Encre, papier, ciseaux

We're Expecting

You see those papers I've used on my page? I've had those for ridiculously long! They're either from my very first paper order or from one of the very firsts - a decade ago! I didn't have any baby picture to scrapbook, so I could never find an appropriate project to use them on. Found them again recently as I was going through my paper stash and decided they would work perfectly for the pictures taken when my sister and her boyfriend were expecting. All those words blocks are one of the patterned paper that was cut apart, so the page came together in a flash.

 

 

 

 

 

Supplies
Cardstock: Bazzill
Patterned papers: KI Memories
Accessories: Paper doily (SU!), button, journaling block, metal word (Making Memories),
White rub-on (Basic Grey), white grosgrain ribbon (SU!), Stampin' Dimensionals (SU!),
White gel pen (SU!), Vintage faceted button (SU!)

 

Anniversary Pie

This card was made using the same patterned papers you saw on yesterday's projects. Just something quick and fun I put together using a new hostess set I had received in the catalogue's preorder. Flags and pennants are all the rage, so this set is a fun way to add sentiments to your cards.

A matching envelope was made out of patterned paper using the Simply Scored and the Diagonal plate.

 

 

 

 

Supplies
Stamps: Bakeabella, Mots bannières
Designer paper: My Mind's Eye
Cardstock: Island Indigo, Whisper White
Accessories: Gold ribbon, Oval Framelits, Stampin' markers, Stampin' Dimensionals,
Simply Scored and Diagonal plate, Brads

 

Scrapbook Page / Card Combo: Hexagons

This is another pair of projects that was done a while ago and never got posted. I was playing around with the Page Maps scrapbook sketches and created the page first. Then, I decided to take advantage of the fact that I had all of the matching stuff lying out to make a matching card as well with the scraps. (I love doing that whenever time permits.)

 

 

 

 

 

 

It's Five O'Clock Somewhere

This card was made for giggles a while ago and I'm just getting around to posting it. I have been meaning to do a watercolor paper one-layer card for the longest time and I finally made it happen. The image was stamped directly on it with StazOn ink and watercolored with reinkers and a blending pen. I am particularly happy with how her hair turned out. Red hair can be tricky, it sometimes comes out too orange, but I like how it turned out on this card.

I cut the right edge of the card shorter and added Calypso Coral polka dot Designer paper, then rounded the corners with the old corner rounder punch from SU! (which is bigger than the one we currently have, so I've kept both). A piece of Bermuda Bay was punched with the Scallop Edge punch and added to the top of the card, then a row of green sequins was added. Finally, the sentiment was stamped in Bermuda Bay on Barely Banana cardstock (remember that colour?), the end was snipped off and I added a pale green button.

I usually have a clear color combo when I start a project, but in this case, I started with the coloring without a clue what my color scheme was going to be and just grabbed reinkers as I went. Maybe I should be more impulsive more often, 'cos I really like the end result on this one.

 

 

 

 

 

Supplies
Stamps: Uptown Girl Madison has a Margarita
Cardstock: Watercolor paper, Bermuda Bay textured
Designer paper: 2011-2013 In Color
Ink: Black StazOn, Bermuda Bay
Accessories: Corner Rounder punch, green sequin trim, Scallop Border punch,
Blending pen, White envelope, Reinkers, Button

 

Christmas Scenery

This is another card that was inspired by Dare to Get Dirty challenges. One of them was to use a die to create a scene, and the second was to use acrylic paint. I pulled one of the Cat's Pajamas CutUp die to create the cute background out of Certainly Celery cardstock, then I covered it with White Frost shimmer paint to give it a frosty shine.

The background was created by stamping a sentiment from the Mots de saison set, embossed in Pool Party embossing powder. A few pearls were randomly added around, to mimick falling snow. A piece of Pistachio Pudding ruffled ribbon was glued around the edge of the bottom cardstock, and a piece of matching patterned paper was added underneath this panel. A rhinestone was added in the window of the house to mimick light shining out.

This card came together pretty quickly. It was made late on the last night of the challenges and time was running out, so I had to keep it short and sweet. I didn't have time to work on all of the DTGD challenges, but I did get over half of them done.

 

 

 

 

 

Supplies
Stamps: Mot de saison
Cardstock: Perfect Plum, Whisper White
Ink: VersaMark
Designer paper: Winter Frost (We R Memory Keepers)
Accessories: Holiday Toppers CutUp die (The Cat's Pajamas), Pistachio Pigment ruffled ribbon,
White Frost shimmer paint, Rhinestone, Pearls, White envelope, Pool Party embossing powder

 

Stampin' Up!'s Holidays Catalogue - Best New Year

Another DTGD-inspired card. I like this one because it's different from my usual style. It's rare that I make cards that have just a sentiment and no focal image, but I was really happy to have this stylized stamp set (Best New Year) offered in French and wanted my card to focus on it. The sentiment was embossed with Early Espresso embossing powder, and I stamped the sentiment a second time in Cherry Cobbler on a scrap of paper, then cut and popped one of the words with Dimensionals.

The background paper is from the new Season of Style paper stack offered in the Holidays catalogue. It has that retro flair that I like while still being modern. And you'll notice I used a piece of my beloved new chevron ribbon as well, in Cherry Cobbler this time. A row of Champagne glass glitter was added underneath using a piece of sticky strip.

The bottom of the patterned paper was cut in a free-handed wave pattern to mimick the bottom of the sentiment panel, and I glued Baked Brown Sugar ruffled ribobn underneath. The card base was stamped with a retire background stamp, Sanded, and I added two pieces of Designer tape at right, topped with Neutrals glimmer brads.

 

 

 

 

Stampin' Up! Supplies
Stamps: Tout le meilleur (Best New Year), Sanded
Cardstock: Baked Brown Sugar, Whisper White, Gumball Green
Designer Paper: Season of Style
Ink: VersaMark, Cherry Cobbler, Early Espresso, Baked Brown Sugar
Accessories: Cherry Cobbler chevron ribbon, Champagne Glass Glitter, Sticky Strip,
Stampin' Dimensionals, Season of Style Designer Tape, Neutrals glimmer brads,
Crumb Cake envelope, Daubers, Baked Brown Sugar ruffled ribbon,
Early Espresso embossing powder

 

Stampin' Up!'s Holidays Catalogue - Color Me Christmas - Santa Tag

Today, I am showing you my favorite stamp set from the Holidays catalogue: Color Me Christmas. It's just so darn adorable!! The images are a great size, big enough to make an impact on a card but small enough to be watercolored relatively quick. Love it!

This card was inspired by a few DTGD challenges: one was a Christmas picture inspiration (from which I drew colors), the other one was to use the Polished Stone technique. I hadn't used that technique in a while, but it's been a long-time favorite, so I was happy to give it a try again. Unfortunately, we don't carry the Glossy White cardstock anymore, which makes it trickier to teach this technique. (I am guessing photo paper would be a possible alternative, but I have not tried it.) To make my background, I used Coastal Cabana, Pistachio Pudding and Basic Grey reinkers. Then, after creating the background, I went over it with a piece of crumbled saran wrap and Silver glimmer paint to add some shimmer.

The tag was die-cut out of watercolor paper using a Chalk Talk Framelits die. I embossed my image in Silver embossing powder, then watercolored the image with inks and a blending pen. A piece of Winter Frost Designer paper was added, matted with a piece of Strawberry Slush cardstock die-cut with a Finishing Touches Framelits die. A piece of Smoky Slate chevron ribbon (told you I love that stuff!) was added, and a sentiment was stamped on the tag with Coastal Cabana ink (a new 2013-2015 In Color). Then a cute Frosted Finishes embellishment was added in the top corner. I'm telling you, the picture of those ornaments don't do them justice in the catalogue - they are SOO pretty! And they're really just rhinestoned stars, so they really don't need to be used exclusively on holidays projects, I think they would look nice for any other occasion that could use a little bit of bling as well.

This card made the Dare to Get Dirty Honours gallery, so I hope you like it as much as the judges did!

 

 

Color Combo: Coastal Cabana + Strawberry Slush + Smoky Slate + White

 

 

 

Stampin' Up! Supplies
Stamps: Color Me Christmas, Tous mes meilleurs voeux
Cardstock: Smoky Slate, Coastal Cabana, Strawberry Slush, watercolor paper,
Glossy White cardstock
Designer paper: Winter Frost
Inks: Strawberry Slush, Smoky Slate, Basic Grey, Coastal Cabana, Soft Sky, VersaMark
Accessories: Frosted Finishes Embellishments, White envelope,
Silver embossing powder, Chalk Talk Framelits dies, Blending pen,
Smoky Slate chevron ribbon, Stampin' Dimensionals,
Finishing Touches Framelits dies, Reinkers, Silver glimmer paint

 

One-Layer Card: Tape It

This card was inspired by a one-layer card challenge. I pulled out the new Tape It stamp set and stamped rows of tape in various colours. The Crumb Cake row was made of actual washi tape from the Stampin' Up! catalogue. The sentiment, from the Remerciements stamp set, was stamped in VersaMark and embossed in black powder. A line of sticky strip was added to the right border of the card, and covered in Dazzling Diamonds glitter.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Stampin' Up! Supplies
Stamps: Remerciements, Tape It
Cardstock: Whisper White
Ink: Wisteria Wonder, Pool Party, Pistachio Pudding, So Saffron, Calypso Coral, Crisp Cantaloupe,
Blushing Bride, Smoky Slate
Accessories: Sticky strip, Dazzling Diamonds glitter, Black Stampin' Emboss powder,
White envelope, Stamp-a-Ma-Jig

 

Stampin' Up!'s Rev Up the Fun and Silver paper

I love this new set (Rev Up the Fun). I'm always on the hunt for masculine sets, and ones that aren't too cutesy or childish because that's what people who are buying cards from me are requesting.(Tough crowd! ;D) I was particularly pleased to see this stamp set offered in French as well.

If you look at the card's background, it was made using the new Silver paper sold in the Holidays mini. It really shines! I thought it would be a great complement to the car image, so I embossed it with the Fancy Fan embossing folder and added four silver brads in each corner. They look like screws, which work perfectly!

The red stripe was created with the new Stylish Stripes embossing folder from the Holidays catalogue, which I inked before running it through the Big Shot, to get the two-tone Cherry Cobbler cardstock. Neat, huh?

The color combo comes from the Color Coach (the retired one since we don't carry Bashful Blue anymore). The fun banner was created by gluing together the two pennant shapes from the Hearts a Flutter Framelits collection, then topping it with a Cherry Cobbler Designer button. The back piece was die-cut on both sides with the Finishing Touches Edgelits. The main image was inked with markers, stamped on Whisper White cardstock and die-cut with the Ovals Framelits.

A matching envelope was made using the Simply Scored and Diagonal plate. This was my favorite card made during the Dare to Get Dirty challenges.

 

 

Color Combo: Midnight Muse + Cherry Cobbler + Bashful Blue + Silver

 

 

Stampin' Up! Supplies
Stamps: À fond ! (Rev Up the Fun)
Cardstock: Midnight Muse, Cherry Cobbler, Bashful Blue, Whisper White
Designer paper: 2012-2014 In Color Designer paper stack, Silver paper
Ink: Midnight Muse, Cherry Cobbler
Accessories: Stampin' Markers, Simply Scored and Diagonal plate, Ovals Framelits,
Stampin' Dimensionals, Hearts a Flutter Framelits, Designer buttons,
Fancy Fan embossing folder, Stylish Stripes embossing folder, Finishing Touches Edgelits

Stampin' Up!'s Lovebirds

This is another card I made for the DTGD challenges. One was to combine pink and green with hearts and the other was to include gingham on the card. This card is deceivingly simple because it was created using a Simply Scrappin' kit (remember those? I'm so sad they were left from the new catalogue...). The only elaborate part is the gingham paper, which I created myself using the Stripes embossing folder, inked before running it through the Big Shot twice, to create the gingham pattern.

I got many comments on this card in my SCS gallery, so apparently,it appealed to other stampers despite being so simple.

 

 

Color Combo: Early Espresso + Pear Pizzazz + Blushing Bride + White

 

 

Stampin' Up! Supplies
Simply Scrappin' Kit: Lovebirds
Ink: Blushing Bride
Cardstock: Early Espresso, Blushing Bride, Pear Pizzazz
Accessories: Stripes embossing folder, Early Espresso satin ribbon,
Dazzling Details, Stampin' Dimensionals

 

Stampin' Up!'s Teeny Tiny Wishes - Happy Retirement

This is one of the cards I made during the Dare to Get Dirty challenges over at SCS. This one combined misting with using a stencil, so I pulled my retired Very Vintage stencil and Blushing Bride Smooch Spritz and spritzed directly on a sheet of patterned paper from the beautiful Etcetera DSP pack.

I combined it with a third challenge, which was to use paper strips, so I layered strips at the bottom, including one with my sentiment, stamped with the Teeny Tiny Wishes stamp set (my go-to set for small sentiments, as you've probably noticed). The sentiment reads "Happy Retirement" - I didn't have any retirement card on hand and figured it might come in handy to have one ready.

At the center of the spritzed pattern, I added a Designer brad (from the last Spring catalogue) with a Vintage Faceted button in the center.

 

 

 

 

Stampin' Up! Supplies
Stamps: Voeux mignons (Teeny Tiny Wishes)
Cardstock: Soft Suede, Pool Party Core'dination
Designer Paper: Etcetera
Ink: Soft Suede
Accessories: White envelope, Midnight Muse satin ribbon,
Pool Party ruffled ribbon, Blushing Bride Smooch Spray, Very Vintage stencil,
Designer brad, Vintage Faceted button

3x3 Thank You Notes

I wanted to give a little token of my love to my downline members who attended Convention with me this summer, so I put together a pack of thank you notes they could use with their customers when they place orders. I paired current stamp sets with retired papers. It's a great way to showcase the stamps to my customers and make them see the possibilities when using them.

 

 

Bright Blooms

À ta santé !

Color Me Christmas (Holidays catalogue)

Faire des petits gâteaux

Fanions en fête

Oh, Hello

Merveilles du monde

Mixed Bunch

Paroles d'animaux

The Open Sea

Hearts a Flutter

 

 

My favorite is a toss-up between Color Me Christmas and Bright Blooms. Tell me, What's yours?

 

Stampin' Up!'s Mosaic Madness - Shaker Card

At Convention last month, someone from the SU! staff showed us how to make a shaker card using the window sheets and washi tape. I thought it was a great idea and knew I wanted to give it a try when I came back home. This is my version of this idea, done with the Mosaic Madness stamp set and matching punch.

The patterned window sheet comes from the Quatrefancy Designer Paper pack. This week's Just Us Girls challenge is shaker cards, so the timing couldn't be more perfect!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Stampin' Up! Supplies
Stamps: Mosaic Madness, Un amour d'étiquette (Label Love)
Cardstock: Midnight Muse, Daffodil Delight, Whisper White, Strawberry Slush
Designer Paper: Quatrefancy
Ink: Pumpkin Pie, Daffodil Delight, Midnight Muse, Strawberry Slush
Accessories: Artisan Label punch, Mosaic punch, Pumpkin Pie chevron ribbon,
Regals Candy Dots, Gingham Garden Designer Tape, White envelope

 

Stampin' Up!'s Timeless Talk - Ruffles and Chevrons

I immediately fell in love with the Timeless Talk stamp set when I leafed through the new catalogue. I liked how this set has vintage appeal while still being modern. I decided I wanted to get it with my SAB freebies.

This card here was inspired by two Dare to Get Dirty challenges: one was a sketch and the other one an inspiration picture. I drew the color combo and the chevrons pattern from the inspiration piece. The background was stamped in Daffodil Delight using the new Chevrons background stamp (another personal favorite!). The Coastal Cabana cardstock was dry embossed using the Alphabet Press embossing folder and I also added embossing underneath the bike image using the Needlepoint Border embossing folder. A Boutique Detail and a Candy Dot were added to the bike's wheels, and a piece of Strawberry Slush ruffled ribbon was glued underneath the image to create a frame.

The sentiment at the bottom was created by stamping two thank yous from the Remerciements stamp set. The cardstock was then punched with the Decorative Label punch, and I added a border created with the Scallop Ribbon punch, which I cut in half.

 

 

Color Combo: Daffodil Delight + Coastal Cabana + Strawberry Slush +
Sahara Sand + White

 

 

 

Stampin' Up! Supplies
Stamps: Remerciements, Timeless Talk
Cardstock: Daffodil Delight, Whisper White, Coastal Cabana, Sahara Sand, Strawberry Slush
Ink: Daffodil Delight, Basic Grey, Coastal Cabana
Accessories: Boutique Details, Candy Dots, White envelope, Strawberry Slush ruffled ribbon,
Stampin' Dimensionals, Alphabet Press embossing folder, Needlepoint Border embossing folder,
Decorative Label punch, Scallop Ribbon punch, Rhinestone

 

Thoughts of You, Rain or Shine

Today's card was inspired by the ColourQ combo #200. I liked that it was both striking but soft at the same time.

I made my own background paper using stamps from the Rain or Shine stamp set (that was sold in this past Spring catalogue). I stamped the umbrellas in Old Olive, Marina Mist and So Saffron, and then I added raindrops in Versamark over the images, embossing them with Iridescent Ice powder.

The main image comes from the retired Million-Dollar Moments hostess stamp set. I stamped it in Midnight Muse and embossed it on vellum, which I die-cut with a Framelits from the Apothecary Accents collection. Another Framelits from the same set was used on Marina Mist cardstock to create a shape that went under the vellum, held in place with So Saffron brads. The piercing templates were used to add a pierced frame around the image.

A sentiment from the Rain or Shine stamp set was embossed in Pewter powder on Midnight Muse cardstock, and an umbrella image in matching ink was overstamped on it.

For the ribbons, I used an old punch called Horizontal slot that was perfect to create openings for ribbons. Finished it off with buttons in matching colours over the horizontal ribbons and a In Color dahlia over the vertical ribbon. The So Saffron button and Pool Party buttons come from our new Designer Button packs. They're really cool!

 

 

 

 

Stampin' Up! Supplies
Stamps: Rain or Shine, Million-Dollar Moments
Cardstock: So Saffron, Old Olive, Whisper White, Midnight Muse, Vellum
Inks: Midnight Muse, So Saffron, Old Olive, Marina Mist, VersaMark
Accessories: Designer buttons, Paper Piercer and Piercing template, Apothecary Accents
Framelits dies, Brads, In Color Dahlias, Pewter embossing powder, Horizontal Slot punch,
Iridescent Ice embossing powder, White envelope