oh boy... get ready for a long post :)

Where, oh where, did April go??? I can not believe today is the last day of April!! The month just flew by. I know this is going to be a long post, but I have so much to share... It will be worth it, I promise ;)

Okay... so today is the last day you can get your hands on the Summer Smooches product suite until the new catalog is available June 1st (and the very last day ever that you can get this awesome coordinating stencil). Here are some projects I had fun making with these goodies...

The stenciled Whisper White card stock on the right page was inspired by a card sample in the April Newsletter I sent out. (If you would like to receive the May Newsletter, head on over to my Stampin' Up! website and click on "request my newsletter".)

I used a sponge dauber and Lucky Limeade ink to create the stenciled strip. Then I stamped the dotted image from Bright Blossoms randomly in Island Indigo, Tangerine Tango, Daffodil Delight, and Rich Razzleberry. Using the Boho Blossoms punch, I added Rich Razzleberry and Daffodil Delight flowers (with Basic Pearl centers) for more detail.

The stencil makes another appearance on the left page, but this time using Island Indigo ink - so pretty!

The 1-1/2" wide strips of Summer Smooches DSP add a playful touch at the top of the page. Even though the Summer Smooches brads are sold out, you could easily copy this look with buttons.

The stencil works great on cards, too! For this 5" square card, I used Lucky Limeade card stock and ink. I also used Island Indigo ink for the stamped background images and the sentiment.

A strip of Summer Smooches DSP behind the sentiment adds another pop of color. Oh, and it's always fun to stamp your envelope!

Okie dokie - so now that your creative juices are flowing, here's another reminder...TODAY is the LAST day to order from the Occasions Mini Catalog!! And I have to bid it farewell with a project using my favorite stamp set from this Mini:

I really hope the Mixed Bunch stamp set and the Blossom punch carry over into the new catalog... I guess we'll find out June 1st. If you haven't ordered it yet, you just have to! It's so easy to use!!

Don't you just LOVE these colors together??!! Tangerine Tango, Blushing Bride, and Pear Pizzazz - FABULOUS!!  *** Technique Tip: You can create fun backgrounds by dry embossing a piece of Designer Series Paper with an Embossing Folder and your Big Shot. For more detail, lightly use a Sanding Block to expose the white core of the paper.

Okay,  this post has probably gotten long enough  :}  I could add more, but I'll give you a break so you can get back to your stamping - or at least wishing you were stamping. Have a wonderful evening!

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!

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!!  :}

More Mustard

I have a tendency to mainly use More Mustard in the Fall. So, it was good to challenge myself to use this color for other times of the year. My Woodgrain background stamp and Silhouette Sentiments Hostess stamp set have not seen enough ink, so I used them on today's cards.


The "Dynamic Duo" colors are More Mustard and So Saffron. The sentiment is punched from the 3/4"x15/16" Oval punch.


The "Creative Combination" colors are More Mustard, Night of Navy, and Cajun Craze. After stamping the background with More Mustard ink, I used the Color Spritzer Tool and the Cajun Craze marker to add another "layer" of ink. The frame embellishment is from the Styled Silver Hodgepodge Hardware.

A bonus project using the "Creative Combination" colors! I made this scrapbook page in the Fall. The title and leaves are stamped from the Harvest Home stamp set. I created the flower images using More Mustard & Cajun Craze ink, a stencil from Elegant Trio (118262 $9.95) and Sponge Daubers.


The "Sweet Set" colors are More Mustard, Old Olive, and Bravo Burgundy. The image is punched using the 2"x1-3/8" Oval punch (119859 $16.95), and matted onto an oval cut from the Ovals Originals Die (114525 $15.95). A scrap of 1-1/4" Striped Grosgrain Ribbon adds the finishing touch.