Happy Thursday! Today I wanted to share one of the cards we made at last weekends stamp-a-stack. This was a great card since we used all the new 2012-2014 In Colors as well as the new firm foam stamp pads. I have to say, these new stamp pads are amazing and once you use them you'll want to get them in all our colors. The flower image is the new Quintessential Flower single stamp set. I loved how the new Annual Catalog showcased this stamp and how you could make all the different color layers with our punches so we recreated it here. In the center of the flower is a Dahlia flower that come in all the new In Colors.
Good evening friends! I know I've been missing lately but we've been getting ready to head out on vacation but don't fear I have lots of new projects to share. For this weeks Stamping 411 challenge I have a great new preview of a stamp set that will be available next month, Reason to Smile. The card starts with a cardbase of Pool Party and used a piece of Summer Smooches DSP matted on Whisper White. The main stamped image used Tangerine Tango and Island Indigo for the outline of the flowers and Daffodil Delight and Pool Party for the inside coloring. I love the two step stamps since it's so easy to to color in images. I also stamped the large flower with Old Olive ink on another piece of Whisper White and colored it in with Tangerine Tango and the blender pen before cutting it out with paper snips.
Good morning friends! So Aidan's last day of school was on Friday and he wanted to make special gifts for some of his teachers this year so I whipped up these quick gifts. I saw these on Becky Roberts blog so you can check out her version HERE and get the dimensions for the cardstock and scoring. I used the Berry Blossoms and Just Add Cake designer paper (both retired) and picked out the cardstock and ribbon colors based on the DSP. I cut two flowers with the Blossom punch and used Paper snips to cut two slits in each petal and layered them so they kind of looked like daisies. Next I tied a bow with Lucky Limeade baker's twine in various Brights designer buttons. 
I stamped the thank you greeting with the new Itty Bitty Banners stamp set and cut it out with the new Itty Bitty Banners framelits. I also cut an extra banner to write Aidan's name. Inside each of the boxes are gift cards and chocolate, perfect. These were so fun to make and came together in a snap which was perfect since I needed to make nine of them. Aidan was so exited to give them out and was even more excited to finish school and is now a second grader. Enjoy!
Happy Sunday friends! We had another great weekend with the highlight being the neighborhood BBQ that we host every year. Not only were we joined by great friends and neighbors but the weather was absolutely perfect, sunny and cool enough we were able to be outside and even turned off the AC and opended the windows, love it! After getting the house cleaned up I was able to pop in the studio to do a little work before we were off to Chris' softball game. For this weeks Stamping 411 challenge I combined a little old and a little new to come up with this cute square card. I used the new Foral District DSP to come up with the color scheme. I ran the Rich Razzleberry cardbase through the Big Shot with the Perfect Polka Dot embossing folder. The next layer is Whisper White and I added a strip of the DSP that was matted with Lucky Limeade cardstock that was punched with the Scallop Trim border punch along the bottom. 
I The greeting is from the Happy Greetings stamp set (retired) but I loved the sentiment and I thought it would be perfect the little heart details. I cut out the hearts with the Fashionable Hearts Embosslit. I added a large rhinestone to one of the hearts and a little Lucky Limeade 3/8" ruffled ribbon for the finishing touch.
Happy Memorial Day friends! What a fabulous weekend, the weather was beautiful (a little humid but nice sun and no rain all weekend was great) and we were able to spend time relaxing. After spending a lot of time outside I headed to the studio for some stamping time and I think the summer fun is definately reflected in my card for this weeks Stamping 411 challenge. Once again I decided to highlight one of the great designer series papers that will be retiring at the end of of the month and I stumbled across my package of Cheerful Treat DSP. This is a package exclusive to our hostesses and I'll admit when it first came out last summer I fell instantly in love and used it a lot and then forgot about it and this was the first time using it since then (so sad). I used Concord Crush to mat the paper and Blushing Bride cardstock for the base (both colors are also retiring). 
For the greeting piece I stamped the birthday greetings with the Perfectly Penned stamp set in Melon Mambo ink. I also used the flip flop image from the Sunny Fun stamp set (retired) and used Bashful Blue ink and stamped off once before stamping on the paper. I also sponged Blusing Bride ink around both panels. The final touch was to add a bow made of Lucky Limeade ruffled ribbon and added a Concord Crush glimmer brad (retiring) to the center.
Happy Sunday friends! What another great weekend, not only did we have beautiful weather but we had lots of fun family activities and today I spent the day with a friend at a local vendor fair. I decided to showcase two retiring items for this weeks Stamping 411 challenge. I used the Berry Blossoms DSP (retiring) and drew all the colors (Calypso Coral, Lucky Limeaid, and Wisteria Wonder). I also used a striped embossing folder for the back ground. The stamped greeting is from the Happiest Birthday Wishes Hostess stamp set (retiring) and I colored it in with Stampin' Write markers. The final touch was to tie a double bow with the Wisteria Wonder 3/8" ruffled ribbon and an In Color Designer Printed brad for the center. 
Now check out the sketch we were provided. Nice and simple card and oh so fun and cheery. I hope you enjoyed the card this week and just think, we just have five days before the holiday weekend (I can't wait).
Good evening friends. So I know I'm a little late but today I'm sharing the card I made for this weeks Stamping 411 challenge. This card highlights lots of great items that are retiring, which means you only have two more weeks to add them to your crafting arsenal. The cardbase is Marina Mist and I used the Beau Chateau DSP (retiring) for the three different printed paper layers. I used the adorning accent embossing folder and edgelits to cut the elegant curves on the Crumb Cake piece. 
The main stamped image uses the On Your Birthday stamp set (retiring) which was inked with Soft Suede and Marina Mist Stampin' Write markers on Very Vanilla cardstock. Then I took the Elements of Style stamp set and inked the floral image with Crumb Cake in and stamped off once before stamping it over the greeting so it coordinated with the DSP. I also used Crumb Cake ink and sponged around the edge of both the Very Vanilla piece and the Pink Pirouette matting piece. I used dimensionals to mount the stamped layer so it popped up. The final touch was to use some Very Vanilla satin ribbon (retiring) for the strip along the back and to make the double bow with the Ice circle brad (retiring) in the center. 
Now check out the sketch we were provided, so versatile. I love how this card turned out and am sad that it took me so long to use this DSP, it's so light and soft. Make sure to check out other great creations for this challenge on the Stamping 411 website.
Good morning friends. I hope you all had an enjoyable weekend, Chris and Aidan really made my Mother's Day special and I loved spending quality time with them all day. We were so busy this weekend that I never even made it the studio. So today I thought I would share the last project from the distressing class last month. This was a decor page which fit in an 8 x 10 frame. So we started with a piece of Soft Suede cardstock and stamped the floral image from the Fresh Vintage stamp set in Soft Suede ink and then used the sanding block to distress all over the page. Next we took a piece of Attic Boutique DSP and tore along one of the edges and sponged along the edge with Tea Stain ink from the Distressing Essentials kit then we added a strip of Pool Party Cardstock and Poppy Parade that was punched with the Scallop Edge Trim border punch. For the picture of Aidan I picked a picture from his Kindergarden graduation last year and printed it in Sepia so it looked aged. The picture was matted on a piece of Poppy Parade and Pool Party cardstock that was distressed on the edge with the cutter kit and then sponged Soft Suede ink around the orders.
We also added a fun label in front. We took a piece of Soft Suede taffeta ribbon and ruffled it up with sticky strip. Then we embossed the oval with the Designer Frames embossing folder and tore around the edges and once again sponged the edges with Tea Stain ink. The blue piece is DSP was also from the Attic Boutique package that was punched out with the large oval punch and then sponged with Tea Stain ink to help tone it down. The words are from the Loving Thoughts stamp set and was stamped in Soft Suede ink and a small pear was added to make the dot on the "I".
The final touch was the bow. It was made with Pool Party seam binding ribbon. We first tied the bow and then we sprayed the ribbon with water and spritzed it with water until it was wet and then crumbled it up and unfolded it part of the way and let it dry so it still add some of the wrinkles. We used glue dots to adhere the ribbon to the page and formed the bow with the dots.
Good morning friends, TGIF!!! Today I have a fun little basket to show you. I saw the idea for this basket at last year's convention. You start with a box cut with the Fancy Favor die and Pool Party cardstock and you cut off an 1 1/2" from the top. Then you cut random slits down the sides until you get almost to the bottom and thread strips of Whisper White cardstock in a basket weave pattern (do you remember making these as kids?) Once that's complete you use sticky strip to adhere the box together and run a piece of Calypso Coral Ruffled 3/8" ribbon around the top of the box. Next I cut another strip of Pool Party added strip of Domestic Goddess DSP that I punched with the Dotted Scallop Ribbon border punch. I love the pretty flower on the front and it was a breeze to make with the Daisy die (retiring, boo hoo!) and cut flowers with Whisper White and Calypso Coral cardstock and then alternated the flower pieces. I used one of the small circles that were cut out with the die to add to the center and finished it with an In Color Printed brad.
Good evening! What a fabulous weekend. Unfortunately Chris has been out of town all weekend which means that Aidan and I got to spend some much needed quality time together. We went miniature golfing, got ice cream, planted flowers, watched movies and just enjoyed hanging out, and he was a super helper. I was able to sneak down to the studio to make one last card for Mother's Day. When I first saw this weeks Stamping 411 sketch challenge I immediately knew what I wanted to do. The card base is Very Vanilla and I sponged the edges with Island Indigo ink. Next I took a piece of Basic Black cardstock and ran it through the Big Shot with the Vintage Wallpaper embossing folder and then sprayed it with Champagne shimmer mist. The next layer a piece of DSP from the Timeless Portrait DSP pack and I used a piece of 1 1/4" black striped ribbon that I cut the edges off and frayed. Next I stamped the floral image from the Best Friends Forever stamp set in Cherry Cobbler ink on Very Vanilla and matted it on Island Indigo.
For the flower embellishment I used the Fun Flowers Bigz L die and the small flower uses the First Edition DSP and the larger flower is Island Indigo that was embossed with the Perfect Polka Dot embossing folder. I used my bone folder to curl the edges and adhered the two like flowers together with SNAIL and used dimensionals between the small and large flowers. For the center I used a Cherry Cobbler button with a bow tied with Island Indigo Baker's Twine.
The final touch was to add the greeting from the Teeny Tiny Wishes stamp set and punched it out with the Word Window Punch and matted it with the Modern Label Punch. Of course I had to make a coordinating envelope (love these) with the Timeless Portrait DSP, Simply Scored Board, and diagonal scoring plate, so easy. Love this card it has so much texture and dimension. Enjoy!!!
Today I'm sharing another card I made with the Apothecary Art stamp set. Making layers are such a breeze with the new Labels framelits, love it. The card is pretty straight forward, I used a blender pen and classic ink pads to color in the flowers. This DSP is from the Attic Boutique set and coordinates with this set perfectly. I want to give you one final reminder to make sure you've ordered everything you wanted from the Occasions Mini catalog since today is the last day to order, if you need any assistance please let me know.
Good evening friends. We've come to the end of another busy, fun-filled weekend, why is it that the week seems to move slowly but the weekends are gone in a flash? Tonight I wanted to share with you my card for this weeks Stamping 411 challenge. Tomorrow is the last day to purchase items from the Occasions Mini catalog and I couldn't believe that I have not used the Apothecary Art stamp set since I purchased it months ago. This is such a pretty stamp set and so easy to use with the matching Labels Framelits. The greeting is from the Loving Thoughts stamp set. After stamping the image and cutting it out with the Big Shot and framelits I colored in the flowers with Stampin' Write markers and sponged the edges with Crumb Cake ink. The cardbase is Crumb Cake and I ran a piece of Pool Party cardstock through the Big Shot with the Lattice embossing folder. 
The beautiful floral designer series paper is from the Attic Boutique DSP and is only guaranteed to be available through tomorrow. I also added some Pool Party Seam Binding Ribbon and a nice fluffy bow. The final touch was to take a small Old Olive flower button, tied a bow with linen thread and added it to the center of the bow. I also had to make a matching envelope with the same DSP and was nice and simple with the Simply Scored and new Diagonal scoring plate. This card is so soft and pretty, love it.
Happy Friday friends! I have to tell you I'm really looking forward to the end of the work week. Today I wanted to share another card using the Mouthwatering stamp set and features the popcicle image. I stamped each of the popcicles by coloring directly on the stamps first to make them multi-colored and then cut them out with Paper Snips so they could be overlapped. The greeting is from Teeny Tiny Wishes stamp set and I made sure to use the stamp-a-majig so I could line it up straight. The card is pretty straight forward, I used Wisteria Wonder, Lucky Limeade, and Whisper White cardstock, along with the 2011-2013 In Colors Designer series pack (for the Calypso Coral polka dot DSP) and Sweet Shop DSP. I have fallen in love with the baker's twine (Lucky Limeade) since you can make cute accents without adding bulk that would cause problems when mailing.
Good morning friends. As promised today I wanted to share another project using the Mouthwatering Stamp set. This card was a breeze to make but has lots of fun elements. I started with a cardbase of Crumb Cake and added a piece of DSP from the Summer Smooches DSP matted with Old Olive that I cut a "V" out of the middle so it's a flag. Then I stamped the cherries using Stampin' Write Markers and punched it out with the 2 1/2" circle punch. Then I used the circle cutter to cut a circle with Old Olive as a mat. The white doily is actually from the Flirtatious DSP and was part of the lazer cut doilies (it's actually Pumpkin Pie) but the reverse was white and perfect for this card). Next I added an Old Olive button from the Brights button pack and used White baker's twine to tie a bow in the center. The greeting is from the Teeny Tiny Wishes stamp set and was stamped in Chocolate Chip.
Good evening friends! I hope you're all staying dry and haven't started to float away with all the rain we're having. We were so happy that the most of the day yesterday was beautiful as we were able to get to all our events and complete our errands so today we just chilled out, including some much needed stamp time. For this weeks Stamping 411 challenge I decided I definately wanted to embrace something summery and cheery. Since we only have until the end of the month to enjoy some of the fabulous products in the Occasions Mini catalog I definately didn't want to miss out. This card uses the Mouthwatering stamp set and Sweet Shop DSP. The cardbase is Pool party and I used the yummy ice cream print from the Sweet Shop DSP which was matted with a piece of Calypso Coral cardstock. For all the layers I used the ticket corner punch to add a little detail. Next I wrapped a piece of Luckly Limeade ruffled ribbon around the piece and added a bow tied with the same ribbon with one of the Sweet Shop Jelly Bean brads in the center. 
Next I used the Mouthwatering stamp set and colored directly on the rubber with Stampin' Write markers to add all the colors for the ice cream cone, this piece was matted with a piece of Wisteria Wonder cardstock. The greeting is from the On Your Birthday stamp set (which is retiring at the end of May) and was punched out with the word window punch and matted with the modern label punch. The final touch was adding three silver brads in the top right corner (using the paper piercer and mat pack made lining up the brads a breeze.) Now check out the sketch we were provided, pretty cool.
