Never More Than a Thought

This card started as a Mother's Day Card, but ended up as more of a thinking of you type of card.  The sentinment could still be changed for Mother's Day if desired, or any other occasion for that matter.  You can also mix up the occasion by adding a second sentiment to the inside.

To create this card, you will need:

• Stamp Set:  Of the Earth
• Card Stocks:  Lavendar Lace, Whisper White, So Saffron
• Designer Series Paper:  Sweet Pea
• Tools:  Scallop Trim Border and Corner Punches, Stamp-A-Ma-Jig
• Classic Stampin' Pads:  Pretty in Pink, Old Olive
• Markers:  Rich Razzleberry
• Other:  Dimensionals, Snail

To create the multi color effect on the stamped image, you will need your Stamp-A-Ma-Jig.  Stamp the image on the plastic sheet.  Determine the placement of the image.  Apply the first color onto your stamp (I started with Old Olive) and then clean off the areas where you don't want ink with a damp cloth (I removed the ink from the flowers and butterfly).  Use the Stamp-A-Ma-Jig to position your image in the desired location.  I then repeated with Pretty in Pink, removing ink from the leaves and stems this time.  Last, I applied just a bit of ink onto the tips of the flowers and parts of the butterfly wings and used my Stamp-A-Ma-Jig to add the Rich Razzleberry accents. 

After I had my image stamped, I distressed the edges with my thumb.  I used the Scallop Edge border on my So Saffron card stock.  I found that I needed a 3 3/4 inch square to line everything up.  I layered a piece of Sweet Pea DSP onto the So Saffron using Snail.  I used Dimensionals to mount it to the front of the card.  I also adhered my stamped image onto my square using Dimensionals.  Last, I used Whimsical Words to add a sentiment (Whimsical Words is a Sale-A-Bration set, if you do not have this set, try Heard from the Heart, or Sincere Salutations).

God Bless and Happy Stampin'!
Charity

Of The Earth Part II

I've mentioned before that I like this hostess set, Of the Earth and here is the promised part II of some recent cards I made.  This one is for my niece.  She recently decided to be baptized and I made her this card to congratulate and encourage her on her walk with God.  I selected Lavendar Lace for the based of my card stamping the flower image on the bottom using Versamark.  I then used layers of Sweet Pea Designer Series Paper, Certainly Celery and more Lavendar Lace to frame my image.  I also layered Pretty in Pink Ribbon onto my long piece of Certainly Celery.  My image is stamped onto Whisper White.  I stamped the image using Pretty in Pink, Certainly Celery and Lavendar Lace.  I used my Stamp-A-Ma-Jig to line up the image and then applied my ink and used a damp cloth to remove the color from the parts of the stamp I did not want in that color. 

For my butterflies, I used mostly Sweet Pea Designer Series paper, though a bit of Sale-A-Bration Welcome Neighbor may have made it's way in since I was just using up scrap pieces.  The butterflies were punched using my Big Shot and Stampin' Up!® Beautiful Wings Embosslits die.

On the inside, I used similar techniques, just layering butterflies and paper.  On the left side, that strip of paper is one of those "creative opportunities."  I started to write a scripture verse and then got distracted and messed it up.  I was using ink of course so I opted to cover with some paper.  No mistake, just a creative opportunity. 

God Bless and Happy Stampin'!
Charity

Of the Earth - Part 1

As a demonstrator, I'm also eligible for hostess benefits whenever I place an order of $150 or more.  On one of my recent orders, I selected Of the Earth for my hostess benefit.  I really love this set and have made several cards using it.  I'll be sharing some more soon.
For this card, you will need the following items:

• Card stock:  Whisper White, Certainly Celery, Rich Razzleberry
• Classic Stampin' Pads:  Bermuda Bay, Certainly Celery, Barely Banana, Rich Razzleberry
• Tools and Accessories:  Modern Label Punch, Black Satin Ribbon
• Stamp Sets:  Of the Earth, Teeny Tiny Wishes

To create this card, you will stamp your flowers onto the Whisper White beginning with your lightest color first and working your way to the darkest color.  Then, cut four even squares.  Set aside, remembering the order they go in.  Wrap the ribbon around your card front.  I created two small loops.  I arranged my four squares in order on my card front leaving just a bit of space between each one.  I stamped the "Thinking of You" sentiment onto the Certainly Celery and punched it with the Modern Label punch.  I then adhered this onto the card front with part of it tucked under two of the squares.  Looks far more complicated than it really is. 

If you like the Of the Earth stamp set, host a show and it could be yours!  It doesn't take much to reach the minimum in sales for a Level 1 Hostess set.

God Bless and Happy Stampin!
Charity

Butterfly Hugs and Kisses

This is a card that I made to cheer up a friend having a bad day.  I wanted something that said spring so I used soft subtles and butterflies.  I also wanted to use my new Embosslits Butterfly Die from the Occasions Mini.  It had been on backorder and arrived on Monday.  This is a fun die!  I really like the way it turned out and I think it cheered my friend up as well.

The ingredients for this card are:

• Cardstock:  So Saffron, Lavendar Lace, Very Vanilla
• Designer Series Paper:  Sweet Pea, Welcome Neighbor
• Stamp Set:  Of the Earth
• Classic Stampin' Pads:  Barely Banana, Pretty in Pink, Lavendar Lace
• Tools & Accessories:  Big Shot, Dazzling Diamonds, Scallop Trim Border, Stampin’ Up!® Beautiful Butterflies Embosslits Die, 2 Way Glue Stick

So there is nothing really special in terms of technique on this card.  I cut a variety of butterflies in a variety of colors using different DSP papers, adding a touch of Dazzling Diamonds to a few of the butterflies.  For my stamped images, I started with the lightest color and then finished with the darkest color.  I varied the heights of my flowers as they would appear in nature and then layered my image on some of my designer series papers.  I also layered DSP onto my Lavendar Lace border to the left of the card.  I added the butterflies last using my adhesive only on the center part to give more dimension.

God Bless and Happy Stampin'!
Charity

B is for Birthday

I was in a birthday card mood today and created a small stack of birthday cards, so you'll be seeing a few birthday cards this week.  We can never have too many ideas for birthday cards so I'm guessing you won't mind.

The first card is a very simple card, great for a quick card when you are on your way to a party or realized you forgot somone's birthday and need to get a card in the mailbox before the mailman arrives!



 The ingredients for this card are:

• Stamp Sets:  Party Hearty, Full of Life
• Card Stock:  Very Vanilla, Bermuda Bay, So Saffron
• Designer Series Paper:  Sweet Pea
• Classic Stamp Pad:  Bermuda Bay

As I said, this card is as easy as it looks.   Cut your Very Vanilla to  size and stamp the b is for birthday stamp using the Bermuda Bay and then layer it onto a slightly larger piece of Bermuda Bay cardstock.  I distressed the card stock with my fingernails.  I glued a piece of Sweet Pea Designer Series Paper to the front of the card and added the image to the left hand side.

For the inside, I layered some of my scrap pieces and stamped the birthday sentiment from Full of Life. 

See, pretty simple. 

God Bless and Happy Stampin'!
Charity

That's a Whole Lot of Candles Grandpa!

My father-in-law is celebrating his 65th birthday later this week, a perfect chance for me to use the Sale-A-Bration Whimsical Words set.  The more the candles, the bigger wish, well, he has a really big wish coming this year, at least according to his grandchildren!

For this card you will need:

• Stamp Sets:  Party Harty, Whimsical Words
• Card Stock: Crushed Curry, Bermuda Bay, and Whisper White
• Classic Stampin' Pads:  Crushed Curry, Bermuda Bay
• Tools and Accessories:  Stamp-A-Ma-Jig

This card is very simple, but a little time consuming.  I wanted to stamp 65 candles on the front of the card and I used my Stamp-A-Ma-Jig to help me line them up.  I stamped more candles in the first two rows so that I had space for the sentiment in the lower right hand corner.  I stamped the sentiment in Bermuda Bay onto Whisper White and then layered this at a slight angle onto another piece of Bermuda Bay.  This went in my lower right hand corner.  I stamped the little presents from Party Hearty using Bermuda Bay onto Bermuda Bay card stock and then cut around the presents.  I wanted these to pop up a bit but I was out of Stampin' Dimensionals so I used some sticky strip folded over on itself a few times. 

I think I might try another version of this design but I might tear the upper edge and brush it with some Chocolate Chip ink to make it look like the card caught fire from all the candles.  Lots of potential with this sentiment. 

God Bless and Happy Stampin'!
Charity 

Valentines for the Kids

As I mentioned earlier this week, it has been a busy week of projects for Valentine's Day.  Today has been no different.  I'm finally finished creating Valentine projects!  Now to post the fruits of my labor.  Today, I will post the Valentines for the kids.  Tim is in charge of picking up a small goodie for them and I'm in charge of cards.  Two of the cards should be familiar as I posted them earlier.  Liam's card was made during my Kid's Pick series and Phoebe's card was one of the first that I made using the I {Heart} Hearts set.  I did alter Phoebe's card changing the sentiment on the front from "thinking of you" to "just for you."  I selected this card for Phoebe because she really expressed a liking for it.  It certainly fits her style, a leather and lace kind of personality.  Liam's as you know perfectly suits his love of trains, something in his DNA from his Poppy, my father.  I have to admit that his card is one of my favorite cards using the Choo Choo set. 

So, cards were complete for Liam and Phoebe, but I needed something for Tessa and Isabel.  Tessa had made a request of me on Friday.  She wanted a card with her favorite colors- yellow and orange- and her favorite animal- a cat.  The catch, the cat needed to be made using hearts.  Inspired by some heart animal art during the Valentine Party at her school and armed with the Welcome Neighbor Designer Series Paper and I {Heart} Hearts stamp set, I set out to meet her request.  The full list of ingredients is:

• Stamp Set:  I {Heart} Hearts, Teeny Tiny Wishes (inside)
• Card Stock:  So Saffron, Pumpkin Pie (textured), Very Vanilla
• Designer Series Papers:  Sweet Pea and Welcome Neighbor
• Ink:  Only Orange Classic Stampin' Pad





• Tools and Accessories:  1/2 inch Striped Pumpkin Pie Grosgrain Ribbon, Heart to Heart Punch, Small Heart Punch, Rhinestone Brads

I stamped my hearts the pumpkin pie zig zag stripe paper from Welcome Neighbor and then cut them out.  This technique would work better with a more symmetric heart so my cat is actually a little on the chubby side.  Use three hearts of equal size to form the body and head.  For the tail, I trimmed around the scrap paper at the point of the hearts I had trimmed.  For the head, I trimmed the point off the heart.  For the ears, I punched two small hearts with the Small Heart Punch from the Pumpkin Pie.  I then cut three smaller hearts with the Heart to Heart Punch from the opposite side of the paper I used for the cat's body.  I used two for the inside of hte ears and one for the nose.  I added two standard sized hole punched circles with black dotes added for the eyes.  The whiskers were hand drawn with a Stampin' Write Marker.  I layered my cat onto Very Vanilla and then Sweet Pea DSP.  I added a loop of ribbon attached to the corner with a brad.  The card base is So Saffron with hearts stamped using Only Orange.  The cat image was glued to the front of the card. 

Now for Isabel's card. At 11, I wanted to avoid cutesy for her.  I hope I did that.  For her card, I used:

• Stamp Set: I {Heart} Hearts (mounted on clear blocks), Teeny Tiny Wishes (inside)
• Card Stock: Pretty in Pink,Very Vanilla, Taken with Teal
• Designer Series Papers: Sweet Pea
• Ink: Pixie Pink Stampin' Pad
• Tools and Accessories: 1/4 inch Striped Pretty in Pink Grosgrain Ribbon, Rhinestone Brads, Pinking Hearts Border Punch

To begin, I selected 3 of the hearts from the I {Heart} Hearts and mounted them together on my clear block.  This is one of the benefits of the clear mount stamps- you can arrange as you like on the block itself.  I stamped the images in Pixie Pink.  I layered this onto a piece of Taken with Teal card stock where I had punched the bottom edge with the Pinking Hearts Border Punch.  I tied a piece of Pretty in Pink grosgrain ribbon around the card stock.  On the front of my Pretty in Pink card, I added a piece of Sweet Pea Designer Series Paper.  Over that, I layered my images.

Tomorrow I'll share a fun box using the petal card die cut. 

Happy Valentine's Day!

God Bless and Happy Stampin'!
Charity

Paper Embellishments

Once again I am sharing cards inspired by techniques highlighted in the latest issue of Stampin' Success.  I'm pretty sure if my upline had shown this magazine to me on day one, she would have had me at "hello" and I would have signed up right away.  My March issue arrived yesterday and included an article on making paper embellishments.  If you like these techniques and live in the Bothell, Washington or the surrounding areas, I'd love to come do a workshop in your home teaching you and your friends some of these techniques.  If you use even one of these embellishments on a card, you will wow your friends and family with your card making skills.

I have two cards for you, using the following items (asterik denotes items used only in one card):

• Stamp Sets:  Whimsical Words*
• Card Stock:  So Saffron, Taken with Teal, Certainly Celery*
• Designer Series Paper:  Welcome Neighbor, Thoroughly Modern, Sweet Pea
• Classic Stampin' Pads:  Chocolate Chip
• Tools and Accessories:  Clear Circle Rhinestone Brads, Circle Punches, Sticky Sheets, Pinking Hearts Border Punch*, Scallop Circle Punch, Scallop Trim Border Punch*, Old Olive Grosgrain Ribbon, Scallop Edge Border, Very Vanilla Hodgepodge Hardware*, Label Punch, Big Shot* and Top Note*

Each card has two flowers, one made with the Scallop Circle Punch and one made with either the Scallop Edge or Pinking Hearts Border Punch.  I'll describe the Scallop Circle Punch flower first. 

To create this flower, punch several Scallop Circles from your paper.  Lightly moisten with a water using a spray bottle. Snip from edge to center.  Layer the Scallop Circles and crinkle the edges.  Put a rhinestone brad through the center and you have a flower. 

For the Edge Border flowers, I'll provide a summary of the instructions, but for a great photo tutorial and the source of my instruction, let me refer you to Julie's Stamping Spot.  To begin, you punch the edge of a strip of paper using your favorite edge punch.  Break the fibers of the paper using either a crimper or doing an accordian style fold technique (which is what I did).  Punch or cut a circle using a punch or circle cutter.  Also cut a circle from your sticky pages.  Stick your sticky page to the paper circle that you punched.  Then, beginning from the outside, make a rosette with your paper strip.  On one of my flowers, I alternated between more than one style of Designer Series Paper.  Finish with another smaller circle and a brad or just the brad.  On both cards, I used the Old Olive Grosgrain Ribbon for stems and leaves.  Use of ribbon either for flowers or as flower stems is also something I saw in Stampin' Success so you'll likely see more projects using ribbon to make flowers in the future.

Again, these embellishments are a great project for a workshop.  They are a simple way to pack a lot of WOW in a project.  Now is the time to host a show or place an order, Sale-A-Bration has plenty of great items to offer in terms of free merchandise.  Feel free to call me to book a show or place an order.

God Bless and Happy Stampin'!

Charity

A Trio of Valentines

Love is in the air!  I've been busy with my Valentine Cards this week, some for my husband and some for my kids.  Today I will be sharing a trio of cards.  All of which will end up in my husband's hands.  Since I usually have more than one idea combined with an inability to pick my favorite, he tends to end up with more than one Valentine.  But, he's a great husband and deserves each and every one of them. 

Like I said, today's post is all about love and I have three cards to share.  You'll see frequent use of the I {Heart} Hearts set which is currently part of a special promotion for Stampin' Up!®.  For every set purchased, they will contribute $2 to help victims of the earthquake in Haiti.  I know Valentine's Day is upon us but please consider this set for your collection as you don't need to wait until Valentine's Day to tell someone you love them.  Of the three cards I'm sharing today, one is pretty tame while the other two might be considered a little on the risky side.  Either way, they are all fun and certainly communicate romance and love between you and your sweetie.

The first card is our "tame" card.  The one that Tim can show people without blushing.  LOL  For this card, you will need the following items:

• Stamp Sets:  I {Heart} Hearts, Define Your Life
• Card Stock:  Real Red, Chocolate Chip, Kraft
• Ink:  Versamark and Real Red Classic Stampin' Pad
• Tools and Accessories:  Stamp-A-Ma Jig, Heart to Heart Punch, Black Embossing Powder

The card base is Chocolate Chip.  To begin, you will be selecting 3 meaningful phrases from Define Your Life, I selected "XOXOXO," "always", and "together."  I cut a piece of Real Red card stock just a bit smaller than my card front.  I stamped the sentiments in a pattern similar to a newspaper listing using my Versamark.  I made use of my Stamp-A-Ma Jig to line up the phrases each time.  On separate pieces of Real Red I stamped my three phrases again and then embossed in black.  I trimmed these to size and adhered to some Chocolate Chip before adhering to my card front.  Use glue dots or dimensionals to raise them up.  After, I stamped several hearts using I {Heart} Hearts and then cut them out using both paper snips or my Heart to Heart punch.  I glued these hearts to the front in between the embossed definitions.

Now for card number 2.  I actually created the center 4x4 image for a card swap back in August and described it in a previous post.  Since I had not yet added it to a card, I decided to finish it out as a Valentine's Day card. 

The recipe for this card is:

• Stamps: All in the Family, Teeny Tiny Wishes, Cheep Talk, and Define Your Life
• Classic Stampin' Pads:  Real Red, Soft Suede, & Basic Black
• In Color Stampin' Write Markers
• Card Stock:  Very Vanilla, Kraft, Blush Blossom, Real Red
• Designer Series Paper:  Bella Bleu
• Tools/Accessories:  Heart to Heart Punch, Modern Label Punch, Corner Rounder Punch, Watercolor Pencils

As described in the August post, I stamped my couple on the Blush Blossom, coloring them with the Watercolor Pencils and the Stampin' Write markers (the woman's nightgown).   I used the Bella Bleu for the blanket, making sure I crinkled it up a bit.  For this particular couple, I made sure the husband had glasses since Tim wears glasses.  The edges of the Very Vanilla square are brushed with Real Red.  I added the 4x4 swap to a Kraft card front.  Along the left side, I added a strip of Real Red card stock.  Prior to attaching the card stock, I had stamped the XOXOXO sentiment randomly on the card stock using Real Red.  I added a second strip along the bottom of the image.  Using my Heart to Heart Punch, I punched a single heart which I added to the front between the two strips.  

For the inside, I added two Very Vanilla squares and some more Real Red hearts.  You'll notice that I left it blank inside.  Since he's getting more than one Valentine Card, I thought I'd just write a note rather than stamp a sentiment.

Now for the third card, which is definitely a walk on the wild side!  I might even venture to say that this card is even on the sexy side of things.  It was inspired by a card  done by Jackie Barfield.  To create this card, you will need the following items:

• Stamp Sets:  Tote-ally Tess, I {Heart} Hearts, Teeny Tiny Wishes, Whimsical Words
• Card Stock:  Very Vanilla, Basic Black, Real Red
• Designer Series Paper:  Merry Moments
• Ink:  Soft Suede Classic Stampin' Pad, Versamark, Basic Black, Blush Blossom
• Tools and Accessories:  Pinking Hearts Border Punch, Basic Black Satin Ribbon, Heart to Heart Punch, Clear Embossing Powder, Dazzling Diamonds, White Shimmer Paint, Watercolor Pencils, Sticky Strip or Snail

I began by cutting a 3 3/4 inch square of Basic Black card stock and using the Pinking Hearts Border Punch, I made two punches along each side.  After that was complete, I trimmed approximately 1/8 of an inch more off each side.  For our Valentine Vixen, I stamped Tess in Soft Suede onto Very Vanilla. To disguise one area where the sleeve line would normally appear, I added a little red bracelet with some Dazzling Diamonds to give it some bling.  I colored the "teddy" using water color pencils.  I sponged Blush Blossom for the skin tone on the arms, legs and face.  She of course has to have a hand stamped card in hand to present to her sweetie!  This was adhered to the Basic Black medallion that I created.  I then threaded my ribbon through the slits in the medallion.  For the card front, I layered Basic Black and Merry Moments and wrapped the Basic Black around the card front.  I stamped hearts onto a piece of Real Red card stock with Versamark and embossed with Clear Embossing powder.  After punching with my Heart to Heart punch, I glued it onto the lower right corner of my card. 

For the inside, I added another heart onto the visible portion of the ribbon.  On the inside of the heart, I stamped Always from Whimsical Words (SAB set!).  On the opposite side, I added some scrap pieces of Merry Moments and card stock along with a Happy Valentine's Day sentiment from Teeny Tiny Wishes. 

I hope these cards have inspired you to make something wonderful for your special Valentine this year.  Consider going outside your comfort zone and walk on the wild side! 

God Bless and Happy Stampin'!

Charity

Get Whale Soon

Today, I have a get well card to share.  I made this card for a friend who had a minor heart attack recently and is on the road to recovery but I wanted to make him a card.  For this card, you will need the following items:

• Stamp Sets:  Pun Fun
• Card Stock:  So Saffron, Taken With Teal, Very Vanilla
• Designer Series Paper:  Welcome Neighbor
• Classic Stampin' Pads:  Bermuda Bay
• Tools and Accessories:  Big Shot and Top Note Punch, Watercolor Pencils

To create this card, I cut a Top Note from the Taken with Teal.  I then rotated it one turn counterclockwise and made a second cut to achieve the shape you see.  I layered this onto the So Saffron card stock with a piece of the Designer Series Paper from Welcome Neighbor.  I stamped my whale from Pun Fun onto Very Vanilla and then colored it with the Watercolor Pencils.  I distressed the edges of the square with my thumbnail and then layered it onto my Taken With Teal card stock. 

I hope it makes my friend feel a bit better as he recovers.

God Bless and Happy Stampin'!

Charity

Yellow Submarine

The more I look at the sweet treat cups, the more they remind me of portals in a ship or a yellow submarine.  So, here is the S.S. Lawson, a yellow submarine.

The recipe:

• Stamp Sets:  All in the Family
• Card Stock:  So Saffron, Very Vanilla, Basic Black, Bashful Blue
• Classic Stampin Pads:  Soft Suede, Bashful Blue
• Tools and Accessories:  Circle Cutter, Sweet Treat Cups, Circle Punch, Watercolor Pencils

To create your own submarine, you will need to cut a rectangle and then round the ends using your circle cutter (cut a 1/2 circle on each end).  Cut a smaller square and round the top two corners. Cut holes for the sweet treat cups in each end of the submarine and the top part of the sub.  Line up the submarine pieces and draw a light outline of the circles to act as a guide to stamp your family.  I stamped each of our kids in the lower sub portal holes and my husband and I in the top, coloring them with my water color pencil.  After, I sponged Bashful Blue all around the card front.  I then added the sweet treat cups on each of the windows and layered my sub pieces on top.   I cut some additional waves from Bashful Blue card stock, sponging a bit of the ink on the edges as well.  I added a periscope using my Basic Black and wrote the SS Lawson using my Basic Black Stampin' Write Marker.

God Bless and Happy Stampin!
Charity

I {Heart} Hearts

The minute I heard that Stampin' Up!® would be donating $2 from the each I {Heart} Hearts stamp set sold to help earthquake victims in Haiti, I would be ordering this stamp set. This is a great way to help in Haiti. 

My set arrived late last week and this is my first card.  You'll likely see more cards from me using this set later this week, especially since Valentine's Day will be here soon.  I purchased the clear mount version of the stamp set and I must say, I find them to be very well done.  Better than other unmounted stamps that I have used. 

For this card, you will need:

• Stamp Sets:  I {Heart} Hearts, Teeny Tiny Wishes
• Card Stock:  Taken with Teal, Very Vanilla, Basic Black
• Ink:  Versamark Stamp Pad
• Tools and Accessories:  Pinking Hearts Border Punch, Basic Black Satin Ribbon, Black Embossing Powder, Embossing Gun

For this card, I used the medallion type technique with the border punch with the Basic Black.  I cut my card stock square such that it stuck out just a bit from the center of the punch.  I centered my card stock and then punched, I rotated it counterclockwise and repeated on the next side, continuing until all four sides were punched.  A similar technique is described in the Resource area of Splitcoast Stampers.  Later this week, I'll try another step by step photo tutorial.  If you have any of the border punches, take some time to play with it and see what you get.  You might discover some tricks here and there.

My card base is Taken with Teal.  I tied a piece of Basic Black satin ribbon to my card front.  For the image, I stamped my heart with Versamark onto Taken with Teal and then embossed in black.  I cut out the card and adhered it to the center of my Basic Black medallion.  I then layered this onto the Very Vanilla square.  I then adhered to my card front using sticky strip and added the "Thinking of You" sentiment from Teeny Tiny Wishes.  I also stamped the sentiment using Versamark.

Scroll to the top of the blog to read the details about the special promotion with the I {Heart} Hearts stamp set and how you can help earthquake victims in Haiti.  This special is only available until Feb. 28.

God Bless and Happy Stampin!
Charity

Sweet Pea and Cheep Talk

For today's card, I wanted to play with some of the new products in the current Occasions Mini and our Sale-A-Bration products, combining them with some favorites from the Idea Book and Catalog.

The recipe:

• Stamp Sets:  Cheep Talk
• Card Stock:  Textured Pumpkin Pie, Very Vanilla, Taken With Teal
• Designer Series Paper:  Welcome Neighbor
• Stampin' Write Markers:  Bermuda Bay, Crushed Curry, Soft Suede, Old Olive and Chocolate Chip
• Tools and Accessories:  Sweet Pea Stitched Felt, Pinking Hearts Border Punch

This card is a pretty basic card.  I used my markers to apply color directly to the rubber stamp and then stamped onto my page.  This allowed me to get the different colors for the birds and stem.  I stamped the birds onto a separate page of card stock and then cut them out before adhering them to the branch.  This was adhered to a piece of the Welcome Neighbor Designer Series Paper with the Pinking Hearts along the bottom edge.  I then did a final layer onto a piece of Taken With Teal card stock.  I also used a second piece of the Welcome Neighbor on the Pumpkin Pie card front.  The second piece of designer series paper is the reverse side of the paper used for the birds and branch.  I finished it off with a leaf and flower from the Sweet Pea Stitched Felt embellishments.

See, pretty simple and easy!

God Bless and Happy Stampin'
Charity

Squirrel!

OK, so there isn't a squirrel on this card, but it is inspired by the movie Up and even though the dog, Doug, said squirrel about a million times, I don't recall actually seeing a squirrel in that movie.  This movie is a favorite of my family, we love the dog and have been known to shout, "squirrel!" at random mid-sentence. 

As I mentioned, this card is inspired by the movie Up.  I had heard that Up was nominated for an Oscar and as I thought about it, I decided that the Good Neighbor set would make a great card which gives a nod to a great movie as well.  Thinking of the balloons used to move the house, I created a house carried over the neighborhood and trees by a bunch of balloons.  This idea would be perfect for a card to let people know that you are moving to a new home.  Could also work as a birthday card- so many balloons, your house floated up and away!  As a fan of the movie, I hope to see it win an award on Oscar night.

For this card, you will need:

• Stamp Sets: Good Neighbors
• Card Stock:  Kraft, Bashful Blue, Very Vanilla, Assorted Bold Bright scraps
• Designer Series Paper:  Welcome Neighbor
• Classic Stampin' Pads:  Close to Cocoa, Only Orange, Tempting Turquoise, Brilliant Blue, and Old Olive
• Chocolate Chip Stampin' Write Marker
• Tools and Accessories:  Old Olive Grosgrain Ribbon, Dimensionals, Scallop Edge Border, Stamp-A-Ma-Jig, Watercolor Pencils, Crop-A-Dile or Hole Punch

For this card, you'll want to use your Stamp-A-Ma-Jig to help line things up.  Start with your Bashful Blue card base.  Stamp a house and a few trees along the bottom in a monochromatic manner using the Close to Cocoa and Old Olive.  Leave an opening for your floating house.  Stamp some clouds in the sky with Brilliant Blue I stamped my colorful house onto Very Vanilla and then cut that out.  Adhere to your Bashful Blue such that is is floating over the neighborhood you created.  Punch out several balloons using a Crop-A-Dile or Hole Punch.  Glue your balloon bouquet above your house and then draw in a few strings with the Chocolate Chip marker.

For the scallop edge on the Very Vanilla, I measured my punch length so I'd end up with about the same "scallop" when I hit the corners.  I'll do a tutorial of this for you tomorrow so you can see detailed pictures.  I layered my Bashful Blue onto my Very Vanilla and then onto a piece of Welcome Neighbor. 

On the front of my Kraft card stock, I layered some of the Welcome Neighbor DSP and tied my ribbon around the front.  I then added my house.

There it is, a great "we've moved card," a birthday card or even an invite to movie night so you can all watch up!  SQUIRREL!

God Bless and Happy Stampin'
Charity

Bra & Panty Card

I've seen these cards are few times and decided it would be fun to try one for myself.  I didn't have a template, nor had a I book marked any sites for one so I opted to do a search.  The first two sites that came up on google had the template I was looking for, the third site, well, let's just say I didn't adventure to that one.  ;0)  To save you some embarrassment, go to the Stamp Owl site for the template I used.

For this card, you will need:

• Stamp Sets:  Flight of the Butterfly
• Card Stock:  Blush Blossom and Very Vanilla.
• Ink:  Blush Blossom and Perfect Plum Classic Stampin' Pads
• Designer Series Paper:  Merry Moments
• Tools and Accessories:  Pinking Hearts Edge Border

I cut my card stock to just over 4 by 7 inches.  I folded in half to get 4 x 3.5 inches and then traced my template onto the cardstock and cut it out.  I sponged some Blush Blossom along the edges, front and back to get some dimension.  Also using my template, I cut my bra and panties from the Merry Moments Designer Series Paper.  Before I attached the bra pieces, I punched the edge of a two small strips of Very Vanilla card stock.  I rubbed my card stock along the edge of my table to break the fibers to allow me to put the lace along the edges of my DSP. 

I was feeling adventurous for the underwear side.  One of my favorite Friend's episodes is the one where Rachel and Phoebe get tattoos.  Rachel ends up with a heart on her hip but Phoebe chickens out and ends up with a blue dot but says it is the "earth as seen from space."  That would be me, chicken out with the one blue dot.  Then, when Ross finds out Rachel got a tattoo, she exclaims, "I got this tiny little heart and Phoebe got the whole world."  I love that line.  So, when I was making this card, I was inspired to add the hint of a tattoo. 

God Bless and Happy Stampin!

Charity

Kid Pick Designs - Liam

This is the final card in the Kid Pick Designs, my personal challenge to myself where I allowed my kids to pick a stamp set at random and then I made a card for them.  My train loving little boy picked Choo Choo. 

For this card, you will need:

• Stamp Sets:  Choo Choo
• Card Stock: Very Vanilla, Bashful Blue, Real Red
• Designer Series Paper:  Sweet Pea
• Classic Stampin Pads:  Basic Black, Crushed Curry, Brilliant Blue, Real Red
• Tools and Accessories:  Heart to Heart Punch, Paper Snips

This card uses a few paper piecing techniques.  I stamped the parts of my train in each of my colors and then cut them out.  I selected a piece of Sweet Pea Designer Series Paper that most resembled a grassy hill and cut it shape, overlapping to achieve the look of rolling hills.  I glued my train on top.  I punched a heart using my Heart to Heart punch and placed that on the flat bed train car.  I used the smoke puff stamp to spell out I Love You in smoke. 

This became a perfect Valentine's Day card and Liam is looking forward to me giving it to him.  His response:  "Cool Mommy.  Is it for me?"

God Bless and Happy Stampin'!
Charity

Kid Pick Designs - Tessa

It's time for Tessa's card.  And for those who know her, you will be surprised to find that she did not pick a stamp set with a cat.  Instead, she picked Love You Much.  I know, sometimes she surprises me as well.

For this card, you will need the following items:

• Stamp Sets:  Love You Much
• Card Stock:  Kraft, Very Vanilla
• Designer Series Paper:  Welcome Neighbor (Sale-A-Bration Item!)
• Inks:  Pretty in Pink Classic Stampin' Pad
• Tools and Accessories:  Brocade 5/8" Grosgrain Ribbon

For this card, I began by adhering my ribbon down the center of my card.  On either side of the ribbon, I used my sewing machine to pierce the paper about 1/4" away from the ribbon.  I then added the Welcome Neighbor DSP on top of my ribbon.  I stamped the heart from Love You Much onto the Very Vanilla card stock and then distressed the edges of the paper before adhering on top of the piece of DSP.  I finished with the "friend to friend" stamp in the lower right hand corner.

Tomorrow is our last card of Kid Pick Designs, Liam's pick.

God Bless and Happy Stampin'
Charity

Kid Pick Designs - Phoebe's Choice

The second card for kid picks, Phoebe's choice.  Phoebe selected Wings of Friendship, a hostess set.  Remember, I had my typical supplies in front of me, but no stamps and I needed to create a card in less than a 1/2 hour.  In general, Phoebe's favorite color is purple so I knew using purple hues would be good.  Also, I've been seeing several cards combining purple hues with yellow hues, such as crushed curry so I decided to give it a shot.

To create this card, you will need:

• Stamp Sets:  Wings of Friendship
• Card Stock:  Elegant Eggplant, Crushed Curry, Very Vanilla
• Classic Stampin' Pads:  Rich Razzleberry
• Tools:  Pinking Hearts Edge Border

This card is a pretty basic layout.  The interesting/tricky part is the little "lace" along the bottom of the image.  For this, I cut my Very Vanilla card stock to size and rubbed it along the edge of my table to "break" the fibers of the card stock.  I punched the edge and then did very small accordian folds to pleat the paper.  That was it, simple once you know the trick.  I glued that to the back of the Crushed Curry so it will peek out from the bottom.  I stamped my bird in Rich Razzleberry onto my Very Vanilla and then cut to size.  I intentionally trimmed off part of the image and then added an extra bit of swirl to the top left corner.  I wanted to fill the entire piece of paper.  On another piece of Crushed Curry, I stamped my flowers.  I assembled my card and then added a stamped sentiment and another flower on the inside. 

Phoebe's Review: "I really, really, really like it."

Tomorrow's card, Tessa's pick.

God Bless and Happy Stampin'
Charity

Kid Pick Designs - Isabel's Choice

As promised a few days back, I'm going to be sharing with you four cards "ordered" by my children.  As I was working on some cards and projects, I decided to offer myself a bit of a mini-challenge.  I had papers, inks, tools and accessories in front of me, but no stamps.  I called each of my four children in one by one, asked them to randomly grab a current stamp set from my shelf and hand it to me to make a card.  My plan was to have a finished card within a 1/2 hour of their stamp selection and I would not look anywhere for ideas or inspiration- just create.  Today and the next three days, you'll see the results of this challenge.  We'll begin with Isabel's selection, Kind Words.




For this card you will need:

• Stamp Set:  Kind Words, Whisper White
• Card Stock:  Lavendar Lace
• Designer Series Paper:  Sweet Pea
• Ink:  Stazon Jet Black, Pretty In Pink
• Tools and Accessories:  Paper Snips, Watercolor Pencils, Stampin' Pastels

This card is a bit tricky and takes some patience.  If you have the Sweet Pea paper, you'll have seen the pages with a group of beautiful butterflies flying mostly in one corner of the page.  This inspired me to very carefully cut around the butterflies creating a "frame" for my stamped image.  I cut just enough around the butterflies such that I could tuck the corners of my Whisper White in behind the butterflies.  I also cut a few extra butterflies and flowers from the same page to have on hand to balance things once my card was complete.  Once my proportions and trimming were complete, I stamped my image onto my Whisper White card stock using the Stazon.  Then, using my pastels and pencils, I colored the image.  Along the edges, I added a bit of Pretty in Pink using a sponging technique.  I put my image into my butterfly frame, gluing down all the butterflies and adding some extras to the right to balance things.  I adhered it to my card front.

On the inside, I used a few pieces of scrap DSP to embellish the inside.  This is the reverse design for the butterfly pages.  I also stamped my sentiment from Kind Words.

Isabel's review, "Cool, Mom."

God Bless and Happy Stampin'
Charity

Sweet Pea Butterflies

Earlier this week, Tessa had an interesting homework assignment.  She was tasked with going on a "paper hunt" around our house.  She was just supposed to find different types of paper and talk about their purposes or what it could be made into.  Can you imagine the treasure trove she found in our house?  Card stocks-regular and textured, designer series papers, stamping magazines, chip board die cuts and letters, Scrappin' Kits, items such as match boxes, favor bags, etc.  I'm sure she had quite a report in class the next day.

Top on both our lists was the new Sweet Pea Designer Series paper.  The patterns and colors are just stunning!  This is something new for Stampin' Up! TM as it is a stack of 48 sheets of paper, 2 each of 24 designs which all coordinate with the Sweet Pea Stitched Felt.  It is well worth the $24.95 you'll spend. 
Today's card uses some of this paper, it is just perfect for Spring.  In a few days, I'll show you some more projects and cards using this paper.


For today's card you will need:

• Stamp Sets: Teeny Tiny Wishes, Flight of the Butterfly 
• Card Stock:  Lavendar Lace, Very Vanilla
• Designer Series Papers:  Tea Party and Sweet Pea
• Inks:  Basic Black Classic Stampin' Pad, Versamark
• Tools and Accessories:  Big Shot, Beautiful Butterflies Die, Old Olive grosgrain ribbon, Scallop Trim Border

I began by stamping a butterfly in Versamark all over the front to create a background.  Next, I cut my Sweet Pea Designer Series Paper to size, punched one edge with the Scallop Trim Border, added a piece of Old Olive grosgrain ribbon to the opposite edge,  and adhered it to the left side of my card.  For my butterfly, I cut a large butterfly from the Tea Party DSP and a smaller one from Very Vanilla.  I glued them together at the center and tied a small piece of Old Olive ribbon around the body.  I frayed the ribbon at the top for the attennae.  After that, I used sticky strip to adhere to my card front and then stamped the sentiment "Get Well Wishes" in the lower right corner. 

This type of card is very simple and easy to make but has beautiful impact.  Keeping a selection of Designer Series Papers on hand will allow you to create simple and beautiful cards with very little effort, but your recipent will think you spent hours on the card.  Plus, if a sweet five year old girl in your life needs to go on a paper hunt for homework, she'll find a treasure trove as well.

God Bless and Happy Stampin'
Charity