Crazy 8 Birthday!

  Since we are sweating our butts off at Cub Scout camp this week I thought I should share a boy card today!

  This is a fun birthday card I made for Ryan to give one of his buddies a few weeks ago.

  I have used the Sea Street stamp set a whole lot since I've gotten it and I still have lots of plans for it.  For this card I used a Lost Lagoon base topped with Crumb Cake embossed with the Arrows embossing folder.  I added a small strip of Crumb Cake to stamp the sentiment.

  The octopus is stamped in Lost Lagoon on Whisper White and cut out with the Circles framelits.  I used a craft knife to slice around one of the tentacles and then made it hold an 8 that I cut out from Tangelo Twist cardstock.  

  To make sure the other side of the card wasn't too bare I added a punched banner with little fish stamped on the flags.

  Final touches are the Dazzling Details on the octopus tentacles and a retired Pumpkin Pie button that is a close enough match for an 8 year olds birthday card!

  Thanks for looking!  Did you stamp today?

Stamps: Sea Street, Something to Celebrate (retired)

Ink: Lost Lagoon, Tangelo Twist

Paper: Lost Lagoon, Crumb Cake,  Whisper White,  Tangelo Twist

Accessories: Arrows e.f., Circles embossing folder,  button, banner punch, baker's twine, Dazzling Diamonds,  Typeset Alphabet dies

Watercolor Silhouette

  A few weeks ago I had stamp club and this is one of the cards we made.  I love this color combination and it was fun to show off the watercolor paper which I don't use nearly as much as I should.

  So much of my stash had been retired and already sold out that I had to work hard to get this one designed.  We used the Pool Party reinker and an Aquapainter to paint the color onto the watercolor paper panel.  We hit it with the heat gun to dry it and then stamped the Serene Silhouette stamp with Stazon.

 A scalloped border in Crisp Cantaloupe was added as well as a few punched butterflies.  The banner was stamped, then trimmed with paper snips.  Linen thread is wrapped around the banner before adhering it with dimensionals.

  There are a lot of great new sentiment sets in the new catalog so don't fret because Sweet Essentials; go ahead and browse that great index in the back of the new catalog and find one that fits your needs!

  Thanks for looking!  Did you stamp today?

Stamps: Serene Silhouettes, Sweet Essentials (retired)

Ink: Pool Party, Stazon

Paper: Crumb Cake, Crisp Cantaloupe, Calypso Coral, watercolor paper

Accessories: Large Scallop edgelit, Bitty Butterfly punch, linen thread, Aquapainter
 

Work of Art Sympathy

  I don't know about everyone else but I keep finding more and more ways to use the new set Work of Art.  Demonstrators who went to the catalog premiere at the end of April were treated to this set along with a copy of the new catalog.  One of the great perks of being a Stampin' Up! demo!  Since getting the set it's been fun seeing how others use it as well as spending plenty of time creating in my own stamp room.

  Unfortunately, I needed a sympathy card not too long ago.  I used the Work of Art set paired with Lovely As A Tree.  Are you as glad as I was to see that it was carrying over into the new catalog.  I used the different brushstroke stamps to color in my background and then embossed the row of trees in Early Espresso right over the top lining it up so the greens would be behind the trees and on the ground.

  I stamped off once for the "grass/ground" with Pear Pizzazz and used the full strength color for  behind the trees.  The sky is Soft Sky.

  The corners of the tree panel are rounded and a length of white taffeta ribbon and linen thread are wrapped around the top portion.  This whole panel is popped up with dimensionals over a piece of Soft Sky Core'dinations (retired) cardstock embossed with the Decorative Dots folder and sanded a bit.  The base is Early Espresso.

  Thanks for looking!  Did you stamp today?

Stamps: Work of Art, Lovely As A Tree

Ink: Pear Pizzazz, Soft Sky, Versamark

Paper: Early Espresso, Soft Sky Core'dinations (retired), Whisper White

Accessories: corner rounder, Early Espresso embossing powder, Decorative Dots e.f.

You're the Best! Fab Friday 43

  Oh my goodness!  It's Friday again!  How did that happen?  My stamp room has been in complete disarray for about 3 weeks!  I'm surprised I could find enough supplies to make a card for this week's Fab Friday challenge!  I'm holding my annual New Catalog and Retirement sale next Tuesday so hopefully most of my retired stuff will find new homes with my customers and I can have some room to spread out again!

  Check out the Fab Friday inspiration this week.  Fun sketch right?  I'm really digging those triangles and I went completely predictable and used them on my card too....

 

  But I did go a little crazy and flip the sketch on it's side.  It worked better for the octopus and thought bubble.  Since I liked the triangles so much I added more than the 3 shown in the sketch.

  So I have to tell you about the color combination.  My parents visited a few weeks ago and whenever my mom is in town she likes to go check out all the local quilting stores.  So I take her to all the stores and while she's shopping for fabric and other stuff I have no idea how to use I just look at all the fabrics and pull color combinations from them to use on cards.  I probably look like a lunatic using my phone to type notes of color combinations.  This is one combo I got from our outing; Tempting Turquoise, Wild Wasabi (and new In Colors!!), Tangelo Twist and Hello Honey.  I added the pop of black to ground the brighter colors.  I thought these are great boy/guy colors.

  I know I used this octopus from the new Sea Street set on the last challenge too but it was the only one calling me again...once I get my first order from the new catalog I'll have more to play with.  Probably too many choices then but whatever!  =)

  Go check out how the rest of the Fab Friday design team used this sketch and be inspired to play along!

  

Thanks for looking!  Did you stamp today?

Stamps: Sea Street, Just Sayin'

Ink: Tangelo Twist, Black Stazon

Paper: Tempting Turquoise, Hello Honey, Wild Wasabi, Tangelo Twist, Basic Black, Whisper White

Accessories: Edgelits, Arrows e.f., banner punch, triangle punch, metal button, baker's twine,  Word Bubble framelits, dimensionals, 

Washi Tape Birthday Candles

  Are you as excited as I am to see the new Stampin' Up! catalog go live on June 2?  I had my last stamp club meeting with the old catalog yesterday.  We're sad to see some old favorites retiring but my ladies were very happy to get their hands on their own copy of the 2014-2015 catalog.

  But for now I'll show this quick and easy birthday card using washi tape as the main element.

 Just use strips of washi tape for the candles and then use the bird punch to punch the flame out of champagne glimmer paper.  The candle flames are popped up on dimensionals for some added zing!

  Can't get any easier than that can you?

  Thanks for looking!  Did you stamp today?

Stamps: Bring on the Cake

Ink: Basic Gray

Paper: Naturals White, Basic Gray, Champagne Glimmer paper

Accessories: Epic Day washi tape,  bird punch, dimensionals

Chalkboard Teacher Thanks

  Here is a little thank you that I made for the teachers at the boys' school for Teacher Apprecation week.  I know teachers can always use some magnetic clips so I wanted to incorporate a little gift to go with the thank you.  The washi tape covered clothespins with a strong magnet attached to the back seemed like a good idea!

  I made about 14 of these to give to the regular classroom teachers as well as all the other teachers and staff my kids have regular contact with.

  The chalkboard technique was the perfect thing to go with for this project.  First, I cut out black cardstock and thin cardboard (from the DSP packs) with the Top Note die.  Then I used the awesome "thank you" from the Dude, You're Welcome kit and embossed it on black cardstock with white embossing powder.  I smudged some white craft ink across the black cardstock to mimic chalk dust.  Next,  I punched a hole in one end for the ribbon and tied it off with some Sale-a-Bration thick baker's twine.

  I used a white gel pen to write a message to each teacher and then finished it off with 2 washi covered clothespins.  I glued on tiny but super strong magnets to the back.  Functional but cute!

  We made a similar project at my What to Washi class a few weeks ago.  We used DSP instead of the chalkboard technique but the clips were the same.  It's a great little thank you gift for anyone special you'd like to recognize.

  Thanks for looking!  Did you stamp today?

Stamps: Dude, You're Welcome

Ink: Versamark, white craft ink

Paper: Basic Black, thin cardboard, Watercolor Wonder DSP (bottom project)

Accessories: Top Note die, Retro Fresh washi tape, Epic Day washi tape, clothespins (non-SU), magnets (non-SU), assorted ribbon
 

Under the Sea - Fab Friday 42

  I don't know how 2 weeks can fly by so quickly but here we are again at another Fab Friday Challenge!  It's crazy how fast the last month has gone.  Ryan comes home every day from school letting me know how many days are left....14!!!  Why do I feel like I haven't accomplished anything at all this past school year?  I had so many grand plans to get my house in order and complete some large projects....please don't ask to see how many items have been crossed off that to-do list!

  But for now at least I can show you my Fab Friday accomplishment!  Here is our color challenge this time!  Crisp Cantaloupe, Summer Starfruit, Coastal Cabana and Pool Party

 These are some great colors to use to start your summer projects and maybe one last project to wish Summer Starfruit farewell!  I still have most of a pack of paper left so I should be good if Summer Starfruit shows up in any stamping challenges over the next few year!  =)

  I need to send out a few thank you cards so I decided to use Sea Street, one of the demonstrator preorder stamps from the upcoming new catalog to get going on those cards.  I hope everyone isn't too tired of this set yet!  I've barely gotten started with this one.  I can see some great boy cards in its future at least at my house!

  My first step was to emboss the adorable little school of fish across the Pool Party panel using Whisper White embossing powder.  Then I used some of the Summer Starfruit thick baker's twine left from Sale-a-bration (but which will be making an appearance in the new catalog!  Yay!) to make a cute little sailor's knot.  I used this super easy tutorial I saw a bit ago.  Thank you Barbara!

  I stamped the octopus in Crisp Cantaloupe (even though for some reason in the picture it looks like Calypso Coral!) and cut it out with a Circle framelit.  For the sentiment from Lots of Thanks it was also embossed in white on Coastal Cabana cardstock.  Both circles are popped on dimensionals.

  Are you in or out??  Head over to Fab Friday, check out the rest of the samples and then jump right in!  You know you have cards you need to make and send out...might as well make one a Fab Friday card!  =)

  Thanks for looking!  Did you stamp today?

Stamps: Sea Street, Lots of Thanks

Ink: Versamark, Crisp Cantaloupe

Paper: Whisper White, Coastal Cabana, Pool Party

Accessories: Circle framelits, white embossing powder, thick baker's twine, corner rounder

 

Work of Art Birthday

  After going to the Stampin' Up! catalog premier a few weeks ago I've only had limited stamping time so I haven't really gotten to make too much with the free set we received that night.  It's a fun set to make backgrounds and whatever else you can dream up!  I can see myself using Work of Art a lot like I use Gorgeous Grunge.

  I made this one for my husband's birthday a few weeks ago.  The stamps give a nice watercolor wash look.  They make for a nice custom background.

  I kind of just went to town on the background.  I used Pacific Point ink with one of the "swoosh" stamps and didn't rein but kept stamping right down the side of the Crumb Cake cardstock.  Then I stamped the chevron stamp in Crumb Cake.  Next I added some polka dots in Crumb Cake but stamped off once on scrap paper before stamping my cardstock.

  For the sentiment I used Chalk Talk and embossed it in white on Crumb Cake.  Then I colored in the "Big" with a blender pen and Pacific Point ink.

  My natural chevron ribbon has been sorely neglected since I bought it and I thought it worked with this look so I flagged the ends and popped my embossed sentiment over the top.  I added a retired Pacific Point (I think??) button for another pop of blue.

  Thanks for looking!  Did you stamp today?

Stamps: Work of Art, Chalk Talk

Ink: Pacific Point, Versamark, Crumb Cake

Paper: Crumb Cake , Whisper White

Accessories: white e.p., Chalk Talk framelits, natural chevron ribbon, button, linen thread, blender pen, dimensionals