Friday, March 25, 2011

Sale A Bration is Almost Over!

Hi guys! I have a card today that features one of the lovely sets from the SAB catalog. The biggest SU promotion of the year is almost over and when it gos away, your chance to earn these fabulous sets is gone. Today's card uses the set called Bliss which can be yours with any $50 purchase. Take a look at the card and I will tell you more about it.
This card uses tons of materials but each one adds a little something so it was worth it to make that huge mess on my desk as I created it. That's what I'll tell myself as things slip off the piles, right? ;D

As I mentioned, I used Bliss for the little butterfly. It is stamped in Marina Mist which is the same color used for the middle border strip. I stamped a strip of it with the Mini catalog offering called In Stitches. I used Soft Suede ink for this part as well as much of the distressing. After I stamped the faux stitching, I crumpled it a little to rough it up. I wanted a shabby look tot he card so everything is distressed in some way.

The floral embellishment is created with a couple paper daisies that were sponged with Very Vanilla and more Soft Suede inks. The centers were punched (Boho Blossoms) from So Saffron CS and then spritzed with Log Cabin Smooch Spritz. I LOVE this product so much. It is perfect to add just a touch of color or shimmer to your project and it is so easy to use! A couple brads (Marina Mist from the Subtles Designer Brads collection) and leaf sprigs (2 Step Bird Punch) finish it off.

The sentiment is from Word for You and it is stamped with Soft Suede ink. I masked off a portion to just leave the word "thanks." That circle is cut using the new 3" Circle Sizzix die and my Big Shot. I love that we now have larger circles to choose from for our projects. This die is offered in the Occasions Mini but will be carried over in the next big catalog. I sponged the edges with more Soft Suede ink. The edges of the card are all sponged too. That lovely green polka dot DSP is from the Level 1 Hostess 6x6 In Color DSP paper pack. I love that the patterns are a little different from the regular Patterns DSP series. You can earn this cute little paper pack by holding a qualifying workshop or ordering at least $150 yourself.

I think that does it for this card. If you have any questions, please feel free to ask!

Friday, March 18, 2011

OhBaby, Baby...

Hello everyone! Happy Friday! The weekend is finally here and I hope to sleep and maybe get some stamping time in over the next 2 days. I have so many new products to show you and so many half finished projects on my desk. How about I start with one card that is finished?
And a close-up so you can see that button border a little better...
This was a hard card to photograph because of the paler colors and the noontime sunshine. No matter what angle I used, it looked off a bit. To get a better idea, just know that I used Bashful Blue, Wild Wasabi, and So Saffron.

The idea for the card itself came from the very talented Jen Del Muro. SU policy prohibits me from linking to her site here but you can see her work on her blog, iheart2stamp. She made a very similar card and I loved the look as well as her color choices. That striped panel is made by cutting strips of your card stock or DSP and stamping various "stitching" lines across the edge. here, I used the Stampin' Around wheel called In Stitches. This delightful wheel of 6 different stitching styles is available in the Occasions Mini catalog. As I mentioned before, I decided to unmount my stamp images and trim them apart so I have separate stitching lines to use with a clear acrylic block.

After you trim and stamp your strips. cut a piece of Whisper White CS (or any neutral) to the size you want the striped panel to occupy. I chose to have a 1/4" border around the edge so my base piece is 3 3/4' x 5". Adhere the strips to the piece so they are tilted randomly and then flip the piece over to the back. Using the straight edge of your base, trim away the uneven edges of the strips. Stick this piece down to your card and we are almost done!

The final step is the button border. I chose various buttons in the colors of the card but you could use anything you have. Run a needle and thread through them all so they look stitched. I always tie the end off on the backs just once and stick it down with a glue dot which can also be your adhesive to mount the button itself. To coordinate with the Crumb Cake base, I used DMC Pearl Cotton #3782 which is a very close match. Stick the buttons down across the middle of the card and make them somewhat crooked. This will add to the patchwork feel of the card.

One last item on the card is the sentiment tag. You could personalize this design to any kind of card you wish. The tag could be stamped and colored with a small image even. On mine I used the Big Shot and Naturally Serif Sizzix Alpha die.

When you name all the steps, it seems to be a complicated card but it really isn't. I finished the whole thing very quickly. You could use scraps to create cards with different looks and sentiments. The possibilities are endless!

Wednesday, March 16, 2011

Masculine Thank You Using Plane & Simple

Hello folks! Quick post today since I have a little prep work to do for Hostess Club tonight. Today's card is a little off of my beaten track. It is not the type of card that I typically make nor is it the type of image or set that I tend to gravitate towards and as a result, buy for myself. However, I am VERY happy with the results. I wanted a few new cards in my stash for the "menfolk" so when the set premiered in the Occasions Mini Catalog, it looked like something that might work. I wasn't gaga for it but knew I could use it for my purposes. Well, what a difference a day can make! I pulled this set out and played with it over the weekend and wow! I have to say it is new favorite. In addition to the masculine graphic images, there are several sentiments and border strip type images. they work really well together or on their own with other stamp sets. So without further ado...
Angled shot:
Pretty different for me huh? I figured those men in our lives might not always appreciate pink butterflies and swirly fonts. This one sports quite a bit of distressing. I tore the DSP, a piece of crumpled First Edition DSP, and then inked the edges with Early Espresso and a little River Rock ink. The spiral edge is also crumpled a bit and bent to resemble a page torn out of a notebook. That lovely brad tacking the sentiment onto the card is an Antique Brad. I thought the etching in the middle of it reminded me of a compass which worked well with the plane theme.

I stamped the plane in Night of navy ink and then punched it out with my 2 1/2" circle punch. Then, with the file in the Distressing Kit, I roughed up the edges. River Rock and Early espresso were added here as well.

The sentiment could be changed to make this card work for a birthday or even Father's Day. The stamp set includes all of these sentiments in addition to the thank you.

I know I mentioned a little sneak preview about the upcoming Summer Mini catalog. well, i have learned that I am unable to spill those beans just yet but as soon as I can share, I will!

I hope you have a great day and get some stamping time in for yourself. Later taters!

Tuesday, March 15, 2011

A Little Glitz

Hi everyone! Another long absence stretch in blogland I am sorry to say. I guess it is just one those times that we all have...one thing after another comes at you and you can't seem to catch up. Various members of my family have been sick and now I have the crud. Oh well. I have a great card to show you though. It has just a touch of sparkle too.
And a side shot to show a little of the sparkle:
I got the idea for this sketch at a recent rubber stamping show and I loved the simplicity. I wanted to come home and use an SU image to create the same look. The tiny butterfly from the new SAB set called Sweet Summer worked really well here. (Just a reminder too....this set will only be available until the end of the month so get it while you can. Any purchase of $50 or more earns you this set for FREE.) I colored them in with Blender Pens and ink pads for a look that is less intense than markers alone. And for a little visual interest, I topped all the wings with some Smooch Pearlized Illuminate Top Coat. This adds a glittery look without the mess and also without changing the base color of your image. The middles of each butterfly are colored in with the Gold Lame Smooch ink. If you haven't tried these inks, you must! They add a lot of appeal for very little work. I am very surprised at how easy they are to use and how well the applicator tip is controlled with minimum effort. I thought they would be hard for someone that could flunk Paint Your Nails 101...the remedial course. ;) I even added some Top Coat to the brads around the sentiment and it worked very well.

That about does it for this card. I will be back TOMORROW with another new card. I can promise that because it is already made and photographed. I might just give a few hints about some new products that will be found in the new Summer Mini catalog which I got to preview today. Very exciting! I also want to holler out a reminder to my Hostess Club girls too. tomorrow night, the 16th is Hostess Club so start putting those orders together. Have a great evening!

Saturday, March 12, 2011

Spinner Cards Revisited

Hi guys! I am so sorry to leave you hanging for almost a week. As many of you know, I operate an Etsy shop selling my creations. Well, with my hand being out of commission, I have fallen behind on production. One regular product I offer has had a surge in sales and I found myself out of several styles of this item all at once. I had to jump to it and get sevral sets of this item made for a large order and just didn't get enough time to keep up here as well. I am back with another spinner card, as promised, and I hope you enjoy it. The new Take A Spin set along with the coordinating Spinner Hands is so much fun! Here is my card...
And a detail shot...
I stamped the spinner image in the 3 colors, onto Whisper White CS, and then trimmed them and pieced by hand but it would also be very easy to color the stamp itself in the 3 colors if you wanted it multi-colored. The brad in the middle of the spinner is a substitution for the brad that comes with the set. This one just happens to be daffodil delight from the Brights Brads collection. The "U R" tag was created by punching both layers with the small and large tag punches. For the letters, I used my Big Shot and the Sizzix Billboard Alpha die along with Designer Patterns DSP. This die is an SU exclusive.

The print paper and the accents are part of the Ice Cream Parlor DSP and Quick Accents pack which as an SAB offering right now. I love the convenience of these self adhesive accents! They make designing a card so simple...just perfect for a quick card in a hurry. And remember, these items are only available for a little longer (March 31st). For every $50 purchase of SU product, you get to choose an item from the SAB catalog for FREE.

That about does it for today. I will do my best to not keep anyone waiting so long again. Have a great weekend!

Monday, March 7, 2011

New Game Spinner Hands and Take a Spin Stamp Set

Hi guys! I have a fun new card for you today and I hope you love it as much as I do. Two new products from the Occasions Mini catalog have me very excited. They were merely cute when I saw them but now that I ordered them and got to play with them, I can promise that there will be MANY new cards using these products coming up here. Wanna see the fun? Check it out!
And here is an angled shot so you can see a little more detail...
How fun is this? The new Take a Spin set includes 4 different "faces." Three of them can be punched with the new 2 1/2" Circle Punch and the other is a square which is easily trimmed with a paper trimmer if desired. The Spinner Hands (sold separately) come with 12 each of the spinner hand, washer, and brad to attach the hand. I substituted a colored (Certainly Celery from the Subtles collection) brad on my card here but it comes with brads that are the same color as the hands and washers. I paper pieced the panels on the spinner face to get the multicolored image but you could also use markers to color the stamp itself.

The materials I used on this card are a rather eclectic collection so I will list them today. If you have any further questions about the list or how I used a specific item, please let me know.

Stamps: Take A Spin, Something to Celebrate (sentiment)

Ink: Pear Pizazz, Tempting Turquoise, Real Red

Papers: Pawsitively Prints DSP (plaid), Celebrations DSP (number print), Pear Pizzaz CS, Tempting Turquoise CS, Whisper White CS

Accessories: Spinner Hands, 1/4" Whisper White Grosgrain ribbon, Word Window Punch, Modern Label Punch, Brads from the Subtles collection (Certainly Celery)

I played with this set quite a bit over the weekend so I have another spinner card to show you soon. I also have several other new products that arrived recently so check back for lots of exciting SU ideas. Hope to see you soon!

Sunday, March 6, 2011

A Tweet Hello

Hi folks! Sorry I am a day late with today's card. It was finished yesterday and it was even photographed but we had a scout event for my son and after helping dad and my little Super Scout to race out of here at 6:45am, my daughter and I stayed home so we could run errands and get her a haircut. At the end of a day like that, who has the steam to write a blog? I sure didn't! So today it is and I hope it was worth the wait. I am pretty happy with how my card turned out. It is an idea that just came to me and as I put it down on paper, I liked it more and more. I like to think it is one of those cards that look like more work than it really took. Wanna see?
In addition to the adorable stamp set called Aviary, this card uses paper and accents from the new SAB offering, the Ice Cream Parlor DSP & Quick Accents Pack. These papers and accents are so cheery and cute! They are perfect for springtime projects and I can't wait to keep using them. I am going to do my best not to hoard them like I tend to do with really cute scramp stuff. I am terrible to save my favorites for "something special" which is silly because not only will there always be another cute thing to come along but also, what good do any of these supplies do anyone stacked up in a cabinet somewhere? None!

I want to call attention to the leafy branch at the top of the card. It looks like it would be a tedious job to make all those leaves but they were super simple to do using the 2 Step Bird punch. I trimmed off the branch portion that the punch creates and stuck just the leaf part down onto a branch that I cut free hand. The sentiment comes from the set called Hello Again. The finishing touch is a colored brad at the top of each birdcage.

That about sums it up. I hope you like it and seeing these new materials used will inspire you to create something for yourself that satisfies your card sweet tooth too. Have a great rest of the weekend!

Friday, March 4, 2011

You can never have too many thank you notes.

There is no such thing as too many thank you notes. It is the one type of card that I seem to need the most. Since the holidays, I have been working to build up my personal card stash so needless to say, I am adding thank you notes as much as possible. Today's note is one of those generic notes that can be sent for a variety of thank you needs and if you just changed the sentiment, the design itself could become another type of card very easily. Take a look...
I saw a similar design at a recent paper crafts show and loved the sketch. I can't wait to try it with a floral pattern and some punch flower embellishments or even brighter prints and a birthday image. My sentiment here is from the very versatile set called Perfect Punches. I have mentioned before how much I love this set because every image coordinates with a matching punch. Here, I used the Scallop Oval punch with the "Thanks" message. I stamped it first on Crumb Cake CS with Always Artichoke ink and then again on Very Vanilla CS. I hand trimmed the center portion of the Vanilla copy and then adhered it to the punched copy for extra emphasis.

The print paper I used here is from the Springtime Vintage DSP. This series of paper is only available for a limited time (until the end of April) so don't miss out on these great prints. I have found so many uses for these gorgeous papers and I will be so disappointed to see them go. I guess I need to stock up! The front panel of Crumb Cake CS is embossed with my Big Shot and the Perfect Polka Dots embossing folder. The punched edge was created with the Eyelet Edge border punch. I added a length of Very Vanilla 5/8" Grosgrain ribbon and an Always Artichoke button (sorry, but this type of button is now retired) and I think that just about sums it up for this one.

A new order of goodies arrived today so I have lots of new stamps and papers to play with over the weekend. I hope to make lots of new things for you to see. One thing in particular that I am really looking forward to playing with is the new set called Take a Spin and the darling little Spinner Hands to go with it. These 2 things have been on my wish list since the Occasions Mini came out and I finally ordered them fr myself. If tey are as fun as they look in the catalog, you will be seeing quite a few projects using these 2 products.

Enjoy your Friday and I hope your weekend gets off to a great start. Have a great day!

Thursday, March 3, 2011

As promised... Owl Birthday Card

Hello gals! I am back today with the previously promised owl b-day card. I had to re make parts that got damaged by the dewey grass yesterday. Yep, wet grass does a number on water soluble inks for sure! How about I show you the card and then tell you a little about it?
Do you ever have images that you seem to put together over and over again? Well, for me, I can't seem to use an owl without putting it in some sort of branch or tree. Here, my little guy is sitting in a portion of the Season of Friendship tree. I stamped it first on a scrap of Whisper White CS, in Crumb Cake ink, and then used an old shape template to cut just the portion I wanted to use. The panel itself is trimmed with Pear Pizazz CS, which brings me to my next point...the color scheme for this card...

I wanted to use rub-ons so when I looked in the package of the Bday Party rub-ons which coordinate with the Celebrations DSP, I realized that a few of them used only 2 of the colors from the very vibrant primary colors used in that product line. When you take away the red and bold blue of Pacific Point, the softer Pear Pizazz and Bashful Blue take on a whole new look. The softer yellow print paper (from Sunny Garden DSP) pair nicely with these colors too.

The owl is from the new SAB set called Punch Bunch. This set includes 5 images that all coordinate with a matching punch. If you hate to cut images out, this set is for you. To give my owl a little personality, I added a birthday hat that I made out of scraps and popped his eyes up on Dimensionals.

As I mentioned above, the sentiment is a rub-on from the Bday Party set. One thing I love about rub-ons is that you get great coverage and an opaque image that you just don't get with ink and a stamp. Even using embossing powder doesn't give you quite the same result. I know that many people avoid rub-ons and think they are too difficult to use. I find that with a good embossing stylus or rubbing stick (which comes with SU rub-ons) they go on very easily.

For more info about this card or other SU products, please contact me. I love to help! :)

Wednesday, March 2, 2011

Blossom Party Thank You Note

Hi guys! Slight change of plans for today for 2 reasons...the first reason is that I dropped today's card in the dew covered grass this morning while trying to photograph it and the 2nd reason is that there was a suspected gas leak at my son's school so as I ran out of here to figure things out, I stopped worrying about remaking the card. I know I mentioned an owl birthday card but you'll see it tomorrow. Instead, I am here, late in the day, with another new card until I can fix the owl birthday. Can you forgive me? How about I show you a card to distract you from your dismay? ;)
This card is pretty straight forward. It got made because I noticed my Color Coach sitting on the desk and thumbed through it really quick. While looking, I noticed a combo I had added to my favorites when the new colors premiered back in July. I could not get enough of Concord Crush with various greens and a touch of Crumb Cake thrown in the mix. I used it repeatedly and now I remember why! So, I decided to throw something together for my stash of cards and use this delicious little combo.

With these colors, I wanted to use something easy so immediately I thought of using a Sizzix die and my Big Shot. When I am short on time, I turn to these tools over and over again. The dies I chose for this project are the Swirly border strip and the SU exclusive die called, Blossom Party. The white background is embossed with the Square Lattice embossing folder too. As you can see, there is very little stamping on this card and the sentiment could be tailored to several types of greetings with the simple and pretty floral border. I added some leaves which I punched with the Build A Blossom punch found in the Occasions Mini catalog. I chose to use the "thanks" wording from So Happy for You which can be found in the Sale A Bration catalog until March 31st. If you have not taken advantage of the great FREE merchandise found in this year's SAB offerings, now is your chance because we are down to the last month of this fabulous promotion.

To jazz up the simple floral motif, I added a few embellishments to my card for a final touch. The sentiment is accented with 2 brads from the Regals Brads collection (Garden Green) and then the center of the largest flower has a Crumb Cake Designer Button in the middle. I think 3D embellishments can take a blah card to the next level. They give texture and dimension to an otherwise flat paper.

I think that does it for me tonight. I need to go start dinner and ride herd on my kids for the evening. Have a great rest of the day!

Tuesday, March 1, 2011

Welcome Baby Boy Card with Slice of Life- SU only

Hi folks! march is here already. Can you believe it? The year is already flying by SO fast. My kids get out of school in less than 3 months! I guess it is high time to get a card stash made for those long, hot summer months when the pool is more appealing than my scramp room. Today's card is a start. It seems I need baby cards quite often and I rarely have one made ahead. I decided that i am going to start making a few and just taking turns between girls and boys so I will have plenty for either gender. As you might have guessed from the title above, I started with the guys. Here we go...
That darling little sleeper jumped out at me as soon as I got the Occasions Mini catalog in the mail. This image comes from the Level 1 Hostess set called Slice of Life. I love this set! it is rare that such a versatile, multi item set is offered at Level 1. Usually, the larger all occasion sets are the pricier ones. This set has a little of everything. The images are great for coloring with various mediums or they make great background images to dress up a solid card stock. If you have not taken a look at it, check it out and remember, a minimum $150 workshop order qualifies for this set!

To accent that darling little sleeper, I chose the soft colors of a great plaid which is part of the Pawsitively Prints DSP. If you are part of my hostess clubs, you are probably sick of hearing about this series of DSP. I love this paper pack because it is full of those small print papers that work really well on just about any kind of card. I often tire of using prints that are monochromatic. This DSP combines 1-3 colors on several of the choices in the set. These types of papers often are the jumpstart I need when starting a card. If you ever struggle with color combinations, this group of papers might be the perfect addition to your collection.

The sentiment is from Short & Sweet which has been around for a while and I hope never retires. I turn to it an awful lot when I need wording for a card that is both short and....sweet? Dare I say it? :D I punched the wording out with my Large Oval punch and then hand trimmed a border to make it pop against the background paper. A finishing touch of some Baja Breeze Seam Binding (which can be found in the Occasions Mini catalog)and it is done. Very simple but sure to be appreciated by new parents.

That does it for me today. Check back tomorrow for a super cute birthday card using the owl punch and another new springtime stamp set. Enjoy your day!