Sunset Relaxation - Stampin' Up! Palms Dies

   Sometimes a mistake in shipping can be a royal pain and other times a happy accident.  My big mini catalog preorder mistakenly included the Palms dies instead of another die set which I ordered.  Stampin' Up! was of course very quick to fix the mistake and let me keep the Palms dies so I figured I should have some fun with it!

  In the last few months I discovered a new to me challenge which is all CAS.  The Perfectly CAS challenge is a fun one that really makes a stamper pare down a design to 1/3 or less of the card front and really keep to the spirit of a clean and simple card.  Easier said than done most of the time but I wanted to give their current challenge a go with these new surprise dies!  The theme is Sky or Sea so I decided a beautiful sky to complement the palm tree die was a great challenge.

  I started with a narrow strip of Basic White and blended colors with blending brushes starting in the lower corner with Daffodil Delight and then working my way up getting darker as I went and ending with Misty Moonlight.  I layered the colored strip onto a Basic White thick base.

  I cut the palm tree and grassy hill out of Basic Black and adhered them on top of the colored strip.  Finally I added a small sentiment from Many Happenings in black.

  In the spirit of Clean and Simple I refrained from adding any ribbon, twine or rhinestones which was hard but less is more sometimes and I'm pleased with how this card turned out.   

  Thanks for looking!  Did you stamp today?

Stamps: Many Happenings 

Ink: Daffodil Delight, Mango Melody, Pumpkin Pie, Rich Razzleberry, Misty Moonlight, Memento Black

Paper: Basic White thick, Basic Black 

Accessories: Palms dies, blending brushes

Celebrate 2022 - Stampin' Up! Brilliant Rainbow Dies

   When the Christmas card rush is over I always make some card to celebrate the new year.  We have some people in our circle who don't celebrate Christmas so we send them a New Years card to wish them well and let them know they are thought of.  I'm sharing this one over at Global Design Project which has a theme of Celebrations for the current challenge.

  And as always, foil is so hard to photograph.  The one line in the rainbow is not a weird yellow but gold foil.  I promise it looks better in person!  

  I had fun using the new Brilliant Rainbow dies to put this one together.  Actually I made 4 cards as the rainbow die cuts 4 pieces at a time so I used the 4 different papers and then mixed and matched and wasted no pieces.

  The card starts with a Soft Sea Foam base, then a layer of Basic White embossed with Tasteful Textile embossing folder.  Then I added my rainbow arches in Rose Gold Metallic paper, Misty Moonlight, Gold Foil and Sunshine & Rainbows DSP (Sale-a-Bration item).

  Using the Playful Alphabet dies I cut the numbers out of foam adhesive sheets and another pattern from the Sunshine & Rainbows DSP and made my year.  I embossed in gold the scripty "happy" from Biggest Wish, fussy cut and then popped it on dimensionals. 

  A few champagne rhinestones for a little more sparkle finish off the details.

  Thanks for looking!  Did you stamp today?

Stamps: Biggest Wish

Ink: Versamark

Paper: Soft Sea Foam, Basic White, Misty Moonlight, gold foil, Rose Gold Metallic, Sunshine & Rainbows DSP (SAB)

Accessories: Brilliant Rainbow dies, Playful Alphabet dies, Tasteful Textile embossing folder, gold embossing powder, foam sheets, champagne rhinestones, dimensionals

Golden Joy - Stampin' Up! Gingerbread Dies

   Only a few days left to be able to share Christmas cards so I figured I should get on it.  I designed this card for some challenge or other that had Navy and gold as the color combo.  It was fun to do a classic color combo after some of the bright and crazy colors I had been working with at the time. 

  My husband liked the design so much that he asked if he could re-create it and use it for his team Christmas cards.  He did a great job with all the stamping and die cutting and his team was very impressed when they received them.

  A bit of gold foil and gold ink and foam adhesive sheets are really the only supplies needed for this design.  Any detailed ornament or star shape would work if you don't have the Gingerbread dies.

  Thanks for looking!  Did you stamp today?

Stamps: Sparkle of the Season

Ink: Gold

Paper: Very Vanilla thick, Very Vanilla, Night of Navy, Gold foil

Accessories: Gingerbread dies, Stitched So Sweetly dies, Playful Alphabet dies, foam adhesive sheets, dimensionals, gold edged satin ribbon (retired)
 

 

Otterly Awesome - Stampin' Up! Awesome Otters

   I'm having fun breaking in my new stamps and the Awesome Otters (Sale-a-Bration reward) was the lucky one that saw ink yesterday.  I saw the new Inspire. Create. Challenges pop up and thought what great timing for a color challenge with browns! 

  It's a basic card as I was making it with the thought of giving it to one of my boys.  They don't appreciate a lot of froof on cards but they do appreciate a good pun so I let the stamps do all the work.

  I started with a Basic White thick card base then I stamped the otter in Early Espresso in the corner of another piece of Basic White that is cut 1/4" smaller than the card front.  I didn't stamp the otter directly onto the card base since I didn't want the Blends coloring to seep through to the inside.  I colored him with Cinnamon Cider and Crumb Cake Blends.

I topped that with a piece of Beauty of the Earth DSP with a circle cut from the corner to show the cute otter.  The sentiment is embossed in white and then I highlighted it with a row of the new Pebble enamel shapes in the Cinnamon Cider color.  They are such a cool new embellishment and I can't wait to see all the creative ways people with use them on projects!

  Thanks for looking!  Did you stamp today?

Stamps: Awesome Otters (SAB)

Ink: Early Espresso, Versamark

Blends: Crumb Cake light & dark, Cinnamon Cider light & dark

Paper: Basic White thick, Basic White, Beauty of the Earth DSP

Accessories: Circle dies, white embossing powder, Pebbles enamel shapes

Sweet Hearts - Stampin' Up! Sweet Conversations

  It's always fun to have a whole box of new supplies to create with and I'm trying to go through each new set/bundle and make at least one card to get me started.  The bundle that I chose to work with today was the Sweet Conversations bundle.  Valentine's day is the next card heavy holiday on the calendar so I want to get going with all the hearts!  I'm excited for January 4 when these items will be available to all when the Jan.-June 2022 mini catalog goes live.

  I combined 2 different challenges for this card.  The colors come from The Color Throwdown and the layout is from Freshly Made Sketches.  I think it's a great combination!

   I started with a Mint Macaron base with a layer of Blushing Bride next.  I embossed a piece of Basic White with the new Gingham embossing folder.

  After stamping and cutting out the hearts and little tag I arranged them according to the sketch and popped them with dimensionals. Next I  added the sentiment strip and a few Iridescent Rhinestones for a little bling.

  I'm definitely going to have fun creating Valentine's Day cards with this bundle!

  Thanks for looking!  Did you stamp today?

Stamps: Sweet Conversations

Ink: Mint Macaron, Blushing Bride, Real Red

Paper: Mint Macaron, Blushing Bride, Basic White

Accessories: Sweet Hearts dies, Gingham embossing folder, Real Red Faux Linen ribbon, Iridescent Rhinestones, dimensionals

Friendly Birthday Wishes - Stampin' Up! Friendly Hello

  I rewarded myself for finishing my Christmas cards the other day with some stamping time getting to play around with some new products that will be out on January 4.  I used the the sketch challenge at Global Design Project for this sweet birthday card.

  I haven't done any watercoloring in a long time (probably because it isn't one of my strengths lol!) and the images in this set are perfect for it and even make my limited skills look ok!  They are from Friendly Hello which will be one of the new Sale-a-Bration rewards! I first embossed the images in black on watercolor paper.  Then using brushes and inks I colored the images and then fussy cut them.

  The sentiment is also embossed and I arranged the flowers and bird around the sentiment strip to go with the sketch.  The background paper is another Sale-a-Bration choice called Sunshine & Rainbows 6x6 DSP. I also added a narrow strip of Granny Apple Green to the edge to bring more of that color to card. 

  The final touch are a few Iridescent Rhinestone Basic Jewels sprinkled around the sentiment. These are in the upcoming January-June Mini catalog also coming in January.  

  Thanks for looking!  Did you stamp today?

Stamps: Friendly Hello (SAB)

Ink: Versamark, Fresh Freesia, Granny Apple Green, Petal Pink

Paper: Basic White thick, Granny Apple Green, Sunshine & Rainbows DSP (SAB), watercolor paper

Accessories: Iridescent Rhinestone Basic Jewels

 

Blushing Christmas - Stampin' Up! Sparkle of the Season

 Pink, gray and silver are always a winning color combination and at Christmas even more so. I went full on Blushing Bride and silver for this card.

  The Sparkle of the Season bundle paired with a piece of the iridescent Whimsy & Wonder DSP makes this a fun layered Christmas card.  I love the double wreath with the stamped bit in Smoky Slate and then topped with a die cut wreath in silver foil.  A piece of Blushing Bride Frayed ribbon adds a bit of texture as well.

  I hope you're making your lists and checking them twice in Christmas preparations!

  Thanks for looking!  Did you stamp today?

Stamps: Sparkle of the Season

Ink: Smoky Slate, Blushing Bride, silver

Paper: Blushing Bride, Basic White, Silver foil, Whimsy & Wonder DSP

Accessories: Seasonal Swirl dies, Layering Square dies (retired), Blushing Bride frayed ribbon, dimensionals, Blushing Bride baker's twine, From My Heart faceted gems, candy dots (retired)

Snowy Stocking - Stampin' Up! Sweet Little Stockings

   I'm winding down on Christmas cards to share so I better find some time to do some stamping with my preorder or it will be radio silence here for a while!

  My card today uses some bits and pieces that I had colored a while ago and I finally put them into the form of a card.  Many of the items on this card are retiring on January 4th and are on the Last Chance list.  Check the online store for what's still available.  Many products have already sold out but you might get lucky so don't wait to shop.  My store link is in the sidebar.

  

The Whimsy & Wonder DSP makes a nice little starry night background for the stocking, snowflake and gift.  

  I colored the elements with Stampin' Blends (colors listed below) and then popped them up wtih dimensionals and added a few gems, rhinestones and snowflake sequins for accessories.

  Thanks for looking!  Did you stamp today?

Stamps: Sweet Little Stockings, Christmas to Remember

Ink: Memento Black, Fresh Freesia

Blends: Misty Moonligh light & dark, Fresh Freesia light & dark, Soft Sea Foam light & dark

Paper: Basic White thick, Whimsy & Wonder, Basic White

Accessories: corner rounder, Wonderful Snowflakes, Stocking dies, sequins, gems, snowflake sequins, dimensionals, white baker's twine

Rustic Christmas - Stampin' Up! Frosted Gingerbread

   I finally started writing out my Christmas cards last night!  I totally failed on being prepared earlier in the month by forgetting to take a photo of the boys and then when I finally remember to do it the photo printing place was a week out on delivery so that pushed it all back even further!  But it did give me time to make a few more designs to round out the supply.  It will have to be enough and anyone that misses out on Christmas cards from us will just be getting a Happy New Years card instead...no biggie, it's the thought that counts right?

  Not a cookie in sight on today's card even though I used the Frosted Gingerbread dies and one of the sentiments.  I decided to go with a rustic feel with some distressing and wood grain paper paired with a bit of gold and red foil.

   I pulled in a lot of different papers to make this one.  I even dug through my vault of retired papers and used a bit of old Typeset Specialty paper.  I crumpled it up a few times and then distressed the edges before stamping a few pine boughs from from the Christmas Season set in stamped off once Evening Evergreen.  I did the same distressing to the Evening Evergreen cardstock layer as well. The wood grain paper is in the In Good Taste DSP pack and makes a nice rustic background against the gold and red foil stars.

  I used the ornament shape from the Gingerbread dies to cut out the gold embossed sentiment and popped it up on dimensionals and added a few retired metallic enamel shapes.  A bit of gold thread tied in a bow finishes off the details on this card.

  I hope you've been better than me and have all your Christmas card made and sent out! Wish me luck with the rest of mine today!

  Thanks for looking!  Did you stamp today?

Stamps: Frosted Gingerbread, Christmas Season

Ink: Evening Evergreen, Versamark

Paper: Very Vanilla thick, In Good Taste DSP, Evening Evergreen, Gold foil, Red foil, Typeset Specialty DSP (retired)

Accessories: gold embossing powder, Gingerbread dies, dimensionals, gold thread (retired), enamel shapes (retired)

Silver & Mint Christmas - Stampin' Up! Whimsical Trees

   It seems that I shouldn't have bothered to buy any Christmas stamp set other than Whimsical Trees!  I would definitely say this was my most used set this holiday season!  I really did love the other ones but I just found so many different ways to use this one that I couldn't stop reaching for it.

  Today my card is made using the sketch from the Inspire. Create. Challenges.

  I liked the interest that the angle brought and took advantage of it by using a strip of silver foil paper to highlight it and bring the eye to the tree.  The Whimsy & Wonder DSP has a nice silver/iridescent feature on this pattern that complements the silver embossing and silver sequins.  I kept the stamping simple with just the tree, background on the oval and the tiny 'merry' sentiment.

  Thanks for looking!  Did you stamp today?

Stamps: Whimsical Trees, Christmas to Remember

Ink: Versamark, Mint Macaron

Paper: Mint Macaron, Basic White, Whimsy & Wonder DSP, Silver foil

Accessories: silver embossing powder, Stitched Shapes dies (retired), dimensionals, silver sequins, silver baker's twine, Winter Snow embossing folder (retired)

Christmas in Gold - Stampin' Up! Whimsical Trees - Paper Players 571

   I just can't get enough of designing with the Whimsical Trees bundle and I'm so sorry this is one set that isn't carrying over!  But I'm getting as much use out of it as I can before it retires in January so I'm using it yet again for a Paper Players challenge!  The newest challenge is from LeAnne and she has given some fab colors to work with for this last challenge of 2021!  We are using Merry Merlot, Shaded Spruce, Vanilla and Gold!  So gorgeous!

  I used the layout from the TGIF Challenges as that tag element worked perfectly for my tall Christmas tree.

  There is a lot of gold on this card and I hope it's not too much lol!  I've got gold embossing along the edge of the Shaded Spruce DSP as well as on the tree and the sentiment.  Gold edged ribbon and some gold star sequins on the sentiment are some nice shiny accessories.  And I lightly sponged gold ink onto the raised pattern on the Merry Melody embossed panel.  The tree topper star and backing layer on the tree are made with the gold from the Gold & Rose Gold specialty paper from the annual catalog.

  Check out what the awesome Paper Players design team did with these colors and then play along with us!

Jaydee
 LeAnne
Claire
Joanne
Laurie
Anne Marie
Ann
Nancy
Debbie 

  Thanks for looking!  Did you stamp today?

Stamps: Whimsical Trees, Frosted Gingerbread

Ink: Versamark, Gold ink

Paper: Merry Merlot, Shaded Spruce, Very Vanilla, Gold & Rose Gold Specialty Paper, 'Tis the Season DSP (retired)

Accessories: Merry Melody embossing folder, Stitched Stars die, Tasteful Labels dies, Christmas Tree dies, gold embossing powder, Gold Metallic Edged ribbon (retired), dimensionals, star sequins (retired)

Frosty Tree - Stampin' Up! Whimsical Trees

   My card today is playing along with the Freshly Made Sketches challenge (of which I took a small liberty with where I placed my sentiment).  I liked this layout a lot because I don't tend to use the landscape orientation nearly as much as portrait so I need to be reminded that I can indeed turn my card base and design the long way too!

  I made this blue and white card to show off the pattern of Beauty of the Earth DSP that I had almost forgot about!  When I got this pack of paper over the summer I was really focusing on using the summer and fall patterns and this one with the kind of frosted pine tree look got set aside "until it was closer to Christmas".  And here are almost at Christmas and I just cut into it now! Story of my stamping life!

  The white layers on this card are Shimmery white so it's got a nice subtle sheen to it that doesn't pick up in the photo.  The dots on the tree are made with the retired Illuminate ink we had a few years ago.  I was pleasantly surprised that my pad was still juicy when I opened it.

  The retired Winter Snow embossing folder gives a nice texture to the bottom of the card and some iridescent sequins, adhesive pearls and crinkled seam binding ribbon finish off the details.

  Thanks for looking!  Did you stamp today?

Stamps: Whimsical Trees, Holly Jolly Wishes

Ink: Misty Moonlight, Illuminate (retired)

Paper: Misty Moonlight, Shimmery White, Beauty of the Earth DSP

Accessories: Christmas Trees dies, crinkled seam binding ribbon, Winter Snow embossing folder (retired), sequins, pears, dimensionals

Classic Christmas Stocking - Stampin' Up! Sweet Little Stockings

   I'm still working on my Christmas cards.  I think I have ones for all the "must send" people but I always like to have a few extras to go with some gifts and last minute needs. 

  I had a few of these stockings colored from a while ago and I just hadn't gotten around to getting them on a card.  The current challenge over at the Color Hues Challenge is red & green so that was the perfect time to get my butt in gear and use these stockings before it was too late!

    

  Paired with a Real Red base and a piece of Heartwarming Hugs DSP this card comes together really quickly (especially because I had the coloring already finished!).  I tucked a few candy canes in the top before popping the stocking up on dimensionals.

  I added a Real Red baker's twine bow and some Wonderful Gems to finish off this Christmas classic.

  Thanks for looking!  Did you stamp today?

Stamps: Sweet Little Stockings, Holly Jolly Wishes

Ink: Memento black

Blends: Real Red light & dark, Old Olive light & dark

Paper: Real Red, Basic White, Heartwarming Hugs DSP

Accessories: Stockings Dies, dimensionals, Wonderful Gems, Real Red baker's twine

Merry x 3 - Stampin' Up! Christmas Trees Dies

 Just a really quick post this morning to share a card I made for the current Global Design Project color challenge.  They are using Garden Green, Mint Macaron and Cherry Cobbler this week.  Perfect colors for me to make a few more Christmas cards.

  I used the snowflake pattern from the Adorning Designs Decorative masks and white craft ink to make the snowflakes on the card base.  

 The Stitched So Sweetly scalloped rectangle is embossed with the retire Subtle embossing folder just for some added texture.

  The trees are cut using the 2 smallest tree dies in the Christmas Trees dies.  The sentiment is embossed in white 3 times on the challenge colors and hand trimmed and added with dimensionals.  The final touches are a Cherry Cobbler baker's twine bow and small gold star sequins at the tops of the trees.

  Thanks for looking!  Did you stamp today?

Stamps: Christmas to Remember

Ink: white craft, Versamark

Paper: Garden Green, Basic White, Mint Macaron, Cherry Cobbler

Accessories: Stitched So Sweetly dies, Christmas Trees dies, Adorning Accents masks, Subtle embossing folder (retired), bakers twine, star sequins, dimensionals

Tab Closure Card - How To VIDEO - Stampin' Up! Christmas Season

   My stampers made this Tab Closure card last week at class and it's such a classy looking Christmas card!  I had fun designing this one and then doing a video to show how to put it together.

Look at how it opens!

  Check out the video to see how easy this card is to make!  I've listed the relevant cutting and scoring information below as well.

 

  The card base is 7 1/2" x 5 1/2" and is scored at 4 1/4"

  The tabs are scored at 1 1/4"

  Once you've got the tabs attached you can go ahead and add whatever elements and embellishments you want.  Check out the video for a start to finish look at putting this card together.

  Thanks for looking!  Did you stamp today?

Stamps: Christmas Season

Ink: Crumb Cake, Soft Suede, Cherry Cobbler, Evening Evergreen

Paper: Evening Evergreen, Basic White, Painted Christmas DSP

Accessories: Seasonal Labels dies, dimensionals, gilded gems, linen thread, velcro dots

Sweet Little Christmas Kitty - Stampin' Up! Sweet Little Stockings

   I had my last class of the year last week and we had fun making Christmas cards.  I always preorder way more products than I can ever hope to show to their fullest but I try to use each stamp set at least once in class.  Maybe I need to add a few extra Christmas card classes in next year??

  The Sweet Little Stockings set and matching dies caught my eye not just because of the sweet pets included but also because the little stockings and gifts were just so colorable!  They can be stamped on colored cardstock for a cute look but they really shine when colored with Stampin' Blends markers.  Also, the images aren't so big that it takes forever to color which in a class setting is a good thing too!  But at home stampers can zip through coloring a bunch of images in no time.

  For the class my stampers had a choice of pet to use as well as what colors to use to color them.  It was fun seeing them customize the pets to match their own dog or cat or to make them match the intended recipients pet.

   Some things to note on this card; the embossing is done with the Merry Melody embossing folder which I'm happy to say will be carrying over.   For the holly berries we used the Red Velvet paper which even in small amounts is a really cool element but is not carrying over.

  The Sweet Little Stockings and Stockings dies are on the Last Chance list.  The bundle is not on sale but the Stockings dies are on sale for 50% off on their own so order the dies and stamp set separately and save $10! 

  Thanks for looking!  Did you stamp today?

Stamps: Sweet Little Stockings, Holly Jolly Wishes

Ink: Memento Black

Blends: Real Red light & dark (Shaded Spruce light & dark were also a choice), Smoky Slate light & dark, (various other neutrals were also available for the pet coloring)

Paper: Real Red, Peaceful Prints (SAB), Shaded Spruce, Basic White, Red Velvet paper

Accessories: Stockings dies, dimensionals, Merry Melody embossing folder, red rhinestones

Whimsical Wonderland - Stampin' Up! Whimsical Trees - Paper Players 570

   It was a busy week and I'm glad to be starting fresh today!  I worked smarter, not harder (I hope!) last week and was able to design this card to work for my stamp club as well as for the newest Paper Players challenge which opens today.  Jaydee has given us the fun theme of 'Winter Wonderland' to work with.  It's the perfect inspiration if you still have some more Christmas cards to make.  

  My card is definitely winter and it's certainly a whimsical wonderland with these fun non-traditional Christmas colors.  

  The 3 trees in the center of the cluster were all embossed with clear embossing powder and then using the emboss resist technique the 3 ink colors were blended on with blending brushes letting the embossing just pop against the colors.

  I added 2 skinny trees for balance; one in Granny Apple Green and the other cut from Whimsy & Wonder DSP.  All the trees are mounted on a Basic White panel with a stitched border from the Stitched with Whimsy dies.  Some Coastal Cabana ink is lightly blended in the middle to give the trees an area to be grounded upon.

  The sentiment banner is stamped in Coastal Cabana and then popped.  A Polished Pink ribbon and some sequins and gem finish off the details.

  The Paper Players Design Team always has wonderful ideas so definitely check them out and then come play along with us.

Jaydee
 LeAnne
Claire
Joanne
Laurie
Anne Marie
Ann
Nancy
Debbie 

  Thanks for looking!  Did you stamp today?

Stamps: Whimsical Trees

Ink: Versamark, Coastal Cabana, Granny Apple Green, Polished Pink

Paper: Basic White thick, Basic White, Coastal Cabana, Granny Apple Green, Whimsy & Wonder DSP

Accessories: Christmas Trees dies, Stitched with Whimsy dies, clean embossing powder, blending brushes, dimensionals, sequins, In Color gems, Polish Pink ribbon

Last Chance List & Discounts!

   Don't miss out on items from the Stampin' Up! July-December Mini Catalog!  One month left to order these products before they're gone!  From now until January 3 while supplies last!  Shop Last Chance Products HERE!

  Shop with me online using Host Code: PTSH7XB7 and get entered to my monthly door prize drawing! Every $25 ordered (before tax/shipping) gets you one chance!  Orders over $150 don't use the code but still get the chances!

Penguin Wishes - Stampin' Up! Penguin Place - Paper Players 569

   Ann Marie has a fun sketch for us this week at The Paper Players.  Let's see all your creativity with these panels!

  I let the Penguin Playmates DSP from Sale-a-Bration do all the hard work for the panels.  I like the smaller patterns and colors as a nice background for my chilly penguin. 

  Using some retired Snowfall Accents Puff Paint that I was surprised still puffed I made a snowbank on a circle cut from Fresh Freesia for my embossed penguin to sit upon.  I gave him a scarf and hat and a little tree to the side.

  The sentiment from Banner Year is cut apart and then popped on dimensionals and then I accented the sides with some retired snowflake accents and Elegant Faceted gems.

  I'm definitely going to be using this layout again as it's a great way to show off a few different DSP patterns and it has lots of options for the 'any shape' in the center.

  The rest of the Paper Players Design Team has wonderful ideas for this challenge so definitely check them out and then play along!

Jaydee
 LeAnne
Claire
Joanne
Laurie
Anne Marie
Ann
Nancy
Debbie 

  Thanks for looking!  Did you stamp today?

Stamps: Penguin Place, Banner Year

Ink: Versamark, Mango Melody,  Soft Sea Foam, Misty Moonlight, Fresh Freesia

Paper: Misty Moonlight, Basic White, Penguin Playmates DSP (SAB), Fresh Freesia

Accessories: Penguin builder punch, Stitched Shapes dies (retired), Snowfall Accents Puff Paint (retired), Elegant Faceted gems, snowflake accents (retired), dimensionals, black embossing powder

Quadruplet Reindeer - Stampin' Up! Knit Together

 I'm playing along with the Alphabet Challenge today!  They are on the letter Q and the challenge is Quadruple so we need to have 4 of something on our card.  I went with 4 reindeer (and I guess 4 squares as well) from the Knit Sweater dies.

  I used a classic Christmas color combo of Crumb Cake, Basic White, Soft Suede, Evening Evergreen, Cherry Cobbler and Soft Succulent.  

  The Crumb Cake card base is stamped in Crumb Cake ink with the Knit Together background stamp.

 Since the deer are small I added quite a few layers behind them so they wouldn't get lost on the card front. One of the layers is a nice neutral plaid from the Sale-a-Bration DSP Peaceful Prints.  The stitched squares give a little bit of detail and the deer are popped on dimensionals.  The Soft Suede deer has a From My Heart faceted gem for a nose making him a Rudolph I guess.

  The sentiment from Holly Jolly Wishes is embossed in white on a piece of Evening Evergreen and a Cherry Cobbler bakers twine bow is added to the side before being popped on dimensionals.

  This was a fun and creative challenge as getting something with a 'Q' on a card is not something you do everyday.

  Thanks for looking!  Did you stamp today?

Stamps: Knit Together, Holly Jolly Christmas

Ink: Crumb Cake, Versamark

Paper: Crumb Cake, Basic White, Soft Suede, Evening Evergreen, Cherry Cobbler, Soft Succulent, Peaceful Prints DSP (SAB)

Accessories: Knit Sweater dies, Stitched Shapes dies (retired), white embossing powder, dimensionals, Cherry Cobbler baker's twine (retired), From My Heart Faceted Gems

Happy Mail - Stampin' Up! Stamping Your Way to the Top

   So are you paging through the Stampin' Up! catalogs trying to find this stamp set?  Well it's not one that's available to customers.  The only way to get this one is by being a demonstrator and ordering it as a supply item.  Yes there are even more perks to being a demonstrator than the discount on orders, pre-ordering opportunities and exclusive demonstrator events!  I got this one a bit ago as it had some great sentiments to use for my monthly team cards that I send out to my downline.

  It was a cloudy gray day when I put ink to card stock and the rainbow theme was definitely needed to brighten the day!  It was fun pulling colors from the Pattern Party Host DSP to stamp each envelope and then layer them across some fluffy white clouds cut with the Basic Borders dies. I added a few rhinestones to the flourishes for a bit of sparkle.

  I hope these brightened the days of my team as it did mine as I was making them!

  The Start With Savings joining special is going on for a few more days if you'd like to get in on the demonstrator fun!  Get $125 worth of Stampin' Up! products for only $75 until November 30th.  You get to pick every single thing in the Starter Kit.  Believe me it's a great deal.  You can Click Here to get started joining my team.  Or contact me with any questions!

  Thanks for looking!  Did you stamp today?

Stamps: Stamping Your Way to the Top (demonstrator exclusive stamp set)

Ink: Memento black

Paper: Flirty Flamingo, Petal Pink, Pale Papaya, Mango Melody, Granny Apple Green, Pool Party, Misty Moonlight, Basic White, Pattern Party DSP

Accessories: dimensionals, Basic Borders dies, rhinestones

Sweet Gnome Christmas - Stampin' Up! Whimsical Trees - Paper Players 568

   The team at The Paper Players is back today with a brand new challenge.  Laurie has given us the challenge of doing a CAS card with gnomes or fairies. 

   Having boys there aren't many fairies in my life stamping or otherwise though I wouldn't complain if a cleaning fairy showed up occasionally! Also definitely no current gnome stamps in my supplies but I did remember I had a Stampin' Up! gnome stamp from way back when circa 2012(??) and I was hoping it didn't sell in my last BOGO sale. I found the stamp set and then got to work!  

 

 

Colors are straight up classic Christmas and I used a bit of the Heartwarming Hugs DSP to paper piece the shirt and apron for some subtle pattern. A little coloring and fussy cutting and some dimensionals have this sweet duo enjoying some decorating.

  The Mossy Meadow tree is stamped over some light Pear Pizzazz ink blending and decorated with some Red Velvet paper ornaments.  I pulled in a little gold with the Brushed Gold star.

  I can't wait to see how you take on this challenge!  Be sure to share your project in the gallery and also check out the rest of the Design Team ideas:

Jaydee
 LeAnne
Claire
Joanne
Laurie
Anne Marie
Ann
Nancy
Debbie 

  Thanks for looking!  Did you stamp today?

Stamps: Whimsical Trees, Christmas to Remember, Gnome Sweet Gnome (retired)

Ink: Mossy Meadow, Pear Pizzazz, Memento black

Blends: Old Olive light & dark, Real Red light & dark, Bronze, Soft Suede light, Basic Black light & dark, Daffodil Delight dark, Petal Pink light & dark

Paper: Mossy Meadow, Basic White, Heartwarming Hugs DSP, Red Velvet paper, Gold & Rose Gold paper 

Accessories: dimensionals, Christmas Trees dies (ornaments), Stitched Stars dies

 

Birthday Fishes - Stampin' Up! Party Puffins

   My card today is playing along with 2 challenges which worked perfectly together to make a birthday card for my dad.  I love the sketch over at Freshly Made Sketches and the theme at Cardz 4 Guyz is gingham, checks or plaid so I incorporated that into my design.

  My dad loves fishing but I don't have any straight up fish sets right now so I used the next best thing with the adorable puffin holding a little fishy gift!

  

My colors were pulled directly from the retired Plaid Tiding DSP strip that I used for one of the sketch elements.  I also used a narrow strip of Mango Melody and embossed it with Checks embossing folder for the other strip. So I ended up with 2 of the 3 elements for the Cardz 4 Guyz challenge.

  Pretty Peacock was a favorite of mine and I was sorry to see it go when that set of In Colors retired but of course I held onto to a few supplies just in case so I used it for the card base and the stitched circle the puffin is on.

  The puffin and fish are embossed in black then colored and fussy cut.  I stamped some candles on the circle and then popped it all up on the card front.

  I used a few retired gems, enamel shapes and sequins along with 2 Classic Matte Dots that will be available in the upcoming Jan.-June catalog to finish off the details on this masculine birthday card.

  Thanks for looking!  Did you stamp today?

Stamps: Party Puffins, Itty Bitty Greetings (retired)

Ink: Versamark, Memento black, Pretty Peacock (retired)

Blends: Pumpkin Pie dark, Mango Melody dark (retired), Pretty Peacock light (retired)

Paper: Basic White, Mango Melody, Pretty Peacock (retired), Plaid Tidings DSP (retired)

Accessories: Stitched Rectangle dies, black embossing powder, dimensionals, Stitched Shapes dies (retired), Subtle embossing folder (retired), sequins/gems/enamel shapes (retired), Classic Matte Dots*

*Product from the upcoming Jan.-June catalog 

Birthday Blessings - Stampin' Up! Blessings of Home

   After attending the Stampin' Up! demonstrator event On Stage @Home this past weekend and getting to play some more with upcoming new products I'm even more excited for the next mini and getting to show off fun new projects.  

  My share today is one I made before the Stampin' Up! event and it's similar in feel to this card but there are so many possibilities with the Blessings of Home stamp set and the Heart & Home DSP.  I love the fall feel of the brown/orange color combination on both cards.

  The little die cut sprigs and embossed back panel really give some interest and a bit of a vintage feel.  And I thought that this copper washi tape from a long time ago added a bit of fun shine.

  What do you hope to see in the next Stampin' Up! mini catalog?  Want to get a peek at it right now?  If you join my team this month you'll get all the perks like seeing new catalogs early and even early ordering with a discount!  Not to mention the opportunity of making a bit of money on the side!  Let me know if you're interested in joining!  You'll get $125 worth of products you get to pick for just $75.  Call it an early Christmas present if you want but definitely consider it. It's easy to join HERE on my Stampin' Up! website.

  Thanks for looking!  Did you stamp today?

Stamps: Blessings of Home*

Ink: Smoky Slate, Cinnamon Cider

Blends: Pale Papaya light & dark, Cinnamon Cider light & dark, Pumpkin Pie light, Smoky Slate light

Paper: Cinnamon Cider, Pale Papaya, Basic White, Heart & Home DSP*

Accessories: Flowers of Home dies*, Parisan Flourish embossing folder, Stitched Shapes dies (retired), Elegant Faceted gems, dimensionals, copper washi tape (retired), Cinnamon Cider twill ribbon (retired)

*New products in the upcoming Jan.-June 2022 catalog. Available starting January 4, 2022

Christmas Magic - Stampin' Up! Whimsical Tree - Paper Players 567

   We're hitting the ground running today!  The Paper Players are back with a fantastic new challenge.  Joanne has us working with fun neutral colors!  Grey, Black, White & Silver.  I can't wait to see what you all do with this color palette!

  Since Christmas cards are my most needed card right now I didn't even contemplate another kind of card and got right to work with the Whimsical Trees bundle and pulled out all of my fun sparkly, shiny papers and embossing powders.

 

  This is a card that is definitely nicer in person!  There just isn't any way to capture the sparkle and shine with a photograph...at least not with my poor photography skills!

  I had a lot of fun mixing and matching the different trees with different paper and embossing powders to create this snowy scene.

  You'll find a lot more inspiration with these colors on the Paper Players Design Team blogs.  Check them out, give them some love and then join in with your own creation!

Jaydee
 LeAnne
Claire
Joanne
Laurie
Anne Marie
Ann
Nancy
Debbie 

  Thanks for looking!  Did you stamp today?

Stamps: Whimsical Trees, Christmas to Remember

Ink: Versamark

Paper: Smoky Slate, Basic White, Black Glitter Paper, Silver Foil, Basic Black

Accessories: Christmas Trees dies, silver embossing powder, Shimmer black & white embossing powders (retired), Stitched Stars dies, silver baker's twine (retired), dimensionals, silver sequins (retired), Elegant Faceted gems, Classic Matte dots, Winter Snow embossing folder (retired)

Leafy Masculine Birthday - Stampin' Up! Gorgeous Leaves

   I had a quick break in my afternoon so I thought I would post a card while I had a moment.  I saw the challenge over at Cardz 4 Guys which is to use leaves on a masculine card and I as my birthday card stash is down to 2 cards I figured I better join in!

  I had saved this color palette a while back on Pinterest before some of these colors were even released by Stampin' Up! so clearly I had a need for some of them!  I thought they were perfect for the leaf theme as well as for a guy card.  

  This one is very straightforward with the cork paper being the star of the show I think.  It's just such a lovely background and really sets off the colors so well.  I hope you've been able to get your hands on some.  I'm down to scraps and hope that this is a product that finds it way into the next annual catalog as I love it so much and want to continue to be able to order it!

  Thanks for looking!  Did you stamp today?

Stamps: Gorgeous Leaves, All Squared Away

Ink: Soft Succulent, Misty Moonlight, Bumblebee, Evening Evergreen

Paper: Evening Evergreen, Basic White, Cork Specialty paper, Bumblebee, Soft Succulent, Misty Moonlight

Accessories: Intricate Leaves dies, dimensionals, linen thread, Stitched Shapes dies (retired)

Mini Paper Pumpkin Box Gift Card Holder - How To VIDEO

 The holidays are fast approaching as is the time for having your gift giving plans in place.  I usually have 6-10 people that I end up getting gift cards for but I always want to present the gift cards in something better than that little sleeve that comes with it.  Most of the time a hand stamped card is perfect and other times you want something just a little more substantial.  Today's tutorial and video give you just the thing to make a gift card a bit more of a 'wow' gift.

  Using a mini Paper Pumpkin box you can create this easy gift card holder!  You can find the mini Paper Pumpkin boxes in the annual catalog on page 137.  You get 10 boxes for $7.50 which I think is a bargain.

   All the credit for the inside of the box scoring measurements goes to Ruth's Stamping Spot.  When I decided to do a project like this I knew that someone much smarter than me had already figured out the scoring and I was right so I used Ruth's scoring measurement and expanded the project to include the belly band and other embellishments using the Gingerbread & Peppermint Suite.

 

 Watch the video to see the gift card holder come together step by step.  I've listed the measurements throughout the video but see below for all the cutting and scoring measurements as well as a list of all the supplies used to make this project.

  Cardstock -

    Box Insert - 8 1/2" x 5 1/2"

    Belly Band - 11" x 1 3/4" 

    Long Sides - 5 3/8" x 3/4"

    Plus various pieces for die cutting and stamping to decorate the box

  Designer Series Paper -

    Inside - 5 1/2" x 1 3/4"

    Box Top - 5 1/4" x 3 1/2"

    Short Sides - 3 1/2" x 3/4"

   Ribbon - 

     12" inches

  Watching the video will help show how the scoring and small cut for the gift card are done but here are the measurements.  Use a gift card to pencil in a mark where you want the slit to be cut.

 Box Insert Scoring - score on the 8 1/2" side at  3 1/4" , 4 1/4" and 5 1/4" 

 Belly Band Scoring - score on the 11" side at 2 5/8", 3 3/4", 7 5/8" and 8 3/4"

  Leave a comment and let me know what you think or if you have any questions!

  Thanks for looking!  Did you stamp today?

Stamps: Frosted Gingerbread

Ink: Real Red, Old Olive

Paper: Real Red, Old Olive, Basic White, Gingerbread & Peppermint 6x6 DSP

Accessories: Mini Paper Pumpkin box, scoreboard, Gingerbread dies, Stitched So Sweetly dies, dimensionals, Elegant Faceted gems, tear tape, Real Red mini ruffled ribbon

Celebration Blooms - Stampin' Up! Blessings of Home

   My card today uses some products from the upcoming Stampin' Up! Jan.-June 2022 catalog.  Yes you read that right, I have sneak peek products 2 months early!  One of the many perks of being a demo is not only early catalog pre-orders but also some even earlier ordering opportunities associated with Stampin' Up! demonstrator events.  We've got just such an event coming up next week called On Stage @ Home that I'm attending and the Blessings of Home product suite is what we were able to order early this time.  If you're interested in joining Stampin' Up! now is a great time with a discounted price on the Starter Kit.  During the month of November for just $75 you get to choose $125 worth of products to customize your Starter Kit.  Click here to join my team! Interested but have some questions?  Contact me here

  Onto to the new stuff!  I used the current Color Hues Challenge for my color palette.  Orange and Brown just have a great fall feeling! And the Heart & Home DSP has a lovely pattern in just these colors that I used as part of my inspiration.

  The base is Cinnamon Cider and then I used a piece of the lovely Heart & Home DSP along one edge.  Before adhering the DSP to the card front I added a length of Pale Papaya Open Weave ribbon for a subtle bit of shine down the front.

  The image is stamped in Smoky Slate and then colored in with Stampin' Blends (colors listed below).  Once the image was colored and cut out I highlighted a few areas with Wink of Stella but try as I might I could not capture it in a photo.  I also stamped, colored and fussy cut 2 of the smaller blooms and then popped them up for some added dimension.

  I cut a few Pale Papaya sprigs with the Flowers of Home dies and tucked them behind the main floral image and then adhered the whole thing with dimensionals.  

  The sentiment is from All Squared Away and is embossed in copper embossing powder and is flagged and popped.  A cute fork bow (tutorial here) and a sprinkling of pearls finishes off this beauty.

  I hope you enjoyed getting this sneak peek because I certainly enjoyed showing you!

  Thanks for looking!  Did you stamp today?

Stamps: Blessings of Home*, All Squared Away

Ink: Smoky Slate, Versamark

Blends: Pale Papaya light & dark, Cinnamon Cider light & dark, Pumpkin Pie light & dark, Smoky Slate light

Paper: Cinnamon Cider, Basic White, Pale Papaya,  Hearth & Home DSP*

Accessories: Flowers of Home dies*, dimensionals, open weave ribbon, adhesive pearls, copper embossing powder

*Products coming out in the Stampin' Up! Jan.-June 2022 catalog