Encre, papier, ciseaux

Learning my ABC

*featuring retiring Naturally Serif alphabet die*

Another submission for the sketch publication that didn't make it. The block pyramid reminded me of baby blocks and since we have the wooden sheets, I thought they would work perfectly. The letters were all die-cut using the Naturally Serif alphabet die, which offers a versatile size and lower and upper letters all on one die. An inexpensive alphabet option!

The yellow background paper is from the Brights paper stack and I picked the text sheet to match the alphabet blocks.

(That has to be one of the shortest supplies list I ever typed!)

 

 

 

Stampin' Up! Supplies
Cardstock: Daffodil Delight, Pacific Point, Real Red, Wild Wasabi, Whisper White
Designer paper: Brights Designer paper pack
Big Shot: Naturally Serif die

 

A Teddy for Baby

This adorable teddy bear image comes from the Every Little Bit set. I had been wanting to make a card with it since I got the set and never got around to it. Then, earlier this week, I stumbled unto a new blog (new to me, at least), Dorcas' Designs. Dorcas' coloring is pretty amazing: she uses coloring pencils and often color directly on kraft cardstock, which creates such a nice, rich look that it inspired me to give it a try. I had also seen the Mojo Monday sketch and with all of those inspiration sources in mind, the ideas started floating as I was sitting in my car, stuck in traffic on the way back from work. I had a very clear idea of what I wanted to do: use the teddy image, color with pencils on kraft cardstock, punch image with the Stamp punch and layer over the Scallop Square punch, and use soft shades of green, yellow, blue and pink.

Oh, how I wish I could have such a clear game plan in my head every time I create! This card took a little while to create because of the time allowed to coloring, but overall, it was still fairly quick since I had such a clear vision of what I wanted the end result to be.

You might have noticed I also used pieces from the Create & Keep SS kit (from the Occasions mini). I had decided on Pear Pizzazz + Calypso Coral + Pool Party + So Saffron as my colors and just as I was reaching for my stash of patterned to paper to find one for the background, I stumbled upon the Create & Keep kit and whaddya know, the colors all match!

The striped patterned paper comes from the Just Eat Cake DSP pack and I dry-embossed it with the polka dot Texturz plate. The green tag comes from the Create & keep kit, but I wanted to hide the English word and substitute a French sentiment, so I stamped "purely adorable" on a piece of cardstock and punched it out with the Small Oval punch, popped it up and added two pearls. The scallop borders also come from the die-cut kit and I added the smallest pearls on the top one.

The background was stamped with the A to Z stamp, which I am really sad to see retiring as it is one of my favorites (love to pair it with teacher or children projects or with typewriter images - it's just cute and versatile!).

 

 

Inspiration: Mojo Monday Sketch #237

Color Combo: So Saffron + Pear Pizzazz + Pool Party +
Calypso Coral + Crumb Cake
 

 

Stampin' Up! Supplies
Stamps: Every Little Bit, A to Z, Jolis mots
Cardstock: So Saffron, Pear Pizzazz, Pool Party, Calypso Coral, Crumb Cake
Designer paper: Just Eat Cake
Inks: So Saffron, Early Espresso, Crumb Cake
Accessories: Stampin' Dimensionals, Scallop Square punch, Stamp punch, Create & Keep kit,
Small Oval punch, Pearls, White grosgrain ribbon, Polka Dot Texturz plate, color pencils

 

Baby Buggy

This card's design is not my own, it is a slightly modified CASE of a beautiful card that was originally done by the very talented Carrie Gaskins, whose work I have admired long before she joined the Inkspirations team. I needed a baby shower card fast and didn't have time to design something from scratch, so I drew inspiration from something Carrie had done using one of my favorite set, Puns from the Past. I modified the sentiment, using a stamp instead of die-cut letters like she had, and I used some papers from the Love Birds SS kit. In her original, Carrie had used die-cut letters to create her sentiment, but I stamped mine using the now-retired Bienvenue bébé stamp.

I hadn't shared this up until now since this was a CASE, but I'm trying to catch up on projects I haven't posted yet, so there it is.

 

 

 

 

 

Stampin' Up! Supplies
Stamps: Puns from the Past, Incroyablement mignon
Cardstock: Confetti White, Pear Pizzazz, So Saffron
Simply Scrappin' : Love Birds
Inks: Pear Pizzazz, Blushing Bride, Early Espresso
Accessories: Polka Dot Perfection embossing folder, white envelope,
Big Designer button, Pear Pizzazz ribbon, white brads,
Scallop Trim border punch, distressing tool (Cutting Kit)

 

One Stamp Set, Three Ways - Little Additions

Bienvenue!

Let me start this post today by wishing you a very happy Bastille Day! Or should I say, un très bon Jour de la Bastille!

I have a very special reason to mention this today, as Paper Crafts magazine is celebrating this Holiday and showcasing a French card on their Paper Connections blog today, namely one of my own!! In light of this great honour, I decided to draw inspiration from one of my favorite columns from their mag where they feature one stamp set done three ways! Hence (using this word just for you, Angie!!) today, I am sharing not one, not two, but three new creations, and the stamp set that I selected is the brand-new Petits plus (available in English - Little Additions) from the 2011-2012 SU! catalogue.

This was the first set I spotted when I leafed through the new catalogue that made me go, "Ooh la la!" (Well, not really, but I just had to throw that expression in here somewhere!).  That set has that little je-ne-sais-quoi and works for a plethora of occasions.

 

Like a welcome baby boy card...

 
Inspiration: Clean and Simple Sketch #148

 

Tip: To space out the banner without having to wash your stamp between each banner to switch colours, stamp the banner on a piece of scrap paper to create a mask and use that mask between each blue banner as a guide to leave space in between each banner. Then, wash your stamp and go back to fill in the blanks stamping the banner in Crumb Cake ink.

 

 

Or a baby girl announcement...

 
Inspiration: The Sweet Stop sketch #115

Color Combo: Blushing Bride + Lucky Limeade + Basic Grey + Whisper White

 

Tip: That clothesline paper was entirely created with stamps from the set. The Stamp-a-Ma-Jig tool will be your best friend to achieve perfect placement and to use this stamp set in general.

 

 

Or how about, to step out of the box and use it in a different way, a get-well card:

 
Inspiration: Mojo Monday sketch #199

 

I like how this one turned out. The sentiment is from another new set called Douce Douzaine (also available in english, Delightful Dozen). The sentiment reads, "Get well soon." The only piece missing from the stamp set is a cute cushion to go with the chair, so I decided to make my own with the use of a corduroy brad for a touch of texture and fabric.

 

 

I hope you like those cards and that they inspire you to add some French flair to your creations - and maybe even a French word or two! If you create a French somethin'-somethin' of your own, drop me a link in the Comments section and I'll be sure to stop by and let you how magnifique your project turned out!

Bonne création!

 

 

Stampin' Up! Supplies

Project #1
Stamps: Petits plus (Little Additions)
Cardstock: Crumb Cake, Very Vanilla
Designer paper: First Edition, Frosty Day
Inks: Crumb Cake, Bashful Blue, Soft Suede
Accessories: Circle punches (2-1/2, 1-3/4), Stampin' Dimensionals,
Paper piercer and mat pack. Stamp-a-Ma-Jig

Project #2
Stamps: Petits plus (Little Additions), Douce douzaine (Delightful Dozen)
Cardstock: Whisper White, Lucky Limeade, Blushing Bride, Basic Grey
Designer papers: Just Add Cake
Inks: Lucky Limeade, Blushing Bride, Basic Grey
Accessories: Pinking Hearts border punch, White satin ribbon,
Pearl Basic Jewels, Stampin' Dimensionals

Project #3
Stamps: Petits plus (Little Additions)
Cardstock: Daffodil Delight, Pumpkin Pie, Old Olive, Whisper White
Simply Scrappin' Kit: Polka Dot (Summer Mini)
Inks: Pumpkin Pie, Rose Red, Soft Suede, Old Olive, Daffodil Delight
Accessories: Markers, Stamp-a-Ma-Jig, Scallop Circles #2 die,
Circle Scissors Plus, Pumpkin Pie satin ribbon, Shimmer brad,
Pumpkin Pie corduroy button, Stampin' Dimensionals

 

****************************************************

 

Bienvenue!

Laissez-moi vous souhaiter un très heureux Jour de la Bastille!

Le magazine Paper Crafts a décidé de souligner l'occasion en présentant aujourd'hui sur son blogue Paper Connections une carte en français, soit une de mes propres cartes!! À la lumière de ce bel honneur, j'ai décidé de m'inspirer d'un de leurs articles que j'apprécie particulièrement où leurs collaboratrices créent trois projets à partir d'un unique jeu d'estampes. De ce fait, je vous présente aujourd'hui non pas un ni bien deux, mais plutôt trois nouveaux projets, tous créés avec le nouveau jeu Petits plus tiré du catalogue et livre d'idées 2011-2012 SU! de SU!

Ce jeu m'a attiré l'oeil dès la première lecture du catalogue, autant de par son style unique que par la polyvalence qu'il offre. Voyez-vous même comment il est possible de l'utiliser pour créer...

 

- une carte de bienvenue pour un bébé garçon

 
Inspiration : Sketch Clean and Simple #148

 

Conseil : Pour espacer correctement votre bannière sans nettoyer l'estampe à chaque fois pour changer de couleur, créez un masque avec un papier brouillon, que vous utiliserez entre les bannières bleues pour laisser de l'espace. Nettoyez ensuite votre estampe et remplissez les trous en estampant la bannière en Brune dune.

 

 

- un avis de naissance pour une fillette

 
Inspiration: The Sweet Stop sketch #115
Combinaison de couleurs : Fleur de cerisier +
Citron coco + Simplement gris + Murmure blanc

 

Conseil : La corde à linge a été créée entièrement à l'aide d'estampes. Le Stamp-a-Ma-Jig sera votre meilleur allié pour placer correctement vos images et pour utiliser ce jeu d'estampes en général.

 

 

- une carte de prompt rétablissement (question de faire changement!)

 
Inspiration : Sketch Mojo Monday #199

 

 

 

J'aime bien le résultat final de cette carte. Le souhait est tiré d'un nouveau jeu appelé Douce Douzaine. Le seul morceau qui manque au jeu et que j'aurais aimé ajouter était un coussin sur le fauteuil. J'ai réglé le problème en utilisant une attache parisienne de velours côtelé pour ajouter de la texture et une touche de tissu.

En espérant que ces projets vous inspireront à créer vous aussi!

 

 

Produits Stampin' Up! utilisés

Projet #1
Estampes : Petits plus
Papier cartonné: Brune dune, Très vanille
Papiers à motifs : First Edition, Frosty Day
Encres : Brune dune, Bleu timide, Doux suède
Accessoires : Poinçons Cercle (2-1/2, 1-3/4), Stampin' Dimensionals,
Tapis de coupe et perce-papier. Stamp-a-Ma-Jig

Projet #2
Estampes : Petits plus, Douce douzaine
Papier cartonné : Murmure blanc, Citron coco, Fleur de cerisier, Simplement gris
Papiers à motifs : Collet serré
Encres : Citron coco, Fleur de cerisier, Simplement gris
Accessoires : Poinçon bordure Dentelle à coeurs, ruban de satin blanc,
perles, Stampin' Dimensionals

Project #3
Estampes : Petits plus
Papier cartonné : Narcisse délice, Tarte au potiron, Vert olive, Murmure blanc
Trousse Simply Scrappin' : Pois enchantés (Minicatalogue d'été)
Encres : Tarte au potiron, Rose rouge, Doux suède, Vert olive, Narcisse délice
Accessoires : Marquuers, Stamp-a-Ma-Jig, découpe Cercles festonnés #2,
Circle Scissors Plus, ruban de satin Tarte au potiron, attache parisienne scintillante,
bouton de velours côtelé Tarte au potiron, Stampin' Dimensionals

 

Pumpkin Thanks

All my stamping done this week has been for projects I cannot share just yet, so I looked at my pictures folder to see if there was anything I hadn't share yet that I could add today. I found this thank you card I had done last fall for Tammy, would was nice enough to give me a beautiful billboard she had done for me after I presented at a team event. She wasn't even the person in charge of organizing the event, she did it "just because," which touched me even more!

The card was done with the Paisley Prints set that was sold in the Holidays mini last year. I was totally in love with that pumpkin and used it on quite a few projects. (Remember my story book? This was used for the Cinderella story.)

The card background was wheeled with the Texture wheel and I die-cut a scallop square out of Peach Parfait DSP (from the retired In Color hostess pack) using the Clear Scallop Square die and decorated the corners with rhinestones.

The ribbon and cardstock were decorated with lines of rub-ons. That's what I like so much about rub-ons: they will stick to pretty much any surface (glossy pictures, fabric, ribbon, cork, plastic, cello bags, etc.). I also used one for the sentiment.

The pumpkin was inked with Pumpkin Pie ink and then rolled into Tango Tangerine ink for shading and I used a marker to color the tip in Baja Breeze. (Tip: Use a clean blending pen to take off the ink on the part you want to color with your marker first.) The image was then punch with the Decorative Label punch and I layered some leaves punched with the two-step bird punch underneath.

 

 

 

 
Color combo: Riding Hood Red + Peach Passion + Baja Breeze

 

 

Stampin' Up! Supplies
Stamps: Paisley Prints, Texture wheel
Cardstock: Baja Breeze, Whisper White, Riding Hood Red
Designer papers: Walk in the Park DSP
Inks: Tango Tangerine, Pumpkin Pie, Baja Breeze
Accessories: Scallop Square die, markers, rhinestones, Corner Rounder punch,
envelope template, rub-ons, striped grosgrain ribbon, Two-step Bird punch

 

Retiring List: Love Birds Simply Scrappin' Kit - Baby Birdie

I am still working on using as much as my supplies from the current catalogue before they retired and as I was looking at the chipboard pieces still left in my Perfect Pair kit (quite a lot, actually - those chipboard kits really go the distance!), I remembered I had read in the catalogue that the chipboard birds match the bird sticky die-cuts in the Love Birds Simply Scrappin' kit. That wa the starting point to this card and the rest came together very quickly.

I had already decided to use the Pals Paper Arts sketch (PPA98) and looking at the sticky die-cuts, I noticed the small bird. While this one doesn't match a chipboard piece, I thought I could use my punches to create a nest for it and turn the card into a mother and baby bird card. I created the nest by punching the Small Oval punch (retiring with this catalogue) and the Scallop Oval punch.

Then, I remembered the Sweetness Unlimited individual stamp would be leaving soon and decided to use it as my main sentiment. I inked it with markers (Pear Pizzazz and Blushing Bride, omitting the brackets and stamped it on Whisper White cardstock, and then I overstamped the Fine Flourish stamp in So Saffron to add a subtle texture in the back. I then used the Large Oval punch to punch out my sentiment and layered it over a sticky circle from the SS kit (a little trick I use to hide the English words when I need a French sentiment).

The branch, border and hearts were also all sticky die-cuts from the kit. The Saffron patterned paper was run through the Big Shot using the Perfect Polka Dots embossing folder for added texture.

Thanks to the SS kit, this card took about half an hour to do. It is so much quicker when everything is already cut for you and matches!

 

Retiring items:

• Sweetness Unlimited stamp
• Love Birds Simply Scrappin' Kit
• Small Oval punch

 

 

 

 

Stampin' Up! Supplies
Stamps: Incroyablement mignon (Sweetness Unlimited), Fine Flourish
Cardstock: So Saffron, Whisper White, Pear Pizzazz
Simply Scrappin' Kit: Love Birds
Inks: So Saffron
Punches: Small Oval, Large Oval, Scallop Oval
Accessories: Markers, Stampin' Dimensionals, Perfect Pair chipboard,
Perfect Polka Dots embossing folder, envelope

 

Occasions Mini Feature: Cute as a Button

Today, I am sharing a card I had originally created for and submitted to PaperCrafts magazine. It showcases the Sweet Stitches papers, buttons and rub-ons, the In Stitches wheel as well as the A Slice of Life hostess stamp set.

I stamped the baby onesie on watercolor paper with StazOn ink, used a blending pen and ink to watercolor it and then layered it over a Decorative Label rub-on punched with the matching punch. I wanted the sentiment to read, "Cute as a button" and use one of the button rub-on to finish the sentence, so I pulled out my trusty Calendar Alphabet stamp set and created the sentiment myself. Whether you are a scrapbooker or a card-maker, I would strongly recommend getting this alpha set because I have used it on a ton of different projects ever since winning it at convention when it first came out. I love that I can write all sorts of captions with it due to its small size and use the numbers from the set to add dates.

Anyway, the rest of the card is pretty straightfoward, as I used my unmounted In Stitches wheel to add stitching all around the background paper and then added the four matching buttons around my main image to frame it.

  

 

 

 

Stampin' Up! Supplies

Stamps: A Slice of Life, Calendar Alphabet & Numbers, In Stitches wheel
Cardstock: Pink pirouette, Tempting Turquoise, watercolor paper
Designer papers: Sweet Stitches DSP
Inks: Black StazOn, Pretty in Pink, Regal Rose, Certainly Celery, Wild Wasabi, Early Espresso
Accessories: Blending pen, Sweet Stitches rub-ons, Sweet Stitches buttons,
Stampin' Dimensionals, Decorative Label punch