Stampin Friends 2020 Blog Hop Birthday Bash

        Welcome to the Stampin Friends Blog Hop!  

We are a group of worldwide paper crafters who share their creations every third Thursday of the month.  This month's theme is Birthday Bash.  If you are following along the hop, you have arrived from Maureen's blog.  If you get lost along the way, you can find a list of Blog Hoppers at the end of each blog.  

Here are the projects I created for this month's hop:   a card and a gift card holder.

I am an avid flower gardener with several beautiful iris plants in my yard.  When I saw the Inspiring Iris stamp set in the Stampin' Up! 2020 Mini Catalog, I couldn't resist!  











Here's what you need to make the card and gift card holder:

Cardstock:
Balmy Blue 4 1/4" by 10 1/2"   Scored at 5 1/2"
Pacific Point 4 1/4" by 5" and a scrap to fit the smallest           stitched rectangle
Granny Apple Green  6" x 5" ( this is enough for both projects)
Watercolor Paper  3 1/2" x 4 1/2" (you will need two of these to make both projects) and 4 1/4" x 1"
Inks:
Granny Apple Green
Pacific Point
Basic Black
Stamp Sets:  
Inspiring Iris
Varied Vases
Dies:
Stitched So Sweetly set--the three largest scalloped stitched rectangles
Stitched Labels set--scalloped edgelit
Stitched Rectangles set--smallest
Other:
Classic Label Punch
Watercolor pencils (pacific point, daffodil delight, rich razzleberry)
Blender Pen

Die Cutting
1.  Cut two granny apple green scalloped rectangles with the second largest die (you'll need one for the gift card as well).  These will be used as mats for the two iris images.  Set aside.....

2.Cut one small stitched rectangle out of the pacific point scrap.  Set aside.....

3.  Center the largest scalloped rectangle die on the shorter end of the balmy blue card stock and run it through the Big Shot creating a "window."

To create a mat under  the "window," adhere the pacific point cardstock to the inside of the cover, over the top of the "window." 

Turn it back to the front side, center the second largest scalloped die in the window area, and run it through the Big Shot.

This window is the exact same size as the green mat for the iris image.

4.  Place the scalloped edgelit from the Stitched Labels die set along the edge of the 1" watercolor paper piece and run it through the Big Shot.  Set aside.....

Stamp:
1.  "Birthday Wishes" on a scrap of water color in Pacific Point ink.
     Then punch it out with the Classic Label Punch and adhere it to the Pacific Point stitched rectangle.  Embellish with a twine bow.
2.  "Hoping your day blooms with happiness" in the center of the watercolor paper scalloped strip.
3.  Iris image in black on the watercolor paper.  Do this twice since you will need one for the gift card envelope.  When the image is dry, color the flowers with watercolor pencils and blend. Center the third largest scalloped rectangle die over the iris image and run it through the Big Shot.
Construction:
Adhere the flower image to the Granny Apple Green scalloped rectangle with dimensionals.  Apply Tombow to the back of the green piece.  To have correct placement, shut the card and put the green piece in the window opening and adhere.
Adhere the inside greeting.
Adhere the front message.

Inside view

For the gift card holder, I CASED a Pinterest post by Chris Slogar of Buckeye Inklings. She has an excellent YouTube video with all the directions for her circle tab gift card holder and envelope.   

I have used the same color scheme, cardstock, and ink colors as my birthday card. 
The base of the envelope is 4 1/4" x 9 1/4". Score 1/2" along both long sides.  Rotate and score at 5".   After cutting and scoring the pocket holder, I used the leaf and stem stamp to create some background interest.  Use a circle punch to cut a "finger hole" at the top of the front section.

.

The insert is 3" x 5 1/2".  Score at 4 1/2" and fold up to make the little pocket.  Decorate it  as desired.  Attach a circle pull tab at the top. The sentiment is from the So Sentimental stamp set from Stampin' Up!

  I hope you like my projects.   This is my first blog hop, so I am learning as I go.  Feel free to comment below with constructive feedback on how I can improve my format and content. Thanks!!  Don't forget to hop around the other blogs and see what everyone else is making for Birthday Bash cards and projects--lots of inspiring ideas to get your creative juices flowing!

1.  Rachel Rife

2.  Kim Lamos

3.  Teri Pocock

4.  Cheryl Taylor

5.  Jo Blackman

6.  Steph Jandrow

7.  Katja Ettig

8.  Lisa Ann Bernard

9.  Kim Quade

10.  Heidi Collins

11.  Maureen Rauchfuss

12.  Jean Beaulieu  You are here!

13.  Anne Marie Hile

14.  Barbara Welch

15.  Melissa Thomas

16.  Sue Vine

Shop 24/7 at my online store!

My January host code:  MPJXJNKR

Swirly Frames and Country Livin'

Do you ever order a stamp set, get busy with other things, and much later remember that new stamp set that you had to have but ignored???  That happened to me today!  I have had the Swirly Frames and Country Livin' stamp sets from Stampin' Up! for weeks.  I am getting ready for a craft show next week and thought this card might appeal to someone in this rural area:

I made six of them.  Because the Swirly Frames are photopolymer, they are super easy to use.  They really add interest to the background without adding bulk.  I stamped the boots with black Memento ink and colored them with Crumb Cake Stampin' Blends.  I used a circle from the Layering Circles Framelits to cut out the boot piece.  I stamped the large swirly circle onto Blueberry Bushel card stock and used the largest circle framelit to cut it out.  (My photo doesn't really show the swirly design around the circle--sorry! It really is an interesting addition to the background!)  I mounted the boot circle to the blue circle with dimensionals.  The background paper is from the Wood Textures designer series papers.  Inside I stamped Happy Birthday.

Here is a more feminine version:

The doily background is part of the Detailed Baubles Thinlits Dies Set.  

I hope you like my card.  Until next time.....Happy Stamping!

A Simple Beautiful Christmas Card

I recently conducted a class where the attendees were half beginning stampers and half experienced stampers.  What project should I do?  I didn't want the beginners to feel overwhelmed with "fancy" tools like the Stamparatus or the Big Shot.  I didn't want the experienced stampers to be disappointed in a "too simple" card.    This is the card we made:

We used stamps from Winter Woods, a Stampin' Up! stamp set.
1.  Stamp the center tree in Shaded Spruce.
2.  Stamp the greeting in the upper right corner in Shaded Spruce.
3.  Stamp the other two trees in Mint Macaron.
4.  Adhere the card to a Mint Macaron mat.
5.  Adhere this to a Shaded Spruce base.
6.  Adhere 3 white sequins.  
Done with the front--easy, but beautiful!  Beginners were pleased and so were the experienced stampers.

Inside of card.  Some simple stamping on the inside in Shaded Spruce.

Give this card a try!

Thanks for stopping by.  Feel free to leave a constructive comment.  Contact me if you have a question.  Happy stamping!

Stampin' Up! has Shimmer Paint!!!

I arrived home from Seattle last night (a long weekend trip to visit my son's family in Bothell) to find that the UPS had paid a visit while we were gone.  Yay!  It's always fun to open one of those boxes!

I found a another new favorite from the Holiday Catalog!  Shimmer Paint--LOVE IT!  It's found on page 38--four colors:  Champagne Mist, Bright Copper, Frost White, Vegas Gold.  I bought only the Frost White.  After using it this morning, the other three are on my Wish List. 

I also got the Winter Woods stamp set and In the Woods Framelits which I bought in a bundle saving 10%.  Another favorite already!

A big thanks to Lisa Curcio for her wonderful You Tube presentation:  Three Shimmer Paint Techniques!  I am sharing two of them on my blog this morning.

I stamped two trees from the Winter Woods set in Shaded Spruce on two pieces of Whisper White card stock (2 3/4" x 4") using my Stamparatus.  They are beautiful just as they are, but the Shimmer Paint added a beautiful, subtle shimmer and shine.  My phone camera doesn't show the shine, but it's there!

For one tree I used a sponge dauber:
Shake the shimmer paint jar and listen for the clicking of the shaker inside. 
Dunk the sponge into the LID of the paint jar.
Starting at the bottom of the tree, slide the dauber back and forth working towards the top of the tree.  The ink color will blend a bit.
The dauber can be washed with soap and water and be used again.
Allow the tree to dry, run it through the Big Shot with its matching framelit, and you have a beautiful tree to use for your project.

For the second tree I used a Stampin' Up! Spritzer:
Shake the shimmer paint jar.
Unscrew the top of the spritzer and drop two drops of the simmer paint into the tube.
Add rubbing alcohol to the tube.
Put the lid back on and shake the spritzer well.
Spray the tree.
Allow to dry.
Run it through the Big Shot.  Another beautiful tree!

Both methods were easy to do and the results were beautiful.  The colors vary a bit.  The one closest to the catalog was done with the sponge dauber.

Thanks for stopping by!

Masculine Birthday Card

Masculine Birthday Card

Good morning, all!    Happy October.  

What's the use of making cards unless you send them-- right???  At the beginning of each month I check my list of birthdays and gather cards from my stash, address the envelopes, and lightly pencil in the date of the birthday in the corner where the stamp will go.  I keep these on my desk until it's time to mail them. Sadly, I need several masculine cards this month, and I have none!  So......

I CASED (copy and share everything) a card I saw on Facebook.  Thanks to craftylittlepeach.blogspot.com. for the inspiration.

Supplies:

Card Base:  Crumb Cake cardstock, cut to 5 1/2" x 8 1/2" and scored at 4 1/4"
Background:  Very Vanilla cardstock 4" x 5 1/4"
Circle:  Soft Suede
Happy Birthday Banner:  Very Vanilla 1" x 4 1/2 "
Background Banners:  4" of the 5/8" Burlap Ribbon
                                     Wood Textures designer series paper--3/4 " by 3 1/2"
Ink:  Mossy Meadow and Soft Suede
Adhesives: Multipurpose liquid glue, Stampin' Dimensionals, and Snail adhesive
Stamp Sets:  Perennial Birthdays, Rooted in Nature

Prepare the pieces:
Emboss the very vanilla background piece with the Big Shot using the pinewood planks embossing folder and then sponge over the surface with soft suede ink to highlight the embossing. Adhere this piece to the card base.  (The multipurpose liquid glue is my "go to" adhesive because it gives me some wiggle room to make adjustments if I don't get a good placement the first time.)  Snail adhesive works well too.
Cut a Soft Suede circle with the Big Shot using the Layering Circles framelits and emboss with the pinewood planks embossing folder.

Stamping with Mossy Meadow ink:
Stamp a tree on the envelope.
Stamp the two trees on a scrap of Very Vanilla card stock and run it through the Big Shot using the Nature's Roots framelits.                        
Stamp Happy Birthday (from the Perennial Birthdays stamp set) on the Very Vanilla  banner and "flag" the end.                      

Construction:
Adhere the burlap banner along the bottom of the card.
Adhere the wood textures banner just above the burlap banner.
Adhere the trees to the brown circle with dimensionals
Adhere the brown circle with liquid glue or snail overlapping the background banners a little.
Adhere the Happy Birthday banner with dimensionals.

Stampin' Up!  Products and item numbers:
Big Shot  143263
Pinewood Planks embossing older  143708
Layering Circles framelits  141705
Nature's Roots framelits 146341
Perennial Birthdays stamp set   145760
Rooted in Nature stamp set  146482
Wood Textures designer series paper  144177
Very Vanilla card stock  101650
Crumb Cake card stock  120953
5/8 " Burlap ribbon  141487
Sponges  141337
Multipurpose liquid glue  110755
Stampin' Dimensionals--mini  144108, standard size  104430
Snail Adhesive 104332

Thanks for stopping by!  I hope you have found this post helpful.  Feel free to leave me a comment.  I am a beginning blogger and would like constructive feedback.

Favorite Items in the Stampin' Up!2018 Holiday Catalog

I have a list of favorites a mile long, so I could continue this series for awhile!  However, this is the last installment.  Contact me if you would like a copy of your own catalog.

Merry Christmas to All Bundle (page 5) and Buffalo Check (page 38) were the first two items I ordered from the new catalog because of their versatility.  I will use them for years to come!

Samples from the Merry Christmas to All Stamp Set and the Merry Christmas Thinlits       

In addition to the four script cutouts, there are two frames:  stamp  a greeting and run it through the Big Shot with the die cut frame.  Quick and easy!     

Combine the die cut greetings with the stamps in the set to create a myriad of holiday greetings.

The Buffalo Check stamp is a large background stamp that has endless possibilities for color combinations!  I love it!

Thanks stopping by!

Take Your Pick Tool

Stampin' Up! 2018 Holiday Catalog Favorites

Have you ever struggled with picking up small embellishments or sequins when working on a project?  I do--my little sausage fingers aren’t as nimble as they were when I was younger!  Stampin’ Up! is introducing a new fun and HANDY multipurpose product called the Take Your Pick tool (item 144107 on page 30) in the new 2018 Holiday Catalog.  I had to get one right away, and I have found lots of uses for it.

A tacky putty end helps you easily pick up smaller elements.  The other end has four interchangeable tips which give you more options for your crafting needs:  piercing tip, spatula tip, large and small stylus tips.  A second putty end refill is included, and more refills are available.

The putty end is GREAT for picking up small elements, but it is NOT an adhesive.   Let’s say you are embellishing your project with sequins:

 Put a tiny drop of glue where you want to place the sequins.

Touch the putty end of the tool on the sequins..

 

Woo hoo--sequins sticks!

Place sequins on the drop of glue.  Easy and no mess!

I really like the larger stylus tip for scoring.  See what I mean about sausage fingers?  LOL

I am fairly new to blogging and welcome constructive comments.  Thanks for stopping by!