TUESDAY TIPS - Designer Grass

Cs: kraft brown, Chocolate Chip, Whisper White
Dsp: any green patterned paper
Inks: Chocolate Chip, Wild Wasabi
Other: Stampamajig

This stamp set called Trendy Trees is such a great set for a masculine card. Here I have hand cut some dsp on a curve to resemble a grassy hill. I just love the look. Save your green dsp scraps & try it!

Arrange the “hill” onto the white cs without adhesive in order to figure out exactly where to stamp the tree trunks. The "hill" is then removed for the stamping of the tree trunks. Using a Stampamajig makes lining up the treetops quite easy.

Linda :)

MAP IT MONDAY - Wild Hippo

This layout happened by accident, so the map was drawn after the card was finished. Sometimes the creative process takes on a life of its own.

RECIPE -
Cs: Wild Wasabi, Whisper White, Basic Black
Dsp: Non S U plaid
Inks: Black Stazon Inkpad, Wild Wasabi Classic Stampin’ Pads, Watercolor Wonder Crayons -
Punches: Circles – 1”, ½”, 1 3/8”
Other: Aqua Pen, Watercolor Paper

Watercolor the hippo on watercolor paper using a gray Watercolor Wonder Crayon from the Neutrals package. Have you seen the technique pages on the Stampin' Up website? For this hippo image, Watercolor Technique "C" is used" for the gray color, and Watercolor Technique "D" is used for the green color.

After the watercoloring, this card is finished simply by adhering all the layers.

Linda :)

SCRAPBOOK SATURDAY - Seasonal Paper

The scrapbook layout today uses seasonal scrapbook papers. Once in awhile I like to switch it up a bit & include seasonal papers. Here I found some camping paper in my endless paper box. I paired it with a Kraft Brown paper. Letters were diecut from Kraft paper as well. Sponge the letters to bring them into focus. Actually, I pixellated the people in the photo, along with the title a bit, so you may have trouble bringing this layout into focus! Sorry - this is a layout that definitely looks better in person! I will use a journaling marker on a kraft tag for this layout to include some details of this camping/rafting trip.

Linda :)

FAST FRIDAY - Yummy Sale-a-Bration

"Fast Friday" went so fast that I forgot to post. Here's my Fast Saturday card. I used the curly design from "Frames with a Flourish" stamp set and "with love" from the Sale-a-Bration "Yummy" stamp set.

Remember to place your Sale-a-Bration order this weekend - it's your last opportunity!

Linda

THINK ABOUT COLOR THURSDAY - Mellow Moss, Always Artichoke, Close to Cocoa

I almost forgot to post today, so I'm posting a card that we'll be making at tonight's stamp camp.

I absolutely adore this new stamp set called Thoughts & Prayers. It has this gorgeous tree and a branch with little leaves & flowers. It has six very appropriate messages for both sympathy and "get well". This sympathy card includes one of those beautiful messages inside: "Praying for friends to comfort you, faith to uphold you, and loving memories to heal your heart."

Linda :)

WHATEVER WEDNESDAY - Punched Ribbon Flower

Add a flower to a card - but not with stamping this time! Make a tag with the coluzzle tag template or just use a cs rectangle. Punch holes in it as sets of two (2 for the center of the flower & other sets of 2 that will be the petals). Run ribbon through the holes & just ds tape the ends on the back of the tag. Use a long ribbon so there won't be too many ends hanging in the back. Add a ribbon stem. Staple it or adhere it. Another way that looks great is to paper pierce the stem.

Attach the tag to the card with sturdy dimensionals. Adding extra dimensionals will help to make sure that the ends of the ribbons don't loosen.

Linda :)

TUESDAY TIPS - Tiny Pinwheel

I made a little pinwheel & paired it with the "life's a breeze" message from the stamp set of the same name. Ingenius, isn't it? .....breeze.....pinwheel? Get it? Anyway, I used some retired dsp (I think it was Afternoon Tea).

Tip #1:

How did I make the pinwheel? Punch a square with the 1 3/8" square punch. Make little slits into each corner, then fold each corner into the center. Add a brad in the center.

Tip #2:

The punch I used for "life's a breeze" is the key tag punch. I had one slight problem - the message was longer than the punch. To solve that problem when you use either the key tag punch OR the word window punch, cut the message to a height that will fit through your punch & punch each end separately. The length can be as long as you want. When you do the punching, turn over the punch & slip the end of the cs into one side of the punch where you want it cut & press the lever. Do the same thing on the other side.

Linda :)

MAP IT MONDAY - Daisy On My Mind

A Pretties Kit flower adorns today's card. I didn't really like the map after I created it, but I guess I was wrong because I sure like the card. I punched a Chocolate Chip 3/4" circle, distressed the edges, and adhered it along with a Pretties Kit half pearl at the flower's center. The "You're On My Mind" message is sponged on the edges and stamped in Chocolate Chip.

How did the daisies get a second color on the petals? I inked the flower stamp from the Upsy Daisy stamp set with Baja Breeze Blue ink. Then, I used the brush end of a Chocolate Chip Stampin' Write Marker directly onto the rubber - just on the edges of the petals. When you do this, remember to huff breath onto the rubber to remoisten the ink before stamping the image.

I added a few corner piercings onto the Chocolate Chip mat as well.

Linda :)

SCRAPBOOK SATURDAY - Faux Stitching

Today's Scrapbook Saturday post looks clean, yet interesting. Consider pairing polka dots & stripes - it's fun to do.

The 12 x 12 scrapbook paper is actually the diagonal stripe. I cut the polka dot paper to about 9" & distressed the edges. I then paper pierced around the polka dot paper & faux stitched it using a marker. If you've never done that before, give it a try. Pierce holes, draw with a thin-tipped marker from one piercing to the next piercing, making sure to actually let the marker drop down into that hole in the paper each time. When you are done, it looks like you sewed it!

Tomorrow I will finish working out the projects for Thursday's camp! I'm excited!

Linda :)

FAST FRIDAY - Meow Kitty

Today's Fast Friday post is for 2 friends (& regular customers). One of these friends gave me the die to make the kitty, mouse & "meow" on this card. She likes kitties. The other friend adores kitties (you both know who you are). I just had to post this card because I thought of both of you. I ran across this card that we had done at a little girls youth stamp camp. Such an easy one!

You can run this kitty die or any die through a diecutting machine ahead of time. Just have some diecuts ready & waiting for a fast card when you need one. Punch your card & some matching cs or dsp with the scallop edge punch or eyelet border punch. Adhere your diecut. Done!

Linda :)

THINK ABOUT COLOR THURSDAY - KIWI KISS, YOYO YELLOW, ONLY ORANGE, WHISPER WHITE

If this doesn't scream "Spring", then I don't know what does! I've used the Good Friend Stamp Set, which has rapidly become my new favorite stamp set (I have so many ideas for using this stamp set!). Pair these stamps with some matching dsp & inkpads in our featured color combination of the day:

KIWI KISS, YOYO YELLOW, ONLY ORANGE, WHISPER WHITE

& you have an awesome card! The striped kiwi ribbon definitely adds a nice touch!

Linda :)

WHATEVER WEDNESDAY - Matchbook Card AND Upcoming Camp Sneak Peaks

Matchbook Card

dsp: Afternoon Tea
Cs: Groovy Guava, Chocolate Chip, Whisper White
Inks: Groovy Guava, Sage Shadow
Stamp Sets: Itty Bitty Buds
Other: stapler, paper scorer

CUT, SCORE & FOLD: Cut cardstock at 4 1/4" x 9 1/4". Score cs for this matchbook card at the one and a quarter inch mark,and then at both 5 1/2", & & 5 3/4". Fold on the score lines into a "matchbook". Staple twice across the bottom.

FINISHING THE CARD: The tone-on-tone stamping on the card front is done with the card opened up flat. I created the flower planter with the tab punch from Chocolate Chip cs. After punching the tab out, trim across the tab to make the flower planter shape. The dsp strip is adhered over the staples.

If you want to make this card, be sure to register for the April 7 Stamp Camp!

One more sneak peak! The card below is a sneak peak for the March 26th camp! The interior of this card can be stamped with "Happy Easter", "happy birthday" for a child's birthday card, or "feel better" for a get well card (how could anybody receive this card & not smile?)! Email or call soon to register for next week's March 26th camp too!

Linda :)

TUESDAY TIPS - Inspiration Notebook

Have you ever seen a card idea that you'd like to try, but eventually just forgot about it? Have you seen beautiful color combinations, only to forget about using them in your projects? Consider starting an "Inspiration Notebook". I have one (actually more than one). Here's how it works.

Get a notebook. You can label sections, each page, or just label each entry. I sometimes use the tab punch to establish my notebook sections! When something inspires you, jot it down - a card idea you see, a scrapbook page layout that you saw or thought up. Jot down anything you want to remember related to stamping & scrapbooking! The notebook becomes a springboard to refer to before or while you are creating. Here's some sections I've used either currently or in the past:

"Color combos" - I jot down nice color combinations that I might see on a card or colors that I might have seen somewhere. I've even jotted down pretty color combinations that I saw in a comforter & on wallpapers. Just think of what Stampin' Up colors it resembles - if you see a light green similar in shade to Certainly Celery, write down Certainly Celery.

"Scrapbook Layout Ideas" - I think up layout ideas or maps at the strangest times & if my Inspiration Notebook is nearby, I just sketch it out in my notebook. Sometimes I'll see a layout that would be perfect for what I soon plan to scrap - I'll add changes to make it my own, & jot down some notes (i.e. Layout idea for baby's first steps).

"Card maps" - A card map section can come in handy when you sit down to make a card, instead of staring blankly at a blank notecard!

"Inspiration" - Sometimes I find pictures in magazines or on the internet that are just pretty. I have clipped out pictures of furniture, room decor ideas, outdoor landscapes, and even clothing. I just glue them in my notebook & page through them once in awhile for inspiration. I've recreated pretty patterns from an ad for bed sheets & dress fabrics with rubber stamping! Kinda out there, but it works.

"To Do" - As I think of things I might like to create or new projects that I want to make when I get a chunk of time, I just jot it in my notebook. For instance, currently my inventory for sympathy cards is running low, so I have jotted down "make sympathy cards".

"Wish List" - I jot down all the things I want from the current Stampin' Up catty, of course!

"Info" - I use this section to jot new information down that I want to reference. For instance, if I learn a new technique, I'll jot down helpful hints in my notebook to refresh my memory when I find the time to play with that new technique.

There's plenty of other sections you can include in your Inspiration Notebook. Just give some thought to it & make it your own! Let me know how you like using your notebook!

Linda :)

MAP IT MONDAY - Life So Very Sweet

The inside of this card says "sweet" (Life is so very sweet).

RECIPE:

cs: Pacific Point, Yoyo Yellow, Whisper White

ink: Pacific Point

stamp sets: So Very, Live Like You Mean It, a little Stampin' Up flower stamp (not sure which stamp set, but there are so many!)

other: 1 3/8" square punch, non S U flower embellishment

I prepunched the yellow cs with the square punch, prestamped a piece of white cs, & adhered the white cs to the back of the punched-out hole. Then I attached the entire front piece to the card.

Linda :)

SCRAPBOOK SATURDAY - Nine Circles

A simple layout.

A little monotonous to create, yet strikingly captivating.

The pics really shine in this geometric and symmetrical layout.
A scrap map is unnecessary - just arrange 9 circles! Use a circle cutter to cut photos into circles & to cut mats that are bigger than the photos.

Journal on the circle mats around each photo and add an alphabet sticker title. Punch flower parts from matching paper & add a diecut.

Tada!

Linda :)

FAST FRIDAY - Trendy Coral

I absolutely love the new stamp set called "Trendy Trees"! Trendy is a great word for it. It just has a current look.

I combined an interesting mix of colors to come up with this Fast Friday card. Hope you like it!

Linda :)

THINK ABOUT COLOR THURSDAY - Certainly Celery, So Saffron, Close to Cocoa

RECIPE:
cs: Whisper White, Certainly Celery, So Saffron
dsp: Patterns dsp - Close to Cocoa
stamp set: Cute & Curly
inks: Classic Stampin' Pad - Close to Cocoa
punches: Curly Label, scallop circle
other: dimensionals, diecut machine, Top Note die

This color combination is so peaceful & natural looking -

Certainly Celery, So Saffron, Close to Cocoa.

What a bright idea! When you run the Top Note die through your diecutting machine, recycle the negative piece (the scrap that usually gets thrown away) to use for another card. Here my Certainly Celery cs negative piece is trimmed & made into a "frame". Brilliant!

The sunflower centers are Designer Series Patterns Paper punched circles that are adhered with dimensionals. "Best wishes" is punched with the Curly Label punch & also adhered with dimensionals.

Are you wondering how the yellow petals are made? Punch cs with the scallop circle punch, cut into each little petal "valley", making sure not to cut too far & not to overlap the cuts.

Linda :)

WHATEVER WEDNESDAY - 3D Images

This card is created by layering identical stamped images to create a 3-D effect.

Mat Bashful Blue Patterns dsp onto Basic Black cs & stamp a message at the top. Punch with a slot punch & add ribbon. Adhere this layered piece to the card front.

3-D FLOWER:

Stamp 3 of the same image (the largest flower from the "Time Well Spent" stamp set) in black Stazon ink. Color the images with Stampin' Write markers in Barely Banana, Bashful Blue, Pixie Pink & Orchid Opulence. You really only need to color the pink outer petals & bashful blue petals on one of the stamped images, and you don't need to color the pink outer petals on one of the stamped images. The third flower image only needs the center portion colored because the rest of the flower will get cut away & discarded.

Cut out & attach the one flower that was colored entirely. Adhere it to the card front. Next, cut out the flower without the pink border - adhere with dimensionals on top of the 1st flower. The flower's center is created by trimming the center from the remaining flower. Adhere with a dimensional. Now you have a 3-layer 3D flower!

Linda :)

Tuesday Tips - Inspiration

I came across the gorgeous soft pink card below that we made at my Valentine's Day camp. I decided to use the same design to make a bithday card.

Tip for the day: Repeat what looks good when your stamping mojo isn't working.

Is there a color combination or design layout that appeals to you? Make it again! Change some element if you want, but stick with a good thing. I was inspired by the pink glittery card. I changed the color to Mellow Moss, changed the image to a cupcake, and changed the location of the message.

To make this card, punch holes in a piece of cs, lay it on your card, stamp through the holes, then adhere the punched cs to the front of a card with dimensionals. Then stamp an image on a punched circle & adhere it with dimensionals.

Linda :)

MAP IT MONDAY - INSPIRED BUTTERFLY

It's March, so here's a Spring card that'll bring a smile.

Today's map is so simple. You just need the "Inspired by Nature" grass stamp or any large nature stamp. A large outdoor floral stamp would look nice as well. The grass is heat embossed. The "good works" message can be heat embossed or simply stamped. I used a ticket corner punch on the white cs corners.

The butterfly was stamped on white cs with Chocolate Chip & colored with Stampin' Write markers. I adhered the butterfly with dimensionals so it looks like it is fluttering above the grass. A white paper clip & ribbon is added for a little whimsy. The paper clip could be replaced with anything - maybe a ribbon, hardware, or button.

I think we might make this card at an upcoming stamp camp!

Linda :)

SCRAPBOOK SATURDAY - Strawberry Mmm

I guess I forgot to post on Scrapbook Saturday, so here's a "Scrapbook Sunday" post!

I paired the Stampin' Up colors Night of Navy, Pretty in Pink & Old Olive. I really like the combination - I should've used these colors for Think About Color Thursday! Speaking of Thursday, make sure you email me to register for this week's Stamp Camp on Thursday!

I traced the Mmm on chipboard (Lots of Letters) & stamped the strawberry from the Tart & Tangy stamp set. I markered Pretty in Pink & Old Olive markers directly onto the stamp - didn't even use an inkpad.

Journaling was done with my white Signo Gel Pen.

Until tomorrow,

Linda

FAST FRIDAY - Hello Flower

RECIPE:

cs: Brilliant Blue, Naturals White, Elegant Eggplant
ink: Perfect Plum
Stamp set: In the Spotlight
Punches: 1/2 & 1" circle punches
Other: dimensionals, diecut machine, Nestabilities, texture plates

Customers tell me how much they like the fast Friday cards that use punches. Circle punches are used on today's card post, along with a diecut machine, like the Big Shot or Cuttlebug. I ran a Naturals White cs piece through the diecut machine, then cut it to make a large square & punched the middle of the flower out of the scraps with a 1" circle punch.

Next, I ran some Elegant Eggplant cs & a Nestabilities scallop circle through the diecut machine. The flower's center was adhered with dimensionals.

The "hello" is stamped with Elegant Eggplant and punched with a 1/2" circle punch.

Linda :)

THINK ABOUT COLOR THURSDAY - Close to Cocoa, Baja Blue, Whisper White

Today's posting is a terrific color combo: Baja Blue, Close to Cocoa, Whisper White

Pair them & see what you come up with!

L

WHATEVER WEDNESDAY - Reinkers

ReInkers 101
I recently purchased my first Stampin’ Up reinker. I can’t believe I haven’t bought them until now. I like them so much that I plan to get them in all of my most often used inkpad colors. They are a great thing, so I thought I’d let you in on the secret.

Here's a few things you can do with reinkers.....

1. Flowers can be dyed to match cardstock, embellishments or ink. The first card shown here was made at last week's stamp camp. We used an inkpad and an aqua painter to dye the silk flower. The other card's flower is reinked with a blender pen & reinker.
2. Reink your Stampin’ Up inkpads (of course!) – a refreshed inkpad makes stamping easier (you don't have to press as hard & you get a more solid, vibrant, opaque image).
3. Dye ribbon the same color as your Stampin’ Up cardstock or ink!
4. Reink your Stampin’ Up markers (ingenious!) – well, Stampin’ Up does not endorse reinking markers, so you do run the risk of ruining your marker & having to purchase a new one, but I’ve been told that reinking markers can be done & many people do this. There are several ways to reink a marker. One way is to put a few drops of reinker in a plastic baggie, set the marker (tip down) into the baggie & wait until the marker soaks up the ink. So, if you have a marker that you've used and overused for years, give this a try!

Linda :)

TUESDAY TIPS - Don't limit a stamp set to the obvious

Let's play a little game. It's in the spirit of good oldie games like "I Spy" or "Where's Waldo". Ready?

Does this card look familiar? This was a card from my February Valentine's Day stamp camp. Sort of.

Take a good look at this card on today's post, then look here at a post I made a couple weeks ago....... Can you spot the differences between them?

I had plenty of Valentine's Day cards, yet not enough sweeties, lol, so I reworked the theme of that card. I pulled off some of the originally intended messages and images and replaced some of them with baby things and a congratulatory baby message. I am so impressed with myself on this one (one more lol). My wheels have been turning ever since I made this baby card because there are probably so many unvalentine ideas to come up with for this stamp set! If you think of any others, I'd love to hear your ideas. I double dare ya!

Linda

MAP IT MONDAY - Dazzling Diamonds Cupcake Circle Card

Cute map, huh? And, don't you love the bling on this cupcake? I used Dazzling Diamonds glitter. We made this card at the last card camp!

RECIPE:
cs: Green Galore, Whisper White
stamp set: Crazy for Cupcakes, large solid surface stamp
paper: Tempting Turquoise Patterns dsp
inks: Black Stazon Inkpad, Stampin' Up markers, VM inkpad
other: Heat & Stick Powder, Dazzling Diamonds Stampin' Glitter, stampin' dimensionals, ribbon, circle cutting system, scoring & cutting blades

Make the card:

Cut two same-size circles approx. 4" in diameter. Stampin' Up has a new circle cutter called a Circle Scissors Plus that you might want to check out on page 188 of the catalog! Score one of the circles near the top. Fold on the scored line & add adhesive above the score line. Press both together & when you open it up, you will see the inside of your circle card.

Stamp & Apply Color to Cupcake: Stamp image onto white cs with Black Stazon inkpad. Color with Stampin' Up markers.

Heat & Stick Powder & Dazzling Diamonds:

Apply VM ink to the area where you want glitter. Any large solid stamp can work well for applying VM. Heat & Stick powder gets sprinkled next. Heat with heat tool, sprinkle Dazzling Diamonds glitter onto the sticky area, then heat set one more time. Cut out the cupcake.

Finish the Card:

I adhered Designer Series Patterns Paper circle in Tempting Turquoise to the card front, added the cupcake with dimensionals, cut a slit in the card with a cutting blade, & added ribbon through the slit.

Linda :)