We're close to breaking another record....

The most number of entries ever received for a single challenge here at Inkurable Stampers stands at 31 which was achieved during our Flourishes challenge. Tonight I'm sharing entries 27 and 28 which means that if I receive just 4 entries tomorrow before midnight we will have beaten the record! So if anyone is out there who hasn't given the challenge a go yet, now is the time! :)

Entry #27 was sent in by Joy Rumble from New Zealand:


Joy created a quirky masculine wedding card using a King and Jack playing cards.

The card base is white cardstock which was sponged lightly with black ink. The black cardstock has been embossed with a "Diamonds in the Rough" Cuttlebug embossing folder, then heat embossed using Versamark inkpad and clear embossing powder

Joy cut the King & Jack in half, tore some of the edges, and inked the cards and edges with Sepia ink. The verse is written in white gel pen onto black cardstock and stuck on before positioning the King and Jack which are both mounted with 3D tape.

The wedding rings is a clear stamp from Fiskars, and the Crown stamp was stamped with Fluid Chalk, Yellow Orchre, then rubbed over with Versamark ink and clear embossing powder. To finish, Joy added 3 diamantes on the crown, and at the bottom of the card.

Joy loved this challenge so much, she even sent in another card that she created to inspire you all:


Love that Jack in the Box stamp! What a cool idea for a card for someone named Jack!

Next up we have this ATC that was sent in by Jeanie Callaghan from the USA:


Jeanie has used a playing card as her base, and added collage pictures and a heart stamp to finish her design.

Great work ladies!

Not long now until the new challenge is posted - anyone going to have a guess on what the next theme might be? ;)

~Sarah~

More entries!

See - I told you I'd be back with more today! ;)

But first - just a quick thanks to everyone who has been stopping by and leaving love for the blog and for the entries - it is very much appreciated by me, and I'm sure the entrants appreciate the warm fuzzies too! :)

Today's first entry is a great photo postcard which was sent in by Jen Sweatman. Here is one side:


...and here is the other:


From Jen:

"I photocopied and enlarged a normal playing card and transferred the image using gel medium onto patterned paper (Graphic 45). I added some letter stickers and stamped a postmark (Rubber City)".

"On the other side I adhered an altered photo of my son and stamped various images with dye inks (Paperartsy, words 4, and Stamp-It)".

Nice one Jen!

Now we have this lovely card from Brigitte G:


Brigitte stamped the lady holding the glass and the line of 4 card symbols (both from Beeswax stamps) and has accentuated the dress with some Kindyglitz. A lovely feather stamp was used to create a border around the woman.

Brigitte has used mini playing cards from 7Gypsies to embellish her card, as well as a gorgeous red feather and a very cool poker chip!

Way to go Brigitte!

Stay tuned for more playing card goodness tomorrow! :)

~Sarah~

It's raining playing cards!

LOL - I feel like Alice in Wonderland with all of these fabulous playing cards entries that are flowing in! I have 3 of them to share today, and more to come tomorrow!! This has been one of my favourite challenges so far - so many different ideas!

First for today we have this ATC that was sent in by Lesley Dupont from Canada:


Lesley's ATC has a door in the centre that folds out to reveal the king:


Lesley cut a piece of blue cardstock and stamped it with bubble wrap using Tim Holtz distress ink in Tea Dye and inked around the edges. Leslie then carefully positioned the top layer over the playing card and drew a small window to view just the face of the king.

From Lesley:

"I carefully cut a door making sure I just had the middle section of the playing card showing when the door was open. I used a piece of drywall tape and placed it over the window, then cut a door size piece of paper and cut out another window and placed and glued it over the entire door inside the card".

"Next I took an Inkadinkado flourish stamp and stamped in black on Shrink Plastic, making four stamps in black, and I drew 3 spades and coloured them in with Sharpie permanent black marker. I cut all the pieces out carefully then shrunk them with my heat gun".

"Then I positioned all the pieces on and glued them carefully and let dry. I then inked the edges just a bit with black ink just to give it a little more oomph".

Great job Lesley!

Next we have this great scrapbooking page that was sent in by Annette Hanigan:

From Annette:

"I knew the kids had an icecream container of playing cards that didn't have full decks so I went rummaging through and found the one to use on the layout. It just so happens that my name starts with "A" duh!! and it had "Australian Made" in tiny little print on the card. And well I am Australian made, lol so that sparked a little more confidence in being out of my comfort zone and making something with my playing card".

And we're glad you did Annette! That's what Inkurable is all about - getting out of your comfort zone and getting inky with it! :)

Annette created her background by stamping a Kimberly Poloson Nature's Flora - Tapestry stamp in black, then squishing some red and white paint over it using a credit card.

Annette also stamped the bottom layer of white under the "a" with the same stamp.

Great work Annette!

Last but not least for today is this lovely card by 10 year old Natasha Rumble from New Zealand:


Natasha created her background using a "diamond in the rough" Cuttlebug embossing folder on red cardstock.

Natasha used 3 Air NZ mini cards, a three leaf clover punch, and some red ribbon to embellish her card. Natasha stamped a Hero Arts "hat with big bow" stamp onto white cardstock and accentuated the hat with a red diamonte. The Good Luck sentiment was also stamped.

Great work Natasha!

This challenge has seen entries from a whopping 9 different countries so far! How awesome is that! I think that's the record! Woohoo! I know there are plenty more of you international stampers out there, so don't be afraid to send through an entry! :)

I'll be back tomorrow with more!

~Sarah~

More new entries!!

Hello again everyone!

Not long now until the end of this month's playing card challenge! And the entries are still rolling in! It's so great to see so many of you excited about giving this month's challenge a go! If you haven't yet submitted an entry, you still have 5 more days to whip something up for your chance to win one of the awesome prizes on offer this month from our sponsors.

Speaking of our fabulous sponsors, the lovely Barb from The Stamping Queen has sent in an inspiration example for you all!


Barb has used a playing card as the base of her ATC and layered over some scrap paper
which has been stamped with Inkadinkado's Birds.

The image is from Collections along with the torn line of a bingo card. To finish, Barb added German Scrap wings and part of a German Scrap Ornament.

Love it Barb!

TSQ has just received a new shipment of stamps from The Queen's Dresser Drawers that are a must see for collage/vintage stamp fans, and the design team girls have been doing some awesome stuff on the TSQ Design Team blog, so make sure you pop past and show them some love! :)

I also have a scrapbook page to share today which was sent in by Julie Dudley:


Julie has used a gorgeous vintage playing card back with two kittens as a feature on her page.

Those very cute little birdies are a stamp from Hero Arts, and the journaling spot is a stamp by collage press.

Just gorgeous Julie!

Well, I'm off to enjoy the last day of school holidays before the early mornings and school run madness begins again tomorrow!

Happy stamping!

~Sarah~

Ace Player!

Hello again everyone!

Today's entry was sent in by Teresa Beswarick from New Zealand:


Teresa stamped the word “player” and the soccer girl from Penny Black onto white cardstock and heat embossed. Teresa used a soccer ball brad over the stamped ball which is such a great idea to add dimension to your cards! She also tied little bows for her piggy tails! How cute!


From Teresa:

"I coloured in the girl and used Icicle Stickles on the shorts to give them the shiny look of sport shorts".


"On the blue backing card I water marked a soccer ball. The word “player” and the soccer girl have been mounted onto black paper. I used a mini playing card so it reads Ace Player".

Awesome work Teresa!

I'm loving all the entries this month! I'm totally blown away by how different they all are! Keep them coming stampers! :)

~Sarah~

Feeling Lucky

Hello again everyone!

Today's entry was sent in by Lyn Smith:


Lyn has created an oriental inspired good luck card, using a card from a Chinese deck of playing cards as her main image.

From Lyn:

"The deck features images from Chinese calendars from the 1920's and 1930's. I chose this one with the horse and jockey being led by a lovely Chinese lady...I thought she depicted Lady Luck!".


Lyn stamped a diamond background stamp (by Stamps Happen) onto Stampin' Up Creamy Caramel cardstock using Creamy Caramel ink. For the Good Luck greeting Lyn used Justrite Stamper Times New Roman font and Triomphe font stamps.

To keep the theme going, Lyn also added some teeny playing cards and 3 chinese good luck coins.

From Lyn:

"Feng Shui teaches that 3 coins tied together with auspicious red ribbon is a powerful symbol that brings prosperity and abundance. The act of giving good luck coins spreads happiness and good luck to those who receive them".

Fabulous work Lyn!

Enjoy your weekend everyone! Check back tomorrow for another new entry. :)

~Sarah~

Playing Card Mini Album!

Hi stampers!

Today's entry is a playing card mini album which was sent in by Giovanna from Italy:


Giovanna created the pages of her mini album by covering her playing cards with Gesso, and then brayering different colours of acrylic paint on top.


Once dry, Giovanna stamped images over the top using stamps from Craft Impression, Home Impressions and Stampingback.


There are 8 playing cards all together, and the theme is "Time".


You can check out a tutorial with photos of how she made her backgrounds on her blog here.


Fabulous work Giovanna!

I'll be back tomorrow to share another new entry! :)

~Sarah~

A mixed bag....

Hi stampers!

Whilst I have your attention, I though I'd mention a few things before we get stuck into today's entries!

Just a reminder for all the new players - please make sure you pop me an email with your pics and a bit about your project, after leaving a comment. Makes things a bit easier for me on this end, and gives everyone something interesting to read as well as looking at your lovely projects! Participation guidelines are in the sidebar at the right. Feel free to email me if you have any questions. :)

Darkroom Door are celebrating their new collections with 10 Days of Giveaways! Pop on over to the Darkroom Door blog every day to see great examples of what you can do with the collections, as well as a daily chance to win some for yourself!

A few people have asked lately if I have a blinkie - yes I do! There are a number of ways you can show your support for Inkurable Stampers - revisit this post to see how! (Please note the giveaway mentioned has already been drawn).

Now let's get stuck into the entries!

First we have this ATC from Martina Fuchs in Germany:


Very cool, huh!

From Martina:

"The background to the card had FOSSIL-STONE-technology. The photo of Joker is digital and the bubbles is a stamp by CHERRY PIE".

Next we have this great card by Teresa Abajo:


Teresa has used her playing cards to create a fabulous flower embellishment on her card! Check out the close up:


Teresa has used the picture cards for the flowers, and the back of the cards for the leaves! What a great idea!

The zig zag at the bottom of the card is a stamp by Sassafrass Lass, and the crown on top of the greeting is a stamp by Clear Art Stamps.

Terrific work ladies!

Now I'm off to enjoy more of this marvelous sunshine we're having! Have a great day everyone!

~Sarah~

An ATC and a Card from the USA!

Hi everyone!

I'm back again today with some more new entries!

This lovely ATC was sent in by Damaris M of the USA:


Damaris has used Hero Arts stamps for the background, a miniature playing card, some heart punches and a Nestabilities heart. The letter U is also a stamp from Papertrey Ink.

Next we have this lovely card that was sent in by Shar from the USA:


Shar created her background using a citrus slice stamp from Stampin' Up, and "Only Orange", "Yoyo Yellow" and "Gable Green" inks, also from Stampin' Up.

A fun vintage advertisement playing card ties in with her citrus theme!

Great work ladies!

I'll be back tomorrow with another new entry. :)

~Sarah~

Art Doll Canvas.

Seriously guys, you are just blowing me away with this month's entries! And today's entry is certainly no exception!

This fabulous wall hanging was sent in by Tania Davey (Click to enlarge):


Tania has used a mixture of texture paste and serviettes for the background, with some foam stamps, inks, paints and Gel medium, all on a small wooden canvas.

For the body, Tania used a dress form which she made from clay. The feet, arms, and face are all metal charms, and the legs were made with wire and beads.

Her skirt is Fringing dyed with Glimmer mists, and her wings are made from a playing card which Tania coloured using alcohol inks and then stamped with a Cherry Pie Art Stamps Swirl stamp.

Awesome work Tania!

Stay inky everyone!

~Sarah~

A Pair of Kings!

Hi everyone! :)

Today I have not one but two scrapbook pages to share with you all!

First up is this awesome layout that was sent in by Krissy Christie:


Krissy used Inque Boutique boys stamps to create her own patterned paper for around the outside of her layout.

Krissy used a large photocopied and distressed king card as the main feature embellishment, and a joker card that is peeking out from behind the photo.

Check out all the depth and dimension she has created on her layout:



Krissy made heart embellishments using another photocopy of a King card, as well as the back of a small playing card. She also stamped some extra hearts using other inque boutique stamps and some Fiskars stamps on her chipboard letters.

Next we have another awesome scrapbook layout which was sent in by Wendy Smith:


Wendy has used a King card stamp from Stampin' Up as a feature on her layout.

Fabulous work ladies!

Enjoy the rest of your weekend everyone! :)

~Sarah~

Cards made with cards!

Happy Saturday everyone! I love the weekends. Such a nice day outside today - I'll have to get out into the sunlight for a while - I'm starting to look like something from Twilight. LOL! We've had a nasty run of sickness lately at my house so haven't had much of a chance to get out into the fresh air! I hope you and your families are finding some time to get outside together these school holidays!

Today I have 2 new entries to share!

First we have this great birthday card which was sent in by Janet O'Brien:


Janet tiled the lovely playing card backs as her background, and then used a flush of club numbers as a feature at the bottom of her card. The cards measure 4.4cm x 3.0 cm.

Janet created the title "I tried hard to keep a poker face when I found out your age" using Stampendous typewriter alphabet stamps (red letters), Studio G alphabet stamps (blue letters), and a great pair of eyes stamp to go with her poker hand.

Here's what it looks like on the inside:


Janet has used a "Happy Birthday" stamp for the sentiment, and attached a Joker card in the centre.

Great work Janet! What a fabulous idea for a masculine card!

Speaking of masculine cards, our next entry is a card that was sent in by Lisa Balm:


Lisa cut out the images from a fun playing card that she found, and attached them to her card. She stamped the background with Ferngully mesh stamp, then layered cut up playing cards for her background.

Lisa then attached her cut out images, and added in cut out stamped brackets from the SeeD's "He Said She Said Stamp Set". Letter stickers were used to finish the title.

Another great masculine card idea!

I am LOVING all the different ideas coming out of this month's challenge! You certainly are a very creative lot! LOL!

Stay tuned - I'll be back tomorrow with a scrapbook layout entry to share. :)

~Sarah~

Queens of Hearts!

Hi everyone!

Today I have not one but 2 different altered Queen of Hearts playing cards to share!

First up we have this APC by Vicky Fernando:


Vicky used a playing card as a frame, cutting out the middle section and adding some pewter embossing powder to the edges. She then added a background she made by stamping bubble wrap with acrylic paints (lime, metallic purple & gold paints on watercolour paper).

Vicky stamped her "Art doll" twice with Stazon ink (Blazing Red) onto white cardstock. She carefully cut them out, adding one image to the background (under the frame), and layering the second image using foam tape (over the frame). To finish, Vicky added the paper flowers, clock hands, and a green gem.

Next up we have this APC from Sharmaine Kruijver:


Sharmaine started off with a Smiggle Playing Card, then covered it with white tissue paper using Mod Podge. She then added some glimmer mist and water colour pastels, and stamped on top using stamps from Artistree by Paper Forest, a spotty stamp from Prima, and some Alphabet stamps from hero Arts. Here is a close up:



To finish, Sharmaine punched some holes in the bottom right hand corner for added interest.

Excellent work ladies!

I'm loving all the creativity this month!

I'll be back tomorrow with another new entry. :)

~Sarah~

New Realeases From Darkroom Door

Darkroom Door has released 3 new collections which include 8 new sets of rubber stamps!

You can find out more about Prague, Yuletide, and Essentials 4 on the Darkroom Door Blog here.

~Sarah~

Sponsor Update - Stamp & Scrapbook Madness.

The July card making kit is now available at Stamp and Scrapbook Madness!

The kit is $35 but includes over $40 worth of product plus instructions for the five cards pictured here (click to enlarge):


Included in the kits is a ladybird stamp from Stamps by Judith as well as plenty of ladybird themed products from Basic Grey and Stampendous.

You will also have plenty of product left over to create even more. Everything you need to make the cards above is included, except for a black inkpad and dimensional magic. The kit is geared to have something to offer everyone with the simple through to the more advanced.

Check it out here at Stamps and Scrapbook Madness.

Altered playing card book.

Hello again everyone!

Today I have a fabulous altered playing card book to share that was sent in by Sue Roddis from the UK! Here's the cover:


From Sue:

"The pages are made from big playing cards, each one embossed with a Cuttlebug folder, coloured with black paint and Stazon inks and then mounted onto black card........mainly because some of the cards didn't stand up that well to the embossing and they were falling apart!".



Each page was then decorated with stamped Alice in Wonderland images, and pages from the book.


The stamps used were from TJ Designs sets - "Alice in Wonderland" and "Mad Hatters Tea Party" with a few from an Oxford Impressions sheet. The large queen chess piece is from Stampers Anonymous.


The pages are held together with yet more (smaller) playing cards folded and glued together to make hinges.


What an awesome and very creative idea! Well done Sue!

It's great to see so many international players lately! So far this month we've seen entries from 5 different countries - I wonder how many more we'll get?!

Keep sending those entries in stampers!

~Sarah~

Queen for a Day!

Hello again stampers!

Today's entry was sent in by Fiona Shultz:


Fiona has created an awesome birthday card using a Queen of Hearts playing card that she scanned, converted to greyscale, and printed onto Bazzill Cardstock. What a great idea!

Fiona made the hinges for her card by stamping Kimberly Poloson “Flourishes” clear stamps in black Stazon on pink card, and then mounted them onto black card before attaching them to her card front.

Inside, Fiona has used Technique Tuesday stamps to write “celebrate you today” along with another flourish stamp by Kimberly Poloson.

Great work Fiona!

Keep those entries coming everyone!

~Sarah~

Skinny playing card!

Hello stampers!

I'm back again today with another new entry.

This lovely playing card was sent in by Meikoningin from Norway:


Meikoningin has used some small alphabet stamps on her card, which is an unusual size at 6.5 x 11.5 cm (about 2.5 x 4.5 inches).

Great work Meikoningin!

Enjoy your Sunday everyone! :)

~Sarah~

New Stamp Relases From Tim Holtz!

Tim Holtz has been busy again creating a whopping 13 new rubber stamp sets for Stampers Anonymous!

They are being released at the CHA show in a couple of weeks, so you should see them start hitting our shores about 4 weeks or so after that.

Check out these ones:

Rockstar:


Artful Flight:


Mini Holidays:


With 13 new sets there is something for everyone's taste - check out the full range here, and keep an eye out on Tim's blog as I'm sure he'll be showing us some projects with the new stamps soon. :)

~Sarah~