Just Add Color

I admit I have some things....okay, MANY things in my craft room that I haven't played with. I'll see something that I simply must have, and then it sits, unused and unloved. The Just Add Color Specialty DSP is one of those things.

I don't know why it has taken me so long to pull it out and have a play date, but I'm glad that I finally did! It was the perfect opportunity to play some more with the watercolor pencils, too. After having some fun the past few days with the watering can in Grown With Love, I was drawn to the watering cans in this pack. I just love coloring - it's like therapy for me. There are some really fun images in the DSP, and I intend to do lots more coloring with them!

The Daisy Punch is back in stock now, too, and I used it to make a sort of scalloped mat for the greeting. I thought it was rather clever, if I do say so myself!

Product List

Blooms & Wishes Photopolymer Stamps

Whisper White 8-1/2" X 11" Card Stock

Berry Burst 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock

Just Add Color Specialty Designer Series Paper

Watercolor Pencils

Blender Pens

Big Shot

Stitched Shapes Framelits Dies

Daisy Punch

Berry Burst 5/8" Crinkled Seam Binding Ribbon

Rhinestone Basic Jewels

Stampin' Dimensionals

My Motto!

As soon as I saw this Crafting Forever stamp set I knew I had to have it! You know what they say - crafting comes before housework in the dictionary, as it should! The dust bunnies aren't going to go anywhere, so might as well have some fun before you tackle them. Besides, it's a proven fact the crafting is good for your mental well-being! I read it on the Internet, so it must be true. *giggle*

Crafting Forever is available in both wood-mount and clear-mount options, and you know which one I chose....clear-mount! Costs less and leaves more room on the shelf for MORE STAMPS! Must. Have. ALL. The. Stamps!

So, to see a stamp set that embodies my motto was just the bees knees for me, and a "must have" item. I stamped it on watercolor paper and used an Aqua Painter to add Powder Pink, Sahara Sand, and Old Olive.

The copper wire-looking embellishment is four strands of the Copper Metallic Thread twisted together, looped behind the image and held in place with a Glue Dot.

I made this card for the CAS(E) this Sketch Challenge #221, using this sketch:

Here's the "How To"
 Image: Watercolor Paper 3" x 4"
 Scalloped mat: Basic Black 3" x 4"
 Greeting strip: Sahara Sand 1-1/4" x 3-3/4"
 Mat: Basic Black 1-3/8" x 3-3/4"
 Background: Fresh Florals DSP 3-3/4" x 5"
 Mat: Basic Black 3-7/8" x 5-1/8"
 Card base: Sahara Sand 5-1/2" x 8-1/2" scored & folded at 4-1/4"

1. Adhere Fresh Florals DSP to Basic Black mat and the to card base.
2. Stamp greeting with Basic Black Archival Ink on right side of greeting strip. Adhere to Basic Black mat and then to card, leaving 5/8" of the Fresh Floral DSP showing at bottom.
3. Stamp image on Watercolor Paper (or Shimmery White, if desired) and add colors as mentioned above. Note: It's water coloring - you don't have to be precise and ultra detailed when adding the colors. If you look closely, I wasn't!
4. Die cut the image with the largest oval in the Stitched Shapes Framelits. Die cut the mat with the largest scalloped oval in the Layering Ovals Framelits. Adhere image to mat.
5. Make loops of Copper Metallic Thread and adhere to card with a glue dot.
6. Attach image to card with Stampin' Dimensionals.

Product List

Crafting Forever Clear-Mount Stamp Set

Crafting Forever Wood-Mount Stamp Set

Sahara Sand 8-1/2" X 11" Card Stock

Basic Black 8-1/2" X 11" Card Stock

Watercolor Paper

Fresh Florals Designer Series Paper Stack

Basic Black Archival Stampin’ Pad

Powder Pink Classic Stampin' Pad

Sahara Sand Classic Stampin' Pad

Old Olive Classic Stampin' Pad

Aqua Painters

Big Shot

Stitched Shapes Framelits Dies

Layering Ovals Framelits Dies

Copper Metallic Thread

Fast Fuse Adhesive

Glue Dots

Stampin' Dimensionals

Jar of Love Swaps

This is the design I used for the Control Freaks swap. It's a lot like the Big Jar O' Love card, but with Peekaboo Peach as a contrast. It's amazing how great those colors look together!

Since I didn't have enough silver sequins, I had to use white ones on some of the cards. Which version do you think looks better? (I know the white sequins are subtle and hard to see, so click on the pic for a closer look.)

For the "How to", click the Big Jar O' Love link above, and swap Rich Razzleberry for the Sweet Sugarplum cards base, Peekaboo Peach for the Rich Razzleberry mat and flowers, and use Pumpkin Pie ink to stamp the star flowers.

Still Here!

Life has been a wild ride the past 2-3 weeks. First with my friend Cindy passing away unexpectedly, and last weekend, my eight year old cousin Rayanna lost her battle with leukemia. Then Wednesday my Dad decided he's going to forgo further treatment, and checked himself out of the hospital, and immediately after that sobering news, I found out the floral arrangement for Rayanna's funeral wasn't delivered. Geez, can I just hit rewind, and start this month over?

The highlights of the month were the times I got to spend stamping, especially when it involved stamping friends! This is one of the cards we made in last week's Fancy Folds class. It's a Swinging Z-Fold and was inspired by LeeAnn Greff's tutorial HERE.

With Mother's Day rapidly approaching, I wanted to incorporate something that could be used for just such a purpose, and this was the result. Actually, it could be used for just about anything, by stamping the appropriate message for the occasion inside on the left, and then writing a personal note on the right.

Tomorrow the much dreaded much anticipated (I'm so conflicted!) Stamp Retirement List will be announced, so stay tuned! 

Stamps: Apothecary Art, Loving Thoughts
Cardstock: Wisteria Wonder, Concord Crush, Whisper White, Flirtatious DSP
Ink: Basic Black, Wisteria Wonder, Concord Crush, and Lucky Limeade Classic
Accessories: Big Shot, Labels Collection Framelits, Blender Pens, Dazzling Details, Lucky Limeade 1/8" organza ribbon (retired)

Monochromatic Doily

Just a quick post today....have to prepare for the meeting with my stamping team tonight!

This card uses the Rolling Marble technique on the background of the doily.  It produces such a cool effect!

Stamps: Hello Doily, Oval All
Cardstock: Pretty in Pink, Melon Mambo, Whisper White, Glossy White
Ink: Melon Mambo Classic pad, Pretty in Pink and Regal Rose reinkers
Accessories: Melon Mambo 1/2" Scallop Dot Ribbon, Scallop Oval Punch, Large Oval Punch, marbles, plastic stamp case

Still Thinking Spring

No doubt you all are thinking Spring, as well. Hopefully, this will cheer you up a little. Before you know it, the crocuses (croci?) will be peeking out of the snow, followed by the jonquils, daffodils and tulips. Hang in there!

I love how you can get a pastel shade of any Stampin' Up color by picking up just a little ink from the lid of a Classic ink pad (press lid against pad before opening) using a Blender Pen! Then you can just keep adding color to deepen, adding shadow and depth. This works best on the Watercolor Paper.

Stamp: A Flower for all Seasons (111592) or FREE Sale-A-Bration item (123917) with qualifying purchase!
Cardstock: Whisper White (100730), Elegant Eggpplant (105126), Perfect Plum Designer Series Paper (Subtles Collection 117152), Watercolor Paper (105019)
Classic Inks: Soft Suede (115657), Elegant Eggplant (105210), Garden Green (102272), Pacific Point (111837), Basic Black (101179)
Accessories: Blender Pens (102845), Whisper White 5/8" Satin Ribbon (114616), Elegant Eggplant 1/4" Grosgrain Ribbon (retired), Scallop Rectangle Clearlits Die (118872), Big Shot Die-Cutting Machine (113439), Stampin' Dimensionals (104430), Mini Glue Dots (103683), White Gel Pen

Thanks for stopping by today! Come back tomorrow for another birthday card. I did mention the plethora of birthdays coming up, so you were warned!

I Thought I Was Finished...

...With the winter/holiday cards, but I forgot all about the swap theme for this month's stamp club.  It had to have a snowman, at least 2 layers and an embellishment.  Well, at least I got to ink up a stamp that hadn't been used yet, and use some now-retired DSP!  ;-)

Stamps: Jolly Old St. Nick, sentiment stamp non-SU
Cardstock: Garden Green, Baja Breeze, Whisper White, Candy Cane Christmas Specialty DSP
Ink: Basic Black, Baja Breeze, Garden Green, Wild Wasabi, VersaMarker
Accessories: Iridescent Ice Stampin' Emboss Powder, Heat Tool, Whisper White 5/8" Organza Ribbon, Circle Rhinestone Brads

A word of warning.....there is another snowman card coming tomorrow.  After that I promise to avoid anything related to cold, snow, frozen tundras, frost, winter or ice.  :-D

Thanks for stopping by today!  Stay warm!!!

September Swap

This was the card for the swap club part of the monthly stampin' club.  We were to use a retired Stampin' Up! set from 2000-2005.  I was a wee bit disappointed because I have some really cute SU bear stamp sets from the late 90s, but I like this set, too, so went ahead and used it.  (Still want to do teddy bears, though, lol.)

The stamp set is Summer by the Sea.  It was stamped on watercolor paper, and colored with watercolor pencils and an Aqua Painter.  I deliberately left off any sentiment, because I think this card could be used for several different occasions.

Cardstock: SU Very Vanilla (101650), Watercolor paper (105019), Core'dinations

DP: SU Haiku DSP (retired)
Ink: Basic Black Craft (102192)
Accessories/Tools: SU Silver Brads(104336), Shimmerz Spritz