Vintage Leaves Thanks

Autumn is coming...(I like the sound of that better than "Winter is coming.") This week we've been blessed with a few more warm & sunny 80 degree days, but it sure has been getting chilly at night! We only have a few trees just starting to change color, but soon our maple trees will be the gorgeous hues of Delightful Dijon, Tangerine Tango and Cherry Cobbler as shown below.

After embossing the maple leaf from Vintage Leaves in white I sponged on the ink colors listed above. The background got the same treatment with the addition of some texture from Gorgeous Grunge. The pattern from the Boho Chic Embossing Folder along with the Natural Chevron Ribbon remind me of fall sweater textures so I thought they were a good fit for this fall inspired card.

Thanks for visiting today!

Watercolor Wings Anniversary

I've been busy enjoying the beautiful weather and good times of summer that I haven't been able to spend a whole lot of time stamping...my poor stamps and blog are so neglected! I needed to make an anniversary card last week so I'm here today to share that card. I used a pretty butterfly stamped using the Wonderful Wings set and combined with elements from the Butterfly Basics set.

A smaller butterfly die cut out of Gold Glimmer Paper and a Vintage Faceted Button help make this card extra special.

Have a beautiful day!

Irresistible Butterfly

My title about says it all...the Butterfly Basics stamp set and coordinating Butterfly Thinlets are pretty much irresistible to me! I have to restrain myself from using them so that my other stamps get a turn!

I sponged on some Pear Pizzazz & Coastal Cabana to reveal the pretty foliage design on the Irresistibly Yours DSP...which is available for FREE during SAB! The splattered Calypso Coral print is from the Best Year Ever DSP and that is FREE as well!

I hand cut a piece of Vellum Cardstock by tracing around the negative space left inside my card stock after die cutting the large butterfly. Then after adhering it to the back of my butterfly I colored the back of the vellum using my Blendabilities Markers for a stained glass effect.

The smaller butterfly was heat embossed using White Embossing Powder and then sponged the same as my background.

Have a nice weekend!

Everything Eleanor Birthday

This card uses the technique emboss resist to achieve a really pretty background. The final result looks kind of like batik or tie dyed fabric.

I started with a piece of watercolor paper and stamped the swirl image from Everything Eleanor in VersaMark and then embossed it in Clear Embossing Powder. Then, spritz the paper with water and proceed to sponge on several different colors. Depending how much water used, the colors will start to softly flow and blend together. I used these four colors:

• Pear Pizzazz
• Coastal Cabana
• Strawberry Slush
• Calypso Coral

Tip: certain colors do not look good when blended or mixed together. The Pear Pizzazz for instance looks great blended with the Coastal Cabana, but if mixed with the other two colors would appear brownish & muddy. I made sure to sponge the CC next to the PP and not the other colors. 

Continue to sponge on color and spritz on more water to get the desired effect. Keep some paper towels handy to blot up any extra water and to also wipe up extra ink off the embossed areas when finished. After I was finished sponging on my color, and then wiping down the embossed areas,  I heat set it with my Heat Tool to help dry the paper. Then I added a few of the smallest flowers from Everything Eleanor inked in Coastal Cabana. 

I couple pieces of scrap sponged with the same colors, stamped with a couple of the butterflies from Papillon Potpourri and punched out with their coordinating punches finishes off the card. I was inspired by this very pretty card and video by Cindy.  

Have you checked out this weeks Weekly Deals yet? If you don't have the Secret Garden Framelits yet...I highly recommend them! 

Thanks for visiting today!

Serene Silhouette Sympathy

Today I have two cards to share...both use the same supplies, technique and colors but I changed up the layout. One is a sympathy card and the other is for a birthday, but either could be used for any occasion really. The Serene Silhouettes stamp set is quite versatile!

I started out planning to make two of the same cards...one to send and one to have on hand for my sample board...BUT I made a slight error. When I use the Woodgrain Embossing Folder and the Timber Wheel on multiple layers, I like to make sure that the grain of the wood on all layers is running the same way. I didn't pay attention to that when I embossed my stamped image of the tree branch and birds, so I decided to make the extra card like this...

I like the way both of these turned out and cannot really pick a favorite. Which one do you prefer?

Thanks for visiting me today...have a great weekend!

Serene Silhouettes Anniversary

Today I am sharing a card that I basically copied off myself. I created the first card using the same technique & colors a few years back. Since this card (shown here ) using the Just Believe stamp set has been consistently a favorite, according to my stats both here and on Pinterest, I thought I would try another version using Serene Silhouettes.

To create the shadow on the image and really make it pop, it was first stamped in Soft Suede and then using my Stamp-a-ma-jig I offset the image and stamped it again in VersaMark. Then it was embossed using Winter White EP. To make the white image stand out even more on the Very Vanilla card stock, I lightly sponged it with Crumb Cake ink using a Sponge Dauber. 

This version of the card looks more distressed and antiqued than my original card by inking up the edges and also inking the Beautifully Baroque embossing folder with Crumb Cake ink before running it through the Big Shot. 

The little butterfly, from Papillon Potpourri and the Basic Pearls used to adorn the ribbon and flowers add just the right finishing details.

Do you use Pinterest? Here is something to consider when pinning:
Like I mentioned earlier in this post, I can tell if a particular blog posting is popular by checking my stats here and also on Pinterest. Before Pinterest, I used to be able to tell if a post was well liked by the comments received on the actual posting. Now it seems most people don't take the time to post comments anymore, but instead, pin something if they like it...and yes, I'm guilty of the same thing! 

I LOVE Pinterest, so I'm certainly not knocking it BUT every now and then I come across a pin where the pinner is criticizing the creation in the pin description. This just happened to me recently where someone pinned one of my cards, and said they liked the layout, but then went on to say what they didn't like. "OK...thanks for the backhanded compliment B*$%!", I thought to myself. Later, I thought more about it...and it kind of made me mad. Us bloggers take a lot of time to share our creations with others. Most, including myself, are certainly not getting compensated for the time we put into it. Should we really have to read negative comments on a very public forum like Pinterest? 

I know what I post is appealing to some and to others...not so much. I'm fine with that...everyone has different tastes. But unless the person posting is asking for opinions why would someone think it's OK to make negative remarks? For those who need to critique and criticize then maybe they should have a secret board dedicated to those pins? 

Just something to consider when you are pinning someones creation...we never know who is reading what we write and how our words can hurt others who were simply sharing something they thought was their best work. One nice comment can make someone's day...but a negative one can ruin the fun of sharing.

Thanks for stopping by and if you read the above...thanks for listening.

Elegant Embossed Medallion

Here is an elegant card I created as one of my entries for the Artisan Award Contest.

I used a couple of my favorite, now retired sets...Medallion & Vintage Vogue along with the Very Vintage wheel. The Medallion is embossed in White EP and then I sponged on Crumb Cake & Early Espresso ink. Then it received some shimmer with some Vanilla Shimmer Smooch Spritz.

Thanks for visiting today.

Mixed Bunch Snowflake

I have been finding the Mixed Bunch set to be a fun and very versatile set...especially this pretty lacy image used here. I showed you how I used it for a butterfly in this post...so I figured why not a snowflake?

I embossed it in Iridescent Ice EP on Glossy Card stock and then sponged on color using Baja Blue & Not Quite Navy Classic Ink. With it matted on the Silver Glimmer Paper the result is super sparkly. Take a closer look...

We're supposed to be getting up to 6 inches of snow here in the next 24 hours...so I'm sure I'll be seeing some real snowflakes soon.

Mixed Bunch Butterfly

I finally got my hands on the new set Mixed Bunch along with the coordinating Blossom Punch. I must say, this set is even more fun to play with than I thought it would be. In one stampin' session I created several fun things including this card.

I just loved the idea shown in the Occasions Mini where they created a butterfly using this set, so I had to try one of my own. I stamped the flower image onto Glossy White card stock in Versa Mark ink and embossed with Iridescent Ice EP. I punched out the image and then sponged on Melon Mambo & Island Indigo ink. The result is sparkly and colorful. Here's a closer look.

After sponging on my ink I simply cut away two of the petals to get this butterfly shape, added some Basic Rhinestones for the body and attached it to a Pear Pizzazz butterfly die cut using the Beautiful Butterflies die.

Stamps: Mixed Bunch & Perfect Words (Hostess set)
Card stock: Pear Pizzazz, Melon Mambo, Island Indigo, Whisper White & Glossy White
Ink: Versa Mark, Melon Mambo & Island Indigo
Accessories: Elegant Lines Embossing Folder, Iridescent Ice EP, Basic Rhinestones, Blossom Punch, Beautiful Butterflies die, Glimmer Brad (Brights) & Melon Mambo Scallop Dots Ribbon

In the coming days I'll be sharing more creations with this set...so come back and visit again!

Personalized Wedding & Anniversary Cards

This has been a REALLY busy past couple of weeks for us! We've been to grad & anniversary parties, 4 concerts and also managed to complete a landscaping project here at home in between all the running. I received a new box of goodies from SU! and haven't had time to play with them yet...so sad! I did manage to make cards for all the celebrations we've been to.

Sorry about the weird angle of the card in this photo. I was trying to capture the shimmery background and the shiny embossed medallion. I embossed this using Clear EP on Shimmery White card stock. Then I sponged on Marina Mist and Baja Breeze. Here's another card I made for a 50th Wedding Anniversary party.

Doesn't the Brushed Gold card stock look gorgeous embossed with the new Vintage Wallpaper folder? Both cards use JustRite Monogram stamps to allow the personalization. I've always wanted to try these, and had the opportunity when stamping with a friend recently. (thanks Karman!) It is really tedious to set up all the lettering, but it's worth it to have the personalization.

Both cards also use the new adhesive backed Jewels available in the new catalog. They come in both rhinestones & pearls. Love those things! So glad SU! is finally carrying them! They have so many awesome new embellishments in this catalog. Here are the first ones I got in my first new catalog order.

The pearls & rhinestones come in 3 sizes and also in 3 connected strips. The Antique Brads are amazingly GORGEOUS! And the new assortments of Designer Buttons are way CUTE! I got the Brights collection...ooooh...Razzleberry buttons!!! I think this coming week I'll have time to play with some of my new goodies!

Wedding Medallion

Today my card reflects a little of what I am seeing out my window...lots of sparkling white! It's been snowing non stop since around midnight last night. This is a wedding card I made for my cousin who recently got married.

The beautiful Medallion image was embossed in Winter White EP on Shimmery White cardstock. Then using a sponge dauber I added a little Sahara Sand ink. The center of the Medallion was stamped and embossed a second time and punched out using the 1-3/4" Circle Punch and popped up with dimensionals. The bottom third of the panel was dry embossed using my Big Shot and the Perfect Details Texturz Plate. I added some Whisper White Organza Ribbon and adhered it to a Very Vanilla base. The sentiment is from the Teeny Tiny Wishes set.

Thanks for stopping by.

Birthday Somethings

It's Friday again...and that means another Stamp Something Challenge! This week you must stamp something with a birthday theme, so I pulled out my new set Fifth Avenue Floral and stamped a feminine birthday card.
I embossed the ruffly cosmos images with White Embossing powder and water colored with my Aqua Painter and re-inkers to match the colors of the Razzleberry Lemonade papers. The "happy birthday" greeting is from the Teeny Tiny Wishes set.

I hope you can play along with us this week at Stamp Something...so get busy and stamp your birthday something. Enjoy your weekend!

Watercolored Blooms

It took me a while, but I finally broke down and got this beautiful floral set. I loved it from the start, but figured I already had lots of floral stamps, so I resisted. After seeing so many beautiful creations and realizing I didn't have a floral set to watercolor...I couldn't resist any longer! I had so much fun water coloring these flowers, so I'm sure you will see me using this set a lot.

I stamped the flowers with VersaMark on Whisper White card stock and embossed with white embossing powder. Then I used my aqua painter and re-inkers to watercolor the flowers and the background.

Stamps: Fifth Avenue Floral, Oval All
Ink: VersaMark, and various to watercolor
Card stock: Melon Mambo, Bermuda Bay, Whisper White
Accessories: Bermuda Bay Polka-dot Grosgrain, Scalloped Oval punch, white embossing powder, heat tool, aqua painter & X-acto knife (to cut slot for ribbon)

Sorry I've been posting so irregularly lately, but I've been busy enjoying the beautiful weather we've been having. Need to take advantage while we've got it, right? Thanks for stopping by to visit. :-)

Some More Fresh Cuts

After making the sympathy card I showed you yesterday I wanted to try something using some brighter colors. I used the same technique, but this time I embossed the image in white and sponged on a rainbow of color. Included in the colors I sponged on were Saffron & Rose. When these two colors were combined they created an Apricot shade. So while my original intention was to go with a Saffron base for my card, in the end I felt Apricot was a better choice. I really like the color combo of Apricot Appeal, Rose Red & Mellow Moss and would not have thought to use it otherwise.

Doesn't the swirl from the Baroque Motifs set look nice as the background here? If you look closely at the Fresh Cuts image you can see part of the swirl at the bottom of the image, so they really do work well together. Since I was having so much fun embossing and sponging I made another card using the same technique.
The colors I sponged on here were similar to what I used on the sympathy card, only brighter. This time I used the Saffron card stock I had intended to use on the last card. I really liked the strip with the vine image stamped on it, like on the previous card, and decided to incorporate that into this card as well. So that it looked different, I planned to make this card vertical rather than horizontal like the previous two cards. After playing for way too long, I could not get all the elements to fit as I envisioned, so that is when I decided to try a square card. That worked like a charm...all the elements fell into place. I added the little scalloped border at the bottom using my corner rounder punch. SU! is going to have a new scalloped border punch coming out in the next catalog! Won't that be nice? You know I'll be snatching up that baby ASAP!

The color combo shown here is: Rose Red, Elegant Eggplant, So Saffron & Mellow Moss.

Have a great day!

Fresh Cuts Sympathy

This is the first card I created with my new Fresh Cuts goodies. I thought the "thinking of you" script in the background of this collage stamp made it perfect for the sympathy card I needed to make for a friend. I started by embossing the image in black on white card stock. Then I sponged the background using Artichoke, Bravo Burgundy & Eggplant inks.


The 5 Petal flower punch works great with this set as it is such a good companion to the little flower stamp, and of course the die cut notes.



For the background I used Sanded and the little border stamp that comes with this set along the bottom. I really like this set a lot! It looks so pretty embossed! Plus I have always really liked collage style stamps. I read somewhere that there are at least 5 different SU! sets that are used in this collage. Can you spot them? Up until then the only one I had noticed was Riot of Petals. If you look closely you can also see images from Wonderful You, Kind Thoughts, Baroque Motifs & So Much.

Check this out....isn't it the cutest?!!

My good friend made this for my birthday. I love the papers she used and the little bag is just adorable! She had a rub-on tool from Basic Grey in the bag. Thanks for thinking about me Rach...you rock!!!


Now that I finally have my computer running with all my software re-installed (thanks Danny!)I'll be posting on a regular basis again. Thanks for stopping by...hope your day is a good one!

Playing with my Punch Pals

I knew when I first saw this set in the new catalog I had to have it! Sad part is I haven't had much time to play with it yet...but so far I do know it is very versatile and fun to use. I love the snowman and penguin images the best. I made this card using the same colors and some left over sparkley paper I created after making my first punch pal card seen here. (The description of how I created the background with the Emboss Resist technique is also described in the post.) I saw a super cute card on SCS and that inspired the layout I used here. I thought it was so cute how she cut out the snowmans head and had it popped up in the middle of the "tis the season" stamp, so I just had to try that too.

Unfortunately the colors are a bit off because I photographed the card rather than scanning it. I had hoped the photo would show more of the sparkle from Irridescent Ice embossing powder I used for the background on the main image. I think this color combo is a bit different than what you would traditionally think of for Christmas colors, but I like it.

Stamps: Punch Pals, Bold Snowflakes Jumbo wheel

Card stock: Sage Shadow, Lovely Lilac, Bashful Blue & Glossy White

Ink: Black Stazon, White Craft, Lovely Lilac, VersaMark, various to watercolor

Accessories: Silver eyelets, Blue gingham ribbon, Vintage brads, Ticket Corner, Scallop, 1-3/8", 3/4", 1/2" circle punches, Aqua painter

Have a great day!

Merry Christmas in July!

I had a Christmas in July class today. It is always so much fun coming up with new designs for my card classes - especially Christmas cards! I think my favorite card we did today was this one using the new Punch pals set. I just LOVE this little penguin!

The background looks so pretty in real life because we used glossy card stock with Iridescent Ice embossing powder on the snowflakes so it is sooo sparkly! Then we sponged over the top of the embossed snowflakes with Bashful Blue and Lovely Lilac ink. This is the first card I've created with this set...can't wait to make more!

Also, among the other 12 cards we did today were a cute pocket card using one of my very first Stampin' Up! sets ~ Frosty and a floating tag card using Festive Favorites. If you missed this class, I'm sure I'll be having several more Christmas card events before the Holidays. Contact me today and we can set one up for you and your friends.

Stamps: Punch Pals, Bold Snowflake wheel

Card Stock: Sage Shadow, Glossy White, Lovely Lilac & Bashful Blue

Ink: White Craft, Black Stazon, Sage Shadow, Bashful Blue

Accessories: Iridescent Ice EP, Tag & Window Word punches, water color pencils, vintage Brads & Blue gingham ribbon

I love Christmastime, but I am thankful that it is only July...this summer is already flying by way too quickly! Plus I love the weather in July way more than I do Michigan in December!