Carry On Note Cards and Box

It's Sunday! And that means another Sunday Stamps Challenge. The design team that we have for this challenge is really great because they keep challenging me. :) This week, Joan brings us a color challenge: Gumball Green, Marina Mist and Soft Suede. I love all three of these colors but never would have thought to put them together.

Last week, I also got the super cute Hostess Exclusive set, Carry On in an order and really wanted to use it. But I couldn't choose which stamps from the set I should use. So, I used all of them :) I made a set of little mini note cards along with a little box to hold them all. I mixed and matched all the challenge colors in the note cards.

I ordered this stamp set in clear mount and I'm really glad I did. I was able to mount the word stamps together on one block and have perfectly spaced words. My cards are 3"x3" note cards and they fit perfectly in the Mini Envelopes. I love how the picture stamps are small enough to decorate my envelopes, too.

I came up with the pattern for the little box on my own. Below is the pattern. It's handdrawn, so please bear with me. My sister is visiting from Germany and I haven't had much time to stamp ;) You'll need a piece of card stock that is 5-1/4" x 9-1/4" in size (there's a small typo on my pattern, the piece of card stock that will be the flap of the box should be 3/4"). Score at 1" and 4-1/4" on the short side. Score at 1", 4-1/4", 5-1/4" and 8-1/2" on the long side. Cut on the 'cut' lines, fold on the 'fold' lines and put your box together with a strong adhesive such as Sticky Strip.

To decorate my box, I used the Be of Good Cheer DSP (Gumball Green polka dot pattern) and the Comfort Cafe DSP (Soft Suede patterns).

Hope you liked my little box and the note cards. It would definitely make a super cute gift, you could even fill it with Christmas tags. 'Til next time, keep letting stamps bring out your creativity!

Card Recipe:
Stamps: Carry On 
Paper: Gumball Green, Soft Suede, Marina Mist, Very Vanilla, Comfort Cafe DSP, Be of Good Cheer DSP
Ink: Gumball Green, Soft Suede, Marina Mist
Accessories: 1-1/4" Scallop Circle Punch, Brights Glitter Brads, 3/8" Soft Suede Taffeta Ribbon, Stampin' Dimensionals, Stampin' Sponges,

Dancing, Eaten Gingerbread Men

I'll be honest. I wasn't too fond of the Scentsational Season when I first saw it. I got it in wood-mount because it seemed so childlike and my 6-year-old daughter said she'd like to stamp with it (and she has :) ). But then I saw a few cards made with this set that I thought were cute and I've had fun with it. Funny how that happens ;)

I saw a super cute card somewhere, can't remember where now, but it had the gingerbread men in the stamp set tumbling all over the place. Using that card and the Try Stampin' on Tuesday Challenge as my starting point, I came up with this:

I have this cookie cutter that has gingerbread men with body parts cut off - arm, leg, head. So I thought that would be a fun way to make this card a bit unique :) I used the 1-1/4" Scallop Circle Punch to create the bite marks.

Tips & Tricks:
*Have you tried the new Coredinations Card Stock? It has a natural core so when you sand it down the core shows through. I love the look with lacy and intricate embossing folders. Makes it look antiqued!

*Even though you can't smell through the computer, imagine a lovely gingerbread smell coming from my gingerbread men. I embossed them with the Sugar & Spice Embossing Powder. I love how the embossing powder gives them that 'gingerbread-y' look.

*As much as I love my punches, sometimes I like to just stamp on a scrap piece of card stock and 'flag' it. To ensure perfectly centered notches, snip your cardstock right down the middle and then snip diagonally to the middle point. Voila, perfectly formed flag.
*To add a bit more vintage feel, I sponged my greeting with Soft Suede and peeled apart the very Vanilla card stock. I used my Bone Folder to tease the card stock and then simply pulled apart the layers.

I can't wait to send this car away for Christmas. And I can't wait to play around with this stamp set a bit more. :) 'Til next time, keep letting stamps bring out your creativity!

Card Recipe:
Stamps: Scentsational Season, More Merry Messages
Card Stock: Crumb Cake, Very Vanilla, Be of Good Cheer DSP, Early Espresso Core-dinations
Ink: Soft Suede, Cherry Cobbler
Accessories: Stampin' Sponges, Big Shot, Holiday Collection Framelits, Lacy Brocade Embossing Folder, Sanding Block, Stampin' Dimensionals

Some Quintessential Medallions

I've been working on a lot of Christmas cards and this week I wanted to make something that wasn't so festive. I also wanted to use something other than my Christmas stamps. So using Tara's Sketch for the Sunday Stamps Challenge, I decided to play around and use the Quintessential Flower single stamp as well as the Daydream Medallions stamp set.

Not only that, but I went with super bright, summery colors :) Tara had said that her sketch was a launching point, to use our imaginations. And we all know I don't like to follow the 'rules' anyways. So, instead of the tag, I used the gorgeous flower and this is what I came up with :)

Tips & Tricks:
*If you're not afraid of a little bit of texture, layer two embossed pieces of card stock on top of each other. I used the Vintage Wallpaper embossing folder to emboss my Summer Starfruit layer as well as the Raspberry Ripple Strip.

*I tore the top corner of my Summer Starfruit card stock because something was missing. But then I tore too big a piece off. So I stamped the Quintessential Flower on my Raspberry card stock and voila - fixed! As I always tell my my stampers, most of the time, 'mistakes' can be fixed ;)
*I absolutely LOVE that the Quintessential Flower coordinates with our scalloped circle and circle punches. I made my layered flower in less than five minutes!
*Doesn't the medallion make a fabulous background for my flower? It was easy to cut out with the Floral Frames Framelits, too.
*I wanted a nice, bright card and the 2012-2014 In Colors definitely fit the bill! And then I topped it off with a Summer Starfruit In Color Dahlia. :)

I left the card without a greeting. While it would make a fantastic birthday card, it could be a thank you card or a 'just because' card. So I decided to not close any doors ;) 'Til next time, keep letting stamps bring out your creativity.

Card Recipe:
Stamps: Quintessential Flower, Daydream Medallions
Card Stock: Raspberry Ripple, Summer Starfruit, Whisper White
Ink: Raspberry Ripple, Gumball Green, Pink Primrose, Midnight Muse
Accessories: In Color Dahlias, 1/4" Stitched Grosgrain Ribbon, 2-3/8" Scallop Circle Punch, 1-3/4" Scallop Circle Punch, 1-1/4" Circles Punch, Big Shot, Vintage Wallpaper Embossing Folder, Floral Frames Framelits, Stampin' Dimensionals

A 'Scentsational' Christmas

I've had the scented embossing powders (in Peppermint Sticks and Sugar and Spice) for a few weeks now. I just didn't get around to using them. Something about the summer being busy ;) I finally broke out my Peppermint Sticks embossing powder the other day. I had a Demonstrator meeting yesterday (a HUGE perk of being a demo - meeting, stamping and talking with wonderful ladies who love stampin' as much as me!) and committed to making swaps. And swaps were made :)

The sketch for this card came from this week's Retro Sketches Challenge. I changed it up a bit - my greeting is the third element at the bottom of the card and my bow is the little accessory on the ribbon. I absolutely love sketches like this. Clean, simple and they allow me to showcase a really gorgeous DSP (Candlelight Christmas from the Mini).

Tips & Tricks:

*Did you know that with our new Firm Foam Ink Pads you can emboss our Scented Embossing Powders without VersaMark? They leave images a bit more moist, so quickly sprinkle on that powder and emboss with the Heat Tool.

*The Candlelight Christmas DSP is what Christmas is all about. Gorgeous rich colors, snowflakes and stunning patterns.
*My hot cocoa mug image was stamped it with the Scentsational Season stamp set. Then I used the Holiday Collection Framelits to cut it out. So much easier than using my snips ;)
*I am LOVING the new More Merry Messages. I was really sad to see Many Merry Messages retire, but I've forgotten all about it. lol!

I hope the ladies I swapped with last night enjoyed this card. Atleast it smelled delightful ;) 'Til next time, keep letting stamps bring out your creativity!

Card Recipe:
Stamps: Scentsational Season, More Merry Messages
Card Stock: Early Espresso, Very Vanilla, Candlelight Christmas Specialty DSP
Ink: Early Espresso, Cherry Cobbler
Accessories: Cherry cobbler Seam Binding Ribbon, Big Shot, Holiday Collection Framelits, Stampin' Dimensionals

Birthday World Treasures

I love the peacock in the World Treasures stamp set. It's really cute and I can use it on thank you cards, birthday cards, really *any* kind of card. But how did I come by the stamp set? I didn't actually buy it yet! I borrowed it from one of my downline who's super creative but just couldn't figure out what to do with it. I wanted to prove to her that it really is easy to use ;)

Today's card is brought to you care of the Sunday Stamps Challenge. Our Lead Design Team Member Holly provided us with this week's color challenge:

What a funky color combo - definitely not my norm, but so much fun! That's what I love about challenges, they definitely push me out of my comfort zone most of the time. I made this card for my oldest friend for her birthday. We've known each other for over 20 years and she definitely is a treasure!

Tips & Tricks:
*I decided to play around with my embossing powders for this card. I embossed the peacock in Melon Mambo and the greeting in Black. I love how the Melon Mambo EP gives the peacock some shine and dimension.

*Do you like my black rhinestones? I simply used a black Sharpie marker to color the Basic Jewels - Rhinestones black. They still sparkle, too!
*I love the new Designer Labels Framelits. They coordinate with many stamps in the catalogue and I love how I can easily cut out images and greetings.
*The peacock is a big image, which is what my friend had trouble with. But I love how I just need the one stamp to make my card.

I hope my friend enjoys her birthday card. I still have to find her a gift though... 'Til next time, keep letting stamps bring out your creativity! And don't forget to join us at Sunday Stamps this week!

Card Recipe:
Stamps: World Treasures
Paper: Pool Party, Melon Mambo, Whisper White
Ink: VersaMark
Accessories: Basic Jewels - Rhinestones, Heat Tool, Melon Mambo & Black Embossing Powder, Big Shot, Fancy Fan Embossing Folder, Designer Labels Framelits, Stampin' Dimensionals, Black Sharpie (not SU!)

Freshly Made Anniversary with Evergreen

It's Sunday, and I really should be posting my Sunday Stamps card but I really wanted to participate in the Freshly Made Sketches Anniversary Challenge so I'm mixing things up this week. I also wanted to show off my fave new Christmas stamp set! I just got the Evergreen stamp set last week, love the UPS Brown Truck. ;) It is soooo pretty! I love the words to Silent Night on one of the stamps ~ so pretty! And doesn't Silent Night represent so well what Christmas is all about :)

For this One Year Anniversary Challenge, we could select the sketch we liked best. I kind of did it backwards though, I looked for a sketch I loved that would work with my Evergreen tree. The sketch from Week #40 worked perfectly. I changed it up a bit (because you know, that's what I do ;) ) but it's pretty close.


Tips & Tricks:

*Instead of using a different card stock color or a DSP on the bottom layer, I embossed my Pool Party card stock with the Delicate Designs Embossing Folder. It can look lacy, but works pretty well as snowflakes, too!
*I didn't really want to put my tree in an oval, so I stuck with my trusty rectangle :)
*Did you know SU! was the first stamp company to do 'two-step stamping'? I love this simple technique! I first stamped the solid tree in Pool Party and then the words to Silent Night in Basic Grey. This stamp set is very easy to line up, no need for a 'perfect fit'.
*Aren't Basic Grey and Pool Party lovely colors for a Christmas card? Cool, but I think they work great with the tree!

I especially enjoyed creating this card because we will be making it at my monthly Crazy 4 Christmas Card in October! I can't wait to stamp some Christmas cards with some wonderful ladies soon! I still have a few spots, so be sure to sign up soon.

'Til next time, keep letting stamps bring out your creativity!

Card Recipe:
Stamps: Evergreen
Card Stock: Whisper White, Pool Party, Basic Gray
Ink: Pool Party, Basic Gray
Accessories: 1/4" Basic Grey Ribbon, Adhesive Jewels - Rhinestones, Big Shot, Delicate Designs Embossing Folder, Stampin' Dimensionals

Wedding 'Amour'

A friend recently e-mailed me in a panic. She makes cards too but is in the midst of selling her home and didn't have time to make a card for a wedding this week-end. She wanted me to give her or make a card she could give the happy couple. I completely understand the stress of the whole selling/buying/moving process so of course I said 'yes' :) My friend LOVES anything Eiffel Tower-related so I grabbed Artistic Etchings and went to work:

I must say, when I was uploading this card, I saw how often I used Artistic Etchings and I'm pretty sure I have to conclude that it's officially my favorite set ;) lol! I use it A LOT! For my color combo on this card, I used The Paper Players Challenge this week. Baja Breeze, Basic Grey and Basic Black. What a fantastic combo for a wedding card! I'll definitely have to tuck this one away for future reference ;)

Tips & Tricks:
*See that ribbon? It's the 1/2" Striped Satin Ribbon from the Holiday Mini. It's part of the Hallowe'en collection of products. But doesn't it work great for wedding cards?
*The 'Amour' greeting fits almost perfectly into the small, curvy Itty Bitty Banners Framelit. It took a bit of finagling (is that even a word? Spell-check doesn't catch it...) but I got it in there.

*I love the Elegant Bouquet embossing folder for wedding cards. The flowers just seem so perfect for the occasion.
*Since I used a Basic Gray card base, I put a 5-1/4" x 4" piece of Whisper White card stock inside the card so my friend could easily write in it.

I really hope the happy couple love their card. And I hope my friend approves! 'Til next time, keep letting stamps bring out your creativity!

Card Recipe
Stamps: Artistic Etchings
Paper: Basic Grey, Baja Breeze, Whisper White
Ink: Baja Breeze, Basic Black
Accessories: Stampin' Dimensionals, 1/2" Striped Satin Ribbon, Big Shot, Itty Bitty Banners Framelits, Elegant Bouquet Embossing Folder

A Truly Joyous Celebration

Friday was a super exciting evening in this new household! I had 25 women (and one boy who came with mom) fill my new stampin' studio and my basement. As my husband said, it was a good test for the house and having a party! My kids were super excited to answer the door for everyone and they certainly made fantastic hosts!

I was super excited to show the studio off to everyone and everyone had a great time! Unfortunately, I completely forgot to take pictures :( I was planning on it, but was excited with everything that it slipped my mind. We had three make-and-takes, one of which I used the sketch from this week's Try Stampin' on Tuesday Challenge.

I haven't taken pictures of the other two make-and-takes yet. Still struggling with photographing my cards and other crafts in my new space. But I've ordered a small light tent so my photo issue should be resolved soon :)

Tips & Tricks:

*Did you know you can do the marker-to-stamp technique with our new Silver & Gold Satmpin' Dazzle Marker? Color the stamp with the marker just like you would with any other colored Stampin' Write Marker and stamp! Voila, I've got a silver reindeer with minimal fuss.
*I love the flagged elements on this week's Try Stampin' On Tuesday's sketch. I know many people use a Square Punch to do their flagging but I much prefer to free-hand them.
*I love how festive and diverse the Snow Festival DSP is. So many different patterns in the package but they work so nicely together! And how gorgeous are Cherry Cobbler and Baja Breeze together?
*Are you loving the 3-1/2" Scalloped Tulle Ribbon in the Holiday Mini Catalogue? I wasn't sure how to use it on a card because it's pretty thick. So I folded it over a couple of times, tied a little Baker's Twine ribbon on it, and I had a unique ribbon with lots of dimension.

I'm so glad that everyone enjoyed themselves last Friday. And I really love this sketch, I'll have to use it again! 'Til next time, keep letting stamps bring out your creativity!

Card Recipe:
Stamps: Joyous Celebration, Tiny Tags
Paper: Baja Breeze, Cherry Cobbler, Whisper White, Snow Festival DSP
Ink: Baja Breeze, Cherry Cobbler
Accessories: 3-1/2" Cherry Cobbler Scalloped Tulle Ribbon, Cherry Cobbler Baker's Twine, Wide Oval Punch, Oval Punch, Jewelry Tag Punch, Big Shot, Lacy Brocade Embossing Folder, Stampin' Dimensionals, Silver Stampin' Dazzle Marker

A Simple Ornament Keepsakes Card

This week, Sunday Stamps brings you a most fantastic sketch. Just a really great sketch. By Yours Truly - lol! I'm your hostess for the Sunday Stamps Challenge this week! I've been playing with sketches for a while and being part of this design team has forced me to put pen to paper. For this challenge, I came up with this sketch:

I had just gotten the Ornament Keepsakes stamp set and was wanting to play with it. It coordinates perfectly with the Candlelight Christmas DSP and so I came up with this card:

Tips & Tricks:

*How gorgeous are the designs on the ornaments and on the DSP. So vintage but with a modern twist. This DSP coordinates with Early Espresso, Real Red, Very Vanilla and Lucky Limeade. Love it!

*The Ornament Keepsakes stamp set coordinates with the Holiday Framelits. I love how the Framelits let us have perfectly cut out shapes!

*I was so sad when they retired the Many Merry Messages stamp set last year. But I should've known that SU! had something up their sleeve: the More Merry Messages stamp set. It has lovely greetings perfect for all Christmas cards! I love the font of the 'Merry Christmas' greeting.

*Sometimes I find the 1/4" Grosgrain Ribbon seems too wide. This is where I bring in the 1/8" Taffeta Ribbon. It fits perfectly on this card without taking it over.

I hope you like my sketch and you'll join us at Sunday Stamps this week. 'Til next time, keep letting stamps bring out your creativity!

Card Recipe:

Stamps: Ornament Keepsakes, More Merry Messages

Paper: Real Red, Very Vanilla, Candlelight Christmas

Ink: Real Red

Accessories: 1/8" Real Red Taffeta Ribbon, Big Shot, Holiday Framelits, Stampin' Dimensionals

A Little Pleating with Nursery Necessities

I'm really getting this out under the wire for the Friday Mashup Challenge. The challenge closes in less than 3 hours. But I'm getting this out there. I love pleating ribbon which was one part of the challenge. I also loved that the other part of their challenge was to make a baby card. I've been wanting to use the Nursery Necessities stamp set since I got it a 2 months ago. But I didn't have anyone to make a baby card for. Until now. My daughter's senior kindergarten teacher is expecting a baby in January and I'm so so excited for her! I also know she loves all my cards:

I also used this week's Freshly Made Sketch. It came at a good time for me because I *finally* found my brand new Scallop Edge Punch. I got it just before we moved and packed it away. Really well. ;) I did the same thing with my new Illuminate Watermark Ink Pad. But I found that too ;)

Tips & Tricks:

*Can't get your pleated ribbon to stay put? Especially the thicker grosgrains? Adhere a strip of Sticky Strip to your card and then pleat your ribbon. It'll keep it in place!
*The Illuminate Watermark Pad is so great. It's leaves a watermark on your card stock, but with a shimmer! I did try it on Pool Party too, but it had a much more subtle look so I opted for Island Indigo.
*My daughter's teacher is francophone so the greeting is in French. I have Teeny Tiny Wishes in both languages because Ottawa has so many bilingual and francophone residents :)

I hope my daughter's teacher loves the card. Now I've got to get ready for my big Studio Grand Opening on Friday :) 'Til next time, keep letting stamps bring out your creativity!

Card Recipe:
Stamps: Nursery Necessities, Voeux Mignons
Paper: Whisper White, Pool Party, Island Indigo, In Color DSP
Ink: Illuminate Watermark Ink
Accessories: Scallop Edge Punch, Word Window Punch, Island Indigo Ruffled Ribbon, Stampin' Dimensionals, Sticky Strip, Big Shot, Polka Dot Embossing Folder

Beautiful Papillons

I'm so excited, my studio is pretty well ready for my Grand Opening on Friday! I did some stenciling on the walls today (with retired Decor Elements stencils), hung my Dasher picture (using the retired Hostess Decor Element), and set up another Expedit shelf in the corner. Looks much better than the plastic organizer I had there before :) I bought three folding tables yesterday, though I need one more. And I have chairs. So bring it on, I'm ready to stamp with you!

Today I have another Sunday Stamps post for you. Yes, I'm very aware it's Monday. But with the long week-end, I got totally confused on days. And I've barely been on the computer! We had a lovely color challenge from Tara (Can't Stamp the Rain). We were challenged to use Sahara Sand, Lucky Limeade and Wisteria Wonder. The last two were easy for me to use. But Sahara Sand? The only card stock that I have in that color is from a multi-colored package of card stock that I bought when I first joined SU! over 4-1/2 years ago! And I don't even have the ink... I much prefer Crumb Cake ;) But I love how it turned out and may have to acquire more of this color:

Tips & Tricks:

*I really had butterflies on the mind when I made this card and loved how fabulously the Papillon Potpourri stamp set paired with the Bigz Beautiful Butterflies die.
*I love the Delicate Designs Embossing Folders for borders. They do leave a little outline on the card stock where the embossing folder ends (it's only about an inch wide) so I covered it up with some 3/8" White Taffeta Ribbon.
*The Papillon Potpourri stamp set coordinates with the Elegant Butterfly Punch. Which means easy cutting, no scissors :)
*Like the greeting? It's from the Memorable Moments stamp set.

I didn't get a chance to take updated pictures of my studio, but I will tomorrow! I still need to sort out a make and take for Friday, too. Talk about cutting it close ;)

'Til next time, keep letting stamps bring out your creativity!

Card Recipe:
Stamps: Papillon Potpourri, Memorable Moments
Paper: Wisteria Wonder, Sahara Sand, Lucky Limeade, Whisper White
Ink: Wisteria Wonder, Lucky Limeade
Accessories: Elegant Butterfly Punch, Scallop Oval Punch, Oval Punch, 3/8" Whisper White Taffeta Ribbon, Big Shot, Bigz Beautiful Butterflies Die, Delicate Designs Embossing Folder, Stampin' Dimensionals