Love U!

Hello once again!  Tonight the card I have to share is for the Sweet Sunday Sketch Challenge. It's a fun sketch that I used to make a Valentine for one of my grandsons.

http://kgiron.blogspot.com/2014/01/sweet-sunday-sketch-challenge-204.html

I ended up flipping the sketch 90 degrees so I could utilize a tag on my card.  It offered just

enough fun elements without being fussy, which will be perfect for my youngest grandson.

A short post tonight as it's late and time to get things ready for work tomorrow.  Thanks so much for taking a look and, as always, I'd love to hear from you if you have a moment to leave a comment.

Hugs,

Stef


Product details:
Stamps:  Teeny Tiny Wishes, Hearts A Flutter, P.S. I Love You
Paper:  Real Red, Pool Party Coordination card stock, More Amour designer paper
Ink:  Real Red, Pool Party, Crumb Cake
Other:  Artisan Embellishments (ticket), Hemp Twine, Neutrals Candy Dots, Bigz Typeset Alphabet die, shipping tag

Floral Birthday Wishes

Welcome back!  As the weekend winds down, I've got my card for Pals Paper Arts to share with you.  They had another great sketch challenge this week, so I really wanted to play along.

http://www.palspaperarts.com/

After seeing the sketch, I flipped through my stamp sets and ended up choosing the LONG neglected Apothecary Art.  The floral image evokes a kind of vintage, romantic French Country look, so I pulled out some retired Beau Chateau designer paper to use.

As I was looking for a piece of watercolor paper, I realized I had the floral image already stamped and colored that had ultimately not been used on another card.  Time saver!  The leaves had been colored with Always Artichoke, so I went over them with a bit of Soft Suede ink on a blender pen to have them better match the designer paper.  After hand cutting the stamped image, it was mounted on a piece of Soft Suede cut out with the matching framelit.

I was a bit nervous about stamping the sentiment directly on the floral stamp, as my Marina Mist ink pad is still the old style and it is not used often, and despite using my reinker on it last night, I was afraid the watercolor paper would absorb too much ink, leaving a less than crisp image.  So it was stamped on a separate piece of watercolor paper and trimmed it down to make a banner to pop up on the main image.

That sweet paper flower is from the retired Artisan Embellishments kit from last year's Occasions catalogue.  I sponged it with a bit of Crumb Cake, as I did the rest of the card along with Soft Suede, to give it more of an aged look.  I now realize I used a lot of retired products on this card; good thing they don't have an expiration date!

Well, I'm off to get everything prepared for the upcoming work week.  Thanks so much for taking a look, and I'd love to hear from you if you have time to leave a comment!

Hugs,

Stef


Product details:
Stamps:  Apothecary Art
Paper:  Marina Mist, Soft Suede, Textured Pink Pirouette, watercolor, Beau Chateau designer paper
Ink:  Craft Early Espresso, Pink Pirouette, Pretty in Pink, So Saffron, Always Artichoke, Soft Suede, Marina Mist, Crumb Cake
Other:  Eyelet Border punch, Labels Collection framelit, Very Vanilla Seam Binding ribbon, Artisan Embellishments kit, Basic Pearls

A Heart of Gold for Freshly Made Sketches

Hi there, welcome back!  Tonight the card I'm sharing was made for this week's challenge at Freshly Made Sketches.

http://freshlymadesketches.blogspot.com/

When I saw that sketch, I was so tempted to use a big butterfly (love those) to literally match the sketch, but since it's getting close to Valentine's Day, I decided to make something that could be for that holiday, or just a card to send to someone you love.  The gorgeous gold vellum card stock, amongst other items from the Occasions catalogue, was calling my name again, so here's what I came up with:

Rather than a butterfly, I made a heart of Gold Foil card stock cut with a Hearts Collection framelit and adhered to a banner of the same paper covered with the new Gold Vellum.  After stamping in Gold Encore and cutting out the winged heart from Affection Collection (retired), it was stamped a second time in Real Red and just the heart cut out and popped up on the gold layer.

Gold washi tape was adhered to the corners of the second layer to give it some fun contrast, and because of that, the banner looked better centered rather than aligned with the top as in the sketch.

The sentiment with the great mixed font is from another retired set, P.S. I Love You, and was stamped in Real Red, cut out with a 7/8" scallop circle punch, and tied onto the card with Gold Baker's twine.

Thanks so much for visiting!  As always, I'd love to hear from you if you have time to leave a comment.

Hugs,

Stef


Product details:
Stamps:  Affection Collection, P. S. I Love You
Paper:  Whisper White, Gold Foil, Gold Fancy Foil Designer Vellum
Ink:  Real Red, Gold Encore
Other:  Gold Baker's Twine, 7/8" Scallop Circle punch, Banners and Hearts Collection Framelits, Watercolor Wonder Designer Washi Tape.

Serene Thanks for Pals Paper Arts

Welcome back for the second half of the weekend.  I whipped together today's card using this weeks sketch at Pals Paper Arts.  It's a very versatile layout that one could either keep simple or add lots of layers.

http://www.palspaperarts.com/

I went middle of the road, adding some distressed looking designer paper on top of my Crumb Cake base.  I decided to go full out with the shabby/distress look and used the side of my scissors along all the edges.

When I saw the sketch I knew immediately I wanted to use the circular stamp from Serene Silhouettes.  It was stamped in Calypso Coral, cut out with a Circle Collection framelit and adhered to a scallop circle punched out in Old Olive.

The retired taffeta ribbon is from a few years ago when Stampin' Up! still called it Kraft rather than Crumb Cake.  It was tied up with some Hemp Twine and the sentiment attached with a Vintage Trinket safety pin.

Thanks for visiting and I'd love to hear from you if you have a moment to leave a comment.  I hope the rest of your day goes well! 

Hugs,

Stef

Product detail:

Stamps:  Serene Silhouettes, Fabulous Phrases

Paper:  Crumb Cake, Confetti Cream, Calypso Coral, Old Olive, Etcetera designer paper

Ink:  Calypso Coral, Old Olive

Other:  Victoria Crochet Trim, Hemp Twine, Circles Collection Framelit, Scallop Circle punch, Word Window punch, Vintage Trinket safety pin, Beautiful Wings Embosslit, Basic Pearls

A Wonderful Life

Hello and happy Saturday!  This has been quite the week and I'm glad it's over and the weekend is here.  I have a card to share today that I finished making a couple of nights ago.

I had some fun with this card.  First, I love the sentiment, it's kind of the glass half full perspective on life.  And, as life would have it, after stamping the sentiment and cutting it out, I used my Stampamajig to make sure the Pool Party horizontal strip above it would be straight.  But of course, it was still a bit crooked, so I had to laugh at how appropriate that was considering the sentiment!  So then I decided to add the ink splotch and the skid marks in Summer Starfruit.

I used last weeks sketch from Jen Shults' blog.  It was a fun sketch and she posted a new one Thursday, so go check it them both out (link below).

http://deconstructingjen.com/deconstructed-sketch-133/

Thanks for dropping by and taking a look!  I hope the rest of your weekend is fantastic!

Hugs,

Stef

Product Details:

Stamps:  Perfect Pennants, Gorgeous Grunge

Paper:  Whisper White, Basic Black, Sweet Sorbet designer paper

Ink:  Pool Party, Summer Starfruit, Jet Black Stazon

Other:  Sweet Sorbet Accessory Pack (Twine), Banners Framelit, Basic Rhinestone

A Very Special Someone

Hello once again!  I have a card to share that was made for this week's color challenge at Pals Paper Arts.

http://www.palspaperarts.com/

This color combination was rather a challenge for me at first, although I did like using it for Christmas cards in prior years.  But after pulling out some papers and the Chalk Talk stamp set, a design formed and I really ended up loving these colors together.

The little doily in Whisper White peeking out behind the tag was made with the Large Delicate Doilies Sizzlit. It's a bit of a pain, because you have to use a paper piercing tool to pop out all the cut areas, but the end result of a pretty lacy border definitely makes it worth it.  I then decided to use the tool for what it was intended and added some piercing in the upper right corner.

I was very happy to use up some of the retired Saddle Stitch Soft Sky ribbon I had kept for several years, unknowing that Soft Sky would return to the Stampin' Up! color lineup. However, the Soft Sky Seam Binding Ribbon in the current catalogue would also work perfect for this.

Time to run now to start the laundry and get ready for the work week ahead.  As always I appreciate your visit and would love to hear from you if you have time to leave a comment.

Have a great week!

Hugs,

Stef


Product detail:
Stamps:  Chalk Talk
Paper:  Whisper White, Soft Sky, Soft Sky Designer Series Paper (ret.)
Ink:  Real Red
Other:  Real Red Grosgrain ribbon (ret.), Saddle Stitch Soft Sky ribbon, Scallop Border punch, White Baker's Twine, Brights Button, Large Delicate Doilies Sizzlit, Chalk Talk framelit, Paper Piercing Pack Essentials and tool

Shabby Birthday Wishes

Happy Saturday!  It's a stormy, rainy day here in Sherwood, a good day to play with paper crafts, or watch NFL football playoffs this afternoon (go Seahawks!).  But right now I have a card to share that was made for three challenges:  Mojo Monday (sketch), The Card Concept (color) and Friday Mashup (mash it up by making a birthday card with twine).

http://thecardconcept.blogspot.com/ 

http://www.fridaymashup.com/ 

 http://mojomonday.blogspot.com/

The Card Concept is a new challenge site owned by the ever inventive Leslie Croghan.  It will provide examples for 6 different card styles and the participant's card reflects the current challenge and a particular style.  As the title post indicates, I chose the Shabby Chic style.

The Hardwood background stamp was inked up in Early Espresso and stamped on a piece of Crumb Cake card stock.  The vertical piece is also Crumb Cake, covered with a scallop edge border sticker from Tea Time Simply Scrappin' and a strip of Pink Pirouette card stock punched out with the Lace Ribbon Border punch.  A piece of Natural Cotton Ribbon was sponged with a bit of Crumb Cake ribbon to give it more of a distress look, which was then wrapped around both layers and tied in a bow.  Mmm, love that ribbon!

Carrying on the wood theme, a wood-look button was tied on the ribbon with Hemp twine, then topped with a cute little Pink Pirouette button, a retired design shaped like a flower. Rather than scatter hearts along the side as the sketch indicated, I used individual flowers from the retired Flower Trim that were also sponged lightly with Crumb Cake, then decorated with pearls in the center.

I pulled out the long neglected Four Frames stamp set and used the stamp with the cute bird. It was stamped in Early Espresso, then fussy cut so that I could pop it up on a piece of Pink Pirouette card stock punched out with the Decorative Label punch.  The sentiment was stamped in a brighter pink (Strawberry Slush) in order to make it pop, as Pink Pirouette was just too pale. All the layers were distressed and then sponged with Crumb Cake.

Honestly, I haven't made a shabby/distressed card for a while, I've been tending towards more layered but clean cards, so this was a fun switch up.  You need to go check out all three challenges (links above), there is still plenty of time to join in!  Thank you so much for taking time out of your day to drop by and take a look.  If you have time, please leave a comment, I love hearing from you!  Have a great afternoon!

Hugs,

Stef


Product details:
Stamps:  Hardwood, Four Frames, Petite Pairs
Paper:  Very Vanilla, Early Espresso, Crumb Cake, Pink Pirouette
Ink:  Early Espresso, Crumb Cake, Strawberry Slush
Other:  Scallop Oval, Lace Ribbon Border, and Decorative Label punches, Natural Cotton Ribbon, Tea Time Simply Scrappin' Border sticker, Linen Thread, Hemp Twine, Subtles and Naturals Designer Buttons, Basic Pearls, Flower Trim, Cutter Kit

Welcome Baby

Hi once again!  Tonight I have a card to share that I started putting together yesterday afternoon and finished tonight after work.  It's for Kevin's niece who is having her first baby in February.  The baby shower is a week from Saturday but we aren't going to be able to be there since it is out of state, so we'll send a gift card tucked inside the card.

I used the current sketch challenge at Splitcoast Stampers for my layout, substituting my banner for the corner piece:

http://www.splitcoaststampers.com/

Isn't that little fox so cute?  He was stamped on Very Vanilla, inked up first in Versamark, then Chocolate Chip ink, and then heat embossed with Clear Stampin' Emboss Powder.  It was a little tricky water coloring the image on Very Vanilla, as the ink is absorbed much more quickly using regular card stock than Stampin' Up Watercolor paper.

I first applied Pumpkin Pie ink (which looks rather yellow in these photos but not so IRL), then added Cajun Craze to get a redder coat.  I'm really enjoying the color combination in this card (Soft Sky, Chocolate Chip, Cajun Craze, and Crumb Cake). The new Hardwood stamp from the Occasions Spring Catalogue was inked in Chocolate Chip and stamped on Crumb Cake.  I used Hardwood as it mirrored the very cool baby shower invite we received, so suitable for the expected baby boy and parents that are intrepid backpackers and campers.

Thanks for visiting and I hope the remainder of your week goes well!

Hugs,

Stef


Product Details:
Stamps:  Storybook Friends, Petite Pairs, Hardwood
Paper:  Very Vanilla, Chocolate Chip, Soft Sky, Crumb Cake, Cajun Craze, Soft Sky designer paper (retired)
Ink:  Chocolate Chip, Soft Sky, Cajun Craze, Pumpkin Pie, Versamark
Other:  Clear Stampin' Emboss Powder, Petite Pennant Builder punch, Subtles Buttons, Circles Collection Framelit, Aquapainter, Linen Thread
   

Gold Petals for You

Hello once again!  I'm back this afternoon with a card I made for Pals Paper Arts, where the challenge this week is to use Island Indigo, Gold and White.  Ooh, what a pretty color combination!  Count me in!

http://www.palspaperarts.com/

I pulled out a sheet of Gold Fancy Foil Designer Vellum and used it to top a card base of Whisper White.  The stripe design is nice as they hide the glue dots used to adhere it to the base.  

The flower from Peaceful Petals was embossed with Gold Stampin' Emboss Powder on Glossy White paper, which was then sponged with Island Indigo ink and fussy cut. 

Gold Sequin Trim really dresses up the embossed Island Indigo horizontal piece.  The sentiment, from Chalk Talk stamp set, was stamped in Encore gold.

Thanks for taking time to visit!  I hope the week ahead brings good things your way!

Hugs,

Stef

Product Details:

Stamps:  Peaceful Petals, Chalk Talk

Paper:  Whisper White plain and glossy (ret.) card stock, Island Indigo, Gold Foil, Gold Fancy Foil Designer Vellum

Ink:  Encore Gold, Versamark

Other:  Gold Sequin Trim, Lacey Brocade embossing folder (ret.), 1 1/4" and 1 3/8" Circle punches, Gold Stampin' Emboss Powder

A Mojo Birthday Card

Happy Friday, everyone!  I'm back with a card for this week's Mojo Monday challenge.  It's Round or Square week and I decided to make a round card.

The Midnight Muse base and the Baja Breeze layer were cut from the Circle Collection framelits.  Since there is such a wide gap between the two, I used my Coluzzle (a retired Stampin' Up! product) to cut the Baked Brown Sugar layer.  The Pretty Prints embossing folder and the burlap ribbon both added a tremendous amount of texture and dimension to the card.

The color combination was taken in part from ColourQ Tuesday color challenge #221, (the deadline for which I was not able to meet) (http://colourq.blogspot.com/).  In addition to the colors on the card, the challenge also included Coastal Cabana, which I just couldn't make work on my card.  I encourage you to check out the blog - they always have a fun color challenges each week!

Here's the great sketch from Mojo Monday:

http://mojomonday.blogspot.com/

Once again, thanks for visiting!  I appreciate your visit and would love to hear from you if you have a moment to leave a comment.

Hugs,

Stef


Product details:
Stamps:  Gifts of Kindness, Simply Sketched (Hostess Stamp Set)
Paper:  Very Vanilla, Midnight Muse, Baja Breeze, Baked Brown Sugar
Ink:  Baked Brown Sugar, Midnight Muse
Accessories:  Circles Collection framelits, Coluzzle Cutting System (retired), Pretty Print embossing folder, Word Window punch, 1 1/4" Burlap Ribbon  

You & Me

Happy New Year and welcome back.  The card I'm sharing with you today was made with the sketch at CAS(e) this Sketch.  It also uses this week's color challenge at Splitcoast Stampers of Black, White and Silver.

http://casethissketch.blogspot.com/2013/12/case-this-sketch-58.html

http://www.splitcoaststampers.com/

I had some fun matching up the Ampersand embossing folder and one of the new Pennants Parade stamps (upcoming Occasions Spring Catalogue).

The Silver Foil paper is particularly tricky to photo, but I at least got one decent shot of the card front.  I think this card would also look lovely with the Red Glimmer paper instead of the Silver, but it would not have been in keeping with the color challenge.

However, the interior shifted away from the color challenge, as the word "wonderful" begged to be colored in red for emphasis, and of course the hearts had to be red as well.  This card will probably be my husband's Valentine's Day card.  I love that sentiment.

Thanks so much for taking the time to visit, and I hope you have a moment to leave a comment as I would love to hear from you!

Here's to a happy and healthy 2014!

Hugs,

Stef


Product Details:
Stamps:  Perfect Pennants*
Paper:  Whisper White, Basic Black, Silver Foil, Silver Glimmer
Ink:  Jet Black Stazon, Basic Black, Real Red
Accessories:  Circle Collection framelit, 1 3/4" Circle and Small Heart punch, 1/8" Handheld Circle punch (retired), Ampersand embossing folder

*Available Jan. 3