Category Archives: Splitcoast Challenges

Make Life Grand

Posted on August 9, 2013 | 3 comments

A quick card to share today with the same set that I showed off yesterday using the direct-to-stamp technique with Ranger Distress Markers. I’ve seriously picked up this set three or four times in the last two weeks for no other reason than I love the poppies and the beautiful sentiments. It’s so easy to work with!

The set is called Celebrate Today from Sweet ‘n Sassy stamps. I bought it after their July release, and I know I’ll use I’ve already used it a lot.

I put this together this morning for Jen’s Deconstructed Sketch.  The papers are from the Collectible collection from My Mind’s Eye. The inks are Party Pink – Clearsnap & Blu Raspberry – MFT. I used a combo of Blueprints 1 & 4 Die-namics from MFT for the layers.

More to share soon. Hope that you have a beautiful Friday!

Thanks for stopping by!

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Posted in My Favorite Things, Splitcoast Challenges, Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps

Choose Faith

Posted on August 8, 2013 | 3 comments

I put this together for one of the Dare to Get Dirty challenges for our amazing Splitcoaststampers Fan Club members last week hosted by the one and only Lydia.  I think this met her criteria with several of the key components.

I used a new stamp set from Sweet ‘n Sassy Stamps for this project. The silhouette stems and pretty sentiments of this set, Celebrate Today, really spoke to me. I’ve used it several times in the last week alone.

My crinkled ribbon is actually seam binding. If you tie your ribbon and then mist it with a water mister, you can scrunch the ribbon very quickly and it will dry pretty fast, as well, while holding the crinkle shapes.

The poppies were colored with Distress Markers – direct to stamp. First, I colored them with Worn Lipstick and then tapped Fired Brick over the poppy blossoms. Easy. Peasy. I love that look. The stems were colored with Shabby Shutters.

The dies are from a Spellbinders collection: Marvelous Squares. They cut beautifully. The Splitcoast Product Focus team published a review on this line from Spellbinders last week, too. If you missed it,  you can find some common sense feedback and great projects using the Spellbinders Enhancing Elements here.

I accented the corners of the top layer with Liquid Pearls. A very easy way to dress it up.

I have a few more projects to share over the next few days. I think I ended up with about 18 or 19 cards for the week of challenges. I wish I would have gotten to all 42 challenges, but I don’t think 18 is too shabby considering a full work-load, two pre-teen girls who are so bored, bored, bored with the long summer days, a long weekend trip out of town with old friends and a Taylor Swift concert with above mentioned girls.

I’ll be back in a day or two. Thanks for looking!

3 Comments

Posted in Ranger Products, Spellbinders, Splitcoast Challenges, Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps

Special Blessing

Posted on August 2, 2013 | 3 comments

This morning, I finished up what will probably be my Dare to Get Dirty card for 2013. My desk really does look like a bomb went off, but I got so many cards made. I love looking at the stack! I’m really going to make an effort to send them out! 🙂

Stacy (JbgreendawnB) had a fabulous final challenge this morning. Perfect, if you ask me!

I started with an embossed panel that I had made with my Petite Dots Embossalicious Embossing folder from Crafter’s Companion. I ran a light coat of Antique Linen Distress Paint over the raised dots when I was done. Then, I pulled together the Cheerful Blessings sentiment set from MFT with some paper scraps, my sequins and a sweet nylon butterfly from Want-2-Scrap. Pretty easy!

I want to make one comment about the embossing folders. I love these 6×6 formatted folders from Crafter’s Companion. It doesn’t matter so much on the dot background, but on other patterns, the 6×6 format allows you to orient the design either way you’d prefer on your card (portrait or landscape). If you’ve ever used a folder designed for 5.5″ x 4.25″ card bases, you know exactly what good news this is!

I’ve got big family plans for the weekend, so I know I won’t be making any more cards. I did bring a new sketch book with me, and I’m planning to start some doodling. I had some doodling lessons when I caught up with my friend Diana Crick (Mrs. Scor-Pal!) last week in Las Vegas. She has really inspired me to give it a try, so we’ll see how that goes!

Have a **great** weekend!

Thanks for stopping by!

3 Comments

Posted in My Favorite Things, Splitcoast Challenges

It is Well…

Posted on March 6, 2013 | 4 comments

I did some stamping for Virtual Stamp Night last weekend. I used a Flourishes image from the beautiful set Spring Has Sprung. (It looks like it’s out of stock at the moment.)  The sentiment is from one of my favorite hymns and available in this fabulous from Verve called Surely Goodness.

I also attended a women’s conference last Saturday morning with some ladies from my church. What a blessing! I took a lot of notes, but the one thing that really struck me was this quote, “It doesn’t have to be well with my circumstance to be well with my soul.” I’m going to try to rest in that thought.

Back soon ~

  • Stamps: Surely Goodness (Verve) and Spring Has Sprung (Flourishes)
  • Ink: Rich Cocoa Memento and Kraft from My Favorite Things
  • Paper: Xpress It Blending Card & patterned paper
  • Accs: Scalloped tissue flower (random kit??) and Sketch Copic Marker (BG10, BG11, E31, E33, E35, YG61, YG63), Burlap Trim (Taylored Expressions) and buttons

 

4 Comments

Posted in Flourishes, Splitcoast Challenges, Verve Stamps

Feeling the Love?

Posted on February 26, 2013 | 6 comments

I made it through the Love Fest, and I have a big stash of new cards to send out to family and friends. YAY! There are still a few days left to play, and lots of fun prizes up for grabs, so if you are snowed in (like me!) today…get to crafting.

This was my card for Verve Stamps color challenge. If you stop by my blog very often, you know I *LOVE* those My Mind’s Eye 6×6 paper pads. This card offers you a way to use the pieces that have a focal image on a portion of the 6×6 piece. Use it! I’ve paired it with a pretty sentiment from Verve’s Brighter Days set and the Pennant Trim and Joyful Bloom dies. The typed sentiment on the pattern paper says, “be the best you can possibly be”.  This *might* be my favorite card from Love Fest.

To close out the party on Sunday, I made this card for The Greeting Farm’s Love to Die For challenge. I used the Tea*rrific stamp set from The Greeting Farm with Sweet Scallop die from Verve and the Lace Chain Border die from Taylored Expressions. The patterned paper is from my drawer. I’m sorry I don’t remember the name of the manufacturer – but I do remember it’s discontinued. Still pretty! Don’t be afraid to dig through those older papers and stamp sets!

We’re snowed in again here in Missouri – second time in 5 days. We got another 11″ of snow last night, on top of about the same last Thursday. I’m trying to stay hidden behind the computer because I’m pretty sure that hubby is going to want me on the back end of a shovel sometime this afternoon. 🙁

Stay warm! Finish up those Love Fest challenge cards before Thursday.

I’ll see you soon!

 

6 Comments

Posted in Splitcoast Challenges, The Greeting Farm, Verve Stamps

Still Fest*ing

Posted on February 23, 2013 | 1 comment

Still Love Fest*ing at Splitcoaststampers to celebrate our Member Companies. I can’t believe I’ve kept up from the beginning, and I’m 10 for 10 with just one day to go. 🙂

This was my card to celebrate Unity Stamp Company’s color challenge on 
Thursday. I have quite a few Unity Stamps in my collection, but I love these boots from the Brave Girl Boots set. Fun and easy to use, I paired them with the Victorian Background Stamp.

Friday’s challenge from Taylored Expressions actually pushed me a little bit. A 3″ canvas is kind of small! LOL…but I liked how these little encouraging notes turned out. I used the tiniest bike from the Bikes & Trikes set with some Fabulous papers from Simple Stories.

I’m off to watch a little middle school girls basketball, but I’ll be back tomorrow to finish up the Love Fest Challenges. If you’d like to play, you can find them all here – in one spot. You have until 2/28 to complete any or all of them, and you do NOT have to use sponsor company product to participate. 🙂

Happy Saturday!

1 Comment

Posted in Splitcoast Challenges, Taylored Expressions, Unity Stamp Company

My Type of Chick

Posted on February 20, 2013 | 4 comments

Love Fest Day 7 challenge celebrating My Favorite Things: Encouragement

I’m sending this off to a friend who has had a really full plate the last few months. She’s going to be just fine. I know that, but I wanted to send her an encouraging word, none-the-less.

Continue reading →

4 Comments

Posted in My Favorite Things, Splitcoast Challenges

FUN {TACHE} TIC

Posted on February 19, 2013 | Leave a comment

Picking up my kiddos in just a few minutes and running by the store to stock up for our pending midwest ice-in, but thought I’d make a quick update for Love Fest Day 6 celebrating The Cat’s Pajamas!

I used The Mustache Set and Bingo for The Cat’s Pajamas’ Love Fest Inspiration Challenge.  Very fun! Thanks, TCP!

Stay warm!

 

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Posted in Cat's Pajamas, Splitcoast Challenges

Love Fest Continues: Days 4 and 5

Posted on February 18, 2013 | Leave a comment

The Love Fest is still in full swing at Splitcoast, and I’m feeling pretty spunky because I’ve managed to keep up with my cards for 5 days in a row, even though I didn’t get a chance to blog last night. (Super long, exhausting weekend full of good food, cooking a dinner at my church with my hubby & a few dear friends and family members for 125 peeps, THREE away basketball games, my precious girls, poodle skirts and of course, stamping!) None-the-less, I finished this card for the Scor-Pal Love Fest challenge last night!

I’ve had the honor of working with Scor-Pal for the last six years, and the owners are just a joy, and they make pretty cool tools, too! I can honestly say that I use my Scor-Buddy on almost every single project I make. The crisp, professional looking score lines make me look good, and it’s too easy not to use it!

I used the SCS tutorial for the fabulously easy and impressive Joy Fold Card to make this one. The stamps are from my friends at Serendipity – The Clover and the Bee. The paper is Howdy Doody from My Mind’s Eye.

Today my girls were home from school, so after my morning run we planned lunch and a Red Box movie afternoon! I had a Girl Scout meeting with my younger daughter tonight, and I managed to sneak in an hour or so for crafting in between the festivities.

This card is for Simon Says Stamp’s Love Fest challenge today! I used the Where the Heart Is stamp and die sets with some Simple Stories polka dot paper and Marina Mist ink from Stampin’ Up!

Hope you’ll find time to play our Love Fest challenges. You have through February 28th to enter any or all of them, and there are lots of fun prizes. You do NOT have to have product from the specific sponsor companies (though they love seeing what you do with their pretties if you do!) to participate. The idea is to introduce you to some new faces and have a little fun using the supplies we already own!

I’m off to try and catch up on some more sleep. I plan on seeing you again tomorrow! Have a great night!

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Posted in Splitcoast Challenges

Ramona & her Teddy Sail Away

Posted on February 16, 2013 | 1 comment

It’s Day Three of the Splitcoast Member Company LoveFest, and today we are celebrating Stamping Bella! You can find her challenge for the day HERE! Keep in mind, we’ll have a lot of prizes at the end of LoveFest, and you are invited to play even if you do not have any of the sponsor company’s stamps or tools. So, don’t be shy! Take a peek and meet a new friend!

I have enjoyed a lot of Stamping Bella stamps over the years, but her Ramona line is my favorite.  I have a redhead 10 year old in this house, and these images and Ramona’s adventures always make me grin!

My image is stamped on Xpress It Blending Card and colored with Copic Markers.  After the image was colored, I cut a mask from thin copy paper of the exact image and a few little cloud shaped die cuts and airbrushed around with my favorite sky color: BG000. I topped it off with some more die cut clouds cut from vellum and covered with glitter – just so I could play Em’s challenge! <wink> 

A note about the airbrush system: I use the Sparmax Air Compressor from Copic. I really enjoy this system because I’ve never had trouble with even air flow, and most importantly it’s so quiet. That said, to air brush with your Copic markers, you can use any air compressor that will regulate to 40-60PSI. If you purchase or already have a smaller air compressor, you just need an ABS3 set up for the actual gun and nozzle. And, if you are looking for a complete system that is a bit more portable, you might like the Airbrush Starting Kit – ABS1 .

We have another full weekend here at the Craig house…church activities and basketball action will keep us busy today. I’m hoping for a few more minutes tucked into my stamping chair, and that’s my wish for you, too! Happy Saturday!

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Posted in Copics, Splitcoast Challenges, Stamping Bella