My best birthday EVER!!

At the beginning of the month, I created a file folder of all projects I need, want and should finish… WOW it’s a BIG FOLDER now. So here is the first one… the title page of my 40th birthday photo book.

One down… 57 to go… uugghh

This was created with Stampin’ Up’s Pieces of Cake digital set available for SaleABration so it was FREE… making it my new favourite set I also used a scallop ribbon from the Noteworthy digi set we were given for FREE at convention (hahaha…my previously favorite set)

Thanks so much for stopping by and letting me know what you think,

Carole

KKC10 Inspiration

A dear friend was promoted at work last week and the KKC challenge is ‘roughly’ the same colours as her company logo ssssooooo I did alil’ combo.

In this week challenge t Carrie Gaskin’s Ka-Pow Kreative Challenge we had this lovely inspiration image to follow and I focused on the colour scheme with Daffodil Delight, Early Espresso, Cherry Cobbler and Marina Mist.

KKC10 It was her day!

I stamped our SU Medallion in Versamark then our Script background stamp in Early Espresso and ‘smashed’ them together and stamped the double stamped image onto our Glossy White Paper. After letting it dry, I cut it into 3s and wiped all three pieces with a different ink pad and matted the set of them. After embossing the card base I also sticky stripped some grosgrain ribbon in between the layers and added a ruffled edge from a border punch.

I stamped the sentiment onto a punched out Modern Label and inserted a circle brad with a pearl in the middle coloured with Cherry Cobbler.
What do you think??

Close-up on Smashed Technique

I like this dbl stamping to create your own unique background pattern paper, I am sure someone else has the real name for the technique… but til I hear different it’s my “smashed stamps” technique.

Also this week I changed up the blog…new theme, new header but now realized it’s blurry oohh no. I will try to redo it but I like the simple clean design now.

hugs and thx for stopping by,
Carole

Wow you're the Best KA-POW Challenges!!!

This card was created on a Very Vanilla Card base with the bottom quarter embossed with a Soft Suede mat with long banners in Regal Rose, River Rock and Cajun Craze. Also made a scallop circle Cajun Craze flower with center made from lil balls of Regal Rose  matted on a Cajun ‘doily’ cut from our Perfect Pennant Die.
My sentiment block is Very Vanilla on Cajun Craze in Cajun Craze and wrapped in Hemp Twine and I used Friendly Phrases Stamp Set.

Extra touches – I spritzed Soft Suede with our  Color Spritzer Tool, stamped the banners with images from the new SAB set Fresh Vintage and added a brad from the Everyday Enhancement pack.

What do you think??  Try the challenge yourself – it was the best workout of the year so far!!

Come check out what everyone else did with this combo, and then post your own creation,

Smiles, Carole

Recently I participated in a card swap involving a stamp set from the SAB flyer – I choose Elementary Elegance and my plan was to create a gallery of ordinary frames with one STAND OUT frame for a ONE OF A KIND card.

One of a Kind Card

I used Elegant Eggplant, Wisteria Wonder and Lucky Limeade ink and card stock with Frame It and Fabulous Phrases stamp sets. I versa-marked and stamped the ‘one’ and ‘kind’ stamps then heat embossed them in white and wrote ‘of a’ in a white pen.
I crimped the Eggplant mat and layered it onto DSP with a Whisper White mat with stamped images and punched Curly Label with a piece of Ruffled Ribbon attached with a silver brad.

What do you think?? I love the colour combo – hhmm< might need to use that again,

Smiles, thanks for stopping by

Carole

Sketch KKC07

Another KaPow Kreative Challenge with a sketch at Carrie’s blog this week. What a fun distraction from all the basket work I have been submerged in for the last month.

I decided to enlarge the swag in MDS in the Christmas Lodge digital stamps then repeat it in 3 different colours to emulate the 3 blocks in the sketch. I used Cherry Cobbler, Not Quite Navy, Bashful Blue and Sahara Sand inks and papers.

Hybrid KKC07

I once again layered a mat stamped with the wood grain stamp onto a card base then attached a block of whisper white that was printed with the emlarged image and blocks of colour blocks. I then tied it off with SU baker’s twine and added a sentiment with pearl accents.

I hope you like it and are having as much fun as I am with these challenges.  Come join us and maybe YOU can be the SuperHero of the week!!

Smiles, Carole

KKC06_Nov22 Inspiration

The week’s Ka-Pow Kreative Challenge at Carrie Gaskin’s blog is an inspiration challenge. This image is full of great colour and the one block with dots made me think of our Circle Circus stamp set.

Even though this card is so simple, this time of year and the shortage of time I am feeling I needed a card that I could mass produce quickly but was also easily adaptable with extra bling-age, sparkles and ribbons to take it up a notch for those extra special recipients.

That's one BRIGHT Holiday Card

I used Poppy Parade, Tempting Turquoise and Daffodil Delight – card stock, DSP and ink. Our 1inch circle punch and the top of the Tiny Tag punch.

I would love to see what you create from this inspiration… I have been blown away by everyone’s different take on each challenge.
So come play along,

Carole

KKC05

During this time of year, it’s very difficult for me to find time to create outside of work, but I vowed to honor my commitment to my Ka-Pow sisters!!!

So here is this week’s installment of the Ka-Pow Kreative Challenges at Carrie Gaskin’s Artist Avenger blog… however somehow I made it harder for myself than necessary.

The week is a colour challenge – I have discovered these are my favorite – and this one is a gorgeous combo.

KKC05-oops!!

I had to do a card for a top realtor at RE/Max in Richmond and thought Over the Top oops… Up, up and Away would be a great stamp set because of the hot air balloons.

I was quite happy with the way it was coming together then it hit me… OH NO… I used Poppy Parade instead of Real Red… oohh nooo, can you imagine? Plus I used a ‘retired’ strip of sticker border from a Simply Scrappin kit … double OH NO – how could I?? So I had to scratch this one and start again.

Back to the drawing board… and this is what I came up with on the 2nd go round… uuggghhh.

The REAL KKC05

With the 2nd card I decided to go back to the holiday theme and also wanted to do a hybrid card.

On a Sahara Sand base, I stacked another piece of cardstock stamped with the wood grain stamp with Sahara Sand ink, layered a strip of Real Red cardstock as well a block of Not quite Navy, Bashful Blue and Whisper White.

In my editing software, I ‘stamped’ the evergreen swag from the MDS Christmas Lodge brush set and kept rotating it til it made a wreath-like looking design; then printed off the block and attached it on top of the ‘blues’.

Ink blended w/Crystal Effects

Almost a yr ago, Carrie showed us this fun technique of adding ink to Crystal Effects which I repeated here to make the lil ‘baubles’ on my wreath and then glued on a bow of twine.

For the sentiment, I used Curly Cute in real red craft ink, clear embossed it then popped on a couple Vintage Trinket brads.

What do you think>>> let me know… then do a card up yourself in these stunning colors and join us in the challenge,

Thx tons for looking and letting me know what you think,

CaroleM

KKC04 Sketch

This week’s challenge over at Carrie Gaskin’s blog, her Ka-Pow Kreative Challenge is a sketch with a large element with a strip accent (or 2) behind it.

I have been so inspired by everyone’s holiday cards in the galleries nowadays, but sadly I never send cards out during the season due to my severe time restrictions, and therefore never MAKE holiday cards  - however in the middle of October I DO have time to do something seasonal.

I created this poinsettia with the scriptie leaf stamp from Faith in Nature. I stamped it ON and IN Cherry Cobbler then cut out a few. Once trimmed, I gave each one alil spritz of water to soften the cardstock so I could pinch and form the petals easier.

Stamped Petals

I stamped the flourish twice from Best Friends in Chocolate Chip ink on Whisper White, sprayed the paper block with our SmoothSpritz then inked the edges with brown. I layered the petals to create the flower in between the 2 flourish images and attached a couple little punched circles; reg and scallop to the middle of the flower.

I stamped a holiday sentiment banner from Pines and Poinsettias in Daffodil Delight then, shockingly and painstakingly, cut it out and attached it under one of the petals. I also stamped the holly berries from the same set to a Vintage Mini Tag, attached it to a “Carrie” corner with a Vintage Tricket safety pin and then topped it off with alil folded piece of striped grosgrain ribbon.

I then adhered the white mat to a distressed Chocolate Chip brown mat and both of them to a Daffodil Delight full card form  - wonder where this unusual colour combo  came from… our Colour Coach, of course…it really gives you the courage to try new things, by showing you that it’s OK because Stampin Up! has already proven that they work.

KKC04 Holiday Wishes

What do you think – unconvential Holiday colours I know…but I think it works and will definitely STAND OUT on someone’s mantel or desk during the holiday season.

Come on over to Carrie’s blog to join the challenge. I have really loved seeing everyone’s interpretations of each challenge – just so inspiring. Come and join us!!

Big hugs and thanks for stopping by,

Carole

First Skates

J and I had an awesome afternoon… but as soon as I saw him and told hime that we were gonna going ice-skating; he stated a matter of factly… ‘I am gonna play hockey auntie’.

Sadly I am always the ‘bubble buster’… ‘Well bud you have to learn to skate first; then maybe you can play one day’.

His confidence in his own ability (before EVER slipping on his first set of skates) is nothing short of admirable. He was convinced that once he shows me how well he skates; he WILL be playing hockey. aaahhhh, I do love 4yr self-assurance!!

J meet ICE !!

So he had abit of a rough start… even with all that confidence… as soon as those skates hit the ice and his legs went out from underneath him, he landed on his butt and declared… “WOW it’s slippery” but even with all his ‘ice time’ he constantly had a smile on his face

Everyone needs alil help

He was ready to leave pretty much 5mins after arriving but after watching some guys play hockey in the rink beside us… he was happy to stay about longer.

Look at action shots!!!!

He's doing IT!!

He totally got into it after a few shaking moments and we stayed for an hour and a half.

NHL look out!

Looks like a pro—

Then we headed off to the pumpkin patch and pizza hut to cap off the afternoon.

Thx for checking in and taking a look,

Carole

KKC03 Colours

Thanks for stopping by today. I am excited to share this simple card with you for another one of Carrie Gaskin’s Ka-Pow Kreative Challenges. This one is a colour challenge to include Daffodil Delight, Wisteria Wonder, Pumpkin Pie and White.

I used the lrg Rose from Fifth Ave Floral in the 3 colours and masked off the designs as I went. I stamped the sentiment from Wings of Friendship in orange but needed alil something extra…

Re-colouring of DDiamonds

So I took an old face cream sample jar loaded it with Dazzling Diamonds Glitter and quite a few drops of Pumpkin Pie ink. Well, look at it – it’s purple… just weird. So I ditched that idea… and went to plan B.

I decided that it might be easier to burnish some Dazzling Diamonds into strips of Sticky Strip (a couple different widths…actually I cut the one in half) then used a makeup sponge to apply colour to the strips.

First Strip to be coloured

I scotch taped the top and bottom of each strip, coloured each one then lifted the tape off the paper, peeled off the back of the sticky strip and laid them side by side on the base of the sentiment piece.

I embossed the base of the card with the Square Lattice folder, layered the stamped base onto top of a piece of Wisteria cardstock, attached the glittered sentiment block and stuck it all on the base.

KKC03- Colour me some DD

What do you think?? too simple – - too blah… Let me know your thoughts.

Why not pop over to Carrie’s blog Artistic Avenger and play along with the Challenge?? Maybe you will be the SuperHero of the week??

Thanks again for stopping by,
Carole