In Love with my new stamps

I’m loving all my preorder stamps and colors.  I have been doing tons of stamping!

Here’s a card I made with my new favorite color combination: Baja Breeze and Pink Pirouette

(all images copyrighted at Stampin’ Up)

Supplies:

Stamp Set- Dreams Du Juor

Ink: Pink Pirouette, Baja Breeze

Paper: Bella Rose DSP, Pink Pirouette, Baja Breeze

Other: Scallop edge punch, square punch.

This card is simple, but think wonderfully shabby chic.  I cut a strip of Bella Rose DSP, and adhered it to the card.  Then, I stamped the love stamp by rock n’ rolling in pink pirouette and baja breeze.  Then I punched out each love image with our square punch.  I then mounted them on baja breeze squares, and lined them up on the card.  Finally, I used our scallop edge punch to make some rick rack by punching out a line of scallops, and then turning it upside down and putting it through the punch again.

I actually made a card!!!!

So, when I moved to Texas I could really only take what I absolutely needed, and the rest is coming August.  So there I sat in my stamping area deciding what had to come and what could wait.  I was clearly out of my mind from packing, because other than my new stamp sets I only packed: paper (lovely lilac and confetti cream), snail, bone folder, scissors, bright ink pads, staz on pad.  That’s it!  I didn’t even pack a paper cutter!  Was I insane?  Luckily, I had some Great Rewards (one of the many programs to benefit demos) so I got a free paper trimmer from SU.

But, being so limited in supplies reminds me why I got into stamping and SU.  I loved their images and I loved their matching paper and ink.  So I did the best KISS (Keep It Simple Sister) card I could, and remembered that it takes as much time to put together a simple beautiful card as it does one filled with ribbon, brads, and other goodies.

So here’s the card:

Supplies:

Paper: Lovely Lilac, Confetti Cream

Ink: Lovely Lilace, Staz On, Gable Green, YoYo Yellow, Pink Passion

Stamps: Boho Backgrounds, God is Love

Other: Blender Pen

(all images are ;copy& Stampin’ Up)

This card is pretty simple.  I stamped the confetti cream card with the flowers from Boho Backgrounds in lovely lilac.  I then stamped three of my favorite images from God is love, and cut them each into squares.  I colored them fun girly colors with my bright ink pads and a blender pen.  Then I mounted them on a lovely lilac strip, and mounted it to the right side of the card.  This card was give to a friend of our for her daughter’s baptism.

And, while I enjoyed stretching my mind with limited supplies I can’t wait to order new stuff on July 1st!  Demos get to preorder from a sneak preview, which means in about two weeks I’ll have all the new in colors to play with!  And, I’ll get two free stamp sets as part of another SU demo reward program.  I love being a demo!

More fun with Nursery Necessities

A friend of mine and my fiance’s cousin are both having babies so I’ve been having fun making baby cards for them. I’m quickly falling far the Nursery Necessities set I received in my spring catalog preorder. It is such a fun set to play with, and could easily be used for more than just baby cards. The boat, for example, fits in great with Stampin’ Up’s Crew Classic style watch that will be featured in the new catalog.

Recipe:
Stamp Sets: Bundle of Joy, Nursery Necessities
Ink: Versa Mark, Regal Rose, Lovely Lilac
Paper: Regal Rose, Very Vanilla, Lovely Lilac
Extras: Sponge daubers, Stampin’ dimensionals, large star punch
(all images © Stampin’ Up)

I created the first layer with regal rose cardstock, and gave it a background with the small star from the nursery necessities stamp set in versamark ink. I then cut out an additional layer in lovely lilac, and stamped the sweet heart stamp from Bundle of Joy and the little star again in versamark. I placed the greeting for the card in the lower right corner in black, and used my sponge daubers to create more visual interest to the card by sponging on some lovely lilac around the edge of that layer. Finally I stamped the star letter stamp onto very vanilla paper, punched in out with the large star punch, and mounted it to the cards with a stampin’ dimensional. I chose to pop the star up, because I thought the card would look too flat without it. You could add even more dimension to the card by adding addtional punched stars (maybe in lovely lilac?) to the regal rose layer. If I were making this for a boy baby I would probably use brillant blue, real read, and yo-yo yellow.

I’m having so much fun playing with all the new catty stamp sets I preordered, and from the looks of the new catty I’m going to be ordering plenty of stamps in the new year as well.

A Glimpse of Spring

No, not out my window, but with my stamps. I received my preorder from the Spring/Summer SU catty. Getting to play with the stamps before the catalog comes out is just one of the benefits of being a demonstrator.

Here is a card I made using the beautiful Embrace Life set:

Recipe:
Stamp Set- Embrace Life
Paper- Regal Rose, Rose Red, SU watercolor paper
Ink- Black Staz On
Extras: SU brads, sponge dauber, aquapainter, cropadile
(all images © Stampin Up)

This flower set just screamed for color so I took out my markers, aquapainter, and watercolor paper. First I stamped the large flower onto the watercolor paper. I then masked it by cutting out a piece of scrap paper in its shape, and placed it over the image. I then inked up the smaller flower stamp, and stamped it on both sides of the flower so that it appears to be one large stamp. Masking is a great way to get a variety of looks from just a few stamps. I then colored in the image with the following SU markers: Pretty in Pink, Regal Rose, Rose Red, Summer Sun, Garden Green. I then took my sponge dauber and added Regal Rose ink to the edge of the watercolor paper to add dimension without adding another paper layer.

Now, my first temptation was to mount the watercolor paper in the center and call it a day, but instead I place it to the side, and added some SU brads for visual interest. I marked, with a pencil, where I wanted my holes to be, and then used the small hole punch on the cropadile to punch them out. Finally, I added the Embrace Life sentiment at the bottom of the card in Black Staz On.

Never Say Never

When I first saw the watercolor paper in the SU catalog I said, “Why would anyone buy that? Confetti Cream should work great for watercoloring. I will never buy that.” Then I heard the siren call of the watercolor paper, and that it was supposed to work well with the SU markers. I had to try it. And, so I ordered it with all my preview stamps–that’s right I get stamps early just for being a demostrator. I love it! Here is one of many cards I made using it and my markers today.

Recipe:
Stamp Sets- Bundle of Joy, Nursery Necessities
Ink- Timber Brown Staz On, Versamark
Paper- Regal Rose, Lovely Lilac, Watercolor Paper
Extras- SU Markers, Aqua painter
(all images © Stampin Up)

The Bundle of Joy set is just one of the many retiring stamps sets, and I new I had to get it before it was gone for good. I took the sweet heart stamp from that set and the star from Nursery Necessities (one of my new preview stamp sets), and stamped them in versamark on the Regal Rose cardstock for the base of my card. I then stamped the giraffe from Bundle of Joy onto my water color paper, and colored it in with the following SU markers: Pretty in Pink, Regal Rose, Lavender Lace, and Lovely Lilac. The watercolor paper is perfect for the markers, because the ink really soaks in showing no streaks. I backed the giraffe on lovely lilac cardstock, and with just a little coloring and paper I had a lovely card for a new mommy.

If you love the Timber Brown Staz On ink pad or the Bundle of Joy stamp set make sure to place an order for them before the end of December as they will be retired in the new year. And, if you already have a timber brown staz on pad remember to order a refill.

More Time Well Spent

I can’t get enough of this fun new set. It’s wonderfully girly, and has limitless possibilities. Nestled between the flowers and butterfly stamps was a beautiful heart. The heart stamp is just one of the stamps that carries this stamp set beyond another flower set.

Recipe:
Stamp Set- Time Well Spent
Ink: Versamark, Pink Passion, Lovely Lilac, Orhcid Opulence
Paper: Pink Passion, Confetti Cream, Lovely Lilac
Extras: SU brads, Lovely Lilac Prints Designer Series Paper
(all images © Stampin’ Up)

With this card I wanted to make use of the simplicity of the lines in this set without coloring. I started by making my own patterned paper. I took a small flower stamp from the set, and stamped off the page in Pink Passion, Lovely Lilac, and Orhcid Opulence. I love stamping off the page, because there is really no way you can go wrong with this technique. I also stamped a larger flower in versamark on the lovely lilac cardstock to creat a background for the card.

How did I choose the extras? I chose to place brads, because the card seemed plain to me without them. I wasn’t sure if brads would work, but I wanted to try it. I then decided to move my square on an angle to add more interest visually. Finally, instead of coloring the flower in the hear purple I stamped just the flower onto a piece of design series paper, and cut it out. I then placed it where the flower would have been colored in. It’s just one of the many ways to use the designer series paper.

Fun with Free Stamps

There are ton of advantages to being a Stampin’ Up demo. I get 20% off all my purchases, an official magazine only for demos with ideas and quality articles, chances to see and buy stamps before they come out in the main catalog, and most importantly free stamps! Stampin’ Up recently sent all of their demos a free stamp set to thank us for all that we do. The set will be a level 3 Hostess Set in the Spring/Summer catalog.

Time Well Spent is sooooooooo much fun to play with it. It is my favorite new set. It’s the great doodle style, and it just cries out for color and glitter.

Here is one card I made with my new set:

Recipe:
Stamps: Time Well Spent
Ink: Black Staz On
Paper: Lovely Lilac, Glorious Green
Extras: Bold Bright Watercolor Crayons, Aquapainter, Paper Crimper, Stampin Dimensionals, Dazzling Diamonds, Two Way Glue Pen
(all images © Stampin’ Up)

I wanted this card to have lots of texture, and really play with the fun of the child like doodle stamp. I stamped the butterfly and flower, colored them in with the crayons and aquapainter, and cut them out. I then traced the two way glue pen along the edges and other accents, and poured on the dazzling diamonds. After that I cut into the glorious green strip at odd angles, and put the whole strip through the paper crimper to make it look like grass. I nestled the flower in the grass, and put the butterfly on with a stampin up dimensional to make it look like it was flying.

Finally I added the thanks a bunch sentiment at the bottom of the card. To earn this beautiful set contact me about setting up a workshop in the New Year.