I have another SIP entry. I was inspired by a friend & customer who brought over a lovely card she had made with the new In Colours.

She came over last night so we could catch-up on life and make a few cards. We really took Stampin'Up's tag line to heart yesterday evening. We Inspired each other with cards we had made and we each Created the same card that we Shared. It was a very fun evening.

Here is the card I was inspired to create because of the colours she used and now I share with you.

Stamp sets:Circle Circus and Warm Words

Card Stocks: Whisper White; Melon Mambo; Rich Razzleberry and Crushed Curry

Inks: Melon Mambo Stampin' Write, Rich Razzleberry Stampin' Write and Crushed Curry Stampin' Write

Techniques: Again lots of tearing and roughing up the edges.

Also, I can't resist showing you this wedding card I created for with a couple of retired but well loved stamp-sets. Does anyone else have these stamp sets? I love the flower!

I am always up for a challenge and Shelli Gardner posts a monthly Creative Challenge for anyone to enter on her blog, So Shelli. I have not entered one until now. The challenge this month is to create cards with only Stamp-sets, Ink and Paper, better know as SIP.

Here is what I have come up with using ONLY stamp-sets, inks and paper.

Two cards using the same stamp sets and the same colours.

I used techniques I have not used in a long while.

Thanks for the challenge Shelli!

Colours for both cards: Very Vanilla, Real Red, and Soft Suede (the black around the cards is just the background)

Stamp set: Fifth Avenue Floral, En Francais and I couldn't resist using good old Wonderful Words. It can be easily switched out with Heard from the Heart.

First Card - Techniques Used: Created a faux suede piece with the Soft Suede card stock. If some people are unaware of this technique it is simple, you take a corner of the card stock and peel it apart and continue to peel it in half. You will end up with a very soft faux suede side. Next there was lots of freestyle tearing done to precision. The rose image on Very Vanilla was torn in specific areas to create its perfect shape to enhance the upper right corner of the card. The edges of the word "Love" was raised with the fingernail technique as well as the Real Red card stock with the En Francais image. Direct ink to paper technique was given to the both these pieces as well to give their edges a more weathered looked.

Second Card - Techniques Used: On this card I added one extra colour, Kraft. The En Francais was stamped onto the Soft Suede card stock. Then the paper was distressed with direct ink to paper, the edges roughed up and to create the softer blur around the words I simply used one of my fingers. I made a small faux suede strip with the Soft Suede card stock to put on the Read Red. Then there was more freestyle tearing on the flower and corner of the Real red.

My goal with these two cards was to create a soft old world romantic feel but with a modern edge.

It has been a rather busy summer but I have managed to stamp some cards. I wasn't able to take pictures of all of them because just as quickly as I was making them I was just as quickly giving them away. I have managed to hang onto these two. One is a very simple Thank You card and the other is a nostalgic Birthday Pop-up card. Check them out.

Thanks Card Supplies

Stamp Set: Fifth Avenue Floral and Thank You Kindly

Texture Plate: Stampin'Up Backgrounds 1 (Love these textured plates!)

Paper: Whisper White; Basic Gray; Black; and Real Red

Inks: Basic Gray; Black; and Real Red

Nostalgic Birthday Pop-up Card

I need to explain why I've called this card "Nostalgic" Birthday Pop-up Card. The reason is none of the images on this card and one of the paper and ink are current. I need to bring out some of good oldies of the past. One of my favorite stamp sets is Heartfelt Thanks. I also used an old Sale-A-Bration set plus the old Birthday Greeting set. A favorite In-Colour of mine is Cool Caribbean. Now who didn't love that colour. Well, I'm blessed to have the ink pad and still several packages of this wonderful paper. I had to use these retired stamp sets and colour to create the perfect card for a dear friend. I'll fill you in on the other other colours and technique I used to create this beautiful card.

• Basic Gray ink for the words
• Green Galore ink & paper - the paper was textured with the Stampin'Up Backgrounds 1. (Have I mentioned I LOVE these texture backgrounds!)
• Barely Banana ink & paper - I used my so inexpensive tool (my fingernail) to create the rough edge on the Barely Banana to frame the image and wording.
• So Saffron ribbon tied with a piece of Hemp Twine.
• The flower outlines were embossed with white.

Sometimes it is just fun to bring out our very cherished retired stuff and making something new fresh. Try it! See what you haven't used in awhile and mix it with something new.