Sending Wishes for Inspiration

Its time for another inspiration from Stampin' Celebration (SC102)!  The challenge for this month is bright and cheery!  A perfect ending to the spring holidays and a great beginning to the next phase of weather!

I decided to incorporate the colors and the flowers into my project!  I found the Butterfly Basics stamp set on my desk (2015 Stampin' Up! Occasions catalog) and saw the flowers and leaves and decided to this image as my focal point.  I needed a quick sketch to help me get going so I went to retrosketches and found a perfect sketch (#157).

My project uses crushed curry and daffodil delight for the yellows.  The flowers are stamped with memento ink and watercolored with crushed curry, daffodil delight and old olive ink.

I decided to emboss the daffodil delight background using the Spring Flowers Textured embossing folder.  I watercolored the flowers after embossing with crushed curry ink to highlight the flowers on the embossed image.  A little white 1-1/4" jute ribbon is ticked behind the whisper white piece with a little strip of old olive 1/8" taffeta ribbon.

Fairly quick card for today.  The first thing I made for a while due to all of the travel the past few weeks.  I should be "grounded" for a few weeks so I hope to get more stamping in soon!  I need to clean up the winter stuff and pull out the fun warm weather images!

Please stop by the other Design Team projects!  They did a great job to help further inspire us all!

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Stampin Celebration Sketch Challenge - Hello

Time for another sketch challenge from Stampin Celebration (SC101)!

While this sketch would work great for a scrapbook page, I decided to try my hand at incorporating it into a card.  I decided to start with a bigger base (6x6).

I like how the flags draw a little color into the upper corner with the white.  

I know this is a short post today, but I decided to let the images take center stage.  Plus, it's been crazy busy at home and work so not much time to play these days!

Have a great day!  Hope you have time to join us and play a little with Stampin' Celebration!

You're Amazing!

I had a stamp camp a few weeks ago which I called "Signs of Spring" stamp camp.  I was hoping it would help put us in the mood for spring if we created cards that were light and airy.  

I loved what Krista Frattin did with the Painted Petals stamp set.

And then Mercedes Weber took the same inspiration to another level!

I loved both of these cards and decided to do something similar!

Everyone at Stamp Camp loved the card (some were not very fond of pulling the threads from the ribbon though!).

I love that everyone is so gracious with sharing their creations.  I love to learn from everyone so thanks for your efforts!

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Simple Gift Tags

I am in the Netherlands this week for work and I decided to bring a few treats to people who have helped me with my arrangements.

I decided to make some tags to go along with the treats.

For the first tag I used the Painted blooms stamp set fromthe Stampin' Up! 2015 Occasions catalog and  made a flower using the 1-1/4" scallop circle punch and an antique brad.  Very simple and I love it!  The colors are the 2014-2016 In Colors of Blackberry Bliss, Hello Honey and Tangelo Twist.

For the second tag I used the Gorgeous Grunge stamp set (Mossy Meadow ink on Mossy Meadow cardstock).  I added a gold star and Daffodil Delight threads from the Daffodil Delight ribbon the Saleabration Best Year Ever Accessory Pack.  The greeting is also from the Simply Wonderful stamp set (a saleabration set).

Both of these are pretty simple to make.  I don't have pictures of the final treat bag since I decided not to put them together until I get to my destination.  I wasn't sure how they would pack and I didn't want to have to bring a bigger suitcase ;0).

Enjoy!

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Stampin' Celebration! 100th Challenge - Wonderful

I am so excited that it is the 100th challenge for Stampin' Celebration!  While I was not here for the beginning, I have certainly enjoyed being a part of this fabulous team!  Such great inspiration from these talented ladies!

This month's sketch was so inspiring,  I had a few things running through my mind and in the end the things that grabbed me from this sketch were the stripes, the big white flower with the black middle and the white and green.  

After a bit of thought I had an idea and just had to wait for a day I could put ink to cardstock and make it a reality.

I just love the Butterfly Basics stamp set from the Stampin' Up! 2015 Occasions catalog.  It has such great images and is very versatile.

I decided to stamp the stripes in black (using the memento ink pad) onto whisper white cardstock.  Then I took vellum and stamped the leaves using garden green ink and added some white cotton twine in a swirl.  I love this effect!  Lately I have been cutting up ribbon to get the thin strands of threads to do the same thing.  A great effect and it adds a nice pop of color or shape.

For the flower, I punched 5 flowers using the 1-1/4" circle scallop punch and cut between the scallops for each flower.  Then I added an antique brad for the middle.  

The greeting is from the Saleabration stamp set called Simply Wonderful.

I love how this card turned out.  I have been busy at work lately and so I haven't had the energy to create.  I am very happy when my time spent creating is time well spent!

Thanks for checking out my blog!  To celebrate the 100th post for Stampin' Celebration! I am giving away some blog candy!!  Simply leave a comment by Monday, March 23rd and I will choose a lucky winner at random.  I will be giving away a few more goodies from the wonderful gifts I received as a World Card Making Day winner!  

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Happy Birthday Gift Bag

My niece's birthday is next week and she is away at college.  It's the first kid to go off to college and we had that family discussion regarding along the lines of "when to stop celebrating kids birthdays" as a family.  Since she is away at school it makes it easier to make that transition, but it's still so bittersweet.

Anyway, I wanted to make her a card using the mini treat bag thinlit dies from the Stampin' Up! 2015 Occasions catalog.

I found a sketch I thought I could use to decorate the bag from Retrosketches (#156).

I decided to use the Birthday Bash Specialty Designer Series Paper.

What I love about the Mini Treat Bag thinlit set is the various other shapes and greetings that come with the set.  The star and the "for you" were also in this set.  There is actually no stamping on this treat bag!

I pulled out strips of thread from the calypso coral ribbon that is from the Best Year Ever Accessory Pack.  

On the inside I added die cut the top of a piece of Daffodil Delight to add a greeting from the family and a gift card.

I hope it reminds her that we are still thinking about her on her special day!

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Work Hard Stay Humble Sketch Challenge

Time for a sketch challenge (SC99) with Stampin' Celebration!  I can't believe it is already March!  A few more days until Daylight Savings and not having to drive home from work in the dark!  

Anyway, we have a fun sketch challenge this month!  Very versatile so I can't wait to see what everyone creates with this sketch!

I purchased the new Adventure Awaits stamp set from the 2015 Occasions Catalog from Stampin' Up!  I loved the sayings so I decided to use this stamp set for my project.  The "Work Hard Stay Humble" greeting made me think of my niece, a college Freshman who has a scholarship to a Division 1 college for track and field.  She has had an amazing first season!  I know she works hard, you can see it in her progress.  She is also the sweetest, most humble girl.  She doesn't let anything get to her head.  She is a team player through and through.  Definitely someone you want on your team!

Anyway, I thought of her so I decided to make a card for her to let her know how proud we are of her.

I love the Hello Honey striped paper in the Moonlight Designer Series Paper Stack.  I decided to pair the Hello Honey with Basic Gray ad Pool Party.

I added some paper piercing around the greeting to help highlight the greeting a little and then used the Subtles Deisgner Series Paper Pack to make the Pool Party banners on the top.  The heart itty bitty button (retired) is colored with the dark smoky slate Blendabilities marker.

I love how the card turned out and I can't wait to send this to my niece!

Hope you enjoy the sketch!

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