Elegant Ornaments - Stampin' Up! All About Autumn DSP

  I designed today's card to show off the beautiful foil patterns on the All About Autumn DSP.  I was hoping that this paper would be available for a lot longer than it was but it's definiely too pretty not to use.  But for those of you lucky enough to have been able to order it you can CASE this one straight up and if you don't have this exact same paper it's a simple enough design that you can swap in whatever your favorite holiday DSP is.  I made these three cards with the Merry Bold & Bright DSP a few weeks ago.  The choice of paper changes the whole vibe!

  My stampers made this elegant design at my last class and some were planning to go home and make a few more Christmas cards with this design because it's so easy!

  We started with a Pretty Peacock base, then another piece of Pretty Peacock card stock is embossed with the Distressed Tile embossing folder for a gorgeous textured background.

  The 3 ornaments are die cut with 3 of the Stylish Shapes circle dies but any circle dies or punches would work too.  

  The "hangers" are the bulb base dies from the Merry & Bright die set.  We used the Oxidized Copper specialty paper to tie in with the copper patterns on the DSP.

  The 'merry' from the More Wishes stamp set is stamped in Pretty Peacock ink and then fussy cut and popped up on dimensionals.

 And finally the copper ribbon knots adhered with glue dots are the final details.  

  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: Pretty Peacock

Paper: Pretty Peacock, Very Vanilla, All About Autumn DSP, Oxidized Copper specialty paper

Accessories: Distressed Tile embossing folder, Stylish Shapes dies, Merry & Bright dies, copper ribbon, dimensionals

Gold Star Christmas - Stampin' Up! Stars at Night

     I held my last class of the year yesterday and of course did Christmas cards so all of my stampers could get a bit more inspiration for products in the Sept.-Dec. mini catalog which will be ending in just about a month.  The first project we did used the Stars at Night bundle.

 A little bit of heat embossing, dry embossing and great gold shimmer make this classic blue and gold Christmas card.

  The base is Night of Navy, then a piece of Balmy Blue embossed with the Stars at Night hybrid embossing folder and stamped with little Balmy Blue stars.  Next are 2 pieces of the gorgeous Shining Brightly Specialty paper; one in a Very Vanilla/gold pattern and the other in a Night of Navy/gold pattern.

  The large star is stamped in Versamark onto Very Vanilla cardstock and then heat embossed in gold.  Once it was cut out a length of Night of Navy glittered ribbon is adhered to the back (I used glue dots) and then popped on the card front with dimensionals.

  The sentiment is stamped on a narrow piece of Very Vanilla and then popped with mini dimensionals across the front.

  You can't go wrong with stars or blue and gold for classic Christmas cards!

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

  Thanks for looking!  Did you stamp today?

Stamps: Stars at Night

Ink: Versamark, Night of Navy, Balmy Blue

Paper: Night of Navy, Balmy Blue, Very Vanilla, Shining Brightly Specialty DSP

Accessories: Stars at Night Hybrid embossing folder/dies, Night of Navy glittered ribbon, dimensionals

Gold & Red Wreath - Stampin' Up! Brightest Glow

   I'm back today with another wreath card.  This time in gold and red to play along with the Color Hues challenge.

  I just love layering the Wishes All Around sprig wreath.  Using 2 layers gives it a little more weight and using 2 different papers gives it more interest as well.  For this one I used Cherry Cobbler and Distressed gold paper.  I used a bit of Distressed Gold paper on the edges of the Basic White panel as well.

  The background is a piece of the Joy of Christmas DSP to carrying in some more red to the card.  Finally I embossed the joy from Brightest Glow stamps set on Real Red cardstock and cut it with a Stylish Shapes die.

  Gold cord and a few gold sequins finish the details.

  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: Brightest Glow

Ink: Versamark

Paper: Joy of Christmas DSP, Basic White, Cherry Cobbler, Real Red, Distressed Gold specialty paper

Accessories: Wishes All Around dies, dimensionals, gold embossing powder, gold cord, gold sequins

Merry Wreath - Stampin' Up! Wishes All Around

   Hopefully you're not tired of seeing wreath cards!  The Wishes All Around dies are really great to work with and I need to keep cranking out cards so I'll be using the dies until I've reached my Christmas card goal.   I used the Freshly Made Sketches challenge for the layout but I think I kind of ran off the rails a bit with keeping it 'fresh'.

  I've finished all of my card designs for my last class of the year so now I don't have to hoard my DSP anymore so I used a full card front piece of the Shining Brightly DSP for the background.  Next I added a strip of Joy of Christmas DSP in a red plaid.  To continue to follow the sketch I added a panel of Very Vanilla down the center and popped it on dimensionals.

  I stamped the tree wreath in Shaded Spruce and cut it out and popped it up.  I stamped the sentiment in Cherry Cobbler in the center of the wreath.  And then another strip of plaid DSP to follow the sketch.  After looking at the card a bit the bottom panel under the plaid paper was just too sparse so I added a piece of Distressed Gold specialty paper to fill it in.

  Finally some gold sequins in the corners and a Shaded Spruce and gold fork bow finish off the details.

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

  Thanks for looking!  Did you stamp today?

Stamps: Wishes All Around

Ink: Shaded Spruce, Cherry Cobbler

Paper: Shining Brightly Specialty paper, Very Vanilla, Joy of Christmas DSP, Distressed Gold Specialty paper

Accessories: Wishes All Around dies, dimensionals, gold sequins,  Shaded Spruce/gold ribbon (retired)

Festive Sleigh Ride - Stampin' Up! Festive & Fun

   Just popping in quickly to share a card before it gets too late and I fall asleep!  I made this one the other day for a now closed challenge but the sun finally cooperated today so I could get a halfway decent photo!

 

  The closed challenge at Just Add Ink was to use Pool Party, Calypso Coral and Petal Pink.  I did add some Smoky Slate as a neutral since I couldn't make the other colors work with a rhino lol!

 

  I started with a Pool Party card base and then topped it with a piece of last year's Snowflake Specialty vellum.  Next I cut 2 circles from the Garden Walk DSP.  I stamped the Festive & Fun image in Basic Gray then used Blends markers to color it in.  Using just the 3 challenge colors plus Smoky Slate was a real challenge but I think it turned out ok.  I popped that panel on dimensionals.

  The sentiment is stamped in Pool Party and die cut with another circle.  A Calypso Coral braided linen trim bow highlights the sentiment while a few snowflake sequins topped with rhinestones are added to the opposite corner for 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: Festive & Fun

Ink: Basic Gray, Pool Party

Blends: Pool Party light & dark, Calypso Coral light & dark, Petal Pink light & dark, Smoky Slate light

Paper: Pool Party, Basic White, Garden Walk DSP, Snowflake Vellum Specialty paper (retired)

Accessories: Stylish Shapes dies, dimensionals, Calypso Coral braided linen trim, rhinestones, snowflake sequins (retired)

Christmas Cheer - Stampin' Up! Wishes All Around Dies

 I hope everyone has had a wonderful Thanksgiving with loved ones today.  We had a quiet day ourselves but will see family on Saturday to celebrate all over again.  I'm going to keep this one short and sweet and get back to my post-eating lounging!

 

  My card today is another one that I used a lot of orphaned card parts that I had.  And surprisingly it didn't turn out half bad!  It all starts with a piece of Garden Walk DSP in a simple Pretty Peacock pattern.  The tag, snowflake wreath (leftover from designing this card for a class earlier this fall, how to instructions on that post) and the gold tree (leftover from last year's cards!) were all from the parts bin.

  I added a bit of white iridescent ribbon to the tag and tied it with a piece of scrap twine.  The sentiment from the retired Itty Bitty Christmas stamp set is embossed in gold onto Fresh Freesia cardstock.  A few Fresh Freesia tinsel gems are added for embellishments.  

 

  It's amazing how fast a card can come together when all the main parts are already made and ready to go!

  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: Itty Bitty Christmas (retired)

Ink: Versamark, Pretty Peacock, Berry Burst, Coastal Cabana, Highland Heather

Paper: Garden Walk DSP, Basic White, Fresh Freesia, Shimmery White, Gold Glitter

Accessories: Tailor Made Tags dies, Wishes All Around dies,  dimensionals, gold embossing powder, Tinsel Gems, Iridescent ribbon, twine, Spruced Up Outlines dies (retired)

Holiday Lights - Stampin' Up! Merry & Bright

   When I first saw the colors at Inspire Create Challenge I was stumped how to use them on a Christmas card since that's the only type of card I'm focused on at the moment but after a bit of thought and a great sketch to follow from CAS Colours & Sketches I'm really happy with how this one turned out!

  We were to use Moody Mauve, Boho Blue and Lemon Lolly as our colors.  I added in some brushed gold paper as a neutral because I love it and while I don't want to use up my last few bits of it it's too nice to hoard lol!

  I started with a Basic White thick card base, then a layer of Boho Blue popped on dimensionals.  The top layer is Basic White for a nice clean background for my lights.  As I said earlier the wire and bulb bases are cut from the retired Gold/Rose Gold Specialty paper using the Merry & Bright die set.  The bulbs themselves are stamped in Moody Mauve and Boho Blue with the Merry & Bright stamp set then cut out.  The bulbs are popped on dimensionals and then "lit up" with Lemon Lolly ink and the little stamp showing the "light" coming from them.

  To follow the sketch with the sentiment going across the 3 panels I needed one that wasn't too big because I didn't want to cover up the lights too much.  I found the perfect one in the Brightest Glow stamp set and stamped it in Boho Blue and added it to the card front.

  In keeping with the clean and simple challenge I didn't add any other embellishments.  

  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: Merry & Bright, Brightest Glow

Ink: Boho Blue, Moody Mauve, Lemon Lolly

Paper: Basic White thick, Basic White, Boho Blue, Gold/Rose Gold Specialty paper (retired)

Accessories: Merry & Bright dies, dimensionals

Last Chance Products Sale!

   

  Don't miss out on items still on your wish list from the Sept.-Dec. Mini catalog!  Some items are up to 60% off!  Order early for best selection of retiring products.  Click HERE to see all of the Last Chance items!

 

Tagged Wreath - Stampin' Up! Wishes All Around Dies

   I know I'm not the only one with a bin full of orphaned card parts sitting on their stamping desk.  Mine has been getting to the point of overflowing with all the bits and pieces that haven't been making it onto my cards lately.  And if I excavate back there are even parts from last year's holiday mini catalog. Yikes. So today I did my best to pull out a few parts to use on a card.

  The Paper Players challenge has a clean and simple challenge to make a card with a tag on it.  Into the orphaned card parts I went and I was able to pull out the embossed background panel and the 2 die cut wreaths to make this card.  

  In my efforts to use up more of my supplies I pulled out some retired gold edged ribbon for the tag as well as some teeny tiny gold stars that I can't even remember what they are from; maybe a Paper Pumpkin??

  I'm happy with how this one turned out and proud of myself for using up things that I had already "made" and finally "used".

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

  Thanks for looking!  Did you stamp today?

Stamps: Petite Pairs (retired)

Ink: Cherry Cobbler

Paper: Very Vanilla thick, Very Vanilla, Cherry Cobbler, Wild Wheat

Accessories: Merry Melody embossing folder, Wishes All Around dies, Tailor Made Tags dies, dimensionals, gold edged ribbon (retired), star sequins (retired)

Tiny Trees - Stampin' Up! Wishes All Around

   I'm plugging right along with my Christmas cards and my goal is to have them written out and mailed the first week of December!  I need to count how many I already have and how many more I need to make.  Wouldn't it be terrible if I had to put off housework to make all the cards I need??!  

  I used 2 more challenges today to make another fun Christmas card. The Alphabet Challenge is on the letter 'Q' so the theme is for something quadrupled; 4 of the same shape or image. I pulled my colors from the Just Us Girls challenge where they have a fantastic mood board to inspire us.  The little bottle brush Christmas trees in one of the photos inspired me as well.

  So for my quadruples I've used 4 trees as well as 4 colored squares.  These are some great colors and as I was using them I realized that they were the same ones in last year's Sweetest Christmas DSP (the ones with the candy canes) and I loved the combo then and I love it this year too!

  This card is really simple with a Snowflake Sky embossed background with a Garden Green baker's twine bow across the card front.

  The little tree from Wishes All Around is stamped in my 4 colors and then mixed and matched with the same 4 colors in die cut squares.  They are popped on dimensionals and have mini rhinestones at the top.

  A larger die cut square backed with a piece of Sweet Sorbet cardstock help the small trees not get lost on the card 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: Wishes All Around

Ink: Pool Party, Sweet Sorbet, Garden Green, Flirty Flamingo

Paper: Pool Party, Sweet Sorbet, Garden Green, Flirty Flamingo, Basic White

Accessories: Snowflake Sky embossing folder, Stylish Shapes dies, Wishes All Around dies, dimensionals, rhinestones, baker's twine

Winter Cottage - Stampin' Up! Ringed With Nature

   My card today was inspired by 2 different challenges.  The first is the Color Throwdown challenge to use pink, gray and green and the 52 Christmas Card Throwdown which has the theme of 'Winter Countryside'.  These 2 challenges combined perfectly for this cute little winter cottage scene.  I used the house from Ringed with Nature a week or so ago and it was perfect for this new card as well.

   So cute right??!!  Pink is not one of my go to colors but I love how it works here.  I started with the background paper in a Powder Pink polka dot pattern from the Bright & Beautiful DSP.  Then a strip of Soft Shimmer paper also in Powder Pink for a subtle bit of bling.

  Next I cut 2 Basic White Countryside Corners die shapes and embossed the smaller one with the Snowflake Sky embossing folder.

  The Smoky Slate circle is stamped with the itty bitty snowflake in the Wishes All Around stamp set in white craft ink for a very light soft snowing sky.  The house is stamped in Powder Pink and Smoky Slate and is nestled into a scrap of Basic White that is torn and rounded with the same circle die that I used on the Smoky Slate circle so the lines would match up when adhered.

 The pine trees from Wishes All Around stamp set are stamped in Garden Green and cut out and adhered around the house with the one in the foreground popped on a mini dimensional.

  Not content to use just 2 stamp sets I pulled out a third; Festive & Fun and stamped one of the sentiments in Garden Green and cut it apart to fit to the side of the house also popped on dimensionals.

  I embellished the card with a Garden Green baker's twine bow and some Adhesive-backed sequins in an iridescent white which are hard to see in the photo.

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: Ringed with Nature, Wishes All Around, Festive & Fun

Ink: Powder Pink, Smoky Slate, Garden Green, white craft

Paper: Bright & Beautiful DSP, Soft Shimmer Specialty paper, Smoky Slate, Basic White

Accessories: Countryside Corners dies, Snowflake Sky embossing folder, Stylish Shapes dies, Wishes All Around dies, baker's twine, Adhesive-backed sequins trio

Christmas Blocks - Stampin' Up! Wishes All Around

   Today's card might look a little familiar as it uses a lot of the same supplies as this card that I shared a few days ago.  I went with the traditional red/green and added a wreath.

  The base is Cherry Cobbler and I used 2 patterns from the Joy of Christmas DSP for 2 of the blocks with the third being the Shaded Spruce Textured Shimmer paper.  The wreath image is in the Wishes All Around.

  The wreath is topped with a banner made from the More Dazzle specialty paper.  The sentiment is stamped in Cherry Cobbler and punched out and popped with dimensionals on the banner.

  A pretty red bow finishes off this classic design.

  All of the 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: Shaded Spruce, Cherry Cobbler

Paper: Cherry Cobbler, Basic White, Joy of Christmas DSP, More Dazzle Specialty paper, Textured Shimmer paper

Accessories: Wishes All Around dies, circle punch, dimensionals, Real Red ribbon

Wreathes All Around - Stampin' Up! More Wishes

   I know I sounds like a broken record but I just love participating in challenges because they really do make me stretch creatively and try out colors and layouts that I never would have worked with otherwise.  And they also keep me from dithering around trying to decide where to start! And let's be honest I need to have some stamping focus a lot of the time!!

  I'm playing along with he Hand Stamped Sentiments crowd today.  I never would have brought these colors together on my own and I'm liking the end result!

  We're to use Berry Burst, Mossy Meadow and Pebbled Path.  And since I'm in full on Christmas mode I am turning every card that I can into a Christmas theme whether or not they might be considered traditional Christmas colors.

  The layout is a closed challenge at TGIF Challenges that I didn't get to in time to enter but it was a sketch that I wanted to try out.  This cards starts with a Pebbled Path base then a layer of 2023-2025 In Colors DSP in a polka dot pattern.

  The next layer is a piece of Basic White embossed with the Snowflake Sky embossing folder and then backed with a piece of Berry Burst.

  I cut 2 wreaths out of Mossy Meadow card stock using the Wishes All Around dies and stacked them together.  Then I cut a few sprigs out of Berry Burst Soft Shimmer paper and tucked them around the wreath.

  I stamped the sentiment with the More Wishes stamp set with the Christmas in Berry Burst and the wishes in Mossy Meadow and then cut them out.  I popped both up on dimensionals to the side of the wreath.

  Finally I added some retired  faceted gems to the wreath for a bit more sparkle and a Mossy Meadow cotton twine bow on the side.

  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: Mossy Meadow, Berry Burst

Paper: Pebbled Path, Basic White, Mossy Meadow, Berry Burst, Soft Shimmer paper, 2023-2025 In Color DSP

Accessories: Snowflake Sky embossing folder, Wishes All Around dies, dimensionals, gems (retired), cotton twine (retired)

Classic Christmas - Stampin' Up! Brightest Glow

   I've been playing around the last few days to design my projects for an upcoming class and while this one won't be a design my stampers make I was able to combine 2 challenges for this classic red, green and gold Christmas card.  The layout is from Freshly Made Sketches and the color palette is from The Paper Players.

  The base is Real Red and then another layer of Real Red embossed with the Cane Weave embossing folder.  The bottom strip is Basic White topped by a piece of Textured Shimmer paper in Shaded Spruce.  The other strip is a piece of Cherry Cobbler topped with a pattern of the Joy of Christmas DSP.

  For the element that goes across the card I used the Timeless Arrangements dies to cut the panel for the sentiment and the greenery bits.  I did add a tiny bit of Old Olive for some contrast with the Shaded Spruce and reds.

  The sentiment from Brightest Glow is stamped in Shaded Spruce and the whole arrangement is backed with a piece of retired gold shimmer ribbon.  I popped the whole element on dimensionals and added some faceted gold gems around it.

  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: Brightest Glow

Ink: Shaded Spruce

Paper: Real Red, Shaded Spruce, Basic White, Cherry Cobbler, Old Olive, Joy of Christmas DSP, Textured Shimmer paper

Accessories: Cane Weave embossing folder, Timeless Arrangements dies, dimensionals, gold shimmer ribbon (retired), gold faceted gems (retired)

Merry Christmas Ornaments - Stampin' Up! Merry Bold & Bright DSP

   Are you looking for a fun, colorful Christmas card design to make multiples of?  Have I got the card for you today; or rather 3 cards!!  I was playing around yesterday and ended up with these cards that are so easy to make and use the fun Merry Bold & Bright DSP but of course any paper could be used that you want!

 I am just loving this super simple card!  This one has a Melon Mambo base with a layer of Basic White embossed with the Snowflake Sky embossing folder.  I cut 3 Stylish Shapes circles, the 2 largest with the Merry Bold & Bright DSP and the smallest in Melon Mambo foil.  The silver foil "hangers" are cut with the lightbulb base in the Merry & Bright dies.  The sentiment from Brightest Glow is embossed on the foil with white embossing powder. And finally some silver twine tied in bows decorates the top of each ornament ball.

  

  The second version is in greens and blues with a Shaded Spruce base and the Merry Bold & Bright DSP in the Christmas tree and striped patterns.  This time I used he Granny Apple Green foil for the smallest ball with the same sentiment.

  And now the third version with a Crushed Curry base and patterns in pinks, red and Crushed Curry.  Instead of using the embossed foil on this one I stamped the 'joy' in Melon Mambo ink right onto the star pattern.

  All of the smallest ornaments are popped up with dimensionals for interest.  I loved mixing and matching the different patterns and finding the best combos!  

  Just a reminder for all those stampers out there starting to tense up a little about making Christmas cards; Remember, it's supposed to be fun making the cards and sending them out to friends and family.  It shouldn't be an added stress to an already busy time of year.  Do what you can and make multiples of designs like this.  Not every card has to be over the top!

  All of the products used to make these cards can be purchased in my ONLINE STORE.

  Thanks for looking!  Did you stamp today?

Stamps: Brightest Glow

Ink: Versamark, Melon Mambo

Paper: Melon Mambo, Shaded Spruce, Crushed Curry, Basic White, silver foil, Merry Bold & Bright DSP, Melon Mambo foil, Granny Apple Green foil

Accessories: Stylish Shapes dies, Merry & Bright dies, dimensionals, white embossing powder, silver twine(retired)

Buzzy Bee - Stampin' Up! Bee My Valentine ***PREVIEW***

     One of the many benefits of being a Stampin' Up! demo is that you get to attend demonstrator only events!  Imagine thousands of other people who are as excited about stamping as you??!!  At these events we get to learn about new products that are coming, fun stamping demonstrations and business training not to mention swag and prizes!  I attended an online event this past weekend and had a great time and today I'm going to show one of the projects we made with an upcoming set that will be released in the Jan.-Apr. 2024 Mini catalog.

   The Bee My Valentine stamp set and coordinating Bee Builder punch are just adorable and you will certainly see more of it as we get closer to the new mini catalog release date.  

  The patterned paper is new also and is called Bee Mine DSP.  The suite also contains the little shape embellishments and ribbon too!  The whole set of products is very sweet and cheerful.  I can't wait to make more cards for all occasions with it!

  While some of the products used to make this card are not yet released(*) the cardstock and inks are available for purchased through my ONLINE STORE.  If you're interested in getting access to these products now just let me know and I'll tell you how you can get this and other benefits!

  Thanks for looking!  Did you stamp today?

Stamps: Bee My Valentine*

Ink: Pool Party, Memento Black, Daffodil Delight

Paper: Basic White thick, Basic White, Pool Party, Bee Mine DSP*

Accessories: Bee Builder punch*, adhesive-backed hearts & flowers*, dimensionals

*products will be available in the Jan.-April 2024 Stampin' Up! mini catalog coming Jan. 4, 2024

2023 Seasonal Sale!

 Seasonal Sale Starts Tomorrow!

November 14-16 Only!

• 10% off Ribbons and Trims
• 15% off Inks, Ink Pads, Refills, Markers & Blends
• 20% off Card Stocks, Designer Series Papers & Specialty Papers

 Order from my ONLINE STORE using my monthly Host Code to be entered to win door prizes!  Host Code: N2NPZ2UT

Cozy Winter - Stampin' Up! Ringed with Nature

   Sometimes I wish I had a stamp room that was big enough to keep all of the retired Stampin' Up! products from over the years.  Every once in a while I could use some of those retired stamps or dies or embossing folders to make the card I have in my mind come to life.  Alas, my room is only about 10x10 and certainly doesn't have enough storage capability to hold 15 years worth of retired items so I have to make do with what is current!  

  I saw the adorable inspiration photo over at the Inspired By challenge and wished that I had some old gnome sets as well as some knitted embossing folders because this photo is just so cozy that I wanted to re-create it.  I decided to try and make a cozy feeling card with things I did have handy.  Everything is current except for the paisley DSP and he ribbon both of which retired several years ago.

  The gray color palette was pretty so I wanted to capture that in my card as well.

  I started with a Basic White thick base, then cut a piece of Basic Gray and topped it with the paisley DSP from the retired Well Suited pack.  A length of Basic Gray shimmer ribbon (which I believe was a SAB reward a number of years ago) goes around the rectangle layer.

  I cut a basic White Deckled Rectangle then added my stamped and fussy cut house and embossed hearts. The house is Basic Gray and Smoky Slate and the hearts are embossed in white on Basic Gray cardstock. All images are popped on dimensionals. Both images are from the Ringed with Nature stamp set.  Hopefully you get that the hearts are little puffs of smoke coming from the cozy little house's chimney!

  The sentiment is stamped in Basic Gray and punched out and is also popped.  The last thing to be added is the fork bow made from the shimmer ribbon.

  All of the current items can be purchased in my ONLINE STORE.

  Thanks for looking!  Did you stamp today?

Stamps: Ringed with Nature

Ink: Basic Gray, Smoky Slate, Versamark

Paper: Basic White thick, Basic White, Basic Gray, Well Suited DSP (retired)

Accessories: Deckled Rectangle dies, dimensionals, circle punch,  white embossing powder, shimmer ribbon (retired)

Frosty Snowflake - Stampin' Up! Snow Crystal

   My card today is using the colors over at The Color Hues challenge.  I love the purple and light blue pairing and thought the frosty colors would be perfect for some snow.  Snow is probably a long way off for us here in central Virginia so I'll just have to make do with it in ink form for now.

  I started with a Basic White base then used a smaller layer of Basic White and embossed the big Snow Crystal snowflake in white.  Then using blending brushes and Balmy Blue and Highland Heather ink I blended from the top left corner starting with the Balmy Blue and ending with Highland Heather in the opposite corner.

  A length of white iridescent ribbon  anchors the right side of the card.  The sentiment from More Wishes is stamped in Balmy Blue and is fussy cut and then popped on dimensionals in the lower corner.

  I found a few stray iridescent adhesive sequins in my retired stash so I scattered some of those across the card front as the final 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: Snow Crystal, More Wishes

Ink: Versamark, Balmy Blue, Highland Heather

Paper: Basic White thick, Basic White

Accessories: white embossing powder,  iridescent ribbon, sequins

Autumn Layers - Stampin' Up! Layering Leaves

   I made today's card for the Color Throwdown challenge.  When I saw these colors all I could think of was "autumn".  I even tried pulling a few Christmas sets to go in a different direction but autumn was cemented in my brain so I stopped fighting it and created a seasonal thinking of you card.

  I paired up Layering Leaves bundle with carryover products from last year; Ringed with Nature stamp set, dies and embossing folder.

  Since I re-discovered this nice Pecan Pie plaid from the Let's Go Fishing DSP last week I wanted to use it again as a nice neutral background for the other elements of the card.  We're to use Kraft (Crumb Cake), Brown, Yellow Gold, and Red for the challenge.  So I thought the browns would be the main colors with pops of the yellow and red.

  

  The Crumb Cake layer is embossed with the Ringed With Nature embossing folder.  The sentiment from Ringed With Nature is stamped on Very Vanilla with Pecan Pie ink and die cut with the Stylish Shapes dies.

  I stamped several of the Layering Leaves branches in Pecan Pie ink onto Crushed Curry and Poppy Parade and punched them out with the coordinating punch.  I layered the stamped branches with some die cut branches from the Ringed With Nature dies behind the sentiment and popped the whole thing on dimensionals.

 

  I added a linen twine bow to the side and some Crumb Cake adhesive-back speckled dots under the sentiment.

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

  Thanks for looking!  Did you stamp today?

Stamps: Ringed With Nature, Layering Leaves

Ink: Pecan Pie

Paper: Let's Go Fishing DSP, Very Vanilla, Crumb Cake, Pecan Pie, Poppy Parade, Crushed Curry

Accessories: Ringed with Nature dies/embossing folder, Stylish Shapes dies, Bough punch, dimensionals, linen twine, adhesive-backed speckled dots

Christmas Beaver - Stampin' Up! Festive & Fun

 My challenge inspirations for this card are full on Christmas challenges.  The layout is inspired by the sketch at 52 Christmas Card Throwdown and then the over all theme at Global Design Project is 'Tis the Season.  Both are perfect challenges for this time of year!

  This card is pretty traditional with the colors and papers but it veers off the rails a bit with the focal image being a Christmas beaver!  The little beaver is from the Festive & Fun stamp set and is just too cute but so small!  This layout is perfect to highlight a smaller image.  I hadn't used this image on a card yet and was waiting for the the perfect way to show him/her off! I think this might be it!

  I started with a Shaded Spruce base, then topped it with a piece of Joy of Christmas DSP.  The narrow strip is another pattern from this pack.  The greenery and red plaid designs work great together.  

  The beaver is stamped in Early Espresso and then colored in with Blends.  The Basic White circle is adhered to a Shaded Spruce circle cut with the Stylish Shapes dies and is then popped on dimensionals.

  I cut some greenery with the Timeless Arrangements dies and the smaller scale of the sprigs is perfect for the smaller image so it doesn't get overwhelmed.  I pulled a small scrap of red ribbon out of my scrap bin and tied a fork bow and added it over the greenery.

  The sentiment from Festive & Fun is stamped in Shaded Spruce and and cut apart to fit on the plaid strip.  

  The final details are a few green sequins from the retired Adhesive backed seasonal sequin pack from last year's holiday mini.

  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: Festive & Fun

Ink: Early Espresso, Shaded Spruce

Blends: Pecan pie light & dark, Deep

Paper: Shaded Spruce, Joy of Christmas DSP, Old Olive, Cherry Cobbler, Basic White

Accessories: Stylish Shapes dies, Timeless Arrangements dies, circle dies, dimensionals, Real Red ribbon, seasonal sequins (retired)

  

Santa Was Here - Stampin' Up! Just My Type

   I used the Freshly Made Sketches challenge for my layout today.  They have a great square layout and since I hardly ever make square cards it was a true challenge.   Having even just a tiny bit smaller "canvas" really made me have to work hard to get the elements just right.  Not sure I'm totally pleased with this one; maybe need to try with different colors??  But I like the typewriter and the note from Santa idea.

 I used a piece of Basic White thick for the base and it's cut 4.25" x 4.25".  The Merry Bold & Bright DSP has a great selection of fun patterns so I'll have to give a try with another sheet and see if I like that one better!  I chose for this card what I kind of just thought of as 'the Santa hat' pattern until I saw a stamping friend refer to the trees....and I was like duh!  That's a star on top not a pompom on the hat!  It's all in the eyes of the beholder right??  Anyway....I rounded the 2 corners of this panel and then added a Poppy Parade band across the card front.

  Next, I stamped some Crushed Curry stars from the Merry & Bright stamp set onto a piece of basic White then backed it with a panel of Granny Apple Green foil.  I wrapped a bit of baker's twine around it and tied a bow.  This panel is popped on dimensionals.

  The typewriter from Just My Type stamp set is stamped in Memento black and the sentiment also from the Bright & Merry set is stamped in Poppy Parade.  I fussy cut it out and adhered it with dimensionals to the side to follow the sketch.

  Finally a few iridescent adhesive-backed discs are added to the rectangle panel for a bit of shine.

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

  Thanks for looking!  Did you stamp today?

Stamps: Just My Type, Merry & Bright

Ink: Poppy Parade, Memento Black

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

Accessories: Iridescent adhesive-backed discs, dimensionals, corner rounder punch (retired), baker's twine (retired)

Foodie Wreath - Stampin' Up! Wishes All Around Dies

   Now let me explain my title before someone leaves a comment saying "foodie wreath" what the heck are you talking about Amanda??  The Stampin' Up! Only challenge has the fun and unique challenge of using at least 2 of the Stampin' Up! colors that are named after food.  They have the whole color list on the challenge site.  And this challenge just happens to match a color combo I saw while out shopping the other day that I wanted to try.

  I used Wild Wheat, Crumb Cake, Lemon Lolly and Cherry Cobbler for my food related colors and I threw in Poppy Parade because it was in the color combo that I saw.  Check out this fun vintage tin that showed these colors!  Isn't it fun??!

  Anyway I was inspired by both the challenge and the tin and I think the resulting card came out pretty well.  It's a bit of a non-traditional color combo for Christmas but I think it works.

  I embossed a piece of Crumb Cake with the Snowflake Sky embossing folder for the base then added a piece of Garden Walk DSP in a Wild Wheat stripe on he bottom.  I covered the seam with a stripe of retired gold specialty paper.  This was the the gold that also came with rose gold and is a nice brushed looked.  It looks nicer in real life; the subtle shine doesn't come through on this photo.

  To make the wreath I just cut one each in Lemon Lolly, Poppy Parade and Cherry Cobbler using he Wishes All Around dies.  I adhered them together then added it to the card front.

 I stamped the sentiment on Very Vanilla in Cherry Cobbler ink then cut it out with the little banner die from the Zany Zoo die set; it was the perfect size for this sentiment and to fit in the wreath.  Before adhering to he card front with dimensionals I added a bit of retired gold edged ribbon behind it.

  The banner is jazzed up with a few mini stars made with a tiny die in the Stars at Night die set.  I used more of the gold specialty paper for them.

 Finally I added 3 faceted gold gems to the side of the wreath for some more holiday shine.

  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: Brightest Glow

Ink: Cherry Cobbler

Paper: Very Vanilla, Crumb Cake, Cherry Cobbler, Poppy Parade, Wild Wheat, Lemon Lolly, Garden Walk DSP, gold specialty paper (retired)

Accessories: Snowflake Sky embossing folder, Wishes All Around dies, Stars at Night dies, Zany Zoo dies, dimensionals, gold edged ribbon (retired), gold faceted gems (retired)

CAS Christmas Tree - Stampin' Up! More Wishes

   I didn't have much time to stamp yesterday or today so when I saw the CAS Colours & Sketches challenge this afternoon I figured I could squeeze in a quick clean and simple card with these colors and I actually made it happen!  I pretty much had an idea right away and I'm pleased with how it came out.  I might try to re-create it with smaller sentiments to make it even more CAS.

  We were to use the colors Boho Blue, Mossy Meadow and Real Red.  All I did was start with a Mossy Meadow base, then embossed a piece of Basic White with the Stars at Night hybrid embossing folder.  Then I stamped the words on the cardstock colors in Versamark and then embossed in white.  The card stock is 1 1/4" wide.

  I added a Pecan Pie trunk and a gold fine shimmer star cut with one of the tiny star dies in the Stars at Night set.

  Since it was a CAS challenge I didn't add any ribbon or other embellishment and kept it basic.

  This was a fun challenge and I'm glad I had just enough time to squeeze in a card!

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

  Thanks for looking!  Did you stamp today?

Stamps: More Wishes

Ink: Versamark

Paper: Boho Blue, Mossy Meadow, Real Red, Basic White, Pecan Pie, gold Fine Shimmer paper (retired)

Accessories: Stars at Night Hybrid embossing folder/dies, dimensionals, white embossing powder

Fall Florals - Stampin' Up! Textured Floral

   I'm playing along with the Color Throwdown challenge today.  They gave a great set of colors that I think could be used for any occasion.  I went with a floral hello card that is giving autumn vibes.   I hadn't used the Textured Floral stamp set in a while and it needed a bit of love!  

  The colors of the challenge are pink, mustard, rust and green.  Totally fall colors right?  I tried 2 different lighter pinks and neither one hit the spot for me so I tried a kind of pink with Moody Mauve and that worked much better for me.  Sometimes you've got to try different options to see what works best.   Hope it's not too off from the challenge prompt.

  I stamped the large flower in Crushed Curry, added the leaves in stamped off Garden Green.  Then stamped the small flower in Moody Mauve.  Finally the cluster of flowers is stamped in stamped off Copper Clay which is a beautiful rust color.  The center of the small flower is stamped in Crushed Curry and the center of the large flower is stamped off Copper Clay.

  The sentiment is from Layering Leaves stamp set and is stamped in Copper Clay.  I just love the fonts in this set.  And the sizes of the sentiments are just right!  Before adding the stamped panel to the Copper Clay base I added a length of Moody Mauve textured ribbon to the edge.

  Finally I added 2 adhesive-backed speckled dots in Moody Mauve to the corner.  

  A quick change of sentiment and this would be a great Thanksgiving card to send to family or friends or to give with a host/hostess gift to whomever is having you over for dinner.

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

  Thanks for looking!  Did you stamp today?

Stamps: Textured Floral, Layering Leaves

Ink: Crushed Curry, Copper Clay, Garden Green, Moody Mauve

Paper: Basic White, Copper Clay

Accessories: Moody Mauve textured ribbon, adhesive-backed speckled dots

Merry Wreath - Stampin' Up! Merry & Bright

   Wreaths are always a go to focal point for holiday cards and it's fun to use different elements from stamps sets to create something different.  I used the Merry & Bright stamp set's fat light bulbs to make a colorful wreath this time.

  I start this one with a Lemon Lime Twist base, then a strip of Melon Mambo foil.  The foil is topped with a panel of white Textured Shimmer paper.  It doesn't show well in the photo but this paper has a nice subtle shimmer that works perfectly for Christmas cards.

  I stamped 2 bulbs in each of my colors and then die cut them.  I used the filament die and some retired white glitter paper and added one of those to each of the bulbs for more Christmas pizzazz.

  All of the bulbs are adhered to the back of the sentiment which is from the Brightest Glow stamp set and die cut with the Stylish Shapes dies.

  The whole "wreath" is then popped on dimensionals on the card front.  I added a small bakers twine bow and a few retired Melon Mambo candy dots for embellishments.

  These colors are so fun together and I think I may try out some more designs using them.  What do you think?  Too bright or so fun?

  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, Brightest Glow

Ink: Lemon Lime Twist, Pool Party, Melon Mambo, Flirty Flamingo, Memento black

Paper: Lemon Lime Twist, Melon Mambo foil, Textured Shimmer paper, Basic White, White glitter paper

Accessories: Merry& Bright dies, Stylish Shapes dies, dimensionals, bakers twine, candy dots (retired)

Star Blocks - Stampin' Up! Stars at Night Dies

   Well I guess Christmas is really coming because we turned on our heat yesterday!  You've got to love living in central Virginia where you can wear shorts and a t-shirt one day and less than a week later you've got on wool socks and are looking for mittens to wear when taking the dogs for a walk!  Needless to say my closet is a mess with stacks of winter clothes ready to be swapped into the dresser and some summer clothes that I just maybe will need again so they can't put up on the high shelves just yet!  

  Anyway the Christmas cards will be coming in a steady stream now that the weather seems a bit more conducive to it!  I used the sketch at Just Add Ink and paired with with the Stars at Night hybrid embossing folder/dies.

  And I don't know what is going on with my photography skills lately!  Through the view find and the small camera screen everything looks great but once I upload them to my computer they are all tilted!  It's bothering me and sometimes I do go back and re-take them but sometimes I just need to move on lol!  I promise the actual card is put together straight; it's just the photo!

  I started with a Very Vanilla thick base, then a layer of Mossy Meadow and then a layer of of the Shining Brightly DSP.  I cut out 2 squares with the Stylish Shapes dies; one in Mossy Meadow and one in Cherry Cobbler.  

  There is a cool star burst cut out die that I used on he Cherry Cobbler square for a fun detail.  Next I used gold foil and the hybrid embossing folder and dies to cut out 2 large stars.    The embossed detail is so cool and really adds a lot of texture to the card.  I popped them up with dimensionals over the squares.

  The last thing I did was use the small, narrow sentiment from Bright Glow stamp set and stamped it in Mossy Meadow and then flagged the ends and adhered it across the bigger star.

   I love the classic red/green/gold combo on this card and stars are always a perfect choice for a Christmas card!

  All of the supplies used to make this card can be purchased in my ONLINE STORE.  I'd love to be your Stampin' Up! demonstrator and help you create!

  Thanks for looking!  Did you stamp today?

Stamps: Brightest Glow

Ink: Mossy Meadow

Paper: Very Vanilla thick, Very Vanilla, Shining Brightly DSP, Cherry Cobbler, Mossy Meadow, gold foil

Accessories: Stars at Night hybrid embossing folder/dies, Stylish Shapes dies, dimensionals