Smeared Ink - Nymphs

I've been loving this set since I first laid eyes on it!! It's the Nymphs set from Smeared Ink and I am SO excited to bring you my first creation with it. I worked on MANY yesterday as I simply found myself lost in the entire set...moving from one creation to another to another and then another!! For some reason this set and I just...groove. More so than any other set I've worked with thus far. And believe me, I have many rockin' sets from Smeared Ink and I LOVE them all but this one...just hits me. From an earth perspective, from an art perspective and from a beauty perspective.
My first creation with the Nymphs set is with the Tree Nymph. Have I mentioned how amazing these ink up? I trimmed my stamp out, set it on my acrylic block, coated it with my Momento Tuxedo Black ink and voila. One try and it came out....that's because the rubber and the etching in these stamps is simply divine.
I stamped the Tree Nymph on white PTI cardstock and colored her in with my Copic markers. I then stamped my sentiment in the blank space behind her which fit perfectly.
I matted my main image with chocolate cardstock and then a light green baroque paper from Creative Imaginations. The entire card is based on a light blue cardstock measuring at 6 x 5.5.
I stitched my 3 main layers together using a wide, wavy stitch in a thicker tan thread. Which is actually vintage as it was my Great-Grandmother's thread. I found it in her sewing basket - which I'm SO lucky to have! Lots of amazing vintage bits and bobs floating around in there!

I've recently gotten more into the crimson, maroon, teal family which I've always shied away from...but they've been catching my eye recently. So I sliced a space in the crease of the card in order to thread my ribbon through and behind my layers. I purposefully left about and inch and a half of extra room on the right hand side so that my bow didn't fall onto my image and distract. I tied the teal grosgrain ribbon (Michael's) in a simple bow with a yellow, leaf stickpin through the center. I was debating on the pin but it somehow felt necessary.
I recently purchased some 'hardware' at my LSS to add to my "collagey" and "vintagey" creations. It was the last perfect embellishment IMO. =)

My very last step was to apply crystal glaze to her body. I'm SO glad I did as it came out exactly as it did in my head. You know how sometimes that doesn't happen (more often than I'd like to admit) but it does! Not this time! This time it came out just right. I love how it highlights her gorgeous beauty.

Don't forget to check out the entire line of fantastic, original and different styles of stamps at SI!!!

XOXO-

Smeared Ink Style - Chicks Dig Guns - Vintage Style

I know...this image totally rocks, right? It immediately brings me back to the 'Flapper Era' of the 1920's. Where women cut their hair, wore free form shift dresses - making fashion much more attainable to the masses instead of just the wealthy, exposed their limbs for the first time, were allowed to pull out their engraved makeup compacts and apply powder in public in lieu of disappearing to the proverbial "powder room", smoked cigarettes out of glamorous cigarette holders and danced the night away during the Golden Age of Jazz.

May I introduce you to the Chicks Dig Guns set from Smeared Ink!
That is where this gorgeous image brings me. I started with a base of PTI's scarlet jewel deciding that based on the size of my image to make a long card. My next layer is this fantastic 'vintage bookprint paper' that I picked up at The Paper Source.

I then decided to make my own DP by using the Chicks Dig Guns stamp, Versamark, clear embossing powder and my heat gun. I chose PTI's basic Kraft paper as I wanted this to pop but not so much as to distract from my main image.
I then stamped my main image in Momento Ink in Tuxedo Black. I colored her in with a mix of my Copic markers and my sparkly Sakura gel pens.

I stamped 2 of the 'target' images and strategically placed them 'just so' - popped up on 3-D foam adhesive. I then stitched with a straight stitch around the perimeter of the main image and a wide zig zag stitch around the main card.
My sentiment "Chicks Dig Guns" is a part of the DP that I made, matted on grey flowery DP and stitched around with a small straight stitch, also adhered with 3-D foam.
I love this image, I LOVE this set and can't wait to show you my next creation with it tomorrow!!!


Thanks for popping by!!!

XOXO-

Deliciously Dark Gemini Twins

Twins....Gemini Twins. How tre-appropriate!! This is one of the more recent QKD releases from Che Gilson.
I had the pleasure of working with these lovely ladies!! I did a bit of research and discovered (since I am a Taurus and didn't know about The Twins) that the colors of the Gemini are blue and yellow/gold.

So that was the perfect jumping off point for me with these gorgeous gals!!! I used my Copics mainly to color them in.

I used a variety of solid cardstock Enchanted Evening from PTI, solid white from PTI, and Designer Paper, Basic Grey - behind the girls that I had on hand to mix and match to make identical cards using these stunning girls.
I used my large scallop border punch for the yellow striped DP along with a strip of blue sparkly self-adhesive border stickers that I had in my stash.
I used PTI's Summer Sunrise ribbon tied behind my main layer along with a bit of linen twine from The Paper Source.

I LOVE these girls along with all of Che's designs!!! Which you can pick up at the QKD store!!!

And check out these fantastic deals going on now at the Castle!!

10% off QKD Rubber Stamps
60% off QKD Acrylic Stamps

May Kits Now Shipping!
May Royal Kit
May Card Class
May WI Sorority Kit
May Findings Kit
May Get Inked! Kit

Please excuse our dust as we reconstruct our store with the new rubber stamps. We are working as fast as we can to get all of our stamps back in the store in rubber form. If there's a stamp you want and it's not on the site please email us.

EZ Mount Foam back in stock! Click here

Have a deliciously dark day everyone!!! ;)

XOXO-

Just One Of Those Days

Ya...some days are just like this. I got this stamp at The Paper Source (I simply couldn't resist) as we ALL have days where this 'sentiment' is simply appropriate.
I made this mini card using my ever favorites of grungy goodness from Basic Grey. My base is simple black cardstock. I used a tag that I had in my stash and popped it up with the sentiment on 3-D foam adhesive. I added some thick, rough twine threaded through the top of the tag.

Simple and to the point.

I hope everyone has has a great Friday!!!

XOXO-

Baby Love

I have to say that first and foremost my inspiration for this card came from Shannon Bracken who I am on the QKD team with.

She made THIS gorgeous card and I literally had just purchased THIS stamp from The Paper Source. I felt compelled!!! One of the gifts that I gave to my friend was a super cute, bright orange, quilted bag that isn't so much a diaper bag but could easily double as one.
So I used SU! Only Orange and PTI Pure White cardstock. I stamped it once and then again on a scrap of the white cardstock. I punched out the center starburst and adhered it with 3-D foam adhesive. I added a clear bead in the center for a little extra pop.

My sentiment is from PTI's Handwritten Notes set.

Thank you Shannon for the inspiration!! I truly love how this came out!!

XOXO-

Tempting Lorali Thursday Featuring Victoria

I just couldn't help myself!!! I had to bust out my favorite girl Victoria and really super vamp her up tonight. She's so stoic and sexy!!

I wanted to keep the card on the brighter side to enhance her whiteness...the pure 'vampireness.'
Victoria is colored with my Copics and my Sakura gel pens. I purposefully left her skin white and I LOVE how it came out. I matted my main layer on a scraps of Basic Grey and then used a bright orange cardstock for my card base.
My sentiment YUM is purposefully haphazardly placed using chocolate brown sparkly letters. I used thick tan thread around the perimeter in a wide zig zag stitch for some added detail.
I hope you enjoy my creation and are inspired to create today as well!!
And don't forget!!

10% off QKD Rubber Stamps
60% off QKD Acrylic Stamps

May Kits Now Shipping!
May Royal Kit
May Card Class
May WI Sorority Kit
May Findings Kit
May Get Inked! Kit

Please excuse our dust as we reconstruct our store with the new rubber stamps. We are working as fast as we can to get all of our stamps back in the store in rubber form. If there's a stamp you want and it's not on the site please email us.

EZ Mount Foam back in stock! Click here

XOXO-

May Bombshell Hop - Look "Ma" I did it!!

Ya...this one made me think!! Our challenge was as follows:

"Call it a Mother's Day theme....or Just fun. This month, we want to see what you are made of....and what you can make.

You can make any sort of project, a card, a layout, an altered object...whatever...you just need to make a handmade embellishment. It can be a flower, button, etc... You just have to make it.

Pair it with a great Bombshell stamp and get ready for the blog hop. "

So..I thought and thought and thought. And then I just started stamping my ever growing variety of Bombshell gals and it just came to me. After I colored in 3 Bombshells, using my Copic markers, I used my circle punch to pop out the 3 heads of my gorgeous ladies and I decided to make them into "bookmark" embellishments. I covered the circles in Diamond Glaze and let it dry. I then used my hot glue gun and added paperclips to the backs of each of the girls. I tied a tiny piece of pink chiffon ribbon to each paperclip to make it just that much girlier.
I'm thrilled that they came out super cute AND actually usable!! =) And considering I have an unbelievable new stash of summer reading these babies will come in handy!!!
I started with pink textured cardstock, followed by 2 delicious layers of Basic Grey paper, the stripey and the flowery. I then used a scrap of Jenni Bowlin vintage text paper that I recently grabbed up at The Paper Source.
I ran straight stitches around both inner layers. At the top I added the stamp Man's Ruin stamped once directly on the striped paper and then again on Kraft cardstock. I trimmed it out and popped it up on 3-D adhesive.
I then added my 3 paperclip embellishments to the right hand side and voila!!!
This was a fantastic challenge!!!
Thanks for hopping along with us today!!! Please keep on hopping to everyone's fantastic creations!!!

Kas
Kelli
BoHo Rose
Katie
Alison
Angie
Kathi
Cheryl
Sy
Meredith
Mary G

XOXO-

QKD Inspirational Hop!

Happy Tuesday Inspirational Hop!!! If you have arrived here from the WIS blog then you are on the right track!! If not, please start here!!

Here was our inspirational piece as a jumping point for our creations:

I was most drawn to the stripes and the imagery of the beach...and yes...we're ALMOST at beach weather here in MA!!! So close!! =)

Working with this month's WIS kit I created my 5.5 x 5.5 card base out of a cool blue from MS cardstock. I then used a striped layer of DP and my ever favorite Basic Grey sandy grunge paper scalloped out with my large scallop border punch.

I chose to use Suri in portrait form backed with a scallop circle and added with 3-D foam adhesive. I also chose her accessories as accents as well as a double chiffon bow using gold and turquoise swiss dot ribbon.

My sentiment "Peaceful Feelings" is EXACTLY how I feel when I hit the beach!! I cannot wait!!!

Now...off you scoot to Anita's blog to see what loveliness she's created for us today!!!

And when you're all done you MUST go check out all of the amazing newness at The Castle as WELL as the awesome sales that are happening!!

Thanks for hopping with us!!

XOXO-

Mo's Digital Challenge #32

I'm so glad to be back having the time to work with Mo's images!! It's been a couple of weeks of insanity around here so now that things have calmed a bit I've been able to get back to lots more creating!!!

This image 'Darn It' was the reason I fell in love with Mo's. It was the first image I was drawn to and I've just been waiting for THE right challenge or reason to use it. And this is it. The challenge this week is "What's Love Got To Do With It". So anything to do with love counts.

I chose this image as I didn't really have an appropriate LOVE image but fashion is one of my very first loves so this image and sentiment worked well!!

I colored my image with my Copics, Souffle pens and Sakura Gel pens. I glittered up the thimble with my silver Stickles. The sentiment "for the LOVE of fashion!" is done in rub on letters and the LOVE is a clear sticker.
I used basic colors in lieu of designer paper so as not to distract from the main image. I used a simple olive grosgrain ribbon tied in a bow on the right hand side.

Come play along at Mo's!!!

XOXO-
Meredith