Stamping Addicts Retiring Sets Mega Hop

Welcome to the Stamping Addicts Retiring Sets Blog Hop!  This is my first time participating in a hop and I have had a wonderful time preparing for it.  You may have arrived here from Twila Davis's blog where she featured one of my favorite stamp sets Refuge and Strength.   If not, you can still visit all the blogs as they are linked in circle.  So many fun things to see!

As you can tell from the title of my blog, I have a soft spot for kitties.  I grew up on a farm with lots of kittens to love.  We currently have four cats each with VERY different personalities and traits.  So of course, I had to choose the stamp set A KIND WORD with it's adorable little girls and kitties to feature for the blog hop.

One of my favorite things to make are coordinated sets using a single stamp set.   But for this hop I challenged myself to make three very different styles with a variety of techniques to show the versatility of the set.  I also incorporated a number of fun retiring products.

My first project is a card using the wood sheets cut with the Big Shot as the focal point.  After cutting the scalloped circle with the Scallop Circle #2 Big Shot die,  I stamped the kittens in the hat with Jet Black Staz-On ink.  I used the Watercolor Pencils to color the image and then ever so lightly blended the colors with a damp fine tipped brush.

Paper: Kraft, Crushed Curry (retiring), Pacific Point (returning), Patterns Pack III Hostess (retiring)

Accessories:  Wood Sheets, Scallop Circle #2 Big Shot die, Spring Flowers Sizzlet (retiring), Swirls Scribbles Sizzlet, Textured Impression Embossing Folder, Water color Pencils, Crushed Curry Polka Dot Ribbon (retiring).

I used the retiring Spring Flowers Sizzlet to cut flowers from the Patterns Pack III hostess DSP and added Crushed Curry centers and swirls.  This is all mounted on a piece of Pacific Point embossed with the Textured impressions folder on a Kraft card base.  The Crushed Curry Polka-Dot ribbon ties all the bright and cheery elements together.

The next card features a vellum center piece colored with a variety of markers.   I backed the vellum with a second Top Note cut from Whisper White and edged with a line of Pumpkin Pie marker.  The brads through the center of Felt Flower Fusion flowers hold the vellum in place.  I just love the county flavor of the rickrack from the Orchard Ribbons Originals pack and the card base is the beautiful retiring Lovely Lilac.  Hard to photograph to show off the vellum but this is very bright and cheerful in person.

Paper: Vellum cardstock, Whisper White, Lovely Lilac (retiring)
Accessories: SU Markers, Flower Fusion (retiring), vintage  brads, Orchard Ribbons originals (retiring)

My last card is a side-step card.  The images were stamped on watercolor paper with versamark ink and heat embossed in black then colored with re-inkers. The flowers and leaves are cut using the Birds and Blooms Sizzlets.  A tiny button from the Playground collection sets off the sentiment.

  Paper: Certainly Celery, Tempting Turquoise, Real Red, More Mustard, Old Olive, Watercolor paper
Accessories: Versamark ink, Black embossing powder, re-inker, Birds and Blooms Sizzlets, Playground buttons (retiring)


I cut around the bottom of the little girl's skirt and feet to make her fly over the flower garden.  This card reminds me of swinging in our back yard near our garden as a little girl.

Thanks for stopping by today!  Next on the blog hop path is Adriana who is featuring the cute set Owl Together Now.  Have a great time.