Tiny changes

Sometimes all it takes to change a card is a bit of colour.  I made up the following card initially using a piece of Designer Paper from the Fresh Prints Paper Stack that is available until the end of May (or until supplies run out) through the Occasions Catalogue.  The stack of 4 1/2" x 6 1/2" paper offers 4 pieces each of 12 double-sided designs.  I love the variety.  There are very neutral designs and colours as well as much bolder designs and colours, all in shades of Coastal Cabana, Crumb Cake, Real Red and Whisper White.

The first card which I made shows off one of the neutral designs.  I love the white fans on the background of Crumb Cake.  To keep it neutral and to make the flowers I intended to use "pop", I used Crumb Cake as my base cardstock.  My next layer is one of the lovely, dainty White Tea Lace Paper Doilies  which are so easy to use and so affordable since they come in a package of 24.  On top of that, across the lower portion of my card front, I attached a 2 1/8" x 4 1/4" piece of the Designer Paper.

I cut a banner out of Whisper White cardstock using the third largest of the Banner Framelits from the Occasions Catalogue.  Then I centered the squared off top of the banner in my Scalloped Tag Topper Punch to add the pretty detail and also to make it possible to tie a ribbon to the top.  For the sentiment I used the Perfect Pennants (also from the Occasions Catalogue) using Crumb Cake ink.  I also sponged Crumb Cake around the edges of the tag.

After adding a piece of Raspberry Ripple Stitched Satin Ribbon, I chose to attach the tag on an angle using dimensionals.  Then I added a large flower stamped in Raspberry Ripple with the Flower Shop stamp set and two small flowers, one in Raspberry Ripple and one in Marina Mist, and finished them off with pearls in their centres.

The next card is made in precisely the same way with just a few colour changes.

For my Designer Paper I used a piece that included all the colours:  Real Red, Coastal Cabana, Crumb Cake and Whisper White.  I stayed true to the Crumb Cake as my base cardstock but changed out the colours of my flowers, using the Real Red for the large flower and one of the small flowers and then the Coastal Cabana for the other small flower.  I decided to use the Crumb Cake Seam Binding ribbon for the top of the tag so that the focal points of the card were the flowers and the Designer Paper.

These cards can easily be stamped "Happy Mother's Day" or "Happy Birthday" on the inside.  Or they could be used simply for a get well or just because type of card.

Don't forget that the Occasions catalogue will only be active until June 1st.  If you want the Paper Stack, Banner Framelits, Petite Petals Bundle or Scalloped Tag Topper punch, this is the time to get them.  And don't forget that FREE SHIPPING ends on Friday, April 25th.

The first of many "good-byes"

We have the list of retiring stamp sets and accessories.  As usual there are a lot of products which will be leaving.  Part of me is feeling a bit low because many of these products are favourites or "old friends".  Part of me is very excited about the new products which will be unveiled very soon.  For the next few days I plan to use some of the retired products in a "last goodbye".  If any of these products appeal to you, be quick about ordering them.  Many are already sold out and once they're gone---well, they're gone.

And remember---until Friday shipping is FREE!

With Mother's Day coming up soon, I thought it would be a good idea to begin with a Mother's Day card.  For this one I used Naturals White as my base cardstock.  My next layer is that beautiful Primrose Petals Core'dinations cardstock.  Yes, it's retiring.  I used my Petals-a-Plenty embossing folder on it and then sanded the raised embossing with my Stampin' Sanding Block (both the embossing folder and the sanding system are retiring).  Then I attached some Baker's Twine across the top of the embossed cardstock using my Mini Brads before adhering it to the base cardstock.

I used the Banner Punch from the Sale-a-bration brochure to punch out four banners from the 2013-15 Designer Series Paper stack.  Since I planned to stamp some flowers in Coastal Cabana ink, I punched the banners from the various designs in Coastal Cabana.  I also used the Coastal Cabana ink for my sentiment which is from the Delightful Dozen stamp set (also retiring).

Across the bottom I layered a narrow rectangle of Naturals White, Primrose Petals, and then Whisper White.  I stamped the leaves from the Bright Blossoms stamp set (retiring) using Pistachio Pudding ink and then attached two flowers made with the Petite Petals bundle and Pistachio Pudding ink and a larger flower made with the Flower Shop bundle and Primrose Petals ink.

The pearls in the centres of the smaller flowers will continue into the new catalogue.  The large pearl in the centre of the large flower is being retired.  If you're like me, you'll want to get some before they're gone.

Remember, Friday is the last day for FREE SHIPPING.  You can use the 10% you save  on the terrific products in the upcoming new annual catalogue.

With Sympathy

It's hard to make a sympathy card.  Actually, it's hard to buy a sympathy card, too.  You want it to say exactly the right thing.  You want it to be right, not only for the recipient but also as a tribute of sorts to the one who is gone.

Our uncle died last month and his celebration of life was held last weekend.  He was an amazing man, full of vitality, who loved his family and the great outdoors.  I wanted my card to express some of that and also to be just right for our aunt who will, of course, be the recipient.  In the end I believe my card wound up being more for her than for him.  All I know is that it was hard to make.  Memories just kept flooding my mind as I worked on the card.  He will be missed.

I settled on a base of Naturals White cardstock.  The next layer was Baked Brown Sugar and then I added a layer from the Sale-a-bration Designer Paper, Sweet Sorbet.  I really loved the Pool Party, Basic Black and Whisper White in the piece I chose.  I added the strip of film from the On Film framelits which I cut in Baked Brown Sugar.  Once I had the bird image from Simply Sketched Hostess stamp set attached to the cut-out, I mounted them onto a piece of Basic Black cardstock and trimmed it leaving a small frame of black.

My sentiment also comes from that stamp set.  I kept it simple by stamping the words in black using my StazOn ink.  Having the sentiment on Pool Party cardstock cut out with my large Oval Punch and then mounting it on Basic Black cardstock cut out with my Scalloped Oval Punch really made it "pop".  A simple bow tied with my Pool Party Seam Binding ribbon added the perfect touch, don't you agree?

FREE---can you think of a better price?

Just in time for the retirement list, Stampin' Up! is offering FREE shipping on all orders made between April 21st and April 25th.  I feel like doing cartwheels, I'm so excited!

Stay tuned for the list of retiring items which I will have for you on Monday, April 21st.  You know there will be items on it that you've been wanting to buy.  This will be your last chance because once the items on the retiring list are gone---well, they're gone.

A Masculine "Happy Birthday"

Since I make my own cards, I seldom go out there and buy one any longer.  They always look so generic and don't say what I want to say.  This is especially true of cards for the men in my life.  I like to mix in a bit of what means something to any of them.  For my brother-in-law that would be the outdoors and wood.  He's a master wood-crafter and his projects "blow my mind".

Stampin' Up! has some wonderful stamp sets that really are appropriate for what I had in mind.  Lovely as a Tree---what can I say?  That stamp set pays for itself and just keeps on giving.  The oak tree image was exactly the image which I had in mind.  Gently Falling---again, perfect, especially the oak leaves and acorn.  Hardwood, the background stamp available through the Occasions Catalogue---just asked to be used for this project.

The colours I chose all make me think of a living forest or of wood---perfect!  Always Artichoke, Baked Brown Sugar, Pistachio Pudding, Early Espresso and touches of gold embossing powder.  The colours are organic and compliment each other beautifully.  With a touch of Burlap ribbon, the front of the card definitely came together.  If you look closely, you can see I took the stitching off the edges of the ribbon and frayed the ends.

I think the little "Happy Birthday" from the Teeny Tiny Wishes stamp set is the perfect touch, don't you?

Make YOUR Life a Project!

Scrapbooking can be a lot of work.  Yes, it's wonderful to pull out a finished scrapbook and share the pages with your kids or friends, but getting to that point where you have the finished scrapbook is a lot of work.  For some people the answer has been to switch over to Photobooks.  Stampin' Up! offers that option through its My Digital Studio line.  The quality is awesome and getting the Photobook put together isn't at all difficult.

But for many of us there remains a desire to have more of a "connection".  Handling real photos and arranging them into the scrapbook is a hands-on experience that we don't really wish to abandon.  If only it didn't take so much time!

Well, you may have heard about Project Life.  It has become a very popular way to put together a scrapbook while still experiencing the hand-on connection.  Stampin' Up! has joined up with Project Life and, beginning May 1st, will be offering products in the colours you've grown to love as part of the line.  Excited?  Join the crowd!  May 1st can't come fast enough.  And the whole line will be available with the unveiling of the brand New Annual Catalogue, which will happen at the beginning of June.

If you're curious and want some more information, just have a look at this video.  It gives you a good idea of what will be coming up.

The April Wacky Watercooler "Spring has Sprung" Blog Hop

How time flies!  It's already time for another blog hop with the Wacky Watercooler gang.  We're going to have fun sharing some amazing projects that are inspired by Spring's many occasions.  Luckily, with all of Stampin' Up!'s wonderful products, becoming inspired isn't difficult.

For those of you who are familiar with our blog hops, you'll remember that it's a circular one.  Whoever you begin with, whether you go backwards or forwards through the names, you will, eventually, wind up right where you began.  Like a ring, it continues forever.  Of course you can "jump off" at any time.  For those of you who haven't experienced one of our blog hops before, you're in for a treat.

If you've come through the blog hop from the beginning, you will have arrived here from the very talented Christine Giuda's blog.  Christine never ceases to amaze me with her artistic projects.

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For this blog hop I am going to have one project to show off.  The hanging Memory Tray that I've used for the project isn't Stampin' Up! but it makes a wonderful backdrop for all the great products that are.

My project shows little moments that represent Spring for me.  Winter took over for far too long in this area.  There is still some dirty snow on the ground but temperatures have risen sufficiently to rid us of some of the huge piles with which we've lived since the latter part of October.  The other day I saw a robin.  I'm sure Spring is here, finally.

When I think of Spring, a couple of things come immediately to my mind.  One is Easter.  It's a sure sign of Spring if we can hide some treats and eggs outside.  Of course the treats aren't the only wonderful thing about Easter, but when you have kids, the Easter Egg hunt becomes an annual event.

I went to town making flowers for this little vignette.  Thank goodness there are a lot of choices among Stampin' Up! products.  All the flowers were made using the Creped Filter Paper.  The little blue ones were made with the Petite Petals Bundle while the daisies were cut using the Blossom Party die and then sponged with Daffodil Delight ink.  The pretty roses were cut using the Spiral Flower Die and then sponged with Crisp Cantaloupe ink or Pool Party ink.

The next occasion that comes to mind with Spring is my daughter's birthday.  There are a lot of birthdays in the Spring, aren't there?

For me, my daughter is my wish come true.  What's better to celebrate than a pink elephant wearing a party hat?  I love the background of Watercolour Wonder Designer Series Paper, don't you?

Spring also means that the birds and Canada Geese return to our area to nest.  I'm sure they had a bit of a shock this year when they flew overhead and saw all the white.  Thank goodness that's going away quickly.  They have to get their nests established and find good feeding areas after all.

I've used the Watercolour Wonder Designer paper again in the top vignette and then stamped it using Early Espresso and the Serene Silhouettes stamp set.  The bottom vignette showcases that wonderful Wetlands Stamp set as well as Lovely as a Tree.

This next vignette uses a partial nest that is not Stampin' Up! but everything else definitely is.  I just wanted a nest and, try as I might, could not make one myself.  Kudos to the birds who seem to have no problems making them each year.

The cute little eggs are made from our Simply Pressed Clay.  They're as light as a feather (yes, I've added a little vellum feather poking out of the nest) and once they dried it was an easy matter to stamp them with little spots using the Gorgeous Grunge stamp set.  Once the ink dried, I painted the eggs using a mixture of Crystal Effects and Pool Party ink.

When I think of the birds returning, I also think about birdhouses.  My grandson loves Bluebirds and so I made this vignette especially for him.

I free-handed the birdhouse after I used the Woodgrain embossing folder on Early Espresso Co'redinations cardstock.  The little roof is hand cut from the Epic Day This and That Designer Series paper as is the background paper.  The leaves are Always Artichoke cardstock cut with the Little Leaves Sizzlit die and the Bluebird was stamped and cut using the Backyard Basics Bundle.

Another occcasion that signals Spring for me is Mother's Day.  Whether it is a single rose or a large bouquet, flowers always represent that day for me.  My Mum loved flowers and was always delighted to receive them for Mother's Day.

This little rose was made from our Simply Pressed Clay and then coloured and sealed with Crystal Effects.  It's been wrapped up in a piece of the Modern Medley Designer Series paper and held together with a ribbon of Victoria Crochet Trim.  The little leaves were cut using the Little Leaves Sizzlit die.

Of course flowers are sensational during Spring.  I think I love them so much because it is such a delight to see them after a long, white winter.  Daffodils, especially, represent Spring for me.

I've made these using Vellum cardstock and the Secret Garden bundle.  I heat embossed the daffodil flower onto the Vellum using white embossing powder.  I thought it would be far too stark to use black.  Then I sponged Daffodil Delight ink into the vellum and let that dry.  I also cut a 3/4" x 1 1/4" piece of vellum and sponged that with Crisp Cantaloupe ink.  Once that was dry, I used the new Fringe Scissors to cut approcimately 1/4" down into the Vellum.  Then I used Sticky Strip to form it into a "tube".  By running some Multipurpose Liquid Glue along the non-fringed edge, I was able to place the "tube" into the centre of the flower and "voila" a daffodil was born.  The leaves, too, are Vellum cardstock while the grass was cut and recut using the Fringe Scissors.

Besides the daffodils, I love lilacs in the Spring.  The scent of them is almost intoxicating, especially if you happen along a lane bordered with bushes.

For the little blossoms, I used Perfect Plum and Elegant Eggplant cardstocks.  I would guess that I cut well over a hundred of  them using the Itty Bitty Shapes punch.  Then, after curving them with my Bone Folder, I put a dab of Dazzling Details in the centre of each.  While that was drying, I cut a "branch" out of Early Espresso Co'redinations cardstock and soaked it well in some tepid water.  Then I hand-curved the branch so that it appeared to be 3-D.  After that was dry, I adhered the branch to my little vignette and then glued down layers and layers of blossoms.  Three vellum butterflies made using the Papillon Potpourri stamp set and matching punches, and my vignette was complete.

I made one more item for this project.  I love pussywillows and they really are the harbinger of Spring for me.  Of course I wanted mine to be made from Stampin' Up! supplies and, after a whole lot of fussing and a bit of swearing, I think I managed to make a reasonably realistic branch.

The little pussywillows that are peeking out were made using the Simply Pressed Clay.  After layering a whole lot of colours together to give the branch some realism, I covered it with Crystal Effects.  All in all, I'm happy with the results.

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So, what does my project look like as a whole?  I'm glad you asked.  I'm just dying to show it off.

After taking pictures of it from a whole lot of angles, I decided to use this slightly not-direct view.  I think it shows some of the 3-D effect (and there is a LOT of that).  If you click on the photo, it will enlarge on your screen and you'll get a better look.  It's nicer in real life---but then most things are, don't you think?

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Well, that's it for my post.  I hope you've enjoyed seeing my Ode to Spring.  Your next stop will be with Stefanie Pletscher.  Stefanie is not only an amazing medic, she is also a very talented crafter.  I'm sure you'll agree when you see her projects.

Our next Blog Hop is the second week of May.  Don't worry, I'll give you fair warning.

Swallowtail -- the Beauty of a Butterfly

It's finally beginning to look like Spring out there and so my thoughts go to flowers and butterflies and all things colourful outside.  With some sad-looking grass patches showing up between piles of rapidly melting snow, I really need to use my imagination for this.  But I'm so ready for flowers.  And for butterflies.  After 5 1/2 long months of white, I need some colour in my life.

For a stamp that feels almost too large and unwieldy, the Swallowtail background stamp has to be one of the most versatile stamps.  And the results are almost always outstanding.  I happen to like the way the image looks embossed on vellum.  There is an added elegance to it, especially when done with Silver Embossing powder.

I kept my colours toned down somewhat so that the silver and the jewel tones of the colours in the wings would pop.  Added to the edge is a cute little scallop and at the top of each scallop I've added a little rhinestone.  In the background, under the vellum, you can just make out the design from the Very Vintage Wheel which I used on the cardstock.

It's my "Ode to Spring"---a thank you that it has finally begun.

Don't forget that the Wacky Watercooler Blog Hop will begin on Thursday.  Yes!  This Thursday.  You'll love it!

Only a few days left...

That's right!  Only a few days and we'll be presenting another terrific Wacky Watercooler Blog Hop.  Just remember to write the dates in on your calendar so that you don't forget.  It begins at 7 p.m. Mountain Time on Thursday, April 10th.

Some exciting projects will stimulate your imaginations and get you all ready to create.  Are you ready?

Sometimes all it takes is a different colour!

Remember the card I posted on March 7th?  I had made a golden card for all the golden memories that I have of my Mum.  Well, just a few changes in colour, and that same layout becomes a wonderful "Thinking of You" card.

Do you see what I've done here?  I've layered some Coastal Cabana cardstock over the beautiful Gold Vellum and then on the banner, I put a strip of the Coastal Cabana from the Retro Fresh This and That Designer Washi Tape.  Does it make a big difference?  Changing out the golden tulip for a coloured tulip also changes the whole look.  Yet, side by side the cards have precisely the same layout.  What a difference colour can make!

Let there be Spring!

Apparently the Vernal Equinox (Spring) occurred on March 20th this year.  It's funny how precise we're being about the equinoxes and solstices.  When I went to school there were dates we learned that represented them.  For example, the Vernal Equinox always occurred on March 21st.  My mother-in-law was quite proud of having her birthday on the first day of Spring.  I wonder what she would think now with the date changing each year.

We're now ten days into Spring.  Ten days!  What do I see as I look out the window?  Well, let me tell you right now that it isn't crocuses, daffodils or tulips.  Nope.  For us here in Alberta, Spring is white, white, white.  As I type, more white is being added.  I'd like a phone number to call.  Maybe a customer support line.  I'd like to call and tell them that something is out of sync and perhaps the machine could be fixed so that we can finally have Spring.  Of course, having acute bronchitis doesn't make me any happier to have this endless cold.  I think some flowers might just have as much or more effect as the medication I'm taking.

Being sick makes it hard for me to concentrate and do my crafting.  A general lethargy overwhelms me and inspiration eludes me.  *sigh*  Sorry about that.  Normally I'm so current with my blog and even scheduled posts to appear during my two-week vacation.

I felt like making a "Let it Snow" card but that's hyprocritical since I REALLY don't want any more snow.  The grey skies and white landscape is hard to ignore, however, and crept into my project.  As a result, my base cardstock is the white naturals.  The next layer is Basic Black and then a layer of the Sweet Sorbet Designer Series Paper which is available only until tomorrow.  Finally I topped that with Blue Sky cardstock cut with my Hexagon Hive thinlits die.

I added some icicles using my Uniball Signo white pen and my Stampin' Chalk Marker.  With a layer of Crystal Effects covering them, they really do look icy.

With a frozen bee from the Backyard Basics and the sentiment from Springtime Hello, my card is complete.  Bleak?  Cold?  Welcome to Spring in frozen Alberta!

Getting back to reality...

It takes a few days to acclimatize and it also takes a few days to get back to reality.  Coming from a toasty 30 degrees C (86 F) and a relaxing day at the beach and landing in a grey land where it had the nerve to be minus 10 degrees C (14 F) was a shocker.  I'm still working to acclimatize myself.  That's hard when a little voice in my head keeps saying "let's go back, let's go back".  There's also a little voice in harmony with that first little voice which keeps saying "this is not reality!  it's snowing!  it should be sunny!  go back! go back! go back!"

Ignoring those very persistent voices is difficult.  Even while I'm trying to craft and make a new project, I have to work hard not to stop everything and just sit and lose myself in the photos I've taken of the trip.  *sigh*

It makes sense, therefore, to combine my longing for the warmth and colours I've left with my desire to begin crafting again.  This card takes advantage of the terrific Polaroid frame and camera included in the On Film Framelits Dies.  I've also used the By The Seashore stamp set for the background since it evokes the wealth of shells found at the beach.  The colours?  Well, just look at the photo of my family.  I had to use the beautiful Pacific Point and the Crumb Cake to echo the colours in the photo.

To finish off the card I used the sentiment from the Perfect Pennants stamp set along with the matching Pennants Framelits die.  Holding it down with the arrow from the Hung Up Cute Clips seemed appropriate...what do you think?

A card for Mother's Day

It's that time of year when I have to begin thinking of classes in which we'll be making at least one or two Mother's Day cards.  Of course that means coming up with some simple designs as well as some really WOW designs.  Today I'm sharing a simple design that is perfect for my upcoming make-n-take at a scrapbooking crop.  There's never a lot of time for all sorts of techniques, but that doesn't mean it can't look special.

I kept the colours for the card to simple blue tones and white.  My base is Pool Party with a layer of Island Indigo and then a layer of Whisper White.  I added two strips of Pool Party which I had embossed using my Big Shot and the Chevron embossing folder.  Between the two strips, I embossed a single line on the Whisper White cardstock using the Needlepoint Border embossing folder.  Then I cut a banner with rounded top corners from the Island Indigo cardstock, added a doily in Whisper White cut with the Delicate Doilies die, a floral shape in Pool Party using the Floral Frames Collection framelit, and finally, in the centre, a circle cut from Whisper White cardstock after I had stamped it in Island Indigo ink with one of the images from the Serene Silhouettes stamp set.

I think this will definitely appeal to the ladies.  But maybe I should offer it in a pink version as well.

For the Love of Watercolour

Watercolours can be so lovely and the ones in this year's Occasions Catalogue are especially beautiful.  The sheets in the Watercolor Wonder Designer Series Paper (132994) take my breath away.  Not all of them, of course, but enough that I am enjoying this paper immensely.

For this card I used the Happy Watercolor stamp set (133188) in conjunction with the designer paper because it is such a perfect match.  The inside of the card has the large "blotch" stamped in Crisp Cantaloupe ink and those pretty splatters, also from the stamp set, stamped in Daffodil Delight, Gumball Green and Island Indigo inks.  The sentiment is from the Love You to the Moon stamp set (133143).

The front of the card makes me smile.  I've used the Naturals White as my base cardstock and then layered it with Island Indigo and then a piece of 1 1/2" x 3 3/4" Whisper White cardstock for the top and a piece of 3 1/2" x 3 3/4" Watercolor Wonder Designer Paper for the bottom.  Before I adhered the designer paper, I ran it through the Big Shot in that wonderful Decorative Dots embossing folder (133520) from the Sale-a-bration products.  The result is subtle because of the colour splotches but I love it!

I covered the seam between the papers with a piece of Gumball Green Stitched Satin Ribbon.  Then I prepared six little flowers by stamping Crisp Cantaloupe, Pool Party and So Saffron cardstocks using my Whisper White Craft ink.  A little stem of Gumball Green using the Secret Garden framelit completed my preparations.  Then I stamped the Whisper White cardstock just above the ribbon using Island Indigo ink and a sentiment from the Happy Watercolor stamp set.  Then it was just a matter of punching out my flowers using the matching Petite Petals punch and adhering them to the ribbon and stem using my dimensionals.

A rhinestone in the centre of each flower gives it just the right finishing touch, doesn't it?

Enjoying the Tag Topper Card

As you already know, I love the Scallop Tag Topper punch.  I've made no secret of that fact and have the little boxes and tags to prove it.  Today I finally decided to make one of the popular Tag Topper Cards.  They're a fun change and give a card that special WOW factor that is near and dear to my heart.

This card is about a month too late, but who cares?  You can tell someone that you love him/her any time of the year, can't you?  It doesn't just have to be said on Valentine's Day.

Because of the open space that occurs when part of the front of the card is taken up by the Scallop Tag shape, I decided that this was the perfect opportunity to add a strip of the Gold Vellum.  The staggered gold hearts are perfect, especially with the "I freakin' love you!" as the sentiment beside it.  You can see that I decided to have the ribbon stretch right across the card.  Actually, I adhered it to the base cardstock and threaded it  through the openings left by the punch.

The front of the card was a bit more fun.  I love the Sweet Sorbet Sale-a-bration Designer Paper.  The floral design, especially, appeals to me.  I thought it would be perfect used along with the cute little bee from the Crazy Mixed Up Love stamp set.

The colours in the designer paper just begged for a base cardstock of Summer Starfruit.  Along with that I added a layer of Basic Black to really make the Designer Paper "pop".  I also added a few hearts punched out of Gold Foil using the Owl Builder Punch (that punch has so very, very many uses!).  I think the hearts really balance the gold hearts in the Gold Vellum, don't you?

Don't forget, you have until March 31st to get some of this wonderful designer paper free with a qualifying order.  I know I love using it and am certain you will as well.

March Wacky Watercooler Blog Hop--A Smorgasbord of Products

Already March and another blog hop.  Is it just me or is this year moving along at a real clip?

Welcome one and all to our new blog hop.  We're making our March presentation a real smorgasbord of products.  All the current catalogues and current products in the online store are fair game.  Excited?  I sure am.  I can hardly wait to see what the talented members of this blog hop have created to excite our imaginations this time.

You'll have come here from the very talented Marsha Reed's blog.  Aren't her projects terrific?  In the blink of an eye you've virtually travelled from Iowa in the USA to see me here in Alberta, Canada.  It sort of takes your breath away, doesn't it?

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For the first of my projects, I chose to celebrate St. Patrick's Day.  Just a few more days and all things will be green---except for the world around me which seems to be stubbornly staying white.  

What do people think with regards to St. Patrick's Day?  Well, of course one of the first thoughts would be of the shamrock which St. Patrick made famous by comparing its three petals to the trinity when explaining his religion to the Irish.  Next, most likely, someone would mention the pot of gold that the leprechauns apparently hide at the end of the rainbow.  And that, in a nutshell, describes my card.  Add in some rolling green hills and a lazy cloud and my card is complete.

I made the rainbow using a whole slew of round punches and several of the framelits from the Circle Collection.  Chanting Roy G Biv to myself, I made up the rainbow with arcs of Real Red, Calypso Coral, Daffodil Delight, Gumball Green, Marina Mist, Island Indigo, and Elegant Eggplant.  I love that Stampin' Up! has all the colours to make an awesome rainbow.  Then I used the smallest of the Window Framelits to make the pot (with a couple of minor modifications) and punched out several "gold coins" from the Gold Foil sheets and embossed them using my Petals a Plenty embossing folder.

The green hills are torn pieces of Pistachio Pudding and Wild Wasabi while the sky is a piece of Pool Party.  I made the shamrocks using the Small Heart punch and some Gumball Green cardstock.  After pinching each heart in half, I also sponged the tips lightly with some Encore Gold ink.  All those details are mounted on a piece of Gold Foil and that is, in turn, mounted on a base of Naturals White cardstock.

The hardest part of this was making the rainbow.  After that, it all came together really well.  Everything in this card came from the Annual Catalogue except for the Gold Foil which is current in the Occasions Catalogue.

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For my second project, I had fun playing with all sorts of wonderful products from the Occasions Catalogue.  I love the whimsy of the designs in the Life in the Forest stamp set and the Baby, We've Grown stamp set.  The little creatures seem both playful and innocent to me and so were the perfect inhabitants for me little Birthday Card-in-a-box world.  I think you can tell how much fun I really had in designing and making this card.  It makes me smile.

I'm not going to go into details about making the box.  I've provided a free template as well as all the instructions for it here.  The difference is the way I've decorated up the box.  And you can see from the sheer fun of it that this one was made purely for the pleasure of a child.  That little owl at the bottom is actually peeking out from a hole in the box and backed by a Soft Suede circle that is held in place with a Shaker frame.  The little mouse and the mushroom are both standing away from the box by means of some Stampin' Dimensionals.  Yes, all those little creatures are cut out by hand.  That little mouse's tail was a challenge as were the little owl's feet.  And I didn't amputate any little stamped limbs in the making of this box.

Don't you just love the way the Hardwood stamp inked with Smoky Slate makes the White Naturals cardstock look?  I stamped both the inside and the outside of the cardstock because I wanted it to look the same whether it was folded or not.  

Those balloons are simply Whisper White punched out with the Small Oval punch and coloured using a Blender Pen and Strawberry Slush ink and Coastal Cabana ink respectively.  The bottom of the balloon is actually just the foot of the little Owl Builder Punch.  Then I covered each balloon with a generous layer of Crystal Effects and, while they were still tacky, looped some white Baker's Twine around the bottoms.  All the little owls are suspended on Window Sheets as is the Word Bubble.

The lower portion of the box is almost as much fun as the top.  I added characters from the Life in the Forest stamp set as well as some grass which was made very easily using a strip of Wild Wasabi cardstock and those great new Fringe Scissors.

Finally I decorated up  the envelope into which it will fit perfectly.  I used a combination of the Gorgeous Grunge stamp set and the Mosaic Madness stamp set to put together a candle.  Doesn't the combination of Strawberry Slush, Coastal Cabana and Crushed Curry look perfect with the little box?

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My final project combines products from the Annual Catalogue, Occasions Catalogue and also the Online Store.  It's an anniversary card which I decided to make in a 4" x 7" size and therefore required a custom-sized envelope.  Thank goodness for the Envelope Punch Board!

I'm going to begin with the inside and work my way out.  Since I used Basic Black as my base cardstock, I needed some lighter cardstock inside on which to write.  For that I used Very Vanilla which I dipped along the edges in my Versamark and then heat embossed with Gold Embossing powder.  After that cooled and hardened, I used my Embossing Buddy to ensure that I wouldn't get all sorts of embossing powder bits where I didn't want them and then proceeded to heat emboss two butterflies from the Papillon Potpourri stamp set.  Finally, I carefully added the sentiment using my Black StazOn ink and the One in a Million stamp set.

For the front of the card I also used the Papillon Potpourri stamp set but this time I used both the small and the large butterflies.  I decided to heat emboss them in Gold Embossing powder as well and scattered them across the lines of music from that beautiful Modern Medley Designer Series Paper.  For their centres I tried the pearls but didn't like the contrast so I chose to heat emboss the little pearls in Gold Embossing powder as well.

They may not look like much on that sheet, but they look wonderful in the centres of my butterflies.  It was simple enough to get the gold embossing on the pearls.  I just pushed them against the Versamark, sprinkled them with Gold Embossing powder, shook off the excess, and then heated them until the gold melted beautifully around them.  You can do that with brads and buttons, too, but that's another project.

The sentiment also has some little gilded pearls on it.  Doesn't the gold embossing make the words from the Teeny Tiny Wishes stamp set "pop"?  I like the way it looks on the black arrow which I cut using the On Film Framelits die.   The slightly larger Gold Foil arrow underneath was hand-cut.  Between the Modern Medley Designer Series Paper and the Basic Black cardstock, I added a layer of Gold Foil.  The corners were all rounded using the Envelope Punch Board.

The matching envelope was easy to make.  You simply look at the Envelope Punch Board for the size of your card and it gives you the dimensions of paper you will need to make the right size of envelope.  Once I had assembled the envelope, I used my Music Notes Stampin' Wheel, Versamark and more Gold Embossing powder and heat embossed each end of the envelope diagonally.  

I love the finished set, don't you?

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And now you're off to Oregon in the USA.  That's where the fabulous Jean Fitch lives and creates.  You'll love her wonderful projects.

I hope you've enjoyed our blog hop.  No matter whether you go backwards or forwards, we're linked in a circle so it's never-ending.  After the second or third time around you may wish to jump off, catch your breath and have a bite to eat before coming back to go around the circle yet again.  There are so many great ideas in this blog hop, you'll want to take notes.

Our next blog hop is in the second week of April.  Don't worry---I'll give you fair warning.

A bit of everything

You know how sometimes when you're cooking or baking you wind up putting in a bit of this and a bit of that and it seems after a number of those "bits" that you've put in a bit of everything?  That's how I felt when I finished making this card.

I had been looking at the products which I had ordered from the Occasions Catalogue but which were still in their brand new condition.  Never used is a bad thing to be when you're part of a Catalogue with an early end-date.  After all, the Occasions Catalogue ends on June 1st.  Yes, that's still a few months away but do you realize we've already finished with almost 2 1/2 months of this brand new year?  Time flies!  It really does!

So, in particular, I wanted to at least try out my Arrows Textured Impressions Embossing folder and that super-fun framelit from the On Film collection that looks like a Polaroid photo frame.  I also had my eye on the starburst in the Essentials Wooden Elements.  As far as paper was concerned, I had decided that I really hadn't had enough of the gorgeous Watercolour Wonder Designer Series Paper.  To go with it, I chose a base of Naturals White, a layer of Gumball Green (which I embossed with the Arrows embossing folder), some Whisper White and finally, some Crushed Curry.

You can see that I also added a bunch of banners and some Gold Foil just for fun.  The flower is made of coffee filters cut with that wonderful Spiral Flowers Original Die.  I actually cut two and dipped the material into a mixture of rubbing alcohol and Crisp Cantaloupe re-inker.  When dry, I layered the two cut pieces and made one very full flower.  The green peeking out is a leaf, also cut from a coffee filter using Autumn Accents Bigz Die and dipped into a mixture of rubbing alcohol and Gumball Green re-inker.  A bit of white Baker's Twine, some Stampin' Dimensionals, and my card was done.

Isn't that a happy looking card?  Love that Watercolour Wonder Designer Paper!

Sending good thoughts your way, Mum!

It's my Mum's birthday today.  I won't be able to hug her and say "happy birthday", unfortunately, because she left this world over ten years ago.  There's still a hole in my life since she left.  We did a lot of things together and enjoyed each other's company.  Her love of taking pictures led to my life-long interest in photography.

Mum also loved tulips.  They were among her favourite flowers and Dad always made sure we had lots blooming in our gardens back in Victoria.  I don't remember ever seeing an empty vase during flowering season---which, in Victoria, was much of the year.

I made this card with my Mum in mind.  My memories of her are golden and therefore the card is a celebration in gold.  We have Gold Foil, gold embossing powder, Gold Vellum, the golden designs of the Watercolor Wonder Designer Washi tape and even some Gold Encore ink.  Like I said: a celebration in gold.

I stamped the tulip from the Backyard Basics stamp set on Gold Foil using Black StazOn ink.  That ink stamps beautifully on any surface!  Then I used the matching framelit to cut it out.  I love the effect!  It makes me think of a pretty gold brooch---and Mum loved brooches.

So, Mum, I know you're listening.  I'm sending good thought your way---wonderful, golden thoughts.

I miss you, Mum.

Not much longer to wait

Just think---in a week you'll be able to enjoy another Wacky Watercooler Blog Hop.  Yes, that's right.  I said one week.  Isn't that exciting?  This time there are even more of us in the Blog Hop so you'll have much more to enjoy and from which to get ideas.

Have you heard?  The new hop begins Thursday, March 13th!

Ode to Silhouettes

Sometimes you see a card that someone has made and it speaks to you.  Lisa Young used the Serene Silhouettes stamp set in conjunction with the birds graphics from the Modern Medley Designer Series Paper.

It's funny how life imitates art (or the other way around).  The other morning I went out to my vehicle and was mesmerized by the hundreds (no exaggeration) of birds that filled the bushes and trees.  Every few minutes they would all, in a seemingly orchestrated movement, rise into the air and take a short flight overhead only to return to the bushes and trees.  The air was filled with their chirping and with the noise of their wings moving.  It was an incredible experience.  I managed to get a photo of a small portion of them in one of the trees but even that was difficult.

You have to understand that all the neighbouring trees and bushes were filled with these birds and when they all took flight in unison, it was a very moving sight.

I reached for the Serene Silhouettes stamp set because it was so appropriate and, with a nod to Lisa's original, used it in conjunction with the design from the Modern Medley Designer Paper which featured the silhouettes of birds in flight.  Perfect.  Now I just needed to figure out how I would use them and I could convert my real life experience into a card.

I used Basic Black cardstock as my base and built up using the beautiful Fancy Foil Designer Vellum in gold as well as some Very Vanilla cardstock and some Gold Foil.  Using a combination of my Banners Framelits dies and Squares Framelits dies, I staggered the pieces.  Then I added a sentiment using the Banner Blast stamp set and, finally, some of the lovely Gold Baker's Twine.  I think the card gives an impression of my experience---what do you think?

Products Used

Serene Silhouettes stamp set

Banner Blast stamp set (Sale-a-bration)

Basic Black cardstock

Very Vanilla cardstock

Gold Foil sheet

Gold Fancy Foil Designer Vellum

Modern Medley Designer Series Paper

Goil Baker's Twine

StazOn Black ink

Stampin' Dimensionals

Snail Adhesive