Happy New Year 2024!

 Have you heard the Buzz?   Stampin' Up! has released their January-April Mini Catalogue and it is Sale-A-Bration too!  This year they have the cutest Bee bundle that can be used for Valentine's Day and Spring time cards.  

I will spend some time this week featuring different sets from the new catalogue on my blog.  Most of the cards will be direct samples from the Catalogue with a few of my own twists sprinkled in.

Do you give out Valentines?  Sometimes I send one to my mom and my nieces.  I like to look through all of our available products to send "love you" cards to let them know I'm thinking about them.

Also, Easter is early this year!  March 31!  Lots of time still to order products now and get ahead for the Spring holidays.

Don't forget our Kits and Online Exclusives.  Stampin'Up! has released 2 new kits in December and 2 new kits just now as well.

And Paper Pumpkin is a great monthly subscription 

I forgot to add a photo and publish this post before.... Enjoy this photo of my secret retreat

#GDP426 Who is ready for a Picnic?

 What's better than a juicy watermelon over a red and white checkered table cloth to ring  in warmer weather and signs of summer.  When the days are longer than the nights and the heat and humidity are sinking in this juicy delight is sure to cheer up the day.

 I previously made myself a goal to attempt some Blog Challenges over the course of this Stampin' Up! year.  Since making this goal in October, this is only my 2nd entry. Today I am participating in the Global Design Project Challenge #426 which is a Sketch Challenge.  Check out the Challenge and play along here http://www.global-design-project.com/

 

Here I use the Stampin' Up! Sale-A-Bration set Watercolor Melon.  I recently watched an older video from Erica Cerwin using a bar stamp to create gingham/checkerboard and noticed that there is a similar stamp in the SAB Detailed Dogwood.  I used the black and white paper from the Zoo Crew dsp to accent the card.  I dry embossed the sweet sorbet layer with the RainDrops Embossing Folder following a tip from Michelle Litweiller, doesn't it look just like watermelon seeds?!  I stamped the watermelons in Old Olive on textered White Center Specialty Paper in Granny Apple Green and clear embossed on top. I love the texture the specialty paper adds to the watermelons.  Isn't it great they have added so many stamps that coordinate with the modern oval punch!

 

 

 

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I hope you enjoy this simple in color, simple in stamping, but otherwise gorgeous card inspired by this sketch challenge.  Excited to participate for the second time.

 

For the Love of Strawberries! SAB 2024

 I adore all things Strawberry!  I get my love of these sweet fruits from my Grandma.  She loved strawberries so much she even had a kitchen ceramic jar set shaped like strawberries that I have inherited.  We spent most afternoons after school at my Grandma's house and she would always be sure to have a snack available for my brothers and me.  She would take icebox cold strawberries and top them with a sprinkle of powdered sugar, they were juicy and sweet everytime!  Now I can't pass up anything to do with strawberries, Strawberry wine, Strawberry jewelry, Strawberry quilting cottons... I love them all!  So when I saw that Stampin' Up! had a DSP that included strawberries in the SAB catalogue, I had to include this on my order.

 

 

I decided to use the Sweetest Cherries Sentiments to accompany the adorable strawberry DSP from the SAB Sunny Days set.   I embossed the poppy parade card base with the Cane Weave 3D embossing folder from the annual catalogue and used the Countryside Corners dies for the background shape.

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Wow! Time sure does fly by!

 Can you believe it has been a month since my last blog!  There has been so much going on, some good, some not so good.  I didn't want to make it to Christmas without posting some of my makes.  I'm sure I will be a bit behind throughout the remainder of 2023, but at least I have started something that I can carry forward into 2024!  The Joy of Christmas Designer Series paper from Stampin Up! was absolutely gorgeous and I just loved the scripted Merry Christmas from the Stars at Night set and from the Brightest Glow. (all images are copyright Stampin' Up! ).  This is a SIP card layout I am using for my Sip and Shine classes next year.  Its nice when Stampin' Up! makes everything so easy and coordinated.

I am going to leave you with this quote:

Enjoy Life Today because Yesterday is gone and Tomorrow is never Promised.  Live Love Laugh

Always Grateful, week 3

 It is the season of Thanksgiving.  What are you thankful for?  I'm happy to be spending time with friends and family this week and making special memories!

 Stampin' Up! really does design the most beautiful papers.  I am always impressed with their Autumn specialty designer papers.  This year will be hard to beat!  I wasn't able to hold the class that I planned but here are some examples of what would've been included.  Without using the embossing folder this design is perfect for my SIP and Shine classes.  Stamps Ink and Paper with a little something extra.

I got the design inspiration from Michelle from Owl Star Stampers.  I used crumb cake as the card base and mat layer and embossed with assortment of folders.  I just love the texture embossing folders add to a card! The dsp was cut to 3 inches square and then matted with a small border.  The sentiment is from the Autumn Leaves stamp set.  I think the book card can be given anytime of year!

 

All images and designer papers are copy right of Stampin' Up!

Giving Thanks! Autumn Leaves Bundle

 Every Autumn Stampin' Up! releases the most amazing stampsets for Autumn.  I believe I have collected every single leaf image they've released since I joined a few years ago.  I love the colors of fall and I love this years in color additions of copper clay, moody mauve, wild wheat, and pebbled path.  

I designed these cards for a workshop and used the wood grain embossing folder to add texture to the background and used DSP from O Holy Night!  I can't wait to design and play with the specialty dsp that is part of the All About Autumn bundle! Stay Tuned!

Stars at Night, Sketch Global Design Project Inspiration #418

 I made myself a goal to attempt some Blog Challenges over the course of this Stampin' Up! year.  Today I am participating in the Global Design Project Challenge #418 which is a Sketch Challenge.  Check out the Challenge and play along here http://www.global-design-project.com/

 

I decided to use the Stars at Night Dies and DSP.  My sentiment is from the Brightest Glow stampset that carried over from last year!  I embossed the background with the hatched embossing folder that is part of the basic set in the Online Exclusives, however I auditioned 4 other embossing folders before deciding on this one. The label shape is from Nested Essentials dies. Shop with me!

 To make the star I first used very vanilla but thought it would pop nicely with a hint of gold.  I tried to add the gilded leafing with heat and stick powder as a splattered look but once I added the gold it looked "freckled" instead of nicely splattered.  I tried again using a dobber and Tombow glue to add the leafing only to the middle star and the outermost edge but wasn't thrilled with this attempt either.  My 3rd attempt here shows my winning star.  I used an adhesive sheet adhered to very vanilla and then covered the entire section with gilded leafing. I ran the gilded leaf section through the Star at Night Embossing folder to end up with the result I have now.  (PS, the distressed gold paper would've probably also been ok, but looked a bit muted compared to the gold in the DSP)

I hope you enjoy this simple in color, simple in stamping, but otherwise gorgeous card inspired by this sketch challenge.  Excited to participate for the first time.  

 

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