Encre, papier, ciseaux

With a Cherry on Top

So after I was done with my latest scrapbook page, I kept on going with the Rockabilly Designer Series Paper I was working with since the pack is down to a few pieces and I wanted to see if I could finish it off. This has been one of my favorite past paper pack and I've enjoyed working with it very much. I decided to focus on the cherry part of the paper pack (instead of the rock 'n roll one with the skulls) and was tempted again to make another file folder card.

The card design was based on the Global Design Project Sketch #42. The ideas were flowing and the card came together really quickly. The hiccup came at the end... when I realized that I had placed the round tab at the bottom so it wouldn't be right next to my main focus circle, which meant that the card fold was now on the right and the card was opening the opposite way a regular card usually does. That left me a little puzzled on what to do next. Personally, I liked it the way it was and would just have left it as is, but I know from experience that I would have gotten a lot of comments, either from people signing the card or receiving the card that the fold was wrong. So in order to make lemonade, I got the idea to add a cardstock base underneath with the fold the right way and instead of gluing the first part shut, now it's an accordeon card! On the plus side, I could use this card for a group because it leaves a lot of space for everyone to sign and include a note. I managed to turn my boo-boo into an interesting element of the card.

A lot of the elements used for this card are retired (including the colors, Riding Hood Red and Kiwi Kiss, two personal favorites). The cute font for the sentiment is from a new stamp set, though: Floral Phrases. I embossed it in Black Stampin' Emboss Powder to make it stand out more on the red cardstock.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Stampin' Up! Supplies
Stamps: Pensées florales (Floral Phrases), Button Buddies
Cardstock: Kiwi Kiss, Riding Hood Red, Whisper White
Designer Series Paper: Rockabilly
Ink: VersaMark
Accessories: Stampin' Write Marker, Designer Washi Tape, Black Baker's Twine,
Stampin' Dimensionals, Black Stampin' Emboss Powder, White Envelope,
Circle and Scallop Circle Nestabilities Dies, Black Glimmer Paper,
Riding Hood Red Satin Ribbon, Kiwi Kiss Corduroy Button, File Folder Template (Coluzzle)

 

From the Bottom of my Heart

When I saw the CAS(E) This Sketch challenge #178, I saw the opportunity to use the new Sweet & Sassy Framelits. I was really happy to see those hearts added to the dies collection. I like that we have hearts of all sizes, but also that we have two types of hearts: one that is more traditional and symetrical, and the other one with rounder edges, more whimsical.

The beautiful colour combo was inspired by In[k]spire Me challenge #255, and it features one of the new In Colors, Dapper Denim. It's a nice darker shade of blue with green hues. It reminds me a bit of Not Quite Navy, which was a colour I used to reach for a lot.

The nice Vanilla striped satin ribbon is retired, but still available in the Clearance Rack (while supplies last).

 

 

 

 

 
 

 

 

Stampin' Up! Supplies
Stamps: Des adieux du fond du coeur (Heartfelt Sympathy)
Cardstock: Very Vanilla, Dapper Denim, Calypso Coral, Soft Sky
Ink: Dapper Denim, Soft Sky
Accessories: Pearls, Subtles Candy Dots, Sweet & Sassy Framelits Dies,
Stampin' Dimensionals, Layering Squares Framelits Dies, Project Life Corner Punch,
Very Vanilla 1-1/4" Subtle Stripes Satin Ribbon, Vanilla Medium Envelope

 

 

 

Congrats on your Diploma!

I usually never sell graduation cards, so I really don't make and keep a whole lot of those. This year, I happened to have one in my card basket - and ended up having two colleagues request a graduation card! The second colleague was okay with getting a "congratulations, you did it" card, but I made sure I would make a couple that I would keep in my stash in case I get requests again. I just happened to get the Jump for Joy stamp set from The Cat's Pajamas not too long ago, so it was a good chance to get it inked. I was happy to be able to order this stamp set, because I had missed out on getting it when Alma was offering it as a freebie with a $60 order. Luckily, afterwards, it was added to her regular offering and available for purchase, so I was happy to be able to get it, because those penguins are my favorites of the TCP characters, and also because I don't have much graduation-related images, so I knew it could be useful to have on hand.

This week's TCP challenge (#317) was red, white, blue and sparkle, so I thought the colours could work well on a graduation card. I found those colours in my Beach Day papers from Carta Bella. The card design was inspired by the Match the Sketch challenge #130 and the Simon Says Stamp Wednesday challenge (Anything Goes).

 

 

 

 

 

 

Supplies
Stamps: Jump for Joy (The Cat's Pajamas)
Cardstock: Brilliant Blue, Real Red, Whisper White
Patterned Papers: Beach Day (Carta Bella)
Ink: Tuxedo Black Memento
Accessories: Brads, Stampin' Dimensionals, Markers, Silver Glimmer Paper,
Star Punch, Wonky Stitches Circles Die-namics (MFT), Sequins,
Decorative Doily Duo Die-namics (MFT), Voeux Thinlits Dies (Stampin' Up!)

 

Light as a Feather

I seem to be drawn to feather images, and this time was no exception when I saw the Feather Together stamp set. I had used one of the sentiments, but not the images yet, so I decided to use them on a card today,

I needed to make a Good Luck card for the office, so I pulled out an old retired set called Sincere Salutations (we really don't seem to include Good Luck all that often in our stamp sets - on the flip side, we have a gazillion thank yous...). To embellish my card a bit, I used the new Flourish Thinlits die, for the flourish on the back and the beautiful vanilla border in my main image (I'm going to be using this one a lot, I can already tell).

To make the background Delightful Dijon cardstock a little less plain, I stamped the Linen background stamp (retired) on it and added a border stamped with the Timeless Textures stamp set at the bottom.

The card design was inspired by Viva la Verve June Sketch #2.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Stampin' Up! Supplies
Stamps: Pensées à la plume (Feather Together), Linen, Timeless Textures, Sincères salutations (Sincere Salutations)
Cardstock: Crumb Cake, Delightful Dijon, Rich Razzleberry, Mint Macaron
Designer Series Paper: Affectionately Yours
Ink: Delightful Dijon, Rich Razzleberry, Mint Macaron, Sweet Sugarplum, So Saffron
Accessories: Flourish Thinltis Dies, Vanilla Seam Binding, Brights Designer Buttons, Baker's Twine,
Stampin' Dimensionals, Ticket Corner Punch, Crumb Cake Medium Envelope

 

Jar of Plenty

I predict the new Jar of Love stamp set will be popular. It's cute, it includes a ton of images and will be very versatile. Plus, it comes with a matching Everyday Jars Framelits kit for pretty much all of the stamps included in the kit.

I thought the Affectionately Yours Specialty Designer Series Paper would work well with the homegrown, earthy look of that stamp set. The design was inspired by the great Retro Sketch #220.

I made my own notepad page using the Writing Notes background stamp, which I stamped in VersaMark on Crumb Cake cardstock and embossed with White Stampin' Emboss Powder. The top was punched with the Spiral Border Punch, which is still available in the Clearance Rack.

The sentiment comes from the Vertical Greetings stamp set. I was really happy to see vertical sentiments, which we've never had before! They're going to be great to fill out spaces in margin or on a tab and create a different look. Underneath the sentiment, I added a clip die-cut out of Watermelon Wonder cardstock using the Project Life Paper Clips Thinlits dies, and I decorated it with a flower from the Jar of Love stamp set.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Stampin' Up! Supplies
Stamps: Petit pot d'amour (Jar of Love), À la verticale (Vertical Greetings)
Cardstock: Mint Macaron, Cool Cucumber, Crumb Cake, Watermelon Wonder, Whisper White
Specialty Designer Series Paper: Affectionately Yours
Ink: Mint Macaron, Cool Cucumber, Crumb Cake, Watermelon Wonder, Night of Navy, Soft Sky, Daffodil Delight, VersaMark
Accessories: Project Life Paper Clips Thinlits, Everyday Jars Framelits, Stampin' Dimensionals,
Pearl Basic Jewels, White Medium Envelope, Word Window Punch, Burlap Ribbon, Mint Macaron Lace Trim,
Spiral Border Punch, Baker's Twine

 

Stripes and Topiaries

When I spotted the As You See It sketch #137, I knew it would be a great sketch to put ink to the Vertical Greetings stamp set. For colours, I spotted the Create with Connie and Mary challenge #412 and thought the colours would work well with the topiary.

I made two versions of the concept: one has dry embossed cardstock and the second one has stamping on the strips (using images from the Sweet Stack stamp set). I used a piece of Watermelon Wonder Satin Ribbon (retired) leftover from a gift I received on one card, and Pool Party Glimmer Ribbon (sadly retired) on the second card.

I used Thick Whisper White cardstock for the card base.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Stampin' Up! Supplies
Stamps: À la verticale (Vertical Greetings), Pile de souhaits (Sweet Stack)
Cardstock: Thick Whisper White, Blushing Bride, Pool Party, Watermelon Wonder
Ink: Blushing Bride, Pool Party, Watermelon Wonder
Accessories: Softly Falling and Brickwall Embossing Folders, Pool Party Glimmer Ribbon,
Watermelon Wonder Satin Ribbon, Stampin' Dimensionals, Stampin' Write Markers

 

Tree Greenery

What does not work for one card might work for another... When I stamped my lilac card earlier this week, I was not paying attention and initially did my tree leaves in Pear Pizzazz. Then when I snapped out of my temporary daze, I realized I wanted the leaves stamped in lilac, so I discarded my piece of white cardstock. Then I found it later in my paper scraps after receiving my new catalogue order, and I realized it would look great with the leaves picture paper from the Serene Scenery DSP.

I centered my design around the Try Stampin' on Tuesday sketch #276, and in order to have the DSP showing, I had to make my card extra big (4½" x 6").

 

 

 

 

 

 

Stampin' Up! Supplies
Stamps: Arbre protecteur (Sheltering Tree), Pensées à la plume (Feather Together), Letters for You
Cardstock: Old Olive, Whisper White, Early Espresso
Designer Series Paper Stack: Serene Scenery
Ink: Pear Pizzazz, Early Espresso
Accessories: Pearl Basic Jewels, Linen Thread, Banner Punch,
White Envelope, Stampin' Dimensionals, Large Letters Framelits Dies,
Baked Brown Sugar Thick Baker's Twine, Angled Tag Topper Punch, Triple Banner Punch

 

Ingredients for a Happy Birthday (Featuring New Emerald Envy)

That new cupcake set looks absolutely scrumptious! I was eager to use mine and found the inspiration to do so today. I was leafing through the Summer issue of the Scrapbook & Cards Today magazine and spotted a pocket scrapbooking layout with a lovely colour combo. The green on it reminded me of the new Emerald Envy, and I paired it with Melon Mambo, Daffodil Delight and Sahara Sand to reproduce the colour combo I had seen. I like how it turned out - there's something equally modern and retro about it, which works with the Sweet Cupcake stamp set.

This set comes with the matching Cupcake Cutouts Framelits dies. The little squiggly die is included in that set. I watercolored a piece of Melon Mambo cardstock with the Clear Wink of Stella brush before die-cutting the squiggle so that it would be shimmery.

The French sentiments reads, "The ingredients to a lovely birthday." This is another stamp set where the Stamp-a-ma-jig is going to be your best friend. I don't care how many times people will try to convince you that photopolymer stamps help you line up your images more easily because they are clear. With those three-step stamping images, the chances of you eyeballing it perfectly each time are slim, especially when inking your image with darker colours. I eyeballed the bottom of the cupcake when I started. Got one perfect enough to use as is - the second one was off enough that the image looked blurry and out of focus. So off I went and stamped a third one. The sentiments are also meant to be stamped together to create a longer one. Since mine were paired on a narrow strip of cardstock, I wanted to make sure it was straight, so there went the SAMJ again.

By the way, my card is a slightly irregular size: 5" x 4-1/4". I know it's irregular because this size is not part of the long list of card dimensions printed on the Envelope Punch Board - haha! I just happened to have a few cardstock scraps in my Sahara Sand file that were a bit too short for a regular card, but that I wanted to use before cutting into new sheets. Hence the unique format. It still works with our regular medium envelopes, the card is just going to be a tad shorter than the envelope.

The design was inspired by the MFT Sketch #286.

 

 

 

 

Colour Combo: Emerald Envy + Melon Mambo + Daffodil Delight + Sahara Sand

 

 

 

Stampin' Up! Supplies
Stamps: Douceurs sucrées (Sweet Cupcake)
Cardstock: Sahara Sand, Daffodil Delight, Emerald Envy, Melon Mambo
Ink: Sahara Sand, Daffodil Delight, Emerald Envy, Melon Mambo
Accessories: Cupcake Cutouts Framelits Dies, Stampin' Dimensionals,
Clear Wink of Stella Brush, White Medium Envelopes, Stamp-a-ma-jig

 

Fresh Encouragement

One of the suite I was immediately drawn to was the Fresh Fruit one. Now, after seeing the papers in person and using them with the matching stamp set, I'm even more in love with it and foresee enjoying them very much. The fruits are just so adorable! It's a two-steps stamp set, but the fruits can be used without the outline stamp and still look good because the photopolymer has texture to create highlight on the image without us having to work at it.

This set of card was inspired by the Stamp Ink Paper challenge #53, where we had to draw inspiration from one of the design team's projects. I chose Dena Rekow's. I loved her mix of sorbet shades, the stripes on the background and the main image on a tag. I drew inspiration from all of those elements.

The Fresh Fruit stamp set is unfortunately only offered in English, so I looked in my other stamp set to find something appropriate in French. Two of the sentiments from the Here for You stamp set, and the third one was created with the Labeler Alphabet. This is another set I got really excited over the second I saw it. We get positive and negative letters. and the size is awesome for both cards and Project Life inserts. This is going to get used a LOT.

To fill out the card a bit more, I pulled out the new Flourish Thinlits dies and cut leaves out of Old Olive cardstock to add around the tag. Ruched ribbon in Peekaboo Peach and Flirty Flamingo were tied at the top of the tag as well. The tag was created with the Scallop Tag Topper punch and the Project Life Corner punch.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Stampin' Up! Supplies
Stamps: Fresh Fruit, Là pour toi (There for You), Labeler Alphabet
Cardstock: Peekaboo Peach, Pear Pizzazz, Whisper White
Designer Series Paper: Fruit Stand
Ink: Pear Pizzazz, Old Olive, Peekaboo Peach, Flirty Flamingo, Daffodil Delight, Calypso Coral, Basic Grey
Accessories: Rhinestone Basic Jewels, Scallop Tag Topper Punch, Ruched Ribbon,
Flourish Thinlits Dies, Stampin' Dimensionals, Popcorn Box Dies, Silver Glimmer Paper

 

Popcorn Has Never Looked So Cute!

One of the new things I went "Yess!" out loud over when leafing through the annual catalogue was the Popcorn Box die. I had been hoping for one of those for a long time. Popcorn boxes have weird angles, so they're not something you can easily create on your own or with the box punch board. So this one went straight to my mental list of must-haves for the first order.

On Monday, when I was taking things out of the box, I totally spaced out on that die kit when pulling things out because I was expecting one of the wider Big Shot Thinlits envelope. You know the ones - like the one that houses the Mini Treat Bag. Then, as I started looking for the popcorn box die thinking it might be missing, I finally spotted it and seeing the size of the envelope alone, I immediately went, Oh... Sure enough, I pulled the sheet on which the dies were stuck and saw the size and immediately realized it was much smaller than I anticipated. Yes, the size was written in the catalogue and I should have looked at it more closely. Now that I've finished putting my first sample together with it, I don't think the size is half bad. But I thought I'd pass the warning along: don't be surprised - it's on the small side.

It's adorable, though. It comes with all kinds of little dies to embellish the box, and a matching stamp set as well (you can get both as a bundle for 10% off). I got the French stamp set solely based on the one sentiment that says, "Explosion de souhaits" ("Explosion of wishes" - get it?). I'm going to enjoy using that one on cards with popcorn or sparklers or fireworks.

Anyway, back to the box embellishments, I knew the scallop edge was supposed to cut the actual box, but I decided to try the fancy stuff right off the bat and see if I could cut a second piece of cardstock instead to make a border in a different colour. Verdict: it works, but you can't make it very large, as the sizing won't work with the fold marks already on the scallop border.

Another embellishment is the wavy border, which I used four times on Silver glimmer paper, for each box side. The kit also includes a long strip, meant to add stripes to the box. I'll be honest: this one I don't get just yet. I mean, I get the idea: the strip is slightly narrower at the bottom to follow the shape of the box. But I would have thought the strips would be at an angle, drawing closer together at the bottom. Not the case, based on how the top and bottom are cut. The other thing that confuses me is that the strip is longer than the side of the box. I would really love to understand why. So you can fold it underneath the box? So you can snip the extra yourself? I'm really not sure.

So this was my first try and it's now perfect, but it'll get better with each new box I put together. I still think it's cute enough to be given away. I found an old polka dot cello bag that used to be part of a SAB kit and closed it with a silver twist tie I kept from some random packaging (just because it was silver and I knew it would look awesome somewhere on a project).

By the way, the cute polka dot paper comes from the Serene Scenery Designer Series Paper Stack. You need to have a closer look at that one in the catalogue. It's gorgeous! One of my favorites in recent years. The colours are gorgeous and rich, and each sheet of paper has one side that is photography and the flip side is regular patterns. I've already seen really pretty stuff done with it popping up (pun unintended) online and I can't wait to use mine more. If you're curious, check out this Stampin' Up! video to see all of the pages: VIDEO.

The colour combo was inspired by Just Us irls #348 and the touch of glimmer (silver border, silver twist tie and rhinestones) were inspired by the Wednesday Simon Says Stamp challenge.

 

 

 

 

Color Combo: Bermuda Bay + Melon Mambo + Delightful Dijon + White

 

 

Stampin' Up! Supplies
Stamps: Explosion de saveur (Ready to Pop)
Cardstock: Delightful Dijon, Melon Mambo, Whisper White
Designer Series Paper: Serene Scenery
Ink: Melon Mambo, Bermuda Bay
Accessories: Popcorn box Thinlits Dies, Rhinestone Basic Jewels, Silver Shimmer Paper,
White Polka Dot Cello Bag (SAB Kit), Stampin' Dimensionals, Large Oval Punch, Tear 'n Tape

 

A Teddy for Baby

Baby Bear immediately caught my eye in the annual catalogue and I knew that it would be a nice addition to my stash, for baby cards and because teddies make everyone go, "Awww!" To ink it up,I paired the Global Design Project challenge #41 (color combo) with the Retro Sketch #219. Because the colour combo called for Sweet Sugarplum colour, I wanted to use the Painter's Palette DSP stack, but the neutral in those papers is Very Vanilla, so I had to slightly change the colour combo. Considering I only changed the neutral, I'm hoping I can be forgiven?

The cute narrow washi tape is from the accessory kit of one of the new Project Life kits released in the catalogue as well. The larger washi tape came from another Project Life accessory kit (last Christmas' Hello December, I think?). My card background was embossed using the Lucky Stars embossing folder and I highlighted the stars with the Clear Wink of Stella brush.

I allowed myself to use the Very Vanilla Subtle Stripes Satin Ribbon since it is still available for a mere $4 (great deal!) in Stampin' Up!'s Clearance Rack section. I used a Very Vanilla Designer button from the Neutrals pack (now retired) on top. They're really similar to the Classic Designer Buttons, which we still carry, in case you're looking for an equivalent. Or if you're like me, you still have a bunch to get through anyway. wink

 

 

 

 

  

 

 

Stampin' Up! Supplies
Stamps: Bébé ourson (Baby Bear)
Cardstock: Very Vanilla, Night of Navy, Sweet Sugarplum
Ink: Night of Navy, Sweet Sugarplum
Designer Series Paper Stack: Painter's Palette
Accessories: Vanilla Medium Envelope, Clear Wink of Stella, Designer Washi Tape,
Triple Banner Punch, Elegant Tag Punch, Very Vanilla Subtle Stripes Satin Ribbon,
Neutrals Designer Buttons, Stampin' Dimensionals, Stamp-a-ma-jig

 

Mighty Awesome

My first order of new stuff from the annual catalogue has finally arrived! And just in time for the provincial holiday long weekend! I couldn't wait until then, though, and had to dive in straight away to try out the new items. Some years, getting a boxful is new stuff proves intimidating and because I want to use it all, I don't know where to start, which ends up blocking my creativity. I am happy to report that it has not been the case this year and that ideas have been coming while I've been calmly stamping away.

The first card I made was inspired by Mojo Monday Sketch #453. The big block in the centre seemed like a natural fit for the Marquee Messages stamp set. This one has not been translated to French, which is a shame, but I still had to get it because it screamed my name: the marquee trend (which I love!), the retro fonts... what's not to love? So as I was working on this card, a big storm was raging outside and so I decided to close the computer before the power went out (which indeed it did). The power came back pretty much right after it went out, but because the computer was closed, I was working on the sketch from memory. Once I was done with the card and checked the sketch again afterwards, it was interesting to see how the shapes had evolved a little bit from the sketch, but the pieces are all still there.

The colour combo was something I had seen on patterned papers somewhere online and I had looked at my Colour Coach to find the equivalent in Stampin' Up! colors. The Color Coach had stayed on my desk with the selected colors flipped out for a few weeks until I found a project I could included them on. Once I noticed my new Serene Scenery DSP stack had Delightful Dijon in it, it was the perfect opportunity to use the colours combo. The aqua and coral combo also felt really retro, so perfect for the marquee stamp set. Isn't the result awesome?

The marquee was paper pieces with various cardstock colours. The little lines on the left edge were colored in with a Blushing Bride Stampin' Write Marker. The stars and lights were painted using the Gold Wink of Stella brush. The word "Awesome!" was embossed with Pool Party Stampin' Emboss Powder (sadly retired).

 

 

 

Colour Combo: Pool Party + Blushing Bride + Calypso Coral +
Delightful Dijon + Tip Top Taupe

 

 

Stampin' Up! Supplies
Stamps: Marquee Messages
Cardstock: Tip Top Taupe, Pool Part, Calypso Coral, Blushing Bride
Designer Series Paper Stack: Serene Scenery
Ink: VersaMark, Tip Top Taupe
Accessories: Blushing Bride Stampin' Write Marker, Gold Wink of Stella Brush, Stampin' Dimensionals,
Handheld Stapler, White Medium Envelope, 2015-2017 In Colour Washi Tape (hostess)

 

Blooming Lilac

I thought the Sunday Stamps #129 color combo was really pretty. After fiddling a bit with color combinations, I finally settled on Wild Wasabi, Pear Pizzazz, Wisteria Wonder, Tip Top Taupe with a dab of Chocolate Chip and Sweet Sugarplum. I thought stamping a lilac tree with the Sheltering Tree would look lovely. When looking at sentiment options to create the circle embellishment (as per the Freshly Made Sketch #241), I settled on "Wholeheartedly with You" from the Heartfelt Sympathy stamp set. The sentiment was die-cut using the Layering Squares Framelits Dies and a bit of Designer Washi Tape was added and stapled in place.

The Tip Top Taupe cardstock was stamped in Chocolate ink on Tip Top Taupe with the Hardwood background stamp (love the look!) and a piece of Sweet Sugarplum ruffled ribbon was added.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Stampin' Up! Supplies
Stamps: Arbre protecteur (Sheltering Tree), Hardwood, Des adieux du fond du coeur (Heartfelt Sympathy)
Cardstock: Wisteria Wonder, Tip Top Taupe, Wild Wasabi, Chocolate Chip, Pear Pizzazz, Whisper White
Ink: Wisteria Wonder, Sweet Sugarplum, Wild Wasabi, Chocolate Chip, Pear Pizzazz
Accessories: Layering Squares Framelits Dies, Stampin' Dimensionals, Designer Washi Tape,
Handheld Stapler, Sweet Sugarplum Ruffled Ribbon, White Medium Envelope

 

Swirly Wishes

These cards were copied from a design from Amanda Mertz, which I really liked. It showcases the new Swirly Bird stamp set and the matching Swirly Scribbles Thinlits dies. They're both great investment because there's a lot of different things you can make with them, to cover a variety of themes. Here, I paired them with the beautiful Watercolor Wishes stamp set. (It's part of an all-inclusive card kit, which I really enjoyed putting together, and now I enjoy still using the awesome stamp set on its own.)

 

 

 

 

 

Stampin' Up! Supplies
Stamps: Swirly Bird, Pensées à l'aquarelle (Watercolor Wishes)
Cardstock: Crumb cake, Whisper White
Designer Series Paper: Botanical Garden
Ink: Mint Macaron, Crumb Cake
Accessories: Swirly Scribbles Thinlits Dies, Crumb Cake Medium Envelopes, Pearl Basic Jewels,
Iced Rhinestones, Softly Falling Embossing Folder, Stampin' Dimensionals

 

Girly

As I was using the remnants of my Island Blossoms Simply Scrappin' kit, I thought I had only enough scraps to make small notecards, but I discovered that the flower stickers I had left were way too big for 3"x 3" cards. I then thought maybe they would suit a scrapbook page better. I looked at the pictures I had put aside to scrapbook soon and found one of my niece proudly displaying her new dress, in colors that matched the kit nicely. Turned out that, surprisingly enough, I was able to make a 12" x 12" with what I left from the kit. And I think it turned out pretty cute. I particularly like the top and bottom borders stamp in So Saffron with the Dotty Angles stamp set.

The journaling explains that Megan was very happy with her new dress because, in her words, "it is blue-green like Elsa's dress and purple and pink like Anna's dress (from Frozen) and it has palm trees like in Florida (which she just came back from after going to Disney World with her parents)." Personally, I just can't get over the pose she's striking. Did you see the foot and the little hand holding the dress? She's 3½ and such a girly-girl already.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Supplies
Stamps: Dotty Angles (Stampin' Up!), Mois de l'année courrier (Lime Citron)
Cardstock: So Saffron, Taken With Teal
Simply Scrappin' Kit: Island Blossoms
Ink: So Saffron, Taken With Teal
Accessories: Journaling Pen, Silver Metallic Baker's Twine, Thickers Alphabet Stickers,
Stampin' Dimensionals, Months Dies (Echo Park), Eyelet

 

Best Tropical Wishes

The Island Blossoms Simply Scrappin' kit just kept giving. I was inspired by the sketch from Create with Connie and Mary #411. Since the sketch had a sentiment made from a die-cut and a tag, I used the die-cut tag from the kit and paired it with the Christmas Greetings Thinlits dies. The French translation has the word "wishes" in it, which is not limited to Christmas use, but also works for birthday wishes, so using the matching Holly Jolly Greetings stamp set, I stamped the rest of my wish on the tag.

The So Saffron background was stamped with the Linen background stamp and the Timeless Texture around the border. (That set is SO useful - do you have yours yet?)

TIP: Here's a fun trick I found when die-cutting my word. I was about to reach for a scrap of cardstock and then I realized that the Simply Scrappin' kit has some border stickers in it that were wide enough to cut my word from. One of that border was mostly white, so I die-cut my word directly on it and got an instant sticker! Way faster to add to my card than using the fine-tip glue to glue it in place.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Stampin' Up! Supplies
Stamps: Souhaits de joie (Holly Jolly Greetings), Linen, Timeless Textures
Cardstock: Certainly Celery, Regal Rose, So Saffron
Simply Scrappin' Kit: Island Blossoms
Ink: So Saffron, Certainly Celery
Accessories: Project Life Corner Punch, White Medium Envelope, Pearl Basic Jewels,
Sequins, Pink Gingham Ribbon, Stampin' Dimensionals

 

 

Tropical Thanks

This card was inspired by the remaining scraps of a Simply Scrappin' kit called Island Blossoms. I drew inspiration for the design from the Fab Friday challenge #89. I was not sure at first if I was going to like the result, but once I got the idea of add the banner at the bottom and overlay the circle tag on it, my design started taking shape and I started really liking the look of the card.

You'll notice the glimmer tape from Sale-A-Bration at an angle in the background (I wish we carried this stuff in the regular catalogue all year long!), and the sentiment comes from the current set called Tin of Cards. I also used the Envelope Punch Board to make a matching envelope.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Afterwards, I played with the kit scraps some more and came up with two 2-1/2" x 3" cards. The unexpected format came from a cardstock scrap that was in the mix. I was even more surprised when came time to make a matching envelope using the Envelope Punch Board to discover there was actually an envelope format for this card size on the board! Sentiments were also stamped with the Tin of Cards stamp set (annual catalogue, p. 86).

 

 

 

 

 

Supplies
Stamps: Coffret de souhaits (Tin of Cards)
Cardstock: Regal Rose, Taken with Teal, Whisper White
Simply Scrappin' Kit: Island Blossoms
Ink: Taken with Teal
Accessories: Envelope Punch Board, Pearl Basic Jewels, Scallop Trim Border Punch,
Circle Punch, Glimmer Tape, Stampin' Dimensionals

 

World Traveler

I was looking through my retired Simply Scrappin' kits and spotted Tickets & Tokens, which was litterally down to two paper scraps. I was surprised I hadn't tossed it away with so little left in it, but when I emptied the pack on the desk, I saw that despite the fact there was no paper left, I had some pretty awesome stickers left. The circle with "World Traveler" on it caught my eye, as this week's Simon Says Stamp Monday challenge happens to be World Traveler! One of the paper scrap I had left was large enough to cover the front of a 3-1/4" x 6-1/2" card so in about 15 minutes flat, I pulled together this card. I'm pretty pleased with it considering how little I had to work with from the kit. I stamped "It's vacation time!" on one of the die-cuts and added it to the bottom left corner of the card.

I used the Envelope Punch Board to make a matching envelope out of a sheet of Something Borrowed DSP.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Supplies
Stamps: Retraite (Simple à souhait)
Cardstock: Buckaroo Blue, Cranberry Crisp
Simply Scrappin' Kit: Tickets & Tokens
Designer Series Paper: Something Borrowed
Ink: Buckaroo Blue
Accessories: Horizontal Slit Punch, Chevron Natural Ribbon, Linen Thread,
Stampin' Dimensionals, Envelope Punch Board

 

Relax - Retirement is Here!

After finishing my latest scrapbook layout using some Doodlebug Design papers, I used the paper scraps to make a card. This week's Cat's Pajamas challenge (#316) theme was Summer, which went perfectly with the bright papers. Using the Mojo Monday sketch #452 as inspiration, I pulled out the In Shape set and decided it would make for a great retirement card. The ones I had in my stash have been selling, so it was time to replenish that theme.

On a whim, I decided to pull out my Watercolor Wonder crayons (remember those?) to color the image. I hadn't used those in years.  I struggled a big initially to get the look I wanted, but finally ended up with a look I liked enough. The clouds were also watercolored using the Clear Wink of Stella brush to make them sparkly. The bunny image was die-cut using the Layering Squares Framelits dies from the new SU! catalogue.

 

 

 

 

For the envelope, I stamped part of the cute bunny in pink on the front. And since half of the image was missing...

 

...I thought I could stamp the rest on the back!

 

    

 

 

Supplies
Stamps: In Shape (The Cat's Pajamas), Retraite (Simple à souhait)
Cardstock: Summer Sun, Shimmery White, Watercolor Paper
Patterned Papers: Spring Garden (Doodlebug Design)
Ink: VersaMark
Accessories: Stampin' Emboss Powders (Black, Gumball Green), Eyelets, Circle Punch,
Watercolor Wonder Crayons, Aqua Painters Brushes, Puffy Clouds Die-namics Dies,
Circle Framelits Dies, Layering Squares Framelits Dies, Clear Wink of Stella Brush,
Daffodil Delight Grosgrain Ribbon, White Medium Envelope, Nestabilies Dies, Stampin' Dimensionals

 

Affectionately Yours

When I saw the Just Add Ink sketch #315, it reminded me of the Botanical Blooms stamp set and matching Framelits dies. I also remembered the new Affectionately Yours Specialty Designer Series Paper and thought it would go well with it, with the bright colours and floral theme.

That project was pretty simple and straightforward, but it showcases the Stampin' Up! beautifully. It should be noted that the matching cardstock for the DSP is Watermelon Wonder, which I used for my card base, but the ribbon is our new Flirty Flamingo ruffled ribbon and it goes with the new papers wonderfully. (Never forget to test different colours of ribbons - with the shine of the fabric, we can often get away with colors that are not the exact Stampin' Up! shade of the cardstock used).

 

 

 

 

 

 

Stampin' Up! Supplies
Cardstock: Cool Cucumber, Watermelon Wonder, Daffodil Delight, Gold
Specialty Designer Series Paper: Affectionately Yours
Ink: Cool Cucumber
Accessories: Layering Squares Framelits Dies, Botanical Builder Framelits, Stampin' Dimensionals,
Pearl Basic Jewels, Flirty Flamingo Ruffled Ribbon, Crumb Cake Medium Envelope

 

Make a Wish

The starting point for this card was the color combo from Create with Connie and Mary #410 and the sketch from Pals Paper Arts 304. I was wondering which stamp set to use and then thought I could stamp the dandelion from Balloon Celebration in White Craft ink on Crumb Cake and the idea really appealed to me so I got started on the card. I really liked the delicate look of the white ink of kraft cardstock and so I kept the rest of the card really simple. The sentiment, which reads "Make a Wish" and comes from the Party with Cake stamp set, was embossed in white powder to make it stand out more.

 

 

 

 

  

 

 

Stampin' Up! Supplies
Stamps: Bouquet de ballons (Balloon Celebration), Faut fêter ça (Party with Cake)
Cardstock: Bermuda Bay, Crumb Cake, Whisper White
Designer Series Paper: Perfectly Artistic (SAB)
Ink: Whisper White Craft, Daffodil Delight, Bermuda Bay
Accessories: White Medium Envelope, White Stampin' Emboss Powder,
Pearl Basic Jewels, Stampin' Dimensionals, White Paper Doily

 

Happy Birthday, Boss!

I used the 9 to 5 collection from October Afternoon to make two scrapbook layouts this weekend (which I'll share as soon as I can take a picture of the pages in daylight) and I figured I could make a card with the paper scraps afterward. The inspiration for which card to make with the papers came when I spotted the boss and secretary die-cut in the kit. My boss' birthday is coming next month and that image is just perfect - the secretary has red hair just like me and the boss has little wings on his back... just like my own boss! LOL! He's seriously the best boss I could hope for and I make sure to let him know that once in a while.

Another great coincidence was that the definition paper I wanted to use for my background had the definition of "esteemed" on it, so I made sure to cut my paper allowing for that definition to be in the top corner and I highlighted the word with a marker to add emphasis to it.

The image die-cut was so big that I knew a regular-sized card wouldn't work. I worked backward, starting with the sticker, then figuring what size of card I needed and then looking at my Envelope Punch Board to see which sizes I could make an envelope for. The end result is a 5" x 6-1/2" card. It's big, even though it doesn't look like it since everything is well-proportioned on it. The inspiration for the design was the CAS(E) This Sketch challenge #176 and also the Simon Says Stamp Wednesday challenge (father's day / for a guy).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Supplies
Stamps: Voeux nombreux et joyeux (More Merry Messages), Type Strips (Papertrey Ink), Loopy Alphabet (Image Tree)
Cardstock: Midnight Muse, Mint Macaron
Patterned Papers: 9 to 5 (October Afternoon)
Ink: Night of Navy
Accessories: Envelope Punch Board, 9 to 5 Die-Cuts (October Afternoon), 5/16" Circle Punch,
9 to 5 Brads (October Afternoon), Stampin' Write Marker, Spiral Punch,
Project Life Corner Punch

 

Little Fireboy / Family Trip

Years ago, my mom made a purchase at the local dollar store and at the cash register, she was given a big honkin' chipboard kit with her purchase, that included six alphabet or shapes chipboard boxes from K & Co plus matching die-cut flowers and tags from the same company. In my early scrapbooking years, I had purchased one or two of those alphabet chipboard boxes and they were expensive! I couldn't believe that a minimal purchase at the dollar store got her a kit worth over $60 for free! Better yet - she got a second kit with another purchase later so I couldn't believe it when she handed me everything. Upon using some alphabet letters, I found that some of them had been printed and cut out off-center so I figured this might be why those were given as gifts rather than sold. If I had spend $10 on a box myself, I would have expected the letters to be printed properly, but for free? I was ok with them being a little imperfect. That being said, most of the box content was actually ok.

So upon my latest rearranging of my supply closet, I found those kits and started looking at the non-alphabet pieces. I found some great masculine images that immediately inspired something, so based off of the Paper Craft Crew Sketch #197, I made this first card. In a matter of minutes. Once I found some papers that could go well with the chipboard, everything fell into place quickly. The sentiment comes from Stampin' Up!'s Wild About Flowers stamp set (still available in the annual catalogue) and it reads, "You will be missed."

 

 

 

Since I had put aside a lot of the pieces I thought were cute, I was inspired to make a second card, this time for a little boy using the little fireboy image. This card was inspired by the Freshly Made Sketch #240 and Simon Says Stamps' challenge (Father's Day or for a boy).

 

 

 

 

 

Supplies
Stamps: Fleurs de l'âge (Wild About Flowers), Petits Plus (Little Additions), Timeless Textures
Cardstock: Cherry Cobbler, Mint Macaron, Night of Navy
Patterned Papers: Original (Authentique), Switchboard (Pink Paislee)
Ink: Jet Black StazOn, VersaMark, Soft Suede
Accessories: Rose Gold Embossing Powder, Chipboard Pieces (K & Company), Stampin' Dimensionals,
5-16" Brads, Neutrals Designer Buttons, Medium Envelopes (Crumb Cake, White)

 

Snow Angels

So this is a little off season (although I shouldn't say that - after amazing summer, sandal weather, we went back to freezing cold today - urgh!) but when I saw the ColourQ challenge #345 and at the stamps I had put aside to get inked, the pairing with the Got Snow? stamp set seemed perfect and I already had a very clear view of what I could make with it using the MFT sketch #284 as well. I decided you should never fight inspiration and just went for it.

I got the idea of using the Hardwood background stamp from the ColourQ image. After stamping the Soft Suede cardstock, I die-cut it using the new Layering Squares Framelits dies to cut it, and a slightly larger square Framelits to payer a piece of Island Indigo cardstock underneath.

The background was stamped with the Watercolor Wash background stamp. I thought it matched the snow texture with the snow angel well. I found a snowflake-looking embossing folder for the grey strip in the center, and added some enamel dots and rhinestones to it.

For the sentiment, I wanted to make this a French card so I was trying to think of a sentiment to add to the card and remembered I had a retired set with "You're an Angel" in it - perfect!

For the main image, I stamped the bunny in Tuxedo Black Memento ink, stamped the footprints in Soft Sky ink and colored the images with markers. I then added the snow outline using grey ink and colored the snow outside of the snow angel with my Clear Wink of Stella brush. (The glimmery snow looks awesome!!) Then, I used the stamped outline as a guide to add Liquid Appliqué all around the bunny. I pourred a bit of white glitter on it and puffed it up using my heat tool. That little detail just makes the card right there!

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

 

 

Supplies
Stamps: Got Snow? (The Cat's Pajamas), Watercolor Wash, Hardwood, Chérissons les anges (Stampin' Up!),
Cardstock: Island Indigo, Soft Sky, Soft Suede, Basic Grey, Whisper White
Ink: Soft Sky, Soft Suede, Island Indigo, Tuxedo Black Memento
Accessories: Rhinestone Basic Jewels, It's my Party Enamel Dots,
Layering Squares Framelits Dies, Stampin' Dimensionals, Liquid Appliqué,
2-1/2" Circle Punch, Clear Wink of Stella Brush, Distressing Tool, Fine White Glitter,
Mini Silver Brads, White Medium Envelope, Embossing Folder, Markers

 

Superbunny

This card took forever to take shape. I started it late on a Friday night, working with a certain sketch challenge and I just couldn't get things to fit right. My initial coloring was not matching the papers properly and it was bugging me. I had also pulled out some old Basic Grey papers, with one sheet from their Wander collection that had skyscrapers and that I always thought would work great with a superhero theme. After a while, I just gave up and went to bed, deciding I'd sleep on it.

It was obviously the right thing to go because when I went back to it the next day, I immediately thought instead of using the skyscraper paper as my background, I could handcut it to create a skyscape instead and pair it with the other paper option I had tried out of desperation the previous night. I also went back to my coloring to darken it up a bit and get a better match to my papers. All was good again.

The sentiment reads, "You never cease to amaze us."

This card was inspired by the Wednesday Simon Says Stamp challenge (Father's Day / for a guy) and Hand Stamped Sentiments #239 (the citrus colour combo).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Supplies
Stamps: Félicitations (Stampin' Up!), My Hero (The Cat's Pajamas)
Cardstock: Tangelo Twist, Marigold Morning, Whisper White
Patterned Papers: Basic Grey
Ink: Tuxedo Black Memento, Midnight Muse
Accessories: Envelope Punch Board, Nestabilities Dies, Markers,
Clear Wink of Stella Brush, Boom! CutUp Die (TCP), Comic Balloons CutUp Dies (TCP)

 

 

 

Scrapbooking Debut

I had some Jillibean Soup art-themed papers that inspired to look through my pictures to see if I had any of me crafting. I found those old pictures taken over a decade ago when I first discovered scrapbooking. Back then I was sharing an apartment with my sister so I had to lug everything to the kitchen table when I wanted to craft, create up a storm and then put everything away again. My sister was incredibly patient with me, as she's had to eat in the living room a few times because not only was the whole kitchen table covered with my stuff, but I had also put some stuff on chairs as well for lack of room! Seeing that mishmash of stuff in the pictures makes me really grateful I now have a spot reserved to my crafting and better crafting supplies! I've come miles - wish you could get a close-up of that card that was displayed on the table in front of me. You'd get a good laugh!

Some of the Jillibean papers had 3" x 4" die-cut cards that I cut apart and used, but I embellished them a bit - I added Candy Dots on the pushpins and a yellow-embossed wooden heart on the pin cushion. The sentiment card was stamped with stitching and embossed with Melon Mambo powder, then I added stamped sequins. Those image come from the Love You Sew hostess stamp set. I used the used the same set to create my own card at left. I started with the grid Project Life cards Stampin' Up! was carrying and I embossed the paint brushstroke image in seven colors: Merlon Mambo, Cherry Cobbler, Tango Tangerine, Crushed Curry, Gumball Green, Pool Part and Navy. Then I inked the little brush with Stampin' Write markers in matching colours and handcut them, then glued them to the card using Dimensionals. That whole process was a little time-consuming, but I love the result. I added the date using the Collage Numbers stamp set (long retired) and Jet Black StazOn ink.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Supplies
Stamps: Love You Sew, Collage Numbers
Cardstock: Night of Navy
Patterned Papers: Sew Sweet Sunshine Soup (Jillibean Soup)
Ink: VersaMark, Crushed Curry, Melon Mambo, Pumpkin Pie, Jet Black StazOn
Accessories: Star Punch, Gold Glimmer Paper, Wet Paint Alphabet Die (Papertrey Ink),
Stampin' Emboss Powders (Tango Tangerine, Melon Mambo, Cherry Cobbler, Crushed Curry,
Gumball Green, Pool Party, Navy), Stampin' Write Markers, Circle Punches, Project Life Corner Punch,
Stampin' Dimensionals, Essential Wooden Accents, Candy Dots, Navy Designer Washi Tape,
Project Life Grid Card

 

Little Girl Attire

I found this cute little girl's chipboard dress and flower and decided to make a little girl card. I was thinking a baby girl card but as I was putting the project together, I decided not to add any sentiment to it and let people decide what this card was meant to be for. We'll see if it sells - I've noticed customers tend to want cards with very specific sentiments on them. Nothing too vague (celebrate you, from the heart, a simple note, for you), nothing too out there (Have nice Holidays enveloped by a coat of warmth and joy, Do you hear the jingle bells?, May your heart burst with joy all year long). Those simply do not sell well. People will request a card that says what's it supposed to be for: Happy birthday, thank you, deepest sympathies, congratulations on your wedding. As a stamper, it's really restraining because when I create, I try to see which sentiment would best suit the card, size-wise, font-wise, style-wise, and I'm always torn between putting what looks the best and what will be best received. So I guess this card is cop out because I decided to leave it blank and see what happens...

The design was inspired by the Sugar Pea Designs #55.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Supplies
Cardstock: Sage Shadow, Basic Grey
Patterned Papers: Lost & Found (My Mind's Eye)
Accessories: White Polka Dot Organza Ribbon, Lace Border Punch (Martha Stewart),
Chipboard Dress and Flower (K & Company), Stampin' Dimensionals, Vanilla Baker's Twine,
Vanilla Medium Envelope, Layering Squares Framelits Dies

 

Frozen Wishes for my Niece

This week's Merry Monday challenge (#208) was to create a cute card for a child. My mind went immediately to my niece Megan. Not long ago, I bought the Holiday Anya 2 stamp because the little girl reminds me of Anya from Frozen with her long braid, and right now, my niece is obsessed with that movie. (I know - aren't every little girl?) I chose my patterned papers based on an aqua colour scheme, and based my design on the Mojo Monday Sketch #451. The rest of the card came together quite quickly. When looking for sentiments, I found an old set called Family Reunion that had the word niece in it so I stamped and embossed it in silver and used the Duet Banner punch (new in 2016-2017 annual catalogue) to punch it out. I did it twice so I could handcut and pop up part of it to give the banner dimension. Some snowflakes were stamped in VersaMark on the aqua paper and embossed with opalescent embossing powder. I also covered the dress in Clear Wink of Stella to make it shimmer. Because the second  thing my niece loves most after Frozen is anything sparkly or glittery. (Again, which little girl doesn't?) She's quite the girly-girl, there's no doubt about that.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Supplies
Stamps: Holiday Anya 2 (The Greeting Farm), Noël en tête (Christmas Punch), Fête de famille (Family Reunion), Êtres chers (Loved Ones)
Cardstock: Basic Grey, Whisper White
Patterned Papers: Winter Frost (We R Memory Makers)
Ink: Tuxedo Black Memento, Basic Grey, VersaMark
Accessories: Opalescent Embossing Powder, 2-1/2" Circle Punch, Banner Punch, Duet Banner Punch,
Silver Stampin' Emboss Powder, White Medium Envelope, Markers, Stampin' Dimensionals,
Iced Rhinestones, Clear Wink of Stella Brush

 

Adorable Baby Boy

The Bella Blvd I had in my stash had some cute 3" x 4" die-cut images on them and one of them grabbed my attention as a great image to turn into a baby card. That made for an easy and fast card to put together, inspired by the Sunday Stamps #128 sketch. I had a chipboard heart that I found while cleaning supplies that had stayed on my desk and the shape was great to fit with the background paper so I embossed it with two coats of white embossing powder and added two matching brads on it.

The sentiment was created with a cute image from the Little Additions Stamp set, and then I stamped the word "baby" with an alphabet set to finish the sentiment.

The image was fitting a little too snuggly on a regular 4-1/4" x 5-1/2" card, so I changed my card size to a 4-1/2" x 5-1/4" size and use the Envelope Punch Board to make a matching envelope. I rearranged my stamp room closet a big and got my 12x12 plastic drawers out of the closet and directly into the room. I think it's be easier to rummage through my paper scraps when making projects and put them to better use. This is what I did for my envelope here, looked at my green scraps (they're arranged by colours) and found a piece big enough for punch the envelope out of.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Supplies
Stamps: Petits plus (Little Additions - Stampin' Up!), Alphabet (Studio G)
Cardstock: Night of Navy, Whisper White, Peekaboo Peach, Green Galore
Patterned Papers: Cute Baby Boy (Bella Blvd.)
Ink: Night of Navy, Whisper White
Accessories: White Embossing Powder, Bold and Brights Brads,
Stampin' Dimensionals, Bakers' Twine (Doodlebug Design), Chipboard Heart,
Envelope Punch Board, Stampin' Write Markers

 

West Coast Get-Together

I have family In British Columbia that I keep in touch via cards and emails, but I don't get to visit them all that often. The last time I saw my cousin Monique and my aunt Raymonde, it was fifteen years ago when they visited us in Quebec City. When I learned that I would be attending a meeting held in Victoria, I was really excited at the chance to get together with my cousins and catch up! Louise drove to Nanaimo to join us. It was a great day! We took a picture on Louise's tablet as a little memento of our day together. Hopefully, I'll see them again before another 15 years' time, this time around.

 

 

 

 

Supplies
Stamps: Mois de l'année courrier (Lime citron)
Patterned Papers: Spring Garden (Doodlebug Design)
Ink: Basic Grey Archival
Accessories: It's My Party Enamel Dots, Stampin' Dimensionals,
Scallop Oval Frames Die-namics, Billboard Alphabet Die, Yellow Glimmer Tape,
Ribbons, Edgelits Dies, Corduroy Buttons, Candy Dots, Ticket Corner Punch,
Stampin' Write Markers