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!