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Simple Seasonal Thanks Gift Card Holder

I knew immediately when I saw this Simple Seasonal Thanks stamp in the Stampin’ Up! Holiday Mini what I wanted to do with it.  Every year, I make my Snowman gift tags for Christmas.  This stamp is a perfect size for a gift tag!  Of course, the greeting in the center wouldn’t work, so I just customized my stamp and cut the greeting out before I mounted it.  I saved the greeting in case I ever wanted to use it…but now I have the perfect snowman!

And I can’t believe I forgot to post this card!  It was my Control Freaks card for the Holiday Mini Catalog Swap I did back in August!  It has a surprise inside…it is a GIFT CARD HOLDER!

The Real Red base of the card is 4 1/4 x 5 1/2.  Then the Bermuda Bay cardstock is 4 x 11, scored at 2 3/4 and 8.  The top piece flips up and down…the bottom piece folds up and is adhered on each side, leaving it open for the gift card to slide in.  I decorated the top flap with Christmas Cocoa Designer Paper (I used the snowflake side for my swaps…this was my sample).  Then stamped and cut out 26 snowman (TV work!)  Each snowman I colored the hat and scarf with my Real Red and Bermuda Bay Stampin’ Write Markers and the AquaPainter and added some white stitching on the hat with my White Gel Pen.  Oops…forgot about his cheeks!  I used Stampin’ Pastels.  I added two Vintage Black Mini Brads for the charcoal "buttons" on the front and stamped the greeting from Sweet Season stamp set in the empty spot on his belly!  He is secured to the top flap only on the top half of his body.

I could not get a good picture of the inside with the snowman flipped up…my camera focus went crazy.  But this is the bottom inside of the card.  Right above the Merry Christmas sign is the pocket where you place your Gift Card (below my watermark).  I stamped Merry Christmas from Teeny Tiny Wishes in Basic Brown on Sahara Sand cardstock and punched it with the Modern Label Punch.  I cut a slice of Chocolate Chip cardstock for the post.  And tore a piece of Whisper White cardtock to make the snowpile…I added Crystal Effects along the top of the snow and added Dazzling Diamonds Glitter.  I had a lot of fun making these!

So…what do you think?  Like it? Leave me a comment!

Supplies:

Stamps:  Teeny Tiny Wishes (115370), Simple Seasonal Thanks (111548), Sweet Seasons (116471)

Cardstock:  Whisper White (100730), Bermuda Bay (115317), Real Red (102482), Sahara Sand (105328), Chocolate Chip (102128)

Inks:  Bermuda Bay Classic Ink pad (115655), In Colors Stampin’ Write Markers (116329), Real Red Stampin’ Write Marker (100053), Basic Brown Classic Ink (104315)

Accessories:  Vintage Mini Brads (109109), Christmas Cocoa Specialty Designer paper (116770), Paper Snips (103579), Crystal Effects (101055), Dazzling Diamonds Glitter (102023), White Gel Pen (105021), Stampin’ Pastels (105542)

Don’t forget to check out PREVIEW WEEK at Create with Connie and Julie!

For All You Do

Wow!  Thank you for your response to Create with Connie and Julie!  Julie has a wonderful joy fold card on the Preview today!  Check it out (scroll down past the intro to see the new posts) and then sign up…we have lots more exclusive projects coming your way over the next eight weeks…and the cost is less than a dollar a day for all those ideas!

I have been BUSY with preparing for my craft fair this weekend, too.  I don’t know why I wait to the last minute.  Probably because it always seems like a long way off…but now it is here!  I did get a lot done yesterday and have my "game plan" ready for today.

Today’s card is one I made for last week’s Late Night Stampers challenge to "Chalk it Up!"  I used one of my favorite "go to" stamp sets, For All You Do.  I love it paired with Razzleberry Lemonade Designer Paper…the colors are so bright and cheerful!

I started by stamping the flowers and stem with Versamark ink on Whisper White and then rubbed Stampin’ Pastels over top of the Versamark.  (Did you know that Stampin’ Pastels come in ALL 48 exclusive Stampin’ Up! colors PLUS neutrals?)  This technique is called Poppin’ Pastels.  I showed you the Falling Leaves card last Friday that used the same technique.  The centers are Crushed Curry dots punched from the large side of the Crop A Dile. The Whisper White was layered on Rich Razzleberry.  

I took a layer of Melon Mambo cardstock and added a 3 3/4 x 3 3/4 square of Razzleberry Lemonade Designer Paper on the bottom part.  I stamped the little flower from For All You Do in Melon Mambo ink across the top.  Then wrapped the Crushed Curry Polka Dot Ribbon from top to bottom and added a knot at the top (actually you are seeing the back of the knot…before I adhered the one end, I turned the knot backwards.) 

I stamped the words, For All You Do…, in Rich Razzleberry ink on Whisper White and punched it with my 1 3/8 circle punch.  That was layered on a Crushed Curry Scallop Circle Punch piece and I pierced the scallops with my Paper Piercing tool.  I popped it up with Stampin’ Dimensionals  The entire front element was then placed on the base card of Rich Razzleberry.

Enjoy!  I’m off to my studio for the rest of the day…thanks for stopping by! 

And a special hi to my wonderful hubby…today is our

30th WEDDING ANNIVERSARY! 

Love you!  (Guess I’d better go make his card, huh?)  lol!

Supplies:

Set:  For All You Do

Cardstock:  Rich Razzleberry, Melon Mambo, Crushed Curry, Whisper White

Inks:  Versamark, Melon Mambo

Accessories:  Razzleberry Lemonade Designer Paper (115675), Stampin’ Pastels (105542), Crushed Curry Polka Dot Ribbon (115614), Paper Piercing Tool (116631), 1 3/8 Circle Punch (104401), Scallop Circle Punch (109043), Crop A Dile (108362)

INKspired Treasures

Sparkly and Bright Accordion card

Good morning!  It is Monday again already!  Where do the weekends go?  Ours certainly FLEW by…although I didn’t seem to accomplish as much as I thought I would!

Here is a card I made using the stamp set Sparkly and Bright.  It was for a Shoebox swap we did before the Cincinnati Regionals earlier this month!  Only 7 of us participated, so it was a nice little one to do!  I guess you would call this a type of tri-fold card…more accordion type.  It does close to a standard sized A-4 card.

I started with a base of Real Red cardstock sized 4 1/4 x 11 and scored at 1 1/2, 4 1/2, and 7.  I folded so that the folds were valley, mountain, valley (from left to right) and made the accordian fold.

For decorating, I added layers of Holiday Lounge Designer Paper in each front panel.  I stamped the images from Sparkly and Bright and punched them with the 1 3/8 circle punch, then layered them on Taken with Teal Scallop Circle punches.  When placing these images on the base card, start with the center panel first, then line up the first scallop to that middle one (make sure your adhesive is only on the left side of the back or it will adhere to the next layer.)  Cover the first scallop on the back with another Taken with Teal Scallop Circle to hide the overlap of the front scallop.

The snowflakes were stamped with Taken with Teal on Whisper White cardstock and punched with the 1" circle punch and layered on the 1 1/4" circle punch.  They are adhered to the edge of the last panel.  I colored Rudolph’s nose with a Real Red Stampin’ Up! marker and the Christmas tree has a small Red Fire Circle Rhinestone Brad for the top.  Obviously you could BLING up this card a LOT.  I kept it pretty demonstratable since it was for a shoebox swap.

Supplies:

Sets:  Sparkly & Bright (115346)

Cardstock:  Real Red (102482), Whisper White (100730), Taken with Teal (101584)

Classic Inks:  Real Red (103133), Sahara Sand (106208), Taken with Teal (103257), Chocolate Chip (100908), Real Red Stampin’ Write marker (100051)

Accessories:  Holiday Lounge Designer Paper (115676), Paper Cutter with scoring blade (104152, 104154), Circle Fire Rhinestone Brad (109110), 1" circle punch (109046), 1 1/4" circle punch (104403), 1 3/8" circle punch (104401)  and Scallop Circle punch (109043), Paper Piercing Tool (116631)

Click here to place an order 24/7!

And…here is a sneak peek at the project posted over on Create with Connie and Julie today!  A fun scrapbook page using the Table Setting Bigz XL die!  I loved using it to create unusual things.  Can you tell how I used it in this picture?  Check out the previews this week…and then I hope you’ll join us for the rest of the Holiday Edition!

Announcement!

I’m so excited to finally announce a joint venture I’m participating in with my talented friend and fellow demonstrator, Julie Dinn!  Julie and I are both Control Freak swappers and met in person a couple years ago for dinner at Leadership.  Since then we’ve made a point to get together for dinner at Leadership or Convention when we are both there!  I’m so glad that Stampin’ Up! has brought new friends into my life!

We are calling our new venture, Create with Connie & Julie, and have our own Blog to feature products from Stampin’ Up!  This Holiday Edition we will focus on the Holiday mini catalog!  We will have Stampin’ Up! exclusive samples each day, challenges, tutorials, techniques and best of all, PRIZES!  But, you must be a member to participate.  Customers AND demonstrators are welcome!

The Holiday Edition will run for 8 weeks, starting next week.  However, today begins the free PREVIEW WEEK…a chance for you to see the type of things we will be showing you each week before you purchase the subscription!  At $39.95 US for 8 weeks (or FREE as an online ordering BONUS with a $75 order!), I think you will find it a great bargain for all the ideas you’ll get.  These will be exclusive, never seen before samples that Julie and I have made.  And, we’ll try hard to WOW you, but still make it something you can do yourself and share.  Customers…you will get ideas on using those stamp sets and accessories you purchase.  Demos will get great ideas for their workshops and classes.

Come on over and give us a try! 

Stamping 411 Sketch Challenge

Today’s Stamping 411 is a fun sketch…I bet you see all kinds of interpretations of it, though.  Now remember, I’m working without measurements when I see the sketch, so I decided to make it into a regular sized card.

Doing yesterday’s Bloggers Challenge with Designer Paper, I realized how much I have come to depend on using it!  I remember when I first started stamping,  Designer Paper wasn’t popular to use on cards…just in scrapbooking.  Times have changed!  It is an easy way to tie colors together.  But, I went back to the basics when making this card and didn’t use Designer Paper.  It also fulfills the LateNightStampers design team challenge to dust off those chalks!

Poppin’ Pastels was one of the first techniques I learned.  It still gives me a WOW.  First stamp the images with Versamark on your cardstock, then rub your chalk over the Versmark.  The images will POP off the page! 

I used Real Red, More Mustard, Really Rust and Garden Green colored Stampin’ Pastels with the Falling Leaves Stamp set on Very Vanilla in my background.  Plus, I got out my speckle stamp from Itty Bitty Backgrounds to add some added interest and texture with Close to Cocoa ink.  The edges were sponged with Close to Cocoa ink, too.  I used my Circle Scissors Tool to make the two different sized circles.  I stamped the Leaf image inside the Very Vanilla circle with Really Rust, then the word Gratitude with Close to Cocoa , I used a Q-tip to highlight the word Gratitude with Garden Green chalk.  Then I added two Always Artichoke mini brads on each side.  I also used my Piercing tool and Mat across the top and bottom for some extra interest.  The base card is Really Rust with a layer of More Mustard on top.  The Chocolate Chip 5/8 Grosgrain ribbon hides the seam at the top, too.

I hope you check out what the rest of the Stamping 411 Operators did this week!  Also, play along and show us what YOU did by adding your photo to Mr. Linky.

Sets:  Falling Leaves, Itty Bitty Backgrounds

Inks:  Versamark, Really Rust, Close to Cocoa

Cardstock:  Really Rust, More Mustard, Very Vanilla

Accessories:  Piercing Tool and Mat, Stampin’ Pastel Chalks, Circle Scissors Tool, Always Artichoke Mini Brads, 5/8 Chocolate Chip Grosgrain Ribbon

Bloggers Challenge 118 – Designer Paper

Today’s Bloggers’ Challenge is using Designer Paper.  No brainer for me…I have trouble NOT using Designer Paper on my cards!  I think Stampin’ Up!’s designer papers are fabulous!

I really kind of cheated on today’s card.  The base part of it with the designer paper was already done.  I had started using it and didn’t like this background with the focal element I was using, so I took it off and used it on another card.  This base card has been sitting on my desk for a couple weeks.  So…when I saw the challenge was Designer Paper, I already had a good start on my card! 

This uses the new Autumn Meadows Designer Paper from the Holiday Mini.  These papers are GORGEOUS!  I love the addition of Taken with Teal in with the Earth Elements, although I don’t normally associate blues with fall colors.  The Taken with Teal really POPS off the paper!  Love it!  I also used the set Autumn Days with the Pheasant stamped on Soft Suede with Chocolate Chip ink and cut out.  I used the Circle Scissors Tool to make 3 sizes of circles…easy as pie to turn the knob a little to make the different layering sizes!  The grass stamp behind the Pheasant was inked with Soft Suede and stamped several times without inking for a dimensional look.

The greeting, Let’s Celebrate, is from On Your Birthday.  The base card is Kraft cardstock with a layer of Taken with Teal that has been distressed on the edges.  I tore off the upper corner of the Autumn Meadows paper and added a torn edge of Soft Suede cardstock.  I also added a band of Soft Suede Polka Dot Ribbon across the front and beneath the circles.

Hope you have a great weekend coming up!  My Stamp Clubs met last night…such a FUN group!  They liked the projects we did!

Like what you see?  Click here to place an ONLINE order!

Sets:  Autumn Days, On Your Birthday

Cardstock:  Kraft, Taken with Teal, Very Vanilla, Soft Suede

Inks:  Soft Suede, Chocolate Chip

Accessories:  Autumn Meadows Designer Paper, Circle Scissors Tool, Soft Suede Polka Dot Ribbon, Distressing Tool, Sponge Dauber

Sweet Season

This is a card I made when Mary Brown and I were doing sketch challenges about a month ago.  I pulled the colors from the Thoroughly Modern Designer Paper…Rose Red, Bermuda Bay and Kraft (instead of Sahara Sand).  I made a simpler version for my swap card at the Cincinnati Regionals (I left off the brads and designer paper and expanded the Bermuda Bay layer.) 

This uses the snowflake and words from the set, Sweet Season, that we received free at Convention!  I love the words in this!  I plan on using it on my tags of baked goods I make at Christmas time.  For this card, I started with the base of Rose Red and added the Thoroughly Modern Designer Paper (rounded the corners first with the Corner Rounder punch) to the background.  I ran the Bermuda Bay cardstock through my Big Shot with the Petals a Plenty Impressions Folder and added it over the DSP.  I cut a strip of Kraft cardstock and rounded the two right hand corners, stamped the words in Basic Black.  I stamped the snowflake in Bermuda Bay on Very Vanilla and punched it with my Scallop Circle Punch.   I layered it on the Scallop Circle from the Pennant Bigz XL die (it layers perfectly!)  On the ones I made for the Cincinnati Regionals, I added a Crystal Brad in the center.  For this one, I added a trio of the Vanilla Jumbo Brads along the right side. I love these non-traditional colors for a holiday card!

I’m all ready for a new round of Stamp Clubs tomorrow night!  These gals are FUN and I always look forward to having them!  I know they will LOVE the projects!

Set:  Sweet Season (116471)

Cardstock:  Rose Red (102544), Bermuda Bay (115321), Kraft (102125), Very Vanilla (101650)

Inks:  Basic Black (101179), Bermuda Bay (115655)

Accessories:  Thoroughly Modern Designer Paper (115673), Scallop Circle Punch (109043), Pennant XL Bigz Die (113483), Petals A Plenty Impressions Folder (116824), Corner Rounder (109047), 5/16" Jumbo Brads (112534)

Punch Pals again!

Does this layout look familiar?  It is this week’s Stamping 411 Sketch!  I made up two different cards with the same sketch and they look entirely different.  (See my original card HERE.)

While I had Punch Pals Stamp Set out, I decided to stamp up the little snowman in this set!  I used my Aqua Painter and Stampin’ Up! markers to watercolor him.  I just posted a How To guide on tips for using your Aqua Painter over on Stamping 411…check it out!

I started with a base card of Real Red.  I layered on Bermuda Bay cardstock and stamped the snowflake from Punch Pals randomly over the background in Bermuda Bay ink.  I wrapped the Real Red striped ribbon around the center of the card and adhered it in the back.  I stamped the Snowman from Punch Pals in Basic Black on Whisper White and colored him with my Aqua Painter and Stampin’ Up! markers.  That was layered on Real Red and then Basic Black cardstock.  I stamped the Snowflake Medallion three times.  Once in Basic Black on Real Red and punched with the Scallop Circle punch.  Once on Real Red and punched with the 1 1/4 circle punch and once with Bermuda Bay ink and punched out the center with 3/4 circle punch.  Each layer was popped up with Dimensionals.

I love the color combination…and the Snowman makes me happy!  It’s a fun sketch with a variety of ways you can use it!

Sets:  Punch Pals
C/S:  Real Red, Basic Black, Whisper White, Bermuda Bay
Inks:  Bermuda Bay, Real Red, Basic Black, Stampin’ Up! markers
Other:  Scallop Circle Punch, 1 1/4 and 3/4 circle punches, Real Red Striped ribbon, Stampin’ Dimensionals

Click here to place an order for any of these supplies.

September Card Kit & Autumn Splendor

Reminder that the last day to order my September Card Kit is Thursday, September 24th!  You can find more details HERE!

I hope you enjoyed the Tour de Freaks blog tour over the past couple days!  I know I saw a lot of great ideas…hope you did, too!  Come back for next month’s tour on October 20th!

This week’s challenge over on Late Night Stampers is to dust off those chalk pastels you have sitting in a drawer!  I know I hadn’t used mine in quite a while!  For this card, I used the technique of using chalks in the background.

I started by stamping the leaf from Autumn Splendor on Kraft cardstock with Basic Brown ink.  I used various colors of Stampin’ Up! Pastels and cotton balls to scrub the chalk into the cardstock in a circular motion.  I used a Sponge Dauber and Basic Brown ink around the edges of the cardstock.  I followed the same procedure with the Give Thanks image from Holiday Best, the Level 1 Hostess set and punched it with the Wide Oval punch.

The base card is Kraft cardstock with a layer of Really Rust.  I added a strip of Autumn Meadows Designer Paper along the bottom and wrapped some 1" Chocolate Chip ribbon to hide the seam and secured it in back.  Finally, I stamped the acorns from Autumn Splendor on Kraft cardstock with the Basic Brown ink and cut them out.  They were placed on the leaf image with dimensionals.  To make sure the chalk doesn’t rub off by touching it, I lightly spritzed the cardstock with a Matte Sealer spray.

Click here to place on order online or to join my team!

Tour de Freaks Tour

Wow!  The Tour de Freaks Blog Tour starts today!  You’ve probably just come from Melanie’s Blog if you are going in order of the tour. 

I’m so excited to see what fun things the Control Freak swappers have done this month!  Make sure to hop on the Tour and check them out for yourself!  You’ll have 15 stops this month to enjoy.  At the bottom you’ll see how to click to the next stop!

My first card uses Eat, Drink & Be Scary…truly one of my FAVORITE Halloween sets.  Those of you that know me, know that I’m a Halloween stamp NUT!  I can’t stop buying them and making cards!  I wanted this to look like the witch had hung up her hat for the night.  So…I have it resting on a fence post (Frightful Fence Jumbo Wheel) with the full moon behind it.

I started with a base card of Sahara Sand and layered on Pumpkin Pie cardstock, then added some Cast A Spell Designer Paper to the left side.  The new 5/8 Black Grosgrain ribbon hides the seam.  I wheeled the Frightful Fence Jumbo Wheel on Sahara Sand cardstock with Whisper White Craft Ink, let it dry, then cut it out with my Stampin’ Up! Hobby Blade.  I stamped the hat from Eat, Drink & Be Scary in Basic Black on Whisper White, cut it out and added a Pumpkin Pie band of cardstock.  Finally, I stamped the spider from Eat Drink & Be Scary in Basic Black in the upper left corner.  I think it makes a FUN card!

My next card uses the stamping set, Falling Leaves and a layout Mary Brown and I found a LONG time ago…we actually did a challenge with it.  So, I decided to recreate it here with new products!  I love this set…the images are small enough that they fit in a lot of punches.  I started with a base of More Mustard and wheeled Bright Blessings Jumbo Wheel in More Mustard Ink all over it.  I used a piece Autumn Meadows Designer Paper and layered it on Chocolate Chip Cardstock and used the Corner Rounder punch on both layers.  I added a strip of Taken with Teal cardstock along the right edge and a strip of Chocolate Chip cardstock, wrapped with Kraft Taffeta Ribbon along the bottom of the Autumn Meadows Designer Paper.  I stamped one leaf with Taken with Teal on Very Vanilla and punched with the 1 1/4 circle punch.  This was layered on a 1 3/8 circle of Chocolate Chip and then a Scallop Circle of More Mustard, pierced with the Piercing tool.  The other leaf was stamped with More Mustard on Very Vanilla and layered on 1 3/8 circle of Taken with Teal.  Both were popped up with Dimensionals.  Finally, I stamped Grateful from Falling Leaves in Chocolate Chip on Very Vanilla and punched it with the Modern Tag Punch.

Next, I made a set of frosted glass coasters using the Falling Leaves stamp set.  I kept them simple…I couldn’t use a lot of thickness.  I found the coasters at my local K*** Department Store.  They are a nice, heavy weight set of 4 coasters with a black stand!  I’ll be using these in my Family Room and change out the inserts for each holiday!  Wouldn’t they make a nice gift for your holiday hostesses?

The opening is a 2 x 3 size, so I cut a piece of Sage Shadow cardstock to that size, then wheeled Bright Blessings Jumbo Wheel over each one with Sage Shadow ink.  I punched Scallop Squares of Creamy Caramel cardstock, each one was sponged with the same ink as the leaf.  I stamped the different leaves in Ruby Red, Pumpkin Pie, Elegant Eggplant and Bravo Burgundy Classic ink on Very Vanilla cardstock and cut them out.  Each leaf was popped up with Dimensionals on the Scallop Square punched piece.  That’s it!  Pretty simple, but I think they make a WOW!

Next up is my good friend, Mary Brown!  I’m sure she has some FABULOUS projects, so check her blog and continue the tour!