Happy Birthday Gorgeous and a Challenge

Today I felt like playing along with a challenge, and after looking around, I settled on this week's CAS(E) This Sketch challenge. Here's the sketch:

The back side of the die cut in the Soft Sayings Card Kit was used as a mask with Pool Party lightly sponged through the openings. And I can still use it for the card kit, because the ink on the back of the die cut doesn't show on the front!

The balloons were stamped and punched with the Balloon Bouquet Punch and popped up on dimensionals. The greeting was heat embossed in white on Basic Black and punched with the Classic Label Punch, and also popped up on dimensionals, as was the entire front panel.

I wish we had small black embellishments but, since we don't, coloring pearls or rhinestones with a black Sharpie works well!

Product List

Happy Birthday Gorgeous Photopolymer Stamp Set

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

Basic Black Archival Stampin’ Pad

Pool Party Classic Stampin' Pad

Stamping Sponges

Versamark Pad

Heat Tool

Embossing Buddy

White Stampin' Emboss Powder

Balloon Bouquet Punch

Classic Label Punch

Pearl Basic Jewels

Stampin' Dimensionals

Long Live Lovely as a Tree!

This morning's Easter sunrise was absolutely glorious, and it inspired me to make this card. Our trees aren't fully leafed out yet, so it looked something like this.

As I am sure some of you have noticed by now, Lovely as a Tree is being carried over again! I think that makes something like twelve years it's been around. It is certainly the one of longest-lived Stampin' Up! stamp sets that I know of, along with Teeny Tiny Wishes. And rightfully so! My own sets of those two are old enough that they were before the clear mount option was available, so mine are wood mount. Of course, they are available in either configuration now.

I hope you are having a wonderful Sunday! We worked in the garden until the rain started, then scurried onto the porch. Well, scurried may be a bit of an exaggeration; it was more like a fast shuffle, haha.

Product List

Lovely As A Tree Clear-Mount Stamp Set

Window Shopping Clear-Mount Stamp Set

Very Vanilla 8-1/2" X 11" Card Stock

Early Espresso 8-1/2" X 11" Card Stock

Early Espresso Classic Stampin' Pad

Flirty Flamingo Classic Stampin' Pad

Daffodil Delight Classic Stampin' Pad

Stamping Sponges

One More from Dad

Here's the last one we made while I was visiting Dad. I talked to him this morning and he said he's made four Christmas cards and a birthday card since I left! Go, Dad!!!

Stamp: Sail Away
Cardstock: Marina Mist, Whisper White
Ink: Basic Black, Marina Mist, Real Red, Daffodil Delight
Accessories: Stampin' Sponges, Blender Pens, oval frame (Nestabilities) for masking

The Old Salt Stamps!

Apologies for the long absence - I've been in Montana checking that Dad is okay since his return from wintering in New Jersey. Great news! He is in much better shape than when I saw him last summer. His appetite (and capacity) is great, so I'm not nearly as worried about him wasting away.

While up there, we spent some quality time together, and that included "hands-on" lessons in stamping. Even though I had made videos for him, it's just so much better when there is someone there to answer questions. He is a fast learner, and we even went into town to the local craft store to shop for stamps. He hit the dollar bin pretty hard, lol!  Bless his heart, he also ordered some things from me. I gave him the demo discount, of course. He's also getting a big box of retiring stamps and paper from me next week.

The only trouble I foresee is he has a bit of problem with his hands shaking. Some days are better than others, but for the days he needs a little help, I've sent him my old (non-SU) Stamp-A-Ma-Jig. I think it will help him get the stamp on the paper without getting a double, or triple, image.  Unless that's the look he's going for!  I did show him how to stamp two or three times, without re-inking, to get that misty look. :)  But this lesson covered masking, and making background paper with a small stamp. Easy-peasy!


Stamp: Sail Away, The Open Sea (what better stamps for retired Navy?)
Cardstock: Whisper White, Midnight Muse (new In Color!)
Ink: Midnight Muse, Marina Mist
Accessories: Stampin' Sponge, sticky notes for mask

The Masculine Swap

Here is the masculine card for the Stampin' Addicts birthday card swap. This uses a quick and easy technique called Faux Wood. I didn't add the lines, because I wanted it to look like one piece of wood, not planks, and to keep it really simple, I just used a Soft Suede ink pad on the Crumb Cake cardstock. That way the focus is more on the image, and not on the technique in the background.

This one is very similar to the one I'm taking to swap at the Stampin' Up! Regional event on Saturday. The main difference is the embossed panel. I didn't have time to emboss 50 of those suckers, so the plain panel with sponged edges will have to do. 


Stamps: Lovely as a Tree, Bring on the Cake
Cardstock: Crumb Cake, Basic Black, Whisper White
Ink: Jet Black Staz-On, Basic Gray, Daffodil Delight, Marina Mist
Accessories: Big Shot, Square Lattice embossing folder, Gold Brads, Stampin' Dimensionals, Stampin' Sponges, sticky notes for masking