Soft Vintage "Oh Hello" (and 3 more challenges)

I seem to have gotten into the habit of posting really late at night. I've been trying to get better -- I promise! -- and had every intention of posting early, but then I got distracted. Go figure. I'm working on planning a trip to Disneyland, and it seems to invade every waking minute of my thoughts lately! So here I am again, nearly 1 AM, and I'm just starting to write up this blog post.

Maybe next time I'll manage to post before midnight.  . . . Maybe.

Anyway, on to the card! Determined after my last epic fail of posting a multi-challenge card, I wanted to get this one up as soon as possible so I didn't miss ANY deadlines. Woo-hoo!

I combined the color challenge over at Create with Connie and Mary (CCMC SUM13-02) with the layout from this week's Clean and Simple challenge (FTL248). Then, my stamping buddy Julie pointed out that Friday Mashup was hosting a Tic-Tac-Toe challenge (FM117), so I was all over that -- especially since it involves butterflies and pearls! My favorite things! So combining all that, I basically had my card all set up for me; I just had to pick out two measly little stamps. How easy is that?!

A close-up of the butterfly, colored in, with some great pearl details.

Julie suggested adding a tiny seed pearl to the brad - perfect!

The tiny butterfly details were colored in with a Stampin' Up! Blender Pen in Pistachio Pudding and Crisp Cantaloupe. The tiny pearls create the "body" of the butterfly, and in that one little details I've captured all three elements of the Friday Mashup Tic-Tac-Toe challenge! I also added a pearl to the antique brad off to the left, which adds just the perfect touch of "something special" to tie it all together.



Card Details
Colors: Crisp Cantaloupe, Pistachio Pudding, Soft Suede, Very Vanilla
Tools and Accessories: Lace ribbon, Antique Brads, Linen Thread, small Butterfly punch, Perfect Pennants Bigz Die (Big Shot), Basic Pearls, Blender Pens, 1 3/8" circle punch, DSP (don't remember which - sorry!)
Stamps: Oh, Hello and Butterflies

Some "Pinspiration" for You

Hey, everyone. Sorry I've been slacking off this week with posting new cards (or anything, really). I feel like I was on a roll! And then this week hit. Things at work got hectic, and I had an interview for a second job (both are part-time, in addition to Stampin' Up!), so things at my apartment have been less than ideal for creativity.

But tonight I'm on a mission! I have 3 friends' birthdays coming up in the next week, and at least 3 more in the week after that, so I need to get down to business and STAMP! I'll probably pull up a sketch challenge - like Seize the Birthday or Freshly Made Sketches or Retro Sketches - to get my juices flowing. Then I'll put on a good chick flick and get down to work! So if you don't see a post from me tomorrow with at least one birthday card -- Call me out on it!!

In the mean time, enjoy these bits of inspiration (or "Pin"spiration, as it may be) from my Stampin' Up! Pinterest board (which you can follow HERE). And be sure to check out our Birthday Bash Blog Hop for even more birthday inspiration!

from Sleepy In Seattle

from Stamping & Sharing by Stephanie

As Promised - A Doctor Who Card

It's February! Which means it's now time for the Month of Letters Challenge! Today I mailed two cards - one to my brother, and one to my friend. The one for my brother is this card that I made for his wedding (back in early December.... wow, I'm on top of things, huh?)

The second is a card I made more recently with Sale-a-Bration products. I mentioned a few days ago that I had used the new Feeling Sentimental stamp set to make a Doctor Who-themed card. But I didn't want to share it quite yet because it's a surprise for my friend for Letter Month. Well, now that it's in the mail I can show you!

Isn't it great? I wasn't sure what phrase to use with the T.A.R.D.I.S. image, and then Julie found this great saying that is just perfect! "Everything will be okay in the end. If it's not okay, it isn't the end." Considering the time-travel theme of the whole show, it seemed like a fitting greeting.

I really love the artwork in this set. It looks like a print of an old sketch, especially when you stamp it in the super-black StazOn ink like I did here. The StazOn is also great for watercoloring (which I also did here), since the ink doesn't smear. Trying to find the right shade of blue was a bit tricky, but I think the Midnight Muse was a pretty good fit.

And with this, I've officially kicked of Letter Month! So I get this shiny new badge for my efforts.

Card Details:
Paper: Soft Suede, Very Vanilla CS; Newsprint DSP
Ink: black StazOn, Midnight Muse
Tools: Oval Framelits dies (from the Spring Catalog -- check it out in the sidebar!)
Accessories: Basic Jewels Rhinestones, Dimensionals, SNAIL adhesive, square punch (for cutting end of banner)
Stamp Sets: Feeling Sentimental (from the Sale-a-Bration catalog -- earn it for free!), Pursuit of Happiness

Feeling Sentimental - Showing off Fun New Products

January is coming to a close, and that means it's time for Sale-a-Bration! Stampin' Up! is offering some pretty stinkin' awesome products for FREE during this promotion, so be sure you don't miss out! (See here for more info on how you can earn these awesomely free products.) So, to whet your appetite just a bit, I've created a few fun sample cards with some of the new stamp sets & tools, and I'll be posting about them over the next few days.

My favorite set from the SAB pickings is this one: Feeling Sentimental. It's such a great, general-use set with a gorgeous "vintage sketch" art style. I love how it looks stamped in black or brown, or colored in. It's a little hard to see here (enlarge the picture to see better), but I've added  a little tiny rhinestone in the center of the Ferris wheel. A tiny silver brad would also look great. I love that it adds just a little touch of "something special" without drawing attention away from the art itself.  And the "Celebrate" sentiment stamp? Love it! It's perfect for so many occasions!

The background texture is from the Honeycomb Textured Embossing Folder (from the Spring Catalog) and it's such a great compliment to the image and banner on this card. Definitely one I'm adding to my next order! (I borrowed it from my good friend Julie to make this card. She's so nice about letting me mooch off her! haha).

I haven't quite decided what I'm going to use this card for, but it might end up being one of the birthday cards (or even a general "hello" card) I send out during the Month of Letters challenge, which starts this week! Yay! I'm definitely looking forward to (I hope) getting some fun mail to look forward to, rather than just bills and ads.

There was another card I made with this set, but it's kind of supposed to be a surprise for one of my best friends. See, she's a huge Doctor Who fan, and this Feeling Sentimental stamp set happens to have an image that looks like a call box -- or a police box, if you're a Whovian. So I made this Doctor Who card with her & her husband specifically in mind and I don't want to ruin the surprise! I'll post pictures soon, though, don't worry!

What stamp sets or other products are you most wanting from the Sale-a-Bration list? So many good options! You can't go wrong no matter what you pick.

Card Details
Paper: Crumb Cake, Cherry Cobbler, Very Vanilla CS
Ink: Black StazOn 
Stamps & Tools: Feeling Sentimental stamp set (from SAB), Honeycomb Textured Impressions Embossing Folder (for the Big Shot), Basic Jewels Rhinestones; dimensionals & Snail adhesive, as usual

Wedding card - Freshly Made Sketches #66

I made this card (belatedly, I admit) for my big brother's wedding. Their colors were purple and silver, and I thought this simple and elegant card was a lovely nod to their big day (which was now 3 weeks ago... but it's the thought that counts, right? ...Right?)

I love the elegant look to this card, and the Affection Collection stamp set (with the "Love" and "Always" stamps) was a huge part of that look. It's available in Stampin' Up!'s holiday catalog -- which ends on December 31! So if you like this set, hurry up and get it before it's no longer available! You can shop online anytime HERE. (How cool is that?)

After I made the card, I realized it matched this week's Freshly Made Sketches challenge - FMS66. I've always loved participating in the FMS challenges, so here's to hoping they like my card!

Here's their sketch:

Card details:
Stamps: Affection Collection (no longer available, as of Jan. 2013), Memorable Moments, Petite Pairs (inside)
Big Shot: Labels collection Framelits dies, Lacy Brocade Textured Embossing Folder
Cardstock: Whisper White, Elegant Eggplant
Ink: Elegant Eggplant, Versamark
Other: Whisper White ribbon, silver Embossing powder, Dimensionals, SNAIL adhesive

Retro Sketch #43

This week, my friend & fellow Stampin' Up! Demonstrator Julie Wadlinger and I decided to participate in the Retro Sketch Challenge #43. Here's what I came up with:

This great vintage birthday card for my cousin Amy, whose birthday is today (Happy birthday, Amy!) was easy to get started, but finishing touches just killed me! Luckily, we had another SU! Demonstrator joining us for our monthly crafting night, and she (Jill) gave me the idea to put the ribbon behind. I think it just totally makes the card, don't you?

Card Details
Stamps: Postage Due, Memorable Moments
Colors: Soft Suede, Very Vanilla, Night of Navy, Cajun Craze, Baja Breeze (ribbon)
Tools & Accessories: Fancy Fan Textured Embossing Folder, Top Note die, Postage Stamp punch, Basic Pearls, Dimensionals.

Gone Vintage

Lately I've noticed that my style of cards has been drifting. Instead of bold, more modern designs, I've been doing more of a style I thought I could never pull off -- vintage! Gasp! For so long, I'd look at cards that other people have made, and I'd "ooh" and "aah" over their gorgeous, vintage designs, then sign and resign myself to the "fact" that I simply couldn't make those cards work.

Well, was I ever proven wrong!

I LOVE doing these vintage style cards (especially the Christmas ones I posted a while ago -- gorgeous!, if I do say so myself). I love the texture and the colors. And the stamp designs that Stampin' Up! has are just fantastic! Can ya tell I'm kinda loving this whole vintage kick? Yeah? Ok, good; I was worried I was being too subtle about it all.  ;)

Anyway... moving on to the card! Inspired by a similar project I saw by Jeannine Tarrio, I made this card for my mother-in-law's birthday, using the Everything Eleanor set. (Which I got for free, btw -- gotta love Stampin' Up!'s reward system, eh?) So check it out: what do you think?

Some of the lovely details - roughed-up edges,
delicate pearls, faded ink. Love it!

 I also stamped some "wrapping paper" to match the card. (Yes, this is the back side of a brown grocery bag. And yes, it is WAY cheaper than wrapping paper.)

Card Supplies:
Stamps: Everything Eleanor, Birthday Wishes
Ink: Cherry Cobbler, Soft Suede
Paper: Very Vanilla, Soft Suede, Crumb Cake, brown paper sack
Tools & Accessories: Apothecary Accents Framelits Die (Big Shot), Finishing Touches Edgelit (Big Shot), Paper Snips (cutting out flowers, placing pearls), Basic Pearls, sponge


So what do you think? What are some of your favorite design styles?