Refreshing Colours and Prayers for Oklahoma

I spent the day yesterday reorganizing my paper, ink pads, reinkers and sponges to update them with the new Colour Refresh that Stampin' Up will be offering in the new 2013/14 Idea Book and Catalogue.  I am excited about the new colour palettes that we will be able to use. The fact that some of the new colours were In Colours that were supposed to retire this year just made it that much better!




Here's what the new colour families look like now:

There will be Paper and Ink Colour Refresh kits available in the new catalogue so that you can update your collections affordably.

If using new colours gets your Mojo going, perhaps a good sketch would do the same, and the Mojo Monday #294 sketch challenge this week is a great one!  I used it to create a sympathy card for a friend who recently lost her sister.

I took some liberties with the sketch such as turning it on its side and leaving off the ribbon, as you can see from the sketch:

I love the soft and calming results of the Basic Gray and Pink Pirouette combination.  The En Francais background stamp adds some quiet elegance to the card.

The Love and Sympathy stamp set was inked using Pink Pirouette and Wild Wasabi Stampin' Write markers and I love how it gives that watercolour look.  Basic Gray was used to ink up the sentiment from the same set.  A Finishing Touches Edgelit was used for the pink border trim on the left and some Basic Gray Brads from the Neutrals collection add the last detail.

I would like to dedicate this card to the people of Moore, Oklahoma, who have endured such devastating losses this week.  I can't imagine the fear and desolation they must be experiencing and my prayers are certainly with them.  Hold your families close today!

Stamps:  Love and Sympathy (w122795; c122797); En Francais (w109521)
Paper:  Basic Gray (121044), Pink Pirouette (111351) and Whisper White (100730) card stock
Ink:  Classic Stampin' Pads in Basic Gray (126981), Pink Pirouette (126956); Stampin' Write Markers in Pink Pirouette (119700 as part of Subtles pack)* and Wild Wasabi (119700 as part of Subtles pack)*
Accessories:  3/16" Neutrals Brads (119736)
Tools:  Finishing Touches Edgelits (127010);  3/16" Corner Punch (119871)

It's Time for a Celebration!!

It is the time of year for great celebrations!!  School ends, teens grad, young people get engaged and married, team sports take a summer hiatus, and it seems that all of them have awards or parties to mark the end.  It's a season of cards, and everyone loves to get a hand-stamped card!  I am having an All Occasion Stamper's Dozen on Saturday and I'm busy designing some cards we will make.  I wanted to get a grad card in the mix, but I don't think most of my class will want to make 3 grad cards!  So I came up with a versatile design  that could be a grad card or any kind of congratulatory greeting!  Here's the design:

I used two stamp sets for this card, Blue Ribbon and Make a Wish, both very versatile.  I used card stock in two of the new colours in our colour families this year.  The green is called Pistachio Pudding and it is a new In Colour for this year.  The blue is called Soft Sky and it is new in the Subtles family, replacing Baja Breeze and Bashful Blue.  The inks I used are more saturated colours, Midnight Muse and Raspberry Ripple.

You may notice a new pattern of texture on the Very Vanilla panel behind the main  images.  It is a new Textured Impressions Embossing folder called Modern Mosaic, offered for the first time in the new 2013/14 Idea Book and Catalogue.  And the ends of the sentiment label have been trimmed using the new Artisan Label Punch!  I also added a bit of Raspberry Ripple Stitched Satin Ribbon for the  medal "tails".

Now, if my class doesn't need a grad card or maybe just need one, they can just stamp a different middle circle and Voila!:

These are some alternatives:  I'm not sure I like the Gumball Green stamped on the Pistachio Pudding.  I think they would look better on Very Vanilla, and maybe I would stick with the Raspberry Ripple, but nothing ventured, nothing gained!  What do you think?  

Remember, only 2 weeks left to get the stamps and accessories you want and need from the old catalogue and Spring Mini by June 3.  And the new catalogue will come into effect on May 31st.  So for four days, there will be three catalogues that we can choose from for the first time ever!  How cool is that?  Let me know if you have orders you want to put through or shop on-line yourself at this link.  Just make sure you see my name in the upper left corner, before you start ordering.  There are no new sold out accessories on the retired list today.

Thanks for dropping by my blog.  Please leave a comment or  join my blog to follow it.

Stamps:  Blue Ribbon (w125979; c125981); Make a Wish (w129219; c129222)

Paper:  Pistachio Pudding (131294)*, Soft Sky (131203)* and Very Vanilla (101650) card stock

Ink:  Classic Stampin' Pads in Midnight Muse (126860), Raspberry Ripple (126859) and Gumball Green (126861)

Accessories:  3/8" Stitched Satin Ribbon in Raspberry Ripple (126845)

Tools:  Modern Mosaic Textured Impressions Embossing Folder (129984)*, 2 3/8" Scallop Circle Punch (118874); 1 3/8'" Circle Punch (119860); Artisan Label Punch (130920)*

*Available May 31st in the 2013/14 Idea Book and Catalogue

Blue Ribbon Stamp Set

Make a Wish Stamp Set

Stitched Satin Ribbon - Raspberry Ripple

It's the Time of the Season

Yes, today was warm and sunny after a quick shower this morning.  It reminded me that this is the season for brides and babies.  And grads!  A lovely time of year with lots of milestones in it!  Here in Canada we're celebrating a long weekend marking Victoria Day, a day to remember the Queen.  It used to be held on May 24 each year, because that was the actual date of Queen Victoria's birthday.  Of course, she is long gone and we have a our Queen Elizabeth II whose reign looks like it might match Victoria's in length and influence.  So we celebrate "The Queen's Birthday" on a convenient long weekend in May.

                Queen Victoria 1818 - 1901                                      Queen Elizabeth 1926 -

But, back to stamping!  Stampin' Up has released a new "Best of..." Set for May called Best of Brides and Babies.  I am planning an "All Occasion Stampers Dozen" soon and I thought that a wedding card might be one of the handiest to have this time of year, and I just received my order with the new Best of... set!  Here's my card:

I'm so pleased that the camera picked up the shimmer on the Shimmery White card stock I used and I'm also pleased with how well this paper took the StazOn ink for the great images and sentiments.  I also used the Brushed Silver card stock on the hearts and flowers.  The sentiment above the ribbon is part of the stamped image of the bride and groom, but I decided to echo it with a stamp from Loving Thoughts below the ribbon to balance the card.  I used the Adorning Accents Edgelits to create the elegant edge on both the Shimmer White and the Basic Black card stock.

Notice the cute little bow in the 1/8" Taffeta Ribbon in Basic Black?  It's a fork bow and very easy to tie using an ordinary dinner fork.  I'll have to make a new Crafty Clues by Heather video to show you how.  The hearts were punched using the Small Heart Punch and the flowers were made by layering two shapes from the Itty Bitty Shapes Punch Pack.  A few pearls add the finishing touches!

There are also some cute baby images in the same stamp set, so I'll be using some of them in future cards no doubt.  Have a great Monday and thanks for stopping by!

Stamps:  The Best of Brides and Babies (c 133482); Loving Thoughts (w125843; c125845)

Paper:  Basic Black card stock (121045); Shimmery White card stock (101910); Brushed Silver card stock (100712)

Ink:  StazOn Jet Black (101406)

Accessories:  1/8" Taffeta Ribbon in Basic Black (119261); Pearl Basic Jewels (119247)

Tools:  Itty Bitty Shapes Punch Pack (118309); Small Heart Punch (117193); Adorning Accent Edgelits (125595)

The Best of Brides and Babies Stamp Set

Itty Bitty Shapes Punch Pack

Loving Thoughts Stamp Set

Silver Glimmer Paper

Shimmery White Card Stock

Babies!

What is it about babies?  They are so cute, they can make an ordinarily sensible, reserved person do the strangest things.  If you ever watched my Skype conversations with my daughters and grandsons, without knowing who was on the other end of the conversation, you would think I had totally lost it.  Funny noises, vroom-vrooms, raspberries, high pitched voice, laughter, strange gestures!  Yup, you would probably have me committed!

These are my two grandsons, Parker (above) and Kesten (right).  They are about six months apart in age, both very different from each other but each adorable in his own way.  I'm excited to get a visit from Parker this weekend.  Grandma hugs, here we come!

I'm also excited because my oldest daughter, Erin, will be giving birth in about a month from now to her first baby!  So with babies on my mind, I set out to create a card from some of my new catalogue goodies that I was able to preorder.

Right off the bat, you'll be asking what colours you are looking at.  The turquoise and peach colours are two of the new In Colours for 2013/14, Coastal Cabana and Crisp Cantaloupe.  Tropical looking aren't they!  Wait until you see them all!  I originally paired them with Baked Brown Sugar, but it just wasn't working, so I switched that out for the Crumb Cake panel which was embossed with the Perfect Polka Dots folder.  The stamped image is from Baby Prints, a stamp set which you will see again in the new catalogue.  The sentiment is from a new stamp set called Label Love which coordinates with a new punch - the Artisan Label Punch.

I like how it works with the tiniest of the Pearl Basic Jewels.  The white organza ribbon works well as white on white.  When you go to stamp the footprints (which are so realistic), be sure to stamp off once before stamping on your front panel so the colours are toned down a bit.  Also, I raised the Crisp Cantaloupe panel up with dimensionals, as I did for the label also.

There!  All ready for the new baby!  And those new colours...Yummy!

My Big Shot Club is going ahead starting next Thursday, May 23 and there is room for only 1 more person. It's a terrific way to get a Big Shot in an affordable way.  Email me if you are interested.

Time for an Update on the Retiring Accessories.  They are available until June 3, while supplies last.  These are the latest accessories to sell out:  Posy Party Stampin' Around Builder Wheel; Bees and Blossoms Stampin' Around Builder Wheel; Pretty in Pink 8 1/2 x 11 card stock; Craft and Rubber Scissors;  1/16" Circle Punch; Elegant Bouquet Textured Impressions Embossing Folder; and the Petite Pocket Bigz XL die.

Stamps: Label Love (w130619; c130622)*; Baby Prints (w128148; c125472)

Paper:  Coastal Cabana (131297)*, Crisp Cantaloupe (131298)*, Crumb Cake (120953) and Whisper White (100730) card stock.

Ink:  Classic Stampin' Pads in Coastal Cabana (131175)* and Crisp Cantaloupe (131176)*

Accessories:  Pearl Basic Jewels (119247); 5/8" Organza Ribbon (114319)

Tools:  Artisan Label Punch (130920)*; Perfect Polka Dots Textured Impression Embossing Folder (117335); Big Shot (113439)

* Not available until May 31st, when the new catalogue comes out

Mother's Day - Guest Stamper

Last Sunday was Mother's Day and even though they couldn't be home to celebrate with me, each of my three girls did something special for me.  I had a nice Skype conversation with each of them.  My oldest sent me a beautiful bouquet of flowers, my youngest is actually going to visit us this coming weekend and my middle daughter, Kristen, sent a hand-stamped card.  I liked it so much that I wanted to share it with you.

She used a stamp set that both she and I really like, but she was the only one who ordered it.  It's called Cottage Window and you don't often see it used, but it has a lot of versatility!  Unfortunately, it's being retired this year so if you like it, best get your order in by the end of the month.  She also used a couple of other stamp sets to embellish the image.  The little balloon is from Collage Curios which is in the Spring Mini and will expire on May 31st.  The clouds are from Up, Up and Away, another retiring set, and the sentiment is from Itty Bitty Banners.

I like her choice of DSP from Comfort Cafe, because it looks just like wallpaper, and the strip of Victorian Crochet trim and the Basic Gray button are the perfect touches to finish it off.

I love how Kris so carefully hand cut all the elements including the center of the window and backed it with Marina Mist card stock before adding the clouds and the balloon.

The whole window frame is actually popped up on dimensionals, giving it a real 3D look.

Kristen is the creative person behind the blog, Honey Nutbrown, about life in a northern BC community.  She is also a knitter and came up with a project called My Year in Temperatures Scarf, that has taken off on knitting sites everywhere.  Here's a link.  Make sure you look at other posts,too, because you'll find all sorts of creative hand-crafting going on from Dandelion Wine to Hatching chicks!

Please leave a comment to let Kris know what you think of her card and to encourage her to do more! lol

Stamps:  Cottage Window (w127280; c127282)*; Up, Up and Away (w122755; c122757)*; Collage Curios (w129099; c129102)*; Itty Bitty Banners (w126255; c126257)

Paper: Pretty in Pink (100459)*, Marina Mist (119682) and Whisper White (100730) card stock; Comfort Cafe Design Series Paper (126898)**

Ink:  Classic Stampin' Pads in Early Espresso (126974), Marina Mist (126962) and Rich Razzleberry (126950)

Accessories:  Victoria Crochet Trim (118481); Neutrals Designer Buttons (119743)**; Rhinestone Basic Jewels (119246)

Tools:  Paper Snips (103579)

*Retiring product available until June 3, 2013

** Retiring product available while supplies last until June 3, 2013

Collage Curios Stamp Set

Comfort Cafe DSP

Cottage Window Stamp Set

Itty Bitty Banners Stamp Set

Up, Up and Away Stamp set

Writer's Block and MOJO

I have a bad case of writer's block and I'm not sure what to do about it.  I am searching for a topic, but nothing seems appropriate.  The BC Election?  Don't want to talk about it!  The voter turnout - too depressing to linger on! (but seriously people, if you want a democracy, you have to participate!) The weather?  I turned the furnace back on this morning.  'Nuff said.

Maybe I will just show you my Mojo Monday #293 card and then some great new digital downloads from My Digital Studio, and head to bed early for a change!  I bet that will do wonders for my writer's block!

Here's my card:

As you can see by the sketch below, it's a busy little number, but I was dying to try out some of the new products from the 2013/14 Idea Book and Catalogue, so I might have gotten a tad carried away.  I was using items from the Gingham Garden Product Suite!  So excited to have some gingham patterns to play with finally.  The Daffodil Delight flags are made from washi tape, similar to masking tape but more see-through and repositionable and, of course, it's printed.  The DSP sewn on the card base is called Gingham Garden and has Daffodil Delight, Melon Mambo and Island Indigo as it's main colours.  So bright and cheery, making me think of a summer garden.  You'll recognize the Delicate Details Lace tape from the Spring mini catalogue, which will be back in the new main catalogue!  Yay!

We will be bidding adieu to some of the products used in this card on June 3, such as the Quint-Essential Flower Stamp and the lovely Organdy Striped Ribbon from the Spring Mini.  The sentiment from Pretty Petites is actually already retired from Sale-A-Bration. 

I stamped the Quint-Essential Flower three times, once each in Melon Mambo, Daffodil Delight and Island Indigo.  Then I punched out the shapes using various Scallop Circle and circle punches and popped the layers up on Stampin' Dimensionals!  You can see the dimension this gives you.

Now, about those downloads:

This is the new Packed For You Designer Template.  It would make a great thank you for a teacher in your life!  And it is free!  Here are some more new downloads:

This "You are So Nice"  download coordinates with the backpack above.

Because I'm the Dad Greeting Card Templates

Faces I Love Swatchbook Template

You can check all of these out at my on-line store under Digital Downloads!

Well, thanks for dropping by again today, and I'm sure the writer's block will be better by tomorrow!

Time Flies

Only 3 days back from holidays, and life is hitting full force again!!  I was planning on posting a Mojo Monday challenge entry today, but time ran out on me, so I will try again tomorrow.  In the meantime, I spent an enjoyable and productive day on Saturday at a Mini Creative Retreat organized by Desiree Spenst. I had a great time with lots of other crafters, good food, candy buffet and all the equipment I could ever want.

Desiree is planning on doing something of this sort once every quarter, so if you have a chance, do register for one!  It was well worth my time and so many others that I talked with were extremely productive as well.

I won a door prize - some of the new Simply Pressed Clay that you will be able to purchase when the new Idea Book and Catalogue comes out May 31!!  I have some in the molds now, drying, and I'll show you the results as soon as I can.  I ordered the clay and molds myself as well as part of my Demonstrator Preorder.  That is one of the best perks about being a Stamin' Up Demonstrator, as far as I'm concerned!  You can have that same privilege simply by joining my group for the low cost of $125!  This month, that will get you $195 worth of any products you want, $40 more than usual!!

One card I made is for an up-coming Technique Night where the focus is on masculine cards and Father's Day.

This card features the Clockworks Stamp Set and the new Epic Day Designer Series Paper! If you haven't checked out the This and That product suite yet, you seriously need to do that.  I have really fallen in love with this DSP from the This and That line!   I used a Soft Suede/ Baja Breeze colour palette and embossed the clock case, gears and hands with Pewter Stampin' Emboss powder.  The cool background stamps from Clockworks work so naturally with this DSP, too, but make sure you stamp off once so that the colours remain in the background with less intensity.  If you like the look of those 3/16" Metallic Brads, better pick some up while they are still in stock, because they will be gone for good on June 3, 2013!

Have a great Tuesday!

Stamps:  Clockworks (w127290; c127292); Teeny Tiny Wishes (w115370; c127802)

Paper:  Epic Day Designer Series Paper (130814); Soft Suede (115318), Baja Breeze (111352)** and Very Vanilla (101650) card stock

Ink:  VersaMark (102283);  Classic Stampin' Pad in Soft Suede (126978), Baja Breeze (126960)* and Basic Gray (126981)

Accessories:  Stampin' Emboss Powder in Pewter (124114); 3/16" Metallic Brads (119741)***, 1/8" Mini Brads (122941)

Tools:  Heat Tool (129053); Stampin' Pierce Pad (126199); Paper-Piercing Tool (126189); Stamp-a-ma-jig (101049)

* Retiring Product

**Retiring Product Sold Out

***Retiring Product on sale for 25% off

Clockworks

Epic Day DSP

Pewter Stampin' Emboss Powder