Nothing But Embossing

So, if you don't know by now, I sell all my cards and today I have some quick and easy ones to show you. In fact, the reason for having ignored my Blog for the last several days is because I'm preparing for a big show on Monday.

After this year's retirement of colours and products, I was left with a lot of product, paper especially. I sold some off and have come up with several projects to help use up the remainder that I can no longer demonstrate with... but that I still love and can utilize in my card sales. Of course, I'd like to share these ideas with you too!

These cards are so simple and I love them! I went with tone-on-tone and each layer is embossed and popped up on the base. I have made several different varieties using many of my embossing folders, some specific to special occasions, like birthdays, and others like this one featured here that can be used for any occasion.

You can view most of my varieties here. I sell them in packs of three, with envelopes for $6.00.

Until next time, stay crafty!
Steph

RECIPE
Paper: Lucky Limeade
Tools: Big Shot, Manhattan Flower TIEF

Circle Butterfly CASE

I created this card a while back, but never got the opportunity to post it. So long ago in fact that I forget now who I CASEd this card from or where I even came across it! :s Sorry!

Paper: Lucky Limeade, Whisper White, Lovely Flowers DSP (retired)
Tools: Circle Punches, Butterfly Punch
Accessories: Jewels

Is this card clean & simple (CAS) or what?! Sometimes simplicity is best, although, I can't believe I didn't do any stamping on this card! I popped up all the circles and added some small jewels for some bling. I think the Stripes TIEF was the best choice for this card... I think I'll even create more just like this, but in different colour tones. I like it so much!

Until next time, stay crafty!
Steph

P.S. Don't forget that the SU! Retiring List will be posted tonight at midnight (MDT)!

It's Sketch Time at Sunday Stamps!

Haley has a great sketch over at Sunday Stamps this week! She reminds us of something too - that our sketches are just a guideline to aid in your creativity! You don't need to necessarily add every element from our sketches, but as long as you stick to the general idea of them, we're happy. :)

Paper: Crumb Cake, Marina Mist, Early Espresso, Elegant Soiree DSP (retired)
Ink: Marina Mist
Stamp: Just for You (exclusive with Pop Up Posies Kit)
Tools: Big Shot, Fancy Fan TIEF, Punches: Scallop Trim Border,
Scallop Trim Corner, Scallop Circle
Accessories: Flower Trim, Vintage Faceted Buttons, Pop Up Posies Kit

This card came together fairly quickly thanks to the Pop Up Posies Kit in the Spring Catalogue! I didn't use any of the flower pieces, but I did use the embossed label and buttons. The flower I made using my Scallop Circle Punch (4 punches), folded them in quarters and then added a single flower from the new Flower Trim found in the Spring Catalogue also.

I hope you'll play along with us this week. Make sure you head on over to Sunday Stamps and check out what the rest of the Design Team has created for inspiration!

Until next time, stay crafty!
Steph

It's a Tri-Colour Challenge at Sunday Stamps!

Happy Sunday! This week we've got a fun colour combo for you - Early Espresso, More Mustard & Marina Mist. Feel free to substitute similar colours if you don't have the Stampin' Up! ones. Here's my card:

Paper: Watercolour Paper, Naturals Ivory, Early Espresso
Ink: Marina Mist, More Mustard, Early Espresso, StazOn
Stamps: Serene Silhouettes
Tools: Big Shot, Ovals Framelits, Paper Piercing Template
Accessories: Linen Thread, Naturals Designer Button
Techniques: Watercolouring, Paper Piercing, Distressing

I started with a piece of watercolour paper. I used my clear blocks (A, B, & C) to watercolour my background. I took each block, coloured on it with my Stampin' Write Marker (make sure the block is clean!), spritzed with water and stamped on my paper. If needed, I used my Aqua Painter to blend in a bit more. Once all was stamped and blended, I set it aside to dry. It didn't take long, but you can also use your heat tool to speed things up.

I cut out an oval shape with the NEW Oval Framelits found in the Spring Catalogue and stamped my image from Serene Silhouettes with StazOn ink. I glued the oval on an angle on my card base. On the "scrap" piece, I used one of my Paper Piercing Templates (this one from the Spring Catty) and pierced around my oval. I then threaded Linen Thread through every other hole and finished off with a Naturals Designer Button at the top.

I distressed the edges of my watercolour paper a bit for an added effect and I love, love, LOVE how this card came out. Way better than what I had pictured in my mind.

Hope this card inspires you to play along with us. Please check out what the rest of the Design Team has created for you & play along this week over at Sunday Stamps!

Until next time, stay crafty!
Steph

Let's Get Sketchy... Over at Sunday Stamps!

Welcome to another Sunday! Is the weekend almost over already?! Time is just going too fast around here... however, I do always love ending my weekend with Sunday Stamps! Holly's got a fun, simple sketch this week.

Paper: Sahara Sand, Very Vanilla, First Edition DSP
Ink: Riding Hood Red, Pretty in Pink
Stamps: Elements of Style
Tools: Big Shot, Lacy Brocade TIEF, Scallop Circle Punches, 2-1/2 Circle Punch
Accessories: Pearls, Shimmer Spritz

I liked the simplicity of the sketch and when I saw the flower, I thought about punching that space with my 2-1/2" Circle Punch. I used my Stamp-A-Ma-Jig to stamp the floral image from Elements of Style so that it expanded from my card base to my Very Vanilla piece. I used two different colours to give added interest.

I wanted to keep the card fairly simple, so I did some embossing and then created a 3D flower using several of my scallop circle punches from First Edition DSP, crumpled them and then spritzed them with some shimmer spritz. It added some shimmer and colour, plus it dries hard. To finish things off, I added a couple of pearls at the top.

Hope you'll play along... head on over to Sunday Stamps to check out what the rest of the Design Team has created for you!

Until next time, stay crafty!
Steph

It's A Scrap Yard Series - Post #4

Another simple card today using all my scraps! I debated adding a sentiment or not, but sometimes I like to keep it open until I need a card for a particular occasion. I think this will eventually become a birthday card, but you never know...

Paper: Tempting Turquoise, Old Olive, Melon Mambo,
Pumpkin Pie, Daffodil Delight
Accessories: Buttons, Linen Thread

Like yesterday's card, all my pieces were already cut and die cut with my Big Shot using the Finishing Touches Edgelits. It was after I glued all the pieces down that I thought I needed some dimension. I just so happened to have flower buttons in all the colours! Three were from the Ice Cream Parlour Ribbon & Button Pack from SAB a few years ago (but you can purchase on the Clearance Rack currently!) and the other two are from the Brights Buttons, I believe.

Until next time, stay crafty!
Steph

It's A Scrap Yard Series - Post #3

Today I have another card created from my scrap pile. If you missed my previous two posts, you might want to check them out for some inspiration. Here is today's card:

Paper: Festival of Prints DSP Pack, Very Vanilla, Crumb Cake, Island Indigo
Accessories: Fabric - Comfort Cafe, 2012 SAB Brad

What I'm loving about all my scrap cards is that they're all completely different! I'm finding that I'm using colours and papers I might not have used together otherwise and my layouts are being determined primarily on the size scraps I have. It's awesome!

No stamps or ink were used in today's card. Everything, including the cut flowers were all in my scrap pile. I also didn't have to cut any of the DSP because the size was perfect. For the flowers, originally, I used my Big Shot and my Fun Flowers Bigz Die.

Once I had it all laid out, this card took me no time at all to piece together. I love using my scraps!

Until next time, stay crafty!
Steph

Pretty Butterflies

I love butterflies... they're just so free and whimsical. I gravitated to them once again for this week's challenge over at Sunday Stamps. Melissa has a great sketch for us this week and I hope you'll play along with us!

Paper: Patio Party DSP, Whisper White, Watercolour Paper
Ink: Midnight Muse, Baja Breeze, Primerose Petals, Summer Starfruit
Stamps: Papillon Potpourri
Tools: Paper Piercing Pack, Mat & Piercer, Boho Blossom Punch, Aqua Painter
Accessories: Button, Whisper White Baker's Twine
Techniques: Watercolouring, Paper Piercing

I'm starting a series tomorrow on my Blog about scraps... and the DSP and watercolour paper I used happened to be in my "scrap" pile. When I saw the tiny butterflies in the Patio Party DSP, I knew I wanted to pair it with the Papillon Potpourri stamp set. I also hadn't used my Aqua Painter in a while, and thought to give that a try also.

I pulled all my colours right from the DSP and after colouring sections on my watercolour paper, I stamped one of the butterfly images, full strength, in each colour. I cut the strip into a banner and then opted to use some Baker's Twine, a flower punch and a button to keep with the softness of the card.

I didn't want to add much more, but thought a few pierced holes in the bottom right corner were in order. :)

Now check out what the rest of the team has done to help inspire you and play along with us. We always look forward to seeing what you create!

Until next time, stay crafty!
Steph

CAS, Easy Peasy Cards in Minutes!

Today I'm showcasing some simple cards I made as a thank you gift set for a client. It doesn't take much to create handcrafted cards for someone - sometimes less is more. Check them out:

Paper: Simply Sent Kit (retired), Old Olive, Whisper White
Ink: Real Red, Rich Razzleberry, Old Olive, Early Espresso
(Stampin' Write Markers used)
Stamps: Button Buddies
Accessories: Various Buttons

All I did to create these cards was use a (retired) Simply Sent Kit that came with buttons and ribbon - I used the ribbon but opted to use different buttons I had in my stash - some extra paper and one stamp set. I knew that my client loved the button cards I had done for her in the past and also that she often preferred "blank" cards so that she could use them for any occasion she needed them for.

I created six (two of each style) for her in a matter of minutes. Provided envelopes (that came with the kit also) and wrapped them up nicely. Why not give it a try - there are some great kits that just came out in the NEW Spring Catalogue... and starting January 22nd, you can even earn one for FREE during Sale-A-Bration! Contact me for more details... I'd love to chat with you about it!

Until next time, stay crafty!
Steph

We're Back!

We're back from our holidays over at Sunday Stamps and hope you'll play along with us this week. We've got a colour challenge for you - Night of Navy, More Mustard & Sahara Sand:

Paper: Night of Navy, Sahara Sand, More Mustard
Ink: Night of Navy, More Mustard
Stamps: Simply Soft (Hostess, Retired)
Tools: Mini Curly Label Punch (Sneak Peek SAB Item!), Big Shot, Beautiful Wings Embosslits
Accessories: Linen Thread

I know the stamp set I used is retired, but it just spoke to me as I was staring at all my sets wondering what I was going to create this week. I've had a tad of a struggle getting back into my stampin' after the holidays. :)

I started with creating a tiled look with the NEW Mini Curly Label Punch that will debut in the 2013 SAB catty starting January 22nd! I created different layers by punching in my card layer and using Dimensionals. After stamping my image, I created a bow using Linen Thread and added some butterflies.

What do you think? Hope you'll play along with us this week!

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

Serene Silhouettes for FMS

Today's card is inspired by both the sketch over at Freshly Made Sketches, and my upline, Leena Girsa. In fact, my card is pretty much a CASE of Leena's beautiful card (see it here), but with a few twists.

First, here's the sketch:

When Leena designed her card for our monthly team meeting, I just fell in love with it and knew I had to one day recreate it. I just didn't want to completely copy it, so here's my version based on the sketch above:

Paper: Basic Black, Whisper White, Marina Mist
Ink: So Saffron, Old Olive, More Mustard, Riding Hood Red, Cherry Cobbler, Black
Stamps: Serene Silhouettes
Tools: Big Shot, Woodgrain TIEF, Post-It Notes
Accessories: Naturals Button, Twine

Aside from the tree image from Serene Silhouettes, I sponged the entire image. When I saw the three layers in the sketch, I had the idea to carry the image across all three... kind of like the Triple Time Stamping technique I featured last week (see card here), but with a twist.

I first sponged all three layers with So Saffron and after masking my sun with a 1-3/8" circle, I started adding my layers of colours until I achieved the look I wanted.

I decided to add a tiny black border around all layers - a last minute decision - and I think it works. I glued the initial layer to the card base and then popped up each additional layer. To finish off, I added a button with some twine and I just love how this card turned out!

What do you think?

Until next time, stay crafty!
Steph

The Olympics Are Coming!

I don't know about you, but when the Olympics are on, I'm pretty much glued to the TV. Perhaps a little more in the winter than in the summer, but I do enjoy watching the events. This week over at The Friday Mashup!, they've got an Olympic-inspired sketch. Here are the details:

So here is the "Mashup" Challenge :

1. Make a project with "The Olympic Colour Combination of Marina Mist, Basic Black, Daffodil Delight, Wild Wasabi & Real Red."
2. Or Make a Project using "Multiple Circles."
3. Or "Mash it Up" and create a project with the "Olympic Color Combo and Multiple Circles."

I usually tend to "Mash it Up" because I find it more challenging that way. This week was no exception! Here's what I came up with:

Stamps: Papaya Collage
Ink: StazOn Black, Marina Mist, Real Red, Daffodil Delight, Wild Wasabi
Paper: Whisper White, Basic Black
Embellies: Jewels
Tools: Big Shot, Framed Tulips Embossing Folder, 1-3/8" Circle Punch

I just love Papaya Collage! It's such a versatile set - a flower, leaves, a bird, frames, a party hat and a butterfly. You wouldn't think they all go together, but they work! I choose this set because I just adore the rosette and knew it would work well in a punched out circle.

I first stamped the frame in black (isn't it gorgeous?!) and then I masked it so that I could stamp the leaves without stamping over the frame. I stamped and punched the rosettes and popped them up with Dimensionals. I also embossed a frame around the entire card using the Framed Tulips Embossing Folder and added some jewels around the inner frame for a little bling.

I like to pretty-up the inside of my cards to coordinate with the outside, so I stamped some leaves and then fussy-cut 2 rosettes. I popped the Real Red one with Dimensionals to give it all a bit of depth.

What do you think?

Until next time, stay crafty!
Steph

Lovely Flowers, Meet Fabulous Florets

I just love flowers, and the Fabulous Florets stamp set is one of my all time favs! I paired the stamp set with some of the Lovely Flowers DSP from the (retired) Hostess pack. That DSP just has such a beautiful and colourful array of floral images. I decided to fuse the two together and this is what I came up with:

I decided to keep this card blank both inside and out. Perhaps I'll add a sentiment later on if I need it, but for now, I didn't want to detract from the focal flowers on the front. I think this card could work for just about any occasion anyway...

I stamped the leaf image from Fabulous Florets in Old Olive on top of the two Old Olive DSP strips. The back of that DSP paper had Melon Mambo with tiny polka dots. How fabulous are Old Olive and Melon Mambo together, eh?! Next, I stamped a floral image from the same stamp set on to Melon Mambo card stock and cut them out. I flicked up the sides of the flowers to give them a 3D look and finished them off by adding a jewel to the centers.

What do you think?

Until next time, stay crafty!
Steph

The Last Humming Bird

This is the first time playing with Pals Paper Arts. The challenge this week (PPA136) was a colour challenge. In order to participate, you had to use Real Red, Night of Navy and Whisper White in your design.

Here's what I came up with:

It's hard to tell in the photo, but I interlocked two frames that I cut out with the Labels Collection Framelits and then cut out the inner pieces the same way so that everything would fit nicely together. Cool, eh?! Before gluing everything down, I stamped the floral image from Elements of Style and if you've been following my blog, you'll notice I used that humming bird again (!) from the same stamp set. I promise, that's the last of my humming bird cards for a while. :)

I embossed the card front with the NEW fan embossing folder from SU! and then created a flower with folded ribbon. The Real Red Grosgrain ribbon that I used is retired now, but it's the only ribbon I had in that colour. I threw in some hat pins (also retired), glued on my humming bird and viola!

What do you think?

Until next time, stay crafty! 
Steph

Swaps

On the weekend, I attended a Demonstrator Event. It was a ton of fun. Part of that event (as I'm told happens with all SU! events), is that there was an optional swap. It was my first one and although it was daunting at first, I can tell you that I'll be participating in them again! So much fun and you get so many great ideas from the cards you receive.

The hard part for me was finding items to use that I had enough of... but after participating in this swap, I found out it's not necessary to have them all the same. Good to know for the future!

So on to my swap card. I really didn't do much stamping with this one, but instead created a fun "locking" card. I used mostly cardstock and fabric.

What do you think?

 

I just love the Labels Framelits collection. So versatile and easy to use. The Big Shot was definitely my friend on this card. At the last minute, I decided I wanted to also do a little stamping... so I used some stamps from the Papaya Collage and Memorable Moments stamp sets. The latter actually has a nice outline stamp that coordinates with the Labels Framelits. How perfect! I also hand-drew some faux stitching on the front label to mimic the inside stamp... did you catch that? :)

Until next time, stay crafty!

Steph

Royalty

I'm back, after a long hiatus. I've been busy over the last week working and creating, chasing my 2 year old around, attending a Demo event last weekend and watching the Euro. :) Don't worry though, I've got lots of posts and samples coming your way. In fact, it was hard to choose where to start...
Today, I have a post for the challenge over at Stampin' Royalty. It's my first time playing with the ladies over there. Here's the sketch for this week:

 

I decided to keep my design pretty simple. I used some new In Colors and the humming bird from Elements of Style. You're going to see me using this set a lot over the next while because I just recently got my inky hands on it and I LOVE IT! I accented with Baja Breeze, and used Midnight Muse (love it!!) and Summer Starfruit (learning to love it!) from the 5 new In Colors.

What do you think?

 

Like I said, I kept it pretty simple and other than the humming bird, didn't stamp any other images or sentiments. The Big Shot and punches were my friend for this card.


Until next time, stay crafty!
Steph