Groovy Love

Here's the final card from the Stampin' Up workshop.  I didn't actually finish it there due to running out of time.  It was getting late anyway and my brain started hitting a wall.  My friend Shannon and I got together at my house the next day to do it.  I enjoy our weekly stamp mornings!

This is a fun design.  It uses patterned paper from the new Love Blossoms stack.  The 1/2-inch strips were pre-cut for me, but I spent a lot of time arranging the various patterns on a piece of white cardstock.  It looks like a vintage quilt, doesn't it?  I adhered the background to a Rose Red layer and a Blushing Bride card base.

I stamped the sentiment from Groovy Love in Garden Green ink while still at the workshop.  I had already glued the sentiment strip together when I decided I would have preferred a narrower strip.  Bummer.  Too late at that point!  I don't have Groovy Love so I couldn't redo it.  I searched through my inventory book to find something simple to fill the space and settled on this three heart image from Twitterpated by Verve Stamps.  I stamped it above the sentiment in Blushing Bride ink.  It adds a lot to the design, I think.  Serendipity!

I stamped the polka dot heart from Groovy Love and punched it out with the Sweetheart punch.  I also punched a heart from one of the Love Blossoms patterns.  I added them to the card, popping up one of the hearts for dimension.

Stamps:  Groovy Love (Stampin' Up); Twitterpated (Verve Stamps)
Ink:  Garden Green, Rose Red, Blushing Bride (Stampin' Up)
Paper:  Whisper White, Garden Green, Love Blossoms dsp (Stampin' Up)
Misc:  Sweetheart punch (Stampin' Up)  

Dear Friend

This card was fast to make.  It uses some pretty patterned paper from Stampin' Up called Timeless Elegance.  I really liked the designs my friend had for us at the Stampin' Up workshop I attended and this one is a lovely combination of patterns.

Another advantage of workshops is that all the pieces are pre-cut for you.  All I had to do was hand-cut the lace paper along the printed pattern and sponge Pool Party ink on the roses with a dauber.  You really can't tell that the color wasn't there originally!  Once the pieces were placed on a Pool Party card base, I added a piece of stitched black satin ribbon and stamped a sentiment from Birthday Blooms in black ink.  It's such an elegant card.

Stamps:  Birthday Blooms (Stampin' Up)
Ink:  Basic Black, Pool Party (Stampin' Up)
Paper:  Pool Party, Timeless Elegance dsp (Stampin' Up)
Misc:  black stitched satin ribbon (Stampin' Up); sponge dauber

Heart You

Wisteria Wonder is such a pretty color.  It pairs beautifully with this new floral stamp set.  Here's my fourth card from the Stampin' Up workshop I attended last week.

I stamped flowers and leaves from What I Love using VersaMark ink and then embossed with white powder.  I adhered the panel to a Wisteria Wonder card base after wrapping it with white ribbon.  Not entirely happy with my bow, but sometimes you've just got to let it go.  :)

I stamped the heart and sentiment from Work of Art using Wisteria Wonder ink on white cardstock and then punched them with circle punches in two different sizes.  I also punched two small flowers using the Blossom Bunch punch, adding rhinestone centers.  I arranged the pieces on my card to my liking, popping some up with dimensionals.  The resulting card is very soft and pretty!

Stamps:  What I Love, Work of Art (Stampin' Up)
Ink:  Wisteria Wonder (Stampin' Up); VersaMark
Paper:  Whisper White, Wisteria Wonder (Stampin' Up)
Misc:  1" circle punch, 1-1/4" circle punch, Blossom Bunch punch (Stampin' Up); rhinestones; white seam binding ribbon (Stampin' Up)

Blooming Heart

Oh my goodness, this card is so gorgeous in person!  I love the sparkly glitter paper.  This card did give me a few fits at the workshop.  It's not easy to get the paper out of this intricate die!

I cut a heart shape out of the top white layer using a retired die.  (don't know the name, sorry)  I cut the Bloomin' Hearts die out of another white piece.  This one is actually my second try.  The first attempt tore in several pieces when I tried to get it out of the die, despite using the new die brush.  I love this elegant, intricate design anyway!

I layered the pieces over Blushing Bride glimmer paper and a white card base.  I absolutely love the look of the glitter behind the lace-style heart!  I cut smaller flowers from white cardstock, added pearls to the centers, and then popped them up on the heart.  Such a beautiful card!

Paper:  Whisper White, Blushing Bride glimmer paper (Stampin' Up)
Misc:  Bloomin' Hearts dies, retired heart die (Stampin' Up); pearls

Pugs & Kisses

This sentiment makes me smile.  I love the combination of the striped paper and the red as well.  Who wouldn't love this adorable little dog?  Here's my second workshop card.

I layered the striped paper on a black mat and then adhered it to a Smoky Slate card base on an angle.  I stamped the Real Red strip with a sentiment from Hot Diggity Dog, flagged the end with scissors, and added it to my card.  I stamped the pug body on white cardstock and colored the stripes of his sweater with a Real Red marker.  I punched it with a circle punch and added a rhinestone to the collar.  After stamping the head on another piece of white cardstock, I hand-cut it with scissors and popped it up on the card with dimensionals.  Easy and cute!

Stamps:  Hot Diggity Dog (Stampin' Up)
Ink:  Basic Black (Stampin' Up)
Paper:  Whisper White, Smoky Slate, Basic Black, Real Red, Neutrals Collection dsp (Stampin' Up)
Misc:  1" circle punch (Stampin' Up); rhinestone

Hogs & Kisses

This card is way too cute.  My daughter Emily fell in love with it and promptly started looking through my inventory book for pig stamps.  Surprisingly, I don't have many!  This is the first card I made at a Stampin' Up workshop Tuesday night.  It's always nice when the design part is done for me and all I have to do is stamp.  :)

I embossed a Pink Pirouette card base with the Happy Heart folder.  I stamped the pig and grass from Barnyard Babies on a white rectangle.  Using a sponge dauber, I added Pear Pizzazz ink for the ground.  I used the matching marker to add color to the grass tufts.  I colored the pig with a Pink Pirouette marker.

The heart was punched using Owl Builder from Melon Mambo cardstock and then filled in with Crystal Effects for shiny dimension.  I stamped the sentiment on a Pink Pirouette strip that I flagged with scissors.  The pig scene was then layered on black and added to the card base.  Done!

Stamps:  Barnyard Babies (Stampin' Up)
Ink:  Basic Black, Pear Pizzazz (Stampin' Up)
Paper:  Whisper White, Basic Black, Pirouette Pink, Melon Mambo (Stampin' Up)
Misc:  Owl Builder punch (Stampin' Up); Crystal Effects; Happy Heart embossing folder (Stampin' Up); sponge dauber

Holly Food Labels

It's been a while.  I meant to post a year-in-review picking some of my favorite projects from 2015 and just got too busy around New Year's Day.  Then instead of stamping, I've been doing organizational things in my studio.  I've accumulated a LOT of stamps in 15+ years and ran into a snag when I couldn't remember what stamp set an image was from in my inventory book.  I got so frustrated by that!  In my defense, it was a sentiment that said "baby".  Not obvious at first glance.  I've spent hours and hours labeling each image in my category books and have only made it through Fantasy so far.  I've got a LONG way to go.

Last night I attended a Stampin' Up workshop with a friend and made six cards.  It was fun to get creative again!  I will be posting those over the next few days.  Before I do, I want to post this food label that I made for our family's annual holiday open house.

I used the Holly dies by Reverse Confetti.  I cut the leaves from Pinefeather cardstock and the berries from Pure Poppy.  I glittered each berry layer with Garnet glitter.  Love the sparkle!  I cut a rickrack border from black cardstock as well.  Once all the pieces were ready, it was just a matter of assembly.  I made about twenty of these, I think.  I also wanted some blank ones to have on hand in case anyone brought a treat with them.  Our open house was lots of fun!

Paper:  Pinefeather, Pure Poppy (Papertrey Ink); white
Misc:  Rickrack Border die (Papertrey Ink); Holly die (Reverse Confetti); Garnet glitter (Martha Stewart)