Dino Days!

I don’t know what it is about this cute little T-Rex but wouldn’t you be happy if he came in the mail? He is just too cute! I created a bunch of these cards for my stash and thought it was fun to share, especially because they feature two products that were recently available with Sale-a-bration, and therefore might be in your craft stash!

The card features the Dino Days stamp set and no I did not use my dies to cut them out. Why? Well because I stamped his spikes on his back…and to use the dies, you actually have to stamp them separately to cut them out. Ooopsie! Luckily for me, I have TIME on my hands so I didn’t mind fussy cutting this little guy out. The Happy Birthday sentiment is from the Welcome to the Team stamp set. Both of these stamp sets are in the Idea Book & Catalogue!

I ran the Whisper White base through the Stone 3D embossing folder and covered it with a strip of the Dinoroar DSP. The Old Olive label is cut from the Stitched So Sweetly Dies, and I used the edge of the largest scalloped rectangle to cut the Gorgeous Grape scallop bit tucked under the DSP. I also added some of the popular Bermuda Bay Metallic thread to loop around this whole little panel.

The little tiny heart is punched from the Twinkle Builder Punch in the Idea Book & Catalogue.

I also stamped the inside of the card too for a little extra fun! I love the bright colours of this card and its perfect for any age or gender!

We will weather this together...

Today I was inspired to make a card to send out to some of my tribe. In light of everything, it is our relationships with each other and this amazing Stampin’ community that will see us through these trying times. I am so thankful for this amazing hobby that I love so much!

I don’t know if I would call this card a ‘fun fold’ but it is a bit of a pocket card. A style I have been leaning on a lot lately! You basically score your 4 1/4 x 5 1/2 piece of card stock in half and then score again on one side 1 1/4 inches. That becomes the little flap. I like to round the edges too! I do use an adhesive to keep the flap down so the Bakers Twine around it just helps to keep the pocket card closed.

I used the Under My Umbrella Bundle (found on page 42 of the Occasions Catalogue) to decorate this card. The card base is Balmy Blue, a color I haven’t pulled off my shelf lately and the little strip of raindrop DSP is from the limited edition Pleased as Punch DSP. The Stampin’ Blends in Highland Heather, Daffodil Delight and Flirty Flamingo made colouring the umbrella and little flowers so easy. I did add some Wink of Stella to the umbrella and flowers as well.

This is for all of friends far and wide, thinking of you and knowing we are in this together!

Quick Tip: I wanted to share a quick tip on how to align your stamps so they coordinate perfectly with the Umbrella Builder Punch. I start by punching a template (do you like my finger print smudge? haha, I kept it there to keep things real :), and then take the template and line up on a block. I align the stamps I need under the template (you can see in picture two how they are underneath) and then when you stamp them out they will punch out perfectly.

Magnolia Birthday...Catty Case!

I think I have mentioned a couple of times on my Blog that one of the fun things I do with my team is try and case the entire Idea Book & Catalogue. So far we have not completed this challenge over the years, but we are always ambitious to give it a try! It is a great way to get the team together and help them use up their Stampin’ supplies! This month, I chose this card that you can find on page 4 of the catalogue! I also decided to make a few extra and turn them into birthday cards featuring the Birthday Jubilee stamp set from the Occasions Catalogue.

My magnolia’s are coloured with Flirty Flamingo and Rich Razzleberry inks and an Aqua Painter for the bloom and Granny Apple Green and Old Olive for the foliage. The coolest part of this card is the strip at the bottom. I cut a 1/2 inch strip of Seaside Spray and ran it through the Corrugated Embossing Folder.

TIP: run several strips through at one to avoid the paper ripping apart. This folder puts a lot of stress on the paper fibres so distributing it amongst multiple strips helps avoid breakage.

I hope you will let the amazing work of the SU concept artists inspire you create and get those stamps working!

Hello Fabulous Friend

I can’t believe this is the first time I have pulled out the All Dressed Up Dies (pg 56 of the Occasions Catalogue)! It was actually quite easy to assemble this little purse, which can also convert into a cute backpack too by just placing the straps in different spots. I love the stitched details around the edges of the purse and because of that I decided to leave it ‘clean’ and just have an over the top embellishment instead. I paired the Dressed to Impress stamp set with the Cherry Blossoms and Painted Labels Dies and added in some Pineapple Punch ribbon, Bakers Twine and Metallic Thread. I reached into my stash and pulled out some Faceted Gems (pg 178 of the Idea Book & Catalogue).

Sometimes our scraps can create the most beautiful things!

The best part of this card is the fact that it was created almost entirely with scraps I had laying around in my craft room! I had already created the purse and thought it would be fun to create a coordinating card. The purse is a perfect way to give a gift card! I stamped the large cherry blossom stem from the Forever Blossoms stamp set (pg 16 of the Occasions Catalogue) straight on the card base, a very rare occurrence for me, and added a few flicks of my Call Me Clover marker. I had a scrap of white card stock on my table so I ran it though the Parisian Flourish 3D Embossing Folder and layered on top some of the Braided Burlap Trim and Pineapple Punch ribbon. I cut another shape from the Painted Labels Dies and added in some Metallic Thread. I left the sentiment at ‘friend’ and inside stamped ‘you mean so much to me’. Together I think they make an awesome combo!

A little Tropical Fun!

I recently hosted a team event where we had a Tropical Theme. I do love a good theme and with the Tropical Oasis Suite (which by the way, I will never ever get rid of it, the pineapple frame lit can’t be beat!) it was easy to come up with these 3 amazing cards!

I started by using the Magnolia Lane Large Specialty Memories & More Cards & Envelopes (pg 171 of the Idea Book and Catalogue). The silver edge of the card added a nice detail and an anchor for designing the cards.

The first card featuring the awesome pineapple die also ties in the Seriously The Best stamp set (pg 60 of the Occasions Catty). I isolated the word Hello and fussy cut it out using Pretty Peacock. I added in some Sale-a-bration items—can you spot them?

The flower card in the center was stamped in Whisper White Kraft ink and embossed with white embossing powder. I coloured it using, the Mango Melody pigment sprinkles! You simply tap some onto a block, give it a light spritz of water and use an Aqua Painter to color it in. I should note that it is also stamped on Shimmery White card stock to hold the water. You should give this colouring technique a try!

The final card I used Coastal Cabana, Bermuda Bay and Pretty Peacock and the foam brayers to create the background. The small flower is stamped with the Saddle Brown Stazon Ink and coloured with the Mango Melody Stampin’ Blends. And the palm trees are coloured with good ole regular Stampin’ Write markers!