Bliss colour coach combo

In an effort to jump-start my creativity, I turned to my colour coach last night.  I wanted to find a combo that used a neutral with other more saturated colours.  The combo I settled on was sahara sand, bravo burgundy and pink pirouette.  Since I was also working on designs for a workshop on Saturday and I wanted to feature the Big Shot, I came up with this:

Card using Bliss SAB set and colour combo from the colour coach.

Close-up of focal image.

Trying to show the shimmer paint on the embossing!

So, when I began this card I was trying to come up with a workshop make-n-take...now that it's finished it definitely won't be a make-n-take...too many pearls!!  Here is what I did to put this together...

Starting with a sahara sand card base, I ran it through my Big Shot using my vintage wallpaper embossing folder.  I then sponged frost white shimmer paint all over the embossed surface and set it aside to dry.  I then took a piece of 2 3/4" x 3 3/4" pink pirouette cardstock and punched the corners using my ticket corner punch.  Using the flourish from the Bliss SAB set, I inked it in bravo burgundy, stamped off and then stamped on the pink cardstock, centring the image.  I then stamped the flower in full-strength bravo burgundy, the bird in sahara sand and the butterflies in sahara sand, and then again in frost white shimmer paint.  I sponged the edges of the pink piece in bravo burgundy and then sponged whole thing in shimmer paint.  I then punched two strips of bravo burgundy with my scallop border punch and adhered them along the top and bottom edges of the pink panel.  Setting this piece aside to dry, I took my embossed card base and wrapped a piece of 1 1/4"  pink pirouette grosgrain ribbon (retired, but available on the Clearance Rack online) around the card front, securing it with glue dots.  I then layered a piece of 1" bravo burgundy grosgrain ribbon over top of the pink, again securing it with glue dots.  I then took my pink panel and adhered it to the card using dimensionals.  For the sentiment, I stamped "Bliss" in bravo burgundy on very vanilla cardstock, punching it out with my large oval punch.  I also punched a designer label in sahara sand and sponged the edges of both pieces in bravo burgundy.  I layered the oval over the label and adhered them to the card using dimensionals.  The final touch on this card was the pearls along the scalloped border and in the centre of the flower...I just couldn't resist adding them, even though it made the card undoable at a workshop!  Maybe I'll use it for one of my clubs next month!  I purposely didn't add a sentiment to the inside because I thought it could work as both and anniversary and a wedding card.  We'll see what my club ladies think!

I'm going to be an Auntie!!

My brother and sister-in-law stopped by tonight to share the big news...they're expecting their first baby in September!  I am SO excited for them...and for me too!  A new little niece or nephew to spoil silly and someone to hand off all our baby gear to...double delight!  Coincidentally, I have a baby card to share with you tonight!  I made this on the weekend when I was playing around with the faux torn paper technique.  I am wanting to create samples I can show my customers that just use cardstock, ink and stamps without patterned paper.  While I love our patterned paper, not everyone can afford to purchase it; so I want to show everyone that you can still get the effect of patterned paper with just stamps and ink.  Here is a really simple baby card I made using the Sweet Summer SAB set.

Baby card made using faux torn paper technique and Sweet Summer stamp set.

Close up of sentiment detail from Something to Celebrate level 2 hostess set from the Occasions Mini.

Sentiment from the Occasional Quotes level three hostess set.

Inside sentiment also from Occasional Quotes set.

The more I play with the Sweet Summer set the more I love it!  The images are just so...well...sweet!  There is so much one can do with them!  For this card, I decided to try to create the look of DSP, so I started with a piece of whisper white cardstock.  I tore several repositionable notes and adhered them along the length of the cardstock about one third of the way down.  I then stamped the various images from the Sweet Summer set using the following ink colours:  pear pizzaz for the vine, rose red for the flower (which actually ended up being completely covered by the ribbon!), so saffron for the butterfly and marina mist for the bird.  I then coloured each image using my blender pen and the following ink colours:  certainly celery for the vine, pretty in pink for the flower, peach parfait for the butterfly and bashful blue for the flower.  I then sponged pink pirouette ink all over the stamped section, ensuring the edges and area along the mask were darkest.  I then removed the mask and repositioned it along the edge I had just inked, revealing the still-white top portion of the cardstock.  I stamped the tiny bumblebee in so saffron and then sponged the entire area using the same ink colour.  I then wrapped a piece of 1 1/2" grosgrain ribbon in pink pirouette (retired, from the Clearance Rack) around the cardfront, forming a bow by wrapping a short piece of pretty in pink gingham ribbon (retired) around the middle.  I then adhered the whole thing to a pear pizzazz card base.  The sentiment was stamped in pear pizzazz ink on a scrap of whisper white and then punched out using my modern label punch.  I lightly sponged the surface of the modern label with so saffron ink and the edges with rose red.  This was then layered on a wide oval in pink pirouette that had also been sponged in rose red.  Because I'm the layer queen ; ) I added a final decorative label layer in pear pizzazz before adhering it to the card.  The finishing touch on the sentiment was some little pearls.
For the inside of the card, I stamped the vine and bumble bee in pear pizzazz along the lower edge.  The sentiments, both of which are from the Occasional Quotes set, were stamped in pear pizzazz and pink pirouette on whisper white and then either punched out or cut out.  All edges were lightly sponged and all were adhered inside the card using dimensionals.
My brother and sis-in-law aren't going to find out the gender of the baby before it is born, so I'll have to wait to know if I will have a niece or nephew until the little bundle arrives in September; but that certainly won't stop me from designing shower invitations, birth announcements, thank you cards, mini scrapbooks etc, etc, etc.  You'll see lots of baby stuff over the next 6 months or so!

Shocked and Amazed!!

This afternoon at work I did a quick check of my emails and to my shock and amazement there was a message from Linda Aarhus informing me she had awarded me the...

I sat and read the email several times before it actually sank in and I am still in disbelief that my little blog would ever be worthy.  Knowing all the hundreds, thousands even, of amazing blogs out there in cyberspace I never imagined I would be considered among them.  So a HUGE thank you to Linda!!  Please check out her blog Polka Dots and  Paper...you'll be glad you did!


Now, as a recipient of this award, I have some business to take care of.  The first is to pass it on to eight other blogs I have recently discovered.  So, here is a list of eight great blogs well worth checking out:

Jen Arkfeld 

Sharon Field

Debbi Rippentrop

Lena Paiva

Jeanne Kupsh

Jackie Barfield

Nancy Riley

Lyssa Griffin Zwolanek

I'm also supposed to list eight tidbits of personal info about  myself...here goes!

1)  I've been stamping for just a little less than 2 years but have LOVED EVERY MINUTE OF IT!
2) I just became a Stampin' Up! demonstrator this past July but have also LOVED EVERY MINUTE OF IT!
3) I am a full-time high school music department head which seriously interferes with my stamping time...except during summer break (only 4 more months to go!)
4) I am married to a super guy whom I met online before Internet dating was the "in" thing to do.  Interestingly, my brother also  met his wife online about 4 years later!
5) I am mom to the smartest 3 1/2 year-old-ever (ok, I might be a bit biased!).  He is the  light of  my life and is my best stampin' buddy!
6) Although I am a musician I rarely listen to music myself!  After listening to teenagers wail on band instruments all day long the last thing I want to do is  listen to more music.  In fact, all I want is peace and quiet, which is why I LOVE my stampin' corner...all I hear there is the click-click-click of my SNAIL...music to any stamper's ears!
7)  I am addicted to the Young and the Restless and have been for the last 25 years!  (pathetic, I  know!)  Oddly enough, the storyline hasn't changed!
8) I love to cook and entertain.  I've been told many times I should be running my own restaurant...my answer..."Can't...too busy stamping!"

Now, on to more pressing matters...today's card!!  Actually it is a card and gift bag ensemble I did this week.  I am currently working on designs for my April classes and really like the bright, spring-like colours in this set.  See what you think...

Gift ensemble using Summer Garden DP, So Swirly (retired) wheel and Punch Bunch and Pocket Silhouettes stamp sets.

Just the bag...I made matching tissue with my So Swirly wheel

Cloe-up of focal image on bag.

Cute little gift tag from the Punch Bunch SAB set

Matching card and envelope using So Swirly wheel and Pocket Silhouettes set (on of my fav's)

I carried the butterfly theme from the bag inside the card with the Flight of the Butterfly set.

When I envisioned this set I had thought I would use a brighter ink colour for my wheeled images; however, much to my dismay, the only reinker I had in the colours from the Summer Garden DSP was old olive!  I was a bit worried it would be too dark, but I actually like the darker wheeled image to off-set the brightness of the DSP.  I also love the velllum butterflies...so simple to make with my Beautiful Butterflies Bigz Die and my Big Shot!  Add a little colour with some ink and sponges and viola...a pretty accent!  I don't know yet if this set will make my April line-up, but I most certainly will find someone to gift it to!

A Poppy Parade Sale-A-Bration Sample

Whew...what a busy week!  I am SO glad it is Friday!!  I'm looking forward to some down-time this weekend to just spend with my  family.  Tonight I have another sample using one of the exclusive Sale-A-Bration sets called "Punch Bunch".  All of the images in this versatile set coordinate with one of Stampin' Up's punches.  It is really popular because it makes adding a sentiment to a card fast and easy.  I used my favourite image from that set...see what you think...

CAS card using Punch Bunch SAB set and retired gems from the Holiday Mini

Close up of focal image...I was trying to mimic the look of a poppy with the layers

Inside of card using sentiment from the You're  A Gem set.

Close up of inside sentiment with a couple of black gems added.

Watercolour-look image inside card

I really love the in-colour called poppy parade.  It is so fresh and vibrant and I just knew I had to use it with the poppy image from the Punch Bunch set.  I have always loved poppies..I even have them planted in my garden (though it's hard to believe they'll ever bloom again with  all the cold, snowy weather we've had this month!)  The DSP on this card came from the level one hostess 6 x 6 In-Colour DSP stack...a great choice when you host a minimum $200 workshop!  This card came together quite easily...here's what  did:

Starting with a 5 1/4" x 4" piece of basic black cardstock, I adhered two pieces of DSP that measured a combined 5 1/8" x 3 7/8" .  I then adhered the rhinestone flourish that I had left over from the Holiday Mini catalogue.  I added a piece of black satin ribbon to cover the seam in the DSP, adhering it with glue dots on he back of the cardfront.  I then adhered the whole thing to a poppy parade card base.  On a separate scrap of whisper white cardstock,  I stamped the poppy image in basic black ink.  I punched it out using my 1 1/4" circle punch.  When I did this, there were little bits of the scallop border showing, so I just took and coloured the white parts in with my black Stampin' Write marker.  I then punched a 1 3/4" circle in poppy parade, a 2" circle in basic black and a 2 1/2" circle in poppy parade.  I layered them all together, sponging the edge of the largest circle in black ink.  I adhered the whole thing to the card using dimensionals.
For the inside of the card, I stamped the sentiment inking, it with my poppy parade and basic black markers. I punched it out using my 1 1/4" circle punch and then layered it on a 1 3/4" basic black circle.  I adhered it inside the card and added a few extra black gems.  I then inked the poppy image again using  my markers and stamped it in the lower right corner of the card.

Easy and quick,yet eye-catching...gotta love cards like this!  Have a great weekend everyone!

Sweet Summer Sample

I am on a mission to create at least one sample using every SAB set I own.  Today's card is one that uses the Sweet Summer set.  See what you think...

Spring-fresh thank you card using the Sweet Summer SAB set

Close up of focal image

Love the seam binding ribbon in Pear Pizazz...and how 'bout those glimmer brads?

 This card was really fun to make because I got to stamp A LOT!  I also got to colour..woohoo!  Here is what I did:
Starting with a 1 1/2" x 5 1/2" piece os whisper white cardstock, I stamped the vine image randomly all over it in pear pizzazz.  Then I stamped the flower in rose red, the bird in bashful blue, and the little bumble bee in so saffron.  I then coloured the flowers in using pretty in pink and rose red ink and my blender pen.  I sponged the edges of the cardstock and then adhered it to a slightly wider piece of pretty in pink cardstock.  I then added a dotted-scallop ribbon punch in bashful blue to the top and bottom.  I then adhered a piece of pear pizazz seam binding ribbon that I had pulled and gathered, wrapping the ends and securing them to the back.  Setting this aside, I took a card base in pear pizazz and randomly stamped the vine image all over it.  I sponged all the way around the edges and then adhered the multi-coloured stamped strip using tombow.  For the focal image, I stamped the vine and two flowers and then punched it out using my 2 3/8" scallop circle punch.  I coloured  the flowers in the same way I did for the cardfront piece and sponged the edges in pear pizazz.  Using my piercing tool, I poked a hole in each scallop to mimic the blue border on the cardfront.  I adhered this to a 2 1/2" circle punched from pretty in pink and sponged with rose red ink.  I then adhered the whole thing to the cardfront using dimensionals.  To finish it off, I tied a bow with more pear pizzazz seam binding ribbon that I had crumpled and wrinkled, added a filigree brad (the centre of which I substituted for a glimmer brad) and then adhered it to the card using tombow.  The sentiment is from another Sale-A-Bration set called So Happy for You.  I stamped it in pear pizazz and punched it out with my word window.  I layered it on a modern label punch in pretty in pink and adhered it to the card.
I have to say that I wasn't all that thrilled with this set when I first saw it, but the more I play with it, the more it is quickly becoming my favourite SAB set!!  More SAB fun tomorrow...for now I have to run to my upline meeting!

Plays well with others...

One of the things I love most about this hobby is the social aspect and the opportunity to just sit and play with ink and paper while hanging out with  friends.  Today one of my stampin' buddies came over to play and we had fun experimenting with my Occasions Mini pre-order stuff.  She also taught me a cool new technique that I used to make a wedding card for a colleague who is getting married next week.  I can't post that card till after the wedding to ensure she doesn't see it before her big day, but I do have a card that my buddy Christine made using some of my new stamps.  Check this out!

Pretty vintage style birthday card using a new set called "Bliss" available for FREE during Sale-a-bration.

Close up of the sentiment from the retired Watercolour Trio set.

The butterfly is stamped in Bravo Burgundy and then sponged lightly with Champagne shimmer paint...unfortunately the sparkle doesn't show up in the photo!

Isn't this such a pretty card?  Christine is not an embellishment kinda gal...I, on the other hand, can't seem to stop adding stuff to my cards.  So I just kept suggesting things she could add and ways she could layer.  She certainly was pushed out of her comfort zone, but I think she was happy with the end result!  Thanks, Christine,  for an afternoon of stampin' fun and for the sweet treats too!