Blog

Twirly Whirly Birthday - PPA158 Color Challenge

2013-05-06T18:00:00Z

I have a wonderful color combination to share today courtesy of the Pals Paper Arts design team:

Isn't this combination just delightful? Here is what I came up with:

I am in need of a few birthday cards and wanted to use the Pinwheel Sizzlit Die and the Wishes Your Way Stamp Set before they retire on June 3rd. I also loaded up on some beautiful Designer Series Paper that will be retiring as well...it's so sad to see these beautiful products retire but we must make room for beautiful NEW products!

Did you notice the Designer Series Paper I used for the pinwheel? I wanted to have one side be Pool Party and the other Summer Starfruit but I didn't have one Designer Series Paper that fit that bill so I created two pinwheels from the Sizzlits Die and attached them together before assembling the pinwheel...where there is a will there is a way!

Stampin Supplies:

Stamps: Wishes Your Way (129156)

Paper: Pool Party (122924), Lucky Limeade (122926), Summer Starfruit (126839), Whisper White (100730) Cardstock; Comfort Cafe (126898), Birds of a Feather (126899), Patio Party (126916)Sunshine and Sprinkles (130670), 2011-2013 In Color (122384) Designer Series Paper

Ink: Lucky Limeade (126984) Classic Stampin' Pad

Tools: Big Shot (113439), Pinwheel Sizzlits S Die (129411)

Embellishments: 2012-2014 In Color Dahlias (127556), Pool Party Baker's Twine (125574)

Thanks for stopping by!

Gingham Garden Birthday - PPA157 Sketch Challenge

2013-04-30T19:00:00Z

I am very pleased to share this project with you today, created with a wonderful sketch from the Pals Paper Arts design team:

The new catalog will be available on May 31st but as a Stampin' Up! Demonstrator I am allowed a sneak peek at the exciting new products and I am thrilled to share some of those new products with you on my card today! So without further ado...(insert drumroll) here is my creation:

You may notice this new delicious Designer Series Paper which I honestly think is my all-time favorite ever! The colors showcased here are Daffodil Delight, Melon Mambo, and Pear Pizzazz. And I have managed to feature not one, but TWO new stamp sets for you today:

One is a collection of stars, which I am just thrilled with, and the other is a new collection of sentiments, I can't say "love" enough! I chose this sentiment because I think it has so many options...we could be celebrating a birthday, or a baby, or a graduation, or a...well, you get the idea!

Thank you for stopping by and look for other sneak peeks at new product in the days and weeks to come!

Soho Subway Birthday - Freshly Made Sketches #83

2013-04-25T05:02:29Z

An awesome sketch by Allisa posted today over at Freshly Made Sketches, I couldn't wait to get home and create something!

Isn't it just fab? Lots of clean lines and lots of room for interpretation. I knew I wanted to use another line of new Designer Series Paper to create a masculine birthday card...how did I do?

Isn't this new Designer Series Papeer just absolutely amazing? It's called "Soho Subway" and I think Stampin' Up! knocked it OUT OF THE PARK with this one!! I have used three of the patterns here on this project, I couldn't fit anymore on the card but check back because this one will appear again in another project soon! We ALWAYS need masculine cards, right?

Here's a closer look at the paper:

The coordinating colors for this paper series are Crisp Cataloupe, Early Expresso, Island Indigo, Summer Starfruit, and Very Vanilla. At first I layered all of the pieces of DSP onto an Early Expresso Base but they seemed to be lost on top of that dark color so I tried layering each piece on Island Indigo. That just made everything look very busy so I stepped back and contemplated things. I tried Soft Suede as a base...still too dark. Very Vanilla was just too light. But Sahara Sand was just...yeah, you know where I'm going with that!

Sahara Sand it is...now how to add a bit of jazz without detracting from my "masculine" card?

I sponged all of the edges with Early Expresso Ink
I added subtle paper piercing to the right hand corners to visually balance out the weight of the busy pattern on the left
I chose a 'scruffy' image to keep with the masculine theme
I heat embossed the sentiment with Early Expresso embossing powder

Have you noticed the awesome new punch? It's called the "Artisan Label" punch and has a coordinating stamp set called "Label Love". Love, Love, Love! But on it's own on my card the punched sentiment seemed to get lost so I trimmed snippets of the Designer Series Paper into banners and attached them to my sentiment and popped the sentiment off the card with my trusty Stampin' Dimensionals!

Let's see...No ribbon? check. No buttons? check. I think my husband would approve! I would love to hear your thoughts on the new products or the card in general, so please if you have a moment won't you leave me a comment?

Stampin Supplies:

Stamps: Label Love (coming soon)

Paper: Sahara Sand (121043) Cardstock; Soho Subway Designer Series Paper (coming soon)

Ink: Early Expresso (12974) Classic Stampin' Pad

Tools: Artisan Label Punch (coming soon), Essentials Paper-Piercing Pack (126187), Stampin' Pierce Mat (126199), Paper-Piercing Tool (126189), Stampin' Trimmer (126889), Stampin' Dimensionals (104430), Snail Adhesive (104332), Stampin' Sponges (101610)

Embellishments: None

Thanks for stopping by!

With Sympathy - FTL235

2013-04-13T19:00:00Z

Today I have another sketch for your courtesy of Clean and Simple Stamping:

I really enjoy the lines of these sketches...I had fun with this one!

My card today is a tribute to these retiring colors: Baja Breeze, Riding Hood Red, and Lucky Limeade. If you enjoy these colors, please don't wait to stock up on your supplies as they will only be available while supplies last!

I used the Tastful Trim Bigz Die to create my border layer in Riding Hood Red and then repeated the color in the stamped flower and the sentiment. I also sponged the edges of the border and the sentiment banner to give them both a bit more visual impact.

I made a bow with Baja Breeze Seam Binding Ribbon (which is great to work with) and wrapped the prongs of a Antuque Brad around the center of the bow and then poked the prongs of the brad through a hole I punched in the sentiment banner and then flattened them out.

The prongs on the back of the banner give it a bit of depth so I attached the sentiment banner with Stampin' Dimensionals...and there you have it! A beautifully simple card that can be created in minutes!

Stampin Supplies:

Stamps: Best of Flowers (133342), Loving Thoughts (125845)

Paper: Whisper White (100730), Riding Hood Red (111348), Baja Breeze (111352) Cardstock

Ink: Riding Hood Red (126968) Classic Stampin' Pad, Riding Hood Red (119701) and Lucky Limeade (123002) Stampin' Write Markers

Tools: Big Shot (113439), Tastful Trim Bigz XL Die (120893), Stamp-A-Ma-Jig (101049), Stampin' Trimmer (126889), Stampin' Dimensionals (104430), Snail Adhesive (104332)

Embellishments: Baja Breeze 1/2" Seam Binding Ribbon (122331), Antique Brads (117273)

Thanks for stopping by!

Words of Encouragement - FTL218

2013-04-11T07:00:44Z

I came across this sketch over at Clean and Simple Stamping quite by accident and just fell in love with it:

The challenge is long since closed but you never know where your inspiration will come from so you have to go with it when you find it! Here is my interpretation of this sketch:

I just love this daisy which can be found in the 25th Anniversary Best of Flowers Stamp Set and have been itching to ink it up.

My color palette was inspired by the International Bazaar Designer Series Paper...the design work has already been done so why not take advantage of it?! I just pulled out one my favorite go-to tools, the Stamp-A-Ma-Jig, and carefully stamped my daisies down the side of the card. EZPeasy! (Yep, I just went there!)

The daisies have been stamped in Pacific Point, Tangerine Tango, Pool Party, Lucky Limeade and Rich Razzleberry. I purposely placed the two boldest colors at opposite ends and then emphasized the Rich Razzleberry by repeating it in the sentiment. I emphasized the Pacific Point as well by matting the sentiment with it.

A simple bow in Pool Party Baker's Twine also ties in with the daisy peeking out above the sentiment. I chose the sentiment with a friend in mind...wouldn't you love to receive a card like this when you are having one of "those" weeks? I would!

I hope you have enjoyed my clean and simple card today and are inspired to pull out ink and paper!

Stampin Supplies:

Stamps: Best of Flowers (133342), Pursuit of Happiness (121970)

Paper: Whisper White (100730), Pacific Point (111350) Cardstock

Ink: Pacific Point(126951), Tangerine Tango (126946), Pool Party (126982), Lucky Limeade (126984), Rich Razzleberry (126950) Classic Stampin' Pad

Tools: Stamp-A-Ma-Jig (101049), Stampin' Trimmer (126889), Snail Adhesive (104332)

Embellishments: Pool Party Baker's Twine (125574)

Thanks for stopping by!

Welcome Baby - PPA156 Color Challenge

2013-04-10T07:00:18Z

Today's challenge comes to you courtesy of the Pals Paper Arts Design Team. They work hard to bring us great sketches and color combinations to stretch our creativity!

Wow, these colors just shouted "BABY" to me:

And I meant "BABY" in the most literal sense! I kept the background simple and clean and used embossing folders on the punched pennants for visual interest. I stamped an embellishment from the Pennant Parade Stamp Set, snipped it out with my paper snips and then adhered it, along with a brad in Certainly Celery, to one of the pennants. Bows at the ends of the banner finish it off quite nicely.

I stamped the sentiment in Marina Mist using the Classic Stampin' Pad. I then quickly sifted a bit of Clear Embossing Powder over the top and tapped the excess off. I applied heat to the embossing powder with Stampin' Up!'s AWESOME heat tool and within seconds the sentiment went from "pretty" to "pretty awesome!"

I can't wait to do more embossing!! Do you like it as well? If so, please give embossing a whirl...it is so easy and REALLY makes an impact!

Stampin Supplies:

Stamps: One in a Million (126382), Pennant Parade (122742)

Paper: Whisper White (100730), Bashful Blue (105120), Certainly Celery (105125), Marina Mist (119682) Cardstock; Subtles (117152) Designer Series Paper Stack

Ink: Marina Mist (126962) Classic Stampin' Pad

Tools: Big Shot (113439), Houndstooth (123134) Perfect Polka Dots (117335) Chevron (127749), and Argyle (127750) Embossing Folders, Petite Pennants Builder Punch (122361), Clear Embossing Powder (109130), Heat Tool (129053), Stampin' Trimmer (126889), Stampin' Dimensionals (104430)

Embellishments: 3/16" Subtles Brads (119738), Whisper White Baker's Twine (124262)

Thanks for stopping by!

Color Reno Thank You - Mojo Monday 288

2013-04-09T07:00:00Z

I love the sketch today on Mojo Monday and am excited to use it to showcase some new colors in the upcoming 2013-2014 Stampin' Up! catalog:

And now...drum roll please...I am happy to welcome and look forward to using Bermuda Bay, Calypso Coral, and Pear Pizzazz!

What do you think? I think they look so pretty together, very light and fresh! These three colors have actually been colors with Stampin' Up! before:

Bermuda Bay was discontinued with the color renovation at the end of the 2009-2010 catalog
Pear Pizzazz was a 2010-2012 In-Color
Calypso Coral is a 2011-2013 In-Color and was scheduled to be retired at the end of this current catalog.

These three colors will be returning with the 2013-2014 Catalog as part of Stampin' Up!'s mini color renovation. These colors will be available to order on May 31, 2013 with the release of the new catalog. If you would like to receive a catalog please e-mail me and I will see that you have one as soon as they are available!

I kept true to the sketch and layered my embossed banners onto a neutral DSP found as part of the Tea For Two Designer Series Paper in the Spring Catalog. I layered two punches to build a base for my butterfly stamped from the Papillon Potpourri Stamp Set. The sentiment is from of the Kindness Matters Stamp Set.

I added some paper-piercing to both the 1 3/4" scallop and the 1 3/8" Circle using Stampin' Up!'s AWESOME paper-piercing templates. A few pearls adds just the right amount of jewelry!

I hope you have enjoyed today's project. Please check back with me over the next few months as I showcase both incoming and outgoing products. Remember the retiring products are only available until the current stock is depleted!

A BIG shout out to fellow demonstrator Charlotte for donating a sample of Bermuda Bay to me from her private stash because I was SO excited to see it! She is awesome!

Stampin Supplies:

Stamps: Papillon Potpourri (123759), Kindess Matters (122902)

Paper: Sahara Sand (121043), Whisper White (100730), Calypso Coral (122925), Bermuda Bay (coming soon), Pear Pizzazz (coming soon) Cardstock; Tea For Two (129311) Designer Series Paper Stack

Ink: Calypso Coral (126983) Classic Stampin' Pad

Tools: Essentials Paper-Piercing Pack (126187), Paper-Piercing Tool (126189), Stampin' Pierce Mat (126199), 1 3/4" Scallop Punch (119854), 1 3/8" Circle Punch (119860), Elegant Butterfly Punch (127526), Big Shot (113439), Chevron Embossing Folder (127749), Paper Snips (103579), Stampin' Trimmer (126889), Stampin' Dimensionals (104430)

Embellishments: Pearl Basic Jewels (119247)

Thanks for stopping by!

Million Dollar Moments Hello - Freshly Made Sketches #80

2013-04-08T07:00:28Z

Happy Monday to You! Have you visited Freshly Made Sketches this week and checked out the awesome sketch by Linda C.? No? Well, let me share it with you!

This sketch leaves a lot of room for interpretation which worked out well for me...I pondered this sketch all week and then suddenly, there it was!! So without further ado, here it is :)

Do you just LOVE it? The featured stamp set here is Million Dollar Moments, a hostess set from the Spring Catalog. I have loved this set from the minute I laid eyes on it but I have struggled with how to use it...

After trying many color combinations I settled on Sahara Sand and Wild Wasabi. I stamped the image on the card in Sahara Sand and then again in Wild Wasabi (on a separate sheet of cardstock), then snipped the boots and umbrella out and added them to the card with a bit of 2-Way Glue. I just LOVE how they pop!

I added the sentiment and the raining flowers in Wild Wasabi and then paper-pierced an oval around all the images using the Occasions Paper-Piercing Pack available in the Spring Catalog. The finishing touch was some 1/4" Stitched Grosgrain Ribbon in Wild Wasabi. After the card was done I decided it needed something in the upper left hand corner to balance out all I had going on over on the lower right hand corner and two 3/8" Brights Glimmer Brads fit the bill perfectly! Of course, they are actually Old Olive rather than Wild Wasabi, but if you won't tell, I won't either!

Here's a close up of all the little details...hope you have enjoyed this little card!

Stampin Supplies:

Stamps: Million-Dollar Moments (125137) Hostess

Paper: Sahara Sand (121043), Wild Wasabi (108641) Cardstock; Subtles (117152) Designer Series Paper Stack

Ink: Wild Wasabi (126959) Classic Stampin' Pad

Tools: Occasions Paper-Piercing Pack (129387), Paper-Piercing Tool (126189), Stampin' Pierce Mat (126199), Papr Snips (103579), Stampin' Trimmer (126889), Stampin' Dimensionals (104430)

Embellishments: 3/8" Brights Glimmer Brads (121006), 1/4" Stitched Grosgrain Ribbon in Wild Wasabi (126873)

Thanks for stopping by!

Free Shipping Apr 6-8 AND Color Changes!!!

2013-04-05T01:56:46Z

THAT'S RIGHT!! Any size order is eligible for FREE shipping on EVERYTHING (expedited orders excluded) this Friday, April 6 through Monday April 8, 2013. This is a fantastic offer so don't miss this out! Start shopping now!

The second bit of news is a color renovation! Trends and styles change and Stampin' Up! is on top of that with a few exciting "tweaks" to our color palettes. We say good bye to a few good friends but welcome some new ones who have been here before but are back to stay. Yay!

Smoky Slate is a BRAND NEW color to Stampin' Up! and I can't wait to see it...

Island Indigo, Pool Party, Blushing Bride, Pear Pizzazz, Wisteria Wonder and Calypso Coral have all been In-Colors but are here to stay! I am just tickled with each and everyone of these additions and I hope you are as well.

Soft Sky, Crushed Curry and Bermuda Bay are being re-introduced and I am looking forward to trying them out!

Please check the list for any of your favorite colors that will be retiring and take advantage of the free shipping to stock up now because they are only available until the current available supplies are depleted.

I Dig You! - Freshly Made Sketches #79

2013-04-01T07:00:11Z

Whoo Hoo! I am back today with another fabulous sketch by Rita Wright over at Freshly Made Sketches. I just love their sketches and am so inspired to create! I haven't played in a few weeks but I was thrilled to be chosen by Jen B. as a "Perfect Princess" for my last entry in Freshly Made Sketches Challenge #75!! Please click here if you would like to see my entry!

Here is this week's wonderful sketch:

and here is my I Dig You birthday card!

I am so tickled with how it turned out! Of course all the coordinating products that Stampin' Up! sells makes this soooo easy! Hmmm, have I said that before?

My starting point for this project was the paper. It seemed so bright and cheerful to me that it was practically screaming "choose me, choose me!", so I did! The color tones suggested little boy birthday to me and I immediately thought of my neglected but well loved stamp set, I Dig You so I pulled it out and got busy.

You may notice a trend with my cards to trim a piece of cardstock to just slightly smaller than the base size and pop it up on Stampin' Dimensionals. I find that it adds a bit of "wow" factor as well as giving me a wonderful place to tuck the ribbon...I prefer not to have the ribbon visible on the inside of the card, just a personal preference. You could skip this step and just tuck the ends of the ribbon under the circle on the front and make a card with a lower profile for mailing. Just a thought!

I just love, love, love this little dump truck but I wanted it to color coordinate with my Designer Series Paper so I stamped each part individually and then fussy cut each piece out and adhered them to my circle base with Stampin' Dimensionals. I used the 1" circle punch for the back tire and I tried to use our 3/4" circle punch for the front tire but it was just a bit too small. I was not about to attempt to hand cut that circle so I pulled out one of the few non-Stampin' Up! tools I own (I know, gasp) to make a circle just the right size. I am hoping that Circle Framelits will be available in the new catalog so I can retire my contraband supply! Hope!

I added a 3/16" Metallic Brad to each tire with my Paper Piercing Tool and Stampin' Pierce Mat. I just poked the hole, slipped the brad in and folded the prongs flat. I usually lay the piece with the brad on it down on a hard flat surface and push GENTLY to flatten the brad out.

New stamps have a trace of film on them from the manufacturing process, simply sand the image GENTLY to remove the film and clean the image before inking up and you will have very clean images as demonstrated here in my dump truck. I think they turned out very nicely. I am not thrilled with the result of inking up the presents image with my Stampin' Markers. I tried and tried to get a crisp image but this was as good as they got. I don't believe it is the fault of my Stampin' Markers but rather operator error at fault here so I kept the images as is and use it is an example of why you want to sand GENTLY. Too much sanding could impact your final product! But life isn't perfect right? RIGHT?!? So I'm taking a deep breath and living with it!

The final touch was some ribbon. I simply layered three different colors and textures together and decided to forgo a knot. I think the image is impact enough and in my husband's world ribbon is barely tolerated and bows or knots not at all, lol. I use his opinion in my guide to masculine cards!

I'm not sure a three year old boy would be that impressed with my efforts but I bet his mom would! Haha, it's the thought that counts anyway.

I hope you have enjoyed my post and are inspired to get those supplies out!

Stampin Supplies:

Stamps: I Dig You (122722)

Paper: Crumb Cake (120953), Midnight Muse (126843), Very Vanilla (101650) Cardstock; Print Poetry (129312) Designer Series Paper Stack

Ink: Jet Black StazOn Ink Pad (101406); Midnight Muse (126860), Summer Starfruit (126991) Classic Stampin' Pad; Midnight Muse (126853), Not Quite Navy (119701), Summer Starfruit (126853) Stampin' Write Markers (Please note that all of the markers are sold in sets only)

Tools: 2 1/2" Circle Punch (120906), 1" Circle Punch (119868), Stampin' Trimmer (126889), Paper Piercing Tool (126189), Stampin' Pierce Mat (126199)

Embellishments: 3/8" Denim Jean Ribbon (125053), 4/8" Stitched Satin Ribbon in Summer Starfruit (126846), Natural 7/16" Trim Ribbon (129287), 3/16" Mettalic Brads in Pewter (119741)

Thanks for stopping by!