The Inking Spot of Crain Creations

4CC: #433, Masculine sentiment

Happy Thursday!  Today's 4 Crafty Chicks challenge hostess is Nance and her "twist" is MASCULINE SENTIMENTS!  I kind of suck at guy cards, like seriously just can't do it.  Sometimes I get lucky and they are great, but most of the time I feel like they just aren't "right" (guys should really just learn to love bows and ribbons and rhinestones and all things blingy and pretty!!!).  That being said, here's my "guy card"

I  have a super great paper pad called Travel or something like that, and the papers were perfect!  Look at those airplanes!  It also gave me a color palette to work with, whew!!  lol

Reverse Confetti has this fantastic GRID STITCHED TAG die, this saved me!  I grabbed it and just built on and around it.  I added a "hello" word die to the top and wrapped some Washi around the bottom.  This card was super quick and is just super, super simple!

That's it for me, be sure to check out what the rest of the Chicks have been up to, 
Leanne, Lori, Nance & Amy 
And don't forget to link up your creation at the Hen House!

 

 

4CC: #432, Ribbons & Bows

Hey yall!  Happy Thursday.  It's time for another 4 Crafty Chicks challenge and this week our Hostess, Leanne is giving us a RIBBON/BOWS twist!  This is another Coffee stamp set I bought in anticipation of the Coffee Loving Cardmakers Fall/Winter blog hop, this one is called MUG LIFE by The Ink Road.  

I used some more of my Echo Park Coffee paper.  I die cut a tag using the coffee bean paper, the tag is the Dashed Line Tag (Reverse Confetti).  I colored up that cup o' yummy with Copics, then cut it out and popped it up on the tag.  That "coffee" die at the bottom is from the DRINK MORE COFFEE set (Reverse Confetti).  I just love how java-centric this card is, lol.

Ok, seriously... look at the sentiment banner on that cup!  How awesome is that?!??  The sentiment on the green banner is from the same set... I have a mug that says that, hahaha!

That's it for me, be sure to check out what the rest of the Chicks have been up to, 
Leanne, Lori, Nance & Amy 
And don't forget to link up your creation at the Hen House!

Coffee Lovers Hop, RC Stock Your Stash & a splash of Mojo!

Today was a "creating for the fun of it" kind of day!  Ok, so may be not a "day", maybe it was only a couple of hours... but still, I got to play!  I am finally getting to link up to the Coffee Lovers Fall/Winter hop!  Have you seen how many amazing creations are over there?!?  Holy snickerdoodles!  and all of those fantastic sponsors... I just love Papercrafting Community <3  Whats even better is that Julee has a fresh Mojo sketch up!  She is one of my all time fave sketchers in the history of EVER!!!!! 

Back to business!  Several weeks ago I picked up this Coffee paper pad (Echo Park) just to prepare for the Fall/Winter Hop.... OMG the papers are fantastic!  I paired it up with the new DRINK MORE COFFEE stamp & die sets (Reverse Confetti), the sentiment is from an older set, Be A Barista (Reverse Confetti, retired).  This month's Stock Your Stash challenge is THANK YOU.

I colored the cup & espresso with Copics.  The "sunrays" are one of the stamps in the set, I just took a couple of Y Copics and added a few more "rays".  I LOVE those fluttery hearts, they are part of the XOXO HEARTS die set (Reverse Confetti).  Well that's all I've got!  Be sure to pop over to each challenge and see what their DT's and other players have come up with!

4CC: #431, Crazy Egg/ATG Challenge

Happy Thursday!  It's time for another 4 Crafty Chicks challenge, and this week I'm your hostess!!  Every month where there are 5 Thursdays, the 5th becomes the "Crazy Egg" challenge, which just means it is 200% ANYTHING you want!  No themes, no twists... just go play and make something, ANYthing!  For my card this time I used a Turnabout stamp from Concord & 9th... I LOVE these turnabout stamps!  HAve you played with them yet?  They are so much fun!!!

I'm not going to ramble about how these Turnabout stamps work, C&9 does a MUCH better job at talking about it than I do... and if you've never played with one, they even have step-by-step video on how to use them (though they really are quite easy once you've done one).  SO... this one is called DECK THE HALLS Turnabout, I stamped it 4 times (Rose, Lime Green, Brick & Avocado inks).  Just look at that base... it doesn't even look really uniform/obvious that it's the same stamp rotated 4 times! Love, Love, Love!!!  I also used the MERRY die, I had intended to make this in to an eclipse but it just didn't come out right so I left it in red (though it's still raised a couple of layers).  

I took a Nuvo Aqua Shimmer pen to the red MERRY cs... WOWZA!  those shimmer pens ROCK!!!!  The card needed a little something more so I added a red & green Christmas Bulb from the MERRY & BRIGHT stamp set & coordinating die (Reverse Confetti).  I added a few silver sequins and a red metallic twine bow... voila!

That's it for me, be sure to check out what the rest of the Chicks have been up to, 
Leanne, Lori, Nance & Amy 
And don't forget to link up your creation at the Hen House!

TCC: #103 Holiday Treats

Happy "holy cow we've made it through 1/2 of the week!" lol  It's time for another Card Concept challenge and we're still in the Holiday Spirit!  For my card I grabbed some older goodies and some newer goodies.

The stamp set and coordinating dies are called Merry & Bright (from Reverse Confetti).  The inks (Avocado, Salsa & Lime Green) are also from Reverse Confetti.  The paper pad, Winter Solstice, is from their newest release.  The sentiment at the very bottom is from Lawn Fawn.

That's all I've got for ya today (I'm still in a food coma so I'm just not very wordy, lol).  Please stop by the Card Concept blog for more Challenge Team inspiration and don't forget to link your own creation, we just LOVE seeing what you come up with too.

4CC: #130, Congratulations!

Happy Thursday! and if you're in the U.S. Happy Thanksgiving.  It's time for another 4 Crafty Chicks challenge and this week's "twist" is CONGRATULATIONS!.

Last week I got a new Vagabond 2 (in case you're wondering, it's a motorized die cutting machine), and boy did it get put to good use today!!  Several fun dies on this one.  Everything is from Reverse Confetti here... patterned paper (Paper Bliss), Cardstock (Navy, Stone and Polar White), inks (Navy & Rose)...

The stamp set is called Circle Sayings, and is sadly retired, but I stamped the circle frame in Navy ink and the sentiment in Rose ink.  The coordinating Scalloped Circle die is perfect!  The tag behind my scalloped circle is a new one called Grid Stitched Tag (I've been dieing to use this!).  To add another punch of Navy I used the heart banner die from XOXO Hearts die set, then I took the hearts from the center and added a few to the top right with a bit o' bling!  A couple splashes of ribbon and this baby is ready for sending!

That's it for me, be sure to check out what the rest of the Chicks have been up to, 

Leanne, Lori, Nance & Amy

And don't forget to link up your creation at the Hen House!

4CC: #429 Snowflakes

It is time for another 4 Crafty Chicks challenge and this week's "Twist" theme is Snowflakes!  I got some new Snowflake goodies just in time for this challenge!  The pictures kinda stink, we've had overcast skies all week.

I used a new Reverse Confetti set called SNOWFLAKE MAGIC and the coordinating dies for this card.  For the base I played around with some alcohol & Water colors, I saw the idea on Jennifer's blog, here.  I used some Cosmic Shimmer watercolors, just some pretty blue with a little bit of like a blue green and lots lotsa lotsa water (on watercolor paper, fyi)!  Then I just flicked some rubbing alcohol from a paintbrush.  When I liked the look, I used the heat gun to dry it a little, then flicked some more.  I did this about 3 or 4 times.

It's kind of hard to see, but I used both of the large snowflake dies and a smaller die on this panel.  I have a white cs panel cut the same size and adhered it to the watercolor panel, this let me stamp those snowflakes in Navy Blue on the white.  I stamped the sentiment in silver and then using it's coord die, cut it out and popped it up in the center of the top flake.

To fill in a little more space I took one of the snowflake stamps and stamped some silver flakes in a few places.  In the bottom corner I die cut another snowflake but this time with silver foil cs and then popped it up and added a blue button with silver twine in the center.  OH and matted behind the watercolor layer is a silver layer of cs... it looked much better than gray!

That's it for me, be sure to check out what the rest of the Chicks have been up to, 

Leanne, Lori, Nance & Amy

And don't forget to link up your creation at the Hen House!

TCC: #102, Homestyle Christmas

Happy Wednesday, it's time for another Card Concept challenge!  I just love the coziness of this photo.  As much I as I like playing with "non-traditional" Christmas colors sometimes, the colors above are still my fave!

For my Clean and Layered card this week I used some goodies from SugarPea Designs.  I used the CARD FRONT BUILDER dies for my scalloped panel and that swirvie part between the plaid and trees (I just LOVE these die sets!!).  

I colored up the cute lil Moose & trees from the MERRY CHRISTMOOSE stamp set and used the coordinating dies (I love coordinating dies!!).  The sentiment in the lower left is from the stamp set too.

I hope you will play along with us, and don't forget to swing by the TCC blog to see what the rest of the team has created!

4CC: #428, Holiday Treats

Happy Thursday!  It's time for another 4 Crafty Chicks challenge, and this week's hostess, Nance, has given us a great "twist"... HOLIDAY TREATS!  I decided to go the "gift route", I LOVE making giftie goodies like this.  I used some Reverse Confetti goodies and made a goodie package for Hot Cocoa!

Earlier this year I was gifted the SWEET HOLIDAY stamp set, isn't it just so stinking cute?!?  It has coordinating dies, which I do not have, but ordered last night, lol! 

I colored my little Gingerbread House with Copics and added some liquid pearls on the roof and door frame.  The trees are also colored with Copics and I added teeny rhinestones for the ornaments...those are stinking heavy trees! lol

The sentiment is also from the set and absolutely perfect for gift giving!  I paired up that cute set with the BAGS & TAGS CREATOR dies.

So here's the package minus the contents... it's a little easier to see the details.  I used the "bag" dies and cut 2 of my patterned paper.  On the front piece I also used the stitched square window die...gives you a little peak of the hot cocoa packets.  Since I didn't have the coordinating dies for the stamp set, I just hand cut them, then added them with pop dots.  Now I wanted a good size bag so I could fit in all of the goodies, so instead of attaching those 2 pieces, I cut out a rectangle of my paper and used that as the bottom... scoring it where needed and then adhering it to each die cut bag piece.

See how much space I have?  Everything fit perfectly inside!  The marshmallows I added in this package were the super ginormous ones, had I used normal size bag dies alone would have been great for the package (meaning I wouldn't have needed to cut the extra rectangle).  I used some ribbon and threaded it through 4 holes to hold the bag together and tied a bow in the front.  Then I just hung the tag from that bow.

Here's the backside, nearly as pretty as the front!  The contents were a couple of packets of one of our favorite "non-homeade" cocoa's, a couple of jumbo marshmallow's, and a couple of Pirouette's to stir.

That's it for me, be sure to check out what the rest of the Chicks have been up to, 

Leanne, Lori, Nance & Amy

And don't forget to link up your creation at the Hen House!

 

4CC: #427, Christmas

Happy Friday-eve!  Hope you are all having a great week!  Oh!!!  and happy first day of November.  It's time for another 4 Crafty Chicks challenge and this week's hostess is Miss Leanne, and her challenge "twist" is Christmas.

For my card I used a retired set from Reverse Confetti called TINSEL & TRIM... this is just one of my favorite little Christmas sents, lol.  The base paper is a cream color with Gold foil stamped snowflakes.  I added a few "waves" using my DOIN' THE WAVE dies (from Reverse Confetti).  The tree is an older die from Verve stamps.  Super quick and easy peasy!  Thanks to Cas(e) This Sketch for the layout inspiration!

That's it for me, be sure to check out what the rest of the Chicks have been up to, 

Leanne, Lori, Nance & Amy

And don't forget to link up your creation at the Hen House!

TCC: #101. Rustic Fall

Hello, hello!!  Happy "Candy has zero calories" day!!!  It's Wednesday and it's time for another The Card Concept challenge (scroll to the bottom to see the Rustic Fall inspiration!).

This card was so quick to put together!  The base piece (the plaid orange with pumpkins, etc. on it) is actually a very pretty piece of patterned paper from a SugarPea Designs pad called Countryside Charm.  I just LOVE sheets like this, they are super cute just as they are or I can add just a little something to them.

In this case I decorated a simple tag and added it with some pop-dots.  The tag is called Dashed Line Tag (from Reverse Confetti), I paired it up with some Kraft cs.  I stamped the heart and "just" from the Just Because stamp set (from Concord & 9th) and then used the "because" die from the coordinating set and some Espresso cs.  I also used a couple of the sprig dies and attached those to the right side of the tag.  The frayed jute at the top of the tag were leftovers from a project my son is making.  And that, my friends, is my Clean and Layered project for this week's Rustic Fall challenge!  I hope you will play along with us, and don't forget to swing by the TCC blog to see what the rest of the team has created!

CLC: A shot of Coffee & a boost of Mojo!

Happy Friday!!!  I am so excited to be a fill-in Guest today on the Coffee Loving Cardmakers Blog!!  I've whipped up a quick little somethin' to share with you using goodies from Reverse Confetti.  I was HUGELY inspired by a Mojo sketch that Julee shared this week... 

and let's just say that I flipped it upside down.  I used the CAFFEINATED CUPS stamps & dies along with FIGURE OF SPEECH stamps & dies (all from Reverse Confetti).  I was trying to keep with a more Fall color palette, so I grabbed the EVERY LITTLE BIT paper pad (also from RC) because the colors are deep and rich and just yummy... but then I went a little crazy with the pink, lol. 

For the "coffee" here, I stamped the "swirly" using WOW Embossing Pad along with some super pretty Nuvo Copper Blush Super Fine ep.  

This really was a "quickie" card, the dies doing most of the work here.  Sometimes a girl just needs something super cute, super quick!  The fluffy pink bow on the top and a few rhinestones on the side for some dimension & texture... voila!!!  Thanks for popping by and visiting, hope you have a wonderful weekend!

4CC: Black, White + 1 Color and a Friendship Stock Your Stash!

Happy Friday-eve!  It's time for another 4 Crafty Chicks challenge.  This week's Hostess is Miss Lori and her "twist" is BLACK & WHITE + 1 other color.  I chose teal.

I'm still recovering from my "drama" last week so "quick and easy" was the name of the game this week!  This certainly fit the bill.  I am so in LOVE with Cover Panels, Jen at Reverse Confetti has several fantastic ones, this one is "new to me".  It's called BIG CHEVIES, and it was perfect for this patterned paper!  I placed a piece of black cs behind it and gave my card a white base.  I love the splatter of black on the side!  The paper is from Illustrated Faith (SO in LOVE with their stuff!!!!).

I stamped a sentiment from the THE MOST BEAUTY set (I won't tell you for the 5 millionth time that this is one of my FAVE sentiment sets! lol) on the larger heart from HEART TO HEART, while I was at it I die cut the smallest heart too.  The DASHED LINE TAG (how fun are those dashed lines?!?) makes for an awesome background behind those hearts!  The waterbrushed teal paper is double sided, that solid teal for the tag is just the back side!  I added a few rhinestones, a button and some ribbons and I was not only done, but happy as a clam with this Clean and Simple card (which I almost never like my own C&S cards, lol.)

That's it for me, be sure to check out what the rest of the Chicks have been up to, 

Leanne, Lori, Nance & Amy

And don't forget to link up your creation at the Hen House!

4CC: FInish off the inside!

Happy Thursday!!  Time for another 4 Crafty Chicks challenge, this week's twist is to FINISH THE INSIDE!!!  I have to admit, I cheated this week.  I know, bad bad but I kind of have a good reason... over the weekend I tore one of my hip flexors (holy owies batman!!!) and I've been kind of down flat :-(  So I took my card from yesterday and finished the inside for today!

So this is the outside from yesterday, in case you didn't see it.

and here's the inside!  I love doing the insides, because you can use up some leftover scraps!  Both of the circles in here are the leftovers from the cover, and I just stamped a sentiment on the top one.  The sentiment is from MY TRIBE (Reverse Confetti).  I found 2 arrow stamps in the CRUSHIN' set (Reverse Confetti, now retired) and they go perfectly with the arrows on the DP!  I stamped them in Gold with clear EP to match!  Voila!!!  Easy peasy and still some room inside to write a <3 note! 

That's it for me, be sure to check out what the rest of the Chicks have been up to, 

Leanne, Lori, Nance & Amy

And don't forget to link up your creation at the Hen House!

TCC: #100, Elegant Fall inspiration & Celebrating 100 Challenges!

Hello!  Such an exciting day for us at The Card Concept as this marks our 100th Challenge!!!  We have a gorgeous inspiration photo for you (scroll down to see that), and to help us celebrate each of us on the Challenge Team has invited a Guest to play along!  My guest is the ever inspiring and ever enabling Amy Tsuruta of Tsuruta Designs <3  Be sure to pop over and say, "hey", her card is fantastic!!!!!

For my card, I went with a Classy & Elegant look.  I used the brand new PAINTING PUMPKINS from Power Poppy (I also used their current sketch challenge for more inspiration).

So I didn't really "paint" my pumpkins so much as I slathered them in Gold Foil!! hehe

See?!?  I told ya!  So I printed out the image in the size that I wanted, then I just placed a piece of Gold Foil over the whole image and ran it through the Laminator on HEAT.  I went back and colored in my pumpkins with Copics and added just a few brown touches to the image.  

I didn't "edit" this photo, I wanted to show you the foiling.  In real life it's fairly subtle, the whole card has a "softness" to it.  I love the muted colors of the pink & green!  I also added a few Gold rhinestones just for a little more "pop".  Well that's it for me, thanks for popping by!  Be sure to swing by the TCC Blog to see what the rest of the team and their guests have created and don't forget to link up your creation!  We LOVE seeing what you create <3