Encre, papier, ciseaux

Dirty Dozen - January Projects

Those are the projects I made for the January 2018 Dirty Dozen gallery on Splitcoast Stampers:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Brilliant, Amazing, Fantastic You!

This card was inspired by Freshly Made Sketches #322. I really wanted to use the Picture Perfect Party suite, which is my absolute fave in all of the new stuff. I started going on the card following the sketch and decided to use the long, narrow sentiment to fill the box. Interesting fact: the English sentiment has three adjectives; the French version only has two (brilliant and fantastic). This might be because some of the adjectives translated to the same thing or very possibly for space reasons (French is always more wordy than English), but that gave me the idea to add the "amazing" word from the SAB dies set. I was initially planning on using it as an accent at the bottom of the card, but after die-cutting it from Myths & Magic 6" x 6" glimmer paper, I realized while moving the die-cut around on the card that it was slim enough to adhere between the other words of the sentiment itself! Once I realized that, the rest of the card took shape really easily. I had to cut part of the piece that comes back around the word because it was overlapping a word and made the sentiment hard to read, so I snipped the end off.

At the bottom, I added one of the shimmer ribbons from the SAB ribbon pack and some silver sequin trim. We carry mini sequin trim now, but I'm still using my leftover, larger size from last year's catalogue, which is very similar. And what do you know - the Tutti-Frutti adhesive-backed sequins fit those papers as well, so I threw in a few for good measure.

Stampin' Up! started carrying Stampin' Spots again recently. I was not really paying attention to them since I own the full-size pads already, but I recently realized that spots would be way easier to use with the stamp positioning tool than full ink pads, which tend to leave marks around the smaller stamps if you are not really careful. With that in mind, I decided to get the two Stampin' Spots collection from the Occasions catalogue to see if I like using them and if I do, I might get the uninked ones to create Spots in my most-used colors. It was weird to go back to using felt pads. I've used those for years before Stampin' Up! made the switch to foam pads, but even though the description clearly states the Stampin' Spots are felt pads, I had not realized that before opening them. I used the Spots for this card and enjoyed having them on my work surface, not taking too much space.

 

 

 

 

 

  

Stampin' Up! Supplies
Stamps: Amniversaire idéal (Picture Perfect Birthday)
Cardstock: Peekaboo Peach, Berry Burst, Whisper White
Designer Series Paper: Picture Perfect Party
Ink: Berry Burst, Lemon Lime Twist, Old Olive, Peekaboo Peach, Pool Party, Bermuda Bay
Accessories: Tu es formidable Thinlits (SAB), White Medium Envelope, Silver Sequin Trim,
Shimmer Ribbon Pacl (SAB), Myths & Magic 6" x 6" Glimmer Paper, Stampin' Dimensionals,
Silver Stampin' Emboss Powder, Tutti-Frutti Adhesive-Backed Sequins

 

Some New Stuff to Break In!

I have been patient and waited until January to place my Sale-A-Bration order (even though I could have preordered in December). My box of new goodies was waiting on my doorstep today, which means that you should see some brand new stuff popping up in my upcoming creations! I was eager to pair the Colour me Happy with the Stampin' Blends. The little lanterns just make me smile every time I see them. They're adorably drawn, I find. I also finally got the Ruffled 3D embossing folder (it's not new per se, it came out in the annual catalogue last summer) after seeing a sample made with it that convinced me I liked it enough to finally get it.

The design is inspired by Tuesday Morning Sketch #438 and colours by Sunday Stamps #171. A few Subtles enamel shapes were added around the lanterns, as well as a punched border and a bit of Fresh Fig 1/8" ribbon.

Tip: I used masking to have the sentiment in two colours. I wanted the main word stamped in Tuxedo Black Memento ink so that I would be able to color the word without it smearing, but I thought I would like the look better if the second word was in colour. I used a stamp positioning tool and I first covered the last word with a piece of Post-IT note to ink the sentiment in black. I TOOK OFF the Post-It (very important - ask me how I learned about it...) and stamped the image. I then washed it clean with a baby wipe, put the Post-It note on the first word, inked the sentiment in Fresh Fig ink, TOOK OFF the Post-It and stamped again. The two words are exactly where they should be, but in two colours. Stamp positioning tools truly revolutioned the way we stamp.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Colour Combo: Pink Pirouette + Calypso Coral + Fresh Fig + White

 

 

Stampin' Up! Supplies
Stamps: Couleur bonheur (Colour Me Happy)
Cardstock: Pink Pirouette, Calypso Coral, Fresh Fig
Ink: Tuxedo Black Memento, Fresh Fig, Calypso Coral
Accessories: White Medium Envelope, Subtles Enamel Shapes, Clear Wink of Stella,
Stampin' Blends Markers, Silver Foil Paper, Decorative Ribbon Border,
Fresh Fig 1/8" Ribbon, Ruffles 3D Dynamic Embossing Folder

 

Cart in Bloom

Isn't the flower cart the cutest image you've ever seen? It was one of the first things I wanted to ink from my new Sale-A-Bration and Occasions Catalogue order. I thought it would look lovely in shades of purples and pinks so I paired it with the Painted with Love Specialty Designer Series Paper (which, by the way, is absolutely gorgeous in person with its gold touches). I even used a sheet to make a kickass matching envelope. The True Gentlemen buttons go with another suite in the catalogue (the masculine one), but it worked well with those papers as well. It tied in with the Crumb Cake Stampin' Blends I used on the cart in the image. And yes, I used the Stampin' Blends markers to color in my image as well. Lovin' those!

Design was inspired by The Paper Players challenge #378.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Stampin' Up! Supplies
Stamps: Friendship's Sweetest Thoughts, Souhaits sympas (Happy Wishes)
Cardstock: Elegant Eggplant, Whisper White, Gold Foil Paper
Specialty Designer Series Paper: Painted with Love
Ink: Tuxedo Black Memento, VersaMark
Accessories: True Gentleman Buttons, Circle Framelits, Gold Stampin' Emboss Powder,
Envelope Punch Board, Stampin' Dimensionals, Stampin' Blends Markers, Pearl Basic Jewels,
Triple Banner Punch

 

A Bubbly Suite

I love everything about the Bubble Over suite! The cute stamp set with the versatile tags and fun French sentiments, the adorable Framelits with the bottle caps and bent straws, and the brightly-colored papers that were added as a SAB free offering! Those papers might be some my favorites this year. I love every single page - front and back.

The Create with Connie and Mary sketch #494 inspired this card. The little circles on the sketch were just so perfect to pair with this bundle. Here are the deets about this card:

• To get clear bottles, I used a stamp positioning tool and a piece of Whisper White cardstock. I layered both bottles on the tool, inked the images with VersaMark ink and then with a sponge daubers, I added a touch of Soft Sky ink on the edges of the bottle to create a glass reflection look. I stamped the images then covered them with Clear Stampin' Emboss powder. The embossing was not as thick as I wanted it the first time around, but because I was using the stamp positioning tool, I was able to wipe my images clean (to get rid of the Soft Sky ink) then reink with VersaMark and add a second, and then a third layer of heat embossing. It made a visible difference in the final result.
• Don't forget you can overstamp on Designer Series Paper. I did just that using the bubble image with VersaMark and then embossed it with white powder to fill out the space a bit.
• What do you know - the Tutti-frutti sequins work very well with those papers, even though they're not part of the same suite! I added some as bubbles and one in the center of the star on my bottle cap.
• The bottle caps were die-cut out of Silver Foil paper and it looks just like the real deal, thanks to the dry-embossed details the die leaves on the paper.
• See those cute striped straws? They were hand-colored using markers (did one with the Lemon Lime Twist Stampin' Write marker and the other with the Calypso Coral Stampin' Blend marker).
• No need to add a sentiment anywhere on my card: it's right there on the bottles! "thanks for much" and "Your kindness is so refreshing."

 

 

 

 

 

 

Stampin' Up! Supplies
Stamps: Pétillant de bonheur (Bubble Over)
Cardstock: Basic Grey, Whisper White, Silver Foil
Designer Series Paper: Bubbles & Fizz
Ink: Basic Grey, Calypso Coral, Lemon Lime Twist, Daffodil Delight, Soft Sky, VersaMark
Accessories: Bottles & Bubbles Framelits, Envelope Punch Board, Brights Enamel Shapes,
Tutti-frutti Adhesive-Backed Sequins, Stampin' Emboss Powders (Clear, White),
Stampin' Dimensionals, Lemon Lime Twist 1/2" Finely Woven Ribbon, Markers

 

Swimming in Happiness

Inspiration: Fab Friday #129 + Card Concept #85 + In[k]spire Me #335

The inspiration picture from Card Concept was just begging to be paired with the Jar of Love stamp set. It's a super versatile set so I could go in a number of directions, but instead of doing a bouquet, I spotted the "Swimming in Happiness" sentiment and decided to make a non-traditional love card instead. The inspiration picture had also inspired me to pull out of the Wood Textures Designer Series Paper, which was naturally suited to the In[k]spire Me colour combo.

Initially, I had embossed the metal handle in silver, but because my jar was stamped in grey it felt a little too monochromatic. Once I got to the sentiment and decided to use copper embossing to make it stand out against the Soft Suede cardstock and match the pink shade of Melon Mambo, I decided the handle would look much better in that colour so I stamped, heat embossed, die cut it and glued it over the handle that was already in place. It made a huge difference in adding dimension to the project. I decided to stamp the smaller jar to fill in the space and I used copper embossing for the lid as well. The Melon Mambo cardstock was embossed with the Layered Leaves 3D Dynamic embossing folder, and I used the debossed side for a different look. The heart row from the Everyday Jar Framelits was used underneath my sentiment.

 

 

 

     

 

 

Stampin' Up! Supplies
Stamps: Petit pot d'amour (Jar of Love)
Cardstock: Soft Suede, Melon Mambo, Emerald Envy, Whisper White
Designer Series Paper: Wood Textures
Ink: Soft Suede, Melon Mambo, Emerald Envy, VersaMark, Smoky Slate, Soft Sky
Accessories: Copper Stampin' Emboss Powder, Everyday Jars Framelits, Stampin' Dimensionals,
White Medium Envelope, Layered Leaves 3D Dynamic Embossing Folder, Pearl Basic Jewels,
5/8" Burlap Ribbon, Emerald Envy Ruched Ribbon, Clear Wink of Stella

 

Beary Good Book

I have made a bunch of projects using the For You, Deer stamps and dies from Lawn Fawn, but I still had not made any bookmark. Inspired by Just Us Girls #424, I decided to make a polar bear bookmark for myself.  I stamped "This ia a beary good book" on the front and "I can't bear to lose my place" on the back. I couldn't help but stamp a little heart on the bear's bum (with the Heart Swatch stamp set), which I'm sure is influenced by the fact that I played with My Little Ponies a lot when I was a kid.

After I was done putting the bookmark together, I felt there was still something missing on the front of it, so I decided to add a bowtie on the bear, using the new Rawr stamp set.

 

 

 

Color Combo: Island Indigo + Marigold Morning + Pumpkin Pie

 

Supplies
Stamps: For You, Deer, Heart Swatch, Rawr (Lawn Fawn)
Cardstock: Island Indigo, Marigold Morning, Whisper White
Ink: Memento (Tuxedo Black), Stampin' Up! Classic Ink (Pumpkin Pie), VersaMark
Accessories: Black Enamel Accents (Ranger), Island Indigo Baker's Twine (SU!), Markers (Copic),
For You, Deer Lawn Cuts, For You, Deer Add-On Lawn Cuts, Rawr Lawn Cuts, Heart Swatch Lawn Cuts (Lawn Fawn)

 

News from the City

I got the urge to use my Mini Treat Bag Thinlits tonight for cards, paired with the Hand Stamped Sentiments challenge #280 and Simon Says Stamp Wednesday (Add a Sentiment). I pulled out the Naturally Eclectic Designer Series Paper and the In the City hostess stamp set (still a favorite). The sentiment reads, "I hope everything is going well" on the front and finishes with "in your part of the world" inside. I used the same paper pack and stamp set, but different patterns and images on each pocket, just for kicks. I think the handdrawn look of the papers goes well with the handdrawn look of the stamps.

I added the same design to both envelopes, though, and using a stamp positioning tool made my job quick, easy and precise.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Stampin' Up! Supplies
Stamps: En ville (In the City)
Cardstock: Lemon Lime Twist, Berry Burst, Whisper White
Designer Series Paper: Naturally Eclectic
Ink: Lemon Lime Twist, Berry Burst, Night of Navy, Fresh Fig, Emerald Envy,
Soft Sky, Peekaboo Peach
Accessories: Mini Treat Bag Thinlits, Layering Squares Framelits, Clear Faceted Gems,
White Medium Envelopes, Triple Banner Punch, Decorative Ribbon Border Punch,
Corner Rounder Punch, Stitched Shapes Framelits, Stampin' Dimensionals,
Emerald Envy Ruffled Ribbon, Lemon Lime Twist 1/2" Finely Woven Ribbon

 

Birthday Tulips

This card was inspired by Create with Connie and Mary #491 and Freshly Made Sketch #319. I kept the design simple, but I think this beautiful tulip set does the work on its own, especially stamped in pretty colours. I pulled out a sentiment from the Rose Wonder stamp set, which I embossed in Copper embossing powder on Peekaboo Peach cardstock (I love the look of copper on peach). The Tree Ring background stamp was used on the card base for a little bit of added interest.

I'm trying to come back to the annual catalogue stuff a bit, now that the Holidays catalogue is over. It always seem to get forgotten after the release since we get overloaded with wonderful seasonal catalogue releases. The Tranquil Tulips set is a hostess set, so we can pretty much bet on the fact that it will retire, so I'm trying to put it to good use before it leaves.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Stampin' Up! Supplies
Stamps: Tranquil Tulips (Hostess), Essence de rose (Rose Wonder), Tree Rings
Cardstock: Bermuda Bay, Peekaboo Peach, Berry Burst, Whisper White
Ink: Bermuda Bay, Peekaboo Peach, Berry Burst, Early Espresso
Accessories: Berry Burst Crinckled Ribbon, Copper Stampin' Emboss Powder,
White Medium Envelope, Stampin' Dimensionals, Bright Enamel Shapes

 

Conversation Hearts Love Note

This card was inspired by a sketch from Page Maps from the January 2018 card sketches, and the Lawn Fawnatics challenge #20 (Food). I paired old (Everyday Enchantment papers from Stampin' Up! released during Sale-A-Bration years ago) with new (Lawn Fawn Valentine release). The French sentiment reads, "A little love note", and I've hand stitched around the striped paper for a little extra dimension.

 

 

 

 

 

Supplies
Stamps: How You Bean? Conversation Hearts Add-On (Lawn Fawn), Messages d'amitié (Florilège Design)
Cardstock: Calypso Coral, Whisper White
Designer Series Paper: Everyday Enchantment
Ink: Tuxedo Black Memento, Soft Sky, Pool Party, Peach Passion, Pumpkin Pie
Accessories: How You Bean? Conversation Hearts Add-On Lawn Cuts (Lawn Fawn),
Lacy Hearts Stackable Lawn Cuts (Lawn Fawn), Copic Markers, Stampin' Dimensionals,
Candy Dots, Needlework Thread, Paper Piercer and Piercing Template, Envelope Punch Board

 

New Year Stitched Ornaments

The starting point for this card was the TGIF challenge #140, to choose one of the team's design to copy. I picked Cathy's box design and translated it to a card. I had been wanting to use the Stitched Ornaments dies from Lawn Fawn and they were perfect with this design. I used the I Love Winter papers from Echo Park and they were the starting point for my color combo. I picked matching colors for my ornament, which I topped with a piece of Champagne Foil paper.

I liked Cathy's detail of using vellum for the sentiment, but I didn't want to hide the ornament too much, so I heat-embossed my sentiment in red powder on vellum and added it to the bottom instead. I used mini glue dots on each end of the banner and glued them a bit closer together to make the center of the banner curl up for dimension.

I wanted to add a little something in the diamonds on the ornament and the only color I had that would fit nicely was Liquid Pearl. As much as I tried, I couldn't make nice little pearls, I always ended up with Hershey Kisses instead (one of the beef crafters have had with Liquid Pearls for as long as it's been available), so I finally ended up using a needle to flatten it out and fill in the diamond shape instead. Looks like I'll be adding some Nuvo metallic drops to my shopping list to avoid this problem in the future. I also added a line of little dots on each side of the patterned paper using Sea Breeze Jewels Drops for something subtle to finish off the card.

 

 

 

  

Supplies
Stamps: Cousu avec joie (Stitched with Cheer)
Cardstock: Real Red, Dapper Denim, Very Vanilla, Baja Breeze, Vellum, Champagne Foil
Patterned Paper: I Love Winter (Echo Park), Subles Designer Paper Pack (Stampin' Up!)
Ink: VersaMark
Accessories: Envelope Punch Board, Stampin' Dimensionals, Brights Enamel Shapes, Liquid Pearl,
Sea Breeze Jewel Drops (Nuvo), Red Embossing Powder, Bunch of Banners Framelits, Nestabilities Dies,
Stitched Ornaments Lawn Cuts (Lawn Fawn), Sweetheart Twine (Lawn Fawn), Stitched Shapes Framelits

 

It's All in the Details

As I looked back at 2017, I realized I had not scrapbooked a whole lot during that year. That observation motivated me to make a few pages during the Holidays break. I recently acquired the Go See Explore collection from Echo Park, and it was perfect to pair with pictures taken at a Christmas party a few years back that centered around the theme of "Around the World." As you can see in the top left picture, I drew inspiration from the Roman look for my own outfit. I was also part of the party committee that year and we had put a lot of thoughts into the details that would make the theme come to life. We had asked the company graphic designers to create a logo for a company airline, which we printed on plotters to make giant signs to put up at the hotel where the party was happening. We also created a security area with a "metal detector," and had airport signs we had also created ourselves (the flight board and directions to departures and luggage claim). For the picture area, we brought an old world map and placed a row of flags my colleague had borrowed from the school her husband worked at. (I remember she even went as far as to iron all of the flags before bringing them over - now, that's commitment!) We had mariachis playins during the cocktail. People were quite impressed with what we had achieved. The ballroom was equally as impressive (no picture on this layout, though) - the decorators had used five different colors of satin tablecloths to represent the five continents, and little flags from matching countries in the centerpieces. We even printed out menus with stats matching the country the flag was representing and used it as part of a game during dinnertime, where people had a list of questions and had to go find the menu with the correct info on it.

A lot of great memories! (And a lot of sweat!)

 

 

 

 

I had more pictures that I could fit comfortably on my layout, so I added a Project Life insert in the middle:

 

Supplies
Stamps: Alphabets (Studio G)
Cardstock: Gumball Green Core'dinations (Stampin' Up!)
Patterned Papers: Go See Explore (Echo Park)
Accessories: Timeless Type Alphabet Sizzlits, Clear Faceted Gems, Stampin' Dimensionals,
Hello Honey Satin Ribbon (Stampin' Up!), Project Life Divided Page Protector, Corner Rounder Punch,
Black Journaling Pen, Metal Plane Ornement (Bo Bunny), Decorative Scissors, Glitter Gloss Brush (Nuvo)