a pretty Thank You card

Hello stamping friends! It's finally warming up a bit (close to 60 degrees this weekend!!) and the snow is melting. That means it's time to stamp some "thank you" cards with a springy theme.   :} 

We made this card in my class at the bakery last weekend. Don't you just love the butterflies?! I'm so glad the Bitty Butterfly punch came out in the Spring Catalog. It layers nicely with the Elegant Butterfly punch. Speaking of that Elegant Butterfly piece... notice the chevron image stamped onto the Calypso Coral card stock??? I used the oval-chevron image in the Oh, Hello stamp set to stamp with Calypso Coral ink onto the same color card stock, then punched out the butterfly. Easy peasy  ;)
And speaking of punches, I used four of them on this card! Layered under the butterflies is a circle of Tea for Two DSP. The 1-3/4" Circle punch centers perfectly over the stitched-circle image on the DSP - yay! And layered under the circle is a bit of Early Espresso card stock punched out with the Decorative Label punch. 

A strip of the Tea for Two DSP is adhered to the card after tying some grosgrain ribbon around it. I stamped the stitched-chevron image in Pretty in Pink, and then stamped my greeting (in Calypso Coral) so that it slightly overlapped. The layers of punched pieces are adhered to the card with Dimensionals.

I hope it is beginning to look like Spring wherever you are. If you have a minute, I have a little Friday Freebie on my Facebook Page today. Have a wonderful day!!

happy Easter everybunny!

Don't you just love stamping cute Easter projects??? I have a fun Easter card to share today that shows a great way to use up some scraps! 

I had some card stock and Tea for Two DSP scraps left over after cutting kits for my card class at the bakery, and I just can't bear to waste. Soooooo, I put them to good use on this Easter card. 
Isn't that bunny in the balloon just the cutest?! I stamped this image from the Everybunny stamp set in StazOn® ink so I could "watercolor" without the ink smearing. After adding spots of color gently with the Watercolor Wonder® Crayons, I smoothed out the color in each section of the image with a Blender Pen.

Here's a close-up so you can see all the details. The Chevron Embossing Folder adds the needed texture to the So Saffron card stock... and I folded the "blue" DSP strip back and under (on the right side) before adhering that card stock layer. Everything is adhered with my favorite liquid glue except the focal point, which uses Dimensionals for some height. 
I liked the simplicity of this card, so I kept the embellishments simple too. A Certainly Celery Button with a bow of Lucky Limeade Baker's Twine is all this card needs.  :} 

After I finished the card, I thought it would be fun to create the same "layered strip" look on a digital scrapbook page! 

Aaron is so sweet... don't you just want to hug him?! I LOVE this Easter Bunny basket he brought home from school, and I had to take a photo right away. 
I used pieces from a few downloads on this layout, but most of the "supplies" come from the Eggceptional Easter kit.

Here's a close-up of the basket-

The top and the two flat sides opposite the handle are cut away to create the opening. The handle is left intact in the back. Aaron got to draw a bunny face on the front... "with a PERMANENT MARKER, Mom!" The two bunny ears are stapled to the top, and the students got to play Easter Bunny by bringing some goodies for each basket. How fun!!

one sketch... two cards

Yesterday was such a beautiful day! It was sunny and kinda warm (51 degrees in the afternoon!), so the boys spent the day running around outside keeping you all safe from pirates, dragons, storm troopers, and aliens. AND, I had soooo much fun at my afternoon stamping class. Do you know what we will be doing today? Shoveling!

How do you like the contrast of our palm branches in the snow??? Crazy Spring weather! 

For both of the cards I'm sharing today, I used the same card sketch:

Here's the simple birthday card from yesterday's class-

stamp sets: Spring Sampler, Made for You

Embossing Folder: Chevron

DSP: Tea for Two 

And here's the card from the craft night I held at the grade school last week- 

stamp set: Madison Avenue 

Embossing Folder: Vine Street 

DSP: Sycamore Street 

Well, whatever kind of weather Spring has brought to your door today, I hope your day is fabulous! Thanks for stopping by my blog... now go stamp something!!  :} 

last day to sale-a-brate

(sigh)... I can not believe today is the last day to "sale-a-brate." It doesn't feel like two months have gone by since Sale-A-Bration started! There were so many fun goodies this year... I am sad to see them go. To "sale-a-brate" the last day of Sale-A-Bration, I have TWO cards to share with you today!!  Yay  :}

I really, really like how this card turned out! I like the colors, texture, layout, flower... everything! I like it so much, I had to make a second card using the same layout!  

On this card, the Honeycomb Embossing Folder adds texture to the Tangerine Tango layer (3-3/4 x5").  For a bit of whimsy, I cut the bottom end of the Sycamore Street* DSP into a flag, and adhered the strip slightly above the edge of the Tangerine Tango layer.

I used the Madison Avenue* stamp set for my flower image. I just trimmed the top corners of the Whisper White card stock to create the look of a tag. And the Sycamore Street* ribbon and button are perfect on this card, right?! 
*Sale-A-Bration items 

So, where is the second card??!! Bwahahahaha  :}  It's on my Facebook Page! Click on over and "vote" for your favorite! Thanks for dropping by and have a fabulous day!

Feeling Sentimental? Celebrate!

On Friday I had one the most fun classes ever! I hosted a card making class for the Community Club (it's like PTO / PTA) at the boys' school. I had all girls (and their Moms) for this class. These girls were so adorable and had so much fun. Here's one of the cards we made together- 

We used the Sale-A-Bration stamp set Feeling Sentimental. I loved listening to the girls as they made their cards and decided who was going to receive each one. I also enjoyed teaching them a technique or two along the way! 

On this card they learned about 2nd-generation stamping/ stamping off. The ferris wheel image is inked in Soft Suede, stamped off, and then stamped onto the Crumb Cake card stock so that it is a lighter shade. The "celebrate" greeting is stamped (full strength) in Lucky Limeade ink. 
After adhering a torn strip of First Edition DSP and then adhering the Crumb Cake layer to the Certainly Celery card base, I wrapped Lucky Limeade Baker's Twine around the card twice and tied the ends into a bow. You will need about 32" of Baker's Twine to wrap twice and have enough for a bow. 

Now, since Sale-A-Bration (aka: free stuff) ends tomorrow night, I'll do the "math" for you so you can get all the goodies and make a bunch of these cards yourself.  Isn't that just so nice of me???  ;} 

If you order:
$6.95     8-1/2x11 Certainly Celery card stock (pkg has 24 sheets) 
$6.95     8-1/2x11 Crumb Cake card stock (pkg has 24 sheets)
$12.95   First Edition DSP (pkg has 24 sheets) 
$5.95     Soft Suede Classic Stampin' Pad  
$5.95     Lucky Limeade Classic Stampin' Pad  
$2.95     Lucky Limeade Baker's Twine 
$6.50     Very Vanilla or Crumb Cake medium Envelopes (a pkg has 40 envies) 
$3.95     Multipurpose Liquid Glue
--------- 
$52.15 (plus tax, shipping)

Then you can choose the Feeling Sentimental stamp set for FREE (you can only get it during Sale-A-Bration... you can't buy it, and tomorrow is the last day). 

If you have any questions about online ordering, Sale-A-Bration, or stamping, feel free to ask - I'd be happy to help. 

 

Just Because

I can not believe Sale-A-Bration is almost over! Where has the time gone???
I have a super cute card to share with you today! This card was designed by Laura for the shoebox swap I recently participated in. Can you spot the two items you can get through Sale-A-Bration?

The Basic Black card stock layer features the "chalkboard art" technique.  Click here for technique directions and another card.  I love, love, love the Hearts a Flutter Framelits for making this fun little banner!

Ok, did you find the Sale-A-Bration goodies? I chose the "just because" greeting from the Vintage Verses stamp set. And the silver Glimmer Paper is from the FREE package you can get with a $150 merchandise order. Can't order $150 by yourself right now? Grab a few friends a put your orders together! You will not only earn the free Glimmer Paper, but also enjoy our fabulous Hostess Benefits (aka - more FREE stuff)! Hurry... Sale-A-Bration ends March 22nd.  Happy shopping... and stamping!  :} 

one card, two ways

In my last post, I shared the card I made for the shoebox swap I participated in. It was tons of fun, and everyone had such pretty cards. This is the card that Lynn designed for us - 

Don't you just love these colors together? So pretty. She chose the Secret Garden stamp set and Framelits (as well as the Window Frames Framelits) for the focal point. 

I thought it would be fun to try using the same pieces and create a birthday card for my hubby - 

Ta da! After stamping the sentiment (Make a Wish), I used the Argyle Embossing Folder to create a masculine look on my card. I also switched the card stock layer die-cut with the smaller Window Frame Framelit, for a layer of Print Poetry DSP.

The 1-3/8" Circle punch works great with the images from the Blue Ribbon stamp set to create the focal point. 

Don't you just love it when you can use a great card design more than once??  Yay!!  :}

quilting... my way :}

If only I could sew (sigh). I've tried, many times. And still, I can barely sew on a button, and it looks terrible when I'm finished! Taking some sewing classes/ lessons is definitely on my "to do" list... just as soon as I get some free time - ha! Anywho, I get a bit of a "fabric fix" by making quilt cards. Here's one I made for a swap last month-  

Two blocks of paper (Tea for Two DSP) instead of fabric have a quilted look and feel, and it's really easy to do! I adhered the DSP to a Lucky Limeade card stock layer, and dry embossed them in the Square Lattice Embossing Folder.

After adhering the "quilted" layer, I tied on the grosgrain ribbon over the "seam." I stamped the greeting (Pretty Petites*) three times in Lucky Limeade, punched them out with the Petite Curly Label* punch, and adhered them with Dimensionals. Easy Peasy! 

*Sale-A-Bration items


Want to see two more examples of quilt cards?  Woohoo!!  :} 

stamp sets: Ornament Keepsakes, Greetings of the Season

for the Big Shot: Petals-a-Plenty Embossing Folder, Holiday Ornaments Framelits, Lattice Bigz Die

card stock: Cherry Cobbler, Crumb Cake, Always Artichoke, Very Vanilla

accessories: Cherry Cobbler Seam Binding, Basic Pearl

stamp sets: Ornament Keepsakes, Tiny Tags

for the Big Shot: Petals-a-Plenty Embossing Folder, Holiday Ornaments Framelits

card stock: Cherry Cobbler, Lucky Limeade, Very Vanilla

DSP: Festival of Prints Stack

punch: Jewelry Tag

how to stamp a bloomin' marvelous card

Today's card is just "bloomin' marvelous" if I do say so myself  ;) 

I wanted a clean background with lots of "white space," so I chose a layer of Whisper White card stock and added simple texture using the Vine Street* Embossing Folder. 

Before adhering the embossed layer, I tied on some Sycamore Street* ribbon. Just for fun, I added a bow of Pool Party Baker's Twine over the ribbon's knot. 
Using the Bloomin' Marvelous* stamp set, I stamped the sentiment in Island Indigo ink and the flowers in Pool Party ink. The Decorative Label Punch creates the perfect shape for this layer. For a pop of color, I stamped the leafy image in Summer Starfruit and the butterfly in Tangerine Tango. I "fussy cut" the leaves with my Snips, but the butterfly image punches out ever so nicely with the Bitty Butterfly Punch.


*Sale-A-Bration items 
 
And because I think you are all so "bloomin' marvelous," here's the simple card sketch...

Thanks for stopping by my blog... I hope you all have a "bloomin' marvelous" day!

THANKS! I love free stuff!

I love freebies... especially stampin' freebies. And Sale-A-Bration has the "bestest" free stuff ever!! I used some of these free goodies to create this card... 

This card came together in only a few minutes (it helped that the Summer Starfruit layer was already die cut - Apothecary Accents Framelits - and waiting in my scrap drawer). The Color Spritzer Tool made a quick, subtle background on the Rich Razzlebery layer. 

If you aren't familiar with how Sale-A-Bration works, you get to choose a free item for every $50 you spend on Stampin' Up! merchandise. Yay!! So which items from the Sale-A-Bration brochure did I use? 
 - Madison Avenue stamp set (for the stamped flower)
 - Vintage Verses stamp set (I used the Stamp-a-ma-jig to align my stamp before stamping) 
 - Sycamore Street DSP 
 - Sycamore Street Ribbon & Button Pack 

There are some really awesome free choices - including an Embossing Folder and a Punch!! - so be sure to get your favorites before Sale-A-Bration ends on March 22nd.

gettin' sketchy during Sale-A-Bration

Hello again friends! A while back,  Hmmmm, about a month ago??? Yikes! Anywho, at some point in my "recent" past I found an awesome sketch on Splitcoast Stampers. I knew right away that I wanted to use the Madison Avenue stamp set (a Sale-A-Bration choice) with this sketch. And I did... it's just taken me this long to post it... sigh.

Don't you just LOVE how the colors play together on this card?! You have the softness of the Sahara Sand and Pool Party, and then, "HELLO" -  Tangerine Tango. Fun!  :}

The Sycamore Street DSP layer (also a Sale-A-Bration choice) reminds me of the ceiling treatment we had in the basement of the house I grew up in!  :}
I used the Vine Street Embossing Folder (yup, another Sale-A-Bration item) to add texture to my Pool Party layer of card stock. And the Sycamore Street button (hey, guess what... another Sale-A-Bration goodie!) adds just the right "pop" to the card. 

Well, I'm off to tend to the eight trillion things that need to get done today. Or, maybe I can put some off until "later" and stamp for a bit...