Tuesday, July 7, 2026

Let's Celebrate!

Welcome back to Lost Coast Portal to Creativity where Lost Coast Designs and Carmen's Veranda collide to bring you twice the inspiration and double the fun!

Hi all, Aimee here. Nothing makes me dream more of cooler days than when the temperature goes above 90 degrees. So, sit under your air conditioner and make a few Christmas cards! Here's one idea for you:
This card is simple to stamp using the Lost Coast Design's American Gothic Christmas and Party Words stamps, but it does take a little bit of time to color:
Visit the Lost Coast Portal to Creativity to submit your own creation to this month's "Christmas in July Challenge." 




Thursday, July 2, 2026

Christmas Step Card

Welcome back to Lost Coast Portal to Creativity where Lost Coast Designs and Carmen's Veranda collide to bring you twice the inspiration and double the fun!



HI Everyone - Darlene here with my first make with Christmas in July !!!

Today I used the Latin Woman Stamp for this step card 


She was embossed and fussy cut out.  Using some die cuts (tree, snowflake and flowers) layered
the steps.
I did colour in a bit for her sash and hair ribbon...some sparkle on it but don't think you can see it in my pic.

The saying of course is from out party words selection

Hope to see your creation for the Christmas in July challenge
and maybe win some new stamps !!!

Wednesday, July 1, 2026

CHALLENGE #211 - CHRISTMAS IN JULY

Welcome back to Lost Coast Portal to Creativity where Lost Coast Designs and Carmen's Veranda collide to bring you twice the inspiration and double the fun!
 
Hello Portal Peeps.  
 
It's time for our new Challenge.
Our challenges are now monthly!  A new challenge starting the 1st every month, with chances to win Lost Coast dollars. We will be announcing winners on the 5th of the month, so do pop back and see who wowed the team and gets our snazzy blog badge and the coveted Lost Coast dollars.

Now for our new Challenge!

CHALLENGE #211

CHRISTMAS IN JULY

Oops, yes, I mentioned the C word!!!!   You have all month to share your stamped anythings with a festive theme.  Real rubber or clear stamping and the theme must be the focus of your project.  A small stamped sentiment in a sea of die cuts or digi images will not qualify to win the prize and you may be deleted!!!!  Bwahahhaaahaha.

Please read the updated Challenge Rules to ensure your entries qualify to win this month's prize!

You are welcome to play in our Challenges using rubber stamp images from any company but if you use any of our Lost Coast Designs or Carmen's Veranda stamps...we love it when you do...then you could win a bigger prize in our random prize drawing.  All winners get our snazzy Challenge Winner's Badge to proudly display on their blogs!

If you don't have a blog then no prob, you can still play in our challenges by sharing your projects from public photo sharing sites which includes our Facebook Company Pages for Lost Coast Designs and Carmen's Veranda.  Please include our Challenge info and the link back to our challenge in your photo's description!  As long as the privacy setting for your photo is public you're good to go.  See, it's so easy to join the fun!  FYI, you can't link up projects shared in closed Facebook groups! 

Here's some inspiration from the team to get us started.  ENJOY!

Cathy used  Lost Coast Designs Gnome Santa With Toys

Gail used Carmen's Veranda Overalls Santa with Lost Coast Designs ATC Doodle Circles 
 large circle Shadow Frame and Party Words

Riet used Lost Coast Designs Gnome Santa With Toys
 
Now it's your turn.  Are you up for the challenge?  We can't wait to see your projects!  
Submit your entries in the linky party below by 23.59 PST on the 31st and don't forget to follow us so you don't miss anything!  The team will be posting more inspiration throughout the month so check back and join the fun.

Happy Stamping!
Gail
Challenge Host

Challenge #211- Christmas in July
July 1st - 31st Please read over out RULES to be sure your entries qualify you to win!
ALL rubber stamp companies are welcome.
Linky closes Friday, July 31st 23.59 PST.
All entries must be entered in our link up but your don't need a blog to win.  See our RULES page for more info

 
 

Tuesday, June 30, 2026

Floral rainbow card

Welcome back to Lost Coast Portal to Creativity where Lost Coast Designs and Carmen's Veranda collide to bring you twice the inspiration and double the fun!

Good morning, Cathy here with a fun card for you today.


Stamps Uesd:
Mums border


Stamp Mums border on a piece of white cardstock and cut out to the length of the card. 
Stamp Mums border around the card in rainbow colors. I used distress inks for this. Then I glued the mum border to the card.



Saturday, June 27, 2026

Three Blooms

Welcome back to Lost Coast Portal to Creativity where Lost Coast Designs and Carmen's Veranda collide to bring you twice the inspiration and double the fun!

Hi all, Aimee here. Here's a card I made for the Lost Coast Portal to Creativity's June "Fruit, Foilage and Flower" Challenge:
I used the Pieces of Calligraphy and Four Flowers A stamps from Lost Coast Designs. Follow along to see how I made this card:
We'd love to have you join in the fun! Submit your flower-y creation to the Lost Coast Portal to Creativity by the end of the month for your chance to win a prize. 









Friday, June 26, 2026

#210 Fruit, flowers and foliage.

Welcome back to Lost Coast Portal to Creativity where Lost Coast Designs and Carmen's Veranda collide to bring you twice the inspiration and double the fun!

Hi there, Riet here.
With a lovely manga stamped card.

So I immediately thought of the manga stamp Manga goth dots.
After all, she has flowers in her hair.
But for the cute text "Daisies in my hair" from Carmens Veranda stamps, 
I changed the little roses in her hair into daisies.
You can see here that the stamp actually has little roses, but you just stick a daisy over it.

I used:

Black waterresitent inkpad, (versafine)
Distressink Musterd seed, Wild honey.
Color pencels or markers, whichever you prefer.
Masking tape.
Honeycomb stencil.
Stamp the flowers using masking tape, 
letting the flowers overlap slightly.
Do the same with the girl.

Use an ink blender to make the background yellow.
And use the wild honey and the stencil to create the background.

Remove the masks and color the centers of the flowers, and the girl.
Stamp the text in black.

Stamp the bees and the little daisies on a thin peace of paper.
Color, cut out and glue them on.
Matt the card and you ar done.

Scrole to the end for another tutorial with a manga goth girl.

It would be great if you joined the challenge too.
There is, of course, a prize to be won (read the rules).
It runs until the end of the month.


Free tutorial, click here.

Wednesday, June 24, 2026

Skulls and Roses Frida Style!

Welcome back to Lost Coast Portal to Creativity where Lost Coast Designs and Carmen's Veranda collide to bring you twice the inspiration and double the fun!

Greetings! You've got Kathi here to share another card created for the  Lost Coast Portal to Creativity's Fruit, Flowers, and Foliage Challenge 210 with the Frida Skull Rubber Stamp and a sentiment from the Travel Quotes Unmounted Rubber Sheet.


Use Tuxedo Black Memento Ink to stamp the Frida Skull stamp in the center of a piece of white cardstock. 

Position a deckled oval die blade-side down and secure the die to the cardstock with low-tack tape. Run the image panel and cutting die through a machine. Remove the two cutting plates from the machine with the stamped panel and cutting die still inside, flip the sandwich over, and remove the top cutting plate to show the back of the panel. Using low-tack tape, secure the die-cut to the panel.

Flip the image panel and die-cut so that the image is facing up and is still inside the cutting die. Use a small blending brush to apply Antique Linen Distress Ink over the cutting die onto the die-cut to add a background. Don't worry about getting some Distress Ink onto the image, you can remove it with a wet paintbrush. Plus, Distress Ink plays well alcohol markers.

Carefully remove the low-tack tape from the front and back of the image panel. Remove the cutting die, revealing a white edge around the stamped image. Clean and dry the cutting die.

Use Copic markers to color the image panel. You'll note that the colors I chose match well with the patterned paper that I selected. When done coloring, set the image panel die-cut aside.

Select patterned paper that works well with your stamped image. Select cardstock to match the patterned paper and create an A2 card with the cardstock.

Position a sentiment ribbon-slide cutting die blade-side down on a strip of cardstock left from created the card. Secure the cutting die to the cardstock with low-tack tape, and run it through your machine. Tape the back of the die-cut to the cardstock strip, but remove the die this time. Secure the die-cut/strip combo onto a stamping platform with magnets and/or low-tack tape. Place a clear sheet of acetate over the die-cut. Position the chosen sentiment stamp facedown on the acetate, ink the stamp, and stamp onto the acetate to see whether the sentiment is straight. Adjust if necessary and test again.

Remove the acetate, ink the sentiment stamp with VersaFine Clair Ink, and stamp. Re-ink and stamp again if needed to attain a good impression.

Cut a thin strip of coordinating patterned paper. Edge the strip with VersaFine Clair ink. Trim the strip to 4.5" and thread the strip through the sentiment die-cut.

Trim the patterned paper to 4.5" x 5.25" to create the background panel. Apply adhesive to the two sides of the ribbon strip and adhere the strip/ribbon-slide die-cut towards the bottom of the background panel.

Trim the patterned paper to 4" wide then edge the background panel with VersaFine Clair Ink. Adhere the image panel as shown. The last step is to adhere the card front to the reserved A2 card.

~~~
You still have a week to participate in our Fruit, Flowers, and Foliage Challenge for the chance to win Lo$t Coa$t ca$h!


Thanks for visiting today!

Monday, June 22, 2026

Wrap around Crd

Welcome back to Lost Coast Portal to Creativity where Lost Coast Designs and Carmen's Veranda collide to bring you twice the inspiration and double the fun!

Darlene here with my final make for the month with the challenge theme
of Fruit, Flower, Foliage

Using the ATC Doodles flower stamp (which comes in a larger size too)

I first cut the size of card I wanted - then do not fold !
splatter paints etc across
Then stamped the image all the way across
If you fold first then you will get a line down the middle which you
do not want !


Then I coloured in all the flowers, added the party words - Happy Birthday.
Such a fun card to make - end to end flowers.



Be sure to check out the blog for the whole teams makes as the month goes on


maybe stop by and visit my blog too

https://blog-dar-blog.blogspot.com



Saturday, June 20, 2026

A Floral Card for the Fruit, Flowers, and Foliage Challenge 210

Welcome back to Lost Coast Portal to Creativity where Lost Coast Designs and Carmen's Veranda collide to bring you twice the inspiration and double the fun!

Greetings! You've got Kathi here to share a floral card created for the Fruit, Flowers, and Foliage Challenge 210 with the Lily Rubber Stamp by Lost Coast Designs.

Here it is!


Use Tuxedo Black Memento Ink to stamp Lily  by Lost Coast Designs onto white Copic-friendly cardstock.

Color the image panel with Copic Markers, trim it, then it edge with a black marker.

 Adhere the image panel to a patterned paper panel that measures 4" x 5.25". Edge the patterned paper panel with a black marker then adhere it to a black A2 card.

Use a sentiment die to cut black cardstock, then adhere the sentiment under the image panel as shown.

Add matching glittery epoxy stickers to finish the card.

There's still time for you to play along with our Fruit, Flowers, and Foliage Challenge 210 for the chance to win Lo$t Coa$t Ca$h!


Thanks for visiting today!

Tuesday, June 16, 2026

#210 Fruit, Flowers and Foliage.

Welcome back to Lost Coast Portal to Creativity where Lost Coast Designs and Carmen's Veranda collide to bring you twice the inspiration and double the fun!

Hi, Riet here, with a simple scenery.
 
For the background of this card,
 I used various shades of blue, orange, yellow and brown. 
I sponged the background with a small sponge. 
Then I took the scrubbery stamp and stamped with three shades of brown. 
I kept shifting the stamp so that it looks like different types of stamps were used. 
I stamped the Carmens Veranda text with gold embossing powder.
Would you to join the challenge?

Monday, June 15, 2026

CHALLENGE #210 - FRUIT, FLOWER AND FOLIAGE MID-MONTH REMINDER

Welcome back to Lost Coast Portal to Creativity where Lost Coast Designs and Carmen's Veranda collide to bring you twice the inspiration and double the fun!
 
Hello Portal Peeps.  
 
It's time our mid-month reminder for the Fruit, Flower and Foliage challenge.
Our challenges are now monthly!  A new challenge starting the 1st every month, with chances to win Lost Coast dollars. We need at least 20 entries to award the prize, so tell your friends and join the fun.

CHALLENGE #210

FRUIT, FLOWER AND FOLIAGE

You have all month to share your stamped anythings featuring fruit, flowers or any sort of foliage.  Easy!!  Real rubber or clear stamping and the theme must be the focus of your project.  A small stamped sentiment in a sea of die cuts or digi images will not qualify to win the prize and you may be deleted!!!!  Bwahahhaaahaha.

Please read the updated Challenge Rules to ensure your entries qualify to win this month's prize!

You are welcome to play in our Challenges using rubber stamp images from any company but if you use any of our Lost Coast Designs or Carmen's Veranda stamps...we love it when you do...then you could win a bigger prize in our random prize drawing.  All winners get our snazzy Challenge Winner's Badge to proudly display on their blogs!

If you don't have a blog then no prob, you can still play in our challenges by sharing your projects from public photo sharing sites which includes our Facebook Company Pages for Lost Coast Designs and Carmen's Veranda.  Please include our Challenge info and the link back to our challenge in your photo's description!  As long as the privacy setting for your photo is public you're good to go.  See, it's so easy to join the fun!  FYI, you can't link up projects shared in closed Facebook groups! 

Here's a blast of inspiration from the team.  ENJOY!

Aimee used Lost Coast Designs 4 Flowers A and Party Words.

Darlene used Lost Coast Designs Large Shrubbery and Party Words
   
Kathi used Carmen's Veranda Carmen Elaine and Devil in the Morning sentiment



Now it's your turn.  Are you up for the challenge?  We can't wait to see your projects!  
Submit your entries in the linky party below by 23.59 PST on the 30th and don't forget to follow us so you don't miss anything!  The team will be posting more inspiration throughout the month so check back and join the fun.

Happy Stamping!
Gail
Challenge Host

Challenge #210 - Fruit, Flower and Foliage
June 1st - 30th Please read over out RULES to be sure your entries qualify you to win!
ALL rubber stamp companies are welcome.
Linky closes Tuesday, June 30th 23.59 PST.
All entries must be entered in our link up but your don't need a blog to win.  See our RULES page for more info

 
  

Friday, June 12, 2026

Tulips and Daffodils

Welcome back to Lost Coast Portal to Creativity where Lost Coast Designs and Carmen's Veranda collide to bring you twice the inspiration and double the fun!
 
Hello Portal Peeps!!  Gail here today with a floral delight for the Fruit, Flower and Foliage Challenge.  I've used Lost Coast Designs Daffodil Background, Tulip GnomeDaisy Border and Misc. Words.
I've made it happy birthday, cos you can never have too many of those, and did some tone on tone stamping with the Daffodil Background on the base panel.  The Happy Birthday and Daisy Border were stamped on a scrap of white card that was on the desk and I stamped the gnome on another scrap, coloured with distress markers and fussy cut him.  Isn't he just the sweetest!!!
You have all month to share your stamped anythings featuring fruit, flowers or any sort of foliage.  Easy!!  Real rubber or clear stamping and the theme must be the focus of your project.  Remember we need at least 20 entries to award the prize so tell you friends.
Thanks for stopping by.  Hugz

Tuesday, June 9, 2026

Pear Square

Welcome back to Lost Coast Portal to Creativity where Lost Coast Designs and Carmen's Veranda collide to bring you twice the inspiration and double the fun!

Hi all, Aimee here with an all-occasion card perfect for last-minute gifts:
I used the Pear Square stamp from Carmen's Veranda and the Pieces of Calligraphy and Grunge Border stamps from Lost Coast Designs. Follow along to see how I made it:
This month the Lost Coast Portal to Creativity is hosting a "Fruit, Flower and Foliage" Challenge, perfect for the summer month of June. Post your own creation to the blog by the end of the month for your chance to win a prize. 





Monday, June 8, 2026

Rose slimline card by Cathy

Welcome back to Lost Coast Portal to Creativity where Lost Coast Designs and Carmen's Veranda collide to bring you twice the inspiration and double the fun!

Good morning, Cathy here with a slimline card for you today.


Stamp used:

I started out by stamping the rose and coloring it with copic markers. Then I splattered with a black paint pen. I then layered it on black glitter cardstock. then on a white card base.