Encouragement for a Friend

Today's Kitchen Sink Stamps sponsored design was created for a talented card maker and one of the sweetest crafters around who is currently battling breast cancer for the second time. The Teapotters over at Splitcoaststampers are showering her with cards this week, and I certainly want her to know how much we miss her and are rooting for her recovery. This card went in the mail to her on Saturday.

I have found the sentiments in the new Coffee Mate Greetings to be so very versatile and have used one of them on this card of encouragement and love.

Kitchen Sink Stamps used for this design:

Carnations Multi Step Clear Stamps

Coffee Mate Greetings Clear Stamps

Words 4 Celebrating Clear Stamps

Simple Sentiments Clear Stamps

Color Recipe for the Carnations

Layer 1 Pretty in Pink by Stampin' Up
Layer 2 Hibiscus Burst by PaperTrey Inc.
Layer 3 Lovely Lady by PaperTrey Inc.
Layer 4 Rose Bud by Memento

Color Recipe for the Stems and Leaves

Layer 1 Memento Bamboo Leaves
Layer 2 Memento Olive Grove
Layer 3 Mossy Meadow by Stampin' Up

The ribbons are actually shoe strings that I found at the Dollar Store.

In case you haven't heard, Kitchen Sink Stamps is currently having a Year End Sale.

See the details below:

For additional designs featuring Kitchen Sink Stamps, please visit the blogs and YouTube videos of the members of the Kitchen Crew linked below:

Kitchensinkstamps' Weblog by Maria Colosimo,

the owner and creator of KSS

Nancy Stamps by Nancy McCabe

For those wishing to purchase Kitchen Sink Stamps, click SHOP HERE. It will take you directly to the store as well as let Maria know that you are a fan of my work! Thanks so much!!

KSS - Celebrate the Season

Well, two more days and Christmas will be here! The hustle and bustle of preparations will be behind us, and the time to celebrate being with those we love will have arrived.

My family and I will be together to celebrate the love and forgiveness that came to us from God on that first Christmas so many years ago in the form of his beloved son, and the love we have for each other. We are blessed beyond measure.

Today's Kitchen Sink Stamps sponsored card features the following sets:

Figure Skates Multi Step Clear Stamps

Holly & Mistletoe Multi Step Clear Stamps

Big & Bold Christmas Greetings Clear Stamps

To create this design, I stamped two sprigs of mistletoe directly on the woodgrain designer paper I chose.

Color Recipe for the Mistletoe

Layer1 Memento Pistachio

Layer 2 Memento Olive Grove

Layer 3 Stampin' Up Mossy Meadow

The berries on the mistletoe were dotted on using a stylus and white acrylic paint. I then set that aside to dry while I stamped the skates on a separate white panel.

Color Recipe for the Skates

Layer1 Versafine Onyx Black

Layer 2 Memento London Fog

Layer 3 Stampin' Up Going Gray

Layer 4 PTI Soft Stone stamped 3 times

Layer 5 PTI Soft Stone on the blades only

After fussy cutting out the skates, I glued them over the sprigs of mistletoe and then stamped the sentiment with Versafine Onyx Black. I matted the panel with black and attached it to the white 5.5 x 5.5 cardfront.

Wishing you a blessed Christmas filled with love and peace!!

I have entered this card in the following challenges:

The Library Challenge - Challenge #49 - Anthology (pick a precious book). I was inspired by the cover of Little Women which shows the girls ice skating.

Crafty Friends - Challenge #125 - Winter Colors

Jingle Belles - Taking Back our Ninth December - Happy Holidays

Winter Wonderland - End of Year Anything Christmas Goes Challenge

Aud Sentiments Challenge Blog - Challenge #242  Christmas/Winter + a Sentiment

For additional designs featuring Kitchen Sink Stamps, please visit the blogs and YouTube videos of the members of the Kitchen Crew linked below:

Kitchensinkstamps' Weblog by Maria Colosimo,

the owner and creator of KSS

Nancy Stamps by Nancy McCabe

For those wishing to purchase Kitchen Sink Stamps, click SHOP HERE. It will take you directly to the store as well as let Maria know that you are a fan of my work! Thanks so much!!

Austin Original Christmas Tree Farm - KSS

Today's Kitchen Sink Stamps sponsored card was stamped in honor of my parents, Jud and Bette Austin, who truly are the ones who have led the way in card-making in our family They have been creating and mailing Christmas cards to their family and friends for one year short of 70 years. For the past 40 years or so they have stamped "An Austin Original" on the back of each card so I named my Christmas Tree Farm - Austin Original. At 90 years old now, they continue with this time-honored tradition needing fewer cards as cherished loved ones and friends pass away and working a little slower, but never considering sending a card that wasn't crafted by their own hands.

Kitchen Sink Stamps used to create this scene:

Classic Old Truck Multi Step Clear Stamps

Snowy Pine Trees Multi Step Clear Stamps

Birch Tree Multi Step Clear Stamps

with brief appearances by

Seaside Seagull Multi Step Clear Stamps

Tree Friends Multi Step Clear Stamps

Things 4 Ducky & Teddy Multi Step Clear Stamps

Holly & Mistletoe Multi Step Clear Stamps

This card has been entered in the following challenges:

Merry Christmas Crafting Happiness - Challenge #27 - Christmas

Use Your Stuff Challenge Blog - Challenge #388 - It's Christmas Time!

Crafty Cardmakers - Challenge #247 - Christmas

Make My Monday - Challenge #111 - Anything Christmas

Dare 2B Artzy - December Challenge - Holiday Fun

For additional designs featuring Kitchen Sink Stamps, please visit the blogs and YouTube videos of the members of the Kitchen Crew linked below:

Kitchensinkstamps' Weblog by Maria Colosimo,

the owner and creator of KSS

Nancy Stamps by Nancy McCabe

For those wishing to purchase Kitchen Sink Stamps, click SHOP HERE. It will take you directly to the store as well as let Maria know that you are a fan of my work! Thanks so much!!

CCEE1950 - Santa through the Window

Lynn McAuley, December CCEE hostess here with the final challenge of 2019. After today the CCEE Stampers will be on holiday until January 2 enjoying the season with their families and friends. We thank you for another wonderful year of shared stamping and wish you and yours the very best during this season of joy. Please join us in the new year for more shared stamping fun!

For our last challenge, I am asking that you create a card which has a window. It will then be your choice on whether you want to be peeking IN on Santa or peeking OUT at Santa. I can't wait to look through your window to spy on Santa. Have fun!!

My Santa image is from Unity.

The Christmas tree is Graphic 45 paper

The dies: Pine and Cones from Sizzix

Window - Poppy Stamps

Sentiment - Impression Obsession

Embossing Folder - Stampin' Up

Let's peek in or out of the windows on the CCEE DT's cards:

Kelly McKown-Santi
Anne Harmon

Vicky Gould

Lois Bak
Liz Williams

Frances Byrne
Maryann Einam

KSS - Christmas Thank You

Well, the Christmas cards are finished and all in the mail! Now it's time to get those Christmas Thank You Cards prepped and ready!

Today's Kitchen Sink Stamps sponsored card is a prototype for the one I plan to send this year. I know I will get at lease one coffee mug because my family knows that I collect them. I pulled out my Christmas mugs (each one of a kind) at Thanksgiving so we could start enjoying them together. Five of us are big coffee drinkers so I have to make at least two pots of coffee when they are all here!

What I usually do is write exactly what was in the gift on the tag. I then tack those to my bulletin board above my computer as a reminder until the Thank You is sent. I have substituted tiny post it notes in this design!!

I used the following Kitchen Sink Stamps' Sets to complete this design:

Keep Calm Coffee Mug Multi Step Clear Stamps

Coffee Mate Greetings Clear Stamps

Holly & Mistletoe Multi Step Clear Stamps

These are the color recipes I used to create this coffee cup. I stamped the holly first.

Holly Color Recipe

Layer 1 Stampin' Up Lemon Lime Twist
Layer 2 Stampin' Up Emerald Enby
Layer 3 - Memento Northern Pine

Berries  Color Recipe

Layer 1 Memento Lady Bug
Layer 2 Memento Love Letter
Layer 3 Memento Elderberry

After masking the leaves and berries, I added the mug on top using this recipe:

Coffee Mug Color Recipe

Layer 1 Memento Lady Bug
Layer  Memento Love Letter
Layer 3 Stampin' Up Lovely Lipstick
Layer 4 Memento Rhubarb Stalk

The sentiment was stamped using Stampin' Up Early Espresso.

Embellishments for this card include the adhesive backed cork board and the silver nailheads.

For additional designs featuring Kitchen Sink Stamps, please visit the blogs and YouTube videos of the members of the Kitchen Crew linked below:

Kitchensinkstamps' Weblog by Maria Colosimo,

the owner and creator of KSS

Nancy Stamps by Nancy McCabe

For those wishing to purchase Kitchen Sink Stamps, click SHOP HERE. It will take you directly to the store as well as let Maria know that you are a fan of my work! Thanks so much!!

A BIG and BOLD Christmas - CCEE1949

Hello, CCEE Stampers and friends! Lynn McAuley here to lead you through the final challenges for 2019.

As the CCEE December hostess, I have chosen for today's challenge that you create a holiday card where a BIG and BOLD sentiment is the star on the front your design.

My card was created with 2 inch die cut letters and a die cut Christmas mounted on top of this cute designer paper from Cozy & Bright by Pebbles.

Let's look in on what the rest of the CCEE Stampers have designed for you today:

Kelly McKown-Santi
Anne Harmon

Vicky Gould

Lois Bak
Liz Williams

Frances Byrne
Maryann Einam

Kitchen Sink Stamps - Winter Cardinal

It is hard to believe that December is here, and I don't have near enough Christmas cards to put in the mail to my family and friends. It is a good thing my calendar is pretty open this week so I can focus on finishing up my cards and getting them in the mail.

Today's Kitchen Sink Stamps' sponsored card is a snowy holiday scene featuring stamps from the following sets:

Winter Cardinal Multi Step Clear Stamps

Snowy Cabin Multi Step Clear Stamps

Icy Pond Multi Step Clear Stamps

Birch Trees Multi Step Clear Stamps

and

Big & Bold Christmas Greetings Clear Stamps

This card was created by stamping the birch tree trunks first and then masking them. I then stamped the cabin and the evergreens over the masks. I next brushed layers of snowbanks across the width of the card using torn paper panels. The final step before removing the masks was to brush in the blue sky.

I was then able to remove the masks and add the bushes, horse sleigh, pines, cardinal, and Merry Christmas sentiment.

This card is 5 x 7 inches in size and it took me an hour and 10 minutes to complete it.

For additional designs featuring Kitchen Sink Stamps, please visit the blogs and YouTube videos of the members of the Kitchen Crew linked below:

Kitchensinkstamps' Weblog by Maria Colosimo,

the owner and creator of KSS

Nancy Stamps by Nancy McCabe

For those wishing to purchase Kitchen Sink Stamps, click SHOP HERE. It will take you directly to the store as well as let Maria know that you are a fan of my work! Thanks so much!!

I am entering today's card in the following challenges:

Creatalicious Challenges - Challenge #176 - Anything Goes with optional Winter

The Artistic Stamper - Christmas is Coming

My Time to Craft Challenge Blog - Challenge #411 - Christmas Scene

Click the Kitchen Sink Stamps logo at the top of my left sidebar to enter the store!

CCEE1948 - Movember

For her final challenge for the CCEE Stampers this month, hostess Frances Bryne has asked that we create a card to focus on Movember. November is also known as Movember which is a time to celebrate and raise funds for male issues. So for this month we are to include a Moustache (Mo) on our card in some way. Hint ... if you are busy making Christmas cards, Santa has a moustache!!!!

Die cut Santa and reindeer are from Cool Yule by Sizzix. The sentiment die Merry Christmas is from Impression Obsession. The stamped sentiment is from My Man, My Friend by Picket Fence Studios.

Let's see the moustaches the rest of the team added to their cards this week:

Kelly McKown-Santi
Anne Harmon

Vicky Gould

Lois Bak

Liz Williams
Frances Byrne
Maryann Einam

Teddy Bear Tag - KSS

I have some gifts that need wrapping so today's Kitchen Sink Stamps sponsored design is a gift tag. I stamped the bear from Teddy Bear Wishes Multi Step Clear Stamps on kraft paper using the following color recipe.

Color Recipe for the Bear

Layer 3 Memento Espresso Truffle

Layer 2 Stampin' Up Soft Suede

Layer 1 Stampin' Up Creamy Caramel

Layer 4 Versafine Onyx Black

Other Stamp Sets used for this design include:

Things 4 Ducky & Teddy (candy cane and Santa hat)

Gingerbread Hugs no longer available (For and From)

Playful Christmas no longer available (snowflakes)

Today's tag has been entered in the following challenges:

Splitcoaststampers CAS561 - Tag It

Crafty Friends - Challenge 123 - Christmas

My Time to Craft Challenge Blog - Challenge 410 Christmas Animals

Pearly Sparkles Challenge Blog - Challenge #46 - Christmas

For additional designs featuring Kitchen Sink Stamps, please visit the blogs and YouTube videos of the members of the Kitchen Crew linked below:

Kitchensinkstamps' Weblog by Maria Colosimo,

the owner and creator of KSS

Nancy Stamps by Nancy McCabe

For those wishing to purchase Kitchen Sink Stamps, click SHOP HERE. It will take you directly to the store as well as let Maria know that you are a fan of my work! Thanks so much!!

CCEE1947 - Go for a Ride

Tomorrow is Go For A Ride Day, so for Frances' challenge for the CCEE Stampers this week is to incorporate some sort of transport on our cards…. Bike, car, train, plane, hot air balloon etc. How will you be riding this week?

The images I have used are from Merry Days by Crate Paper.

Let's see how the rest of the CCEE Design time are riding this week!

Kelly McKown-Santi
Anne Harmon

Vicky Gould

Lois Bak
Liz Williams

Frances Byrne
Maryann Einam

KSS - Woodland Christmas

Woodland animals are so popular this year showing up in so many stamps and papers and embellishments. While looking through my newest Christmas papers, I found this delightful sheet in my Cozy & Bright Pebbles pad  and realized that I had never used the Autumn Squirrel to create a Christmas card. So today I have titled my Kitchen Sink Stamps sponsored card Woodland Christmas. 

I am thrilled with the results! With only three layers, this adorable squirrel is one of the easiest KSS images to stamp with perfection!!

Kitchen Sink Stamps used are:

Autumn Squirrel Multi Step Clear Stamps

Snowy Cabin Multi Step Clear Stamps

Winter Cardinals Multi Step Clear Stamps

Big & Bold Christmas Greetings Clear Stamps

Color Recipe for the Squirrel

Layer 3 Stampin' Up Early Espresso

Layer 2 Stampin' Up Soft Suede

Layer 1 Stampin' Up Creamy Caramel

The embellishments include glittered ribbon and a satin bow by the Paper Studio.

I am entering today Christmas card in the following challenges:

Dragonfly Dreams Challenge - Christmas/Winter

Craftyhazelnut's Christmas challenge #464 - Christmas - Use Some Glitter

Crafty Friends Challenge Blog - Challenge #123 - Christmas

My Time to Craft Challenge Blog - Challenge #410 Christmas Animals

2 Crafty Critter Crazies - November Challenge - Must Have a Critter
For additional designs featuring Kitchen Sink Stamps, please visit the blogs and YouTube videos of the members of the Kitchen Crew linked below:

Kitchensinkstamps' Weblog by Maria Colosimo,

the owner and creator of KSS

Nancy Stamps by Nancy McCabe

For those wishing to purchase Kitchen Sink Stamps, click SHOP HERE. It will take you directly to the store as well as let Maria know that you are a fan of my work! Thanks so much!!

Strong Women - Unity

This card was created for Splitcoaststampers Inspiration Challenge this week. I was inspired by this photo from the Pinterest Board Modern Boho from Boston Proper. The sentiment was inspired by my wonderful daughter-in-law and the two amazing young women she has raised to adulthood who just happen to be my granddaughters.

All images and the sentiment are from Unity.

CCEE1946 - Sundae Day

According to the Days of the Year website, the 11th November was Sundae Day ... doesn't that sound like a delicious day!  So for our challenge this week, Hostess Frances Byrne has asked the CCEE Stampers to create cards that feature ice cream.

The sentiment on my card is from Tlc Creations. The fishtail banners were created with Strips Set One by Unity. The ice cream bars are stickers from Recollections.

View the CCEE Stampers Design Team ice cream treats here:

Anne Harmon

Vicky Gould

Lois Bak

Liz Williams
Frances Byrne
Maryann Einam
Kelly McKown-Santi

Come Rain or Snow - KSS

Normally by this time in November I have all my Christmas cards made, addressed, and ready to drop at the Post Office on the day after Thanksgiving. Sadly, that has not been the case this year. I am really going to have to kick it up a notch to have Christmas cards ready for all my friends and family. So from now until Christmas, you may think this is a Christmas ONLY blog, and it just may be!!

For today's Kitchen Sink Stamps sponsored design I have created this snowy night scene using images from the following KSS sets:

Friends of the Moon Clear Stamps

Tiny Norway Pine Multi Step Clear Stamps

(this set is no longer available but Minnesota Norway Pine Tree is)

Word 4 Celebrating Clear Stamps

Coffee Mate Greetings Clear Stamps

These are the steps I followed to create the night sky:

   1. Punch a circle and attach it to the white 6 1/2 inch x 4 1/2 inch panel.

   2. Brush the top 3/4 of the panel with Distress Oxide Chipped Sapphire.

   3. Brush in a little Distress Oxide Black Soot.

   4. Flick on tiny droplets of water and dry with a heat gun.

   5. Before adding the snow, I stamped the 3 Norway Pines.
   6. Water down some white acrylic paint and flick on the falling snow.
   7. Remove the moon mask and stamp Santa.

To complete the card, I used watered down Chipped Sapphire to paint the tree shadows and tore an addition snowbank on which to stamp the sentiment. I edged the top of the snow banks with some clear Stickles and called the card done.

Should you need it, here is the Color Recipe for the Norway Pines:

Layer 3 Memento Espresso Truffle

Layer 2 PTI Ocean Tides

Layer 1 Stampin' Up Old Olive

Santa and the Sentiment were stamped with Versafine Onyx Black

For additional designs featuring Kitchen Sink Stamps, please visit the blogs and YouTube videos of the members of the Kitchen Crew linked below:

Kitchensinkstamps' Weblog by Maria Colosimo,

the owner and creator of KSS

Nancy Stamps by Nancy McCabe

For those wishing to purchase Kitchen Sink Stamps, click SHOP HERE. It will take you directly to the store as well as let Maria know that you are a fan of my work! Thanks so much!!

Today's card has been entered in the following challenges:

Dream Valley Challenges - Challenge #213 - All that Glitters

Dragonfly Dreams Challenges - Christmas/Winter

Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas - Always Anything Goes Christmas - Optional - Buttons

Sweet Stampin' Challenge Blog - Make Your Own Background

Cardz 4 Galz - Challenge #109 - Let It Snow

But First...Coffee KSS

I have been waiting a while for Maria to put out her fabulous new coffee sets, and now that they are here, I can't seem to put them down. Who could resist two of their favorite things combined together: stamping and coffee? The Keep Calm Coffee Mug is so much fun to decorate.

For today's Kitchen Sink Stamps sponsored card, I have  stamped the Keep Calm Coffee Mug using Stampin' Up Bashful Blue on all 4 layers, and then decorated it with wintery images from Icy Pond and Snowy Cabin. The images you see through the window are also from the same two sets. The sentiment is from Coffee & Friends.

The designer paper wallpaper is from Early Bird Collection by Bo Bunny while the woodgrain tabletop is designer paper from the Paper Studio and the window die is by Poppy Stamps.

Color Recipe for Mug

All layers for the mug and the lake were stamped with SU Bashful Blue. All the silhouettes were stamped with Memento Tuxedo Black

Color Recipe for the Cabin

Layer 3 Stampin' Up Soft Suede

Layer 2 Memento Toffee Crunch

Layer 1  Memento Desert Sand

Layer 1 of the Roof Stampin' Up Bashful Blue on the top ridge of the roof only.

Color Recipe for the Pines

Layer 3 Stampin' Up Forest Foliage

Layer 2 Stampin' Up Old Olive

Layer 1 - Stampin' Up Always Artichoke

Skeleton Tree in window and sentiment - Memento Espresso Truffle

Today's card has been entered in the following challenges:

CCEE Stampers 1945 - Coffee

the Paper Players - Challenge PP466 - Into the Woods

Lil Patch of Crafty Friends Challenge Blog - #117 - Anything Goes

Pixie's Crafty Workshop Challenge #364 - Anything Goes

Avenue 613 Challenge #227 Anything Goes w/optinal twist: Scrap Your Stash

  I used a Bo Bunny scrap for the wallpaper and a scrap from the Paper Studio for the

  woodgrain tabletop.

For additional designs featuring Kitchen Sink Stamps, please visit the blogs and YouTube videos of the members of the Kitchen Crew linked below:

Kitchensinkstamps' Weblog by Maria Colosimo,

the owner and creator of KSS

Nancy Stamps by Nancy McCabe

For those wishing to purchase Kitchen Sink Stamps, click SHOP HERE. It will take you directly to the store as well as let Maria know that you are a fan of my work! Thanks so much!!

CCEE1944 - Halloween or Harvest

For her last challenge as hostess for the CCEE Stampers for the month of October Kelly says, "Let's keep it simple and create a card with anything Halloween OR Harvest -- costumes, candies, spooky things, or just use orange and black!"

The die cut sentiment is by Tonic while the stamped images are from Zombies by Hampton Art.

Below are links to the cards created by the CCEE Design Team:

Anne Harmon

Vicky Gould

Lois Bak

Liz Williams
Frances Byrne
Maryann Einam

Kelly McKown-Santi

SCS Sketch Challenge 773

Since the beginning of October, I have been helping to supply samples for the lovely ladies who make up the Design Team for the Splitcoaststampers Sketch Challenge. Here is a link to this week's challenge: SC773. 

For this week's sketch I decided I wanted to do a holiday scene card and include all three of the circles in the scene. To accomplish this, I stamped two copies of the same exact scene using my stamp positioner. I then die cut the larger center circle from one and the two smaller circles from the other. This made lining them up a breeze.

The images are from Snow Front from the holiday mini by Stampin' Up. The sentiment is by Verve. I mounted them on a panel embossed with a 3-D embossing plate by Sizzix.