Faith Based Challenges on Splitcoaststampers

I have had the sheer joy of participating in these scripture based challenges on Splitcoaststampers, and am making a ring that displays my collection. I think I will make it a point to load a scripture once a week here on my blog. I don't know even how often that anyone frequents here, but if I can touch even one with these wonderful words of truth, it will be worth it. I think we are facing very trying times ahead. I find the best way to prepare for the storms ahead is to trust in the One who calms the storms. I hope you find true satisfaction in God's unfailing love for us so that we can find joy and be glad all of our days, even the tough ones.

Making your own background papers

The limited challenge today on Splitcoaststampers required stampers to make their own design papers using only one stamp set. I picked one of my old favorites, which is a retired set from Stampin' Up--Carte Postale. I used about 5 of the stamps from that set and I used 4 different shades of blue (soft sky, baja breeze, pacific point, and not quite navy). I think many people make the mistake of selecting too many different colors or too bold of colors when making a background for their cards with stamps. That seems to be overpowering and distracts from the main focal point of your card. It is afterall a BACKGROUND and should not draw all the attention. I find that using the same tints of colors that the background paper is (if you are using a color) works best for me. Sometimes I will add a neutral like white or gray just to work the intensity of color on it. Try this out sometimes, it really is fun. I just randomed stamped the images moving the color around to different areas of the paper. If stamping is what you love, this is the technique for you!!!

Embrace your scrap piles

I'm all for depleting my scrap piles. Today's challenge using inchies as part of the sketch is one great way to make use of those scraps. Inchies are little 1 x 1 inch squares that can be a part of the design of your card. This sketch challenge had a great design for them I thought. Hope you learn to have fun with your scrap piles too!!!

Kitchen Sink Crew Challenge #8

My sister, Lynn hosted the Kitchen Sink Crew Challenge for this week. Her project was to make a refrigerator magnet with a favorite quote or verse generatred on the computer. Here's my magnet that I made for this challenge. I am limited to only a few of Kitchen Sinks stamp sets, but I do love my rose. I found this quote in The Print Shop program. I can see these being a great seller in my craft booth at Hermann's General Store in Brenham, Texas. I think I will be making these by the dozen. I layered the cardstock and used my new nestablities set to cut this shape. These are quick and easy fun gift ideas. Thanks, Lynn for yet another super idea from your awesome collection of stamping ideas.

This weekend there is a Virtual Stamp Night going. I didn't play last night but am trying to play catchup today. One of the challenges was to make a card that would best represent your obsession! I knew it was time to pull that fabulous Stella Stamper off the shelf where she was getting dusty. There comes a time when she is just the best stamp to use to express how you feel about stamping. I had to add the scraps of ribbon because ribbon, markers, paper, inkpads, stamps, embellishments---it's all just part of the obsession. I really do TRY to be organized with my supplies so I can find them when I need them, but somehow the room doesn't give one the impression that I am. You know that verse in the Bible that speaks of beauty from ashes, well, in this room it is more like beauty from junk piles!!! LOL Go to Splitcoaststampers and join in on the fun.

This is for this week's color throw down challenge of tangerine tango, brilliant blue, and ballet blue.I did a little masking on this one, destressing, and embossing with the cuttlebug. I think this ribbon turned out great on this.

It is so fun when you get a surprise in the mail from a new friend. A while back I got some stamped images from Joan Ervin. They were images from Crafty Secrets, and all the little children in the images had the sweetest little faces. I decided to use one of these images for today's color challenge on Splitcoaststampers. The colors were kiwi kiss, rose red, and more mustard. These are three colors I would not have necessarily put to gether on my own. But then, isn't that why doing this challenge is so much fun? If you are just getting started in this hobby, I encourage you to visit Splitcoaststampers.com and check out the thousands of ideas that are shared there on a daily basis. I give them all the credit for all the ways I have grown and perfected my skills. WARNING: you might begin to spend more time looking and have less time for stamping.

I did this for the High Hopes Stamp sketch challenge that can be found at this site. Loved this new dp I found at my local scrapbook store. I did the coloring of the image with copics.

http://highhopesstamps.blogspot.com/2009/02/high-hopes-challenge-17-sketchy-time.html

I am loving the Scripture challenge for 2009 over on Splitcoaststampers. I am making a flip book on a clip with all of my scriptures I am using. Here is one of the ones I did today. I loved this scripture from my favorite book of the old testament, Isaiah. God will direct us, but I fear too often we want to be the ones doing the directing. Maybe we should heed this verse so that we can have PEACE like a river and our righteousness would be like the waves of the sea.

This week's color throwdown challenge uses chocolate chip, kiwi kiss, and regal rose. I'm really enjoying my polka dot punches set because they fit all of the SU punches. I added the leaves I punched with a Mary Stewart punch. Was I ever lucky to find this great stripe in my design paper stash!

Today's challenge on SCS was to cut out a part of your card from some design paper, a stamp, or cuttlebugged embossed image to create some of the design. I love this paper I found at my local scrapbook store because I loved the colors. I guess that is the first thing that draws be to pretty designed paper--color. This was a pretty simple card. The hardest part was cutting out the tulip. I stamped it onto cameo coral cardstock and I just added the darker shades with my copic markers. I was pleasantly surprised that the copics covered so well for the leaves. Stamping on a colored cardstock does distort the color somewhat, but I liked the final results.

Here's this week's color throw down challenge using riding hood red, pink pirouette, and chocolate chip. I also used a new stamp in the Stampin' Up catalog called Ever After. I cuttlebugged the red and brown background paper. There is still 10 days to get those Valentines made and sent!!!