Stamp of the Month Challenge

From the Heart Stamps hosts a Stamp of the Month Challenge on their blog - if you participate one month, you receive the free digital stamp for the next month.  There's also a weekly sketch challenge.  They have lots of adorable digital stamp sets, and are based here in Colorado.

This month's challenge was to create a card using Hogs and Kisses Pigwit, so here's my card.  This time I created it the front panel digitally, then did a touch of Copic coloring on Pigwit and mounted it to a card base. I think he came out kind of cute!


If you're interested in the challenges, take a peek at the FTHS blog.  Here's a link to this month's challenge and all the entries: http://fromtheheartstamps.com/community/2017/02/01/free-stamp-of-the-month-february-2017-hogs-kisses-pigwit/.

Virtual Las Vegas!

Next week, many FSJ Coaches will be attending a conference in Las Vegas, NV.  I won't be one of them. :-(  BUT...I'll be joining others who can't attend in a "virtual" conference on Facebook.  We've already started some of our challenges.  Here are my entries:

My Conference ID lanyard

A bank so I can start saving up for the BIG conference in June!

   

Pig in a Planter

Meet Hamlet.  I colored this friendly little guy for the free Stamp of the Month Challenge over at From the Heart Stamps.  I think he looks a little concerned.  I can't blame him - he's probably getting hungry, and he could be in big trouble when the farmer's wife finds him in her flower pot!  This digital stamp set includes 8 images - Hamlet in his planter, plus 7 sentiments.  The sentiments can be used separately, or with other images.
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There are lots of cute, affordable digital stamps, "created with love in Colorado," at From The Heart Stamps. They host a progressive monthly challenge - anyone who posts a project made with the stamp of the month automatically receives the NEXT month's free stamp as well.  There's also a weekly "I [heart] Sketches" challenge.  Participants earn $1 credit each time they participate.

I have some REALLY cute digis from my last order.  One of these days I'll get them printed out and made up into cards.  Meanwhile, you might want to take a peek at what they have available, or like their Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/FromTheHeartStamps/).

A couple of challenges

It's been cold, windy and dreary outside today, so I hid out in my craft cave and played with my stamps.  Here's what I ended up with - now it's time to put my feet up and play Words With Friends!

Both of these cards were inspired by this week's Can You Case It (CYCI) sketch challenge #118:

I love adding sequins and sparkle to this mermaid.  I added a sheet of vellum over the background, trying to create kind of a "misty" look.  

I'll be posting the daisy in this week's One Journey Coach's Challenge also - the challenge was to use an ombre element.  I used watercolors for the ombre, then added a bit of texture by inking and pressing with a piece of bubble wrap.  (Gotta love that FSJ packing material!!)

All in all, a nice relaxing day - but I'd still like the sun to come back tomorrow.

If you'd like to order, click HERE to go to my Fun Stampers Journey site.  And here are the supplies I used for these two cards:

Stamps:

• Mermaid Wishes AT-0161 (Bloom Benefit)
• Hello Lovely SS-0192
• Tag Elements AT-0130
• Butterfly Prints SS-0017

Ink: 

• Black Licorice IP-0041
• Grape Fusion IP-0006
• River Stone IP-0053

Paper:

• Yummy Prints Paper Pack PP-0007
• Whip Cream Card Stock CS-0040
• Lemon Drop Card Stock CS-0018
• Limeade Splash Card Stock CS-0020
• Blue Lagoon Card Stock CS-0004

Other:

• Butterfly Prints Dies DI-0015
• Sparkle Dust AC-0013
• Journey Glaze AD-0002
• Foam Squares AD-0084

May Inspiration Board Challenge

I belong to an awesome FaceBook group called Stamping Enablers.  And the members of that group truly DO enable the rest of us!  I can't tell you how many neat new techniques, ideas, and "gotta haves" that I've found there.

Every month we have an Inspiration Board Challenge.  It lasts the whole month.  The winner is selected randomly and receives some kind of surprise from another one of the members who has volunteered for that month.  Entries can be any kind of project, inspired by the images and/or colors in the board.

We'd love to have new participants - just create something and upload a picture to the May album.  (If you're not a member of the group yet, just request to join.)  Hope to see some new folks there this month!

Time to Bloom

"Time to Bloom" is the April stamp of the month at http://fromtheheartstamps.com.  I really like this digital stamp set - especially the elegant image in the above card.  I designed my layouts using the My Memories Suite app, inspired by this week's I {heart} Sketch with a tWist #147. Then I simply printed them out on white card stock before coloring with water-based markers and layering with patterned paper.  Using digital stamps gives me freedom to re-size, flip, and rotate to my heart's desire while creating relatively fast and easy cards.

For this card, I re-sized the butterfly image smaller, and changed the opacity to 20%, then randomly placed them all around to create my own background paper, coloring with Copics to match the colors in the Fun Stampers Journey "Yummy Prints" paper (PP-0007).
Participants who joined the FTHS monthly challenge in March received this stamp set free.  If you'd like to join in, you can purchase the image or spend $10 in the From The Heart Stamps store and receive it as a FREE gift.  There are lots of adorable images in the store.  Then, as long as you enter each month, you continue to receive a new, free stamp set every month.

Summer's Coming!

I just received this stamp set with my starter kit, and couldn't wait to try it.  I randomly stamped the background with the three cute little bees, and colored with water-based markers.  The FSJ Fusion ink is amazing!  It doesn't smear with either water-based or alcohol-based markers, and it stamps really nice and dark.
I'm really happy with the FSJ colors, too.  They're bright, clear, and happy!  The stamps are deep cut and make clear, crisp images AND they stick to the blocks.  Yes, I'm a happy stamper!

Stamps:  SS-0192 Hello Lovely, AT-130 Tag Elements
Inks: IP-0041 Black Licorice
Card Stock:  CS-0018 Lemon Drop, CS-0019 Lemon Grass, CS-0003 Black Licorice, CS-0040 Whip Cream
Other:  DI-0042 Journey Ovals, AD-0084 and AD-0085 Journey Foam Squares, Water-based markers, clear Wink of Stella

March Challenge - From the Heart Digital Stamps

This cute pup looks like he's have a pretty good time out in the Spring flower garden!



"Digging Dog" is the March stamp of the month at http://fromtheheartstamps.com.  Participants who joined the challenge in February received the stamp set free, but if you'd like to join, you can purchase the image or spend $10 in the From The Heart Stamps store and receive it as a FREE gift.  There are lots of adorable images in the store.  I printed this one out on white card stock and colored it simply with a few water-based markers.

i {heart} card sketches with a tWiSt # 139

Love this cute little mouse from fromtheheartstamps.com.  He's usually holding balloons, but I combined him with "Wee Bit and Lots o Luck" to make a St. Patrick's card for my Aunt Viola.  I based the layout on this week's challenge sketch.

February From the Heart Challenge

From the Heart Stamps has an awesome FREE digital stamp of the month deal.  By posting a picture of what I've made with this month's stamp, I earn next month's stamp!  February's digi is this adorable "Snowman and Cocoa."  You can see the stamp set and find out how to get started here. This month's image is only $1 - then when you post a project you get next month's digi free.

I decided to try some digital paper piecing this month.  I created the card in My Memories Suite, then printed two more of the snowman images, one with a gray pattern overlay for the scarf and one with a blue pattern overlay for the hat and mittens.  I cut those pieces out and glued them on after coloring bits of the main image.  I just used clear Wink of Stella for the fur trim on the hat.  This one was fun and REALLY easy!

i {heart} card sketches with a tWiSt # 137

I decided to try coloring this cute little Valentine mouse from From The Heart Stamps for the weekly sketch challenge.  I've never tried working from a card sketch before.  I ~think~ I like it...but haven't totally decided yet!  I wasn't sure how close I needed to stay to the sketch... guess I'd better keep at it.  I colored this little guy with Stampin' Up markers and added a few sequins, although a couple of the heart ones ended up looking like white splotches for some reason.

From the Heart Stamps - January Challenge

I've just started playing with digital stamps, and found a great site with adorable images:  fromtheheartstamps.  This image, Cozy Kittens, is perfect for a valentine for my granddaughter.  I'm no coloring expert, but enjoyed trying.  I hope she likes it.



Check out other cards made with this image at:  From the Heart Stamps Free Stamp of the Month Progressive Challenge