StampinMojo

Wondrous Fall Wreath for Pals Paper Arts

We have another color challenge this week. While the colors are very fall oriented I did not want to create something with leaves (my go-to for Fall).

I purchased the Wondrous Wreath set last year and struggled with lining the leaves of the wreath up. I thought I would give it another try and I am so glad I did.

The key to the Wondrous Wreath and the coordinating framelits is aligning all the tabs for both cutting and stamping. 

Cut out the center of the wreath first and then line up the first stamp (the one with the most leaves). I align the tabs at the top.  Okay this part if had successfully accomplished in the past but the next part I did not get until I created this card.

When you go to use the second stamp (the one with less leaves) the leaves you are stamping will exactly overlay leaves already stamped. This was the part I was doing wrong, I kept thinking these leaves filled in between the leaves already stamped and they don't. AHA!

Then you stamp the berries. Again, lining up the tabs is what made all this work. 

Cutting out the wreath is a piece of cake then.

 Here are the PPA colors for this week that inspired my card...

 

I even added a bough of garland to the inside of my card. Now that I have this figured out I wanted to keep creating.

I am glad that I gave this stamp set another try. I really love this stamp set and the fact that Stampin' Up! has added additional stamp sets to coordinate with the framelits.

What stamp set has given you difficult in the past? Did this help you? I would love to hear from you.

Michelle

 

Products used to create this project, click on any of the items below to begin shopping now!

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Some things I love about being a Stampin' Up! demonstrator:

• Saving money on my crafting supplies
• Meeting wonderful people (in-person and virtually) 
• And always being able to come up with a card or gift when I need it

Life is busy. Recently I have noted several times how glad I am to be able to create a custom gift or card for a specific occasion. No need to find a Hallmark store any more!

My project today is a perfect example where I was able to create something special for a colleague who just purchased a house.

The card was inspired by the very talented Alison Okamitsu. She is a SU Artisan Team member and very talented. 

The stamp set and coordinating framelits are retired. They were part of the Holiday Home collection from last year's Holiday catty. I was very disappointed to see this set retired. I am not parting with this bundle as it is perfect for housewarming cards and more.

You may not be able to tell from the photo that the "colored" house is popped up on dimensionals for added emphasis.

Also this Prosecco is delicious if you enjoy Prosecco. I get it at Total Wine. It is a go to for celebrations.

I was out of town over the weekend and am very grateful that I took today off to get settled. I hope you have a GREAT day.

Michelle

 

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The art of sending a Thank You note seems to be waning. I think it is a powerful message to the recipient that you were touched by their thoughtfulness, hospitality, or time. Thank you's offer One Big Meaning. I love to send thank you notes!

My card today was inspired by the Pals Paper Arts Color Challenge. 

My card base is 5" x 5" in Very Vanilla. The background is a piece of Kraft Paper cut 4 3/4" x 4 3/4" and then run through my Bog Shot with the Brick Wall Textured Impressions Embossing Folder. I lightly sponged Chocolate Chip ink over the bricks to give it a realistic look.

I cut three banners from the Regals, Subtles, and Neutrals Designer Series Paper Stacks for each of the challenge colors. I used the #3 (from the center) banner from the Banner Framelits. 

The sentiment is from the One Big Meaning stamp set. I masked the bottom portion of the stamp with retired washi tape to isolate the sentiment, then stamped it in Chocolate Chip. I punched small holes to loop the Gold Cording Trim through and tied it in the back of the card. The sentiment is topped up on dimensionals. To hide the holes, two Calypso Coral Candy Dots finish off the card.

Here is a little sneak peek of the inside of the card. To add weight to the back side of the card I added another piece of Very Vanilla card stock (4 3/4" x 4 3/4"). Then I punched out three quick banners using the Banner Punch. Simple and it carries the colors through.

 I do hope you will check out what the other Pals Paper Arts designers created with these colors.

Thanks for stopping by!

Michelle

 Products used to create this project. Click on any item to begin shopping!

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Rustic Birthday Wishes

When I first saw the holiday catalog I wondered why in the world Stampin' Up! had an antler stamp in the Wonderland stamp set? Since then I see antlers everywhere. Pier One has an entire collection for the holidays. So I figured I better get with the game.

My boss' birthday is December 1st and he is an avid hunter. I thought this card would be perfect. 

Here are the details

• Base is A2 in Garden Green
• Early Espresso 4" x 5 1/4" and 3/4" x 3 3/4" for sentiment
• Soft Suede 3 3/4" x 5"
• Winter Wonderland Designer Vellum Stack 3 3/4" x 5" (adhered using my Xyron making the vellum a sticker)
• Burlap was cut to 5" and then the flag bottom
• Black Bakers Twine  was threaded through holes punched on either side of the burlap
• Wonderland stamp set antlers stamped in Archive Black Ink cut with the Tags and Labels framelits
• Happy Birthday is from From the Herd (retired) stamped on Very Vanilla (1/2" x 3 3/4")

This is not my typical card but I think a hunter will like it. What do you think?

Thanks for stopping by!

Michelle

 

 

With Sympathy

Creating a sympathy card is never easy. Your heart is filled with sadness and you want to convey peace to the recipient. My husband asked me to create a card for a business colleague who suddenly lost his 45 year old son and granddaughter in a tragic car accident. 

I was pleased with the result of this clean and simple card for my husband to send. The Sheltering Tree stamp set is so versatile and perfect for the occasion. The sentiment is from Avery Elle stamps, I love the font.

The card base is 4 1/2" square. I used Watercolor paper for texture. The border is Delightful Dijon and it was popped up on dimensionals. 

Here is the inside of the card:

The leaf was stamped off once and then onto the card. The image is from Vintage Leaves and was stamped in Delightful Dijon. The sentiment is from the Thoughts & Prayers  stamp set. It is a beautiful sentiment.

We can't make sense of such tragic events yet through our creative hands and heartfelt words perhaps we can express love and support to those who are suffering. I hope I inspired you today.

Thanks for stopping by!

Michelle

 

Autumn All Year

Autumn is my favorite time of year. I know that I am not alone. The cool crisp air is so refreshing after a hot and humid summer. There is so much to love about Autumn; the beauty of changing leaves, yummy caramel apples, warm apple cider and pumpkin spice everything. So I want Autumn All Year. Alright I guess that is not such a great idea.  

And I am entering my card in the Paper Players Challenge this week.

My card celebrates Autumn using the sentiment from Cheer All Year. I stamped the large maple leaf first then using the Leaf Framelits cut out the same leaf from a Post-it to mask the leaf. Then I stamped the other two leaves. The masking gives the card depth.

 The Delightful Dijon base and Bohemian DSP frame the focal point.

Thanks for stopping by!

Michelle

Today is the last day for 15% off all stamp sets. Don't miss out on the Savings! Click on any item below and begin shopping at StampinMojo's online store.

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A Flurry of Wishes

A quick post for the Pals Paper Arts Sketch Challenge. This card really evolved as I worked on it. 

Here is the sketch:

When I looked at the sketch I saw the square in the middle followed by two half circles. I thought the snowflakes could emulate the half circles. At first I stamped Soft Sky on Whisper White but it looked to washed out against the Night of Navy Label Framelit. So I stamped Soft Sky on Soft Sky card stock and it stands out nicely on the Night of Navy.

The sentiment was stamped in Night of Navy and then cropped with the Squares Framelits (3rd from the center). Then I added a frame of Soft Sky card stock 1/4" larger. I used Dazzling Details and painted it along the Soft Sky frame.

I hope you will visit the Pals Paper Arts Challenge and see what the design team members did with this sketch. Won't you play along as well?

Have you taken advantage of the 15% off of all stamp sets* this week? The offer ends tomorrow, shop NOW.

*Stamp Bundles, Clearance Rack and Hostess items are not included.

 Michelle

Products used for this project:

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A Spidery Halloween

I need to get a few more Halloween cards created to send off to my sons, nieces and nephews. Everyone is high school and college age so cutesy won't work. They want edgy or spooky.

If you are like me you have lots of DSP. The holiday specific DSP can stack up due to its limited creating life, although SU does a nice job of adding some patterns that are year round. In an effort to use up some of the older DSP I used a combination of old and new Halloween DSP and stamps. The Licorice Lice piece is from Halloween DSP two year's ago (I can't believe that). The sentiment came from a monhtly Photopolymer stamp set when SU was just introducing Photopolymer stamps.

The color combination is Pumpkin Pie, Basic Black and Very Vanilla. And my inspiration came from the Freshly Made Sketch this week by the very talented Cindy Hall, such a great versatile sketch.

Bite me is not a term I would ever use yet with the spiders and their webs it worked. A nephew in high school will love this.

And here is the inside...

I think this card turned out fun. I would love to hear your thoughts. 

Michelle

 

Wedding Card and Gift

I created a wedding card and coordinating pillow box for an associate at my office who was getting married. I created a monotone gold card using Gold Foil sheets and retired DSP Gold Soiree. 

The card was embellished with Gold Satin Ribbon and a flower created with the Pansy punch and the Petite Petals Punch. 

The sentiment and flower were heat embossed in Gold. The flower is from the retired stamp set called Bordering Blooms. This was the first Stampin' Up! stamp set I ever purchased.  I still love it and cannot part with it.

 

The pillow box contained a photo of a customized ornament from Paloma's Nest I ordered for the couple. I love this as a wedding gift. You can check it out here. I always add the gold leaf to the ornament. They are just stunning.

I have one more piece of news. Next week October 19 - Oct 23 Stampin' Up! is offering 15% off on ALL stamp sets* from the Annual and Holiday catalog. So if there are stamp sets you have been eyeing then I think next week is your week to hit that "Add to my cart" button! Remember you can shop 24/7 at the StampinMojo store by just clicking here. 

Thanks for stopping by!

Michelle

Bordering Blooms for Pals Paper Arts

This week's Pals Paper Arts challenge is a sketch. It is so simple, it was difficult! 

I really wanted to be true to the sketch, here is the sketch...

Clean and simple with an escape from all the fall colors I have been using lately. The Bordering Blooms is one of my favorite border stamps from last year's annual catalog. I was so glad to see it carried over.

My color combination is Cucumber Crush and Hello Honey. The card does not need much instruction. The flower was punched out with my retired 3/8" circle punch. The circles from the owl punch might work as well.

The sweet sentiment is from the Six-Sided Sampler stamp set.  Wouldn't this just make you smile if this arrived in your mailbox?

Don't miss out on all the great projects from the design team over at the Pals Paper Arts Challenge.

Thanks for stopping by!

Michelle

Products used for my project:

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Treats for the Pals Blog Hop

Welcome to the Pals Blog Hop for October where we are celebrating an early Fall season by sharing Halloween and Autumn projects using our wonderful Stampin’ Up! supplies.  We hope you enjoy our creations!

You may just be starting the blog hop or may have come from Sherrie Gross at Stampin' Sunshine, number 9 on the Pals Hop.  If you get off track at any time, the full lineup below will help you move along from blog to blog so you see all the projects.

For those who follow me regularly, you know I have two sons in college. I love sending them care packages. Our younger son loves homemade Chex mix so I whipped up a batch over the weekend and decorated the container. Of course he needs a card to go with the package.

 

The container was fun and easy to decorate. Two 2" bands of DSP wrap around the container. The Spider Web Doilies were the perfect backdrop for my skull and cross bones. Definitely spooky enough for a coed. The sentiment is from the Tags 4 You stamp set*.  A piece of retired Stampin' Up Chevron Ribbon added a splash of color. 

*Note: I did not realize this was a retired stamp set until typing tis post as I was confusing it with the Tag Talk stamp set that is current. You can easily substitute the Trick or Treat from the A Little Something stamp set..

I just love the Happy Haunting DSP. These little ghosts are just screaming out to me. Of course the card included a little fast cash for a movie or a burger out.

The next stop is Tricia Chuba at ButterDish Designs, number 11 on the Pals Blog Hop!  Thanks for visiting; I hope to see you on next month’s Pals Hop!

Michelle 

 

Blog Hop List

1. Wendy Klein at Doggone Delightful Stampin'

2. Peggy Noe at Prettypapercards

3. Nicole Watt at Pixel Maven's Retreat

4. Pamela Sadler at Stampin Pink Rose

5. Sue Becker at RnR Stamping

6. Karen Hallam at Karen's Stampin' Habit!

7. Dawn Tidd at Tiddbits from Dawn

8. Beth McCullough at Stamping Mom

9. Sherrie Gross at Stampin' Sunshine

10. Michelle Gleeson at StampinMojo

11. Tricia Chuba at ButterDish Designs

12. Debbie Mageed at Secret Stamper

13. Ronna Butt at www.cardstockcastle.com

14. Jane Knudsen at see jane stamp

15. Susan Itell at Simple Stampin

16. Mary Fish at Stampin' Pretty

17. Jennifer Michalski at Stamping Serenity

18. Kim Jolley at Stampin' Artfully

19. Becky Volpp at Inkblossomwithbecky

20. Lynn Kolcun at Stamping with Avery's Owlery

21. Maggie Mata at Maggie Made Cards

22. Jackie Diediker at Stampin' Jackie

23. Rae Harper at Wild West Paper Arts

 

 

You've Got This for PPA 271

 It's Thursday and that means it is time for another Pals Paper Arts Challenge. This week we have a color challenge and here is the color palette.

A clean and simple card this week using three different stamp sets.

The border was created using a stamp from the Tin of Cards Photopolymer Stamp set. The photopolymer stamps make it easy to line them up to create the border.

The flower is from the You've Got This stamp set. It was stamped twice and the cut out.

The sentiment is from the All Boxed Up stamp set.

The Old Olive thin border frame provides the color balance the card needed.

I hope you will pop over to the Pals Paper Arts and see what the design team members did with the color palette. We would love to see you play along.

Thanks for stopping by.

Michelle  

 

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Awesomely Artistic

On Thursday I told you my first project for the Pals Paper Arts Color Challenge was a card. Here is a quick look at that card.

I ordered the Awesomely Artistic Stamp Set during the demonstrators pre-order period and had yet to use it. I thought the color palette was perfect for this set. 

To color the floral stamp I outlined the flowers using my Blackberry Bliss Stampin' Write Marker and then used a Blender Pen to fill in the rest of the flower. The leaves are colored with the Always Artichoke Stampin' Write Marker. The centers of the flowers are adorned with SU Pearl Basic Jewels.

 The dragonfly was stamped with Sahara Sand and then cut out. I brushed Wink of Stella over the dragonfly for a little sparkle.

 The base of the card is Sahara Sand. A piece of Blackberry Bliss card stock frames the focal point. A simple card with a dramatic look.

I am in Atlanta for World Card Making Day (WCMD) with many other Pals. On Monday I will share with you my swap card for this event.

Did you play along with the Pals Paper Arts Color Challenge yet? We would love to see what you do with these beautiful rich colors.

Michelle 

 

Products used to create this card:

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Thankful Table Favor

This week's Pals Paper Arts Color Challenge provides us with big rich colors.  I made a card for this week's Pals Paper Arts Challenge however I really wanted to be more creative.  (Stop back on Saturday to see the card I made.)

So I created a table favor for Thanksgiving. Wouldn't these be pretty on your Thanksgiving table?

I started with the Fry Box Bigz die and cut it out in Sahara Sand card stock. Then I  took a 1 1/2" piece of Bohemian DSP to wrap around the Fry Box. I realized that Always Artichoke is the only color card stock I don't have. I did find a small scrap piece of Always Artichoke card stock and stamped one of the Vintage Leaves. I sprinkled it with Clear Stampin' Emboss Powder and heated it to add a little glossy shine to the image. I then stamped two more leaves onto Sahara Sand card stock and followed with clear embossing of the images as well. 

The bottom leaf is adhered with Fast Fuse and the other two leaves are popped up on dimensionals. 

The finishing touch is a piece of Sahara Sand 7/8" Lace Trim.

I love this sentiment from the hostess set Six Sayings. It is the reason I purchased the stamp set. I hand cut out the sentiment and added it to the back of the fry box.

I cut up some retired Always Artichoke DSP using my Fringe Scissors as "stuffing" for the bottom of the fry box. This gave the perfect support for my Hershey Nuggets.

I hope you enjoyed the departure from a traditional card this week. Please visit www.PalsPaperArts.com to see what the other designers have created and play along yourself!

Thanks for stopping by.

Michelle

Products used for this project:

Built for Free Using: My Stampin Blog

 

<script

Lighthearted Leaves Birthday

My hairdresser was celebrating her 30th birthday so I created this simple yet elegant birthday card. I did not put a sentiment on the card because I thought it looked so pretty with the simple gold and white palette. 

I started with SU Whisper White note cards and envelope. I then took a piece of Whisper White thick card stock and added a piece of Winter Wonderland Designer Washi Tape. Then I stamped the leaf in Versamark and using Gold Stampin' Emboss powder and my heat gun brought the leaf to life. The Leaflets Framelit Die helped me get the perfect cut of the leaf.

Stampin' Dimensionals allow the leaf to float on the card. A small Gold Metal Button and Gold Cording Trim are the finishing touches.

 Thanks for stopping by! I hope I inspired you to create today.

Michelle

Products used creating this project:

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Pals Paper Arts Sketch Challenge #269

This is a very creative interpretation of this weeks PPA Sketch Challenge. Here is the sketch:

The first thing I did was flip the sketch on its side so that it was horizontal. I was envisioning a forest of Christmas Trees at the top of a hill.

Creating my night sky...

I used my Hearts & Stars Decorative Mask to create the stars in the night sky. I used a Versamark pen (non-SU) and White embossing powder. Even thought I used my Embossing Buddy I still did get some flecks of white on the Night of Navy card stock. I love heat embossing however the stars did not turn out as crisp as I wanted them to be. SO I took my Itty Bitty Accents Star Punch and punched out a few stars with my Dazzling Diamonds Glimmer Paper and simply glued them over the embossed stars. I left a few of the embossed stars so you could see how the tips were not as sharp as I wanted them.

Creating the Snowy Hill top...

I used the largest Oval Framelit which is scalloped and cut it out of the Natural White card stock. I cut the oval in half and then frayed it with my distressing tool. Using Fast Fuse I adhered the base of the oval to the Night of Navy piece. This ensured I would get the perfect placement for my trees behind the hill. I glued those trees down. Then lifting the top of the oval I placed small slits in the card stock for the tree trunk to slide into so the tree looked like it was coming out of the snowy hill top. The tops of the trees were adhered with Stampin' Dimensionals.

The sentiment is from the Winter Wishes Stamp Set.

While this is not a crisp pristine card I am tickled with how I interpreted the sketch. This pushed my creativity.

I would love to see what you would do with this sketch! Send me a photo of your card.

Michelle

Products used to create this card:

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World of Thanks

When I saw this stamp in the annual catalog I knew I had to have it. It is a single stamp and it comes in both Wood and Clear mount. 

I love the pairing of Delightful Dijon and Basic Black. I created this thank for a colleague that was leaving our organization. I wanted to express my thanks for the effort she put forth and also wish her well in her new role. While the font is whimsical, the color combination gives it that rich professional look I was striving for. 

The Basic Black Stitched Satin Ribbon is stunning. It is like that little black dress in your closet!

The best wishes sentiment is a Paper Pumpkin stamp. This month Stampin' Up! is donating $2 for every new Paper Pumpkin subscriber and $1 for every existing subscriber as they prepare for Breast Cancer month in October. Just click here for more information.

Thanks for stopping by! 

Michelle

Products used to create this project:

Built for Free Using: My Stampin Blog

 

The Bond of Friendship

   

Happy Friday! I wanted to send my BFF of 40 years, yes you read that right,  a card to inspire her. She is going through some pretty tough stuff right now. We have been each other's shoulder to lean on throughout our lives. I feel this card really sums up the support we give each other. I used two card challenges as my inspiration.

The colors came from The Paper Players; love these colors.

And the layout came from the new Global Design Project challenge.

I used a 5 x5 base of Kraft card stock.  The sentiment is from the Feels Good stamp set. Then cut it out using my Circle Framelits. I layered it with some retired Lost Lagoon patterned DSP. The So Saffron card stock was embossed using the Elegant Dots Textured Embossing Folder. I piece of retired Tangelo Twist Satin ribbon (available on the Clearance Rack!) provided the stripe on the So Saffron layer. The heart was stamped from the Hello Life stamp set and then fussy cut out.

A clean and simple card. The colors make it come alive.

Thanks for stopping by!

Michelle

Products used for this project:

Built for Free Using: My Stampin Blog

 

   

Birthday Balloons for PPA 268

This week's Pals Paper Arts Challenge Sketch was a challenge for me. Every idea I had left me wondering if it would work. So I went pretty basic this week.

Here is the sketch:

My goddaughter has a birthday coming up. She will turn 18 and is a senior in high school. This is a big year for her. Her school colors are red and white so I thought the new red foil sheets as a balloon would make the images pop. I was right. 

The sentiment is from the Cottage Greetings stamp set. I dotted the "i" with a red Rhinestone (non-Stampin' Up) for a bit of added bling.

I used the Balloon Framelits for the balloons. The tails are Smokey Slate Baker's Twine that I pulled apart and adhered with a glue dot. Then I added a bow over the frayed twine.

The background DSP is from the Go Wild DSP Stack in the annual catalog. This paper stack is filled with fun designs.

I would love to see what you create with this sketch. Just upload your card to the Pals Paper Arts site.

Thanks for stopping by!

Michelle

 

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Happy Haunting for TGIF Challenge

I just got the Cheer All Year stamp set this week and I could not wait to ink it up. So when I saw this week's TGIF Challenge I know just want I wanted to create and submit for the challenge.

Check out the sketch:

The doily I used is the center of the new Spider Web Doilies. You get 24 for only $4.50! The DSP is the new Happy Haunting DSP. Many of the patterns, such as the one I selected, can easily be used beyond Halloween. 

The spider and sentiment are from the Cheer All Year stamp set. I stamped the spider in Versamark and heat embossed him in Black Emboss Powder. Then I fussy cut him out. I did this twice and glued the spiders together to give him more weight. Then I covered him in Crystal Effects to make him standout even more.

He is sitting on a half of a Stampin' Dimensional. 

I had a lot of fun with this challenge. I follow many of the Design Team members for this challenge so I am excited to submit my card.

Thanks for stopping by. Remember you can shop any time by clicking here or on any of the items listed below in the product listing.

Michelle

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Built for Free Using: My Stampin Blog

 

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Garden in Bloom for PPA 267

I love how this turned out. I was inspired by a card created by one of the talented Stampin' Up! Artisan Design Team members Kaitlyn Zumbach. You can see her card here. 

I used the colors for this week's Pals Paper Arts Color Challenge. 

I was not certain how I would like the colors together. I think they went together beautifully.

I used watercolor paper and stamped the solid images for the flowers and the leaves. Then I spritzed it with water and allowed the color to bleed. Because I wanted to keep moving I blotted it with a paper towel and then using my heat gun fully dried the paper. 

Then I stamped the outline images of the flowers and leaves. The card came alive when I did that.

I finished it off with an image and sentiment from the Awesomely Artistic stamp set. It was cut out using a framelit from the Project Life Cards & Labels Framelits.

Have you tried this technique before? I would love to hear from you! Don't forget to stop over at the Pals Paper Arts site and see what the design team members did with these fun colors.

Michelle

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Built for Free Using: My Stampin Blog

 

 

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A PPA 266 Extra!

I enjoyed using the PPA color palette so much that I wanted to create a thank you card for a business associate with these colors. So I am considering this my PPA Extra or bonus card for this challenge.

 

Again I chose a 5 x 5 square card. The DSP used is retired from the 2014 holiday catalog. The leaves from from the Lighthearted Leaves stamp set. The sentiment is from Another Thank you. 

The Delightful Dijon leaf is stamped on the Very Vanilla panel. The Old Olive and Cajun Craze leaves were cut out using the Leaflets Framelits. The Old Olive leaf is popped up on one set of Stampin' Dimensionals while the Cajun Craze leaf is sitting on two Stampin' Dimensionals stacked on top of each other. This gives the depth I was looking for.

A little piece of Gold Baker's Twine offers the finishing touch.

I was about to mail this card out when I realized I forgot to photograph the card. So I quickly grabbed a couple of quick photos in my office. I am chuckling that the colors came through perfect under the flouresent lighting when I often struggle to get it right at home. Perhaps all my cards should photographed in my office!

 Which card do you like better? This card or the one from Thursday, click here to see it again. I would love to hear your thoughts!

Michelle

Here are the products used for my project. Note: the Color Me Autumn DSP is retired and no longer available through Stampin' Up!

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Autumn Favorites for PPA 266

There are some colors that just speak Autumn. The color palette this week for the Pals Paper Arts Color Challenge are truly Autumn colors, in my opinion.

So I went with the Autumn feel ...

I used the new Woodland Textured Impressions Embossing Folder to create the background for the card. Using a sponge dauber, Soft Suede ink, and a light touch I added texture to the tree bark.

The sentiment is from the new Lighthearted Leaves Stamp set. I used Black Emboss Powder to make this a rich and shinny statement. (The photo did not capture the shinny texture but it is very pretty on the Delightful Dijon.)

I used a bit of jute left over from a recent Paper Pumpkin kit and ran it through a Gold Metal Button. I love how these kits give you enough supplies for additional projects.

The leaf is from the Vintage Leaves and coordinating Leaflets Framelits.

I love adding an elements to the inside of my card as well. There is still plenty of room to send my personal note.

I hope you will play along with the Pals this week. We have two new talented design team members on our team, Lynn Hoyt and Shawn de Oliviera, both very talented designers. So please check out what the other design team members created with this beautiful color palette at the Pals Paper Arts Challenge.

Michelle
 

Here are the SU products used to create my project:

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Wildflower Adventure

Wow it feels like forever since I posted. I have missed you. Today I want to share a card I made for a colleague leaving our organization for a new professional direction. While I am always saddened when someone leaves I also want what is best for them. Life is a tapestry of experiences and connections with others, that is what makes it so wonderful.

 

A clean and simple card. The colors are Wisteria Wonder and Pear Pizzazz. The sentiment as well as the wildflowers are part of the Wild About Flowers Photopolymer stamp set. This is a two-step set where you can stamp the stems and then the flower heads. I Love to have that ability and photopolymer makes it even easier to do.

Here is the inside of the card...

These flowers remind me of a field of flowers while we were in Alaska. These "flowers" are the ghosts of last years flowers. I think they are beautiful and amazing.

 

Thanks for stopping by. Remember the Holiday Catalog goes live on Tuesday September 1st! 

If I can answer any questions about the catalog or any other Stampin' Up! products  please just email me.

Michelle

 

Here are the products used to create this card. Click on any item to begin shopping at my 24/7 online store.

 

Built for Free Using: My Stampin Blog

 

Vintage Leaves

Oh, I so love Fall.  This is the time of year that I get so homesick for Chicago. While it remains very warm and muggy here in Southwest Florida I can use my stamps and ink to dream of cooler temperatures and days when I would kick through the leaves.

This week we have a fun sketch over at the Pals Paper Arts Challenge:

 

I chose to interpret this sketch rather than follow it straight up. The leaves were stamped in Versamark and then heat embossed with Gold Stampin' Emboss Powder. I was inspired by my friend and fellow pal Deb Simonis to use the gold embossing powder. I love the result. 

I did not add a sentiment to the card front as I thought it could become whatever I need it for on the fly in the future. A small banner across one of the top corners will do the trick.

I did embellish the inside of the card. The sentiment is from Lighthearted Leaves stamp set available on September 1st from the Holiday Catalog. The leaves in this set also coordinate with the Leaflets Framelits Dies used here with the Vintage Leaves stamp set. I LOVE when more than one stamp set goes with a set of dies or punches!

I hope you will play with the Pals this week. Check out what the other talented design team members have created here.

Michelle

Products used to create my project:

Built for Free Using: My Stampin Blog

 

 

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Get Well Single Stamp

We have many stamp sets to say thank you, happy birthday, and thinking of you. But there are not a lot of stamp sets to wish someone a speedy recovery. So when I saw this adorable single stamp in the Annual Catalog I knew it would find its way to my stamp shelf.

The stamp looks like this:

Here is what I did to step it up.

I started with a Crumb Cake Note Card. Then I stamped the image in Versamark Ink onto another piece of Crumb Cake card stock. I added Black Embossing Powder and heat set the image. (Don't forget to use your stamping' buddy on the card stock before you ink it up. This keeps stray flecks of embossing powder from sticking where you don't want it.)

Next I followed the same procedure on a piece of DSP. I used a piece from the retired Adventure Bound DSP paper stack. I thought this was a great use of retired DSP. Then using my Paper Snips I fussy cut the bowl out. The embossing makes it easy peasy to snip out.

I glued the bowl onto the Crumb Cake card stock over the stamped image carefully aligning it with image on the card.

Then I repeated the process one more time on a scrap piece of So Saffron card stock. This time I cut out the "soup" only and glued it onto the DSP bowl. Again I carefully aligned the snipped piece with the other elements of the image.

The result is one unified image.

I hope this cheered up a colleague who is recovering from some surgery.

Thanks for stopping by! 

Michelle

 SU products used for the card:

Built for Free Using: My Stampin Blog

 

 

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One Stamp used Two Ways

In Stampin' Up!'s Annual Catalog there are many stamp sets that were created for coloring. If you are not familiar with watercoloring or using the blender pens then these stamp sets can be intimidating or even overlooked. Today I want to show you another way to use one of these stamp sets.

I used a retired stamp set called People Like You. The flower in that stamp set is very similar to the flower in the Remarkable You set in the current catalog. This stamp set remains on my wish list. 

To create this card I used my Stampin' Write Markers (Watermelon Wonder and Cucumber Crush) to stamp the flower. I stamped the image again with the the sentiment inked in black and then punched it out with the Decorative Label Punch. 

Due to the delicate nature of the image I only added a small border layer. This ensured it did not over power the image.

For this card I stamped the image a few times.

1. Following the steps above I stamped the flower on the Whisper White card stock.
2. Then I inked the stamp up with Watercolor Wonder and stamped it onto Watercolor Wonder card stock. Then I fussy cut the flowers out and placed them over the stamped image using the Mono glue.
3. Then I inked the stamp up in Black Memento Ink and stamped it one last time and punched out the sentiment as I did in the first card. The sentiment is added with Stampin' Dimensionals.

Because the flower was now bold and bright I needed to balance it with a larger border. It is such a striking card.

I am pleased with both cards and I never had to watercolor!

I hope I inspired you to take a second look at some of the beautiful stamps like Remarkable You in the catalog.

Thanks for stopping by. 

Michelle

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

SU products used or substituted to create these cards:

Built for Free Using: My Stampin Blog

 

 

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Stars and Sparkles for the Pals Paper Arts

On Tuesday I placed my demonstrator Holiday Catalog pre-order and am so excited to begin showing you all the amazing new products for the Fall and Holiday season. This catalog is FABULOUS! Lots of bundles (stamps with coordinating punches or stamps with coordinating framelits). Beautiful papers, ribbon and embellishments. 

When I saw the Pals Paper Arts Colors this week I was thinking ice, snowflakes, glitter... and it led to this card. 

I struggled getting good photographs and ended up outside to get the coloring right. The Tip Top Taupe was photographing too dark and it did not look as pretty as it is in person.

I was not able to go to the Stampin' Up! Annual Convention this year but I have been able to enjoy much of what was presented through the wonders of video streaming. I am one of these geeks that loves technology. During one of the stamping demonstrations they used a sponge dauber to add White Craft Ink to the stars on an embossed piece of card stock. So I gave that I try on this card and then stepped it up by sprinkling Dazzling Diamonds over the fresh ink and then brushing it off with a small paint brush. The result looks like twinkling stars.

The star wreath was created by first cutting out a ring from Pool Party card stock. This was created by nesting two circles from the Circles Collection Framelits. The stars were cut and punched using the star from the Ittly Bitty Accents Punches, Star Framelits (smallest) and the Star from the Circle Card Framelit. The first layer of stars was glued onto the ring and then I added Stampin' Dimensionals to the next layer. The Wreath includes, Pool Party, Mint Macaron and Dazzling Diamonds Glimmer card stock.

The finishing touch? Silver Metallic Baker's Twine! The Joy comes from the Retired Snowflake Card Framelit which is available through the SU Clearance Rack. I love all the accessories with this framelit set.

We are in the midst of the dog days of summer here in Florida so it was fun to think about cooler days ahead with this twinkling winter stars card. I do hope you will play along with the Pals this week.

Thanks for stopping by!

Michelle

Products used to create this project:

Built for Free Using: My Stampin Blog

 

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Patina Technique

This technique is not new but it is new to me. I saw it on Pinterest and had to try it. I used a few retired Stampin' Up! items and will give you alternative items from the current product line.

To create the patina look I started with a piece of Very Vanilla card stock. Then using my brayer I rolled Crumb Cake Ink onto my retired Vintage Wallpaper Textured Emboss Folder (Substitute: Elegant Dots).  I brayered the side with the SU logo on it. Then I ran it through my Big Shot. Using my heat gun I set the ink on the paper.

Then using a wedge of Stamping Sponge and a circular motion I added Marina Mist and Always Artichoke ink all over the card. Then I sponged a little Early Espresso. 

Next I took my Versamark Ink Pad and lightly tapped the ink pad on the raised portions of the card stock. I then sprinkled Gold Embossing powder and tapped off any excess. Using my Heat Gun I watched the magic of embossing powder bring the card to the beautiful patina finish.

I think this looks so pretty. The card stock was then layered onto Crumb Cake and Early Espresso card stock. 

The sentiment is from the retired hostess set called Hello There. (Substitute: One Big Meaning stamp set and use the beautiful script Thank You stamp.) I layered my sentiment on Mossy Meadow.

This card is on its way to Canada. We have gotten to know a wonderful couple who live in Vancouver BC. When John and I were heading out for the first leg of our Alaskan trip we met up for a quick visit. I wanted to send my gratitude for the time spent together. It was a whirlwind but so wonderful to be together.

I hope you enjoyed learning or remembering this technique. Let me know what you think, your comments mean a lot to me.

Michelle

Stampin' Up! supplies used and available through StampinMojo:

Built for Free Using: My Stampin Blog

 

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Last month the Supreme Court affirmed the right of same-sex couples to marry in all 50 states. Since that historic ruling I have witnessed family and friends legally wed. John's first cousin finally married his partner of 48 years! I think that is amazing and I am thrilled for them. So I created this card to acknowledge their wedding day.

The base is Whisper White Thick card stock. Then I added a layer of Silver Foil card stock. The heart, from the retired Stamping' Up! stamp set called You Are Loved, is heat embossed in Silver onto a layer of Whisper White. (You can see the embossing in the photo below) The sentiment is a non-Stampin' Up die purchased at a big box craft store some time ago cut from Stampin' Up! Silver Foil card stock. The finishing touch is Whisper White Organza Ribbon.

And this is the inside of the card where I repeated the Silver Foil card stock as a layer to the card. The sentiment is from the Big News (one of my favorite) stamp set.

Thanks for stopping by. I hope you are having a great week.

Michelle

Here are many of the supplies used in my card:

Built for Free Using: My Stampin Blog

 

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