Stampin' Up!

CCMC797 – Thoughtful Expressions

December 14, 2023 By Connie | Leave a Comment

It’s Thursday and you know that means it is time for a Create with Connie and Mary Thursday Challenge. We have a fun sketch to inspire you! This challenge runs for TWO WEEKS so our Challenge Team can get ready for the upcoming holidays! Check back on December 28th!

THOUGHTFUL EXPRESSIONS

Yeah! The new Mini Catalog has been released for demonstrator preorder! I thought the flower in this stamp set would work great with this sketch. And I paired it with the Flight & Airy Designer Paper which is a Sale-A-Bration option! Get it free when you buy this bundle!

Stampin’ Details:

The base is 5-1/2 x 8-1/2 Crumb Cake cardstock, scored at 4-1/4 and folded.
A 2-1/4 x 5 piece of Flirty Flamingo cardstock was added to the center.
The greeting from Thoughtful Expressions was stamped with Memento Black Ink in the lower right corner.
Three 1 x 4 strips of Flight & Airy DSP were added at angles.
The 2 x 3 panel of Basic White cardstock was stamped with the flower in Memento Black Ink, the colored with Petal Pink, Flirty Flamingo, Lost Lagoon and Pool Party Stampin’ Blends. It was added to the front with Stampin’ Dimensionals.
Some Opaque Faceted Gems were added to the center of the flowers for a little bling!

Isn’t that pretty? Go check out what the rest of the Challenge Team did with this challenge over on Create with Connie and Mary

Supplies:
Stamps: Thoughtful Expressions
Ink: Memento Black
Blends: Lost Lagoon, Pool Party, Petal Pink, Flirty Flamingo Stampin’ Blends
Cardstock: Basic White, Flirty Flamingo, Crumb Cake, Flight & Airy Designer Paper
Accessories: Opaque Faceted Gems, Adhesives

Grab those easy, breezy beach vibes right at your craft table when you use Stampin' Up!'s SPLASH & RELAX BUNDLE of products! Be inspired by the innertubes, beach balls, sunglasses, and other beach accessories this cute set has to offer! Then add a fun, carefree sentiment to finish off your project! We've combined the SPLASH & RELAX BUNDLE and the SCENIC COAST 6x6 DESIGNER PAPER with its' bright color backgrounds!! You'll get SIX step-by-step tutorials for FOUR regular cards and TWO special fold cards in this Collection! See more details HERE!

Inspired by the delicate charm of lilies of the valley flowers, this VALLEY IN BLOOM SUITE of projects will bring timeless beauty to your crafting! These products have versatile florals, textures and shimmer that will have you grabbing them to use all year long. We've combined the LILY OF THE VALLEY BUNDLE and the VALLEY IN BLOOM 12x12 DESIGNER PAPER with patterns that add whimsy and personality. You'll get step-by-step tutorials for EIGHT cards in this Collection! See more details HERE!

Take a trip to the shore for peace and tranquility when using Stampin' Up!'s new WATERSIDE RETREAT SUITE of products! The RELAXING WATERSIDE BUNDLE showcases a getaway at the lake with lounge chairs, coffee and books, birds and special greetings! We've combined the RELAXING WATERSIDE BUNDLE and the WATERSIDE RETREAT 12x12 DESIGNER PAPER with its sun-drenched faded colors and unique cut-out images or background scenes. You'll get step-by-step tutorials for SIX projects...four cards and two fun favors for a special little gift this summer! See more details HERE!

CS119 – Sparkling Snowflakes

December 12, 2023 By Connie | Leave a Comment

Welcome to Create with Connie and Mary’s Creatively Simple Challenge! Each month Mary and I will pick a theme for our simple cards. This month the theme is “Winter”!

SPARKLING SNOWFLAKES

When you live in Ohio, snow is just a routine part of the winter months. I try to escape it whenever I can! lol! But I did love this pretty snowflake card that is quick and simple to make and has so much glittery fun!

Stampin’ Details:

The base is 4-1/4 x 11 Coastal Cabana cardstock, scored at 5-1/2 and folded.
The 4 x 5-1/4 layer of Basic White has been cut at an angle, then embossed with the Snowflake Sky Embossing Folder and adhered to the front.
Let it Snow from Sparkling Snowflakes stamp set was stamped in the bottom corner with Memento Black Ink.
The small snowflake from was stamped with Pool Party Ink surrounding the greeting.
The large snowflake was stamped with Coastal Cabana Ink on Basic White cardstock and punched with the 2″ Circle Punch (Online Exclusive).
The Decorative Circle was punched from Pool Party cardstock and the circle added on top.
Some White Glittered Ribbon was added behind the Decorative Circle with Stampin’ Dimensionals, then added to the front.
Some Iridescent Rhinestones were added to the large snowflake and three in the background.

See…quick and easy and SO glittery! Check out Mary’s Creatively Simple card over on Create with Connie and Mary!

Supplies:
Stamps: Sparkling Snowflakes
Inks: Memento Black, Pool Party, Coastal Cabana
Cardstock: Coastal Cabana, Basic White, Pool Party
Accessories: Snowflake Sky Embossing Folder, 2″ Circle Punch, Decorative Circle Punch, White Glitter Ribbon, Iridescent Rhinestones, Adhesives

Saturday Blog Hop – Red and Green Christmas

December 9, 2023 By Connie | Leave a Comment

It’s Saturday and time for our Create with Connie and Mary Blog Hop. This week our theme is “Red and Green Christmas”! I always love the traditional colors of Christmas! The Joy of Christmas Suite of products is just PERFECT for this theme! I combined both dies from Christmas Classics and Joy of Noel on this card.

CHRISTMAS CLASSICS

Stampin’ Details:

The base is 5-1/2 x 8-1/2 Garden Green cardstock, scored at 4-1/4 and folded.
The 4 x 5-1/4 layer of Crumb Cake was stamped with the pine branch from Joy of Noel stamp set several times in the corners with Garden Green Ink. It was embossed with the Timber Embossing Folder and added to the front.
The label die was cut from Cherry Cobbler cardstock with the Christmas Classics Die and added to the front with Stampin’ Dimensionals.
NOEL letters were cut from Joyful Specialty Designer Paper using the Joy of Christmas Dies.
A couple branches were cut from Gold Foil using the Christmas Classics Dies and tucked under the label die.
A trio of gold Neutrals Adhesive Backed Sequins were added to the background.

Such a great card for the holidays, don’t you think? OK, next up on our blog hop is our Create with Connie and Mary website, then on to creative Mary Brown, or head backwards to see Melissa Davies’ fabulous project and see what everyone did with this challenge!

SUPPLIES:
Stamps: Christmas Classics
Inks: Garden Green
Cardstock: Garden Green, Crumb Cake, Cherry Cobbler, Joyful Specialty Designer Paper, Gold Foil Paper
Accessories: Joy of Noel Dies, Christmas Classics Dies, Timber Embossing Folder, Neutrals Adhesive Backed Sequins, Adhesives

CCMC796 – Wishes All Around

December 7, 2023 By Connie | Leave a Comment

It’s Thursday and you know that means it is time for a Create with Connie and Mary Thursday Challenge. It’s a pretty color combination to inspire you…it reminds me of winter! I love these colors together!

WISHES ALL AROUND

Again with snowflakes! Have you ever bought a stamp set or bundle for just ONE thing? For me it was this snowflake wreath in the Wishes All Around dies! I love it! Look closely…can you see the sparkling “diamonds” on the wreath? It is so pretty in person!

Stampin’ Details:

The base is 4-1/4 x 11 Thick Basic White cardstock, scored at 5-1/2 and folded.
The 4 x 5-1/4 layer of Balmy Blue carstock was added to the front.
A 2-3/4 x 4 piece of Beary Christmas DSP was added to the front towards the right side.
A 1 x 4-3/4 strip of Misty Moonlight cardstock was added over top.
The wreath from Wishes All Around Dies was cut from Basic White cardstock and adhered on front.
The greeting from Wishes All Around (the second reason I bought this bundle!) was stamped with Real Red Ink on Basic White cardstock, then punched with the 1-1/2 Circle Punch, it was added to a 1-3/4 Circle cut from Real Red cardstock and then added to the center of the wreath with Stampin’ Dimensionals.
Small Rhinestone Jewels were added to each center of the snowflakes for lots of bling!

So icy and pretty looking! Go check out what the rest of the Challenge Team did with this challenge over on Create with Connie and Mary

Supplies:
Stamps: Wishes All Around
Ink: Real Red
Cardstock: Basic White, Thick Basic White, Real Red, Beary Christmas Designer Paper
Accessories: 1-1/2 Circle Punches, 1-3/4′ Circle Die, Rhinestone Jewels, Adhesives

CS118 – Beary Cute Cocoa Pouch

December 5, 2023 By Connie | Leave a Comment

Welcome to Create with Connie and Mary’s Creatively Simple Challenge! Each month Mary and I will pick a theme for our simple cards. This month the theme is “Winter”!

BEARY CUTE

Winter…brrr! But a nice hot cup of cocoa certainly will warm you up! I didn’t do a card this week…instead I thought I’d show you the Beary Cute Cocoa Packets that my grandsons and I made for their teachers since it fit the winter theme! There is room for a gift card in the back! We did 18 of them and they did most of the work, including punching and coloring the bear and hand-cutting the hat, scarf and tree!

NOTE: I used the retired Envelope Punch Board to make my bases, but you could easily do a pocket fold base by cutting your paper to 4-1/4 x 11 and scoring at 1-1/4 and 5-1/2. Then fold down the shorter flap to the outside and adhere the sides to form a pocket to hold the cocoa packet and candy cane! Almost the same look!

Stampin’ Details:

The base is 6 x 6 Beary Christmas Designer Paper. I used the Envelope Punch Board and starting at 3″ and punch and score, then line up at the score line and do all four sides. The ends are rounded. Adhere points and sides of bottom flap to adhere. See my note above for an alternative pocket card base using cardstock or DSP.
A 1 x 10 strip of coordinating Beary Christmas DSP was wrapped around and adhered in the front.
The 2-3/8 circle was punched from Balmy Blue cardstock and stamped with the Beary Cute small snowflake in White Craft Ink.
The tree was stamped with Mossy Meadow Ink on Old Olive cardstock and hand-cut, then adhered to the circle with Stampin’ Dimensionals. (Make this even easier by eliminating the tree!)
The bear was stamped with Memento Black Ink on Basic White cardstock, colored around the shadows with Light Balmy Blue Ink, then punched with the Beary Cute Punch. His scarf and hat were stamped with Real Red Ink on Basic White and hand-cut, then adhered to the bear. He was popped up on the circle with Stampin’ Dimensionals.
A trio of Adhesive Backed Glitter Sequins were added to the tree.
The circle was added to the front of the cocoa pouch with Stampin’ Dimensionals.
Fill with a cocoa packet (Swiss Miss fits, too!) and a bow wrapped candy cane!

The kids sure had fun making these! They came together very easily! Check out Mary’s Creatively Simple card over on Create with Connie and Mary!

Supplies:
Stamps: Beary Cute
Inks: Memento Black, Mossy Meadow, White Craft, Real Red
Blends: Light Balmy Blue
Cardstock: Balmy Blue, Basic White, Beary Christmas Designer Paper
Accessories: Beary Cute Punch, 2-3/8″ Circle Punch, Adhesive Backed Glitter Sequins, Adhesives

IM309 – Beary Cute

December 4, 2023 By Connie | Leave a Comment

Welcome back to our Create with Connie and Mary Inspiration Monday challenges. We have some fun winter cookies to inspire you this week!

BEARY CUTE

Stampin’ Up!’s Beary Cute Bundle worked perfectly for this challenge. even though I didn’t use the punch. The polar bear and her cub are just TOO cute!

Stampin’ Details:

- The base is 5-1/2 x 8-1/2 Coastal Cabana cardstock, scored at 4-1/4 and folded.
- A 2-3/4 x 5-1/2 piece of Basic White cardstock was torn across the top at a slant to make the snow bank. It was adhered to the bottom of the front.
- The snowflakes from Beary Cute stamp set were stamped with Coastal Cabana Ink. TIP: Place both on the same block to get more evenly spaced snowflakes!
- The larger and smaller bear and outline of the tree were stamped with Memento Black Ink on Basic White cardstock. The inside of the tree was stamped with Granny Apple Green Ink, then colored with the Light Parakeet Party Stampin’ Blends. All were hand-cut and added to the front with Stampin’ Dimensionals.
- The hat and scarf were stamped with Coastal Cabana Ink on Basic White cardstock, then hand-cut and added to the bears.
- The ground under the bears and tree was highlighted with Light Pool Party Stampin’ Blends for the shadows, the Wink of Stella added over the shadows. The outlines of the bears were also shadowed with Light Pool Party Stampin’ Blends.
- Merry Christmas was stamped with Granny Apple Green Ink under the tree.
- A trio of Adhesive Backed Glitter Sequins were added to a few snowflakes in the background.

So fun…love these bears! OK…check out what Mary did with the Inspiration Monday Challenge over on Create with Connie and Mary!

SUPPLIES:

Stamps: Beary Cute
Inks: Granny Apple Green, Coastal Cabana, Memento Black
Blends: Light Pool Party, Light Parakeet Party

Cardstock: Basic White, Coastal Cabana
Accessories: Adhesive Backed Glitter Sequins, Wink of Stella, Adhesives

Saturday Blog Hop – Vanilla and Gold Christmas

December 2, 2023 By Connie | Leave a Comment

It’s Saturday and time for our Create with Connie and Mary Blog Hop. This week our theme is “Vanilla and Gold Christmas”!

TINY CHRISTMAS TREES

I loved this Tiny Christmas Trees background die, but then haven’t used it! This is my first time on this simple card! If you are running late on doing your Christmas cards…this is one for you! Lots of SHINE!

Stampin’ Details:

The base is 4-1/4 x 11 Thick Very Vanilla, scored at 5-1/2 and folded.
A 3-1/2 x 5-1/2 piece of Very Vanilla cardstock was cut with the Tiny Christmas Trees Die and adhered to a 3-1/2 x 5-1/2 piece of Distressed Gold Paper. It was added to the front of the base card.
A 1/4 x 5-1/2 strip of Distressed Gold Paper was added to hide the seam.
Two pine branches from Joy of Christmas were cut from gold More Dazzle Paper with the Dies.
The greeting from So Very Merry stamp set (online exclusive) was stamped with Versamark and Gold Embossed on Very Vanilla cardstock, then punched with the Modern Oval Punch. The pine branches were adhered behind the oval, then added to the front with Stampin’ Dimensionals.
A trio of gold Neutrals Adhesive Backed Sequins were added to the oval and background.

That’s it! So quick and looks so elegant! OK, next up on our blog hop is our Create with Connie and Mary website, then on to creative Mary Brown, or head backwards to see Melissa Davies’ fabulous project and see what everyone did with this challenge!

SUPPLIES:
Stamps: So Very Merry (Online Exclusive)
Inks: Versamark
Cardstock: Thick Very Vanilla, Very Vanilla, Distressed Gold Paper, More Dazzle Paper
Accessories: Joy of Noel Dies, Tiny Christmas Trees Die, Neutrals Adhesive Backed Sequins, Gold Embossing Powder, Adhesives

CCMC795 – Sparkling Snowflakes

November 30, 2023 By Connie | Leave a Comment

It’s Thursday and you know that means it is time for a Create with Connie and Mary Thursday Challenge. It’s a fun sketch this week.

SPARKLING SNOWFLAKES

I thought the circles on this sketch would be great for snowflakes! I’m certainly not ready to see them in the air around here, but I love snowflake stamps! This one came together pretty quickly and would be great for mass producing as well!

Stampin’ Details:

The base is 5-1/2 x 8-1/2 Thick Basic White cardstock, scored at 4-1/4 and folded.
The 4 x 5-1/4 layer of Pool Party cardstock was embossed with the Snowflake Sky Embossing Folder and added to the front.
A 3/4 x 4-3/4 strip of Lost Lagoon cardstock was added to the front.
The 1-3/4 x 3-3/4 piece of Snowflake Magic Specialty Designer Paper was added on top.
The snowflakes were stamped with Pool Party Ink for the solid image, then Lost Lagoon detail image on top and punched with the 2″ and 1-1/2″ Circle Punches. They were added to the front with Stampin’ Dimensionals.
The greeting from Sparkling Snowflakes was stamped with Lost Lagoon Ink on a 3/4 x 2-1/4 piece of Basic White cardstock and the end cut at an angle, then adhered on front.
A trio of silver Neutrals Adhesive Backed Sequins were added to the snowflake centers and the background.

SO pretty…love the sparkle of the silver in the background! Go check out what the rest of the Challenge Team did with this challenge over on Create with Connie and Mary

Supplies:
Stamps: Sparkling Snowflakes
Ink: Pool Party, Lost Lagoon
Cardstock: Basic White, Thick Basic White, Pool Party, Lost Lagoon, Snowflake Magic Specialty Designer Paper
Accessories: Snowflake Sky Embossing Folder, 1-3/4 and 2″ Circle Punches, Neutrals Adhesive Backed Sequins, Adhesives