Vintage Vogue Explosion Box Card

An Explosion Box is so cool to make and it's so much fun to see the look on the recipient's face when they open it!  It has been several years since I made one so I was excited that Jann McCollom brought this Make 'n Take to our Stamp Therapy meeting about a week ago.  We all loved it! 

The box/card base is So Saffron, the Designer Paper used is Razzleberry Lemonade and the ribbon is Stitched Rose Red 1 1/4" grosgrain.  The flower on the top is made from Pretty in Pink cardstock punched with the Fancy Flower Punch and the leaves are loops of Old Olive Satin Ribbon. The little banner coming out from underneath the flower has a sentiment on it from the Vintage Vogue set (Occasions Mini Catalog) that says "You raise kindness to an art."

Here are a few more views of the box:

The lid of the box showing the flower center, a So Saffron mini brad:

And finally, the lid removed and the box open:

The inside is stamped with the Vintage Vogue set.  A square of Whisper White is stamped with the Friend stamp from the same set.

What a fun and special card/box to give to a friend!  You can actually put a small gift in the box.  The box size is a 2 3/4" cube.

Stamps:  Vintage Vogue
Ink:  So Saffron and Rose Red Classic, Rose Red Craft
Paper:  Razzleberry Lemonade Designer Paper; So Saffron, Pretty in Pink, Whisper White cardstock
Accessories:  Fancy Flower Punch, Clear Embossing Powder, So Saffron Brad, Heat Tool, Old Olive Satin Ribbon, Dimensional.  All products from Stampin' Up!

I have no written instructions for this but the beginning size of the base cardstock is 8 1/4" x 8 1/4" and the size of the cardstock for the lid is 5" x 5".  I did Google and found instructions for Explosions Boxes on numerous websites and blogs.

Thanks for visiting today!  Have a great week!

Margaret

Soft Summer IV

This is the fourth in my series of saying goodbye to the beautiful Soft Summer set from the Occasions Mini Catalog, which ends tomorrow. There are so many great sets in this mini catalog... it's been a really fun one!

I used the retiring In Color Baja Breeze, which we will miss so much, but Stampin' Up! always has great new In Colors and products awaiting us! These will officially be unveiled on Wednesday, July 1st!

I stamped the soft flower line image in Basic Gray then came back with the second matching solid image in Baja Breeze. You will notice I didn't stamp it exactly on top of the lines; that was intentional. I used the Stamp-a-ma-jig to place the second stamp just where I wanted it so it would be offset and look somewhat like a shadow. Of course it can be stamped exactly on top of the line image if that is what you wish!

I colored a scalloped square frame from the On Board Essentials set of chipboard using Baja Breeze Classic ink and a Sponge Dauber. Those daubers are so easy to use and you don't get ink all over your fingers! While that was drying, I placed a layer of Baja Breeze card stock onto my Basic Gray card and added a patterned paper from the Walk in the Park Designer Series Paper to the lower 3/8ths of the card. The "seam" was covered with the coordinating Baja Breeze 5/8" Striped Grosgrain ribbon. A short piece of the ribbon was tied around the chipboard frame and then the stamped flower piece was adhered to the back.

The greeting from the Really Retro set was stamped in VersaMark and heat embossed with White Embossing Powder. For the final step, the square frame was adhered to the card using Snail Adhesive. Pretty quick and easy!

Stamps: Soft Summer, greeting from Really Retro
Ink: Basic Gray, Baja Breeze, VersaMark
Paper: Walk in the Park Designer Paper; Basic Gray, Baja Breeze, Whisper White
Accessories: Sponge Daubers, Baja Breeze Grosgrain ribbon, On Board Essentials (scallop frame), White Embossing Powder, Heat Tool, Stamp-a-ma-jig

Many of these products are retiring and can only be ordered through tomorrow, June 30. Both the Spring-Summer Idea Book and Catalog and the Occasions Mini Catalog expire tomorrow so if there is anything on the retiring lists or mini catalog that you want, you must order now or it will be unavailable.

Sorry I've not posted more in the last week but I've had a funeral and then a family reunion in Houston so I've been away.

I always appreciate your visits! Take care, and have fun stampin'!

Soft Summer III

Today is the third in the Soft Summer sample series; this is a card we did as a Make and Take in a workshop last week. These dogwood blooms are so pretty but I didn't know for sure what color they are in real life (IRL) since I've never lived in the part of the country where they grow wild. I googled them and found that in the wild they are white but the cultivated plants can be red to pink. So I went with a pink for our Make N Take.

The Rose Red background layer was run through the Big Shot with the gorgeous Damask Texturz Plate
for quick and easy dry embossing, then this was adhered to the Celery card base. The image was stamped in Basic Brown on Whisper White then colored in with Blender Pens and ink from the lids of the pads. An additional flower was stamped on a scrap of white, colored then cut out and layered onto the like image using a Dimensional . This really emphasizes the main flower. The corners were snipped with the Scallop Circle Punch then this was layered onto Garden Green.

Another favorite but retiring-in-a-week set is Elegant Cheer which I used for the sentiment. This was punched with the Wide Oval Punch and a Scallop Circle in Garden Green was layered behind it.

This was another quick and simple yet one with visual and textural interest due to using the Big Shot, Texturz Plates and also a simple Paper Tole. I'm really going to miss Soft Summer!

Stamps: Soft Summer, sentiment from the retiring Elegant Cheer set
Ink: Rose Red, Old Olive, Certainly Celery, Riding Hood Red, Creamy Caramel
Cardstock: Certainly Celery, Rose Red, Garden Green, Whisper White

Accessories: Big Shot, Texturz Plate, Scallop Circle Punch, Wide Oval

Punch, Paper Snips, Dimensionals

One more sample to come using the other flower image in the set! Tomorrow....

Thanks for dropping by. Hope you have a great day!

Margaret

Soft Summer II

Here's my next Soft Summer card...very simple and easy. This one uses the Two-Step Stamps: the outline image is stamped first then the second solid stamp which fills in the outline is stamped, hence the Two-Step name. Soft Summer is in the Occasions Mini which expires at the end of this month. :-(

This is a very simple card that can be made in a short period of time and yet it is very nice for a variety of occasions. The card base is Sahara Sand which is stamped in Basic Brown ink. A length of yummy 5/8" Chocolate Chip Grosgrain ribbon is tied around the cardfront and tied.

The outline image is stamped in Basic Brown on Whisper White cardstock. The second step is inking the solid image with markers; I used Cameo Coral, Close to Cocoa, Artichoke and So Saffron. Using my Stamp-a-ma-jig for placement (what a wonderful invention!!), I overstamped the color into the outline. I used some markers to fill in a few places like the lighter portions of the leaves. This was then layered onto a piece of Cameo Coral cardstock, adhered to the card and the sentiment stamped below.

Stamps: Soft Summer; sentiment from Hugs and Wishes (retiring)
Ink: Basic Brown pad; Cameo Coral, Close to Cocoa, Always Artichoke So Saffron Stampin' Write Markers
Paper: Sahara Sand, Cameo Coral and Whisper White card stock
Accessories: Ticket Corner Punch, Chocolate Chip 5/8" Grosgrain Ribbon.

Thanks for visiting! I hope you've had a really good weekend!

Margaret

Good-bye, So Long, ...

Saying good-bye is hard when you've had so much fun... nevertheless good-bye soon to Kiwi Kiss and Pink Pirouette and the Soft Summer stamp set. But we have still a little time yet to enjoy their presence and we'll make the best of it!

Pink and green is such a wonderful combination and this contemporary combo of delicate Pink Pirouette and kicky Kiwi Kiss is no exception! The lovely embossing on the Kiwi background is thanks to the Big Shot and SU's Tapestry Texturz Plates. Just one run through the Big Shot and you have the grandest embossed background! So quick and easy!! This is adhered to the Pink Pirouette card and a scalloped strip of Walk in the Park Designer Paper added on that. That lovely white organza ribbon with a pearly sheen tops it off.

The image is stamped in Basic Brown ink and colored with Stampin' Write Markers, Blender Pens and Classic inks. The flower centers are covered with micro beads from the Green Duo bead set which give them a nice dimension. One corner of the white piece is pierced for interest. On the opposite corner the sentiment is punched out with the Large Oval Punch and layered on a Pink-sponged-with -Riding-Hood-Red Scallop Oval Punch-out.

Soft Summer makes beautiful cards for so many occasions! Just choose your sentiment and you're set. It is in the Occasions Mini and is only available until June 30, then gone away, just like the Kiwi Kiss and Pink Pirouette In Color products.

Stamps: Soft Summer

Ink: Basic Brown, Kiwi Kiss, Pink Pirouette, Riding Hood Red, Old Olive
Paper: Walk in the Park Designer Paper; Kiwi Kiss, Pink Pirouette, Whisper White
Accessories: White Organza Ribbon, Crystal Effects, Green Duo Beads, Scallop Oval Punch, Large Oval Punch, Mat Pack, Piercing Tool, Big Shot, Texturz Plate

Thanks for visiting! I'll have more Soft Summer tomorrow!

Margaret

Classic Sketches

I recently participated in an All Occasion swap with SSUS (Sensational Stampin' Up! Swappers) so I couldn't share the card I made for the swap. Since I received the cards from the other swappers back today, I can now share it. The cards I received were are all great! Thanks Ladies!

I used the set Classic Sketches for the focal image of my card, stamping it in Basic Gray on Sage Shadow card stock. I tore the bottom of the Sage and sponged it with Going Gray. The sentiment is from Sense of Time from the current Occasions Mini Catalog. (I'm obviously really drawn to the vintage style stamps!) The words were stamped in Basic Gray on Creamy Caramel, sponged and layered on Basic Gray again.

The card base is Creamy Caramel overlaid with Basic Gray with distressed edges, then a layer of Ruby Red stamped with the flourish from the Baroque Motifs set in Ruby Red, and the edges were also distressed on it.

Stamps: Classic Sketches, Sense of Time, Baroque Motifs
Inks: Basic Gray, Ruby Red, Going Gray
Paper: Creamy Caramel, Basic Gray, Ruby Red, Sage Shadow
Accessories: Basic Gray Taffeta Ribbon, Distressing Tool from the Cutter Kit, Vintage Brads, 1 3/4 Circle Punch, Coluzzle, Stampin' Sponges.

Don't forget to check my Stampin' Up! website under "Stampin' Up! Products" then click "Promotions" to see the list of retiring stamps and Decor Elements! June 30 is the last day they will be available! You can order directly from my website just by clicking the "Shop Now" button.

Thanks for visiting today! I appreciate it! See you soon!

Margaret

And Many Mower - TSSChallenge #72

Happy Monday to you! It's the day for Technostamper's Monday Sketch Challenge! On the right is our sketch for today which I like very much. Even so, I had to rotate it to accommodate the idea I had for using it. I'm sure I'll be using this sketch again!

Father's Day is coming up on June 21st! My son-in-law plays golf as does my brother so I have good use for this set. Not to mention the images of the set that I didn't use are a lawn mower and some others that can be used for birthdays or even retirement! It's a fun and versatile set and a good investment for cards for guys!

I rotated the sketch because the placement of the sentiment didn't work with this image and had to be moved. I began with a base card of Pacific Point cardstock then layered 1 1/2" wide strip of Muirfield Designer Paper. Even though this DSP was retired from last fall's catalog, I just couldn't resist using the plaid with the golfer. Then I added a 2 1/2" strip of Kiwi Kiss cardstock. The golfer was stamped in Staz-On (so the lines won't blur with the Blender Pen) onto Very Vanilla cardstock (there is Vanilla in the plaid). I colored him in with the Blender Pen and ink from the lids of my ink pads. There is a soft Going Gray shading around the image to ground it. This was layered on Pacific Point cs.

The sentiment was stamped and punched out with the Large Oval Punch then sponged with Kiwi Kiss and layered on a Key Tag Punch out of Pacific Point. This was adhered over the Pacific Point Striped Grosgrain Ribbon that covers the seam of the two papers.

The "golf balls" were made by running a scrap of Whisper White cardstock through the Big Shot with the Small Dots Texturz Plates then punching out three 1/2" circles. These were mounted with "wrong side out", with the dimples going in, for the golf balls, and then on additional circles of Pacific Point.

This was a fun and easy card to make and I enjoyed the sketch! And Many Mower is found in the current Occasions Mini Catalog which ends on June 30! You may see Technostamper's card here and also links to others who've posted their cards done with this sketch.

Stamps: And Many Mower

Ink: Kiwi Kiss, Pacific Point, Black Staz-On, Going Gray, Blush Blossom

Paper: Muirfield DSP (retired); Pacific Point (retiring), Kiwi Kiss (retiring), Very Vanilla, Whisper White card stocks

Accessories: 1/2" Circle Punch; Key Tag Punch (retiring), Large Oval Punch, Pacific Point Striped Grosgrain Ribbon (retiring), Big Shot, Small Dots Texturz Plate, Stampin' Sponge, White Signo Gel Pen.

The list of stamps and also the accessories that are being retired from this catalog were posted today on the Stampin' Up! website! Once these are gone, they are GONE, so please order those things that you want TODAY so you won't be disappointed! You may order online from my Stampin' Up! website 24/7. Just click here to go there. Some of the accessories are on sale for 25 to 50% off! Don't miss this fabulous bargain and great way to stretch your dollars!!

Hope you have a wonderful day and week! Thanks for visiting and come back soon.

Margaret

Your comments are always encouraging and appreciated. Thanks!

Golden Oldies

One of the fun new sets in the Occasions Mini Catalog is Golden Oldies which consists of three stamps featuring seniors, each with a humorous saying included.

The Card Games set tied right in with the sentiment that says "shuffle" so I used the image of the king card and stamped it in Real Red on the Real Red background layer. It's hard to see in the picture but it's there! The Jackpot Designer Paper was layered onto black to make it pop and two of the card suit images were stamped in black on the upper left of that. The image of the fellow was colored with Blender Pen and ink from the lid of the ink pad then emphasized with markers and softened with the Blender Pen.

The template and pad from the Mat Pack were used to do the paper piercing on the corners with the Piercing Tool from the Crafters Tool Kit.

The sentiment was stamped on So Saffron cardstock, punched out with the Large Oval Punch and layered on Real Red punched out with the Key Tag Punch. Retired diamond-shape silver brads accent this layer which was added with Dimensionals to emphasize it.

On the inside of the card I stamped twice the four card suit images, inking the stamp with red and black markers.

Stamps: Golden Oldies, #113712, set of 3, $16.95; Card Games, #113202, set of , p. 109, $19.95
Inks: Real Red, So Saffron, Basic Black, Blush Blossom; Real Red Marker
Papers: Jackpot Designer Series Paper; So Saffron, Real Red, Basic Black, Whisper White
Accessories: Key Tag Punch, Large Oval Punch, Blender Pen, Black Gingham Ribbon, Mat Pack, Piercing Tool, Silver Brads (retired), Dimensionals.

Remember that the "Buy Three, Get One Free Sale" on ALL Designer Series Paper and 12 x 12 Textured Card Stock packs ends the last day of this month!! You don't want to miss this great special! You may go to my Stampin' Up! website HERE to order, or email me to place your order quickly!

Thanks for visiting today! Hope your day is filled with blessings and you get some time to stamp a little also!

Margaret

Forest Friends and TSSC #67!

The set I'm featuring today is Forest Friends. The first time I saw them, I thought they were just so cute...they looked like Bambi and Thumper and friends! My first card is for Technostamper's Monday Sketch Challenge #67. Here is the sketch for today:

I used the Forest Friends set as well as the Glad Friends single sentiment stamp. On page 208 of the catalog are all the other single stamps that are available free as part of the current "Get Connected" promotion this month . It can also be received free when you purchase $40. or more in merchandise from the Occasions Mini Catalog on or before April 30 or host a workshop with sales of $150. or more.

The Kiwi Kiss paper in the background is the Walk in the Park Designer Series Paper, also from the mini. This was layered on Baja Breeze then a Chocolate Chip 4 x 4" card. Baja Breeze grosgrain ribbon was added around the card and embellished with a punched out flower and a chocolate Flower Brad. The flowers on top of the sentiment were punched out with the Trio Flower Punch . This was all layered on a chocolate Scallop punch.

Be sure to go to Technostamper's blog from the link at the end of today's post to see her card for this challenge as well as a list of all the other players for this week.

*****

The second card is a bit more rustic with the Chocolate Chip and Creamy Caramel card and handstitching with natural Linen Thread. Using my Chocolate Chip inkpad, I gave the Caramel cardstock a faux woodgrain then ran it through the Big Shot machine with the Distressed Texturz Plate to really give it texture.

The Sage Shadow layer was also given the woodgrain treatment, stamped lightly with Baja Breeze then handstiched to the chocolate layer. The owl and deer were stamped then cut out and adhered. Chocolate 5/16" brads were added at the two right corners. This would be a good card for a male, and sometimes I really run low on those!

*****

Third is a shadowbox card in a Kiwi Kiss, Baja Breeze and Chocolate Chip color scheme. The owl and deer were again stamped, cut out and laid aside. A circle was cut in the first layer (Urban Garden Designer Paper); the second layer (Sahara Sand cardstock) was stamped first with the tree in the set then partially cut out. The last layer is Baja Breeze which you can see in the center. The owl and deer were then adhered to their respective layer.

The sentiment is from the fun Really Retro sayings, set of seven. It was punched out with the Word Window Punch, as were the two Chocolate Chip pieces on which it is layered. Vanilla 5/16" brads are not only decorative but hold all three layers together.

Don't forget the "Get Connected" Special this month for the free individual stamp. No Limit!

You may go to Technostamper's blog here.

Thanks for dropping by! Hope you will come back soon!

Margaret

Occasions Mini Blog Tour MONDAY, April 27!

REMEMBER! Come back tomorrow for AN EXCITING

BLOG TOUR -- MONDAY, APRIL 27

Featuring the OCCASIONS MINI CATALOG!

I'll be featuring samples of the "FOREST FRIENDS" stamp set here!

Rise and Shine and get your morning caffeine of choice! :) Drop in when you can! It will be fun, inspirational and exciting!

The tour will be available all day until midnight, but after that, it's gone and you will have missed it, so remember to come here tomorrow as soon as you can get here!!

Next stop after this? "AND MANY MOWER" samples by a very talented stamp artist, Mary Jo Price-Williams! You'll find the link to her blog here!

And "Get Connected" with family and friends through Stampin' Up!'s current promotion. Purchase $40 from the Occasions Mini and get a FREE stamp from our "under $10" page 208 in the Idea Book and Catalog! (I love FREE!!) You'll then have great supplies to make cards for "your circle" to stay connected and keep those relationships flourishing!

See you TOMORROW!

Margaret

Classic Sketches BC95

The challenge last Friday for the Blogger's Challenge was a color challenge: use Always Artichoke, Chocolate Chip, Sage Green and Sahara Sand to make your card. I was a little "iffy" the Sage with the Artichoke but I'm happy now with the way these went together.

For this card I used my new Classic Sketches set from the Spring-Summer Catalog. As I mentioned yesterday, I really like the Classic and Vintage styles so this was one of the first sets I ordered.

I paired the largest image from the set with a saying from the Sense of Time set I used yesterday. The image was stamped in Artichoke Craft Ink and embossed with Clear Embossing Powder, as was the sentiment. The card base is Chocolate Chip card stock. Overlaying that is a piece of Sage Shadow which has been rolled with the Baroque Border wheel and stamped with another stamp from the set, both in Sahara Sand ink.

The Ticket Corner Punch was used on many of the corners to give them a more ornate appearance. Chocolate Chip 5/8" grosgrain ribbon and Vintage Brads finish off the card.

Sets: Classic Sketches, #113206; Sense of Time, #113804; Baroque Border Wheel, #109675
Paper: Chocolate Chip, Always Artichoke, Sage Shadow, Sahara Sand
Inks: Chocolate Chip Craft and Classic; Always Artichoke Craft; Sahara Sand
Accessories: Standard Wheel Handle, Chocolate Chip 5/8" Grosgrain Ribbon; Vintage Brads, Ticket Corner Punch, Clear Embossing Powder

Click HERE or on the Bloggers Challenge logo in the left sidebar to see the list of Challengers, then visit some of them to see what they did with this challenge!

Hope you enjoy! Thanks for dropping by. Have fun stampin'!

Margaret

New Concept Coming Next Monday!

Do you like to travel? Blog Hop? Well, here's a great opportunity to take a tour... a BLOG TOUR! A group of us in Late Night Stampers online group have gotten together and organized a tour of twenty blogs; on each blog will be featured a different set or product from the current and fabulous Stampin' Up! Occasions Mini Catalog! See samples, get ideas, enjoying inspiring artwork! When you've completed the trip, you'll be bursting with ideas!

Remember, start here next Monday, April 27 after 7 a.m. (CDT) to midnight to begin your trip! Set your reminder, pack your bag and bring your cuppa' java, tea or cocoa! (but you can wear your jammies and bunny slippers! lol!) We're working hard to make this a great experience, and the first of it's kind!!

Oh, I forgot to mention, it is for this ONE DAY ONLY, so if you come after Monday, you will have missed the bus! : ( You'll not want to miss this unique opportunity!

Margaret

Sense of Time TSSC66

I had a good time using my new Sense of Time set from the Occasions Mini Catalog last night! I am usually drawn to vintage style stamps and this one did quickly catch my eye. It also has two very nice sayings in the set... and can we ever have too many sayings? Noooooooo! : )

I made my card for Technostamper's Monday Sketch Challenge and you see the sketch for the week on the right. It is a good yet simple sketch which will be useful again and again!

The card base is my much neglected More Mustard card stock; then I added the Artichoke striped DSP on which I softly stamped the gears stamp in Close to Cocoa (I wanted it to be subtle). Ruby Red and More Mustard layers next then a layer of Chocolate Chip which has been run through the Big Shot with the Distressed Texturz Plate to give it wonderful visual and tactile interest. They are great!

I stamped the large clock face and gears on Sahara Sand cardstock in Chocolate Chip Craft ink then heat embossed with Clear Embossing Powder, then lightly sponged the various inks onto them and cut them out. The sentiment was stamped and cut out; the ends of the cardstock were each placed into the Rounded Tab Punch to give them that little rounded look, then it was sponged with inks also and Vintage Brads added. All the pieces were layered onto the chocolate piece with Dimensionals and Snail Adhesive. For the three "dots" design element, I used Ruby Red brads from the Earth Elements Brads assortment.

You know, we are always needing cards for the men and I think this one would fit the bill just great!

Stamps: Sense of Time #113804, set of 4
Inks: Chocolate Chip, Ruby Red, Always Artichoke, More Mustard, Close to Cocoa Classic; Chocolate Chip Craft
Paper: More Mustard, Ruby Red, Always Artichoke, Chocolate Chip, Sahara Sand cardstock; Artichoke Designer Paper from Patterns Pack Level I Hostess (Fa 08)
Accessories: Clear Embossing Powder, Ruby Red brads from Earth Elements Asst., Vintage Brads, Stampin' Sponges, Rounded Tab Punch, Big Shot Machine, Sizzix Texturz Plates, Dimensionals, Snail Adhesive.

You can see Technostamper's card here and a listing of the other players this week. Take the challenge yourself and see what you come up with.

Thanks for visiting! You are always welcome here! Click on "Comments", leave me a note and say Hello!

Hope you get to have some fun stampin'!

Margaret

Blogger's Challenge #94

It's Friday and time for the next Blogger's Challenge, today #94. Today's challenge is to use a technique of your choice. I opted to use one I saw not too long ago and have been wanting to try. Now I have an excuse to make me do it! lol! It is the ruffled scallop edge and I first saw it on the blog of it's creator, Jan Tinklenberg, a very talented paper artist.

For my focal image I used the birthday cake from Eight Great Greetings, a versatile set of eight from the wonderful new Occasions Mini Catalog. This was punched out then layered on a Regal Rose punched circle. The ruffle was attached to that . The Designer Paper used on this card is all from the Sweet Always package and it is very sweet indeed, composed of Regal Rose, Chocolate Chip, Pink Pirouette, Pumpkin Pie and Whisper White. On the polka dot paper, I stamped a dotted flower image from the coordinating Always stamp set in Chocolate Chip to give it more interest and balance the design.

Stamps: Eight Great Greetings, Always
Inks: Basic Black, Chocolate Chip Classic; Regal Rose, Pretty in Pink, Pumpkin Pie Markers
Paper: Sweet Always Designer Paper; Regal Rose, Chocolate Chip, Whisper White
Accessories: Scallop Border Punch, Silver Hodgepodge Hardware, Regal Rose Grosgrain Ribbon, 1 1/2" and 1 3/4" Circle Punches

Be sure to visit the other Blogger's Challenge Players on this list to see what technique they did. I can't wait to do so myself!

Thanks for dropping by today. Hope you enjoy the card. Have a good Friday and a wonderful Easter weekend!

Margaret

Trendy Trees and Funky Forest

One of the cute new sets in the Spring/Summer Catalog is this one, Trendy Trees. It's part of the Retro Fresh Style Watch collection (p. 10-11) which "updates a retro style with a fresh twist. Bright vivid colors and bold patterns bring a playful look to your handcrafted creations". There are five stamp sets and numerous accessories included, all for a fresh and fun clean look.

The Stamp-A-Ma-Jig is invaluable for placing the tree trunk in just the right place after first stamping the tree tops. Everything went together pretty quick for this colorful card. I think these stylized trees are so attractive and, depending on the color choices, can be used for both men's and women's cards, as well as children's. Very versatile!

Stamps: Trendy Trees, Funky Forest standard wheel
Inks: Tangerine Tango, Old Olive, Perfect Plum, Close to Cocoa
Paper: Tangerine Tango, Old Olive, Perfect Plum, Whisper White card stock
Accessories: Stamp-A-Ma-Jig, Flower Fusion (felt flowers), Tangerine Tango Striped Grosgrain ribbon, 5/16" Jumbo Brads, Trio Flower Punch, Standard Wheel Handle, Old Olive cartridge

Thanks for visiting! Hope you get time for some stamping R & R today!

Margaret

More Easter Bunny Cards with Eight Great Greetings

For my workshop this past weekend we did a little 4" x 4" card with the cute little bunny from the brand-new set Eight Great Greetings from the Occasions Mini Catalog (April 1-June June 30, 2009). This is a good size card to use for smaller size images and also when you want to tuck a small card into a gift, basket or even use as a gift tag.

The bunny was stamped on Whisper White in Basic Black, colored with Stampin' Write Markers and Blender Pens then punched out with the 1 3/4" Circle Punch. It was then layered on the Scallop Circle from the Sizzix Pennant Die (these are larger circles than the Scallop Circle Punch). A piece of Designer Paper was added to the lower half of the card, the sentiment stamped and a ribbon tie added. A strip of colored cardstock was scalloped with the Scallop Border Punch and added to the inside bottom of the card to add some color there too. Viola! Done! Very quick and easy! A perfect little note to tuck into an Easter basket!

The Almost Amethyst Scallop card uses the delicate stripe from the Afternoon Tea DSP and the sublime Certainly Celery polytwill ribbon that was a free Sale-A-Bration selection with purchase. I hope you got some of it because it has the most amazing feel and is very easy to work with. Can you tell I love it? lol!

The Saffron Scallop bunny card uses the Saffron print Designer Paper from the Delicate Dots Sale-A-Bration DSP and the the Saffron Striped 5/8" grosgrain ribbon from the Spring/Summer Catalog. A card I saw made by Angie Juda gave me the inspiration for these cards.

This versatile set, Eight Great Greetings (#113822, set of 8, $27.95), has eight stamps with sentiment included that would be perfect not only for standard cards but especially for the smaller size cards, whether square or rectangle. The greetings cover birthday, Easter, thanks, Dad, wedding, congrats, shower and a humorous one that could also be used for Mother's Day. That's a lot of occasions!

Thanks for dropping in to visit! Hope you have a great day and you get some time to have fun stampin'!

Margaret

Sneak Peek: Eight Great Greetings!

One of the sets available in the upcoming Occasions Mini Catalog Sneak Peek is this versatile all-occasion set, Eight Great Greetings! I used this week's sketch challenge from Mojo Monday and the cute little bunny from this set to make a Happy Easter card.

I stamped the image and colored with markers and blender pen. The pink background was embossed with the Large Dot Texturz Plate and the Big Shot. The stripe paper is from the Afternoon Tea Designer Paper pack and is layered on Amethyst. The wonderful Certainly Celery polytwill ribbbon finishes it off; it has such a nice smooth feel and is great to work with.

Stamps: Eight Great Greetings
Inks: Basic Gray pad; So Saffron, Pretty in Pink, Certainly Celery, Almost Amethyst Markers
Paper: Afternoon Tea Designer; Basic Gray, Pink Pirouette, Almost Amethyst, Whisper White, Certainly Celery card stock
Accessories: Celery Polytwill ribbon (SAB), Blender Pen, Eyelet Border Punch, 1/4" circle punch, Big Shot, Large Dot Texturz Plate

For some reason my photo is rather muted but the colors look good IRL; so sorry. I really like this sketch and think I'll be using it again in the future!

Thanks for dropping by! Have fun stampin'!

Margaret

Classic Sketches Tile

I've always been drawn to classic styles so it was natural that I would be immediately drawn to the new set in the Stampin' Up! Spring/Summer Catalog, Classic Sketches; I knew right away it would be great to make some marble tile coasters for our family room.

These are the 4 x 4" Bottichino tumbled marble tile available at Home Depot. They are not glazed and are really quite easy to do. First I clean my tile with rubbing alcohol to remove oil from fingerprints and marble dust. Second, stamp my chosen images with CRAFT ink. This is different from the Classic ink in that it has pigment in it and is opaque. I used Close to Cocoa Craft Ink on these tiles. I also used a Stampin' Sponge wedge to softly sponge more Craft ink on the sides to enhance the aged look. Third, bake them in a 350 degree over for 15 minutes to set the Craft ink. Let them cool (they will be very hot, and hold the heat!), adhere rubber or felt feet to the back and enjoy!

If you wish, you can spray the tile with a sealer once they are cool, but be aware that your tile won't be as absorbent if you seal them. If you use any water-soluble media such as chalks, watercolor crayons or pencils, etc., to add color to your tile, they will definitely require sealing. I have also used Staz-On Ink for stamping on marble tiles. Since I wanted brown for these, I chose to use the Craft ink which works quite well.

In addition to the Classic Sketches, I used a couple of images from a new Occasions Mini Catalog set, Sense of Time, which also has an antique/vintage look. Customers may begin ordering from the Occasions Mini on April 1st (no joke!), except for the three sets which I posted here earlier (which have the cutest images for Easter) which may be ordered now. One of the perks of being a demonstrator is that you have opportunities for pre-ordering from the catalogs!

I hope you have an enjoyable weekend! Thanks for dropping by!

Margaret