A Little Fusion!

I am so excited to have found a new challenge blog!  Several of the ones I used to play fizzled out, so I am happy to see some new ones becoming popular.  The one I found for today's card is called Fusion.  You are given a sketch and a picture for inspiration.  You have the option of using one or a "fusion" of both.  I opted for the Fusion.  I'm loving how it came out!  Here is the Fusion-Rustic Flowers challenge that I used for today's post:

Here are the ingredients for today's card:

Stamp Set: Varied Vases

Paper: Sahara Sand, Early Espresso, Whisper White, Grapefruit Grove, Garden Impressions DSP, Wood Textures DSP

Ink: Tuxedo Black Memento, Calypso Coral, Petal Pink

Accessories: Vases Builder Punch, Nature's Twine, Stampin' Dimensionals

Garden Impressions Takes on the Paper Craft Crew Challenge

When I saw this challenge, I knew it would be perfect for using up some of the thin scraps I had from the Garden Expressions DSP.  It was nice to get back to taking on a sketch challenge.  I tend to have more time to do them in the summer with Cub Scouts on a little hiatus.  This week has been great for stamping with no camps scheduled for the boys!

I absolutely love this DSP!  When I first saw it, I thought it was way too busy for me, but when I started seeing samples using it popping up on Pinterest, I fell in love!!  I love it so much that I just ordered another pack with the Buy 3, Get 1 Free Paper Promotion.

Such a simple card for a summer day!  I needed a thank you for a friend who watched our cat this summer.  I will be including this with a little treat for her as a thank you.  Here is the sketch (PPC300) that I used for this card:

Here are the ingredients:

Stamp Set: Abstract Impressions

Paper: Whisper White, Tranquil Tide, Petal Pink, Garden Impressions DSP

Ink: Melon Mambo, Powder Pink

Accessories: Faceted Dots

Paper Craft Crew Sketch Challenge 252

Twice in one week!  I know!  A miracle!  Can you tell I'm empty nesting with the kids at camp this week?  Today's card utilizes a sketch challenge from the Paper Craft Crew (PCC252).

I love using sketch challenges for inspiration.  I needed one for this stamp set since every card I looked at on Pinterest had the retired DSP that coordinated with this set, a similar problem that I had with my previous card.  While I love DSP, I really like to explore a stamp set's full potential by making cards without the DSP.

Here are the ingredients for today's card:

Stamps: Cool Treats, Swirly Bird
Ink: Melon Mambo, Pool Party, Tempting Turquoise, Peekaboo Peach
Paper: Whisper White, Melon Mambo, Pink Pirouette, Pool Party, Crumb Cake, Peekaboo Peach
Accessories: Frozen Treats Framelits, Sprinkles Embellishments (retired)

Want to place an order for any of these items?  Visit my website HERE.

Clean and Simple FTL256 Birthday Card

Last week, we worked with our Simply Pressed Clay during stamp club.  We had extra colored clay so I made a bunch of extra flowers.  I used them on the card my kids gave to their great-grandmother this weekend for her birthday.  This card was inspired by the sketch on Clean and Simple Stamping.

When I saw this sketch, I knew immediately that I needed to take out my bubble wrap for a "bubbly" background.  If you have never tried it, all you need is a piece of bubble wrap and a stamp pad.  Use your bubble wrap as a stamp for an interesting background.  To create the sparkly strip on the side, I covered a piece of Cool Caribbean cardstock with Versamark ink and Iridescent Ice Embossing Powder and heated it to create my own shimmery specialty paper!  In the end, I had a super fun birthday card!

Here are all the ingredients:
Stamps: Bring on the Cake
Paper: Cool Caribbean, Whisper White
Ink: Cool Caribbean, Daffodil Delight, Versamark
Accessories: Iridescent Ice Embossing Powder, Simply Pressed Clay, Buttons and Blossoms Clay Molds, Melon Mambo Reinker, Bubble Wrap

Fab Friday 25

This week my stamp club meets and we will be focusing on using Simply Pressed Clay, one of my new favorite products in the 2013-14 Stampin' Up! Annual Catalog.  With my stamp clubs, I try to focus on a specific technique each month.  My new club will be starting in January.  It is never too early to sign up for those of you in Connecticut!  For those of you already in my club, this will be one of the cards you will get to make this week!

For this card, I used the following sketch that I found on Fab Friday Challenge Blog.

I originally was going to use the opposite side of the Designer Series Paper, but was drawn to the fans on this side.  Here are the ingredients for this card:

Stamps: Feel Goods
Paper: Rich Razzleberry, Eastern Elegance DSP, Whisper White, Old Olive
Ink: Crushed Curry
Accessories: Simply Pressed Clay, Buttons and Blossoms Clay Molds, Little Leaves Sizzlit, Crushed Curry Reinker, Costal Cabana Reinker, Rich Razzleberry Reinker

Don't forget to join me on the Late Night Stamper Fall Treasure Hunt!  See my two posts from 8/24 for details how you can win a Stampin' Up! shopping spree.

Clean and Simple: FTL252

I was so happy to see the sketch last week over at Clean and Simple Stamping!  I wanted to make a fun and bright card for my kids to send to their aunt who's birthday is today.  Between the sketch and the brand new Designer Series Paper that arrived at my door last week, I was able to come up with a fantastic card that I absolutely love!

To make the flower "pop", I sponged the edges of the flower with the corresponding color.  The colors for this card came directly from the pack of DSP, Eastern Elegance .  I love getting my color scheme right from my DSP, not much thought involved!

Here are the ingredients for this card:
Stamps: Happy Day, Bright Blossoms
Paper: Whisper White, Coastal Cabana, Sahara Sand, Summer Starfruit, Eastern Elegance DSP
Ink: Coastal Cabana, Summer Starfruit
Accessories: 7/8" Scallop Circle Punch, Blossom Punch, Scallop Trim Border Punch, Stamping Sponges

Fab Friday 23

Many of my cards are inspired by a sketch challenge I follow weekly.  This week, I located a new one!  Yeah!  You can't ever have too many sketch challenges!  This sketch comes from the Fab Friday Challenge Blog.  I was excited to see some of my favorite demonstrators are designers for this challenge!

Here is the sketch I worked with.  This card was a great opportunity to play with some of the awesome Designer Series Paper you can get free this month!  I also got to use one of my stamp sets that I got for free at Convention as part of an all demonstrator Prize Patrol giveaway, Yippee-Skippee!  When I received this set, all I could think was "Yippee-Skippee!"  To get the multicolor effect on your cake, ink your stamp with Stampin' Write Markers instead of an ink pad and "huff" on it prior to stamping to moisten the ink that may have dried.

The following is everything you need to recreate this card:
Stamps: Embellished Events, Yippee-Skippee!
Ink: Raspberry Ripple, Gumball Green, Bermuda Bay, Summer Starfruit
Paper: Birthday Basics DSP (Buy 3, Get One Free til 7/31/13), Whisper White, Summer Starfruit, Raspberry Ripple
Accessories: 2-1/2" Circle Punch, 3" Circle Die, Big Shot, Decorative Label Punch, Extra-Large Oval Punch

REMEMBER Buy 3 Get One Free on select Designer Series Paper available only through 7/31/13.  Click on my "Shop Now" link to order yours today!

Freshly Made Sketches #77

I am so sad to see Sale-A-Bration coming to a close next Friday!  So before it is done, I want to give you a little more inspiration as to what you can make with your free sets.  I made this card for a Stamp-A-Stack that I will be holding this evening.  Inspiration came from one of my favorite sketch sites, Freshly Made Sketches (you can see the sketch I used below).   My little 5 year old helped me decide on the color scheme.  After he selected it, I was so surprised to see it was our Sale-A-Bration color scheme!  At 5, he already has a good eye for color!

Here are the ingredients for this card:
Stamps: Patterned Occasions
Ink: Island Indigo
Paper: Pool Party, Rich Razzleberry, Island Indigo, Calypso Coral, Whisper White
Accessories: 1-1/4" Square Punch, Pool Party Baker's Twine, Sycamore Street Designer Buttons

Freshly Made Sketches #42

I love this new stamp set, By the Seashore!  As someone who has grown up going to Cape Cod every summer, I look forward to the new beachy sets that Stampin' Up! comes out with.  I can't wait to use this set in some of my scrapbook pages this summer!

Today's card uses a sketch from another sketch challenge I recently came across, Freshly Made Sketches.  They put out a new sketch every Wednesday.  I encourage you to check it out if you need a little inspiration.  The color scheme was inspired by a line of beachy clothing my boys have in their wardrobe.  After I picked out the colors, I realized the sketch this week uses similar colors!

Here are the details for recreating this card:
Stamps: By the Seashore, Teeny Tiny Wishes
Ink: Calypso Coral, Bashful Blue, Night of Navy
Paper: Calypso Coral, Bashful Blue, Night of Navy, Sahara Sand, Whisper White
Accessories: Tasteful Trim BigZ Die

Retro Sketch 18

So I have once again been inspired to post!  I recently found a new sketch site, Retro Sketches and I love all their weekly sketch challenges.  Check them out on Fridays for a weekly bit of inspiration.  This week, I decided to incorporate some of our new 2012-2014 In-Colors, ribbon and stamps into the sketch.  This post is dedicated to my friend, Sandy, who has kept the faith that I would one day have time to post again!


Here are the details to recreate this card:
Stamps: Bright Blossoms, Made for You
Ink: Primrose Petals, Midnight Muse, Summer Starfruit
Paper: Primrose Petals, Midnight Muse, Summer Starfruit, Whisper White
Accessories: Midnight Muse Stitched Satin Ribbon, Stampin' Dimensionals, Square Lattice Embossing Folder, 1" Circle Punch, 3/4" Circle Punch

Back to Posting (FTL155)

Hi Everyone!  I am so sorry it has been so long since I last posted!  We had our laptop stolen this past spring and it got me away from blogging for a while.  Now with the kids back in school and me with a little more time on my hands, I hope to be posting a little more regularly.  For this card, I took a sketch from a few weeks ago posted on the Clean and Simple Stamping website (FTL155).  I am loving this new hot air ballon set!  Hoping to use it for some pages from our local hot air balloon festival too.  The Big Top Birthday Designer Series Paper is a perfect match for this set and great colors for inspiration!  And don't forget those Stampin' Dimensionals to give those balloons a little pop.  This card was super easy to put together which is essential in my life!  Here is the nitty gritty on this card:

Stamps: Up, Up, & Away
Paper: Real Red, Daffodil Delight, Tempting Turquoise, Big Top Birthday DSP
Ink: Real Red, Tempting Turquoise
Accessories: Stampin' Dimensionals

PPA 52-Sketch Challenge

Today, I have another card for you inspired by this week's sketch challenge at Pal's Paper Arts.  Sketches are a great way to get inspiration for a design of your own.  They provide a great starting point for a card.  After I get my sketch, I like to select my color scheme, often inspired by one of our designer series paper lines.  Finally, I select the stamp set that I would like to work with.  This is a great way to give yourself guidelines when you just can't think of what you want to do.  You can also select a theme as well to help narrow all the choices that you need to make when designing a card.  Hope these tips help!

Here are the ingredients for this card:

Stamps: Just Believe
Paper: Pacific Point, Basic Black, Very Vanilla, Blueberry Crisp DSP
Ink: Crumb Cake, Pacific Point
Accessories: 5/8" Basic Black Grosgrain, Staple

PPA 51-Wedding Card Challenge

Today, I decided to take a break from my intensive scrapbooking to make some cards. I got my two new catalog shipments this week and decided to take some time to play with some of my new goodies. I got some new scrapbooking materials too which I hope to try out this week.

So, my inspiration for this card came from the Pals Paper Arts Challenge. This week's challenge was to create a wedding theme card. This gave me an opportunity to use one of my new sentiment sets. Here are the details:

Stamps: Word Play
Paper: Whisper White, Daffodil Delight, Greenhouse Gala DSP
Ink: Crumb Cake
Accessories: Daffodil Delight 5/8" Grosgrain, Beautiful Wings Embosslits, Dazzling Diamonds Glitter

Birthday Sketch Challenge

Recently, we had a demonstrator sketch challenge and this was my sample I contributed. I so love these colors together! I used them in a couple samples that I did for my display board and fell in love with the combo. I think this combo will also start making an appearance in my kids' scrapbooks!

Are you wondering about the diagonal striped paper? I used the striped paper from the Thoroughly Modern DSP and cut it at an angle to get diagonal stripes. It is a great way to add additional variety to your designer series papers.

So here are my ingredients:
Stamps: Party Hearty
Paper: So Saffron, Soft Suede, Taken with Teal, Pumpkin Pie, Whisper White, Thoroughly Modern DSP
Ink: So Saffron and Pumpkin Pie Classic Pads, Taken with Teal and Pumpkin Pie Stampin' Write Markers
Accessories: Pumpkin Pie Corduroy Buttons, Linen Thread, 1 1/4" Circle Punch, Modern Label Punch, Sizzix Big Shot, Lots of Tags Die

MOJO Christmas Punch Art Card

One of my favorite blog sites is MOJO Monday. Ever since I found the blog, I have found myself doing a little extra stamping just to try out their awesome layouts. This week, I was inspired by their layout as well as my own goal to create cards that use punch art for my Stamp Club next week. I wasn't too sure about the color combo at first, but feel it all came together in the end.

Stamps: Snow Swirled, Baroque Motifs
Paper: Glorious Green, Whisper White, Mellow Moss, Ruby Red, So Saffron
Inks: Craft Whisper White, Classic Glorious Green, Classic Mellow Moss
Accessories: Ruby Red Brads, White Embossing Powder, 5-Petal Flower Punch, 1/8" Circle Punch