I'm Still Here!

 
How true is that saying?! Art definitely brings a smile to my face and makes me all warm inside. But lately I've been feeling pretty "eh" because "art" has been lacking in my life. I've been suffering a sinus infection and on top of all the nastiness with that, I've had a perma-headache for the last week. So I'm sure you can understand why I haven't been around much.

I know it's been a few days since my last post and the last couple of posts have been "short & sweet"... but I just wanted to mention that I'm still here and hope to be back in the swing of things very shortly.

I've gotta rest up for the Regionals on Saturday though, so I'll still take it easy for the next couple of days. Hope you are doing well and have plenty of "art" in your life right now.

Thanks for sticking with me and continuing to read my Blog. Your support is very much appreciated!

Until next time, stay crafty!
Steph

A Sneak Peek

I'm very excited to be attending Regionals next weekend and at every SU! event, there's the option to Swap. Swapping is tons of fun. Sometimes it's an organized Swap (specific theme or product) and sometimes, as in this event, it's open to your imagination.

This weekend I've escaped up north for a little R&R and brought with me, the materials I need to put my Swaps together. I decided to do two different ones. Don't get too excited though, this is just a teaser. You'll have to tune in next weekend to see the full card fronts I designed!

I will tell you though that one is a bridal/wedding design and the other is a fall design. That's all the info you're getting, for now. :) Evil, I know. If you're reading this as a Demo and are attending the Hamilton Regionals next Saturday, I hope to be able to meet you in person.

Don't forget to come back next weekend to check out the full details of my Swap cards!

Until next time, stay crafty!
Steph

Falling Leaves

There were several things that got me thinking about making a fall card for today's post. For one, the  Holiday Catty has many new items in it. Then there was a fall card we made at a recent techniques class. Add on top of that the gloomy, colder weather we've had the last couple of days (that I don't mind so much), and I guess this all inspired me to make a fall card.

Paper: Comfort Cafe DSP, Crumb Cake, Soft Suede, Cajun Craze
Ink: Soft Suede
Stamps: Teeny Tiny Wishes
Tools: Big Shot, Autumn Accents Bigz Die, Woodgrain TIEF

This was a pretty simple card to put together. I started with some scraps I had left over from another project - the Comfort Cafe DSP rectangles. I created a "window" with them. Next, I cut the oak leaf from Cajun Craze with the new Autumn Accents Bigz Die and ran it through with the Woodgrain Textured Impressions Embossing Folder.

To finish off, I used some strips of scraps and curled them around a pencil and glued them to the leaf. I added my sentiment and the card was done! Now I've got a beautiful Thanksgiving card to give to someone... two months from now! :)

What do you think?

Until next time, stay crafty!
Steph

Did You Hear?

SU! retired fabric is on sale... for only $1.19!! While I admit (sadly) that I don't know how to sew, I can say that it works great for papercrafting too! Did you know you can use our fabric for card making and scrapbooking? Here's a quick card I whipped up with some of the retiring fabric:

Paper: Cherry Cobbler Core'dinations, Pool Party
Ink: Riding Hood Red
Stamps: Tiny Tags
Tools: Big Shot, Vintage Wallpaper TIEF, Sand Blocks, Window Frame Framelits
Accessories: Candy Cane Christmas Fabric

All I did to get this look is rip strips of fabric (I like the frayed edge) and adhere them to my card base. The trick when using fabric to paper is to use our Big Shot Adhesive Sheets. These are great because you can cut them to any size you want and despite the name, they are not just for use in the Big Shot!

For my focal image, I cut a piece of Cherry Cobbler Core'dinations Card Stock with the second smallest Framelit from the Window Frames Collection. I sanded it a bit and then mounted it on a piece of fabric I cut that was the next size up.

I tied a strip of fabric in a knot and adhered it with a glue dot to some tiny tags I punched out with the Little Labels Punch Pack.

The fabric is a great deal and it's only while supplies last! Check out the fabric on sale below and contact me today to place your order.

What do you think?

Until next time, stay crafty!
Steph

Colour Coach

The Colour Coach is a great tool and that's how I got my colour combo for today's card. I'll be honest with you that Pretty in Pink is not a colour I use often... but I have TONS of card stock in this colour, so I'm trying to use it more and more.

Since I don't use the colour often, I needed some colour inspiration, so I referred to the trusted Colour Coach and viola! Pretty in Pink, Certainly Celery and Marina Mist.

Paper: Pretty in Pink, Whisper White
Ink: Marina Mist, Certainly Celery
Stamps: Tea Shoppe
Tools: Big Shot, Framed Tulips TIEF, Modern Label Punch, Simply Scored
Accessories: Certainly Celery Grosgrain Ribbon (retired)

I started with a Pretty in Pink card stock base and embossed it with the Framed Tulips Textured Impressions Embossing Folder. I actually used the longest side of the folder and ran it through the big shot three times to get the border at the bottom of the card. The trick is to only run it through until you hit the folder and not all the way through. If you continue to run the card through the Big Shot with each additional border you add, you'd flatten your design. I love finding new ways to use SU! products! At the top of the Whisper White panel, I scored three lines using my Simply Scored, but it's hard to see that in the picture.

After stamping and cutting out the tea cup from Tea Shoppe, I added some Certainly Celery ribbon (retired) behind it for some added texture. The tea cup was then popped up with Dimensionals. I also randomly stamped the flower from the same set and then punched out my stamped sentiment with my Modern Label Punch.

What do you think?

Until next time, stay crafty!
Steph

For Royalty

Today's card uses colours from the Stampin' Royalty Colour Challenge this week. Here's the colour combo:

I think this colour combo would be great for Christmas (and I can't wait to try that out!), but I wasn't feeling Christmas today, so here's what I came up with:

Paper: Raspberry Ripple, Summer Starfruit, Gumball Green, Patio Party DSP
Ink: Gumball Green
Stamps: Circle Cirus
Tools: Simply Scored & Diagonal Plate, 1-1/4 Scallop Circle Punch, 1-3/8 Circle Punch
Accessories: Jewels

I started by scoring a faux quilted look using my Simply Scored with Diagonal Plate. I added a small border with a piece of DSP from the Patio Party pack and a small accent of Gumball Green card stock.

I stamped one of the stamps from Circle Circus in Gumball Green and punched it out using the 1-3/8" Circle Punch, mounting that on 1-1/4" scallop circles punched from Summer Starfruit. I popped the middle one with Dimensionals.

To finish things off, I thought the card could use a little bling. So, at every cross in my faux quilting, I added a tiny jewel.

I chose not to add a sentiment to this card so that it can be used for any occasion... or, I could always add one at a later date if I needed to.

What do you think?

Until next time, stay crafty!
Steph

Summer Days

The summer's going by pretty fast and lately, my days have been super busy! I don't know where the time goes. But I did manage to get some stamping time in yesterday... but maybe that was only because I woke up at 3:30 a.m.?!

Today I have a few note cards I made using Happy Hour. This is such a great set and it was my first time inking it up. I know what I'm going to be using these cards for later on, but thought I'd share them with you know.

Paper: Berry Blossoms DSP (retired), Whisper White
Ink: Calypso Coral, Lucky Limeade, Wisteria Wonder, Early Espresso
Stamps: Happy Hour
Tools: Big Shot, Window Frames Framelits

These were pretty quick and easy to put together. I know the Berry Blossoms DSP is retired, but it just works so well with the "fruity" drink I chose to feature on the cards. Doesn't a drink like this remind you of summer, warmth, relaxation?! Oh how I'd love to be on a beach somewhere sipping one of these...

I did some paper piecing with this project. I first stamped the drink in Early Espresso. After stamping the straw and mini umbrella, I pieced the liquid from the drink over top (cutting it out by hand from a scrap piece of paper). This not only gives the effect that the straw and umbrella are sitting in the drink, but also adds more colour. You could also get this effect using your coloured Stampin' Write Markers, but then you'd have to do some masking in order for the drink accessories to fade into the liquid.

What do you think?

Until next time, stay crafty!
Steph

Thanks a Bunch

I have a simple card for you today that uses many new products - both from the main catty and the new Holiday Catalogue that went live August 1st. If you haven't received your copy of the Holiday catty yet, please contact me for a FREE one.

Paper: More Mustard, Lovely Flowers DSP (retired)
Ink: Old Olive, Perfect Plum
Stamps: Friendship Preserves
Tools: Big Shot, Preserves Framelits, Chevron TIEF, Paper Piercing Template, Piercer, Mat

Like I said, this is a simple card, but I think there's a lot of punch because of the Chevron Textured Impression Embossing Folder and the layered stamped image with paper piercing.

After embossing my More Mustard card base and adding the strip of Lovely Flowers (retired) DSP, I stamped a stamp from the Friendship Preserves set twice, once in Old Olive and then again in Perfect Plum. I cut the "thanks a bunch" out from the image and popped it up with Dimensionals on top of the Old Olive piece that I cut using the coordinating Framelits. I love coordinating Framelits!! Before popping the entire thing up again on my card base, I used one of the new Paper Piercing Templates from the Holiday Catalogue and pierced around the top half of the image.

What do you think?

Until next time, stay crafty!
Steph