Clean and Simple Saturday - Trick or Treat!

Hello Stampers! I'm back today with a bit more Halloween fun from the Best of Halloween 25th Anniversary Stamp Set! Isn't this witches' hat just darling?!?

I must be feeling much better than I have because last time I broke out the Thinlits Dies, this time I broke out the Washi Tape! I HAVE NEVER USED WASHI TAPE!!! There, I admitted it. And I will also admit that it wasn't hard to use :) I was actually very easy to use, I have no idea why I resist trying new things!

The bottom and top layers of this card are Very Vanilla, with a layer of Witches' Brew Designer Series Paper sandwiched in between. I liked the look of it rather than Basic Black cardstock, this is softer. Next I inked up a stamp from the Gorgeous Grunge stamp set with Pumpkin Pie ink first and then again in Basic Gray. I stamped off first before stamping onto my Very Vanilla cardstock so that the effect would be, again, very soft. Then a few lengths of Witches' Brew Designer Washi Tape. The washi tape is very easy to tear off, I just didn't want that look for this card, I wanted banners so it took just a bit more effort, but still simple!

Finally, I stamped the witches' hat with Versamark Ink and emossed with black embossing powder and then I fussy cut the hat out. The last step was the adorable sentiment stamped with Black StazOn Ink.

Just a few steps with coordinating Stampin' Up product and you have a really cute, more adult style, Halloween card. Have YOU tried washi tape yet? I challenge you to if you have not, I think you will love it!

Stampin Supplies:

Stamps: Best of Halloween (134381), Gorgeous Grunge (130517)

Paper: Very Vanilla (101650); Witches' Brew Designer Series Paper

Ink: Versamark (102283) Pad; Jet Black (101406) StazOn Ink Pad; Pumpkin Pie (126945), Basic Gray (126981) Classic Stampin' Pad

Other: Witches' Brew Designer Washi Tape (132156)

Tools: Heat Tool (129053); Black (109133) Stampin' Emboss Powder; Stampin' Trimmer (126889), Stamp-A-Ma-Jig (101049), Stampin' Dimensionals (104430)

Embellishments: None

Thanks for stopping by!

Clean and Simple Christmas - PPA177 Sketch Challenge

Hello stampers! Today I have a clean and simple Christmas card to share with you! I know, I know, we aren't even done with Halloween and I'm already showcasing Christmas cards. But it will be here before we know it and those handmade cards take some time to make! 

So this year I vow to keep the cards clean and simple like this! This card features the Daydream Medallions stamp set and this medallion makes a perfect wreath! Add a bow and dazzling details, both in Cherry Cobbler and it is a perfectly festive wreath! The designer series paper I have used here is from the Seasons of Style paper pack...and this pattern is a wonderful backdrop for our wreath. A banner with a sentiment from the More Merry Messages stamp set finishes the card off perfectly.

A thank you goes out to Nicole Watt for her awesome sketch this week over at the Pals paper Arts Challenge!

Thanks for stopping by!

Stampin Supplies:

Stamps: Daydream Medallions (126467), More Merry Messages (126402)

Paper: Whisper White (100730) Cardstock; Seasons of Style (132340) Designer Series Paper

Ink: Old Olive (126953), Cherry Cobbler (126966) Classic Stampin' Pad

Tools: Stampin' Trimmer (126889), Stamp-A-Ma-Jig (101049), Stampin' Dimensionals (104430)

Embellishments: 1/2" Cherry Cobbler Seam Binding Ribbon (120992); Cherry Cobbler Dazzling Details (125585)

Witches' Brew Meets The Best of Halloween

I finally decided to get into the Halloween spirit and whip up a few cards! And since I was diving in, why not break out the Circle Thinlit Card Dies that have been sitting abandoned on my craft table while I decide whether or not to take the plunge and try something new...

And I decided...I like them!! Since I haven't used much DSP (Designer Series Paper) in awhile, I decided to throw that in the mix too...

I think for me the issue with using the Thinlit Card Dies has been not having a place to write a greeting. I just have not been able to wrap my head around that. I finally did some poking around on the internet and found some videos that actually extended the card to create another fold, thereby adding enough room to write a message. Perfect!!

Isn't the back just darling? And look! A place to write a message...how awesome is that!! There are some VERY creative people out there working hard for us and I thank them!

Here's another view...

This card looks like it took a lot of time but honestly, the die does all the work for you. I just trimmed the DSP to 1/4" smaller than the card base, centered each, and adhered. EZ Peasy! The sentiment is from the Best of Halloween 25th Anniversay Stamp Set and it is my FAVORITE...I just LOVE the images! I used one stamp and using my Stamp-A-Ma-Jig, lined it up and repeated.

Isn't this haunted house fabulously creepy? It makes me think of the house in the Stephen King novel 'Salem's Lot...I'm just sayin! I embossed the image using black embossing powder and colored in the windows and the moon with a Blender Pen and my Summer Starfruit Stampin' Marker. It's really very easy to use a blender pen. Using the broad tip of the Stampin' Marker I scribbled some ink onto a Clear Mount Block (really). Then I just used my Blender Pen to pick up some of the ink and applied it to my card. That's it! The trick is to use a little bit of ink at first and add until you are satisfied. I also sponged black ink aound the edges of my scallop, which happens to be one of the dies included in the Circle Card Thinlits Dies, and done!

I hope you enjoyed today's post, I will be posting more Halloween cards so please stop back soon!

Stampin Supplies:

Stamps: Best of Halloween (134381)

Paper: Very Vanilla (101650), Basic Black (121045), Cardstock; Witches' Brew Designer Series Paper

Ink: Versamark (102283) Pad; Jet Black (101406) StazOn Ink Pad; Pumpkin Pie (126945) Classic Stampin' Pad; 2012-2014 (126856) Stampin' Write Markers

Tools: Big Shot (113439), Circle Card Thinlits Dies (133480), Black (109133) Stampin' Emboss Powder; Heat Tool (129053); Stampin' Trimmer (126889), Stamp-A-Ma-Jig (101049), Blender Pen (102845); Stampin' Dimensionals (104430)

Embellishments: None

Thanks for stopping by!

Best of Flowers - Freshly Made Sketches #108

Greetings! I'm back today with a sketch from Freshly Made Sketches:

I thought the hydrangea from the Best of Flowers Stampin' Up! 25th Anniversary stamp set would work perfectly with this sketch and then built from there:

When using two colors on one stamp, I usually use Stampin' Markers to ink up the stamp but today I tried something a bit different. I stamped the image onto my Stamp-A-Ma-Jig stamp positioner, lined the image up onto my piece of Very Vanilla cardstock just where I wanted it, then I slide a 3x3 Post-It note under the stamp positioner and carefully covered up the stem and leaves of the flower. I removed the stamp positioner, stamped the flower in Pool Party ink, and reversed the process! I think the image stamped very cleanly!

The card base is NOT Old Olive cardstock, but rather is one of the papers from the Etcetera Designer Series Paper pack! I glanced right over it at first because there is a very large pattern on the paper but on second glance, I realized I could cut out around the pattern and have a nice crisp backdrop for the other delightful pattern paper in the same pack. And the colors were green and blue...perfect for a hydrangea!!

And isn't the font on this sentiment amazing? It just soooo girly!! Love it!

I used the new Envelope Punch Board to round all these corners...ez peasy :)

I didn't feel that the card needed much more so I used some simple Linen Thread and a double bow with a bitty button for jewelry.

I spent the weekend stamping away and look forward to sharing more projects with you! I'll be back on Wednesday with some halloween treats :)

Stampin Supplies:

Stamps: Best of Flowers (133342), A Dozen Thoughts (131059)

Paper: Very Vanilla (101650), Old Olive (100702) Cardstock; Etcetera (130129) Specialty Designer Series Paper

Ink: Pool Party (126982), Old Olive (126953) Classic Stampin' Pad

Tools: Stampin' Trimmer (126889), Stamp-A-Ma-Jig (101049), Envelope Punch Board (133774)

Embellishments: Linen Thread (104199), Naturals Designer Buttons (127554)

Thanks for stopping by!

Clean and Simple Saturday - Bright & Cheery Birthday Wishes

Hello there! It's been awhile since I last posted...my creative mojo took a back seat to some health issues but I'm feeling much better. I spent all of yesterday stamping, it felt wonderful!

A few weeks ago I posted a card that utilized the color scheme I saw on a package of napkins at the grocery store (that still cracks me up, never know when inspiration will strike!).

I fell in love with the layout that I created and thought it very flexible and easily modified to different occasions and recipients. The first one I create had a masculine tone to it so I decided to make a girly girl card:

Isn't it FUN!!! It's so bright and cheery! You'll laugh at my color inspiration this time...I knew I would need to emboss the cupcakes to make them stand out amongst all that white so I looked to see what color embossing powders I own. Tangerine Tango, check. Melon Mambo, check. Wild Wasabi, check. I'm glad they go together so well because those were the only bright colors I own, lol! Actually, I think it's probably Stampin' Up! doing it's job behind the scenes, quietly making it easier for stampers to be successful!

I kept the color order of the cupcakes and the banners the same to provide visual continuity and kept the green cardstock in the middle for the same reason. I put the Melon Mambo cardstock layer at the bottom as it is the visually stronger color and the card would be off balance if it were on top.

I added a bit of Dazzling Diamonds glitter to the cupcakes to give them some added pizzazz and two little Candy Dots...love, love, love them! Sooooo much easier than brads...if I don't get them placed perfectly I can quickly adjust their placement!

I've been working on some Halloween cards so please check back soon!

Stampin Supplies:

Stamps: Best of Birthdays (132929)

Paper: Whisper White (100730), Melon Mambo (115320), Wild Wasabi (108641), Tangerine Tango (111349) Cardstock; Brights (130134), Subtles (130135) Designer Series Paper Stacks

Ink: Versamark (102283) Pad

Tools: Big Shot (113439); Chalk Talk Framelits Dies (129983); Heat Tool (129053); Melon Mambo (123223), Wild Wasabi (123224), Tangerine Tango (123106) Stampin' Emboss Powder; Stampin' Trimmer (126889); Stamp-A-Ma-Jig (101049); Stampin' Dimensionals (104430)

Embellishments: Brights (130931), Subtles (130933) Candy Dots

Thanks for stopping by!