It's Been A While!

 Hello and welcome back! I can't believe this is only my third blog post this year! I haven't had much mojo and there's been some personal stuff going on so I just haven't been motivated. But my boss is celebrating a special birthday this week, so I had to make a card for her! And here it is:

This design was inspired by the following challenges: Just Add Ink, Tic Tac Toe Challenge (diagonal - metallic, free, floral), Double Trouble Challenge, and Festive Friday.

Cathy is a big Green Bay Packers fan, so I wanted to incorporate the team's colors into the card. Lucky for me that two challenges this week were looking for green and gold!

I used the Everyday Details stamp set and dies to create the focal piece, then layered it onto a base of Crushed Curry cardstock and Metallic & Shimmer DSP that was embossed with the Hammered Metal embossing folder. The texture reminds me a bit of a football. What do you think? :)

After coloring the focal piece with Stampin' Blends I added a few gold Festive Pearls to the flower centers and added a bow with gold Simply Elegant Trim. I decided to leave the front without a sentiment, and just added one inside the card.

Thanks for stopping by, and happy stamping!

--Cindi

Supplies used (all Stampin' Up!):

Stamp set - Everyday Details

Paper - Basic White Thick Cardstock; Basic White and Crushed Curry Cardstock; Metallic & Shimmer Specialty Paper

Ink - Memento Tuxedo Black; Stampin' Blends: Evening Evergreen Dark and Light, Soft Succulent Dark and Light, Pumpkin Pie Light, Lemon Lolly Dark; Stampin' Write Marker: Crushed Curry

Accessories - Festive Pearls, Simply Elegant Trim

Tools - Big Shot, Everyday Details Dies, Hammered Metal Embossing Folder, Multipurpose Liquid Glue, Stampin' Dimensionals, Mini Glue Dots

Watermelon Pizza?

Hello and welcome back! Here's another card for today:

I used the challenge at Freshly Made Sketches as inspiration for this card. I'm also entering it in the Anything Goes challenge at Double Trouble and the monthly challenge at NBUS.

When I saw the Watercolor Melon stamp set in the Sale-A-Bration brochure, I wasn't sure I'd bother getting it. It just didn't speak to me. But then I saw someone use it to make pizza slices! Awesome! Since there are no dies it has to be fussy cut, but it's not a big deal. Then you can add your own toppings!

 Thanks for stopping by, and happy stamping!

--Cindi

--Supplies used (all Stampin' Up!):

Stamp sets - Watercolor Melon, Itty Bitty Birthdays

Paper - Basic White Thick Cardstock; Basic White and Basic Black Cardstock; Brights Patterns DSP (from 2013)

Ink - Memento Tuxedo Black, Crumb Cake, Crushed Curry; Stampin' Write Markers: Poppy Parade, Basic Black, Garden Green

Tools - Big Shot, Beautiful Shapes Dies, Basics (Dots) 3D Embossing Folder, Paper Snips, Multipurpose Liquid Glue, Stampin' Dimensionals

Thoughtful Expressions

 Hello and welcome back! I can't believe it's been more than a month since I posted! I also haven't mailed any cards yet this year. I have got to get back on the horse! So, here's today's card:

I used the sketch at Atlantic Hearts Challenge but rotated it 90 degrees. I also used the Tic Tac Toe Challenges board for inspiration (enamel dots, die cut, embossing)

It's a little tricky to see, but the bird was stamped in Versamark and heat embossed in black before coloring in with Stampin' Blends.

Thanks for stopping by, and happy stamping!

--Cindi

Supplies used (all Stampin' Up!):

Stamp set - Thoughtful Expressions

Paper - Basic White Thick Cardstock; Basic White and Boho Blue Cardstock; Flight & Airy DSP

Ink - Memento Tuxedo Black, Versamark; Stampin' Blends: Boho Blue Light and Dark, Granny Apple Green Light and Dark, Bubble Bath Light and Dark

Accessories - Boho Blue Textured Ribbon, 2023-2025 In Color Dots, Black Embossing Powder

Tools - Big Shot, Thoughtful Expressions Dies, Softly Sophisticated 3D Embossing Folder, Heat Tool, Multipurpose Liquid Glue, Mini Glue Dots, Stampin' Dimensionals

Joy of Noel Christmas

 Hello and welcome back! Here's today's card:

I feel like the universe has been conspiring against me as far as my holiday preparations have gone. I was way behind on getting my cards made, and then a friend who was planning a weekend visit decided to come two days earlier! Then my husband (who is the family cook) came down with covid. Add those things to the three singing events I had over the weekend, and you'll understand why my cards have not yet left my house! This is the last one I'm making this year!

When I designed this card, I used the sketch for the Atlantic Hearts challenge, but as I was creating it, I found 5 other challenges that it fits as well - Shopping Our Stash, Just Add Ink, Double Trouble, NBUS, and SUO Challenges!

I borrowed the stamp set from my friend, so maybe I was shopping her stash! But the embossing folder has been in my collection since at least last year and hadn't been used yet. This card is for the organist at my church, so I had to use something musical!

As I said, my cards are now all done - I'll post pictures later (maybe next week...). I just have to decide who gets what - there are more than 20 designs and more than 130 people on my list. I think tonight I'll be watching a movie, or two or three, and prepping the cards for mailing tomorrow. Hey, at least I'm getting them out before the 25th!

Thanks for stopping by, and happy stamping!

--Cindi

Supplies used (all Stampin' Up!):

Stamp set - Joy of Noel

Paper - Basic White Thick Cardstock; Basic White, Cherry Cobbler, and Shaded Spruce Cardstock; Joyful Specialty DSP; Distressed Gold Specialty Paper

Ink - Memento Tuxedo Black, Cherry Cobbler; Stampin' Blends - Old Olive Light, Cherry Cobbler Dark, Evening Evergreen Light; Stampin' Write Marker - Shaded Spruce

Accessories - Metallic Pearls

Tools - Big Shot, Merry Melody 3D Embossing Folder, Stylish Shapes Dies, Joy of Noel Dies, Layering Circles Framelits, Multipurpose Liquid Glue, Mini Stampin' Dimensionals

Peaceful Christmas

 Hello and welcome back! Here's today's card:

This design is for the challenges at Just Add Ink, Inkspirational Challenge, and Tic Tac Toe Challenge (right column - red or green, patterned paper, die cut).

So right now, I'm in the midst of my Christmas card-making frenzy! I always put it off till the last minute and then lose my mine mid-December! I decided to pull out a couple of old Paper Pumpkin kits from prior years and make some alternatives, along with making the cards just how the kit is meant to be. I love the many alternative ideas on Pinterest, but I came up with this one to match the sketch challenge. Lucky for me, it also fits the other two challenges!

Items from the original kit include the vellum trees, the woodgrain sentiment banner, the sparkly gems, and the solid and gingham Shaded Spruce layers. I got those layers by cutting up an envelope. I added the Basic White Thick Cardstock card base, the Basic Black layer and Nested Essentials die cut, and the black glittery ribbon.

I should have planned the glue dots on the vellum trees to be a bit more random, since I used the gems to cover them up. 

I may try a couple more alternatives, but I'm running out of time, so soon I'll be back to either making kits the way they're intended, or raiding my stash for already completed cards!

Thanks for stopping by, and happy stamping!

--Cindi

Supplies used (all Stampin' Up!):

Stamp set - Peaceful Christmas (October 2021 Paper Pumpkin)

Paper - Basic White Thick Cardstock; Basic Black Cardstock, elements from PP kit

Ink - Memento Tuxedo Black

Accessories - Black Glittered Organdy Ribbon, sparkly gems from PP kit

Tools - Big Shot, Nested Essentials Dies, Multipurpose Liquid Glue, Stampin' Dimensionals