In The Pink Today

Yes, it seems like I've been grabbing all the pink range of colors lately. When I was doing a little blog hopping earlier this afternoon, I found another sketch challenge site. Well, this one was just too cute to pass up, so I jumped right in. You can find the Sweet Sunday Sketch here. It's not too late for you to play along too!

And since there's still a few hours left to order retired items from the old catty, I just had to use my Bella Rose Designer Series Paper one more time. I made sure I have extra for future use, because it's too pretty to be gone forever!

All stamps and materials used by Stampin' Up!

Stamps: A Rose is a Rose

Cardstock: Regal Rose, Pretty in Pink, and Whisper White cs, and Bella Rose DSP

Ink: Pretty in Pink, Regal Rose, and Kiwi Kiss

Accessories: Big Shot and Bigz Circle Scallops 2 Die, Circle Scissors Plus, 2-Way Glue Pen, Dazzling Diamonds Glitter, White Gel Pen, Stamp-a-ma-jig, Sponge quarter, and Dimensionals

Ok, I guess I'm about done using all the retiring goodies. I'll go back to using current products tomorrow. It's just so hard to say good-bye to some of my very favorite items! Oh well, just because they're retired doesn't mean I can't play with them for myself. And I definitely will! Until I get so hooked on all the new goodies we have in the new catalog that I won't even want to play with these anymore. LOL

Anyway, hope you're having a good evening. Spend time with your family and enjoy yourself.

Hugs,

Sharon

A Cool Mojo Monday to You

Even though it really is Tuesday today! Yes, I'm just a bit behind here, but there's a really good reason for it! My catalogs came in yesterday, so I was busy on the phone getting hold of ladies that wanted their catty right away and not wait around two weeks for class to get them. It's so much fun seeing their eyes light up as they're paging through the catty the very first time and all the oohs and aahs as they point out their favorite new items! This is surely one of the best reasons to become a demo - along with the discounted ordering! Who can pass that up?!

Now back to why I'm really posting today. This morning, I finally got around to checking on the Mojo Monday Sketch Challenge here. It's a really great sketch this week and one that works very well with so many different stamps. I just had to use my retiring Raspberry Tart DSP one more time. It's still available today in case anyone out there is thinking about getting it. Tomorrow it will be gone forever! So check the sidebar for my online ordering if you just have to have this! (Or anything else that's retiring for that matter!)

All stamps and materials used by Stamin' Up!

Stamps: True Friend and Teeny Tiny Wishes (available Wednesday!)

Cardstock: Melon Mambo, Pretty in Pink, Whisper White cs, and Raspberry Tart Designer Series Paper

Ink: Melon Mambo, Pretty in Pink pads, and Always Artichoke marker

Accessories: Fire Round Rhinestone Brad, Small, Large, and Scallop Oval Punches, Scallop Edge Punch, Piercing Tool and Mat Pack, Silver Mini Brads, Sponge quarter, and Dimensionals

One thing I did on this card that I've never done before, is punch a middle layer from the DSP. I thought that worked out very well and showed nicely. After the flower was inked with Pretty in Pink, I sponged some of the Melon Mambo ink on the edges before stamping. A slightly different version of the Rock 'n Roll technique. I love how the very new In Color Melon Mambo ink and cardstock work with the retiring Raspberry Tart DSP. Stampin' Up! does such a great job coordinating their colors, even when they're from different year's catalogs! LOL

Hope you're having a wonderful day and find time to stamp!

Sharon

Spring Tulip Sketch Challenge 105

Whoa! Slow down just a bit! Here it is Monday already and I'm just getting around to Saturday's challenge here. It's a really nice sketch to work with and a style that I go to very often myself.


I changed it just a little to make the focal point an oval instead of a circle, but otherwise it's pretty much the same.

All stamps and materials are by Stampin'Up! unless otherwise noted.

Stamps: A Beautiful Thing and A Flower for all Seasons
Cardstock: Pretty in Pink, Regal Rose, Whisper White, and Sweet Always Designer Series Paper (retired)
Ink: Basic Brown, Regal Rose, Apricot Appeal, Close To Cocoa, Creamy Caramel, and Certainly Celery
Accessories: White Gel Pen, Wide Oval Punch, Scallop Edge Punch, Mega Scallop Oval Punch (by Marvy), Sponge quarter, and Dimensionals


While I had the papers and stamps out, I went ahead and made a couple more to have on hand, and also a couple to send to "From Our Hearts". They are a non-profit organization that sends finished cards to the soldiers so they will have something to send home to their families. If you're interested in learning more about this very wonderful group, just click on the button on the right by the same name. It's great to be able to give something back to the men and women in the armed forces who are giving of their time and sometimes their lives fighting for freedom for us and others. They deserve only the best!

Blessings and hugs,
Sharon

Autumn Days Ideas

Wow, I can't believe this week is just about done. Where did the days go? Things certainly haven't slowed down for summer yet. I wonder when that might happen? It's kinda funny. Here it is just the first few days into summer, and instead of stamping with a summer theme, I've been using the new Autumn Days stamp set. It's going to be available July 1st, so we need samples! Lots of samples!! So that's why I've been focused on autumn instead of summer. Look at what I've been doing...

All stamps and materials by Stampin'Up!

Stamps: Autumn Days and Think Happy Thoughts

Cardstock: Kraft, Soft Suede, Rich Razzleberry, and Naturals Ivory

Ink: Basic Brown, Soft Suede and Rich Razzleberry

Accessories: Corner Rounder, AquaPainter, Styled Silver Hodgepodge Hardware, 1 1/4" and 1 3/8" Circle Punches, Dimensionals, and Taupe Grosgrain Ribbon (retired)

I wanted to get the feel of a harvest wreath on the card, so used the wheat and tall branch to frame the card. Lately I've been seeing so many ideas using the new sets, and really fell in love with the color combo of Soft Suede, Rich Razzleberry, and Kraft. I figured I should give it a go and came up with two samples. I might have to do a few more too!

Here's my next attempt with this set and color combo. I changed it up with several different stamps, accessories, and a different layout to give it a totally new look.

Stamps: Autumn Days and Teeny Tiny Wishes

Cardstock: Rich Razzleberry, Kraft, Soft Suede, and Naturals Ivory

Ink: Rich Razzleberry, Soft Suede Classic, and White Craft ink

Accessories: Big Shot with the Top Note Bigz Die, Soft Suede Dotted Grosgrain Ribbon, Modern Label Punch, Sponge Dauber, and a Creamy Caramel Button (retired)

I seem to be having a problem lately. Usually I don't use retired items on my cards, but sometimes they just seem to be what the card needs. Nothing else I have on hand is quite right. How frustrating when I only want to use new stamps and supplies and it just doesn't work out that way. Oh well, this is for all my great customers who have purchased these items in the past. Now you know they coordinate with the new! So get ready to get those orders placed when the new catalog is live! Only 5 more days!

And that means there's still 4 1/2 days to get your last minute orders in on all those retiring stamps and accessories that you don't want to be without! You can order online 24/7 by clicking on the online order button on the right side of the blog. Or you can call me or email and I'll be happy to help you out. :-)

Sharon

Mojo Monday X 2

Hey, back again today. I spent a little time yesterday working on the Mojo Monday challenge here. I couldn't get my card to quite match the challenge layout, so I tried again today. Not sure which one I like better, so I'll post them both. Let me know which one you prefer.

This is the first one I worked on. Did you notice that I used the Raspberry Tart DSP? I was surprised that it works quite well with the new Melon Mambo cardstock and ink. And there's even a little smidgeon of the new Rich Razzleberry cardstock too!

I don't own any square or rectangle Nestabilities, so all the layers do not have scalloped edges like the sketch. Maybe I need to do a little shopping! Hmmm...

All stamps and materials by Stampin' Up!

Stamps: Garden Whimsy and On Your Birthday

Cardstock: Melon Mambo, Pretty in Pink, Whisper White, Rich Razzleberry cardstock, and Raspberry Tart DSP (retired)

Ink: Melon Mambo pad, and Pretty in Pink and Certainly Celery Markers

Accessories: Square Scallop Punch, White Taffeta Ribbon, White Gel Pen, Dimensionals

The second card made for the challenge still uses butterflies, but that and the sketch are about the only similarities here. It amazed me how different they looked even with those two similarities! This is a good reason to use sketches. So much of the planning is done for you, and each card is still very individual.

All stamps and materials by SU!

Stamps: Flight of the Butterfly

Cardstock: Apricot Appeal, Certainly Celery, Bashful Blue, Whisper White cardstock, and Certainly Celery Patterns DSP

Ink: Certainly Celery, Apricot Appeal, Bashful Blue, and Basic Black

Accessories: Celery Narrow Grosgrain Ribbon, Square Scallop Punch, Stamp-a-ma-jig, Paper Snips, Dimensionals, and Sponge quarters

Hope your day is going well. Stay inside and stamp to stay cool in all this heat.

Sharon

Asian Inspired

After receiving my sneak peak products, I had to find time to work with this new Level 2 Hostess set. It's so lovely and the image lines are so clean and crisp. Years ago I took classes on Chinese brushstroke art. I loved it then, and now we have this set that gives you so much of the same feel as that style of art. I'll save the brushstroke images for later, and focus on the peony for now.

Sticking with the style of art, I kept it very simple with clean lines on the card. There aren't tons of layers, just enough to give it some interest. And I made this a Mother's Day card, because every mother deserves flowers on her special day. (hint, hint)

All stamps and materials by Stampin' Up! of course!

Stamps: Asian Artistry and Teeny Tiny Wishes

Cardstock: Orchid Opulence, Old Olive, Whisper White cardstock, and Old Olive Patterns Designer Series Paper

Ink: Stazon Jet Black, Orchid Opulence, Old Olive, Close to Cocoa, and Crushed Curry

Accessories: AquaPainter, PearlEx (retired) with Gum Arabic, Eyelet Border Punch, Ticket Corner Punch, Modern Label Punch, Word Window Punch, White Organza Ribbon, and Dimensionals

While coloring the images, I tried to do it sketchily (is that a word??) and leave white areas. You can't really tell much from the picture, but the dragonfly was first lightly colored with Orchid Opulence then a layer of PearlEx over it. It realy shimmers with the PearlEx over the color! Love it!

In my opinion, this is a great set to earn as a hostess. I can see all kinds of cards that would benefit from an Asian influence.

Have a wonderful day today and stamp and color til your creative soul is satisfied!

Sharon

Serene Sunday

After all the craziness yesterday morning, it was such a relief to have a quiet Sunday morning breakfast and then go to church. Ah, I just love these kind of days. After church, my son and I shared one of those $5 footlong subs. Then he cut the grass that had grown another 3 inches after all that rain, and I hit the dungeon. (Rick is out of town again so I could stay down here all day if I wanted!)

Now, inspiration is a really funny thing. It seems to hit without warning in some of the strangest places. Like the lady sitting in front of me in church with this lovely summer dress on with white, black, Bermuda Bay, and a dark olive green. It was a floral with all the flowers and leaves outlined in black. I couldn't wait to get downstairs and at my stamps to do my version of her dress. I wish I could have taken a picture of it so you could appreciate the inspiration too!

All stamps and materials are by SU! of course.

Stamps: Flower Fancy, Teeny Tiny Wishes, and Versatile Verses (retired)

Cardstock: Whisper White, Basic Black, Bermuda Bay (NEW!)

Ink: Basic Black, Bermuda Bay, Always Artichoke

Accessories: Large and Small Oval Punch, Word Window Punch, Bermuda Bay Dotted Grosgrain Ribbon, Vintage Brads, Stamp-a-ma-jig, and Dimensionals

I wasn't sure exactly how the card would play out, so I stamped on a larger piece of white cardstock. When I started putting it all together, it was just too much for the cardfront. There was no room for any fun embellies for it! We couldn't have that, so I cut a strip off. That was going to be thrown out, but instead ended up inside the card. I really like the way that turned out.

Just wanted to say thanks to all of you that have come to my blog and left comments for me. It really made my day to read them!

Enjoy your day - hope it's a serene one!

Sharon

Saturday Stamping with 411

Hey! Happy Saturday to you! If you would have been here at 5 am, you wouldn't have found us in a very cheerful mood. Our basement has flooded a few (!) times over the 34 years we've lived here. But after my husband, handy man that he is, patched cracks in the basement walls and put in our sump pump, we haven't had that problem to deal with for the last several years. But it was sort of a monsoon around here last night. And the pump was triggering about every 15 seconds! Definitely not a good thing. He thought the pump might be broken. (oh no!) After fiddling with it and pumping water out the basement window onto the side yard for about 1 1/2 hours, it started slacking off. By 11:00 this morning, things were back to normal and we heaved a huge sigh of relief! My stamping dungeon is safe for another day! Yay!! My knight in shining tool belt had come to my rescue and saved the day!
That meant I could stamp today instead of slop water. So much more fun and relaxing! So the first thing I had to check out was the Stamping 411 blog for the Saturday sketch here to see what was on the menu for today. Hmm... I really liked the sketch, so it was time to get out my tools and come up with my sample. Here it is....


After looking through my stash of stamps, I chose to use Bloomin' Beautiful. When it first came out, I was stamping with it almost every week. I think the images are just beautiful and I couldn't get enough of them. Then I had to move on to other stamps - they were being neglected, you see. So it was finally time to get it back out and give it some lovin'.
All stamps and materials by SU!
Stamps: Bloomin' Beautiful
Cardstock: Bashful Blue, Not Quite Navy, Old Olive, Whisper White, and Urban Garden Designer Series Paper
Ink: Stazon Jet Black, Bashful Blue, Not Quite Navy, Basic Gray, Old Olive, and Crushed Curry
Accessories: Styled Silver Brad, White Grosgrain Ribbon, Sponge Dauber, Big Shot with Texturz Plates, AquaPainter, and Dimensionals.

I couldn't find a ribbon that looked really good with the colors, so used ink and the Sponge Dauber to make a custom-colored ribbon. Just hold an end of ribbon in your hand and run the length of it over the ink pad with the sponge dauber holding it down. Flip it over and ink the other side. It's so pretty and has a unique look to it because the ink soaks in differently on the edges than the middle. Such a quick and easy technique to get just the perfect color ribbon for your project!

Thanks for stopping by. Let me know what you think of the card.
Have a super Saturday!
Sharon

Coming Up Roses!

I've heard so many different names for this technique that I really don't know what to call it. So I guess I'll just call it beautiful! First I have to tell you what's behind this post. My daughter and son-in-law gave me a flower of the month gift for Christmas. It's been so much fun to have her (or him) bring me some kind of flower or plant each month. I keep telling them this has been the best gift I've ever gotten! I never know which day they'll bring it by, or what to expect in the way of flower color or type, or plant, or whatever. Anyway, it's fun!

This week they brought over these absolutely, drop-dead gorgeouse roses. Aren't they just perfect?! And these pictures were taken 3 days after I received them! Wow!

Anyway, they are the inspiration for the following card and another one I'm working on. I just had to try to capture the rich colors of these beauties!

All stamps and materials by Stampin' Up! unless otherwise noted.

Stamps: Fifth Avenue Floral and Warm Words

Cardstock: Certainly Celery, Bashful Blue, and Shimmery White

Ink: Dusty Durango Classic, White Craft Ink, and Crushed Curry and Dusty Durango ink refills.

Accessories: Big Shot with Texturz Plates, Clear Embossing Powder, Heat Tool, AquaPainter, Corrugator, Fire Circle Rhinestones, Dusty Durango Dotted Grosgrain Ribbon, Ticket Corner Punch, and some handmade paper from a friend

I wish you could see the card in person. The colors are so vibrant and the picture just doesn't do it justice. I have to say it amazes me that I actually made this card! Do you ever feel that way about something that you've made? I just want to keep glancing over at it and smile. I think I'm going over the edge if I'm so tickled about a little card.

Anyway, I hope you like it just a bit too. Thanks for stopping by. You don't know how much I appreciate you looking at my posts, and expecially when you leave a comment. It's wonderful to know someone is actually looking at my humble offerings.

Thanks again and stop by often!

Sharon

Where's summer?

I sure thought we were getting close to summer. Yesterday was lovely, but what happened? It can't decide if it wants to rain or not. As soon as the concrete dries up, it rains again just enough to make everything wet. This is a good day to hide out in my stamping dungeon. And if I turn on enough lights, I can pretend the sun is shining, sort of. So my brilliant idea for today was to post an autumn-looking card. If you're sittin' in the dungeon with a fleece jacket on cuz you're so cold, you might as well pretend it's fall. So....

Here is my post for today. I think I mentioned awhile back that I do love autumn. And that means this new set, Autumn Days, is going to be a favorite of mine. And don't you love it with these new In Colors? I used both the Soft Suede and Dusty Durango on this card and they seem perfect for this set. Can you almost feel the crispness in the air? Oh yeah, I sure can!

As usual, all stamps and materials used are by Stampin' Up!

Stamps: Autumn Days, Teeny Tiny Wishes, Itty Bitty Backgrounds, and On Your Birthday

Cardstock: Soft Suede, Very Vanilla, and Dusty Durango

Ink: Soft Suede and Dusty Durango

Accessories: Soft Suede Dotted Grosgrain Ribbon, Small and Large Oval Punches, Mat Pack and Piercing Tool, and Dimensionals

I really like shodow stamping (or stamping multiple times without re-inking) and it works so nicely with these pine cones and needles. It gives you more depth on the main image, and also a wonderful frame on the inside of the card.

You know, we are so lucky that SU! color coordinates all it's products so nicely. It's so nice to be able to find cardstock, ink, and ribbon that all match without having to hunt around in different stores to find something that matches. And just think, if you're one of my customers, you get my know-how too! How great is that?! I'd love to hear from you and help you get what you need to stamp your 'art' out!

Have a great 'cool' day,

Sharon

Two-fer Tuesday

Yep, I'm back again! Geez, can you believe it? Twice in one day - something must be wrong! Not really. I'm just waiting for my hubby to get back in town from being gone for four days. It's amazing how much more time I seem to have on my hands when he's not home. I've been out of new books to read for awhile, and bored enough to read some (alot!) over again. So one of my errands today was to hit Barnes & Noble to see what lovely reading material I could pick up. Oh my, what fun. One of my favorite authors -Laura Childs-had two of her newest 'Teashop Mystery' books available in paperback, so I snatched those up. Then I noticed another book in paperback by her called "Eggs In Purgatory". Oh goody, a new series! Now that just piqued my curiousity and I had to pick that one up too. It even has the recipe that the book is named for. Now I don't eat spicy very often, and absolutely NEVER for breakfast, but I think it would be perfect for my hubby. He loves spicy for any meal, any time, and the hotter the better! Maybe I'll let him give it a try!


Ok, enough about reading and on to the stamping! From the last post a few hours ago, you know I really like this new Hostess set - Kind & Caring Thoughts. I had started on this card earlier, and just finished it up now after the dinner dishes were washed. It looked too plain and I had been trying everything under the sun to make it pop, but nothing was working. When I came back to it, I thought of just adding the ribbon tab. That little bit of ribbon seemed to do the trick and balance it out just fine. Sometimes it's just the littlest thing that makes all the difference, doesn't it?


All stamps and materials used by Stampin' Up!
Stamps: Kind & Caring Thoughts, Tres Chic, and Teeny Tiny Wishes
Cardstock: Old Olive, Crushed Curry, Dusty Durango, and Very Vanilla cardstock, and Old Olive Print Designer Series Paper (retired)
Ink: Old Olive, Crushed Curry, Dusty Durango pads, and Old Olive marker
Accessories: Sponge quarters, Piercing Tool and Mat Pack, Small and Large Oval Punches, Fire Circle Rhinestone Brad, Dusty Durango Dotted Ribbon, and Dimensionals

The technique used to color the image was to ink the stamp with Crushed Curry, then sponge flowers with Dusty Durango to give them some extra soft color. The buds were sponged with Old Olive, and the stem was colored with the Old Olive Marker. Add a little Dusty Durango sponged on the edges of Vanilla cardstock, and there you have it. Quick and easy, and pretty as pie!

Oops, hubby's home! Gotta go welcome him! See ya later...

Terrific Tuesday

It might be raining elsewhere, and according to the Weather Channel it sure is! But it's simply, absolutely gorgeous here. I just love these beautiful days! I can't get enough of them. So I needed to do some happy stamping. For that, the set I chose is a new Hostess Set called Kind and Caring Thoughts. What lovely images and the sentiments work with them so nicely. This is definitely a must-have set as far as I'm concerned. So if you want this set, schedule your workshop eith me now so you can earn this set free and get a new catalog too! You'll love it.

Isn't it pretty? Simple, yet elegant. Just right for the birthday of a special friend or maybe even a summer wedding. I used markers to ink up the mums and the little bud border. This way you can get any color you want right where you want it!

All stamps and materials by Stampin' Up!

Stamps: Kind & Caring Thoughts

Cardstock: Pretty In Pink, Regal Rose, Mellow Moss, and Whisper White

Ink: Rose Red pad and Regal Rose, Rose Red, and Mellow Moss Markers

Accessories: Striped Organza Ribbon, Large Oval Punch, Scallop Oval Punch, Wide Oval Punch, Soft Subtles Mini Brads, and Dimensionals

The mum was inked with Regal Rose and then touched on the edges with Rose Red in a modified 'Rock & Roll' technique. I just love the addition of the ribbon - it looks like a dollop of icing on the card. Yummy!

If I get a chance, I'll be back later with another post. Gotta run for now. Seems like there's always errands to take care of. Oh well, have a fun day! And Stamp!!

Sharon

Stamping 411 Challenge 103

Ok, I got my charged-up batteries and got some pictures taken. (What did we ever do before digi cameras and rechargable batteries?) We're on a roll here! Because I wanted to take part in a Saturday challenge, that's the one I'll show you today. I'll get around to some others (like new stuff) tomorrow. I know, how mean-spirited of me not to show you everything today. But be patient! All good things come to those who wait.

So here is my Stamping 411 Challenge 103 card. I still love this Walk In The Park DSP (and it's not the end of June yet!), so that's what I chose to use. This layout is wonderful for using some of those little strips of DSP that I can't bear to throw away.

As usual, all stamps and materials are by Stampin' Up! unless otherwise stated.

Stamps: Great Friend

Cardstock: Cameo Coral, Basic Gray, Baja Breeze Textured, Whisper White cardstock and Walk In The Park Designer Series Paper

Ink: Basic Gray, Not Quite Navy, Baja Breeze, and Cameo Coral

Accessories: Stamp-a-ma-jig, Dimensionals and some little clear dots I picked up quite awhile back called 'Rain' (non-SU!)

Hope you like this card and sketch. You can go here to see other samples and maybe be part of the challenge too. Wonder what they'll have for next Saturday?

(I want to know why only 2 or the 3 little dots actually show up on the picture - there really are 3 there!)

Enjoy the day, and make sure you find some time for stamping!

Hugs,

Sharon

Playing with the new stuff...

But I can't show you just yet! Isn't that horrible? No, I'm not toying with your emotions. My camera batteries are dead! Oh woe!! How can this be? It just can't be happening now. But sadly, it is the truth. So until this problem is rectified, I'll have to post a card I made last week before my new friends (insert stamps and accessories!) came to live with me. Sorry! But it really is a nice card anyway.

See, isn't this a lovely little number? I was looking for something springy (is that a word?) and this is what I came up with. I think brown and pink and such a wonderful color combo, so that was my starting point. The "Branch Out" set is so adorable, just about anything works when you use it. Several times I've noticed people using a Jumbo Eyelet for the tire swing so that was added too. All in all, I think this card passes muster and is mail-ready.

All stamps and materials are by SU!

Stamps: Branch Out and Teeny Tiny Wishes (New - love this set!!)

Cardstock: Pretty in Pink, Chocolate Chip, and Whisper White

Ink: Chocolate Chip, Mellow Moss, Pretty In Pink, Basic Black, and Regal Rose (tiny butterflies) and White Craft ink for background

Accessories: Pewter Jumbo Eyelet, Crop-a-dile, Word Window Punch, Soft Subtles Mini Brads, Dimensionals, and Pink Pirouette Striped Grosgrain Ribbon(retired!)

Well, I hope this tasteful goody will tide you over until I can take care of the battery situation. Have an excellent Sunday! I wish you God's blessings and peace!

Sharon

My new goodies are here!

Yes, it's here! Finally! I was too broke (or cheap) to expedite the order so I've been waiting forever. My new catalog (wonderdful!), and new stamps, cardstock, ink, and ribbons, oh my! Goodness, I'm almost hyperventilating 'cuz it's all so wonderful! Everything looks so much better in real life instead of on my computer. The colors are so rich and warm I want to cuddle up with them. Ok, maybe that's going just a touch too far. But it was fun sitting down to make a card with the new colors right away.

I purchased the new set, Autumn Days, because I love fall and everything associated with it. So this one was a must have! Such lovely images - wheat, berries, pinecones, a leaf, and pheasant. Everything needed to work some autumn magic.

All stamps and materials by SU!

Stamps: Autumn Days and Teeny Tiny Wishes (also NEW)

Cardstock: Naturals Ivory, Soft Suede and Crushed Curry (love these!)

Ink: Soft Suede, Crushed Curry, Dusty Durango, and More Mustard

Accessories: Dusty Durango Dotted Grosgrain Ribbon (new), Modern Label Punch (new), Linen Thread, Earth Elements Mini Brads, Sponge quarters, Dimensionals, and AquaPainter

Isn't it funny that the first time I use this lovely ribbon, I use it on the plain back side and don't even show the polka dots. They were just a little too white for the looks of this card. But the ribbon was then too plain, so I tied on the linen thread to give it some interest. Just right!

Hope you enjoy this sample. If you'd like to get one of the new catalogs, talk to me! I'm ordering lots to share with other stamping addicts. You need to see this new catalog with the luscious samples and goodies throughout! Many, many new stamps and accessories you're gonna love. Starting July 1st, you can see it online and order directly from my website.

And if there are any retiring stamps that you still want, go directly to my website here and order before they're gone. You're running out of time!

See ya later,

Sharon

Maybe just one or two more

I know, I know. It really is time to move on to all the new fun stuff that's coming in our New Catalog and Idea Book! But I just can't seem to put away my Baja Breeze cardstock and ink. Please don't take it away from me just yet!! I'll move on to my new goodies soon. I promise! Just one more (or maybe two)!

This is one of my newer sets and I haven't used it much at all yet. So I got it out to use and my Baja Breeze cardstock just happened to be laying on my work table. Now, how could I turn my back on it? It was calling out to me. So I gave in and used it one more time.

All stamps and materials by SU!

Stamps: Le Jardin Botanique

Cardstock: Basic Gray, Baja Breeze, and Whisper White cardstock with Urban Garden DSP (yes, that's being retired too! Boo hoo)

Ink: Baja Breeze, Basic Gray, and Kiwi Kiss

Accessories: Mat Pack and Piercing Tool, Silver Mini Brads, AquaPainter, Sponge quarter, and Dimensionals

The papers were all cut and left over from class this week. I just changed out the set that was used for this card. I've been trying to keep up with the left-overs from class. It seems like there is always someone who is sick or has a critical meeting they must attend at the last minute. Whatever. At least I've been making use of the cardstock and coming up with a new card from it. I don't always want two or three identical cards, so it's fun coming up with another idea using the same colors and dimensions from the original card. Hope you like this one. Now I'll have to make something with this set that uses current colors. Hmmm... Wonder what I'll come up with next?

Have a great weekend,

Sharon

Mojo Monday Week 90

Yes, yes. Here I am way late again. It's not that I'm not paying attention to the calendar. I know it's already Thursday. But class week's are just a little crazy with people coming and going. Throw in a doctor's appointment or two, waiting to get refills at the pharmacy, and I just run out of time! What can I say?! But I hope you think this sample is worth the wait. It was fun making it, but the sketch was a bit harder to work with for me. Sometimes they just come together, and sometimes I've got to keep switching cardstock and DSP and layers to get something I'm happy with. Enough about what I think, the real question is - what do you think???

Boy, am I ever going to miss this Baja Breeze color and all the wonderful accessories that match it! Oh my - the withdrawals have started already, so I had to make one more little card with it before I put it away on the back of the shelf. But not too far away that I can't sneak it out when I need another fix!
All stamps and materials by Stampin' Up!
Stamps: Great Friend and (Versatile Verses - retired)
Cardstock: Basic Gray, Baja Breeze, Pretty in Pink, and Whisper White cardstock and Walk In The Park Designer Series Paper
Ink: Basic Gray and Baja Breeze Pads, Not Quite Navy and Regal Rose Markers
Accessories: Mat Pack and Piercer, Eyelet Border Punch, Scallop Circle Punch, 1 3/8" Circle Punch, Silver Mini Brads, Flower Fusion Too, Sponge Quarters, and Dimensionals.
If you notice, on the leaf images, I stamped twice with one inking both on the front and inside the card. I love how this gives a tiny stamp a little more fullness to fill in the area.

The accessories made such a big difference bringing this card together. It just looked so bare and boring without the brads and little felt flowers.

Now don't put your retired stamps and papers and other goodies away and forget them. They

need a little lovin' too! Get them out and enjoy them! Remember, you used to love them and

reached for them all the time. Dust them off and

give them a little ink to revive them. They will be ever so grateful to you!

BTW, if you'd like to order any of the lovely stamps, etc. that will be gone at the end of this month, please get with me soon to get them ordered before they are lost and gone forever. You know you'll be kicking yourself for not getting that set you've been debating about. Now's the time!!
Happy stamping...

Sharon

Go Red Wings!

Here it is on Saturday night and I'm blogging away again. I guess I need to get a life or something. The two guys in my life are watching the Red Wings playing another play-off game. I really should be up there watching too, but it seems like whenever I watch, they lose. So it's really better for all involved that I stay away from the game tonight. Anyway, I made a card I just have to share with you! See...


You didn't want to miss out on this card, now did you? Of course not. I wanted to make the card look like a sunny, summer day with blue skies and puffy white clouds floating by. I don't know if you can see the white clouds, but they're there! I sponged on some white craft ink with a sponge dauber, and they look real nice. The leaves in the tree are two different greens to look more realistic, and the grass was put on with the edge of the ink pad with a few extra blades of grass from a marker. What a fun card to make!

The oval was cut out with my Coluzzle which SU! doesn't sell anymore - boo hoo! After the oval was cut, I used the Sanded background stamp to give it some texture. It stamped right through the oval to give me a frame inside the card. After I sponged around the cut edge, I closed the card and sponged some more on the inside. I really like the different look this gives to the inside of the card.

All stamps and materials by SU!
Stamps: Branch Out, Sanded, and And Many Mower
Cardstock: Bashful Blue and Whisper White
Ink: Basic Gray, Bashful Blue, Green Galore, Garden Green, Close To Cocoa Classic Ink Pads, Summer Sun, Baroque Burgundy, and White Craft Ink Pads, and Green Galore Marker
Accessories: Coluzzle Set (retired), Sponge Dauber, Scallop Oval Punch, and Dimensionals

Hope you enjoyed tonight's post. Now I have to sneak up and see how the Red Wings are doing. Shhh... Don't tell anybody. I don't want to jinx them!
Have a great evening!
Sharon

On a stamping roll

I really got inspired by looking through some old samples yesterday. I don't usually have a sketch in mind when I start making a card. Deciding on a stamp set is normally my first thought. I used to make many of my cards using the same type of style. (I guess I've been stamping so long the terminology has changed on me!) Anyway, looking at the cards, I thought it would be fun to take a set (A Flower For All Seasons), use the same style or sketch, and use each of the stamps to make a different card. Clear as mud, huh! LOL Here, I'll show you what I mean...

Here are the four cards using the four stamps from the set. Can you see what I mean about using the same style, but changing it up for each card by using different colors and elements? It's not really hard to create when you have some pre-determined basics. Each image was stamped on Whisper White cardstock that was the same size and layered onto a contrasting color of cardstock. Each card has a ribbon bisecting it across the middle of a top-folded card. That's about it for similarities.

Now let's look at each one individually. The spring card used Copic markers for coloring and is very bright with a Pumpkin Pie card base. The layers are Close To Cocoa and Creamy Caramel. I used the Close To Cocoa Marker to add stitching around the layers and also around the sentiment layer. The sentiment (from Always In My Thoughts) was stamped in Tempting Turquoise ink. It needed something else, so an orange color Fire Rhinestone brad was added to give a little pizzazz.

The second card is the summer theme. Here I went with So Saffron card base with a layer of Certainly Celery that went through the Big Shot using the Top Note Bigz Die. The Saffron card also has a tone-on-tone stamped background using the flower from the Sprinkles set. The image was colored with inks and AquaPainter - my favorite tool! I also added a little Encore Silver on the water can. This was layered onto Basic Gray. A Celery ribbon was added and 3 Fresh Favorites Buttons filled in the corner.

Next comes our fall themed card. This one was cut a little shorter - only 5 inches wide. The card base is More Mustard with a layer of Bella Rose DSP. The coloring was done with inks and AquaPainter again. This was layered onto Close To Cocoa, then onto Pumpkin Pie. Looking at the card, it needed another shot of color, so a scrap of Old Olive was added. A More Mustard ribbon was tied on. The last touch was the sentiment (from Always In My Thoughts again). To try something different, I punched it with a 1 1/4" Circle Punch and the So Saffron layer with the 1 3/8" Circle Punch. Again it needed something extra, so a brown Neutral Brad was added.

The last card of the quartet, was a Christmas card. Oh my you say, pink for Christmas? Well, I love the poinsettias that are pinkish and varigated, so that's what I tried to make. It seemed to get lost on a red card, so it was Pretty in Pink to the rescue! Again I used markers and also some ink and AquaPainters, sort of a mix of both. The front edge has a scallop punched border with white cardstock behind to set it off. The ribbon is the retired Lt Pink Gingham and the sentiment is punched with the Word Window Punch.

Whew, there you have it! It was a stamping marathon using only one set and a basic design with some variations. Give this idea a try yourself. It's surprising how different the cards end up even though they are similar. Hmmm... sort of like siblings. They all come from the same parents, but they're each unique in their own ways. Something to ponder...

Have a creative day,

Sharon

Stampin' Up! Last Chance List

Hey Ladies! I didn't want you to miss out on any of the stamps or accessories you might have had your eye on in the current catalog. It's that time of year when Stampin'Up! clears out the old to make room for the new. And boy, are there ever oodles of new goodies coming your way!

But before that happens, there are lots of wonderful stamps that we'll be saying good-bye to. Please check out the Last Chance List to see everything that is leaving! Make sure you get your must-have items stocked up on now. If there is a special In Color cardstock, ink, or accessory that you can't live without, now is the time to get it! And don't forget to order those refills too. Some of the accessories are on sale for 25% or 50%. But when stock runs out, that's it! So don't wait too long and miss out on these wonderful items!

You can order directly from my website. Just click on the Online Order Button on the right. It's a quick and easy process! And when you do order from me this month, I'll have a special surprise just for you to say thanks! You'll love it! Check it out now and don't delay!

Thanks so much,
Sharon

Mojo Monday #89

Yes, I know. Today isn't Monday, but it took this long to figure out what I wanted to do with this sketch from the Mojo Monday Blog. For some reason, it just seemed much harder to put together than the last one I did. I think this set, Cheep Talk, is just adorable. I'm glad to see it's NOT on the Last Chance list. That means it will still be in the new catalog coming out next month! Woo Hoo!! I always hate to see some of my favorite sets being retired, but I understand that we have to make room for all the new goodies coming our way!

I usually don't make square cards, so this was a little out of my comfort zone. I wanted to make something that followed the sketch as much as possible, but was also bright and cheery looking. The Good Morning Sunshine Designer Series Paper really fit the bill for that requirement! Don't you love how happy it looks? Doesn't it make you want to smile? If you like this DSP and the In Color inks and cardstocks, you better order them soon. They won't be available for purchase anymore as soon as the supplies run out. You can order yourself by clicking on the button to the right and have it sent directly to you. Go check it out now!

All stamps and materials by Stampin' Up!

Stamps: Cheep Talk, On Your Birthday, and the retired set - It's Your Birthday

Cardstock: Pacific Point, Kiwi Kiss, Kraft, Chocolate Chip, and Whisper White, also Kiwi Kiss Textured cardstock and Good Morning Sunshine Designer Paper

Ink: Chocolate Chip, Pacific Point, and Kiwi Kiss

Accessories: 1 3/4" Circle Punch, Scallop Border Punch, Crafters Tool Kit, Cutter Kit (for distressing edges), Flower Fusion, 5/16" Neutral Brads, and Dimensionals

Hope you like this Mojo Monday card, even though it's already Wednesday! You might want to give this sketch a try yourself. If you do, let me know how it turns out. I'd love to see it! And don't forget to pretty-up the inside of your card too. The inside of this one was as much fun to make as the front!

Have a great day, and keep stamping!

Sharon

Soft Summer Dots

Here we are again. Are you sure it's June out there? It's a bit chilly and I'm thinking about turning the heater on again. Brrrr. So to warm things up a bit, I thought I'd post a summer card. In fact, it's using a set called Soft Summer, so maybe that will warm up my cold fingers!

The card uses warm colors too so this should do the trick.

All stamps and materials by Stampin' Up!

Stamps: Soft Summer and Oval All

Cardstock: Not Quite Navy, Old Olive, Confetti White cardstocks, and Bella Rose Designer Series Paper

Ink: Stazon Jet Black, Old Olive, Not Quite Navy

and Old Olive Marker

Accessories: AquaPainter, Eyelet Border Punch, Scallop Oval Punch, Large Oval Punch, White Gel Pen, Vanilla Taffeta Ribbon, and Dimensionals.

After stamping this card, it looked so dark it was depressing. Actually I had used an Old Olive ribbon first and took that off and used the Vanilla instead. It still needed brightening up, and that's where the White Gel Pen comes in to play. Can you see from the first picture the little design on the bottom edge of the card? It's just 4 dots with the Old Olive marker and then a white dot in the middle. It really seemed to brighten things up and was so easy to add. Dots were also added to the oval sentiment piece.

So if you ever need just an added spark of color, try adding some dots. You can use the White Gel Pen, any of the markers, a dot of glitter, or even a dot facsimile - brads, eyelets or piercing. With so many choices, I'm sure you'll find just the right accent for your creation.

Happy stamping,

Sharon