Masculine Just Thinking

One thing I love about Leadership is that you get FREE stamps (and DSP and accessories). And this year was no different. We were spoiled and one of the stamps we received was the Just Thinking single stamp. I love it! Coordinates perfectly with the 2-1/2" Circle Punch as well as the Window Frames Framelits. I'm always on the lookout for a great stamp that works well for masculine AND feminine cards and this stamp definitely fits the bill.

I used this weeks Try Stampin' on Tuesday sketch for my card inspiration. Can you believe, however, I don't have the coordinating Framelits yet? Unbelievable, I know. So I improvised and stamped my image in Early Espresso on a piece of Very Vanilla card stock. Then I stamped the image again in Lucky Limeade on another piece of card stock and put it over the Espresso image with Dimensionals.

Tips & Tricks:
*Do you like the Early Espresso background? I used the new Vine Street Embossing Folder, available in the Sale-a-Bration Brochure. What's SAB? It's only our BEST promotion! For every $60 you spend in product, you get to choose a FREE item from the brochure!

*Do you see how my punched out element seems to be missing some ink? This was intentional! I colored it with my Lucky Limeade Marker because I didn't want to include 'friend' in the sentiment. Then I intentionally roughed the image up by not coloring all the edges.
*I haven't used Linen Thread to tie around my card and make a bow in a long time. I love the natural look of it. I added a clear Bitty Button to the center of the bow.

I made this card for a Card Brigade that I organized. It's a little group of people that will send a card to someone needing an 'Avalanche of Love' - just a little random act of kindness that can make someone's day a bit brighter. Interested? Find more info on my Facebook Page.

Hope you've enjoyed this card - 'til next time, keep letting stamps bring out your creativity!

Monica
Shop Stampin' Up! Online 24/7

Card Recipe:
Stamps: Just Thinking
Paper: Crumb Cake, Early Espresso, Very Vanilla, Bright Blossoms DSP
Ink: Early Espresso
Accessories: 2-1/2" Circle Punch, Linen Thread, Bitty Buttons, Big Shot, Vine Street Embossing Folder, Stampin' Dimensionals, Lucky Limeade Stampin' Write Marker, Basic Jewels - Pearls

Fancy Fan Embossed Valentine

We're still in January, but I figured I should get a head start on a few Valentine's cards that I need to make. I actually don't have too many Valentine's stamps, I like using DSP and making Valentines nice and simple. I do have the Delightful Dozen greeting stamp set which has some pretty fantastic, ornate greetings.

I got sketch inspiration for my card from Try Stampin' On Tuesday. A lovely simple sketch. Instead of the traditional color red, I thought I'd mix it up a bit and use Raspberry Ripple as well as the Print Poetry DSP. I love how my two-toned card turned out. 

Tips & Tricks:

*Did you notice that the whole card was embossed? I got a card at Leadership and after putting her card together, the demonstrator embossed the whole thing. So I did the same, embossing all the layers, with the Fancy Fan Embossing Folder. I love the look of the embossed DSP and greeting.
*The heart in the greeting seemed a little too empty, so I added the largest pearl from the Basic Pearls embellishments. It just adds that little je-ne-sais-quoi to my card.
*I am still loving the notched out flagged look that is so 'in' right now! An easy little added touch with my Paper Snips.

You've got to forgive my pictures. I'm still trying to sort out the best place and way to photograph my cards and projects. I'll get there though and hope you'll hang in there with me. 'Til next time, keep letting stamps bring out your creativity!

Monica
Shop Stampin' Up! Online 24/7 

Card Recipe:
Stamps: Delightful Dozen
Ink: Raspberry Ripple
Paper: Very Vanilla, Raspberry Ripple, Print Poetry DSP
Accessories: 2/3" Scallop circle Punch, 1-3/4" Circle Punch, Big Shot, Fancy Fan Embossing Folder, Raspberry Ripple Stitched Ribbon, Basic Pearls Jewel Accents 
 

Baby Boutique with Twitterpated

Earlier this month, two friends welcomed babies, just two days apart. I just love Baja Breeze for baby boys and Pink Pirouette for baby girls so the Twitterpated DSP seemed like the logical choice.

I haven't used the Baby Boutique stamp set enough so I broke it out along with the Hearts Framelits for my new baby cards. This week's Freshly Made Sketch worked perfectly for a new baby card:

Tips & Tricks:

*I love how the hexagons in this Twitterpated DSP pattern coordinate perfectly with the new Honeycomb Embossing Folder. Just snip them out and randomly put on your card for a fun pattern.
*To give your heart a little extra pizzazz, do a little paper piercing! SU! makes it easy with the Occasions Paper Piercing Pack. With the redesigned Paper Piercer and larger Piercing Mat you're sure to have a perfectly pierced image every time.
*My go-to 'greetings' stamp set is still Teeny Tiny Wishes. The cute saying, different fonts, you'll never need another set!

I hope the new moms love their cards. I love how they all came together! There's quite a few elements, but they're so simple. 'Til next time, keep letting stamps bring out your creativity!

Monica

Shop Stampin' Up! Online 24/7 

Card Recipe:
Stamps: Baby Boutique, Teeny Tiny Wishes
Ink: Pretty in Pink, Baja Breeze
Paper: Baja Breeze, Pink Pirouette, Basic Gray, Whisper White, Twitterpated DSP
Accessories: Word Window Punch, Big Shot, Honeycomb Embossing Folder, Hearts Collection Framelits, Stampin' Dimensionals, Occasions Piercing Pack, Paper Piercer, Piercing Mat

Oh, Hello Thinking of You

One of the stamp sets we got in our Leadership Kit this year was Oh, Hello from the Spring Mini Catalogue. I'd been thinking about buying the set and was thrilled to find out we were getting it with our kit!

It's so versatile and coordinates perfectly with the Ovals Framelits. I've had a few sympathy and 'thinking of you' cards to send out this week, so I used this stamp set and a lovely sketch from Freshly Made Sketches (though I did take a few creative liberties).

I used the 'chevron' stamp from the Oh, Hello stamp set and colored it with markers for the accents on the ends. I also cut it apart. And doesn't the chevron background for the flower look like DSP? Love that stamp as well as the new ink pads which make everything so crisp!

Tips & Tricks:

*I wasn't sure about the Natural Trim Ribbon from the Mini. But it's so soft and I love how it frays on the ends ever so gently.
*The Needlepoint Border Textured Impressions Embossing Folders are just lovely. They add a very gentle and sweet accent to your projects. For this card, I simply placed it diagonally along my Midnight Muse layer.

*The Tea Lace Paper Doilies. Need I say more? For $3.95/24 doilies, they're not only a great value but so versatile! Here I cut one in half, cut the edges off and layered the them under my oval accent.

I hope this card brightens someone day a bit in a time that may not be so bright. 'Til next time, keep letting stamps bring out your creativity!

Monica

Card Recipe: 
Stamps: Oh, Hello
Paper: Crumb Cake, Midnight Muse, Very Vanilla
Ink: Summer Starfruit, Midnight Muse
Accessories: Summer Starfruit, Midnight Muse and Soft Suede Markers, 7/16" Natural Trim Ribbon, Tea Lace Paper Doilies, Big Shot, Needlepoint Textured Impressions Embossing Folders, Ovals Collection Framelits, Paper Snips, Paper Piercing Tool, Paper Piercing Mat, Occasions Paper Piercing Pack, Stampin' Dimensionals

Spring Sampler Leadership 2013 Swap Card

I'm back!!! I took another break. I don't know what to say, just that I needed it. On Sunday, I came back from Stampin' Up!'s Leadership Conference in Orlando FL and I'm full of ideas! And ready to share :)

I want to show you my Leadership Swap. I used the Spring Sampler stamp set in the Spring Mini. It's a pretty big stamp set, with some super cute images but I hadn't seen many samples using it. So I figured my swap would stand out... and it did! I had a few demos fighting over who'd get my last few swaps. Made me feel pretty good!

Tips & Tricks:

 *Do you like the embossed background? It's the new Honeycomb Textured Impressions Embossing Folder. It's a bit like the Polka Dot Embossing Folder - works well with men's cards, women's cards as well as kids cards!
*You can punch out most of the images in the Spring Sampler stamp set with the new 7/8" Scallop Circle Punch... isn't it cute?
*The button, 1/4" satin ribbon and DSP are samples from the upcoming Sale-a-bration (starts January 22nd) Sycamore Street Suite. A free product for every $60 you spend!

I'm so glad my swap was well received but I'm going to be very busy making many more projects in the coming weeks. Do you have projects on the go? Join me at my Friday Free-for-All Class this week. No make-and-takes, just bring your projects, use my inks/stamps and enjoy 3 hours of crafting in peace! You can RSVP here: https://www.facebook.com/events/151336648349129/

I'll be back soon - my goal is two posts per week. So feel free to keep me on track ;) 'Til next time, keep letting stamps bring out your creativity!

Monica

Card Recipe:
Stamps: Spring Sampler, Fabulous Phrases
Paper: Pool Party, Island Indigo, Whisper White, Sycamore Street DSP
Ink: Rich Razzleberry, Island Indigo, Tangerine Tango
Accessories: Sycamore Street Button and Ribbon Bundle (Sale-a-Bration), 1" Circle Punch, 7/8" Scallop Circle Punch, Word Window Punch, Dimensionals, Glue Dots, White Baker's Twine, Big Shot, Honeycomb Textured Impressions Embossing Folder