Stamping Afternoon

Hello, hello. Hope you're having a nice afternoon. I really didn't want to go out today, but there were errands to run. You know how that goes. If you want to eat, you really need to get groceries every once in awhile.

So now that the neccessities have been taken care of, on to the fun part of my day. I really loved this Green Tea DSP from the previous SU! Catalog and have an amount left. (You notice I'm not saying how much is left.) Anyway, I needed a couple of cards, so I thought I'd get it out and use a little bit of it. Sometimes I feel the need for hoarding papers because I know I can't get them anymore. Wah!

All materials used are by SU!

Stamps: Heartfelt Thanks and Really Retro

CS: Baja Breeze, Old Olive, and Whisper White

Ink: Baja Breeze pad and Not Quite Navy and Old Olive markers

Accessories: Ticket Corner Punch, Rectangle Punch, Word Window Punch, Old Olive Narrow Grosgrain Ribbon, and Dimensionals

Have you used the 'Thumping Technique' yet? I really like the different effect it gives to solid stamps. First you ink with the lightest color, then use a darker marker(s) to lightly tap on the image to get a variation of colors. Next, huff on the stamp. The moist air you expel reactivates any ink that has dried in the process and gives you lovely results. You really should play with this technique again. It's fun and gives the image a fabulous new look.

The next card also used the Green Tea DSP, but a different print. I wanted a simple, elegant look for a wedding card and this monochromatic card seemed to fit the bill.

All materials by SU! unless otherwise noted.

Stamps: Fun & Fast Notes (love this set!!)

CS: Baja Breeze, Not Quite Navy, and Whisper White

Ink: Basic Black, Baja Breeze, Certainly Celery

Accessories: Aqua Painter, Crafters Tool Kit, Narrow Organdy Ribbon(retired), Dimensionals, and a White Shimmer Gelly Roll pen by Sakura.

I like how the piercing on both the Green Tea paper and the Not Quite Navy cardstock really dresses up the card. But it still looked like it was missing something. As I was rooting around through all my goodies, I found the Shimmer Gelly Roll pen.

I'd pretty much forgotten it was even there. But as you can see from the 2nd pic, it was just the subtle touch of bling I wanted to add. IRL it is just the softest touch of glimmer.

Now wouldn't you want to get these cards in the mail? I hope you enjoyed them and they spark an awesome creative idea for you!

Have a great day and happy stamping...

Sharon

Are you craftier than a 5th grader?

As I hang my head in shame, I admit that I have fallen short. I might not even measure up to a first grader. Oh, woe is me! I guess I'd better tell you what happened. It all started out innocently enough yesterday afternoon. There I was, blog hopping from one place to another - going places I'd never even heard of before. Somehow I ended up on a Disney kids craft place. (Sorry, I don't have any idea what it was really called. I tried finding it again today and couldn't.) Anyway, they had these cute paper birds that you could make with your kids. Sounded like fun. And last night was club night, so I thought 'twould be fun to share with them so they could share with their little kiddies or grand-kiddies. That's when things started to go wrong. How could little kids make these if I (a fairly crafty adult if I do say so myself) was having problems?

If I was a child, I think I would have given up. But they really are darling, aren't they? And really, the only problem was the paperclip feet. My paperclips kept breaking. I didn't think that was supposed to happen, and blamed it on my super strength. But then that evening at club, all the ladies had trouble with them breaking too. Arrgh!! In the end, several finally were finished, but I really think they would be better made into a mobile. Wouldn't that be cute and springy?

The birds were all made with the Delicate Dots Designer paper which is free with a $50 purchase during Sale-a-bration until the end of March. If you'd like to get some paper to make your own flock of these cute little birdies, get in touch with me either through email, or my website. I'd be happy to order the paper and other goodies for you. I'll even throw in a template for you to make some birds of your own.

Even my cat Smokey had to check out the birds I was trying to photograph. He got right in the middle of it all, and was trying to make off with one of them. So I had to take a picture of my handsome fellow, didn't I?

Actually, the birds weren't the only thing we did last night. I've got the Big Shot Beautiful Butterflies Die and just love it. So we made a card using two of the four butterflies from the die. I really like the dimension you can get on a card by adding diecuts. This card was quick and easy, but I love the look - clean and sweet.

Materials used are all SU!

Stamps: Really Retro and Sprinkles

CS: Whisper White and Barely Banana

Ink: So Saffron and More Mustard

Accessories: Beautiful Butterflies Bigz Die, Delicate Dots DSP, 2Way Glue Pen, Dazzling Diamonds Glitter, So Saffron Grograin Ribbon (from SAB Ribbon Bundle), and Sponge quarter.

Hope you liked my offerings today. I'll be working on getting ready for an all day crop that I'll be demoing cards at on Saturday. But I'll try to sneak in time for another card idea for you. Have a great evening. Stay warm. And keep creating and having fun with your stamping.

Sharon

How much is too much?

Yes, I'm in a quandry today. I started out wanting to use the SU! Beautiful Butterflies Bigz Die. I thought I would make a card with some butterflies on it using Barely Banana cardstock. Then I thought it would be nice to have a swirly type of print on the butterflies. Ok, out came the Priceless set and the swirls were stamped with Certainly Celery ink on the butterflies. Then I was totally stumped. Nothing seemed to go along with the two butterflies.

My next thought was to just use the smaller butterfly and go with some flowers to give it a 'garden look'. After looking through all my stamps, I settled on the Petal Pizzazz set. The flowers seemed large enough to balance the butterfly.

My next choice was the colors to use for the flowers and leaves. For that I used the SU! color wheel. What would I ever do without that? It's been a life-saver for me so many times. If you don't have one, you don't know what a great tool you're missing out on. It told me that Certainly Celery, Garden Green, Cameo Coral, and Rose Red worked well with Barely Banana. OK.

There was alot of stamping and cutting out, moving pieces around, walking away and coming back to it. Whew! This has not been easy to design at all! I did have fun adding brads and dimension to the design. Can you see how awesome the corduroy brad is? I just love it and want to keep touching it. How funny! Anyway, I thought using one on each flower would be overkill, so only one flower got the cooool corduroy brad. Does that look weird? I really need some feedback here. Should I scrap the whole card and start over again? Add something? Take something off? Help!! Please!!!!
Anyway, at this point every part of the card is by SU!
Stamps: Petal Pizzazz, Priceless, Upsy Daisy (words)
CS: Certainly Celery, Garden Green, Barely Banana, Whisper White
Ink: Cameo Coral, Rose Red, Garden Green, Certainly Celery
Accessories: Soft Subtles Mini Brads, Wide Oval Punch, Summer Sun Corduroy Buttons & Brads, Sponge quarter, Dimensionals, Big Shot, SU! Beautiful Butterflies Bigz Die

Oops, I think I just told a little lie - I forgot that I used a touch of Stickles on the butterfly. Sorry!

Ok now - please give me some input here. I want some honesty here. Please give me some feedback. Thanks.
Sharon

I'm all shook up

Well, maybe not me particularily. But the card idea I have for you today sure fits the description. lol This lil' shaker card is a spring cutie. I'm so tired of the snow and cold that I've been pulling out all my Soft Subtles and Bold Brights lately. It's time to move on to the next season. Easter is one of my favorite holidays, and I love spring - the new beginnings and blossoming flowers. Yes, I confess - I'm a springaholic! There, I've admitted it. I love it and wanted to share something that would get you in the mood for spring too.


How's this as a little foray into spring? This is an easy shaker card. There are several ways to make these cards, but this is the quickest way I know how to put one together. The chick image is stamped on a 2" x 3" cardstock which slides inside one of our small flat cello bags. Then you add the beads and fold the cello bag closed. Add a layer to frame the shaker and that's about it. (Make sure you layer the frame with Dimensionals to give the shaker some extra space.) Can't be any easier than that, right? All images and materials by Stampin' Up!

Stamps: A Good Egg
CS: Certainly Celery, Pretty in Pink, Whisper White, Bashful Blue, Apricot Appeal
Ink: Pretty in Pink, Basic Black Pad, Barely Banana, Apricot Appeal, and Certainly Celery Markers
Accessories: Big Shot, Bigz Top Note Die, Boho Blossoms Punch, Soft Subtles Mini Brads, Bashful Blue Narrow Grosgrain, Dimensionals, Paper Snips, Mini Glue Dots

I hope this has given you a small whiff of spring. I know it's not coming for awhile yet, but that doesn't stop me from dreaming. Think warmer weather, Easter bonnets, tulips and daffodils. Are you getting that spring feeling yet? Maybe we need to work on it a bit more. We'll see.....

Have a great day!
Sharon

Sunday Punches

Blessings this Sunday afternoon. Let's get right down to stampin' business. I have a card to share with you that was one of the make & takes at my workshop on Friday night. I had just gotten an order in on Friday afternoon, but wanted something to share with my ladies that night using my new Sale-a-bration set, Polka Dot Punches, and the gorgeous new Delicate Dots Designer Series Paper that is also one of the freebies. I just love the colors and prints of this paper, so I had to come up with something quick. I used the color combo from the DSP as a guide to card colors. All images and materials by SU! of course.
Stamps: Polka Dot Punches (SAB)
CS: Sahara Sand, Certainly Celery, Bashful Blue, and Barely Banana
Ink: So Saffron, Certainly Celery, Bashful Blue, and Sahara Sand Pads, Sahara Sand Marker
Accessories: Full Heart Punch (new), Delicate Dots DSP (SAB), Bashful Blue Narrow Grosgrain Ribbon, and Dimensionals
This card went together very quickly because we're able to punch out the hearts, and can be used for any number of occassions.

Today I got out the same set and pretty much the same colors and made another card. The components of the card are quite similar just using a different stamp from the set and the co-ordinating punches for it. The DSP is even the same sheet I used last time, just turned it over. Here is the list of punches I used to go with the stamps: Scallop Circle, 1" Circle, 3/4" Circle, Word Window, and Large Oval.

I love how quick and easy it is to punch all the pieces of the card. Just layer them up and you're good to go. Hope these two cards gives you an idea for when you're strapped for time, but still need something home-made from the heart.
Hugs,
Sharon

Happy Valentines Day

Hope you're having a lovely day today. Just wanted to say how much I appreciate everyone who's tagging along with me on this blogging adventure. You're my special Valentine!

I'm keeping things short and sweet today. This is another of the cards from class this past week. I love the new textured DSP from SU! It's just so yummy and I just have to touch it! You really have to see it to appreciate how nice it is. In fact, just about everything making up this card is very textured - the DSP, the Pindot Texturz Plate I used on the bottom half, the cool felt flowers, ribbon, and layers. The card size is smaller than usual at only 4 1/4" x 4 1/4". Lately I've been making alot of the smaller size. They're just so cute!

All images and materials from SU! of course.

Stamps: On Your Birthday

CS: Baja Breeze, Chocolate Chip, Whisper White

Ink: Chocolate Chip

Accessories: Parisian Breeze Textures Designer Series Paper, Large Oval Punch, Designer Label Punch, Flower Fusion Too, White Narrow Grosgrain Ribbon, Big Shot, and SU! Backgrounds Texturz Plates

Hope you enjoy my offering for today.
Have a happy heart!
Hugs,
Sharon

Catching up today

Hey there! Hope you're coping with this winter and all it entails - especially all the flu bug germs floating around out there. It seems like just about everyone I've talked to lately is either dealing with this nasty bug themselves, or someone in their family has it. Yikes! I think we're being overrun by the flu! Get out the disinfectant and start spraying and wiping everything down!! I think if we're diligent we might get the upperhand in this war and maybe even win. (if we're lucky!) So far we haven't had that bug here, but we're still waging war on bronchitis and an upper respiratory bug. Yep, those bugs are out there all over the place. Ya'all best be careful now, ya hear?

Even though the bugs are out there, life still goes on. This was class week in my neck of the woods. So that mean I get to share my class projects with you. This first project has two awesome techniques used to make a spectacular card. A super-simple technique - thumping was used on the lovely flower to get all those different tones on the petals. And the darling butterfly 'charm' was made using a faux metal technique. Doesn't it all look fabulous together? This card was originally made at a get-together with my 4th level upline Sue Berreth last convention. I was so impressed with it I had to share it with my ladies.

All images and materials are SU!

Stamps: Fabulous Flowers (retired), Baroque Motifs, and Dreams du Jour

CS: Chocolate Chip, Rose Red, Regal Rose, and Whisper White

Ink: Rose Red, Regal Rose, Chocolate Chip, VersaMark Pads and Rose Red Marker

Accessories: Heat Tool, Silver Embossing Powder, Paper Snips, Rose Wide Grosgrain Ribbon, Water Spritzer, and Dimensionals

If you haven't tried making the faux metal yet, you must give it a try! It's quick, alot easier than it looks, and is always impressive. Just use a small piece of cardstock inked completely with VersaMark, sprinkle on the embossing powder, and heat. Do this twice. The 3rd time, have your stamp inked up and ready, melt the powder so it's nice and smooth. Then quickly stamp onto the hot, melted powder. You'll get a nice impression that can be cut out and used just like a metal charm. Cool, isn't it?

Now on to an entirely different look, very clean lines and with a more masculine feel. Again all the images and materials are by SU!

Stamps: Puns From the Past

CS: Going Gray, Glossy White, and Whisper White

Ink: Basic Black

Accessories: Pewter Jumbo Eyelet, Crop-a-dile, Black Narrow Grosgrain Ribbon, Curly Label Punch, Heart to Heart Punch, Small Corner Rounder Punch, Dimensionals, and the most important part of the card - the Ghostly Greetings DSP (retired)

Doesn't the striped paper just make this card? I love it! And I wish I had lots more of it! As it was I had to beg a sheet of it from my friend Jan Tink. Luckily she likes to hoard these lovely papers like I do. You just never know when you're going to need just one more sheet of some design. And my hubby thinks I have too much paper! I haven't got him convinced yet that you can never have too much stuff!

Well folks, I think that's all the catching up I'm doing today. I've got to get crackin'. I have a workshop Friday night (yahoo!!) and it still needs to be planned out. Oh, I guess that means I'll have more goodies to share with you this weekend! Lucky you!

See you soon,

Sharon

Hey there!

Anybody out there? Feels like I'm all alone out here and I need to know someone else really is out there. Is everybody hibernating this winter, or is it just me??? Hmmm, what can I do to get someone to wake up and play with me? Dance around my work table in my jammies? Uh, no, I don't think you'd really want to see that. Especially if you're like me and tend to eat lunch at your computer. How off-putting (not to mention stomach-turning) that would be. Ok, instead I'll just show you some cards I've been working on.

I was stamping at Jan Tink's house yesterday. Unfortunately I wasn't such good company cuz I was so tired, but I did manage to start 3 projects. Yes, only started them. I really wasn't funtioning too well yesterday. Sorry Jan! Not good company and not creative either. It's so humbling to see someone else making a gorgeous card and I was fumbling around trying to work at all. I think it turned out fine after I worked on it last night.

All stamps and materials by Stampin'Up!

Stamps: Crazy for Cupcakes

CS: Pumpkin Pie, Regal Rose, and Chocolate Chip

with Sweet Always DSP

Ink: Basic Black Pad, Creamy Caramel, Going Gray, and Ruby Red Markers

Accessories: White Gel Pen, 1" Double-stitched Chocolate Grosgrain, Photo Corner Punch, Crafters Tool Kit, and a staple

Jan showed me how you can color a layer of the white gel pen, let it dry, then color over it with a marker to get a much softer color. Yummy! I loved how the cake-plate looks much brighter than just using the Going Gray marker by itself. And the white gel pen swirled on the cupcakes looks just like frosting. Thanks for the tip Jan!

Now on to my next treasure. I mentioned the other day how much I liked the Wonderful Watercolor stamp set. Well, as you can see, I'm still playing with it. This time I paired it with the new Texturz Plates in the new Catalog. This one is very similar to a background stamp SU! carried a couple years ago. It's nice to have it back in another form.

All stamps and materials from Stampin'Up!

Stamps: Wonderful Watercolors

CS: Bashful Blue, Chocolate Chip, Whisper White

Ink: Basic Brown, Bashful Blue, Certainly Celery

Accessories: Celery Grosgrain Ribbon, Soft Subtles Mini Brads, Ticket Corner Punch, Big Shot and Stampin'Up! Backgrounds 1 Texturz Plates

Don't you love the soft texture you get from this? I wanted to make sure you could see how pretty it is for a background on a card. This will be a mainstay in the future for me for sure!

Well, I hope these offerings have sparked your imagination and warmed your heart. Ok, now rev up those stamps and let the stamping begin!

Hugs and Happy Stamping,

Sharon

Tonight's the night...

I'm so excited that my fave ladies are coming tonight! I love my Hostess Club ladies - they're the bestest of the best! Our get-together really should have been last week Monday, but I was in the throes of that upper-respiratory infection/brochitis thingie I've been fighting the last couple of weeks. It really seems like forever though! Anyway, the club was post-poned for a week and they're coming tonight! Hooray! I have 2 projects for my ladies tonight. And because I'm tired of winter, they will be using Bold Brights as the basis of their projects. I need to think SPRING!

And sunshine, flowers, more sunshine, birds, and even more warm sunshine!!!! Did I mention I'm tired of being cold? Hmmmm. Anyway here is the first project for tonight. Doesn't this look like fun and spring all rolled into one?

All materials and images are SU! of course.

Stamps: Crazy for Cupcakes and On Your Birthday

CS: Green Galore and Whisper White

Ink: Basic Black, Tempting Turquoise, Green Galore, and Only Orange

Accessories: Aqua Painter, Silver Mini Brads, Designer Label Punch, 1 3/8" Circle Punch, Dimensionals, Sponge quarter, Bold Bright Button (retired), and last but definitely not least, the Rainbow Sherbet DSP.

This card really was designed around the Rainbow Sherbet paper. The colors looked like a party already, so I just added the birthday stamps to go along with it. These tri-fold cards are so much fun to make. Start with a 12x12 piece of cardstock cut at 4". Next score the strip at 4" and 8". Then just go on from there. It's fun using several different prints from the same package on a single card. SU! does such a great job designing colors and prints that work so nicely together. It's really not hard to make something fun when you have so many lovely papers, stamps and colors to work with. Hope you enjoy today's offering as much as I enjoyed making it.

Just a quick reminder for all my friends out there. Sale-a-bration is going on right now! Oh yes, you can get your free stamp set choice (or DSP, or Ribbon Combo) for each $50 you order in February and March. And for you Hostesses, when your workshop totals $300, you can choose one set free in addition to your regular hostess benefits. You just can't beat that deal. If you haven't booked a workshop yet, there's still time and I still have dates open! Don't miss out on this.

Happy stamping,

Sharon