Kraftin' Kimmie Pins & Pearls

This week's Kraftin' Kimmie challenge, hosted by Sandie Dunn, is to use pins and pearls. I knew the lovely and elegant Elaine would be perfect, especially paired with the beautiful papers in the Howdy Doody paper pack by My Mind's Eye. I colored with Copics, then trimmed out Elaine to fit the layout, which is this month's Sketch For You To Try. The rolled flower at the top was done with a My Favorite Things die, and the others flowers are from my stash. The pink pearl stick pins and light green pearls are both from Pizzazz Aplenty.

Check out Kimmie's blog for LOADS of challenge inspiration. You will be amazed! That's where you'll link up to play along, too!

And here's the SFYTT that I used:

Those three little circles are proving tricky for me! This time, I went with a loose interpretation using scattered flowers and a button. Remember, the SFYTT Sisters are posting weekly sketch inspiration. Today (after 11 am), you can also see samples from Amber, Megan, Becky, and Iwona. When you're ready to play, link up your creation HERE. If you play along each month, you'll be eligible for a huge prize pack drawing at the end of the year. 

See you again soon, and in the meantime, have a fab weekend!

Stamps: Elaine (Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps)
Paper: Papertrey Vintage Cream and Fine Linen card stock, My Mind's Eye Miss Caroline Howdy Doody 6x6 collection
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black, Ranger Old Paper, Tea Dye, and Walnut Stain Distress Ink
Accessories: Copic markers, Spellbinders Classic Circle Nestabilities, paper flowers from stash, May Arts ivory burlap string and crochet trim, My Favorite Things Rolled Flower and Medium Scallop Border Dienamics dies, Pizzazz Aplenty pink pearl stick pins and 4mm Jade Ice pearls, Papertrey button, paper flowers from stash, sewing machine, foam adhesive
Size: 4 1/4" x 5 1/2

Deconstructed Sketch #38 - Thank U

Happy Thursday! Happy Deconstructed Sketch day :)

Here's what we get to play with this week:

I had a blast making my challenge sample. The sketch is fabulous and so, so easy to work with, the Verve You and I stamp set and coordinating I Heart U Die Set are among my favorite Verve ever, and the papers (Howdy Doody from My Mind's Eye's Miss Caroline line) are just beyond gorgeous. Lots of distressing, stitching, sanding, flowers, twine, ribbon, trim -- all my favorite things!

Ready to play along? Go HERE to link up your creation. And be sure to hop around for lots of sketch inspiration: 

• Amber Hight
• Amy Sheffer, Guest Designer (that's me)
• Arielle Gordon
• Donna Wardle
• Jen Shults
• Jessica Diedrich
• Kadie Ensley
• Lori Boyd
• Pam Varnell
• Sheri Gilson

Stamps: You and I (Verve Stamps)

Paper: Papertrey Kraft card stock, Neenah Classic Crest Solar White card stock, My Mind's Eye Miss Caroline Howdy Doody 6x6 collection

Ink: Stampin' Up White craft ink, Ranger Frayed Burlap Distress Ink

Accessories: Verve I Heart U Die Set, Spellbinders Picot Circle Nestabilities, Papertrey button, May Arts twine, lace trim (from stash) Papertrey Berry Sorbet ribbon, Stampin' Up So Saffron ribbon, Recollections mini roses, distressing tool, foam adhesive, sewing machine

Size: 4 1/4" x 5 1/2"

Let's Take Off {TCP Tues}

Part of my sweet new gig with The Cat's Pajamas will be playing along in the weekly TCP Tuesday challenges. Not necessarily on Tuesday, I should add (I do know today is Wednesday {grin}). The challenges run all week, and so The Cat Pack rolls out inspirational samples all week, too. 

For this week's challenge, Jen gives us this inspiration collage: 

How's that for FUN?! 

I confess the only way I know how to handle a rainbow of color all at once is to go CAS (clean and simple). Love how the white space lets the colors pop without being too overwhelming. The image, from Up, Up & Away, is colored with Copics, the sentiment is from Away We Go, and the clouds are cut from the Clouds Border CutUps die.

Want to play along? Here are some details you will want to know {including how to become the next Swanky Stamper!}…

1. Each Tuesday we will give you a challenge.
2. You will have until the end of the month to complete the challenge.
3. Add your entry to the Inlinkz Gallery on Alma’s blog or upload to SCS using the keyword TCPTUES196 for this week’s challenge.

4. TCP stamps are not required for this challenge, but highly recommended.
5. There will be one randomly chosen weekly winner, announced on Tuesdays who will win a Gift Voucher for use on The Cat’s Pajamas website.

6. There will be one winner, The Swanky Stamper, announced the 1st of each month. That winner will win several sets from an upcoming release and get to play along with us at our Pajama Party and Blog Hop.

Good luck!

Meowy Good News!!

I've just about been dying to share this happy news -- I'm joining Sprinkle and the gang as the newest member of the The Cat Pack, a.k.a. The Cat's Pajamas design team! Alma (TCP owner) has a little announcement over on her blog, too -- hope you'll check it out!

And since I couldn't let one more minute go by without trying on my swanky new watermark, I put together this last-minute number for the current TCP Tuesday challenge, hosted by Leigh O'Brien:

The image and sentiment are from Ewe Complete Me. I used one of the TCP CutUps dies, Circus Panels,   for the base part of my banners. I just cut them in half, then stitched traditional triangular pennants on top.

I colored primarily with Copics, then added the grass with Prismacolor pencils. Here's a closer look:

I've always thought that the stippled-style shading looks really fun and decided to give it a go here. I have no idea if there's a "proper" technique, but little marker dots in a few different shades of light blue-greens, warm grays and even a light blue-violet seemed a good place to start..

Thanks for sharing my happy news! Meow ;)

 


Stamps: Ewe Complete Me (The Cat's Pajamas)
Paper: Papertrey Smokey Shadow card stock, Copic X-Press It Blending card stock, Neenah Classic Crest Solar White card stock, My Mind's Eye Love Me 6x6 collection
Ink: Versafine Onyx Black, Memento Tuxedo Black, Stampin' Up Soft Sky, Tim Holtz Pumice Stone Distress Ink
Accessories: TCP Circus Panels CutUps, Spellbinders classic circle Nestabilities, Wilton doily, Pizzazz Aplenty 2mm clear rhinestones, paper piercer/needle/thread, sewing machine, foam adhesive, Copic markers, Prismacolor pencils, corner rounder, Papertrey buttons, Cotton Candy Divine Twine
Size: 4 1/4" x 5 1/2"

February SFYTT: Your Next Stamp

[***Second post today. Scroll down for my Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps Challenge post***]

It's time to unveil the February Sketch For You To Try! How do you like monthly sketch/weekly inspiration format?

This month, we're sponsored by another super fun company, Your Next Stamp, home of some of the cutest images money can buy! Remember, if you complete all twelve sketches during the year, you'll be eligible for a super prize pack in December!

Take a good, hard look at the February sketch ...

... because it might be hard to spot in my, er, "creative" interpretation {grin}:

Between rotating the sketch 90 degrees, replacing the three small circles with clouds, and then using an image that substantially exceeds the focal panel, the sketch is, granted, a bit manipulated, but the nuts and bolt are all there. The adorable image is Up, Up & Away from the new Jenny Suchin Designs line at Your Next Stamp. I paper pieced the balloon and basket and colored the koala (also popped up on dimensionals) with Copic markers.

The fun papers are from another collection by UHK Gallery, a paper company in Poland that I posted about earlier this week. This collection is called Babie Lato - BOY.  Love these colors!

For sketch inspiration, visit the SFYTT Sisters:

Jen del Muro with Designer of the Month Angela Thomas
Amber Hight 

Becky Carafa 

Carole Burrage 

Iwona Palamountain 

Jen Tapler 

Jodi Collins 

Kerry Johnson 

Megan Lock 

Susan Liles

and an extra dose of inspiration from YNS designers (links on Jen's blog)

Have a good weekend, friends!

Kraftin Kimmie Stamps Guest!

I hinted on Thursday that there might be another secret or two around here, and today I'm so excited to share that I am the February Krafty Guest at Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps! I'll be joining the fantastic KKS designers for their Saturday challenges and for their February release coming up mid-month. Thanks for having me, Kimmie!

Kimmie herself is hosting today's challenge, and, being that her birthday was yesterday, her challenge theme for us is BIRTHDAY!

I kind of goofed and used a stamp (Francesca) that's no longer in the current inventory, but she was too perfect for the theme, so out she came! I colored with Copics and added some glitter around the candle flames. The papers and all the cute birthday accents (February calendar, "another year older" tab, "celebrate," and "bestdayever!") are from the Simple Stories Happy Day 6x6 pad.

Head over to the Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps blog for inspiration from the Krafty Girls! And don't miss the birthday sale, this weekend only. More than 100 of Kimmie's favorite stamps are on sale ....  either 41% off or $4.10! I wonder if you can guess which birthday she celebrated yesterday ;)




Stamps: Francesca (Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps [retired])
Paper: Papertrey Kraft and Dark Chocolate, Copic XPress-It blending card stock, Simple Stories Happy Day 6x6 collection
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black, Ranger Antique Linen, Frayed Burlap, Vintage Photo Distress Inks
Accessories: Copic markers, Sakura quickie glue pen, clear ultrafine glitter, sewing machine, distressing tool, paper piercer/needle/thread, My Favorite Things Scallop Border Die-namics, Papertrey buttons, ribbon, and twine, foam adhesive
Size: 5 1/2" square

Secrets

Pick up your tin can telephone, because I have a secret to share! For the next three months, I have the pleasure of being a guest of Jen Shults and the rest of the talented girls at The Deconstructed Sketch. I am so excited! Jen's sketches are always amazing and if her team's samples don't inspire you to stamp, nothing will! Serious, serious coloring skills in that bunch. Hope some of that rubs off on me!

The Deconstructed Sketch is posted weekly on Thursdays at 6 am CST. The first sketch of the month is sponsored and therefore has a time limit, but the rest are open-ended, so for those, feel free to join in whenever you can. This first sketch of February is sponsored by Saturated Canary. I had not seen these images before being given the opportunity to choose an image for today. Of course, now I'm seeing them all over the place, and I can spot Krista's artistry a mile away. I would have happily chosen her whole catalog if I could have!  Be sure to check out the Saturated Canary etsy shop, and if you're as smitten as I am, then play along for a chance to win two digis of your choice, courtesy of Saturated Canary. Jen has the link-up tool, along with the challenge deadline, here on her blog.

Sketch inspiration from the Deconstructed Sketch crew:

• Amber Hight
• Amy Sheffer, Guest Designer (me)
• Arielle Gordon
• Donna Wardle
• Jen Shults
• Jessica Diedrich (sitting out this week)
• Kadie Ensley
• Lori Boyd
• Pam Varnell
• Sheri Gilson

The image I used is Secrets, Ragamuffin Friends. I printed on Neenah Solar White card stock and colored with Copics. The papers are from Simple Stories' Happy Day 6x6 collection. The oval label die-cuts are from The Cat's Pajamas, and the letter stickers are by Jenni Bowlin. Scallop border die is by My Favorite Things, the brown pearls are Kaisercraft, and the flowers are a combination of Zva Creative and Recollections.

See you soon! And keep those tin cans handy. Just sayin' {wink}.