Pumpkin & Papaya Tulips - Stampin' Up! Flowering Tulips

    My stampers made this super easy fun fold at class this week using the Flowering Tulips stamp set and Flowering Fields DSP.   The fun fold is called the bookbinding fold and gives you a fun square panel to work with on the front as well as the on inside of the card.

  All you need to do to make this fold is cut your 8 1/2" x 11" cardstock down the center the long way so you end up with two 4 1/4" x 11 card bases.  Score at 5 1/2" and 6 3/4" and then adhere the one inch hinged part so you get the square front to be the part that opens.  I love this fold as it gives a perfect spot to show off a one inch wide piece of DSP on the "book binding" part of the card.  We all have those one inch strips we can't part with!  This is the layout to use to show them off!  I mixed and matched the orange patterned Flowering Fields design using one side for behind the tulip and the other for the binding part.

  The Stamparatus was used to stamp the flowers in Pumpkin Pie and Pale Papaya and then Evening Evergreen for the leaves and stem.  We filled in some of the open "white" parts of the leaves with the light Soft Succulent blends marker. This little step adds a bit of depth and detail to the leaves. The circle was cut with the new Stylish Shapes dies.

  The sentiment is stamped in Evening Evergreen on Soft Succulent cardstock and then punched out and popped with dimensionals.  For the embellishments we used the windowpane ribbon and a brushed brass butterfly.

  A quick change of sentiment and this card can be for just about any occasion.  

  Thanks for looking!  Did you stamp today?

Stamps: Flowering Tulips

Ink: Pale Papaya, Pumpkin Pie, Evening Evergreen

Blends: Soft Succulent light

Paper: Soft Succulent, Basic White, Flowering Fields DSP

Accessories: Stylish Shapes dies, dimensionals, Brushed Brass Butterflies, windowpane ribbon

Baby Card Two Ways - Stampin' Up! Biggest Wish

   I haven't had a baby stamp set in quite some time but every once in a while I do need a baby card and because I'm a resourceful stamper (lol!) I can always make a card for the occasion.  I designed today's card for my last Quick & Easy card class and made it so the stamper could choose pink or blue or do a mix for a gender neutral card.

  I focused on the larger 'hello' stamp from Biggest Wish and paired with the smaller 'hello baby' stamp from Happy & Heartfelt.  A fun black & white DSP from the Pattern Party pack gives a nice neutral to work with.

  I used Polished Pink and Balmy Blue for the accent colors and the Sweet Hearts dies for the tag and little heart.  The heart stamp is found in the Sweet Conversations stamp set.

  Thanks for looking!  Did you stamp today?

Stamps: Biggest Wish, Happy & Heartfelt, Sweet Conversations

Ink: Soft Sea Foam, Polished Pink, Balmy Blue

Paper: Soft Sea Foam, Basic White, Polished Pink, Balmy Blue, Pattern Party DSP (host)

Accessories: markers, Sweet Hearts dies, dimensionals, crinkled seam binding ribbon

Row of Tulips - Stampin' Up! Tulip Dies

   The Global Design Project has a fun wide open theme for their challenge this week; Flowers!  I can definitely work with that especially this time of year.  I didn't do much stamping on this card but focused on creating a bright colorful card using the row of tulips die from the Tulip die set.

  Starting with a Basic White thick card base I added a panel of Pool Party embossed with the Splatters embossing folder.  Next, I cut a strip of tulips out of Basic White and using my Stampin' Blends markers I colored them in alternating colors all the way down the row.  I tucked the tulips behind a piece of Old Olive embossed with the Stripes embossing folder.

  The Windmill Fields dies were used to add the clouds in the sky.  I used the new Stylish Shapes dies to cut the banner and stamped the sentiment from Happy & Heartfelt and colored in the little heart in 'mom'.  I tied a piece of retired Daffodil Delight seam binding ribbon around the end and then popped it up on dimensionals.  A few retired Old Olive enamel shapes finish the details of this card.

  This was a fun, cheerful card to put together to celebrate Mother's Day.

  Thanks for looking!  Did you stamp today?

Stamps: Happy & Hearfelt

Ink: Memento Black

Blends: Daffodil Delight light & dark, Pumpkin Pie light & dark, Sweet Sorbet light & dark, Old Olive light & dark

Paper: Basic White thick, Basic White, Old Olive, Pool Party

Accessories: Tulip dies, Windmill Fields dies, Stylish Shapes dies, Stripes & Splatters embossing folders, dimensionals, seam binding ribbon (retired), dimensionals, enamel shapes (retired)

Spring Tea Cup - Stampin' Up! Cup of Tea *Sneak Peek*

   I'm continuing to play around with some of my new 2023-24 Annual Catalog products that I got in the demonstrator pre-order.  The Cup of Tea bundle seems like it will be a very versatile set for me.  I decided to do a birthday card with it using the Seize the Birthday theme of 'Signs of Spring'  I thought the colors and the little tiny flowers were just right for a spring birthday card.  I've been seeing a lot of tiny little flowers sprouting up in the woods on my daily walk so that is definitely a sign of spring to me.

  I started with a Basic White thick card base then topped it with a piece of Tea Boutique DSP in a cutie tiny floral print.  I mimicked the little flowers by stamping the leaf stamp in Garden Green then filling in the open leaves with the light Parakeet Party Blends.  I stamped the little flowers and buds in Crushed Curry and Fresh Freesia then cut them out and placed them on the greenery.

  The tea cup is cut out of another pattern from the Tea Boutique DSP and is popped on dimensional. I added a little stamped tea bag with adie cut heart and then the sentiment from Through it Together is stamped in Tahitian Tide.

  I added a little embossed 'enjoy' flag towards the top and out one of my leftover flower buds on it to carry on the theme.

  Such a sweet little card if I do say so myself!

  Thanks for looking!  Did you stamp today?

Stamps: Cup of Tea

Ink: Garden Green, Crushed Curry, Fresh Freesia, Tahitian Tide, Versamark, Orchid Oasis

Blends: Parakeet Party light

Paper: Basic White thick, Basic White, Orchid Oasis, Tea Boutique DSP, Crushed Curry, Fresh Freesia

Accessories: Teacup dies, Stitched So Sweetly dies, white embossing powder, dimensionals, baker's twine

Triple Decker Birthday - Stampin' Up! Sweet Ice Cream

   There isn't much time left to order from the 2022-23 Annual Catalog.  The Last Chance list will be ending on May 2 so it's a last push to get some stamping time in with these retiring products.  I decided to use the Sweet Ice Cream set for my last Quick & Easy Card class for a sweet birthday card.

  Just a simple layout showing off those sweet scoops.  The cone is stamped with Crumb Cake and the scoops are stamped in Flirty Flamingo three times without re-inking the stamp so we end up with 3 shades of the same color.  The scoops are punched out and then stacked up with dimensionals.  A rhinestone that is colored with the Bermuda Bay Blends marker tops the top scoop.

  The Happy Birthday sentiment is stamped in Pool Party and a sweet rainbow strip of the Pattern Party Host DSP is adhered along the edge.

  Thanks for looking!  Did you stamp today?

Stamps: Sweet Ice Cream

Ink: Crumb Cake, Flirty Flamingo, Pool Party

Paper: Pool Party, Flirty Flamingo, Basic White, Pattern Party DSP

Accessories: Ice Cream builder punch, dimensionals, rhinestone

Rain or Shine Friend - Stampin' Up! Flowering Rain Boots

   I'm getting this card shared in the nick of time before the Color Throwdown challenge closes this evening.  They had such a great spring color combination this time that I just had to find time to play along.  I paired the colors up with the CAS April Showers theme over at The Paper Players.

  Aren't these soft colors beautiful?  And having it all on a plain white card front with just a bit of a die cut border definitely keeps this one in the Clean and Simple arena.

  Thanks for looking!  Did you stamp today?

Stamps: Flowering Rain Boots, Rainbow of Happiness

Ink: Balmy Blue, Blushing Bride, Soft Succulent, Fresh Freesia

Paper: Basic White thick, Basic White

Accessories: Cloud punch, In Color gem (retired), dimensionals, Stitched with Whimsy dies, Rain Boots dies, Balmy Blue ribbon (ribbon)

Orchid Garden Friendship - Stampin' Up! Cup of Tea *Sneak Peek*

   Happy Easter to all those who celebrate! I hope you have a lovely day celebrating with friends and family.  For those who don't celebrate Easter I hope you have a restful and restorative weekend filled with things you love.

  I love stamping which is clearly no secret since you're here!  And I've been having a lot of fun creating with some new sets that will be available to all on May 3.  I ordered the Cup of Tea bundle during the demo pre-order and am just starting to play around with all the pieces.  You get 20 stamps and 17 different dies in the bundle so there are a lot of mixing and matching possibilities.  And it's always nice to be able to use some of the stamps that aren't necessarily the main images.  

  I used the Freshly Made Sketches Challenge to use one of the leaf sprigs and one of the flowers from the Cup of Tea set to create this friendship themed card using 2 new In Colors.

  I started with an Orchid Oasis card base and then topped that with a layer of Basic White embossed with the Subtle embossing folder.  I rounded the bottom corners before adhering.

  I cut 2 narrow strips of the new In Color Glimmer paper to layer along the bottom according to the sketch; one in Orchid Oasis and one in Starry Sky.

  The leaves are stamped in Garden Green and die cut and the flowers are stamped in Orchid Oasis and layered following the sketch.

  The itty bitty sentiment is stamped in Starry Sky and popped with trimmed down dimensionals.  I really liked how these 2 new In Colors paired with the classic Garden Green.

  Thanks for looking!  Did you stamp today?

Stamps: Cup of Tea

Ink: Garden Green, Starry Sky, Orchid Oasis

Paper: Orchid Oasis, Basic White, In Color Glimmer Paper

Accessories: Teacup dies, corner rounder, Subtle embossing folder (retired), dimensionals

A Note of Thanks - Stampin' Up! Sweet Songbirds *Sneak Peek*

   After a super busy week I have found a bit of time to play along with some of my favorite challenges.  This card is inspired by the sketch at CAS Colours & Sketches.  I though the Sweet Songbirds from the upcoming annual catalog would fit this sketch perfectly and I'm also sharing at the Alphabet Challenge where they are doing the letter A for Animal Antics.

  I am using new In Colors on this card and the Sweet Sorbet is perfect for this sweet little singing bird!  I used it for the bird as well as the Card base.

  I started with a piece of Basic White and using a stencil I made with a rectangle die I blended some Pool Party ink to make a rectangle in the background to follow the sketch.  The I stamped the branch and leaves (also a new In Color; Parakeet Party).

  The bird legs are stamped in Mango Melody and then the bird and wing are stamped in Sweet Sorbet.  The bird is hand cut but the wing and beak are punched out with the Songbird Builder punch.  I popped the wing and then the whole bird up with dimensionals.  Isn't he/she such a little sassy looking bird?  His little feather tuft on the top of his just makes me smile!

  I few music notes are stamped in Memento Black to finish off this design.  I didn't add any embellishments to keep it Clean and Simple.

  Thanks for looking!  Did you stamp today?

Stamps: Sweet Songbirds

Ink: Sweet Sorbet, Soft Suede, Parakeet Party, Mango Melody, Memento Black. Pool Party

Paper: Sweet Sorbet, Basic White, Mango Melody (beak)

Accessories: Songbird Builder punch