Featured Stamper 58

Well, I must say that her card was nicer than my card, but I chose to CASE this nonetheless. I may try another of her cards later today, but this was the first I came up with.

Who is she? The Featured Stamper for this week, codename BeckyTE on Splitcoast. She has some gorgeous work in her gallery. Check it out, if you get a chance.

She had a beautiful background stamp. I used my own writing. I wish I would have gone with smaller script, but live and learn, ya know?

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

Paper: Bazzill, Ultrasmooth White (SU!), Close to Cocoa (SU!), Basic Gray (SU!), Afternoon Tea Designer Series Paper (SU!)

Stamps: Pick a Petal

Coloring media: Stampin' Pastels, Chocolate Chip (SU!), Garden Green (SU!), Wild Wasabi (SU!), Black (Zig)

Ribbon: Chocolate Chip and Mellow Moss Taffeta

IC119 - For the Hyperactive in You

Well, I had to laugh when I saw today's inspiration piece. You couldn't get a piece farther away from my style if you tried. Therefore, it was, as it is intended to be... a challenge!

I waited for a while for inspiration today, and found it, of all places, at "the Meijer." The sentiment was on sale, and all I could think of was how busy the inspiration piece was. So, here is what I was inspired to create. My goal: to make it alarmingly busy. Did I succeed? You be the judge!

Size: 4 1/8 x 5 1/2 inches

Paper: White cardstock (Papertrey), Surprise Confetti (ki memories), SU! Ballet Blue

Ribbon: Grosgrain red, sheer blue, etc. - various scraps I had

Sentiment: Dawn Houser (Inkadinkado 107)

Ink: SU! Real Red, Really Rust, and Ballet Blue

The Freedom of Simplicity

I think my favorite challenge is the Limited Supplies challenge. By no means do I have "limited supplies," so it is pretty funny that this one would draw me so regularly. I love how it forces us all to be very basic and intentional in our design. Today's challenge was called "Tool Free." We were pretty much avoiding, well, tools! We could not use any specialized tools, like Cuttlebug, punches, Crop-a-dile, paper piercers, embossing, etc.

This allowed me to enter in to the wonderful land of stickers. Specifically, my Little Reminders stickers from Stampin' Up! I fell in love with these in last year's spring mini-catalog, bought them, and then have not used them until now. Stickers are so under-rated. I think they look great with the Afternoon Tea DSP (which I LOVE!) I just bought. I think the paper looks great with SU! Sahara Sand.

The sentiment, from Papertrey's Out on a Limb, says, "To the world you may be just one person, but to one person you may be the world. -Josephine Billings."

Size: 4 x 5 1/2 inches

Paper: SU! Afternoon Tea and Sahara Sand

Stamps: Out on a Limb (Papertrey Ink)

Ink: SU! Bashful Blue

Stickers: Little Reminders Accents and Elements (SU!)

Ways to Use Designer Series Paper

Yesterday's SCS Ways to Use It Challenge asked crafters to use DSP and not much else. That was, indeed, challenging. If we used white or another neutral, we were encouraged to have a stamped pattern on it.

I like how my card came out. I love the Blue Bayou Prints DSP. I mixed Blou Bayou wit Sahara Sand, and I really like the results.

Size: 5 1/2 x 5 1/2 inches
Paper: SU! Blue Bayou, Sahara Sand, Ultrasmooth White, and Blue Bayou Prints DSP
Stamps: Limitless Labels (Papertrey)
Embellishments: Target
Ink: SU! Blue Bayou and Sahara Sand

Sympathy Card for Color Challenge

After a REALLY stressful day at work, I decided that craft time is a necessity for me today. So, I explain to my DH that I need to go do the SCS challenge. He then mentions that he needs a sympathy card for his boss, whose father-in-law died. So, my crafting is welcome in the house tonight on many levels.

The color challenge for today was to use Basic Black, Basic Gray, and Purely Pomegranate in the card. I was excited that my recent order from Oriental Trading just came. I ordered some of their velvet ribbon, and their Fun Expressions! Fall Velvet ribbon had a Purely Pomegranate feel to it. I love how it looks on this card. I also got to use my new Out on a Limb set from Papertrey Ink. Love it. Wish the card was a happier one.

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

Paper: White (Papertrey), SU! Purely Pomegranate (embossed with Fiskars Leaves texture plate), Basic Gray, and Basic Black

Inks: SU! Purely Pomegranate, Chocolate Chip, and Basic Black

Stamps: Papertrey Out on a Limb and Everyday Blessings

Ribbon: Fun Expression Fall Velvet Ribbon (Oriental Trading)

Faux Cloisonne

I must say, the word "cloisonne" has always been synonymous with "must be tricky" to me. However, this was not the case with today's SCS Technique Challenge.

The hardest part of this was finding a magazine picture that coordinated with any sketchy stamps I had. I realized that I do not have many sketchy stamps, so I returned to one of my first SU! sets: Season's Sketches. I love this gift stamp because it doesn't need to be saved for Christmas. I found my magazine design in the January 2008 edition of Real Simple magazine. It was actually a pillow.

The card size is a bit weird. I scored it wrong, and decided to go with the flow, which is why it doesn't fold all the way down. I made it work, though!

Size: 3 1/4 x 7 inches (scored at 2 1/4 inches on the 5 1/2 inch width)

Paper: SU! Not Quite Navy, Ultrasmooth White, and Certainly Celery

Ink: SU! Night of Navy, white gel pen, and Versa Mark marker

Embossing Powder: SU! Gold Glory

Ribbon: some generic gold Christmas cord

Stamps: SU! Season's Sketches and Sincere Salutations

Technique: Faux Cloisonne

Framed by Featured Stamper!

This week's Featured Stamper on Splitcoast goes by the codename ParisOtremba. Check out her gallery if you have a moment. Some good designs there.

I decided to CASE a fairly simple card of hers. I liked the way she used the square punches to make her frames. I needed a masculine birthday card, and the colors I chose fit the bill. I really like how this turned out. Definitely inspired by the technique, but not simply duplicating the original card.

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

Stamps: SU! What Could Be Better? and Sassy Sayings II

Paper: SU! Ultrasmooth White and Sahara Sand, Bazzill textured black

Inks: SU! Almost Artichoke and Basic Black

Embellishments: Brads (Spare Parts), SU! Dimensionals, Scor-Pal