Oscars-Inspired Floral Note Card

I love the fashion-inspired challenges provided at the Runway Inspired Challenge and this (RIC79) must be my favorite.  We were given a selection of Oscars looks from which to choose as our inspiration and I chose this one (among others; stay tuned for future posts and I'll come back here and link them):

Photo: Oscar.go.com

When I look at this dress, it translates to the floral image from Butterfly Basics** (a set in the Occasions Catalog), Sahara Sand, Always Artichoke, Blush Blossom, florals, a bit of sparkle (see her ring?) and vellum.

To mimic the construction of Keira Knightley's dress, I mounted Sahara Sand on itself, but used Stampin' Dimensionals to give it a lift.  The lettering on the dress is recreated using the "Thanks" from the Hello You Thinlits (I bought the bundle).  

I wanted the floral to be subtle, much like it is in Knightley's dress, so I inked it in Sahara Sand, as well.

The Blush Blossom blooms are simply punched using the 7/8-inch Scallop Circle punch, scrunched and sueded.  The top layer is the soft sueded "inside" of a circle and it's mounted on the smooth "outside" of a circle.  Double your card stock that way!

A Rhinestone Basic Jewel in each center is inspired by Knightley's lovely ring.

**The Butterfly Basics and Butterflies bundle (and individual items) are currently unavailable, but will be back in stock to order soon.  The strike on the Pacific Coast docks will require weeks of work to sort out and these items will be on their way to SU! Headquarters soon. If you're interested in ordering them, please let me know and with no obligation to purchase, I'll notify you when they're available to order again.

Runway Inspired and Sweet Sunday Sketch with a Little Chalk Talk and Modern Mosaic!

I love a good sketch!  Nothing gets my creative juices flowing like a sketch.  So many of my favorite projects began as Mojo Monday sketches or sketches from Karen Giron, a brilliant artist whose work I love.

Today's project is one such card.  Karen Giron's blog includes a bi-weekly sketch challenge, called the Sweet Sunday Sketch (her blog is The Sweetest Thing).  The link to this week's sketch is {HERE}. 

I combined this sketch challenge with another favorite challenge, the Runway Inspired Challenge.  This week, we were inspired by the Temberley London Pre-Fall 2014 image below:

{HERE} is the link for this week's challenge and {HERE} is the link to the Runway Inspired Challenge Blog.  Check it out; you WON'T be disappointed!  There are always cool colors and patterns that make those creative juices *FLOW*!

For today's project, I used Rich Razzleberry, Basic Black and Whisper White to mimic the model's dress.  I was inspired to use my Modern Mosaic TIEF (129984) and the Mosaic Punch (131267) to reflect the flooring (mounted on a circle cut using the Circles Collection framelits (130911).  I also used my Mosaic Punch to create the tag detail at the top.

Chalk Talk stamps and framelits give me the sentiment (*BUNDLE* to save! W132731 C132730).  I used the framelit with my Big Shot to cut the Whisper White piece (on which I'd stamped the sentiment in Rich Razzleberry) and used my Paper Snips (103579) to fussy cut around the edge so the Basic Black would show.  Simple and quick!  Whisper White Baker's Twine (124262) and a Gold Glimmer Brad (121003) finish it off.

I'd planned to enter this card in the Case Study Challenge #177 this week, but the cotton batting that fills my head due to this nasty cold has zapped me of all memory.  Read {HERE} about the other project I made and forgot to enter in two challenges this week!  ¡Ay, carumba!

Sale-a-Bration is upon us!  Do you have any supplies to reorder?  This is when I take stock of my card stock supply (pun totally intended) and make a big fat order that nets me all sorts of benefits.  Combine with friends, host a workshop or submit a Catalog Party and earn $50 extra in Hostess Benefits during Sale-a-Bration if your merchandise order totals $300 or more!  Downloads count!  Click {HERE} to shop or contact me to order!

Send tea, Kleenex (with lotion, please) and NyQuil!

{Studio Spotlight}: Latest Stampin' Up!dates and What I've Been Working On

Here's an update on the latest Basic Black Classic Ink. Stampin' Up! has been hard at work improving its formula to make it better compatible with the Whisper White card stock:

What's changed?

As mentioned in our last current update, we have accepted a formula with our supplier that shows improvement. The new formula has a reduced dye concentration that will allow it to better absorb into the cardstock. Reducing the concentration didn't change the rich black color we all know and love; it only affects how the cardstock takes the ink.

What about drying time?Because the ink absorbs better into the cardstock, it will dry in under a minute in some cases. It can take longer depending on the run of your cardstock and the age of your ink pad. If you are using an old ink pad, one of the refills with the improved formula will rejuvenate your pad. Also keep in mind that larger stamps or a more solid image may require a longer drying time.

What's the deal with Whisper White Cardstock? We initially discovered that our specification tolerance is too broad, meaning that there is a broad variance in ink absorption and drying time. Our Whisper White Cardstock is not a custom cardstock for Stampin' Up! like our other cardstock colors, so we don't have control over its tolerance. We have since requested that our supplier provide us with cardstock within a tighter range of tolerance. Still, our tests proved that the new ink formula works better on most, not all, of our Whisper White Cardstock. The performance of the ink depends on the run of the cardstock. It is not possible to tell when a packet of Whisper White Cardstock was produced. If you are concerned with the quality of your cardstock, we recommend using StazOn ink, instead of Basic Black.

What if I need to exchange or return my Basic Black Classic Stampin' Pad?If you have experienced problems with your Basic Black Classic Stampin' Pad, contact Demonstrator Support. Please have your pad in hand-it will help the agent know how to best help you.

When can I get my hands on the improved Basic Black ink?The improved Basic Black ink pad and refill are currently being sold. Surprise! Remember, depending on the Whisper White Cardstock you are using, you may still experience smearing and high drying times. We recommend that you use StazOn instead of the Basic Black Classic ink pad.

We are pleased with these results so far. Not only has our Basic Black ink formula improved, but the testing process has also shown us how to make improvements to the quality of our Whisper White Cardstock. We will continue to see improvement in the future.

There are new Photopolymer Stamps (stay tuned for a post on that tomorrow, including a video!) and My Digital Studio Downloads available...