Stampin' Up!

Vintage Vogue

March 10, 2011 By Connie | 9 Comments

Vintage Vogue meets bright colors! lol! I love this stamp set and haven't used it for a while. Thought I'd pull it out for the Color Challenge this week on Create with Connie and Mary Thursday Challenge! Our challenge colors are So Saffron, Real Red, Crumb Cake and Whisper White! So, grab your colors and play along this week! We love to see what you do. Remember, though, you need to use Stampin' Up! only products to join the challenge!

At first I thought I couldn't use flowers because I didn't have a green in my color selection, but I worked it out! The base is Crumb Cake cardstock (love how that tones down the bright colors!) I layerd on Real Red cardstock, then another layer of So Saffron that I ran thru the Big Shot with the Perfect Polka Dots Impressions Folder! I added a strip of Crumb Cake and stamped the Vintage Vogue vine image tone-on-tone with Crumb Cake Classic Ink. Over top, I stamped the greeting, "You Raise Kindness to an Art" from the Vintage Vogue stamp set, too! On scrap Whisper White, I stamped the large Vintage Vogue flower 3 times in Real Red Classic Ink and 3 times with the small flower and So Saffron. Those are layered together with Stampin' Dimensionals and placed on the base card with Stampin' Dimensionals. I wrapped Real Red Satin Ribbon around and tied, then added the large pearls to the center of the flowers.

Make sure to check out what the rest of the Design Team has done this week over on Create with Connie and Mary! Then, play along!

Eat Chocolate Candy Bar Slider

March 9, 2011 By Connie | 1 Comment

Today, I have a Thrifty 3D Wednesday Tutorial over on Stamping 411 on how to make this Candy Bar Slider! Lots of fun! Once you grasp the concept doing your first one, they are pretty quick and easy to make! I have all the dimensions for this one over there!

And the inside surprise treat!

Enjoy!

Supplies:

Stamps: Eat Chocolate, Whimsy Wheel
Cardstock: Poppy Parade, Peach Parfait, Whisper White, Crumb Cake
Sunny Garden Designer Paper
Inks: Early Espresso, Poppy Parade, Real Red Ink Cartridge
Marker: Daffodil Delight
Accessories: Corner Rounder, Poppy Parade Ribbon, Small Library Clip, 1" Circle Punch, Stampin' Dimensionals, Sticky Strip

Sharing creativity one stamped image at a time!

Metal Sheets Flower Magnets

March 8, 2011 By Connie | 8 Comments

Hey, I'm back!!! The 4 day stamping retreat was GREAT, but it always goes by so FAST! I really can't believe it is over! My girlfriend stayed an extra day, but I got her off on her flight back home late yesterday. Today is crazy since I need to finish up my projects for Technique Class tonight!

I always try to take a few craft things I've made to sell at the retreat. I'll be featuring a few of them over the next couple days. A while back I purchased some metal sheets in a few different colors (non-SU). I decided to make up some flowers from Stampin' Up!'s Fun Flowers Large Die and the Finial Press Impressions Folder. I thought they turned out CUTE! I was also able to use up some of the retired corduroy buttons I had left.

If you are interested, I only have solid red, red & white or red & black left of the metal sheets to make more! Email me! I sold them for $1.95 each and they have a very heavy duty magnet on the back. They are very light, so shouldn't cost much to mail.

I just LOVE that Fun Flowers Die! It is SO versatile for making flowers…and these metal sheet ones really sparkle! The stamped image inside the bottle cap on some of them is from Baroque Motifs…haven't used that set in a while! And, I added a little Rhinestone jewel in the center.

OK…got to run and get my class done for tonight! Enjoy!

Sharing creativity one stamped image at a time!

Stamping 411 – Build a Blossom

March 4, 2011 By Connie | 9 Comments

Time again for a FUN sketch from Stamping 411! This one came together pretty easily! Love it when that happens! When I first saw it, I immediately thought…which flower should I use in the center? Of course, I HAD to use Build a Blossom stamp set and Blossoms Petal Punch!

I've done a lot of pastel colors with this stamp set, but nothing really BOLD. Then the Houndstooth pattern from Love Letter Designer Paper caught my eye… Yeah! That will work! And, of course, Riding Hood Red looks GREAT with that pattern!

My base card is Basic Black. When I go to use it, I will add a Very Vanilla piece of cardstock inside so I can stamp a greeting…but I'll save that for when I actually use it. I cut a layer of Riding Hood Red cardstock and placed the Love Letters Houndstooth pattern on top of it. I added a strip of Basic Black Taffeta Ribbon across the seam to hide it. AND, I added one of the new Trinket Keys on the ribbon hanging off the right side! At the top left, I added three Basic Black Mini Brads.

For my flower panel, I cut a piece of Very Vanilla cardstock and stamped Live, Laugh, Love on the bottom in Riding Hood Red (this is one of the greeting sets you can get for FREE with Sale-A-Bration!) Then I layered it on Basic Black cardstock. It is popped up off the card with Stampin' Dimensionals. On scrap Very Vanilla, I stamped one of the small blossoms from Build A Blossom in stamped off Riding Hood Red Classic Ink, the added the full strength Riding Hood Red color with the coordinating stamp in the center. They were punched with the Blossom Petals Punch. I made 8 petals and placed them on a 1 1/4 circle to help them stay in place while I was working with them. In the center, I added a Basic Black Neutrals Button with Linen Thread tied in a bow.

I really like how this turned out! Make sure to check out what the rest of the Stamping 411 Design Operators did this week! I'm SURE there will be some FABULOUS ideas!

Sharing creativity one stamped image at a time!

Create with Connie and Mary Thursday Challenge

March 3, 2011 By Connie | 10 Comments

It's time for our next Create with Connie and Mary Thursday Challenge! AND…we have some FANTASTIC news! Our Thursday Challenge will now require Stampin' Up! Only products for all submissions!

See…our Create with Connie and Mary subscriptions have ALWAYS been focused on giving you ideas on how to use products in the minis. So, we thought our Thursday Challenge should follow along and provide you with as many ideas on using Stampin' Up! products as possible…including the ones submitted by our challenge players…you!

AND…more news! We are offering a FREE subscription to Create with Connie and Mary SUMMER Edition (starting in May) as Blog Candy! Each time you play along during the month of March you will be entered in a drawing for a chance to win! So…the more you play along, the better your chance to win! AND…we will continue this in April for ANOTHER free subscription!

But…enough of the "business"…on to my challenge card for this week! We had a fun sketch challenge to use! Make sure to check out what the rest of the Create with Connie and Mary Design Team did with this sketch!

And here is my card! You can see I changed it from a square to a normal A2 size!

I love those rolled flowers you see all over the place. My rolled ribbon flower was done with Pretty in Pink Taffeta Ribbon. I cut a circle of Sticky Page with the Circles #2 die and placed it on the Concord Crush Fancy Flower punched piece, then started twisting the ribbon and spiraling around the cut sticky page circle. I added three large pearls to the center. Then I placed the punched piece on the large flower from Fun Flowers Die cut from Pink Pirouette cardstock and ran thru the Big Shot with the Square Lattice Impressions Folder. That is popped up with Stampin' Dimensionals on the larger of the two scallop circles on the Scallop Circles #2 die from Very Vanilla cardstock.

I used Lap of Luxury Designer Paper in the background and then added a complimentary stripe from that same package. I stamped Thinking of You from the Sale-A-Bration set, So Happy for You, in Crushed Concord on Very Vanilla, then punched it with the Decorative Label Punch. As you can see…not a lot of stamping! Mostly punches and Die Cuts were used! Makes it VERY easy, but yet the rolled ribbon flower makes it a WOW!

Again, make sure to check out what the rest of the Design Team did this week over on Create with Connie and Mary! Then pull out your stamps and follow the sketch. Each submission on Inlinkz will earn you one entry into the drawing for the FREE subscription to our NEXT edition of Create with Connie and Mary!

Sharing creativity one stamped Image at a time!

Sweet Summer

March 2, 2011 By Connie | 3 Comments

This is similar to a project my Stamp Clubs made this month! They loved this project! For this card, I switched up the layout they did so it would fit Technostamper's Monday Lunchtime Sketch Challenge!

As you can see, I flipped the sketch so it is upright instead of on the side. And…this is a card and gift combined! Can you tell what it is?

For the card, I started with a base of Melon Mambo cardstock and layered on a piece of polka dot print from the Sale-A-Bration Ice Cream Parlor Designer paper. I added a strip of Pear Pizzazz that I ran thru the Big Shot with the Tasteful Trim XL Die. In each of the scallops I placed a Pearl. I made the vase with the Ovals #2 Die from Daffodil Delight cardstock and stamped the image from Sweet Summer on it with Pear Pizzazz. I placed some small Pearls on the flower buds. I used Sticky Strip around the edges of the oval, except for the top, then adhered it to the front of the designer paper. I stamped three butterflies from Sweet Summer in Basic Black and colored them with Early Espresso and Daffodil Delight Stampin' Write Markers. To hide the seam of the designer paper, I used a length of 1/8 Old Olive Taffeta Ribbon.

And for the surprise gift!!! A bookmark can be removed from the pocket of the vase!

The jumbo paperclip bookmark is made with the Fun Flowers Die and the 5 Petal Punch. I cut the medium flower with Melon Mambo and layered on the Daffodil Delight punched with the 5 Petal Punch. In the center is a Sweet Stitches Fabric Brad! I stamped leaves with the Build a Blossom stamp set in Old Olive Classic Ink on Pear Pizzazz and punched with the Blossom Petals Punch. On the back to hold the flower to the paperclip is a Scallop Circle of Pear Pizzazz. Not shown in this picture (see first picture), I added a piece of Certainly Celery Taffeta Ribbon because I thought it needed just a little something! lol!

I made up a bunch of these flower bookmarks to sell at the stamping retreat I'm going to this weekend! I hope they like them!

Sharing creativity one stamped image at a time!

Create a Cupcake

February 28, 2011 By Connie | 1 Comment

Woohoo! Only 3 more sleeps before I head out to my BIG stamping retreat weekend! It is a get together with around 40 other stamping/scrapbooking enthusiasts that we do twice a year! The four days go by SO quickly! But…I really need to get on the ball today and start packing things up! My friend, Linda, comes in from Alabama on Wednesday for the weekend, too. Will be GREAT to see her again!

My Stamp Clubs made this card last month for one of their projects! I think it makes a FUN and YUMMY birthday card! I love the colors, even though I'm not a chocolate cake/cupcake lover.

I started with a base of Pink Pirouette cardstock, then layered on Early Espresso that I ran thru the Big Shot with the Perfect Polka Dots Impressions Folder. I added a piece of the Real Red stripe from Brights Patterns Designer Paper. I also added a 1" strip of the Red Gimmer Paper to really make it POP! I wrapped some Early Espresso Taffeta Ribbon around and tied a knot. I used the Pinking Hearts Border Punch along the bottom of a piece of Pink Pirouette cardstock and stamped the greeting from Create a Cupcake in Early Espresso Classic Ink. The base of the cupcake is Early Espresso on Whisper White with a Real Red stamped bow and the top is Real Red with Early Espresso sprinkles. I punched them out with the Build a Cupcake Punch. Finally, I added a Red Gimmer paper cherry from the Cupcake punch on top! The cupcake is popped up with Stampin' Dimensionals!

The Create a Cupcake stamp set and Build A Cupcake Punch are just TOO much fun! Love to play with them!

I wanted to give you a reminder that I have another round of Ribbon Shares almost full, INCLUDING the Seam Binding Ribbon available from the Occasions Mini! It has been VERY popular! Email me quickly to get a spot! You can find out more information about the Ribbon Shares I'm offering HERE!

Create with Connie and Mary Design Team Challenge

February 26, 2011 By Connie | 10 Comments

Wow…we've come to the end of the Create with Connie and Mary Occasions Edition! It has been an Edition FILLED will awesome projects by our Design Team…Rochelle Gould, Elizabeth Price, Cristena Bagne, Mary Brown and myself! Oh…and special thanks to Debbie Henderson for stepping in and doing a guest designer project for us, too! Love the variety of tutorials we shared and KNOW our subscribers feel they got MORE than their money's worth!

Stay tuned…we'll be back for Summer Edition before you know it! And…if you are a subscriber and played along in any of our challenges, make sure you check tomorrow on the Create website to see if you are one of the winners of one of two $75 merchandise gift certificate or FREE subscriptions to Summer Edition!

AND, don't forget to play along with our Create with Connie and Mary Thursday Challenge each week…we continue with these challenges year-around and have an AWESOME Challenge Team helping us!

Our Design Team had one last challenge…to create a project using sewing or faux sewing…and the Oh Sew Suite products! I had an idea to use our Tasteful Trim XL Die large ric-rac trim to make a flower! I'm pretty happy with how it came out! I have a pin backing on it, but I looped the pin thru one of the Simply Adorned Chains for a little different look as a necklace! Or…wear it by itself as a brooch!

I backed the Sweet Stitches Designer Fabric with Stampin' Up!'s Fabric Adhesive and then yellow polar fleece to give it some extra stability and to keep it from fraying. I used two of the ric-rac strips and stitched one edge together to make the strip longer. It is gathered and stitched together at the base of each of the ric-racs to form a circle. Then I added the Sweet Stitches Designer Button in the center and a Sweet Stitches Designer Fabric Brad. Here is a closeup! Isn't it FUN!!!

Make sure to check out what the rest of the Design Team did this week over on Create with Connie and Mary! We had a LOT of fun with this challenge!