More Than One Way to Say Thanks~

One of the things I LOVE about being a Stampin' Up! Demonstrator is that we receive a bi-monthly magazine called Stampin' Success. It's chock-full of product ideas, business tips and techniques for card-making or scrap booking. There are party decoration ideas, featured guest artists and more in each issue. Stampin' Up! helps us successfully create and share our love for paper-crafting. 

The March/April issue of Stampin' Success has an article titled, "Embossing...without the fuss!" on pages 8-9. 

By using the Natural Composition Specialty Designer Series Paper, you can use this already-gorgeous paper and make it even more appealing for your projects.

By using Craft White Ink and a Sponge Dauber (or cotton swab for small areas), I accented all of the un-embossed areas of the floral pattern on this designer series paper. The raised areas don't hold the ink, so when you wipe away with a tissue after applying the ink, the white only stays "inside the lines."

Then I used Stampin' Write Markers in Daffodil Delight and Wild Wasabi to color the middle of the flowers and the leaves. 

Super easy, fun and it didn't take a whole lot of time to take this card to the next level. You could try coloring in all of the flowers or other prints from the paper pack for a very colorful look. This was my first try at this technique and I hadn't thought to do it before I read the article.

I hope you enjoyed learning a new technique and will try and implement it into your own cards or scrapbooks. Please leave a comment--I love to read them all!

Speaking of more than one way to do things.... Here are the four ways I made my first kit from My Paper Pumpkin work for me! It took me a total of about 20 minutes to open my kit, get stamping and walk away with four unique cards that were fun to put together! Everything I needed was in the box! I have a feeling I will be saving my monthly kits to take on short trips! They will be so easy to pack so I can get my card fix on the road!

Get your kits started today. Find out how! 

There is still one more day to upload YOUR creation to the Pals Paper Arts Blog and play along with us this week!

Kindness Matters for the PPA

Happy Spring again! I love these colors--they match my blooming Iris'! I got SO jazzed when I tried out the Designer Build-A-Brad! Just by putting a piece of Wisteria Wonder card stock under the clear "blob" I added a beautiful, matching designer touch to this week's Pals Paper Arts Sketch Challenge. How will YOU interpret the sketch? You can see that I flipped the sketch on it's side for my card.

This will be a card that is hard to give away. I don't know what it is about this brad, but it mesmerizes me and I love to look at it. It's like a lustrous jewel! I added some teeny Basic Pearls around the brad and they just look so sweet.

Peeking out from under my Top Note Die piece are some banner shapes I cut from Polka Dot Parade Designer Paper and Whisper White card stock, the latter having gone through my Big Shot with the Polka Dot Embossing Folder. So simple, but they really add to my card quickly. 

I hope you enjoyed my card today and that you will leave a comment below. Thanks everyone for your kind comments, I really do smile when I read them.

Tomorrow is the LAST DAY for Sale-A-Bration, so get your online orders in right away by using my Online Store.

Kindness Matters Card Supplies:

Card Stock: Old Olive, Whisper White, Crumb Cake, Wisteria Wonder

Designer Series Paper: Polka Dot Parade

Big Shot: Polka Dot Embossing Folder, Hearts a Flutter Framelits, Top Note Die

Stamps: Kindness Matters

Embellishments: White Tea Lace Doily, Designer Build-A-Brad, Basic Pearsl

Punch: Itty Bitty Shapes (for the brad)

Play with PPA #135

Happy Thursday! It's time to Play with the Pals! Pals Paper Arts has the talented Margaret Moody to provide us with monthly sketches. This one looks simple, but I found it kind of hard to get going with! Let's see what you can do with it!

I used the *new* Summer Starfuit Stampin' Write Marker to color and dot the center square for this sketch. For the ends of the "Kindness Matters" banner I used a stamp from the set of the same name. I stamped onto Whisper White using *new* Summer Starfruit (available June 1st) ink and then carefully used paper snips to cut around the design, one for each end.

The *new* Stampin' Pads that are Firm Foam rather than our previous style, are so juicy! You don't need to press hard and you can cover those thirsty stamps a whole lot quicker! I really am enjoying using them so far. The new Stampin' Pads will be available to customers on June 1st. It's only about two weeks away!

The layer underneath the sentiment is also *new* Summer Starfruit card stock that I ran through the Big Shot in the Square Lattice Embossing Folder. The designer paper I used is from the new "Floral District" which is also available on June 1st.

Summer Starfruit Kindness Card Supplies:

Card Stock: Summer Starfruit, Whisper White

Designer Series Paper: Floral District

Stamps: Kindness Matters

Ink: Basic Black, Summer Starfruit

Big Shot: Square Lattice Embossing Folder

Etc: Stampin' Write Marker, "Summer Starfruit"

Adhesives: Snail, Sticky Strip, Stampin' Dimensionals

For all of your Stampin' Up! supplies, please use my Website to order. I hope you will let me know if I can help you in any way.

*New* Simply Scored Diagonal Plate and PPA Sneak Peek!

Happy Leap Day! I am handing this mini card to my friend as a Thank You. I made the envelope myself using the *new* Simply Scored Diagonal Plate (available March 1st) and the Timeless Portrait designer series paper.

You can make any size envelope you need, as the scoring lines are 1/8" apart and run diagonally on the plate, as opposed to vertically on the Simply Scored itself. With it's gripping "feet", your Diagonal Plate secures onto the Simply Scored tray.

The envelope measures 3-1/4" x 3-1/4" and the card inside is 3" x 3".

Here you can see a close up of my "flower" which is punched using the Scallop Circle from First Edition Specialty designer paper. I crunched up my flowers and then gave them a shot of Vanilla Shimmer Smooch Spritz! There's a mouthful!

Here is the sneak peek of this week's Pals Paper Arts Challenge. We hope you will play along from tomorrow through March 8th!

Stampin' Up! Supplies for Mini Thank You above:

Card Stock: Riding Hood Red, Basic Black, Whisper White

Designer Series Paper: First Edition Specialty, Timeless Portrait

Stamps: Kindness Matters

Ink: Basic Black, Riding Hood Red

Punches: Scallop Circle, Oval, Scallop Oval, Scallop Trim Border, Scallop Trim Corner

Embellishments: Antique Brads, Riding Hood Red Taffeta ribbon

Etc: Vanilla Shimmer Smooch Spritz, Stampin' Dimensionals

For all of your Stampin' Up! supplies, please use my Website to order.

Another Joy Fold Card

Hello! I made this Joy Fold card for a friend whose grandmother passed away recently. I really enjoy this new fold in a card! I used Timeless Portrait Designer paper and the card base is Island Indigo. The matte on the left front panel is River Rock card stock. The frame is embossed on Very Vanilla card stock.

On the inside, I used the Paper Doily die, cut out in Riding Hood Red. The sentiment stamp is from God's Blessings. The butterfly and little design above and below the sentiment is from the Sale-A-Bration stamp set Kindness Matters.

I used some clear Dazzling Details on the butterfly wings and I used my Color Spritzer Tool with a Soft Suede Stampin' Write Marker to splotch on some color for the vintage feel. The edges of my Designer Frame were cut free-hand and then softly colored with a Sponge Dauber dipped in Crumb Cake ink. I used Cherry Cobbler Seam Binding ribbon to close my card.

I hope you like this card. Don't forget to leave your comments for THIS POST to be eligible to win my blog candy! One comment with answer to my question per person, please!

Also, please remember to join us at Pals Paper Arts for this week's challenge! There is still time to play!!