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Connie Babbert
Stampin' Up! Demonstrator
Dublin, OH
614-792-7999
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Jul
3
Bloggers Challenge 106 – Red White & Blue
Filed Under Big Shot, Cards, Challenges | 8 Comments
With the 4th of July weekend coming up, the Bloggers Challenge theme of Red/White/Blue is definitely appropriate. I wanted to try something a little different, but went to bed last night with NOTHING. However, I must have been dreaming about stamping, because this morning, I had this idea in my head! Isn’t that funny how it works?
This has NO stamping on it…made entirely from my Big Shot dies, Circle Scissors and a Small Star punch! I started with cutting two large Scallops with the Scallop Circle Die from Brilliant Blue cardstock. To join them together, I scored at 6 of the scallops on one Scallop Circle, then attached the folded/scored piece to the back of the front Scallop Circle…this made my base card. Since it measures 4 1/2 in diameter, I set my Circle Scissor to 4" and cut the Real Red Circle mat. Then I set the Circle Scissor to 3 3/4 and cut a Whisper White circle, a Brilliant Blue circle and a Real Red circle all the same size. If you don’t have the Circle Scissor, you don’t know what you are missing! It makes cutting circles SO easy…and rings! It is the best circle cutter I’ve ever tried (and I have tried quite a few!) I cut the smaller Real Red circles into 1/2" strips and layered over the Whisper White circle. Then I trimmed off about 1/3 of the Brilliant Blue small circle to be the field for the stars. I punched the Whisper White stars with the Small Star Punch and randomly placed them on the Brilliant Blue piece. All the pieces were adhered on the Whisper White circle and trimmed off as needed. The Whisper White was matted with the Real Red larger circle and then placed on the Brilliant Blue base Scallop Circle card.
I cut the letters USA with Go Go Boots die on the Big Shot (I am SO not happy that the A is out of scale to the other two!) I decorated the inside, too. I ran the Real Red thru part of the Scallop Circle die and attached it to the bottom. Then punched a few more Whisper White stars with the Small Star Punch!
I hope you enjoy the 4th of July holiday! We are headed to the lake tomorrow as long as my hubby is feeling ok. He started vacation today, but is coming down with a cold, so just laying around.
Don’t forget about the Scallop Edge Punch that is on sale thru July 5th! Call or email me today to order yours!
Connie
www.inkspiredtreasures.com
Jul
2
SNSS Blog Hop – Gone Buggy
Filed Under Cards, SNSS | 19 Comments
Today is my first official post as a member of the Design Team for Sweet n’ Sassy Stamps! I’m very excited to be working with this Design Team and Korin! If you just started here, you’ll want to go back to the beginning at the Sweet N Sassy blog and work around to all the stops, or check out the names and links on my right sidebar. You’ll also want to check out the Christmas in July sale going on this month!
This Blog Hop features the stamp sets from the new SNSS June release! I couldn’t resist using the set, Gone Buggy designed by the talented Courtney Fowler. The Caterpillar is just TOO cute, and I love the Inchin’ along saying! I decided to dress him up in patriotic colors to celebrate the 4th of July holiday this weekend. After you check out my post, make sure to go on to the next stop, Sandy!
I wanted to keep my card simple to show him off. I hope you can tell that he is sitting along the top brim of a Uncle Sam’s hat! I stamped him in Basic Black on Whisper White cardstock and used my AquaPainter and Stampin’ Up! Real Red and Brocade Blue markers to watercolor him. The hat is made by cutting strips of Real Red Cardstock, then a piece of Brocade Blue for the hat band. I used a small rounder punch on the corners. I also used Stampin’ Up!’s large and small star punches with Yo Yo Yellow cardstock. And, used the piercing tool and mat for a small design in the upper right corner!
Have a wonderful day!
Jul
1
Asian Artistry Take 2
Filed Under Cards, Control Freaks swaps | Leave a Comment
Well…did you notice anything different? I had a mini Blog makeover. More changes coming soon, but this is a start. I wanted to go from a 2 column format to a 3 column format to help spread out the sidebar badges a little…they were looking a little crowded!
Today feature is the second of the cards I rejected for my Control Freaks swap. You can see I was on the same thought process as yesterday’s Asian Artistry card with the Watercolor Wash in the background, but I dropped the Shabby Chic look and went more streamlined.
On this one, I started with a base of Cameo Coral and added an extra inch so I could fold the top edge over the Mellow Moss layer. I stamped the flower stamp with Cameo Coral over the flap randomly for a tone-on-tone look. The Mellow Moss layer was run thru the Big Shot with the Texturz Kit #4 plate, then Mellow Moss ink applied direct to paper on the highlights of the texture. I wrapped the 5/8 Chocolate Chip Grosgrain Ribbon around the top and secured, then brought it down the front of the panel, turned up the end and secured it to the Mellow Moss with a Clear Rhinestone Brad. I adhered the top flap to the front of the Mellow Moss. The focal element was done with the Watercolor Wash technique from Technique Junkies on Shimmer Paper and I overstamped the Asian grass stamp with Chocolate Chip Craft Ink. This was layered to Chocolate Chip cardstock. The Dragonfly from this set was also stamped on Shimmer Paper with Chocolate Chip Craft Ink and then colored with the Mellow Moss marker. It was punched with the 1 1/4 Circle Punch, layered to a 1 3/8 Mellow Moss Circle Punch and then added to a Chocolate Chip Scallop Circle and popped up with dimensionals to the background.
Stay tuned over the next couple days for my final Control Freaks swap card! Today, I included a picture of the new Level 2 Hostess Set, Asian Artistry. Be sure to book your workshop with me today so you can earn yours as soon as possible! I love this set!
The Sweet n’ Sassy Stamps mini tour is going on now. See the tour schedule over on the right. Tomorrow will be a post with my first featured card as a Design Team Member! Be sure to stop by!
Asian Artistry, Level 2 Hostess Set
Jun
30
Asian Artistry
Filed Under Cards | 2 Comments
Today is the last day to order from the Occasions Mini Catalog and any of the retiring Stamp Sets, Decor Elements or Accessories. Don’t miss out…once they are gone…they are gone. See the lists HERE.
So tomorrow at 12:00 N starts a new catalog! I’m excited to order some new things…already have my list waiting to be put into the system!
This was one of the Hostess stamp sets that I was able to preorder as a demonstrator. It is a five piece Level 2 hostess set, Asian Artistry. I loved the clean lines of this set! I started out with the thought that this would be my Control Freaks swap, but the pieces just didn’t come together as smoothly as I like! I’m happy with the card, it just didn’t say WOW to me…it also didn’t use any of the new In-Colors and I wanted to make sure I used some of them for this swap. So…this is in the "reject" pile. (You’ll see another one tomorrow!)
I used a Watercolor Wash technique for the background I learned from the Technique Junkies Newsletter. I stamped the grass and dragonfly stamps in Chocolate Chip Craft over top of the technique. I also added a little Mellow Moss color to the dragonfly with my marker. This I layered onto Chocolate Chip cardstock and used my Spiral Punch along the right side. In the background on the Mellow Moss, I stamped the flower stamp from this set randomly with Mellow Moss, then I ran the layer through the Big Shot with the Texturz Plate Kit #4. I distressed the edges with my Cutter Kit and added more Mellow Moss to the edges. I wrapped some Chocolate Chip Taffeta Ribbon around this layer before adhering it to the Blush Blossom layer on the base. In the top corner, you can see I also stamped the flower stamp in Blush Blossom for a tone-on-tone look. This card turned out a Shabby Chic kind of look…definitely not my usual design preference!
Hope you have a wonderful day!
Jun
29
BBQ Grill – Punch Art
Filed Under 3D items, Big Shot, Cards | 12 Comments
FINALLY, I get to show you this BBQ Grill punch art I made up last month! My final Punch Class using this Grill was this past week…the other group did it earlier and I’ve been DYING to show it. Then I saw Shelli (CEO of Stampin’ Up!) had a Summer Party Challenge and I thought this grill would be PERFECT to submit for her contest! The card my Punch Classes did was a little different…they used the U Rock stamp from It’s A Sign…but I made another to show off as an invitation using You’re Invited stamp from Sincere Salutations.
Included in this set is the Invitation, the food place card, the plasticware/napkin holder and a little pennant for the condiments. The grill is made using Real Red cardstock and the 1 3/4 Circle Punch and cutting it in half, I used a Silver Mini Brad as a hinge. The legs are the Word Window punch with Basic Gray cardstock…one is used whole and the other I cut in half lengthwise. The large wheel is Basic Black cardstock with the 1/2 circle punch and the smaller wheel is cut from the Crop A Dile (approx. 1/4" circle). The handle for the top of the grill, I punched the Crop A Dile, then the 1/2 circle around it. I used the White Gel Pen around the edges of the gril and the center of the large wheel. Urban Oasis Designer Paper is used for accents on the card, sleeve and the food tent.
I used the Sizzix Go Go Boots dies to spell BBQ on the foot tent place card. I also used the Photo Corner Punch as an accent with more Silver Mini Brads on the invitation. Oh…and the SMOKE from the grill! I looked and looked at all my sets…finally saw the Swirl Stamp from Spotlight on Christmas…it is perfect!
The napkin/plasticware holder is REALLY easy and I’ve used it several times at parties! It is quite impressive to have a basket of them sitting on the buffet table. I cut a sleeve of Urban Oasis Designer Paper 3 x 11" and folded it in half to 3 x 5 1/2. I created a Real Red cardstock belly band, 1 x 8 1/2" and ran it thru the Crimper Tool, and wrapped it around the center of the folded sleeve…allowing a little room to place the napkin and plasticware inside. The napkin I just folded the edges in and the bottom up to make a "pocket" and slid the plasticware inside. Then I just decorated the outside of the sleeve with the same Grill element as the card!
For the condiment pennant, I cut two small pennants from the XL Pennant Die in Whisper White and Real Red, then trimmed off the edge of the Whisper White and layered over the Real Red. I added a couple Jumbo Eyelets and tied some Real Red Striped Ribbon for a hanger. The Grill is placed on the front with Stampin’ Dimensionals.
Fun…I loved making this, and it really came together quickly as a set!
Jun
27
Woohoo!!!
Filed Under Good info | 7 Comments
My son just called…he just got ENGAGED! We are SO happy for them…this is the one who just turned 27 this week. We love her and she is SO good for him.
Hmmm, now to be thinking about making the wedding invitations!
Here is a picture of the two of them taken at the Wisconsin/Ohio State football game last year (they are a rival household!) We love her even though she is a Badger! lol!
Aren’t they a CUTE couple!
Congratulations, Adam and Beth!
Remember…time is running out to order any of the retiring stamp sets or accessories! Don’t wait! Check HERE for the latest updates on retiring accessories. Retiring stamp sets and Decor Elements are available only until June 30th.
Jun
26
Stamping 411 Sketch 105
Filed Under Cards | 3 Comments
Wow…we are working on Sketch #5 at the Stamping411 blog! If you haven’t visited this site yet, it is a great site to get information for beginners or more experienced stampers that want to get back to the basics. We have a sketch challenge each Saturday, so come play along! All the dimensions are on the site, you just need to pull out your stamps and paper!
Soft Summer stamp set is in the Occasions Mini and I’m sad to say that it did not make it into the new catalog. So, make sure you place an order with me to get it before it is gone! I love the dogwoods in this set. I’m not sure what these flowers are called, but it is pretty used as a background stamp or the focal point as I did here. The two-step stamps make it so easy to create something pretty!
For this card, I inked up the solid flower from Soft Summer with Pink Pirouette ink and used my Old Olive marker to draw in the stem. I stamped on Glossy White. Then I inked up my outline flower with Regal Rose, used the Old Olive marker for the stem and overstamped for a two-tone look. I punched it out with the 1 3/4 circle punch. Then I used the Big Shot to cut out one of the large scallop circles from Baskets & Blooms XL Bigz Die with Walk in the Park Designer Paper. LOVE that I now have something larger than the 1 3/4 circle to layer together!
The base card is Cameo Coral. On the Whisper White layer, I placed some Raspberry Tart Designer Paper pattern on the bottom, then a strip of Pink Pirouette. On each side of the Pink Pirouette, I used my Eyelet Border Punch with Cameo Coral to add the eyelet edge. I wrapped White Taffeta Ribbon around it and layered it onto the base card. Then I placed the stamped flower element and stamped Thanks So Much from the Soft Summer stamp set in Old Olive. This sketch makes a great card with little effort!
Hope you are having a wonderful weekend! I have company coming in tomorrow, so today I need to finish cleaning! I’ve been reorganizing my studio a little, too…so need to get that mess cleaned up.
Jun
26
Bloggers Challenge 105 – Alter it!
Filed Under 3D items, Challenges | 16 Comments
Today’s Bloggers Challenge was to alter something. Well, heaven knows, I have PLENTY of stuff in my Studio that I’ve saved to "alter" someday. A couple of things were these Stax potato chip containers. The Brilliant Blue and Yo Yo Yellow colors were hard to work around, but I think the Good Morning Sunshine Designer paper goes pretty well! Not sure what I’ll use this for…any suggestions?
I started by wrapping the container with Good Morning Sunshine Designer Paper and securing it with Sticky Strip. Then I used Sticky Strip along the back of the 5/8 Old Olive Grosgrain Ribbon and secure it on top of the DSP along the top and bottom seams of the DSP.
For the lid, I cut three sets of the Daisies #2 die in Brilliant Blue, Summer Sun and Old Olive cardstock and alternated the colors and sizes to make the flower. I finished the center with a Kiwi Kiss Corduroy button (since they are being retired!) I secured it to the lid with dimensionals.
As a design for the front, I decided to use a little of the On Board I’ve been hoarding. We received an entire package of So Tweet OnBoard at Convention or Leadership and I hadn’t even cut into it. So, I used the large bird, covered the On Board with Craft Summer Sun and Craft Pumpkin Pie. I used Crystal Effects to hold on the wing, beak and tail feathers…then went ahead and painted on a thin coat of Crystal Effects over the entire body to give it a little bit of shine. I was going to put some kind of words or something…but really couldn’t think of anything I wanted it to say, so…I’ll just keep it until I use it and then come up with something! lol!
Remember a few weeks ago, I mentioned I had some exciting news? Well, I’ve been selected by Korin Sutherland to be on the Sweet ‘n Sassy Stamps Design Team! I’m so honored to be able to share my creativity with this team! You’ll see we have a SNSS Blog Hop scheduled over on the left sidebar…my post will be on July 2! Hope you stop by and see some of these talented gals’ work next week!
Hope you have a wonderful weekend!
Jun
25
Uh oh…I’m scraping the bottom for photos that I have ready to post! Better get back to my studio and start stamping some more! Actually, I had quite a few, but just mailed them off for publication, so can’t show them here. However, when I got home from class yesterday, I did have the magazine, Just Cards, in my mailbox! Woohoo! I’m published again in the Volume 14 issue of Just Cards! I posted that card HERE, for a Bloggers’ Inspiration Challenge last October, so you can see a sneak peek!
This card is one that my Stamp Club did last month. It is heavily inspired by one I saw online, but I changed up the center somewhat. I love how it focused on the Ronald McDonald House Charities stamp set, Say It With Scallops. The greetings in this set fit the Scallop Square Punch perfectly! Say it with Scallops will be retiring at the end of June…so don’t miss out! $2 for every set sold goes to RMCH and I also donate my profit. I can see using the Congrats for LOTS of different occasions…graduations, retirement, promotions, new license! lol!
I started with a base of Brilliant Blue in 5 1/2 x 11 and folded it in half, then a layer of Whisper White cut to 5 1/4 x 5 1/4, then a layer of red 5 x 5. I stamped Congrats in Black, Real Red and Brilliant Blue on Whisper White and punched with the Scallop Square punch. The center is the Large Star punch out of Brilliant Blue, with a Small Star punch in the center, anchored with a 5/8 White Jumbo Brad and a folded over tail of 5/8 Real Red Grosgrain Ribbon. It came together VERY easy!
Had a lot of fun with my friends at the Stamp Class yesterday…always good to see them. The hours I spend in prep work is so worth it when I see them enjoy working on the punch cards!
Say it with Scallops
benefitting Ronald McDonald House Charities
#111678
$17.95
Jun
23
Just Beachy – LNS Sketch Challenge
Filed Under Card Sketch, Cards | 6 Comments
Today I worked on the Late Night Stampers Sketch Challenge for the week! It is one of Mary Jo’s TSSC19 original sketches, It is a really nice sketch, so I thought I’d have a little fun with it and I pulled out my Just Beachy stamp set. I’m sad this set will NOT be in the new catalog…so if you want it, get it now! I made this card for my nephew’s birthday card. He will be turning 14! I thought he’d get a chuckle out of it. It also uses another retiring set, It’s A Sign, for the Prepare to Party words.
I started with a base card of Summer Sun. I ran the Whimsy Jumbo Wheel with Ballet Blue ink over the Brilliant Blue cardstock to make "bubbles" and layered it on the base card. I cut smaller layers of Tangerine Tango and Green Galore and layered them together on top of the Brilliant Blue. I stamped Be Prepared to Party from It’s A Sign with Basic Black on Green Galore and cut out around the shape. I stamped each of the fish from Just Beachy with Basic Black on Whisper White, colored them with markers and punched them with 1" circle punch. I adhered all of them to the Tangerine Tango layer. Finally, I wrapped some Tangerine Tango Striped Ribbon (still available on sale!) and tied a knot bow. I love how this turned…so bright and fun!
I’m experimenting with my PhotoShop Elements and camera. When you get this, please let me know if the file is HUGE in your email (larger than normal) by leaving me a comment. Thanks!
Have a great day! I’m finishing up details for my Punch Class tomorrow. I’ll try to get something scheduled to post, but if I don’t..you’ll know why I’m missing! lol!
Just Beachy
#113796
$25.95
It’s A Sign
#114994
$30.95
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