Clean and Simple Wishes - Stampin' Up! With You In Mind

   I spent more time than I care to admit scrubbing the inside of my ovens today.  I should do it more often so it doesn't take so long but there are much better ways to spend my time...like stamping!!  My hands and arms are tired and I hope I'll be able to hold a stamp tomorrow lol!  Luckily I had this clean and simple card already made to share with you. 

  Just like yesterday's card this one is CAS and uses flowers.  I started with a Basic White thick card base then stamped the large 'thinking of you' from the With You In Mind stamp set in Pretty Peacock.

  These sweet little die cut flowers are made with the Delightful Wishes bundle.  I cut 3 flowers out of Calypso Coral and stamped and cut 2 leaves from Old Olive and arranged them around the sentiment.  2 of the 3 are popped on dimensionals for interest.  

  I added some retired Opaque Faceted Gems to the flower centers for a tiny bit of sparkle.  And that's it!  A really clean and simple card!

  Thanks for looking!  Did you stamp today?

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

Stamps: With You In Mind, Delightful Wishes

Ink: Pretty Peacock, Old Olive

Paper: Basic White thick, Calypso Coral, Old Olive

Accessories: Delightful Wishes dies, dimensionals, Opaque Faceted gems (retired)

Delightful Petunia - Stampin' Up! Delightful Wishes

   I'm sharing a clean and simple creation today inspired by the CAS on Friday challenge of "flowers" which should be really easy for me since I have so many flower stamps but how am I to choose just one flower stamp to keep this card clean and simple??  I went with one of my newest stamp sets; Delightful Wishes.

  I started with a Basic White thick card base then I scored a slightly smaller layer of Basic White at 1/2" on all sides to create a frame without adding any more layers.

  Next I stamped the flowers with Petunia Pop ink; first layer is stamped off once and the second accent layer is full strength ink.  I added in the stem in Pecan Pie and the leaves in Shy Shamrock.  While the Delightful Wishes stamp set is shown with a lot yellow in the Jan.-Apr. mini catalog let me tell you that these flowers look great in any color!  Don't get stuck on having a flower only be the color it comes in in real life.  Don't limit yourself that way; use all the inks!

  I added the sentiment from Storybook Friends in Shy Shamrock ink and then sprinkled a few adhesive-backed sequins around the flowers.

  Isn't that a beautiful, crisp design to welcome in the spring season?

  Thanks for looking!  Did you stamp today?

Stamps: Delightful Wishes, Storybook Friends

Ink: Petunia Pop, Shy Shamrock, Pecan Pie

Paper: Basic White thick, Basic White

Accessories: score board, Adhesive-backed Sequin Trio

  

Seagull Love - Stampin' Up! Friendly Seagulls

  You know I love my animal stamps and bird stamps so the Sale-a-bration (SAB) set Friendly Seagulls was sure to find its way to my stamp room!  I decided to make a fun little Valentine's day card that I think I'm going to send to my son at college.  The inside says "I love you more than french fries"!  So cute!  A $60 order can get you these seagulls for free during Sale-a-bration!

  The layout is one that I gave to my customers last week for a stamping challenge on our group Facebook page.  It's a simple layout and the big circle could be changed out for another larger shape so you can really go in so many directions with it.

  I started with a Lost Lagoon card base, then another layer of Lost Lagoon embossed with the Sale-a-Bration Starstruck embossing folder.

  The Spotlight on Nature die set was used to cut the circle.  I used a blending brush and very lightly added some Pool Party ink to it for a bit of a sky effect. Country Woods DSP is used for the pilings and I gave them 2 different heights so the birds wouldn't be crowded.

  The seagulls are stamped in Memento Black and then colored with blends markers.  I fussy cut them and popped them up on the pilings with dimensionals.

  The little banner is cut with the Stylish Shapes dies and I stamped the 'hey' in black.  It seemed a bit empty so I punched a Poppy Parade heart with the house builder punch and added that to the side of the banner.  Behind the banner I looped a bit of baker's twine and then popped it all up on a dimensional.

  This is such a fun stamp set and I keep seeing more and more cute ways to use it!

  Thanks for looking!  Did you stamp today?

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

Stamps: Friendly Seagulls (SAB)

Ink: Memento Black, Pool Party

Blends: Basic Black light, Smoky Slate light & dark, Daffodil Delight dark

Paper: Lost Lagoon, Basic White, Poppy Parade, Country Woods DSP

Accessories: Starstruck embossing folder (SAB), Spotlight on Nature dies, dimensionals, Stylish Shapes dies, baker's twine, house builder punch

   

Delightful Calendar - Stampin' Up! Delightful Wishes Dies

   Every year I see people making these adorable calendars to start off the new year and every year I tell myself I'm going to remember to order the little calendars and make the project for a class.  Well it finally happened!  I remembered to order the calendars in December so I was all ready for my first class of the year.  The Floral Delight DSP was a perfect set of papers to use to make this cheerful project.

  This is a really simple fun fold and can easily be changed up to display a photo for a Christmas card or even a mini scrapbook page. 

  The card base is 4 1/4" x 11" scored at 5 1/2".  Then layer the card stock and DSP as you wish.  I used Old Olive, Pool Party and Floral Delight DSP.  The calendar is backed with a layer of Old Olive also.

 To make the stand to keep the calendar upright all you need is a piece of 4"x4" cardstock.  Score it at 1/2", 2" and 3 1/2". Fold on the 2 inch mark then fold the 2 smaller flaps up.  Add tear and tape to the flaps and adhere them to the inside of the base.  So easy!

  We embellished this version with a die cut flower using the Delight Wishes dies, Daffodil Delight 1/8" satin ribbon and a teeny tiny bee trinket!

  Such a cute project and an easy way to brighten up any working space!

  Thanks for looking!  Did you stamp today?

All of the supplies (except the calendar) used to make this project can be purchased in my ONLINE STORE.

 Stamps: none

Ink: none

Paper: Old Olive, Pool Party, Daffodil Delight, Peach Pie, Pecan Pie

Accessories: Delightful Wishes dies, Tiny Bee Trinkets, 1/8" Daffodil Delight satin ribbon, tear and tape, dimensionals, calendar (Taylored Expressions)

Lobstah Thanks - Stampin' Up! Ocean Friends

   Lobstah is great no matter the form but you have to say it with the New England accent to make it even more fun!  Even in paper crafting lobstahs are awesome!  We used this fun lobstah from the Ocean Friends stamp set in my last class to make this bright thank you card.

 I pulled the colors straight from the Friends of the Ocean DSP and went with a Lemon Lime Twist card base.  A piece of DSP with a fun coral pattern sets the stage to bring in more color.  A panel of Summer Splash is embossed with the Soft Waves embossing folder and gives a great place to add our lobstah.

  The lobster is stamped in Calypso Coral with the outline in full strength ink and the fill in is stamped off once.  It's popped on dimensionals after being die cut.

  The sentiment is stamped in another color from the DSP, Melon Mambo.  A bit of Lost Lagoon soft cording is looped behind it before popping it on dimensionals.  You get a lot of bang for your buck with this cording as it goes with Lost Lagoon, Summer Splash, Coastal Cabana and a it's a nice darker version of Pool Party.

Finally a few Sunny Days Iridescent Dots are added for some nice bling.

  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: Calypso Coral, Melon Mambo

Paper: Lemon Lime Twist, Basic White, Summer Splash, Friends of the Ocean DSP

Accessories: Soft Waves embossing folder, Lost Lagoon Soft Cording, dimensionals, Ocean Friends dies, Sunny Days Iridescent Dots

Marbled Hearts - Stampin' Up! Hugs for Love

 I've been mixing and matching different products lately to make my Valentine's day cards and today's card is more of the same.  I designed this one to use some of the Marbled Elegance DSP, Hearts of Elegance dies and the Hugs for Love stamp set.

  My local stampers made this design in my last class and everyone agreed that the Online Exclusive Marbled Elegance Designer Series Paper is gorgeous with it's swirls of color and gold foil.  This card isn't big on stamping but it's big on the gold "wow" factor!

  The card starts with a Real Red base, then a layer of Basic White embossed with the Forever Plaid embossing folder.  A piece of the Marbled Elegance DSP is added to the right side of the card.

  A bit of gold twisted thread is wrapped around the center and tied in a bow.  Next come 3 lovely die cut hearts using the Hearts of Elegance dies.  The red heart is stamped and embossed with the sentiment.  Both the red and pink patterned hearts are accentuated by using a scoring stylus on the backside of the die cuts.  This gives the die cut a beautiful "puffy" look and is so easy.  Just leave the die cut in the die and flip it over to the back side.  Use a foam mat and the scoring stylus to gently trace the shape on the inside of the die.  And that's it; you get a jazzed up die cut in seconds.

  All 3 hearts are popped up on dimensionals and a few Adhesive-Backed Heart Sequins are added for even more gold shine.

  Thanks for looking!  Did you stamp today?

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

Stamps: Hugs for Love

Ink: Versamark

Paper: Real Red, Basic White, Marbled Elegance Specialty DSP (Online Exclusive), Brushed Gold Foil Specialty paper (Online Exclusive)

Accessories: Forever Plaid embossing folder, white embossing powder, dimensionals, Gold Twisted Thread (Online Exclusive), Adhesive-Backed Heart Sequins (Online Exclusive)

Love Hearts - Stampin' Up! Hugs for Love

   Sometimes card designs just come about because you have an orphaned card part that is just begging to be used!  That's what happened with this colorful Valentine's Day card!

  I had this Basic White panel that was embossed with the Sale-a-Bration (SAB) Starstruck embossing folder just sitting around since it didn't make the cut for another project.  And of course I would never throw it out so this card all started with just that panel!

  I added it to a Blueberry Bushel card base then stamped a whole bunch of hearts in bright colors using the Hugs for Love stamp set.  I fussy cut the hearts (really didn't take long at all if you were wondering lol!) and then layered them in a band towards the bottom of the card front.

 The sentiment is from the Saying Hey stamp set and is stamped in Blueberry Bushel and then popped on dimensionals.  The finishing touch are a few retired Iridescent Rhinestones for a little 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: Hugs for Love, Saying Hey

Ink: Melon Mambo, Daffodil Delight, Coastal Cabana, Blueberry Bushel, Azure Afternoon

Paper: Blueberry Bushel, Basic White

Accessories: dimensionals, Starstuck embossing folder (SAB), Iridescent Rhinestones (retired)

Spotted Background Birthday - Stampin' Up! With You In Mind

   While I haven't shared much the last few days I have been busy stamping!  I've been getting ready for my monthly class as well as working on a set of 100 cards for my church to use for an upcoming women's retreat.  You'll be seeing all the designs over the coming days so stay tuned!  But for today I've got a card I designed using the Color Hues challenge; Navy and Lime!  Such a cool combo!

  I guess this card would fit into the Testosterone Tuesday guy card category!  I kept it very simple and gave my new Around It All dies a good workout.

  The card base is Lemon Lime Twist, then I cut out the background circle in Night of Navy using 3 sizes of the circle-ish shapes from this big 12 die set.  Look for these die in the Online Exclusives section of my online store!

 Once I had the background arranged I used one of the larger dies to cut out the stamped sentiment from the With You In Mind stamp set.  I added a Lemon Lime Twist leaf and then popped it on dimensionals.

  A Natural Tones linen thread in Night of Navy bow was added to the leaf stem and 2 retired Enamel Dot Essentials are the finishing touch.

  Thanks for looking!  Did you stamp today?

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

Stamps: With You In Mind

Ink: Night of Navy, Lemon Lime Twist

Paper: Night of Navy, Lemon Lime Twist, Basic White

Accessories: Around It All dies (Online Exclusive), dimensionals, Natural Tones linen thread, enamel dot essentials (retired)

Oh Crab! - Stampin' Up! Ocean Friends

     The fabulous team at Seize the Birthday challenge is back with some more birthday card inspiration for you and they are letting me continue to join in the fun for January and February as a guest designer!  This time we are to use Kraft and Red as the colors for our card!

  I have to admit that these colors had me stumped for a bit as all I could think about was Valentine's Day but after I got that out of my system and got to thinking all things birthday and looking at my new Ocean Friends bundle there was only one way to go!

  This one was so fun to put together and I kept chuckling to myself (I'm easily amused!) the whole time.

  I started with a Crumb Cake (kraft) card base, then I used 2 more panels of Crumb Cake and tore the top edge off. Using a sponge I added Crumb Cake ink to darken the torn edge to make it look like a sandy beach.  I added some little pebbles in Crumb Cake to break up the sandy expanse.

  Next I used Basic White cardstock, the Alphabet a la Mode dies and foam adhesive sheets to make my "Oh Crab!"  and adhered them to the top of the card.

  Using some creative marker work I inked up the stamps to make 'it's your' and then used an ink pad to ink up only part of a 'happy birthday' sentiment. More dimensionals are used for the sentiment pieces.

  Finally comes the red part of my card, the crab!  He's a 2 step stamp with the outline in full strength Real Red and the fill stamp in stamped off once Real Red.  He's die cut and then added to the card front with more dimensionals.

  Finally I added the red enamel stars from my retired embellishment stash as everything else red that I had was way too Christmas-y for a birthday card!

  This was such a fun challenge and really made me get creative to bring my idea to life!  I can't wait to see your project in the Seize the Birthday gallery!

  Thanks for looking!  Did you stamp today?

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

Stamps: Ocean Friends, With You In Mind, Friendly Seagulls (SAB), Amazing Phrasing (retired)

Ink: Real Red, Crumb Cake, Memento Black, Basic Black Stampin' Write marker

Paper: Crumb Cake, Basic White

Accessories: Ocean Friends dies, Alphabet a la Mode dies, dimensionals, foam adhesive sheets, enamel stars (retired)

Blue Crab Love - Stampin' Up! Ocean Friends

   I'm trying to get back in the stamping groove after a few days away from home so I thought I would start with a Clean and Simple (CAS) card inspired by the Addicted to CAS challenge which has a prompt of code word Blue.  What's better than a blue crab saying "love you"???  Not much!

  The trick with a CAS card is to make it balanced without overdoing anything as well as maintaining open space without it looking empty.  They are harder to make than the finished product would have you believe!

  For this one I started with a Basic White thick card base.  I'm always trying to use up narrow scraps as best as I can and I thought that embossing 3 Basic White strips with the Soft Waves embossing folder and adding them to the bottom of the card would be a nice way to use them up as well bring some textural interest to the card.

  The lovely blue crab is stamped in Blueberry Bushel and Azure Afternoon.  Once he was die cut I popped him up with dimensionals.  I used the Spring Corners die for the heart and tucked it into the claw.

  The sentiment from the Ocean Friends set is stamped just above the top embossed strip in Blueberry Bushel ink.

  I'm thinking this card might be a good Valentine's Day card for one of my boys.  Not too mushy and if I give it with enough candy I might even get a smile!

  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: Ocean Friends

Ink: Blueberry Bushel, Azure Afternoon

Paper: Basic White thick, Basic White, Blueberry Bushel

Accessories: Ocean Friends dies, Spring Corners dies (Online Exclusive), Soft Waves embossing folder, dimensionals

Wildflower Wish - Stampin' Up! Birthday Celebration

   January is always a great time to check your supply of birthday cards and make sure you have enough for your needs the first few months of the new year.  The Birthday Celebrations bundle and coordinating DSP are an easy way to make a stack of birthday cards so you're ready to pop them in the mail on time for all of your family and friends!

  

For a fast card, the die cuts that come as part of the Wildflower Birthday DSP can't be beat!  I used them

on this card and it took just a few minutes to pull together.

  I showed this card coming together in my Facebook Live last week (along with a few other projects).  You can watch the replay here if you like to see the visuals:

 I started with a Pool Party base and then added a strip of the Wildflower Birthday Celebrations in a gold and Pool Party pattern down one edge.

  Then I chose the bouquet of flowers from the die cuts.  The sentiment is stamped in Blueberry Bushel and punched out with the new To The Point Label punch and added that to the card front with dimensionals.

  I added a few smaller die cuts to the side of the label making sure to use one of the gold leaf die cuts to help tie in the gold from the DSP strip on the card front.

  A bit of Pretty in Pink stitched ribbon and an adhesive-backed heart sequin also help pull all the elements of the card together.

  If you're looking to be even more organized about sending birthday cards in 2025 then you need to check out the Perpetual Beauty Calendar Kit in the online store!  Such a handy and beautiful way to keep track of special dates each month and you only need to write them in once!  No need to transfer all the dates to a planner or paper calendar each year!

  Thanks for looking!  Did you stamp today?

Stamps: Birthday Celebration

Ink: Blueberry Bushel

Paper: Pool Party, Wildflower Birthday DSP, Basic White

Accessories: To The Point Label punch, dimensionals, Pretty in Pink Bordered ribbon, adhesive-backed heart sequin (Online Exclusive)

You're My Lobster - Stampin' Up! Ocean Friends

   If you're of a certain age like me and watched Friends back in the day (or reruns now!) you're sure to remember the line "She's your lobster" so I made a Valentine's Day card with a lobster.  If that doesn't make sense to you at all check out the YouTube link below to see a clip that will explain everything, well as much as Phoebe Buffet can be explained lol!

  I used a piece of retired Well Suited DSP for the card background because Night of Navy just makes the Calypso Coral lobster pop don't you think??  

  I wrapped some Night of Navy linen thread around a stitched rectangle that I had in my scraps and tied it in a bow.  The lobster is popped up on dimensionals over the thread.  And then a little punched heart is added to the bow with a glue dot.

  Finally I stamped the 'love you' sentiment from the Ocean Friends set and trimmed it down and adhered it to the lobster.  

   

  Thanks for looking!  Did you stamp today?

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

Stamps: Ocean Friends

Ink: Calypso Coral, Night of Navy

Paper: Basic White, Well Suited DSP

Accessories: Ocean Friends dies, dimensionals, Natural Tones linen thread, House Builder punch (heart), Stitched Rectangle dies (retired)

Friend Season - Stampin' Up! Pick A Season

 Today's card started out for a color challenge for clean and simple challenge using these colors and after it was finished it wasn't CAS at all with the busy background so I didn't end up sharing it there but made another that was definitely more clean and simple.  This design uses the adorable Sale-A-Bration reward Pick a Season stamp set.  I love all the little images you can add to the tree for different seasons and occasions.  A very versatile stamp set.

  I started with an Old Olive card base and stamped the tree top stamp all over in Old Olive ink.  Using the smaller leaf stamp I filled in the open spaces for a more even look.

  A strip of Basic White has a score line at the top and bottom for detail then the sentiment is stamped in Early Espresso.  You can find the sentiment in another Sale-A-Bration (SAB) stamp set Friendly Seagulls. My Early Espresso might be past it's prime as it look very much like black and not really brown so a new one of those ink pads might be in my future.  I've had the original since Stampin' Up! made the switch from fabric ink pads to firm foam so definitely a hot minute!

  Next I used a piece of retired Pumpkin Pie cotton ribbon and tied it around the Basic White panel and then adhered it all to the card front with dimensionals.

  The tree truck is stamped in Early Espresso, the leaves in Old Olive and the flowers in Pumpkin Pie.  I fussy cut the 2 pieces and added them with dimensionals.  

  I added a few retired Adhesive-Backed Speckle Dots to finish the design.

  Thanks for looking!  Did you stamp today?

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

Stamps: Pick A Season (SAB), Friendly Seagulls (SAB)

Ink: Old Olive, Early Espresso, Pumpkin Pie

Paper: Old Olive, Basic White

Accessories: dimensionals, cotton ribbon (retired), Adhesive-Backed Speckle Dots (retired)

Open House Thank You - Stampin' Up! With You In Mind

   Last weekend I ended up canceling my new catalog open house event due to snow but did a Facebook Live showing the make and take projects that would have been at the event and this is one of them.  It's a bright, cheerful card and uses just one stamp set; With You In Mind.  

  This is a fun stamp set for beginner stampers as it has a nice mix of sentiments and they are on the larger size to help with filling space on a design.  And the little images are cute and easy to stamp.

  I used a Basic White thick card base and then had 3 panels to stamp on; Lemon Lolly, Peach Pie and Calypso Coral and I used the same color inks.

  The sentiment is stamped in Calypso Coral then die cut with one of the Around It All dies.  2 of the images are also cut with a smaller die from the same set.

  The circles are adhered with dimensionals over a silver trim ribbon loop.  Then a few Adhesive-Backed Shiny Sequins are added to the flower and star.

  A quick change of sentiment and you can have a thinking of you, best wishes or happy birthday card so this design is really versatile.  

  Thanks for looking!  Did you stamp today?

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

Stamps: With You In Mind

Ink: Lemon Lolly, Peach Pie, Calypso Coral

Paper: Basic White thick, Basic White, Lemon Lolly, Peach Pie, Calypso Coral

Accessories: Around It All Dies (Online Exclusive), dimensionals, silver trim, Adhesive-Backed Shiny Sequins

  

Elegant Thank You - Stampin' Up! Hearts of Elegance

   I combined a few challenges today to make a thank you card with a color combo I wasn't sure about at first but ended up loving the results.  The colors come from the As You See It challenge and are Peach Pie, Berry Burst, Smoky Slate and Basic Gray.  And the theme of 'thank you' is from the Alphabet Challenge where they are on the letter T for thank you this week.

 This was a design that I ended up using a bunch of small scraps so I felt even more accomplished when it was finished!

  I started with a Basic White thick card base then I stamped the large script-y circle stamp from the new Online Exclusive set Elements of Text in Smoky Slate.  If you love vintage and shabby chic cards or just like to have a variety of styles to choose from this set is beautiful with 3 font style stamps and 2 ink splatter stamps.  All are perfect for creating gorgeous backgrounds.

  Next I used the thank you from Wildflower Designs stamp set because the font was a perfect match to the background.  I stamped it in Versamark onto a scrap of Basic Gray then embossed it in white.

 I used the Hearts of Elegance stamp set to stamp the 3 flowers and 3 leaf stems.  Once they were all die cut I arranged them to the side of the sentiment and popped the lower Berry Burst flower on dimensionals.

  The only embellishment I added are 3 Adhesive-Backed Shiny Sequins.  The color matches the Peach Pie ink really well even though the product description says it's Pumpkin Pie.

  Thanks for looking!  Did you stamp today?

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

Stamps: Hearts of Elegance (Online Exclusive), Elements of Text (Online Exclusive), Wildflower Designs

Ink: Smoky Skate, Berry Burst, Peach Pie, Versamark

Paper: Basic White thick, Basic White, Basic Gray

Accessories: Hearts of Elegance dies (Online Exclusive), dimensionals, white embossing powder, Adhesive-Backed Shiny Sequins

Around the Flowers - Stampin' Up! Around It All Dies

   Sometimes an idea actually turns out close to the way I hoped it would!  I was looking at the Around It All dies and thinking they would be cute as layered flowers and tucked the idea away to try it out one of these days.  Then I saw that I was due to post a new stamping challenge for my customers and the colors were Coastal Cabana, Petunia Pop and Shy Shamrock. Then I saw the Freshly Made Sketches challenge!  It was stamping fate so this is a card that I had to make.... 'had' is doing a lot of work in that sentence but still lol!

    I started with a Basic White thick card base, then topped it with a layer of Basic White that is embossed with the Sale-A-Bration (SAB) reward Starstruck embossing folder.

  Then using the 4 smallest circles from the Around It All die set I cut a variety of circles using both card stock and DSP in Petunia Pop and Coastal Cabana.  This die set is an Online Exclusive and a nice addition to your stamping supplies as a super versatile circle-ish shape.  Eagle eyed stampers might spot that 2 of the 3 DSPs used are also Sale-A-Bration rewards! The top 2 layers of each flower are adhered with dimensionals.

Next I used the smallest circle to cut out the leaves from Shy Shamrock cardstock.  Each flower got 2 leaves.  

  Then using the layout from the challenge I arranged my flowers on the card front and adhered them with glue.  I thought about another layer of dimensionals but I think that would have made the card a bit thick for mailing.

  For the sentiment I wanted one that was very small so as not to cover up the whole flower so after searching through my sets I found this one from the Hearts & Hugs stamp set and stamped it in Shy Shamrock ink and added it to the flower.

  For a bit of sparkle I added some 2024-2026 In Color Shimmer gems to the flower centers.  I think this color combo it really cute and perfect for spring flowers and the FMS challenge came by at just the right time!

Thanks for looking!  Did you stamp today?

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

Stamps: Hearts & Hugs

Ink: Shy Shamrock

Paper: Basic White thick, Basic White, Shy Shamrock, Petunia Pop, Coastal Cabana, Fruit Salad DSP (SAB), Bloom Impressions DSP (SAB), 2024-2026 In Color DSP

Accessories: Starstruck embossing folder (SAB), Around It All dies (Online Exclusive), dimensionals, 2024-2026 In Color Shimmer gems

Happy 2025 - Stampin' Up! Birthday Celebration

   I still have a few more happy new year cards to send out so I've been trying to work on a fun design that I could make multiples of and then get them in the mail.  This design is not that one.  It will go out in the mail soon but it is for sure a one of kind.  I fussed over this one so much that I don't think I can bring myself to do it again even though the design part is the time consuming part and it's not the actual stamping!  Anyway, I love the colors and using a piece of the Beautiful Skies DSP just seems like a perfect choice for a new years card.  The layout is inspired by the Stampin' Up! Only Challenge layout.

  I started with a Blueberry Bushel card base, then a layer of the Online Exclusive Beautiful Skies DSP edged with a wavy strip of Pretty in Pink cut with the Ocean Friends dies.

 Using the Birthday Celebrations dies I cut the banner shape from Azure Afternoon and then the numbers from 2024-2026 In Color Glimmer Paper.  I stamped the 'happy' in Versamark then embossed it in white.  The banner is popped on dimensionals.

  I adhered the shimmery numbers to a piece of Basic White then fussy cut around them making a border to help the number pop a bit more.

  I cut a few tassels from Pretty in Pink and Azure Afternoon cardstock and added them to the corners and highlighted them with a 2024-2026 In Color Shimmer Gem.

  After I had gotten this far in the design after A LOT of time it was still missing something so I pulled out yet more supplies and stamped three stars from the With You In Mind stamp set, fussy cut them and added them around the banner.  A few retired Pastel-backed sequins were the right colors so one went on each of the stars to finish the design.

  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 Celebrations, With You In Mind

Ink: Pretty in Pink, Azure Afternoon, Blueberry Bushel

Paper: Blueberry Bushel, Pretty in Pink, Everyday Skies DSP (Online Exclusives), Basic White, Azure Afternoon, 2024-2026 In Color Glimmer Paper

Accessories: white embossing powder, Ocean Friends dies, Birthday Celebrations dies, dimensionals, 2024-2026 In Color Shimmer Gems, Pastel-backed sequins (retired)

CAS Wood Texture Birthday - Stampin' Up! Kiss of Texture

   It just so happens that the timing works out so that I'm sharing a masculine card for Testosterone Tuesday!  We all agree that guy cards can be hard especially if you don't have a stamp set that is geared towards one of their hobbies like golf or video games or woodworking!  I used the somewhat masculine colors from the CAS Colours & Sketches challenge for this masculine birthday card that has some stamped texture along with a few cute birthday candles!

  Excuse the lighting in this photo!  I swear if I miss the small sweet 15 minute window in the afternoon to take card photos in my stamp room they just kind of look off!  But this one is clean and simple and you get the gist!

  I used these colors for another card that ended up being very much not 'Clean and Simple' so I wanted to try again and keep it CAS this time.

  I started with a Basic White thick card base, then using the new Online Exclusive Kiss of Texture stamp set I inked up the solid square stamp in each of my colors then "kissed" the woodgrain stamp to the inked stamp to pull away some of the ink leaving the woodgrain pattern behind which I stamped onto Basic White.  Be sure to clean your stamps after each color! After I had each color stamped I cut the squares out and adhered them down the side of the card front leaving room for the sentiment.

  The sentiment is from the Simply Said stamp set and is stamped in Early Espresso.  I stamped 3 candles from the Choose Happy stamp set in Early Espresso then colored them in with Stampin' Blends markers then fussy cut them out.  I popped them up with dimensionals onto the squares.

  A few adhesive-backed Speckle Dots are added to highlight the sentiment just a little bit.  

  I'm happy with how this one turned out and the Kiss of Texture stamp set shouldn't be overlooked for the fun and easy technique you can do with it for adding texture with a stamped image!

  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: Kiss of Texture (Online Exclusive), Simply Said, Choose Happy

Ink: Early Espresso, Pumpkin Pie, Old Olive

Blends: Pumpkin Pie light & dark, Old Olive light & dark, Deep combo pack (SU100), color lifter

Paper: Basic White thick, Basic White

Accessories: dimensionals, Adhesive-backed Speckled Dots (retired)

Delightful Birthday - Stampin' Up! Delightful Wishes

  I used the new Delightful Wishes bundle to make a very spring inspired birthday card using the Hand Stamped Sentiments challenge colors.  This bundle is shown in the January-April 2025 Mini Catalog with lots and lots of yellow which I love but I thought it would be fun to try the images with something different.

  I used Basic White thick for the card base and then layered a piece of Petunia Pop and then a layer of Highland Heather embossed with the Forever Plaid embossing folder.

  I stamped 3 of the flowers first in Petunia Pop and then the second layer in Highland Heather.  Coordinating leaves are stamped in Lemon Lime Twist.  Once they were die cut I arranged them around the sentiment.

  The sentiment is the 2 part die cut for the 'wishing' popped up on dimensionals over the 'you a happy birthday' stamped in Petunia Pop on a narrow strip of Basic White also popped on dimensionals.

  Each flower center is accented with an Iridescent Faceted Gem.

  Thanks for looking!  Did you stamp today?

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

Stamps: Delightful Wishes

Ink: Petunia Pop, Highland Heather, Lemon Lime Twist

Paper: Basic White thick, basic White, Petunia Pop, Highland Heather

Accessories: Forever Plaid embossing folder, Delightful Wishes dies, dimensionals, Iridescent Faceted Gem

Friendly Bee - Stampin' Up! Bee My Valentine

   I was in a stamping rut the other day and just had no ideas to get a card started so I looked at some of my favorite challenges and the Festive Friday challenge gave me so many options that I didn't have to decide anything else; that was all I needed.  The inspiration for the choice board is National Winnie the Pooh Day and I decided to use yellow, red, twine, bees, honey and a friend sentiment.

  I started with a Real Red card base, then a layer of Pool Party and topped that with a piece of retired Bee Mine DSP in a pretty yellow plaid.  I wrapped a bit of really old retired Pool Party/white baker's twine around the panels before adhering them to the card front.

  I had a die cut circle in my scrap bin because the die slipped and one edge got cut funny so I simply turned it to where I knew it would be covered up and then stamped the friend sentiment from the new Ocean Friends stamp set in Pool Party ink.  The circle is popped on dimensionals.

  The cute bee from the Bee My Valentine stamp set is stamped and punched out with the coordinating Bee Builder punch.  I added it to the top edge of the circle.

  I used another piece of the Bee Mine DSP to fussy cut a few of the sweet little honey jars and added those to the opposite side of the circle.

  Finally I dug into my stash of retired embellishments and came up with just enough of these tiny adhesive hearts and added them to the circle for the final touch.

  If you can't get enough of all things 'bee' then you'll want to check out the newly released Meant to Bee stamp and die set bundle and the Cute as Can Bee scrapbooking products with even more bee themed cuteness!  Those hexagon dies are calling my name!!

  Thanks to the Festive Friday design team for getting my creative juices flowing with this fun challenge!

  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: Bee My Valentine, Ocean Friends

Ink: Daffodil Delight, Memento Black, Pool Party

Paper: Real Red, Pool Party, Basic White, Bee Mine DSP (retired)

Accessories: Bee Builder punch, Spotlight on Nature dies, dimensionals, Pool party/white baker's twine (retired), min adhesive hearts (retired)

Mambo Lobster - Stampin' Up! Ocean Friends

   Central Virginia got some more snow last night and until noon today a good portion of the Richmond Metro area was under a boil water advisory so needless to say a lot has been going on in my area!  I was supposed to have my new Mini Catalog & Sale-a-Bration open house this afternoon but after watching the weather and there being some wide variations on the snow totals and whatnot I decided to play it safe and cancel the event.  I did a Facebook Live event instead and at least got to show off some of the new products and put together a few projects.  I hope my customers enjoyed seeing it all from the warm comfort of their own homes!  I'l be sharing those projects in the next few days but today I've got another card I made using the Ocean Friends bundle.

  I used the Global Design Project layout.  Ever since this challenge went to Instagram only and stopped posting the challenge to their blog I seem to miss it more weeks than not but I saw the new graphic and saved it so I could try to get to it.

  I wanted to stick to fun, bright colors for this card so I chose to use Summer Splash, Melon Mambo and Lemon Lime Twist for the main elements.

  

  The card base is Summer Splash, then a layer of Basic White and another piece of Summer Splash agian that is embossed with the new Soft Waves embossing folder.

  I added a die cut coral piece in Lemon Lime Twist then the Melon Mambo lobster on the other side to follow the given sketch. 

  The sentiment is from the Simply Said stamp set and is stamped in Pretty Peacock onto Pool Party cardstock.  I trimmed the sentiments in to two parts again to follow the sketch.

  Finally I added a few Sunny Day Iridescent Dots in Melon Mambo for a bit of shine and sparkle.  

  I'm so glad I finally got to play along with the GDP challenge this week.

  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, Simply Said

Ink: Melon Mambo, Pretty Peacock

Paper: Summer Splash, Basic White, Lemon Lime Twist, Pool Party

Accessories: Soft Waves embossing folder, Ocean Friends dies, dimensionals, Sunny Day Iridescent Dots

Tune In Birthday - Stampin' Up! Tune In

   I always need to stock my masculine birthday cards and it never seems to be a priority until I have to send one out and I don't have one!  I'm making 2025 the year when I'm not caught short on masculine cards so I used the Freshly Made Sketches challenge this week to to put together a quick birthday card using a set from the annual catalog and adding some nice new Timeless Plaid DSP.

  Some plaid patterns can be fussy but I chose this tone on tone blue pattern because it isn't fussy and I think fits the 'fresh' guidelines of the challenge. The Timeless Plaid DSP has more understated colors and I think a lot of them would be perfect for guy cards.  

  I started with a Basic White thick base then added a strip of Misty Moonlight down the center.  Next is the DSP with a very narrow strip of Peach Pie cardstock down one edge.  At first I was going to add Night of Navy but thought a brighter color would play better off the other blues.

  Next I stamped the tv from the Tune In bundle using both Pecan Pie ink and cardstock and then die cut it.  I colored in the tv feet and the band around the screen with a Pecan Pie Blends marker.

  The sentiment is stamped in Misty Moonlight and I added the pixel stamp twice in stamped off Peach Pie for a very subtle look.  That panel was die cut to fit the screen then the tv is popped on dimensionals.

  The antennae is stamped in Pecan Pie then colored in with Boho Blue Blends.  After it was die cut it  was popped on the top of the tv.

  Finally I added some retired enamel dots in Misty Moonlight on the tv knobs for some embellishment.

  I'm thinking this might be a good card to re-make in several color variations to pad my supply!  February is a birthday heavy month in our family and they wouldn't go to waste lol!

  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: Tune In

Ink: Pecan Pie, Misty Moonlight, Peach Pie

Blends: Pecan Pie dark, Boho Blue light & dark

Paper: Basic White thick, Misty Moonlight, Pecan Pie, Basic White, Peach Pie, Timeless Plaid DSP

Accessories: Tune In dies, dimensionals, Misty Moonlight enamel dots (retired)

Birthday Garden - Stampin' Up! Storybook Garden Patch

   Some fun news here to start the New Year off!  I am thrilled to be joining the Seize the Birthday design team as a Party Guest for the next 2 months!  I love playing along with this talented group of card makers and I hope I can add some inspiration to the mix!  I hope you'll play along and share your card in the gallery so we can oooohhh and aaaahhh over it.  And it's always a good idea to get a head start on those birthday cards you'll need this year.

  The first challenge I'm doing is to Use Something New.  Well that certainly isn't hard with my recent very large demonstrator preorder but the problem was choosing which new items to focus on!  I decided to play it straight and use a set of products that hadn't seen any ink yet; Storybook Moments Suite!  

  I started with a piece of Storybook Moments DSP in a pretty swirly vine pattern for the background.  Then I used one of the layout ideas from the Sept.-Dec. mini catalog for my focal piece.  Using the retired Tailor Made Tags dies I cut a large tag out of Basic Beige cardstock, then layered a Mossy Meadow frame over the top.  The frame dies in the Storybook Friends die set are lovely and give such an elegant way to highlight an image or add a fun shape.  This one in particular is perfect with this DSP as the little swirls are very similar.

  Then I cut 3 circles with the Stylish Shapes dies out of watercolor paper.  The produce images are stamped in Crumb Cake also on watercolor paper and then colored in with a Blender pen and inks.  After they were die cut I popped them on dimensionals on the circles.

  The sentiment is from another new stamp set Delightful Wishes and I just stamped it in Lost Lagoon ink and trimmed it down so it wouldn't cover up too much of the carrot.

  Finally for the embellishments I added a linen thread bow at the top and a few Earth Tones Shimmer Gems in Very Vanilla on the swirls of the frame.  I think this card will be a perfect card for a gardener!

  I hope to see your card in the Seize the Birthday challenge gallery!

 Thanks for looking!  Did you stamp today?

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

Stamps: Storybook Garden Patch, Delightful Wishes

Ink: Crumb Cake, Old Olive, Mossy Meadow, Real Red, Pumpkin Pie, Blackberry Bliss, Lost Lagoon

Paper: Storybook Moments DSP, Basic Beige, watercolor paper, Mossy Meadow, Lost Lagoon

Accessories: Storybook Friends dies, Storybook Garden Patch dies, Tailor Made Tags dies (retired), dimensionals, linen thread, Earth Tones Shimmer Gems

Season Thank You - Stampin' Up! Pick a Season

 I'm still working my way through getting some thank you cards made for the holiday season but I was able to get a few of this design made for my customer thank yous for the month of December.  The Sale-A-Bration (SAB) set Pick A Season is super cute and useful for many seasons and I thought it was a cheerful choice during these cold winter days.

  Aren't these a fun set of colors?  I used Balmy Blue, Petunia Pop and Shy Shamrock.  I started with a Balmy Blue base then stamped the cloud image in white craft ink on the right side.  

  I stamped the tree, flowers and trunk on a piece of Basic White.   I used a strip of Shy Shamrock and tore the top edge off then stamped the little grass stamp a few times in Shy Shamrock ink to make a little grassy area for the tree. 

  Before I adhered the tree panel to card front I added a length of stitched Petunia Pop ribbon along the edge.

  The sentiment is from the Storybook Friends stamp set and is stamped in Petunia Pop and punched out. It's popped on dimensionals and a Balmy Blue baker's twine bow is added.

  Thanks for looking!  Did you stamp today?

All of the supplies used to make this card can be ordered or earned for free in my ONLINE STORE.

Stamps: Pick a Season (SAB), Storybook Friends

Ink: white craft, Pecan Pie, Shy Shamrock, Petunia Pop

Paper: Balmy Blue, Shy Shamrock, Basic White

Accessories: circle punch, Petunia Pop Stitched ribbon, dimensionals, Balmy Blue baker's twine

Valentine Hugs - Stampin' Up! Hugs for Love

   As I was tidying up some files on my computer I noticed that I never shared this card that I designed back in September for my customer Christmas party.  I had a few quick make and takes using some new products.  After the party I had a few card packets left over so I did a quick Facebook Live showing how the card was put together and then a second stepped up version with some added elements.

  Check out the replay on my YouTube channel to see all the details on replay!

  I thought these were fun colors to use for a Valentine's Day card when you might be over the red and pink combos!

  The Hugs for Love bundle is now available to order and if your order reaches $60 worth of products you get a free Sale-a-Bration (SAB) reward!  The ribbon used on this card is just one of many items you can choose from. You can't beat free stamping products can you?!!  This is a sweet inexpensive bundle that can be used for many different occasions with different sentiments and a fun label punch shape!

  Here is the stepped up version with Lemon Lime Twist added as well as a few more elements.

  Thanks for looking!  Did you stamp today?

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

Stamps: Hugs for Love

Ink: Summer Splash, Fresh Freesia, Lemon Lime Twist

Paper: Summer Splash, Fresh Freesia, Lemon Lime Twist, Basic White

Accessories: ToThe Point Label punch, dimensionals, Riverside Irregular Pearls (Online Exclusive), Fresh Freesia seam binding ribbon (SAB)

Pear Thank You - Stampin' Up! With You in Mind

 If you're looking to make a quick and cute card the new (customers will be able to order tomorrow!) stamp set With You in Mind pairs (lol!) wonderfully with the Sale-a-Bration Fruit Salad DSP (also available tomorrow).  This super simple layout can work for a fun mix and match set of cards if you wanted to make a fruit themed card set for a gift.

  I used the Freshly Made Sketches layout for my inspiration.  I started with a Basic White thick card base and then dithered around picking which Fruit Salad DSP sheet I wanted to use.  They are all so cute and fun but I landed on this pear pattern.  I cut a large heart in the center with the Hearts of Elegance dies.

  I popped the pear panel up on dimensionals on the card front.  The sentiment is then stamped in Pecan Pie on the reverse side of the pear pattern and adhered in the open heart.

  The 2 pear shapes are fussy cut from the strip left over after cutting the 6x6 down for the card front.  I added the pears with dimensionals to the side of the heart.

  Finally I added 2 Pecan Pie faceted gems to the top of the heart to follow the elements of the sketch.

  Thanks for looking!  Did you stamp today?

Current items used to make this card can be purchased in my ONLINE STORE.  Items marked with * will be available starting January 7, 2025 with the release of the Jan.-Apr. 2025 Stampin' Up! Mini Catalog,  Sale-a-Bration or the Online Exclusives January release . If you'd like the opportunity to order these items early you can join my Stampin' Up! team and get preorder benefits!

Stamps: With You in Mind*

Ink: Pecan Pie

Paper: Basic White thick, Fruit Salad DSP* (SAB)

Accessories: Hearts of Elegance dies (Online Exclusive), dimensionals, Pecan Pie faceted gems (retired)

Greyscale Book Rating - Stampin' Up! For The Books

 My 2025 isn't off to a consistent start blogging-wise but I do have a card to share on this first Sunday of the new year!  Maybe now that I have a full week ahead of me with no holidays I can get back to some kind of schedule!  Though with the impending snowstorm coming tonight I might be spending some of my dedicated stamping time out shoveling snow.  Anyway I saw the Color Throwdown challenge and loved the idea of doing a black, white and gray card.

  My new For the Books bundle hasn't seen any ink yet so I thought I wanted to try it out with these colors.  I dug through my papers and pulled out this gray striped pattern from the Country Lace DSP.  I used the Online Exclusive Hearts of Love dies to cut a large white heart to add all the elements to.

  The sentiment is stamped in Memento black and then the stars are colored in with Blends markers.  The book stacks are also stamped in Memento and colored in a variety of gray and black and then fussy cut them. 

 I cut 2 more hearts with the Hearts of Love dies and then arranged the books around the hearts and sentiment using dimensionals to adhere them.

 I was thinking this might be a good guy Valentine so I only used 2 gray adhesive dots to embellish the Smoky Slate heart.

  This was such a fun challenge and I especially love the image used by the challenge to show the colors.  black labs are my favorite.  Here are my labby labs; Aggie & Herk. Aren't they cute??

  Thanks for looking!  Did you stamp today?

Current items used to make this card can be purchased in my ONLINE STORE.  Items marked with * will be available starting January 7, 2025 with the release of the Jan.-Apr. 2025 Stampin' Up! Mini Catalog,  Sale-a-Bration or the Online Exclusives January release . If you'd like the opportunity to order these items early you can join my Stampin' Up! team and get preorder benefits!

Stamps: For The Books*

Ink: Memento Black

Blends: Smoky Slate light & dark, Basic Black light & dark

Paper: Country Lace DSP, Basic White, Smoky Slate, Basic Gray

Accessories: Hearts of Love dies (Online Exclusive), dimensionals, adhesive dots (retired)