Pretty Postage w/ Sweet and Sour

No, that's not a sauce but a Designer Series Paper, lol!  I have this beautiful package of Sweet and Sour Specialty Paper, hadn't even cut into it and it retires Thursday at midnight!  I guess I could hang it on the wall and admire it... OR I could use it for stamping some cards!!!  LOL!  I love that it has shimmery areas that look like they have been embossed!  I'm sorry that the camera doesn't capture them!

I had purchased the Pretty Postage stamp set from the Summer Mini and was looking for some cool DSP to use with it for the idea in my head.  I realized the Sweet and Sour DSP would work perfectly!

Using the new Postage Stamp Punch #122344, I punched out three designs from the Sweet and Sour DSP. The "sweet" was stamped with the Pretty Postage set and also punched with the Postage Stamp.  These were layered on Rose Red and Pumpkin Pie cardstock squares which were punched using the 1-3/8" Square Punch.  A layer of Very Vanilla underneath, then Rose Red.

The Pumpkin Pie full layer was run through the Big Shot with the Square Lattice Embossing Folder, wrapped with Rose Red Seam Binding and attached to the front of a Rose Red card.  The final embellishment is a tag of Vanilla stamped with the hello stamp from Tiny Tags and punched out with the Jewelry Tag punch. 

You can purchase any of the retiring stamps or accessories (including Designer Paper, Decor Elements, dies for the Big Shot, etc. ) through my online Stampin' Up! store HERE! 

Remember that the deadline to order any retiring Stampin' Up! products is midnight (MT), June 30!

Thanks for visiting today! 

Fabulous Florets - CCMC 151

Do you just LOVE the Fabulous Florets set from the 2011 Summer Mini?  Me too!!  It is so pretty and with both line and solid images, it lends itself to some very lovely and fun techniques! 

I really like the color combination of pink, purple and green so for
this card today I keyed my color scheme to the Lap of Luxury Designer Paper and added some Wild Wasabi for accent.  The layout I used today is from Create with Connie and Mary Sketch Challenge#151.   At first this sketch looked a little intimidating but I finally came up with my interpretation this morning.  I didn't get my card finished in time to upload to the sketch challenge website this morning; I had planned to do it yesterday but the nasty tornadoes that came through the plains (including the our area) kept me from focusing on stamping!  My heart and prayers go out to those who have been affected, both here, in Joplin, MO, and around the country.

The focal flower was stamped onto Shimmer White cardstock then carefully colored with a Blender Pen and Pretty in Pink ink.  I punched it out with the XL Scallop Punch and layered that onto a Wild Wasabi 2-1/2" Circle cardstock punchout.

For the other elements of the sketch, I punched out a 1-3/8" Circle and a Postage Stamp from the Lap of Luxury Designer Paper; the third element is the large flower from the Boho Blossoms Punch, clipped and shaped into a flower.  The sentiment is from Teeny Tiny Wishes punched out with the Word Window Punch then layered onto Concord Crush punched out with the Modern Label Punch.  Two Rhinestones were colored with a purple Sharpie pen and used for the small flower center and on the left of the sentiment.  A third clear Rhinestone centers the large focal flower.

 

The background collage was stamped with the three flower stamps from the set in Concord Crush, Pretty in Pink and Wild Wasabi.  This was then run through the Big Shot with the Square Lattice Embossing Folder; I love doing backgrounds this way!  This was layered onto Concord Crush then the Pretty in Pink card.  For the ribbon across the top in the sketch, I wanted to keep it light as I thought my card already had enough going on;  I came across my new package of White Bakers Twine while looking and decided it would be just the thing!

I hope you enjoyed my card today and are having fun using some of the new products in the Summer Mini!  There really are alot of great products in it!  Hope you have a safe and good day!

Margaret

Word Play, Blossom Bouquet Punch and Inlaid Embossing

Here's a card with lots of visual punch and texture using the Word Play stamp set that is currently on sale in May at 30% off, the new Blossom Bouquet Triple Layer Punch from the Summer Mini, and the inlaid embossing technique.

I chose bright colors to make a fun card for a birthday or other happy event:  Wild Wasabi, Tempting Turquoise, Daffodil Delight, Melon Mambo and Rich Razzleberry, as well as Whisper White for contrast.  All of the background flowers and shapes were punched out with the Bold Blossom Punch and the Itty Bitty Shapes Punch (flower), glued to the Wasabi background cardstock then run through the Big Shot with the Square Lattice Embossing Folder to give it the texture.

I then added the sentiment which was stamped with the "Wish Big" from the Word Play set; I used the 2-Way Glue Pen and Dazzling Diamonds Glitter to add some sparkle.  This was then attached to Whisper White punched out with the 2-3/8" XL Scallop Punch then embossed with the Big Shot and the Finial Press Embossing Folder.  Several Rhinestones were then added to the card for more sparkle!

From this angle you can see that I added a layer of Whisper White cardstock to the inside.  I then stamped it with a birthday greeting from the Full of Life set and added a couple more of the punchouts for fun and color.

 Word Play is just one of several sets offered at 30% OFF for the month of May in celebration of National Scrapbooking Month!

From May 1-31, get 30 percent off a variety of scrapbooking products, including select

• Stamp sets!
• Digital downloads!
• My Digital Studio print products!

In addition, join Stampin' Up! as a demonstrator during the month of May, and you'll get 30 percent off the Digital+ Starter Kit! The Digital+ Starter Kit contains over $320 worth of high-quality Stampin' Up! products, including our innovative digital designing software, My Digital Studio--and during this special promotion, you'll pay just $122.50 to join!  Click here to see all the exciting products the Digital+ Starter Kit contains.

But that's not all! When you join the Stampin' Up! family, you can also purchase the Stampin' Memories Add-On-an additional $75 worth of scrapbooking products--for just $35. With the Stampin' Memories Add-On, you'll get

• A stamp set
• A package of card stock
• A package of Designer Series Paper
• A package of Quick Accents (self-adhesive die cuts)
• A Designer Printed 12" x 12" Album

The Stampin' Memories Add-On is usually priced at $50, but when you join the Stampin' Up! family during our National Scrapbooking Month Promotion, you'll get an additional 30 percent discount.

Don't wait! Get started by contacting me here or go directly to my Stampin' Up! Demonstrator Website to sign up there.  The password to start your own business is ellagrace. 

Thanks for visiting!  Hope you enjoyed the card today and have a good week!!

Margaret

The Open Sea Masculine Card - CCMC-SUM01

One of the great new sets in the Summer Occasions Mini is The Open Sea!  This set comes at just the right time of the year when we are preparing to make our Father's Day cards, graduation cards or birthday cards for the men in our lives.  This one just fits the bill for those projects!  Strong, sturdy, direction, adventurous... are some of the ideas that come to mind with this set.  This was a Make & Take for my workshop this past Thursday too!

I so like this Nautical Expedition Designer Paper and the color scheme of Cherry Cobbler, Not Quite Navy, Early Espresso and Basic Grey!  The stripe from that collection is the basis of the color scheme for my card today;  I did add Sahara Sand and Whisper White cardstocks to the mix as a neutral colors for my composition too.  I am also posting this card to Create with Connie and Mary Summer weekly challenge CCMC-SUM01 today as these are the colors for the Challenge this week!

Love the compass; I added just a touch of color with my Blender Pen and Cherry Cobbler inkpad to make it pop;  an antique pewter mini brad in the center makes a fitting accent.

You can see the layers from this angle; also notice the new Baker's Twine in Cherry Cobbler and White!  It also comes in Early Espresso/White and solid White;  this is a great new accessory and is a very inexpensive way to accent your projects!

All these products can be ordered online through my Stampin' Up! store right HERE!  Be sure to order through my store and not directly through the Stampin' Up! website in order to get preferential pricing and also be able to earn Hostess Benefits on qualifying orders of $150. or more!

Don't forget the 30% Off Specials for the month of May and National Scrapbooking Month!!  There are some wonderful and wonderfully useful stamp sets on sale!  My very favorite is Word Play (can you ever have enough words/sentiments for your cards & projects?  I can't!).  Another favorite is the Printed Petals; Grunge Rock if you have tweens, teens or grandchildren,... you get the idea!  These sets are all good for stamping cards and projects, scrapbooking, 3-D projects et all!  Order through me (contact me here) or my online store before the end of May!

Check out the My Digital Studio (for digital scrapbooking, card-making, printing, the list is endliess..!!) Specials while you're there!  And 30% Off Printing!!  The My Digital Studio downloads must be ordered through my online store and you will be able to immediately download them to your computer!  No shipping cost either!!  What a deal!

Thanks for visiting today!  Have a great weekend!

Margaret

Flower Garden For You Card

This is a really lovely Embossing Folder, this Flower Garden, and I must really like it with pink!  I just noticed the previous card I made and posted with this folder is also in pink; however this one is Regal Rose while the previous was Blushing Bride.  OK, I promise the next one won't be in pink!  LOL!  I'll branch out!

I embossed White Cardstock Vellum with the Flower Garden folder; the embossed process makes the vellum white where it is stretched!  Cool!  This was layered over Regal Rose which has had the right edge of the Rose cardstock treated with the Eyelet Border Punch.  A length of White Organza Ribbon embellishes the design while it covers the edge of the vellum.

The beautiful Four Frames set (which will be in the new 2011-2012 Catalog) was stamped on Whisper White cardstock in Regal Rose Ink; the "for you" sentiment from Great Friend was stamped in the center and was punched out with the Decorative Label Punch.  Lovely self-adhesive Pearls finish off the design.

Vellum Cardstock or paper is really fun to use and lends itself to some techniques with cool results!  Tip:  Always hide the adhesive behind embellishments because almost all adhesives will show through.

Thanks for visiting!  Try some vellum in your stamping if you don't already use it; you'll learn to love it!

Margaret

Bold Blossom and Blossom Bouquet Punch!

I've been trying to get my post up since Wednesday evening but Blogger has been down until yesterday;  when I finally saw it was available, my time was UNavailable, lol!  Thanks for checking!

Blossoms, blossoms everywhere!  It's spring and flowers are blooming here and there.  Stampin' Up! has introduced it's new Blossom Bouquet Triple Layer Punch in the Spring Mini Catalog!  It is the same type of mechanism as the Doily Triple Layer Punch about which I posted here and here.

The new Blossom Bouquet Triple Layer Punch teams up with the Bold Blossoms stamp set to make fun, quick and attractive cards, scrapbook pages and projects for spring, summer or anytime! 

I received this lovely card made by "B" Schreiber in a swap which I hosted.  She used the In Colors of Pear Pizzazz, Peach Parfait, plus Daffodil Delight yellow and Regal Rose to the mix for a very spring-y color scheme!  The looped punch-out flowers were done with the new Blossom Bouquet Triple Layer Punch, which makes several different images!  So cool!

"B" layered several punch-outs together to make the flowers and topped each with a Rhinestone.  The sentiment from the set is stamped on white, punched out with the Large Oval Punch and layered onto a Pear Pizzazz Oval Scallop Punch-out.  In Color Pear Pizzazz ribbon is tied around the card for the finishing touch. 

The second card today is one I made after seeing the idea on the internet; I don't remember where I saw it so if it is yours, please let me know and I'll give you proper credit.  It just stuck in my head so finally just had to make one to get it out!  I did add the tag which wasn't on the original.

 It is so simple ... (you know the rest...), but really, I made a 3" x 3" white card and added a layer of the Concord Crush paper from the Lap of Luxury Designer Paper pack.  Then I cut out a piece of Brushed Gold cardstock, cut strips of Brushed Silver cardstock for the ribbon and used a portion of a Brushed Silver Blossom Bouquet punch-out for the bow. 

 

I stamped the "4 you" from the Tiny Tags set with Concord Crush ink, punched out with the Jewelry Tag Punch and tucked it under the lower corner to finish it off.  How easy is that?!!

You can order these items from your demonstrator, or if you don't have one, I would be so happy for you to place your order through my online store at Stampin' Up! HERE or contact me via email.  Many thanks!

Thanks for dropping by today!  Hope you have a really good weekend!

Margaret

Doily Triple Layer Punch Amour

Yes, I love this punch, although that is not why I titled this post Amour, lol!   The "Amour" refers to the sentiment on the front that can indicate this card is for an anniversary or wedding celebration.  The punch to which I'm referring is the new-in-the-Summer-Mini Doily Triple Layer Punch!  It actually punches our three different images and is a new style and mechanism.  I love our Stampin' Up! punches and this one is no exception!!  It is truly unique from the punches we've had previously.  There is another Triple Layer Punch in the Summer Mini, the Blossom Bouquet; I'll be posting some items made with it in the upcoming days.

A layer of Pink Pirouette was embossed with the Vintage Wallpaper Embossing Folder in the Big Shot then layered onto a card of Pretty in Pink.  The sentiment was stamped onto a frame from the Four Frames stamp set (which will be in the new 2010-2011 Idea Book & Catalog) and punched out with the Decorative Label Punch.

Down the left side of the cardfront is a column of Doilies strung together with a length of Pink Taffeta Ribbon which was tied into a bow at the top.  I love this border;  wouldn't this be pretty down the side of a wedding or perhaps a "girlie" scrapbook page?  I was inspired by a card I saw made by Jackie Topa.  Thanks, Jackie!

Be on the lookout for more samples with the fabulous Triple Layer Punches!  They are really fun and may punch-up your creativity!

Thanks for visiting today!  I'll have more samples each day this week!

Margaret

Flower Garden Embossing Folder Card

YEA!!  We have a new Textured Impressions Embossing Folder in the newly-released Summer Mini Catalog!  These folders are so popular because of the ease of use and the fantastic results they yield!  The new one is Flower Garden, so appropriate for this time of year!  It's easy to see how the deep embossing stands out, giving tactile and visual texture to a card!

The Blushing Bride cardstock layer was embossed with the Big Shot and Flower Garden Folder then stamped with the sentiment from the new Fantastic Florets set (also from the Summer Mini) then layered onto Melon Mambo.  The card base is also Blushing Bride and has a layer of Wild Wasabi and a strip of a print from the Beyond the Garden Designer Series Paper package.  A tie of 1/8" White Taffeta Ribbon around the embossed layer and several Pearls are the finishing touches on this layer.

A border on the right side of the embossed layer is made up of small doilies from Whisper White cardstock punched out with the new Doily Triple Layer Punch.  There are two designs of these new punches in the Summer Mini, this and the Blossom Bouquet, and they each make three different designs!!  It's an innovative new punch design and each punch has three punch-out designs; you really get your money's worth!  You will definitely want to contact your Stampin' Up! demonstrator to see a demonstration of this punch and get some "hands-on" experience with it!  Such a great tool!  You'll be so glad to have it to use in a variety of ways:  focal images, borders, layering flowers, punch art, and many more!

Thanks for visiting today!  I hope you had a lovely Mother's Day weekend!

Margaret

Strength and Hope

As part of our Making a Difference program, Stampin' Up! is proud to partner with The Breast Cancer Research Foundation in the Strength and Hope Campaign.  Throughout the 2011 Summer Mini Catalog sales period, Stampin' Up! will donate $2 from the sale of each Strength and Hope set and Strength and Hope digital kit to The Breast Cancer Research Foundation (BCRF).  This beautiful set is exclusive to the Summer Mini Catalog -- and will help contribute to an amazing cause!

The colors used here are Melon Mambo, Pretty in Pink and Whisper White.  The Pretty in Pink polka dot Designer Series Paper is from Subtles DSP Pack.  I layered it onto Whisper White then a Melon Mambo card.  The diagonal lines of the sketch were accomplished with the use of the Dotted Scallop Ribbon Border Punch, the ends of which are punctuated with medium self-adhesive Pearls.

The beautiful butterfly from the set was stamped with Melon Mambo ink onto another very subtle tiny light pink print from this same DSP pack, then cut out.  I touched it with some Moonlight Smooch Pearlized Accent Ink and some tiny Pearls.  This is layered onto a 2-3/8" Large Scallop punch of Whisper White stamped with the words from the set in Pretty in Pink ink, which I then punched again with the 1-3/4" Scallop Punch.

The capital "H" with the word "Hope" below was stamped in Melon Mambo ink on Whisper White flower that was punched out with the new Blossom Bouquet Triple Layer Punch which will be in the Summer Mini!  It's a new and revolutionary style punch!  I can't wait for you to see and use it!  Can I just say "amazing"?!!

The sketch is Technostamper's TSSC#169 this past week.

Thanks so much for visiting!  Hope your week is good!

Margaret