It's So Hard to Say Goodbye to Retiring In Colors

I am happy we have another month left of these colors.  I know I am going to miss them come June, although the new in colors are pretty fabulous too.  But I just love these rich colors, they work so well together.  I put together a quick and easy card using these awesome hues!

I used the wonderful Work of Art stamp set.  This set is going to be in the new catalog and it really is a great one.  I added some Blackberry Bliss splatters from the Gorgeous Grunge stamp set over top of the brush strokes in the other in colors.  I stamped the sentiment on the Basic Black Archival Ink and added a Blackberry Bliss Butterfly with some rhinestone accents.  The best part of this card is the THICK whisper white card stock.  I am a little late to this party but I love this card stock for card bases.  It holds up so nicely!  

Thanks for checking out my card today.  Be sure to stock up on these in colors before they are gone, especially the refills.  Head back over to SSI for more INKspiration using these great colors!

Teacher Appreciation Day

Teacher Appreciation is next week and I am still unsure about a gift for my daughter's teacher but I have the card all ready.  Check it out:

I am using a mix of old and new products here.  I love the color Blackberry Bliss (retiring soon) and it pairs nicely with Crushed Curry and some gold accents.  The card base is Blackberry Bliss and I added a striped DSP from the It's My Party DSP stack.  That will be retiring and its a fabulous stack!  I took a sheet of Crushed Curry and first cut the Sunburst, then embossed it with the Elegant Dots Embossing Folder.  The sentiment is from Feel Goods which is also retiring.  I layered it on a Gold Foil circle and added some gold sequins and some extra flowers I had from a previous project.  Here is a peek at the inside:  

I have amassed quite a collection of washi tape and it looks better on a card than inside the basket in my studio so I am trying to use it whenever I can!  I added a little sun stamp on the top and left plenty of room for my daughter to write a little note.  Head back over to SSI for more Teacher Appreciation ideas.  

April SSI Mystery Challenge

It's Monday already!  Hopefully you had a wonderful weekend.  We had some great weather in my neck of the woods and I got a chance to go to an all day crop where I made so many great cards that I will be sharing with you over the next month.  First up is the Mystery Challenge.  Take at look at the ingredients for this month:

I chose to use some flowers, those great colors, the layers and this card would be great for Mother's Day as well!  Check it out:

I used two fabulous stamp sets, Grateful Bunch and Awesomely Artistic and did some collage stamping.  These colors layered up nicely together.  Of course I got the Grateful Bunch bundle with the coordinating punch.  This punch will carry over to the new catalog but the bundle will not, so if you want to save 15% on these items, get it now!  I added some of the 2014-2016 In Color Washi Tape in Mossy Meadow and added the Natural Expressions Elements.  These two accessories are retiring so if you like then, get them today!  I finished the flower off with a pearl.  Here is a peek at the inside: 

More washi tape and some coordinating stamping to go inside to make the whole  card go together!

Thanks so much for looking at my project.  Now it is your turn to create!  Make your project using any three or more elements and upload it over at SSI!

My Amazing Mother

Mother's Day will be here before you know it.  We are sharing some INKspiration for this very occasion over at SSI.  Nothing says I love you to a mother like a hand stamped creation.  And it doesn't have to be your mother.  Your friend, your sister, your daughter...anyone who is a mother or even a Godmother is celebrated on this day!

Here is a special card I made:

I used several stamps from the Occasions Catalog and a very pretty feminine color palette of Pink Pirouette, Pear Pizzazz, Lost Lagoon with some gold accents.  I stamped some collage images from Timeless Textures to give the card some color and a vintage look.  The sentiment comes from Greatest Greetings which truly has the best greetings for the springtime.  The idea of the rose was actually inspired by a piece of jewelry I recently bought for myself.  It is a crystal enclosed in some yellow gold to look like a rose.  So that is what I did.  Here is a close up:

I cut the rose twice, once in the gold foil and then again with the Dazzling Diamonds Glimmer paper.  And the I put it together like a puzzle.  The picture doesn't do it justice, it is the perfect combo of sparkle and shine.  The sequins come from the Love Blossoms Accessory kit.  Here is a peek at the inside:    

I stamped some additional flowers and outlined my sentiment with some Lost Lagoon.  The sentiment is from the Rose Wonder stamp set and it heat embossed in gold.

Thanks so much for looking at my card.  Be sure to head back to SSI for other Mother's Day projects.  

April Inkspiration Challenge

Another Monday which means another challenge from the gals over at SSI.  Today is the Inkspiration Challenge where you create something based on an image.  You can pull the colors, the subject, the layout, whatever you want!  Here is the image:

So I chose this image because it reminded me of the Going Global paper stack.  But I went a slightly different direction with my card.  And I have to say, I just love it.  Here it is:

So I did use the subject along with the layout a little bit.  I also decided to use mostly neutrals except I added some Pink Pirouette for a romantic vintage feel.  I combined an older stamp, Traveler that might be thought of as masculine with a new floral stamp, Grateful Bunch.  And I love this technique, Triple Time Stamping.  It is so easy to do and creates such a cool look.  Here is a close up:

I did a lot of sponging to give it a more vintage feel.  Here is the inside:

My goal is to always stamp the inside with another sentiment and some additional images!  

Thanks so much for looking at my card.  Let's see what you can come up with now.  Upload your creation over at SSI.

CASEing the Apple of my Eye

I love that our catalogs are not only full of great products, they are also a huge source of inspiration.  Today at SSI we are starting out projects from the images in the Occasions Catalog.  Here is the card I am CASEing:

But I decided to do a different fruit.  Here is my card:

So I used the same basic sketch and sentiment, but it looks pretty different right?  That is what is great about CASEing.  Honestly, I loved the card in the catty and initially was going to do that with an apple.  But when I was picking my red out, I stopped at Watermelon Wonder and decided to switch my fruit up.  I used a lot of specialty paper, the Color Me Irresistible DSP and the Shine On DSP.  The splotch background is from the You've Got This stamp set.  My favorite is the sequin seeds.  This card would be cute for the host/hostess of a summer BBQ.  

Head back over to SSI for more CASE'd cards!  

SSI April Blog Hop

So this was supposed to be a Spring Blog Hop, but its actually a surprise Baby Shower of the creative type.  Our Design Team Leader just had a little baby boy so we are all showing off some baby themed projects with our blog hop this month.  As you hop along, please be sure to comment and show some love on every blog! We are always excited to hear from our followers! You should have just left stop number 2 on the Stylin' Stampin' INKspiration Blog Hop - Bree at Craft-Somnia Momma. If so, you are in the right spot. If a link doesn't work or you get off track, you will find the full blog hop lineup below.
  

Kim loves to do Project Life, so I decided to make her some Project Life cards with all the awesome baby themed products they have released over the past few years.  Full disclosure some of these items are no longer available.  But they were too cute not to use!  Here are the cards I made for her:

I decided to do some light background stamping on some journal cards.

So I had to make a cute baby card too and I was inspired by one of my own creations.  Here is the card:

Here is a peek at the inside:

And a special card like this deserves a special envelope:

All the products used to create this card and envelope are still available and I will share a supply list for that below.  Up next we have Kathy at Kathy's Stamping World.  I can't wait to see what she comes up with!  

Blog Hop Participant List:

1. Diana at Stampin Fun with Diana
2. Bree at Craft-Somnia Momma
3. Jenny at Jenny G Paper Crafts
4. Kathy at Kathy's Stamping World
5. Melissa at The Stamp Doc
6. Jennifer at Happy 2 Scrap 4 Life
7. Heidi at Stuck on Stampin'
8. Donna at Geek Squad Crafting

Coloring with Stampin' Write Markers

Stampin' Up! has so many great products for all you creative needs!  Today at SSI we are spotlighting our markers.  I used the Brights Stampin' Write markers in the card I created today. Check it out:

I stamped the robot image in the Basic Gray Archival Ink.  And I just added little pops of color here and there and finished the robot off with some Smoky Slate.  I used a Tempting Turquoise card base and added some of the Brights Designer Series Paper Stack strips.  It is hard to see in the picture but there is a strip of the Silver Foil Sheet with some stars punches out.  For the background I stamped some splatters from Gorgeous Grunge and added some sequins.  I love how this turned out and coloring the robot was so easy!  Check out the other projects using markers over at SSI!

April Card Sketch

We have another great challenge for you on this Monday over at SSI.  Its our sketch challenge and its perfect for spring time crafting!  Check it out:

I needed a birthday card and even though we have fabulous floral framelit and thinlit dies and flower punches, I decided to fussy cut some gorgeous DSP.  Here is my card:

Of course I stamped an envelope to match!  I used the beautiful Birthday Bouquet DSP.  Here are some close ups:

I fussy cut two different flowers and used dimensionals so they popped off the card!  I love the sequin accents and the gold bow tie clip!  Here is a peek at the inside:

I stamped off the Blushing Bride once to make sure the big flower stamp was subtle enough to put the sentiment over to in Watermelon Wonder.  I added some Mint Macaron heart on the bottom of the inside and on the envelope as well.  Here is a close up of the flower:

A last minute addition was some of the gold Wink of Stella glitter pen to the center of the flowers.  I also cut an envelope liner to match.  I have so much DSP that anytime I make a special care I am going to make sure I have a liner to go in the envelope.  This card is for a special friend who I know will appreciate all the special touches.  

Thanks so much for checking out my card!  Now its your turn to create using this sketch and upload over at SSI!  

CASEing with the Bloomin' Heart Thinlit Die

They say that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, right?  Well today I am going to CASE (Copy And Share Everything) a fellow designer.  This time a card made by Dawn caught my eye.  Check out her card first:

I love so much about this card.  I actually want to make it exactly as is, but I needed an anniversary card.  So I decided to just pull certain elements from it, especially the Bloomin' Heart thinlit die, the banners and the metallic accents.  Here is my card:

I also used some patterned paper for that beautiful heart.  And I did do some embossing, but instead of using my Big Shot, I heat embossed my sentiment.  Here are some close ups:

I put the heart die cut into some Whisper White which already had a heart cut out of it.  I saw this technique on Pinterest and loved how it looked!  

Here is a close up of the sentiment.  I used the Banner Triple Punch here.  See that pretty Polka Dot paper in silver?  It can be found in the Neutrals Color Collection DSP stack, gold and silver sheets!  I also added some silver thread underneath the sentiment and some candy and enamel dots along with some rhinestones.

With such a special card, I needed to make a special envelope.  I grabbed a sheet of the Birthday Bouquet DSP.  I love the combo of Mint Macaron and Blushing Bride with some silver accents.  

I love how Dawn's card gave me a great springboard to make this special anniversary card.  Head back over to SSI to see how some of the other Design Team members CASE'd each other!  

  

  

April Showers

April is the month know for its rain.  And where that may seem like a downer, I was reminded by a customer's daughter that without the rain we wouldn't have rainbows.  She inspired this card that I made in like five minutes (that is rare for me!).  Check it out:

I love the silver foil raindrops on the kraft paper.  Who would have ever thought to put that together.  Thankfully Stampin' Up! starts us off with great paper that makes it easy to create with.  The cloud is actually one of the framelits from the Flower Fair set.  I used my fringe scissors with some Cucumber Crush card stock and tied some Bermuda Bay thick twine.  Here is the inside:

I just love the Over the Rainbow stamp set.  It was one of the very first stamp sets I bought from this Annual Catalog when it came out.  It has me wondering what will be my favorite in the new new annual catalog.  June will be here soon (and as a demo I get to see it sooner!).  I just stamped the sentiment with the Memento Tuxedo Black and used my Stampin' Write markers to color inside.  So easy!  I used most of the brights, except instead of Old Olive I used Cucumber Crush.  

Thanks for checking out my card today!   Head back over to SSI for some more rain INKspired cards.  

April Color Challenge

It is the first Monday of the month so we have our Color Challenge for you over at SSI.  Check it out:

I wanted to make a masculine card because I always need those.  And I had just gotten some new goodies, so I couldn't wait to use them as well!  Here is my take on this color combo:

I just order the starburst die and was so happy at how easy it was to use.  I can't wait to play more with it.  I kept this card pretty simple.  There is a Marina Mist card base with a Crushed Curry burst that is mounted onto some Whisper White.  I stamped the swirly lines on, but if they weren't close enough I just added some extra swirl with a Stampin' Write Marker.  I stamped the world onto some Marina Mist card stock with some Pear Pizzazz ink.  I layered that onto a Pear Pizzazz scalloped circle.  I added some of the burlap ribbon for some extra manly texture under the sentiment.

Thanks for looking!  Let's see what you can do with this color combo.  Head over to SSI and upload your project!

Giggle Greetings

It's April Fool's Day and we have some funny cards to tickle your funny bone over at SSI.  I had to use the Giggle Greetings stamp set for this one.  Here is my card:

I used that funny stamp set in conjunction with the It's My Party Suite.  The designer series paper is so fun with the great patterns and unexpected color combos.  I would have never paired these together, love how Stampin' Up! has already done this for us!  I did some water coloring with my Aqua Painters on my cheese.  And I finally opened up my coordinating enamel dots and used them.  So fun, right?  For more funny cards head over to SSI!