Posts Tagged With: Sale-a-Bration

Just a quick note on the way to California!

Posted on February 16, 2015 by stampsnlingers

Well, here I am – sitting at the gate in the Atlanta Airport.  Waiting to leave for CA for four months.  120 some odd days.  A gazillion hours.  Might I just say….yuk.  And, I’m not going to the beach.  Or Yosemite.  Or Lake Tahoe.  Nope – I’ll be in the Inland Empire.  Code for….the desert part way to Death Valley, a stone’s throw from Barstow, hit the middle of nowhere and turn right.  If I’m being honest, which is a little hard, cause I’m not all that excited about going so, like a spoiled toddler, I’m simply not going to admit that there could POSSIBLY be ANYthing good about the place….but….it has a unique beauty that occasionally catches you unaware.  Sunrises and sunsets are beautiful – and you can see forever.  And, when it’s rained in the high desert – well. the scent is simply wonderful.  And there’s both a Costco AND a Sam’s!  I don’t hate it when I get there.  I don’t hate it when I’m there.  I hate the “getting there” part.  Leaving my husband, the horses, the dog, the kitties.  So, allow me just a moment to wallow in my self pity…..

Okay.  Done.  I promise.  No more dwelling. It is what it is.

So, I’ll use my time before the boarding call to send this post out – and draft the one that will come out tomorrow morning (yes, I AM the Queen of Time Management.  She says….again….never!).  That one will have a card project to share, and the weekly deals that start tomorrow.

My next post after tomorrow will likely not be until next week.  My stamping stash is on it’s way to CA via UPS as we speak.  But, they’re going to take it on a donkey train, or perhaps a slow boat around the Cape of Good Hope – cause it’s not getting there until a week from today!  And, although my Big Shot and my paper is in my suitcase….all the ink and stamps and embellishments – aren’t.

In the meantime – check out the deals below.  Today’s the last day to snag those up.

Here’s a final picture for you – not a card.  Just a “something pretty” to brighten your Monday – I snapped it on Saturday, before the Arctic Blast started to sneak it’s way into GA.  Apparently, my Christmas Cactus is a little calendar-challenged!  It just went crazy over the weekend and is just gorgeous.  Enjoy!

IMG_0039_2 IMG_0040_2

 

TTFN

Mary

FEBRUARY 1 – 28 HOSTESS CODE:  RKBPBNYM Use this hostess code when you order and receive a free gift from me!  But, if your order is over $150, please do not use this code (you’ll miss out on your own Stampin’ Rewards/Hostess $$ if you use it) but you’ll still get the free gift.  The free gift for February is your choice of any item valued up to $4.95 in either the 2014-15 Annual Catalog or the 2015 Occasions Catalog!

WEEKLY DEALS 10 Feb – 16 Feb 15 Click here to see the Weekly Deals from Stampin’ Up! in my online store.  The Weekly Deals are only while supplies last and only available at these great prices through 16 Feb.

If you need any stamping supplies, I’d be very happy to be your Demonstrator. Just click on the Order Stampin’ Up! Online Now button on the right side of the screen to go directly to my online store or drop me an email if you have any questions. Happy Stamping!

Online Shopping Icon 3

It’s Sale-A-Bration Time!! Earn a free item for every $50 that you purchase. Click here to read all about it.

Shop the Clearance Rack here.

Earn FREE Stampin’ Up! Products – Join my Punkin Head Peppermint Rewards – My online customer thank you program!

Backorder Report – as of 12 Feb 15, the following items are on backorder; backordered items will be available on or before the date indicated.

137364: Happy Heart Textured Impressions Embossing Folder–February 20
138634: Best Year Ever Accessory Pack (Sale-A-Bration)–February 27
130998: Daffodil Delight Assortment Stampin’ Blendabilities Markers–February 28
130999: Old Olive Assortment Stampin’ Blendabilities Markers–February 28

Categories: Congratulations | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

College Colors Congratulations!

Posted on February 14, 2015 by stampsnlingers

A few posts back, I told you about birthday cards I made for our friends twin boys 22nd birthday.  Well, today is another card for one of them.  Chris has long had the goal of becoming a veterinarian.  He pursued that by attending Berry College and graduating with a pre-veterinary degree.  But, getting into vet school isn’t a guarantee, even for kids who’ve done well and done all they could.  So, he worked even harder – he took another course in Bio-Chemistry over the summer after he graduated.  He worked as an unpaid tech for a large animal vet, upping his “cred”.  And, a week or so ago – all that hard work paid off.  He was accepted at his school of choice, University of Georgia, up in Athens!!  We were all SO excited for him – and Wayne and I are as proud as if he were our very own son and we’d had ANYthing to do with his success!

So, I started working on a card for him.  I started with sketch #94 from Sunday Stamps.

ssc94F

And here’s what I came up with:

Blue congrats outside 2 watermarked

And, I liked it!  I love Blue and Silvery/White together, and I liked the pop of yellow from the Daffodil Delight.  And…..wait!  Cue the sound of mental brakes just a-screeching!  This kid is going to UGA – not the Air Force Academy!  UGA colors aren’t Blue and Silvery/White.  They’re RED.  And BLACK.  Duh!  What was I thinking?  Can you hear the little voice saying….she wasn’t THINKING at all!?!  She was just merrily coloring and stamping and cutting and….

So, I perused my stash and, quick-like-a-bunny, submitted an order for some inks and card stock in Real Red…..and then I waited.

And, once it arrived, it turned into this!

Red Congrats Outside 4 watermarked

It’s Red and it’s Black and I like it a lot!  Especially my oh-so-clever typed circle….but, more about that later!

I used a piece of polka-dot Irresistibly Yours DSP (Sale-a-Bration), that I sponged with Real Red.  I just kept adding ink until I decided it was UGA-red enough.  The side strips started with a piece of Whisper White CS, that I embellished a little with my brand spanking new SU Finishing Touches Edgelit die – run thru the Big Shot.  Note to readers:  these Edgelits are quite cool – but, you REALLY need the Magnetic Platform when you’re using them – or it’s awfully hard to keep them right where you want them to be!  I lightly sponged the cut edge – I left one edge straight.  I don’t know why.  But straight just seemed right….  A strip of Real Red CS, SNAIL’d onto the white added the additional stripe of the sketch.  I finished that part with a piece of Basic Black Baker’s Twine and a little bow.  Then I SNAIL’d the Card Front onto a piece of Basic Black CS, and put that on a Real Red card base with Stampin’ Dimensionals.

Red Congrats outside 3 watermarked

 

For the circle sentiment, I first pulled out my Typeset DSP.  But, it just didn’t strike me as the right thing.  Then, I thought – hey, this needs to be veterinary terms!  So, I looked thru my books and decided I wasn’t willing to cut any circles out of them (and no, I couldn’t like….COPY a page and THEN cut out the circle – no, way too KISS – Must. Do It. The. Hard. Way!).  Then, a lightning bolt struck me.  I went onto the UGA vet school website and copied/pasted the names of some of the courses Chris will be taking in the next four years (and if there was no other reason on the planet that I’m NOT a vet – some of those course names would certainly have given me pause).  I hemmed and hawed over font and size and color and spacing and and and…. yes, I spent a LONG time on this piece!  I finally printed it out and cut it with a Circle Framelit die.  Then I sponged it in Real Red.  And layered it on a Real Red mat, that I “stitched” with my white gel pen.  Here’s a close-up.

Red Congrats close up of vet circle watermarked

Admit it – it’s pretty durned personalized!  I love it.  And, find myself amazed that I came up with the idea!

The sentiment is from the Sassy Salutations stamp set.  I flat love this set – the font is fun and cool and….wait for it….SASSY! 😉

I stamped it in Black on Real Red and then fussy cut it out, SNAIL’d it to a piece of Back CS and fussy cut a mat.  It’s popped onto the card front with Stampin’ Dimensionals.  To finish it off, I cut a few Real Red stars out with the Itty Bitty Punch Pack and attached them to the front with glue dots and then finished them off with some large rhinestones.

Red Congrats Outside 1 watermarked

For the inside, I cut out a bunch of stars from a scrap piece of black CS and then used some Multi-Purpose Liquid Glue to attach that to a scrap strip of Real Red (oh, I’m so thrifty!).  And then that went onto my Whisper White CS for the liner of the card.  I finished it off with a sentiment from the Crazy for You set – first I stamped “So Proud of” and then I stamped the “You” – all in Real Red (definitely sticking to the color theme, huh?).

Red Congrats Inside 2 watermarked
And that’s that.  One each UGA-themed congrats-on-getting-into-vet-school card.  Here’s where I point out that, of course, this could be personalized with any school colors and any degree-goal-specific text.  I also helped the envelope a little – here’s the complete ensemble.

Red Congrats with envelope 1 watermarked

 

 

That’s some more of the Irresistibly Yours DSP, colored with Real Red ink.  That’s such a great stack of paper – lots of different patterns that can be any color you like!  I SNAIL’d it to the envelope flap and then trimmed it to fit.

I’m off to put this in the mail for Chris.  It’s past time to get this to him.  I’m pretty sure Miss Manners would say that the time period has expired!

Still a few more days left in this week’s weekly deals.  Don’t miss out!

For those of you following me on this blog (thank you!), there’s likely to be a bit of a gap in posts.  I’m headed to CA for several months on business, and it’s going to take me a minute to get my Stampin’ stuff mailed out there and set up to make cards (I’m NOT the only person who carries stamping gear around with her on business trips, right!?!?).  Please be patient and don’t give up on me! 🙂  I’ll get back in gear just as quickly as I can.

TTFN

Mary

FEBRUARY 1 – 28 HOSTESS CODE:  RKBPBNYM Use this hostess code when you order and receive a free gift from me!  But, if your order is over $150, please do not use this code (you’ll miss out on your own Stampin’ Rewards/Hostess $$ if you use it) but you’ll still get the free gift.  The free gift for February is your choice of any item valued up to $4.95 in either the 2014-15 Annual Catalog or the 2015 Occasions Catalog!

Here are the card cuts for today’s project:

Real Red Card Stock: 5 ” x 7″ folded at 3 1/2″ (card base); 1/2″ x 3 1/8″ (strip on left side); 2 3/4″ circle; 7/8″ x 3 3/8″ (mat under star strip on inner liner); sentiment and Bitty Stars

Basic Black Card Stock: 3 3/8″ x 4 7/8″ (card front mat); 5/8″ x 3 3/8″ (stars strip on inner liner); mat under sentiment

Whisper White CS: 1″ x 3 1/8″ (white strip on left side); 3 3/8″ x 4 7/8″ (inner liner)

Irrestistibly Yours DSP: 3 1/8″ x 4 5/8″ (card front); irregular piece for inner flap of envelope

 STAMPIN’ UP! ITEMS USED IN THIS PROJECT:

Price: $99.95

Supply List

Built for Free Using:  My Stampin Blog

WEEKLY DEALS 10 Feb – 16 Feb 15 Click here to see the Weekly Deals from Stampin’ Up! in my online store.  The Weekly Deals are only while supplies last and only available at these great prices through 16 Feb.

If you need any stamping supplies, I’d be very happy to be your Demonstrator. Just click on the Order Stampin’ Up! Online Now button on the right side of the screen to go directly to my online store or drop me an email if you have any questions. Happy Stamping!

Online Shopping Icon 3

It’s Sale-A-Bration Time!! Earn a free item for every $50 that you purchase. Click here to read all about it.

Shop the Clearance Rack here.

Earn FREE Stampin’ Up! Products – Join my Punkin Head Peppermint Rewards – My online customer thank you program!

Backorder Report – as of 12 Feb 15, the following items are on backorder; backordered items will be available on or before the date indicated.

137364: Happy Heart Textured Impressions Embossing Folder–February 20
138634: Best Year Ever Accessory Pack (Sale-A-Bration)–February 27
130998: Daffodil Delight Assortment Stampin’ Blendabilities Markers–February 28
130999: Old Olive Assortment Stampin’ Blendabilities Markers–February 28

Categories: Congratulations | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

Sending Wishes for a Happy New Home!

Posted on February 10, 2015 by stampsnlingers

Our friend and Stampin’ Up Demonstrator Senior Manager Awesome Goddess of Cards, stamping, journaling, art…well, you get the picture! is moving to the frozen country north of our border.  She and her husband are moving back to Canada for his business and to be closer to family.  Fortunately, she’s going to be able to keep all of her USA stamping family – but she’s also going to have a Canadian group  – so she’s going to be one busy lady!  To wish her luck, a bunch of us in her downline surprised her with Stampin’ Up! cards – all timed to arrive in the last week or so before their big exodus.

My card used the Butterfly Basics Stamp set, as well as a sentiment from the Holiday Home set.  The overall design was inspired by the Freshly Made Sketches #171:

FMS171

I’d been waiting for just the right design to dive into my Artisan Embellishment Kit (Occasions catalog) and this was perfect.  I also used Painted Blooms and Irresistibly Your DSP.  And some Blendabilities and some Textured Embossing Folders and ….well, take a look-see for yourself:

Sending Wishes Outside 3 Watermarked

I like pinks and greens together – I just think they look very spring-y.  Not boing-y springy, but….oh, you know.  Springy spring-y!  Got it?  Good.

I started the card front with Pink Pirouette Card Stock, that I ran through my Big Shot in the On Point TIEF.  So, here’s a little lesson in patience (of which I showed none in this instance!).  I had, just a few days before, ordered the Spring Flowers TIEF.  If I’d waited for it to arrive, then that’s the one I thought I’d have preferred to use on this card.  But – I didn’t wait!  So, I used the On Point.  And, in truth, I think it was probably the better choice – cause, as I think about it, I kind of think the Spring Flowers would have been too busy for the card – so perhaps it was a blessing! 😉  I attached it to a Wild Wasabi card base with SNAIL.

I cut three strips in ever-increasing lengths and cut the banner ends with the hexagon punch.  The longest banner is from the Irresistibly Yours DSP (Sale-A-Bration), that I colored with my lightest Pink Pirouette Blendability.  It’s matted with Wild Wasabi CS.  The middle banner is a piece of Wild Wasabi CS that I embossed with the Happy Hearts TIEF, and matted on Pink Pirouette CS.  The final, and shortest banner, is some of the Painted Blooms DSP, matted on Wild Wasabi.  All three banners are SNAIL’d to the card front.

Sending Wishes Outside 2 watermarked

I built the sentiment circle using the circle framelits to cut a Whisper White circle (2 3/8″ diameter) and a Pink Pirouette (2 3/4″) circle.  I SNAIL’d them all onto one of the pretty doilies from the Artisan Embellishments Kit (Occasions).  The sentiment comes from the Butterfly Basics Stamp Set, and I stamped it in Mossy Meadow Classic Ink.  I also edged that white circle with some Pink Pirouette Blendability Marker and then with the Mossy Meadow.  The Pink circle, I “stitched” using the Pistachio Pudding Stampin’ Write Marker. Then, I attached the layered circle to the card front.  The left side is SNAIL and the right side is little bits of Stampin’ Dimensionals, placed on the most-solid parts of the doily.  The Dimensionals compensated for the added thickness of the banners under the left side of the circle.

Sending Wishes Outside 1 watermarked

I made a little bow with the green Painted Blooms Thick Twine (have I mentioned how much I love twine – especially when it comes to making bows?!?!) and glued it to the front with a little dab of Multipurpose Liquid Glue.  Three Pearl Basic Jewels finished it off.

The inside of the card was treated to a Whisper White liner, with some more of the Pink Pirouette and Wild Wasabi across the bottom.  I ran the Wild Wasabi through the Big Shot in the Happy Heart TIEF and SNAIL’d it to the Pink Pirouette mat (which I also stitched with Pistachi Puddding).  Repeating elements from the front of the card – whether it’s colors or textures or patterns or some combination thereof – ties the entire card together, and helps it to be “finished”. IMHO, of course!

Sending Wishes Inside 2 watermarked

The sentiment comes from the Holiday Home stamp set, and is stamped in Mossy Meadow Ink, that I stamped off once on scrap paper before stamping it on the card.  So – I used a “happy new home” sentiment, cause this card was headed to Sandi to celebrate her…well, new home.  But, if you wanted to make this card for almost any other kind of occasion – sympathy, just-because, feel better, whatever – you could easily use a different inside sentiment – or even just leave it blank.  “Sending Wishes Your Way” is a pretty versatile sentiment – and just another reason that having the Butterfly Basics set in your stamping arsenal is a really good plan! 🙂

I wanted the envelope to be a little special, too, so I SNAIL’d some more Painted Blooms DSP onto the inside of the flap, and then trimmed the excess with my snips.  I really think it completed the whole ensemble.

Sending Wishes with envelope watermarked

So – what think you?  I hope that you like it – I enjoyed making it for Sandi to wish her the best on her next adventure!

Tuesday heralds the arrival of new Weekly Deal specials – take a look and see if there’s a special something (or somthingS!) that you’ve been waiting for a good deal on!  There’s even a deal on one of the brand new Occasions bundles (From the Garden)!

Stampin’ Up! just announced a brand new stamp set, called Lovely Amazing You.  And it’s really cool!  Some super sentiments and a cute “envelope” stamp.  And – it’s in Photopolymer – my fave!  Click here to see the set and a couple of ideas for using it!  And check it out in the store when you decide you NEED to have it in your stash…..

And – here’s a teensy sneaky-peek…..26 Feb is the date for the next Happy Stampers Blog Hop.  Be sure to check back for more details, and mark your calendars.  We’ll all be sharing some new cards or….?  and will share a little blog candy, too!

TTFN

Mary

FEBRUARY 1 – 28 HOSTESS CODE:  RKBPBNYM Use this hostess code when you order and receive a free gift from me!  But, if your order is over $150, please do not use this code (you’ll miss out on your own Stampin’ Rewards/Hostess $$ if you use it) but you’ll still get the free gift.  The free gift for February is your choice of any item valued up to $4.95 in either the 2014-15 Annual Catalog or the 2015 Occasions Catalog!

Here are the card cuts for today’s project:

Wild Wasabi Card Stock: 5 1/2″ x 8 12/” folded at 4 1/4″ (card base); 7/8″ x 5 1/4″ (largest banner mat)); 3/4″ x 4 12/” (middle banner, embossed with Happy Hearts); 7/8″ x 4″ (smallest Banner); 5/8″ x 4″ (inner liner embellishment, embossed with Happy Hearts)

Pink Pirouette Card Stock: 4 1/8″ x 5 3/8″ (card front embossed with On Point TIEF); 7/8″ x 4 5/8″ (middle banner mat); 5/8″ x 4″ (inner liner embellishment mat); 2 3/8″ circle (sentiment mat)

Whisper White CS: 2 3/8″ circle (sentiment)

Irrestistibly Yours DSP: 1/2″ x 5 1/8″ (longest banner)

Painted Blooms DSP: 3/4″ x 3 7/8″ (shortest banner); 4″ x 5 1/8″ (inner liner); inner flap of envelope

 STAMPIN’ UP! ITEMS USED IN THIS PROJECT:

Price: $99.95

Supply List

Built for Free Using:  My Stampin Blog

WEEKLY DEALS 10 Feb – 16 Feb 15 Click here to see the Weekly Deals from Stampin’ Up! in my online store.  The Weekly Deals are only while supplies last and only available at these great prices through 16 Feb.

If you need any stamping supplies, I’d be very happy to be your Demonstrator. Just click on the Order Stampin’ Up! Online Now button on the right side of the screen to go directly to my online store or drop me an email if you have any questions. Happy Stamping!

Online Shopping Icon 3

It’s Sale-A-Bration Time!! Earn a free item for every $50 that you purchase. Click here to read all about it.

Shop the Clearance Rack here.

Earn FREE Stampin’ Up! Products – Join my Punkin Head Peppermint Rewards – My online customer thank you program!

 

Categories: Any Occasion, Everyday, General | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Lotus Blossom Thinking of You

Posted on February 6, 2015 by stampsnlingers

So, in a week where I ought to be building wonderful, creative, gender-specific, gender-neutral, romantic and yet funny Valentine’s Cards, I find myself working on other kinds of cards entirely.  A friend of mine has family in the hospital, who isn’t doing well.  I want to send a card letting her know that I’m thinking about and praying for her.  So, I delved into my more somber creativity and mined the beautiful Lotus Blossom SU Set (Sale-a-Bration item – still FREE with a $50 purchase thru 31 Mar) and the equally lovely Irresistibly Yours DSP (Occasions catalog) to build today’s card.  I also used the Annual Catalog stamp set called Thoughts and Prayers for the sentiment.

About the same time that I knew I needed such a card, the weekly Mojo Monday sketch arrived in my e-mail.

Mojo Monday 383

I gotta tell y’all – for some reason, this one just confounded me!  I have no idea why – but it took me two days working off and on to finally build something that I liked well enough to call it good.  I struggled with colors and patterns and…well, I just struggled.  Maybe because it’s February.  Or perhaps the moon is setting in the House of the Rising sun and Mercury is playing with Mars.  Or something.  But, I finally decided to quit overthinking it and just put it all together.  And – really ended up liking it quite a lot!  See what you think:

Thinking of You Outside 1 Watermarked

I started with one of our ever-so-handy Crumb Cake Cut and Ready Card Bases and cut a piece of Very Vanilla Card stock for the main card front.  Then, I matted a piece of the Sale-a-Bration Irresistibly Yours DSP onto a piece of Crumb Cake CS.  The DSP, I’d colored with an almost dry SU Sponge Dauber – my “brown” one.  It had been used for Crumb Cake  and Soft Suede ink at various times in the past few days.  The exact ink color is less important than the fact that it was ALMOST DRY, so the DSP is only very lightly colored.

My art piece is from the Typeset DSP that I edge sponged with some Old Olive and then stamped with the Lotus Blossom.  Remember, this is a multi-step stamp that comes in photopolymer – so, as I mentioned in an earlier post, you’ll want to use a squishy mat under your paper when you use the stamps (this is true for ANY photopolymer stamp!).  Use your piercing mat or one of your old squishy mouse pads.  Any-who….the first two stamps are done in Pumpkin Pie and the third layer is with Crushed Curry.  I experimented on scrap paper a couple of times to come up with the best way to lay down the colors before putting it on my DSP – and I ended up with this one, which I loved!  Now, take note: this is the way that I liked best – you can definitely be your own boss with this stamp.  Whatever YOU like best IS the best!  Play with it and have fun with it – there’s no telling what you’ll be able to come up with!

The stem is also two -step and I used Old Olive on the first stamp and Mossy Meadow for the second layer.

Thinking of You Outside 2 Watermarked

The banners are the polka dots from the Irresistibly Yours DSP.  I colored them with Soft Suede – and just used the same dauber on both, but colored the bottom piece more – making it darker. I like the tone-on-tone result.  Made these into banners by cutting the ends with the Hexagon Punch.

The Sassy Salutations set provided my sentiment, which is stamped in Soft Suede on a Vanilla circle die-cut that I edge-sponged with more Old Olive.

As I adhered all the layers to my Vanilla card front, I used SNAIL for all the pieces, except for the right-side edge of the art piece.  That area has SU Dimensionals on it to compensate for the raised layers of the vertical DSP.

I finished the card front with a tiny Linen Thread bow glued to the sentiment, and three rhinestone jewels that I colored with the darkest Pumpkin Pie Blendability.

Thinking of You Outside 3 Watermarked
I wanted the inside to have a sentiment for this card, and I chose the Thoughts and Prayers set to accomplish my goal.  It’s stamped in Soft Suede on vanilla card stock that I lightly edged with Old Olive ink.  And, just cause I could and I liked it so much, I added another Lotus Blossom in the bottom corner.  I think it finished it off nicely.  What’s so fun about this particular stamp is that even using the same colors and stamping the same way each time, each flower you build looks just a little different than the last one – just like real flowers.  I love it more every time I use it!

Thinking of You Inside 2 Watermarked

Obviously, if you left the sentiment out, this would make a very pretty every-day-just-because-I-was-thinking-about-you-today card!

This really wasn’t as hard a card to make as I made it out to be – at least in the end!  And I really love how the whole card is in soft, neutral tones, with just the Lotus Blossom popping off the card.  Pumpkin Pie and Crushed Curry – beautimous!  Try it today – you’ll like it!

There’s still time to get in on the weekly deals – check out the Hearts border punch!  Mine is already on it’s way to me – along with some Dazzling Diamonds Glimmer paper.  Can’t wait to play with them! 🙂

TTFN

Mary

FEBRUARY 1 – 28 HOSTESS CODE:  RKBPBNYM Use this hostess code when you order and receive a free gift from me!  But, if your order is over $150, please do not use this code (you’ll miss out on your own Stampin’ Rewards/Hostess $$ if you use it) but you’ll still get the free gift.  The free gift for February is your choice of any item valued up to $4.95 in either the 2014-15 Annual Catalog or the 2015 Occasions Catalog!

Here are the card cuts for today’s project – starting with a Crumb Cake Cut and Ready Card Base

Very Vanilla Card Stock: 4″ x 5 1/4″ (large card front); 4 1/8″ x 2 7/8″ (art piece mat); 1 7/8″ Circle (Sentiment); 4″ x 5 1/4″ (inner liner)

Irrestistibly Yours DSP: 5 1/8″ x 2 7/8″ (vertical band); 3/4″ x 2 1/2″ (lighter banner); 1/2″ x 3 1/8″ (darker banner)

Typeset DSP: 4″ x 2 3/4″ (art piece)

Crumb Cake CS: 5 1/4″ x 3″ (Vertical band mat)

 STAMPIN’ UP! ITEMS USED IN THIS PROJECT:

Price: $99.95

Supply List

Built for Free Using:  My Stampin Blog

WEEKLY DEALS 3 Feb – 9 Feb 15 Click here to see the Weekly Deals from Stampin’ Up! in my online store.  The Weekly Deals are only while supplies last and only available at these great prices through 9 Feb.

Supply List

Built for Free Using:  My Stampin Blog

If you need any stamping supplies, I’d be very happy to be your Demonstrator. Just click on the Order Stampin’ Up! Online Now button on the right side of the screen to go directly to my online store or drop me an email if you have any questions. Happy Stamping!

Online Shopping Icon 3

It’s Sale-A-Bration Time!! Earn a free item for every $50 that you purchase. Click here to read all about it.

Shop the Clearance Rack here.

Earn FREE Stampin’ Up! Products – Join my Punkin Head Peppermint Rewards – My online customer thank you program!

 

Categories: Any Occasion, General, Sympathy, Thinking Of You | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Tall and Skinny Wishes

Posted on February 2, 2015 by stampsnlingers

Happy Monday, y’all (or is that an oxymoron!?!).  I bet today finds you 1) excited and happy that the Patriots won or 2) recovering from the devastating, last-possible-second loss of the Seahawks or 3) wondering….”huh?  There was a big game yesterday?  All I saw were some funny commercials interspersed with some guys running around on grass.”  However you spent your Sunday evening, I hope you’re well and recovered, cause it’s Monday now, so…. 😉

Speaking of Monday, this is the day I announce the winner of last week’s Blog Candy!  Drum roll….and yea, you have to read all the way through to the end to see who won! See how I did that?

This week I made a card to share using some Irresistibly Yours DSP and the Butterfly Basics stamp set (from the Occasions Catalog).  I based it – pretty loosely, as you’ll soon see! – on the Mojo Monday Sketch #382.

mojo382

This card fits into an A2 envelope, with plenty of room to spare to accommodate the embellishments.  I think the entire ensemble turned out really pretty!

Tall and Skinny with envelope watermarked

To build my card, I cut a piece of Very Vanilla card stock to 3 1/2″ x 11″ and then scored and folded it at 5 1/2″ on the long side.  That yielded the Tall and Skinny look driven by the MM sketch.  And, that’s the dimensions they gave me on their website, so the math was pretty easy! ;0

I sponged a piece of the Irresistibly Yours DSP with Soft Suede ink, and then wiped the excess off of the resist areas with a paper towel.  Then I SNAIL’d a length of SU Natural Cotton Ribbon onto a piece of Crumb Cake CS (which I’d lightly sponged with Crumb Cake ink) and then SNAIL’d that layer onto the DSP.  I actually attached the ribbon to the CS, leaving a little excess on both ends, before I attached everything to the DSP – and then I wrapped the ribbon around and secured it to the back with tape.  That way I had a nice, smooth edge, and won’t have to worry about the ribbon fraying on the edges.

Tall and Skinny Outside 3 Watermarked

Over that, I ran some Daffodil Delight Stitched 1/4″ Grosgrain ribbon.  Like the wide ribbon, I wrapped the ends around the back and secured them with tape.

Then I cut out my art square and rounded the corners (note to self: get oval collection framelits in next order…!!).  I stamped the flowers from the Butterfly Basics onto the square in Soft Suede and colored it in with my Pink Pirouette and Old Olive Blendabilities (that I got for Sale-a-Bration!).  My Butterfly Basic sentiment  is stamped in Strawberry Slush onto another square of Very Vanilla.  Both these pieces were matted onto Crumb Cake CS and then layered onto the card front.  The sentiment is SNAILd and the flower is popped up with Dimensionals.

Tall and Skinny Outside 1 Watermarked

I punched out a few Bitty Butterflies from some scrap Irresistibly Yours DSP that I’d lightly colored with my lightest Pink Pirouette Blendie, and very artfully (she says modestly) arranged them onto the card, using glue dots.  I embellished them with some Pearl Basic Jewels and added one more pearl to the center of the largest flower, and called it good.  The card front was SNAILd onto the card base – there’s plenty of “popping” already!

Tall and Skinny inside 2 Watermarked

On the inside, I went ahead and added a liner, still in Very Vanilla, just to keep the card feeling solid.  I edged the piece with Pink Pirouette ink by simply running all the edges across the ink pad itself.  Using the smallest butterfly stamp in the Butterfly Basics, I stamped a little swarm of them (what IS a group of butterflies called?  Swarm?  Herd? Flock?  Must Google that) across the bottom in Pink Pirouette.  I left this card blank on the inside, so it can be used for almost any occasion, I’d think.

I used a Crumb Cake Envelope, and stamped the flower in Crumb Cake on the front, in the bottom right corner, just to finish things off.

Tall and Skinny with envelope watermarked 2

Hope you enjoy this one – and give Tall and Skinny a try soon!  Card cuts are below,

Today’s the last day for this week’s Weekly Deals, so act quickly if you’re wanting to stock up on embossing folders or add a Texture Boutique machine to your tool set!

TTFN

Mary

FEBRUARY 1 – 28 HOSTESS CODE:  RKBPBNYM Use this hostess code when you order and receive a free gift from me!  But, if your order is over $150, please do not use this code (you’ll miss out on your own Stampin’ Rewards/Hostess $$ if you use it) but you’ll still get the free gift.  The free gift for February is your choice of any item valued up to $4.95 in either the 2014-15 Annual Catalog or the 2015 Occasions Catalog!

Here are the card cuts for today’s project

Very Vanilla Card Stock: 3 1/2″ x 11″ (card base – folded at 5 1/2″); 2 3/8″ x 2″ (flower); 2 1/4″ x 2 3/8″ (sentiment); 3 3/8″ x 5 3/8″ (inner liner)

Crumb Cake Card Stock: 1 1/8″ x 3 3/8″ (ribbon mat); 2 1/8″ x 2 1/2″ (flower mat); 2 3/8″ x 2 1/2″ (sentiment mat)

Irresistibly Yours DSP: 3 3/8 x 5 3/8″ (card front); Bitty Butterflies

 STAMPIN’ UP! ITEMS USED IN THIS PROJECT:

Price: $4.95

Supply List

Built for Free Using:  My Stampin Blog

 WEEKLY DEALS 27 Jan – 3 Feb 15 Click here to see the Weekly Deals from Stampin’ Up! in my online store.  The Weekly Deals are only while supplies last and only available at these great prices through 3 Feb.

Built for Free Using: My Stampin Blog

 BLOG CANDY WINNER!
Thanks so much to everyone who stopped by my blog to leave me a comment – I really appreciate that you all took the time – there were some really nice things said!
Screen Shot 2015-02-02 at 12.08.27 PM
The Random Number Generator chose comment #11. Comment #11 was left by Kristi Gray.  Kristi said: “Congrats on your first blog hop, they are so much fun. Your cards are so pretty. I love that stamp set and am amazed at all the different looks you get from these cards. Thanks for sharing.”Congratulations Kristi!! I’ll get your embellishments packed up – please send me your snail mail address (stamps-n-lingers@comcast.net) so that I can ship them to you!

Visit my online store here
Shop the Clearance Rack here.
Earn FREE Stampin’ Up! Products – Join my Punkin Head Peppermint Rewards – My online customer thank you program!

 

Categories: Any Occasion, General, Sympathy | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 7 Comments

Bitty Butterflies to Celebrate the Arrival of A New Little Girl!

Posted on January 31, 2015 by stampsnlingers

Yeah! It’s the weekend and I wanted to share another girly baby card with you.  But, first two little pieces of news.  News one – today, I’ll be at the Heritage Stamp Show with my friends Amy Koenders, Sue Prather and Heather Van Looy.  It looks to be a lot of fun – we’ll have a card display and make & takes along with catalogs and other goodies!  Here‘s some info about the show, if you happen to be in the area – it’s at the Gwinnett County Fairgrounds, 2405 Sugarloaf Pkwy, Lawrenceville, GA 30046.  Second – and this is HUGE (well, for me, at least!).  Today marks the first post I’m writing on my brand new computer!  This is really pretty epic.  My old computer is a vintage 2007 model iMac.  And, in 2007, it rocked.  In 2014, it IS a rock!  I tell you true – I could feel hairs on my head getting gray waiting for that poor thing to load a website, or – gasp! – save a file!  I am a died-in-the-wool Apple girl – so this post comes to you from my new MacBook Pro.  And.  It.  Is.  Like.  LIGHTNING!  Of course, if I hang on to THIS one for 7 years, it may well be a rock, too.  But not today – whoo whoooo!

Okay – that’s the end of the new news.  Let’s get to the card.  This one is purely girl.  All pink and yellow and pretty.  I used the Stamping and Blogging Sketch #87 as my inspiration.  If you click the picture below, you’ll go to the wonderful card that Sandi MacIver did with this sketch.  I really DID build my card before I saw Sandi’s creation – even though it doesn’t look like it!  I guess great minds think alike.  😉

SB87

I used Strawberry Slush Card Stock for my card base.  I folded it so that it was a tall card, opening long-ways.  Yikes – that hardly made sense at all – here’s the picture so you can see what I tried to say.

Sweet Girl Card Front 1 Watermarked

I ran a piece of Painted Blooms DSP (Occasions Catalog) through the Big Shot in the Happy Hearts Textured Impressions Embossing Folder and then punched the “bottom” edge with one of my Martha Stewart edge punches.  I SNAIL’d that to the card base and moved on to the rest of my elements.  I stacked 3 squares of paper and card stock for the sentiment – the largest is a piece of the Painted Blooms DSP – cut with a scalloped square framelit and edged with my Strawberry Slush Stampin’ Write Marker. that I first stamped with the  also in Strawberry Slush Ink.  I inked up the Something Lacy Background Stamp (Annual Catalog) with my Strawberry Slush Stampin’ Write marker and stamped a piece of my Strawberry Slush card stock – which I then used for the middle sentiment mat and 5 of my Bitty Butterflies.

Pink and Yellow Sweet Girl Card Front 1 Watermarked

The sentiment is from the Baby We’ve Grown set in the Annual Catalog.  I stamped it onto a scalloped square in Soft Suede Ink, and then colored it with my Pink Pirouette and Daffodil Delight Blendabilities.  I SNAIL’d the whole stack together and adhered it to the card front with Stampin’ Dimensionals.  The butterfly panel started with a piece of Whisper White CS, embossed with the Happy Hearts TIEF that I SNAIL’d to a Strawberry Slush mat.  The butterflies are all cut with the Bitty Butterfly punch and then I sort of rolled the wings up a tiny it to give them a little life.  The odd-man-out butterfly is white CS stamped with the Lovely Lace background in Strawberry Slush and colored with a Daffodil Delight Blendability (this is a free item available in the Sale-A-Bration catalog, going on through 31 Mar).  The butterflies were stuck to the white panel with a little bit of Multipurpose Liquid Glue.  Then the panel was adhered to the card front with Stampin’ Dimensionals.  Just to finish it off, I gave the odd butterfly a few Pearl Basic Jewels and each little baby girl shoe got a tiny pearl – just to send the cute factor right over the top!  And – done!

Sweet Girl Card Front 1 Watermarked

On the inside, I edged another piece of Whisper White CS and stamped the bunny from the Baby We’ve Grown set in Soft Suede.  He got a quick color with the Blendabilites in Pink Pirouette and the Strawberry Slush Stampin’ Write Marker.  The sentiment, from the Petite Pairs stamp set, in Soft Suede, brought it all home.

Pink and Yellow Sweet Girl Interior 1 Watermarked Pink and Yellow Sweet Girl Interior 2 Watermarked

I think this is a really cute and happy card.  And the design would be easy-peasy to use for a boy just by changing up to blue tones, or you could go more gender-neutral and use greens and yellows.  Which, since it appears that the friends I made these cards for all are having boys….I should have done!  Anyone need a cute girl baby card….?? Let me know.

Today’s the last day to use my January Hostess Code.  Don’t forget that you’ll also get a free gift from me and you may qualify for Punkin Head Peppermints!  And, if you’ve been waiting for the Textured Impressions Embossing Folders  – this is a good week.  There are 6 TIEFs on sale right now – check out the Weekly Deals below and stock up on all your favorite folders.

And don’t forget to come by the Heritage Stamp show if you happen to be in the area today.  I’d love to meet you!

Thanks for taking the time to share my share with me!

TTFN

Mary

JANUARY 1 – 31 HOSTESS CODE:  RMQE9AEQ Use this hostess code when you order and receive a free gift from me!  But, if your order is over $150, please do not use this code (you’ll miss out on your own Stampin’ Rewards/Hostess $$ if you use it) but you’ll still get the free gift.  The free gift for January is your choice of any item valued up to $4.95 in either the 2014-15 Annual Catalog or the 2015 Occasions Catalog!

Here are the card cuts for today’s project

Strawberry Slush Card Stock: 4 1/2″ x 11″ (card base – folded at 5 1/2″); 1 3/4″ x 1 3/4″ (middle sentiment mat); 4 1/4″ x 2″ (Butterfly mat); Bitty Butterflies

Whisper White Card Stock: 4″ x 1 3/4″ (embossed panel under butterflies); 1 1/2″ x 1 1/2″ (scalloped sentiment); 4 1/4″ x 5 1/4″ (inner liner)

Painted Blooms DSP: 4 1/4″ x 5 1/4″ (Card front); 2″ x 2″ (scalloped bottom sentiment mat); one Bitty Butterfly

 STAMPIN’ UP! ITEMS USED IN THIS PROJECT:

Price: $99.95

Supply List

Built for Free Using:  My Stampin Blog

 WEEKLY DEALS 27 Jan – 3 Feb 15 Click here to see the Weekly Deals from Stampin’ Up! in my online store.  The Weekly Deals are only while supplies last and only available at these great prices through 3 Feb.

Visit my online store here
Shop the Clearance Rack here.
Earn FREE Stampin’ Up! Products – Join my Punkin Head Peppermint Rewards – My online customer thank you program!

 

Categories: General, New Baby | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Painted Blooms, Butterflies and Irresistibly Yours for the Happy Stampers Blog Hop!

Posted on January 29, 2015 by stampsnlingers

Happy Thursday – and welcome to the first Happy Stampers Blog Hop of 2015!  This is my first hop, and I’m really excited to be included with the other talented ladies who are taking part.  One of the coolest parts of stamping is how everyone can, with roughly the same tools, come up with an almost endless variety of ideas.  Blog hops really illustrate how versatile these products are.  So, once you’ve checked out my projects, be sure to go to each of their blogs to enjoy their creations.  Take a minute to leave each of us a comment, because, in addition to some great ideas, we’re all giving away a little Blog Candy, too!  For this hop, we’ll all show you a card made with some Occasions catalog product(s) and one with Sale-a-Bration product(s).

Happy Stampers Jan 2015 Blog Hop LogoMy first card to share with you uses the Irresistibly Yours DSP (Sale-a-Bration catalog) and the Butterfly Basics stamp set and complementary Butterflies Thinlits Dies (Occasions), which are available as a money-saving bundle (so, you KNOW that’s how I got it!).  I colored the DSP with my Sale-a-Bration Blendability markers.

Happy Birthday Butterfly Outside Card 3 watermarked

My design inspiration for this card was Mojo Monday Sketch #380.  And, as I looked at the supplies I’d chosen, I gratefully stepped back into my color-palette wheelhouse.

This card started with a Crumb Cake Cut and Ready card base, with the corners rounded.  I sponged the edges of a piece of Typeset DSP with my Crumb Cake ink, and then SNAIL’d it to an Old Olive Cardstock mat.  Using a couple of the stamps in the Butterfly Basics set, I inked the Typeset with some honeycomb and frond images, using Crushed Curry and Old Olive respectively (I stamped each one off on scrap paper first and then stamped twice without re-inking).  I rounded the corners and SNAIL’d the whole thing to the card base.  Then, I colored two pieces of the Irresistibly Yours DSP – one with the lightest Wild Wasabi Blendability Marker and the other with the lightest Crumb Cake Blendability – and wiped the excess off the “resist” areas with a paper towel.  This DSP is so cool and versatile – you can make it be any color you want it to be (sponge ink on, spritz it on, use a Blenadability, etc), and it’s also pretty in it’s natural white-on-white state.  And, because it’s a Sale-a-Bration item, you can still get a stack FREE with a $50 purchase through 31 Mar!  Each piece was matted to the opposite color – the Old Olive on a Crumb Cake mat and the Crumb Cake on an Old Olive mat. I put these on with SNAIL as well, since I knew I wanted to pop my sentiment and the butterfly.

Happy Birthday Butterfly Outside Card 5 watermarked

I stamped my sentiment in Old Olive on a piece of Vanilla Cardstock and then added a Crumb Cake flower.  Both of these are in the Butterfly Basics set – this one gives you a lot of stamping power for your money – and was the first thing I ordered when the Occasions catalog came out.  Please note that, sadly, it was far from the ONLY thing I ordered! LOL  After I lightly edged the CS with some more Crumb Cake, I popped it onto the card with some Stampin’ Dimensionals.  My Butterfly was stamped twice in Old Olive (on Very Vanilla) and cut out twice with the Thinlit Die that matches it.  I colored in one butterfly with my lightest Crumb Cake Blendability.  Then I layered them on the card front with SNAIL – the top one, I only attached the center third or so of the butterfly, and then put a little tiny piece of Stampin’ Dimensional under each wing – I wanted them to stay up even after going into an envelope.  I finished off the front with some Pearl Basic Jewels on the butterfly and in the center of the flower.

For the inside, I inked the edges of a piece of Vanilla CS with the honeycomb stamp, again with the Crushed Curry, and lightly sponged it with more Crumb Cake.  The sentiment is in Old Olive, from the Good Greetings Hostess set.

Happy Birthday Butterfly inside card 3 watermarked

I must say, I really like working with this color combo – and this card turned out to be one of my very favorites!  You can find the card cuts below.  But first, on to card two – my Occasions Catalog share!  Everyone stand up, stretch a little – maybe get a snack or another cuppa ….  long blog post today!

Thinking of You Butterfly Outside Card 3 watermarked

This one started with another great sketch from Mojo Monday – this time is was #381.  And, since I wanted to use the Painted Blooms DSP, I let it drive the colors.

This color combo is very spring-y and feminine, and I like it – it’s just a little harder for me to work with than the more earthy tones in the first card.  But, I’m learning and trying to expand my comfort zone and I think it turned out well.  I started out with an Old Olive Cut and Ready Card Base (Annual Catalog).  I cut a 2 3/4″ circle from the top part of the Whisper White Mat, and then cut a slightly larger (next size up in the Circles Collection dies) round of the Painted Blooms DSP (Occasions catalog).  That stack has many beautiful paper patterns, but this one is my favorite.  I SNAIL’d the DSP circle to a Pink Pirouette CS mat.  I wanted a little more detailing on my white mat, so I used the fine-point end of my Pistachio Pudding Stampin’ Write Marker to make “stitches”.  I wanted it to look hand-stitched – which, for me, means not-so-even-and-perfect.  Pretty sure I nailed that one!

Thinking of You Butterfly Outside Card 4 Watermarked

I adhered the white mat with Stampin’ Dimensionals to the Pink Pirouette mat, making sure the DSP was under the opening, and centered so the edges of the DSP weren’t visible.

I made my sentiment banner by SNAIL-ing my Whisper White CS to a Pink Pirouette mat and then stamping the sentiment from the Sassy Salutations set in Blackberry Bliss.  I gave that the hand-stitched treatment as well.  The banner is SNAIL’d to the larger white mat – obviously there’s only SNAIL on the ends that actually TOUCH the mat!

Then came the really fun part!  I’d been itching to use the gorgeous, detailed dies in the Butterfly Thinlits set.  I ran the medium butterfly through the Big Shot, using wax paper and my Magnetic Platform.  The beauty of this butterfly means there are a lot of little pieces to clean out of the die cut.  With the wax paper, I was easily able to push them all out with my craft pick.  Tip:  leave the die cut IN the die while you push out all the little pieces.  It stabilizes the cut and helps a lot.  Then, I ran that die cut BACK through the Big Shot, this time in my Lovely Lace Textured Impressions Embossing Folder.  I think it adds a subtle little sump’n-sump’n to the butterfly.  I repeated the cutting and pushing-of-pieces on a second butterfly, this time with white CS.  Then I layered them onto the card with SNAIL – a little offset from each other, just to add a little more depth.  He got a few little Pearl Basic Jewels and the front was finished!

Thinking of You Butterfly Outside Card 2 watermarked

On the inside, I “stitched” a white CS liner, and SNAIL’d a few (okay – this time, 4 just looked right – please excuse me for decorating with an EVEN number – no need to call the Decoration Police!) Bitty Butterflies, made with the SU punch of the same name, in Pink Pirouette.  I stitched all of THEM, too.  Appears I got on a sewing binge, which is quite odd, considering I can’t really sew a stitch! I once tried to make a t-shirt and cut two backs out.  Yea – sewing is not my thing!

Thinking of You Butterfly Inside Card 2 watermarked

So – if you made it all the way to this point, pat yourself on the back!  I’m sorry for the novella, y’all, but….two cards takes some words.  (According to WordPress, 1675 so far!).  All the card cuts are below, as is the supply list for each card.  And, those stalwart souls who kept slogging on, will now get to read about the….

BLOG CANDY!!

Embellishing “makes” and “finishes” your card.  So, for this hop’s Blog Candy, I have a package of SU Calypso Coral Baker’s Twine, a package of Old Olive Simply Styled Embellishments, and a package of Santa & Co Washi tape.  One lucky winner will receive all three items!

Jan 2015 Blog Candy pic 2 watermarked

Simply leave me a comment on this post before 7 AM ET on Monday 2 Feb 15 and you’ll be entered to win.  I’ll have the random number generator pick a comment on Monday morning and I’ll announce the winner on my blog that morning!  Please note, anyone is welcome to leave me a comment but I am only able to ship the blog candy items to addresses within the United States.  Thanks for your understanding.

There’s only a few days left to use my January Hostess Code, so now’s the time.  Don’t forget that you’ll also get a free gift from me and you may qualify for Punkin Head Peppermints!  And, if you’ve been waiting for the Textured Impressions Embossing Folders  – this is a good week.  There are 6 TIEFs on sale right now – including the Lovely Lace folder I used on my second card.  Check out the Weekly Deals below and stock up on all your favorite folders.

Hope you enjoyed my blog hop shares – I sure had fun making them!

Mary

Okay, on with the hop!  To hop back to Heather Van Looy’s Blog, click the Back arrow button.  To move forward to Amy Koender’s Blog, click the Forward arrow button.

Happy Stampers Jan 2015 Blog Hop Back Button Happy Stampers Jan 2015 Blog Hop Forward Button

In case you get lost along the way, here is a list of the Happy Stampers Team Members who are joining in this blog hop:

JANUARY 1 – 31 HOSTESS CODE:  RMQE9AEQ Use this hostess code when you order and receive a free gift from me!  But, if your order is over $150, please do not use this code (you’ll miss out on your own Stampin’ Rewards/Hostess $$ if you use it) but you’ll still get the free gift.  The free gift for January is your choice of any item valued up to $4.95 in either the 2014-15 Annual Catalog or the 2015 Occasions Catalog!

Here are the card cuts for today’s project

Happy Birthday Butterfly (starts with Crumb Cake Cut and Ready Card base)

Old Olive Card Stock: 4 1/8″ x 5 3/8″ (bottom mat); 4 1/8″ x 2 1/8″ (Top rectangular mat)

Crumb Cake Card Stock: 4 7/8″ x 1 5/8″ (Bottom rectangular mat)

Typeset DSP: 4″ x 5 1/4″

Irresistibly Yours DSP: 4 3/4″ x 1 1/2″ (Bottom rectangle with Wild Wasabi); 4″ x 2″ (Top rectangle with Crumb Cake)

        Very Vanilla Card Stock: 3 1/3″ x 1 1/2″ (Sentiment banner); 5 1/4″ x 4″ (Inside liner); Butterfly (stamped with Old Olive and then Butterfly die cut)

Thinking of You Butterfly (starts with Old Olive Cut and Ready Card base from 2014 Holiday Catalog):

Pink Pirouette Card Stock: 4 1/8″ x 5 3/8″ (Bottom Mat); 4″ x 1 1/8″ (Sentiment banner mat); Medium Butterfly Thinlits; Bitty Butterfly punches

Whisper White Card Stock: 5 1/4″ x 4″ (Card front with 2 3/4″ circle cutout); 3 7/8″ x 1″ (Sentiment banner); 5 1/4″ x 4″ (Inside liner); Bottom Butterfly

Painted Blooms DSP: 3″ circle cutout for card front

STAMPIN’ UP! ITEMS USED IN BOTH PROJECTS:

STAMPIN’ UP! ITEMS USED IN HAPPY BIRTHDAY BUTTERFLY:

Supply List

Built for Free Using: My Stampin Blog

 STAMPIN’ UP! ITEMS USED IN THINKING OF YOU BUTTERFLY:
 WEEKLY DEALS 27 Jan – 3 Feb 15 Click here to see the Weekly Deals from Stampin’ Up! in my online store.  The Weekly Deals are only while supplies last and only available at these great prices through 3 Feb.

Visit my online store here
Shop the Clearance Rack here.
Earn FREE Stampin’ Up! Products – Join my Punkin Head Peppermint Rewards – My online customer thank you program!

Categories: Any Occasion, General, Happy Birthday, Sympathy | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 63 Comments

Lotus Blossom Love

Posted on January 27, 2015 by stampsnlingers

Good morning!  Happy Tuesday – My share today uses the 2015 Sale-a-Bration Lotus Blossom stamp set.  I chose this as one of my FREE items when I spent $50  – and you can, too!  Sale-a-Bration runs through 31 March.  Don’t miss this opportunity to get some exclusive Stampin’ Up! products.

Lotus Petal Love You 3 Watermarked

To tell you the truth, I’ve been a little afeered of this particular stamp set.  It’s a Two-Step set (well, it actually has 3 steps), and every time I tried to make a beautiful, artistic lotus blossom, I ended up with a blob.  An uneven, weird-looking, blob.  And then, I finally remembered a tip I’d seen about photopolymer stamps.  Are you taking notes?  Photopolymer stamps don’t have a built-in cushion like the clear or wood-mount stamps.  So, if you stamp directly onto your hard crafting surface, you’re likely to get less-than-ideal results (that’s code for “uneven, weird-looking, blob”).  The trick is to place your cardstock on a cushioned mat – like….a piercing mat.  So – I did that. And, guess what?  Yup.  A lotus blossom emerged!

I once again went to a Whisper White note card from the Note Cards and Envelopes set.  I SNAIL’d a Whisper White mat onto a Basic Black mat, and my art piece was ready to go.  I had this vision in my head of a very monochromatic card with just a bare pop of color.  So, I used my Basic Black ink and my Blackberry Bliss for the lotus blossom.  The first two steps, I did with the black.  The third step, I inked up and then stamped off once on scrap paper with the Blackberry Bliss ink before I applied it to the flower image.  And – I loved how it looked!  Okay – I did that like 3 times on scrap cardstock before I girded my loins (sorry for saying loins on the internet) and stamped my card front.  And breathed a sigh of relief, cause it looked great.  It’s a little hard to see in the picture below, but the flower really DOES have a lovely Blackberry tint.

Lotus Petal Love You 2 Watermarked

For the stem, I did the first stamp (the stem has two parts, too) in black.  Then I hemmed and hawed a while – green?  Stay with black?  More blackberry bliss –  that’s crazy talk!!  Oh – the decisions.  I finally settled on Mossy Meadow – which I stamped off lightly once and then barely, lightly, oh-so-delicately stamped over the black stem.  And then I did it a little harder, cause I didn’t want it to be THAT delicate!  Oh yea – still holding my breath with every stamp I make!

I cut a “You” out of Basic Black with the Hello You Thinlits Die (remembering to use my wax paper – see my previous post “Hello You” for directions) and adhered it with a little Liquid Glue.  Then, I used a sentiment from the Crazy About You stamp set (2015 Occasions) in Blackberry Bliss.  And also Basic Black.  Dip a little in the Black, dip a little in the Blackberry Bliss.  Stamp with the piercing mat.  And then barely, lightly, oh-so-delicately traced the words with my Blackberry Bliss Stampin’ Write Marker – cause I didn’t want THAT to be quite so delicate either!  I’m so sorry this color is hard to see in the picture – I promise my next purchase will be an Ott Lite so that my photography “studio” does a little better job of re-creating the colors.  Promise.

A few Rhinestone Basic Jewels finished off the front and I popped it onto the card base with some Stampin’ Dimensionals.  For the inside, I used the Good Greetings hostess set sentiment “I Love Us” – but I only inked the “Love Us” part, using the Blackberry Bliss marker again.  And I stamped an irregular row of little tiny Blackberry Bliss hearts along the bottom (the heart is part of the Holiday Home stamp set).  And finally, because it just…needed….something else, I made little teensy stems and grass with my Mossy Meadow Stampin’ Write Marker.  And – I resolutely pushed away all my tools and decided to leave well enough alone!

Lotus Petal Love You Inside 2 Watermarked

This would be a great Valentine’s Day card.  Or a nice little note tucked away for your spouse or significant other to find.

Hope you enjoyed it!

Shameless plug – the Happy Stampers are doing a blog hop on Thursday, 29 Jan.  Be sure to check back here around 9am Eastern to see my contribution and those of all the talented stampers in this group.  There’ll be some blog candy, too!

There’s only a few days left to use my January Hostess Code, so don’t tarry too long.  Don’t forget that you’ll also get a free gift from me and you may qualify for Punkin Head Peppermints!  And, if you’ve been waiting for the Textured Impressions Embossing Folders  – this is a good week.  There are 6 TIEFs on sale right now.  Check out the Weekly Deals below and stock up on all your favorite folders.

TTFN

Mary

Here are the card cuts for today’s project, starting with a Note Card from the Stampin’ Up! Set:

Basic Black Card Stock: 4 7/8″ x 3 3/8″

        Whisper White Card Stock:  4 3/4″ x 3 1/4″

JANUARY 1 – 31 HOSTESS CODE:  RMQE9AEQ Use this hostess code when you order and receive a free gift from me!  But, if your order is over $150, please do not use this code (you’ll miss out on your own Stampin’ Rewards/Hostess $$ if you use it) but you’ll still get the free gift.  The free gift for January is your choice of any item valued up to $4.95 in either the 2014-15 Annual Catalog or the 2015 Occasions Catalog!

STAMPIN’ UP! ITEMS USED IN THIS PROJECT

Price: $99.95

Supply List

Built for Free Using: My Stampin Blog

 WEEKLY DEALS 27 Jan – 3 Feb 15 Click here to see the Weekly Deals from Stampin’ Up! in my online store.  The Weekly Deals are only while supplies last and only available at these great prices through 3 Feb.

Visit my online store here
Shop the Clearance Rack here.
Earn FREE Stampin’ Up! Products – Join my Punkin Head Peppermint Rewards – My online customer thank you program!

 

Categories: Any Occasion, General, Love, Valentine's Day | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

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