Finally...some quality / quantity time to do some stampin'...

This is the most stamping I've had a chance to do since last year.

That's just not right!

Especially since even seven days without stamping

makes one week...or may I say weak!!

These are the cards I made for Melanie & Ema.

From the day Ema was born, I've whipsered in her ear

"Gramma luuuuvs you!"

I sent the "FORGET-ME-NOT" seeds & a reminder:

"Don't FORGET, Gramma loves you!"

Melanie is very talented with her flower garden

& usually would have seeds planted by now.

I made the little flower pot card especially for her.

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Using several SU punches &  the Square Lattice embossing folder,

I made this cheery thank you card.

I love texturing my card stock with the embossing folders.

It always adds an extra nice touch!

Colored with Poppin' Pastel ~ a favorite technique of mine.

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I loved the colors of this card but just was not happy with it

until I put the wide pink strip of card stock on the left side.

Layers are good!!

The yellow circle is textured with the Square Lattice folder.

 

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What a nice color combination:

Not Quite Navy, Elegant Eggplant & Perfect Plum

Each flower is stamped and cut out with a

few applied with Stampin' Dimensionals.

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Lovely as a Tree is a classic set.

So perfect for almost any occasion.

It took a little while to get going on these cards

since it had been so long but in the end,

it sure felt good to spend time being creative!

Now I have a few cards ready to add JOY to someone's day!

Two Step Stamps

This is a birthday card I made for my "apple loving" friend.

I know she likes sunflowers, too, so I thought I'd do something

besides apples this year.

This stamp is from a retired set but the same technique can be used with any Two-Step Stampin' stamps.

Two-Step Stampin'

First, I stamped the big flower and stem with Versa Mark then colored with

Stampin' Pastels (chalk)

Next, I stamped the detail stamps with Versa Mark

on top of the flower and leaves

and again colored with Stampin' Pastels using accent colors.

You can get so much shading and depth to your artwork this way.

New stamps & punches!!!

I can't wait to use my NEW stamps that came in yesterday!  

The "Just Believe" set has 

possibilities for many different techniques!

I'm anxious to try Poppin' Pastels first.

How can you go wrong with COFFEE stamps!?!

I have several but can always use a latte more!!!

The "Take a Sip" wheel will make a great background paper or will add dimension by stamping & cutting out the coffee cups to apply with

Stampin' Dimensionals.

OH!!  And more new punches! 

Every punch seems to have more & more uses than the original intent! 

Just add a little imagination and see what happens!

The Stampin' Up! punches are coordinated to layer with each other

and are so easy to use.  This is the new design of our punches.

It clips closed to a flat position and opens easily to use.

This new design makes them easier to store.

Charming...

This is the new Simply Adorned Charm by Stampin' Up!

available in the Occasions Mini Catalog pg. 28.

The charm is two sided.

Many pieces of artwork can be stamped & changed as desired.

This should be a really fun piece to work with!

Four other sizes as well as chains are also available.

The words are stamped in ink and the flower is stamped in

Versa Mark and chalked.

Of course PINK is used!

Rich Razzelberry Butterfly

One of the new In Colors, Rich Razzleberry is the basis for this card.

(I like the creative names Stampin' Up! gives their colors.)

The designer paper is Razzleberry Lemonade. (pg 162)

I stamped two of the butterflies and adhered just down the center with Stampin' Dimensionals.

I'm not sure I can make a card without using Stampin' Dimensionals!

The butterflies were stamped with VersaMark and colored with Stampin' Pastels (chalk).  I was able to blend the colors to match the Razzleberry.  (Poppin' Pastels technique)

Black Flower Soft is the body of the butterfly.

BIG SHOT accessories:  Little Leaves, Top Note

See Big Shot supplies on pages 194-202.

Sage Green is the color I used for the leaves and the Top Note.

Stamp sets:  God's Beauty, Medallion

This card is for another precious lady from church who recently went through some major surgery.  I'm sure this will cheer her up. 

She likes butterflies. :)

She is in my prayers!

Sunflower card with Flower Soft center...

This time of year, I love seeing the little sunflowers lining the roads on my way to work. This is a card I made for a friend at church who every Sunday from Spring through Autumn brings a fresh beautiful bouquet. All the flowers are from the Creator left in her care. She faithfully brings a bouquet then lets someone from church take it home to enjoy it the rest of the week. She is such a blessing.

I used Versa Mark ink pad and colored the images with chalk. The paper punches I used are on pgs. 186 - 167 in the Stampin' Up! catalog. The colors I used are Summer Sun, Chocolate Chip & Garden Green. I sponged Chocolate Chip on the edges of the card.

You can see the Flower Soft in this picture. It has a spongy feel & adds a lot of dimension.

You can see in these pictures that I cut out an extra sunflower to add even more dimension. The flower and circle cut outs were applied with Stampin' Dimensionals.

Happy Mother's Day

Poppin' Pastels is the technique I used for this card. I love this technique. The colors can be as pastel or bright as you want. First, stamp your image in Versa Mark then use a cotton swab or cotton ball to chalk color over the Versa Mark.

I stamped extra flowers and leaves to cut out & applied with Stampin' Dimensionals.
Other items used: Cuddlebug to emboss, Scallop Edge punch, Scallop Circle punch, brads,

gold cord and glass beads.

Coffee?

Amy, you are so beautiful!
I can't wait to have coffee together!!!!

This is a card I made using a non SU! stamp. :0
I hope my blog doesn't self destruct ;)
I stamped the image in Versa Mark ink then used Stampin' Pastels to color.
The Barely Banana layer is embossed with the d'vine swirl Cuttlebug embosser.
The swirls remind me of the steam coming off the coffee.
The back layer is Chocolate Chip.

How are we not supposed to get hungry when stamping???
Bananas...chocolate chip....!

More cards colored with chalk

These next 3 cards are stamped with Versa Mark and colored with chalk. I used Pretty in Pink, Close to Cocoa and Mellow Moss. I love the names of Stampin' Up! colors. :)

The close up picture hopefully shows the clouds. I cut out a circle using the scallop punch and chalked around the edges moving the circle around to make the sky.

With Sympathy

I've needed too many sympathy cards recently.
I feel handmade cards can give more meaning to those receiving the cards since each one is lovingly stamped.

This card was made with Bashful Blue, So Saffron, Night of Navy, YoYo Yellow & Barely Banana. I stamped the Lighthouse in Versa Mark then colored with chalk. I love the soft look chalks give.