Soft and Subtle with Dynamic Duos

This week from Dynamic Duos, we have another soft and subtle "Subtly Yours" Challenge, Pistachio Pudding and Blushing Bride.  Here's the challenge #89:

While those two colours are lovely together, it took me a bit of time to choose the right neutral to show them off to their best advantage.  I came up with Basic Gray and here's how all three looked together:

• All the images are from Everything Eleanor, which I think is going to be one of my all time favourite stamp sets!  I did all the stamping in either Basic Gray or Blushing Bride.
• All the images were hand cut because there are no framelits to go with this set. (*Hint! Hint! Stampin' Up!)  They were then shaped with the bone folder for some dimension and adhered with Glue Dots or Dimensionals.  
• The Pistachio Pudding Designer Series Paper is from the 2013/15 In Colour Designer Series Paper Stacks.  The flourish from the same stamp set, Everything Eleanor, and the sentiment from Express Yourself were stamped right on the DSP with Basic Gray ink.
• A few Pearl Basic Jewels and its a wrap!

An Announcement from Playing with Papercrafting

I've been working hard for some time now to bring you a blog post daily, but I'm finding it difficult, in the process, to complete other tasks that I feel are important to my business.  I would like to be able to make more video tutorials and more comprehensive photo tutorials available to you for one thing, and to have time to send out more cards to customers and friends and family.  In order to be able to make this happen, I have decided to cut back on the number of posts I write per week.  You can count on a new post Monday to Friday, but I will not be posting on the weekend.  I hope you will understand and will enjoy having some more video tutorials and other tips and ideas added to my daily posts.  I will continue to provide you with up-to-date information from Stampin' Up! if there are major announcements on the weekends, but that happens rarely now that Tuesdays are major announcement days.  Thanks for being such supportive readers!

To purchase any of the products listed below used to make this project, simply click on the links which will take you directly to my On-Line Stampin' Up!  Store, where you can view the products and make a purchase if you like.  You can have it delivered right to your door!

• Everything Eleanor
• Everything Eleanor Clear-Mount Stamp Set
• Express Yourself Wood-mount Stamp Set
• Express Yourself Clear-mount Stamp Set
• Subtles Designer Series Paper Stack
• Basic Gray 8-1/2X11 Card Stock
• Blushing Bride 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock
• Whisper White 8-1/2X11 Card Stock
• Basic Gray Classic Stampin' Pad
• Blushing Bride Classic Stampin' Pad
• Basic Pearls Jewel Accents
• Paper Snips
• Bone Folder
• Stampin' Dimensionals
• Mini Glue Dots

The Power of Suggestion: Blushing Bride

I wanted to enter Dynamic Duos Challenge #65 today and the two colours are Pistachio Pudding and Blushing Bride.

Okay, be honest:  When you look at the names of those two colours, what's the first kind of card you think of making?  Did you say a wedding or anniversary card?  Well, it's certainly the first thing that popped into my mind.  The power of suggestion is very strong for me.  I won't be at all hungry, but if you say "ice cream" or "brownie", all of a sudden, I will be ravenous and only those foods will do!  A cracker just won't cut it!  Don't ever let me go on stage with a hypnotist!

Anyway, here's what the power of suggestion caused me to make:

These are very pretty, but subdued colours and they are suitable for a wedding card, I think.

• The sentiment is the single stamp set Mr. and Mrs, and the rose is from Papaya Collage.
• The Pistachio Pudding DSP is from the Venetian Romance Design Series Papers.
• I die cut a Deco Label using the Deco Label Collection Framelits, having already stamped the rose.  I then used the Designer Frames Oval Embossing folder to create the texture. 

• The edge of the DSP is die cut using the Eyelet Finishing Touches Edgelit. Then I added strings of Pearl Basic Jewels.  I originally tried Rhinestones, but they were too much "over the top" for this quiet, subdued card.
• The Blushing Bride 3/4" Chevron Ribbon works well with this card design!

And that's all there is to it!  Now I have a few more cards to design.  Don't say anything to me, because it could affect the outcome - with my tendency to be unduly influenced by what I see and hear!  But first, I need a snack!  Hmmm!  Maybe ice cream?  Or a brownie?  Or both!  Back tomorrow with another challenge!

Stamps:  Mr. and Mrs. (w132575); Papaya Collage (w132055; c126612)

Paper:  Venetian Romance Design Series Paper (130144); Blushing Bride (131198), Pistachio Pudding (131294) and Very Vanilla (101650) cardstock

Ink:  Classic Stampin' Pad in Blushing Bride (131172)

Accessories:  3/4" Chevron Ribbon in Blushing Bride (130013);  Pearl Basic Jewels (119247)

Tools:  Finishing Touches Edgelits (127010); Deco Label Collection Framelits (130102); Designer Frames Embossing Folders (123130)

Deco Label Collection Framelits

Finishing Touches Edgelits

Papaya Collage Stamp Set

Mr. and Mrs. Stamp Set

Venetian Romance DSP

Designer Frames Embossing Folders

Getting Ready for Convention

I am working on some ideas for my roomie gifts as well.  These are little trinkets and gifts we give to all our roommates!  This is also a Convention tradition that is so much fun.  I will share all these with you when I get to Convention!   You get to meet people from all over North America.  I can't wait!

The excitement is building!  In exactly one week, I will be heading, along with thousands of other stampers, to Salt Lake City to another Stampin' Up Convention!  But there are a lot of things I have to do before then!

I got all my swap cards designed this weekend and two sets of them almost completed, but I have another two sets of 12 to finish.  It is a tradition at Stampin' Up Conventions to take part in card swaps -  like a cookie exchange only with cards.  Some people prepare 200 or more cards for these exchanges.  This year, I was very conservative in my commitment to swaps so I could spend my energy reaching my goal of Rising Star, so I only have to make 56 cards.


In the meantime, I have a Q&C card to share with you.  Everyone needs a selection of quick and cute cards they can make swiftly and easily when an unexpected occasion comes up. (Or when, like me, they have forgotten about an occasion until the last minute!)

I was walking by my paper stacks yesterday, when I thought, "Aha!  I bet Pistachio Pudding and Early Espresso would look smashing together!  Like mint creme and dark chocolate!"  Then I thought, "I'm hungry!" and went off on a fruitless search for some dark chocolate - which I adore. (Hint, hint!)
After I got back, I went looking for a stamp set to use.  Something new.  And I found it - in Cycle Celebration, a really cute new set from the new catalogue.

• Have I mentioned yet how much I LOVE the new Designer Series Paper Stacks!  They have up-dated the designs and you can get beautiful single colour DSP in EVERY colour in our catalogue!  So handy, especially when the other DSP's do not feature many of the colours that are current.
• I love the Chevron Embossing Folder for the modern texture it gives your card.
• The chevrons are mirrored by the new 3/4" Chevron Ribbon.  I used Pear Pizzazz as it was the closest I could get to the Pistachio colour.  A strip of 3/8" Stitched Grosgrain ribbon in Early Espresso gives a very decorative look.  
• The sentiment is also part of the Cycle Celebration set.  I really like the font!
• Again, I used the new Deco Labels Collection Framelits for the bicycle and it's matte, which are mounted on the card using Dimensionals to give some variety in height.

Card Designing 101

There you have it!  Easy peasy!  You know, you could create cards like this of your own design.  Yes, really you could.  I am planning a series of Card Designing classes to give you the skills and the confidence to start designing your own, as well as some ideas of where to look for inspiration.  Let me know if you would like to attend.  More details to come.

Okay, back to working on swaps!  Wish me luck getting them all finished!  Thanks for dropping by!

Stamps:  Cycle Celebration (w130270; c130273)

Paper:  2013/15 In Colour Designer Series Paper Stack (130136); Early Espresso (119686), Whisper White (100730) and Pistachio Pudding (131294) card stock

Ink:  Classic Stampin' Pad in Early Espresso (126974)

Accessories:  3/4" Chevron Ribbon in Pear Pizzazz (130011); 3/8" Stitched Grosgrain Ribbon in Early Espresso (126871)

Tools:  Deco Labels Collection Framelits (130102); Chevron Textured Impressions Embossing Folder (127749); Big Shot (113439)

Cycle Celebration Stamp Set

Deco Labels Collection Framelits

1/4" Stitched Grosgrain Ribbon in Early Espresso

3/4" Chevron Ribbon in Pear Pizzazz

2013/15 In Colours Designer Series Paper Stack

Big Shot

Chevron Embossing Folder