MALE CARDS

MALE CARDS....who needs them?  

I do, you do, we all do!!

I wanted some male cards because my stock is low and since Father's Day is heading our way

 I thought "let's git her done"!!!

Here is my desk, LOL, you DON'T want to see what the room looks like if I pulled back on the view.

This is my first creation.  Warning, I used LOTS of retired stuff, but there is no reason you can't use the current set called "Established Elegance" on page 125 of the catalog.

If you are like me, I keep all the retired items, because I liked them in the first place so why would I get rid of them. I'll bet you have tons of retired stuff that can be used.

I used the current stamp set "Clockworks" on page 105 of the catalog. Stamped the watch, the dial (using my stamp-a-ma-jig), clear embossed it, then added some retired Hodgepode Hardware (Antique Brass), popped it up on dimensionals.

The "Real Life" stamp set is from 2006 but I don't know the set name.  I stamped it then embossed with clear E.P., again using the Hodgepode Hardware.

Next up is a Father's Day card.

I used the retired spiral punch, love it!  And some retired Jumbo Pewter Eyelets.  I used the paper piercing mat to line up the brads.  

I used the crop-a-dile to adhere the brads.

Here I used the single stamp Basic Label Stamp and the Apothecard Accent Framelits (basic label).  As you can see I sponged a lot!!

 You might still have this corner window punch, which I embossed with clear embossing powder.

Can you see the retired Magic Mesh?  I sponged all over it.

 This is the inside of all the cards.

Here are the items I used to make these cards:

Stamps:  Current: Clockworks, Dapper Dad, Basic Label Stamp (one of the new single stamps you can purchase)

Retired:  Office Ephemera, Letters from Friends

Remember you can use the current set "Established Elegance" on page 125.

Inks:  Black Stazon, Going Gray, Chocolate Chip, Soft Suede, Crumb Cake, Sahara Sand, Early Espresso.  (sponging and stamping)

Cardstock:  Very Vanilla, Soft Suede, Chocolate Chip

Accessories:  Current:  Stamp-a-ma-jig, sponges, wood grain embossing folder, Apothecary Accent Framelits (Basic Label), clear embossing powder, dimensionals

Retired:  Spiral punch, corner window punch, Jumbo Pewter eyelets, crop-a-dile, Hodgepodge Hardware (Antique Brass), Magic Mesh.

SPRING IS IN THE AIR

Spring is definitely in the air, and we can't wait to show you all the new product in the 2013-2014 annual catalog.  

Here's your pre-sneak peek look at "A Round Array"

(Items shown are English, Spanish and French)

• "A Round Array" Stamp Set, (English;clear) Item #129090, $14.95

• 7/8" Scallop Circle Punch, Item # 129404, $12.95

Or bundle them and save 15% off Spring Surprise Bundle, (English; clear) 

• Item #133899, $23.95

Includes the stamp set and coordinating punch for 15% off!

Wood-mount option will be available in the 2013-2014 annual catalog

WOWZERS FABRIC FRENZY

LOOKIE LOOKIE!!!!

Fabric Frenzy

Seamstress or not, you'll love using our high quality Designer Fabric, especially at 50 percent off! Our Designer Fabric is designed to coordinate with Stampin' Up! inks, paper, and other accessories, and is perfect for adding a stylish touch to traditional paper projects. Available in an extra-wide fat quarters (18" x 26"). Use it for quilting, clothing, home décor, and more! The sale starts Monday, so get ready to jump into the spring Fabric Frenzy! Sale prices in effect March 25 through March 31, 2013.

Page	Item	Description	Retail Price	Sale Price
170	126892	Essentials Designer Fabric	$29.95	$14.98
171	126893	Floral District Designer Fabric	$9.95	$4.98
171	126894	Comfort Café Designer Fabric	$9.95	$4.98
171	125411	Summer Smooches Designer Fabric	$9.95	$4.98
171	125412	Twitterpated Designer Fabric	$9.95	$4.98
171	122337	Timeless Portrait Designer Fabric	$9.95	$4.98
171	122336	Beau Chateau Designer Fabric	$9.95	$4.98
171	124066	Spice Cake Designer Fabric	$9.95	$4.98
171	122335	Flirtatious Designer Fabric	$9.95	$4.98
6*	129308	Tea for Two Designer Fabric	$9.95	$4.98
13*	129307	More Amore Designer Fabric	$9.95	$4.98

All items are limited quantity at the discounted price; the discount will be removed once the limit is reached

Visit my online shopping store here!!!

POSTAGE DUE

I wish I could take a better picture of this card, because it is much better in real life.

I've been wanting to make a card using this new set called "Postage Due".  

The piece of cardstock on the left is on dimensionals to give it a pop!

Recipe:

Stamp Sets:  Postage Due, Bring on the Cake (Happy Birthday)

Cardstock:  Twitterpated DSP, Going Gray

Ink:  Going Gray

Accessories:  Bitty Butterfly Punch, Basic Pearls, Glue Dots, dimensionals.

RESIST EMBOSSING TECHNIQUE

Yesterday I went through a ton of videos from Stampin' Up! on youtube.  I really liked the Resist Embossing Technique (they call it Emerging Colors Technique)

Anyway here is what I came up with.  Let me know what you think!  I always appreciate comments.

I used a couple retired items but heck, they look awesome!

Here is the recipe:

Stamp Sets:  Clockworks, Best Dad Ever (Happy Birthday), Itty Bitty Background (retired)

Ink:  Baja Breeze, Cajun Craze, Soft Suede, Versamark

Cardstock:  Baja Breeze, Cajun Craze, Very Vanilla

Accessories:  Sponging, Clear Embossing Powder, Copper Cirlce Metal Vellum (retired) Vintage Brads (retired), Square Lattice embossinng folder.

Go here to see Stampin' Up!'s tutorial on youtube.  

Video #120

KICKIN' IT UP A NOTCH

 I posted this card a few days ago and said it needed a

 "little sumin'-sumin'".

So I put it out there and asked for opinions on what 

I could do to make it "purtier!"

So the concensus was to run the bird and the 

blue cardstock through an embossing folder.  

And you know what???  They rock.  It worked beautifully!

Card without embossing

Card with embossing.

Up close so you can see the embossing!

For the blue cardstock, I put Crumb Cake ink onto the inside top of the embossing folder Lacy Brocade and ran it through.

Then for the bird I stamped the bird with Soft Suede onto Bashful Blue cardstock and ran it through the square lattice embossing folder.

So tell me, what do you think of the updated card?

FAUX PATINA

I found a technique called 

"FAUX PATINA" on SplitCoastStampers.com

Here is the link.

I am really happy with the way these cards turned out.

Both cards next to each other....so different.

Card #1 Always Artichoke

Up close, see the results???  Cool huh?

Card #2 Bashful Blue/Crumb Cake

 I was actually going for the blue/brown effect so I left out the green this time and love, love the way it turned out.

Up close of the blue/brown card.  

Of course nothing does it justice as in real life, but believe me, it's gorgeous!!

Color ink used on:
Card #1 (green):  Crumb Cake, Bashful Blue, Always Artichoke, Early Espresso.
Card #2 (blue):  Crumb Cake, Bashful Blue, Early Espresso

Recipe for both cards:
Stamp set: Apothecary Art
Cardstock:  Very Vanilla, Always Artichoke, Crumb Cake
Accessories: Classy Copper Embossing Powder (R), Versamark Ink, Vintage Wallpaper Embossing Folder, Framelits Labels Collection, Rosettes Vanilla (R), Crumb Cake Seam Binding Ribbon, glue dots, dimensionals, sponging, Aqua Painter.

IT'S PLAY TIME AGAIN

I love getting out my "stuff" and just start creating.

That is what happened here.

I love the Bashful Blue and the Crumb Cake together.

I was really happy with it when I finished, but after a while I decided it just needs something else.  Don't know what I'm going to do, but I'll post when I come up with something.

Don't forget you can click on the picture and it will get bigger.

I tried a little technique called "kissing".  I used the detailed flower from the stamp set Mixed Bunch.  Inked it up with Bashful Blue ink.  Then I took the bird from Notably Ornate and pressed him onto the flower.  The bird picked up the  design of the flower.

Recipe:

Stamps:  Notably Ornate, Mixed Bunch, SAB 2012 Bliss

Cardstock:  Very Vanilla, Crumb Cake, Bashful Blue

Ink:  Bashful Blue, Early Espresso, Crumb Cake

Accessories:  Antique Brad, Linen thread, Victoria Crochet trim, sponging & tearing.

TAKING IT ONE STEP MORE

 Lots of pics today.

Thanks to Kelly Acheson who takes pictures of her creations at an angle.  I "borrowed" the idea from her.  

I enjoy taking a card, casing it then making it mine.

So Saffron, Soft Suede and Bashful Blue

Two cards using the exact same colors and stamps, but I sprayed them with bleach on the base card of Soft Suede and look how different they turned out.

Then I went a different way with the colors using

 Bashful Blue and Crumb Cake!  Love it!

Up close of the flower

Up close of the button and butterfly

Click on the pictures to make them bigger so you can see the difference how using bleach changes the cardstock.

So Saffron card up close on button and butterfly.

So Saffron card up close on tags and flower.

Up close of the Soft Suede card.

For all cards I used the following items:
Stamps:  (All Stampin' Up! a few retired)
Papillion Potpourri (butterfly), Whimsical Words, Notably Ornate, SAB 2012 Bliss, Script background (R)
Cardstock:  Soft Suede, Very Vanilla, So Saffron, Bashful Blue, Crumb Cake, DSP Pattern Stack Neutrals
Ink:  Soft Suede, Bashful Blue, Crumb Cake
Accessories:  Sponging, marker (for bird) itty bitty butterfly punch, square lattice embossing folder, 1/4" & 1/2" circle punch, antique brads, bleach, designer buttons playground, sizzlits floral fusion.