Unfrogettable Stamping!

In the spotlight: Awash with Flowers

  At my stamp-a-stack last week I wanted to feature retiring stamp sets and accessories for all the cards.  I always like to find inspiration for color combinations in every day items and this Awash with Flowers card was inspired by a note pad that my Mom had by her phone....

   I love the whimsical color combination of basic gray, whisper white, basic black and real red, don't you?!  This two-step stamp set is so fun and it is available in both clear mount (#120549, $27.95) and wood mount (#1117062 , $39.95):

   Here are a few more samples to inspire you with this set:

There are just a few days left to get your hands on this fun and versatile stamp set... don't miss your chance to purchase it before it is gone!!

Retiring stamp set inspiration

I wanted to share more of my past favorites (some made by me, others received in swaps and stamped by my downline or received at SU! events) with you over the next few weeks featuring stamp sets on the retiring list... I think you'll agree that these sets will be missed!  Order yours before it's too late... you only have until May 31st to place your orders!!  In case you missed it yesterday, click here to view the retiring list (scroll down to the bottom of the page).

Friends Never Fade stamp set

Messages for Mom stamp set (card by Sherri Gough)

Vintage Vogue stamp set

Flores Suaves stamp set (found in the Celebrando Creatividad catalog)

Awash With Flowers and Curvy Verses stamp sets

Look Who's Turning stamp set

Crazy for Cupcakes stamp set

To purchase any of these stamp sets you can place your orders online here or contact me and I will be happy to take care of that for you!  Don't forget that you get a Stampin' Rewards punch for every $50 you spend (receive a $25 gift certificate when you complete 10 punches) and ALL online orders over $50 get to choose a single tutorial from my Get Creative with Rachel and Debbie series for FREE as a thank you from me.

2012 March Simply Paper Design Challenge

My downline Gerin's 13 year old daughter Maddie has been battling kidney stones this month and ended up in the hospital again... she is also my daughter Kelsey's best friend so we wanted to send her a card to lift her spirits.  I've never had kidney stones but understand from people who have that they are extremely painful!  I created the card above using my sister Cindy's Simply Paper Design Challenge this month - she and two other downline members of mine, Michelle Arthur and Debbie Williams, come up with a sketch and color combination each month and I like to play along.

This month's sketch is the one above and instead of a color challenge they decided to feature the Turtle & Co. stamp set that is the designated Ronald McDonald House Charities stamp set this year - Stampin' Up! will donate $2 to RMHC from every purchase of this cute stamp set.

The color scheme I used is whisper white, marina mist, wild wasabi and early espresso which was pulled from my Color Coach.  I decided to add a a pop of color with the regal rose punch flower created using the Triple Layer Bouquet punch.

Don't forget about my swim meet special - it's a great time to pick up some the products used to make this card!

Stamp sets:  Turtle & Co., Three Little Words

Paper:  Subtles Prints Stack DSP; whisper white, marina mist, wild wasabi, early espresso and regal rose card stock

Ink:  early espresso, sahara sand, certainly celery

Punches:  modern label, word window, triple layer bouquet, itty bitty flower, 2-step bird

Accessories:  stampin' dimensionals, Dazzling Details, aqua painter, basic rhinestones, marina mist polka dot scallop ribbon

 

February 2012 downline swap - Clean and Simple in a Jiffy cards

This month our team swap was hosted by Gerin Martin, who chose our theme of "Clean and Simple in a Jiffy" cards.  The criteria was that these cards could be made in 10 minutes or less... I love it because I always seem to find myself needing a card in a jiffy!  You may remember my card, which I posted here.  Above is Gerin's card... isn't it bright and cheerful?!

Here is the card that Carolyn North created.  Great colors for spring!

This is Jaime Penney's fun card - I love this color combination!

Sherri Gough designed this card - I liked the layout so much I CASE'd it for my Stamp-a-Stack last week, changing the colors just a bit.

And the last one for today is this card created by Kathy Kennedy.  I love this for a wedding card!

Thanks for stopping by - I am still trying to get caught up from the huge swim meet last weekend.  I promise to share the rest of the swaps with you tomorrow!

2011 Fall MEGA stamp-a-stack, pt. 2

Today I want to share with you the remaining six designs that were contributed by Sherri Gough and Wendy Boothe, who helped me put this Fall MEGA stamp-a-stack together.  First up, I'll share Sherri's cards...

This card features the color combination of concord crush, pear pizzazz, wisteria wonder and whisper white and showcases the Precious Butterflies hostess stamp set in the Idea Book & Catalog.

When I think of fall the color combination of cajun craze, very vanilla and soft suede just fit it well, don't you think?  This card features the gorgeous Medallion stamp along with a sentiment from Teeny Tiny Wishes.  I am not sure if you can see it or not, but there is a large rhinestone right in the center of the Medallion that really sets it off nicely.  The birthday sentiment is from the Teeny Tiny Wishes stamp set.

This Christmas card design features the Come to Bethlehem stamp set from the Idea Book & Catalog and features a color combination of night of navy, basic gray and whisper white.  It is so elegant with the organza ribbon.  Do you notice the star?  It was stamped with night of navy ink but then painted with an aqua painter and Frost shimmer paint (the paint was lifted from the bottle cap) and embellished with a rhinestone.

These next three cards are Wendy's contribution to the stamp camp...

This card features the gorgeous Nature Walk stamp set, a set first found in the Occasions Mini catalog last Spring.  The color combination used is naturals ivory (a definite for this stamp set!), rich razzleberry, old olive and soft suede.  The hanger for the bird cage was drawn with a ruler and a soft suede marker and it was embellished with a linen thread bow.  The sentiment is from Teeny Tiny Wishes.

This beautiful Thanksgiving card features the Gently Falling stamp set from the Holiday Mini catalog.  Do you notice the brown rhinestones?  Aren't they cool?  We achieved that look by coloring the rhinestones right on the sheet with a brown permanent marker.  The color combination used here is daffodil delight, very vanilla, chocolate chip and pumpkin pie.  The Happy Thanksgiving sentiment is from the Teeny Tiny Wishes stamp set.

And last but not least, here is Wendy's Christmas card featuring the super-cute Thanks Snow Much stamp set and new lace ribbon border punch.  The richness of the cherry cobbler card stock worked great with the brightness of the lucky limeade In Color card stock.  The Merry Christmas sentiment is from the Teeny Tiny Wishes stamp set... a set you'll notice was used with many of the cards!!

Thanks for stopping by!  I hope you have been inspired to get a start on your fall and holiday card making!!

September 2011 downline swap, pt. 3

As promised, here are the rest of the swaps from my downline meeting a few nights ago.  Our theme this month was a Catalog CASE - one of my favorites!

Sherri Gough created this gorgeous card which is a CASE of the sample for the First Edition specialty DSP found on page 182.  She stuck with the original design.  Love it!

This is the swap that Darlene Crockett created.  She did a straight CASE of the sample for the Plant Hope stamp set found on page 182.  I love all the different textures and patterns on this one!!

Heather Palm created this card, which is a CASE of the Lovely As a Tree stamp set sample found on page 114.  She stuck very close to the original as well.  I love the effect created by the embossed clear image of the tree behind the stamped one in cajun craze - it gives the illusion of a shadow.

This last card was created by Julia Miller and is a CASE of a smaller 3" x 3" card which is the sample for the Falling Leaves stamp set found on page 29.  She kept the color scheme, but changed the leaves to the circle images from Just Believe and the sentiment to one from Heard from the Heart.  Very clever not having to cut out 3 leaves per card times 10 cards!!

I'm so glad that many of the talented demonstrators in my downline like to participate in our swaps!  Next month we'll be focusing on Christmas cards... can't wait!  Thanks for visiting - enjoy the rest of your day.

June 2011 Demonstrator of the Month, part 1

I'd like to introduce you to my Demonstrator of the Month for June, 2011... meet Gaylyn Pantana!  She has a blog called The Daily Inker but hasn't posted in a while... please let her know how great these projects are by leaving a comment so she'll start posting on her own blog again.  Here's what Gaylyn would like for you to know about her...

Hello All! I have been a Stampin' Up! Demonstrator for over 5 years now. During that time my love for stamping has grown in many ways. 

I came into it with a love of Scrapbooking and a background in art. I found it difficult at the time to find colors and coordinating products to use in my projects, as well as a lack of the design I was looking for that was similar to the hand drawn designs I had been making. Stampin' Up! fulfilled both of these desires for me with intricate and delightful images, as well as an array of complementary colors and products. 

I signed up to take advantage of the discount Demonstrators get, as well as to offer the products to those I was already teaching other crafts to. I could never get enough of stamping, and my enthusiasm has not waned over time, but increased! I have learned so much about design, presentation, coordination that is an invaluable resource to someone who loves to create in every area of life. 

My favorite product, a surprise even to me, has been the Big Shot. I love to die cut 25 blooming flowers, and add them to Top Notes to finish off a goodie bag that I give as a gift. I enjoy giving gifts, and creating 3D items for the home and for friends. 

Through my years as a Demonstrator I have held many classes, parties, etc. while having another baby and adjusting to 2 kids in school. I have been a hobby Demonstrator in the last year as I have put my focus on sharing this experience with my 3 new Downline ladies! I am looking forward to attending Convention this summer with 2 of them, and for learning new ways to grow my business.

I highly recommend taking classes and learning new techniques. If you are anything like me you will be dreaming up Cards in your sleep, and stamping everything you can get your hands on. My favorite comment of all is when a recipient of a gift I've made/put together says, "YOU MADE this????!!!" 

I love Gaylyn's enthusiasm for Stampin' Up! and how it enriches all areas of her life, don't you?  Her style is very vintage (which you may have noticed with the swaps that I've shared) and here are some beautiful examples of that style. These are some of the projects that Gaylyn submitted for the Artisan Award contest that Stampin' Up! holds each year so you may see some of them on the Convention Display boards if you're a demonstrator.

 

For this shabby card, the images were stamped directly on the First Edition DSP and watercolored, then tea stained and shimmer spritzed.

This umbrella card is fun for a rainy day, or for someone "under the weather." The small cloud is from the cupcake punch, while she punched through the Marina Mist with circle punches to reveal the Peach Parfait DSP beneath.

This Sew Suite card is an example for teaching paper-piecing, a technique she loves.  She shares that it is much easier when you emboss the image before cutting.

This card is one that she created for her grandmother, an avid quilter.  Gaylyn's grandmother shares the same birthday that Gaylyn and I both do - May 30th.  This quilt card uses the scallop square punch and the 1-3/8" square and 1-1/4 squar"e. Just slip the scallop square back into the punch to remove one row of scallops-and you have one that fits as a mat to the larger squares!

Thanks for the inspiration, Gaylyn!  Be sure and visit tomorrow when I share her incredible 3-D projects!  Enjoy your day!!

 

 

Fabulous Two-Step Stamping with Baby Blossoms

Oh my goodness, where has the last week gone?!  We had a huge 3-day swim meet last weekend and then I had a Punch Club meeting on Monday night, my downline meeting last night and a HUGE stamp-a-stack tomorrow that I've been cutting for all week (560 cards in all!) so this is the first opportunity that I've had to post since Fabulous Friday last week.  Hope it's been a good week for y'all! 

Speaking of Fabulous Friday, our focus for this week on the Sisters in Stamping blog is the technique of two-step stamping... I've got to tell you that I LOVE two-step stamps!!  You get a solid image for the base and a detail stamp to overstamp and in two steps you get a great two-tone image, hence the name of the technique.  For some sets a stamp-a-ma-jig tool is a must, but for these roses I was able to just eyeball it.  I know, some of my AROC (anal retentive obsessive compulsive - love ya, Jettie!) stampers are having a fit right now!!  Solid images are always my stamps of choice and two-step stamping gives you a great look for very little effort.  Was I ever bummed when the Roses in Winter stamp set retired a few years ago... well, Baby Blossoms in the Occasions Mini catalog is a good substitute, albeit in miniature form.

My card this week is one that I created for a downline member of mine who recently announced to our group that she was diagnosed with breast cancer.  I wanted to let her know that I am here for her and will be praying for her as she undergoes treatment.  I gave her this card last night at my meeting so she would know that she was in my thoughts.  I chose the color scheme of rose red, pretty in pink, so saffron and pear pizzazz because I love those colors, all of which are taken from the Springtime Vintage DSP. Here is a close-up of the main panel of the card.  I love this frame element in the stamp set.  I stamped it once on the very vanilla panel and then again on a scrap piece of very vanilla, which I then stamped with the rose and sentiment.  I hand-cut this (the wide oval didn't quite work) and popped it up with dimensionals.

I wanted to incorporate the idea of the pink ribbon symbol for breast cancer awareness so used pretty in pink taffeta ribbon on the outside of the card and the Ribbon of Hope stamp with pretty in pink ink on the inside.  On top of it I stamped a sentiment from God's Blessings and repeated the roses from the front of the card inside as well.

The background piece started off as a 5-1/4" x 4" piece of very vanilla card stock that I stamped the rose/leaves on repeatedly all over.  It might be hard to see, but I also stamped what looks like a baby's breath stamp with so saffron between the roses.  I then overstamped it with crumb cake ink and the Sanded stamp.  I also used a soft suede stampin' write marker with my Color Spritzer Tool to add some tiny dots for interest.  Finally, I sponged the edges with crumb cake ink to age and soften the piece.  I embellished the pink taffeta knot with a half-pearl element - I really like the way this card turned out!

Don't forget to stamp your envelope - because I knew I would be hand-delivering this card I used the frame element on the envelope, too.

For additional inspiration on two-step stamping, be sure and visit the Sisters in Stamping blog after Noon EST today!

Products used with today's project include:

- Baby Blossoms stamp set (Occasions Mini catalog)

    wood mount #121927 $2795

    clear mount #122000 $19.95

- Teeny Tiny Wishes #115370 $36.95

- Sanded #109294 $17.95

- Ribbon of Hope #115552 $7.95

- God's Blessings #

- Pretty in Pink taffeta ribbon #109067 $6.95

- Basic Pearls jewels #119247 $4.95

- Stampin' dimensionals #104430 $3.95

- Stampin' sponge #101610 $3.50

- Color spritzer tool #107066 $12.95

- Card stock:  Rose Red, Very Vanilla and Pear Pizzazz

- Ink:  Soft Suede, Rose Red, Pretty in Pink, Pear Pizzazz, So Saffron and Crumb Cake

- Soft Suede stampin' write marker

 

Baltimore Regional swap cards - part 3

Ready for more inspiration?  These first few cards came from the ladies I got to know over dinner on Friday night - all members of Rachel Yurkanin's downline.

This card was designed by Lucia Behler.  I love the texture created by the clear embossing of the leaves from Autumn Splendor on the panels of color!  This is one I'll definitely have to CASE in the future!

Here is a card designed by Denise Boss featuring Candy Cane Christmas DSP and the snowman from Jolly Old St. Nick.  It is a 6" x 3" card - one that could easily be converted to a 6" x 6" scrapbook layout, don't you think?  What a great idea for a workshop project - the scrapbookers could make the layout and the card makers could make a fun-sized card!  I love the colors of this card - it makes me happy!

This card was created by Dianne Stilp.  She used the Fresh Cuts stamp set - one I haven't used in a while.  The colors are great  - I love whisper white, marina mist, cherry cobbler and crumb cake together and will have to use this color combo on a card soon!!

This card was created by Patti Hreha.  Can you believe all the coloring she did?  Incredible!  It features the Farm Life stamp set.

These four swaps were all received without names on them - it always makes me sad to see a beautiful card with no name because I cannot give proper credit.  Please be sure and always put your name on a card if you swap at these types of events - all that hard work deserves some credit!  Plus, if someone has a question about your card they can contact you.  If you recognize one of these as your own, please contact me so I can add your name to my post.  Thanks!

Downline swap - Watercolor cards, part 1

Oh my goodness, where did this weekend go?  I had an Open House on Friday night and also again this afternoon celebrating the Summer mini catalog and featuring the Last Chance lists.  I'll be sure and share those project in a couple of days... first, I promised my downline members who didn't attend the meeting last week that I would post the swaps from this month.  Our hostess was Gwen Goulder and she decided on watercoloring as our theme.  Here are a few of the cards - I'll share more over the next couple of days.

First up is this card by our hostess Gwen.  She used the Elements of Style stamp set from the Summer mini catalog as well as the main foliage image from the Leaf Lines stamp set.  I like the rounded corners on this card as well as the use of the scallop trim border punch (which will be back in the new catalog beginning July 1st!!).  This is a great all-occasion card.

This card was designed by Jaime Penney and includes a flower from the Fifth Avenue Floral stamp set, which she stamped on watercolor paper and watecolored.  Who wouldn't love to receive this card when they weren't feeling well?  I like that she, too, rounded the corners on the card.  Great use of punches on this card as well!

Darlene Crockett designed this card above.  She used the floral image from Friends 24-7 and the retiring tag corner punch.  Check out the great texture on the background piece and the word window punch, which is wrapped around the tag!  Nice job, Darlene!

One more for today - this card was created by Michelle Arthur and features three returning In Colors (pink pirouette, pacific point and baja breeze) in the new catalog.  I am so happy to see these colors again!  Michelle watercolored the super-cute bird image from the Fun & Fast Notes stamp set.  I like this layout and will be CASE'ing it for sure!

Thanks for stopping by - I will share more tomorrow!