Sympathy card

While I enjoy card making, sympathy cards are always difficult for me. Partly because of the sadness that comes with sharing someone's grief, but also because it's hard to keep a somber mood to the card. But thankfully, Stampin' Up!'s new "Thoughts and Prayers" stamp set makes it a little bit easier. I love how versatile the tree and floral images are in this stamp set - I've been using them for birthday and thank you cards as well.


I sponged the edges of the Very Vanilla cardstock (the panel and the strip with the eyelet border punch) to soften it up a bit more. I had almost the entire card finished before I realized I didn't have any More Mustard cardstock to match the More Mustard ink on the flowers. I wanted to add another element in More Mustard to tie it all together, but found that a little bit of So Saffron complimented it just as nicely.


Stamps: Thoughts & Prayers
Cardstock: Ruby Red, Always Artichoke, So Saffron, Very Vanilla
Ink: Ruby Red, Always Artichoke, More Mustard
Accessories: eyelet border punch, photo corner punch, stamp-a-ma-jig, sponges, stampin' dimensionals

Anniversary card

Because Sale-a-Bration doesn't stick around long (only until March 31st), I wanted to take full advantage of the stamp sets. My mom and stepdad don't celebrate their anniversary until May, but I had an idea in my head that I thought would work perfectly with two of the Sale-a-Bration sets. So now, as long as I don't misplace this card, I'll already be prepared to send it in a few months!


Hope you like it - but more importantly, I hope THEY like it! :-)

Stamps: Congrats, Polka Dot Punches
Cardstock: Tempting Turquoise, Riding Hood Red, Whisper White
Ink: Tempting Turquoise, Real Red, Chocolate Chip
Accessories: Bella Rose designer series paper, full heart punch, stampin' dimensionals

Stamping Friends

Fellow Stampin' Up! demonstrator and blogger Sara from across the Atlantic (she's in the UK) was kind enough to recently bestow the Friends Award on me. She is an awesome crafter and very sweet to comment on so many of my creations, so THANK YOU SARA!


As a recipient of the Friends Award, I've been asked to pass it along to five blogging friends. So in the spirit of this special award, I'm choosing the following bloggers to reach out to in friendship. Please visit these ladies' blogs - you'll be in for a wonderful treat!

Jennifer O. - Stamping Nurse
Jana E. - Stamp on This
Kathy W. - Kraftin' with Kathy
Marie M. - From Combat Boots to Rubber Stamps
Traci G. - Inkin' Up the Dog

I hope everyone is having a great day!! :-)

Scallop circle card

I saw one too many adorable circle cards and it pushed me over the edge. I just HAD to try it myself! Ah, the power of stamping peer pressure! ;)


I love how the colors came together, but the card as a whole is still a little "iffy" for me. The rhinestone brad is throwing things off for me, but let me tell you why it's there. I finished the card without the brad and was quite happy. That was, until I went to stand it up for a photo. Because of the wide grosgrain ribbon bow, the card rolled over on it's side! Well, that wasn't going to work for a recipient if they want to display the card. Can't have a lopsided card now, can we? So I added the brad for some weight to offset the bow. I guess it's ok, but it's just not quite the same. Let me know what you think...

Stamps: Darling Dots, A Little Birdie Told Me
Cardstock: textured Pacific Point, Summer Sun, Old Olive, Whisper White
Ink: Pacific Point, Summer Sun, Old Olive, Real Red
Accessories: Big Shot, scallop circle die, Old Olive grosgrain ribbon, 1-1/4" circle punch, 1-3/8" circle punch, Ice rhinestone brads

Lots of Texture

I'm having so much fun playing with the new texturz plates for the Big Shot machine! To add even more dimension to Stampin' Up!'s textured cardstock, I ran it through with a texturz plate and LOVE the result!

(In case you can't tell, it's the Riding Hood Red piece that is textured.) The color combo for this card came from some scraps that ended up on my craft table. I used a Not Quite Navy marker to color just the corner flourish of one of the stamps from the Sale-a-Bration "Yummy" stamp set. Then I stamped it again with Riding Hood Red ink on Very Vanilla cardstock and trimmed it so it has a different look. It felt like it was still missing something so I added a Riding Hood Red button and that seemed to top it off nicely.

Hope you like it!!

Stamps: Yummy
Cardstock: Kraft, Not Quite Nay, textured Riding Hood Red, Very Vanilla
Ink: Not Quite Navy, Riding Hood Red
Accessories: corner rounder, Button Bouquet, Big Shot, Harlequin texturz plate, glue dots, scallop edge punch, stampin' dimensionals

Spring Swap

For a spring-themed card swap with some other local Stampin' Up! demonstrators, I made a card with pastel colors and flowers. This project was great for re-directing my thoughts from the cold winter weather for a little while.

I'm not sure if you can tell in the photo, but on the Barely Banana layer, I used the Harlequin texturz plate with my Big Shot machine. It adds some nice dimension to the project without adding bulk. I can't wait to see what other springtime goodies the other demonstrators created!

Stamps: Garden Greetings, Pocket Silhouettes
Cardstock: Bashful Blue, Barely Banana, Certainly Celery, Very Vanilla
Ink: hful Blue, Barely Banana, Certainly Celery
Accessories: Big Shot, Backgrounds 1 texturz plates, Bashful Blue Taffeta ribbon, small oval punch, stampin' dimensionals

Cracked Glass

Last night, I taught the cracked glass technique to my stamp club. It's a super fun technique with really unique results. It's kind of hard to tell in the photo, but the main image panel has an antiqued look because of all the fine crackles. But, trust me, in real life, that panel looks so cool! And the ladies really enjoyed "cracking" the enamel - it's almost as addicting as popping bubble wrap! :-) This card features two of the Sale-a-Bration products that you can earn for FREE with any $50 purchase from now through March 31st: the Botanical Blooms stamp stamp set and the Delicate Dots designer series paper.


Stamps: Botanical Blooms (sale-a-bration set), Short & Sweet
Cardstock: Certainly Celery, Whisper White, Bashful Blue
Ink: Basic Black, So Saffron, Certainly Celery
Accessories: Delicate Dots designer series paper (sale-a-bration product), scallop edge punch, glassy glaze enamel, heat tool

New accessories!

I've been so busy lately that I haven't really had time to play with some of the fabulous new accessories in the Spring-Summer catalog. I'm in the middle of a crazy-busy week, but had to sneak in a little stampin'-for-myself time. So I pulled out the new corduroy buttons and fleurettes and created a very, very simple card. I tried channeling the awesome Dawn McVey.

It's kind of hard to see in the picture, but there are very soft and subtle embossed polka dots on the Pink Pirouette cardstock. The new Texturz Plates for the Big Shot machine are so much fun! I think you'll be seeing alot more from that accessory!! The embossing adds just a little more zing to your projects without being too bold.

What do you think?! ;-)

Stamps: Dreams du Jour
Cardstock: Kraft, Pink Pirouette, Very Vanilla
Ink: Sahara Sand
Accessories: Big Shot, Backgrounds I Texturz Plates, fleurettes, Kraft corduroy button, stampin' dimensionals

Private Stamp-a-Stack

Here are the cards I designed for a friend's stamp-a-stack this afternoon. She wanted 3 birthday and 2 thank you cards. They liked using the Big Shot machine on this one:


I loved the watercoloring on this one. Isn't he a cute bluebird?!?!

Here's one perfect for kids' birthdays:

And this was a little more subdued and elegant:

Lastly, I copied Mary Fish's awesome color combo on this one:


Hope you like them all!


{{tree thank you}}
Stamps: Thoughts & Prayers, Pocket Silhouettes
Cardstock: Certainly Celery, Very Vanilla
Ink: Close to Cocoa, Certainly Celery
Accessories: Big Shot, Top Note die, stampin' dimensionals

{{bird thank you}}
Stamps: Fun & Fast Notes, Daisy Fields wheel
Cardstock: Pink Passion, Tempting Turquoise, watercolor paper
Ink: Stazon Black, Pink Passion, Tempting Turquoise, Yoyo Yellow, Gable Green
Accessories: silver brad, standard wheel handle, stampin' dimensionals

{{balloon birthday}}
Stamps: Crazy for Cupcakes, Garden Greetings
Cardstock: Kiwi Kiss, Summer Sun, Pacific Point, Naturals Ivory
Ink: Basic Black

{{elegant birthday}}
Stamps: Fifth Avenue Floral, On Your Birthday
Cardstock: Ruby Red, Always Artichoke, Elegant Eggplant, Whisper White
Ink: Elegant Eggplan, Always Artichoke
Accessories: white organza ribbon

{{tangerine birthday}}
Stamps: Upsy Daisy, Sincere Salutations
Cardstock: Whisper White, Tangerine Tango, Basic Gray
Ink: Tangerine Tango
Accessories: scallop edge punch, white gel pen, stampin' dimensionals

Last Valentine of the Season

All my Valentine cards are now officially on their way! The last one to send out was for my godson Seth.

I had seen some cards that used the scallop circle punch to look like a bite mark. So I punched a "bite" into the heart and placed it by the alligator's mouth. Doesn't he look proud of his destruction?!

I wanted to emboss the sentiment but Stampin' Up! doesn't offer their In Colors as craft inks. So I stamped the sentiment into a Versamark pad, then into the Riding Hood Red classic ink pad, and then onto the cardstock. I used some clear embossing powder and ~~voila~~ embossed Riding Hood Red!

I hope Seth likes it!!

Stamps: Wild About You, Holidays & Wishes
Cardstock: Riding Hood Red, Baja Breeze, Kiwi Kiss, Whisper White
Ink: Riding Hood Red, Versamark, Kiwi Kiss
Accessories: Full Heart punch, scallop circle punch, clear embossing powder, stampin' dimesionals

Another Valentine

Sorry I haven't posted in a while. I have been stamping, but not sharing much as I'm working on cards for 2 stamp-a-stack events and a stamp club (all next week) and don't want to spoil the surprise for those customers! But here's one I can share...a Valentine's Day card for my niece and nephew who live in North Carolina (too far away!).

I think this does pretty well being gender neutral - butterflies for my niece but no pink for my nephew! I almost have all my Valentine cards done and mailed - just two more to go!


Stamps: A Happy Heart
Cardstock: Real Red, Taken with Teal, Basic Black, Whisper White
Ink: Basic Black, Real Red, Taken with Teal
Accessories: small tag punch, large tag punch, red gingham ribbon, 1/8" circle punch, stampin' dimensionals

Bella Heart

Have you ever started out with an idea in your head, sat down, and at the end of your creating, came up with something *totally* different? That happened to me last night as I was making a card for a sale-a-bration challenge. I hadn't had a chance to play with many of my new catalog goodies, so I dug out the super-cute Full Heart punch, the oh-so-elegant organza ribbon and paired them up with some fabulous Bella Rose designer series paper. The result was a card that could be used for Valentine's Day, an anniversary, a wedding, or just to remind someone that you love them.

Hope you like it!

Stamps: Polka Dot Punches
Cardstock: Chocolate Chip, Whisper White, Pink Pirouette
Ink: Versamark
Accessories: Bella Rose designer series paper, white embossing powder, heat tool, Full Heart punch, Whisper White organza ribbon, stampin' dimensionals

Julie Buhler's card purse

Have you seen the awesomeness that IS Julie Buhler?! That woman has some major creativity!! I found a stinkin' adorable card purse on her blog and just HAD to give it a try. Let me warn you....this is one of the cutest projects I've seen in a while, so hold onto your seat!

I broke open my first package of Parisian Breeze designer series paper (this stuff is cardstock weight and textured - yum!!) and gave it a whirl...


And this is what the inside looks like:


You can fill this with cards and envelopes (the obvious) but you could also find other little goodies to pack in it!

Thanks Julie for the fabulous project and even more for posting the directions!! YOU ROCK!!


Stamps: Fifth Avenue Floral
Cardstock: textured Baja Breeze, Glossy White, Chocolate Chip
Ink: Versamark, Sahara Sand
Accessories: Parisian Breeze designer series paper, scallop edge punch, brayer, sticky strip, silver brads, stampin' dimensionals

Birthday stamp-a-stack

I had all-birthday stamp-a-stack classes this weekend and wanted to share the cards we made. The first card is one that goes a little outside my comfort zone:
I used some bright colors and wasn't sure if my customers would find it a little "too" bright, but it actually got lots of compliments. I think being the midst of winter leaves people longing for warmer weather, and this card makes me think of something tropical.

The next one was heavily inspired by this fabulous card:

Sometimes I really want to take it back to the basics with a SIP card (stamps, ink, paper). Nothing extravagant on this one:

And my customers really enjoyed using the Big Shot machine with the Sweetest Stem embosslit and Raspberry Tart designer series paper on this one:


In addition to these cards, they also made a masculine card (featured on my blog back in December).

Hope you enjoyed these as much as my customers did!!

{{bright trees}}
Stamps: Trendy Trees, Starring You
Cardstock: Only Orange, Kiwi Kiss, Pink Passion, Whisper White
Ink: Pink Passion, Kiwi Kiss, Chocolate Chip
Accessories: 1-3/8" circle punch, scallop circle punch, 1-3/4" circle punch, Old Olive grosgrain ribbon, ticket corner punch, stampin' dimensionals

{{wish on a star}}
Stamps: Starring You, Heard from the Heart
Cardstock: Close to Cocoa, Baja Breeze, Kiwi Kiss, Whisper White
Ink: Close to Cocoa, Baja Breeze, Kiwi Kiss
Accessories: corner rounder, small star punch, scallop edge punch, stampin' dimensionals

{{SIP}}
Stamps: Fifth Avenue Florals, On Your Birthday
Cardstock: Cameo Coral, Close to Cocoa, Very Vanilla
Ink: Cameo Coral, Sage Shadow, Close to Cocoa
Accessories: none

{{embosslit flower}}
Stamps: Wow Flowers
Cardstock: Old Olive, Rose Red, Whisper White
Ink: Regal Rose, Old Olive
Accessories: Raspberry Tart designer series paper, word window punch, Big Shot, Sweetest Stem embosslit, boho blossom punch, silver brads, stampin' dimensionals