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!