Happy Birthday Vellum Wash

I love this card so much!  The finished card is pretty awesome!  However getting to this finished card was a little questionable!  I wasn't sure how it would all work I'm so glad it did though!  The card is pretty straight forward, I cut the Happy Birthday Thinlit from Gold and fussy cut some flowers from the new Lovely Friends set.  The 'it's your day' greeting was heat embossed from the new Happy Birthday Gorgeous set.  So where was my concern?  Well the vellum.  

I wanted to color the vellum but I wasn't really sure how I would do that. Vellum is a funky paper, I love it, but it's pretty temperamental and often does what it wants, despite your best efforts.  I wanted an ombre look on the vellum but I knew that I couldn't watercolor it.  Vellum cannot handle water.  Coloring it with markers would leave it streaky and not very pretty.  So I tried a different approach, I used the new Fresh Fig, Berry Burst and Powder Pink ink pads and I smooshed the ink pad right onto the vellum.  Starting with the lightest and working down to the darkest.  Since the ink doesn't settle into vellum very fast, it kind of just sits on the surface, I took a dry cloth (paper towel would work too) and I rubbed and blended the colors together.  This actually worked really well and I was so pleased with the result.  I put the ink side down onto the white cardstock and finished my card.  It's a really fun look and a fun technique to try!

Thanks for looking, see you soon!!!
 

Last of the Retired Stamps

We are in the final days of the 2016-2017 Annual Catalog and the 2017 Occasions Catalog.  Tomorrow is your LAST day to order any retiring products.  If you've waited, now is the time to act!  I have 3 last samples from the fun Scenic Sayings set.  This is a retiring set, I love all the big and bold fun greetings.  

The cards are all pretty simple but fun and bright.  This one uses one of our notecards so there's very little prep and you could utilize lots of scraps for this card.  Make it with the colors you love!

Finally, this fun masculine card is perfect for that guy in your life.  Don't forget, there's only hours left to shop!  The new catalog launches Thursday, June 1st at noon!!!  I can't wait!!! 

Thanks for looking, see you soon!!!!!

Paper Sampler Reference Binder

Obviously, I've taken a longer weekend than normal, but I'll be back tomorrow with more card projects to share.  I've been busy prepping the June class and the kids last day of school was last week, complete with  activities at the school every day!  We've been busy and we're looking forward to some downtime.

Today I wanted to share about one of my team memebers! I have a an awesome group of team members, I'm always happy to brag about them. One member of my downline has created a Paper Sampler Reference Binder. It's an amazing product and a great tool for demonstrators for classes!  I'm so excited to have this tool to share with my customers.  DSP is so hard to tell if you love it in the catalog.  Most of the time I have to see it in person and I know my customers feel that way too.  I'm also going to love that she lists and pictures the coordinating colors with the DSP  so I can easily see what will work together for a class or a big project. This is so exciting!  Check out her blog to learn more and to order yours today!

I'll be back tomorrow with some stamped items :)

Thanks for looking, see you soon!
 

Happy Birthday Tulle Card

I know I've mentioned it but this Happy Birthday thinlit must go on your wishlist! It's so beautiful and it cuts so perfectly!!  I've been cutting it out of everything and sticking them to every card I make!  I sure I hope I know a bunch of people with birthday's coming up.  For this card I cut it out of Gold Foil card stock and added to a card base with a die cut circle, but the circle looked a little to plain and needed some jazzing up.  

I had some tulle in my craft room, I had picked it up after seeing some other tulle techniques on cards on Pintrest.  I cut a small piece and stuck it to the back of the die cut circle.  It adds such a cool texture and look to the card.  You guys tulle is super affordable, you could get this is so many different colors and really have a great time!  I added some flowers an embossed greeting to finish the card.  Finally I put on some new Glitter Enamel Dots. I love those! 

Thanks for looking, see you soon!!

Lovely Friends One Technique Two Cards

I'm so excited we are just over a week until the new catalog launches!!!  I haven't been able to stop playing with my new stuff!  Which is putting me behind in every other part of life too!  We've also reached the end of the school year for the kids so starting tomorrow at 11am it's officially summer vacation......how did this happen so fast!?  Well luckily for me there's plenty of Stamp Camp prep they can help with.  If you haven't signed up, HURRY!!!  I'm down to my final spots for stamp camp!!  You can read all the details and sign up here.  On to the cards for today!  Today is a two for one kind of day.  I love this technique because you get two cards! 

I started with two pieces of cardstock, one Lemon Lime Twist and one Whisper White, that were the same size using a stamp positioner stamp the greeting on each of them in VersaMark then emboss.  I went with black and white powders but you could do this with metallic colors or one color and two different colors of cardstock.  Endless possibilities!  Using the stamp positioner makes sure they line up in exactly the same spot on each piece of cardstock, that's important for the next step.  Then you want to cut each in half.  Yep, just slice it up!  Then you can piece the top of one with the bottom of the other for a beautiful card, and vice versa for your second card.  How cool is that!!!!?  

You could cut your cardstock and adhere together before stamping but that presents a couple of problems.  1) If you're embossing in two colors that creates quite the challenge to carefully pour powder onto only half.  2) Sometimes it's hard to get a clean stamped image over two pieces that have been adhered together, especially in this case, the white cardstock is a more lightweight cardstock than the Lemon Lime Twist making them slightly different thicknesses which could cause a stamping issue.  I find it's just easier to stamp twice and get two perfect cards.  Each card was finished the same with some fussy cut flowers, glimmer paper and DSP.  So fun and easy! 

Thanks for looking, see you soon!!!!

Happy Birthday Shaker with Lemon Lime Twist

Oh my goodness!!!  So many amazing NEW products on this card it's hard to know where to start!!!!  I guess we'll address the background first.  Yesterday I shared a card that had a ink blended circle and I hinted that there was a larger piece that the circle came from, here it is!!!!  Don't you LOVE it!!!!  I added more ink to the bottom for an ombre look but I love this polka dot background so much!!!!  As you know I used every piece of it!  Plus I got two awesome cards so Yay! 

Let's talk about this Happy Birthday die cut now.  Wow!  You guys jut WOW!!!  I love the size I love the font I love it all!!!  For this card I cut it twice once in Black and then once in Lemon Lime Twist.  I layered them together off setting them slightly so that it gives an awesome shadow effect!  Plus this is a shaker card. Seriously does it keep getting better or what??!  I went with some black and silver sequins for this card to keep that Lemon Lime Twist color the focus!  So have I made you LOVE this color yet??!  I hope so because I'll be using it lots! 

Thanks for looking, see you soon!!!!

Hello Lemon Lime Twist

I want to prepare you for the next two years, it's quite possible that every card I make will have to include Lemon Lime Twist.  I talked a little on Friday about how much I LOVE this color.  Today and tomorrow I have two cards that are sure to make you love it too!!!  Today's card is super simple and full of circles!  I love the geometric feel to it.  

The greeting and the heart are stamped using the new Wood Words set, I've used this A LOT!  Let's start from the top and work down, I have various sizes of circle punched in White, Black and Gold Glimmer Paper, because I have to add glitter somehow!  The bottom circle is stamped with the circle image from the Wood Words set then I sponged a bunch of Lemon Lime color over them.  The embossed circles resist the ink for a really fun look!  So fun!!!  But wait where did this circle come from you might ask?  Is there a larger piece you cut it from???  Well I'm glad you asked and if you check back tomorrow you'll see the rest of this embossed and sponged piece! 

Thanks for looking, see you soon!

Messy Crafting Forever

Crafting Forever is a must have for every single stamper and crafter out there!  There's so many amazing images that connect all of us in the crafting world together.  Like this sentiment, 'Do Something Creative Everyday'.  I think we can all agree that when we're creative the world is a better place.  So let's all be creative every day and spread love and kindness around with our crafts!  Who doesn't love a card in the mail?!  Or a handmade gift!?!  I know I love them! 

For today's card I heat embossed the image and really messy watercolored it!  You might remember my other 'messy watercoloring' card with this same set from last week.  This was done the same way and I tried to pull in all the In Colors as well as some neutral tones to make those In Colors pop.  Can we just talk about that Lemon Lime ribbon for a minute and how yummy it is??!!  If you don't think you're going to like Lemon Lime Twist I challenge you to give it a try, I know when I first saw it I wasn't so sure but I'm telling you from experience it's the perfect color and you'll love it too! 

Lovely Friends Makes Me Happy!

How much do you LOVE this huge greeting!?!  Lovely Friends is another new set and it has the most beautiful phrases and greetings, this is just one of them, and look how big it is!!?!  That is a standard 5.5x4.25" card and the greeting takes up most of it!  I LOVE this sooooo much!!!!  Yesterday I shared a small teaser of what today's card would be, does that background look familiar?  You might recognize it from yesterday's card.  

I stamped the floral image from the new Wood Words stamp set and then ink blended some of our new In Colors over it (Powder Pink, Berry Burst, Lemon Lime Twist and Tranquil Tide).  The whole background on it's own was so strong and vibrant, which I love, but it made for adding a greeting challenging.  Finally I decided to go with some vellum and heat emboss the greeting.  The vellum tones down those bright colors a little but because the vellum is cut slightly smaller than the ink blended piece you still get those bright, fun pops of color.  So pretty!!!!!  I'm not done sharing new stuff, check back tomorrow!

Thanks for looking, see you soon!!! 

Daisy Delight

One of the bundles I'm most excited about in the new catalog is this new Daisy Delight Bundle!!  How adorable is this Daisy!!!  I'm so excited about this one!  I think a lot of other demonstrators are excited too, it's already on back order :( But keep it on your wishlist it's a good one!  The daisy is an awesome punch that coordinates perfectly with the stamp.  I stacked two stamped and punched daisies out for this card for a fuller flower but it's also super cute with only one!  

One of the things I love the most on this card is that colorful border along the bottom.  Isn't it pretty?!?!  I used four of the new In Colors (Powder Pink, Berry Burst, Lemon Lime Twist and Tranquil Tide) and sponged over some clear heat embossing. The stamp that I embossed is the floral image from the new Wood Words Set.  I thought the border strip looked really good with this card.  The strip was actually cut off of a large heat embossed and ink blended background.  To see what I did with the rest of the background piece you'll have to check back tomorrow! 

Thanks for looking, see you soon!!!!

Best Of The Retired List

Over the weekend I had a class showcasing some of my favorite sets on the retired list.  Here are the four cards my guests got to make.  Remember these sets will retire at the end of the month.  This card is so cute and uses Friendly Wishes.  I love the big, fun greetings in this set!  

I love the masculine feel to this card.  This one uses Kinda Eclectic.  I love the images in this set and that greeting is always a good one to have in your stash!

You know I love rainbows and bright rainbow colors.  This one I was so sad to see hit the retired list.  I love the Over The Rainbow set!!  This card is so fun and bright!  

Finally, Wetlands has always been my go to set for masculine cards.  This card is no different.  We use some washi tape to pick up and place the color on the cardstock.  Then we stamped over it and gently spritzed it with a color spritzer for a fun, and easy, watercolored look!

I have more cards with NEW stuff to share tomorrow!

Thanks for looking, see you soon!!!

Meet The New In Colors

When last years In Colors were released I was pretty sure that I wouldn't love any in colors as much as I love those....until now!!!  These colors are so gorgeous and I literally cannot stop using them!!! The colors are from left to right: Powder Pink, Berry Burst, Fresh Fig, Tranquil Tide and my favorite color Lemon Lime Twist!  You guys Lemon Lime Twist is amazing!  You'll see so much more of it soon but make sure if you get that one!  

This card uses the new Crafting Forever stamp set, which is full of awesome crafty images!  I clear heat embossed all the pens and then did some messy watercoloring over them.  The heat embossing resits the ink.  I love this look.  Which In Color do you love!?!

Thanks for looking, see you soon!!!

Rooster and Wood Words

I have neglected all other responsibilities this past week and played with my new stamps so much!  I love all the new colors!  I cannot stop using them!  I love the new products!  I'm having so much fun with all my new stuff!!!!  One of my favorites is this Wood Words set.  I love the fun images, come on that rooster is so cute! There's also a circle, star, moon, heart.  I love them! 

  

When you bundle the set and framelits you get the framelits to make this adorable wood crate! The crate is so easy to make and it's the perfect size for 3x3 cards.  What a fun gift! 

I made 5 of these cute cards to put in the wood crate.  So cute and so quick and easy!  I have so much more to show you, lots with this Wood Words stamp set, lots and lots with the new colors!  I can't wait!  keep checking back! 

Thanks for looking, see you soon!!!

2017 New Catalog Stamp Camp and Retired Stamp Set Sale!

This year's Stamp Camp will be amazing!  With fantastic new products and beautiful new colors you won't want to miss it!!  Space is limited, you'll want to reserve your spot early!  Plus we'll have the highly anticipated Retired Stamp Set Sale, with stamp sets and accessories on sale for 50% off!  Some are discounted even more!  This year we'll be accepting cash, check and credit card via Square at the sale. 

When: Saturday June 24, 2017
Where: St. John's Cathedral, 318 Silver SW in downtown ABQ
The sale runs from 9am-10am.  Stamp camp doors open at 10am.  Early admission will not be allowed. 

The cost for this event is $25.

At Stamp Camp you'll receive:
--First access to the Retired Stamp Set Sale!!
--A set of 2017-2019 In Color Markers!  (a $15 Value!!!)
--Your own copy of the 2017-2018 Annual Catalog
--Supplies to make 6 cards using all NEW stamps, accessories and colors!!!
--More door prizes than ever!
--Raffle!!  Three brand new catalog items will be raffled off, tickets are $1 at the door (cash or check only).
--More surprises!!!!

I have so much planned for this exciting event!!!!  Sign up early, space will go fast!!  Space can only be reserved online with payment.   

Contact Ruth Norton if you have questions. 

Registration is non-refundable.  If you register and are unable to attend you will receive a kit for the class, as well as the makers and catalog.


Stamp Camp registration has been turned off.  Please contact me if you have questions.

Rose Wonder Box

I shared a card made with Rose Wonder, today I'm sharing the box for the gift.  I decided not to watercolor this time and just used the thinlits.  The box is very simple but very elegant with the white and vanilla together.  I love the pop of Crumb Cake with the burlap ribbon too. 

I white heat embossed the greeting, stamped with the Brushwork Alphabet.  The finished box size is about 4x6.  My box is a 6x8 piece of cardstock scored at 1" on all sides, then cut your tabs and assemble and add a belly band for it to slide in and out of.  Easy peasy!  Tomorrow I start sharing new stuff!!  I'm so excited!!!

Thanks for looking, see you soon!!!

Rose Wonder Amazing!

There are always those stamp sets that you use over and over again and every time the cards are just more and more stunning.  I think Rose Wonder is one of those sets.  I've never seen a card I didn't love with this set!  Wedding season, along with graduation season has hit our neck of the woods.  Our weekends in May are filling up fast!  This card is for a wedding and I have a gift box that coordinates with this card to share tomorrow! 

I wanted to try a 'messy' watercolor for this card.  I embossed the flower in gold then I added a little water to each petal and dropped in some Peekaboo Peach, I let it sit for a minute but before it was completely dry I added some Calypso Coral, then let it dry.  This gives a beautiful color to each petal letting those colors blend organically.  I did the same to the leaves using Pear Pizzazz and Lemon Lime Twist.  I love the look!!!!

Thanks for looking, see you soon!!!    

In This World With Wreath

I love the sketchy looks of all the images in the In This World set.  I've been really dying to watercolor this door, don't know why but I wanted to color it.  I colored it very basic in natural door looking colors.  Nothing fancy.  I embossed a greeting on vellum and wrapped it around the card.  

I felt like the card still needed something so I added some color with a floral wreath on the door.  For the flowers I used my Blossom Builder punch.  I put tiny pearls in each flower.  Finally I added a little splatter with a Crumb Cake marker.  This card is simple but very cute! 

Thanks for looking, see you soon!!!!

Lego Of My Card

I have what is probably the quickest and cutest and coolest punch art ever!  I'm so excited about this card!  It came out so cute and literally took 5 minutes.  I want to make a stack of these Lego head cards with all different faces.  Wouldn't that be the cutest!!!!!  I made two of these cards.  I have 2 nephews having birthday's next week.  I struggle with masculine cards anyway, much less masculine cards for boys!  Somehow this popped in my head and boy did it work out!  I used one punch-ONE PUNCH for this card!  The Balloon Bouquet punch.  His glasses are the larger balloon punch cut in a little more than half and some scrap black.  The smile is just a sliver of the large balloon.  

The Happy Celebrations set had the perfect greeting and font to go with these mini-figure heads.  So stinkin' cute.  I hope they'll be a big hit with the boys.  I'm hoping to find time this weekend to make more!!!  What Lego faces are your favorite?

Thanks for looking, see you soon!!!

Right Side Up

I have a really cute card for you today.  This card was put in the mail, literally the minute it was done.  Good for the recipient, bad for the blogger!  Fortunately, I had snapped a picture on my phone of it before sticking in an envelope.  So while I wish I had a better picture to share with you, this one is still pretty cute!!  This card was made for a friend of a friend who's having some medical issues and my friend asked to load up her mail box with some encouragement cards.  Lots to talk about, but I'll try to be brief, my preorder is arriving today!!  Yay!!  New stuff!!  The turtle only uses 4 punches.  The 2" Circle for his shell. The spots on his shell are the 1" and the 3/4" Circle. His head is the 1" Circle, his feet are the 1/2" Circle.  The tail is just a sliver of the 3/4" Circle.  That's it!  I tore a scrap piece of card stock then used my Soft Sky ink and a dauber to add some texture to the sky and the grass....don't you love it our new Lemon Lime Twist sponged on with a dauber.  I'm in love with that color.  For those of you who think it's too bright or too neon.  NO!  It's perfect, give it a chance!  You'll LOVE it!!!!  Finally for the greeting I used my Labeler Alphabet to spell it all out.  Super cute!   

Thanks for looking, see you soon!!!    

Graduation Cards

I don't know about you, but here in New Mexico graduation season is about to hit us head on!  I came up with a simple, but fun and chic graduation card that if needed I can make more.  I know of 3 graduates so far....I'm sure I'm missing some though.   

Here's so food for thought......all 3 of these cards are going to children of whom I baby sat for at one point in my life.....partner that with the fact that another child that I babysat for just got married a couple weeks ago....wow...thanks life...that was a slap in the face I didn't need.  I'm still trying to figure out the math here, because as far as I can see I'm not old enough for the children I babysat for to be graduating, much less married!

I really like this design for a graduation card because it's easy to customize to the school colors.  The '17' I colored with ink pads and sponge daubers.  I really love the fun ombre look you get.  I know there are people out there probably cringing because I paired up Very Vanilla and Whisper White but I like it, especially on these cards.

Thanks for looking, see you soon!!! 

Three New Colors!!!

I'm so excited about today!!!  Today demonstrators can pre-order from the new Catalog.  EEEEEKKKKK!!!!!  So excited!!!  If you want to see and order from the new catalog too it's never too late to join my team!!   I'm so excited to share these 3 new colors with you that you too can get now as part of the new Eastern Palace Suite promotion.  There's lots of NEW products that you can get your hands on, including these three NEW amazing colors. 

These colors are Fresh Fig, a beautiful, rich purple! Tranquil Tide a stunning, deep blue/green. Finally Lemon Lime Twist a fun, modern pop of color!  I honestly wasn't sure I'd like Lemon Lime Twist...you guys it's incredible!!  I LOVE it!!!!!  I want to use it on all my cards!!!!  So what are you waiting for?  Go shopping and get these colors now!!! Click 'shop now' and shop the Eastern Palace Suite of Products!

Thanks for looking, see you soon!!! 

Giant Tsum Tsum Card

Are you on the Disney Tsum Tsum band wagon?  They actually come in many different forms and sizes, from large plush ones to the little plastic ones that I've become obsessed with.  Fortunately for me I have an amazing friend who understands my crazy obsession (because she has the same one!).  I was asked to make a card for her that would be given to her from a group of people.  Obviously Tsum Tsum's are the first thing I thought of!

Now if you're not like me you might be asking 'what on earth is a tsum tsum?' Don't worry you're not alone in not knowing, I recently had to explain it to another friend.  Tsum Tsum's are these adorable figurines that depict specific Disney characters and movies.  They're not just the figurines though, they come with accessories and more.  It's a whole addiction.  Next to my Stampin' Up! addiction this one is the most dangerous.  They come in these blind bags so you don't know which one your getting which is either really exciting or completely terrifying.  Not to worry though, I feel that I can feel the bags and make good educated guesses at what they are.  You'll often find me in Target with a box of these in my cart just feeling the bags.  I told you it's an addiction.  The kids and I both love them and we have quite the collection at our house (I have all that have been released to date....series 6 is about to come out! I can't take the pressure of it all!!!!!!)  Now that the crazy part of the post is over let's go back to the card.....

All my characters on my card are made from punches.  I didn't write down any of the punches I used because well that would have made a lot of sense......I will share the punches that I know I used though.  There was a lot of cutting and trimming so if you so recreate these for yourself, look at your punches and see what you have.  All of the bodies are the 1 1/2" circle punch, the ears on Mickey and Minnie are the 1" circle punch and their faces are the 1 1/2" circle punch then I just hand cut the face shape.  All their feet are the 1/2" circle punch.  All the eyes are from the Owl Builder.  Mickey, Minnie and Pluto's nose are from the retired heart border punch.  I took one heart and cut it in half then rounded the pointy end.  Donald's bow is from the Gingerbread Man punch, while his beak is the 3/4" Circle punch trimmed to just a sliver.  Donald's hat is from the retired butterfly punch (this one has been retired a few years), I also used the heart from the Owl Builder on his hat.  Dumbo's ears are an oval punch that's been trimmed slightly.  His hat is the retired small oval punched, also trimmed, his trunk is the 1 1/2" circle punch that, you guessed it, has been trimmed! 

Minnie's bow is the 1/2" circle punch and a small heart punch....I'm honestly not sure where this small heart punch is from......As for Pluto, his eyes and nose are both trimmed ovals, his ears are ring made with the 1" circle punch and the 1 1/2" circle punch then cut down.  Lots of hand trimming on a lot of these pieces.  But honestly these guys were really small and there just weren't punches with the pieces small enough.  This card is pretty large, it's a full sheet of card stock folded in half making it an 11"x4 1/4" card.  Even with all the trimming, and all the tiny details, and the tiny pieces it was all worth it.  This card came out amazing and just as hoped it would!   

I did make one more character, she might be the best of all!  There wasn't room for Tinkerbell on the front so she was added to the inside.  Her body, eyes and feet are the same as the others, the only additional punches that were used on her was 1" circl for her bun and headband.  Her hair is the 1 1/2" circle, her nose is half a 1/2" circle.  Finally her wings are Blossom Builder....I think....I'm not a 100% sure on that one....seriously I should have written it down!!!  Lesson learned!  Like I said this card is pretty amazing and the recipient loved it, which ultimately is all that matters right?!!?  I know this has been a long post but thanks for sticking with me, I hope you love this card too!!

Thanks for looking, see you soon!!!