Rock & Roll Punch Art for Freshly Made Sketches

Freshly Made Sketches this week had a great open-ended sketch that let you have almost any theme or technique happening, so I thought I would play along with a birthday card I designed that had a Rock'n'Roll theme to it! I used dies or punches for everything so it wasn't really a stamped card at all, but it was a lot of fun making. Here is the sketch from Freshly Made Sketches:

And here is the card I designed:

• First, I did some research on colours that were popular in the 50s and early 60s and settled on Daffodil Delight, Pool Party, Blushing Bride with Black as an accent. Patterns during that era had a lot of checks, plaids, polka dots and stripes, so I dug out my retired Designer Series Paper Stacks that I have tons of paper left in, and found some Daffodil Delight polka dots and some Pool Party stripes.
• I used both the Layering Circles and Layering Ovals Framelits to make the records and their labels. I remember the days of having a sizeable collection of 45s and LPs. What's the difference? 45s were small and had a very large opening so you had to use one of these in the center to be able to play them on a regular turntable. The question is, why did they have such a large hole in the middle to start with? What do you think?
  
• The sentiment at the top is created using the retired Little Letters Thinlits, which I have kept because they are so useful, for many different types of projects. I alternated the letters in Pool Party and Blushing Bride and it was fairly quick to die cut as I just layered the two colours of cardstock and cut out two of each letter, only a couple of which I had to discard.

• I wanted to quickly show you the inside of the card, because it helps the card front make sense and adds a little humour to it. I made this on My Digital Studio, which was a digital scrapbooking/cardmaking platform that Stampin' Up! retired two or three years ago. I use it still because I can get our basic colours to use on the text and digitally stamped images.

Here's a new take on Paper Pumpkin!! Our June kit will coordinate with one of the suites in our new Annual Catalogue! Stampin' Up! is famous for its coordination. Why not extend that to Paper Pumpkin as well and broaden your horizons for ways of extending the use of the products you get with your kit! Stay tuned on June 1st to find out which suite it coordinates with! If you want to get this new June kit, you must subscribe by June 10. Go to paperpumpkin.com to subscribe, and if you don't have a regular demonstrator, you can name me and I would love to answer any questions you have or help you with alternate ideas.

This week, I will be starting to hand out the new 2018/19 Annual Catalogues as I sort your orders and deliver them. If you want to be among the first to receive one from me, place an order with me, either at my On-Line Store or by contacting me to place one for you. When your order arrives, I will see that there is a catalogue for you, delivered or in the mail.

I am also starting to plan Paper and Ribbon shares for the new catalogue. More on that in the next week.

Click on the links below to take you to my On-Line Store, where you can read about, look at, and purchase if you wish, the products used to make this card today. 

Product List

Smoky Slate 8-1/2" X 11" Card Stock [131202] $10.00	Pool Party 8-1/2" X 11" Card Stock [122924] $10.00	Blushing Bride 8-1/2" X 11" Card Stock [131198] $10.00	Subtles Designer Series Paper Stack* [138437] $29.00	Brights Designer Series Paper Stack* [138434] $29.00
Basic Black 8-1/2" X 11" Card Stock [121045] $10.00	Whisper White 8-1/2" X 11" Card Stock [100730] $11.25	Layering Circle Framelits Dies [141705] $46.00	Layering Ovals Framelits Dies [141706] $46.00	Little Letters Thinlits Die [133730]* $36.00
Big Shot [143263] $136.00	Liquid Multipurpose Glue [110755] $5.25	Stampin' Dimensionals [104430] $5.25	SNAIL Permanent Adhesive [104332] $9.00

*Retired products no longer available

Yummy Creamsicle for The Paper Players

What was your favourite summer treat as a child? We had Dairy Queen soft serve, hard ice cream, fudgesicles, popsicles and creamsicles that I can remember! My very favourite was always Dairy Queen. Because I had very cold-sensitive teeth, Dairy Queen was nice because it was easier to eat, but when that wasn't available, creamsicles were my next favourite. I've always loved citrus flavours. When I saw that The Paper Players had a Clean and Simple Summer Treats as a theme, this is the first thing that came to mind, although it did require some head work to figure out how to make one.

When I finally had a Creamsicle I was proud of, I was aghast to find that it barely fit on a standard sized card! I wasn't going to start again, so I simply made a non-standard-sized card base of Daffodil Delight to mount it on. This one measures 7" x 4 1/4". I'll have to use my Envelope Punch Board to make an envelope that will fit.

• To make the creamsicle, I cut a piece of Pumpkin Pie cardstock to 2 3/4" x 4 1/2". I then rounded off one end of it by passing that end through the middle of a Circle Framelit so it would only cut the end. 

                                              

• I used the Corner Rounder Punch to round off the other two corners. I took it to my Simply Scored Scoring Tool and, aligning it with the short rounded edge at the top, I scored at 3/4", 1 1/8", 1 5/8" and 2 1/4". The score lines started at 3/4" from the highest point of the top down to 4" for the two outside lines and from 1/2" to 4" for the two inside lines.  I turned it 90 degrees counter clockwise and scored between each set of lines along the 4" mark. The top lines were scored with the creamsicle in my hand using the stylus to just join each pair of lines with a curve. You can see the score lines in the picture to help you.
• I sponged between the lines and on all the edges with Tangerine Tango ink, and using a ruler, I used a Pumpkin Pie Stampin' Write Marker to outline the scores as well.
• The bite is made with a 1 1/4" Scallop Circle Punch. I backed it with a slightly narrower piece of Whisper White, but I punched the bite before I added the white and then punched the white, slightly offset to show the yummy white ice cream inside. I also let about 1/4" of the white show at the bottom. To do this, I cut the Whisper White piece in half horizontally and separated the pieces a bit.
• Dazzling Diamonds Glitter was added using a 2 Way Glue Pen to simulate the frost on the outside!
• The sentiment is from the Best Thoughts Stamp Set. The DSP in the background is from the Brights Designer Series Paper Stack.

Here's a piece of good news! If you join my team in June you will get your choice of two free stamp sets in your Starter Kit! That's on top of the already great deal you get when you join Stampin' Up! as a demonstrator! Normally, you get $155 worth of any current product you want for only $125, but with this promotion, you can add on up to $120 depending which stamp sets you chose. (A few stamp sets in the Annual Catalogue are worth $60 or more!) 

"Why would I want to join Stampin' Up!?" you ask.

And my reply is, "Why would you NOT want to join Stampin' Up!?"

If you had planned to spend over $100 on all the new and awesome products in the new Annual Catalogue, then you should sign up. You have nothing to lose and lots to gain. You can get your products at a minimum 20% discount! You can join a network of wonderful people who love to do what you love to do! You can have early access to new products! You can earn stamp sets and MONEY! If you don't want to sell and you don't make your minimum for the quarter, you simply drop. You can sign up again at any time with the same up line, and if you are a dropped demonstrator, we welcome you back! In fact this is a pretty great deal to get back in! But don't wait too long! There's only a few days left in June!

If you want to give this a try, go to the top menu and click on Join My Team and follow the prompts, or do the same here:

Join My Team

Or you can contact me with your phone number, and I'll help you through the process. Will you be the next member of my Papercraft Cat team and earn two free stamp sets?? I hope so!

Click on the links below to take you to my On-Line Store, where you can read about, look at, and purchase if you wish, the products used to make this card today!

Product List

Best Thoughts Wood-Mount Stamp Set [139234]	Best Thoughts Clear-Mount Stamp Set [138700]	Brights Designer Series Paper Stack [138434]	Daffodil Delight 8-1/2" X 11" Card Stock [119683]	Whisper White 8-1/2" X 11" Card Stock [100730]
Pumpkin Pie 8-1/2" X 11" Card Stock [105117]	Crumb Cake 8-1/2" X 11" Card Stock [120953]	Tangerine Tango Classic Stampin' Pad [126946]	Tuxedo Black Memento Ink Pad [132708]	Brights Stampin' Write Markers [131259]
Stamping Sponges [101610]	Dazzling Diamonds Stampin' Glitter [133751]	2-Way Glue Pen [100425]	Simply Scored [122334]	1-1/4" Circle Scallop Punch [127811]
Punch Corner Project Life [135346]	Circles Collection Framelits Die [130911]	Big Shot [113439]	Liquid Multipurpose Glue [110755]	SNAIL Permanent Adhesive [104332]
Stampin' Dimensionals [104430]

My Amazing Hubby

Last week I was gone the whole week in Salt Lake City for Stampin' Up's Convention 2013.  My husband, Ken, had to fend for himself while I was away.  I didn't worry about him because he normally does the cooking in our house, so I knew he could feed himself okay.  He does get lonely, but he doesn't sit around the house moping, he gets together with his many friends and manages that way.

I really am fortunate to have such a loving, supportive guy!  Here's what I found when I walked in the door after arriving home from Salt Lake City:

A bouquet of carnations (my favourite flowers) and a hand-stamped card!  I'm so excited that he takes an active role helping me with my business, but I really wasn't so sure what to expect when I got him the "Dude, You're Welcome" kit!  He was excited to get it and has actually used it several times already!  Here's the proof:

See the ink stains on several of the the stamps?  Here's a closer look at the card he made me:

I know my hubby is special, but you might just find that your significant other is more enthusiastic than you expect him to be when you give him his own Dude, You're Welcome kit.

I think the stamping world would definitely benefit from having a few more males involved.  It would essentially double our customer base! Just this year, a guy, Brian King, became a Rising Star, just like me.  He was the first male ever to win that distinction!  Stampin' Up had to change their prizes in order to be suitable for a male! lol  Well done, Brian!!

Last night, I held my regular Big Shot Club and we made a couple of projects using the Big Shot.  I thought I would show you one of the cute boxes we made:

• I used our Kraft Gift Boxes as a base and covered the sides and top with Eastern Elegance DSP.
• The butterfly is cut using the Beautiful Butterfly Bigx Die and some more Eastern Elegance paper.  Pearls Basic Jewels create the centre bling!     Here's the top:
• I used my Designer Rosette Bigz XL die to create this rosette for the top.  I cut two strips of Eastern Elegance DSP 2" x 12" and ran them through the Big Shot on the extended cutting plate and Extended Premium Crease Pad.
• I accordian-folded the two strips on the scored lines, then joined them using Sticky Strip to form a pleated tube.  Snail is not strong enough for the pressure on the joins when you create the rosette.
• I opened a Jumbo Sticky round and then flattened the rosette in the middle and adhered it on the Jumbo Sticky Round to hold it.  
• I used the Chalk Talk Stamp set to stamp the labels in Crushed Curry and Coastal Cabana, part of the Eastern Elegance palette along with Smoky Slate, and die cut the label with the Chalk Talk framelits.
• I added another butterfly from the Beautiful Butterfly Bigx Die.

And there you have a perfect little gift box for a special someone in your life!

Stamps:  Chalk Talk (w130631; c130634)
Paper:  Eastern Elegance DSP (130131); Kraft Gift Boxes (124106)
Ink:  Classic Stampin' Pads in Crushed Curry (131173) and Coastal Cabana (131175)
Accessories:  Pearl Basic Jewels (119247); Jumbo Sticky Rounds (127852); Sticky Strip (104294)
Tools:  Big Shot (113439); Beautiful Butterfly Bigx Die (114507),  Designer Rosette Bigz XL die (125594), 1 3/8" Circle Punch (119860)