Blended Dahlia Wedding

Big News!!

For a limited time (until the end of June) you can purchase a reduced-priced Starter Kit at the low price of $60 ($65 product value) and join my team of Tri-City Stampers!  This reduced-price kit still offers all the fantastic Demonstrator benefits of the full-price kit, including $65 worth of products of your choice as well as catalogues and business supplies.  This is the perfect time to join Stampin' Up! as we launch a brand new Annual Catalogue - you'll get a 30% discount on your first order!  What a great way to get the items on your new catty Wish List!  To learn more about the demonstrator opportunity click the Join My Team tab above.

Now for some stamping!  This is another project I made a couple of weeks ago while I was playing with my new Blendabilities...

Wedding card featuring the Regarding Dahlias and Label Love stamp sets.

 I love this image coloured with Blendabilities!  So rich and luxurious looking...I couldn't help but make a wedding card with it!

I used the Cherry Cobbler set to colour the image, which is stamped in Memento black ink.  I used the (retired) Pretty Print TIEF on the background and added some Cherry Cobbler Seam Binding Ribbon (more colours of that stuff coming in the new catty-woohoo!) with an Antique Brad and some bling.  The label is from the Label Love set and is punched using the Artisan Label punch.

Inside view with sentiments from One in a Million.

On the inside I just stamped two sentiments from the retiring One In a Million stamp set in Cherry Cobbler and Basic Black ink.  Aside from the colouring this was a snap to put together!

His and hers baby cards

Several aquaintances and customers of mine are expecting babies in the next little while, so I figured I had better stock up on some baby cards.  I decided to try another type of card I've seen popping up all over Pinterest lately that uses the Scalloped Tag Topper punch to create a unique closure.  Have a look:

His & Hers Baby cards featuring the Label Love stamp set.

I decided to make both a girl and a boy card so I would be prepared for either.  I kept the same basic design for both but used Blushing Bride for the girl card and Pool Party for the boy one.  Crumb Cake and Whisper White made for versatile neutrals for both.  Here is a closer look at the girl card:

For the card base I started with a 4-1/4" x 9-7/8" piece of Crumb Cake card stock, which I scored at 5-1/2".  I marked the centre on each short side and then inserted each end into the scalloped tag topper punch over top of the guides for inserting a tag.  (This took some wiggling and care, but it will slide in there!)  I punched both ends and then trimmed the excess card stock with my paper trimmer.  I scored the resulting tab on the longer half of the card (this is the back side) and then folded along the score line.  I also folded the original score line to fold the card in half.  The result is a front that is smaller than the back, to allow the scalloped tabs to overlap.

To decorate the card I used some DSP from the Fresh Prints stack and added half a Tea Lace doily...love those for baby projects! I punched a heart from Blushing Bride card stock, using the Full Heart punch, and then embossed it using the Perfect Polka Dots TIEF.  I punched a little glimmer heart using the Small Heart punch.  The label is stamped in Crumb Cake and then punched using the Artisan Label punch.  I then layered a 7/8" scalloped heart punched from Silver Glimmer paper over top.  I stamped the label again in Blushing Bride, punched out the text using the 3/4" circle punch and adhered it to the centre of the label using a dimensional.  I added a little Vintage Faceted Button with a bit of white Baker's Twine and a tiny little flower punched with the Itty Bitty Shapes pack.  I tied it shut using a bit of Blushing Bride Stitched Grosgrain ribbon.

Inside view with sentiment from Cuddles and Kisses and images from Banner Blast sets.

On the inside I embossed the right edge of the Whisper White layer using the Delicate Designs TIEF and then stamped the sentiment from Cuddles and Kisses in Crumb Cake.  I added a couple of little hearts from the Banner Blast set stamped in Blushing Bride ink.

Here is the boy version:

The only variation here is the use of Pool Party instead of Blushing Bride and stars instead of the small heart and flower.

The finished size of both of these cards is 4-1/4" x 4-5/8".  Cute and still appropriately-sized to mail...gotta love it!

It's about time...for a Card-in-a-box

Well, I figure it's about time I jumped on the bandwagon.  These cards-in-a-box are everywhere these days, so I decided it was about time I gave one a go.  I'm reasonably happy with my first attempt...see what you think:

Birthday Card-in-a-box featuring the Secret Garden, Petite Petals, Label Love and Flower Shop stamp sets.

I decided to try one that is sized to fit in a standard Whisper White envelope.  It made for a slightly smaller canvas to work with, given this was my first try.  I made the box from Sahara Sand card stock and covered the panels using Sweet Sorbet DSP.  The flowers came from a variety of sets, all with coordinating punches or Framelits to eliminate the need to fussy cut.  I wanted to go for quick and easy, since I will likely do this one in a class at some point. 

The Summer Starfruit and large Pool Party flowers came from the Secret Garden set and were die cut using the matching Framelits.  The Crisp Cantaloupe flowers came from the Flower Shop set and were punched with the Pansy punch.  The small Pool Party flowers came from the new Petite Petals set and were punched with the matching punch.  I die cut the leaves from Pistachio Pudding card stock using the Secret Garden Framelits and then ran them through the Perfect Polka Dots TIEF to add a bit of texture.

I used strips of window sheets to attach the flowers to the box and then adhered other flowers with glue dots or dimensionals to complete my bouquet.  It really was like arranging real flowers putting this together!  Lots of fun!  The sentiment is from the Label Love stamp set and is punched using the Artisan Label punch.

I left room on the back of the box to write a personal greeting to the recipient, decorating it with a few stamped flowers.
Ok, so now I see why this syle of card is so popular!  They offer a real WOW and are such fun to create!  I plan to try a few more in different sizes...stay tuned!

So...whaddya think?

I'm dying to know what you all think of the new catalogue!  You've had the weekend to browse and complile your wish lists...so what are your must-haves?  The most popular items at my Open House last Saturday were most definitely the new Simply Pressed Clay and molds.  Very cool new product with tons of possibilities!  My new favourite colour is fast-becoming Coastal Cabana.  I love, love, love it!!  Here is a card I made this weekend using my new fav and a couple of others that are rapidly finding their way to the top of my go-to list:

Wedding card featuring the Happy Day and Label Love stamp sets.

I can not wait for my new catty order to arrive next week, but in the meantime I'm having fun playing with the pre-order and incentive items I've received.  The beautiful medallion on this card is from the Happy Day set...just gorgeous!  I stamped it in Crushed Curry (stamped off), Coastal Cabana (also stamped off) and Smoky Slate.  I also heat embossed one image in pewter.  The sentiment, from the Label Love set, is also heat embossed in pewter and punched out using the Artisan Label punch.  I layered the focal image on a Tea Lace Doily.  Since I don't yet have any Crushed Curry ribbon, I cheated and used some Daffodil Delight seam binding...I think it is close enough that it works ok.  (Did I mention I can't wait for my order to arrive?!?)  The Smoky Slate background layer is embossed with the Modern Mosaic TIEF.  I layered the whole thing on a Basic Gray card base. 
Don't forget to LIKE my Facebook page to be entered in my draw for a free month's subscription to Craft Project Central.  I will be making the draw on June 16th...Father's Day!
The last order of business today is to announce the winner of my Open House door prize.  My impartial judge, Max, drew the winner yesterday.  Congratulations go to...

Chris Light!!

Stay tuned for more prizes later this month...my birthday is coming and there's nothing I like more than birthday surprises ;)

As if the new catalogue launch weren't enough, Stampin' Up! has also announced a great new promotion!

Grab Your Greetings Promotion

 

Sale: 25 percent off three of our greeting sets!

Dates: May 31-June 30, 2013

Sale Price	Retail Price	Description	Item
$21.71	$28.95	Sassy Salutations Wood-Mount Stamp Set	132070
$16.46	$21.95	Sassy Salutations Clear-Mount Stamp Set	126707
$18.71	$24.95	Sweet Essentials Wood-Mount Stamp Set	132085
$13.46	$17.95	Sweet Essentials Clear-Mount Stamp Set	126457
$26.96	$35.95	Petite Pairs Wood-Mount Stamp Set	128706
$19.46	$25.95	Petite Pairs Clear-Mount Stamp Set	122497

How awesome is that???  These are three of my go-to sets for sentiments.  If you don't already own these ones you'll definitely want to add them to your new catalogue order!

Now for a project!  I am back to designing for Craft Project Central again this month and my project is the very first one in the line-up!  Check it out:

My Dad Printer's Tray and card...the perfect Father's Day gift for the kids to give Dad!

 My son worships his Dad.  He looks just like him and wants so badly to  be just like him.  I thought it would be fun to create a project that featured Daddy through a his eyes.  I even left a space for Max to draw a picture of something he likes to do with Daddy...of course he drew the two of them wrestling with Max sitting on Daddy's head (yup, my hubby's a trooper!).  I used the new Soho Subway DSP as the starting point for this project.  I just love the colours and patterns in that pack...perfect for masculine projects.  I used several different sets as well as my Typeset Alphabet dies as well.  This was a really fun project to create!  To access the tutorial head over to Craft Project Central and subscribe to June or click HERE to LIKE my Facebook page to be entered into my drawing for a free month's subscription.  I'll be making the draw on June 16th...Father's Day!!

Now I'm off to get ready for my new catalogue Open House today.  Stop by between 1:00 and 5:00 if you can.  I'd love to see you!

Two More Sleeps!!

Can you tell I'm just a wee bit excited about this new catalogue??  I'm also really pumped about my Open House on Saturday.  I can't wait to hear all my stamping friends' reactions when they get their first look at the catty...so much fun! 
Today I want to show you another project  we'll be doing on Saturday.  I designed it from this week's sketch over at The Paper Players.  Here is the sketch:

And here is my card:

Masculine Birthday card for PP147 featuring the Epic Day DSP and Label Love stamp set.

I love this sketch because I allowed me to showcase this awesome DSP without using a ton of any one pattern. I used four different patterns, adhering it to a piece of Basic Gray card stock before running it through my Big Shot wth the Honeycomb TIEF.  I added some Epic Day This and That Designer Washi Tape, some silver mini brads an a bit of 7/16" Natural Ribbon Trim for more texture.  The sentiment is from the fabulous new stamp set called Label Love and is punched using the coordinating Artisan Label punch (extra bonus:  this duo is available as a discounted bundle in the new catty!!).
Don't forget to confirm your attendance at my Open House on Saturday...its going to be a TON of fun!

Mosaic Madness for Baby

 Baby Card featuring theMosaic Madness and Label Love stamp sets.

Time for another new catty spoiler!

The moment I laid eyes on the new In-Colours for 2013-15 I knew I had to make a baby card with them!  They are so soft and warm I couldn't wait to put together something adorable.  I am discovering that the new Mosaic Madness stamp set and coordinating punch are FAR more versatile than I had first thought.  I've done everything from babies to Christmas (more on that later) with this wonderful set! 
On this project I began with some Pool Party card stock and then overlayed the printed window sheets that come in the new Quatrefancy Specialty DSP pack.  Then I stamped the various quatrefoil images using the some of the new In-Colours:  Crisp Cantaloupe, Coastal Cabana, Baked Brown Sugar and Pistachio Pudding (don't they just make you hungry??). I punched each one out with the coordinating punch.  I stamped the label using Blushing Bride (a former In-Colour that is returning to the core colour families in the new catty), and punched it out with the new Artisan Label punch.  Since I don't yet have any new ribbon in Blushing Bride, I opted for some retired pleated satin, which is just the perfect touch on this adorable baby card. The card base is the new Baked Brown Sugar...a bit lighter than Soft Suede and oh, so yummy! 

Overall I am really happy with the way this card came together.  Who knew that a quatrefoil image would work for babies??

More Sketch Inspiration and a Sneak Peek!

Today I have another sample for this month's sketch inspiration...but first a spoiler alert!  This card uses lots of products from the upcoming 2013-14 Annual Catalogue.  Firstly, the sketch:

...and today's project:

Birthday Card featuring the soon-to-be-released Label Love stamp set (which has a coordinating punch...yahoo!), as well as the new Soho Subway DSP.

Close up view...see the little flower?  I made that with the new Simply Pressed Clay and molds!!  SO AWESOME!!

I warned you there was a ton of new product on this one!  I started with the Soho Subway DSP...so many fantastic patterns and a wonderful fresh, vintage colour pallette.  The pallette includes one of my favourite returing In-colours in the Colour Refresh:  Blushing Bride.  I used the Honey Comb TIEF for the background, which I sponged with Crumb Cake.  I added some Washi Tape from the This and That collection...rapidly becoming addicted to that stuff...for the horizontal element.  The label is from the new Label Love stamp set, which I stamped in Early Espresso and punched out with the new Artisan Label punch.  My favourite new product is the Simply Pressed clay, which I used to make the little pink flower.  The clay comes plain white but is so easy to colour with Stampin' Write markers, once the clay has been molded and dried.  This card was one of the Make-n-Takes at my Tri-City Stampers meeting this month...and they all got to leave with some clay flowers.  So much fun....I love new catty time!