Sweethearts for You

This week's Freshly Made Sketches layout was the perfect layout for a Valentine's (or at least a heart) card.  It did help that the actual sketch showed hearts for the images :)

I combined this fun sketch with the color challenge over at Pals Paper Arts (Melon Mambo, Basic Gray, and Basic Black) and I think the two challenges make for a winning combination!  I immediately knew that I wanted to use the new Hearts a Flutter stamp set along with the coordinating framelits--isn't it great to not have to cut everything out by hand!  I wanted to add a sentiment that was a little more generic than Valentine's, so I chose the "for you from me" stamp from the set A Word for You.  I used some striped Basic Gray Patterns DSP for my background and layered that on Melon Mambo, White, and Basic Black card stock.  I made my scalloped border by combining a couple edgelits dies along with some white, Melon Mambo, and Black card stock as well as some Melon Mambo Patterns DSP.  I tied some of the new Melon Mambo striped organdy ribbon around everything to finish it off.  I used two of the small hearts and one of the small banners in the Hearts a Flutter stamp set to get the patterns on my small hearts.  Then I cut them with the small heart framelit so that they all looked like they were supposed to be hearts and then layered them on black hearts that I also cut with the framelit.  I used the scalloped heart to stamp my greeting on and layered it on another scalloped heart to help it stand out.  Hope you enjoy!

Fall For You

Halloween is over and we have too many treats in the house.  My daughter was sad when she changed out of her costume last night until I told her that she could dress up in it again--I guess we don't do dress-ups enough at our house and we need to make them a more common occurrence.  My toddler grabbed his trick-or-treat sack (that was empty) first thing this morning and put it on over his shoulder, walked to the door, and said "more treats" hoping to go outside and repeat last night's adventure.  I think he liked it.  I'm wondering if we go visit grandma at work again if he will walk around to all of her co-workers hoping for treats like he got there yesterday.  Halloween and especially the trick-or-treating really made an impression on him.  Now it's time to enjoy the remainder of Autumn before the snows set in.  Hopefully we'll continue having beautiful days like the past week and if it snows I hope it is short lived.  Last year it was cool, but dry at the beginning of January.  We did make a snowman, only it was with sidewalk chalk, which is fine with me.  Normally we're stuck with cold and inversion, so I'm hoping that Winter doesn't come too soon.

So, since I'm hoping to enjoy a lot more of the Fall season, I decided to share this card with you.  I used the Day of Gratitude stamp set along with the set called A Word for You to create this.  My colors are Tangerine Tango, Lucky Limeade, and Elegant Eggplant.  I stamped the greeting and then punched it with the oval punch and scalloped oval punch.  I also used the paper piercing tool along with the paper piercing pack to poke a border above and below my stamped panel on the eggplant card stock (sorry, it's hard to see in the photo).  Happy Fall!  I hope you get to enjoy some beautiful weather around where you live too!

Flowers for You

I've been stamping up a storm lately!  Over the past several months I've been trying to take more time to create and stamp cards to share on my blog, link to challenges, show my customers, and use for classes.  It has been so fun making myself find a bit of time to stamp and I love sharing the ideas--hopefully I can keep this up!  I have not done a lot of mass-production stamping (where I stamp several of the same card so that I have cards on hand or to give as gifts).  A friend of mine wanted some cards to use for gifts and asked for my help, so I've been cranking the wheel and just finished my 19th set of cards last night!  Most of the cards are cards that I've already shown you here on my blog, but I decided I had to take a picture of one that I created just for her and share it before I give them away.

Her request was that I make a card with the Mixed Bunch set and use the greeting shown here (which comes from the A Word for You set).  I wanted something a little different than I've been doing lately and I wanted to use colors that I hadn't been using.  I hope she likes what I came up with, I know I do (in fact, I made myself a set of 6 as well).  I used Blushing Bride (now retired), Regal Rose, and Early Espresso.  Can you believe I didn't use any Patterns DSP?  I know, shocker!  I did, however, use one of my trusty textured impressions folders to make up for it.  I'm glad she requested the Mixed Bunch set because I LOVE that set and I have been ignoring it lately.  I used it a ton back in the Spring and then it got set aside when the new catalog came out and I need to not ignore such a great set.  If you don't have it, you probably "need" it because it is a fabulous set (and there is a matching punch)!  I stamped the images on a panel that is 2-3/4x4-1/4, which is exactly 1/8 sheet of card stock.  I guess I could have done the one-sheet wonder thing and stamped the whole sheet before cutting it, but I didn't think of that ahead of time.  A lot of time when I stamp, I just start stamping and then think of simpler ways to do things after the fact.  My greeting is punched out with the oval punch and the scalloped oval punch--a perfect little pair of punches!  Originally this card was just going to be the panel and non-textured background, but I experimented a bit and the polka dot background and greeting added SO much to the card I just had to "step it up" a bit.  Hope you enjoy your Tuesday!

Autumn Leaves for You

The falling leaves are in full swing around here.  We went up the canyon to see the leaves a couple weeks ago and they were just past the peak of their color.  Now the leaves in the yard are starting to fall, unfortunately they aren't quite as vivid as those up the canyon, but they are still pretty.  I love this color combo from Pals Paper Arts this week--Cajun Craze, More Mustard, and Early Espresso.  I have to admit that until just recently, I had not even used Cajun Craze (although I've had it since it debuted).  I'm finding that I use it quite a bit now, and not just when I have to for a color challenge.  It is a great color for this time of the year, and I like how it takes on more of a "red" tone with this combination of colors.

I used the Gently Falling stamp set for my leaves and then the greeting set called A Word for You.  Once I stamped the leaves, I wanted to fill in the empty space so I grabbed my color spritzer and specked the paper with my Early Espresso marker.  I've had a color spritzer for 15+ years and I think I love it more than ever recently--it seems to add just the right touch to some cards!  I mounted my stamped strip on some Early Espresso card stock and then on More Mustard that I paper pierced a dotted line along.  I tied those layers together with some Early Espresso stitched grosgrain and then mounted them on my card base, which is Cajun Craze.   I love adding texture from with Stampin' Up!'s Textured Impressions Embossing folders (and that is the challenge from SUO Challenges right now) so I textured my Cajun Craze card base with the woodgrain embossing folder.  My greeting is punched with the oval punch, then layered on the scalloped oval punch, and finally the designer label punch.

Sweet Summer Silhouettes

10 years!  It's hard to believe that 10 years ago I married my sweetheart.  In some ways it seems like it wasn't that long ago, but in other ways it is so natural that it seems like forever.  I thought a floral card using the Summer Silhouettes set would be appropriate for today, so that is what I made to go along with the Dynamic Duos challenge.  This week's Duo colors are Certainly Celery and Pretty in Pink--a pretty and sweet combination!  I used Basic Gray for my neutral (including the Basic Gray stitched grosgrain ribbon).  I stamped my little garden and layered it on pink and gray, and then again on a pink strip of the patterns dsp (from the subtles stack).  I mounted that strip on some white card stock and I punched the edge with the scallop edge punch.  My card base is Certainly Celery card stock and it is textured with the Elegant Lines embossing folder.  Can you tell that I'm really liking that folder?  I just got it last week and it works so well with so many cards!  I stamped the sentiment from the set called A Word for You and punched it with the oval punch layered on pink card stock punched with the scalloped oval punch. 

Baby Blues Sailboat

I think the sailboat image in the Stampin' Up! Moving Forward set is perfect for baby boy cards!  I wanted to participate in the current sketch challenge over at Freshly Made Sketches, so I paired this set with two of the 2011-2013 In Colors--Pool Party and Island Indigo.  I stamped my sailboat in Island Indigo Ink and then punched it out with the 2-1/2" circle punch.  Do you have a 2-1/2" circle punch?  I'm finding that it is a staple that I've been using a ton lately!  I added a 3" square of patterns dsp from the In Color collection, layered it on white and then Island Indigo, then tied some Pool Party seam binding ribbon around it.  I stamped the greeting (that comes from Stampin' Up!'s A Word for You set) with Island Indigo ink on my Pool Party card base, then ran the front of the card through my Big Shot with the polka dot textured impressions folder.  It's a pretty quick and simple card, but that's what I need around here.  I'm one who realizes I need a card just before I run out the door to a baby shower or other event!

Cheery Cherry Tulips

I am in love with the cute little tulip from the Bright Blossom stamp set.  Most of the samples that I've seen with this set use bright colors to match the Summer Smooches paper, so I decided to try something a little different.  When I saw last week's color challenge over at splitcoast, I decided to not use it for a Christmas card, but instead use it with this fun set.  The colors are Very Vanilla (card stock), Gumball Green, and Cherry Cobbler.  I used the fabulous new Be of Good Cheer pack of designer series paper and picked a few patterns from it that didn't necessarily scream Christmas.  I added a piece of Cherry Cobbler scalloped polka dot ribbon and then layered the greeting punched with the oval punch onto a piece of cherry cobbler card stock punched with the designer label punch.  I used a few Stampin' Dimensionals on the label so that it stands up a little to finish off the card.

Gray Textured Blossoms

Here's a different way to use the large flower from the Betsy's Blossoms set.  Instead of having it be its usual round flower, punch it out to give it some shape!  I used the blossom punch and it fits great!  The center of the flower was made from the smaller flower in the set, and I punched out the center with the 1/2" circle punch.  I mixed Pool Party with Raspberry Ripple--one of my new favorite color combos!  Once punched, I made them pop up a bit with some Stampin' Dimensionals.  The stems are just strips of gumball green card stock.  I stamped the greeting (from A Word for You) and punched it with the oval punch and layered it on the designer label punch.  The gray background was done with the petals-a-plenty textured impressions embossing folder in my big shot.  Finally, I added a bit of Pool Party seam binding ribbon around the bottom of the card.

Tangerine Blossom Thanks

Here's another card with the new Betsy's Blossoms stamp set.  I've been having some fun creating with this set and I'm liking it more and more as I stamp with it!  The greeting comes from A Word for You, one of my newer go to word sets.  The printed paper comes from the new Floral District Designer Series Paper.  Do you like the ribbon?  It's the new 1/4" stitched grosgrain ribbon in Daffodil Delight--I just ordered more colors and am excited to get them on Monday!  In addition to Daffodil Delight, I've used Tangerine Tango and the new Primrose Petals for my color palate.

In Color Pinwheels

I love pinwheels.  I love them even more lately because my children love them.  It's fun to see my little guy light up when he is holding one and I have to be sure to have two out so that both kids can play together.  We participated for the fifth year in the March for Babies to celebrate my daughter and we passed out pinwheels to all of the kids who walked with our team.  I knew it was going to be a windy day so the pinwheels were perfect!  They became our little team trademark since they were on our Ambassador Avenue poster as well.  Now pinwheels hold an extra special place in my heart, so I couldn't resist ordering the Sweets for the Sweet stamp set so that I could stamp my own pinwheels.

Since I just received my new In Colors, I had to put them to use.  I love how all 5 rich colors work so well with each other.  The pinwheels on this card are stamped in Gumball Green, Midnight Muse, Primrose Petals with sticks in Summer Starfruit.  The card base is Primrose Petals and the yellow layer is Summer Starfruit.  The greeting comes from the set A Word for You and is stamped in Midnight Muse ink.  I finished off the card with some of my new favorite ribbon (I wish I would have ordered it in more colors) the 3/8" satin stitched ribbon.

Raspberry Primrose Petals

Sometimes less is more.  CAS (Clean and Simple) cards are nice to make for a change and I find the white space refreshing.  Now, most of my cards are fairly simple because I like to make them easy to duplicate, but this seems more clean and simple than most.

I've been trying to use the new In Colors (that are in the catalog that starts on June 1st) and I am hooked on them!  This card uses Primrose Petals, Raspberry Ripple, and Gumball Green.  Stampin' Up! is offering 3/8" satin stitched ribbon in all of the new In Colors.  So far I just have it in Gumball Green (pictured here) but it's on my wish list for my next order. 

Tangerine Blossoms

Here's another card that uses the new Betsy's Blossoms stamp set.  I used Tangerine Tango, Daffodil Delight, and Old Olive.  Stampin' Up! introduced a new stitched grosgrain ribbon, and I was able to preorder it in daffodil delight.  On June 1st we can order from the new catalog and you can bet I'll be ordering it in more colors!  The ribbon is a great way to add a little something to cards!  The greeting is from the set called A Word for You and is punched with the oval punch and layered on the scalloped oval punch.  This is a quick and simple layout that works for a lot of cards.

Razzleberry Wedding Wishes

The Easy Events stamp set is a great all-occasion set.  I used the birds from this set for a wedding card.  The card base is Rich Razzleberry and the images is mounted on Daffodil Delight.  I love those two colors together!  The greeting is from the set called A Word for You and is stamped with the white craft ink pad.  I tied a little piece of the 1/8" taffeta ribbon in Daffodil Delight around the card for a finishing touch.

Thank You Flowers

I used the new Easy Events stamp set (a great all-occasion set) for this card.  If you get this set, I'd suggest cutting the words off of the stamp and mounting them on the side of your block.  That way you can use the pictures without words, or words with different stamps, etc.  The "thanks big time" is from the A Word for You set and is stamped with white craft ink.  I paired Rich Razzleberry with Daffodil Delight on this card (and used a little Wild Wasabi to color the flower stems).  The "thank you" is stamped repeatedly (3 or 4 times) before inking again so that it gives the faded look.

Tropical Rain Flowers

This color combo just screams warm and tropical to me.  I used Island Indigo (a new In Color for 2011-2013), Tangerine Tango, and Daffodil Delight.  I made this card for a color challenge, where I was given three colors and told to make a card.  My Raining Flowers stamp set was still sitting out, so I decided it would make a great tropical card.  The greeting is from the A Word for You stamp set and is punched with the oval and layered with the scallop oval punch.  I love the narrow Daffodil Delight ribbon and (if you look closely) the Brights DSP Patterns paper in Daffodil Delight.