Loving Love Impressions DSP!

Well, here it is Sunday night already!  Why does the weekend always fly by so quickly?  I didn't get nearly everything done this weekend that I had hoped to.  I see a few late nights in my future this week!  Speaking of this week...tomorrow is Valentine's Day!  My hubby and I are planning to go out for dinner with the money my parents sent us (thanks Mom & Dad!).  To celebrate, here is another cute Valentine's card with NO stamping involved!

CAS Valentine's card featuring Love Impression DSP...no stamping required!

Close up of the cute little epoxy brad from last year's Occasions Mini...I bought mine from the Clearance Rack!

Inside of card...lots of room to write a love note :o)

This card combines the old and the new.  The Love Impressions DSP is in this year's Occasions Mini, while the basic gray satin ribbon and the epoxy brads were in last year's version!  What I love about this card is how quick and easy it was to put together and that I didn't ink up a single stamp!  Now, don't get me wrong...I LOVE stamping...but it's always fun to put together a cute card that doesn't use a bit of ink once in a while!  The sentiment on the front of the card and the little hearts inside are all part of the same piece of heavy-weight DSP from the Love Impressions pack.  Both are embossed in white against the pink pirouette background.  Really pretty, no?  I would love to receive this card...maybe I'll offer to sell it to my hubby!!

I hope you all have a wonderful Valentine's Day with those you love.  Not sure I'll get to post tomorrow...depends on how dinner goes ;o)

A simple Valentine's Workshop card

Since the big day is on Monday, I figured I'd post a couple more Valentine's cards this weekend.  Today's card is one I did as the Make-n-Take at a workshop on Thursday night.  It was pretty fast and easy to put together...ideal for a workshop!

Simple Valentine's card CASED from a fellow demo on Stampin' Connection.  (Sorry, I can't remember who!)

To speed up the make-n-take process, I pre-punched all the hearts.  That way everyone just took a handful and went right to work.  Since there were 10 ladies at my workshop, and I only have one of each punch, it was a good decision!  Here is what we did...
Starting with a 5 1/8" x 3 7/8" piece of whisper white cardstock, we randomly glued hearts of various sizes in real red and pretty in pink on the upper 2/3 of the cardstock.  The hearts were punched using both the full heart and heart to heart punches.  Then we ran the cardstock through the Big Shot using the square lattice embossing folder.  This gives the illusion that the hearts are actually part of the white background.  We then adhered the embossed piece to a real red mat that was 5 1/4" x 4".  Using a piece of retired basic gray 3/8" taffeta ribbon, we wrapped it around the cardfront and adhered it to the back side using glue dots.  We then tied a bow using real red 1/8" taffeta ribbon.  The whole thing then was glued to a basic gray card base.  For the sentiment, we stamped "happy Valentine's Day" (from Teeny tiny Wishes set) in real red on whisper white scrap.  We punched it out using the word window punch and then layered it on a modern label punch out in basic gray.  We added two silver brads on either end of the modern label and then layered it on a wide oval punch out in real red using dimensionals.  We then adhered it to the card using SNAIL.  The ladies at the workshop loved this project...especially the Big Shot!  Such a great tool!!

Now I have to run...my husband is working today and I am on my own with my 3 1/2 year old!  Enjoy your Saturday!

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!

My first Tri-Shutter attempt

Last weekend I was planning the projects and samples for my Fun Folds class on Thursday, Feb. 17th.  One of the projects we will do is a tri-shutter card.  This simple, yet complicated-looking, card is an interesting way to switch up your cardmaking.  Here is the one I created in preparation for the class:

Tri-Shutter card using Springtime Vintage DSP

Tri-shutter card open

Butterflies and flowers...can't get any spring-ier than that!

Close-up of the flower...easy to make!

Close-up of sentiment

I am so loving this DSP from the Occasions Mini!  It is so pretty and girlie!  It certainly made this card easy to put together!  It also has some lovely colours in it...rose red, always artichoke and very vanilla, to name but a few!  Now, I'm not going to post instructions for this card until after my class...I do want people to come!!  I am working on a tutorial for how to make the flower and will post it on the tutorials page (see tab at the top of this page) when I have it finished.  If you'd like to see this card in person, sign up for my class next week and join us for three projects that are a little out-of-the-ordinary!  Now it's time for my son's music class...I must run!!

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!

Sale-A-Bration Fun!

Yesterday I held my Sale-A-Bration Open House...and a good time was had by all!  There were two make-n-takes, which I'll share later in the week, as well as some games, prizes and yummy cake (after all, what's a party without cake?!?)  The three hours flew by and, before I knew it, it was over till next year.  If you missed the open house, it's not too late to get in on the Sale-a-Bration fun.  There are still almost 2 months to take advantage of this great promotion, so book your workshop and start planning which sets you would like for FREE!

Now, on to a card!  This afternoon I finally got around to opening up my Springtime Vintage DSP from the Occasions Mini.  I love that paper...so pretty and feminine!  As I looked at it I knew I just had to try a Mother's Day card!  I know, I know, I'm a little early, but it was nice to do something other than a Valentine's card for a change!  Here is what I came up with:

Easel Card using Nature Walk set and Springtime Vintage DSP

All images are from the Nature Walk set

Still in love with those Antique Brads...sentiment is from Tiny Tags set

Sentiment from Teeny Tiny Wishes set. 

 I created this card with my mother in mind.  She is a garden nut.  She lives on a lake in the heart of cottage country, near Parry Sound,Ontario.  They have several hundred acres up there and my mom as turned a large portion of it into gardens.  She spends the entire summer in her garden, battling the deer who like to nibble on her flowers and the weeds that seem to sprout over night.  And she loves every second of it.  So this card will most certainly be going to her come Mother's Day. 
The format of this one is a little different.  It is an easel card; really easy to make, and a nice change of pace.  The finished size is 4 1/4" square and it folds flat to fit in an envelope.  The nice thing about this particular design is that it could easily be a birthday card or even a sympathy one with a different sentiment.  I am going to use this one for my upcoming Fun Folds Class...check out the Upcoming Events tab at the top of this page!

Back among the land of the living...

Whew...the stomach flu really SUCKS!!  I just spent the last 36 hours in bed wishing death would come quickly. I haven't been that sick in years...and man, am I glad!  Now I'm at least upright, though not exactly ready to take on the world.  Thankfully, the schools are closed today because we're in the middle of a big snow storm, so I don't have to worry about going to work.  I figured it was about time I posted something for you, so here is a Valentine's card I designed to do at a workshop tonight (which, by the way, is also cancelled due to the snow!).

Valentine's card using Valentine Defined set and Something to Celebrate set.

Cute little Itty Bitty Button

Inside of card - sentiment is from the Word Play set.

So those of you that reay my blog likely know that I like layers and LOVE embellishments.  I am proud to say, this card uses very few of either!  I challenged myself to do a simple card and quite like the result.  There is only one layer!!!  How often does that happen?!?  I found this cool technique online somewhere called "faux torn paper" and decided to try it.  I have to say, I think I'm gonna use it again!  Here is what I did...
Start with a 5" x 3 3/4" piece of whisper white cardstock.  Tear a couple of post-it-notes and adhere them to the CS.  Then stamp the heart and Love You images randomly in real red and chocolate chip ink respectively.  Sponge the whole area with pretty in pink ink and then remove the post-its.  Voila...looks like a layer of torn paper.  Cool, eh?  For the focal image I punched a full heart out of another post-it and stuck it to the CS.  I then sponged around it using real red ink.  I pulled off the post-it and sponged the heart itself lightly in pretty in pink so it wasn't so starkly white.  I stamped the sentiment from the level 2 hostess set called Something to Celebrate in chocolate chip.  So quick and easy!  Now I couldn't leave this card completely naked, so I added a bit of real red satin ribbon and a heart-shaped Itty Bitty button in the lower right corner.
For the inside, I used the same faux torn paper technique and then stamped the sentiment from the Word Play set that I inked with my markers for a two-colour look.  So fast, easy and effective!  I was really excited to do this one at my workshop tonight, but now will have to wait until our rescheduled date next week!  So much for an early spring!!