Something Sweet

These two cards are sweet and perfectly suit the warm sun-shine filled days we are having.  Get you Blossom Builder Kits, Twitterpated DSP, and Loving Thoughts stamp set while you can.  There is only one day left of the Occasions Mini Catalog!

Going, Going, Gone!

Stampin' Up released their retiring accessories list on April 25th and many items are being sold at discounted price! All of the items on the list are a "WHILE SUPPLIES LAST" so get them while you can. The best way to get your favorite accessories is to shop from my online store.

Many items on the list are being retired and many more products on the list are simply being reconfigured--how exciting!

Go to my Demonstrator Website Promotions Page and SHOP NOW.  There you should scroll down to see the "UP TO DATE" most current retiring lists.  (This will take you right into my online store).

Happy craftin, Elizabeth

Blossoms 'Bout Gone

Today is Tuesday and that means it's time for another fabulous and fun challenge over at Hand Stamped Sentiments.  This week the HSS #115 challenge is to be inspired by SPRING.  Be inspired by the gorgeous blooming trees in this week's challenge logo.  I do have to say that for those of us who live in California there are but only a few trees here and there that have just a few blossoms left.  Blossoms begin to burst in late January and by early March the ground is covered with a dusting of beauty.

For this card I had a good time stamping and crafting for the sake of fun and the enjoyment of getting ink on my fingers and creating a totally unplanned project.  I let each step direct and inspire me for the next stamp and embellish to add to my card.  I started with a piece of DSP from the Tea Time Simply Scrappin' kit on which I stamped and embossed the tree from the Forever Young stamp set.  Then I sponged Blushing Bride, Lucky Limeade, and Soft Suede ink all over the DSP panel.  My next step was to stamp the flourish from Creative Elements with Early Espresso ink.  I used a white gel pen to scribble in a little highlight color and then quickly blotted my scribbles with me finger tip to soften the look.

To give the card some great texture I added some "ribbon frosting" which I first cut and frayed the top long edge.  Then I used Mine Glue Dots to adhere the smallest Paper Daisies to the tree top and then I put a tiny Basic Pearl in the center of each flower.  A quick greeting from the Petite Pairs stamp set and a Lucky Limeade Bakers Twine shoestring bow finish out the card.  The DSP panel is layered on River Rock and the card panel is textured Early Espresso card stock.

Now it is your turn to stamp a little something inspired by SPRING and then add it to the Hand Stamped Sentiments challenge for this week!


Happy challenge stampin', Elizabeth

p.s. I have to share this photo I took of Baxter, my very adorable Mini Schnauzer.  He had been outside licking rain puddles and came to the door with a beard full of blossoms.  He really, REALLY, needs a furcut and bath!

Gallon - Quart - Ounce

Every now and again I like to apply the "gallon quart ounce" rule for use of color.  It's a great trick for painting rooms.  The walls take about a gallon while the trim takes more like a quart and the accessories are an ounce worth of color pops here and there.

This card is card uses mostly yellow/Daffodil Delight, some gray/Basic Gray, and just a skoch of lime green/Lucky Limeade.

Happy craftin, Elizabeth

Mixed Bunch Beauty

Another card made from after stamp class leftovers and the Mixed Bouquet stamp set.  I used the Blossom Bouquet Punch to perfectly cut my Mixed Bouquet flower.  for the center I have a Bright Button and a Red Glimmer 3/4" circle.  I love the subtle look of the greeting which I stamped in Versamark and embossed with clear embossing powder. 

A few other bits and pieces include the Tulip Frame Embossing Folder, Everyday Enchantment DSP, Seam Binding, Blushing Bride Smooch Spritz, and Linen Thread.

 

Happy craftin, Elizabeth

Black Grunge Rock Magic

How about a very cool technique challenge for this week over at Hand Stamped Sentiments?  The Hand Stamped Sentiments #114 challenge is "Black Magic."  It is so easy and fun to see what cool new looks you can come up with.  What are you waiting for?  Stamp up some black magic and share your creation on the Hand Stamped Sentiments site.  I'll be looking for your card :0)

For the technique you will need to stamp with white or a light colored pigment ink on dark cardstock.  Let the image thoroughly dry and then color over the ink with colored pencils.  On my card I used watercolor pencils which I very delicately blended with an Aqua Painter.  Then I added highlights with the Signa White Gel Pen.

The guitar, the "real" seal, and the happy birthday images were all colored using the black magic technique.  You will notice that I didn't worry about covering every speck of the white with my pencils.  I thought it added to the look and feel of the card and I was too lazy to find a pencil sharpener (seriously I'll make any justification to not have to do some things, but really I do like it the way I did it).  To add to my Grunge Rock card I spritzed with Blushing Bride Smooch Spritz and bits of the pink bling from the Blossom Builders kit.  Look close at the embossing and you'll see the tiny pink bling there and on the guitar.

All SUpplies from Stampin' Up!

Stamps - Grunge Rock
Inks - White Craft Pad
Paper - Poppy Parade & Basic Black Card Stocks, Piece of Cake DSP
Accessories - Watercolor Pencils, Blossom Builders, Elegant Lines Embossing Folder, Blushing Bride Smooch Spritz, Ivory 1/8" Taffeta Ribbon, Stampin' Dimensionals, 1 1/4" Circle Punch, White Signo Gel Pen

Happy craftin, Elizabeth

The List Is Out!

Stamps from the 2011-2012 catalogs are retiring, and this is your chance to get them before they're gone. Many products are only available while supplies last, so be sure to get your orders in early!

Click right HERE to see the pdf list.

Happy craftin, Elizabeth

Pursonality

What do you get when you mix the Petite Purse Bigs L Die and Summer Smooches DSP?  You get the cutest strappy mini handbag with total pursonality!

This new die is totally adorable and I might add that you really need to have this in your arsenal of tools and accessories.

All SUplies from Stampin' Up!

Stamps - Tiny Tags

Paper - Poppy Parade & Whisper White Card Stocks, Summer Smooches DSP

Inks - Poppy Parade & Island Indigo Classic Ink Pads

Accessories - Triple Layer Blossom & Tiny Tag Punches, In Color Brads, Riding Hood Red Pleated Satin Ribbon, Brights Brads

Happy craftin, Elizabeth

Home Decor Sweet Home

Get them now while they last.  The Decor Elements from Stampin' Up! are available until the end of May.  I have totally enjoyed creating home decor projects with the Decor Elements and will miss the line in the new catalog, but I am totally looking forward crafting with whatever SU! has coming!

This sweet sign was made with the Decor Element from the Sale-a-bration catalog.  While it's too late to get one of these cool vinyl pieces, you may have got one during SAB that you have not done anything with as of yet.  For mine I first painted a canvas with a soft red paint mixed with clear glaze.  I intentionally wanted brush strokes through the paint so I used a foam brush and worked the paint in one direction across the canvas.

Once the paint was totally dry I added the Decor Element.  The design also included a simple curled flourish on the bottom, but I cut it off so the sign would better fit my canvas.  Rubbing vinyl on a canvas can be tricky.  I find a hard cover book just the right thickness to fit under the framework of the canvas.  Then I rub the Decor Element very thoroughly and peel back the cover/transfer paper slowly.  To finish my canvas I lightly stenciled Smooch Paint and added a few jumbo pink bits of bling from the Blossom Builder kit.

Happy craftin, Elizabeth

All About Mom

Today is a big day for me!  I have joined the design team over at Hand Stamped Sentiments and this is my first post with them.  I have to say how thankful and thrilled I am to be a part of such an AWESOME group of stampers.

For this week the HSS #113 theme challenge is "All About Mom."  What better topic is there than this?  None!  You see my mom is the best friend a girl could have and she is all mine!  I have made a cute card and mini purse just for her using products from the Tea Time Simply Scrappin' Kit.  If you have not checked this kit out you must as it has the most pretty designer papers ever and the coordinating paper ribbons and embellishments are super sweet.

Be sure to click over to Hand Stamped Sentiments and join the fun--be inspired, create, and then add your project to the challenge.

All supplies are from Stampin' Up!

Stamps - Loving Thoughts

Inks - Early Espresso

Accessories - Tea Time Simply Scrappin' Kit, Petite Purse Bigs L Die, Blossom Builders Kit (pink gems), Basic Pearls, Itty Bitty Punch Pack, Soft Suede Striped Grosgrain Ribbon, Blushing Bride Pleated Satin Ribbon, Linen Thread, Stampin' Dimensionals, Dazzling Diamonds Glitter

Happy craftin, Elizabeth

A Return to My Old Favorite Colors

A mix of Baja Breeze, Blushing Bride, and Crumb Cake are so soothing and soft that the trio is one of my all time favorite color combos.  For this card I have used stamps from Creative Elements, Perfectly Penned, and Distressed Dots. 

For the flower I stamped the image three times on Shimmer White card stock and then colored the petals with the floating reinker technique.  Once the flowers were dry I fussy cut them out and stacked up three layers for a gorgeous focal point to my card.

All SUpplies are from Stampin' Up!

Stamps - Creative Elements, Perfectly Penned, Distressed Dots

Inks - Jet Black Staz On, Whisper White Craft, Crumb Cake & Baja Breeze Classic pads, and Regal Rose & Baja Breeze Reinkers

Paper - Whisper White, Shimmer White, Baja Breeze, Crumb Cake, & Blushing Bride Card Stocks

Accessories - Aqua Painter, Basic Rhinestones, Blushing Bride Pleated Satin Ribbon, Beautiful Wings Embosslit Die, Dotted Scallop Ribbon Border Punch, Stampin' Dimensionals

Happy craftin, Elizabeth

Inspired by Spring Nature

A Lucky Limeade one layer card with Blossom Builder flowers and Pear Pizzazz Seam Binding.  The grass background was stamped with Lucky Limeade Classic Ink and the Inspired By Nature stamp.

I curled the flowers with a bone folder, but they curled even more when I sprayed the card cheap hair spray to adhere a sprinkling of Dazzling Diamonds Glitter.

Happy stamp craftin, Elizabeth

Happy Peepster

So, how about something a bit different for today's post.  I found these really cool Peep ideas on Pinterest which I pinned of course and decided to give one a try.  I made rice krispy treats made with Peeps--how cool is that!

The instructions said to add:

3 Tablespoon butter

35 Peeps

6 Cups rice krispy cereal

Melt the butter and Peeps over a medium heat and DO NOT STIR.

Add the cereal and spread in a 9" x 13" greased pan.

The colors blend and create a mixed variety of muted tones.  The color comes from the butter which browns in the pan because you don't stir the Peeps.  I decided to form my treats into eggs just the right size for my cheapy eggs holders.

Now the question of the hour is...Would I make these again?  No, they were fun and I enjoyed trying a new recipe/idea but, they are just too sweet and I much prefer good ol' Rice Krispy Treats!  I do like Peeps but I like them tough, chewy, and stale--yum.  How do you like your Peeps?

Happy craftin, Elizabeth

Everyday Enchantment Pennants & More

 

Here are a couple close up shots of the banner made with the Everyday Enchantment DSP, First Edition DSP, and the packing paper from a Stampin' Up! order.

Take another look at our booth at the Pleasanton Scrapbook Expo.  This side featured the Attic Boutique product suite and Everyday Enchantment.  Later I will show close ups of the ribbon lamp and the DSP covered luggage.

More garland made with die cut circles and my sewing machine.  I really liked how the flower poofs added to the visual weight of the backdrop.

A closer look at the flower poofs.  These actually have two each back to back.

I clipped them in all places where I needed a finishing touch.

I hot glued mini clothes pins to the back of each for easy adorning!

Come back for my flower poof tutorial and to see close ups of the ribbon lamp and the covered luggage--you'll love them!

Happy craftin, Elizabeth

Nutty for Preinking

Over at Nutty for Stampin' there is a great tutorial on her blog about how to partially emboss with the Framed Tulips folder.  It's so cool!  I learned from her tutorial exactly how she was able to get two parallel strips of the embossing folder on a card front.  Once I tried out her tutorial I was hooked.

I added ink to the folder with a sponge before I ran it through the Big Shot in order to get subtle color in the nooks and crannies.  To keep the embossed strips straight and right where I wanted them I started by first adhering my piece of DSP to the front of my card.

If you are thinking this card looks a lot like my card which I posted just the other day it's because this card was the inspiration for that.  You see my mom needed a simple card for a group of girls to make.  We liked this card style and the colors for them to make, but we both felt that while this card appears simple it is actually more complex than the time they would have.  So we simplified this card into what my 3/24 card post.

All supplies from Stampin' Up!

Stamps - Triple Treat Flower, Friendly Phrases

Ink - Soft Suede Classic Ink

Paper - Crumb Cake, Pool Party, Daffodil Delight, & Very Vanilla Card Stocks, Everyday Enchantment DSP

Accessories - Framed Tulips Embossing Folder, In Color Brads, Linen Thread, Stampin' Sponge, Fancy Flower & Five Petal Punches, 1" Square Punch (to fish tail the pennant), Bone Folder (to curl and distress the flower)

I have added my card today to the 52 Card Pick Up over at The Old Back Porch, go check out what has been posted there for more great inspiration.

Happy craftin, Elizabeth