Thursday, July 30, 2009

"Inspiration Mosaic" Tip Sheet

"Inspiration Mosaic" is now available for purchase, click here to find it and the rest of our new release stuff in the Gina K Designs store!

This new set is kind of a blank canvas to use however you see fit, the only limits are your imagination. It's a little Frank Lloyd Wright, a little Mondrian, (a little "Partridge Family!" LOL!), this large frame can suit MANY different styles. Use it as a framework and let you imagination go wild.

You need some inspirational quotes to go with of course! These are a few of my faves that go so well with the occasions you like to honor with cards. This font looks fabulous with everything!


The frame stamp works like a perfectly composed sketch you can use FOUR ways, turned vertically or horizontally, left or right. This lovely layout follows the rule of thirds and had two boxes positioned on the "top layer", perfectly sized for any of the greetings or sentiments in this set, as well as to make a frame around your favorite stamped images.

The clean lines and geometric shapes make terrific masculine cards and projects, as well as a base for "clean and simple" cards.







Trim your stamped mat leaving 1/8" around the border to layer onto an A2 sized card. The thin line will make it look like you've added three layers! I actually drew a line onto the plastic guide on my cutter that you slide the paper under 1/8" from the edge. This way I just line up the border with the line and I have a perfect cut every time!


Trim it exactly on the edge if you like and layer onto coordinating colors that you've used inside the frame.


Try trimming the outside different ways, Jessica made a beautiful "blanket" with it this way by cutting the sides to look like fringe!


Quilt for all seasons: paper piece it with coordinating seasonal papers, Christmas, Fall, pastels for Spring, pink, blue and yellow for baby cards.


Score it! Stamp the frame on your Cardstock and trace over the lines with your scoring tool(wither putting a straightedge over the line or lining up the lines over the Scor-pal track) Then flip it over and you have a beautiful dry embossed grid. Beautiful and subtle!


Give the entire stamp a stitched look by stamping the frame in Versamark , then line up the short dashed line from the set with a line on your acrylic grid black. Now line up the line of the block over each line in the image and stamp away for perfect rows of stitching, the result will look like a big patched quilt!

You don't always have to keep it a rectangle, cut out the middle clump on boxes cutting out the parts on the corners to have a kind of built up "Lego" section to put on top of your card.


Play with cutting out the different areas and layer them in different configurations over the stamp frame to make new interesting patterns.

Stamp the frame in Versamark to make a subtle pattern on your colored card front and layer and mat other images over it.

Use Encore metallic and dye reinkers on glossy CS for a polished stone background, then stamp the gird over it, will look like a beautiful tiled marble floor!


Cracked Glass: Stamp a floral pattern all over the grid and them emboss with several layers of glassy glaze, freeze and crack. the result will look like antique China.



Try stamping it in a color on a lighter colored cardstock and just add greeting, this will achieve a great look without the need to coloring in ANY boxes. Clean and simple!


The tiny circle and square can be used a like stampable brads, stamp them anywhere you need a little pop of color! emboss them in a color or metallic powder and you probably won't be able to tell the difference between the stamps and a real brad! Add a little Sakura Glaze pen , clear embossing or Crystal Lacquer over them for shine and dimension.


Stamp on white in black ink and colors just some of the boxes for a very clean and simple graphic look. Try it with any of your favorite color combos or challenges.




Sponge ink into the different areas after masking for a beautiful effect.


Stamp it onto DP and add a greeting. Layer the different boxes with coordinating colored CS mats for some contrast, or, do this in reverse! Paper piece the different boxes, you come up with a very intricate layered pattern without having to measure any mats!

Quilt without cutting: stamp the grid onto a light patterned DP. Choose two to three colors from the paper and color in a few of the boxes with each. Your pattern will show through and now it looks like you have three coordinating prints in different colors!


Place embellishments like flowers, buttons, brads at the corners and intersections of the boxes.


Mask your favorite images into the different boxes overlapping the edges, this gives your images such a fresh, fun look! Peek a boo!

Pierce or draw dots on the lines or around the corners of the boxes where they meet to add an interesting detail.

Pop up the top boxes to give it dimension.


Cut out the boxes to have things underneath them or create a window into your card.



Trace the underside of the boxes with a pale gray marker: this will give the illusion of shadows like the boxes are really dimensional tiles overlapping on different levels.


Use the little dotted and shaped lines above and below your sentiments in the corners and around the different frames.


Use the little elements together to create fun new borders. Try the the solid circle or outline to make a scalloped border like Kurtis did, under a mat!

Use the dashed line to look like stitching or dotted line to look like piercing!


Collage stamp different images from one set all over the stamped grid and then color just portions, this will make the images look like they are on different layers and spotlight certain areas.


Stamp a large image over several sections and color each part of the image a different way. See sample above using "A Year of Flowers"!
Or, leave the line art image blank inside and color around the outside of, for a "negative effect".



Stamp the background onto pictures you like in magazines and piece it all together.



Stamp onto two pieces of CS, emboss with two of your favorite Cuttlebug folders, and piece them together, mixing the two textures.




Layer punched corners and flourishes over the corners or split up mats for behind the frame for a different look.




Cut a slit on either side of box to thread your ribbon under , this will make your stamped image or greeting in the box look like a tag or slide.





Punch the line art and bold circle and squares out with a 1/2" or 3/4" punch and layer onto the mats to add interest or balance out the images you've stamped into the layout where ever you need a little something!

Use the small shapes to create cool geometric patterns within the boxes or on your other cards!

Stamp the circles and squares directly onto the frame to make the pattern more intricate. Color the new intersecting areas with different colors.


Take large and small images and stamp them into the different boxes, it will look like they are all on display so to speak, in a collection.


Projects: Stamp over a favorite landscape, sunrise, sunset photo and add a quote to one the boxes for a very artsy looking mat for a card, a piece to frame or create your own postcard!

Make fun mini scrapbook pages or a card with a photo by layering a photo over the stamped mat and then journaling into the other boxes or adding a few embellishments to accent them, an easy layout!


Stamp a monogram into one of the boxes for personalized notecards!



Stamp it on acetate or clear Polyshrink to create a miniature stained glass "window"!


Keep a pile of stamped grids on your desk , ready to add some color and a greeting when you need a super quick card. Bring a stash of them when you're on the go and may have some time to work on them, or see a color combo while you're out and about that inspires you, capture it then! :)


Create quick, cool gift wrap by stamping the frame over and over on a large piece of paper, with the rectangles intersecting, then color just tiny portions for a really cool look!


This is just the beginning! I have samples ALREADY for almost all of these tips and have many more ideas I will be sharing soon!

Inspriation Mosaic Winner!

The new "Inspiration Mosaic" from my blog Candy in the sneak peek goes to:


Trena in Naperville (who) said...
Melanie! There are endless possibilities with your new stamp! It gives hope to those of us who are background challenged. :o)

Take care and STAY POSITIVE!

July 27, 2009 11:51 AM

Congrats Trena! Please email me your snail addy and I will send your signed stamp set and a card I made with it to you! :)

Okay, I'm counting down the minutes to the party (10!!) and I jsut uploaded 40 photos of stuff I made with all our new sets (yes, I've been inspired!) this past week!! ( Oh, I won't share thm ALL tonight, gotta save something for the blog...!)

People are already partying, look! Hope you can make it! anytime bewteen 7 and 10 CST, and then the store is open with new goodies! :)

PS I will be posting my tip sheet here for the new set after the party, it's a GOOD one! :)

Wednesday, July 29, 2009

Sneak Peek: Free with Three "Tropical Windows"

For our last sneak peek, we have Gina's Free with Three set " Tropical Windows". Want to create some quick cards? Grab these framed flowers with the included "anytime" greetings and you're good to go!
The bold flowers Gina captured in the windows are perfect for the Direct to Stamp technique: carefully ink up the stamp's border, and then color and shade directly on your rubber with markers, using darker colors on the underside of the petals and leaves, then stamp! CS is Pure Luxury Ivory and Green Apple, both included in the new StampTV kit. I cut them out and popped the opposite rectangles (bottom left anf top right) up. Last I added the tiny framed greeting in the middle. I love the botanical of this Green Apple CS with the ivory and delicate flowers...

This next SUPER simple one uses black silhouettes stamped on Pure Luxury Ivory popped up on the new "Inspiration Mosaic", stamped in Cream White on Black Onyx CS (flipping the same image in these colors make it a "yin and yang" card LOL!)
This large geometric background is the perfect complement to the smaller framed images in the free set! (and I didn't even know Gina was releasing this until a couple weeks ago! about died when I saw the potential! I've made about 10 cards with these two sets together, many I like even more than this one, but you'll have to come to the party to see those!) I chose the "Please Come" greeting this time, black and ivory just says "black tie affair" to me!For more projects made with the stamps previewed today, be sure to check out our other Senior Design Team Member's Blogs:


and, our CenterStage Spotlight Design Team member, Sue Morris is joining in on our previews today showing off a card she has made with the new Free with Three stamp set - Tropical Windows.

Don't forget to join us at our Release Party to night over on SCS starting at 7pm CST. There will be contests, challenges, lots of chatter as well as a ton more samples shared by the Senior Design team members and our CenterStage Spotlight team too! You won't want to miss it!

Tuesday, July 28, 2009

Sneak Peek: Stamp TV Kit Signs of Autumn

Today we have Gina's latest StampTV kit: "Signs of Autumn". (I just love Fall and everything that goes with it, don't you?) Be sure to watch the video on STV today to see Gina sharing all the wonderful contents in this month's kit! ALL the cardstock in these sample is included, as well as Pure Luxury Pumpkin Spice, a color which will not be available for purchase until next month! ( and I know you're going to want it NOW.) :)
This first sample shows several of the images in the kit stamped in Vivid Coffee Bean and colored with Copics. I curled all the leaves with my fingers by bending them down the stem and them pulling the edges outwards, this gives them lots of dimension. I stamped the "Inspiration Mosaic" onto the Pumpkin Spice Cardstock in Versamark so I could just make out the lines, and then stamped my dashed line from the set over it, by aligning it first with the line on my acrylic block, and then lining that up over each of my stamped Versamark lines to get this "stitching"! It went easily and quickly, and look how straight they are! (I'll be sharing a tutorial with step by step pictures of this later) I love the homespun feel that gives, quilting without cutting! Some bold leaves from the set are randomly stamped onto the Pumpkin Spice to give it a little bit of a pattern like a printed fabric. The edges of the mats were distressed and the sentiment is stamped onto Green Apple and popped up.
On this second card, pumpkins and sunflowers are colored with Copics and popped up on the Chocolate Kiss background. It may be hard to see in the photo, but I stamped the Chocolate Kiss with "Inspiration Mosaic" with Versamark here too, this gives it just a subtle pattern that keeps it from looking "flat" as well as helping me in the placement of my elements(follows the Rule of Thirds), and ground my images so they don't look like they are "floating" on the open space. (The greeting from the set is placed over one of the frames, the pumpkins over an intersection, and the flowers over the other top box.) I did a little faux piercing with a brown marker on the sentiment card and added a copper brad and some ribbon, both from the kit, this striped one is my fave, so many beautiful colors to go with it!


For more projects made with the stamps previewed today, be sure to check out our other Senior Design Team Member's Blogs:
Theresa Momber

Our CenterStage Spotlight Design Team member, Dawn Lusk is joining in our previews today showing a card today too. Remember to check out StampTV for the new video today - Gina will be showing a project made with the new Signs of Autumn StampTV kit!


Tomorrow we'll have our last peek and then the big party on SCS Thursday night! woo hoo!

Monday, July 27, 2009

Sneak Peek: Timeless Treasures and Are We There Yet?

Today's first sneak peek uses Theresa Momber 's "Timeless Treasures". You will love this collection of vintage images, perfect for collages, ATCs, nostalgic scrapbook pages, or "pretty cards"! I had an idea to spotlight the beauty of each her pieces in the "Inspiration Mosaic" I peeked Sunday, this way it reminds me of curio cabinet or printer's drawer. This card is just two layers! I began with a base of Pure Luxury Chocolate Kiss and a Soft Sand mat. After stamping the frame in Vivid Coffee Bean I masked around the border and stamped a quote from this set all over the frame in Antique Linen Distressing ink (click for close up you will see some words peeking through!) and then swiped the pad all over to create a worn patina. When you remove your mask, you still have this beautiful clean border that really makes your stamping pop.

Next I stamped the images into each section and colored them with a few browns and a gold just a bit darker than the CS, and added shadows with a warm gray. I pieced the clock face with some Pure Luxury Ivory, and added a few highlights for shine on the chain and key and to the hour glass and bifocal lenses, doesn't that make it look like real glass?! Much more than if you'd stamped on white paper, on this Soft Sand neutral the reflection really pops and makes it look transparent, so don't be afraid to go a little darker with your cardstocks when you are stamping your images to color. "Memories" from the set is stamped on the bottom. I love how the boxes also compartmentalize each piece like a separate memory. ("Memories...in the corners of my miiiind..! LOL! ) At first glance these sets don't seem like they'd go together, but I am just beyond thrilled with how this card turned out!

TIP: I did NOT mask the watch, just stamped it over the grid. To get rid of where the lines went through my image, I went over them with the Inkssentials white pen and colored as normal with my Copics, a perfect fix! This works on a light colored CS, try it!

The next peek uses Rupa Shevde's "Are We There Yet?" Full of travelling images, I chose to paper piece this "good times van" with some Basic Grey Sultry DP and popped it up. The little leafy branches from "Tropical Flowers" were a perfect match for the DP so I added a few of those to the top to complete the scene for an off-roading adventure to go with the trail-blazing quote! How's that for a girlfriend's getaway or "just be you!" card? The sateen flowers were colored with Copics to match.


Cardstock is Pure Luxury White , Chocolate Kiss and, how do you like this new juicy Green Apple releasing this month?! It is the perfect green, I could eat it up!!


More peeks tomorrow! Are you loving this release so far??
Asela Hopkins
Cathy Tidwell
Cindy Lawrence
Donna Baker
Emily Giovanni
Erika Martin
Gina Krupsky
Jessica Fick
Joanne Basile
Kurtis Amundson
Lee Murphy
Lynn Mercurio
Theresa Momber

and, be sure to check out our CenterStage Spotlight Design Team member's blogs for a card made with Timeless Treasures by Shannon Bracken and Brenda Turner has a card to show us that she made with the fun Are We There Yet? stamp set too!

Sunday, July 26, 2009

Sneak Peek: Inspiration Mosaic and Elegant Post

Last month's BIG stamp in "Arranged with Love" was a BIG hit, so you knew I had to bring you more large stamps for easy creating, right? My love of clean lines, bold prints, tile mosaics and fine art (the architecture and stained glass of Frank Lloyd Wright and the paintings of Mondrian), have all inspired my newest set for Gina K Designs: "Inspiration Mosaic". This geometric background works like a sketch you can turn four different ways to create structure on your card; the direction you take it from there is up to you! Be inspired! This set has something for everyone, to suit any style. The grid turns your paper into several "mini canvases" perfect for a variety of techniques: spotlighting your stamped images, easy color blocking and paper piecing to name a few. Choosing which samples to share today was extremely difficult! I went with some very simple ones to start, but I know you'll see some very different ones in our hop today! ;)


Above I've stamped it in Vivid Coffee Bean on Pure Luxury White and colored a few select areas with Copics (don't be afraid to leave some white space!) and stamped in some more little squares to add interest (the row of squares and single square are separate images). This gives the feel of stained glass or a gallery print, my husband (former architect) loves this card. I adore these earthy colors, the grid makes adding hues for color challenges a snap! Card base is Pure Luxury Green Apple (Pale Olive Copic is a beautiful match!), you will love this juicy new color!
Here it is vertically, I've stamped in Coffee Bean again on a sheet of Basic Grey Offbeat DP, now it looks like a floral screen. See how each part of the print is showcased in a pleasing way? I have a new "sketch" without having to do all that layering! All I had to do was add the sentiment (love how it's framed up instead of "floating") and a little white flower embellishment, and the little "brads" you see in the top and bottom corners are circle stamps in the set!

And last, I've turned it one more time and created this simple scene with some of Gina's "Tropical Flowers" branches in Memento Tuxedo Black on Pue Luxury White and a bit of sponging olive, yellow and rust inks, masking the "top layer" rectangles before sponging so my greetings would really pop. Isn't that serene, like you're looking out a window? The dashed lines are also in this set, these are fun to add anywhere you need a little something and can also be used like stitching. Card base is the new Gina K Pure Luxury Pumpkin Spice.




After a week of stamping with this frame, I've found creating easier than ever, and using it with a huge variety of stamp images from our collection!! Expect to see this set pop up in a few more peeks this week, it's really kind of addicting! :)


Our next peek is Nina Brackett's "Elegant Post", which features you guessed it, a post and lots of things to hang up! Here I wanted to add more plants to the scene to go with the potted flowers, and found Rupa's ivy from "Easter Blessings" was a perfect fit. I stamped my post in green to match the new Green Apple Pure Luxury CS and stamped the vine over it and colored with with Copics. I didn't have to mask it since the green colored leaves hide the green of the post!
I punched the threading water border on the side to allow my green CS Cuttlebugged with the Leafy Branch folder to peep through. Sentiment from the set is framed with Petite Oval Nestabilities. White is Pure Luxury.


For more projects made with the stamps previewed today, be sure to check out our other Senior Design Team Member's Blogs: Cathy Tidwell

Donna Baker

Emily Giovanni

Erika Martin

Gina Krupsky

Jessica Fick

Kurtis Amundson

Lee Murphy

Lynn Mercurio

Theresa Momber
don't forget to check out our CenterStage Spotlight girls joining us in Previews today: Sue Walsh is showing an Elegant Post card today and JenMarie Taylor has a card made with the new Inspiration Mosaic stamp set.


More peeks tomorrow!! :) What do you think of "Inspiration Mosaic"? Would you like to win it? Please leave a comment in this post telling me what colors, sets or techniques YOU would want to try with it first! I will announce a winner on Thursday! :)

Saturday, July 25, 2009

Love Ambulance

Thank you again Cammie for creating this set to go with our favorite resident physician!! Along with lots of other hospital "stuff", of course..

I made this card for a friend who had surgery, not a minor procedure, but nothing risky, she was expected to be fully recovered after a few weeks of rest so I thought she'd enjoy this little card with the ambulance and die cut heart! Add a little red rhinestones for the flashing light if you're looking for some "medical bling" LOL! After coloring it with Copics and popping it up I made a little whoosh mark behind it to make it speeding by and stamped the "Get well!" all over my Kraft paper. This is a "stacked" greeting (meaning "well" is positioned below the "Get" in the rubber) but when you stamp it in rows offset like this when you stamp it also reads "Get well!" across, see what I mean? I love Kraft, with red, white and black (both Pure Luxury) one of my favorite color combos. I added some white brads to the corners to finish it off.

Tomorrow the peeks start!!! I love, love, LOVE this release!

Friday, July 24, 2009

Angel Baby

Here's a really easy card to make with "Wee Tees", I was inspired by one of the fancy corner punches I have and how they look like little wings, thought they'd be adorable paired with the onesie and little halo (traced with the Stardust pen) in this set. Card uses Paper Temptress Metallic Amethyst with White Diamond, and the floral background and pieced onesie use the Gina K "Springtime in Paris" digital pack.

The DP actually started as a square; I cut around the flower pattern through the middle and then spread it out to reveal the white underneath, to resemble billowy clouds. Last, I added a few white paper flowers and Basic Grey buttons.

Our Gina K Designs sneak peeks start THIS Sunday night! Mine's up first, eeek!! I am SO excited about this one, (of course, I'm always excited, but it is completely different and so versatile that I'm going to be using it with our other new sets in the previews!) Wait til you see! The only thing I'm going to say about it now, it's gonna be "BIG"!* ;)

*that's a little clue

Thursday, July 23, 2009

Week 4: Selma Stevenson

Today I have a new project from Selma using "Arranged with Love". She colored it with peerless watercolors and then embossed it all with Iridescent Ice powder to give the whole front this beautiful shimmer.
The card opens to reveal this handcut assortment of blossoms from "A Year of Flowers", isn't that amazing?! This is a card I'd love to be there for when the recipient opens it to hear the "ooooooooooooooh!!"
Sentiment in the Nestabilities die cut is from "Say it with Flowers". Love the details like the piercing around the frame, punched border and embossing. Another top notch project, Selma!

Here are answers to some questions I had for Selma:

FAVORITE TECHNIQUE: I love to do any stamping technique. If I hear about a new technique I am anxious try it out. If I have to pick one, I guess I would say to color because there are so many ways to do it; using markers, water coloring, colored pencils, chalks, brayer, embossing, etc. I also enjoy cutting out my stamped images.

COLORS/COLOR COMBO: My favorite colors are lavender and green. I usually prefer pastels but because I love to color flowers, lots of bright colors are beautiful too. I really like to blend Barely Banana and Pretty in Pink on flowers.

FAVORITE GINA K SET BY MELAINE: I think everyone knows my answer to this one -- “A Year of Flowers”. I also love “Just So Hippy”.

FAVORITE GINA K SETS (FROM ANY ILLUSTRATOR): Any flower set for sure. I love Asela’s “Flowers for Daisy” set. This was the first set I bought from Gina. I have had a lot of fun with Theresa’s “Out West” set too. I also love using the two StampTV kits I have. Well I could keep going because I have so many favorite Gina K sets.

CRAFT SUPPLIES I CAN’T LIVE WITHOUT: I love to use my Nestabilities and Cuttlebug embossing folders. I also love good quality cardstock and Basic Grey paper pads. You can’t leave out all the ink pads and coloring tools. I also need ribbon and all my embellishments such as pearls, rhinestones and brads.

I’VE BEEN STAMPING FOR (HOW LONG): The first time I heard about stamping was before there were many stamp stores and there was no Internet. Some guy was sitting at a booth at the mall one day and wanted to show me embossing powder. I was hooked and have been stamping ever since. I signed up as a SU Demonstrator almost 10 years ago and have taught monthly workshops in my home.

I GET MY INSPIRATION FROM: Lately it has been doing StampTV challenges and viewing all the fabulous galleries. Prior to StampTV, I used to hang out in my favorite stamp store discovering new products and techniques and often signing up for classes. I also enjoy reading stamping magazines and reading blogs.

THE MOST IMPORTANT THINGS I’VE LEARNED ABOUT STAMPING/CARDMAKING ARE: The joy it brings to me and so many others. I believe the most important thing I’ve learned is the joy in sharing ideas and teaching others what I have learned. Another thing I learned is how many wonderful friends you make with other stampers. It is a strong supportive community.

SOME OF MY STAMPING/CRAFTING GOALS ARE: I would love to be a full-time design team member some day. I have really enjoyed being on the Center Stage Spotlight Design Team this month for Gina.

FAVORITE THING TO MAKE THAT AREN’T CARDS: I really enjoy making/covering boxes. I don’t make as many as I should.

SOME OF MY STAMPING/CRAFTING ACCOMPLISHMENTS:
I have had many cards published in “Stamper’s Sampler”. Stamper’s Sampler, “Take Ten", also published a four page article I wrote, titled “Make 10”. I have been published in the SUStampin’ Success” magazine. After becoming a member of StampTV, Melanie featured me as her Guest Floral Designer in May. I was featured in the first StampTV Center Stage. Melanie asked if I would be her Guest Designer for her new “Arranged with Love" set. I was so honored she would ask me. The beginning of this month I was selected, as one of six, to be on Gina’s Center Stage Spotlight Design Team. I have always thought it would be so much fun to do this so was extremely happy I was selected. Another accomplishment has been that I actually figured out how to start my Blog “Selma's Creative Corner“. It took some help from my StampTV friends, but it is up and running. I do not know that much about computers so this was a big accomplishment.
It has been a pleasure featuring her on my blog, please go look at hers now for another flower fantasy! :)

Wednesday, July 22, 2009

Hip Hop Baby

Here's a simple onesie card created from "Wee Tees" and my "Hip Hop Accessories" set. I put together from the sentiments fro both sets to make "world's Hoppiest Baby"! (this would be either of my sons who could almost touch the top of the door frame in their Johnny Jump Up when they were little!) Isn't that little Joey sweet on the tee? I embossed a rectangle and then hung the onesie up with my hanger from "Little Tees", along with an adhesive metal dot like a tack to the border. Round tag is popped up. Cardstock is all Gina K Pure Luxury.

Gotta bounce (stamp!) I am busy getting ready for the Gina K Designs release next week, woo hoo!

Hope your day's a hoppy one!

Tuesday, July 21, 2009

Bouncing Ball DP

Today I have a card I made after my "Sporty Accessories" set arrived. Sports themed papers in just the sports you want can be tough to find, but you can easily create your own background papers with the different elements in this set. I lined up the three large balls on an acrylic gridline block and stamped them on a diagonal on this Soft Sand CS. Then I shifted the block each time I started a new row so the balls would nest together and the same ones wouldn't be right next to each other, until my mat was complete.
Next I rubbed my ink pad directly onto the cardstock to dirty it up and give the card the appearanc of texture.

Last I matted it onto the Black Onyx and Soft Sand base and added a popped up stamped jersey with the word "Fan" from "Just So Sporty"set. Isn't adding the ball to the shirt fun for a soccer fan?


A very simple "kid" or "guy" card! :) Happy Tuesday, thanks for stopping by!

Monday, July 20, 2009

Got S'mores?

Here's a scene I made with Theresa's "Happy Camper" set, as soon as I first saw it, I knew I had to get the s'mores in this pesky fella's hand! I started stamping the picnic table and then masking it to make the mountains behind it. I created the grassy area doing zigzags and quick, upward stokes with a Copic and the shadows on the grass with a darker green. Base is a Pure Luxury Soft Sand. Hazy evening background was done with a sponge and some pink and plum inks. There's no moon or sun in the background this time: if you look at the way the shadows are falling, drawn underneath, the light source would be out in front of the card. Following the line of the stick he's toasting really gives it a lot of dimension, even though the card is flat.

Have a great day, happy Monday!! (Did you know our next Gina K Designs release is only 10 days away?! I just finished trimming all my NEW stamps, happy HAPPY!!) :)

Sunday, July 19, 2009

Grandmother's Clock

Here is a simple card I made with Nina's "Special Fathers". I used Basic Grey Porcelain, Apricot Appeal and Regal Rose CS, and stamped the clock onto Pure Luxury White and colored with Copics*. I created the pieced border with my Scor-Bug and Scor-Pal, then used a brown pen to "connect the dots" and make this faux stitched look!

My grandmother had a clock very similar to this except it has a base to sit on a table instead of bring a wall clock, we had it in out living room most of while I was growing up. The ticking was so comforting, it became a like a heartbeat of the house: you got so used to it you didn't notice it most of the time, but then every once in awhile it would be so quiet you would suddenly noticing it hammering away, but it had there the whole time LOL! ahhh...memories...

Happy Sunday!

*BTW, would you like me to see other coloring media on my blog more often? I know not every one, has them, and here are so many great options I have, but I've had a hard time using anything else since I got the hang of my markers! It's okay to say yes, would give you a good excuse to pull out my others and give them some love more often... :)

Saturday, July 18, 2009

Sweet Bouquet

Here is a masked bouquet stamped with the two different ice cream cone images in "100% Sweet". The narrow bottom of the cone and frothy sweet top just reminded me of a flower. :)



I used a Pretty in Pink base and Basic Grey Bittersweet DP. I also used the Scalloped and Classic Heart and Ribbon Tag Nestabilities. The heart adds little sweetness and frames up the shape of the cone arrangement so nicely. Images colored with copics!



Stay cool today, friends, it's hotter than heck here!!!

Friday, July 17, 2009

Cropping Large Stamps (and splicing small dies!)

Hello! Today I am sharing card made with a square layout from "So Sketchy" using some beautiful tag elements from our sponsor last month, Ormulo.

Even trimmed down the big tag was quite large so to work it into the sketch, I made card 5 x5. I thought "Arranged with Love" would be really pretty with all the flourishes on the two tags, so here's how I reshaped it to fit, as well as making a scalloped mat that was large enough for it.

I die cut two of my long scalloped rectangles (Chocolate Kiss) and adhered them sideways on the Pure Luxury White cardbase. I stamped the image as I normally would (Vivid Coffee Bean on More Mustard CS) and cut it through the middle, (not measuring, it won't matter because they are going to overlap, doesn't have to be exactly in half)


Then I lined the images up to fit the mat, the seam will be covered by my other elements. Isn't that nice how you have border that still matches up all the way around? Refer to finished sample at top!


I hope this was helpful to you! Have a great day! :)

Thursday, July 16, 2009

You Dropped the Bomb on Me...!

OK, we have a really fun challenge for you today -- it's an inspiration challenge, sponsored by Bombshell Stamps. To play along, simply pick something that you think is "the bomb" and make something! With all the car stuff in this "Kustom Kulture" set, I picked something my 7 year old thinks is the bomb: go karts! I put the flame and squealing tire image together and then found a sentiment to match from my "Tee Talk" set and the jersey from "Just So Sporty" to complete the scene.

Post your project in the Paper Craft Planet photo gallery, and use the tag "PCPBOMB". (Here is a tutorial on adding pictures to the gallery, if you need it.) Shannon, at Bombshell Stamps has generously offered TWO stamps sets as a prize -- Pinstriping and Speed Shop.


Here is what the rest of the Super Novas came up with:

Wednesday, July 15, 2009

Week 3 with Selma Stevenson

Today Selma has created two special gift card holders using "Arranged with Love". She stamped the frame onto Polyshrink and attached it to card (also shrunk down the little flower from "A Year of Flowers" to put over the card in the middle of the bouquet) so the image measures 1 1/2 x 2". Isn't that sweet? (I would love to use some Polyshrink with this stamp sometime and make a key chain, bookmark charm, sun catcher or other.) So pretty!
On the second one, the image is actual size, here she ran the bow underneath the frame and tied around the card to hold it closed...
and here you can see how the word window punched middle holds your gift card. A bouquet and a gift card, what else do you need for the perfect gift?!


Here are Selma's directions for making the holder:
"I stamped the image and watercolored it then cut around the frame. The Summer Sun card stock is 5 1/2" x 11". It is scored at 4 1/4" and 5 1/2" then scored 4 1/4" from the opposite end. When the middle section is folded inside, it creates a pocket for the gift card. I used Score Tape to secure the inside folded part. I use my SU Word Window Punch to cut the opening for the gift card in the center of the inside fold. Flowers from "A Year of Flowers" were added to the inside and a verse added. I used Score Tape to secure the long ribbon across the middle. "

Please go visit Selma's blog now for more inspiring projects with this set!

Have a glorious day, thanks for visiting!

Tuesday, July 14, 2009

Hunka Burnin' Love

Turn up the heat on this old truck from "The Journey" with a custom paint job, courtesy of two Copic markers, Lipstick red and Cadmium Yellow. (Click for a closeup and copy mine, it's just some wiggles and waves, you can do it!) :) The top of the truck is colored with C1 and C3, and the bottom below the flames is C5, this gives shadow but also adds a cool two tone. C3 underneath the truck for the shadow.

A fun way to add a tag or greeting when you use the truck is a metal edged frame with brads like this SU! silver hodge podge, you have an instant license plate! "You're a Classic" is from my "Tee Talk"set. I really wanted clean lines to show off the truck so a clean and simple layout with minimal embellishments was just what I wanted. CS is all Gina K Pure Luxury: Rocket Red, Black Onyx, White and Soft Sand.



Thank for visiting today!

Monday, July 13, 2009

FunFun!

Happy Monday!
Here's a sweet and simple card made with "Lazy Days of Summer" (why are none of my Summer days feeling so lazy?!) The ice cream is colored with Crystal Effects and popped up inside the Classic Heart Nestabilities window. Polka dot background is made with Gina's "Ribbon Stripes".

More to come!! I have some really exciting packaging and tutorials coming up, can't wait to share!

Sunday, July 12, 2009

Sophisticated Silver

Here is a simple wedding or anniversary card with "Arranged with Love", embossed in Silver Superfine embossing powder, it picks up every little detail in this stamp, and makes this monochromatic card so elegant!

I wrapped some Pearl Vellum (Paper Temptress) punched flourishes around the corners and accented them and the Pure luury White sentiment card with some of the 2 and 3mm adhesive rhinestones, I love that delicate sparkle. Blue mat is SU! Bordering Blue (I ran a silver paint pen along the edge of the blue mat to get this double silver border) and card and base are Pure Luxury White.

It doesn't get much easier than this! Have a beautiful day!

Saturday, July 11, 2009

Blasts from the Past

I have family in town right now and we had my older son's birthday party today (indoor rock climbing! yes, it rocked!) so I haven't had a chance to make another sample for any of our Lucky Seven sets (hope lots of you are able to take advantage of this great deal!), but I wanted to show a few of my favorite projects I created with "Cuddles and Hugs" and "Jumping for Joy" this past year. If you've been following my blog since the beginning you may remember them, but if you've only recently jumped in, they will be "new"! :) (Sometime I only remember making some of these when I look back through my blog archives LOL!) Hopefully I will have some time before the sale ends Monday night to make something else with a few of the other sets in our promo for your inspiration!

The first is a beach or pool party card I made with my "Jumping for Joy" polar bear! I used a water background paper and made the beach ball from the set floating. "Congrats on" and "taking the plunge" are both included in this set as well. Geronimo!

Now one of my readers' favorite posts for "Cuddle and Hugs" was a tutorial of mine for coloring fur. Click on this link and you will see step by step pictures and instruction on how to give these little fellas the fuzzy wuzzy look you see below, it is very easy, and only requires a couple shades! I hope this helps you coloring all your furry images and shows how you can create texture with Copics (they're not just for "coloring in circles"!) :)

Did you know: you can scroll down to my labels section of the sidebar on the right and click on any of the categories to see ALL the posts using that a particular technique, stamp set, etc? I went ahead and linked these two sets below so you can see all my projects I've done with these sets at a glance as well.


Cuddles and Hugs Tip Sheet and all my past Cuddly project I've shared on my blog HERE


Jumping for Joy Tip Sheet and all my past Jumping for Joy projects HERE


FYI: We will also be adding all my tips sheets for my sets on StampTV for you to download and print out. Coming soon!
More Lucky Seven peeks tonight from Jessica, and our Centerstage girls Brenda and JenMarie!
Hope you're having a great weekend!

Friday, July 10, 2009

Potluck Friday on STV: Stamping on DP

For this week's StampTV Potluck Friday Challenge, I am asking you to choose a piece of patterned paper and stamp on it with line art images (not bold), then color the images in. This will work best with a light colored patterned paper so your new colors will show up when you color over it, and selecting shades for coloring that will be also be light enough for the pattern to show through, make sense? Here I stamped "Arranged with Love" on a floral pattern from the Basic Grey Porcelain pack and coolored over the flwoers and leaves with pale pink and green Copics, I like how this creates a "floral on a floral" and gives a pattern to the background behind the flowers instead of just a solid color (without having to cut and piece, yeah!!) I also love how this makes the paper look like a completely new pattern.



If you would like to play along, please upload your creation to STV by Friday, July 17th, 8 AM CST with the keyword STVPF21, I will randomly draw a winner and post it next Friday, that person can choose a 23.95 Gina K designs stamp set! Hope you'll enter, you'll have all week!

Tomorrow I'll be shairng a few of my favorite cards with my two sets included in the Lucky 7 promotion, along with links back to my stip sheets and all the samples i've made with them!

Thursday, July 9, 2009

Big Sale! (Feeling Lucky?)

Welcome to the Lucky 7 Special Event from Gina K Designs, being offered for the first time!!



Lucky Seven Sale Event: July 10-13, 2009

How it works: Buy any three of the following seven stamp sets (regularly priced at $23.95 each) for only $49.95 and you can choose from one of the following normally priced $19.95 stamp sets for free! (A value of $91.80)

Lucky Seven Stamp sets available for this sale event:
Many Happy Returns, How Sweet it Is!, Jumping for Joy ,Zoo Animals ,Christmas Blessings, Whatever Floats Your Boat ,Cuddles and Hugs



Stamp sets available for free with the purchase of 3 of the Lucky Seven Stamp Sets:
WhooHoo!, Rectangle Greetings, Heartfelt Hits 1 ,Kindred Greetings for Kids



OR, for an even more amazing deal: Buy them all for $125! Purchase all of the Lucky Seven stamp sets and you will receive all 4 of the free stamp set choices for free! (A total value of $247.55) If you already have some of these sets, at these prices, they'd make great gifts!

To take advantage of these sale prices, look for the "Lucky Seven Button" on GinaK's Online Store , starting 10PM CST July 9th (that's RIGHT NOW!)!

Our Gina K team is sharing projects featuring all seven sets: today I have samples using a couple of my past Gina K Designs releases that are included in this sale, two of my favorite animals sets I've illustrated, the first here is made with "Cuddles and Hugs". Today I created a bookmark using small square punches to capture little cropped vignettes of the different pairs hugging.
The punches I used here are 1 1/4" and 1 3/8" square. The images in this set would make fabulous "inchies", but these aren't technically because I don't own a 1 inch punch! (yet! can you believe?) ;) I colored the images with Copics and matted them onto a piece of Pretty in Pink 1 5/8" x 6 1/4"and a Black Onyx mat measuring 1 3/4" x 6 1/2". I added a few black dots next to the greeting with a black pen and a piercing template. All done, easy peasy!

My next sample shows some quick lollipop cuddlers (huggers? climbers? call them what you want LOL!) These took even less time! I stamped the images on Soft Sand CS and accented a few areas with a white Koh-i-Noor pencil and cut out. Then I used my double slot punch, flipping the punch over so I could line up the holes with where I wanted them (around the koala's arm and in the nook between the cat tails) then slip my little pop through.


My kids got so excited about these I barely got a chance to get them photographed LOL! You could also use a double hole punch, eyelet setter, Cropodile etc, but the double punches are nice because it's one step and the holes are aligned and the right size for the stick.

My last sample uses "Jumping for Joy", Zach meets Olivia! (or, colored this way, "Oliver"!) ;) Here they look like they're kicking around the beach ball, it's simple to create interactive scenes between the animals in this set. I colored them with Copics and popped up the ball (this ball fits a 1" circle punch) I added some green, blue and orange sections to the white Pure Luxury base to match the ball, makes it really pop against the otherwise black and white color scheme. This card is for my son, who just turned 7.



Now check out these GinaK Designs Senior Design Team blogs tonight for projects made with these seven Lucky Stamp sets!

Many Happy Returns: Joanne and Lynn


How Sweet it Is: Gina and Carolyn



Jumping for Joy: Cathy and Lee



Zoo Animals: Asela and Donna



Christmas Blessings: Kurtis and Emily



Whatever Floats Your Boat: Erika and Jessica



Cuddles and Hugs: Theresa

Again, the Lucky Seven Sale event will run now thru midnight Monday night, don't miss it! Have fun hopping, hope you get lucky! :)