Pure Gumption for DD53

Greetings, Stampers! If you have a graduation coming up, I have the perfect stamp set for you: Pure Gumption. This is the first time I'm inking mine up. It has one simple and perfect image, and four greetings. This is one of those go-to sets that I'm sure I'm going to hang on to forever. Though I did this card in challenges colors, it would be fun to do in your graduate's school colors, too.

The inspiration for this project is this week's challenge at Dynamic Duos. I knew exactly what I wanted to do as soon as I saw the colors. I love when that happens! The desert option is to make a Kid Themed Card. I think mine qualifies, don't you? Is a kid still a kid after he or she graduates? Are they still a kid until they move out and start supporting themselves? I best not go down that road... LOL!

I cut an oval of Whisper White card stock using my Ovals Framelits. I stamped the images and sentiments in Pacific Point and Basic Black. Then I stamped the hats a second time and cut them out. They are layered on top of the other images using Dimensionals. The Pacific Point layer was cut with Labels Collection Framelits and then pierced for some added texture.

Stampin' Up Products Used:

Stamp Sets: Pure Gumption

Card Stock: Whisper White, Basic Black, Pacific Point

Designer Series Paper: Brights Stack

Ink Pads: Basic Black, Pacific Point

Tools: Big Shot, Ovals and Label Collection Framelits, Piercing Tool and Mat, Occasions Paper Piercing Pack, Perfect Polka Dots Embossing Folder

Accessories: Pacific Point Stitched Grosgrain Ribbon

Have an awesome day!

French Foliage for Friday Mashup

Greetings, Stampers, and a Marvelous Monday to you! I hope you all had a lovely weekend. Mine blew by in a blur once again. But you know me, I always squeeze in some stamping R&R time. Sometimes I think I'd really go crazy without a little crafty therapy at the end (or beginning) of the day. And it's cheaper than a therapist... well, maybe not... LOL!

Soo, the challenge I was drawn to first this weekend was the one at Friday Mashup. Their challenge this week is to 1.Create a project using a "Monochromatic color scheme" or 2. Create a project "using Baker's Twine" or 3. Mash it Up and create a "Monochromatic project using some Baker's Twine". 

I love these and/or options at Friday Mashup, they really get your brain in gear! I immediately had a stamp set and color scheme in mind (you can never go wrong with shades of green), and I had intended on using Baker's Twine, too. But once my project was together, the white in the Baker's Twine didn't seem to meld with the Very Vanilla card stock, so I had to substitute Linen Thread. OK, so I didn't Mash it Up this week but I tried! By the way, can somebody please invent some Very Vanilla Baker's Twine? I know, I'm so fussy.

I stamped the images in the French Foliage stamp set in shades of green: Certainly Celery, Lucky Limeade and Always Artichoke. The water spots were stamped in Crumb Cake, and the edges of the Very Vanilla card stock were sponged with Crumb Cake ink, as well. The greeting on the little banner is from the Petite Pairs stamp set.

Stampin' Up Products Used:

Stamp Sets: French Foliage*, Petite Pairs

Card Stock: Very Vanilla, Certainly Celery*, Lucky Limeade*, Always Artichoke

Ink Pads: Certainly Celery*, Lucky Limeade*, Always Artichoke

Tools: Big Shot, Square Lattice Embossing Folder, Sponge Dauber

Accessories: Linen Thread, Naturals Designer Buttons

*Retiring June 1, 2013

Have an awesome week! Hugs!

By the Tide for The Paper Players

Greetings, Stampers! Hooray for Sunday and another Paper Players challenge! This week Ann has a theme challenge for us, to make a clean and simple masculine card. There are lots of men in my family and I love making masculine cards. This challenge came at the perfect time, too, because my hubby's birthday is this month.

Hubby loves the sea and all things nautical so I thought the By the Tide stamp set would be perfect for his card. Though there's a lot of detail in this card, it was super simple to make, no Big Shot or punches required. The gorgeous map background paper comes from the Fan Fair DSP stack, and it's so pretty I almost wanted to leave it as a card unto itself! The sentiment is from the Family Reunion stamp set, which is retiring at the end of this month.

For the background behind the fish, I first stamped using a clear block and Crumb Cake ink. I stamped over it with the coral image in More Mustard. Then I sponged both that layer and the DSP layer with some Island Indigo ink. The fish was stamped in Island Indigo and then sponged with a little More Mustard ink.

Stampin' Up Products Used:

Stamp Sets: By the Tide, Family Reunion

Card Stock: Very Vanilla, Island Indigo

Designer Series Paper: Fan Fair

Ink Pads: Island Indigo, More Mustard, Crumb Cake

Accessories: Regals Brads, Linen Thread

We hope you'll share your masculine creation and  play along with us at The Paper Players!

Have an awesome day! Inky hugs!

Only Two Weeks Left To Order Retiring Products

Just a reminder, there are only two weeks left to order retiring products! I know there are some items in the current catalog that are on your wish list. Well, this is your last chance to order them or they'll be gone forever!

Click here to view the Retiring Stamp Sets list. These stamps will be available through June 3.

Click here to view the Retiring Accessories list. Accessories are only available while supplies last, and many items are already sold out. So don't delay, place your order today before it's too late!

A retiring catalog means that a new one is around the corner! The new Stampin' Up Annual Catalog will be released on June 1, but you can get a copy from me now! Contact me here to request a copy, and I will Pay-Pal you an invoice for $5. Or, the catalog is free with your first $50 order! 

Click here to shop Stampin' Up now!

Tune in again tomorrow, as it's time for a new Paper Players challenge! 

Inky hugs!

My Bloomin' Bouquet

Greetings, Stampers! You might remember that a couple weeks ago I told you about some of the special Stampin' Up promotions this month, and one of them was the Bloomin' Bouquet kit. I knew I had to have one, and I finally put it together last night. It was so much fun and I love it! The blossoms come out exactly like those in the promotion photo. This kit is only available while supplies last, and honestly I'm surprised that it's not sold out already. So if you "need" to have one too, don't delay and order it soon!

Where did I get that awesome bottle, you may wonder? Well, on Mother's Day my oldest son was making Cucumber Margarita's to go with his tex-mex dinner menu and the tequila came in this very cool bottle. Many Margarita's later I was left with my vase. Hubby was kind enough to remove the labels for me. I forgot to take a picture of the bottle before we soaked the labels off so this one is compliments of Mr. Google.

I love these flowers and they were so much fun to make! Everything is included to make them in the kit except for a bone folder and hot glue gun. I also used a small pair of pliers to bend the tips of the wire where they attach to the blossom. My bouquet proudly sits on my craft desk, inspiring my creativity!

Kit contents: 2 sheets of preprinted and precut flowers on 12" X 12" cardstock as well as four different tags to make this the perfect gift, makes 13 flowers in Pool Party, Gumball Green, Calypso Coral, Daffodil Delight, and Rich Razzleberry; 13 Vintage Faceted Buttons; 13 green floral wire stems. Adhesive not included (Glue gun recommended)

Bloomin' Bouquet Project Kit, Item# 134542, $12.95, while supplies last.

Click here to see a video tutorial on how to assemble the Bloomin' Bouquet Kit.

Click here to order one now!

Inky hugs!

Just Believe for DD52 & FMS88

Greetings, Stampers! Today I have a project which I made for two challenges. It features several retiring products, including the Just Believe Stamp Set. Though I really love when new products are released, I'm so sad to say goodbye to the old. I have used this stamp set quite a bit over the years, and as a matter of fact I think it was in my starter kit when I first signed up as a Stampin' Up demonstrator. Oh, the memories... LOL!

It's the one year anniversary of Dynamic Duos! To celebrate, they are asking us to create a project using any of their past color combos. It's no surprise that I gravitated to Certainly Celery and Pretty in Pink as I love pinks and greens together. Sadly, both of these colors will be retiring at the end of this month.

The sketch by Amy at Freshly Made Sketches was perfect for my project. I love that there was a little spot for DSP below the ribbon.

I really like the way this image looks using the Faux Silk technique. It's really easy to do. First stamp your image on a piece of tissue paper a little larger than your card stock. In this case I used markers to ink my stamp. Crumple the tissue paper up into a ball. The more you crumple the more little creases you'll get. Then cover your Whisper White card stock completely using a glue stick. Spread out your tissue paper over the card stock without smoothing it out to maintain the creases. Then just trim with your paper snips and you're done!

Stampin' Up Products Used:

Stamp Sets: Just Believe

Card Stock: Whisper White, Pretty in Pink*, Certainly Celery*

Designer Series Paper: Subtles Stack*

Ink Pads: Certainly Celery*

Markers: Pretty in Pink*, Certainly Celery*

Tools: Scallop Edge Border Punch

Accessories: Pretty in Pink Stitched Grosgrain Ribbon*, Pearls

Other: Tissue Paper

*Retiring June 1, 2013

Thanks for visiting! Please leave a comment!

Father's Day Scrapbook Pages

Greetings, Stampers! Brr... It was a little chilly on Long Island yesterday. It's kind of hard to believe Memorial Day is right around the corner. When is spring going to arrive?

Weather permitting or not, June is around the corner and it's time for Dad's, Grad's and Weddings! Last month my scrapbook class made pages for Mom, and to give Dad equal time we have pages for him this month. My pages feature an assortment of stamp sets, and the color scheme revolves around Parker's Patterns Designer Series Paper.  

The base of these pages is 12"x12" Crumb Cake Card Stock. I kept the layout pretty simple because I know the men in my life prefer clean and simple. The color scheme is bright but masculine at the same time. I used the Chevron Embossing Folder at the top of both pages. The Cherry Cobbler Card Stock was embossed and then cut by hand, which was pretty easy already having the embossed lines in place. The stamp with the looseleaf type lines is long retired but one I won't part with it because it's so perfect for scrapbooking.

Lots of the awesome colors and products used here are retiring at the end of this month, and you can see which ones by noting the asterisks below. I will especially miss the alphabet set, Letter It, though I doubt I'll part with that one either! It looks terrific when heat embossed and it's so easy to cut out by hand. Here's another of my favorites, Beyond Plaid...

Stampin' Up Products Used:

Stamp Sets: Beyond Plaid*, World's Greatest*, Family Reunion*, Letter It*, Notes & Details (retired)

Card Stock: Crumb Cake, Not Quite Navy*, Cherry Cobbler

Designer Series Paper: Parker's Patterns*

Ink Pads: Versamark, Not Quite Navy*, Early Espresso

Tools: Big Shot, Chevron Embossing Folder, Ovals, Labels Collection and Apothecary Accents Framelits, Heat Tool

Accessories: Cherry Cobbler and Early Espresso Embossing Powders, Silver Brads*, Linen Thread, Basics Designer Buttons

*Retiring June 1, 2013

I'd love if you left a comment! Inky hugs!