Carol Stamps

Challenge: Love/Valentine's Day

1/18/2020

The WOW! Embossing Powder Fans Facebook Challenge for January 2020 was "Love/Valentine's Day".

In my experience, snow is entirely possible on Valentine's Day, especially here in NW Ohio. Also, "Love" knows no season! So I made my card using snowflakes as the primary motif!

I started by using the GinaK wreath-building stencil tool and my MISTI stamp positioner and stamped, in Versamark, three different small snowflakes in the corners of a card base. I heat embossed them with three different WOW! embossing powders. I stamped a banner in black and added a larger snowflake and a sentiment, also in Versamark, and heat embossed with a fourth WOW! embossing powder. I added a gold heart-shaped brad to the center of the larger snowflake and mounted the card base on a red notecard:

Products used in the making of this card were:

Stamps: Simon Says Stamp "Snowflake Builder" (sss202082)*
Inks: Versamark; GInaK Amalgam "Jet Black"
Embossing Powders: WOW! "Primary Pink Robin" (WH26R), "Lavaburst" (WL27R), "Love is the One" (WH33R), and "Hot Gossip" embossing glitter (WS150R)
Papers; ParkLane Paperie A2 notecard "ivory" (cut apart); Dic Cut With A View Card Stack "Reds" (CN-012-00009)
Embellishments: gold brad, make unknown

*items marked with an asterisk were new to me...

Also entered in:

Simon Says Stamp Work It Wednesday, December 2019: Snowflakes
Simon Says Stamp Instagram Challenge, January 2020: Shiny and New #SSSIGChallenge

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Challenge: Use a Stencil

1/18/2020

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eThe Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge for January 15, 2020 was to "Use a Stencil".

I started with a shifter stencil from Tim Holtz's Christmas release and inked snowflakes on an ivory A2 card face using Distress Ink "Tumbled Glass". I didn't use the shifter feature, however.

I then used two of the snowflake stamps from teh Simon Says Stamp "Snowflake Builder" set, stamping in Versamark and embossing with silver and gold embossing powder. I added a sentiment from the same stamp set, also embossed in gold:

A quick and easy, clean and simple card!

Products used in the making of this card were:

Stamps: Simon Says Stamp "Snowflake Builder" (sss202082)*
Stencils: Stampers Anonymus Layering Stencil "Shifter Snowflakes" (THS135)*
Inks: Distress Ink "Tumbled Glass"; Versamark
Embossing Powders: GinaK "Fine Detail Gold" and "Fine Detail Silver"

*items marked with an asterisk were new to me...

I'm also entering this card in:

Simon Says Stamp Instagram Challenge, January 2020: "Shiny and New" #SSSIGChallenge
Simon Says Stamp Work It Wednesday, December 2019: "Snowflakes"

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Challenge: Rust It Up

1/18/2020

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The Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge, for January 13, 2020 was to "Rust It Up"!

Rusting is a technique I have only tied once or twice, so I had to go back to my set of Tim Holtz' Compendium of Curiosities books to refresh my memory. Given the time between when those books were written and now, new products have emerged which allowed me to put a spin on the technique as demonstrated in Book I.

I started with a 3-D Texture Fade embossing folder and a cut of Idea-ology Metallic Confections kraft papers to produce a card base. Once I had my textured cardstock, I inked it sparingly with versamark, direct-to-paper, and added Ranger Mixed Media embossing powder in "Hammered" to get the following rusty metallic panel:

Please excuse the sheen --- that metallic card wouldn't photograph from any direction without glare, but I worked at reducing it by applying Distress Ink (Rysrt Higer) with a blending tool adn then rubbing the surface with Distress Collage Medium Matte.

My next step was to apply some gears to the srug=fcae. The back side of the gears are already "rusty" so I glued them wrong-side up using a really heavy duty glue (after finding that neither Glossy Accents nor GinaK "Connect" wold hold the weight) and then waited the proscribed 24 hours for that glue to "cure". I am NOT a patient person but, needs must!

24 hours later, I returned and added clipping stickers that I had tinted with Distress Ink to the card base:

I attached the card base to an ivory A2 notecard and added some quote chips, also tinted with Distress Ink:

Products used in the making of this card were:

Embossing folders: Sizzix 3-D Texture Fade "Foundry" (662727)
Inks: Versamark; Distress Ink "Rusty Hinge"
Embossing Powders: Ranger Mixed Media Powder "Hammered" (EPM64008)*
Papers: Idea-ology 8x8 Kraft "Metallic Confections - color #6" (TH93784)*; ParkLane Paperie A2 notecard "ivory" (15919590)
Embellishments: Idea-oology "Gadget Gears" (TH93297), "Clipping Stickers - Halloween" (TH93619) and "Quote Chips" (TH93563)
Adhesives: Weldbond Universal Adhesive; GinaK "Connect" glue; iCraft "Easy Tear Tape"

*Items marked with an asterisk were new to me...

I'm also submitting this to the Simon Says Stamp Instagram Challenge, January - Shiny and New" #SSSIGChallenge

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Challenge: Something New

1/11/2020

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The Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge for January 6, 2020 was "Something New": "New Craft Supplies, New Baby, New Job, New Home, New Life, whatever..."

I'm sticking with new craft supplies for this kind of challenge, and am defining new as never opened, however long ago I acquired them. This challenge has me bringing out a tiny jar of BoBunny Glitter Paste that I won at Simon Says Stamp Create in 2019, and applying it through a new-to-me GinaK stencil. While using glitter paste is new to me; applying paste through a stencil is not. I applied the paste through the stencil to an A2 ivory card base (which I later cut up and trimmed to fit another A2 card base... glitter paste is messy, at least when I apply it, and it got ALL over the back of the original A2 card!):

My next step was to create a topper for the card. I searched my leftovers for some floral die cuts and found three in shades of purple (one was purple paper, the other two were white card which had been coated with purple ink - can't remember what kind!). I used the back of the messed-up first A2 card and die cut a stitched oval. I die cut a slightly larger stitched oval from a scrap of purple card. I layered the ivory oval on the purple one using foam squares and glued the flowers to the ovals. I centered the oval on the glittery background and then layered the entire panel on a new A2 card base:

Now, for a sentiment... I found some teeny tiny phrases in a Simon Says Stamp set I had not used previously and, using GinaK purple ink, stamped it in the upper left of the oval:

Purple isn't usually my preferred color (I find coordinating the various shades of purple a pain, given so many ten either to the blue or the red range, and in this case, I erred on the side of blue) but I kind of like how this came out.

Products used in the making of this card were:

Stamps: Simon Says Stamp "Wild Beauty" (SSS101625)*
Stencils: GinaK "Mermaid Scales" (GKDST17)*
Dies: Sizzix Thinlits "Stitched Ovals" (661188) and "Wildflower Stems #2" (664614)
Inks: GinaK "Wild Lilac"
Glitter Paste: BoBunny "Silver"*
Papers: ParkLane Paperie A2 notecard "ivory" (15919590); scraps of pal purple sark purple and ink-dyed white card
Adhesives: GinaK "Connect" glue; ScrapBook Adhesives 3D foam squares

* gems marked with an asterisk were new...

Also entered in:

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge, January 8, 2020:" Fun with Florals"
Simon Says Stamp Instagram Challenge, January 2020: SomethingNew
Funkie Junkie Boutique Blog Challenge, January 8, 20120: "Let's Play Tic Tac Toe", using the "Layers, Bling, Die Cut" row shown below:

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Challenge: Snowflakes

1/2/2020

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The challenge for December 2019-January 2020 for Work it Wednesday over at Simon Says Stamp was to do something with snowflakes!

I started with snowflakes stamped randomly with Versamark on a blue card base. I embossed them with random splashes of super fine embossing powders in white and silver. I then restamped and re-embossed to get more coverage because the cardstock was textured (this led to some minor "slippage"):

I stamped a new sentiment strip from Altenew in black ink on white card, cut a banner, and covered the worst of the slippage:

Products used in the making of this card were:

Stamps: Stampers Anonymous “Mini Winter Weather” (CM246) and Altenew “Best Sentiments”*
Inks: Versamark; GinaK Amalgam “Jet Black”
Embossing Powders: WOW! “Opaque Bright White Super Fine” (WL01SF) and “Metallic Silver Super Fine” (WC05SF)
Papers: Die Cut With A View Card Stack “Blues”; scrap of white
Adhesives: Scrapbook Adhesive 3D foam Squares (01612)

*items marked with an asterisk were new...
I'm also entering this card in:

the Simon Says Stamp Instagram Challenge for January 2020: Shiny and New! #SSSIGChallenge
the Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge, January 1, 2020: Something New

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Challenge: Something New

1/2/2020

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The challenge for January 1, 2020 over at Simon Says Stamp Wednesday is "something new":

"...maybe Santa brought ...some new crafty stash, or ... make a project for New Year, New Job, New Baby etc."

I went with new crafty stash although Santa didn't bring it, I did! I had purchased a kit from Hero Arts (“Using Stencils with Ink” kit, SKU SB243) which arrived between Christmas and NewYear's Day so I decided to make full use of it.

I blended the three inks that came in the kit through the stencil (also form the kit) on a white card base and then stamped a sentiment from the accompanying stamp set (partially masked off because I'm not really into birthdays right now) over the pattern:

I liked how it came out, although there was a little stencil slippage...

Products used in the making of this card were:

Stamps: Hero Arts “Birthday Hugs and Kisses” (CM247)*
Stencils: Hero Arts “Every Which Way” (SA113)*
Inks: Hero Arts “Orchid Hybrid” (AF337), “Neon Purple” (AF232) and “Neon Pink” (AF218)*; GInaK Amalgam “Jet Black”
Papers: Die Cut with a View Card Stack “white”; scrap of Bazzill purple
Adhesives: iCraft Easy Tear Tape

*items marked with an asterisk were new...

I'm also entering this in the Simon Says Stamp Instagram Challenge for January 2020: Shiny and New! #SSSIGChallenge

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Challenge: Sparkle

12/30/2019

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The December 2019 challenge over at A Blog Named Hero is "sparkle".

I decided to make a silver embossed, crystal embellished Hanukkah card:

Products used in the making of this card were:

Stamps: Hero Arts "Happy Hanukkah" (CM216)
Inks: Versamark
Embossing Powders: WOW! "Metallic Silve Super Fine" (WC06SF)
Papers: 5.5" square blue card base
Embellishments: Mark Richards 3mm Crystal Stickers "clear" (1652)

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Challenge: Party Time

12/29/2019

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The December 16, 2019 Challenge for Simon Says Stamp Monday and the December 25, 2019 Challenge for Simon Says Stamp Wednesday were the same: Party Time. Simon Says Stamp Monday wanted us to "... put on [our] glad rags and join [them]" while Simon Says Stamp Wednesday wished us all "... a Very Merry Christmas and Best Wishes for a Happy New Year!". Given how busy the holidays have been, I decided to make the same card for both challenges and, given that I have left it to the VERY LAST MINUTE! (holiday habit, I guess), I kept it very clean, simple and monochromatic: an invitation to a birthday party!

Products used in the making of this card were:

Stamps: Hero Arts "Four Bold Messages" (CL226) and Van Crafts "You're Invited"
Inks: GinaK "Sandy Beach" and "Dark Chocolate"
Papers: ParkLane Paperie A2 notecard "ivory" (15919590)

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Challenge: Cityscape

12/22/2019

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The Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge for December 16, 2019 was "Cityscape". In other words, "... add some buildings"!

The holiday season is messing with my mojo so it was only late today that I managed to gin together a card. It's not that I don't have a lot of "building" stamps... it's just that I couldn't come up with a motif that made sense for a card.

I started with a Hero Arts color layering set and stamped five images of a "village". Although this stamp could also be Greek (white with touches of bright blue) or Amalfi Coast (pastel yellows, greens, blues and inks) but I went with adobe-style colors, based on the language of the sentiment I chose. I fussy cut the "villages" and the vegetation and used foam dots to layer them before adding the sentiment.

I think I could use this card to invite friends to stay awhile at our home.

Products used in th making of this card were:

Stamps: Hero Arts "Color Layering Village" (CM349)
Inks: GinaK "Amalgam Jet Black", "Key Lime", "Jelly Bean Green", "Lucky Clover", "Warm Cocoa;, "Sandy Beach", "Kraft" and "Charcoal Brown"
Papers: ParkLane Paperie A2 notecard "ivory" (15919590)
Adhesives: GiaK "Connect" glue; Scrapbook Adhesives "foam dots"

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Christmas Cards 2019: the mailing!

12/10/2019

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Whew, that's one. In order to make numbers (and there are 30-some addresses on our list that may or may not get cards), The first time ever (and possibly the last) that ALL our cards were handmade, beginning with the backgrounds made in July and moving on through the posts here and here.... I had to search through all my old card files to get a total of 96 cards.

Yesterday, they were signed (thanks to hubby, whose handwriting stands up over time while mine disintegrates after the fourth or fifth card), addressed (computerized labels, freebie return labels and the odd sticker or five when the card was SLIGHTLY bigger than the A2 envelope I had - why is it that all cards labeled as A2 are NOT the same size?!), stamped (don't you just love pre-glued stamps?), and mailed (today)!

Some were elaborate (and some Very good, IMHO), some not so fancy but they are finished!

If anyone sends us a card that we didn't mail to, we'll have to cave and go to Walmart for the half-off card sale and send out some New Year's greetings instead! Heck, we may do that anyway and buy cards for next year (GASP!)!

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Author

Born in New Jersey, I grew up in Southeastern Ohio. Attended university at Bowling Green State University (B.Sci in biological science, 1964), University of Southern California (M. Sci in biological science, 1967) and University of Florida (Ph. D in zoology, 1971).
Worked in environmental consulting for a little more than a decade and then seven years as an instructor in biological science at various community colleges in California and Texas. Moved to London in 1992, then Beijing (1996) and Saudi Arabia (1998), before returning to NW Ohio in 2002. I am currently living in NW Ohio with my husband and three Bombay cats. I love to read (mystery, science fiction, history) and stitch (have done crewel, currently experimenting with free embroidery and needlepoint but blackwork and cross stitch are my main genres); have been known to knit; and now I'm heavily into papercrafting!
Retired upon the return to the US so lots of time for our hobbies...