Wendy's Little Inklings

Summer Masked Daisies (even though it's only spring!)

If you have a Big Shot, you already know how wonderful it is.  For those of you that don't, we need to chat.  I use mine all the time!  On this card, it shows up again as I used the Flower Daisies #2 die to punch out some daisies for the masks. 

One key note... Dotto is very, very helpful to keep the daisies in place.  Just add a bit to the back, and you won't have to worry about the flowers moving around while you're sponging. Once you're finished, peel the daisies off, and you can easily rub off the excess Dotto from your card. 

The only stamp on this card is the sentiment, which comes from the Level 2 Hostess set Something to Celebrate, currently featured in the Occasions Mini Catalogue. 

Come on back soon to see what else I've been up to.

Happy Stamping!

Simple Masking with... Post-It Notes

Stamp club this month was all about masking.  We created three different cards that used the masking technique - all were very bright and spring-like!

We should have created this card first (but of course we did it last in 2 of the club meets!) because it's really, really easy.  The Whisper White cardstock was masked using Post-It notes.  Easy to put on, easy to eyeball, and easy to take off.  A bit of Daffodil Delight and Pumpkin Pie ink was sponged, the image was stamped, the Post-Its removed, and voila!  You have your image. 

The stamps that were used on this card all came from sets that I haven't pulled out in awhile - Heard from the Heart, Baroque Motfis, and Pocket Silhouettes.  It felt good stamping with them again.  Like an old friend stopping by to visit :)

Happy Stamping!

Ties, Ties, Ties!

A quick preview this evening of one of the stamp sets that you'll be able to find in the Summer Mini Catalogue.  This card is another big one (sheet of cardstock folded in half), and I've covered the front of it with ties from the Best Dad Ever stamp set.  You'll see this set again because it has some great manly sentiments (including a Happy Father's Day stamp) that are suitable for those manly cards that you need to create. 

I needed a retirement stamp, but didn't have one large enough for the card.  I stamped the sentiment using the alphabet that was in last summer's mini catalogue.  Do I have the name handy?  No.  Could I get up off the couch and walk to the other side of the house to check?  Yes, but I'm feeling lazy this evening.  A bit of tearing, a bit of cutting, a bit of poking, and the card was finished.

I think I had promised that this card would be posted on Monday, but it's been another traumatic week in the house.  You'll remember that one of our longtime feline friends passed away in February.  We put the other one down yesterday.  Both were well aged and well loved, but for the first time in 31 years I find myself in a house without a cat.  Yesterday was hard, but that's life for you.  No one said it would be easy.

There are another three manly kind of cards that I will be posting over the next few days.  Stampin' Up! has also released some new digital downloads that I'll be sharing with you.  Stay tuned to see what's up!

Happy Stamping!

Scrapbook Sundays - Monochromatic Marina Mist

The pages that were completed at this month's Scrapbook Club evolved out of two different sources.  Colleen had been persuing past Stampin' Success magazines (the wonderful publication that demonstrators receive from Stampin' Up!), looking for a page that she could recreate.  She found an 8"x8" sample that was completed entirely using Marina Mist supplies.  Her finished page was 12"x12" (I'll post it next weekend - once the battery in my camera has been replaced!), with a Crumb Cake base, and Baja Breeze 8"x8" centrepiece.

These pages are a collaborative of the two samples.  I've also added a second page as I scrapbook in double page layouts. 

Marina Mist cardstock, Designer Series Paper, Satin Ribbon, and ink was used on the page.  My pages have a base of Chocolate Chip, however the pages that the ladies in the group completed used a base of Early Espresso (which I like better). 

Other elements on the pages include Filigree & Rhinestone brads, and all stamping was completed using the Vintage Vogue stamp set. 

Now... you're asking... where are the photographs???  I'm never THAT organized.  The empty spaces will hold six 3-1/2" x 2-1/2" pictures.  I'll print mine in sepia, as they'll match the page nicely.

Scrapbook club is now finished.  Watch for something new to fill its place :)

Happy scrapping!

Manly beer card with a large twist

Many of you will remember this manly card that we created during last summer's Manly card class.  Well, in my quest for larger cards this week, I simply made it bigger.  Many card designs can be adapted for larger card sizes, with a bit of ingenuity.  In this case, the "ribbon" border near the bottom of the card was widened, and I used a real button with a bit of linen thread. 

The supplies remain virtually the same - Cheers to You stamp set, Black Staz-On ink, Aqua Painters for watercolouring, with Pumpkin Pie & Sahara Sand ink for the colour.  The Designer Series Paper comes from the Neutrals paper stack.

I cannot say enough good things about the DSP paper stacks that can be found on page 175 of the Idea Book & Catalogue. I didn't own any of them until early this year, and now I have one in each of the colour families (except for the In Colour which is on my "must have" list!).  For scrapbookers, it ensures that you always have some Designer Series Paper in a colour that matches your cardstock.  And... at $24.95 for 40 sheets, they're a great value!

Come on back tomorrow and I'll have this month's Scrapbook Club pages posted.

Happy Stamping!

A Bevy of Congratulations Circles

I created three very large and manly cards this week that could be used as retirement cards.  Each is a full sheet of cardstock, folded in half.  So, at 8-1/2" x 5-1/2", they're big!  Handy if you have a bunch of people that will need to sign the card.

While trolling the internet, I found this card on Mary Fish's blog, and loved the look of it.  It's so simple, yet very elegant.  I simply increased the size of the dotted panel, and changed the greeting.

The stamps on this card come from the Circle Circus and Curly Cute stamp sets.  There is very little stamping, but there are 1-3/4", 1-3/8", 1-1/4", 1" & 3/4" punched circles in Real Red, Bashful Blue, Basic Gray, and Whisper White.

I may need to create this card again using a different colour scheme and the Happy Birthday sentiment.  A whole bunch of pink and you've got a wonderful, feminine card.

Until later, happy stamping!

Cute Aviary Thank You Notes!

Today was a whirlwind activity kind of day.  My scrapbook club met this evening for this month's edition of scrapbook page creation, and I created three unique retirement cards this afternoon for a friend down south.  While tidying up, I came across these two cutie patooties. 

Stampin' Up! has taken to adding thank you notes to our boxes, courtesy of the employee that has picked our order for us.  Aren't they cute?  Each has a personalized note thank you on the back.  The cute birds & cages come from the Aviary stamp set, yet another set that is on my "I really want it" list.  Someday soon I hope.

It only took a moment or two this afternoon to realize that I can now take these cute notes, and recycle them by adding them to a card!  Which I will - someday soon, when I get around to it.  In the meantime, I'm just going to admire these super cute & super easy thank you notes.

Happy Stamping!

A State of Scrapbooking Bliss

Well, I'm not at home this weekend.  I've abandoned my house, husband and kids for 48 hours to scrapbook at a retreat that's a couple of hours away from home up on the shore of Lake Rosseau.

I've almost finished my digital album of our overnight trips to Great Wolf Lodge (I'll post a few pages in a bit), and quickly updated my blog banner this morning.  So, it's been productive. 

It has also been very relaxing, because although it's April and there's still a bit of snow on the ground and the ice on the lake hasn't broken up, the scenery is beautiful.  We went for a hike yesterday, and have taken advantage of our time to sink into some very comfortable chairs, and eat some wonderful food.

I am SO coming back here again :)

Back to scrapbooking... I've got about 7 hours until reality sets back in.

Happy Scrapping!

Spring is Blossoming - Get a Sneak Peek at 2011-2012 Products

 

Spring is Blossoming all around us, and during the month of April, you can have a sneak peek and order two products that will appear in the 2011-2012 Idea Book & Catalogue in July. 

The new Four Frames stamp set will be very popular as it contains four images that will fit inside the Decorative Label Punch.

W: Item 123440 | $25.95
C: Item 123442 | $19.95

Paisley Petals Designer Series Paper is very pretty, and perfect for the season that we're moving into.

Item 122367 | $12.50

You are eligible to purchase one or both of these items if you spend $25 (+tax & ship) on any Stampin' Up! products.  If you host a $460 workshop, you can earn the Four Frames Set and Paisley Petals Designer Series Paper for FREE!

Shop Online 24/7, or e-mail me directly to place your order.  These items are only around for the month of April, and then they go back into the Stampin' Up! vault until July 1st.

Happy Stamping!

 

Is it Square? Or is it Cubed?

I should have posted this card last week, but so much has been going on of late that I honestly forgot.  Why last week instead of now?  Simple.  It has some wonderful Sale-a-Bration Ice Cream Parlor Designer Series Paper and a stamped image from Punch Bunch on it.  Patty Bennett featured these cards on her blog, and they really caught my attention.

Each card was created from an 8"x8" piece of paper.  It's all in the cutting and folding of the paper.  A bit of Ice Cream Parlor ribbon was added to close them up, and they're ready for sending.  The sentiment comes from the Bring on the Cake stamp set, available for another month in the Occasions Mini Catalogue.

My eldest son has been playing in a hockey tournament this weekend, so I haven't had a lot of stamping time.  I'll come back as soon as I can.

Happy Stamping!