circle and snowman face on a piece of Pure Luxury White cardstock, using Memento Tuxedo Black ink. Then I stamped the nose with Pumpkin Pie (SU).

Used N3 Copic marker around the edge of the circle.

Added C1 in small circles, working inward.

Used my blender pen to soften the transition.

Next, I used a 1 1/4 inch circle punch (EK Success) to punch out the snowman.

Stamped and cut out the hat, then added a narrow strip of paper as a band around it. Then I adhered the hat to the snowman.

Cut a piece of cardstock 1 1/4 by 4 inches, then score at 1 1/2 and 2 1/2.

Fold on score lines and round the corners, then, with the ends matching, punch two holes for ribbon.

Then I put the Hershey's Treasure in the center section, added scor-tape to the end, between and below the punched holes and then secured the ends together.

Next I threaded gold cord through the holes I punched and tied it off.

I layered the snowman with a few scallop circles cut from Nestabilitites. I attached the layered snowman so that it covered the knot in the cording and used Pop Dots at the top, but just adhesive at the bottom.

Candy Cane Slider -

I started by stamping the snowman elements on Pure Luxury White cardstock , with the hat at an angle, then colored the same as above.

Then I used a Versa Mark pen over the entire image for my embossing powder to stick and heat embossed with clear embossing powder.

I used an oval Nestabilities to cut out the snowman and then sponged while still in the die, with Bashful Blue and Ballet Blue inks.

After sponging, I drew a twig arm and punched a few holes to tie a ribbon. Then I added my bow and layered on a Red Rocked scallop oval.

For the back I cut a piece of cardstock to 1 by 3-1/2, inches and scored at 1/2, 1-1/4, 2-1/4 and 3 inches. When using a scor-pal, do the 1/2 and 3 inch score lines, then slide the cardstock over 1/4 inch (shown above) and score at the 1-1/2 and 2-1/2 marks for the other two score lines.

Next, punch a hole in the second and third segments. A 3/8 inch hole punch would have been perfect for the candy canes I have, but I only had a 1/4 inch punch. So I punched the holes and then used a craft knife to extend them a bit to accommodate the larger diameter of the candy cane.

Made my folds, added some Scor-Tape and slide my candy cane on. Then I just adhered the oval snowman piece that I had prepared.

Jack-o-Lantern Treasure Keeper -

I made this one the same way as above, but used the Jack-O-Lantern face instead of the snowman face.

I was having a hard time lining up the stem for the pumpkin, so I cut some notches in rubber on either side of the stem, so I could see how to line it up.

I didn't take a picture of the one I messed up, but you can see that I did ok after cutting those notches.

I used YR07 to make some curved shadow lines and then YR04 to blend from there and filled in with YR12. Then just cut it out, add layers and assemble as shown above.

Thanks for stopping by today. Be sure to visit Wednesday night, or Thursday for A Very Merry Christmas blog hop and Blog Candy. Have a great day!