Regal Rose

The "Creative Combination" colors are Regal Rose, Early Espresso, and Daffodil Delight. I dry embossed the Regal Rose card stock using the Vintage Wallpaper Embossing Folder and the Big Shot. I stamped the image from the Four Frames stamp set in Early Espresso ink, and punched it out with the Decorative Label punch. I also punched a label from Early Espresso card stock, cut in in half lengthwise, and layered it behind the top and bottom of the punched image.The sentiment is stamped in Regal Rose ink from the Fabulous Phrases stamp set. If tying ribbon is a challenge for you, try the 5/8" satin ribbon - it's very easy to work with :)


The "Sweet Set" colors are Regal Rose, Tempting Turquoise, and Sahara Sand. The focal point on this card uses the technique called two-step stampin'. Awash with Flowers is a great stamp set to use if you would like to try 'doing the two-step' at home ;) I used Sahara Sand for both the solid and outline images that create the leaf - I just stamped off onto scratch paper before stamping the solid image. The Tempting Turquoise strip of card stock is punched using the Dotted Scallop Ribbon border punch, and tucked behind Sahara Sand card stock which is dry embossed with the Square Lattice Embossing Folder and the Big Shot. The turquoise rhinestone brad is the largest size from the Circle Ice assortment (109111 $10.95).

Happy Birthday to me!!

Yep, it's my birthday today! I turned 29... again! (teehee) It's great to turn 29 every year :)
I spent the day with my family, so the card I'm sharing tonight is not one I made. Stampin' Up! announced this January that they would be sending demonstrators birthday cards made using My Digital Studio. Happiness :)

This card is super cute! And I love how they added the rhinestone dotting the "i" - it's just the right amount of bling :)

Did you know you can design the inside of cards with My Digital Studio? Cute!! Hmmm... now you're thinking about signing up to be a demonstrator so you can get a cute birthday card from Stampin' Up! - with a message inside for an extra discount - right??? ;)

Dynamic... Trio???

Today's card from the Color Coach is Regal Rose. Sadly, I didn't really get to spend time in my stamp room today :( Just too many things to get done... not enough hours in the day.
Anywho, when I was playing around with the "Dynamic Duo" colors - Regal Rose and Rose Red - I wanted to make an anniversary card. It was looking... ok... but, I needed to soften it a little. So I ended up with a layer of Pink Pirouette on my card. So, I guess I made up a beautiful 'Dynamic Trio' :)
The layer of Pink Pirouette is dry embossed with the Vintage Wallpaper Embossing Folder on the Big Shot. I then lightly sponged over the raised images with Rose Red ink.
After cutting the Rose Red card stock on the Big Shot with the Fun Flowers Bigz L die, I spritzed the flower layers with water, then crumpled and distressed them. When they were dry, I sponged the edges with Rose Red ink. The layers are held together with a Filigree Designer Brad.
I stamped an image from the Four Frames stamp set onto Regal Rose card stock and punched it out with the coordinating Decorative Label punch. The 'forever' sentiment is from the Fabulous Phrases stamp set.
A piece of gathered Rose Red Seam Binding pulls the card together. Then, to make it super fabulous, I spritzed the card with my mixture of rubbing alcohol and Frost White Shimmer Paint. Love it! :)

Melon Mambo

Melon Mambo is a great pink that was a previous 'In Color'. It worked it's way into the core colors during the color renovation, and plays happily with the other hues in the Brights Collection :)
The "Dynamic Duo" colors are Melon Mambo and Pink Pirouette. I really like these 2 pinks together :) The card base is dry embossed using the Elegant Bouquet Embossing Folder and the Big Shot. I also used the Big Shot to die cut the Scallop Square. I used markers to ink the cake image from the Tag Alongs stamp set. The heart on top of the cake and the center of each dry embossed flower have a sprinkling of Dazzling Diamonds Glitter :) You can currently find the Pink Pirouette 1-1/4" grosgrain ribbon in the Clearance Rack for a great bargain.


This scrapbook page uses the colors in the "Creative Combination": Melon Mambo, Daffodil Delight, and Tempting Turquoise. I created this page on Stampin' Up!'s amazing software... My Digital Studio. It was super easy to create. If you have purchased My Digital Studio, and would like to know more about using it, I am teaching a class on May 22nd.
Click here to see a card and bookmark using the "Creative Combination."

This 3x3 card uses the "Sweet Set" colors: Melon Mambo, Old Olive, and Elegant Eggplant. Circle punches and the Scallop border punch made this card very easy and quick to put together. The Just Believe stamp set and 1/8" Taffeta ribbon get frequent use in my stamp room :)

Riding Hood Red

Today's color, Riding Hood Red, is a previous 'In Color' that made a return when SU did the color renovation in July. It's a neat hue to play with :)

If you can't tell, I LOVE Stampin' Up!'s color palette. It's what drew me in. After years of shopping from store to store searching for accessories, card stock, and papers to match, my mother introduced me to Stampin' Up!. Fast forward a few years, and she is now a demonstrator... and also my upline :) Anywho... I love having coordinated products shipped right to my door. It saves me time and money... and the headache of shopping with two boys!
This card is a perfect example of Stampin' Up!'s amazing color palette, and how great their coordinating products are. The "Dynamic Duo" colors are Riding Hood Red and Cherry Cobbler. Red is the most difficult hue to coordinate if you're shopping all over town. This card alone shows how the Cherry Cobbler ink, Seam Binding, button, and card stock match each other perfectly.

The "Creative Combination" colors are Riding Hood Red, Baja Breeze, and So Saffron. I used the With All My Heart stamp set, and the Fancy Flower and Designer Label punches. The Styled Vanilla frame is from the Hodgepodge Hardware kit.

Here's a little treat for all the digital crafters! I made this card using Stampin' Up!'s My Digital Studio. This is amazing software!!! I play around with it almost every day. It's very easy to use, even if you are 'technology challenged' like me. I literally made this card in under 5 minutes. How??? Rather than starting from scratch, I chose a pre-designed card. Then, I changed the background and colors of some of the other elements to the "Sweet Set" combination: Riding Hood Red, Basic Gray, and More Mustard. If you ever have any questions about My Digital Studio, or would like to see it in action, just ask :)

Vintage Love

I decided to add 1 more post for tonight ;)
This card is from my (February) Technique Tuesday class. I chose to add it tonight, because I actually started with Bravo Burgundy when I was choosing colors.

I ended up using 3 stamp sets (Broadsheet Alphabet, Friends Never Fade, and Ornate Blossom) and 4 colors (Bravo Burgundy, Old Olive, Soft Suede, and Concord Crush) on this card. The Bravo Burgundy layer is stamped in Bravo Burgundy ink, and then dry embossed using the Finial Press Embossing Folder and the Big Shot.
One noticeable element of the 'vintage' style, is that there are a lot of layers. In addition to the card stock, there is a layer of Newsprint DSP, as well as two punched pieces - Decorative Label and 2-1/2" Circle. A scrap of Crochet Trim pinned to the card stock with a Vintage Trinket fits in perfectly with any 'vintage' style project.

Bravo Burgundy

Well, if you were to ask me to choose 1 SU color I could live without... it would be Bravo Burgundy. It's nothing against SU... I've just never been a fan of burgundy. It might have something to do with an old '79 Malibu station wagon in that color... but that's another story for another day ;)
Anywho... I challenged myself to use this color on both a masculine and feminine card. I'm really pleased with my results :)

The "Sweet Set" colors are Bravo Burgundy, More Mustard, and Crumb Cake. Since this is a masculine card, I wanted a lot of texture. The layer of Bravo Burgundy is crumpled and distressed, then I applied ink directly from the ink pad to the card stock. The layer of Crumb Cake is dry embossed using the Square Lattice Embossing Folder and the Big Shot. Can you guess where the square background on the Very Vanilla card stock came from? I inked my clear block (size D) in Crumb Cake ink and 'stamped' it onto the card stock! No uni-taskers in my stamp room ;)
The images are all from the Autumn Days stamp set. Like how the hemp twine takes the place of ribbon? I even added texture to the hemp twine by tying knots along the length.
*Note: if you are going to try the knotted twine at home, it takes more than you think. I used a piece of twine that was double the width of the Crumb Cake card stock.


You might have noticed there was no post yesterday. That's because I will admit I was really struggling with the "Creative Combination" colors: Bravo Burgundy, River Rock, and Baja Breeze. I started playing with this color combo on Thursday, but it wasn't until Saturday night that I found my burgundy mojo. But once I found my stampin' groove, I was a happy girl. In the end, I actually love how this card turned out :)
I used the Clearly for You stamp set, which I got for FREE at Leadership :) The square with the birds was inspired by one of our Leadership Conference 'make & takes'.
Each section is a 1-1/8" square. I used a layer of Bravo Burgundy card stock (4" x 5-1/4") and squares of River Rock, Baja Breeze, and Very Vanilla card stock, as well as squares of First Edition DSP (121878 $11.95).
The birds are stamped in StazOn ink, traced with a River Rock marker, and painted with Champagne Mist Shimmer Paint (116806 $5.95) and an AquaPainter. The crown image was first stamped in River Rock ink. Then I 'inked' the crown stamp with the Shimmer Paint and a Sponge Dauber, and stamped on top of the previously stamped image. Baja Breeze Seam Binding and two sizes of the Basic Pearls (119247 $4.95) add the perfect feminine touch.

Cherry Cobbler

When I saw Cherry Cobbler the first time, it was love at first sight. It was the shade of red I'd been waiting for! It is the perfect shade of red for your projects with a 'vintage feel' - especially Christmas and Valentine projects.


The "Dynamic Duo" colors on this 3x3 card are Cherry Cobbler and Riding Hood Red. To get the varied color on the flower, I used the 'rock & roll' technique. First, I inked the stamp in Riding Hood Red. Then I stamped off onto scratch paper, and rolled the edges (with the stamp at a slight angle) in the Riding Hood Red ink. Finally, I rolled the edges (with the stamp at a steep angle) in Cherry Cobbler ink. When using the 'rock & roll' technique, it is important to remember to ink your stamp with the lightest color first. The flower image is from Petal Pizzazz, and the sentiment is from the Silhouette Sentiments Hostess stamp set.



The "Creative Combination" colors are Cherry Cobbler, Daffodil Delight, and Early Espresso - which are all new colors introduced in July. The images are from the Eastern Blooms stamp set... one of the sets I got in my Convention bag a few years ago. I used Cherry Cobbler and Early Espresso markers to ink the branch image. The sentiment is from the Thank You Kindly stamp set. I love the look of these three punches layered together: Decorative Label, Scallop Oval, and 1-3/4"x7/8" Oval.
Click here to see another card using these "Creative Combination" colors.


The "Sweet Set" colors are Cherry Cobbler, Pumpkin Pie, and Night of Navy. I used markers to ink the Ornate Blossom stamp. I like how the Pumpkin Pie card stock punched from the Dotted Scallop Ribbon border punch peeks out along the bottom of the focal point. The sentiment is from the Curly Cute stamp set.

Real Red

I use a lot of Real Red... not just at Christmas or Valentine's Day. It's kind of a "go to" color for me when I am scrapbooking my boys' pictures.


The "Creative Combination" colors are Real Red, Bashful Blue, and Crumb Cake - a great combination. This card made its 1st appearance on my blog back in July, so is it cheating to show you one of my favorites again??? (After yesterday's workout on this blog, I needed a little break.) I adore the Sock Monkey stamp set (and both of his accessory stamp sets, too)!


The "Getting Started Combination" colors are Real Red, Early Espresso, and Pumpkin Pie. I am probably going to wear out the Dotted Scallop Ribbon border punch - it just makes everything so cute! The image is from the Funky Four stamp set, which I inked using markers. The sentiment is from the Fabulous Phrases stamp set. I have both sets in 'clear-mount' which made it very handy for me to place both words on a block, then ink and stamp them together :)

Poppy Parade

Poppy Parade is an "In Color" that will be available until June 2012. When SU! launched the color renovation this July, it was announced that starting this year, "In Color" collections will be available for two years. In July 2011, we will be introduced to 5 more "In Color" choices, that will have their own 2-year term.


When you are playing with color choices in your own stamping room, try to image the color wheel (or find one on the internet or at your local craft store in the painting section). Sometimes I use the Color Coach and a color wheel together to choose pleasing combinations. For example, a classic color combination that always works is a triad using the primary colors: red, yellow, and blue. This Easter card - if you think of the colors on a very basic level - uses that primary triad combination. Of course (on a more sophisticated level) the "red" on this card is a red-orange with red added, the "yellow" on this card is a tint, and the "blue" on this card is a tint of blue-green. Sometimes thinking of all the hues available (and their tints, tones, and shades) can be overwhelming, but if you think of them in basic terms, you might find that choosing great colors to work with isn't so hard after all. Thank goodness Stampin' Up! has taken a lot of the guesswork out of choosing colors by creating the Color Coach. My point in all this rambling??? I just wanted you to know there is a "science" behind the combinations on the back of each card in your Color Coach.
We made this cute card in my Spring/ Easter card class (in March) using the "Creative Combination" colors: Poppy Parade, Baja Breeze, and So Saffron. The image and text are from A Good Egg stamp set.


I really enjoyed making this card. It is different from my usual style, and it felt good to 'step out of the box.' I used the "Sweet set" colors: Poppy Parade, Sahara Sand, and Not Quite Navy. I don't think I would have chosen this combo without the Color Coach suggesting it. I'm glad I tried it :) This layout comes from the March issue of Stampin' Success - a magazine for demonstrators from Stampin' Up!. Each month, there is a card template (or two) featured. At my team meetings, we all bring a 'show & tell' using the template as a guide. This was one of my 'show & tell' items from my April team meeting. I used the Oval All, Perfect Punches, and Tiny Tags stamp sets, along with the 1-3/4"x7/8" Oval, Scallop Oval, and Jewelry Tag punches.


I saved the best for last ;)
Yesterday, I was quite stressed about using the "Dynamic Duo" colors: Poppy Parade and Tangerine Tango. While I appreciate orange hues, they are more difficult for me to be creative with, and this is my third post using Tangerine Tango as 1 of the "Dynamic Duo" colors. So.... I walked away. I started working on my card again this morning, and went a whole new direction. I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE how this card turned out!!!! I will absolutely be using this card in an upcoming class... or two ;) The Build a Blossom stamp set is perfect for the two-step stampin' technique. The petals are stamped using only Poppy Parade ink. This card is even prettier in person - it's difficult to capture the beauty of the Shimmery White card stock in a photo. The teeny little sentiment is stamped from the Tiny Tags stamp set and punched out with the Jewelry Tag punch. The Poppy Parade Glimmer Brad in the center of the flower is also more loved when seen in real life :)