A Tree for Him - Stampin' Up! Rooted in Nature

 It seems that every month I have need of one or two masculine birthday cards and I just never have any in my stash.  I need one, I make one, I mail it out.  Repeat over and over.  This month is no different but the team over at As You See It Challenge has made the process a bit easier with their challenge of making a masculine card with various elements like embossing folder, twine, die cut and earth tones.  It really helps me to have a bit of a focus with supplies and I really like how this one ended up with lots if interest coming in the form of texture.

  I started this card with a Crumb Cake base then topped it with a layer of In Good Taste DSP in a fun burlap-y/fabric texture.  I cut a piece of Cinnamon Cider with the Nested Label dies and then embossed it with on of the Greenery embossing folders.

  I stamped the tall tree from Rooted in Nature in Early Espresso onto Very Vanilla cardstock and then die cut it.  It's popped on dimensionals to one side.  

  On the other side of the label I adhered a bit of twine and then layered my copper embossed sentiment strips over it also popped on dimensionals.  A change in sentiment could make this a masculine card for other occasions as well.

  Finally I added a few Cinnamon Cider enamel dots around the grouping.

  That wasn't so bad getting a masculine card made with a lot of help from the challenge.  Now how to get some masculine cards in the stash??

  Thanks for looking!  Did you stamp today?

Stamps: Rooted in Nature, Itty Bitty Birthdays

Ink: Early Espresso, Versamark

Paper: Crumb Cake, Cinnamon Cider, Early Espresso, Very Vanilla, In Good Taste DSP

Accessories: Nested Label dies, Nature's Roots dies, Greenery embossing folder, copper embossing powder (retired), twine, dimensionals, In Color enamel dots

Big Celebration - Stampin' Up! Whale Done

  Some of my annual catalog stamps have been a bit neglected since the Jan.-June mini catalog came out so I decided to try to give them some love.  I grabbed Whale Done and coordinating Whale of a Time DSP to participate in the TGIF Challenge.  The challenge is to use Just Jade, Gorgeous Grape and Daffodil Delight on a card.

  I thought these were fun colors to use for an ocean scene.  And how could you not love a big purple whale?

  The card starts with a Just Jade card base then a layer of Whale of a Time DSP in a Just Jade wave pattern.  I edged the one side with a strip of Gorgeous Grape cardstock that I distressed for a bit of interest.

  Next I used two different Stitched Shapes circles.  The largest is stamped with the the seaweed in stamped off Just Jade ink and the smaller one has a pretty Daffodil Delight piece of coral.  I tucked the sentiment flag between the circles when adhering.

  The whale is punched with Gorgeous Grape and Just Jade and a little Basic Black eye.  I added some speckles along his back in Gorgeous Grape.  Once it was assembled I popped it up on dimensionals.

  A retired Crushed Curry baker's twine bow and some white enamel dots are added as embellishments to finish off this underwater celebration card.

  Thanks for looking!  Did you stamp today?

Stamps: Whale Done, Itty Bitty Birthdays

Ink: Gorgeous Grape, Just Jade, Daffodil Delight

Paper: Just Jade, Gorgeous Grape, Whale of a Time DSP, Whisper White, Basic Black

Accessories: Stitched Shapes dies, Whale builder punch, dimensionals, enamel dots (retired), Crushed Curry baker's twine (retired)

Easter Bouquet - Stampin' Up! Jar of Flowers

   Spring must be on it's way as I weeded part of my yard this weekend and did some general cleaning up in my flower beds.  A few crocus are blooming and the daffodils are budded out and ready to go.  Definitely time to break out all the flower stamp sets and get busy.

  I used the neglected Jar of Flowers set to play along with The Card Concept challenge.  They've got a fun Luck of the Irish inspired flower arrangement as the inspiration photo.  I decided to do a clean and layered card using the colors.  I don't send out St. Patrick's Day cards so I added an Easter sentiment instead.

  The card base is Soft Sea Foam and then a layer of the same embossed with the Tin Tile embossing folder.  I had a piece of In Good Taste DSP in the wood grain pattern that was just the right size for the card front.  I added a bit of Garden Green to the edges for some definition.

  The jar is punched out of Berry Delightful DSP in a nice green plaid pattern.  The flowers are stamped in Memento and then lightly colored with Blends.  I left them mostly white with a bit of yellow and then the stems and leaves in greens.  I popped the jar and flowers on dimensionals after adding a narrow black ribbon and bow around the middle.

  The sentiment from Arrange a Wreath is stamped in Garden Green and then die cut with the Tasteful Label dies and is also popped on dimensionals.

  Thanks for looking! Did you stamp today?

Stamps: Jar of Flowers, Arrange a Wreath

Ink: Memento black, Garden Green

Blends: So Saffron light & dark, Daffodil Delight light & dark, Soft Sea Foam light & dark, Granny Apple Green light & dark

Paper: Soft Sea Foam, Garden Green, Whisper White, In Good Taste DSP, Berry Delightful DSP

Accessories: Tin Tile embossing folder, jar punch, dimensionals, Tasteful Labels dies, black ribbon (retired)

Signs of Spring - Stampin' Up! Butterfly Gala - Paper Players 531

 The team at The Paper Players is back today with a fun new challenge.  Claire has given us the theme of "Spring is in the Air" this time.  So bust out those florals, bunnies, chicks and whatever else you consider spring and get stamping!

  When things start to green up in my yard I know spring has arrived.  The trees and shrubs get little buds, the grass gets lush and bulbs start flowering.  My card has lots of green and leaves and flowers with a sweet butterfly to top it off.  All signs of spring in my mind!

  The card starts with a Whisper White thick base and then a layer of Paper Blooms DSP in a nice leafy green pattern.  Next is a layer of Whisper White embossed with the Tasteful Textile embossing folder and then cut with the Curvy dies for a bit of interest across the center.

  I stamped 2 of the flower/vine images from Quite Curvy and colored them with Blends, cut them out and then adhered them following along the curve on the piece of Whisper White.

  A stitched circle is cut from Soft Sea Foam and then stamped with the All Wired Up background.  The 'hello' also from Quite Curvy is stamped in black.  The circle is popped up with dimensionals just to the left of center.

  I think I have a bit of butterfly envy seeing all the wonderful creations with the new Stampin' Up! Butterfly Bouquet suite that was just released.  I didn't get it during the demo pre-order but just ordered it earlier this week so I'll have to wait a bit to play.  But I do have the Butterfly Gala set so used that to stamp and color in a pretty pink butterfly.  After it was punched out I added a piece of crinkled seam binding ribbon to look like a bit of a tail and then popped the butterfly up on dimensionals.  An adhesive pearl near the sentiment is the final touch.

  I hope to see your spring themed card in our gallery this week.  For more inspiration from the Paper Players Design Team check out their websites!

 Jaydee
 LeAnne
Claire
Joanne
Laurie
Anne Marie
Ann
Nancy
Debbie 

  Thanks for looking!  Did you stamp today?

Stamps: Quite Curvy, Butterfly Gala, All Wired Up

Ink: Memento black, Soft Sea Foam

Blends: Old Olive light & dark, Rococo Rose light & dark

Paper: Whisper White thick, Whisper White, Paper Blooms DSP (retired SAB), Soft Sea Foam

Accessories: Tasteful Textile embossing folder, Stitched Shapes dies, Curvy dies, Butterfly Duet punch, dimensionals, adhesive pearl, crinkled seam binding ribbon

Bright Smile - Stampin' Up! Pretty Perennials

   Flower stamp sets are always pretty versatile and get used a lot on my projects but I'm finding the Pretty Perennials set especially handy lately for all types of cards.  And now that warmer weather seems to be on its way I'll be even more in the mood to stamp with flowers!

  My card today uses 2 challenges that just seemed to be a perfect match for a bright, fresh design just in time for spring.  Color Throwdown has yellow, salmon/orange, and green as the trio of colors to work with.  Freshly Made Sketches has a great 3 panel layout.

 

  I don't often pull out retired colors but I just felt that Grapefruit Grove and Lemon Lime Twist were needed in this case.  And the fact that I still had some of the Gingham Gala DSP tucked away in my closet was more proof it was meant to be.

  I started with a Whisper White thick card base, then a layer of Daffodil Delight topped with a panel of Whisper White that was embossed with the Subtle embossing folder.

  Next, using the Stitched Rectangle dies I cut the 3 panels of Gingham Gala DSP.  I stamped the flowers and leaves and cut them out with the Perennial Petals dies.  They are then popped up on dimensionals across the card front.  

  The sentiment from Many Messages is stamped in black and trimmed and also popped on dimensionals.

  Hopefully this card will brighten someone's day!  Have a great Friday!

  Thanks for looking!  Did you stamp today?

Stamps: Pretty Perennials, Many Messages

Ink: Memento Black, Daffodil Delight, Grapefruite Grove (retired), Lemon Lime Twist (retired)

Paper: Whisper White thick, Whisper White, Daffodil Delight, Gingham Gala DSP (retired), Lemon Lime Twist (retired)

Accessories: Subtle embossing folder, Stitched Rectangle dies, Perennial Petals dies, dimensionals

Toadstool Hello - Stampin' Up! Snailed It!

   Just a quick post today to share the card I made yesterday afternoon for the CAS Colours & Sketches challenge.  The colors aren't ones I would have put together on my own but I think they look great and after a bit of dithering around I went with the toadstools (or are they mushrooms?  What's the difference??) from the Snailed It set.  Since it is a clean and simple challenge I kept the card front pretty open and embellishments to a minimum.

  This layout is always a great one to use with smaller images.  Fill the bottom of the card front with some DSP (or a stamped panel) and then mount the image on a few layers just above the top of the DSP.

  I started with a Whisper White thick base and then added the green plaid from the SAB Berry Delightful DSP.  Now that the weather is warming a bit I feel that I'll be reaching for this pack more than I did during Sale-a-Bration. 

  The narrow piece of Terracotta Tile cardstock is stamped with the hello from Snailed It.  The postage stamp shape die was used to cut a piece of Calypso Coral for the image base.  The Terracotta Tile and Calypso Coral are very close in terms of color with the CC being brighter but they seem to photograph as almost the same. Next is a square of Whisper White with the Stitched With Whimsy die detail.

  The toadstools are stamped in Memento black and then colored with Stampin' Blends.  We don't have  Terracotta Tile Blends so I substituted Cajun Craze light which works in my opinion. The spots on the largest toadstool are also colored with clear Wink of Stella.  After it was colored I cut it out and popped it with dimensionals.  And then the whole stack is popped on dimensionals on the card front.

  Final detail is the Calypso Coral baker's twine bow for a little added sweetness.  

  Thanks for looking!  Did you stamp today?

Stamps: Snailed It

Ink: Memento Black

Blends: Calypso Coral light & dark, Granny Apple Green light & dark, Cajun Craze light, Crumb Cake light

Paper: Whisper White thick, Whisper White, Calypso Coral, Terracotta Tile, Berry Delightful DSP (retired)

Accessories: Stitched With Whimsy dies, Snail dies, dimensionals, Wink of Stella, dimensionals, Calypso Coral baker's twine (retired)

 

Spring Birds - Stampin' Up! Birds & Branches

   In honor of the bluebirds who have moved into our nesting box and are being quite industrious in building their nest I decided I needed to make a card with a bird theme!  We get bluebirds every year in the box and have a camera streaming to a tv in the house in it so we can see all the secret nest building and chick hatching stuff.  It's fascinating!  Each new pair of residents gets named so we don't just keep calling them "the birds".  This pair is named William and Anna after President William Henry Harrison and his wife Anna.  We started with John and Abigail for President Adams and his wife as they were the first residents of the white house (birdhouse) and have moved down the list of Presidents over the years.  

  On to the card!  I need to start on my Easter card stockpile so this was a nice springlike set of colors with the birds.  I'm also playing along with 2 challenges: Stampin' Up! Only Challenges has the theme of "anything that flies" and the Library Challenge has a beautiful book cover with all sorts of birds on it.  I also kind of used the book cover as inspiration for the open circle in the center of my card (challenge graphic below).

   I still have more than half a pack left of the SAB Paper Blooms DSP and it's got perfect colors for spring cards so I wanted to make sure to use some of it on my card.  I used a sheet in the background on top of the Seaside Spray card base.

  Another panel of Seaside Spray cut with the Stitched Rectangle dies is up next.  I stamped the leaves and branches in Seaside Spray in the two corners and then stamped the sentiment from Itty Bitty Greetings in Night of Navy.

  For the circle panel I cut the leaf detail in Soft Sea Foam and then cut it out with circle die and then cut another Whisper White circle to back it.  It's hard to see in the photo but the white circle is embossed with the Subtle embossing folder.

  I stamped the birds in Seaside Spray and Night of Navy and then die cut them.  I added a bit of Rococo Rose ink to the breast of the bottom bird.  I popped the birds on dimensionals and then added a few Rococo Rose flowers with adhesive pearl centers.

  It'll only be a few more days and then I can make another bird themed card with eggs in a nest!

  Thanks for looking!  Did you stamp today?

Stamps: Birds & Branches, Itty Bitty Greetings

Ink: Seaside Spray, Night of Navy, Rococo Rose

Paper: Seaside Spray, Paper Blooms DSP (SAB), Whisper White, Soft Sea Foam

Accessories: Birds & More dies, Stitched Rectangle dies, Subtle embossing folder, adhesive pearls, dimensionals

Beachy Thank You - Stampin' Up! Friends Are Like Seashells

   After a very wet and dreary few days I was needing something bright and beachy to focus on so I decided to make a thank you card with the Friends Are Like Seashells set and pulled colors straight from the coordinating DSP in some fun colors.

  After not getting the Seashells embossing folder when I first ordered the stamp set I finally decided that I needed it after seeing it used more and more.  Isn't that the way with so much crafting stuff?  You see the many possibilities and then just have to have it!  I used it here on a piece of vellum for a fun detail that is also a subtle background to my shell cluster.  

  The shells are all stamped and then cut out and adhered around the thank you which is from the Sweet Strawberry set.  I added a few stamped off speckles in Sahara Sand .  The 2 smallest shells are popped on dimensionals and the center of the sand dollar is highlighted with Wink of Stella to add a bit more shine to go with the strip of gold flecked Fine Art ribbon.

  Here's hoping to see the sun soon!

  Thanks for looking! Did you stamp today?

Stamps: Friends Are Like Seashells, Sweet Strawberry

Ink: Sahara Sand, Balmy Blue, So Saffron, Flirty Flamingo

Paper: Sahara Sand, vellum, Very Vanilla

Accessories: Seashells embossing folder, Fine Art ribbon, Tasteful Labels dies, dimensionals, Wink of Stella