a window with a view

I had so much fun last night at my Technique Tuesday class! There are so many neat projects you can make with the new Framelit and Edgelit Dies. While most projects you make will most likely use the "positive" die-cut, you can also use the "negative" to create a framed look. If you add a layer of acetate, you've got yourself a cute little window  :}
After seeing a window card that another demonstrator made using a Framelit from the 'Labels Collection,' I really wanted to try a window card using a Framelit from the 'Hearts Collection.' Wedding season will be here soon enough (and therefore bridal showers and anniversaries), so it will be nice to have a beautiful card ready to go.

There are quite a few steps on this card, so I'll try to remember them all  ;)
I worked on the Blushing Bride layer of card stock first. After die cutting the heart from the center, I used the Framed Tulips Embossing Folder to add texture, distressed the edges for more texture, and then highlighted those details by sponging Blushing Bride ink around the edges.
I spritzed Blushing Bride Smooch Spritz onto a 4 x 5-1/4" layer of Twitterpated DSP, and adhered that layer to my Riding Hood Red card base. After stamping the flowery heart from the Take It to Heart stamp set, I used a heart Framelit to cut it out, and then I sponged the edges in Blushing Bride ink. To make sure I placed that heart in the center, I set the window-frame layer on the card front so I could use it as a placement guide. Once I had the center image adhered, I was ready to work on the rest of the card.

I used mini Glue Dots to adhere the 3-1/2 x 4-1/2" Window Sheet layer to the back of the Blushing Bride window frame. Then I used Dimensionals to adhere the window layer to the card.
After the window card is assembled, it's just pure fun to embellish the front. For this card, I stamped the sentiment from the Sweetly Said stamp set in Basic Gray ink onto a Whisper White strip (die cut using the Petal Cone Bigz L die). To adhere the sentiment, I used one Dimensional on the left end and two stacked Dimensionals in the center.

The card was getting a little too Valentiney, so I added the pop of Island Indigo and Basic Gray. The his & hers hearts and the fun little ribbon treatment are the perfect over-the-top finishing touches.

Thanks for stopping by my blog today... stay tuned for more projects using the Framelit and Edgelit Dies  :}

Technique Tuesday

Happy Tuesday! It's the last Tuesday of the month, so that means it's time for my Technique Tuesday class. I have a card to share with you today that's actually from my last technique class (Oh, Scrap), as well as a sneak peek at one of tonight's cards.

Scraps of Designer Series Paper and card stock are perfect for small layers on your cards. You can add interest to each layer with texture, such as tearing along the edge, or by stamping right onto your DSP.

Tonight we will be working with the Framelits and Edgelits. Here's a sneak peek at one of the cards:

 Looks like fun, right??? I look forward to sharing our projects with you later this week. Have a wonderful day!!  :}

fun colors

Good morning! I hope you all had a nice weekend. Ours was busy, as usual. The highlight was last night's Blue & Gold Dinner for Ben's Cub Scout pack. Good food, funny skits, and great family time   :} 
Today's project is a nice, simple card we made at my last Team Meeting. I love it because it's super easy, and you can make it in minutes, without leaving a mess in your craft room. 

The Peach Parfait card base has a top-fold. I scored the Whisper White layer at 1/4" and 1/2". The heart image from the Sprinkled Expressions stamp set is stamped in (from the bottom) Poppy Parade, Calypso Coral, and Peach Parfait. I used the same color markers to ink the sentiment stamp. For a simple embellishment, I added a brad from the Everyday Enchantment Ribbon & Brad Pack. Then I attached the Whisper White layer using Dimensionals.
That's it! Super easy!! And what makes it even more awesome is that the stamp set and brad were free! Yeppers, they are Sale-A-Bration choices  :}  You can earn these items free for yourself by placing an order online or by calling/emailing me with your order.

Happy stamping! Enjoy the rest of your day  :}

a green anniversary

I'm posting a bit late today... such a busy one for me! I chaperoned Aaron's field trip this morning to a loud, but fun, place. The kids got to have hands on experiences in different rooms. Each room had different themes and activities, with a large indoor play area in the center. They were moving SO much, I hardly took any photos. This is my favorite, from the room filled with dress-up clothes:

The kids took turns going up on the stage and acting for us... what a bunch of "hams"! This skit is titled "Pirates in Green Bay."  ;)

On to "greener" things...
As promised, here's a mega-layered card, which I made for Aaron's bus driver:

 Her wedding anniversary is also on St. Patrick's Day, and she wanted a special card. She LOVED the cards I made for her! (click here to see the card for her sister's birthday)
 There are so many layers and details on this card... I'll just list a few:
* Poppy Parade DSP from Everyday Enchantment, a Sale-A-Bration choice
* grassy background and stem stamps from the Inspired By Nature stamp set
* the Basic Black card stock has one edge distressed, one edge border punched, and dry embossing

* the lucky four-leaf clover is made from a heart stamp in the I {Heart} Hearts stamp set
* I used the Boho Blossoms punch and a Large Pearl for the center
* I printed my sentiment onto Very Vanilla card stock before punching it out with the Large Oval punch

Even the inside of the card got the royal treatment. I used a Wild Wasbi marker to ink the sentiment from the A Word For You stamp set. Then I distressed the edges of the Very Vanilla card stock before adhering it inside. For a final loving touch, I stamped the smallest heart image from the I {Heart} Hearts stamp set in Poppy Parade ink, punched it out with the Small Heart punch, and attached it with a mini Glue Dot.



After such a busy day, it would be nice to kick back and relax tomorrow... HA! Not going to happen - the kids are off from school, so it will be a noisy family day  :}  Thanks for dropping by tonight - I hope I get to sneak in a few minutes tomorrow to stamp something...

hubby's birthday

Today is my husband's birthday! It's so easy to remember, since it's the same day as George Washington's birthday. Interestingly enough, Washington is one of Chris's history heroes. And while they both have a thing with cherry trees, I'm happy my husband uses his to make pies and wine :}
My hubby enjoys getting some of the "fancy stuff" (as he calls it) that I make, and his birthday card is no exception:

Masculine cards can be a little tricky to create... why is that? Well, it's a lot more fun to make a card that screams "Yoohoo!! Hey! Look at me! Love me - I'm gorgeous!!" At least I think that's what my cards are shouting  ;)  But with a masculine card, it needs to be more subtle, as in, "hey. What's up? Yeah, I'm a handmade card. Cool, dude." Soooo, I tend to use more "fall" colors and neutrals, plus LOTS and LOTS of texture.

Now, that doesn't mean the card has to be boring! I added lots of detail, subtle detail, to the background. First, I used Cajun Craze ink and a Sponge Dauber to stencil the fleur-de-lis image (from the Elegant Trio set). Then I spritzed the background using a Not Quite Navy marker in the Color Spritzer Tool. I used a stylus to dry emboss a few bits of the image from the Houndstooth Embossing Folder, and then tore a bit from one corner of the card base.
The layer of River Rock has been treated to what I call a "faux leather" technique. First I crumple the heck out of the card stock. Then I sponge the same color ink over the whole piece, including the edges. It starts to look and feel like really worn out leather. For more subtle detail, I lightly sponged some Not Quite Navy ink onto one corner, and then lightly spritzed the Not Quite Navy marker onto two opposing corners.
The strip of Well Worn Designer Series Paper is dry embossed using the Houndstooth Embossing Folder through the Big Shot. *Tip: cut your DSP strip a teeny, tiny bit longer than the width of the card, as the width will "shrink" a smidge after it's embossed. I sanded the raised places a little, but the exposed white core was a little too white. So, I used a sponge to lightly rub some River Rock ink over the DSP.
The birthday sentiment is stamped in Not Quite Navy ink onto Very Vanilla card stock. I distressed the edges, and added a layer of Cajun Craze card stock behind it. A snip of Blue 3/8" Denim Jean Ribbon (with frayed edges for more texture) and a Chocolate Chip 5/8" Jumbo Brad are all the embellishment this card needs.
It was pretty darn convenient that the challenge over on the Paper Player's blog is for a masculine-themed creation. How'd they know I was making a "boy card" this week??? Cool, dude  ;)  

Thanks for dropping by - enjoy your day!

Gorgeous greens

Have you ever made a card with too many layers??? Yeah, me neither... HA!! I just can't help myself when there are so many yummy things to play with. Today's card is no exception:

Aaron's bus driver (one of the sweetest ladies you'll ever meet) asked me to make her a few cards, for events that happen to fall on St. Patrick's Day. This card is for her sister's birthday, so I used color to tie the two celebrations together.

I'm going to take you on a little side trip here, and talk about color for a minute. Yesterday, I mentioned using the Color Coach to help me when I'm stamping, and I wanted to share some design tips related to that.

The Color Coach is held together with a post that screws together. After I got mine, I took it apart and rearranged the cards in "rainbow" order. This makes it easier for me to use my limited "color theory" knowledge. For example, if I want to make a project using the classic Primary color combination, I can easily select the tint or shade of red, yellow, and blue that best fits the style or theme of my project.

Knowing that I wanted to start with green, my project began by selecting three "neighbor" cards in my Color Coach. If I had stopped there, I would have a mono-chromatic color scheme.
But I wanted an extra "zing" since this was for a birthday, so I added a few pops of green's complimentary color - red. (Complimentary colors are directly opposite each other on the color wheel.)



So there's some basic color theory info for you. I love how choosing just the right tint, tone, or shade of a color can add just the right "feeling" to a project  :}

Using the Create a Cupcake stamp set, I stamped the wrapper image in Pear Pizzazz, the frosting image in Certainly Celery, and the sprinkles image in Lucky Limeade. I used the Cupcake Builder punch to punch out those images. I adhered the cupcakes to a layer of Certainly Celery card stock, that has been dry embossed using the Perfect Details Texturz Plate and the Big Shot.
There are a ton of other details, so I'll just note a few... The birthday sentiment is stamped in Lucky Limeade ink onto the same color card stock. I stamped a subtle background onto the 4-1/8"x5-3/8" layer of Pear Pizzazz card stock using Pear Pizzazz ink and a stamp from the Creative Elements stamp set.

Special cards have to be pretty on the inside, too! Plus, it's a good idea to add a light-color layer when your card base (Poppy Parade) is pretty dark. Distressing and sponging the edges of the Very Vanilla card stock adds nice detail. And I just love this sentiment stamp: "It's not about how many candles you blow out but how many cupcakes you get!" Perfect  :}

It's also pretty perfect that the theme for SUO Challenge 39 is "a birthday card." Nothing says "birthday" more than cute cupcakes!
And if you think this card has lots of layers, just you wait! The card I'm posting on Thursday is really over the top!! Thanks for dropping in today  :}

Birthday Wishes

I love any birthday stamp set that includes text for belated birthday wishes... I am often late getting my cards mailed out! The Happiest Birthday Wishes Hostess stamp set has ten great text stamps for people who are organized and punctual, plus one text stamp for people like me  :}

I made this card for a friend (whose birthday is today) using the Saturday Sketch Challenge 243. I consulted the stamper's best friend - The Color Coach - for my color combination: Bravo Burgundy, River Rock, and Baja Breeze.
While I was mulling over which background stamp I wanted to use, it dawned on me that I haven't used my stencils in a long time. So, I used the floral image stencil from Elegant Trio, a Sponge Dauber, and Baja Breeze ink. Stenciling tip: pounce the dauber; don't rub or the stencil pieces will move and ink will be where you don't want it to be. I stenciled right onto a piece of Paisley Petals Designer Series Paper. At the bottom I added another strip of Paisley Petals DSP and a piece of Baja Breeze card stock (punched with the Scallop Edge Border punch; stamped with the swirly background from Creative Elements).

The Baja Breeze Seam Binding adds a nice, soft "feel" to this card. For the butterfly focal point, I die cut Bravo Burgundy card stock and Vellum Paper using the Beautiful Butterflies Bigz Die and the Big Shot. After dry embossing the card stock butterfly using the Square Lattice Embossing Folder, I adhered the butterflies together with two mini Glue Dots. They are attached to the card with Dimensionals. A string of Basic Pearls adds the final touch to this special card.

 Now, I could have just gone ahead and stamped my greeting inside, but this card was too pretty to leave the inside plain. So, I added another layer of the Paisley Petals DSP, which I cut so that I could include that pretty floral image in the corner. Then, I stamped my belated birthday greetings in Bravo Burgundy ink... oddly enough, this ended up being the only stamping on this card.

Thanks for taking a minute to stop by - have a super day!!  :}

Jodi's card

It's been a while since I got to make a "baby" card, which I always like working on. So, I was happy to have a reason to use some soft colors for this card.

The little boy I babysit in the morning is going to have a little sister soon, and this card is for his Mom. It's a nice feeling to actually have the card ready before the baby is born - an unusual thing for me to do  ;)
Adhered to the Blushing Bride card base is a layer of Nursery Nest DSP. Over that I added a 1" wide strip of Perfect Plum card stock, which has the sentiment from Sweetly Said stamped in Perfect Plum ink. Then I added a piece of Blushing Bride 3/8" Pleated Satin Ribbon... so pretty!

For the focal point I stamped the rattle from Button Buddies in Blushing Bride ink onto Whisper White card stock, die cut the image using the smallest Framelit in the Labels Collection, and sponged the edges with Blushing Bride ink. After tying a bow of white Baker's Twine through a Perfect Plum Designer Button, I used two mini Glue Dots to adhere the button to the rattle image. I used the second smallest Framelit to die cut a layer of Pear Pizzazz card stock, which I already dry embossed using the Snow Burst Embossing Folder. After tucking it behind the stamped layer, I used Dimensionals to attach the piece to my card.
For some additional "prettiness" I stamped another rattle on the front of the envelope and added more Nursery Nest DSP to the envelope flap. And while I can't wait to give this card to Jodi, I really can't wait to meet this new little bundle of joy  :}

Thanks for stopping by today! If you have an extra minute, stop by Tiffany Bauer's blog. She chose one of my cards as one of her "Crafty Picks" for the week!! I am so honored to be among this group of talented stampers! Have a fabulous day!!!

hooked on challenges :)

Oh my goodness! I just can't help myself... I found another challenge... actually a whole blog focused on Stampin' Up! projects. What drew me in to the SUO Challenge 38, were the "parameters" - use two colors, plus a neutral or two. Here's what I came up with:

The Twitterpated Product Suite helped me see how gorgeous Blushing Bride and Riding Hood Red look together. Basic Gray and a touch of Whisper White are the perfect "neutrals" to pair with that combination.
The card base is Riding Hood Red card stock. I added some details to the layer of Blushing Bride card stock by stamping the large floral image from Bordering on Romance in Blushing Bride ink, and then distressing the edges.
The two layers of Twitterpated DSP are matted with Basic Gray card stock. And check out the large layer on the left... it's fabric!! I think the Twitterpated Fabric is my favorite so far (well, maybe a tie with the Spice Cake fabric). I simply used SNAIL adhesive and wrapped the edges of the fabric around a layer of Whisper White card stock, then adhered that layer to the Blushing Bride card stock with a liberal amount of adhesive.

After tying on some Basic Gray Satin Ribbon, I went to work on the focal point. I stamped the images (also from Bordering on Romance) in Basic Gray ink onto Whisper White card stock. Then I colored in the images with markers: Pear Pizzazz, Lucky Limeade, Blushing Bride, Regal Rose, and Riding Hood Red. I distressed the edges, and sponged them with Blushing Bride ink. Then I adhered the pretty focal point to a layer of Riding Hood Red card stock, which I snipped out after dry embossing it using one of the Designer Frames Embossing Folders. Because of all the bumpy layers, I needed a "double-stack" of Dimensionals to attach the focal point to my card.  At the last minute, I added two Blushing Bride Twitterpated Buttons to push my card over the top  :}
By the way, do you recognize this card layout? I revisited a previous Mojo Monday sketch, and "tweaked" it  :}  So fun!!
Thanks for checking in today - hope you have a wonderful weekend, with lots of time to stamp!!

It's Finally Friday!!

Happy Friday, stamping friends! Whew, it has been a long week. I'm looking forward to a quiet weekend  :}
For today's project, I made a card using a sketch from Stampin' Connection - an online forum just for Stampin' Up! demonstrators.

The Crumb Cake layer is dry embossed using the Square Lattice Embossing Folder. After embossing it with the Big Shot, I smoothed it back down, so that the texture would be more subtle, and then I spritzed it with a Peach Parfait Marker in the Color Spritzer Tool.
I cut four 1/2" wide strips of Everyday Enchantment DSP in different lengths, and then snipped the flaggie-thingies into the ends.
The flower image from Mixed Bunch is stamped in Peach Parfait ink onto Peach Parfait card stock, and then punched out using the Blossom punch. I stamped the flower center (also from Mixed Bunch) in Lucky Limeade ink onto Very Vanilla card stock, and then punched it out using the 1" Circle punch. I added a Crumb Cake Flower Brad to the center for just a simple embellishment. Instead of punching out some leaves, I decided to use three snips of Lucky Limeade Organdy Ribbon, which I curled up by running them along the edge of my Snips (closed).
Here's a close-up so you can see those details:

Access to Stampin' Connection is another great reason to join the Stampin' Up! family. There are over 200,000 project samples, made by Demos at every experience level, with more samples added every day. Plus, there are tons and tons of discussions about workshop ideas, business tips, and product knowledge. And if that's not enough, thousands of Demos are available to offer you a kind word and a virtual "hug" if you ever need one  :}  There are so many benefits for joining "the family," including a discount. Click here if you would like more info.

Thanks for stopping by today... have a wonderful day!!!  :}

another sketch challenge

I am having so much fun with these blog challenges! It really does a good job stretching my creativity. And while using the uber-pretty Everyday Enchantment DSP goes a long way to make such a lovely card, I think this sketch is pretty awesome, too. 

There's not a lot of stamping on this card... guess I'll have to stamp some pretties on the envelope  :}

I stamped the background image from Elementary Elegance in Poppy Parade ink onto the DSP. The sentiment from Fabulous Phrases is stamped in Poppy Parade ink onto Calypso Coral card stock, then punched out with the Curly Label punch.

Adhered to each piece of card stock (punched using the Postage Stamp punch) is a tiny medallion. I scored 1/2" x 6" strips every 1/4" using the Simply Scored Scoring Tool to create the cute little medallions. I also added a brad to the center of each before I adhered them with a liberal amount of adhesive.

Here's a close-up of all the details-

If you like this sketch, you can find more great sketches to try on the Stamping 411 blog. There are some good basics there for stampers at all levels of experience  :}

Well, thanks for stopping by today - have a wonderful Thursday!!

Mojo Monday 228

There's nothing like a good card sketch to get your stamping "mojo" going for the day... well, that and a few cups of coffee! For today's post, I used the Mojo Monday 228 sketch. 

I turned to my trusty companion - the Color Coach - for the colors on this card. I used the 'Dynamic Duo' of Always Artichoke and River Rock. Then I pulled in some white to lighten it up.
I wanted to add interest to the Always Artichoke background layer, so I dry embossed it using the Vintage Wallpaper Embossing Folder and the Big Shot. Then, I used a Sponge Dauber to brush on some Champagne Mist Shimmer Paint.
The Paisley Petals DSP takes its place in two spots on this card... once as a strip and once as a die cut. To make that nice little die cut, I used the third largest Framelit from the Labels Collection. Wanna see how??? Taadaa!! I have a short video for you today!

Here's a close-up of all those yummy details and layers on my card-

The Artichoke 3/8" Denim Jean Ribbon looks great on this card! I'm glad I finally used it - what a wonderful texture! This ribbon would work great on masculine cards... which is a good thing for me since I have a hard time not using ribbon  ;)
The leaves, from the Build a Blossom stamp set, are stamped in Always Artichoke ink onto the same color card stock, and then punched out with the Blossom Petals Builder punch. The sentiment is actually two stamps from the Fabulous Phrases stamp set - an excellent set to have on hand. I stamped them in Always Artichoke ink onto a scrap of River Rock card stock.
The Paper Daisies - which I really need to use more - look great on this card. To add interest, I spritzed them liberally with my mixture of Champagne Mist Shimmer Paint (in rubbing alcohol). I just {love} the look of it! A Basic Pearl in the center of the flower and a Large Basic Pearl add just the right amount of elegant bling to finish the card.

Thanks for stopping by - have a wonderful day!!  :}

Happy Valentine's Day

Happy Valentine's Day!! I hope everyone's had a "lovely" day so far  :}  My project for today is a little treat I made for my hubby. 

The Poppy Parade DSP (Sale-A-Bration: Everyday Enchantment) was cut on the Big Shot using the Pillow Box Bigz Die. Using Soft Suede ink, I stamped the border image (Sale-A-Bration: Fresh Vintage) onto a strip of Very Vanilla DSP (Neutrals Collection Paper Stack). Before adhering the DSP strip to the front of the Pillow Box, I adhered to the top edge a small strip of Pool Party textured card stock, which has been distressed and sponged with Soft Suede ink.
After I tucked some yummy chocolate inside, I tied Pool Party Seam Binding around the box. Since it's for Valentines Day, I made a heart-shaped tag. The bottom layer of the tag is Very Vanilla DSP die-cut using the Scalloped Heart of Hearts Embosslit. To create the next layer, I stamped the floral image in Soft Suede ink onto Poppy Parade card stock, and punched it out using the Full Heart punch. The tiny little Pool Party heart was die-cut using the Fashionable Hearts Embosslit, and adhered to the tag with a Glue Dot. I tied the tag onto the Seam Binding using the Pool Party colored thread, which I separated from the Pool Party Baker's Twine.
The color inspiration (Poppy Parade, Pool Party, Soft Suede, Very Vanilla) for my hubby's little Valentine treat came from the color challenge on The Paper Players blog. I'm sure my hubby will like the chocolate inside more than the packaging, but I had fun making this little treat.  May the rest of your day be as "lovely" as mine!  Mmmmmwaaah!  ;)

February Team Meeting

Last night I got to meet with my team - they are a super fun group of girls! We always have such a good time stamping and chatting  :}  Here's one of the projects I had for them-

I took pictures of the front, back, and side so you could get a better idea of how stinkin' cute this little pouch is. And it's super easy to make! All you need is a 6"x6" square of DSP, a Simply Scored™ Scoring Tool, and some ribbon to tie the top closed. This pocket-pouch would be a great hostess gift (wink, wink - I'd be happy to come make one at your house), a cute Valentine for a co-worker's desk, or a nice little thank-you.
The front pocket has a punched flower (Mixed Bunch stamp set; Blossom punch) and the back pocket has a little notecard for a nice message. During our meeting we discussed other treats you could include, like little chocolates- yum!
Something to think about... joining Stampin' Up! is like joining a big family. A family that likes to stamp and create, and share ideas! A big "thank you" to Becky Roberts for sharing this pocket-pouch goodie  :} 
I hope you enjoyed this cute little project... I know my "girls" did. Contact me anytime, if you have questions or would like to know more about joining Stampin' Up!

traditional and digital crafting

Wow... yesterday was super busy. But, a good kind of busy  :}

Here's the cute little project I had for my Breakfast Club:

Who says your shopping list has to be boring to look at??? You can get these mini legal-pads at office supply stores, where they can also cut them in half lengthwise for you. I used a 9" long strip of Everyday Enchantment DSP, which I scored at 8" and 8-1/4" to cover the back and top. The Everyday Enchantment DSP is a Sale-A-Bration choice, along with the Lucky Limeade Organdy Ribbon & Brad, and the stamped image from Fresh Vintage. I cut a section of a Magnet Sheet, which already has adhesive on one side, and attached it to the back so I can keep my pretty grocery list on the fridge.

After a lunch break, I got busy with my MDS beginner's class. Here's one of the card fronts from a "thinking of you" card we designed:

And here's one of the card fronts from another card we designed, which I couldn't resist tweaking a little after class was over:

I love making cards and projects, using traditional products as well as My Digital Studio. If you have ever thought about joining the Stampin' Up! family, you can choose either the Standard Starter Kit or the Digital+ Starter Kit. Both kits can be personalized, and are being offered for the special price of $125. Not only is that a great price for a ton of goodies, but joining during Sale-A-Bration means you can get a free pack of DSP or digital download every month for the rest of the year! Click here to learn more. And if you are in the southeast Wisconsin area, I am meeting with my team tonight at 6pm - you are welcome to stop by and ask questions.

Have a wonderful day!!

a card for EVERY occasion!

My project today just makes me giggle  :}  Today is Aaron's 100th Day of School, and they are celebrating with a "Circus Day in 4K." Well, I can't let a celebration pass by without a card to acknowledge it, right???

So, I made Aaron's teacher and teacher's aide Happy 100th Day of School cards. I like these cute little 3x3 cards for a quick just because note. And, they are an easy way to use up some scraps  :}
Attached to the Real Red card base is a strip of Tempting Turquoise (punched with the Pinking Hearts Border punch), a strip of Daffodil Delight, and a piece of 'Big Top Birthday' DSP.
The clown and sentiment (Under the Big Top stamp set) are stamped in Basic Black ink. I used Peach Parfait, Real Red, Old Olive, Daffodil Delight, and Tempting Turquoise markers to color the clown.
The Tempting Turquoise button adds a cute finishing touch. Did you know that the Brights 'Designer Buttons' are one of the Sale-A-Bration choices? For every $50 you spend not including tax & shipping, you get to choose a freebie from the Sale-A-Bration catalog. Want more freebies? Host a workshop and earn even more goodies. Like getting freebies every month? Join the Stampin' Up! family and get freebies every month for the rest of the year. Whether you want to get a discount on the supplies for your hobby or build a business, there's room for everyone on my team. You can shop, learn more, and contact me if you like from my website.
Have a great day and a wonderful weekend!

a fun day!

I've had so much fun in my craft room today! It all started yesterday when I was fooling around doing artistic research on Pinterest. I kept seeing all these great colors I wanted to play with. Sooo... I made a board called "Color Inspirations," and I've been playing around with some of the combinations. Oh my goodness, this is so fun! For those of you who have been reading for a while, you know how much I love playing with color, and how much I LOVE Stampin' Up!'s color palette. (If you'd like, you can do a search for Color Coach to get an idea.) Today's post is a card using an unusual color combo - very "outside the box" for me:

Garden Green, Lucky Limeade, Very Vanilla, and Basic Black - wow! 

I used two Sale-A-Bration stamp sets on this card. The images are from Fresh Vintage and the sentiment is from Elementary Elegance. You can earn your free Sale-A-Bration goodies by shopping from my website. Something you might want to add to your cart is the Paper Doily Large Sizzlit. I am sooooo loving this doily, which I trimmed down to work on this card. Here's a close-up of all the yummy details:

Like the layout on this card? I do!! It's from the Create With Connie and Mary blog - Sketch Callenge #188. And speaking of the Connie & Mary blog... guess who got picked as one of the top 3 in last week's color challenge??? ME!! Woohoo! That was a great way to start my day  :} 

Just curious... do you have a favorite color combination? How about a combo that you find hard to work with? Any combinations you'd like me to try? - just leave me a comment and I'll give it a whirl.
 

Mojo Monday sketch challenge

I really liked the awesome sketch on the Mojo Monday blog this week! It's a great layout, that you can add as little or as much as you want to. I used my Sale-A-Bration goodies to play along:

Ink: Soft Suede          Designer Series Paper: Everyday Enchantment

Card Stock: Poppy Parade, Soft Suede, Calypso Coral, Very Vanilla, Lucky Limeade

Accessories: Everyday Enchantment Ribbon & Brad Pack

Tools: Curly Label punch, Stamping Sponge, Paper Piercing Tool

Did you know you can curl up the ends of the organdy ribbon? Just run your Snips (closed) along the length like curling ribbon. Here's a closer look:

Isn't that a fun look??? It's pretty easy to tell what my favorite Sale-A-Bration goodies are... do you have a favorite yet?

eventful morning

There's nothing like trying to grab a few extra minutes of sleep, only to jump out of bed at the sound of scraping metal coming from the front of your house. I live in a nice neighborhood, with lots of nice neighbors, and a few "not-so-nice" neighbors. One of my "not-so-nice" neighbors backed up his large delivery truck and got stuck at the end of my driveway. While I was getting dressed so I could go speak with him, he and his friends got the truck un-stuck, and then he drove off.  Not nice  :(  Here's the damage he left behind:

I am so very thankful to live in a nice community with such a nice police department. The officer that took my report this morning was so friendly and helpful.  Hmmm... I might just have to send a thank-you card to the police station...

Anywho... on to more pleasant things!
I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this card! It's one of the cards from my "Oh Scrap" class, and works perfectly for the theme challenge on the Paper Players blog - using flowers.

You know how you end up with all those skinny strips of Designer Series Paper? This is a fun way to make sure those little coordinating strips of paper don't go to waste!
All of the 1/2" wide strips of paper on this card are from the Berry Blossoms DSP. The three flowers (stamped in Calypso Coral, Lucky Limeade, and Wisteria Wonder) are from the coordinating Fruit & Flowers stamp set. I snipped each flower (I do love the 'fussy-cutting'), attached each with a Dimensional, and added a Rhinestone to each center for some fun bling. The sentiment from Elementary Elegance is stamped in Early Espresso.
I wish you could see the card in person... it's even cuter than what I can capture with the camera! Here's a view from another angle:

Love it! So stinkin' cute  :}
Do you have a favorite flower stamp or technique? I'd love to hear about it - feel free to leave a comment on your favorite way to use flowers on your projects.

love for my hubby

I thought I would make a card for my hubby today... just to tell him "love ya, babe." When I work on boy cards, I like to add lots of texture. I also try to avoid some of my favorite goodies, like ribbon, rhinestones, and pearls. Man, it's hard for me not to use those! But, even without all the pretties, I really, really like how this card turned out!!

Concord Crush, Pool Party, and Sahara Sand - what an interesting color combo!! I got my color combo from the Create with Connie and Mary blog - CCMC187 Color Challenge.
I started with Concord Crush for my card base. Then I added a layer of Concord Crush DSP, which I dry embossed using the Houndstooth Embossing Folder. To add even more interest to the DSP layer, I lightly sanded over the raised areas with a Sanding Block.
The Sahara Sand card stock strip is also dry embossed with a new Embossing Folder strip. It's one of three that come in the Adorning Accents Embossing Folders set. I lightly sponged Sahara Sand ink over the raised areas to add a little more definition.
The sentiment from the Outlined Occasions Sale-a-Bration set is stamped in Concord Crush ink. The Concord Crush, Pool Party, and Sahara Sand hearts are die cut/ embossed using the new Fashionable Hearts Embosslit. And don't you love the vellum heart??!! I used the Scalloped Heart of Hearts Embosslit to die cut/ emboss the thinner weight Vellum Paper. I love the effect!!
I can't wait to give it to my hubby! You can't ever say "I love you" too many times  :}

a rough weekend

  Apologies for the blog silence this weekend... it's been a rough one! On Friday, the sinus "stuff" I'd been trying desperately to convince myself I wouldn't get, hit me full force... Not surprising since Aaron has been battling the same thing (teetering on the edge of the asthma issues), and Ben spent Friday afternoon/ evening and all day Saturday with a low-grade fever and no appetite. My husband let me sleep in Saturday morning (smart man) - I slept until 9am! When I did get up, it was to my Mom's frantic phone call that my Dad was in the hospital. She found him lying on the kitchen floor in a 'seizure-like' state. His blood sugar had dropped down to 50. The paramedics got it up, but it took longer than it should, and then dropped again in the ER. So, they ran a bunch of tests, checked his blood sugar all day, and kept him overnight. He feels like a pincushion, in addition to being sore from falling on the floor.
  I'm sure there are many of you who live far enough away from your parents to know that hopeless feeling when you really wish you could be there, but can't. It's so frustrating! Luckily, my brother lives close enough that he could help my Mom. However (yup, there's more)... my brother is dealing with his own personal crisis. He just found out less than a week ago that his mother-in-law (Cheryl) had pancreatic cancer. She passed away yesterday afternoon. My heart just aches for my sister-in-law. I can't even image what she is feeling right now. She was very close to her mother, who was one of the sweetest, most generous people.
  Soooo... Thanks for letting me talk - I needed that. I will try to post something a little more cheerful later in the day. If you could keep my family in your prayers, I would really appreciate it.

scrappy squares

My Technique Tuesday class earlier this week was called "Oh Scrap!" We made a variety of projects that featured different ways to use scraps. This card was easy to make, and makes good use of those little scraps of coordinating DSP.

All of the squares of Twitterpated DSP were punched with the 1-1/4" Square punch. They are layered around two (adhered together at a 90 degree angle) squares of Pear Pizzazz card stock. The secret is adhering the first square correctly... When you put your adhesive on the back of the first square, only place the adhesive on half, so that when your squares come back around, you can slip the edge of the last square under the first one.
Even though this card was inspired by one of my Mom's cards, I changed it up a tiny bit. On my card, the Basic Gray layer is stamped first using one of the pretty stamps from Bordering on Romance, and then the card stock is dry embossed using the 'Square Lattice' Embossing Folder and the Big Shot. I had to keep the die cut 'Paper Doily'... LOVE that die!!
I look forward to sharing more projects with you that will help you go through those scraps (which multiply when we're not looking, right?). Do you have a favorite "use-up-the-scraps" project or technique?

Happy Groundhog Day!

Every time Groundhog Day rolls around I get that old Sonny and Cher song stuck in my head for a few weeks (thanks to the Bill Murray movie). "I got you, babe..." Even though it is very cloudy here today, I'm sure the groundhog saw his shadow. I mean, we've hardly even had winter yet, so I'm sure we'll spend the next six weeks making up for it!   ;}
Anywho, today is my friend Nikki's birthday. I made her the cutest little card, that is in the mail, but will arrive a wee bit late. But, I'm sure she'll forgive me when she sees how adorable it is.

This card was totally inspired by my years of teaching Kindergarten! I decided to use Crumb Cake to make my punch-art groundhog. Then I used the Color Coach to choose the Bashful Blue and Real Red.
I tore strips of Chocolate Chip card stock to make the "ground," and the groundhog is attached to a small craft stick. Here's a view of him popping up:

I stamped the sentiment (from Elementary Elegance) in Soft Suede ink, which is the ink I used to sponge the punched pieces. I can't wait 'til Nikki opens her card!

Have a super fun Groundhog Day!!   :}

My Digital Studio - FREE Trial!!

Yes, you read that title correctly!! Starting today, you can try out My Digital Studio for 30 days... for FREE!!

With the FREE 30-day trial, you'll get:
  *  Full access to the software at NO Cost for 30 days.
  *  Full Design functionality.
  *  Exclusive artwork that comes with My Digital Studio Express (that's $50 worth of content!).
  *  Opportunity to purchase additional downloads.
  *  Access to Stampin' Up!'s professional print services.


Here's a simple scrapbook page I made this morning using only the content in the free trial:

I started with the photobook template that is included with the MDS Express content, and then "tweaked" it a little bit. The only thing I added is my photo of Aaron from this past Easter.

It's super easy to get your 30-day FREE trial - head on over to my website and click the "shop now" button.


Click on MDS Express Trial, then click "add to bag." It's that simple!

******** Local stamping friends: want to learn a few tricks using My Digital Studio? I am offering two MDS classes this month-

Saturday, February 11th (1-2:30pm) MDS Beginner Class

Sunday, February 12th (3:30-5:30pm) MDS Intermediate Class

To reserve your seat at one of these classes -  go to my website, click on my "calendar of events," and then click RSVP for the class you would like to take. There's a "contact me" button on my website if you have any questions.