Secret Garden

My mother-in-law loves to garden. She's even won awards for her flower gardens. So a Mother's Day card for her using the Secret Garden stamp set was perfect!

After stamping the leafy image twice in Pear Pizzazz ink, I die cut the leaves with the Secret Garden Framelits, and adhered them to my Island Indigo card base. Over those leaves, I added a strip of the new Gingham Garden DSP (look for this pretty paper in the upcoming catalog) down the center of the card. 

Onto Very Vanilla card stock, I stamped one flower in Melon Mambo ink, and another flower in Daffodil Delight ink. After using a Blender Pen to color the flowers, I die cut both of them with the Secret Garden Framelits. My sentiment is also from an upcoming new-cattie product --- Banner Greetings (a new Hostess stamp set). 

I wish I had even 10% of my mother-in-law's green thumb. Unfortunately, plants don't survive long around me. Perhaps that's why I make so many flowers out of paper... 

happy 2nd birthday, Olive Jane

Today is my sweet little niece's 2nd birthday! I'm looking forward to celebrating with her tomorrow at her big birthday bash. Of course Aunt Jenn made coordinating tags and a special birthday card!  :} 

I chose Pretty in Pink (a retiring color), Pear Pizzazz (a returning color), and Basic Gray for my colors. The birthday cake (Make a Wish stamp set) looks so pretty after die-cutting with a Labels Collection Framelit, and adhering some Basic Pearls. 

Having the age number on birthday cards for little ones is just too cute, so I stamped and fussy-cut a number 2 (from the Memorable Moments stamp set), and adhered that to a Pear Pizzazz 7/8" Scallop Circle. Technically, the Baker's Twine is Lucky Limeade and not Pear Pizzazz, but I'm hoping Olive won't notice that subtle difference.   ;) 

Birthday gifts should have tags that coordinate with the card, right??? It was super easy to make the coordinating tags by using the same colors and DSP (Twitterpated), as well as incorporating some of the same design elements. 

I die cut the top edge of the tag with a Labels Collection Framelit.  *** Tip: if you want to use a Framelit to create a decorative edge, turn the handle on your Big Shot just enough so that only the portion you want trimmed gets cut, then turn the handle the other way to back up the platform. 
I used the same embossing folder on the card and tags. *** Tip: use the embossing folder after die-cutting or your texture will get smooshed. The Memorable Moments stamp set has that nice stitched image to fit perfectly in the Famelit, and I like the font of the greetings in this stamp set. I added a stamped number 2 (Number It) to the tags as well, and I used the same embellishments (Basic Pearls) on both projects. 

I can't wait to give Olive a great big hug and watch her open all the presents. Two is a fun age at gift opening time, since they now know exactly what those bags and boxes are all about! 

Happy Mother's Day...

...to my mother...  

...to my mother-in-law... 

... and to all of the mothers in our homes, our hearts, and those watching us from above.

Box in a Bag

Hello, stamping friends! Do you ever make something that's so cute, you want to squeal with delight, like when you were little??? That's how I felt about my projects from my Technique Tuesday class - Three in 3D. Here's one of the adorable little cuties we made:

Oh my goodness, super cute, right?! I think these would be fabulous to wrap up little gifts for Teacher Appreciation Week (which is next week already, yikes!) I wish I could take credit for inventing this awesome gift bag, but I can't. I found the directions (from the mega-talented Diana Gibbs) on Splitcoast Stampers. And because I love my readers so much, here's the link to the directions for you  :}

Concord Crush and Pear Pizzazz play so nicely together, don't you think?? The flower image from the Mixed Bunch stamp set is stamped in Concord Crush onto the same color card stock, and punched out using the Blossom punch. The flower center (also from Mixed Bunch) is stamped in Pear Pizzazz ink onto Pear Pizzazz card stock, then punched out using the 1" Circle punch. A Concord Crush Glimmer Brad takes the cuteness level "over the top!"
For the "handles," I stamped the tab image from Perfect Punches, and punched that out using the Round Tab punch. I'm sad to see the Round Tab punch retiring... it's quite handy!
After punching holes in my handles with the Crop-A-Dile™, I loosely tied the bag shut with a piece of Pear Pizzazz Seam Binding. Over that knot, I added another piece of Seam Binding and a bow of Concord Crush Stitched Poly Ribbon.
*** Technique Tip - if you want to add a punched border (or ruffled ribbon - that would be cute!!) peeking out from the top of the gift bag, attach that piece before adhering the DSP to the box-bottom. On this gift bag, I used the Dotted Scallop Ribbon Border punch.

Thanks for stopping by today. I hope you have a wonderful evening, and a great start to your weekend!  :}

more projects...

Oh my goodness, my camera's memory card is full of projects I haven't shared yet. I can't believe how quickly things pile up when you get busy! Since I know you are still recovering from yesterday's loooong post, I'll just share a couple of things today ;)

I made simple "thank-you" cards for my oldest son's birthday. I really like this color combination: Not Quite Navy, Pear Pizzazz, and Chocolate Chip. The sentiment from the Thank You Kindly stamp set is stamped in Chocolate Chip ink onto the Pear Pizzazz DSP. I will definitely miss this stamp set when it retires at the end of this month!!

Lots of retiring goodies on this card, too. I will miss the Blushing Bride and Concord Crush, but at least I will have five new colors to play with! The sentiment is from the retiring Sweetly Said stamp set, and the three doily shapes are from the retiring Doily Triple Layer punch.

How about some things that are still available on the Carryover List? If you haven't already added these to your supplies, you can still order the Blossom punch and the Twitterpated DSP - yay!! And while you're ordering, you have to add these 3-1/2x5" Notecards! They're great for making quick and easy cards... pre-cut, pre-scored, and envelopes included!!  (107311   $5.95 for 20)

Here's the rest of the Carryover List:

Ok, so three projects and a list... that's still a "couple of things," right??  ;)  If you have a question or need to stock up on your stampin' goodies, you can always reach me from my Stampin' Up! website. Have a fabulous day!!  :}

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!

more fun with a card sketch

  

Remember this card sketch?

I brought it out of hiding the other day, and I love how easy it is to use  :}  It worked well on a card for one of my technique classes.

One of my favorite things about Stampin' Up! is how everything coordinates. For this card, I was even able to coordinate the Houndstooth Embossing Folder with a houndstooth patterned stamp from the Posy Punch Hostess stamp set. Cute, cute, cute! 

Here's a closeup and a list of supplies:

Stamp Sets: Posy Punch, Perfectly Penned

Ink: Concord Crush, Pear Pizzazz

Card stock: Concord Crush, Peach Parfait, Whisper White

DSP: Pear Pizzazz (In Color Paper Stack)

Accessories: Pear Pizzazz 3/8" Pleated Satin Ribbon, Peach Parfait Glimmer Brad

Tools: Fancy Flower punch, 3/4" Circle punch, Big Shot, Houndstooth Embossing Folder

A few members of my downline even had some fun with my card sketch...

So go ahead and give this sketch a try - it's super easy and fun to work with  :}  Thanks for stopping by today!

Twitterpated Birthday

Oh my goodness, I haven't felt this tired in a long time... yuck! Aaron's asthma has reared it's ugly head, so it was a long night. I'm not sure what I'll get a chance to stamp today - if anything at all - so I'm thankful I finished this card yesterday!

Did you ever work on a project that felt like a creativity roller coaster? When I saw this sketch challenge, I instantly had some ideas I wanted to play with. The sketch isn't complicated, and I have plenty of stamping goodies to play with. I was feeling good as I started the project, but then, well, I don't know... it just wasn't working out. So I did the best thing you can do - walk away. I left it on my desk and tended to some household chores (you know, the stuff I should be doing but choose to stamp instead). I am happy to report that when I came back to my project, I tried a few different things with success!

I started with a Blushing Bride card base. It measures 3-1/4" x 6" (closed) and has a top-fold. I am so in love with the Twitterpated DSP... I will be sad when it's gone. The three flower images from the Bordering on Romance stamp set are stamped in Basic Gray ink. I used a Blender Pen to watercolor the images. I punched out three 1-1/4" circles from Basic Gray textured card stock, and distressed the edges with my fingernail. Layering them behind the flowers really helps the pretty flowers stand out.

I used both Basic Gray 5/8" Satin Ribbon and Blushing Bride 3/8" Pleated Satin Ribbon... because I love ribbon! The birthday sentiment from the Petite Pairs stamp set is stamped in Basic Gray ink onto a piece of Baja Breeze card stock, which I die cut in the Big Shot using a Sizzlits Die from the Lots of Tags collection. I pierced a second little hole so I could tie the Twitterpated Button to the tag with Baker's Twine. Then I used a mini Glue Dot and a Dimensional to adhere the tag.

Speaking of birthdays... did you know today is Dr. Seuss's birthday? I'm sure if you have school-aged children, they will have a blast at school today. I know mine will!! Thanks for dropping by... time for me to finish off the coffee and brew another pot  :} 

Framelit Fun

Happy 1st day of March!! Even though we've had such a mild winter, I totally have Spring Fever... well, more like Summer Fever because Spring in Wisconsin isn't going to be much different than a mild Winter (sigh). So today I'm sharing a bright, pretty card perfect for Spring:

This is another card from my class on Tuesday  :}  The colors are Poppy Parade, Peach Parfait, and Pear Pizzazz. After stamping the large label image in Basic Gray ink, I used a Blender Pen to watercolor the flowers and leaves.

Before adhering the focal point with Dimensionals, I used my magic potion of Champagne Mist Shimmer Paint mixed with rubbing alcohol in a travel-sized spritz bottle to add some shimmer to the background layer. The golden sparklies look so pretty on the Everyday Enchantment DSP!

Well, thanks for dropping in today... let's all think warm thoughts and try to convince Spring to come early  :}

Technique Tuesday

Happy Tuesday! It's the last Tuesday of the month, so that means it's time for my Technique Tuesday class. I have a card to share with you today that's actually from my last technique class (Oh, Scrap), as well as a sneak peek at one of tonight's cards.

Scraps of Designer Series Paper and card stock are perfect for small layers on your cards. You can add interest to each layer with texture, such as tearing along the edge, or by stamping right onto your DSP.

Tonight we will be working with the Framelits and Edgelits. Here's a sneak peek at one of the cards:

 Looks like fun, right??? I look forward to sharing our projects with you later this week. Have a wonderful day!!  :}

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  :}

Jodi's card

It's been a while since I got to make a "baby" card, which I always like working on. So, I was happy to have a reason to use some soft colors for this card.

The little boy I babysit in the morning is going to have a little sister soon, and this card is for his Mom. It's a nice feeling to actually have the card ready before the baby is born - an unusual thing for me to do  ;)
Adhered to the Blushing Bride card base is a layer of Nursery Nest DSP. Over that I added a 1" wide strip of Perfect Plum card stock, which has the sentiment from Sweetly Said stamped in Perfect Plum ink. Then I added a piece of Blushing Bride 3/8" Pleated Satin Ribbon... so pretty!

For the focal point I stamped the rattle from Button Buddies in Blushing Bride ink onto Whisper White card stock, die cut the image using the smallest Framelit in the Labels Collection, and sponged the edges with Blushing Bride ink. After tying a bow of white Baker's Twine through a Perfect Plum Designer Button, I used two mini Glue Dots to adhere the button to the rattle image. I used the second smallest Framelit to die cut a layer of Pear Pizzazz card stock, which I already dry embossed using the Snow Burst Embossing Folder. After tucking it behind the stamped layer, I used Dimensionals to attach the piece to my card.
For some additional "prettiness" I stamped another rattle on the front of the envelope and added more Nursery Nest DSP to the envelope flap. And while I can't wait to give this card to Jodi, I really can't wait to meet this new little bundle of joy  :}

Thanks for stopping by today! If you have an extra minute, stop by Tiffany Bauer's blog. She chose one of my cards as one of her "Crafty Picks" for the week!! I am so honored to be among this group of talented stampers! Have a fabulous day!!!

scrappy squares

My Technique Tuesday class earlier this week was called "Oh Scrap!" We made a variety of projects that featured different ways to use scraps. This card was easy to make, and makes good use of those little scraps of coordinating DSP.

All of the squares of Twitterpated DSP were punched with the 1-1/4" Square punch. They are layered around two (adhered together at a 90 degree angle) squares of Pear Pizzazz card stock. The secret is adhering the first square correctly... When you put your adhesive on the back of the first square, only place the adhesive on half, so that when your squares come back around, you can slip the edge of the last square under the first one.
Even though this card was inspired by one of my Mom's cards, I changed it up a tiny bit. On my card, the Basic Gray layer is stamped first using one of the pretty stamps from Bordering on Romance, and then the card stock is dry embossed using the 'Square Lattice' Embossing Folder and the Big Shot. I had to keep the die cut 'Paper Doily'... LOVE that die!!
I look forward to sharing more projects with you that will help you go through those scraps (which multiply when we're not looking, right?). Do you have a favorite "use-up-the-scraps" project or technique?

Xander's birthday card

Good morning! I'm off to a busy start this morning... car is back from the mechanic (just an oil change needed). The van is another story... looks like I'm buying an alternator today  :(  I just finished making the birthday card for one of Aaron's best friends, Xander, who is having his 5th birthday party this morning. Aaron is soooooo excited to attend!

Stamp set: I Dig You.  Card stock: Tangerine Tango, Baja Breeze, Pear Pizzazz, Whisper White, and textured Chocolate Chip.  Ink: Tangerine Tango, Baja Breeze, Pear Pizzazz, Chocolate Chip.  Accessories: Pear Pizzazz 1/2" Stitched-Poly Ribbon and 5/16" Jumbo Brad.  Tools: Big Shot, Two Tags Bigz Die, Crimper.

I needed the tag to be a little shorter, so after die-cutting it, I cut it in half and just adhered it together at the right length to fit behind my focal point.

To get the frayed ribbon fibers, start with a length of 1/2" Stitched-Poly Ribbon, and trim along one side:

Then, holding the uncut white edge in one hand, use your other hand to pull out the long fibers from the weaving. It's a good idea to be ready to place the fibers where you want them right away, as they can quickly get messy  :}

Well, I'm off to the party! Have a great weekend!!