Perfectly Surprised {CCMC}

Perfectly surprised…that describes this week over at Create with Connie and Mary Summer Edition where they are full of surprises and I am SOOOO excited to announce that I am the SURPRISE GUEST DESIGNER for Week #5.  That’s right, ME!   Surprise GUEST DESIGNER!  If you are a subscriber to Create with Connie and Mary Summer Edition, I will be sharing with you a FABULOUS 3D project and tutorial using one of that week's featured products in the Summer Mini.  But WHICH product is a SURPRISE, too!  

 Now remember...the only way to see my SURPRISE GUEST DESIGNER project is to be a subscriber to Create with Connie and Mary Summer Edition and sign up now while you can save $5 off the subscription price.  The early bird special of $24.95 ends Saturday, May 14th at 11:55 pm.  Don't delay!

And speaking of summer, I am in love with Fabulous Florets from the Summer Mini catalog!   Today’s card features all of the stamps in the set:

Along with some bright and happy colors: Pumpkin Pie, Rose Red, Daffodil Delight and Old Olive—don’t they look smashing together?!  I used the embedded embossing technique to create my polka dot background: 

To a piece of Pumpkin Pie cardstock, I adhered numerous 1 ¼” Whisper White circles and ran the whole thing through the Big Shot with the Square Lattice embossing folder.  I also stamped the smaller flower in Pumpkin Pie on my cardbase in opposite corners.

The big Daffodil Delight flower was created by stamping the big solid flower from Fabulous Floretsthree times in DD on Whisper White cardstock .  Yes, each one was hand-cut but because they are all layered together and the edges appear as part of the flower—the cutting doesn’t have to be perfect!  There are 2 flowers glued together as the base and one popped up on top with a dimensional.  I also stamped the leaf image onto Old Olive CS in OO ink, cut out and crumpled for a realistic look layering one leaf under the top flower for extra dimension.  Some Rose Red seam binding ribbon added a pop of contrasting color—love how it looks with Pumpkin Pie!

The inside of the card received a touch of the Square Lattice embossing folder—just ran it through the Big Shot with just the bottom quarter of the cardstock actually in the folder.  The sentiment from On Your Birthday was stamped in more Old Olive ink and more flowers added in Daffodil Delight and Rose Red

So, were you perfectly surprised?  I sure was…and delighted to be the SURPRISE GUEST DESIGNER #5!  Remember...the only way to see my Surprise Guest Designer project is to be a subscriber to Create with Connie and Mary Summer Edition and sign up now while you can save $5 off the subscription price.  The early bird special of $24.95 ends Saturday, May 14th at 11:55 pm.  Thanks for stopping by and sharing in my big surprise!

stamps: fabulous florets, on your birthday

ink: daffodil delight, rose red, old olive

paper: pumpkin pie, whisper white, old olive CS

xtras: square lattice embossing folder; rose red seam binding ribbon; top note die

Breezy Cajun Sails {CCMC149}

Hiya friends!  Today's card started with this great sketch over at Create with Connie & Mary--those gals always have the best challenges!

I'm not sure I stuck with the sketch exactly.  :-)  It's still in there and hopefully you can recognize it although it's been flipped up and simplified a bit.  I wanted to pair with with my favorite stamp of the moment...Sail Away.  I can't put it down!  I love the line art and the movement of it--can't you just feel the Baja Breezes filling those sails?

I sure can!  The sailboat was inked first in Versamark, then Crumb Cake, stamped onto watercolor paper, sprinkled with clear stampin' emboss powder and heat set.  I lightly colored the sea and sky with my Aqua Painter and Marina Mist ink and a touch of Cajun Craze for the flag.  

The Marina Mist turned out so light that it looked better paired with Baja Breeze so I crumpled and distressed a piece of Elegant Soiree DSP, edged it with the Spiral border punch and sponged all the edges with Crumb Cake. 

Since the Sanded background stamp was sitting on my craft table from Sunday's card (yes, I hadn't cleaned up yet--shame on me!) I inked it up in Crumb Cake and stamped it on an angle on the card base.  I usually stamp it straight all over the front of the card but this card was turning out all wonky and distressed so angled seemed to fit!  My mom is laughing at this one (hi, Mom!) because she always angles everything and I always straighten out her angles!  So, this card broke all kinds of rules for me!

For the Crumb Cake trim down the side, I used the double scallop from the Tasteful Trims die.  See how both ends of the trim piece are rounded?  This die cuts a long piece of trim--about 12" actually.  So a short piece like this would have one end that was cut off.  That just wasn't acceptable!  So, I cut the cardstock a little bit longer than I actually wanted and ran it through the Big Shot to finish one edge.  Then I picked it up, turned it around so one scallop hung over the edge of the die and ran it through the Big Shot again.

 Which gave me a finished edge on both ends!  Pretty cool, huh?  

And here's the finished trim again.  I sponged the edges with Crumb Cake ink and finished it with a Vintage brad and some Early Espresso/Whisper White Baker's Twine.  You can also see that the sailboat image is matted on some colored Newsprint DSP.  It was actually a scrap, sponged with Baja Breeze, I had laying on my table from a previous effort that got put to good use here!

I made quick work of the inside with a piece of Very Vanilla cardstock, Sail Away stamped in Baja Breeze and another fabulous sentiment from Word Play overstamped in Crumb Cake ink.  You can't see it in this picture but I also stamped the Sanded background inside on the Cajun Craze base.  I can't put that one down either! :-)

So, I hope you've enjoyed the Baja Breezes of my Cajun sailboat today.  Please let me know if you have any questions and, as always, I would love to hear from you!  Have a great day, friends!

the goodies:

stamps: sail away, sanded, word play, you're a gem [retired]

paper: cajun craze, very vanilla, crumb cake CS; watercolor paper; elegant soiree & newsprint DSP

ink: baja breeze, crumb cake, early espresso classic ink; versamark

xtras: clear stampin emboss powder; early espresso baker's twine; vintage brad; tasteful trims die.

Paper Players Color Challenge {PP46}

Happy Sunday, friends, and Happy Mother's Day to all the mothers out there!  Today I rejoin the gals on The Paper Players DT and it's good to be back!  Ann is our color hostess this week and she has chosen a beautiful color palette of Cherry Cobbler, Not Quite Navy and Early Espresso plus a neutral of your choice.

I couldn't wait to use these colors with another new stamp from the summer Mini Catalog...Sail Away...which was perfect for a masculine card:

As my neutral base, I started with Naturals White cardstock stamped with the Sanded background stamp inked in Early Espresso and stamped off once.  Naturals White is a great weight for the card base--a little heavier than Whisper White--and the subtle flecks are perfect for this nautical card.  A piece of Not Quite Navy cardstock was cut with the Two Tags die, stamped with Sail Away in Versamark, sprinkled with white stampin' emboss powder and heat set.  I also sponged a little NQN ink to the water for more depth.  Next, I layered Cherry Cobbler patterned paper, Early Espresso cardstock edged with the Spiral Border punch and some retired Botanical Gazette DSP that I ran through the Big Shot with the Kit #4 Texture Plate.

I brayered the texture plate with Early Espresso ink before running it through the Big Shot and that really helps define the de-bossed areas and make the texture pop!  I created my own tag for the sentiment from Something to Celebrate with a rectangular piece of Naturals White CS and the Corner Rounder punch.

Were you just as excited as me to see Baker's Twine in the Summer mini catalog?!  Oh, yeah!  Here, I've wound some Cherry Cobbler/Whisper White Baker's Twine and Early Espresso 1/4" grosgrain ribbon around a [retired] silver circle designer brad. 

 

Lastly, even a masculine card deserves a finished inside--although maybe not one with all the frills and layers I normally do!  Here, I inked Sail Away in Early Espresso and stamped off once before stamping on the card.  A simple, but effective, sentiment from Word Play was inked in Not Quite Navy and overstamped on the sailboat. 

So, now it's over to you...will you join us this week?  I hope so!  Check out the DT inspiration over at The Paper Players and then link up your project by Friday May 13th at midnight (PST) to be in the running for A Cut Above or even, Headliner.  Before you go, I would love to hear what you think of today's card.  If you leave me a little note, please also leave your email or blog address so I can return my thanks!  Have a great day friends!

the goods:

stamps: sail away; word play, sanded BG

paper: naturals white, not quite navy, early espresso CS; botanical gazette [retired] DSP; patterns DSP stack (regals)

ink: early espresso, not quite navy classic ink; versamark

xtras: early espresso 1/4" grosgrain ribbon; cherry cobbler/whisper white baker's twine; two tags die; spiral border punch; corner rounder punch; white stampin' emboss powder; texture plates kit; circle designer brads.

We have a winner!

Happy Saturday friends...it's candy time!  Thank you all for your sweet and thoughtful comments on my last two cards.  I read every single comment, sometimes more than once (!), and appreciate the time you take to leave a little inspiration for me.  Beginning with Tuesday's post, there were a total of 47 comments so let's see who wins the candy shall we?  Random.org selected...#20....ColleenB who left this sweet comment on my Candy Butterfly card:

  

Congratulations, Colleen!  Please email me (nleedy@cox.net) your full mailing address and I will send out your candy right away.    Thank you to all my blogging friends and followers for your support and encouragement--it's your comments that keep me going!  I hope you have a wonderful weekend full of your favorite things.  I'll see you tomorrow with a fresh color combination for The Paper Players!

Another chance for blog candy!

Hi friends!  This will be a quick post tonight.  Just wanted to share a birthday card I made for my friend and downline, Diane of Rubber 'n' Rafters.  I think she has received it by now...hope your day was fabulous Diane!

As a fellow Stampin' Up demonstrator, I definitely wanted to use new products on Diane's card and boy did I ever!  It all started with the designer paper Beyond the Garden and it's bright floral pattern.  I love how it looks paired with...of all things...Pacific Point!  I've never been a big fan of Pacific Point but I love it with this paper! 

I liked it so much, that I embossed another strip of cardstock with the brand-new Flower Garden embossing folder and highlighted the gorgeous flowers by sponging on Pacific Point ink.

Onto a 3" circle of Whisper White I stamped the branch image from Fabulous Florets in Wild Wasabi and overstamped a favorite sentiment in Pacific Point.  Aren't those pink flowers gorgeous?!

I used Versamark ink to stamp the flowers on Pretty in Pink cardstock and embossed the image with our new Melon Mambo embossing powder.  I made three flowers in two sizes also from Fabulous Florets, cut them out, popped them up and gave them a rhinestone center.

Even the ribbon got a new product with our Whisper White baker's twine tied around the trimmed down Daffodil Delight striped grosgrain ribbon.  I just snipped off the two edges of the ribbon and frayed the edges a bit to make it a more manageable size.

And since I had a hard time putting down the new Flower Garden embossing folder, I also embossed the back of the envelope flap.

Ok, so maybe this wasn't a quick post--lots of pictures--but I am so excited to share all these goodies from the new Summer Mini Catalog with you.  There's still time to leave a comment to win my blogoversary candy.  Just leave a comment on my Candy Butterfly post or tonight's post and you will be entered to win!  I'll pick a random winner and announce it on Saturday May 7th.  Have a great Friday, friends!

the goodies:

stamps: fabulous florets, on your birthday

ink: pacific point, wild wasabi, versamark

paper: pacific point textured cardstock; whisper white, pretty in pink CS; beyond the garden DSP

xtras: melon mambo embossing powder; flower garden embossing folder; basic rhinestones; daffodil delight wide striped grosgrain ribbon; whisper white baker's twine; 3" circle die