Arden's Garden: PPA35

I have been waiting for the right moment to introduce my daughter's blog and the PPA35 "anything but a card" challenge is the perfect opportunity! She is my (not so) little crafting buddy and has a fondness for Stampin' Write markers and Dazzling Diamonds--well, who can blame her, right? She cheers for me and my creations and I couldn't wait to design a blog to showcase her crafts. So, my PPA35 entry is the blog header I designed for Arden's Garden of Crafts using My Digital Studio. Arden picked out a free blogger background, courtesy of Hot Bliggity Blog, and I designed the header to match. So much fun! Please go check it out--she adores getting comments and reads every one!

Too Cute to Resist

Sometimes you have to be a little sneaky...like when you go to that big box store that sells scrapbooking supplies or browse other stamp company goodies. As a SU demonstrator, I can't tell you where this stamp set came from or direct you to their web site but I just have to share it because it is so stinkin' cute! I made this for a co-worker and had so much fun stamping all the little parts to make up this cozy setting. Look close and you will see the mug, pillows, table, lamp & couch are all individually stamped. The couch is stamped on coordinating paper (SU Thoroughly Modern DSP) and then hand cut. Isn't it just the cutest?! It just makes you want to curl up and drink the warm tea doesn't it? What do you imagine in that mug? Thanks for indulging me in my non-Stampin' Up moment ;-).

supplies:
ink: soft suede
paper: bermuda bay, soft suede cardstock; thoroughly modern dsp
xtras: sending love notes 'hugs'; stampin' dimensionals; soft suede & bermuda bay stampin' write markers

Lucky day

A little bit late but...top o' the evenin' to ya! Since green is my favorite color and I do feel like a lucky person, I had to make this St. Patrick's Day card--even though I didn't send it to anybody!! The shamrock was made with 3 full hearts punched from garden green cardstock, run through the polka dot impression folder and folded in half. My favorite on this card is the piece of garden green DSP left over from the Merry Moments holiday paper. It looks quite Celtic don'tcha think? May the luck of the Irish be with you!


supplies:
stamps: define your life
ink: chocolate chip
paper: certainly celery, garden green, very vanilla, chocolate chip cardstock; merry moments dsp
xtras: full heart, 1" circle & 3/4" circle punches; polka dot impression folder, xtra large bird punch (for the brown stem); rhinestone (from my stash)

Just Because

This is the first card I've made in awhile just because. Just because I had a stampin' buddy, just because we had both been itching to try this flower technique...just because! Pretty simple layout, really. I think this is one of my fall-back layouts, I seem to use it a lot. The distressed flower technique is really fun--these flowers are all over stampin' blogland but I first saw it on the Me, My Stamps and I blog, here. So simple but the results are stunning, dont'cha think? Sahara Sand, Rose Red, Taken with Teal and Old Olive are the colors we used with fabulous paper from the Sweet Pea DSP stack. The Big Shot and the Little Leaves Sizzlit make some quick greenery while the Polka Dot Impressions folder on the card base mimics the polka dot designer paper. The sentiment is just one of several from the Whimsical Words set--a Sale-a-Bration freebie! This has become my go-to sentiment stamp set--love it! Oh, and can't forget the whisper white Sending Love "Hugs" notes from the mini catalog--precut and pre-scalloped they make the perfect focal point for this card. And at $4.95 for 20--they're a springtime steal! Thanks for looking!


supplies: stamps: whimsical words ink: chocolate chip paper: sweet pea dsp stack; sahara sand, taken with teal, rose red, old olive cardstock xtras: big flower, 3/4" circle & SAB scallop edge punches; bone folder; polka dot impressions folder; big shot; little leaves sizzlit; adhesive pearl (my embellishment stash)

Mom in Blogland

Just wanted to share my Mom's new blog with you. It's called Nanc's Niche of Stampin. She visited us this last week and, as I mentioned, we had a great time crafting, laughing and spending some quality time together. We also put the finishing touches on her blog! She chose the background design and colors that she liked while I put together this header to match using My Digital Studio! How cool is that?! I am certain that my crafty nature came from all those years watching my Mom sew, craft and experiment with different designs of the time (including a handmade matching mother-daughter, 2-piece maroon polyester pantsuit--yikes!). She's always making things and has a great sense of style, well...the polyester pantsuit was in style then :-). In fact, my Stampin' Up obsession started when she gave me a catalog! She's sure to have some fun projects and craft ideas in store, so take a look and subscribe today.

good enough to eat!

Don't you just love the Chocolate Bunny stamp?! When embossed with clear powder on Chocolate Chip cardstock, he is sweet enough to eat! More crafting today with my Mom--here's what we came up with:We started with a So Saffron base run through the Polka Dot impressions folder. The Bashful Blue main panel needed just a hint of color so we added a strip of Pretty in Pink. We stamped the lovely grass from the Inspired by Nature set in old olive directly onto the cloud patterned paper. This DSP is one of many fun patterns in the Good Neighbors paper pack--a Sale-a-Bration item FREE with any $50 order until the end of the month. The Chocolate Bunny was stamped with versamark onto Chocolate Chip cardstock, covered in clear embossing powder and heat embossed. Doesn't he look fabulous?! His corsage is made with the Boho Blossoms & Trio Flower punch with the Bashful Blue taffeta ribbon and a pearl completing the spring look. The Beautiful Wings Embosslit provides the perfect accent with a few butterflies on the outside as well as finishing off the inside of the card:We had so much fun making this card--laughing and giggling as we added more details. I think we stopped just before we went overboard...I think....! I hope you enjoy it as much as we did!

supplies (lots!):
stamps: chocolate bunny; inspired by nature; sincere salutations; a good egg
ink: old olive; chocolate chip; versamark
paper: so saffron, pretty in pink, bashful blue cardstock; good neighbors dsp
xtras: polka dot impressions folder, clear embossing powder; boho blossoms, trio flower, scalloped oval, large oval & scalloped edge punches; beautiful wings embosslit; bashful blue taffeta ribbon; half-back pearl (from my embellie stash)

Springtime Flower Folds: PPA32

I think it's almost spring here in North Florida! And what a perfect time to enter this happy little flower pin in this week's spring-themed challenge over at the PPA. Just in time for our spring break this week which finds me crafting all day with my visiting mom! So much fun. We had a great time today playing with the, SU exclusive, Flower Folds die and this video from the Stamp Shack Lady on using the Big Shot with fabric. Oh.My.God, this could be addictive! We followed Christine's directions on assembling the flower folds but we used only the two smallest shapes from the die on our flower pins. Just the right size to adorn your shoulder nicely--or that of my six-year-old daughter as is the case here:
We cut the flower shapes from the two smallest flowers on the die and layered them with a piece of green mesh netting between each layer using the SNAIL adhesive, instead of a hot glue gun, to secure each flower. This was enough adhesion to keep it in place while working. When connecting all the flower pieces, it's possible to leave a little hole in the middle which was the perfect spot to slide in a rhinestone brad (circle, fire) on top of a fabric daisy (from my embellishments stash) to give it just the finishing spring touch. What a great celebration of spring--on a shirt, hat, bag, scarf--the possibiliteis are endless! Thanks for looking...I'm off to go raid my fabric stash (almost as bad as my paper addiction) and make more flowers!

supplies:
SU flower folds die; circle rhinestone brad; fabric; bar tack pin; felt

Flourishing Flutterby: curtain call 19

Isn't this picture beautiful? It reminds me of something from the Anthropologie catalog (another great inspiration source just look at their new photos!)--dreamy, soft and lush.

It's from Stacey's Curtain Call Color Challenge 19 and I just had to participate. Can't always get to it each week but Stacey's challenge is one of my favorites. She always has great color combinations and gorgeous inspiration pieces. So, here is my card:

I wanted to pick up on the hazy quality to the photo so I used vellum behind one of the butterflies. I also just got the Fine Flourish stamp and had the idea to "kiss" my Butterfly Accent stamp with it. First, I inked the butterfly in Bashful Blue, then inked Fine Flourish in Rich Razzleberry, stamped it directly onto my inked butterfly and then stamped the butterfly onto Very Vanilla--voila! I really like how it turned out. I was also inspired by this layout at Mercy's Tuesday Sketch Challenge. I changed it up a little bit but I liked the oval in the rectangle. The oval was cut from Bashful Blue cardstock with my Big Shot and the Frame, Scallop Oval die. The Rich Razzleberry cardstock was run through the Polka Dot Impressions folder --LOVE IT!--and there is a piece of Candy Lane DSP (retired) at the back for a hint of Pink Pirouette. I echoed the pink with a touch of rhinestones on the body of the butterflies. Thanks for looking!

supplies:
stamps: fine flourish, butterfly accent, whimsical words
ink: bashful blue, rich razzleberry
paper: very vanilla, bashful blue, rich razzleberry & vellum cardstock, candy lane dsp
xtras: scalloped edge punch, frame, scallop oval die, polka dot impressions folder, bashful blue taffeta ribbon, rhinestones from my stash