Tassel Time Graduation

It's graduation season and my absolutely favorite go-to set for graduation cards is Tassel Time. It's been retired for years, but it's still one of those classic sets I use over and over.

Details:

1. I stamped the cap image and the sentiment with versamark ink on basic black card stock and heat embossed it with silver embossing powder.
2. I die cut the main image using a banner framelit and added the brushed silver layer.
3. I dry embossed the white layer with the striped textured impressions embossing folder.
4. I added the arrow clip from the hung up cute clips assortment for that extra dimension that really makes the card pop.

I really love the way this card turned out. It's clean and simple and even a bit sophisticated. I stamped it for a high school graduation but it would work equally well for a college or graduate school graduation.

Recipe (all products Stampin' Up!):

Stamps: Tassel Time
Paper: Basic Black, Whisper White, Brushed Silver
Ink: Versamark
Accessories: Silver embossing powder, Banners framelits, Striped textured Impressions embossing folder, Hung up cute clips.

Throwback Thursday - Extreme Rock Star

For Throwback Thursday, I thought I'd post a card I stamped a few years back for my brother-in--law's birthday. He really is a rock star - or at least he plays one in his spare time on various stages across northern IL, IN and southwestern MI - so the card was pretty appropriate.













Recipe (All products Stampin' Up!)

Stamps: Extreme Guitar, Grunge Rock, A Little Somethin'
Paper: Early Espresso and Very Vanilla card stock, Spring Flowers and Well Worn DSP
Ink: Early Espresso, Dusty Durango
Accessories: dimensionals, large star punch, stampin' sponge

Another new beginning

Welcome back, dear readers!

It's hard to believe how much time has passed since my last post. When I made a decision to stop posting, I wasn't sure if I would ever resume. Most recently, though, I finished re-organizing my stamp room, which allowed me to experience the true joy of stamping all over again. Now that I might actually have things to share on a more regular basis, I decided to return to blogging.

My efforts won't be as frequent as they were when I was blogging regularly before and, since I'm no longer a Stampin' Up! demo, my projects will likely feature many retired Stampin' Up! products as well as some products from other companies (current and retired). Also, I make very little effort to keep up with latest trends, so the look and feel of my projects may be more "retro" than "fresh". Still, I hope some of you are as nostalgic as I am and will enjoy these blasts from the past.

If you like a particular project or are inspired by a post, please leave a comment. Your feedback is most welcome and appreciated.

The card I chose to share for this blog re-launch is one I stamped most recently - a birthday card for my hubby. Making cards for guys is always a challenge and this one took a bit of time to put together, but I'm quite happy with the results. Hubby liked it - Yay! - and I hope you will as well.

I'll post the recipe below the photo, but here are some specifics that may not be obvious from the recipe alone:

1. the size of this card is A7 (5'x7"), slightly larger than the more typical A2 (4.25'x5.5") format. 
2. the tools on the sentiment layer were stamped in basic gray ink on smoky slate card stock. I then used my snips for the extremely fussy cut (boy, I sure wish there were die cuts for this set) and attached them to the card with tiny pieces of dimensionals (think the leftover edges of your dimensional sheets cut into even smaller pieces). 
3. I inked up the "world's greatest" image using the kraft and chocolate chip markers
4. The cupcake image on the twill tab, added for a bit traditional birthday touch, was stamped with chocolate chip ink. 
5. Although the soft suede textured paper I used for the ruler didn't have a white core, I still used my sanding block on the raised part of the ruler to give it a "rougher" look. 
6. I used the distressing tool on the edges of the very vanilla sentiment layer. 

All products below are Stampin' Up! (current or retired) unless otherwise specified 

Card base: Neutrals (5x7 pack) by ms. sparkle & co (tm) 

Embossed Ivory layer: manila file folder by Casemate

Other card stock: Chocolate Chip, Kraft, Textured Soft Suade, Very Vanilla, Smoky Slate

Ink: Chocolate Chip, Basic Gray, Kraft

Tools and accessories: Dimensionals, Distressing Tool, Perfect Details Texture Plate, Twill ribbon (unknown manufacturer,) Lori Whitlock Ornate Labels Thinlits by Sizzix, Measuring Tape Embossing Folder by Sizzix, Silver mini square brads by Making Memories

Stamps: Guy Greetings, Rough Edges Mini Alphabet, Cross My Heart, Tool Shed (background)

Happy Valentine's Day!

Hi Everyone. I know it's been forever since I posted to the blog. I am so sorry about this. Unfortunately during the past year I became swept up in my Twilight obsession, and, more to the point, my obsession with writing Twilight fan fiction. I continued to stamp, though not as frequently as I used to, and I simply ran out of time for blogging.

Now, however, I am ready to dip my toes into the blogging world again. Probably not daily, as I used to do, but you should see something new form me every couple of weeks. :-)

Just to show you that I haven't been completely slacking off, I came back with a tutorial of sorts. It's no secret that I'm a huge fan of punches and I really love the new type of punches Stampin' Up! introduced in the new Occasions mini catalog. I love the traditional way to use these punches, as is shown in this first card -- simply to make pretty corners on your main stamped surface or on a mat!

However, as I was working on Valentine's Day cards this past week, I discovered another way to use these, and I thought I would share this with you. Now, it is entirely possible that someone else out these in stamping land has already thought of this idea. If so, I apologize for thinking this was something new, but I promise I came up with it independently, since I no longer have time to read stamping blogs or other stamping sites. But if someone else did think of this first let me know via comment and I will be sure to update the post.

OK, so here goes the mini tutorial. Start with one of the new corner punches. I used the pinking hearts corner punch. Punch a corner of a scrap piece of card stock just as you normally would.

Your card stock should look like this.


















Now insert the punched card stock into the smaller photo corner of the Photo Corners punch (available in the Idea Book and Catalog) as shown in the picture and punch. (You can save the larger photo corner for another project.)

Once you punch it out, your piece should look like this. And you can use it alone as a fancy photo corner just as I did in this picture.

Or, if you prefer, you can use it with the large or small photo corners punched out of a contrasting color of card stock with the Photo Corners punch. Here you see the punched piece layered over a small photo corner.

Here you can see the punched piece layered over a large contrasting photo corner.

In this picture I trimmed off the last heart on each side of the punched piece and layered it over a large contrasting photo corner.

And here is what that trimmed piece would look like layered over a small contrasting photo corner (sorry for the blurriness of the photo)

Here I took two corners trimmed off straight and layered them onto a contrasting large photo corner.

And here I used the scrap card stock left over from punching to layer on top of the large contrasting photo corner.

If you'd like to see what the corner might look like on a card, here's one I made last week, I used the I {Love} Love jumbo wheel with versamark ink to make the background on a real red card base and embossed it with clear embossing powder. I added a strip of black card stock punched with the new pinking hearts border punch. To accent the strip I used some retired real red zigzag ribbon. for the main image I used the Like-O-Meter stamp that I colored with my real red and basic black stampin' write markers. I used the real red and pretty in pink stamping write markers to color in the "meter". I then used 2 way glue and real red fine glitter on the heard, and the versamarker and clear embossing powder over the pretty in pink part of the card. I added mats in basic black, real red and whisper white. Then, as a final touch, I added a small real red photo corner layered with the pinking heart photo corner punched out of pretty in pink card stock.

And here is another way to use the heart photo corner over a mat so just the hearts show through.

You can do the very same thing with the new Scallop trim corner punch and the photo corners punch, as shown in this picture.

Here is what the punched piece looks like layered over a contrasting small photo corner.

And here is what a punched piece looks like layered over a large contrasting photo corner.

Here is what the trimmed piece would look like layered over a large contrasting photo corner with the two end pieces trimmed off.

And the same piece layered over a small contrasting photo corner.

Here is what the remaining scrap would look like layered over a small contrasting photo corner.

And last but not least, the same leftover scrap layered over a large contrasting photo corner.

And that's basically it. I hope I managed to show you at least one new idea in all these pictures that you can use on your own cards. Happy Valentine's Day and happy stamping!

Best Wishes

This was the second card we made at the April techniques class. The technique was shaving cream and we used it to create the background with riding hood red, pink pirouette and close to cocoa re-inkers. The background used for the largest mat did double duty. We simply punched the heart out of it deep enough to leave an even border all around -- great way to economize! On top of the shaving cream background I added a close to cocoa and pink pirouette mats, then a square of riding hood red card stock to which I mounted the punched heart with dimensionals. I stamped the sentiment form the new Oval All set in close to cocoa on the pink pirouette card stock.

I tied a big bow with the wide pink pirouette grosgrain ribbon around a riding hood red card base and mounted the shaving cream background to the card base over the ribbon. I think this would make a great wedding card!

Baroque Friend

This month's technique was shaving cream and this was one of the cards we made using that technique. On this card I used re-inkers in baja breeze, pacific point and kiwi kiss, all swirled together and printed on a piece of whisper white card stock. then I stamped the decorated card stock with the Baroque background stamp in pacific point and attached it to a kiwi kiss textured card base.

I stamped the sentiment from the All Holidays set on whisper white card stock in pacific point, layered it onto mats of baja breeze and textured kiwi kiss and attached it to the decorated card base.

Finally, to add the embellishment I first used the 5 petal flower punch to make a flower out of the textured kiwi card stock. I layered this with a felt flower in baja breeze and a pacific point corduroy small brad. Finally, I attached the flowers to the card with dimensionals.

Jeweled Egg

Here's another card from this month's Easter stamp camp. this one was fairly simple. Recipe below:

Paper: Pink Pirouette, Regal Rose, Rose Red, Sweet Always designer series paper, pink pirouette textured card stock

Ink: basic black, rose red

Stamps: A Good Egg

Accessories: Organza white ribbon, rich regals brads, round Fire rhinestone brads, stamping dimensionals

Spring Tulip

Here's another card from last Saturday's stamp camp. This simple tulip could be used as an Easter card or for any spring occasion. Did I mention already how much I love the versatility of the pick-a-petal set, but the way? It has so many fun uses!

here's the recipe:

Paper: textured kiwi kiss, baja breeze, whisper white

Ink: kiwi kiss, pink pirouette

Stamps: Pick a Petal

Accessories: pink pirouette striped grosgrain ribbon

Easter basket

Here's one of the cards we made this Saturday at the Easter stamp camp. It's nice and simple, but the window cut out in the floor makes it fun! Here's the recipe:

Paper: very vanilla, pale plum, sage shadow, perfect plum patterns designer series paper, acetate.

Ink: basic brown, sage shadow, perfect plum, pale plum, creamy caramel, certainly celery (everything but basic brown in stampin' write markers)

Stamps: All Holidays, Sock Monkey Accessories

Accessories: Very Vanilla Styled Hodgepodge Hardware, sage shadow 1/4" grosgrain ribbon, 1 3/8" circle punch, scallop circle punch.

Glazed Chipboard

This was a card that I designed in March for our monthly technique class. The March technique was glazed chipboard. I love this technique because it gives chipboard a whole new look -- it almost makes the chipboard accents look like plastic accents. It's a neat effect!

Here's the recipe:

Paper: pumpkin pie, pink pirouette, regal rose, whisper white, Sweet Always designer series paper

Ink: chocolate chip craft, pumpkin pie & chocolate chip stampin' write markers

Stamps: All Holidays, A Little Somethin' (A level 2 hostess set)

Accessories: 1/4" whisper white grosgrain ribbon, scallop edge punch, glassy glaze, On Board Essentials chipboard assortment.

Best Wishes Oval All

This is a card I designed for the occasions mini demonstrator swap I just participated in this week. There are some really amazing stamp sets in the Occasion minis and the designs I received in the swap simply blew me away.

Due to lack of time, I chose a simple design for my card. This is the first time I used a pretty in pink/bordering blue color combination on a card and i really like the way it turned out!

Here is the recipe:

Paper: pretty in pink, bordering blue, regal rose, shimmery white

ink: pretty in pink, bordering blue

Stamps: En Francais, Oval All (from the occasions mini catalog)

Accessories, large oval punch, scallop oval punch, scallop circle punch, hear to heart punch, white organza ribbon, stampin' dimensionals

Easter stamp camp

I'm Back!

Well, sort of. I may not be back daily, like I used to be, but I will be back more than once a month -- LOL!

I apologize for my extended absence. Nothing was wrong, except things got pretty busy and my laser-like focus (for the LOTR fans out there, think of it as the eye of Mordor) shifted to another activity for a while, leaving no time to stamp.

But it was (is?) only a temporary distraction, and I do have some fun new projects to show you over the next couple of weeks. Also, this Saturday, April 4, 2009, I will be hosting an Easter Stamp Camp at 10:00 a.m. at my house. If yo;d like to attend just send me an e-mail or call me. We'll be making 7 different Easter and Sprint themed cards plus a 3-d favor box for only $20.00. Very Cute! Get all of your Easter needs taken care of in one class. RSVP by Thursday, April 2, so I can prepare enough materials.

And In honor of the Easter stamp camp, today we have an Easter card. Here's a recipe:

Card Stock: gable green, ballet blue, cameo coral, barely banana, almost amethyst, whisper white

Stamps: Loads of Love Accessories, Egg Hunt Stampin' Around wheel form the occasions mini catalog

Ink: Basic gray, gable green, ballet blue, cameo coral, barely banana, almost amethyst

Accessories: Large and small tag punches, striped so saffron grosgrain ribbon

Pretty Flower

I know I've been a very bad blogger lately. My apologies to everyone. It's just that I haven't had a lot of time to stamp in recent weeks and I've simply run out of new projects to show you. I do have one card I can share with you tonight. This one was so simple to put together it's almost embarrassing to post it. I started with an almost amethyst base. I took a large floower from the pretties kit and layered it with a 1" circle punched out of almost amethyst card stock and a kiwi kiss corduroy button. I then attached the flower to a piece of kiwi kiss card stock, which I adhered to the card front. I hand cut the stem and leaf from scraps of old olive card stock. To finish the card I added a knot made out of whisper white 1/4" grosgrain ribbon and added a sentiment form the one of a kind set, stamped in elegant eggplant on whisper white card stock and trimmed out by hand.

If all goes well, I will have a little more stamping time this week and my posting will get back on a more regular schedule. :-)

Scalloped thanks

Here's something a little different for me -- a card created with just a single sentiment stamp and one color of ink. Yes, it's true -- the only stamp I used on this card came from the Say it with Scallops set. This set is very cute and versatile, coordinates perfectly with our Scalloped Square punch and for every set sold Stampin' Up! donates $2.00 to the Ronald McDonald House Charities. And, as you can see, it does very well all on its own, paired up with some of our awesome decorative papers and accessories.

Here's the recipe:

Stamps: Say it with Scallops

Paper: Very Vanilla, Kraft, Not Quite Navy, Bella Bleu designer series paper

Ink: Not quite navy

Accessories: Scallop edge punch, scallop square punch, chocolate chip taffeta ribbon, very vanilla styled hodgepodge hardware, 3/4" circle punch, stamping sponge.

Easter Tulips

Now that Valentine's Day is over, it's time to start thinking about Easter cards. My March stamp camp will be all about spring and Easter cards and projects, including this one.

I didn't use any fancy techniques on this card, though I did need my scoring blade to create the raised border on the bashful blue mat. Also, instead of layering the mats as I normally do, I shifter the so saffron mat to the diagonal. I think it gives the card an extra bit of interest. Last but not least is the lovely white ribbon from the Dress Up ribbon originals assortment. Here's the full card recipe:

Stamps: A flower for all reasons, All Holidays
Card Stock: Creamy Caramel, Bashful Blue, So saffron, Regal Rose, Certainly Celery, whisper White
ink: basic black, creamy caramel, regal rose, so saffron, certainly celery, bashful blue, more mustard
Accessories: Dress Up ribbon collection, stamping dimensionals, paper cutter with scoring blade.

Sparkly Congrats

I know it's kind of hard to tell from the photo, but I've been playing with glitter again! I just love all the new colors of fine glitter and how they can make an ordinary card pop!

For this card I used the Tart & Tangy stamp set for the cherries. I inked up the stamp with my old olive and real red stampin' write markers and stamped the images on whisper white card stock, before I punched three of them with m 1 1/4" square punch. I then used 2 way glue to cover the cherries and sprinkled on some fine red glitter, and repeated the process with the stems and leaves and olive fine glitter. The final card looks really sparkly in real life because of all the glitter!

I mounted the three cherry images on a piece of basic black card stock and attached the "Jackpot" sentiment form the Game Night stamp set at the top. I attached the basic black card stock to a real red mat. To offset the black space in the upper right hand corner of the basic black strip, I added a couple of white 5/1" brads. To finish the card I attached the real red mat to the bashful blue card base and stamped the congratulations sentiment from the Hugs & Wishes set  in basic black ink directly on the bashful blue card base.

trendy trees

Here's a card I stamped today using the Trendy Trees stamp set -- new in the Spring/Summer 2009 catalog! This card is pretty straightforward. The funny thing is I use three of the new 5/8" jumbo brads on the card. Why is it funny, you ask? Well, because earlier today my friend Amy was over looking at all the new accessories and we both agreed that these big brads would need something else to work on a card -- maybe a rub-on or an embossed image on top. So what do I do a few hours later? i use not one, not two, but three of these giant brads in a row, completely naked! go figure! :-) Life is strange!

And many more blooms

Here's the last of the flower power cards. For this card I used the die cut blooms, wiht a 5.8" old olive ribbon for a stem. I used a filigree brad paired with an old olive bread for the flower center.

I know this is not my usual detailed write-up, but I'm really tired and I need to get some sleep. More details tomorrow.

scrap page centerpiece

Tonight I'm showing you a project that we'll be making at a March 25th class at the Hillside library. You might recall that I made a similar double sided upright centerpiece last year around Father's Day and then again at Christmas. The Winter version went over so well at the class I taught in Itasca that I thought I would do something similar for the Hillside class.

I look at these two sides of the centerpiece as Spring and Summer. Spring is labeled as such, though class attendants will be able to stamp their own alternate title if they wish. The Summer side is just labeled "Happy Days." It's decorated with bright flowers form the die cut blooms collection.

If you'd like to make this project contact the Hillside library. The library requires a deposit at time of registration, but the deposit is returned to you on the night of the class, so as long as you show up the class is free. Hope to see you there next month!

Still more flowers

I said it would be all flowers all the time this week, didn't I? I put this card together super fast. I started with a so saffron card base and added an old olive mat. I then cut a 5x3.75" piece of the SAB designer series paper, wrapped a piece of the so saffron polytwill ribbon around it. I stamped the sentiment from the Many Happy returns set and punched it out using the 1" circle punch. I placed the sentiment into a round label holder from the styled silver hodgepodge hardware assortment. I used two brads to attach the label holder to the designer paper.

To make the flower I simply stamped the 5 petal flower image from the Polka Dot Punches free SAB set in versamark ink and heat embossed it with whisper white embossing powder. I then punched the flower out with the 5 petal flower punch, layered it onto an old olive flower from the die cut blooms assortment, and attached both to the designer paper using one of the brads form the styled silver hodgepodge hardware assortment. All I had to do to finish is attach the designer paper to the old olive mat. Fast and simple!