It's been a while...I am still alive;)

 Sorry friends! I have been crafting a lot less lately, but my poor blog has been completely neglected. I am trying to get back on track. I recently started a new business, so I had to put some of my stamping aside for a couple months. This card was a fun one to make! It was a sketch for a swap group I play in. If you like making and swapping cards, you should really check out JustCards on yahoo! It's a great group! I cut out the three circles, did the faux suede technique, then balled them up and smoothed them back out. They're layered to created a fun, textured flower. The white background is speckled with blue ink using the Color Spritzer tool from SU! A little tear in one corner, and she's done! I have many more projects to blog, so I hope you guys haven't given up on me;) Supplies are all SU!

Happy Stampin'!

Flowers For You...

Here's a card I designed and my club made this past weekend. It's a fun card to make! AND, it only takes ONE stamp, which is FREE when you earn it through SAB! I usually stay away from such bright layers, but hey, it's warming up a little and I am willing Spring to move in! In the end, I loved the simple, bright color combo. I paired Pumpkin Pie with Daffodil Delight, and Whisper White. The white layer is run through the Big Shot with the Square Lattice Impressions Folder. The large yellow scallop is cut with Scallop Circles #2. I cut this big, beautiful flower out of the Greenhouse Gala DSP, and loved the effect! The scallop in the top corner is one stamp, stamped once in Pumpkin Pie, and punched with the Scallop Circle. Then, I inked the same stamp in Daffodil Delight, used a Blender Pen to remove the ink from the flower center and stem, and used markers to add color to those areas. I then punched the center portion out with the 1 3/8" circle Punch, and popped it up over the scallop with a Dimensional. It's finished off by setting three Pumpkin Pie brads in the bottom corner using the Mat Pack. I hope you all like it! I LOVE when DSP has more uses, big bold designs (like this flower) are amazing cut out and used as focal points! NEVER be afraid to hack your paper up...great things sometimes happen;)

Paper: Pumpkin Pie, Daffodil Delight, Whisper White, Greenhouse Gala DSP
Ink: Pumpkin Pie, Daffodil Delight Stampin' Pads, Pumpkin Pie, Old Olive Stampin' Write Markers, White Signo Gel Pen
Stamps: Punch Bunch (SAB)
Punches: Scallop Circle, 1 3/8" Circle
Big Shot - Square Lattice Folder, Scallop Circles #2
Accessories: Pumpkin Pie Brads (Brights Collection), Mat Pack, Dimensionals, Blender Pen

***Note::: The FOR YOU on the small scallop was done on my next card and club cards in Pumpkin Pie. We removed the Daffodil Delight ink with a blender pen and colored the words with a Pumpkin Pie marker. It made it stand out SO much more, and made the card look amazing. I didn't have one of those on hand to use in the picture.

Two Sketches...

Above is my December Sketch and the card I made from it. All of my sketches are done in MDS, and I really enjoy designing them! I create them as a monthly challenge for a Yahoo Group I play and swap with. The card I made turned out very masculine, and had I not had to send it to my partner, my hubby would have gotten it for his birthday a couple days ago;) I will be blogging his really cool card tomorrow. I am not listing supplies for this post. Most are SU, but the pattern paper and texture green in this one is not, it's American Crafts and DCWV.

  And here is my January Sketch and the card I created using it as my guide. Bella Rose remaines my favorite DSP, and as much as I want to hoard it and never let it go, I LOVE using it on cards. The coral/green textured CS is DCWV, everything else is SU. I have resolved this year to use up or give away the stuff I don't use, so I am trying to at least use up some of the papers.

I hope you like these cards! I will be back tomorrow with my hubbys birthday card with a cool technique I stumbled upon on my own, though it's really to simple to call it a technique;) Till next time...Happy Stampin'!

                                     

Make Your Own DSP with Collage Stamping! (Tutorial)

This little beauty is another card I designed for my Hostess Club for our July meeting. It's another one of the 4x8 cards I just recently starting making with a 2" pocket inside. Aside from the ribbon, all product is current SU, the ribbon retired:( My other card using this fold was posted on 7/3, check it out if you didn't see it! What I love about this one, is I decided to make my own DSP! (SU's term...Designer Series Paper). I have stamped my own patterned paper before, but not as quickly or as easily as this. Keep reading!

Here's the inside of the card showing the pocket with the insert pulled out. I left my flowers colorless on the inside, but had some club members color theirs! It was pretty both ways. I love the way this DSP uses the colors I wanted, I didn't have to work around a pre-printed paper! Now, don't get me wrong, I love DSP as much as the next stamper, but sometimes I want it in exact colors, that's where this comes in!

This set is new to the 2010-2011 IBC, it's called Awash With Flowers, and I purchased it Clear Mount. The Block in the picture is 'E'. This set comes in two DVD boxes, one for the outlines, one for the solid images. I took the flowers from the outline case and arranged them on the clear block. I am showing the example on a 2.5x8" strip. This is quicker to do on a full sheet, then cut it down, I am thinking OSW!!! (One Sheet Wonder) Once you have the stamps arranged to your liking, ink them up all at once, here using Basic Gray), and stamp away! So quick! It's easy to continually stamp an exact pattern! No randomness unless you want it!

Once the paper is stamped, I then took each individual solid and inked the colors! I will definitely be making more of my own paper with this set! It would be wonderful to sit down and do a few sheets of Whisper White CS with the outlines and fill in with color when you were ready for it! Talk about a great use of the Clear Blocks and the stamp sets!

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I hope you'll all try out this method of Collage Stamping!!! It's fun, easy, and what better way to get the most bang for your buck!

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This card uses:

CS---Whisper White, Basic Gray, Melon Mambo and Daffodil Delight

Ink --- Basic Gray, Melon Mambo, Daffodil Delight, Wild Wasabi and Marina Mist

Stamps---Awash With Flowers, clear block 'E', and A-D

Scallop Trim Border Punch, Melon Mambo Dotted Ribbon

SUO!

April Showers Bring May Flowers...

These were made for an online swap group. We were to make a card relating to showers and one to flowers... Here's my shower card for April... The rainboot stamp is from Studio G...$1 bin at the box store a while back. I have no idea where the sentiment came from, I have had it at least 3-4 years. I cut an oval and attached some clear embossed Bermuda Bay cardstock for a wet looking puddle. I drew ripples (that's what they are supposed to be...LOL!) with my white gel pen. The boots are stamped and covered in Crystal Effects. I used my Bermuda Bay marker to make splashes, which are dotted with Crystal Effects. I LOVE this sentiment and was glad to discover it deep in a box in the garage:)

Bermuda Bay, Summer Sun, Whisper White, other than stamps...all materials are SU!

On to the May Flowers...

Now, this was a FUN card to make. This is NOT my original idea, though I wish I were this creative! I found a card very similar to this with this amazing flower idea on a SU Demo Forum. The lady who I was inspired by is LeAnn Gaff, who was inspired by Beth Prout. I believe in giving credit where credit is due, and these women did such a beautiful job that I had to try it out! The flower petals are the 3/4" circle punch, overpunched with the Large Oval. The stem is a segment of the Wide Oval, and the leaf is the 1" circle punch, segmented. The center of the flower is the largest flower from the Boho Blossoms punch, and in the center of that is a Filigree Designer Brad. The background is the NEW SU Impressions Folder called Square Lattice. I LOVE this new folder! Tons of punches used on this card, including the Modern Label, which frames the sentiment. I cannot wait to make more of these!

Cameo Coral, Summer Sun, Whisper White
Punches Galore :)
All SU on this card!

Sometimes you just don't need color...

Ahhh...was this ever a hard one!!! I have only done a handful of all-white cards before. And, I actually enjoy it. However, this one is for a swap group, and the theme was White Only. Easy peasy, right? WRONG! I thought I had a full pack of Whisper White CS, I DID NOT! OOPS! I am COMPLETELY out! I had to scour my scrap piles and drawers to come up with enough white pieces to make the flower, and luckily found a wide strip in a card kit I had leftover from a workshop! The base is Glossy White CS, and I have also used White Mulberry Paper. This is completely inkless, although I was tempted to white emboss something on the base. I now have a few inches of white paper, and do not know if I can wait till Sat to order more at the club meeting. Anyway, I love the way this turned out. Sadly, I have to mail it out to my swap partner. Which is unfortunate as I have a wedding to attend on Sun, and can only think how perfect this would be! Maybe, just maybe I can dig around for a few more precious pieces!

Supplies are SUO! Whisper White, Glossy White, and White Mulberry Paper
Ornament Punch, Boho Blossoms Punch, Petals A Plenty Embossing Folder, Whisper White Organza Ribbon, and Dimensionals under the flower.

===For a little texture the flower petals have veins drawn in the with the end of my Bone Folder. They are also slightly curled. I have no idea how this will fare in the mail, so I am taking a few minutes longer to enjoy it before it hits an envelope. I hope the recipient loves it as much as I do!

April Stamp Club Class...

For April's Hostess Club Meeting, I decided to go ahead and focus on a gift set that would work well for Mother's Day gifts next month. After tossing out many ideas, I settled on a bath set. What Mom doesn't need a nice, quiet bath? The candle holder includes a PartyLite tealight, and is wrapped with Rich Razz ribbon, and a scallop circle with initial. We had a few women use DSP scraps in the circle to give it as teacher gifts, etc. Great idea! The jar is a Starbucks Frap bottle, and is covered in CS and DSP, the lid is wrapped with white ribbon, and decorated the same as the front of the candle holder. We made Faux Suede Roses, using the Smooshed Flowers technique. They turned out lovely, and I think that was everyone's favorite part of the class! The jar is filled with Green Tea bath salts, which are wonderful! I kept the card simple using the Scallop Square Clear Die for the BS. Some Orchid Opulence CS, and Scallop Sq punches of DSP, we then added a sentiment (again, a few used a different one) to the Wide Oval, and finished off with the bird and branch from the 2-Step Bird Punch.

Complete project (aside from glass items) are SU only! There is also a white lunchbag altered into a gift bag to match the set! This was such a fun class, I think 'set' classes are my fave. And using the same products the whole time makes it easier to plan and clean up! Win, win!

---CS is Rich Razzleberry, Orchid Opulence, Whisper White, and Old Olive
---DSP is Cottage Wall
---Stamps are Whimsical Words and Lovely Letters
---Ink is Rich Razzleberry, and a White Signo Gel Pen
---Accessories are a few Circle Punches, Scallop Circle, Scallop Square, Wide Oval, 2-Step Bird. Also a Paper Piercer, Dimensionals, Glue Dots, R.R. Ribbon, Silver Brad.

SCS Double Challenge!

I feel like I am FINALLY back in the crafting game! I have been stamping more in the last month than ever! I am so glad to be back full force! This card is for TWO SCS Challenges...CC264, which is a color challenge to use Bermuda Bay, Basic Gray and So Saffron. I won't lie, it scared me to death, I still don't know how it looks ok together! Second challenge was CAS60 which was a sketch this week. It ALMOST qualifies for a third challenge, TLC266, which is Inside Out and is to decorate the inside of your card to match the outside. But, I didn't get a chance to finish the inside just yet...maybe tomorrow. I have Easter and 5 b-days this month, so I better worry about the inside of this card later!☺

Paper: CS:Bermuda Bay, Basic Gray, So Saffron, Whisper White
DSP: So Saffron (before pattern changes) and Bermuda Bay
Stamps: The More The Merrier, Good Neighbors, Vintage Labels
Ink: Bermuda Bay, Basic Gray, So Saffron
Accessories: Dimensionals, Scallop Circle Punch, Curly Label Punch, Bermuda Bay Polka Dot Ribbon, Scallop Edge Punch, Styled Silver HodgePodge Hardware

SUO!!! Hope you all like it! After covering up a terrible mistake, I think I finally like it! The colors aren't a new fave combo for me by any means, but I was glad to be able to do it! I better get busy on the projects on my To Do List and stop making pretties just for fun!