Perfect Anniversary Card

My brother and sister-in-law will be celebrating their 31st wedding anniversary today!  There are not alot of people who can brag about being married that long.  So of course I needed to make a special anniversary card.  I turned to a vintage stamp set that hasn't seen much ink (insert frownie face!). 

I LOVE this set, Perfect Couple.  The cute "mr. & mrs." complete with mustache and lips make me smile.  I started with a base of Smoky Slate, running it through the Big Shot with a retired embossing folder (left over from Sale-a-Bration).  I then took a piece of Soft Sky (another item without much airtime!) and ran it through the Big Shot using two framelits at once--the smaller "photo" from the Project Life Cards and Labels set and the word bubble from "Word Bubbles". 

I then stamped the "mr. & mrs." using Basic Black and Melon Mambo Stampin' Markers to ink it up; this was on a scrap of Whisper White paper, which was then adhered to my card front. 

The Soft Sky piece was popped up on Dimensionals, centered over the "mr. & mrs.".  Then I stamped "happy together" in Staz on Black and cut it out with one of the frames from the Project Life Cards and Labels set.  The little arrow comes from the Labels Card Framelit set, and the heart was punched using the new Itty Bitty Accents Punch Pack heart punch.  So ca-ute! 

And of course, what's a hand-made card without an adorable envelope to match?

I added a flap overlay using a piece of  Designer Series Paper in  Smoky Slate from the Neutrals Color Collections Paper Stack, and then stamped just the mustache and lips on the back of the envelope.  I'm sure my brother and sister-in-law will chuckle when they see that!

All supplies can be ordered here.

And let's get creating.

Stampin' Amigos Downline Meeting

It's so much fun to get together with my stampin' amigos.  Our little group had a meeting the other night, and I borrowed an idea from the Stampin' UP Leadership Conference earlier this month.  While there, we had a "Paper Pumpkin Challenge" where participants were given bits and pieces of Paper Pumpkin kits and had to create a special card.  Those voted in the top 10 received prizes.

So I decided to hold my own challenge--the Occasions Catalog Challenge.  There were 5 baskets from which to choose; each attendee took one.  They each contained a new stamp set from the Occasions Catalog and a card base from the Watercolor Wonder Designer Note Card set.  I also had a table full of other Occasions items:  the Gold Bakers Twine, Gold Sequin Trim, Gold Foil Sheets, Designer Series Papers in three patterns (Watercolor Wonder DSP, Kaleidoscope DSP and Retro Fresh DSP), new punches (Triangle, Chevron Border, Scallop Tag Topper, and Petite Petals), Watercolor Wonder Designer Washi Tape, a paper trimmer, along with 15 ink pads in coordinating colors.  Everyone had to create a card using all new items. 

Here we are, working away:

 and here are our creations:

Bonnie's basket included the Happy Watercolor set:

I love her hand-trimmed "swoop" along the bottom, as well as her "fingerpainting" of the flower (I did not include any blender pens, aquapainters or sponges).  The sweet doily and tails of gold Chevrons made a great embellishment.

Tani had Perfect Couple:

 

The gold tag, using the Scallop Tag Topper punch, made a perfect background for the sweet couple.  And Tani pnched the flowers (Petite Petals punch) from the Watercolor Wonder Designer Series Paper, adding just the right sequin element in the middle of each.

Crystal used Another Great Year:

She made her own "ink pad" by smearing ink onto the large acrylic block and then kissing her stamp on it.  Love how she made a Gumball Green and Island Indigo sentiment!  She also used the Essentials Wooden Elements sunburst, inking it with Island Indigo, and added the edges of doilies along the top of her card.  So cute!

And mine:  I had the Happy Congratulations set:

We all agreed that this was a great way to challenge ourselves and enjoyed our time together, creating!

Wanna join us?  Becoming a demonstrator during Sale-A-Bration is extra special!  You get to choose $150 worth of product for only $99!  We'd love to have another Stampin' Amigo!  Give it a try!

And let's get creating!