Encre, papier, ciseaux

Through the Porthole

After finishing a summer-themed scrapbook layout, I decided to use the material out on my table to make a card before putting it all away. I looked at the weekly sketches for inspiration and when I saw the Sweet Sunday sketch #275, I knew it would be easy to pair it with the three portholes images from the By the Sea stamp set. I colored the images with markers, then used Liquid Pearls to make the screws around the portholes dimensional.

Looking at my sentiment sets, I spotted one in an old hostess set that had the right size and font. I like that this could make a great masculine card, but I still wouldn't exclude sending it to a woman either. I love working with summer-themed products: the bright colours always put me in a good mood, even on a cloudy day like today.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Supplies
Stamps: Voeux multiples (SU! - hostess), By the Sea (The Cat's Pajamas)
Cardstock: Midnight Muse, Tango Tangerine, Cherry Cobbler, Whisper White
Patterned Papers: Boardwalk (Bo Bunny)
Ink: Tuxedo Black Memento, VersaMark
Accessories: Navy Embossing Powder, Platinum Liquid Pearl, Markers, Circle Punches,
Stampin' Dimensionals, White Medium Envelope, Daffodil Delight Grosgrain Ribbon

 

Not Creepy at All

This card was inspired by the Retro Fresh sketch #170. When I saw the sketch, I knew that it would work well with a large sentiment, so I used the That Thing You Did stamp set. This one became an instant favorite with the Canadian Summit team when we saw it in the catalogue and we kept on adding "but not in a creepy way" to everything we said during the weekend, so when I placed my first catalogue order, I just had to have it, even though it's not available in French (although who knows how that one could have been translated to make sense...).

I don't have a lot of current Designer Series Paper choices right now, so I pulled out the Cherry on Top paper stack and focused on the non-birthday patterns. The card base was stamped with the Writing Notes background stamp. The sentiment was stamped on Shimmery White cardstock for added interest (page 149 of catalogue, it's easy to oversee this cool cardstock). I like how this one adds interest without being too busy. I then used Crushed Curry Baker's Twine and threaded a matching button from the Regals Designer Buttons pack on it.

Simple design, but I think the card really pops.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Stampin' Up! Supplies
Stamps: That Thing You Did, Writing Notes
Cardstock: Bermuda Bay, Pool Party, Shimmery White, Crushed Curry
Designer Series Paper Stack: Cherry on Top
Ink: Tip Top Taupe, Watermelon Wonder
Accessories: Crushed Curry Baker's Twine, Regals Designer Buttons, White Medium Envelope

 

 

  That Thing You Did - 138730 - CAD $21

 

  Cherry on Top Designer Series Paper Stack - 138443 - CAD $10

 

  Shimmery White 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock - 101910 - CAD $10

 

  Writing Notes (woodmount) - 138954 - CAD $25

 

  Whisper White Medium Envelopes - 107301 - CAD $8

Sleigh Full of Wishes

Another card that was born out of my paper scraps. I had a 3"x4" card with the sleigh image that made for a quick design. I simply embossed a sentiment in navy powder on the card and framed it with a die-cut from the On Film Framelits set.

Design inspired by Paper Craft Crew Card Sketch #150.

 

 

 

 

 

Supplies
Stamps: Chantons Noël (Bright Christmas)
Cardstock: Night of Navy, Basic Grey, Lucky Limeade
Patterned Papers: Snow Day (Simple Stories)
Ink: Night of Navy
Accessories: Navy Embossing Powder, White Medium Envelope, Clear Wink of Stella Brush,
On Film Framelits Dies, Pear Pizzazz gathered satin ribbon, Basic Grey Corduroy Brad,
Silver Stampin' Emboss Powder, On Board Chipboard Arrow, Clear Tinsel Trim,
Stampin' Dimensionals

 

Snow Kisses

After finishing off a scrapbook page, I used the scraps to make this cute card. The image is a stamp (Sparkles and Spots) from Penny Black I've had for a while. I embossed it with Pewter Stampin' Emboss powder and colored it with inks and blending pen on watercolor paper.

The snowflakes were punched directly from a piece of patterned paper. The sentiment came from a Cat's Pajamas set called Snow Kisses. I used snowflakes from the same set to stamp on the sentiment strip, in Smoky Slate and Illuminate inks.

Design was inspired by TGIF challenge #9 (Remix: #6 watercolor and #7 sketch).

 

 

 

 

Supplies
Stamps: Sparkles and Spots (Penny Black), Snow Kisses (The Cat's Pajamas)
Carstock: Lucky Limeade, Smoky Slate, Silver Foil Sheets, Watercolor Paper
Patterned Papers: Snow Day (Simple Stories)
Ink: VersaMark, Night of Navy, Lucky Limeade, Smoky Slate, Lost Lagoon, Soft Suede,
Pool Party, Blush Blossom, Sahara Sand, Illuminate
Accessories: Circle Punch, Stampin' Dimensionals, White Medium Envelope,
Pewter Stampin' Emboss Powder, Enamel Dots

 

Funky Christmas Wear

Those are other papers I had put aside to work with during my stash cleaning. I paired them with a penguin image from the Homemade Cheer stamp set. My first coloring attempt on the image wasn't coming out to my liking, so I switched gears and brought out my Watercolor Wonder crayons, which I'll admit have been gathering dust ever since they retired. I stamped my image with Jet Black StazOn ink on watercolor paper and then used a blending pen to watercolor the little guy with the crayons. The results are much softer than when I watercolor with ink, but paired with those soft papers, I think it works without losing the image in the business of the patterns.

I wanted a French card, so I paired the image with a sentiment from the Voeux nombreux et joyeux stamp set (retired). The button and tag are die-cuts from the same collection as the patterned papers (Christmas Eve Chowder from Jillibean), so they helped make this card a really quick creation.

At the top, I added a piece of glimmer paper I had sitting on my desk. It's cut in a zigzag pattern and I think it looks like icicles.

Inspiration: Merry Monday challenge #164 (funky hat) + Monday Lunchtime Sketch #365.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Supplies
Stamps: Homemade Cheer (Darcie's Heart & Home)
Cardstock: Pretty in Pink, Cool Carribean, Rose Red, Watercolor Paper
Patterned Papers: Christmas Eve Chowder (Jillibean)
Ink: Jet Black StazOn Ink, Early Espresso
Accessories: Christmas Eve Chowder Die-Cuts (Jillibean), 1/8" Silver Ribbon,
Stampin' Dimensionals, Corner Rounder Punch, Tasteful Trims XL Bigz Die,
Medium Vanilla Envelope, Pearl Basic Jewels, Watercolor Wonder Crayons, Blending Pen

 

 

  Blending pens (3) - 102845 + CAD $12.50

 

  Watercolor Paper (5 sheets, 6" x 9") - 122959 - CAD $6.25

 

  Silver Glimmer Paper - 135314 - CAD $4.69 (on sale until June 29th)

 

  Jet Black StazOn Ink - 101406 - CAD $10

 

  1/8" Silver Ribbon - 132137 - CAD $6.25

Put Your Party Hat On!

I was looking at the Retro Sketch #169 and decided to pair it with the Silhouettes & Script stamp set (hostess set). I knew I wanted to make two cards at once and I started with a square card, as per the sketch, but I got curious as to how the design would look on a rectangular card, so I decided to give it a try for the second card, so although the basic elements are the same, the two creations evolved difrerently.

On the square card, I created a little pompon out of baker's twine to add to the hat. Isn't it cute? Love the texture it adds. I grabbed a Garden Green Designer Button from the Royals collection, which is close enough to the Cool Cucumber color to match. I also used a star border scrap from my last project to fill in the empty space at the left of the card. (That was a last-minute addition and it really brought the card from looking a little too bare to feeling complete for me.)

I used the Banner punch and decorated my punched piece with a star punched out of Silver Glimmer Paper (on sale as part of the Weekly Deals right now) using the Itty Bitty Accents Punch Pack.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Stampin' Up! Supplies
Stamps: Silhouettes en script (Silhouettes & Script - hostess)
Cardstock: Pool Party, Crushed Curry, Watermelon Wonder, Cool Cucumber, Whisper White
Designer Series Paper Stack: Cherry on Top
Ink: Watermelon Wonder
Accessories: Baker's Twine (Crushed Curry, Bermuda Bay), Royals Designer Buttons,
Paper Piercer and Piercing Template, Stampin' Dimensionals, Silver Glimmer Paper,
Itty Bitty Accents Punch Pack, Banner Punch, Deco Labels Framelits Dies,
Mini Treat Bag Thinlits Dies, White Envelopes, Sweet Dots, Metallic Clothespin

 

 

Silhouettes en script (also available in English) - 140014 - CAd $13 (hostess benefits)

 

  Cherry on Top Designer Series Paper Stack - 138443 - CAd $10

 

  Crushed Curry Baker's Twine - 134586 - CAD $3.75

 

 Itty Bitty Accents Punch Pack - 133787 - CAD $21

 

Star Shaker Mini Treat Bag

One of my favorite dies set is the Mini Treat Bag Thinlits set. It includes so many cool pieces and can be used for much more than just making bags. SU! has also released an adorable set called You're So Sweet that matches with the dies, so we're getting even more mileage out of it. When I saw the dies collection is part of the Weekly Deals and currently on sale, it gave me the kick I needed to make a cute bag again.

I used the Cherry on Top Designer Series Paper Stack and used the bag as an envelope with an insert, which will in turn be used as a card.

I used the star border die from the collection to die-cut a bunch of little stars so that I could make a shaker and use the star-lined shape from the stamp set as a window for the shaker. It is really too bad that the shaker frames retired just as this set came out in the new catalogue, because I think they were just a natural match. Oh well... You can still make your own shakers using regular Stampin' Dimensionals, it's just going to take a bit more work than the shaker frames would have taken, but it's definitely doable.

Since I had cut all of those little stars, I used the border scraps to decorate the card insert. The strips were "held" in place with a washi tape die-cut, cut with a die from the Mini Treat Bag Thinlits collection. The top was punched with the Ornate Tag Topper punch. I added a piece of 1/8" Silver Ribbon on top. (The silver ribbon is not currently on sale, but the gold one is as part of the Weekly Deals, so keep that in mind if you need some!)

The design is inspired by Sweet Sunday Sketch #274.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Another new item that has been added to the catalogue is Glassine Sheets (page 148 of AC). They come in 62 x 12" sheets, large enough to make mini treat bags out of. This was what I initially planned on using, along with the Large Dots Embossing Folder (also on sale this week), but then I got careless with the Fast Fuse when gluing the envelope together... and got adhesive where I shouldn't have, so now the bag is glued shut. Word to the wise: learn from my boo-boo and be careful when you apply your adhesive!

 

 

 

Stampin' Up! Supplies
Stamps: Juste comme ça (You're So Sweet)Cardstock: Pool Party
Designer Series Paper: Cherry on Top
Ink: Tip Top Taupe
Accessories: Silver Glimmer Paper, Star Punches, Rhinestone Basic Jewels,
Mini Treat Bag Thinlits Dies, Shaker Frame, 1/8" Silver Ribbon, Ornate Tag Topper Punch

 

 

  Mini Treat Bag Thinlits Dies - 137547 - On sale for CAD $36.75 (until Monday June 29th)

  Juste comme ça (also available in English) - 140180 - CAD $23

  Cherry on Top Designer Series Paper Stack - 138443 - CAD $10

Family Resemblance

While looking through my paper piles, I found those papers I hadn't used yet, so I decided to make a page with them. I found those pictures taken at my niece's first birthday party that matched the colours and feel of the papers nicely. I had put those pictures aside for scrapbooking because the resemblance between my niece and her dad really struck me when I saw those pictures. It gave me the chance to use the new Layered Letters Alphabet set. I was really excited when I spotted this set in the new catalogue. It uses the same font as was used in the Best Day Ever stamp set from last Sale-A-Bration (had you noticed?) and I always thought it would make a great alphabet so I knew this would be going straight on my first order.

 

 

 

 

Supplies
Stamps: Layered Letters Alphabet, Alphabet Rotary Stamp. Simply Serif Mini Alphabet
Cardstock: Whisper White
Patterned papers: Snapshots (Bella Blvd.)Ink: Night of Navy, Old Olive
Accessories: Stampin' Write Markers, Basic Black Chevron Ribbon, Big Designer Button,
Silver Glimmer Heart Sticker (from SS Kit), Silver Hodgepodge Hardware Kit, Small Oval Punch,
Deco Label Punch, Stampin' Dimensionals, Painted Blooms Cotton Twine, Handheld Punch,
Brights Candy Dots

 

 

  Stampin' Dimensionals - 104430 - CAD $5

 

  Brights Candy Dots - 130931 - CAD $7.50

 

  Stampin' Write Markers - 131264 - CAD $136 (also sold by family collection)

Home for the Holidays

Today's card is totally out of season, especially with the warm weather we've been getting. It came about because I was searching through my paper collection and put aside some of the papers that grabbed my attention while doing so. The Home for the Holidays collection from Doodlebug was one of them. The collection comes with sticky die-cuts, which I thought would work well with Mojo Monday sketch #403. Thanks to all of the elements from the collection, this cute card came together really quickly. And since I both send out and sell a lot of Christmas cards, it's never a bad idea for me to get some ready ahead of time, since I always end up using them all.

 

 

 

 

 

Supplies
Cardstock: Wild Wasabi, Smoky Slate
Patterned Papers: Home for the Holidays (Doodlebug Designs)
Accessories: Home for the Holidays die-cuts (Doodlebug), Neutrals Candy Dots,
Red Grosgrain Ribbon, Stampin' Dimensionals, Circles Collection Framelits Dies

 

 

  Neutrals Candy Dots - 130934 - CAD $7.50

 

  Stampin' Dimensionals - 104430 - CAD $5

 

  Circles Collection Framelits Dies - 130911 - CAD $33

Too Much Love?

This week's Paper Players challenge (#250) called for something clean and simple on the theme of Summer Treats. I remembered the Project Life Dear Lizzy Edition card collection I have, that has ice cream cone images in it, so I pulled it out, initially thinking I'd use them to make a card, but then I spotted some pictures I had set aside on my desk to scrapbook and saw one that would work well with the sorbet hues.

This picture makes me smile: Megan was six-day-old on it and it looks like she's pushing her mom away because she doesn't want any more hugs and kisses anymore. Kiddo, if you're already sick of your mother's kisses after six days, you're in for a lifetime of misery. Haha!

I kept the whole thing pretty simple by using already-made cards from the kit and keeping the embellishments to a minimum. You'll notice I used some of the Artisan Embellishment Kit elements on the page. There were a lot of single items in that kit and since the pieces were pretty unique, I wanted to use them on a page rather than on a card I would end up sending out, including the lovely rose-pattern stencil card. (I really wish we had a die with that pattern, in a full card-front size.)

The "oodles of love" sentiment comes from the Snuggles and Smooches photopolymer stamp set. The little hearts at the bottom of my journaling card came from the Best Day Ever stamp set that was offered during Sale-A-Bration earlier this year. I added a bit of Dazzling Details on some of the images.

I pulled out the corduroy buttons we used to carry a while ago. The Pretty in Pink one clashed a bit with my page (confession time: I always hated this shade of pink and was so happy when it retired!), so I used Calypso Coral ink and a sponge dauber to change the colour and make it work.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Supplies
Stamps: Project Life Au jour le jour, Spencerian Alphabet Upper and Lower,
Snuggles and Smooches, best Day Ever
Ink: Calypso Coral, Crumb Cake, Pistachio Pudding
Accessories: Artisan Embellishment Kit, Corduroy Buttons, Designer Buttons,
Dazzling Details, Stampin' Dimensionals, Stamp-a-ma-jig, Project Life Corner Rounder Punch

 

 

 

  Snuggles and Smooches - 140326 - CAD$20

   Dazzling Details - 124117 - CAD$3.25

    Sponge dauber - 133773 - CAD$6.50 (for 5)

   Stamp-a-ma-jig - 101049- CAD$15.00

Summer Look

A new summer outfit that got a lot of "likes" at the office!

 

 

Vintage Car

After finishing my last scrapbook page, I thought I could put together a quick masculine card using the paper scraps I had left. The car image was at the bottom of a 12 x 12 page and I had carefully cut around it when cutting my paper for my page so I could use it on something else. As I was starting to put together the card, I realized the image was quite big and wouldn't fit on a regular-size card. Thanks to the fabulous Envelope Punch Board, I can make envelopes for any card size, so I pulled it out to have a look at the size chart at the bottom and pick a card size that would match the envelope sizes available. I settled on a 4" x 6½" card.

I went through my stamp binder (I'm working on stamping all the stamp images I have in it so I can refer to it when looking for something specific - it's particularly useful when looking for sentiments) and settled on the new hostess set called Silhouettes & Script. I love the Dymo tag font! I stamped it in Bravo Burgundy ink (now retired) on Very Vanilla cardstock, cut it out and popped it up on Dimensionals, over a half-circle punched out of patterned paper. I added a button on the door handle of the car and I was done.

The design was inspired by the Freshly Made Sketch #191.

 

 

 

 

Size of card: 4" x 6½"

 

 

Supplies
Stamps: Silhouettes en script (Silhouettes & Script - hostess)
Cardstock: Bravo Burgundy, Very Vanilla
Patterned Papers: Durable (Authentique)
Ink: Bravo Burgundy
Accessories: Circle Punch, Stampin' Dimensionals, Button, Envelope Punch Board

 

 

  Silhouettes en script - 140014 - CAD$13 (hostess benefits)

Like Mother, Like Daughter

I have had those pictures in my scrapbooking pile for a long time and never found the right inspiration to put them on a page. The inspiration came in the form of new patterned papers. Ironically, the papers are very masculine, due to the colours, car images and heavy distressing and yet, they go well with the colours of the pictures, even though the page is about my mom and my sister. Why fight it if it works...

I also got to do some recycling. I drew inspiration from a May 2015 Page Maps sketch and as I was looking for a shape to add my title to, I spotted a tag I had just taken off a new jacket I bought. I ripped off the spare button on it (even though it would have worked great with the colours of the page, but I might need it for the jacket at some point, so I didn't risk it!), turned it upside down and added my title to it, with a mix of alphabet stickers and stamped letters. I used our retired Bravo Burgundy ink for a perfect match.

The second upcycling element is the metal tag. This came from a Guess purse I purchased for myself a few years back. As beautiful as the tag is, it made the purse heavier and more annoyingly, clinged on the metal buckle of the purse and made noise, so it just had to come off. I hung it off the title tag, used Dimensionals to glue it in place and added a button on it.

I used a Hodgepodge Hardware frame (remember those?) to highlight wording on the patterned paper, and some retired chipboard arrows, which I embossed with red and navy embossing powder. I initially planned on using my Craft Stampin' Spots, which I know I've kept somewhere, but for the life of me, I can't remember where I put them in my new stamp room after I moved. I rarely misplace stuff, so I particularly hate when that happens. I want to rearrange some of new stuff and make room anyway, so I think I'll work on that during a rainy weekend.

 

 

 

 

 

May 2015 Page Maps Sketches

 

 

 

Supplies
Stamps: Antique Alphabet (Image Tree)
Patterned Papers: Durable (Authentique )
Ink: Bravo Burgundy
Accessories: Hodgepodge Hardware, Chipboard pieces, Embossing powders (Navy, Red),
Buttons, Tags (recycled), Nestabilities Dies, Alphabet Letters (Jillibean, Dear LIzzy Thickers).
Circle Punch, Brads, Midnight Muse Satin Ribbon, Corner Rounder Punch

 

Owl For You

This is another card that was born out of paper scraps after finishing an album page. The owl patterned paper made me want to pull out the Owl punch. I paper pieced the owl using patterned paper for the body, Gold foil paper for the front, which I embossed with a lace border folder to mimick feathers, and then white cardstock for his eyes. The circle behind him was punched out of Rose Red cardstock and embossed with the Woodgrain embossing folder.

The design was inspired by MFT Sketch #233.

I had some leftover pieces from the Boutique Boxes kit (from last year's Occasions catalogue), including a Sahara Sand feather die-cut, which I thought would be perfect to add my sentiment on! As I was looking at wording that would fit the space and theme, I found "Thinking of You" in the Tin of Cards stamp set (page 110 of new Annual Catalogue).

Notice the cute paper clip at the top? It was die-cut out of patterned paper using the Project Life Paper Clips Thinlits (page 173 of Annual Catalogue). You'll definitely want to check those out, as they are great for just any type of projects (not just scrapbook pages) and they allow you to create clips in any shape and colour you want.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Supplies
Stamps: Coffret de souhaits (Tin of Cards)
Cxardstock: Marigold Morning, Rose Red, Island Indigo, Early Espresso, Whisper White, Gold Foil
Patterned Papers: Doodlebug Designs
Ink: Early Espresso
Accessories: Old Olive Grosgrain Ribbon, Woodgrain Embossing Folder, Owl Punch,
Stampin' Dimensionals, Project Life Paper Clips Thinlits, Boutique Boxes kit (feather die-cut),
White Medium Envelope, Button, Circle Punches

 

 

 Project Life Paper Clips Thinlits Dies - 138284 - CAD$31

Coffret de souhaits - 140064 - CAD$21 (also available in English)

Racing!

This is a Project Life layout where I created my own inserts with patterned papers and stamps. I first thought I could learn to love Project Life because it would be a quicker way to scrapbook. Turns out I was half-right - it can be a quicker alternative to scrapbooking and it definitely got me back to scrapbooking, which had fallen off the wayside in recent years. What I now find, though, is that if you make your own inserts and add a bit of decorating to each panel, time quickly adds up and in the end, it becomes quite time-consuming!

Take this layout for example: there are 16 pockets overall. I included five pictures, two of which I decorated with stickers. That left 11 pockets to be filled with handmade inserts. Let's say I spent an average of 15 minutes on each insert, that is almost 3 hours of work right there!! Which sounds about right, because I spent a whole evening on this. The good news is that I'm happy with the result, but it did get me to reevaluate calling Project Life a "quick" way to scrapbook. Really depends how you go about it!

 

Here are a few details about my inserts. (Quick note: Pretty much all of the SU! supplies I used are retired.)

Page 1, top right: The patterned paper from Doodlebug Designs reminded me of the Trendy Trees stamp set. Using the Scallop Rectangle Clearlits die, I created a little scene, and used a needle to pierce holes all around (this makes for more delicate holes than the paper piercer would have). I did a little bit of masking with torn paper at the bottom to sponge the ground. The three cardstock strips were stamped with the Beyond Plaid stamps set.

 

Page 1, middle row, left: I punched a hole using the 2" Circle Punch in the woodgrain paper, then added Stampin' Dimensionals on the back and added the owl paper underneath. Using the Hello Honey satin ribbon, I created a loop, rolled a small piece of ribbon around to create a bow and added it on top of a piece of ribbon. The end was cut with pinking scissors.

 

Page 1, middle row, center: I used a journaling die-cut and handwrote my text with the Gold Metallic Pen we used to sell. Two Rich Razzleberry buttons were layered.

 

Page 1, middle row, right: I used the Autumn Accents Bigz die to die-cut leaves out of Whisper White cardstock, then stamped matching images with the Wonderfall stamp set. A piece of Baked Brown Sugar Thick Baker's Twine was added.

 

Page 2, top row, center: So I have recently started to reorganize my stash and I found a old Make 'n Take project from a past convention. It was a mini-album and I thought I would reuse the filigree accent on something else. Turns out the insert itself was perfect for my page, with the orange flowers and Old Olive circle matching the papers. I stamped some journaling on it and added an argyle image and was done.

 

Page 2, top row, right: I stamped a piece of Island Indigo cardstock with the Beyong Plaid stamp set and added Sycamore Street buttons (from a past SAB offering) on it.

 

Page 2, middle row, left: Used a leftover doily die-cut from the Boutique Boxes kit on top of a Purely Pomegranate satin ribbon scrap, then stamped the acorn from the Wonderfall stamp set and layered it with Dimensionals.

 

Page 2, middle row, center: This one was quick - I simply decorated my piece of patterned paper with Sweet Dots in matching colours.

 

Page 2, bottom row, center: I used the Une vie parfaite stamp set to create my insert. The script was stamped off, then added to the bottom of the Island Indigo cardstock. I then stamped the flourish twice of the left edge and embossed with clear powder. I went back and stamped the flourish three other times in the center, making sure to stamp off the ink first to get a paler image. I embossed the footsteps in Crushed Curry powder. The sentiment was stamped on Purely Pomegranate cardstock and embossed with Gold powder, then die-cut with the Window Frames Framelits, and a purple glimmer brad was added, before I glued the die-cut in place with Dimensionals.

 

Page 2, bottom row, right: I added Gold satin ribbon, die-cut the Champagne glimmer paper uwing the Scallop Rectangle Clearlits, then I stamped an image from the Plus on est de fous plus on rit hostess set on a piece of Canvas Creation, colored the acorn with Stampin' Write markers and cut out with a Circle Framelits Die. The texture of the canvas makes it look as if I stamped on fabric, which is pretty cool!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Supplies
Stamps: Plus on est de fous plus on rit (hostess), Wonderfall, Une vie parfaite,
Playful Upper and Lower Alphabet (Hero Arts), Trendy Trees, Beyond Plaid
Cardstock: Purely Pomegranate, Marigold Morning, Island Indigo, Whisper White, Very Vanilla, Old Olive
Patterned Papers: Friendly Forest (Doodlebug Designs)
Ink: Old Olive, Purely Pomegranate, island Indigo, Crushed Curry, Early Espresso, Pumpkin Pie,
Rich Razzleberry
Accessories: Project Life Corner Rounder Punch, Stickers, Circle Punches,
Scallop Rectangle Clearlits die, Boutique Boxes Kit, Autumn Accents Bigz Die,
Baked Brown Sugar Thic Baker's Twine, Stampin' Dimensionals, Hello Honey Satin Ribbon,
Journaling Tag, Gold Metallic Pen, Designer Buttons, Alphabet Stickers, Scallop Trim Border Punch, Purely Pomegranate Satin Ribbon, Scallop Edge Punch, Filigree Brad, Sweet Dots,
Stampin' Write Markers, Canvas Creation,  Circle Framelits Dies, Champagne Glimmer Paper,
Gold Satin Ribbon, Sponge Dauber

 

Night Out in Nashville

Those are older pictures that I just recently scrapbooked after I found the perfect papers for them in my stash. The pictures were all taken in Nashville when SU! held Leadership there in 2011. Manager's Reception that year was held at the Wild Horse Saloon and we were all given cowboy hats, hence the matching headgear on the pictures.

All pages were done using the Sasparilla line from October Afternoon (papers and accessories).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Supplies
Patterned Papers, Stickers and Accessories: Sasparilla (October Afternoon)
Stampin' Up!: Baked Brown Sugar Thick Baker's Twine, Project Life Corner Rounder Punch,
Stampin' Dimensionals, Project Life Cards and Labels Framelits Dies, Ticket Corner Punch,
Stampin' Write Markers, 1-1/4" Burlap Ribbon
Others: Gingham Ribbon, Red Eyelets, Alphabet Rub-ons

 

My First SU! Event

I have a very important milestone anniversary coming up in the first week of July: I will be celebrating my tenth-year anniversary as a Stampin' Up! demonstrator. It is mind-boggling to me that I remained active this long. It was certainly not what I had signed up on the dotted line for. I'm sure it'll sound familiar to a lot of you, but I really just wanted to benefit from a rebate on my own purchases!

I became an active demo much faster than I had anticipated, in parts because SU! held a Regional event in Toronto two months after I had signed up and on a whim, I decided to sign up and go. I went thinking I'd get to hang out with my upline (who was long-distance) and stamp, but it turned out to be so much more. I think it gave me tools to get started on the right foot right away and in the evening, I joined other demos for a team dinner and got to immediately connect with the team and create a network. Those were all elements that contributed to my success and the fact that I remained around for so long.

Ironically enough, a few months ago, when I started going through my stash and rearranging stuff, I found some old pictures that had been forgotten in a box of that Toronto Regionals from 2005. Say hello to the fresh-faced 25-year-old me! Interestingly enough, as far as I know, my upline and I are the only remaining active demos from the group featured here, which just goes to show that not everyone will last a whole decade.

I used the Everyday Adventure Project Life by Stampin' Up! cards and added a few stamped images to quickly put together this colourful page.

 

 

 

 

Supplies
Stamps: Autour du monde, Heidi Swapp sets
Ink: Jet Black StazOn, Melon Mambo, Pear Pizzazz, Crushed Curry, Bermuda Bay
Project Life Cards: Everyday Adventure
Accessories: Designer Buttons, Sweet Dots, Sequins, Modern Label Punch, Window Sheet,
Starburst Framelits Dies, Stampin' Dimensionals, Banner Punch

 

Journey to Happiness

I made this card quite a while ago, but never shared it on my blog because it was going to a friend that was moving back home and I didn't want to take the risk that she might see it online before receiving it.

I paired various sets together: the sentiment comes from a set called Happiness is a journey, the leaves from the Wonderfall stamp set and the washi tape strips were created with the Tape It stamp set (all unfortunately retired as of now).

 

 

 

 

Supplies
Stamps: Happiness is a Journey, Wonderfall, Tape It
Cardstock: Hello Honey, Very Vanilla, Lost Lagoon, Soft Suede
Patterned Papers: ?
Ink: VersaMark, Hello Honey, Lost Lagoon, Soft Suede
Accessories: Crushed Curry and Copper Stampin' Emboss Powder, Buttons, Vanilla Medium Envelope,
Prima Flowers, 1-1/4" Burlap Ribbon, Clear Scallop Square Die

 

 

 1-1/4" Burlap Ribbon - 132140 - CAD $10

Sending You a Bouquet of Kisses

Sometimes, we make cards where we feel like everything came together for a result that is more than the total of its parts. Today's card feels that way for me. There's something about the soft, soothing colours, the coloring, the newspaper-wrapped flowers (which I got thanks to paper piecing), the subtle hardwood stamping on the cardbase and the texture of the flower trim that just works. I even added a dab of Stickles on the bouquet of balloons after taking the picture, so it looks even nicer.

Hope you like it, too!

 

 

 

 

Supplies
Stamps: Got Love (The Cat's Pajamas), Oh, les petites friandises ! (Oh, Goodies! - SU!),
Hardwood (SU!)
Cardstock: Primrose Petals, Very Vanilla
Patterned Papers: My Mind's Eye
Ink: Tuxedo Black Memento, Primrose Petals, Sage Shadow, Crumb Cake
Accessories: Rose Trim, Pearl Basic Jewels, Vanilla Medium Envelope, Sponge Dauber, Markers

 

New Catalogue: Floral Wings - Friendly Wishes

Inspired by Stampin’ Celebration #106 + Try Stampin’ on Tuesday #221.

I was happy to see new patterns on our Designer Paper Stacks, so I decided to get the 2015-2017 In Color Stack first, so that I'd have paper to match my new cardstock and ink and so that I could begin to play with the new colors right away. Here, I used my favorite of the new In Colors first: Mint Macaron. What's yours?

The butterfly image from the Floral Wings hostess stamp set has some empty spots on his wings where you can add the leaves and the flowers, which are two separate stamps. This three-step stamping allows you to get a multicolored look on your stamped image without having to fiddle with markers. Much faster! To allow for faster lining up, SU! is offering this set in photopolymer so you can see through your image. That being said, if you look at my two cards, you'll notice that still hasn't allowed me to get perfect placement even though I was using light colours of ink. I like things to be stamped just so, so personally, I still use the Stamp-a-ma-jig even with photopolymer stamps. For that reason, I would prefer if all of the sets we carried were still offered in rubber since photopolymer doesn't eliminate the need for the SAMJ for me anyway, and I like the quality and durability of the rubber better. End of the sidebar...

the design of both cards is the same, one being a stepped-up version of the other. On the fancier version, you'll notice a little bit of Mint Macaron lace trim peeking out from under the sentiment strip. The sentiment comes from a second hostess set called Happy Birthday, Everyone.

It should be noted that this set coordinates with the Bold Butterfly Framelits Dies. I don't own those so I had to handcut mine, but definitely a worthy investment if you want a quick and perfect cut for your butterflies.

 

 

Colour Combo: Marina Mist + Mint Macaron + So Saffron + Whisper White

 

 

 Stampin' Up! Supplies
Stamps: Floral Wings (Hostess), À tout un chacun (Happy Birthday, Everyone - hostess)
Cardstock: Marina Mist, Mint Macaron, Whisper White, So Saffron
Designer Series Paper Stack: 2015-2017 In Color
Ink: Marina Mist, Mint Macaron, So Saffron
Accessories: White Paper Doilies, White Medium Envelopes, Envelope Punch Board,
Subtles Sweet Dots, Woodgrain Embossing Folder, Circle Punch, Paper Piercer,
Piercing Templates, Mint Macaron Lace Trim, Stampin' Dimensionals, Pearl Basic Jewels, Pretties Kit

 

 

    Floral Wings - 139169 - CAD $13 (hostess benefits)

   Bold Butterfly Framelits Dies - 138135 - CAD $21

  2015-2017 In Color Designer Series Paper Stack - 138432 - CAD $27.25

  À tout un chacun - 140020 - CAD $10 (hostess benefits)

 

New Catalogue: Silhouettes & Script - Fresh Pear

We have some great hostess sets this year! Silhouettes & Script is one of them: the images are cute, but I especially love the sentiments' Dymo font! (Not showing on this card, but you'll see more later.)

This card was inspired by the ColourQ Combo #293 and the MFT sketch #228.

The little Indigo clip at the top was die-cut out of cardstock using the new Project Life Paper Clips Thinlits - love those! I'm sure some people will overlook those dies because of the Project Life mention, which hints at scrapbooking, but those are the perfect size for cards as well. Paper clips in various shapes and any colour or pattern you want! Can't get more versatile than that!

 

 

 

 

 

Stampin' Up! Supplies
Stamps: Hardwood, Silhouettes en script (Silhouettes & Script - hostess), Beaucoup (retired)
Cardstock: Tangelo Twist, Hello Honey, Island Indigo, Whisper White
Designer Series Papers: Neutrals Paper Stack
Ink: Hello Honey
Accessories: Sweet Dreams Designer Washi Tape, Neutrals Sweet Dots, Black Stampin' Emboss Powder,
Triple Banner Punch, Square Lattice Embossing Folder, White Medium Envelope,
Stampin' Write Markers, Sweet Dreams Designer Buttons, Project Life Paper Clips Thinlits Dies,
Tangelo Twist Satin Ribbon

 

  Silhouettes en script - 140014 - CAD$13

  Project Life Paper Clips Thinlits Dies - 138284 - CAD$31

  Hardwood (wood-mount) - 133032 - CAD$25

New Catalogue: Sweet Stack - The Best Day

I had fun playing with the new catalogue stuff when I received my order a couple of weeks ago. Then life took over and I didn't have time to blog about what I had created, but I'm trying to catch up and show you what I came up with.

This card showcases the Sweet Stack stamp set. I don't intend on making pie slice boxes, but I still bought this set because I think you can brilliant stuff with it on its own, so don't let the fact that it's supposed to be paired with the Cutie Pie Thinlits Dies stop you.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Stampin' Up! Supplies
Stamps: Pile de souhaits (Sweet Stack)
Cardstock: Mossy Meadow, Whisper White, Night of Navy
Designer Series Paper: Birthday Bash
Ink: Bermuda Bay, VersaMark
Accessories: Embossing Powders (White, Gold), Bermuda Bay Sequin Trim,
Calypso Coral Pompon Trim, Gold Sequin Trim, Circle punch, Stampin' Dimensionals,
Envelope Punch Board, Crushed Curry Baker's Twine, Handheld Punch, Banner Triple Punch

 

 

 

  Pile de souhaits - 140162 - CAD$21 (also available in English)

Saving Scraps

As I was putting away supplies and cleaning up my desk, I looked at the pieces I had leftover from my last card. I immediately saw another design emerge and thought I put together a cute 3" x 3" card with them. I used the yellow star that was the negative space from the original card, the negative space from die-cutting the word sentiment, and the little stars I had left from cutting the border. I also had leftover paper from my 6"x6" paper piece, so all I had to add was more cardstock for the card base, a gold metal button and another piece of ribbon and I was good to go. I really like this colour combo - masculine but bright at the same time.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Stampin' Up! Supplies
Cardstock: Hello Honey, Marina Mist
Designer Series Paper: Night of Navy (retired hostess pack)
Accessories: Hello Honey Satin Ribbon, Gold Metal Designer Buttons, Voeux Framelits Dies,
Mini Treat Bag Framelits Dies (small and big stars), Envelope Punch Board

 

 

  Mini Treat Bag Thinlits Dies - 137547 - CAD$49

  Gold Basic Metal Buttons - 133763 - CAD$10

Stampin' Up!'s You're So Sweet - Gold Star

This card was inspired by a mix of challenges: Deconstructed Sketch #202, Fab Friday #65 (colours) and Paper Players #248 (masculine project theme).

I really wanted to get my new You're So Sweet stamp set inked, but I didn't want to use it on a Mini Sweet Treat bag project yet, as this stamp set is initially intended to be used. I liked how the Deconstructed Sketch, with its circles, allowed me to incorporate the star to the design. Then I repeated the star pattern using the row of stars from the Mini Treat Bag Framelits dies set, and lined the underside of the die-cut Night of Navy cardstock with a piece of Hello Honey satin ribbon (now retired) and I cut the ends with a pair of pinking shears for added interest.

The negative star was backed with a piece of Night of Navy Designer paper from an old hostess paper pack, and a Designer button was added in the center. The second circle was punched out of Gold Glimmer Paper and three navy Sweet Dots were added to it.

The background paper was stamped with the new Writing Notes background stamp and I used the Spiral Border punch on the border to mimick writing paper. Now, I'll admit SU!'s timing with retiring certain products is often mind-boggling and this is a great example. How perfect is the Spiral Border punch with the Writing Notes stamp? SU! missed on seeing how perfect of a pair these two items were and in my opinion, they retired this punch one year too early. Which means I'll just have to cheat and keep using mine even though it's not a current product anymore...

Finally, for the first time ever, we have French Framelits in the catalogue! French customers, have you spotted this? Page 172 - Voeux Thinlits. How awesome! Even more awesome is that I found the kit included the same word, "Salut", as my star image has, so I added the word die-cut out of Marina Mist cardstock to the card as well.

I think this makes for an awesome masculine card with the colour scheme and star theme.

 

 

 

 

 

 

   

 

 

 

Stampin' Up! Supplies
Stamps: Juste comme ça (You're So Sweet), Writing Notes
Cardstock: Marina Mist, Night of Navy, Hello Honey, Whisper White
Designer Series Paper: Night of Navy (retired hostess pack)
Ink: Marina Mist, Night of Navy, Hello Honey
Accessories: Designer Buttons, Mini Treat Bag Framelits Dies, Gold Glimmer Paper,
Regals Sweet Dots, Stampin' Dimensionals, 3" Circle Die, 2½" Circle Punch,
Sweet Dreams Designer Washi Tape, Voeux Framelits Dies, White Medium Envelope,
Spiral Border Punch, Hello Honey Satin Ribbon, Pinking Shears

 

Sleeping Eyewear

A few years ago, I opted to have lasik eye surgery so I wouldn't have to wear contacts anymore. Part of the process is having to wear what I can only describe as plastic eyepatches for a few days when going to sleep (to avoid scratching your eyes). My mom, who was in town to drive me to and from the surgery, just had to snap a few pics so that we could all remember just how pretty I looked with those plastic goggles. Just sharing with you how glamorous my life cab get...

 

 

 

 

Supplies
Stamps: Playful Alphabet (Hero Arts), Antique Alphabet (Image Tree)
Patterned Papers: Simple Stories
Ink: Basic Black
Accessories: Project Life Corner Rounder Punch, Wood accents, Stampin' Write Markers,
Sweet Dots

 

Stampin' Up!'s Tin of Cards - Three Bows

When I saw the As You See It challenge #90 calling for one-layer cards, I remembered this awesome card I had seen on Stampin' Up!'s Pinterest and that I had been meaning to recreate. I switched the sentiment to use a fun new sets that just came out called Tin of Cards. It can be paired with the Card Tin kit sold in the catalogue, but I think it works awesomely on its own. I love that this set is offered in French, and most of all, the retro-inspired font on some of the sentiments. Look at it more closely on page 110 of the new catalogue: you'll see it's a great, versatile set that covers a lot of different occasions.

To create the border, I used a ruler and a Stampin' Write marker, but looking back on it, I should have used the border stamp that is included in the kit!!! What a missed opportunity to use my new kit to the max...

The bows were quickly assembled thanks to the Bow punch and Designer Series Paper. Glue dots are going to be your best friend to get the bows assembled quickly and easily.

One last but very important detail I want to draw to your attention: my card base was made out of THICK Whisper White cardstock. Our regular Whisper White cardstock is awesome for stamping but not so much to create card bases if you're an heavy embellisher like I am, as the thinner white cardstock tends to buckle under the weight of multiple embellishments and layers. I know demos have been asking SU! for heavier white cardstock for years, and ladies and gentlemen, it is finally here! Now, it can be easy to miss out in the catalogue if you're not paying close attention, but it's on page 149 - 24 sheets for $8.75 (Canadian). Make sure you get some!! That item went straight on my first order.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Stampin' Up! Supplies
Stamps: Coffret de souhaits (Tin of Cards)
Cardstock: Thick Whisper White
Specialty Designer Series Paper: Birthday Bash
Ink: Bermuda Bay, Crushed Curry
Accessories: Bermuda Bay Stampin' Write Marker, Stamp-a-ma-jig, Bow Punch,
White Medium Envelopes

The new catalogue is here!! - Too Many Already...

The new 2015-2016 Stampin' Up! Annual Catalogue is here! Have you had a LOOK at it yet? It's filled with awesome new stuff, as always! I was a good girl this year and resisted placing a preorder - but I rewarded myself with expedited shipping on a new catalogue order I placed the day the catalogue went live. You'll post a lot of new products on the projects I'll share in the upcoming weeks, including today's card.

One of the sets that earned an instant place on my first order list the second I leafed through the catalogue was Sprinkles on Top. There is just something about that row of adorable half-eaten doughnuts, and I love the funny sentiment as well!  The samples made with it in the catalogue are also super adorable, so I was instantly sold. This is my first run at using it.

I kept it really simple, but I think the set and whimsical matching paper (Cherry on Top Designer Series Paper Stack) does all the work. By the way, you'll notice the paper stacks are now sized 6"x6". I love this change, because it allows you to pick the way you use the paper on your card, whether it's a vertical or horizontal layout. More creative options! #loveit

Another thing I really love? That new Banner Triple Punch! The punch has guides for paper strips that are 1", 1½" and 2" wide, but really, you can still slip any other size of paper that is less than 2" wide in, center it yourself and punch. Quick and perfect! This is another punch that I'll get a lot of mileage out of since the banner fad doesn't seem to be fading away just yet.

The design was inspired by the MFT Sketch #231.

 

 

 

 

 

Stampin' Up! Supplies
Stamps: Sprinkles on Top
Cardstock: Cucumber Crush
Designer Series Pape: Cherry on Top Stack
Ink: Bermuda Bay
Accessories: Stampin' Write Markers, Brights Sweet Dots, Project Life Corner Rounder Punch,
White Medium Envelope, 3/4" circle Punch, Bermuda Bay Baker's Twine, Banner Triple Punch,
Stampin' Dimensionals

 

Carpe Diem

I used the same papers as the piano page for this layout, which includes pictures of my sister's first concert with the Carpe Diem vocal group. My favorite element is the record die-cut. It even has the shine on the grooves, so it looks like the real thing!

 

 

 

 

My New Baby

A few years ago, I acquired a brand-new piano. This is one of the most exciting purchases I have made since I started working. Musicians will understand how exciting it is to pick and choose your very own instrument. As excited as I was, it took me a long time to finally make a page about it because I wanted the page to be just so (as if often the case with my favorite pictures, it'll take a while before I commit them to paper). I recently found those elegant music-themed papers at a local store and knew they were perfect to match my pictures, so there it is.

 

 

 

 

Black and White Hello Life

I really liked the Hello Life Project Kit sold in the Occasions Catalogue and knew I wanted to use it pretty much as is, except change the English sentiments for French ones. Since the stamp set that goes with the kit had not been translated, I simply looked at my collection to find things that would fit the frame and space available well. As I was pulling out the pieces, I also decided I wanted the whole project to be black and white only (if you look at the original project, it has touches of Crushed Curry in there).

To do so, I either used the back of the elements (since it's just printed paper and not our regular cardstock, so the back is white), and I also used Black baker's twine from my own stash to replace the Crushed Curry thick baker's twine included to make the pompons. The silver glimmer paper tag was a last-minute addition - I had it lying on my desk from another project so I just decorated it with a piece of Black chevron ribbon and added a remaining heart from the kit and a button.

Now, I just need to have family picture printed in black and white to add in the frame and it'll be ready to put up in my stamp room, to match the black and white decor pieces.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Stampin' Up! Supplies
Stamps: Souhaits instantanés (Really Good Greetings), Voeux pétillants (Starburst Sayings),
Parfaits fanions (Perfect Pennants), Quelques lignes (Petite Pairs), Ça bulle (Just Sayin')
Project Kit: Hello Life
Ink: VersaMark, Basic Black
Accessories: Stampin' Emboss Powder (Silver, Black, White), Starburst Framelits Dies,
Stampin' Dimensionals, Black Chevron Ribbon, Silver Glimmer Paper, Chalk Talk Framelits Dies,
Black Baker's Twine, Word Bubbles Framelits Dies, Neutrals Designer Buttons