ATW 16 - Sketch Challenge

May 1st means another Around the World Challenge, and this time it's a sketch!

And here is the card I created for the sketch:

For this card I used mostly retiring products (that were still available at the time I made it... hopefully they are still available now). I will miss the Secret Garden stamps and Framelits. The Hello sentiment tag is from the Friendship Preserves stamp set, and is embossed with Tempting Turquoise Stampin' Emboss powder. The colours I chose were Smoky Slate, Soft Sky and Tempting Turquoise. I also used a sneak peek product: The two labels (tied with the bow above the sentiment) were cut with a label framelit from the new Project Life Cards & Labels Framelits. I added some Rhinestones to give it some sparkle!

April 2014 Paper Pumpkin Kit - Framed Love

This month's Paper Pumpkin kit included three stamps (a pattern, Happy Mother's Day and For You), two ink spots, a frame, two text banner stickers, 12 tags, several hearts of different sizes, two buttons and Linen Thread. The project shown in the kit is below:

Anyone who subscribes to the kit through me also got the supplies and instructions to make the projects below:

 A few tag ideas

Three cards

 And a panel that can replace the one you make with the kit.

Introducing Project Life by Stampin' Up!

So excited!!! Stampin' Up! has partnered with Becky Higgins to offer Project Life products that coordinate with Stampin' Up! colours! A selection of products will be available May 1st, and the full line will be in our new Annual Catalogue (June 2nd). You can see a bit of what it's about in the video:

Deco Label Concertina Card (feat. Backyard Basics)

I saw a card similar to this by Belinda Neil, and had to make one for this month's Big Shot Class!

The Hardwood Background stamp from the Occasions Catalogue just might be my favourite (and is definitely well used--I think I've used it in every class since January!) and with some post-it notes, I was able to stamp the whole card base with it... this is Smoky Slate card stock stamped with Smoky Slate ink. You could use any Framelits that nest inside each other for this type of card, and I decided to use the Deco Labels. To get these half cuts, the key is Cutting Plate placement. You centre the Framelit over your score line. You have your Cutting Plate as the bottom layer (just like normal), but you place the top Cutting Plate on one side of the score line so it only cuts half of the Framelit shape. Repeat with every other score line, using the smaller Framelits as you go.

We'll be making this card in my Big Shot Class this weekend, and there's still time to sign up!

Around the World Challenge #14 - Colours!

Hi! It's the first of the month which means it's time for another Around the World Stampin' Up! Challenge! Challenge #14 is a colour challenge (So Saffron, Blushing Bride, Pistachio Pudding and Whisper White):

Here is the card I created for this challenge:

I used the Hexagon Hive thinlit to cut a mask from a large post-it note (you could use copy paper and add temporary adhesive if you can't find a large post-it note). After placing the mask on my Whisper White card stock, I sponged the three colours through the mask, blending them where they met. I also stamped the dots from Happy Watercolor in the same inks, with the mask still on the card stock. I stamped the tulips from Blessed Easter with StazOn Jet Black (using a mask to create the layered look) and added a little more Blushing Bride Stampin' Write marker to fill them in. I also added Pistachio Pudding Stampin' Write marker to the leaves. The sentiment was stamped onto a banner cut from So Saffron card stock and I threaded some ribbon through holes I punched to create a faux bow. A few pearls finish it off!

I hope you like my card, and I hope you might check out the challenge and play along. You can find all the details on the Around the World Challenge Blog!

March Paper Pumpkin Bonus Cards

I think this might be my favourite Paper Pumpkin kit yet! I love the pattern on the card bases, I love how easy it was to line up the patterned Photopolymer stamps, and I loved the touch of glitter and shine (the gold envelope liners were a fun bonus and it was easy to cut a bit off the bottom to use on the cards). And the wood sentiments!!! So fun! So, here's what I came up with, using the supplies from this kit, a few things from the first kit everyone gets (I used the Hey There, Friend stamp and Basic Gray ink spot), and a few extra bits and pieces I send out to everyone who gets their Paper Pumpkin kit from me (these went out in the mail today... e-mail instructions are almost done).

These are the cards Stampin' Up! designed with the kit:

 I punched the gold 2 1/2" circle from one of the gold envelope liners:

 more gold strips from the envelope liners, and I used both of the stamps and ink spots to add colour and pattern to the base:

 I added a Scallop Top Tag, and stamped all over with one of the stamps in the kit:

 This one uses the sentiment and ink from the first kit everyone gets, and a few strips of co-ordinating card stock, plus a little bit of Baker's Twine.

I folded the front (printed) side of the card base at 2 1/8" so it would fold back to make this Z-fold card. I used both stamps and inks (I love how easy it was to line up the chevron pattern on the Calypso Coral oval I added):

For this one, I cut a strip from the card front to add to a Crumb Cake card base. I added a torn strip of card stock and some gold banners cut from the envelope liner. I also cut the wood sentiment word apart to get a different look:

This one uses the rest of the printed card front (left from the card above) and I added an embossed piece of Island Indigo card stock as well as a Naturals White card base. The wood sentiment is layered over a strip of gold cut from the envelope liner:

I hope you like what I did with the kit this month! Don't forget that if you sign up by March 31st, you'll get a pack of 2012/14 In Color Markers ($19.95 value) for free! And if you sign up through me, you'll get the supplies and instructions to make bonus cards every month!

March 2014 Paper Pumpkin Kit

I got my March Paper Pumpkin kit today, and I'm so excited to play with it! We get supplies to make eight super cute cards, and of course I can't just follow the 'rules' (or instructions in this case) and my mind is already coming up with some other super cute ideas using the supplies! I love the stamps, the wood sentiments and the watercolour stripe card bases. Super cute colour combo too! Stay tuned... I'll share what I come up with... for now, you can see the cards designed by Stampin' Up! in the video.