Made with Leftovers

Today's card features leftover pieces from a Call Me Cupcake card I made.  I converted the orange and green gingham cake dome into a whimsical bird cage sitting on a silver stand.  Cuteness!

What I really like about this card is the alignment of the black and orange gingham pattern papers.  Look close and you will see that I tried to line the two patterns for a fun yet purposeful design esthetic.  Another design choice was the repetition of silver.  It's in the baker's twine, the stand, and the Wink of Stella painted on the birds.

#TGIF205 A Bouquet of Balloons

Got balloon stamps, die cuts, or ephemera?  Then join along with our theme challenge at #TGIF205!

Fancy Friday is Casing the Catalog

We are casing the catalog for this month's Fancy Friday Blog Hop.  If you never have cased a sample made for a Stampin' Up! catalog, brochure, or ad I highly recommend giving it a try.  It not only is fun and gets the stampin' mojo working, it's a study in balance, placement, color, and offers a style that is new to you.

There were so many projects I wanted to case that I couldn't decide.  So, I shut my eyes, flipped open the Catalog, and pointed to the bright green and white striped "hooray" bag in the photo above.  I was totally jazzed to make the project even though I had thought about converting it into a card, in the end I decided to make my own gift bag out two sheets of Happiness Blooms DSP.

Following my Catalog project I cut layers and strips of paper to match the bag from the same pack of Happiness Blooms DSP.  For the inside of the marquee I used some Silver Foil which I embossed with the Corrugated Dynamic TIEF.  The "wish" is cut with Black Foil and Whisper White Cardstock. The white is offset just a touch to create a drop shadow effect.

Get ready for it!  Next up is the ONE, the ONLY, the OUTSTANDING, Stamping Susan Wong!

Product List
Broadway Birthday Stamp Set | Broadway Lights Framelits | Happiness Blooms DSP
Corrugated Dynamic TIEF | Black Foil Paper | Silver Foil Paper | Lovely Lipstick Cardstock
Lovely Lipstick, Night of Navy, and Grapefruit Grove Ink Pads | Metallic Pearls

Hand Stamped Sentiments Sketch Challenge

Are you looking for a bit of stampin' motivation?  Try this sketch challenge from Hand Stamped Sentiments.  This layout is simple enough that it allows for all kinds of creatiivity.  You can take a look at all of the Design Team Members at Hand Stamped Sentiments to see what we have been crafting utilizing this design map.

I am captivated by the stitches in the Needle and Thread images.  When inked just right, not too heavily nor too light, these floral embroidered images look dimensional and like they are actually hand sewn.  My mood was all about blue flowers so that was how I started my color palette.  Then I grabbed some peach and coral to pair with the Blueberry Bushel and then included some Pear Pizzaz to bring the colors full circle.

My top fold card base is Thick Whisper White and it's stitched twice with the larger decorative piece from the Needlepoint Elements Framelits.  I also used the Layering Ovals Framelits to cut the DSP and Petal Pink central pieces.  All the florals and leaves stamped with images from Needle and Thread were cut from the Needlepoint Elements Framelits.  The coordination of these two products is fantastic--the options are huge.  The vellum cardstock butterflies are stamped from an image in the Needle and Thread set, but there is not a frame lit to match it.  Instead it fits the smaller piece from Butterfly Duet Punch.

Reunited ... A-Team Blog Hop

We're putting the band A-Team back together!  It's a thrill to join my Artisan friends from 2018 in a reunion blog hop to share what we have been designing, stamping, cutting, coloring, and creating. Most recently I seem to be gravitating to my older stamp sets and have been inking them up and showing them some love.  Laying on my stamp table now are the Best Birds Stamp Set and the Birds and Blooms Thinlits.  I love this pair of matching stamps and dies and find they fit the spring season which is in full bloom.

I enjoyed making the background panel for this card.  First, I cut a piece of Whisper White Cardstock with the largest Rectangle Stitched Framelit Die.  Next, I used the Sale-a-bration All Adorned Stamp Set and a Stamparatus to perfectly place the ornate image in each corner.  After stamping the corners I ran the panel through the Subtle Dynamic TIEF.

For both cards I stamped all the focal image pieces with Memento Tuxedo Black Ink and then had a relaxing time using the Stampin' Blends to color the birds, branches, leaves, and blossoms.  The super great thing about these cards is that I didn't do any fussy cutting.  The Birds and Blooms Thinlits are a perfect match to the stamp set to quickly cut out each image.

This second card includes a sentiment stamped with images from the More Than Words Stamp Set. This AWESOME greeting set is available this month only while supplies last.  Order quick to get your set and I promise you will love the versatility of this ensemble.

Thank you for stopping by to see what I've been stampin' lately.  Next up in this A-Team Reunited Hop is the adorable and stamptastic Connie Collins.  Jump over to her blog and be inspired by her hand crafted creations.

Product List

Best Birds Stamp Set | Birds and Blooms Framelits | All Adorned Stamp Set

Petals ad More Framelits | More Than Words Stamp Set | Subtle Dynamic TIEF | 

Whisper White, Granite Grey, Pool Party, and Soft Seafood Cardstocks and Inks | Memento Ink

Stampin' Blends Light and Dark: Pool Party, Soft Seafoam, Old Olive, & Pink Pirouette (retired)

Olive Ribbon | Silver Metallic Thread | Black Baker's Twine | Wink of Stella | Stampin' Dimensionals

Monday Montage More Than Words

Welcome friends to Monday Montage and our hop.  This hop I am sharing a simple card that features the More Than Words Stamp Set.  Be sure to get this set while you can as it’s only available this month and it’s fan-freakingtastic!

I grabbed my Stamparatus to align the three greeting images with precision.  My ink colors are Petal Pink, Calypso Coral, and Call Me Clover stamped on Whisper White.  Once I finished stamping I cut the greeting using one of the Rectangle Stitched Framelits.

A bit of Braided Linen Ribbon was the perfect added texture and touch to embellish the punched flowers and cut leaves.  The leaves were cut with a die from the Ecverday Eclectic Framelit Set and Mint Macaron Cardstock.

to Dani

To Julie

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

#TGIF203 Out of This World

We taking this #TGIF203 challenge "out of this world!"  How much fun is this theme?  Tons! 

I had first thought to handpaint a deep space water color background, but then I remembered the Twinkle Twinkle DSP which fit the theme perfectly.  A cheerful bright white star pattern paper was perfect for my focal point--a garland of sparkling stars.

For my sweet sparkling garland I cut six stars using one of the star piece from the Wood Crate Framelits.  In true Elizabeth style there are both foil and glimmer stars in silver and white along with a one star each in Balmy Blue, Petal Pink, and Soft Seafoam.  To string them all together I used the Silver and White Baker's Twine.

Let's talk about the sentiment I created for this card.  I wanted something unique so I searched my stash of supplies and took a close look at the Well Written Framelits.  I cut a variety of words from Silver Glimmer Paper and clipped the letters apart to rearrange the word "twinkle."  Backing my custom cut greeting is a panel of Blueberry Bushel layered on a piece of Night of Navy, both cut with the Rectangle Stitched Framelits.  To add just a bit more flair I sprinkled a few Twinkle Adhesive Backed Sequins.

Hand Stamped Sentiments Bike Ride Birthday

Today's inspiration board lends to a variety of spirited spring time themes.  Join us over at Hand Stamped Sentiments to stamp a project of whatever you like, just be motivated by the board below. When you're done don't forget to link it up on our website.

All the pink, chartreuse, and aqua colors definitely grabbed my attention as well as the blossoms. Then as I looked again the bicycle popped out and I knew I had to break out my old favorite of mine, the Bike Ride Stamp Set and matching Build a Bike Framelits.

For my background I used a sponge brayer to create an ombre of intense deep pink tones.  My colors blend from Melon Mambo through Lovely Lipstick to Fresh Fig.  To create a multi-tonal ombre of color that includes depth of color value I started by adding the lightest color to the entire base piece of Whisper White cardstock.  The Lovely Lipstick ink was added to the middle and top of my cardstock with a full coverage and then I lightly added a bit to the bottom just to blend the colors and not have any visible lines of ink.  For the top I added the Fresh Fig much heavier than I did to the middle being sure to blend.  This process takes a few minutes to get a smooth finished look.

I have enjoyed using the Well Written Thinlits.  For this card I cut the "birthday wishes" from Black Foil Paper.  I love how it looks like patent leather.  Included in the Build a Bike Framelits is the banner piece.  My banners are Blushing Bride, Pool Party, and Lemon Lime Twist to match my ink colors for the bike and basket.

Monday Montage 134 A Butterfly CASE

I have been searching and hunting for the card I cased to create the design I am sharing with you.  A while back I came across a stylish clean and simple card that totally grabbed me, so I had to recreate  it for myself.  If anyone knows of the card and original designer let me know as I would sure love to properly credit them.  In the meantime, I used a few products that are totally me to make this beauty.

First, I based my card with Thick Whisper White.  I love this heavier weight cardstock for cards and I always have a pretty decent stack of it in my stash.  Foil papers are another favorite of mine and I did use a piece of the Grapefruit Grove Foil as the backdrop for all the fun stuff.

To give a bit a added splash to my card I twirled loops of metallic thread and placed sequins here and there.  With the Leaf Punch I was able to tuck in a few Blushing Bride leaves behind the butterfly in practically no time at all.

to Dani

to Julie

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

Creation Station Birds, Blossoms, and Butterflies

Can you believe it's March already?  One great thing about the beginning of a new month means the designers of the Creation Station Team are ready to hop.  Our hop themes are different every month and are open to each designers interpretation.  We get to paper craft with Stampin' Up! products to make and share whatever inspires us.  This month our theme is "birds, blossoms, and butterflies."

I gravitated toward two of the theme elements, birds and blossoms.  I pulled out two classic fabulous products and beautiful pattern paper to create a little something that is gorgeous in real life.  I paired the Best Birds Stamp Set and Birds and Blooms Thinlits with a floral piece of paper from the Share What You Love pack of DSP.

I used Memento Black Ink for the stamped images and then used a mix of Stampin' Blends to color everything.  I totally borrowed my color palette from the paper and then cut out all the pieces with the Birds and Blooms Thinlits Dies.

To make this card a bit fancier I added bits from the Artisan Elements Kit, a Pearlized Doily, and a few found loose feathers.  I played around with different stamped sentiments, but finally decided on a Black Foil "thanks" cut from the Well Written Thinlits Dies.  I am really liking the foil as it looks like patent leather.

Thanks for joining me today.  Your next stop along our Birds, Blossoms, and Butterflies Blog Hop is with the lovely Sara Levin.  Her projects continually blow me away so jump over to check out her latest beautiful work.

Product List
Best Birds Stamp Set | Birds & Blooms Thinlits | Tuxedo Black Memento Ink Pad
Share What You Love DSP | Crumb Cake and Whisper White Cardstock | Black Foil
Petal Pink, Old Olive, Pool Party, Blackberry Bliss, and Crumb Cake Light & Dark Stampin' Blends
Old Olive 1/8" Sheer Ribbon | Artisan Pearls | Pearlized Doilies | Stampin' Dimensionals

#TGiF201

Jump on board and join along with the latest color challenge at #TGIF201.  We are mixing up three pale hues that mix beautifully with any spring theme.  I was in a mood for creating a polaroid theme scene as the focal point for my card so I thought that a frog would make a picture perfect subject.

I mixed up a couple packs of designer series paper to fit my frog scene and the color challenge.  The green wavy stripe paper is from he Tropical Chic pack and the check is from the Gingham Gala pack.  I used a couple sets of dies also.  To cut the polaroid frame I used the Layering Squares Framelits and the scenery pieces for the frog were cut from the Well Written Thinlits.

I grabbed a bunch of Stampin' Blends to give the frog a bit of color and then fussy cut it out.

Product List

So Hoppy Together | Well Written Thinlits | Layer Squares Framelits

Thick Whisper White, Soft Seafoam, Highland Heather, So Saffron, and Basic Black Cardstocks

Gingham Gala DSP | Tropical Chic DSP | Silver Shimmer Paper

Tuxedo Black Momento Ink | Whisper White Ink | White Embossing Powder

Old Olive, Soft Seafoam, and Daffodil Delight Light and Dark Stampin' Blends

Artisan Pearls | Silver & White Baker's Twine | Stampin' Dimensionals