Three-fer bouquet!

Happy Monday to you! We had a long weekend for a state holiday so we had some bonus family time, and project time. I even got to stamp! 

I needed a specific card and I was thinking about this stamp set for it, so I went looking for some color challenges that ended up working so nicely! 

First I played with the color challenge at Hand Stamped Sentiments. I liked the Golden Glow for the bouquet and the Lost Lagoon for the recipient. And I made the same card twice, just switched the flower and bow colors. That Powder Pink ink pad could stand some more ink but I didn't do that on Saturday. Note to self....! 

You can barely see the pink flowers here, but I promise they're in there.

Supplies:

Stamps: Wishing You Well, Canvas

Ink: Golden Glow, Powder Pink, Lost Lagoon

Paper: Basic White card stocks

Accessories: Brass Butterflies

Then I made the same thing with a different color challenge, This time from CAS Colours & Sketches. I think it's CAS enough! 

Supplies:

Stamps: Wishing You Well, Canvas

Ink: Petal Pink, Calypso Coral, Lost Lagoon

Paper: Basic Beige card stock

Accessories: Earth Tones Shimmer Gems 

And one of these went out in the mail today! Hooray for happy mail! 

Autumny Notes

Happy Monday! We had a good weekend reset and we're back to life today! 
I really wanted some cards made so that's what I'm doing today!

First up, this happy autumny card! I used the latest Freshly Made Sketch and the latest from Color Throwdown and I love it! When this set came out, it was one of my very favorites. Turns out, still a favorite! I haven't made anything I haven't liked with this set- it's a keeper!!  

Supplies:

Stamps: Wishing You Well
Ink: Garden Green, Pumpkin Pie, Cherry Cobbler
Paper: Pumpkin Pie, Garden Green & Basic White card stocks, Adventure Bound DP
Accessories: Spotlight On Nature dies, Dimensionals

Rainbow!

So, this is how I store my current ink pads. I keep the box standing up just like that most of the time, but if I need to take my inks somewhere I just turn it on its side and stick it in the car! 

The other day, the box was knocked over, so I used my catalog to make sure all the inks I own were picked up, so some of them ended up in the exact color order shown in the catalog (as far as I own them...I don't have a complete collection). Later, I noticed this stack of colors 

and how happy and bright they all looked together. I know it's been very snowy and cold all over lately, and my house is definitely part of that winter dreariness. So of course I decided I had to make a background out of that exact color combination! 

Here's what I did- including my sweet Sale-A-Bration greeting set. 

Supplies:

Stamps: Wishing You Well, Part of My Story

Ink: Flirty Flamingo, Daffodil Delight, Granny Apple Green, Coastal Cabana, Bermuda Bay, Pacific Point, Gorgeous Grape

Paper: Whisper White, Bermuda Bay

Accessories: Calypso Coral ombre ribbon, Circle Dies, Big Shot 

I even know exactly who to send this to! 

Don't you think this would really brighten someone's day? What are you crafting to send out? 

Bright Little Note

I got to stamp yesterday, and I also planned out a few more cards to make, haha, so hopefully I'll get a little more stamping time soon! Do you ever do that? I couldn't decide which set I wanted to play with, so I came up with a few ideas, then I picked one! 

For this one, I used the latest Fab Friday sketch, and made a cute, happy card for my upcoming class! It also definitely qualifies for the #simplestamping challenge, since I really only used stamps, ink and paper! 

Supplies:

Stamps: Wishing You Well, Buffalo Check

Ink: Melon Mambo, Lemon Lime Twist

Paper: Melon Mambo, Whisper White card stocks

Accessories: Dimensionals 

I left the actual banner off from the sketch, but I put the greeting in the same spot, so it should work. I liked the bright colors to off set the huge storm we had yesterday. I'm really happy with how it turned out, which is always a good thing! Let me know if you want to attend my class!  

#simplestamping

This fall, with the 30th Anniversary of Stampin' Up! they issued a challenge to demonstrators, to encourage more "simple" stamping. Showing off the fact that we can still make something pretty without owning everything in the catalog (as fun as that would absolutely be, haha!). Well, my style has always been closer to simple stamping than it has to the more complicated, layered projects. I love them, I just struggle to make it work together well. I've had to learn to incorporate all the accessories and embellishments and beautiful papers on my cards, haha. Also, if you've been a long-time reader, you'll know that our monthly blog hop used to focus on a simple card and a stepped up version, so simple is usually pretty easy for me.

I haven't stamped much in the last several weeks, like early December, so I thought starting off very simple would be a good jumping-back-in point. Also, I need to mail out at least four cards...so I picked an easy stamp set, a variety of colors to vary the card (the In Colors that retire THIS summer!!) and went for a super mailable, easy design! What do you think? I did use multiple stamp sets for the greetings so that these cards fit who I needed to send them to, but it really is just stamps, ink and paper!

Powder Pink is tricky to see in a picture, haha,

so here's a close up.

Supplies:
Stamps: Love What You Do, Part of My Story
Ink: Powder Pink, Memento Black
Paper: Whisper White

Supplies:
Stamps: Love What You Do
Ink: Berry Burst , Memento Black
Paper: Whisper White

Supplies:
Stamps: Love What You Do
Ink: Fresh Fig, Memento Black
Paper: Whisper White

Supplies:
Stamps: Love What You Do, PS You're The Best
Ink: Tranquil Tide, Memento Black
Paper: Whisper White

Supplies:
Stamps: Love What You Do, Wishing You Well
Ink: Lemon Lime Twist, Memento Black
Paper: Whisper White

These are really very simple cards. Do you like simple stamping or do you prefer to add a little bit of everything? Or maybe somewhere in the middle, like I usually do? haha....
Anyway, the best part of this story is that two of these cards went out yesterday and I should get two more out tomorrow too!

Christmas Wreath Options!

Really, it's all the same card, I just tried out three different plaids to see what I liked best, and then had to get an opinion before offering it to my class!
It looks an awful lot like the last time I used this set, but this time I picked a sketch off Splitcoaststampers.com.

Supplies:
Stamps: Buffalo Check, Wishing You Well
Ink: Cherry Cobbler, Pear Pizazz
Paper: Whisper White, Pear Pizazz & Real Red card stocks
Accessories: Circle Dies, Big Shot, Dimensionals

Supplies:
Stamps: Buffalo Check, Wishing You Well
Ink: Cherry Cobbler, Pear Pizazz, Mossy Meadow
Paper: Whisper White, Pear Pizazz & Cherry Cobbler card stocks
Accessories: Circle Dies, Big Shot, Dimensionals

Supplies:
Stamps: Buffalo Check, Wishing You Well
Ink: Cherry Cobbler, Pear Pizazz
Paper: Whisper White, Pear Pizazz & Cherry Cobbler card stocks
Accessories: Circle Dies, Big Shot, Dimensionals

Do you have a favorite of these?

Mail those cards!

Since I intend to mail out a lot of cards in the next few weeks, I figure I'll need to add to my stash.  Also, I wanted to break up all the Christmas cards since it is still early November... you're welcome? So I picked these stamp sets (looove this combo!) and thought I'd go for autumn. Um, I missed the fall part, haha, but, I still love the card, so here you go.
The card is based off the Fab Friday sketch, but I used my new circle dies instead of squares...

Supplies:
Stamps: Buffalo Check, Wishing You Well
Ink: Mint Macaron, Flirty Flamingo
Paper: Whisper White, Flirty Flamingo & Mint Macaron card stocks
Accessories: White Bakers Twine, Circle Dies, Big Shot

However, this card isn't going in my stash, it has a home to go to. Are you mailing any thank you cards this month? How much would it brighten someone's day?

World Card Making Day 2

Here is a second card to inspire you today- using the same stamp set as before but going for a rather different look. Earlier I have a crisp card, now I have a distressed, comfy card. In the last 6 weeks, we've suddenly lost my cousin, and a dear friend. This card will be going to one of the family members. I thought a cozy look would be a good thing to receive in the mail and I hope I'm right. Also, again, I love this font.

I took a great deal of inspiration from THIS beautiful card to make mine. I inked up my fabulous new Buffalo Check background stamp with Night of Navy and flipped it rubber side up. I used a panel of Gray Granite card stock, laid on the stamp, and rubbed my fingers across it to get it fully inked. Then I stuck the corner in the palm of my hand and rubbed the paper back and forth til it was nicely "roughed up". I did the same to the corners of the vanilla piece too. I think it works great with the background stamp, and again, I hope it's a little like a hug in the mail.

Supplies:
Stamps: Wishing You Well, Buffalo Check
Ink: Night of Navy, Gray Granite
Paper: Night of Navy, Gray Granite & Very Vanilla card stocks
Accessories: Linen Thread

Have you mailed any cards lately? I actually need to get about five cards in the mail right about now, but this is a good start...!

World Card Making Day!

has arrived!! I am not crafting today, lol.... I have too much going on today. almost every time it is World Card Making Day, actually... but I still have some things to share with you, because I DID get to craft last night!! YEAY!

First up- this beautiful autumny card. I really love every sample I see using this stamp set and I wish I had time to play with all the color combos I think of. I also looove this new embossing folder and I was so excited to get to play with it finally. I didn't buy the Galvanized Metallic Paper (yet?) but I thought it would look just as stunning with any of our foil papers- and it does! it's just a little tricky to photograph....

Supplies:
Stamps: Wishing You Well
Ink: Crushed Curry, Cajun Craze, Mossy Meadow
Paper: Very Vanilla & Crushed Curry card stocks, Copper Foil DP
Accessories: Tin Tile Embossing Folder, Big Shot, Dimensionals

I think this card just might make its way into an upcoming class, and I definitely have someone in mind to send it to later. Are you making anything today? Well, check back, because I have a few more cards to share with you and inspire your creating on World Card Making Day!

Minimal Supplies!

It's been a while.
It feels like ages ago, but I blogged, then I had a class, then my family was evacuated due to wild fires. Three of them, headed right for us. UGH.

This pic (below) was taken from across the street from my front door, just as I drove away...

We did have about a 6 hour warning, but I kinda think nothing prepares you for that. We went to my parents, which is where we lived while building our house. But, it's roughly an hour away from our end of the world, and that has been tricky, to say the least. 1/3 of the high school is evacuated, and many of them evacuated within school boundaries. So, they're keeping schools open so that kids have a place to go while parents are at work and also to keep some consistency for all the kids. There have been countless miracles and sooo many instances of amazing, generous people. It has been truly amazing to watch. But, it has also been difficult convincing a toddler to sleep at grandparents' for naps and bedtime, day after day after day.... We're a week into this, and we're supposed to expect at least another week. We're also getting up an hour earlier than usual so that my husband can get the kids to school on time, and then one or both of us have to be out there in the evenings with all the sports and appointments and all the things...! It has been an adventure...! haha! 

We have been able to get up to our home a couple times. When we left, we literally took the bare essentials, and three days worth of clothes, which we thought was excessive. When my husband went back the first time, he got the food that would go bad, the dirty clothes hamper (best idea ever, from my neighbor) and a couple more "essentials". And then he got to go back again, after we were told to expect 2 more weeks. He needed work clothes, but since he was there...! I had him grab some of my stamp supplies, like my Big Shot and inks, and he got a few stamp sets too. Hooray!!

Anyway, yesterday I was home all day long, and my mom and I decided we needed some creative time! We each made four Christmas cards for her to use (since we're using her supplies). I wanted to try an idea that's been spinning, for a suuuper simple card I may use at an upcoming class. Very quick, very pretty!

A slightly different one...

And finally a different idea I saw another demonstrator share.

All three cards use exactly the same supplies. I wanted to see if I thought it would be striking enough with white on white and I really like how it turned out. Really, this is going to be a favorite set!

Supplies:
Stamps: Wishing You Well
Ink: Granny Apple Green, Real Red
Paper: Whisper White card stocks
Accessories: Dimensionals

Simple Note

Tomorrow the new Holiday Mini becomes available to order from! Today I have my first sneak peek for you!
There are many things in the new Mini that I love and want to order, haha, but this was the first thing I chose. It isn't expensive, it's quick to use and the results are beautiful! Everything I've thought of and everything I've seen made...I think this set will get a lot of love around here! Also, I really love the scripty font!
It also features a new style of stamp- what Stampin' Up! is calling "Dist-INK-tive", and it means you get different shades by inking ONE stamp, ONE time. Sort of like 2-Step stamping, but in only one step. You can see the layers in the wheat bundle, the ribbon, and the wreath. I think it's a cool look, and every Dist-INK-tive stamp set is marked in the catalog, like this:

Anyway, today I tried a new-to-me sketch for this pretty little card, and we'll make this card at my upcoming class! I know it's simple, but I really love how it turned out. And it will be perfect to stick in the mail to brighten someone's day!

Supplies:
Stamps: Wishing You Well
Ink: Crumb Cake, Fresh Fig
Paper: Crumb Cake, Fresh Fig & Very Vanilla card stock