Sunflower Stamping!

Bloomin' Beautiful... Part Deux!

So... I'm going out on a limb here: Would I lose street cred if I were to admit I was busy watching the Bachelorette tonight instead of posting?? Yea, sad but true; my friend Linda got me hooked on the show, then she moved away and left me addicted. Cruel, isn't she? Fortunately I already had my cards ready to post.

Bloomin' Beautiful is a set you'll get to color, whether with watercoloring, chalks, markers, or pencils. I decided to start with the bowl of Hydrangeas, and make one blue, one green, and one pink. Only I never got around to the pink one. Oh well. I have so much fun using the watercolor paper - it really makes me feel like an artist! I can't even paint, but I really like the way things turn out on the watercolor paper; even when I'm the one who painted it!

I actually painted the blossoms Almost Amethyst and Bashful Blue, but once mounted on the Almost Amethyst cardstock, they look more purple than they do blue.

Check out the cute bee! I shamelessly admit he's half the reason I got this set!

My green hydrangeas turned out very similar, but with bling instead of ribbon and bee:

 

Hope you like - if so, come back and visit again sometime. Keep stamping!

Pretty Flowers Card for My Friend's Birthday!

Happy Birthday today to my friend Kristina in League City, Texas!! We haven't seen each other in over a year, as I moved away to Georgia in January of 2007. We were friends from work (Exxon - Houston) and neighbors for over 17 years. Well, that's how long I lived in the same neighborhood, but we were friends even before that! I miss her!

So, in honor of her birthday - and knowing that she probably doesn't want to recognize the day - I made her a card that doesn't even say the 'B' word on it anywhere!

And it's so true: Kris IS truly ONE OF A KIND! I miss her and her wonderful family!

As for the card, I must thank Andrea Walford for the flowers and vase idea. I merely changed the color scheme and Designer Paper. I used the Boho Blossoms punch for the flowers and the large oval for the vase. Such a clever idea; why didn't I think of that?! And continuing with my theme of using the colors that are about to retire, I chose Blue Bayou, Wild Wasabi, and Soft Sky, along with Chocolate Chip. I used the One of a Kind set (betcha couldn't guess THAT, could ya??). The inside says, 'for you', so, like I said, no "B" word!

Here's a closeup of the punched flowers:

 

Happy Birthday to my friend, Kris - I hope you enjoy your card!

Mon Ami Cards

Today I decided that I wanted to make a card using 2 more of the retiring colors that I think are a pretty combination: River Rock and Groovy Guava. So, while I was at it, I also decided to kill 2 birds with 1 stone and use a retiring set as well. And it's one that I'm really gonna miss: Carte Postale. On top of all that, I'd just gotten the double-stitched ribbon in River Rock and Groovy Guava - perfect timing! Here's what I came up with:

Aren't the colors pretty? I love the simplicity and classic styling of this set... it really is too bad it's leaving us! Next time I make this card, I'm going to use clear embossing powder on the design at the bottom. I've never used my Jumbo Eyelets on a card before; I always use them for books and bag handles. I do like the look of them on the card. These are Pewter. Oh - and guess what? I got to use my new Crop-a-dile too! LOVE it! I'm a bad mamma jamma now! Bad stampin' mamma jamma, that is.

I also broke out an old standby technique that I hadn't used in awhile: distressing the edge of the cardstock with the distressing tool. I LOVE that tool. I highly recommend getting the little keychain Cutter Kit if you don't already have one.

Here's my second card. I should have taken a better picture, I guess, because this one shows the cardstock and ribbon as different shades, but in reality they match quite nicely. I had stamped the words directly on the card in River Rock, and I thought it looked much better, but since the lines of the script font are so fine, you could barely read what it said, so I tried another color on top of the original. I'm not as fond of it this way, but I still like it. 

Enjoy!

Bloomin' Beautiful!

No, I'm not trying to sound British. That's the name of one of the stamp sets I just got. It's out of the Occasions mini catalog, which, by the way, will be closing on June 30th. That means you only have FIVE more days to order from it!  So here's my first creation using the set -

As usual, I CASE'd my first attempt. I always seem to do that with new sets. I saw this card on the Stampin' Up! Demonstrators' website. Unfortunately, the artist went unnamed! I've never seen a card submission in the gallery without a name, but thank you to the artist!

So when I say, isn't it pretty?!, I'm actually giving the original creator a compliment, not bragging about my own artistry! I would never have thought to stamp on the Berry Bliss Designer Series Paper. Doesn't it look great with the flowers stamped on the pink background? They're just stamped in black Stazon permanent ink, then colored in with Mellow Moss and Pretty in Pink markers - how easy is that?! And they turn out looking so pretty.

The bottom half of the card is where our cards differ. I decided to use the 2 different shades of pink with coordinating ribbon to set off the top half of the card. The word 'bloom' is stamped with Rose Red ink on Pretty in Pink cardstock. That's then layered on Rose Red cardstock. The ribbon is my favorite 5/8" grosgrain in Chocolate Chip and Rose Red, on a Pewter Hodgepodge Hardware buckle.

Cute, huh?! More Bloomin' Beautiful creations on the way!

Keep stamping!

Fun Pop-up Card

Ever made a Pop-up card? If so, maybe not in awhile? Here's a cute one made with some cut outs, some dry embossing, and some paper piercing.

Cute, isn't it? And check out the inside!

 

I got the idea from a pop-up tutorial on the Demonstrators' Stampin' Up! website. They showed a Ballet Blue card with a cutout flower pop-up. Well, it just so happens that Ballet Blue is my FAVORITE Stampin' Up! color! What? Oh yeah, well... Soft Sky is my ALL TIME favorite, but Ballet Blue is my ALL TIME favorite CLASSIC Stampin' Up! color. Seriously. No, really! If it weren't for Soft Sky, it would be my all time PERENNIAL favorite.

So anyway - I used my new stamp sets and, of course, some retiring colors! First, I stamped all my Purely Pomegranate flowers and cut them out. I used 2 stamp sets for the flowers: Live Your Dream, and Stitched Exotics. I cut off 2 of the 3 stitched outlines around the big flower that's on the inside of the card. I thought it looked better that way and matched the one on the front of the card as well. I also stamped one of the tiny flowers in the Live Your Dreams set and punched it out with the Boho Blossoms punch. It's layered on the front of the card. Notice that the punched out part is larger than the stamped image. I think it looks pretty cool like that!

Next, I stamped some So Saffron centers for the flowers using the same 2 stamp sets, and punched them out with circle punches, and punched a plain white small flower from the Boho Blossoms punch. For the large flower center on the front of the card, I stamped the large five-pointed flower from Stitched Exotics in So Saffron, then punched out just the center with a 1/2" round punch. I again used one of the tiny flowers from the Live Your Dream set (current mini catalog) and punched it out with the 1/4" round punch to layer in the center of the smaller flower inside the card.

I took the long flowers from Live Your Dream and stamped them in Wild Wasabi and cut out the stems to use inside the card. Then I was ready to start assembling! We'll be using a half a sheet of Ballet Blue for the card, and a 5-1/4"x4" piece of Wild Wasabi cardstock. I cut a 5"x3-3/4" piece of Whisper White for the top and stamped another set of JUST the flower stems in Wild Wasabi. Make sure you leave yourself enough room for the 'thanks' on the right and the large cutout flower on the left. Stamp the 'Thanks' from the Live Your Dreams set in the upper right corner, leaving at least 3/4" of white space to the right for embossing and paper piercing.

Now, BEFORE attaching your flowers, get out your lightbox and the Punches Plus Classy Brass template. Place the template on the lightbox with the oval cutout situated horizontally. Take your white cardstock with your flower stems and 'Thanks', and place it on the template. Remember to TURN YOUR CARDSTOCK UPSIDE DOWN, before placing it on the template! Using your stylus, trace the oval so that it frames the word 'Thanks'. Remove the template from the lightbox and place it on your foam paper piercing mat. Line up the oval you already embossed and punch every hole or every other hole around the oval.

Inside:

Cut a piece of Ballet Blue 1-1/2"x2-1/2" and fold it in half lengthwise; score. Now take your scissors and make 1/2" cuts into the fold, leaving about 1/2" on each side of the cuts. Open the fold and pop the center cut portion in the opposite direction of the fold so that it stands out like a stairstep. The original fold will fit into the center fold of the inside of the card, and the stairstep will hold your popped-up item, which in our case is a flower.

To assemble, Place adhesive - I used SNAIL - on the flat sides of the piece we just folded. That is, place your adhesive on the part in the photo that's flush against the card on the bottom, under the flower, and on its corresponding part on the top (which will end up behind the flower.) Make sure you do not get adhesive on the stairstep. Press the "pop-up mechanism" into the card, making sure the card can open and close correctly. Once the anchor piece is in place, take a Dimensional and place it on the flat FRONT part of the stairstep. (It would be the riser part if it were a stairstep.) Now just place your flower on the Dimensional, with the bottom of the flower resting on the card bottom (as in the photo to the left) so that it can close fully.

Assemble the front of your card by layering your flower pieces and attaching them to the card front. I used Dimensionals to attach the large flower center, and also to attach the large flower so that it would stand out as the focal point. TA-DA! Whew! You're done - admire your work!

If my instructions are confusing, please email me! I know there's a great pdf tutorial on how to make pop-ups, and I'll find it for you!

Enjoy!

My First Fresh Cuts Cards

Well, I finally made my first Fresh Cuts cards, and I just love them - both the stamp set and the die cut notes!

My first attempt was to CASE a card my upline, Wendy Randall, sent instructions for in her newsletter. I wasn't feeling brave enough to try one of my own creation until I'd gotten a CASE'd version under my belt, and Wendy's card is just beautiful. I love the colors she chose: Old Olive for the leaves, So Saffron for the flower center, and Purely Pomegranate for the large word stamp behind the cut flower.

Here's my own creation:

I decided to take the opposite approach and go with a pattern on the top of the cut out flower, and a solid color in the back. I chose Real Red to keep it bright and cheery, and first stamped the Stitched Background stamp on the front. This is one of the new sets I just got, and I think it's my new favorite!! Doesn't it look cool?! I cut a piece of Real Red cardstock 3-1/2"x3-1/2", and adhered it to the backside of the card front. That way, I could still write a message inside the card.

I used the Boho Blossoms punch to punch the top flower in So Saffron, after using the One of a Kind matching 3-flower stamp to stamp the little flowers in So Saffron ink. Then I punched a Wild Wasabi flower to put behind it as the flower's center, attaching both punched flowers to the card with a So Saffron brad. After stamping 'for you' in Real Red ink, my cute little card is complete! They don't get much easier and cuter than that!

I'm just lovin' these Fresh Cuts die cut notes! If you haven't gotten yours yet, hurry! You still have 7 days to pre-order these notes, then you'll have to wait until the Fall - Winter catalog comes out! Call me NOW to get yours!

Keep stamping!

Still Saying Goodbye to the Retirees...

I've been focusing on using my retiring stamp sets and the current In-Color cardstocks and inks, and I must say, it's getting harder and harder to think about them leaving for good!! I just got a new Level 2 hostess set, Spring Solitude, with my last order, so I just had to use it right away. I decided to quickly recreate the card that's used to showcase the set in the catalog so that I wouldn't take too much time trying to create one on my own. Although I changed a few things to suit my tastes, it's pretty close to the original (on page 22).

Here's my finished product:

I've never been a huge fan of More Mustard, so I used So Saffron instead, and I think it gives it a softer feel. I also used Wild Wasabi cardstock, ink, and ribbon to say another "good-bye" to them, and Purely Pomegranate for the same reason. I didn't have a wheel ink cartridge with Wild Wasabi in it, so I just used the stamp in the set as my background.

I can't tell you how tedious it is to cut out those tiny little pieces! As you can see, mine didn't turn out as good as the ones in the catalog! They were so fragile that I ran them through a Xyron to get adhesive on all the tiny parts, and it worked well. I substituted a So Saffron brad for the button, and I like it much better! Let's see... I think the only thing I've left out is that the bird is another retiree: Blue Bayou. Oh - and the branch is Chocolate Chip.

Enjoy!

Bon Voyage Soft Sky & River Rock! (sniff, sniff)

I've been thinking a lot lately about the 2008 In-Colors retiring. I don't know about you, but it's going to absolutely KILL ME to have to say goodbye to Soft Sky!! I think it's one of the most beautiful colors Stampin' Up! has ever offered! (And I've been around since the "Lucsious Lime" days!!) I especially love the combination of Soft Sky and River Rock, hence today's focus on the 'Simple Delights' Simply Sent card kit. 

Sometimes in our frantic quest for acquiring all our favorite stamp sets, supplies, and accessories in the Stampin' Up! catalog, we overlook the stamping kits in the front. One of these is the Simple Delights kit. I got it when the Spring/Summer catalog first came out because it features my favorite color combination: River Rock and Soft Sky! While the Soft Sky can be used as a nursery-like pastel, when it's paired with River Rock, it suddenly becomes more subtle and elegant and less reminiscent of babies and baby showers!

Likewise, the classic fleur-de-lis and scrolling designs add a touch of distinction to the cards. I even like the classic twill tape they included in the kit! OK, OK - I'll quit gushing. But I really am going to miss this set.

These are the two pre-designed cards in the kit. The close-up below shows what a nice touch the twill tape adds.

I decided to take pictures of the contents of the set to show what's included. So...

What's wrong with this picture?:

Yea: where ARE the stamps?! I laid everything out so nicely and forgot the stamps. Duh. I had taken them out of the box to use awhile back, and I guess they never made it back into the box. I never even missed them until just now.

But in a way, that's a good thing. It shows you how you will continue to use the stamps even after the other supplies in the kit are gone.

I just love, love, LOVE these stamps; both the words and artwork! The stamps are so pretty, you can just order more cardstock, envelopes, and whatever embellishments you'd like, and then continue to use the stamps indefinitely! These kits make great gifts for beginning and experienced stampers alike. They contain all the ingredients needed for the beginner to get started, including step-by-step instructions with diagrams. The experienced stamper will appreciate receiving a "take-along" stamping kit for when they go on vacation and can't take their entire stamp room with them (no matter how much they want to!)

A Simply Elegant Card

I CASED this simple but elegant card, and it's been awhile now, so unfortunately I can't remember whose great idea it was - my apologies! It only uses 2 of the ELEVEN (!) stamps in the "Always" set, which has become one of my favorites. It's always (pardon the pun :)) amazing to me how versatile Stampin' Up! stamp sets are. Sometimes by using just one or two of the stamps in the set, you can create a card with a completely different look and feel from the rest of the set.

I also love the striped grosgrain ribbon used here. As a matter of fact, I love it so much that I just ordered the last few colors that I didn't have, so now I've got them all! That includes Wild Wasabi which - don't forget - will no longer be available when the new catalog comes out August 10th. So if you want the Wild Wasabi striped grosgrain ribbon, you'd better get it while you can!

Stamp set: Always

Cardstock: Bashful Blue, Designer Series Paper Cutie Pie

Ink: Basic Grey Classic, Bashful Blue Classic

Accessories: Bashful Blue Striped Grosgrain Ribbon, Build-a-Brad