HYBRID DOILY & BLOOMS CARD

One of Stampin' Up!'s newest digital downloads (from last Tuesday) was Soft Blooms, and those blooms are soooooooo fun to create with!  When I was working on this design, I opened a blank 8.5x11 page (screen shot shown on the right) and designed the front for this card and the sentiment tag.  After printing the design, I trimmed the designs to size and completed this card lickety-split!  The digital content used to create the design includes:  "Hello, Doily", "Sweet Summer", and "Sprinkled Expressions" stamp brush sets and Taffeta Trimmings.  After adhering the sentiment tag to the card, I added rhinestone jewels along the top.

"MAKE-IT-SNAPPY-MONDAY"

For the MISM project this week, I reached for a Stampin' Up! stamp set ("My Friend") that I've hardly used and two of the new In Color colors of card stock and ink.  To be very honest, I wasn't at all excited about Gumball Green but, as you can see, it looks quite stunning paired with Midnight Muse on this card.  Why haven't I used this stamp set more often?  It actually has all of the components that normally make up a stamp set of choice for me--one with added value--a silhouette image (one that's large enough to carry its own as a focal point and can be used on ANY size project), really great and trendy background images, and sentiments that are visually appealing and quite useful.  I don't know what prompted me to reach for this stamp set or Gumball Green, but I definitely impressed myself because I really like this card and enjoyed how quick it was to make and must remember to use these stamps again.  I'd like to draw your attention to the Gumball Green stitched ribbon.  Demonstrators were able to preorder this one color which didn't excite me, but I'm so glad that I bought it!  This is one of Stampin' Up!'s new products--available (as of June 1) in the five In Color colors--and it is a dream to work with!  I love that this ribbon isn't one-sided, and it's as easy to handle as taffeta and satin ribbon and without bulk.  So what do you think--if this card arrived in your mailbox, would you be pleased? 

NEW BLOG BANNER

I am so addicted to using My Digital Studio and all of the fun digital downloads and, even though it hasn't been too long since I changed my blog banner, I designed a new one today and decided to go ahead and change again!  I would LOVE to know what you think about this new banner, so please consider taking the time to leave a comment or send an email.  The designer paper featured in the hexagon shapes is from Stampin' Up!'s "Summer Smooches" collection.

INKERBELLES' MAY CARD SWAP

At my April Inkerbelles' class, it was decided that we'd start a monthly swap that could be any type of project with a specific theme, and any of my customers are invited to participate in the monthly swaps at any time.  I wanted to share with you the cards that my customers made for the "Masculine" themed May swap.  I would have gladly shared the card that I made, but it appears that I didn't take a picture of it.  Ugh!  Didn't Debbie, Jane, and Tracy do a great job?!?!

Debbie's "The Open Sea" Card



Jane's "You're My Type" & "Mocha Morning" Card

Tracy's "Grunge Rock" Card

"FREESTYLE FRIDAYS"

Happy Friday, which happens to also be a holiday Friday (in the U.S.)!!!  It's Julie's turn to create a Freestyle Fridays project this week, and pictured to the right is the sneak peek that she sent to me.  To see the whole project and learn about the technique that she used, we'll have to visit her blog.  We should probably leave her a little comment love while we're there.  I hope you have a safe and fun holiday weekend and, as you celebrate the official beginning of Summer, don't forget to observe the real meaning of Memorial Day.

I looked at him in uniform
So young, so tall, so proud,
With hair cut square and eyes alert
He'd stand out in any crowd.
I thought how many men like him
Had fallen through the years.
How many died on foreign soil?
How many mothers' tears?
How many pilots' planes shot down?
How many died at sea?
How many foxholes were soldiers' graves?
No, freedom isn't free.

- Excerpt from "No, Freedom Isn't Free" by CDR Kelly Strong, USCG (Ret)

"HAVE A SEAT"

I don't often share a class project prior to the event, but I decided to make an exception today.  I'm hosting a "Farewell" stamp-a-stack tomorrow night and each of the cards will feature retiring Stampin' Up! products.  This is one of my favorite designs for the stamp-a-stack, and it features Mocha Morning designer paper, "Have a Seat" stamp set (hate to see this one go), sentiment stamped on twill tape and adorned with a pin from Vintage Trinkets.

PLAYING WITH "MY DIGITAL STUDIO"

First of all, I must apologize for the really poor picture quality but, at the moment, there is no light on the end of the room where I take most of my photos--with the exception of an accent lamp.  Even so, I wanted to share this digital creation.  Each Tuesday, Stampin' Up! releases new digital downloads for My Digital Studio and, almost every Tuesday, I purchase new downloads.  This cheery card features some of the digital content that has recently become available, such as Soft Blooms (small flower on the pennant), Season by Season Kit (designer paper patterns and sunglasses), Mis Stitched (one of the stitches is across the top of the pennant), Taffeta Trimmings (it's amazing how realistic this ribbon looks!), Pennant punch, Flag punch, and the sentiment is from the Sprinkled Expressions stamp brush set.  Other Stampin' Up! products used to complete this card include Pool Party, So Saffron, and Whisper White card stock and Eyelet Border punch.  If nothing else, I think this card demonstrates that it would certainly be okay (and stylish) to use ribbon in this way on a project--without tying it in a knot or a bow.  I think it works, don't you?

SHOUT-OUT

Since I don't mind telling 10 friends (or more) when a company does something that I don't like, I certainly don't mind telling 100's of people when a company does a GREAT job!  The company that deserves this shout-out is Medley Electric in Rowan County.  They recently installed a new heat pump for us and were fantastic to work with!  If you live in, near, or around Rowan County and are in need of electrical/heat pump service, I highly recommend this company!  I have not been asked (or paid) to give this shout-out . . . I'm just a very satisfied customer who appreciates honesty, reliability, good communication, and excellent customer service.   

"MAKE-IT-SNAPPY-MONDAY"

Today's MISM project features one of Stampin' Up!'s awesome new "Apothecary Accents" Framelits dies presented as a canning jar.  I can't take credit for this genius idea--must thank Sharon Field for that!  The designer paper that I used for the jar is from the "Summer Smooches" collection, and I used "Mocha Morning" designer paper for the card.  This card also features the Eyelet Border punch, hemp twine, and one of the stamps ("enjoy") from the fabulous "Fabulous Phrases" stamp set.  I hope you have a wonderful week and visit me again soon!

3- COLOR EMBOSSING FOR "FREESTYLE FRIDAYS"

Inside of card

It's my turn to share a Freestyle Fridays project this week, and I followed the mission as set forth by Julie last week to use embossing powder on a project and, if it was a card, to stamp the inside (something I rarely do).  That Julie really knows how to challenge me!  As I thought about what to do, I decided that I didn't want to just heat-emboss on card stock--I wanted to do something jazzy--and that's when it occurred to me to use more than one color of embossing powder.  As you can see, I used Copper, Gold, and Silver embossing powders, and I also used the same colors of metallic card stock which, by the way, is tricky as all get out to photograph!  Not all of these colors of embossing powders and card stock are still available from Stampin' Up! but, fortunately, I still had them in my stash.  On the Basic Black card stock on the front of the card, I stamped and embossed each color individually but, on the inside of the card, I repeatedly stamped the image with VersaMark and then randomly sprinkled gold and silver embossing powder and heat set at one time.  All of the stamped images are from the "Watercolor Trio" stamp set, and I used the Elegant Bouquet embossing folder on the right side of the card front.  Don't you think it complements the stamped images?  I finished the card with bronze and gold ribbons and silver cord (retired from Stampin' Up!).  Unfortunately, the bronze ribbon appears orange in the photo but not so much in real life.  Thank you, Julie, for presenting yet another challenging mission for me! 

"BRIGHT BLOSSOMS" DOUBLE Z-FOLD

Did you know that when it rains, it pours?  Oh yes, indeed!  Not only has it literally rained a lot lately, but the "crap happens" cloud has been hovering over my house for too long!  It all began last Friday when I returned home to find that our A/C wasn't working.  If you know me, then you know that I am faithfully married to cool, conditioned air, so it already seems like several weeks with windows raised and ceiling fans in constant motion.  Last weekend, our disposal decided to stop working and then the dishwasher had issues but, fortunately, everything is fixed . . . except the A/C.  This totally affects my mood!  Even though I have new products to work with, I can hardly make myself stay in this room.  My stamp room used to have the best temperature in the house, so I'm not used to being uncomfortable in here!  Three air vents, one return, two windows, and two ceiling fans are just MEANINGLESS without A/C!  Anyway, it was time to share a new project, and I have a Double

 Z-Fold card to show you that features Stampin' Up!'s "Summer Smooches" designer paper and "Bright Blossoms" and "Fabulous Phrases" stamp sets.  This is such a fun little card to make!  Other Stampin' Up! products used to create this card include Simply Scored scoring tool, ruffled Lucky Limeade ribbon, 1/2" circle punch, rhinestone jewel, and Curly Label punch.  "Fabulous Phrases" is one of those stamp sets that I'm pretty sure I'm going to love.  I can't tell you how many times I have studied that stamp set in the catalog--stopped turning pages and just stared at it, thinking of so many uses for it--but passed it by (until recently) because I just didn't want to pay for it.  There have been times when I thought it would retire, but I've decided that it's a keeper even after it retires.  Can you see what a nice little "something extra" it added to this card (the word "hi")?  This is precisely the way that a stamp set like "Fabulous Phrases" earns its keep and proves its value.  It may not carry the focal point on a project, but it is a "go to" stamp set for adding oomph, interest, and appeal or reiterating your sentiment/message.  Go ahead and add it to your "must have" list.  Or, just hop on over to MY WEB SITE and order it today!

"MAKE-IT-SNAPPY-MONDAY"

Confession . . . the stamp set that I used for this card's focal point ("Make a Cake"--available in the new Stampin' Up! catalog that goes into effect on June 1) is one that I earned free for recruiting during Sale-a-Bration.  I have had this stamp set for more than a week and just assembled the images and labels on the wood blocks tonight.  Why did it take me so long?  Because I wasn't excited about using this set.  Each time I looked at it, I just didn't think it was one that I wanted to work with and yet I am quite proud of how this card turned out.  The punched flowers and colored pinwheels made all the difference and reminded me that sometimes I just need to look around for that extra something that will jazz up a project!  Other brand new products featured on this card that will be available from Stampin' Up! on June 1 are Apothecary Accents and Bitty Banners Framelits dies, stitched Daffodil Delight ribbon, and Itty Bitty Banners stamp set.  This card also features the Stripes embossing folder, Itty Bitty Shapes flower punch, markers for coloring the pinwheels, and Stampin' Dimensionals. 

MIXED MEDIA FOR MOTHER'S DAY

For a while now, I have been interested in mixed media art and decided to create my first canvas for my mother.  This may not be her kind of art, but I tried to include a few images that define her . . . the measuring tape sun because she sews and quilts, cardinal, the strip of music notes, flowers, vintage photo buttons, and the sentiment/message.  I can thank Christy Tomlinson for the inspiration and instruction on how to easily draw a woman, although mine had a giraffe neck that I had to cover with flowers.  Ha!  That's one of the best things about mixed media . . . you can hardly go wrong and, when you do, you can cover it up!  I had plenty of mistakes and things on this canvas that didn't turn out as expected but, in the end, I was pleased.  To create this canvas, I used assorted stamps, rub-ons from Stampin' Up!, brads, ribbon, stencil/texture paste, stencils, paint, distress stain, and ink sprays that present transparent and, of course, the very first layer (after Gesso) which was designer paper.  There are many layers of media on this canvas but, if you look closely, you might be able to pick up some of the patterned paper peeping through.  This was a totally fun project, and I can hardly wait to do the next one!  What's not to love about art that's messy and can disguise mistakes?

"HELLO" FROM JULIE

It's time for Freestyle Fridays, and it's Julie's turn to inspire us!  As you can see from the sneak peek photo, she has a beautifully embossed "hello" card.  To see the whole card, we'll have to visit Julie's blog.  While there, how about taking a few seconds to leave her a little comment love.  The poor girl has hurt her back and is out of commission for a while, so we need to keep her eyes busy.  ;-)  Have a wonderful weekend!

HYBRID TEA CUPS FOR MOTHER'S DAY

Over the weekend, I made a few cards to send for Mother's Day, and this was one of the designs.  I used My Digital Studio and the Tea Shoppe stamp brush set for the colored tea cups and then punched the printed tea cups with the 1" Square punch to be layered on other punched shapes.  Stampin' Up! products used to create this card include:

Card Stock:  Calypso Coral, Baja Breeze, Lucky Limeade, Raspberry Ripple, Whisper White, Basic Black

Punches:  Scallop Square, Postage Stamp, 1" Square

Accessories:  Rhinestone jewel

"MAKE-IT-SNAPPY-MONDAY"

Today's MISM card is a real treat because it features several sneak peek products from Stampin' Up!'s  new catalog, which is coming in June!  These products are even more of a treat for me--literally--because I earned most of them FREE for recruiting during Sale-a-Bration!  The stamped sentiment is from the Itty Bitty Banners stamp set, which coordinates perfectly with  . . . drum roll . . . Bitty Banners Framelits dies!!!!!  The designer paper that I used is from the "Floral District" collection, and don't you just LOVE the colors and design--so cheery and festive!  The stitched Daffodil Delight ribbon is also a new product.  

Have you ever thought of becoming a demonstrator?  Stampin' Up! has changed the new demo starter kit to one that is fully customizable--a perfect way to demonstrate the "my way" philosophy!  For only $99 (and FREE shipping), you can select $125 worth of products!  Stampin' Up! will toss in the business supplies and get the kit on the way to you!  To learn more about this opportunity and/or to design your starter kit, click HERE.  Also, when you join the Stampin' Up! family between now and June 30th, you'll receive a FREE pack of designer paper or a FREE digital download EVERY MONTH for the remainder of the year.

"LAYERED LABELS" FOR MOTHER'S DAY

While working on Mother's Day cards, I played with a few new sneak peek products from Stampin' Up!'s new catalog, which will be here really soon!  This card features Midnight Muse card stock and ink, one of the Bitty Banners Framelits dies, the largest Apothecary Accents Framelits die, and a pretty stamped image from the "Layered Labels" stamp set, which has an image for each of the Apothercary Accents Framelits dies.  Other Stampin' Up! products featured on this card include Sahara Sand card stock and ink, sentiment from "Teeny Tiny Wishes" stamp set, and the Vintage Wallpaper embossing folder.  I love using the Framelits dies because they make it possible to see exactly where a stamped image will be cut since the dies have open centers; hence, the reason for their name. 

FAUX PATINA FOR "FREESTYLE FRIDAYS"

It's Friday . . . WOOHOO!!!!!! . . . and time for me to share my Freestyle Fridays project!  With her post last week, Julie issued a mission for me to create something with the Faux Patina technique.  I always look forward to her missions, and this one was of interest because I hadn't yet tried this technique.  The card that I'm sharing today was actually my second attempt at Faux Patina, for which you can find easy-to-follow instructions HERE.  I love the look of faux patina but, to be honest, I am never very successful when it comes to lightly sprinkling embossing powder on an inked background, particularly one that is textured with dry-embossing.  My first attempt was a disaster!  When I was preparing to sprinkle gold embossing powder onto the background for this card, I made sure to REALLY powder the surface so that less powder would stick and I still had to use a brush to remove a lot of it.  After the background was completed, I started building the card with die-cut daisies with curled tips, punched Boho Blossoms from Brushed Gold card stock, jumbo pearl, and a sentiment from "Perfect Words" stamp set.  Can you imagine this card without the white eyelet border?  For me, the card HAD to have this border, but it seemed so stark.  Adding the satin pleated ribbon was the perfect finishing touch!  All products used to complete this card are from Stampin' Up!

HAPPY 17TH, BRYSON!

Tomorrow is my nephew's 17th birthday, so I dusted off the Cricut to create this fun card for him.  Bryson plays guitar in two bands so, hopefully, he'll appreciate the strummin' rabbit at the edge of the forest.  The stamped sentiment is from Stampin' Up!'s "Happiest Birthday Wishes" stamp set, and the hemp twine and tag punch is also from Stampin' Up!

HAPPY DAY TO YOU

I recently purchased Perfect Plum taffeta ribbon from Stampin' Up! and was anxious to use it.  I love the color of this ribbon--it's very soft and lends itself nicely to vintage projects by adding just a subtle hint of color.  Stampin' Up! products used to create this card include "Kindness Matters" and "Friendly Phrases" stamp sets, "Theater" ribbon originals, rhinestone jewels, aqua painter to color the stamped butterflies, and Dazzling Diamonds glitter.  The embossed border is from the Framed Tulips embossing folder.

CUSTOM ENVELOPES

I love Stampin' Up!'s Simply Scored scoring tool and Diagonal Plate!  Being able to easily create custom envelopes is awesome!  Truly!  I had two odd sized cards to prepare for mailing tonight, and it was a snap to use retired designer paper for the envelopes.  Didn't this one turn out pretty?  My grandmother is going to love it!  My card was just about 5" square and to make the envelope, I cut my designer paper to 8.5" square and scored all four sides at 3-7/8" using the diagonal plate.  Once you get your hands on this ever-so-useful tool, you might never buy another envelope!  If you'd like to purchase a diagonal plate, you can do so HERE.  If you haven't purchased the Simply Scored scoring tool, you can get it HERE.  When you purchase either or both of these tools from me, I will give you a spreadsheet that lists measurements for making 29 different sizes/shapes of envelopes!