A Pretty Petites Birthday

I had ordered the Petite Curly Label Punch with my Spring Mini/SAB preorder (one of the perks of being a Demonstrator!) but didn't get the Pretty Petites coordinating stamp set until recently. When it came, I knew I had to break them out and use them together. Both of these items are Sale-a-Bration items, FREE with any order of $60 or more!

 

I based my card on this week's Sunday Stamps sketch. Of course I changed it up a big, but it's pretty close ;) I am loving the Poetry Prints Designer Paper Stack. There are some really girly papers in there, but there are some fabulous masculine papers there too! And this card fits the bill for a good men's card, I think.

Tips & Tricks:

*Even though there are fewer images suitable for masculine cards, you can use Designer Papers to fill the void! I like DSPs that have both masculine and feminine patterns.

*I am loving the new Large Basic Jewels. They are so easy to use instead of a button or brad. And much more cost effective ;)
*I didn't adhere the Linen Thread for the banner to the card. I just mounted my punched out images to the card with Stampin' Dimensionals and made sure that the Dimensionals covered the Linen Thread, holding it in place.

We will be making this card at my next Fast & Fabulous Card Class on Wednesday February 27th. Hope you'll be able to join us. 'Til next time, keep letting stamps bring out your creativity!

Monica
Shop Stampin' Up! Online 24/7  

Card Recipe:
Stamps: Pretty Petites (SAB)
Card Stock: Midnight Muse, Very Vanilla, Poetry Prints DSP Stack
Ink: Midnight Muse, Gumball Green, Summer Starfruit
Accessories: Linen Thread, Petite Curly Label Punch, Big Shot, Square Lattice Embossing Folder, Stampin' Dimensionals, Large Basic Rhinestones - Jewels

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

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

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

Build-a-Blossom 'Enjoy'

It's crazy - but I move on Saturday! SATURDAY!!! Can you believe it? I'm so nervous, so excited - I don't know what I am! I have packed up all my stampin' stuff which is a bit sad, but not before I made a few last projects. One of the cards I wanted to make was for the two ladies who purchased our current home. We will buy them a bouquet of flowers so that they have something pretty for their new home. But what is a gift without a thoughtful handstamped card?

This week's color challenge over at the Dynamic Duos Blog was to use Pretty in Pink and Certainly Celery. Perfect for a card to welcome two lovely ladies to their new home.

Tips & Tricks:

*I haven't used the Build-a-Blossom stamp set and coordinating punch in a while. I love how it has different sizes of petals as well as leaves.
*Since my background is Whisper White, I stamped tone-on-tone for both the petals and leaves.
*I love how everything SU! coordinates. The button is so perfectly Certainly Celery, just like the ink and card stock :) I did add a little piece of Lucky Limeade Baker's Twine in the centre of it ~ so I guess I cheated, lol!
*How much do you love the Holiday Frame Embossing Folder? I love it even more because it's not just for the holidays! I love how it looks with any larger image.

I really hope the new homeowners love their card. And thanks again for hanging in there with me while I blog a bit less. Soon I'll be all set up and ready to stamp up a storm! 'Til next time, keep letting stamps bring out your creativity!

Card Recipe
Stamps: Build-a-Blossom, Fabulous Phrases
Ink: Pretty in Pink, Certainly Celery
Paper: Pretty in Pink, Certainly Celery, Whisper White
Accessories: Build-a-Blossom Punch, Word Window Punch, Basic Jewels - Rhinestones, Big Shot, Holiday Frame Embossing Folder, Designer Buttons - Subtles, Lucky Limeade Baker's Twine, Mini Glue Dots, Stampin' Dimensionals

Early Espresso & Crumb Cake - YUM!

When I saw the monochromatic Dynamic Duos Challenge, all I could think was YUMMY. And I love that color combination - it's one of my favorites! So I was pretty excited to 'attack' it. I also saw a card on Pinterest that piqued my interest. My card is quite different, but it was the starting point for my idea: it had squares folded back with a monster (from Make a Monster) jumping out. Here we just have a sweet little coffee cup and greeting popping out.

This card could easily be made into a masculine card, simply by using a different image from the A Fitting Occasion stamp set. My petal 'frame' is made from four 1-3/4" Circles folded in half.

Tips & Tricks:

*I used the Comfort Cafe DSP for my card. It has a lot of floral and feminine patterns, but it has a few monochromatic and masculine patterns, too.
*I'm still loving the Fancy Fan Embossing Folder. It's so pretty and just adds so much to my cards.
*Yeah, I guess I cheated. I made the heart over my coffee cup pink deviating from the monochromatic theme. But you have to admit, it's pretty cute ;)
*Even though I make bows with my Seam Binding Ribbon (here in Crumb Cake), my favorite way to use it on cards is to tie a simple know in it. This ribbon is perfect for that.

I hope this card inspires you and shows you that monochromatic doesn't have to be boring. And don't forget to check out and 'like' my Facebook Page. I'm doing a giveaway at 225 likes :) 'Til next time, keep letting stamps bring out your creativity!

Card Recipe
Stamps: A Fitting Occasion
Ink: Early Espresso
Paper: Crumb Cake, Early Espresso, Very Vanilla, Comfort Cafe DSP
Accessories: 1-3/4" Circle Punch, 1-3/8" Circle Punch, 1" Circle Punch, 3/4" Circle Punch, Big Shot, Fancy Fan Embossing Folder, Crumb Cake Seam Binding Ribbon, Pretty in Pink Stampin' Write Marker

Quintessential Flower with Summer Smooches

I made this card for both The Paper Players Challenge as well as the Freshly Made Sketches Challenge. But because of busy summer weeks and week-ends, I never got around to posting it before the Freshly Made Sketches Challenge closed. It was a lovely sketch so I'm glad that I got to use it!

The Paper Players Challenge was a super fun one. They set up a tic-tac-toe board and we had to choose three elements for our card in a row: left to right, top to bottom or diagonally. My three elements were a floral card using ribbon and punches.  I decided to combine the Quintessential Flower stamp with the Summer Smooches DSP. I also used all the colors from the DSP on the various layers of the flower.

Tips & Tricks:

*Not sure how to combine a bunch of seemingly different colors together? Grab a sheet of DSP. SU! tells us which colors are in it and which colors will look fantastic together.
*I'm loving the Sweet Essentials stamp set. I needed some more greeting sets, I was getting bored of the ones I have. This set definitely fit the bill!
*I love how the Quintessential Flower is five stamps in one! So many options for one simple stamp :)
*SU! card stock is thick enough to distress and pull apart. I did this on my greeting.
*I love the Baker's Twine, especially the 2011-2013 In Colors twine. It's so cost effective and you get 25 yards in the package. So I don't feel bad when I wrap it around the card stock three times ;)

I love how the colors worked out and love The Paper Players idea for a challenge! So much fun :) 'Til next time, keep letting stamps bring out your creativity!

Card Recipe
Stamps: Quintessential Flower, Sweet Essentials
Paper: Lucky Limeade, Island Indigo, Whisper White, Summer Smooches DSP
Ink: Island Indigo, Tangerine Tango, Real Red, Daffodil Delight, Rich Razzleberry
Accessories: Island Indigo Baker's Twine, 2-3/8" Scallop Circle Punch, 1-3/4" Scallop Circle Punch, 1-1/4" Circle Punch, 3/4" Circle Punch, 1/2" Circle Punch, Stampin' Dimensionals, Basic Jewels - Rhinestones

Sunday Googly Ghouls

Another Sunday Stamps Challenge. And I guess my post title is a bit odd - but because of the stamp set I used if fits ;)

This challenge was hosted by the fabulous Joan Jeffery of J-J Creations. She has provided us with a gorgeous sketch that can be interpreted in so many different ways. I decided to put my Googly Ghouls stamp set to good use :) I love this set, it's so cute! Can't wait to use it in a Hallowe'en Scrapbooking class.

Although I tend to change up sketches and challenges quite a bit, I loved this sketch so much I pretty much left it as is. I added a scallop circle under my ghouls on the left, but I wanted the mummy to really stand out from the Tangerine Tango, so I left him as is.

Tips & Tricks:

*All the materials in my card are a sneak peek from the Holiday Mini. I absolutely love the Woodgrain Embossing Folder.
*I love the Howlstooth & Scaringbone DSP. If not only for the name ;) There's lots of fun patterns and the colors (Basic Grey, Basic Black, Tangerine Tango and More Mustard) are sooo Hallowe'en!
*You know what I love about the Googly Eyes? They have a little glue dot on the back. So not only are they darned cute, but there's no fuss in getting them onto your card!
*I am loving the Striped Satin Ribbon. It's so perfect with the rest of the Howlstooth & Scaringbone Suite.

If you're loving this Hallowe'en Suite of Products, look for an Accessory Test Drive in September. Try out the products in the suite, a little at a time. More info is available on the blog page above. I'll also be offering a Hallowe'en Scrapbooking Class on September 16th.

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

Lacy, Lovely & Quintessential

I had put the Lacy & Lovely stamp set on my Wish List when I first started going through the new SU! catalogue. I didn't order it right away but then I used it at a stamper's meeting (a perk of being a Demo - Monthly stamping meetings with my upline!!!) and I knew I had to have it. It was on my next order ;)

This week's Freshly Made Sketches sketch made good use of circles and it was absolutely perfect for both the Lacy & Lovely and Quintessential Flower stamps. I love how I can use many different SU! punches to layer the different images in these stamps.

Tips & Tricks:

*The Lacy & Lovely stamp set is made to coordinate with a variety of SU! Circle Punches, including the 2-1/2", 1-3/8" and 1" Circle Punch. That means perfectly punched out shapes and no cutting! What's better, use other circle or scallop circle punches to punch out even more lovely circle shapes.

*Both stamp sets I used for this card is a dream for those who love to layer!

*When I first saw the Comfort Cafe DSP I wasn't sure what I thought. But after using it a few times, I fell in love with it! It has gorgeous feminine and masculine patterns. And the colors are so soothing. I can understand why it's called 'Comfort' Cafe.

*Do you love the embossed background as much as I do? It's the Lacy Brocade Embossing Folder from the upcoming Holiday Mini. At first I thought it may be a bit busy, but it's not at all! And the pattern is so different from anything else we have in the catalogue.

*Do you see the ribbon I stamped the greeting on? It's also from the Holiday Mini. I received this 7/8" Cotton Ribbon in a special bundle FREE from Stampin' Up! Just one of the many perks of being a Demonstrator :) It's smooth, soft and easy to stamp on. I just love the vintage, soft look of it.

I hope you've liked this card. I don't often use Cajun Craze, but I really love how it works with these colors and have been inspired to use it more! 'Til next time, keep letting stamps bring out your creativity.

Card Recipe:

Stamps: Lacy & Lovely, Quintessential Flower
Paper: Soft Suede, Very Vanilla, Comfort Cafe DSP
Ink: Cajun Craze, Summer Starfruit, Soft Suede, Island Indigo
Accessories: 2-1/2" Circle Punch, 1-3/8" Circle Punch, 1-1/4" Circle Punch, 1-3/4" Scallop Circle Punch, 3/4" Circle Punch, 7/8" Cotton Ribbon, Big Shot, Lacy Brocade Embossing Folder, Stampin' Dimensionals, In Color Dahlias

A Bit of Papillon Potpourri

I have to admit, when I first saw the new Elegant Butterfly Punch and coordinating Papillon Potpourri stamp set I was underwhelmed. I liked the old one better. But once I used it, saw some samples with it, played with it a bit more, it slowly grew on me. And now there's no going back! I got both items in my huge order last week and was itching to play with them. My Mother-in-Law's birthday is today and I made her a sweet card with the stamp set as well as the Twitterpated DSP.

My inspiration for this card came from this week's Friday Mashup Challenge. Our challenge was to make a card using a banner or flag, make a project with matching envelope, or mash it up and do both. Without realizing it, I did both! I meant to make just the matching envie, but I ended up using the Bitty Banners Framelits and coordinating stamp set.

Tips & Tricks:

*Do you like the embossing? It's a sneak peek from the Holiday Mini - Holiday Frame Embossing Folder. But I think it works just fine for a birthday ;) Stay tuned for cards using this embossing folder and the coordinating stamp set, Joyous Celebrations.
*I still love the Itty Bitty Banners. I use them in coordination with the Framelits or on their own. Either way, I use them a lot!
*With Papillon Potpourri, creating a coordinating envelope was easy! I did some 2-Step Stampin' with a smaller butterfly and then put a few butterflies on the back flap. This adds so much to the card you're giving!
*To give my butterfly a little bit of extra dimension, I punched out two pieces of Twitterpated DSP. I love how it makes my butterfly look like it is 'taking flight'.
*I loved this card so much I wanted to include it in my Fast & Fabulous Monthly Card Class. I simplified it a bit and I hope the class goers will love it!

My Mother-in-Law loved her card (how could she not?!?!?) and I'm so glad! I love the colors and my new house and studio must have been on my mind because those are the colors we painted the kids' rooms, lol! I tend to incorporate SU! into everything I do ;)

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

Sunday Lollipops

Before doing today's post, I wanted to update a bit on my 'Papaya Collages' mystery. It's the stamp set I used in my last post. It was bugging me, because no one seemed to know. Then I got a comment on my post from karmi84 saying "i really like the papaya and the colours you have used, it is a really lovely card". And that got me thinking... is the papaya a type of bird? It wasn't easy but I came up with this on Google. The papaya refers to the 'papaya bird'. In Suriname, the Black Spotted Barbet is known as the Papaya Bird. In Hawaii, the House Finch is known as the Papaya Bird. I'm not bird expert, but to me they look like the same bird :) Below are some references. If I'm wrong, feel free to call me on it ;) In the meantime, thanks to karmi84 for help figuring this mystery out!

http://www1.nhl.nl/~ribot/english/canig_ng.htm
http://www.bird-friends.com/BirdPage.php?name=House%20Finch

Onwards and upwards to this week's Sunday Stamps Challenge. We had a lovely sketch to work with today. I really love butterflies, but I wanted to change it up a bit. I've seen these layered circle lollipops done on a few cards now ~ various blogs, Pinterest and other places. I loved them so much, they're so fun and I thought I could use them with this sketch.

 

Ususally I use colors from colour challenges or I use DSP as my inspiration. For this card, I wanted to do BRIGHT :) And I think I've achieved that with the Melon Mambo, Tempting Turquoise, Tangerine Tango, Daffodil Delight and Old Olive.

Tips & Tricks: 

*This card is easy-peasy, even though there are quite a elements/layers. But it's all punch art! I just punched out a whole pile of different-sized, different-colored circles and put them together with colors I thought looked good.

*Something was missing on the lollipops, they were just too plain. So I used Glue Dots to adhere a flower Brights Designer Button to the middle of each. Problem solved :)

*I wanted to use Baker's Twine for the 'stick' of the lolli. But it was a pain to stick on properly. So I just trimmed little strips of Whisper White Card Stock and used those as sticks.

*For the scalloped layer, I didn't want to take away from the lollipops and ribbon with another layer. So I used my scalloped embossing strip. I like the way it kind of looks like grass.

Even though this card has pink in it, I think it would make a perfect birthday card for any young girl and young boy. What child can resist lollipops? I hope you'll find time to play with us and this great sketch at the Sunday Stamps Challenge.

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

 

A Fun Sunday Stamps Color Challenge

I really made a concentrated effort to get this post out on, well, Sunday. I'm really enjoying being on the Design Team for the Sunday Stamps Challenge and feel I should really try to get my posts out on the Sunday. So here we are :) This week's challenge was a color challenge: Primrose Petals, Summer Starfruit and Basic Gray. I have to admit though, out of all the new In Colors, Primrose Petals is likely my least favorite. But I decided to really challenge myself and use it as the focal point on this card.

I really love this stamp set, Four Seasons. It has images for spring, fall, Christmas - any holiday really :) It's a Hostess only set, so if you love it, talk to me about booking a private stampin' party for you or your friends. You can also place a $200+ order my Online Store to earn hostess benefits.

Tips & Tricks:

*The larger circle images in the Four Seasons stamp set coordinate with the 2-1/2" Circle Punch and/or the Large Scallop Circle Punch. Coordination made easy!
*Unfortunately, you will need to cut out the butterflies with your Paper Snips. ;) But try it, it's not as bad as you think!
*I've seen this done so many times and never done it, but I love the look... Embossing your cardstock with punched/cut out elements glued onto it. Using the Square Lattice Embossing Folder gives it a quilted look and I love how it turned out.
*I made this card for two downline that were integral in helping me earn the Fiji Incentive Trip so I thought the Create greeting from Loving Thoughts was appropriate here ;) They're both on the Sunday Stamps Design Team though, so they'll see this card before they actually get it... I really have to get better at actually mailing these things out, lol!
*This is the first time I've used the Primrose Petals Stitched Satin Ribbon and I have to say, I have really grown to love the colour! It's good to step out of that box of mine sometimes.

I hope my downline love their card - when they actually get it! 'Til next time, keep letting stamps bring out your creativity!

A Button, Button Birthday

After a busy long week-end, I was planning on taking things relatively easy. But in the end I had a bit of a crazy day and made today's card to relax a bit. I used this week's Try Stampin' on a Tuesday sketch as my inspiration. After looking at this sketch again, I realized it would also make a really great scrapbook layout. Just imagine a mat for two 4x6 photos in place of the Happy Birthday and three 2-1/2" or 3" circles cut out from DSP instead of the buttons stamps. I actually like this idea so much that I'm going to sit down tomorrow and do this - stay tuned!

On my card, I used a stamp set I haven't used in a long time: Button, Button. I don't use this stamp set enough. It's fun, versatile, and this card could be easily made into a men's card using a different 'button'. I love pulling out a stamp set, accessory or DSP that is totally underused and playing around with it. It always makes me remember why I loved that stamp set in the first place.

Tips & Tricks:

*I loved this sheet of DSP from Summer Smooches. Not surprising since Rich Razzleberry is my favorite color. I didn't use it here, but it coordinates well with the Fancy Fan Embossing Folder.
*I wasn't sure what colors to use for my card so I relied on the colors in the DSP: Island Indigo, Daffodil Delight, Tangerine Tango, and Rich Razzleberry.
*All the buttons in Button, Button coordinate with one of the many circle punches SU! carries. Once again, coordination made easy :)

*I really love the simplicity of this sketch. The circles could be flowers, butterflies, whatever you want!

Quick post for today, but I'm tired. ;) 'Til next time, keep letting stamps bring out your creativity!

A Stamp Set Truly Fitting Any Occasion

It's Monday and once again I'm only now getting around to posting my Sunday Stamps post... can I use the excuse of it being a (very busy) long week-end in Canada? Or maybe that my excitement over having earned the Stampin' Up! Grand Vacation to Fiji hasn't completely passed yet ;) Whatever the reason is, I'm late. But better late than never right?

This week at Sunday Stamps we have a sketch challenge. Anyone who's ready my blog knows I like a good sketch challenge. This week's sketch was fun, flexible and not too busy ~ just the way I like it!

When I first saw the A Fitting Occasion stamp set in the new catalogue, I was so excited. I really did fit any occasion and my class-goers could create whatever card they wanted. Although I love clear stamps, I ordered it in wood because of all the small stamps in the set. Also, this way my class-goers could just choose which stamps they wanted to use, without worrying about glass blocks, etc. I did this card at my card class last week. I had prepared a birthday card as well as a new baby card to show how easy it was to customize for *any* occasion.

The A Fitting Occasion stamp set (see all the teeny tiny, easily 'loseable' stamps? That's why I got it in wood):

Tips & Tricks:

*For my class, I brought out the whole A Fitting Occasion stamp set, the ink as well as all the punches that coordinate with the set. Each class-goer could make whatever card they wanted. And was there every a variety!
*For the card stock that has the scalloped edge, I embossed the card stock first and punched second. Otherwise the detail the punch creates could be destroyed.
*My scallop oval and modern labels looked like they were missing something... so I added some Rhinestone Jewels.
*All the little images fit perfectly in a 3/4" circle and all of the circular greetings fit perfectly in a 1" circle. I love how everything coordinates perfectly. Makes things so easy!
*Whatever the occasion, the Perfect Polka Dots Embossing Folder is perfect!

I will be sending the baby card to my cousin and his wife who just welcomed their first child. And I'm sure I'll find someone for the bday card ;) 'Til next time, keep letting stamps bring out your creativity!

Dino Punch Art

I did have another blog post planned for today. But then I worked on this week's Friday Mashup Challenge. We were challenged to
1. Make a project with Punch Art;
2. Make a project featuring your Favorite Animal; or
3. Mash it Up and create a project with an animal using punches.

I have a lot of favorite animals... monkeys, pigs, dolphins, fish. But I do love dinos, too. I came across this cute punch art dino surfing the web. It's CASEd but I don't have any info about the original.

Here's a quick breakdown of how I made the stegosaurus and the palm trees:
Body: I used the 2-1/2" Circle Punch. I punched out the circle, then put it back in and trimmed off part of it. You'll have pointy sides so I rounded them out with my Paper Snips. You can use the Wide Oval Punch as well. The color is Always Artichoke.

Tail: I used the 2-1/2 Circle Punch again. I punched out part of the circle, discarded it and punched over top of the area where I punched the first circle to make a crescent.
Armour: This was super easy - Boho Blossoms Punch. The color is River Rock.
Head: The Large Oval Punch was perfect for 'Steg's' head.
Legs: I used the Large Oval Punch again and cut the punch-outs in half and voila - 4 legs :)
Tree Trunks: The Modern Label Punch makes a great tree trunk. The color is Soft Suede.
Palm Tree Leaves: I once again used the Large Oval Punch. Then, I used my Paper Snips to cut out the 'leaves' in the ovals. The color is Old Olive.

The grass was easy. I cut a 1" strip of Old Olive card stock and snipped the blades with my Paper Snips. I embossed the dino parts with the Square Lattice Embossing Folder. I sponged the dinosaur, its armor, the grass and the palm leaves with Always Artichoke. The tree trunks were sponged with Soft Suede.

I can't wait to give this card to a lucky little birthday boy or girl :) Hope you've enjoyed this card, 'til next time keep letting stamps bring out your creativity!

A Fun Party Card

I had lots of fun making today's card! I used two card challenges to inspire me for today's cards. I decided not to 'mash it up' at the Friday Mashup Challenge and simply made a 'party time' card. You'd think this would be easy, but it was actually a bit harder than I anticipated... I ended up using the pinwheels from the Sweets for the Sweet stamp set which I found out worked really well with the Patio Party DSP. It has pinwheels in it too :) And do cupcakes say 'party' or what?

I used the sketch from Clean and Simple Stamping this week. I changed it up a smidge (surprise, surprise) but I really love the way the squares are lined up just a bit differently on each side. I did try putting the dahlia in the place indicated on the sketch, but it just didn't look right - it looked *much* better on the ribbon.

Tips & Tricks:

*Do you like the little flower on the Midnight Muse Stitched Satin Ribbon? It's the new In Color Dahlias. I LOVE them! And they are so easy to attach with Glue Dots.
*Since every party needs some bling, I put a few rhinestones on my pinwheels.
*So many people are too scared of cutting out their stamped shapes. But I say you should just try it! These pinwheels are very easy to cut out and I love the two-tone look it gives them!
*What do you think of the background? It's the new Argyle Embossing Folder! One of my favorite accessories from the new cattie :)

I hope this card has put you in a party kind of mood :) I really love this sketch and definitely will use it again!

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