Happy "Hump Day" – It is already Wednesday…..zip…zip goes the calendar! This is a sneak peak from the new upcoming catalog (Balloon Builders) but also there is a KEEPER of a set from the Holiday Catalog (Oh, What Fun)! I am thrilled that this stamp set is going to be carried over!
I was always in awe with the fun people that twist ad turn balloons onto shapes and animals and the minute I saw this stamp set (and also saw a super cuteexample of a mouse in the catalog) – I knew exactly what I was going to do!
I realize that this is an unusual Christmas Card to give to someone…it is PERFECT! As you are reading this post my daughter is flying to Switzerland to be with her boyfriend and family for a week.
The "mouse" comes in as when we went to visit them we gave them a little mouse like you will see in the pictures! We laughed and laughed every night we would put cheese out as we always included the mouse!
They moved to Switzerland and some how the mouse did not make it – whenever we skype I ask them….any sighting of the mouse!?!?! Well…I found this little guy when we were in Austin and I knew exactly what card I was going to make for them!
Sometimes I think that we are so "programed" to do traditional themes…designs….etc….but here you can see how I am mixing the old (a Holiday Stamp Set) and a new (the super cute balloon stamp set).
The color that I used was Basic Gray. You can see that his (body/belly) has some shading …that is on the stamp – it makes a balloon so realistic and I am amazed at the thought that went into creating this fun stamp set – it will be a blast to see what others come up with!
Aidan's family is from the UK and they always say "Happy Christmas" so when this stamp set came out I can remember calling Hannah telling her about this FUN stamp set. I truly wish that I could be there when they open up the little guy. (Hannah said that she was going to go to the market to get some cheese to give with it)
This is an A-2 card and I felt that there was too much white space so I thought…..that Washi Tape would be PERFECT and it is a great "break" to the white and it lets the mouse jump out!
You know by now, I am in love with Bakers Twine and today is no different! This little bow is the perfect accent for my little rodent friend! A simple glue dot holds it in place perfectly!
The liner came from the Merry Moments DSP Stack (still on sale) – what a GREAT pack of paper for now but also for many years ahead – the colors and patterns are wonderful and I think it was great that Stampin' Up! had so many sheets on one pack – a real value!
Well….what do you think of my little mouse! I just know that he will be a hit and I also know that Hannah will have a fabulous time in this beautiful country! I asked her to send me a picture of the mouse unveiling!
How are you all doing….hanging in there with the holidays? I know that it is a super busy time for all of us but please try to enjoy it! I am blessed to have my brother and niece here for a quick overnight from Florida! We are looking forward to a fun, family evening ahead!
Welcome to the Pals Blog Hop for December; we are thankful you stopped by. This month we are showcasing projects that feature Stampin’ Up! products that should be on everyone’s wish list. We hope you enjoy our creations.
You may just be starting the Blog Hop or may have come from the previous link from the Line-up on the Pals Blog Hop listing shown below. The full lineup will help you move along from blog to blog so you may see all the projects.
I simply adore when the PALS have the monthly HOP! WHY????? It is super fun to see the talent and inspiration from so many! When I went to prepare this post I sat down and wrote down all of the products that I use over and over (actually just about daily) when I sit to create.
I totally realize that it takes some time to build up your tools and products but the best advise I can give you is start with the basics and then continue to build with adding the little extras. Let's get to this fun card and then I am going to list straight down the products and I think you will see that they are "key" products to have a great foundation for card making!
I wanted to share with you this dear little frog. I have used him a bunch and I know that there will be many more cards in the future with him as he is so darn tootin' happy! The stamp set is called You're Sublime, and you can see that I masked the sentiment off and then added a different one from And Many More Stamp Set.
It is great to have a fabulous sentiment stamp set and also a fun image set. Todays card is a great example of how the blending of these 2 sets made this a FUN card….I masked off the sentiment with a piece of tape and then added the "very merry" under our frog friend!
If you follow my blog, (and I hope you do as I blog daily) than you already know that I adore odd shape cards! We have such great tools that make creating odd size cards with their envelopes easy and fun. I also adore the paper stacks that Stampin' Up! has been offering lately. The 6" X 6" size is perfect for card makers
I also have a HUGE love affair with the white pen….it is a must have as it adds so much with so little effort. The dots and dashes that I often do just adds the touch of depth that brings your card special.
A product that I really started to use a bunch this year and looking back, I could kick myself for not using it earlier…. Bakers Twine. I just love it as it is sooooo affordable and it adds a touch with such ease. In being a challenged "bow maker", working with the twine it a dream. I also use glue dots to hold the bows in place!
Another tip to add a great touch is to double or triple up your bakers twine before you tie it in a bow ~ a great touch!
Because this card is a 4" square I pulled out the Envelope Punch Board to make a fun envelope out of the cherry cobbler card stock. It is such an easy tool to use and you will be amazed at how many sizes this product will make.
Let's touch on watercoloring….this is a technique that many of use are fearful of but I have included it in the "must haves" as it is a great tool (the aqua painters) that you will dabble with more than you think…I think that have 1 or 2 stamp sets that you can watercolor with is a great idea as well. (trust me, you will become addicted to it)
In the below bullet points you can see that the products listed here are a great set of goodies to be a great card maker. I invite you to look at the list, think about the list and hopefully you can see that these are wonderful foundation products!
You're Sublime Clear-Mount Stamp Set
And Many More Clear-Mount Stamp Set
Big Shot
Circles Collection Framelits Dies
Basic Black Classic Stampin' Pad
Whisper White 8-1/2" X 11" Thick Cardstock
Cherry Cobbler 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock
Watercolor Paper
White Signo Uni-Ball Gel Pen
Merry Moments Designer Series Paper Stack
Stampin' Trimmer
Envelope Punch Board
Old Olive Baker's Twine
Glue Dots
Fast Fuse Adhesive
Stampin' Dimensionals
Thanks for visiting. To continue with the hop, please refer to the Blog Hop Line-up below. We hope to see you on next month’s Pals Blog Hop!
The products I used today are in the scrolling store below! You can click on a picture to see it in detail and also do not forget that Stampin' Up! has may videos on You Tube that will spotlight many of out tools.
Please feel free to email me if you have any questions.
Have fun on the hop….please feel free to leave me a comment and let me know how you liked the card and also if you agree with my thought process for getting the basics! Until tomorrow!
I told you yesterday that the post today would be a keeper and to me, this is a classic "Susan card" – it makes me smile, it is fun to make, it is classic, it is duplicable……what more can I say! I promise that I will "ease back" on the Holiday Cards but I just needed to share this with you!
While we are having our coffee together, let's have a "chitty-chat-chat" about the white notecards! I know that many of you are not fans of them but I hope that you can see that this is a super cute card. There are (2) main factors that make this a affordable card.
– The Note Card and Envelopes are just $6.00 for 20 and the paper is the weight of the Heavy Card Stock
2. The Merry Moments Designer Series Paper Stack – Fun, festive….WOW!
I am going to give you a super quick run down on this card as I truly hope that you will case it. It is a keeper and I know that you will enjoy making it….Remember the advice that I have shared with you…when you have the basics you can do just about anything. I realize that it takes time to build up your inventory of tools etc….but be patient – make wise choices and you'll be happy!
Note Card size and the plaid paper is 4 1/2" X 3"….You can make (2) cards from one of the sheets of paper in the paper stack. Remember, these are 6" X 6" and because you get 24 sheets of this plaid….you actually could make 48 cards from 1 pack of paper!
The Always Artichoke is 4" X 2 1/4" and then stitched with the white gel pen. If you do not have this color, you could make substitutions, I just like Always Artichoke with Holiday cards….
The crumb cake is 3 1/2" X 1 3/4"
The "merry" sentiment was cut from white and also the vanilla coaster board.. I just love these super simple sentiment framelits. Remember, these framelits are in the bundle that I showcased over the weekend but you can purchase just the framelits….and they are just $17.00 – a true classic that you will use for many, many years!
The leaves are from the Bird Builder Punch….this is one versatile punch that makes sooooo many things! I am always amazed at how you can take bits and pieces from our punches to create totally different ideas! You can see that this little addition just makes the FUN for this card! Remember, use up your scraps or better yet, use the Always Artichoke piece to pop out the image. I used the hand-held circle punch for the berries – easy!
Back again is the Real Red Envelope Paper! I probably should have listed this in the above for being super affordable ~ this is just a dream to work with and again, remember….this is in the Holiday Catalog and I really….REALLY hope that it is carried over but if not, I would stock up as it will be perfect for Valentines Day! You get (20) 12 X 12 sheets for just $6.00. Just think of how far this will go!
I am back home from a wonderful WET several days at a Horse Show with Hannah. It was great fun and we are both used to being in the elements….horses, dogs, fun people….no time to thing or worry about the weather!
Please feel free to email me if I can help you and remember to use the hostess code of 4JUNK3R7 if you are placing an order! WHY????? Easy – this way you will be able to earn FREEBIES from me .click here to see the post…. plus don't forget about my Paw Prints Rewards….
Here you go….the stepped up version of yesterdays card – Please click here to see yesterdays post and then below you will see both of the cards side by side to see the differences and which one you like better (I like them both but you know what I am going to say = it comes down to time as I think they are both great)
As I shared with you yesterday, this is a great bundle….super simple Christmas Trees are always a classic and the sentiments in this stamp set are equally as special!
Below you will see the differences that I made. Again, it is not that they are huge differences…but they are little changes that do make a difference, especially when you are holding them side by side.
It was hard to get a great picture of the gold stars and then the heat embossing with the Iridescent Ice Embossing Powder….it is a subtle but fun shimmer! Yesterday, I just used the versamark but let it dry…today I sprinkled the "shimmer dust" and the heat tool came out to make is shimmer and shine!
To do the tree trunks was super easy. I just took a wee bit of soft suede scraps and just ran the "trunk part"through the big shot with the framelit. (You could also easily freehand cut them out but this works perfectly)
The little fru-fru of the gold thread does set off the gold stars and shimmer. I just love the boldness of the real red ribbon against the warm feeling of the crumb cake!
I was thinking….this paper stack gives you (24) of these polka dot sheets which means that you would be able to make 48 envelope liners from one stack of paper….not this is what I call super practical!!!! Love those dots but I also like the plaid that is in this stack – you'll be seeing that in another post!
There you go my friends…another 2 day post for you to see some simple changes that can make. There are times that you are in a "Saturday mode" and then there days that we are in a "Sunday mode"…that's what makes this whole stampin' fun journey so much fun for each of us!
Remember, what ever mode you are in….
they are gifts of Art from you Heart….just go get inky!
Yesterday I was working on the super cute boxes for those of you that purchased $50.00+ from me this month….they are super cute! Please remember to use the hostess code of YHNMUJNJ and click here to see the fun box and also the embossing folder that will be yours with a $75.00+ order! (actually you will receive both with the $75.00 order)
We had a most needed day of rain yesterday so today, I am going to have an affair with some weeds that are calling my name! Thanks for popping in….you all are the best!
Until tomorrow….
p.s. – We are on 3rd base…..Eddie ate 3 meals in a row…this is a 1st for about 2 weeks – he had a big day yesterday! I hid a basket of tennis balls in a closet and we played a game…..
Hello my friends and welcome to Simple Saturday! I think we all can agree that this is a SIMPLE yet CLASSIC card that I think anyone would be thrilled to receive! I have a confession…I have really…really let Crumb Cake down – 2 years ago I used crumb cake probably 3-4 times a week…and then we took a break!
Well, dear Crumb Cake is back for me! WHY? I think it is a fabulous neutral and it creates an instant "homeand comfort" feel! Remember, Stampin' Up! has matching envelopes for the A-2 Card size (what I am using today) and it also is available in the note card size.
By now you know I am SIMPLE….I used to struggle so much with trying to figure out how to add a hill…..how to ground trees to look more authentic…and then I decided (especially when time is of the essence) I just do nothing….like todays card and guess what – it works! As Nike say….JUST DO IT! (trust me ~ no one would ever look at this card when they received it and say – WOW…she is slipping – she just "plunked" 3 trees in a card!)
The star of this card is the Peaceful Pines Photopolymer Bundle. It does come as a stamp set alone, but this is another one that I would definitely get the bundle…WHY?- easy…you'll save an instant 15% and these tree framelits are fabulous and make it sooo darn easy to mass produce.
You can clearly see the value of this and the time it will save you by purchasing it as a bundle. This will provide you years and years of amazing and classic projects! Please grab another cup of coffee and enjoy this short video that Stampin' Up! put together about this bundle.
Enjoy the pictures I have for you today and then I hope that you will POP back tomorrow for a "stepped upversion" – still simple, still clean….just a couple of extras!
I think that Old Olive against crumb cake is very classic. I am also a huge fan of Always Artichoke, but to me for the trees, it is too dark!
You can see that this is basically just stamping….cutting out with the framelits and you are basically DONE!
The tip is that the left tree is adhered flat…then the large one to the right is lifted up with Stampin' Dimensionals and then lastly, the small tree in the front has (2) layers of dimensionals!
The stars (which are also in the stamp set) are stamped in versa mark…..this creates a great effect but the real "star" is the simple ribbon and the linen thread bows! This really puts you in the mood for the holidays!
When I adhered the ribbon, I used a simple glue dot. Then I tied a bow and again used a glue dot to adhere. I know that this is (2) steps…but it works for me!
This super FUN paper from the Merry Moments Stack is so darn festive! (how can a big, bold polka dot like this not make you happy)? With the help of the envelope framelit…you have one beautiful card that will clearly make someone smile!
I can't wait for you to see tomorrows….just a little step up but both cards are very fast cards to make….remember – sometimes mass produce is the name of the game and this would be a card that would be great to make a bunch of!
Yesterday was a fabulous day for me – I treated myself to some "me time" with Stanley and Oscar at the barn in Virginia. It was great to see them and I am thrilled that Oscar is progressing with his re-hab and dear Morgan is helping him along. There is nothing like being at the barn!
Many thanks for you sweet and oh so kind comments yesterday….Eddie is snuggled beside me as I type this and his belly is filled with turkey! This is a 1st in a while….he ate in the morning as well as his dinner. A gift, a friend…he is a happy and peaceful jack russell right now!
