Wildflower Hello - Stampin' Up! Wildflower Designs

   It's the time of the Stampin' Up! year when I start looking at all of my stamp sets and realize that I haven't used many of them nearly as much as I wanted to and that many will be on their way to retiring with the start of the new Annual catalog in early May.  And that will begin the mix of old stamp set projects and designs made with brand new pre-order products.  Be alert this week for the online store to update the Last Chance section with retiring products!  The Wildflower Designs stamp set is one of those older stamp sets that's getting some love today.

  I used the Tic Tac Toe challenge over at the Paper Players for my inspiration.  My card hits the top across row with Flowers, Pink and Ribbon but it also uses the right down row with Ribbon, Green and sentiment.

  I started with a Pretty in Pink card base then a layer of Wildflower Birthday DSP in a nice pink gingham pattern.  A Soft Sea Foam band goes across the center and I colored a bit of white Frayed Grosgrain ribbon with my Soft Sea Foam Stampin' Blends marker to have it match.

  Using the Spotlight on Nature dies I cut a circle out of watercolor paper and then embossed the flower from Wildflower Designs in gold.  I used a water painter and ink pads to color the flower.  A few leafy sprigs are cut from Soft Sea Foam card stock using the Textured Floral dies and are tucked behind the circle before adhering it with dimensionals.

  The sentiment is embossed in gold on Pretty in Pink card stock.  You can find this sentiment in the Storybook Friends stamp set.

  A few Purple Adhesive-Backed Sequins from Sale-a-Bration are added for a tiny bit of shine.

  Thanks for looking!  Did you stamp today? 

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

Stamps: Wildflower Designs, Storybook Friends

Ink: Versamark, Pretty in Pink, Soft Sea Foam

Paper: Pretty in Pink, watercolor paper, Soft Sea Foam, Wildflower Birthday DSP

Accessories: Spotlight on Nature dies, Textured Floral dies, dimensionals, gold embossing powder, Frayed Grosgrain ribbon, Purple Adhesive-Backed Sequins (retired- SAB)

Welcome Baby Bunny - Stampin' Up! Storybook Friends

   The sweet little animals in the Storybook Friends stamp set are too cute to resist!  We used the bunny in my last class to make this card.  Some chose to use the welcome baby sentiment other chose a simple hello or happy spring but they were all cute!

  The card base is Cajun Craze then we paired up patterns from the Timeless Plaid DSP and the Storybook Moments DSP.

  An Early Espresso frame is cut with the Storybook Friends dies then the sentiment is stamped on a panel of Very Vanilla in Memento black ink.  The frame is popped on dimensionals.

  The bunny is stamped on Very Vanilla and then colored in with Stampin' Blends.  Once it was die cut it is popped on dimensionals over a Very Vanilla baker's twine bow.

  Two Faux Glass Dots are added above the sentiment.  The great thing about this pack of embellishments is all 4 colors complement the colors in these DSPs.

  Thanks for looking!  Did you stamp today?

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

Stamps: Storybook Friends 

Ink: Memento Black

Blends: Crumb Cake light & dark, Petal Pink light & dark, Old Olive light & dark

Paper: Cajun Craze, Early Espresso, Very Vanilla, Timeless Plaid DSP, Storybook Moments DSP

Accessories: Storybook Friends dies, dimensionals, Very Vanilla baker's twine, Faux Glass Dots

Happy Cake Day - Stampin' Up! Birthday Celebration

   I just got home from a lunch with some fellow demonstrators and one of the Demonstrator Development Managers from Stampin' Up! and it is always a fun time meeting up with other stampers.  We could have talked for like 2 more hours!!  We even got a sneak peek at 2 kits that are coming out in April, so fun!  I'm glad I already had a card ready to share because actual creating time will be limited today!  I've got another one of my class projects to share today using the Birthday Celebrations stamp set from the January-April mini catalog.

  This card pulls together annual catalog, Online Exclusives and mini catalog products and just goes to show how versatile Stampin' Up! products are.  Don't get yourself stuck in a box by only using a stamp set with the matching dies or the DSP that comes in a suite.  Branch out and mix and match and see all the lovely things you can create!

  This one starts with a Basic Black card base then I gave my stampers a choice of any of the Full of Life DSP patterns which they needed half of one 6x6 sheet.  Using the Around It All dies aka "Wonky Circles" they cut 2 circles (in 2 sizes) then adhered them to a piece of Basic White.  The panel is then embossed with the Soft Waves embossing folder before being added to the card front.

  We used the Birthday Celebrations stamp set to make this custom sentiment from 3 separate stamps and embossed it on Basic Black with white embossing powder.  Then using the smaller "wonky circle" die it's cut out. A bit of Iridescent Striped Trim (hard to see in the photo) is flagged on the the backside of the circle before popping it up on dimensionals.

  Since the Full of Life DSP has so many colors I pulled all the ink pads and let my stampers choose whatever color went with their DSP pattern to stamp the cupcake from the With You In Mind stamp set.  The cupcake is fussy cut and popped on dimensionals.

  Then finally, Riverside Irregular Pearls are added (with one on top of the cupcake) and they pick up the DSP colors beautifully no matter which of the 3 pearl colors were chosen.  This was truly a "Choose Your Own Adventure" card and the hardest part about it for my stampers was deciding between all the awesome Full of Life designs.

  Thanks for looking!  Did you stamp today?

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

Stamps: Birthday Celebration, With You in Mind

Ink: Petunia Pop, Versamark

Paper: Basic Black, Basic White, Full of Life DSP

Accessories: Around It All dies (Online Exclusive), Soft Waves embossing folder, white embossing powder, dimensionals, Iridescent Striped Trim, Riverside Irregular Pearls (Online Exclusive)

Spring Garden Collage - Stampin' Up! Storybook Garden Patch

   My stampers got some coloring therapy yesterday at class!  I had them using colored pencils and the Storybook Garden Patch stamp set to create a vintage feel collage card with pops of colors.  Everyone picked which garden items they wanted to use and chose the colors as well.  Each one was unique and I think most of my stampers enjoyed the bit of relaxing coloring.

  This design starts with a Crumb Cake base, then a band of Timeless Plaid DSP across the center to brighten up the palette.

 I arranged many of the stamps from the Storybook Garden Patch set onto an E block to create a kind of small background stamp.  It was stamped on a piece of Crumb Cake with Early Espresso ink.  Using paper snips we roughed up the edges and sponged Crumb Cake ink all around the panel.  One of the splatter stamps from the Elements of Text stamp set was stamped all over the panel as well, stamping off once for a very light worn look.

  Next the E block collage was stamped again on a piece of Very Vanilla along with the stack of pots image.  Then we got to work coloring whichever images we wanted in whatever colors we liked using the Watercolor Pencils.  The favorites were then die cut and arranged in a group in the bottom corner.  I popped the peas up on dimensionals on this sample.

  The sentiment from Storybook Friends is stamped in Early Espresso onto Very Vanilla and is then popped up over a linen thread bow.  A single Adhesive-Backed Textured Dot is added under the sentiment for the final detail.

  Thanks for looking!  Did you stamp today?

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

Stamps: Storybook Garden Patch, Storybook Friends, Elements of Text

Ink: Early Espresso, Crumb Cake

Paper: Crumb Cake, Very Vanilla, Timeless Plaid DSP

Accessories: Watercolor Pencils, Storybook Garden Patch dies, dimensionals, linen thread, Adhesive-Backed Textured Dots

Fishin' Birthday - Stampin' Up! Gone Fishing

   Happy Testosterone Tuesday!  I've got a clean and simple masculine card to share today and while I know for sure women go fishing too I'm sticking with the theme and considering this one a guy birthday card.  The theme prompt is from Addicted to CAS so thanks to them for helping me add to my paltry guy card selection.

 I started this one with a Basic White thick card base.  Then using the long wave die from the Ocean Friends die set I cut 2 layers from the Let's Go Fishing DSP which sadly is retired but I'm hoarding for all the anglers in my family! I popped the bottom layer of DSP on dimensionals so the card isn't really as flat as it looks in the photo.

  Next I stamped the bobber and die cut it and then punched a tiny hole in the top and tied a length of linen thread through it.  I tucked the bobber under the edge of the popped up DSP and then looped the linen thread up the card front using a bit of glue where it's looped to secure it.  

  I left the thread long to the inside of the card and added a stamped and die cut fish to the other end.  I tried to get a picture but I just couldn't get it to come out well enough to share but it's there!

  The sentiment from Saying Hey is stamped in Misty Moonlight above the water.

  Thanks for looking! Did you stamp today?

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

Stamps: Gone Fishing, Saying Hey

Ink: Misty Moonlight, Gray Granite, Real Red

Paper: Basic White thick, Basic White, Let's Go Fishing DSP (retired)

Accessories: Ocean Friends dies, Gone Fishing dies, dimensionals, linen thread

Garden of Thanks - Stampin' Up! Garden of Thanks Kit

 I have to be honest that in the past I've not been much of a kit stamper but now I'm starting to come around.  The kits have definitely gotten better and now there are so many alternative ideas out there sharing different card projects as well as scrapbook pages that I feel like you can use your creativity with them more than in the past.  But just following the kit instructions is perfect for low stress stamping that nets you a gorgeous stack of cards ready to send out!  I was thankful to have just recently hosted a Kit Together event right after my birthday so it was lovely to have some beautiful thank you cards to send right out!

  So pretty right??  I made the 9 cards as they were designed because honestly I'm too busy chatting at this event to pay attention to much else but I really don't think I could have improved on them too much!

If you're in the Richmond, VA area my next Kit Together event is April 15 at 7pm and I'd love for you to join me! If you're not local to me and want to gather with some friends for your own Kit Together event you can order your kits HERE and then pick a date to gather.  It's really as easy as that!

  Thanks for looking!  Did you stamp today?

All of the supplies used to make 3 each of these designs is included in the Stampin' Up! Garden of Thanks kit.  All supplies included in each kit are listed in the kit description in my ONLINE STORE.

 

Bunny Friends - Stampin' Up! Storybook Friends

 I've got a busy weekend ahead of me with a giant pile of mulch that needs spreading as well as getting prepped for a stamping class on Tuesday. Luckily before the work starts I was able to play a bit with the Storybook Friends bundle to make this sweet bunny card.  The images in this set are just adorable and then pairing it with some of the Timeless Plaid DSP brings up the vintage charm even more.  I used the layout from the Stampin' Up! Only challenge.

  I pulled most of my colors straight from the DSP so I used Basic Beige for the base. The beautiful frame is cut from Early Espresso (another color in the DSP).  To make the sentiment insert I just cut the center of the frame die to get a Very Vanilla rectangle the same size as the opening.  Then I stamped the stone wall stamp in Basic Beige and the sentiment over the top if the wall in Early Espresso.  The two pieces are held together on the back side with several dimensionals.

  The bunnies are all stamped in Memento Black and then colored in with Blends markers.  I used Boho Blue and Wild Wheat for the pants and coat which are colors used on other patterns in the Timeless Plaid DSP pack so I knew they would coordinate with the paper I chose. 

  After the bunnies were die cut I arranged them around the frame to follow the sketch.  I added a blue baker's twine bow behind the bunny on the right and then some Antique Pearls. 

  Thanks for looking!  Did you stamp today?

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

Stamps: Storybook Friends

Ink: Basic Beige, Early Espresso, Memento Black

Blends: Crumb Cake light & dark, Boho Blue light & dark, Petal Pink light & dark, Old Olive light & dark, Wild Wheat light & dark, Cherry Cobbler light

Paper: Basic Beige, Timeless Plaid DSP, Early Espresso, Very Vanilla

Accessories: Storybook Friends dies, dimensionals, baker's twine, Antique Pearls

Impression Thanks - Stampin' Up! Impressions Abloom

   I'm busy designing for my class next Tuesday so you won't get to see those projects until after the class but luckily I have another project I made at the Stampin' Up! OnStage event to show you today.  This was made in the After Hours stamping session with the upcoming new set Impressions Abloom.

  I think this was my last of 4 projects for the night and I realize now that I didn't finish stamping the flowers as all the centers are still empty.  Looking at the sample I definitely forgot to do that part but I think it still works.  

  This one highlights the new In Color Timid Tiger, using it as the card base as well as one flower and the flat pearl embellishments.

  I didn't really follow the directions as they seemed to add extra steps so the way I made this one is by cutting a piece of Willow White to 4" x 5 1/4" (a quarter inch smaller all around than the card front). Then I stamped all my flowers, stems and leaves.  Next I cut the panel into 4 parts with 2 diagonal cuts. Finally, I lined up the edges of the flower pieces to the 4 corners and adhered them down.

  The sentiment is stamped in Secret Sea (another new In Color) onto Darling Duckling (another new In Color) cardstock and trimmed and popped with dimensionals.

  Finally I added a liberal helping of Flat Pearls in Timid Tiger all over the card front.

  Thanks for looking!  Did you stamp today?

All of the current supplies used to make this card can be purchased in my ONLINE STORE.  Items marked with a * will be available starting on May 6, 2025.  If you would like the opportunity to order Stampin' Up! products early you can join my Stampin' up! team to get preorder benefits!

Stamps: Impressions Abloom*

Ink: Granny Apple Green, Timid Tiger*, Darling Duckling*, Strawberry Slush*, Secret Sea*

Paper: Timid Tiger*, White Willow, Darling Duckling*

Accessories: dimensionals, 2025-1017 In Color Flat Pearls*

Welcome Baby - Stampin' Up! Playing in the Rain

   My husband needed a baby card for a baby shower they were having at work and I didn't have much of a selection because I don't need them very often.  Both of the cards I had on hand were very much for baby girls so what better excuse to stamp than a new baby!  I thought I would pull out an older (but still current) stamp set called Playing in the Rain.  The little animals are adorable and I thought the turtle would be perfect.  And maybe turtles were on my mind after seeing quite a bit of them at OnStage last weekend!

I started with a Balmy Blue card base then topped it with a Celebrations Expressions Memories & More card in this fun bubble pattern.  This pack of cards will be out in the upcoming Stampin' Up! Annual catalog on May 6.  

The 2 DSP stripes are scraps I had from the Floral Delight DSP and were a nice subtle texture and in Old Olive to go with what I had planned for the turtle.

  I cut an Around It All circle in Balmy Blue as a base for the turtle.  I stamped the turtle in Memento and then colored him in with blends markers.  After he was die cut I popped him on dimensionals over the sentiment strip.

  I didn't have a single current new baby stamp so I dove into the archives and used this sweet one from the long retired And Many More.  I embossed it in black for some extra detail.

  Balmy Blue baker's twine is used for the bow and then I added a few retired Speckled Dots in Old Olive.

  It was fun making a baby card so I made an extra one to tuck in my card stash for the next time my husband goes to a baby shower!

  Thanks for looking!  Did you stamp today?

All of the current supplies used to make this card can be purchased in my ONLINE STORE.  Products marked with a * will be available starting May 6, 2025.  If you'd like the opportunity to order Stampin' Up! products before release you can join my Stampin' Up! team and get preorder benefits.

Stamps: Playing in the Rain, And Many More (retired)

Ink: Memento black, Versarmark

Blends: Old Olive light & dark, Daffodil Delight light & dark, Balmy Blue light & dark, Pumpkin Pie dark

Paper: Balmy Blue, Basic White, Celebrations Expressions Memories & More card pack*, Floral Delight DSP

Accessories: Around It All dies, dimensionals, Playing in the Rain dies, black embossing powder, balmy Blue baker's twine, Speckled Dots (retired)

Thank You Abloom - Stampin' Up! Impressions Abloom

   I've got a little sneak peek of an upcoming new stamp set as well as some of the upcoming new In Colors!  We got lots of peeks at new products last weekend at OnStage and some of them we even got to take home!  I'm always excited for new stuff to create with and the annual release of new In Colors is much anticipated.  This new set of colors is really pretty and I think they will pair up well with the current color collections.  My card today uses the Impression Abloom stamp set along with 4 of the 5 2025-2027 In Colors.

  You might have seen this exact card shared by other demos and no, you're not seeing us all just have the exact same design ideas!  This design was one of the projects we got to make at the After Hours stamping event on Friday night.  We got to choose from 2 bundles when we registered and then received the products and a little booklet with instructions to make a set of projects.

  The card starts off with a piece of Two Toned Granny Apple Green cardstock for the base.  The flowers are stamped on White Willow.  We used White Willow for the projects because some of them were scrap pages and having just one white that worked for both size formats was easiest.  I don't normally use White Willow for card making but it definitely works of you want to have an alternative to Basic White.

  The new In Colors are starting at the top flower; Darling Duckling, Strawberry Slush (returning fav!), Cloud Cover and then the flower centers are stamped with the 4th color; Secret Sea.  The leaves are stamped off Granny Apple Green.  The 5th In Color is called Timid Tiger which isn't used in this project.

  The white panel is cut apart and then adhered to the card front in 2 pieces.  The sentiment is stamped in Secret Sea and a very light layer of Strawberry Slush is blended over it with a blending brush to give it just a very light pink color.  The sentiment is then popped on dimensionals.

  Finally new embellishments in the 2025-2027 In Colors, Flat Pearls are added for some shine.  I chose to use the Secret Sea ones.

  It was fun not only getting new products so early and playing with the In Colors but seeing so many demonstrators gathered together and creating!  I have to admit I'm not much of a stamper "in the wild" as I like having all my supplies within arms reach in my stamp room but it was a fun experience even if my stamping wasn't top notch!

  Thanks for looking!  Did you stamp today?

Current products used to make this card can be purchased in my ONLINE STORE.  Items marked with a * will be available on May 6, 2025 with the release of the Stampin' Up! Annual Catalog.  If you'd like the opportunity to order these items early you can join my Stampin' Up! team and get preorder benefits.

Stamps: Impressions Abloom*

Ink: Darling Duckling*, Strawberry Slush*, Cloud Cover*, Secret Sea*, Granny Apple Green

Paper: Two-Toned Granny Apple Green* (currently available in mixed packs, single color available in May), Willow White

Accessories: 2025-2027 In Color Flat Pearls, dimensionals 

Easter Tree - Stampin' Up! Pick a Season

   I feel like it has been weeks since I posted a card but it's just been since Thursday when I headed out of town to go to the Stampin' Up! On Stage demonstrator event in Raleigh, NC.  It was a really fun time and it deserves it own post after I go through some photos and get back in the swing of things.  I did stamp a bit this afternoon and I was able to get this super bright Easter card made using colors that are the current customer stamping challenge.  I think the lighting when I took the photo makes it look even more bright.

  I still had the Sale-a-Bration stamp set Pick A Season on my desk and I thought the bright colors worked with the images.  I started with Lemon Lime Twist, then a layer of Basic White embossed with the Dotted Circles embossing folder.

  Next I added a panel of Celebrations Expressions Memories and More card pack which is coming out in the next annual catalog and we received at OnStage to use for make and take projects.  The color listed is Berry Burst but I think this pattern went perfectly with Petunia Pop.  These cards are a great way to add patterns and color to your cards; almost like DSP but already cut to smaller sizes.  

  The sentiment is from the Storybook Friends stamp set and is embossed on a strip of Petunia Pop with the end flagged. I stamped the tree and added the Easter eggs in Pumpkin Pie and colored in some bits of them with the Petunia Pop marker.  I fussy cut the tree and popped it on dimensionals.

Finally I added a baker's twine bow and some sequins to finish off the details. 

 Thanks for looking!  Did you stamp today?

All of the current products used on this card can be purchased in my ONLINE STORE. Items marked with a "*" will be available beginning May 6.

Stamps: Pick a Season (SAB-retired), Storybook Friends

Ink: Lemon Lime Twist, Pumpkin Pie, Petunia Pop

Paper: Lemon Lime Twist, Petunia Pop, Basic White, Celebrations Expressions Memories and More card pack*

Accessories: Dotted Circles embossing folder, dimensionals, white embossing powder, baker's twine, sequins

Unbounded Thinking of You - Stampin' Up! Layering Leaves

   Short and sweet today because I am heading to Raleigh, NC for the Stampin' Up! demonstrator event OnStage.  I can't wait to see all the new products and make so many new friends.  If you see me there stop me to say hello; I love meeting my online friends in person!!  But first I've got another card with the Frames & Flowers DSP.

  This was the last big piece of the Frames & Flowers DSP that I had left so I lined the whole side of the Calypso Coral card base with it.  I wanted to echo the leaves in other parts of the card so I embossed a piece of Basic White with the Fern embossing folder and backed it with Pretty Peacock.  Some retired Calypso Coral Braided Linen Trim is tied around the panel before popping it on dimensionals.

  The only stamping on this card is the sentiment from the Layering Leaves stamp set.  I stamped it in Lost Lagoon and used the Unbounded Love dies to cut the panel.  I used the same die to cut the leafy border in Pretty Peacock.  With careful use of dimensionals on the backside of both pieces I was able to adhere both to the card front.

  A few retired Pretty Peacock faceted gems are the final embellishment.

  Thanks for looking!  Did you stamp today?

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

Stamps: Layering Leaves

Ink: Lost Lagoon

Paper: Calypso Coral, Frames & Flowers DSP, Basic White, Pretty Peacock

Accessories: Fern embossing folder, dimensionals Unbounded Love dies, Calypso Coral Braided Linen Trim (retired), Pretty Peacock faceted gems (retired)

Bunny Hello - Stampin' Up! Storybook Friends

 I've got a sweet spring card to share today.  Swap out the sentiment and it easily becomes an Easter card!  I made a whole stack of this design for my customer thank you cards for orders placed in February. I love the soft colors and sweet details.

  The card front is a piece of Very Vanilla embossed with the Eyelet embossing folder.  The frame is die cut with the Storybook Friends die set in Soft Sea Foam and a length of Petal Pink Scalloped Ribbon is threaded through the slits on the frame and adhered under the embossed card front.  The sentiment is stamped and added behind the frame before everything is adhered.

  The bunnies are stamped in Memento Black on Very Vanilla and colored with Stampin' Blends markers then die cut.

  I used the small flower dies in the Country Birdhouse die set to add some floral accents to the frame and I thought it was cute to make the one bunny hold a flower.  Some of the flower centers are accented with Antique Pearls

  Thanks for looking!  Did you stamp today?

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

Stamps: Storybook Friends

Ink: Memento Black

Blends: Crumb Cake light & dark, Lemon Lolly light & dark, Petal Pink dark, Balmy Blue light

Paper: Very Vanilla, Soft Sea Foam, Lemon Lolly, Petal Pink

Accessories: Eyelet embossing folder, Storybook Friends dies, dimensionals, Petal Pink Scalloped Ribbon, Antique Pearls 

Circle Hello - Stampin' Up! Country Birdhouse

    I know you're thinking "how much more of this Frames & Flowers DSP can she possible have??" because I have been sharing cards using it non-stop!  Not much left at all so good news if you're sick of seeing it.  But it's kind of a personal challenge for me since I so rarely finish an entire 12x12 pack.  This one is inspired by the just closed Freshly Made Sketches layout.  The circles were a fun element and a great way to mix and match patterns and colors.

  And how are these for gorgeous spring-like colors?  I used Soft Sea Foam for the base, then a layer of Lost Lagoon topped with Basic White.

  The circles are die cut with the Stylish Shapes dies.  The top two are Frames & Flowers DSP and the bottom is Soft Sea Foam embossed with the Soft Waves embossing folder.  I trimmed the edges of the circle before adhering all the layers.

  The sentiment is from the Country Birdhouse stamp set and was the perfect size and sweet font combo for this card.

  For embellishments I dug through my retired sequins and gems and came across these greenish iridescent sequins which matched perfectly.  I have no idea where they are from just that they are long retired Stampin' Up!

  The whole main panel is popped on dimensionals.

  Thanks for looking!  Did you stamp today?

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

Stamps: Country Birdhouse

Ink: Lost Lagoon

Paper: Soft Sea Foam, Lost Lagoon, Basic White, Frames & Flowers DSP

Accessories: Stylish Shapes dies, Soft Waves embossing folder, dimensionals, sequins (retired)

Squirrel Friend Birthday - Stampin' Up! Storybook Friends

   It's fitting that I'm sharing a birthday card today because I'm celebrating mine!  Though I have to say it being on a Monday and the Monday after the clock change is not ideal lol!  As if Mondays aren't bad enough right?  But this little squirrel makes me smile so maybe that's somewhat of a consolation!  I'm using the colors from the Color Throwdown challenge where they have us using a dark brown, light brown and blue.

  When I saw these colors I immediately thought of the cute critters in the Storybook Friends stamp set so I got to work.  The card base is Crumb Cake then I added a strip of Boho Blue DSP and edged it with a scrap piece of Early Espresso.

  The circles are all die cut with the Stylish Shapes dies.  The Early Espresso one is embossed with the Distressed Tile embossing folder.

  The squirrel is stamped in Memento black and then colored with Stampin' Blends before being die cut and popped on the Boho Blue circle.

  The sentiment is stamped along the DSP panel in Early Espresso.  I was please that I actually got it stamped straight!

 I was kind of envisioning this card for a guy so I didn't want to add a ribbon or bow so I settled on two Pecan Pie Ribboned Adhesive-Backed Dot for a tiny bit of shine.

  Thanks for looking!  Did you stamp today?

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

Stamps: Storybook Friends, Simply Said

Ink: Memento Black, Early Espresso

Blends: Pecan Pie light & dark, Ivory, Boho Blue light, Granny Apple Green light (flower), Lemon Lolly dark (flower)

Paper: Crumb Cake, Early Espresso, Boho Blue, Basic White, 2023-2025 In Color DSP (retired)

Accessories: Storybook Friends dies, Stylish Shapes dies, dimensionals, Distressed Tile embossing folder, Ribboned Adhesive-Backed Dot

  

Simple Thank You - Stampin' Up! With You In Mind

   While a lot of my cards have layers and layers I do like to keep things simple sometimes and today I've got one of those sweet but simple cards.  Again I'm using the Frames & Flowers DSP as a starting point for my card.  The layout is courtesy of Hand Stamped Sentiments challenge.

  I used Lost Lagoon for the card base and topped with a piece of the Frames and Flowers DSP.  This pattern is one of the B sides and is just a very subtle wash pattern in Lost Lagoon.

  Another Frames & Flowers pattern is used to make the background flag.  The sentiment from With You In Mind is stamped in Pretty Peacock and 2 leaves from the same set are stamped in stamped off once Lost Lagoon.

  The Delightful Wishes die set has these adorable little flowers that I die cut from Two Toned Petal Pink cardstock and mixed and matched the 2 shades for the two layer flowers.

  The retired Petal Pink Ribbon Duo combo pack is tucked behind the square before popping it up on dimensionals.  Retired Opaque Faceted Gems finish off the flower centers.

  Thanks for looking!  Did you stamp today?

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

Stamps: With You In Mind

Ink: Pretty Peacock, Lost Lagoon

Paper: Lost Lagoon, Frames & Flowers DSP, Basic White, Two Toned Petal Pink

Accessories: Stylish Shapes dies, Delightful Wishes dies, dimensionals, Opaque Faceted Gem (retired), Petal Pink Ribbon Duo combo pack

Make a Wish Flowers - Stampin' Up! Birthday Celebration

 Have you been following my efforts to use up all the scraps of the Frames & Flowers DSP these past few weeks?  I've made a lot of cards and I'm getting down to the really small scraps and I'm having to come up with new ways to get them on a card!  I'm using a new to me challenge Sunday Stamps Challenge and their great layout to use up a few more small pieces of the Frames & Flowers DSP.

  I used a Basic White thick card base and added my DSP following the sketch.  The sentiment from the Birthday Celebration stamp set is embossed in white on a Lost Lagoon Spotlight on Nature die cut circle.

  I backed the circle with a bit of Iridescent Striped Trim to bring in some subtle sparkle.

  The other birthday sentiment is from the Simply Said stamp set and is stamped in Lost Lagoon on a strip of Petal Pink.  Both sentiment pieces are popped on dimensionals.

  The final bit to finish this card off are a few Iridescent Faceted Gems for some more sparkle.

  Thanks for looking!  Did you stamp today?

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

Stamps: Birthday Celebration, Simply Said

Ink: Versamark, Lost Lagoon

Paper: Basic White thick, Lost Lagoon, Petal Pink, Frame & Flowers DSP

Accessories: white embossing powder, Spotlight on Nature dies, dimensionals, Iridescent Striped Trim, Iridescent Faceted Gems

Rustic Forsythia - Stampin' Up! Delightful Wishes

   My friends over at the Paper Players challenge have a timely challenge for us this week. And I'm squeaking in just under the wire with my card.  The Spring Flowers theme is perfect for this time of year.  I've got daffodils, iris and crocus blooming my yard right now but my card features another spring staple; forsythia!  I stuck to the traditional colors and gave the card a bit of a rustic feel.

  I started with a Basic White thick card base then added a panel of Peach Pie, then topped that with a layer of a nice woodgrain pattern from the Country Woods DSP.

  I tore the edges from a square of vellum to give my flowers a featured spot.  The flowers are stamped with Peach Pie and Lemon Lolly ink, the leaves are Old Olive and the branch Pecan Pie.  I fussy cut the sprig and added some die cut leaves in two-toned Old Olive cardstock.  The two-toned cardstock gives just the right amount of variation between the 2 shades.  The whole sprig is popped on dimensionals.

  The sentiment is stamped in Old Olive and then die cut.  Before adhering the sentiment pieces I adhered a length of Peach Pie Bordered Ribbon in a zigzag.

  The embellishments are Lemon Lolly Rainbow Adhesive-Backed Dots.  These pastel dots are perfect for all those spring flower card we are making these days!

  Thanks for looking!  Did you stamp today?

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

Stamps: Delightful Wishes

Ink: Old Olive, Peach Pie, Lemon Lolly, Old Olive, Pecan Pie

Paper: Basic White thick, Basic White, Peach Pie, Country Woods DSP, Two-Toned Old Olive, vellum (retired)

Accessories: Delightful Wishes dies, dimensionals, Peach Pie Bordered ribbon, Rainbow Adhesive-Backed Dots

Berry Lobster - Stampin' Up! Ocean Friends

   I think I'm about halfway through all the Stampin' Up! colors and seeing what they look like as a crab or lobster!  Today's color is Berry Burst compliments of the CAS Colours & Sketches challenge.  They have us using Berry Burst, Granny Apple Green and Lemon Lime Twist for a clean and simple card.  I do have several layers on my card but I did keep a lot of open space so for me this one is CAS.

 I started with Berry Burst for the card base then used a large panel of Basic White for building up my elements.  I cut the one edge with the wavy die in the Ocean Friends die set and edged that with a strip of Lemon Lime Twist.  

  A large bit of coral/seaweed was die cut from Granny Apple Green and added to the corner.  The full die cut is quite a bit bigger than what I used but I didn't want it to fill the whole panel so I trimmed off a good portion and then adhered it to the corner.

  And now for the glorious Berry Burst lobster.  The outline layer is full strength ink and the fill in is stamped off once.  I'm beginning to think of the lobster and crab in this set as I do flowers; they can be whatever colors I want regardless of what they actually look like in nature!  It's more fun that way right?

  The sentiment is stamped on a scrap of Basic White in Granny Apple Green and popped on dimensionals.

  I had the perfect embellishments with the Iridescent Adhesive-Back Discs so I added some to the coral/seaweed in Granny Apple Green and a few above the lobster in Berry Burst.

  Thanks for looking!  Did you stamp today?

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

Stamps: Ocean Friends

Ink: Berry Burst, Granny Apple Green

Paper: Berry Burst, Basic White, Granny Apple Green, Lemon Lime Twist

Accessories: Ocean Friends dies, dimensionals, Iridescent Adhesive-Backed Discs

Bright Day Rainbow - Stampin' Up! Sharing Loving Crafting

   Today is a very gray day here in the Richmond area and we expect some storms later this afternoon so I figured it was the perfect time to share another rainbow card!  The stamp set that I used is the Sharing Loving Crafting Online Exclusive set.  This is a great set for anyone who makes handcrafted cards and/or sells their items.  Stampin' Up! requires that items being sold using their artwork have a ©Stampin' Up! stamp on it and this set has 2 different sizes of stamps that can be used for this purpose. Not to mention other stamps that display your excitement about sharing your creations!

  I started this card with a Basic White thick card base and then topped it with a Basic White panel embossed with the long retired but still a favorite Subtle embossing folder for just a hint of texture.

  I used one my watercolor rainbow panels from when I made this card.  It was one that some of the edges bled too much or weren't an even color so I trimmed off those parts then cut the panel into 3 strips and added those to the card front.

  Some silver trim is tied around the embossed panel before adhering it.  

  The sentiment from the Sharing Loving Crafting is stamped in Memento black and die cut with the Stylish Shapes dies.  It's popped on dimensionals.  A few silver Adhesive-Backed Sparkle Gems are scattered to bring a bit more sparkle to this bright card.

  Thanks for looking!  Did you stamp today?

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

Stamps: Sharing Loving Crafting (Online Exclusive)

Ink: Gorgeous Grape, Azure Afternoon, Granny Apple Green, Daffodil Delight, Pumpkin Pie, Real Red, Memento Black

Paper: Basic White thick, Basic White, watercolor paper

Accessories: Stylish Shapes dies, dimensionals, silver trim, Adhesive-Backed Sparkle Gems, Subtle embossing folder (retired)

Milestone Birthday Banner - Stampin' Up! Birthday Celebration

   My card today is one that my stampers made at my last class.  They got to personalize the milestone number on the banner and have a card ready to go to celebrate a special someone!  The Birthday Celebration bundle is perfect for making sure those big events have a card that matches the occasion.

  The card base is Pretty in Pink and is then topped with a Pretty in Pink panel that is embossed with the Sale-a-bration reward Starstruck embossing folder.

  2 of the banners are die cut from the Wildflower Birthday DSP.  The gold accents on these papers are so pretty and perfect for a a special occasion.

  The 3rd banner is Pool Party cardstock and the sentiment is stamped on it in Blueberry Bushel ink and then popped it on dimensionals.

  The gold tassels are Brushed Gold cardstock and are popped up.  The numbers are also Brushed Gold cardstock along with foam adhesive sheets to give them nice dimension. 

  Finally a gold Adhesive-Backed Heart Sequin is added next to the 'wish' for the last detail.

  Thanks for looking!  Did you stamp today?

Stamps: Birthday Celebration

Ink: Blueberry Bushel

Paper: Pretty in Pink, Pool Party, Brushed Gold, Wildflower Birthday DSP

Accessories: Birthday Celebration dies, dimensionals, foam adhesive sheets, Starstruck embossing folder (SAB), Adhesive-Backed Heart Sequin

Birthday Circles - Stampin' Up! Birthday Celebration

   Today's card was inspired by the TGIF Challenge photo inspiration.  I loved the different sizes of circles as well as the mix of patterns.  This is a fun way to mix and match coordinating DSP and change out the sentiment to whatever you need at the moment.  I used the Wildflower Birthday DSP and the pretty pink and green side B patterns.

  I used a piece of the DSP to cover the whole card front.  The circles are cut with the Stylish Shapes dies and along with the DSP ones I cut one in Pretty in Pink and one in Basic White.  To bring some texture to the card I embossed the Pretty in Pink one with the Soft Waves embossing folder.

  The sentiment is stamped in Soft Sea Foam and Pretty in Pink ink and that circle is popped on dimensionals.

  Using some of the fabulous die cuts that come in the Wildflower Birthday DSP I added the gold banner across the top and popped it on dimensionals.  

  I stamped and fussy cut 2 of the flowers from the Birthday Celebration stamp set and popped those up on the pink circle.  Two gold Low-Profile Dots tie in to the gold banner.

  Thanks for looking!  Did you stamp today?

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

Stamps: Birthday Celebration

Ink: Soft Sea Foam, Pretty in Pink

Paper: Wildflower Birthday DSP, Pretty in Pink, Basic White

Accessories: Stylish Shapes dies, dimensionals, Soft Waves embossing folder, Low-Profile Dots (Online Exclusives)

Lucky Rainbow - Stampin' Up! Pick a Season

   I was browsing the many challenges that I follow to see what would spark some creativity and I found it with the Festive Friday challenge!  They have a fun choice board inspired by St. Patrick's Day but the card doesn't necessarily have to be for that day.

  

  For my card I used watercolor, rainbow, metallic thread, cloverleaf and gold.

  This one all started when I decided to make my own watercolor rainbow using waterpainters, reinkers and watercolor paper.  I played around and ended up with some duds but also got a few panels that were pretty.  I used one of them on this card.  I didn't quite get my stripes lined up to cover a whole card front so I trimmed this one down and adhered it to a card front that was embossed with the Eyelet embossing folder.

  I used more water color paper to die cut the sentiment labels.  The larger one is from the retired Tasteful Labels dies and the smaller is cut with the Unbounded Love dies.  For the sentiment I pulled out the long retired Itty Bitty Greetings stamp set and used the "lucky day" one.  For the cloverleaf the Sale-a-bration (SAB) stamp set Pick a Season was perfect so I stamped it a few times in Granny Apple Green ink.

 

  The top label is popped on dimensionals after adding a bit of gold thread behind it.  A few gold enamel dots finish off the details.

  Thanks for looking!  Did you stamp today?

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

Stamps: Pick a Season (SAB), Itty Bitty Greetings (retired)

Ink: Real Red, Pumpkin Pie, Daffodil Delight, Granny Apple Green, Azure Afternoon, Gorgeous Grape, Stazon black

Paper: Basic White, watercolor paper

Accessories: Eyelet embossing folder, gold thread, dimensionals, Unbounded Love dies, Tasteful Labels dies (retired), gold enamel dots (retired)

Plaid Crab - Stampin' Up! Ocean Friends

   My local stampers always appreciate a guy card at class so I combined the Ocean Friends stamp set and a bit of the lovely Timeless Plaid DSP for a nice masculine birthday card at my last event.

  The layout may look familiar as I used it for this For the Books card last week for the Freshly Made Sketches challenge.  The sketch was too fun not to use it again so I changed it up with the colors and stamp set for another look.

  The card starts with a Boho Blue card base.  Boho Blue is an In Color that will be retiring at the end of April so if you love it and don't have it time is running out.  If you already have it double check your card stock supply and reinker so as not to be caught without once it's gone for good.

  I used the largest Around It All die to cut the half circle from the Timeless Plaid DSP and adhered it to the card base.  The seaweed is die cut from Mossy Meadow card stock.  The crab is 2 step stamped with Cajun Craze ink, die cut then popped on dimensionals.  

  The sentiment is from the Spring Corners stamp set and is tucked into the snipped apart crab claws.  To add some interest to the top of the card I stamped some bubbles and then colored them in with a white colored pencil to give them more contrast against the blue.

  Finally a bit of linen thread tied in a knot and accented with an Adhesive-Backed Texture Dot accents the seaweed finishing off the card.

  Thanks for looking!  Did you stamp today?

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

Stamps: Ocean Friends, Spring Corners (Online Exclusive)

Ink: Boho Blue, Cajun Craze

Paper: Boho Blue, Basic White, Mossy Meadow, Timeless Plaid DSP 

Accessories: Around It All dies (Online Exclusive), Ocean Friends dies, dimensionals, white colored pencil, linen thread, Adhesive-Backed Texture Dot