splitcoaststampers | The Maui Stamper

Participating in the ColourQ challenge yesterday really helped motivate me, so I went looking for a challenge for today. I found two – the Splitcoast Sketch Challenge and the Color Dare. (And no, I am not going to look for 3 challenges tomorrow. That would be totally unsustainable.)

Sometimes sketch challenges are too Out-Of-The-Box for me, but yesterday’s SCS Sketch Challenge (SC267) was just right. I’ve been looking at repeating elements in cards and turning over some ideas in my head, so the timing was perfect. When I sat down to put my ideas to work, I couldn’t settle on a color combination. A quick search turned up the Color Dare site. As you might guess, this is not a challenge for the faint of heart! This week’s color challenge was Crushed Curry, Brilliant Blue, Kiwi Kiss and Kraft:

I {Heart} Hearts Clear Mount stamp set
Kraft, Brilliant Blue, and Whisper White card stock; Kiwi Kiss Designer Series Paper (retired)
Crushed Curry Classic ink pad
Crushed Curry polka dot ribbon
Big Shot and Perfect Polka Dots Textured Impression folder
1 3/8″ and 1 1/4″ Square punches; Heart to Heart punch
Stampin Dimensionals, Tombo Adhesive, Mini Glue dots and Crystal Effects

The coolest thing about this card is that with the exception of the card base, the entire thing came from my scrap basket!! That basket is out of control, and the more I use from it the happier I am. There’s a Mini Glue dot holding the knot of the ribbon in place – with so much linear action it needed to be pegged down. One more hint: Use Stampin’ Dimensionals to hold a large panel on a deeply embossed card front. Those dots are awesome, but they make it hard for adhesive to get a grip.

I didn’t see the grids emerge until I started to play with the hearts. The Perfect Polka Dots textured impression folder was a natural once I realized I needed that Crushed Curry polka dot ribbon. It was fun to play off the geometry of the repeating squares.

I spend some time this weekend playing with some challenges. The latest Splitcoast Color Challenge was really a stretch for me! I saw it when it posted on Wednesday and thought I would pass, but after returning to it a couple of times and looking at the gallery samples I decided to give it a shot. Wouldn’t you think twice about Dusty Durango, Barely Banana and Basic Gray?

Upsy Daisy and Teeny Tiny Wishes stamp sets
Whisper White, Barely Banana, Basic Gray cardstock; Dusty Durango Designer Series Paper (Hostess level I)
Dusty Durango and Barely Banana Classic ink pad; Basic Gray Stampin’ Write marker
Latte buttons, paper piercing template and tool
Gray taffeta ribbon, linen twine, Dusty Durango classic ink refill

Do you like the twine? I colored it with the ink refill and waiting for it to dry was the hardest part for me! The floral image was stamped with Barely Banana ink and I removed the color from the stems before applying the Basic Gray marker. It’s a very easy technique – just remember to “huff” on your stamp to moisten the ink before impressing the image.

This layout is also a Splitcoast challenge layout. If you check back tomorrow you’ll see the same concept with a completely different stamp set. Til then!