Happy Easter

I know tomorrow is Easter, but that's the day the Stamp Review Crew is featuring a new stamp set, so I wanted to share this Easter card today. I really like the way it turned out!

The flowering vine was inked up on a Wild Wasabi ink pad, then I used these precision cotton swabs to wipe off the ink from the flowers and clusters. These are GREAT to have on hand for crafting; they have a firm tip and they don't leave fibers behind. (They also work for removing blobs of mascara from your eyelid. I heard that from a friend, *ahem*.) You can also use a Blender Pen to take the ink off, but probably not blobs of mascara, LOL.

After removing the ink, the flowers were colored with Sweet Sugarplum and the floral clusters with Perfect Plum Stampin' Write Markers, then the stamp was huffed on to re-moisten and stamped on Whisper White cardstock.

The cross was stamped in Perfect Plum (stamped it off twice, & then huffed). Two retired items were used here - the Framed Tulips embossing folder for the frame, and the Winter Wonderland Designer Vellum Stack for that lovely cracked glass look behind the cross.

This card perfectly fits the theme for this week's Global Design Project #GDP131, so I'm thrilled to play along! It's been a while since I've played in a challenge (being a Design Team member doesn't count, LOL).

Product List

Hold On To Hope Clear-Mount Bundle

Teeny Tiny Wishes Wood Stamp Set

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

Wild Wasabi Classic Stampin' Pad

Perfect Plum Classic Stampin' Pad

Regals Stampin' Write Markers

2016-2018 In Color Stampin' Write Markers

Big Shot

Layering Ovals Framelits Dies

Whisper White 1/4" (6.4 Mm) Organza Ribbon

Mint Macaron, I'll Miss You!

I think of all the In Colors that are retiring at the end of next month, I'm going to miss Mint Macaron the most. It is such a soft green, and so versatile. It's been great for baby cards, Easter (as shown here), Spring, and even a vintage-y Christmas look. *sigh*

The second color I'll miss the most is Watermelon Wonder. Another great color; not overly bright. I've stocked up on these colors, and have refills for my ink pads, as well. I know, from seeing the Inventory Status Report on the Stampin' Up demo site, that others are stocking up too, because some things are on back order already. Do you have what you need of these colors? They will probably run out of some things before the sales period is officially over.

The retiring list comes out today. I'll have another blog post about it later this afternoon. We already know that these In Colors, any accessories with these colors, and all the current Designer Series Paper are going bye-bye at the end of May. I'm dreading seeing the rest of the list! However, I do know that the new 2017-2019 In Colors are AWESOME, so we have that to look forward to!

Product List

Basket Bunch Photopolymer Bundle

Crazy About You Photopolymer Stamp Set

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

Blushing Bride 8-1/2" X 11" Card Stock

Mint Macaron 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock

2015-2017 In Color Designer Series Paper Stack

Blushing Bride Glimmer Paper

Basic Black Archival Stampin’ Pad

Blushing Bride Classic Stampin' Pad

Blender Pens

Crumb Cake Classic Stampin' Pad

Stamping Sponges

Big Shot

Lace Doilies

Blushing Bride Solid Baker's Twine

Stampin' Dimensionals

Catching Up

Spring is springing around here. Well, it was until this weekend, anyway. Woke up Saturday to a few snow pellets on the back deck, and this morning it was 28 degrees. Brrr! I'm trying to get some spring cleaning done here on the blog, so at the end of this post will be some details on the cards I made for the last Control Freaks blog hop.

Meanwhile, here is one of the Easter cards I sent this year. Yes, #imbringingEasterbacktoo, LOL! I just can't get enough of this adorable little chick!

The "How To" for this card
Card base: 5-1/2" x 8-1/2" Whisper White Thick, scored at 4-1/4" and folded
Image panel: Chick stamped on Watercolor Paper with Basic Black Archival ink, cut with 2-5/16" circle Framelit (#5 counting from smallest Framelit), colored with Aqua Painter using Daffodil Delight on chick, Sahara Sand shadow under chick, Pumpkin Pie marker for feet and beak
Mat behind image: Island Indigo punched with 2-1/2" circle punch
Mat behind Island Indigo mat: Pool Party cut with 2-3/4" circle Framelit (#6 counting from smallest Framelit)
Greeting: Scrap of Whisper white, stamped and punched with 1" circle punch
Mat behind greeting: Pool Party cut with 1-1/16" circle Framelit (second from smallest)
Mat behind doily: 4" x 5-1/4" Pool Party, embossed with (retired) Perfect Polka Dots folder

1. Emboss Pool Party rectangle with polka dot folder and adhere doily to right side.
2. Wrap ribbon around and adhere to back side. Fasten mat to card base.
3. Stamp and color bird, then cut out with Framelit. Mount on Island Indigo circle then Pool Party circle.
4. Fasten matted image over ribbon and doily.
5. Stamp greeting and punch with 1" circle punch. Mat on Pool Party circle and attach to card with Stampin' Dimensionals.
6. Tie a bow and attach to card using Glue Dots. Cut two pieces of pearl string embellishment and adhere just under bow using Fine-Tip Glue Pen. Let dry completely.

STAMPS: Honeycomb Happiness (SAB retired), Circle of Spring
CARDSTOCK: Whisper White Thick, Whisper White, Pool Party, Island Indigo, Watercolor Paper
INK: Basic Black Archival, Daffodil Delight, Sahara Sand, plus Pumpkin Pie Stampin' Write Marker
ACCESSORIES: Big Shot, Perfect Polka Dots folder (ret.), Circles Collection Framelits, 1" Circle Punch, 2-1/2" Circle Punch, Aqua Painters, Tea Lace Paper Doilies, 1/4" Pool Party Cotton Ribbon, Love Blossoms Embellishment Kit, Glue Dots, Stampin' Dimensionals, Fine-Tip Glue Pen

Basics on Control Freaks blog hop cards

Hello Spring Chick: Mint Macaron card base, Whisper White mat (4-1/8" x 5-3/8"), Four Mint Macaron DSP strips (7/8" x 5-1/8"), chick stamped, colored, and cut as above but mounted on Blushing Bride mat, Blushing Bride 1/4" Cotton Ribbon, Metallic Foil Doily

Hello Spring Bouquet: Card Base Whisper White Thich, mat Whisper White (4" x 5-1/4"), bottom of Washi tape placed 1" from bottom of mat, dry emboss above tape with Softly Falling folder, Whisper White image panel (2-1/2" W x 2-1/4" T) stamped with bouquet from Number of Years (Daffodil Delight and stamped off Mossy Meadow & Rose Red), Mossy Meadow mat (3" W x 2-3/4" T), Basic Black "Hello" from Greetings Thinlits, "Spring" from Crazy About You

Happy Easter Peony: Peony from You've Got This stamped on Shimmery White CS, colored with Blender Pen (Melon Mambo, Mossy Meadow, plus So Saffrom Marker), fussy cut and mounted with dimensionals on Whisper White (3-3/4" x 5") embossed with Brick Wall folder, Mossy Meadow mat (3-13/16" x 5-1/8"), Whisper White thick card base

Easter is Eggstra Spectacular!

Note: I had blog posts scheduled, and they obviously didn't post when they were supposed to - sorry! Back to doing it manually until I figure out what happened.

I love Easter. I love the hope of renewal/rebirth, the food (ham and deviled eggs, anyone?), the brightly colored eggs (which I miss since my kids are grown), Easter baskets full of candy (also missed since kids are gone), and that the days are getting longer and flowers are busting out all over! What's not to love?!

So, in the spirit of Spring and Easter baskets full of goodies, I came up with this card. Making the basket was super easy with the Ovals Collection Framelits and Venetian Romance DSP. The largest and second-largest (non-scalloped) ovals were used here. After cutting the DSP with the largest oval, it was cut a bit under halfway to create a smaller half for the basket and larger half for the handle. The handle was cut using the next-smaller oval. Using the Magnetic Platform made it so easy to keep the Framelit in place!

The Fringe Scissors made short work of the grass, and the Extra Wide Oval Punch worked perfectly to cut the colored eggs.  See the gold foil-wrapped 'chocolate' eggs? That was done in a jiffy with a Gold Foil Sheet and the Small Oval Punch!

Mmmm, chocolate eggs. Which is your favorite Easter candy? Do you go for the jelly beans first, or malted milk eggs? Do you dive into the chocolate bunny, or grab the Peeps before anything else?

STAMPS: Eggstra Spectacular, Delightful Dozen
CARDSTOCK: Crisp Cantaloupe, Whisper White, Wild Wasabi, Gold Foil Sheets, Venetian Romance DSP, Watercolor Wonder DSP
INK: Melon Mambo, Daffodil Delight, Wild Wasabi, Tempting Turquoise, Elegant Eggplant
ACCESSORIES: Big Shot, Magnetic Platform, Ovals Collection Framelits, Petite Petals Punch, Small Oval Punch, Extra Large Oval Punch, Wild Wasabi Stitched Grosgrain Ribbon, Daffodil Delight Stitched Grosgrain Ribbon, Pearls Basic Jewels, Stampin' Dimensionals

Getting Freaky in the Spring!

Hello, and welcome to another Tour de Freaks! This month we are celebrating Spring and/or Easter, and I gotta tell ya, even though it's not officially Spring until tomorrow (and it's deep-freeze Winter in most of the country) it's been Spring-like here for the past few months. Freaky weather, for sure!

If you're hopping from the beginning of the tour, you just landed here from Mary Brown's blog. I love her style! If you jumped in here, just click the buttons at the bottom of each blog to go to the next stop on the tour, and you'll make a full circle and see all the lovelies.

I only have two projects to share today, so let's start with the card. I absolutely love to color images, and the tulips in Blessed Easter are no exception.

STAMPS: Blessed Easter   CARDSTOCK: Whisper White, Elegant Eggplant, Daffodil Delight DSP (Subtles DSP Stack), Watercolor Paper   INK: StazOn Jet Black, Elegant Eggplant (pad and marker), Perfect Plum, Pear Pizzazz, Old Olive   ACCESSORIES: Big Shot, Apothecary Accents Framelits, Tea Lace Paper Doilies, Pearls Basic Jewels, Stampin' Dimensionals, Blender Pens

That's a whole doily that was cut to the center and pleated to add some extra texture. The tulips were stamped on Watercolor Paper and colored with a Blender Pen and ink pads.

Helpful Hint: Before I mounted the tulips on the wood block, I cut the greeting off so I could use the flowers for other occasions. I peeled the sticky foam off the greeting rubber and replaced it with clear-mount foam so it would adhere to a clear block when I wanted to use it.

Up next is a sweet treat. Did you know today is National Oatmeal Cookie Day? Yes, it is! And this little box works perfectly for a gift of yummy oatmeal cookies or any other sweet treat, for that matter. Mini Easter basket, perhaps?

STAMPS: None   CARDSTOCK: Crisp Cantaloupe, Pear Pizzazz, Crisp Cantaloupe DSP, Sweet Sorbet DSP   INK: None   ACCESSORIES: Big Shot, Spiral Flower Die, Little leaves Sizzlits, Envelope Punch Board, Sweet Sorbet Accessory Pack, Sticky Strip, hot glue gun (non-SU)

Here's a close-up of the rosettes that decorate it. Everything is in bloom around my house already, so the roses just seemed so appropriate.

That's all I have for today! If you'd like the measurements for the box, be sure to check back in a day or two. Up next is the talented Judy DiScipio! Thanks for stopping by today!

Freaky Spring!

Welcome to the Control Freaks blog tour for March. We're so happy that you "hopped" by! This month's theme is Spring (or Easter), and we certainly have been having a freaky Spring, haven't we? I think Punxsutawney Phil was totally wrong when he predicted an early spring last month. He couldn't have been more wrong!

If you began at the beginning (Patty Bennett's blog), and have been following the "next" buttons at the bottom of each stop, then you just arrived here from Justin Krieger's blog. Weren't his projects awesome? To complete the tour, just click the links at the bottom of each post and you'll make the rounds of all ten blogs.

My two projects are cards, and when I think Spring, I think flowers and butterflies and birds, so this stamp from For the Birds was perfect!

 Stamp: For the Birds - Cardstock: Shimmery White, Lucky Limeade, So Saffron, Whisper White, Tea for Two DSP - Ink: Black StazOn, Soft Suede, Real Red, Tempting Turquoise, Daffodil Delight, Lucky Limeade, Cajun Craze, Rich Razzleberry, Melon Mambo - Accessories: Big Shot, Cloudy Day folder, Bitty Banners Framelits, Lucky Limeade Ruffled Ribbon, Pearls Basic Jewels

I love to color, and when I'm not using Watercolor Paper, I like to use Shimmery White cardstock. That's what was used here, matted on Lucky Limeade. The popped-up clouds add a nice dimension.

My other "Spring-y" thought was bunnies, what with Easter and all, so the Ears to You single stamp was my choice. This is a bling-y, Spring-y card, for sure.  It cracked me up when I was finished, because I thought it looked like the two outer bunnies were looking at the middle bunny's behind and saying, "Dude! What is that on your butt?!"

Stamps: Designer Typeset, Ears to You, Bring on the Cake - Cardstock: Shimmery White, Basic Black, Daffodil Delight, Tea for Two DSP, Pink Pirouette DSP, Certainly Celery DSP - Ink: Pretty in Pink, Certainly Celery, Daffodil Delight, Baja Breeze, Perfect Plum, Black StazOn - Accessories: Big Shot, Perfect Polka-Dots folder, Rhinestones Basic Jewels

Well, that's all for now. Thanks for stopping by! Up next is the always creative JanTink, so click the button below to go see her creative genius!

SUOC66 - Easter and/or Spring!

Today's challenge theme at SUO Challenges is Easter or Spring. I know everyone here in the northern hemisphere is ready for spring to arrive. Enough with the snow already, sheesh! Those of you in the southern hemisphere are getting ready for autumn, but you still have Easter coming up. So pull out some Spring-y colors and stamps and make something to share at SUO Challenges.

I thought the Everything Eleanor stamp set would go perfectly with the Easter Blessings single stamp. The greeting is large enough the be the focal point, but it needed something behind it. The flower was stamped and colored twice, spritzed with home made Shimmer mist, and fussy cut. The center petals were popped up on dimensionals.

Stamps: Easter Blessings, Everything Eleanor
Cardstock: Whisper White, Midnight Muse, Pretty in Pink, Certainly Celery
Ink: Midnight Muse, Pretty in Pink, Certainly Celery, and Rose Red Pads, Daffodil Delight Marker
Accessories: Big Shot, Fancy Fan folder, Bird Punch (leaves), Whisper White Organza Ribbon, Rhinestone Brad (retired), Rhinestone Basic Jewels, Stampin Dimensionals

Tour de Freaks Spring Catalog Hop

Hellloooo, stampers! I am sooo glad to be back among the land of the living, and what better way to celebrate rebirth and renewal, than being part of the Control Freaks Spring Catalog tour?!  If you started at # 1 on the tour, that would be Barb Mullikin's blog, Barb Stamps. Weren't her projects fabulous? I love her classy style!

I'm stop # 2 on the tour. I was only able to get two projects done this time around, since I've been so sick the past couple of weeks, but gosh it felt good to get back into the stamp cave! Up first is a card using several lovely elements from the Spring Catalog.

I am particularly fond of the 5/8" Flower Trim, because it's so easy to dye whatever color you want, plus it's soft enough that it'll flatten down in the envelope, making it easy to mail without extra postage. I used an Aqua Painter and with a drop of So Saffron ink refill to color the blossoms, and a sponge with Island Indigo to tint the doily.

Stamps: Oh, Hello
Cardstock: So Saffron, Island Indigo, Tea Time Designer Series Paper
Ink: Island Indigo, plus So Saffron Ink Refill
Accessories: Big Shot, Fancy Fan embossing folder, 5/8" Flower Trim, Tea Lace Paper Doilies, So Saffron 3/8" Taffeta Ribbon, 1-3/4" Circle Punch, 2-1/2" Circle Punch, Aqua Painter, Stampin' Sponges

My second project is a little treat bag for Easter. The scalloped flap was made with with the new Oval Framelits - the largest oval is scalloped, so I just slipped the end of a 4" x 11" piece of cardstock into the oval, leaving the part I didn't want to cut on the outside of the oval.

The tag was made with the Hearts A Flutter Framelits, and that adorable Easter basket is in the Spring Sampler stamp set!

Stamps: Spring Sampler, Fabulous Phrases
Cardstock: Pool Party
Ink: (Stampin' Write Markers) Tempting Turquoise, Certainly Celery, Regal Rose, Wisteria Wonder
Accessories: Big Shot, Perfect Polka-Dots and Fancy Fan embossing folders, Ovals Framelits, Hearts A Flutter Framelits, Pink Pirouette/Rose Red 1-1/4" Two Tone Ribbon, White Baker's Twine, 4" x 6" cello bags, Glue Dots

Thanks for stopping by! That's all from me today, but up next is Janine Tinklenberg at Stamps, Paper, Scissors. Pop on over and see what fun (and funny) Jan has in store for you!

Easter Blessings

I love Spring. I love everything about it, from the lengthening days (which has nothing to do with DST), to the renewed growth in the garden, and from the bright, happy colors to the birds chirping and carrying on. Yep, the season of rebirth and renewal is one of my faves (right up there with Autumn, Summer, and Winter)!

This Easter card sums it all up for me. Everything in one card! I didn't have a stamp with the greeting, so I printed it out myownself.

Stamps: None!
Cardstock: Daffodil Delight, Whisper White, Attic Boutique DSP
Ink: None!
Accessories: Big Shot (of course), Framed Tulips embossing folder, Whisper White 3/8" Taffeta Ribbon, Holiday Windows Movers & Shapers die, Pearls Basic Jewels, Frost White Shimmer Paint, sponge dauber, computer & printer