{Step It Up} Thank You Notes Three Ways

Pin It Now! PRIZE ALERT!!!  Want to win some blog candy?? Details at the end of the post.

Stampin' Up provides demonstrators with the wonderful Stampin' Success Magazine every month.  It's a publication that is chock full of hot trends, tips, encouragement, samples, news, and advice.  I've been intrigued by a monthly column called STEP IT UP, where they show you how you can take one card layout and make it three ways:
(1) Clean and Simple
(2) Dressed up a bit, or
(3) All out with details!
Here's a set of Thank You notes I prepared for my customers.  I had a little fun STEPPING IT UP!



The first sample is done with a simple scalloped edge, Very Vanilla ribbon, and a touch of Stampin' Pastels. Pretty, and easy to do. Perfect for the beginner or to do a batch quickly.

Below is #2. I Stepped It Up by adding a double layer of pink ribbon, knotted in the front. It picks up the pink from the floral stamp and the bling on the tower.


And the third card...
This one took a little longer!  Besides all of the steps in #2, I added the following:
- Stamped the scalloped edge with a border stamp from Creative Elements.
- Background stamped the front with a flourish from Creative Elements and Versamark.
- Sponged the edges with Pretty In Pink,
- Added a third ribbon (Certainly Celery), and cinched it together with an Antique Brad topped with another Basic Rhinestone colored with a Sharpie Marker.


I liked the first two cards just fine, but when I finished with the sponging on the third, I was really satisfied :) My inner perfectionist said, "There, that's better"!
Here's a little detail on the ribbon treatment...


SUPPLY LIST:
STAMPS: Artistic Etchings, Creative Elements, Established Elegance
INK:  Basic Grey, Versamark
PAPER:  Very Vanilla
ACCESSORIES:  Stampin' Pastels, Basic Rhinestones, AntiqueBrads, Sponge
RIBBON:  1/8" Taffeta Certainly Celery, Pink Pirouette 3/8" Taffeta, Very Vanilla Seam Binding Ribbon

PRIZE ALERT!!! Want one of these sweet little glass knob card holders, and a Thank You note? I made 'em myself!  Leave a comment below telling me which version of this card you'd like to have and why.  I'll draw a winner on Mother's Day and mail your prize Monday 5/14/12. 

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

Simple Sophistication for HSS117

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The theme this week at Hand Stamped Sentiments is Wedding or Sophistication.  So, I learned a long time ago from a woman who exuded classiness that sophistication is keeping it simple, but simply the best.  And you're best dressed when you get completely accessorized, and then remove one item.  Not overdone.

So I created this wedding ensemble using simple but super high quality components.

Watercolor paper...thick, sturdy, with a beautiful texture.

Very Vanilla Seam Binding Ribbon...delicate, with a sheen on both sides.

Simple, clean stamp layout using Artistic Etchings and Established Elegance.

Minimal embellishment with basic rhinestones, colored grey.

The thank-you note has a scalloped border, and I placed the flourish underneath the Perfectly Penned "Thank You" sentiment.  It looked a little bare, so I colored the flowers with Stampin' Write Markers in Certainly Celery and the Blush marker used for skin tone.  Added one rhinestone at the top of the Eiffel Tower.

Here's a little gift tag made with the Two Tags die, with just the crown image, a rhinestone, and "Mr. & Mrs." from Petite Pairs.

The wedding card is again done using Watercolor paper and stamped in Basic Grey, with just a little bling.

The real stars of the show are these cute little card or placecard holders I made from glass drawer pulls and a beautiful French vintage perfume bottle!

I filled the bottle with German glass glitter to keep the wire holder in place.  Tied a little seam binding ribbon around, and a Trinket Key with Linen Thread.  

The knobs are just the right size for displaying a card or for table numbers at a wedding.  I trimmed this one with a strand of rhinestones painted with a grey Sharpie to make the bling look more vintage, and to match the glass glitter.

Want to make some? Here's the super high tech tutorial...
Take a jumbo paper clip, unbend it, use pliers and your other hand to wrap it twice around a cylinder such as my lipstick I keep in my scrap tote to look good even when I make cards (LOL), bend one end straight down, and plunk in into a hot glue filled drawer pull.

Hope you will play along with  http://handstampedsentiments.blogspot.com/  this week.  I can't wait to see all the pretty and sophisticated creations you all come up with!

Have a blessed and creative day!  Erika

My Stampin' Penpal!

Pin It Now! Last month I joined a swap on U Stamp With Dawn and Friends' blog, and instead of the usual mail-in-a-stack and get back a variety (which is totally awesome in itself), this one was a one-to-one swap.  I was paired up with a stamper whom I did not know by the moderator, and given her email & address. Then we were to make a gifty item and a card and mail them off.  What I didn't know, was that each swapper got paired up with a friend overseas!!!  Enter Jess.  I have had so much fun getting to know her!  She's a fellow blogger, a smart and friendy lady, and an avid and excellent papercrafter!

Take a look at these beauties I received from my Australian friend!

My new favorite stamp set, Artistic Etchings.  Everything I see made with this set is so artsy and cool. 
CJ, my oldest son, commented on the "super cool note pad"!



Don't you love this chocolate box?  It's so beautifully distressed, I just love this look.
And how about those adorable Aussie chocolates?  Yes, they are delicious too!

I highly recommend that you try a swap like this.  I only hope that my next swapper is as fun as Jess. 

Thanks for visiting today!

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