Hand Stamped Sentiments Wintertime?

It's inspiration challenge time for all of us over at Hand Stamped Sentiments.  Guess what...this wintertime theme was a hard sell for me, it just doesn't fit for me and my mindset.  Why..?  

Because Christmas is over.  Sad, but true.  It's all put away and I just can't get into the thought of snow, snowmen, or snowflakes after the holidays.  My mind just shuts it down.

It may be because I live where it hasn't snowed since 1976.  That year I was in elementary school and it took my best friend and I over two hours to walk to school.  You see we gleefully played on each neighbors' lawn until their snow was "used up."  That same day at 3:00 o'clock when the bell rang we ran out of class to walk home only to find no trace of snow.  We were crushed!  "He'll be back again someday" is bogus.  I've been waiting for 43 years.

Now, I do go to the snow every now and again, in fact I just returned from a chilly winter vacation to Sun Valley Idaho, but on a whole wintertime to me is cooler weather and occasional rain.  So, to meet this challenge my way I went with a palette of cooler tones and nature.  

I grabbed a bunch of things for this card:

• Rooted in Nature Stamp Set and Dies
• Rectangle Stitched Dies
• Stitched So Sweetly Dies
• Snow Globe Dies
• Country Club Designer Series Paper and Twine Combo Pack
• Basket Weave 3D Embossing Folder
• Night of Navy Ink and Cardstock
• Early Espresso Cardstock
• Old Olive Cardstock
• Whisper White Cardstock
• Seaside Spray Cardstock
• Soft Suede Cardstock
• Noble Peacock Foil
• Wink of Stella

(This sob story of a post is dedicated to my childhood best friend Jennifer Buck.  Jennifer if you are out there I can still be found on El Paseo Dr.)

Monday Montage Meerkats

How about these playful and totally adorable meerkats?  These dudes are cute and what's better?  You can get them free with a purchase during Sale-a-Bration!

May your paper crafting moments be filled with mojo and happy projects.  Click back or next and continue the hop to be inspired.

to Julie

to Dani

Monday Montage Hoppers

Amy O'Neill - Amy's Paper Crafts

Breelin Renwick - Craft-somnia Momma

Cathy Casey - Sugar Shack Designs

Charlet Mallett - Painted Orange

Cheryl Curtis - Pomp and Sustenance

Dani Dziama - Dani's Thoughtful Corner

Elizabeth Price - Seeinginkspots

Julie Warnick - Creating on the Run

Melissa Stout - The Stamp Doc

Wendy Weixler - Wickedly Wonderful Creations

#TGIF247 Floral and Feminine

How about one of the most popular challenges ever for this week at #TGIF247?  We are making this one a piece of cake kind of challenge because it's all about BIRTHDAY CARDS!  

For this birthday card challenge I went over the top with florals, pinks, and sparkles to make this an ultra feminine look.

I gathered three fantastic new products that make this birthday card extra flirty and girlie.   I combined the Happy Birthday To You Stamp Set, the coordinating Happy Birthday Dies, and the Best Dressed 6" x 6" Designer Series Paper. 

Annual Catalog supplies include the Word Wishes Dies, Silver Foil, and Silver Glimmer Paper.  Along with cardstock in Melon Mambo, Whisper White, Old Olive and Soft Seafoam.

I cut both "birthday" and "wishes" twice; once from Silver Glimmer and then from Old Olive.  At first I was going to layer them and create a drop shadow.  Then I chose to not pop out the inside pieces in the loops of the letters to give a spunkier vibe.

The cake stand is over the top with 15 Basic Rhinestones!  A quick splash of watercolor for the flowers and guess what?  More rhinestones for the flower centers.  This time they were colored with a Stampin' Blend to make them a deep pink.

Hand Stamped Sentiments Stand Up Friend

Is this meerkat birthday card cute or what?  I made it for our first challenge of 2020 over at Hand Stamped Sentiments.  I simply stamped with black permanent ink and watercolored with the three challenge colors: Flirty Flamingo, Mossy Meadow, and Pretty Peacock.

Creation Station Resolution Solution

A welcoming hello to each of you passing through our hop today.  This month, being that it's the start to a new year, the Creation Station Design Team was challenged to make a project to keep our daily lives organized.  The spin was to keep it hand made in true Stampin' Up! style.  So, for this "Resolution Solution" Blog Hop I made myself a gorgeous notebook.

I love the simplicity organizing with composition books.  I pick them up at the Dollar Tree for a whoppin' buck and then cover them to make them all pretty and stylish.  For this notebook I took two sheets of the Parisian Blossoms Specialty Designer Series Paper to create a folded cover reminiscent to a text book cover.

For the layers of details on the front and the dividing tabs I used to new sets of dies.  The Parisian Dies and the Stitched So Sweetly Dies.  Both sets are fabulous and a great addition to your stash.

With my fancy and beautiful handmade notebook I feel like I'm ready to keep track of ideas and notes.  Next up in our hop is the fabulously talented Martin Stone.  Let's go see what he has made with our "resolution solution" theme.  I know it's going to be great.

#TGIF245 Deep Pink Painted Poppies

It's our first challenge for 2020!  This #TGIF245 challenge includes some deep pink tones that totally appeal to me.  We are all stampin' with Rich Razzleberry, Blackberry Bliss, and Very Vanilla.

I opened up a brand new stamp set that I thought would be perfect for this color challenge.  It's called Painted Poppies and you can find it in the Handmade for You Mini Catalog.  You can purchase matching dies for easy cutting of images which for me is a huge bonus.  I paired the Painted Poppies Bundle (stamps and dies) with the Stitched So Sweetly Dies, another new product in the Mini Catalog.

A Paper Pumpkin Thing

Happy 2020!  May this year bring you joy while crafting.

December's Something for Everything Paper Pumpkin Kit was filled with cute CUTE stuff!  For my spin on alternative projects I went a ways back into my vault of ideas and made simple diagonal cuts to create layers, interest, and blocks of color and pattern.  Once I got going I couldn't stop.  I used up the entire kit.

Pick two card bases.  Cut diagonally across each card front being sure to alternate directions so you can trade them.  

Make a layered card front or glue a traded cut piece to the inside of the card back to create a pocket.

For an optional look fold a card base the opposite direction for a white front and a floral print inside.

I made a few scores on a card base to convert the cardstock to a a "bag box."

For the medium sized box follow the measurements below:

1.  Along the short side of the card base score 1" from each edge.

2.  Along the long side of the card base score 3.25" from each edge.

3.  Add the diagonal scorelines as shown in the diagram above.

4.  Cut a 2" x 10" strip of Whisper White cardstock.

5.  Score the strip of cardsctock along the long side at 3.25" and 6.75".

To assemble the box:

1.  Add Tear and Tape as shown in the photo above.

2.  Fold inward on all the scorelines except the original score line.

3.  Shape the box by folding the sides upward and "squash" folding the diagonal scorelines.

4.  Peel the Tear and Tape and add the 2" x 10" strip to the center.  This will be the box bottom.

5.  Peel the Tear and Tape and adhere the sides.

6.  Use Multi-Purpose Glue to adhere the "squash" pleats.  You can fold them under or up.

Vary the scorelines to create different sizes.  The "You're the Best" box is scored at 1.25".  The "Just Because" box is scored at .75".

Enjoy all the stops along the hop and make some cool projects using the Something for Everything Paper Pumpkin Kit.

#TGIF243 Holiday Favorites

All of my Holiday Catalog favorites are used to make this spirited Christmas card.  What are your favorites from this awesome catalog?  If you check out our latest challenge at #TGIF243 you'll find it's a cool challenge where you should totally join along in the fun.

I find it close to impossible to ever figure out my favorite of anything.  People ask "what's your favorite color, or movie, or song, or food..."  I have many many favorites and can never pin point one. And that is true for this challenge.  So, I put all my favorites on one card.  Here they are in no particular order:

• Snowman Season Stamp Set
• Stylish Scroll Embossing Folder
• Red Curly Ribbon
• Beautiful Boughs Dies
• Let Is Snow Specialty Designer Series Paper

I left off one other favorite item from the Holiday Catalog and that is Ice Glitter.  I have a huge place in my heart for sparkle and the Ice Glitter is a new love for sure.