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April Control Freaks Blog Tour!

Wow…it is time for the monthly Tour de Freaks, brought to you by the Control Freak Swappers!  We have a short, but sweet tour for you this time with 10 stops!  We are featuring the Summer Smooches line of products which is Stampin' Up's sneak peek special for April!  You've probably just come from Lisa Martz wonderful blog, weren't her projects awesome?  Love them!  If you have arrived here prior to April 20th, please note that not all our links may be working yet.

My first card is kind of a nod at the weather around here lately…it has been WINDY!  Perfect kite flying weather!  I was inspired by a card I saw on Pinterest and knew I could recreate it using Stampin' Up! products!  I used the wonderful, colorful Summer Smooches Designer Paper along with the Send Me Soaring stamp set.  The base of the card is Daffodil Delight and I layered on Whisper White.  I cut three narrow strips of patterns from Summer Smooches DSP and cut the ends off at different lengths and angles.  I stamped the clouds on a scrap piece of Whisper White with Pacific Point, then cut out around most of it…leaving the center piece to keep them joined together.  I stamped the kite with Basic Black on Daffodil Delight and cut it out, then popped it over the center connecting piece of the clouds.  I added a Rhinestone Jewel in the center.  I stamped the tail of the kite on scrap Whisper White with Real Red and cut it out, then adhered it to the base of the kite.  Finally I stamped, "hope everything looks up soon!" from Send Me Soaring stamp set in Real Red.

My second card, I used the same basic idea of paper ribbons, but flipped the orientation and used the flower stamp from Bright Blossoms Stamp Set available as a sneak peek this month.  Isn't it amazing how different it looks?  The base of the card is Real Red.  The flower is stamped in Real Red and Lucky Limeade, then cut with the smallest Label Framelit and layered on the next largest size Label of Daffodil Delight.  I added some pearls on each size to dress up the card.  The paper ribbons were cut 3/4" wide.  Finally, the greeting is from Happiest Birthday Wishes, a hostess only stamp set that I will GREATLY miss when it leaves at the end of May!

I finally cracked open my Purse Die to use.  I literally woke up at 4:00 AM the other night with this idea!  I almost got out of bed to make them because I couldn't go back to sleep!  I thought I could turn the purse die into little boxes for Him and Her!  I used the Summer Smooches Designer Paper again for both of them!  I hand cut the little Peter Pan collar on the girls' red polka dot box and adhered it on top of the lid and secured it with the tab the same way as the purse.  I added a black strip of cardstock down the center front, then added Rhinestone Jewels down the front and a 1/8" Basic Black bow for the collar!  The man's box I hand cut a collar, cut away the center and hand-cut a brown tie to hang down the front of the box.  The collar/tie is just adhered at the top of the lid.  I did have to cut away part of the curve of the purse lid so that it didn't show below the collar, but the tab fits in the same way to close it.  I added two clear round Bitty buttons to look like the button down collar!  It was TOO fun to make!  lol!

So, I hope you liked my projects…leave me a comment and let me know!  I love hearing from you.  And, next stop on the tour is Yvette Ashe…see her amazing projects and continue around on the tour!  Thanks for stopping by!

CCMC197 – Poppy Flower

We have a FUN sketch for you to try over on Create with Connie and Mary this week…a nice clean and simple one!  Let's see how YOU interpret it!  Our Challenge Team has done a fabulous job with it…amazing that each card is so different!  Check them out over at Create with Connie and Mary!

And here is my card.  I've been wanting to do a 3D poppy flower with the Blossom Punch in the Occasions Mini!  Can you tell what other punches I used to make it?

I started with a base card of Real Red.  I layered on Basic Black and then Whisper White that I ran thru the Big Shot with the Finial Press Impressions Folder on top.  Over the bottom portion of the Whisper White, I layered the red stripe pattern from Letters to Santa!  I think this DSP has such elegant patterns…they are good for more than just Christmas!  To hid the seam, I punched the Old Olive cardstock with the Dotted Scallop Border Punch and laid it across.  I cut the smallest Label Framelit from Basic Black, the stamped You Inspire Me from the hostess set, Perfect Words, and punched it with the Large Oval to layer on top.  I like the unusual greetings in that set! 

OK…ready?  For the poppy.  The bottom layer of the flower is Cherry Cobbler, then a layer of Real Red on top…both of those were punched with the Blossom Punch in the mini and I cut slits between the petals towards the center to give them more movement.  Then I punched 3 of the Modern Label Punch from Poppy Parade and layered those on top of each other, then placed in the middle of the Real Red layer…together they are slightly smaller than the Blossom Punch so it layers nicely.  I spritzed it all with water and crumbled it up.  The center…is the Snowflake punch, two of them, from Basic Black.  And in the very center of that is the Boho Blossom star flower from Daffodil Delight, slit up between each petal to the center.  I scrunched the snowflakes and the star flower tightly and used a mini glue dots to adhere it to the top layer of the red flowers.  Finally, I used the leaf die to cut out the Old Olive, and slightly crumbled them and adhered with a couple of the mini glue dots.

Isn't that a pretty flower?  Probably one of those cards that are better given in person than put in the mail.  So…grab your stamps and play along!  Upload your creation over on Create with Connie and Mary!  We love to see your work!

Attic Boutique Mother card

Once in a while I like to go thru my "starts" pile and randomly pick out some items to put together as a card.  You know what "starts" are…those half finished items that never made it onto the card you were working on.  That is how I built this card…out of all starts except for the base of So Saffron!

I made two of the flowers several months ago and only used one.  I used the Blossom Punch in the Occasions Mini and punched two of them with So Saffron cardstock.  I spritzed them with water, crumpled them up and added Early Espresso ink around the edges.  I added two 5 layer flower punches of Early Espresso in the center, spritzing and inking the same.  The center is a 3/4" circle punched from the Attic Boutique Designer Paper with a neutral brown Shimmer Brad in the center.  I layered it on a 2 3/8" Scallop Circle of Pool Party cardstock.

The base of the card is So Saffron and I added a layer of Soft Suede cardstock.  I had a scrap of the Attic Boutique Designer Paper that fit the bottom perfectly.  I wrapped around some Pool Party Seam Binding Ribbon and tied a knot.  The top was a scrap of Very Vanilla cut and embossed with the Adorning Accents curved die and folder that I had already made.  I trimmed it to fit the top of my card and added the mother greeting from Delightful Dozen stamp set in Soft Suede.  I call this Clean & Simple Vintage!  lol! 

Click HERE for the Retired Stamp Set!!! 

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I'm participating in the Tour de Freaks blog hop on April 20th!  Make sure to stop back and take the tour!

Peace Within – PPA91

I'm SO excited!  My cabinets are HERE and they are installing them over the next few days!!!  WOOHOO!!!  It's about time, feels like I've waited FOREVER!  Next, they come out on Wednesday to measure for the countertops and make a template, then that should get installed next week.  Yeah…I can start putting my studio back together after the water damage occurred from the sump pump failure on New Year's Day!  I'm in LOVE with what they have done so far!  Happy, happy!!!

I had lots of time to play today since I had to hang around the house, so I worked on several challenges!  This one at The Paper Players featured a Clean & Simple Watercoloring Challenge!

Peace Within is one of those sets that I purchased to work on my watercoloring skills.  It is one of the stamp sets that is being retired.  I figure I'll be featuring a lot of the sets that will retire over the next six weeks, just so I can use them a couple more times!  I love the little kitty sitting in the chair.  I colored her the same as my little Bleach!

I stamped the Peace Within image in Black Stazon on Very Vanilla cardstock.  I used Cajun Craze, Early Espresso, Daffodil Delight, So Saffron, Certainly Celery, Always Artichoke, Crumb Cake, Sahara Sand, Basic Gray and Soft Suede Stampin' Write Markers and my AquaPainter to color in the image.  Then highlighted the areas with my White Gel Pen.  It is layered on Early Espresso cardstock. 

The base card is Early Espresso and I layered on Cajun Craze.  I took Well Worn Designer Paper and cut it with the largest Label Framelit, then cut that in half so I could put one on top and one on the bottom.  I used Soft Suede Taffeta Ribbon and tied it around to make a knot.  Finally, I stamped the greeting from Peace Within with Early Espresso Ink on Very Vanilla and punched with the Large Oval, then layered on the Early Espresso Scallop Oval punch.

I'm happy how it turned out!

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Sorry my link was broken in yesterday's email:

Click HERE for the Retired Stamp Set!!! 

Want to win a $100 Shopping Spree?  Get details HERE!

FMS30 – Island Floral

Well, I went REALLY easy with this card!  Isn't that Big Shot wonderful?  I haven't used Island Floral Die in a while, so pulled it out to play along with the Freshly Made Sketches sketch challenge this week!  The layout just screamed FLOWER to me!  I haven't played along in SO long…missed doing their challenges!

Here's my card!

I started with Melon Mambo cardstock.  I layered on some YUMMY Summer Smooches Designer Paper…love that Chevron design!  I added Basic Black cardstock punched with the Scallop Trim Border Punch.  Then cut the Island Floral from Daffodil Delight and Melon Mambo center with Lucky Limeade leaves behind it, embossed with the Snow Burst Impressions Folder.  I added Summer Smooches brad (only available THIS month…it will NOT be in the new catalog, so make sure you order it!)  Finally, I stamped Thanks So Much with Basic Black on Whisper White and cut the flag end.  It's from Three Little Words stamp set.

Hope you enjoy!  Have a great weekend!

CCMC197 – Daisies

Today it is time for the Create with Connie and Mary Thursday Challenge!  We have a color challenge for you today.  Grab your stamps and play along!

Of course, I only used one little stamp on mine!  Otherwise, I pulled out my dusty Daisy #2 Die.  For some reason I hadn't played with it for a while and it was needing some love!  And, I love blue daisies…I think they are so happy!

My card has a base of Whisper White.  I layered on Certainly Celery cardstock along the bottom, but can you see how I used the Simply Scored Tool to make the lines under the flowers?  I thought they resembled the stems, don't you?  Of course, I needed a few leaves.  I fudged a little with the ribbon color…Pear Pizzazz Scallop Dot Ribbon wrapped with Lucky Limeade Bakers' Twine to gather the centers.  Then I adhered them with mini glue dots.

I made two sets of the smallest Daisy die out of Marina Mist cardstock.  I punched 1/2" Circles of Whisper White, then added the Concord Crush Glimmer Brads inside.  Those are popped up with Stampin' Dimensionals and placed on the front.  Finally, I added the greeting from Friendly Phrases in Concord Crush ink along the top.

Make sure to check out what the rest of the Challenge Team did over on Create with Connie and Mary!  Play along for a chance to be featured in our Top 3 for the week!  We love to see what you do using Stampin' Up!'s wonderful products!

Easy Events

Easy Events stamp set was one of the FREE ones that I received for attending Convention last year.  I had not mounted it yet…I know!  After I started playing with it, I do find that I REALLY like it.  It is a great set for beginners, too.  I always like stamp sets that have words and images in the same set together.  On this one, I customized the way I mounted them on wood.  Some images that I thought I would only use together, I kept together.  Other ones, I cut off the greeting to use separately.  Isn't it nice that Stampin' Up! gives us the option of mounting them the way WE want?

I liked the Create with Connie and Mary sketch last week so much that I made another card using the sketch.  I had cut out this little ducky image using a technique called "Outside the Box" that I showed last night at my Technique Class.  This was the option of using punches to do the technique.  They did a card using the Label Framelit.  Both ways are basically the same except for the cutting mechanism.  See how the little umbrella is outside the circle?  I think it was Nance Leedy that showed how to do this technique with punches!

The base of the card is Whisper White.  I added Lucky Limeade Patterns Paper, layered on Basic Black cardstock.  I wrapped the 1 1/4" Striped RIbbon (available in my RIBBON SHARES HERE!) and secured it to the back.  I gathered one end and tied a bow with Lucky Limeade Baker's Twine. 

I stamped the Ducky with Black Stazon, then I used Stampin' Write Markers in So Saffron, Daffodil Delight and More Mustard to color the duck, and Lucky Limeade and Always Artichoke for the umbrella, Pumpkin Pie for the beak.  I added highlights with a White Gel Pen.  The Ducky is punched with the 1 3/4" Circle Punch and layered on 2" Basic Black circle.  I added both of them to the Pennant Medallion of Always Artichoke.  It is popped up on the front with Stampin' Dimensionals!  I added the trio of large Rhinestone jewels along the top of the circle as the sketch showed.

I wish I knew someone having a baby that I could send this to right now!  lol!

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Bright Blossoms 2

I'm still having fun with my Bright Blossoms stamp set, one of the Summer Smooches items!  The Summer Smooches ensemble is a sneak peek special this month for customers to order something just this month that will be in the new catalog coming out June 1st!

While cleaning out my studio supplies in preparation for getting my new cabinets, I ran across a package of these Beveled Windowpanes.  They are a fun little accessory and I had only used a couple of them out of the package.  I thought it was time to get another one out and play with it!  I like how they kind of magnify the image behind it and make it seem more prominent and important!

The base of the card is Lucky Limeade (I can't believe I let myself get down to only a couple sheets of this!  I had to hurriedly order MORE…love this bright green!)  I layered on Sahara Sand and then the chevron pattern from Summer Smooches Designer Paper.  I stamped the leaves from Bright Blossoms upside down for a little different twist on it.  I wrapped the Daffodil Delight Seam Binding Ribbon around the Sahara Sand to the front.  The flower vase was inked with Stampin' Write markers of Poppy Parade, Lucky Limeade and Daffodil Delight on Whisper White, then I lined up the Beveled Windowpane on top of it and cut slits with my craft knife.  The ribbon was fed up thru the back of the stamped image and thru the windowpanes to hold it in place.  I tied off the ribbon on each side with Lucky Limeade Bakers Twine.  Finally, I stamped Happy Birthday from Family Reunion stamp set in Poppy Parade ink. 

It came together pretty quickly and I can't wait to send it off to the recipient when it is their birthday!

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RETIRED STAMP SETS SALE HERE!!!

Build a Cupcake

It's Thursday and time for another Create with Connie and Mary challenge.  We have a Sketch Challenge for you to try today!  Grab your stamps and play along!

I pulled out Build a Cupcake punch that I hadn't used in quite a while as a regular cupcake!  I need birthday cards this time of year! 

Don't those chocolate with white frosting cupcakes look good on the Sweet Shop Designer Paper?  Makes me hungry when I look at it.  I duplicated the cupcake with the Build a Cupcake punch by punching the bottom from Early Espresso and running it thru the Big Shot with the Square Lattice folder.  The top was from Whisper White and I added a Red Glimmer Paper cherry on top.  I placed it on a 1 3/4" punched circle of Baja Breeze, then a Whisper White medallion from the Pennant Builder Die.  The Poppy Parade pennant in the background is also from that Pennant die.  I added some Real Red Taffeta Ribbon tied in a bow with an Espresso Glimmer Brad in the center.  The Sweet Shop DSP is layered on Poppy Parade and a base of Baja Breeze.  Along the edge of the Poppy Parade pennant, I added three 1/4" Circles of Red Glimmer paper.  It is hard to see on the DSP, but it shows up much better in real life!

I realized when I went to post about this, that my greeting somehow fell off before it was photographed.  Since I made this card a while ago at the retreat, I have NO idea where it is…and where that little greeting flag went to.  So…you'll have to imagine the words on there!  lol! 

Make sure to check out how the rest of the Challenge Team on Create with Connie and Mary interpreted this sketch!  You can see their designs on Create with Connie and Mary!

Summer Smooches Butterfly

When I was working on my Create with Connie and Mary challenge last week, some of the pieces fell together on my desk and resembled a butterfly…well, at least they did to me.  So…this idea has been in my head for a while.  The new Summer Smooches Designer Paper seemed perfect for this butterfly.  She is easy to make…cut some squares and round a couple of the corners!  That's it!  Combined with Perfectly Penned stamp, "Celebrate today"…it seemed like a great reason to celebrate!  Oh, and I finished the wedding invitations for a friend…another reason to celebrate today! 

The base of the card is Rich Razzleberry cardstock.  I layered the Summer Smooches Designer Paper along the bottom of Whisper White (this is my FAVORITE pattern in that package!) and I tied the new Daffodil Delight Seam Binding Ribbon around in a knot bow!  (Check out my Ribbon Shares here…I've added Daffodil Delight Seam Binding!)  I stamped Celebrate Today from Perfectly Penned in Rich Razzleberry in the center.  My butterfly wings are 1" and 3/4" squares with two opposite sides punched with the Corner Rounder Punch.  A tip…use a post-it note to hold the tiny 3/4" square in place while you punch it.  The body is a trio of Pearls and a small cut of Old Olive 1/8" Taffeta for the antenna.  Pretty clean and simple card, but I like how it turned out!!

I hope you Celebrate Today, too, and have a GREAT one!