New MDS Downloads

Oh my goodness...I know it's been a WEEK since I last posted.  I hate to leave you hanging like that.  Unfortunately, I haven't had access to my computer for the last few days.  I do have stuff to show off here, but I'm not able to get to the photos to upload them to my blog.  Hopefully that will be able to happen in the next day or so!

So for now, take a look at this week's My Digital Studio downloads.  There's even a freebie in there! 

Anchors Away June Kit - Digital Download ($9.95) 

Anchors Away June Wallpaper - Digital Download  (FREE!)

  All About My Dad Photobook Template (8" X 8") ( $14.95)

This Makes Me Happy Pocket Cards - Digital Download ($5.95)

Be sure to visit my store to purchase this week's fun downloads! 

New MDS Downloads

It's that special time of year when you get to start planning your favorite summer event-the family reunion. Okay, maybe it's not your favorite, but it can be this year! The new Family Spotlight Ensemble and Family Spotlight Photobook Templates have arrived just in time to help you send out invitations, create beautiful decorations, and make a lasting impression with keepsakes galore! Check it out today along with our other latest downloads.

Buttons and Banners {Sneak Peek}

Do not be alarmed...Pennant Parade is NOT retiring!  I've been trying to feature retiring sets recently, and didn't want anyone to freak out thinking that this fabulous stamp set was headed out the door.  Thankfully, it's not!  I've had these pennants punched out and sitting on my desk for weeks, just waiting to be made into a card.  I had a general idea, but it was just too boring every time I tried to make a card.  And then along came the clay and button molds...the perfect touch to ramp this card up a little!

Using my Pennant Builder Punch, I popped out three pennants, then adhered them to the card using Stampin' Dimensionals.  A couple of cute little Whisper White Baker's Twine bows complete the banner.  Then, using the Bitty Banners Framelits, I cut out the sentiment.  Those two perfectly dyed buttons are made with the new (and soon to be available) Simply Pressed Clay.  I can't believe how easy it is to dye this clay, and how true the color ends up being.  Without really trying, I was able to perfectly match the clay to Certainly Celery and Bashful Blue.  You will LOVE this new product, which will be available on May 31.  If you'd like to take a peek at the new 2013-2014 Annual Catalog, be sure to contact me so I can get one to you!

Stamps:  Pennant Parade (122740)
Ink:  Whisper White Craft Ink (101731), Marina Mist Classic Ink (126962), Bashful Blue (105221) and Certainly Celery (105230) Classic Stampin' Ink Refill
Paper:  Bashful Blue (105120), Marina Mist (119682), Certainly Celery (105125), Wild Wasabi (108641), and Whisper White (100730) card stock
Accessories:  Big Shot (113439), Square Lattice Embossing Folder (119976), Bitty Banners Framelits (129267), Simply Pressed Clay (130685), Buttons & Blossoms Simply Pressed Clay Molds (131272), Whisper White Baker's Twine (124262), Petite Pennants Builder Punch (122361)

{Retiring} Circle Circus

Ah, Circle Circus.  I'm sad to see this go.  I remember when it first came out...it actually made it's first appearance in the Australia/New Zealand catalog, and I remember being so excited to spot a new set in another country's catalog.  I had to wait a while to know if it would be in our catalog, and was thrilled when I found out it would!

I will confess that this is not a new card...I made it a loooong time ago.  It was the year that Melon Mambo, Crushed Curry, Dusty Durango, Bermuda Bay, and Rich Razzleberry were the In Colors.  Up until that point, I had never purchased an entire set of In Colors...just two individual colors.  That's it.  Ever.  So I was excited to play with all these new colors, which is how this card came about.  Circle Circus may have been new that year as well.  I do seem to have a lot of Circle Circus cards in my stash that feature these colors. 

I love that the largest circle can be layered by stamping multiple times and using different punches.  And I'm sad that this set is retiring...it's one of those sets that is not event-specific, so it can be used for any kind of card.  The scalloped edge on that big circle gives this one a feminine touch, but take that away, and this card becomes more masculine.  Such a great set!  You still have time to get it...just let me know by June 3.

Stepped-Up Card {Sneak Peek}

Do you spy the new product on this card?  If you've been hoping for washi tape from Stampin' Up!, your wish is granted!  I'll confess that I'm a bit of a washi tape newbie, but it's tape...it's not like it's hard to use!  Several strips of tape, a ribbon, and a stamped image...voila!  A simple, easy, and fast card.  I love that you can stamp right on the washi tape!  Easy peasy. 

But then I decided that I wanted to step this card up a bit. I could have done this in a variety of ways...just another layer with a punched out sentiment would have been great.  I decided to add an extra layer, though, as well as a few other touches.  I used my paper-piercing pack to perfectly align the holes around each of the ovals, and decided to use two different color markers directly on the stamp to get a two-toned sentiment.  Just a few simple steps can jazz up any card...and remember that even one of these steps would have added just a bit more to the original card.  Don't feel like you have to go overboard!

Stamps:  Paper Pumpkin Welcome Kit (click here to subscribe for only $19.95/month...you'll even get the "hey there friend" stamp!)
Ink:  Basic Gray ink pad (126981),  Melon Mambo and Daffodil Delight Stampin' Around Markers (119702)
Paper:  Island Indigo (122923) and Naturals White (102316) card stock
Accessories:  Big Shot (113439), Ovals Collection Framelits (129381), Large Oval Punch (119855), Gingham Garden Designer Washi Tape (129314) Occasions Paper-Piercing Pack (129387), Paper-Piercing Tool (126189), and Stampin' Pierce Mat (126199)

More Mosaic Madness

Yikes!  I totally thought I had posted this card on Friday, but clearly I didn't!  I hope this card will make up for my stupidity. :)  I didn't intend for this to be a masculine card, but as soon as I showed it to my husband, that was his first thought.  I think it works well for anyone, and the more I look at this, the more I love it. 

I mentioned it before...Mosaic Madness is my favorite new set from the upcoming 2013-2014 Annual Catalog.  I am trying to resist the pull of the coordinating quatrefoil Designer Series Paper...it's called Quatrefancy and it comes with a printed window sheet.  It's very fun looking and making my no-DSP resolve harder to enforce.

So back to this card...can you see the embossing on the front?  I used my Stamp-a-ma-jig to stamp the images inside the embossed areas.  While it was a tad time consuming, it really wasn't hard.  It's definitely worth trying, because you will be so impressed with yourself after you're done!  Some VersaMark ink and clear embossing powder makes the image pop on the punched pieces.  I added some more texture by simply crumpling up some Soft Suede card stock, then adhering it to the front of the card.

Stamps:  Mosaic Madness (130246), Just Believe (116948)
Ink:  Crumb Cake (126975), Midnight Muse (126860), Soft Suede (126978), and VersaMark (102283)
Paper:  Crumb Cake (120953), Midnight Muse (126843), Soft Suede (115318), and Very Vanilla (101650) card stock
Accessories:  Big Shot (113439), Modern Mosaic Embossing Folder (129984),  Mosaic Punch (131267), Bitty Banners Framelits (129267), Neutrals Designer Buttons (119743), Midnight Muse 3/8" Stitched Satin Ribbon (126847)

{Retiring} Itty Bitty Bits

This itty bitty card makes a great gift card.  The stamps in the Itty Bitty Bits stamp set match perfectly with the punches in the Itty Bitty Shapes Punch Pack.  Simply stamp, punch, and adhere to cardstock when you need a card at the last minute (not that I would know anything about that!)

This adorable little stamp set is only available until June 3, so contact me to place your order before it's too late!


Stamps:  Itty Bitty Bits (117056), Itty Bitty Banners (126255)
Ink:  Melon Mambo (126948), Tangerine Tango (126946), Daffodil Delight (126944), Old Olive (126953), Pacific Point (126951), and Rich Razzleberry (126950) Classic Ink Pads
Paper:  Naturals White (102316), Melon Mambo (115320), Tangerine Tango (111349), Daffodil Delight (119683), Old Olive (100702), Pacific Point (111350), and Rich Razzleberry (115316) card stock
Accessories:  Daffodil Delight Seam Binding Ribbon (125583), Itty Bitty Shapes Punch Pack (118309), Big Shot (113439), Bitty Banners Framelits (129267)

{Sneak Peek} Mosaic Madness

Here's a little sneak peek of some new products from the upcoming 2013-2014 Annual Catalog.  This stamp set is called Mosaic Madness, and I think it's easily my favorite new set.  What I really love about it is the coordinating punch AND embossing folder.  It makes creating a card a breeze, because everything works so well together to make a great looking card. 

Stamps:  Mosaic Madness (130246), Itty Bitty Banners (132022)
Ink:  Whisper White Craft Ink (101780), Island Indigo (126986), Raspberry Ripple (126859) and Crushed Curry (131173) Classic Ink
Paper:  Crushed Curry (131199), Island Indigo (122923), Raspberry Ripple (126842), and Naturals White (102316) card stock
Accessories:  Big Shot (113439), Modern Mosaic Embossing Folder (129984),  Mosaic Punch (131267), Bitty Banners Framelits (129267)

Old and New

This card has a combination of old and new products on it.  Since we'll soon be saying farewell to Riding Hood Red, I decided now was as good as anytime to break out some old Designer Series Paper. I've told myself that I will not be allowed to purchase any new DSP until I use up some of what I have.  I tend to hang onto my favorites and never use them, which is just plain silly.  I can enjoy it a lot more on a project than I can when it's hiding on a shelf!

So the DSP is the old...have you spotted the new?  If you noticed the flower, you're correct!  That lovely embellishment was created using two brand new products that will be in the 2013-2014 Annual Catalog, which comes out on June 1.  The first product is a squishy clay, similar to Crayola Model Magic, which can be dyed using our reinkers.  A word of warning, folks...I've seen multiple people post online to wear gloves when dying the clay.  The directions AND the catalog give the same advice.  But did I heed it?  Of course not.  I don't have gloves in my house, and there was no way I was going to wait to try this out.  Um, yeah, I've had red fingers for three days.  It does wash off, but it's still under my fingernails.  So when you get this fun new product, be sure to don some gloves before you play!

I tried to get a close up of the flower, which is made by pressing the clay into a little mold.  Two molds come together, and there is one with three different sized flowers, and another with three different sized buttons.  It is SO EASY to use, and so fun!  They take about 24 hours to dry, so I let it sit out overnight, and the next day spritzed it with some shimmer mist to give it a little bit of sparkle and shine.  This isn't the greatest picture of it, but you can see some of the sparkles on the flower.

Stamps:  Just Thinking (129940)
Ink:  Riding Hood Red (119701) and Close to Cocoa (retired) Stampin' Write Markers
Paper:  Riding Hood Red (111348), Very Vanilla (101650), and Close to Cocoa card stock
Accessories:  Big Shot (113439), Perfect Polka Dots Embossing Folder (117335), Window Frames Collection Framelits (129021), Pearl Basic Jewels (119247), 5/8" Crochet Trim (118481)

A Card for Grandma

This bright card is for my Grandma, who recently moved into a nursing home.  Since I live in a different state, I can't be there to visit her as often as I'd like.  But I can send her a card every week.  She loves purple, and has made more quilts in her life than I could even count.  I loved going to her house when she was tying off a quilt.  The frame would take up the entire living room and made a pretty cool fort for a little kid.  She also made a quilt for each of her grandchildren as wedding presents.  My green quilt is one of my treasured possessions.  Quilts and Grandma just kind of go together, so I wanted to add a quilted element.  I'm hoping this will brighten her day and make her happy.

Stamps:  Friendly Phrases (126149)
Ink:  Rich Razzleberry (126950), and Lucky Limeade (126984)
Paper:  Floral District (126919), Summer Smooches (125409), and International Bazaar (126020) Designer Series Papers, Rich Razzleberry (155316), Lucky Limeade (122926), and Naturals White (102316) card stock
Accessories:  Big Shot (113439), Square Lattice Embossing Folder (119976), Decorative Label Punch (120907), Itty Bitty Shapes Punch Pack (118309), Dazzling Details (124117), Rich Razzleberry Ribbon

{Retiring} Friendly Phrases

I swear, me buying a stamp set is pretty much the kiss of death.  I bought Friendly Phrases a couple of months ago, certain that it would stick around for a while.  I agonized over which set to get, too, looking in past catalogs to see how old each one was.  As a demonstrator, I hesitate to purchase anything that is more than a year or two old.  I was SURE this one was here to stay for a while.  I should have known better.  But it's such a great set, and I know I'll continue to use it a lot in the future.

This card uses almost exclusively retiring products.  From the Designer Series Papers to the Lucky Limeade card stock and ink, it's pretty much all headed out the door.  So if you see something you like, the time to order is NOW!  Several items from the retiring lists have already sold out, so let me know if you'd like to order any of the great products used in this card!

Stamps:  Friendly Phrases (126149)
Ink:  Lucky Limeade (126984)
Paper:  Floral District (126919)), Lucky Limeade (122926), Daffodil Delight (119683), and Whisper White (100730) card stock
Accessories:  Daffodil Delight Taffeta Ribbon (119254), 1-3/4" Scallop Circle (119854), 1-3/8" Circle (119860) and 1-1/4" Circle (119861) Punches, Brights Designer Buttons (119747), Whisper White Baker's Twine (124262), Paper-Piercing Tool (126189) and Mat (126199)