from YUCK to WOW - the evolution of a card sketch

Today has been very productive - yay! Got some laundry done and my grocery shopping finished. (One thing that frustrates me with our new location - having to go to 2 grocery stores to get the things we need, and even then, doing without several things I was used to getting in a larger community.) Then, I had some crafting time with my sister-in-law - double yay!! She worked on birthday party decorations for my sweet little niece, and I worked on cards. 
To get me going, I started with the Mojo Monday sketch 289. Right away I knew it was going to be a challenge for me... it's kind of a "busy" sketch. I'm going to share the first card I made from the sketch, just so you know that I don't love everything I make. In fact, when I finished, I said "this might be one of the ugliest cards I ever made!" My sis-in-law is so sweet and tried to say nice things like, "well, it's bright... maybe it's just the paper." Ummm, yeah... 

The idea I had in my head did not translate well into card stock and paper.   :(   As a joke, my sis-in-law is sooooo getting this in the mail on some random day! I think the message inside will say something along the lines of "I made this just for you to show you how much I care..."

One thing I think turned out well was using two colors for the brad trios. I'll have to remember that for later.

I wasn't going to let this sketch beat me, and I had another triangle of Summer Smooches DSP left, so I started over and made a pretty awesome card, that I am quite pleased with!   :}

Love, love, LOVE, LOVE this color combo- Lucky Limeade, Whisper White, and Rich Razzleberry. It's so striking together! I eliminated the square from the sketch and let the bow from the Lucky Limeade Baker's Twine stand in for the small flower... aaaahh - much better. 

I used one of the Single Stamps for the focal point - the Basic Label stamp fits perfectly in one of the Apothecary Accents Framelits. Then, using the Stamp-a-ma-Jig, I stamped my sentiment (Forever with You) to the left of center, leaving room for the tiny DSP strip and flower to overlap. 
Isn't that flower pretty??? I made it by punching out 7 scallop circles from Rich Razzleberry card stock, which are held together with a brad (can you believe there are 9 brads on this card???). Starting with the top layer, I spritzed some water, and scrunched it up around the brad. I repeated the process, working my way down through the layers one at a time.
Looking at the finished card, I think it's one of the prettiest cards I ever made. So have you ever experienced a YUCK card - something that turned out completely different from your idea? Were you able to fix it? I'd love to hear your story!  :)

clean and simple - part 1

Sometimes life just gets crazy busy, doesn't it??? You want to create, but you just don't have time to get all the supplies out... or the energy to put them away! That's when it's time for a card with a simple design, that's quick and easy to create. 

I was blog surfing the other day, and visited one of my favorites - Clean & Simple Stamping. Most of their sketches can be turned into a card in only a few minutes, without trashing your craft space! This is my version of their simple card sketch #234.
When I want quick and easy cards, I start with the Notecards. They are pre-cut and scored, so that saves time. Plus they are a smaller size, so you can finish quickly. 
After adding a layer of Floral District DSP, I stamped my greeting in Island Indigo. From the Button Buddies stamp set, I stamped the flower image in Rich Razzleberry ink, punched it out, and attached it with Dimesionals.  **Note: images that coordinate with punches save time.   :}
Using a Circle punch, I made a "leaf" to slip behind the flower. And a simple Button adds the finishing touch. Now all I have to do is write my message and address the envelope (which came with the Notecards, and saves me the time of searching for one!).

THANKS! I love free stuff!

I love freebies... especially stampin' freebies. And Sale-A-Bration has the "bestest" free stuff ever!! I used some of these free goodies to create this card... 

This card came together in only a few minutes (it helped that the Summer Starfruit layer was already die cut - Apothecary Accents Framelits - and waiting in my scrap drawer). The Color Spritzer Tool made a quick, subtle background on the Rich Razzlebery layer. 

If you aren't familiar with how Sale-A-Bration works, you get to choose a free item for every $50 you spend on Stampin' Up! merchandise. Yay!! So which items from the Sale-A-Bration brochure did I use? 
 - Madison Avenue stamp set (for the stamped flower)
 - Vintage Verses stamp set (I used the Stamp-a-ma-jig to align my stamp before stamping) 
 - Sycamore Street DSP 
 - Sycamore Street Ribbon & Button Pack 

There are some really awesome free choices - including an Embossing Folder and a Punch!! - so be sure to get your favorites before Sale-A-Bration ends on March 22nd.

green and purple

And so the crayon gifts continue... 

Green Day

A big "thank you" to my Mom for creating this darling froggie to hold the green crayons! Isn't he adorable???  :} 

Purple Day 

And a big "thank you" to the Beautiful Butterflies Bigz Die for making this gift super cute and super easy to create!

stamping with friends

We all know how fun it is to spend time stamping with our friends. I'm not sure which is more therapeutic - the stamping or the conversation. It's been a while, but the last time my friend Dawn and I got a chance to stamp together, she inspired me to make this card: 

The focal point and the ribbon have tons of detail, so I wanted to keep the rest of the card pretty simple. I love using the Simply Scored to create fun and interesting backgrounds, that don't overpower my project.

The ribbon took care of the vertical "lines," so I used the Diagonal Plate and scored every half-inch for this background. I scored the inside of the card so that the diagonal lines would be raised (rather than dented in) on the card-front.

And here's a look at the card my talented friend Dawn created: 

She scored her card on the front, creating a more subtle texture, which is a perfect compliment to these subtle colors.
I hope you can find time this week to stamp with one of your good friends. It's usually difficult to find the time for fun with friends, but it's always well worth it!

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!

big and bright

Even though it doesn't feel like summer outside (not even close!), it sure does in my stamp room  :}  I am having the best time playing with my Summer Smooches goodies!!
Today's project uses a super fun card sketch from Connie & Mary:

It's a great sketch, so I had a ton of ideas. As I was clearing a spot to create my masterpiece (I am such a messy stamper), I came upon an envelope left over from a My Digital Studio 5x7 card project that I had printed from the SU print service. I would never waste a perfectly good envelope, so I decided to create a 5x7 card. I LOVE how it turned out!
To the Daffodil Delight card base, I added two patterns from the Summer Smooches DSP. To hide the seam, I added a strip of Island Indigo Ruffled Ribbon.
After die cutting an oval with my Big Shot, I used the Bright Blossoms stamp set to stamp my focal point. I wanted a very simple "mat" around the oval, so I adhered more Island Indigo Ruffled Ribbon to the back of the oval.
**Technique Tip** I find it a little tricky to use a marker to color tiny little leaves and stems, so I inked the whole image using a Lucky Limeade stamp pad. Then I used a Blender Pen like an "eraser" to remove the ink from the flower-dots. It's much easier to use the markers on just the dots  :}
I used Circle punches to create the flowers and leaves. Then I added Basic Rhinestones (one of each size) to my flowers for a fun little touch.
**Bonus Technique Tip** Here's a short video to show you how I rounded the corners on the bottom layer of DSP-

Thanks so much for dropping by today... I think I'll go clean up from this project and start another one  :}

happy birthday to me

Is it just me, or did birthdays cease to be so exciting after turning 21?  ;)  Oh, well... another year older and a new driver's license picture - yuck. I was so sad to have to get a new picture. My just-expired license had a great photo; this license photo is just icky. Grrrr! Alrighty, enough grumbling   :}

This morning I opened these cards from my two boys. I LOVE that they like to make cards, too! A big thanks to my Mom who helped them make these cards.

And how convenient that Ben's card gives me a transition to my next bit of info  ;P 

The sentiment on Ben's card is from the Sincere Salutations stamp set, which is one of the many stamp sets retiring at the end of May. You can view all of the retiring stamp sets right from my website.

So, wondering what I spent some of my birthday money on??? I just had to get the Petite Purse Bigz L Die!! It's a new die that will be in the upcoming catalog in June. But you can order it in April as part of the "sneak peek" Summer Smooches promotion!

So adorable!! You can slip a few small chocolates or candies inside for a fun, girlie little gift  :}  Or, some lipbalm, buttons and brads, cash... I'll accept it all! On this one, I used a mini Glue Dot to add a Rich Razzleberry button to the flap. I made a little "purse tag" using the Tiny Tags stamp set, the Jewelry Tag punch, and some white Baker's Twine.

Thanks for stopping by today! Have a wonderful weekend  :}

using some "mojo" for class

Good morning :}
I'm getting excited to see my stamping friends at my Technique Tuesday class tonight! One of our cards will be using the Mojo Monday 226 sketch:

This 4-1/4" square card features the Sale-A-Bration stamp set Sprinkled Expressions. So cute! And I love the bright happy colors: Daffodil Delight, Rich Razzleberry, and Tempting Turquoise.


Remember Xander's birthday card? Well, after I wrapped his present, I snapped a picture really quick before we left for the party. (I couldn't resist - it looked so cute!)

This is a great way to use your stash of retired DSP and ribbon!! I think you could wrap up an old shoe like this, and all anyone would remember would be your pretty present and coordinating, handmade card. (Don't worry, we didn't give Xander an old shoe... the Legos were a big hit.)

Well, I'd better get to cutting the kits for tonight... happy stamping, friends!

Rich Razzleberry

Today's color is Rich Razzleberry, which is in the Brights collection. The "Getting Started Combination" on the card uses Rich Razzleberry, Pretty in Pink, & Early Espresso. (Note: the retired DSP called Razzleberry Lemonade can be ordered online through my website. Look for it in the clearance section!) I used the "Creative Combination" for the bookmark; the colors are Rich Razzleberry, Old Olive, & Pumpkin Pie. That owl is so stinkin' cute! Both projects use stamps from the Punch Bunch stamp set, one of the great Sale-a-Bration items!!

Halloween Workshops

Well, Friday night I finished my last Halloween workshop. I have had so much fun sharing spooky decorating and project ideas . The card and bookmark were the make-and-take projects guests were able to make. The base of the card is Cajun Craze. We used the "Midnight Raven" a la carte stamp from the Holiday Mini Catalog for the focal point. Then we used the Color Spritzer Tool to spritz Rich Razzleberry ink over the raven. We cut the bookmark from Rich Razzleberry Textured card stock using one of the tags from the "Two Tags" Bigz Die. The Scallop Circle is punched in Old olive, and the 1" circle & 1 3/8" circle punches make a quick and easy focal point with Dracula from the Batty for You set. The Bitty Bat is punched from Basic Black card stock, and for giggles, we punched two tiny holes for a bite mark :)

To quote my little Dracula... Fangs for the memories!

Now it's time to get the Christmas make-and-takes ready!!