Proud to be an American

I just wanted to share this card for Veteran's Day. I am going to send it to my brother, Thom,
who served in the Navy.  He served on the battleship the USS Wisconsin.  Very special because
we live in Wisconsin.

Thank you to Thom and to all of our veterans who honor our country with their service.

I made the card in Kim Bolzenthal's class this past summer.

I knew this card would be for my brother the minute I made it.

I can't remember all the details of the card, but the flag was cut out from the Top Note die.
Then it was embossed to give it texture. Fun idea for a flag.

Joy - A Very Merry Christmas to You

I was so excited to play along with the Nacho Average Sketch #61. I had an idea right away, but it took me all week to finally have time to finish my card. I didn't make the cutoff to add the card to their website, but I did my card anyway. Here is the sketch for last week:



Here is the card that I thought of when I saw this sketch:

After I put together the basic layout, I added a few finishing touches. On the 1" circles and the greeting, I inked a background stamp with Crumb Cake ink (any background stamp will do).
I stamped once on scrap paper and then stamped on the 1" circles and the greeting. This gives
the Very Vanilla paper just a hint of color and texture.

I embossed the Cherry Cobbler Core'dinations paper with the Perfect Polka Dot embossing folder.
I lightly sanded the dots to reveal the lighter color underneath.

Two simple techniques gave the card the look I had in mind.

Supplies:

Stampin! Up Designer Series Paper - Be of Good Cheer (retired)
Paper:  Cherry Cobbler, Cherry Cobbler Core'dinations, Very Vanilla
Cherry Cobbler Seam Binding
Ink:  Cherry Cobbler and Crumb Cake
1" Circle Punch
Greeting: More Merry Messages
Pearl Jewels
Perfect Polka Dot Embossing Folder
Sanding Block
3/4" Die Cut Letters

Thankful Birch Log

I am so excited to have this project completed and ready to give to my Mom. She loves autumn and I think she is going to love this centerpiece.

I have to say a big thank you to Kim Bolzenthal for helping with this project and for helping
me launch my blog. I wouldn't even have a blog if it wasn't for Kim. Click on this link to
see Kim's Birch Log.

The Birch paper is from the Thankful Tablescape Kit in the Holiday catalog. The leaves and acorns are from Autumn Accents Bigz die.

Thankful for the beauty of Fall.

Autumn Banner

I haven't posted on my blog in the last few weeks because I have been working on Autumn banners for friends and family.

Each one becomes a little work of art and unique in its own way.

The banners are a fun mix of new and old. They are a great way to use up odds and ends.

My stamp room looks like a wreck when I create these, but it is worth it when I see
the finished project.

Christmas Star

One of the new single stamps from Stampin! Up is the Christmas Star.  The star isn't just for Christmas. I stamped it in More Mustard and realized it was a perfect tag for a Chevron bag.

The stamped image is cut out and scored on white lines. Punch a tiny hole in the center of the star. Fold on the scored lines and fold into a 3-D star. Add a pearl to cover the tiny hole in the middle. I added an eyelet to make sure the paper didn't rip on the tip of the star.

A perfect way to package the Autumn banners I made for friends and family.

Stampin' Addicts Winter Holiday Blog Hop

Welcome to the Stampin' Addicts Winter Holiday Blog Hop. This blog hop features the winter items from the Stampin' Up! 2013 Holiday Catalog.

If you are following the Blog Hop in order, you arrived from Heidi's Blog where she features
Tags for You.

My Blog features the stamp set Warmth & Wonder. This Hostess set features 7 stamps and is on
page 39 of the Holiday Catalog. (Note:  Images are larger than they appear in the catalog.)

The Warmth & Wonder stamp set is perfect for cards, tags and many other projects.

The Cardinal stamp fits perfectly in the Oval Designer Frame. The oval is surrounded with the
Baked Brown Sugar Ruffled Stretch Trim. The ribbon is easy to use and very pretty.

The Tree stamp is really fun to use. Stamp the tree and then stamp the little circles in any color
you choose.  The Season of Style Designer Series Paper is sponged with Crumb Cake to give it a rustic look.

The Reindeer card uses the Winter Frost Designer Series Paper and the Silver Glimmer Paper. Smoky Slate and Pool Party create a quick card with a little bit of sparkle.

Stampin' Up! has boxes and bags to make your gifts look beautiful. These three packages are coordinated with Cherry Cobbler and Crumb Cake.

The 7/8" Cotton Ribbon is stamped with the Snowflake stamp and Cherry Cobbler ink.

Tag a Bag Chevron Bag (131370), Tag a Bag Gift Box (130927), Kraft Gift Box (124106)

The next stop on the Blog Hop is Mary's blog where she is featuring Perfectly You.

If you get lost along the way, there is a list of all the participants at the bottom of this post.

 

 

 

Blog Hop Order: 1) Tanya -- Season of Style DSP & Washi Tape -- Tinkerin In Ink with Tanya
2) Twila (tjdstampsalot) -- A Banner Christmas -- Stamp A Little Longer
3) Holly (catrules) -- Wishing You -- Rubber Redneck
4) Rhonda (rhondaG) -- Calm Christmas -- The Stampin' Bunny
5) Betty (Kittystamp) -- Holly Jolly Simply Sent kit -- Kitty Stamp
6) Kim (s1itcher46) -- Joyful Christmas -- Stitchin n Stampin' on Paper
7) Carmen -- Remembering Christmas -- Stamping Addiction
8) Yapha -- Winter Frost Specialty DSP -- Rubber Stamping & Card Making with Yapha
9) Sara (lilyinkpad) -- Festive Flurry Bundle -- Lily's Ink Pad
10) Mary (nuhddad) -- Christmas Banner -- Mary's Stamping Happenings
11) Debra (WebDeb) -- Wonderful Wreath -- Heartfelt Inkspiration
12) Adriana (escape2stamp) -- Stamp a Tag Kit -- escape2stamp
13) Jennifer (JenTimko) -- Expressions Thinlets -- Stampin' on the Fly | My adventures in stamping
14) Paula (scrapshappen) -- Gift Bow Bigz Die -- Stampin' with Paula
15) Heidi (hlw966) -- Tags for You Bundle -- RunningwScissorsStamper
16)Tina (tina123) -- Warmth & Wonder -- Paper Art Garden
17) Mary (MaryR) -- Perfectly You -- {scrap and stamp with mary}

Polka Dot Pieces

Welcome to Stampin' Addicts Recycle Challenge #6.  I chose the sketch this week.  I picked Sketch Challenge #127:



Here is the card I made from the sketch:

You can see all of the projects from this sketch on Pinterest - SA Recycle Challenge #6.

 

The fun part of playing along with sketch challenges is that you choose your paper, stamp set, embellishments, etc.

 

I had to get creative with the bird.  I wanted to use the stamp that is in the Polka Dot Pieces set, but it faces to the left.  I wanted my bird to face to the right.  I tried the "kissing" technique, but I couldn't get the image to look nice.

 

My solution was to use the Bird Builder punch and Designer Series Paper.  Choose the paper you want for the bird, punch on the wrong side of the paper and you end up with the bird facing to the right.  I sponged the bird's wing with Cajun Craze to get a darker color.

 

My next dilemma was the ribbon.  I ended up using 1/4" Stitched Grosgrain in Daffodil Delight.  It was too bright so I sponged it with Soft Suede.

 

The card took longer than I planned, but I like the end result.

 

Stamp Set:  Polka Dot Pieces

Ink: Cajun Craze, Old Olive, So Saffron, Soft Suede (sponging), Early Espresso (Greeting)

Paper: Very Vanilla, Old Olive, Early Espresso, Sweater Weather

Punches:  Bird Builder Punch, 1 1/4" Scallop Circle, 7/8" Scallop Circle, 2 1/2" Circle

 



Wahoo! You Did it!

Time ran off the clock too fast this week.  I wanted to play in both of these challenges and it made sense to combine them together.

The first challenge is the Stampin' Addicts Pinterest Recycle Challenge #5.  The challenge is to use the colors:  Pool Party, Pear Pizzazz and Soft Suede.

The second challenge is Mojo Monday Sketch #311:













Here is a fun card to reward someone for a job well done:







Paper:  Soft Suede, Pool Party, Pear Pizzazz, Soho Subway
Ink:  Soft Suede
Linen Thread
Stamp Set:  September My Paper Pumpkin

Best of Autumn

This is Stampin' Addicts Pinterest Recycle Challenge #4. The challenge is to make a scrapbook page or a card from this layout:



 I made a 4 1/4" x 4 1/4" card using this layout.  The stamped image is colored with watercolor pencils and Stampin' Up! blender pens.  The edges of center image are sponged with Crumb Cake.  The punched out pieces are sponged with Soft Suede.

You can see more ideas from this challenge on Pinterest.

Paper:  Crumb Cake, Old Olive, Pumpkin Pie, Sweater Weather Designer Series Paper
Stamp Set:  Best of Autumn
Punches:  7/8" Scallop Circle, Boho Blossoms
Candy Dots - Brights
Ink:  Soft Suede (Greeting), Stazon (Image), Crumb Cake (Sponging)
 

Noble Deer

Here is a fun sketch from Mojo Monday:

Here is my card:

 

I had to work at this one a bit to get everything to work.  Did you ever have those days when the card just looked better in your brain than it did on paper?  I finally got it where I liked it.  It was quite a workout.

 

I started with a square of Crumb Cake paper and sponged it with Old Olive on the bottom, Crumb Cake in the middle and Marina Mist on the top.  It might seem like sponging Crumb Cake ink onto Crumb Cake paper wouldn't show up, but it does and it adds texture.

 

I stamped the deer image in Chocolate Chip Ink and then cut out a 3" circle.  I went back with the same colors and intensified the blue behind the trees and the grass closest to the bottom of the circle.

 

By using sponges, you can control where the ink goes and the intensity.

 

The 7/16" Natural Trim was too bright.  I gave that a distressed look by sponging it with Chocolate Chip Ink.  Can you tell I like sponges?

 

The Noble Deer stamp set is retired.  There is a brand new set called Walk in the Wild with a moose/elk that would work perfectly as a substitute for the deer.

 

Stamp Set:  Noble Deer (Retired)

Ink:  Old Olive, Crumb Cake, Marina Mist, Chocolate Chip

Embossing Folder:  Wood Grain

Candy Dots:  Neutrals

7/16" Natural Trim

Color Collection Designer Series Paper Stack:  Neutrals (These patterns are retired, but there are

     brand new ones to replace these.  I just don't have them yet.)

 

Blooming with Kindness

Here is my card for Stampin' Addicts Pinterest Recycle Challenge #3.  The challenge is to use the Split Negative Technique.  Debbie wrote great directions that are easy to follow at this link.

 



You can see all of the ideas for this technique on SA Challenge Recycle 3 on Pinterest.

Stamp Set:  Blooming with Kindness, Teeny Tiny Wishes
Colors:  Whisper White, Basic Black, Raspberry Ripple
Punches:  Modern Label and Word Window
Ribbon:  3/8" Stitched Satin Ribbon - Raspberry Ripple
Embossing Powder:  Black, White
Ink: Versa Mark for embossing, Basic Black
Embossing Folder:  Perfect Polka Dots

For The Birds

This is Stampin' Addicts Pinterest Recycle Challenge #2.  Scroll to the bottom of the
Stampin' Addicts' link if you would like to participate or to see an instructional video.

This weeks challenge was to create a bag out an envelope. 

Here is my little treat bag:

 



The size of the bag is about 3 1/4" x 5 1/4".  It is tiny and cute!  I had fun decorating it too.

You can see all the challenge entries on Pinterest at SA Challenge Recycle #2.

Supplies:

Stamp Set - For the Birds
Many Marvelous Markers
Ink - Early Espresso, embossed with clear embossing powder, Sponged edge in Marina Mist
Paper - Whisper White, Polka Dot Parade (Marina Mist),
   Designer Series Paper Stack (Daffodil Delight*)
White Baker's Twine
7/16" Natural Trim
Oval Framelits
Designer Series Buttons (Daffodil Delight*)

* The yellow button and yellow paper I used are retired, but they are replaced by brand new products in the current catalog.

By the Tide

I am a beach lover!  Anything with seashells is fantastic in my book.  If you love the things children say, you will appreciate that my young niece asked me "Where is this book you keep talking about?"  She thought my Mom and I each had our own book.

This is the Mojo Monday sketch challenge #308:



I chose the square card.  On their website, you can see what everyone has created from the sketch.

 



When I first stamped the small oval, there was too much contrast between the Very Vanilla paper and the Early Espresso paper.  To soften the transition between the paper colors, I sponged the edge of the Very Vanilla oval with Soft Suede.  It also adds a vintage touch.

I totally borrowed the color scheme from a card that my friend made.  If she posts it on her blog, I will share the link so you can see another idea with this beautiful paper.

Stamp Set:  Stampin' Up! By the Tide
Ink Colors:  Early Espresso, Calypso Coral, Soft Suede
Paper: Early Espresso, Very Vanilla, Soho Subway
Very Vintage Designer Button
Crochet Trim
Linen Thread
Pearls
Tools:  Oval Framelits
Card Size: 4 1/4" x 4 1/4" Square

Gently Falling

Stampin' Addicts is recycling some of their previous card challenges.   Anyone can participate in these challenges, and we have boards on Pinterest where the challenge cards can be shared too!

Here is the first challenge, Stampin' Addicts Pinterest Recycle Challenge #1:



The fun part of a sketch challenge is that you pick your colors, stamp set, layout, papers, embellishments, etc.  The finished cards will resemble the sketch, but each card will be different.

Here is my take on the sketch:

 



Stamp Set:  Gently Falling (the leaves are stamped, cut out and sponged)
Birthday Greeting Stamp:  Simply Sketched Hostess Set (stamped in Chocolate Chip)
Ink Colors:  Old Olive, Soft Suede, Tangerine Tango
Paper:  Crumb Cake (card base), Old Olive (under greeting), Sweater Weather Designer Series Paper
Ribbon:  Gumball Green 3/8" Stitched Satin Ribbon sponged with Tangerine Tango

If you want to see what everyone else created, follow along on Pinterest.

Thoughts and Prayers

Here is the card for Mojo Monday Challenge 307:

 



This is one of my favorite stamp sets.  I love the tree and the greetings.

The 3" circle for the tree is sponged in Marina Mist, Tangerine Tango and So Saffron.

The tree and greeting are stamped in Chocolate Chip to match the card base.

The rest of the papers are from Sweater Weather Designer Series Paper.  Sweater Weather is one of my favorite paper packs of all time.  The colors and prints are so easy to use together.

Sketched Birthday

I created this card for the Mojo Monday Sketch 306. 

The Rose Red 2 1/2" circle is embossed with the Stripe embossing folder.

The Happy Birthday, Cupcake image is stamped with Jet Black Stazon ink and colored with
Many Marvelous Markers.  The stamped image fits perfectly in the 1 3/4" Scallop punch.

Finish it off with a button, a little linen thread and a banner.  The "Blowing wishes your way" is from retired set called Wishes Your Way.  I still love it for birthday cards.

Paper:  Island Indigo, Rose Red, Summer Starfruit, Birthday Basics, Soho Subway (small piece of printed Summer Starfruit)

Envelope Liner Framelit Dies Card

I hope you enjoyed the Stampin' Addicts Blog Hop this past weekend.  The links are available if you missed it or want to see it again.  The links are at the bottom of my August 9, 2013 post.

This is one of the cards I made for the Blog Hop.



Here is a stepped up version using leaves from the Autumn Accents Bigz die and a piece of lattice from the Lattice Bigz die.

It is really easy to create pockets from the Envelope Liner Framelit dies.  Here are the basics for this pocket.  Score on the solid line so that the pocket edge folds down nicely.  The dashed lines show where to place the tape.

There is no tape in the middle of the card or on the top edge.
I mention this because I have done it! 

 



Adding a pocket creates an interactive card.  On the tag you can put a greeting, a photo or any message you would like.  How about a decorated tag that can be used as a bookmark?

On my next post, I will show details on the silverware and treat holder assembly.



Stampin' Addicts Fall Blog Hop

Welcome to the Stampin' Addicts Fall Blog Hop.  This blog hop features the Fall items from the new Stampin' Up Holiday catalog.  There will be another blog hop in October that features the Winter Holiday items.

If you are following the hop in order, you arrived from Adriana's blog where she features
the Oh, Goodie! stamp set.

Here we go with the brand new Envelope Liners Framelits Dies.

Easy to use and endless possibilities ...

They are designed to make beautiful liners for Stampin' Up! envelopes.  Take a minute to add
the finishing touch for your handmade cards.  The sizes of dies are listed in the Holiday Catalog. 
Here are three different looks for the envelope liners:

Large Die - Use Versa Mark to stamp the liner to create your own designer paper.
Medium Die - The liner is shown exactly as it is cut from the framelit.

Small Die - The liner is embossed with the Fancy Fan embossing folder.



 

These are great to have and not just for envelopes!
Check out the other ideas below.







Envelope Liner Pockets

  

 

Be ready for any event with these two quick and easy projects.

 

Silverware Holder -  The silverware holder uses 2 pieces from the medium die.  Seal the pieces together on three edges.  The front flap is taped down and the back flap is left up
for support.

 

Treat Holder - The treat holder uses 2 pieces from the small die. 
Use the larger dies if you want to add lots of treats!

Pockets for Cards

 

Use the liner to create a pocket for an interactive card with a tag ... or a pocket on the inside to hold a gift card.  How about an interactive scrapbook page with pockets?

 

The next stop on the Fall Blog Hop is Heidi's blog.  She is featuring the Magnificent Maple stamp.

If you get lost along the way, there is a list of all the participants at the bottom of this post.

 

 

 

Stampin' Up! Holiday Catalog

Envelope Liners Framelits Dies #132172

 

Blog Hop Order:
1) Heidi (hlw966) -- Magnificent Maple -- RunningwScissorsStamper
2) Kim (s1itcher46) -- Thankful Tablescape Kit -- Stitchin n Stampin' on Paper
3) Sara (lilyinkpad) -- Sweater Weather DSP -- Lily's Ink Pad
4) Yapha -- Harvest of Thanks -- Rubber Stamping & Card Making with Yapha
5) Tanya (tanya27) -- Truly Grateful -- Tinkerin In Ink with Tanya
6) Rhonda (rhondaG) -- Halloween Hello -- The Stampin' Bunny
7) Kathleen (fa_stamper) -- Halloween Bash -- FA_Stamper
8) Mary (MaryR) -- Witches Brew DSP and Washi Tape -- {scrap and stamp with mary}
9) Paula (scrapshappen) -- Build a Banner Kit -- Stampin' with Paula
10) Adriana (escape2stamp) -- Oh Goodie -- escape2stamp
11) Tina (Tina123) -- Envelope Liner Framelits -- Paper Art Garden

 

O Holy Night

I couldn't wait to use the new Winter Frost Designer Series paper!  There are two sheets in the pack that have foil accents.  The other sheets have the regular Stampin' Up! finish.

The card shows off the paper and the new stamp set called "O Holy Night."  The stamp has such beautiful sentiments about Christmas.

Paper:  Smoky Slate, Pool Party, Whisper White, Winter Frost
Ink:  Smoky Slate
Whisper White Taffeta Ribbon
Silver 1/8" Ribbon
Rhinestone
Fancy Fan Embossing Folder

 

 

 

Notable Notions

This card went to convention as part of a vintage swap.  I really like the Notable Notions stamp set.  The different stamps work together so nicely.  The inside of the large tag pops out and I used it to create the small tag on the front of the pocket.  It is like a bonus stamp!

The card base is Smoky Slate.  The card base is covered using the Shop Around wheel in matching ink.  The faux pocket is created using Baked Brown Sugar ink and the Fancy Fan embossing folder.

To create the pink ribbon, I rubbed 3/8" Whisper White taffeta ribbon on the Blushing Bride ink pad.  The finishing touches were 3/8" Ruffled Ribbon in Baked Brown Sugar, Vintage Trinkets and a Tea Lace Paper Doily.

The large buttons have the cutest greetings, "You Make Me Smile",  "Always By Your Side" and "The Best of Friends Forever".

Polka Dot Pieces

This is a new stamp set called Polka Dot Pieces.  I am so happy it is summer!  This card is about bright summery colors.  Two new ink colors, Coastal Cabana and Strawberry Slush, are paired with So Saffron.  The flowers are punched using the 1 3/4" Scallop Punch.  The bird and vine are punched using the Bird Builder Punch.  The Whisper White background paper is embossed with the Perfect Polka Dots folder.  The Whisper White layer is placed on a Strawberry Slush card base.  The finishing touch was Rhinestone Jewels in the center of the flowers.

This card went to convention as part of the Stampin' Addicts Meet and Greet - New Catalog swap. 

Hope this card brings you smiles.

Happy Father's Day

These cards are for two Fathers that we love!  My Father-in-law loved the tractor card.  He is driving an antique tractor in a parade this weekend.  My Dad is going to love the lobster card.  The minute I saw the "By the Tide" stamp set, I knew it would be perfect for my dad. 

Spring Sampler

I have been working on things that make me feel like Spring is near!

First up are three cards made from the Tea Shoppe stamp set and the Tea for Two Designer Series Paper:

A Cup of Thanks

The tea cups are stamped on Very Vanilla and trimmed to fit on pinwheel shapes cut from the Designer Series Paper.  The edges of the squares are sponged with the same color the tea cups are stamped in.  Sponging the edges only takes a minute and it really finishes your project.  The sponging adds depth and texture.

Just For You

A tip for cutting out the tea cup.  Cut inside of the handle first.  This way the outside paper stabilizes the handle and you won't rip or bend the handle.  The tea cup is stamped in Wisteria Wonder and embossed with clear embossing powder.  The embossing gives the tea cup a little bit of thickness to help keep its shape.

"Stay" is a Charming Word

This is one of my favorite sayings from one of my favorite authors.  This card is all dressed up with embellishments from the Artisan Embellishment Kit.  The primary colors are Calypso Coral and Crumb Cake.  Adding things like Baker's Twine and a button will dress up your cards in minutes.

Next, is a scrapbook page:

This is an 8x8 page of Pink Pirouette.  It is easy to create your own background paper using the Flower Flourishes stamp set.  The "Laughter" quote is from the Feel Goods stamp set.  The girls are on their way to prom and their laughter comes from genuine friendship.  I knew this stamp was perfect for this photo.


The next two items show ways to use Stampin' Up! products to make 3-D items to decorate the walls of your home with your own art!

Nine Patch Sampler

 

This is approximately 7" x 7".  It features 9 - 2" squares.  These are really fun to make.  Don't be afraid to try it.  It is a great way to use your stamp sets.  Stampin' Up! does a great job of making stamps that coordinate with matching punches and papers that coordinate with ink colors.  Start by choosing a color theme.  In this piece it is blues and neutrals.  Then create your squares one at a time by just having fun with your stamps and embellishments.  When you have nine squares completed, start laying them out and moving them around until you like the layout.  You will love each little square because you created it.

A sample of a 2" square.

The First Edition paper is distressed with Crumb Cake ink and the Postage Due Stamp.

The bird is from the You Are Loved set in the heart.

Stamp the heart and punch out the bird with your 1" punch.

Two new ways to use your stamps:  distress backgrounds and cropping a focal image.

  Another 2" square.

Create freely, no boundaries and enjoy.

Spring Banner

A banner to welcome Spring.  I love making these for the seasons and special holidays.  Just have fun and create as you go.  It is great way to get extra use out of your stamps.  We keep my Grandma's apartment door decorated with these and everyone loves them.  Here are close ups of two letters.

Hope you have enjoyed the posts to welcome Spring.  I love creating with Stampin' Up!.  It is fun to give these projects as gifts.  People love it that you made it for them.  You are special and so are your creations.  Love them and share them.