Guest Designing at Simon Says Stamp!

Hey, friends!  How have the holidays been treating you?  I must admit I LOVE Christmas, but I am just as happy to see it go as I am to see it arrive.  The New Year is just around the corner and holds promises of new beginnings and fresh starts.  I don't get into the whole resolution thing, but the idea of a fresh start sounds mighty good right about now, that being said through a mouthful of sugar cookies and an eggnog chaser.  ***burp***

I don't know what 2015 holds for me, but I do know that I would like to make more time for card making.  I have more or less been on hiatus for the past few months and although that was a lovely break, I miss playing in my studio.  Time to get inky again!  

I recently dusted off some of my supplies and created a card for the Simon Says Stamp Blog.  I'm guest designing for them today and they asked me for a card featuring one of my favorite word stamps.  I immediately grabbed an Art Impressions set (Under My Umbrella) and went to work.  Here's what I wrote for the Simon Says Stamp Blog...

Sometimes the sentiment makes the card and that’s why I love that Art Impressions adds 2-3 really great word stamps to each of their sets.  This particular sentiment is one of my absolute favorites and can almost stand alone.  I started to do that here, however, I couldn’t resist those sweet Girlfriends and ended up adding the image, as well.   I did hold back a bit on the coloring and left a lot of the image white in order to make the sentiment the star of the card.  I added just enough color to give the card a finished appearance.  

Pretty much everything that Art Impressions offers is fabulous including their sentiments, however, the Girfriends stamps have a special place in my heart.  They remind me so much of my wonderfully wacky group of gal pals. Each set includes just the right words, from silly to serious, to convey exactly what I want to say and you just can’t beat that.

Materials:

Art Impressions Under My Umbrella Set

Spellbinders Dies

My Minds Eye Patterned Paper 6x6 collection “Remarkable”

Memento Tuxedo Black Ink

Distress Ink Pad Pumice Stone

Distress Ink Pad Tumbled Glass

Stickles Diamond

Black and White Baker’s Twine

3M Foam Tape

Scor Tape 1/4”

Black Buttons

Clear Gems

Copic Colors Used:

Skin- R20, E00, E000

Hair- E37, E35, E31 (brown), E18, E09, E07, E02 (red)

Umbrella- Y17, Y13, Y11

Clothing- C3, 0 (coats), BG02, BG01, B0000 (accessories), C5, C3 (belt, shoes)

    

Thanks for stopping by today!  See you in 2015!  Happy New Year!

A new release at Art Impressions!

Incredibowl Set (Sku #4530)

Birthday Love Set (Sku#4529

Don't Sweat It Set (Sku#4528)

Sports Fan Shaker (Sku#4527)

Hey, all!  Last week I was lucky enough to be given an opportunity to play with some brand spankin' new images, so today I'm sharing 4 cards I made for the new Art Impressions Ai People Release. 

These characters make me roll!  I don't know why I identify with them so much...actually, it's pretty obvious, LOL ;)  You can find these new gems in the Ai Shop along with all of the other fabulous Ai designs.

While you're out and about checking things out (ooohhhhh, a rhyme!) stop by the Ai Blog.  The designers post daily so you can be sure to find something new and inspiring there all the time.  

Catch ya later!  Until next time, stay crafty!

Art Impressions at Simon Says Stamp!

Hey all!  Back today sharing a card and I am so honored to be featured on the Simon Says Stamp blog!  For this card I used a fabulous set by Art Impressions called Cake Popper.  Simon Says Stamp carries a large assortment of Art Impressions images along with an ocean of paper crafting supplies.  If you visit their site, prepare to leave a few shekels behind :)

Here's a little write up I shared with them regarding my card...

Every time I need a special card, I check my stash of stamps and Art Impressions always stands out with the perfect image and sentiment.  I particularly love their Ai Girlfriend and Ai People lines and find that I know the folks featured in their designs!  AND sometimes that someone is me ;)  Though I don’t have blond hair, I feel like I could easily be the over zealous gal on my card.  I love to celebrate and that love is only surpassed by my love of cake…LOL!  Ai images can’t help but make people smile, so I have a tendency to use fun, bright colors when using them :)  Their bold size takes up most of the landscape on a standard A2 card (4 14” x 5 1/2”), but that’s ok because they’re so quirky and perfectly detailed that they don’t need too much else to finish them off. 

Copic colors used:

skin- E00, E000, R20, E11

hair- E13, Y21, Y00

leopard print top- E31, E50

hat- RV29, RV23, RV21, BG09, BG05, BG02

earrings- Y26, Y21, Y00

cake- RV23, RV21, RV10

ribbon- BG09, BG05, BG02

roses on cake- RV29, RV23, RV21(flower) YG17, YG13 (leaves)

balloons- RV29, RV23, RV21 (left)  BG09, BG05, BG02 (right)

floor- C7, C5, C3, C1, C00

background- BV02, BV01, BV00, BV0000

Supplies used:

Cake Popper Cling Set by Art Impressions

Memento Ink (Tuxedo Black)

Neenah Classic Crest Coverstock (Solar White)

Distress Ink (Pumice Stone and Gathered Twigs)

Stickles Glitter Glue (Diamond)

May Arts Natural Twine String (Burlap)

ScorTape (1/4”)

3M Scotch Double-sided Foam Tape

Assorted Bling

Black Button (from stash)

It's Digi Day at SCACD!

Hey, all!  It's been a while!  I'm just popping in to share a card I created for Susana's Custom Art and Card Design.

Today the Sweet Friends of SCACD group and the SCACD DT are showcasing Fall images...some with a twist.

Head to the SCACD Store Blog for all the details if you want to see all the peeps presenting their inspiring creations today,  plus you'll have a shot at winning some yummy blog candy, and Susana is offering a sweet FREE digi image from 10-5!  So much fun stuff going on!  You won't want to miss a thing!

I've used Gothie Feline and you can find her here in the SCACD Store.  So much fun to color and just in time for Dia de los Muertos!  I used a mash up of Halloween and Day of the Dead themes on this card.  I so love this time of year!

You'll be seeing me around a bit more, so please start checking back on a regular basis to see what I'm up to.  

See you soon!  Stay crafty!

A Different Kind Of Blog Hop

Hey all!  I'm back today with a not so quick post.  I was tagged by a friend to participate in a Progressive Blog Hop.  I know, it was new to me, too.  I had never heard of a hop like this one, but the more I read about it, the more I liked it.  In a nutshell, it helps celebrate creativity and encourages folks to visit blogs that might be new to them.

I was honored to be tagged in this hop by Alaine Medio of MissAlaineous' Mosiacs on her lovely blog last Monday.  Alaine is a top notch cardmaker and artist.  She possesses mad coloring skills and knows her way around the Copic color chart.  I met Alaine when I joined the Bombshell Stamps design team and fell in love with her work there.  As of late,  I've been admiring her fantastic steampunk projects.  You really must check out her blog, I insist.

First, I'm supposed to answer a few questions:

1.  What am I working on?

Over the years, I have been blessed with the opportunity to work with some of the finest design teams in the stamping world.  Recently I stepped down from all of my teams and now I'm able to work on projects without boundaries and without a specified timeline.  I'm also able to play when I'm invited to participate in special hops or releases.  My other passion is cooking and now I can spend more time blogging on my husband's food blog.  You can visit me at AlbuKirky BBQ and Other Stuff when you don't find me here.

Here's a couple of my last design team cards that I haven't shared on my blog until now...

2.  How does my work differ from others in its genre?

I'm not sure how different it is, but I do love color, lots and lots of vibrant color.  I am drawn to intense color palettes and want my colors to almost glow.

3.  Why do I create what I do?

16 or so years ago, I discovered card making.  I've never been artistic, but card making made me feel like I was. I fell in love with the process.

4.  How does my creative process work?

My creative process is all over the place.  It might start with a Copic color combo I want to work with, a new patterned paper, or a stamp image that strikes my fancy.  I do have a tendency to color my image first and then find paper to match afterwards, which occasionally bites me in the butt, but I keep lots of black and white patterned paper on hand, which tends to go with just about everything.  I also have a layering cheat I follow...I only layer with black and/or kraft solids.  No need to get matchy matchy and they instantly give my projects a slightly vintage feel.      

Okay, enough about me...part of what keeps this hop moving forward is tagging new folks each week and the 2 ladies I tagged are near and dear to me.  First of all, they both immediately agreed to do this  hop on a moments notice and I greatly appreciate that.

Jenny Peterson of My Little Stamping Spot - What can I say about Jenny other than she is the absolute bomb!  She's funny and talented.  Her sense of humor keeps me in stitches and her coloring and card making abilities are off the charts. AND she has the most beautiful family!  She's ridiculously awesome, and I insist that you do yourself a favor and visit her blog.

Sharon Caudle of Gramma's House of Cards - Sharon is one of the sweetest folks you will ever encounter in blogland.  She's an absolute doll!  When perusing Sharon's beautiful projects, you immediately notice the vibrant coloring and lush layers, but you pick up on Sharon's sense of humor with her clever and quirky use of sentiments.  Plus, check out Sharon's perfect bows!  They make me green with envy!

Thanks so much for stopping by today and be sure to stop by Jenny's and Sharon's blogs next Monday to keep this hop going.  I'll close with a few of my favorite past projects.

      

    

SCACD This and That Rubber Stamp Blog Hop!!!

Welcome to another fun showcase of newly released rubber stamps and yes a few new digis from Susana's Custom Art and Card Design (SCACD) and guess who gets to play along?  This girl!!!  

You should have come from Roni's wonderful blog and if you get lost during the Hop you can always find your way at the Store Blog HERE.

SCACD is releasing 9 rubber stamps which are collectively called the “This and That Collection.” They each can be purchased now HERE. They were inspired by things going on in Susana's life as well as imagery she loves. SCACD Artist Carmen Medlin and Susana collaborated on the images and Carmen did an amazing job bringing these to life!!! We are featuring 4 Zen Beauties as well as 5 eclectic fun stamps today.  On a happy note if you buy the complete set of 4 Zen Beauties at one time you will get an accompanying accessory maple seed stamp as a bonus stamp.

SCACD also decided to offer only 3 of these not only in rubber but in digi as well for her SCACD Digital fans. So you can see the 3 newest versions at the top of the Digi area HERE.
  

For our International Friends you can find the new SCACD Stamps HERE at Quixotic Paperie.

Today I have the pleasure of working with Mrs. Bones and Mr. Bones.  These are beautiful Day of the Dead themed images, perfect for every celebration!  Mrs. Bones is available as a digi or a rubber stamp.  Mr. Bones is available in rubber only.  You'll also receive a "You're Invited" sentiment when you purchase the duo as a set.  That's a pretty sweet deal!

Thanks for stopping by and you should now be headed off to Elaine's amazing blog post for more inspiration :D  

Bellarific Friday at Stamping Bella and an Announcement

Hello all!  Welcome back!  Today I'm sharing a card for Bellarific Friday at Stamping Bella.  This time we were asked to create a card using this inspiration pic you see above.  Immediately I was drawn to the colors on her vivid dress so that was the direction I went in.  

I used Uptown Girl Faith the Fairy.  You can find her in the Stamping Bella Shop along with all her sassy Sistahs.

Be sure to visit Blogabella so you can feast your eyes on the glorious creations from the design team. So much wonderful stuff to see!

Speaking of design teams...I have decided to take the Summer off.  My husband and I own a small BBQ Sauce and Spice Rub business, AlbuKirky Seasonings, and when the weather gets warm that's our time to shine.  Grilling/smoking season is in peak swing right now so we are up to our barbecue aprons in pork butts, ribs, briskets, chicken, and anything else you can toss onto hot coals, or into a smoker box.  Kirk has been demoing at as many stores as he can and we've been hitting the local Rail Yard Market every Sunday to sell our wares.  This weekend he'll be at a video shoot for Disc It.  A Disc-It is like an outdoor cooking wok and we LOVE ours.  Anything you can cook on top of the stove, you can cook outside on a Disc It.  Needless to say, I'll be blogging a lot more on his cooking blog.  You see, the one thing I love more than Copics, paper, stamps, buttons, ribbon, etc...is cooking, particularly baking bread.  There is no better feeling than sitting down with family and friends and sharing a meal that you created from scratch with them.  It's a culinary love letter letting them how important they are to you.

I'll be popping in from time to time with a card, but probably not with any regularity.  When Summer fades and gives way to cooler weather you may see me apply for some teams, but in the meantime you'll find me in the kitchen :)  Visit me at AlbuKirky Seasonings, the Blog.  

Sequin Challenge at Art Impressions!

Copic colors used: skin- E00, E000, R20, E11 hair- (from left) C7, C5, C3 and E18, E09, E07, E02 and E15, Y21, Y000 shirts- (from left) YG17, YG13, YG01 and YR68, YR65, YR61 and BG05, BG02, BG10, 0 pants- (from left) B97, B95, B93, B91 and C7, C5, C3 and BG05, BG02, BG10, 0 shoes- C7, C5, C3 stools- E37, E35, E31 ground- C7, C5, C3, C1, C00 background- BV02, BV00, BV000, BV0000

Hey all!  Back today with a  new challenge at Art Impressions...Sequins!  At first, I wasn't even sure I had sequins to play with, but then I remembered the heart shaped tin where I collect all the stray buttons from blouses.  You know, the ones the clothing manufacturer attaches in a tiny plastic bag to the blouse in case one of the other buttons tries to flee for greener pastures.  Well, sometimes instead of buttons, they include a tiny bag of replacement sequins if the blouse has some sequined details on it.  Woo hoo!  I had sequins!  And the tiny bag was the perfect amount, almost like a singe serve portion of sequins :)

For my card, I reached for the Wine Tasters Set.  These ladies are having such a great time, that I would love to join them, LOL!  They are irresistible.  Find these lovely wine  connoisseurs in the Ai Shop along with LOTS of other wonderful designs!  

Be sure to visit the blog and check out all the wonderful eye-candy created by the DT and why not join the fun?!

Until next time, stay crafty!

Coffee BFFs by Art Impressions!

Copic colors used:  skin- E00, E000, R20, E11 (left) E25, E23, E21 (right), hair-E18, E09, E07, E02 (left) C7, C5, C3 (right) hoodies- G19, G17, G12 (left) R59, R29, R27, R22 (right) pants- C7, C5, C3 (left) B97, B95, B93, B91 (right) stools- E37, E35, E31 ground- C7, C5, C3, C1, C00 background- BG02, B000, B0000

Welcome back!  Today I'm sharing a card featuring the Coffee BFFs Set (4407).  These two gabby gals remind me of me and my amigas.  A simple coffee date can easily turn into hours of laughing and great conversation!

Finds Coffee BFFs in the Ai Shop along with LOTS of fabulous images!  

Until next time, stay crafty!

InLinkz.com

Stamping Bella Goodness

Copic colors used: skin- E00, E000, R20, E11 hair- E18, E09, E07, E02 dress- C5, C3, C1,  (roses) R59, R29, YG17 wine bottle- YG17, YG13, YG01 ground- C7, C5, C3, C1, C00, 0 background- BV02, BV00, BV000, BV0000, V0000

Hey all!  Back today with a card I should have posted for Bellarific Friday, but I lost track of time so you're getting a Monday card instead.  As I'm typing this up, I noticed that I also forgot to color the label on the wine bottle.  Oh dear, this card is just a comedy of errors.

Last week we were tasked with using a sketch.  I'm a big fan of sketches so that worked out perfectly.  I decided to use Uptown Girl Opal the Optimist 'cuz she's a Glass Half Full kind of gal ;)  You can find Opal in the Stamping Bella Shop.  And while you're there visiting, be sure to stop by Blogabella for a full gander at what the DT is up to.  

Okey dokey artichoke, that's it for me.  Until next time, stay crafty!    

Giant Blog Hop at Art Impressions!

Hey, all!  I'm back today with a very special Michael's Blog Hop post for Art Impressions.  Michael's stores will now carry some very special clear sets created just for them!  

We have a stellar lineup of very talented artists showcasing these wonderful new sets, so be sure to visit each and every blog so you don't miss a single eye-catching detail.  If you get lost along the way, head back to the Art Impressions Blog where you'll find the complete hop list.

For my card, I've used SC0649 His & Hers Flying High.  There are 9 stamps in this set including some pretty awesome sentiments!    

You should have arrived here from the exquisite blog of Angela Boutiller.  Your next stop is the eye-popping blog of Sandy Allnock who will no doubt knock your socks off.

Visit this link and learn all the details regarding Michael's and these new sets.  

   

Thanks so much for joining us today!  Until next time, stay crafty!