Create with Connie and Mary Sketch Challenge CCMC441: Sealed with Love

Good morning!  I'm still in the Valentine mood (forgive me but I love this time of year and letting others know how much you care about them so I tend to go a little overboard).  Today I decided to play along with the Create with Connie and Mary sketch challenge for this card with lots of layers and elements that really pop.

I started with Smoky Slate cardstock and then added a piece of Real Red cardstock as the mat for the Basic Black cardfront.  Around these layers I wrapped a piece of Real Red Ribbon from the Sending Love Ribbon Combo pack.  Next I used the coordinating Sending Love Designer Series Paper and cut out two squares of the DSP using the Big Shot and Stitched Shapes Framelits.

Next I used the same framelits and went one size smaller to cut out two more squares using Smoky Slate cardstock.  On one square I used the Sealed with Love stamp set to stamp "hugs and kisses" in Basic Black ink and the other I attached a kiss that I made by stamping Real Red Ink on Whisper White cardstock, but it out with Paper Snips and then attached it to the square with a dimensional.

Next I used the Big Shot and the Swirly Scribbles Framelits to cut the circle design out of Silver Glimmer Paper (I trimmed the little tags of the shape that made it look a little more floral) and then stamped the center heart using Real Red ink on Whisper White cardstock and cut it out with the Sweet and Sassy Framelits and attached it with a dimensional as well (I told you this card had lots of layers).

The final touch was to add a greeting and for this I used the Teeny Tiny Wishes stamp set and after stamping in Basic Black ink on Real Red cardstock I punched it out with the Classic Label Punch and again used dimensionals to attach it to the cardfront.  The final touch was to add some rhinestones around the cardfront for a little extra bling.

There are so many fun little touches on this card, and I really do love how using the Stitched Shapes framelits really adds extra detail that punches the card up a notch.  This card sketch would also be a great way to use of some paper scraps you may have lying around that you don't want to get rid of.

Below are easy ordering links for the product's used on today's card:

Enjoy!

Diana

Stylin' Stampin' INKspiration New Years: Mingle All the Way

Good morning and Happy New Years Eve!  Why is it that vacation time moves even faster than regular time?  We've been having a great time and enjoying every minute.  Today over on the Stylin' Stampin' INKspiration blog we're sharing ideas for New Years cards so I decided to combine this with the Create with Connie and Mary Sketch Challenge for double the fun.  I started with Pool Party for the cardbase and then added a piece of Whisper White cardstock under by decorative pieces (white looks best in my opinion when using the Gold and Silver Vellum paper).    I added two pieces of the striped Silver Vellum Paper and then created my own paper for the other two panels.  To mimic the drink theme in my greeting stamp I took a piece of Basic Black cardstock and used the Small Oval punch (with Old Olive cardstock) and 1/4" Circle Handheld Punch (with Real Red cardstock) to create olives on the paper. Then I ran it through the Big Shot with the Perfect Polka Dot Embossing Folder to embed the olives in the cardstock for added fun.

For the stamped greeting I used the Mingle all the Way stamp set (will be sad this set is going away next week but it's on sale now so make sure you have it for your crafting toolbox for future projects!)  It was stamped in Memento Ink and then I colored in the drink with Real Red and Old Olive Stampin' Write Markers.  I used Olive Olive for the mat and attached it to the cardfront with dimensionals.  I added a piece of Real Red 3/8" Satin Woven Ribbon.  For extra fun I decided to add a shaker element to the card since I had some White and Black stars that were punched out with the Confetti Star Border Punch (from another project).  I used the Shaker Frames, Window Sheets, Silver Foil cardstock, along with the 1" Circle Punch and 3/4" Circle Punch to create the element (so fun in person!).

I have to admit, this card is a little over the top but since I had time I couldn't stop fussing and adding fun things to the card, it's fun to just play and tinker.  Make sure to check out the other design team cards for additional inspiration and hope you get a little crafting in over the holiday!

Below are easy ordering links to the products used on today's card:

Built for Free Using: My Stampin Blog

Have a wonderful and a great start to 2015!

Diana

Create with Connie and Mary Sketch Challenge Meets 30-Day Gratitude Challenge: Another Thank You

Welcome Wednesday!  I’ve been enjoying a busy but productive week so far, there’s a lot I want to take care of before Thanksgiving so I’m trying to fit it all in or make up project kits to take with me (if you see my car on the highway on Wednesday afternoon I’ll be the one making Christmas cards in the passenger seat, haha!)  I today I’m sharing two different projects this is my 30-Day Gratitude card challenge card and I have another project that you’ll have to come back to enjoy.  Today I decided to play along with the Create with Connie and Mary Sketch challenge to provide some fresh inspiration for today’s card.  I used Pool Party for the cardbase and then embossed a piece of Smoky Slate cardstock with the Big Shot and Modern Mosaic Embossing Folder before matting it with Real Red cardstock.  Next I used two different patterns of DSP from the Flashback Designer Series Paper for some fun patterns.  For the greeting I used the Another Thank You Photopolymer stamp set and stamped in in Real Red ink on Very Vanilla cardstock and cut it out with the Circle Collection Framelits.  It’s matted with a piece of Real Red cardstock that had been cut out with the Starburst Framelit Collection.  The final touch was to add some Silver Baker’s Twine that I tied into a bow (I used two pieces for a doubly fancy bow, haha!)

This card is so bright and cheery it really helps on these cold fall days when I just want to snuggle under the blankets.  I hope you’re still playing along with this challenge, if you are you should have quite the collection of cards to show your appreciation.

 

 

 

 

 

Below are easy ordering links for the products used on today’s card:

Built for Free Using: My Stampin Blog

 

Enjoy,

Diana

Create with Connie and Mary Color Challenge: Petal Parade

 Good morning and Happy Wednesday!  Well we survived our latest snow storm and thankfully the kiddos are heading back to school so things can start to get back to normal, I know we're all thinking this but it really is time for spring.  Today I decided to play along with the Create with Connie and Mary Color challenge and had a lot of fun with this light and springy colors.  I started by using Pistachio Pudding for the cardbase and then I added a piece of Whisper White cardstock.  The DSP is also Pistachio Pudding from the 2013-2015 In Colors Designer Series Paper Stack and I wrapped some gold stretchy twine around the card, I got the twine from the Good as Gold Card Kit from this year's Sale-a-Bration rewards. 

 

The stamped flower is from the Petal Parade stamp set (also a SAB freebie) and it was stamped with Summer Starfruit ink on Whisper White cardstock before being cut out with Paper Snips.  I added a flower that was cut out of Basic Black cardstock with the Blossom Punch (I used Paper Snips to cut slits in each of the flower petals for more texture (hard to see here in the photo) and attached the flower to the card with a dimensional.  For the greeting I started with one of the flag pieces from the same Good as Gold Card Kit as the gold twine (I used one of the pieces that had the greeting written in another language and just covered it up with my stamped greeting so I still had the detail on the flag.  The greeting is from the Teeny Tiny Wishes stamp set and was stamped with Basic Black ink on Summer Starfruit cardstock before punching it out with the Modern Label Punch.  The final touch was to add a piece of Summer Starfruit 3/8" Stitched Satin Ribbon as another flag element along with the greeting.

 

This card was so fun to make and I enjoyed using elements from the card kits on this card to really extend the usefulness of these kits (I hate to throw anything away).  I hope you enjoyed today's card and this color combination, it's fun to play with new ideas to see where they take you. 

 

Have a great day and happy stamping,

 

Diana

 

Create with Connie and Mary Color Challenge: Perfect Blend Birthday Greetings

Good morning friends!  I don't know about you but I'm officially finished with this winter weather, we got that nice little peak of spring weather this weekend and I loved it!  Time to bring it on for good.  Today I'm sharing the card I made for this weeks Create with Connie and Mary color challenge (I seem to be on a color challenge streak this week).  These are nice springy colors which  is helping keep those warm thoughts.  For this card I used Crisp Cantaloupe for the cardbase and then added a layer of Sahara Sand under the Whisper White layer.  Along the bottom of the card I used the outline of the Chevrons from the Oh, Hello stamp set and stamped them in Sahara Sand.  I also stamp the decorative inside pieces in Pistachio Pudding and Crisp Cantaloupe and cut them out before adhering them to the card. 

 

I love the Perfect Blend stamp set and used it again, stamping the cup three times in Whisper White, Sahara Sand, and Pistachio Pudding so I could cut out the pieces and paper piece them together.  The Oh, Snap! is from the Hip Notes stamp set and I cut out the banner with the Itty Bitty Banner Framelits and Big Shot but made it a smaller banner.  The bow is tied with Crisp Cantaloupe baker's Twine from the Sweet Sorbet Accessories pack (a FREE Sale-a-bration item).  The birthday greeting is from the Bring on the Cake stamp set and after stamping it I added some Rhinestones along the bottom to accent the greeting.

 

This card is kind of funny, not what I pictured when I started but I just kept adding elements, I finally had to put it away so I didn't keep going.  It's interesting and not something I usually make so that's OK, the process was still relaxing which is the best part for me, plus I love to send handmade cards and the reactions you get when you send something you made for them, it's priceless.

 

Enjoy and take care!

 

Diana

Create with Connie and Mary Sketch Challenge: Best New Year

Good morning!  We're back to work after the long, enjoyable holiday weekend and you know what that means?  Christmas preparations are in full gear now...I spent most of Sunday and part of Saturday after we got home putting up Christmas decorations, but thankfully it's all done and I love all the lights and decorations.  I was so excited to get a few minutes to play in the studio and loved this weeks Create with Connie and Mary sketch challenge and knew the perfect set to take center stage on this card, Best New Year.  The cardbase is Smoky Slate and I added a piece of Island Indigo cardstock that was embossed with the Big Shot and the Perfect Polka Dot Embossing Folder.

Next I added a piece of Winter Frost Speciality Designer Series Paper, and punched one of the corners with the corner rounder punch on the Envelope Punch Board.  I also added a strip of Silver Glimmer Paper for some extra sparkle.  The greeting is from the Best New Year stamp set and I inked the stamp up with Pool Party, Smoky Slate, Island Indigo, and Coastal Cabana Stampin' Write Markers (I used the Envelope Punch Board to round one of the corners on this layer as well).  I used dimensionals to attach the greeting to the card front.

 

I don't normally send out New Year's cards since it's so close to Christmas but this set is so fun and I love the fonts and design so I had to give it a try.  What holiday projects are you working on right now?  My to do list is getting longer and longer by the minute,  the next three weeks are definitely going to be fun and keep me going.

 

Enjoy and have a great day,

 

Diana

30 Day Gratitude Challenge: Day 13

Good morning and welcome to the midway point of the week!  I decided to make another combo card for today's gratitude card (killing two birds, you know) and as soon as I saw this weeks Create with Connie and Mary Color challenge I fell in love and knew I had to play along.  I decided to make a bright and cheery thank you card perfect for every day.  The cardbase is Coastal Cabana and I added a layer of Real Red and Whisper White cardstock.  The greeting is from the Perfectly Penned stamp set and was stamped on the Whisper White layer.

Next I added a piece of In Color Designer Series Paper that was matted with Smoky Slate.  One of my favorite flower stamp sets (perhaps since it has a coordinating punch) is the Mixed Bunch stamp set and I stamped the outline flower twice in Real Red before punching it out with the Blossom Punch.  I used a bone folder to curl up the petals before gluing them together.  For the center I stamped the circle piece and punched it out with the 3/4" Circle Punch and added a Real Red Candy Dot to the center (these candy dots are so fun and easy to use, plus you can get them in all our core colors, love it!)

This card is so cheery, it would certainly brighten up any one's day, and you could certainly change out the greeting to make it a birthday, thinking of you, etc. card, so easy!

Enjoy and have a great day!

Diana

30 Day Gratitude Card Challenge: Day Six, Create with Connie and Mary Color Challenge

Good morning!  It's amazing how not having any after school activities this week has liberated our schedules, I feel like I have lots of extra free time but the change in Daylight Savings Time this weekend is hitting us pretty hard so we've all been falling asleep early, even Aidan.  Anyway, for today's 30 Day Gratitude Card challenge I decided to combine it with the Create with Connie and Mary Color Challenge.  Of course as soon as I saw this color combination I thought of Christmas and our Season of Style Designer Series paper.

The cardbase is Old Olive and I added a layer of Whisper White cardstock.  I matted the Season of Style DSP with Crumb Cake cardstock before wrapping around a piece of 1/8" Old Olive Taffeta Ribbon.  The greeting in the bottom right corner is from the Another Thank You Photopolymer Stamp Set and was colored with Stampin' Write Markers. 

 

For the main image I stamped the cute little reindeer from the Color Me Christmas stamp set in Early Espresso Ink and colored it in with Stampin' Write Markers.  This piece was cut out with the Big Shot and the Circle Collection Framelits and is matted on a piece of Cherry Cobbler cardstock punched out with the 2 1/2" Circle Punch.  I used dimensionals to attached the circle element to the cardfront.  The final touch was to use the Essentials Paper Piercing Pack and Paper Piercer.

 

This card is great for the holidays, not only is it fairly flat, which makes the post office happy, but you could make this card and have your kids color in the image so the recipient would receive a piece of artwork with their thank you.  I know my parents and grandparents love to get art from Aidan so I try to have him do something in cards we send out, even if it's just his name something.

 

I hope you enjoy and have a great day!

 

Diana

Create with Connie and Mary Sketch Challenge: Lovely as a Tree

Good morning friends!  What a difference a day makes, boy is it cold outside (fall is definitely here.)  My card for this weeks Create with Connie and Mary sketch challenge is perfect for these fall days.  I needed to make a birthday card for my Grandpa so I decided to use the longtime favorite, but not used for awhile stamp set, Lovely as a Tree.  I started with a cardbase of Sahara Sand and then added a layer of Tangerine Tango and Sweater Weather Designer Series Paper.  I used my 2 1/2" circle punch to punch out the outline circle.  I added another piece of coordinating DSP and wrapped a piece of Canvas Trim Ribbon for a fun accent.

The main stamped image is from the Lovely as a Tree stamp set and was stamped on Very Vanilla cardstock.  I colored directly on the stamp with Stampin' Write Markers and "thumped" the different colors on the leaves so that when I stamped them it looked like fall leaves.  I used the Big Shot and the Circle Collection framelits to cut out the tree image so that it nested inside the circle cutout and attached it with dimensionals so it pops.  For the final element I stamped the greeting from the Teeny Tiny Wishes stamp set, punched it out with the Word Window Punch and then matted on a piece of Crushed Curry cardstock punched with the Modern Label Punch.  I softened both of the punched out pieces by sponging around the edges with Sahara Sand ink.  The greeting was attached to the card with dimensionals.

 

I really like how soft and calming the card turned out, I think my Grandpa will love it, and you could easily us the card for lots of different occasions by just changing out the greeting.  I hope you enjoyed this card and this is a fun sketch that you'll want to save to play with for your own projects in the future.

 

Happy stamping!

 

Diana

Create with Connie and Mary Color Challenge: Hello, Lovely

Good morning friends!  This is a really crazy week with the family but I wanted to share this really fun, and easy card I create for this weeks Create with Connie and Mary Color Challenge.   This card starts with a cardbase of So Saffron with a layer of Bermuda Bay under Whisper White cardstock.  I used the Hello, Lovely stamp set to stamp the amphersign, and thank you greeting.  The arrow is from the same stamp set but I stamped in on a scrap of cardstock and cut it out with paper snips so I could pop it up with dimensionals.  The thank you greeting is matted with Bermuda Bay cardstock and attached with dimensionals. 

I wanted to add something to the top right corner of the card so I used my go to stamp, Gorgeous Grunge to stamp the splatter and strips.  The final touch was to add a few randomly placed rhinestones for a sparkly touch.

This card came together nice and quickly which I love.  It's also nice and mailable which makes it perfect for everyday use and could change up the color combination and greeting for any occasion.

 

I hope you enjoy and have a great day!

 

Diana

Create with Connie and Mary: Bring on the Cake Birthday Greetings

It's time to get up early to get my run in before heading to work.  I don't know if I've mentioned before but I'm currently training for my first half marathon which will be in exactly one month so I've been working hard to be ready and with all the heat and humidity of summer here in Northern VA it's amazing the difference it makes in getting up early (i.e. 4 AM to run before the heat and humidity get really bad).  So today I'm sharing a card I made for a little boys birthday we went to this past weekend and I used the Create with Connie and Mary sketch challenge as the starting point.  The cardbase is Crisp Cantaloupe and drew all the colors for this card from the Birthday Basics Designer Series Paper.  Next I took a piece of Bermuda Bay cardstock and ran it through the Big Shot with the Hexagon Embossing Folder (I absolutely love this folder and especially using the pattern in reverse so it's debossed).   

I used four different patterns of the Birthday Basics DSP for the design elements along the side.  The greeting is from the Bring on the Cake stamp set and I stamped it in Basic Gray ink before punching it out with the 2 1/2" circle punch.  I used the same punch to punch a piece of Gumball Green cardstock to accent the stamped image.  I used the Gumball Green Stampin' Write Marker to color in the 6 for the sixth birthday of our little friend.  I also sponged around the edge with Crisp Cantaloupe ink.  I added a little arrow accent in Summer Starfuit and I cut it out with the Big Shot and the new Label Thinlit Card die (not only are these new card thinlits perfect to make swing cards but they have lots of cute, fun little accents you'll love for all sorts of projects.

 

I love the fun, whimsical elements in this card and I'm sure our friend enjoyed it as well.  It's so fun to see kids enjoy helping their friends celebrate birthday, so sweet.

 

Enjoy and happy stamping,

 

Diana

Create with Connie and Mary Color Challenge: Spread the Joy

Happy Monday friends!  August is really starting off with a bang and we're looking forward to lots of fun this month.  We celebrated Aidan being awarded his black belt in Tae Kwon Do on Saturday (so proud of him and all the hard work he put into preparing for this) and Chris' birthday is this week so we have lots of fun things planned for this weekend as well.  So when I sat down to work on my card for this weeks Create with Connie and Mary Color challenge I saw the newly released stamp set Spread the Joy on my desk and knew it would be perfect for how I'm feeling.  This is a great stamp set that was designed my Stampin' Up! employee Emily Montoya as part of the first round of In with You stamp design contest.  The images in this set are so unique and really fresh and fun.  This card starts with a Smoky Slate cardbase and then I added a piece of Basic Black cardstock that was embossed with the Big Shot and the newly released Stylish Stripes embossing folder.

I added a piece of Bermuda Bay Designer Series Paper along the middle that I matted with some Silver Glimmer Paper for a little bling.  I also added some Smoky Slate Chevron Ribbon and Basic Black 3/8" Taffeta Ribbon.  The greeting was inked with Stampin' Write markers before being stamped on Whisper White cardstock and being matted with Smoky Slate.  The final touch was to add a Bermuda Bay Designer Button with a bow made from Whisper White Baker's Twine.

I have to admit, I'm so in love with the colors and end result of this card, it just makes me smile every time I look at it.  I hope you enjoy and you still have time to play along with this color challenge, or check out some of the other great ideas.

Have a great day,

Diana

Create with Connie and Mary Sketch Challenge: Bring on the Cake

Welcome back friends.  I love the joy you get and receive when someone receives a hand stamped, personalized card in the mail for a special occasion so I really work hard to make sure to send greetings to special people in my life so they know how special they are.  For this weeks Create with Connie and Mary Sketch challenge I decided to use the challenge for a special birthday.  This card is so bright and cheery which fits this person to a T.

The cardbase is Melon Mambo and I added is piece of Island Indigo that I punched with the Scalloped Trim Border Punch as well as Whisper White, and the Gingham Garden designer series paper.  I like to hid seams where paper meet as much as possible so in this case I used a piece of Daffodil Delight 1/4" Stitched Grosgrain Ribbon.  I used the Paper-Piercing Tool and the Festive Paper-Piercing Pack to make an outline for the Label Collections Framelit shape.  Then I stamped the birthday greeting from the Bring on the Cake stamp set in Island Indigo, cut it out with the Big Shot and the Label Collection Framelits and then sponged around the edge with Melon Mambo ink before attaching it to the card with dimensionals.

 

For the flower accent I cut a small flower piece with the Floral Frames Framelits and scrunched it up.  The leaves were cut with the Bird Builder punch and I added a small white flower I made with the Simply Pressed Clay and the Buttons & Blossoms Simply Pressed Clay Mold.  I like these clay flowers and I have several made in different colors as well as white so I can use them at a moments notice for a project (can color the white pieces with markers for customer colored accents, love it!)

 

This card is fun and fresh and will really brighten up some one's special day.  I'm also mailing this card this week so I'll be interested to see how the clay element handles the postal processing.  If you haven't tried the Simply Pressed Clay you really should, it's fun and easy and you get a lot out of each bag of clay (I've made over 100 different elements of different sizes and still haven't used half of my package of clay.

 

Happy Stamping,

 

Diana

Create with Connie and Mary Sketch Challenge: Blooming with Kindness

Good morning friends and welcome to another week.  I had a busy weekend which included working on swaps for Stampin' Up's upcoming annual convention.  Things are really coming together and I can't wait to share all my fun projects, make sure to check back next week for all the details.  Today I'm sharing my card for this weeks Create with Connie and Mary sketch challenge.  This card showcases several of the new In Colors which are so fresh that I'm loving them!  The cardbase is Crisp Cantaloupe and I added a layer of Early Espresso and Soft Sky (so glad this color returned to the color collections as part of the recent color refresh) which was embossed with the Big Shot and the Chevron embossing folder.  Next I used the Oval Collection Framelits to cut some oval pieces in Crisp Cantaloupe and Whisper White.  On the white piece I stamped the flower from the Blooming with Kindness stamp set with the Soft Sky ink.  I used my paper trimmer to cut off the bottom of the oval.

For decorative elements I added a piece of Early Espresso 1/4" Stitched Grosgrain Ribbon and some butterflies that I cut out of Crisp Cantaloupe and Bermuda Bay cardstock with the Beautiful Wings Embosslits and Big Shot.  The greeting is from the Teeny Tiny Wishes stamp set (so versatile) and was punched out with the Modern Label Punch.  The final touch was to add some rhinestones to the center of the butterflies for some sparkle and I attached the butterflies by just the center so I could make the wings stand up.

I really liked the simplicity of this sketch so you could really let the elements shine.  This card is so sweet, and you could definitely change the greeting or colors for any occasion you have.

Enjoy and have a great week!

Diana

Create with Connie and Mary: Delightful Dozen

Good morning friends!  What started as a stormy week is turning really warm and pretty which I love!  We're also starting to wrap up the spring and school activities so we're starting to get some of our evenings back which is oh, so nice.  Today I wanted to share the card I made for this weeks Create with Connie and Mary sketch challenge.  I decided to mix some old and new elements to create a fun and easy card.  I started with a cardbase of Pear Pizzaz (so excited that this color returned to our color collection) and then added a piece of Melon Mambo cardstock that I embossed with the Big Shot and Chevron Embossing Folder.  The next layer is a piece of Gingham Garden designer series paper.

The greeting is from the Delightful Dozen stamp set and was stamped in Night of Navy ink before being punched out with the oval punch and then matted it with the scallop oval punch and Daffodil Delight cardstock.  I used dimensionals to attach the greeting to the card.  The final touch was to add a button that I made with the Simply Pressed Clay and the Buttons and Blossoms Clay Mold.  I made the button directly with the white clay and then used the Island Indigo Stampin' Write marker to color it in and added a White Baker's Twine bow to finish it off.

 

This is such a fresh and cheery card, sure to make someone feel better in no time.  What can you do with the fabulous new catalog items?  There's still time to participate in the challenge or get some fabulous inspiration from all the other sketch participants.

 

Make sure to stop by tomorrow.  This months Stylin' Stampin' Blog Hop is starting tomorrow and we'll be sharing some fabulous projects using items from the new 2013-2014 Annual Catalog, can't wait to see what everyone comes up with.

 

Have a great day!

 

Diana

 

Create with Connie and Mary: Kidoodles

Good morning friends!  While a few days ago we were talking about how chilly it is here and now the heat and humidity has arrived, I'm really looking forward to not being cold.  We only have a few more days left in the Spring Catalog and Annual Catalog so I decided to use this weeks Create with Connie and Mary sketch challenge to highlight some of the items that will soon be going away.  I used the Sunshine and Sprinkles designer series paper as the color inspiration for this card and this paper will only be available through Friday so you need to make sure you have some of this in your crafting stash.  The cardbase is Marina Mist and then I added a piece of Going Gray and then the DSP.

 

For the flag accent I used another pattern in the same paper pack before adding a piece of Whisper White cardstock that I stamped with the Kidoodles stamp set (this is one of my all time favorites which is also retiring, this set will definitely not be leaving the studio).  I used Stampin' Write markers to color in the image and the colors are from the DSP.  The final touch was to add a piece of Melon Mambo 3/8" Striped Organdy Ribbon.

 

This card is so simple and cute, I love how there are so many patterns that your eye is drawn to the stamped image as it's set off on the solid white layer.  I've been having lots of fun using some of the retiring supplies and while I'm sad that some of them are leaving there are lots of fabulous new items coming that I can't wait to have fun with and show you.

 

Happy stamping,

 

Diana

Create with Connie and Mary: Thoughts and Prayers

Welcome back friends and I hope all is well.  One thing about creating cards is that I make more cards than I can use, thankfully my mom and her friends are very supportive and frequently purchase cards for their occasions.  Unfortunately they've been needing a lot of sympathy cards and I'm having a hard time keeping up with what they need so I decided to make a sympathy card for this weeks Create with Connie and Mary sketch challenge.  The stamp set Thoughts and Prayers is perfect for this challenge.  The cardbase is Crumb Cake and I added a layer of Soft Suede that I embossed with the Fancy Fan embossing folder.  Next I added two strips of DSP from the Poetry Prints DSP stack and a piece of Gumball Green 3/8" stitched satin ribbon as well. 

The main stamped image is stamped on Very Vanilla Cardstock and is stamped with Soft Suede ink and then sponged around the edge with Crumb Cake ink.  This piece was then matted on a layer of Midnight Muse cardstock.  The greeting is from the same stamp set and was cut out with the Apothecary Accents framelits and then sponged with Gumball Green ink.  The greeting was attached to the card with dimensionals so it pops.

 

I love how soft and elegant this card turned out, perfect.  I love this sketch and can't wait to use it again.  There's still time to play along with this weeks challenge, so give it a try.

 

Happy stamping!

 

Diana

Create with Connie and Mary Sketch Challenge: Snow Much Fun

Good morning!  I'm so excited to share my card for this weeks Create with Connie and Mary sketch challenge and I decided to do something completely different and make it a Christmas card.  Everyone knows that I love Christmas and plan in advance but this is even early for my, but when Stampin' Up! released the retired stamp set list last week there were lots of Christmas stamp sets included which means we'll be saying goodbye to them forever in a month.  The Snow Much Fun stamp set was one I liked ever since it was first released but I didn't buy it until a few months ago when it was on sale so I feel like I really need to use it some more, actually I think this is one of the sets I'll be keeping in my personal collection since these guys are so cute.

 

This is a pretty easy card, it starts with a Cherry Cobbler cardbase and then I added a layer of Whisper White cardstock that was embossed iwth the Snowflake embossing folder (retiring) as well as different patterns from the Be of Good Cheer DSP pack.  Gumball Green stitched satin ribbon was added to add some dimension and detail.  I stamped the snowman in Early Espresso ink and then cut him out with the Big Shot and Ovals Collection framelits before coloring it in with Stampin' Write markers and sponged around the edge with Crumb Cake ink.  The greeting is from the same stamp set and was punched out with the Modern Label punch and sponged with Gumball Green ink.

 

This is a great card and you could definitely make this in multiples.  Just a reminder to make sure that if you like this stamp set, or any of the other retiring products that you make sure to get them before you run out of time.

 

Have a great day!

 

Diana

Create with Connie and Mary: Sketched Birthay

Welcome back and I'm back to share a fun card I made for this weeks Create with Connie and Mary color challenge and decided to also show you a sneak peak of a new stamp set that will be in the new catalog that's release on June 1, Sketched Birthday.  This is a fun set with lots of cute images for all your birthday needs.  The cardbase is Summer Starfruit and then I added a piece of Whisper White cardstock that was embossed with the Big Shot and the Hexagon embossing folder.  The designer series paper is from the Poetry Prints pack and these is a fun package since it's smaller and has 12 different patterns, something for everyone!  The DSP was matted on Midnight Muse cardstock and then I added some Gumball Green Stitched Satin Ribbon.

 

The main stamped image was first stamped with Summer Starfuit ink on the same color paper and punched out with the 1 3/4" scallop circle punch.  Then I stamped with image again on Whisper White cardstock using Stampin' Write Markers to color in the stamp and punched out with the 1 1/4" circle punch.  I used dazzling details for the frosting on the cupcake and then used dimensionals to pop up both layers of the image. 

 

This is a fun card, I like how the strong colors play against the light handed sketched images, lots of fun! 

 

I hope you enjoy and check out this color challenge and see what you can come up.

 

Diana

Create with Connie and Mary Color Challenge: Animal Talk

Another week has arrived.  I spent the past weekend at a scrapbooking retreat and while I love these get aways for the girl time, relaxation, and uninterrupted creativity, I'm always exhausted when I get home and I'm still trying to catch up.  In addition to getting lots of scrapbook pages and other projects done during these retreats I always take this opportunity to use some of the stamp sets in the catalog that I don't own (it may be hard to believe but I don't own everything in the catalog!)  For this weeks Create with Connie and Mary color challenge I decided to use the Animal Talk stamp set.  This stamp set has such cute images.  The colors we were given to work with were Real Red, Calypso Coral, and Island Indigo, and while this is not a combination I would normally use it definitely works together.  The cardbase is Calypso Coral and I added a Whisper White layer that I stamped the greeting on with Real Red ink.  For the stamped image I used Island Indigo ink and then colored the dog in with my blender pen and Calypso Coral ink pad, along with Stampin' Write markers to highlight the dogs spot and mouth.  This image was cut out with the 2 1/2" circle punch and then I matted on a scalloped circle cut from Real Red cardstock and the Perfect Pennants Bigz L die and Big Shot.

 

For the flags I used designer series paper from the 2011-2013 In Color DSP stack as well as the Polka Dot Parade DSP package.  The final touch was to add some Calypso Coral Baker's Twine wrapped around the cardfront several times and then I tied a bow around all the layers of Baker's Twine. 

 

This card is so cute and I know one little boy (Aidan) who will love the image on this card.  This stamp set was so fun that while at the retreat I made two other cards with different images that I'll be sharing with you soon, you'll love this stamp set as well!

 

Enjoy,

 

Diana