Simple Flower Patch

This simple card uses my new favorite, Flower Patch.  I know it's practically all I use lately, but it's just a fun and pretty set.  And I've always been partial to two-step stamping.

To make this card, I ran a piece of 4" x 5 1/4" Crumb Cake through my Big Shot with the Decorative Dots embossing folder, then sponged the edge with Crumb Cake ink.  I tied a piece of Old Olive Baker's Twine around it, then adhered it to the front of my card.  I stamped the flower using Crisp Cantaloupe, then Calypso Coral, and finally Cajun Craze.  The leaves were stamped using Pear Pizzazz and Old Olive.  I cut everything out using the Flower Fair Framelits, then adhered then with Stampin' Dimensionals.  I made a little "thank you" banner using the Itty Bitty Banners stamp set and the Bitty Banners Framelits.

That's it!  So simple, but pretty darn cute!

Supplies
Stamps:  Flower Patch, Itty Bitty Banners
Ink:  Crisp Cantaloupe, Calypso Coral, Cajun Craze, Pear Pizzazz, and Old Olive
Paper:  Crumb Cake and Whisper White
Accessories:  Big Shot, Decorative Dot embossing folder, Flower Fair Framelits, Bitty Banners Framelits, Old Olive Baker's Twine, Stampin' Dimensionals

Stampin' Up! Hardwood Thank You Card

Well, I'm a little late in posting this week, but it was because I didn't have any time to stamp this weekend!  And this card is for the person responsible for that.  My friend Cathy organized a mini-retreat for homeschool moms this weekend, and it was WONDERFUL!  Homeschooling is really hard sometimes (and I know it's not for everyone).  It's totally worth it, because I know it's best for my family.  But it's still easy to get burnt out, especially at this time of year when you just. want. to. be. done.  Actually, I'd bet money that every single teacher out there feels that way right about now...especially the ones who have been doing standardized testing over the past few weeks!

Anyway, I had a wonderfully relaxing weekend, even though it didn't involve stamping. 

Supplies

Stamps:  Itty Bitty Banners, Hardwood
Ink:  Soft Suede and Crumb Cake 
Paper:  Crumb Cake, Naturals White, and Cherry Cobbler card stock
Accessories:  Big Shot, Hearts Collection Framelits, Bitty Banners Framelits, Cherry Cobbler Seam Binding Ribbon, retired ribbon...for a similar look, try the 7/16" Trim instead!

Stenciled Hearts Valentine Flip Card

It's not technically mid-January yet, but here I am with the first of many Valentine's cards to come!  I've been having fun this week playing with reds and pinks and hearts galore, so I wanted to share at least one of my creations.  Unfortunately, I'm having trouble getting as good quality pictures as I'd like, and parts of this card just aren't as visible in the picture on my screen as I wish they were.  If you look carefully, the left hand side of the card features a strip of tiny little embossed hearts. 

Tips & Tricks

• What's my favorite part of this card?  The fact that I didn't use a single Valentine's Day set on it at all!  I don't actually have any current ones, so it was time to get creative.  I used several different products and techniques to get the holiday look I was going for.  So don't distress if you don't have stamps for a specific occasion.  Odds are that with a little creativity, you can come up with whatever look you need!

• The hearts on the right hand side of the card were stenciled on, using a sponge dauber and Crumb Cake ink.  I punched out the shapes using the littlest die from the Hearts Collection Framelits and the small heart punch.  You can easily make a stencil using scrap card stock and any punch or Framelits you have.  

Supplies

Stamps:  Oh Hello, Itty Bitty Banners
Ink:  Crumb Cake and Cherry Cobbler Classic Ink and Whisper White Craft Ink
Paper:  Naturals White, Crumb Cake, and Cherry Cobbler card stock
Accessories:  Big Shot, Circle Card Thinlit Die, Hearts Collection Framelits, Adorning Accents Embossing Folders, Bitty Banners Framelits, Small Heart Punch, 2 1/2" Circle Punch, Sponge Dauber

Gorgeous Grunge Washi Tape Birthday Card

I made this card as a birthday card, but it kind of makes me think of New Year's Eve with the "confetti" background and the party hat.  Although there are never celebrations of that level at my house on New Year's Eve.  We have a long-standing tradition (this will be 19 years!) of getting together with college friends and just hanging out together.  I'm usually fighting sleep from about 10:00 on and have all I can do to stay awake to watch the ball drop.  I'm pretty pathetic. 

Tips & Tricks

• Washi Tape is an easy way to add a fun element to a card.  Simply tear off a piece and stick it to your card front.  I let it run off one edge here, and just folded it around to the back.  You could always trim the excess, but in my opinion, that's just an extra step that's not necessary.

• Since there are some see-through parts on the designs of the Gingham Garden Designer Washi Tape, I suggest adhering the tape, masking it off, and then stamping.  Otherwise, you'll see your background through the tape.  I've use lighter colors here, so that step wouldn't be necessary, however, darker colors would really show through the tape.

Supplies

Stamps:  Gorgeous Grunge, Pennant Parade, Itty Bitty Banners
Ink:  Melon Mambo and Daffodil Delight
Paper:  Island Indigo, Whisper White, and Melon Mambo card stock
Accessories:  Big Shot, Bitty Banners Framelits, Pennant Builder Punch, Scallop Circle Punch, Gingham Garden Designer Washi Tape, Island Indigo Baker's Twine, Paper Piercing Tool and Mat

So how about you?  What New Year's Eve traditions do you have?  Do you prefer big parties, or mellow get-togethers?

Blown Ink Butterflies {Papillion Potpourri}

As you can see, I had lots of fun with the blown ink technique and butterflies.  While a similar color combination to the one I used last week, this one includes Pool Party, and completely changes the look.  To make the butterflies, I embossed them with white embossing powder first, then did the blown ink, using So Saffron and Pool Party.  Because the drops of ink are going directly to the paper, it's best to go up a shade, rather than using the same exact color as your papers.

Stamps:  Mosaic Madness, Teeny Tiny Wishes, Papillion Potpourri
Ink:  So Saffron and Pool Party refills, Bermuda Bay and Crushed Curry (to dye the twine) Classic Ink Pad
Paper:  Crushed Curry, Pool Party, Bermuda Bay, and Naturals White card stock
Accessories:  Elegant Butterfly and Bitty Butterfly punches, Big Shot, Square Lattice embossing folder, Bitty Banners Framelits, Whisper White Baker's Twine, Stampin' Dimensionals

{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)

Birthday Basket

I thought I'd show you a little basket that I made for one of my hostesses.  I missed her birthday and didn't send a card, so she got this instead.  This cute little basket is made with the Mini Milk Carton Bigz Die.  Rather than cutting out one and assembling it as normal, I cut two, then after a bit of trimming, put them together to make this little six-sided basket.  I crimped a few strips of paper to stuff in, then added a little gift and a card.

I seem to be obsessed with tiny square cards lately, and really, with the size of this basket, I didn't have a choice...I had to use a tiny card!  A few squares of bright card stock layered together make this simple and adorable.

And one final look at the basket...since it was for a birthday, I used the little present stamp from the Every Little Bit stamp set.  That's one set that is great for any number of occasions, and yet I don't use it nearly enough. 

Stamps:  Every Little Bit (117096), Itty Bitty Banners (126255)
Ink:  Wild Wasabi (126959), Daffodil Delight (126944), Melon Mambo (126948) Classic Ink, Jet Black Staz-On Ink (101406)
Paper:  Whisper White (100730), Wild Wasabi (108641), Daffodil Delight (119683), Melon Mambo (115320), and Naturals White (102316) card stock
Accessories:  Mini Milk Carton Bigz Die (117310), Big Shot (113439), Aquapainters (103954), Rhinestone Basic Jewels (119246), Melon Mambo ribbon (retired), Chevron Embossing Folder (127749), Bitty Banners Framelits (129267)

Pretty Pinwheels

Remember how I said I had gone through the annual catalog looking for color combinations?  I'm working my way through my list, and this card just happens to use one of the combinations I found in the catalog.  The bright colors are perfect for a dark and gray Monday morning, too! 

Those pinwheels...how cute are they?  If you haven't tried the new Pinwheel Sizzlet in the Spring Catalog, you need to!  At only $4.95, you can't beat the price for this cute, cute tool.  The trick to a perfect pinwheel is to soften the fibers of the card stock with a bone folder before assembling.  It makes it much easier to work with.

This probably isn't a card that will do well in the mail without a special padded envelope, but it's good incentive to give a card to someone very close.  In fact, I think this one is going to my husband.  I won't even need an envelope, I'll just sneak it into the bag he takes to work. 

Stamps:  Itty Bitty Banners (126255)
Ink:   Whisper White craft ink (101731)
Paper:   Island Indigo (122923), Raspberry Ripple (126842), Pumpkin Pie (105117), Daffodil Delight (119683), and Whisper White (100730)
Accessories:  Pinwheel Sizzlet (129411), 3/16" Neutrals Brads (119736), Lucky Limeade 3/8" Ruffled Ribbon (122977), Cloudy Day Embossing Folder (127022), Big Shot (113439), Banners Framelits (129267), Whisper White Stampin' Emboss Powder (109132), Heat Tool (129053)

Pennant Parade

I'm on a bit of a Pennant Parade kick this week.  This card is so simple to make, and part of the reason is because there is no cutting by hand involved (yay!)  The coordinating Petite Pennants Builder Punch makes cutting out these pennants a breeze!  I also cut out the happy birthday banner with the Bitty Banners Framelits.  I seriously think this card took all of ten minutes to create.  So easy, and the non-traditional size adds interest.

I love the color combination used here:  Garden Green, More Mustard (one of my all-time favorites!), and Elegant Eggplant.  When in doubt about a color combination, know that if the colors all come from the same collection (this time, the Regals) then generally it's a good bet.  And you can always throw in a neutral or two to add balance.

Stamps:  Pennant Parade (122740), Itty Bitty Banners (126255)
Ink:  Garden Green (126973), More Mustard (126964), and Elegant Eggplant (126969) Classic Ink, Whisper White Craft Ink (101731)
Paper:  Sahara Sand (121043), Whisper White (100730), Garden Green (102584), More Mustard (100946), and Elegant Eggplant (105126) card stock
Accessories:  Very Vanilla 1/8" Taffeta Ribbon (119960), Rhinestones Basic Jewels (119246), Big Shot (113439), Bitty Banners Framelits (129267), Square Lattice Embossing Folder (119976), Petite Pennants Builder Punch (122361)

Papillion Potpourri Double Embossing Technique

Double embossing...it's such a gorgeous technique, and I've wanted to try it for a very long time.  I finally decided to give it a shot, and honestly, it was so easy.  Why did I wait so long?   I can't wait to sit down this weekend and try it with different combinations of embossing folders.

I so wish I could take credit for this card, but I can't.  I CASEd the whole thing from Pat Coombes, a Stampin' Up! demonstrator in the UK.  Click here if you'd like to follow her tutorial on how to double emboss. 

Stamps:  Papillion Potpourri (123757), Itty Bitty Banners (126255)
Ink:  Soft Suede Classic Ink (126978)
Paper:  Soft Suede (115318) and Naturals Ivory (101849) card stock
Accessories:  Big Shot (113439), Fancy Fan Embossing Folder (127751), Designer Frames Embossing Folders (123130), Bitty Banners Framelits (129267), Elegant Butterfly punch (127526), Pearls Basic Jewels (119247)

Jelly Beans in a Jar {Spring Sampler}

I've obviously been playing with my Spring Sampler set. :)  This card uses the jelly bean stamp in the set, and I'm telling you, every single stamp in this set is ADORABLE.  So much cuteness in this set!

While I used a couple of sets of Framelits to cut out some of the elements on this card, there was also some hand cutting involved.  I wanted the jelly beans to have some dimension, so I cut several individual jelly beans out and popped them up with little pieces of Stampin' Dimensionals.  And since the weather has just been gray, gray, gray, I wanted lots of bright colors on this card.  I easily achieved this by coloring each jelly bean a different color using my markers right on the rubber (there are three jelly beans on the stamp.)

Are you a fan of jelly beans?  I am, but I'm super-picky.  I do NOT like the spice ones.   A couple of years ago I found some in the bulk section of the grocery store that are naturally colored.  Not only were the soft colors beautiful, they were the best jelly beans I've ever had.  And of course then the store stopped carrying them. :( Obviously, I should just stick with chocolate.


Stamps:  Spring Sampler (125510), Perfectly Preserved (126690), Itty Bitty Banners (126255)
Ink:  Melon Mambo (119702), Tangerine Tango (119702), Daffodil Delight (119677), Wild Wasabi (119700), Tempting Turquoise (119702), and Rich Razzleberry (120970) Stampin' Around Markers
Paper:  Summer Smooches Designer Series Paper (125409), Melon Mambo (115320), Rich Razzleberry (115316), Wild Wasabi (108641), Tempting Turquoise (102067), and Whisper White (100730) card stock
Accessories:  Big Shot (113439), Bitty Banners Framelits (129267), Cannery Collection Framelits (127822), Perfect Polka Dots Embossing Folder (117335), Daffodil Delight 1/8" Taffeta Ribbon (119254), Scallop Edge Border Punch (119882), Rhinestones Basic Jewels (119246)

Love You {Perfectly Preserved}

Happy February!  What better way to kick off the month than with hearts on a card?  This simple card makes use of one of my very favorite sets, Perfectly Preserved.  I love that jar.  LOVE it.  And the coordinating Framelits make it easy as pie to cut out.  Mmmmm, pie.  I love that too.  Anyway, I punched out a bunch of Cherry Cobbler and Pink Pirouette hearts to fill up the jar.  It's hard to see in the picture, but the Cherry Cobbler card stock has been embossed with the Square Lattice embossing folder and my Big Shot. 

Speaking of not being able to see things...I apologize for the less-than-ideal picture.  I've been experimenting with a new light box, and it's not making me happy. I'm hoping to iron out all the photography kinks this weekend and have some great photos by Monday. :)  

So, back to the card...a couple of banners, courtesy of the Bitty Banners Framelits, add interest to the sentiment.  I think I'll give this card to my husband, especially since he's stopping to get ice cream on his way home tonight.  If there's one thing I love more than pie and that jar, it's ice cream.  Oh wait, I actually love my husband more than all of them. :)


Stamps:  Perfectly Preserved (126690), Itty Bitty Banners (126225)
Ink:  Early Espresso (126974) Classic Ink and Whisper White (101731) Craft Ink
Paper:  Naturals White (102316), Cherry Cobbler (119685), Pink Pirouette (111351), and Early Espresso (119686) card stock
Accessories:  Cherry Cobbler Baker's Twine (123125), Small Heart Punch (117193), Cannery Collection Framelits (127822), Bitty Banners Framelits (129267), White Stampin' Emboss Powder (109132), Heat Tool (129053), Square Lattice Embossing Folder (119976), Big Shot (113439)

Happy Sale-a-Bration Day!

It's here!  Sale-a-Bration starts TODAY!!!!  In the Stampin' Up! world, this is the happiest time of the year, because who doesn't love FREE stuff?!?!  For every $50 you spend from the Stampin' Up! catalogs, you can choose one item from the SAB brochure! 

And what better card to show today than one that uses some free SAB stamps? This one features the Madison Avenue stamp set.  This is a great set, as it lends a fun look to a card and the simple images make it easy to whip up a cute card quickly.  Some white embossing on Tangerine Tango card stock helps to make the flower pop. 

If you'd like to get this stamp set for FREE, call or email me to place an order.  Or, as always, you can order straight from my online store.

Stamps:  Madison Avenue, Itty Bitty Banners

Ink:  Whisper White Craft Ink, Lucky Limeade Classic Ink

Paper:  Daffodil Delight, Lucky Limeade, and Whisper White card stock, Summer Smooches DSP

Accessories:  Fancy Fan embossing folder, Lucky Limeade 3/8" Ruffled Ribbon, White Stampin' Emboss Powder, Heat Tool, Brights Designer Buttons, White Baker's Twine, Bitty Banners Framelits, Big Shot, 1 1/4" Scallop Circle Punch

More Button Buddies

This card is sort of a cross between summer and fall.  I love mums, which is what this flower reminds me of, but the bright sunny colors are more summer-like.  And a cross between summer and fall is exactly what it's been like around here lately.  It's been cloudy, but hot.  School has started, so it feels like fall, yet the extreme humidity tells me that it's still summer. 

This was a quick card to pull together, using DSP from both the Polka Dot Parade and Floral District collections.  The Pumpkin Pie and Daffodil Delight work so well together, and the white embossing powder on the happy birthday tag pops off of the yellow.  For some reason, the seam binding ribbon is a little more see-through in the picture than in real life, but ruffling up the ribbon would certainly take care of that.  It's fun to look at finished cards and think about ways to change up one of two elements...it will often result in a completely different look.  You can make simple changes to the same basic layout and end up with a completely different card.  Try it sometime!

Stamps:  Button Buddies, Itty Bitty Banners

Ink:  Pumpkin Pie Classic Ink, VersaMark

Paper:  Naturals White card stock, Floral District and Polka Dot Parade DSP

Accessories:  Daffodil Delight seam binding ribbon, Pumpkin Pie 1/4" grosgrain ribbon (retired...1/8" taffeta ribbon or even a strip of cardstock make great substitutions!), Scallop Circle punch, Brights Buttons, White Baker's Twine, Bitty Banners Framelits, Big Shot, heat tool, White embossing powder

Button Buddies

Please excuse the horrible photography!  I was in a rush and thought it would be better to post something rather than wait for a good picture.  It's hard getting back into the routine of school, and we aren't even doing every subject yet!  But this year is all about making my 5th grader far more independent, so hopefully my days won't seem quite as busy once she's doing more of her work on her own.  At least I hope that's the case.  I'm probably fooling myself.

Anyway, this is a little 4"x4" card that uses the set Button Buddies.  I've had my eye on this set since it came out last year, and while I always thought it was cute, I just couldn't seem to bring myself to buy it.  But I finally caved in, and I'm having lots of fun playing with this set.  You can expect to see lots of cards featuring this set.  It's very cute, and I like how our buttons coordinate with each image.

This one is probably my least favorite of them all, but I thought it would look great with the Summer Smooches DSP.  Well, that and the fact that I only have Brights Buttons in my drawer right now, and I wanted the paper and buttons to coordinate! :)  The buttons add a little extra to the card, and often that's all it takes to take the card from nice to wow.

Stamps:  Button Buddies, Itty Bitty Banners

Ink:  Island Indigo and Lucky Limeade Classic ink

Paper:  Island Indigo, Daffodil Delight, Lucky Limeade, and Whisper White card stock, Summer Smooches DSP

Accessories:  Chevron embossing folder, Labels Collection Framelits, Bitty Banners Framelits, Brights Buttons, Linen Thread, sponge

Corny

Q:  What did the corn say when he was complimented? 
A:  Aw, shucks!

It's a corny corn joke, get it? :)  I know, it's hard to control the eye rolling at this point, isn't it?  But I just had to do it.  I mean, if I'm going to show you a corn card, how could I not include a corny joke?  OK, enough already!

I think I could make cards all day long only using the Orchard Harvest DSP and Perfectly Preserved.  I {heart} this combination of products!  I especially love the Indian corn on the DSP, so I used my markers to color the individual kernels of corn on the stamp.  I stamped the husk on Lucky Limeade card stock and clear embossed it.  It pops out a little bit more, and I love the look.  The Indian corn makes me think of my Grandma, who grew it once and gave me a little arrangement of three cobs.  Whenever I pull them out in the fall, I think of her.  :)

Stamps:  Perfectly Preserved, Itty Bitty Banners

Ink:  More Mustard and Cajun Craze Stampin' Write Markers, VersaMark

Paper:  Lucky Limeade, Cajun Craze, and Very Vanilla card stock, Orchard Harvest DSP

Accessories:  Lucky Limeade 3/8" Ruffled Ribbon, More Mustard 1/4" Grosgrain Ribbon (retired), Linen Thread, button (this one is retired, but Neutrals or Regals Designer Buttons would work, too!), Bitty Banners Framelits, Big Shot, Clear Embossing Powder, Heat Tool

July Club Cards (Part 1)

This was the card I was originally planning to make at club this month.  I loved the colors, the rock and roll technique on the flower, and the piece of Floral District DSP.  I even loved that little bit of ribbon with the button at the top.  But something just didn't feel right.  I saw this fun fold card, and was stumped for days trying to come up with a good design to use with it.  I hated every single one I made.  And then I decided to combine this card with the fun fold, and this is what I ended up with:

 I was so happy with how it turned out!  Same bright colors, same fun flower, same everything (except that cute button!), just rearranged.  The diamond part of the card opens up, so you can write your message inside of it.  It's so cute, and so easy to make!

Stamps:  Betsy's Blossoms, Teeny Tiny Wishes

Ink:  Tangerine Tango, Daffodil Delight, and Gumball Green Classic Ink, Whisper White Classic Ink

Paper:  Tangerine Tango, Daffodil Delight, Gumball Green, and Whisper White card stock, Floral District DSP

Accessories:  Daffodil Delight 1/4" stitched grosgrain ribbon, Bitty Banners Framelits, Perfect Polka Dots Embossing Folder

Pool Party Banners

Never in a million years would I have thought to put these colors together, but thanks to this paper that came in the International Bazaar DSP, I did. :)  This is a super-simple card using Pool Party, Tangerine Tango, Island Indigo, and Naturals White.  I also embossed across the back of the card, but unfortunately that's not showing up in this picture.  I used the Alhambra jumbo wheel across the top part of the card, behind where the orange circle is.  I heat embossed it with white embossing powder, and it's very subtle (so subtle you can't see it here!)

Stamps:  Itty Bitty Banners, Alhambra Jumbo Wheel

Ink:  Whisper White Craft Ink

Paper:  Pool Party, Naturals White, Tangerine Tango, and Island Indigo card stock, International Bazaar DSP

Accessories:  White Embossing Powder, Heat Tool, Bitty Banners Framelits, Square Lattice Embossing Folder, Big Shot, 1/4" White Grosgrain ribbon