Challenge Me Thursday - Post your Challenge

Hi Everyone,

It's that time again! Please post your challenge for me! As long as it includes stamping and it's a card, I will try it (if I have the supplies). I will pick one challenge tomorrow morning (Thursday), make a card and post it tomorrow evening!

The challenge can be a technique challenge, stamp company challenge, colour challenge...the sky is the limit here!I look forward to seeing what you come up with this time! Last weeks was especially tough...lol...Have a beautiful summer day!

:)
Kim

My son Mike and his new bike!

My son Mike just got his new motorcycle on Thursday, and he is so excited to finally get it! He has been wanting a bike forever, and decided it was time to do it. I told him I was worried about him having one, but he promised me he would drive safely, and buy a good helmet! I know he is an adult, but I still worry, you know how Mom's are! lol

Anyway, I just wanted to share these few pictures of Mike on his bike! If you are reading this Mike....always be safe ok? I can't wait to see pictures of your journeys, this is a new beginning! You know what I mean.

Have a great day!
:)
Kim

I was going to be BAD!!! lol

Well, a couple weekends ago, there was a used stamp sale at the LSS  so I loaded up a big bag of stamps that I haven't used forever, some even new. I kinda forgot about it! I went into the store to pick up a couple things (probably alot more than a couple), and Dejah reminded me of the stamp sale, and handed me a gift certificate for all the stamps she sold for me! YEAH!!!! Here I planned on spending money, and I got everything free....well, not free, but you know what I mean!! And I still have almost half of my gift certificate left! I picked up some gorgeous papers, ink jet vellum, gesso, clear spica glitter pen, stickles, 2 punches, 5 Amuse stamps, and 1 inkadinkado stamp! I know it doesn't sound like much, but these things really add up! lol

Thanks for stopping by, and I will have some cards for you to see later!
:)
Kim

Challenge Me Thursday - Patterned Paper

Evening Everyone,

Urgh....the paper that Val gave me to use.....I just can't tell ya how much I don't like it! I have a card all finished, and it's AWFUL!!! I mean really truly awful. I am hot, it's so humid here, so I think I am going to have another shower, and go to bed. I am up really early, so if I can't think of something to save my ugly card, I will just take a picture of it how it is....urgh.....I didn't realise how stumped I would be with one piece of patterned paper? I guess it's really just not me, but, that's no excuse! lol I think it was probably fine, until I decided to stamp, stamp, stamp on the background paper...now it's tooooo much!!!

I am sorry Val, but this one really has to wait til morning!!! lol Hopefully I will dream up something to save it, and I don't have much of the paper left...urgh

I am really challenged....lol
See ya in the morning!
:)
Kim

Edited to add: Ok, I got up this morning and took the card apart, and basically just put everything onto a white card base with no stamping. Looks 100% better than it did last night, but I still don't like it! lol

The tree is from Inkadinkado, the oval is from Amuse. The sentiment is from CHF.
Thanks for stopping by!
Kim

Challenge Me Thursday - Already have a challenge

I was at the lss yesterday and my friend Val bought me a piece of 12 x 12 d/s paper from Bo Bunny. Val knows about my Thursday challenges and issued me a challenge to use this paper. Now, if you saw the paper, you would know it's NOT me! It has red/orange, mint green, and brown in it! And it's floral....hmmmm....the upside is, the backside is much prettier, to me anyway! lol Although I think she meant for me to use the floral side! I am going to have to give this some serious thought! I will take a picture of the paper later, and who knows, might get my card done today for the challenge!

Thanks for checking in today! Check back tomorrow to see the challenge card!
:)
Kim

ATC Challenge

I was issued a challenge to make an ATC using the 1920's Lady TAC stamp. Now I haven't done an ATC for ages, and my stuff isn't really artsy, so I was intimidated to even make one! I guess it's ok, but I have seen so many that are better!! lol

I stamped the image on BG paper, then cut it down a bit. I coloured in the flowers with Copic markers, and then over top with the clear Spica glitter pen. I then cut my background paper to 2 1/2 x 3 1/2 and randomly stamped the Inkadinkado swirl, and coloured a bit with the clear Spica glitter pen. I then distressed the edges of it all with Tim Holtz distress inks. I used d/s foam tape for lift the image off the background, then added some dew drops for a bit of interest.

Thanks for stopping by today!
:)
Kim

Challenge Me Thursday - Monochromatic

Evening Everyone,

Since I already had a bunch of green c/s out, I thought I should do a monochromatic card (thanks for the challenge Robin) using a couple new Amuse stamps that I picked up on the weekend. I stamped the margarita on green c/s and coloured a bit with a green copic marker, then went over the whole glass with clear spica glitter pen, and the green spica for the lime and the drink inside the glass. It's really shimmery irl. I stamped the glass in the background with versamark as well. Then I put a strip of paper thru the cuttlebug using swiss dots, layered and added green silk ribbon. The sentiment is stamped in black archival ink, and then a couple dew drops for good measure! lol I don't normally do cards this small (4 x 4), but these stamps are so tiny that it called for a smaller card.

Thanks for the challenges ladies, I hope you come back next week to give me some more!!

Have a great evening and thanks for stopping by!
:)
Kim

Dance of the Butterflies

Afternoon All,

It's an awesome day here in Halifax! It's raining and the humidity is GONE!! Yeah....I have actually been stamping today, was to hot and humid before to even think about stamping. My friend from the Stamp Shack and I are doing 3 card challenges together. The first one was to make a card using the Dance of the Butterflies with alcohol inks.

I used cranberry, stream, and latte with the extender, and then stamped and embossed the image on top with versamark and black powder. I then rubber versamark over it and put clear embossing powder over and heated. I did that 3 times, to get the look of not just a piece of paper. I then edged the piece with silver krylon pen and layered with olive and current paper. I cuttlebugged one piece of the background olive paper with the swiss dots folder. Cut a few strips of coordinating papers and taped them together, then added my ribbon in the center. Stamped the sentiment on the bottom and embossed, then added a few dew drops for a bit more interest.

Thanks for stopping by today, and I will be back a bit later with my Thursday Challenge card!

:)
Kim

Created Byhand Weekly Challenge - Pastels

This weeks challenge over at Created Byhand is Pastels. Make a card using pastel colours, that could be the papers, the colouring, anything you like. So I decided to do both! lol

I have had this stamp for ages, and thought she went well with the Quietfire Flourishes and saying. I first stamped and embossed the fairy (I have no idea where she came from, it was a gift UM) with platinum. I then used my watercolour pencils, which I haven't used for probably 4 years, to watercolour her. I added some Copic Spica clear pen to her body and parts of the wings. I then stamped the flourish from Quietfire Design randomly, and the Quietfire Sentiment with versamark and used the platinum embossing powder. The fairy was then glued onto the base on the body part, then wings lifted with dimensional pop dots to give the card some depth. This was all pop dotted onto a piece of cream papers with glittery dots on it, it's just beautiful in person, but I am sure won't photograph well! lol

Thank you so much for stopping by today! Why don't you try your hand at the Created Byhand Challenge, it's alot of fun!

See you later!

:)
Kim

Challenge Me Thursday - Post your Challenge

Hi Everyone,

It's that time again! Please post your challenge for me! As long as it includes stamping and it's a card, I will try it (if I have the supplies). I will pick one challenge tomorrow morning (Thursday), make a card and post it tomorrow evening!

The challenge can be a technique challenge, stamp company challenge, colour challenge...the sky is the limit here!

I look forward to seeing what you come up with this time! Last weeks was especially tough...lol...

Have a beautiful summer day!
:)
Kim

Challenge Me Thursday - One Layer

Wow, you guys are tough! I chose this challenge today, because so many of you jumped onto the bandwagon with this! No layers was tough enough, but then you all added no embellishments, no swirls, and no purple? Yikes....

Anyway, I made a few different things, and they all got filed...straight into the garbage! This really was tougher than I thought.....but I did finally get a card made that is half decent. How I yearned to add layers....some ribbon...swirls...lol

I stamped the branch from Hero Arts with Brown and Green chalk inks, and stamped it randomly around the edges. I then stamped the bird in nest from Inkadinkado with black archival ink, and coloured it in with my Copic Markers and a bit of Spica Glitter pen ( a girl HAS to have a bit of bling on a card..lol) If you click on the card to make it bigger, you will see where I added the glitter pen. I then went over all the edges with a sponge and tea dye distress inks to give it a bit more life. The sentiment is from the same clear set as the bird in the nest.

Thank you so much Ladies! This was an awesome challenge for me, and I got back to basics with this!

Have a wonderful evening and see you same time next week!

:)
Kim

My Favorite Movie Swap

Morning Everyone!

I have been trying to think of a swap to host, and finally I think I have it! I would like to host a swap called My Favorite Movie. I have only done swaps on the yahoogroups, but thought it would be more fun to open it up to the bloggers.

For this swap you would have to make cards using the theme of your favorite movie, or your interpretation of your favorite movie. It will be a 5 for 5 swap, you send in 5 cards, and you receive 5 different cards in return. If you have more than 1 favorite movie, you can do different cards. You can send in all the same cards, OR 5 different ones. I think I would like to stick to cards though, no atcs (unless you want to mount them to a card).

I am in Canada, but would like to invite anyone to play from different countries. We will figure out the postage thing, just email me! If you are in Canada, just send the same amount of postage on a SASE with your cards. Just leave a comment if you would like to join, and then email me (link to email me is on the right hand side of my blog). You are also welcome to email me if you have any questions about this swap.

I will take sign ups until July 21, the swap will be due in my hands on August 8th. I think that leaves plenty of time for the swaps to arrive. I will allow a bit of leeway with the due date, but not much. Any swaps that are not here by the 13th, will be returned back to you unopened. I would like to swap these and get them back out to you ASAP.

Thanks for reading and hoping you will join in on the fun!
:)
Kim

My exciting news!

Evening Everyone!

My news is that Quietfire Design was looking for some new Design Team members, and I applied! Guess what........I MADE IT! I just found out this morning that I am one of the new Design Team members! Woohooo!! Very exciting for me! The other ladies that are on the team are amazing, and I feel very honoured to be part of this group of stamp artists! Thank you so much Suzanne!

If you haven't seen Quietfire Design stamps before, you are in for a real treat! Suzanne, the owner, does such beautiful Calligraphy, and makes rubber stamps of her work! Her sayings are just beyond belief, so beautiful! Quietfire Design also carries a large variety of stamping and art supplies. Suzanne just put out a new plate a short while ago, of crows! It is awesome. And the flourishes.....yummy!!!

I have added links to the Design Team members on the right side of my blog. And here is the link to the Quietfire Designers Blog! Amazing art on there and tons of inspiration.

Thank you for stopping by tonight and sharing in my excitement! I am still on cloud nine here....

Happy Stamping,
:)
Kim

Challenge Me Thursday - Post your Challenge

Good Morning,

It's Wednesday again, and I would like to invite you to challenge me to make a card! If you have a challenge you would like to issue me, (could be anything STAMPING RELATED, and there has to be stamping on the card), please leave a comment on this post. It could be a stamping technique, colour challenge, stamp company challenge, anything really as long as I have the supplies, I will try it! I won't be able to do any altered projects though, that takes more time than just a few hours, for me at least! lol

I will pick one challenge out of the comments, and post it by tomorrow evening, Thursday.

Also a bit about me. As many of you know I have been off work for about a month and a half. My diabetes went way out of whack, and I got quite sick. I started taking 2 different insulins to get it all under control. My blood sugars aren't quite regulated yet, but I am feeling 100% better. Today is my first day back at work!!!! YEAH!!! I am really excited about it, but a bit scared as well! I am only going back 2 days this week, and 3 days next week. I am taking it slow because I don't want to end up off work again. Stress can often make a person with diabetes sick. So....wish me luck today!!!!! I love my job, and really can't wait to go in and see everyone!!

Have a wonderful day today!!!
Drop back later to read my exciting news!!
:)
Kim

I have some exciting news.....

BUT, I can't share it just yet! I will be able to tell you all this evening though! So drop by later if you would like to know what it is!

Thanks for dropping by today!!
:)
Kim

Summer in the Tropics

I just received some stamps I bought from Innovative Designs this week, and I just love them! I bought a few plates, but this one really caught my eye. I was dreaming, thinking how nice it would be to visit some tropical island and get my picture taken in amongst all the flowers and have butterflies flying around me too. So that is why it's titled Wanderlust.

I first stamped the girls face twice, once on my base, a second time on a scrap piece of paper. I embossed the face on the card base with versafine black and clear embossing powder. I then cut out the mask and taped it lightly over the card base face. I then inked up my flower stamp and stamped it randomly on the base, and 3 extra times on a white piece of shimmer. I embossed them all with versafine black and clear embossing powder. I removed the mask and coloured all the flowers using my tombow markers. I kept the 3 extra aside for now. I used chalks to lightly add a bit of colour to the background of the flowers, a light blue. I also added chalk on her face in cream colour and a bit of a darker pink for her cheeks. Used blue for her eyes and tombow light pink for her lips. Then....I used a tool I have had for awhile but never used yet! My Bo Bunny Flex Ruler. I created a curve along the flowers, traced and cut. I did the same with the purple shimmer underneath, then added a white piece of shimmer, and my black card. Then the 2 butterflies were stamped and embossed as above, and coloured the same colour as the girls eyes, but with a darker colour added as well. Stamp and embossed the Wanderlust (from Quietfire Designs) on the left hand corner. I then placed my extra flowers where I thought they looked right and pop dotted them. The butterflies were attached using a small drop of Zip Dry glue. When the glue was dry I lifted the wings. I just wanted more depth for this card. The final and most fun part is Stickles! lol...Gotta have some bling! I put it in the centers of all the flowers.

I know this isn't really my typical style, but the bright colours were just calling out to me for a tropical looking card! All stamps except Wanderlust, are from Innovative Stamps.

Thank you so much for dropping by today, and HAPPY CANADA DAY to all my fellow Canadians! I hope you all have a wonderful day today!

:)
Kim

P.S. You can click on the above pictures to see more detail if you wish.