Encre, papier, ciseaux

Convention Display Sample #2: You're Amazing - Clear Blue Skies Ahead

This one is just pure fun. I seem to have a thing for the cute hot air balloon images SU! comes out with and I was eager to play with the one from the You're Amazing set. I selected some Baja Breeze Designer paper from the Floral District collection to create the background sky. I used other papers from this same pack to create the background pieces and handcut a scallop border out of the flowery paper (following the flowers outline to create the scallops).

Since there was some orange in the Designer paper, I thought I would pull out my Tango Tangerine embossing powder to make the sentiment stand out. Clouds were created using the Cupcake punch, and the hot air balloons were colored with markers, handcut and popped up on Stampin' Dimensionals. I added a bow made out of the new stitched grosgrain ribbon and decorated the middle of the bow with a Brights Designer button with a pearl in the center.

I don't know that this card made it to the sample boards, I haven't spotted it in any pictures. If you've seen it at Convention, let me know!  

 

 

 

Stampin' Up! Supplies
Stamps: Tu es incroyable (You're Amazing)
Cardstock: Rose Red, Old Olive
Designer paper: Floral District
Inks: Versamark
Accessories: Daffodil Delight stitched ribbon, Brights Designer buttons,
Pearl basic jewels, Tango Tangerine embossing powder, Stampin' Markers,
Stampin' Dimensionals, Brights brads, Cupcake punch

 

Convention Display Sample #1: You're Amazing - Page

I was lucky enough to have been asked to be a Display Stamper for this year's convention. I was waiting for convention to be over to share pictures of my projects online, but now that convention has come and gone, I can finally show you what I've been working on while I was MIA from my blog in June.

I thought it would make sense to share the very first project I put together when my box of new supplies arrived to begin. I knew I would have to keep up the pace to be done in time, so I decided to start with the scrapbook pages first since they are generally more time-consuming than cards are (for me, at least - but you know how involved my pages are). I reached for the You're Amazing set and looked through my pictures to find something that would work. I found this picture of my dad taken on the golf course when we all went to play together a couple of years ago. ("Play" golf is a loose term, as I generally have to swing three times before sending both the ball and a divot flying a few feet in front of me!) I wanted to use some of the new In Colors as well, and they worked great with the picture. Since the In Color are darker this year, they'll be wonderful to use on masculine projects.

 

TIP: Wondering how I created the circles in the background? They are actually the leftover rubber rings you get from the Daydream Medallions set!! Don't throw those out - they are great on their own to create frames or background!

 

The little hearts patterned paper comes from the Patio Party DSP pack. The page title was created using the Apothecary Accents Framelits and a sentiment from the You're Amazing stamp set. I embossed the back piece using the Houndstooth embossing folder and I added two small hearts on each side of the main panel - one punched out of Raspberry cardstock and the other, a clear Bitty button. The background was embossed with the Houndstooth embossing folder (one of my personal fave) and I handcut the words to pop them up on Dimensionals. I also used a second image from the set (the elephant) and a second Framelits from the same set to create my corner accent. I layered the die-cut image over the Lattice die-cut, which I cut out of two colours of cardstock and pieced back again on the page. My advice for you is to cover the back of the cardstock with a piece of Big Shot adhesive sheet before die-cutting the Lattice. Then, all you have to do is peel off the back and the pieces are ready to glue in place. Such a time-saving step! I added a banner die-cut with the Bitty Banners Framelits and added the date with a matching marker.

At left, I added a piece of Gumball Green ribbon, a piece of rickrack die-cut with the Tasteful Trims die and a row of tickets that I stamped repeatedly with the use of the Stamp-a-Ma-Jig and handcut. I added a line of piercing in between each ticket to mimick real ones.

I handwrote my sentiment with a white gel pen. I didn't like how it was floating around on the page, so I pulled out my paper piercer and mat pack and added piercing around it to link it to the page. Then, to mirror the piercing, I did the same thing at the top of the picture - and it just so happened to line up perfectly with part of the picture, so it looks like I've thought of everything! (I hadn't - just a happy coincidence!)

I had some Regals Design buttons on hand, so I added a few to my background to some of the stamped circles. Such a fun touch!

 

 

 
Color Combo: Midnight Muse + Gumball Green + Baja Breeze +
Summer Starfruit + Raspberry Ripple

 

Up on the display boards

 

 

Stampin' Up! Supplies
Stamps: Tu es incroyable (You're Amazing), Daydream Medallions scrap rubber (circles)
Cardstock: Midnight Muse
Designer paper: Patio Party
Inks: Midnight Muse, Versamark
Accessories: Gold embossing powder, Houndstooth embossing folder, Apothecary Accents Framelits,
Regals Design buttons, Lattice die, Big Shot adhesive sheets

 

Two Reasons to Smile

The Reason to Smile promotion is coming to an end on July 31st. Don't miss out on your chance of getting your own copy of this exclusive set! 

 

 

Stamps: Reason to Smile
Paper: Certainly Celery, Pink Pirouette, Whisper White
Ink: Certainly Celery, Pretty in Pink, Basic Grey
Accessories: Grey striped satin ribbon, Vintage faceted button,
pearls, spritzer tool, markers, white envelope

 

 

 

Stamps: Reason to Smile
Paper: More Mustard, Rose Red, Old Olive, Chocolate Chip, Whisper White
Ink: Chocolate Chip, Rose Red, More Mustard
Accessories: Dazzling Details, Button, Early Espresso taffeta ribbon,
Tag Corner punch, white envelope

 

Capturing Butterflies

I was so excited to finally receive the Perfectly Preserved set and play with it. Based on the many samples that have already appeared online, I am predicting this will be a popular one. I was looking at my stash of patterned paper to get started on the card and found the Afternoon Daydream SS kit, which I haven't used yet. As I pulled out the sticky die-cuts sheets and spotted the butterflies, I knew they would work perfectly with the preserve image!

The top of the preserve was die-cut out of actual Designer fabric using the Preserve Framelits and I tied a piece of Pool Party baker's twine around it. (I glued the fabric on a scrap of cardstock using Snail before die-cutting it so that the fabric would be easier to handle.) The preserve was stamped in Basic Grey on Whisper White cardstock and I added the two butterflies inside, then decorated their bodies with three little pearls.

To create the mat for the image, I used the new Framelits that are coming out in the seasonal catalogue called Window Frames. I drew a smaller frame inside using markers and a smaller size of Framelits as a template.

The sentiment comes from the Seasonal Sayings set (also from the seasonal catalogue). Isn't it cute? I inked it with markers to get the two tones, die-cut it with a frame from the Apothecary Accents Framelits set and added two Pool Party In Color polka dot brads.

The back flower was created by adding sticky die-cuts to a doily that was die-cut using the new Delicate Doilies Sizzlits die. The two white borders were also created using the Big Shot (Delicate Designs embossing folder and Large Scallops Edgelit) and I added a sticky die-cut to create the grey border.

 

 

Color Combo: Pool Party + Primerose Petal + More Mustard +
Basic Grey + Whisper White

 

 

Stampin' Up! Supplies
Stamps: Perfectly Preserved, Mots de saison (Seasonal Sayings)
Cardstock: Pool Party, More Mustard, Whisper White
Simply Scrappin' Kit: Afternoon Daydream
Ink: Basic Grey, Primerose Petal, Pool Party
Big Shot: Perfectly Preserved Framelits, Delicate Designs embossing golder,
Large Scallop Edgelit, Apothecary Accents Framelits, Delicate Doilies die
Accessories: In Color polka dot brads, Markers, Stampin' Dimensionals, Pearls, White envelope, Twitterpated Designer fabric, Pool Party baker's twine

 

July Tour de Freaks - So What's New With You?

 

Psst... If you are reading this post on the 19th, please note that we are getting the tour ready and testing the links to make sure everything is working. The official tour begins on the 20th, so if you cannot make the whole round tonight, hang in there with us!

   

Welcome to our June Tour de Freaks! This tour is brought to you by the Control Freaks Stampers members and if you have been following the tour, you should have gotten to my blog by clicking on the link provided by Jason Casper on his blog. If you are just starting out, make sure to visit all fifteen blogs that are part of the tour today by following the links provided at the bottom of each post. Our theme this month is Freak for All - Convention Swaps and Holiday Catalog!!! New stuff from the annual catalogue, new stuff from the Holidays catalogue, some of the Freaks will share with you their convention swaps... Lots and lots to see!

So without further ado, here are the fun projects I would like to share with you this month!

 

 

My first project: Old-fashioned Holidays

From the Holidays catalogue: Core'dinations cardstock and sanding system, Champagne glimmer paper, Joyous Celebrations stamp set, Gumball Green embossing powder, tulle trim, Holiday Frame embossing folder

Technique: The new Core'dinations cardstock has a dark colour on its surface and a matching paler shade in the center, which will show when you tear the edges or sand the surface. I embossed the cardstock using the Holiday Frame embossing folder then sanded the surface of the embossed design to bring it out.

Another great plus: the Core'dinations cardstock is textured, so if you are missing our textured cardstock, this is a great way to enjoy it again!

 

 

 

 

 

Supplies
Stamps: Joyous Celebrations
Cardstock: Cherry Cobbler Core'dinations, Early Espresso Core'dinations,
Very Vanilla, Gumball Green
Inks: Early Espresso, Gumball Green, Cherry Cobbler, Versamark
Punches: Large Oval
Big Shot: Window Frames Collection Framelits, Woodgrain embossing folder,
Holiday Frame embossing folder
Accessories: Champagne glimmer paper, Large pearls, Pearls basic Jewels,
Cherry Cobbler tulle trim, Gumball Green embossing powder, Stampin' Dimensionals,
Sanding block, Glimmer brads, Vanilla envelope
 

 

 

My second project: Upcycling!

New items: Patio Party DSP, 2012-2014 In Color satin ribbons, In Color Dahlias, Vintage faceted button

Details: I got this basket at the market (it contained strawberries). I immediately thought it would look great if I spruced it up a bit with ribbon. There was already a basket weave pattern in the plastic, so I simple wove the satin ribbons under and over the plastic to hold it in place. I tied the ends in a bow - three on one side, three on the other - and added a dahlia ornement in a matching color in the center of each bow.

I added patterned paper outside and inside the basket to hide the company's logo, as well as in the bottom and on the handle to pretty it up. I threaded a glimmer brad through a vintage faceted button to add to the handle as well. My ribbon spools will look so pretty sitting on my desk now!

  

  

 

 

 

Supplies
Designer paper: Patio Party
Accessories: In Color satin ribbon, In color Dahlias,
Vintage faceted button, Glimmer brad, Basket

    

  

 And now onto your next step on the tour, with Patty Bennett's wonderful creations!

 

Saying Thanks

I needed some thank you cards so I pulled out the design paper packs I have that are down to a last few scraps and made some cute 3 x 3 cards with them. Here are a few designs that I managed to piece together using old papers paired with new stamps: The matching envelopes were all made out of Designer paper using the Simply Scored and Diagonal plate.

 

With hostess set Four Seasons and Bitty Banners

 

With Reason to Smile set (July promotion)

 

With From My Heart set

The Art of Cross Stitch

One of my other hobbies besides stamping and scrapbooking is counted cross stitch. While I always dabbled in various crafty endeavours growing up, cross stitch was the first craft that I adopted and became really passionate about. While stamping has since taken over as my #1 hobby, I still like to cross stitch, especially when I am sitting in front of the TV. I can't stand having idle hands! Just like I love fancy cards, I enjoy intricate cross stitch patterns as well. Not counting the Christmas ornament set I learned to cross stitch on, the very first project I picked for myself was Camelot Sampler, by Teresa Wentzler. It had beading, over-one stitching, backstitch and specialty stitches, so not exactly a beginner's piece. I kept going back to this chart in the store but was afraid it would be too complex for a beginner. I finally bought it after the owner told me that if I really loved it, I would stitch it. It took me eight months and countless hours, but I did see it through! That was twelve years ago, and I have since completed many more pieces, some of which are framed and displayed on my walls, and others that are sitting in a box under my bed.

Needless to say, I got very excited when I leafed through the new catalogue and spotted the Hoop La La set. There wasn't any doubt in my mind that I was getting this one - and right on my first order, too! It was also my stamp set pick when I signed up for the new catalogue swap with the Control Freaks group. I thought it would be a good opportunity to use some of the fabric I have on hand, so I ripped it into little squares to add texture to my card.

The fun font sentiment comes from the hostess set Wacky Wishes and the outline was die-cut using the Apothery Accents die.  I used our new piercing template to add piercing all around the die-cut. The card background was stamped with the In Stitches wheel, which goes very nicely with this set.

To create the main image, I die-cut a piece of Whisper White cardstocking using the Circles die, used the Stamp-a-Ma-Jig to line the hoop in the center and then added the stitching image and the needle on top (inked with a marker so that I could stamp only the needle without the floss). Then, I pierced holes in my image and added some real needlework floss in a matching color.

 

 

Color Combo: Gumball Green + Pool Party + So Saffron + Raspberry Ripple

 

 

Stampin' Up! Supplies
Stamps: In Stitches wheel, Hoop La La, Faites vos voeux ! (Wacky Wishes)
Cardstock: Gumball Green, Pool Party, So Saffron, Raspberry Ripple, Whisper White
Inks: Gumball Green, Pool Party, Raspberry Ripple, Basic Grey
Accessories: Circles die, Apothecary Accents Framelits, piercing template, papier piercer,
Neutrals brads, Stamp-a-Ma-Jig, Spice Cake Designer fabric, Scallop Square Duo die,
needlework floss (DMC), Stampin' Dimensionals

 

Wedding Invitations

A colleague's friend who is getting married wanted to make her own wedding invitations and she was referred to me for help. It was the first time I sat down with a bride to come up with a design for her to use, but it went wonderfully well. She seemed really pleased with the design we came up with and had even decided coming in after flipping through the catalogue that she wanted to buy a Big Shot. It made my designing job SO much easier because we were able to play with embossing folders for a fast and beautiful result. She also later bought the Favor Box die to make her own favors.

While I didn't photograph her personalized sample when we were done, I did prepare a couple of quick samples to have something to show her as a starting point for our conversation. I kept those extremely simple, knowing that she had never done paper crafts before and that she had over a hundred invitations to make.

I thought I would share those with you in case anyone is looking for ideas. The text does not pertain to the bride I met, it is an example of a wedding invitation text I found online and copied in Word.

 

 

 

Stampin' Up! Supplies
Cardstock: Brushed Silver, Vellum
Big Shot: Adorning Accents folder
Accessories: Daffodil Delight seam binding, Pearls

 

 

 

Stampin' Up! Supplies
Cardstock: Baja Breeze, Vellum
Big Shot: Manhattan Flowers embossing folder
Accessories: Scallop Trim border punch, Pearls, Early Espresso taffeta ribbon

 

 

 

Stampin' Up! Supplies
Cardstock: Baja Breeze, Very Vanilla
Big Shot: Elegant Lines embossing folder
Accessories: Pearls Basic Jewels, Victoria Lace Trim, Scallop Edge punch

 

Cheery Wrapper

I needed thank you treats for two of my downline members, so I decided to use my preorder supplies so that a) I could have fun with it and b) they could see the new products first-hand.

The Treat boxes were done with the new Gumball Green Core'dinations cardstock. I love that it's textured - I was so sad to see the textured cardstock leave, so I guess I have these three colors to cheer me up. I used some Designer papers from the Be of Good Cheer pack and tied the sides with the lovely sweater trim that will be coming out in the Holidays catalogue.

The name tags were created using the fun Joyous Celebrations set and punched with the Wide Oval punch, a perfect match. I handwrote the names using markers.

 

  

 

 

Stampin' Up! Supplies
Stamps: Joyous Celebrations
Cardstock: Very Vanilla, Gumball Green Core'dinations
Designer paper: Be of Good Cheer
Inks: Gumball Green, Cherry Cobbler
Accessories: Brads, Vintage faceted button, Candy Wrapper die, Markers,
Stampin' Dimensionals, Cherry Cobbler Sweater Trim

 

A Birthday Smile

A coworker commissioned me to make a birthday card for a fellow colleague. I knew that her style was very soft and feminine, so I decided to ink the Reason to Smile set and some leftover Design papers I had found in my stash when cleaning for my yard sale. I was down to just a few pieces, one of which was large enough to make an envelope out of.

I'm pretty pleased with how this one turned out, if I may say so myself. My favorite part is the scallop border created with the full flowers. I also like the clear vintage button (can you tell I love those? They keep popping on all of my latest creations...) with the brown glimmer brad added in the center.

Tip : One part of the card I want to point out is the "Bonne fête". I know a lot of stampers were hoping to get a "bonne fête" stamp from SU! instead of the usual "joyeux anniversaire". This stamp comes from the Voeux joyeux et nombreux set and if you look in the catalogue, you'll notice it reads, "Bonnes fêtes" (plural), because it refers to the Holidays. I knew I wouldn't be using it in this context, so I used my kraft knife to take away the extra S's from the sentiment.

 

 

 

Color Combo: River Rock + Midnight Muse + Certainly Celery

 

 

Stampin' Up Supplies
Stamps: Reason to Smile, Voeux nombreux et joyeux
Cardstock: River Rock, Very Vanilla, Certainly Celery, Bayou Blue
Design paper: Porcelain Prints
Inks: Midnight Muse, Certainly Celery, River Rock
Accessories: Neutrals glimmer brad, Clear vintage buttons, lace trim,
Finishing Touches Edgelits, Envelope template

 

From my Nest to Yours

I made this card when my friend Maggie visited. She had brought along some new supplies, so I was able to borrow her For the Birds set and Floral Frames Framelits. I had first cut the big Safron flower and embossed it with the Chevron folder for another project, but couldn't manage to make it work, so I put it aside and it became the starting point of this card (which worked much better!).

The bird image was stamped on White cardstock, colored with markers and die-cut with one of the Floral Frames Framelits. It was matted with another flower from the same Framelits set (as you can see, it includes not only various sizes, but various shapes as well) and a flower made with the Blossom punch. The leaves were created using the Oval punch and then using it again to take part of the oval away to create the leaf shape. I pierced a border all around the Saffron flower (eyeballing it - no template for those Framelits yet) and added a stamped border at right. That border comes from my unmounted In Stitches wheel, in case you were wondering where the heck that came from.

Finally, the sentiment comes from the Curly Cute set. I used one of the stitches from the In Stitches wheel to "sew" the sentiment strip in place. (I recommend stamping it before you glue it down on your project to avoid having to mask.)

 

 

Color Combo: Pool Party + So Saffron + Gumball Green + Raspberry Ripple

 

 

Stampin' Up! Supplies
Stamps: For the Birds, In Stitches wheel, Jolies pensées (Curly Cute)
Cardstock: Pool Party, So Saffron, Raspberry Ripple, Gumball Green, Whisper White
Inks: Gumball Green, BAsic Black
Big Shot: Chevron embossing folder, Floral Frames Framelits
Accessories: Markers, Piercing tool, Stampin' Dimensionals, Blossom punch, Oval punch

 

What Up?

I totally fell in love with the Animal Talk set the minute I saw it. So cute, so original, so different! And available in French - score!!!

The main image was created by inking the frog image using markers and stamping it on Whisper White cardstock. It felt a little bare, so I got the idea of adding a frame made of Iridescent Ice powder.

 

TIP: To create the embossed frame, I rolled a clear block around in Versamark, Rock 'n Roll style, and stamped it over my image, then pourred Iridescent Ice embossing powder on the Versamark. A quick and easy way to frame an image!

 

I added an embossed frame over it using the Designer Frames embossing folders. Then, I placed a green glimmer brad in the center of a vintage faceted designer button (told you I love 'em!) and added it to the corner of my frame. Four rhinestones in each corner finish the main panel.

The background was created with two embossed panels: I embossed the Argyle background on a piece of Melon Mambo DSP from the Brights pack and the Chevron on a piece of Perfect Plum cardstock and if you look closely, you'll see I added piercing in between each zigzag. Those two panels were matted with white cardstock and I added a piece of Lucky Limeade baker's thread at the bottom.

To stamp the card base, I pulled out one of our most versatile sets, Confetti. I thought the fun dots would match the whimsical frog nicely, so I stamped those tone on tone over my background. Since I was using Melon Mambo on my project, I thought it would be a great occasion to pull out the matching embossing powder to emboss my sentiment on a tag die-cut using the Lots of Tags die set.

 

 

 

Color Combo: Perfect Plum + Melon Mambo + Lucky Limeade

 

 

Stampin' Up! Supplies
Stamps: Confetti, Paroles d'animaux (Animal Talk)
Cardstock: Lucky Limeade, Whisper White, Perfect Plum
Designer paper: Brights Designer paper pack
Inks: Versamark, Lucky Limade
Accessories: Lucky Limeade baker's twine, Vintage Faceted button, glimmer brad,
Iridescent Ice embossing powder, clear block, Designer Frames embossing folders,
Lots of Tags die, Rhinestones, Brads, Melon Mambo embossing powder,
Stampin' Dimensionals, Markers, Argyle folder, Chevron folder, White envelope

 

Polar Cutie

Isn't this bear just adorable, especially when it's wearing polka dots? I really like how this one turned out, probably because I am in love with those patterned papers. I sent this card to PaperCrafts for publication and I am a little bummed it didn't get picked, although I know it's a little too involved compared to their usual picks. It was based on an awesome sketch, which you might recognize because I used it a second time on my Hola Tequila card that I shared a while ago.

The sentiment, which is embossed with Pewter powder, reads, "Make a Wish," which gave me the idea to add the paper star, which I embellished with a bit of Champagne Stickles and a button.

I created a border on each layer of paper. I added long stitches to the first one using baker's twine; I used paper piercing on the second, pushing my needle all the way through on some of the holes to make them bigger; I used a blanket stitch and embroidery floss on the third layer.

The polar bear was paper pieced using polka dot cardstock for the body and houndstooth paper for the paws and nose. I used a marker to add shading as well. I inked the edges of everything using the Tea Stain ink from the Distressing kit. I love it! SU! included this ink in our Leadership pack and it is the perfect shade to give a yellowed distressed edge to papers. It also matches the yellowed edges of some papers like Cosmo Cricket perfectly.  

 

 

 

 

 

Supplies
Stamps: Big Bear (TCP), Fais un voeu (SU!)
Cardstock: Chatterbox
Designer paper: American Crafts, Bo Bunny
Inks: Versamark, Tea Stain, Basic Brown
Accessories: Paper piercer, Mat Pack, baker's twine (My Mind's Eye), Paper Star (Primas),
Champagne Stickles (Ranger), Buttons (Autumn Leaves), embroidery floss (DMC),
Corner Rounder punch, Markers, Stampin' Dimensionals

 

Bring on the Ribbon Shares!

I received the ribbons I had ordered for shares a few weeks ago and decided I wanted to find a cute way to package them for customers. I even initialed each of their packages using the Broadsheet Alphabet. (See, you can use those alphabets even if you are not a scrapbooker!) Here is what the packages looked like:

I used some of our latest Designer papers, Patio Party and Floral District. The big topper was die-cut using the Oval Accent Bigz Clear die and accented with the Frame from the Apothecary Accents Framelits set. The small topper was created with the Labels Collection Framelits added on top of one of our 4 x 6 cello bags (see them on page 161 of the catalogue).

 

 

 

 

Supplies
Stamps: Broadsheet Alphabet
Cardstock: Very Vanilla, Whisper White, So Saffron, Summer Starfruit
Designer paper: Patio Party, Floral District
Inks: Midnight Muse, Gumball Green
Big Shot: Oval Accent die, Labels Collection Framelits, Apothecary Accents Framelits
Accessories: Brads, Stampin' Dimensionals, Cello bag, Scallop Circle punch

 

Friends? Yes, please!

I was all over that From my Heart set when it came out because it's the first time we have a sentiment set in French with an elaboate design (as opposed to just straightforward font). I am always looking to widening my sentiment collection as I feel this is what allows me to truly customize a project for a specific occasion. I particularly liked the stamp in this set that reads, "Friends? Yes, please!" Thought it was just charming.

This is the very first card I created when I received my first order from the new catalogue. Unfortunately, since I was too busy to blog at that moment, it kind of got put aside until today. It showcases a few other new elements: the border embossing folders, a new In Color (Summer Starfruit - love it!), the piercing templates and the new tiny punches, which I added to the center of the flowers.

I used the piercing template to add the scallop border on all four sides of the polka dot paper to create a pierced frame and I also used it to add a pierced frame around the stamped circle.

The unusual color combo was inspired by ColourQ combo #142. The Summer Starfruit polka dot paper is from the gorgeous Patio Party DSP pack. You are going to see this one used a lot because it is my favorite paper this year. The colours and designs are so, SO yummy!

The right border was created with one of the embossing folders from the Delicate Designs pack. I added punched flowers (with the Boho Blossoms punch) in the center of each lace circle and mini silver brads in the center of each dot. The center of the flower was punched out of Summer Starfruit cardstock using the new Little Labels punch pack.

The main image was created by stamping the image and embossing it with silver embossing powder, then punching it out with a Circle punch. I then stamped the same image again in Island Indigo on Pool Party cardstock and I paper pieced the banner using Dimensionals. I also colored the teapot using my Calypso Coral marker and highlighted the text using my Pool Party marker.

 

 

Color Combo: Island Indigo + Pool Party + Cal

 

 

 Stampin' Up! Supplies
Stamps: Du fond du coeur
Cardstock: Calypso Coral, Pool Party, Island Indigo, Whisper White, Summer Starfruit
Designer paper: Patio Party
Inks: Versamark, Island Indigo
Accessories: Markers, Silver embossing powder, Circle punches, Little Labels punch,
Delicate Borders embossing folder, Boho Blossoms punch, Brad, Mini Silver Brads,
In Color polka dot brads, Stampin' Dimensionals, Papier Piercer, Piercing Templates

 

Many Mittens

This is the third and final projects Angie and I worked on together. We did a double whammy and selected two challenges: the Retro Sketch #18 and a beautiful color combo she found on Design Seeds. (I had never seen that blog before, the inspiration pieces are great!)

I will admit, I absolutely loved the colours in the inspiration pic and struggled to find a similar combo with the cardstock I had on hand. Some of the retired colors might have been a better match, but I wanted to keep this current. Old Olive would also have been a closer match, but by picking Gumball Green instead, I was able to play with the new Core'Dinations cardstock.

I wanted to ink the new Make a Mitten set and use the matching Mitten punch. (I can hear some of you getting excited about a new set with matching punch!) I used elements of the set to decorate each mitten differently and I used the border stamps to create the pattern on the green cardstock. Speaking of the green cardstock, the Core'Dinations cardstock have a paler center, so you get a two-tone look when you sand the surface or edges off, which I did here before adding my stamping.

The sweater trim is another fun item that will be coming out in the seasonal mini. It is available in Cherry Cobbler, Gumball Green and Whisper White and I just had to get all three colors because I think it makes such a fun addition to projects. I decorated the center with a clear vintage button trimmed with a rhinestone. The background was embossed with the new Fancy Fan embossing folder (annual catalogue) and the Crumb Cake piece was die-cut with the Labels Collection Framelits. I used the new piercing template to add a pierced row all around my die-cut. The templates featured in the annual catalogue match our punches, but we offer additional templates in the seasonal catalogue, which match our Framelits. So cool! I am really excited about those templates. They are an inexpensive way to add finishing to our projects. (Piercing don't cost a dime!)

The sentiment was a leftover piece I had from my first card. I had stamped the sentiment from the Petite Pairs set and punched it out with the Ticket punch but the white didn't punch enough so I set it aside, then decided I could use it on this card. If you are wondering where the little diamonds on each side come from, they were leftovers, too. I made a box last week using the Core'Dinations cardstock and the Candy Wrapper die and the little squares are the leftover pieces from each end of the wrapper. I kept them, thinking I could make a cool border or something.

 

 

 

Color Combo: Bashful Blue + Marina Mist + Midnight Muse +
Crumb Cake + Gumball Green

 

Stampin' Up! Supplies
Stamps: Make a Mitten, Quelques lignes (Petite Pairs)
Cardstock: Crumb Cake, Marina Mist, Bashful Blue, Whisper White,
Gumball Green Core'Dinations cardstock
Inks: Marina Mist, Bashful Blue, Midnight Muse
Accessories: Labels Collection Framelits, Mitten punch, Rhinestones,
Fancy Fan embossing folder, Corner Rounder punch, White sweater trim,
Clear vintage button, White envelope, Ticket punch, Markers, Sanding block



Making Snow Angels

One of the challenges Angie and I agreed to tackle on Sunday was the ColourQ colour combo. I liked that it was different from combos I've worked with in the past and the variety of themes it could work for. Some of the DT members had made patriotic cards with the colours, but I thought they would work great on a winter card for a different look... and I was pretty eager to ink my new seasonal catalogue supplies, too!

One of the sets that immediately caught my eye is Wonderful Winterland. It is fun and whimsical, with cute line art images that are small enough to be watercoloured quickly. When I saw the little boy making snow angels, I immediately thought it would look SO cute if I lined him up with Liquid Appliqué to make a puffy outline around him. Unfortunately, we don't carry the Liquid Appliqué anymore (we used to), but since the colour combo itself was requiring the use of retired colours, I figured the card wouldn't count as a sample showing current products anyway, so I sneaked a few more retired items in there, all originally from Stampin' Up! (Mini jingle bells, old buttons, Night of Navy hostess pack DSP, the Snow Burst embossing folder - still bummed that one retired with the Holidays mini - grosgrain ribbon and organza ribbon)

The sample also showcases some brand-new items, namely the Window Frames Framelits and the Rococo metal frames. Aren't those fantastic? As you can see, they match our Decorative Label punch perfectly. I was so excited, I got two packs of frames right off the bat! The beautiful clear vintage button on the ribbon is also new from the annual catalogue. Their intricate cuts make them so exquisite, I'm already thinking I should have gotten more than one pack so I can put those everywhere, especially for class projects!

Angie and I had agreed than an hour would be better than half an hour for our second project so we wouldn't be so rushed, but I had too many ideas coming to me and was trying to execute them all so I went into overtime on this one. Watercoloring took a little time, but I think it's getting those pieces out of the Doily die-cut that did me in!

 

 

 

Stampin' Up! Supplies

Stamps: Wonderful Winterland, Voeux joyeux et nombreux

Paper: Poppy Parade, Calypso Coral, Brocade Blue, Watercolor paper, Night of Navy DSP, Whisper White

Ink: Black StazOn, Poppy Parade, Blush Blossom, Calypso Coral, Brocade Blue, Bashful Blue, Versamark

Accessories: Snow Burst embossing folder, Doily die, Liquid Appliqué, buttons, white baker's twine, mini jingle bell, Navy organza ribbon, Rococo frame, brad, Edgelits, grosgrain ribbon, Window Frames Framelits

 

 

A Reason to Smile

Have you seen the new promotion SU! is offering in July? Buy $60 of merchandise of your choice and receive the exclusive Reason to Smile in wood-mount or clear-mount for only $5. Honestly, when a stamp set is more affordable than a SNAIL refill, who can resist?

Yesterday, Angie and I did a stamping marathon and we challenged each other to make cards based on certain sketch or color combo challenges. The first one we tried out is the Clean & Simple sketch. Angie suggested we give ourselves half an hour to finish. Holy smokes! I barely had time to think, I just went solely on impulse and this is what I ended up with. I thought the Reason to Smile set would be a good choice since the sketch had a circle in the middle, in which I figured I could stamp the full flower. The sentiment comes from the Petite Pairs stamp set and was punched with the new Ticket punch. The background paper comes from the Summer Smooches pack, which is great for all your summery creations.

 

 

 

 

Stampin' Up! Supplies
Stamps: Reason to Smile, Quelques lignes (Petite Pairs)
Cardstock: Daffodil Delight, Tango Tangerine, Lucky Limeade, Whisper White
Design paper: Summer Smooches
Inks: Daffodil Delight, Tango Tangerine, Lucky Limeade, Island Indigo
Accessories: White envelope, brads, Circle punch (1-3/4 in.), Circles die (2 in.),
Stampin' Dimensionals, Brights buttons, Ticket punch, Markers, Lucky Limeade ribbon

 

Fly, Fly, Angel Wings

This was a tough card to design. This card was intended for a coworker's friend who lost her baby mid-pregnancy. I wanted to do something soft and kept picturing a heart with wings over a sky background. I first thought of making the heart out of chipboard and wanted to add paper wings I had in a Primas die-cut kits, but as it turned out, I only had one wing left. (Bummer.) Then, as I was shuffling sets around, the Affection Collection set caught my eye and what do you know - it includes a heart with wings image!

I embossed the image with gold powder on Confetti Ivory cardstock, then added Dazzling Details on the wings. I stamped the heart a second time on Pink Pirouette cardstock and popped the heart up in the center of the wings, then added a small pearl on it.

The yellow scallop square is a chipboard piece, which I covered with cardstock before sanding off the edges. The sky paper is a patterned paper from Cosmo Cricket I found in my stash. I punched the corners with the Ticket Corner punch and added a row of embossed hearts at the bottom using the Adorning Accents folder, and then I added handstitching around it. (Wish I had a sewing machine, that would definitely be faster, but I do like the touch the sewing adds to the project even though it was time-consuming.)

I used the new Bitty Banners Framelits die along with the Petite Pairs set to add a sentiment at the bottom, held in place with a glimmer brad from the Neutrals collection.

 

 

 

Stampin' Up! Supplies
Stamps: Affection Collection, Quelques lignes (Petite Pairs)
Cardstock: Barely Banana, Petite Pirouette, Confetti Ivory
Patterned Paper: Cosmo Cricket
Inks: Versamark, Soft Suede
Accessories: Embossing powder (gold, clear), Dazzling Details (clear), pearls,
chipboard scallop square, hearts folder, Ticket Corner punch, glimmer brad,
Bitty Banner framelits, vanilla satin ribbon, Stampin' Dimensionals,
Embroidery thread, paper piercer

 

Gingerbread Man - Holidays Catalogue Preview

I know, I know - y'all aren't ready for Christmas cards just yet, but when I receive my preorder from the Holidays mini, I just get so excited about putting it to use, I can't help myself! I did use non-Holidays Design paper (Storytime, from the annual catalogue) to make up for it... *wink*

Do you love the new wool trim as much as I do? *swoon* That was one of the items I was most excited about when I leafed through the seasonal catalogue. Can you spot all of the new items I used on this card? Let us count them together:

 

1. Scentsational Season stamp set
2. Scentsational Framelits dies that match the set (very exciting new product!)
3. Cinammon scented embossing powder (granted, that one was hard to guess from looking at the picture!)
4. Window Frames Framelits dies
5. Gold marker
6. Gumball Green Sweater Trim
7. Copper buttons
8. Lacy Brocade embossing folder (because we can never have too many of those!)
9. Greetings of the Season set (beautiful sentiments in fancy fonts)
10. New piercing template to match the ornaments stamps, the Window Frames and the Labels Collection Framelits
11. Gumball Green Core'Dinations cardstock


The Core'Dinations cardstock are cardstock that have a lighter-colored center, which shows when you scuff the surface of the cardstock (for example, sanding off the raised portions of an embossed design). But even without sanding the cardstock, I still think it is cool because it is textured! I will admit to being a little bummed out when the textured cardstock retired, so this is making me happy!

And that doesn't even cover half of what the new catalogue has to offer. Prepare for your minds to be blown!

 

  

  

 

Stampin' Up! Supplies
Stamps: Scentsational Season, Voeux indémodables (Greetings of the Season)
Cardstock: Riding Hood Red, So Saffron, Gumball Green Core'Dinations cardstock, Whisper White
Designer papers: Storytime
Accessories: Scentsational Framelits, brads, piercing template, copper button, wool trim,
gold marker, Window Frames Framelits, glimmer mist (Champagne Mist paint)

 

Missed Me?

That was quite the blogging vacation I just took, wasn't it? I had a crazy month of June. Believe it or not, I did stamp during the month of June, I just didn't get to blog about it. I have been working on samples for the SU! convention, which I can't share just yet, and I also went on an unplanned visit to my hometown, so all in all time just ran away from me.

There just seems to be so much to catch up on... Have you all seen the new catalogue? Gorgeous, right? I love the cover picture and the close-up pictures in it. Every year, they keep impressing me with unbelievable samples. I found an old catalogue (2005-2006, the year SU! launched in Quebec) and my friend Maggie was leafing through it when she visited because this catalogue pre-dates her stamping years and she had never seen it. The samples have gotten so much more intricate over the years, it was pretty funny to compare both catalogues side by side!

(Click on the catalogue picture to see a PDF version online.)

 

 

 

I am particularly impressed with the awesome hostess sets selection we have this year. I should warn you before I forget that the Carry On (Persévère) set has unfortunately been discountinued due to some legal reasons, but there are plenty of cute sets to choose from. My favorite one is Wacky Wishes, because of the fun font, followed closely by Happy You because of the adorable boot! I used both on this card, which we made at my team meeting last month. It also showcases one of the new In Colors, Primerose Petal. The frame was created using the Daydream Medallions set.

By the way, did you have the chance to try out the new firm foam pads? Oh my goodness, what a difference they make in inking images! Perfectly inked in two taps. You are going to love them.

My sample was designed based on a catalogue sample. Can you guess which one? (Hint: The window and tag should be your clue...)

 

 

Color Combo: So Saffron + Primrose Petal +

 

 

Stampin' Up! Supplies
Stamps: Quelle chance (Happy You), Faites vos voeux! (Wacky Wishes). Daydream Medallions
Cardstock: Wisteria Wonder, So Saffron, Primrose Petal, Very Vanilla
Designer paper: In Color DSP paper pack
Inks: Wisteria Wonder, So Saffron, Primrose Petal, Lucky Limeade, Basic Black
Accessories: Circle punch, Lucky Limeade ribbon, blending pen, Stampin' Dimensionals,
Rhinestone, In Color polka dot brads