The Inking spot of Crain Creations

I'm back and stampin' happy!

I am finally back in my stamp studio!  Yesterday Hubby left for Germany, so I got to spend allllllll afternoon tinkering in my studio and stamping!!  I got so much done :)  Well the last Makeup 4 the Weekend challenge was hostessed by the rockin' Lisa K and it was "Black Friday!"  Use anything that reminds you of shopping and add some black. We've decided to leave this challenge open for another week so you have until Wednesday evening at midnight to get this done and linked up to the PMS Blog for a chance at some free rubber and to get into the Thursday Showoff (click here for all of the deets).  In addition, if you play along and use PMS, leave me a comment on this post (make sure you still link up to the PMS Blog) and I'll draw someone for their choice of a PMS image... that's 2 chances to win!!!

Well, my card is very basic simple, but I am so glad to have gotten some done!  I moved my work table a couple of weeks ago and can't seem to find a decent place for pics now :(  Guess I'd best get that figured out today, lol.  The sketch I used is from Crazy 4 Challenges, I haven't done one of their challenges in some time, I just LOVE them though!  I need to seriously get back in the swing of things!  Thanks for stopping by, I have lots of stuff to show off this week so I hope to see you back here soon!  

Stamps: Retail Therapy (Paper Makeup Stamps)  Paper: Slug Bug (The Paper Loft), Green Apple cs (Gina K), Black cs, white stampers select (PTI)  Ink: Tuxedo Black (Memento)  Accessories: Black Satin ribbon (PTI), Black rhinestones, Green rhinestones, Clear Glaze pen (Sakura)  Copics: C00, 0, 3, 5, 7, 9, E40, 41, R20, 21, YG03, 23  Challenges: M4TW51, C4C66 

Paper Makeup Stamps May Sneak Peek Day #1

 

Welcome to the first day of the PMS May Sneak Peeks... this is my most favoritest release ever!!  I mean you are seriously gonna want to tune in daily 'cause we have some super fun stuff coming up!!  Today we are peeking some awesome wordart... I just love Maya Angelou quotes!  Pop on over to the PMS Blog to see some peeks of more Word Art being released.  I will not have a Release peek for you tomorrow (though I will have some else to post, so I hope to see you), so make sure you head over to the PMS Blog to see tomorrow's peeks.

Stamps: I Sustain Myself quote (Paper Makeup Stamps)  Paper: Devonshire (Kaisercraft), Ivory cs (Gina K), Tawny Medium (Prism)  Ink: Onyx Black (Versafine)  Accessories: Flowers (Prisma), Punch (Martha Stewart), Oval & Scalloped Oval Nesties, Black Brads (MM), Black ribbon  Challenges: C4C35

A new look for the Inking Spot!

So... do you LOVE the new look?  I do!!!  The amazingly talented Michelle Laycock did it again! How she comes up with this stuff is beyond me!!  If you are up for a "make-over" or an "up do", I highly suggest and recommend Michelle... she truly is amazing and super sweet!!  So back to the reason you came here, lol... 

 

I have missed playing some of my favorite challenges, like Crazy 4 Challenges.  I am hoping that now that my stamp room is nearly done being "re-org'd" I can get back in to the groove of things.  This weeks challenge was a sketch so I grabbed some of my favorite pp, and Rose and got inky!  You can't really see it, but I sponged some Antique Linen Distress Ink around Rose... love that softened look.  Now that I got me some GREAT sponges (thanks to Katie and Tara!!) I'm gonna go on a sponging spree! Lol.  Well, happy "hump day"... I hope you have a fabulous rest of the week!

Stamps: Rose & sentiment (Paper Makeup Stamps)  Paper: Wisteria pp (Basic Gray), Bazzill cs, Stampers Select (PTI)  Ink: Tuxedo (Memento), Copics  Accessories:  Misc ribbon, misc flowers, Labels Nestie

Crazy for Miss Anya

 

 Happy Monday!  I am so sad that the boys are back in school today :(... ah well, maybe some stamping will cheer me up, lol.  Well I have finally colored my very first Miss Anya.  One of my stamping friends stamped a couple of images for me to play with... I'm addicted!  I gave her the paper to stamp them on, and I don't like the paper for my copics!  Have you ever played any of the Crazy 4 Challenges?  This is an amazingly talented group with some AWESOME challenges!  I haven't played with them in a bit and I've really missed it, so this weekend I was determined to play!  The challenge was a 1, 2, 3.. 1 ribbon, 2 buttons or brads and 3 punches.  Easy peasy?  NOT for me!!!  This was truely a challenge (which is JUST what I needed!!).  Oh yeah, The Greeting Farm is also sponsoring this weeks Crazy 4 Challenges.

Stamps: Dressy Miss Anya (Greeting Farm)  Paper: Claire pp (SEI), Melon Berry cs (PTI), White (Gina K)  Ink: Tuxedo (Memento), Copics  Accessories: Claire & Juliette flowers (SEI), Pearl Brads (American Crafts), Scallop Lace punch (SU), Rectangle nesties & Labels nesties, White Satin ribbon (PTI)

Stamping just for the love of it

 

Today, after getting some cards that I needed to do and working on more organization and cleaning of the studio, I got to stamp just for the fun of it!  Lisa Johnson (Poppy Paperie) has started her own challenges and I LOVE the concept of them.   

This is her second challenge and I had so much fun with it I'm going to go back and do the first one!  I started with this challenge, but as I started putting it together I realized Mercy's Sketch would be great with this, then I started to choose my papers and realized that the JUGS and Crazy 4 Challenges for this past week fit perfectly too!  Lisa Kind came up with the challenge for Jugs this past week (she comes up with the best Inspiration challenges, though this one is a color challenge she includes an inspiration photo).  I can rarely combine 2 challenges, let alone more than that, lol!  

 

 Here's a little better picture of those yummy buttons!  I threw that purple one in there "just cause" it was sparkly and pretty, lol.  I used brown floss on the buttons, so they'd stand out a little and not blend in... I like the look.  My tag/sentiment seemed to get lost in the busyness, so I took the edge of my black copic and went around the edge of it.  Just a little hint to make it stand out a little.  Well, I hope you like my interpretation of Lisa's challenge, I'd love to hear your input so leave a comment if you have an extra minute.  Thanks for popping in, hope to see you again soon!  Have a wonderful day!

Stamps:  Everyday Button Bits (PTI)  Paper: Home mat Blue & Pink (My Minds Eye), Spring Willow Dark cs (Prism), Ocean Tides cs (PTI), White (Gina K)  Ink: Spanish Moss (Versafine), Onyx Black (Versafine), Black Copic  Accessories: Ocean Tides, Plum Pudding & Spring Moss Buttons (PTI), Brown floss, Ribbon Tags (Spellbinders), Ocean Tides Twill ribbon (PTI)

I'm baaa-ack...

 

Whew!  Finally!!  I am finally up and amongst the living again and stamping like a mad-woman! lol  I have LOTS of catching up to do still, but I really wanted to stamp something just to stamp.  I got this set from Taylor at CHA and have been dieing to ink it up ever since.  I fell in love with this set the second she released it.  Next I checked out some of my favorite challenges to get the Mojo flowin', so today I'm using the JUGS21 challenge  and the Crazy 4 Challenges sketch. 

 

 To get the pattern on the Butterfly, I inked up my stamp and then pressed it against a Piercing grid I have before stamping my paper... I think it gave it just the right "pop".  Then I cut him out and attached him just down the middle so I could fold up his wings.  I don't think you can see it too well, but I went over the pom-pom type flowers with a Clear Spica glitter pen.  Wowzers!  It feels great to be stamping again!  Thanks for popping in, don't forget to say "hi"!  Ok, gotta go get inky some more ;)  See ya soon!

Stamps: Discover Your Wings (Taylored Expressions)  Paper: Taylors Aug 20th Key Ingredients pack  Ink: Coffee Bean (Vivid), Satin Red (VersaFine)  Accessories: Very Vanilla ribbon (SU), Chocolate Pearls (Kaisercraft), Clear glitter pen (Spica), small oval punch (SU)

Snow Happy...

 

 I tried a new challenge this week!  I have been wanting to participate in one of Rachel Hopes (Hope Stamps Eternal) Cupcake Inspiration Challenges for awhile now.  Rachel is one of my Blogger's Challenge buddies and I REALLY like her stuff!  This was a quick card, and not really my "typical" but I like it.  Here is the inspiration...  isn't that just gorgeous?!?!?  I used the snowflake swirly border from my new  Winter Embossing Border set on the edge of the card... I think I could get addicted to using these things!!  This card is also for the Crazy 4 Challenges - punch happy!

Stamps: Snow Happy set from Paper Makeup Stamps  Paper: Me & My Big Ideas Oh What Fun, Night of Navy, Shimmer White cs both by SU and Stampers Select by PTI  Ink: Tuxedo Black by Memento, Night of Navy by SU, Copics  Accessories: White brads by Basic Gray, Button from PTI, DMC Floss, Labels 3 Nesties, Circle Nesties, Winter Embossing border

PMS Monday Challenge... It's to "die" for!

This week it was my turn to come up with the PMS Monday Challenge, I chose "Dies & Punches".  You can use any dies and/or punches BUT, Nesties cannot count as your die (you can use them, but they won't count as the die).  Well I had my card all planned out in my head, but as my card came together (and I had to make some minor changes) I realized the die I was going to use wouldn't work.  Then I couldn't find one or a punch that WOULD work!  So I ended up punching a 1/2 circle in the side of my focal image and used it as a notch for my ribbon!  This might have been ok, but it is MY challenge, I have to do better than that!!!! (scroll down to see my 2nd attempt!).  This card did serve some other purposes... Have you ever bought one of the "Key Ingredients" packs from Taylored Expressions?  They ROCK!!!  Taylor is awesome at putting those things together, the ingredients used above are all from her June kit.  This also gave me a chance to play with some Prism paper for the first time (Taylor includes them in her kits)!!  Very fun paper!  The sketch for this card is for the Crazy 4 Challenges sketch challenge for this week.

Supplies:  Stamps: Hope Fairy from Paper Makeup Stamps  Paper: all paper from the Taylored Expressions June Key Ingredients kit (dsp is Feeling Groovy by MME,  Blush Red Medium Prism Cardstock  Ink: Tuxedo Black by Memento, Copics  Accessories:  Angel Wings & Pink Shimmerz, Red Candy Dots, Purple ribbon from TE, paper piercer

PMS Monday Challenge, Take 2!

Here's my second attempt at my own challenge (if you are confused, read the post above).  This quote is also the Friday Freebie on the PMS Blog, run over there and get it before it's gone!!).  Once again the sketch is for the Crazy 4 Challenges blog.  The colors are from Lauren Maeders color challenge for this week.  Make sure you head over to the PMS blog and add your entry to Mr. Linky... it'll get you featured on the PMS Sunday Showoff!

Supplies:  Stamps:  If Out of Time (digi)  Paper: Chocolate Remix dsp from PTI, Pure Poppy, Dark Chocolate and Ripe Avocado from PTI, Very Vanilla from Stampin Up!  Accessories: Scallop border pun from SU, Simple Stem Embosslit from Stampin Up!, 1/4" Chocolate Chip ribbon from SU, Chocolate  Candy Dots, Ticket Punch from SU