Another Out-of-the-Box Swallowtail

Hi there and happy Friday!  Gosh, it's scary to think that the year is almost half over!  Christmas will be upon us before you know it. Yikes!  Best move on to the card and not waste any more time with chit chat. 
Here is another Out-of-the-Box technique card done with the Swallowtail background stamp from Stampin' Up! colored with the Daffodil Delight Blendabilities.  I may have used some of the Pumpkin Pie or Cherry Cobbler Blendabilities to get the darker tones.  Sorry, I just don't remember.  I was having too much fun experimenting with all of the colors!  (You can scroll down to view the Coastal Cabana sample posted on May 27.)

Must run now to take care of some final preparations for our New Catalog Open House tomorrow.  Have a great weekend and thank you for stopping in!

Flower Shop Birthday

Hi there!  Today I have a card from Jayne Singleton's May Stamp Camp.  The flowers from Flower Shop and Petite Petals stamp sets were stamped in colors to coordinate with the Fresh Prints DSP.  Love this color combination!  The flowers were then punched out with their coordinating  punches and layered.  A Banners Framelit was used to cut out the sentiment, which is from the Wetlands stamp set.

Time is running out to purchase Fresh Prints DSP, which will be retiring June 1.  If you want anything from the 2014 Occasions Catalog or the 2013-14 Annual Catalog, don't delay!  Some products have already sold out!

Thank you for visiting today!

Afternoon Butterflies

Hi there!  Thought I'd jump right in with a card from Jayne Singleton's Stamp Camp.  Jayne is a dear friend and fellow Demonstrator.  When I learned she had an opening at her Stamp Camp last month, I jumped at the chance to attend.  (That's another great thing about being a Stampin' Up! Demo - we support each other!)  Jayne really piled on the layers for this card.  Love it!  The supplies used are listed below. 

All Stampin' Up! supplies used unless otherwise noted.
Stamps:  Best of Butterflies, Hearts a Flutter
Paper:  Blushing Bride, Wisteria Wonder, Vanilla, Afternoon Picnic DSP
Ink:  Blushing Bride
Other:  Expression Thinlits (available on Clearance Rack), Elegant Butterfly punch, Beautifully Baroque embossing folder, Spiral punch (retired), Banner Framelits, Subtles Designer buttons (retired), Linen Thread, Pearls

That's it for now.  Thank you for coming by today!

Blended Swallowtail Out-of-the-Box

Hi there!  Are you confused about what day it is?  I sure am.  That's the thing about those holidays.  Hope you had a good one!  
Now, about the card.....  It was made using a technique called out-of-the-box, which really makes an impact with the Swallowtail butterfly stamp!  Dawn Griffith has a video here, as well as Kivonne Tucker seen here, if you'd like to try this technique.  The new Stampin' Up! Blendabilities were used to color the above sample.  (Coastal Cabana set was used.)  These markers are in the new 2014-15 Annual Catalog that goes live June 2nd!

Must get busy on my to-do list.  Thank you for stopping in today!

Just Face It!

Hi there and happy Memorial Day!  Thought I'd do a quick post before the granddaughter wakes up.  This card cracks me up!  So much so, that I just had to create one for our Card Buffet.  I was inspired by Julia Leece's sample posted Jan 29, 2014 on the Stampin' Connection web site.  Sorry, you can't access the web site unless you're a Stampin' Up! Demonstrator.  However, you can view Julia's blog here.  She has some very creative projects posted!

That's all for now.  Safe travels everyone and thank you for stopping by my place today!  

Stampin' Up! supplies used unless otherwise noted. 

Stamps: Just Sayin’ 

Paper: Marina Mist, White, Real Red, Cherry Cobbler, Black 

Ink: Black 

Tools:  Oval Framelits (#1 & #2 from center), Full Heart punch, Circle punches – 3/4", 1-1/4”, 1-1/2”, Fringe Scissors, Word Bubbles Framelits

Other:  White gel pen, clear block

Blended Bloom

Hi there and happy Friday!  Do you have plans for this long, holiday weekend?  My plan is to play in my stamp room - maybe even tidy it up a bit. We'll see how that goes! :)  The above card is one that I played around with between projects (that can't be shared just yet) using the Pumpkin and Daffodil Delight Stampin' Up! Blendabilities.  Teeny Tiny Wishes was used for the sentiment and punched out with the Word Window punch.  A Daffodil Delight layer for the sentiment was punched from the Modern Label punch.  A bit of scoring to the sides of the background panel and some Chevron ribbon added the finishing touches.

Time to get back to my projects and cleaning.  Wishing you a safe and fun Memorial Day weekend!  Thank you for stopping in for a peek today!

Sneak Peek - Blended Bloom

Hi there!  Today I have a sneak peek of a stamp that will be available in the Stampin' Up! 2014-15 Annual Catalog, called Blended Bloom.  This flower is such a great image to use with the Blendabilities.  Do you think they planned that? :)  Coastal Cabana Blendabilities were used here, as well as the Daffodil Delight set for the center of the flower.  But wait - there's more!  You can also use Blendabilities to color ribbon!  I didn't have any Coastal Cabana ribbon or Baker's Twine so I ran the marker (lightest hue) down the length of some retiring Whisper White taffeta ribbon.  Love how it turned out and it dried super fast!  That's because these markers are alcohol based.  The sentiment is from the Wetlands stamp set.  (One of my fav's!)

TODAY you can take advantage of discounted retiring items (25% - 50%)!  To view products, click here.  Don't delay, as products are only available while quantities last!  Please contact me if you wish to place an order.  You may also place an order through my on-line store.  Thank you in advance!

Must sign off for now to finish up some projects and swaps for a Demo event.  Have a great day and thank you for stopping in today!

Blended Dahlias & Blowout Sale

Hi there!  Since I'm so late posting today, let's get right to the card.  It is another sample colored with the alcohol based markers from Stampin' Up! called Blendabilities.  I'm having so much fun coloring with these new markers!  There are three markers in each pack - a light, a medium, and a dark.  I used the Daffodil Delight set and the Rich Razzleberry set.  The solid image leaves from the Summer Silhouettes stamp set were stamped with Old Olive ink.  The sentiment is from A Dozen Thoughts.

Before I sign off, be sure to check back tomorrow -  Thursday, May 22nd for a......

Stampin' Up! will be offering a 25%-50% discount on many of the retiring products on May 22.  But you have to act FAST!!  This special offer is only available until June 4, 2014 or whenever supplies are depleted.  If you missed out on a product the first time, this is your last chance to get it before it's gone for good! You may view items on my Stampin' Up! site here.


Thank you for stopping in for a peek today!

Blended Swallowtail

Hi there!  Today is all about Stampin' Up!s Blendabilities that will soon be available to the public.  (One of the many perks of being a Demonstrator is the opportunity to pre-order from the new catalogs!)  Blendabilities are alcohol based markers and come in packages of three markers per color - a light, a medium, and a dark of that particular color.  The Swallowtail card above is showcasing the Daffodil Delight and Pumpkin Pie Blendabilities.  One note of caution!  Protect your work surface by using some scrap paper underneath the project you're coloring.  They will bleed through to the back.  I've had fun playing with my Blendabilities.  Love them!

Must sign off now to get started on some other projects.  Thanks for stopping by for a visit!

Simply Sketched

Hi there!  Here we are with another week behind us.  Hope you had a great weekend.  Since I spent time with my stamping peeps this weekend, mine was great!  Speaking of stamping, let's get to the reason you popped in....the card.  I used a couple of neutral colored stamp pads and swiped them across a half sheet of Vanilla cardstock, then punched out a circle. (Hence the technique name, direct to paper.)  The bird image from Simply Sketched was stamped in Early Espresso ink, then colored with a bit of Pool Party ink using an Aquapen.  The grass image from Love and Sympathy was inked with a marker (omit the flower portion) and matted onto an Early Espresso square - on point.  The Decorative Dots embossing folder was used for the background panel and the banner sentiment is from a new set, Work of Art.  This set will be available in the 2014-15 Stampin' Up! Annual Catalog June 2nd.  (Love the new catalog!)

Must get back to some projects.  Thank you so much for dropping by today!

Hardwood Feel Goods

Hi there and happy Friday!  Gonna be quick today so I can finish getting ready for a crop starting later today.  I made two versions of this card by Jackie Pedro.   Since Stampin' Up! no longer has a plaid image, I had to get creative to simulate the look.  Gorgeous Grunge to the rescue!  The flower (from Flower Shop) and sentiment (from Feel Goods) were heat embossed with white embossing powder.  All of the components are layered on a Hardwood background.  The butterfly is adhered to an embossed circle made with the Fancy Fan embossing folder.

Here is a slightly different version of the same card.  The butterfly has a bit of a pattern from the Gorgeous Grunge set and the flower was placed on a solid Pink Pirouette circle, which was sponged around the edges.

Need to scoot.  Hope you have a fabulous weekend.  Thanks for stopping by today!

Lovely Hardwood

Hi there!  It's been gray and rainy all week.  Looks like the sun is making an appearance today!   Enough talk about the weather - let's get to the card, which was on our Card Buffet display board.  The background was stamped in Soft Suede onto Pistachio Pudding cardstock with Stampin' Up!s Hardwood background stamp.  The trees are from the Lovely as a Tree set (and will still be available in the new catalog).  A number of sentiments can be used on the inside since I've chosen a rather generic outside sentiment from Chalk Talk.  There's a masculine appearance to this card, but it could also be used as a sympathy card.

Must sign off now to work on some projects and get ready for a crop this weekend.  Thank you so much for coming by today!

All Stampin" Up! supplies used unless otherwise noted. 

Stamps: Lovely as a Tree, Chalk Talk, Hardwood (2014 Occasions) 

Paper: Pistachio Pudding, Soft Suede, Vanilla 

Ink: Soft Suede 

Tools:  1-3/8” Circle punch 

Other:  Sponges, Dimensionals, clear block

Ladybug, Ladybug...

Hi there and happy hump day!  Hope you're having a good week.  Yesterday was a productive day running errands after having lunch with a friend.  Spending time with friends is always good!  But now it's time to tell you about the card.  This is one that I made for Kathy Boxdorfer, a friend and fellow Demonstrator, to wish her a happy birthday.  Kathy loves ladybugs.  A search on the internet lead me to Karien's card here.  I chose to do a full circle cut out with Framelits, rather than a semi-circle.  Slivers of black cardstock were used for the antennae instead of wire.  The eyes, cheeks, and black spots were made with several sizes of circle punches.  A little penwork detail was accomplished with Stampin' Up!s White Chalk Marker.  This was a fun card to make. 

That's it for now.  Thank you for stopping in today!

Blendabilities Meets Dahlias and Swallowtail

Hi there!  Today is a busy one so I'll keep it short.  Here is a sample of coloring with the new Stampin' Up! Blendabilities coming out in the 2014-15 Annual Catalog.  Love, love, love them!  (One of the perks of being a Demonstrator is being able to pre-order new products!  You'll be able to purchase them June 2nd.)  The image from Regarding Dahlias was stamped with Memento Black ink.  Jackie Topa suggested to start with the darkest color first, working your way to the lightest.  You can view her video here posted May 9th.  There are three markers in each pack.  They are labeled dark, medium, and light.  The Cherry Cobbler set and the Pumpkin Pie set was used in the above sample.  The leaves (a solid image from Summer Silhouettes) were stamped with Always Artichoke ink.  Below is another sample colored on the background Swallowtail image.

I started out using the Daffodil Delight set to color the butterfly but it needed "something".  That's when some Pumpkin Pie Blendabilities were incorporated.  Well, that concludes my experimenting for today.  Need to get moving to run errands and meet a friend for lunch.  Thank you for peeking in today!

Hi there!  Hope all the moms out there had a great Mother's Day.  I sure did - and the weather was gorgeous!   Had lunch with my youngest daughter and son-in-law.  The oldest daughter left Saturday for her international tour job and our son was also working.  It was still a wonderful day which included seeing the granddog, Rocky.  He loved the treats that I had for him.  (Oh, but these were not just any treats!  These were healthy, homemade treats that our granddaughter helped me bake a few weeks ago.) 
OK, enought chit chat.  Let's get to the card.  It's another sample from our Card Buffet, which shows the versitility of the Scallop Tag Topper Punch from the 2014 Stampin' Up! Occasions Catalog.  I watched Dee Slater's video to learn how to make this unique closure.  The rest of the card is my own design.  There are numerous videos on the internet with instructions but I chose Dee's.  You can view her video here (scroll down to Jan 27 post).  Give this technique a try.  It's actually very easy!

Had a chance to play with some of the new goodies that Mr. Brown delivered - mostly the Blendabilities.  Love them!  Come back tomorrow to see what I did.  Must sign off now to take care of some chores.  Thank you so much for peeking in today!

Stampin' Up! supplies used unless otherwise noted. 

Stamps: Petite Petals, Everything Eleanor (swirl image) 

Paper: Black, Rose Red, Vanilla, Pink Pirouette, Modern Medley DSP

Ink: Black Memento 

Tools:  Scallop Tag Topper Punch, Oval Framelits (#3 from center), Petite Petal Punch, standard hole punch (for flower centers) 

Other:  Dimensionals, Black 1/4" Satin ribbon (non-SU), glue pen or glue dots, clear blocks

Fabulous!

Hi there and happy Friday!  It's been a busy day taking care of household chores, getting the car serviced, and playing with my new Stampin' Up! Blendabilities that came today.  Love them!  I'll have some pictures to post later in the week.  But for now, I have another Card Buffet sample that was CASE'd from Connie Babbert's nail polish punch art card that can be seen here.  The ladies loved it!  It can be used to acknowledge a friend or family member's special day, or to thank your nail technician, or even a cool presentation for a spa gift certificate.  There are so many options!  I actually used it to thank my oldest daughter for my birthday gift, a mani-pedi when we were in Florida.

That's it for now.  Hope all the mom's out there have a wonderful Mother's Day!  Thank you for stopping in today!

Stampin' Up! supplies used unless otherwise noted. 

Stamps: Million & One 

Paper: Strawberry Slush, Crushed Curry, Bermuda Bay, White, Black, Kaleidoscope DSP 

Ink: Memento Black 

Tools:  Envelope Punch Board, scissors 

Other:  Dimensionals, clear block

Have a Ball

Hi there!  Here with another Card Buffet sample for the sports-minded.  Mena Green was the inspiration for this card.  You can view hers here (Aug 16th post).   The soccer ball was punched from a 2-1/2" circle punch and then embossed with the Hexagon embossing folder.  I also embossed some black cardstock with the same embossing folder, to be cut out and adhered to the white ball.  Fringe scissors aided in making the "grass".  (Currently available in the "Celebrate the Every Day" catalog.  Good news!  They'll also be available in the new 2014-15 Stampin' Up! Annual Catalog.)  The card front is completed with a sentiment from Label Love, which was punched out with the coordinating Artisan Label punch.

Must get going to an appointment.  Thanks for visiting today!

All Stampin' Up! supplies used unless otherwise noted. 

Stamps: Label Love 

Paper: White, Marina Mist, Gumball Green, Black 

Ink: Marina Mist 

Tools:  Artisan Label punch, Hexagon embossing folder, Fringe scissors, 2-1/2” Circle punch 

Other:  Dimensionals, clear block  

The Graduate

Hi there!  A big THANK YOU goes out to everyone who attended our Card Buffet yesterday.  We had a good turnout, despite having to reschedule due to a medical emergency last week.  We have the best friends/customers!
I'll get right to one of the cards that appeared on our Buffet.  It's that time of year - graduation.  This simple card was made with the Pure Gumption set from Stampin' Up!, which will be retiring at the end of this month.  So if you want this set, you'd better order quickly!  The Silver Glimmer stars (cut from a die in the Circle Thinlits) added some sparkle. 
Must get started on some household chores.  Have a fabulous day and thank you for peeking in today!

Oh, Baby!

Hi there and happy Monday!  Hope you had a wonderful weekend.  Yesterday I attended a baby shower for a good friend of our youngest daughter.  This is the card I made, which is a side-step dresser card.  The directions can be found here on Jackie Topa's blog.  Love her work - she's so creative!  It's actually an easy technique and can be decorated for many different occasions.  You're only limited by your imagination!  This card was definitely a work of the heart in the details!  A piece of Victoria crochet trim is hanging out of the middle drawer.  (I couldn't believe that Stampin' Up! was retiring this trim!  Don't worry, there is a replacement in the new catalog.  Whew! )  The giraffe, from Zoo Babies, was stamped with So Saffron ink and fussy cut.  His mane was made from some thick Baker's Twine left over from Sale-A-Bration.  It was a bit time consuming to adhere and fray each small piece but it added so much, at least in my opinion.  A second giraffe was stamped and cut out  to cover the back.  The foot prints are from Baby Prints, which is retiring the end of this month but being replaced with a great set and coordinating Framelits!  The teddy bear is from a retired set.  Sorry, but I don't remember the name.  He was in my box of discarded bits and pieces that didn't get used on projects for one reason or another.  Do you have one of those boxes?  The Curly Label punch and the retired Pinking Hearts border punch give the bottom of the card that "dresser" look. 

That's all for now.  Hope you have a fabulous day and thank you for stopping by!

Bowl Me Over

Hi there!  It's another gray day around here.  Great time to stamp, huh?  So, how about a card?  Thought so!  Ha!  One evening while surfing the net, I came across Andi Potler's adorable bowling card in a box.  I was intrigued by her "bowling pins" and decided to make one.  You can find the instructions here.  Well, the process became addictive and I ended up making quite a few!  Fast forward to this week.  I needed a card for our youngest daughter's birthday.  She and her husband are on a bowling team.  The "bowling pins" were sitting on my desk, which triggered a creative thought process in designing a bowling card for her.  How appropriate - and fun!  The bowling ball was made in a different manner than Andi's.  I added the finger holes of the "bowling ball" by tapping the eraser end of a pencil onto a White Craft ink pad and stamped the black circle.  (Hint: a new eraser works best.)  The "alley" was made with the Hardwood background stamp.  A sentiment for the inside was generated on the computer (after Googling some clever puns).  I was pleased with the way the card turned out and think our baby girl will get a kick out of it, too. 

That's it for today.  Thank you for stopping in for a visit, where you're always welcome!

Project Life!

Hi there and happy May Day!  A good part of my day was spent on the phone, then running errands.  It was after 6 pm before I returned home.  It was a busy day, which is why this post is so late.  Speaking of busy, Stampin' Up! went live with Project Life today!  That means beginning today, you can order the above items.  I really like the Project Life stamp sets that are in the new 2014-15 catalog.  (Remember?  I got a free copy Monday night at the Catalog Premiere!  You only have to wait until June to see everything.)   I don't plan to order any PL products this month.  Need to get some photos developed first!  You know... all those pics saved on the computer and to flash drives.   It's been years since I've scrapbooked but I'm willing to give this system a shot!  Seems easy, peazy.


OK, time to get to bed.  Thank you so much for coming by today!