by Susan Itell | Nov 29, 2017 | Baby |
Happy Hump Day! I have a cutie for you today! I can see you smiling right now as that is always what happens to me when I see this sweet little lion…..heck when I see any of these 3 images from the A Little Wild Bundle.
This has been a super popular bundle from the annual catalog and it’s cousin, Seasonal Chums from the Holiday Catalog has been just as popular (head’s up….you will see this one next week) I think that Stampin’ Up! was oh so smart in the design of these bundles – you can see that today, I snipped it off to just use the front of the sweet lion.
When a loved one asks me to make them a card...I JUMP ON IT and that is what today’s card is about. Ashleigh, my peeps sweetie is going to a baby shower this weekend and was in need of a card for a sweet little baby that will be entering this world soon….and being that she is super clean and classic herself, this card was super appropriate!
This is a great card to call a …“Let’s Break It Down Card” – aka, LBIDC!!! Are you saying WHAT THE HECK????? Well, hang tight!
To me, this is “my kinda card” as it is clean and simple but it has texture, a bit of bling and dimension….to me, a PERFECT COMBINATION for a sweet card!
I do not make a bunch of baby cards….but the (2) stamps sets that I am using today…..are FAB-O ones to have in your stampin’ stash. The sentiment inside of from Moon Baby and I think that you can agree…that is a KEEPER and check out this card that I made from that set back in August…..a love them both – super stamps set as they are super practical and classic!
Let’s break some of the basics here…and then you can step back and see….YEP, it IS a simple card!
We haven’t chatted lately about “style” – Let’s face it…we all have a certain style that we gravitate to and if you are on my blog, you probably are pretty clean and simple. I often hear…”I don’t know what my style is” – here is a tip and I hope that you take this to heart…..
START WITH A SKETCH and just GO FOR IT!!!
This layout would be a great one to play around with….how about it??? – give it a try?!?!?! This card is all about simple shapes. The size of this card is a 4 1/4″ square but feel free to give it a try with a regular A-2 card.
I shared with you that I stamped a sentiment on the inside….well, here it is….very simple, yet classic and a wee bit of fun with adding some stars. Remember, less is best many times. Just look how simple yet so sweet.
There you go…something to brighten up your HUMP DAY! I was super happy with the end result and you know that you could ealiy flip this to be a boy card.
I admit, I am having a “creative block” as I am still not in the full swing of things….but I’m getting there…..I miss creating daily and I miss my creative mojo – it’s coming….I’m being patient but I hope that this sweet lion perked you up today!
It feels great to blog….I have missed you guys…..see you Friday!
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by Susan Itell | Aug 12, 2017 | Baby, Simple Saturday |
Happy…happy to you and there is nothing more happier than the joy of a baby! I do not make a bunch of baby cards but I will say, they are fun! But then again…anything is it you have the right things to work with!
Today I am using the super sweet stamp, Moon Baby! You know that the end result is going to come out…“just right” when you look at an image…have an instant smile because you can say…“all I need to do is stamp and done”!
Before I started to design this card…I surfed! I think that we have all done this many times but one thing that happens to me (actually many times is) I get overwhelmed and time FLIES out the door and I end up ultimately feeling like I have gone in a circle! Does that ever happen to you?
There are so many AMAZING….simply AMAZING clean and simple cards with this set. I encourage you to google it as I saw some “keepers”. In the end I thought – Susan…just get it done, That is what works for me as I knew that I needed a baby card and I needed it now!
I am serious, the internet is an AMAZING tool that naturally we all love and appreciate BUT….I think that you will agree with this – it can be the BIGGEST VACCUM OF TIME…now does that ring a bell with you?
I learned a lesson from the above…WHAT WAS IT? Well this is easy….I have had this stamp set for a while now and I have know for a while that there was going to be a baby born and we all know that there are 2 ways to go…Girl or Boy! Just get it done, That’s my motto and that is what I did!
Super simple I went – making it to a square card I at least felt that this would be special for the new arrival as there is just something unique about seeing and feeling a square card. The overall size of it is a 4 1/4″ card.
Out came the Stamp-a-ma-jig for perfect placement and out came the Aqua Painter (the colors I used are at the end of the post) but here is a funny – this guy just about made it into the “Circular File” in my work area, the TRASHCAN!
WHY??? Let’s call it patience and that was something I was short on. I thought that I ruined the little babies face.
I first put a layer of Blushing Bride and I thought he looked too pink. I then added some Sahara Sand over top….now he was a weird brownish icky color (this is when he just about made it into the circular file) and the phone rang…I yacked and saw that the sun was out (it had just rained) so I ran outside with my camera…as I am a rainbow chaser and YEP – there was a rainbow!
After walking away from my little cherub and returning, I looked at him and thought – He deserves a life line….he’s not too bad! A bit more Blushing Bride for the cheeks and he was all set!
I am telling you all of this because it shows…we need to walk away sometimes. I know we all know the feeling of not having “mojo” or being frustrated that something doesn’t work etc….WE ALL HAVE BEEN THERE.,,but when this happens – WALK AWAY as when you come back, you usually have a fresh set of eyes and things work out! Remember, this is made from YOUR HANDS…not HALLMARK!
Another tip and addition I did was to take a wee bit of Sahara Sand and outline the entire image…I think it makes it POP a bit more and adds a subtle depth to the card. I think that you will find this to work in your advantage when you watercolor….try it, I think you will smile!
And here is my rainbow. I know that it is not super brilliant but it was there. There is something just magical about a rainbow to me…every time I see one I think of my Mom and she adored them as well. I think that they appear for me to STOP and enjoy and this is exactly what I did and in the end – I loved the card!
I cannot believe that it is the middle of August and we are have grass as lush as it is in May. We are mowing constantly and the horses have some fat grass bellies!
I learned a lesson…the lesson of why did I put off doing something that I knew was going to happen and the lesson of patience. My card turned out and I am happy that it didn’t get tossed. 😆
I wish that I had the time to play with and make a more detailed card…but I knew I just needed to roll with what I felt comfortable with. There will always be times in the future to “play with my stamps” and create something more technical.
This is a super sweet and oh so special baby stamp set and we all know…baby cards are something that are inevitable!
I honestly do not have a bunch of baby stamps but I knew that this one would be a classic one to have. The sentiments are a classic with the sweet and simple images…SOLD!
I could have put this card in one of our regular envelopes and it would not only fit but it could have mailed with a regular stamp but you know me, I needed to make a custom envelope so out came the Punch Board.
Playing up the idea of stars, I took the Oh My Stars Embossing Folder and added that little bit of detail to the back flap and also ran the Aqua Painter over it with a super quick wash of So Saffron!
That’s it for me today! Now don’t get your hopes up for an “over the top” transformation for tomorrow….I think that I had already painted the “time factor” to you and I really needed a card and that is just what I did. Please pop back tomorrow as you will get another dose of this card….just changed up a bit!
My job and hopes for you is to teach you and inspire you to be realistic with what you can do. For me, it just wasn’t in the cards for me to take oodles of time and in the end….I love this card just the same! Now go have a great day!
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by Susan Itell | Aug 17, 2016 | Baby, Uncategorized |
Happy Hump Day! I have a shaker card for you today that I hope will make you smile! My oldest “peep” is home this week and I am being THE BIGGEST SPONGE and taking it all in! He is the one that lives in Boston that is a Montessori Teacher and this year he has 15 ducklings!
“Mr Llama is back” – Is it Larry, Liam, Lawrence……whatever – he is ADORABLE!
One of his friends from college just had a bouncing baby boy and I naturally HOPPED on it to say, “Can I make you a card” – With that…I knew that it could not be too frilly…so here you go!
It was SUPER fun and SUPER rewarding to make! I was so excited to make it and I hope that you find the pictures and the collage to be a help! Please feel free to email me or leave a comment if you need additional help!
What is on today’s agenda – PLAY TIME in my CRAFT AREA….(I admit, he is not so excited but I sure am) – I told him that we are going to make all sorts of goodies for his ducklings….stay tuned as I will blog about it!
Here are some tips that I think will help you! The Hearth and Home thinlits are perfect to make a shaker card and there are so many stamps that you could use to put behind the window….
- The Embossing buddy – if you run that over the Window Sheet before you adhere is and also try to run it against the side of the foam adhesive….it will help eliminate the static of the “shaker parts”
- Having the right adhesives are key. I know, I know – there are a lot of adhesives out there, but having the ones that I have used will make the whole process easier!
- The tear & tape works great with this (T & T) on the above captions….and when I cut the T & T in 1/2 to make a thin strip to fit this framelit, it was really easy and it did the trick!
I think that this DSP is PERFECT for this card, it gives a great feel for a simple yet super FUN card but when you shake it – WOW happens! Shaker cards sre HOT right now and they are really very easy – to me, I say you just have to dive in and give it a try. I was very happy with the end result!
Here is the “low down” on the card. I admit, I truly hope that Stampin’ Up! comes out with thick Very Vanilla Card Stock, this is why I mounted the DSP against a an extra piece of vanilla card stock…I like the extra support!
Have a fabulous day…..remember that my Product Share are available (click at the top header of my blog) and I am excited for the new catalog to be unveiled for YOU on my blog…..just less than 2 weeks – we can hang in there!
Yesterday I sent out a confirmation to those that requested a product share….if you did NOT receive one yesterday, please email me so I can make sure you are on the list.
Wish me luck with my peep today – I am in HOG HEAVEN (sorry Daisey) but I am hoping that he will get as excited as I am…..I am envisioning lots of 3-D’s….lots of cards for parents….I am just happy! :-
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by Susan Itell | Jul 28, 2016 | Baby, Uncategorized |
Today is the Pals Paper Art Challenge day and this week we are working with a color challenge! This palette was inspired to us from fellow Pal, Lynn Hoyt. Lynn is always filling the PALS gallery with great cards and always offering useful ideas, it is great to be a PAL!
I was going to go with a floral look…and then I though no, there will probably be a ton on them….and I thought about how about a sweet baby card that would be perfect for someone that just found out that they were expecting or how about if someone had twins!
I did a card using this stamp set, CLICK HERE to see it and I think that you will see that this too is a great one. We have framelits, Baby’s First that cuts out the onesie perfectly.
When I was thinking of this card to make for you today….I just KNEW that we had a great stamp set that was carried over and yep….I think that this works perfectly for a baby card. Take a look at this sentiment set….a little for everything and the fonts are fun!
I think that you can see the fun and simple elements of this card. Because it is a photopolymer stamp set, it makes it super easy to add the sweet flowers and sentiment to the “girls” one. For both cards, I used the Aqua Painter to add the colors that Lynn used for her color challenge today!
I admit, I was a bit stumped with the envelope love and then I thought….when in doubt, pull the DSP Stacks out….I thought that this turned out FUN! I simply addded the adhesive…matched them in the center and then snipped away!
One last look…and you can see how simple this card is to make and I think that we all agree….anyone would love to receive this. I know that I do not do a bunch of baby cards but there us something special about this stamp set. (I love the little stamps….great filler stamps for empty areas)
Bonus Days are coming to an end….please do not forget that for every $50 purchase, Stampin’ Up! will send you a $5 coupon to use in August! This makes shopping FUN!
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by Susan Itell | Jul 10, 2016 | Baby, Step it up Sunday! |
Here you go and I am going to say right out of the gate….my pick is today’s card! You know that this is always not the case but I am simply goo-goo over this card!
One thing that I would suggest is….if you have a card that you really, really like – make many of them. This is definitely one that has a very high “CUTE FACTOR” and having some for girls and some for boys would be a lifesaver
The basic changes for to today’s card is the matting of the focal part and also I matted the onesie ! I will give you the dimensions for the card below but I hope that you can see that cutting down the part that was embossed make the “onesie” in the middle of the card even POP more!
Yesterday I shared with you how rewarding it is to do Heat Embossing. There are 3 tips that I can give you that make embossing work!
- Use an embossing buddy. They last forever and you will be so happy that you did as it takes off any static that is on your paper so when you use the versamark, you will get a clean and crisp image.
- Turn your Heat Tool on before you get started to get it good and hot. This helps to eliminate warping of the paper and it makes the embossing powder react much faster.
- Go to the store an purchase an inexpensive paint brush that will help flick off stray embossing powder from the image.
Thanks for the comments yesterday and I agree that I am so happy with the “little” stamps that are in this set. This flower and dots can be so useful for many of our projects, you just need to remember that they are in this stamp set.
Here you go with the dimensions!
- The Card is a Vertical A-2 in Crumb Cake
- The Blushing Bride Piece is 4” X 5 ¼”, go ahead and cut a onesie from the center of this piece and cut it in half vertically so you can mount it to the embossed one. Add dimensionals .
- The Crumb Cake that you will emboss is 3 ¾” X 5”
When I emboss and part of the image is going to go off the side of the card…I like to put a piece of computer paper under the piece that I am going to stamp. REMEMBER to use the Embossing Buddy before you stamp your stamps in versa mark and stamp
I like to also fold a piece of computer paper in half so I can liberally sprinkle the embossing powder over the stamped image as it is super easy to pour it back in the little jar. Use a paintbrush to remove and unwanted embossing powder before you heat set it with the Heat Tool.
I took the blushing bride marker and use the brush side to color the spaces. When you 1st look at it, you think it looks a little dull but hang tight, finish coloring and you will see the POP happen, especially once you mat it to the blushing bride.
The sentiment was super easy….just a ½” piece of scraps and remember to use that embossing buddy again so your sentiment will heat set crystal clear. A simple snip-snip with the paper snips to flag the ends is the perfect finishing touch.
Simply 1-2-3 mount the layers and I like to use Tear –n- Tape or Fast Fuse to make sure that the edges will not come up. Place dimensionals under the onesie and also place one on the outer edges of the sentiment so it lays at the same height.
The envelope, same drill as I always do, a ¼” strip of paper and then place a DSP 2” X 6”, adhere and cut the excess way!
Whew, this was a bunch to type up so I do hope that you found it helpful. This truly is a fun stamp set and I think that the sentiments are super! For you animal lovers out there….the bunny will be super cute for Easter and that little kitten, SOOOOO darn cute!
You just have 5 more days to take advantage of the DOUBLE PAW PRINTS that I am giving to you with orders places with me. Again, you can find the details of my loyalty program underneath the header of my blog!
Bonus days are here and a great way to save in August, especially for that bundle that I know many of you are “eyeing up”. Please remember to keep your code that Stampin’ Up! emails you, I have no way of getting them if you misplace them.
I think that you will like tomorrows post…I sure think it is super cute and I have a feeling that this bundle will be very popular. I am talking about the limited edition one, Thoughtful Branches ~ available starting August 2nd (while supplies last). It is adorable and one that you can really use all year around. As a demonstrator I was able to pre-order it and have fun with it to share ideas to YOU!
Please let me know your feedback on this 2 day post. I know that I do not do a bunch of baby cards but this one sure did get me “charged up” Just think, you could do it for a boy in blues and put a tie from the framelit on the onesie – too cute! I think that I would also switch out the flowers and use the stars to heat emboss….PRESTO – there you go, another card!
Until tomorrow….have a special day!
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by Susan Itell | Jul 9, 2016 | Baby, Simple Saturday, Uncategorized |
A baby always touches your heart strings…and it is super fun to make a special card in the celebration! Last weekend when Hannah was home, she shared with me that a co-worker was getting ready to have a baby and they knew that it was going to be a girl!
Naturally…..I HOPPED ON IT and said, “Can I make you a card?” – I was so excited as I admit, I broke down and purchased this ADORABLE stamp set, Made with Love because of the sweey sample that was in the catalog (page 59). I knew that I wanted to CASE this card and thanks to Hannah’s friend having a baby…you get to see it for this 2 day post!
This stamp set goes with the Baby’s First Framelit Dies and I admit, I have not used them as much as I thought I would when it first came out to coordinate with the Something for Baby Stamp Set…. but now…new story with this stamp set! 🙂
When we have the opportunity to have a set of die cuts that will help us make the “cutting process” not only easier but faster ~ I say, YES ~ sign me up! Remember, it is that time thing that gets us every time!
This has been around for a while and the shapes are classics! I do not know about you…but when I see a “onesie”, I smile with great memories of the PEEPS being BABY PEEPS!
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I used the Crumb Cake, taking the lead from the sample in the catalog and I adore it! It has a very natural and clean feel to the card but the real FUN was the heat embossing!
When you look at the above picture of the stamp set, you will see that there are many small images…I ADORE when a stamp set has little classic images!
You can see that I used to the max the dots (go figure, I adore dots) and also the super sweet flower! I simply took the Blushing Bride marker to color in the “onesie stripes” and also the centers of the flowers!
Trying to let the embossing and the stamped images be the shining star, I stamped the sentiment onto a scrap of paper ~ flagged the ends and PRESTO …a super cute card!
I ask you….when was the last time you used the heat tool and embossed? I admit, I forget about it as my heat tool is in a drawer and you know the saying, “Out of sight….Out of mind” but I will say I never, EVER get tired of Heat Embossing, it is a HANDS DOWN rewarding technique.
I hope to see you tomorrow…as I do have another version of this card~ I am excited to see how you like it and which one “suits your fancy” A new baby in the world deserves a fun and special card. I think that I have the baby cards that people sent to me when I had a baby (yikes, that was decades ago but I bet there is a box that has them), it is always a special time….and one that is always cherished as it is an amazing miracle!
Please do not forget that we are “IN THE TRENCHES” with the BONUS DAYS and with the heat we have been having, I say that it is much more fun and comfortable to stay inside, shop….stamp & be proud of yourself!
PLEASE remember to keep the email voucher that Stampin’ Up! sends you because there is no way for me to see your codes for you to redeem you $$$$$ off in August! I would suggest printing off the email or writing the codes down in your calendar to remind yourself! 😎
Please click here to see the scoop of the promotion but the best thing is…..
DOUBLE PAW PRINTS
(click the drop down link underneath my blog header) to see the incentive and the Paw Prints Program that I offer! I appreciate YOU and it is my way of saying woot-woot, oops ~ woof-woof!
Enjoy the day and I look forward to seeing you tomorrow, I think that you will like the changes!!!
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