"MAKE-IT-SNAPPY-MONDAY"

Is it just me, or are the Mondays coming around really fast?  It's hard to believe that we'll be turning another calendar page soon, and you know what that means . . . the Christmas rush will begin. 

For my MISM card, I decided to make it really snappy by using a pretty design from Stampin' Up!'s "Pocketful of Posies" designer paper collection.  The balloons seemed perfect for my "sending many thanks" card!  Other Stampin' Up! products used to create this card include Whisper White and Perfect Plum card stock, white gel pen, oval punches, "Petite Pairs" stamp set, Stampin' Dimensional, and Crumb Cake taffeta ribbon.  I have to admit that I was very pleased with the way this quick card turned out and, even though Perfect Plum isn't a new color, I'm falling in love with it (again).

"NOTABLY ORNATE" & ROSETTES

My sister has been visiting this weekend, and she needed a card for a co-worker, which gave me an opportunity to "play."  Stampin' Up! products used to create this card include Peach Pizzazz card stock and ink, Always Artichoke card stock for the leaves (from the Two-Step Bird punch), ribbon, "Just Add Cake" designer paper, Modern Label punch, and "Notably Ornate" stamp set for the sentiment.  The flowers and die-cut white border are from the Cricut "Art Philosophy" cartridge.

"FREESTYLE FRIDAYS" ... CRISS-CROSSED AND SCORED FOR BABY

With her post last week, Julie issued a mission for me to design a baby project with something to put it in, such as an envelope, box, etc.  I wasn't entirely sure what to make, but I knew that I wanted to use Stampin' Up!'s brand new Simply Scored scoring tool, which is one of the brand new products in the Holiday mini catalog and available on September 1.  I decided to make a criss-cross card with a matching envelope using "Nursery Nest" designer paper.  As you can see from the photo, I decorated the front of the card with designer paper, a sweet button from the Subtles designer collection, and brand new Lucky Limeade ruffled ribbon.  For the card insert and the sentiment, I used My Digital Studio and the adorable "Little Additions" stamp brush set.  Do not let this set fool you . . . it is a fabulous set that can be used for a variety of projects--not just baby!  On the back of the insert, I used the Slit punch to create a gift card holder and the design on the front, of course, was created using images from the "Little Additions" set.  On the envelope, I used the Scallop Trim Corner punch on the points.  The pretty scallop trim doesn't show up very well, but it added a little something pretty, along with the hearts which are from one of the Itty Bitty Shapes punches.  Additional digital elements used on this project include the small heart and oval punches, Baker's twine, and pearl jewels.  If you haven't ordered My Digital Studio for yourself yet, what in the world are you waiting for?????  You could order everything (including the Simply Scored tool) that I used to create this ensemble and earn some hostess FREEBIES.  One of my favorite things about My Digital Studio is that once you get your digital projects designed the way that you want them, you can use them over and over again!  I {heart} My Digital Studio AND the brand new Simply Scored scoring tool.  Go ahead and add it to your "must have" list because it has features that some of the other scoring tools on the market don't have, such as the ever-so-helpful place markers!  In the coming months, I will be showing my customers the ways to use (and reasons to fall in love with) this tool.

"FRIGHTFUL SIGHT" POP-UP CARD

You can't tell by looking at the front of this card that it has a little surprise inside, but it does.  It's a really fun pop-up card!  Two years ago, I worked on a pop-up scrapbook layout (HERE) and decided to apply the same principle to create this card.  The inside is a bit bulkier than I would like, but I adhered the striped designer paper to a piece of card stock before I started cutting the pop-ups.  I  like that it's sturdy--it just wasn't as easy to work with.  Stampin' Up! products used to create this card include:  Cajun Craze, Basic Black, and Old Olive card stock, "Frightful Sight" designer paper, rhinestone jewels, Sizzix Tasteful Trim die, Spider Web embossing folder, Champagne Mist shimmer mist, black Satin ribbon, Postage Stamp punch, 1" Square punch, Sticky Strip, and "Grateful Greetings" stamp set.  Be sure to visit my blog tomorrow to see a cute criss-cross baby card!

"MAKE-IT-SNAPPY-MONDAY"

It’s time once again for MISM, and I have a quick design for you today!  I’ve mentioned before that I have a box (these days, it’s actually a drawer) where I keep punched and die-cut pieces that I thought I would use on a project but ended up not using.  I love being able to find “something” in the drawer to pull together a quick card!  Sometimes I even put stamped images in the drawer that are ready to go—just waiting for the right moment.  For this card, I found the die-cut and embossed butterflies from Stampin’ Up!’s “Beautiful Wings” Sizzix Embosslits die.  Other Stampin’ Up! products used to create this card include Very Vanilla, Island Indigo, Old Olive, and Daffodil Delight card stock, “First Edition” designer paper, crochet trim, pearl jewels, 1” circle punch, “Square Lattice” embossing folder, sponge dauber, Soft Suede and Island Indigo ink, Eyelet Border punch, and “Curvy Verses” stamp set.  To create the ruffled designer paper, I first used the Eyelet Border punch along one edge and then scored the paper to help shape the pleats.  A sponge dauber was used to apply Soft Suede ink to the edges, and I also used the dauber to “dirty up” the designer paper.  This card really was quick to make and is now ready to go when I need it! 

"FREESTYLE FRIDAYS" & BLOG CANDY WINNER!!!!

It's Julie's turn to share a creative project for this installment of Freestyle Fridays and, from the sneak peek photo that she sent to me, there will be no disappointment!  Obviously, she has created a baby girl card, and it looks lovely!  I love the pretty pink beads on the pin, the adorable baby face adornment, and the shaped layers on which the pin is attached.  Be sure to hop on over to Julie's blog to see the whole project, and don't forget to leave a sweet comment. 

Last week, in celebration of the one-year anniversary of Freestyle Fridays, Julie and I each offered blog candy and promised to announce the winners this week.  I used a random generator to choose Jacqueline Frisbie, #21, as my winner.  She wrote:  I just joined your site and am looking forward to freestyle card examples. I love the one on display now. Hope to receive many new ideas on card making from everyone. Thank you.

CONGRATULATIONS, JACQUELINE!!!!  I will contact you to get an address to where I can send the blog candy!

Many thanks to each of you who left a comment!! 

"WATERCOLOR TRIO" SYMPATHY

A quick share today before I resume the dreaded task of mopping.  This little dilly is a sympathy card which features the following Stampin' Up! products:  Wisteria Wonder, Lucky Limeade, and Whisper White card stock, taffeta ribbon, Scallop Oval and Large Oval punches, a tiny butterfly from the "Beautiful Wings" Sizzix Embosslits die, "Watercolor Trio" stamp set (isn't this just a beautiful set?), Square Lattice embossing folder, Scallop Edge Border punch, pearl jewels, white gel pen, Dazzling Details (a sparkly glitter glue coming soon in the Holiday mini catalog), and a heart charm that I found in my stash.  This card is 3x6 (inches) in size and will be mailed in one of Stampin' Up!'s Small Open-End envelopes.  I love to make this size card . . . it's probably my next favorite after 4.25" square cards, and it's especially a preferred size when the image I want to create just won't fit on the traditional A2 card.  If you have a lot of 12x12 card stock that you're not using, this is a perfect way to cut it up into something useful. 

"MAKE-IT-SNAPPY-MONDAY"

Happy Monday, and thanks for visiting today!  Once again, I worked with Stampin' Up!'s My Digital Studio software to assist with the creation of this card.  Some of the fun digital techniques that I used include (1) filling the scallop square punch shape with one of the “Domestic Goddess” designer paper patterns; (2) adding a faux vellum layer with the coffee cup image.  I used the punched square image, color-filled with white, and I changed the opacity level to 61 so that this layer looked like vellum.  A drop-shadow was added to give it depth, and digital brads appear to be holding the vellum to the designer paper layer.  (3) To make the digital cup show up better, I added a “halo” type of drop-shadow in white.  (4)  The original border image (row of cups) has white “bursts” in the center of the cups, but I used a small circle (from the digital punch shapes), color-filled it with Poppy Parade, and then positioned the colored circles behind the cups so that only the color showed through the little burst on each cup.  Additional digital elements used on this card include Baker’s twine, “hello” text, and the Jewelry Tag punch with a Poppy Parade mat and a drop-shadow for dimension.  Stampin’ Up! products used on this card include Pool Party, Poppy Parade, and Whisper White card stock, “Now You’re Cookin’” digital stamp set, rhinestone jewel, Stripes embossing folder, and clear Scallop Square die to cut the card.  This color combo looks quite retro to me, and I {heart} My Digital Studio!  Don't forget . . . if you want to be entered in the drawing for my blog candy, be sure to leave a comment on my THIS Freestyle Fridays post.  The winner will be announced on Friday, August 19th.

"FREESTYLE FRIDAYS" & BLOG CANDY!!!!!

Freestyle Fridays (which started out as Feminine Fridays) is ONE YEAR OLD!!!  It's so hard to believe that it's already been a year!  To celebrate, Julie and I are offering blog candy.  My  "Ice Cream Parlor Birthday Blog Candy" (pictured to the right) is as follows:

~ 36 double-sided 6x6 sheets of "Ice Cream Parlor" designer paper

~ "Ice Cream Parlor" Quick Accents adhesive die-cut embellishments
~ Melon Mambo Polka Dot ribbon
~ Crushed Curry Polka Dot ribbon
~ Ice Cream Parlor grosgrain ribbon
~ So Saffron Polytwill ribbon
~ Ice Cream Parlor floral buttons

IMPORTANT:  If you would like to be entered in the drawing to win the blog candy, just leave a comment (include your email address) on this blog post if you are in the U.S. and on Julie's blog if you are in Canada.  We'll use random.org to select our winners and will announce the name of the winners with next Friday's Freestyle Fridays post. 

Earlier this week, I needed to make a masculine card and had NO ideas.  Sticking in my keyboard was a scrap of paper that read, "Lucky Limeade, Basic Gray, Basic Black, and Whisper White".  It was the color combo challenge which Julie set forth for me with her Freestyle Fridays post last week.  That little scrappy note seemed like a great starting point for my card, and I think it actually turned out pretty good.  And now for the details . . . the Basic Black layer was embossed with Stampin' Up!'s new "Stripes" embossing folder, and I used the Square Lattice embossing folder on the Basic Gray satin ribbon.  I don't remember embossing ribbon before, but I liked the look!  Julie asked if I starched the ribbon, but I didn't do anything other than place it in the embossing folder.  I wonder now if I could get different looks by misting the ribbon with water, spraying it with starch, etc.  The satin ribbon is just so gorgeous and easy to work with!  The stamp sets used for my card are "The Open Sea" and "Teeny Tiny Wishes".  Assorted nautical images were stamped on the Basic Gray and Lucky Limeade layers, as well as the focal point (ship) which is stamped onto vellum card stock.  The strip of designer paper is from the "Pocketful of Posies" collection.  My only regret with this card is that I didn't notice that my strip of designer paper happens to have the very corner with "Stampin' Up!" printed on it.  Ack!!!  I am usually mindful to make sure that is cut off or hidden behind a layer but, now that I know that it's there, I see it clearly.  It's no big deal--it's just something that I normally try to catch.  ;-)  Have a wonderful weekend!  If you visit me again on Monday, I'll have a "snappy Monday" project to share!

VINTAGE-Y SYMPATHY DESIGN

I don't believe I've shared this card yet, but it's a My Digital Studio design which features the following Stampin' Up! products:

Card Stock:  Pink Pirouette, Soft Suede, Very Vanilla

Designer Paper:  Beau Chateau (digital)

Stamp Sets:  Daring Adventure (digital stamp brush set), Thoughts & Prayers

Punches:  Itty Bitty Shapes (heart), Large Oval, Scallop Oval

Accessories:  Stampin' Sponge, Vintage Trinkets, Crochet Trim

Sizzix:  Top Note die, Square Lattice embossing folder

Digital Technique:  Imported Sizzix Top Note shape onto my project and filled it with a digital design from the Beau Chateau designer paper collection.  Digital images from the "Daring Adventure" stamp set were added to the project.  Once the digital design was printed, I cut around the Top Note shape and layered it onto a die-cut Top Note shape cut from Very Vanilla card stock. 

Being able to use a chosen section of designer paper on a digital project is one of my favorite things about My Digital Studio.  The image from the designer paper can be sized (larger or smaller) to perfectly fit the project!

Be sure to visit my blog tomorrow for my Freestyle Fridays project!

"MAKE-IT-SNAPPY-MONDAY"

Today's MISM project is a card that was totally inspired by a gift bag that I purchased for my niece's baby shower gift.  I loved the simple design of the bag, the brown and blue color combination and, by the time I got home from shopping, I had decided that I'd make a coordinating card.  Stampin' Up! products used to create the card include Whisper White and Baja Breeze card stock, Chocolate Chip grosgrain ribbon (which matches the ribbon on the bag), "Nursery Necessities" stamp set, linen thread, and the following punches:  1" circle, Word Window, and Star.  You never know where inspiration for a project will be found or if that inspiration will be a color combo, layout . . . or both!

SPOOKY HEADLESS HORSEMAN

It's hard to believe that I have posted a project each day this week, and today's share is an early Halloween card.  A few months ago, I purchased the "Happy Hauntings" Cricut cartridge, and this headless horseman image was one of my favorites.  I kept thinking that I would have to make a card using this image, and today was the day.  I used the Gypsy to design the shaped card and my Cricut Expression to cut all of the layers.  The shaped "spooky" label wasn't necessarily intended to cover the horse, but I think it turned out okay. 

"FREESTYLE FRIDAYS"



It's Julie's turn to post a Freestyle Fridays project for us this week, and this tiny sneak peek is all that she sent to me.  I can tell that she used Stampin' Up!'s new Sunflower stamp and am anxious to see the whole project, which can be found HERE on her blog.  Normally, we send a sneak peek photo to one another by Wednesday evening or mid-day Thursday, so I was getting concerned when night rolled around and I still hadn't heard from Julie.  To tell you the truth, I kind of panicked at the thought that maybe it was my turn to post a Freestyle Fridays project!  Time flies, you know, so it's not a far-fetched fear; fortunately, it turned out to be a fleeting, unfounded one.  I hope that you will join me in visiting Julie's blog.  It only takes a few minutes to leave a comment to let her know you visited, so I hope you'll do that, too.  Have a wonderful Friday, an even better weekend, and visit me here on Monday to see my "snappy" project. 

"WELL WORN" HELLO

I have a relatively easy card to share today which features two patterns from Stampin' Up!'s "Well Worn" designer paper collection.  To create the flower, I punched 11 leaf shapes from the Blossom Petals Builder punch and sponged each shape with Cajun Craze ink using a Sponge Dauber.  The pointy ends of the "petals" were adhered to a punched 1-3/8" Early Espresso circle, and I layered a dot-embossed 1-1/4" River Rock circle to the center.  My favorite part of this card is the mini clothespin, which I lightly colored with Cajun Craze ink with the use of a Sponge Dauber.  I stamped two images from the "Tiny Tags" stamp set, punched them with the Jewelry Tag punch, and tied them onto the clothespin with linen thread.  This embellishment ensemble was topped off with a pretty floral button from the Neutrals designer button collection.  I {heart} buttons!

RAZZLEBERRY TUTU

Did I spell tutu correctly?  I've never worn one or had to squeeze a little girl in one, so I've never really needed to know how to spell the word.  Anyway, this card is one of "those" that seem to make the rounds on blogs . . . you know the kind . . . a cute idea is just so cute that everyone has to make one?  I thought this was a really cute and creative use of punches, but I'm not exactly sure where it originated.  All products used are from Stampin' Up! and include the Round Tab and Blossom Petal Builder punches, pearl jewels, Framed Tulips and Finial Press embossing folders, "Happy Greetings" stamp set, Baker's twine, and Rich Razzleberry, Vellum, and Sahara Sand card stock.  The designer paper is from the "Pocketful of Posies" collection.  You know you can't resist, so go ahead and make one.  ;-)

52 YEARS OF MARRIAGE

Today is my parents' 52nd anniversary.  I always thought that their anniversaries were important but, when I think back to this time last year, I am even more happy (and humbled) that they were able to celebrate today.  Daddy was in the hospital for three months last Summer, and we didn't know then what was in store for the next day, let alone a year later.  When I sat down to make a card for them, I knew that it had to be special and was quite pleased with the end result.  All of the products used to create this card are from Stampin' Up! and include:  Framed Tulips, Stripes, and Square Lattice embossing folders, antique brad, crochet trim, jumbo brad, layered die-cut daisies, and a sentiment from the "Something to Celebrate" stamp set.  It's hard to tell from the picture, but the embossed Framed Tulips is a layer on the Very Vanilla card and, on top of that layer, is the double-embossed layer featuring the Stripes embossing folder at the top and the Square Lattice embossing folder at the bottom.  If you'd like to see the details more closely, just click on the photo to open a larger view.

"MAKE-IT-SNAPPY-MONDAY"

Today's MISM card is quite cheery with the crisp color palette and the rainbow row of butterflies.  How could this card not bring cheer to someone who makes others happy?  There are several things about this card that I really like . . . the embossed butterflies, the clever two-time embossed background that mimics a woven basket, and that adorable yellow button on the library clip.  To create the embossed background, I used Stampin' Up!'s new "Stripes" embossing folder.  I placed the white card stock in the folder, ran it through the Big Shot machine, turned the embossed card stock, placed it back inside the folder, and ran it through the Big Shot again.  I used the "Beautiful Wings" Embosslits die to cut/emboss the butterflies, and the sentiment that I chose is from the new "Petite Pairs" stamp set.  Other Stampin' Up! products used to create this card include circle punches, Brights button, Baker's twine, Clips Assortment (for the library clip), and ribbon.  Card stock colors are Whisper White, Daffodil Delight, Marina Mist, Old Olive, Pumpkin Pie, and Pink Pirouette.