Simply Christmas

Today I have another simple card for you created from a Simply Scrappin' kit. These kits are great, and not just for scrapbooking!

Paper: Cherry Cobbler, Whisper White, Christmas Lane Simply Scrappin'
Ink: Old Olive
Stamps: Joyous Celebrations
Tools: Big Shot, Window Frames Framelits, Modern Label Punch
Accessories: Cherry Cobbler Seam Binding Ribbon, Dazzling Diamonds

Thanks to the Simply Scrappin' kit, this card was quick and easy. Perfect if you have lots of Christmas cards to make! How cute is the "peek-a-boo" window?! So simple with Framelits since you can put them anywhere on your page!

Simply Scrappin' kits come with 12 x 12 card stock (coordinating colours to match the kit contents), self-adhesive accent sheets and DSP. The one I used is retired (Christmas Lane), but there are many wonderful new kits available in the Annual Catalogue, and one in the Holiday Catalogue - Merry Moments. I hope to be able to play around with that one soon!

Don't forget, today is the last day for the Back to Spool Promotion. Spend $50 (CAD) and get your choice of FREE 3/8 Satin Stitched Ribbon. Maybe pick up a few Simply Scrappin' Kits...

Until next time, stay crafty!
Steph

O Tannenbaum

I made some of these folded tree cards last year too, but this year, I thought it would be cute to make them much smaller and what better tool to use then the 2-1/2" Circle Punch?!

Paper: Cherry Cobber, Basic Gray, Gumball Green, Early Espresso,
VV, WW, Christmas Lane SS, Jolly Holiday DSP, Merry Moments SS,
Be of Good Cheer DSP, Glimmer Paper
Ink: Old Olive, Cherry Cobbler
Stamps: Seasonal Sayings, Greetings of the Season
Tools: Big Shot, Delicate Designs TIEF, Star Punch from Merry Minis Punch Pack,
2-1/2" Circle Punch

I swear I had never seen such small, cute folded trees before. I thought I was being smart by using my 2-1/2" Circle Punch too, to create these little guys. After I had made these a while back, I was surfing the net and of course came across someone else who had done this. So I guess you can never be sure if the idea was yours or one you saw somewhere else at some point in time!

Anyway, after punching, I cut the circles in half. You can get two trees from one punch. I know there are templates out there for larger trees, but I just played around with it until I got the fold I wanted. I created my own template on my Grid Paper - basically marking where the first fold should be and then I just folded free-hand.

I wanted a little texture, so I used the Delicate Designs Textured Impressions Embossing Folder in the background. Before gluing my trees down, I added tiny trunks in coordinating card stock. To finish things off, I added some glimmer stars, punched from Silver Glimmer Paper and with the star from the Merry Minis Punch Pack and added a sentiment.

What do you think?

Until next time, stay craft!
Steph

Button Ornaments

This card is a total CASE from one I found on Pinterest. Unfortunately, it wasn't linked the the creator of it, but just the website. I really wish people would pin correctly so that I can give the proper credit! :( It also happened to be a website that one needs access to. I do belong to the site, but will not spend what could be an hour or more and 100's or pages to find it.

Anyway, enough of a rant... here's my card:

Paper: Crumb Cake
Ink: Early Espresso, White
Stamps: Joyous Celebrations, Open Sleigh
Tools: Corner Rounder
Accessories: Buttons, Baker's Twine

The original card used many more buttons (smaller ones) and appeared to be actually sewn to the card with thread. I opted for larger more Christmas-y ones and Baker's Twine. I really love how it turned out.

I drew on some lines with my Stampin' Write Marker in Early Espresso and added a bow in the same colour from the stamp set Joyous Celebrations. I chose buttons that were pretty flat on one side so that they were easy to adhere with glue dots.

The sentiment is from the stamp set Open Sleigh and to finish things off, I used some white ink around the edges after I rounded the corners.

What do you think?

Until next time, stay crafty!
Steph

Snowman Head

I'm finally getting in the Christmas spirit. I've been making several different Christmas cards lately. Today, I share a cute one I made that was inspired by a tag I saw on Pinterest (but it wasn't linked to the creator of it).

Paper: Whisper White, Concord Crush DSP, Glimmer Paper
Ink: Gumball Green
Stamp: Contempo Christmas (retired)
Tools: Big Shot, Snow Flurry Bigz Die, 2-1/2 Circle Punch

Isn't he so cute?! I just love him! I outlined his head with Dazzling Diamonds and also accented the snowflakes with it. I wanted lots of sparkle on this card. The DSP I used is not Christmas themed, and not really even a Christmas colour, but I think it works. I thought the little flower bursts looked like snowflakes.

What do you think?

Until next time, stay crafty!
Steph

FREE Ribbon - 1 Week Left!!

There's only one week left to get your FREE ribbon with every $50 purchase! This is a great deal... the 3/8" Stitched Satin Ribbon retails for $12.25 and you can choose any of the five colours that suits your needs. Spend $250 and get all five!

Contact me for details and to place your order. Hurry, you only have until September 30th!

Until next time, stay crafty!
Steph

Old and New

Boy has time gone by fast! A few days ago I posted some cards I made using Simply Scrappin' kits and accents. I challenged myself and others to try creating some too! Today I'm showing you some cards I made with the retired Christmas Lane Simply Scrappin' kit. To bring some new elements in, I used the new Joyous Celebrations stamp set.

Paper: Christmas Lane Simply Scrappin' Kit, Whisper White, Early Espresso, Wild Wasabi, Soft Suede
Ink: Early Espresso, Wild Wasabi
Stamps: Joyous Celebrations
Accessories: Cherry Cobbler Seam Binding Ribbon, Baker's Twine, Buttons, Dazzling Diamonds

As you can see, three very different cards, but all from the same line of products! I just love the possibilities. With a Simply Scrappin' kit, you can make up to 30+ cards depending on how you use the product.

What do you think?

Until next time, stay crafty!
Steph

Simply Scrappin' Kits Not Just for Scrappin'!

I have several Simply Scrappin' kits and coordinating accents sitting in my craft space - some retired and some current. Since I'm not much of a scrapbooker, I wanted to start using them for cards. Here are some of my first attempts using bits from the retired Nursery Nest suite:

Paper: Pear Pizzazz, WW, Blushing Bride, Marina Mist, Nursery Nest DSP
Ink: Soft Suede
Stamps: Baby Boutique, One in a Million
Accessories: Nursery Nest Accents, Baker's Twine, Buttons

I just realized that I didn't use my Big Shot!! It's not very often that that happens and as I've posted before, it's always hard for me to keep things simple. Well, I guess without consciously realizing it, I kept things simple. I guess i have Stampin' Up! kits to thank!

I'm really happy with how these turned out... the colours were pulled right from the Nursery Nest DSP and with "peel and stick" accents, what could be easier?! To accent, I played with different ribbons, but in the end chose my go-to Baker's Twine. I added some super cute buttons to each - two from the Twitterpated set that was in the last Occassions Mini (now retired) and one from the Brights Collection. They're not perfect matches to the other colours in the papers, but work just as well. After all, babies are "cute as a button", so I couldn't resist using some.

I urge you to give using your Simply Scrappin' and Accent kits too. You may be surprised what you come up with. I'm challenging myself this week to use some others too... so stay tuned!

What do you think?

Until next time, stay crafty!
Steph

Ornaments

Who doesn't love a stamp set with coordinating Framelits?! Well, one of my fav is the Ornament Keepsakes and Holiday Framelits. What makes it even better is that SU! offers a 15% discount when you purchase both together!

Paper: Basic Black, Whisper White, Real Red
Ink: Black, Real Red
Stamps: Comtempo Christmas (retired), Ornament Keepsakes
Tools: Big Shot, Holiday Framelits, Argyle TIEF
Accessories: Real Red Grosgrain Ribbon (retired)

Recently I received a replacement stamp from SU! because there was a misprint that happened during our pre-order period (yes, us Demos get to pre-order a month before a catty comes out!). Anyway, with the replacement stamp, I received not only the replacement label for it, but a sheet with four others as well (that didn't need to be replaced). So instead of throwing them out, why not us them on a card?! That's what the black ornament is - a stamp label. :)

To go along with my re-purposed labels, I die cut a coordinating ornament with the framelits in Whisper White. I popped up that entire layer and behind it, glued a piece of Real Red card stock that I embossed with the Argyle Textured Impressions Embossing Folder.

Inside, I reversed things a bit. I stamped the longer ornament in Real Red and used the die cutout (Whisper White) that I embossed also and popped it up. Sorry the pictures are so dark.

I was also able to create an identical card to this, but with the rounder ornament label and longer ornament die cut.

What do you think?

Until next time, stay crafty!
Steph

Cozy Country Wedding

Today's card is inspired by the picture inspiration over at Stampin' Royalty:

The challenge was to use the colours from the picture, but I was also inspired by the banners and wooden headboard. Here's what I came up with:

Paper: Sahara Sand, Very Vanilla, Blushing Bride
Ink: Sahara Sand
Stamps: Bitty Banners
Tools: Big Shot, Stripes TIEF, Little Labels Punch, Heart Punch, Elegant Lines TIEF, Owl Punch
Accessories: Baker's Twine, Pearls

To mimic the wooden headboard, I used my Stripes Textured Impressions Embossing Folder and then added some dimension to it be inking up the edges. With all the hearts in the picture, I naturally thought of love and made a congratulatory card that can be used for a wedding, engagement or anniversary.

Instead of the traditional flag banners, I opted to use my Little Labels Punch Pack and added some tiny hearts to them using the Owl Builder Punch. To "hang" my banners, I dyed some Baker's Twine - did you know you can do that?! I used white and ran it over my Blushing Bride ink pad to so that it matched my colour scheme. Cool, eh? Why not give it a try on your next project...

What do you think?

Until next time, stay crafty!
Steph

One Year for Freshly Made Sketches!

This week is the one-year anniversary for Freshly Made Sketches! I've enjoyed playing with the ladies over there a few times now and I just couldn't pass up celebrating their one-year.

The challenge this week is to use any of their previous sketches. How fun! Well, I ended up choosing the very last sketch since I didn't get a chance to play along last week. Here's the sketch:

It just so happened I was commissioned to create a special 25th birthday card and this sketch worked out well for what the client wanted. I flipped the sketch and came up with this:

Paper: Basic Black, Very Vanilla, Whisper White
Ink: Sahara Sand, Black
Stamps: Memorable Moments
Tools: Big Shot, Polka Dots TIEF, Paper Piercing Pack, Labels Framelits, Scallop Punch
Accessories: Very Vanilla Satin Ribbon, Pearls

The client wanted black, white/neutral, elegant and pearls. Memorable Moments is the perfect stamp set for such occasions. I find it to be very elegant... perfect for those special milestones and as the name suggests, memorable moments. :)

After some embossing, stamping and paper piercing (hard to see in the photos), I added a sleek bow and some pearls inside and out and the card was complete.

What do you think?

Until next time, stay crafty!
Steph

Ribbon Stem Flower

Today's card was inspired by some ribbon weaving I saw online. Thought it would be nice to create a flower stem with it. Have a look:

Paper: So Saffron, Whisper White, Island Indigo, Calypso Coral
Ink: Calypso Coral, More Mustard, So Saffron
Stamps: Fabulous Florets, Petite Pairs
Tools: Big Shot, Apothecary Accents, Paper Piercing Pack, Modern Label, Blossom Punch
Accessories: Ribbon (retired), Brights Button

The base and layer with the Apothecary Accents Framelit is pretty self explanatory. For the flowers, I stamped the flowers from Fabulous Florets in Calypso Coral ink on Whisper White. I then used my Blender Pen with Calypso Coral, More Mustard and So Saffron ink to get the desired look I wanted. To make my flowers larger so that the proportions would look right with the stem and the card, I punched two flowers in Calypso Coral using my Blossom Punch. Placing the punch behind my stamped flower, I started to bend and fold the petals to align better with the image. For the smaller flower, I cut each of the five petals and glued them behind. I think I achieved the look I was going for.

What do you think?

Until next time, stay crafty!
Steph

Thanks is for Giving

Several days back I posted a simple gift set we made at the Regional event in Hamilton. Our team challenge was to create one and bring it to our meeting yesterday. Well, I kinda flubbed it a bit because I do have trouble keeping things simple! I shoulda just stuck to stamps and paper. I guess you can call mine a "stepped up" version. :)

Paper: SU! Note Cards, Soft Suede, Whisper White, Pool Party, Very Vanilla, Crumb Cake
Ink: Pool Party, Soft Suede, More Mustard
Stamps: Fresh Vintage (SAB 2012), Friendship Preserves, Seasonal Sayings
Tools: Big Shot, Window Frames Framelits, Festive Paper Piercing Pack, Fun Flowers Bigz Die
Accessories: Comfort Cafe Fabric

The first issue was that I didn't have any Vellum, so I had to think up another way to create my "case". Once I decided on fabric, it just spiraled out of control from there! I had to use more fabric on the cards, of course, and then I just kept layering and stamping.

I'm really pleased with how they turned out, but certainly not the simplicity that I should have gone for...

What do you think?

Until next time, stay crafty!
Steph

Boho Blossoms

I was inspired to make this card from the inside of another card I created the other day. Check that one out here. I really liked how I popped up a couple of the stamped flowers, so I decided to create an entire card like that.

Paper: Whisper White, Summer Starfruit
Ink: Riding Hood Red, Pool Party, Peach Parfait
Stamps: Language of Friendship
Tools: Big Shot, Chevron TIEF, Boho Blossoms Punch
Accessories: Baker's Twine, Jewels

This card was fairly simple to put together. I used the Chevron TIEF to emboss my card base. Instead of just doing the front though, I carried it slightly to the inside of the card so that it would coordinate nicely with the front.

For the panels on the front, I stamped each flower from the Language of Friendship set (which coordinates with the Boho Blossom Punch) in a different colour and popped a few of each up. I added jewels for a little bling and the card was complete!

What do you think?

Until next time, stay crafty!
Steph

Birthday Celebration!

Today is my birthday and in celebration, I'm offering a special promotion to you! For today only, I'm offering FREE SHIPPING on all Stampin' Up! orders.

Not into stamps and papercrafting?! No problem! Stampin' Up! offers many other great products too. I've included some links to items that you may find interesting below. These are perfect for quick gifts, homemade fun and more!

Also, if you didn't know, Stampin' Up! has a Promotion for September - FREE ribbon! With every $50.00 order (before tax and shipping), you can choose a FREE spool of ribbon - a $12.25 value! Check it out here for more information.

Feel free to pass this along to friends and family too. I'll extend my offer on to them and if they place an order, you get a special homemade gift from me!

With FREE shipping and a FREE spool of ribbon with every $50.00 order, this offer can't be sweeter!!

So get out your Catalogues (the Annual and Holiday) or search online at www.stampinup.com and start putting together your list. Remember, you only have 1 day to get FREE SHIPPING - Saturday, September 8th. This offer is only valid through me and not applicable to online orders. You must send me your wish list by end of day Saturday and payment arrangements will be needed by PayPal or E-mail Money Transfer before order is processed.

Digital Designing:
My Digital Studio (MDS) - try it out for 30-days for FREE. With MDS, you can create flyers, cards, photobooks and much more. Print from your home computer or bring to a print service. It's as easy as drag and drop with the right templates. **If you're a teacher, or a school that could use this program, ask me how you can receive the original MDS discs for FREE!**

• Get more information here

Baking:
Make your gifts 100% homemade with Sweet Pressed Cookie Stamps and accessories! They're so easy to use, great for both adults and kids (my 2 year old loves them) and even come with recipes! Order the food-safe stamps for fun at home, or order them with some gift-wrapping accessories and you've got great homemade gifts for the holidays!

• Occasion Stamps
• Holiday Stamps (the orange one is a pumpkin)
• Bags
• Other Packaging Accessories
• Holiday Packaging Bundle

Decor, Gifts & Gift Wrapping:
From personalized name and address stamps, to gift giving and wrapping, maybe you'll find what you're looking for at Stampin' Up!

• Tulle (comes in three colours)
• Calendar
• Calendar Bundle
• Holiday Card Set
• Check out the Catalogue or contact me about Personalized Name or Address Stamps

Until next time, stay crafty!

Steph

Colour Challenged?!

If you're colour challenged... or perhaps just need a little inspiration, online Challenge Blogs are the way to go (I have a list of ones I like to play along with in the left column)!

It's been a while since I've been able to play along with the ladies over at Sunday Stamps, and am happy to play along with Tara's Colour Challenge this week!

The great thing about Colour Challenges is that sometimes they get you using colours together you might never have thought of. Here's the card I came up with:

Paper: Whisper White, Sahara Sand, Lucky Limeade, Wisteria Wonder
Ink: Sahara Sand, Lucky Limeade, Wisteria Wonder, Chocolate Chip
Stamps: Tiny Tags, Language of Friendship
Tools: Big Shot, Fancy Fan TIEF, Scallop Trim Border Punch
Accessories: Baker's Twine, Jewels

I got the idea for this card from many different areas - Pinterest (you can follow me there too!), our Demonstrator-Only website and the Regional Event I went to in August. For instant colour, I just rubbed my ink pads directly on a piece of Whisper White. I then used my Boho Blossom Punch and punched the largest of the three flowers. Next, I wrapped Baker's Twine around them to get the desired pattern. I basically kept wrapping around the flower in a triangular pattern so that there was a small space in the middle for some bling!

I embossed my card base and then glued my coloured piece to it. After adding my flowers, I wrapped some Baker's Twine around the card and added my sentiment.

Inside, I stamped the coordinating flower for the punch from the Language of Friendship set. I punched two out and added jewels to them for some extra dimension.

What do you think?

Until next time, stay crafty!
Steph

Note Set Challenge Preview

Good Morning! Hope you had a great long weekend. I spent the majority of the weekend indoors de-cluttering and reorganizing our basement. It was a family effort, although my two year old didn't really "help" as much as she thought. :)

Today I'm showing you an awesome project that we got to make at the Hamilton Regionals in August:

Four Note Cards with Matching Envies in Enclosure Vellum Holder

Isn't this sweet?! There are four note cards and coordinating envelopes, all of which are concealed in a vellum pouch that's kept closed with Baker's Twine. These were so quick and easy to put together. There's nothing but collage stamping on the front with the Clockworks set and we used SU! note cards with envelopes, so there was no cutting or scoring to be done either! Well, except for the minimal scoring needed on the Vellum.

Anyway, our team challenge is to create a set similar to this for our meeting next week. We want to see how many different designs and ideas we can come up with and then share with those in the group who were not able to attend Regionals. I've got a few ideas in mind, but still need to work on it. I'll be sure to share it with you when it's done.

This type of gift set could be great for a host/hostess, party favours and even birthday and Christmas gifts. Just think of the possibilities! Why not give it a try yourself?!

Until next time, stay crafty!
Steph

Say Cheese!

Today I'm going to share with you a custom order I'm working on for a great client. She's a wonderful photographer and asked me to design and create thank you cards that she could give to her clients. She asked for blues, greens & purples and wanted to incorporate her logo on them as well. Here's what I came up with:

Paper: Vintage Violet, Mellow Moss, Cool Caribbean, Basic Black, Going Gray, Whisper White
Ink: Perfect Plum, Pear Pizazz, Pool Party
Stamps: Fresh Vintage (SAB 2012)
Tools: Big Shot, Elegant Lines TIEF, MDS

These cards incorporate mostly SU! product (although all retired colours and stamps) and some non-SU! too in order to fit the design and the clients' needs. I cut the camera freehand and used some SU! Circle Punches for the lens. I love how I incorporated the logo into the lens.

The card base was stamped and embossed for added texture and dimension and then I popped up pieces of the camera for more of a 3D look.

What do you think?

Until next time, stay crafty!
Steph

Back to Spool!

September brings a new, fabulous Promotion!! For every $50 you spend (before tax and shipping), you receive a FREE spool of 3/8" Stitched Satin Ribbon in your choice of one of the five new In Colors. There's no limit either - spend $250 and get all five!! Ribbon is valued at $12.25 each.

This ribbon is fabulous! It's so easy to work with and you get 10 yards per spool. This is a great deal and should not be passed up. Contact me today for further information and to place your order. Don't miss out, this Promotion ends September 30, 2012!

Until next time, stay crafty!
Steph