Layers, Layers, Layers

Let me start by saying that I CASEd this card from Kristen Nicole Cunningham at Adorkable Ideas.  I have been wanting to try this ribbon flower for the past week or so, and this card seemed the like perfect vehicle.  I loved all of the layers, and thought it would be perfect for such an extravagant embellishment.

I'll be showing this technique at my stamper's club tonight, so hopefully they like it just as much as I do!  If you want to give it a try for yourself, here's a great video.

Though I think the yellow palette is lovely, you could easily switch it up with another colour family.

Test Drive Stampin Up!

Sale-a-bration not only offers some great free goodies when you place an order of $60, but it is also the perfect time to join SU!  The Starter Kit is usually $215, but during SAB it's only $150!

The Starter Kit gives you the following products:

4 stamp sets of your choice worth:  $11.95 or less, $27.95 or less, $30.95 or less, and $35.95 or less, as well as a standard Stampin Wheel $7.95 or less.  That means you're getting $114.75 worth of stamps.

4 Classic Ink Pads of your choice $29.00

Versamark Pad $9.95 (or Classic pad of your choice)

Ribbon of choice $12.25 or less

Assorted Cardstock of choice $8.50

Cardstock of choice $8.50

Punch of choice $30.95 or less

Clear Block $8.95 or less

Envelopes $7.95 or less

Patterned Designer Series Paper Stack $26.95

2 Stampin' Write Markers $9.00

Adhesive of choice $9.95 or less

Stampin Mist or Staz On Cleaner $6.25

Stampin' Scrub $20.95

Blender Pen $4.50

Stampin' Around Standard Handle $4.95

Uninked Stampin' Around Cartridge $6.50

Classic Ink Refill $3.75

Stampin' Dimensionals $5.35

I've done the math for you.  The total amount of products you get to choose is a whopping $329.85.  In other words, $179.85 FREE.

On top of this great deal, you'll also get 30% off of your first demonstrator order, and 20% off of all orders after that.

AND each month after signing up, you will get to choose a package of Designer Series Paper for FREE with your first demonstrator order of the month for the first year as a demo.

Not interested in pursuing the selling aspect?  Ok.  No problem.  You are NEVER required to purchase anything at all after you sign up for this amazing deal.  Really.  I promise.  If you want to, great.  You'll get a fabulous deal, awesome incentives, and sneak peeks at new items as they come out.  One of the many amazing things about Stampin' Up is their desire to share their passion for stamping with everyone.  Many hobby stampers sign up just to get the deal on products and then don't purchase anything further.  They don't call you or hound you through email.  You'll get an email once your first 6 months are over asking you if you want to continue or not, but nothing after that.

If you decide that you do want to keep your "demo status" (20% discount), you merely place $400 in orders every 3 months.  That can come from orders for yourself, friends, family, or from workshops or clubs that you hold.  If this is something you want to pursue, I'm more than happy to help you get started.

So if this sounds like the way to go for you, please start your order now and receive your package 8 days from now!

Mixed Bunch

I have a couple of workshops this weekend and pulled out Mixed Bunch to play with.  This set is great for versatility.  I wanted to showcase how you don't need a hundred sets to make a good variety of cards, and this certainly did the trick.

This one is great for showing off what you can do with different textures.  One of the ladies "messed up" (her words, not mine) and used the Perfect Polka Dots folder on the base layer and the Vintage Wall Paper on the top layer.  I actually like how hers turned out better than mine! :)

 

This next one's a little more striking with the bold colours.  I think this one would work just as well for a wedding/anniversary card too.

I originally wanted to make this one with Bashful Blue, but I was out of that so I used Pool Party instead.  Turns out Poppy Parade and Pool Party make me happy when they're together.  This card is pure fun and sure to put a smile on the receiver's face.

Don't forget that Sale-a-bration is in full swing!  For every $60 order you place you get to choose an item from the SAB catty for FREEEEEEEEEE!!!!  I'll also be entering customer's names in a draw with each order, and pull a winner on the last day of each month of SAB. Prizes include Stampin Write marker, ribbon shares, DSP shares, and even NEW STAMPS!  Contact me today to place your order, or head on over to my online store.

Daring Cardmakers 01

Again, I was surfing around the good old internet, and I found a fun challenge site.  This one's by some lovely UK ladies.  I mashed it up with an old Mojo Monday sketch and am pretty pleased with the outcome.

I got this set a number of months ago, but haven't been inspired to use it.  As soon as I saw this combo though set practically jumped right off my shelf and into my lap!  Pool Party and Island Indigo aren't exactly these shades, but they're close enough, and they look great with Crumb Cake and Soft Suede, so it all came together nicely anyways.

It's here!

 

  

It's here!  I LOVE Sale-a-bration.  This year there are some amazing new products, available exclusively through this promotion. 

Click here to check out what's available!

All orders placed either through my online store or through me will also give you an entry into my draw.  Each month during SAB I will draw for some great prizes as an extra thank you from me to you.  So get your cattys out and mark up those pages!  The first winners will be drawn on January 31st.

Sale-a-bration!

On January 24th Sale-a-bration starts again!  I love this event.  For each $60 order you place, you get to choose a free item.  These aren't junky no-one-wants-them-so-let's-give-them-away items either.  There are a few items from the IB&C (buttons, brads, stamps, paper, etc.) and as always, there are a couple of amazing items exclusively for SAB.  The DSP you see here is called Everyday Enchantment, and is part of SAB.  See those cute little brads over on the corner?  They're included in a bundle with some gorgeous organdy ribbon.

The sentiment shown on this card is from the new mini.  For the cling mount set the cost is $33.95.  Those amazing shapes under it?  Made in flash with the new Framelits Die.  For a set of 6 of these coordinating dies you pay only $32.95.  Order these 2 items and choose one of the SAB items for FREE!  Who doesn't love free stuff?!

I'll post a link to the SAB catalogue as soon as it goes live!  As an extra thank you from me each month during SAB, customers that place an order through me will have their name put in a draw for some great prizes including paper shares from current DSPs, coordinating ribbon shares for Attic Boutique and Twitterpated, free stamp sets, and more!  Each $60 order (pre tax & shipping) gets you one entry.  The draws will be held on the last day of each month and posted the following morning.  Shopping in my online store?  You're in the draw too!  Until then, look through your IB&C and the new mini and make yourself a wish list!

Shabby Chic

I seem to be in the mood for vintage-ish type cards these days, and I'm on a kick using my scissors to rough up the edges.  I bought this paper AGES ago and made a few cute little things with it, but it didn't make an appearance on any of my cards.  Fear not Beau Chateau!  You shall have your 15 minutes of fame.

One of the great things about Stampin Up's designer paper is that there are 12 designs.  One of the designs is actually the flowery branch from Elements of Style.  I wanted to use it, but not in the Marina Mist that the DSP has it in, so I pulled my faithful old friend off the shelf and made a Soft Suede background version instead (with roughed up edges too, of course).  It's really a minor detail, but I think the card would look stark without it.

Love this paper?  It's available as one of my shares.  Take a look here for details.

Joy Fold

I am ADDICTED to Pinterest.  It is the worst time-hole of all.  I'll give myself 10 minutes before I go to bed, and then I look at the clock and realize I've just spent an hour farting around.  However, you can find some really good stuff whilst doing just that.  I've seen a bunch of pins with these little seeds colour pallets and never bothered to find the source.  I did yesterday though!

This morning as I was doing my regular rounds of my favourite blogs I found a joy fold card on Mary Fish's site.  I immediately wanted to make one.  The many layers lend themselves to a multi-colour card well.  Then I remembered the pallet, and voila!

I was rather pleased with myself after making this one.  So I call my husband in and proudly show him,"Isn't this a nice one?"  His response:  "It's pretty busy.  I mean, for mailing, you know.  It's really...thick."  I'll tell you something that's really thick alright.  Dud moment for him on that one.

Whether or not he thinks it's a great as I do, it was fun to make and I think I'll try and find a way to work this into my next stamp class.  The Tea Shoppe set was the perfect match for these colours too.  Overall, I think of my granny-twin tea cousin when I look at this card.  Yep, that's you Amber. :)

I made a little flap on the back of this card to act as a stand so that it could be displayed once it was opened.  It's got just a nice little space inside for writing a little note to a lovely friend.

Pals Paper Arts 126

Two sketches in one morning?  Oh my!  After making my first sketch, I decided to poke around a little more before I head off and be responsible and do my housework.  The challenge this week at Paper Pals Arts isn't a sketch actually, rather a colour challenge.  I used this combo (Baja Breeze, Not Quite Navy, and Very Vanilla) for a few Christmas cards and loved how it turned out.  I've been wanting to do this tile technique again for a while and I am currently obsessed with this set (Creative Elements) so here's what came together!

A La Card Monkey 90

After I spent a luxurious two hours on the couch reading, sipping coffee, and snuggling with the pets, I finally decided to get dressed and do something productive.  By productive, I meant fun.  So into the craft room I went!  I knew I wanted to continue working with my new Attic Boutique, so I poked around for some sketches.  A La Card Monkey won this week.  I love love LOVE the colour combos on this DSP.

Speaking of this DSP, if you'd like a share of it (one 6 X 6 piece of each 12 designs) please check this post.

Occasions Mini

The new catalogue is here!  I fear that I may end up purchasing all of the items in this one....  Yee gads!  

Enjoy.

Click here to see the mini!

How Great Is Vintage?

Don't tell my husband, but back in December when SU released a bunch of stuff on the clearance rack, I went a little crazy.  I ordered every punch that I didn't already have.  That meant that when the Purolator man showed up, I was the proud owner of 7 new punches.

The five petal flower punch was one that I thought about buying, but wasn't crazy about.  However, for $13.59, who could say no?  So I added it to my cart.  Once the madness of Christmas finally died down, I was able to get back into my room and play a little.

I've had this set, Creative Elements, on my shelf for a while but just hadn't gotten around to using it yet.    Today would be the day.  I felt like making something vintage looking, and knew I had to work this new punch in somehow.  Here's what I came up with.

I've been on a bit of a binge lately roughing up my edges with scissors.  I love how it gives the card a worn look.  Blues and browns together are a great, so I knew they would come together nicely. The background stamping doesn't stand out, but it does what I wanted it to.  I was worried that Marina Mist was going to be a little strong, but it was the perfect amount.  I think Bashful Blue would have been overpowered by the print.  To top it off I added a few peals up in the corner, and a strip of Victorian trim along the middle. 

Attic Boutique

 The new Stampin Up Occasions Mini has a LOT of good things in it.  Don't ask me if I've already ordered most for myself (I have).  Attic Boutique is one of the new DSPs and I am smitten.  I love the mix of colours and the patters they've chosen.  Perfect as a simple card layered with just a little ribbon.  For this first one I clear embossed the Medallion background stamp and then took my brayer and covered the rest up with Soft Suede.  The new Pool Party seam binding ribbon really caps it off.  This is one of the cards my ladies will be making this month.

This one also utilizes Attic Boutique, one of the nice backgrounds offered my the series.  I've embossed it with the Elegant Soiree folder, and then heat embossed some white powder onto Poppy Parade for my tea cup, from the new set Tea Shoppe.  I am a tea granny, so as soon as I saw this set, I knew it had to appear on my shelf.  Keep checking back here for more samples with this set over the next few weeks.

                              

I love the quilting technique.  I used it a lot back with last year's mini and the Springtime Vintage DSP. I CASEd this layout from someone out there in card land (if it was you, please give me your name and I'll happily give you credit!).  I thought the quilting look would look great with this antique looking paper.  After I "quilted" the paper, it was still missing something so I added the frame.  Still didn't look quite right so I played with ribbons, choosing the Victoria Crochet trim in the end.  I love the different textures on this card.

Bring on the Cake!

Christmas is finally over (I love Christmas, but isn't it exhausting?) so I can get back to making other cards.  I've cleaned and packed away my holiday sets and spent some time looking through the ones that I've been neglecting for the past few months.

Speaking of Christmas, one of the gifts that I made for my mother-in-law was a box full of cards for every occasion.  I told her that throughout the year I would make more and send them down to her.  Kind of a perpetual gift.

It seems that I go through a lot of birthday and thank you cards, so I decided that's where I'd start.  Her birthday is actually later this month, so I thought I'd better get going.

I love the DSP Just Add Cake.  It really has nothing to do with birthdays, but the colour scheme is great.  I've made up one masculine, and one more feminine.  I always find it hard to come up with manly cards, but I think this one does the trick.  It doesn't scream masculine, but I think the colours fit the bill.

The second card could be switched up with a non-pink cupcake and some different ribbon for a less girly version as well.