My first "movie" using My Digital Studio!

I stayed up really late last night getting ready for today's My Digital Studio class... not because I was trying to get everything done... but because I couldn't stop playing around! I can't wait to share what I've learned so far!! This program is so amazing! There's so much you can do with it... more than I'll probably ever figure out. The good thing is that the program is really easy to use... whew! If you would like to know more about My Digital Studio, go to www.mydigitalstudio.net to see information, training videos, and projects.
Here's a little 'something' I made to show off some of the neat things you can do with My Digital Studio. I started with some pre-designed pages from "Christmas Jingle." Then I edited the pages to fit my photos and added more pages that I built from scratch. When I was finished with the whole project, I added the music (We Wish you a Merry Christmas, by Kenny G) from my iTunes library. Hope you enjoy it :)

Blossom

If you haven't tried the Triple Layer punches yet, drop everything, grab some card stock, and start! They are so much fun to use!!  You get three different punches in one... woohoo!! The Blossom Bouquet Triple Layer Punch (122464 $23.95) coordinates nicely with the Bold Blossom stamp set (wood 123232 $12.95 / clear 122232 $9.95). For this card I punched pieces from the "first" and "third" setting.

The base of this card is Pear Pizzazz card stock. I used a 4"x5.25" layer of Daffodil Delight DSP from the Patterns Designer Series Paper Stack: Brights (117155 $19.95). After punching and layering the flower pieces, I added a flower center by using one of the punches from the Itty Bitty Shapes Punch Pack (118309 $16.95 for three cute little punches). I also added a tiny drop of Moonlight Smooch® Pearlized Accent Ink (119969 $4.95) to the center of each flower. And, well, I just have to add ribbon to almost everything ☺,  so I chose the Daffodil Delight 3/8" Taffeta Ribbon (119766 $6.95) to finish off my card.

Aloha

One of the new goodies from the Summer Mini that I am super excited about is the new embossing powder... in colors! You can now get embossing powder in Tangerine Tango (123106), Wild Wasabi (123224), and Melon Mambo (123223). I just love to heat emboss... there's something about that moment when the powder melts :)

I stamped the image from the Summer Splash stamp set in VersaMark ink onto Early Espresso card stock. Then I just sprinkled on the Tangerine Tango embossing powder, and heated the powder with my Heat Tool. Easy Peasy! I used the Sweet Shoppe Alphabet Lower stamp set to stamp the greeting in Early Espresso ink, and the Baker's Twine is a simple and economical accessory.

A "Success"-ful card :)

Each month, SU demos receive an awesome magazine called Stampin' Success. Inside there are great business ideas, as well as more project samples than I will ever have time to make. At the back of the magazine is a card template than has been used to create a project or two featured in the articles. I use the card template as a challenge to myself - and my downline, too! It's good to step out of your comfort zone once in a while, and it's super awesome to have a new template to experiment with each month. This card uses the template from the April issue of Stampin' Success.

The 4-1/4" square base is Tangerine Tango card stock. The Peach Parfait DSP is from the In Color Hostess Pack. I used the Petal Pizzazz stamp set to create the flower layers, which I cut out with my Snips and attached with Dimensionals.
To get multiple colors on each stamped image, I used the 'Rock & Roll' technique... First I inked the stamp in Daffodil Delight. Then, with the stamp at a slight angle, I rolled the edges in Peach Parfait ink. Finally, with the stamp at a steep angle, I rolled the edges in Tangerine Tango ink.
The sentiment is from the Tiny Tags stamp set and punched out with the Jewelry Tag punch. A clear Bitty Button makes the perfect flower center.

Basic Black

Today's card from the Color Coach is Basic Black, which is in the Neutrals Collection. If you can't tell from the pictures, I L♥VE the Top Note Bigz die. This die is one of my absolute favorites, and it is exclusive to Stampin' Up!. So, I thought it would be fun to use it three different ways for these cards. ☺

The "Dynamic Duo" colors are Basic Black and Basic Gray. I was thrilled to find I had DSP in those colors! It's from the Wicked Fun Specialty Designer Series Paper. But, my excitement subdued a bit when I was trying to think of a way to use it that was not for Halloween. Hmmm... get those thinking gears in motion... gears... Cogs punch! I love finding a different way to use something, like DSP that was made for Halloween! Anywho... I used the Lots of Bots stamp set for this 'get well' card. The robot is colored in with a Blender Pen and a few drops of ink.

 The "Creative Combination" colors are Basic Black, Cherry Cobbler, and Baja Breeze. This card turned out so pretty. ☺ I used the Artistic Etchings stamp set for this card, and the music notes are from the Newsprint DSP. The 'crown' image is stamped in VersaMark ink, and heat embossed with clear embossing powder. A scrap of Cherry Cobbler card stock that I punched out with the Dotted Scallop Border punch peeks out from behind the focal point. 1/8" Taffeta Ribbon and a pin from the Vintage Trinkets top it all off.

The "Getting Started" colors are Basic Black, Daffodil Delight, and Old Olive. For this card I used the technique called 'embedded embossing'. First, I die cut the flowers and flower centers from the Fun Flowers Bigz L die and the leaves from the Little Leaves Sizzlit. After adhering them to the Top Note die cut, I dry embossed the whole piece using the Square Lattice Embossing Folder and my Big Shot. The sentiment is from Fabulous Phrases, punched out with the 1-3/4"x7/8" Oval punch, and layered onto a scrap of Basic Black card stock punched out with the Modern Label punch.

WOW!!! I am at the end of my Color Coach! I have now made EVERY color combination suggested. Whew!! Hmmm... what to challenge myself with next... Off to my stamping desk! ☺

Basic Gray

I hope everyone had a nice weekend and a wonderful Mother's Day! It was a beautiful day for me - I got to spend time with my in-laws AND my parents, which doesn't happen very often. The weather was gorgeous, the food was yummy, and the children were well behaved. It doesn't get much better than that!
Today's card from the Color Coach is Basic Gray, which is in the Neutrals Collection.

 

 The "Dynamic Duo" colors are Basic Gray and Basic Black. The Basic Gray layer of card stock is dry embossed with the Vintage Wallpaper Embossing Folder, and then spritzed with the Silver Foil Smooch Spritz. The sentiment is from the Perfect Punches stamp set, and punched out with the Modern Label punch. I used my Big Shot and the Movers & Shapers Bigz XL die with one of the Punch Windows to die cut a scrap of Basic Black card stock, creating a mat for the sentiment. The Whisper White 5/8" Organza Ribbon adds an elegant touch.

 

The "Creative Combination" colors are Basic Gray, Melon Mambo, and Old Olive. For this 3x3 card I used the Awash with Flowers stamp set. If you like 'two-step stamping' then this is a great set to try. The sentiment from the Fabulous Phrases stamp set is punched out with the 3/4"x15/16" Oval punch. A Basic Rhinestone and Old Olive 1/8" Taffeta Ribbon are a great little addition to bring out the 'cute' factor.

I think this card using the "Sweet Set" colors (Basic Gray, Real Red, and Pumpkin Pie) turned out super cute. I used my Big Shot to die cut a piece of Real Red card stock with the Scallop Circle #2 Bigz die. Then I used the 1/16" Circle Handheld Punch to punch a tiny little hole into each scallop. After stamping the creatures from the Greetings, Earthling stamp set and punching them out with the 2-1/2" Circle punch, I colored them in using a few drops of ink and a Blender Pen.

Whisper White

I have to giggle that there is a card in the Color Coach for Whisper White. I mean... it's Whisper White... it goes with everything!

The "Creative Combination" colors are Whisper White, Basic Black, and More Mustard. For this combination I chose to create a card using 'My Digital Studio.' I love that you can choose a pre-designed project, and tweak it to make it your own. I chose this already completed Halloween card and changed out some color and paper designs. Woohoo - a cute card in minutes!

The "Getting Started" colors are Whisper White, Marina Mist, and Night of Navy. To create this cute little 3x3 card, place a folded piece of Whisper White card stock on the larger square of the Scallop Squares Duo Bigz die. Just make sure that the square on the die is not completely covered; slide the folded edge down so that it does not get cut. Then, just run it through your Big Shot. Easy peasy, lemon squeazy. ☺ I used the Aviary and Fabulous Phrases stamp sets, Marina Mist 1/8" Taffeta ribbon, and a Basic Rhinestone to complete the card. When I'm ready to give this little cutie to someone, it fits right into a Whisper White Mini Envelope (107309  $7.50 for 40 little envies).

Soft Suede

 Soft Suede was a recent 'In Color' that carried over into the Neutrals Collection during the Color Renovation - yay!

 The "Dynamic Duo" colors are Soft Suede and Early Espresso - gorgeous!! For this card I used the Hostess stamp set Love & Care from the new Summer Mini Catalog. I wanted a subtle texture on the background, so I used one of the Texturz Plates from Backgrounds 1 (114512 $11.95 set of 3 in 6 designs). The sentiment is stamped in Soft Suede ink onto Very Vanilla card stock. After snipping a 'V' into the end, I distressed the edges with my Craft & Rubber Scissors, sponged the edges in Soft Suede ink, and spritzed on some color with the Color Spritzer Tool and Soft Suede marker.

 

I used Early Espresso 5/8" Satin Ribbon (119753 $8.95) to make the ribbon flower. Want to make one yourself? You will need Sticky Pages (114300 $6.95) to make the 'base' of the flower. Die cut a piece of a Sticky Page (the 2nd to smallest circle) on the Circles #2 Originals Die with your Big Shot. Cut a length of Satin Ribbon to about 14". At 1" intervals, snip into the ribbon almost to the opposite edge. Peel the red backing from your sticky circle. Starting at the outside edge of the circle, attach your ribbon in a spiral motion. As you move along the sticky circle, you will need to pleat and gather the ribbon. When you get to the center, you might need to add a Mini Glue Dot to tack down the end. The next step is to 'melt' the edges with your Heat Tool. Now, keep in mind, you are about to use something with a lot of heat on something that is flammable... just pointing this out so you have time to think it through. The work area gets very hot for this project. To create a safe work area for 'melting' the ribbon, I use a foil cake pan which sits on a cork trivet. After pre-heating my Heat Tool, I hold down one edge of the flower with long tweezers and start heating up the opposite edge. I alternate holding the Heat Tool straight down and then at an angle to 'flutter' the ribbon petals. It does take a while to 'melt' and my kitchen smells like... well, burnt ribbon. But, it's really cute!☺ After the flower cools, peel off the paper backing from the sticky circle and cover it with a circle of card stock die-cut the same size. If you use the same color card stock and ribbon, it will hide any gaps in the curled ribbon flower petals.

 

The "Creative Combination" colors are Soft Suede, So Saffron, and Regal Rose. I really like the Love & Care Hostess stamp set, so I used it again for this card. The Soft Suede layer is die cut on my Big Shot with the Top Note Bigz die. I used that die again to cut a smaller layer from Regal Rose DSP (Patterns Designer Series Paper Stack: Brights). I chose a different pattern of Regal Rose DSP, and punched out three Scallop Circles. I crumpled and distressed each one, then layered them together with Dimensionals.

Happy Teacher Appreciation Week!!! I made this card for my oldest son's teacher using the colors in the "Sweet Set": Soft Suede, Baja Breeze, and Cherry Cobbler. The adorable image is from Greeting Card Kids, and the sentiment is from Thank You Kindly. I used Watercolor Wonder Crayons and a Blender Pen to color the image. The layer of Cherry Cobbler card stock is dry embossed with the Vintage Wallpaper Embossing Folder on the Big Shot, and the raised images are lightly sponged with Soft Suede ink.

Sahara Sand

Sahara Sand reminds me of khaki pants - it doesn't get all the 'color glory' but it goes with everything. ☺It makes a great neutral, especially if you want something lighter than Crumb Cake.

 

The "Creative Combination" colors are Sahara Sand, Bravo Burgundy, and Pink Pirouette. I used the Medallion background stamp and the Oval All stamp set for this card. I stamped the Medallion a second time in Pink Pirouette ink onto Very Vanilla card stock, and punched the center out with the 1-3/4" Circle punch. The Scallop Oval and 1-3/4"x7/8" Oval punches got to come over and play, too. And to finish it off, the Basic Pearls are the perfect accessory.

 The "Sweet Set" colors are Sahara Sand, Pacific Point, and Cajun Craze. I grabbed the Bugs & Kisses stamp set for this card - L♥VE this stamp set! The pleated strip in Pacific Point is from the Patterns Designer Series Paper Stack: Brights. The three punches used on this card are: 1-3/4" Scallop Circle, 1-3/8" Circle, and 1-1/4" Circle.

Crumb Cake

 So you might be thinking that even though Crumb Cake is a "new" Stampin' Up! color, it sure looks a lot like the retired Kraft. You are correct! The name changed and it became a core color. As part of the Neutrals collection, it now has an ink pad as well - woohoo!!!

The "Dynamic Duo" colors are Crumb Cake and Chocolate Chip - love these! The Crumb Cake layer is dry embossed using the  Framed Tulips Embossing Folder, and sponged with Chocolate Chip ink. I stamped the Ornate Blossom in Whisper White Craft ink. The small ornate image stamped in Chocolate Chip ink and the images on the tag are from the Tiny Tags stamp set.

  

The "Creative Combination" colors are: Crumb Cake, Not Quite Navy, and Riding Hood Red. While this might look like a card, it's actually a stack of envelopes. I made a set of cards for 1 of the PTO's raffle baskets, and I wanted to bundle the envies together to look just as nice as the cards. My Big Shot got a nice workout on this project! I used the Scallop Rectangle Clearlit die, the Little Leaves Sizzlit, and 1 Sizzlit from the Birds and Blooms Sizzlit 4-Pack. The sentiment is from the Fabulous Phrases stamp set.

The "Sweet Set" colors are Crumb Cake, Cajun Craze, and Garden Green. For this card I used the Inspired By Nature stamp set and a technique called Poppin' Pastels. To create this soft look, stamp your image in VersaMark® ink. Then, use Sponge Daubers to pick up color from the Stampin' Pastels®, and 'pounce' the color onto the image. To learn more about using VersaMark® ink, sign up for my May 31st Technique Tuesday class.