Very Vintage Sitting Here

I'm here today to share a card using a couple of my very favorite stamps sets...sadly, both will be retiring when this current catalog ends.

The Very Vintage set adds a pretty floral design in the corner and helps break up the long lines of the rope on the swing. I also used the birthday sentiment from that set as well. I love the idea of sitting and relaxing on a porch swing, so even without the adorable critters and accessories to add to the swing I would still be drawn to the Sitting Here stamp set. Plus if you know me, you know I love to watercolor, so that is another plus.

If you don't already have these sets in your collection, you better grab them up while they are still available. While you are at it, make sure to check out the entire Retirement List for other favorite items before they are gone for good.

Sitting Pretty Kitty

I shared about my New Catalog Pick Up Party in my last posting and since it was quite long I decided to share the final make & take in another posting...so here it is!

Big surprise! It uses the Sitting Here stamp set! Of course I couldn't let them get away without stamping this sweet kitty and pot of flowers, right? We then water-colored using some of the new In Colors and an Aqua Painter. Tip: If you have a group of people watercoloring with the same colors, easily create several palettes that can be shared by simply scribbling with markers onto a clear imaging sheet from your Stamp-a-Ma-Jig...or use your ink refills in the same manner.

Colors used are: Peekaboo Peach, Flirty Flamingo & Dapper Denim. The sentiment and frame is from the Thoughtful Banners stamp set. I am so mad at myself...I placed my new catalog order first thing on Wednesday morning and I totally forgot to put the new Classic Label punch on my order! It isn't all that difficult to hand cut, as I did here, but I love the quick & easy factor of a punch. I'm sure there will be another order for me in the near future...

Have a great weekend!

Find Your Inspiration

Happy New Catalog Day! It's June 1st and the awesome new and inspiring Stampin' Up! catalog is now live! Last week I had a "New Catalog Pick Up Party" where my local stampin' friends had the opportunity to stop by and pick up the new catalog and do some make & takes.

Everyone who attended received the above goodies created using the new In Colors. One make & take used all the new In Colors and the Thoughtful Banners & Flower Shop stamp sets. More info is here. The other make & take was created using the Sitting Here stamp set and I'll share more on that in my next blog posting.

This years In Color bookmark uses the Bitty Butterfly Punch and the Work of Art and Butterfly Basics stamp sets.

The bookmarks have magnets to keep them in place...I like to keep mine at the beginning of the Color Collection pages because I am always flipping to those pages the most.

To help mark favorite items in the catalog I made these post-it flag covers using the Thoughtful Banners set. The words Inspiring, Amazing & Fabulous describe so many of the new products found inside the pages if the new catalog!

I packaged up the bookmarks and post-it flags along with a 1/2 sheet each of the new In Color cardstock in a Large Cello Bag with toppers stamped using the Timelesss Textures stamp set.

No party is complete without treats and prizes! I made these Ghirardelli square covers using Flower Shop and Thoughtful Banners in the five new In Colors. I invited each of my guests to chose one in their favorite color. After everyone had picked one I brought out my prize basket. Each item in the basket had a butterfly punched out from the five different In Colors. Each person could choose from the items marked with the color they choose. Here's my friend Amy looking super excited about her prize and make & takes.

Here are some of the rest of the ladies at my first session. (sorry I did not get pictures of everyone)

I tried a new recipe I found on Pinterest for these Salted Caramel Buttery Crumb Bars. Oh my!...they were rich, ooey gooey buttery caramely goodness!

It was so great to see everyone and share the new catalog excitement with you all!  If you were not able to make it my event but would like a copy of the new catalog, please contact me and I'll make sure to get one to you.

Enjoy finding your inspiration as you flip through the new catalog!

Sitting Here For Color Challenge

I was inspired by the color challenge this week at the Global Design Project Blog using Mint Macaron, Tip Top Taupe & Island Indigo.

This beautiful color combo is so calm & serene that I thought it would be perfect for coloring a scene using the new Sitting Here stamp set.

I've been having so much fun coloring these images in this set. I really did try to use the dog, but the kitty just looks so cute lounging on the swing.

If you want to join this weeks Global Design Project #GDP037 you can find more info here. Thanks for visiting!

Blissfully Sitting Here

In yesterdays post I mentioned being inspired by many beautiful color combos and samples in the upcoming new catalog. I thought it would be fun to pick a new color combo I was drawn to and use it on a card. The color combo I've chosen is featured in the new Designer Series Paper called Blooms & Bliss.

I used Bermuda Bay, Mint Macaron & Sweet Sugarplum...BUT as I started to write this post, I looked up the name of the DSP, and noticed I actually used the wrong color! LOL When creating this card I had just glanced at the swatches for the coordinating cardstock pack and thought it was Bermuda Bay when in actuality the color used in the DSP is Island Indigo. Oh well...I still love the colors together, and that's the point of pairing colors, right!? Pages 138-39 showcase the entire Blooms & Bliss Suite of products...such pretty samples!

I used the Sitting Here stamp set to create my relaxing scene. I watercolored the images using my Aqua Painter. The flower was die cut using the Botanical Builder Framelits and then stamped with burlap texture using the Timeless Textures stamp set. The banner was stamped using the Thoughtful Banners set and then punched using the awesome new Duet Banners Punch.

The other day when I shared my first card using the Sitting Here stamp set, I also shared a photo of Stevie, my kitty cat and "stampin' buddy". I learned that many of you that visit my blog are also cat lovers! A couple of you commented on finding your cats curled up in drawers and other strange places. I thought I'd show you one of Stevies's favorite spots to relax...

I have this planter that at one time had herbs in it. I moved the herbs outside and was going to replace them with some ivy. That's when Stevie adopted the empty planter as his. He wasn't quite a year old in this photo, and not yet fully grown. So as you can see, he fit into the planter with room to spare.

Now that he is fully grown (I think?), he still manages to squeeze himself into the planter! It doesn't really look that comfortable, but he just loves it! I catch him snoozing in there quite often, so I guess it's more comfortable than it looks. It always makes me smile when I see him lounging in the planter.

Peacefully Sitting Here

I was super excited to see a stamp set that was at the very top of my new catalog wish list offered on the pre-order! Sitting Here is a beautiful new set to color featuring not only a pretty kitty but a cute, curled up pup as well! Of course I selected the kitty cat to use on my first creation with this set and colored him a bit like my favorite feline friend Stevie. (who just so happens to be sitting on my lap purring away as I write this post.)

To soften the ropes of the swing and add some interest at the top, I stamped the flowering, leafy image from Awesomely Artistic. This creates such a tranquil scene...I would love to sit on this swing with my kitty and look through the new SU! catalog, wouldn't you?

I used a couple of the new In Colors here...Dapper Denim and Sweet Sugarplum. The new Ruched Ribbon is nice to work with. It's a little stiffer than the Seam Binding Ribbon, which is sadly retiring, but I like the thinner width and more compact bow...which a think will keep it's shape nicer. The added texture is a plus as well.

Here's a photo I took the other day of the aforementioned "favorite feline friend"...as he relaxed in my desk drawer while I did some computer work. He always has to be near by..."helping me". He's such a sweet boy.

I'm happy to see not just the Sitting Here set that contains a cat image, but a whole entire set called Pretty Kitty which I cannot wait to get from the new catalog!

Thanks for visiting today.