Merry Christmas Snow Scene

I hope I'm not jinxing our winter weather by posting a picture of a snow scene so early in the Holiday Stamping Season.  But, I really liked how this one turned out.  It uses the White Christmas stamp set (p. 31 in the Holiday Catalog).  The color scheme is Soft Sky, Lost Lagoon, and Whisper White with accents of Cherry Cobbler and Old Olive and a hint of Pumpkin Pie (carrot nose!) from the Blendabilities markers.  The snowflakes in the background are stamped with Soft Sky ink.  I used the inverse side of the Decorative Dots Embossing Folder (Not quite as busy, in my opinion).  The ribbon is Lost Lagoon 3/8" Silky Taffeta Ribbon which ties like a dream!  Thanks for visiting today!

Holiday Cards

Here is a fun Holiday Card.  It's one of the designs I donated to the Auction this year.  I love the wreath from the Wondrous Wreath stamp set (p. 9 in the Holiday Catalog).  It's really fun to play with.  Add to it the Bundled Wonderful Wreath Framelits and you really have a lot of design options to work with.  The background paper is Wild Wasabi and embossed with the Large Polka Dot Embossing Folder.  The bow and hanger are cut out of the Red Glimmer Paper (p 193 of the 2014-2015 catalog).   The Noel is cut from the Gold Foil Paper (also on p. 193).   Ink colors are Wild Wasabi, Cherry Cobbler and Garden Green.

Enjoy!

And more tags!

Ok, just a couple more tags and then I'll post some cards.  Hope these pictures aren't corrupted like the last few...

Here is the next gift tag.  It uses the Christmas Bauble stamp set and is colored in with Stampin' Blendabilities.  I really like the vibrant colors.  I embossed the bauble with Gold embossing powder.  Then colored it in and cut it out by hand.  Not really bad at all.  I popped it on to two die cut shapes (a Deco Label Framelit and a Circle Framelit).  Colors are Old Olive and Cherry Cobbler.

The next tag (last one I'll post, I promise) uses the Holiday Home Stamp Set and matching Homemade Holiday Framelits Dies.  I love how you can stamp the lights and the wreath right on the house.  Great fun.  Again I used paper from the Trim the Tree Designer Series Paper Stack.   The Holiday Cheer sentiment is from the Cheerful Tags stamp set.  The tag is made using the Angled Tag Topper Punch.

Tag, You're It Part 2

Stars, stars, stars!  These were also way too much fun to make.  These tags feature stamps from the Holiday Supplement as well as some of the coordinating products offered in the Holiday Catalog and 2014-2015 Catalog, as well.  Many Merry Stars Photopolymer Stamp set and the Project Life December Wonder Set really work well with the tags.  (See page 8-9 of the Supplement).  Again the Colors are Garden Green and Cherry Cobbler.  I also used the Stars Framelits Dies as well as the Wonderful Wreath Framelits (the Joy and Noel cut out nicely even in Glimmer Paper!)  That really cute banner is from the Project Life Cards and Labels Framelits
dies.

Tag, You're It!

It's time for the Church Auction again and this year I've decided to add a selection of Holiday Gift Tags to the repertoire.  I've had way too much fun making these.  The selection of products in the Holiday Catalog really make it easy to create.

Tag one uses the Lost Lagoon, Soft Sky and Silver combination.  Stamps include the October Hostess Special "Great Greetings" and the Photopolymer set Letterpresss Winter.  The Snowflake Card Thinlits Dies and the Oval Framelits  made cutting out the shapes a snap.

Tags two and three use some Designer Series Paper from the Trim the Tree Paper Stack and the Stamp Set Festival of Trees and it's matching Tree Punch.  (Yes, you can bundle them together!!)   Wondering about the Very Merry stamp, too?  It's from the Project Life December Wonder stamp set from the fantastic Holiday Supplement!  Be sure to check out this great line of products for even more creative ideas.
Colors for this tag are Cherry Cobbler, Pistachio Pudding, Garden Green and Whisper White.  The star is punched from Gold Foil paper.  Thanks for visiting today!

Happy World Card Making Day!

Happy World Card Making Day!  I know it's been forever since I posted anything.  Summer got away from me.  But here it is October 4 and it's time to share some inspiration.  This is my take on a lovely card I saw on Pinterest (Thanks!)

Butterflies always are cheerful as are rich fall-like colors.  I used two new In Colors Mossy Meadow and Tangelo Twist for the card stock accents.  The butterflies are from Papillon Potpourri and are colored in using the new Blendabilities markers (the Pumpkin Pie collection and the Daffodil Delight Collection).

Thanks for visiting.  Make a Card and Send it Out!

Stamps:  Papillon Potpourri, Four You, Summer Silhouettes
Ink:  Momento Tuxedo Black, Mossy Meadow, Blendabilities: Daffodil Delight and Pumpkin Pie
Paper: Whisper White, Tangelo Twist, Mossy Meadow
Accessories:  Big Shot, Circles Framelits Dies, Deco Labels Framelits Dies, Stampin' Dimmensionals, Mini Glue Dots

New Week, New Products!

I am all excited because, at last, life is allowing me to stop and enjoy the new catalog!  Here is a quick and easy Thank You card that showcases one of my absolute favorite new stamp sets from the Stampin' Up! Inspire Create Share 2014-2015 Catalog.  The set is called Work of Art on p. 165.  Wow!  What fun.  Here I've paired it with the Mixed Bunch stamp set and added a Large Pearl (unfortunately, retired).  How is that pearl Coastal Cabana?  (You're asking, I know...)  ...drum roll please.....Stampin' Blendabilities!  These wonderful new alcohol-based markers not only work well with coloring outline stamps, they also work on the pearls!  See page 166-167 and p. 212 in the catalog for more information.  They will be available starting sometime in June-July.  Thanks for stopping by today.  Here's the whole recipe.

Stamps:  Mixed Bunch, Work of Art
Ink:  Coastal Cabana, Calypso Coral, Smokey Slate
Paper: Whisper White, Coastal Cabana
Accessories:  Jewels Large Pearls (Retired, but the regulars work the same way!), Stampin' Blendabilities in Coastal Cabana.

Happy Happy Day!

Bright Colors for a Bright Day!  Actually, I am celebrating because my daughter is getting her braces off today!  Yay!

Here's a card that features some of the products in the Occasions Catalog.  It could be used as a Graduation Card, Birthday Card, just plain Celebrate-type card.  I'm not normally big on pink, but I do like the Strawberry Slush color.  Glad it will be around with us for another catalog year.

Thanks for visiting!

Stamps: Starburst Sayings (Occasions Catalog, yes, it bundles! p. 34)
Ink: Bermuda Bay
Paper: Whisper White, Strawberry Slush, Basic Black, Kaleidoscope Designer Series Paper (Occasions Catalog p. 27)
Accessories: Big Shot, Starburst Framelits Dies, Textured Impressions Embossing Folder Houndstooth (sadly, it's retiring!),  1/8" Taffeta Ribbon in Bermuda Bay and Black, Stampin' Dimensionals

Paper Pumpkin Father's Day

Usually, I wait until the very last minute to make a Father's Day card.  However, this month, enter the latest Paper Pumpkin kit with the Photopolymer Stamp Set: Hey Man.  This set has a great Happy Father's Day stamp (seen here) and a great Happy Birthday stamp that would fit on this card, as well!  Masculine Cards, check!  This one is particularly easy and you can make several in a row.   

Wait, what?  You don't know about Paper Pumpkin?  Oh, I suggest checking it out by clicking here.  It's a fun paper crafting kit-type club.  And the goodies you get can be used on other projects, too!

Stamps:  Lovely as a Tree, Positively Chevron, Hey Man (Paper Pumpkin photopolymer set)

Ink: Early Espresso, Soft Suede

Paper: Crumb Cake, Early Espresso, Soft Suede

Accessories: 1-1/4 inch Burlap Ribbon, Stampin' Dimensionals 

Winding Down

Yes, the catalog year is winding down.  That means I have to play with things that will be retiring and start playing with things that are new and fresh!

Today's card features both, actually.  Sadly the Etcetera Designer Series Paper is moving on, as is the Loving Thoughts stamp set.  But, we also celebrate the arrival of the new Project Life by Stampin' Up! (PLxSU) collection of products that includes the fantastic Cards & Labels Framelits Dies.  That long label is exactly what I needed to showcase the sentiment.  Hope you enjoy!

Stamps:  Postage Due, Loving Thoughts (Retiring soon!  p. 106 in the current catalog)
Ink:  Old Olive, Calypso Coral, Pool Party
Paper: Very Vanilla, Old Olive, Designer Series Paper Etcetera (Retiring, sadly)
Accessories: Postage Stamp Punch, Big Shot, Project Life Cards & Labels Framelits Dies, Very Vanilla 1/2" Seam Binding, Pearls Basic Jewels, Stampin' Dimensionals

Thanks for a Great Curling Season.

Card #1

 You may remember a bit back I posted my Curling Rocks stamp set that I made using the Undefined Stamp Carving set from Stampin' Up!  We're now coming down to the end of the season and I thought I'd share some "Thank You" cards I designed using the set and some other fun products.

  Our Curling Club (see the link to the side) is a great organization with lots of wonderful volunteers.  They span many generations so it's great fun to design cards that appeal to many different ages.  Hope you enjoy them.

Card #2

 Here are some of the products I used:

Card #1: The "thx" die is from the Circle Card Thinlits set.  It's in Island Indigo card stock.  The three stamps are some of the ones I carved.  Need to work on the letters!  Colors are Island Indigo, Basic Gray, and Real Red.

Card # 2:  Daffodil Delight is the yellow to match the yellow handles we have at club.  The sentiment is from Just Sayin' stamp set cut out with the matching Word Bubble Framelit die (yes, the bundle!)

Card #3 you Paper Pumpkin members will recognize the  "Seriously" stamp from a few months ago.  Hands down one of my favorites.  If you're not a member of Paper Pumpkin click to learn more!  Inside the card I used one of the Lots of Thanks stamps.

Card #3

Card #4

I kept it simple using the Lots of Thanks stamp set and the Circles Collection Framelits plus the 1/2" circle punch to create the "house".

Card #4

Finally, Card #5  I had to add a tag for a different look.  I used the Angled Tag Topper Punch embellished with stamped images from the set and some Pacific Point ribbon and some Bakers Twine.  The banner die came from the Circle Card Thinlits again (a very useful group of dies!).

Whew!  Long-winded I know, but thanks for visiting and allowing me to share these with you.  Many thanks to all who volunteer to make Curling (and other) Clubs everywhere a success!

Card #5

Inspired by Catalog

I was searching for a way to use the Starburst Framelits Dies and the Starburst Sayings stamp set (bundled, of course!)  from the Occasions Catalog (OC p. 34).   Thanks to the Late Spring 2014 Crate&Barrel catalog that arrived in the mailbox the other day, I found this layout.  If you have one, check out page 44 and you'll see where the inspiration came from.  It's amazing how color and shapes flow across the world of design.   Thanks for visiting today.

Stamps: Positively Chevron, Starburst Sayings
Ink: Basic Gray, Gumball Green
Paper: Whisper White, Basic Gray, Summer Starfruit, Midnight Muse, Gumball Green, Calypso Coral.
Accessories: Big Shot, Starburst Framelits Dies, Textured Impressions Embossing Folder Chevron, 3/8" Stitched Satin Ribbon in Gumball Green, Stampin' Dimensionals

Flowers for a Rainy Day

I must be thinking spring right now.  The last few posts have been all about the Flowers, I know.  But the catalog collections (all of them) are filled with really fun Flower images.  It keeps my mind off cold weather.  Today is a rainy one, so here are some Spring-like Flowers.  We'll be doing this card (with multiple sentiment options) for one of my Tuesday stamp groups (no fooling, folks!).  The background is the Hardwood stamp from the Occasions Catalog.  The Little Leaves Sizzlit die (cut three times) make the vine.  Of course, I had to use one of the amazing Bundles for this one, the Flower Shop bundle on p. 94/95 in the regular Catalog.  The small banner can hold multiple sentiments which makes this card very useful.  Enjoy, and Think Spring!

Stamps: Flower Shop, Teeny Tiny Wishes, Hardwood (OC p. 37)
Ink: Baked Brown Sugar, Bermuda Bay, Crisp Cantaloupe
Paper: Naturals Ivory, Baked Brown Sugar, Garden Green, Very Vanilla
Accessories: Big Shot, Itty Bitty Banners Framelits dies, Little Leaves Sizzlits, Pansy Punch, Large Pearl Basic Jewels, Stampin' Dimensionals

March Flies By

March is flying by and maybe we'll have some Spring-like weather to show for it?  I hope?  So, in anticipation of it, here's a cheerful flowery "Thank You" card.  I had seen on Pinterest a really cute use of the Oval Designer Frames Embossing Folder (#123130, p. 190 of the big catalog!).  They embossed it and cut it out using the Deco Labels Collection Framelits.  What a great pairing.  I added the Petite Petals flowers (yes, it's a Bundle!, see page 33 of the Occasions Catalog (OC) for details) and some of that really lovely Watercolor Wonder Designer Series Paper (also in the OC).

Here's to Spring coming soon!

Stamps:  Petite Petals, Peaceful Petals (sentiment) (Both are from the OC)
Ink: Tangerine Tango, Crushed Curry
Paper: Whisper White, Crushed Curry, Tangerine Tango, Gumball Green, Designer Series Paper Watercolor Wonder
Accessories: Big Shot, Designer Frames Embossing Folders, Framelits Dies Deco Labels Collection, Petite Petals Punch, Little Leaves Sizzlits Die, Candy Dots (In Regals and Brights) Stampin' Dimensionals

A Pretty Card for a Tuesday

I was trying to come up with an elegant card for my Tuesday Night group to do this month.  I had seen a card on Pinterest that used the Elegant Butterfly Punch in Vellum and it looked like it had been embossed with a folder, so I thought I'd play with that idea.

The lovely Deco Label stamp (yes, it matches the Framelits Dies!) is from the Sale-a-bration Stamp Set You're Lovely.  Colors are Crisp Cantaloupe, Pistachio Pudding, and Basic Gray.

I used the "Thinking of You" from Sweet Essentials as the sentiment.  But the beauty of this card is that any horizontal stamp can change the card to Birthday, Thank You or any card you need.

Thanks for visiting.

Stamps: Sweet Essentials, Summer Silhouettes, You're Lovely (SAB)

Ink: Basic Gray, Markers: Crisp Cantaloupe, Pistachio Pudding

Paper: Whisper White, Crisp Cantaloupe, Pistachio Pudding, White Vellum Cardstock

Accessories:  Big Shot, Framelits Deco Labels, Delicate Designs Embossing Folders, Elegant Butterfly Punch, Itty Bitty Shapes Punch Pack, Pearl Basic Jewels, 3/8" Taffeta Ribbon in Whisper White

Undefined Curling Rocks Card Number 2

Here's the second of the Thank You cards I made with my new "Curling Rocks" stamp set.  I used a bunch of great Stampin' Up! products to make it and threw in a curling ice joke of my own..note the "pebbles!"

For those of you who don't know, curling ice (unlike hockey or skating ice) is hand prepared with a layer of "pebbles" or droplets of water that are sprinkled onto the ice and freeze.  To get the great surface we play on, the pebbles are then "nipped" off (or shaved off) to give the unique running surface that is unique to curling.

So this card is my Thank You to curling ice-makers everywhere!

Back to the card and what I used:

To get the "pebbles" I used that wonderful Decorative Dots Textured Impressions Embossing Folder that's featured as a Sale-a-bration product this year.  (Spend $50 before shipping and tax and you can get it for FREE!)  I have to admit, I thought of the ice pebbling as soon as I took it out of the box.  Very fun and also very useful for texture.  Look for more cards with that one, soon.

The circles for the "house" were made using the Framelits Circles Collection Dies (#130911) and a 1/4" circle punch for the button.  And the Thanks So Much stamp in a circle is from "A Fitting Occasion" (#127049 clear mount on page 86 of the 2013-2014 Stampin' Up! catalog.)

I also used the wonderful Photopolymer Stamp Set "Another Thank You" (#133454).  I really appreciate how well these stamps cling to acrylic blocks.  They're amazing.

Thanks for stopping by!

Here's the full recipe:

Stamps:  Undefined Stamp Carving Kit (Curling Rocks stamp set carved by yours truly!), Another Thank You (Photopolymer Stamp Set), A Fitting Occasion

Ink: Smokey Slate, Real Red, Stampin' Write Markers in Basic Grey and Real Red

Paper: Whisper White, Smokey Slate, Pacific Point, Real Red

Accessories: Big Shot, TIEF Decorative Dots (SAB), Framelits Circles Collection, 1/4-inch Circle Punch

Created in time for Sochi 2014

Every four years during the Winter Olympics, I complain about the fact that there are very few sources for Curling-themed stamps out there.  This year, I did something about it!  Thanks to Stampin' Up! and the new Undefined stamp carving kit I made my own set of Curling stamps.  And I'm not done yet.  This was my first attempt using this kit.  What a wonderful challenge for different parts of my brain.  It comes with everything you need to create stamps of your own images or pre-printed ones.

The Potomac Curling Club (see link at the right) hosts Open Houses every year.  The Olympic years we host a lot of people and have a lot of great volunteers to thank.  That's where the stamps come in.  I'm planning to make some Thank You cards (like the one shown below) to help show appreciation for all the hard work our membership puts in during the events and the season.

Check out Undefined (item #133402) either on my Stampin' Up! website or at the main page of Stampin' Up! where there are some samples of some of the stamps people have created.

And if you want to learn how to curl and are in the Maryland/DC/Virginia area visit the Potomac Curling Club website for Open House dates and times.

Good Curling and Happy Stamp-creating!

Emily

More Sale-a-bration Fun

Here's another quick and easy card featuring two of the wonderful Sale-a-bration (SAB) products.  The first is one of my favorites: a Textured Impressions Embossing Folder called Decorative Dots.  A bit quirky and asymmetrical, and I love the look.  The second is the Petal Parade Stamp Set which comes in both wood and clear mount.  Remember, if you spend $50 (before shipping and tax) you can pick one of the items for FREE!  Thanks for visiting today.

Stamps: Petal Parade (SAB)
Ink: Melon Mambo
Paper: Whisper White, Daffodil Delight, Melon Mambo
Accessories: Big Shot, TIEF Decorative Dots (SAB),  Punch 1-1/4 inch square and 1-3/8 inch square, Basic Jewels Rhinestones, 1/4-inch Stitched Grosgrain Ribbon in Daffodil Delight, Stampin' Dimmensionals

Time to Sale-a-brate! 2014-style

For some reason, my formatting today leaves a lot to be desired.  Sorry if this is a bit askew!  

Sale-a-bration 2014 is in full swing!  If you haven't had a chance to check out the brochure, visit my Stampin' Up! Website (click on the link to the right) and see what the buzz is all about.  This card features two of the products (and they coordinate!) that are available in the 2014 Sale-a-bration collection.  It's that beautiful Sweet Sorbet Designer Paper and the matching Sweet Sorbet Accessory Pack which includes the Crisp Cantalope Twine. The color combination in the Paper Pack is really beautiful.  And each pattern of the paper is interesting and useful.

Stamps: Vivid Vases (Occasions Catalog, p. 20)

Ink: Staz On Black, Markers: Crisp Cantalope, Summer Starfruit, Pool Party, Pistachio Pudding, Sahara Sand

Paper: Whisper White, Crisp Cantalope, Pistachio Pudding, Designer Series Paper Sweet Sorbet (Sale-a-bration)

Accessories:  Blender Pen, Sweet Sorbet Accessory Pack (Crisp Cantalope Twine), Stampin' Dimensionals.

I saw a card similar to this on Pinterest.  It was in different colors, but I loved the quick and easy layout.  My polka dots at the bottom came out a bit crooked.  I'll have to do better lining up next time!  This is another candidate for the Stamp-a-Stack since it's so easy.

Stamps: Perfect Pennants (OC p. 27)
Ink: Coastal Cabana, Crushed Curry, Pumpkin Pie
Paper: Crumb Cake, Coastal Cabana, Whisper White, Crushed Curry, Designer Series Paper Polka Dot Parade
Accessories: Big Shot, Banners Framlits Dies (OC p. 27), Itty Bitty Banners Framelits Dies, Arrows TIEF (OC p. 26), Punch 1/2-inch Circle,  Linen Thread,

Valentine fun!

I'm seeing a lot of cute Valentines out there in the Cyber-Card world.  It's really fun.  Here is a quick and easy one.  It features the 2012-2014 In-Colors and one of my favorite stamp sets from the Occasions Catalog (OC).  Yes, it's a set with Matching Dies, although I didn't use the die in this card.  This may be one of the choices for the Stamp-a-Stack.  I'll keep you posted!

Stamps: Just Sayin' (OC p. 36, bundle it with the dies and save!), Hearts a Flutter
Ink:  Primrose Petals, Raspberry Ripple
Paper: Whisper White, Raspberry Ripple, Primrose Petals,
Accessories:  Big Shot, TEIF Adorning Accents (hearts), Framelits Dies Hearts a Flutter, Full Heart Punch, 3/8" Stitched Satin Ribbon in Primrose Petals, Stampin' Dimensionals

Stamp a Stack in 1 Week!

Here's a sneak peek card for next week's Stamp-a-Stack event.  I'm really looking forward to this event.  We're featuring products from the Occasions Catalog (OC) and introducing the great line of products available for 2014 Sale-a-bration (SAB) which are available starting 1/28/2014!  The products for Sale-a-bration (SAB) are really fun.  Two are featured on this card, the Sweet Sorbet Designer Series Paper and the Summer Starfruit twine from the matching Sweet Sorbet Accessory Pack.  For details check back after January 28.  To make this card, come to the Stamp-a-Stack on 1/29!

Here's a brief recipe:

Stamps:  Perfect Penants (Occasions Catalog (OC) p. 27), Petite Petals (OC p. 33, It bundles with the matching punch!)
Ink: Summer Starfruit, Pistachio Pudding
Paper:  Whisper White, Sahara Sand, Summer Starfruit, Pistachio Pudding, Designer Series Paper Sweet Sorbet (SAB)
Accessories: Scalloped Tag Topper Punch (OC p. 35), Petite Petals Punch (OC, In-Color 2012-2014 Dahlias, Accessory Pack Sweet Sorbet (SAB), Mini Glue Dots, Stampin' Dimmensionals

Happy 2014!

A New Year means New Products and New Ideas!  2014 promises to be full of great paper-crafting given the products in the Occasions Catalog that is rolling out today!

Here's the first card of the New Year.  It's a real simple quick and easy Thank You. It features the New Peaceful Petals stamp set (p.20 of the Occasions Catalog).  The artwork on this set lends itself to numerous possibilities,

Thank You for stopping by and checking it out!

Stamps:  Peaceful Petals (Occasions Catalog, p. 20)
Ink: Strawberry Slush, Pistachio Pudding, Rich Razzleberry
Paper: Whisper White, Rich Razzleberry

Enjoy!