Have a Sweet Day!

Here is a birthday card that features the Something Sweet stamp set from the Occasions mini catalog that ends on April 30.  This set has a lot of versitility as it contains images for making a baby rattle, a flower, a fishbowl, as well as the gumball machine... that offers unlimited possibilities for card themes:  birthday, thinking of you, get well, baby, etc.  I also found that the gumball machine fit quite well on the Hugs love notes. 

Supplies

Stamps:  Something Sweet

Cardstock:  Ballet Blue, Real Red, Summer Sun Cardstock; Hugs Love Note

Ink:  Real Red, Ballet Blue, Crushed Curry, Green Galore, Lovely Lilac

Accessories:  Mat Pack, Paper Piercer, Modern Label Punch, Real Red 1/4" Grosgrain Ribbon, Stampin' Dimensionals

Contact me to place your order for any items you are interested in from the Occasions mini catalog before April 30!

Have A "Cherry" Day!

Here is a card I made for Administrative Professionals Day for a friend.  She likes Mary Engelbreit and the goodies I had gotten for her were cherry-themed, so I wanted to make a card that matched.

Supplies

Stamps:  Tart and Tangy, Happy Moments

Cardstock:  Kraft, Whisper White, Close to Cocoa, Ballet Blue

Ink:  Real Red, Garden Green, Close to Cocoa Stampin' Write Markers

Accessories:  Square Scallop Punch, Medium Jewelry Tag Punch, Big Shot, Perfect Polka Dots Textured Impressions Folder, Linen Thread

Happy Mother's Day

This card was inspired by one I found on Patty Bennett's blog.  When I saw what could be created with  Stampin' Up's Decor Stencils, I just had to order them and try it myself!  The flowers on the background of this card were created with the Elegant Trio Decor Stencils, a Sponge Dauber, and Brocade Blue classic ink.  I used Old Olive ink for the leaves on the flowers.  I made the small 3-D flower using the Boho Blossoms Punch. 

Supplies

Stamps:  Itty Bitty Backgrounds, Heard From the Heart

Cardstock:  Brocade Blue, Naturals Ivory, Old Olive

Ink:  Brocade Blue, Old Olive

Accessories:  Extra Large 2-Step Bird Punch, Boho Blossoms Punch, Curly Label Punch, Elegant Trio Decor Stencils,

I liked this card so well that I decided to use it for both my mom's Mother's Day card and some swaps for USTAMP. 

Folk Flowers Decor Stencils

Here is a birthday card I made with my new Folk Flowers Decor Stencil from Stampin' Up.  This was my first time to play with Stampin' Up's decor stencils and I have to say... What was I waiting for???  It was so easy and turned out sooooo cool!!!

Supplies

Stamps:  Well Scripted

Cardstock:  Old Olive, Naturals Ivory

Ink:  Brocade Blue, Regal Rose, So Saffron, Old Olive

Accessories:  Folk Flowers Decor Stencils, Sponge Daubers, Wide Oval Punch, Stampin' Dimensionals

Look for another sample made with the decor stencils later this week!

Awash With Flowers

Here are two birthday cards I made for my twin cousins.  I won't mention their age but I will just say that this is a BIG one!  While the stamped images from Awash With Flowers are nearly identical, I used different sizes of butterflies as accents and different cardstock colors and designer series paper for the layers.  To achieve the watercolor look, I colored directly on the stamp with my Stampin' Write Markers then spritzed with water before stamping onto the cardstock.  Awash With Flowers is a stamp set that is perfect for Two Step Stamping as it contains both a solid and outline image for each flower.

Supplies

Stamps:  Awash With Flowers

Cardstock:  Ballet Blue, Whisper White  Rich Razzleberry Cardstock; Welcome Neighbor Designer Series Paper (SAB)

Ink:  Melon Mambo, Rich Razzleberry, Ballet Blue, Crushed Curry, Dusty Durango, Elegant Eggplant, Glorious Green Stampin' Write Markers

Accessories:  Whisper White 1/4" Grosgrain Ribbon, Big Shot, Stampin' Up Beautiful Wings Embosslits Die      

Supplies

Stamps:  Awash With Flowers

Cardstock:  Whisper White, Crushed Curry, Rich Razzleberry Cardstock; Welcome Neighbor Designer Series Paper (SAB)

Ink:  Melon Mambo, Rich Razzleberry, Ballet Blue, Crushed Curry, Dusty Durango, Elegant Eggplant, Glorious Green Stampin' Write Markers

Accessories:  Whisper White 1/4" Grosgrain Ribbon, Big Shot, Stampin' Up Beautiful Wings Embosslits Die

Remember that the Awash With Flowers Promotion is only good until the end of April!  Click on the button on the right under specials to see the details!

 

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Thank You With Style

This "Thank You" card features the Very Thankful stamp set.  Every year Stampin' Up designs an exclusive stamp set to help raise money for Ronald McDonald House Charities.  When you purchase this stamp set, $2 is donated to RMHC!

Supplies

Stamps:  Very Thankful

Cardstock:  Bermuda Bay, Basic Black, Very Vanilla

Ink:  Bermuda Bay

Accessories:  Pretties Kit (Half-Back Pearls), Very Vanilla Satin Ribbon, Basic Black 1/4" Grosgrain Ribbon, Scallop Trim Corner Punch, Big Shot, Stampin' Up Finial Press Textured Impressions Embossing Folder, Stampin' Dimensionals, Glue Dots

Whoo-Hoo! I met Shelli!

Here I am with Shelli Gardner, co-founder and CEO of Stampin' Up!  I had the privledge of meeting her at one of the "Workshop of a Lifetime" events held right here in Bloomington, Illinois!  My cyber-friend and fellow demonstrator April Jackson was one of the lucky winners of this company challenge and was gracious enough to invite me to the "Meet & Greet" with Shelli tonight.  While April was telling us about her passion for stamping and papercrafting, Shelli even sat next to me at the table!  She was so nice and really "down-to-earth". 

It was great to finally meet April in person, too!  She is a very enthusiastic lady and I'm so happy for her---having accomplished the recruiting challenge and receiving this awesome reward!  Below is a card I made just for April to congratulate her on winning the workshop with Shelli.  To make the flower, I punched the flowers out of Melon Mambo using the Boho Blossoms Punch.  I used the bone folder to break down the fibers in the paper punches and peeled the layers apart, much like the faux suede technique.  I squished the flowers up and layered them using glue dots.  I think it looks really cool.... kind of like a carnation!

Supplies

Stamps:  Tote-ally Tess

Cardstock:  Very Vanilla, Melon Mambo, Basic Black

Ink:  Basic Brown, Basic Black, Melon Mambo, Not Quite Navy, Chocolate Chip, Soft Suede; Pretty in Pink Stampin' Write Marker

Accessories:  Melon Mambo Polka Dot Grosgrain Ribbon, Pinking Hearts Punch, Boho Blossoms Punch, Blender Pen, Bone Folder, Glue Dots, Stampin' Dimensionals

Window Watching

As promised, here is another card with the new stamp set Garden From the Heart.  I was trying to make curtains so it would look like a window with the herbs drying.  I used a Soft Suede Stampin' Write Marker to ink up just the bird from the curly label shaped stamp.

Supplies

Stamps: Garden From the Heart

Cardstock: Almost Amethyst, Old Olive, Naturals Ivory, Soft Suede

Ink: Soft Suede, Old Olive; Soft Suede Almost Amethyst Stampin' Write Markers

Accessories: Scallop Trim Border Punch, Scallop Trim Corner Punch, Big Shot, Texturz Plates, Stampin' Pastels, Sticky Strip, Stampin' Dimensionals

From My Garden

I've been playing with my new stamp set, Garden From the Heart from the Occasions mini catalog.  I like the color combination of Old Olive and Almost Amethyst.  I am going to miss Almost Amethyst when it retires at the end of June but I am excited about the new colors that are coming out with Stampin' Up's new catalog in July.

Supplies

Stamps:  Garden From the Heart

Cardstock:  Almost Amethyst, Old Olive, Naturals Ivory, Soft Suede

Ink:  Soft Suede, Old Olive; Almost Amethyst, Old Olive, Crushed Curry Stampin' Write Markers

Accessories:  Modern Label Punch, Curly Label Punch, Ticket Corner Punch, Old Olive Brads, Stampin' Dimensionals, Stampin' Pastels

Check back tomorrow for another card made with these colors and stamp set!

A Color Renovation!

Big News from Stampin' Up!  It's a Color Renovation!  That's right, Stampin' Up is going to be revamping the traditional color families starting with the new 2011 Catalog in July, 2010.  As part of the process, Stampin' Up has decided to retires several of their colors as you can see when you click on the following link:
   
Be sure to contact me if you want to place an order to stock up on your favorite colors before they officially retire June 30, 2010!

Now, as part of the Color Renovation, Stampin' Up has announced that they will not only be adding five brand new delicious core colors in the revamped color collections, they are also going to be bringing back some of the previous "In Colors" as well!  I am so happy that Stampin' Up has decided to bring back the previous "In Colors" Wild Wasabi, Riding Hood Red, Baja Breeze, River Rock!  I am also thrilled that Stampin' Up will be keeping the current "In Colors" Rich Razzleberry and Soft Suede.  I'm also excited that we will be getting five new colors!  You can view the new "Line Up" of Stampin' Up's color collections that will be available starting in July, 2010 by clicking on the following link:
  
I'll keep you posted as we learn more about the Color Renovation!

Here Come Peter Cottontail...

 This is the last installment in the Easter Parade of Cards.  This is another pocket card, this one featuring Stampin' Up's Chocolate Bunny Stamp.  Doesn't he look fetching?  When creating this card I forced myself to actually use some of my special accessories which I've been collecting, such as the Pretties Kit, Flower Fusion, brads, and buttons.  I even opened up my Eggcellent Eggs Kit for the bit of bling that is the bunny's eye.

Supplies

Stamps:  Chocolate Bunny, All Holidays

Cardstock:  Certainly Celery, Whisper White, Chocolate Chip, Shades of Spring Designer Series Paper

Ink:  Certainly Celery, Chocolate Chip

Accessories:  Scallop Trim Border Punch, Scallop Trim Corner Punch, Curly Label Punch, Slot Punch, Whisper White 5/8" Satin Ribbon, Pretty in Pink 5/8" Satin Ribbon, Button Latte, Flower Fusion, Pretties Kit, Mini Library Clip, Earth Elements Brads, Stampin' Sponge, Stampin' Dimensionals, Eggcellent Eggs Kit

Here is the insert for the pocket card: 

Supplies

Stamps:  Eggcoutrements

Cardstock:  Whisper White

Ink:  Rose Red

Accessories:  White Embroidery Floss, Pretty in Pink 5/8" Satin Ribbon, Slot Punch, Scallop Trim Corner Punch

I hope you've enjoyed my Easter Parade of papercrafting creations!  Wishing you all a happy and blessed Easter!  Check back soon to discover what my next project will be!

Easter Parade - Part 3

Bunnies, bunnies everywhere... aren't they cute?!  My favorite animal is the bunny rabbit so I just had to make an Easter card featuring bunnies!  The Eggcoutrements stamp set has this cute little bunny image that was perfect for the job.  I love how they "POP" with their solid image design inked up with Orchid Oppulence and layered on the coordinating Shades of Spring Designer Series Paper from Stampin' Up.

Supplies

Stamps: Eggcoutrements

Cardstock: Shades of Spring Designer Series Paper, Very Vanilla, Orchid Oppulence

Ink: Orchid Oppulence

Accessories: Scallop Trim Border Punch, 3/4" Circle Punch, Certainly Celery 1/4" grosgrain ribbon,  Stampin' Dimensionals

This next card is actually a pocket card I created for a friend.  Making this one was easier than you might think.  You can see the tag insert in the second picture.  

Supplies

Stamps: Eggcoutrements

Cardstock: Shades of Spring Designer Series Paper, Whisper White, Certainly Celery

Ink: Orchid Oppulence

Accessories: Scallop Trim Border Punch, Scallop Trim Corner Punch, Designer Label Punch, Slot Punch, Certainly Celery 5/8" Satin Ribbon, Whisper White 5/8" Satin Ribbon, Stampin' Dimensionals, White Embroidery Floss

Be sure to come back tomorrow and see the final project for my Easter Parade of cards!!!

Easter Parade - Part 2

This next ensemble was paired as a treat for a friend.  The card layout is similar to the ones that I posted yesterday with a slight variation in the stamped image from the Eggcoutrements stamp set, punch, and an extra ribbon.  The accompanying treat was made using the Big Shot and Stampin' Up Fancy Favor Box die.  This box is so easy to assemble and always turns out so cute! 

Supplies

Stamps: Eggcoutrements

Cardstock: Shades of Spring Designer Series Paper, Whisper White, Certainly Celery

Ink: Orchid Oppulence

Accessories: Scallop Trim Border Punch, Small Tag Punch, Large Tag Punch, Certainly Celery 5/8" Satin Ribbon, Whisper White 5/8" Satin Ribbon, 1/16" circle punch, Stampin' Dimensionals, White Embroidery Floss

Supplies

Stamps: Eggcoutrements

Cardstock: Shades of Spring Designer Series Paper, Whisper White, Certainly Celery

Ink: Orchid Oppulence

Accessories: 1" Circle Punch, 1/4" Circle Punch, Circle Scallop Punch, Big Shot, Stampin' Up Fancy Favor Box Die, Certainly Celery 1/4" grosgrain ribbon, Mat Pack, Paper Piercer, StickyStrip, Stampin' Dimensionals

The next two cards feature the same layout but varied papers and stamp images.  The Eggcoutrements stamp set got quite a workout this Easter season!  I love how the Shades of Spring Designer Series Paper has such a nice variety of designs in one package.  I found that I was able to get so many different combinations for my Easter cards that I was able to individualize the cards for the recipients with minimal effort since the papers coordinate with Stampin' Up's exclusive colors. 

Supplies

Stamps: Eggcoutrements

Cardstock: Shades of Spring Designer Series Paper, Very Vanilla, Orchid Oppulence

Ink: Orchid Oppulence

Accessories: Scallop Trim Border Punch, Scallop Trim Corner Punch, 3/4" Circle Punch, Stampin' Dimensionals

Supplies

Stamps: Eggcoutrements

Cardstock: Shades of Spring Designer Series Paper, Whisper White, Orchid Oppulence

Ink: Orchid Oppulence, Crushed Curry

Accessories: Scallop Trim Border Punch,Scallop Trim Corner Punch, Stampin' Dimensionals

Come back tomorrow to see more of my Easter card creations!  The Easter Parade continues...

Easter Parade of Cards - Part 1

Welcome to the Easter Parade of Cards!  The first two entrants are the same design in different color combinations.   I used the gorgeous Shades of Spring designer series paper from the Occasions mini catalog, the yummy new 5/8" satin ribbon, and the new Scallop Trim Border Punch from the Sale-a-Bration mini catalog.

Supplies

Stamps:  Eggcoutrements

Cardstock:  Shades of Spring Designer Series Paper, Whisper White, Orchid Oppulence

Ink:  Orchid Oppulence

Accessories:  Scallop Trim Border Punch, Designer Label Punch, Certainly Celery 5/8" Satin Ribbon, Mat Pack, Paper Piercer, Stampin' Dimensionals, White Embroidery Floss

Supplies

Stamps: Eggcoutrements

Cardstock: Shades of Spring Designer Series Paper, Whisper White, Certainly Celery

Ink: Orchid Oppulence

Accessories: Scallop Trim Border Punch, Designer Label Punch, Certainly Celery 5/8" Satin Ribbon, Mat Pack, Paper Piercer, Stampin' Dimensionals, White Embroidery Floss

Supplies

Stamps: Eggcoutrements

Cardstock: Shades of Spring Designer Series Paper, Whisper White

Ink: Orchid Oppulence

Accessories: Scallop Trim Border Punch, Designer Label Punch, Certainly Celery 5/8" satin ribbon, Mat Pack, Paper Piercer, Stampin' Dimensionals, White Embroidery Floss

Be sure and come back tomorrow to see the next installment for my Easter Parade of Cards!

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