More is More Butterfly

The original was glittered, but still subdued. Notice the added embellishments I used to bump up (More is More) the card I posted on Friday. I added Bashful Blue in several areas....including Rock N Roll on the edges of the butterfly. The scallop strip with Bashful Blue taffeta as well as the Bashful Blue Brads and layers give the card a bit more festive look I think.

Inspired by a store-bought (gasp!) invitation

My daughter received a birthday party invitation with this layout so of course I had to try it. This uses the True Friend Stamp Set and Dazzling Diamond Dust technique....Simple and sweet....Pretty sure I'm going to use this layout again too.

(Monday's post will be a More is More re-do of this card.)

Manhattan Tri-Fold

This is what my girls made tonight at my first downline meeting. It makes an impressive card, but is suprisingly easy. I used the Oval All set for the dot border, Very Versatile thank you, and butterfly from Great Friend all with white and Regal Rose.

My card is cut at the top at 5 inches tall after texturizing with the Big Shot. I was inspired by a beautiful card and tutorial by BJ Smith--I believe she invented this fab idea! Thanks for sharing BJ! (If only I had enough Pink Pirouette or Pretty in Pink 12X12 cardstock I would have used them!)

Father's Day

This card uses texture plates and the spotlighting technique for an interesting masculine design. This is the latest addition to my June technique class. Consider joining us on the 4th of June!

Rock N Roll--Sweet N Simple

This card is for today's Technique Challenge on Stampin' Addicts. I decided to go with Rock N Roll and the Petal Pizzazz flowers and leaves. The flower is ink in Blush Blossom and then edge-rolled in Rose Red. I popped the flowers up on dimensionals (after adding the Pretties Kit Half Back Pearls to the centers) to allow the chocolate chip sentiment layer to tuck under them to close the card.

Blush Blossom card base=8-1/2X4-1/4 (score at 3)

Chocolate Chip sentiment layer=7-1/2X2-1/2 (score at 4-the 4 inch side is glued to the Blush Blossom base and the 3-1/2 inch side has the layers and is tucked under the flowers)

Peaks and Valleys Fold Card

I ~love~ this fold I found on Tonya Allen's blog. Tonya found the idea on SCS by sheltyx1. She didn't say if she invented it or not. It looks difficult but is surprisingly easy to create. Tonya created a nice tutorial if I don't answer all your questions....my version is:

• Cut a 5-1/2 X 12 inch piece of cardstock.
• Score vertically at 2, 4, 8 and 10.
• Cut horizontally 1-1/2 inches from the top and bottom edge from the 2 inch score line to the 10 inche score line.
• The top and bottom rows should be folded Peak, Valley, Peak, Valley.
• The middle row is creased Valley, Peak, Valley, Peak (Don't use the bone folder on this one as each fold isn't used).
• The middle row is covered by the 2-1/4 X 3-1/4 inch image mats (shown in polka dot on my example).
• Embellish as desired :)

I changed the height of the card also....My card is only 5-1/2 inches high, so that it will fit in a medium SU! envelope. That makes the center portion only 2-1/2 inches high rather than 3 inches, but it was still easy enough to use this way.

I used the Parisian Breeze Designer Series Paper and the coordinating Dreams du Jour stamp set. I also used JanTInk's ruffled scalloped edge around the 1-3/4 inch circle punch Old Olive mat layer. Butterflies, Kraft Taffeta ribbon and a flower and half back pearl from the pretties kit add interest, hopefully without competing with the lovely paper patterns.

Just for fun.....I had to cut this peony from my garden because the stem fell over...I had to share even with the bananas in the background LOL.

Can you find the bunny in this picture of my climbing roses? The hot pink one is about finished blooming, and the light pink 'New Dawn' is just getting started.

Basketweave

I was inspired to try the basketweave technique because it was highlighted in our Stampin' Up! demonstrator magazine...I even used the same Raspberry Tart Designer Series Paper because I have plenty of it. Finished off with some Die Cuts from the Big Shot (Little Leaves and Birds and Blooms) makes it a little more detailed while allowing the basketweave to shine. I also used SCS sketch challenge 228 (SC228).

Parade of Papers

Sorry you missed the blog tour!

Throughout the month of May, buy three packs of Designer Series paper (including our Specialty Designer Series paper) or 12" x 12" textured card stock and get one FREE!

First is the Scrapbook layout I made using the Parisian Breeze Specialty Designer Series Paper.

The lovely matching Baja Breeze Corduroy Buttons and Flower from the Pretties kit make it easy for even a novice like me to make a pretty page! The letters were colored with White Craft ink mixed with Baja Breeze Classic ink…I ended up with a lighter color, but I liked that. Photography by Kathryn Varner, Edmond, Oklahoma.

Paper: Parisian Breeze Specialty Designer Series Paper, Old Olive and Whisper White Card Stock
Ink: Baja Breeze Classic Stampin' Pad plus Chocolate Chip and Old Olive Stampin' Write Markers
Accessories: Baja Breeze Corduroy Buttons, Pretties Kit, Kraft Taffeta Ribbon, Big Shot Baskets & Blooms Die (Tag), Mini Glue Dots, Corner Rounder and Scalloped Square Punches, Dimensionals, Tombow Multi-Purpose Adhesive, Scalloped Edge Punch, On Board Loads of Letters, White Craft Ink Refill, Baja Breeze Classic Ink Refill, Printer and Ink

This Scallop edged Mother's Day Card was fun to make. It was also the first time I used the Circle Scissor cutting system from Stampin' Up!

Stamps: Blooming with Love
Papers: Parisian Breeze Specialty Designer Series Paper, Whisper White and Chocolate Chip Card Stock
Ink: StazOn, Chocolate Chip and Stampin' Write Markers
Accessories: Circle Scissors, 1-1/4 and Scallop Circle Punch, and Chocolate Chip Taffeta Ribbon

This is a month by month card organizer you've probably seen many times, but since these are my favorite colors I had to include it!
Paper: Parisian Breeze Specialty Designer Series Paper, Chocolate Chip Card Stock
Accessories: Kraft Taffeta Ribbon, Filigree Designer Brads, Corduroy Baja Breeze Button, Big Shot Flower, Daisies #2 Bigz Die

Here is a Father's Day card in which I used the Emboss Resist Technique.
Stamps: Thoughts of Father, Happiness is a Journey
Papers: Parisian Breeze Specialty Designer Series Paper, Chocolate Chip and Kraft Card Stock
Ink: Chocolate Chip Classic and Craft Ink pads
Accessories: Clear Embossing Powder, Sponge, Wide Chocolate Chip Grosgrain Ribbon, Linen Thread

This is a little Stationery Folio in a monochromatic color scheme...It would make a great gift if I can manage to give it away :) .Details-Instructions-Stampin’ Addicts Monday 3-D challenge (3/16/09)
Stamps: Dreams du Jour (floral images cut from designer series paper)
Papers: Parisian Breeze Specialty Designer Series Paper, Baja Breeze and Whisper White Card Stock
Ink: Baja Breeze
Accessories: Dazzling Diamonds Glitter, Whisper White Organza Ribbon, Dimensionals, Crimper, Scallop Edge Punch, 1-3/4” punch

I used the scalloped and crimped edging technique created by JanTInk-Thanks for sharing!!


Next is a purse made with the Once Upon a Time Purse Template available to demonstrators on the Stampin' Up! website. Guess what fits perfectly inside?

Ten Embosslits or Sizzlits dies!

Papers: Parisian Breeze Specialty Designer Series Paper
Accessories: Craft Magnets, Daisies #2 Bigz Die, Flower Designer Brad and Baja Breeze Striped Grosgrain Ribbon, SU! Template, 2 Pop Up glue dots to secure brad

I made this card using the Mojo Monday sketch Mojo85.
Stamps: Wonderful Watercolors, Blooming with Love
Papers: Parisian Breeze Specialty Designer Series Paper, Baja Breeze and Whisper White Card Stock
Ink: Baja Breeze Classic Stampin' Pad plus Regal Rose and Certainly Celery Stampin' Write Markers
Accessories: Blender Pen, Scalloped Square and 1-1/4 Square Punch, and Baja Breeze Striped Grosgrain Ribbon, Dimensionals

Simple but cute:
This card is a CASE (Copy And Share Everything) -with changes- of page 3 in the Occasions Mini Catalog
Stamps: Thoughts and Prayers, On Your Birthday
Papers: Parisian Breeze Specialty Designer Series Paper, Old Olive and Whisper White Card Stock
Ink: Baja Breeze Classic Stampin' Pad plus Chocolate Chip and Old Olive Stampin' Write Markers
Accessories: Dazzling Diamonds Glitter, Scalloped Oval and Small Oval Punch, and Baja Breeze Striped Grosgrain Ribbon


For more information about the tour, visit Stampin' Addicts.

BOLO (Be On the Look Out) for the Parade of Paper!

Beginning next Friday at 8:00 a.m., each stop along our Parade of Papers tour will feature projects made with Stampin' Up's Designer Series Paper created by some talented Stampin' Up demonstrators. You may start at any post, stop and pick it back up later, or visit all of them in succession. You will eventually wind up back at the blog where you started. Remember though, just like Cinderella at the ball, the fun ends at Midnight EDT on Sunday night. The tour will be over then, and the blog links will be broken.

I will be stop #2 and will feature the Parisian Breeze DSP on page 158 of your current SU!catalog. We hope you'll join in the fun by clicking the links to visit all of our blogs and that you will be inspired by all the creative projects and beautiful scrapbook pages and cards. But the other part of my agenda is this: there is an awesome special at Stampin' Up! for the whole month of May! Buy 3 packs of Designer Series Paper OR Textured cardstock and get the 4th for absolutely free! How cool is that? You can click on over to my website to check it out and place an order.

Speaking (or is that typing?) of Designer Series Paper, my downline Valerie came over on Wednesday, and we worked on some DSP projects. I have to share a picture of the lovely stationery folio she made.

Details:

Stamps: Short and Sweet

Papers: Raspberry Tart Designer Series Paper, Kiwi Kiss, Pretty in Pink, Real Red, Whisper White Card Stock

Ink: Rose Red Classic

Accessories: Big Shot Sweet Stems Embosslit Die, Photo Corner, Scalloped Oval and Large Oval Punch, and Kiwi Kiss Striped Grosgrain Ribbon

Kraft Cardstock watercoloring

It is fun and trendy to watercolor on Kraft Cardstock...JanTInk's blog has an amazing example, so I felt inspired to try it. Mine isn't as spectacular, but is still fun I think.

I used the white Stampin' Up! water color pencil to create a base on which to color. Instead of using exclusively watercolor pencils, I used a blender pen to pick up classic inks for easy color matching on top of the white pencil. I like the way it brightened the colors. We will try this card at my June technique class.

Fresh for Spring

Today, I needed a good batch of inspiration, so I combined the MOJO Monday sketch challenge (MOJO82 shown here: http://mojomonday.blogspot.com/2009/04/mojo-monday-week-82.html ) with last week's Color Challenge on Stampin' Addicts.

Stampin' Addicts is a new site with a positive emphasis on Stampin' Up! that I really enjoy. Here's a link to the Color Challenge I finally got around to doing: http://www.stampinaddicts.com/forums/friday-color-combo-challenges/448-sa-color-challenge-8-a.html Anyone who loves Stampin' Up! and is positive about the company is welcome to visit, upload, chat and share. There is a section for demonstrators as well.

I used the Classic Stripe Background with the Petal Pizazz and Great Friend Stamp Sets. The colors for this challenge were Rose Red, Kiwi Kiss, Bashful Blue and So Saffron. No need to twist my arm to get me to use these lovely colors! The butterfly image is heat embossed with clearp ep and Bashful Blue Craft Ink. Then then Kiwi Kiss is colored on and just a bit of Rose Red for a spot of berries. I love the way the Stampin' Up! exclusive Little Leaves embosslit adds a quick bit of 3D Kiwi behind the butterfly too.

I find I enjoy a bit of substance on the inside of my cards....especially when I can make it pretty with just leftovers from the card that I decided not to use in favor of something else.

Sometimes dark cardstock is just too dark....

Black, Night of Navy, Elegant Eggplant....You can write your message on them in white gel pen, but for some occasions that can seem a little strange. For example, when creating a sympathy card, I prefer the method everyone is doing lately of lining the card with a layer of another color of cardstock. Many stampers are making these almost as fancy as the front of the card which can be a lot of fun, but for this card a more subdued approach is tasteful. Carrying a simple main image from the front to the inside can provide a nice bit of continuity as the light grey cardstock gives you a nicer contrast when you write with a black pen.

Very Versatile Stamp Set, Texturz dies and the new scalloped oval punch shown.....

Manhattan Flower and Fifth Avenue Florals

I love the new Impressions die from SU!....especially on vellum. I stamped the Whisper White cardstock under the vellum with the rose from the Fifth Avenue Florals set and included a ribbon rose as shown by SU! at recent regional events for a trifecta of roses....I plan to give this card to my mom for Mother's Day.

Old School Stationery Folio

This stationery folio uses the Cheep Talk stamp set, Good Morning Sunshine Designer Series Paper and the technique from SCS TLC212....a ribbon frame. I wanted mine too look fluffy, and that may not have been the neatest way for it to look, but I'm okay with that.

A stationery folio was today's 3-D challenge on Stampin' Addicts. Holly made a lovely and detailed folder to inspire us. I was inspired to make pear themed cards and envelopes with less details than Holly used, but still a cutesy result I think. Check out her challenge here: http://www.stampinaddicts.com/forums/monday-3d-challenges/225-3d002-3-16-09-stationary-portfolio.html#post26091

Parisian Breeze Matchbox

I love the Parisian Breeze Cardstock weight Designer Series Paper from SU! I am also enjoying the tiny cuteness of the new Matchbox Die for the Bigshot which will be available on April 1.

I used the new scalloped oval punch to punch a window in the box and then a window sheet to allow you to see the matching jelly beans inside. Since I couldn't punch the oval exactly in the middle of the top, I used the taffeta chocolate chip ribbon and a circle punch from the new Matchbox Messages set to create some needed embellishment.

Card Made from a Scrapbook Sketch

Happy Weekend!

This little card using the Cheep Talk set was made using Designer Series Paper from the Sunshine Garden SU! Simply Scrappin' Kit and a sketch I found on the Scrapbooks etc., website. I used the So Saffron Striped Grosgrain and the trio punch....a snippet of Celery Wide Grosgrain accents the top left corner of the main image.

4-1/4 square card plus Scrapling Bookmark

I finally decided this will be the fourth project at Class on March the 6th....We will start with a regular-sized card, and cut off the one inch scrapling for a bookmark. It is easy to do, and it is perfect for the green/recycling theme of the class :). Kind of a giggle that it is a tree too...save a tree! I love this set...Branch Out is a lot of fun to stamp and almost as impossible to "mess up" as the retired set Roses in Winter!

My card was inspired by the square cards posted last week by Beate and JanTInk (listed in my blog roll), but they really aren't CASEs. Using a rounded tab punch for the top of the scrapling bookmark (which is what delayed my designing) came from Inking Idaho/Becky Roberts. TFS ladies!

Projects if you're interested....

Things I made as gifts for my Swappers Anonymous Cupid Chipper.

I chose this tiny Baja Blue vase because I CASE'd the idea from my Christmas Elf Liz (ececsy on SCS). Both my cupid, Ellen, and I love Baja Breeze! I enjoyed finding a branch from an elderberry bush in my yard to replicate the branch in the run-ons. Tied a bow and add the butterfly from Simple Friendship for a little more interest.

This new Parisian Breeze paper is so pretty, so I included a version of Beate's Ghirardelli square box--no need to wrap it in designer paper when it is made of the new Cardstock weight double-sided paper....it is pretty inside and out!

This is a Genie bag (named for Genie1314), and the new Big Shot Texturz plates are the perfect size (a bit larger than a card front) for covering a white lunch bag as a gift bag.

This altered tin uses the Rockabilly Designer Series paper....I am surprised how quick it was....Perfect for holding chocolate candy!
This next one is a take-off from Candy Bar or Popcorn sliders....It is made to fit our Ribbon Originals though...

Pull the bow and the ribbon originals appear....I love that sweet bird from Cheep Talk and the Good Morning Sunshine designer series paper.

Please scroll down to see the gifts Chipper gave to me...they are so fun and wonderful....We just happened to have each other...that isn't usually the case.

My Brilliant Cupid is....Chipper/Ellen Pruett!

Day 3 Gifts

What a gorgeous gift again! My sweet cupid is Chipper/Ellen Pruett! (Hee! I had Chipper too! I'm so not worthy of your generosity girilie!)

I got Pear (yum!) shower gel, vanilla sugar hand sanitizer, mandarin shower gel and tons! of Swirly die cuts and Peace Love Hope and Joy diecuts! Amazing!

Now about the gorgeous Tea Party box........DH and my girls were looking at it, and I said hmmmm, we really don't give anyone wine as a gift.....and DH said....she put the strips in so you'd know to store the Big Shot stuff that size in it dontcha think?

Oh my! How stinkin' smart is that? Even the thick/tall piece fits with the lid slightly lifted....see?!

Amazing! Thanks so much Chipper/Ellen! I LOVE it and all your great gifts!

Cupid Day 2 Gifts

Wow! What a gorgeous Card Tin in the Raspberry Tart paper. And it was sooo full!!! (EEP! I'm having swappers anxiety now.......I hope my cupid isn't disappointed!)

I have 7 bags of adorable Billboard Big Shot alphabets, rainkissed leaves Bath and Body works lotion and shower gel, B&BW lip balm and hand sanitizer, Cinnamon Jelly Hearts, Godiva Truffles and a BIG Blueberry Almond (I love fruit and chocolate) Dove bar! See why I have swapper's anxiety!

You were too generous cupid! Wowie!