Craft Hoarders Anonymous Challenge #5

Hello and happy Monday! This is my project for Challenge #5 at the Craft Hoarders Anonymous Challenge Blog! Remember, you have two weeks to play in the new challenge! Challenge closes April 20th at midnight PT.

Challenge #5 Pick a Stamp, Any Stamp!

You don't have to be a card maker to hoard stamps! With the popularity of pocket-style scrapbooking (Project Life and Photo Freedom) and the explosion of journaling stamps on the market, many scrapbookers have also become stamp hoarders. Digital stamps are more popular than ever. I am sure that most of us have at least one stamp in our stash! You may "collect" wood mounted stamps, clear stamps, cling rubber, or even digital stamps! Get one out, dust it off, and make it the STAR of your project! We want to see a stamp (sentiment, word art, image, etc.) on your project! Feel free to use more than one stamp, but you must have AT LEAST ONE stamped item on your project. 

One talented participant will receive this prize, donated by Hampton Art! Please note: since this is such a large prize, we will only pick one prize winner for April. We will choose from the entries to both April challenges. 

Over $100 Value  - Product is NOT included

Hampton Art, founded in 1980 in picturesque Long Island, NY, has been inspiring stampers, crafters and papercraft enthusiasts for over 20 years. One of the earliest “art stamp” companies, Hampton has transformed over the years to become a complete provider of creative products such as stamps, inks, papers, kids crafts, stationery, scrapbooking supplies, and card making accessories for crafters of every age and skill level. We focus on working together with other companies through strong, personal relationships and licensing partnerships to consistently bring fun, inspiring products to market. We have a portfolio of brands including Hampton Art™, Studio G™, Diffusion, Ditto™, and our latest addition, Ki Memories®, acquired in 2012. Our products can be found via most national craft retailers at over 5000 stores across the US and Canada. We also ship to 20 different countries across the globe. Hampton was acquired by National Spinning Co, Inc. of Washington, NC, our current home, in 2008. For more information, visit our Website. 

I am super excited about this challenge, for several reasons. First, I have worked with Hampton Art (on and off) for over three years. Second, I am a (sometimes) stamp designer for Hampton. And third, I love me some stamps and a stamping challenge!

After a few "duds" I came up with this card. I used 6 different stamped images! I had such fun paying with stamps and inks and more stamps! I did have blue hands by the time I was finished, but it was worth it!

First, I created a black, top-fold A2 size card (5 1/2 x 4 1/4 inches). I used peacock feathers distress ink to "grunge up" three different sheets of designer paper. I trimmed each sheet just a tad smaller for each layer.

On the third layer, the striped designer paper, I not only "grunged" it with the blue ink, but I also stamped with the Hampton Art/Graphic 45 Harlequin Background stamp. I inked the stamp with Clearsnap Colorbox Black Pigment ink and stamped the image in the corner of the paper. I then heat embossed with Black Soot distress embossing powder.

The top layer of the card is a stamped image from the Hampton Art/Diffusion Butterflies Are Free stamp set. First, I used Squeezed Lemonade and Mustard Seed distress ink to "color" a sheet of white cardstock. Then, I stamped the image with black dye ink. After the ink was dry, I fussy cut the image and rubbed the edges with Peacock Feathers distress ink. I used foam tape to pop the image off the card.

I stamped the butterfly image from the Hampton Art/Graphic 45 Botanical Tea Three stamp set onto the main stamped image with Peacock Feathers distress ink. I stamped the image again onto white cardstock and fussy cut it. I added a bit of the yellow inks to the fussy cut butterfly. I used some foam tape to pop the butterfly from the main image.

Next, I stamped the butterfly postage image from the Hampton Art/Graphic 45 Botanical Tea Three stamp set onto white cardstock with Peacock Feathers distress ink. I used deco scissors to fussy cut it the postage stamp and then added a bit of the yellow inks. I used some foam tape to pop the postage image from the main image. It is hard to see in the photo, but I added some glitter to the edge of the postage image with a Wink of Stella pen. {Yes, I drank the Wink of Stella Kool-Aid!} 

I decided that the card needed more dimension, so I die cut some flowers and leaves from white cardstock. I inked them with distress inks (Peacock Feathers, Squeezed Lemonade, Shabby Shutters). I put the flowers together as shown.

I stamped a sentiment from the Hampton Art/Authentique Keep Me Posted stamp set onto white cardstock. I trimmed out the sentiment with a die cut template and inked the edges with the blue distress ink. 

I always decorate the inside of my cards. I added some of the blue striped paper and some off-white (inked with the yellow distress inks) to the inside. I stamped the sentiment from the Hampton Art/Graphic 45 Botanical Tea Three stamp set with black ink. 

I hope you had fun today! Make sure you stop by the Hampton Art Website or Blog  or Facebook and tell them hello! They are our AMAZING sponsor for April! Thanks for looking! 

Challenge Rules are HERE. Make sure you LINK your project up using the Link Tool on the Craft Hoarders Anonymous Challenge Blog. PLEASE DO NOT LINK YOUR PROJECT TO MY SCRAPS OF LIFE BLOG! (Yes, that was shouting, sorry.)

Make sure you visit the Design Team and check out what they have to share!

Amber Milone
Christy Butters
Debbie Seyer
Donna Idlet
Ginny Nemchak

Glenda Brooks
Gloria Stengel - YOU ARE HERE
Jan Marie Ennenga
Karen Zueger

Kathy Clement

Pam Bray
Tammi Bennett

Hampton Art:
Studio G i craft tag cards white (used instead of white cardstock)
ki memories Enchanted designer paper
Hampton Art/Authentique Keep Me Posted
Hampton Art/Diffusion Butterflies Are Free
Hampton Art/Graphic 45 Botanical Tea Three, Harlequin Background

Cardstock: WorldWin Papers Treasures Pitch Black
Ink: Ranger Distress Peacock Feathers, Squeezed Lemonade, Mustard Seed, Shabby Shutters; Colorbox Clearsnap Pigment Black; Tsukineko Memento Tuxedo Black
Glitter: Wink of Stella Clear
Die cut shapes: Memory Box Fabulous Phlox; Sweet n Sassy Stamps Mini Tags
Other designer paper: Authentique Flourish
Embossing powder: Ranger Distress Black Soot

Adhesive: Scotch 3M ATG tape; Scrapbook Adhesives by 3L 3D Foam Squares; Aleene's Fast Grab Tacky Glue