the best things in life

The best things in life really aren't things... but sometimes it takes a few things to help make the good stuff happen. 

Giving myself time to relax and let go of stress is definitely a good thing. Quiet time with my stamping goodies does just that. Sending a hand-stamped card to brighten someone's day is also one of the good things in life, so it works out quite nicely! 

After distressing the edges of the 4 x 5-1/4" Certainly Celery layer, I stamped my greeting (Feel Goods) in Lucky Limeade ink, and adhered that layer directly to my Certainly Celery card base. 
Even though coordinating stamp sets and Framelits are technically "things," I would have to say they might just lean towards being one of the best things in life simply because they make my crafting time easier and more enjoyable.  :}   For this card I used the Secret Garden stamp set and Framelits. The flowers are stamped in Calypso Coral ink onto Whisper White card stock, and the leaves are stamped in Lucky Limeade ink onto Certainly Celery card stock. One flower is adhered directly to the card, another has 1 Dimensional under it, and the third flower has two Dimensionals under it. 
Besides quiet stamping time for yourself, what are some of the "best things" in your life?

clean and simple - part 2

While I had the Notecards out and was stamping quick and easy cards, I went ahead and stamped a few other designs, including this card inspired by the Clean & Simple sketch #235: 

Isn't that just darling?? And it was super easy to make!  
I inked the vase image (Button Buddies) using Island Indigo and Lucky Limeade markers. Then I adhered the image and a small strip of Tea for Two DSP to a layer of So Saffron card stock. After stamping my greeting (Teeny Tiny Wishes) in Lucky Limeade ink onto Certainly Celery card stock, I folded that strip under, tied on some Lucky Limeade Baker's Twine, and attached the whole piece to a pre-cut, pre-scored Notecard (love these things!). For the final step, I attached some Buttons - easy peasy!

FREE shipping on all of your scrapbook supplies!

It's been a while since I shared a "taditional" scrapbook page, so I have a pretty SPRING scrapbook layout to share with you today! 

The 12x12 pages are Certainly Celery card stock, and the three stamped chevron images that are stamped directly onto the pages in Lucky Limeade ink are from the Oh, Hello stamp set. All of the DSP on this two-page layout is from the Tea for Two package... I love how it all coordinates!
Remember in yesterday's post I said my card was inspired by a scrapbook page? Well, check out the title of this page! This is what gave me the idea for the card.  :}   

supplies used for the banner: 

Pretty in Pink grosgrain ribbon

Tea for Two DSP 

Crumb Cake, Calypso Coral, Early Espresso, Certainly Celery, Pretty in Pink, and Very Vanilla card stock

stamp sets: Hearts a Flutter, Occasions Alphabet, and Oh, Hello

Framelits: Hearts a Flutter

punches: 1-3/4" Circle, Petite Pennants, Petite Curly Label

more supplies used on this page: 

Labels Collection Framelits 

Elegant Butterfly and Bitty Butterfly punches

Vellum card stock

Lucky Limeade Baker's Twine

Soooo, now that you want to scrapbook some of your Spring photos, how about getting FREE shipping on those supplies???  Yahoo!!! 

Remember, some of the colors I used on my scrapbook layout are retiring, so shop now before they're gone! Feel free to contact me if you have any questions. Happy shopping!  :}

playing with Certainly Celery

Well, since Stampin' Up! announced yesterday a little refreshing of the colors for the 2013-2014 Catalog, I thought it would be nice to play with some of the retiring colors a bit. Today I'm sharing two cards, both made with Certainly Celery for the card base.    

 This card was inspired by the scrapbook page I'm sharing at my class tomorrow. 

Don't you love this clean, simple design? I wanted the word SPRING to be the focus, so I kept the rest of the card rather monochromatic. A spritz from the Color Spritzer Tool adds just the right amount of "background."

I used markers (Island Indigo, Calypso Coral, Lucky Limeade, Pretty in Pink, Early Espresso, and So Saffron) to color the letters from the Occasions Alphabet stamp set, and punched them out with the Petite Curly Label punch. If you didn't get the chance to earn a free one during Sale-A-Bration, they are available for purchase now - yay!!

And this card is a very simplified version of my sketch #11. 

A layer of Tea for Two DSP creates the background... 

... and three images from the Spring Sampler stamp set, punched out and layered over card stock circles, create the focal point.  

***** I also wanted to play around with some of the returning colors, so I created a fun freebie for you to print. You can find it on my Facebook page. Have a fabulous weekend!! ***** 

a fun color combination

While I was playing around with different color combos for my Spring Cards class at the bakery, I came up with this fabulous winner: Certainly Celery, Early Espresso, Lucky Limeade, and Calypso Coral. 

I really like how the Calypso Coral pops against the softness of the Certainly Celery. The Calypso Coral card stock layer needed... something. So, the Honeycomb Embossing Folder came to my rescue. And the layer of Tea for Two DSP at the bottom of the card was the perfect print. I tied Lucky Limeade Baker's Twine around the card twice, and then tied it into a bow before adhering my focal point.

Don't you hate it when a great stamp set goes unused for a while? Me too! I hadn't played with the Best of Everything stamp set in way too long, so I'm glad I was able to dust it off and ink it up! My Lucky Limeade and Early Espresso markers inked the "branch" image, which worked out great as a "little Spring tree" for this card. After stamping the flower image in Calypso Coral onto the same color card stock, I snipped it out and used it on my card instead of a button or brad. 
So what do you think? Is this a color combination you would like to try for a Spring card? I challenge you to try it! Maybe even start with a favorite card sketch and grab a stamp set that might just need a little stampin' action.   ;)   Have fun! 

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!!

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. 

 

Ribbon Wreath

I finally finished a project on my "really-really want-to-make" list!!! For those of you who have a 2010-2011 SU catalog handy, my inspiration comes from the ribbon wreath on p190. It's not like it takes a long time to make a ribbon wreath - I finished in a few hours. I probably would have finished sooner if I didn't take breaks to draw outside with chalk, lose a lightsaber battle, and have a snack in the shade... but those are some of the best parts of working from home  :}  It's just one of those projects that kept getting pushed to the side, but I had time today since I didn't want to get a ton of supplies out while the drywall was being sanded. For this project, all you need is a hoop, ribbon, and Craft & Paper Scissors. I have two of these high quality scissors - one for paper, and one for fabric and ribbon.

Isn't it pretty??? Since I have several miles spools of ribbon in my craft room, this is the perfect project for me! All of these ribbons are from Stampin' Up! ... some are current, some are old, some are really old. I chose a variety of pinks, yellows, oranges, and greens for a bright, summery look.

I started with a hoop (approximately 13" diameter) that I purchased from my local craft store (I think I found it in the same aisle as the mirror pieces). Then I tied all my ribbons on... that's it! So easy!! 

A few tips for you: 
I used approximately 1 to 3 yards of each ribbon.
Push the tied ribbons close together as you're working.
Trim the ends as you go; don't wait to trim them all at the end.
Use a good amount of the wider ribbons first; it's much easier to fill in with skinny ribbons.
Try to use a variety of ribbon textures (satin, twill, grosgrain, scalloped edges) on your wreath for visual interest.
Mixing solid, striped, stitched, and dotted ribbons of varying widths is fun!
If you are using Pleated Satin Ribbon, pull gently when tying.
Ribbons with a heavier stiffness hold up to being cut longer; floppy ribbons should be cut shorter.

I bought more than 1 hoop because I have plans to make more. I will definitely create a Ribbon Wreath for Christmas... what else... oooh! Fall colors would be pretty!!  :}  What colors do you think I should try next?

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...

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  :}

Certainly Celery

I can't believe how many days flew by since my last post! It's been crazy busy here... too many things to do, not enough hours in the day :(
On the upside, I had a super fun class Tuesday night, and a great visit with my Mother-In-Law this week. Now, if only I were ready for Friday night's class...


Certainly Celery is a "must have" color for your collection - It works well with so many other colors :) The "Dynamic Duo" listed on the Color Coach is Certainly Celery and Old Olive. What a great combo!!


This is a card from one of my Technique Tuesday classes. We used the Notably Ornate stamp set and the colors in the "Creative Combination": Certainly Celery, Soft Suede, and Pink Pirouette. I LOVE how these colors look together. The subtle background on the Certainly Celery card stock is dry embossed on the Big Shot using the Perfect Details Texturz Plate, and very lightly sponged with Soft Suede ink. The largest image is stamped onto Very Vanilla card stock with Soft Suede ink. To create a more vintage look, the image is torn out (rather than cut with Snips). The edges are slightly curled up and sponged with Soft Suede ink. After stamping the bird image in Pink Pirouette ink, the Color Spritzer Tool and my Soft Suede marker went to work. The sentiment is punched out with the Modern Label Punch, and matted on a scrap of Soft Suede card stock which was die cut - on the Big Shot of course ;) - using 1 of the Punch Windows and the Movers & Shapers Bigz XL Die.


This 3x3 card features colors from the "Getting Started" Collection: Certainly Celery, Whisper White, and Marina Mist. My Big Shot went to work for me on this one :) The dry embossed background on the Whisper White card stock is from the Square Lattice Embossing Folder, and the amazing butterflies are cut out and dry embossed at the same time using the Beautiful Wings Embosslit.