Hope Blogger's challenge

Today's bloggers challenge was to alter something. I started this yesterday and spent quite some time on it, and I almost didn't post it, because I'm not sure I like how it turned out.

For this one, it's all about the process. I started with some white craft and colored my unfinished frame, then heat set it. I used poppin pastels to put the flourishes on, then embossed the entire top with glassy glaze embossing powder 3 times.

Then I added the word hope. I stamped the ribbon symbol, cut it out ~ attached it ~ took it off, then went with real ribbon, which helped a bit.

I have a good friend from high school that I just found out is mid-way through treatment. I want to make her some thank you cards and mail it along with this frame... but like I said ~ I don't know if I like it...

Certainly a labor of love, just not what I had in my mind's eye.. Oh well ~ guess every crafter has days like these.

Saturday Sketch Challenge

Woo Hoo! Another awesome sketch from your Seven Sensational Operators!

This week I chose the faux shaving cream technique for my card. For the main element (the christmas trees), I inked them in bashful blue ink, then took a wheel inked with rich razzleberry and swiped over my inked stamp. This blends the colors together a bit. Stamp your image and you're all set! Make sure you clean your stamp before going back into the bashful blue ink. I used a 1/2" strip of paper to make my paper banner. I save my cut offs from making layers and use them for paper banners.

Bend the banner over your finger so you have a "hill" in the middle of your banner, then shape out two "valleys" on either side, then make two more "hills" just moving the paper around with your fingers. Isnt that fun?? To attach the banner, I use to dimensional cut offs from the pieces left over around the edge.

The embossing folder is the petals folder for the big shot from the mini catalog.

Finally, the stars were stamped with silver shimmer paint. I used a sponge dauber to apply the ink to my star stamp, then stamped them on the tops of my faux shaving cream trees.

On a personal note... I'm up in the mountains camping.. it's raining tonight, so we're spending some time indoors. I may even make some holiday cards tonight. On the way up, I was wondering if coming camping in the rain in October was such a good idea... Do you remember when frosty the snowman comes to life and yells "happy birthday"??? She woke from a dead sleep and said "are we at the campground yet, we're going camping mom and dad" Yes, it's worth being in the rain, it's supposed to clear up. If I peep at some cool leafs, i'll post some photos. For those of you not from New England.... this is "leaf~peeper season" and this weekend is peak foliage.

Rubbah hugs and have a great weekend.

Selene~

Bloggers challenge Sketch..

This weeks bloggers challenge is one of my favorite things. It's a sketch challenge! I've never considered having a favorite color combination, but whisper white, real red and soft suede rock my world these days!

I used sponging to make dasher pop, and you just gotta love that paper with the flock! I stamped the "be merry right on top and it stamped like a champ.

Dasher is white embossed on soft suede. I'm one sleepy Selene. To check out what the other bloggers challenge group members are up to today, click here for the blog roll.

Happy stamping ~ we're off camping this weekend.

A New Halloween Costume Idea and a My Digital Studio Page!

We've been talking about Halloween all week. Deciding what to be for Halloween is always a daunting task. Earlier in the week Alexis shared that she wants to be Tinkerbell.

While playing outside, I suggested she be a bag of leaves. She loves to play with them and suggested we make a craft project out of the leaves in the back yard. However, that idea didn't fly.

Well today we thought of a third option. How about being a Stampin' Up! shipment!??? We got to work with some retired ribbon and a cropadile. Five minutes later we have our first draft! What do you think??

We spent the afternoon crafting. Alexis is holding the card she made using the floating re inkier technique. I don't think she'll ever part with that card. I tried to get her to give it to her teacher at school . No dice! Can you blame her? it's gorgeous!!

If you care to leave a message for miss Alexis, she won't send you hers, but she can pick who mine is going to.. Leave Alexis some love and you'll get a copy of her gorgeous creation!

Happy Craftin!
Selene Kempton

Mojo Monday 107

I just love card sketches! I took a few liberties with this one. I flipped the sketch and the panel that is showing on the right, overlapping, I didn't overlap. I wanted to have it similar on both sides since I flipped the sketch 90 degrees. I have an Over the top Christmas card class this week at my home on Thursday. I need a to design a few more cards. My friends/customers and I will be making a few of my "over the top" card that they really want to learn how to make.

After using this sketch to design my card for the mojo monday challenge, I think this card made the cut!

It's a suspension card. I used the movers and shapers die to create the suspension, then ran a piece of stretchy cord to hang the "joy" ornament from. There are so many details to this card. the GORGEOUS flock paper available in the mini catalog, Bride DSP and more! I hope my girlfriends like this one. I'm going to just show some close up photos, and photos of the inside at the end of the post so you can see some more detail. Suspension cards are so much fun, and they are so easy with the big shot die.

Happy Monday!

Saturday Sketch Challenge 119

It's sketch day again on the stamping 411 blog. This weeks sketch is gorgeous, and having taken a sneak peek at the operators posts for this week, you will certainly not want to miss their work.

I stamped dasher in soft suede ink, then used my sponge dauber to ink up the stamp again, with the champagne shimmer paint. It's a gorgeous combination and in real life it almost looks 3D. I sponged all the edges with soft suede shimmer paint.

My dimensions were as follows.

Kraft Layer 1: 4 1/4" x 11, scored at 5 1/2" and folded in half.
Real Red Layer 2: 4 x 5 1/4"
Soft Suede Layer 3: 2 3/4" x 5 1/4", and I used the eyelet border punch on this layer
DSP on layer 4: 2 x 5 1/4"

The rest of the layers you would cut to size based on your image. I like to measure the block of wood for my top layer, and add a 1/4 inch on two sides when adding a matte.

Thanks so much for looking, please check out the 411 blog this week. If you're so inclined, please play along. I would love to see your creations with this cool sketch. Also, you can check out what my girlfriends did with this sketch and their other awesome works here.

• Robin Merriman
• Patti Chesky
• Gretchen Barron
• Connie Babbert
• Lee Conrey
• Tiffany Bauer

Rubbah Hugs,

Selene Kempton

Blogger's Challenge ~ Love ~ Teeny Valentine Wishes

Today's blogger's challenge theme is Love.. :) I made this teeny weenie card and box, using the pizza box die and envelope maker. It's the perfect size for a "chunky" brand candy bar.

I'm a bit excited and want to go back to my room to play with this set some more. For now, I'd just like to share the first project I made with this set.

First ~ This stamp set was a gift from a stampin sister Janice Rosenthal Rock, during the last round of gifts we sent one another. Every 3 months I get a new sister... I haven't mounted the set since I got it and was psyched to see the challenge, so I could pull out my set!.

When I sat down to put it together this morning, I noticed that the sentiments were right below the main images. in many cases when that happens, I like to cut the words apart from the images and mount them on the side of the block (as shown). In my opinion, this increases the value of the stamp set. If I decide I need to stamp 100 trains in one day, I can just ink it up and stamp it, without having to use a marker to color just the portion of the stamp I'm looking for. In addition, this allows me to put the sentiment anywhere on the card I want. The next time you're mounting a set with words, give it some thought.. :)

I also saved the circle piece left over from the die cut set. I'll find a piece of wood and mount that circle to it, and i'll have another coordinating stamp!

Moving along to the project. If you're cutting a piece of 12 x 12 down to make the pizza box and coordinating envelope (that fits a 2x2" card), the die is actually longer than 12". So I cut a piece of 12 x 12 at 5.5" and then cut the 12" side at 3 1/2". The 3.5 x 5" piece is plenty big for the envelope, but you need to turn it to run it through the big shot. This way I didn't get cut off or waste any paper.

I used 4 heart punches to make scallops for the white circle on my box cover, click here for a quick tutorial on that from another post if you like. Next I inked up the heart images and punched them out with my 1 3/4" punch. On top of that there is a layer of pretty in pink, and then whisper white.

Pretty simple ~ I just colored my owl in with markers, and I did cut out the three hearts from the image and glued them on after. He needed those hearts!

When cutting the box, I used the extended premium crease pad. If you don't have one of these, and you are cutting out a pattern that has a score mark, you could end up cutting your card stock instead of scoring, so it's really good to have for dies that have a crease or score line.

As far as the card and envelope are concerned, they are SO tiny!!! The photo doesn't do it justice. The red paper going across the center is less than 1/8" thick.. It's so cute and tiny, this would be great for a treat going to school for a friend or teacher. I had a blast with this challenge and can't wait to continue playing with the set.

If you have some time today, please check out what my friends are doing from the bloggers challenge group. I'm off to go see what they've come up with for this week too! TGIF!

Selene~