DIY Enamel Embellishments!

Hi there!   Happy Memorial Day!  Today I'm sharing a card using the awesome new CAS-ual Fridays stamp set, Dream Then Do and the old favorite, Casual Comfort.

I stamped the greenery with both pale green and pale brown inks onto an off white panel.   I added some soft color to the edges of the panel with the brown ink and an ink blending tool.   

The sentiment was stamped with dark brown ink and then I added Versamark ink over the top of the entire piece.   I coated it with Ultra Thick Embossing Enamel (UTEE) and heat embossed it.   (Click on the picture below to find UTEE on Amazon - it's amazing stuff!!!) As soon as the UTEE had melted I added more right over top and heat set it again.  I did four layers to get it nice and thick and shiny.   It looks like an awesome store bought embellishment!   But I wanted to take it a step further, so I stuck it in the freezer (yes, the freezer!!) for about 5 minutes.    I was then able to bend it back and forth to create the tiny hairline cracks.   I added some of the dark brown ink over the top of the entire piece so the ink would settle into the cracks, and then buffed the excess off of the top.   A few sequins from Pretty Pink Posh finished off the card!

Hope you've enjoyed my card today - remember, if you want to shop over at the CAS-ual Fridays Store, be sure to use my special coupon code, KIMBERLY16, to save 15% - woot woot!!

Fabulously Floral & A Sad Goodbye

Join me over on the Honey Bee Stamps blog today for my last post as a DT member (it's been such fun!)  to check out how I made this pretty floral card!

What's the Scoop?

Hello, hello!  We made it to Saturday and now it's time for the long weekend!   Yay!   My family is headed to Alexandria Bay for Memorial Day - I'm looking forward to a relaxing weekend on the boat (boat drinks included)!   Since I'm in full-on summer mode, I thought I'd share a sweet card using the adorable new stamp set 'So Cool' from Pink & Main - a penguin ice-cream man?  Yes, please!!

I stamped the ice cream truck and then cut out the window & awning.   I stamped the penguin on another piece of paper and adhered it behind my main panel so it looks like he is inside the truck, of course!    And I reattached the awning with a triple layer of foam tape.   I love how cute this turned out...and I colored everything to match a piece of ice cream cone paper I found in my stash - how perfect is that?!

Hope your weekend is off to a fantastic start!   I'll be back tomorrow with my Honey Bee Stamps post - hope to see you then!

CHALLENGES

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge - Anything Goes

CASology 

NND Inky Paws Challenge - Use an Arrow!

Hi crafty friends!  It's time for another Inky Paws challenge over at Newton's Nook!   The challenge this time is to use an arrow - and the new Points & Plumes die set is perfect for this!

My card is pretty simple...I inked up the awesome sentiment from Adventure Awaits with three colors of ink, starting with the lightest (yellow) and ending with the darkest (red).   I stamped it in the center of my cardbase twice, using my MISTI for extra good coverage.

I then placed several of the arrows from the Points & Plumes die set around my sentiment, taping them in place and running it through my die cutting machine.   I repeated this twice, creating a square shape around the sentiment.   

On the inside is a panel of cardstock blended with the same red, orange and yellow inks I used for the sentiment.   I love how it looks through the negative space the dies created!  

Head over to the Newton's Nook blog for details on how to play along with the challenge - you could win a store credit to NND!

   

  

      

A Tweet Bird-day Card!

Hey crafty peeps!   It's my turn on the Butterfly Reflections, Ink. blog today and I have this tweet birthday card to share with you using tons of goodies from MFT.   Pop over to the BRI blog and check it out!!  

Monochromatic Flowers for Winnie & Walter's Rerun #10

Hi friends!   Today I'm playing along with the Rerun challenge over at the Winnie & Walter blog.   The stamp set In Bloom - Addie's Garden is the focus of this month's challenge, and I wanted to do something different with it....and boy, is it different, lol!

I thought it would be fun to stamp the tulips and leaves and keep them monochromatic, so I colored everything in with grey Copics....and while I loved how they looked, it felt a little depressing to me!  Ha!   So to remedy that, I outlined the blooms and leaves with a few shades of Copics and stamped the sentiment, from The Big, The Bold And The Happy, in three colors of ink.   

I added a bit of sparkle to the tulip blooms  with a Spectrum Noir sparkle pen as well, and then mounted the panel onto a piece of matching cardstock, and the result is....different!   But I think I like it!   Tell me....what do you think?!

I Love you BEARY much!

Good Sunday morning, friends!  Today you can find me over on the Honey Bee Stamps blog, where I'm using a stamp set you'd never guess was intended for the holidays!   Here's a sneak peek - hope  you'll stop by and check it out!  

Saturday Spotlight with Whimsy Stamps

Hi guys!   Happy weekend!   Hope you'll join me over at the Whimsy Stamps blog to check out how I made this card, and join in by creating a project inspired by my card for a chance to win a Whimsy Stamps gift certificate.   Be sure to check it out!

Newton's Nook Designs May Reveal - A Cozy Day In

Thanks for stopping by today, crafty friends!   Today we are sharing projects made with the super cute new stamp set, A Cozy Day In!   This little girl is right where I want to be right now!   Reading a good book and snuggling up with her fur babies....

I (rather ambitiously) decided to paper piece the chair and blanket for my card today.   Yes, it was a lot of fussy cutting and no, I'm not great at it - but I still think it turned out quite cute!   I am kind of loving the calico kitty - I'm going to have to try that again sometime!

* Edited to add - I've had a lot of questions about this embossing folder!   It's by Darice, and you can find it HERE!

Hope you've had a great time following along this week as we revealed of the new stamp sets!  Remember, everything will be available for purchase tomorrow at the NND store!   

Would you like to win the “A Cozy Day In” Stamp Set?

This set will be given away to ONE lucky winner! 

Here's how to win: 

Comment on the NND blog and Design Team blogs (see list below)! The winner will be chosen at random from the collective blog release posts. Make sure to check out each of their blogs and comment for your chance to win. You will not know which blog has been chosen so the more you comment on the better your chances are of winning! You have until Thursday, May 19th at 9pm CST to comment  -- winners will be announced on the blog post on Friday, May 20th. 

Check out all the awesome Design Team Blogs below to enter:

Newton's Nook Designs

Lydia Evans

Larissa Heskett

Samantha Mann

Crafty Math-Chick

Jess Gerstner

Stephanie Muzzulin

Danielle Pandeline

Nina-Marie Trapani

Kimberly Rendino

Yukari Yoshioka

Naki Rager - Guest Designer

Newton's Nook Designs - Newton's Book Club

So glad you're here for reveal day three!    Today we are sharing the most ADORABLE new Newton stamp set!    Newton's Book Club is perfect for animal lovers and bibliophiles alike!

My card today is actually a small gift as well as a card - the sweet Newton image is a removable bookmark!   To create it, I die a scalloped rectangle and scored it down the middle.   I repeatedly stamped the sentiment across the entire front in a super light blue ink.   Then I stamped Newton reading his book right on the top and colored him in with Copics.  A coating of Glossy Accents makes his glasses really shine!   I added some magnets to the inside of my bookmark, and it was ready to go!  

 For the card, I simply die cut another scalloped rectangle, this one from aqua paper, and heat embossed the sentiment on the lower portion.   I tied on some twine, and adhered it to a piece of embossed white cardstock.   It was mounted to my coral card base, and the bookmark was added to the top.   Full disclosure here - the magnets had a tough time going through three layers of paper!   But the bookmark itself works perfectly when it's used with just a layer of paper.   To mail the card, you might want to add a piece of removable adhesive to keep it in place.

Hope you've enjoyed my card today!   We have one more reveal for you tomorrow, then the new sets will be available on Friday!   Be sure to stop back tomorrow!!

Would you like to win the “Newton's Book Club” Stamp Set?

This set will be given away to ONE lucky winner! 

Here's how to win: 

Comment on the NND blog and Design Team blogs (see list below)! The winner will be chosen at random from the collective blog release posts. Make sure to check out each of their blogs and comment for your chance to win. You will not know which blog has been chosen so the more you comment on the better your chances are of winning! You have until Thursday, May 19th at 9pm CST to comment  -- winners will be announced on the blog post on Friday, May 20th. 

Check out all the awesome Design Team Blogs below to enter:

Newton's Nook Designs

Lydia Evans

Larissa Heskett

Samantha Mann

Crafty Math-Chick

Jess Gerstner

Stephanie Muzzulin

Danielle Pandeline

Nina-Marie Trapani

Kimberly Rendino

Yukari Yoshioka

Naki Rager - Guest Designer

Awesomeness - at BRI!

Hi guys!   Join me at the Butterfly Reflections blog to find out how I made this soft & sweet card!   Those gold flecks.....I'm in LOVE!   They're from the Gansai Tambi Starry Colors palette....you can get it HERE! 

Newton's Nook May Release - Adventure Awaits!

If you are looking for my CFS - Calling All Sistah's post, click HERE!

Welcome back for day two of the NND May reveal!  Today we are sharing projects made with the new Adventure Awaits stamp set.  Although I didn't use them in today's project, there are two companion dies as well - please note these are not matching dies, but they go with the theme!

I couldn't wait to use the awesome stag from this set, so I had to use it, front & center on my card!   My vision was a gold stag with color within the embossing.  To achieve this, I had to get creative, since it's pretty difficult to get a colored pencil within those tiny lines once the embossing is done!   I used my MISTI to set up my card front and then stamped in BLACK on the black cardstock.   It was a challenge to see the stamping, but I was able to see it just enough, and I colored in all the cool patterns with my Prismacolor pencils.   Once I was finished, I was able to put my card base back into the MISTI and re-stamp directly over top, this time using Versamark ink.    I heat embossed with gold EP, and voila!   perfectly colored patterns!   

Hope you've enjoyed my card today!   We still have two more days of reveals, so stop back tomorrow!

Would you like to win the “Adventure Awaits” Stamp Set?

This set will be given away to ONE lucky winner! 

Here's how to win: 

Comment on the NND blog and Design Team blogs (see list below)! The winner will be chosen at random from the collective blog release posts. Make sure to check out each of their blogs and comment for your chance to win. You will not know which blog has been chosen so the more you comment on the better your chances are of winning! You have until Thursday, May 19th at 9pm CST to comment  -- winners will be announced on the blog post on Friday, May 20th. 

Check out all the awesome Design Team Blogs below to enter:

Newton's Nook Designs

Lydia Evans

Larissa Heskett

Samantha Mann

Crafty Math-Chick

Jess Gerstner

Stephanie Muzzulin

Danielle Pandeline

Nina-Marie Trapani

Kimberly Rendino

Yukari Yoshioka

Naki Rager - Guest Designer

May Calling All Sistahs Blog Hop!

Hi there!!   Thanks for joining us for the May Calling All Sistahs Blog Hop!  It's such an awesome reminder for you to CHECK YOURSELF each and every month!!  Kudos to Michele & Heather for everything they've done to organize this hop!!  I personally had to have breast surgery in April 2014.   I can't tell you how very relieved I was to hear the doctor say "no cancerous cells were found".   I'll never forget it!

My card uses one of the Scallop Tag Fri-Dies as the focal point.  I covered a piece of cardstock with strips of pink and silvery grey washi tape, then die cut the tag.   I also die cut the Hope Fri-Die from the tag so that I could use the die cut inlay technique.   I replaced the word with a cut from pink cardstock.  I stenciled the background with grey ink and added the supportive sentiment from the Calling All Sistahs stamp set, heat embossed with grey.  I finished the card with a bit of grey baker's twine and silver sequins from Pretty Pink Posh.  Did you know that  CFS  donates 50% of the profits from items in the Calling All Sistahs collection to breast cancer research and awareness programs?   That's so awesome right?!?! Woo-hoo!

  Want to win the 'hope' Fri-Die I used on this card?   Follow me on Instagram (@kimpletekreativity) and comment on the picture to win!  

Be sure to leave comments on all the blogs as you hop for a chance to win some awesome prizes!! Your next stop on the hop is Ceal's blog!  

HOP LIST

CAS-ual Fridays Stamps 

Archana Bhurke 

Nora Noll 

Susan White 

Shona Chambers
Bonnie Sharp 

Lori Kobular
Diane Jaquay 

Jeanne Jachna 

Theresa Knopf 

Alanna Moses 

Jennifer Ingle 

Joanna Harty 

Kristie Goulet 

Kelly Griglione 

                 Kimberly Rendino ( <-- you're here)

Ceal Pritchett 

Lisa Lahiff 

Lydia Evans 

Lori McAree 

Claire Apostoloff 

Vicki Dutcher 

Channin Pelletier 

Lisa Harrolle 

Heather North 

Remember you can save $$$$ on your CFS order by using my special coupon code!    

Newton's Nook Designs May Release - Happy Little Thoughts

Hi friends!   It's time to share new Newton's Nook Designs goodness with all of you!    We're starting the week off by sharing the Happy Little Thoughts stamp set and coordinating die!

For this card, I've used the floral wreath as a garland/swag instead of it's intended purpose....I thought this was a fun way to show you how to get more use out of this awesome stamp set!   I added the 'Celebrate Today' sentiment, also from Happy Little Thoughts, and because I thought this card would be perfect for a wedding, I added the 'Mr. & Mrs.' from Years of Cheers.   I used die cuts  from teh coordinating die set 

(popped up on foam tape) to anchor the sentiment.   A few tiny pearls and some Spectrum Noir sparkle pen added to the flowers finished off this card! 

Be sure to stop back tomorrow for Reveal Day #2!

Would you like to win the “Happy Little Thoughts” Stamp Set?

This set will be given away to ONE lucky winner! 

Here's how to win: 

Comment on the NND blog and Design Team blogs (see list below)! The winner will be chosen at random from the collective blog release posts. Make sure to check out each of their blogs and comment for your chance to win. You will not know which blog has been chosen so the more you comment on the better your chances are of winning! You have until Thursday, May 19th at 9pm CST to comment  -- winners will be announced on the blog post on Friday, May 20th. 

Check out all the awesome Design Team Blogs below to enter:

Newton's Nook Designs

Larissa Heskett

Samantha Mann

Crafty Math-Chick

Jess Gerstner

Stephanie Muzzulin

Danielle Pandeline

Nina-Marie Trapani

Kimberly Rendino

Yukari Yoshioka

Naki Rager - Guest Designer

Frames Galore!

Join me over at the Honey Bee Stamps blog today to find out how I created this fun framed greeting!  

Happy Sunday, everyone!

Distress Ink Lifting

Hi there!    I've got a card for you today featuring CAS-ual Fridays stamps & Fri-Dies - the background is the Curtis background stamp, the sentiment is from Girlfriend and the die is Love Ya.  

This is a technique I picked up for Jennifer McGuire....isn't she amazing?!?!   I started by using Distress Ink direct to my watercolor paper.   Once it was dry, I stamped the Curtis background with Versamark ink and heat set it with clear embossing powder.   Then for the fun part!   I sprayed the whole piece with water and lifted some of the color with a paper towel.   I just kept repeating this spritzing and lifting until I was happy with the result!   

The background was pretty awesome, so I kept the sentiment simple - the love ya die was cut from black paper and the remainder of the sentiment was embossed with white onto a black cardstock strip and adhered with foam tape.

Hope you've enjoyed my card today!   Remember, as always, to save 15% off on your CAS-ual Fridays Stamps order, just enter code KIMBERLY16 at checkout.    Have a fabulous weekend everyone!!