Retiring Poppies and an SCS Tutorial

We are less than two weeks away from the items on the retiring list being gone forever, so I decided to show some love to some stamps that will be going bye-bye. *Sniff*

Of the four stamps sets used on this card, two are retiring.....Pleasant Poppies on the front, and the sentiment from Yippee-Skippee inside. I was inspired to watercolor the poppies by the Wednesday Tutorial over at Splitcoast Stampers, called Distress Stain Watercolor. Since I don't have any distress stains, I substituted Stampin' Write Markers and it worked out just fine!

This card is going to someone very, very near and dear to my heart. I hope this special person likes it!

Recipe:
5-1/2" x 8-1/2" Naturals White, scored at 4-1/4" for card base
4" x 5-1/4" Basic Black for mat behind image
3-7/8" x 5-1/8" Watercolor Paper
Use Real Red and Old Olive Stampin' Write Markers, coloring direct to stamp, then spritz with water and stamp on Watercolor Paper. Don't clean stamp yet.
Follow tutorial linked above for coloring the image. I added highlights with Melon Mambo and Crushed Curry, then added black dots with Project Life Journaling Pen.
Stamp greeting in Jet Black StazOn, then add dots with white gel pen. Use scrap of Cherry on Top DSP to stamp butterfly, then punch with butterfly punch and adhere with half of a Stampin' Dimensional.
Adhere image to Basic Black mat and then to card front.
Stamp sentiment inside and huff on poppy stamp to add shadow image to side of sentiment.

STAMPS: Pleasant Poppies, Hello Life, Yippee-Skippee, Papillon Potpourri
INK: Jet Black StazOn, Melon Mambo, Crushed Curry, plus Real Red and Old Olive Stampin' Write Markers
CARDSTOCK: Naturals White, Basic Black, Watercolor Paper, Cherry on Top DSP Stack
ACCESSORIES: Aqua Painter, Project Life Journaling Pen, White Gel Pen, Bitty Butterfly Punch, Stampin' Dimensionals

Another Baby Girl!

I forgot to post this card a few weeks ago, so I'm fixing that oversight right now! This was the card I made for my cousin's daughter, who gave her her first granddaughter last month. The baby's name is Ivy Ray (isn't that beautiful?), so I thought the greeting from Ray of Sunshine was perfect! I found the inspiration for it on Pinterest from a card by LeeAnn Pugliese.

My cousin, Shaundra, is so blessed. Here's a quick back story: She had triplets about 28 years ago - two girls and a boy. Well, her two daughters got married in a double wedding, and then got pregnant within a couple months of each other. Up to this point, Shaundra had three grandsons, but no granddaughters. Wouldn't you know it - the girls found out they were expecting girls! One of them just had her TWINS last week (card already posted). So the count is even now - 3 boys and 3 girls! I'm so happy for her!

STAMPS: Ray of Sunshine, Kinda Eclectic, Perfect Pennants, Pictogram Punches, Papillon Potpourri
CARDSTOCK: Whisper White, Pink Pirouette
INK: Rose Red, Pink Pirouette, Melon Mambo Blendabilites (colored pearls)
ACCESSORIES: Big Shot, Circles Collection Framelits, Fancy Fan and Delicate Designs embossing folders, Essentials Paper-Piercing Pack, Itty Bitty Accents Punch Pack, 5/8" Organza Ribbon, Pearls Basic Jewels

A Swap Card

For the Stampin' Up! convention this year, I didn't go overboard on making swap cards, like I did last year. Thank goodness, because I had much less stress, which made the whole experience much more enjoyable! This is a card I made for on of the Stampin' Addicts organized swaps. I just love swapping with that group of stampers, because I know I will get amazing swaps back!

This was a "Something old, something new" swap. We were to use a stamp set that is current, but not new this year, and combine it with something that IS new, like DSP, or embellishments. I chose Papillon Potpourri for my something old, and the fabulously awesomely glimmery Dazzling Diamonds Glimmer Paper. You just can't appreciate how beautiful this is unless you see it for yourself!

The greeting is from the hostess set called Let Your Hair Down.

I have more swaps to share over the next week or so. One of which I can't share yet because it's a Control Freaks swap, and my Freaky peeps haven't received it yet. Don't want to spoil the surprise! But I will say that Glimmer Paper was involved, and leave it at that.

STAMPS: Let Your Hair Down, Papillon Potpourri
CARDSTOCK: Whisper White, Basic Black, Tempting Turquoise, Dazzling Diamonds Glimmer Paper
INK: Jet Black StazOn
ACCESSORIES: Big Shot, Perfect Polka-Dots embossing folder, Elegant Butterfly Punch

Second Saturday Stampers

Did you know there is an awesome stamp club that meets monthly at my house? That's right! Every second Saturday we get together and have a great time, talking and laughing and eating. Oh, and stamping, too, of course!

This is one of the cards we made today. It was inspired by this card by Amy White.  I changed up the color combination a bit, but overall, the layout and elements are pretty much the same. Isn't it gorgeous?

We used two punches and three sets of Framelits on this one card. The other card, which I will show you tomorrow, only used one set of Framelits, but it took NINE different punches! Did that pique your curiousity? Check back tomorrow and see what we made!

STAMPS: Happy Watercolor, Papillon Potpourri, You're Lovely (FREE Sale-A-Bration set!)
CARDSTOCK: Very Vanilla, Rich Razzleberry, Pink Pirouette, Watercolor Paper
INK: StazOn Jet Black, Rich Razzleberry, Pink Pirouette, Pear Pizzazz Stampin' Write Marker
ACCESSORIES: Big Shot, Ovals Collection Framelits, Deco Labels Framelits, Banners Framelits Dies, Bitty Butterfly Punch, 1-3/4" Circle Punch, Brights Candy Dots, Blender Pens, Stampin' Dimensionals