Shabby Chic for a Friend and New Classes for Summer

Well, I think I spent too long at the computer yesterday, coming up with my summer schedule and sending out my newsletter. There's an awful lot of work involved with that, but I needed to send out my newsletter before the month was over! At the end of the day, I needed a project to share with you, and so I just got out one of my new favourite stamp sets, Awesomely Artistic, and went crazy! I was going to title this post after the name of the stamp set as I often do, but then I started laughing, realizing how egotistical that would sound, and changed the title!

Oh, and Happy Canada Day, everyone! If you missed my Canada Day card yesterday, you can see it here.

Before I show you the details of this card, please pop over to my Classes page and check out the Summer Offerings! I'm sure you'll find something that will be just right for you.

• I did go a bit crazy on this one, but, you know, I really enjoyed myself, so it was worth it! I love the Awesomely Artistic stamp set because it has so many different elements for collage stamping, shabby chic style like this, grunge or vintage looking projects. You don't have to always use so many of the elements together like I did!
• There was a lot of hand-cutting on this project, but that is something I find soothing, so it was a nice way to end my day yesterday! I cut the dragonflies, the leaves and the fern fronds, although next time I might be a bit more detailed on those if I had more time.
• The cardbase I turned into handstamped DSP using Crumb Cake and Sahara Sand Ink on the Crumb Cake cardstock.
• The dragonflies in the foreground were inked in Pool Party ink then tapped with an Island Indigo Stampin' Write Marker to add a bit of an iridescent look. We have a koi pond in our back yard, and one of my favourite relaxing things to do is to watch the dragonflies as they flit and hover over the water.
• The bow is the Sahara Sand Lace Trim and it's a bit of a fighter when you try to get it into a proper bow, but I finally wrestled it into partial submission anyway!

Don't forget to go on over to the Clearance Rack and look at all the great deals Stampin' Up! added yesterday! There are savings up to 60% off!

And just a reminder that all my retired products are available for sale with great savings for you:

My 2015 Retired Stamp Inventory 

My 2015 Retired Paper Inventory

My 2015 Retired Tools & Accessories Inventory

Send me an email letting me know what you would like to purchase.

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

Awesomely Artistic Wood-Mount Stamp Set [138694]	Awesomely Artistic Clear-Mount Stamp Set [139950]	Schoolhouse Designer Series Paper [138187]	Crumb Cake 8-1/2" X 11" Card Stock [120953]	Whisper White 8-1/2" X 11" Card Stock [100730]
Crumb Cake Classic Stampin' Pad [126975]	Pool Party Classic Stampin' Pad [126982]	Sahara Sand Classic Stampin' Pad [126976]	Island Indigo Stampin' Write Marker [131905]	Tea Lace Paper Doilies [129399]
Sahara Sand 7/8" (2.2 Cm) Lace Trim [137866]	Project Life Cards & Labels Framelits [135707]	Big Shot [113439]	Paper Snips Scissors [103579]	Fuse Fast Adhesive [129026]
Liquid Multipurpose Glue [110755]	Glue Dots [103683]	Stampin' Dimensionals [104430]

The Little Moments for the Pals

I remember back when I had young children, always being excited for their future, when they would be able to do this or that; dress themselves or take dance lessons or go to school. The trouble with that was that I think I failed to appreciate the little moments and savour them at the time. Looking back now, those are the times I miss the most and wish I could have back again. That's why I love this sentiment that's part of the wonderful Watercolour Wings stamp set! I definitely had some little moments with it yesterday as I worked on my entry for the Pals Paper Arts' Challenge #256:

I went with a largely monochromatic colour scheme for this sketch! Just take a look at the amazing things you can do with the new Watercolour Wings Stamp Set:

• My palette included Pool Party, Mint Macaron and Lost Lagoon, with just a hint of Tip Top Taupe for the butterfly body and Tuxedo Black Memento Ink for the sentiment. I quite like the effect.,
• The butterfly consists of 3 different coordinating stamps which you can use to create this beautiful image. I stamped the first image in Pool Party. It's the large almost solid image base. The outer edge of the wings is stamped with a second stamp in Mint Macaron. Since the stamps are Photopolymer and totally see-through, it is fairly easy to place the stamp properly. You just have to take your time and look straight down onto the block. The center splotch and the spots were stamped with the third stamp in Lost Lagoon. Then I added the body in Tip Top Taupe. Just google Watercolour Wings and you'll see so many different and beautiful colour combinations.
• The image was then die cut using the new Bold Butterfly Framelits, and a smaller butterfly die cut from the Mint Macaron script design from the In Colour Collection Designer Series Paper Stack. You can get both the stamp set and the framelits in a bundle and save 15%. I also used those same designer papers to make the 3 banners using the Triple Banner Punch.

• The background DSP is from the new Schoolhouse collection in Pool Party. This is a series of primary colour designs that would work well with kids' cards.
• Notice the new Silver Metallic Thread behind the butterfly! I cut a length about 20 inches and looped it, securing it on a Stampin' Dimensional on the back of the butterfly. It's a very pretty embellishment for any card and it comes in Gold as well.

Time for Tuesday's new Weekly Deals:

                                

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 Stampin' Up! products used to make this card today!

Product List

Watercolor Wings Photopolymer Stamp Set [139424]	Watercolor Wings Photopolymer Bundle [140232]	Schoolhouse Designer Series Paper [138187]	2015-2017 In Color Designer Series Paper Stack [138432]	Mint Macaron 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock [138337]
Lost Lagoon 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock [133679]	Whisper White 8-1/2" X 11" Card Stock [100730]	Pool Party Classic Stampin' Pad [126982]	Mint Macaron Classic Stampin' Pad [138326]	Lost Lagoon Classic Stampin' Pad [133644]
Tip Top Taupe Classic Stampin' Pad [138325]	Silver Metallic Thread [138402]	Bold Butterfly Framelits Dies [138135]	Decorative Dots Textured Impressions Embossing Folder [133520]	Big Shot [113439]
Banner Triple Punch [138292]	Liquid Multipurpose Glue [110755]	Stampin' Dimensionals [104430]	Glue Dots [103683]	SNAIL Permanent Adhesive [104332]