Birthday Design

Who knew being prepared ahead of time would be so relaxing and peaceful? LOL I actually got to stamp along while I hosted a Chat & Challenge over at the demonstrator only site Sudsol!

This is a birthday card for our niece. The original sketch came from PaperCraftPlanet online, from a couple of weeks ago. Can you see the Dazzling Diamonds Glitter around the edge of the Certainly Celery, as well as being the icing on the cupcakes?

My design uses three current SU! stamp sets: Crazy for Cupcakes, Circle Circus & Hugs & Wishes. It also uses Melon Mambo, Elegant Eggplant, Certainly Celery and Whisper White. Accessories: Blender Pen (for watercoloring from the ink pads), Melon Mambo Polka Dot Grosgrain Ribbon, Wide Oval Punch, Dazzling Diamonds Glitter, Two Way Glue Pen & Dimensionals. ENJOY!

Our Christmas Card

Merry Christmas! I see it's been quite awhile since my last post. I am guessng most of you have been as busy as me and my family have been since Thanksgiving! Our personal Christmas cards are now complete, as of this evening. Now it's on to baking, cleaning, baking and baking! Woohoo!

This year's design uses several different sets - both current and retired! The current set used is Holy Triptych (love this set!) & Heard from the Heart (on the envelope back)! Current Holiday Mini Accessories: Stampin' Up! Movers & Shapers Holiday Windows and the Ornament Punch. Current Accessories: Versamark Ink Pad, Large Oval Punch, Gold Embossing Powder, Heat Tool and Embossing Buddy. Retired sets include: Star-Studded Season (for both sentiments), Forest Foliage ( the pine branch to create the Christmas tree background) & All God's Children (on the envelope front). I also used the retired Wrought Iron Corner Punch on the inside layer, then folded the corners under for the lovely accent you see above. A Zig Painty Pen created the ornament strings. Colors used were Bravo Burgundy, Mellow Moss (with Handsome Hunter stamped on it) and Whisper White.

I count you all among my blessings, and you are in my prayers. From my family to yours - May God Bless you abundantly this Christmas season and throughout the New Year! ENJOY!

Swiped Lighthouse Card

Here is the second design using the Baby Wipe Swipe Technique - only this time I used SU! Glossy White card stock. The Glossy card stock soaks in the colors, and gives a softer, almost pastel look. (Would be great for baby colors!) See THIS POST for directions on how to try this technique.

Colors used here are SU! Crushed Curry, Soft Suede, Old Olive, Dusty Durango and Whisper White. The "enjoy" sentiment comes from a retired SU set called "Sweet Sampler", and I markered just the word to use. ENJOY!

Thanksgiving Card

Have you seen or tried the "baby wipe swipe" technique? That's the striped layer you see here. For this design, I used Whisper White so the colors would be more vibrant. (My next sample will use Glossy White card stock, which soaks in the ink and gives softer look.)

The focal image comes from the SU! set "Gifts from the Earth" in the current Holiday Mini Catalog. I left it uncolored on purpose, to contrast with the brightly colored, swiped layer.

Baby Wipe Swipe Technique: First, choose your Re-inker colors. Then, take a baby wipe, and fold it up (usually at least twice) so that it fits easily in your fingers and doesn't hang over your fingers too much. Next, 'stripe' the wipe with one re-inker at a time, placing the stripes as close to each other as possible without mixing the colors. Lastly, begin above your cardstock, and swipe the colored stripes with firm pressure down the card stock and off the other side. Repeat the process moving to the side (left or right depends on what hand you use) until you've covered your entire piece of card stock. Let dry before trimming and adhering to your main layers. Note: You can also create a plaid look, by turning your card stock and repeateing the swiping process in the opposite direction.

For this design, I used Soft Suede, Old Olive, Crushed Curry and Dusty Durango re-inkers. Along with the Whisper White, I used Soft Suede and Old Olive card stock, and Earth Elements Buttons with Linen Thread tied in the centers. I adhered the buttons with Mini Glue Dots (LOVE those!) And I can't forget the Dusty Durango Polka Dot Grosgrain Ribbon that I used polka dot side down. The sentiment comes from the retired SU set "Holidays and Wishes." the focal image was finished off with the Ticket Corner Punch. ENJOY!

Poinsettia Framed Snowmen Card

Here is the fourth and final design of the workshop projects. I was thrilled when SU! came out with dry embossing folders for the Big Shot! They are slightly bigger than other company's embossing folders, so they actually cover the entire front of a standard card front, rather than just creating an embossed layer. This folder is "Petals a Plenty". I learned how to create this dry embossed 'frame' from fellow SU! demonstrator Patty Bennett. For this design, I used a wooden picture mat with the oval pre-cut from it that I picked up at the craft store.

The focal image comes from the Level 3 Host set "The More the Merrier", stamped in Basic Gray and colored in using a Blender Pen and Stampin' Write Markers. The Two Way Glue Pen adheres the Dazzling Diamonds Glitter to create the 'snow' the snowmen are sitting on. I also used the Real Red Stampin' Write to color the middles of the poinsettias to add just a touch more of color. The Modern Label and Word Window Punches, along with the Red Gingham Ribbon complete this fun design. ENJOY!

Thoughts & Prayers Card

Here is design 3 of 4 from the THO (totally hands on) workshop this past weekend. The featured SU! stamp set here is "Thoughts and Prayers", along with the simply gorgeous "Bella Bleu" Designer Series Paper (DSP).

What do you think of the DSP vase? It's the Ornament Punch currently in the Holiday Mini Catalog! So if you thought the Ornament Punch would only be useful at Christmas - now you can go ahead and order it because it makes the cutest vases! :) The Designer Label Punch is also used to make a 'window' for the sentiment. A few Not Quite Navy Brads and some strips of Kraft Taffeta Ribbon finish off this lovely Not Quite Navy, Bordering Blue, Very Vanilla & Kraft color combination. ENJOY!

Gifts of the Earth Card

This is design 2 of 4 from the workshop at Beth H.'s today. For this design, I used the SU! stamp set "Gifts of the Earth" (fabulous Fall images in this set!) from the current Holiday Mini Catalog, along with the jumbo wheel "Bright Blessings".

I pulled out the old favorite Watercolor Pencils - one of the first products I bought, along with the Stampin' Pastels. The Watercolor Pencil colors mix wonderfully with the added touch of the Blender Pen. See the watering can in the focal image? It looks like I had a Bermuda Bay pencil doesn't it? I mixed two colors and it cam eout almost an exact match! Woohoo!

I love using the tone-on-tone technique to create subtle backgrounds, like I did here using Dusty Durango ink and card stock - both for the wheel image AND for the suede texture on the top half using a crumpled piece of plastic wrap (first tapped on the ink pad, then onto the card stock, repeating as necessary.) The suede texture was also added to the Dusty Durango Photo Corner Punch that embellishs the focal image.

I think Dusty Durango is my favorite In Color right now - and look how beautifully it goes with the Bermuda Bay and Soft Suede! A strip of Soft Suede Polka Dot Grosgrain Ribbon, polka dot side down), the Photo Corner Punch and a couple of gold brads finish off our lovely Thanksgiving/Fall design. ENJOY!