Necessity is the Mother of Invention...

...or so they say. It certainly was true for me yesterday! I was prepping for a class when I realized I was out of silver Glimmer Paper. Since it was a crucial element in one of the projects, I had to get creative. The result? Check out this quick video and see what I came up with...SO excited!

Want to see the project I was prepping that required the silver sparkle? Check this out:

Birthday card featuring the Hello You Thinlits and the Crazy About You and Kinda Eclectic stamp sets.

 This was inspired by a card I saw on Pinterest and I love it! I began by embossing the starburst image using clear embossing powder on a piece of Whisper White card stock. Then I sponged Tempting Turquoise ink over it to make the embossed image pop. I added some balloons punched from red foil sheets (although it looks black in the photos!) and Neutrals DSP using the Balloon Bouquet punch.

The die-cut sentiment was done using silver Glimmer Paper and the Hello You Thinlits. The word birthday, from the Crazy About You stamp set is stamped in Real Red ink. The only embellishement I added were a few sequins from the Metallics Assortment. The front panel is matted on a piece of Neutrals DSP and then mounted on a thick Whisper White card base.

Inside view with sentiment from Party With Cake

On the inside I stamped the sentiment from the Party With Cake set in Real Red ink. The string for the balloon is from the Balloon Celebration stamp set and is stamped in Basic Black ink. I added another DSP balloon to finish it off.

I hope you find my little DIY Glimmer Paper trick helpful...it sure saved my bacon today! If you did, be sure to share it :)

I almost forgot! Happy St. Patrick's Day to my Irish friends...I hope you have a wonderful day of celebration!

Product List

Kinda Eclectic Clear-Mount Stamp Set [135350] $25.00	Crazy About You Clear Stamp Set [138859] $48.00	Party With Cake Clear-Mount Stamp Set [140672] $25.00	Balloon Celebration Photopolymer Stamp Set [140675] $32.00
Tempting Turquoise Classic Stampin' Pad [126952] $8.00	Real Red Classic Stampin' Pad [126949] $8.00	Basic Black Archival Stampin’ Pad [140931] $8.75	Whisper White 8-1/2" X 11" Card Stock [100730] $10.50
Whisper White 8-1/2" X 11" Thick Cardstock [140272] $8.75	Silver Glimmer Paper [135314] $6.25	Red Foil Sheets [139607] $5.00	Neutrals Designer Series Paper Stack [138435] $27.25
Embossing Buddy [103083] $7.50	Versamark Pad [102283] $9.25	Clear Stampin' Emboss Powder [109130] $6.25	Heat Tool [129053] $37.00
Big Shot [113439] $136.00	Hello You Thinlits Dies [137363] $31.00	Balloon Bouquet Punch [140609] $22.00	Metallics Sequin Assortment [138390] $6.25

Silent Snowy Night

Happy December!  The countdown is on...just 24 days till Christmas!  Have you got your Christmas cards done yet??  Today I have some more inspiration for you.  This is one I designed for my team to create at our meeting last month...

Christmas card featuring the Wonderland and Kinda Eclectic stamp set and Sleigh Ride Edgelits.

Of all of the cards I have made using the Sleigh Ride Edgelits, I think this one is my favourite. I love the quiet serenity of it.  Just like a silent winter's night. To create the background I inked a piece of Whisper White card stock with Night of Navy ink and then, very lightly, with Black Berry Bliss ink. I love the hint of purple the Blackberry Bliss provides. Then I spritzed the entire sponged panel with my trusty Stampin' Mist to get the snowy effect. I also stamped the starburst image from the Kinda Eclectic set using Stampin' Mist as well.  I love the effect behind the Dazzling Diamonds glimmer star.

I used the the Sleigh Ride Edgelits with Dazzling Diamonds glimmer paper to cut the bottom section and layered it over top of my sponged and spritzed background. I layered that on a piece of Night of Navy card stock before mounting it on a thick Whisper White card stock base. The sentiment, from the Wonderland stamp set, is heat embossed in silver on vellum. The only embellishment is a bit of silver cording trim.

On the inside I stamped the sentiment from the Six Sayings host set in Night of Navy ink. Clean and simple and so pretty!  This is one that is quick and easy to make but sure is pretty and oh, so sparkly!

Here are all of the products I used to create this card:

Built for Free Using: My Stampin Blog

Eclectic Christmas

Today I have a funky Holiday card I came up with using two sets from the Annual Catalogue.  Check it out:

Christmas card featuring the Kinda Eclectic and Sassy Salutations stamp sets.

This one looks kind of retro, no?  I love that starburst image from the Kinda Eclectic set and thought it might make a fun background for a Christmas card.  I used a colour scheme of Smoky Slate and Coastal Cabana, along with Whisper White.  The background panel is embossed using the Snowburst (retired) TIEF.

The sentiment is from the Sassy Salutations set.  I highlighted the sentiment panel with a star frame that I die cut from silver glimmer paper using the Stars Framelits.  I added a little silver metallic bow and some Frosted and In-Colour Sequins.

On the inside I stamped the starburst image again is Smoky Slate and then added the sentiment from the long-retired Many Merry Messages set, which I punched with the XL Oval punch. 

Be sure to stop by on Sunday for the new challenge from Sunday Stamps.  In the meantime, have a fabulous weekend!

Something a little Different...and some exciting news!

Click the image to learn more!

If you haven't tried Paper Pumpkin, now is a great time to sign up--get 50% off your first two months. With a deal like this, you'll want to invite everyone you know to give it a try too!  Use the code HALFOFF2 to join Paper Pumpkin before September 10, 2014, and get 50% off the first two months! After that, keep the creativity coming for only $24.95 + tax per month (shipping included). 
This offer is for new subscribers only and is available for month-to-month subscriptions, not prepaid subscriptions.  The discount applies to one kit per month for the first two months of a new subscription. After the first two months, the price for each month's kit will go to the regular price: $24.95. Visit MyPaperPumpkin.com to join...and don't forget to choose me as your demonstrator!

Now on to some stamping...
For my team meeting last week I decided to switch it up a little and instead of doing a card as our make-and-take, we altered the little Kraft Grid Journals from the new Annual catalogue.  I thought it would be something my gals could use to take notes at meetings and jot thoughts and questions throughout the month in between meetings.  Here is the journal we made:

Pocket Journal featuring the Kinda Eclectic stamp set and Dictionary background stamp.

This one was fun to make because it involved a whole lot of layering of images.  I started by stamping the Dictionary background on the front of the journal using Sahara Sand ink.  Next I stamped the sunburst image from the Kinda Eclectic stamp set in Hello Honey.  I then stamped the leaves several times in Mellow Moss, some full strength, some stamped off once.  I also stamped the leaves on a label I die cut with the Apothecary Accents framelits from the new Typeset specialty paper.  I stamped the dots in metallic gold, both full strength and stamped off.

 The doily is heat embossed in gold and then trimmed to fit behind the label.  The little flower embellishment is made with Simply Pressed clay and is heat embossed in gold.  I added a little bit of stitched satin ribbon in Blackberry Bliss and some linen thread.  The butterflies are stamped in Blackberry Bliss, with the smaller one being stamped off, and then punched with the Elegant and Bitty Butterfly punches.  I added a couple of sequins for the body of the butterfly.  I love this look and it was fun to create it on something other than a card.  I will enjoy carrying this little journal in my purse...I hope my team members will too!
 

Fabulous Kindness

Today I have one more over-sized card for you.  This is the last of the ones I made for departing staff members at school this year.  As it happens, this one also qualifies for this week's challenge over at The Friday Mashup, which is to use sequins on a project...

Thank you card featuring the Kinda Eclectic, Flower Shop, Petite Petals and Million and One stamp sets

For this one I pulled out my new favourite go-to set Kinda Eclectic to add pattern and texture to the large background space.  I stamped the starburst in Crumb Cake and the dots in Mossy Meadow and Metallic Gold.  I also used the leaf image from that set on the label, stamping both full strength and stamped off in Mossy Meadow ink.  The sentiment is heat embossed in gold.

The flowers are from the Flower Shop and Petite Petals stamp sets.  I stamped them using Memento black ink and then coloured them using the Rich Razzleberry and Daffodil Delight Blendabilities.

I added some 7/8" cotton ribbon, on which I stamped the dots from the Kinda Eclectic set using Mossy Meadow ink, and adhered using sticky strip to allow me to pleat it as I laid it down.  I also added a bit of that gorgeous stitched satin ribbon in Blackberry Bliss.

The final touch was a few gold sequins which are just the right bit of shine...and who doesn't like a little bling? ;)

Eclectic Kindness

Happy Thursday...just one more day till the weekend...WOOHOO!  We have finished classes at school and start exams today, which means LOTS of marking for little ol' me.  I will be so thankful when I am through it all, not just because I'll be on holidays, but because my boy will be coming home!  He is spending the final two weeks of my school year with my parents, as his school finished last Friday.  I miss him like CRAZY!  Our house is so darned quiet without him.  I can't wait to bring him home!
Today I have a quick card I made using the new Kinda Eclectic stamp set.  I loved this set the moment I laid eyes on it because I knew it would lend itself to quick, easy projects. 

Thank you card featuring the Kinda Eclectic stamp set

This one literally came together in less than 10 minutes...how fantastic is that?!?  My colour scheme is Baked Brown Sugar, Mossy Meadow, Lost Lagoon, Hello Honey and Tangelo Twist, all of which are brand-new In-colours.  Don't they look fantastic together??

I die cut the label using the Apothecary Accents Framelits, which, though one of the original Framelits offerings, are still among my go-to sets.  I added a little Linen Thread for some texture and resisted the urge to emboss or add bling (it wasn't easy!).  I was going for quick and easy...I think I achieved it!