Stamps, Paper, and Ink

Sweetest ever

I love the More the Merrier hostess set and wanted to make a card in these yummy colors of pumpkin pie, so saffron, tempting turquoise, and lavender lace. I stamped and embossed the cupcake images with white, and colored them in using reinkers and the aqua painter. Lined them up on a scallop circle where they are popped up and embellished with layered buttons.

I love this sentiment and featured it on a scalloped punch square, which I tucked under the designer paper layer.

Enjoy! Thanks for each of you who visit my blog and for those who comment - I appreciate each and every one. See you Monday.

Supplies~  all supplies by Stampin' Up!
Stamps: The More the Merrier
Paper: pumpkin pie, tempting turquoise, whisper white, Pawsitively Prints, so saffron
Ink: versamark, tempting turquoise, reinkers

Accessories:1-3/8" circle, scallop circle, trio flower and scallop square punches; white embossing powder, Fresh Favorites and clear buttons, Ribbon bundle (retired)

Order from me online anytime HERE or e-mail me HERE with any questions you have!

Birthday Hugs

Hi friends, sorry I took a long weekend break from posting! Didn't mean to, but that's how life goes sometimes, and I am happy to be back here pretty early with you today. Thanks so much for inspiring me with your frequent visits and sweet comments! Keeps me stamping, and I need a little help in that department lately. I sat down at my table to stamp twice this weekend - and well - my mind couldn't come up with a thing. 

Here's a card I made last week for my Twice is Nice feature. The layout is the same as THIS card. CASE'ing yourself might be a good way to get your mojo back, KWIM? That's what I did!

I made a few changes this time:

• I LOVE the look of anything with the Thoroughly Modern DSP - in fact, I have a bunch of desk accessories I'm assembling using this theme.
• Circles Circus is such a VERSATILE stamp set! It easily looks like patterned paper on these small samples, but it makes great backgrounds too
• the tag has a hole punched in it and the cotton thread ties it through the button
• I also punched a hole and tied the dotted ribbon part way across the white panel instead of using a strip of paper as I did in the first sample.

For you - hugs and wishes for a special day! I'd love to hear from you!

Supplies~  all supplies by Stampin' Up!
Stamps: Circles Circus, Hugs & Wishes
Paper: whisper white, thoroughly moderns DSP, bermuda bay, rose red
Ink: bermuda bay

Accessories:1" circle punch, scallop square punch,Trio flower punch, Rich Regals button assortment, brads, In Color markers, Stampin' Write markers, polka dot ribbon

Order from me online anytime HERE or e-mail me HERE with any questions you have! Ask me about my online ordering special.

Get a scoopful of punch art...

Well, the long weekend is over, and I hope you had a relaxing time. Did anyone have a picnic? Complete with ice cream? I've got a scoop or two for you today!

 Even though I think it is so amazing to see what many creative people have come up with for punch art projects, I haven't really wanted to give it a try for myself until I saw the adorable bowl of ice cream in the Stampin' Success magazine that Stampin' Up! mails to demonstrators. Doesn't the DSP look Pawsitively perfect with the sundae? I hope you'll have fun giving this a try!

For this card, I used Beate's fabulous Weekend sketch. 

Hope your day is the sweetest ever!

Supplies~

Stamps:Crazy for Cupcakes
Paper: whisper white, old olive, so saffron, pretty in pink,close to cocoa,real red, Pawsitively Prints DSP
Ink: basic black

Accessories: scallop circle, 3/4"circle, 1-3/4" circle and large oval punches; Lots of Tags Sizzlet die, Designer buttons: Sherbet and Playground, filigree brads, 5/8" grosgrain ribbon

Order from me at my online store anytime HERE or e-mail with any questions you have!

Very Asian Vase

 

I wanted to use the elegant color combo of very vanilla, bermuda bay, and gold with the Asian Artistry (114399) set.  I came up with a creative twist by using the Lattice Die and the Big Shot to make a vase for the delicate flowers. Watercoloring was done with reinkers and the Aqua Painter. For the panels and the vase, I used the Finial Press Textured Embossing Folder. (115964)

I haven't posted a tutorial in awhile. You'd like me to share with you how I did it, right?!?

First, use the Big Shot to cut out the Lattice Die. I used metallic gold card stock. The finished Lattice  looks like the photo below.

1. Use your cutter to cut out one circle following the directional arrows.

2. Use a hobby knife to cut the bottom edge of the vase straight across. Also, trim out the inside of the oval at the top for the vase opening.

3. Add a circle to the back of the vase.Trim edges as needed.

 

4. Out of a scrap, cut one oval. You will use this to shape the opening at the top of the vase.

Here's a close up of the vase when finished.

 

Thanks for stopping by today! If you've enjoyed what you've learned, please tell your friends about my blog!

Place an online order with me anytime! Click HERE

Cute fellow!

I wanted to make a masculine birthday card today and those are always a challenge for me! I think the turtle from the Natures' Nest stamp set is a really cute fellow! I especially like the details and texture that comes when this image is embossed. I stamped in Always Artichoke craft ink onto Certainly Celery card stock, then embossed with clear powder.

When I first saw this set in the new catty, I really wanted to have it because it's so different from what I already have. But I just wasn't sure what to DO with it! We've had a saying at my house this week - not sure where it originated - but it is "tackle the live frogs first." Meaning, do the thing you LEAST like to do first!  Sometimes it will turn out to surprise you when it's more pleasant than you expected. That's how I feel about this card. Not what I usually gravitate to, but I LIKE it. :D

Is there some part of stamping that is a challenge for you? Here's my advice: start with it. Let's encourage each other!

Hope you like it. Even though it's still a work in progress...how do you like my NEW blog look?

Supplies~
Stamps: Nature's Nest, Inspired by Nature, Teeny Tiny Wishes
Paper: dusty durango, soft suede, certainly celery, very vanilla
Ink: soft suede, always artichoke craft, old olive, dusty durango

Accessories: twill tape, 1/2" circle punch, jumbo brads

 

Playing catch up!

I know you know what that means! We had a wonderful holiday weekend, hope you did too!  The week began yesterday but here I am still trying to catch up!  Today I'm so excited, we are busy getting ready for the new catalog Open House tonight. The coffee punch is set to cool, the card stock is cut - well, you get the idea.

I need to get you caught up on the special deal of the week in July! This week's deal is the Doctors' Bag for the Big Shot! You'll find a new button on my sidebar that says Deal of the Week to keep you up to date on what's new. Be sure to check every Monday afternoon for the next deal.

I have a new card for you too!  Here's a quick birthday card that I made yesterday using the Crazy for Cupcakes set and the new Razzleberry Lemonade designer paper. Don't you love a pink lemonade-looking cupcake? The pink scallop is from the Scallop #2 die and the Big Shot. I cut a 3" white circle for the image. I just love the NEW Sherbet Designer Buttons.  I got to play with them while making display samples for convention, and I love the luscious colors!

This would have been much quicker if I hadn't decided to stich on it. I have a top of the line Bernina sewing machine and a rinky dink toy machine (from White) that makes a huge clattery racket.  What do you all suggest for sewing on cards? I'd love to hear from you! Enjoy a berry sweet day...

HB2U

It's Thursday. Here's Emily!

I find it interesting to see how the cards I make match my present mood. If I'm feeling quiet and settled, I make a clean and simple card. If I'm feeling excited and expressive, I make a more frilly card. And if I'm feeling funky, like I was on the day I made this birthday note, I make a preppy card.

The main features of this card are the super-fine glitter and the eyelet border punch. I used a tutorial put out by Stampin' Up! to make the border punch turn perfectly around the corners of a Certainly Celery rectangle, and this was the jumping off point of my card. I love how most of the sentiment is just raw chipboard, but the orange glitter on the "u" sets it apart as most important. Yay for glitter and punches!

Card Recipe (all supplies are Stampin' Up!)
Stamps: none!
Paper: kraft, certainly celery, chocolate chip, and tangerine tango
Ink: none!
Other: fine super nova glitter, tangerine tango striped ribbon, eyelet border punch, photo corner punch, lots of letters chipboard, stamping dimensional's

Welcome to the Blog Tour!

Welcome to
Blog Tour # 7
Stop 17






I am so glad you've stopped by to see the projects I have for you today using the Big Shot and the Matchbox and Top Note dies. I have good things in store for you!
The matchbox die is exclusive to Stampin' Up! and in one cut you get the box top and bottom and three tags. Assembly of the box is easy and you get TWO boxes from one sheet of 12x12 card stock!

You may have seen these boxes filled with candy or made with transparent window sheets, or even stacked to make adorable drawers.

Here's the box that I made to wish a special child a Happy Birthday. The Sweet Slumber Specialty Paper makes a darling box. You'll never guess what's inside! I like to think 'outside the box' and I have a great idea for you!
Pull the ribbon tab to open the box, and...

and, up POP these three cute critters from the Forest Friends stamp set to greet you! How fun is that ?!  I was so excited to try this idea and find out it really works! 

ETA: Thanks for the suggestion, Jackie, that I send this project to SU! I will do it :) Also, since there have been many requests, I will be posting a tutorial on my blog the first week of June. Sorry it can't be sooner, I have quite a few projects going on now!

My next project using the Top Note die was inspired by a lovely graduation invitation that I received. I took the pocket idea and designed this graduation card for the young lady with a matching envie.


The card bottom folds up to reveal the other pattern of the Walk in the Park designer Paper. Then a flap is folded back and it is all tied up with the So Saffron polytwill ribbon. Great Grads is the stamp set I used for this card.
I hope you'll bookmark my blog now so that you can visit again. The purpose of this tour is to help you enjoy your own creativity. If my blog has done that, I'd sure love to hear from you, take a minute to leave a comment if you can. Thanks for visiting!

Now, let me introduce my colleague Sarah Miller, who will be featuring the Always stamp set from the Spring/Summer Idea book & Catalog.

Thanks so much for taking part in the Blog Tour! Next one is scheduled for July featuring the new catalog. See you then!

A Something Pink Birthday

That's the challenge at Stamp Something for today, and it is a special one! We are honoring my dear DT friend, Melissa, who is also rotating off the team. You will want to check out her blog and leave her some love, she will surely be missed. I love Melissa's style, she uses bold, clean lines to make elegant cards. She's passionate about pink! Join us for the challenge by making a little something pink for a birthday.

My card is clean and simple with a hint of pink. Super quick to make! That's what I needed today, my other stamping projects are finished and ready to mail, YAAY! This card is also for two SCS challenges, Clean and Simple 13 (thanks for a great sketch!)  and Ways to Use It 217 (kraft.)

Have a wonderful weekend and please know that I am so thankful for each of you that visit me. Some of you tell me that you check everyday, and I am so honored. Thank you!

PS. Don't know if it's the colors or the fact that I dropped my camera yesterday - but this is as good a photo as I  can get. I guess we'll find out about the camera over the next few posts. <blush> Any suggestions?

Supplies~
Stamps: Eastern Blooms, All Holidays
Paper: kraft, whisper white, pretty in pink, Sweet Slumber Specialty Paper
Ink: pretty in pink, chocolate chip

Accessories: 3/4 and 1" circle punches, pink pirouette striped ribbon, Button Bouquet

Darling Dots and a doodles too

I just have a minute to show you this card made for the Sketch Challenge at the Late Night Stampers group. I have been working on numerous stamping projects (sorry, can't show you until August!) and felt a bit burned out.  I decided to make a quick card just for fun!  Yesterday I was pretty pleased, thought my card was cute. Then I looked this morning at what others did - sigh - self-comparison is never a healthy thing! I fought off my tendency to try to add a few layers or other doodles. Today is a what-you-see-is what-you get sort of day. HAHA  I hope an afternoon in the sunshine to root for my son's team will do wonders. :D  I'm off!
If you have any questions about the supplies, just ask me in the comments section. Hope you have a great day!