The Alley Way Stamps: You Are My Everything

Very sadly, this is my last post as part of the design team for The Alley Way Stamps.  I LOVE their stamps and the hardest thing about not being part of the team is that I've seen the new stamps for the next three months and they are fabulous.  (Or maybe that's a good thing because I can manage my budget around buying new stamps.)  Sneak peeks for July started yesterday on their blog.

For today, I am re-inspiring you for the current BE Inspired challenge.  I love the fresh colors and the "sweet" photo for this challenge.

To keep my card sweet and simple, I pulled out Lighter Than Air.  I used coral and turquoise with just a hint of "sugar" on the heart!

• Stamps: The Alley Way Stamps Lighter Than Air
• Paper: Papertrey Ink Berry Sorbet
• Ink: Memento black, Copics
• Accessories: L'il Inkers stitched squares, Divine Twine Black Licorice, Fruit Punch Stickles

TAWS BE Inspired: Welcome Baby

The current TAWS BE Inspired challenge is three ice cream parfaits and a bottle of coke.  I took my inspiration from those yummy colors.

I used a set of cupcakes and bonbons to make a baby card in the same soft colors!!

• Stamps: The Alley Way Stamps Bite Size, Priceless (sentiment)
• Paper: Stampin' Up Crumb Cake, Crisp Cantaloupe, Pistachio Pudding, Strawberry Slush
• Ink: Memento black, Copics
• Accessories: L'il Inkers Stitched Square die, Ellen Hutson sequins

TAWS BE Inspired: Have a Blast

It's a busy week with The Alley Way Stamps - full of sneak peeks and a big new release blog hop.  Then today it's time for BE Inspired.

Such a festive picture!!  I was paging through all of my TAWS stamps and stumbled on a circus set.  I thought it was a great fit!

I am also submitting this to the current Simon Says Stamps challenge - Anything Goes.  Did you know that the Simon Says Stamps Store now carries The Alley Way Stamps!!?

BIG NEWS: The downloadable Copic charts for color matches to Stampin' Up and

Papertrey Ink have been updated for the brand new Stampin' Up colors and the

most recent Papertrey Ink colors.  The link to these charts is on my side bar to the right!!

• Stamps: The Alley Way Stamps Admit One
• Paper: Stampin' Up Poppy Parade, Night of Navy
• Ink: Memento black and Copics
• Accessories: Freckled Fawn Geometric Triangle washi, misc gems and stickles

BE Inspired and Fight Like a Girl

The current challenge at The Alley Way Stamps is a dainty and feminine bedroom.  I took the ruffles and colors and made a fight-like-a-girl card!


I so love this bedroom scene.  I have a house full of men so there is absolutely nothing feminine about my home.  But honestly, I fit much better into my current green and plaid bedroom than my husband would ever fit into this dainty room!!

• Stamps: The Alley Way Stamps Wings of Hope
• Paper: Stampin' Up Blushing Bride, Crumb Cake
• Ink: Memento Grey Flannel
• Accessories: Papertrey Ink Woodgrain Impression Plate, Tiny Tags die, Stampin' Up Scallop border, Timeless Twine Krazy for Kraft, Tim Holtz Frayed Burlap Distress Stickles, Martha Stewart Crystal Fine Glitter

TAWS BE Inspired: Crazy About You

The current BE Inspired challenge at The Alley Way Stamps is a rainbow of color on a black background.

I'm not a black background kind of cardmaker - but decided to give it a try.

I wasn't entirely certain about this card, so I asked my men and boys.  They liked it!  You have to understand that they don't say they like things just to spare my feelings.  Typically they tell me that my cards have "too much".  Really?  My cards??  They will also tell me they don't like the bling, or the colors, or that I have a smudge or that I colored out of the lines.  It's a good thing that I have a healthy ego.  So...while this card may not totally appeal to me...it appeals to my men/boys who don't want "too much"!  (On the other hand, each of them - even the teenagers -have kept the cards that I have made them over the years!!)I was inspired by the sketch from Freshly Made Sketches.

• Stamps: The Alley Way Stamps Lighter than Air (sentiment), Tag-alongs (chevron)
• Paper: scrap
• Ink: Memento black and Copics
• Accessories: Papertrey Ink Scarlet Jewel button, Divine Twine Black Licorice

Happy (almost) Caturday!!

It's my day to provide you with some re-inspiration for the current BE Inspired challenge at The Alley Way Stamps.  I was sitting at my craft desk - staring at this inspiration photo...

At the same time, I'm looking out the window at a very cold, snowy and windy day.  My cats love me the most on cold days (because I'm warm!!) and one cat decided to "help" me with my crafting.  She hugged my knee and cuddled in close.

At that point the lightbulb came one!  The Alley Way Stamps has a darling set of cats called Sittin' Pretty.  I could make orange cat faces!!



Happy (almost) Cat-urday!!

• Stamps: The Alley Way Stamps Sittin' Pretty
• Paper: white
• Ink: Memento black and Copics
• Accessories: Divine Twine Black Licorice

BE Re-Inspired with TAWS

Last week was the start of a new BE Inspired challenge by The Alley Way Stamps, with this sweet collage of images.

It's my job this week to RE-Inspire you so that you play along.  If you don't have any images by The Alley Way Stamps, they have made digi freebies for you here.

In general, I am a fairly rigid challenge player.  This photo has pink and yellow and it has polka dots - so that's what I use.  But not today.  I'm not even sure that I can tell you what happened - I was looking for pink and yellow papers; I stumbled on this piece of floral; and it was utterly perfect for my image of the card.  So I truly was inspired, I'm just not sure you can tell!  (It does have the natural look of the spring scenes and the wood table!!!)

• Stamps: The Alley Way Stamps Life is Short
• Paper: Stampin' Up Sahara Sand, Pebbles Walnut Grove (floral), Simple Stories Snap Color Vibe (stripe)
• Ink: Stampin' Up Early Espresso
• Accessories: Taylored Expressions Silhouette Stems 3 die, Stampin' Up Early Espresso Taffeta, Martha Stewart butterfly punch

BE Re-Inspired with TAWS

The current challenge at The Alley Way Stamps (TAWS) is this fabulous clean and simple, blue and green, stripe and square piece!!

I started playing with punched squares in different patterns.  Then the ocean in the maps at the top led me to the Sea Mates, then the map colors led me to give him a "turtley awesome" colorful shell!

I've been taking a patterned paper class from Online Cards Classes and one of the techniques is to run a gray Copic around the edge of your paper to make them stand out.  I used to edge my paper all the time. I even posted about it years ago here.  But I used to do it by rubbing the edges along a black ink pad.  This had a couple of flaws (1) I couldn't easily do curved edges and (2) if I touched an edge before the ink dried I got inky fingers and 99 times out of 100, I'd get the smudge on my card!  I love this so simple idea of running a gray marker along the edge - so simple and a big impact.  (She recommended T1 or T3, but did use a T5 in a later video on a darker paper.
I did my card first without edging - you can see it side by side by looking at the unedged close-up vs. the card picture.  The card comes to life - it adds a shadow to each layer.  Here's the whole uninked card if you want to see it looking flatter.
I hope you play along with the challenge.  If you don't have any stamps by TAWS, never fear - there are free digital stamps!!

• Stamps: The Alley Way Stamps Sea Mates
• Paper: Stampin' Up Turquoise, Pool and Pear
• Ink: Memento Black and Copics
• Accessories: Ranger Glossy Accents, Martha Stewart Crystal Fine Glitter

TAWS BE Inspired with 3 Girl Jam!

Welcome to the 3GJ/TAWS Cross Promotion Double Challenge Blog Hop!

The goal of this cross promo/double challenge is to introduce you all to 2 awesome companies, gather inspiration from both design teams and have the opportunity to enter 2 fun challenges!

I am on the design team for The Alley Way Stamps . For this week, we are teaming up with the design team at 3 Girl JAM which is owned and operated by the talented Julie K Bling and her 2 daughters. They make the most beautiful hand dyed crinkle ribbon and fun flair buttons - you can check out my button card here.

Every 2 weeks TAWS has a new challenge based on a fun photo called "Be Inspired" and 3GJ has their own challenge using 3GJ Crinkle Ribbon, so for this challenge the design teams are using the TAWS photo AND some great ribbon!!

I can't say that it originally occurred to me to make a masculine card with this luscious ribbon - but I think it works - and here's the inspiration photo that led me in this direction.

 

YOUR challenge will be to come up with a project using THIS photo, a stamp and ribbon. Remember the photo is for inspiration ONLY - be creative, use your imagination and show us what this photo inspired you to create.

Need some inspiration?

We hope you will hop through the line-up and see all the gorgeous projects the DT’s have created.

You should be coming from Jovan. If you started with me - you might want to head back to the TAWS blog to start at the beginning.

Your next stop is OmaGloria.

Here's the entire line-up for today!

TAWS~ http://www.thealleywaystamps.blogspot.com/

Jessica~ http://chick-n-scrap.blogspot.com

Jessica B ~ http://jessicascraftshaque.blogspot.com

Arielle~http://snappystamper.blogspot.com

Julie Odil- http://muddypawsinkyfingers.blogspot.com/2013/03/im-hoppin-cross-promotional-mini-hop.html

Jovan- http://www.cardsbyjovan.com/

Kim~http://joyfulcreationswithkim.blogspot.com/

OmaGloria - http://omascrafts.com

Alison~http://www.stretchnbubbles2.blogspot.com/

Rebecca D- http://bloomingpink.blogspot.com/

Abby Henderson- http://scrappin-abby.blogspot.com/

Christine~ http://kartenchaos.blogspot.com/

3GJ Challenge Blog~ http://3girljamchallenge.blogspot.com/

At the TAWS blog and the 3GJ challenge blog, you will find out more about their individual challenges and have the opportunity to link up to not just one challenge but both challenges for the chance to win some awesome prizes!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

PRIZES:

1. Just hop though our mini hop and leave comments
2. Enter BOTH challenges (if you don't own any TAWS there are freebies here)

Prizes are TAWS stamp sets and a Bundle of 3GJ Crinkle Ribbon.

Thanks for hopping with TAWS and 3GJ.

We look forward to seeing all your projects!

• Stamps: The Alley Way Stamps Love Knots, Doodle Frames (sentiment)
• Paper: Papertrey Ink Scarlet Jewel, Kraft
• Ink: Papertrey Ink Scarlet Jewel, Kraft
• Accessories: 3 Girl JAM crinkle ribbon

BE Re-Inspired with The Alley Way Stamps

It's the beginning of the second week for The Alley Way Stamps BE Inspired challenge and it's my job to remind you and to re-inspire you!!

The picture is full of neutrals with an intense flash of green and a few other fun colors!  I focused mainly on the colors - but the freebie stamp set with purchase this month includes a little fence - so with the fence in the background - I had to use it!!

I hope you play along.  If you don't yet own any stamps by The Alley Way Stamps (available at the link or now at Simon Says Stamp - they do have digital freebies for you here!

I particularly like this week's sketch at Crazy 4 Challenges as I thought that angled panel would work perfectly with the fun TAWS stamps!

• Stamps: The Alley Way Stamps Tweet Spot (free with $40 purchase), Background Check (on the green flag) and Doodle Frames ("hello")
• Paper: Stampin' Up Crumb Cake, Soft Suede, Wausau Paper Astrobrights Glow (the green)
• Ink: Memento black, Copics, Versamark (on the green)
• Accessories: Papertrey Ink Hibiscus ribbon, Stampin' Up embossing folders, My Favorite Things fishtail flag die

CAS on Sunday with TAWS

There's a new challenge out there called CAS on Sunday and this week's challenge is a CAS Valentine.  This fit perfectly with my "job" to re-inspire you for The Alley Way Stamps BE Inspired challenge.  The challenge picture is this very simple mug and cookies!

I was inspired by the stack of cookies which I changed to a polka-dot harlequin border(!?) and the one big bold heart.

I also have to give credit to Catered Crop for their polka dot inspiration.  I originally started out with a plain yellow harlequin strip (actually I originally ORIGINALLY started with a red strip) but it seemed too heavy.  I was ready to give up on this simple card when I saw the Catered Crop polka dot challenge.  I pulled out the brightest polka dots that I had and it works!!
(Hey Carol!!  Yes...I changed it again after you left!!)
I hope you are feeling inspired because these challenges go perfectly together!!

• Stamps: The Alley Way Stamps Mad Gab
• Paper: Stampin' Up Polka Dot Parade
• Ink: Memento black
• Accessories: Dress It Up button, Timeless Twine Lemonade Yellow, Close to my Heart Bitty Sparklers, My Favorite Things Harlequin die

Eyes for You in Pink and Blue!!

There's a challenge going on over at The Alley Way Stamps (TAWS) with this inspiration photo that includes some lovely pinks.

The set that originally got me all excited about The Alley Way Stamps is called adoraBOWL and includes three fun and funky pairs of glasses.  As a long-time wearer of glasses (with about 6 years in the middle glasses-free due to LASIK) - this set just had to go in my collection.  But I haven't used it yet.  So I decided funky pink glasses would work well.

I made this two days ago to meet the deadline for the TAWS blog, then yesterday I sat down to write this post and I realized that the card made no sense.  On the one hand, I was practically giddy that I had made a spontaneous gem purchase that ended up being PERFECT for these glasses.  On the other hand, how does this card get used?  I wouldn't give it to my hubby because...it's pink!!  He wouldn't give a card like this to me because the "I" in "I only have eyes" implies that the glasses are his and...they're pink!!  Had I thought of this in advance, this card could have been saved because there are other "eye" sentiments in the set.So, although I'm happy with the card, I tried again.  I wear brown glasses with a hint of aqua on the edges (although not cat eyes!)  Nice, masculine colors and perfect for a card!!

Although hard to see - I did add Glossy Accent for the lenses on both cards!
Big news at TAWS - the huge online stamp store, Simon Says Stamp, is now carrying TAWS so you can add them to your cart along with that darn "falling hearts" die that I have been using this week!!  FYI - when I looked this morning - if you use the Manufacturer Search drop down box to find TAWS look for just "Alley Way".  And...as of yesterday they only had 9 sets available but there are many more to come!

• Stamps: The Alley Way Stamps adoraBOWL, Chatterbox (the sentiment; although there are also great "eye" sentiments in adoraBOWL.)
• Paper: first card is Stampin' Up Melon Mambo and Pretty in Pink, second card is Papertrey Ink Dark Chocolate and Aqua Mist
• Ink: first card is Memento black and Copics, second card is Papertrey Ink Dark Chocolate and Aqua Mist
• Accessories: first card uses Hobby Lobby brand rhinestones, second card uses Papertrey Ink buttons and twine

Splashes and Inspiration!

It's my day to re-inspire you for The Alley Way Stamps Be Inspired challenge.  The challenge was this very orange photo.

I took the vertical lines of the photo and the black and white, but I am not an orange fan (except when it comes to football - go Broncos!!!)  So I decided to play along with two "splash" of color challenges that are active this week - Simon Says Stamp and Less Is More.

I so love this cat image - it is absolutely my own cat.  My cat is black and white and his expression is just as clueless as this stamp.  Can't you just see the "duh" speech bubble above him?  And it amused to me to use a cat and fish bowl image when I was playing along with "splash" challenges.

True confession - that wonderful button/twine treatment is not my creation.  I saw this card and immediately ordered a supply of the buttons so I could do exactly the same thing!!

The layout of my card comes from this week's sketch from Freshly Made Sketches.

Also - the huge give-away over at The Alley Way Stamps is still going on.  There are prizes every single day!!  Be sure to click over...but be careful.  I won a prize from them just six months ago and now I am on their design team and totally hooked on the style!!

• Stamps: The Alley Way Stamps Sittin' Pretty
• Paper: black and white
• Ink: Memento Black and Copics
• Accessories: Ranger Glossy Accents, Martha Stewart Fine Crystal Glitter, Close To My Heart Bitty Sparklers (the bling), Papertrey Ink Orange Zest Twill Ribbon, Hobby Lobby brand black and white ribbon, Stampin' Up Embossing folder.  Whew!!  I am definitely an equal opportunity user on this card - check out all of the brands!!

Thank You Snowflakes!

I LOVE the current photo for The Alley Way Stamps (TAWS) BE Inspired challenge.  I have always thought that I will know that I have made it in life if I can have seasonal bedding (other than the switch from cotton to flannel when it gets cold!!)

I used the snowflakes from Holiday Sparkles which is a free set for the month of December with a $40 purchase.  The sentiment is from Jibber Jabber (although I did cut the "s" from "thanks. FYI - cutting stamps can be really helpful.  Just be sure to cut them with a little curve so that when you want them put back together, you can line them up easily - they will just fit together like a jigsaw puzzle!)

Aren't red and white wonderful together???

• Stamps: The Alley Way Stamps Holiday Sparkles, Jibber Jabber
• Paper: Stampin' Up Real Red and white
• Ink: Stampin' Up Real Red and Versamakr
• Accessories: Stampin' Up Red grosgrain and gingham, Zing white embossing powder, misc twine and bling

BE Inspired with The Alley Way Stamps

It's time for a new inspiration challenge over at The Alley Way Stamps.  I am IN LOVE with the rich colors of this image...

I got this fun new embossing folder at Hobby Lobby and thought it would do a great job of showcasing my simple snowman with his bright presents!

There are a few snowflakes in the air.  I didn't lighten up this close up so you could see the snow!

• Stamps: The Alley Way Stamps Jolly Holiday
• Paper: Papertrey Ink Raspberry Fizz
• Ink: Memento black and Copics, Versamark Frost
• Accessories: Hobby Lobby brand embossing folder

RE-Inspired with Freebies

It is the second week of the BE-Inspired Challenge over at The Alley Way Stamps (TAWS) and it is a CUTE picture...

So I get to RE-inspired you to play along.  And as an added thrill today, the stamps that I have used on my card have just been announced on the TAWS blog as a freebie with $40 purchase through the month of December!

I love the colors and I was particularly drawn to the stockings - I liked the random splashes of color.


You need a close-up to see that the card really does sparkle!!

A big thank you to two challenges that helped me with this card...
retrosketches

colourq - Although I am very sad to announce that I am officially out of my first ever Stampin' Up color.  I have ink and paper back to Mint Melody and Mauve Mist (anybody remember those?)  But I pulled out my Glorious Green pad to make this - it was dry - so I rummaged through my ink refills and then rummaged again and again...it's gone.  I am officially out of Glorious Green.  There is nothing quite like Glorious Green - I used Garden Green on this card.

BE Inspired with The Alley Way Stamps

It's the second week of the BE Inspired challenge at The Alley Way Stamps.  I wanted to remind you that there are great prizes (free stamp sets!!!) just for creating a card or other project with this for inspiration....

You do have to use something from The Alley Way Stamps on your project, but they make it easy - they have digital freebies.  (That's how I got hooked up with them - true story - downloaded a freebie and won a BE Inspired challenge!!!)  Check out their blog for complete details.

One of their new sets has a sailboat and I needed a baby boy card.  I also liked the pennants and the colors of the pennants in top corner of the inspiration photo.


I am also playing along with this week's Tuesday Morning Sketch:

• Stamps: The Alley Way Stamps Kid 'n Caboodle, Alphabet Soup
• Paper: Stampin' Up Crumb Cake, Daffodil CS and dsp, Pool Party CS and dsp
• Ink: Versamark, Memento black and Copics
• Accessories: Zing white embossing powder, My Favorite Things Fishtails dies, Martha Stewart Baker's Twine, Cuttlebug Anchors Aweigh embossing folder, EK Success border punch, Stampin' Up Pool Party ribbon

TAWS BE Inspired 13

Today's the day for a new BE Inspired challenge over at The Alley Way Stamps (TAWS).

I think that I started Halloween cards a little early because I was definitely not feeling like pumpkins or bats, but I did fall for those strange little guys in the upper left.  So I took a big flying leap out of my comfort zone and am hoping we don't hear a big "thud"...


The Fine Print:

Don't forget....

1) You MUST use an image from The Alley Way Stamps (you can find freebies here!) Projects with non-TAWS images will be deleted.

2) You must mention this challenge and link to it in your blog post. If you link from a gallery, please paste the challenge addy into the description of your pic.

3) - The challenge linky closes on 11 October 2012 at Noon, TAWS time (Mtn)!!!

PRIZES:

 We have to have prizes for all the effort put into it right?

The Top Pick will be hand picked by me (Alison, TAWS creator).. will receive 1 free stamp sets of their choice, and a badge to proudly display on their blog. 

One Random winner will receive 1 free stamp set of their choice, and a winners badge to proudly display on their blog..

We'd love you to upload your projects to our Creation BLVD. Flicker group for your chance to be spotlighted on the TAWS blog or our Facebook page where each month someone is randomly drawn for a stamp set of their choice! We can't wait to see how you are inspired.. :)

• Stamps: The Alley Way Stamps Cover-Ups (the chevron and the "hi"), Admit One (the stars) and a very early sneak peek of a new set for November (the checkboard)
• Paper: black and white
• Ink: Stampin' Up Real Red, Tempting Turquoise, Gumball Green, black
• Accessories: Stampin' Up button, misc twine