Kraftin' with Kraftin' Kimmie

Over at Kraftin' Kimmie stamps, they're having a "Krafty" challenge. Ya know...using Kraft paper somewhere on a project. Well, do I have the PERFECT card to enter! I made this card a little while back using the lovely Kimiko stamp from Kraftin' Kimmie.

I was inspired to recreate those little Japanese hand-carved cork dioramas. I happen to own a couple of these...they are INCREDIBLY detailed and so lovely. Here's what they look like. They usually consist of a Pagoda, some trees, a bridge and at least one crane. They are so intricate, it's hard to fathom that someone actually carved them by hand. This particular one is about 4 inches wide. Teeny.

So, here is my version. I built it on a side-step card base, so it really does fold flat (ish). I used my Cricut to cut out all the elements from Kraft cardstock (to mimic the look of cork). Kimiko is also stamped on Kraft cardsock...and I colored her with my Prismacolor pencils. I even gave her traditional Geisha makeup--with porcelain looking skin and a rose-color blush across her eyes.

That's basically all there is to this card...even though it looks really elaborate, the magic is in the assembly and placement of the elements on that stair-stepped background.

Alas, there is no crane on my little diorama...I had one cut out, but decided he looked like an afterthought, so he flew off to rest on an ATC. But, if you look closely, you'll see three little dragonflies resting on the bamboo and the sentiment. Domo very much for visiting my blog!

Here is a closer look at the beautiful Kimiko

I'd like to enter this in the following challenges:

• Kraftin Kimmie - #144 Let's Get Krafty 
• The Kraft Outlet - Make It Monday--Shape It Up 
• Simon Says Stamp - Put a Stamp on It

Ingredients:
Kimiko stamp - Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps
Pagoda cartridge (Cricut) - Provo Craft
Dragonfly punch - McGill
Prismacolor colored pencils
Kraft cardstock

Hoist the Flag

Ahoy there, me crafty hearties!

'Tis time to join the crafty Team B over at Kenny K's Krafty Krew for another riveting challenge! Kenny has come out with some brandy new additions to his Retro line of stamps, and we're here to show 'em off!!

 

This week our theme is 

Banners, Pennants & Bunting 

We have 2 sponsors this week. First off is

The prize from Kenny is the winner's choice of 5 digi's.

Our second sponsor is:

I just love these new images from Kenny. They are a HUGE departure from his "norm". They totally remind me of the "Lichtenstein" genre of pop art. I really wanted to stay true to Lichtenstein's style when it came to coloring up this image. His style is so graphic. To learn more about Mr. Pop Art himself...Roy Lichtenstein...go HERE. So, I decided to color my image in Photoshop to get a totally smooth coloration. My Prismacolor pencils got a vacation. I bet they went to the beach.

I also wanted to present a "different" take on the whole Banners, Pennants & Bunting theme. You know me...a typical banner just wouldn't do. I was daydreaming about summer camp and how, invariably at some point, some poor kid's underwear gets run up the flagpole--creating a banner, of sorts, proudly waving for all the world to see. What can I say? I tend to create WAY outside that box thing.

This is, after all, Left Field. 

That could explain why I am usually so irreverent and off-the-wall--or maybe not. Perhaps I'm nothing more than an enigma.

Ingredients:

Big Surprise image - Kenny K

"Country Life" Cricut cartridge - Provo Craft (altered up a bit by hand)

Punchinella

Think SMALL--Icon Do This!!!

It's the last Wednesday of July. Really?

Man, it's true what "they" say about time accelerating as you age. Just yesterday it was March.

The last Wednesday of each month is reserved for the monthly blog hop over at  

Bombshell Stamps 

 This month, our Queen Hopster, Alison, tasked us with creating a project using the teeny itsy bitsy "accessory" stamps that come with our stamp sets so that THEY are the FOCUS of our projects. We are allowed to use one "main" stamp, but I challenged myself to use JUST the tiny stamps...Icon do this!!

We've all heard the adage "Go Big or go home" (or something like that)...well, for this challenge it's "Do SMALL or not at all!" So join us now in our "Iconic" blog hop! Hope y'all enjoy yourselves and, please, sprinkle love in the form of comments as your go, and join in for a chance to win some FaBuLoUs Bombshell Stamps! You know you wanna!

If you arrived from Laura's cooliolio blog, then you're in the right place at THE right time. You're so lucky! You should go buy lottery tickets! If you just stumbled on my blog and discovered this...You're so lucky!! You should go buy lottery tickets! 8, 12, 18, 24, 38, 09. That's what I'm predicting as the winning set of numbers. Winning where and what...I have no idea. But those are the numbers. I'm just sure. Oh, and I'll post a full listing of the hop participants at the end of this post, just in case you wanna revisit these wunnerful projectamundos.

To make this challenge more...challenging, I decided for my project I would use only 1 stamp. One itsy bitsy teensy weensy stamp...and see what I could cook up in the labora-Torrey with just one, lonely little stamp.

Well, as I got down to the business of creating, the mojo started flowin'. So much so, that I ended up doing 3 projects for this hop--all using that same little stamp. I'm pleasantly amazed at how different they all turned out--how one, unassuming flower stamp can come to the labora-Torrey and transmogrify into so many different "looks". I could EASILY have created more projects with this little gem of a stamp...but I thought 3 was plenty. Besides...I started feeling like a paper-crafting version of a Kamonian. Don't understand that reference? Hint: Kamonians live on a planet called Kamino...and they had one job.

Still don't get the reference?

Google it.

Project #1 Friends

The inspiration for my first project came after I had just hung up the phone with my bestee, Jodi. I miss her so blooming much. I really detest that we're like 800 miles apart.

*sigh*

So, I was all sunshiny after talking with her. She always makes me smile. At any rate, she inspired this card which just sort of sprang from my sunshiny feeling. The stamp I chose for all my projects is the little flower from "Bombshell Angel". Here is the result.

I bet you're wondering "How on earth did you make that background?" I'll tell ya...and I won't even have to kill ya. I started out by laying this uber cool honeycomb diecut down directly on the front of the white card. I very lightly penciled around each honeycomb hole thingie then set the diecut aside.

Using a scrap of cardstock, I cut out a hexagonal hole the same size of the honeycomb hole thingies and used it as a mask while I randomly stamped the flower all over the card so that only parts of most of the flowers would show through the honeycomb. Then, I decided I wanted my card to be colored in a gradient from upper left to lower right. I don't have a clue as to why...I just thought it would look cool.

I totally colored some of the flowers, and partially colored some more...and left some completely uncolored. I did the same with the background and laid down heavy color in the top left corner and blended it out until there was no color in the lower right. This is not an easy task to do with Primacolor pencils. It took a LOT of working and reworking of the color.

Then, I adhered the honeycomb diecut back over the background and added 2 silhouette cuties and a "title" that I cut with my Cricut. A couple of ribbons and a few extra flowers finish it off. I really like how the silhouette girls magnify your focus on that background.

Project #2 Cherry Blossom Beauty

The idea for this project just sort of...emerged as soon as I finished the first project. I totally dialed-down the color volume on this card. The first card was SO bright, I decided I wanted something a little more...Zen. I chose a warm peachy pink and chocolatey brown for my palette on this serene card.

I started out by randomly stamping the flower all over the front of the card with VersaMark ink. Then I embossed the images with clear embossing powder and sponged soft rose Distress ink all over the surface. The sentiment and branch were made with my Cricut. I was lazy and didn't fussy-cut each flower--I just sort of cut them out in "circles". It still looks fine if ya ask me.

Project # 3 Thanks, Just Thanks

For my last project, I decided to K.I.S.S. it. You know...Keep It Sweet & Simple. I made a little Thank You card with a very graphic feel. I cut 5 identical circles out of the front of the card. Then I embossed it and shadowboxed each circular opening from behind with foam tape and black cardstock. I dropped a colored flower into each shadowbox area; added a ribbon, sentiment, extra flower (to complete the rainbow)...done. Took all of about 15 minutes from start to finish (most of that was coloring).

I'd like to enter one or more of these cards in the following challenges:

• Simon Says Stamp - Anything Goes
• The ABC Challenge - T for Two (I used 2 silhouette girls, and 2 ribbons)
•  The Paper Shelter - #74 Metal Embellishment (lots of antique copper brads on card #2)
• Crafts and Me: #94 Anything Goes
• Digital Tuesday - Photo Inspiration (card #2 has digital Cricut diecuts) 
• Top Tip Tuesday - #81 All About Circles
• Simon Says Stamp and Show - Hey Girl

Ingredients for all 3 cards:

Flower stamp - Bombshell Stamps (Bombshell Angel)
Hexagon (honeycomb) die - Papertrey Ink
Prismacolor colored pencils
ribbon- Creative Impressions, American Craft
"A Child's Year", "Pagoda" Cricut cartridges - Provo Craft
Distress Ink - Ranger (Tattered Rose)
clear embossing powder - Ranger
VersaMark ink - Tsukineko
Swiss Dot Cuttlebug embossing folder - Provo Craft
mini brads - Creative Impressions

Thanks for hopping by! Your next stop is Sparkly Mary's  FaBuLoUs blog. Be sure to leave love along the way, and have fun!

Here's a complete hop list...just in case.

Bombshell Blog 

Alison
Laura 

 me>>> Torrey<<< me
Sparkly Mary
Stempelientje
Glittery Katie
Kelli
Jodi
Alaine 

Kim 

Kathi

Give It To Me, Baby!!

Wow, can y'all believe that Christmas has come...and gone??? Zip, POW! What a whirlwind this holiday has been. I sincerely hope that everyone had a joyful holiday--whether it be Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Yule or Boxing Day.

Speaking of Boxing Day... I just don't get Boxing Day. I mean, I put an empty box out on my living room table on Boxing Day eve; danced around the room with a box on my head singing "The Boxer"....and come morning...that box I put out was still EMPTY. I tell ya, it has COMPLETELY destroyed my belief in the Boxing Day Fairy.

On to the business at hand! It's the last Wednesday of the month which means it's time for Bombshell Stamps monthly BLOG HOP!!! YIPPEEE! This month's theme, devised by Miss Alison, is "Give It To Me, Baby!" --translated that means we have been directed to make anything BUT a card with our Bombshell Stamps...to give away as a gift to someone else! This means frames, jewelry, decorative pieces, nick-nacks, whosits, whatnots, even fancy boxes (I still don't get Boxing Day)...ANYTHING as long as it is not, Not, NOT a card. And, as always, there is a prize for one lucky hopper!!! Just leave comments on everyone's blog for a chance to WIN!!!

So, if you hopped over here from Mary's blog...you have landed in the right place. If not, or if you get lost...just click on the link below and start at the Bombshell site. You won't want to miss any of these FaBuLoUs creations!

So, here is my project (better late, than not at all!) I created a wreath (of sorts) using the Bombshell Angel stamp set and the Butterfly Queen set. It's my take on Ying/Yang--spicy/sweet, steamy/frosty, naughty/nice. This was SO MUCH FUN to make! Well, sort of fun...the scoring was kind of a pain...but, I am now a PRO scorer. Score, score, score, score, score. I had fun dressing up the girls. I TOTALLY stole the rosette wreath idea from my bestee, Jodi...you can see her version HERE-- what can I say...she inspires me. <3

Close ups:

 Ingredients:

all images - Bombshell Stamps (Bombshell Angel, Butterfly Queen)

Nestability dies - Spellbinders (Lacy Ovals, Lg Inverted Scalloped Squares)

Prismacolor colored pencils

diecut letters - Cricut (Country Life, Cindy Loo)

Iron fence punch - EK Success for Martha Stewart

pearls and rhinestones - Michaels

glitter pen - Sakura

snowflake embossing folder - Provo Craft

ribbon and lace - Creative Impressions

designer paper

cardstock

cardboard

hot glue

Thank you SO MUCH for stopping by! Be sure to leave a comment. Now on with the HOPPING! Your next stop will be the lovely ALEX. Hop along, little hopper!!!

                       Full Hop List:
Bombshell Blog: http://bombshellstamps.blogspot.com/
Alison: http://alisonsrandomthoughts.blogspot.com
Sparkly Engineer Mary: http://sparkly-train.blogspot.com/
Torrey: http://left-field-studio.blogspot.com/ <------YOU ARE HERE
Alex: http://paperandstring.blogspot.com/
Alaine: http://missalaineousmosaics.blogspot.com/
Milo: http://milolilja.net
Meredith: http://www.papercanteen.com
Kathi: http://kathstales.blogspot.com

Dog Day

One of my friends (Tricia) got a new dog--a little black and white Boston Terrier named Roxy. In celebration of the occasion, Tricia invited us over for dinner to get to know her new furry companion. I decided a card was in order...and that gave me an excuse to FINALLY hook up my Cricut and use it. I must say, I'm TOTALLY hooked. I love, Love, LOVE the Cricut. How I have gone this long with having it sitting in its box and NOT using it is beyond me.  Here's the card I made to welcome little Miss Roxy to her new home. The cartridges I used were "Create A Critter" for the dog and "Base Camp" for the dog tags.The paper is from SEI. How stinking cute is this? And, I'm not even a dog person.