Pastel Skeleton.

Time for another diva coffee break challenge. This week the diva blog is featuring this sketch challenge. I like Halloween, but not the scary part.. I like fun, cute and silly Halloween. I just got this stamp set today and the coordinating paper. When i was looking at the paper, it reminded me of chalk pastels. So when it came to coloring my embossed image and the ribbon, i used sponge daubers and chalk pastels!

I was going to skip the ribbon from the sketch but then my card felt too plain, so I added it, and then gave this girly skeleton a beautiful purple ring to match. Now SHE'S got some style wouldn't you say?

It's been a VERY long time since i used these colors. I think it's cool to use them for Halloween! When I was a new demonstrator, i used these colors too much and got burnt out on them, but pairing it up with black for Halloween is fun! I would normally use these pastel type colors for spring flowers and girlie cards..

When I first saw this stamp set, i was thinking it would be fun to make a scrapbook page, with a movable piece and put this element behind a figure, like X-ray, or electric... LOL

Anyway, Happy Wednesday and Happy Haunting!

DCBD 136 ~ A color Challenge!

This is for the diva's coffee break design challenge.. So many colors and so little time! This challenge was pretty fun!

I used the "direct to paper" method for the background.. Meaning I put streaked the ink pad down the paper. I water colored with markers for my main image!

When I look at this stamp set and that balloon, all I can think of is the commercial from tootsie roll. How many licks does it take to get to the center of a tootsie roll pop? The little guy on the right looks like that guy to me..

I popped the balloon up by using crystal effects.

Happy Wednesday!

Diva's Coffee Break Challenge

Good Morning! It's time for the diva's challenge. This week it's a sketch challenge! At first, I had some trouble with this challenge, but as I put it together, I had fun with it.

It uses three new colors of the new in colors.

If you look really close, youll see, i cut a few leaves that go outside the lines, I also cut out the phesant and popped him up with dimensionals.

Fun new paper! Hope you're having a good week!

Diva's Coffee Break Designs ~ Two Cool Projects!

Good Morning!!!

I'm so excited, today I'll be able to order some products from the new SU catalog. I'll be figuring out what to get today.

I have two wonderful things to share with you today. Wednesday is Diva day, and today's assignment is to make a project using the big shot. I focused specifically on the big Z butterfly die.

First, I want to talk about WHY I have paper butterflies on my wall! Well ~ my daughter and I were making butterfly cards to use up some older products. This year i have just about used all my leftover paper, and I'm making cards up and using up my products. I'll have nothing left over and I feel really good about not wasting my products. Anyway, when we were done, i had a few extra butterflies. So, my daughter and I stuck them together for fun, and we were flying around my living room. When I "flew" by my tree... there it was. Why hadn't I thought of that before! I stuck one butterfly to the branch of my tree in the living room. I settled on three total. Isn't that fun? Something quick and simple you can do with your big shot. Last night i had a bunch of folks here for club, and they were all making comments on how cool it looked. All I can think is that I've graduated.. I'm turning the walls in my house into a scrapbook page!















This next project is paper butterfly pins. I'm making 20 of them for a dear demonstrator friend, Sherrill Graff. She's going to use them as swaps at convention. I know i've shown these before, but they are really cool so I thought I'd share some directions on how to make them. I like to start with a 12 x 12. For designer series paper, you can use a whole sheet. I stick 5 sheets of DSP together using mod podge. You really need to use a heavy layer of mod podge. I put my brush in some water and let those layers dry over night.

Step two: I cut my 12 x 12 down to 3x6" so I get 8 butterflies from the 5 sheets.

Step 3: I lay my heavy cardstock on top of the butterfly die and cut them out using my big shot.

Step 4: Now you can sponge them color them, stamp on them.
Step 5: Add a thin layer of crystal effects to one side and let it dry, then flip it over and do the same with the other side, let them sit overnight and dry.
Step 6: Add a heavy coat of crystal effects to the side that's going to face up and let them dry for a few days. (in the example above, I sprinkled dazzling diamonds on top at this step.
Step 7: Pull the crystal effects back out and use them to glue the butterflies together. You can add extra CE anywhere you missed at this point.
Step 8: after a few days, you can add the butterfly body. I cut pieces of dsp very thin, then put beads on it and crystal effects them to the front of the pin.
Step 9: Flip the pin over, add crystal effects and put your pin back on.
Step 10: After all that work, wear proudly! You deserve it!

So, let me also tell you about why I'm making 2o of these at one time! My friend and colleague Sherrill Graff, wants me to make her 20 swaps for convention AND is willing to pay me with product from the new book! isn't that cool? I'm not the only one! She's hired many of my friends and colleagues as well. She took applications, and studied everyone's blogs who applied and I was one of the chosen bunch!
Here are the others that were chosen.. If I were you, I would bookmark all their sites because they do some amazing work.

1.Gretchen Barron http://gretchenbarron.typepad.com/
2. Barbara Dondero http://BarbsStampingSpot.blogspot.com
3.Tammy Fite www.stampwithtammy.com
4. Judy Jackson
5. Mary Brown http://stampercamper.com/
6.Sarah Wills http://sarahsinkspot.blogspot.com/
7.Selene Kempton http://stampinfunwithselene.blogspot.com/
8.Virginia Killmore http://virginias-website.blogspot.com/
9. Elizabeth Sloman www.mamastamper.com
10.Marisol Gutierrez http://atouchofsol.blogspot.com/
11. Dawn Bullock www.stampincreations.blogspot.com
12.Sandi MacIver http://www.sandimaciver.com/sandi_maciver/
13.Stephanie Sullins http://owlwhimsy.blogspot.com
14.Susan Shields http://createdwithlovebysusan.blogspot.com/
15. Rebekah "Becky" Jensen www.stampthat.com
16. Heidi Michel www.heartfeltblessings.blogspot.com
17. Barb Slaughter stamper0910@yahoo.com blog in progress
18. Lisa Milliron http://www.uniquedesignsbylisa.typepad.com/
19 Connie Babbert http://inkspiredtreasures.com/
20 Nancy Dawson http://creativewishes.blogspot.com
21 Bethany Keeney http://keeneyfarm.blogspot.com/
22 Kirsten Brown http://imstampinsilly.blogspot.com/
23. Mary Jo Price-Williams http://technostamper.blogspot.com/
24. Elizabeth Hurst www.animalscraps.blogspot.com

Happy NEW CATALOG DAY!!!

DCBD 133 ~ Friend-ship

Happy Wednesday! Another cool sketch to work with from the coffee break divas! I really love this boatloads of fun stamp set. It's great to have the smoke stacks coming off the frame. Instead of the bow, I added a tugboat, and I did take the liberty of adding an element for my sentiment.

DCBD 132 ~ A color challenge

It's time for another diva coffee break design challenge! Well, I feel like a slacker today! I really don't like being late, but sometimes life gets in the way! I picked Alexis up from preschool and grampy decided to watch her for a half hour in the back yard with the swing set.

I thought "how wonderful it must be to be retired, and be able to swoop in and rescue your grandchild for a half hour" and more importantly.. "woo hoo ~ a half hour of concentration so I could do my challenge card! Thank You Grampy!!!

I went back to my new favorite technique, the reinker float. I embossed on shimmer white and this time used 3 colors, bashful blue, night of navy and artichoke to create the focal point for this fun card. I love that I was late, and I'm making a card with a clock, talking about being unhurried.. Ironic. :)

I wish i had craft reinker. I think that would have added to the look and gotten it closer to the inspiration piece.

I changed my mind midway through making this and decided to go landscape instead of portrait , which means my (embossed) background is the wrong way.... but I decided to let it go (those who know me well would be proud).

Then ~ out of nowhere ~ (don't you just love it when stuff works out) I realized that one of my scallop circle dies from sizzix fit's the clock perfectly! I used direct to paper to smooth ink all over this card in select places, and on the scallops to make the cardstock not so plain. I used my slot punch, to punch a hole at the top of the card, at the fold, and ran my ribbon through the hole. Then i just layered everything together.

This might make a nice fathers day card for Grampy from Alexis.. I don't know.. maybe it's too grown up. Either way, I like it!

Great colors and I cant wait to see what the other diva's have come up with!

Is it Friday yet?
Selene~

DCBD 131 ~ Sketch Challenge ~ Floating Reinker Technique

Well, I had fun with this one! Sometimes if you see a technique too much, you think to yourself that you might want to skip it, because EVERYBODY'S doing it.. Well, now I know why everyone is doing the floating reinker. (Sounds like a dance, doesn't it?)

To start, you need to emboss a line art image on shimmer white card stock. Next you spritz your cardstock with water till you have puddles of water. Next, use a waterbrush and one or more reinkers to drop random ink onto your cardstock and the water will carry it into the crannies of your design. Let the puddles dry naturally, then use this to make your card.

SO stinkin fun! I also wanted to share, that I used my scallop oval punch to make a negative design in the flower panels, to frame my thank you which was done with the same technique. It almost looks like a punched layer, but it's the negative of the white panel below it, isn't that cool? I can see myself playing with this technique in days moving forward. Imagine this with christmas trees??

I'm really happy with this one!

Crystal Effects Paper Pin, and a double challenge

Oh did I have fun with this one! The sketch is from Mojo Monday, and I also had a challenge from the Diva Coffee Break Design group to make a project using the big shot. I combined all of that, and started with a paper pin I made for a demonstrator event that I got to speak at this past weekend.

Tami White asked me to present at her demo extravaganza and show the paper pin technique. I was so excited. I had a few paper pins leftover from this weekend, and when I saw the mojo Monday sketch for this week, I though it would be a good combination challenge.

For this paper pin, I took 5 pieces of dsp from one of the hostess paper packs and glued them together with mod podge.

Second, I cut the 6x6 paper in half, and ran half through my big shot with the butterfly die. So i get 2 pins out of one 6x6 pack of 5 sheets glued together.

Next, I sponged the edges with some lovely lilac ink to give them some dimension. Then, you would want to paint both sides (one at a time) with crystal effects. Start with a few thin coats and let them dry about 20 minutes on each side. Note: Dont lay them on paper.. make sure your work surface is plastic. When they have several thin layers on both sides. then lay a heavy layer of crystal effects on top. let this dry for at least 2 hours before handling. I used a little more crystal effects to stick the butterfly pieces together.

To make the butterfly body, I used my stampin up tabletop paper trimmer to trim a very thin layer of cardstock I folded the piece in half so that the two ends are at the top and become the top of the butterfly. The bottom I twisted, to make it easy to slide a few beads from the pretties kit onto the body.

So one pin, ends up being 10 layers of designer series paper, and has crystal effects also. The dimension of this element on a card front is nothing short of breathtaking!

Again, I stuck everything together with the crystal effects including the body of the butterfly (to hold the beads on the paper and to stick them to the butterfly wings.

Next, I went to see the sketch from the Mojo Monday blog. I really liked the panel in the middle, but made it a bit larger to show the next technique I had in mind. I really like the decor element's stencils that are our right now from stampin up, but I havent had the extra money to purchase another one. So, I took a piece of paper and cut out this design from a piece of paper, and made my own stencil. I sponged two colors over, amethyst and eggplant. Leaving gaps with both colors so that my sponged image (on shimmer white) would have different shades of colors floating throughout the whole image. It's so pretty in real life. I love the way it turned out.

DCBD 129 ~ A sketch challenge

I had a bit of trouble with this sketch. I'm not sure why, it's pretty cute. I flipped the sketch and broke out some of my rubons from the mini. I like the way this one turned out, it's simple and cute. Have a great Wednesday!

Also, please check out what the other diva's are doing on the diva coffee break blog.

DCBD Color Challenge ~ You're absolutely fabulous

I was feeling completely challenged today by this color set. When I say the regal rose and Riding Hood Red, but that's the whole part of a color challenge. Using ALL the colors without skipping any...

So ~ I was thinking about the beautiful sunny day and strawberry picking coming up and that was the inspiration for this card.

I inked my strawberry up with certainly celery, and regal rose and added riding hood red, and artichoke for accents.

Next, I went to my designer series paper. More specifically, I started looking through my textured cardstock DSP. I really like that you can make a card base out of dsp. For the inside and for all the white layers on this card I used shimmer white. I love stamping on shimmer, especially when blending colors and watercoloring because it holds up really well with water and the ever so slight shimmer makes every card so pretty. I used my cropadile to make the holes in the scallop because the layer seemed very green... :) Either that, or I was thinking a white gel pen with some dot's going around would have been nice... What do you think? I'd love to hear what you have to say about this or any of my creations.

Also, please check out what the other diva's are doing on the diva coffee break blog. They never cease to amaze me with their creations!

DCBD 127 ~ How cool are those brads??

This week's diva coffee break design challenge is a sketch. I'm exhausted tonight, but I knew if I didn't take a few minutes to do this that I'd be late, and I hate being late!

So ~ I pulled out one of the sets that has become a staple in my stamping arsenal. I received this stamp set for free this year at the stampin up sponsored ~ managers reception. When I got the set, I remember thinking to myself, "I'll never use this" but after playing with this set just once, I realized how versitile and beautiful it is.. All I can say is, I was PSYCHED when I decided this card needed a little something and realized how well our flower brads coordinate with this set! I felt truly challenged by this sketch, but overall I'm happy with my creation.

Want to play along? Make a card with this sketch idea, then submit it over at the diva's site! I check the players every week, so I'll be interested to see what all of you come up with.

DCBD 126 ~ Make a project using the big shot ~ how to make a basic box

When I saw what the challenge was this week, I was really excited. I got a new die in the mail because my good friend ((and BFF)) got it, and when I saw what she made with it ~ of course I had to have it! Although, I saw something more!!! I decided to use these colors because I have been playing with the flock together paper all week. I used it for my team meeting swaps, to get my birthday cards in the mail for May, a sympathy card, and now I was thinking that I'm going to need something to wrap my gift for mom with! I am really surprised how far one pack of designer paper goes. Now I'm addicted to these colors!

Have you ever purchased a gift, bring it home, get ready to wrap it and all you have is Christmas paper?? I started making boxes to wrap my gifts about a year ago when I was late on buying wrapping paper for my nephew's birthday.. anyway I'm rambling... To make a basic box, you take a piece of paper and score it equally on 4 sides. So in this case I lined my paper up to the 3" mark and scored it 4 times.

What's AS important as making a box bottom??... Making the top! I want my box top to slide easily over the bottom, so if i'm using the same size paper, the sides need to be a touch shorter and the inside measurement of the box needs to be bigger. So ~ my measurement needs to be shorter on the 4 sides, does that make sense?? So, I scored my next piece of 12 x 12 at 2 15/16" of an inch.. or one line on the paper cutter towards the 2". :)

Next, I cut 2 inches off each side of the box top, making the cover a little less than 1" tall. This makes it much easier to put the box cover on and take it off. Then you have a piece of cardstock that is scored like this picture. I then cut in 4 places (on the red). If you bend the cardstock back and forth for the rest of your box, then add some tombo multipurpose adhesive (or sticky strip) you can stick your box and box top together at this point without much trouble.

I like the tombo glue, but you really have to be careful not to use too much. It can get very messy, very fast!

Here comes the FUN part! I took my new daisy die and cut some of the flock togehter DSP with it. I cut some leaves out of garden green cardstock and layered it across my box base with the tombo adhesive. Then I just alternated colors when it came to building my daisy. I thought about adding some color to the tips of the flower with a sponge, but when I laid it down, I thought the cut cardstock looked so crisp and clean it didnt need it. It did, however, need to "say" something. I took another die that had a bunch of words and cut the word love. It looked a bit distorted, because it's meant to be shown with other words, but I thought it looked almost custom because it frames the flower on the top of the box.

I had a blast making this and hope you'll try making a box and then use some funky embellishments and show me a picture! Check out what some of my girlfriends are doing over at the Diva's Coffee Break Blog and add your submission to Mr. Linky! I can't wait to see what you come up with!

DCBD 125 ~ A sketch challenge

Time for another week to join the Diva's Coffee Break Design team for a sketch challenge. I had so much fun making the first card, I made a second for this weeks challenge! This beautiful stamp set "for all you do" will not be available until the July 2009 release of the stampin up Idea book and catalog. It was a gift to all incentive trip achievers and given with a "make and take" packet in Hawaii. When I saw the sketch, even though I had been thinking it should stay on the shelf until we get closer to July, I pulled it off and mounted it to have a little fun.
First, I ran the white background through my bigshot with the swirly texture plate. I tied a ribbon on the designer series paper and used my eyelet border punch to create the design element on both sides of the DSP. I stamped the sentiment in chocolate chip and punched it out with the square punch, and layered that with the square scallop punch.

The inside of the card is almost more interesting than the front! I inked up the butterfly in baja breeze and "rock & rolled" it in chocolate chip to get the outside dark outline. I stamped off once and then stamped on the inside of the card. I also added a thank you which is also part of the stamp set.
Both of these cards are relatively simple and are really pretty. I think I cased myself for the second card. I made a card using DSP down a little further on my blog. This one has a little more white. I like clean and simple cards. This one was very similar put together. I used the bigshot for the background, and added some ribbon around that layer. I used a rubon right on the ribbon and markers to ink my images. I used the bojo blossoms punch to punch out my wise owl "dad" for this fathers day card. I know flowers are not typically masculine, but I think the half bead from the pretties kit works nicely as a center to the white flower button. They are both attached with a glue dot. Well, that's about all folks! I hope you have a chance to check out what the other diva's are doing today. I know I'll be grabbing a cup of coffee and moving down the list after I drop my little one at school. If you have time to play along, I'd love to see what you are making with this sketch too. It's a quick and easy one! I hope you have time to stamp something fun today.
Selene Kempton

DCBD 124 ~ A Color Challenge

What a fun time I had with this color combination! This week was to use, whisper white, Very Vanilla, Going Grey or basic grey and basic black. All I could think is that these colors lend themselves to black tie wedding!

With that in mind I wanted my card base to be a bit fancy. I started with a piece of patterned designer series paper that I wanted to use for my card base, but it would have seemed a bit flimsy by itself. Also, the back was blue, so I couldnt keep that! I used a piece of whisper white and stuck both pieces together. I added the snail to one side and closed the card. Flipped it over then added to the other side and adhered it while it was folded in half. Why would I do that?? Well, if you stuck the piece of paper together and then folded it, the other paper would buckle and show through due to the fold. This is a back view of my card, so I didnt just cut the DSP down to the card front size, it is the entire card base which makes it a bit more regal, dont you think?

Next, I pulled out my embossing gun, buddy, pal, and paintbrush! Even when I use the embossing buddy, it seems that ONE LITTLE GRAIN of embossing powder can muck up a perfectly PERFECT image, know what i mean?? :)

I embossed my bride and groom, but I didnt stop there. Next I embossed a rose and sentiment inside the card on my whisper white... and I couldn't resist a tiny bit of water color just to give the flowers some color. It takes total restraint to only color the flowers on the card, but again, I think it adds something without going over the line. All and all I had a fantastic time with this challenge.

Please check out what my girlfriends are doing at the Diva's Coffee Break Blog, and if you want to play along, I'd love to see what you come up with. On the blog there is a place to submit your artwork with these fun colors. Totally Fun! Happy Wednesday!

Selene Kempton

Diva's Coffee Break Challenge

Oh what a fun sketch this is! It's great to hang out with the diva coffe break design group.

I needed a baby card, but i really wanted to go a little outside the box today. I always see baby cards in the traditional pink blue yellow and green colors, but this textured cardstock DSP really helps break the mold a little.

I cut the center panel (white) of this card to 3x4, and cut the blue waves 3 x 2. then i ripped those panels in half and stuck them on to create my waves. I used blender pens and ink pads to ink up my stamp and cut it out to make the boat.

I removed 3 crystal clear brads from their casing and glued them on with crystal effects. A simple yet gorgeous sketch. Would you like to play along?? Join us over at the diva's coffee break blog and submit your card with mr. Linky!

Happy Wednesday!

Selene Kempton

DCBD 122 ~ Use the big shot!

Well I had some fun altering this old frame. I have a few frames hanging out on my back porch. it seems to me that wallet sized photos tend to get tossed aside. I know i've used this image quite a bit, but this frame is for Brian (dad's) office. I made a simple scrapbook page, but the use of a frame is fun for doing layers.

I started with a plain blue piece of paper and some so saffron ribbon. Then I added the photo with a rose red matte.

I added the word "love" from SU's decor elements line of vinal.

Next I cut the large daisy out of shimmer white cardstock and layered two of the pieces together. I slipped the ribbon through the hole and tied a knot. I pulled the two ends (on the back side) to make the knot tight, and added the whole piece using stampin dimensionals to adhere it to the glass on the frame. The whole project probably took 10 minutes, but I think Dad is going to love it, dont you? :)

Check out what my girlfriends are up to over at the Coffee Break Blog and let them know you're visiting!

DCBD 121 ~ A sketch challenge

Well it's nice to be back to take a coffee break with the Diva's team once again! This week's challenge is a really cool sketch. I immediately thought of my new favorite retro set and thought that the little image would fit this sketch quite nicely. Do you like my linen thread tied in the bird's mouth? I thought it would make a nice little bow for the nest. :)

This is a double challenge for me. I also design for the late night stampers yahoo group and this weeks challenge is bird's of a feather. I think this fits the bill for both challenges! Too cool!

This simple design would be quick and easy to reproduce. Contact me today to see just how easy it is to make.

Would you like to play along with the diva's?? Well there is a new blog where you can play along and submit your great creations with this sketch using Mr. Linky! Check out the diva's coffee break design group here!

Diva's Coffee Break Challenge

I really LOVE the sketch for this week's challenge. I desperatly want spring to come so that I can take my daughter outside more, and here we go again... It's supposed to snow tonight.. (my fault for living in new england)..

I flipped the sketch on it's side because I really wanted to use this awesome stamp set when I saw the sketch.

I pulled my favorite spring colors out for this project. Artichoke, Rose Red, Regal Rose, and Apricot. I stamped the main layer on shimmer white... oh so pretty.. To color the image, I used watercolor crayons and a water brush.

I'm really happy with this one, I may use it for my class tomorrow night. :) Hope you have some quiet time to stamp something today.

Rubbah Hugs,

Selene Kempton