VSN - Summer Festival

I had good intentions of playing along in real time with the VSN challenges this weekend... then life got in the way. I am sad to say that so far I've only made one card in addition to the card I made for my own challenge. Hopefully I'll get a few more made, but no promises as I have a very hectic two weeks ahead of me.

Today's card was made for Melissa's Hey There Hot Rod Challenge. She encouraged us to make cards inspired by cars or other modes of  transportation.

 Unity - Good Tidings

Technique Tuesday - Lots of Sentiments

There is a one hour time limit for making VSN cards. This one took me 35 minutes.

Thanks for stopping by my blog today!

Stamp/Die Sets: Technique Tuesday Lots of Sentiments and Unity Good Tidings stamped with VersaFine Clair Nocturne Ink

Papers: Accent Opaque 120# White, JoAnn's 110# Kraft, Recollections Black, and SU Marina Mist CS and DP from my scrap file

Dies: Karen Burniston Rectangle Crosshatch and Spellbinders A2 Matting Basics

Embellishments: Gina Marie Enamel Dots

Dirty Dozen 2021, May

I had the amazing honor of being invited to join the ranks (or dirt pile, as they lovingly refer to it) of the Dirty Dozen on SCS last year. My term was from April through September. I thoroughly enjoyed the experience and had fun creating 6 (or more) cards for each of the themes.

April - Grand Opening

May - Family Tree

June - Juke Box

July - Come Fly with Me

August - Kitchen Sink

September - Popping In

Dirty Dozen members have some guidelines to follow. One of them is we can't share our cards for at least six months after the month in which they were released, hence the reason why I didn't show them when I made them.

Another guideline is we are to choose our own personal favorite of the cards we make each month. Sometimes that is easy to do; other times, not so much.

This blog post shows the cards I made for the May Family Tree theme, beginning with my personal favorite, followed by my other cards, in no particular order.

Unity - Keep Planting Trees

CC Designs - Roberto's Christmas

My Favorite Things - Let's Hang Out

Momenta - Families Are Like Fudge

Stampendous - Forest Sayings

Technique Tuesday - Family Tree

Unity - Old Traditions

Thanks for stopping by my blog today!

VSN - Water at the Summer Festival

I had the honor of hosting one of the VSN challenges on SCS last night. It was soooo much fun.

This VSN's theme is Summer Festivals. There was a VSN Mini last month with 3 challenges. Last night there were 5 challenges, including mine. Today there are 11 challenges. Check it out and play along. It's a lot of fun.

When we lived in northern Missouri the town had a summer festival. One of the favorite events at the festival was the Fire Hose Tug of War. Two teams, two fire hoses, and a bucket hanging on a wire up above. The object was for one team to use the water sprayed from their fire hose to move the bucket into the other team’s end zone. As you can imagine, there was a lot of water and the children that ventured close loved its cooling spray.

My challenge titled "Water" simply calls for using water in some way while making a card. 

My favorite way to add water to cards is with any of the varieties of color crystals that activate with water - like Ken Oliver's Color Burst. I think it's the surprise element I like. Tap on a bit of crystals, spray with a mist of water, and SURPRISE!

There is a one hour time limit for making VSN cards. This one took me 45 minutes.

Thanks for stopping by my blog today!

Stamp/Die Set: Technique Tuesday Fresh Peonies stamped with Memento Tuxedo Black Ink and colored with Copic Markers

Papers: Accent Opaque 120# White, Recollections Black, and SU Daffodil Delight CS, Carson Watercolor Paper, and DP from my scrap file

Dies: Gina K Master Layouts, MFT Wonky Stitch Rectangles, and Paper Roses Layered Hello

Embellishments; Studio Katia Pineapple Delight Crystals

BK - Daisy Wagon

Fridays are special days - who doesn't love TGIF, right? But here on my blog Fridays are also special because they are the day I get to post as a design team member for Blue Knight Rubber Stamps.

I used the new Daisy Wagon stamp today.

You can check out the stamp in the Blue Knight Rubber Stamps store - HERE.

Card #1

Card #2

The two cards are basically the same; the same design, same image. The only real difference is I colored Card #1 with Copic Markers and I colored Card #2 with Karin Markers (and water - so more of a watercolored look).

I think it's amazing to see how one stamp looks so different depending on how it's used. 

* * * * * 

You can find each of today's featured stamps HERE, at the Blue Knight Rubber Stamps web store.

And... don't forget to join us at the Fan Group and YouTube Channel:

Fans of Blue Knight Rubber Stamps (Facebook group) is HERE

and the Blue Knight Rubber Stamps YouTube Channel is HERE

Jeanette Cloyd, Design Team Member

Thanks for stopping by my blog today!

It's a Fan Club Christmas - June

It is no secret that I am a fan of Splitcoaststampers. I joined in January of 2008 and it soon became a place that I loved. Many friendships have been made there, I've gained inspiration and been challenged to try new things, I've participated in swaps and challenges and special events. Many of you totally understand what I mean when I say SCS is my happy place because it's your happy place, too. 

I didn't know there was such a thing as an SCS Fan Club in those days, but when I heard about it, I decided to join, thinking I could give back a little bit to the site that means so much to me. Little did I know that I get much more as a fan club member than I ever give. There are just so many fun perks, the monthly Fan Club Christmas/Winter Challenge, being one of them.

Each month you'll find a card here on my blog that I've made with for that month's challenge... but of course, I can't share what the theme is. If you are an SCS fan club member, you can learn all the details there. If you're not, I hope you'll enjoy my card anyway.

Here's this month's card...

I used a white gel pen to add a few "snowflakes to the tree and the truck.

Thanks for stopping by my blog today!

Stamp Set: Unity Old Traditions stamped with Memento Tuxedo Black Ink and colored with Copic Markers

Papers: Accent Opaque 120# White, Recollections Black, and SU Real Red CS and DP from my scrap file

Dies: Gina Marie Big & Little Pierced Chain Rounded Rectangle and MFT Stitched Rectangles

Embellishments: Snowflake Brad from an unknown vendor

Dueling Darling 2 - June 2022

FYI - This is my second post of the day. I hope you'll check it out as well as the SCS Sketch Challenge card that is in the next blog post. If you need to go directly to that blog post, please do so by going - HERE.

The 15th of each month is such a special day here on my blog - it's Dueling day.

Not to worry; no blood is drawn in the duel. Well, unless someone punctures themselves with a paper piercer gets a deep paper cut or some other such hazard of this hobby we love. This is actually a friendly harmless duel. That's why we are called Dueling Darlings 2.

Not sure what that is? It's a concept that my friend Kelly came up with over a decade ago - two groups, two hostesses, one theme, and lots of fun. The hostesses choose the theme and then each hostess sends a theme-appropriate kit to the other members on her team. 

Each person creates a card and keeps it all a secret until the 15th, which is posting day.

This month was to be Kelly's and my turn to host but I begged, pleaded, and did everything else within my power to get Kelly to agree to let me send kits out to both groups. I'm so glad she finally agreed to let me do that. It was my way of giving back just a wee bit because Kelly always ALWAYS goes above and beyond in spoiling all of us. So this month we all have the same kit to work with - I hope you'll enjoy seeing what all eight of us do with it.

This month's theme is... 

Women of Strength

This is what was in the kit:

Image - Hello Bluebird "Frosty Mornings" stamped with Memento Tuxedo Black ink on Accent Opaque 120# White CS

Sentiments - Simon Says/Pink Fresh "Next Level Amazing" and Great Impressions "Only As Strong" stamped with VersaFine Clair Nocturne ink on Accent Opaque 120# White CS

DP - Moxxie Coffee Addict, Paper Studio Cozy Little Christmas, Recollections Stocking Stuffers Paper Pad, plus two others from unknown companies

Ribbon/Fiber - Ribbon Boutique, Sheer Creations, Stampin' UP! and Twine from an unknown vendor

Embellishments - Paper Studio Glitter Enamel Dots and Wooden Coffee Cup, Taylored Expressions God Drip Drops, and a Button, Corner Photo Tab and Sequins from my stash

Now, let's duel...

Here's my card:

Here's the inside:

Believe in how strong you are.

There's a little extra "assignment" this month, too. I sent a note in everyone's kit (except Kelly's) - at least I hope I didn't send the note to Kelly.  After I mailed them, I feared I'd accidentally done so.

Here's what the note said...

Shhh! This is a secret from Kelly, so don't spill the coffee beans.

As a bit of an "extra" to the June duel, you might have noticed that the Women of Strength Kit includes Coffee (Kelly's beverage of choice), Friendship (which is so important to Kelly), and the color Green (Kelly's favorite color).

So, while our theme IS Women of Strength, it also draws attention to our beloved Kelly. If you are comfortable doing so, I would love for you to include in your blog/gallery post a story or thought (or even an encouraging word) that highlights Kelly's strength.

Kelly truly is one of the strongest women I know. She juggles so many things in life - suffice it to say it is A LOT! I often have thought she reminds me of the Energizer Bunny. She just keeps on - keeping on. No matter what life throws her way. She balances it all with a smile and a kind word, barely more than a wink of sleep a night, and an occasional trip to Starbucks to refuel. Okay, maybe more than occasional... but she deserves every single one of those trips. Kelly, I don't know how you do all that you do. You are amazing! I admire you more than words can express.

Now, be sure to check out all of the Dueling Darling 2 cards (and hopefully some words about our fabulous leader, too):

Barb

Carol

Darlene

Jeanette - that's me

Kelly

Lorraine - SCS Gallery

Terry

Tracie

Thanks for stopping by my blog today!

The only things I used other than what was in the kit was some CS (Accent Opaque 120# White and SU Chocolate Chip) and dies (MFT Stitched Rectangles and MFT Stitched Tag-Corner Square).

Be the Reason Someone Smiles

I {heart} SCS.

I'm pretty sure it's no secret - splitcoaststampers is my happy place. It's where friendships are made. It's where inspiration is gleaned. It's where tutorials are found. Oh, and did I mention, CHALLENGES (new ones each day of the week)! 

Each challenge has a few people who know the themes ahead of time and create cards/samples to be shared when the challenge is introduced. I was delighted when I was asked to join the Sketch Challenge design team for six months. Each Wednesday (February - July 2022) I'll share the card I made for the current week's Sketch Challenge. 

This Week's Sketch (#SC910):

Here's my card:

I hope you'll check out the Sketch Challenge - HERE - and play along. 

Thanks for stopping by my blog!

Stamp: Pink Fresh Magnolias stamped with Memento Tuxedo Black Ink and colored with Copic Markers

Paper: Accent Opaque 120# White and SU Groovy Guava CS and DP from my scrap file

Dies: MFT Stitched Rectangles, Spellbinders A2 Matting Basics and Your Next Stamp Fishtail Banner

Embellishments: Pink Fresh Sparkling Champagne Metallic Pearls