Wild Floral - Stampin' Up! Textured Floral

   This card was a bit of one those that it ends up wildly different than what was intended at the start.  I had quite the stack of supplies piled up to finally get to this pretty floral thank you card.  In the end I'm pleased with how it came out and love the colors.  The layout is from The Paper Players and is a great way to show off some DSP!

  I started with a Crumb Cake base and then used another piece of Crumb Cake embossed with the new Dashing Designs embossing folder.  Next to follow the sketch I added 2 long panels of Wildly Flowering DSP.

  Instead of using another piece of DSP or cardstock for the element across the middle I used a piece of wide ribbon that I cut just slightly wider than the card front so it overhangs a bit.

  When I first saw the Wildly Flowering Suite the large flowers in the DSP really reminded me of of the Textured Floral stamp set so I thought they would pair up nicely and I think I was right.  I used watercolor paper that was lightly moistened with a water painter and then stamped the images. The larger flower is Moody Mauve and the smaller flower is Boho Blue.  Both centers are Early Espresso ink. The stamped leaf is in Mossy Meadow and the die cut leaves are Early Espresso.  Everything is layered with the larger flower and leaves popped on dimensionals.

  The sentiment is a simple thanks stamped in Early Espresso on Very Vanilla and popped up. Two Boho Blue retired In Color Dots add a little bit of shine as the final touch.

  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: Textured Floral, Simply Said

Ink: Moody Mauve, Boho Blue, Mossy Meadow, Early Espresso

Paper: Crumb Cake, Wildly Flowering DSP, watercolor paper, Early Espresso, Very Vanilla

Accessories: Dashing Designs embossing folder, Textured Floral dies, dimensionals, ribbon (retired), 2023-2025 In Color Dots (retired)

Hey. Thanks. - Stampin' Up! Saying Hey

  I recently got a big box of more new Stampin'Up! products from the new 2024-2025 Annual catalog and I'm trying to work my way through all the stamp sets and I used 2 new ones on this card.  The Saying Hey stamp set is a great casual set with a bunch of sentiments that pair up with the bigger 'Hey' or can be used on their own.  The Choose Happy set is an all purpose set with mix and match words and small images that work for events and seasons throughout the year.  It would also be fantastic if you're a journal or planner person!

  I used The Color Hues challenge of Teal and Coral for the color inspiration. In Stampin' Up! colors I chose Summer Splash and Calypso Coral.

  The card front is covered with a piece of 2024-2026 In Color DSP in Summer Splash.  Next I stamped the 'Hey' in Summer Splash ink and the flower from Choose Happy in Memento black on a strip of Basic White.  I colored in the flower with Stampin' Blends and then added a length of retired braided line trim in Calypso Coral.

  To make the tab I stamped the 'thanks' on a piece of Summer Splash cardstock in the same color ink then used the short end of the Heartfelt Hexagon punch to punch it out.  I tucked it under the Basic White strip then adhered it to the card front with dimensionals.

  A few opaque faceted gems from Sale-a-Bration add just the right bit of shine to the 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: Saying Hey, Choose Happy

Ink: Memento Black, Summer Splash

Blends: Calypso Coral light & dark, Summer Splash light & dark, Lemon Lolly light

Paper: Basic White, Summer Splash, 2024-2026 In Color DSP

Accessories: Heartfelt Hexagon punch, dimensionals, braided linen trim (retired),  opaque faceted gems (retired-SAB)

Pretty Roses - Stampin' Up! Layers of Beauty

   I've only made a few cards so far with the new Layers of Beauty bundle but I've found the masks/stencils really easy to use and have been very pleased so far with the results.  I used 2 challenges for this card.  The Just Us Girls challenge wants us to use stencils; easy enough with the Layers of Beauty bundle and the TGIF Challenge wants us to create a card for a friend.  I always think a nice hello card to send just because is a great way to tell your friends they are important to you.  I also used their graphic as a little of inspiration for my layout.

  I thought some classic pink roses would be a pretty start for this card so I pulled out the new In Colors Pretty in Pink and Shy Shamrock.  I started with stamping the large rose stamp on opposite corners of a Basic White thick card base in Memento Black.  Next, I used the stencils/masks and blended the 2 colors of ink in the designated spots.

  Once the flowers were colored in I took a panel of Basic white and die cut a large circle in the center and then I used the Eyelet embossing folder to give it some pretty texture.  I adhered the embossed panel over the card front then got to work on the other details.

  I used the Unbounded Love dies to die cut a little scalloped label in Pretty in Pink and stamped 'hello' from Simply Said on it in the same color ink.  I popped it up on dimensionals over some Shy Shamrock die cut leaves and a length of Shy Shamrock stitched ribbon that's hard to see but there.

  On the opposite side of the opening I added some more leaves and a little flower image that I colored in with blends markers.

  The final detail is a Pretty in Pink 2024-2026 In Color shimmer gem on the label.  

  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: Layers of Beauty, Simply Said

Ink: Memento Black, Pretty in Pink, Shy Shamrock

Blends: Shy Shamrock light & dark, Pretty in Pink light & dark, Lemon Lolly light

Paper: Basic White thick, Basic White, Pretty in Pink, Shy Shamrock

Accessories: Layers of Beauty dies & masks, Circle die, Eyelet embossing folder, dimensionals, Unbounded Love dies, Shy Shamrock stitched ribbon, 2024-2026 In Color Shimmer gems

Shamrock Birthday Balloon - Stampin' Up! Hot Air Balloon

   I'm always thankful when a great all-purpose stamp set like Hot Air Balloon gets carried over and I can keep using it.  And it gives my customers some more time to decide to get it.  I came across 2 challenges this weekend that both call for balloons so I was glad to have a balloon set so I can play along!  The Addicted to CAS and the Just Add Ink challenges call for balloons.  The Just Add Ink is a 'choose 2' of the 3 prompts given and I realized that I used all 3.  Hope that's ok with them!

  The Just Add Ink 3 prompts are Balloon, Bright Colors, and Birthday.  I think when I started this card it was going to be a hello card but by the time I got to finishing it I just grabbed a birthday sentiment not thinking about it!  Oh well!

  I started with an Azure Afternoon card base and then used the retired Basic Borders dies to cut a cloud edge along the bottom corner.

  The balloon is stamped with what I think is a great color combo: Shy Shamrock, Azure Afternoon and Daffodil Delight.  Nice bright colors right?  The basket is in Azure Afternoon as well.  Once the pieces were die cut I popped them up with dimensionals and added a baker's twine bow as a ver simple embellishment.

  And of course the sentiment is stamped in Azure Afternoon.  

  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: Hot Air Balloon

Ink: Shy Shamrock, Azure Afternoon, Daffodil Delight

Paper: Basic White, Azure Afternoon

Accessories: Hot Air Balloon dies, dimensionals, Basic Borders dies (retired), Crushed Curry Baker's twine (retired)

Life Thank You - Stampin' Up! Full of Life Designer Series Paper

   I needed to make a set of thank you cards for my son who was recently confirmed at our church and received some gifts that need to be acknowledged.  To keep things easy on myself I decided to use the Freshly Made Sketches challenge  and take away one less design decision.  The trio of "something" can always be so many great things but I decided to stick with the squares shown and pair the layout with the new Full of Life DSP.

 I started with a Basic White thick card base, then embossed a piece of Basic White with the retired Brick & Mortar embossing folder.  This one seemed to fit the clean look I was going for and the rectangle shapes echo the other squares on the card.

  I added the Basic Black strip at the bottom following the sketch.  Then I used the Stylish Shapes dies to cut 3 squares for each card.

The Full of Life DSP is so pretty with vibrant colors in a watercolor look and different geometric patterns or washes on the back sides.  I stuck with the small square pattern and just cut 3x3 blocks that fit perfectly with the die cut squares.

 Once the DSP was added to the squares I adhered them to the card front in a kind of color gradient arrangement.

 The sentiment from Simply Said is stamped in Memento Black on strips of Basic White and then the edges are angled.  They are adhered with mini dimensionals.

    Now the trick is to get the teen to write them out in a timely fashion!  Any one have tips??

  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: Simply Said

Ink: Memento Black

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

Accessories: Stylish Shapes dies, dimensionals, Brick & Mortar embossing folder (retired)

Gold Flowering Birthday - Stampin' Up! Wildflower Designs

   I wanted to get the Wildly Flowering Suite as soon as I saw the 2024-2025 Annual catalog and was sad that it wasn't on the demonstrator pre-order but as soon as I was able to place another order on it went!  It finally came last week and I just had time yesterday to break it out and have a little stamping time.  I used the Seize the Birthday challenge for my starting point on this card.  They want us to use Metallics to make a birthday card.

  This one starts with a Moody Mauve card base and then a layer of Very Vanilla card stock embossed with the Dashing Design DSP (one of the items in the suite collection).  I used one of the frame dies to cut out one in Very Vanilla and one from the new Naturally Gilded Specialty DSP and then used the outside frame in Very Vanilla and then inside panel of the DSP and put them together on the card front.  The frame part is popped on mini dimensionals.

  Since I had chosen the gold specialty paper I pulled in some more gold by stamping the flower top (I think it's an allium but you gardeners out there can school me if it's not!) 3 times in Versamark on Moody Mauve cardstock and then embossing them in gold.  I think there might be something wrong with my gold embossing powder as it's not very raised or shiny like it should be.  I might have to get a new jar of it once it's available again.  After they were die cut I layered them along one edge of the label.

  Finally I stamped the birthday sentiment from the Simply Said stamp set on a piece of Very Vanilla and flagged the ends before popping it on dimensionals.  And I had just one Moody Mauve dot left from the retired 2023-2025 In Color dots so I added to the sentiment.  Feels good to use up at least part of a sheet of embellishments!

  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: Wildflower Designs, Simply Said

Ink: Moody Mauve, Versamark

Paper: Moody Mauve, Very Vanilla, Naturally Gilded Specialty DSP

Accessories: Dashing Designs embossing folder, Wildflower Designs dies, dimensionals, gold embossing powder, 2023-2025 In Color dots (retired)

In Color Mouse - Stampin' Up! Hearts & Hugs

   It's funny how designing works sometimes!  I designed this card about 3 weeks ago for my new catalog open house party and right after I designed it I began to see a bunch of very similar cards out there.  All of us demonstrators wanted to make cards using the new set of In Colors and came up with comparable designs.  In my case I wanted to try to use as many new products as I could for my make and takes as well as the colors.  My customers always tell me they appreciate getting to see and use so many new products at my classes as it helps them make informed decisions when placing their orders.  And it also introduces them to products that they might not have noticed or liked on viewing the catalog.

  Whether you want to use the new In Colors or have a different group of 5 colors to use this layout is a fun way to get them all on one card!  We started with a Basic White thick card base then adhered 1" x 3 3/4" strips of the 2024-2026 In Colors to a piece of 5" x 3 3/4" Basic White cardstock.  Using the panel of Basic White helps keep your strips straight and allows you to emboss it all in one go through.  If your strips are a little off in the measurements it also makes it easy to just trim up the edges with your paper trimmer.

  We used the new Dotted Circles embossing folder for this design and the the deep impression really shows up well on these bright colors.

  The adorable mouse from the new Hearts & Hugs stamp set is stamped in Memento Black and colored in with Blends before being punched out.  He's popped on dimensionals over the flagged sentiment strip.

  Some new 2024-2026 In Color resin dots are added to the edge of the circle.  My stampers could choose whichever color they liked.

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

  Thanks for looking!  Did you stamp today?

Stamps: Hearts & Hugs

Ink: Memento Black

Blends: Crumb Cake light & dark, Petunia Pop light & dark

Paper: Basic White thick, Basic White, Petunia Pop, Summer Splash, Shy Shamrock, Peach Pie, Pretty in Pink

Accessories: Dotted Circles embossing folder, circle punch, dimensionals, 2024-2026 In Color resin dots

Always Shopping - Stampin' Up! Attention Shoppers

  If you have shopping enthusiasts that you make cards for then the Attention Shoppers bundle might just be what you need!  The images in the set can stand alone or you can pair them up with the shopping cart die for a lot variety.  And don't stop there!  Add images from other sets and see what you can come up with!  My stampers got to see one possibility with this bundle at my new catalog open house last week when they made this card.

  I used 3 new colors for this design.  Pretty in Pink and Summer Splash are two of the new In Colors and then I added in the new Basic Beige for the shopping bag.

  The base is Summer Splash and then we lightly blended some Pool Party ink for the background on the Basic White panel so it wasn't so stark.  Next comes the shopping bag.  It is an easy image to do a little paper piecing with.  We stamped the bag twice, once on Basic White and again on Basic Beige.  The handles and tissue paper are colored with Blends on the Basic White image.  Then we fussy cut just the bag from the Basic Beige image and put the 2 together and then die cut the combined bags.  Here's a little guide I had out for my stampers to reference.  Get really creative and use DSP to make a lot of different looks for the bag.

  The shopping cart basket and wheels are die cut and I think using the Adhesive Sheets for these 2 pieces makes it really easy to use.  If you're not a big fan of glue or just want something a little less messy, adding the adhesive sheets to the back of your cardstock before die cutting is the way to go.  Turn those die cuts into stickers for easy adhering.

  Finally the sentiment is stamped in Memento black and a Pretty in Pink ribbon is added to the side as the last detail.

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

  Thanks for looking!  Did you stamp today?

Stamps: Attention Shoppers

Ink: Memento Black, Pool Party

Blends: Summer Splash light, Pretty in Pink dark

Paper: Summer Splash, Basic White, Smoky Slate, Basic Black

Accessories: Attention Shoppers dies, Pretty in Pink ribbon, blending brush, adhesive sheets

Hello Beauty - Stampin' Up! Layers of Beauty

   The Inspired By challenge was the full inspiration for my card today, the stripes, the colors and the flowers.  I ordered the Layers of Beauty bundle back during the demo pre-order but hadn't tried out the masks yet and I thought it was high time for me to get to it!

  I started with a Basic White thick card base and then added some stripes with a piece of retired Flowers & More DSP which was a host only special a few years back.   Next is a layer of Azure Afternoon.

  Then comes the layer with all the interest.  I stamped the large floral from the Layers of Beauty stamp set on Basic White and then used the masks and blending brushes to add my colors.  I was intending to have the roses to be a little lighter but I got heavy handed with my blending but I think they look ok in the end.  I used Lemon Lolly for the roses, Granny Apple Green for the leaves and a combo of Balmy Blue and Azure Afternoon for the little flowers.

  I found it easy to line up the masks for each layer making sure the little notch in the mask lines up to the same pot each time.  Having the outline of the flowers already stamped was helpful too.  I'll have to try it without the outline and see how I do next time!  I used some smaller pieces of masking paper to cover any spots where I thought I might stray with my colors.

  For the sentiment I stamped it in Azure Afternoon and used the Unbounded Love dies to cut it out.  I used the Layers of Beauty dies to cut a few leaves from Granny Apple Green cardstock then poppped it all up on dimensionals in the corner.

  A few Brushed Brass Butterflies are scattered over the card front as a final touch.

  I'll be offering a product based class using the Layers of Beauty bundle in July so look for more details about that coming soon.

  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: Layers of Beauty, Simply Said

Ink: Memento Black, Lemon Lolly, Granny Apple Green, Azure Afternoon, Balmy Blue

Paper: Basic White thick, Basic White, Azure Afternoon, Flowers & More DSP (retired)

Accessories: Unbounded Love dies, dimensionals, blending brushes, Layers of Beauty masks, Brushed Brass Butterflies

Thoughtful Birthday - Stampin' Up! Simply Said

  I held my new catalog open house last weekend and had a great turn out and enjoyed showing my customers the fun new products that are now available in the 2024-2025 Stampin' Up! annual catalog.  This is one of the make and takes and is loaded with new things; color, DSP, stamp set, dies and embossing folder!  So much for a simple design!

  I've shown a few cards already using the Thoughtful Journey DSP and each one is as pretty as the last.  All of the designs in this 6x6 pack are beautiful.  I pulled 3 different designs that worked with a Petunia Pop base and my stampers had a choice of which one to use.

  A narrow strip of Petunia Pop embossed with the new Eyelet embossing folder goes along the fold and then the DSP next to it.

 

  The new Unbounded Love dies has a great variety of labels and we used one with a nice scalloped edge here.  The sentiment from a new set called Simply Said is stamped in Petunia Pop ink.  This die set has a few extra accent dies and we used 2 of them to cut out some leaves in Pretty Peacock and added them behind the label before popping it up on dimensionals.

  A few In Color Shimmer gems add a bit of sparkle by the label for the finishing touch.  

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

  Thanks for looking! Did you stamp today?

Stamps: Simply Said

Ink: Petunia Pop

Paper: Petunia Pop, Basic White, Pretty Peacock, Thoughtful Journey DSP

Accessories: Unbounded Love dies, dimensionals, In Color shimmer gems, Eyelet embossing folder

Walrus Hugs - Stampin' Up! Hearts & Hugs

 I think the cutest stamp set in the new 2024-2025 Stampin' Up! annual catalog is the Hearts & Hugs stamp set.  All the little critters are just adorable and have gotten a lot of "aw's" from my stampers!

  We used Hearts & Hugs at a private class last month and used an easy coloring technique to add some shading to the walruses.

  The new Summer Splash color is a nice bright card base and complements the Gray Granite used for the image.  Once the walruses were stamped we used the Basic Gray colored pencil to go over the the natural shading lines on the image and then softened them with a blender pen.  The gray is also used on the snout along with black for the nose and white for the tusks.  Just that little bit of coloring really adds a lot!

  After the walruses were colored and cut out we gave them a nice spot to hang out.  On a piece of Basic White we lightly added some Pool Party ink with a blending brush. Next we tore the edges from 2 pieces of Basic White and layered them to look a bit like snow and tucked the walruses behind the back layer.

  The sentiment is stamped towards the top in Pool Party ink and the one side of the image panel is edged with a piece of another new In Color, Petunia Pop. Bringing a bit more Petunia Pop to the card we added a few die cut hearts in the new In Color Glimmer paper.

  Not to get ahead of the calendar and all but I think this set would make adorable Valentine's Day card if you're that much of planner!

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

  Thanks for looking!  Did you stamp today?

Stamps: Hearts & Hugs

Ink: Gray Granite, Pool Party

Paper: Summer Splash, Basic White, Gray Granite, Petunia Pop, 2024-2026 In Color Glimmer Paper

Accessories: Hearts & Hugs dies, blending brush, blender pen, colored pencils

Notes of Lavender Thanks - Stampin' Up!

 I'm slowly working through all of my backlog log of projects to share from the last few weeks.  Today's design is one my stampers made in class and I also used for Mother's Day.  It's a wonderful all occasion design to add in whatever sentiment you need at the moment.  A few of the products are now retired but can easily be swapped for something in your stash or a current product.

  The base is Basic White thick. Next we layered some pieces of torn DSP onto a panel of Basic White and then die cut it with one of the Perennial Postage dies for great detailed edge. A bit of faux gold faux leather trim is wrapped around one corner before adhering the whole panel to the card front with dimensionals.

  The long leafy die cut from the retired Notes of Nature is cut from Fresh Freesia and layered across the panel.  If you don't have a leaf die that is long and skinny like this you can use multiples of a smaller die cut and just layer them across for a similar effect.

  The flower image is stamped twice in Fresh Freesia ink, once in full strength and again without re-inking for a lighter version.  Both are die cut and then layered under the sentiment which is stamped in Highland Heather and fussy cut.

  The last detail are a few of the retired cork rounds scattered across the card front.

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

  Thanks for looking!  Did you stamp today?

Stamps: Notes of Nature (retired), Perennial Postage (retired)

Ink: Fresh Freesia, Highland Heather

Paper: Basic White thick, Basic White, Nature's Sweetness DSP, Perennial Lavender DSP, Fresh Freesia

Accessories: Perennial Postage dies, dimensionals, Notes of Nature dies (retired), faux leather trim (retired), cork rounds (retired)

Heartfelt Journey - Stampin' Up! Heartfelt Hexagons

   In this busy season I have completely been slacking on posting projects!  I haven't even finished sharing the projects that we made at a private class a customer hosted a few weeks back!  The class was held just a few days before the new annual catalog went live so it was hard to decide what to use on the class projects!  I went with a mix of carryover items and new products.

  The new Thoughtful Journey designer series paper is gorgeous and I paired it with the carryover set Heartfelt Hexagons for a design that shows off the paper and lets the fun hexagon punch shine.

  The card base is Basic White thick, then a strip of Misty Moonlight cardstock topped with a strip of the Thoughtful Journey DSP. 

  The sentiment is stamped in Boho Blue ink and then the frame is stamped in Misty Moonlight and punched out.  A length of retired Boho Blue textured ribbon is adhered to the back and then adhered to the card front with dimensionals.

  A few 2024-2026 In Color shimmer gems are added to the side of the sentiment for a small bit of sparkle.

  This is a great design to use if you need to make multiples and any designer series paper would work.  It's especially good for 6x6 paper because you get 3 panels for 3 card with just a small 1/2" x 6" strip of scrap.  

  Thanks for looking!  Did you stamp today?

Stamps: Heartfelt Hexagons

Ink: Boho Blue, Misty Moonlight

Paper: Basic White thick, Basic White, Misty Moonlight, Thoughtful Journey DSP

Accessories: Heartfelt Hexagon punch, dimensionals, 2024-2026 In Color shimmer gems, Boho Blue textured ribbon (retired)

Peach Pie Cutie - Stampin' Up! Hearts & Hugs

  Last week I was able to introduce the 2024-2026 In Colors to my stampers at my monthly class.  I think they were overall well received and people seemed to like that they were brighter and more cheerful than the 2023-2025 set which are definitely more muted.  I designed one of the class projects so that they could choose one of the new In Colors to work with.

  I didn't take a photo of each of the other colors but just imagine the exact same card just with the other In Colors.

  This one is showcasing Peach Pie with a Peach Pie base, then a layer of the 2024-2026 In Color DSP with the same color stitched ribbon tied around it.

  Using the arched heart die and a Stylish Shape circle the hearts are cut from the top.  Then a piece of Peach Pie cardstock is placed behind the heart cut outs.  The circle is then popped on dimensionals.

  The little hamster (or as one of my customers pointed out a quokka) is stamped in Pecan Pie ink onto Crumb Cake cardstock.  We used a Pecan Pie and Melon Mambo colored pencils and a blender brush to give the little cutie some color.  Then he's die cut and popped on the circle with dimensionals.

  The sentiment is stamped in Basic Gray under the strip of DSP.  It was fun to see which colors my customers gravitated towards.

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

  Thanks for looking!  Did you stamp today?

Stamps: Hearts & Hugs

Ink: Pecan Pie, Basic Gray

Paper: Peach Pie, Basic White, 2024-2026 In Color DSP, Crumb Cake

Accessories: Hearts & Hugs dies, Stylish Shapes dies, dimensionals, Peach Pie Stitched ribbon, colored pencils, blender pen

Birthday Attention - Stampin' Up! Attention Shoppers

   Stampin' Up! introduced their new In Colors just in time for the current Just Us Girls color challenge!  The challenge has us using lavender, peach and gray.  I've used Fresh Freesia, the new In Color Peach Pie and Basic Gray for my card.

  Aren't these such a great color combo??  I think I may have to jot this one down in my color combo binder to use again in the future!  I can never have too many birthday cards so I went with the great cake from the new Attention Shoppers bundle.

  This design starts with a Fresh Freesia base.  I stamped the sentiment in Basic Gray all over a panel of Fresh Freesia then edged it with a Basic White panel.  The cake and flowers are stamped in Basic Gray and then colored in with Blends markers and die cut.  The flower image is actually a bouquet but I just cut off the paper wrap part of it and used just the blossoms.

  The cake is framed out with one of the great Unbounded Love dies.  This is a great all purpose label die set that can be mixed and matched with other products.  I used 2 of them here to highlight the cake image.  One die cuts the white label and then another die cuts out the Peach Pie frame.  Think of the possibilities!

  The label, cake and some of the flowers are popped up on dimensionals on the card front and then embellished with a baker's twine bow and two Peach Pie shimmer gems.

  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 if you do no already have one.

  Thanks for looking!  Did you stamp today?

Stamps: Attention Shoppers

Ink: Basic Gray

Blends: Fresh Freesia light & dark, Peach Pie light & dark

Paper: Fresh Freesia, Basic White, Peach Pie

Accessories: Attention Shoppers dies, Unbounded Love dies, dimensionals, baker's twine, In Color Shimmer gems

Throw That Cap - Stampin' Up! Cap & Gown

   Each spring I find that I need one or 2 graduation cards but this year I'm definitely stocking up as my oldest is graduating from high school.  That means we have a whole slew of kids we know that are also graduating.  So it was with a double purpose that I designed today's card which we made at my last class.  I cut extra supplies so that after the class I could have a design all ready to just put together and customize a bit as needed.

  I was so happy that the Cap & Gown stamp set that was in the Stampin' Up! January-April mini catalog is being carried over.  You can now find it on the online store only if you need a solid graduation set for the next few years.  There are no matching dies for this one but I think the images would be really easy to fussy cut if you wanted to. 

  This one starts with a Basic White thick card base, then a layer of the Zoo Crew DSP which has now retired. To re-create this design you can substitute any black and white patterned DSP and it will keep the same feel.

  Next the hands, cap and sentiment are all stamped in Memento Black onto a piece of Basic White.  The hands are colored with the Natural Tones Blends markers and the sleeves and cap are colored with the color of choice.  This sample uses Blueberry Bushel but Black is a good choice if you don't know the school colors or want to make it and have it on hand without a recipient in mind.  The tassel is colored with Daffodil Delight.

  To add some bling to the card we added 2 flags cut from the new retired More Dazzle specialty paper but again you can swap out any glimmer paper that you have on hand for a similar effect.  The top flag is popped on dimensionals.  See how to make perfect flagged ends in this quick video:

  Once everything on this panel is finished it's popped on dimensionals.  In class we added a quick DSP sleeve to hold a gift card or some cash on the inside and that can be coordinated with the DSP that is used on the outside of the card.

  All of the current supplies used to make this card can be purchased in my ONLINE STORE.  I'd love to earn your business!

  Thanks for looking! Did you stamp today?

Stamps: Cap & Gown

Ink: Memento Black

Blends: Natural Tones, Blueberry Bushel light & dark, Daffodil Delight light & dark

Paper: Basic White thick, Basic White, Zoo Crew DSP (retired), More Dazzle specialty paper (retired)

Accessories: dimensionals

Simply Lavender - Stampin' Up! Painted Lavender

   Last weekend I taught a private class for a customer and her group of crafty friends.  My customer had asked if they could make projects that used some new products from the (then) upcoming Stampin' Up! annual catalog.  As so many things from the Last Chance list had already sold out I was definitely into using some new products and pairing them up with some carry over items.  I combined the Painted Lavender set with the new Simply Said sentiment set.  If you are a new stamper and need a good all purpose set this one is great.  I love the 2 different fonts used and it covers all the big card sending events; birthday, thinking of you, hello, thank you and celebrate.  It's a great price point and perfect to use with our kits for more variety!

  This one starts with a Lost Lagoon card base and then a piece of Highland Heather cardstock is stamped in the same color ink with the leafy stamp from Painted Lavender.  It's adhered to the card front offset to the right.  Next is a band of Perennial Lavender DSP in Lost Lagoon across the center.

  The sentiment is stamped in Lost Lagoon on a Basic White Stylish Shape circle.  The lavender flowers are stamped on another larger circle in Gorgeous Grape and then without re-inking it's stamped again just slightly moved over to give the impression of a second layer of flowers in a lighter shade.  This is a great technique to make something look fuller while still keeping the same color palette.  Both circles are popped on dimensionals above the band.

  The flower stems are stamped in Lost Lagoon and then diecut and popped on dimensionals under the flowers.

  A few rhinestones add a bit of sparkle and a tiny knot of retired Iridescent trim is added to the stem with a glue dot.

  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: Painted Lavender, Simply Said

Ink: Lost Lagoon, Highland Heather, Gorgeous Grape

Paper: Lost Lagoon, Highland Heather, Basic White, Perennial Lavender DSP

Accessories: Painted Lavender dies, Stylish Shapes dies, dimensionals, rhinestones, Iridescent trim (retired)