I'll Miss You Mixed Bunch!

I will really miss Mixed Bunch set and the coordinating Blossom Punch! I have used them both quite a bit. When I got this fun set out to stamp I knew I wanted to combine it with some of my favorite retiring accessories. So I used the Beautifully Baroque Embossing Folder to create a cool background, check it out...

If you want to try this stamped background technique with your embossing folder just ink up your folder in the desired color(s) and then spritz it with some water so the colors can start to blend a bit. Then, place a piece of watercolor paper inside the folder and close. Press and rub with your hand and allow the watercolor paper to absorb the ink and water. When you open your folder you should have a beautiful print. Experiment with different color combos. I used Bermuda Bay, Pear Pizzazz & Crushed Curry.

Depending on which side of the folder that you apply the ink to, your design will vary as shown in the photo above. I also used the Itty Bitty Banner stamp set and the Bitty Banner Framelits with some Black Chevron Ribbon on my card  ...all of will be retiring.

Now for some "Flashback Friday".... here are a few favorite projects I've shared here in the past using the fun and versatile Mixed Bunch.

This flower pot and pocket card set was made for Craft Project Central. Read more on that here.

This easel card uses lots of soon to be retired items including the Hearts Collection of framelits, the Four Frames stamp set and Boho Blossoms Punch. More about this card in this post

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For this card I trimmed away two of the petals to create a fancy butterfly. Read more here.

The same image is used here to create a delicate snowflake. More on this card here.

I like the color combo on this one...but a few of these colors have since retired. As you can see, the little circle pieces in this set are great for creating a backgound. See more on this card here.

After looking at these cards I think you'll agree that this set is more than just another flower set...it's actually pretty versatile. If you don't already have it...I'd highly recommend adding it to your collection!

Have a great weekend!

Lovely Lace Fun Framed Flower

I took a welcome break from my Christmas crafting yesterday to create a fun card using some new goodies dropped off by UPS earlier in the day.

As you can see I chose non-Christmassy colors and one of my go to stamp sets...Mixed Bunch to create a quick card.

Can you believe I didn't already have the Lovely Lace or the Fun Frames embossing folders in my collection? I was happy they were part of last weeks doorbuster special!

I used these colors to create this card: Pistachio Pudding, Crumb Cake, Blushing Bride &  Crisp Cantaloupe.

Update: I will have more All Is Calm 6 x 6 Pocket Album Kits ready to ship out the middle of next week. I'll have a few extras...so please contact me to reserve your kit.

Flippin' Friday: Color Me Autumn Flower

It's been a while since I did a Flippin' Friday post...and today is Friday! I have a flip card...so why not!? I thought a cute flip card was the perfect opportunity to use some of the Color Me Autumn Washi Tape.

I pulled my color combo of Cajun Craze, Crushed Curry & Blackberry Bliss from the pack of Color Me Autumn Washi Tape found in the Holiday Catalog...perfect for a fall Birthday.

The Hardwood Background stamp used on the Crushed Curry panel gives it a rustic look which I think goes right along with the Autumn feel.

Have a fantastic Friday!

So Very Blessed

I had fun creating these scrapbook pages using photos of the wonderful women in my family at my niece's bridal shower earlier this summer.

I used Core'dinations Crisp Cantaloupe cardstock for the base and the Dots Decorative Mask to create the polkadot background. It went pretty quickly using a Sponge Dauber and Crisp Cantaloupe ink right from the ink pad. (I only sponged the area that would be seen instead of entire 12x12 piece.) While the Core'dinations Cardstock is now retired, you can still pick up certain colors on the Clearance Rack.

I love the layered flower embellishment created with the Daydream Medallions & Mixed Bunch stamp sets. I stamped the title onto Vellum Cardstock and embossed with Pool Party EP. The stamp set is an old SAB set called So Very. (I keep all my old word sets because you never know when you'll need them!)

The papers are from the Watercolor Wonder DSP and were in the now retired Occasions Catalog. I saved these sheets with the pretty watercolored roses for a future scrapbook pages...so glad I did! Good news is...you can still get these beautiful papers as a Digital Download for My Digital Studio.

This time I layered the flowers with a Stampin' Up! Tea Lace Paper Doily. The swirls are from a Bigz Die by Tim Holtz called Elegant Flourishes.

Thanks for stopping by! Make sure to check back next week as I finally received my order from the Holiday Catalog and have been having fun playing with new items. That means I'll have new things to share with you! Have a wonderful weekend!

Multi-Color Embossed Mixed Bunch

Have you ever wished you could emboss a detailed design using multi colors of embossing powders and be able to designate where each color would go on the design? Check out this multi-color embossed flower using the Mixed Bunch set to see what I mean...

It is super easy to get this embossed multi-color look using White Embossing Powder and your new Blendabilities Markers! All you need to do is emboss your line art design on dark card stock with White Embossing Powder...then just color away using the brush tip of your Blendabilities! How easy is that?!

Using dark card stock, such as Basic Black shown on my sample, hides any accidental "out of the lines" occurrences...so no worries about being super precise. Using line art verses solid images works better because using bolder images may show your brush strokes. Here's my finished card...

To color my flower, I used the medium shade from each color set...Old Olive, Rich Razzleberry, Coastal Cabana & Pumpkin Pie. Because I was coloring over the white gloss of the embossing powder, the colors appear more pastel in tone. I even colored my Basic Rhinestone center using my Pumpkin Pie Blendability...I love being able to add jewels and pearls to match my projects. I first saw this technique shared on Mary Fish's Blog, and was super excited to try it. Hope you like this technique as well!

You are now able to order each of the color sets used on this card, plus Cherry Cobbler, Daffodil Delight & the six color Skin Tone Assortment! If you haven't order these yet...you are missing out on a lot of coloring fun! Check out my Online Store to learn more.

Flower Shop Thank You & Tip

I just love stamp sets that have coordinating punches! Top on my list of favorites are the Flower Shop stamp set and matching Pansy Punch and the Papillion Potpourri set with its 2 coordinating punches. Today I have a card using both of these sets along with a helpful tip using the Flower Shop set to share with you. First the card...

I stamped the main panel using Calypso Coral, Bermuda Bay & Pear Pizzazz, then cut it into strips. I then ran the strips through the Big Shot using the Square Lattice Embossing Folder. (I cut and then embossed because it's easier for me to cut straight before the texture is added.)

Now onto todays tip:

I remember reading a very helpful tip online somewhere (but now I cannot find it?) when I first got this set. It makes punching out the stamped flowers so much easier! Thanks to whoever it was that first shared this tip!

At first glance, you may think all the petals on the flowers are the same...so just stamp & punch, right? Well, actually the petals are all slightly different, so if you just slap the image on the block & stamp, you then have to fiddle with the image until you get it lined up inside the punch. So to avoid all that, take a black Sharpie marker and make a mark on each stamp as shown below.

Now, just select your stamp and place it with the marked petal at the bottom of your block, as shown below. (If you are using wood mount...same thing...just make sure to mount the correct petal pointing down)

Stamp your image with that marked petal towards the bottom edge of your card stock and it will line up easily with the bottom petal inside the punch. I also made a small block dot using my Sharpie inside my punch. Hope this tip helps you as much as it has me!

If you don't have it already....just a reminder that Papillon Potpourri and the coordinating Bitty Butterfly Punch is on SALE this month! Find out all the details here.

Mixed Bunch Medley

I really love the bright, cheery color combo of this card we made at my recent All Occasions Card Class...especially on a dark dreary morning like we are having today.

The base is Pool Party, the embossed Perfect Polka Dot layer is Island Indigo, the Mixed Bunch flower is Primrose Petals, as is the Stitched Satin Ribbon. The strip at left is Raspberry Ripple and the leaves were punched from Certainly Celery using the Bird Builder Punch.

The sentiment, from the Blooming With Kindness set was stamped in Raspberry Ripple ink. The small, scalloped flower is from the Hostess set Mixed Medley and was punched using the 1-1/4" Scallop Circle Punch which is new in the Holiday Catalog. The Basic Rhinestone center was colored with a sharpie.

Thanks for stopping by today.

Mixed Bunch Page

Here is the last of my scrapbook entries for the Artisan Award contest. I think this ended up being my favorite page I created for the contest. It features a photo I took of my Mom in my garden on the day she married my Step-Father.

There was a lot of fussy cutting on this one...all the leaves were cut from the Petals & Paisley DSP and the butterflies are cut out images from the Creative Elements stamp set. I love the way the lacy looking flower image from Mixed Bunch coordinated with my Mom's dress...as did the lace ribbon. I used the image from the center of the flower and my Stamp-a-ma-jig to stamp each scallop cut from the Tasteful Trims Die. Here's a closer look...

I really need to recreate this page for my own scrapbook. Thanks for looking.

Happiness Is...

New colors! Things haven't changed much for me...just like when I was a kid playing with my box of 64 crayons...the more colors to choose from the better! So each year when Stampin' Up! introduces the new In Colors, I cannot wait to get them! It's hard to judge the printed colors just by looking at the catalog, so when they arrive here at my house I have to play with them right away. Yesterday was that day! Here is my first creation using the new In Colors.

I managed to include all 5 of the new colors on this card. The base and the stamped flower are Midnight Muse. The embossed polka dot layer is Summer Starfruit. The large die cut label and the stamped sentiment are Raspberry Ripple. The smaller die cut label and embossed strip is Primrose Petals, and the leaves are Gumball Green.

The die cut labels I was referring to above are cut using the Big Shot and a new set of dies that will be available June 1st in the new catalog. They are called Apothecary Accents Framelits. I used the two largest ones here. (The Midnight Muse layer was cut by hand using the framelit as my template...trace the outside, and cut.) I pierced all around the outside of the largest label using my Mat Pack Template which is on the retiring list. I was quite bummed about that...UNTIL I saw the new & improved paper piercing templates that are in the new catalog. They will be on my first new catalog order for sure!

I'm also happy to say that both stamp sets used above, Mixed Bunch & Loving Thoughts, are in the new catalog! So if you missed getting them from the Occasions Mini, they are still available.

If you are like me, you may be wondering how these new In Colors will work with the other Color Collections? Or maybe how close they are to some of the existing colors? I know just seeing them in print or on the computer screen on their own some of them looked like existing colors to me. I can say now that I have seen them first hand, each one is quite different and they really do blend with the existing colors quite nicely. Here's a little color comparison photo I put together to give you an idea.

It's always nice to have an assortment of different colors...don't you agree?

Have a colorful day!

Mixed Bunch Heart Easel Card

Today I have an easel card I created using some of my favorite products from the Occasions Mini...The Hearts Collection of Framelits, the Adorning Accents Edgelits with the coordinating Embossing Folders and the Mixed Bunch set with the coordinating Blossom Punch.

Just a reminder...today is the last day to order from the Occasions Mini Catalog...you don't want to miss out on any of the great products used here and many more. Visit my online store to place your order.

Have a great day!

Mixed Bunch Flower Pot & Double Pocket Card Set

Today I finally get to share the project I created as guest designer on Craft Project Central! My favorite set from the Occasions Mini is Mixed Bunch and I just love the words from Loving Thoughts so I combined the two. Hope you like it!

It’s a fun green project just in time for Spring! Recycle a can into a pretty pot holding a bouquet of flowers created using the Mixed Bunch stamp set. The whimsical pennant leaves stamped with inspiring words are the perfect accent. Make the matching double-pocket card, with a matching bookmark and tag, and give to someone creative in your life, or make it for your own craft studio!

To get the instructions for my project, plus all the other great projects this month, just subscribe to April. I'll be giving away a free April subscription to one lucky winner! Just leave me a comment here before midnight on April 16th and it could be you!

Regal Indigo Pear Thanks

I want to start off todays post by saying thank you for the recent comments here on my blog. I've been having a real problem lately with spam comments, so it's nice to receive some legitimate comments. I've played with a few settings. so hopefully it will help a bit without having to add word verification moderation. I don't know about you...but sometimes those are really hard to read!

Here's a card with a color combo I've never used before. I had some scraps sitting in my work area and thought they looked good together and came up with this.

Like the title says, I used Regal Rose, Pear Pizzazz & Island Indigo...makes for a cheery, spring like color combo, don't you think? The flower image from Mixed Bunch was first inked in Baja Breeze and then rolled in Island Indigo along the edges of the stamp. The "Thanks" sentiment is from Kindness Matters...which is a FREE selection during SAB.

Thanks for visting me 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 Hugs

Here is a bright cheerful card using Mixed Bunch and the Hostess set Perfect Words. The DSP is of course the SAB papers Everyday Enchantment...which I just cannot stop using! I love this pop of Cherry Cobbler added to this color combo of Pool Party, Peach Parfait and Pear Pizzazz.

Besides the new Blossom punch that coordinates with Mixed Bunch, I used a few other punches to complete this card: Blossom Petals Builder, Extra Large Oval & the Blossom Bouquet Triple Layer punches.

Don't forget...along with this beautiful DSP, the Embossed Oval Frame shown here is also available for free during SAB! It comes as a set with a rectangular frame as well...LOVE these!

Have a wonderful weekend...BIG{HUGS}2U!

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!