Sizzling!!

For the next several days, my posting will be a little inconsistent, as I am on holidays and taking a good break from business related stuff!  But I don't want to leave you high and dry, especially with all the excitement over the retiring products and the new catalogue coming out.  I definitely feel at a disadvantage over that.  I've ordered my Sneak Peek products, but will be away when they first arrive and I won't have any projects with new products to show you.  I'll have to make up for lost time when I get back.  In the meantime, be happy for me as I soak up some sunshine and rest - as compared to my home town weather, where it is raining, hailing and SNOWING!  Mind you, 90 degree weather is a pretty big leap!  Gonna live in the pool, I think!

Our terrace!  Yes, that's a gas fireplace!

My goals are to share a few cards that I managed to make before we left and to keep you up-to-date on the latest developments from Stampin' Up.  

This card I made just before we left was created with both the Dynamic Duo challenge #50  and The Paper Player's Layout challenge #143 this week.

For the colours, I don't have any Blushing Bride, yet, so I had to use Pink Pirouette.  I'm not a real fan of that combination.  I also tried to use the Delicate Details Lace Tape as one of the flags and some Calypso Coral ruffled ribbon for another and I'm not sure that worked very well.  I do like the Calypso Coral rosette made from some Tea for Two Designer Series Paper, especially backed by the Paper Doily.  The image and the sentiment are from the Tea Shoppe stamp set, which is retiring June 3, so make sure you order it soon if you like it.  Did you notice that I did some shadow stamping using the Stamp-a-ma-jig?  The little vanilla and pink roses are from the Artisan Embellishments kit in the Spring catalogue, good until May 31.

In the Stampin' Up news, the latest kit has just come out.  Here are the deets:

Bloomin' Bouquet Kit

Mother's Day. Teacher appreciation. Just because. Say thank you with this no-maintenance bouquet. There's no watering, no weeding-just enjoying. This easy-to-assemble kit comes complete with the petals, stems, and buttons to create the flowers, as well as four different tags to make this the perfect gift for any occasion. All you need is some paper, ribbon or a vase to add the finishing touches to the bouquet.

As if that weren't enough, the kit contains a "baker's dozen"! This means you can create and give (or keep) a dozen flowers, and have a bonus flower left over to pass along to someone new! Give it to someone you wouldn't normally think of: a teller at the bank, a grocery store clerk, or the librarian at your local library. Anyone you encounter on your way that you'd like to give a little "thank you" to-and introduce them to Stampin' Up!

Ordering information:

Item 134542          $15.95
Available starting April 29, while supplies last.

Kit contents:

2 sheets of preprinted and precut flowers on 12" X 12" cardstock; makes 13 flowers using Pool Party, Gumball Green, Calypso Coral, Daffodil Delight, and Rich Razzleberry
13 Vintage Faceted Buttons
13 green floral wire stems
Adhesive not included. (Glue gun recommended.)

Don't forget about my Mystery Hostess program!

And here are the links again to the retiring products:

Retiring Stamp Sets - available until June 3

Retiring Accessories - available while supplies last until June 3.

New sold out products since my last post are the Linen Ring Albums pg 169 Crumb Cake 12 x 12 Album and Early Espresso 12 x 12 Album; and the Comfort Cafe Collection DVD from My Digital Studio (pg. 198)

Stamps:  Tea Shoppe (w125545; c125547)*
Paper:  Calypso Coral (122925), Pink Pirouette (111351)* and Very Vanilla (101650) card stock; Tea for Two DSP (129311)*
Ink:  Classic Ink Pad in Calypso Coral (126983) and Stampin' Write marker in Pink Pirouette (119700 - as part of the Subtles bundle)*
Accessories - Paper Doilies (129399); Artisan Embellishments Kit (129328)*, Delicate Details Lace Tape (130966); 3/8" Ruffled Ribbon in Calypso Coral (122976)*
Tools:  Chevron Textured Impressions Embossing Folder (127749); Simply Scored Scoring Tool (122334)

Tea Shoppe Stamp Set

By the Seashore

I think I may have mentioned before that all three of my girls got married within 12 months of each other!  It's one of our family's claims to fame, I guess.  But three of us have our anniversary dates within days of each other as well, and I wanted to show you another anniversary card I made for my middle daughter, Kristen and her husband, David!  I used the stamp set, By the Seashore, because my daughter liked to collect sand from the shores of all the oceans she visited and she still has that collection, I think, stored in fancy little bottles. 

I paired Pool Party (for the water) with Certainly Celery because Kris likes green, and Sahara Sand, for what else but the sand.  The square lattice embossing folder just seemed liked the right texture for the images.  I used the Lovely Letters Alphabet for their initials and if you like that set, it is on the Retiring List and will only be available until June 3.  The Natural 7/16" Trim Ribbon is perfect for the beachy look, and the Tea Time Trinket clock indicates the passing of time in their marriage.  I left off a mushy sentiment because they're not really into that, but they do have a strong relationship that will certainly stand the test of time.

Here, again are your links to the retiring products lists:

Retiring Stamps - available until June 3, 2013

Retiring Accessories- available while supplies last until June 3, 2013

The accessories already sold out are:

The products that have already sold out are: 8 1/2" x 11" card stock in More Mustard, Not Quite Navy, Bashful Blue, Certainly Celery, Regal Rose, Riding Hood Red and Baja Breeze; 12 x 12 card stock in Pretty in Pink; First Edition Specialty Designer Series Paper; Watercolour Wonder Crayons in Subtles and Brights;  Stampin' Ink Refills in More Mustard, Pretty in Pink, Not Quite Navy, Bashful Blue, Regal Rose, Bravo Burgundy, Certainly Celery, River Rock and Baja Breeze; Watercolour Pencils; and the Story Time DVD Digital Content

Newly sold out are:
Subtles Collection Classic Stampin' Ink Refills; Basic Black Craft Stampin' Refill; Glossy White Paper; Grid Paper

Have a great weekend!

Stamps:  By the Seashore (w126530; c126532); Lovely Letters Alphabet* (w115030; c127796)
Paper:  Certainly Celery* (105125), Pool Party (122924), Sahara Sand (121043) and Very Vanilla (101650) card stock
Ink:  Classic Stampin' Pads in Sahara Sand (126976), Pool Party (126982) and Crumb Cake (120953)
Accessories:  Natural 7/16" Trim Ribbon (129287); Tea Time Trinkets (129326), Linen Thread (104199)
Tools:  1 3/8" Square Punch* (119877); Square Lattice Embossing Folder (119976)
*Retiring Products

By the Seashore Stamp Set

Linen Thread

Natural 7/16" Trim Ribbon

Ovals Collection Framelits

Tea Time Trinkets

Lovely  Letters Alphabet

You Had a Bad Day!

I did not have a good day yesterday!  I wanted to get so much done, getting ready to go away on holidays, but nothing cooperated!  The phone rang, and rang, and the computer would not do what I wanted it to.  To top it all off, as I was feverishly working in my "Computer Cave", the doorbell rang and it was a new customer I met through my Stampin' Up webpage!  I was a bit baffled at first until I realized I had totally forgotten that she was coming to have her first beginner's class tonight.  Can you say "RED-FACED"?  I was in my working grubbies, with nothing prepared!  I apologized profusely, but felt so idiotic! She was very gracious and we talked a little about Stampin' Up, I showed her my samples and she left, having thankfully confirmed our next date for a beginner's class.  Thank you, Tami, for being so understanding!  

                                                                                                  This was me!

I bet you can't top that one! I guess I just have too much going on right now!  Anyway, I wanted to share another Sympathy card I made this week, again for the friend who lost her father, but this one was from my husband and I personally.  Sympathy cards are always difficult to make, but Stampin' Up has some lovely images and sentiments to make it easier.  Here is my card:

I love the soft, comforting Wisteria Wonder for a card like this.  Paired with Elegant Eggplant for emphasis, you get a very classy look.  And I LOVE the Epic Day DSP that comes in the This and That Bundle!  Isn't it gorgeous?  My new favourite!  But if you want it, you'd better order it soon, because it will no longer be available after April 30!  The image is from the Best of Flowers, the 25th Anniversary set for March. I inked up the hydrangea with Stampin' Write Markers in Wisteria Wonder and Lucky Limeade and stamped it on Whisper White card stock.  Loving Thoughts makes a beautifully elegant sentiment!  I think it's interesting that the Scallop Dot Ribbon in Elegant Eggplant doesn't look too flippant here!  It suits the subdued look of the card as a whole.

And on the subject of ribbon and other accessories, have you checked the Retiring Product lists posted yesterday?  Are your wish list favourites among them?  Better make plans to put in an order!  Use the Hostess Code QKSCZFZK  when submitting it and you could be the Mystery Hostess who gets all the hostess rewards from any orders submitted between April 24 and April 30th!

Here are the Retired Products Lists again:

Retiring Stamp Sets

Retiring Accessories

Accessories already sold out are the following:  The products that have already sold out are: 8 1/2" x 11" card stock in More Mustard, Not Quite Navy, Bashful Blue, Certainly Celery, Regal Rose, Riding Hood Red and Baja Breeze; 12 x 12 card stock in Pretty in Pink; First Edition Specialty Designer Series Paper; Watercolour Wonder Crayons in Subtles and Brights;  Stampin' Ink Refills in More Mustard, Pretty in Pink, Not Quite Navy, Bashful Blue, Regal Rose, Bravo Burgundy, Certainly Celery, River Rock and Baja Breeze; Watercolour Pencils; and the Story Time DVD Digital Content

Well I hope your Wednesday was way better than mine.  Thankfully, today is a brand new day with no mistakes in it....yet!

Stamps:  Best of Flowers (c133342); Loving Thoughts (w125843; c125845)
Paper:  Epic Day DSP (130814); Wisteria Wonder (122922), Elegant Eggplant (105126) and Whisper White (100730) card stock
Ink:  Classic Stampin' Pad in Elegant Eggplant (126969); Stampin' Write Markers in Wisteria Wonder and  Lucky Limeade (123002 - in In Colour bundle)
Accessories:  1/2" Scallop Dots Ribbon in Elegant Eggplant (124143)(now 40% off until supply is gone)
Tools:  Oval Collection Framelits (129381); Scallop Trim Border Punch (118402)

Epic Day DSP

Scallop Trim Border Punch

Ovals Collection Framelits

Loving Thoughts Stamp Set

Best of Flowers Stamp Set

New Mystery Hostess Contest

Announcing a new Mystery Hostess Event!!

Place your orders for any product, retiring or otherwise, between April 24 and April 30, (on-line or email me) and use this Hostess Code - QKSCZFZK.  

Your name will be entered once for every $30 you order and I will draw for the Mystery Hostess on April 30.  (I will be away from April 30 to May 10, so don't phone, send me an email, or order on-line.)

If your order is $200 or more DO NOT enter the hostess code, as you will receive your own hostess benefits (unless you would forfeit your own benefits in order to have a chance at greater ones.)

As you look at the Retiring Lists, remember you can get all the stamp sets right up until June 3, but the retiring accessories are only available WHILE SUPPLIES LAST!  You know that means you have to act quickly.  Check the list daily with attention to the column on the far right.  If you see an x in that column, that accessory has been sold out and no longer available.  Did you notice that some accessories are 25%, 40% and even 60% off?

Don't wait too long until you are disappointed!  Remember how fast some of the Clearance Rack items went!

Retirement Isn't for Sissies!

Well, the long-dreaded/anticipated list is now out!  The Last Chance List as people often refer to it as.  These are the stamps and accessories that Stampin' Up will be retiring in order to bring you many more new and exciting products!

The good news is that you still have until June 3 to get those items you simply cannot live without!  Stamp sets will be available right up until June 3.  Accessories, however, will only be available as long as supplies last.  And you know from past experience, how quickly they can go.  Don't be disappointed!  Email or phone me with your orders, or better yet - shop for yourself online at this link!

Here are the lists so you can pour over them:

Retired Stamps Sets PDF

Retired Accessories PDF**

**When I added this link Tuesday night, it was blank.  I will check it Wednesday morning and update the link if needed.

Remember that one-layer card I made on Monday?  Well, I was never satisfied with it.  It just seems too plain to me, like not enough went into making it.  Well, I used that main image, but layered it up a bit and came up with something I like a lot better!  Here it is:

What do you think?  Did you like it better as one-layer, or now?  I used some Baja Breeze* card stock and some Twitterpated DSP* to bump it up a notch and I made a cute little fork bow from the 1/8" Taffeta Ribbon in Regal Rose*.

*All retiring products

MOJO Love

I have so many cards to design this week, it isn't even funny!  I have a class, a fundraiser, two sympathy cards, two anniversary cards and enough designs to get me through  two weeks of vacation posts! Oh, yeah, and some new Paper Pumpkin samples to prepare.  But I'm well on the way.  The class projects are designed and cut, the two sympathy and two anniversary cards are made and one of the three fund raiser projects designed.  I'm really enjoying this extended crafting time, too.
I decided to use the MOJO Monday sketch this week for one of my anniversary card designs:

Here is the sketch, created by Carole Burrage:

I was excited because it gave me a chance to use my Typeset Alphabet Dies to die cut the "letters of love".  I used various DSP's for the letter backings and was really pleased with the colour palette of Midnight Muse and Crumb Cake.  Three of the DSPs including the lower panel are from the Print Poetry Designer Series Paper Stack and the two on the right are from the In Colour Paper Stack and the Neutrals Designer Series Paper Stacks.

The sentiment is stamped in Midnight Muse ink on Crumb Cake card stock and punched out using the Large Oval Punch and backed with DSP punched with the Scallop Oval Punch.  Do you recognize that little laser cut heart?  I snipped it from the top of the lace holder in the Artisan Embellishments Kit.  Add some of that beautiful stitched satin ribbon in Midnight Muse, and sprig of leaves from the Bird Builder Punch and an In-Colour Dahlia in Midnight Muse, and you have yourself a pretty nifty anniversary card!  Annddd.... you'll get to use your typeset alphabet dies!  These are indispensable if you are a scrapbooker, and very handy for a card maker as well.  Call me if you'd like to get the set of four BigZ dies.

Time is running out on the "This and That: offer and the Sent with Love bundle.  I was hoping to get a "This and That" journal started and use it on my holidays, to show you how versatile it could be.  Maybe I'll still be able to squeeze it in.

Both of these bundles are available only until April 30th.  Don't miss out!  Call me today if you'd like to order!  Also Not Quite Navy card stock is now sold out and won't be available any more.  If there are any other products you want from the retiring colours, you had best act fast or they will be gone!

Stay tuned for the Retiring Products List, posted here on Wednesday, April 24th.  There will be some 

BIG savings on accessories!  I am also still looking for those who would like a Big Shot to take part in my Big Shot Club!  Check this link for further info!  

Happy Stampin'!

Stamps:  Teeny Tiny Wishes (w115370; c127802)

Paper:  Print Poetry Designer Series Paper Stack (129312); 2012-14 In-Colour Designer Series Paper Stack (126910); Neutrals Designer Series Paper Stack (117157); Midnight Muse (126843) and Crumb Cake (120953) card stock

Ink:  Classic Stampin' Pad in Midnight Muse (126860)

Accessories:  3/8" Stitched Satin Ribbon in Midnight Muse (126847); In  Colour Dahlia (127556); Artisan Embellishment Kit (129328)

Tools:  Typeset Alphabet BigZ Dies (127553); Bird Builder Punch (117191); 1 3/8" Square Punch (119877); Large Oval Punch (119855); Scallop Oval Punch (119856)

Bird Builder Punch

Print Poetry DSP

Stitched Satin Ribbon in Midnight Muse

Typeset Alphabet BigZ dies

Sympathy in Springtime

Spring has finally made an appearance in our neck of the woods!  It has been teasing us for a long time.  The weather would warm up and we would have a few sunny days in a row.  We would sigh with pleasure and  allow ourselves to think that it was going to be warm for good, when BAM!  The temperature would fall and the dark and threatening clouds would pile up and we would get rain, or snow or hail!  But, as if they were tired of waiting, the blossoms are coming out in force on the fruit trees and the forsythia.

                                                                                                                                                               


So nice to see all the blossoms, especially when they forecast all the delicious fruit that we will be harvesting in a few months.  The cherries will be first, followed, at length, by the nectarines, and then the prune plums!






I think bereavement must be especially hard to bear in the early spring when there is so much hope surrounding us, but a good friend lost her father this week and I was given the task of making a sympathy card for her from our church congregation.

I wanted to try a one-layer card, since it was a challenge from The Paper Players this week.  The concept is a real challenge for me, as you well know, but I wanted to use the beautiful nosegay of flowers from The Best of Flowers stamp set, which is part of the "25th Anniversary Best of"... releases.  Before stamping the image in StazOn Jet Black, I embossed the front of the card with one of the Designer Frames Folders.

I then used some sponge daubers with some Regal Rose, Baja Breeze and Certainly Celery ink and added some colour to the image.  All three of these colours are being discontinued and paper and ink will only be available in these colours while supplies last.  Let me know if you want to order some.  The sentiment is from the Loving Thoughts stamp set and is simple but elegant enough for this one-layer card.  I was sorely tempted to add some ribbon, or brads or pearls, but resisted and I am hoping I hit the mark, not only for the contest, but also for my friend and her family.  

These are exciting times at Stampin' Up right now.  We will have the Retired Items list available on Wednesday, April 24 and make sure you come back and check my blog that day for links to the list.  Many stamp sets and accessories are being retired to make way for the new sets and accessories in our 2013/14 Idea Book and Catalogue, which I happened to get a sneak peek at on Saturday, because of earning the chance in our recent Book-a-thon.  You have some sweet surprises in store for you!  If you ordered from me in the past year, you will be getting a copy in the mail around the middle of May.  If you didn't order from me and you would still like to get a copy, let me know.

Stamps:  Best of  Flowers (133342)**; Loving Thoughts (w125843; c125845)
Paper:  Whisper White (100730) card stock
Ink:  StazOn Jet Black (101406); Classic Stampin' Pads in Regal Rose (126947)*, Baja Breeze (126960)* and Certainly Celery (126958)*
Tools:  Designer Frames Embossing Folders (123130); Sponge Daubers (102892)
*Retired colour, only available while supplies last
**The Best of.... stamp series are only available in clear mount

Dressing Up

When my girls were growing up, the best games seemed to involve dressing up and video cameras.  Oh, the imagination that flowed on those afternoons! And they are still the favourites when we go to watch family videos.  The best gift I ever gave my kids was a big box full of costumes and princess dresses and funny hats.

For my Birthday Stamper's Dozen class, I wanted a birthday card that could be used for little boys or little girls, because different customers have differing family composition.  I came up with a sentiment, colour scheme and layout that could be used for both cards and then the customer just had to change the main images to make them for a boy or a girl.

Here's the girls card:

The sentiment is from Bring on the Cake stamp set, which is indispensable if you are making a lot of birthday cards, having a wide range of sentiments.  With the stamp I used here, you can colour in the appropriate age and circle the right ending (st, nd, rd or th).  The images are from the Dress Up stamp set and the colours are very primary, bright and cheerful.  The purse is stamped in Daffodil Delight, then hand snipped and mounted with Dimensionals.  

The layout for the card came from a card by Sam Post that I pinned on Pinterest and reproduced for the boy's card:

Isn't this Lego Card so cute!  And fun to make as well.  With Stamper's Dozen, I wanted to keep the cards simple enough to complete 12 of them in the 3 hour time frame, so I figured the fewer of those little circles, punched with the 3/8" Circle punch, for the Lego Blocks the better.  They have to be glued individually onto the "lego blocks", which is fiddly and time consuming. Then the blocks have to be sponged with the same coloured ink.  Most customers made only 1 or 2 of these and for the other 1 or 2, they used the girl pattern.

Before I leave you, I want to remind you of two events:

1. The first is the fundraiser for Dominican Feed the Kids.  I am hosting it a Westside Alliance Church, 2011 Daimler Street, right across from Constable Neil Bruce Middle School.  It's on Saturday, April 27 from 10 am until 2 pm.  The fee is $20, $10 of which goes to the Charity.  Any orders placed that day, I will donate my profit of 20% of the cost to this ministry as well.  There will be Make and Takes, Door Prizes, Games, Demos, and snacks as well as access to my non-consumables for your own paper crafting projects.  Register here before April 30.

    

      2. The Mother's Day Weekend Mini Creative Escape! Register on your own or let me know and I could        

            help you register.

Stamps: Bring On the Cake (w121899; c121958); Dress Up (w127317; c127319)
Paper: Pacific Point (111350), Daffodil Delight (119683), Real Red (102482) and Whisper White (100730) card stock
Ink: StazOn Jet Black (101406); Classic Stampin' Pads in Real Red (126949), Pacific Point (126951), Daffodil Delight (126944)
Accessories: Rhinestone Basic Jewels (119246)
Tools: Chevron Textured Impressions Embossing Folder (127749), Perfect Polka Dots Textured Impressions Embossing Folder (117335), Paper Snips (103579)     

Paris? Oui, Oui!

I went to Paris once!  I was in my twenties and travelling in Europe with a good friend of mine.  She loved Europe and went almost every summer.  I, on the other hand, was a total newbie to travel, especially across the Atlantic.  I thought I was in good hands.  She was a super organized and efficient person, so I figured everything would be planned to a T with nothing left to chance.  

I was what I like to call Dead Wrong!  As soon as we got off the plane in London, my super type A friend changed her whole personality!  She became as mellow and laid back as a person can be.  Where were we going to stay for the night??  No worries.  We'll find something.  Shouldn't we leave to catch that train now?  No rush.  There's always another train.  Talk about anxiety!  I couldn't handle the uncertainty!  But by the end of the 6 week vacation, I believe I mellowed out myself a little.  

                                                            

At one point we went to Paris, and had only one day and one night there before we set out for Italy and Greece.  How do you see Paris in one day?  Especially when you have no transportation and it's blazing hot?  You walk!  I don't know if I've ever walked so far and so fast in my life, but I did see some amazing sights.  We ended the tour at the Louvre.  I was so tired, all I wanted to do was to see the Mona Lisa and then get back to the hotel and put my aching feet up and never move again!  We found the Mona Lisa all right - what a disappointment!  It was so teeny!  I was shocked, because I'd always imagined it much larger!  Turns out I recovered by morning and was able to continue the trip of a lifetime!

I was looking for a design for my Birthday Stamper's Dozen that could be considered a gender neutral young adult design (requested by some of my stampers).  I thought that the travel based images and the yellow and grey colour scheme might fit the bill!

The background panel has been stamped in Basic Grey on Sahara Sand with the large image from Postage Due.  The Eiffel Tower is from Artistic Etchings and also stamped in Basic Grey!  The sentiment is from Create a Cupcake and is stamped in StazOn Jet Black.  And those little yellow Daffodil Delight flowers?
They're from the Perfectly Preserved stamp set - and it took me a long time to find some blossoms just the right size.  Of course, the main image has been stamped and then die cut with Labels Collection Framelits, as was the Basic Grey matte for it.  The yellow background panel has been embossed with the Chevron embossing folder.  The ribbon flag is made from 1 1/4" Two-Toned Black/Grey Ribbon.

I have been dying to use the Postage Due background stamp for a long time.  So glad I was finally able to find a use for it.   I think the yellow flowers could be left off if it was going to a guy.  What do you think?  Did I make a gender neutral, young adult kind of card?   Let me know in a comment!  

I just wanted to round up for you in one spot the Stampin' Up Promotions that will be winding up at the end of April as a way of reminding you to take advantage of the ones you like before the time is up.

1. The Epic Day This and That Bundle.
2. The Sent With Love Bundle.

Then there are a couple that are in effect until the end of May.

1. The Spring Surprise Bundle
2. Discontinued Colours - while supplies last
3. And of course, The 2012/13 Idea Book and Catalogue as well as the Spring Mini Catalogue

And one more new item just announced today:

The Dolled Up Birthday Kit for $17.95 (preferred price if you choose me as your demonstrator).

Stamps: Postage Due (w126395; c126397); Artistic Etchings (w118517; 120573); Perfectly Preserved (w126690; c126692); Create a Cupcake (w121915; c121982)

Paper:  Basic Gray (121044), Daffodil Delight (119683), Sahara Sand (121043) and Whisper White (100730) card stock

Ink:  Classic Stampin' Pad in Basic Gray (126981), StazOn Jet Black (101406) and Daffodil Delight (126944)

Accessories:  1 1/4" Two-Toned Ribbon in Basic Black/Basic Gray (129295); 

Tools:  Labels Collection Framelits (125598); Chevron Textured Impressions Embossing Folder (127749) 

Mission Impossible: The Paper Players Challenge

Okay, well not impossible, just highly challenging for a two or three colour stamper like myself.  This week, The Paper Players gave us a four colour combination to work with.

And there are some pretty dominant colours involved as well.  Here's my take on this colour challenge, also being used for my up-coming Birthday Stamper's Dozen!

I used the cake image from Make a Wish stamp set and the sentiment is from Bring on the Cake.  I liked the combination of the Whisper White and Crumb Cake on the Rich Razzleberry card base.  I would have kept it like that.  In fact, I had already stamped the sentiment in Crumb Cake and was ready to back it with more Crumb Cake card stock, but I couldn't find any suitable DSP with the other two colours in it:  Baja Breeze and Island Indigo.

With just the image and the sentiment, the top right side of the card was looking empty, leaving the card unbalanced.  The little flags cut from Baja Breeze card stock, Island Indigo Ruffled Ribbon and some DSP from the Print Poetry Designer Series Paper Stack, added just the right finishing touch.  I used some Crumb Cake brads to anchor the sentiment and added some paper piercing for an extra embelllishment.

Even with the Essentials Paper Piercing Pack to help you out, it is not as easy as it looks, getting even sizes for the holes.

I'll share some of the other cards I picked for the Birthday Stamper's Dozen in the coming days.  Stay tuned next week for the Retired Product Lists, and make sure you get the products you want before they are not available any more.

Stamps:  Make a Wish (w129219; c129222); Bring On the Cake (w121899; c121958)

Paper:  Print Poetry Designer Series Paper Stack (129312); Rich Razzleberry (115316), Island Indigo (122923), Baja Breeze* (111352), Crumb Cake (120953) and Whisper White (100730) card stock

Ink:  Classic Stampin' Pads in Crumb Cake (126975) and Baja Breeze* (126960)

Accessories:  3/8" Ruffled Ribbon in Island Indigo (125575); 3/16" Neutrals Brads (119736)

Tools:  Apothecary Accents Framelits (127003); Ovals Collection Framelits (129381); Essentials Paper Piercing Pack (126187); Stampin' Pierce Mat (126199); Paper Piercing Tool (126189)

*Discontinued May 31st, available only while supplies last

Apothecary Accents Framelits

Bring on the Cake Stamp Set

Island Indigo 3/8" Ruffled Ribbon

Make a Wish Stamp Set

Ovals Collection Framelits

Print Poetry Designer Series Paper Stack

Stampin' Pierce Mat

Paper Piercing Tool