Cards

Sneak Peek: Work of Art

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012I thought I’d give you a little sneak peek at one of the fabulous new stamp sets from the new 2014-2015 Catalog.  Woo Hoo!  It’s 3 x 3 Thursday so I just whipped up this cute little card for you using the new Work of Art stamp set.  The Stampin’ Up! presenters used this stamp set quite a bit during their presentation at Monday night’s Catalog Premiere.

I used 3 of the eleven stamps on this little card.  I can’t wait to find the time to play some more and use the rest of them!  🙂  There’s some cute images that you’re going to want to check out when you have the chance.

I had to get up early this morning to find out what I could order on my new catalog pre-order!  It was worth it though.  I can’t wait to receive all of my new toys next week.  They’ll definitely keep me busy!

Have a great day!  Take care and Happy Stamping!

So Very Grateful

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017Here’s a card that I knew I had to CASE (copy and share everything) as soon as I saw it online.  There was just something about it that said “make me”!  Ha!

I think part of the draw is that right now Crumb Cake is my go-to color.  I’ve been using it a lot!  I was designing the cards for my masculine card class coming up next week and I had three cards designed using Crumb Cake!  Yikes!  I did cut that back to only two though.  Enough is enough!  Besides, I don’t have enough Crumb Cake ink pads for that many cards!

I really like the use of the Angled Tag Topper Punch on this card and the Natural’s 5/8″ Chevron Ribbon.  Everything just goes together so well on this card.  Of course, the So Very Grateful stamp set is pretty darn cute too.  The sentiment is from Perfect Pennants stamp set.  I actually heat embossed the sentiment on the card with White Craft Ink, White Embossing Powder and my heat tool.  I’m not sure when I last heat embossed.  It’s definitely been awhile!

Well, I have another busy day today getting ready for my event tomorrow evening.  I also have to start thinking about getting ready for next week’s classes.   Never a dull moment!  Have a great day!  Take care and Happy Stamping!

 

 

A Beautiful Card for a Dreary Day

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016We don’t have to say this often here in Colorado but it’s a dreary day.  Usually the sun is shining bright but not today.  Cool and dreary.  Let’s brighten the day up with a beautiful card.

Stippled Blossoms is one of those stamp sets that has been sitting on my shelf FOREVER!  Sad to say, I had never used until I was working on cards for my Flower Card class.  I thought I’d give it a try.  A lot of the samples I looked at for this stamp set had the flower or flowers cut out and I knew that wouldn’t go over well in my classes.  I had to come up with a card that you didn’t need a pair of scissors for.  This was it.  I think it turned out pretty good.  I do love the details you get when you do Two Step Stamping and it’s so easy when the stamps are made that way!  🙂

My Pink Pirouette ink pad was another item that had been gathering dust on my shelf.  Doesn’t it work perfectly with the Strawberry Slush?  This will probably be my Mother’s Day card for both my mom and MIL.  I guess I need to figure out what to get them for a gift now.  Hmmm…….

I hope you have a bright and sunny day!  Take care and Happy Stamping!

Simple Saturday: Petite Petals Notecard

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003Here’s a cute and simple card for Simple Saturday.  This is another card that we’ll be making at the event I’m participating in next Thursday.

One of the simplest parts of this card is that it’s a notecard from the Notecards and Envelopes.  These notecards are such a cute size.  5″ x 3 1/2″.  The splotch on the card is from Gorgeous Grunge, the sentiment from A Dozen Thoughts and the flower is from Petite Petals.  The best part of using the Petite Petals stamp is using the COORDINATING Petite Petals Punch to punch out the flower!  To finish the card off just add a little rhinestone bling from the Rhinestone Basic Jewels.

Slowly but surely I’m getting ready for my event next week.  I have most of the projects cut and now I’m making list of everything I need to remember to bring.  I’m bound to forget something.  Let’s hope it’s not anything too critical!  🙂

Have a great day!  Take care and Happy Stamping!

Love & Sympathy: 3 x 3 Thursay!

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3x3 Love and Sympathy.0414 It’s 3 x 3 Thursday again and today I have a beauty for you!  I’ve always loved this Love & Sympathy stamp set.  This flower just called to me.  This is actually the second one of these sets that I had to get.  I must have loaned the first one out to someone and never got it back.  I couldn’t do without the set so I had to get set number two.  Lucky for me this stamp set isn’t on the retired set.  I’d be rather sad if it was.  This set has some beautiful phrases for sympathy cards.  It’s definitely a set that will stay in my stash even when it does end up on the retired list.

Melon Mambo may be my favorite PINK, but Strawberry Slush, which I used on this little card, comes in a close second.  And of course, everything goes better with Pear Pizzazz!  🙂

These little 3 x 3 cards are fun and easy to make.  It’s funny, but when I make them I always have them open bottom to top instead of right to left.  Not sure why….

Yesterday I received my Project Life products that I got to order early as a demonstrator.  Woo Hoo!.  They’re pretty cute.  I just too a quick glance at them but I plan on digging in and creating with them in the next day or two.  I’ll be sure to share.  I think the hardest part of using this great new product will be deciding on what photos to use.  Do I start with photos on my computer or do I dig into all of those boxes in the basement!  I’m almost thinking of starting with the old pictures in boxes only because they’re already printed out.  Hmmm….

If you haven’t heard about Project Life here’s a quick description from Stampin’ Up!: 

Get ready for a scrapbooking revolution with Project Life! It helps busy people (so basically all of us) document life using photos and journaling in a quick, simple, and fabulous way. We’ve partnered with Becky Higgins, creator of Project Life, to offer a complete line of elite products. 

Becky explains, “It’s called Project LIFE because it’s about YOUR LIFE. Whatever your life is. Whatever your stage of life. Whatever your family circumstances. Whatever your lifestyle. Project Life is designed to help anyone and everyone get their pictures into a book.”  In a nutshell, it’s all about spending more time making memories and less time scrapbooking them.

Project Life is basically “pocket scrapbooking”.  You just slip your photos and embellishments into the pockets of your page.   It looks so fun and easy.  I had to smile when I was just reading about Project Life on the demonstrator website.  It mentioned that one of the selling points is “coordination, coordination, coordination”!  Ha!  You know that’s one of my favorite words!  🙂

Be sure to let me know if you have any questions on Project Life.  I think we’re going to LOVE it!

Have a great day!  Take care and Happy Stamping!

Golden Washi Tape Wednesday

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011It’s Washi Tape Wednesday and today’s card is GOLDEN!  Don’t you love all of the gold (and silver) products in the Occasions Catalog?  This gold Watercolor Wonder Washi Tape is so FUN!  Of course it coordinates perfectly with the Gold Foil Sheets!  COORDINATION!  🙂

I designed this card for an event I’m doing next Thursday.  It could be a pretty large group and I don’t know if any of them have stamped before so I wanted something fairly simple.  I also wanted to use some of the fun products Stampin’ Up! offers.  I thought the washi tape would be especially fun.

Did you notice the strip of washi tape on the inside of the card?  I don’t usually remember to decorate the inside of the card but thought this was a fun addition.  I keep using the word ‘fun’…..I guess in my mind washi tape and fun go together!

The sentiment is from the Perfect Pennants stamp set.  I also added a few pieces of the Gold Sequin Trim.

Have a ‘golden’ day!  Take care and Happy Stamping!

P.S.  Have you taken advantage of the FREE shipping this week?  Don’t miss out!  Place that order today!

Use Your Chalk Marker For More Than Writing!

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019Tip of the day Tuesday!  Is your Chalk Marker good for anything other than writing?  The answer is YES!  You can color with it too!  Check out the flowers on my card.  I colored them with my Chalk Marker.

The flowers are from the Peaceful Petals stamp set in the Occasions Catalog.  I colored the stems and the flower centers with markers.

I used the Beautifully Baroque Embossing Folder on the background and then lightly rubbed Crumb Cake ink over it to highlight the design.  I like doing that to embossed backgrounds….it really brings out the design.

Have you placed your order yet of retiring products?  Some of the items are already sold out.  Don’t miss out on the items you want.  Place that order today!

Have a great day.  Take care and Happy Stamping!

 

Adorable! More Whales from Hello, Sailor!

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022I was absolutely tickled when I finished this card!  It’s TSC!  Too Stinkin’ Cute!  It’s easy enough to post for a Simple Saturday and it’s cute!  I know, I’ve already said that but this card just tickles my fancy!  🙂

I told you about my infatuation with whales the other day so when this card came together I just had to smile!

My adorable whale is from the Hello, Sailor stamp set.  I just stamped him a few times in Coastal Cabana, layered them on Bermuda Bay card stock and added the Bermuda Bay Taffeta Ribbon.  I think the “bubbles” made with Decorative Dots Embossing Folder on the Coastal Cabana card stock just finish the card perfectly don’t you?  TSC!!!!

Have a great day!  Take care and Happy Stamping!

Simple Stems Shaker Card

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021It’s Spring!  It’s going to be a gorgeous day here in Colorado so we need a card that shouts SPRING!  I think this one will do.

This card was a prototype for my Flower Cards Class next week but didn’t make the cut.  I had designed too many cute cards!  Ha!

I knew I wanted to use the Simple Stems stamp set from the Occasions Catalog but wasn’t sure what to do with it.  Then I saw a shaker card like this online and had my idea!

This shaker card is pretty simple.  I first die cut the oval in the Wisteria Wonder card stock with the Oval Framelits and then I ran it through the Big Shot with the Decorative Dots Embossing Folder.  You have to do it in this order or you’ll squish your embossed dots!

To make the shaker part of the card I cut down a 4″ x 6″ cello bag and put some Silver Glass Stampin’ Glitter in it.  You don’t want too much but then I don’t think I put enough in mine.  I closed up my cello bag with tape and then adhered it directly to the back of the embossed Wisteria Wonder card stock.  That’s it!  Easy Shaker card!

Have a wonderful Spring day!  Take care and Happy Stamping!

Hello, Sailor and the Adorable Whale!

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019I am in love with whales.  Not sure why.  I live in land-locked Colorado.  We don’t have many whales here.  I think it started the movie Star Trek IV:  The Voyage Home.  I am a Sci-Fi geek along with the rest of my family.  There are humpback whales in the movie and the combination of whales and Star Trek fueled my love affair for the critters.  Back in 2003 my family took a trip to Hawaii during Spring Break and I got to see whales every day as they migrated north.  I was in heaven!  I wouldn’t let my family go get breakfast until I saw a whale in the morning!

Anyway, once I saw this cute little whale in the Occasions Catalog I knew that I’d be eventually purchasing the Hello, Sailor stamp set.  Once I had the stamp set I was on a mission to make a card using the adorable whale.  I did CASE this card and added my own twist to it.  I loved the idea of using the Simply Scored Borders Plate to make the little waves on the bottom of the card.  Too fun!  I’m going to admit right now that I’ve had this accessory to the Simply Scored since it came out and this is the first time I’ve used it….Yikes!  I will be using it more often now though since it really adds to the card.

I made the little banner pieces with the fun Banner Punch that was in the Sale-a-bration Brochure and the High Tide Designer Series Paper.  Don’t worry if you didn’t get the Banner Punch during Sale-a-bration…..it will be in the new 2014-2015 Catalog!  I die cut the large “ahoy” banner with the Banners Framelits.

I just have to say it….this card is TSC!  Too Stinkin’ Cute!  It has to be….it has a whale on it!  🙂

Have a great day!  Take care and Happy Staming!

 

Washi Tape Wednesday: Label Love Stamp Set

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028It’s time for Washi Tape Wednesday!  This is a card I was working on for my Guy Card Class.  Those are always the toughest to design for.  I do have to admit that this one didn’t make the cut.  It’s a nice card….but I don’t love it.  You know how excited I can get over a card….this isn’t one of them.

I’m not sure what it is.  Maybe the Calypso Coral is to girly or something.  Anyway, it’s a nice card, but not a WOW!

The stamp is from the Label Love stamp set and is punched out with….yes, wait for it…..the COORDINATING Artisan Label Punch.  I then punched another label, cut it in half and layered it behind the stamped image.

I used the Epic Day This and That Designer Washi Tape.  I do love washi tape but it’s not working for me on this card.  The Arrows Embossing Folder I great though.  It’s  pretty fun and you can’t go wrong with the little stamped splatters from Gorgeous Grunge.

This is a first isn’t it?  Me sharing a card that isn’t fantastic?  Just because it doesn’t rock my world doesn’t mean it won’t rock your world or that maybe you might like it.  Let me know what you think…

Have a great day.  Take care and Happy Stamping!

Chalk Talk & Simply Stars Card

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016Happy Tax Day!  (Can you actually use ‘happy’ and ‘tax’ in the same sentence?)  We finally got our taxes to the accountant on Friday.  Nothing like waiting until the last minute!

I know I’ve mentioned it before but Chalk Talk was one of the first stamp sets that caught my eye in the new 2013-2014 catalog.  Of course it helped that it had COORDINATING Framelits!  🙂

I used two of the 2012-2014 In-Colors on this card:  Midnight Muse and Gumball Green.  These are such fun colors.  If you like them, you better purchase them now.  The retired list comes out on Monday, April 21st and both of these colors in ink, card stock and accessories will be on the list along with Primrose Petals, Raspberry Ripple and Summer Starfruit.  Unlike stamp sets that will be available through June 1st, accessories are only available while supplies last.  Don’t miss out!  Order today!

The stars on the card are from the little stamp set Simply Stars and the splotches are from  the Gorgeous Grunge stamp set.  A fun card perfect for birthdays!  Have a great day!  Take care and Happy Stamping!

Burlap & Lace Heart Invitation

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015Hello!  Yes, I’ve been AWOL again haven’t I?  You know if it’s not one thing, it’s another.  What can I say?  I hope you’ll stick with me.

A friend of mine has a son getting married this fall and she wants to send out invitations to the rehearsal dinner that she is in charge of.  She asked me to help her come up with some ideas.  The bride-to-be mentioned to my friend that part of the wedding theme was burlap and lace.  Interesting is what I thought when I first heard that.  Then I got on Pinterest to get some ideas.  You wouldn’t believe how many ideas there are for burlap and lace!  Wow!  Is it popular!

I had a hard time figuring out what to do.  I saw this idea and thought it was pretty cute.  I do like the look of the burlap and lace together, don’t you?  Luckily I happened to have a piece of burlap in my basement so I grabbed it and cut out the heart.  I tried die-cutting the burlap with a heart framelit but that didn’t quite work.  Instead I made a template from the framelit and then just traced it on the burlap.  I used Stampin’ Up!’s beautiful Victoria Crochet Ribbon.  The background is stamped with the new Hardwood stamp and the sentiment is from the Regarding Dahlias stamp set.

This isn’t the sample my friend chose but it sure is cute.  It would make a fun valentine, wedding or anniversary card too.  I’ll show you the sample my friend chose later this week.

Have a great day!  Take care and Happy Stamping!

Perfect Pennant Kaleidoscope Birthday Card

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013Fun and bright!  That’s what this birthday card is!  This Perfect Pennants stamp set was one of the first ones to catch my eye when I took a peek at the Occasions Catalog back in December.  I liked all the sayings in the set and I LOVED the fact that the Banner Framelits coordinated with it.  COORDINATION!  There’s that word again!  🙂  Actually, in this instance, I liked the framelits first and then the stamp set.  I always have such a hard time when I try to make my own banners by snipping the bottom of the card stock.  I can never get it even.  Now I have these wonderful framelits though and I’m a happy camper!

The designs in the Kaleidoscope Designer Paper Pack are so bright and FUN!  They just make you smile!  Add a little banner with a greeting and you have the perfect, easy birthday card.

Have a great day!  Take care and Happy Stamping!

3″ x 3″ Thursday: Label Love Card

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010It’s 3″ x 3″ Thursday and I have another adorable card for you!  🙂

I just love the gingham paper from the Gingham Garden Designer Paper Pack (it IS Melon Mambo!)!!!

The background of the label is from the Label Love stamp set and punched out with the COORDINATING Artisan Label Punch.  The “thank you” is from the Label Something stamp set and punched out with the 7/8″ Scallop Circle Punch.  I just love how Stampin’ Up! creates all of these products that work so well together.  It sure makes my life easier!  🙂

These little 3″ x 3″ cards are perfect to enclose with gifts.  They’re just the right size.  Unfortunately, they’re a little hard to mail….

Have a great day!  Take care and Happy Stamping!