Newbie Forever Fern - Stampin' Up! Forever Fern

  A few weeks ago I had a class with a ladies group from my church and they were all brand new to stamping.  I had to design a project for a group of 10-15 using all the same supplies and also that was fairly simple for people who had never stamped before.  That's a big change from my usual classes with experienced stampers and more elaborate projects.  

  Of course they all thought they "couldn't do it" and "weren't crafty" but were game to give it a try!  At the end of the session they each had a lovely fall inspired card that they were proud of!

  Each ink pad and stamp were passed around so that no one was waiting too long to stamp.  They could choose a happy birthday or thinking of you sentiment.  I pre-cut the tags and tied the bows beforehand to streamline the process but the ladies did all the stamping and assembly themselves.  I think a bunch of them were surprised at how easy it really was!

  Sometimes I forget that not every project has to use a ton of supplies or have a time consuming technique and having to design for new stampers reminds me that even a simple (by my usual standards) card can have a big impact on those who made it and also on those who receive it.

  Thanks for looking!  Did you stamp today?

Stamps: Forever Fern, Go To Greetings

Ink: Pumpkin Pie, Crushed Curry, Blackberry Bliss, Basic Gray

Paper: Basic White, Blackberry Bliss

Accessories: Tailor Made Tags dies, dimensionals, Striped Blackberry Bliss ribbon (retired)

Christmas Flurry - Stampin' Up! Joyful Flurry

    The Joyful Flurry bundle is a great all purpose winter stamp set which I used here for a Christmas card. But don't limit it to Christmas, think Happy New Years cards, winter birthdays, use it along with a fun snowman set; really you can get a few extra months use with it by not keeping it only as a Christmas set!

  I used somewhat muted color combo but one I think works well for Christmas.  Blushing Bride, Merry Merlot, Mossy Meadow and Sahara Sand.  The real stars of the show are the snowflake cut outs and that's really what I wanted to show off on this design.

  This card starts with a Mossy Meadow base and then a layer of Shimmery White cardstock is where all the action happens.  The Merry Merlot and Blushing Bride snowflake are stamped first and then the snowflake dies are arranged around them.

  I used my die brush and brushed the backside of the shimmery white panel to help pop out the snowflake shapes.  You can also use a toothpick, a Take Your Pick tool or even a closed pen tip.  The dimension is just so cool.

  A few small Sahara Sand stamped snowflakes fill in some open space as well as a few die cut snowflakes with rhinestone centers (colored with the dark Cherry Cobble blends marker).

  The sentiment from Brightest Glow is stamped in Mossy Meadow and then cut out and popped up with a bit of Blushing Bride ribbon.

  How many more Christmas cards do you need yet?  I'm afraid to count up how many I need lol!  I'll just keep on with them until I run out of time I guess!

  Thanks for looking!  Did you stamp today?

Stamps: Joyful Flurry, Brightest Glow

Ink: Mossy Meadow, Merry merlot, Blushing Bride, Sahara Sand

Blends: Cherry Cobbler dark (coloring the rhinestones)

Paper: Mossy Meadow, Shimmery White

Accessories: Frosted Flurry dies, dimensionals, rhinestones, Blushing Bride frayed grosgrain ribbon (retired)

Believe in Cherry Cobbler - Stampin' Up! Jingle Jingle Jingle

   Cherry Cobbler is always a classic color to use for Christmas and when you bring in some gold it gets even better.  My stampers made this design at my last class using two stamp sets to bring it all together.

  This one starts with a Cherry Cobbler card base.  Then another layer of Cherry Cobbler stamped with the large Snow Crystal stamp using Cherry Cobbler ink.

  The sentiments and Santa hat are stamped in Versamark on Basic White and then embossed in gold.  The 'believe' and hat are fussy cut and then popped on dimensionals.

  Several different sized pieces of specialty paper are flagged and then adhered behind the narrow sentiment strip before adhering the whole element under the popped 'believe'.  The flags are a great way to use some of the fun papers in the July-Dec. mini catalog; you don't always need to use big pieces to be effective.  Also a great way to use up smaller scraps!

  Thanks for looking! Did you stamp today?

Stamps: Jingle Jingle Jingle, Snow Crystal

Ink: Cherry Cobbler, Versamark

Paper: Cherry Cobbler, Basic White, Festive Foils Specialty, Lights A Glow DSP, Distressed Gold Specialty

Accessories: gold embossing powder, dimensionals

Spruce Tree Christmas - Stampin' Up! Spruced Up

   My stampers made this card at my last class and I think it was a hit.  We are focusing on Christmas cards and we all agreed that using the adhesive sheets for the outlines made it really easy to put together.  Anything that helps get a lot of cards made for Christmas is always welcome in my stamp room!

  The colors are pulled right from the striped paper in the Sweetest Christmas DSP.  Such a classic Christmas color combo isn't it?

  We started with a Garden Green base, then the Sweetest Christmas DSP.  Next we embossed the sentiment in white onto a piece of Sweet Sorbet.

  The large tree is stamped in Garden Green on Basic White and the small tree is stamped in Pool Party ink onto Pool Party cardstock.  Once the pieces were die cut the outlines and stamped images are layered onto the Sweet Sorbet panel.  The Pool party tree is popped in front on dimensionals.

  3 gifts are stamped in Real Red with 2 being stamped off for a lighter version and then die cut and added to the base of the trees.

  A gold glimmer paper star tops the Garden Green tree and some adhesive backed Seasonal Sequins decorate the tree.  All 4 colors in the sequins pack coordinate with this color combo so my stampers had the choice of whichever color they liked the best.

  Thanks for looking!  Did you stamp today?

Stamps: Spruced Up, Ringed With Nature

Ink: Garden Green, Pool Party, Real Red, Versamark

Paper: Garden Green, Basic White, Pool Party, Sweet Sorbet, Gold Glimmer paper, Sweetest Christmas DSP

Accessories: Spruced Up Outlines dies, white embossing powder, dimensionals, adhesive sheets, adhesive backed Seasonal Sequins

Ringed Christmas Wreath - Stampin' Up! Ringed With Nature

   I skipped getting the wreath set in the holiday mini this year not because I didn't love it but because there are only so many hours in the week to create with and my mini preorder in June was already overflowing with stamp sets.  There's always a way to make a wreath card even if you don't have a wreath stamp set so I figured I could live without it.  I used the Ringed With Nature set to get my wreath fix any way!

  All of the little branches and sprigs in the Ringed With Nature set really work well for creating a wreath.  And even though I kind of covered up the wreath with my sentiment banner and ribbon it still makes for a nice cheerful Christmas card.

  I started with a Pear Pizzazz base, then a layer of Basic White embossed with the Tree Rings hybrid embossing folder.  

  To make the wreath panel I punched a small circle out of scrap paper and adhered it to a piece of Basic White with re-positional adhesive.  Then I stamped various images all around the circle leaving the center masked.  I used Pear Pizzazz, Old Olive, Soft Sea Foam, Sweet Sorbet and Daffodil Delight inks.

  I edged the sides of the wreath panel with narrow strips of Sweet Sorbet In Color DSP and then popped the panel on the card front with dimensionals.

  The sentiment is embossed in white and a piece of mini ruffled ribbon is tucked behind it.  I added a few Old Olive candy dots because I am determined to use them up.  But I swear they are having babies in my embellishment drawer because it seems as if there are always more of them not less!

  I'm really digging these colors and might have to try using them all again on another card design soon!

  Thanks for looking!  Did you stamp today?

Stamps: Ringed With Nature

Ink: Versamark, Pear Pizzazz, Old Olive, Soft Sea Foam, Sweet Sorbet, Daffodil Delight

Paper: Pear Pizzazz, Basic White, Sweet Sorbet In Color DSP

Accessories: Tree Rings hybrid embossing folder, dimensionals, white embossing powder, mini ruffled ribbon, candy dots (retired)

Flamingo Tree - Stampin' Up! Trees for Sale

   I've got a super simple but super cute Christmas card today! I used the Perfectly CAS challenge to "Think Pink" and since I'm really trying to make headway with my Christmas cards I thought a pink inspired Christmas card would be perfect.

  I kept this clean and simple card mostly white with just a few pops of Flirty Flamingo. Using a limited color palette can also help keep a card clean and simple.  I started with a Basic White thick card base topped with another layer of Basic White embossed with the Whimsical Woodland embossing folder.  The retired Flirty Flamingo ribbon is wrapped around that layer and anchored with a fork bow.

  The tree is stamped in Flirty Flamingo and cut out along with a white glimmer paper overlay. I popped the tree on dimensionals on a Stylish Shapes square which is also popped on dimensionals on the card front.

  The sentiment is in the Inspired Thoughts set and is stamped and trimmed down and adhered under the square separated with some small rhinestones.

  I thought this design would look great in a variety of colors; traditional as well as non-traditional.  All the white and open space really lets the single color stand out.  For those that do craft fairs it would be fun to make a rainbow set of tree cards to sell!

  Thanks for looking!  Did you stamp today?

Stamps: Trees for Sale, Inspired Thoughts

Ink: Flirty Flamingo

Paper: Basic White thick, Basic White, White Glimmer paper

Accessories: Whimsical Woodland embossing folder, Stylish Shapes dies, dimensionals, rhinestones, Tree Lots dies (SAB, retired), Flirty Flamingo ribbon (retired)

Lights Aglow Trees - Stampin' Up! Brightest Glow

   I finally got around to making a card with some of the leftover pieces from designing this card where I ended up with some gold glimmer paper tree outlines.  I knew backing the outlines with some designer series paper would look great and I wasn't wrong!  

  I started with an Evening Evergreen base and then topped it with a piece of Basic White embossed with the Merry Melody embossing folder.  This folder is from last year's holiday mini catalog and I had almost forgotten it had carried over into the annual catalog.  It's a great background especially for Christmas cards.  

  I wrapped a bit of Evening Evergreen ribbon around the white layer and then added my trees which are backed with Lights Aglow DSP.  The front most tree is popped on dimensionals.

  I embossed the sentiment from Brightest Glow in gold on Evening Evergreen and then cut it out with the Tasteful Label dies.

  Using a bit of scrap gold glimmer paper I cut a few mini stars using the Spruced Up Outlines dies and added them above the sentiment.

  Definitely don't throw out those little outline shapes from the Spruced Up bundle.  If you're not using them on the card you're working on they will be handy to kick start another card soon!

  Thanks for looking!  Did you stamp today?

Stamps: Brightest Glow

Ink: Versamark

Paper: Evening Evergreen, Basic White, Gold Glimmer, Lights Aglow DSP

Accessories: Merry Melody embossing folder, Spruced Up Outlines dies, dimensionals, Evening Evergreen ribbon, Tasteful Labels dies (retired)

Around the Sun Birthday - Stampin' Up! Party Puffins

  One of my go to birthday sets is Party Puffins.  They are just too cute and so fun to create with.  I used this set for the current Seize the Birthday challenge which is to use a face (human or animal) on a birthday card.  

  I paired the puffins with the retired Sale-a-Bration sentiment set Amazing Phrases and with some bright, fun retired DSP in a balloon pattern.

  The base is Coastal Cabana with some Coastal Cabana candles stamped along the bottom.  Then the retired Birthday Bonanza DSP down the center.  

  The 3 puffins are stamped in Memento Black and die cut with the Stylish Shapes dies.  I stamped 3 more and then fussy cut just the party hats.  After coloring the hats and puffins the circles were adhered to the card front on dimensionals.

  The sentiment is stamped in Memento and then fussy cut and also popped on dimensionals.

  Thanks for looking!  Did you stamp today?

Stamps: Party Puffins, Amazing Phrases (SAB, retired)

Ink: Memento black, Coastal Cabana

Blends: Pool Party Dark, Sweet Sorbet dark, Daffodil Delight light & dark, Calypso Coral light, Pumpkin Pie dark

Paper: Coastal Cabana, Basic White, Birthday Bonanza DSP (retired)

Accessories: Stylish Shapes die, dimensionals