Island Oasis

Stamping 411 – Island Floral Bigz Die

June 11, 2010 By Connie | 4 Comments

Today is the Stamping 411 Sketch Challenge again! This sketch was pretty fun to play with. I like the large focal element.

Instead of the heart, I thought of the new bigz die, Island Oasis. It was one of the FIRST things I wanted to order when I saw the Summer Mini. I've used it a lot on projects! I think it is because the size is SO great for putting on a card or bag…it fills the space!

Of course, I had to pull out my Island Oasis Designer Paper, too. I just love the bright colors in it! I've already finished up one pack and starting on a second one! For my card, I started with a base of Rose Red cardstock. I layered on the polka dot pattern from Island Oasis across the top. Instead of using ribbon to hide the seam, I added strips of cardstock in Pumpkin Pie and Tempting Turquoise, then the Eyelet Border Punch strip from Old Olive cardstock.

The flower is cut using the Island Floral Bigz Die with So Saffron for the large flower and Tempting Turquoise for the small center flower. I used the large triangle petals for my "leaves' with Old Olive in the background. I ran all the cut pieces thru the Big Shot with the Square Lattice Impressions Die for some added texture. The center is a Pumpkin Pie Corduroy Button (on the retired list!) and I thought it finished it off perfectly! Finally, I stamped Celebrate from Fundamental Phrases in Rose Red and punched with the Word Window Punch, then layered it on an Old Olive Modern Label punched piece.

Make sure to check out what the rest of the Stamping 411 Design Operators did this week! I know they will have some fabulous cards, they always do! I hope you play along this week. Post your creation over on Stamping 411 with the InLinkz program! It's easy!

Thanks for stopping by!

TSSC125 – Island Oasis

June 7, 2010 By Connie | 1 Comment

I just got a new camera for my early birthday present. I want to have time to play with it a little before vacation. It is much more compact than my other camera, but I wanted one I could just slip into my purse when I'm on the go! Hopefully it won't take too long to learn all the new settings!

I decided to play along with Technostampers Monday Lunchtime Challenge! It looked like a fun sketch! I ended up only stamping the greeting, though…the rest is diecuts and designer paper!

I started with a base of Tempting Turquoise and added a layer of Rose Red. I cut the leaves pattern from Island Oasis Designer Paper and layered it on Pumpkin Pie cardstock and then on the Rose Red. I cut the large flower with the White Polka Dot pattern from Island Oasis DSP and the center floral from the Pumpkin Pie Polka Dot with the Island Floral Bigz Die. I added a Rose Red Scallop Circle under the smaller flower and a Pumpkin Pie Corduroy Button in the center. The flower is popped up with Stampin' Dimensionals. Finally, I stamped the greeting from the stamp set in the Summer Mini Catalog called Favorite Thoughts in Rose Red on Whisper White and placed the edge under the flower.

It's a fun, simple and quick card that shows off the Island Oasis DSP and Island Floral Bigz Die! Fun!

And…if you like challenges! Create with Connie and Mary is looking for three Design Team Members to play along with our Thursday Creative Challenges each week! You'll need to use Stampin' Up! only products, have a blog where you can post your Thursday Challenge card, and love to use sketch, color or inspiration challenges as a starting point in your creations! See more details over on Create with Connie and Mary!

Coconut Shaped Favor Box and card – CCMC2

May 8, 2010 By Connie | 9 Comments

Today is Saturday Challenge #2 with Create with Connie and Mary…it is the only day we share our cards/projects on our personal blogs along with on the Create site for subscribers. Our subscribers are invited to play along for a chance to win one of two $75 merchandise gift certificates. We selected Party Favors as our theme this week…it seemed to fit with the Tropical Party, Island Oasis and Island Floral Bigz Die theme we've been doing. WINNERS of the Flip Flops have been announced, too, so check to see if you've won!

I made this Coconut shaped card as soon as I got my Tropical Party stamp set early last month and saved it for this week. I knew I wanted to save it for this week's challenge! Since this week's challenge is Party Favors, I adapted the card to a favor box, too! I love how they turned out!

On the right is the card, it folds up at the top. The straw just is adhered inside the card and the umbrella is attached to the front of the card. I made the straw by rolling up a small piece of Island Oasis striped designer paper and adhered it closed. I bent the tube so it looked like a straw. The umbrella is made by cutting Pumpkin Pie, Rose Red, Tempting Turquoise and So Saffron cardstock stacked together with the Circles #2 die (the large circle). Then I placed the stacked circles on the #2 Scallop Circles just so that one end hung over to be cut by the scallops. Once cut, I trimmed each of the colors so they layer on top of each other…Pumpkin Pie is the full one, Rose Red I cut off a little on the left side, Tempting Turquoise I cut off about 1/2 and So Saffron is just a sliver left on the right side. I placed a Tempting Turquoise Mini Brad at the top where they all come together.

For the Coconut, I just used a large 3 1/2 circle of Chocolate Chip cardstock cut with the Circle Scissors. I stamped Sanded Background with Chocolate Chip Classic Ink for a coconut fiber look on the front and back. I free-hand trimmed the top of the coconut to look like the stamp in Tropical Party. I made sure on the card that I left some of the folded edge at points along the top. On the favor box, I cut two of the same shape. I added an additional strip of Very Vanilla also free-hand cut to look like the inside of the coconut. Then I add the trio of flowers and leaves that were stamped and cut out. I added Mini Brads to the centers.

The Favor Box is the #2 Box XL Die that I cut off the top flap. I adhered two of the Coconut shapes, front and back. On the box, I trimmed off the bottom a little so it would sit evenly on the table. I would probably do the same with the card if I were going to make another one. Wouldn't these be FUN sitting on your table at a party?

Make sure to check out what the rest of the Create with Connie and Mary Design Team has done this week with Party Favors! I'm sure they will have wonderful ideas!

Mary Brown

Kerin Sylvester

Monika Davis

If you haven't checked out the Create with Connie and Mary site yet, now is the time to do it! We feature new Summer Mini products every week. There is a new project posted every day and there will be a minimum of two fabulous tutorials each and every week. We like to have lots of fun so we have challenges and prizes for our subscribers. Our sites stay up long after the session is done, so you will always have access to the site and the tutorials. For more information and to see our Preview Week projects please visit at Create with Connie and Mary!

Another Tropical Party and BLOG CANDY!

May 4, 2010 By Connie | 30 Comments

Yes, it's my turn to give away two of the CUTEST flip flop notepads that Mary made with the Island Floral Bigz Die in celebration of Tropical Party week over on Create with Connie and Mary! ANYONE can leave a comment on THIS post for your chance to win one of two notepads. Plus, see the other ways you can win at the bottom of this post!

I think I've mentioned that Stampin' Up!'s Tropical Party is one of my FAVORITE sets in the Summer Mini. Not only is it great for cardmaking, it has LOTS of possibilities for scrapbooking, too! I used Mary Jo's Technostamper Sketch Challenge today (TSSC120) as a basis for my card. I decided to flip it on its side for my card.

I started with the base Old Olive cardstock. I added the umbrella pattern from Island Oasis Designer Paper. Then I used the Pumpkin Pie Polka Dot from the same package as the other layer.

For my main element, I inked up the Live, Laugh & Love Happy Birthday stamp from Stampin' Up!'s On Your Birthday stamp set with my Stampin' Write Markers in Chocolate Chip and Rose Red. I stamped the palm leaves from Tropical Party in Old Olive in the corners. The coconut I inked up with Chocolate Chip and used my Stampin' Write Markers to color the umbrella and straw. I cut it out and popped it up on Stampin' Dimensionals. I stamped and cut out three of the small flowers in Tropical Party in Rose Red, Pumpkin Pie and So Saffron, then placed them along the top with Stampin' Dimensionals again. I love how this turned out!

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TROPICAL BLOG CANDY!

This week on Create with Connie and Mary we are having a "Tropical Party"! Every day during this week the team has created a project for our subscribers using the items that coordinate with the tropical set, die and paper! Mary found the footnote flip flops at a local store and just KNEW they would be PERFECT for a special project! And since we just HAD to do something with them…we are sharing them with YOU!

ANYONE can leave a comment on the blogs below on the given day and be entered into the drawings to win one! Each of us have two to give away. Would you like some ADDITIONAL CHANCES TO WIN? Well…I'm guessing YES! SUBSCRIBE to Create with Connie and Mary during THIS WEEK and be entered into ANOTHER drawing to win one of TWO that we are giving to just our NEW subscribers this week. Already a subscriber and want another chance to win? Participate in the sketch challenge that we posted this past Saturday and two lucky challenge participants will have the opportunity to WIN! Here's the schedule…

Tuesday – Connie Babbert – Inkspired Treasures
Wednesday – Kerin Slyvester – Stamps, Paper, Glitter!
Thursday – Monika Davis – Stamping Together at Monika's Place

New Subscribers – May 3-7

Challenge participants – May 1-7

So…what are you waiting for? Visit the blogs on the days above and leave a comment. Go to the Create with Connie and Mary site and JOIN this week and be entered to win. THEN…for all subscribers, participate in this week's challenge for still ANOTHER chance to win! Easy as can be! We hope we can send one of these cute flip flops to YOU!

Winners will be announced for everything on Saturday, May 8th. To find out if you are a WINNER…you need to check the Create with Connie and Mary site no later than Friday, May 14th and send us your mailing address. Good Luck!