Stepping it Up with the Wacky Watercooler Gang

It's time for another blog hop by the Wacky Watercooler Gang.  And this month we're stepping it up: One, Two, Three--one card three ways.  You'll see an easy, quick card, one that's a little more elaborate, and then a sample where we've pulled out all the stops!

Our hop is a circle; you may have just come from Gail's fabulous blog - don't you just love her samples? - or you may hopped on here.  However you joined us, thanks for visiting, and please continue on the journey by clicking on the "next" button at the bottom of this post.

I began my projects with an idea I had for my third card.  I purchased the Jar of Love set, and while playing with it I had an idea to combine it with Swirly Bird...so here are my end results.

First up, a simple card you could complete in minutes:

A base of Dapper Denim with a layer of Whisper White, and then a layer of the beautiful Serene Scenery Designer Series Paper Stack.  This paper can be the star of your cards; all you need is a little embellishment or sentiment.

I merely stamped the boat from Swirly Bird (using Soft Suede for the boat and Mint Macaron for the sails), snipped it out and added it to the front of my card.

A simple sentiment from Places You'll Go, in Dapper Denim ink, finished my card.
Easy peasy!

So let's step it up a notch:

Same boat, same scene, but it took a bit more work.  This time the card base is Whisper White Thick cardstock, with a layer of Marina Mist.  The top layer is Soft Sky.

The boat was stamped in Dapper Denim and Marina Mist with a Cucumber Crush flag.  Then it was all snipped and ready for the card.  The waves were created with the Swirly Scribbles Thinlits dies and Marina Mist cardstock.   And the boat was added with Dimensionals.  The sentiment from Cottage Greetings was stamped with Marina Mist.

The sun was stamped with Crushed Curry on Crushed Curry cardstock and cut out with the thinlits, and then I just cut some white clouds using the Umbrella Weather Framelits.

Boom--a card in 20 minutes.

And now it's time to step it up even more...a card that took me a few days to perfect, but was the original idea for these cards:

As I was planning a trip to Cape Cod, Massachusetts (lots of beaches and retired people!) and I was playing with my Jar of Love set, I had an idea to put a boat in a bottle.  And I wanted a neutral color scheme with a pop of color.

The boat is the same one used above, Swirly Bird, stamped in Basic Gray and Smoky Slate, and once again snipped out.  I stamped Hardwood in Basic Grey on Smoky Slate cardstock and then sponged it heavily with more Basic Gray.  Then I just cut a strip of the "wood" to make a "table".

The jar was stamped in Versamark ink on a Window Sheet, and embossed with Silver Embossing Powder, as was the lid (on Whisper White paper).  Then it was cut with the Everyday Jars Framelits dies.  I used some REALLY skinny strips of Dimensionls to pop it up over my boat.

The layers:
Whisper White Thick cardstock
Basic Gray
Neutrals Designer Series Paper Stack
Silver Thread, scrunched up and added with Dimensionals
Whisper White, stamped with Timeless Textures and sponged with Basic Gray
Strip of Hardwood
Jar

The sentiment from Wild About Flowers was stamped in Real Red.

And it's finished with Real Red Brights Enamel Shapes.

Whew!  I really liked how it came out, but I must say that this card will have to go to someone very special!

So that's it for me!  I hope you liked my stepped up cards and will try this yourself.  Now on to see what Marie has created; I often find myself CASEing her work, so I know it will be wonderful!

Thanks for stopping by!

A Little Washi Card

Do you love Washi?  That wonderful little roll of thin, pretty, low-tack tape that is so great for decorating cards?  Do you use your Washi?  I don't!

What?  Why not?  I actually have no idea.  I tend to purchase my Washi Tape because I love the colors and/or the patterns, and then the little rolls just sit on the shelf above my desk, wallowing in self-pity, waiting for a little love.

Well, I found a way to give them the love they deserve.  Look:

  Check out that lovely Floral Boutique Designer Washi Tape!  Navy and White!  So pretty!

I started with a base of Whisper White Thick cardstock, 4-1/4" x 11", and scored at 5-1/2".  I cut a piece of Night of Navy that was 4-1/4" wide by 4-3/4" long.  This was run through the Big Shot with a (vintage) embossing folder, and then I cut a wavy line across the bottom 2/3's.  These two pieces now covered the entire front of the card, with a 1-1/4" gap in the middle.  But don't adhere them yet!

I took a piece of Whisper White cardstock, 4-1/4" wide by about 2-1/4" long, and adhered my Washi strips to it.  Very simple, just added strips of Washi that I tore and folded over the ends.

Using the larger piece of the Navy as a guide, I lined up where my Washi piece would go, and adhered it to my card base.

Then I just laid the Navy over the base using LOTS of Dimensionals to pop it over the Washi tape strip.

This card didn't need any stamping-- I used Swirly Scribbles Thinlits dies to cut the hearts with Silver Foil Sheets, and the LOVE was from Sunshine Wishes Thinlits.

This card is going to my niece and her husband for their second wedding anniversary--I know they'll love it!

So pull out your Washi and make a pretty card!

Most items can be purchased here.

More Tags

Yesterday I showed you the Card Candy we made at my Open House.  (here)
I had such fun creating all the tags, that I kept going.  I needed some little "thank you" tags to place in packages, and I quickly sat down to create these:

They came out so cute!

I used the new Layering Squares Framelits to cut the Dapper Denim and Whisper White squares.  And I used the Swirly Scribbles Framelit to cut just one "swish" of Dapper Denim.  Then I cut this into pieces for my little tags.

I stamped the boat from Swirly Bird using Dapper Denim,  Real Red and Cucumber Crush inks.  The sun, also from Swirly Bird, was stamped in Crushed Curry.  And the Thanks, from Designer Tin of Cards, was in Dapper Denim.  I just added the "swish" of ocean and I was done!  Fast and easy.

Here they are:

Wouldn't you love to get one of these in a package? 

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.