Another Swap

Here's another card I made for convention swaps.This was for another Stampin' Addicts organized swap, but in the New Catalog category this time. I sure do love coloring with the Stampin' Blendabilities markers, can you tell?

In fact, I love them so much, I've scheduled a free coloring class to show how they are different from our Stampin' Write Markers, and the different uses of all our coloring products! If you are interested, be sure to RSVP soon, because space is limited.

Notice the floral background paper? I stamped a different flower image from the I like You set in VersaMark ink on the cardstock to make my own patterned paper. It's a great way to make your own patterned paper, using supplies you have on hand, if you don't have just what you need in your Designer Series Paper!

STAMPS: I Like You (hostess set), Good Greetings (hostess set avail. later this year)

CARDSTOCK: Basic Black, Whisper White, Strawberry Slush, Gold Foil Sheets, Back to Black DSP

INK: Memento Tuxedo Black, VersaMark, plus Melon Mambo, Old Olive, Night of Navy, and Daffodil Delight Blendabilities Markers

ACCESSORIES: Big Shot, Bitty Banners Framelits, Hexagon Punch (banner end), Gold Sequin Trim, Gold Glitz Dazzling Details, Stampin' Dimensionals

We Be Swappin' FREAKS!

Well, we ARE the Control Freaks Stampers, after all, and 3-4 times per year we have swaps. This month the Tour de Freaks theme is the swaps we made each other for convention. Swapping is a big FUN part of any Stampin' Up! gathering, and swapping with the Control Freaks is extra fun! I'm the first stop on the tour this time, but you may have landed here from Connie Babbert's blog. Either way, just click on the link at the bottom of each blog, and you'll make the rounds of all (lucky) 13 of us.

To me, the very best part of being a Stampin' Up! demonstrator is the friends I've made, that I never would have known otherwise. With that in mind, my swap cards are gratitude and friendship-themed. Up first is the Thank You card. It's hard to see in this photo, but the colors look kind of peacockish. (Is that a word? LOL) The Coastal Cabana and Blackberry Bliss just work wonderfully together! The image was colored with Stampin' Blendabilities Markers. It's so easy to blend the colors! And the shadow added with the Smoky Slate marker makes it look like the image was fussy-cut and popped up on dimensionals, but it wasn't!

STAMPS: I Like You (hostess), Itty Bitty Banners   CARDSTOCK: Whisper White, Coastal Cabana, Blackberry Bliss, Dazzling Diamonds Glimmer Paper   INK: Blackberry Bliss, plus Coastal Cabana, Rich Razzleberry, Old Olive, Smoky Slate, and Daffodil Delight Stampin' Blendabilities Markers   ACCESSORIES: Big Shot, Deco Labels Framelits, Circles Collection Framelits, Bitty Banners Framelits, Perfect Polka-Dots TIEF, Delicate Designs TIEF, 2-1/2" Circle Punch, 1/8" Circle Punch, Stampin' Dimensionals

The second card is my friendship card. My friends all have a sparkle to them, so I wanted to make a card that encourages their "shine"! I just love this scribbled sentiment (from Good Greetings, a 19 pc. hostess set coming in the Holiday catalog, woohoo!).

STAMPS: Beautiful Bunch, Good Greetings (avail. later this year)   CARDSTOCK: Mossy Meadow, Crushed Curry, Whisper White, Park Lane DSP, Gold Glimmer Paper   INK: Crushed Curry, Mossy Meadow, Early Espresso   ACCESSORIES: Big Shot, Flower Fair Framelits, Fun Flower Punch, Tangelo Twist 3/8" Stitched Satin Ribbon, Gold 1/8" Taffeta Ribbon, Stampin' Dimensionals

Just so you know, some of the people on this month's tour weren't able to attend convention this year, so their theme was "free for all".....that should make things interesting!  Up next is the ever fabulous Wendy Weixler's blog. Since she lives practically next door to the convention center, she WILL be attending! Be sure to stop by ALL the blogs; you don't want to miss any of it!

Granddaughter Birthday

Where did the time go? Can anyone tell me, please? Seriously, just a few months ago I was holding my first grandchild, who was a tiny 5 pounds, and two weeks ago she turned 15 years old and is now as tall as me. How did that happen?! There has to be an anomoly in the space/time continuum, right?

This is the card I made for her. Since her favorite color is purple, the Blackberry Bliss cardstock was perfect, and the Rich Razzleberry Blendabilities made coloring the flower a breeze. (I'm loving that I Like You hostess set a LOT, can you tell?)

I added some Dazzling Details to the yellow bloom because what girl doesn't like a little sparkle in her life? Did you see in the new catalog that there is going to be some Gold Glitz Dazzling Details? I squealed when I saw that!

Here's a close-up of the Dazzling Details:

And yes, I accidentally spattered the back ground when I opened the Rich Razz marker over the image, so I added more spatters to make it look like I meant to do that. Apparently, I'm a slow learner, haha.

STAMPS: I Like You, Remembering Your Birthday

CARDSTOCK: Whisper White, Basic Black, Blackberry Bliss, Hello Honey, Moonlight DSP Stack, Champagne Glimmer

INK: Memento Tuxedo Black, plus Rich Razzleberry, Old Olive, Coastal Cabana, and Daffodil Delight Blendabilities Markers

ACCESSORIES: Big Shot, Decorative Dots embossing folder, Decorative Label Punch, Dazzling Details

Tour de New Catalog!

Welcome to this month's Control Freaks "Tour de Freaks", where we will be giving you a sneak peek at some of the fantastic products coming in the new catalog! There are twelve of us on the tour, and if you started at the beginning, you just landed here from Wendy Weixler's blog. Aren't her creations to-die-for? I wish I had half her talent!

If you started here on my blog, just click the link at the bottom of the page to go to the next stop. If you do that on every blog, you'll make the full circle.

Well, where to start on that new catalog.......there are SO MANY things I want to show you, but I pared it down to two projects, otherwise you'd have been here all night looking at schtuff, and my fellow Freaks would wonder what happened to all their visitors.

So, I'm actually focusing on two of the hostess sets this time, along with some yummy Designer Series Paper, and the Blendbilities, of course. (Even though there will be a delay before you can order them, you NEED to know how fab they are!!!)

First up is a card using the I Like You hostess set AND the Let Your Hair Down hostess set. The new In Colors are so rich, they just begged to be used here. And, wouldn't ya know, the darkest of the Rich Razzleberry Blendabilities matches the Blackberry Bliss In Color! It's like they planned it, or sumpin'. AND, the medium of the Daffodil Delight Blendabilities matches the Hello Honey In Color!!! (Insert Twilight Zone music here.)

STAMPS: I Like You, Let Your Hair Down   CARDSTOCK: Whisper White, Blackberry Bliss, Mossy Meadow, Moonlight DSP Stack, Champagne Glimmer   INK: Blackberry Bliss, Memento Tuxedo Black, plus Old Olive, Daffodil Delight & Rich Razzleberry Blendabilities   ACCESSORIES: Big Shot, Banners Framelits, Circles Collection Framelits, Secret Garden Framelits, Blackberry Bliss 3/8" Stitched Satin Ribbon, Pearls Basic Jewels, 2-1/2" Scallop Circle Punch, Banner Punch, Stampin' Dimensionals

Next up is another card using the I Like You set. Can't help it; I love to color, and these stamps were MADE to be colored!

STAMPS: I Like You, Express Yourself   CARDSTOCK: Whisper White, Coastal Cabana, Bermuda Bay, Lullaby DSP   INK: Bermuda Bay, plus Coastal Cabana, Old Olive, and Daffodil Delight Blendabilities   Accessories: Linen Thread, Boutique Details, Bermuda Bay 1/8" Taffeta Ribbon, Crumb Cake 1/2" Seam Binding Ribbon, Rhinestones Basic Jewels

Notice the lovely colored rhinestones! Those were colored with the markers. YES, we can custom-color our embellishments, woohoo! And see all those tiny dots? I didn't plan for there to be dots, but the markers are pretty juicy, and when I opened the lightest Coastal Cabana, I got a few spatters. So, I just added a bunch more and pretended like I meant to do that. So, that's my cautionary tale....when you open your marker, do it away from your work area! (Pssst - the medium Coastal Cabana marker matches Bermuda Bay, and the darkest one matches Island Indigo. Just so ya know!)

Up next is a new Control Freak, Heidi Boos! I can't wait to see what she has in store for her first Tour! Hop on over and give her a warm welcome.

I Like You

Really, I do! That also happens to be the name of the stamp set I used on this CAS (clean and simple) card, but really......I like you! It still baffles amazes me that people actually look at my blog, so thank you for stopping by, and I hope you find/have found crafty inspiration here.

Sometimes, simple speaks volumes more than elaborate, and I think this is a good example. I wanted to play with my new Blendabilities markers some more (can't get enough of them!), and had already played with Blended Bloom. The I Like You stamp set is a hostess set that you can get using hostess dollars earned with a qualifying party. There are four images, perfect for coloring, and two greetings.

This looks like a framed art print in real life, because the image is framed by the Blackberry Bliss mat, rather than being adhered to the top of a mat. And then the Whisper White frame is popped up on Stampin' Dimensionals. The Squares Collection Framelits made cutting the frames super easy!

Thanks for stopping by today!

STAMPS: I Like You
CARDSTOCK: Whisper White, Blackberry Bliss
INK: Memento Tuxedo Black, plus Rich Razzleberry, Daffodil Delight, Coastal Cabana, and Old Olive Blendabilities sets
ACCESSORIES: Big Shot, Squares Collection Framelits, Stampin' Dimensionals, Rhinestones Basic Jewels