Weekend Sketch Challenge

Very cool sketch this weekend for the Weekend Sketch Challenge, Jenn Balcer made great use of the Big Note diecut. I used two stamp sets -- Eastern Influences and Bloomin' Beautiful --along with some Ski Slope designer paper and In Color Kiwi Kiss and Riding Hood Red.

I stamped my rose with Stazon Timber Brown, outlined the petals and leaves with Watercolor Wonder crayons and used my Blender Pen to fill it all in. Then I decided the flower wasn't a deep enough shade so I picked up a little Ruby Red ink with my blender pen and added a bit more depth to the petals.

I love the Chocolate Chip felt flowers with vintage brads. Both my sentiments are stamped in Chocolate Chip so the colors all work together.

Here's the sketch if you want to try your hand at it:

Spring is in the Air

Even though it doesn't feel too spring-like outside this weekend, I thought this pastel card would work great for the SCS Going Green challenge -- It's not totally green but I figure using green in 5 different spots on the card must count for something, LOL.

The stamp set is called "A Good Egg" -- perfect for Easter -- and the cute little chick was colored in Barely Banana before placing the paper-pieced egg shell on top. A few doodles around the edge give it a fun little feel. My buttons are from the Soft Subtles button collection. The pinky velvet ribbon was a steal from an old baby shower gift -- I tell you ladies, never throw anything away, you can always find a use for it on a card. :-)

The second card uses the same Wild Wasabi square base but takes its cue from Bali Breeze designer paper (retired) for a brighter, more vibrant card. I printed the sentiment off my computer onto Whisper White paper, cut it with the Large Oval punch, and added some doodles with my Taken with Teal marker.

My 5-Petal punch made fast work of layering the bright pink flowers behind the oval, and the pre-cut blooms form the base.

Thanks for looking, hope you have a great weekend!!

Double Challenge Embossed Card

Our Creative Corner had an "add a doodle" challenge this week which I combined with the Stamp Simply challenge of using heat embossing to create an elegant image.

My flower is from the Botanical Blooms set. I stamped the outlined image in Versamark, added Gold Embossing powder, and zapped it with my Heat Tool, then went back and colored it in with my Cameo Coral marker.

A gold pen doodled around both frames. The background Designer Paper is from the "Raspberry Tart" collection -- isn't it wonderfully springy?

Now all I have to do is staple a little pack of M&Ms on the inside and it's a neat little pick-me-up for one of my coworkers.

Thanks for looking and happy stamping!

Thoughts & Prayers Cards

I had the sad task of creating sympathy cards for my two cousins who lost their father recently at much too young an age. I used the new "Thoughts & Prayers" stamp set with some bits of retired designer papers to come up with these two cards.

Always Artichoke, Chocolate Chip, Sahara Sand and Eggplant are just the right elegant color touches. To create the first card's sentiment, I layered three large oval punches and then added some vintage brads for depth. I went over the trunk and branches of the tree with my Chocolate Chip marker to make it pop out a bit. For my second card, my Mat Pack and paper piercer helped me frame the tree out a bit more.

I have some more goodies arriving in the mail any day -- taking advantage of Sale-a-Bration, going on until March 31st -- and look forward to sharing some more spring-like creations with you soon. Let me know if I can place an order for you.

Thanks for looking, and have a great week!

Sketch Challenge Card

I made this Splitcoast Stampers Sketch Challenge card for my friends Art & Wanda, who just welcomed a wonderful baby girl into their family. My clean and simple "Congratulations" stamp is from one of the new Sale-A-Bration stamp sets, which can be yours free with a $50 purchase. The Designer paper is the fab "Raspberry Tart", perfect for such a girly card. I found the jeweled hearts at Michael on sale -- the center square I colored with a sparkly marker and then covered in Crystal Effects.

Thanks for looking!

Don't Miss SU!s SALE-A-BRATION!

Still going on until March 31, Stampin' Up!s Sale-A-Bration promotion gives reason for everyone to celebrate! Customers can receive a free Sale-A-Bration product for every $50 purchase. It's the perfect time not only to find your next favorite stamp sets and accessories in the new Spring/Summer catalog, but also to stock up on cardstock, adhesive, glue dots, etc. How about a spare pair of scissors? Or some fun new punches?

There's no limit to the number of free sets you can earn, but remember these products are only available for a limited time.

We all love stamping -- it's a fabulous way to connect with those you love without spending a lot of money. What better way than through creating a handmade creation (especially with free stamps, paper and ribbon)!

Welcome spring!

Hi stampers,
This was a quick card for a friend, letting my lovely "Raspberry Tart" designer paper do most of the work. A sweet wrap of Regal Rose grosgrain ribbon and the sentiment from my "Serene Spring" stamp set finish it up nicely. I used the large oval punch to form the background.

Thanks for looking, and enjoy your day!