Watercolor Trio

August 25, 2010 By Connie | 5 Comments

Well, sorry, my posting has been really irregular the past few weeks! It feels like I'm just now working on all the things that I put off while planning for the wedding reception. Then, this week, I started suffering with a UTI…if you've had one, you know what I mean! I called this morning and am headed to the doctor today, hopefully for some relief!

All I can say is that you'd better grab this stamp set, Watercolor Trio, while you can! It is NOT in the new catalog…I don't know why! It is the BEST set to make quick and easy cards! You can't mess up! It is only available in the Summer Mini thru the end of August! Yes…only 7 more days!

This card came together in less than 10 minutes…it actually took me longer to fiddle with the bow than it did to stamp and put the card together. I used Mary Jo's Monday Lunchtime Sketch Challenge TSSC136 to get me started.

Here's my card:

I knew I wanted to use Poppy Parade to give me a big POP of color on the flowers. Of course, Pear Pizzazz and Daffodil Delight just complement it beautifully! I inked up the flower stamp with Poppy Parade, Pear Pizzazz and Daffodil Delight Stampin' Write Markers and stamped three times. I inked up the leaves with Pear Pizzazz and stamped a couple more images of it. I ended up with a big vacant space in the upper right hand corner. Woohoo! Stampin' Up!'s new Word Play stamp set has BIG greetings…I love them! I like this greeting…Imagine the Possibilities. I layered the Whisper White cardstock on some Pear Pizzazz and pierced a row of holes across the top with my Piercing Tool and Mat. Then I wrapped a big length of Daffodil Delight Satin Ribbon around and tied with a bow. That ribbon is just the NICEST ribbon to work with…it handles SO well! Like I said…quick and easy…but a really NICE card!

Big day…lots to do, so I'd better get going. Hope you have a wonderful day, too!

Watercolor Trio

June 28, 2010 By Connie | 5 Comments

Wow…sorry this is posting so late. I had major problems trying to get to my Dashboard to post! It finally seems to be working ok.

And another WOW…my count went over 500,000 blog hits without me even knowing it! I guess I haven't paid attention since I got back from the wedding! THANK YOU for visiting and for the nice comments you leave! I know I appreciate knowing you are out there and checking in frequently. I've been blogging now for 3 years…doesn't seem possible.

I used the square (rectangle) sketch over on Mojo Monday for the basis of my card. I've had the idea for a red/white/blue card without using stars or a patriotic theme! I think the red and blue flowers, although unusual, fit my idea nicely!

So for my card, I started with a base of Real Red cardstock. I layered on a piece of Whisper White that I ran thru the Big Shot with the Square Lattice Impressions Folder. Along the bottom on another piece of Whisper White, I stamped two of the flowers from Stampin' Up!'s Watercolor Trio stamp set in Real Red and Pacific Point randomly. (I'm SO happy that Pacific Point is returning…I love the brightness of the blue color!) I added a strip of Real Red cardstock to hide the seam between the top and the bottom.

I stamped Birthday Wishes in Pacific Point on Whisper White, then punched with the 1 3/8 circle punch. I added a 1 3/4 circle of Real Red behind it. I stamped the third flower on Whisper White by inking up the flower with my Real Red and Pacific Point Stampin' Write Markers. It is layered on Real Red, too. Finally, I punched the Butterfly from Real Red cardstock, added some Linen Thread for the body and popped it up with Stampin' Dimensionals on the front of the card! I love how it turned out!

CUSTOMERS remember my STOCK UP ON ADHESIVE SALE going on now thru June 30th! Don't forget to order NOW!

Watercolor Trio

June 15, 2010 By Connie | 3 Comments

This card was one of the projects my Stamp Clubs did last month. I always like to do one card with a special fold or something unique. This folded frame is fun to do and a great use of Designer Paper!

I used the Old Olive Patterns Designer Paper to make my frame. Inside, I stamped the Watercolor Trio images in Rich Razzleberry, More Mustard and Old Olive on Whisper White cardstock. I layered the frame on Rich Razzleberry cardstock, scalloped the top edge with the Scallop Edge Punch and stamped Thanks So Much from Watercolor Trio at the bottom in Basic Black. I wrapped some White Satin Ribbon around and tied a knot. I layered the Rich Razzleberry element on Old Olive that I ran thru the Big Shot with the Perfect Polka Dots Impressions Folder. That was layered on More Mustard for the base card.

I used the stamp All A Flutter butterfly and stamped it in Basic Black on Cardstock Vellum. I turned it over and used my Stampin' Write Markers in Rich Razzleberry, More Mustard, Old Olive and Close to Cocoa to color the butterfly. When you turn it back to the front, the markers give it a pretty stained-glass look! I cut it out and placed it on the front of the card with a Stampin' Dimensional. I think it turned out to be a pretty elegant card!

Don't forget about my 50th Birthday Celebration and my gift to YOU! Check out the details HERE!

Stamping 411 – Watercolor Trio

June 4, 2010 By Connie | 10 Comments

Ok, ok…I know…I've been using this set a LOT…but can I say that I really LOVE it? It just is SO easy to use! I saw this color combo done somewhere and decided to use it with my Stamping 411 sketch this week. As you can see, I flipped the sketch on the side to make my card.

I inked up the floral image with my Stampin' Write Markers in Always Artichoke, Real Red and Bravo Burgundy in the centers. I stamped it on Whisper White. I added the Birthday Wishes greeting in Chocolate Chip. I layered the Whisper White on Chocolate Chip cardstock. I added a little Certainly Celery butterfly from Beautiful Wings Embosslit over the greeting.

My base card is Certainly Celery. I ran a layer of Always Artichoke thru the Big Shot with the Square Lattice Impressions Folder. I cut a piece of Real Red cardstock and ran it thru the Big Shot with the Perfect Polka Dots Impressions Folder and adhered to the Always Artichoke. I wrapped Certainly Celery Satin Ribbon around and tied a knot, then added the focal element. Finally, I used my Bitty Buttons…I thought this flower one looked like an X and punched with the Itty Bitty Shapes Punch then adhered to my card with Mini Glue Dots. I love how these colors look together!

Make sure to check out what the rest of the Stamping 411 Operators have done this week! And, play along by using the sketch as inspiration for YOUR design, then add it to the Linkz program over on Stamping 411.

And, please, say a quick prayer for one of our Stamping 411 Operators, Tiffany, and her daughter, Jordan, who was in serious ATV accident and is in the hospital. Jordan is doing better, but has a long recovery. She can use the prayers!

Have a great weekend!

Watercolor Trio

June 2, 2010 By Connie | 3 Comments

Well..what do you think? Pretty wild list of retiring products, huh? Well…don't put off getting what you want or need. Some things are already gone. I was thankful that I put in my order for Craft Refills…lots of the colors are gone already. I did order two Glorious Green Craft Refills by mistake (now sold out) so if you need that color…give me a shout before I send it back to Stampin' Up!

I combined a couple challenges today, the ColourQ (CQC35) challenge and Mercy's Sketch Challenge (MTSC76). Well…the colors were DEFINITELY a stretch…can you say BRIGHT! I tried to calm them down a little with some white layers. I did use Dusty Durango instead of Tangerine Tango…there is a slight shade difference, but I used what I had available. You can see what my partner, Mary, did with this sketch and color challenge HERE! She warns you to put on your sunglasses!

OK…I'll admit it…I'm obsessed with Stampin' Up!'s Watercolor Trio stamp set. I just love how easy it is to use! It was still laying out from my Technique Class last night, so it was just TOO tempting to use! I started to build the card with the greeting from Stampin' Up!'s Favorite Thoughts stamp set in the Summer Mini. I love the greetings in this set! I stamped the saying in Dusty Durango on Whisper White. I inked up my flower with Stampin' Write Markers in Dusty Durango, Crushed Curry, Green Galore and a little Glorious Green on the edges of the leaves, then stamped it around the edges of the Whisper White. I layered this on Dusty Durango cardstock. Next I inked up the leaf image with Green Galore, then edged with my Glorious Green Stampin' Write Marker and stamped in the lower right corner of the Green Galore cardstock. I wrapped the Dusty Durango Polka Dot Ribbon around and tied. This all was layered on Whisper White that I ran thru the Big Shot with the Perfect Polka Dots Impressions Folder. The base of the card is Crushed Curry. I added some Crushed Curry Beautiful Wings Embosslit butterflies to the leaves and above the greeting. I liked how this turned out! This will be a birthday card for my husband's assistant at work! I think she'll like it!

Tomorrow is the premier of Create with Connie and Mary's Weekly Challenges! We've done these with our subscribers, but now are opening it up to everyone who wants to participate! We'll have Mr. Linky available for you to play along and show us what you can do with the sketch, color or inspiration challenge of the week! So stop by tomorrow for more information and see what we are doing!

Create with Connie and Mary Sketch Challenge

May 22, 2010 By Connie | 9 Comments

It's time for the Create with Connie and Mary Saturday Challenge (CCMC4)! I designed the sketch for this week's challenge and I am amazed at the how different each Designer interpreted this sketch! I know I had fun with it…hope they did, too! This week on Create with Connie and Mary, we've been focusing on Watercolor Trio, Bouque Bunch and A Little Bit of Magic from the Summer Mini Catalog. It's not too late to join! We are starting our last week, but you still have access to all the previous posts and tutorials long after the sesson is over!

Yes, I used Stampin' Up!'s Watercolor Trio again. I can't stop using it…and I love this color combination with it! I stamped the flower and leaves images in Old Olive, Ruby Red and So Saffron Classic Ink on Whisper White cardstock and layered it on So Saffron Cardstock. I wrapped the Old Olive Satin Ribbon around it and tied. I added three 1 1/4" circles punched from Ruby Red along the left side.

For the greeting element, I stamped Thanks So Much with Ruby Red on Whisper White and punched with the 1 1/4 Circle Punch. I layered it on…can you GUESS???? Yes! The larger cog of the new Double Cog punch! I punched the Cog once in Old Olive and once in Ruby Red, then layered it on a 1 3/4 circle of So Saffron. This was popped up with Stampin' Dimensionals. I added a So Saffron butterfly on the edge of the greeting, too!

I hope you check out the rest of the Create with Connie and Mary Design Team to see what they did this week. As I mentioned earlier, each card was SO different, yet completely intrepreted from the sketch!

Mary Brown

Kerin Sylvester

Monika Davis

Supplies:

Set: Watercolor Trio

Classic Inks: Ruby Red, So Saffron, Old Olive

Cardstock: Ruby Red, So Saffron, Old Olive, Whisper White

Accessories: Double Cog Punch, 1 3/4 Circle Punch, Stampin' Dimensionals, Old Olive Satin Ribbon, 1" Circle Punch

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!

Bloggers Sketch Challenge

May 21, 2010 By Connie | 19 Comments

Today's Bloggers Challenge is a sketch! As you know, I LOVE sketches! This card came together pretty quickly using it. I used Watercolor Trio again as it is one of the three sets we are featuring this week over on Create with Connie and Mary…Watercolor Trio, Bouquet Bunch and A Little Bit of Magic from Stampin' Up!'s Summer Mini.

I decided to turn the sketch on its side so my flowers would fit a little better. I started with a base of Certainly Celery cardstock and layered on Cameo Coral, one of the retiring colors! I used a strip of the Sahara Sand Polka Dot pattern from Thoroughly Modern Designer Paper in the background. On the Very Vanilla cardstock, I stamped the three flower/leaves images randomly in Certainly Celery, Sahara Sand and Cameo Coral Classic Inks.

I wrapped some Certainly Celery Satin Ribbon around and tied a bow. In the lower right corner, I used three 1/2" circles in Sahara Sand, Very Vanilla and Certainly Celery for the accents. I stamped Birthday Wishes from Watercolor Trio on Sahara Sand and punched with the Large Oval Punch, then layered on a Certainly Celery Scallop Oval punched piece. It was popped up with Stampin' Dimensionals! I love this color combo…will be sad to see that pretty Cameo Coral go away.

It certainly is not too late to join Create with Connie and Mary Summer Edition! At $24.95, it is certainly a bargain for all the ideas you'll get to make gifts or host stamp camps or classes for your customers. There is a new project posted every day and we have a minimum of two fabulous tutorials each and every week. Our site stays up long after the session is done, so you will plenty of time to access the site and refer back to the tutorials. For more information and to see our Preview Week projects please visit at Create with Connie and Mary!

Watercolor Trio

May 19, 2010 By Connie | 2 Comments

I combined two challenges today…the sketch challenge (SC281) on Splitcoaststampers and the color challenge on Color Throwdown! I loved both of them and this card came together really quickly! The colors of the Color Throwdown 93 (CTD93) incorporate two colors that are being brought out of retirement with the new Stampin' Up! catalog in July…Baja Breeze and Pink Pirouette! WOOHOO! I'm glad to see them return!

For my card, I started with a piece of Whisper White cardstock and randomly stamped the flowers from Watercolor Trio in Baja Breeze, Pink Pirouette and Melon Mambo Classic Inks. LOVE this stamp set in the Summer Mini! I layered it on Melon Mambo cardstock and wrapped Melon Mambo Polka Dot Ribbon around it and tied. For the background on the right, I used a piece of printed paper from Razzleberry Lemonade Designer Paper and layered that on Pink Pirouette cardstock. I stamped the greeting that is also in Watercolor Trio stamp set in Basic Black on Pink Pirouette and punched with the Large Oval Punch, then layered it on a Scallop Oval of Baja Breeze. Finally, I stamped the butterfly in Melon Mambo Classic Ink and added a small clear rhinestone that I removed from the setting and added to the body of the butterfly. Pretty quick and easy card to pull together! I'll be using this sketch and color combo again!

Remember, tomorrow is the 20th of the month and time for the Tour de Freaks…brought to you by the fabulous Control Freak Swappers! You won't want to miss out on the fabulous projects you'll see featuring the Summer Mini! See you tomorrow to take the tour!