Ready for FALL!

Finally, the weather is not as blazing hot as it has been here in Atlanta, I'm more than ready for fall to get here! Check out this fall scene stamp from Impression Obsession --- see the peeking kitty..... I love it.... a little black kitty just like my bad cat. This scene was pretty easy to color, the stamp already provides so much shading that it the coloring job doesn't have to be super critical.... forgiving.... my kind of stamp! This scene didn't need to much extra going on --- Most of the scenes I color from Impression Obsession I tend to simply mat and keep the embellishments to a minimum. Jute string and Kraft paper lend the perfect feeling of fall. 

• Stamps: All stamps by Impression Obsession - Pumpkins #H1789
• Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black
• Paper: Neenah Classic Crest Solar White, Orange, Kraft
• Other: Copics, Jute String, Bow Easy Tool

Stamp Simply #154 - A Color Challenge

August 27th - ssnotime153 -  A Color Challenge - Today’s colors are rich and so pretty together as we transition from summer into autumn.  And autumn comes earlier to some of us than others.  Our colors are Turquoise and Orange, with White OR Ivory as your neutral and as always, adding Black for a little POP is totally OK, but not required.  Here’s a photo of an inviting boy’s room to get your colorful and creative juices flowing. 

Play along and link your project on Sharon's blog, No Time to Stamp, using Mr. Linky. See what colorful projects the team cooked up this week....our Ring Leader - Sharon, Janine Orchard, A J Otto, Deb Saarenen, Deb Neerman, Barb Anders, Barb Schram and we have Charlene Driggs as our Guest Designer this month... Her blog is  Paper and Ink Playground.

I went "old school" on this! Pulling out those old decorative edge scissors for my edges! Before nesties and all the fancy embellishments we have to choose from now.... this is what my cards used to be like.... lotsa layers was my middle name.... I still haven't changed that! I colored up my flowers using Copics on Curious Cryogen White. I was going for a blurred look on the label, trying to mimic something old fashioned or maybe water stained on the label.... but instead it just came out messy looking....lol . I did add some clear glaze pen over the jar. The sentiment and flowers are two separate stamps - but I liked the long lean look to the stamp and it fit right along side it perfectly. A few little piercings in each of the scallops. Pretty simple for today!

• Stamps: All stamps by Impression Obsession - #CL251 Daisy Love Set
• Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black
• Paper: Curious Cryogen White, Misc. DP, Turquoise, Orange
• Other: Copics, Corner Rounder, Scallop Scissors by Fiskars, Clear Glaze Pen, Paper Piercer

Oh Baby!

For this week's Design Team Challenge call from Serendipity Stamps, the theme was BABY! Please visit .... Amy,  Anya, Kathie and Lynda to see what they created for this  challenge!

Pink overload??? OK, maybe! I know this is the pinkest card I have ever made. I haven't played with pink in a good while.... Guess I felt the need to catch up and put all on one card. I used these cute little baby booties. Embossing them once in pink on white and a second time in white on pink -- I cut out the bows from the second stamping and pieced them on top of the booties, adding a little White Opal Liquid Pearls in the center of the bow. All of the elements are raised using foam tape to add dimension. I used Fancy Tag from Spellbinders (cutting off the ends) in the background. Buttons and a bow finish it off. Card size is an A2.

• Stamps: All stamps by Serendipity Stamps - #628E Large Baby Booties, Large Baby Girl #737D
• Ink: Pretty In Pink Craft by SU, Clear Detail EP
• Paper: Pink and White card stock
• Other: Misc. Buttons, CB Checkerboard Embossing Folder, Corner Rounder, White Taffeta Ribbon, Spellbinder's Fancy Tags, Foam Tape, Bow Easy Tool, Liquid Pearls White Opal, White Embroidery Floss

the stockings were hung.....

OK, this last release from Impression Obsession really wowed me. I am so in love with my Copics and coloring....... and so many stamps in this last release just beg to be colored. So I did, I am, I will be coloring..... and wearing a smile. This is a pretty quick image to color up if you were doing a stack of them for Holiday cards. Foam tape adds height in between layers and I added a few simple embellishments to dress it up.

• Stamps: #H1778 Stockings by Impression Obsession
• Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black
• Paper: Red, Neenah Classic Crest Solar White, DP by DCWV
• Misc. Ribbon, Silver Metal Embellishments, Copic Markers

Stamp Simply #152 - Pleated Ribbon

August 20th - ssnotime152 - Pleated Ribbon  - We know Sharon loves her ribbon and today she is sending a call for us to use it! Pleated Ribbon --- You can sew it in pleats, fold it, glue it, use tape..... somehow get some pleats in it! Play along and link your project on Sharon's blog, No Time to Stamp, using Mr. Linky. See what Pleated Ribbon projects the team cooked up this week....our Ring Leader - Sharon, Janine Orchard, A J Otto, Deb Saarenen, Deb Neerman, Barb Anders, Barb Schram and we have Charlene Driggs as our Guest Designer this month... Her blog is  Paper and Ink Playground.

I think my pleats came out more like a flouncey (bad) prom dress! I didn't want them neat and tight, since the paper was so loose and swirly.... I thought I would keep my pleats loose and swirly too. I used Inchie boards to create my center medallion. The bottom Ivory is a Twinchie (2" board) and I stamped and embossed the medallion directly on the board. Then I used a cat's eye ink pad to add aqua around the edges. I used another Inchie board (1"board) in the center just covering it up with some of the matching paper. Around the edges of the card I added some simple piercing. Finished card is 5 1/2" Square.

• Stamps: Tea Bag Squares 2 by Impression Obsession
• Ink: Versamark and Adirondack Cranberry EP, Cat's Eye "Seaglass"
• Paper: Ivory Card Stock, All DP by Kaisercraft "Gypsy Sisters" Collection
• Other: Paper Piercer, Inchie Boards, Misc Pearl Embellishment

IO Challenge - Simple Stamping

Today brings another challenge from the Impression Obsession Design Team.... the theme for today is Simple Stamping with less Embellishments.  Check out all the challenge details on the Impression Obsession Blog and play along with us! 

Everything was stamped in Versafine Onyx Black on white... I masked the moon and added some orange airbrushing. After adding the orange, I sponged a little black around the edges of that panel. A few layers and just a little black jute string bow to dress it up. After stamping the sentiment I cut it at an angle. I used mini pinking scissors for the decorative edge.  Finished card is an A2.

• Stamps by Impression Obsession: Scaredy Cat #C3527, Cat Silhouette #C2403
• Ink: Versafine Onyx Black
• Paper: Orange, White, Black 
• Other: Jute String, Bow Easy Tool, Mini Pinking Scissors, Copic ABS

Stamp Simply #152 - Ribbon Scraps

August 13 - ssnotime152 - Ribbon Scraps - Today's challenge is all about ribbon and using the left over bits that are not enough to make bows. Play along and link your project on Sharon's blog, No Time to Stamp, using Mr. Linky. See what Ribbon Scrap Cards the team cooked up this week....our Ring Leader - Sharon, Janine Orchard, A J Otto, Deb Saarenen, Deb Neerman (out sick tonight), Barb Anders, Barb Schram and we have Charlene Driggs as our Guest Designer this month... Her blog is  Paper and Ink Playground.

Happy Friday the 13th!!! I save anything black and white because it can always easily be used.... be it paper or ribbon. This is a quickie card - simply stamped in black with an  embossed background and ribbon bits to dress it up. I added a folded bow to one of the ribbon bits. I just folded it and glued it together with a dab of Ultimate Glue (my fave glue). A few crystals at the bottom and it's done. Finished card is an A2.

• Stamps: #B8432 Birthday Word Cake by Impression Obsession
• Ink: Versafine Onyx Black
• Paper: Black and White card stock
• Other: Black Crystals, Misc. Ribbon Bits, Embossing Folder, Spellbinder's Labels 9 

Flower Soft meets Impression Obsessions for a BLOG HOP!

Are you ready for some fun?

The Impression Obsession and Flower Soft Design Teams are joining together for this hop! As you make your way through the hop make sure you comment on each and every post. There will be 4 prize winners chosen randomly among the blogs: Two $25 gift certificates from Flower Soft and two $25 gift certificates from Impression Obsession!!! The prize winners will be announced on the Flower Soft Blog and The Impression Obsession blog on Wednesday, August 18, 2010. Good luck to you! 

If you just popped on my blog and didn’t start at the beginning of the hop please go to the beginning using this link ----> Flower Soft Blog.

I chose one of IO's new kitty Christmas stamps to ink up for this challenge. I love the innocent look this kitty has. I'm sure it's completely phony, just like my bad little cat would do! I did some double inking on this card.... On the background stamp, I inked the entire image in red first, then randomly tapped a black ink pad over... mixing the two inks on the rubber. I did the same for the sentiment but I just added black along the bottom. Lots of layers on this one.... I think I trying to make up from last week's card.... the one layer challenge!!! I used a Scalloped Oval Nestie and added holes in each scallop with my Japanese Screw Punch.... threading a little Martha Stewart String through each one. I added Polar White Flower Soft to kitty's little Santa Hat as a finishing touch.

Stamps by Impression Obsession: Sassafras with Hat #F7568, Dear Santa Paws #C7584, Background Stamp Cover a Card "Screen" #CC049

Want even more inspiration? Do you like video tutorials? How about Challenges? Make sure and check out both Flower Soft TV and the Impression Obsession blog!

Next on the hop is Jeanne Streiff.

Reading and Writing

For this week's challenge call from Serendipity Stamps, we were asked to follow a theme of Writing or Reading. Please visit .... Amy,  Anya, Kathie and Lynda to see what they created for this  challenge!

I love post card stamps.... dunno why... but I have a pretty good collection of them! I think most stampers have an image they gravitate to over and over again. I inked this stamp using Memento Rich Cocoa - it shows three postcards on the original image, then masked and repeated stamping the image to make a complete background. I used a Copic Marker E31 to add a little shading around the edges, using the Blender pen to make the line fade a bit. The brown card stock looks black in the pic.... but it is a very dark brown. Two simple ribbon strips with the sentiment popped up over them finish this card off.

• Stamps: All stamps by Serendipity Stamps - Quick Note Vertical #251D, Cheryl's Postcards #282K
• Ink: Memento Rich Cocoa 
• Paper: Ivory, Dark Brown
• Other: Spellbinder's Labels 8, Twill Ribbon dyed with Copic E79

Stamp Simply #151 - a ONE Layer Card

August 6 - ssnotime151 - One Layer Card - Today's challenge is brought to us by Barbara Anders and here is what Barbara says:  I'm challenging everyone to make a one layer card. That means only the card base--not the base + one other layer--no layers allowed, LOL! Embellish however you want--ribbon, buttons, bling, scoring--anything goes, but no layers.  Sounds fun, Barbara -- can't wait to try this and anxious to see what everyone does!

Play along and link your project on Sharon's blog, No Time to Stamp using Mr. Linky. See what ONE LAYER CARDS the team cooked up this week....our Ring Leader - Sharon, Janine Orchard, A J Otto, Deb Saarenen, Deb Neerman, Barb Anders, Barb Schram and we have Charlene Driggs as our Guest Designer this month... Her blog is  Paper and Ink Playground.

I'll go ahead and confess right now...  the front panel is glued to a card base.... I totally cheated on the challenge. But there is no layered look to the card..... ONE LAYER.... IS TOUGH STUFF! When I read this challenge I about fell out of my chair. This truly was a challenge and even though my card is soooooo simple, I had to really think about this one! I am in love with Webster's Pages. I have not used much of it.... I'm still in the hoarding phase, where I just can't commit to cut up too much of it! I paired it up with the Life Lines Sentiment Set from Flourishes. I think these stamps and this Webster's paper were meant for each other! I used a Japanese Drill Punch to add holes down the side. I threaded a craft needle with ivory juste string and laced it up adding a bow on top. My stitching of course shows thru on the other side, but I made sure to keep it neat and tidy back there. Look how tiny my supply list is below!! Hanging my cheating head in shame..... could not follow the rules.

• Stamps: Life Lines Set by Flourishes
• Ink: Versafine Olympia Green
• Paper: Webster's Pages and Kraft card base
• Other: Jute String, Bow Easy

Bugs and Buttons

This week for Outlines, I did a tutorial on how to make these little bug cards. These are all small quickie cards.... the card front measuring at 4x4. All of the DP is from Cosmo Cricket's "From the Garden" 6x6 Collection.... a perfect pairing with these cute little summery bugs. You can find more pics and the full tutorial over at Outlines. And all of the stamps I used here are on sale this week too!

LINK to Outlines where you can see full instructions and stamps used for these these cards.

LINK to a pdf file that you can print out with full instructions.