More New In Colors

So yesterday I introduced two of the new In Colors, Emerald Envy and Peekaboo Peach.  Today I'll show you the rest:  Dapper Denim, Sweet Sugarplum and Flirty Flamingo.

I love Dapper Denim!  This not-quite navy is rich and blue (and not really like our old Not Quite Navy, which had more green in it), although I really wouldn't say it looks like a pair of jeans.  Well, maybe NEW jeans that haven't begun to fade yet.  Anyway, it's a really pretty blue and fits somewhere between Night of Navy and Marina Mist for a color.

The other colors are the Sweet Sugarplum, a light purple-y-pink color (that's a terrific companion for Rich Razzleberry) and Flirty Flamingo, a soft pink, deeper than Blushing Bride (and a little more coral-y) but not as bright as Melon Mambo.  Nice...

I used a base of Whisper White Thick cardstock and cut the "water" and the "sun" using the Swirly Scribbles Thinlits.  The Swirly Bird stamp set has an uneven circle that I stamped in Daffodil Delight for the sun, and then I adhered the cut-out on top.

My little boats are also from Swirly Bird, stamped, fussy-cut and popped up on Dimensionals.  The sentiment is from Wild About Flowers, a set that has happily carried over to the new catalog.

So what do you think?  What will be your favorite new In Color this year?  Won't you leave me a comment and let me know?

Current products can be purchased here.

Introducing...

Time to introduce the new 2016-2018 In Colors.  They are:

• Peekaboo Peach
• Flirty Flamingo
• Dapper Denim
• Sweet Sugarplum
• Emerald Envy

I thought I'd make a few cards showcasing these wonderful colors, so over the next two days, you'll see all of them in action.

Let's start with Peekaboo Peach and Emerald Envy:

Emerald Envy is a green unlike any we have had for the past few years.  A bright, Christmas-y green, with blue undertones.  I think you'll like this for the holiday season, but I also thought it was a great color for a grassy hillside.

And Peekaboo Peach may be my favorite of the new In Colors.  Although I'd never describe myself as an "orange" person, this fresh, soft color is fab-u-lous!  A cute kite in the sky...

I also am showing Swirly Bird for the first time--the kite was stamped using two stamps (easy to line up because they are photopolymer), and the matching Swirly Scribbles Thinlits are what I used to cut the texture of the grass.

I'll have the other three colors for you tomorrow in a card that I really enjoyed making!

The new 2016-2017 Annual Catalog starts Tuesday!  And retiring products will end on 5/31; see the list of all retiring products here.

Orders can be placed here.

A Special Anniversary

Today's the day...my mom and dad's 65th wedding anniversary!  My sister, brother and I have all traveled to Cape Cod, Massachusetts (from California) to celebrate with them.  We have a few exciting days lined up, from lunch today to a big dinner celebration on Sunday evening, with many friends and family joining us.

Here is the anniversary card that I made for them, using Number of Years and my all-time favorite Designer Series Paper, Birthday Bouquet (soon to be retired!):

This is a large, not-quite-square card (fortunately I have a wonderful Envelope Punch Board that lets me make dozens of different-sized envelopes!).  The base is Whisper White Thick cardstock and the only color I used is Mint Macaron.

The numbers were stamped and cut, using the matching framelits (get them as a bundle NOW--the bundle will  no longer be available after 6/1, although you will be able to purchase the stamps and the framelits individually, but why pay 15% more than you have to?).  The top Whisper White layer was embossed with a new embossing folder--Floral Affection, and the corners were punched with the Curvy Corner Trio Punch (this did NOT carry over to the new catalog, so get yours now).

The next layer is Mint Macaron embossed with the Stylish Stripes embossing folder (also retiring).

I took lots of care with this special card, and I love the way it turned out.

With the matching envelope:

Happy Anniversary to two special people!

Purchase your favorite items here.

May's Paper Pumpkin has Arrived!

What a cute Paper Pumpkin this month!  With lots of included stamps you can make 8 cards for many "happy" occasions.   Take a look:



What?  Not a Paper Pumpkin subscriber?  You NEED this!  Click on the link to the right and start getting your very own little orange box of creative happiness each month! 

Marquee Messages

As promised, here is the second of my May Card Club samples, using the soon-to-be available Marquee Messages.  I've had fun using this new stamp set, and decided to let the attendees in on the excitement.

Due to the large size of the main stamp, there is very little needed on the front of the card.  However, there WAS a lot of white space.  So we filled that by first embossing some lines around the edge of the card, using the Simply Scored Board.  Then the fun began!

We stamped the main image with Night of Navy ink.  Then everyone got to choose which colors they wanted to use for the arrow and the strip on the bottom--they also got to pick "YOU ARE Awesome" or "IT'S YOUR Birthday", depending on whether they needed a graduation or birthday card.  I chose a graduation card, using Cucumber Crush and Melon Mambo, and colored in my letters using a Blender Pen and Night of Navy ink.

I'm only sorry I didn't line up all the cards and take a picture--everyone's was different and wonderful!

This fun set will be available on June 1st, along with lots more new goodies--stamps, new ink colors and a fabulous selection of new Designer Series Papers.  Can't wait! 

May's Card Club Showcasing All New

We had a good time at my May Card Club, playing with lots of new things.  I have two cards to share with you today and tomorrow, featuring new stamps, inks, and papers!  How fun!

First up:   Painters Palette

Normally when I prep my packets for Card Club, I choose the stamps, the ink colors and the cardstock, and have everything ready to stamp and put together.  This month, however, I decided to let my attendees choose what they wanted.

Everyone got a card base of Dapper Denim (a new In Color coming your way on June 1st!).  But from there, it was stamper's choice.  The ink splats and swishes (behind the sentiment), as well as the background colors and thumbtack were all available in the new In Colors and everyone got to choose.  It was such fun to see the process of "will this card be for a male or female?" and then go from there.

My sample was  done using Sweet Sugarplum "splats", and then running it through the Big Shot with the Brick Wall embossing folder for our background.

I chose Peekaboo Peach and Flirty Flamingo for my swishes, and then I cut out my top square using the new Layering Squares Framelits--the scalloped one for the top, and then using Emerald Envy and Dapper Denim for my next two layers.

We also used the new Whisper White Thick Bakers Twine (also coming soon), and then we stamped and fussy-cut our thumbtack--adorbs!

You'll be able to order these wonderful new In Colors in just over a week!  In the meantime, don't forget to get your favorite retiring items--they are going fast, and will soon be gone!  Here's the link to the current list, and you can place your orders here.

Look at that Bow!

I have to admit, I'm really not "bow-challenged" like some of you.  When I hold my classes, I often have attendees ask beg me to make their bows for them.  But take a look at the bow on this card:

Wowsa!  Even I was impressed!

This special card was for my newest team member (hi, Ceresa!).  I wanted to make it as pretty as I could so she would feel special, so I used my uber-favorite-of-all-time Designer Series Paper, Birthday Bouquet (retiring at the end of the month or when supplies run out).  The roses (peonies?) on this paper are just gorgeous and match perfectly with the Watermelon Wonder Dotted Lace Trim (also retiring soon).

This is a triple bow!  And it came out so perfectly, I actually had a hard time believing I made it!  This is absolutely beautiful ribbon!

Don't miss out on your favorite retiring items!  Here's the list; and you can order your favs here.

Picture Perfect Rose

I came late to this party...I loved Picture Perfect but didn't know how often I'd use it, so waited to see if it is in the new Annual Catalog before purchasing.  Guess what?  It made it!  So I bought it!  And I love it!  Look:

Such a beautiful rose!  This is a "three-step stampin'" rose, but I only used one color of ink.  I started with the stamp labeled #3 (yes, I do things backwards, like reading magazines from the back...I know, it's a sickness...) and stamped it with the brand new Flirty Flamingo ink (this is one of the fabulous new In Colors, coming June 1).  Then I used stamp #2, inked with Flirty Flamingo, but stamped off one time before stamping over the first part.  And I finished it with stamp #1, also inked with Flirty Flamingo and stamped off once.  Then I fussy-cut my beautiful rose, added the leaves from the same set (two-step-stamped with new Emerald Envy) and popped it up on the front of a very simple card:

Just a Whisper White Thick base with a Whisper White layer run through the Big Shot with the Brick Wall Embossing Folder.

And finished with a few Perfect White Accents...

Just a Perfect card!

Picture Perfect is available now along with everything you need except for the ink colors, which will be coming soon.  Purchase your items (and retiring items) here. 

Where has this week gone?  I stayed up last Saturday to post a Mother's Day card, and now it's Saturday again...how DOES that happen?

Well I have had time to do some crafting.  Maybe that's it--did I lose track of time in my craft room and week just flew by?  Nah...But I have done some cards and I'll share them with you starting now.

This is a shaker card I made for my grandson, Ethan.  Ethan is five, and loves the moon, stars and anything "space".  So when I saw Going Global in the Occasions Catalog, I knew I had to have it for Ethan.  Add the matching Going Places Designer Series Paper, and I'm all set for lots of cards for him!

The "world" was stamped using Archival Black Ink on Very Vanilla Cardstock.  I used brand new Foam Adhesive Strips (coming June 1!), shaping them into a circle around my world, added a bunch of punched stars and Brights Sequins, and added a circle of Window Sheet.   I punched a 2" circle in the DSP, lined it up over my world and adhered it.  Then I used lots of Dimensionals to pop this layer up on my card base.

The sentiment was embossed with Gold Embossing Powder and punched with various circle punches, layered on Basic Black and Gold Foil.  And my card was finished off with a piece of retired Thick Bakers Twine.

And look what he wrote in school the other day:

Love it!

Don't miss out on Going Global--this set is retiring at month end, along with items listed here.

Purchase your favorite items here. 

Happy Mother's Day

I have one more Mother's Day card to share; this was sent to my mom, who has been a life-long tea drinker:

Using the soon-to-be-retired Cups & Kettle Framelits Dies along with a slew of punches and a Paper Pumpkin stamp, this card came together quickly.

The background paper is one I had left over from Sale-a-Bration; I loved the muted, ombre-effect pinks and thought it would work well for my card.  The sentiment is stamped with Blackberry Bliss ink on Blushing Bride cardstock and cut out with the teapot die.  Then I began punching flowers and leaves using the Bird Punch, Itty Bitty Accents Punch Pack, Petite Petals Punch, and a retired leaf die.

Happy Mother's Day, Mom!

Many of these items are retiring at month end; shop now!  You can get these items here.

Another Mother's Day Card

Here's a fun way to start using up some of your Designer Series Papers that are about to retire.

 If you're like me, you tend to hoard your papers, and suddenly are faced with the ability to order more and - hello! - where do you put them?  All your storage space is already filled with tons and tons of Designer Series Papers!

Time to clear out, so I started with my very favorite, Birthday Bouquet, and created a sweet Mother's Day card for my MIL:

I started with a base of Mossy Meadow (sniff...retiring!) and added a 4" x 5-1/4" piece of Whisper White.  Then I took a 4" square piece of the Designer Series Paper and cut it on a diagonal, leaving about an inch at the bottom left  and about 3/4" at the top, right side.  Adhering the two pieces to the front of my card left just about an inch of white in the middle--perfect for stamping a little sentiment (retired).

Then it was time to decorate--I continued using my retiring In Colors and cut lots of flower pieces with the Botanical Builder Framelits Dies, using Tangelo Twist, Hello Honey and Blackberry Bliss.

The flowers and leaves (Mossy Meadow) were layered with Tombow Liquid Glue and Dimensionals, and I dotted the flower centers with the Signo White Gel Pen (also retiring - what?)

I made the inside a bit more fancy:

Someone called this a "mother-in-law" card--not too much space to have to write anything :)

All supplies can be purchased (for a little longer) here.  But don't wait; those In Colors are going fast!

A Sneak Peek for Mother's Day

First of all, and most important:  Aly and Sarah, if you want to be surprised for Mother's Day, leave this page NOW!





OK, for the rest of you, I have a fun Mother's Day card and a sneak peek of a new Stampin' UP! set to be released June 1.  I received this great stamp set at the Stampin' UP! OnStage Live (another name for convention) in  April, and couldn't wait to start playing with it.  Are you ready to see what I did?

(my apologies for the quality of the photos; I took these at night in my kitchen, and didn't realize how fuzzy they looked.  Unfortunately the cards have been mailed, so I can't re-take the pics, but you get the idea)
I made two cards for my daughter and daughter-in-law, two of the most wonderful moms I know!  So they had to be special, right?

This new set, Marquee Messages, was a perfect way to express my feelings about how "awesome" they are!  And I also got a chance to experiment with some of the new In Colors for 2016-2018:  Peekaboo Peach and Flirty Flamingo!

I stamped the marquee image using Memento Black ink, once on Flirty Flamingo, again on Peekaboo Peach, and one last time in Mint Macaron (what a yummy combination!).  I also stamped the "You Are" on the top and "Awesome!" across the banner. Then I paper-snipped the three main pieces and reassembled them on the front of my card (after running a piece of Whisper White through my Big Shot with the Brick Wall Embossing Folder).

I love the little sentiment on the bottom...isn't that cute?


Of course, no marquee is complete without a ton of lights, right?  So I added 39 Rhinestone Basic Jewels (yes, I counted each one) to both of the cards, and I also added some Dazzling Diamonds to the stars on the banners.

The top layer is popped up on Dimensionals to give it a bit of depth.  The card base is Whisper White Thick cardstock.

Happy Mother's Day, Aly and Sarah!  You guys ROCK!

Do you need a new catalog?  If you are a customer of mine, I have one for you.  Not a customer?  Contact me and I'll get one out to you.

Marquee Messages and new In Colors coming soon.  Other products (current) available here. 

A Very Special Occasion

Well here it is, May, already!  And this month I'll be celebrating a very special occasion--my parents' 65th wedding anniversary.  Can you imagine?  65 years!

My dad is quite excited to throw a party.  Now know that my folks are 3000 miles away from their 3 kids (we live in California, they live on Cape Cod, Massachusetts), so planning a party is not quite a cake walk, but we're managing; phone calls and e-mails is somehow doing the trick so far.

My dad asked me to create some invitations; I thought it would be lovely to share a photo of their wedding day.  So here is what I made:

Coming out of the (decorated!) envelope, is this card with a belly-band.  I stamped the numbers from Number of Years with Basic Black ink, cut them out with the Large Numbers Framelits dies, and isolated just one word from a phrase (years) and cut it with the banner from the framelits set.  They are adhered to a Gold Foil oval, embossed with a (sneak peek!) new embossing folder.

The belly band is a strip of Basic Black (12" x 1-1/2"), and I embossed each end.  Then I touched up the embossing with Gold Wink of Stella:

Can you see the glimmer?


Slide off the belly band to see the card:

I printed the photo, mounted it to a skinny layer of Gold Foil, and this went onto a layer of Very Vanilla and a Basic Black card base.


The inside is simple; my dad wrote the words for his invitation, and I merely printed them directly onto Very Vanilla cardstock.


I made 15 of these (and please note that I don't DO multiples!), but I was very happy with the end result:

 (Infinity shot--lots of invites!)

Looking forward to my trip east to celebrate this special day!

All supplies can be purchased here.