Happy 80th Birthday, Grandma!

As I contemplated my Grandma's 80th birthday, I knew I wanted her card to really focus on that this is a special birthday - her 80th!!  I also really wanted to try to match her party theme too - hues of pink and white. :)

It came to me then, that I should make the same card I made HERE, but in pinks!  Perfect!  Well, not saying the card is perfect, just that I was pretty excited to make the idea of it happen. ;)




















Look familiar? ;)

On the card, I used retired colors Regal Rose and Pretty in Pink (one of my fave combos), also retired designer paper "Berry Bliss" and good ol' Whisper White cardstock as my neutral.

I used the "Memorable Moments" stamp set again, using Regal Rose and Pretty in Pink ink.

After stamping, I cut out those beautiful shapes with the Labels Collections Framelits and the NEW Magnetic Platform - I'll say it again - love it, sooo nice to work with!! The framelits stay in place so nicely - no moving around! :)  Also...(forgot to say this in yesterday's post), I paper pierced around the edge of the Regal Rose Label frame. Just gives it a little somethin' extra. :)

Using my Big Shot, I cut out the Pretty in Pink flowers with the Birds & Blooms sizzlit, and the leaves with "Little Leaves" sizzlit in Wild Wasabi cardstock. The top flower is from the itty bitty punch pack. :)  I sponged the edges of the flowers, and then applied the half-back pearls.

Well, what do you think?  Is it okay to use the same design, or should all special cards be original? :)

Thanks so much for stopping by, and have a GREAT day!
Crystal

Another Thank You

I am such a sucker for thank you stamps.

Probably because I feel pretty strongly in sending a thank you card. I probably err on the side of too much.  I remember a period of time my mom would say, "what are you thanking me for now?"  Ha ha ha...Granted, that doesn't mean I can always get to it right away, but I do try to send one if I can remember. :)

The other day I was able to finally get up to my craft room (yay!) and create a couple thank you cards I'd been wanting to send out for quite some time.

I decided to try a few NEW things! :)  Stampin' Up has joined the photopolymer wagon (totally clear stamps). I wasn't really tempted by this until the "Another Thank You" set came out - cuz you can never have too many "thank you" stamps, right? ;)

I used the large script "Thank You" from this set for my cards. As you'll see, it looks like exactly the same card, twice. But if you look closer, you'll find that because of the technique I used, they will never be exactly the same card. :)



















(I was in a hurry, so the picture isn't that great - so sorry!)

I used two of the NEW InColors from this year for my cardbase: The bottom is Pistachio Pudding, the next layer is Coastal Cabana.  It was my first time using those colors together. Actually...the first time using either one, period! lol

What do you think that very top layer is? Why, it's our Watercolor Paper!
How in the world did she get it to look like that??

Here's what I did in 5 easy steps:
1) Embossed the "Thank You" on watercolor paper by stamping the image in Versamark Ink, sprinkling with clear embossing powder, and then heat-setting it with my Stampin' Up heat tool.
2) I then used my aquapainter to "paint" water on the paper.
3) Then, I painted over top of the embossed image with the Pistachio and Cabana inks and my aquapainter, blending the colors together here and there, leaving them their true colors in other places.
4) Wiped away excess color on the embossed image with a tissue.
5) Mounted onto the layers, and voila! :)

Hmmm...I shall call this technique...watercolor emboss resist! :) The emboss resist technique is not a new one to me...but usually I am sponging or rubbing ink over the embossed portions (which resist the ink). This whole watercoloring over the top is new to me. :)

PS - Here's a link to all the Photopolymer stamp sets SU now carries - including the newest one released yesterday (9/24), a Halloween set!  You can order this and any other supplies through me, 24/7! :)

Well, what do you think?
Do you feel the same way about thank you's, or do you feel like a verbal thank you is enough? Maybe you'd rather not answer that, and instead have something to say about the cards?  I'd love to hear from you! :)

Thanks so much for stopping by, and have a GREAT day! :)
Crystal

Triple Layer Snowflake Wow

Hello and Happy Monday! :)

I'm blogging today between loads of laundry, cleaning, and preparing for tonight's GEMS meeting (Girls Everywhere Meeting the Savior). So I hope it makes sense with all the starting and stopping! lol

I always try to show at least one technique at my parties, and this last one was no exception. :)  I was really excited to show it, and when I asked the gals what the favorite thing they learned/saw that night was, the unanimous answer was my technique card! :)

So without further adieu...
I give you my "wow" technique card:

It's called "Triple Layer Stamping" and it's really popular right now!

The cool thing about this technique is that even though there's matting around each layer, it still looks as if the stamped images are continuing on through without interruption!



I also made them a template on my computer with measurements and such, emailed after the event.  Hm. Maybe I should film a tutorial and post it here...and include the template too. Whatcha think?

So here's the details:
I stamped the snowflakes from the Snow Swirled stamp set in one of our new InColors - Midnight Muse. LOVE IT!!! I just love the classy look of the simple Whisper White and Midnight Muse. I then stamped "Merry Christmas" from the set Petite Pairs with Midnight Muse ink. Punched it out with our Large Oval punch, and layered it with a Scalloped Oval punch. Popped it up on dimensionals (of course - wink), and finished it off with a coordinating Midnight Muse Stitched Satin ribbon!

Well, what do you think?  I'd love to hear from ya! :)

Thanks so much for stopping by, and have a GREAT day! :)
Crystal

Birthday Wishes Butterfly

Hello again!

I'm finally back to share another sample I made for my SAB/Occasions Mini party last month. :)  I'll be honest, it's not my favorite...not my usual CAS style (a little busy for my taste), but you know what? That's ok - it showed what I wanted to show and I'm excited about the elements of it. :)

LOVE this paper. It's called "Everyday Elegance" and it's a FREEbie! :)  Sale-A-Bration is the best time to stock up on product, because you earn FREE product at the same time! :)

Back to the card...what else is there?  Pool Party seam binding ribbon! Tucked under the ribbon is Very Vanilla cardstock punched with our Scallop Trim Border punch.

The sentiment is stamped with Lucky Limeade ink with a stamp from Petite Pairs (love that set), then punched with our Large Oval punch.

And that butterfly. Where on earth did that butterfly come from???

It's handmade, of course! :)  First, I stamped one of the "flowers" from Mixed Bunch (Occasions Mini) with Pool Party ink onto Very Vanilla cardstock. THEN, I punched it out with our new Blossom Punch that matches the Mixed Bunch stamp set. THEN, I cut out a couple of the petals to make a butterfly!  As you can see, there are more layers behind the stamped layer...I just punched out some cardstock with the Blossom Punch, and repeated the same technique. Layered up, and there ya go! :)

What about the body of that butterfly? Where did I manage to procure that beautiful center? Well...here's another little secret for ya...they're our Basic Pearls! :)  I simply colored them with a mixture of crystal effects and Lucky Limeade reinker! That is the beauty of Stampin' Up - everything coordinates! :)

Well, what do you think? I'd so love to hear from ya! :)

Thank you so much for stopping by, and have a GREAT day! :)
Crystal

So Grateful

Hello there!

Back again to share a card I recently made to be a sample at my Sale-A-Bration party.
There's a lot to show you about this card, so let's get started right away! :)

Let's go layer by layer, shall we? :)

Base: Whisper White cardstock

Layer 1: Cherry Cobbler cardstock

Layer 2: Whisper White cardstock, embossed with the Finial Press embossing folder & Big Shot

Layer 3:  Kraft cardstock first cut with the NEW Framelits Labels Collection!!  They're in the Occasions Mini catalog, and I LOVE them!  Then, I embossed with the Snow Burst embossing folder (carryover from Holiday mini) for more texture. :) Wrapped a piece of Cherry Cobbler binding ribbon around that layer and tied a pretty bow. :)

Layer 4: Stamped the NEW set Apothecary Art onto Whisper White cardstock, and cut out with another layer of the NEW Framelits Labels Collection! Colored in with my Cherry Cobbler and Always Artichoke ink pads and aquapainter.

Layer 5: Stamped "So Grateful" from the NEW Apothecary Art, cut out, popped up on dimensionals, and added the tiny pearls from our Basic Pearls.

I'm bummed about the picture...could NOT get a good one...shadows, too much light, etc...
WHEW!!  I think that's everything!

Well, what do you think??  I'd sure love to hear from ya!

Thanks so much for stopping by, and have a GREAT day! :)
Crystal

Ten Tiny Toes

Ten tiny fingers, ten tiny toes...

My mom, SILs, & I are going to be hosting a baby shower for a cousin-in-law of mine, who recently had a baby boy. Guess who was on invitation duty? ;-)

I thought on it for awhile, and came up with something I liked...assembly was the "easy" part. It was all the cutting, stamping, embossing, etc...that took all my time! :)

Ready for the end result?

OK. :)

Everything is SU except for the baby feet stamp. I got that AGES ago (10 years??) when I started stamping, and it's one of my non-SU stamps I've kept for such an occasion. ;-)

Supplies: Bashful Blue & Whisper White cardstock, Big Shot, Polka dot embossing folder, Bashful Blue gingham ribbon

Well, what do you think? I'd love to hear from you! :)

Thanks so much for stopping by, and have a GREAT day! :)
Crystal

Flower Garden Thank You

Quick post today...I'm in the middle of making 5th B'day party invitations for my daughter. :)

Judging from the title, you probably pictured today's project as something full of color and flowers, maybe?  Well, it's completely opposite of "full of color," but there IS a reason I titled it that way. :)

I used my Big Shot for this card...along with an embossing folder called "Flower Garden," which premiered in the Summer Mini catalog (6 days left!). :)

A clean & simple card...soft, serene...could maybe be used for wedding??

Not a whole lot more to say about this one...again, I used the Big Shot and Flower Garden embossing folder.

Ran a length of white taffeta ribbon along the side, and stamped "thank you" from the set Short & Sweet with Crumb Cake ink. Punched it out with our Large Oval punch, and adhered with dimensionals (of course - wink). :)

Well, what do you think?

Thanks so much for stopping by, and have a GREAT day! :)
Crystal

Bravo Breeze For All!

I know, the corny titles are getting a little old. At least it keeps ya guessing, right? ;-)

Sorry I was MIA yesterday...with my oldest off from school, I decided it was time to go to B'ham (nearest "big" city) for some miscellaneous shopping.  We ended up being gone most all of the day! Back in time for Pre-K for youngest, stop at a friend's, back home to read with 1st grader, pick up Pre-K'er, then back to the grocery store and a couple of other stops...yeah. Gone all day = no stamping.

So, you're wondering what today's post is about, aren'tcha?

I followed a color challenge today...and let me just say, it was completely opposite of this post, where I wasn't sure of the colors, but once I got going, LOVED them! lol  This time, I thought it was a fun & unique combo, but had trouble working with it! lol

I *think* I'm okay with it now, but by the time I finished, it's too late in the (rainy & dreary) day to get a decent pic...so color might be a bit off, even if I tried to fix it.  Sorry bout that. It actually looks decent IRL, in fact, the difference is really bothering me, now! lol  Maybe I'll retake it tomorrow and change it here...we'll see how lazy ambitious I am. ;-)

You ready?
Color Challenge: Bravo Burgundy, Baja Breeze, Pear Pizazz
Stamps - I used two different (but similar sets here) can you guess which ones?


















If you had trouble guessing, here's the info:
Flowers & stems - "For All You Do"
Sentiment - "Great Friend"

How did I get more than one color on the flowers? It's called the "Rock 'n Roll" technique. Ink up your stamp in the lighter shade, then rock and roll the edges in the darker shade. Make sense, or shall I make a video tutorial? :)

I might just add some dazzling diamonds glitter to the centers of the flowers...couldn't decide.

What do YOU think?

Thanks so much for stopping by, and have a GREAT day! :)
Crystal

Elegant Celebration

Well, the occasion wasn't necessarily elegant, but it was a celebration of achievement, and I used an elegant design. ;-)  Sometimes, a CAS design just speaks for itself. :)


















Just in case you can't read the tag, it says "Someone like you should be celebrated every day."

I embossed the bashful blue cardstock with Elegant Lines embossing folder, wrapped the Early Espresso ribbon around & tied, and added the tag. Though the sentiment is from the set "It's Your Birthday," I love that this specific one doesn't have to be for a birthday.

Speaking of birthday sets, I am (not-so-patiently) waiting to get the newest one in the mini catalog - I knew I wanted that as soon as I saw it.  Go ahead and take a look-see (RH sidebar mini catalog)...you might want it, too! :)

Well, what do you think?

The Small Print (All Stampin' Up)
Stamps: It's Your Birthday
Cardstock: Bashful Blue, Whisper White
Ink: Early Espresso
Accessories: Elegant Lines EF, Big Shot, Early Espresso satin ribbon, Circle Punch
Technique: Embossing

Thanks so much for stopping by, and have a GREAT day! :)
Crystal

Pretty Cherry Mambo!

Oh, I'm quite excited to show you today's project, and it's a 2-Fer! :)
Which means...you get to see 2 projects from one challenge! :)

I'll admit, when I first saw the Color Challenge at SCS, I was a little hesitant. I didn't really like it. It seemed like it would be "off"....but it wasn't, and I SO love it! :)

And that, my friends, is why you get to see 2 projects today. Cause I was havin' so much fun! I can't even decide which one to share first!!! lol

Oh wait. I forgot to tell you the colors.
Pretty in Pink
Cherry Cobbler
Melon Mambo
White/Vanilla

Card #1 - Pretty Cherry Truck 















This one is used a set I've had for-EVAH, called "Loads of Love"!  It used to be my go-to set for masculine cards, but I haven't used it in way too long. The main image is, of course, popped up on dimensionals. ;-)  I used shimmery white cs on this one, whisper white on the next.

Card #2 - Pretty Cherry Love

This card was made with the set "Love You Much", and I had fun with this one, too, but couldn't decide whether to place the main image like this, or turn the card horizontal and do something different than the norm...I'm so boring that way, lol.  Maybe I'll just make another one and do both! :)  (Main image is, of course, up on dimensionals)

Well, what do you think?  Do you have a favorite?

The Small Print (Stampin' Up)
Stamps: Loads of Love, Love You Much
Ink: Black Stazon
Cardstock: Cherry Cobbler, Pretty in Pink, Melon Mambo, Whisper White, Shimmery White
Accessories: Watercolor Wonder crayons, Aquapainter, SU markers, Ink pad lids, Dimensionals, Big Shot, Polka Dots EF, Cherry Cobbler seam binding, Melon Mambo gg ribbon
Technique: Watercoloring

Thanks so much for stopping by, and have a GREAT day! :)
Crystal

Birthday/Christmas Thanks

So, I have to be honest with you.
Yesterday's post came pretty easily to me...and I'll tell ya why. ;-)

You see, I had made up some thank you cards to send for my Birthday/Christmas gifts (remember, my b'day was the 21st).  A clean and simple card that looked nice, that I could make multiples of, without spending a ton of time on.

When the CAS challenge came and I saw the colors included, I knew I could make a card for the challenge, just by changing a few things from my original design. So that's what I did. Essentially, they're the same card...but not. lol! :)

Here's the card I originally made for thank yous (aka my inspiration for yesterday's card):

A great little thank you!  A 4.25" square card, one layer, generation stamping, and a simple sentiment.

Well, what do you think?

The Small Print (All Stampin' Up)
Stamps: Watercolor Trio, Warmest Regards
Ink: Pear Pizazz, Basic Black
Cardstock: Whisper White
Technique: Generation Stamping

Thanks so much for stopping by, and have a GREAT day! :)
Crystal

CASED Cardinal

CASE = Copy And Share with Everyone

Essentially.  There are a few variations on what the letters stand for, but essentially, it means to copy an idea, possibly tweak it a little, and then share! :)

Here's the card I *loved* from the catalog (p39). I actually set out to make it, then realized I really didn't feel like trying to sew on my card, and also didn't have the lace they used.  I basically went with the general idea of it, used some of the same elements, added new elements, making it my own.

Honestly...I still like the one in the catalog better, lol.  But hey...at least it shows you that you can pretty much copy a card you like, but still make it your own! :)

Here's my new version:

Well, what do YOU think?

The Small Print (All Stampin' Up)
Stamps: A Cardinal Christmas
Ink: Chocolate Chip, Soft Suede
Cardstock: Cherry Cobbler, Always Artichoke, Naturals Vanilla
Accessories: Scallop Trim border punch, Build-A-Brad, Early Espresso taffeta ribbon, 1/2" Chantilly lace ribbon, Color Spritzer, Soft Suede marker, Aquapainter, Ink pad lids
Technique: Watercoloring

Thanks so much for stopping by, and have a GREAT day! :)
Crystal

Elegant Melted Ribbon?

How can melted ribbon be elegant, you ask?
Oh, let me SHOW you! :)

I saw this technique somewhere, fell in love with it...and gave it a whirl! :)

















I made this card as a thank-you to someone sweet...someone who had a giveaway on her blog, and I WON! :)  It turned out to be a bit belated because of stuff going on here, but I always say A thank you is better than no thank you! :)

FYI: I actually made two. Hers is the first one I tried, and the petals are a titch smaller. That one took longer, but I thought it went better with the paper, so that's the one I sent to her.  I really hope she got it ok...I have visions of it being mangled in the mail, even though I had paid extra for that to NOT happen. ;-b

The leaves - cut freehand leaves, folded in half lengthwise, then ran through the crimper. :)

I will tell you this is not a quickie-technique, to be sure!  It took awhile, but I sure love the end result!  I also love that it could be used for MANY occasions! :)

What do YOU think?

The Small Print (All Stampin' Up)
Cardstock/Paper: Chocolate Chip, Very Vanilla, Garden Green, Woodland Walk DSP
Accessories: 5/8" chocolate chip satin ribbon, 5/8" very vanilla satin ribbon, half-back pearl (Pretties Kit), Heat tool, Scissors, Crimper, Glue dots
Technique: Melted Ribbon Flower

Thanks so much for stopping by, and have a GREAT day! :)
Crystal

Snowflakes...and Bling!

Here's a card I recently made with some new product...and yes, I realize it's a Christmas card.  ;-)

NEW (Holiday Mini): Northern Flurry Embossing folder, Extra Lg. Decorative Label punch

NEW (Idea Book & Catalog): Adhesive Rhinestones, Marina Mist cardstock

"How To" on the Ribbon = I layered our 5/8" white satin with some homemade Marina Mist taffeta, then tied them together with white taffeta. Make sense? ;-)

"How To" on the Punch = I stamped the sentiment on Whisper White, then punched it out.  Punched another label out with Marina Mist cardstock, cut it in half, and mounted it behind the white layer.

"How To" on the Snowflakes = I embossed the Bashful Blue cardstock with the Big Shot, then applied white craft ink to each snowflake with a sponge dauber.

Well, what do you think?

The Small Print (All Stampin' Up)
Stamps: Christmas Greetings
Ink: Classic Marina Mist, Craft Whisper White
Cardstock: Whisper White, Marina Mist, Bashful Blue
Accessories: Big Shot, Northern Flurry EF, Rhinestone jewels, 5/8" white satin, White taffeta, Sponge dauber, Dimensionals
Techniques: Dry embossing

Thanks so much for stopping by, and have a GREAT day! :)
Crystal

GCK - Merry Christmas!

Welcome to Day 3 of my Greeting Card Kids Series - Merry Christmas!

I LOVE Christmas.

I love the reason we celebrate Christmas!  In a nutshell:  God sent His son Jesus to this earth in the form of a baby, in order that he later suffer on the cross - so that we might have eternal life!  What a great gift!

Beyond that, I also enjoy the sights, smells, and sounds of Christmas!  Spending time with my family, baking, singing carols, hunting for the perfect tree, a fresh blanket of snow...and the kiddos playing outside in it.  Speaking of kiddos playing outside in the snow....

GCK #3 - Merry Christmas!

I know, it might seem kinda weird to have snowflakes embossed on chocolate colored cardstock...but I kinda like it (and it's fun to emboss with the Big Shot)! :)

I watercolored this one too. ;-)  The sweet lil' girl pulling the sled is decked out in her warm winter gear...complete with fluffy white trim (click on the pic and you should be able to see it's actually got dimension!)

I punched out the image with our new large scalloped circle punch, then layered another (real red) scallop behind it.

Well, what do you think?

The Small Print (All Stampin' Up*)
Stamps: Greeting Card Kids
Ink: Black Stazon
Cardstock: Chocolate Chip, Real Red, Watercolor
Accessories: XL Scallop Circle punch, SU markers, Aquapainter, Hemp twine, Big Shot, Northern Flurry EF, Heat tool
Techniques: Watercoloring, Dry Embossing
*Other (non-SU): Liquid Applique

Thanks so much for stopping by, and have a GREAT day! :)
Crystal

GCK - Happy Halloween!

Okay, before I get to Day 2 of my GCK (Greeting Card Kids) Series, I need to admit a little something.

I'm not the biggest fan of Halloween (gasp - I know!). I mean, I let the kids dress up in something cute and say "Happy Halloween" to their grandparents and other relatives, but beyond that, I think this is a holiday that can be very dark.

Sorry if I offended anyone, but I feel like I needed to put that out there first. :)

On the flip-side, since I'm doing this series on the Greeting Card Kids, and this (mighty cute) image is a part of that, I felt like it need to be included (even though I'd rather she was a ballerina or something).  I'm actually quite pleased with how it turned out.  Except for ONE thing...read on.

GCK - Happy Halloween!













I just REALLY had a hard time with placement of the sentiment!  I moved it multiple times, multiple places!  AGH!!!  I'm still not incredibly happy with it...love everything else about how the card looks.

Here's the deets: The card base is Basic Black, the next layer is Old Olive run through the Big Shot with the Square Lattice embossing folder. Cut a circle of Rich Razzleberry cardstock out with my Circle Scissors Plus and sponged it with same color ink.  Added some black brads.  Colored the cute lil' pumpkin with my markers and aquapainter.  I also added a splash of color on the 'happy halloween' pieces. :)  Oh. And the main image is up on dimensionals...of course. ;-)

Well, what do you think?  Yesterday's card only received 3 comments -YIKES!  Everyone must be outside enjoying the weather, eh? ;-)

The Small Print (All Stampin' Up)
Stamps: Greeting Card Kids, Teeny Tiny Wishes
Ink: Stazon Black, Rich Razzleberry
Cardstock: Basic Black, Old Olive, Rich Razzleberry, Watercolor
Accessories: Black brads, 5/8" Black grosgrain ribbon, SU markers, Aquapainter, Big Shot, Square Lattice EF, Dimensionals
Techniques: Dry embossing, Watercoloring

Thanks so much for stopping by, and have a GREAT day! :)
Crystal

GCK - Back to School!

Well, I'm back today as promised...with a series of cards!

I've labeled this series "GCK" or...Greeting Card Kids!  Each card will feature one of the stamps from the set...a cute lil' set from the catalog that my friend & I like to call "Campbell's Soup Kids." You'll soon see why, lol.

I've had such fun with these - they're so fun to color (watercoloring is my fave way to relax when cardmaking)!

We'll start with Back To School...well, because it just makes sense since that's about the time of year it is right now. ;-)

Day 1 - GCK - Back To School!













I used the Pawsitively Prints II DSP as my starting point. Love the bright cheery colors!

I then watercolored the boy & girl image using my markers and aquapainter....ahhhh...did I mention that I *love* watercoloring?! :)

Mounted it on a piece of Poppy Parade cardstock, added a little scallop border of the same color, and colored my white taffeta ribbon to match. :)  The main image, of course, is mounted up on dimensionals. ;-)

It's a pretty CAS card, I'm itchin' to add a little somethin' to it...to me, it screams "I need a couple of brads!"
Well, what do you think?

The Small Print (All Stampin' Up)
Stamps: Greeting Card Kids
Ink: Black Stazon
Cardstock/Paper: Tempting Turquoise, Poppy Parade, Watercolor, BAB Pawsitively Prints II
Accessories: SU markers, Aquapainter, White taffeta ribbon (colored), Dimensionals
Techniques: Watercoloring

Thanks so much for stopping by, and have a GREAT day! :)
Crystal

Elegant Wedding Shower

****REMEMBER YOU STILL HAVE A CHANCE TO WIN! Go to this post HERE to comment for a chance to win the blog candy by 5pm PST - TODAY!****

This weekend, I attended a wedding shower of a good friend of mine.  I'm so happy for her to have found "the guy" to spend the rest of her life with!  I was honored to be invited, and blessed by the sweet gals who put on the shower, and everyone else, too! :)

Made an elegant (yet, pretty simple) card for her:

















I apologize, the tag is hard to read. If you click on the pic you should be able to see it better.  It says "happy I do day".  I embossed it with white EP on white cardstock.  Since the rest of the card was so elegant, white, and pretty, I just couldn't bring myself to ruin it all by adding color to the tag. ;-b

I used Stampin' Up's Elegant Lines embossing folder, then applied our new adhesive pearls here and there (there's even itty bitty ones that you can hardly see on there, but they are there!)  Used our white satin ribbon (lucious!) at top, then added my tag.

Well, what do you think?

The Small Print (All Stampin' Up)
Stamps: Word Play
Cardstock: Whisper White
Ink: Versamark
Accessories: White EP, Heat tool, 1 3/4" circle punch, White satin ribbon, Elegant Lines embossing folder, Pearls
Technique: Dry embossing, Heat embossing

****REMEMBER YOU STILL HAVE A CHANCE TO WIN! Go to this post HERE to comment for a chance to win the blog candy by 5pm PST - TODAY!****

Thanks for stopping by, and have a GREAT day! :)
Crystal

Keep On Truckin'

Do you ever feel like that's your motto in life?  Just keep on truckin', keep on truckin'....

Sometimes I do. When I get overwhelmed, when I have a lot going on, so many things to do and be for everyone...

Instead, I should be thanking God for life. Thanking Him for every day that I live, thanking Him for every moment with my children, for a messy house to clean, for food to cook.  So maybe the motto should be Keep On Truckin' and Thankin', and Praisin'! :)

Yes, it's Monday.  A Monday full of things to do...so I won't tary long. ;-)

Today's post is one of those stamp sets that I absolutely HAD to get upon perusal of the new catalog. ;-)  I saw this image specifically, and said gotta have it! :)













It's called "Countryside" and I love it!  Perfect for those hard-to-make masculine cards! :)

One of my favorite techniques to work with in cardmaking is watercoloring.  It so relaxes me!  It's especially nice with Stampin' Up's watercolor paper.  Nice and thick, it absorbs the color, blends well....ahhh..love it! :)  I colored this with my SU markers and aquapainter.

I also used something else that is new...one of my new fave colors, called "Cherry Cobbler"...it's a nice deep red. The Chocolate Chip layer is distressed with our distressing tool from the cutter kit.

Well, what do you think?

The Small Print (All Stampin' Up)
Stamps: Countryside
Ink: Stazon Brown
Cardstock: Crumb Cake, Cherry Cobbler, Chocolate Chip, Watercolor Paper
Accessories: SU markers, Aquapainter
Technique: Watercoloring

Thanks for stopping by, and have a GREAT day!
Crystal

You've Got to Move It, Move It!

It's been a long time, hasn't it?  I'm so sorry about that. :(

Between a camping trip, preparing for said trip, and all the work that comes AFTER said trip...there's not a lot of free time. :)  I completely lost my mojo, on top of that. Not to worry...after taking some time yesterday to enjoy creating again...I've got lots of ideas! :)  Also, I did do a little stamping here and there as needed in that time (birthdays, etc), so I'll share with you those things as well. :)

OK!  On with the show! :)

Yesterday, I was perusing SCS and came across a challenge that inspired me.  It was called "Let's Move It!"  Find ways to make your design move.  Wellllll...I didn't have to think long. Knew exactly what I wanted to do, & which stamp I wanted to use.  I got a little stuck on layout for a bit, but then found a great one here on clean & simple blog: FTL99.  A little messing with color, but then I was set!  :)

It's a spinner card, meaning an item moves and spins!
Are you ready to see it? I'm sure you are.  I've kept you waiting, like 2 weeks. ;-)

I know, that weird track thing is a little distracting, isn't it?  Sigh...it totally distracts me.  I'm going to make a super-cute card without the track.  But I was on a mission, and I was GOING to make it work, lol! :)  You've never been like that, have you? ;-)

I'm sure you want to see it in action.  Well, I've got a couple of shots to show you, and you'll have to imagine the rest. ;-)

Hee hee hee...it was fun, even if the track is distracting.  My girls love it. :)

Well, what do you think?

I'm curious to know if there are people out there still reading this blog!  This is my first Summer of blogging...I'm finding out it's definitely not as easy as during the school-year! :)

The Small Print (All Stampin' Up)

Stamps: Sweet Scoops (Summer Mini)

Paper: Crumb Cake, Whisper White, Island Oasis (Summer Mini)

Ink: Crumb Cake, Pumpkin Pie, Tempting Turquoise, So Saffron, Rose Red

Accessories: Old Olive grosgrain ribbon, Paper snips, Dimensionals

Other: Penny

Technique: Spinner card

Thanks sooooooo much for stopping by, and have a GREAT day! :)

Crystal