Old Glory - Stars & Stripes punch art card

Hello friend!

Today I'm sharing a card that my crafty sis JoAnn & I made together, in honor of Independence Day next week.

 We found a card we loved - on Pinterest, of course! Tweaked it a bit to suit our taste.

 I did mine all SU, of course ;)  I used leftover Everyday Enchantment DSP, First Edition for the white stripes, retired star punch, paper piercing, and a Heart Charm.

 JoAnn used a DCWV paper pack for hers, and a pearlescent vanilla paper for the stripes!

I needed a new insert for my SU charm necklace, so I copied the card in miniature, using a heart punch from the Owl Punch, paper piercing the edges, and mounting it on a 1/2" x 3/4" banner.  Aww!  The scalloping is a blade from my old trusty Carl paper trimmer. 

Here's the whole set...the other side of the charm has my little guy's chubby fingers holding a dollar coin he received at an Independence Day parade a couple of years ago. I love the symbolism of this picture, it's one of my favorites. Liberty in the hands of the next generation :) 

 Have a wonderful weekend!

Erika
www.erikaclark.stampinup.net

In-Color Quilted Inspiration HSS124

This week at Hand Stamped Sentiments, the sky is the limit with a collage of inspiration photos detailing gorgeous colorful quilts!

I love - I know, I've said it before - repeating shapes on cards and layouts!  So my inspiration was the multicolor squares of fabric in the photo. 

I broke out of the confines of the 1" x 2" rectangles a bit by adding punches of tone on tone flowers and these sweet new In Color Dahlias embellishments!  I love these new colors all together like this. 

 The inside is punched with the same floral shapes as the outside, only reversed.  I used the punched center circles from the outside flowers to give the inside a little pop of color.

The "Thank You" sentiment is stamped in Gumball Green and die cut with Apothecary Accents, and embellished with more and more punched flowers, but all in Whisper White, so it wouldn't detract from the colors on center stage.  Two scored lines above and below the color blocks.

 Finally, the envelope is stamped with circle stamps from Mixed Bunch.

This card is going to the wonderful nurses that took care of my 8 year old Ryan this week in the hospital. He's doing so well, thank you all for your comments and prayers!

Hope you will give this challenge a try at HSS!  I'd love to see how it sparks your creativity!

SUPPLIES:
STAMPS:     Perfectly Penned, Mixed Bunch
PAPER:     Gumball Green, Midnight Muse, Primrose Petals, Raspberry Ripple, Summer Starfruit, Whisper White
ACCESSORIES:  In Color Dahlias, Boho Blossom Punch, Itty Bitty Shapes Punch Pack, Apothecary Accents Dies, Simply Scored Tool, Tombo Multi Glue

Sweet Sunday - Lollipop Cards!

I was so fortunate today to spend some down time with my crafty sis, JoAnn. We made a dozen swap cards, planned another swap card, and made these little sweeties...



These are totally cute, and a blatant CASE of a card on Pinterest. Sometimes you just need to enjoy the process of making a pretty card, and copycatting is a stress free way to do that.



This one is layered with Rose Red & Pool Party. Embossed with letterpress diamond plate.



The other two are on Crumb Cake.



The pops are easy to make, just punch 10 circles, fan them out and glue to a circle in the back. An In-Color brad in the center. Finish with a lollipop stick & a knot of ribbon.



Have a blessed & creative day! Erika. www.erikaclark.stampinup.net

Papillon Potpourri with Paper Pleating for HSS123

It's Tuesday, and that means another fun challenge at Hand Stamped Sentiments! This week's challenge is to use paper pleating on any project.  I made a card using a new favorite set of mine, Papillon Potpourri.  I just never get tired of banners and butterflies!

 I was crunched for time today, so I went fairly clean and simple. Just a couple colors, adding a few shapes and a pop out here and there.

My pleats are inverted with a little paper piercing down each square. These are so easy, just cut a length of cardstock and score continuously at 1/4" and 1/2", then it's just a matter of folding behind then forward. Play with a scrap piece first and you'll see how easy it is to jazz up your card.

 Each butterfly is punched with the new SU Elegant Butterfly Punch. The center butterfly is stamped with Melon Mambo (stamped off on scrap once to lighten up), edges are curled with the paper piercing tool, and it's resting on a cutout center of the Paper Doily Sizzlits Die. A Vintage Faceted Button finishes it off.

Come on over to Hand Stamped Sentiments and play along this week! I know you'll find a way to incorporate this challenge into your crafting this week!

I'm also joining in the 100th Anniversary fun at The Paper Players!  They challenge us to use ANY previous challenge. So I chose PP16, a lovely sketch, because I love repetitive shapes on my projects. 

On a personal note, I'm a little rushed in my posts this week because I'm in the hospital, sitting by my precious son's bedside as he fights a nasty infection as a result of some stitches received on Friday. Please say a little prayer for him! I believe in the power of prayer for healing and know there are so many of you out there that do, too!  Here's my feisty little Ryan...

UPDATE! Ryan is doing much better, and was released from the hospital to rest at home on oral antibiotics.  His infection was not the dreaded MRSA that is so dangerous, but a lesser but aggressive strep infection. I know it was prayer that's healing him, because the Dr. was so sure of the infection that they continued to grow it in the lab for an extra 2 days!  Every time they came into our room (in isolation), right up until we were released, they all still wore total body cover (?!?).  But Ryan seems to be healing quite well, and the hardest part right now is keeping him still enough for his leg to heal without those stitches that he needed in the first place! 

Thanks everyone, for your well wishes and prayers! 

Thank you! Have a blessed and creative day! Erika

CAS Stressbuster Card {Papillon Potpourri}

So, I was up at 5:00 am, in my craft room like I usually am, and I was letting my recent project tutorial prep kick my butt.  Do you ever have a project that is perfect in your mind, but you have trouble translating that to real life?  What I do is walk away, so to speak, and do something completely different.  So I allowed myself the last 15 minutes of my morning to make a clean and simple, partially CASEd card.


It was such a relief to produce a finished card, simple as it may be!
My morning was saved, just like that!


The sentiment is from Blessings From Heaven, and is layered tone on tone with new Framelits Apothecary Accents.


The butterfly! Isn't it sweet?! It's a new stamp set called Papillon Potpourri. I simply stamped it in Black Staz On and colored with an Aqua Painter using Midnite Muse and Daffodil Delight ink. I was pleasantly surprised when the blue and yellow blended together in the center to make a lovely green :)


A little spritzing on the corners with a Crumb Cake marker.

My first version had no bling. I was trying so hard not to make it too fancy, but I just. can't. help it. Which do you like better? Bling or no bling?!

Have a blessed & creative day! Erika. www.erikaclark.stampinup.net

Wonderful Dad Minibook {HSS122}

This week's challenge at Hand Stamped Sentiments is an inspiration photo.  Peacocks, and beautiful colors. I took the challenge figuratively and literally...I'm "Proud as a Peacock" to have a wonderful dad for my sons, and the colors work great for a masculine project!

What do you think? The colors are fabulous!  I even like the dotted background. This was an easy challenge for me, and I hope you'll join in, too.  

 Here are a couple of details...

 The cover is window sheet, inside are alternating World Spectacular DSP, Patterned Paper Pack, and Crumb Cake.

 The Crumb Cake pages are stamped with images from You're Amazing in Versamark.

The cover has all kinds of fun bits!
The banner is punched with the new Ticket Duo Builder from Tempting Turquoise, and sponged with Old Olive and Midnight Muse. The letters on the banner are hand cut from World Spectacular DSP.
All of the circle punches and words are from World Spectacular DSP.
The star is punched with Natural Composition Specialty DSP.
Stamp sets are Blue Ribbon and You're Amazing. "Dad" is from Family Reunion.
Midnight Muse border is embossed with new Chevron Embossing Folder.

I'm going to fill it with thank you notes, pictures of my boys and dad doing things together, photos of vacations his hard work has provided and some of his favorite things.

Thanks for visiting today!  Have a blessed day.  Erika

Fabulous You, Fabulous Shoe!

When I saw this stamp set in the new SU catalog, I fell in love! This delicate little shoe stole my heart, as shoes often do.  So it was the first set I opened when my new stash arrived yesterday.


I experimented with lots of new supplies for this card...
The gorgeous background paper is Natural Composition Specialty DSP, and comes pre-embossed with these lush designs; patterns, woodgrain, music lines, floral. It has a really interesting fiber.
The cutout shape is Framelits Apothecary Accents, the largest size. The border edge is the same die turned on its side.


How do you like that sweet Vintage Faceted button? I'll be using lots of those!
The tiny tag is punched from the same pattern of the shoe.

Inside is the sentiment included with the set, and another Framelit from the same set. It fits nicely, I like the easy detail it provides. 
Loving the new stuff!  More to come soon!
Have a blessed & creative day! Erika. www.erikaclark.stampinup.net

Post It Note Pad Holder With Pinwheel Gift Box {tutorial}

Okay, if you were around yesterday, you saw I was busy making these nifty note holders for my boys' awesome teachers.  Well, I'm back for one more and a sweet box to present them in.  And measurements to boot!


This one features Button Buddies, stamped with three of the new In-Colors! Midnight Muse, Gumball Green, and Primrose Pink. I layered it up since it's going to be displayed.


TO MAKE THE FRAMES:
The DSP inserts are 3-1/2" x 5", and embellished as desired.  The ribbon and buttons at the top are wrapped on the outside of the frame.
POST IT COVERS:
Cut cardstock 3-1/8" x 6-3/8". Score at 3-1/8" and 3-3/8. Secure post it pad inside with sticky strip. Cut DSP for outside 3" x 3". Embellish center as desired.  Adhere to acrylic frame with Sticky Strip.

Just to avoid confusion, below is the sample I used for the matching box.


And here they are!  The frames fit just right.




Sorry about the blurry picture, I was in a hurry and didn't check it.
TO MAKE THE BOX:
Cut 2 pieces of cardstock at 10" x 8-1/4".
Score all sides at 2".
Cut into one of each corner squares as shown. *Note* I always cut a little off one side of the corner square so the box goes together neatly, with nothing sticking up from the inside.  You can see this in the photo below.
Add Tombo glue to corner squares and assemble box top and lid.
MEASUREMENTS FOR BOX TOP DSP:
DSP:  3-1/4" X 5"
RICH RAZZLEBERRY:  3" X 4-3/4"
VERY VANILLA:  2-3/4" X 4-1/2"



The pinwheels are 3-1/2" square.
Cut from each corner of the square almost to the middle but not quite.
Apply strong adhesive to the center of the square.
Turn each corner into the middle, same direction for each corner.
Anchor with a brad.

SUPPLIES:STAMPS: Crosses of Hope, Button Buddies, Betsy's BlossomsDSP:  Floral District
Have a blessed & creative day! Erika. www.erikaclark.stampinup.net

Teachers' Thank You Gifts HSS121 {color challenge}

It's time for another inspiring challenge at Hand Stamped Sentiments!  I always love to incorporate challenges with projects that are already on my to-do list, and this week it is end of year Thank You gifts for our teachers!

Post-It notes. Ahh, a perennial favorite!  I know you have made a decorative post-it pad before, it's like rite of passage for Stampers.  It was the first thing I ever made with SU supplies, too long ago to mention.  These incorporate a Dollar Tree frame, Staples gel pen, and some new supplies!



I used the color combo for my first one, then got a little creative with the rest.  Different teachers, different styles!STAMPS: Betsy's BlossomsDSP: Floral District

Here's the batch of them...







This is pretty much the same as the first, but looks so different with the colors swapped out.
STAMPS: Betsy's Blossoms, Crosses of Hope
DSP:  Floral District




This is for our guy teacher!
STAMPS: Established Elegance
DSP:  Comfort Cafe




And a blast from the past! An old favorite stamp, On The Green.  I'll never get rid of this one.
Something old, something new...
STAMP:  On The Green
DSP:  Floral District
RIBBON: Gumball Green Stitched Satin



I used a little Crystal Effects on the golf ball to add a little dimension. Postage punch for the corners.
Have a blessed & creative day! Erika. www.erikaclark.stampinup.net