Scrap n Stamp: Bling and Blossoms Blog Hop!

Happy first Friday in May! The beginning of the month means it's time for a Scrap n Stamp Blog Hop! Appropriately for May, our theme is 💠BLING💠 and 🌸BLOSSOMS🌸. 

I went in search of some blossoms that hadn't seen ink before, and came up with Concord & 9th's Filled In Florals. My first card: 

For the blossoms and leaves, I used the rock n roll technique - for the flowers, I inked them in Memento Dandelion, then used a dauber to add Cantaloupe around the edges. The flower centres are also stamped in cantaloupe. The leaves are inked in New Sprout, with some Bamboo Leaves sponged along the centre vein. The sentiment is embossed with Wow gold embossing powder. I added a couple of scored lines to two edges of my card panel for a little extra interest, and finally for bling, added a few Gina K. dew drops. 

Then I thought, I bet these stamps would work well with some distress inks and faux watercolouring! So I had to try it: 

As you can see, I kept the same colour palette. After inking each stamp, I spritzed it with water before stamping it onto smooth bristol paper. Since the images are less precise, I didn't even worry about masking! 

By then I was on a roll, so I decided to use the remaining blossom stamp in the set: 

This was the easiest card of the three! I randomly stamped the flower using Memento Paris Dusk ink, then die cut my panel with a rectangular stitched frame. I initially stamped the sentiment in the same blue ink, but it didn't seem to have enough impact, so back to the gold! (As an aside, I love the look of this cut-out sentiment, and need more. Suggestions welcome!) For the flower centres, I used some gold Nuvo Drops, applying them with a toothpick to keep them imprecise. A few gold sequins were the final touch. 

Thanks for hanging in to the end! Remember to comment at each stop on the hop for a chance to win a $50 gift certificate to Scrap n Stamp! Here is the entire hop list: 

Tara

Deborah

Chala

Kia

Susan

Nancy

Lindsey --> you are here!

Jessica --> your next stop

In case you needed further inspiration to do a little weekend shopping... Scrap n Stamp has a special sale this weekend! Save 20% on your order with the discount code Pamper. (Valid 05/07/2021- 05/10/2021. While supplies last. Not valid with any other coupons, sales or promotions. Not applicable on previous purchases.)

Have a great weekend and enjoy the hop! 

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Happy Little Stampers: Stencils

It's time for the next challenge with Happy Little Stampers: Stencils! I really intended to make a pretty spring card. Somehow I ended up with a snarky cat card instead... 

I started with this fun mosaic stencil - the first three rows are rather standard before the pattern breaks up into a more abstract design. I blended those first three rows in fired brick distress ink, then the upper rows in a mix of colours. The finished panel vaguely reminds me of some of the subway stations in Toronto! Resulting in the sentiment I chose. :D As for my snarky cat, I decided to leave him uncoloured, apart from his very tired eyes. And look! He's wearing bunny slippers! 

I think you will find my HLS stencil teammates managed their goals of making pretty cards! Mine provides the contrast, I suppose. :D Pop over to be inspired! 

Supplies: Neenah white & Recollections black cardstock, Stampers Anonymous/Tim Holtz Snarky Cat stamps, MFT extreme black & fired brick, twisted citron, carved pumpkin & squeezed lemonade distress inks, Copic marker, Carabelle Studio Mosaïque stencil, MFT blueprints 29 banner die, Gelly Roll white gel pen

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ABC Christmas: J and K

It's the first Wednesday in May, and that means it's time for a new ABC Christmas Challenge! We are almost halfway through the year, and so in the alphabet, we are up to J and K. First up - J for JEWELS: 

This layering set by Hero Arts is still my favourite wreath stamp, and so out it came again. I used just one colour of green ink, but varied it by using second-generation stamping for the first two layers. I added a sentiment from the same set, and some scoring on the sides of the panel before adhering it to a panel of patterned paper on a card base. Three colours of jewels add decoration to the wreath. 

Next up is K for KIDS: 

I decided on a card with a kid/girl, and a card that would be suitable for a kid. (Of course, you know if I had baby goat stamps, I would have used them.) To begin, I blended a cardstock panel with distress inks, and both sprayed and splattered it with shimmer mist. While that dried, I stamped, embossed, coloured and cut out my girl riding a polar bear. I die cut a sparkly hill for her to ride on, and added an embossed sentiment to the ink-blended panel. Some additional sparkle is added to her outfit with Stickles. 

I highly recommend working on your holiday cards early to relieve some stress come holiday time! For more inspiration, check out the terrific cards made by the rest of the ABC design team, and then join us! 

Supplies: (warmest wishes) Neenah white cardstock, Stampin' Up patterned paper, Hero Arts Colour Layering Wreath stamps, Stampin' Up garden green & Colorbox cranberry ink, Wow clear gloss embossing powder, Multicrafts jewels; (beary happy Christmas) Neenah white cardstock, American Crafts glitter paper, Penny Black Arctic Antics stamps, Versafine onyx black, Colorbox cranberry & mermaid lagoon, faded jeans & chipped sapphire ink, Wow clear gloss embossing powder, Copic markers, Tsukineko clear sparkle shimmer spray, MFT blueprints 24 stitched rectangle & Sugar Pea Designs card front element builder dies, frosted lace Stickles, foam tape

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Happy Little Stampers: CAS

The May challenges at Happy Little Stampers continue with the CAS Challenge! For May, we are looking for clean and simple cards that feature FUN and GAMES. Which made me realize I don't have a lot of stamps featuring those. But I think summertime swimming counts! 

I love this little Unity stamp, and got it out for Kathy Racoosin's recent ten day colouring challenge. For the first one, I ink blended distress oxides and splattered with water before stamping and embossing the image. I realized I had always used warm sunny colours with this stamp, so then watercolored a panel in cooler shades to see if that worked. I like it! To turn them into cards, I trimmed the images and ran a black Copic around the edges. Then I grabbed a couple of mini slimline stencils and added the backgrounds to my two card bases in distress inks. I stamped and embossed a couple of sentiments, adhered the images, and called them done! 

Lots of CAS inspiration to be had on the Happy Little Stampers blog! I hope you'll have some fun of your own and join us. 

Supplies: Neenah white cardstock, Canson watercolour paper, Unity Good Day Sunshine, Clearly Besotted Many Mini Messages & Technique Tuesday Sweet Summertime stamps, Versafine onyx black, fossilized amber & wild honey distress oxide & squeezed lemonade, carved pumpkin, tumbled glass & shaded lilac distress ink, Wow clear gloss embossing powder, ARTplorations mini slimline Burst & Wavy Dots stencils, black Copic marker

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Color Hues: Red and Orange

Here I am with my third post of the day, and this time it's for Color Hues! Teammate Kristie has picked the new colour pairing, and it's RED and ORANGE! Red is my favourite colour, orange not so much - and the two of them combined might not have been been my first choice. But with a little thought, I came up with this: 

You've heard of Christmas in July of course, and here I am with autumn in May. ;) For me, that was the ideal way to pair these two hues - in a beautiful autumn maple leaf. To start, I smooshed a panel of watercolour paper with distress inks in carved pumpkin, barn door and fired brick, drying and repeating until I was happy with it. I then cut it with a large maple leaf die. This die has a narrow border around the leaf, which includes the stem. I've never been quite sure what to do with the border, it sort of accordions out of shape as soon as it's cut. But light bulb moment! I also cut it out of this off-white panel after I splattered it with the same orange and red inks, then popped up both the panel and leaf on a red card base. To finish it off, I added the sentiment banner. 

Beautiful interpretations of these two colours from the Color Hues design team, and our latest guest designer, my talented friend Tracey! I hope you will take up the challenge of these two hues and join us! 

Supplies: Stampin' Up naturals white & Papertrey Ink pure poppy cardstock, Canson watercolour cardstock, Clearly Besotted Message Me stamp, Versamark & carved pumpkin, barn door & fired brick ink, Wow fine white embossing powder, Poppystamps maple leaf & MFT blueprints 29 sentiment banner dies, foam tape

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The Sisterhood Braves the Outdoors

It's the first of May, and a Saturday - and time for a new challenge from the Sisterhood of Snarky Stampers: O is for Outdoors! Edna is showing off her outdoorsy side, my card... not so much: 

The outdoors has taken on an entirely new meaning this past year, with the threat of the coronavirus seeming ever-present. Also, I would never have thought I'd still be making pandemic cards! My card started with this sheet of patterned paper, which used to look just dotted, but now seems to have little covid virus particles all over it. So I paired it up with a nervous looking cat, a snarky sentiment, and ta-da, my latest pandemic card was done. I'm adding this to the Wednesday Simon Says Stamp Anything Goes challenge. 

Lots more snarky outdoor inspiration from my sisters in snark, as well as our current Queen of Snark and guest designer, Robyn! Stay inside, create an outdoor card, and join us! 

Supplies: Neenah white cardstock, Basic Grey Kelly Purley Mon Ami patterned paper, Stampers Anonymous/Tim Holtz Crazy Cats & Taylored Expressions Snarky Sentiment Strips stamps & dies, MFT extreme black ink, Copic markers, Sugar Pea Designs card front element builder die

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