Stamp Camp with friends...

I was invited to spend a couple days with friends at what they call STAMP CAMP. It was really, really quite fun! With all the crafting, cutting and coloring that went on, it surely counts as days 19th thru the 22nd in the Coloring Challenge...

These cards were made by the woman to whose home we were invited, Carole. She is amazingly talented and a perfect hostess. We wanted for nothing... :)

 

These creations were made by Elly, sister-in-law to our hostess. The little bunnies made with Reese's peanut butter cups and M&M's were very creative. She also had celebrated a birthday a few days before, so included on her shelve (in the second picture) are cards she received. They are the first three on the left. The rest were what she created. LOTS of stamping on these gems..

 These are Susan Moll's creations, sister to the hostess and the one who invited me to join her and her family. She has some incredible stamps and dies and a good eye for composition. The card on the far right was her first attempt at Scrappy Backgrounds. I think she nailed it...

And these were mine...

 I had made a kit of this card and spent time working on it first. Over the past seven years, I've probably made over a hundred of these... mostly for Operation Write Home. When done, I had eleven completed. Since 90% of my cards are sent to friends and family, I'm stumbling over who the heck I would send this to now. What was I thinking?!! Ou vey...

This was a kit I purchased at last years Scrapbook Expo from Krazy Kreations. When finished, I had three. I LOVE this card and I know at least one will go to the Ernman...

 

This was from a class I took at Scrapbook Expo that I hadn't completed. When done, I had two...

 

After all "kits" were done, I started working on things from my stash. I had received a # of these dresses from someone (can't remember who anymore but probably a swap). I didn't know what to do with them so they've floated around my Studio for a LONG time. Navigating Pinterest, I saw someone had cut them into pieces to make little sweaters and slips. I had a blast with this. It brought me back to my childhood when I CONSTANTLY played with and made paper dolls... WICKED fun! When finished, I had four...

 

Still working with my stash, I took completed backgrounds from previous projects and borrowed Carole's heart die. This is a technique I learned in the Catherine Pooler class but wasn't able to do because I didn't have ANY die that would work like this borrowed one. I centered the die on the white paper and cut. It was then placed over the background and the lacey heart piece was inlaid. THESE came out fabulous! Backgrounds used were water colored, Color Burst and Saran Wrap, Mod Podged napkins, and just plain red paper. What a fantastic way to use up those backgrounds that you just don't know with what to do. I made six of these...

 

This card used up an unused tag, Gelli plate monoprint on deli-paper AND a sentiment I ran thru the Ernman's XL Xyron machine which turned it into a sticker. So, you can ask me WHY the Ernman owns an XL Xyron machine but I would never be able to tell you, so don't ask... ;)

 

I knew I was very low on birthday cards so made four of these for my stash. I had made this a number of times, in the past, for Operation Write Home and it was fun to do again. I borrowed Susan's stitched STAR die and really, really like the look. And while I was borrowing it, I cut several more for future cards...
 

 For this, I CASEed a card I saw in the current Stampin' Up Catalog (page 47). The stamp set and die is owned by Susan. I borrowed the paper too, which is called Melon Mambo. I made four of these. I added some bling and in person, it DEFINITELY looks like a Valentine. I didn't think so when I saw it in the catalog. Now, it'll have to sit in my stash until next February. I did however, send one to Susan to thank her for inviting me to her family's STAMP CAMP.

I came home with thirty-five completed cards... YAY!
 

A Sleepless Night...

There's one good thing about not sleeping well. It's coming to the Studio in the middle of the night and actually being productive. All of these came together from partial backgrounds, already colored images and a box of pre-stamped sentiments... SCORE! Then I went back to bed and slept like a baby. Even though it was only for a couple hours before my annual physical.



Thirty Days of Coloring, Days 5 thru 8...

 

 

 Day 5... First, I embossed this rose image by Stampendous with Versamark and white embossing powder on SU Whisper White cardstock. Then with distress inks and tools (one for each color), I added the color with circular motions using the four inks shown in the picture. When finished, I wiped off the excess ink that may have been on the white embossing, spritzed water and dabbed that off. The two to the right, I did a rainbow effect which you'll see later...

 

Day 6... Using this Penny Black image, I heat embossed it with Versamark and black embossing powder on watercolor paper using my MISTI. Using my ZIG Clean Color brushes, I colored in the images...

Day 7... These four images are a Stampin' Up product that my friend Susan Moll brought on her last visit to my house. I stamped in Versamark and used white embossing powder on watercolor paper. I used my Derwent Inktense pencils on these.  First, laying down the color, then going in with a water brush to "move" the color...

 

 Day 8... turned all that coloring into cards.  YAY! A dozen more for my stash...

 

This is the one I mentioned that was done in rainbow colors. I think it's my favorite of those four. The sentiment is from a Simon Says Stamp set called "Like Your Style"...

 

 The sentiment is a wood block from Hero Arts...

 

This one, I nearly destroyed with the black spatter... grrr. All that work and I almost had to circular file it. The sentiment is a single rubber stamp I picked up at a Stamp Show last October and I never wrote down who it was from... my bad!

 

So, a rather productive four days! The next four will be spent driving to Ohio and back and having company for the weekend. That's how it goes you know... ;)

 

Thirty Days of Coloring, Days 1 thru 4...

I thought I'd try my hand at the 30 Day Coloring Challenge. Day 1, I was still in Ohio with NO supplies. Day 2, I gathered together my supplies and images to get a running start in the morning. Day 3, I started coloring and Day 4, finished coloring and turned these images into cards...

 

One image I had colored MONTHS ago when I visited and stamped these at my friend Susan's house. I'd long forgotten what Zig Clean Color Brushes I had used. I don't even know whose image it is... sorry. I wasn't at all happy with my coloring. I just don't use these enough. The old adage that practice makes perfect, is true to the core... :)

 

 However comma, this is a great example of how adding other elements can take the focus away from the mediocre coloring...

 

After using my stitched die, I popped him over the twine. I toned down the red striped layer by adding vellum over top. On the image itself, I added sequins and put glossy accents on the penguins Santa hats.  Not bad, eh?! AND I'll count these as four towards my five Christmas cards a month challenge. YAY! I'm early... :)