Just Add Betsy's Blossoms {PP193}

So, have you seen the list of retiring stamps and accessories?  It's quite a list and lots of the stamp sets are gone already!  There are a few I wish weren't retiring and I've got one to share with you today.  The always fabulous Anne Marie is our hostess at The Paper Players this week and she has an awesome sketch:

I had a specific stamp set in mind and when I saw this beautiful color combination over at Just Add Ink, it all came together--love when that happens!  Bermuda Bay, Baked Brown Sugar, Crumb Cake and Very Vanilla:

I love the Betsy's Blossoms stamp set and likely won't get rid of it after it retires.  I always fall for big, graphic flowers like the one in this set and I especially like the way it looks in a lighter color with the stem stamped over.  Layering stamped images add so much depth and interest to your card.  You can see that I even stamped it in the background and on the sentiment circle too.  That's how much I love it!

The rest of the card is fairly straightforward but you might be wondering about the striped "DSP" I used.....  Well, it's not actually DSP!  I didn't have any that matched this combination of colors exactly and I knew that stamping the other images in the set would be too busy so..... I made my own striped paper with a ruler and Stampin' Write markers in Bermuda Bay, Baked Brown Sugar and Crumb Cake.  I'm really happy with the results and it wasn't difficult at all!  OK, maybe just a little time consuming!  :-)

Another retiring retired favorite (gone alread!), Bring on the Cake, is featured on the inside.  Just love that "a year better" sentiment.  I won't get rid of this one either.  I hold on to almost all my sentiment stamps just because you can never have too many, right?!   And, over at The Paper Players we can never have too many participants!  I hope you'll join in the sketchy fun before the challenge closes on Friday, May 2nd at Noon (PST).  Be sure to pop over to the rest of the Design Team to see what they're sharing today!  Come back later this week, too, when I will share a project featuring another retiring stamp set...

The Paper Players Design Team
Ann Schach
Anne Marie Hile
Jaydee
LeAnne Pugliese
Nance Leedy
Sandy Mathis

Click any image for details and ordering information:

Table built using Product Table Builder by The Crafty Owl - Independent Stampin' Up! Demonstrator.

Making My Own Edgelit

Hi everyone, just a quick post to share some new colors and new stamps with you!  I was totally inspired by this fabulous card my Mom made:

At first, I thought she used an edgelit to cut around the beautiful butterflies but no...she fussy-cut the edge!  How cool is that?!  The original idea came from Simply Stamped here (4th card down).  Awesome idea!!  So...I wanted to try it out with all Stampin' Up and here's what I made:

I am so happy with the results!  I used all the flowers from Betsy's Blossoms and a bunch of new In Colors.

All the color combinations are straight from the Color Coach.  This first one is so much fun: Gumball Green, Melon Mambo and So Saffron.  I stamped all the flowers onto Naturals White cardstock (sturdier than Whisper White), hand cut around the edge, sprinkled some Basic Rhinestones and added a strip of coordinating designer paper to the inside edge. 

To pull in a little color behind the sentiment, I adhered two pieces of coordinating ribbon behind the banner and added another rhinestone to the end.

I think this color combination is my least favorite but I was determined to test out the Color Coach suggestions!  Midnight Muse, Rich Razzleberry and More Mustard.  I think it might look brighter with Summer Starfruit instead of More Mustard...but that's for another day!

I'm disappointed that I didn't get a better picture before I sent this one off to my Mom because this color combination is definitely my favorite!  Straight from the Color Coach: Summer Starfruit, Baja Breeze and Elegant Eggplant.  Gorgeous together! 

So what do you think?  What other stamp set can you see using with this technique?  I'd love to your ideas!  Be sure to pop over to my mom's original post to leave her some comment love.  Thanks Mom, for the inspiration--it's even prettier in real life!  {wink!}

Supplies 

Stamps: Betsy's Blossoms; A Word for You

Ink: Gumball Green, Melon Mambo, So Saffron, Midnight Muse, Rich Razzleberry, More Mustard, Baja Breeze, Summer Starfruit and Elegant Eggplant

Paper: Naturals White CS; Designer Series Patterns Stack (Regals & Brights); Be of Good Cheer DSP

Extras: Basic Rhinestones; So Saffron grosgrain ribbon (ret.); More Mustard Scalloped Dots Ribbon; Baja Breeze Seam Binding Ribbon

Happy Birthday to me! {PP97}

Hi there friends, I hope you're having a great Sunday!  I sure am...as you read this the family and I are hitting the beaches of Florida for a little R&R because...well, yes it really is my birthday this weekend!  What better way to spend it then crafting up a creation using this fantastic sketch from the lovely and talented LeAnne who just happens to be our hostess at The Paper Players this week:

It's a great one, right?  I finally busted into some of my sneak peek goodies to make a birthday card:

This card really represents my style so I decided it will be my own birthday card, LOL!  Really, the colors, the patterns, the bird (!) are all some of my favorites.  When you work with colors and designs you like, it's easy to pull something together, right?!  Lots of sneak peek goodies here, starting with the stamp set and that gorgeous bloom.  It's from a new set called Betsy's Blossoms and I've stamped it on a 3" circle of very vanilla in one of the brand-new In Colors, Summer Starfruit...love it!  It is an intense shade that I think some people are having intense reactions to, LOL, but I love it.  On it's own it might be a little strong but I think it's a great "mixer" color that pairs well with so many others in the SU color families!

The pretty little bird is also part of Betsy's Blossoms and I stamped her in another new In Color, Midnight Muse.  Sounds a bit like a romance novel title doesn't it?!  ;-)  Notice how even the ink coverage is, particularly on the bird.  Did you guess why?  Yep, that's the work of SU's new Firm Foam ink pads...WOW, love 'em!

A few more little blooms stamped in the background of the sentiment tag that I tied onto some Not Quite Navy taffeta ribbon.  It's a pretty good companion to Midnight Muse.  Notice the designer paper?  Yep, that's a new one too--Comfort Cafe.  I just love the chevron pattern!

For the inside, I really busted out the stamps in Betsy's Blossoms--using almost all of them in the set.  Again, inking with Summer Starfruit, Midnight Muse, Pool Party and Soft Suede...ahhh {happy sigh}! 

I hope you'll think about joining The Paper Players this week with LeAnne's fabulous sketch!  Be sure to check out the rest of the Design Team inspiration.  This week is the last challenge with our Guest Designers: Jenn, Heidi and Narelle.  I'm going to miss stamping and chatting with them.  They've done such amazing work for us these past weeks...thanks gals!  Be sure to stop by and give them some comment love--as well as the rest of the DT:

The Paper Players Design Team

Ann Schach

Anne Marie Hile

LeAnne Pugliese

Lesley Croghan

Nance Leedy
Jenn Picard
Heidi Boos

Narelle Farrugia (May GD)

 LeAnne's challenge will close on Friday, June 1st at Noon (PST).  Now go get stamping!
 

Supplies 

Stamps: Betsy's Blossoms, Petite Pairs, On Your Birthday 

Ink: Summer Starfruit & Midnight Muse (available June 1st), Pool Party, Soft Suede

Paper: Comfort Cafe DSP, Summer Starfruit CS (available June 1st), Pool Party, Soft Suede, Very Vanilla CS

Xtras: 3" circle die; Not Quite Navy Taffeta Ribbon; Linen Thread; 1 1/4" Circle Punch; Basic Pearls;