Mauve Petals - Stampin' Up! Sentimental Park

  The Color Throwdown Team has a real challenge for me this week.  I'm not usually much of a pink person but they have Dusty Rose, Blush and White for their colors so I thought the new In Color Moody Mauve would work for the Dusty Rose shade and I hadn't used it yet and kind of needed a push.

  I used Petal Pink for the "blush" and hope it's close enough!

  I've pulled all my retiring stamps for my upcoming BOGO sale so I have a very small selection of current/carryover stamp sets to choose from and even fewer that I think would work with this color combo so I'm sticking with the obvious choice of flowers.

  I stamped the cluster of flowers all over the Moody Mauve card base.  I stamped the flowers and then cut some out in both colors and adhered them over a strip of retired organdy striped ribbon in Petal Pink which is adhered to a piece of vellum.  Some of the flowers are popped on dimensionals and others are glued flat.  Once all the flowers were in place I could put adhesive on the back of the vellum to adhere it to the card base.

  The sentiment from Go To Greetings is stamped in Moody Mauve and popped across the flowers.  I added some Petal Pink Polished Dots for a subtle detail.

  Funny thing on this card is that when I went to photograph it something just didn't look right and I decided the vellum was too severe with the straight even lines so I ended up tearing one side on an angle and that did the trick, the card just looked better to me!  So the lesson is that you shouldn't be afraid to change/add/alter something on a "completed" card if something feels off!

  Look for the new In Color Moody Mauve starting on May 2.  Other current items used on this card can be ordered HERE.

  Thanks for looking!  Did you stamp today?

Stamps: Sentimental Park, Go To Greetings

Ink: Moody Mauve

Paper: Moody Mauve, Petal Pink, Basic White, vellum

Accessories: Sentimental Park dies, dimensionals, Polished Dots, striped organdy ribbon (retired)

Birthday Balloons - Stampin' Up! Beautiful Balloons

   I started this card earlier in the week and finally found time to finish it yesterday.  I really need to get my butt in gear creating samples for my upcoming New Catalog Open House event and when I saw the sketch challenge at The Paper Players I thought it would be perfect with the soon to be released Beautiful Balloons stamp set.

  Looking at the finished product I think it might be a tab busy with with all the colors and background pattern but I certainly had fun playing around and trying out so many new products!  All of these will be available to order starting May 2.

  The background is from a 6x6 DSP pack called Bright & Beautiful.  It highlights 10 of the 11 new Stampin' Up! colors (or re-releasing with former In Colors returning).  

  To follow the sketch I embossed the curved sentiment onto a die cut circle in Berry Burst and then layered 3 fringed pieces of card stock made with the fringe die in the Beautiful Balloons dies.  Next I added 3 balloons and strings. 

  The final thing to finish the sketch is the sentiment stamped in Blueberry Bushel under the fringe.

  I'm excited about all the celebration possibilities with the Beautiful balloons bundle; birthdays, new babies, graduations, work promotions really anything you want to celebrate!

  Remember it's all available in my online store starting on May 2.

  Thanks for looking!  Did you stamp today?

Stamps: Beautiful Balloons

Ink: Versamark, Azure Afternoon, Berry Burst, Lemon Lime Twist, Lemon Lolly, Blueberry Bushel

Paper: Bright & Beautiful DSP, Basic White, Berry Burst, Lemon Lolly, Bubble Bath, Azure Afternoon

Accessories: Beautiful Balloons dies, Stylish Shapes dies, white embossing power, baker's twine, dimensionals

Yay for Catcakes - Stampin' Up! Best Day

   Only a short time left to order the Best Day stamp set with this adorable "catcake".  Well that's what I'm calling a cat in a cupcake liner!  My stampers made this design in class this week and they all got a kick out coloring their catcake in different colors to match the cats in their lives.  I had my whole collection of neutral blends available for them to choose from so we had a lot of different kitties.

  We started with this on with a nice bright base in Parakeet Party, then a layer of Tahitian Tide.  We used a piece of Basic White and stamped the cat in Basic Gray, then stamped just the cupcake liner again onto a piece of Butterfly Kisses DSP in a small polka dot pattern.  

  The cat is colored with Blends markers and then the dots on the cupcake liner are colored in with the dark Parakeet Party Blends and then fussy cut and glued to the image.

  Using a blending brush we lightly added Parakeet Party ink to the side of the cat and stamped some streamers over the top in the same color ink.

  The letters are created with the Alphabet a la Mode dies.  We colored a piece of cardstock with Tahitian Tide Blends in a gradient ombre leaving the very top of the cardstock white then added the square to a piece of Foam Adhesive Sheet (you can find it on page 138 of the 2023-24 Annual catalog or page 127 of the soon to be retired catalog).

  The Alphabet a la Mode dies will cut right through the cardstock and foam and make it really easy to create popped up words for your cards.  Once the letters were cut out we just peeled the backing off and added them to the card front.  We used a pastel adhesive-backed sequin for the dot on the exclamation point for some sparkle.

  A bit of Metallic Woven ribbon tied to the corner is the last touch before adhering the panel to the card front dimensionals.

  Check out my ONLINE STORE if you'd like to order any of the products used on this card.

  Thanks for looking!  Did you stamp today?

Stamps: Best Day

Ink: Basic Gray, Parakeet Party

Blends: Smoky Slate light & dark, Tahitian Tide light & dark, Parakeet Party dark

Paper: Parakeet Party, Tahitian Tide, Basic White, Butterfly Kisses DSP

Accessories: Alphabet a la Mode dies, Foam Adhesive Sheets, Metallic Woven ribbon, pastel adhesive-backed sequin, dimensionals

Zany Celebration - Stampin' Up! Zany Zoo

   I couldn't pass up the Zany Zoo bundle on the demonstrator pre-order for the new annual catalog and I finally had time to get some ink on at least a few of the stamps to participate in 2 great challenges.  My layout is from Global Design Project and the colors are from Color Throwdown.

    I started with a Coastal Cabana base then I used a piece of the Zoo Crew DSP in one of the reverse black and white patterns.  

  I cut out 9 balloon in the challenge colors and adhered them in a grid on a Stitched Rectangle backed with Basic Black.  The panel is popped on dimensionals over a piece of retired Soft Sea Foam seam binding ribbon.

   The adorable raccoon is stamped in Memento black and colored with Blends markers (colors listed below).  Using the coordinating Zany Zoo dies I cut him out and popped him up to the side of the balloons and then added the sentiment to the other side to follow the sketch.

  The Zany Zoo bundle is sure to be a customer favorite once it is available on May 2!  Don't forget to add it to your wish list.

  Thanks for looking!  Did you stamp today?

Stamps: Zany Zoo (coming soon!)

Ink: Memento black

Blends: Gray Granite light & dark, Smoky Slate light & dark, Basic Black light, Soft Sea Foam light & dark, Lemon Lolly light & dark (coming soon!), Pool Party dark

Paper: Coastal Cabana, Soft Sea Foam, Lemon Lolly (coming soon!), Basic Black, Basic White, Zoo Crew DSP (coming soon!)

Accessories: Zany Zoo dies (coming soon!), dimensionals, Stitched Rectangle dies (retiring), Soft Sea Foam seam binding ribbon (retired)

Lemon Squeeze - Stampin' Up! Sweet Citrus

   I'm so happy that the Sweet Citrus suite of products are carrying over as I feel like I didn't used them nearly as much as I wanted to.  Some mini catalogs I end up losing almost everything to retirement but this time around almost everything I purchased is carrying over to the new annual catalog so I'm looking forward to continuing to create with them.

  I designed this card for my last quick & easy card class and I love the color combo with the greens and yellows.  If you're an eagle-eye can you spot the soon to be released new color??  The centers of the lemons are stamped with the new Lemon Lolly color.  Fitting that I used it on this card right?  It's a beautiful light yellow.

  The card base is Soft Sea Foam and then on the lefthand side is a piece of long retired Sale-a-Bration DSP called Peaceful Prints which is actually a Christmas paper pack but the Garden Green print works perfectly!

  The lemon rinds are stamped in Daffodil Delight then filled in with the Lemon Lolly and fussy cut.  I have the dies and embossing folder but since it's a quick and easy class that I hold away from home I keep the extra steps and tools to a minimum.  After the lemons are cut out stamp the leaf right onto the card base using the loose lemons to decide on placement.  

  We added a strip of Soft Sea Foam seam binding ribbon and then adhered the lemons with the slice being popped on dimensionals.  The sentiment is stamped at the top in Garden Green ink and then a few milky dots are sprinkled around the lemons.

  Order the Sweet Citrus bundle and save 10% for the next few week in my store ORDER ONLINE

  Thanks for looking!  Did you stamp today?

Stamps: Sweet Citrus

Ink: Lemon Lolly, Daffodil Delight, Garden Green

Paper: Soft Sea Foam, Basic White, Peaceful Prints DSP (SAB- retired)

Accessories: Milky Dots, dimensionals, Soft Sea Foam seam binding ribbon (retired)

Petals in Blue - Stampin' Up! Petal Park

   The Petal Park bundle just keeps delivering great floral cards.  This is quick & easy card that showcases a piece of the Regency Park DSP.

  Night of Navy and Balmy Blue pair up for this clean floral look.  It starts with a Night of Navy card base, then a layer of Basic White.  The piece of Regency Park DSP is matted with Balmy Blue and tied with a bit of Balmy Blue & White variegated ribbon.

  The "let's celebrate" from Sentimental Park stamp set is stamped in Night of Navy under the DSP square. A quick change of sentiment can make this card be for any occasion you'd like.

  The trio of flowers are stamped in Night of Navy and then loosely colored in with Balmy Blue Blends.  Once they were punched out with the Petal Park builder punch they are adhered to the card front with dimensionals.

  All of these products can be purchased in my ONLINE STORE.  Get the Petal Park bundle now and save 10% before the bundle pricing ends!

  Thanks for looking!  Did you stamp today?

Stamps: Petal Park, Sentimental Park

Ink: Night of Navy

Blends: Balmy Blue light & dark

Paper: Night of Navy, Basic White, Balmy Blue, Regency Park DSP

Accessories: Petal Park builder punch, Balmy Blue & White variegated ribbon, dimensionals

FREE SHIPPING - April 19 Only

 

  Plan your order now to take advantage of Free Shipping on order of $75 or more.  It's the perfect time to check out the Last Chance retirement list and sale priced products (don't forget the Clearance Rack!) and get free shipping.  It's one day only so mark your calendar, leave a note for yourself, or set a reminder on your phone.

  Use my April Host Code: 76R24EPT and earn door prize chances in my monthly drawing.  Each $25 of product ordered gets one chance so you'll get free shipping plus 3 chances on a $75 order!

 Shop in my ONLINE STORE and make sure it say Amanda Mertz demonstrator when placing your order!

Butterfly Hi - Stampin' Up! Country Bouquet

   No matter how hard I try to use up every last shred of a DSP package I very rarely hit that goal.  I love the Butterfly Kisses DSP which is retiring soon (and is on sale right now!) and I have used it a lot but apparently in only small bits and pieces because I have many full sheets left!  I decided to use up a few sheets when I designed for my last Quick & Easy card class.  I pulled my colors from the butterfly pattern and made a fun, bright hello card.

   The card starts with a Fresh Freesia base (I'm so happy this color is staying as part of the updated Color Collections!).  Then the panel of the Butterfly Kisses DSP; isn't it so cheerful?  Next, is a Stitched Shape circle in Starry Sky stamped over with little hearts in the same color ink.  I'm so glad the Country Bouquet stamp set and punch are carrying over.  It was unavailable for a good portion of the sales period so it's nice for people to get another shot at ordering it.  

  Using the Alphabet a la Mode dies we cut out a "hi" and then backed the opening with a Basic White circle so the letters would pop.  The circle is then adhered with dimensionals.

  The hearts are stamped in Calypso Coral and punched out and added to the card front with more dimensionals.

  Two Matte Decorative Dots in Parakeet Party are the embellishments to finish up this card.

  To order any of the supplies used on this card check out my ONLINE STORE.  Retiring items are while supplies last so don't wait!

  Thanks for looking!  Did you stamp today?

Stamps: Country Bouquet

Ink: Calypso Coral, Starry Sky

Paper: Fresh Freesia, Basic White, Starry Sky, Butterfly Kisses DSP

Accessories: Stylish Shapes dies, Country Bouquet punch, dimensionals, matte decorative dots

Beautiful Purples - Stampin' Up! Beautiful Balloons

  One of my cards was recently chosen as a winner at the Color Hues challenge for this Mountain Camping card  and because of that I get the huge honor of joining the Color Hues team as a guest designer for this week's challenge.  I hope you'll check out all the wonderful goodness that this team is showcasing and then join in the fun yourself: The Color Hues Challenge

  We are working with with Purple & Green this time!  So many ways this pair of colors can go!

   Since I had just gotten my Stampin' Up! demonstrator pre-order I wanted to use a new stamp set of course!  The new Beautiful Balloons (available to customers on May 2) seemed like a natural choice for this color combo!

  Purple is one of my favorite colors and I never want to have to pick a favorite so I decided to use 3 different purples on this card!  I stamped the balloons in Gorgeous Grape, Highland Heather and Fresh Freesia.  Once they were cut out I added some white baker's twine ties to them then adhered the trio to a Basic White card front.  The party streamer are stamped across the card front in returning color Lemon Lime Twist.  A stitched border is added using the Stitched With Whimsy dies that really go well with the streamers.

  The sentiment is stamped in Gorgeous Grape and fussy cut and popped on dimensionals below the balloons.  Some faceted opaque gems in 2 of the purples are added for a final touch.

  I loved this color combo and might even have to make time to do a purple and green floral card because the colors are just too good not to!

 

  Thanks to the Colors Hues Design Team for inviting me to join in on this fun challenge!

  Thanks for looking!  Did you stamp today?

Stamps: Beautiful Balloons (coming May 2)

Ink: Gorgeous Grape, Highland Heather, Fresh Freesia, Lemon Lime Twist

Paper: Lemon Lime Twist, Basic White, Basic White thick

Accessories: Beautiful Balloons dies, Stitched with Whimsy dies, dimensionals, white baker's twine, opaque adhesive-backed gems

Foxy Forest - Stampin' Up! Playing in the Rain

    It's that time of the Stampin' Up! year when it's a crap shoot as to whether the products I've designed with are still available by the time I post the card.  Once the Last Chance list has been released some products sell out really quickly so if anything that I've used today is sold out when you check the store I'm really sorry!  Rest easy though since the next catalog always has something you'll want just as much as a retired item!

  I've mixed and matched some retiring Annual Catalog items with a stamp set from the mini catalog that will continue to be available.  I designed this card as my March customer thank you card.  I'd love to be your demonstrator and send you a card!  

  The card starts with a piece of the Happy Forest Friends DSP adhered to the card base (I used the retiring Sahara Sand here but you can't see it).  Then a band of Calypso Coral cardstock.  I created the scene using the grassy mound stamp from Happier Than Happy stamped a few times in retiring Pear Pizzazz ink.  The word bubble is stamped in retiring Soft Suede and is from the mini catalog set Conversation Bubbles.

  The fox from Playing in the Rain is stamped in Soft Suede and colored with Blends (Cajun Craze and retiring So Saffron).  I stamped the umbrella a second time onto another pattern from Happy Forest Friends DSP and then fussy cut it for some paper piecing.  Once all that was finished the fox is die cut and then popped with dimensionals.

  A few Pebbled enamel shapes (currently on sale on the clearance rack) are scattered on the ground and an Old Olive twill ribbon knot is added to the the side of the panel.

  Products can be ordered in my ONLINE STORE.  Order sooner for best selection.

  Thanks for looking!  Did you stamp today?

Stamps: Playing in the Rain, Conversation Bubbles(retiring), Happier Than Happy(retiring)

Ink: Soft Suede(retiring), Pear Pizzazz(retiring)

Blends: So Saffron light & dark (retiring), Cajun Craze light & dark

Paper: Happy Forest Friends DSP(retiring), Mossy Meadow, Basic White, Calypso Coral

Accessories: Playing in the Rain dies, Pebbled Shapes(retired), twill ribbon(retiring), dimensionals

Classic Tools - Stampin' Up! Vintage Tools

   I don't always get a guy card made for Testosterone Tuesday but I do try hard to come up with some masculine inspiration for you each week.  My card today was inspired by a long closed sketch challenge but I wanted to use it anyway since the layout is so easy you can re-create it at home with supplies you've already got making it even easier to design for those guys in your life.

  I used the retiring Vintage Tools stamp set.  As of right now it is still available but no guarantees as we get closer to the end of the annual catalog sales period.  Order sooner for best selection of retiring items.

  This idea has been in my head for a while and I finally got it down on cardstock.  Using the faux metal technique I made some tools for the focal point of this card.

  This card is not only classic with the stamp set it's also classic black & white.  I used a Basic White thick base, then a layer of Basic Black, then another layer in Basic White.  I topped that with 2 slightly different sized rectangles in black and white prints from the retired All Together DSP (it's currently on sale in the clearance rack!).

  I stamped the sentiment in Memento black on a strip of Basic White.  

  Now for making the tools!  The faux metal technique is so easy.  All you need is a metallic embossing powder (I used silver) and Versamark ink.  Just press your Versamark onto a piece of cardstock (I used a scrap of Basic White sized for the stamps I was using) and then cover it with embossing powder and heat it until it melts.  Then repeat the process again.  Don't touch the embossing while it's still hot or you'll get your fingerprints in it.  Do the process again but as soon as the embossing powder melts carefully press your stamp into the hot area. When you pull the stamp away you'll have a metallic image!

  Look at that cool detail!  I love the texture that transferred from the stamps!  I would recommend doing each image separately so you can make sure your last layer is evenly hot to accept the image.  I then fussy cut the tools and added them to my card front.

  If you're interested in any of the currently available products used to make this card you can find them in my ONLINE STORE

  Thanks for looking!  Did you stamp today?

Stamps: Vintage Tools (retiring)

Ink: Versamark, Memento Black

Paper: Basic White thick, Basic White, Basic Black, All Together DSP (retired - on Clearance Rack)

Accessories: silver embossing powder, dimensionals

Blue Ridge Mountain Scene - Stampin' Up! Picturesque

   It's busy times in the Stampin' Up! world!  We've got the Last Chance list with all the retiring items from 2 catalogs, demonstrator pre-order for the upcoming new annual catalog and a Color Collection Refresh!  So much to keep up with!  

  If you want to order retiring items before they are gone for good and get up to 60% off on some items check out my ONLINE STORE  

  Are you so excited to see the the new annual catalog and you can't wait to order all of the Color Refresh colors?  You can get early access to all of that by joining my team during the month of April.  Contact me for more information or go ahead and JOIN MY TEAM

  My card today features a few retiring items from both the annual catalog and January - March 2023 catalog.  My stampers used all of these products to make this card in class last week.

  We used Crumb Cake for the base then a layer of Starry Sky to back our image panel.

  To make the image we started with a piece of Basic White about 4" x 5.25" and the Picturesque stamp set which is on sale for 50% on the Last Chance list!!!  First we stamped the bottom edge with the one tall tree in Starry Sky leaving an edge of Basic White to create a frame.  Next comes the lower vegetation stamp in Orchid Oasis, then the valley/river in Pool Party and then the distant mountain range in Orchid Oasis.  To get the best result in lining up each stamp you might want to stand up to stamp and be able to look straight down.

  If you end up getting some white space between layers use Stampin' Blends markers to fill in the gaps.

  Once the scene was stamped we used a small blending brush and Pale Papaya ink (retiring soon!) and lightly blended the sky for a bit of a sunrise look.

  Then we used the Stitched Rectangle dies (retiring soon - 30% off in the Last Chance sale!) to cut out the scene leaving a nice white border around the edges.

  We added some In Color baker's twine, the sentiment stamped in Starry Sky ink and then punched out and popped on dimensionals.  

  Thanks for looking!  Did you stamp today?

Stamps: Picturesque

Ink: Starry Sky, Orchid Oasis, Pool Party, Pale Papaya

Paper: Crumb Cake, Starry Sky, Basic White

Accessories: Stitched Rectangle dies, dimensionals, small blending brush, baker's twine, circle punch/die