Archive for Family Update

Card Fail and Re-Do!

Posted by Kimberly
on Friday, January 8th, 2016

Card Fail and Re-Do!

It happens more than people think inside this stamp room of mine.

 

It’s the final moments of creating the card.  All is going beautifully well.  I’m just adding some finishing touches and BAM… RUINED. I mean RUINED.

 

There are many many cards that have almost hit the trash but somehow I have saved… until this card.  It was a complete disaster and for a challenge card no less.

Let me share….

First, today is Friday so that means it’s time for a TGIF challenge.  It’s a super fun sketch I think you will love.

Card Fail, TGIF Challenge, Stampin' Up!

 

I started this card using the Beautiful Ride stamp set.  I love this bug car and the other images that go with this set are amazing fun.

 

Beautiful Ride, TGIF Challenge, Stampin' Up!

 

Once I had everything watercolored and the entire card set in place and adhered down I thought it needed one more thing… a little splatter.  It’s like an obsession I have.  Kinda like my obsession with doily’s.  I also love me some splatter.  Until it’s out of control like this…

Beautiful Ride, TGIF Challenge, Stampin' Up!

Now my couple looks like they are part of a murder scene.  Who knew Watermelon Wonder ink could look like a bloody mess? I tried to save the card by re-doing the couple.  Nope.  The windows on the bug car were to far gone.  It didn’t look pretty at all.  Most of the time when this happens I have to walk away and gather my thoughts because I’m so mad at myself.  Not this card.  I laughed so hard I almost wet my pants.  This was FUNNY!!

 

So, I started from scratch.  A complete re-do!

 

Beautiful Ride, TGIF Challenge, Stampin' Up!

Much cleaner.  No more murder scene.  Just a lovely couple probably enjoying a cozy moment alone.

 

Beautiful Ride, TGIF Challenge, Stampin' Up!

Tips & Tricks

I used Watercolor Paper and Basic Black Archival Ink to watercolor the Bug and couple images.  One tip before you start watercoloring, heat set the images.   I stamp the images and then I take my heat tool over them to make sure they are good and dry.

The images are watercolored using an Aqua Painter and Inks.  I used Watermelon Wonder for the Bug Car.  You can see all the inks used in the supply list below.

When I first stamped the stars they were really bright using Daffodil Delight. When I was re-creating this card I changed the ink to So Saffron (had to bust out a duster on that ink pad!) Using that color was much softer. Then I added a Vellum overlay to create an even more softer look.

 

What do you think? Notice the re-created card has NO splatter.  I thought I would not risk it a second time.

Would love to hear from you!  Plus, don’t forget to play along in the challenge.  You can see what the other designers created HERE and play along.

Family News

I’m traveling to Atlanta as you are reading this.  Alexis has her first gym meet of the season.  It’s just the two of us traveling and I cherish these moments with her.  It’s a big weekend for her as she becomes an official teenager on Sunday.  My little peach is 13.  So many of you have watched this girl grow up.  Wanna see a blast from the past? Click on a few of these links below if you have the time.  It makes my heart skip a beat. Okay, actually I have cried looking back at these. Some are funny stories, some are tender moments. Thank you for letting me share my real world with  you along with my stamping.

 

Seattle Trip

Valentines Blitz

Simple Little Snowflakes

The Beauty of Iowa

A Few Techniques

A Day at the Beach

A True Stamper

 

 

New Month- New Gift with Purchase!

Any $25 order placed in January will receive a FREE gift from me PLUS  my Exclusive January Inspiration Project Tutorials. Use the hostess code below. 

Gift with Purchase, Stampin' Up!,

Click the links below to view the products in my Online Store.  Products with the price of $0 means they are Sale-a-Bration products. 

For every $50 you spend from the Idea Book & Catalog or the NEW Occasions catalog you can choose a product FREE from the Sale-a-Bration catalog. 

 

 

Categories : Cards, Celebration, Congratulations, Family, Family Update, Sale-a-Bration, Sketch Challenge, TGIF Challenges, Wedding
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So Very Grateful

Posted by Kimberly
on Wednesday, April 2nd, 2014

SO Very Grateful to all of my customers!!  

Thank you, Thank you for being so loyal, so kind, so patient and so YOU!

 

Every day my goal with my business is to inspire YOU. I create because I want to show that you can too.  I’m so very grateful that you put up with my ramblings, my absence and most of all let me be me.  

Over the last 4 months you have given me strength, inspired me to not give up and prayed hard.  How can I ever thank you enough? 

Today my card is just for you.  I can’t thank you enough for “sticking” with me.  

So Very Grateful, Stampin' Up!

Okay, here is the deal-io.  This stamp set always scares me at first because of the delicate nature of the image.  It’s so pretty and has so many delicate looking flowers.  My time to stamp doesn’t lend to intricate designs typically but I REALLY wanted to use this stamp.  

 

I opted to do a fun technique called Spotlighting.  Spotlighting is when you just highlight a portion of the image.  It’s best done by stamping the entire image on your cardstock and then stamping again and punching a portion of the image and coloring.  I find spotlighting looks best on line images, although I’ve seen it done very nicely on solid images too.  

So Very Grateful, Stampin' Up!

To recreate this card follow the steps below: 

  1. Fold Crumb Cake cardstock in half.  
  2. Ink the So Very Grateful flower image using Whisper White ink onto the bottom right corner of the Crumb Cake base.  
  3. Cover image with White Embossing powder and heat.  
  4. Stamp the image again using the same steps but onto a scrap piece of Crumb Cake cardstock.  
  5. Using your Bubble Framelits die cut a portion of the image.  
  6. Watercolor the Die Cut stamped image using either a Blender Pen or Aqua Painter.  
  7. Sponge around all the edges lightly using Baked Brown Sugar ink. 
  8. Using dimensionals adhere the Bubble die cut over the stamped image on your card base matching up the images.  
  9. Using Black Ink, stamp the Thank You greeting onto 1/2″ strip of Naturals Ivory card stock.  Use your hexagon punch to create a banner on the left side.  
  10. Tuck the banner under the bubble frame die cut and adhere using a dimensional.  
  11. Using the Itty Bitty Punch Pack, use the flower punch with Crushed Curry cardstock and punch 6 flowers.  Layer two flowers and attach each of them onto your card base as seen in photo. 
  12. Place Rhinestones on the center of each flower.  
  13. Attach an Antique Brad to the card base and edge of the Bubble Frame.  

 

What other stamp sets do you think would be great to try this technique with? Please share in the comments.  I really liked this technique and would like to play around with more stamps showcasing it.  

 

Again, thank you for sticking with me.  I hope you are being inspired to create.  While I absolutely LOVE you being my customer, my #1 thing I love is when I hear YOU are creating.  Inspiration is everywhere.  We just need to put those inspiring ideas to work.  

 

Please continue to pray for my Prince.  He has struggled this week.  He has been really tired, and progress has been slow. He knows this is natural but it’s been an emotional week.  He started to work three days a week for half days but his care taker (that’s me!) put her foot down and said NO.  He was home with me today and did his therapy.  I know it didn’t make him happy.  As much as I’m grateful to the Navy for all they have provided for us, I also know I need my Mr. around for another 43 more years.  His health takes priority.  

 

The emotional roller coaster is very normal where his injury in the brain is.  He can laugh one minute, cry the next.  As women, we are an emotional roller coaster.  For men, different story.  This has been a really big struggle.  

We are faithful.  We know God has his healing hands on Russ and for our family for that matter. Time heals. I won’t lie though, I  hate seeing him like this. Time.  Time. Time.  Our time is precious and YOU are precious to me. 

 

XOXOXO

So Very Grateful, Stampin' Up!

 

Categories : Cards, Family Update, Product Highlights, Thank You, Thinking of You, Tutorials
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“Van Deep in Trouble Weekend Update!

Posted by Kimberly
on Sunday, February 17th, 2013

It's time for an update…. family update that is.  I haven't written one in a long time and I thought today would be perfect.  I was cleaning my crafty space which was over run by dust bunnies and had a basket overflowing with cards.  As I was going through them I found a ton of cards that were sent during Russ' deployment.  As I opened and read each one of them it reminded me of how grateful I am for the friendships I've made during my many years of stamping.  This community is like no other.  Many of the cards received were from YOU, my readers.  I've placed them in a very special box and the next time I'm feeling blue I will pull that box out.  It brought a serious smile on my face.  

I'm happy to report that the "Van-Deep-in Troubles" are doing quite well.  The kids are back to their happy selves and after TWO years of CRAZINESS I finally feel like we are REALLY back to our normal.  

Here is a quick run down of what trouble we've been up to…

*Alexis turned 10.  Whoo Hoo.  We took a girls trip to NYC and had a BLAST! It was a NO Rules weekend.  New York City survived our giddiness.  

*Brandon's Robotics team won their Regional competition and now they are headed to Anaheim, CA for the WORLD Championships.  WHOA! We are SO excited for him.  

*Alexis has her first gymnastics meet coming up in March.  She is working hard on learning her routines.  

*Russ and Brandon went on a ski trip with his Boy Scout trip and it was a success.  Brandon learned to ski and Russ came home with no broken bones. 

*Alexis earned a spot in her school Spelling Bee.  She did an outstanding job but missed the word "INTIMIDATED."  She will never forget that word.  She was pretty upset but a trip to Starbucks for "kid coffee" AKA "hot chocolate" turned her around.  

*Brandon just finished his third Science Fair Project.  He chose the night before to finish the board.  8 hours later and two parents ready to drink–> it's complete.  

*The guinea pigs are still alive, getting fat and overly spoiled by two kids that still thank us daily for letting them get them.  Besides a little bit of "reminding" to clean the cage I have to say that my little gem blossoms have done a great job learning to take care of their pets.  

NYC Collage-002 Kimberly Van Diepen

 

Pics above are from our trip to NYC.  I think the pictures tell the story.  Lots of smiles and fun.  We had a blast.  

Kimberly Van Diepen

Pics above: Random pics of my Prince and I on our date, Brandon at his Robotics competition and the ski trip. 

I have a quick shout out before I close.  Back in August 2011 while Russ was away there was this amazing demonstrator who made a HUGE impact on our lives.  Sue Martin literally brought sunshine to our home.  You might remember this post HERE. 

In the last row of pictures you see my gem blossoms smiling BIG time.  "Mrs. Sue" sent a package of sunshine to my kiddo's again at Christmas time.  When the kids looked at the package and could see who it was from they immediately explained to my entire family the sunshine box story.  I knew back in Aug 2011 that Sue had made a huge impact on my kids lives but it was a HUGE reminder as I heard the kids tell the entire story.  As they opened the package she tailored it perfectly once again. Sue Martin, you are incredible. You will always hold a very special place in my heart.  This is why I love Stampin' Up!  It's women like Sue Martin who make a difference in the lives of others.  She truly made a difference.  XOXO

That's the "Van Deep in Trouble" update.  I'll keep you posted on the upcoming meet and the Robotics World Championship.  It's so exciting. 

Thank you for reading and caring. 

XOXOXO

Categories : Family Update
Kimberly VanDiepen
(719) 360-1242
stampinbythesea@me.com
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This blog reflects my personal offers and classes as an Independent Stampin’ Up! Demonstrator. Images copyrighted Stampin' Up! All content is copyrighted so please do not submit my work for contests or publication and/or reprint my articles without permission. This site is not affiliated with or endorsed by Stampin' Up!
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