CASE of a CASE!

Today's card is one that I CASE'd from my upline, who CASE'd it from Wendy Weixler, a very talented demonstrator from the southern US.  I love the layout and CAS design and just had to replicate it for my one of my monthly groups.  Check it out...

Cheeky Thank you card featuring the Rue des Fleurs stamp set.

Inside view

I love the cheekiness of this card...so much fun!  I also love that it is so simple!  The stamped image really pops and I think the pleated satin ribbon peeking out from behind the sentiment panel is reminiscent of frilly underthings peeking out from under a hemline (or above cleavage!).  I really love this card...so much that I think I will be using this design to send to all of my parent volunteers at school...they'll get a kick out of it!

Ready for spring

Happy Monday, everyone!  I hope you had a great weekend.  Inspired by a sunny afternoon yesterday, today's card holds the promise of warmer weather and the colours of summer.  I designed it for one of my monthly groups in the hope that they would be as ready for a hit of summer colour as I am.  Have a look...

Bright and cheerful card featuring the Mixed Bunch stamp set with sentiment from Tiny Tags.

Inside view

Isn't this just a happy card?  It reminds me a little of a vinyl picnic tablecloth or a beach towel.  I love those daisies and the colours just make me smile.  After the drabness of winter I am so ready for some colour and the combination of melon mambo, tempting turquoise and lucky limeade fit the bill!  This is one of those cards that is really easy to put together...it really just uses stamps, ink and paper and then I added a glimmer brad and some baker's twine to finish it off.  The highlight of this card, though is that blossom...made super simple with the Mixed Bunch stamp set and coordinating blossom punch...I SO love that duo!  I foresee many more blossom-filled cards in my future!

...and Something for Mom!

I didn't want the moms among us to feel left out so after designing the Father's Day card I posted yesterday I decided to do one for Mother's Day as well.  For this one I pulled out another of my favourite IBC sets:  Field Flowers (I know, just about every set is my favourite!).  I also drew on an oldie but goodie...Inspired by Nature...have a look:

Something for Mom featuring the Field Flowers and Inspired by Nature stamp sets with sentiment from Family Reunion.

Inside view with sentiment from Teeny Tiny Wishes

Ok, so I'm hoping you all noticed the distinct lack of ANY embellishments on this card!!  If you've been following this blog for a while you likely know that I LOVE embellies...ribbon, buttons, brads...they all make me smile and no card is complete with out at least one of the above.  So when I create something that DOESN'T use any of the above it is a momentous event.  So, why did I leave this card so darned naked?  I was thinking of my own mom when designing it.  She is not a girlie girl by any stretch...how many 69-year-old women do you know who own their own chainsaw?!?  Ribbon and buttons just don't suit her style, so I opted for the naked look.  She is, however, an avid gardener and living in Northern Ontario she often incorporates the natural wildflowers native to the area in her gardens.  The images on this card remind me of a snapshot of her acres (and I'm not exaggerating) of gardens.  So, here is what I did to create this simple mom-worthy card...
Starting with a 4" x 5 1/4" piece of very vanilla cardstock, I stamped the grass image from the Inspired by Nature set in pear pizzazz ink.  I stamped it a couple of times to fill the space.  I then stamped the stems from Field Flowers in garden green ink right over top of the grass.  I stamped the solid flowers in perfect plum and then the line flowers in elegant eggplant...gotta love two-step-stamping!  I added the solid centres in more mustard for contrast.  I then sponged the edges of the stamped cardstock using pear pizzazz, going heavier along the bottom edge and lighter along the top.  To add a little interest I used my paper piercer and mat pack to add the detail in the top left and bottom right corners before adhering the whole thing to a pear pizzazz card base.  For the sentiment, I stamped the "To my" from the Family Reunion set in pear pizzazz on some scrap very vanilla cardstock and then the "Mom" in elegant eggplant.  I punched it out with my large oval punch and layered it on a scalloped oval in elegant eggplant.  It is adhered to the card with dimensionals.
For the inside I stamped the stem and blossom images again, but stamped them off first to give the more faded image.  I omitted the more mustard centres to keep it looking muted and soft.  The sentiment is from Teeny Tiny Wishes and is stamped in elegant eggplant on very vanilla and then punched out with the word window. 
A simple card made quick and easy thanks to SU's Two-Step-Stamping ingenuity.  Sure hope my mom likes it!

Something for dad

Sometimes it is nice to CASE oneself.  Today's card is a masculine version of the card I posted yesterday.  It uses DSP instead of fabric and is decidedly more manly...

Masculine card for Father's Day featuring the tried-and-true Lovely as a Tree stamp set as well as leaves from French Foliage and sentiment from Teeny Tiny Wishes

I don't know what it is about the Lovely as a Tree set...but it is one that I seem to gravitate to whenever I have to do a masculine card. Its not like I don't have other masculine sets but there is something about the images in that particular set that I really love.  I hope it never retires!
For this card I used DSP from two different packs:  Petals and Paisley and Well Worn.  I distressed the DSP and inked the edges with soft suede ink and then adhered them to an always artichoke card base that I embossed with my houndstooth embossing folder.  I stamped the image on very vanilla cardstock using soft suede ink and then sponged on always artichoke and marina mist ink for the grass and sky using my daubers.  Such a quick and easy way to add colour!  I again distressed the edges and then sponged them lightly with soft suede.  I stamped the sentiment on a scrap of very vanilla, punched it out with my decorative label punch and then adhered it along the bottom left edge of the focal image.  I wrapped a piece of linen thread around the stamped layer and then adhered it to the card base using dimensionals.  The final touch was two leaves from the French Foliage set that I stamped in bravo burgundy (I think that's the first time I've used that ink pad!!) and always artichoke and then fussy cut out.  I adhered them to the back of an always artichoke button that I had threaded with more linen thread and then stuck the whole thing to my card. 
I had originally intended for this card to be part of my Card Buffet line-up, but after putting it all together, decided it was a wee bit too involved for that particular event.  It may just end up in another class though!
Speaking of my card buffet, check out the samples under the Events tab at the top of the page to see the six designs available at that event.  In the meantime, have a great weekend...and happy stampin'!

More Fabric Fun

Today's post is based on a layout shown by Shelley Gardiner (Stampin' Up's co-founder and CEO) during one of her presentations at last year's convention.  Shelley's version used Spice Cake fabric and was fall-themed but I decided to give this birthday card more of a spring-feel.  See what you think...

Birthday card featuring Twitterpated designer fabric and the Perfectly Penned stamp set.

Inside view with sentiment from the Blessings from Heaven set.

Whaddya think?  I designed this card for my team meeting last month.  If you'll recall we were looking at ways to incorporate fabric into our projects and this one is a REALLY way easy to add a pop of colour and texture.  Here is what I did:
Starting with a piece of confetti white cardstock I spritzed it with blushing bride Smooch (from the Occasions Mini).  This is by far my favourite Smooch colour yet!  So quick and easy to use and such a great effect!  Setting that aside to dry, I stamped the sentiment in island indigo on a piece of scrap confetti white cardstock and then tore it out, attempting the keep the image relatively centred.  I then sponged the torn edges using both blushing bride and island indigo ink.  Going back to my spritzed cardstock, I distressed the edges using the tool from my cutter kit.  I then cut a 3" square of Big Shot Multi-Purpose adhesive sheet.  That stuff is the BEST adhesive for adhering fabric to your projects.  Easy to use and in-expensive too!  I adhered one side of the double-sided sheet to the centre of the card and then peeled off the backing to reveal the very sticky adhesive.  I then tore strips of Twitterpated fabric and layered them over the adhesive, again attempting to centre them somewhat.  I layered the stamped sentiment overtop using Tombow multi-purpose liquid glue.  The last touch was one of the big designer buttons I picked up from the Clearance Rack and threaded with a bit of island indigo ruffled ribbon. 
On the inside of the card I wanted to incorporate the fabric somehow and so I tied a narrow strip into a knot and added it as a detail in the upper left corner.  The sentiment, one of my favourites, is from the Blessings from Heaven set in the main catalogue and is stamped in island indigo on confetti white cardstock.
Another quick and easy card using our fabulous fabric...have you ordered yours yet?

Mixed Bunch Birthday

Even though this winter hasn't really been typical for this part of Southern Ontario (little snow and more  above zero days than below) I am done with it.  I am ready for spring; for green grass and new leaves and soft spring flowers.  Today's card is one that embraces everything I love about my favourite season...bright, cheerful colours and, of course, blossoms!

Cheerful birthday card featuring the Mixed Bunch stamp set and coordinating blossom punch.

Inside view

I have to say that one of my favourite new products from the current Occasions Mini is the Mixed punch stamp set and coordinating blossom punch.  I love the shape of the blossom and the way it layers so beautifully.  For this card I pulled DSP from two different packs:  Flirtatious and Twitterpated.  I wanted two different patterns featuring daffodil delight...after all, what says spring like daffodils?!?  I cut the DSP into narrow strips and layered them on a mat of pool party cardstock.  I then cut a strip of whisper white cardstock on both long sides with my new Edgelit die.  I then ran each side through the Big Shot with the scalloped Adorning Accents embossing folder, being sure to offset the scallops.  I stamped the sentiment (from the Bring on the Cake set) using island indigo ink and then layered the whole thing on top of the DSP panel.  To stamp the flower, I first inked my stamp using daffodil delight ink and then rolled the edges in pool party (Rock and Roll technique).  I stamped the image on whisper white and then punched it out using my blossom punch.  I punched two more blossom shapes from daffodil delight and pool party cardstock and layered them behind the stamped flower.  To get the petals to curl I simply used the end of my bone folder to curl them up.  The button in the middle is threaded with a bit of pool party baker's twine.  It is one of the big designer buttons that retired last year.  I bought a bunch when they were on the Clearance Rack a while back because I love them!!  Just one adds such a statement to any project. 
For the inside of the card I stamped the flower image again and added the label (from the P.S. I Love You set) and sentiment from Bring on the Cake. 
Such a bright and cheerful card...can't wait to see my garden filled with the same bright cheerfulness!

Fun with Fabric

Some of the members of my Tri-City Stampers team were asking for ideas as to how to use Stampin' Up's designer fabrics on their projects.  I decided to incorporate fabric in this month's make-n-takes for our team meeting.  This is the first card we made, using the Flirtatious fabric, which is available during Sale-a-bration for FREE!

CAS card featuring Flirtatious designer fabric and sentiment from the Sincere Saluations set

Flower detail

This is the perfect workshop card, which was another reason I chose it for my team meeting.  It is one that comes together quickly and easily and whose sentiment can be swapped out for just about anything.  It also uses several of my favourite tools to create:  the Big Shot to cut out the flowers and the Simply Scored to add the scoring detail at the bottom.  I also used my Stamp-a-ma-Jig to place the sentiment, as the Sincere Salutations set is only available in wood mount.  To get the flower to pop off the card I used a large 2 3/8" scalloped circle that I punched from whisper white cardstock and then crumpled and smoothed out again.  I layered the flower on top and added the brad to hold it all together.  The stiffness of the cardstock allows the flower to have more shape and dimension.
I love this fabric and have several other projects to show you over the next little while that use fabric to add texture and colour...stay tuned!