Yellow and Gray

Time for another Impression Obsession challenge! This time the theme was "yellow and gray." I have seen a lot of cards around lately using those colors, and I have to say that I really like the two together.

For my card, I stamped medium yellow cardstock and light yellow cardstock using the Small Quatrefoil Cover a Card Background (CC125) using Brilliance Pearlescent Yellow ink.  You can't really see the background or shimmer of the ink from the first picture, so I took a second with the card facing the light:

I then stamped the light yellow cardstock with the Flower 3 stamp (A5573) and the Flower 1 stamp (C5571) using Dandelion Memento ink. To finish the card, I overstamped everything with the Silhouette 3 flower (D5553) and the Friendships Multiply Joys saying (C5043).

Want to see more yellow and gray cards?  Check out what Daniela, Dina, Jeanne, Jenny, Julie, and Vicki created. Want to play along? You can find all the information here, and you could even win a $25 IO gift certificate!

 

It's A Man's World Challenge

Today the IO team is creating "manly" cards. Everyone has a different approach to masculine cards, but for me, I try to keep clean lines and keep it simple. I also tend not to use much in the way of embellishments.

For my card today, I used the Sail Collage (H13022) as well as the Cover a Card Rolling Waves (CC123). I stamped both using Versafine Majestic Blue ink and then colored the scene with chalks. Usually I don't use cards for masculine cards because of the "soft" look. However, I thought it worked just fine for this card. Perhaps the dark colors and harsh lines needed a little softness.

 Want more masculine card inspiration?  Check out what Daniela, Dina, Jeanne, Jenny, Julie, and Vicki created. Want to play along? You can find all the information here, and you could even win a $25 IO gift certificate!

 

All About the Dies

Today's Impression Obsession challenge is all about dies. I have to admit that the die I have been using the most is the new Branch Die (DIE007-L). Honestly, it just seems to go with everything, and it adds just the right amount of embellishment. I also think it might be my new "go to" when I make a mistake. Usually I say, "Stick a button on that mistake," but I think I might change it to "Just put a leaf over it." It is all about the fix! To finish the card, I added the You've Got a Friend saying (C3766).

Need more inspiration to "die" for?  Check out what Daniela, Dina, Jeanne, Jenny, Julie, and Vicki created. Want to play along? You can find all the information here, and you could even win a $25 IO gift certificate!

PS...sorry about the bad pun.  :)

 

Red, White, and Blue

Is anyone else surprised that we are quickly sliding into July?  I guess it is the perfect time for a red, white, and blue challenge!

For today's card, I broke out one of the new cover a card backgrounds (CC131 We the People) and paired it with one of the three stars from the Stars (K2198) stamp.  I thought that one looked the most "patriotic."  To finish the card, I added the Happy Fourth (A5443) saying.

Need more red, white, and blue inspiration?  Check out what Daniela, Dina, Jeanne, Jenny, and Vicki created. Want to play along? You can find all the information here, and you could even win a $25 IO gift certificate!

 

Gary Robertson

Today the Impression Obsession designers are highlighting the new Gary Robertson images. He has a bunch of new nautical/beach themed images that are a lot of fun for summer. I decided to continue my guy-card theme and used the new Path to the Beach (H1877) stamp along with a saying from the CL48 Greetings Galore clear set.

I first stamped the beach scene with black Versafine ink and colored it with watercolor pencils and a blender pen.  I used the cloud template stencil from Rosie's Road Show to do the sky and edged the bottom with some Antique Linen Distress ink and a sponge.

If you want to see some of the other Gary summer stamps, visit Daniela, Dina, Jeanne, Jenny, Julie, and Vicki's blogs. Want to play along? You can find all the information here, and you could even win a $25 IO gift certificate!

 

IO Challenge- Comfort

Today the Impression Obsession challenge is all about sending comfort...sympathy, encouragement, etc. I decided to make a sympathy card since I find those so hard.

The challenge also allowed me to make a card using the new Impression Obsession dies.  Yes, that's right.  IO now has dies!  The dies coordinate with IO stamps and give a small border around the images.  I like that I don't have to cut out the stamps (especially butterfly antennae), and I like that the small border lets the images stand out from the background paper or patterns. Speaking of patterns, I finished the card and then wished I had used a really pale green Cover a Card for the background.  Ah well, next time!

To make the card, I used the Butterflies stamp (E8750) with coordinating Butterflies die (DIE008-I).  Of course, I only used one of the butterflies for the card.  I also used the Large Solid Leaf Stem (E8633) with the Branch die (DIE007-L).  It made for a very quick card.  I then chose a saying from the Treasured Memories Clear set (CL326).  If you haven't seen that set, you should really check it out.  It has so many sayings that are perfect when you need to send a little support during difficult times.

Need more comfort inspiration? Check out what Daniela, Dina, Jeanne, Jenny, and Vicki created. Want to play along? You can find all the information here, and you could even win a $25 IO gift certificate!

 

Summer Days

Time for another Impression Obsession challenge. This time the theme is "Summer Celebrations." It is also a chance for us to show you some of the new May images. I chose an image and saying from the Summer Delight clear set (MC374). I have to be honest and say that there was originally a little girl and dog in the image, but I cut them out.

I stamped the little boy onto white cardstock with black Versafine ink and colored it with watercolor pencils. I then added a wave using a Fiskars border punch and some clouds cut from a Memory Box die.

Need more summer inspiration? Check out what Daniela, Dina, Jeanne, Jenny, Julie, and Vicki created.

Want to play along? You can find all the information here, and you could even win a $25 IO gift certificate!


 

Flower Power!

Today is all about Flower Power. Can you feel it? Of course, the blooms here in the DC area came early and went away fast. The azaleas are still in bloom, but the dogwoods and cherry blossoms came and went before I had a chance to appreciate them. Sigh.

For my card today, I used the new Lush Lilacs stamp (H8731) as well as a lot of Inspirations sparkle paints. I then combined it with a Nestabilities Labels 8 die and some Memory Box pearls. To finish the card, I used the Thick Stripes Cover a Card background (CC105) as well as the For You saying (A3755).

Need more floral inspiration? Check out what Daniela, Dina, Jeanne, Jenny, Julie, and Vicki created.

Want to play along? You can find all the information here, and you could even win a $25 IO gift certificate!

April Release and Winner

I want to first start off this post with an apology. I was supposed to post the winner of the IO stamp set last Saturday. When I starting putting today's post together, I noticed that my winner announcement was set on "draft" rather than "post." I didn't realize my mistake till today. :( If you came to my blog on Saturday looking for the winner, I am so sorry. So, without further ado, the winner of the IO clear set was Paper Creations by Shirley. Shirley said:

I LOVE LOVE that Peacock image, I have it on order at my local store. Also love what you have done with the image. She is gorgeous ! Have a great day. Shirley

Shirley, please email me your info, and I will get your set to you.

Now, back to today's Impression Obsession challenge. The current theme was to showcase the new April release images. I chose a mermaid clear set called Lavia and Ginger (CS357). The set included both the mermaid scene as well as the saying. I also paired it with the Bubbles Cover a Card background (CC026).

One of the things I have been working on is practicing various skin tones and hair colors with my Copic markers. I realized that most of the people I colored in the past were pale-skinned brunettes. I wanted to break out of that rut, so here is a close-up of my two mermaids:

Want to see more of the April release? Check out what Daniela, Dina, Jeanne, Jenny, Julie, and Vicki created.

Want to play along? You can find all the information here, and you could even win a $25 IO gift certificate!

Spring is in the Air

Hello all. For today's Impression Obsession Challenge, the theme was "Spring is in the Air." It is also a chance for the designers to show you some of the new March release stamps. We will be having a new release in April as well as May, so be sure to check back to see those stamps too!

I chose to use one of the Hannah Davies images (10026). She has quirky, whimsical designs that I really like. I figured that I could make the girl look like a St. Patrick's Day image if I just colored her with a whole bunch of green Copic markers. I then paired her with the Retro Floral Cover A Card Background (CC010) and a St. Patricks Day saying (B5416). To finish the card, I added a shamrock I cut from a Memory Box die.

Want to see more of the new March images? Check out what Daniela, Dina, Jeanne, Jenny, and Vicki created.

Want to play along? You can find all the information here, and you could even win a $25 IO gift certificate!

Feeling the Blues

Today the Impression Obsession Design Team is bringing you a blue card challenge. As always, I try to make a monochromatic card for a color challenge. It always feels so difficult to limit yourself to just one color!

For my card, I stamped the Large Solid Bird (E6993) in Colorbox Chalk Blue Iris ink, cut it out, and popped it up onto my card with foam tape. For the background, I used a combination of blue cardstock, the Cover a Card Tapestry stamp (CC025), and the Cover a Card Thin Chevron stamp (CC107). To finish the card, I added the Some Birdy saying (A5418).

Are you feeling blue? Check out what Dina, Jeanne, Jenny, Julie, and Vicki created.

Want to play along? You can find all the information here, and you could even win a $25 IO gift certificate!

Hello Challenge

Today is all about saying "hello." I have been on a floral kick lately, so I really wanted to incorporate a spring flower into my card. I combined the Daffodil image (E12000) along with the Its Just Me saying (C3760). For the patterns on the card, I used two of the brand new backgrounds. First, I added the Graph Paper pattern (CR005) to the green card using Spanish Moss Versafine ink. Next, I stamped the Scattered Dots pattern (CR012) onto yellow cardstock using Colorbox Chalk Peach Pastel ink.

If you want more inspiration for hello greetings, check out what Daniela, Dina, Jeanne, Jenny, Julie, and Vicki created.

Want to play along? You can find all the information here, and you could even win a $25 IO gift certificate!

IO Challenge- Oldie, But Goodie

Today's Impression Obsession challenge was to use an "oldie but goodie" stamp. Of course, I had to pick a Leigh Hannan stamp. Usually when I used this stamp, I only use part of it so that I don't have to spend a long time coloring. I often use a circle punch to cut out a fish and some coral then pop it up onto a card. However, I thought it best to use the whole stamp so that you could see what the entire image looks like.

To make the card, I colored the coral (J2219) with an assortment of Copic markers. To get a washed out look for the water, I first colored the background with a blue marker and then scribbled over the whole thing with a blender pen.

Want to get more inspiration for your older Impression Obsession stamps? Check out what Daniela, Dina, Jeanne, Jenny, Julie, and Vicki created.

Want to play along? You can find all the information here, and you could even win a $25 IO gift certificate!

Latte Love

Today's Impression Obsession challenge is all about Hearts, Flowers, and Valentine's Day. I must admit that my card only has one tiny heart on it, but I was dying to use my new Latte Love image (D8679) as well as the coordinating Latte Love Words (D8680). I also thought that the Damask Cover a Card (CC081) works great as a Valentine background. To color the image, I used my R35, R39, and E31 Copic markers.

Need more Valentine inspiration? Check out the work by Daniela, Dina, Jeanne, Jenny, Julie, and Vicki.

Want to play along? You can find all of the information here, and you could even win a $25 Impression Obsession gift certificate!

Pink Challenge

Nothing says Christmas quite like the color pink! Today's IO challenge was a pink color challenge, so I thought it would be fun to use it with one of my Christmas images.

To make the card, I used part of the Tall Trees (F2343) stamp. The original image actually has 5 trees on it. I stamped the trees with pink ink and then embossed it with JudiKins Psychedelic embossing powder. I love that stuff! I don't think you can tell from the picture, but the trees are sparkly and remind me of tinsel. I added some pink accents with a pink watercolor pencil and added some pink jewels. For the background, I used the Retro Floral (CC010) Cover a Card stamp.

Whenever I do a monochromatic challenge, I really like to try and only use that one color. I am proud to say that I made the card using only pink materials. It might have ending up a little too "Blush and Bashful" though. Did you get the Steel Magnolias reference? :)

Need some more pink inspiration? Check out the work by Daniela, Dina, Jeanne, and Vicki. If you want to participate in the challenge, you can find all of the information here.

IO Challenge- Only Stamps

First of all, let me apologize for my picture. It doesn't look very good and the colors are off. My Ott-Lite that I use to take photos needs a new bulb, so I was left with a sad side lamp.

Today's challenge was to make a card using only stamps....no patterned paper allowed. I love my Cover a Card backgrounds, so it wasn't hard for me to ditch the paper.

To make this card, I used the Gingerbread with Treats house (F7637), the Have a Sweet Holiday saying (B7654), and the Cover a Card Fluff background (CC014). I find that it is really hard to get a bright white look on kraft cardstock, so I embossed the background with white embossing powder to really make it pop. To color the house, I used watercolor pencils and a blender pen.

Here is a close up of the card so that you can see the sparkle of the Stickles:


Need more inspiration? Check out the work by Daniela, Deborah, Dina, Jeanne, Jenny, Julie, and Vicki.

Want to play along? You can find all the challenge information here, and you could even win a $25 Impression Obsession gift certificate.

Don't forget, if you want to win an advance copy of "Sugar Rush," you have until Sunday night to leave a comment on my previous post (the one with the snowman/cupcake).

Snow Much Fun

For today's IO challenge, we were supposed to show you what we do on snow days. For me, it is all about staying inside, reading, and enjoying some cocoa. The less time I have to spend outside shoveling, the better!

Products Used:

Stamps- Comfort Cocoa (E8612), Comforting Cocoa (B8613), Cover a Card Large Dots (CC007)

Inks- Memento Black, Colorbox Chalk Creamy Brown

Nestabilities Labels 8

Copic Markers- R22, R27, E50, E31, E35, G21, W2, C1

Diamond Stickles

Red and White Divine Twine

Need more challenge inspiration? Check out what Daniela, Dina, Deborah, Jeanne, Jenny, Julie, and Vicki created.

Want to play along? You can find all of the information here, and you could even win a $25 IO gift certificate!

IO Purple Challenge

The latest IO challenge is all about making purple cards. For me, it was a double challenge because I wanted to make a card that fit the theme as well as one that would serve as a sympathy card. Unfortunately, I needed to make one.

For my card, I stamped the Tapestry Cover a Card (CC024) onto a purple card using Wisteria Colorbox Chalk ink. I then stamped the same background onto purple cardstock using Colorbox Chalk Lavender ink (it was a lighter purple color than the Wisteria). I then cut out the lighter purple pattern with the Nestabilities Labels 20 die. To finish the card, I stamped the the Silhouette 11 image (G5561) on top with purple Versafine ink and added a twine bow that I colored with a purple Copic marker.

Feeling the need for more purple inspiration? Check out what Deborah, Dina, Jeanne, Jenny, Julie, and Vicki created. Want to play along? You can find all of the information here, and you could even win a $25 Impression Obsession gift certificate!

IO Challenge- Halloween/Favorite Costume

I feel like such a lucky blogger in that I was able to make Halloween cards for the last two IO Challenges. Halloween really is my favorite stamping subject matter! For today's challenge, we were supposed to make a card dedicated to Halloween or our favorite costume. My favorite past costumes were dressing as a Christmas tree with lights, going with three other friends as the four seasons (I was winter), or the year I went as a mouse caught in a trap. I figured the first two costumes would make cards that looked like Christmas rather than Halloween, and well, the mouse was kind of gruesome. I decided to stick with just making a Halloween card.

For the background of my card, I started with a sage notecard and first stamped it with the Canvas Cover a Card background (CC073) in Colorbox chalk Ice Jade ink. I still maintain that the Canvas stamp is the most versatile background you can use on cards. It adds just a little texture to a plain notecard. Next, I stamped the Damask Cover a Card background (CC081) on top with black VersaFine ink. What is it about damask that works so well with Halloween cards?

For the center of the card, I cut out a light yellow oval and black lacy oval using my Nestability dies. I stamped the Bat Silhouette (D2405) on the yellow cardstock using black Memento ink and then sponged Tea Dye, Mustard Seed, Shabby Shutters, and Black Soot Distress inks around the image.

Need more challenge inspiration? Check out what Daniela, Dina, Jeanne, Jenny, Julie, and Vicki created. Also, there has been a change to the IO Design Team. Kathy Menzies has stepped down and Vicki Garrett has joined the team. Be sure to check out Vicki's blog and welcome her to the team. She is one talented lady!

Want to play along? You can find all of the information here, and you could even win a $25 Impression Obsession gift certificate!

Fall Challenge

Is anyone else ready for fall? Today's IO challenge is all about creating fall themed projects. Reds, yellows, oranges, leaves, apples, and of course.....pumpkins! As a pumpkin junkie myself, I had to include pumpkins in my card.

To make the card, I started with a light yellow notecard and stamped the Large Paisley Cover a card background (CC039) onto it using Peach Pastel Chalk ink. For the bottom, I stamped the Woodgrain Cover a Card background (CC034) in brown Versafine ink onto tan cardstock and glued it onto my notecard. The focal image is called Fall Serenity (F8615), and the saying is from the Count You Blessings clear set (CL286). I colored the chair with pumpkins with Copic markers and then cut out the image to add to the card.

Need more fall inspiration? Check out what Daniela, Deborah, Dina, Jeanne, Jenny, and Kathy, created.

Want to play along? You can find all of the information here, and you could even win a $25 Impression Obsession gift certificate!