You're Such an Amazing Friend

You are.  Really!  You keep reading my posts day after day, making nice comments, coming to my classes!  I really value your friendship!  So this card is for YOU!

Thank you for everything!  I really enjoyed designing this card.  I was using the criteria for the Dynamic Duos challenge #37 this week:  Crumb Cake and Soft Suede.

I love the monochromatic look, especially in the neutral shades.  It looks so old fashioned like a sepia photograph.  I took a photo of our backyard this week, covered in a new blanket of snow.  I added a sepia filter and it does make it look aged.

Have you ever been really excited about a card design you've created, and then gone and checked your files and found a swap card you'd been given that was so similar that you couldn't take credit for the design without acknowledging at least the subconscious impression left by the other card's designer.  That's what happened with this card.  After I finished it, I was looking at my swap cards and came across a similar one created by Sandra Ross of Truro, Nova Scotia! Thanks, Sandra, for the inspiration!

The card, of course, uses a palette of Soft Suede, Crumb Cake and Very Vanilla as a neutral, and uses the Amazing Family stamp set from the Spring Mini Catalogue.  It uses some of the lovely embellishments from the Spring Mini as well, like the 5/8" Flower trim and the Paper Doilies.  The little butterflies are stamped with the Papillon Potpourri Stamp set and punched out with the Bitty Butterfly coordinating punch.

And we now interrupt this post with an important announcement:

WE HAVE PRODUCT SHARES READY FOR YOU TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF!!!

If you have been wanting more of the amazing ribbons, papers and embellishments in the Spring Mini Catalogue, but your budget won't let you buy them all, then why not share your purchases with other customers so you can all have the variety in smaller quantities for less money.  Check out the shares available by going to the top menu bar and clicking on Product Shares or check it out here.  All the information will be there for you.  And readers who do not live close by, as long as you are in Canada, I can ship your product shares to you!  I'm really excited to offer my out-of-town readers the first of many opportunities to be part of my stampin' community!  

Stamps:  Amazing Family (w129189; c129192), En Francais (w109521), Papillon Potpourri (w123757; c123759)

Papers:  Soft Suede (115318), Crumb Cake (120953) and Very Vanilla (101650) card stock

Ink:  Classic Stampin' Pad in Crumb Cake (126975) and Soft Suede (126978)

Embellishments:  Paper Doilies (129399); 5/8" Flower Trim (126869); Pearl Basic Jewels (119247); 5/8" Crochet Trim (118481); 3/8" Taffeta Ribbon in Soft Suede (122967)

Tools:  Square Lattice Embossing Folder (119976); Bitty Butterfly punch (129406); Ovals Collection Framelits (129381); Big Shot (113439)

Amazing Family

En Francais Stamp

Papillon Potpourri

Flower Trim

Nails on the Blackboard

Ha, ha!  Like my title?  I entitled this post "Nails on the Blackboard" just to get a delicious shudder from my middle daughter, Kristen.  She has quite a phobia of that horrible phenomena, so I guess it's kind of a mean thing to do, but she never tires of teasing us and finding our weak spots, so it may or may not be justified!

My youngest daughter, Jaimie, and her hubby and our grandson, just left after a short visit with us.  Parker is so entertaining right now that I didn't get much stamping done, so now I need to make up for lost time!

My second sample for my up-coming Technique Night uses a technique that I've been wanting to try forever, Chalkboard Art!  Some of the new stamp sets in the Spring Mini catalogue are perfect for this technique!

I used Wisteria Wonder for my card base and background, because it goes so well with the Basic Black chalkboard oval.  Aren't you excited that Stampin' Up has finally come out with Oval Framelits?  Yay!

I used the new stamp set, "Amazing Family" to create the chalkboard illusion.  I am planning to post a video after my Technique Nights to show you how to create this effect, but basically, you stamp your sentiments in VersaMark ink and heat emboss with White Stampin' Emboss powder.  Then, using the Stamp-a-ma-jig, you reink your stamps with StazOn White, and stamp again, slightly off-setting the image to make it look like a softer, slightly grayer shadow.  With a Stamping Sponge inked up in the StazOn white, add some sponged areas on the black to look like left-over chalk dust.  The little butterfly is from the Papillon Potpourri stamp set.

The Wisteria Wonder backing was embossed using the Chevron embossing folder, and the beautiful lace from the Artisan Embellishments Kit.  It was topped with Wisteria Wonder ruffled ribbon.

 

Here's a quick glance at the inside, which also uses the Chalkboard technique, and more new stamp sets:  "Feel Goods", from the Spring Mini and "Vintage Verses" from the Sale-a-Bration" brochure.

 

 

As well as the video tutorial  and the Spring Mini products to look forward to, I also have some

new product shares and and some blog candy give-aways coming up!  Keep watching for them. 

In other news, Stampin' Up has added 15 more products to the Clearance Rack.  Don't forget to check it out from time to time.

The new products are:

Neutrals Flower Brads

Regals Flower Brads

Subtles Flower Brads

Pretty in Pink 5/8" Satin Ribbon

Bashful Blue 5/8" Satin Ribbon

Chantilly 1/2" Crochet Trim

Artichoke 3/8" Denim Jean Ribbon

2010-2012 In Color Stampin’ Write Markers

2011-2013 In Color 12" x 12" Textured Cardstock

Timeless Portrait Designer Series Paper

Beau Chateau Designer Series Paper

Well Worn Designer Series Paper

Beau Chateau Side Notes

Sweetest Stem Embosslits Dies

Flower Burst Embosslits Dies

And remember, you can start ordering from the Spring Mini catalogue on January 3, 2012.  Of course, that means that all the wonderful products from the Holiday Mini will only be available for the next couple of days 'til Jan. 2, 2012.  Shop on-line here or give me a call or email, if there's something you want that you've been waiting to get.  It's now or never!

Stamps:  Amazing Family (w129189; c129192)*; Papillon Potpourri (w123757; c123759); Feel Goods (w129681; c129684)*; Vintage Verses (w129633; c129636)**
Paper:  Wisteria Wonder (122922) and Basic Black (121045) card stock
Ink: VersaMark (102283); StazOn White (106960)
Accessories:  3/8" Ruffled Ribbon in Wisteria Wonder (125576); Artisan Embellishments Kit (129328)*, Stampin' Emboss Powder in Whisper White (109132)
Tools:  Chevron Embossing Folder (127749); Heat Tool (129053); Ovals Collection Framelits (129381)*
*Available Jan. 3, 2013 from the Spring Mini Catalogue
**Available to be earned free from the Sale-A-Bration 2013 brochure, January 22 - March 22, 2013