Thinking of You

Thinking of You can be sent for many reasons. This card is not for anyone in particular--yet! I started with a Very Vanilla card base and used my Big Shot to emboss with the Polka Dot embossing folder. 

Next, I used the Top Note die to cut a Cherry Cobbler Core'dinations card stock shape for my focal point.

Across the middle of the Top Note Die, I embossed using the Delicate Designs embossing folder. Then I gently sanded for the "core" of the paper to show.

I then added a cinched piece of wide lace from the Artisan's Embellishment Kit, topped it with a button from the same kit. The button has a bow of Cherry Cobbler baker's twine. 

Lastly, I stamped the sentiment "Thinking of You" from Curly Cute. Ready for any occassion!

Thank you for visiting today. I hope your weekend is fantastic. Please leave your comments below-- I love to read them all!

 

Cupid's Arrow for Pals Paper Arts

PPA128 Color Challenge: Use Any Red

Hello everyone and welcome to the Pals Paper Arts Color Challenge. Use any red! I hope you will play along with us and use any of your favorite RED products. When you post your card onto your blog or gallery, please label it PPA128.

I chose Stampin' Up's Poppy Parade for my "red" card stock base. It's perfect for a Valentine. My next layer is a Whisper White Framed Tulips embossed 4" x 5-1/4" panel. I "colored" the tulips using a Blender Pen and Poppy Parade ink. On top of that, I placed a Poppy Parade Top Note die that is popped up on Stampin' Dimensionals.

This is the first time I've used White Waffle Paper and I absolutely love how the color underneath comes through a bit. It is so easy to create a ruffle anywhere with this paper.

The small Poppy Parade heart is from the Embosslits Fashionable Hearts die and the Large Poppy Parade Heart is from the Bigz Curly Label Die run through my Big Shot with the Movers and Shapers die. The small Silver Glimmer heart is punched using the Small Heart Punch. I stamped Cupid from P. S. I Love You in Poppy Parade and snipped him out, then placed him on top of the hearts using Stampin' Dimensionals.

My photography skillz don't quite show how sparkly this paper is! It's so easy to punch and create glittery items without the hassle and mess of glue and glitter.

My hand cut banner demands some lovin'! For more sparkle, I anchored it here with a Fire Circles large brad. The banner is popped up with Stampin' Dimensionals.

This fancy card could not be without an inside that was bare, so I created this space to stamp and write on with a Whisper White Top Note die cut. I used a heart from P. S. I Love You, which I dipped in Poppy Parade ink, stamped off, then stamped onto the die cut. Over the heart, I stamped another sentiment in Basic Black ink from P. S. I Love You.

I'd love to know how you like this fancy Valentine. Please leave me a comment below.

Cupid's Arrow Card Supplies:

Card Stock: Poppy Parade, Whisper White

Fancy Paper: Silver Glimmer Paper, White Waffle Paper

Stamps: P. S. I Love You

Ink: Poppy Parade, Basic Black

Big Shot: Framed Tulips Embossing Folder, Top Note Die, Bigz Curly Label Die, Movers and Shapers Die, Embosslits Fashionable Hearts

Embellishments: Fire Circles Brad

Adhesives: Snail, Stampin' Dimensionals, Sticky Strip

Please use my Website to order your Stampin' Up! with me. If you have any questions, please email me.

Last Minute Gift Giving

It's the 23rd and many of you may be frantically wrapping gifts and goodies for giving in the next couple of days. If you own the Christmas Lane Simply Scrappin' Kit, you can create a tag in seconds! Just use a piece of card stock cut to any size (or use a die cut tag), add a sticker from the kit and you are finished!

The Simply Scrappin' Kit is chock full of self-adhesive die-cuts, 6 double-sided 12 x 12" sheets of coordinating designer paper and 8 12 x 12" sheets of coordinating card stock. The kit has all you need to decorate packages, cards, tags or scrapbook pages! It is late for this year, but think how you can be ahead for next year! :-)

Here I used my kit and card stock to create the cello bag topper for some Peanut Butter Chews for my son. Here is the recipe:

3/4 cup nonfat dry milk

1/2 cup smooth peanut butter

1/2 cup light corn syrup

2/3 cup confectioner's sugar

1. In a food processor, pulse dry milk until it forms a fine powder, about 5 pulses. In a mixing bowl combine peanut butter and corn syrup. Gradually add confectioner's sugar and beat until smooth.

2. Add dry milk a little at a t time and stir until mixture is stiff enough to work with your hands. Knead any remaining dry milk into mixture. Roll into ropes 1/2" thick. Cut into 2-1/4" long pieces. Wrap in waxed paper or cellophane candy wrappers. Store at room temperature for up to 3 weeks.

Christmas Lane Simply Scrappin' Kit (124007 $21.95) is available from the Holiday Mini Catalog through January 3, 2012.

Pals Paper Arts #110 - Halloween-It's a Frightful Sight!

I had fun creating this card for Pals Paper Arts Challenge - Halloween. I hope you will join us this week and get ready for the next holiday. My favorite part of Halloween (besides the fact that I had a baby on that day in 1989!) is that you get to give out candy!!! I try to buy things I am not tempted to eat myself, but that never works.

• For my card I began with a Basic Black card base and added a piece of Frightful Sight designer series paper.
• Next, I used my Trick Or Treat Letterpress Plate and Only Orange (retired) craft ink to deboss onto Naturals Ivory card stock. You can see on the top and bottom, I added a little swipe of Jet Black Stazon for that distressed look. Stazon will not imprint onto the paper as well as craft ink, but it gives the worn look I was going for. After that, I used my Color Spritzer Tool to splash on some Basic Black speckels. I also used Basic Black ink and a Sponge Dauber to further distress the edges.
• After my sentiment dried, I added a strip of little ghosts, also from the Frightful Sight designer series paper. I tied on some Linen Thread and added a "pouf" of it at the top I added a spider from the same paper, popped out with a 3/4" circle punch and matted with a 1" basic black circle. I adhered him using a Stampin' Dimensional.
• To finish my card, I added a folded piece of Basic Black 1-1/4" Striped Grosgrain Ribbon to the left side of the sentiment.
• I thought the card needed a little something at this point, so I added a little pumpkin, snipped from another print in the Frightful Sight designer series paper.

Here is a peek at the inside:

I used the Grateful Greetings stamp set for the sentiment and couldn't resist "spookin' it up!" with another spider!

I hope you enjoyed looking at my card and that youwill leave a comment at the end of my post. I enjoy reading all of your comments!

Remember to order your Countdown Calendar Kit today! Orders taken until September 15th ONLY.

Compliments to the Chef!

Have you ever been invited to a friend's home for dinner and felt like you were dining out at a gourmet restaurant? This card could certainly hold your sentiment when you send it off the next day!

The place setting was stamped with VersaMark and embossed with Black Stampin' Emboss powder. Very elegant look! I ran it through the Big Shot and cut off the sides I didn't want.

I ran a piece of the striped pattern from Sunny Garden designer series paper through my Big Shot on the Top Note Die. I used the "frame" it created to frame my place setting. Then I added the sentiment underneath and popped it up with Stampin' Dimensionals. The card base is Poppy Parade card stock.

I think my hostess will love receiving this thank you as much as I loved dining at her home!

Thanks for looking. I enjoy all of your comments and look forward to reading them or assisting you in any way I can. Please email me if I can answer any questions for you.

If you need any Stampin' Up! please use my WEBSITE to order.

Have a great weekend!

Quilted Birthday - Part Two

Today I'm going to share how to make this Quilted Birthday card. I used the other half of the Top Note die created in yesterday's post.

• Cut strips of scraps from the Springtime Vintage designer paper and lay them carefully across the Top Note die.
• Run it through the Big Shot and you have a nice "striped" die cut.
• Tape the pieces together across the back and then cut the shape in half lengthwise.
• Trim off the perforated edges and adhere one half of the stripes to the bottom of Rose Red Top Note die cut.
• Add some sticky strip and adhere your Pear Pizzazz Seam Binding across the middle.
• Stamp "Happy Birthday" from Vintage Labels in Baja Breeze. Use your Stampa-ma-jig to surround sentiment with label shape from Vintage Labels which is stamped in Rose Red. Punch it out with the Curly Label punch. Adhere to Top Note Die shape in upper center.
• Color a Rosette with Baja Breeze Stampin' Write Marker. Make leaves by free-hand cutting shapes from Pear Pizzazz card stock scrap. Use your bone folder to make a line down the middle lengthwise. Distress using your Sponge Dauber and Soft Suede ink. Crinkle the leaves and adhere onto card under the rosette.
• Adhere the die cut to a Crumb Cake card base, then add a bow in Crumb Cake seam binding.

I hope you enjoyed learning how I made this card. I hope you create some quilted Top Note cards yourself by interchanging the card stock colors, designer paper and sentiments.

Thank you for visiting my blog and as usual, I love to read your comments, so I hope you will leave one.

If you need to purchase Stampin' Up!, please use my website any time!

Quilted Birthday-Part One

Today I am sharing Part One of my Quilted Birthday set. Here is how to make this card:

• Cut strips of scraps from the Springtime Vintage designer paper and lay them carefully across the Top Note die.
• Run it through the Big Shot and you have a nice "striped" die cut.
• Tape the pieces together across the back and then cut the shape in half lengthwise.
• Trim off the perforated edges and adhere one half of the stripes to the Whisper White Top Note die cut.
• Add some sticky strip and a scrap of Chantilly Crochet trim, a sentiment from Wonderful Words and the card is almost finished.
• Use a sponge dauber to distress the edges in Soft Suede.
• Adhere the die cut to a Soft Suede card base, then add a bow in Crumb Cake seam binding.

I hope you like my card. Please leave a comment for me and tell me what you like about it. You can use my directions and substitute designer paper, sentiment and colors to make it your own.

Tomorrow I will show you what I did with the other half of the quilted Top Note die.

MOJO Monday 174

MOJO 174! I needed a birthday card and this sketch got me going just in time. My friend is 80 tomorrow, so I'll have to chance that popping this card into the post box on this holiday will get it to the next town over on time. Isn't this a happy card?

Supplies for this card: (all supplies Stampin' Up! unless noted)

Card Stock: Daffodil Delight, Old Olive, Peach Parfait, Whisper White

Designer Series Paper: Sunny Garden

Stamps: Perfect Punches

Ink: Old Olive

Extras: Retro Metro Sizzlits (numbers), Heart 2 Heart and Small Heart Punches, Top Note Die and Big Shot, Peach Parfait Button, 1/8" Daffodil Delight Taffeta Ribbon, Glue Dots, Non-Stampin' Up: Scor-Pal, Circle Nestabilities

If you are interested in ordering any Stampin' Up! supplies for your paper projects, please use my website!

Fall Trio #2

I promised you a second Fall Trio, and here it is! I hope you enjoy looking. Let me know if you like these!

The first one was started with part of a Scallop Square Bigz Die. I ran a piece of Autumn Spice Speicalty Designer Series Paper through my Big Shot and cut off one strip. You may remember I already used the strip on another card from Monday's post. Also, on top of my sentiment (from Day of Gratitude), you will see the strip of the Top Note "square" I used on another card from Monday's post. I stamped the leaves from the same stamp set individually onto Very Vanilla using the Rock N Roll technique. This is a simple and fun technique where you stamp the image on one ink pad, then choose another color (usually darker) to rock just the edges of the image. This leaves you with a lighter color in the middle and a darker edge. I tied each leaf with a piece of Linen Thread and popped each up with Stampin' Dimensionals.

This could be my favorite! Another Top Note square in More Mustard highlighted with a Lattice Bigz Die Cut. I added a stamped and cut out acorn from Day of Gratitude to the bottom center. For the sentiment, also from Day of Gratitude, I stamped it onto Whisper White, then punched it out with the Decorative Label XL punch and used a sponge dauber and Early Espresso ink to rub some color onto the edges for a little bit of contrast.

Lastly, this simple card with one matte of Autumn Spice print. I made a banner of the Grateful Greetings sentiment and then stamped another image from Day of Gratitude using my Stampin' Write markers for several colors. I punched it out with my Square Scallop punch then matted it with a circle punched from Old Olive. To the side, for some interest, I used another strip from a Top Note Die square in More Mustard.

I really hope you enjoyed my two trios this week. We are having weather that is weird--in the 90's, so I am hoping that the cooler weather is on it's way!

I invite you to use my Website to order your own Stampin' Up! supplies any time.

Fall Trio #1

Today I'm showing the first of two trios of fall cards I recently created. I used Day of Gratitude, Grateful Greetings and Thank You Kindly stamp sets and the Autumn Spice Specialty Designer Series paper. What makes this paper special is that it's thicker than Stampin' Up! every day Designer Series Paper, and it has a texture to it. It's a delight to work with! It coordinates with the card stock colors Cajun Craze, Old Olive, More Mustard and Early Espresso.

I only have half a pack of this paper, since I shared it with others, but I was able to make these six cards plus more cards! You will see the second trio on Friday, so stay tuned!

On this one I used an Old Olive base and colored in the leaves from Day of Gratitude. For interest, I used my Big Shot to cut a Top Note Die from Cajun Craze, then sliced it free-hand with my paper snips. I put two other strips of Autumn Spice paper together, one being a strip from a Square Scallop Die cut piece. I paper-pierced around the edges and I put my sentiment right onto the Designer Series paper, then matted it with another design. I finished it off with a button "tied" with Linen Thread.

This card is bold and beautiful! I used my Top Note die again, but this time ran it through the Big Shot a second time after turning it. On top of that I stamped the large medallion style stamp from Day of Gratitude, but instead of using an ink pad, I colored it with three different Stampin' Write Markers. In the center, I popped in an Antique Brad. The sentiment was stamped on a scrap of More Mustard leftover from a Top Note Die cut. I finished it off with some faux stitches, using a Stampin' Write marker.

For the last card in today's trio, I used scrap strips. These made a simple matte for the "Grateful Greetings" in More Mustard. It's cut into a banner that is anchored with a retired antique brad. I love how these patterns go together so well.

If you have any questions, please email me! I'd be happy to help you create your own set of Autumn cards using Stampin' Up! supplies, which you can order HERE.

Mojo Monday 125

Well, I must say, this doesn't look very much like the Mojo Monday sketch, but the sketch DID inspire this card, so I'm going with it! It is a very interesting sketch. You should play along!

Shopping List:

Card Stock: Pretty in pink, Very Vanilla

Designer Series Paper: Sending Love Specialty

Stamps: I {Love} Love Jumbo Wheel (sentiment cut out)

Ink: Real Red

Accesories: 5/8" Real Red Satin ribbon, Chocolate Chip Stampin' Write Marker, Top Note Die, Big Shot, Scribbles Swirls die, Embosslits Beautiful Wings die, Embosslits Scalloped Heart of Hearts die, Stampin' Dimensionals, Non-SU scalloped circle die.

As usual, you can use my website to order your Stampin' Up! supplies any time.

ALSO: My Pals are having a Blog Hop beginning tomorrow, Tuesday! Check out the talent in this group--you won't be sorry!

Lattice Love

For that special Valentine, why not create a special card? I used Very Vanilla card stock as my base, then added a Top Note die cut in Basic Black. To decorate the die, I used the Lattice die cut out of Pretty In Pink and tied a 5/8" Very Vanilla satin ribbon (love the feeling of this ribbon!) into a knot. Then I decorated the lattice with butterflies from the Embosslits Beautiful Wings die and a Large Oval punch of the Valentine Holiday Best dipped into Pretty In Pink ink. Yum.

This is a very rich looking card with the black, lattice and satin.

Thanks for visiting my blog. Please leave your comments, I enjoy reading every one.

If you need any Stampin' Up! supplies, please use my website to order.

ONLY ONE WEEK LEFT TO GET YOUR *FREE* Stampin' Up! Birthday Calendar!

See details HERE.

Pals Paper Arts #21

Winter Wonderland is our theme challenge this week at Pals Paper Arts! Play along!

I thought I'd do something *dazzling*, and I had all the supplies I needed from Stampin' Up! I began by stamping the trio of trees from Patterned Pines with Kraft White onto Basic Gray. I then applied Heat N Stick Powder (my first time!) and used my heat gun to make it sticky. I applied Dazzling Diamonds glitter, which is very fine and very dazzling when you use it! I then heat set that with my heat gun an voila! No glitter falls off the trees, which makes giving this card a treat! The sentiment is from the Fundamental Phrases set, stamped in Night of Navy to match the card base. I cut the bottom of the Basic Gray Top Note Die off, then added a Shimmery White die cut in it's place. A Bashful Blue taffeta ribbon covers my seam. I am very pleased with the sparkling trio of trees that is a result of trying something new!

If you are in need of any Stampin' Up! supplies to *dazzle* your holidays, please use my website to order.

PPA19 - Inspiration

The thinking this week was "vintage" when I saw the Pals Paper Arts inspiration sleigh photo above. I couldn't quite reach back as far as the sleigh goes, but I did reach back into my little girl memories! When I saw this stamp set, it reminded me of 60's ornaments! I'm from the 60's, so I had to have them. 

• I started with a Very Vanilla card base, and stamped the sentiment from Grateful Greetings in Old Olive ink. 
  

• I stamped the three ornaments from Tree Trimmings in Old Olive and Real Red onto Shimmery White card stock. I cut them out with my paper snips.
  

• I punched a 1/8" hole into the top of each ornament and slipped a folded 2" piece of stretchy gold cording through the hole. 
  

• I secured the cording on the back of the Top Note Die half with sticky tape. 
  

• I placed the ornaments onto the half of the Top Note die cut, popping them up on dimensionals. Then I tied a bow around the top of each piece of cording. 
  

• I used Snail Adhesive to adhere my die cut, but thought my card looked like it was missing SOMEthing, so I used my Matt Pack and Paper Piercer to pierce holes around the sides and bottom in the shape of the die cut. I did this free-hand. 

I really like how this card turned out!

Won't YOU play along with Pals Paper Arts and design a project inspired by the sleigh photo above?

If you need any Stampin' Up! supplies to creatively approach the holidays, please use mywebsite to order.

Pals Paper Arts KISS

Keep 

It 

Simple

Sweetie!

That is the theme of this week's Pals Paper Arts Challenge. Make a card (or other creation) and keep it simple. Minimal stamping, layers, equipment. If you usually have lots of layers, then two layers is simple for you. Go for it! Upload your art to our site using Mr. Linky and play along!

Ingredients:

Card Stock: Chocolate Chip (textured), Very Vanilla, Old Olive (textured)

Stamps: Darling Dots

Ink: Real Red

Accessories: Top Note Die, Big Shot, Small Dots Texturz Plate, Little Leaves Sizzlit Die, Jumbo Eyelets, Chocolate Chip Grosgrain Ribbon, Boho Blossoms Punch, Dimensionals

Okay, it doesn't look like I skimped on the accessories, but it really was fast and easy just getting out my Big Shot and zipping all of these through!

If you need any Stampin' Up supplies, please shop on my website!

Trick or Treat!

Happy Hauntings!  Don't eat too much candy and remember to brush your teeth!  :-)

Shopping List:

Card Stock: Textured Kiwi Kiss, Chocolate Chip, Whisper White, Textured Tangerine Tango

Designer Series Paper: Merry Moments

Stamps: Holiday Best

Ink: Basic Black, Kiwis Kiss, Tangerine Tango, Chocolate Chip

Accessories: Harlequin Texturz Plate, Chocolate Chip Striped Grosgrain Ribbon, Hemp Twine, Large Oval Punch, oval metal die cut, Big Shot, Top Note Bigz Die, Blender Pen