Color Challenge Scrapbooking

Yesterday I meant to make some cards. I went thru the challenges I like to use, I even pulled out some stamps and papers...but then I realized that one of the color challenges would be perfect for a scrapbook page! So that's what I got done, haha!

The Stampin' Up! Only Challenge blog had this fun, summery color combination. It was a good match for this really hot day at the park with cousins! I was a little stuck on how to make the colors work for a layout, so I took some inspiration from one of the pages I shared yesterday- color blocking with circle dies! And that meant it would work for this VSBN Challenge to use die cuts on a page. Done and done! 

Supplies:
Stamps: Colorful Seasons
Ink: Versamark, Lovely Lipstick Marker
Paper: Pool Party, Mango Melody, Granny Apple Green, Lovely Lipstick
Accessories: Big Shot, Circles Dies, Sweet Silhouettes Dies, Fine Tip Glue Pen

As a side note, since it's hard to tell from this picture, I stamped leaves on the circles, using Versamark ink. And here's a close up to show that I layered the "adventure" word.

AND that's two more pages done for my son's book!

Catch-up Scrapbooking!

I actually got all these pages done last week, I just haven't had time to blog it!
This was the best scrapping day in a long time, haha. All of these pages were done yeeears ago. All I had to do was find pictures to go on the pages, glue them down and a bit of journaling! That means I got all four pages done in half an hour! So exciting, haha!

This page came from a Stampin' Up! Regional conference in 2007. It was one of our make & takes, and it has literally been in a scrapbook pile since then. YIKES! I glued down these two pics of my youngest and bam- she's got another page done! I dont' remember the names of these stamp sets, tho I did own (maybe still do?) the doodly one on the circles.

This page was one I put together for a class I held I believe in 2010. We used two punches and the glimmer paper, which was a new thing then. I did an 8x11 and a 12x12 version to accommodate my customers. I used the 8x11 at my class, but never glued pics down on this one. I just found out today that my son got both pages, hahaha...but they're like a decade apart in his books so it's just fine. Right? hahaha....

And finally, I had made this fun layout for a class I held in 2011. This Bingo board and Halloween bits were so fun! Well, I had printed pictures of last Halloween for my youngest, and she is a big fan of Halloween so that was a perfect match! She got two more pages, lucky girl! haha!

So see? Make sure you look thru your stash and double check that things are used the way you intended! You never know what's hiding, waiting for your attention. haha......!

Paper Sale & the Holiday Mini!

It's kind of a big news day....

For one thing, some of our beautiful DP is on sale! Click HERE to see which of our annual catalog DP is part of this deal and don't miss out- I love stocking up on DP this way!

Then, the brand new Holiday Mini is now available for you to order from! If you don't have a copy, you can view it at the top of my sidebar, right here! Or you can click HERE and place your order while you're there! If you'd like a copy of your own, let me know and I can get one to you!
And read it carefully- there's lots of treasures in there! New gift wrap...black dimensionals...colored googly eyes...and LOTS of bundled items at a 10% discount!!

Wanna know my top picks??

My favorite Christmas stamp set is:
God's Peace, pg 28, $23.00, Cling

My favorite Christmas bundle is:
Holly Jolly Christmas Bundle, pg 24-26, $49.50, 8 cling stamps/7 dies
(altho really, I'd take the entire page 25, which is listed at the top, for $90.50)

My favorite {two!} DP's are these:
Come To Gather, pg 46-48, $11.50, 12x12

Feels Like Frost, pg 40-42, $14.50, 6x6

And my favorite ribbon is:
Very Vanilla/Copper 1/2" Classic Weave Ribbon, pg 31, $8.00

And while I'm here, I have to add...there are three new metallic ink pads and refills listed, on page 16. A few years ago we had metallic ink and my mom and I made a stack of cards with them but they NEVER dried. We heat set them and let them rest on a chair and threw them away several MONTHS later. Not cool.... But these inks? I haven't purchased one yet, but every demonstrator I have seen that has LOVES it. Dries fast, crisp image, great shine...! Every post I have seen that includes these metallic inks also includes some variation of "You have got to try this!" So.
You have GOT to try these!
Ink, page 16

What are you going to get first?? I can't wait to get creating with all these fun new things!

Quick and Cute!

Today I decided to take some stamping time and put this card together. This will definitely be part of my next class- it was so quick to make and it's really cute!
The color combo came from the latest Global Design Project challenge, and the sketch came from Fab Friday!

Supplies:
Stamps: Forever Lovely
Ink: Rococo Rose, Mint Macaron, So Saffron
Paper: So Saffron, Whisper White & Mint Macaron card stocks
Accessories: Rococo Rose Scalloped Linen Ribbon, Glue Dots

And then, I have a quick tip to share. I know occasionally with brand new rubber stamps, especially with a large solid area, sometimes won't stamp clearly. The ink sort of beads up on the rubber, rather than covering the whole image. I haven't had that issue with the photopolymer stamps at all, until today. The flowers didn't seem very clear, and then the leafy image, even tho I used markers the first try, didn't come out well at all! Hmm. The solution? Scrub it across your jeans, or even the palm of your hands. Then clean it to make sure there isn't lint (or hand oils) and ink it up again. Then it came out great!

We Create Metallics Blog Hop

September is here! YES the year is flying by, but September is my favorite- autumn is coming (we even had a very cool morning last week!) and it's my wedding anniversary! And since it's the 1st, we have a fun blog hop to get you going! This time we're playing with metallic supplies!

For my projects, I wanted to play with a new stamp set. This is from the new Holiday Mini catalog, which will be available on Wednesday! This particular set is a fundraiser set! $3 of every sale will go to local mental health organizations! I gotta say, I absolutely love that! Also, I used the latest sketch from Freshly Made Sketches for both cards.

The first metallic I picked was copper. This fox just had to go with some copper! In this case, that meant Copper Foil Paper and Copper Trim.

And here's a picture that captures the shiny metallic a little better.

Supplies:

Stamps: Nature's Beauty, Well Said

Ink: Stazon Black, Cajun Craze

Paper: Cajun Craze, Very Vanilla card stocks, Copper Foil paper

Accessories: Copper Trim, Blender Pen, Glue Dots

Next I played with some silver tones.

And again, this time it shows up better...

Supplies:
Stamps: Nature's Beauty, Well Said
Ink: Stazon Black, Smoky Slate
Paper: Whisper White & Smoky Slate card stocks
Accessories: Metallic Pearls, Wink of Stella, Blender Pens, Dimensionals

I colored both animals with ink pads and a Blender Pen. But the Watercolor Pencils and the Stampin' Blends will also be great! I also liked that I could easily show two distinct seasons with one stamp set! I think I'm going to love using this sweet nature set!

Anyway, hop on over to Cheryl's blog to see what she made. Then hop on through to everyone else and let us know what you think! Everyone loves feedback!

Scrapping Homecoming!

Now here's something crazy...I made a scrapbook layout, and everything but the title stamps and ink are current! Even the photos are not a whole year old yet!
The colors came from some pretty DP I wanted to use, but then I realized these stamp sets fit so nicely...and then I forgot all about using the DP! So there's a random dash of Fresh Fig (retired!) ink with the title, but it worked in my head... haha!

Supplies:

Stamps: Very Versailles, Forever Lovely, Whimsical Alphabet Upper (retired)

Ink: Pear Pizazz, Petal Pink, Sahara Sand, & Fresh Fig (retired)

Paper: Mossy Meadow, Pear Pizazz, Petal Pink

Accessories: Scalloped Lace Trim, Pearls, Glue Dots

Here's a close up of the stamped accent panel. I don't know why everything seems a bit blurry...I haven't had a camera problem before, tho pages are tricky to photograph.

And the journaling strip. I just need him to help me out with a few of the names, and a couple details I have forgotten.

I'm excited I've gotten some scrapping done and I really hope to continue with that!! What are you working on?

Valentine Scrapping!

I really am determined to make a dent in my scrapbooking to-do list. I counted and I have 51 events worth of pictures already printed for my son's book, so that's where I started!
This page was created for a challenge. It required three patterns of DP, three photos, a three word title and three embellishments. Done! And the layout is inspired by THIS page on Pinterest.

Supplies:
Stamps: ABC-123 Sketch Alphabet (long retired)
Ink: Real Red
Paper: Crisp Cantaloupe (long retired), Stacked With Love DP
Accessories: 1/8" Real Red ribbon (retired), Washi Tape (retired), Hodgepodge Hardware (retired!)

and a bit of a close up on the embellishments... Pages are tricky to photograph.

Paper Pumpkin Birthdays!

That same stampy day this week, I realized I needed several birthday cards in the next few weeks. So, I pulled out many Paper Pumpkin kits and made a decent stack!

For this one, the designed cards were the donuts. This was from May of 2017. I trimmed off the "hinge" and stacked one of each donut on this card base! All I added was the So Saffron card stock and scissors to trim off the edges!

This kit was from June of 2017 and I hadn't even opened it! It was to make little notecards (the fruit "paper" is the entire front of the note card) and watermelon gift sacks. It's pretty cute and I think I just might have my daughter start using these things for friend gifts, haha. In the meantime, here's a cute birthday card. All I added was the Whisper White card base.

This is from the February 2017 kit. Apparently I was kinda in to 2017 this day, haha... Anyway, this is an alternate idea, which I've actually done before. See HERE. It's almost identical in fact, sheesh...

And then this card was made the way the kit was designed.

This is how the insert works so as you tug it you keep seeing "happy" thru the window, and at the bottom too!

Anyway, it was fun to get some birthday cards made, and use some more Paper Pumpkin kits! I had a few more ideas that I didn't have time for, but I have a reinforced goal to use up these kits and get them shared!

Are YOU a Paper Pumpkin subscriber yet?? It's SO easy to sign up- click on the Pumpkin icon on my sidebar and you can choose a set time frame or just a month by month subscription, which is what I have. It's so fun to get these little boxes in the mail and have projects ready to go! Next month will have you all ready for Halloween with some fun treat boxes! Here's what we know so far:

- It will arrive after Sept 10 (that's the deadline to sign up to get this kit!)
- Designed to make 20 Halloween themed food-safe treat boxes!
- The coordinating colors are Basic Black, Gorgeous Grape, Pumpkin Pie and Whisper White
- You always get to keep the cute stamp set and the ink spot, and there are always left over pieces if you make the designed projects. Always some way to stretch the project in to more cute projects!

If any of that interests you, you just might want to hurry and sign up!

August's Paper Pumpkin!

Well I have had a jam-packed couple weeks! ...months? something. But the kids are in school now and I finally had a day at home! I really wanted to stamp but wasn't sure where to start... Just one more reason to love Paper Pumpkin! I got this box last week and peeked inside and that's all I had time for, so I got to work!

Here's the unboxing video, so you can see all the cute stuff that came this month, and the way the kit was designed.

But not everyone loves gift sacks and tags. I am definitely not a tag person, tho I will use the gift sacks for sure in the future. This time, Stampin' Up! tried something new- offering a card option to go with your kit! For only $10 (before tax and shipping) you can choose to order this cute add-on bundle! It comes with 24 cards bases and 24 envelopes that coordinate perfectly with the August kit! LOVE THAT!

I have not ordered the add-on kit, so I made my own cards, using two sheets of card stock and that was it. First I picked Pretty Peacock, which I think I kind of love. I chose to use one of the tags, a bit of ribbon, some cute dies, and the friend greeting, finishing with a few gold sequins.

Then I used Crumb Cake card stock, two of the stamps, and a few more pieces. I think it's so pretty!

What do you think? Did you get the August kit? Did you get the add-on?? I know I am going to love this one!

Flashback Friday Scrapping!

haha! But really. The pictures are nine years old. Everything on the pages is long retired. The stamp is older than the pictures! I'm excited to have this one done, haha! It was designed for a scrapbook challenge to create a Christmas themed page. This definitely started our Christmas season off that year- a trip on the Polar Express!

Supplies:
Stamps: Happiness is a Journey (retired!)
Ink: Versamark
Paper: Basic Gray & Very Vanilla card stock, Merry Moments Simply Scrappin' Kit (retired!)
Accessories: Silver Embossing Powder, Heat Tool, Regals Brads assortment (retired!), Merry Moments Simply Scrappin' Kit (retired!)

And here's a closeup of the border strips and the embossed train!

I organized some completed scrapbook pages this week and I'm just aching to get more done. I have literally a few hundred pictures printed just waiting on me to have the time..... This is lousy timing with school starting, but hey, I got something done!

Dragonflies!

A few weeks ago I had a friend ask if I had anything with dragonflies. Nothing came to mind at that moment, and I still haven't had a chance to dig thru my retired supplies... but I told her I'd see what I could find. Then my mom placed an order, and her new stamp set has dragonflies!! So the other day I put this little card together to try it out for her. 

I happen to love cattails so I used that for the "ground". I stamped it on the ends, and then I die cut it too. I used my Bronze Stampin' Blend marker to make the cattails brown, right on top of the green card stock. I like how it turned out! What do you think?

Supplies:

Stamps: Friend Like You

Ink: Granny Apple Green, Soft Suede, Bermuda Bay, Bronze Stampin' Blend 

Paper: Sahara Sand, Whisper White, Granny Apple Green card stocks

Accessories: Friendly Silhouette dies, Big Shot 

You've Got This!

My big kids are just about to go back to school! I am very much looking forward to being back to a set routine, but I am not looking forward to all the things...worrying about grades and homework on top of extra curricular and work and all the things!! And there are a lot of things! I'm also not at all a fan of early mornings, haha...
But I am currently determined to do better about sending little notes of encouragement in their lunches, so I better get some made, right? That's what today's project is.

This new-to-me stamp set is designed with something else in mind (that I am a fan of, and a project is coming!) but ultimately I decided to purchase this set because of these images. Going along with the A Good Man set and the dad with the children, I can think of many times a hug from a mom is a good image too! So I picked the sketch found on the Fab Friday blog, and my plan totally fits the latest Paper Players challenge! Annd I typed up and printed off the greeting. I don't know if I own this phrase in a retired set, but I don't own it in my current stash, so yeay for the computer, haha. Because this is what it needs to say.

Supplies:
Stamps: Artfully Aware
Ink: Memento Black
Stampin' Blends: Dark & Light Pumpkin Pie, Dark & Light Night of Navy, Dark Daffodil Delight, Ivory, Bronze
Paper: Whisper White, Pumpkin Pie card stock
Accessories: White Baker's Twine, Circle dies, Big Shot

Supplies:
Stamps: Artfully Aware
Ink: Memento Black
Stampin' Blends: Dark & Light Blackberry Bliss, Dark & Light Old Olive, Dark Daffodil Delight, Ivory, Bronze
Paper: Whisper White, Old Olive card stock
Accessories: Linen Thread, Circle dies, Big Shot

Ready to go in their lunches on the very first day of school!