THERE'S A NEW KID IN TOWN

Our neighbors have a new baby, so I decided to make a gatefold "Build-a-Bear" card for them.  Stampin' Up! products used to create this card include Whisper White, Crumb Cake, and Bashful Blue card stock, Scallop Edge Border punch, "Nursery Necessities" stamp set, Heart to Heart, Word Window, and Modern Label punches, Linen Thread and, of course, the "Beary Essentials" Build-a-Bear die.  To clothe the bear, I used Cordinations' "Gemstones" card stock.  Now I just have to make myself give this card away.  ;-)

BLISS

Creating a very simple card is . . . bliss!  For this one, I used a Cricut cartridge (Bloom) to cut the flower and sentiment layers.  The yellow and white striped shape behind the flower is a cut from the Forever Young cartridge that I actually cut for a different project and ended up not using.  The Very Vanilla card stock, gingham ribbon, and flower brad are from Stampin' Up!

"FEMININE FRIDAYS" & A FUN TECHNIQUE

This is Julie's week to inspire us with a "Feminine Fridays" post, and this is just a glimpse of her project.  Head on over to her blog to read about the fun technique she used to create this week's card!

AWASH WITH BABY WIPES AND INK

You probably remember the Baby Wipe technique . . . it was popular a few years ago and, perhaps, years before that.  It's probably experienced several revivals ever since baby wipes have been around!  I can't remember this technique ever being a favorite of mine, but it's definitely an easy and fun one.  For this card, I used Baja Breeze, Pink Pirouette, and So Saffron ink refills to "dot" drops of ink onto the baby wipe and then stamped the images (from Stampin' Up!'s "Awash with Flowers" stamp set).  The white card stock looked too white, so I used the Color Spritzer tool and markers (matching the three inks that I used on the baby wipe) to add some color to the background.  Other Stampin' Up! products used to complete this card include Baja Breeze and Basic Black card stock, gingham ribbon, Eyelet Border punch, "Tiny Tags" stamp set, and the Jewelry Tag punch.  I also used a Sakura glitter pen to add glitter to the multi-colored stamped flowers, but that detail is hardly noticeable in the photo.

ANOTHER DRAWER BOX

Guess what?  I have decided that I really like drawer boxes!  What a great gift item they'll be!  For this project, I used "Cafe Mediterranean" designer paper, which is quite rich with texture.  Stampin' Up! products used on this project include:  "Upsy Daisy" and "Teeny Tiny Wishes" stamp sets, Not Quite Navy and Pear Pizzazz ink, Whisper White card stock, Scallop Edge punch, Rhinestone Jewels, assorted oval punches, and "Flower Folds" die to create the layered floral embellishment on the box top.  So far, I have an assortment of four cards and envelopes inside the box--and room for more!

"ELEGANT SOIREE" DRAWER BOX

This is a project that I have been wanting to try, and today I made the time for it!  What a neat project this is!  Stampin' Up! products used include:  "Elegant Soiree" designer paper, Crumb Cake, Baja Breeze, and Basic Gray card stock, Scallop Edge punch, Basic Gray Satin ribbon, 3/4" Circle punch, and Antique Brads.  The tutorial for this drawer box can be found on splitcoaststampers.  All I need to do now is design a set of cards to go inside!

IT'S TIME FOR "FEMININE FRIDAYS"!

Last week, my sweet Canadian demo friend, Julie, posted the very first “Feminine Fridays” projects. I say that she posted the “first” because the idea to start “Feminine Fridays” was hers, and it is to be an ongoing, weekly thing. Be sure to check out the project ensemble that Julie posted to her blog last Friday! We will be taking turns posting the “Feminine Fridays” projects, and it’s my turn this week! I wasn’t sure what I wanted to create and, after thinking and thinking about what to do, I finally decided to use Stampin’ Up!’s “Greenhouse Gala” designer paper and create a “quilt-y” project where I could also use one of Stampin’ Up!’s brand new Vintage Trinkets pieces. Remember . . . you can open a larger picture by clicking on the photos.  Once I glued the punched designer paper squares onto the Early Espresso card stock, I die-cut it using the Top Note die and Big Shot machine. I rough-cut a Tangerine Tango mat for the die-cut Top Note and then gave the piece texture using the Square Lattice embossing folder. I stamped an image from the “Tiny Tags” stamp set, punched it with the Jewelry Tag punch, and hung it from the pin. These little tags are a perfect size for the pins! After stamping the sentiment (from the retired “Kind & Caring Thoughts” stamp set), I stamped an image from “Tiny Tags” on both ends and then used the Modern Label punch to shape it for the card. Instead of applying the punched sentiment flat on the card, I positioned the brads so that the center of the sentiment label would have dimension. The Daffodil Delight card and the Baja Breeze layer behind the Top Note die-cut were both textured with the Square Lattice embossing folder, which I think gives the project a fabric look, and I finished the card with an Early Espresso ¼” Grosgrain ribbon bow. Be sure to visit my Stampin’ Up! web site to order any of the products used to create this project or, if you’re in Canada, contact Julie via her blog. Don’t forget to check back next Friday to see what Julie creates for us!

"WORD PLAY"

I feel like I'm making up for a little lost time with my blog posts this evening.  I've been trying to get my stamp room cleaned up, but I've been too tempted to stamp since I haven't had a lot of time for that lately.  For this quick little dilly, I used the following Stampin' Up! products:  Baja Breeze, Pumpkin Pie, Very Vanilla, and Early Espresso card stock, Early Espresso 1/4" Grosgrain ribbon, Filigree and Flower brads, "Greenhouse Gala" designer paper, and the stamped sentiment is from the brand new "Word Play" stamp set. 

THE OLD, THE NEW, AND A POP-UP, TOO!

This fun little card reminds me of "something old, something new" because I've used some retired, some new Stampin' Up! products to create it.  I can't take credit for the clever "mechanics" of this card . . . it was the brain-child of a fellow demo, Sandi MacIver . . . but I had a lot of fun designing this one!  For starters, I used both of the Scallop Circle dies and Big Shot machine, and I also used Stampin' Up!'s brand new "Elegant Lines" embossing folder (soooo pretty) on the smaller Baja Breeze scallop circles.  The stacked flowers on the front are all from the Blossom Party die.  Inside the card, you can see that the sentiment (from "Curvy Verses") is adhered to another scallop circle.  I can't remember the name of the designer paper collection that the striped paper is from, but I think it was called "Wintergreen" -- it was a holiday collection available a couple of years ago.  I decided to not fully cover the front inside flap so there would be room to write a message and/or sign the card.

A VINTAGE FALL CREATION

My poor friend, Laura, has been patiently waiting on swaps from me, and I finally had the time to complete them.  If you have read the previous blog post, then you might can imagine that my heart and mind haven't been on stamping lately.  My family is still in need of prayers!  I wasn't exactly sure where I was going with this card, but I got Stampin' Up!'s wood sheets, crochet trim, antique brad, "Autumn Days" stamp set, and assorted ink pads and started creating.  I LOVE how this card turned out!  I also used "Tiny Tags" stamp set and the Jewelry Tag punch during the creation of this card.  I think Laura is going to love it!