Freshly Made Sketches: Stampin' Up Season's Blessings

It's time for a new sketch at Freshly Made Sketches! Today we have a sketch by Narelle and here’s what I did with it!

This set has to have been one of my favorites in the current Stampin' Up catalog but I don't see it getting a lot of love across social media.  Maybe my tastes are different, but I'm guessing it's more so because it's hiding in the Christmas section.  Yes, it does have poinsettias and a Christmas saying (stop back tomorrow because while I had it out I used those too.)  But there are many other options with the set - the catalog has three amazing cards for various seasons.  I've already used the set on this post with darker greens and the amazing basket in the die set (which might be worth the price of the set alone!)  Today I went for brighter fresher colors.

The leaves come on one stamp but the die cuts them into two so I was able to squeeze them together into the little vertical window. (The window uses one of the Rectangle Stitched Framelits but I extended it by only cutting half way, then moving the die (making sure it "clicks" into place with the stitches already cut) and then cutting the other half.) The bouquet wasn't quite tall enough for the window so I used one of the other stems in the set and cut it for that very top flower. I found the "happy birthday" with the look and size that I wanted in an older set and it fit nicely inside a banner from Tasteful Labels. 

I hope to you playing along with us this week at Freshly Made Sketches!

SUPPLY LIST

Stamps: Stampin' Up Season's Blessings, Sunshine Sayings (the sentiment)

Dies: Stampin' Up Seasonal Basket dies, Tasteful Labels (the banner), Rectangle Stitched Framelits (I extended the rectangle by cutting half, moving it being sure that the stitching "clicks" into place, then cutting the longer half)

Cardstock: Stampin' Up Granny Apple Green, Melon Mambo, Crumb Cake

Ink: Stampin' Up Granny Apple Green, Melon Mambo, Crumb Cake

Other: Stampin' Up Brick & Mortar Embossing Folder

Just Add Ink: Stampin' Up Tree Angle

 I'm finally in the mood for Christmas cards and it's mostly due to all of the fun Christmas challenges out there including the current inspiration at Just Add Ink.  Here's my card.

And here's the inspiration.

The different patterns on those ornaments reminded me of a Stampin' Up set still sitting in my not-yet-used stash - Tree Angle.  I really just wanted the Stitched Triangle dies that cut them out but then it made little sense not buy the stamp set (I can justify any purchase!)  

Beside the patterns in the ornaments, I was also inspired by red and white, and even by the wooden stairs and vertical railings that translated to the embossed background I used.

Thank you to Just Add Ink for the inspiration!

SUPPLY LIST

Stamps: Stampin' Up Tree Angle

Dies: Stampin' Up Stitched Triangle dies, Tasteful Labels dies

Cardstock: Stampin' Up Poppy Parade, silver glitter paper from Michaels

Ink: Stampin' Up Poppy Parade

Poppystamps: Hey How Are You

 I'm on the Poppystamps blog today using brand new stamps and dies!  I adore alphabets and when the alphabet is very unique - all the better!!

I created a line of speech bubbles down the center.  I played around with flowers and with embossing folders but I though the speech bubbles were unique enough to stand with the alphabet.

Besides the alphabet, there's also a new set that uses the same alphabet in pre-made words with corresponding mini sentiments. Plus there's a separate stand-along alphabet die set with the same look.  I love all of them. I did this card for a girlfriend - but that alphabet is going to work just as well with the masculine cards that I do for my sons. 

Be sure to check out the Poppystamps blog for more details and pictures.

SUPPLY LIST

Dies: Poppystamps Marzipan Alphabet Outline and Background clear stamp and die set (or you can get just the stamp set), Poppystamps Word Balloons

CAS Christmas: Poinsettia Peace

The current challenge at CAS Christmas is "poinsettias". I have a number of not-yet-used poinsettias so just had to play along.  I used the Sizzix/Tim Holtz Poinsettia Pieces. Although I do need to start seriously focusing on Christmas, I'm not at all ready to starting working with rich reds and greens - so I went with dusty corals. It's a Christmas card but fits my summery mood!

I had planned on a standard-sized card but as I started laying out my pieces, I felt like there wasn't enough white space on the standard size. I changed to a full slimline - they are narrower but much longer and I like that the card has a lot of fresh and clean white space. 

The leaf dies from the set are also inlay type just like the poinsettia but I wanted some dimension.  So I cut them then hand-trimmed around them.  I only adhered the based of each leaf and kept some curl at the tip.

A big thank you to the CAS Christmas challenge for continuing to inspired (and push) me to prepare my Christmas stash!

SUPPLY LIST

Dies: Sizzix Poinsettia Pieces, Tim Holtz Block Holiday Words

Cardstock: Stampin' Up Petal Pink, Groovy Guava, Champagne Foil

Other: Stampin' Up Champagne Rhinestone Basics

Freshly Made Sketches: Coffee = Happiness

It's time for a new sketch at Freshly Made Sketches! Today we have a sketch by Karren and here’s what I did with it!

 

I hit upon the idea of coffee cups fairly quickly.  My stash of cards for my college-aged sons is totally gone and I like to have a few ready.  A card like this is just perfect to send with a small coffee gift card!  I fell in love with the sentiment but it's a bit small to fill in the space so I offset it and added some stripes and gems. My original plan was to use a plaid paper in the background and that's where the colors were picked from, but as I worked on it, it just seemed really busy (I don't use a lot of patterned paper and it's hard for me!) So I replaced it with the textured kraft. In retrospect, had I started with the kraft I would have toned down all of the colors, maybe even kept them all neutral.

The next school year starts in about 5 weeks and I want to have lots of cards ready to go.  One son is just starting higher-level stressful classes plus he's in a house this year so mail goes directly to him instead of his having to walk across an entire campus to the mail center just for a card from his mom - the horror - so I can send more without getting complaints!  The other son is hopefully in his last semester (graduation in December - fingers crossed!!!)  He's actually happier and doing better with his super-high end math and physics classes than he did with all of his 101 classes, but he's also having to deal with the final classes while worrying about jobs and real life! I would expect to need a number of encouraging cards for both of them!  Now I have 1 card in the stash!!

I hope to see you playing along with us at Freshly Made Sketches.

SUPPLY LIST

Stamps: Essential by Ellen Latte Love (sentiment)

Dies: Taylored Expressions Joe To-Go Stamp and Die Combo (retired)

Other: Stampin' Up Subtle Embossing Folder, Little Things Bronze Mix Jewels

TGIF: Floral Squares

I just got the Stampin' Up Floral Squares die set. I ordered it on free shipping day. I had regretted not ordering it on my very first new catalog order so free shipping justified it for me!!  Then I saw the color challenge at TGIF.  I knew these colors would pop beautifully with one of the Floral Squares!

I also used what has to be my favorite new Stampin' Up stamp set - Biggest Wish.  I can't really explain how basic sentiments could be my favorite amongst all of the other stunning new sets - but I love the layered sentiments and all of the ways they can be used.  (Full disclosure - the "happy" is not stamped in Granny Apple Green ink.  My Granny Apple pad comes up so dark that I knew I couldn't layer the "birthday" on it.)

I love how bright and cheerful colors pop on kraft but I didn't want the entire card front to be kraft.  So I cut a scalloped window using the Layering Square set - then embossed a scrap of Crumb Cake with Pinewood Planks inked with white to add behind it.  I always like some dimension so I found an older wooden elements set that had butterflies - then I needed some sparkle and pulled out the old Gingham Gala Adhesive Backed sentiments (I think the sequin is actually Highland Heather).

Thank you to TGIF for the inspiration!

SUPPLY LIST

Stamps: Stampin' Up Biggest Wish

Dies: Stampin' Up Floral Squares and Layering Squares Framelits

Cardstock: Stampin' Up Granny Apple Green, Polished Pink, Fresh Freesia

Other: Stampin' UP Pinewood Planks Embossing Folder, Gingham Gala sequins, wooden elements

The Paper Players: Peace

 I have a 4-day weekend in front of me with virtually nothing planned.  I'm thrilled!!!  I've been at my craft desk all morning.  I did two cards that I needed to do, then I decided to sort my not-yet-used Christmas stash (mostly because I'm already seeing companies releasing Christmas stuff and I needed to be very familiar with what I already have before I bought more of the same!!)  So I was flipping through my Christmas stuff and see this ornament die by Penny Black - then remembered The Paper Players sketch challenge has a circle!

I knew I was starting with that ornament and then I went to the Christmas paper stash.  I love the Whimsy Stamps Blurry Flurries 6x6 paper pad that came out last year - and I loved it even more when I found a piece that would give me a golden glow at the bottom.  (FYI- this also drove the size of my card.  I was seeing the sketch as possibly a mini slimline card, but I needed the paper to be tall enough to show snowflakes and the golden glow so I went with a standard size to fit it all.)  The glow also led me to the golden paper - I initially just backed the 'peace' with gold, but then realized I wanted the deer to pop so carried the gold through to the ornament. I wish I had some gold twine instead of the white that I 'hung' it with.  We moved three years ago and the only thing lost in the move was my small box of twines (who remembers the silver, gold, and copper twines from Stampin' Up??!)  I'm still bitter about it - and I still haven't found anything that compares.  

A big thank you to The Paper Players for the inspiration!

SUPPLY LIST

Dies: Penny Black Moonlit, Memory Box Peace Jotted Script

Paper: Whimsy Stamps Blurry Flurries, Tonic Studios Honey Gold Satin Effect, Stampin' Up Pretty Peacock

Other: Stampin' Up Winter Snow Embossing Folder, Pretty Pink Posh Sea Glass gems