Happy Anniversary!

Stylin' Stampin' INKspiration is celebrating its first anniversary today! In addition to following our Design Team blog, you can also now follow us on Pinterest and join our special group on Facebook.

Looking back, not only has our design team group grown and evolved, but so have I. One year ago, I was working part-time, making cards as needed, and blogging 3-4 times per month, if that. I was also between my laptop dying and having our new computer built; so I was taking pictures on my phone, editing them on my tablet, and blogging from my tablet. Let me just say; I hope I NEVER have to do that again! It was not a picnic. Now I am working full-time, making cards on a daily, or weekly basis; and blogging an average of 15 times a month. I'm also 25 pounds lighter than I was a year ago.

As I was deciding what to create for this special post today; I decided that I should do a CASE of the card I posted one year ago. After checking out last year's post, this was what I was inspired to create:

I love the new Typeset Designer Series Paper. It is a lightweight and realistic book type paper. I embossed the flowers from Bloom With Hope using Gold Embossing Powder. I had originally thought that I would color them in, but I liked the look of them as they are. Using the Banner Framelits, I layered a piece of Gold Foil Paper behind it. The Argyle Embossing Folder, a length of 1-1/4" Crumb Cake Striped Grosgrain Ribbon and a few Cherry Cobbler Candy Dots rounded out this card.

Crumb Cake 1-1/4" Striped Grosgrain Ribbon

$8.95

Typeset Specialty Designer Series Paper

$12.95

Regals Candy Dots

$5.95

Gold Stampin' Emboss Powder

$4.95

Argyle Textured Impressions Embossing Folder

$7.95

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Stamp Set Feature

Have you seen the new Stampin' Up! set, Kinda Eclectic? I'll admit, it wasn't one that drew my attention in the catalog. However, once I received it; I'm seeing all sorts of possibilities with it now!

We are featuring Kinda Eclectic over at Stylin' Stampin' INKspiration today, so you'll have many new ideas for this set. Here is the first thing that came to my mind when I started creating with this set.

I stamped the starburst image in Crushed Curry on Whisper White. Next I grabbed my Stampin' Majig and lined up the image where I wanted to stamp with Calypso Coral. I had initially planned to also stamp another layer with Rose Red, but decided that two colors was enough. The Designer Series Paper is from the Confetti Celebration collection.

Kinda Eclectic Clear-Mount Stamp Set

$19.95

Confetti Celebration Designer Series Paper

$10.95

Subtles Candy Dots

$5.95

A Round Array Clear Stamp Set

$14.95

7/8" Circle Scallop Punch

$12.95

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Sympathy Card

Unfortunately I had to make a card for a co-worker last week who lost her mom. The comforting thought for me though, was that at least I could put some extra love in to the card for her.

Yes, I totally busted out the Blendabilites for this card. They just seemed appropriate! (Oh, who am I kidding? Any excuse to use them, and they're in my hand!)

The Bloom With Hope stamp set has these great flower images, plus several sentiments; including this With Sympathy and a nice saying for the inside of the card. The butterflies are from the Papillon Potpourri set.

Bloom With Hope Wood-Mount Stamp Set

$23.00

Papillon Potpourri Clear Stamp Set

$14.95

Small Butterfly Punch

$15.95

Stampin' Blendabilities™ Markers Daffodil Delight Assortment

$11.95

Stampin' Blendabilities™ Markers Old Olive Assortment

$11.95

Stampin' Blendabilities™ Markers Skin Tone Assortment

$22.95

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Technique Tuesday

Have you ever tried stamping with an embossing folder? That is our featured technique today at SSINK.

I used two different embossing folders today in different ways.

First, I used the Polka Dot Embossing Folder on a piece of Very Vanilla cardstock. Next, I took the Love stamp from Groovy Love and stamped it in the debossed areas. I rotated using Lost Lagoon and Soft Sky for my diagonal rows. This created a striking background.

Next I inked up a small section of the raised side of the Perfect Polka Dots Embossing Folder with Lost Lagoon ink. Quickly, I inked up one of the Work of Art splashes with Soft Sky ink. Then I used the kissing technique and stamped the splash stamp on the embossing folder to pick up the Lost Lagoon polka dots. Huffing slightly on to my stamp to make sure all the ink was moist, I then stamped this image on a piece of Very Vanilla cardstock. This carried through the polka dot theme, while creating a subtle background for the "Boom-Boom" sentiment; which was stamped in Blackberry Bliss.

Finally, I stamped the polka dot heart from Groovy Love on Soft Sky cardstock using Lost Lagoon ink. I punched it out with the coordinating Sweetheart punch. The heart is popped up with Stampin' Dimensionals.

The card base is Soft Sky, and the layer pieces are Blackberry Bliss. Blackberry Bliss, Lost Lagoon, and Soft Sky are very pretty together.

Groovy Love Clear-Mount Stamp Set

$17.95

Work Of Art Wood-Mount Stamp Set

$29.95

Sweetheart Punch

$15.95

Punch Corner Project Life

$7.95

Perfect Polka Dots Textured Impressions Embossing Folder

$7.95

Polka Dot Textured Impressions Embossing Folder

$7.95

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Stylin' Stampin' INKspiration Color Challenge

When did August get here? Shouldn't it still be June? Since it is August, and the first Monday at that, it's time for another color challenge at SSINK! We're changing things up a bit with our color challenges, so make sure to check it out. There will be a special badge for the top pick of the month. You can also tag our challenges now. If play along this month, tag your picture with #ssinkcc12.

What's your initial thought of this color combination? I thought the other ladies were going to laugh me off the island when I posted this one; but it was actually easier than I thought it was going to be.

I stamped one banner in each of the colors with a stamp from Amazing Birthday, which I just received last week. The images coordinates perfectly with the Banner Framelit dies. The "Life is good" sentiment is from the Project Life Remember This set. I stamped it in Mossy Meadow on Whisper White cardstock before punching it out with my very neglected Curly Label punch.

Thanks for coming to see me today. Play along if you were INKspired; and you never know when I might come searching for your tag on Pinterest, Twitter, Instagram, or Facebook!

Amazing Birthday Wood-Mount Stamp Set

$28.95

Project Life Remember This Photopolymer Stamp Set

$15.95

Banners Framelits Die

$26.95

Curly Label Punch

$16.95

Whisper White 1/4" Cotton Ribbon

$5.95

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Sunday Share

Last week I featured a cool project that one of my customers was working on at a crop. It inspired me to trying a painting class at our local art center.

Being overly self-critical of myself, I wasn't happy with my painting as I was working on it. However, once I got home with it and hung it on the wall; I love it and am proud of myself for it being a first attempt.

"Fireflies"

My favorite part of my painting are the "constellations" and shooting stars. Those were a happy accident!

I'm taking another class this week, and we are painting peacocks. I can't wait!

Ombre Card

I realized the other night just how obsessed I am with the Blendabilities, because I have used them on almost every card I've made in the last two weeks. That just goes to show their versatility. I'm going to challenge myself not to design with them for a week, but that can wait until next week. (Or maybe next month!)

Three gradient colors make Blendabilities a great choice for creating an Ombre effect!

In my "What Can I Do With Blendabilities?" post last week, I showed a piece of Designer Series Paper colored with these fabulous markers. I did the same thing today, to show a finished product with this technique.

I cut a 2" x 4-1/2" piece of DSP from the Back to Black assortment. I happened to have 9 full rows of the design, so I colored the top 3 with the Dark Pumpin Pie, the next 3 with the Medium Pumpkin Pie, and the last 3 with the Light Pumpkin Pie. There were partial rows at the top and bottom, so I colored those with the Dark Daffodil Delight. Once I was done, I felt that it had a groovy kind of feel, so I turned to my Groovy Love set for the sentiment.

The DSP was layered on a piece of Mellow Moss cardstock, with a smaller layer of Crumb Cake underneath. The sentiment was stamped in Mellow Moss on Crumb Cake cardstock. I felt that the card needed a little extra embellishing; so in keeping with the Ombre theme, I colored three rhinestones with the three shades of Pumpkin Pie Blendabilities.

There are so many fabulous ways to incorporate Ombre in to your stamping projects. Feel free to stop over at SSINK for more ombre INKspiration.

Bermuda Bay 8-1/2" X 11" Card Stock

$6.95

Back To Black Designer Series Paper

$10.95

Rhinestone Basic Jewels Embellishments

$4.95

Stampin' Blendabilities™ Markers Pumpkin Pie Assortment

$11.95

Stampin' Blendabilities™ Markers Daffodil Delight Assortment

$11.95

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