Card of the Day - Zany Zebras

Hello and welcome back! Today's card is for an old friend's granddaughter. She is celebrating her first birthday but in this time of pandemic, her parents are unable to have a big celebration. My friend asked if I would make a card for her, and of course I said yes! Here's the card:

I thought this stamp set was so cute in the catalog and even though I don't have many opportunities to make cards for kids, I decided that I needed it anyway! The zebra is stamped in Memento Tuxedo Black and then highlighted with a Flirty Flamingo watercolor pencil. I added the fussy cut party hat colored with a Granny Apple Green watercolor pencil.

This design was inspired by the sketch challenge at CAS Colours & Sketches.

I'll be putting this card in the mail tomorrow so it should arrive in time. I hope Carly and her family are able to have a fun celebration!

Thanks for stopping by, and have a great day!

--Cindi

Supplies used (all Stampin' Up!):

Stamp set - Zany Zebras

Paper - Whisper White Thick Cardstock; Whisper White, Blushing Bride, and Granny Apple Green cardstock; Tropical Escape DSP

Ink/Coloring Tools - Memento Tuxedo Black ink; Watercolor Pencils Assortment 2: Flirty Flamingo, Granny Apple Green

Tools - Big Shot, Layering Circles Framelits, Stitched Shapes Framelits, Multipurpose Liquid Glue, Stampin' Dimensionals

Card of the Day - Super Sunflower!

Hello and welcome back! Today's card is a CASE from Brian King.

This sunflower set was one of the first things I purchased in the new Annual Catalog. The stamps are beautiful - see the little one on the envelope - but the dies are amazing! So much detail! I used Brian's colors and hints for assembling the flower, but changed the orientation from landscape to portrait. Mine is also a birthday card, because I just can't have too many of those this year!

Thanks for stopping by, and have a great day!

--Cindi



Supplies used (all Stampin' Up!):

Stamp set - Many Mates
Paper - Misty Moonlight, Bumblebee, Crushed Curry, Soft Suede, Early Espresso, Just Jade, Garden Green, and Whisper White cardstock; 2020-2022 In Color DSP
Ink - Misty Moonlight, Crushed Curry
Tools - Big Shot, Sunflower Dies, Stitched So Sweetly Dies, Multipurpose Liquid Glue, Stampin' Dimensionals, Foam Adhesive Strips

Card of the Day - Something for the Guys!

Hello and welcome back! Today's card is a masculine design. I don't make too many of these so they are always a struggle, but I have some birthdays coming up that will need them. The design is very simple.

I even managed to stick with current product (except for the birthday cake on the envelope). The patterns in the In Good Taste DSP assortment are perfect for masculine cards. I particularly liked this tweedy, burlappy one. After I cut the strips and started arranging the pieces on the card front, I noticed that there was a slight difference in the color, so I was able to alternate lighter and darker in opposite corners. It's subtle, and much more noticeable on the actual card. 

I wanted to add a little more texture so after I adhered the DSP to the Early Espresso layer, I ran it through the Big Shot with my Tasteful Textile 3D embossing folder. It adds just that extra oomph.

Thanks for stopping by, and have a great day!

--Cindi



Supplies used (all Stampin' Up!):

Stamp sets - Many Mates, Birthday Delivery
Paper - Very Vanilla Thick Cardstock; Early Espresso and Very Vanilla cardstock; In Good Taste DSP
Ink - Early Espresso
Accessories - 3/16" Braided Linen Trim
Tools - Big Shot, Tasteful Textile 3D Embossing Folder, Stitched Nested Labels Dies, Multipurpose Liquid Glue, Mini Glue Dots, Stampin' Dimensionals

Card of the Day - Anniversary Challenge Combo

Hello and welcome back! Today's card is inspired by three challenges - the color challenge at Just Add Ink, the sketch challenge at CASE this Sketch, and the theme challenge at the Paper Players. Here's the card:

I tried to use all current products, but didn't have any Smoky Slate DSP, so I pulled out this pattern from the retired Carried Away. The Pool Party bakers twine is also retired. 

I love this color combination - it's so cool and relaxing, unlike the weather we've been having lately. Thank goodness we have air conditioning!

Thanks for stopping by, and have a great day!

--Cindi



Supplies used (all Stampin' Up!):

Stamp sets - Bloom & Grow, Itty Bitty Greetings
Paper - Pool Party, Pretty Peacock, and Whisper White cardstock; Carried Away DSP
Ink/Coloring Tools - Memento Tuxedo Black, Pretty Peacock, Pool Party; Stampin' Blends: Pretty Peacock Dark and Light, Pool Party Dark and Light
Accessories - Old Olive/Pretty Peacock Reversible Ribbon, Pool Party/Whisper White Bakers Twine
Tools - Big Shot, Budding Blooms Dies, Stitched Rectangles Framelits, Detailed Trio Punch, SNAIL, Stampin' Dimensionals

One Sheet Wonder Cards!

Hello and welcome back! As promised, I've got the results of my one sheet wonder adventure for you today. There are lots of different designs out there, but the one I found gets 14 cards from 1 sheet of DSP! Here is the cutting pattern.

And here is the design showing the placement of the elements on the cards. I placed some of mine differently.

I was hoping to photograph them as a group but had to make a couple and mail them before all of the cards were complete. So here are separate pictures of all 14 cards (not in order - see captions).

Card #13

Card #3

Card #14

Card #4

Card #9

Card #8

Card #2

Card #10

Card #7

Card #5

Card #12

Card #11

Card #1

Card #6

I used Whisper White Thick Cardstock for all card bases and the retired Magnolia Lane DSP for the panels. All DSP panels are layered on Early Espresso cardstock cut 1/8" larger on both dimensions. Sentiments are stamped in Mossy Meadow on Whisper White cardstock, with some layered on Petal Pink cardstock. The extra flowers were fussy cut from another sheet of the DSP. I also added the retired Petal Pink variegated ribbon on a couple of the cards. Card #13 got the special coloring treatment with the large die-cut magnolia colored with Stampin' Blends.

Thanks for stopping by, and have a great day!

--Cindi



Supplies used (all Stampin' Up!):

Stamp sets - Good Morning Magnolia, Special Celebrations, Hello Cupcake, Incredible Like You, Perennial Birthday, Watercolor Words
Paper - Whisper White Thick Cardstock; Early Espresso, Petal Pink, and Whisper White cardstock; Magnolia Lane DSP
Ink/Coloring Tools - Early Espresso, Mossy Meadow; Stampin' Blends: Petal Pink Dark and Light, Mossy Meadow Dark and Light, Daffodil Delight Dark
Accessories - Petal Pink/Whisper White Variegated Ribbon
Tools - Big Shot, Magnolia Memory Dies, Layering Ovals Framelits, Stitched So Sweetly Dies, Multipurpose Liquid Glue, Stampin' Dimensionals, Mini Stampin' Dimensionals

Cards of the Day - Prized Peony

Hello and welcome back! My cards today are all made with the Prized Peony stamp set and are CASEd from samples in the 2020-2021 Annual Catalog. As a demonstrator, I have access to a document that has "recipes" for all of the samples in the catalog. However, it doesn't go into a lot of detail about how certain looks are accomplished. So I have to guess. Sometimes I guess right and sometimes not.

This first card is an example of "not." The texture stamp was used on the background on the sample, but the recipe indicated that there was heat embossing used. I tried that but I wasn't happy with my placement of the stamping. I also thought that the embossing was a bit harsh, so I went back and filled in with the same stamp in Whisper White Craft Ink. It's a little better but I'm still not totally happy with it. Oh, well, live and learn.

Card #1

 This second card is better. There weren't any unusual techniques, just a dry embossed piece and a heat embossed sentiment. A bit of coloring with Stampin' Blends and it's complete. 

Card #2

 Here's an example of "close enough." On the sample it looked like the dry embossed layer was inked over with white ink. Unfortunately, I was a little heavy-handed with the ink pad and added a few streaks where there shouldn't be any. The embossing is so fine on this folder that it would be difficult to get it just perfect.

Card #3

I think this is the one I'm happiest with. It was a little more challenging and I seemed to be pretty successful. The background has some sponging and some stamped texture images. The frame was added on top and then the colored flowers and leaves were popped up on top.

Card #4

I don't think any of these cards would qualify as "Pinterest fails." The beauty of handmade is that it doesn't have to be perfect to be beautiful. Getting over my perfectionism has been a challenge, but I'm working on it. A couple of years ago I probably wouldn't have posted these cards. 

Well, that's it for today. Tomorrow I'll be showing you the results of my "One Sheet Wonder" adventure!

Thanks for stopping by, and have a great day!

--Cindi



Supplies used (all Stampin' Up!):

Card #1
Stamp set - Prized Peony
Paper - Basic Gray and Whisper White Cardstock
Ink - Basic Gray, Petal Pink, Old Olive, Versamark, Whisper White Craft
Accessories - Square Vellum Doilies, Elegant Faceted Dots, White Embossing Powder
Tools - Big Shot, Heat Tool, Water Painters, Peony Dies, Stampin' Dimensionals, Multipurpose Liquid Glue

Card #2
Stamp set - Prized Peony
Paper - Basic Gray, Gray Granite, and Whisper White Cardstock; Peony Garden DSP
Ink/Coloring Tools - Memento Tuxedo Black; Stampin' Blends: Old Olive Dark and Light, Petal Pink Dark and Light, Daffodil Delight Dark
Accessories - Elegant Faceted Gems
Tools - Big Shot, Peony Dies, Stitched Shapes Framelits, Dainty Diamonds 3D Embossing Folder, Multipurpose Liquid Glue, Stampin' Dimensionals

Card #3
Stamp sets - Prized Peony, Flourishing Phrases
Paper - Basic Black, Whisper White, and Petal Pink Cardstock; Peony Garden DSP
Ink - Versamark, Basic Gray, Whisper White Craft
Accessories - Square Vellum Doilies, Elegant Faceted Dots, White Embossing Powder
Tools - Big Shot, Heat Tool, Peony Dies, Stitched Nested Labels Dies, Dainty Diamonds 3D Embossing Folder, Multipurpose Liquid Glue, Stampin' Dimensionals

Card #4
Stamp set - Prized Peony
Paper - Whisper White Cardstock, Whisper White Thick Cardstock
Ink/Coloring Tools - Balmy Blue, Basic Gray, Memento Tuxedo Black; Stampin' Blends: Rococo Rose Dark and Light, Granny Apple Green Dark and Light, So Saffron Dark
Accessories - Elegant Faceted Dots
Tools - Big Shot, Peony Dies, Stitched Rectangle Dies, Sponge Daubers, Multipurpose Liquid Glue, Stampin' Dimensionals

Cards of the Month - June

Hello and welcome back! Today I'm sharing a couple of cards that I made in June, two for wedding anniversaries and one for a new baby. 

Anniversary Card #1

This was CASEd from a sample in the 2019-2020 Annual Catalog. Instead of following the recipe for the background layer, I just used some of the retired Woven Threads DSP and added some Silver Baker's Twine.

Anniversary Card #2

This card was CASEd from a sample in the 2020-2021 Annual Catalog. I pulled out retired cardstock and DSP for this one. The catalog sample is a note card, but I made mine into a full-sized card.

Baby Card

 I made this card for a co-worker who just had a baby boy. The design was CASEd from Dawn Griffith and you can see a video here to show you how to make it. The baby registry had lots of elephant stuff in it so this stamp set was an obvious choice. Of course, I also had to decorate the envelope. I'm trying to get better about doing that.

That's it for today. Tomorrow I'll be posting more of what I've been making lately.

Thanks for stopping by, and have a great day!

--Cindi



Supplies used (all Stampin' Up!):

Anniversary Card #1
Stamp set - Woven Heirlooms
Paper - Very Vanilla Thick Cardstock; Very Vanilla and Seaside Spray cardstock, Woven Heirlooms DSP
Ink - Pretty Peacock, Terracotta Tile
Accessories - Basic Adhesive-Backed Sequins, Silver Baker's Twine
Tools - Big Shot, Heirloom Dies & 3D Embossing Folders, SNAIL, Multipurpose Liquid Glue, Stampin' Dimensionals

Anniversary Card #2
Stamp set - Many Mates
Paper - Whisper White, Bashful Blue, and Rose Red cardstock; Vellum Cardstock; Subtles Pattern Stack (2011 patterns)
Ink - Rose Red
Accessories - 3/16" Braided Linen Trim, Basic Jewels Rhinestones
Tools - Big Shot, Many Medallions Dies, Story Label Punch, Sprig Punch, Stampin' Dimensionals, Multipurpose Liquid Glue, SNAIL

Baby Card
Stamp sets - A Little Wild, Rooted in Nature, Itty Bitty Greetings
Paper - Whisper White Thick Cardstock; Whisper White, Balmy Blue, and Pear Pizzazz cardstock, Dazzling Diamonds Glimmer Paper, Gingham Gala DSP
Ink/Coloring Tools - Memento Tuxedo Black, Pear Pizzazz, Stampin' Blends: Smoky Slate Light and Dark, Basic Black Dark, Pink Pirouette Light
Accessories - Basic Jewels Rhinestones
Tools - Big Shot, Little Loves Framelits, Layering Circles Framelits, Stitched So Sweetly Dies, Small Bloom Punch, Multipurpose Liquid Glue, Mini Glue Dots, SNAIL, Stampin' Dimensionals