Birthday Lion - Stampin' Up! Bonanza Buddies - Fab Friday 179

  We're rolling into the last weekend before Christmas with a fun Fab Friday sketch challenge!  Forget about making those 17 dozen Christmas cookies and play along with our challenge instead!  Well, even if you can't shirk your Christmas duties play along after Christmas as your reward for making it through the very busy holiday season!  Our challenges run for 2 weeks so there's always time to catch up!

    This is fun sketch to play with because of the "framed" look as well as the large center panel which could be anything!  I enjoyed using some new Mini Catalog products on my project.  Look for these fun new items in the beginning of January!

  Isn't this lion adorable?  It was fun to create a little celebration scene complete with balloons.  The whole Bonanza Buddies set is adorable.

  The background is new DSP called Birthday Bonanza.  It's super cute with a nice mix of designs.  I topped that layer with a Coastal Cabana frame cut with the new Stitched So Sweetly dies that nest just so to create some nice frames.

  Next is the cute lion from Bonanza Buddies.  I stamped him with a combo of Daffodil Delight and Mango Melody and used the coordinating Bonanza dies to cut him out.  The face and the balloon strings were stamped with black ink.

  The balloon was stamped 3 times in different ink; Grapefruit Grove, Bermuda Bay and Terracotta Tile then cut out and popped up with dimensionals. 

  The Terracotta Tile banner sentiment was stamped with black ink and then the ends were flagged.  I popped the lion with dimensionals on the end of the banner. 

  One birthday card for the new year down, 83 more to go!  Just kidding.  I don't actually know how many birthday cards I need but I definitely know I need more than the 3 I have left right now!

  Thanks for looking!  Did you stamp today?

Stamps: Bonanza Buddies

Ink: Daffodil Delight, Mango Melody, Black, Bermuda Bay, Grapefruit Grove, Terracotta Tile

Paper: Whisper White, Coastal Cabana, Birthday Bonanza DSP, Terracotta Tile

Accessories: Stitched So Sweetly dies, Bonanza dies, dimensionals

Cup of Warmth - Stampin' Up! Cup of Cheer

  This year I have really enjoyed the variety of Christmas Designer Series Paper in the Holiday catalog.  I committed heavily to the Wrapped in Plaid DSP and the Let it Snow Specialty paper.  I used it a ton, I used it a ton in classes and I still have some bits and pieces left which will probably be turned into Christmas thank you cards.  The Let it Snow paper is especially suited for use into the new year.  The little mittens and hats on some of the paper is perfect for the snowy cold months ahead of us.

  I used a bit of the mitten paper as a background for a nice cup of hot chocolate or tea or even coffee.  Really you can imagine your hot beverage of choice in the mug.  With a quick change of sentiment it easily turns into a Christmas thank you.

  The card base is Blueberry Bushel, then a layer of Shaded Spruce with the DSP up next.   A Shaded Spruce Stitched Shapes square and a Whisper White square make a nice background for a Real Red mug cut with the Cup of Cheer dies. 

  The sentiment from Itty Bitty Christmas and the snowflake from Colorful Seasons embossed with Shimmer White embossing powder gives a nice bit of sparkle.  The sentiment banner is hand trimmed and popped with dimensionals.

  A little baker's twine bow finishes off this quick and easy card.

  There's still time to make a few Christmas cards and get them mailed out!  I've had mine made for a while now and stamped and addressed them last week but I have been waiting on the photos I ordered of the boys before I could seal them up and send them off!  It will be nice to check this item off my to do list!

  Thanks for looking!  Did you stamp today?

Stamps: Itty Bitty Christmas, Colorful Seasons

Ink: Versamark

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

Accessories: Stitched Shapes dies, Cup of Cheer dies, White Shimmer embossing powder,  dimensionals, baker's twine

Classic Christmas Tree - Stampin' Up! Wrapped in Plaid

  I'm winding down with my Christmas cards and have just a few more to share.  I pulled out some of my new Mini catalog products to start a card to post later this week so check back for new stuff!  And I realized that I've been so focused on Christmas cards that I have only 3 birthday cards left.  Yikes!  Better lock myself in the stamp room for a few days to catch up.  That would be terrible wouldn't it?  :)

  We made this card at my last class.   It's got a very traditional vibe and I love the rich color combination,

 
  My stampers used a different Pretty Peacock DSP from the Woven Threads pack which I think looks even better than this one from the In Color 6x6 pack.

  The base is Very Vanilla thick, then a piece of Crumb Cake stamped with the itty bitty stars from So Many Stars.  It's hard to see but they are stamped in gold ink for a bit of shimmer.  A Merry Merlot band that is embossed with the Subtle embossing folder goes across the middle.

  A Stitched Nested Label die was used to cut the layer to anchor the tree as well as it has a nice spot at the top for one of the Itty Bitty Christmas sentiments. 

  The tree from Wrapped in Plaid is stamped onto watercolor paper.  To get the muted watercolor look you can do several different ways.  1) lightly spritz the watercolor paper with water and then stamp 2) ink up the stamp and spritz the water directly onto the stamp then stamp to paper or 3) ink up the stamp, stamp to paper and then spritz the image.  Each one will get you slightly different results as will using different amounts of water.  If you use too much you end up with an Old Olive blob and not a tree!  Don't be discouraged if you have to try more than one time!

  The tree is punched out with the Pine Tree punch and the trunk is added in Soft Suede.  It's then popped on dimensionals and a gold Glimmer paper star is added to the top. And finally the whole label is adhered to the card front with dimensionals.

  Thanks for looking! Did you stamp today?

Stamps: Wrapped in Plaid, Itty Bitty Christmas

Ink: Pretty Peacock, Old Olive, Soft Suede, Gold

Paper: Very Vanilla thick, Very Vanilla, watercolor paper, Merry Merlot, In Color 6x6 DSP, Gold Shimmer Paper

Accessories: Pine Tree punch, Subtle embossing folder, star punch (retired), Stitched Nested Label dies, dimensionals

Snowman Gift Card Holder - Stampin' Up! Snowman Season

  I had nothing on my calendar today so I was planning to knock out a quick blog post and get on with lots of little things that need doing around the house.  2 hours after sitting down to do it I've finally gotten to writing the blog post!  I had updated the operating system on my Macbook last night as it's been reminding me to do it for some time and then this morning when I went to edit the photos my little photo editing software didn't work anymore with the OS update.  Boo!  So me being the totally not-tech-savy person that I am I proceeded to figure out how to download an updated version of the editing software and how to do the watermark and then how to save it.  It was a process let me tell you!  I'm sure it took way longer than if I had let my husband or 13 year old do it for me but I wanted it NOW darnit!

  Now that I've shared my saga I feel better!  On to the regularly scheduled program; Gift Card Holders!  My last class of the year made 2 of these as one of my 3 projects.  They used different papers from the Let It Snow DSP than my sample and any papers and stamps can be used. 

  This is honestly one of the easiest gift card holders I've ever made.  I searched around and found some measurements and then altered the design to fit the stamp set that I wanted to use; Snowman Season.

  To start you need a 8.5" x 3.25" piece of cardstock.  You can get 3 gift card holders out of one sheet of regular 8.5 x 11 cardstock.  Then score at 2" and 6" and that's it!

  The sizes of the DSP and Whisper White insert are as follows:

Top Flap DSP - 3 x 1.75
Whisper White insert - 3 x 1.75
Inside DSP - 3 x 2.25

  The smaller sizes of DSP are perfect for using up lots of smaller scraps you've been hoarding this whole time!  Use them up!

  I rounded the edges of the top flap, and both the top flap DSP and insert for a more finished look.  Before you created the pocket for the gift card be sure to use a small circle punch to create the little thumb hole.  Once you adhere the outside edges of the flap down with tear tape to create the pocket you can't get the punch in place.

  The front decorated with a diecut oval to mount the snowman on.  I added some of the Sparkling Crystal Effects and Ice Stampin' Glitter to the bottom portion for some sparkle.  The snowman hat has a cluster of red rhinestones and a little baker's twine bow stands in for a scarf.

  To be able to easily reuse the gift card holder I used little velcro dots for the closure. The finished size is 3.25 x 4. 

  Thanks for looking!  Did you stamp today?

Stamps: Snowman Season

Ink: Smoky Slate, Shaded Spruce

Blends: Flirty Flamingo light, Pumpkin Pie light, Pool Party light

Paper: Shaded Spruce, Whisper White, Basic Black, Let It Snow DSP

Accessories: Stitched Shapes dies, snowman punch, Shimmery Crystal Effects, Ice Stampin' Glitter, baker's twine, red rhinestones, dimensionals, small circle punch, corner rounder, velcro dots

Cup of Cocoa - Stampin' Up! Itty Bitty Christmas

  Every year when it starts to get colder I think some hot chocolate will taste so good so I buy a package of the powder mix (yes I know!  But we make it with milk instead of water so it actually is decent!) and then I come home from the grocery store to put it away in the pantry and then I find the half used container from last year. And the one from the year before that. And the mason jar gift of cocoa mix. And the fancy flavored packets the boys got from somewhere.  So I'm on restriction from buying this treat for a while!!

  But I can still make cards with a mug of some hot chocolate!  This card has very little stamping; just the little tag but I think the neutral colors with the pop of the red Glimmer paper makes it pretty eye catching!  Some of the sweet sentiments from Itty Bitty Christmas are just the right size for the tag die in the Cup of Cheer die set.

  Thanks for looking!  Did you stamp today?

Stamps: Itty Bitty Christmas

Ink: Cherry Cobbler

Paper: Smoky Slate, Whisper White, Basic Black, Real Red Glimmer paper

Accessories: Pinewood Planks embossing folder, Oval dies, Cup of Cheer dies, dimensionals, white/silver bakers twine

Cheer x 3 - Stampin' Up! Cup of Christmas - Fab Friday 178

  I didn't get as many cards shared this week as I had planned but I definitely made time to get a sample sorted out for this week's Fab Friday Challenge!  It's a great color combo for those who need a few more ideas to finish up those Christmas cards (yes I'm looking at myself!!).

  Yes, it's 5 colors but really one of them is Whisper White which should be a no brainer to use!  I go through more Whisper White than any other color.

  I used basically the Cup of Cheer dies for this card and it actually came together faster than I thought even with all the bits that had to be glued.  The only bit of actual stamping is the tag and the embossed snowflakes on the Seaside Spray cup.  I grabbed the snowflakes from the Snowman Season set.

  The panel behind the cups is embossed with the Winter Knit embossing folder for some added texture.

  I hope you'll find these colors inspiring for your own stamping and then come share your finished projects with us at Fab Friday!

  Thanks for looking!  Did you stamp today?

Stamps: Cup of Christmas, Snowman Season

Ink: Versamark, Merry Merlot

Paper: Whisper White thick, Whisper White, Mossy Meadow, Pear Pizzazz, Seaside Spray, Merry Merlot

Accessories: Winter Knit embossing folder, Cup of Cheer dies, Shimmer white embossing powder, baker's twine, rhinestone

Peace in Gold - Stampin' Up! Wrapped in Plaid

  Our tree is up and decorated and some inside decorations have been put up and the plan is to do the outside lights and the rest of the inside decorations this weekend.  We'll see how it goes; hopefully the weather will cooperate!

  For now I've got a sweet little Christmas tree card to share.  The sweet trees in Wrapped in Plaid are just perfect paired with Designer Series Paper from both catalogs.

   The card base is Whisper White thick with some little stars from So Many Stars stamped on the edges in Mint Macaron.  The Itty Bitty Christmas sentiment is embossed in gold.

 I liked how the quilt pattern of the Garden Lane DSP (annual catalog) kind of looks like star points and would be a nice back drop to a tree. The DSP square is backed by a layer of Mint Macaron.  I tied a length of gold cord around and tied a little bow.

  The tree is embossed with gold embossing powder and then punched with the Tree Punch.  I thought leaving it white was a nice contrast to the green of the DSP.  I popped the tree with dimensionals and added a gold foil star cut with the Stitched Stars dies.

 Done and done.  I might have to revisit this design to make the last of the cards I need.  We've already received 2 Christmas cards and I feel behind!  I need to get a quick picture of my boys in front of the tree to include with our cards.  So very behind in this house!!

  Thanks for looking!  Did you stamp today?

Stamps: So Many Stars, Itty Bitty Christmas, Wrapped in Plaid

Ink: Mint Macaron, Versamark

Paper: Whisper White thick, Whisper White, Mint Macaron, Garden Lane DSP, Gold foil

Accessories: gold embossing powder, gold cord, dimensionals, Pine Tree punch

Plaid & Gold Christmas - Stampin' Up! Itty Bitty Christmas

  It's been a hot minute since I had time to share a card as I had my last class of the year as well as Thanksgiving last week.  It's time to buckle down and get things checked off the to do list.  I counted up my cards and I think I just need 10-15 more then we can jump into the new spring catalog and Sale-a-Bration!  Woo Hoo!  But for now we need to stay focused on Christmas stamping.

  Today's card is really sweet and simple and uses a few dies and punches for some interest.

  This design can be made in multiples and mixed and matched using the Wrapped in Plaid DSP.  The gold accents tie it all together!

  The card base is Shaded Spruce embossed with Pinewood Planks embossing folder.  A star is cut from the Wrapped in Plaid paper using the Stitched Stars dies.  The sentiment from Itty Bitty Christmas is embossed in gold and punched out with a circle punch. It's layered over a Shaded Spruce Stitched Label die.  The Pine Tree punch is used with some gold foil for the Christmas tree.

  All the shapes are popped up over a length of Shaded Spruce/gold striped ribbon.  See like I said super easy and quick!

  I loosely based my layout on a sample on the front cover of the Holiday catalog (can you see which one?).  I liked the different shapes but wanted a more traditional look with the gold so I swapped out colors.  Definitely use the catalogs for idea; color combinations, layouts, and how to use embellishments can all be tweaked to fit your supplies on hand.

  Thanks for looking!  Did you stamp today?

Stamps: Itty Bitty Christmas

Ink: Versamark

Paper: Shaded Spruce, Whisper White, Wrapped in Plaid DSP, Gold Foil

Accessories: Pinewood Planks e.f., Stitched Stars dies, Stitched Labels dies, Pine Tree punch, gold embossing powder, dimensionals, Shaded Spruce/gold striped ribbon,

Classic Stars - Stampin' Up! So Many Stars - Fab Friday 177

Whew!  We made it through another week!  At my house it was just barely but we made it!  It's definitely time for some stamping relaxation as far as I'm concerned.  Let's see what we've got in store for you from Fab Friday to start off this relaxation session!

  A wide open sketch this time!  When I sat down to create it was almost too much space!  I persevered because that's the kind of stamper I am.  My final result isn't exactly like the sketch but you can see the main elements I think!  Which basically boils down to the 2 narrow panels in the corner.

 

  I had a totally different idea at first that started with the fact that I wanted to use Pretty Peacock for a Christmas card (again!) so I checked Pinterest for some color combos that used Pretty Peacock and saw one that suggested Cherry Cobbler and Old Olive.  Well hello old friends.  Back in the day Cherry Cobbler and Old Olive were the royalty of Christmas card colors.  I think they've taken a backseat to some newer colors lately but I'm happy to say they are just a lovely now paired up with a new color as they were a few years ago.  So my original idea fell through but I loved these colors together so I stuck with it (perseverance right?).

  The base is Pretty Peacock, then a layer of Very Vanilla embossed with the Pinewood Planks embossing folder.  Then I used my handy dandy So Many Stars stamp set and coordinating Stitched Stars dies to stamp and cut a bunch of stars to emboss and layer and pop up.  And I reached into my bag of retired items and used some copper accents to give this card some sparkle.  The embossing and the shimmer paper are both copper and I thought they complimented these colors better than some other metallics I have on hand.  The sequin is from a mixed batched that I think contained Rose Gold so close enough to copper in my book.

  Anyhow, once I got my stars situated I did the 2 banner elements, the larger one with Copper Glimmer paper and the smaller one stamped with a greeting from Itty Bitty Christmas and embossed again with copper.  A little Cherry Cobbler baker's twine bow finishes this one off.

  I hope you'll find inspiration from this sketch as well as the other samples from the Fab Friday team.  I look forward to seeing your creation in the gallery.

  Thanks for looking!  Did you stamp today?

Stamps: So Many Stars, Itty Bitty Christmas

Ink: Versamark

Paper: Pretty Peacock, Old Olive, Cherry Cobbler, Very Vanilla, Copper Glimmer (retired), Come to Gather DSP

Accessories: Pinewood Planks e.f., Stitched Stars dies, adhesive pearl, copper embossing powder (retired), dimensionals, Cherry Cobbler baker's twine(retired), Rose gold sequin (retired)

Christmas Tree Tag - Stampin' Up! Itty Bitty Christmas

Just a quick post to share this super simple Christmas card today.  Just a fun way to use some punches!

 

    The card base is Cherry Cobbler, then a layer of the fabulous Wrapped in Plaid DSP.  I punched a label out of gold foil.  This label punch is retired but any of the current ones or any tag dies would easily work as well.

  After I punched the tag I punched the tree with the Pine Tree punch.  I added a Curly Ribbon (aka yarn) bow to the top.  The sentiment from Itty Bitty Christmas is stamped in Shaded Spruce on Very Vanilla and then punched out with a circle punch and is backed by a larger Cherry Cobbler circle.

  The tag/sentiment circle are all popped on dimensionals.  Easy peasy!  Go cut into that Wrapped in Plaid DSP and add all the fun gold foil elements!

  Thanks for looking!  Did you stamp today?

Stamps: Itty Bitty Christmas

Ink: Shaded Spruce

Paper: Cherry Cobbler, Gold foil, Wrapped in Plaid DSP

Accessories: tag punch (retired), circle punches, Curly ribbon, dimensionals

Dinos Love Snow! - Stampin' Up! Dino Days

 Sometimes you just need to use a non-holiday/Christmas set to make a holiday/Christmas card.  I wanted to make a winter card for a CAS(e) This Sketch Challenge but none of my Christmas sets really jumped out at me.  So I thought a dinosaur in snow would be fun.

  The sketch was fun with just the band across the bottom so the rest was wide open to work with.  The card base is Bermuda Bay embossed with Shimmer White embossing powder with the snowflake stamps from Snowman Season.

  I cut out some snowflakes with the Seasonal Layers dies out of Sparkle Glimmer Paper and added them to the background with a little Granny Apple Green rhinestone in the center of each.  Stampin' Blends are perfect for making coordinating accessories!

  The band across the bottom is Whisper White with a Gorgeous Grape accent cut with the Stitched Labels dies.  The sentiment was colored with a black marker to stamp the words twice so that it could be horizontal on the band.

  The sweet dino is stamped in Gorgeous Grape and his/her spikes are Granny Apple Green; both cut with the coordinating Dino dies.  The dino is popped on dimensionals.

  I had fun putting together this card with lots of different products.  Don't be afraid to mix and match dies and stamps and other supplies to get the card you want to make.  You don't have to use only products from the same suite to create!

  Thanks for looking!  Did you stamp today?

Stamps: Dino Days, Snowman Season

Ink: Versamark, Gorgeous Grape, Granny Apple Green

Marker: Basic Black

Blends: Granny Apple Green - dark

Paper: Bermuda Bay, Whisper White, Gorgeous Grape, Glimmer Paper Sparkle

Accessories: Seasonal Layers dies, Dino dies, Stitched Labels dies, dimensionals, rhinestones, Shimmer white embossing powder

Wrapped in Plaid - Stampin' Up! So Many Stars

  I hope you all had a lovely weekend!  We enjoyed some college football in the cold on Saturday and came away with a big win and Sunday was a pretty lazy day with some stamping and more football watching.  If we ever see the sun I'll get around to taking some photos of the weekend cards but for now I've got a class project to share.

  I combined products from two different suites when I designed this card for my last class.   I love the Wrapped in Plaid DSP and of course the So Many Stars bundle.  The patterns in the Wrapped in Plaid pack are all great so I wanted to design a card that could show off more than one and pull in some gold with the So Many Stars.  My stampers had to choose from all the patterns to put together their card.  It was hard! But so cool to see how everycard was different.

  The card base is Night of Navy and then the DSP panels.  A large gold foil star was die cut and then topped with a gold embossed die cut star.  I had choices for the star color too.  My stampers could choose between Night of Navy, Shaded Spruce and Cherry Cobbler.  So fun to mix and match these lovely rich Christmas colors.

  The star is popped up on dimensionals with a bit of Shaded Spruce/gold striped ribbon on one side. 

  If you have this paper don't let it sit uncut and unused.  Get it on a card so others can see how pretty it is.  And also because you know there will be more beautiful Christmas DSP next year so you don't need to hoard this years!

   Thanks for looking!  Did you stamp today?

Stamps: So Many Stars

Ink: Versamark

Paper: Night of Navy, Wrapped in Plaid DSP, Gold foil

Accessories: gold embossing powder, Stitched Stars dies, dimensionals, Shaded Spruce/gold ribbon

Another Sweet Snow Person - Stampin' Up! Snowman Season

  I'm slowly chipping away at the Christmas card list.  I have to remind myself that Christmas cards don't have to be complicated or have 17 layers for it to be worthy of being mailed out.  And as we get closer to the big day things will just get busier so I don't need to make more work for myself.  I can keep to sweet and simple; sometimes it's easier than others though.

  My card today came together really fast last week after I got a look at a color challenge site that used Old Olive, Lovely Lipstick, and Smoky Slate.  The challenge closed well before I photographed my card but it's still a good one to share and will maybe inspire you to a sweet and simple card that also uses up some of your stash.

  In my personal stamping there is an ongoing struggle between using all current products for samples and possible class projects and also trying to use up retired products.  I want my stampers to see all the possibilities with new products but my frugal side wants the satisfaction of using up that last piece of paper or that last bit of ribbon on a roll.  For my card today I mixed a current stamp set and some dies with the retired Lovely Lipstick foil paper and and some snowflake sequins that I don't know are how old.

  I have a bit more of this Lovely Lipstick foil paper so I might be making a few more of these if it gets down to crunch time and I need more Christmas cards.

  Thanks for looking!  Did you stamp today?

Stamps: Snowman Season, Itty Bitty Christmas

Ink: Smoky Slate

Markers: Lovely Lipstick, Old Olive, Grapefruit Grove

Paper: Smoky Slate, Old Olive, Whisper White, Lovely Lipstick foil (retired), Sparkle Glimmer paper

Accessories: Stitched Shapes dies, Seasonal Layers dies, snowflake sequins (retired), dimensionals

Vibrant Gathered Leaves - Stampin' Up! Gather Together

  Our local vibrant leaves might not be sticking around very long with the wet icky weather we're having today so we'll have to stick with paper leaves on cards!

  This is a card that my stampers made at my last class.  I wanted to show off the Heirloom frames dies and embossing folders that I hadn't used in a class yet as well as make one last fall card.  The texture on the die cuts and the gold sponging are the stars of this card.

  After watching some videos and tutorials on using the Heirloom frames/dies the easiest way is to cut the frame first and then emboss it.  I found Patty Bennett's video helpful and followed her tips and passed them along to my stampers. We cut ours out of Crumb Cake and my stampers had the choice between the rectangle and oval frames.  Once it was cut we sponged a bit of gold ink onto it to highlight the pattern.

  The large leaf is stamped in Soft Suede onto Very Vanilla and colored with a lot Stampin' Blends (listed below).  It's always fun to see how everyone colors when given the Blends and let loose on an image.

  A few more leaves were cut out in Mango Melody, Blackberry Bliss and Cajun Craze and are attached to the frame opposite the colored one after sponging on a bit more gold ink.

  The sentiment is stamped on a smaller rectangle of Very Vanilla and adhered to the back side of the frame.  I found this way was easier to line up the sentiment to be centered and straight in the frame.  If it was stamped directly onto the card front 1) if it was a little crooked you couldn't fix it and 2) sometimes darker colors show through just a little on a Whisper White or Very Vanilla card base and I like to avoid that for a more finished look.

  After the frame was put together it's popped on the card front with dimensionals and a Very Vanilla baker's twine bow is added to the larger leaf.

  Thanks for looking!  Did you stamp today?

Stamps: Gather Together

Ink: Gold, Soft Suede

Blends: So Saffron, Daffodil Delight, Mango Melody, Pumpkin Pie, Cajun Craze, Blackberry Bliss

Paper: Very Vanilla thick, Very Vanilla, Crumb Cake, Mango Melody, Blackberry Bliss, Cajun Craze

Accessories: Heirloom frames dies/folders, Gathered Leaves dies, dimensionals, Very Vanilla baker's twine

 

Comfort & Joy CASE - Stampin' Up! Cup of Christmas

  A few weeks back I was on a roll stamping and had completed a few cards for some challenges and didn't have any left to start a card with so I turned to the Annual Catalog for some inspiration for a Christmas card.

  I landed on page 95 and kind of liked the looks of the the colors and layout of the Country Home sample so I ran with it using the Cup of Christmas stamp set.  I like how it turned out; not traditional Christmas colors but Christmas-y nonetheless!

  The card base is Soft Suede then a layer of vellum and over the op of that is a piece of Whisper White embossed with the Tin Tile embossing folder.

  I pulled some gold onto the card to make it a bit more festive for the season.  I die cut some little sprigs in gold foil and Soft Sea Foam using the Cup of Cheer dies.  I layered these behind the Terracotta Tile Stitched Label.  4 retired gold brads decorate the edges of the label.

  I stamped the cup onto Soft Sea Foam cardstock and embossed the sentiment in gold and cut it out with the matching die.  It's popped up on the label with dimensionals.  I lightly colored in the holly sprigs as well with the Soft Sea Foam and Terracotta Tile marker. 

  So the moral of this card is that you can find a card you like and make it your own for whatever season you want.  CASE stands for Copy And Selectively Edit.  And it's always good stamping etiquette to give credit if you are CASEing another stamper and include a link when sharing online.  So thanks to the Stampin' Up! Annual Catalog for this inspiration!

  Thanks for looking!  Did you stamp today?

Stamps: Cup of Christmas

Ink: Versamark, Soft Sea Foam

Paper: Soft Suede, vellum, Whisper White, Soft Sea Foam, Gold Foil, Terracotta Tile

Accessories: Cup of Cheer dies, Stitched Label dies, Tin Tile embossing folder, gold embossing powder, dimensionals, gold brads (retired)

Plaid Tree Trio - Stampin' Up! Perfectly Plaid - Fab Friday 176

We've made it through another week stampers!  Time to reward yourself for all your hard work through the week with some stamping!  Fab Friday Challenge has a beautiful color combo to get you started!

  When I first saw the graphic for this challenge I immediately thought about a fall card and was a bit "eh" over the prospect.  I've got all my Thanksgiving/fall cards finished (believe it or not!!) and I was ready for a full on push into Christmas and winter.  After a few minutes I decided to challenge myself for real and do a Christmas card with these colors.  If I failed miserably I could always go with fall to be safe.

  I think the Christmas card came out pretty well if I do say so myself.  And even though there isn't much Crushed Curry on my card it's there so challenge complete! Remember you don't have to use challenge colors in equal measure. 

  Even though I love the traditional reds, greens and blues of Christmas it's really nice to mix it up sometimes and pull together something a bit different.

  I used the Perfectly Plaid stamp set along with the Pine Tree punch for my trees.  The smallest star from the Stitched Stars dies made my Crushed Curry tree toppers which I also covered with a layer of Wink of Stella for some shine.  The Pretty Peacock tree is popped up with dimensionals.

  The punched trees are layered over a snowy hill made by cutting a stitched circle and adding a generous amount of glue and Ice Stampin' Glitter.  I adhered that partial circle over another stitched circle in Crumb Cake and popped that up with dimensionals also.

  The background layers start with a strip of Woven Threads DSP with a bit of scalloped linen ribbon in Terracotta Tile along one edge.  The next layer is a piece of Whisper White embossed with the Tin Tile embossing folder and backed with a slightly larger layer of Crumb Cake.  All of that is adhered to a Whisper White thick card base.

  The sentiment banner is stamped in Pretty Peacock with one of the many awesome sentiments in the Itty Bitty Christmas set.  I added a few retired candy dots in Blushing Bride on the edges because I really need to use stuff up or someone will start to call me a hoarder.

  I hope you'll check out what the rest of the Fab Friday Design team has done with these colors and then play along!  Remember you have almost 2 weeks to share your project to the gallery!

  Thanks for looking!  Did you stamp today?

Stamps: Perfectly Plaid, Itty Bitty Christmas

Ink: Pretty Peacock, Terracotta Tile, Blushing Bride,

Paper: Whisper White thick, Whisper White, Crumb Cake, Crushed Curry, Woven Threads DSP

Accessories: Tin Tile embossing folder, Stitched Shapes dies, Pine Tree Punch, Ice Stampin' Glitter, Scalloped Linen ribbon, Stitched Stars dies, dimensionals, Wink of Stella, candy dots (retired)

Snowy Day - Stampin' Up! Snowman Season

  While it's nowhere near snowman season for us here in Central Virginia I do know some places that had snow last week so it's definitely time to get prepared by making more snowmen cards for Christmas.  It's like stocking the pantry in case of power outages; it's stocking the Christmas card box for December!

 

  I made this one some time back for a color challenge I think?  Of course it didn't get photographed and edited in time to enter it but I really like this combo and it makes me think of a cold snowy day for sure.

  The card base is Whisper White thick,  then I layered Blueberry Bushel behind a stitched rectangle of Seaside Spray.

  On the Seaside Spray panel I embossed some snowflakes with the Shimmer White embossing powder.

  The sentiment is stamped in black.  The snowman is stamped in Smoky Slate and punched out along with his accessories in black.  The little snowflake on the hat is just stamped and embossed on Blueberry Bushel and punched out with a little circle punch. 

  The scarf is a piece of 1/8" Blueberry Bushel grosgrain ribbon.  The snowman is popped on dimensionals.

  Thanks for looking!  Did you stamp today?

Stamps: Snowman Season

Ink: Versamark, Smoky Slate, Memento Black

Paper: Whisper White thick, Whisper White, Blueberry Bushel, Seaside Spray, Basic Black

Accessories: Stitched Rectangles dies, Snowman Builder punch, Shimmer White embossing powder, circle punch, dimensionals, 1/8" grosgrain ribbon

All Plaid Christmas - Stampin' Up! Wrapped in Plaid

For my card today I've used what feels like almost every Christmas product I purchased from the Holiday catalog!  And I've used an abundance of plaid as well.  And gold.  Really we have all the goodness of Christmas on this card!

  My card starts with a Very Vanilla base and then we dive right into the Wrapped in Plaid DSP for the background.  I pulled all the colors straight from this pack of paper. Cherry Cobbler, Night of Navy, Shaded Spruce and gold.

  For the top square I cut a star in Night of Navy and then a layer in gold foil with the Stitched Stars dies. The star is adhered to the square with dimensionals.

  The middle square is a lovely poinsettia from the Cup of Christmas set embossed in gold.  the center is colored with the Shaded Spruce marker.  It is also popped on dimensionals.

  Finally at the bottom on the third square I simply punched out a tree from a nice green pattern of the Wrapped in Plaid DSP using the Pine Tree punch.  I topped that with a sentiment banner of Night of Navy embossed with gold.  The sentiment is from Itty Bitty Christmas.

  It goes without saying that I've been loving this plaid paper and all the gold! 

  Thanks for looking!  Did you stamp today?

Stamps: Itty Bitty Christmas, Cup of Christmas

Ink: Versamark

Paper: Very Vanilla thick, Very Vanilla, Night of Navy, Gold foil, Cherry Cobbler, Wrapped in Plaid DSP

Accessories: Stitched Stars dies, Cup of Cheer dies, Pine Tree punch, Stitched Shapes dies, gold embossing powder, dimensionals

Inspired Beautiful Frame - Stampin' Up! Beautiful Bouquet

  I recently received a thank you note that inspired today's card.  I loved the colors and the cute flowers on it so I wanted to see if I could translate it into a hand stamped card using Stampin' Up! products.

  Here is the original:

  And here is my stamped version:

  This was fun to put together and nice to use an older set that hasn't seen ink in a while.  I also got to play with the Heirloom Frames dies and embossing folders.

  The 'thanks' inside the frame is 3 layers of Very Vanilla cut with the Well Written die set and glued together for a sturdier element.

  Thanks for looking!  Did you stamp today?

Stamps: Beautiful Bouquet

Ink: Crushed Curry, Bermuda Bay, Rococo Rose

Paper: Pretty Peacock, Very Vanilla

Accessories: Bouquet Bunch dies, Heirloom Frames dies & embossing folders, Well Written dies, dimensionals, Very Vanilla lace trim

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