Punched Pumpkin Card

Every year I try to make at least one fall card with multiple leaves swirling around just like they are outside my window.  This year is no exception, and this is one of the cards I've made.  We got some pumpkins from the pumpkin patch and they looked so nice on the front porch.  Then came the attack of the hungry squirrels!  Oh my, what a mess!  Maybe I should make a card that's half eaten like the real pumpkins on my porch - NOT. 

Stamps:  Fall Fest, Good Greetings
Ink:  Mossy Meadow, Pumpkin Pie, Cajun Craze
Paper:  Crumb Cake, Soft Suede, Pumpkin Pie, Whisper White with Color Me Autumn DSP
Accessories:  Big Shot with Fun Fall Framelits, Decorative Dots TIEF, Extra Large Oval Punch, Mossy Meadow Stitched Ribbon, Sponge quarter, and Dimensionals

This is an easy card to make because of the stamp set and Framelits that coordinate so you don't have to hand-cut all the fun leaves.  That makes it so easy to have those leaves swirling about in the wind.

For this card I punched three ovals, embossed them, sponged them, then made them into a pumpkin.  Just love these types of pumpkins!  So fun and simple.  The stem on this pumpkin isn't a bit of cardstock like I normally would use.  Instead it's a short length of ribbon knotted and tucked under the pumpkin.  Easy peasy with a little added interest.

The sentiment is from the Good Greetings set that Hostesses can earn free with a $300 party.  This is above and beyond the regular benefits.  But there's a catch - the offer is good only until the end of October.  Let me know if I can help you plan a quick party, even a book party, so you can take advantage of this offer!

Thanks for stopping by today.  Hope you liked this clean and simple card idea.   Sharon

Seeing Stars for Christmas

It always amazes me how differently cards will look just by changing the colors used.  I had originally made a card for the ladies to make for our military last month.  I used a retired designer print that was Cherry Cobbler which I just love for Christmas.  I liked the simplicity of the card so I redid it using current DSP.  The difference is almost like day and night, so I thought you'd like to see the two versions.  The first card uses the current products and here it is...

 Stamps:  Bright & Beautiful
Ink:  Lost Lagoon
Paper:  Lost Lagoon, Whisper White, Silver Glitter Paper, with All Is Calm Specialty Designer Paper
Accessories:  Big Shot with Stars Framelits, Itty Bitty Accents Punch Pack, Glue Dots, and Dimensionals

This version of the card is very frosty and serene with the snowflake printed paper with multiple blues for a background.  The star layer of glitter paper in silver adds to the look with extra stars in the glitter paper to accent the whole card.  I liked the small stars added to the sentiment strip on the bottom to brighten it up too.

Here's the original card using Cherry Cobbler for the card base and Very Vanilla Champagne Glitter Paper for the accents.  This card looks very rich and elegant compared to the other card shown.

All in all, this is a simple card sketch to work with and is very versatile.  Just change the images and paper used and you can use this idea for almost any occasion.  Hope you give this idea a try.  I'm sure you'll find lots of uses for this sketch.  Thanks for stopping in today to see what's new.  See you soon......     Sharon

Wondrous Autumn Wreath

My wonderful Hostess Club ladies met last week, and one of the stamp sets we worked with was the Wondrous Wreath.  One of my favorite plusses about this set is the framelit set that matches it.  Using both items together, it's so easy to layer on a wreath anytime.  I wouldn't want to cut out this wreath to make multiple cards, but now we don't have to!!  The first card I made with the set was for Thanksgiving.  This is a favorite holiday for me as it really sets the stage for our thankfulness for Christmas and all God has done for us.  We can never be too thankful!

 Stamps:  Wondrous Wreath and For All Things
Ink:  Crushed Curry, Cajun Craze, and Elegant Eggplant
Paper:  Naturals Ivory, Elegant Eggplant, Very Vanilla, and Moonlight Designer Series Paper Stack
Accessories:  Big Shot with Wonderful Wreath Framelits Dies, Dazzling Details Glitter, Dimensionals, and a retired Purple Hemp Twine

I just love fall colors and this combo always seems so elegant to me.  So I thought it would be perfect for this lovely wreath.  When I was looking through my stash of ribbons and embellishments that I could use with this card, I came across some really old purple twine that has to be about 10 years old, but it was the perfect match.  No matter what else I tried on the card, this just worked the best.  So there you have it.  I was trying to use only current products on the card, but sometimes you just have to go with what works the best.

This stamp set is another of the photopolymer type, and was very easy to work with.  Each of the wreath layers and the framelits to cut out the wreath all have a tab on them for easy placement.  It really did work out well and was simple to do.  Thanks SU! for coming up with another winner!!

I can't wait to try out wreaths for all the seasons.  I'm sure this is one set I'll hold onto and use for a good many years to come!  Thanks for checking out what's new for today.  Hope to see you again soon.   Sharon

Halloween Holiday Home

First off, I want to thank all of you who have continued to check in here even when I wasn't up to blogging.  It's been hard lately dealing with everything going on, and I haven't been able to keep it all balanced and going forward for months now.   Hopefully I can start getting back in the groove and enjoying life again.  Ok, enough of that.  Now it's time to share some card ideas, right?  The card today is from a set in the Holiday Catalog that is so much fun.  It's such a versatile stamp set, it was hard to decide what to make first.  Hope you like this idea...

Stamps:  Holiday Home and Frightful Wreath
Ink:  Pumpkin Pie, Cajun Craze, Stazon Jet Black, and Craft White
Paper:  Pumpkin Pie, Basic Black, Daffodil Delight
Accessories: Big Shot with Homemade Holiday Framelits, 1 1/4" Circle Punch, Sponge quarters, and a Post-It Note

Isn't this card fun?  The circle was punched from a Post-It Note and used to mask in the moon.  Both Pumpkin Pie and Cajun Craze were used to lightly sponge in the sky area so the moon would show.  Then the bats were stamped in - maybe too many??  Or maybe just enough.

The houses were stamped with White Craft ink then die-cut with the Homemade Holiday Framelits.  (love having framelits to match!!)

The inside sentiment I used is from the Frightful Wreath stamp set - nice big sentiments to fit across the whole card.

That's it for this easy Halloween card.  Next time I use the set, I'm thinking I'd like to try a Thanksgiving card.  We'll see.   Thanks for stopping in one more time to check on me.  Hopefully I'll be better equipped to post on a more regular basis.  Talk to you soon...        Sharon

Work of Art #5 Birthday

Ok, last one of the series.  And I'm so tired right now that this post is going to be very short and sweet.  Let's get right to it.....

Stamps:  Work of Art, Gorgeous Grunge, and Endless Birthday Wishes
Ink:  Crushed Curry, Melon Mambo, and Bermuda Bay
Paper:  Whisper White, Melon Mambo, Crushed Curry, and Bermuda Bay
Accessories:   Big Shot with Starburst Framelits, Itty Bitty Accents Punch (star), 2 3/8" Scallop Punch, 1 3/4" Circle Punch, Rhinestones Basic Jewels, and Dimensionals

I kept the colors all bright and happy for this birthday celebration card.  The colors carry through on both the inks and cardstock pieces.  The stars punched from each of the colors add a festive touch.  And who doesn't like the touch of sparkle from the rhinestones on each star?

Have you seen this new birthday photopolymer stamp set yet?  Both the cake image and the sentiments are from the Endless Birthday Wishes set.  It's going to be one of those sets that gets used over and over again because of all the mix & match sentiments in it.  Love it!!!

The layering of the main image was finished off with the starburst in Crushed Curry. It just made the scalloped Melon Mambo layer stand out even more.

Don't you love the addition of the bits of speckles from the Gorgeous Grunge tying all the components together?  It reminded me of confetti at a party.  I had thought to add bits of the other two colors, but that seemed too much.  So this is it - 3 stamp sets and 3 colors to make the card.  Fun, fun, fun.  And that's it for me tonight.  I'm off to bed to get rewound and we start it all over again at 6am.  Ta ta...       Sharon

Rev Up

It's the last time to share a card using the "Rev Up The Fun" stamp set that is retired.  I'm so sorry to see it leave the line-up as it's a great card both for men and teens.  My 4 year old grandson likes it too.  He stamped up a few sheets of paper for his own race cars!  The card I have to share with you is from last week's class.  It was pretty much a class to say goodbye to colors and stamps that would no longer be available.   So here goes...

 Stamps:  Rev Up The Fun
Ink:  Real Red and Basic Gray pads, Real Red and Bermuda Bay markers
Paper: Real Red, Bermuda Bay, Basic Gray, and Whisper White, with I Am Me Designer Series Paper
Accessories:  Big Shot with Circle Collection Framelits, 2 1/2" Circle Punch, Neutrals and Brights Candy Dots, and Paper Snips

 I used the colors from the DSP to decide the card colors.  I loved all the arrows in the DSP to suggest movement on the card.  The tire tracks fit nicely on the punched white layer and the sentiment fit perfectly underneath them.  The Candy Dots were just added for fun.

Everyone seemed to like this card even though they had to cut out the card!  Yes, I know we're all getting spoiled by all the wonderful punches and framelits that do all the work for us!!  But sometimes you just need to get out those snips and do some fussy cutting to make the card perfect.

This card was made earlier in the month when we got together to make cards for the military.  I chose to use a combination of Whisper White,  Pacific Point, and Smoky Slate.  The Arrows Textured Impressions Embossing Folder was used to give the background some interest.  (Guess I really like arrows and Candy Dots with this stamp set, don't I ?)

Anyway, there you go for today's share - and it's a two-fer-one deal at that!  Hope you have this set already because it's totally sold out.  Bummer!   Thanks for stopping in today to see what's new.  (or old, I guess)  I have more coming up later in the week, so come on back again.        Happy stamping,   Sharon

A Tree for Dad

 I've had it with the snow lately, so thought I'd move on to a tree card for father.  Trees in full leaf are a sure sign of summer, so let's do some pretending that there's no snow on the ground and it's warm and sunny outside.  We needed to make cards for Father's Day already to send on to the military.  I know, it's hard to think that far ahead, isn't it?  But we already made a bunch and sent them last week.  So today's card was one of the many styles that we stamped over a week ago.  If you like the idea, you've got lots of time to make it for your dad!   Or you could use the idea for any masculine birthdays you might have coming up. 

Stamps:  Look Up To Father
Ink:  Early Espresso pad and Pear Pizzazz, Garden Green, and Early Espresso markers
Paper:  Crumb Cake, Early Espresso, and Very Vanilla cardstock with Old Olive DSP
Accessories:   Big Shot with Circles Framelits, Sponge Dauber, and Dimensionals

It's amazing what you can do with a single stamp!  The stamp used is from the Occasions Catalog and is still available until the end of May.  Both the tree and the sentiment are all on the single stamp.  I cut them apart so they would be more versatile - either use them together or separately!  The tree on this card was colored with markers to get the trunk colored in differently than the green leaves and grass.  The leaves were colored with the Pear Pizzazz marker and then thumped with the Garden Green marker.  I liked how the leaves looked with the two colors instead of just one.  Can you just see how nice this would look with multiple colors for fall?  Just gorgeous!

That's it for today.  Short and sweet.   I need to hustle and get ready for church this evening.  I love all the services leading up to Easter.   All these services are somber and then there's the grand celebration of Easter.  Truly glorious!!   Thanks for stopping in today.  Hope your Easter preparations are well underway.  I'll be doing lots of cooking and baking on Saturday to get finished.  If I don't get another post in before Easter  -  I wish you and your family a very blessed Easter!          Sharon

Retro Fresh Word Bubbles Card

Today's card is moving away from the florals that I've been stuck on lately.  It's not that I've had enough of them, but figured you might be getting tired of them and wanting to look at something else for a change.  While meandering around on Pinterest, I found a card that was clean and fresh looking and I knew I wanted to CAS it.  Of course, I took the liberty to make changes as I usually do, but the finished look is quite similar to the original.   I wish I could give credit for this card, but I went back to find it and have no idea where I saw it!  If I don't save it somewhere, I find it impossible to track it down again.  So I'm sorry to whoever the originator was!!  It is a darling idea and I'm so happy I could give it a try.  Thank you!!!

Stamps:  Express Yourself
Ink:  Coastal Cabana
Paper:  Whisper White,  Cajun Craze cardstock, and Retro Fresh Designer Series Paper
Accessories:   Big Shot with Word Bubbles Framelits, Retro Fresh Washi Tape, Dazzling Diamonds Glitter, Owl Builder Punch, Rhinestone Basic Jewels, Sponge Dauber, and Dimensionals

 The first change I made on the card was using the Retro Fresh DSP for the top and bottom strips on the card.  The original card used the same washi tape as in the die-cut center of the card, but I wanted something a little different.

  I love the look of the glitter on the back of the washi tape peeking out of the die-cut image.  I had always used packing tape for that glitter technique, but this was a really fun change for me.

The original card also used the Just Sayin' stamp set for the sentiment, but I've been using a lot of get well cards lately, so I changed it up to something that would fit nicely into the word bubble die-cut.   I then chose to use Cajun Craze cardstock for the little heart because it was darker and a little more masculine looking in case this card was sent to a man.  I was looking for something sort of gender-neutral for this card, and I think it worked out ok.

This is just a fun way to use the Word Bubble Framelits and you aught to give it a try.  Can't wait to try these framelits on other things.  Remember the puffy word bubble that I used on the Easter card 5 posts back?  These little framelits are definitely fun to use and more versatile than you would think.  How about putting on your thinking cap and see what other ways you can think of to use them.   Then don't forget to let me know what you made!  I'd love to see what you came up with!!  Have a happy stampin' day!      Sharon

Little Lamb for Easter

I ordered this cute little Easter set called Eggstra Spectacular, then couldn't figure out what to do with it.  All the stamps in the set are pretty small, so I couldn't make something splashy and bright with it.  So it sat for a couple weeks.  :(  sooo sad...  Then I got an inspiration when I was sleeping and had to get up to make it right away!  Now that it's finished, I'm just tickled pink with it.  It uses several new items in the Occasions Mini Catalog that were not intended for the purpose I planned for them.  But that's what makes creating really fun!  Have a look and let me know what you think...

Stamps:  Eggstra Spectacular
Ink:  Basic Gray, Smoky Slate, Island Indigo, Calypso Coral, So Saffron, and Pink Pirouette
Paper:  Soft Sky, Wild Wasabi, So Saffron, Whisper White, Calypso Coral cardstock with Sweet Sorbet and Watercolor Wonder Designer Series Papers
Accessories:  Big Shot with Word Bubbles Framelits, Starburst Framelits, Extra Large Oval Punch, Itty Bitty Shapes Punch Pack, Fringe Scissors, AquaPainter, Glue Dots, and Dimensionals

 Can you find all the items that were used?  The obvious first - the eggs were punched from cute pastel Designer prints with the Extra Large Oval Punch.  And it was just big enough to fit the little lamb and Easter basket stamp too!  The cloud was made from the puffy word bubble die.  I'm so happy I came across that idea.  Then the genius idea that woke me up in the morning was using the smallest Starburst Framelit die to make the sun peeking out behind the cloud.  It was just perfect in both size and shape!  Woo Hoo!!

 The new Fringe Scissors worked great to cut all those blades of grass and then I trimmed them at angles to make it more interesting.  The grass looked boring by itself, so it needed a few flowers growing added for spring.

There was very little stamping or coloring on this card.  The DSP prints and all the punched and die-cut pieces were all that were needed.  This card is going to be sent to my grandsons next month.  I think they'll like the little lamb for Easter! 

Thanks for stopping by to see what's new here.  It still looks like winter outside, but I'm trying to create my very own spring inside!  Enjoy!!
Sharon

Happy Birthday Arrow Card

I shared a card made with the Good as Gold card as part of the card layering the other day.  I've been playing with the left over printed cardstock - you know it's too pretty not to use it!!  I love the cards I've been making with this and can't wait to share them with you.  Here's the 2nd of 3 cards made with 1 of the cards from the kit.  Hope you like it as much as I do!

Stamps:   Label Something, Remembering Your Birthday, Perfect Pennants, and Hello Lovely
Ink:  Bermuda Bay, Pistachio Pudding, and Basic Gray pads with Calypso Coral and Bermuda Bay markers
Paper:  Bermuda Bay, Basic Black, Whisper White with Good As Gold SAB Card Kit
Accessories:  Big Shot with Hearts A Flutter Framelits, Chevron Punch, Artisan Label Punch, Basic Black 1/8" Taffeta Ribbon, and Dimensionals

 Yes, I know - I used a ton of different products on this one card.  But they were pretty much all strewn across my worktable from other projects and I just kept adding little bits to the card.  Dropping any of the items just makes the card droop.  Like adding the Chevron Punch pieces to the front of the card just made it pop.  I had been trying different ideas, but when I added these - wow!!

One thing I learned with this card is that my Bermuda Bay ink pad is quite a bit lighter in color than the marker and cardstock.  That makes it frustrating to really get things to match.  Bummer.  Maybe I could get a refill and it might darken up.  At least that's my plan right now.

Ok, hope you liked this card.  I love it and I'm so happy with how it turned out.  There's just something about the print of the Good as Gold card that makes me want to keep creating with it.  The colors are so fresh and fun I can't help it!!  It makes me remember that we won't have snow and freezing temps forever.  Thank God!  It's been snowing heavily ever since I got up this morning and we've already got at least another 3" so far.  (I haven't been outside to measure, so it might be more)  Wonder when it's gonna let up?  Oh, well, might as well stay in and do a little more stamping!  Have a great Saturday.  Stay warm and cozy...        Sharon

Tag Topper Card

I spent time last night hanging out with some friends on the internet.  First time for that experience, and it went pretty well.  At least until my internet provider kept losing a connection.  Oh well, sometimes technology is fabulous, and sometimes not so much.  Last night was a bit of both.  But it was absolutely fabulous to 'see'  some of my stamping friends that I haven't seen in two years.  We had a lot of sharing and fun together.  And that brings me to my card today.  One of my friends shared with us a Tag Topper card and gave us instructions on how to make one.  So I got busy and tried it before I forgot how she said to do it.  (It's tough getting old when the memory is shot!!)  I loved how different the card is and wanted to share with you right away.

Stamps:  Perfect Pennants
Ink:  Bermuda Bay, Pistachio Pudding, and Calypso Coral
Paper:  Coastal Cabana, Whisper White, and Sahara Sand with SAB Good as Gold Card Kit
Accessories:   Scallop Tag Topper Punch, Big Shot with Deco Labels Framelits, Whisper White 3/8" Taffeta Ribbon,  Sponge quarters, and Dimensionals

I wish you could see this in person.  The gold dots on the paper really don't show here at all, but are so pretty with this fresh color combo.  I figured I could make 3 cards using just one of the printed cards from the kit, so why not try it.

I didn't have any ribbon that I liked with the colors on the card, so I used an ink pad and sponge to color the white ribbon.  It's a pretty soft Calypso Coral color now.

I love the Perfect Pennants stamp set - quite versatile.  That little sentiment has been punched or die-cut using at least 3 different shapes on cards in the last week.  Wonder how many of those dies will actually fit this one stamp??  Did you notice the little striping of dots on the white layer inside the card?  It is also from the Perfect Pennants stamp set and is a perfect accent for this card with all the other dots going on.

Ok, my break from the grandkids is just about up.  I hear some rustling going on in the bed where the little one is napping.  Hope you enjoy this card.  I had fun making in and will definitely make more of this style soon.  Have a great day today.  Stay warm and have some fun!      Sharon

Easy Christmas #6

Yes, it is really November 1st already and that means the Christmas craze has officially started.   So let's get going!   Okay, continuing on with our Christmas ideas, I have another quick card for you today.  This card uses the lovely colors Pool Party and Smoky Slate together along with the Winter Frost Specialty Designer Paper.  These colors are so soft and pretty together.  They remind me of the cool, crisp winter days with a bit of snow thrown in for good measure.  Here's what I mean.....

Stamps:  Festive Flurry and Christmas Messages
Ink:  Smoky Slate
Paper:  Whisper White, Smoky Slate, Pool Party, and Winter Frost Specialty Designer Series Paper
Accessories:  Big Shot with Festive Flurry Framelits, Stylish Stripes TIEF,  Decorative Label Punch, Rhinestone Basic Jewels, and Dimensionals

Doesn't this have the look of a cool, crisp, winter day?  When you have all the tools to make this card, it's so easy to put it together.  I don't know what I would have done this fall without having the Festive Flurry stamp set and coordinating Framelits set.  And on top of that you get a discount when you get them together in a bundle.  Now, that's the way to shop!!

I debated about using the Northern Flurry TIEF for the Pool Party layer, but liked the look of the diagonal stripes better.  You could also use more rhinestones on the die-cut snowflake, but I liked the clean and simple look with just the single rhinestone in the center of the snowflake.  I think this would fall under the 'less is more' theory here.  But if you go for this idea, you can make any changes you would like.  That's the fun of making your own cards, right?!

That's it for today.  There's more to come, so check back in soon.  Hope you're having a great week.  And yes, I think I need to say TGIF!!  Have a good one...         Sharon

Festive Flurry Snowflakes

Have you used the Festive Flurry snowflakes and the coordinating Framelits and Designer Paper that Stampin' Up! has in the Holliday Catalog?  If not, you really don't know what you are missing out on!  I love how it all comes together and you really don't have to fret about what will go with what else at all.  Just grab those few items and sit down to stamp.  I guarantee you'll come up with something lovely!  Here's one of the first cards I made using just some of the coordinating items.

Stamps:  Festive Flurry
Ink:  Pool Party and Smoky Slate
Paper:  Pool Party, Whisper White cardstock with Winter Frost Specialty DSP
Accessories:   Big Shot, Northern Flurry TIEF, Magnetic Platform, Festive Flurry Framelits Die, Rhinestone Basic Jewels, and Dimensionals

I  love the pretty, soft colors for this Christmas card.  Definitely not traditional at all, but quite lovely just the same.  I used two sizes of snowflake stamps to layer up and give more dimension to the card.  The rhinestones were added to the center of the snowflake and the center of each of the embossed snowflakes too.

Two small strips of the Winter Frost DSP worked out to balance the card.  Actually the strips are the same paper, just different sides showing.

This is a really quick card to make multiples for sending out at Christmas.  At this time of year, I'm always looking for a card that looks a lot more involved than it really is - and this card really fits that criteria.  Hope you like this idea.  I got on a roll making other cards with these same components and colors.  I'm not tired of them yet.  I hope you'll like to see more of these colors and snowflakes together too.

Happy stamping - Sharon

Magnificent Maple

I was checking around Pinterest earlier in the week when I had a little break.  Oh my, talk about sensory overload!  Whew!!  Tons of ideas and it got me thinking of different things I wanted to try out.  So yesterday I just sat and played with my stamps and papers.  What fun was that!!  I wish I had more time to play around and just try different ideas.  Usually I've got too many deadlines hanging over my head to just play around.  Not that I'm complaining about deadlines, you understand.  If I didn't have deadlines, that would mean I didn't have any business going on either - not fun.  Anyway, I've got a card to share today that's sort of a composite of several different ones.  A little of this, and a little of that.

Stamps:  Magnificent Maple, Gorgeous Grunge, and Sassy Salutations
Ink:  Soft Sky, Crumb Cake, Pumpkin Pie, and Chocolate Chip
Paper:  Very Vanilla and Soft Sky
Accessories:   Big Shot with Labels Collection Framelits, Linen 7/16" Trim, Sponge quarter, and Dimensionals

 This card has so much going on, it's hard to realize it's actually a one-layer card.  I don't usually have no layering on a card.  That's just a necessity when making a card, isn't it?  But this one is so special that it works.

Again, I added a little splash of blue to the fall colors.  It just makes the other colors almost glow.  I added the sponging around the outside of the card to give it a little more dimension.  And I love how the trim adds to the earthy look.

Here's the inside of the card.  I used the die-cut piece because I hated to throw it out.  Not sure if I'm happy with this as it is.  It might get something added later - if I can figure out what I'd like to add!

That's all for today folks.  I've got another one or two fall ideas I'd like to share with you yet before I move on to Christmas.  At least I think it's only one or two more.  We'll just have to wait and see what happens!  Come back soon!  Sharon

A Little Halloween Happiness

Even though I love autumn, I'm not too crazy about all the spooky stuff of Halloween.  If you've seen my Halloween cards over the years, you know that.  If it's cutesy, I think it works, but none of the ghoulish type stuff.   So today's card definitely fits in with that category of cutesy.  I'll probably send this one off to one of my sisters or a friend.  I think any of them would like this cute little card too.

 

Stamps:  Halloween Happiness
Ink:  Pumpkin Pie, Tangerine Tango, Cajun Craze, Old Olive, and Chocolate Chip markers
Paper:  Very Vanilla, Pumpkin Pie, Chocolate Chip, and Sweater Weather Designer Series Paper
Accessories:   Big Shot with Perfect Polka Dots TIEF, Ovals Collection Framelits, Magnetic Platform , Dimensionals, and a retired ribbon

These pumpkins are just too stinkin' cute!  I love all the different texture and patterns here and just followed through on enhancing that with different markers to color them.  To stick with the textured look, I chose the Polka Dot TIEF to give the background some texture too.

I love, love, love that Sweater Weather DSP and wanted to show it off a little.  The colors and prints are just so yummy! So I off-set the oval instead of plunking down in the middle as usual.  After trying several different ideas for an accent on the card, I raided my stash of retired ribbon and found just the right one.  It has the texture of the grosgrain ribbon in the chocolate chip color with the added stitching in white to make it stand out.  All in all, I love how the card turned out and can't wait to send it off.. 

Thanks for stopping in today.  Hope your day is fabulous and you find time for stamping!  Hugs,    Sharon

Harvest of Thanks Times Two

In keeping with the cooler weather today, thought I'd slip into a thankful mode and share two card versions of the Harvest of Thanks stamp set that I did recently.  We made lots of Thanksgiving cards for our service men and women a week ago and I really got into the autumn colors and all on the cards.  Here are two of the cards we made this last time...

 

Stamps:  Harvest of Thanks
Ink:  Crushed Curry, Cajun Craze, and Early Espresso markers, and Early Espresso pad
Paper:  Cajun Craze, Crumb Cake, Early Espresso, and Very Vanilla
Accessories:  Big Shot and Deco Labels Collection Framelits, Woodgrain TIEF, Sponge Daubers, Paper Snips, and Dimensionals

It was fun coloring the turkey on this stamp with markers.  What made it really interesting is that I really don't know what color a turkey actually is.  Hmmmm.  Does anyone really care?  I figured as long as I stuck with autumn colors it would be ok.  So that's my story and I'm sticking to it!

 

This version is a little different in layout and color.  I used a retired DSP but I don't remember the name - sorry.  Wish I had more of it though, because the colors and prints are so pretty. 
The little flag of DSP on the side of the image is from the current Sweater Weather Designer Series Paper.  Just love the prints and color combo on this paper - it's so perfect for fall!

I die-cut a layer of Chocolate Chip cardstock to frame the main image.  It seemed a little plain so I added a some dots & dashes with a gold marker from last year's holiday catalog and I liked the look.   The gold added a subtle sheen of glitz to the card.   The sentiment was stamped with Basic Black ink using the Thankful For... stamp set from last year.

That's it for my offerings today.  Hope you like the layouts and try using them for some of your cards soon.  Happy stamping.    Sharon

Fabric Accent for Thanksgiving

Today I have another card to share that was made last night with a fabulous group of ladies.  One of the ladies loves sewing and quilting, so every once in awhile she gives me some little quilted blocks for our cards, or as on today's card, just bits of gorgeous fabric to play with.  So this is a card I came up with using some lovely pumpkin fabric touched with gold.  Oh, I guess I should warn you up front that just about everything used on today's card is already retired.  So sorry!!!   But if you're still interested in looking, I think you might like the idea.  Ok, here we go...

Stamps:  Thankful For(retired)
Ink:  Basic Black
Paper:  Dusty Durango(retired), Basic Black, and a retired autumn print from SU! that I don't remember the name of
Accessories:   Big Shot with Deco Labels Framelits, and Dimenisonals

Isn't this fabric Diane gave me to play with absolutely gorgeous?  To give it some stability, I adhered it to Basic Black cardstock and then die cut it.  I framed it with the next size larger die with more of the Dusty Durango cardstock.  Of course, this idea could work equally well with current cardstock, but these colors really enhanced the colors of the pumpkins in the fabric.   And since they're just sitting around gathering dust, why not use them?

Just a different take on our usual cards.  Hope it inspires you to look around and see what's available to use on your next project.   Sharon

Too Kind Thank You

It just drives me crazy when I see a gorgeous card and it sticks in my head until I sit down and do something about it.  Unfortunately, most of the time I don't save the link or pay attention to where I'm seeing this card.  So I've just spent half an hour trying to find the original that I CASEd.  Well, at least I think I followed what I saw.  If you know who is responsible for the original idea, please let me know so I can give credit where credit is due.  Now, all that said, let's look at the card...

Stamps:  Too Kind and Another Thank You
Ink:  Wisteria Wonder, Elegant Eggplant, and Old Olive
Paper:  Wisteria Wonder, Elegant Eggplant, and Whisper White
Accessories:   Big Shot with Fancy Fan TIEF, Apothecary Accents Framelits, Bitty Butterfly Punch, Smoky Slate Chevron Ribbon, Pearls Basic Jewels, Sponge Dauber, and Dimensionals

First of all, I remembered the embossed layer of white behind the die-cut layer of white on the original card.  Usually I love white-on-white cards.  But after looking at my card pieces for awhile, I decided I'd like a touch of color sponged onto the main layer.  There's just a bit of Wisteria Wonder sponged around the edge to make it stand out a little more.

I don't remember what sentiment the original card had, but I thought this tiny thanks from my new Photopolymer set called Another Thank You fit perfectly.  If you haven't tried any of these new sets from Stampin' Up!, you really should.  They're so easy to use and cling to our blocks like crazy.  Plus you can see exactly where you're placing the stamped image which is an awesome help!!

The other thing I think I added to the CASEd card is the butterfly and pearls.  I really don't remember seeing them.  But I could be wrong on that, don't quote me!  I just thought the added color and dimension of the butterfly was a great accent.

Thanks for coming over again today.  Leave a message - I'd love to hear your comments!   Sharon

Pretty One Layer Card

I was talking to a friend the other day who was complaining about needing to add so many layers on a card to make it look nice.  So my goal today was to make a card that has only one layer.  I know, it's hardly ever done anymore and could I really do it up nicely without using extra ribbons or other stuff to make it look special.  Well, I did.... and actually I didn't.  Let me tell you all about it!

Stamps:  Everything Eleanor and Really Good Greetings
Ink:  Pumpkin Pie, Always Artichoke, and Cajun Craze
Paper:  Very Vanilla
Accessories:   Big Shot and Ovals Collection Framelits, Sponge Daubers, and Pearls Basic Jewels

Yeah, I know - I used almost nothing to make the card!!  The Big Shot and Ovals Framelits were used ahead of time to cut out a mask that can be used again.  (save the cut out oval for another project!)  I sponged on an oval of Pumpkin Pie ink a little right of center to give me a focal point for the card.  It really needs something like this to pull the elements in together.  I kept the sponging heavier on the edges and none in the middle to give it more depth.  I also sponged very lightly around the outside edge of the card to add color for a faux layer.

Then on to the wonderful swirl from the Everything Eleanor stamp set.  This is such a pretty element all by itself.  It gives the card substance and frames the sentiment nicely.  Since I wanted to give an autumn feel to the card, I used Always Artichoke for the swirl.  Then I added the sentiment which was stamped with Cajun Craze ink.

At that point it was done, but I couldn't leave it alone just yet.  It needed something to make it stand out a little bit.  So... after looking around for possibilities, I chose to add several pearls scattered among the swirls for a little understated bling. 

And that's it for my one layer card.  Hope you're inspired to give the idea a try.  It's kind of freeing not having to worry about how many layers to use.  But I have to admit - I still love adding layers!!
Have a fabulous day!  Get out those stamps and give them some love.     Sharon

Sneak Peek Thankful

I'm not sure why some weekends I just need to veg out and don't have an ounce of ambition to me at all.   Last weekend was one of those times and I feel like I missed an opportunity to get lots of things done.  Instead I only got around to doing the basics of some laundry, dishes, and picking up.  Most of the time I should have been creating, I was sitting and staring into space or wandering around trying to think of something fabulous and coming up with a big, huge blank.  Yuck!!  I finally made one card that I think is worthy of attention.  It was made with one of the new sets from the Holiday Catalog that you'll be able to order from in just a few more days (August 1st)!!  Here's the sneak peek for you...

Stamps:  Harvest of Thanks
Ink:  Cajun Craze pad, Cajun Craze, Always Artichoke, and Crushed Curry markers
Paper:  Naturals Ivory, Cajun Craze, Crushed Curry, Always Artichoke, and Very Vanilla
Accessories:   Big Shot with Apothecary Accents Framelits, Square Lattice TIEF,  Early Espresso 1/8" Taffeta Ribbon, Piercing Tool and Essentials Paper Piercing Pack, and Dimensionals

Thanksgiving is a favorite holiday of mine because the idea of taking time out to thank God for all the blessings He has given us is very important.  I know I get easily caught up in all the busyness of life and get lax in giving thanks, so this is a great reminder to be grateful.  So it's no surprise that this was the very first stamp set I purchased from the Holiday Catalog.  I wanted to have lots of texture and layers on the card without it being too overdone, and I think that worked out with the embossed Crushed Curry layer tucked between the other differently shaped layers.

I love how the main image looks colored in with the markers to enhance it.  I didn't really work on getting shading on the image because the way it's made the highlights happen automatically.  I also decided not to give it lots of sponging like I normally do for autumn cards, but kept it clean and simple. 

Hope you like this idea and give it a try.  I've got to get my creative juices going and come up with more ideas using this set.  Thanks for stopping by to see what's new.  Remember, ordering from the Holiday Catalog starts on August 1st!       See you again soon!     Sharon