Category Archives: cards

Sweet Birthday Girl

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It’s been a wonderful couple of weeks, but I’m sending my daughter back to Boston this evening.  The job market on Maui isn’t much to speak about, and she’s found not one but two paying internships in Boston that give her great experience AND cash in hand.  I’ve loved having her home and will miss her big bunches, but thank goodness for email, cell phones, and skype.

It was her birthday a week ago and I CASE-d another idea from the new Idea Book and Catalog:

Sweetest Birthday Girl

  • Sincere Salutations and Crazy for Cupcakes Stamp Sets
  • Baja Breeze, Soft Suede and Whisper White card stock
  • Sending Love Designer Series Paper (retired)
  • Not Quite Navy Classic Ink pad
  • Real Red, Barely Banana, and Soft Suede Classic Ink refills
  • Real Red Stampin’ Write Marker; Stamp-a-ma-jig
  • Crystal Effects; On Board Chipboard letters (retired)
  • Scallop border and horizontal slot punches
  • Real Red Double Stitched ribbon
  • Tombo Adhesive and Sanding Blocks

The Crystal Effects makes the cupcakes look like stickers.  I was really patient this time and gave it a LOT of time to dry.  That’s the key if you want it to really shine – use a lot of product and then leave it alone!

My daughter loved her card and I think she knows there is a lot of love in the making.  I wish I could put myself in an envelope and send myself to visit her.

A Splitcoast Sketch Challenge

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It seems I haven’t done a sketch challenge in weeks.  The challenges I’ve seen recently haven’t inspired me, and the few that I’ve tried ended up in the circular file (it’s only paper!)  Last week I was looking through the Splitcoast Stampers challenges and this sketch spoke to me:

Cheep Talk SC283

  • Cheep Talk and Wood Grain stamp sets
  • Texturz Jumbo Wheel
  • Whisper White, Kiwi Kiss (retired), Not Quite Navy and Bashful Blue card stock
  • A scrap of retired Designer Series Paper (I can’t remember what I had for breakfast, don’t ask me this)
  • Bashful Blue, Kiwi Kiss(retired) and Not Quite Navy Classic ink pads
  • 1 and 1 1/4 inch circle punches; Clear Circle button
  • Not Quite Navy brads, piercing tool and mat
  • Kiwi Kiss Striped ribbon (retired)

Time to clear our some of these retired papers, accessories and ribbons!  I have a heap of them and I have challenged myself to do SOMETHING with them.  You maybe seeing some very interesting projects in the next few weeks!  I had a lot of fun piling them on for this card, and I really enjoyed the sketch – thanks, Roxie.

I’ll be back soon with more goodies from the new catalog 🙂

Brand New Stamps: Friends Never Fade

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My Sneak Peak order of new 2010-2011 Stampin’ Up! products arrived on Thursday afternoon!  That box was sitting in my craft room taunting me almost 24 hours – it was a relief to squeeze in about an hour on Friday afternoon.  I am thrilled with my preview items, and they aren’t even the things I thought I couldn’t live without in that big beautiful new catalog.  This is going to be an exciting year.

Here’s my first creation:

Friends Never Fade Stampin' Up! 2010-2011

  • Friends Never Fade Sneak Peak 2010-2011 Idea Book and Catalog
  • Pear Pizzazz, Daffodil Delight and Whisper White card stock
  • Marina Mist and Daffodil Delight Classic ink pads; Versamark ink pad
  • Daffodil Delight Stampin’ Write Marker
  • Embossing Buddy, Clear Detail Embossing powder, Powder Pal and Heat tool
  • Whisper White 3/8″ taffeta ribbon; Scallop Trim border punch
  • Big Shot and Vintage Wallpaper Textured Impressions Embossing Folder

Having so many new colors to work with is almost over-stimulation…I ordered assortments of the new In Colors as well as all the new core colors introduced in the Color Renovation.    It came down to my favorites – blues and greens – but when I pulled out that stamp with that beautiful flower, I knew it needed a yellow center.  The photograph isn’t quite true to the Daffodil Delight color – it’s softer but still a clear yellow, like a butter color.  And what can I say about that embossing folder except you’d better put it on the top of your wish list?

I have a full day tomorrow but I WILL find a way to squeeze in a little more stamping time.   I have more new stamp sets to put together and try out!

When words aren’t enough

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Sometimes you need to send a hug through the mail.  You want to convey love and support and hope, but you know that right now, words aren’t enough.

When words aren't enough

  • Thoughts and Prayers and Teeny Tiny Wishes stamp sets
  • Very Vanilla card stock
  • Soft Suede and Baja Breeze Classic ink pads
  • Stampin’ Sponges and 1 3/8″ square punch

I used the square punch to cut a rectangular mask out of a scrap of card stock.  I sponged the Baja Breeze ink evenly through the mask, then removed the mask to stamp the tree from Thoughts and Prayers.  I like the hopeful feeling that I get when I look at this card.  I hope my friend will feel hopeful when she opens it.

CASE-ing the new catalog

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There are lots of great samples in the new Idea Book and Catalog coming out July 1, and the other day one caught my eye.  The designer added some Itty Bitty punch flowers to this image from Pocket Silhouettes, and they were a perfect fit.  Here’s my version:

Dotted Silhouettes

  • Pocket Silhouettes and All Holidays stamp sets
  • Almost Amethyst, Pretty in Pink, Whisper White and Lovely Lilac card stock
  • Old Olive and Almost Amethyst Classic ink pads
  • Pretty in Pink, Lovely Lilac and Old Amethyst Stampin’ Write Markers
  • Tombo adhesive, Blender Pen and White Gel pen
  • Itty Bitty punches; Horizontal Slot punch
  • Pretty in Pink striped ribbon; Stampin’ Dimensionals
  • Big Shot and Perfect Polka Dots Impressions Folder

This card falls in the simple and sweet category – an easy card for beginners.  After inking the image with Old Olive, I used a blender pen to remove the Olive color from the buds and replaced it with the Stampin’ Write markers.  I punched the bitty flowers out, attached them with Tombo, and added white centers and coordinating petal lines.  Add a sentiment and a ribbon and you’re done!  The image panel is adhered with Stampin’ Dimensionals to provide a little, well, dimension, and also to leave a little room for those Big Shot Polka Dots and the ribbon.

Have you looked at the Last Chance Lists?  Stamps, accessories and Decor Elements are clearing out – some of them very quickly – and some of them at a discount!  Be sure you check my Online Store for all the information.  One of the punches that is retiring is the Horizontal Slot, and I am sorry to see it go – it’s just the thing for ribbon!

Travel Time Collage

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It’s a busy day for Stampin’ Up! demonstrators.  Last night (or early this morning, depending on where you live) the new catalog Sneak Peak products were released.  There was a frenzy of posting on various forums as we waited for the new information to load on the demonstrator site.  Since Hawaii is four hours behind Riverton, Utah (where Stampin’ Up! is located) I was doing my waiting at a very respectable 8pm.  Demonstrators east of Riverton were not so fortunate!

I’ve ordered some new goodies, and though we’re not allowed to show you any pictures of actual products until they are released, we ARE allowed to show you things we MAKE with those products.  Watch for some exciting new images hitting this blog soon!

Today I have a card that is entirely different from anything I’ve ever done:

Timeless Journey CAS

  • Sentimental Journey, Sense of Time and French Script Stamp sets
  • Kraft (soon to be Crumb Cake) card stock
  • Chocolate Chip Classic ink pad

Are you shocked?  I’m still trying to decide if I like it.  I’ve admired other stampers collage work, and these sets seemed to fit together well for the purpose.  Some of the images were stamped with fresh ink and others were stamped off before I put them to the card.  Three stamp sets, one paper, one ink.  That’s it.  The whole enchilada.

I masked the large clock before I stamped the large background French Script stamp.  I like the way it makes the clock face take center stage, although sometimes I wish the clock wasn’t such a priority in life.  Many years ago, my husband and I drove across the country and we packed away our watches and covered up the dashboard clock.  It was a wonderful trip.

I couldn’t stamp this way all of the time – it would bore me to tears.  Once in a while, though, it’s nice to do something different.

The envelopes are the best part

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Today’s project is brought to you by the Letter E…for Envelope!

I’ve seen a number of projects recently where the crafter ran the envelope flap through the Big Shot with an embossing folder.  I finally gave it a try, and I have to tell you it’s really easy and a real wow:

Elegant Bouquet Envelope

I’ll try to get some photos of my technique.  I only embossed the back flap, and it was simple to line it up in the Impressions folder and run it through the Big Shot.  The trick is to put the folder through sideways, sending the body of the envelope through the Big Shot first (and outside of the folder).  I know, sorry, I’m visual too – I’ll set up my Very Sophisticated Photographic Equipment (point-and-shoot) and take some photos for you.

Here’s the rest of the project:

Beautiful Wings note cards

  • Baroque Border Stampin’ Around Wheel
  • Always Artichoke Classic ink cartridge
  • Whisper White and Lovely Lilac, Almost Amethyst, Sage Shadow, Bashful Blue and Brocade Blue card stock
  • Big Shot and Beautiful Wings Embosslit
  • Tombo Multi-purpose Adhesive; Champagne Mist Shimmer Paint
  • Envelope:  Elegant Bouquet Impressions Folder

These go together really quickly and only use a quarter sheet of cardstock  each of color and Whisper White for the note card.  I have a stash of “extra” butterflies made with the Beautiful Wings Embosslit – it cuts five at a time, and if you only need the little itty bitty one, you have four left over.  The smaller ones make fun confetti, but this is the largest one and it’s almost perfect.  It will be really perfect when the new 2010-2011 Idea Book and Catalog merchandise is available and a Certain Product can be added…but I’ll have to save that news for later.

Monkey-shines

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Some people are born with fun running through their veins.  I have a friend who is all about fun, and her daughter has inherited that delightful character.  It wouldn’t do to have a stuffy, grown-up graduation card for her.  Sock Monkey was the Man for the Job:

Sock Monkey Graduates

  • Sock Monkey, Sock Monkey Accessories and Hugs and Wishes (retired) stamp sets
  • Very Vanilla, Crushed Curry, Brocade Blue and Night of Navy card stock
  • Close to Cocoa and Night of Navy Classic ink pads
  • Close to Cocoa, Night of Navy, Brocade Blue and Crushed Curry Classic ink refill
  • Aquapainter, Scallop oval punch and Crushed Curry polka dot ribbon
  • Crop-a-dile and White gel pen
  • Big Shot and Polka Dot Impressions folder

School colors are blue and gold – can you tell?   Sock Monkey got tired of sitting in all of those boring graduation practices, stuck in the back row because he was the tallest.  Who ever heard of lining up the graduates by height??  He sat down and started picking flowers to make a bouquet for his mommy who is just a little stressed out with all the relatives in town.  What a sweet monkey.

Graduation Season

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It’s that time of the year…caps and gowns and diplomas, oh my!

No graduates in my house – or my immediate family – this year, but we have lots of friends graduating from high school and college.  I’ve enjoyed making cards for them with little nods to their schools and even their personalities.  That’s the whole point of a hand-made card, isn’t it?

Fifth Avenue Floral Congratulations

  • Fifth Avenue Floral, Elements of Style and Well Scripted (retired) stamp sets
  • Whisper White, Brocade Blue and Night of Navy card stock
  • Brocade Blue and Night of Navy Classic ink pads; Whisper White Craft ink pad
  • Versamark ink pad; Crushed Curry Stampin’ Write marker, Vanilla Smooch Spritz
  • Embossing Buddy, Powder Pal, Clear Embossing Powder and Heat Tool
  • Scallop Border punch, Elegant Bouquet Impressions Folder and Big Shot

My little point-and-shoot doesn’t pick up the details too well, but there’s Smooch Spritz (I can’t decide if I should laugh or cry when I say that) on the floral panel and the sentiment is embossed with clear embossing powder.  The Craft White ink is on the Night of Navy panel behind the sentiment.  It was originally larger and destined for another use but I scrapped the entire concept on the basis of irreconcilable differences – that card was NEVER going to work.  The pieces survived to find purpose in an alternate relationship!

I’m ought to apologize for using a retired sentiment, but I don’t feel too badly about it.  There are tons of great “Congratulations” stamps out there and I’m sure you’ll find a substitute if you don’t have this one.  There are always so many great sets in the mini catalog (this was the Occasions Mini) and it always seems as though there’s one set you should have purchased when you had the opportunity.

It’s a glorious Maui day and my son is finished with finals today, so his sister and I are going to take him out to lunch in Lahaina.  Too nice a day to stay inside, even for stamping!

Twitterpated

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It’s been quite a day!  I’ve spent a lot of time with the new catalog and have had a few demonstrator friends in to see it.  I don’t know the exact number, but only a few demonstrators qualified for the early release of the 2010-2011 catalog and I feel very privileged to be one of them.  There’s a lot to like here!

Today’s card is actually the card I was preparing to photograph when I opened my front door and the envelope fell inside.  The afternoon light is best in the front of my house, and I was opening the door to get more light when I discovered my package.  You’ll have to forgive the quality of this photograph as I was all twitterpated when I took it 🙂

One more Elements of Style card

  • Elements of Style and Teeny Tiny Wishes stamp sets; Very Vintage Wheel
  • Night of Navy, Rich Razzleberry and Naturals White card stock
  • Night of Navy and Rich Razzleberry Classic ink pads; White Craft ink pad
  • Brocade Blue and Rich Razzleberry Stampin’ Write markers; Blender pen
  • Scallop Trim Border and Corner punches
  • So Saffron 5/8″ grosgrain ribbon (retired)

I’m having a good time playing with color combinations on this hummingbird.  I ink the stamp with a base color and use the Blender Pen to selectively remove ink from the stamp.  I add in new color with Stampin’ Write markers in the spaces cleaned by the Blender Pen and huff on the rubber before I apply the stamp to the paper.

It’s not apparent in this photograph, but I used Craft White ink to stamp the “roses” background image behind the hummingbird.  The result is a very soft look, almost like stamping on brocade.

Time to get something done.  My day has disappeared, but in a good way.  Tomorrow I’ll be back on schedule.  Mostly.