A Whole Lot of Lovely!

Pin It Now! I'm having a super sparkly day because, finally, I have my first box of new catalog goodies AND I scheduled time to make something with them! 

This is a new hostess set called A Whole Lot of Lovely. I ADORE all four stamps in this set. There's a single floral stamp that I can see me using a lot.  And how do you like this happy patterned paper? It's a great 6x6 stack, Pretty Petals. 

I'm participating in a challenge over at Splitcoast Stampers, where you have to use something new that reminds you of something old that you used to have. My new / old supply is the Venetian Crochet Trim. It's an update version of several vintage style lace trims that I've had over the years, including the most recently retired "Victorian Lace" trim. They're all awesome, whatever version!

Also participating in The Friday Mashup, with a square card.  

Inside:

The sentiment was gold embossed to make it easy but special. And my little wooden trim is retired Autumn Wooden Element from last year's mini, but I pulled it into the card since they never got much use! 

SUPPLIES:

STAMPS:  A Whole Lot of Lovely

INK: Gold Stampin' Emboss

PAPER:Pretty Petals DSP Stack, basic black, calypso coral, whisper white

EMBELLISHMENTS: Venetian Crochet Trim, Linen Thread, Autumn Wooden Elements (retired)

Clean and Quick Thank You Notes with Simply Wonderful.

Pin It Now! Happy Day to you!  I'm passing the time today watching the snow from my craft room window and looking for a little card challenge for a little fun.  I found Can You Case It and they're looking for a 10 minute card.

Here's my 10 minute card...

And this one took about 20.

I CASE'd inspiration from the latest Stampin' Success magazine.  I always read it from cover to cover and try to glean lots of inspiration.  

Check out all the great samples at CYCI by clicking on their graphic.

I was happy to use a little of my Stacked with Love DSP even though Valentine's Day is behind us. I plan to use it up!  These TY's are for my son to give for birthday gifts he received, so they're a bit on the masculine side - he turned 14 :D. 

SUPPLIES:

STAMPS: Simply Wonderful

INK: Craft White, Versamark Clear, White Stampin' Emboss

PAPER: Stacked With Love DSP Stack, Island Indigo, Whisper White, Basic Black

EMBELLISHMENTS:  Frosted Sequins, Island Indigo Bakers Twine, Banner Punch, Artisan Embellishment kit (purple ribbon)

BIG SHOT: On Film Framelits, Lg Polka Dot TIEF

More than Butterfly Basics HSSCC205

Pin It Now! Butterflies on a greeting card are always a good idea. They are ethereal, beautiful, miraculous, and delicate.

Butterfly Basics is the prettiest set out there now, and the matching Framelits make a pretty card light work!

Here, I have created my thank you card, borrowing the ink resist idea from Breelin, and CASEing the sketch from the Spring Occasions Mini pg. 27.  The colors for the challenge stumped me a little, because I don't have the Birthday Bash DSP that contains these colors.  So, I showcased each color on a die cut butterfly with Irresistably Yours DSP, sponging each one in a different color, and letting the emboss resist pattern do it's trick!  I like the way it turned out!

A couple of embellishments from the Artisan Embellishment kit anchors the center butterfly, and the "thank you" from Lotus Blossom is stamped on a tag die cut from the Curvy Keepsakes Box.  I wish I was one of those people that could stick to one stamp set, and not be allllll over the place with supplies.  But...I guess, if you got 'em, use 'em!

Inside...

My card is oversized at 4" x 6-1/2", so I handmade an envelope with the punch board.  Easy peasy, and how cute!

Hop on over to Hand Stamped Sentiments and give this combo a try...I'd love to see what you're up to!

Have a blessed and creative day ~ Erika

SUPPLIES:

STAMPS: Butterfly Basics, Dictionary, Lotus Blossom

INK:  Coastal Cabana, Crushed Curry, Calypso Coral

PAPER:  Irresistably Yours DSP (Sale-A-Bration 2015), Crumb Cake, Whisper White, In Color DSP Stack, Dazzling Diamonds Glimmer Paper

EMBELLISHMENTS: Artisan Embellishment Kit (metal button, doily), white twine, sequin

BIG SHOT: Butterflies, Apothecary Accents, Curvy Keepsake Box (round tag) Thinlits Dies. 

OTHER: Envelope Punch Board, Sponges

Sparkly Watercolor Thank You - HSS202

Pin It Now! With Christmas done, and the New Year upon us, I'm looking for something gold and sparkling to celebrate and to thank a friend.  The latest inspiration photo at Hand Stamped Sentiments is full of gold and glimmer, perfect for celebrating kindness!  Here's my shiny card...

And the inspiration photo from HSS: 

I loved getting out the watercolor supplies for this one.  Look at this shine!

I watched a YouTube video to work on my "bokeh" technique, which are the circles that are randomly placed on the card panel.   

To create this effect, I first wet the entire watercolor paper panel with clean water.  Then, I squeezed each ink pad while closed to apply ink to the inside of the lid - if you have reinkers, you might use them instead.  I dabbed the ink off of the lids with a wet paintbrush, then dab and spread the paint as desired.  I created a diagonal type pattern. 

When I like the color combination, I dried it with a heat embossing gun.  Then I watered down a bit of the Champagne Mist from Tsukineido and brushed it all over the top, dried again, then used it full strength on a skinny paintbrush and flicked it across the panel.  

This is what it looked like before the Craft White ink circles were dabbed on.  In hindsight, I think it would have been fine like this! 

Inside, more stars to match the punches on the front. 

Hope you're having a great Christmas season and a wonderful New Year!  Head over to Hand Stamped Sentiments and play along - I'd love to see you there!

SUPPLIES:

STAMPS:  Simpky Celebrate (retired)

INK:  Crushed Curry, Night of Navy, Tempting Turquoise, Tsukinedo Champagne Mist, Memento Tuxedo Black

PAPER:  Modern Medley DSP, Watercolor paper, Basic Black, Whisper White, Gold

EMBELLISHMENTS:  Confetti Stars punch, Gold Bakers Twine, Large oval punch, Crystal Effects

OTHER: paint brushes, craft mat, washi tape, water

Starburst / Sunburst Cards - Birthday & Thank You

Pin It Now! What's a prettier way to show off patterned paper than in this lovely starburst pattern?

This birthday card is done using the All Abloom DSP stack.  It's perfectly sized to make the triangles for the starburst; mine are 4-1/2" x 1-1/4".  The cute sentiment is from Something to Say.

I just love these colors!

And how about a couple of shiny sequins?

Here's my first sample - I used retired Afternoon Tea DSP to experiment with.  Love these, too!  I sent this one to my mom!

Have a great day!  

Thank You, Sweet Friend - HSS190

Pin It Now! It's time for a fun sketch over at Hand Stamped Sentiments.  I tried my best this time to stick strictly to the sketch, and not to use the Big Shot.  Looking over my latest cards, I realize that I use it for everything.  Which isn't bad at all, but I wanted to keep things a little simpler.  -ish!

I have a wonderful, wonderful friend and her husband that I have met through our love of card making, and today I made a thank you for her husband.  My boys call him Mr. Joe, and I can't begin to tell you how much they adore him.  He's so kind, and always willing to entertain them when us ladies are hid away making cards. 

I've stamped the soda pop onto a piece of white and layered the banners over the base.  "Sweet Friend" is part of a longer sentiment, so I used a marker to stamp the words I needed.  A wrap with baker's twine, punched heart, clothespin, and finally a few scattered sequins.  

Head on over to HSS to see what everyone's up to!

SUPPLIES:

STAMPS:  Cycle Celebration

INK:  Real Red, Island Indigo, Soft Sky, Hello Honey, Memento Tuxedo Black

PAPER:  Brights DSP Pack, Moonlight Paper Pack, Real Red, Whisper White

EMBELLISHMENTS:  In Color Sequin Assortment, mini clothespin, Island Indigo Baker's Twine

Postage Due Thank You Note - CCMCSU14-03

Pin It Now! Hey crafty friend!  I'm dropping by with a thank you note I made with the latest sketch from Create With Connie & Mary.  Super cute sketch!

I hope they're having fun with their first LIVE event!  Wish I were there!!!

This was honestly the easiest card I've made in a while!  I'm getting ready to head to my hometown to see my mom & dad for a few days, but I got the itch to make ONE more card, since I'll be without craft supplies!   Just a little criss cross with the papers and then trimmed them to fit, a tag that I made a pile of for customers, a black ribbon to anchor it, and some sequins.  Ta-da!  

I cannot do anything without sequins lately.  Just sayin'. 

I love Postage Due for it's vintage collage look!  And the "thank you" is new from Something to Say.

Thanks for swinging by!

SUPPLIES:

STAMPS:  Postage Due, Something to Say

INK:  Coastal Cabana, Memento Tuxedo Black

PAPER: Typeset Specialty DSP, Basic Black, Coastal Cabana, Very Vanilla

EMBELLISHMENTS:  Basic Black 3/4" Chevron Ribbon, In Color Sequin Assortment, Strawberry Slush Thick Twine, Natural Chevron 5/8" ribbon

OTHER:  Honeycomb Embossing Folder, 1-1/4" Circle Punch, 1-3/8" Circle Punch, Scalloped Tag Topper Punch

Hip Notes Thank You

Pin It Now! Just dropping by with a quick thank you note, using Retro Sketches current sketch.  I kept it super clean and simple, as I was trying to do a card and run out the door to deliver it in 10 minutes!

It's embellished with a few tiny circle punches from the Owl Builder punch (eyes) and some star sequins from the In Color Sequin assortment.  

As you can see, I flipped the sketch to suit my need!  

Have a blessed and creative day!  ~ Erika

SUPPLIES:  All from Stampin Up unless otherwise noted.
STAMPS:  Hip Notes
INK:  Memento Tuxedo Black
PAPER:  Island Indigo CS, All Abloom DSP, Whisper White, Champagne Glimmer
EMBELLISHMENTS:  1/4" Stitched grosgrain in Basic Black, In Color Sequin Assortment

Masculine Thank You with Traveler

Pin It Now! I have so many thank you notes to write this week!

My 13 year old son was in the national finals at Disney for the Christopher Columbus Awards, and was treated like royalty for a full week.  Preparing for finals week has been a huge process, so this card will go out to everyone who helped - financially, emotionally, and otherwise!  

Here are the guys. CJ is on the right.

CJ loves this card, it has plenty of guy-ishness.  Traveler has been my new favorite stamp set since it was available for preorder, and this new paper, Typeset, is thin and ever so vintage looking!  

I stamped the globe image onto watercolor paper and used an Aqua Painter to lift color off of the inkpads and paint the globe, using Lost Lagoon, Mossy Meadow, and Hello Honey.  Sponged the edges with Hello Honey.  The ribbon across the front is Mossy Meadow 3/8" Stitched Satin, and it's AWESOME.  Very shiny!

Who'd have thought I'd love these new In-Colors so much?  They are so rich and usable!

Inside:

MEASUREMENTS:

Map print DSP: 2-3/4" x 4"

Mossy Meadow Matt:  3" x 4-1/4"

Map stamp panel: 1-1/2" x 2-1/2"

Mossy Meadow matt:  1-3/4" x 2-3/4"

SUPPLIES:

STAMPS: Traveler

INK:  Lost Lagoon, Mossy Meadow, Hello Honey, Memento Black, Crumb Cake

PAPER:  Typeset DSP, Basic Black, Vanilla, Mossy Meadow

EMBELLISHMENTS:  Mini Brads, Mossy Meadow 3/8" Stitched Satin ribbon, Linen Thread

Bunch O' Banners Thank You - HSS 181

Pin It Now!

This card features an abundance of banner pieces, from several different sources. 

The focal point is a burlap banner piece from the Sale-A-Bration FREEbie, Heartfelt Banner Designer Kit. So many pieces in this kit can be used on a card or scrapbook layout!  

Then we have the strip of banners across the top from Banner Blast (Sale-A-Bration 2014 also).  They're zig-zag stitched together to give them a little cohesion. 

Finally, the sentiment is from the Bitty Banners Bundle, these are a snap to die cut with this coordinating Framelits. 

And I finally have found an opportunity to ink up my new Dictionary stamp. I love this because you can have a vintage book page look, but it will match anything when you change out the color!

The colors were inspired by our latest color challenge at Hand Stamped Sentiments:

-Midnight Muse

- So Saffron

- Tangerine Tango

An unusual combo, if I may say, but I like they way it turned out!

Thanks for stopping by!

SUPPLIES:

Stamps:  Banner Blast, Itty Bitty Banners, Dictionary, circle stamps from My Paper Pumpkin kit Feb 2014

Ink: Midnight Muse, So Saffron, Tangerine Tango, Crumb Cake

Paper:  Midnight Muse, Gold Glimmer, Whisper White

Embellishments:  Gold Sequins, Banner Piece from Heartfelt Banner kit, Basic Metal button, Midnight Muse Stitched Satin ribbon 

Big Shot: Bitty Banner Framelits Die

Butterfly Thank You Card & Tags {SUO70}

Pin It Now! I see I'm not the only one who's SO happy that all of Stampin' Up's butterflies are here to stay for another year!  SUO Challenges has noticed too, and is posting a challenge using butterflies.  I need to make thank yous for customers to tuck in orders, so I made these embossed butterflies, and used one to finish a card...

My first attempt at a tag was using Fine Feathers, and I didn't like the way it looked late last night.  Looking again this morning, it's not bad, really!  I'll have to revisit that idea another day ;)

The second largest Beautiful Bigz butterfly is embossed with the soon-retiring Lacy Brocade folder, which is rubbed with the Melon Mambo ink pad.  Epic Day This & That DSP, cardstock, and ribbon are layered on Sahara Sand, with a little spritzing to pull the colors together.  "Thanks" from Kindness Matters is glittered around the edges with Dazzling Details.  

The Melon Mambo strip has a stamped strip using the Chamomile wheel. 

Hope you're having a great week!  Glad you stopped by :)

 STAMPS: Kindness Matters, Chamomile wheel

INK: Melon Mambo, Pool Party, Crumb Cake
PAPER: This & That Epic Day DSP, Sahara Sand, Very Vanilla, Melon Mambo, Pool Party DSP stack
EMBELLISHMENTS: 5/8" Flower Trim, Pool Party Seam BindingRibbon, Rhinestone Brad, Dazzling Diamonds glitter
BIG SHOT: Lacy Brocade embossing folder, Beautiful Butterflies Bigz die
OTHER: Spritzing tool

A Fine Feathered Thank You Note

Pin It Now! This week I'm up to my neck in a serious science fair project!  My 6th grader has decided that it's his heart's desire to participate in the homeschoolers science fair, and who can blame him?  He loves picking apart electronics gadgets and making new things like you and I like to put together card after wonderful card, so I'm all his all week! Pray I don't electrocute myself, or come out of the basement with crisped hair. I'll post pictures when we're done :) Of the project, that is, not the hair.

I bought this Fine Feathered set a while back, and it's one of those sets that I adore because it's so pretty, but don't get the chance to see it in action.  So I used our color combo with it from Hand Stamped Sentiments this week, and it did a really lovely job on the peacock feathers!  Take a look...

 The peacock feather was inked up with Stampin' Write markers in Lucky Limeade, Island Indigo, and Daffodil Delight.  After coloring in the image, I stamped it off once onto scrap paper to tone the colors down a bit, and they turned out nice and subtle.  The sentiment was added with the StampaMajig, and then random splatters with the spritzing tool.

Across the card is a strip of newsprint from Tea for Two, and a piece of 7/8" Naturals ribbon.  The bottom of the ribbon is cut with pinking shears,and the pointed edges are frayed. Finally, a triple wrap of Linen Thread, with extra knots on the side, that are frayed with my piercing tool.  I think it gives an overall natural, earthy look. 

 

I'm trying lately to not throw away my scraps, but use any leftovers for another card. All the supplies are already out, so why stop with one?  Here's my scrap darling...

Same idea, different embellishments.  Island Indigo baker's twine that I discovered after the fact, the first paper banner I cut, and the Naturals ribbon that I tried to tear but wasn't quite sure of.  A little extra spritzing. I think it'd make a nice masculine thank you note.

So, do you have anything in mind for the color challenge?  I will say that the Indigo and Limeade colors are included in the Tea for Two DSP.  But I'd love to see what you come up with.  Hop on over!

SUPPLY LIST:

STAMPS:  Fine Feathers, Perfectly Penned

INK:  Island Indigo, Lucky Limeade, Daffodil Delight, Sahara Sand

PAPER:  Tea for Two DSP, Sahara Sand, Very Vanilla

EMBELLISHMENTS: Island Indigo bakers twine, Linen Thread, Vintage Faceted buttons, Spritzing Tool, 7/8" Natural ribbon, Framelits Labels, 

OTHER:  Pinking Shears

Have a blessed & creative day!  Erika