Pistachio Pudding Love - PPA165 Sketch Challenge

It is so nice to be back creating with the wonderful Pals Paper Arts Design Team! Nicole Watt has turned out a delightful sketch this week which made this card come together very easily...

And here is my interpretation of this sketch:

Do you like it? I really love how the colors and textures came together for a soft, feminine card. There are lots of details so let's start with paper (I just lovveee paper!)...

I love clean and simple but I also love, love layers of detail. Subtle detail. And that's what we have here. I layered Pistachio Pudding Core'dinations cardstock on top of a Very Vanilla base. The Core'dinations cardstock is white in the core so that it can be sanded down and the white core exposed, which makes for wonderful texture. But...for this card, I am very happy with just the texture of the cardstock itself.

Next I used the wonderful patterns of the Venetian Romance Designer Series Paper to add a bit of softness and visual interest. I wanted the pattern of the butterfly to be the focus so I kept the other papers muted. I used my bone folder to flip the edges of the banners up a bit for more interest. Next comes the butterfly...isn't it just adorable? I used the Beautiful Butterflies Bigz Die to die cut the butterfly out of this AMAZING patterned paper. Once the butterfly was die cut, I realized that just layering it on top of all that Pistachio Pudding cardstock would just wash the butterfly out so I sponged the edges with Baked Brown Sugar ink. Well, I actually sponged it with Pistachio Pudding but it was too...green, so then I sponged it with Soft Suede and it was too...brown, so I finally sponged it with Baked Brown Sugar...just right! Whew!

I layered the butterfly onto a circle punched out with my 2 1/2" circle punch and run through the Big Shot with the new Stylish Stripes Embossing Folder which will be available in the 2013 Holiday Catalog, available August 1st. I sponged the edges of the circle with Pistachio Pudding ink to add some contrast.

Next...the jewelry! One Very Vintage Designer button with a Linen Thread bow in the center is the perfect finishing touch...at least in my humble opinion.

I left the sentiment until the end. Once the card came together I decided it would be perfect to send to my mother to let her know I am thinking about her :)

I would love it if you left me a comment with your thoughts on my card today!

Stampin Supplies:

Stamps: Express Yourself (130339-Hostess)

Paper: Very Vanilla (101650) Cardstock; Pistachio Pudding (130136) Core'dinations Cardstock; Venetian Romance (130144) Designer Series Paper

Ink: Baked Brown Sugar (131174) Classic Stampin' Pad

Tools: Big Shot (113439), Beautiful Butterflies Bigz Die (114507), 2 1/2" Circle Punch (120906), Stampin' Trimmer (126889)

Embellishments: Very Vintage Designer Buttons (129327), Linen Thread (104199)

Thanks for stopping by! 

Gingham Garden Birthday - PPA157 Sketch Challenge

I am very pleased to share this project with you today, created with a wonderful sketch from the Pals Paper Arts design team:

The new catalog will be available on May 31st but as a Stampin' Up! Demonstrator I am allowed a sneak peek at the exciting new products and I am thrilled to share some of those new products with you on my card today! So without further ado...(insert drumroll) here is my creation:

You may notice this new delicious Designer Series Paper which I honestly think is my all-time favorite ever! The colors showcased here are Daffodil Delight, Melon Mambo, and Pear Pizzazz. And I have managed to feature not one, but TWO new stamp sets for you today:

One is a collection of stars, which I am just thrilled with, and the other is a new collection of sentiments, I can't say "love" enough! I chose this sentiment because I think it has so many options...we could be celebrating a birthday, or a baby, or a graduation, or a...well, you get the idea!

Thank you for stopping by and look for other sneak peeks at new product in the days and weeks to come!

March Pals Blog Hop

Thank you for joining us for the March Pals Blog Hop! Today the Stampin' Pretty Pals are excited to share new ideas and projects to get you ready for spring.

You should have just left stop number 23 on the Pals Hop - Amy Williams at Stampin' on the Range. If so, you are in the right spot.  If you get off track, the full blog lineup below will help you move along from blog to blog so you see all of the amazing creations.

I just love how Stampin' Up! is constantly providing wonderfully simple ways to decorate our homes and our lives...

My project today is a My Digital Studio download available for only $1.95 (Item #129889). I simply downloaded this template, printed it at home, and found a pretty frame to put it in! It doesn't get much easier than that!

I can't wait to display this in my home and bring in a touch of spring as winter makes it's retreat. But really, the colors are so cheerful, I think it could stay up year round!

I decided that this print would make a wonderful hostess or thank you gift so I added a few notecards in coordinating colors. One can never have too many note cards!

The notecards are simple 3 x 3 cards with a layer of cardstock in colors chosen to coordinate with the framed print. I added a layer of emobssed white cardstock and topped off with the flower image. I chose a flower image from the Button Buddies stamp set because it is sooo easy to punch out with the 1 3/4" Scallop Circle punch and then pop up with a Stampin' Dimensional for a bit of dimension. I couldn't resist (since the stamp set IS Button Buddies) adding a white button for a bit of jewelry. A tiny bit of cardstock threaded through the button holes provides a nice detail. Very simple but oh so cute!

I hope you have enjoyed my post today, simple and easy projects that you can do at home in an afternoon! And by the way...did you notice the Easter egg at the top of the post?? That's means I have blog candy to give away!!

My blog candy today is a sampler of items that you would normally only be able to earn with $100 purchase of Stampin' Up! product!

•  12 6" x 6" sheets of the Sycamore Street Designer Series Paper
• 6 buttons each in 3 colors: Pool Party, Tangerine Tango, and Rich Razzleberry
• 1 yard each of satiny ribbon in 3 colors: Island Indigo, Pool Party, and Tangerine Tango

Interested in receiving this blog candy? Please be sure to leave a comment by 6 PM CST on Thursday, March 14, 2013. One recipient will be chosen at random from the comments received. The blog candy recipient will be announced on Friday and the recipient will need to email me their mailing address within 24 hours. Blog candy can only be shipped to a US address -- thanks for understanding.}

Stampin Supplies:

Stamps: Button Buddies (1227374)

Paper: Whisper White (100730), Baja Breeze (111352), Calypso Coral (122925), Lucky Limeade (122926), so Saffron (105118) Cardstock

Ink: Baja Breeze (126960), Calypso Coral (126983), Lucky Limeade (126984), so Saffron (126957) Classic Stampin' Pad 

Tools: Big Shot (113439), Perfect Polka Dots Embossing Folder (117335), 1 3/4" Scallop Circle Punch, Stampin' Trimmer (126889)

Embellishments:  Neutral Designer Buttons (119743)

Thanks for stopping by!

The next stop is Amy L. Lazzell at Just a Thought...Cards by Amy, stop number 25 on the Pals Blog Hop! Thanks for visiting – and I hope to see you next month!

1. Dawn Tidd at tiddbitsfromdawn
2. Mary Fish at Stampin' Pretty -
3. Nicole Picadura at Scraps & Stamps
4. Shannon Hokanson at Paper Works 
5. Debbie Mageed at Scrappin' & Stampin'
6. Diane Roberts at Score at Four and a Quarter
7. Debbie Crowley at expressivelydeb...
8. Ann Schach at The Stampin' Schach
9. Katy McGloin at Just Fun Stamping
10. Nicole Watt at Impressions By Nicole
11. Kerry Willard Bray at stampgoodness
12. Brian King at Stamp with Brian
13. Maggie Mata at Maggie Made Cards
14. Jennifer Takacs at Stamped in Full 
15. Carmen Sublasky at The Creative Stamptuary
16. Debra Simonis at Deb's Stampin' Grounds
17. Linda Callahan at Stampin' Seasons 
18. Kim Czenszak at LiveLoveStamp
19. Susan Itell at Simple Stampin'
20. Julie Trevett-Smith at The Stampin' Affair
21. Rae Harper at Wild West Paper Arts
22. Ginger Toivonvn at gingerstamps.com
23. Amy Williams at Stampin' on the Range
24. Shannon Jaramillo at ezpeasycards
25. Amy L. Lazzell at Just A Thought...Cards by Amy
26. Penny Nichols at Sierra Stampin!
27. Sherrie Gross at Stampin' Sunshine
28. Peggy Noe at prettypapercards.com 
29. Maxine Conrad at Stamp to the MAX!

Floral Fusion Hello - PPA154 Color Challenge

The Pals Paper Arts design team always has wonderful color combinations and this week is no exception...what a delightful color combination to work with!

I always start these projects by perusing the catalog for options in the challenge colors. Right away I spotted two of the three colors in the Print Poetry Designer Series Paper Stack and what a steal...all those pattern choices for only $6.95!! The patterns I chose were both from this paper stack and coincidentally, were flip patterns on the same piece of paper so I knew this was meant to be!

A friend recently posed a question about the flowers in the Floral Fusion die by Stampin' Up!. She wanted to know why the flowers were never offset in the style of actual flowers and I thought...good question! I told her I would pull the die out and make some flowers in each style and post pictures so when I started today, the plan was to make two of the same card, one with the flowers stacked, the second with the flower petals offset but I just couldn't do it! My orderly soul just could not cope with the flowers offset...sorry Terri!

Here is a close up shot of these pretty little flowers. The Floral Fusion die cuts three flowers of graduated sizes at once so all that is needed is to stack them on top of each other with a simple Crumb Cake button on top, assembled quickly wth glue dots. I did take an extra minute to curl the ends of each petal wth my bone folder to give the flower a bit of dimension.

I added some Calypso Coral Baker's Twine to compliment the Calypso Coral background layer as well as a sentiment from the Bloomin' Marvelous Stamp Set that I got for FREE during Sale-a-bration...I always love free and I think the sentiment is so sweet!

I really enjoy the subtle added interest that paper piercing adds to any project. Here I added a bit to two opposite corners of the card. I love the effect!

I think this card would be perfect to send to someone special just to show some apreciation for all that they mean to you!

I hope you have enjoyed today's project. Please check back next Tuesday for the Pals Blog Hop and some blog candy!

Stampin Supplies:

Stamps: Bloomin' Marvelous (129654) - free with $50 purchase!

Paper: Very Vanilla (101650), Calypso Coral (122925), Crumb Cake (120953) Cardstock; Print Poetry (129312) Designer Series Paper Stack

Ink: Raspberry Ripple (126859) Classic Stampin' Pad 

Tools: Big Shot (113439), Floral Fusion Sizzlits Die (115969), Essentials Paper Piercing Pack (126187), Stampin' Pierce Mat (126199), Paper-Piercing Tool (126189), Stampin' Trimmer (126889)

Embellishments:  Neutral Designer Buttons (119743), Calypso Coral Baker's Twine (125573)

Thanks for stopping by!

Monochromatic Thank You - PPA151

Today I am playing along with the Pals Paper Arts Challenge and an awesome new sketch!

I struggled with this one just a bit and my end result is nothing like my original idea! It's funny when that happens... Here is what I came up with:

In my mind when I looked at the sketch I saw one of the circles as an image and the smaller circle as a sentiment so I was STUMPED on what to put in the left hand corner! I finally settled on making a banner out of pearls and I think it adds a bit of softness to the otherwise very clean and simple card.

I have to laugh because I realize that I have used this image more than once! I must really like it!

Stampin Supplies:

Stamps: Blooming with Kindness (126422)

Paper: Very Vanilla(101650),  Lucky Limeade (126984) Cardstock; Tea for Two (129311) Designer Series Paper

Ink: Lucky Limeade (126984) Classic Stampin' Pad 

Tools: 1 1/4" Circle Punch (119861), 1 3/8" Circle Punch (119860), 3" Circle Die (122125), Big Shot (113439)

Embellishments:  Pearl Basic Jewels (119247)

Thanks for stopping by!