Little Christmas Tree - Stampin' Up! Perfectly Plaid - Fab Friday 175

  Wow!  Fab Friday has reached challenge number 175!  I'm a bit proud to say that I've been on the design team since challenge number 1.  I hope we are continuing to inspire you with your stamping projects and stretching those creative muscles every other week.  I know that I am still having fun and can't wait to see what the next milestone will be!

  This time we have a sketch to try.  I had fun with this one!  It's a nice layout for putting together some smaller elements to create a focal point on a card.

 

  I had a lot of products I wanted to try to incorporate onto this card and I think I was pretty successful.  We just won't talk about all the card parts that are laying unused on my stamp desk!

 

  I started with a Coastal Cabana card base and then a layer of Whisper White embossed with the Winter Knit embossing folder.  Next is a subtle pattern in Coastal Cabana from the Let it Snow DSP.

  The tree is from the Perfectly Plaid stamp set and is embossed with white onto Pear Pizzazz cardstock.  It's punched out with the Pine Tree punch and then adhered to a Mercury Glass acetate circle.  It looks a bit like a snow globe doesn't it?  The Mercury Glass acetate is really cool and gives a great vintage vibe to a card.  Use it little bit as an accent or use a large piece to add that WOW factor.

  The sentiment from the same set is stamped in Pear Pizzazz and punched with the Tailored Tag punch.

  And for the final touch; some rhinestones colored with Stampin' Blends to decorate the sentiment and the tree top.  There isn't a Coastal Cabana Stampin' Blends so I used Bermuda Bay which is great match. 

  I hope you'll find some stamping inspiration in this challenge as well as in the other samples from the Fab Friday Design Team.  Please play along!  We'd love to see your card in the gallery.

  Thanks for looking!  Did you stamp today?

Stamps: Perfectly Plaid

Ink: Versamark, Pear Pizzazz

Blends: Bermuda Bay dark

Paper: Coastal Cabana, Pear Pizzazz, Whisper White, Mercury Glass acetate, Let it Snow DSP

Accessories: Winter Knit embossing folder, white embossing powder, Layering Circles dies, rhinestones, dimensionals

Purple Christmas - Stampin' Up! So Many Stars

  I've put together a few of my favorite things for today's card.  Stars and purple.  I've long had thing for stars and purple is a favorite color.  I even have a whole Christmas tree decorated in only star ornaments.  Stars and Christmas are always a safe bet in my book.  Add in purple and it's a home run!

    I loosely used the current sketch at CAS(E) This Sketch challenge and probably have more stars than absolutely necessary but I had fun with it!  And I had to set the sentiment over to the side so as not to cover up most of the largest star (and my coloring!).

  The card base is Smoky Slate with a line of stars stamp diagonally in Smoky Slate ink.  I used Purple Posy and Highland Heather as my purples and cut a few stars in those colors, did a bit of silver embossing as well as cut a few stars with the new Mercury Glass Designer Acetate.

  The large center star is colored with Purple Posy Stampin' Blends and I added a small rhinestone to the center before popping it up with dimensionals.

  The sentiment is stamped in black with a light layer of Highland Heather stamped off mini stars in the background and cut out with the Stitched Shapes dies.

  I found some little star sequins left from a long retired kit and added a few to the card as well.

  Thanks for looking!  Did you stamp today?

Stamps: So Many Stars

Ink: Smoky Slate, Highland Heather, black

Blends: Purple Posy light and dark

Paper: Smoky Slate, Whisper White, Highland Heather, Purple Posy, Mercury Glass Acetate

Accessories: Stitched Stars dies, silver embossing powder, Stitched Shapes dies, dimensionals, star sequins (retired)

Fall Colors - Stampin' Up! Gather Together

I've seen a few maple trees here and there that are changing color but overall it's still very green in our area.  My card today uses some of those lovely fall colors I hope to see soon.

  When I was looking at my stamp sets I noticed that the daisy from my long neglected Daisy Delight stamp set and the maple leaf from Gather Together were very much the same style and would work well together on a card.

  The stampers over at Stampin' Up! Only Challenges have a "coloring" challenge going on right now so I thought it would be a good mix with these stamp sets to put my Stampin' Blends to work.

  I stamped 4 daisies and colored them in with various Stampin' Blends and then layered them for a more full flower.  The leaf is also colored with Blends. 

  The colored elements are all layered on the edge of a piece of Come to Gather DSP which is adhered to an Early Espresso card base.

  The birthday sentiment is a combo of a stamp from the Well Said set and a die cut from the coordinating Well Written die set.   I added a long retired candy dot in Cajun Craze to anchor the birthday strip.

  Thanks for looking!  Did you stamp today?

Stamps: Daisy Delight, Gather Together, Well Said

Ink: Memento Black, Early Espresso

Blends: Pumpkin Pie, Cajun Craze, Bronze, Daffodil Delight, Mango Melody

Paper: Early Espresso, Cajun Craze, Whisper White, Come to Gather DSP

Accessories: daisy punch, Gathered Leaves dies, Well Written dies, dimensionals, candy dot (retired)

Snowman Love - Stampin' Up! Snowman Season

  I'm starting to get rolling on my Christmas cards and the Snowman Season stamp set continues to offer a lot of inspiration.

  I used the current (for a few more hours) Freshly Made Sketches challenge for the layout.  It's not quite as tight as the sketch but I was definitely inspired by it.  I was set on having these snowflakes so I had to stretch the cluster of the sketch a bit.

  The card base is Whisper White thick, then a layer of Let it Snow Specialty DSP backed by a layer of Basic Black.

  The snow man and hat are stamped in Memento Black and then I added a little bit of color with Stampin' Blends.

  The snowflakes are cut with the the Seasonal Layers dies.  This set has been around for a while and might be overlooked for newer products but it has a wonderful mix of dies for all seasons.  The snowflakes are especially pretty and work well with other winter themed stamp sets.  I used the retired white flocked paper that I still had quite a bit leftover.  I think it sold out so fast I didn't get to use it in class.   Might want to bring that one back Stampin' Up!!

  The sentiment is stamped and embossed on Shaded Spruce with the Shimmer White embossing powder.  My pup Aggie snuffled it right before I took the photo so the smudge on the sentiment banner is from that.  I guess it's some extra love for whomever receives this card!

  I'm off to get my to do list checked off so I can stamp some more!  Have a great Monday!

  Thanks for looking!  Did you stamp today?

Stamps: Snowman Season

Ink: Memento Black, Versamark

Blends: Pool Party light, Petal Pink light, Pumpkin Pie dark, Basic Black light & dark, Real Red dark, Shaded Spruce dark

Paper: Whisper White thick, Whisper White, Basic Black, Let it Snow DSP, Shaded Spruce, white flocked paper (retired)

Accessories: Shimmer white embossing powder, Seasonal Layers dies, dimensionals

Hooray for Love - Stampin' Up! Sip Sip Hooray

 Happy Friday!  I hope you have lots of fun plans for the weekend!  I have some plans for stamping of course but also lots of time to relax and enjoy some nice fall weather.

  We were invited to an upcoming wedding and unfortunately it conflicts with another event so we aren't able to attend but I wanted to get a card made so we can send it to the happy couple after the big event.  I don't have to make very many wedding cards these days so it's fun to play around with some new stamps to see what I can come up with.

  I originally purchased the Sip Sip Hooray set as more of a Happy New Year set but it very much works for weddings and engagements as well.

  While this design is very much a clean card it's not exactly simple.  I'm actually surprised I pulled it off in one take not having to redo any of the elements.  I used a now closed Cas(e) This Sketch challenge and the current Global Design Project challenge is for a wedding or anniversary theme so I can definitely enter that one.

  This one starts with a Basic Black card base then a layer of the long retired Brushed Silver cardstock which I miss greatly and have been hoarding for years with the hope of Stampin' Up! bringing it back.  Next is a layer of Whisper White die cut with the Stitched Rectangles dies.

  I embossed 5 champagne flutes in silver, stamped some champagne in So Saffron and then added some of the new Shimmery Crystal Effects to each glass.  While the Crystal Effects was still wet I sprinkled a little bit of the Ice Stampin' Glitter over it for a bit more sparkle.  It did take a while for the CE to dry as I put it on pretty thick so just be careful that it's really dry before handling it too much.

  For the sentiment I cut out 3 layers for each element with the Well Written dies and used my fine tip glue pen to adhere them to make for a thicker more sturdy die cut.  After the glasses were dry I added the sentiment and finished off the 'bride' with a rhinetsone.

  I'm pretty happy with how this card turned out to be honest.  Sometimes what I envision doesn't come out at all.  This one is spot on to my vision!

  Thanks for looking!  Did you stamp today?

Stamps: Sip Sip Hooray

Ink: Versamark, So Saffron

Paper: Basic Black, Whisper White, Brushed Silver (retired)

Accessories: Well Written dies, Stitched Rectangle dies, dimensionals, silver embossing powder, Shimmery Crystal Effects, Ice Stampin' Glitter, rhinestone

Sweet Snow Baby - Stampin' Up! Snowman Season

  The weather was cool and crisp this morning so I took Aggie for a walk around the neighborhood and she did the whole thing without dragging.  I think she's definitely a cool weather exercise kind of pup.  The least bit of heat or humidity she takes 10 steps and seems like she'll pass out. We need to build up her stamina!

  While snow is a long way away for us here in Central Virginia I'm sharing this sweet little Christmas card today.

  I layered up some Shaded Spruce and Real Red to start the card off.  Then I embossed another layer of Shaded Spruce with the Winter Knit embossing folder.  It's a fun texture perfect for these winter themed cards.  It kind of makes me want to bust out my sweaters!

  Next I added a strip of Let it Snow specialty DSP pulling in my 2 main colors.  Next I stamped the cutest little snow baby in Smoky Slate onto Whisper White and punched with my tag punch.  I lightly colored in the little guy/girl with my Sampin' Blends. 

  I added some Snowfall Accents puff paint as well as some sequins to highlight the snow falling then I used a strand of Real Red curly ribbon to tie off the tag.  I popped it up with dimensionals. 

  The sentiment from Itty Bitty Christmas is stamped in Shaded Spruce and I added a rhinestone and a real red rhinestone.

  Thanks for looking!  Did you stamp today?

Stamps: Snowman Season, Itty Bitty Christmas

Ink: Smoky Slate, Shaded Spruce

Blends: Pool Party light, Pumpkin Pie light, Flirty Flamingo light, Shaded Spruce dark

Paper: Shaded Spruce, Real Red, Whisper White, Let it Snow DSP

Accessories: tag punch, Snowfall Accents puff paint, Winter Knit embossing folder, sequins (retired), Real Red curly ribbon, red rhinestones, Stitched Shapes dies, dimensionals

Pumpkin Cluster - Stampin' Up! Gather Together

  What a difference a week makes!  It was just 90 degrees and so dry and today it is rainy and 60.  It would be nice for a bit of in between to ease into the fall weather.  But we do need the rain so I can get behind that and besides it's a great reason to stay inside and stamp today!

  Just another fall card to share today using the Gather Together stamp set.  I think it was for a color challenge a week or two back but of course I didn't get to it in time.  I pulled some pieces from my card parts pile to put this one together.

  This color combination is a nice take for a fall card but I'm not sure I pulled it off.  I do really like the wood background paper from the Come to Gather DSP. 

  Thanks for looking!  Did you stamp today?

Stamps: Gather Together

Ink: Pretty Peacock, Crumb Cake, Versamark

Paper: Terracotta Tile, Grapefruit Grove, Mint Macaron, Pretty Peacock, watercolor paper, Come to Gather DSP

Accessories: Gathered Leaves dies, linen twine, dimensionals, copper embossing powder, Seasonal Layers

Perfect Pumpkin - Stampin' Up! Gather Together

Did you pick out the perfect pumpkin this weekend?  Just right to carve that scary face on or just right for those front porch fall decorations?  I think this little pumpkin is just the cutest for a card!

  Sometimes with smaller images it can be hard to design a card where they don't get lost if you're just trying to use it on its own.  I like to build up some layers behind the smaller images so they stand out a bit as well as not to have too much else going on in the background.

 
This card has a Pretty Peacock card base and the front panel is a piece of the Come to Gather DSP in a nice checked pattern.

  I used a bit of burlap trim across the card front and then built up my layers from there.  A Very Vanilla Everyday Label is a nice base for my perfect little pumpkin colored in with Pumpkin Pie and Old Olive Stampin' Blends.  I cut a few little slivers of Old Olive and Pear Pizzazz cardstock for some vines then curled them a bit and adhered them behind the pumpkin which is popped on dimensionals. 

  After finishing with the above things the card still looked a bit bare so I tied a bit of lace trim on a long ago retired vintage trinket safety pin and attached that through the burlap.  Done!  I left off a sentiment on the inside and outside so I could add it later depending on the occasions.  Might end up being a Thanksgiving card!

  Thanks for looking! Did you stamp today?

Stamps: Come to Gather

Ink: Memento Black

Blends: Pumpkin Pie light and dark, Old Olive light and dark

Paper: Pretty Peacock, Very Vanilla, Whisper White, Come to Gather DSP, Old Olive, Pear Pizzazz

Accessories: Burlap ribbon, Everyday Label punch, Gathered Leaves dies, dimensionals, scalloped lace trim, vintage trinket safety pin (retired)

Bold Sweet Baby - Stampin' Up! Dino Days

Happy Friday stampers!  Are you all geared up for the weekend?  Do you have pumpkin picking in your plans?  Or maybe some football tailgating?  Raking leaves?  Well whatever you have on your agenda don't forget to add in some stamping time so you can play along with us at Fab Friday with this fun color challenge!

  Now this color combo is a bit of a blast from the past isn't it?  Pumpkin Pie and Melon Mambo have been staples in the Stampin' Up! color collection for many years and I have to admit that I probably haven't used either one in a quite a while so I had to think a bit when starting out my card.  I don't have many fall sets that this combo would work with so I went to my "cards that I need to make" list for a starting point.  I needed a baby girl card so I went with that theme.  Next roadblock is that I really don't have any current baby sets so I pulled one of the only stamp sets that could work with the colors and the theme; Dino Days.

 It's not always pastels and bunnies when it comes to babies so I like to do something different and more bold when I can.  Babies like bold and bright patterns after all!

  I started with the geometric background after being inspired by this card that I came across on Pinterest which originally came from Instagram.  I just used my 2 main colors but kept the cool alternating triangles.  It took a bit to get the sizing right and I still had to trim a bit off one side (I guess I'm not a good measurer? Or more likely my math is suspect!).  I used some scrap copy paper to get generally the right size so I would suggest that as a good starting point.

  Once I had my background pieces cut to size I embossed them with the Subtle embossing folder.  I built the rest of my card up from that with pops of Basic Black and a bit of sparkle with the new (in the Annual catalog) Shimmer Black embossing powder.  I used it on the dino spikes as well as the little sentiment.

  A bit more sparkle on the dino spots comes from Wink of Stella and doesn't show well in the photo.  I finished off this sweet but bold baby card with a little black baker's twine bow and some Melon Mambo retired enamel shapes.

  I hope you're inspired with these colors and will play along with the team at Fab Friday! 

 Thanks for looking!  Did you stamp today?

Stamps: Dino Days, Itty Bitty Greetings

Ink: Melon Mambo, Pumpkin Pie, Versamark

Paper: Whisper White thick, Whisper White, Basic Black, Melon Mambo, Pumpkin Pie

Accessories: Subtle embossing folder, Layered Oval dies, Dino dies, Shimmer Black embossing powder, dimensionals, black bakers twine, enamel shapes (retired)

 

Rawr-Some Boss - Stampin' Up! Dino Days

   I did get some cards made over the weekend for World Card Making Day and finally got the photos taken.  I took a break (for a minute) to make a non-seasonal card.  I was scrolling through my list of challenge sites that I follow and came across the Festive Friday challenge which was to make a card for Boss' Day on October 16.  I didn't use all the elements they required to participate so I'm not linking my card there but it was a good inspiration to make a thank you/I think you're awesome card.

  I haven't had a boss in a long time as I've been doing the stay at home mom thing and running my "jobby" on the side so I don't really need to make a boss' day card but the inspiration was there and I wanted to mix some fall-ish DSP with a non-seasonal stamp set.

  Nothing fancy happening here just having some fun with the colors pulled straight from the Come to Gather DSP.  These dinosaurs make me smile every time!

  For those of you with fantastic bosses get to work on a card to let them know!

  Thanks for looking!  Did you stamp today?

Stamps: Dino Days

Ink: Pretty Peacock, Merry Merlot, Mint Macaron

Paper: Mint Macaron, Merry Merlot, Come to Gather DSP, Whisper White

Accessories: Layering Ovals dies, Dino dies, Hammered Metal embossing folder, dimensionals

Cup of Cheer - Stampin' Up! Cup of Christmas

  My day got away from me yesterday and by the time I had a moment to take photos of the cards I made of the weekend it was already too dark for pictures.  Today is super gray and drizzly but hopefully it's bright enough to snap some photos because today's card is the last one I have in my stash.

  It's another Cup of Christmas card which is actually being used as a Christmas card!  Wonders never cease huh?

  I was just playing around with a fun color combo pulled directly from the Let it Snow Specialty DSP.  It's cheerful, modern take on the tradition red/green combo. 

  The card base is Shaded Spruce as are the little sprigs coming out of the mug.  The striped patterned paper seemed like a good counterpoint to polka dots of the mug. 

The polka dots are jazzed up with some of the Snowfall Accents Puff Paint.  I also added a little tag to the mug handle as well as some red rhinestones to the sprigs.  It's all popped up with dimensionals onto a Stitched Shape Coastal Cabana square.

  Thanks for looking!  Did you stamp today?

Stamps: Cup of Christmas

Ink: Shaded Spruce, Real Red

Paper: Shaded Spruce, Coastal Cabana, Let It Snow Specialty DSP, Whisper White

Accessories: Cup of Cheer dies, Stitched Shapes dies, Real Red rhinestones, Snowfall Accents Puff Paint, dimensionals

 

Cup of Friendship - Stampin' Up! Cup of Christmas

  Did everyone have some time to stamp on Saturday to celebrate World Card Making Day?  I was able to stamp a few cards but I failed to get photos taken so I'm pulling out a card a made a few weeks ago to share today.  Again, I'm using the Cup of Christmas stamp set for a non-Christmas card.

 
  We all have a few friends that we like to meet for coffee to have catch up chat and I wanted to make a cheerful hello card to recognize those friends.

  The colors and layout are from some long past challenges but I like the bright colors and it was fun to do the mirror image of the mugs with the same stamp.  That's such a cool feature of this stamp set that you should definitely check out. 

  I highlighted some of the bricks in the Brick & Mortar embossing folder with a blender pen and Granny Apple Green ink.  Everything else is pretty basic with some white baker's twine, retired enamel dots and dimensionals.

  Thanks for looking!  Did you stamp today?

Stamps: Cup of Christmas, Well Said

Ink: Pineapple Punch, Poppy Parade, Granny Apple Green, Soft Suede

Paper: Granny Apple Green, Whisper White, Soft Suede

Accessories: Cup of Cheer dies, Brick & Mortar embossing folder, dimensionals, white baker's twine, enamel dots (retired)

Simple Snowman - Stampin' Up! Snowman Season

  It's hard to think in terms of snow and snowmen when the weather is still so hot and humid but I've got to get rolling on Christmas cards or I won't have enough when the time comes.  I designed today's card for the simple reason that the snowman is adorable and I wanted to show my stampers the Snowfall Accents Puff Paint at my last class.

  Sometimes a new product comes out and it's just so cool that you want to use it on every card whether it's appropriate or not.  I think the Snowfall Accents Puff Paint is that to me the last few weeks!  It's so cool to watch when you heat it with the heat gun it just dries up and then poof! you've got a puffy bit of snow on your card!

 

 You can see the Whisper White strips behind the snowman panel have both been edged with the Snowfall Accents.  First I tore the edge off of both pieces so that it wouldn't be such a straight line. and look more like mounds of snow. 

                 Here are some Snowfall Accents Puff Paint tips:

• Make sure to shake the bottle before applying (I did one strip at a time and shook the bottle each time. With the lid ON!).  It does make a difference!
• It comes out very liquidy so be aware to not squeeze the bottle too hard.  You might want to test it out on a piece of scrap paper first.  You can always add more but once you have a big puddle there's not much you can do.
• Don't hold your heat gun too close or in the same spot for a long time.  It takes longer for the Snowfall Accents to "cure" than embossing powder but you need to move the heat gun back and forth over a small section and not just aim in the same spot.  If you get too close or hold the heat in the same spot it can burn your paper.
• The Snowfall Accents can make your ink bleed if you apply it directly to a stamped image.  Test it out first to see. 

  Another thing to note on this card is the fun fiber trim behind the snowman.  It's Real Red Curly Ribbon.  And let me tell you it's not really ribbon at all but kind of like a soft yarn and works really well on these winter cards.

  Thanks for looking! Did you stamp today?

Stamps: Snowman Season

Ink: Coastal Cabana, Smoky Slate

Markers: Real Red, Coastal Cabana, Flirty Flamingo, Shaded Spruce, Pumpkin Pie

Paper: Coastal Cabana, Whisper White, Shaded Spruce

Accessories: Stitched Rectangles dies, Snowfall Accents Puff Paint, dimensionals, Real Red Curly Ribbon

Cup of Get Well - Stampin' Up! Cup of Christmas

Don't be fooled by some stamp sets that appear to be just for one season or holiday.  Stretch your creative wings and try to use them in a different way.  Changing up a color combination or pairing it with another stamp set could really expand the use of some stamp sets.

As it still feels like full on summer here I wasn't quite ready to use the Cup of Christmas as a Christmas set last week at my September class so I switched it up to an autumn card.

  I find that it's a good idea to have a few get well soon or feel better cards already made so when I know of someone who is sick I can get the card in the mail right away.  I used some fall colors and the Come to Gather DSP to turn this Christmas set into a fall get well card.

  The base is Very Vanilla thick, then a layer of Crumb Cake embossed with the Subtle embossing folder.

  The sentiment from Itty Bitty Greetings is stamped in Early Espresso and then punched with the short side of the Everyday label punch.  The mug is also stamped in Early Espresso and the Merry Merlot and Cajun Craze markers are used to color in the leaf design.

  A few die cut sprigs in Merry Merlot and Cajun Craze are tucked behind the mug.  A bit of lace trim and an adhesive pearl finish off the details of this card.

 But wait there's more!  On the inside we have a simple little surprise to go with the get well and mug theme!

 
  Just a strip of matching DSP from the card front creates a little band to tuck a teabag into.  So easy to add a little something thoughtful to your already thoughtful get well card!

  Thanks for looking!  Did you stamp today?

Stamps: Cup of Christmas, Itty Bitty Greetings

Ink: Early Espresso

Markers: Merry Merlot, Cajun Craze

Paper: Very Vanilla thick, Very Vanilla, Crumb Cake, Merry Merlot, Cajun Craze, Come to Gather DSP

Accessories: Cup of Cheer dies, Subtle embossing folder, Everyday Label punch, lace trim, adhesive pearl, dimensionals

Gather the Pumpkins - Stampin' Up! Gather Together

  It's hard to get in the mood for fall and winter cards when the weather is clearly stuck on summer mode.  We had a hot and humid weekend and now school sports games are being rescheduled for later in the month due to the heat.  The weather apps are showing the little cactus icon for the next few days so you don't miss the fact that everything is melting outside.  Welcome to 'fall' in Central Virginia :)  Happy October!

  I have a few fall card designs up my sleeve that I created for my last class so even if the weather isn't cooperating with the season the stamping ideas are!

  Pumpkin picking places are in full swing even if you'll end up with baked pumpkin mush on your front porch in this heat!  I learned soon after moving here that you can't carve your pumpkins much before Halloween or they rot in the heat.  Good times.  For now I'm sticking with paper versions.  One of my stampers pointed out to me all the different colors decorating pumpkins are now coming in so I thought we would go non-traditional colors for this class card.

  The base is Sahara Sand stamped with the large leaf from Gather Together in the same color in.  Next is a flag made with the beautiful Come to Gather DSP.  The Pretty Peacock is such a lovely color.

  The cluster of pumpkins are stamped in Pretty Peacock and colored with Mint Macaron and Pretty Peacock Blends.  Another leaf is tucked behind them with the sentiment stamped in Pretty Peacock and they are all mounted on a punched and sponged circle.

  The Braided Linen Trim is a nice accent on the stem of the largest pumpkin.

  Stay cool and get some stamping done!  I need to restock the freezer with ice pops!

Thanks for looking!  Did you stamp today?

Stamps: Gather Together

Ink: Sahara Sand, Pretty Peacock, Mint Macaron

Blends: Mint Macaron light & dark, Pretty Peacock light

Paper: Sahara Sand, Very Vanilla, Come to Gather DSP

Accessories: Gathered Leaves dies, circle punch/die, dimensionals, Braided Linen trim