Fun and Fast Birthday with InColors

When a girl gets on a roll, watch out! I want more new stamps to play with, but, alas, they have not arrived yet. So, I thought I'd pull out some of the InColors and work with another combination. This one is Pacific Point, Baja Breeze, and Riding Hood Red.

It all started when I saw this layout at Taylor VanBruggen's blog. How cute is that?!? So I had my color palette, I had my layout, but what stamps to use? I decided to pull out Fun & Fast Notes, since it is the one in the $99 Demonstrator Starter Kit deal going on now through Oct. 11. You read right--for just $99, you can become a Stampin' Up! demonstrator and enjoy all the benefits of owning your own business AND saving 20% on everything you order from SU! **This has been a commercial for the $99 Demonstrator Starter Kit. We now return you to your regularly scheduled blog entry.**

Now where was I? Oh yeah. Explaining this cool card. I was crafting away, adding detail to the PP base with another stamp from the set and coloring the images in the center panel, when I saw something in my peripheral vision. It was laying there so innocently, but I knew it was tempting me to put it to use in this design. So, if one's good, two would be better, right? Or at least more balanced. So I made a cohort in bouncy fun for my innocent one on the craft table and stuck them underneath the Whisper White portion of the center panel. And I used to think I was going all out when I popped something up on a dimensional!

It's hard to photograph this bouncy card now, but I hope you can envision it. One more little tip from this card, and then I'll be on my merry way to have Publix ham salad on Vinta multi-grain crackers. (Springy things put me in such a happy place mentally!) If you'll look closely at the first picture of the card, you'll see the shadow I created for the cake BEFORE I realized I was going to be taking it to new heights. Here's how I accomplished it. I stamped the cake image in BB slightly left of center. I colored it with a blender pen and BB ink, but only on the left side, thereby creating the look of a shadow for the cake.

If you're interested in the $99 Demonstrator Starter Kit deal, leave me a comment and I'll tell you MORE! Yes, there's MORE...are you curious?

A Spring Loaded Summer Smiler

WARNING!If you're not in the mood to smile, you may not want to finish reading this post. This card I made is guaranteed to make your lips curl upward, so if you want to persist in grumpiness, better log off.

This technique was part of a breakout session at convention called Demonstrator Theater, and it featured three demonstrators, all of whom presented fabulous, WOW cards for us. This idea came from Canadian demonstrator Marlayne Hardy, and it's amazing. Not only is it simple and versatile, it's just COOL!

This is the front of the card, and I used the Inspired by Nature grass again. That stamp is going to see a lot of ink this year, I can tell! I stamped it with Green Galore from the Bold Brights, and sponged it using a dauber with Glorious Green to give the blades some dimension. The saying, which is such a good perspective on change, is from Flight of the Butterfly, the other set deployed for this card.

When I started making this, I cut the card at 4.25" and scored it at the usual 5.5". I decided that that was a bit too wide, so I cut it down to 3.5". Here's a closeup of the sentiment and the bitty butterfly. I stamped it first in Versamark ink, then coated it with Heat and Stick Powder. When the heat tool had melted the powder to the glossy state, I turned off the tool and sprinkled the little 'fly with Dazzling Diamonds. The glitter stuck to the powder and will not fall off. Love whoever came up with that stuff! It's mounted with one of the edge pieces of Stampin' Dimensionals. Waste not, want not!

Here's what happens when you open the card! AAAHHHH--isn't that GREAT?! All those little butterflies flutterin' around in their Bold Bright colors. I usually "tell all" and explain everything about how I put a card together, but I'm not going to with this one. Only those who come to the August Stamp-A-Stack will learn how to make this.

Have you RSVP'd yet? Don't wait!

Not Quite Ready to Let Go...

of the InColors from 2007-2008, and I don't have any new Designer Series Paper from the new Fall-Winter 2008 Catalog, so I decided to pull out one of my favorite combinations from this past year and try it with a new set of stamps, Eastern Blooms.

This set is another of the gifts from convention, and it's much more my style. The card layout was inspired by Amy Westerman, who took the joy fold layout and turned it on its head. Genius!

It's pretty straightforward really, but I wanted you to see the different elements at work. The three flowers on either side of the front panel are actually one stamp. This really helps with alignment. The center flower is the largest flower from the set, and the detail just makes me think of Hawaii every time I look at it. I'm going back to Maui someday, I swear!

The branch, which I used to make a background paper with, is also part of the set. I used it on this project in Whisper White Craft ink, but this time you can see what it looks like when it's in full color. The interior message is from a retired set, but I thought it fit with the flower theme well, and it communicated what I wanted for the recipient.

I was happy that I had success with the scallop edge punch this go around. I used the 1/8" hole in the Crop-a-dile, set to a depth of 1/2" and eyeballed the center of each scallop in order to create the design you see on the Chocolate Chip card stock. There are 2 pieces of retired Afternoon Tea DP peeking out as well.

Here are a few other pictures that I thought you might want to see. The first is of the curtains in the master bedroom. They add such a nice finishing touch, even if they don't serve to darken the room much. We decided that we could do without the venetian blinds, and it's so much cleaner looking.

I also received a package yesterday from the demonstrator who recruited me, Laura Barto. We had a hard time connecting during convention; 5700 women can do that, even when they're not trying! She had this for me while we were there, but couldn't get it to me, so she sent it. The notebook features the new Bella Rose Designer Series Paper, and a commemorative stamp that has SU!'s Statement of the Heart: to love what we do and share what we love, as we help others enjoy creativity and worthwhile accomplishments...in this we make a difference!

She also included this beautiful card using Enjoy Every Moment. The flowers that embellish the "o" are from the 3-flower punch, and the flowers across the top of the Kraft card stock were wheeled on using the jumbo wheel Daisy Dash. If you like this look, you can purchase everything necessary to recreate it, because it's all in the new catalog.

Thanks for stopping by today! I'd love to get your feedback on what you're seeing here...don't be a lurker. Then we can't be blog friends!

I Know How to...

take something really simple and make it really hard. I laughed the other night when Bob said that it takes me 90 min. to make a card. I denied it! Well, there was an example online last night of a really cute, seemingly simple idea for a card using the new set, Flight of the Butterfly. I thought I'd start out my card making fest this morning with my interpretation of this example.

This turned into a much more complicated card the minute I decided to add more images. If one's good, three would be better, right? It's a simple concept--I can replicate it and make that much more of a WOW! WRONG! My version involved way more measuring and cutting than stamping, and precision cutting with an exacto knife at that.

When I finished cutting my first butterfly, it floated instead of being somehow magically still attached to the sides of the rectangle. Don't ask me how I didn't see that comin', but I didn't. That meant improvising, and that involved acetate.

I tried to be better with the remaining two images of adorable butterflies, but I thought it looked sad that they were imprisoned in their spaces. So I freed those 2 butterflies as well and spent more time than I have to cutting them just so and getting acetate in place for them to float on.

A sticky mess on the backside where I adhered said pieces necessitated the addition of an interior panel, and THEN I got the idea that they'd look good floating above the grass (introduce Inspired by Nature into this scenario).

I really am better at CASE'ing (Copy and Share Everything) others' work, so perhaps I should stick to that and not exasperate myself trying to improve upon something I already think is beautiful.

So, here's my card--at least 90 min. later. It was too stark without the bow, but I'm not sure how I feel about that either. Not everything turns out the way you think it will. Back to the crafting board...

Stay Tuned...

I have tomorrow and Wednesday off work, so please stay tuned! Stamped cards are coming...

Meanwhile, should you be in need of the new Fall-Winter 2008 Idea Book & Catalog, you can get one from me by leaving a comment. The only charge you'll pay is shipping, if you're not in my locale of Cumming, GA!

Eastern Blooms Gift Bag

Imagine finding THIS on your front porch! Wouldn't you feel special? This is another of the projects we were given to make at convention using new products. I didn't want another project featuring Inspired by Nature, however, so I decided to let my own creative juices flow with Eastern Blooms.

The main stamp in this set is this flowering branch, and I thought it paired very nicely with the strip of newly patterned Pattern Prints Designer Paper which comes in over 10 colors. Sort of has an Asian feel, doesn't it? That's what I felt, so I used the branch, my Stamp-A-Ma-Jig, and Whisper White Craft Ink and set about creating this pattern on Tangerine Tango. You saw it used earlier this week as an ink; here is the card stock in bold review! The only other tool I needed was a heat gun to set the craft ink so that it wouldn't smear. The rest was just relaxing play, figuring out how I wanted the branches to flow across the paper.


The ribbon is SU!'s new 7/8" So Saffron poly twill. It's beautiful to work with! I just used Sticky Strip at two points on the back of the TT card stock to attach a long piece across the DP, then created the bow. This is a bow that anyone can "tie" because there's no tying! I'll show you how at the open house or our first SAS.

Gotta go make the coffee! Happy Saturday--do some stamping!

Flight of the Butterfly

This is going to be a quickie today, as I need to get on the way to Starbucks. I couldn't leave you without posting, as I have 2 cards to share from more crafting I did yesterday afternoon!

At convention, we were given a packet with supplies to make 6 or 8 projects, and I didn't get them all finished before coming home. Using the handy dandy full-color instruction sheets, though, I was able to complete several yesterday. I did experiment, though, with the supplies that were given me to create an 8" x 8" scrapbook page. I wanted to make cards instead with those items, so I began to play!

The first card utilized the felt flower and coordinating button that are new this fall! They're in Baja Breeze, one of the InColors, and they're a fun addition of texture and dimension. I just attached them to each other with glue dots, then to the paper using the same. Speaking of BB, the card stock you see behind the scalloped edge on the right is textured, and it's beautiful in real life! The other colors complementing each other for this card are Rose Red, Old Olive, and More Mustard. This was also my first experience using smaller chipboard letters, and I like the dimension these provide as well. They come "naked" in a dull cardboard color, and these were sponged with Whisper White craft ink with a dauber, then accented with 1/4" rose red grosgrain ribbon and adhered with glue dots. The butterflies you see in the back were stamped with Versamark watermark ink for the base, and with RR for the flowers on top. If that doesn't make a lot of sense, keep reading!

The second card really plays up the Flight of the Butterfly set, which features a solid image butterfly, which you see on the first card, and three patterned 'flies, flowers, dots, and a dotted outline, as you see on this card. I think they're cute, especially since they come with several sayings that twirl around, like the one featured on this card--"if nothing ever changed, there would be no butterflies." Aaawww...

Well, I need to get on my way to make the coffee! I hope you're enjoying seeing some new stamps! Come to the open house this Saturday in Roswell or next Saturday in Cumming and see the whole glorious mess of goodies in the new Fall-Winter 2008 Catalog!