Thursday, May 17, 2012

Birthday Bash #5

This is the final card that I designed for my Birthday Bash stamp camp.  Inspiration for this card came from Stampin' Connection.

After stamping the sentiment, I adhered the center candle directly to the card stock.  (The Just Add Cake designer series paper is retiring in two weeks!!!)  The two candles on each side were adhered with Stampin' Dimensionals.  All three flames were sponged with Pumpkin Pie ink and popped up on Dimensional. I tied the ribbon "bunny ear" style then adhered the bow with a glue dot.

Dide gave this card to her friend Adalena for her birthday. She loved the rhinestone on the sentiment.

This concludes my Birthday Bash stamp camp. I'd love to hear what you think about this card.

"Speaking" of Dide, check out her really loose two front teeth.  They're hanging down crooked.  Can't wait to hear her talk with a lisp after they fall out.  Any day now!

Stamps: Delightful Dozen
Paper: Baja Breeze, Whisper White, Real Red, Pumpkin Pie, Subtles Patterned dsp, Just Add Cake dsp
Ink: Real Red, Pumpkin Pie
Accessories: Bird Builder punch, Rhinestones, Whisper White taffeta ribbon, Stampin' Dimensionals

Happy Stamping!

Susan

Wednesday, May 16, 2012

Birthday Bash #4

I love, love, love punch art!  And this card is so creative! When I saw Kelly Acheson's card here, I knew I had to add this one to the line-up in my Birthday Bash stamp camp. All I changed was the sentiment, the embossing folder for the "leaves," and the flower center.



This one of the most feminine card of the group.  You could change the sentiment and put this card to another use.  Creating this flower shape does take a little bit of adjusting to get the "petals" evenly spaced.  We used Tombow adhesive.  (Kelly posted an update about assembling it here.)  In the end everyone's flower turned out well and they were all pleased.

My new Stampin' Up! catalogs arrived a few days ago!!!  If you can't wait until my Open House on June 7th, stop by and I'll be glad to give you one.  Just don't mind my messy house. We've got lots of school activities/baseball games/swim lessons going on - and no time to tidy up.  What little time I've had at home I've spent outside cleaning up the garden.  That is WAY more fun than picking up toys, LOL!

Stamps: Happiest Birthday Wishes (Hostess set - retiring on May 31st!!!)
Paper: Lucky Limeade, Rich Razzleberry, Whisper White, Daffodil Delight, Summer Smooches dsp
Ink: Rich Razzleberry, Tangerine Tango
Accessories: 1 1/4" Square punch, Butterfly punch (retiring May 31st!!!), 3/4" Circle punch, Lucky Limeade Ruffled Ribbon, Big Shot, Manhattan Flower tief

Happy Stamping!

Susan

Tuesday, May 15, 2012

Birthday Bash #3

This is the third card from my Birthday Bash Stamp Camp.  It was inspired by the photo in the Sale-a-Bration catalog.  It is the girliest card of the bunch because of the pink.

I had planned on using Bakers's Twine for the balloon strings. Then I got to thinking how complicated it would be for everyone to string it, etc.  So I picked up my trusty Chocolate Chip marker and drew the strings on!  How clever is that?!?  One of my customers suggested to a fellow stamper to draw a figure 8 for the loops at the bottom of the balloon - also, a clever idea!  After May 31st, the Chocolate Chip marker will only be available when you buy the set of Neutrals markers.  It will not be available separately.  My brush tip is getting a bit frayed, so I got another one now while I could.

Stamps: Party This Way (retiring on May 31st!!!)
Paper: Pretty in Pink, Certainly Celery, So Saffron, Whisper White, Subtles Patterned dsp
Ink: Pretty in Pink, Chocolate Chip ink and marker
Accessories: Big Shot, Tasteful Trim Bigz XL die, Small Oval punch, Word Window punch, Stampin' Dimensionals

Happy Stamping!

Susan

Monday, May 14, 2012

Birthday Bash Card #2

Hello, here's the next card I created for my Birthday Bash Stamp Camp. Like the card in my last post, it's gender-neutral and can be given to just about anyone.

This card  needed just a little more details to liven it up.  A few polka dots and some sponging did the trick!
I cased this card from fellow demonstrator Jenny Peterson.  How do you like it?  The ladies made a real mess of my carpet with all of the confetti pieces from the cupcake builder punch - nothing that my vacuum cleaner couldn't handle.  Maybe I should call it, "A mess with a purpose!"
  
Stamps: Happiest Birthday Wishes (hostess set - retiring on May 31st!), Create a Cupcake
Paper: Soft Suede, Crumb Cake, Very Vanilla, Subtles Patterned Designer Series Paper
Ink: Soft Suede, Baja Breeze, Crumb Cake
Accessories: Big Shot, Circles #2 die, Perfect Polka Dots tiff, 1 3/4" Circle punch, Cupcake Builder punch, Crumb Cake taffeta ribbon

Happy Stamping!

Susan

Sunday, May 13, 2012

Birthday Bash Stamp Camp - Card 1

Recently, I hosted a Birthday Bash stamp camp.  Several ladies came over to make these creations.  We had a great time.  I made one card you can see here using Whisper White for the base. The idea for this card came from Stampin' Connection, a web site for Stampin' Up! demonstrators.

I let that card sit for a day or two, knowing that it needed a little bling.  Then my daughter Annika said, "Mom, you know you should use your Simply Scored Diagonal Plate on this one." Was she ever right!  This was the perfect opportunity for me to demonstrate the Diagonal Scoring Plate.

So I stamped the "Happy Birthday" from the Bring on the Cake stamp set on Very Vanilla, then turned it over and scored it diagonally every inch.  I also doused it with a bit of Champagne Mist shimmer paint in an alcohol spray.  Here's the final product:


Stamps: Bring on the Cake (This one will be included in the new catalog!)
Paper: Very Vanilla, Elegant Eggplant, Garden Green, Night of Navy, Regals Patterned Paper dsp
Ink: Elegant Eggplant
Accessories: Simply Scored Scoring Plate, Simply Scored Diagonal Plate, 1 1/4" and 1 3/8" Square punches, Blossom Bouquet Triple Layer punch (This punch is retiring on May 31st!!!)

Happy Stamping!

Susan

Saturday, May 12, 2012

Another Card with the Same Layout

Here's a card I made using the same layout as the masculine card.  Doesn't it look pretty with those bright colors of the Summer Smooches designer series paper?


The Finial Press embossing folder is retiring. It's one of my favorites.  I should've changed the sentiment and turned this card into one for Mother's Day! I'm off to make a few Mother's Day cards.  Should've done it at least a week ago.  Luckily, the weather is nice and the kids are playing outside.

Stamps: Pocket Silhouettes (retiring May 31st!)
Paper: Whisper White, Basic Black, Summer Smooches designer series paper
Ink: StazOn Jet Black
Accessories: Big Shot, Finial Press tief, 1 1/4" Circle, 1 3/8" Circle, Word Window and Modern Label punches

Happy Stamping!

Susan

Tuesday, May 8, 2012

Masculine Card Blog Hop



Welcome to the Hoppers' Blog Hop!  This month our wonderfully creative demonstrators will be focusing on masculine projects.  Elaine from Create 'N Stamp with Elaine Uhl has a fabulous prize pack to give away.  Just leave a comment on every blog on the hop and she'll choose a random winner at the end of the month.

Now onto my creation:


I purposefully chose two items that will be retiring at the end of this month: Well Worn designer series paper and the Trendy Trees stamp set.  (To see a complete list of retiring stamps and accessories, go here.)  The Well Worn dsp is perfect for creating masculine cards.  I punched out various patterns from the pack with the 1 1/4" circle punch then adhered them to a piece of Early Espresso then punched the two layers out with the 1 3/8" circle punch. This method creates perfect layers.

All six pieces were adhered to the Stripes embossed River Rock layer with Stampin' Dimensionals.  I inked the sentiment with Early Espresso ink and stamped it on a scrap of River Rock, then I punched it out with the Word Window punch, then adhered it to a scrap of Early Espresso and punched it with the Modern Label punch and adhered it with Stampin' Dimensionals.  The card base is Early Espresso.

This is a super easy layout that can be used with all types of designer series paper.  Later this week, I'll show you a feminine card using the same layout.

Here is list of the other bloggers.  Be sure to leave an encouraging comment and you might just win some goodies!

1. Elaine Uhl - http://createnstamp.blogspot.com/2012/04/masculine-birthday-card.html
2. Tina Davis - http://www.tinadavisstamps.blogspot.com/p/stampin-hop.html
3. You are here
4. Deana Stiles - http://deanastiles.blogspot.com/2012/05/Mays-Masculine-Card-Blog-Hop.html
5. Sharon Jacobs-Fisher http://www.stampinup.net/esuite/home/sharon/blog?directBlogUrl=/blo...
6. Diane Squires - http://joyfulstampin.blogspot.com/2012/05/hoppers-masculine-blog-ho...
7. Michelle Clarke - http://www.stampinup.net/esuite/home/michelleclarke/blog?directBlog...
8. Ariane McCosh - http://rubbernink.com/?p=3848

Stamps: Trendy Trees (retiring May 31st!)
Paper: Early Espresso, River Rock, Well Worn designer series paper
Ink: Early Espresso
Accessories: Big Shot, Stripes textured impressions embossing folder, 1 1/4" and 1 3/8" circle punches, Word Window punch, Modern Label punch, Stampin' Dimensionals

Happy Stamping!

Susan

Sunday, May 6, 2012

My Busy Weekend

Warning: this is a non-stamping post.  However, at the end I do show you an alternate use for a Stampin' Up! product.  I wanted to share a few photos of the kids. Three of my four kids have May birthdays.  Add onto that all of the end-of-the-school-year concerts, Girl Scouts activities, baseball games, etc. and you've got one overflowing calendar.

Here are some photos from Annika's birthday on Friday.  I spent part of my day baking a red velvet cake for Annika, my daughter who turned 10 years old today.  She wanted Chinese for supper so I concentrated making her red velvet cake.


Annika criticized Dide for the way she put the candles on the cake.
So I had to console her for a few minutes. Look at that sad face. She's devastated!

Then I came back to the dining room to see this:
 

To be honest, I think Clarice started it.  But the birthday girl had to finish it.




And now onto my alternate use for a Stampin' Up! product. Bradley had math homework to do over the weekend, but forgot his protractor.  So I put some vellum card stock into my printer and copied one so he could complete his homework. No excuses!

I was pretty proud of myself for thinking of this!  Boy was he ever angry with me when he had to do his work.

I have to spend some extra time in the kitchen today.  Dide wants lasagne and garlic bread.  Her birthday is tomorrow, but we're celebrating today.  Tomorrow is too busy with Bradley's baseball game and Dide's Girl Scouts meeting.  (Not sure how I can be in two places at the same time, LOL!)  It was actually Dide's idea to celebrate today. She wanted to get an ice cream cake, so I only have to cook dinner.  But I need to make cupcakes for all 27 kids in her class.  It's too hot to have the oven on!!!


Happy stamping!

Susan

Friday, May 4, 2012

An Anniversary Card for Me!


I opened my mail yesterday and found a lovely card from my stamping friend, Kim.  Randy and I celebrated our 19th anniversary yesterday.  Boy was I tickled to actually receive a card!

I think Clarice added a little bit of pink crayon to the bottom of the flower.  Oops!
This card is one of the Designer Cuts (unfortunately no longer available) from the Occasions Mini.  I hope they make their way onto the Clearance Rack some time in the future : )

This is such a simple and elegant card, don't you think?  

Stamps: Whimsical Words (retired SAB 2010)
Paper: Designer Cuts, Pretty in Pink
Ink: Chocolate Chip, Pretty in Pink
Accessories: Chantilly Crochet Trim (retiring at the end of this month!), Paper Daisies, Basic Rhinestones

Making guesses on a few of the card "ingredients."  Speaking of ingredients, I have to bake a red velvet cake for my dearest Annika who turns ten years old today!  Can't believe my baby is almost a teenager!!!  After the cake's in the oven, I'm gonna make her card.

Happy Stamping!

Susan