Sweet Treat

#stampinup   #faithfulinkspirations   One of the perks of being a Stampin' Up demonstrator is being part of a team of like-minded stampers. I'm part of the Proverbial Stampers team under our fearless leader Connie Heisey. I live about 1.5 hours away from Connie so I can't always attend her team meetings, but when I can get away from my "day" job a little early, I'll head on up to Pennsylvania to learn new techniques and business tips and make some great cards.

At our February meeting, we used the "A Good Day" stamp set to make 5 different styles of cards. I'm guessing that this sweet little set is overlooked in a catalog full of sets that make a big splash. But take a look again at page 17 in the Occasions catalog and you'll see some great products to use to make cards for just about any occasion.

I love the color scheme in this card and the little flashes of bling. I also love how easy this card is to make!  We started by stamping the ice cream image in Basic Black Archival Ink onto a Whisper White scrap and punching it out with the 1" Circle Punch. We colored the image with Rich Razzleberry and Crumb Cake Stampin' Blends. We punched a Berry Burst scalloped circle mat with the 1-1/8" Scallop Circle Punch and a Silver Glimmer Paper scalloped element with the 1-3/8" Scallop Circle Punch. Both those punches are NEW and also on page 17.

We punched a 2" strip of Whisper White Card Stock with the Scallop Tag Topper Punch and flagged the other end with our Paper Snips. We tied on a length of Whisper White Baker's Twine. We added the ice cream element to the tag with Stampin' Dimensionals.

Next, we wrapped a length of Melon Mambo Metallic-Edge Ribbon around a 4" by 2" strip of Picture Perfect Party Designer Series Paper and then adhered it directly to a Berry Burst Card Stock card base. We adhered the tag to the card with Stampin' Dimensionals and finished the card by adding three Tutti-Frutti Adhesive-Backed Sequins. So cute!!

 

tams# 20587

Product List

A Good Day Clear-Mount Stamp Set [145873] $19.00	Basic Black Archival Stampin’ Pad [140931] $7.00	Rich Razzleberry 8-1/2" X 11" Card Stock [115316] $8.00	Whisper White 8-1/2" X 11" Card Stock [100730] $9.00
Picture Perfect Party 6" X 6" (15.2 X 15.2 Cm) Designer Series Paper [145559] $10.00	Silver Glimmer Paper [135314] $5.00	Rich Razzleberry Dark Stampin' Blends Marker [144583] $4.50	Crumb Cake Light Stampin' Blends Marker [144582] $4.50
1" Circle Punch [119868] $13.00	1-1/8" (2.9 Cm) Scallop Circle Punch [146138] $16.00	1-3/8" Circle Punch [119860] $16.00	Tag Topper Scalloped Punch [133324] $23.00
Berry Burst 3/8" (1 Cm) Metallic-Edge Ribbon [145489] $7.00	Twine Baker's Whisper White [124262] $3.00	Tutti-Frutti Adhesive-Backed Sequins [145609] $7.00	Stampin' Dimensionals [104430] $4.00
Paper Snips Scissors [103579] $10.00

Heartfelt Thoughts

#stampinup   #faithfulinkspirations   #saleabration2018   Last weekend, I attended a workshop given by one of my team members. She signed up last year for the "no-strings-attached bundle"* and she's still going strong as a demonstrator! I'm so proud of her and I wanted to support her efforts over the last year and visit with her and her customers, who are my friends, too! Darlene designed three cards for us to make and I thought the were so fabulous that I wanted to share them with my blog readers, too!

First up is a card made with the "Heartfelt Blooms" stamp set that you can earn FREE with a qualifying purchase during Sale-a-Bration. I have a little confession to make--my card is a bit different than the one that Darlene designed because I used a different sentiment and then didn't have room for the floral image. Doh! But as we always say: "There are no stampin' mistakes. There are only stampin' opportunities." So I didn't assemble my card at the workshop. I brought it home to see what I could do to make it work.

No matter how I cut the card stock or rotated the image, I couldn't use the square element that Darlene planned because it would have hidden the sentiment. So, I used the Layering Ovals Framelits to cut out the image. I adhered it to a Basic Black scalloped mat cut with another of the Layering Ovals Framelits.

Since I added some Basic Black to the design, I used some more black elements--Basic Black Shimmer Ribbon and a 3-3/4" by 5" Basic Black Card Stock mat. We had already used the Softly Falling Embossing Folder on the top half our Whisper White panel, but I cut that down to 3-7/8" by 5-1/8". I used Stampin' Dimensionals to adhere the oval element to the card.

If you're wondering--the card base is Blushing Bride Card Stock and the floral image and sentiment are stamped in Blushing Bride Ink.

*The no-strings-attached bundle is the best deal during Sale-a-Bration. Sign up to be a demonstrator for only $99 and you will receive  your choice of up to $125 in products (that’s $26 in free products) and the kit ships free for another 10% savings.  You can include items from the Occasions Catalog as well as Annual Catalog in your kit.  (Sale-A-Bration rewards do not apply to the $99 Starter Kit purchase.) BONUS!  CHOOSE TWO FREE STAMP SETS (any price) when you join during Sale-A-Bration.  That’s up to an additional $101 value! Sign up with me on line here during Sale-A-Bration (now-March 31) to get up to $225 in Stampin' Up product for only $99!!  Then you can enjoy 20-25% off Stampin' Up products on subsequent orders from the day you join through at least July 31, 2018.  You can drop at the end of July with no penalty! But, you may just want to keep your demonstratorship. Contact me with any questions, or click on the "join my team" link above for more information.

tams# 20584

Product List

Heartfelt Blooms Clear-Mount Stamp Set [147202] $0.00	Blushing Bride Classic Stampin' Pad [131172] $6.50	Blushing Bride 8-1/2" X 11" Card Stock [131198] $8.00	Basic Black 8-1/2" X 11" Card Stock [121045] $8.00
Whisper White 8-1/2" X 11" Card Stock [100730] $9.00	Layering Ovals Framelits Dies [141706] $35.00	Softly Falling Textured Impressions Embossing Folder [139672] $8.50	Basic Black 3/8" Shimmer Ribbon [144129] $7.00
Stampin' Dimensionals [104430] $4.00

Bursting Birthday

#stampinup   #faithfulinkspirations   #FF0002   There's a new challenge up on the Festive Friday Challenge blog.  As always, the challenge is an either/or/and challenge. You can do one of the two themes or both of the themes.  I've chosen to do only one this time and that's ribbon. That's an easy challenge for me because I almost always ribbon in my cards! 


My card started out in a completely other direction. I didn't have any of this in mind when I started out. It just grew organically because my original design wasn't working out, but when I was laying out some of the pieces I saw a new design and I really liked it! So let's pretend that I had a plan...and you can follow along with me as I describe the process of creating this card (without the many detours that led here).

I started with a 3-3/4" by 5" Whisper White Card Stock mat onto which I adhered a 3-7/8" by 5-1/8" piece of Sweet Soiree Specialty Designer Series Paper. I wrapped a length of Berry Burst Crinkled Seam Binding Ribbon around this before adhering it to a Berry Burst Card Stock card base.

Next, I stamped the birthday sentiment from the "Cake Soiree" stamp set in Berry Burst Ink onto Whisper White Card Stock and cut it out with a circle from the Stitched Shapes Framelits. I cut a swirl of Silver Foil Sheet using one of the Swirly Scribbles Thinlits. I adhered the silver swirl and circular piece to the card with Stampin' Dimensionals.

I finished the card by adding three Berry Burst Glitter Enamel Dots to the focal piece.

Even though the road I traveled was long and winding, I really love how this card turned out at the end!

There's still time to play along in the Festive Friday challenge. This particular challenge is open until Monday, March 5th at 8pm CST. Why don't you see where your supplies take you and then enter the challenge?

 

tams# 20517

Product List

Cake Soiree Clear-Mount Bundle [147627] $61.00	Cake Soirée Clear-Mount Stamp Set [145745] $35.00	Berry Burst Classic Stampin' Pad [144083] $6.50	Berry Burst 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock [144243] $8.00
Whisper White 8-1/2" X 11" Card Stock [100730] $9.00	Sweet Soirée Specialty Designer Series Paper [145564] $13.00	Silver Foil Sheets [132178] $4.00	Stitched Shapes Framelits Dies [145372] $30.00
Swirly Scribbles Thinlits Dies [141497] $27.00	Berry Burst 5/8" Crinkled Seam Binding Ribbon [144191] $8.00	Glitter Enamel Dots [144200] $7.00	Stampin' Dimensionals [104430] $4.00

Paper Pumpkin February 2018

#stampinup   #faithfulinkspirations   #paperpumpkin5   Can you believe that Stampin' Up launched its monthly Paper Pumpkin paper crafting subscription five years ago? It seems like only yesterday! I've been a subscriber since the beginning and the kits keep getting better and better! They come with everything you need to complete the project--except scissors. And, if you're a new subscriber, you even get an acrylic block on which to position your stamps.

To celebrate the Paper Pumpkin 5th anniversary, the March 2018 kit will be packaged in a special 5th anniversary box and will come with a FREE gift--along with the fabulous kit! To receive this kit, you'll need to subscribe to Paper Pumpkin by March 10. You can purchase a month-to-month subscription and be billed $19.95 each month. You can suspend or cancel your subscription any time on the Paper Pumpkin website.

Why not try a 3-, 6-, or 12-month subscription? You'll save money on a 6- or 12-month subscription as each kit is discounted. If you purchase one of these prepaid subscription options, you'll also qualify for FREE Sale-a-Bration items! Click on "Shop on Line" on the right side of this blog and you'll go to my Stampin' Up webstore. From there, click on "shop now" and then on the "Paper Pumpkin" option on the left-hand column.

Watch the video for the "Wildflower Wishes" February 2018 Paper Pumpkin kit. You'll see how quick and easy these projects are to make--and how beautiful they are! I always stamp along with the video since I like to see the projects being made in action.



Got questions? Please ask! And don't forget you need to sign up by March 10 to get the 5th anniversary kit!

Wonderful Birthday

#stampinup   #faithfulinkspirations   Have you ever fallen in love with a stamp set or a designer series paper and started imagining all the beautiful projects you would make? Sure you have! I do it, too, of course. But sometimes when your order arrives and you have everything in your hot little hands, your creative mind just shuts down. Or, you are overwhelmed and can't seem to focus in on just how to get started. 

That happened to me with the Sweet Soiree Suite. I. Had. To. Have. It. And when I had it, I had absolutely NO idea what to do with it. I perused Pinterest and SplitcoastStampers and I pinned away, but I couldn't settle on a design. I think because some of the stamps have "busy" elements to them and the Sweet Soiree Specialty Designer Series Paper is also "busy"--though stunningly gorgeous--that I couldn't wrap my mind around putting the two together. But I did find a clean and simple layout I liked and thought I could work with, so I plunged in.

This card really is easy to make! I started by stamping the cake in Basic Gray Archival Ink onto Whisper White Card Stock. I cut it out with the matching Sweet Cake Framelits Die and used my Dark and Light Old Olive and Dark and Light Pink Pirouette Stampin' Blends to color in the images. (When my Dark and Light Rich Razzleberry Stampin' Blends arrive, I'll probably add that to the flowers.)

To build the card, I started with a 3-3/4" by 5" Whisper White Card Stock panel onto which I'd stamped a sentiment from the "Cake Soiree" stamp set in Berry Burst Ink. I adhered a 3-3/4" by 1-1/2" strip of Sweet Soiree Specialty Designer Series Paper. I adhered this to a 3-7/8" by 5-1/8" Berry Burst Card Stock mat and then wrapped a length of Berry Burst Metallic-Edge Ribbon around before adhering it to a Thick Whisper White Card Stock card base.

I added the cake with Stampin' Dimensionals and I used a Glue Dot to add a Powder Pink Card Stock Bow that I cut with one of the Sweet Cake Framelits.

We'll be making this card at my birthday card stamp-a-stack in March. If you're local to me, contact me and I'll send you the details. If you're a long-distance customer, contact me and I'll help you get set up with the products you need to make this card yourself--or just click on the pictures below and you'll be taken to my online store. Don't forget that for every $50 you spend, you can choose a FREE level 1 Sale-a-Bration product, too!

 

tams# 20465

Product List

Cake Soiree Clear-Mount Bundle [147627] $61.00	Basic Gray Archival Stampin’ Pad [140932] $7.00	Berry Burst Classic Stampin' Pad [144083] $6.50	Whisper White 8-1/2" X 11" Thick Cardstock [140272] $7.00
Whisper White 8-1/2" X 11" Card Stock [100730] $9.00	Berry Burst 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock [144243] $8.00	Powder Pink 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock [144244] $8.00	Sweet Soirée Specialty Designer Series Paper [145564] $13.00
Pink Pirouette Stampin' Blends Markers Combo Pack [144604] $9.00	Old Olive Stampin' Blends Markers Combo Pack [144597] $9.00	Rich Razzleberry Stampin' Blends Markers Combo Pack [144602] $9.00	Berry Burst 3/8" (1 Cm) Metallic-Edge Ribbon [145489] $7.00
Stampin' Dimensionals [104430] $4.00	Glue Dots [103683] $5.25