"True Confessions"

I have to confess...I am in a love affair with "A Walk in the Park" Designer Series Paper and the butterfly stamp from the "Great Friend" stamp set. Add Stampin' Up!s Filigree Brads into the mix, and I am in Stampin' Up Paradise! Today's card also features the sweet Trio Flower Punch. What could be cuter than a sprinkling of Coral Cameo flowers to add a splash of color! Are you ready to take another "Walk in the Park" with me this morning?

• Make a standard card base using Cameo Coral card stock.


• Mat the gray floral paper from "A Walk in the Park" onto Whisper White. Wrap Whisper White Satin Ribbon around this element and adhere to the card base using SNAIL Adhesive.


• Place a strip of Cameo Coral card stock on top of the ribbon. Position and attach three Filigree Brads on the Cameo Coral strip.


• Punch a square of Whisper White using the Large Square Punch. Using the Scallop Square Punch, punch a square from Cameo Coral and adhere to the Whisper White square. Attach this element to the Designer Paper near the upper left hand corner using Stampin' Dimensionals.


• Ink the Butterfly stamp from "Great Friend" with Basic Black and stamp onto Whisper White. Cut out this image using Paper Snips. Tip: These small scissors will help you precisely cut around even the most intricate of images.


• Bend the wings of the butterfly up slightly and adhere to the Whisper White scalloped square. Mini Glue Dots are the perfect adhesive for this task.


• Punch a few flowers from Cameo Coral using the Trio Flower Punch, and randomly scatter on the gray Designer Series Paper. Rhinestones are then added to the center of the flowers and down the middle of the butterfly for just the right amount of bling!
  

Design Tip of the Day: By using a Basic Black card base, this card could easily transcend into the formal realm! The formality can be further enhanced by removing the Cameo Coral Trio Flowers and Cameo Coral paper strip. Isn't it amazing how just a few little design changes can transform the personality of a card? Try it!

Several of the products used in this card are available from the Occasions Mini Catalog. There is still time to take advantage of the Get Connected promotion! Spend $40 on Occasions Mini Catalog products and choose any one item from the "Under $10" page in the Spring-Summer 2009 Idea Book & Catalog for free. Or host a workshop of $150 or more and choose any one item from the "Under $10" page in the Spring-Summer 2009 Idea Book & Catalog for free. For every $150 spent at the workshop, you will receive another "Under $10" item. Partner up with a friend if you would like and place those orders today! But hurry...the Get Connected promotion ends April 30th. Remember, you can place your order by clicking on the link below.

Click here to access the Occasions Mini Catalog!
Order Your Stampin' Up! Supplies Now!

Stamp Set: Great Friend (Occasions Mini Catalog 113792)

Ink: Basic Black ( 101179)

Designer Series Paper: A Walk in the Park (Occasions Mini 115123)

Card Stock: Whisper White (100730), Cameo Coral (100475)

Tools: Trio Flower Punch (109183), Scallop Square (112081), Corner Rounder (109047), 1 3/8" Square Punch (103375)

Embellishments: Filigree Brads (112577), Whisper White 5/8" Satin Ribbon (Occasions Mini 114616)

Adhesives: SNAIL Adhesive (104332), Stampin' Dimensionals (104430), Mini Glue Dots (103683)

Go "Green"!

The emphasis these days is to go "green" and we can certainly apply this principle to our card making, too! These colorful flowers were made using the Sizzix Big Shot, Bigz Die Daisies #2, and an advertisement from the newspaper! "What about the ribbon slide?" you ask. Why it just happens to be a tab from a pop can! This card was prepared for the Splitcoast Challenge 225 with the Pretty Pals twist...use green and go "green". Don't be afraid to take chances in your cardmaking and scrapbooking, whether its using a button from an old shirt, a single earring which has lost its mate, scrap lace and ribbon...or even a pop tab! Here's my recipe for "Going Green":

• Select a colorful ad from a newspaper or magazine. Tip: Select your ad first, as it will dictate the colors of cardstock you will use! Use the Big Shot and Daisies #2 Die to cut your flowers. Tip: Several layers will make your flowers lush and full. Use a Rhinestone Brad to add that extra sparkle to the center of your flower.


• Mount the flower on Whisper White cardstock to which you have applied the Ticket Corner Punch.


• Using Taken with Teal card stock, make four panels. Ink the "Leaves" image from the Botanical Blooms stamp set with Whisper White and randomly stamp the teal panels. Tip: Make sure to stamp some images off the edge to add depth and realism. Use the Ticket Corner Punch to add interest to the upper and lower right hand corners. Adhere this to the Tangerine Tango card base.


• Adhere the large flower and its Whisper White base to your card.


• Lace 1/4th inch Whisper White grosgrain ribbon through a pop tab. Position below the large flower. (The sample card also features a slightly wider orange ribbon that was a scrap that I happened to have. However, Stampin' Up! offers a wide selection of ribbon in colors to coordinate with your "ad" paper.)


• As a final touch, a smaller flower was affixed at the edge of the pop tab.

Why not try the "green" challenge yourself? The Big Shot just lends itself to this challenge with its ability to cut through not only paper, but even chipboard and pop cans! With the wide variety of dies available, it is so versatile. Over the next few weeks, I will continue to showcase the remarkable things you can create with this tool.

Click here to access the Occasions Mini Catalog!

Order Your Stampin' Up! Supplies Now!

Stamp Set: Botanical Blooms (Sale-a-bration 113812)

Inks: Taken with Teal (103257), Whisper White (101731)

Card Stock: Taken with Teal (101584), Tangerine Tango (111349), Whisper White (100730)

Tools: Big Shot (113439), Bigz Die Flowers, Daisies #2 (114520), Ticket Corner Punch (107214)

Embellishments: Rhinestone Brads Square Ice (109113), Whisper White 1/4th inch Grosgrain Ribbon (109025)

These Are a Few of My Favorite Things!

I am always interested in lists, especially when they involve scrapbooking and cardmaking "must-haves"! So...these are a few of my favorite things. And, if you know the tune, feel free to just sing along!

"My Favorite Things...Stampin' Up! Style"

Grommets and buttons and ribbons...just oodles!
Stampin' Write! Markers so I can draw doodles!
Designer Papers, butterfly stamps with wings,
These are a few of my favorite things!

All textured card stocks and all of the punches,
All of the Bigz dies...I want to have bunches!
My Stamp-a-ma-jig helps me out quite a lot,
I cannot forget all the stamp sets I've bought!

When I'm at work
and I can't stamp
and I'm feeling sad...
I simply remember my Stampin' Up! things
And then I don't feel so bad!

You can order your "favorite things" on-line 24/7!

Click here to access the Occasions Mini Catalog!

Order Your Stampin' Up! Supplies Now!

Favorite Hardware: Hodgepodge Hardware Styled Vanilla (112454); Basic Jumbo Grommets (Occasions Mini 114348)

Favorite Tools: Stamp-a-ma-jig (101049), Color Caddy (104335)

Favorite Stampin' Write Markers: Rich Regals (105540)

Favorite Textured Card Stocks: In-Colors (111345), Bright Bolds (108698), Earth Elements (108697), Rich Regals (108696), Soft Subtles (108695)

Favorite Buttons: Button Latte (114333), Corduroy Buttons---Kiwi Kiss (114338), Chocolate Chip (114339)

Favorite Designer Series Paper : A Walk in the Park (Occasions Mini 115123); To the Nines (114038), Urban Garden (112042), Bella Bleus (113974), Tea Party (113992), Manchester (112464)

Favorite Punches: Scallop Oval Punch (Occasions Mini 114889), Scallop Circle (109043), Scallop Edge (112091)

Favorite Ribbons: 5/8ths inch grosgrain---Very Vanilla (109055), Chocolate Chip (109051)

Thinking of You

Stampin’ Up!s Garden Party Designer Series Paper is delightfully feminine, somewhat whimsical and just perfect when paired with “Thinking of You” from the Sincere Salutations Stamp Set. Designed for an Our Creative Corner sketch, the grommet and scalloped circles balance each other, while the sentiment takes center stage. To paraphrase Humphrey Bogart, “Here’s 'Thinking of You', kid!”!

• Mat the small floral paper from the Garden Party Designer Series Paper on Pretty in Pink card stock. Adhere this to your card base of Barely Banana.


• Mat the small dotted paper from Garden Party onto Pretty in Pink and then to Barely Banana card stocks.


• Punch three circles of Barely Banana, Lavender Lace, and Pretty in Pink card stock using the Scallop Circle Punch. Adhere the Lavender Lace and Barely Banana scallops to the card base.


• Position the “Small Dot” mat into position.


• Ink the “Thinking of You” sentiment from Sincere Salutations with Perfect Plum and stamp onto Very Vanilla card stock. Mat with Almost Amethyst followed by Mellow Moss. Using SNAIL Adhesive, place it into position.


• Place a White Jumbo Grommet in the center of the Pretty in Pink scallop and remove the center paper. Using Stampin’ Dimensionals, place this pink scallop above the sentiment.


• As a final touch, rhinestones were placed in a circle around the Lavender Lace and Barely Banana scallops, on the edges of the pink scallop, and as the center for selected flowers on the Small Floral designer series paper.
  

Click here to access the Occasions Mini Catalog!

Order Your Stampin' Up! Supplies Now!

Stamp Set: Sincere Salutations (115068)
Ink: Perfect Plum (101437)
Designer Paper: Tea Party (113992)
Card Stock: Barely Banana (102701), Pretty in Pink (100459), Mellow Moss 102898), Lavender Lace (101614), Almost Amethyst (102158), Very Vanilla (101650)
Other: Basic Jumbo Grommets (Occasions Mini 114348), Rhinestones (Heidi Swapp)

Express Yourself!

“Music Expressions” was one of the first Stampin’ Up! sets I purchased. It is a classically elegant stamp, and I especially loved the accompanying sentiment by Victor Hugo…"Music expresses that which cannot be said”. As the mother of a classical trumpet player, the sentiment was especially poignant. I felt that this would be the perfect choice for the Splitcoast Sketch Challenge 224. This is how I “expressed” myself:

• I made my card base from Kraft card stock on which I layered “Bleu” paper from the Bella Bleu Designer Series Paper, leaving 1/4th of an inch border on all four sides.


• I then matted two 1” strips of contrasting Bella Bleu neutrals onto Not Quite Navy card stock, trimming to 1/16th of an inch. I placed Very Vanilla ribbon down the center of each strip, and adhered the matted strips onto my card base.


• I inked the "Violin" stamp with Basic Brown, and matted this onto Not Quite Navy cardstock. This focal image was adhered to the card base with SNAIL adhesive.


• As a finishing touch, filigree and dragonfly brads were attached to add depth.

Click here to access the Occasions Mini Catalog!
Order Your Stampin' Up! Supplies Now!
Stamp Set: Music Expressions (113718)
Ink: Basic Brown (104315)
Designer Series Paper: Bella Bleu (113974)
Card Stock: Kraft (102125), Very Vanilla (101650), Not Quite Navy (101722)
Ribbon: Very Vanilla (109055)

Your Devilish Smile

I needed to complete a companion piece to the scrapbook page posted below, so I armed myself with Designer Series Paper and Summer Love Rub-Ons. I am embarrassed to say that since I am a year behind in my scrapbooking, finding pictures was not a problem. I happened to have two pictures that presented a contrast...one of my son looking serious, and the other with just a hint of a smile. One was full color, the other black and white. The journaling also continues this theme of contrasts. How could one boy achieve so much...and yet be voted "Class Clown" by his peers? Like father, like son!

• I selected the gray pattern paper from Urban Oasis Designer Series Paper to serve as my background.
• I matted the colored picture on Basic Gray, Kiwi Kiss and Basic Black card stock, and the black and white picture on Kiwi Kiss, Basic Gray and Basic Black. A Corner Rounder Punch was used on all corners.
• The Summer Love Rub-Ons "Smile" sentiment was placed on Whisper White card stock and punched out using the Scallop Oval Punch. The Large Oval Punch was used to punch an oval from the small floral coral paper from the "A Walk in the Park" Designer Series Paper.
• The journaling block was printed onto Whisper White using the Andy font. This was then matted onto the small floral coral paper. This was then adhered to a Kiwi Kiss Stampin' Up Top Note.
• A strip of Kiwi Kiss checked paper from the Urban Oasis Designer Series Paper was punched using the Corner Rounder and adhered to one side of the background paper. A strip of sheer black ribbon was adhered on top of this. The Top Note/Journaling complex was then positioned.
• Using a hole punch, I punched a hole through both the ribbon and paper near the bottom of the Kiwi Kiss patterned strip and inserted a Basic Gray Corduroy Brad.
• The sentiment "You crack me up" from A Good Egg stamp set was inked in Basic Black and stamped onto Whisper White. This was then punched out using the Word Window Punch and adhered near the button.
• A snippet of Basic Gray ribbon was wrapped around the black and white picture, and the Smile Rub-On was placed into position. Both pictures were then adhered to the background paper according to the picture.
• To add a final pop of color, and to reinforce the theme of contrast, the leaves from one of the sheets of Urban Oasis Designer Series Paper were cut out and adhered to the layout using SNAIL adhesive.

This layout used several products from the Occasions Mini Catalog. Remember that with the Get Connected Promotion you can receive a free item from the "Under $10" page of the Spring-Summer Idea Book and Catalog. You can also receive a free item from the same page by hosting a workshop of at least $150. For each $150 in sales, you can select a free item from the "Under $10" page. Featured Occasions Mini products included: Summer Love Rub-Ons, "A Walk in the Park" Designer Series Paper, Oval Scallop Punch, Basic Gray Corduroy Buttons.

Click here to access the Occasions Mini Catalog!

Order Your Stampin' Up! Supplies Now!

Stamp Set: A good Egg (114974)
Rub-Ons: Summer Love (Occasions Mini 114620)
Ink: Basic Black (101179)
Designer Series Paper: Urban Oasis (113978), A Walk in the Park (Occasions Mini 115123)
Card Stock: Very Vanilla (101650), Kiwi Kiss (111353), Basic Gray (108692), Basic Black (102851)
Tools: Corner Rounder Punch (109047), Scallop Oval Punch (Occasions Mini 114889), Large Oval Punch (107305), Word Window Punch (105090), 1/16th Circle Punch (101227)
Adhesives: SNAIL adhesive (104332), Mini Glue Dots (103683), Stampin’ Dimensionals (104430) Embellishments: Basic Gray Taffeta Ribbon (109064), Basic Gray Corduroy Brad (Occasions Mini 114345), Sheer Black Ribbon (Unknown)

Just Another Walk in the Park

The Summer Love Rub-Ons, featured in the Occasions Mini Catalog, are perfect for scrapbooking! The “Friends Forever” sentiment just seemed the right touch for this layout, which features my son at his Senior Prom. The "A Walk in the Park" Designer Series Paper, also from the Occasions Mini Catalog, adds a young, fun look and compliments the colors of the photograph quite well. Although your color schemes will probably differ depending on your picture, I will share the Stampin’ Up! products which were used to make this scrapbook page. So, let’s take another “Walk in the Park”!

• I selected a sheet of “Bright Stems and Leaves” paper from “A Walk in the Park” Designer Series Paper to serve as the base. I added a strip of Kiwi Kiss Designer Series Paper (“Little Squares”) at the bottom.


• So Saffron ribbon was attached at the interface of the two papers.


• The journaling was printed onto Very Vanilla card stock using LD Quick Note font. This was matted onto Pretty in Pink card stock followed by Kiwi Kiss.


• The sentiment was printed onto Very Vanilla using the same font. This was matted onto Pretty in Pink, followed by Kiwi Kiss, and finally Barely Banana.


• The photo, journaling and sentiment were adhered to the base as illustrated using SNAIL Adhesive.


• Two "Little Leaves” Sizzlets were cut from Pretty in Pink and Not Quite Navy card stock and adhered near the sentiment block. A Not Quite Navy button, “threaded” with a small sliver of Kiwi Kiss card stock, was adhered on top of the stems using Mini Glue Dots. The “Butterfly” stamp from Great Friends was inked with Not Quite Navy, and stamped onto Very Vanilla. It was trimmed and placed into position on the journaling block, using Stampin’ Dimensionals.


• Finally, the “Friends Forever” sentiment from the Summer Love Rub-Ons was placed onto Very Vanilla cardstock, trimmed, and adhered with Stampin’ Dimensionals.

Click here to access the Occasions Mini Catalog!

Order Your Stampin' Up! Supplies Now!
Stamp Set: Great Friend (Occasions Mini 113792)Ink: Not Quite Navy (103008)
Designer Series Paper: Kiwi Kiss, A Walk in the Park (Occasions Mini 115123)
Card Stock: Very Vanilla (101650), Kiwi Kiss (111353), Barely Banana (102701), Pretty in Pink (100459), Not Quite Navy (101722)
Ribbon: So Saffron (from Sale-a-bration 114618)
Button: Fresh Favorites I (107421)
Sizzlets Die: Stampin’ Up! Little Leaves (114511)
Other: Summer Love Rub-Ons (Occasions Mini 114620), Mini Glue Dots (103683), Stampin’ Dimensionals (104430)
Font: LD Quick Note

To the Nines

“To the Nines” Specialty Designer Series Paper is a wonderful confection of chocolate, sage, and artichoke. It’s versatile in the sense that you can take it in any direction from masculine to feminine depending on your choice of embellishments. Using this week’s Mojo Monday sketch, I decided to get my mojo rising by using the “Tree” stamp from Forest Friends, one of the stamps available in the Occasions Mini Catalog.

• First I made my card base from Sage Shadow and used the Scallop Punch on both the back and front of the card. Next, I added Very Vanilla strips on the bottom to accentuate the scallop. The card base was then finished by adding a scalloped strip of Chocolate Paisley, a wider strip of Dotted Herringbone, and a panel of Very Vanilla which was scalloped to add visual interest to the top. The patterned papers are from the “To the Nines” Specialty Designer Paper set. (To the Nines is textured cover weight card stock which coordinates well with Sahara Sand, Sage Shadow, Always Artichoke, and Chocolate Chip.)
• I inked the “tree” stamp from Forest Friends with Chocolate Chip and Sage Shadow Stampin’ Write Markers. Using the Stamp-a-ma-jig, I perfectly placed the inked image in a square of Very Vanilla, which I matted onto Chocolate Paisley, then Sage Shadow.
• A larger square of Dotted Herringbone was matted onto Sage Shadow and served as the base for the image mat. I then positioned this onto the card base.
• The sentiment “Thinking of You”, from the Thoughts of Father stamp set was inked with chocolate chip onto Very Vanilla. The Corner Ticket Punch was use to “punch it up” a notch. Stampin’ Dimensionals were used to attach it to the card, giving it a nice 3-D effect.
• Finally, a button from the Button Latte collection was laced with a piece of Sage Shadow and attached with Mini Glue Dots.

Click here to access the Occasions Mini Catalog!

Order Your Stampin' Up! Supplies Now!

Stamps Sets: Forest Friends (113748), Thoughts of Father (115094)

Paper: To the Nines Specialty Designer Paper (114038), Sage Shadow (101563), Very Vanilla (101650)

Inks: Chocolate Chip (100908), Sage Shadow (102532)

Punches: Corner Ticket (107214), Scallop Border (112091)

Embellishments: Button Latte (114333)

Adhesives: SNAIL Adhesive (104332), Mini Glue Dots (1036830), Stampin’ Dimensionals (104430)

Krazy about Kiwi Kiss!

I have to confess…I am just crazy about the color “Kiwi Kiss”. Gaining my design inspiration from the recent SCC220, I decided to put the Kiwi Kiss Patterns Designer Series Paper to the test. I selected three different patterns to show how color can unite a design.

• Select three contrasting patterns of Kiwi Kiss Patterns Designer Series Paper. Select one pattern to be the center strip. Cut it 3/4ths of an inch wide. Cut two 1 ¼” strips from each of the other patterns. Cut each strip a little shorter than your card base. Adhere to Whisper White card stock so that there are small white stripes between each patterned strip. Trim if necessary and attach to your Kiwi Kiss card base.
• Ink the Flowers in Silhouette stamp with Kiwi Kiss ink and stamp onto Whisper White. Mat onto Kiwi Kiss. Use the Ticket Corner Punch to add interest. Mat this onto So Saffron, and once again use the ticket corner punch. Adhere to your card base.
• Ink the Great Friend sentiment with Chocolate Chip ink. Stamp onto Whisper White and punch with the Scallop Oval Punch. Punch a second oval out of Kiwi Kiss, using the Large Oval Punch. Adhere the scalloped sentiment to the Kiwi Kiss oval with Stampin’ Dimensionals.
• Add So Saffron ribbon for extra pizzazz. Position the sentiment oval and adhere with SNAIL adhesive.
• As a finishing touch that mimics the flower pattern, a Very Vanilla button from the Button Latte collection was readied with a small “thread” of Kiwi Kiss paper (a tip I learned from Mary Fish of Stampin' Pretty). A Mini Glue Dot holds it in place.
  

Flowers in Silhouette stamp is one of the items I received free by meeting one of the criteria for Stampin' Up!s Get Connected Promotion. For every $40 spent on Occasions Mini products, you can select an item from the “Under $10” page (page 208) in the Spring-Summer Idea Book and Catalog. You can also qualify by hosting a workshop. For every $150 of ANY Stampin’ Up! product ordered, you can select one item from the "Under $10" page for free. This is in addition to the regular hostess benefits!

Click here to access the Occasions Mini Catalog!

Order Your Stampin' Up! Supplies Now!
Stamps Sets: Flowers in Silhouette (114498), Great Friend (Occasions Mini 113792)
Paper: Kiwi Kiss Card Stock (111353), Whisper White Card Stock (100730), So Saffron (105118), Kiwi Kiss Patterns Designer Series Paper (112161)
Inks: Kiwi Kiss (111353), Chocolate Chip (100908)
Punches: Scallop Oval (Occasions Mini 114889), Large Oval (107305), Corner Ticket (107214)
Embellishments: So Saffron ribbon (2009 SAB), Button Latte (114333)
Adhesives: SNAIL Adhesive (104332), Mini Glue Dots (1036830, Stampin’ Dimensionals (104430)

Embrace Yourself!

Are you stuck in a rut where you think each and every card must be ...perfect? Sometimes it's OK to just embrace yourself! My family has known forever that I cannot see straight. Its just a fact of life at my house that if something needs to be "straight", you just don't ask me to be the judge. If Stampin' Up! made a Stamp-a-ma-jig for life, I would buy two! In fact, I used the Stamp-a-ma-jig to perfectly place my Elegant Thank You sentiment.

As someone who is "straight-line dysfunctional", I get excited when I see the results of my love affair with the "S-a-m-j". In this case, I was so excited that I just randomly punched the holes for my brads. It was as if someone else was holding my Crop-a-dile. As if I, the straight line fanatic was in an alternate dimension watching this free-spirited puncher just...punch away. "Where is your ruler?" I screamed. "Wait! Mark where the brads should be! Nooooo...Don't punch yet!" My pleas fell on deaf ears. This was a puncher on a mission. I could not stop her. Alas, the damage was done. As I regained consciousness, I was left with the casualties of a senseless "drive-by punching". As tears almost clouded my vision, I sadly inserted my brads and prepared to place this card in the Tomb of the Unsendables...in this case, the bottom drawer of my desk. Maybe I would be able to salvage some of my precious designer paper for use later.

At that point, my son happened to walk in after a brisk afternoon of Frisbee golfing. "Did you get any cards made?" he asked. Now you might be wondering why a teenage boy would be interested in his mom's card making. Well, my success directly correlates to his allowance. "Only one, " I replied sadly.

"Let me see. Cool, Mom. I like those metal things."

"You mean the brads, Brady?"

"Yea."

"What do you like about them?"

"I like how you made one up a little bit, and the other one down a little bit." And that is why I love my son. So, embrace your mistakes and embrace yourself. One person's design flaw may be another person's design "ah-ha"!

• Use Kiwi Kiss as the card base. Select coordinating papers from the Urban Garden Designer Paper Series and adhere to the card base using SNAIL adhesive.


• Attach Basic Grey Taffeta Ribbon at the interface of the two coordinating designer papers. Tie a bow.


• Prepare the sentiment focal point by using Stampin' Write Markers to ink the Elegant Thank You stamp. Night of Navy was used to ink the entire stamp, then wiped away from the flourishes. Next, So Saffron was used to embellish the flourishes. Stamp onto a two inch square of Very Vanilla, using the Stamp-a-ma-jig to perfectly place the sentiment at an angle from point to point. See the example for clarification. The resulting flourishes will have just an "inkling" of the blue for a really neat result.


• Trim the Very Vanilla sentiment square into an elongated hexagon as shown, and mat on Kiwi Kiss (1/8th inch), So Saffron (1/16th inch) and Not Quite Navy (1/16th inch).


• Punch two holes for So Saffron brads.


• Position and adhere to the base.


• Embrace Yourself!

One of the features of this card, the Elegant Thank You, can be selected as a free item from the "Under $10" page as part of Stampin’ Up!s Get Connected promotion. Remember…every $40 of Occasions Mini products qualifies you for a free item from the “Under $10” page (Page 208) of the Spring-Summer Idea Book and Catalog.

Click here to access the Occasions Mini Catalog!

Order Your Stampin' Up! Supplies Now!
Stamp: Elegant Thank You (114484)

Card Stock: Very Vanilla (101650), Kiwi Kiss (111353), So Saffron (105118), Not Quite Navy (101722)

Designer Series Paper: Urban Garden (112042)

Ink: Stampin' Write Markers (Rich Regals 105540)

Other: Basic Grey Taffeta Ribbon (109064), Rich Regal Brads (106953)

Echoes of Kindness

A picture paints a thousand words, but sometimes words can paint a thousand pictures. That is the case with the sentiment from Echoes of Kindness, a level two Hostess Set. This set is one which I find myself using quite often. The three floral stamps are perfect for water-coloring, but with today’s card, I decided to let the beautiful words of Mother Teresa speak for themselves.

• Stampin’ Write Markers were used to ink the sentiment stamp onto Very Vanilla cardstock. Night of Navy highlighted the italicized words, while Bordering Blue was used on the rest of the stamp. Tip: You can get perfect placement of any stamp by using the Stamp-a-ma-jig.


• The stamped sentiment was matted onto Not Quite Navy card stock using SNAIL Adhesive. The edges were trimmed to 1/8th of an inch.


• Very Vanilla was selected for the outer mat. It was trimmed to 1/8th inch on three sides, while the right side was trimmed at 3/4ths of an inch in order to provide visual interest, as well as a place to position three brads from the Baja Blue Corduroy Buttons set. A corner rounder was used on two of the corners to soften the angularity.


• Blue Floral Urban Garden Designer Series Paper, adhered to a card base of Very Vanilla, provided the backdrop.


• Two 3/8ths strips of Not Quite Navy cardstock were positioned above and below the floral paper.


• Two 1/8th strips of Very Vanilla were positioned on top of the Not Quite Navy to lend a more polished appearance.


• Very Vanilla Grosgrain Ribbon was adhered in place in the center of the floral paper, and finally the matted sentiment was placed.

One of the features of this card, the Baja Breeze Corduroy Brads, can be selected from the Occasions Mini Catalog, as part of Stampin’ Up!s Get Connected promotion. Remember…every $40 of Occasions Mini products qualifies you for a free item from the “Under $10” page (Page 208) of the Spring-Summer Idea Book and Catalog.

Click here to access the Occasions Mini Catalog!

Order Your Stampin' Up! Supplies Now!
Stamp Set: Echoes of Kindness (Hostess Level 2---113230)
Card Stock: Very Vanilla (101650), Not Quite Navy (101722)
Designer Series Paper: Urban Garden (112042)
Stampin’ Write Markers: Rich Regals (105540)
Punches: Corner Rounder (109047)
Embellishments: Baja Breeze Corduroy Buttons (Occasions Mini 114344), Very Vanilla Grosgrain Ribbon (109055)

A Walk in the Park

This beautiful designer paper, available from the Occasions Mini Catalog, is quickly becoming one of my favorites! This card, designed for the Pretty Pals twist on the Split Coast Challenge 223, makes use of one of the versatile designs from this paper pack plus the quick and easy Summer Love rub-ons, also from the Occasions Mini Catalog. So...get your shoes on and let's go for a Walk in the Park!

• Transfer the "Create, Dream, Inspire and Happy" images from the Summer Love Rub-Ons onto Very Vanilla card stock using the "popsicle stick" provided. If you have never used Stampin' Up! rub-ons, you are in for a treat! These high quality rub-ons are easy to use with perfect results every time.
• Use a corner rounder to soften the mat and to mimic the corners on the images.
• Mat the Very Vanilla with images onto Bashful Blue, followed by a final mat of the small "coral floral" designer paper from A Walk in the Park. Once again, use the corner rounder to soften the mats.
• Adhere a wide strip of the colorful “leaves and stems” paper to a card base of cameo coral.
• Adhere the center mat complex in place over the leaves and vines strip, as illustrated in the photo.
• To add a little pizzazz, use small glitter brads in a complementary color in the corners of the mat.
• Add Very Vanilla ribbon as a finishing touch.

The nice thing about using Designer Paper is that the papers are designed to be used together. You never have to second guess about which colors to select or which card stocks to use! In a matter of minutes, you can create a card or scrapbook page that is perfectly coordinated.

Today's card features two of the many wonderful products from the Occasions Mini Catalog. What a great time to experiment with these new products, especially when you can earn a free item from the “Under $10” page (page 208) of the Spring-Summer Idea Book and Catalog as part of Stampin’ Up!’s Get Connected campaign.

Here’s how the campaign works:

• Spend $40 on Occasions Mini Catalog products and choose any one item from page 208. There are several cute stamps on this page! Check it out if you haven’t already.
• You can also receive the free item as a bonus for placing an order of $150 or more. This order can include any current Stampin' Up! product. For each additional $150, you will be able to select another free item. What is even better is that this is in addition to the regular hostess benefits!
• This offer is also available for on-line purchases. Just make certain to enter the free items AFTER the $40 minimum has been reached. It really is so-o-o easy to order on-line!

What better way to connect with those you love than giving a card that you have lovingly made? But please note that the Get Connected Campaign is in effect only until April 30th.

Click here to access the Occasions Mini Catalog!

Order Your Stampin' Up! Supplies Now!

Images: Summer Love Rub-Ons (Occasions Mini 114620)
Card stock: Cameo Coral (100457), Very Vanilla (101650), Bashful Blue (105120),
Designer Series Paper: A Walk in the Park (Occasions Mini 115123)
Punches: Corner Rounder (109047)
Ribbon: Very Vanilla (109055)
Non-Stampin’ Up!: Glitter brads (Paper Studio), Ribbon slide (Manufacturer unknown)

Soft Summer

I have always preferred earthier tones. I attribute this to the fact that I am the mother of a son. Pink and yellow just did not work for masculine scrapbook pages that boldly touted his prowess on the football field or on the basketball court. For creative survival I learned to love "all colors masculine". Lately, however, I have been attracted to the colors of spring---pinks and greens and yellows...yummy sorbet and sherbet colors. With that in mind, I decided to try out the Soft Summer set from the Occasions Mini Catalog. Soft Summer is designed for Two Step Stampin', but I like how this particular stamp looks when colored with pastels and blender pens!

• Stamp the image on Very Vanilla card stock using Always Artichoke and Regal Rose Stampin' Writers.


• Color in the images using Pretty in Pink and Yellow Moss Stampin' Pastels with Blender Pens.


• Triple mat using Always Artichoke, Pink Pirouette, and Very Vanilla card stocks. The Corner Rounder punch added softness to the corners of the Always Artichoke and Pink Pirouette papers. A ticket punch was used to add interest to the Very Vanilla.


• Two Pink Pirouette strips were "stitched" with a Regal Rose Stampin' Writer and added to the So Saffron card base.


• Chocolate Chip ribbon was placed over the Pink Pirouette paper strips.


• The triple matted image was then adhered in place on the So Saffron cardstock


• As a finishing touch, two half pearls from the Pretties Kit served as centers for the flowers.

Delicate...Yes! Feminine...Yes! Suitable for Football layouts...Hmmmm! I'll have to ask my son about that one!

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Stamp Set: Soft Summer (Occasions Mini 113802)
Card Stock: Very Vanilla (101650), Always Artichoke (105119), Pink Pirouette (111351), So Saffron (105118)
Other: Rich Regals Stampin’ Write Markers(105540), Stampin’ Pastels (105542), Blender Pens (102845), Chocolate Chip ribbon (109051), Pretties Kit (109114)

Fifth Avenue Blues

The Pretty Pals Challenge this week, which used a fun sketch from Taylored Expressions (TECC61), had me singing the “blues” this weekend. The Pals twist was to use any shade or shades of blue with a neutral. Since I had been itching to use the Fifth Avenue Floral stamp set, I decided to pull it out of my stamp cabinet and give it a good inking! A close friend of mine, who is an interior decorator, has always told me that it is perfectly fine to mix patterns, as long as there is a unifying factor. In this case, it is the color blue in several of its wonderful Stampin’ Up! hues.

• First ink the rose stamp from the Fifth Avenue Floral set with Not Quite Navy ink and stamp it onto Whisper White. Using blender pens and Ballet Blue Stampin’ Pastels, shade in the rose. Mat this onto Brocade Blue card stock.


• Using Whisper White ink, randomly stamp all three of the floral images onto Night of Navy card stock, which has been cut to fit a Whisper White card base.


• Cut two paper strips from Bashful Blue card stock. Once again, randomly stamp the two smaller floral images onto the paper strips, this time using Not Quite Navy ink. Adhere to the Night of Navy cardstock. Mat this onto Brocade Blue and position the entire complex onto the Whisper White Base card


• Finally, stamp the “frilly” flower onto Whisper White and watercolor using blender pens and the Ballet Blue pastel. Cut out. Add a few drops of Versamark ink refill (you can use another adhesive if you wish) to the center of the flower and add Stamp and Heat. Using the Stampin’ Up! Heat Tool, heat the Stamp and Heat until it liquefies, and add Dazzling Diamonds Stampin’ Glitter.
• Use the Circle Scallop punch on Whisper White, and attach the flower to it using a Stampin’ Dimensional. Adhere to the rest of the card with SNAIL Adhesive.
  

I like the classic look of the Fifth Avenue Floral set. It is a perfect choice for many occasions. By using different inks on a neutral card base, and pairing it up with the Very Versatile set from the Occasions Mini catalog, you can design a card in a jiffy!

Order Your Stampin' Up! Supplies Now!
Stamp Set: Fifth Avenue Floral (113734)
Card stock: Bashful Blue (105120), Brocade Blue (101166), Night of Navy (100867), Whisper White (100730)
Ink: Whisper White (101731), Not Quite Navy (100867), Versamark refill (102193)
Punches: Scallop Circle (109043)
Other: Stampin’ Pastels: Ballet Blue (105542), Blender Pens (102845), Heat and Stick Powder (100625), Dazzling Diamonds Stampin’ Glitter (102023), Heat Tool (100050)

All stamped images used on this site are copyrighted by Stampin' Up! 2009.

Pretty Versatile in Pink

As its name would suggest, Very Versatile, one of the sets from the Occasions Mini Catalog is...well, versatile! Returning to my scrapbooking roots, I relied upon matting to focus attention on the delicate floral stem from this set.

• The stem was inked onto Whisper White using Stampin' Write Markers in Regal Rose and Always Artichoke. Pretty in Pink and Always Artichoke complete the matting, while a ribbon bow was used to accent the stem.
• Using a selection from the beautiful Raspberry Tart Designer Paper set, an edge was punched using the Eyelet Border punch. This was then attached to the matting.
• Using the fantastic Scallop Oval Punch, also featured in the Occasions Mini, scallops were punched from Always Artichoke and Whisper White. Once again the stem image was inked and stamped on the Whisper White oval, while Pretty in Pink Stampin' Pastels were applied with a sponge dauber to soften the edge.
• The Happy Birthday sentiment from Very Versatile was inked in Basic Grey and stamped onto Pink Pirouette. Stampin' Dimensionals were used to adhere the two scallops.

Order Your Stampin' Up! Supplies Now!
Stamp Sets: Very Versatile (Occasions Mini 113806) Cardstock: Always Artichoke (105119), Whisper White (100730), Pink Pirouette (111351), Pretty in Pink (100459) Ink: Basic Grey (109120) Designer Paper: Raspberry Tart (113975) Punches: Scallop Oval (Occasions Mini 114889), Eyelet Border (113692) Accessories: Stampin' Pastels (105542), Stampin' Write Markers Rich Regals(105540), Sponge Daubers (102892), Stampin' Dimensionals (104430), SNAIL Adhesive (104332) Non-SU!: ribbon

All stamped images used on this site are copyrighted by Stampin' Up! 2009.

Extra! Extra! The New Occasions Mini Catalog Has Arrived!

The long awaited moment is here! The Occasions Mini Catalog has arrived full of fresh products designed to give your stamping projects the edge! Window Sheets, Rub-ons, Designer Paper, Buttons, Punches, and Dies...OH, MY! And don't forget the stamp sets!
What could be better than this! As for me...I want it all!

Order Your Stampin' Up! Supplies Now!