More Gina K Inspiration!

The Design Team for Gina K. Designs welcomes you to another fabulous Inspiration Blog Hop!!! Gina and the Design Team will inspire you with many beautiful ideas! As you hop through their blogs, make sure to leave a comment on each of them because we will choose a few random comments and those stampers will each win a grab bag of deeply etched, pre-cut Gina K. Designs stamps! To see the full list of winners check the Big News forum at Stamp TV a couple of days after the hops!!

My beautiful new GKD designer papers arrived over the weekend...I was hoping to get to make some cards with them before today's hop, but that just didn't happen.  With all the prom preparation and the time it took to recover from the lack of sleep that resulted from waiting for Matthew and his "not-date" group to get back home, there just wasn't any opportunity.  This proud mama just has to share a picture of her young man!  If we're friends on FaceBook, you might've seen it already...

Thanks for indulging me!  Now I'll get on to what you're really here for!  

I gave a really tiny sneak peek of this card before the release party on Thursday...

It is made with Tami's newest set, Vintage Notes, along with a pair of sentiments from her previously released "Girl Talk" set.  I thought they were really funny together!  I am gonna have to order the new Spellbinder's Office Supplies dies that coordinate with this set because I love that look!  After finishing my card, I began to wonder when or to whom I might send it, and decided that it would make a great get well card for Karen!  Her illness certainly caused a big buzz among those of us who are her friends.  The release party just wasn't the same without her!

Notes:

Pure Luxury card stock

GKD Red Carpet designer paper

Memento Rich Cocoa ink

Tim Holtz distress inks (Fired Brick, Frayed Burlap, Tea Dye)

corrugated cardboard arrow

spiral clip

flower brad

brown grosgrain ribbon

Here's a sweet and simple design using Theresa's new set, Sweet Strawberries.  These beautiful berries are so fun to color...their colors are so fresh and clean and bright!  I gave them a very thin layer of Stickles so they would look dewey, or maybe freshly washed and ready to eat!  

Notes:
Pure Luxury card stock
GKD Red Carpet designer paper
Memento Tuxedo Black ink
Copic markers
Nestabilities classic squares, large and small
Stickles
satin ribbon

Check out all the amazing designs and inspiration:

• Gina K
• Tami Mayberry - Illustrator Vintage Notes
• Theresa Momber – Illustrator Sweet Strawberries
• AJ Otto
• Carolina Buchting
• Carolyn King
• Cathy Tidwell
• Donna Baker
• Emily Giovanni
• Giovana Smith
• Jimmi Mayo
• Lee Murphy
• Lori McAree
• Melanie Muenchinger
• Michelle Woerner
• Sharon Harnist
• Suzanne Dean
• Tina Gilliland
• Vicki Dutcher

Gina K Inspiration Hop!

The Design Team for Gina K. Designs welcomes you to another fabulous Inspiration Blog Hop!!! Gina and the Design Team will inspire you with many beautiful ideas! And as you hop through their blogs, make sure to leave a comment on each of them because we will choose a few random comments and those stampers will each win a grab bag of deeply etched, pre-cut Gina K. Designs stamps! To see the full list of winners check the Big News forum at Stamp TV a couple of days after the hops!!

Here is a quick, easy card using Melanie's Basket Additions 2 along with the basket liner from the original Basket Additions set.  The mix-and-matchability of these sets is what makes them SO fun and versatile!  Hopefully with this warm gray coloring, the basket liner looks like one of those heavy-duty canvas liners with all the pockets in them.  I can just imagine it stuffed with all kinds of seed packets and little labels and stakes for the garden.   Just a couple of pops of pink in this card for my girlfriend!  Can you see the little "gripper bumps" on those pink garden gloves?

It's prom weekend for my son...he had his big chorus Spring Concert last night and looked so handsome in his tuxedo.  Maybe that is what inspired this card using Lacy Borders!  Since I grew up "the only girl" of the family with two older brothers, and remain "the only girl" in the home I share with my husband and son, I really enjoy girlie, frilly things!  Lacey Borders is one of my favorite sets of this release!

For this project, I stamped each of the laces on white card stock, misted them with Smooch Spritz, inked them with distress ink, and fussy-cut them. (The lowest border has a tiny picot edge which I cut away).  I scored each panel just under the solid portion at the top, which is the only part adhered to the card.  To give the illusion of that delicate, dainty picot edge, I stamped that border toward the bottom of the already misted kraft card stock before aligning the cut-out border on top of it and adhering only the top edge to the card front.  The rest were adhered one by one, top edge only, with a tiny bit of overlap.

This shapely dress form is from True Love...Gina has several others that would be equally lovely!  For some reason, these images together make me think of a young bride taking grandma's bridal gown for fitting and alteration with an "Aunt Bea" looking seamstress sporting a tape measure and straight pins!

I wish you could see how shimmery and beautiful this vintage card is in person!  Even though the layout is very simple and uncluttered, it is very elegant!

Check out all the amazing designs and inspiration:

• Gina K
• Melanie Muenchinger – Illustrator Basket Additions 2
• AJ Otto
• Carolina Buchting
• Cathy Tidwell
• Donna Baker
• Emily Giovanni
• Giovana Smith
• Jimmi Mayo
• Lee Murphy
• Lori McAree
• Sharon Harnist
• Theresa Momber
• Tina Gilliland
• Vicki Dutcher

You're Invited!

The Gina K Design Team is excited to invite you to another fabulous Release Party!!! The party starts at 11:00 am Central Time in the Stamp TV Release Party Forum. Join us for challenges, contest questions, design team samples, full stamp set reveals and, of course, party chit chat!!! Everything will go "live" at 11:00 am Central in Gina's Store so there won't be any long wait to start shopping! Hope to see you there!

If you came from Cat's blog, then you're right where you should be. If not, please go to Stamp TV where you will find a list of all those participating. Here's a sneak peek of one of the cards I will be sharing with you at the party:

Hopefully that really peaks your curiosity and whets your appetite!  I hope to see you at the party where I'll share the rest of this card, and a few more!

Now you're off to Donna's!  Enjoy the rest of the hop!

Swingin' Spring, New from GRS!

Here's a clean, simple masculine card made with a brand new set called Swingin' Spring from Gourmet Rubber Stamps!  I love this classic image, and the cool fonts for the sentiment that goes with it! Perfect timing, too, because my oldest brother's birthday is at the end of May, and Father's Day is in June!

This is not *just* a masculine set, though!  Look at all the fun images that are in it!  I absolutely adore the variety that Tricia and Meridith put into our Diners' Club stamp sets!  There is something for everyone, from cute to elegant, feminine to masculine!  Their art is so versatile!

Visit the GRS blog and my GRS friends for more ideas.  I am SO VERY EXCITED to officially welcome my friends Stephanie Lee and Jennifer Ingle aka just "Jingle" to our team!  Thrilled to get to work with you!  xoxoxo

You can find Swingin' Spring  and lots of other GRS goodies and great supplies to go with them at i {heart} papers!  Have fun shopping!  :)

Notes:
Basic Grey designer paper
Memento Tuxedo Black ink
Tim Holtz tea-dye distress ink
Copic warm gray markers
foam adhesive
jute thread
brads, charm

Flower Soft Toppers!

Our Flower Soft team is featuring card toppers and stamps for this week's challenge!  My card was made with one of our Charlie's Ark 3D kits...hopefully you can see the depth and dimension of this kit in my photos!  The sentiment is from one of Flower Soft's new sentiment stamps, which goes perfectly with this topper.  I remember blowing dandelions and making lots of wishes, don't you?!

I used a nestabilities label to cut the shape of the base layer before adding the fussy-cut dimensional pieces to it with the foam dots that are included in the kit!  It is accented with some Shamrock Green Flower Soft grass.

Her blond piggie-tails and pretty blue dress dictated my patterned paper and card stock choices.  I used a punch to make the tag and tied it on with a little scrap of white jute, which I frayed and fluffed, hoping it would look a little like a wispy dandelion, but I'm not so sure that idea comes across!   After I had my card fully assembled I kinda wished I had pressure-embossed the blue with Swiss dots and a touch of white craft ink!  Ah, well, such is life!  ;)

Visit the Flower Soft blog and my design team mates' blogs to see more ideas with Flower Soft toppers!

Notes:
Charlie's Ark 3D kit
Cutterbee paper snips
Floral sentiment stamp
Shamrock Green Flower Soft grass
Basic Grey designer paper
Authentique designer paper
Nestabilities label die
SU punches
Memento ink
Really Reasonable Ribbon
Basic Grey button
flower brad
white jute thread

CPS 262- MFT!

This week's CPS sketch is being sponsored by My Favorite Things...I just love this cute little bee and the pretty edges of that die!  Bright, sunshiny honey yellow and fun polka dots make this a really happy card!

Here's a close-up of her sweet face...hopefully you can see the "pollen" on the tips of the Flower Soft wire that I used to accent her headband.

Notes:  
My Favorite Things Just Bee Yourself stamp set, decorative doily die
Gina K Pure Luxury card stock
Copic blending card stock
Memento Tuxedo Black ink
Copic markers
Flower Soft PVA Glue, Ultrafine Citrus Crush and Flower Soft wire

ETA:  My card also qualifies for this week's Twisted Tuesday challenge!  Thanks, Melina!

New GRS Appetizer Sets!

It's time for a few new Appetizers from Gourmet Rubber Stamps!  I had so much fun playing with these cute sets!

First up is Clothesline Greetings!  There are two laundry lines in this set, each with its own coordinating sentiment!  One is adorable baby clothes with the saying, "happy new baby!"  Looks so sweet paper-pieced with some MME designer paper which will work whether the baby is a boy or a girl.  I added some shading with my Copics just to give it a little more depth.

The other stamps in Clothesline Greetings include a summer clothesline and the sentiment, "sending warm thoughts!"  Here I paper-pieced the center stripe of the towel and Copic colored the rest.  The outside of this card was meant to have a sand and surf look...

...and the inside mimics the shallow waters of the tide pool.  I love the way this sentiment looks alongside Message in a Bottle!  

These two paper-pieced cards qualify for my friend Wendy's Friday free4all challenge at SCS..."mix 'n match!"

The second Appetizer set we're releasing is called Water Your Soul!  I just love the sound of that (and I can imagine the sound of a fountain from somewhere nearby in this lovely garden)!  This bench looks great with the arm rails and seat portion popped up for extra dimension...next time I think I'll try coloring some bricks in underneath it!  The clay pot of tulips would be beautiful enough on its own but I really like the way they look grouped together, especially with this colorful Lawn Fawn floral paper!   

Check out the GRS blog and what my design team mates have created with these fabulous new sets!  They are amazingly talented and always inspire me!  :)

Notes:

Clothesline Greetings

Water Your Soul

Message in a Bottle

MME designer paper (baby card)

Kaiser Craft designer paper (beach card)

Lawn Fawn designer paper (garden card)

Memento ink

Tim Holtz tea-dye distress ink

Copic markers

May Arts ribbon

tiny clothespins

More Wire Works

Our Flower Soft team participates in a "Wire Works" challenge ever so often...it is really fun to see all the different things that our designers come up with!  For this card, using list2write from The {Stamps} of Life, I used Flower Soft wire to make a little notebook spiral.

This layout is SC378 with pretty papers from Authentique!  IRL my to-do list lately is "stamp stamp stamp" (which often competes with or precipitates "clean clean clean!") but with this gorgeous pink I couldn't resist writing in something a little more romantic!

Notes:
list2write
Stephanie's Colorbox inks by Clearsnap
Tim Holtz tea-dye distress ink
Authentique designer paper
Spellbinders border dies
Flower Soft wire
Kaiser Craft pearls
American Crafts ribbon
SU heart punch

Made in the Shade!

I was invited by my friend and stamper extraordinaire, Taylor, to make a sample for this week's Splitcoaststampers' Sketch Challenge. Here's what it looks like...definitely a challenge, don't you think?!  Especially if you are like I am and have the tendency to interpret sketch challenges rather literally.

For a couple of days I kept looking at the layout, hoping to come up with an idea...then, finally (at the 11th hour, which is typically the way it works for me) I made a clean and simple design using Debbie Corbari's Tree-rific Trees from Our Craft Lounge.

Maybe you're wondering why the tree is upside down?!  I hope not! Our front yard has a graceful, arching oak tree with moss-laden limbs that overhang the lawn, and as you sit in the shade and look up through its branches at the sky, the view is very much like this! Even the cardinal (and squirrels, too!)

Here's what the inside of my card looks like...just in time for Earth Day on Sunday, April 22, 2012!

Notes:
Tree-rific Trees from Our Craft Lounge
Memento Tuxedo Black ink, Dew Drops
Copic markers
Zva pearls
scalloped circle punched from copy paper for masking the sky

Birds and Bees!

It's time for the i {heart} papers design team challenge, and this month we're playing with one of our favorite new finds from CHA, 100% wool felt!  What a fun medium!  It comes in a rainbow of colors, and small swatches of it can be dyed with Copic blender solution and re-inker for a custom color or to add some shading to your design.

Looking for ideas, I did a couple of searches for felt projects on Pinterest and Flickr and turned up the amazing work of Canadian artist Odile Gova and her Etsy shop, Wooly-Fabulous.  There are pages and pages and pages of her beautiful felt and zipper creations on Flickr.  I decided to try to CASE a couple of small "simple" pieces, and after my humble bumble attempt I am in even more awe of her work!  Mine are so primitive in comparison to hers that I'm sorta embarrassed to share them.  I can't wait until her tutorial is finished and I can try again with step-by-step instructions from the master!  :)

I learned a lot in my experimenting but I found that the heavy-duty zippers I used were cumbersome and not very flexible...they probably would work great for larger flowers, etc., but I will definitely look for some zippers that are softer and more supple for my next felt project!

First, I drew a simple paper template then used those patterns to cut the shapes in wool felt of various colors.  Each shape was outlined with zipper edging using hot glue to adhere.  Thank goodness the glue gun was set on low-temp, because I got hot glue all over my fingers!  That part was not so fun, but I think this project would have been very difficult to do with a slower-drying glue.

Once the individual sections were outlined and attached to each other and a few single zipper teeth were added for feet, I adhered a backing of black felt cut to cover all of the zipper tape edges.  I used some black floss to attach a small black bead for the bee's eye, and finished it with a pin backing so that it can be worn on a lapel.

My little bee could have been presented as a gift attached to a card front, but I wanted to make it look as though it were at home inside a little compartment of honeycomb, so I paper-crafted a little hexagon box to hold it.  The sides of the box are held upright by a ruffly little "belly band" constructed of paper and ribbon...this design was inspired by a beautiful exploding carousel box (with a tutorial! yay!) that I found while blog browsing.  I like this light, open version much better than the closed-sided one I had previously made!  Thank you for the inspiration, Sarah Youde!

I also tried my hand at one of Odile's pretty cardinals!  I think I got the basic shape right, but I haven't added any of the intricate details other than a black bead for its eye.  I will need a thimble to get a needle through these heavy-duty zippers and all that glue!  I also need to go back and get rid of the stray bits of hot glue on both of these projects...I made such a mess!  Sure was fun though!

Notes:
zippers
glue gun, glue sticks
100% wool felt 
Copic marker refill (YR31), blender solution
Tim Holtz tea dye distress ink
Scor buddy
ruffle edge elastic trim
May Arts narrow black velvet ribbon
black thread
black seed beads

Please visit my design team mates' blogs to see what they've done with this wonderful wool...if you are inspired to join us for this challenge, make a project using felt and upload it to your online gallery using keyword ihp0412.

• Guest Designer Karolyn Loncon
• Carolyn
• Gretchen
• Loretta
• Lori
• Lynn
• Tracy
• Kate

CPS #261

These soft, shimmery coneflowers are a digital stamp from Sweet 'n Sassy that I colored with Copic markers, sprayed with Smooch Spritz and inked with Tim Holtz distress ink before removing the image from the oval die used to cut the shape.  I love how these muted shades work so well together, and how elegant a simple card can be!  

Visit the CPS blog to see more ideas using this sketch and Sweet 'n Sassy stamps!

Notes:

Coneflowers and Butterfly Sweet 'n Sassy digital stamp

Gina K kraft card stock

My Mind's Eye designer paper

May Arts ribbon

Zva Pearls

GRS DT Challenge

It's challenge day for the Gourmet Rubber Stamps team...we were given a gorgeous design seeds color palette for inspiration.  I love these colors and decided that they were a great excuse to go shopping for some brand new Authentique designer paper!  I stamped the focal image with Memento ink onto an oval cut from one of the grungy prints...it kinda looks like it got splashed and muddy, which is sorta funny when paired with this particular image and sentiment.  :)

I think my palette is a little deeper and darker than the inspiration photo, but since this paper reminded me of polka dot umbrellas and splashing water, I went with it!

Notes:
Garden Tea Time
Authentique designer paper
Memento ink
Nestabilities classic ovals, small and large
Tim Holtz frayed burlap distress ink

Visit the GRS blog to see more challenge projects from my amazing design teammates.  If you'd like to shop for stamps AND paper, you can find many GRS images and supplies to go along with them at i {heart} papers.

Birthday Wishes from TSOL

Have you visited the galleries at The {Stamps} of Life lately?  We had a fun birthday set come out the first of the month, and then on the 11th (the 7th for club members) three other new sets were released.

This card features birthday2celebrate, along with the background pattern and vertical sentiment from pattern2love. I was inspired by a couple of Laura's cards to open the box lid and let some pretty rhinestone "wishes" escape.  Then I added a giant girlie black and white striped bow to the corner.

Hope you have a great weekend!

Take Flight!

The Design Team for Gina K. Designs welcomes you to a fun blog hop. For this hop we will showcase the Petals & Wings StampTV Kit with the central theme being "Take Flight." The DT Members have all used the wide variety of stamps in this set to inspire you to get inky too!  Come play along with the Current Challenges at Stamp TV!!!

If you came from Cat's blog, then you're right where you should be. If not, please go to Stamp TV where you will find a list of all those participating.

Now hop on over to Donna's blog for more Gina K. goodness!!!

Notes:

Petals & Wings StampTV kit

Memento ink

Tim Holtz tea-dye distress ink

markers (direct-to-rubber)

Copic markers

Nestabilities classic circle dies, large and small

grosgrain ribbon

Stickles

Flower Soft Butterflies

Today, the Flower Soft team is sharing their designs made with the newest paper-crafting kit, Die Cut Dimensions Butterflies.  These color-printed toppers and coordinating accents are perforated, so you just punch them out and they're ready to use!  Couldn't get any easier than that!

For my project, I cut a rectangular topper from corner to corner, shaped the butterflies' wings, matted each half with bright pink on bold turquoise, then added a Flower Soft sentiment and some bling...I think the whole thing took less than 15 minutes.  I love the way that pop of pink is peeking from underneath their wings!

For more ideas on how to use this kit, visit the Flower Soft blog and my team mates' blogs...they've got some gorgeous projects to share!

Notes:
Die Cut Dimensions Butterflies
Flower Soft sentiment
Nestabilities petite ovals large and small
Memento ink
Zva bling

Ribbons and Roses

Here's a pocket card using the Sharp Crochet Hook, this week's sponsor for CPS Sketch #260.  It has been quite a while since I crocheted...thankfully it didn't take too long to get the hang of it again!  I confess that after my first try, I ripped the stitching out and started over!  ;)  I'm pleased with the way this design turned out, especially the crocheted flower!  The gauge of this yarn is a little finer than what is recommended, but I wanted something different than the traditional ecru and opted for this pretty gray which has a lovely sheen...I knew I had some pretty designer paper that would go perfectly with it!  I hope you likey!

Notes:
Sharp Crochet Hook and Crochet Edging Handbook
Omega Hilo crochet yarn
Gina K card stock
Authentique designer paper
Tim Holtz Frayed Burlap distress ink
American Crafts grosgrain ribbon
Crate Paper buton
Zva rhinestone flourish

GRS Weekly Recipe #28

It's Friday (yay!), and time for a new Weekly Recipe at Gourmet Rubber Stamps!

Since I'm always trying to find ways to use my scraps, I grabbed a few of the larger ones from a previous project and came up with this layout.  I love the vintage feel of these papers...they make me think of old china, so they work great with these images from Garden Tea Time!

I hope you will join me in making a card! Share it with us on our GRS FaceBook page!  In case I don't see you again before Sunday, have a very blessed Good Friday, and a wonderful Easter weekend!

Notes:
Garden Tea Time
MME designer paper
Memento ink
Tim Holtz tea dye distress ink
Zva pearl swirl
tulle
buttons
jute thread

I've a Song in My Heart...

...and it's the Birthday song!  I'm actually a day early but it's already time to celebrate!  Tomorrow is my sweet friend Korin Sutherland's birthday! We're partying early since tomorrow is the fantastic April Release Blog Hop for Korin's company, Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps, and we didn't want to take the spotlight away from that. After all, every birthday girl deserves her OWN day in the spotlight, so please join us as we celebrate Korin's birthday a little early!  I'm sure you will agree...it's nice to spend an extra day celebrating!

Sweet and Sassy Stamps was one of my very first design teams...that in itself gives it and Korin a special place in my heart, but that team was about so much more than stamping!  We all were so close, not just in our love of this hobby, but because we shared our lives with each other and prayed for each other on a regular basis.  Being part of that team was such an amazing experience!  I love Korin and am so honored to be invited to her virtual birthday party!

The stamp set that I chose for Korin's card is called Melody of Love.  It is a beautiful image that celebrates music and the love of friends, so I thought it was perfect for today's birthday blog party!  I found some beautiful Kaiser Craft foil designer paper in my stash, with rich browns, soft blues and lovely corals (I wish the camera would've caught its amazing copper lustre!) that work very well with this image, which I colored with Copic markers.  A delicate fleur de lis border, some girlie tulle, pearls and swirls make what could be considered a masculine color combo very feminine indeed.  Some Sweet Pea Flower Soft adds some soft color and texture to the flower centers...Korin's card will be my entry for this week's Flower Soft challenge, "anything goes!"

Below is the whole birthday party train....prepare yourself for some fantastic cupcakes and ice cream from these talented ladies!!

• Taylor Usry 
• Beate Johns
• Bridget Finlay
• Holly McMillen
• Lydia Fiedler
• Chrissy Dickinson
• Dina Kowal
• Leslie Hanna
• Lisa Hjulberg
• Kim Schofield
• Jessica Fick
• Julie Ranae
• Monika Davis
• Jessica Diedrich
• Cathy McCauley
• Makiko Jones
• Kim Singdahlsen
• Mary Faus
• Deb Felts--you're here
• Lori Craig
• Giovana Smith
• Kim O'Connell
• Wendy Jordan
• Julie Smith
• Michele Single
• Jeanne Streiff
• Lee Murphy

Feel free to leave Korin some early birthday love, either on her blog, her Facebook page, or the Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps Facebook page!

Outta This World!

It's my pleasure to host this week's Paper Craft Planet 3d challenge!  I hope you will join me!  We're making a cute pop-up box card following Jill Coleman's excellent youtube video tutorial.

I love the presentation of this card!  It looks like a normal square card when it's closed, and then, surprise! Isn't it fun?  It works best with thinner two-sided designer paper as opposed to card stock, and can be embellished with ribbon or a belly band for closure.

Notes:
Our Craft Lounge Beyond the Universe
October Afternoon Space Station designer paper
Memento ink
Copic markers
Queen & Co rox

What's the Matter?

Here's a fun card for CPS 259 using Our Craft Lounge's set, Love Potion.  This is a fun set with lots of cute images and fun sentiments...I love this particular one, because sometimes asking what's wrong is a difficult thing to do!  A cute card makes it much easier!

Notes:
OCL's Love Potion
Memento London Fog ink
Copic markers
My Mind's Eye Fiddlesticks designer paper
Wire Works wire
Clearsnap Donna Salazar Mixed Media inx

Happy New Year! JK!

Hahaha!  Just kidding!  Did you know that April Fools' Day came about when people celebrated the new year on April 1st, unaware that when Caesar brothers Julius and Augustus added their months to the calendar they changed New Year's Day to January 1st instead?!  :)  That's your history lesson for the day!

I got one of those printed calendars in the mail with a Better Homes and Gardens magazine offer, and it was just too pretty to throw away, so I decided to paper-craft with it!  I used a Sizzix banner die to cut the shapes, inked them with Stephanie's ink, and strung them with twine to a single layer card.  The sentiment is from a brand new set released today from The {Stamps} of Life, birthday2celebrate.

My card is simple but I think it came out kinda cute and fun!  I hope you like it too!  Happy April Fools' Day!