Kween Bee Kreations

Oh So Blue... Bird

Starting May 1st - Stampin' Up! promotion "Get On Board" with chipboard.  Click the link above or see the flyer posted on my blog under Kurrent Promotions for more details.

Today’s card was made for the color challenge on SCS (CC164).  Use Basic Black, Purely Pomegranate, and Soft Sky. I have to admit, I am not chirping with happiness at my Kreation. It was truly a challenge, putting these three colors together and I spent a lot of time futzing to get this end result.  But with some minor adjustments, I am confident I can provide a better Kreation to share… in the meantime, thanks for looking and visiting my blog today!!

I started this card with a base of Soft Sky from the current In Color collection.  I stamped my image from the "Fun & Fast Notes" stamp set in Soft Sky ink.  I then stamped the image in Purely Pomegranate as well as Wild Wasabi onto Whisper White cardstock.  I carefully snipped around the flower, leaf on the steam and the little blue bird, then mounted them on top of the Soft Sky stamped image (the flower is popped up with a Stampin' Dimensional cut in 1/2).  A little silver brad adds a bit of bling to this blue birds flower.  I used my floral "Background Basics" stamp to create a pattern below the strip of Basic Black, wrapped in Purely Pomegranate double stitched ribbon.  To add another bit of shine, I used a large Silver Hodgepodge brad... these are great for finishing touches!

If you want to see more cards for this challenge, created by other stampers on SCS, please visit the CC164 gallery here.
 
Tomorrow: Sketch Challenge (SC174) The cardstock is cut to 8" by 9 1/4". Score at 4" and fold. Score again on the front of the card 3/4" and fold it back to the front to expose the inside of the card. Place your panel on top to overhang the folded edge. 

Welcome Home?

Quick Update:  The current In Color collection has been extended until August 30th... so there is still time to stock up.

ENDING TOMORROW 4/30/08:  Free Wheelin' Promotion.  You can view the details on the left hand side, under Kurrent Promotions.  Don't miss out on this great sale!  You can view a snapshot of these images by clicking this link Download free_wheelin_images.pdf

Today’s Kreation was made for the SCS, Try a New Technique challenge (TLC166). The instructions were to create a two way open card and a great tutorial was provided.  This tutorial was so clear and to the point, it made putting this card together a breeze (or an Airstream to be more precise).   

I used the “Happy Camper” stamp set and inked up the trailer in one of the current In Colors – Groovy Guava. The focus of my card was to create something a bit more masculine when I pulled out the Fall Flowers designer paper. But, then I ended up gathering my coordinating colors – Groovy Guava, Soft Sky, and River Rock (all current In Color’s).  The card then started to take on more feminine look.  But I think with the Soft Sky & River Rock thrown in, it could be given to either a woman or a man.

The current In Color collection is only available through August 10th, 2008.  If you love these colors, like I do – be sure to stock up before they are gone! OR if you already own the ink pads in these colors, stock up on the ink refills, only $2.75 per color. NOTE: The coordinating ribbon and cardstock for the In Colors expire August 10th as well.  All of these items are great treats for yourself, but would also make great gifts for family & friends.  The In Colors are found on page 163 of the Spring-Summer Collection (see a quick reference chart by clicking the image to the right) 

Current In Colors are: 

• Blue Bayou
• Soft Sky
• Wild Wasabi
• River Rock
• Groovy Guava
• Purely Pomegranate
  

And now back to my Kreation… I quickly pulled the two way open card together with help of the tutorial. I can’t wait to try more cards using this technique – super quick, easy and especially fun! I titled this card Welcome Home? with a question mark because I used the little trailer stamp from the “Happy Camper” set.  It’s not your typical house, but in my opinion a house is more than just wood and nails.  I think a house is the love you find inside and that makes it home. 

The only thing I struggled with was trying to figure out a way to keep the triangle portion closed. I tried a bit of ribbon, but that took away from my design. So, I chose to keep it bear (pun intended and mis-spelled, I know). I finished off the card with a bit of faux stitching using my beloved Signo white gel pen. This was my first shot at stitches and I can’t believe I haven’t tried it before … so cool and such a striking result.

You can view more examples of the two way open card, by other stampers in the TLC166 gallery.

Tomorrow:  SCS Color Challenge - CC164 Use Basic Black, Purely Pomegranate, and Soft Sky.  More In Color examples on the way!   Yay!

Wish BIG!

LAST CHANCE for freebies!! My exclusive promotion ends today at midnight central time.  Details found in this post. 

What do you wish for?? Something large like a million dollars? That would certainly be nice … but I find myself wishing for the entire current Stampin’ Up! collection, including stamps, accessories, paper … ahh, the whole shebang!

For today’s Wish BIG card, I completed the featured stamper challenge on SCS (FS64)  (Please note that you must be a registered user of Splitcoaststampers.com to view this link. Registration is free and I highly recommend signing up). See my SCS gallery by clicking the link listed on the right to view the card I CASE’d. CASE means Copy & Share for Everyone, it’s a way to recognize the artwork you took inspiration from. 

I started this card with a base of Real Red and added a bit of designer paper (DP) from the Summer Picnic collection, found in the current Occasions Mini Collection.  I tried to be creative and punched three scallops in Bashful Blue, then cut them in half. I then mounted each fruit from the Tart & Tangy stamp set on top of the half scallop. Each fruit is cut out and popped up on stampin’ dimensionals to bring attention to each one. Finally, I used the wide grosgrain ribbon in Real Red & Old Olive to make small tabs in an alternating pattern, to mimic the alternating scallops. 

You can view cards created by other stampers, in the Featured Stamper Gallery, by clicking here. 

TOMORROW: Try a New Technique challenge (TLC166).  Create a two way open card, a tutorial for this project can be downloaded here.  Download tlc166_instructions.pdf

Rub-On's & Rhinestones

When I thought of the title "Rub On's & Rhinestones" for today's card, all I could think of was fashion accessories.  Like diamonds and pearls ... or a handbag and shoes... but for this card Rub On's & Rhinestones fit the bill. 

This Kreation was completed for another SCS challenge, this time for Inspiration Challenge (IC125).  For this challenge we were directed to find inspiration from the website Just Add Cake.  I chose to mimic the Fairy Princess party theme, in particular this set of brightly colored napkins (click all images to zoom in)

My gut feeling was to first create a card with multicolored circles and dots covering the cardstock.  But when I sat down to Kreate, my hands and mind went in a totally different direction.  I chose to do some colorblocking instead using Orchid Opulence, Only Orange and Green Galore (all from the Stampin' Up! Bold Brights collection).  The Bold Brights collection was my first set of classic ink pads from Stampin' Up!. 

You can purchase them as a collection, individually by color, AND even in a smaller sampling by purchasing Stampin' Spots (the color families can be found on pages 163-165 in the Spring-Summer Collection 2008).  Stampin' Spots are an affordable way to sample many of our colors, they are sold by color family and are $22.50 for a set of 12 1" square ink pads.  Then down the road, after you fall in love with the ink, you can invest in the Stampin' Pads in all color families.  It is truly an investment, I treasure my ink pads.   

Back to today's card... after mounting the color blocked pieces, I transfered the large white flower from the Love & Happiness Rub On set.  I was careful to align the flower so that the petals "fit" onto each color and the lines of the Rub On were not overlapping two colors of cardstock.  I then added the flourish Rub On and a few extra touches here and there.  The Rub On's are so easy to customize because you can snip around whatever image you want and add them on wherever seems fit.  I topped the card off using a stamp from the "Priceless" stamp set for the center of the flower, and a sentiment from the hostess level 1 set "For a Friend".  Finally, I very carefully trimmed the flower out, mounted it on a stampin' dimensional... popped on a few rhinestones and called it complete. 

TOMORROW:  Featured Stamper challenge (F64) - CASE (Copy & Share for Everyone) a card from the featured stampers gallery.  To be exact, from the gallery of Sf9erfan over at SCS.  You can read the rules for this challenge, by clicking the F64 link above. 

Just Celebrate ... CAKE!

The clock is ticking... you have until Midnight (central time) on Monday to take advantage of my exclusive offers, found here. 

Today's card was completed for the limited supply challenge at SCS (LSC165), which is called "Follow the List: Scraps Edition #1.  The rules for this challenge are as follows: 

• Make a square card. (Any size)
• Use only scrap pieces of paper (The base card doesn't have to be a scrap)
• Use ribbon or fiber scraps
• Use only ONE other embellishment
• Use any colors, stamps, and tools

I've named my card Just Celebrate ... CAKE! because I think cake is worthy of a celebration, don't you?  For my card I used scraps of Real Red, Bashful Blue, Old Olive, and the orange polka dot paper from the Summer Picnic designer paper collection.  You can find the Summer Picnic designer paper in the Occasions Mini Collection 2008 catalog (page 16).  This collection of papers is bright and coordinates with many stamp sets in both the Mini Collection and Spring-Summer Collection.  Summer Picnic is very gender neutral making it versatile and easy to use for your Kreations.  Just announced - the Occasions Mini Collection 2008 will be available until June 30, 2008!! So, think about what you'd like to purchase, you get an extra month to take advantage of these products that are only offered in this collection.  Order today!

For my stamped image, I inked up the cake stamp in Whisper White craft ink from the "Just Celebrate" stamp set (found in the Occasions Mini Collection, item #111504; set of 8; $34.95).  After stamping my image on the Real Red cardstock, I liberally poured clear embossing powder over the image, then set the powder with my Stampin' Up! heat tool.  This gave the cake a glossy, yummy finish that looks good enough to eat!  The embossing powders and heat tool are must haves for any stamper, novice to expert.  In combination, they create professional looking results in a flash of the gun (heat gun, that is).  I highly recommend the many embossing powders and heat tool - add it to your wish list today!  (See the links on the right to print a blank wish list)

TOMORROW:  Inspiration Challenge - View the website Just Add Cake to get inspiration from the colors, layout, style, or theme of the party collections.  You can see what people have created so far by visiting the gallery for this challenge at SCS.

Snipped Strawberry

4 more days to earn freebies!  See this post for more details. 

Today’s card was certainly a challenge to complete. The card itself was quite easy and came together very quickly, however, thinking of a creative way to use my scissors was the hard part. 

For Thursday’s Ways to Use it Challenge on SCS, the instructions were to use your scissors in a challenging way. Inspiration given were make fringe or grass, cut out your image, try some paper piercing or other cutting techniques. You can see more examples of the ways to use it challenge, in the Splitcoast gallery here. 

So, the first thing I came up with was to do some paper piecing. I decided on the Tart & Tangy stamp set and when I sat down to Kreate my card, I quickly realized that the stamps are all solid images, not something I could “fill in” by paper piecing.  I then, decided to stamp my image on the backside of the hostess level 1 printed paper in Real Red and Old Olive.  Snip, Snip … with my beloved honey bee's, I was on my way to cutting out  that cute little strawberry.

I wanted the strawberry to be the focal point of the card, so I decided to use a Whisper White note card to make the image stand out. I  was very tired last night and not feeling up to stamping, so I pulled out my trusty Love & Happiness Rub-on’s (SAB 2008). In a few seconds, the “friend” sentiment was in it’s place and I added a little butterfly for more detail. It looked a little plain to me so I pulled out the Real Red & Old Olive wide grosgrain ribbon and tried something brand new for me. I didn’t want just one color ribbon across the bottom, so I attempted to make a simple little bow to attach. My Aunt (Petal Pusher on SCS) shared a sampling her silver hodgepodge hardware with me and I thought the silver floral brad was the perfect finishing touch for this Kreation. 

Hope you like it! I’m very happy with the results – now my next task is to figure out how to photograph a white card without it getting “lost” in my white photo tent. Maybe my next purchase will be a colored background for just this purpose. 

Tomorrow: Limited supply challenge - Follow the List:  Scraps Edition (LSC165).   Here are the rules 1)  Make a square card (any size) 2)  Use only scrap pieces of paper 3) Use ribbon or fiber scraps 4) Use only one other embellishment 5) Use any colors, stamps, and tools. You can see what people have created so far by visiting the gallery for this challenge at SCS.
 

Simply Tropical Sketch

Don’t forget to check out my two exclusive offers for
visitors of my blog in yesterday’s post.

For today’s card, I completed the SCS sketch challenge SC173 (see sketch to the left). The first thing I did was pull out my Taken with Teal cardstock, this is such a rich color, I want to hoard it - but instead choose to use it to make my Kreation. I wanted something bright & cheery, and I thought YoYo Yellow would be a great contrast color to use. I happened to have some Pumpkin Pie cardstock scraps laying about on my craft table and decided to add that in as the third color. The combination of the three colors and especially the floral stamps from the “Simply Said” stamp set, give off a sense of the tropics.  (You can click my images to view the details)

My round tab punch arrived Tuesday night and I couldn’t wait to try it out. So, I broke the punch in on Taken with Teal, added a sentiment from the Love & Happiness Rub-On’s (Sale-a-Bration 2008), and made some little dots with my new uni-ball Signo white gel pen. I LOVE this pen!, it’s one of my new favorite tools. You can find it in the Spring-Summer Catalog on page 183, item number 105021, for $3.95. I can already see that I better order a few more because I’m going to go through this one quickly!  I added a touch of bling using a non-SU glitter brad. 

Another great tool I used on this Kreation, is the stamp-a-ma-jig... this tool allows you to have perfect placement for your stamped images.  On the Whisper White cardstock, I used two different stamps from the "Simply Said" set.  I first inked the floral spray using a Taken with Teal Stampin' Write marker, omitting the very top tiny flower so that I could place the solid flower atop the spray.  Then I took the second stamp, the solid flower, and used my stamp-a-ma-jig to align it to perch perfectly as if it were part of the first stamp.  If you are interested in how to use the stamp-a-ma-jig, SCS has a wonderful tutorial that I downloaded and you can view here.  Download stampamajig_tutorial.pdf   

Tomorrow:  Ways to Use it Challenge – Snip, Snip! (WT163) Use your scissors in a challenging way.  Inspiration given on SCS were – make fringe or grass, cut out your image, try some paper piercing or other cutting techniques. You can see examples in the Splitcoast gallery here.

In honor of plastic - Freebies!

This card was created for the Splitcoaststampers.com color challenge yesterday (CC163), which was to use Pretty in Pink, Chocolate Chip, & Certainly Celery colored cardstock. My "Simply Sweet" card as I titled it, reminds me of yummy Neapolitan ice cream. MMMMM… sweet! You can view details for this, and all my cards by clicking the Kreations link to the right. Here you’ll see what products were used for each Kreation.
 
Today is the first day I will be able to accept credit cards for your Stampin’ Up! orders. Let’s all take a moment to jump for joy!! This option makes ordering so much more convenient for many people out there. I know when I order, I reach for my debit or credit card. 

So, to celebrate – I am running two exclusive promotions to visitors of Kween Bee Kreations.
This offer expires Midnight (Central Time) Monday April 28^th.

OFFER 1:  If you purchase a minimum of $35.00 (before shipping/taxes) from the Occasions Mini Collection 2008 you will receive your choice of the following:

• One free classic stampin’ pad – the color of your choice      OR
• One free pack of one color cardstock (24 sheets of 8 1/2” x 11”) – the color of your choice

OFFER 2:  Place any order totaling $100.00 (before shipping/taxes) or more and receive a free classic stampin’ pad AND a free pack of one color cardstock of your choice.

You can find the color choices for both the ink pads and cardstock in the Spring Summer Collection 2008 on pages 163-165.  You can view both catalogs online using the links below as well.

Spring Summer Collection 2008
Occasions Mini Collection 2008 – effective dates March 1 – May 31, 2008

Please contact me with any questions or to place your order.  As always, thanks for visiting Kween Bee Kreations!

TOMORROW:  Sketch challenge SC173 (see image to the left)  You can view examples using this sketch by visiting the sketch gallery on SCS, here.  

Technique Tuesday

OK, so the technique challenge is really on Monday's over at Splitcoaststampers.com, but I'm posting my Kreation from Monday's challenge today (which is Tuesday). 

For the "Try a New Technique" challenge TLC165, I submitted this gift card holder to the gallery.  This idea was something new to me and was just that - "a challenge".   My 1 1/4" circle punch is on the fritz and I could not even use it to punch out the little lemon & lime from the Tart & Tangy stamp set!!  Argh!  I had to use my trusty honey bee's (scissors) and with a steady hand, attempt to trim around the circles.  

For the base of this gift card, I used Wild Wasabi cardstock from the current In Color collection (which will no longer be available after August 10th, 2008).  Here is a sneak peek into the new In Color collection (click image to enlarge) – colors such as Pink Pirouette,  Riding Hood Red, Tangerine Tango, Kiwi Kiss, Baja Breeze & Pacific Point.  Ahhh... the tropical hues make me think of the warm summer sun.... soaking in the warm rays...   

Anyway, back to reality and the gift card ... I chose one of the pretty designer sheets from the Spring Fling collection (found on page 169 of the Spring-Summer Collection 2008) to use as my card front.  Inking up the “lemon” from the Tart & Tangy stamp set in Wild Wasabi and So Saffron ink, was a diversion from the norm for me. I really liked how these little fruits turned out, regardless of not having access to my circle punch. I finished the card off by inking one of the Lots of Thoughts (Sale-a-Bration 2008) stamps up in Regal Rose, stamping the sentiment and tying the card closed with a bit of Certainly Celery narrow grosgrain ribbon.

You can view a tutorial on how to complete one of these gift cards by visiting Splitcoaststampers.com (SCS). Click here.

Tomorrow: SCS Color Challenge – Kreate a card using the colors Certainly Celery, Pretty in Pink, & Chocolate Chip.

Cha-ching!

If you are anything like me, using plastic is always easier than paying with cash.  I am excited to announce the option of using your credit or debit card to purchase Stampin' Up! products.  Beginning Wednesday, April 23 - I will be able to accept credit and debit card as a method of payment for your orders.  Simply contact me and I will be happy to place your order using your card.  Cards accepted are Visa, MasterCard, & Discover.  Cash, checks and money orders will still be options as well.

In the meantime, please take a look at the Kurrent Promotions, listed on the left hand side of my website.  The Occasions Mini Collection is set to expire May 31st, so if there are any items in that catalog that you've been drooling over, please act now and place an oder. 

I am also holding a workshop using the Tart & Tangy set and Summer Picnic Designer Paper (both found in the Mini Collection) coming up in May for a fee of $25.00.  You can view the details to the right by clicking the link called Tart & Tangy Tutorial, listed under Kurrent Events. 

This offer gives you a huge savings not only financially, but also in your time.  Purchasing the Tart & Tangy stamp set and 3 markers would cost you $22.70 alone (without shipping & taxes).  That means you are only paying $2.30 to create 10 beautiful cards and card box.  That's a steal!  With everything pre-cut and ready for assembly, this is also a huge time savings for you. 

This class will also be offered as a "to go" option for those of you who would like to attend but have prior commitments OR for those not in my local area.  I will be happy to mail you the instructions along with the supplies needed to complete the projects.  I will need to place an order for the Tart & Tangy Stamp Set and 3 markers, so please allow time for shipping from Stampin' Up!.  Shipping fees will apply for the tutorial and supplies... if you are interested, please contact me so that I can quote the rates for you. 

I will offer the tutorial "to go" without the option of purchasing the Tart & Tangy stamp set and 3 markers for $15.00. 

Please Buzz by my blog to obtain the most recent Stampin' Up! news all in one spot.

Happy Stamping!