Southern Serenade, an Opportunity for Embellishment

So I had this idea to stamp several blossom stems from Southern Serenade and color them in different colors, and then make a set of cards with coordinating DSP. And it turned out brilliantly, if I do say so myself. Except.....

I got down to the very last card, stamping the very last greeting, when disaster struck. I'm normally pretty good about getting a clean image because I rest the sides of my hands on my work surface to steady them while I'm stamping. Somehow, some way, I "stuttered." Meaning, I got a double image of the greeting. Which was on the already colored image panel, which was attached to the DSP, which was affixed to the card  base.

!@#&%!! A bad word may have escaped my mouth. So, I did what any self-respecting stamper would do - I salvaged it with a greeting banner! And that gave me the opportunity to use the adorable little matching blossom stamp on the end of the banner.

I actually think it turned out cuter with the banner and blossom! These cards also gave me the opportunity to use up some retired DSP from my hoard extensive collection. If you want to see the other cards and get the measurements, check back on Monday. Tomorrow morning I have a New Year's card, and tomorrow night is the Stamp Review Crew post. I've been a busy, busy girl!

Product List

Southern Serenade Wood-Mount Stamp Set

Thankful Thoughts Wood-Mount Stamp Set

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

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

Tuxedo Black Memento Ink Pad

Subtles DSP Stack
RETIRED

Pink Pirouette Stampin' Blends Markers Combo Pack

Old Olive Stampin' Blends Markers Combo Pack

Pearl Basic Jewels

Stampin' Dimensionals

And Then THIS Happened!

We got our first real snow at our new home two days ago, about 6-1/2". Pretty exciting stuff for these SoCal to Tennessee transplants. Yesterday it warmed up and about 2-3" melted, but today and tomorrow we are getting the edge of Winter Storm Jonas, so we may get another 5-10 inches! Today's total so far is 3 inches. The picture is the view out of my craft room window. I'm all warm and cozy with the wood stove behind me, a cup of mint tea beside me, and the occasional WHUMP of snow sliding off the roof outside. Fun times!

I'm making and sending birthday cards like crazy, so that's probably all you'll be seeing from me for a while. Just remember, you can change the greeting on them and use them for almost any occasion, not just birthdays!

I am so in love with the Sale-A-Bration stamp sets! Isn't this one just the sweetest? It's called Flowering Fields and it looks like what I'd expect to see in a wild meadow in the Spring, complete with butterfly! And yes, I did have to bling the flowers and butterfly up with some Wink of Stella. It really made the perfect embellishment on this CAS card!

Don't forget you can earn the S.A.B. items for FREE with a qualifying purchase. If you are in need of an Occasions catalog or a Sale-A-Bration flyer, let me know!

STAMPS: Flowering Fields, Build a Birthday
CARDSTOCK: Whisper White Thick, Watercolor Paper (2-1/8" x 4-1/2", stamped, colored, and cut into thirds
INK: Basic Black Archival, Calypso Coral, Crushed Curry, Watermelon Wonder, Blackberry Bliss, Mossy Meadow, Cucumber Crush
ACCESSORIES: Blender Pens, Clear Wink of Stella, Gold Wink of Stella, Stampin' Dimensionals (*gasp* no Mr. Big, again!)

More Sneak Peeks!

STAMPS: Birthday Blooms (coming Jan.)  CARDSTOCK: Shimmery White, Blushing Bride, Mossy Meadow, Birthday Bouquet DSP (coming Jan.), Blushing Bride Glimmer (coming Jan.)  INK: Basic Black Archival, Watermelon Wonder, Mossy Meadow, Mint Macaron, Clear and Gold Wink of Stella (coming Jan.)  ACCESSORIES: Big Shot, Lots of Labels Framelits Dies, Softly Falling embossing folder, Aqua Painters, Itty Bitty Accents Heart Punch, Stampin' Dimensionals

I needed some cards to send to my downline, and what better way to say "Hey, I'm thinking of you!" than to use a new stamp set from the Occasions Catalog. Now they'll have a sample to show their stamping friends, as well as a sample of the new Birthday Bouquet Designer Series Paper!

If you know me, you know I love to color, so the Birthday Blooms set caught my eye right away. I stamped the blossom on Shimmery White cardstock using Basic Black Archival Ink. The Shimmery White is sturdy enough for watercoloring, which is the technique I wanted to use. Can you believe that's Watermelon Wonder ink? You can see how if you dilute it you get a lighter shade. Aqua Painters are great for that!

How did I choose the colors for this card? Well, Stampin' Up! made that really easy for me. All I did was pick some of the colors used in the Birthday Bouquet DSP. That was how I chose Watermelon Wonder for the flower, and Mossy Meadow for the leaves. And I never would have thought to use Mint Macaron for the little accent flowers, but after stamping a sample I saw it coordinated beautifully. I should have known....SU wouldn't steer me wrong!

Shimmery White cardstock already has a lovely subtle glimmer to it, but I wanted to add more, so I used the Clear Wink of Stella over the buds and blossom. Yes, that's coming in the new catalog, too! And I used Gold W.O.S. on the stamen. It's difficult to get a good picture of it, but I tried!

Here are some of the cards that were sent out. Each one had more DSP samples inside. (That's one of the perks of joining my team! Click here if you'd like more information.)

Stay tuned....more sneak peeks are in the works!

Watercolor Thoughts

This is numero four-o of the cards from the last class. Now that all my stamping stuff is packed away, it may be a while before I have anything new to show you. And trust me, it's killing me to not be able to create anything besides piles of stuff to pack, donate, or throw away! I will be soooo glad when this move is over.

For this card, we used the watercolor bleed technique using Aqua Painters. Holding the heat-embossed image upside down, we wet a few petals at a time and then picked up a drop of ink and touched it to the "top" of each petal (which was actually the base of the petal). The ink bled down and gave the appearance of depth and shadow. It's a technique I still need to master, but it I have fun doing it!

Recipe:
5-1/2 x 8-1/2" Whisper White Thick Cardstock for card base, scored at 4-1/4"
4" x 5-1/4" Farmer's Market DSP for background
3" x 4-1/8" Perfect Plum cardstock for mat behind image
2-3/4" x 3-7/8" Watercolor Paper
5/8" x 3-3/8" Champagne Glimmer for mat behind greeting (it's retired, but you can sub Gold Glimmer)
1/2" x 3" Very Vanilla for greeting

1. Rub watercolor paper with embossing buddy to remove static, then stamp flower with VersaMark ink. Cover with embossing powder, tap off excess and heat with heat tool until melted and shiny.
2. Place a drop of ink from the refill bottle in the lid of the matching ink pad, or use a plastic lid to hold ink.
3. Turn flower upside down, wet a few petals at a time with aqua painter, and add a tiny drop of ink from lid to base of petal, letting ink run down toward tip of petal. Go lightly - you can always add more! Do the same for the leaves. Color stem (no need for bleed technique here).
4. Make a light wash with So Saffron around flower to give it a glow.
5. While image is drying, cut doily in half and adhere to back of Perfect Plum panel.
6. Stamp greeting in Perfect Plum on Very Vanilla strip, cutting banner ends by hand or with a punch. Adhere to Glimmer strip with Tear & Tape adhesive.
7. Fasten DSP to front of card base. Fasten image to Perfect Plum mat, and adhere both to DSP on card base.
8. Place dimensionals under greeting and adhere over image.


STAMPS: You've Got This, A Dozen Thoughts
INK: Perfect Plum, Perfect Plum Ink Refill, Pear Pizzazz Ink Refill, So Saffron Ink Refill, VersaMark
CARDSTOCK: Whisper White Thick Cardstock, Perfect Plum, Very Vanilla, Watercolor Paper, Farmer's Market DSP, Champagne Glimmer - retired
ACCESSORIES: Tea Lace Doilies, Embossing Buddy, Heat Tool, White Stampin' Emboss Powder, Aqua Painter, Tear & Tape adhesive, Stampin' Dimensionals

Thinking Spring

My daughter and son-in-law (Hibillies in Training) are experiencing their first winter in the mountains of eastern Tennessee and, as luck would have it, it's been one for the record books. They've been snowed in for well over a week, and it looks like they'll be snowbound for at least a week more. Quite a change for my SoCal born baby girl!

With that in mind, and with my upcoming Easter/Spring card class this Saturday, I've had cheerful Spring-themed cards on the brain. This is one that I think fits the bill. The branch of blossoms in Indescribeable Gift makes me think of fruit trees all abloom, with the promise of delectable harvests later.

The blossoms were colored with Blendabilities markers. Gosh, I love coloring! And apparently, coloring is becoming all the rage now in Europe. They've discovered what I've known for years .... that coloring is a great stress reliever!

STAMPS: Indescribeable Gift, Lotus Blossom (greeting - free SAB item)
CARDSTOCK: Whisper White, Basic Black, Melon Mambo, Irresistibly Yours DSP (free SAB item), Brights DSP Stack
INK: Memento Tuxedo Black, Melon Mambo Blendabilities, Crumb Cake Blendabilities, Wild Wasabi Blendabilities
ACCESSORIES: Whisper White 1/2" Seam Binding Ribbon, Stampin' Dimensionals

HELLO!

Isn't this just the sweetest card to brighten someone's day? Just one of those little 'Hey there, I'm thinking about you today!" cards that is sure to bring a smile to the recipient.

One of the fun things my stamping team does at our monthly meetings is swap card fronts. It's a great way to get ideas using stamp sets we might not have (and invariable leads to wanting said stamp set, lol). We have a different theme each month, and this month it was "anything from the Occasions catalog and/or Sale-A-Bration." I managed to use something from each and the annual catalog, too!

The "lace" is one of the stamps in Petal Potpourri, stamped in VersaMark on White Vellum Cardstock, and heat embossed with white embossing powder. Having a punch to match that stamp set makes it a snap to cut it all out!

This is one of my favorite color combinations when I'm looking for something that really pops. Yellow and black are really eye-catching colors, which is probably why highway departments use them for warning signs.

Handy hint: When using Thinlits dies, such as the greetings in this set, or the butterflies in this set, use this "sandwich" for best results - From the bottom up start with the platform, a clear cutting pad, a dryer sheet, the cardstock, a sheet of waxed paper, the Thinlits die (face down), second clear cutting pad. This makes removing the die-cut cardstock sooo easy! (Thanks to Patty Bennett for the idea!)

If you'd like to learn more about how much fun it is to be a Stampin' Up! demonstrator, and more of the great benefits of joining my stamping team, contact me for more info!

STAMPS: Petal Potpourri, Everything Eleanor
CARDSTOCK: Whisper White, Basic Black, Crushed Curry, Stacked With Love DSP Stack, White Vellum
INK: Wild Wasabi, Daffodil Delight, VersaMark
ACCESSORIES: Big Shot, Hello You Thinlits Dies, Heat Tool, Embossing Buddy, White Stampin' Emboss Powder, Flower Medallion Punch, Best Year Ever Accessory Pack (SAB button and ribbon pack), Glue Dots, Stampin' Dimensionals

So Sweet Stamping

I am head-over-heels in love with everything in the Sale-A-Bration flyer, as well as everything in the Occasions Catalog. How does Stampin' Up! keep topping itself with each new catalog release?! I don't know, but I am sure happy they do, even if my wallet isn't, lol!

Case in point......the gorgeous Lotus Blossom stamp set (SAB flyer, pg. 7). It says Two-Step Stamping, but really it's three steps, which gives it a beautiful depth. And because it's a photopolymer (completely clear) stamp, it's easy to line up each step of stamping. (Note: I left the greeting off, so I can add it later when I need it.)

And don't even get me started on the Irresistably Yours Specialty Designer Series Paper (SAB flyer, pg. 15)! It's twelve sheets (two each of 6 designs) of white cardstock with the designs clear-embossed on it. It's perfect for the emboss-resist technique, either by sponging, spritzing, brayering, or coloring with markers! Sooooo many ways to use this. In fact, we will be using it on one of the New Catalog Open House projects on January 11th.

Hope to see you there. If you can't make it and would like your very own copy of the Occasions Catalog and SAB flyer, please let me know and I will mail one right out!

STAMP: Lotus Blossom

CARDSTOCK: Whisper White, Old Olive, Irresistably Yours Specialty DSP

INK: Calypso Coral, Old Olive

ACCESSORIES: White Jute Ribbon, Calypso Coral Baker's Twine (retired), Stamping Sponges

Gonna Need a Lot of These.....

I don't know where to start, so let's just say I'm going to need a lot of thank you cards (more than normal) over the next few weeks and months. My sweet hubby, who has never had surgery or been really sick in his whole life, is having major surgery on Wednesday. If they don't relieve the pressure on his cervical spinal cord, he will end up in a wheel chair. Cervical Laminoplasty is a scary thing, and they have to do it on three (just found out) four vertebrae.

I'm going to need to thank the doctors, nurses, physical therapists, and so on, for the care he will be receiving, so I'm going to need a LOT of thank you cards. The problem is, I'm so worried about him, my mojo is hiding.

I decided I could clean and organize my stamp room while my mind was elsewhere, and whilst straightening I found a few colored Pleasant Poppy images leftover from Convention 2012. (You know, cleaning my stamp room is not unlike an archaeological dig....the deeper I go, the further back in time it goes.) LOL

I also found a bunch of Cherry Cobbler Labels Framelits already cut (what was I planning to do with those?), and some Very Vanilla panels already imbossed.  Well, heck, there's a card almost ready to be put together right there!  Just add some Gold Foil Paper to make it fancy, a Tiny Tags thank you, and there ya go! Okay, one down, a dozen more to go.

I hope you will keep my hubby in your thoughts and prayers on Wednesday. He is the love of my life, my rock, my everything.

If you don't hear from me for a while, you know why.  I'm going to try to schedule some posts in advance, but can't promise anything.

Stamps: Pleasant Poppies, Tiny Tags (retired)
Cardstock: Very Vanilla, Shimmery White, Cherry Cobbler Core'dinations, Gold Foil Paper
Ink: Cherry Cobbler, Gumball Green
Accessories: Big Shot, Labels Framelits, Circles Framelits, Fancy Fan folder, 1-3/4" Circle Punch, Ticket Duo Punch, 1/16" Punch, Cherry Cobbler Seam Binding Ribbon, Blender Pens, Stampin' Dimensionals, gold thread (non-SU)

More Swaps!

Is there a Swappers Anonymous out there somewhere? If so, "Hello, my name is Cindy, and I am a swap addict."

I can't help myself! I just love seeing what everyone else is making, so I get carried away. This was another card made for convention swapping*. It's a variant of The One That Didn't Make the Cut. I did end up coloring 50 images, but at least I didn't have to cut 150 banners! (Well, not for this card, anyway.)

Stamps: Pleasant Poppies, Pursuit of Happiness
Cardstock: Whisper White, Basic Black, Shimmery White
Ink: Jet Black StazOn, Real Red, Gumball Green, More Mustard, Basic Black
Accessories: Big Shot, Perfect Polka-Dots folder, Basic Black 3/8" Taffeta Ribbon, Blender Pens, Stampin' Dimensionals


* For those who don't know what a swap is, here's a description:  A swap is when people make cards to swap for cards made by other people. It's a great way to see fresh, new ideas. Plus it gives us a chance to show samples of things made with stamp sets we might not have to our customers/stamping friends.

Be careful - it can be addictive!!!