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! 

you're swell

You really are swell... so swell in fact, that you should see one of the easiest cards to make, ever!   :} 

I was inspired by a card in our demonstrator magazine - Stampin' Success. The layout is the same (and yes, I have the simple card sketch at the end of this post - yay!), but I changed everything else. It was a hit at my last card class down at the bakery.   :}
I started with a So Saffron card base, and the DSP layer measures 3-7/8" wide by 5-1/2" tall. 

I stamped the chevron-oval image from the Oh, Hello stamp set in Calypso Coral ink onto the same color card stock, then punched it out with the Curly Label punch. A skinny strip of Lucky Limeade card stock and a 1" punched circle of Early Espresso card stock add more necessary layers.  ;) 
The greeting (from the Ciao, Baby! stamp set) is stamped in Lucky Limeade and punched out with the Petite Curly Label punch. After adhering the layers together, I attached them to my card with Dimensionals. 

Isn't this about the easiest card ever??? I'll bet you're already planning some cards to make using this sketch. Have fun stamping!!

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!!

THANKS is for giving

I love making hand-stamped thank you cards. It's such a wonderful, personal way to show someone you are really thankful. I get especially happy making fall-themed thank yous. I think it's because you can create so many pretty details with fall "leaves."

A strip of Comfort Cafe DSP gave me my color palette for the leaf colors. And I love the extra details on the greeting stamp (Seasonal Sayings). 
Using a technique always makes a card extra special, and for my leaves I used two easy stamping techniques. 

All the leaves use the technique called two-step stamping. The Gently Falling stamp set comes with both a solid and an outline stamp for each image.  
Onto Very Vanilla card stock, I stamped the solid maple leaf in Summer Starfruit ink. Then, I stamped the outline maple leaf in Early Espresso ink right over the top. This stamp set is very forgiving - an easy one for beginners who want to "step up" their cards. You don't have to stamp the outline exactly lined up with the solid image - I aim for close enough. 
For the second technique, take a look at the oak and the aspen leaves (far left pointing downward; top on a dimensional pointing to the right). The solid image oak leaf is stamped in Soft Suede ink, and the outline image is stamped over it in Early Espresso ink. I wanted the aspen leaf to be a slightly different shade, so I inked the solid image with Soft Suede ink, stamped first onto scratch paper, and then stamped onto the Very Vanilla card stock. This technique is called "stamping off" or "2nd generation stamping." It's a great technique to use when you don't necessarily want to add another color to your project. I find myself using this technique a lot when working on masculine, vintage, and monochromatic cards. 
I hand snipped all of the leaves... it takes some time, but looks oh so pretty.   ***TIP: when snipping images that use the two-step stamping technique, don't try to cut around the outside edge of everything stamped. Follow the lines of the outline image. You might cut off bits of the solid image - that's ok. Trust me, your snipped image will have a cleaner, more professional look by snipping around just the outline image. 

This card will be perfect for Aaron's teacher to thank her for all of the awesome art projects she does in her classroom. Aaron brought home the cutest project yesterday... I just have to share it! 

This sunflower has earned a permanent spot on my desk  :} 

The bottom yellow paper-plate is cut into the sunburst shape, and the top plate has been trimmed to just the center circle with four slits cut towards the center to create petals. Aaron's school picture is in the center, with sunflower seeds glued all around. Don't tell Aaron, but I had to add a bit more glue to some of the seeds. A pencil is hot-glued to the back for a stem. LOVE it!!

Thanks for dropping by. I get a whole day to stamp today, so I'm uber excited. If only I could get my brain to focus on one or two projects, instead of the hundreds I want to work on!!! 

gotta love the Mojo...

...Mojo Monday that is! Every week they put up a great sketch, and this week's sketch really caught my eye. I played around with several cards, and here's the one I liked best: 

The leaves I used for the circular area on the sketch are a little large, so I omitted the sentiment banner to keep it from looking too "busy." 

To create the leaves, I simply die cut Very Vanilla card stock using the Autumn Accents Bigz die through the Big Shot. Then I inked (More Mustard, Raspberry Ripple, Lucky Limeade) three leaves from the Wonderfall stamp set, and did a little maneuver that's like stamping upside down. All you have to do is ink the stamp, and then lay it on it's back/ block with the rubber facing up. Align your die-cut leaf over the inked stamp, and press down. I like to use a spare block to press evenly.
Can you believe that I didn't use any ribbon or even buttons on this card??? Crazy! But I really liked how the leaves looked so crisp and stood out, so the only "embellishment" I added was some paper piercing around the edge of the Lucky Limeade layer.

Well, I'm off to tackle some more stamping projects... I actually had a dream last night that I was making cards! How silly. Let's see how it influences today's creativity! :}

CASEing the cattie for Fall

It's Friday, it's Friday!! I think I'm going to sleep in tomorrow until... like, 6:30 or 7 -- ha!  I'm sure the boys will be up before that. Do your kids always wake up early on weekends, even though it's torture to get them up on school days? Aaagh! Oh well... more time to stamp, right? 
My up- up- upline does a really great job of utilizing the projects in the catalog as inspiration during her stamping time. The card on p178 really grabbed her attention, so she "CASEd" it to make a Fall card. I liked her CASE so much, that I CASEd her card to make my own version for Fall.  :}

stamp sets: Friendship Preserves, Perfectly Preserved 

ink: Island Indigo, Early Espresso 

card stock: Raspberry Ripple, Core'dinations Early Espresso, Lucky Limeade, Very Vanilla, More Mustard 

DSP: Orchard Harvest 

Embossing Folder: Woodgrain 

Framelits: Window Frames, Apothecary Accents 

punch: Small Oval 

embellishments: 1/8" Mini Brads

** a few TIPS: After embossing the Core'dinations card stock with an Embossing Folder, remove it carefully from the folder so that it doesn't tear. I snipped the end of the strip after embossing it, because the skinny points will be more likely to rip if they are trimmed prior to embossing. Use the Sanding Block very gently to expose the inner core color.

Thank you for dropping by my blog today. I hope you have a fabulous weekend!

simple Fall card; unexpected color combo

I love making Fall cards, especially when I get to add all the yummy details like sponging, shimmer mist, Crochet Trim, layers, etc... But let's face it, if I waited until I had time to make all those, I wouldn't get much done! I like to try to mail out a few Fall cards, so that if I don't get my Christmas cards done in time, I've given myself a "free pass" until Valentine's Day.   ;)   Is that planning to fail, or being realistic???
Anywho, I came up with a simple Fall card that's super easy to make and doesn't take much time - yay! 

My favorite thing about this card is the unexpected color combination. I had something else in mind when I started working on it, but when I went to my card stock shelf, the Perfect Plum jumped up and said "PICK ME!!" So I did.
The Woodgrain background stamp is perfect for this card - love it! At first I used the Woodgrain Embossing Folder on the More Mustard layer, but I felt like it made the card too busy. It needed something that would add subtle detail, without taking too much time, since I want to make several of these... Stripes Embossing Folder to the rescue! 

After die-cutting Very Vanilla card stock on the Autumn Accents Bigz Die, I inked a leaf from the Wonderfall stamp set with Cajun Craze ink. While the stamp was lying on it's back, I pressed the card stock onto the stamp... it's like stamping upside down :}
The "thanks" sentiment (Fabulous Phrases) is stamped in Early Espresso ink onto Cajun Craze card stock, and adhered to the back of the leaf. I used Dimensionals to adhere the leaf to my card front, and Mini Glue Dots hold the Perfect Plum button in place. Easy Peasy!
If you are looking to mix things up a bit in your craft room today, try this color combo (Perfect Plum, Cajun Craze, More Mustard) on some Fall cards. I think you'll like it!  :}

leaves, layers, and shimmer... yeah, baby!

Sometimes you just need an "over the top," layered, shimmery card.

This was my favorite card we made in last night's class. I think that the ladies liked that it looked complicated, but actually went together rather quickly. 
For the background, I chose the Woodgrain stamp. With this large stamp lying on its back, pat the stamp using Soft Suede ink. Gently cover the stamp with the folded Soft Suede card stock. Press very gently in random spots to get the soft, partially-stamped look on the background.
After adhering the DSP strips to the front of the card, attach the Summer Starfuit leaf (Gently Falling). Then it's time to work on the focal point.  

Stamp the "THANKS a bunch" sentiment (Friendship Preserves) in Midnight Muse ink onto the same color card stock. Then die cut this image using the Window Frames Framelit.

Attach the Cajun Craze and Soft Suede leaves at the bottom, then punch a hole in the corner. Adhere the Crochet Trim to the back, and attach an Antique Brad through the hole.

Use several Dimensionals to adhere your focal point to the front of the card.

The last step is to spritz the whole card front with a "Shimmer Mist." This looks sooooo much better in real life - a photo just doesn't do it justice :(   To make the Shimmer Mist, mix rubbing alcohol and a few drops of Champagne Mist Shimmer Paint in a travel sized spray bottle or Stampin' Spritzer. Be sure to cover your spritzing area completely so you don't end up with a shimmery table  ;)

I'll bet you know someone who would love to get something pretty in the mail... a one-of-a-kind "over the top" card might be just what they need  :} 

English Ivy "meets" Wonderfall

While getting ready for another stamp class at the Bakery, I started playing around with the English Ivy Stationery. This is pretty stuff! So, at first I felt a little guilty chopping it, but once I finished my card... guilt gone! 

I trimmed the stationery sheet so that I had two layers each measuring 3-1/2" x 5". The piece with the pre-printed background was used on the front, and the other piece was used inside the card. 

Making the pretty leaves was fun, and easy to do. First die cut Very Vanilla card stock on the Big Shot using the Autumn Accents Bigz Die. Then, ink the stamps from the Wonderfall stamp set. Instead of turning the stamp face down to stamp on the card stock, leave the inked stamp lying face up. Turn the card stock leaf over and press it onto the inked stamp. I like to use an acrylic block instead of my fingers to press down on the leaf so that I get an evenly stamped image. The next step is to crumple each leaf. Then, sponge a little ink around the edges and over the creases for added detail. 

I can't wait to share this card tomorrow night! I hope everyone likes it as much as I do!   :}

a "Wonderfall" card!

Don't you love how just as the colors are changing outside in nature, so are your "go to" colors in your stamp space? I'm having a hard time deciding which is my favorite color combination to use on "fall" projects. There are so many great choices! 

stamp sets: Wonderfall, Perfectly Penned 

ink: Early Espresso, Cajun Craze, Always Artichoke 

DSP: First Edition 

card stock: Always Artichoke 

acessories: Vintage Trinkets, 7/8" Cotton Ribbon 

techniques: Triple-Time stamping, stamping on ribbon 

When selecting a stamp set to use for the Triple-Time stamping technique, try choosing a set that has multiple coordinating images, in slightly varied sizes, that aren't too small. Click here to see a few other cards using this technique.

So, do you have a favorite color combo for your "fall" projects? I'd love to know - feel free to share your combo(s) by leaving a comment  :}   Happy stamping!

an easy Christmas card for busy Moms

Yesterday's Christmas card was pretty fancy, so I thought today I'd share a simple Christmas card, that still gets the "wow" you want from the person you're sending it to:

This is a great card to try if you need to make several in a short amount of time. You can punch out the DSP squares while you're helping the kids with homework, watching TV, or "listening" to your hubby talk about sports - just keep the squares in a little container until you are ready to use them. If you start now, you might have two or three made before December! *wink, wink* By using the Postage Stamp punch, you get a faux stitched look between the squares, saving you the time of adding faux stitching later with a marker. Adhering the pieces to the 3-3/4 x 5" card stock layer (Very Vanilla on this card) is easy - the hard part is choosing in which order you want the squares!  ;} 

After adhering all of the layers and pieces, choose a sentiment and an embellishment, and you're done! You don't even need Dimensionals (gasp) to finish this card. 

If you're really liking this Candlelight Christmas DSP (and I know you loved the ornaments on yesterday's card), I invite you to check out the October Promotion from Stampin' Up! 

If you have any questions at all, feel free to email me  -  jenn.inklings@gmail.com  -  and I will be happy to help you. Have a wonderful day!!

Christmas "Mojo"

As I've said before, I'm not sure my boys know in which order the Fall and Winter holidays arrive on the calendar. Every year, around the release of the new catalog, my stamping space becomes a flurry of Christmas, Halloween, Thanksgiving, and  Fall- & Winter-themed projects. Pretty soon there will be some Valentine's Day thrown in as well! I love it though... it's nice to spend so much time "celebrating" every holiday!  ;) 
When I saw last week's Mojo Monday sketch, I immediately needed to make a Christmas card. Now, if only I had squeezed in some time last week to make the card! Oh well... better late than never!

stamp set: Petite Pairs

ink: Cherry Cobbler, Garden Green

DSP: Festival of Prints stack, Regals stack 

1" Square punch.   Festive Paper-Piercing Pack.

Window Frames Framelits.   Square Lattice Embossing Folder.

Naturals Designer Button.   Linen Thread. 

I really liked the card Mary Fish made for the sketch - I loved how she used the Window Frames Framelits for the "circle" layers. And the piercing adds the perfect little detail. 

I've been working a lot lately on the Christmas card class I'm teaching as a fundraiser for the Macon County History Museum. The quilters who meet there are interested in attending, so I sorta have "quilts" on the brain  :}  I can't wait to share with you the cards I designed for that class - they're really pretty!

On this card, I used the Flying Geese quilt pattern for my "quilted" focal point. It was a little time consuming, but easy. Using the 1" Square punch, I punched out 4 squares of DSP and 4 squares of Very Vanilla card stock. Then I cut each in half diagonally. First, I adhered a vanilla triangle to the top-left corner of a piece of copy paper (2x4"). Then I added a blue DSP triangle to "complete" the fist "square." The other blue triangle and a vanilla triangle followed, which completed the top row of the "quilt." After every piece was adhered to the copy paper, I dry embossed the layer using the Square Lattice Embossing Folder for a quilted fabric appearance. A layer of Early Espresso card stock behind my "quilted" focal point really helps draw attention to this beautiful quilt-card technique! 

Well, happy holidays ;)  Be sure to come back tomorrow for a Halloween project!  

Happy 1st day of Fall!

Autumn is a second spring when every leaf is a flower.  ~Albert Camus 

stamp set: Itty Bitty Banners

ink: Early Espresso, VersaMark

card stock: Raspberry Ripple, More Mustard, Lucky Limeade, Very Vanilla

DSP: Orchard Harvest

Naturals Designer Button, Linen Thread

Bitty Banners Framelits, Autumn Accents Bigz Die

Stampin' Emboss® Powder: Gold 

Autumn... the year's last, loveliest smile. 
~William Cullen Bryant

a "Core'dinated" card

I'm still playing catch-up... I have so many projects to share with you! Here's another card I made at my upline's August meeting using the new Core'dinations™ card stock: 

How cool is that embossed layer??!! That's the Early Espresso Core'dinations™ card stock, which I dry embossed using the new Lacy Brocade Embossing Folder. After embossing it, I sanded (using very light pressure) the raised edges to expose the lighter color of the card stock's core. 

The sentiment (from the A Word For You stamp set) is stamped in Early Espresso ink onto the new 7/8" Cotton Ribbon. After I snipped the end, I used my fingernails to fray the threads for a more distressed look. 

Well, I better get my day moving. I am spending the afternoon with 3rd graders and helping them work on a special art project - fun!! I can't wait to see their creative minds at work :}

black and brown

Here are the last two crayon gifts ... 

Black & White Day 

stamp set: Need for Speed

Big Shot items: Top Note Bigz Die, Chevron Embossing Folder

Brown Day 

stamp set: Dinoroar

Ok, so technically Aaron's teacher did not have an official "brown day," but I couldn't have a bunch of leftover crayons!

This was such a fun series of projects to create... but I'm kinda glad it's over and I can move on to some Fall and Christmas projects  :}

a card for my friend

One nice thing about moving back to the area where you grew up, is reconnecting with friends. I've had the joy of reconnecting with one of my closest friends from middle- & high- school. Every week or so we meet for coffee and conversation. After our first coffee date, I sent her this pretty card: 

We made this at Convention in a Make & Take session, and it's just the perfect card for my buddy :}

stamp set: Affection Collection

card stock: Primrose Petals, Early Espresso, Whisper White

ink: Daffodil Delight, More Mustard, Primrose Petals, Midnight Muse, Early Espresso

My "old" friend has never stamped or made cards before, so I'm really, really excited to show her how much fun it is. I get to come over to her house in a few days to share the fun of stamping with her friends and family... I can't wait!!! Now I have to narrow down all of my ideas. What to make, what to make???

hot day... cool card

Today is going to be a scorcher! The forecast is predicting 99 degrees - yikes! In Wisconsin, we don't get that many days over 90 degrees, but this summer has been quite the exception. So when I stumbled across this blog challenge for a "Christmas in July" project, I thought today would be the perfect day to share it  :}

stamp set: Pennant Parade

ink: Gumball Green, Early Espresso

card stock: Gumball Green, Cherry Cobbler, Whisper White

Designer Series Paper: Regals Collection - Cherry Cobbler

punches: Petite Pennants Builder, Scallop Edge Border

ribbon: Gumball Green 3/8" Stitched Satin

Maybe if we all stamp a Christmas card today, and think "cool" thoughts, we can get the temperature to drop a few degrees??? Probably not, but it's a good reason to stay inside the air conditioning and stamp all day, right???  ;)  Thanks for stopping by - enjoy your day, and keep cool!

My Digital Studio "hybrid" project

Hello, stamping friends! I hope you are enjoying a nice weekend with your family  :}

I have a pretty "hybrid" project to share with you today... 

I created the background (the "picture" inside the frame) using My Digital Studio. I also used MDS for the scripture piece.  Then, I used real DSP and embellishments to make the project extra pretty  :} 

the details: 

I started my project in MDS as a 5x7 card, with a Melon Mambo background.
Over the top of the background, I layered a square punch, which I "paper-filled" with one of the Twitterpated DSP patterns (Blushing Bride - "Fancy Fan" design), and lowered the opacity to 40%.
The top layer is a stamp-brush from Eclectic Overlays in Early Espresso.
I printed my background onto photo paper.

*Tip: to make sure I was working within the measurements of my 4x6 frame, I added two rectangle punches to cover an inch at the top and an inch on the left. By color-filling them with Whisper White, it saves a tiny bit of printer ink  ;)

*Tip: in order to type my text the correct size for my frame, I started with the Digital Flag Punch. I added my text box over that, so I could choose the right font size. Before printing onto Very Vanilla card stock, I deleted the Flag Punch.

After printing the scripture onto the Very Vanilla card stock, I cut it to the size I wanted. For subtle detail, I stamped the background image from the Creative Elements stamp set in Crumb Cake ink ("stamping off" first for a lighter image), and used the same ink with a Sponge Dauber to sponge a hint of color onto the edges.

The background layer is framed behind the glass, and the card stock and DSP strips are adhered to the glass (using SNAIL adhesive), with the left edges tucked under the frame.

1/8" Very Vanilla Taffeta Ribbon and Linen Thread are strung through one of the new Naturals Designer Buttons (available to order June 1st), which is adhered to the frame using Mini Glue Dots. A tiny string of Pearls adds an elegant finishing touch. 

Thanks for dropping by my blog today! I hope you and your family have a blessed day!

new, new, new!

Well, a super busy weekend has turned into a super busy week... I'm really looking forward to the upcoming 3-day weekend! Hopefully I will have all of the drywall dust mess cleaned up by then. That's right, home repair... yuck! So let's look at some prettier things, shall we?  :} 

For my May team meeting, I prepared a Color Chart "sampler" page, and designed three cute projects using tons of new goodies. It's always fun to try out all the new products from the upcoming catalog!  So... what's new???

Two new stamp sets: Itty Bitty Banners and Papaya Collage. Three new colors: Summer Starfruit, Gumball Green, and Midnight Muse. Two new Framelit Collections: Apothecary Accents and Bitty Banners. New DSP and Ribbon, too!  :}

New stamp set: Betsy's Blossoms. New stampin' wheel: Betsy's Blooms. Three new colors: Summer Starfruit, Raspberry Ripple, and Primrose Petals. New DSP and button, too!  :}

New stamp set: Betsy's Blossoms. Three new colors: Summer Starfruit, Raspberry Ripple, and Primrose Petals. And new DSP!  :}  *Note: I planned this 8x8 page to go with the new 8x8 Scrapbook Albums in the upcoming catalog!!

I have to say, I prefer the creating of the new projects in my stamp room over creating new sections of drywall in my ceiling and walls, but a girl's got to do what a girl's got to do! And by that I mean, calling a handsome fix-it guy to do the repairs!  ;)

You know, you could be stamping with these brand new goodies too! There are all kinds of perks to joining the Stampin' Up! family. I would LOVE to have you as part of my team. Click here to learn more  :}

And last but not least, you can find full views of the front of each project - as well as other projects from my team meetings - on my Facebook Page. Thanks for stopping by today!!  :}