Color Dare #49

As usual, when I first saw this week's Color Dare colors, Cameo Coral, Bashful Blue, and Soft Suede, my reaction was *eeuuu!* but by the time I finished my card, I was lovin' it! It really turned out to be a fun combo!

I have had so much fun with Changito Snowplay...I used it to make gift card holders for the neighbors (forgot to take pictures before we gave 'em away), and while I'm still in the spirit it is good to get a jump on another holiday card! I used my Copics to color the image, then cut it out with an oval nestie, matted with a scalloped oval. The edges were sponged with Bashful Blue ink. For the layer underneath I stamped some snowflakes with white craft ink onto some Cameo Coral card stock. The bow was made using the Bow Easy and some ribbon from my stash with Petaloo Dazzler snowflakes and self adhesive rhinestone accents.

I've had a blast serving on the Color Dare Design Team, and I know my stamping has grown as I've played along. There is still a tiny bit of time for you to make an entry before the deadline for submissions for the new Design Team arrives! Best of luck to those of you who make an application!

Color Dare meets MOJO

I'm really glad that the colors for Riley's recent Color Dares have been ones that would work for last-minute Christmas cards! I found that I didn't have as many as I thought, so it is nice to still have time for a few more...here's one using Pretty in Pink, Old Olive, and Soft Suede.

Today's card is inspired by Impression Obsession's Snowflakes, which fit perfectly with this week's MOJO sketch. I stamped the ornament on some white cardstock, colored it with Copic markers, then cut it out and lightly inked the edges with Tim Holtz tea dye distress ink. I stamped some of the various snowflakes using Pretty in Pink paper and ink, again tea dye distress-inking the edges and adding some sponging with pink ink to brighten the intensity of the colors. The embellishments were kept very simple. I'll confess though, if I had had more teeny tiny pink pearls I would have used them to bling up the snowflakes and the ornament too!

The "Believe" sentiment is from Our Craft Lounge's set, Reindeer Kisses. I believe in the spirit of Santa, and I believe in Christ, the real reason for the season!

As I was making my Color Dare card, I also worked on some little gift card wallets for our nieces and nephews using the same set but in Close to Cocoa and Naturals Ivory...for the inside of these I stamped the sentiment, "May all your wishes come true" from another OCL set, Fairy Dust is a Must, in white craft ink. The words and the fonts work very well together. These little cards are very CAS, and I'm happy that this neutral color combination works for all of 'em regardless of whether they're going to the girls or the boys! By the time you read this they're well on their way!

Visit the Color Dare blog to see some lovely inspiration using this week's colors...it isn't too late to get in on the Design Team call either!

eta: This week's MOJO sketch reminds me of this card I made for the ihp challenge not long ago...it would have fit this week's sketch perfectly!

Color Dare #46

It's Wednesday, which means another Color Dare! This week's colors are Rich Razzleberry, Taken with Teal, and...yes, it's there (barely!)...Sahara Sand! I used a warm gray Copic marker to shade this handsome fella's face, so I was able to sneak it in without making it so obvious! I'm noticing as I look at this picture that the marker I used for the teal isn't such a great match! It was late when I was coloring! Hmmm...I must *need* some more colors! ;) I bet a little mint colored stickles over his scarf and hat band will do the trick!

I just love this stamp! It was a blog candy win from Leigh O'Brien! Thanks again Leigh! I can't remember where that delicious silk ribbon came from...I *think* it was tied around a Victoria's Secret gift I got last Christmas!

There are always gorgeous, fun creations from the designers at Color Dare, so be sure to visit the blog and then get to work! Riley's got a DT call currently open for those of you who might want to join the team!

Color Dare #45

My card for this week's Color Dare is a simple, no frills man-card using Kraft, Dusty Durango, and Vanilla. It features a new Our Craft Lounge release, Wanted! The designer paper is from Cosmo Cricket's Nutmeg mini-deck. The images were colored with Copic markers, cut and embossed with a Nesties rectangle, then all the edges distressed with Tim Holtz distress ink. I used two SU punches for the border and heart. The only embellishment is a tiny hemp bow.

This was a fun color combo, much more fun than I thought it would be! Hope you'll play along!

Color Dare #44

Just as I was about to start my Color Dare card for the week, I got an email from Kendra asking our OCL designers if they had any samples of the set Giving Thanks to share on the OCL blog...it's this week's Spotlight Set of the Week. After considering this week's colors (So Saffron, Soft Suede, and Real Red) I thought hmmm...I could make this work!

It LOOKS like I cheated and added some orange, but I didn't! I love that about prisma pencils! I colored red and yellow on opposite ends of the leaves and blended them toward the center and they made a beautiful, soft orange that is perfect for this image. That smooth transition of color is one of the things that drew me to this medium in the first place!

I wanted this layout to be relatively clean and simple, so I chose to mat my image with some layers of square Nesties backed with a little bit of texture. The light, open space really makes the colored image stand out. I actually tried adding a bit of red (ribbon, buttons, paper) to the mix but it overpowered the softness of the image, so I went some So Saffron ribbon embellished with a Basic Grey button that was a perfect match for the Soft Suede.

Giving Thanks is from OCL's Winter Release...but just this weekend we had our brand new Valentine Release! Kate from i {heart} papers is carrying every set of this new release! You should go check 'em all out! AND...she's having a big Black Friday Sale in a couple of days, so you can find great deals on some of your favorite papers and other card-making supplies! Watch for the discount code on ads that will run on SCS and PCP!

As you're reading this, I'm probably busy in the kitchen preparing for tomorrow's feast! This Fall wreath is a wonderful symbol of the beauty that surrounds us every day...we have so much to be thankful for! I hope you have a wonderful day!

Think Cocoa!

I'm very happy to be posting my Color Dare card today! I missed last week (lots of card deadlines and too many hours on duty at the pumpkin patch)...I really hate missing, but sometimes real life intervenes. I'm grateful that Riley and the other girls are so lenient with me!

Today's creation is a combo challenge card for Color Dare #41 and Inspirational Card Sketches #41. Such a fun card to make! I used my new Changito Snow Play set from i {heart} papers, along with this Sassafras Lass designer paper, my nesties, and some embellishments that have been hanging around in my stash for quite a while! I am very pleased with how it turned out, although I must admit that I did cheat a little! The designer paper had an ivory background so I used ivory card stock instead of Whisper White as the challenge specified. I hope the challenge police will let it slide! ;)

I hope you're having a warm, cozy week!

Color Dare #39

Oh my goodness! What a difficult color combo this was! I immediately thought of this pansy image that I recently received from Just Rite Stamps, and cheated a tiny bit by adding some green. I struggled with the layout forever and finally just settled for this. This color combo just didn't speak to me the way others do!

Consider it truly a DARE...let's see what you come up with! More inspiration here!

Color Dare #37

This week's Color Dare colors were so fun, although I'm not sure, looking at this card, that you'd say I played by the rules! Except for the Copic-colored image, you can barely see the colors, and even then, I think it might look like More Mustard rather than Creamy Caramel (along with Always Artichoke, Elegant Eggplant, and Pumpkin Pie for which I had to substitute Tangerine Tango). I am hoping to get a better picture when the sun comes up in the morning! Today was gray and overcast and it was late when this photo was taken!

This designer paper for my card is from My Mind's Eye, The Spider's Web collection. I really wanted to pair this black cat with the witch in Our Craft Lounge's set, Holiday Cruiser...I went with a 5.5 inch square card to try to show as much of the print as possible. It probably would have been better if I had cut out my image...if you look really hard you will see layers of Artichoke and Eggplant under there! The beautiful antique gold silk ribbon was a perfect match for this paper and I just love the way bows come out when you tie them using this ribbon and the Bow Easy!

Visit the Color Dare blog for more inspiration, and then link your creation when you've finished! We'd love to see!

Two cards today!

Today is Wednesday, which means Color Dare #36...but there's another post below for OCL's Spotlight Set of the Week!

I missed playing Color Dare last week so I really didn't want to miss this one, but with all I've got going on, I had to get up early to play! I'm so glad I did because this card was really a fun one! The colors are Barely Banana, Creamy Caramel and Bermuda Bay. LOVE this cute Unity image from i {heart} papers...the Bermuda Bay made me think of those eggs, and I love how it turned out with a quick flick of ink with the aquapainter on vanilla card stock. I used Mojo sketch #96 for the layout, adding a little texture with the Swiss Dots embossing folder and the large and small circle nesties to mat the image. I am also really getting the mileage out of one of my new favorite tools, the Bow Easy.

Back to Basics!

I'm so excited to say that I've been invited by none other than my idol JeanneS to design for a new company called Stamps of Life! These are some really fun clear stamps that have digital counterparts...if you love the feel of a stamp in your hand but like the idea of being able to resize images and do some of the fun digital effects available, then these are the stamps for you! I'm thrilled to be part of this team of talented stampers! Thanks to Jeanne and Stephanie for inviting me and for being patient with me while I finished all my dirty gallery submissions before becoming active on the team!

This card, for Color Dare 34, was made the traditional way...I'll be back soon with a hybrid card so you can see that too!

Hope you're having a great week...over the hump today! I'm looking forward to a girlfriend get-a-way this weekend!

Color Dare and Fruit of the Vine

Most of the time I wrestle with my card designs and always see something that needs to be changed, but today, for once, I'm happy with this clean, simple design. I had not really given this week's Color Dare much thought but when Asela gave me her latest set for GinaK and I looked at this week's colors, I knew they had to go together. I am very pleased with the way this combination of Copic markers and prisma pencils turned out. I hope Asela likes it too! Thank you Asela! I love this set! It is so beautiful and very versatile! Can't wait to play with it some more!

Visit the Color Dare blog to play along. Be sure to leave the link to your creation! While you're there, please extend a warm welcome to our new design team members Christi Bryant, Julie Ranae, Laura Lin and Lori Padberg and to returning members Anita Hovey, Keri Brown, Kristin Dunker, and Sheri Barkhimer. A great big thank you to our coordinator Riley Fitzgerald!

Color Dare #32

Here's my card for this week's challenging Color Dare. It uses Our Craft Lounge's adorable set, Bubbles, available at i {heart} papers. Such a fun image to color! I stamped the image with Palette ink, then colored it with Prismas and Gamsol. I used my blue Spica glitter pen to sparkle it up (including outlining the sentiment), and my Labels 4 nestabilities to cut and emboss the panel. All of the layers were sponged with their corresponding ink color to deepen the edges and add some dimension, bringing out the dry embossing of the Cuttlebugged background layer. These are not colors I would ever choose to put together on my own...that's what makes the Color Dare so much fun to play! It gets me out of my box! I hope you'll play along!

Color Dare #31!

I am finally getting back on track with my Color Dare cards! This week's colors are Bashful Blue, Kraft, Chocolate Chip and More Mustard. Sounded pretty retro to me, so I went with this cool coffee image (Fueled by Caffeine) from Our Craft Lounge, available at i {heart} papers. I colored it with Prismas and Gamsol, distress inked everything and rounded one edge of all the mats to mimic the circular image. I added some adhesive brads to emphasize the design. A fun card to make...just a bit different, it certainly reminds me of my mom's Harvest Gold kitchen from the 70's!

To My Color Dare Friends!

I have NOT forgotten you! My new in-colors have not yet arrived (I waited until the new quarter was well underway to order them) and I was not able to swap for some with a local demo, so I have not been playing so far this month...BUT they're on their way! I'll be back soon! Miss y'all!

Color Dare #27

OK...now what comes to mind when you think of Elegant Eggplant, Pretty in Pink, Basic Gray, Chocolate Chip? Freaked me out for a while! I couldn't think of a single thing! Finally I settled on Granny and her support team! My friend and I were just talking about how we both have been putting off some of the things that girls have to do periodically, so I guess the idea of a card as a reminder to make those appointments was inspired by that conversation!


This card is quirky! Granny kinda looks like she has been applying the fake tan lotion! I don't have the right flesh tone Copic markers...I desperately need to purchase some better colors! I really liked the look of the lacy edge along the z-fold. I mistakenly thought that the dimensionals would give enough height for the paper to course back and forth without a problem, but that is not the case, so as you open the card the lace edge scrapes underneath the card front. It is a situation of learning from one's mistakes! I guess this one's also a great reminder that sometimes this hobby is all about the journey and not the outcome! I may end up doing some reconstruction on it! My friend is my upline though...so she will appreciate it just as it is!

Take a peek at the Color Dare blog to see the team's creations!

Color Dare #26

Today's Color Dare card using Barely Banana, Close to Cocoa, and Bravo Burgundy features Our Craft Lounge's set, Life is Sweet, currently on sale at i {heart} papers. This was a fun, quick card to make. As usual, I started out thinking it was an odd color combination and ended up surprised to be happy with the outcome! I also really like the lines of the sketch, Card Patterns #23, which I found during a session of link-checking for The Daily Dare. I used Primas and Gamsol to color the cupcake image, then sparkled it up with a few quick strokes of Spica glitter pens in clear and sand. I didn't have any Zva crystal swirlies or I certainly would have added them!

Check out the Color Dare blog to be inspired!

Color Dare #24

I just LOVE this week's Color Dare colors! As soon as I saw them--Pink Pirouette, Regal Rose, Mellow Moss, and Very Vanilla--I knew exactly what image and papers I wanted to use. This card would work as a Valentine, but love is in season any day of the year! I think this is a feminine card that would be appropriate for any occasion. Most of the supplies I used are from i {heart} papers, and many are on sale now!

Notes:
designer paper: Basic Grey "Chatsworth", from the Porcelain Collection
stamp set: Impression Obsession Sweet Hearts (on sale now!)
ink: Palette Noir, Tim Holtz Distress Ink
accessories: Prismas, Gamsol, Nestabilities long classic and scalloped rectangles, May Arts ribbon, SU scalloped edge punch, corner punch, paper piercer, MM flower, buttons, cording

Color Dare #23

Today's Color Dare colors are Bashful Blue, Blush Blossom, Handsome Hunter, and Kraft. They just made me think of Granny from Our Craft Lounge! I think this stamp is hilarious! I was so excited to win this set in an OCL sketch challenge a while back!

I love my Stampin' Up markers, but since I have been playing with my Copics the SU markers have been sorta neglected, so I thought it might be kinda fun to pull them out for this card. I used them to color everything except her hair, which I colored with a Copic C1 and then swirlied with a silver gel pen. I went back over the flower centers with a white gel pen to give them a brighter contrast and a little texture. I also added a bit of Spica sparkle to the nails on her fingers and toes and her necklace and bracelets.

I kept the layout simple with fewer layers than usual. The Cuttlebug dotted swiss embossing added some textural interest. For the sentiment, I used markers directly to the stamp. To finish, I punched a scalloped circle, snipped every other scallop toward the center and then curled them to make flower petals (thanks Jami!) with a 5 petal flower center and button.

Visit the Color Dare blog for more inspiration and to leave your link after you've played along! These colors were fun!

Color Dare #22

Today's Color Dare colors are Pink Passion, Kiwi Kiss, and Apricot Appeal. I knew this little soft-ball playing flamingo from 2RedBananas would be perfect for these colors, but the concept was much cuter in my head than the execution is IRL! I think if the sentiment were a bit lower, I'd be happier with the balance of this card. I actually had a big pink bow underneath the sentiment in the beginning, and that just didn't work. I'm to the point where I've been looking at it too long, struggling with it too much, and it's time now to go to bed! ;)

Hope you'll look at my DT-mates' cards and play along in the challenge!

Color Dare #21

I took a little tiny break with all of the excitement around here! Let me tell you, I am NOT a night owl, and staying up until 3 A.M. on Sunday night was not an easy feat! ;) It sure was fun though! What an experience the past few days have been! I am so grateful for such a warm welcome to the Dirty Dozen. Your comments have been such a treasure to me! Thank you SO MUCH!

Today is Color Dare #21! I can't believe there have been that many already! Time is just flying by!

This week's colors are Pumpkin Pie, Bashful Blue, Riding Hood Red, and So Saffron. I wanted to use this adorable birthday mouse, and was really happy that he would work for this week's color combination. He has been sitting there waiting patiently! I stamped him with Memento Tuxedo Black ink and colored him with prismas and Gamsol. I wanted it to look like there was a birthday candle glow all around, so I started with warm background colors and then finished up with the cooler foreground colors. I used SU patterned paper and the retired Sale-a-bration ribbon. I am not sure where these buttons came from, but they were a near enough match that I decided to use one and kept everything else very streamlined and simple. Such a fast, fun card.

Visit the Color Dare blog for some more inspiration (I can't wait to see what our girls come up with)! I hope you'll play along!