StampinMojo: Masculine

Masculine

November 05, 2015

One Big Meaning

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!

Built for Free Using: My Stampin Blog

Nov 5, 2015 5:00:00 AM | Card making, Masculine, PPA Color Challenges, Thank you

October 28, 2015

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

Oct 28, 2015 6:04:26 PM | Birthday, Card making, Masculine

October 25, 2015

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

Oct 25, 2015 10:27:51 AM | Card making, Masculine, Sympathy

October 23, 2015

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.

Built for Free Using: My Stampin Blog

Oct 23, 2015 5:00:00 AM | Card making, Friendship, Masculine, Thinking of You

October 14, 2015

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

Oct 14, 2015 5:30:00 AM | 3D projects, Blog Hops, Card making, Gift Ideas, Halloween, Masculine

September 13, 2015

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

Products used for this project:

Built for Free Using: My Stampin Blog

Sep 13, 2015 8:53:17 AM | Card making, Challenge entries, Halloween, Masculine, New Arrivals

September 05, 2015

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!

Built for Free Using: My Stampin Blog

Sep 5, 2015 5:00:00 AM | Birthday, Card making, Masculine, PPA Color Challenges, Thank you

September 03, 2015

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:

Built for Free Using: My Stampin Blog

Sep 3, 2015 5:00:00 AM | Card making, Masculine, New Arrivals, Paper Pumpkin, PPA Color Challenges, Thinking of You

August 20, 2015

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

Aug 20, 2015 5:00:00 AM | Card making, Friendship, Masculine, PPA Sketch Challenges, Thanksgiving, Thinking of You

August 14, 2015

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

Aug 14, 2015 5:00:00 AM | Card making, Friendship, Masculine, Thinking of You

August 12, 2015

Too Cool for School Pals August Blog Hop

Welcome to the Pals Blog Hop for August. This month we are showing off our favorite crafting tools – those Stampin’ Up! tools that we just can’t live without. We hope you enjoy our projects.

You may just be starting the blog hop or may have come from Amy at Amy's Inklings, number eight (8) 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.

I can't help myself but want to create something to celebrate the start of school. I absolutely LOVE the Fall and the start of school. It seems to symbolize a fresh start, a new opportunity.

One of my favorite movies (because I am a die hard romantic) is You've Got Mail. I love the beginning of the movie when Tom Hanks (Joe) says, Don't you love New York in the fall? It makes me want to buy school supplies. I would send you a bouquet of newly-sharpened pencils… I know I am weird but I have always loved going school supply shopping as a girl and then as a mom. So this scene always made me smile. A bouquet of newly sharpened pencils would really make my day.

Today a new Stampin' Up! catalog brings on the same excitement. New Designer Series Paper, new tools, new stamp sets.

In a few weeks the Holiday Catalog will launch and you will enjoy each and every page. My favorite tools are coordinating punches or thinlets/framelits to go with a stamp set. Due to my perfectionistic tendencies I am never happy with my own fussy cutting so the punches and dies are my best friend.

My card showcases the Schoolhouse DSP, and a new stamp set available on September 1st called Project Life Seasonal Snapshot 2015. Even if you are not a scrapbooker or Project Lifer this stamp is perfect for many Fall holidays.

The apple was created with the Curvy Keepsake Die and the Vintage Leaves/Leaflets Framelits Bundle in the annual catalog. A touch of Mossy Meadow ribbon is the finishing touch. Pssst, there is another stamp set to coordinate with the Leaflets Framelits Dies in the Holiday Catalog.

The next stop is Candy Ford at Stamp Candy, number ten (10) on the Pals Blog Hop! Thanks for visiting; I hope to see you on next month’s Pals Hop!

Through the encouragement of another stamper I am submitting this to the Retro Rubber Challenge this week. Check it out here.

Michelle

Blog Hop Line-up:

Aug 12, 2015 5:30:00 AM | Blog Hops, Masculine

July 29, 2015

Love Wins

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

Jul 29, 2015 5:00:00 AM | Card making, Congratulations, Masculine, Wedding

July 25, 2015

Rising Stars

I created this card for this week's Pals Paper Arts Challenge. Here is the sketch:

The possibilities are endless with this great sketch. It is a keeper for inspiration when I need it!

My card earlier this week used the same stamp set - Be the Star. I have been surprised that this stamp set has not been more popular. It is one of my favorites. And this week the Star Framelit Collection is on sale through the Weekly Deals.

I used deep rich colors - Blackberry Bliss and Delightful Dijon. I think they compliment each other very nicely and result in a great masculine card. I am going to send this one off to my best friend's son who will be starting his Freshman year of high school.

It is difficult to photograph the dimension in this card.

The Very Vanilla, Delightful Dijon framed layer is mounted on Stamping' Dimensionals.
The largest star is mounted directly on the Very Vanilla background.
The middle star is mounted on Stampin' Dimensionals.
The smallest star is mounted on two Stamping' Dimensionals to create the feeling of rising stars.

Let's talk about the sentiment. Sometimes I get so excited as a card is coming together that I begin adhering all the elements. That is what I did with this card. Then I said, it needs a sentiment. I tried to stamp the sentiment directly on the Very Vanilla but it was not crisp and I got an extra bit of ink next to the sentiment. UGH. So I simply stamped the sentiment on another piece of Very Vanilla, punched it out with my Circle Punch. It needed a frame to stand out so I punched out a Blackberry Bliss circle. Viola! my mistake turned into the perfect finishing touch.

I love how creatively helps us turn mistakes into beautiful results. Imagine the possibilities in real life!

So be the Star YOU Are and get creative today. Play along with the Pals Paper Arts Challenge.

Michelle

Supplies used for today's card and available through StampinMojo's Online Store:

Built for Free Using: My Stampin Blog

Jul 25, 2015 10:39:57 AM | Card making, Celebrations, Friendship, Masculine, PPA Sketch Challenges, Thinking of You

July 23, 2015

Celebrate You!

I am excited to share this card with you today. It is a fun shaker card to celebrate someone special. There are several dear friends and family members who have birthday's in July. My cousin and my dad share a birthday (July 3rd) and my dad's brother's birthday is July 4th. Growing up we would all gather and celebrate their birthdays together. The cakes would have sparklers for candles leaving the top of the cake filled with dark ashes. We didn't care, we were kids and it was so cool.

I created this card for my dear uncle. He is one of the most spirited, fun and loving individuals I have ever known. Although he his younger than my dad he has taken on the patriarchal role for the family that continues to bind us all together. So I wanted his card to be extra special.

Onto the card...

This card was inspired by Joanne James an amazing crafter. The confetti was created using the stars border punch. I punched real red, night of navy and glimmer paper. You can see I was not shy with the confetti. Oh it looked so good.

The stamps come from Be The Star. And the Star Framelits made cutting them out a cinch. (This week the Star Framelits are only $20.25 as part of the Weekly Deals. Click Here to see ALL the weekly deals.) They are great for the holidays!

My Square Framelits helped create the square opening in the Night of Navy card base. Then using tow Square Framelits I created the outer frame in Real Red. A piece of window sheet created the shaker window.

The sentiment is from Birthday Blossoms in the annual catalog and was stamped in Night of Navy on Whisper White card stock. Tthen using the outside edges of my Stamping Dimensions I created the box to hold the confetti. (I realize now I should have taken photos as I created this for you.) I added the confetti then overlaid the window onto the Stamping Dimensional "box"holding the confetti.

I hope you can see the Star embossing on the outside of the envelope flap. Another finishing touch before it went in the mail.

Thanks for stopping by

Michelle

Built for Free Using: My Stampin Blog

Jul 23, 2015 4:52:31 AM | 3D projects, Birthday, Card making, Celebrations, Masculine

June 25, 2015

I Think You're Great

It is Thursday and that means we have another PPA Challenge. This week is a Sketch Challenge.

This challenge is a little different and rather than fuss and rack my brain I simply went with the sketch and had some fun. There was no grand plan. I grabbed a couple of colors (Pacific Point and Cucumber Crush) I don't normally use, my Circle Collection Framelits and a new stamp set.

I used the I Think You're Great Stamp Set. The flower/splash stamp is actually a rectangle so I centered the circle framelit on the stamped image and cut what I wanted. Then I cut another circle from a piece of Brushed Silver card stock.

The sentiment is a negative imagine which means the lettering is the color of the card stock - Whisper White. I did not realize at first that this stamp is not a perfect circle. I cut it out with a circle framelit and then using my Pacific Point Marker I filled in where any white space showed up. You can't stop this type A from getting the perfect circle!

I cut the banner strip and then ran it through my Big Shot with the Boho Chic Textured Emboss Folder. A few Large Rhinestones add some bling and pizazz.

Fun and simple card by just letting go and having some fun.

I hope you will play along with the Pals this week. I can't wait to see what you do with this sketch.

Michelle

Stampin' Up! Products Used to create this project:

Built for Free Using: My Stampin Blog

Jun 25, 2015 5:00:00 AM | Card making, Celebrations, Friendship, Masculine, PPA Sketch Challenges, Thinking of You

June 10, 2015

Something New for the Pals June Blog Hop

Welcome to the Pals Blog Hop for June. This month we are excited to show off new Stampin' Up! products from the just released 2015 - 2016 annual catalog. We hope you find great inspiration from the projects. Get your wish list ready!

You may just be starting the blog hop or may have come from Pamela Sadler at Stampin Pink Rose, number 23 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.

With Father's Day around the corner I created a little something for my dad using the new Gift Bag Punch Board. This punch board is amazing as it even punches holes through the top of the bag for you to thread your ribbon through. I have already seen variations created with a fold over flap to close the bag. Super cute no matter how you finish off the bag.

I used Very Vanilla card stock and my Dots & Stripes Decorative Masks. Using a Sponge Dauber and the NEW In-Color Delightful Dijon, I quickly and easily created my own unique DSP for my gift bag.

Then I created my tag using Night of Navy and Very Vanilla card stock and my Circle Framelits. The sentiment was stamped in Cajun Craze using stamps from the May Paper Pumpkin kit. (If you haven't yet jumped on the Paper Pumpkin train you are missing out!) Then it was tied on with the Metallic Baker's twine and hung from the new 1" Dotted Lace Trim Ribbon in Delightful Dijon threaded through the top of the gift bag.

The coordinating gift card is 4" square and embossed with the Large Polka Dot Textured Impressions embossing folder. A 2 3/4" square of Bohemian DSP layered with a square of Night of Navy and Very Vanilla card stock finish the card. The sentiment stamped in Cajun Craze is from the recently retired stamp set Hooray It's Your Day.

I am sure my dad will enjoy receiving this.

The next stop is the very talented Amy Whelan at Amy's Inklings, number 25 on the Pals Blog Hop! Thanks for visiting; I hope to see you on next month’s Pals Hop!

Michelle

The full Pals Blog Hop Line Up:

Products used to create my projects: (Click on any item to begin shopping!)

Built for Free Using: My Stampin Blog

Jun 10, 2015 5:30:00 AM | Blog Hops, Card making, Gift Ideas, Masculine, New Arrivals

May 28, 2015

What's Up? Bohemian Style

I had some fun over the weekend playing with several of my new stamp sets and designer series papers (DSP). This is called Bohemian DSP and it is exploding with color. Every sheet is better than the next.

Here is the Pals Paper Arts Sketch Challenge this week:

I really had fun creating with this sketch. The Bohemian DSP was my focal point and made this sketch come alive.

To create the angular bottom I placed the top part of the largest banner framelit on an angle until I could see the angle I wanted and then ran it through the BigShot. I hand cut the left side corner off to get the second angle.

This is a great masculine DSP so I created this card to send to one of our sons. Let's look at the inside.

I added the new coordinating Bohemain Washi Tape on the inside of the card. The smile is from a framelit I purchased at Hobby Lobby a while ago.

While there is a lot going on with the colors and patterns I really like how this turned out.

I would love to get your comments. I am counting down the days for the launch of the new catalog. I are you as excited as I am? I hope this sneak peek got you more excited!

Thanks for stopping by!

Michelle

Stampin' Up products used to create my project:

Built for Free Using: My Stampin Blog

May 28, 2015 5:00:00 AM | Card making, Friendship, Masculine, PPA Sketch Challenges, Thinking of You

May 24, 2015

A Patriotic Thank You

As we enjoy this long holiday weekend, I want to remember the soldiers that made the ultimate sacrifice for the freedom we often take for granted. I created this card to say thanks for the sacrifice and bravery of these lost men and women.

The base of the card is Night of Navy and the DSP is Maritime, retiring on June 2nd. The focal point was created with a framelit from the Apothecary Framelits that are also about to retire on June 2nd. The sentiment is from Technique Tuesday. I rarely purchase anything outside of Stamping' Up! because no one matches the quality however I liked the font and coordinating framelit. The stars are from the Itty Bitty Punch set and the smallest star from the Star Framelits.

I am submitting this to Freshly Made Sketches.

And here is a close up of the focal point.

I hope you are enjoying your holiday weekend.

Michelle

SU supplies used for today's project:

Built for Free Using: My Stampin Blog

May 24, 2015 10:17:52 AM | Card making, Challenge entries, Masculine, Thank you

May 21, 2015

A Star Studded Congratulations

This week we have a sketch challenge for the Pals Paper Arts. This card came together very quickly for me this week.

The card base is Very Vanilla. Then I added a layer of Basic Black card stock followed by one of the patterns in the NEW Bohemian DSP available on June 2nd. The pattern is Delightful Dijon and Very Vanilla, a classic combination.

The stars were cut using one of the star framelits. The sentiment came from the Bravo! stamp set which is carrying over with the new catty. I love the fonts and sentiments in this set.

I added a bit of pizzazz to the envelope using a star from the Be the Star stamp set.

A quick and easy masculine congratulations card that will be heading to my brother-in-law. After 29 years with the same company he is leaving for a new position. I think that is something to celebrate.

And here's the sketch

I hope you will consider playing along this week. It is a fun sketch to get your creative mojo going.

Thanks for stopping by.

Michelle

Built for Free Using: My Stampin Blog

May 21, 2015 5:00:00 AM | Congratulations, Friendship, Masculine, PPA Sketch Challenges

March 09, 2015

PPA 242 Alternate

As a design team member for Pals Paper Arts I strive to create special cards to inspire the blog followers. There are times I create a card and then decide I must go back to the drawing board. Many times the first card inspires the ultimate result.

With St Patricks Day around the corner I wanted to get this post in to show you my first PPA card design.

Click here for the card I submitted for the PPA challenge. It is the same color palette yet this version feels much more masculine. This design made me step back and say what if the shamrock was simply the focal point and the colors were brought in by the framing and finishing touches. This is why we enjoy creating so much. With a few tweaks the same elements transform into something entirely different.

It is not too late to still play with the pals color challenge this week.

Don't miss the Pals Blog Hop on Wednesday! See you then.

Michelle

All the materials used to create this card are below and can be purchased by clicking on an item and going to StampinMojo's 24/7 online store. Shop Now!

Built for Free Using: My Stampin Blog

Mar 9, 2015 5:00:00 AM | Card making, Celebrations, Easter/Spring, Masculine, PPA Color Challenges

February 21, 2015

February Paper Pumpkin

Last weekend was this crafter's guilty pleasure. I had received an order I had made earlier in the week AND my February Paper Pumpkin. So I had lots of new toys to play with.

The February Paper Pumpkin provides all the goodies for 8 cards. Here is what the project looks like completed.

Isn't that fun? The letters are felt with adhesive backing to easily stick to the heavy weight card stock. There are great geometric shape photopolymer stamps and a terrific sentiment as shown.

Check out this month's video

As you saw the kit also comes with a envelope box and baker's twine to tie the box closed. Super cute.

This would be an adorable thank you for kids to give to a teacher/coach or give to other kids after a birthday party.

I often need quick thank you notes to give to colleagues in my office. So I decided to create alternative cards from my Paper Pumpkin kit. Let's check it out...

I cut the accordion fold card into four separate cards. I think these are adorable. Clean, crisp and simple. That means I can have 21 small thank you's with the remaining paper pumpkin kit. Perfect!

Fun right?

Are you still sitting on the sidelines and not participating in My Paper Pumpkin? What are you waiting for? This is a box of fun that arrives in your mailbox mid-month. Right now you can subscribe for a three month subscription AND get a FREE Sale-a-bration item.

Join me in subscribing to my paper pumpkin today! Just click on one of the items below to go to my StampinMojo Online store. Thanks for stopping by!

Michelle

Built for Free Using: My Stampin Blog

Feb 21, 2015 8:44:24 AM | Card making, Masculine, Paper Pumpkin, Thank you, Videos

February 19, 2015

What's Up at the Pals Paper Arts

As you know I have two sons off at college. I am always working to create a masculine card to send them. This weeks Pals Paper Arts Challenge was my inspiration.

When I saw this sketch I immediately thought flowers. However that won't really work for a masculine card. The arrow heads on the Best Year Ever DSP inspired the collection of arrows. I think this turned out really fun.

I used all the colors in the DSP Sahara Sand, Crushed Curry, Coastal Cabana, and Soft Suede to add more pops of color and texture to the card.

The arrows on the Soft Suede are from a Photopolymer stamp in the April 2014 Paper Pumpkin kit. The large arrow is really the tall house framelit and I simply cut off the chimney. The other two arrows and the sentiment are from the What's Up stamp set and I used the coordinating punch.

There are so many hidden gems within many of our current products. And I love that about Stamping' Up!

I hope I inspired you to play along with the Pals Paper Arts Challenge this week. The list of everything I used to create my card is below.

Thanks for stopping by!

Michelle

Built for Free Using: My Stampin Blog

Feb 19, 2015 5:00:00 AM | Card making, Friendship, Masculine, PPA Sketch Challenges, Thinking of You

February 11, 2015

February 2015 - Pals Blog Hop

Welcome to the February Pals Blog Hop. This month we are sharing what we love - our favorite Stampin' Up! products and our favorite crafting techniques.

You may just be starting the blog hop or may have come from Karen Hallam at Karen's Blog. Use the full lineup below to move along from blog to blog so you see all of the new projects.

I have always had a love of paper and memory keeping. I would go to my local craft store and spend money only to find that the things I bought were just a shade off the color I really wanted for my layout. Then in the summer of 2012 I was introduced to Stamping' Up! and fell in love.

My project today highlights what I love the most about Stamping' Up! products - they coordinate and compliment beautifully.

The products I used on this card are all from different elements within the Stamping' Up! collection. The Chevron Textured Emboss Folder has been out for a while. The yummy Hello Honey DSP is from the new Sweet Dreams DSP in the Occasions catalog. The arrow (really two arrows lined up behind the heart) was a new punch in the last annual catalog. The heart was created by lining up the chevron pattern from the Sweet Dreams Designer Washi Tape (on Very Vanilla card stock to mimic the same pattern as the DSP and then punching out the heart using the Sweetheart Punch. The button tied with linen thread is from the Sweet Dreams Designer Buttons set.

If I had gone to a big box craft store I would have spent hours trying to find elements that all coordinated. Stamping' Up! takes care of all the color coordination so I have more time to enjoy creating.

The next stop is Shannon K Jaramillo at Shannon Kay Paperie on the Pals Blog Hop! Thanks for visiting and I'll see you next month.

Michelle

The full supply list of products used in my card follows the blog hop lineup.

The Full Blog Line Up:

Feb 11, 2015 5:30:00 AM | Blog Hops, Card making, Friendship, Masculine, Thinking of You, Valentine's Day

January 28, 2015

A Calm Sea...

I made this card for one of our sons as he was heading back to school after the holiday break. While he was looking forward to getting back to school he seemed a bit anxious about the work ahead. I know he can handle anything that comes his way and thought this card might provide some encouragment as he tackled new classes and continued new experiences.

I used my Stampin' Up! Blendabilities to color in the water on the World Map background stamp. Stampers Note: I purchased this stamp as a Clear Mount set. However, I recently purchased the Something Lacy background stamp in Wood and I will never buy a background stamp in anything but Wood again. While the Clear Mount might cost less and take less space, the usability of the stamp in Wood Mount is so much better it means I will use it more.

The sentiment from the new Adventure Awaits Photopolymer stamp set was stamped in Versamark on Midnight Muse (Retired*) card stock and then Embossed with Stampin' Silver Emboss Powder. *You can easily substitute Night of Navy card stock.

The Adventure Awaits stamps are large and have great encouraging sentiments in fabulous fonts. I love this new set.

Today I am heading to Orlando for the Stampin' Up! Leadership Conference. I am looking forward to being with other SU demonstrators to share ideas and get inspired. I hope I inspired you today.

Cheers,

Michelle

Built for Free Using: My Stampin Blog

Jan 28, 2015 5:00:00 AM | Card making, Masculine, Thinking of You

December 08, 2014

Trim the Tree Birthday Wishes

Another masculine birthday card being showcased today. The base of the card is Garden Green. The main attraction is the Trim the Tree DSP Paper Stack. I trimmed it to cut off right where one of the Garden Green stripes would have been.

The fun of this card is all the layering. The Whisper White card stock is matted on Garden Green card stock. I stamped the stars from the Be the Star stamp set and then I punched a few stars from Champagne Glimmer Paper and adhered to the card with dimensionals. Then sentiment is from Four You.

A clean, crisp masculine card. Let's check out the inside...

I added some fun with more images from the Be the Star stamp set. And this sentiment comes from Perfect Pennants.

Thanks for stopping by today!

Michelle

Shop now at StampinMojo's online store for the supplies used in today's card.

Built for Free Using: My Stampin Blog

Dec 8, 2014 5:00:00 AM | Birthday, Card making, Masculine

December 06, 2014

A Masculine Happy Birthday

Happy Saturday. If you are like me you have a long list of things you wnat to accomplish this weekend. I hope you can find a little time to yourself in your craft space.

Today's card was CAS'd from Michelle Last a very talented UK demonstrator. While I am still working on my own inking technique I wanted to share a quick How To.

Before opening your stamp pad, squeeze it together. When you open it you will have captured ink on the top of the case.
Using my Sponge Dauber I tap the top of the dauber in the ink on the top of the case and then in a circular motion begin to ink the edge of my paper.

As I said I am still working on getting the inking even. As the saying goes practice makes perfect!

Each strip of Under the Tree DSP paper is 1" wide. I rounded the edges with my corner rounder. The star was cut out using two star framlits. I love this look.

The sentiment, from Endless Birthday Wishses, was stamped and then punched out with the Note Tag Punch. I finished with a Neutral button and Linen Thread.

Thanks for stopping by!

Michelle

You can purchase all these supplies by simply clicking on any item below and going to the StampinMojo online store which os open 24/7.

Built for Free Using: My Stampin Blog

Dec 6, 2014 9:23:16 AM | Birthday, Card making, How To, Masculine

October 08, 2014

Halloween and Harvest Blog Hop

Welcome to the October Pals Blog Hop where we are celebrating an early Halloween and Harvest season. This month we are sharing Halloween and fall projects using our wonderful Stampin’ Up! supplies.

You may just be starting the blog hop or may have come from #7 Amy Williams at Stamps and Spice 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 of the amazing creations.

My project is clean and simple. The base is Soft Suede. I cut 3/4" of an inch off the front of the card and then placed another strip of DSP from the Color Me Autumn DSP collection on the inside of the card so it shows through to the front. A fun and different twist.

The acorns were created by cutting out four acorns from the Autumn Accents Bigz die (2 in Early Espresso and two in Soft Suede) and then cutting the top of the Early Espresso acorns and adhering to the Soft Suede. The Mossy Meadow ribbon is the finishing touch.

I love the simple classic result.

The next stop is #9 Lisa Ann Bernard at Queen B Creations on the Pals Blog Hop! Thanks for visiting and I hope to see you next month.

Michelle

( You can see all the supplies used below the hop lineup. )

Stampin' Up Supplies Used: Please click on images below for more details or easy, on-line shopping 24/7!

Soft Suede 8-1/2" X 11" Card Stock

$6.95

Cajun Craze 8-1/2" X 11" Card Stock

$6.95

Color Me Autumn Designer Series Paper

$10.95

Early Espresso 8-1/2" X 11" Card Stock

$6.95

Autumn Accents Bigz Die

$21.95

Mossy Meadow 3/8" Satin Stitched Ribbon

$8.95

For All Things Wood-Mount Stamp Set

$24.95

For All Things Clear-Mount Stamp Set

$17.95

Cajun Craze Classic Stampin' Pad

$5.95

Bitty Banners Big Shot Die Framelits

$14.95

Table by StampinBuddy. Try it FREE.

Oct 8, 2014 5:30:00 AM | Blog Hops, Card making, Friendship, Masculine, Thanksgiving

October 04, 2014

Happy World Card Making Day

You may not know but today is World Card Making Day. I am celebrating this event with other Stampin' Up demonstrators in Atlanta GA.

When demonstrators gather we often have card swaps. This is where we make multiple copies of the same card to exchange with the other demonstrators. I did this for the first time when I attended my first Stampin' Up convention in July 2013. I fretted over the design of my card knowing I was swapping with some of my favorite demonstrators whose blogs I follow every day. It was so gratifying as I handed each demonstrator my card and they woo'd and ahh'd. And of course I was over the top impressed with all the cards I received as well.

So today at our gathering in Atlanta we will begin with a card swap. I want to share that card with you.

While this card looks simple it was a lot of work to make 45 of them! The card base is cut from the Label Thinlit die however I extended the right side of the paper so that it was 8 1/2" long and allowed for an extra 2 1/2" to fold back and provide space to write. You can see this demonstrated on my blog post here.

The wood look was created by stamping the Hardwood Background stamp in Early Espresso on the Early Espresso base that had already been cut. I used my Stamp-a-ma-jig to ensure the wood-grain was straight and provided a consistent look. This was a two-step process to stamp the left side then the right side. I folded a post it note and covered the "label" cut out area so it would not get stamped.

Then I created the labels by stamping the leaf from the For All Things stamp set in Crushed Curry followed by stamping the sentiment from Mingle All the Way in Cajun Craze. I love how this turned out. Then another run through the Big Shot to get the label cut perfectly to fit the cut out frame of the card.

The embellishment in the lower right corner is a piece from Autumn Wooden Elements and tied with Metallic Gold Baker's Twine. These were anchored with Glue Dots.

I did add a Very Vanilla panel on the inside far right panel to write a note to the recipient.

So I hope you find time to create a card for someone special today.

And Happy World Card Making Day!

Michelle

Oct 4, 2014 5:00:00 AM | Card making, Celebrations, Masculine, Thanksgiving

September 16, 2014

Make a Wish

My nephew who is a freshman at the University of Wisconsin - Madison is celebrating his 19th birthday. The first weekend he was there he text-ed home "I love this place". So as a new UW Badger I thought it was fitting to create his birthday card in UW colors.

The base of the card is Real Red. The top layer is embossed with the new Lucky Stars Textured Embossing Folder. The banner is stamped with a stamp from Perfect Pennants stamp set in Memento Tuxedo Black ink and then again in Real Red where I snipped out just the section I wanted and then added a Stampin' Dimensional so it literally pops off the banner.

Although this is a masculine card I felt the tiny bit of glimmer paper gave the card a party feel. The stars were cut in Basic Gray using the smallest Star Collection Framelit. Super simple and a fun result.

The inside sentiment came from a new stamp set in the Annual Catalog called Occasions 4 You. This is a great beginner stamp set with four sentiments you always need handy.

Thanks for stopping by!

Michelle

Stampin' Up Supplies Used: Please click on images below for more details or easy, on-line shopping 24/7!

Real Red 8-1/2" X 11" Card Stock

$6.95

Whisper White 8-1/2" X 11" Card Stock

$8.50

Tuxedo Black Memento Ink Pad

$5.95

Real Red Classic Stampin' Pad

$5.95

Perfect Pennants Wood Stamp Set

$29.95

Perfect Pennants Clear Stamp Set

$21.95

Silver Glimmer Paper

$4.95

Stampin' Dimensionals

$3.95

Lucky Stars Textured Impressions Embossing Folders

$7.95

Stars Framelits Die

$26.95

Big Shot Magnetic Platform

$39.95

Big Shot

$99.95

Basic Gray 8-1/2" X 11" Card Stock

$6.95

Occasions 4 You Wood-Mount Stamp Set

$18.95

Occasions 4 You Clear-Mount Stamp Set

$14.95

Table by StampinBuddy. Try it FREE.

Sep 16, 2014 5:00:00 AM | Birthday, Card making, Masculine

September 10, 2014

Just Sayin' - Happy Birthday for my Brother

My brother celebrates his birthday tomorrow. It is probably bold to send him a card teasing him about his age since I am older.

My life has been crazy and time in my craft room limited so my Stampin' Mojo seems to be at a low. However Pinterest provides a lot of inspiration. This card was CASE'd from a card I saw on Pinterest and now I cannot find the card to give proper credit. So thank you! to the original designer.

I did add a sentiment on the inside...

I think this sentiment is fun and appropriate after you reach say...40. You can also see that I lined the inside of the envelope. I did add triangles to decorate the front of the envelope as well using the What's Your Type? Photopolymer Stamp Set.

Thanks for stopping by! Happy Stampin'

Michelle