Happy New Year Starburst - Stampin' Up! More Wishes

   I always end up needing a few happy new year cards so I wanted to get ahead of it and at least get one card designed so if I don't have time to design any more from scratch I can just make more of this design.  The layout is from the Global Design Project challenge and is perfect for highlighting either a smaller image or a sentiment.  

  So what do you think is a good New Year's color palette?  I definitely wanted to use gold and I thought Orchid Oasis and Fresh Freesia would work along with it.  What do you think?

  I started with a Basic White thick base, then a layer of Orchid Oasis and then a layer of Basic White embossed with the long retired Tufted embossing folder.  All of my current folders were just a little too busy and I thought the delicate streamer die cuts would just get lost.  I'm glad I held onto this one!

  I used the light strand die from the Merry & Bright die set to cut 4 strings.   I used the retired gold Soft Shimmer paper but we still carry other colors if you like this style of paper (see page 127 in the Annual Catalog).  Gold foil would also be a great choice!  Once I got them cut and adhered I added a starburst in Fresh Freesia and Orchid Oasis from the Stars at Night die set and popped the 2 layers.

  The sentiment is the More Wishes stamp set which coordinates with the Biggest Wish stamp set for more mix and match possibilities.  I stamped it in Versamark and embossed in gold.  I fussy cut each word then popped them on mini dimensionals across the starburst.

  The retired Fresh Freesia opaque faceted gems are the final detail for this celebratory card.

  All of the current products used to make this card can be purchased in my ONLINE STORE.

  Thanks for looking!  Did you stamp today?

Stamps: More Wishes

Ink: Versamark

Paper: Basic White thick, Basic White, Orchid Oasis, Fresh Freesia, Soft Shimmer Gold Specialty paper (retired)

Accessories: Merry & Bright dies, Stars at Night dies, gold embossing powder, dimensionals, Tufted embossing folder (retired), Opaque Faceted gems (retired)

Layered Sympathy - Stampin' Up! Layered Leaves

   I needed a sympathy card recently and didn't have any in my stash so I had to make one.  Never at the top of my list of cards to make I usually make them when I don't need them so they are ready to pop in the mail without my having to to create on the fly for such a sad occasion.  I need to add "sympathy cards" to my stamping to do list so I'm not caught short again.

  I used a mix of supplies to put this one together in a soft color palette with nature elements.

  The base is Basic White thick with a smaller layer of retired Peaceful Prints DSP on top.  I love this birch tree pattern and the soft neutral tones were perfect as a background to my main element.

  The label die cut was in my orphaned card parts basket and I stamped the sentiment from the retired Sale-a-Bration set Delicate Dahlias.  I didn't have a single current sympathy sentiment so I was glad to find this one in my retired sets drawer.  I stamped it in Pebbled Path and then added all the leaves behind it.

  I used the Layered Leaves stamp set for the Soft Sea Foam stamped leaves and used the coordinating punch to punch them out as well as the little Pebbled Path sprigs.

  The Boho Blue stamped leaves are from the Timeless Arrangement set and they and the smaller Soft Sea Foam sprigs are die cut with the Timeless Arrangement dies.  Once the leaves were adhered to the back of the label I popped it all up on dimensionals.

 Two Boho Blue 2023-2025 In Color dots are added to the side of the sentiment for the only embellishment.

  All of the current products used to make this card can be purchased in my ONLINE STORE.

  Thanks for looking.  Did you stamp today?

Stamps: Layering Leaves, Timeless Arrangements, Delicate Dahlias (retired- SAB)

Ink: Soft Sea Foam, Boho Blue, Pebbled Path

Paper: Basic White thick, Basic White, Boho Blue, Pebbled Path, Soft Sea Foam, Peaceful Prints (retired- SAB)

Accessories: Bough punch, Timeless Arrangements dies, label die (unknown set), dimensionals, 2023-2025 In Color dots

Autumn Leaves Diamond Fold - Stampin' Up! Autumn Leaves

 I'm back today with another fun fold card that we made at my classes last week.  This one uses the Autumn Leaves bundle and other products from the All About Autumn suite.  My downline in Texas Kimberly Hile (scattersomejoy on Instagram) sent me a fun card using the Earthen Elegance suite and this diamond fold and I took inspiration from it to create my version with the Autumn Leaves products.  Check out the video tutorial below for all the details.

  This fold is really easy and just takes 2 scores and 2 cuts to make the base.  Your base card stock is cut at 4 1/4" x 11" and you score at 2 1/8" and 5 1/2" inches.  Mark the short end by the 2 1/8" score at 2 1/8" (halfway mark on that edge).  Next line up the score line and the 2 1/8" mark along your cutting challenge and cut off the corner, repeat on the other side to form the point.

  Then decorate the front and other panels however you'd like.  This is a great fold to show off different DSPs.  I used the All About Autumn DSP for the front 3" x 4" panel and then a piece of the Oxidized Copper specialty paper on the inside 3" x 4" panel.

  I show how I put the whole card together in the video tutorial below.

  All of the items used to make this card can be purchased in my ONLINE STORE.

  Thanks for looking!  Did you stamp today?

Stamps: Autumn Leaves, Go To Greetings

Ink: Pretty Peacock, Mossy Meadow, Copper Clay

Paper: Pretty Peacock, Very Vanilla, Early Espresso, All About Autumn DSP, Oxidized Copper Specialty paper

Accessories: Autumn Leaves dies, Distressed Tile embossing folder, copper & natural ribbon combo pack, dimensionals

Merry & Bright Gift Card Holder - Stampin' Up! Merry & Bright

   Every year for one of my classes before Christmas I make sure to design a card that doubles as a gift card holder.  I always love giving gift cards in a fancy holder to jazz up the fact that I'm giving someone a piece of plastic as a gift lol!  To me it makes the gift more personal if I've put some effort into the card.  Today's gift card holder is inspired by one that I originally saw by Teresa Wearmouth (@stonesthrowstampin on Instagram).  Check out her autumn version here.  She was super generous in sharing some how to photos and measurements so I thank her for the inspiration for my Christmas version. 

  Check out the how to video below; it's not a difficult design you just need to take your time with the measurement and die cutting.

  The Merry & Bright stamp set and the Merry Bold & Bright DSP work perfectly together to make this bright, fun card.

  And this is how it looks when the card is open!  See how the curved piece with the DSP creates the pocket for the gift card?  So fun!

 Check out the video for all the how tos!

  All of the supplies used to make this card can be purchased in my ONLINE STORE.

  Thanks for looking!  Did you stamp today?

Stamps: Merry & Bright

Ink: Shaded Spruce, Melon Mambo, Blueberry Bushel, Daffodil Delight, Granny Apple Green

Paper: Basic White thick, Basic White, Merry Bold & Bright DSP, Granny Apple Green foil

Accessories: Basic Borders dies, Merry & Bright dies, dimensionals, Iridescent adhesive-backed discs

Christmas Rhino - Stampin' Up! Festive & Fun

   I had my monthly stamping class yesterday and one of the cards we made was this adorable rhino Christmas card.  The image is just so cute with the big rhino and little birds on the sled.  I designed it in a nice color palette and brought in a little pop of color with the Joy of Christmas DSP in the center of the card.

  The base is Soft Sea Foam and then a layer of vellum is next.  The vellum is embossed with the Snowflake Sky embossing folder.  Next is a strip of Textured Shimmer paper in Shaded Spruce and then a piece of the Joy of Christmas DSP.  We also added in another narrow strip of this DSP on the inside of the card.

  The image is stamped in Basic Gray and then colored with Stampin' Blends.  After coloring, the image is cut out with one of the Deckled Rectangle dies and then popped on dimensionals. 

  The sentiment from Brightest Glow is stamped in Cherry Cobbler and then punched out.  The embellishment for this card are 2 rhinestones that were colored with the dark Shaded Spruce blends marker for a custom look.

  A quick tip for working with vellum layers; add all of your elements to the top of the vellum piece before attaching the vellum panel to your card front.  Use the spots behind the other elements to add your adhesive so that it's all hidden and won't show through to the front.

  All of the items used to make this card can be purchased in my ONLINE STORE.

  Thanks for looking!  Did you stamp today?

Stamps: Festive & Fun, Brightest Glow

Ink: Basic Gray, Cherry Cobbler

Blends: Cherry Cobler light & dark, Shaded Spruce light & dark, Smoky Slae light & dark, Daffodil Delight dark, Soft Sea Foam dark, Pecan Pie light, Crumb Cake light

Paper: Soft Sea Foam, Vellum, Basic White, Textured Shimmer paper, Joy of Christmas DSP

Accessories: Deckled Rectangle dies, Snowflake Sky embossing folder, dimensionals, rhinestones, circle punch/circle die

Garden Owl Hello - Stampin' Up! Adorable Owls

   Owls seem to be the theme for me lately!  Not only is the Alphabet Challenge using owls for the letter O on the current challenge I saw real life Great Horned Owls in the wild the other day!  We were walking the dogs in the woods early one morning last week just as the sky was starting to lighten and I heard a faint "whhoooo, whhoooo" and thought wow that's cools there's an owl calling.  We hear and see lots of different birds but never owls.  Because it was so faint we thought he/she was far away from us so we stopped walking to hear it better.  While we were standing there listening my husband actually spotted it up in a tree about 20 yards from us.  We stood there watching and listening for a while and then a second one swooped in and landed on the same branch!!  It was so cool.  They both preened for a bit and then the first owl flew to a higher branch where we couldn't see it anymore but the second stayed.  Much as we wanted to stand and watch longer we really needed to get the dogs walked and get back home and start the day.  But maybe an owl card is the next best thing??

  This was a super quick card to put together because I already had the owl colored and fussy cut as well as the hello circle.  I found them in my orphaned card parts basket and thought they would be a great start for this owl challenge!  All I did was add strips of Garden Walk DSP torn at different lengths to a Basic White thick card base for a nice colorful background.

  The owl which is from this year's Sale-a-Bration reward stamp set Adorable Owls is stamped in Crumb Cake and then colored with Blends markers is popped up on dimensionals.  The hello circle is stamped in Pretty Peacock with the sentiment from Layering Leaves stamp set.

  The only extra I added was a Calypso Coral braided linen trim knot at the edge of the sentiment.

  All of the current products used to make this card can be purchased in my ONLINE STORE.

  Thanks for looking!  Did you stamp today?

Stamps: Layering Leaves, Adorable Owls (retired- SAB)

Ink: Pretty Peacock, Crumb Cake

Blends: Crumb Cake light, Medium, Pumpkin Pie dark, Balmy Blue dark

Paper: Basic White thick, Basic White, Garden Walk DSP

Accessories: dimensionals, circle punch/die, Calypso Coral braided linen trim

Birthday Raccoon - Stampin' Up! Zany Zoo

   I shared a Christmas card last week with the same color combo as my card today and I think I had the idea to use those colors after seeing the challenge over at Seize the Birthday challenge but I flaked out and ended up making a Christmas card instead of a birthday card for the challenge.  So I thought I would re-visit the colors and actually play along with the birthday theme.  I used the Freshly Made Sketches layout with banners at the top of the design but flipped to portrait instead of landscape.

  What a fun color combo and those flags at the top make it even more festive!

  I started with a Parakeet Party base then a layer of Melon Mambo and finally the piece of Basic White on which I stamped the raccoon from Zany Zoo as well as the sentiment in Memento Black.  I used watercolor pencils to color the raccoon and Blends markers for the balloons.

  The flags are hand trimmed in different widths.  I had to dig back years in my scraps to find any DSP in Melon Mambo and I can't even tell you what pack it was because it was before I saved the labels after packs retired.  The Parakeet Party patterns are from the 2022-2024 In Color DSP.  The edges of the flags are covered with a length of Lemon Lime Twist from the ribbon duo pack.  The LLT is super close to Parakeet Party so it definitely works for this card.

  Thanks for the fun colors Seize the Birthday!  Thanks for the great layout Freshly Made Sketches!

  All of the current products used to make this card can be purchased in my ONLINE STORE.

  Thanks for looking!  Did you stamp today?

Stamps: Zany Zoo

Ink: Memento Black

Blends: Parakeet Party light & dark, Melon Mambo light & dark

Paper: Parakeet Party, Melon Mambo, Basic White, 2022-2024 In Color DSP (retired), unknown Melon Mambo DSP

Accessories: watercolor pencils, dimensionals, Ribbon Duo pack

Merry Lights - Stampin' Up! Merry & Bright

   Just a quick post to share a card today before the day is over.  It's been busy with soccer and getting the boys ready for their homecoming dance.  It's like herding cats I tell ya!  But they managed to get dressed and out the door for photos eventually!

  I made today's card for the sketch over at Hand Stamped Sentiments.  I hope it's close enough as I used the diagonal element for my string of lights instead of having a layer of cardstock.

  The base is Pool Party and then another layer of Pool Party stamped with the trio of snowflakes from the Wishes All Around stamp set.

  Next I stamped the lights from the Merry & Bright stamp set and die cut them, the string and bases.  I adhered the lights to the card front with dimensionals layering them over a Stylish Shapes die cut circle I had in my orphaned card parts basket.

  I stamped the sentiment in Pretty Peacock and popped it up on mini dimensionals angling it per the sketch.  The final detail is a few adhesive-backed glitter sequins scattered around the lights.

  All of the products used to make this card can be purchased in my ONLINE STORE.

  Thanks for looking!  Did you stamp today?

Stamps: Merry & Bright, Wishes All Around

Ink: Pool Party, Pretty Peacock, Daffodil Delight, Flirty Flamingo, Sweet Sorbet

Cardstock: Pool Party, Basic White, Garden Green

Accessories: Merry & Bright dies, Stylish Shapes dies, dimensionals, adhesive-backed glitter sequins, dimensionals

Merry Christmas Wreath - Stampin' Up! More Wishes

   My card today is inspired by the Global Design Project CASE the Designer challenge. Kayla Renee is the designer we're to CASE and her card is gorgeous!  I used the layout and I was also inspired by the plaid background.  I need way more Christmas cards than I have and it's always around this time of the fall that I start to get nervous that I won't have enough so I went with a Christmas theme for today's card to help alleviate my panic.

  I started with a Shaded Spruce base then a layer of Basic White then my plaid layer.  I created the plaid pattern myself by using my grid paper, a ruler and my Shaded Spruce blends markers.  I just kind of started making straight lines and then making some darker as well as alternating between the dark and light markers for a variety.  It started with a piece of Basic White and after I finished the lines I lightly blended some Shaded Spruce ink onto it with a blending brush.  I'm pleased with how it turned out but I think it's mostly a happy accident that it looks as good as it does.  I'll have to try it again and see if I can be more than a one hit wonder lol!

  Next is a Basic White panel cut with he Deckled Rectangle dies and then heavily blended with Cherry Cobbler ink.

  I cut 2 wreaths with the Wishes All Around dies and layered the Distressed gold under the Shaded Spruce one for a nice full look.

  The sentiment is from the More Wishes stamp set and is stamped in Versamark and then embossed in gold.  I fussy cut the words and then popped them over the wreath with dimensionals.  I added a few gold gems and a Cherry Cobbler baker's twine bow.  

  I'm pleased with how this classic Christmas card came out and it just may be a design that I make a few more of to add to the stash!

  All of the current items used to make this card can be purchased in my ONLINE STORE.

  Thanks for looking!  Did you stamp today?

Stamps: More Wishes

Ink: Cherry Cobbler, Shaded Spruce, versamark

Blends: Shaded Spruce light & dark

Paper: Shaded Spruce, Basic White, Distressed Gold

Accessories: Deckled Rectangle dies, Wishes All Around dies, dimensionals, gold embossing powder, gold gems (retired), cherry cobbler baker's twine (retired)

Yellow Oak Thanksgiving - Stampin' Up! Autumn Leaves

   Last weekend we drove up through the Shenandoah Valley and we saw the start of some beautiful fall colors.  The colors haven't hit their peak in our area just yet so we enjoyed the preview and look forward to seeing it closer to home!

  In the meantime I'm using the colors at The Color Hues to re-create some autumn oak leaves.  They are having us use Yellow and Kraft which I translated to Crushed Curry, Lemon Lolly and Crumb Cake.

  I started with a Crumb Cake base and then a layer of Very Vanilla embossed with the Distressed Tile embossing folder.  I fear I'm a one trick pony when it comes to embossing folders lately.  This one is my absolute favorite right now and shows no signs of slipping in the rankings!  If you follow me on Instagram (@didyoustamptoday) you might have seen my recent reel about being obsessed with this folder!

  Next I sprayed a bit of water onto Fluid 100 watercolor paper to make it damp then inked up the oak leaf stamp from Autumn Harvest.  I stamped 3 in Crushed Curry and 3 in Lemon Lolly.  The wet paper softens the image and blurs the edges just a bit.  I then die cut them along with the veins.

  The veins are adhered to the leaves and then the leaves are adhered to the card front with Tear and Tape to make sure they stick well in case they are still a bit damp.  Once they were arranged in a wreath shape I got to work on the sentiment.  

  I wanted a sentiment to go across the wreath but not cover up too much of it.  The sentiments in the Autumn Leaves set didn't have one that worked so I pulled this one from the Pick of the Patch set.  It was the perfect size.  I stamped it in Crumb Cake on Very Vanilla and added a bit of retired ribbon underneath and then popped it on dimensionals over the wreath.

  A few adhesive-back speckled dots are the final touch to finish this fun fall card.

  All of the current items used to make this card can be purchased in my ONLINE STORE.

  Thanks for looking!  Did you stamp today?

Stamps: Autumn Leaves, Pick of the Patch

Ink: Crushed Curry, Lemon Lolly, Crumb Cake

Paper: Crumb Cake, Very Vanilla, Fluid 100 watercolor paper

Accessories: Autumn Leaves dies, Distressed Tile embossing folder, dimensionals, adhesive-backed speckled dots, fine art ribbon (retired)

Bright Christmas - Stampin' Up! Wishes All Around

   I'm back today with a super bold and bright Christmas card using non-traditional colors.  The Stars at Night dies are so fun to layer with and even more so with these great colors; Melon Mambo and Parakeet Party. And hard to photograph too lol.

  The base is Melon Mambo, then a layer of Basic White.  I die cut the star with the little circles all around it and then backed the opening with a piece of retired Parakeet Party glimmer paper.  Next I cut 2 stars out of Melon Mambo foil and then sandwiched another star cut from the glimmer paper.  The layered star is popped up over the cut out with dimensionals.  It's got such great shine and glimmer!

  The sentiment is from Wishes All Around stamp set and is embossed in white on Melon Mambo cardstock.  I took a length of Iridescent ribbon and cut it longways down the middle and then glued the pieces down on the back with the edges framing the sentiment.

  A few sequins from the adhesive-backed sequins trio are added to the top part of the card and then a single adhesive-backed glitter sequin goes on the center of the star.

 All of the current products used to make this card can be purchased in my ONLINE STORE.

  Thanks for looking!  Did you stamp today?

Stamps: Wishes All Around

Ink: Versamark

Paper: Melon Mambo, Parakeet Party, Basic White, Melon Mambo foil, Parakeet Party Glimmer paper (retired)

Accessories: Stars at Night dies, dimensionals, Iridescent ribbon, white embossing powder, adhesive-backed sequins trio, adhesive-backed glitter sequin

Bright & Festive - Stampin' Up! Festive & Fun

  I made this card after seeing a project shared by Stampin' Up! on Instagram and I thought they were challenging us to use these colors to make a Christmas card but they really were doing a creative challenge to use unconventional Christmas colors.  So I didn't really read that carefully and made a card with those exact colors.  Tomorrow's card will be unconventional Christmas colors though!

  When I re-read the challenge I thought that these colors weren't all that unconventional; I mean Old Olive is kind of a Christmas card staple!  At least it is in my stamp room!

  This one starts with an Old Olive base with a piece of Old Olive embossed with the Stars at Night embossing folder. I dug back through my orphaned card parts and found this die cut Stitched Rectangle and it was the perfect size to use with the giraffe in the Festive & Fun stamp set.  These colors are perfect for the image aren't they?

  I colored the image with Stampin' Blends and then added a scrap of retired Regency Park DSP in a Petal Pink polka dot pattern.  I wrapped some long ago retired Old Olive baker's twine around the DSP and tied a bow.

 The sentiment is from the carry over set from last year; Brightest Glow. I stamped it in Old Olive on another piece from the orphaned card parts basket and popped it up on dimensionals at the corner.

  So what do you think?  Are these unconventional colors or not?

  All of the current products used on this card can be purchased in my ONLINE STORE.

  Thanks for looking!   Did you stamp today?

Stamps: Festive & Fun, Brightest Glow

Ink: Memento Black, Old Olive

Blends: Old Olive light & dark, Petal Pink light & dark, Pecan Pie light and dark, Daffodil Delight light & dark

Paper: Old Olive, Basic White, Regency park DSP (retired)

Accessories: Stars at Night embossing folder, Stylish Shapes dies, dimensionals, Stitched Rectangle dies (retired), Old Olive bakers twine (retired)

Pumpkin Patch Stripes - Stampin' Up! Pick of the Patch

   When I saw the colors at The Color Throwdown I was a bit stumped for an idea and then it came to me; use a bunch of the little stamps in the Pick of the Patch stamp set and stamp them on strips of cardstock in the challenge colors to make a background.  My vision didn't make it so far as to figure out what to do with it next so I winged the rest of it with the oval that I found in my scraps and used it to make a focal point.  But I think I could have jazzed the card up differently I'm just not sure how....

  But overall I really like the background and think it's a fun way to use a lot of smaller images.  My colors are Pumpkin Pie, Azure Afternoon and Granny Apple Green.  I didn't use uniform widths of cardstock because the stamps were all different and I didn't want a lot of open space.

  Any oval die would work to re-create this one but mine is cut using the retired Stitched Shapes dies.  I found the piece in my orphaned card parts basket (I'm trying to be good and use stuff up when I can!).

  All of the current supplies used to make this card can be purchased in my ONLINE STORE.

  Thanks for looking!  Did you stamp today?

Stamps: Pick of the Patch

Ink: Pumpkin Pie, Azure Afternoon, Granny Apple Green, Memento Black

Paper: Pumpkin Pie, Azure Afternoon, Granny Apple Green, Basic White, Basic White thick

Accessories: Pick of the Patch builder punch, dimensionals, Stitched Shapes dies (retired)

Beautiful Autumn - Stampin' Up! Autumn Leaves

   My card today combines 2 different challenges.  For the layout I'm using the Freshly Made Sketches challenge and for the theme/colors I'm using The Card Concept.  I ended up making a clean and layered style of card using autumn elements.

  The colors that I ended up using are Cajun Craze, Crushed Curry, Blackberry Bliss and Mossy Meadow.  These colors against some Very Vanilla texture and woodgrain background definitely make me think of driving along back roads in New England.  

  The woodgrain paper is a pattern from the VERY popular All About Autumn DSP which is been out of stock nearly the entire catalog sales period so far.  Fingers crossed that it comes back before it's too late in the season to get much use from it...all of my customers want to order it!

  Next I layered a piece of Very Vanilla embossed with the Distressed Tile embossing folder backed with some Mossy Meadow.

  The leaves are made by first inking up both stamps in Crushed Curry.  Then I added ink around the edges using a sponge dauber; the maple leaves use Cajun Craze and the oak leaves use Blackberry Bliss.  I repeated each leaf twice so I could balance the top and bottom of the layout.  Veins were die cut in each of the accent colors and adhered.

  The sentiment is stamped in Mossy Meadow and die cut with one of the nice label dies in the Autumn Leaves die set.  It's popped up in the center with dimensionals and a retired Blackberry Bliss ribbon bow that I found in my scraps is the only accent.

  All of the current supplies used to make this card can be purchased in my ONLINE STORE.

  Thanks for looking!  Did you stamp today?

Stamps: Autumn Leaves

Ink: Cajun Craze, Crushed Curry, Blackberry Bliss, Mossy Meadow

Paper: Very Vanilla, All About Autumn DSP, Mossy Meadow, Blackberry Bliss, Cajun Craze

Accessories: Distressed Tile embossing folder, Autumn Leaves dies, dimensionals, Blackberry Bliss ribbon (retired)

Pumpkin Hello - Stampin' Up! Pick of the Patch

  In an effort to be better with my orphaned card parts basket I've been trying to pull out pieces to use on cards before cutting or stamping something new.  I had a stack of die cut circles cut out of the the retired Dandy Designs DSP that were offcuts from another project awhile back that seemed like something I could use.  It turned out they were perfect for the Global Design Project challenge to use patterns on a card.

  I layered the circles on a piece of Basic White cardstock to create a background for a little fall hello card.

 

  I stamped the big 'hello' from Biggest Wish in Blueberry Bushel and layered it over a narrow strip of the same color cardstock. I stamped a Crushed Curry pumpkin using the Pick of the Patch stamp set and added a Crumb Cake stem and Coastal Cabana leaf.

  In keeping with using some scraps I had a tiny piece of linen thread in my ribbon bin and tied it in a bow and adhered it to the pumpkin stem.  A few retired enamel dot essentials in Crumb Cake finish off the details to this one.

  

  All of the current supplies used to make this card can be purchased in my ONLINE STORE.  

  Thanks for looking!  Did you stamp today?

Stamps: Pick of the Patch, Biggest Wish

Ink: Blueberry Bushel, Coastal Cabana, Crushed Curry

Paper: Blueberry Bushel, Basic White, Crumb Cake, Dandy Designs DSP (retired)

Accessories: Stylish Shapes dies, dimensionals, Pick of the Patch builder punch, linen thread, enamel dots (retired)

Basic Bird Thanks - Stampin' Up! Bird's Eye View

   I haven't used my favorite adorable birds lately so I pulled them out to play along with the Hand Stamped Sentiments challenge.  They have a nice set of colors to work with this time and I briefly hought about doing a fall card but those birds were calling to me!

  We're to use Calypso Coral, Lost Lagoon, Blackberry Bliss and Pebbled Path for our project.

  Like the title of this post says; basic bird thanks!  I pulled out a Basic White thick card base, then topped it with another piece of Basic White embossed with the retired Brick & Mortar folder.  This piece was in my orphaned card parts basket with an 'oops' on the other side so I just flipped it for my background.

  The birds are stamped in Pebbled Path and then colored with Blends markers in the other challenge colors and then I fussy cut them.  The sentiment from Timeless Arrangements is embossed in white on a strip of Pebbled Path and then the birds are popped up on dimensionals along the strip. 

 Two 2023-2024 In Color Dots are the only embellishment on this clean and simple design.

  All of the current products used to make this card can be purchased in my ONLINE STORE.

  Thanks for looking!  Did you stamp today?

Stamps: Bird's Eye View, Timeless Arrangements

Ink: Pebbled Path, Versamark

Blends: Calypso Coral light & dark, Blackberry Bliss light & dark, Lost Lagoon light & dark

Paper: Basic White thick, Basic White, Pebbled Path

Accessories: white embossing powder, dimensionals 2023-2025 In Color dots, Brick & Mortar embossing folder (retired)

FREE Shipping Oct. 9, 10 & 11

 

  Get FREE shipping on your Stampin' Up! orders of $75 or more!  Such a great offer to get all of your supplies to start on your fall and Christmas projects!  Don't forget to check out the kits; they make great Christmas gifts!

  Order using my October Host Code: NHYEWSDN to get entered for door prizes at the end of the month.  1 chance for each $25 ordered.  My ONLINE STORE has everything you need to get started!

Halloween Lights - Stampin' Up! Merry & Bright

   Do you decorate for Halloween or just put out generic autumn decorations?  I have a few spooky-ish decorations that I put out but generally all I have is just generic fall.  But making a card that has a Halloween vibe is getting me in the mood to get my decorations out!

  I designed this card as a thank you for all of my customers who placed orders last month.  I write a note on writing paper and leave the card blank inside so they can send it out themselves and share the fun. 

  I had a good time combining the Merry & Bright Christmas stamp set with the jack-o-lantern face from the Pick of the Patch pumpkin stamp set.

  I started with a Basic Black card base then a layer of Parakeet Party and a slightly smaller on of Basic White.  I stamped the bulbs in Gorgeous Grape and Pumpkin Pie and embossed the face with black embossing powder.  I used the retired 2022-2024 In Color Glimmer paper to cut out the bulb sockets for a nice bit of bling.  Once I had the bulbs and sockets adhered I strung them across the main panel with Parakeet Party baker's twine and added a little bow on one side.

  To keep the bulbs in place I used dimensionals to adhere them just where I wanted along the string.

  Finally I stamped the Halloween sentiment from Pick of the Patch in the low right hand corner.

  I enjoyed making this set of cards as I don't normally make many Halloween designs and it was a good stretch of the creativity to combine these sets.

  All of the current products used to make this card can be purchased in my ONLINE STORE.

  Thanks for looking!  Did you stamp today?

Stamps: Merry & Bright, Pick of the Patch

Ink: Gorgeous Grape, Pumpkin Pie, Versamark, Memento Black

Paper: Basic Black, Parakeet Party, Basic White, 2022-2024 In Color Glimmer paper (retired)

Accessories: Merry & Bright dies, baker's twine, black embossing powder, dimensionals

Around the Christmas Tree - Stampin' Up! Wishes All Around

  Sometimes when I see a stamping challenge I immediately know what stamp set I'm going to use.  When there is a layout with a big circle in it only a few months before Christmas it's 90% of the time going to be a wreath card!  I just can't help myself; once I see that circle there's no going in a different direction.  This exact scenario happened this week when I saw the Global Design Project layout.  Big circle = wreath!

  So I pulled out the Wishes All Around bundle and the only thing to decide was which of the 3 wreaths to use!  I went with the trees this time and played around with a fun color combo; Highland Heather, Coastal Cabana and Orchid Oasis.

  I always seem to end up with retired In Color DSP and of course this pack is no exception so I used a piece of the Orchid Oasis in a light polka dot pattern as my card front (the full base is Basic White thick).  I layered a piece of Basic White embossed with the Snowflake Sky embossing folder and edged with strips of Coastal Cabana.

  The tree wreath is stamped in Coastal Cabana and die cut. I then stamped a few trees each in Orchid Oasis and Highland Heather and cut them out. I alternated the different colors around the wreath and then popped it up on mini dimensionals.

  To follow the sketch I stamped the sentiment from Merry & Bright in Orchid Oasis and then cut them out and adhered them to the side of the wreath.

  An Iridescent ribbon tied in a fork bow tops the wreath and some adhesive-backed glitter sequins are added in opposite corners for a bit of sparkle and balance.

  All of the current products used to make this card can be purchased in my ONLINE STORE.

  Thanks for looking!  Did you stamp today?

Stamps: Wishes All Around, Merry & Bright

Ink: Highland Heather, Coastal Cabana, Orchid Oasis

Paper: Basic White, 2022-2024 In Color DSP (retired), Coastal Cabana

Accessories: Wishes All Around dies, dimensionals, Snowflake Sky embossing folder, Iridescent ribbon, adhesive-backed glitter sequins

Balmy Autumn - Stampin' Up! Autumn Leaves

 As much fun as it is to use those rich autumnal colors for fall cards it's nice to throw in some non-traditional fall colors now and again!  I used the pretty colors from the Color Throwdown challenge this week and created a fall-ish card with colors other than orange, yellow and brown.

  I used Balmy Blue, Night of Navy and Calypso Coral.

  I started with a Balmy Blue card front and I stamped off the smallest leaves from the Autumn Leaves stamp set all over in a random pattern.  Then I cut a piece of vellum with the Counryside Corners dies and embossed it with the Distressed Tile embossing folder for some awesome texture to layer my leaves against.

  I had a scrap of Night of Navy bordered ribbon that I wanted to try to use up so I adhered that down the edge of the vellum panel.  

  The leaves are stamped in the challenge colors then cut out.  The veins/stems are cut from the same colors of card stock and adhered to each leaf.

 The sentiment is stamped in Night of Navy and I added a few retired milky dots for a final detail.

  All of the current products used to make this card can be purchased in my ONLINE STORE.

  Thanks for looking!  Did you stamp today?

Stamps: Autumn Leaves

Ink: Balmy Blue, Night of Navy, Calypso Coral

Paper: Balmy Blue, vellum, Basic White, Night of Navy, Calypso Coral

Accessories: Countryside Corners dies, Autumn Leaves dies, Distressed Tile embossing folder, dimensionals, Bordered Ribbon, milky dots (retired)

Festive Circles - Stampin' Up! Festive & Fun

   It's just 81 days until Christmas and I have just a handful of my cards made so I better get my butt in gear and start creating!  The Freshly Made Sketches challenge has a fun circle layout that I thought would be great to use to show off some Christmas DSP and maybe even make multiples when the time comes.

  I started with a Poppy Parade base then topped it with a piece of Basic White embossed with the Snowflake Sky embossing folder.

  Then I cut 3 circles with the Stylish Shapes circle dies.  I used the Merry Bold & Bright DSP for 2 of them and the other I used Basic White.  I stamped the moose from Festive & Fun on the white circle in Pecan Pie ink.  After letting it dry for a few minutes I colored it in with Blends markers then popped it on dimensionals.

  The sentiment is from Merry & Bright and is stamped in Shaded Spruce on Basic White then trimmed and popped on dimensionals.  

  I added a few Iridescent Adhesive-back Discs to give some shine and they also echo the circles nicely as well.

  This layout is a good one to mix and match with different DSP and images depending on what you have on hand and what fits in your circles.  

  All of the items used to make this card can be purchased in my ONLINE STORE.

  Thanks for looking!  Did you stamp today?

Stamps: Festive & Fun, Merry & Bright

Ink: Shaded Spruce, Pecan Pie

Blends: Pecan Pie light & dark, Shaded Spruce light & dark, Granny Apple Green light, Poppy Parade light, Melon Mambo light, Deep

Paper: Poppy Parade, Basic White, Merry Bold & Bright DSP

Accessories: Snowflake Sky embossing folder, Stylish Shapes dies, Iridescent Adhesive-back Discs, dimensionals

Zany Llama Hello - Stampin' Up! Zany Zoo

   I'm taking a break from fall colors today to play along with the CAS Colours & Sketches challenge.  They want us to make a clean and simple (CAS) card using Blueberry Bushel, Daffodil Delight & Fresh Freesia.  Such a pretty color combo!

  I went with a stamp I hadn't used before from the Zany Zoo set but is super cute and is great if you have a knitter in your life that you make cards for!

  This was a hard one to photograph with all the white and I've been struggling to get decent photos on sunny days anyways so just squint your eyes a bit and go with it!

  This is a super simple card with an easy layout to highlight the long skinny image.  I started with a Basic White thick base, then a panel of Basic White embossed with the Distressed Tile embossing folder.

  The llama is stamped in Memento and then colored with Blends.  She (because she has blue eyeshadow!) is then die cut and popped up on a tag.  The tag is tied with a bit of retired Starry Sky metallic woven ribbon which is a close match to the Blueberry Bushel as the ribbon is a bit lighter than the actual Starry Sky ink/paper.

  The 'hello' from Go To Greetings is stamped in Blueberry Bushel and added as a little flag on the side of the tag.  The whole thing is popped on dimensionals on the card front.  A few Blueberry Bushel tinsel gems are sprinkled across the front.

  All of the current items used to make this card can be purchased in my ONLINE STORE.

  Thanks for looking!  Did you stamp today?

Stamps: Zany Zoo, Go To Greetings

Ink: Memento black, Blueberry Bushel

Blends: Daffodil Delight light & dark, Fresh Freesia light & dark, Blueberry Bushel light

Paper: Basic White thick, Basic White, Fresh Freesia

Accessories: Zany Zoo dies, Distressed Tile embossing folder, Tailor Made tags dies, dimensionals, tinsel gems, Starry Sky metallic ribbon (retired)

Pumpkin Blessing - Stampin' Up! Pick of the Patch

   For the third and final project that my stampers made last week at class I used a clean and simple design I had made for a challenge and I ended up liking it so much that I tweaked it just a bit so it wouldn't be the exact same.  The original can be seen HERE.

  I changed up the card base to be Pretty Peacock and embossed a Basic White panel with the Cane Weave embossing folder for some extra texture.  The pumpkins and gourd are all put together the same way and popped on a length of natural ribbon.  The final difference on this card is the sentiment is stamped and popped up as opposed to being stamped right on the card front.

  My stampers loved the cute pumpkins and liked the color combo.  Pretty Peacock and Calypso Coral are a bit unexpected in a fall themed card I think but they totally work!

  All of the items used to make this card can be purchased in my ONLINE STORE.

 Thanks for looking!  Did you stamp today?

Stamps: Pick of the Patch

Ink: Pretty Peacock, Pumpkin Pie, Crushed Curry, Calypso Coral

Paper: Pretty Peacock, Basic White, Pecan Pie

Accessories: Pick of the Patch Builder punch, Cane Weave embossing folder, natural ribbon, dimensionals