Final countdown

It's the final countdown until the new Idea Book & Catalog is here and the new In Colors debut!! I love the funky "Trendy Trees" stamp set and it works wonderfully with the new colors! For this card, I used 3 of the new In Colors - Bermuda Bay, Melon Mambo and Crushed Curry. I used a layout from a card featured in the Stampin' Up! demonstrator magazine, Stampin' Success.

I wanted a little more dimension with the tree, so I stamped it twice - once onto sentiment panel and again onto a scrap of Whisper White cardstock. I cut out the second image and layered it on top using stampin' dimensionals (similar to what I did with my lion card). Here's a close-up of the tree:



Stamps: Trendy Trees, On Your Birthday
Cardstock: Kraft, Bermuda Bay, Melon Mambo
Ink: Bermuda Bay, Melon Mambo, Crushed Curry
Accessories: eyelet border punch, stamp-a-ma-jig, stampin' dimensionals

Paper weaving

I've seen lots of great projects using the weaving technique - you can use ribbon, cardstock or designer series paper. I wanted to use up some more of the soon-to-be-retired Good Morning Sunshine DSP and thought this would be the perfect technique. Plus I'd like to do paper weaving with my stamp club this month, so I needed some practice.

Hope you like my first attempt!


Stamps: A Little Birdie Told Me, Trendy Trees
Cardstock: Summer Sun, Whisper White
Ink: Black Stazon, Pacific Point
Accessories: Good Morning Sunshine designer series paper, modern label punch, scallop square punch, sponges

Versatility

One of my favorite stamp sets is "Thoughts & Prayers." It is so versatile - you can make something very girly, very masculine or something gender-neutral. I love when a stamp set offers so many options!

To create the multi-colored tree, I inked the stamp with Crushed Curry. Then using markers, I colored the trunk and branches with Soft Suede and then "thumped" on the image with Dusty Durango, creating a random mix of leaf colors. The fun part of thumping is that you create a unique image each and every time! I distressed the edges with the cutter kit and then sponged over the edges to give them a little more depth. I wanted something more masculine than ribbon, so I opted for a few loops of hemp twine instead.

Stamps: Thoughts & Prayers
Cardstock: Dusty Durango, Soft Suede, Very Vanilla
Ink: Dusty Durango, Crushed Curry, Soft Suede
Accessories: hemp twine, cutter kit, sponges

Old Meets New

With the new catalog just around the corner, I wanted to incorporate some existing product with new product. I pulled my color combo from the new Razzleberry Lemonade designer series paper (DSP)- Rich Razzleberry, Crushed Curry, and Melon Mambo. I colored in the flower image using new In Color markers (LOVIN' those!!!). Nothing fancy on this one - just layering of DSP, a little depth with stampin' dimensionals, and the new Modern Label punch. Ta da!

Stamps: Simply Said, Teeny Tiny Wishes
Cardstock: Rich Razzleberry, Crushed Curry, Melon Mambo, Whisper White
Ink: Rich Razzleberry, Crushed Curry, Melon Mambo
Accessories: Razzleberry Lemonade designer series paper, modern label punch, gold brads, stampin' dimensionals

King of the Jungle

Of all the retiring stamp sets, this is probably the one I'll miss the most - "Wild About You." Before sending it off to happy retirement, I just had to ink up once again. This time I used the lion and stamped him three times with different ink colors. Then I cut out his mane and face and layered each on the original image to create some dimension. Here's a close up:

He may be King of the Jungle, but he's a cutie in my book!

Stamps: Wild About You, Sanded
Cardstock: Creamy Caramel, Chocolate Chip, Tangerine Tango, Whisper White
Ink: Creamy Caramel, Close to Coco, Tangerine Tango
Accessories: Tangerine Tango striped grosgrain ribbon, stamp-a-ma-jig, stampin' dimensionals

Baby shower gift

I'm going to a baby shower today for a friend of mine - can't wait to see her with her pregnant belly!! I made her a mini scrapbook to hold a picture from each of the baby's first 12 months and a page for writing down milestones or notes of things she wants to remember. And I also found the cutest onesies with jungle animals and was looking for a cute way to package them. I had purchased a Papertrey Ink template a few months ago and thought it would be the perfect holder for these onesies! I just rolled up each onesie so they would all fit in the box and tied some ribbon around them to keep them from drooping.

I used the colors from the onesies as my guide and found some retired designer series paper with the same colors! It's actually a winter-themed paper, but I think it works just fine. I hope she likes it!!


Stamps: Baby Feet (All Night Media)
Cardstock: Old Olive, Kraft, Whisper White
Ink: Old Olive
Accessories: Frosty Day designer series paper (retired), Tangerine Tango striped grosgrain ribbon, hemp twine, crop-a-dile, "From the Office of" template (Papertrey Ink)

Cheers!

No new projects to share today but I have a good reason - it's my husband's birthday! Between errands and dropping into his office for a surprise celebration with cake and ice cream and then a celebratory dinner at the Claddagh, I haven't had an opportunity to ink up any stamps. Forgive me?

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MATT!!

The rejects

I shared my card designs that were included in the group stamp camp last weekend, so now it's time to share those that weren't selected. When we prepare for stamp camp, we all try to design cards that are easy enough for first-time stampers but fun enough for experienced stampers. Here are my cards that didn't make the final cut:



{{enjoy}}
Stamps: Enjoy Every Moment
Cardstock: Summer Sun, Tangerine Tango, Pacific Point, Whisper White
Ink: Summer Sun, Tangerine Tango
Accessories: Trio Flower punch, silver brad, stamp-a-ma-jig, stampin' dimensionals

{{thinking of you}}
Stamps: Trendy Trees
Cardstock: Cameo Coral, Close to Cocoa, Bashful Blue
Ink: Cameo Coral
Accessories: 1-3/4" circle punch, large oval punch, silver brad, Big Shot machine, Beautiful Butterflies die, stampin' dimensionals

Back with lots to share

Just in case you were wondering....no, I didn't fall off the face of the earth! It's just been a crazy week with family emergencies and planning for a group stamp camp today. Unfortunately, all that left me with no time for creating this week. But I'm back with several cards to share. The first three are cards that I designed that were selected for the stamp camp.

The first one features the rock-n-roll technique that's always a crowd pleaser. New and experienced stampers both like this simple but tres cool technique. The key is to always start by inking your stamp with the lightest color first. Then you roll the edges in a darker ink to create a unique image every time.

The next one was definitely a big hit with the campers today! Of course, who couldn't love this adorable elephant??

And this last one was my personal favorite. Very simple but very elegant.


Now that all my camp supplies are unpacked, I was ready to start creating some new projects. I love the butterfly from the Level 1 hostess stamp sets, God's Beauty. I used some markers to color in the wings and was hoping it would look like a Monarch butterfly.

Thanks for stopping by!!

{{get well}}
Stamps: Garden Greetings
Cardstock: Riding Hood Red, So Saffron, Whisper White
Ink: So Saffron, Riding Hood Red
Accessories: Washington Apple designer series paper, scallop edge punch

{{hey there}}
Stamps: Wild About You (soon-to-be-retired), Really Retro
Cardstock: Basic Gray, Real Red, Taken with Teal, Whisper White
Ink: Basic Gray, Always Artichoke, Real Red
Accessories: red gingham ribbon, stampin' dimensionals

{{happy anniversary}}
Stamps: Pocket Silhouettes, Hugs & Wishes
Cardstock: Mellow Moss, Basic Black, Very Vanilla
Ink: Mellow Moss, Basic Black
Accessories: Mellow Moss taffeta ribbon, stampin' dimensionals

{{celebrate}}
Stamps: God's Beauty, Celebrations (both soon-to-be-retired)
Cardstock: So Saffron, Certainly Celery, Ruby Red
Ink: Ruby Red, Pumpkin Pie, So Saffron, Stazon Black
Accessories: stampin' dimensionals

Hawks and trees

Before I share my newest creation, I wanted to show this amazing picture I took yesterday. This huge hawk hung around our house most of the day yesterday and spent a while surveying from the top of my roof. I had never seen a hawk this large - he was HUGE! Here's a photo of this incredible bird:


Pretty incredible, huh?

Ok, onto my card... I actually made this card last night but when I tried to photograph it, the Bermuda Bay color kept coming out WAY different than the actual color! So I waited until I had some natural sunlight and was able to get a better picture.


I used a fun color combo - Bermuda Bay, Soft Suede (new In-Colors) and Old Olive. I'm really lovin' the Soft Suede color. It reminds me of the old River Rock in that it seems to change depending on what color you put it with. Sometimes it's a nice brown leather color and other times it has more of a green hint to it - very versatile! Enjoy!


Stamps: Trendy Trees, Teeny Tiny Wishes (available July 1st)
Cardstock: Bermuda Bay, Old Olive, Soft Suede, Very Vanilla
Ink: Soft Suede, Old Olive
Accessories: 1-3/8" circle punch, scallop circle punch, Old Olive grosgrain ribbon, Modern Label punch (available July 1st), stampin' dimensionals

Razzlewhat??

Time for another card featuring products from the new Idea Book & Catalog debuting July 1st! This time, I used an existing stamp set - the fabulous Thoughts & Prayers - because the new In-Colors will be available in markers this time so it was so easy to color the image with In-Colors!! **insert a little happy dance here** New products on this card include Razzleberry Lemonade designer series paper, the Modern Label punch and Teeny Tiny Wishes stamp set.


I hope you like it!!

Stamps: Thoughts & Prayers, Teeny Tiny Wishes (available July 1st)
Cardstock: Rich Razzleberry, Whisper White
Ink: Rich Razzleberry, Crushed Curry, Always Artichoke
Accessories: Razzleberry Lemonade designer series paper, Modern Label punch, stampin' dimensionals

Mmmm, melon!

Oh what a glorious day! I'm certainly not referring to the weather - only 65 degrees in June?? No, I'm giddy with excitement about the new Stampin' Up! Idea Book & Catalog coming out July 1st. In addition to all the other fabulous benefits of being a demonstrator, getting my hands on the new catalog debuting next month is one of the BEST! Well, that and being able to pre-order some sneak peek items from it!

The new In Colors being introduced this year are wonderful! My fast favorite is a yummy Melon Mambo. So, of course, I had to use it on my first card with the new goodies! I paired it with Apricot Appeal and Certainly Celery and WOW, it's so summery! This card features two new stamp sets - Circle Circus and Teeny Tiny Wishes and the beautiful new polka-dot grosgrain ribbon!

The other new In Colors are: Bermuda Bay, Crushed Curry, Dusty Durango, Rich Razzleberry and Soft Suede. Stay tuned for more cards showcasing these new colors!!

Stamps: Circle Circus, Teeny Tiny Wishes (both coming July 1st)
Cardstock: Apricot Appeal, Melon Mambo (new In Color), Certainly Celery, Whisper White
Ink: Apricot Appeal, Melon Mambo, Certainly Celery
Accessories: Melon Mambo polka-dot grosgrain ribbon, corner rounder, stampin' dimensionals

Sparkly cupcakes

With so many of the designers series papers (DSP) retiring (because they include In-Colors), I'm on a quest to use it up. I made a fun birthday card using the fabulous Crazy for Cupcakes stamp set (could be because I'm addicted to cupcakes!).

I used just a strip of Washington Apple DSP on a layer of Whisper White, edged with the eyelet border punch. I stamped the cupcake with Stazon so I could use my aquapainter to color in the image and then made them nice and sparkly with some Dazzling Diamonds. I layered on some textured Pink Pirouette and added just a small tab of ribbon.

Enjoy!

Stamps: Crazy for Cupcakes
Cardstock: Riding Hood Red, textured Pink Pirouette, Whisper White
Ink: Stazon Black, Riding Hood Red, Pink Pirouette, Bashful Blue
Accessories: Washington Apple designer series paper, aquapainter, eyelet border punch, 2-way glue, Dazzling Diamonds, Bashful Blue striped grosgrain ribbon, stampin' dimensionals

Another teacher gift

I'm back with another teacher gift - a variation on my first one. This time, I went with some bolder colors, including two soon-to-be-retired In Colors, Pacific Point and Tangerine Tango. Again, I included 6 cards (2 thank you, 2 birthday, 2 get well) and envelopes. Although, ideally, this card folder would probably work better with 5 cards (6 is a bit tight).



I stamped the flower image twice with Pacific Point ink - once on Tangerine Tango and once on Summer Sun. Then I hand-cut the Summer Sun flower and layered it and covered the center with a punch of textured Pacific Point cardstock.

This little card folder is soooooo simple and easy to make! And it's such a cute way to package cards! Enjoy! :-)

Stamps: One of a Kind, Wow Flowers
Cardstock: Pacific Point, Tangerine Tango, Summer Sun, Whisper White
Ink: Pacific Point
Accessories: Good Morning Sunshine designer series paper, 1/2" circle punch, large oval punch, scallop oval punch, 1-3/4" circle punch, Tangerine Tango striped grosgrain ribbon, stampin' dimensionals

June excitement

Wow, it's a day full of exciting and wonderful changes at Stampin' Up! The "Last Chance" list (formerly known as the retiring list) was released today so that lots of new stamp sets and accessories can be debuted in the new catalog coming out on July 1st! So step on up to the...

You can view the list online or email me and I'll send you the list in PDF format. Retiring stamp sets will be available for purchase until June 30th and then they're gone for good. In addition to retiring stamps, lots of accessories, including Decor Elements, are being phased out and are on sale for up to 50% off, so be sure to buy them right away (some are ALREADY sold out!).

Stampin' Up! demonstrators were given a sneak peek into the new Idea Book & Catalog, but we've been sworn to secrecy. Trust me though, you're gonna love the new In-Colors, and I'm pleased to announce that you will be able to buy textured 8-1/2x11 cardstock (currently you can only order textured 12x12)! There will be some wonderful new ribbon, some new dies for the Big Shot and some fabulous new Decor Elements!

And lastly, there is a special hostess promotion this month:

• hold a $250-$399.99 workshop and receive an additional $20 in hostess free merchandise dollars
• hold a $400+ workshop and receive an additional $40 in hostess free merchandise dollars

So call or email me if you'd like to schedule a workshop this month!

Year-end teacher gfts

I've been busy working on year-end teacher gifts and wanted to make some card packs for my son's teachers. I still have lots of Delicate Dots designer series paper leftover from Sale-a-Bration, so I pulled my color scheme from that. I created 6 of the same card - just exchanging the sentiments (2 birthday, 2 get well, 2 thank you).

I used markers to color the flower image on the cards as well as the envelopes. After completing the cards, I was looking for a fun way to package them and came across this great video tutorial by Richard Garay and HAD to copy his fabulous idea! Here's a picture of the front of the package:


And here's the back where the envelopes are stored:

I hope his teachers like it!!

Stamps: Pocket Silhouettes, Wow Flowers, Garden Greetings
Cardstock: So Saffron, Bashful Blue, Certainly Celery, Whisper White
Ink: So Saffron, Bashful Blue, Certainly Celery
Accessories: Delicate Dots designer series paper (retired), scallop edge punch, eyelet border punch, large oval punch, scallop oval punch, 1-3/4" circle punch, jumbo eyelets, crop-a-dile, So Saffron grosgrain ribbon, sticky strip, stampin' dimensionals